9 - How to Survive as the Wife of a Monster Duke
How to Survive as the Wife of a Monster Duke
Episode 9 "You’re not having a wedding?"”
Illyin thought that meant she had to leave Biften.
But after hearing the circumstances, it was something else.
“March in Biften is very cold. To properly prepare for the wedding, it will be closer to April. In that weather, even people from the Winter Territory refrain from going outside.”
Illyin glanced at the clothes of the person speaking.
A knight with red decorations.
He was the first person after Den to speak to her in Red Deloz.
The man, who introduced himself as Aegis, bowed deeply.
“He told me to let you know if you were uncomfortable.”
“Did His Grace the Duke say that?”
Aegis paused for a very brief moment, as if Illyin had misunderstood.
“Yes. He gave the order directly.”
Illyin looked outside.
The blizzard blowing outside the window was still too harsh and cold for her.
The weather in Biften, which was divided into January, February, March, and April instead of four seasons, seemed consistent at first glance, but there was a distinction between the coldest times and the times when activity was possible.
Late March and April were said to be the coldest times.
And now it was March in Biften.
It was the marriage of the head of the family.
Even if Biften was different from the Empire, or rather, because it was different from the Empire, they might have their own traditions.
The fact that they were omitting all those procedures was purely because she was Sunfolk.
Because it would be difficult for Sunfolk to withstand the cold of Biften.
“I understand.”
Aegis looked quite surprised.
Illyin bowed slightly.
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Did the Duke really give the order directly, or was it a story that came from somewhere inside Red Deloz? Whether or not, she knew that they were thinking of her.
Of course, not holding a grand wedding did not mean that they were not getting married.
From the day before the wedding, Illyin had to go through every skin care method in Biften.
It didn't eliminate the minor wounds caused by blizzards or strong winds, but it was enough to soften the skin that had become somewhat rough in response to stress.
It even looked better than when she was at Arlen Fief.
She had no choice but to wear a Blue Nose cloth on her head for warmth.
Illyin was surprised to hear that it was the bride's relic of the Blue Nose.
“I thought it was a precious item, but…”
She never imagined it would even be called a relic.
The dress was decided to be a white dress that matched the relic of the Blue Nose.
According to custom, a decoration with all four family colors was placed on her wrist.
It was a tradition that wished the bride would not become a source of conflict.
“It doesn’t feel real.”
Illyin was sitting at the table.
There were many unusual things about this marriage, but the most unusual thing was that she couldn't sit face to face with the man who would be her husband.
Therefore, there was no chair opposite the table where the marriage certificate was placed.
[Aden de Biften]
[Illyin de Arlen]
Now, with the Duke of Biften's oath, the word Arlen would disappear from her name, and instead she would use the word Biften.
She was really getting married.
There was no fluttering heart, no fancy wedding hall, and no noisy guests.
It wasn't that she had no fantasies about marriage.
Everyone dreams about it at least once when they are young.
A long wedding dress embroidered the virgin road, and the candles decorated on both sides of the virgin road swayed freshly among the blue flowers.
Next to her stood a lovely person in a black suit, and the bouquet thrown with a happy face was a time that would be a pleasant story no matter who received it.
It would be a lie to say she wasn't disappointed.
There would be no remarriage.
Arlen Fief was not a family with enough merit to remarry a bride who had returned after breaking off her engagement, and her father would have no intention of paying a dowry for Illyin.
So this was the end.
Illyin read the marriage certificate in a small voice.
“The bride, Illyin de Arlen, vows to spend her life with Aden de Biften, the lord of winter.”
The form was simple.
I vow to spend my life together.
Unbelievably, the precognitive dream of the first night was just around the corner.
“It doesn’t necessarily have to be for a lifetime.”
Illyin thought her vision had darkened for a moment.
There was something touching her eyes, so she reflexively closed them and opened them, and they were covered with something warm.
It was a hot hand that came in with the Blue Nose cloth lifted.
The voice she heard was low and serious.
It was so soft that it was hard to believe it was the voice of a rough beast, the mad Duke of winter, a man followed by all sorts of bad rumors.
Perhaps thanks to that, there was no chilling feeling of having a stranger behind her.
As if she had met him several times before.
Of course, her heart was pounding.
“Are you His Grace the Duke?”
Illyin asked without trying to turn around.
As his hand was right there, she could feel his movements well.
Illyin thought he paused.
“…Yes.”
After a moment, he introduced himself.
“I am Aden de Biften.”
It was a really strange feeling to introduce himself without looking at her face.
Illyin greeted him in a slightly trembling voice.
“I’m Illyin de Arlen.”
Thanks to the large hand covering Illyin's eyes, a lot of light leaked in.
She could see the marriage certificate through the gaps in his hand.
The sensation of another hand touching her right hand holding the pen was also vivid.
[Aden de Biften]
Aden gently guided Illyin's right hand holding the pen.
The strong hand of a swordsman was placed on top of her small, slender hand.
The back of his hand with prominent veins looked tough, but his touch was only light and soft.
It was a careful touch, as if he was holding a feather that would soon scatter.
“You are free to leave this place whenever you feel it is difficult.”
It was a voice from above her head.
The Duke's chest touched the cloth behind her head.
It was close.
“Because this is not a place for Sunfolk to be.”
The Duke's signature was complete.
The marriage certificate would be complete once Illyin took the pen and signed it.
