The Murderous Duke's Domestic Affairs - Chapter 1

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 1
It was a day when rain poured down relentlessly. Lauren was the sole heir to the Previous Marquis Siaz. Though I had been stripped of my title helplessly following my parents’ sudden deaths, fortunately my father had registered my name as the legal heir. My Uncle’s orders were clear: meet with a lawyer to confirm the inventory of assets my father left behind, then visit the bank.
Lauren let out a bitter laugh. Who in their right mind would return with their inheritance knowing it would all be stolen? My Uncle, greedy as he was, lacked the intelligence to match his ambitions. And unlike my father, though my Cousin possessed a sharp mind, his frail body and timid nature meant he could never become a knight through conventional means.
I had secretly sold the jewels I’d smuggled out. Despite the modest finances of our estate, my parents had given them to me for my birthday—treasured possessions, but I had no choice. My parents would prefer I survive by selling them rather than enter into a second marriage with an old man. I counted the money in my hands and selected the safest-looking Inn among those I could afford to stay in.
There was only one way for me to avoid being sold off. I dressed in the most valuable gown I owned and left the Inn. The sky-blue summer dress was somewhat worn, but the fabric remained fine and the color still beautiful. I rented a small carriage and set out toward my destination—the Lilywood Duke’s Mansion.

The coachman made no effort to hide his displeasure. The current Lilywood Duke bore the reputation of a savage murderer, so the coachman must have been anxious about what might befall him in front of the Duke’s residence. I offered him a generous smile and added extra payment. Only then did the carriage move, abandoning me in the rain as it fled back like a frightened animal.
Holding a large black umbrella borrowed from the Inn keeper, I stood before the Duke’s Mansion for a long while, deliberating. I had steeled myself before coming, but would the Duke truly listen to my proposal?
‘A savage murderer.’
It was a rumor I could scarcely believe, yet such stories didn’t circulate without reason. What if he drew his sword simply because I was being presumptuous? As a man who had led armies in war, cutting down one woman would be nothing to him.
‘Better to die than be sold to an old man.’
I steeled my resolve and pressed the doorbell. The Butler who appeared from the distant entrance examined me standing in the rain and tilted his head in confusion. Yet he promptly retrieved an umbrella and opened the iron gate. It wasn’t typical work for a butler, but it mattered little who helped me.
“Good evening, Miss. Might I inquire the purpose of your visit?”
The Butler greeted me without a hint of surprise, though I stood alone in the rain without a single attendant, holding an umbrella myself, my dress hem completely soaked. I straightened my posture and drew a slow breath before speaking.
“I wish to meet with the Lilywood Duke.”
“The Duke himself?”
My words were clearly unexpected. The Butler furrowed his brow in thought, but rather than leave me in the rain, he guided me inside the mansion. I followed quietly behind him. Just as we passed the entrance, I failed to notice a puddle and stepped directly into it. The worn shoes filled with cold water, squelching uncomfortably. How unfortunate—these were my only shoes that matched the dress. I doubted they would be wearable after this.
“Since you’ve arrived without an appointment, I cannot be certain the master will wish to receive you. Allow me to inform him of your visit, and please wait a moment.”
After showing me to the reception room, the Butler lit the fireplace and brought warm tea before withdrawing. I noticed his gaze lingering on my wet hem and soaked shoes as he left. His words were a tactful suggestion that I dry my thin, wet clothes and water-logged shoes—unsuitable for the cold, rainy Capital. The Duke’s Butler was quite capable. I sipped the tea he’d provided and reflected on this.
I had just finished the cup when I heard a knock at the door. The Butler informed me that his master wished to see me. I expected to be led elsewhere, but instead a man appeared from behind the Butler. I rose abruptly from my seat. Aster Veil Lilywood. He was the master of this mansion.
I remembered his appearance from the newspapers during the war. Or rather, I could never have forgotten it—the golden hair like melted gold and the soft, gleaming green eyes. But the man before me now seemed like a different person. The neat, beautiful hair was now grown long and left unkempt, and his eyes had lost their light.
Like a hero who had personally wielded a sword and led armies in war, the slender boy’s frame had become that of a full-grown man. He appeared in nothing but a simple shirt and casual trousers, as if unconcerned with propriety, and his body moved with fluid grace. For some reason, my face grew hot, and I lowered my gaze.
When the Lilywood Duke collapsed into a long chair and gestured, the Butler brought him tea. At his command to sit, I found myself obeying without thought. The man accustomed to giving orders looked at me, his cool green eyes studying me as if to discern what lay in my heart.
“I heard you wished to see me.”
A voice terrifyingly low reached me. His tone was as cold as his gaze. I took a quiet breath and lowered my head.
“I apologize for arriving without an appointment. I am Lauren Secreta Siaz.”
