🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 20
“Of course, the Duke is a gentleman, so you probably never thought that way.”
What gave her such confidence?
Even as I found her tone absurdly bold, the soft pink eyes looking at me with such natural trust somehow made the sinister snake coiled in my gut withdraw its tail.
“It might sound strange for me to bring this up first…”
“What’s strange about it?”
“Well, considering our status and appearance… I’d be the one more likely to sneak into someone’s bedroom, right?”
She definitely had no idea what she looked like.
I had only just barely managed to pull myself away from her.
For some reason, a mischievous urge bubbled up inside me.
“You’re less cautious than I thought.”
“Excuse me? But isn’t bringing up this kind of discussion in advance exactly what being cautious is about?”
“Not sure about that.”
Maybe irritated by my twisting tone, she raised the corner of her lips in a crooked smirk.
“Hah. I mean, it’s not like I’m underestimating your… masculinity, Duke. I just worried you might have too much energy at night and lose control.”
Yet, despite her words, her expression clearly showed she had zero expectation that I would lay a finger on her — and somehow, that irked me.
Always quick to talk back but still using formal honorifics she didn’t need to — that too was oddly annoying.
“Stupid talk.”
“Excuse me?”
“…”
“Contract husband? Why are you suddenly acting like this?”
She muttered, grumbling that I kept twisting her words, and yet even then, she refused to say my name, only using odd nicknames like “contract husband.”
Ignoring her pout, I lowered my gaze to the teacup.
She always treated me so freely, without hesitation.
‘She really… doesn’t know anything.’
Or was it because she didn’t know, that she could be this way?
Even if it was a contract, she was still my “bride.” The strange trust she placed in me — the Duke — I just couldn’t understand it.
She was so certain I wouldn’t think of her in that way. What gave her that belief?
‘Even last night…’
Just one flimsy door between our connected rooms.
Even lying in my usual bed with familiar bedding, knowing she was just beyond the wall made everything feel off.
I didn’t sleep a wink that night.
“….”
By the middle of the night, I’d moved to the office and spent the rest of it buried in paperwork.
The Duke looked at the one small cleared spot on a desk piled high with documents, his gaze complex.
Knock knock.
He was pulled from his thoughts by a knock at the door.
“Come in.”
A butler entered, balancing a golden tray stacked with letters. He respectfully placed a single envelope before me.
“Master. A letter has arrived from the Imperial Palace.”
“An invitation?”
“Yes. According to the palace messenger, it includes the event you previously predicted.”
Swish.
With a clean flick of the letter opener, I slit the envelope and quickly scanned its contents.
‘So it is that event.’
Anticipating the Emperor’s intention, I gave a small nod.
‘Come to think of it, she too…’
Someone naturally came to mind. Lost in thought for a moment, I then summoned my aide and gave instructions.
* * *
“An invitation?”
I was enjoying afternoon tea when an unexpected visitor arrived.
“Yes. It’s for a banquet celebrating the end of the plague.”
“Since His Majesty sent it to the House of Ibernum, I suppose I must attend as well.”
“Indeed, My Lady. The Lord sent me so you may make any preparations you need.”
He added that he was instructed to help with staffing and budget — whatever I required.
The friendly-looking man beamed as he spoke.
‘The Duke’s aide. I’ve seen him once before.’
He’d introduced himself as Viscount Billei. The first time I met the Duke, this man had been working at a desk in the office.
When I’d requested a private audience with the Duke, I’d basically kicked him out despite it being our first meeting.
‘He probably didn’t have a good first impression of me… but he’s not showing it at all?’
As expected of House Ibernum — their retainers were on another level.
Even in the smallest details, the dignity of the family showed. I admired that inwardly while looking down at the invitation in my hands.
‘Hosted directly by the Emperor, held in the Golden Hall — the largest venue in the palace… This banquet is clearly a big deal.’
As I finished reading, the aide spoke right on cue, as if he’d timed it.
“This banquet also includes an awards ceremony for those who made contributions.”
“Ah…”
“You may already know, but the Lord insisted I deliver this information precisely.”
“Thank you. The more information, the better.”
“Haha. What a fun way to put it.”
Smiling brightly, the aide left. As soon as I was alone again, I dropped the social smile from my face.
“Damn it.”
My stomach churned.
As if venting, I chomped the head off a gingerbread man on the snack plate.
