What is the one thing a superior should never do to a subordinate?
That would be a marriage proposal.
“…What did you just say?”
“Let’s get married. You and me.”
My boss—like a figure in the sky—and the Duke of Croitz, Kaien, said it in an utterly casual tone.
The sound of his teacup being set down clicked softly, like a painting drawn by a god’s brush.
Yet the words that came from those elegant lips were an unbelievable bombshell.
“Eeeeh?”
Crash.
I shot up so fast I hit my knee against the table.
At my noisy reaction, Kaien frowned.
Even that frown—infuriatingly handsome enough to make your stomach drop—was unfair.
“Am I going blind? Why do you look disgusted?”
Sorry, but you’re seeing it correctly.
“That can’t be. You’re my… ahem. Fan, aren’t you?”
Now I was the one wondering if I was going blind.
His always cold, ruthless face looked ever so slightly flushed.
Of course, every time I looked at Kaien, my eyes would shine with burning academic enthusiasm.
‘I want to learn how someone can act like such an innovative psycho every single time!’
I have plenty of people I need to take revenge on.
My trash ex-fiancé, my childhood friend who cheated with him, my uncle who swallowed my entire family’s fortune… ugh, just thinking about them gives me indigestion.
I raised my voice in frustration.
“I do respect you, Your Grace, but I’ve never had any improper feelings toward you!”
“You don’t? You stare at me all day long.”
That was to study your chaotic behavior!
“You observe my every move without ever taking your eyes off me.”
That’s just because my academic curiosity is excellent!
“You write down every single thing I say without missing a word.”
Because I’m your secretary?!
“And you never leave my side before I leave work.”
No, because if I tried leaving first, you glared at me like you’d kill me!
“That—”
Kaien stepped closer all of a sudden, leaning in as if interrogating me.
His familiar scent rushed in, and my heart skipped a beat. I quickly steadied myself.
“That’s just part of my job as your secretary.”
“No. No other secretary I’ve ever had was this dedicated. You must have other feelings for me.”
His expression was filled with absolute certainty.
I was so dumbfounded my mouth opened and closed like a fish.
Then, misunderstanding me again, Kaien said with a generous expression:
“Then I’ll allow you the position of my spouse.”
What the hell is he talking about? This insane man!
I barely swallowed the words down with what little patience I had left.
Grinding my teeth, I forced a smile.
“…It’s all a misunderstanding. How could someone like me possibly have such impure thoughts toward you?”
“You can.”
“I’d rather not.”
“Hm. Are you unable to recognize your own feelings? That’s fine. We have plenty of time.”
Since when did it become “we”?
Now I could clearly see it—his ears were red.
‘Character collapse, but make it subtle!’
Is this really the same ruthless boss, the mad dog duke who kicks people around in boots whenever he’s annoyed?
The man who tramples people without hesitation.
The mastermind behind the infamous Great Mage Tower explosion incident still talked about to this day.
A sharp-tongued monster who can make grown men cry!
A human rumored to suffer not just from misogyny but full-blown misanthropy!
‘Pippi! Pippi! What the hell is wrong with this guy?!’
I called out desperately in my mind to my pet AI chick, Pippi.
[UNABLE TO ANALYZE! UNABLE TO ANALYZE! Target behavior pattern is too irregular to compute!]
Even Pippi couldn’t analyze him?!
So even a magical AI breaks down on him—of course, he’s a lunatic!
Just then, commotion erupted outside the reception room.
“Freesia! Where are you!”
“Lord Felix, you can’t go in there! The master is with a guest—”
“Get out of my way! Freesia! Where are you?!”
“Screee!”
That voice—it’s my disgusting ex-fiancé.
I sighed and stood up.
“Your Grace, excuse me for a moment.”
Not wanting to show an embarrassing scene, I closed the reception room door and stood in front of him.
My ex-fiancé, Felix.
“Stop harassing my servants and get lost.”
“Freesia! Why haven’t you been answering me?”
Felix stormed toward me, breathing heavily.
“Haah… I ended up conceding, didn’t I? Fine, I lost. I’m sorry. I’ll apologize, okay? If a man swallows his pride this much, you should stop sulking too, right?”