He nodded, one leg crossed over the other. “And?” he asked. If I displeased this murderer, I would die. Though I feared the Duke’s cold gaze, I refused to appear intimidated. I straightened my posture and looked directly at him.
“I have come to propose marriage to you, Your Grace.”
A loud rumble echoed. Lightning flashed brilliantly outside the large window. In the blinding flash so bright it turned my vision white, I saw the fierce man’s lips twist. It was truly a terrifying sight.
I could not retreat now. I could not appear frightened. I deliberately straightened further and met his gaze directly. The green eyes that once sparkled with warmth now held darkness as they met mine. With an unreadable expression, he set down his teacup.
“Interesting.”
The Lilywood Duke murmured in a low voice and leaned back in his chair—the leisurely movement of a sated predator.
“Continue.”
One corner of his mouth lifted. That alone intensified the oppressive aura emanating from him. I realized for the first time that a mere gaze could crush a person. The tea in my tightly gripped cup rippled. Not wanting to reveal this agitation, I set down my cup as well. I bit my trembling lips firmly once, then spoke again.
“I know the Imperial Court is forcing you into marriage. I also know you resent it.”
The Lilywood Duke crossed his arms. His green eyes still held a threatening gleam, but he neither grew angry nor raised his voice. It seemed he intended to hear more of what I had to say. I felt relief wash over me. Of course—the Imperial Princess he was betrothed to was barely fourteen. No matter how much of a war hero he was, he must resent the prospect of marriage to a child as much as she, being twice her age, must resent marrying him.
“You’re not entirely wrong. I’m not sure where you heard it, though.”
The Lilywood Duke answered in a quiet voice, contrary to his fearsome reputation, speaking matter-of-factly. Was this acceptable? I cautiously raised my eyes to study his face. The smile at his lips had deepened slightly, but no other expression appeared.
“And?”
Clearly that alone was insufficient. I drew a slow breath. I had anticipated this and prepared another card to play. But what if even that failed to satisfy him? Worried, I took a sip of tea to calm myself.
“You’ll gain a capable administrator trained directly by the Previous Marquis Siaz.”
She set down her teacup, placed a hand over her heart, and bowed deeply. The Duke’s eyebrows shifted. After a moment of silence, he lowered his head and his shoulders began to shake. Lauren’s gaze flew toward him, puzzled. He finally clutched his stomach and began to laugh.
“Forgive me. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard such confident self-introduction—not since the war.”
The Duke wiped tears from the corners of his eyes as he apologized. But Lauren felt her pride wounded. Her father, the Previous Marquis Siaz, may have held a lower title, but he had been a capable administrator of the Imperial Court. He was not a name to be laughed away. Of course, it was somewhat refreshing to see the Duke—who had seemed cold and fierce for his age—appear like an ordinary young man his age.
“I apologize sincerely. I had no intention of insulting the deceased. I know well that he was a remarkable administrator.”
The name of the Previous Marquis Siaz was familiar to the Duke as well. Shortly after the war with the Western Desert peoples, at a gathering where achievements were discussed, the names of that man and his army—who had led the campaign directly—were completely omitted. It was obvious whose doing it was, so he hadn’t even thought to protest.
But there was someone who raised his voice on their behalf. If those who fought with their lives at stake were not rewarded, who would fight for the nation afterward? That person was none other than the Previous Marquis Siaz.
Since then, he had owed that man a debt several times over. To those above, he must have been a thorn in their side, but he was someone who knew how to raise his voice to the powerful and how to embrace those below him. And he was an administrator who was almost excessively honest and sought the righteous path. The Duke bowed his head to Lauren.
“I mean it. The deceased was a remarkable man. Losing someone like that is a great loss to the Empire.”
A killer on the battlefield. The Duke, whom I had thought incapable of civility, turned out to be more sensible than expected. I had shown my displeasure, yet I survived. More than that—he apologized for his rudeness. It seems we can understand each other better than I thought. Just as Lauren felt a small measure of relief, the Duke straightened in his chair and fixed his gaze upon her once more.
“An administrator, you say. Talented people to manage domestic affairs are always in short supply. In my case, especially so.”
He tapped the armrest of his comfortable chair rhythmically. Lauren lowered her gaze toward her teacup. The Duke was a hero known through war. His army was not a knightly order created by vassals or noble houses, but rather composed of common soldiers from the lower classes banded together—so there would be few who could oversee domestic matters. Had it been otherwise, they would have secured their own share well enough. The Duke, born into generations of wealth, wouldn’t concern himself with such things, but his soldiers would be different. Because they were commoners, their achievements must never be diminished—her father had sighed thus while raising his cup.
Lauren took a deep breath and lifted her eyes. The Duke, seated across from her at an angle, had green eyes that gleamed with intrigue.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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