“Daisy. Daisy!”

“Yes, Jasmine?”

Daisy’s pride and joy, her younger sister Jasmine, had a healthy golden complexion and always listened to Daisy like she was her mother. As Daisy read a book in a chair, Jasmine circled around her like a little puppy.

“So, what’s happening, Daisy? Are you really going to marry Killian de Essel?”

“Yes. Thankfully, he’s willing to take a bride without a dowry. There’s no hope for our family, so if he forgives the debt in exchange for my marriage, that’s good for us.”

“What is that, though? You don’t even love him.”

“There are people who marry for love, but how many actually do? Don’t worry. I’m going ahead with it because I can manage.”

“But.”

Daisy grinned and got up from her seat. She took out a bag of money from under her pillow.

“Jasmine, do you know what this is?”

“No. Is it money from your fiancée?”

“No way. This money is not just money. It’s for something special.”

In the bag was some of the money Daisy got after selling everything she owned.

“What? Perhaps my allowance?”

“No way.”

“Then?

“It’s your entrance exam fee.”

“…”

Jasmine was speechless. Jasmine was very talented. She did well in school and had good memorization skills, different from Daisy who had a knack for business and punching numbers.

In her previous life, Jasmine couldn’t go near the academy she really wanted to attend. Due to poverty, Jasmine spent her youth working. Daisy was old enough to work at a high-end clothing shop, but young Jasmine had to sew or do lowly labor. Jasmine’s suffering had left a wound in Daisy’s heart, but things were going to be different now.

“The academy?” Jasmine asked quietly as if in disbelief, but her eyes couldn’t hide her hopeful excitement.

“Where did you get the money?”

“From now on, you don’t have to worry about money. You just focus on preparing for the exam.”

“Have you decided to marry the marquis for me? Because of my tuition?”

Daisy smiled and shook her head.

“No. No way. Does he seem that generous? For his wife, maybe, but do you think he’d pay for his sister-in-law’s tuition?”

“No, he doesn’t seem like he’d be that generous,” Jasmine murmured softly as she thought of scary Killian. Daisy opened a drawer and took out some forms she had gathered in advance. She placed the application form in Jasmine's hands.

“Go ahead and take the test. From now on, I will make money.”

“How are you going to do that?”

“I have my ways. Things are going to be different now.”

Her life was going to change now. Daisy just smiled, thinking about what she would do next.

***

Thanks to the master who went to sleep late at night and woke up late, the mornings at Marquis Essel's mansion started slowly. The House of Essel was a prestigious family that existed from the beginning of the empire and was famous for producing many outstanding knights and talented noblewomen. The wealth of the family had diminished for a few generations but was now prospering more than ever because of the exceptional business talents of their current head of household.

Of course, the family’s reputation took a hit, but in the face of power and wealth, people bowed their heads. Behind his back, people criticized Marquis Essel for being more of a business person than a noble, but in front of him, they were busy bowing their heads.

Killian put a morning cigarette in his mouth. Smoking a cigarette upon waking even before drinking a cup of tea was one of Killian’s bad habits. Smoking his cigarette, he casually said to his butler,

“Get an engagement present.”

“Who is getting engaged?”

“Me.”

“…Are you really getting married?”

“Yes.”

While Killian smoked his cigarette, the butler neatly placed a pair of shoes that had been cleaned the night before in front of Killian.

“Why?” asked the butler as he quietly unfurled his back like a cat. He was one of the very few who showed no fear when dealing with Killian because they been together since childhood.

Jed was the famous butler of Killian de Essel.

Facing Jed, he shot an icy look—a look cold enough to freeze one upon contact.

“You talk back a lot lately.”

“Alright, then who is this man you’re planning to marry? What kind of jewelry does he like?” Jed asked in an elegant tone.

“What?” Killian rubbed his cigarette out in the ashtray and asked as if stupefied.

“First of all, no woman would be crazy enough to marry you. Well, actually, there are lots of crazies in the world, so let’s just say there is a crazy woman. That might be possible. But there’s no way you would marry a woman, am I wrong? There’s no way you’d get close to a woman, so this has to be a fake marriage and your partner must be a man pretending to be a woman.”

Killian clicked his tongue. Jed's guess was half right. It was just preposterous. Killian let out a short laugh.

“That’s an Interesting hypothesis. Makes sense.”

“Right?” nodding his head, Jed smiled.

With a smirk, Killian continued, “Do you have a death wish? Do I need to beat you?” Killian raised his arm menacingly. Knowing that would hurt, the young butler made a sound as if he was already in pain.

One of the interesting things about Killian de Essel was that he had a young butler. So young, he was more of a child. The former butler died of old age two years ago. That butler had lived out a very long life. When Jed first came to this house, he was about ten years old. When the former butler died, Jed took over the position of the butler.

“I don't hate women. I’m just not interested in marriage or romantic relationships.”

“Exactly. So, you’re just kidding about getting engaged, right?”

“I’m getting engaged because I’ve found someone. If you keep running your mouth, I’m really going to cut out your tongue. Go and get an engagement gift.”

“Geez, alright.”

“Don’t geez me. And get a quiet table at the restaurant on Third Avenue for the day after tomorrow.”

“Yes, I will reserve a special room for you.”

“I’ve said a quiet table.”

“…At that popular spot? The business is so good there. The reservations get filled up fast.”

