Chapter 1
A pair of gray eyes lingered on the nape of Iris’ neck.
The man opened his lips slightly and closed them as if he wanted to devour her throat at once.
His sluggish eyes slowly moved down her neck to her chest and then to her stomach.
The sharp gaze penetrated her dress and she felt as if every inch of her body was being caressed.
She wanted to run away.
As expected, it was also wrong to come to this man.
Known as an upright guardian of the sacred relic, she knew how heartless the man actually is.
It was her mistake to think that he could protect her because of that heartlessness.
She had escaped from one beast only to enter another beast’s den.
But she didn’t run away.
If it was the former Iris she would have been trembling as her shaky legs gave way, but not anymore.
Without showing her agitation, she slightly raised her chin to meet the man’s gaze.
Looking at her unwavering eyes, the edge of the man’s lips curled.
But to anyone’s eyes it was no smile.
“I think I’ve misheard.”
Between his blood-red lips, a low, grave voice came forth.
“Did the flower of Duke Whittle just propose to me? And you came to me on your own accord?”
“Yes. Please marry me, Count Keivrand Green.”
Keivrand’s eyes narrowed.
There was no sense of amusement from his expression.
His sharp gaze was trying to figure out what she was up to.
“The flower of Duke Whittle.”
He drew closer and stood in front of her.
There was a refreshing scent from Keivrand that made her feel as if she was standing in a forest.
“I don’t think you understand what you said just now.”
His hand slowly crept towards her neck.
The large hand approached her slender neck and stopped inches before her skin.
“Do you know what marriage means?”
“I do.”
She knows it very well.
“If so…”
The hand that had stopped finally touched her neck.
Keivrand’s cold palm swept down the back of her neck and stopped at her slender shoulder.
Iris flinched and trembled, but still didn’t lower her gaze that had been fixed on him.
“You should know what couples do.”
She knows.
Keivrand would be surprised by how much she knew if she told him.
Instead of saying what she was thinking, she lifted her index finger and pushed his wrist away from her shoulder.
His hand easily fell.
“We’re not married.”
Keivrand smiled and slightly raised his hands as if to mark his surrender, then he took a step back.
Nonetheless, there was no playfulness in his eyes, which even she found to be a little unsettling.
“Lady Whittle.”
Keivrand raised his hand and pointed to a door.
“Leave.”
It was a rude and obvious rejection.
If it was any other woman, they wouldn’t have been able to raise their head out of shame.
However, Iris was different.
This level of shame was nothing.
If only she can get out of that house, and if only she can live properly, she will do anything.
She raised her head and stared straight at Keivrand.
“Alfred, the master of house Hutch, promised Duke Whittle the Lavent’s gold mine. Duke Whittle will receive that gold mine for handing me over to Alfred.”
“Your manners.”
“You made it formal first. If you want me to use honorifics, you should do it first. I’ll show you due courtesy.”
Keivrand’s eyes narrowed.
This time there was an amused look on his face.
He stared silently at Iris’ face, then turned around and walked to a sofa.
Sitting on the sofa and crossing his legs, he pointed his chin opposite of him on the sofa.
The meaning was for Iris to sit, but she didn’t.
No one can order her around in this life.
Her life was up to her.
She won’t let anyone grab her life and shake it as they please.
“Venott’s gold mine. If you give it to Duke Whittle, he will surely hand me over to you. Venott’s gold mine is much bigger than Lavent’s.”
“Does Lady Whittle think she’s worth as much as Venott’s gold mine? I don’t think that’s the case.”
“Wouldn’t the flower of Duke Whittle be better than a withered gold mine? At least it hasn’t withered yet.”
Keivrand narrowed his forehead.
It seems that he was wondering how the flower of Duke Whittle knew that Venott’s gold mine would soon go bust.
But Iris had no intention of dispelling the question.
However, instead of questioning her, Keivrand pointed his hand towards the door.
“Once again, Lady Whittle. Leave.”
When she seemed unwilling to move, Keivrand folded his arms.
“I don’t care if the flower of Duke Whittle blooms brightly or withers away. I’m saying you’re not worth a mine even if it’s about to go to ruin.”
Keivrand sternly said, looking at her sluggishly as if he had lost interest.
“So Lady Whittle, leave. Before I break that pretty neck.”
She already knew.
Keivrand couldn’t be interested in the flower of Duke Whittle.
She just wanted to reel him in before she revealed her trump card.
‘I have no choice but to reveal it now.’
She calmly breathed.
To reveal this card also meant that her neck will be exposed.
She didn’t know if Keivrand would keep her alive or kill her once she revealed it.
No one knew about Iris’ visit to Count Green, and Keivrand knew that fact.
Maybe he will try to cover everything up by killing her.
