Chapter 118 A Dowry at the Northern Port
Someone knocked loudly on the front door of the Mercer family residence.
The head servant nearly jumped from his seat as he opened the door.
He saw Viscount Julian Vance standing at the threshold, wearing the most disheveled military uniform in the capital.
His top button was undone. His shoulders were dirty with wood dust.
His temples were wet with sweat from the project.
Julian entered without asking permission or exchanging greetings. He immediately grabbed Gisella's wrist, who was relaxing, reading a book and sipping tea.
"Come with me," Julian said curtly. His expression remained flat. He pulled Gisella up forcefully.
"Julian, what are you doing?" Gisella tried to free her hand from Julian. "This is a new silk dress; don't pull it. Where are you taking me?"
Julian just smiled briefly. He kept pulling Gisella along easily. "Just come along. You'll understand soon."
Gisella frowned. "Why do you always show up so suddenly?"
Unable to resist, Gisella was dragged out of the house.
She was carried into the Vance family carriage waiting at the gate.
Within seconds, the horses sped off. They left the noble neighborhood behind.
The road turned into an area of old warehouses.
The air was filled with the fishy smell of the sea, cement dust, and the deafening noise of factory machines.
Finally, they stopped at the Northern Port.
The place was dirty. The smell of diesel mixed with the sweat of dockworkers carrying hammers and large iron boards.
Gisella's hair was instantly messy from the sea breeze.
Her dress was splattered with mud at the hem.
Julian didn't care at all. He pulled Gisella closer to the edge of a new dock that was being built from scratch.
"Look at this," Julian said briefly. He gestured towards a group of workers pulling the iron chains of a large ship.
Gisella squinted. "Why did you bring me to a place like this, Julian? If you want to show off your muscles, just go to the military training grounds."
Julian didn't laugh. He took off his gloves.
He showed his calloused, rough hands, with small scars between his fingers.
He also removed his outer uniform, revealing only a thin white shirt soaked with sweat.
Amid the heat and dust of the dock, Julian looked very different from other nobles.
Usually, nobles just lounged in palace tea rooms, waiting for their inheritance.
Gisella compared Julian and Didier. Didier was just an insignificant part of her past, a spoiled man who always relied on his family. Julian, meanwhile, was independent and hardworking. "This port isn't just any project," Julian said seriously, his voice clear even amid the dock's noise.
Gisella turned to him. "So?"
Julian took out a roll of rough paper from his trouser pocket. He unrolled an architectural map on the dirty supervisor's table. His eyes met Gisella's with unwavering confidence. There was not a hint of doubt. "This is my dowry for you, Gisella," Julian said, mercilessly targeting the girl's heart.
Gisella stared in disbelief. "Dowry? What do you mean?!"
"I built this port from scratch," Julian said. "All its profits are for proposing to you. I want your family to know I can support you without relying on anyone's name." Julian's honesty made Gisella's heart tremble.
Gisella looked at Julian for a long time. Despite his messy appearance, Julian looked far more attractive than anyone in the capital. He proved everything with hard work, not just words.
"You're absolutely crazy, Julian Vance," Gisella whispered, her eyes sparkling with laughter. "Don't tell me you just wanted to show off your muscles here, so I'd be even more charmed?"
Julian smirked, pretending to be annoyed. "If I only wanted to show off, I wouldn't need to build a port this big, Miss Mercer. You're just looking for an excuse to keep watching me work hard."
Gisella patted Julian's shoulder playfully, then smiled mischievously. "Of course. Who else would want to see a viscount getting dirty at the dock except me? Besides, you dragged me here yourself. Don't make excuses, Mr. Vance."
Julian shook his head, trying not to smile. "Stubborn woman. But I like it. You're always so talkative."
Gisella squeezed Julian's hand tighter. She then smiled shyly. "And I like that you never run out of crazy ideas to get my attention, Julian."
Julian smiled, took Gisella's soft hand, and placed it on his rough palm. "Crazy, because I want to marry you with my own hard work, not with the Vance family's inheritance."
Gisella couldn't resist any longer. Her defenses collapsed amid the dust of the dock.