Don’t Trample on Innocent Love

Ophelia grabbed her bag and stood up. Her patience had reached its limit. No matter how disappointing the situation was on her side,  Ophelia would have walked out of the coffee shop immediately if it hadn’t been for the man who approached her at that moment.

“Are you Miss Denev, by any chance?”

“Who are you?”

“I’m Hugo Denix. Mr. Fabian told me you’ve already heard about me.”

“Ah, it’s you..”

The businessman.

After swallowing her last words, Ophelia carefully examined him. There was a natural curiosity about the man who would become her husband. Contrary to her expectations, he looked pretty neat. He was tall and had a well-built physique. His features were pleasant, and his face was passable. Overall, he was a “quite decent” man.

Ophelia raised her hand and waved to the knight who was standing a little further away.

“You’re late.”

“I’m sorry. Have you been waiting long?”

“I just arrived a little while ago. Please have a seat.”

Ophelia ordered another cup of coffee. She didn’t want to indicate that it had already gone cold, so she gracefully commented on its taste. As she sipped on the freshly brewed coffee that was brought to her again, she felt his gaze on her. Hugo was also observing Ophelia. Is she suitable as a marriage partner? Ophelia didn’t want any more time wasted, he was a businessman –she thought– so the direct approach would work better; she reached into her bag and pulled out some documents, extending them towards him.

“What’s this?”

“There are some things we should go over before getting married.”

Hugo’s eyebrows raised in surprise as he examined the documents. A smirk formed on his lips. He looked at Ophelia as if demanding an explanation for setting conditions. 

Ophelia was slightly taken aback. Drafting a prenuptial agreement before marriage was only natural and a common practice in society. As she observed Hugo’s bewildered expression, she realized that this practice was exclusive to noble society. What seemed obvious to her was a whole new world to Hugo.

“In simple terms, it means we agree to uphold certain obligations towards each other. I’ve only included the requirements from my side, but if you have any desired conditions, feel free to let me know. I don’t intend to make one-sided demands.”

Ophelia feared that someone would discover that she belonged to the category she once despised. She knew that she was the one burdened with debt, and Hugo was the one who would repay it. Even if this situation was entirely not in her favor, requesting conditions was her rightful prerogative.

“To be honest…” Hugo casually set the documents aside. “It’s unexpected, I must say,” he remarked. 

One-sided and oppressive attitude. Ophelia was a noble who didn’t deviate from his expectations in the slightest. Born with arrogance and vulgarity. He was nauseated by the act of presenting such an agreement without even properly understanding the situation she was in.

He had dealt with many nobles and experienced all sorts of situations. His keen insight had contributed the most to amassing wealth. He saw through people’s weaknesses and skillfully exploited them.

“A marriage agreement, you say. Of course, I do intend to repay the debts of the Denev family, but this is too blatant…”

Aren’t you acting like you’re being sold? Ophelia’s face stiffened as she understood the meaning behind his words. It was embarrassing, and her eyelashes trembled in humiliation. It was expected that her composure would weaken when a beauty like her was treated this way. While she was offended, it wasn’t an entirely unexpected attitude. In truth, Ophelia hadn’t done anything particularly wrong to him. Not yet, at least, so she had nothing to be ashamed of.

Hugo deliberately upset her by being late for their appointment, so he decided to let this slide. Of course, the fact that she would become his bride pleased him, as it was evident on his face. And with a little attention, he could tell everything going through her mind.

She’s an easy woman. Easy to manipulate.

“Very well. Let’s say that I, Hugo Denix, have fallen for Miss Ophelia Denev, just as it’s written here, and I will go back and submit a marriage proposal immediately. My conditions are simple. You will assist me in adapting well to noble society. And you will ask nothing of me—no kindness, no affection, and certainly not love.”

And thus, Ophelia changed her mind. She decided to let go of her three years of unrequited love.

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