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Chapter 49
Doana waited in the waiting room, completely unaware, dreaming of a grand wedding with Eric that would never happen.
“This is terrible.”
She looked at her reflection in the mirror and frowned. She had clearly asked for something glamorous…
“Ha, they’ve made the dress look like a clown costume.”
Instead of being elegant, it was a mess. Cheap, shoddy fabric, sloppy seams, and even the gems on the dress looked ridiculously cheap. Doana regretted leaving everything to Tersia. No matter how kind she seemed, she was still her mother-in-law. How foolish to trust her blindly.
By the time she realized that Tersia would never genuinely care for her, it was already too late.
“Ha, that old fox!”
The kindness Tersia had shown her had just been a ploy to stab her in the back. Doana had been deceived once, but she wouldn’t fall for it twice. She bit her lower lip, thinking that.
“Still… thanks to this, the wedding will proceed quickly, at least.”
The only silver lining was that, thanks to Tersia, she would smoothly become a countess. Doana recalled her conversation with Tersia in the waiting room. Tersia had gently hugged her, sitting with a sour expression, and said:
“Oh my, darling. You’re so beautiful.”
“Really?”
“I’m really looking forward to today’s wedding. Everyone is full of praise for such a beautiful bride.”
“Mother, you’re overdoing it. No one has even seen me yet.”
The maids had giggled at Doana’s words, as she still believed herself to be the bride, but she knew nothing. She merely shrugged at Tersia’s flattering words.
Today, she didn’t even want to cover her face with white gauze. Her thick makeup hid her flaws but made her look older than usual.
“But… don’t the guests come to the waiting room to see the bride?”
She had been there since dawn, over five hours now. She was beyond bored, almost sleepy. Probably because excitement had kept her awake.
“Well… they’ve probably already seen the bride’s face.”
The maid forced back a laugh before answering.
The staff, who had been disappointed that Doana would become countess, had finally discovered the real bride today. Realizing that Doana was not the one marrying Eric, they had been grinning all day. They didn’t bother to tell her the truth, leaving the misunderstanding caused by Tersia unresolved.
“What do you mean? I haven’t seen the groom or a single guest!”
The only person who had come by was Tersia. Even Eric hadn’t visited her. She felt useless, no longer the main character of the wedding.
“It’s frustrating! And they won’t even let me leave!”
As Doana angrily protested, the head maid spoke quietly:
“Please relax. Your makeup might settle into the wrinkles.”
Doana was annoyed but stayed silent. Today, she had to be flawless.
The maids behind her whispered among themselves:
“Does she really not know?”
“If she did, she wouldn’t react like that.”
“Right. Earlier, when talking with the former countess, she even called herself the ‘bride.'”
“Pfft, I almost laughed out loud.”
“Me too.”
They found the situation immensely satisfying. After all, she had treated them arrogantly, and now she was being mocked instead of marrying.
“I want to see the ceremony soon.”
“Right? By the way, did you see the marchioness?”
“Yes, briefly. She looked cold as rumored. Seems like quite a personality…”
They sighed in unison, missing Roje, who had left the mansion.
“Truly, no one compares to our lady.”
“Exactly.”
“I wish she’d come back…”
Before their conversation ended, someone knocked on the waiting room door.
Knock, knock.
The head maid frowned. Who could it be…? She peeked out.
“…! M-my lady?”
She froze. Roje had arrived, looking stunning.
“W-what brings you here?”
“I brought him.” Jane smiled brightly at the head maid, while Roje spoke softly:
“I came to see Doana. She’s in here, right?”
“Yes.”
“Then I’ll come in for a moment.”
The head maid, stunned, opened the door. Roje entered elegantly, escorted by the duke.
Hearing the commotion, Doana turned around.
“Who’s here?”
She was pleased to see a visitor but froze when she recognized Roje.
“…Roje?”
“Hello, Doana.”
Roje straightened his back and greeted her. Doana’s gaze was sharp and unwelcoming.
‘So she really planned to come like this?’
Everything—dress, hair, makeup—showed she had put thought into her appearance. Doana narrowed her eyes. She was unnerved to feel Roje might look better than her.
Feigning nonchalance, Doana greeted Roje:
“…I didn’t expect you to come congratulate me. Come in, then.”
Despite the unusual pairing of maid and noble, the people of the Wens estate were now used to Roje, who had once declared Doana her friend.
“But you’re overdoing it. Anyone would think it’s you getting married, not me. You should dress according to the situation.”
Doana sneered, scanning Roje from head to toe, then noticed the man standing like a guard beside her.
‘Who’s that?’
He looked cold but extremely handsome. ‘Did she hire a knight just to show off at my wedding?’
Doana couldn’t imagine he was the famous Duke Artium. In her mind, the duke was a cruel, unattractive man. She glared at him without greeting, then approached Roje. She fiddled with Roje’s necklace and earrings, snickering.
“Looks like you’ve got fancy things even though you have no money. Did you take a loan from the bank? Or…”
Trailing off, Doana smirked:
“Earned it from a night of fun, perhaps?”
Her words were rude, but she laughed anyway. The duke’s expression darkened, and everyone else glared at her. The duke seemed about to speak, but Roje held his hand and shook her head.
“Your knight seems ready to hit me. How terrifying.”
Doana laughed off her joke, glaring at the duke.
