The duke pushed open a door and stepped inside; Minsoo followed him.

The room they entered was a small receiving room, with simple furnishings: two couches separated by a small table, a few bookshelves full of books, and a soft tapestry on the floor.

And sitting on one of the couches there was a beautiful young woman with auburn hair and intense green eyes, her lips curved in a gentle smile. A calm aura, like that of a saint or a buddha, radiated from her like flowing water.

The female lead. Lady Iliana Renetta Loder. The epitome of kindness, selflessness, and self-sacrifice.

Minsoo would have liked to hug her and cry against her chest until he felt a lot better. The opposite effect he had when he saw Duke Corvaliso for the first time.

That’s it! That’s what it means to be the female lead! God, please, let me bathe in her light a little longer!

Duke Corvaliso sat down on the couch and crossed his legs.

"It’s good to see you, Iliana."

Lady Loder smiled. "It’s good to see you too, Val."

"Corvaliso. I’d appreciate it if you use my full name."

"Ah, yes, I apologize." For a moment a wave of sadness filled Lady Loder’s green eyes. "I’m grateful that you allowed me to come here today."

"My aide told me it would be wiser to talk things out." Duke Corvaliso held out a hand toward Minsoo. "He’s Sir Archievald Glennhort, my aide."

Lady Loder smiled and bowed her head. "It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, sir. And thank you for persuading the duke to talk."

Minsoo bowed. "I merely did my duty, milady."

"So," the duke interjected, "what do you want in exchange for withdrawing your accusations, Iliana?"

"Why should I? You were there, that night, and you set my palace on fire. I saw you. Or are you saying that I’m lying?"

"You accused me before the Emperor. You’re putting me in a dire situation."

Lady Loder pressed her lips together and for a moment, she seemed like a frail creature caught between a predator’s claws. "What else should I have done? My parents deserve justice."

"You’re bringing ruin to the North with your little plays."

The young lady shot to her feet. "Are you saying that I’m lying?"

"What I’m saying is that I wasn’t there that night."

"So someone with your face killed my parents? Is that what you’re saying?"

Duke Corvaliso sighed and stood up. "We’ve known each other since we were children. Tell me, Iliana, would you really think that I could kill your parents?"

Minsoo bit his lip. Of course it was the duke’s doing! He was just lying, and Lady Loder would fall for it. And then, before the young woman left the palace, Duke Corvaliso would capture her and throw her in the dungeon. Seeing how the talk was going, it didn’t seem that the event would be different from those of the visual novel he played.

So, Minsoo needed to intervene somewhat.

"Lady Loder," he cut in. "I’m sure His Grace is telling the truth. Maybe someone is trying to frame him."

Duke Corvaliso looked at him with his eyes narrowed, but didn’t say anything.

The female lead blinked. "Why should someone do something like that?"

"Because maybe they don’t want you two to be on good terms. Or maybe… they just want to ruin your friendship. His Grace is the most powerful man in the North, while Her Ladyship is from one of the most powerful families in all the Empire. The Emperor himself fears House Loder. If you two happened to marry, then the imperial family would feel threatened."

"So, do you think that behind my parents’ death there’s the imperial family?"

"Exactly!"

It’s not a complete lie. The Emperor is a minor villain who tries to manipulate Lady Loder and puts her on trial. If these two fall in love with each other, then he won’t try to harm her. Well, Prince Fabian won’t win her heart either, but it’s not a big deal. What matters is that I won’t die before the end.

Lady Loder turned toward Duke Corvaliso. "Is that true? Is it really the Emperor’s doing?"

"I don’t know. And I don’t know where my aide found this information either, or if we can trust it." His Grace glanced at Minsoo with his cold, violet eyes. "But I’m sure he had the North’s best interest in mind."

"I’ve heard Sir Glennhort was a rather fearsome man."

"The woman he loves scolded him, so he was trying his best to be a decent human being."

Minsoo clenched his jaw and forced a smile on his lips. What is it? A jab? You damned prick, it’s not my fault you chose a psychopath as your right hand.

"Oh, I see," Lady Loder murmured. "Then, I’ll withdraw my accusations and I won’t proceed further. Is that fine with you?"

Duke Corvaliso nodded. "It’s most appreciated, Iliana."

She stood up. "Then I’ll take my leave. It was good to see you again. I… missed you."

Minsoo held his breath, his eyes darting from the young woman’s face to the duke’s. That was the right time to bring up the engagement, to ask her to give him a second chance.

His Grace furrowed his brow and glanced at him, as if he wasn’t sure what to say. Was it his way of asking for help?

Minsoo gave a small nod, and something on the duke’s face twisted.

"I could reconsider my decision," he said with a flat tone. "About our engagement."

Lady Loder’s gaze lit up. "Really?"

"It can benefit both of us. You’ll be my wife, and I promise you I’ll treat you with respect."

She lowered her gaze, and a strange expression crossed her face. "I need to think about it. I’ll let you know."

The duke nodded and stood up. He held out a hand and helped her to her feet, then he accompanied her out of the receiving room. Once alone, Minsoo glanced at the appetizers and the cakes he had the chef prepare, still untouched, then sighed. Overall, it went better than he expected, but it was really a shame that Lady Loder couldn’t taste all those sweets.

He took a piece of something that resembled a red velvet cake and put it in his mouth, but at that moment, a sound similar to a notification rang, and a translucent screen popped up before his eyes.

CONGRATS! YOU’VE JUST COMPLETED THE SCENARIO "MEETING WITH THE DUKE"