‘I don’t care if I die here like this.’
She knew what was going to happen to her.
And she would rather die here than to live such a life.
Strengthening her resolve, she opened her mouth.
“Beastmen’s king.”
At those words, Keivrand’s eyes widened.
And his firm gray eyes shook slightly.
“I know what you’re up to, Keivrand.”
Keivrand slowly stood up.
A dark killing intent surged from him as if it wanted to devour Iris’ body.
“The flower of Duke Whittle will fall before it can bloom.”
Keivrand’s hand grabbed Iris by the neck.
Sharp canine teeth could be seen through his blood-red lips, but she didn’t even budge a muscle.
“If the flower falls, so will your neck.”
Even at the moment of her throat tightening, Iris’ calm voice was able to drain the strength from Keivrand’s hand.
The gray eyes that were filled with fervor disappeared and curiosity filled its place.
“I know your plan. It will fail, and you will die.”
“What else do you know?”
“Your only choice now is to marry me.”
Keivrand widened his eyes and soon smiled.
“You won’t answer even if I ask you how you know all this.”
“Right.”
“If I don’t agree to this marriage, you’ll go out and reveal that I’m a beastman.”
“Right.”
“I won’t even bat an eye if I kill you here.”
“Right.”
“But if I kill you here, I’ll die too.”
“You’re smart.”
“Do you think I would believe that?”
“You already believe it.”
Iris spoke in such a pleasant tone that it almost sounded like she was singing.
Keivrand looked down at the fearless woman in front of him without saying a word.
Skin white enough to see the veins, a thin and long neck, a voluptuous chest under a pretty collarbone, and a slender waist.
He had heard rumors that men would drool over her, and indeed, the rumors were true.
There were countless men who wanted to get their hands on the beautiful flower of Duke Whittle, Iris, who had grown up in a greenhouse.
Countless men were anxious to hold such a body, but it made no difference to Keivrand.
He had no interest in her lush body or beautiful face that resembles a flower.
What caught his attention was her bearing.
It could be said that Keivrand’s killing intent had a sense of form.
Although it’s invisible, the materialization of it could actually weigh down a person’s body and frighten them.
It was normal for an ordinary woman, no, even properly trained soldier, to pee themselves because they couldn’t overcome Keivrand’s killing intent.
But that didn’t happen to Iris.
She didn’t even look scared.
It had caught Keivrand’s interest.
Also, he didn’t think Iris was lying.
There was something in her eyes that made him believe her words.
“Let’s sit down and talk.”
Keivrand let go of her neck and walked back to the sofa.
However, Iris remained in the same spot with an elegant demeanor.
He frowned and recalled what she had said earlier.
Thus, he politely pointed opposite the sofa and asked.
“Would you like to have a seat, Lady Whittle?”
Iris nodded slightly.
“Okay.”
As she walked slowly toward the sofa, Keivrand could see why people called Iris the flower of Duke Whittle.
Upright posture with a straight waist and neck, a slow and graceful demeanor, elegance flowing from head to toe, and unshakeable eyes that are as thin as a frightened little bird.
It wasn’t long before Iris, who sat on the sofa, put her hands neatly on her thighs and watched Keivrand.
With an aloof expression, she waited for him to speak first.
“That I’m a beastman. That I’m planning something. That it fails and I’m going to die. I’ll trust you without asking how you know these things.”
“…?”
“But I’d like to know your intentions for asking a beastman whose plan will fail and die.”
Her unshakeable violet eyes finally shook.
As if recalling something terrible, her expression collapsed for a moment.
Her eyes, which fell to the side, turned to Keivrand again.
“I want to get away from that hell.”
It was an unexpected answer.
“I thought you were a flower in a greenhouse.”
“Greenhouse?”
A cold smile formed around Iris’ lips.
For some reason, Keivrand found that the current Iris, at this very moment, was more attractive than ever.
“It’s not a greenhouse. And I’m not a flower but a weed that survived the depths of hell.”
It has been less than an hour since Keivrand met Iris, but she has been a constant surprise to him.
He found the situation very interesting.
“Green’s mansion won’t be a warm greenhouse either, Lady Whittle.”
“It’s going to be a warm greenhouse, Count Green.”
Iris answered firmly.
“The world’s sturdiest and warmest greenhouse. A greenhouse at the pinnacle of power, where no one can step foot in without permission.”
The pinnacle of power.
Keivrand wondered if this woman understood what that meant.
“In that greenhouse, I’ll do my best, with all my strength.”
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A sweet smile bloomed on Iris’ lips.
“I’m going to live a carefree life.”
At that moment, Keivrand immediately became fond of Iris.
== Translator’s Note ==
1. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etc…in the comment section .