“Hey, you can’t treat me that way. I’m about to be a countess, you know? Someone of your rank should be protecting me.”
She didn’t realize knights could also be nobles. The bigger problem was that the duke in front of her wasn’t just a knight.
“Countess…”
Roje mulled over Doana’s words. She smiled victoriously, clearly enjoying the upper hand.
“I didn’t expect to marry so soon. My mother treats me so well, you see.”
She shrugged and looked at Roje:
“She prepared everything today. Being a beloved daughter-in-law is wonderful.”
Doana deliberately tried to irritate Roje.
“Poor Roje. Your mother didn’t do that for you. At first, I was scared too, but there was nothing to worry about.”
She covered her mouth, triumphant at asserting dominance over Roje.
“Strange… why do you think you’re the countess?”
Doana laughed until Roje’s words made her stop. She stiffened.
“You… divorced, got kicked out, and even messed up your hair? Who else would be the countess? This wedding, the dress, all of it was prepared by my mother-in-law. If you’re here out of jealousy, leave.”
Roje laughed uncontrollably.
“Ah, wait. Heh… you’re too funny. Really.”
He even had tears in his eyes from laughing. Doana was unsettled, feeling mocked.
Roje wiped his eyes and handed her a wedding invitation.
“Open it.”
Doana took the card. Her mind went blank.
She looked at it again and again. The groom’s name was indeed Eric—but the bride’s name was someone else.
Eric de Wens – Bride: Belliana Dicar.
“Why… my husband…”
She couldn’t comprehend it. Her lower lip trembled as her eyes filled with despair.
Roje watched her fumble with the invitation and couldn’t help but laugh at her plight.
“You really thought you were the bride all this time? Poor thing.”
Doana’s face flushed red. She wanted to believe it was a prank.
‘This has to be some trick to ruin my wedding!’
She tried to push Roje and leave, but the duke was faster, pulling Roje to him. Confused, Roje looked at the duke as Doana stumbled and fell with a thud.
“Aagh!!”
Doana yelled, then stood and wagged her finger at Roje:
“You must be trying to ruin my wedding! Stop! And do you think you’ll get away with touching a noble?”
“Doana, stop! Do you know who this is?”
The head maid, who had respected Doana for three days, shouted in exasperation:
“It’s His Grace, Duke Artium! Kneel and apologize at once!”
“Duke Artium…!”
The supposedly cruel, ugly man? Doana frowned; the duke before her didn’t match her imagination.
He glared down at her and murmured:
“You seem unaware of the consequences of insulting royalty.”
*”Royalty…” Doana flinched, overwhelmed by his presence.
“Some who angered royalty were mutilated, tongues cut in half, others enslaved…”
Horrific punishments flowed from the duke’s mouth. Doana turned pale, trembling, unable to hide her shaking fingers.
She remembered the duke’s notorious cruelty. His words were probably true. Fear gripped her spine.
Having lived only in a count’s house, Doana had never faced anyone higher than Eric. She had been arrogant, thinking Eric’s power supreme, and that she was his woman. That recklessness had brought her here.
Her lips dried as she realized there was no escape.
“However, today I’m in a good mood… I might let it slide.”
Hope flickered at the duke’s words.
“If you bow and beg at my feet, I’ll forgive your arrogance just this once.”
Not bad, but the problem was Roje standing beside the duke. That meant Doana would have to kneel in front of her rival, which she wanted to avoid.
“Roje, move.”
The duke raised an eyebrow.
“I am not patient. Three seconds. Fail to apologize and I’ll punish you by imperial law.”
Doana immediately prostrated herself.
“I’m sorry…!”
She felt immense shame, bowing at someone’s feet, glaring at Roje’s high heels.
‘It’s your fault…!’
If not for Roje, she wouldn’t have to kowtow before Duke Artium.
“Let’s go now, Duke Artium. We’ll be late for the wedding.”
Roje smirked, grabbed the duke’s arm, and left. Doana’s furious shouting echoed behind them.
“Thank you.”
Clearly, he had acted for her sake. His threat of imperial law was intimidating indeed.
‘Good thing I’m not on bad terms with the duke.’
Roje stopped before entering the temple where the ceremony would take place.
“You won’t enter?”
“No. I want to see something first.”
Amidst the crowd, Roje observed the waiting room where Doana had been. Soon, Doana came running out, searching frantically.
Then appeared the real bride: Belliana Dicar, wearing a white veil. The guests murmured in awe.
“Oh my, look at the bride!”
“She’s as beautiful as rumored.”
People admired Belliana but also pitied her.
“Tsk, how did she end up with Count Wens…?”
“Exactly. Unlucky.”
“Count Wens is lucky… he takes all the beauties.”
“Excuse me, what did you just say?”
“Hmph, nothing.”
While everyone focused on Belliana, a noble pointed at the pitiful Doana:
“Who’s that?”
“Oh, the count’s mistress. Supposed to be a bridesmaid, but look at her—ridiculous.”
“No guts, I see. I wouldn’t even come.”
“But the former wife came, so the mistress must too.”
“Still, the former wife made an effort. The bridesmaid thing is laughable.”
All eyes surrounded Doana. They critiqued and mocked her from head to toe. Her face burned crimson with shame.
She looked at Belliana in her pristine wedding dress, elegant and entirely different from her own cheap, messy attire. Only now did Doana realize: today’s wedding was not for her.