If this were my past self, I would’ve broken into tears and thanked him for apologizing first.
But that girl was already dead.
‘You killed her.’
Damn ex-fiancé.
I smiled faintly.
“You cheated on me with my childhood friend and even got her pregnant, and you think just saying sorry is enough to be forgiven? That’s almost impressive, how empty-headed you are. Can you leave now?”
Felix thumped his chest.
“Listen! That Lorena witch wasn’t even carrying my child. She tricked me! It was someone else’s baby!”
“Oh, really?”
“Yes! So you should calm down now and—”
“So what.”
“…What?”
“Whether Lorena was constipated or pregnant with your child, I don’t care. Either way, you still slept with my friend. That doesn’t change the fact that you’re trash.”
“Hey! What kind of language is that?!”
“And could you stand a little farther away? Is it summer or something? The smell of trash is unbearable.”
Years of serving under the “mad dog duke” and the “mouth of disaster” had paid off.
The insults flowed without hesitation.
“Are you going to keep calling me trash?! Have I spoiled you so much you’ve gone crazy?!”
“If you don’t like ‘trash,’ how about parasite? Mana thief? Leech? What should I call you?”
Felix’s face turned ghostly pale.
“Y-you… why are you like this? Freesia, you weren’t this cruel. Why did you change? Don’t tell me… those rumors about you and that man are true—”
“That man… are you talking about me?”
“…!”
I turned around.
At some point, Kaien had walked right up beside me.
The Duke of Croitz, Kaien, tilted his head and slowly scanned Felix from head to toe.
Felix was tall and decent-looking, but standing next to Kaien, he looked almost delicate—like a frail girl.
“Tsk, Freesia.”
Kaien clicked his tongue openly.
“How did someone with your judgment end up dating something like this squid?”
Agreed.
I looked at Felix, trembling and unable to retort, with utter disappointment.
Strangely enough, there was a time when that “squid” had looked like a handsome, princely man.
And it wasn’t even that long ago.
It was a day that felt like I had the whole world.
“The top graduate of the Imperial Academy is… Lord Felix Roheim! Congratulations!”
Waaah!
Clap clap clap!
Felix walked through the applause with a dignified posture and stepped onto the stage.
I wanted to shout it out loud.
That’s my man.
My fiancé—my pride and joy.
“Lord Felix Roheim has demonstrated an enormous mana capacity and served as an example to all mage knights…”
The academy head delivered the congratulatory speech with satisfaction.
My face naturally softened too.
In truth, Felix’s natural mana capacity was extremely low.
It was I who, after much struggle, managed to amplify it.
“And his thesis on the relationship between magical beasts and mana has had a tremendous impact on the academic world…”
Ah, that thesis was mine too.
“He maintained A+ grades in all subjects throughout his enrollment…”
I stayed up countless nights organizing notes and solving his exam problems.
Because of that, I often couldn’t even take my own exams—but well, no one expects a lady to care about grades anyway.
Besides, Felix was the one who had saved me from a carriage accident when we were children.
“He really is Felix. Amazing.”
“His future is nothing but success.”
“Lucky girl, his fiancée.”
The murmurs around me filled me with pride.
Felix and I had been engaged since we were in the womb—nineteen years of bond.
His happiness was my happiness. His sorrow was my sorrow.
That’s what marriage meant.
“…That concludes the graduation ceremony. Male students, present flowers to the ones you love!”
Clap clap!
The applause rose again as graduates hurried around holding carnations.
Traditionally, graduates gave carnations to lovers—or family if they had none.
Felix stepped down from the stage holding a carnation.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
My heart pounded wildly.
‘My first flower gift.’
Felix always said flower gifts were a pointless waste of money, so I never showed how much I liked them.
But I loved flowers.
The thought of receiving one made my chest flutter.
“Felix! Felix!”
“Wooo!”
Students cheered as they made way for him.
I nervously adjusted my thick glasses.
I had tied my usually messy hair neatly today, and I was sweating from how unfamiliar it felt.
Felix looked especially handsome today.
He smiled and held out the flowers.
“Wow, Felix!”
Not to me…
“So pretty!”
But to Lorena—my childhood friend—who was linked arms with me.