Wildflowers Bloom on the Grand Duchy’s Wall - Chapter 69

“How about we get engaged instead? Wouldn’t that be better? Jumping straight into marriage feels way too sudden. People might think it’s reckless if the engagement is too short—let’s say a year or so?”

“Lilien, we’ve known each other for two decades already. If this were a typical marriage, people might think so, but we’re not like everyone else. Besides, with your family’s situation, it makes a perfect excuse.”

“Still… I’d like a bit more time to think. Maybe there’s another option that would be better for you. Or maybe if you met someone else, things would be different.”

“And what about you? If I get something out of this, then you should too. Like I said before—I’ll pay off the debts as soon as the mortgage papers are signed. After that, we can work through things together, one step at a time.”

“But… Christian told me not to get into trouble and just behave myself…”

“As far as I know, the deadline for repayment is coming up.”

Just as the Count didn’t trust Lilien, she no longer put her faith in her father, either. He always told her to wait, but waiting never changed anything.

“That’s true…”

Lilien was someone who could always make wise decisions, given enough time—at least, that’s how Cairn saw her, whatever her father might think. That’s why he had to push her now.

“No. You have to decide now. There won’t be another chance.”

He had gone through so much trouble to make all this happen.

“You’re the one who said it, right? That it must have been difficult.”

Cairn let his sentence trail off, adding a pause at the end, as if he were mourning something lost. He gave a bitter smile.

For someone as steady as Cairn, to suddenly speak this emotionally—and show such an unfamiliar expression—moved Lilien to tears almost instantly.

“You were right. Being different from others… that alone is hard. At first, I resented you for opening that forbidden box, but in the end, you’re the only one who could ever understand me.”

His uncharacteristically gentle tone tugged at her heartstrings.

“Cairn…”

In his mind, Cairn had spent ages coming up with a way to persuade Lilien—especially in a way that fit her odd, roundabout way of thinking.

“Lili, there’s no point dragging this out. You know that, don’t you? Besides, you’re not a child anymore.”

Now Cairn started to prod at her softest spots.

“In that case… I’ll wait until Christian comes back, and I’ll decide then. Since Father isn’t here, I should get Christian’s approval.”

“What, am I marrying Lord Grenor now?”

“What?”

“This is your marriage. It means you get to make the decision. A decade ago, daughters still belonged to their fathers and couldn’t marry freely, but it’s not like that anymore.”

“Right. I’m an adult now.”

“Make your own choice. You listen to other people way too much. Don’t you realize that’s exactly why your father keeps treating you like a child? Why do you always blame him?”

Of all the voices Lilien listened to, Cairn’s was always the one she took to heart the most. And he knew it. So really, what he was doing now was closer to manipulation than persuasion.

He called it her choice, but he was stoking her pride, nudging and fueling the fire just enough to get what he wanted. And Cairn felt no guilt for it. Because, in his mind, this really was what was best for her. He was sure he could make her happier than anyone else ever could.

“You’re right. I can do as I please now. I’m an adult.”

Before she even realized it, Lilien was gripping the white quill.

Just a little more.

“Lili, why do you think people should marry for love? Don’t you think the trust between us is deeper than that?”

The tip of her pen hovered over the paper, so close to making a mark.

“Cairn, am I really allowed to do this?”

Just me and you. Lilien’s voice trembled, and Cairn heard it loud and clear.

“That’s right, just you and me, Lili.”

After a long moment of hesitation, she finally touched the quill to the page, a small black dot slowly spreading on the paper.

It only took a moment, but to Cairn, it felt like an eternity.

“…Alright. I’ll accept your help.”

He thought he’d anticipated every possible reaction, but the answer she gave completely blindsided him.

“In return, you want me to give you an heir to Headington, right?”

“…How did we end up here?”

Cairn glanced at the shelf full of her steamy romance novels behind her, silently vowing to burn every last one. After reading nothing but those books, there was no way to predict the direction of her thoughts.

“Then what am I even doing for you?”