And I remembered the first time I received an imperial letter at the Singkere estate, years ago.
It was during the height of the plague.
With some sense of imperial responsibility, I had started funding research in our merchant group’s pharmaceutical division.
I didn’t expect to make the ultimate cure — it wasn’t that noble. I just thought I had the resources, so I’d do what I could.
But by sheer luck, I succeeded.
Creating the plague treatment was a contribution on par with knights who fought on the battlefield.
It was enough to be recorded in imperial history…
Apparently, the imperial family had been so desperate that, even though we had only produced one prototype, a letter arrived immediately.
“The core message is… ‘Submit the name of your group’s representative who developed the treatment.’”
As I finished reading the letter with the imperial crest and looked up,
I was met with sparkling eyes from my family.
“My goodness! It’s such a big deal the Imperial Family recognized it!”
My mother embraced me warmly, her face full of excitement.
“You’ve done something amazing! My daughter.”
“Well done, youngest.”
“See? Gotta give credit where it’s due!”
My eldest brother nodded with a pleased smile, and the second ruffled my hair playfully.
“I thought you were just messing around with those rat-like commoners, but you brought back such a precious gold nugget!”
“Dulian oppa!”
“Okay, okay. I get it. Don’t badmouth your commoner friends, right? Always so soft-hearted, our Pudding.”
When I shot him a warning glare, Dulian held up both hands in surrender.
‘Ugh. If only Dulian would fix that about himself.’
No matter how many times I corrected him, he never took serious topics seriously.
Maybe it was a limitation of being born a noble in a fantasy world, but he always underestimated merchant work.
“Anyway, congrats! Is tonight a celebration for Pudding?”
“Exactly! Good thinking, Dulian. I’ll have the kitchen make all her favorite treats.”
Still, they were my real family, who recognized and showered me with love and encouragement.
Even if Father was always too busy to be home, the rest of them praised me endlessly over dinner.
“Youngest.”
As I returned to my room after the meal, my eldest brother stopped me. Unlike his usual reserved manner, he smiled clearly and placed a hand on my head.
“Well done.”
I remember thinking then,
‘Family really is a good thing.’
Even sweeter than the caramel pudding I’d just eaten was the affection from my own flesh and blood.
“This will be a great honor for our family.”
“I thought he was proud of me back then.”
A twisted smile came to my lips.
‘It made me proud, a little embarrassed… happy?’
I ticked off those feelings one by one with dead-fish eyes and counted them on my fingers.
None of those soft emotions remained now.
“How foolish.”
Chiaville’s words back then weren’t about me — they were about the family.
It wasn’t me he was proud of.
He was happy that he could inherit a more valuable family name through me — a useful tool.
“I didn’t realize it at the time.”
If I had just stepped back a bit, I could’ve seen it clearly.
But teenage emotions — swept up in the fantasy of ‘family’ — blinded me.
Back then, I was so happy to be praised that I didn’t even notice the real intent came later.
That afternoon,
Drunk on happiness, I welcomed Mother and Dulian when they came to my room.
I didn’t have the slightest clue what they were about to say.
“What? You want to name Dulian as the official representative?”
“My sweet girl, you know how pitiful it is for second sons who won’t inherit the family title…”
Mother went on and on about how difficult life was for second sons of noble houses.
And Dulian, standing behind her pretending not to care, somehow looked pitiful to me back then.
“Pitiful? What’s pitiful about that? I’m the one who didn’t realize they were sucking me dry!”
I had mistaken theft for affection.
Angry at my past, naive self, I hardened my resolve again.
Pity is a luxury!
Don’t kid yourself that you’re in a better position.
‘How dare you act generous when I was the one truly wronged?’
Unfortunately, past Evely didn’t understand that.
Even after all the begging, guilt-tripping, and days of pressure…
The teenage girl who was told to play the sweet little sister willingly handed over the glory to her brother.
“Haa.”
Just thinking about it made me upset again. I sighed deeply and forced those memories out of my head.
“Tch. Not like I can change the imperial records now.”
Muttering to purge the lingering resentment, I focused on the task at hand.
“Anyway, this will be my debut in society as the Duke of Ibernum’s fiancée. I’d better prepare properly.”
And while I’m at it — I’ll steal all the attention my fake family is hoping for.
A few days later, on the day of the Imperial banquet.
As I stepped into the banquet hall, I instantly felt it — people’s gazes were different now.