The most famous restaurant on Third Avenue, downtown was one of the restaurants owned by Killian. It was a popular meeting salon for noblemen and women.

“When I tell you to do something, just do it.”

Killian grimaced softly. Knowing that his bad temper would explode in minutes, Jed slowly lowered his head.

“I will reserve the entire third floor. The restaurant manager’s going to have a headache canceling all the reservations. What’s the reservation for? Are you planning to have a duel there?”

“It’s for a date.”

“What…?”

“Don’t make me say things twice unless you want to get punched. Jed, be sure to memorize everything I say the first time.”

“Right… for a date… a date, date?” still in shock, Jed couldn’t help but blurt out a question.

“Shoes.”

Annoyed, Killian put a second cigarette in his mouth.

As Killian smoked, Jed tied his shoelaces. To be attended to like this was only natural for Killian. He was born an aristocrat.

Killian wore a long coat. Because of his tall height and handsome looks, he looked elegant in everything.

Jed, who couldn’t keep his itchy mouth shut, opened his mouth again. Of course, he was again going to say something inappropriate that could get him punched. Jed’s talent for this equaled that of a successful, self-made entrepreneur.

“By the way, you are marrying a human, right? Not a thing or an animal, but a real human woman, right?”

“Yes, a human,” replied Killian in disbelief.

“She’s a pretty good girl.”

“…”

As Jed handed Killian his coat, his hands were trembling. He would’ve been less surprised had Killian said that the sky was crumbling. ‘Ah, finally, he’s completely lost his mind. He was crazy before but now he’s really gone crazy,’ thought Jed. He’d have more peace of mind dealing with Killian’s insane tantrums. There was a young lady who had fallen in love with Killian and hid in Killian’s bed. Jed still vividly remembered how Killian kicked her out that day. Killian was stoic and had an aversion to love. ‘But what now?’ Jed felt as though he’d been hit over the head.

“Then, the wedding? What kind of wedding should I prepare?”

“I haven’t asked her.”

“What?”

“I haven’t asked her opinion yet, so just prepare the basics for now.”

“Got it.”

To sum up, Killian de Essel was finally getting married to a crazy but a pretty good woman. It was Jed who added the crazy part, as no sane woman would marry that violent demon. And Killian was to go on dates with her… and respect her opinions? In Jed's mind, he started to imagine that she must be a seven-foot-tall female warrior with bulging muscles. Then he gave up imagining as that would mean the world may come to an end the day after tomorrow. Otherwise, this couldn’t be happening under this pure, clear sky.

“What kind of things should I prepare as the engagement gift?”

“Rings, earrings and necklaces. Something eye-catching.”

“Got it.”

“And also something she could wear every day.”

“Got it,” Jed nodded, feeling his hands tremble. Jed thought that was the end of it, but Killian grabbed Jed, “Let me ask you something.”

Killian went for days without talking sometimes, but today, the master had a lot to say.

“You want to ask me something?”

“Yes, you, you bastard. What does it mean when a woman asks you to just ignore her when you get angry with her rather than hit her, swear, or shove her?”

“Oh… that’s obvious. I don’t know who she is, but what a pity. Sounds like she’s been through the worst of it. She’s been hit, cursed at, and been shoved by an angry man before so now she prefers to get ignored rather than go through things like that. Poor girl. She must have been with a real trash. Women usually don’t say things like that.”

Killian's expression changed subtly. He furrowed his well-groomed brow, looked away and then looked at Jed again.

“Get all of the jewelry and send them by tomorrow morning. The recipient is Daisy de Philbern, the baron’s young lady.”

“By tomorrow morning…?”

“Spare no cost. Send the biggest and most colorful jewels that would show every man in the world whose fiancée she is.”

Jed opened his mouth and was saying something—most likely complaining that it’s impossible to prepare everything in a day—but Killian ignored him.

***

In the morning, Daisy was visited by the marquis's attendant.

“I brought your engagement gift.”

The attendant handed an oak wooden box with a lavish engraving. As is tradition, the engagement gift was in an oak box and wrapped in paper bearing the seal of the Essel family. The oak tree symbolized trust, and it was an imperial tradition to give the engagement gift in an oak box.

Daisy carefully received the box. When she untied the string and opened the box, a brilliant beam of light escaped the box. In the box was an enormous ruby stone. Daisy's eyes grew big.

“I’ve never seen a ruby this big…”

In her previous life, Daisy worked in an upscale shop frequented by the aristocrats. Some of the finest costumes even had real jewels in them. The ladies who frequented the shop competed with each other by wearing jewelry and showing off. So, Daisy knew a thing or two about jewels. This was a top-quality pigeon blood ruby stone. Even Daisy, who had no particular fondness for rubies, could not take her eyes off the stone.

“It looks over ten carats.”

Especially striking was the necklace with the platinum gold chains. The necklace was decorated with small diamonds, had a large ruby ​​in the middle, and a chain made of a few intertwining platinum gold chains. At first glance, it looked well over ten carats.

“It’s twenty carats. This ruby ​​broke the record for the highest price paid at the auction this year. We had to rush quite a bit to have it shipped in. It’s called the Ruby of the Sun.”

“Amazing.”

Daisy was mesmerized by its beauty. It was the kind of gift Killian would give. Who else would think of sending this crimson-red ruby?