The Arrogant Duke Buys the Devoted Love of the False Saintess - Chapter 15

When Lily arrived at the ducal estate, she was informed Damian was having dinner. Moreover, it seemed to be a dinner with guests.

Wondering if it was appropriate for a lover to visit so suddenly at such an hour, she didn’t ask to be announced.

Well, living together was part of the arrangement, and she was supposed to start residing at the mansion today, so she had no qualms about staying.

The butler then prepared a separate room for her and inquired if she had already eaten.

Come to think of it, she remembered she hadn’t eaten before coming, and just then, her stomach gave a small rumble.

The butler seemed to understand and immediately gave instructions to the kitchen.

Soon, a salad, an elegant herb-roasted chicken, warm soup, and soft bread were placed before Lily. While the orphanage meals consisted of similar items, the ingredients used and the flavor here were beyond comparison.

Lily finished everything thoroughly, resolving in her heart to work diligently tomorrow as well.

Food is sustenance for life. If it’s delicious, all the better. She wanted the children to eat even better things.

“Thank you for the meal.”

When she expressed her gratitude to the butler, he smiled.

There wasn’t a trace of the condescending attitude toward commoners often characteristic of the nobility.

She was impressed by how well Damian’s hired staff conducted themselves.

Once, when she had inadvertently visited Heinrich’s count household, she had been thoroughly looked down upon by all the servants. Even after she started visiting frequently, their attitude remained terrible.

That’s why she had been worried about that boy.

She recalled the scrawny child who used to be at the orphanage. The boy with black hair and similarly pitch-black eyes. He whose world, status, and everything had completely changed.

He who had become the cause of Lily’s dislike for the nobility.

As Lily was lost in thought, the door was flung open violently.

“Ah, so this is where you were.”

A man barged into the room without even attempting to hide his rude attitude. He strode right up to Lily, who was sitting on the sofa, and scrutinized her intently.

“Not much of a beauty, is she?”

“Hey, Sogito.”

The man who made the rude remark turned around upon hearing his name called by Damian, who had arrived behind him.

“Don’t get so close to my lover without manners.”

“She’s a woman you bought with money, and a commoner at that. Why are you so angry?”

The man tilted his head as if to say he didn’t understand.

The man called Sogito was probably a noble. He had a good build and seemed well-trained, so perhaps he was a knight or something similar.

Given that he spoke to Damian, a duke, as an equal, his status was likely quite high.

His familiar attitude suggested they might be friends.

But even so, it was unacceptable.

His attitude struck a nerve with Lily.

“Lord Damian.”

Lily stood up briskly, walked past the man, and clung to Damian.

“Huh?!?!?”

“I was so scared. I’m glad you stopped him…”

She peered into Damian’s beautiful eyes, which were wide with astonishment and frozen.

“Come to think of it, you went out of your way to come see me today, didn’t you? I was happy about that too, Lord Damian.”

When she smiled sweetly, his face stiffened even more.

His adorable lover was being affectionate, yet he didn’t look pleased at all.

Thanks to that, Sogito snorted through his nose and laughed triumphantly.

Was this strategy a failure?

No, but Damian’s heart, pressed against her, was pounding thump-thump-thump like thunder. She couldn’t tell if he was tense, but it probably wasn’t unpleasant.

“A commoner is being awfully familiar with a duke.”

“I am a purchased commoner lover. This is the proper action of a lover as requested, isn’t it? I was criticized and hurt by a strange man, so I’m letting my kind lover indulge me.”

While clinging to Damian, she looked back over her shoulder and smiled sadly.

Precisely because she was a lover bought with money, she didn’t expect anything in return. Besides, she had already received payment in money, so it wasn’t an equivalent exchange.

If what Damian sought was the selfless, motherly love of a benevolent Madonna, she understood it was one-sided and accepted that as natural.

That’s why she was genuinely surprised and grateful that he had restrained Sogito.

It’s just that her personality couldn’t stand being talked down to without a response.