The two would become husband and wife.
Illyin asked before taking the pen.
“Then why did you bring in a bride?”
From the Sunlands, of all places.
He paused for a moment before answering.
“Because I didn’t know someone like you would come.”
The warmth that had been covering her eyes disappeared.
She wondered if he was leaving the room, but the Duke approached her again.
He was close, his ear near her.
Even if she couldn't see his eyes, she could see his masculine jawline and moving lips.
She could also see the shirt with a couple of buttons undone above the top button.
This was probably the only luxury that the head of Biften could afford in this Winter Territory.
Illyin tried not to be distracted by his appearance.
Because it would be difficult if their eyes met.
“See you later.”
\*
Preparing for the first night was not complicated.
The maids from the four families handed Illyin a gown that was lighter in material than what she had been wearing earlier.
And they put her long hair up high.
In Biften, the hairstyle with an Exposed neckline was a symbol of a high-ranking woman living in the warmest place, the innermost part of the mansion.
The maids took Illyin, who was prepared in that way, to a space that Illyin also knew.
It was the room she had seen in her dream.
The bed was covered with several layers of thin, white curtains.
If there was bright light, she would be able to see the silhouette of a person.
When the maids opened the curtains, a soft and fluffy blanket was laid out on the bed.
It wasn't as fancy as the room she had seen in her dream, but coming here in person made her feel like she knew.
This place resembled Biften.
It was like Biften's fluffy snowfield.
“His Grace may be late.”
The Maid of the Blue Nose said in a dry voice.
It felt different from Lizzie, who had guided Illyin before.
I don't think he'll be late.
‘See you later.’
He whispered as if he would be back soon.
Illyin thought of the man she had met very briefly a little while ago, the man who would soon be her husband.
He wasn't as scary as she thought.
Was it because she didn't make eye contact? He was a very different person from the rumors.
Of course, she had guessed that he was quite a gentle person, since he was in her dream.
But at this point, she even wondered why such rumors had spread.
Or is he just being nice to me?
Illyin quickly erased the question, which sounded romantic at first glance, from her mind.
She was not a young girl enough to suffer from fantasies about love.
“Please drink.”
It was a Maid from Verdant Mille who was pouring the wine.
The nameless Maid put the wine in a very small glass and placed it on the drawer next to the bed.
“This is a wine that young ladies who are spending their first night often look for.”
That meant it wasn't a wine that she had to drink.
In short, it was a consideration for the nervous bride.
Illyin nodded slightly.
“Thank you.”
The maids bowed deeply and stepped back.
Even though they were all quiet, the room was filled with silence in an instant, as there was only one person left in the room where there had been five people.
I'm the only one moving in this room.
Illyin looked around the bedroom again.
His Grace the Duke would come in through that door.
“Aden de Biften…”
Now that she had written the marriage certificate, it was her husband's name.
But it was still unfamiliar.
Above all, they were only familiar with each other's names and voices.
Or perhaps, they knew each other's hands a little better.
Illyin stroked the back of her hand.
It was because she remembered the warm hand that had wrapped around her hand when she wrote the marriage certificate.
She never thought she would be spending her first night with a man she didn't even know.
She probably never would.
Because if she made eye contact, her body would freeze.
“Hoo…”
Illyin finally grabbed the glass of wine on the drawer.
It was a small glass, only two and a half fingers wide.
She shook the translucent greenish liquid that rippled, and then drank it straight down.
“Ah,”
The heat rushed up.
The burning hot liquid flowed down, but the heat rose upwards.
She let out a short breath.
A sweet scent came from her mouth.
Will I be able to get along?
In fact, the only time she would meet His Grace the Duke would be at night.
Then, her life here would probably be judged by her role as the mistress of the ducal family, rather than her relationship with her husband.
The question of what position she would take among the four families would also be a problem.
Will I be able to do well?
The reason for recruiting a bride would undoubtedly be for an heir.
The Duke could not marry Red Deloz, and he did not want to give power, including children, to the other three families, so he chose to marry Sunfolk.
Then, how much authority do I have?
Does the Duchess of Biften that they want really have no meaning beyond someone who will give birth to an heir?
Thud.
The sound of putting down the glass echoed loudly in the room.
They should have finished investigating me by now.
No matter how far they investigated, they would have already found out that Arlen Fief was a small family with nothing to gain.
Then, did they find out what my position was in the family?
Information originally arises and spreads as people meet.
However, Arlen Fief was a family made up only of people who had served the Fief for a long time, and there was very little interaction with the outside world.
There were not many people who visited the mansion. At that time, Illyin had to show her face and greet visitors. True to the Baron, who valued the family's image, he treated her as his only precious daughter in front of the guests.
That wasn't the only reason why information was difficult to leak out.
After Sid died, the atmosphere in the Fief was very chaotic.
One or two servants disappeared from the house, some were found hanged to death, and others disappeared without a trace.
All of them were people who knew about Illyin or the Countess's dreams.
Only those who had served the Fief for generations had survived knowing the secret.
‘It’s cursed!’
Illyin clearly heard the Maid, who said she had served the Fief for three generations, say that.
She thinks it was around when she was eight years old.
She didn't know what it meant at the time, but she knows now.
Baron Arlen blamed Illyin's dreams for the deaths of the Fief's servants.
He said that the terrible things happened because she recklessly looked into the future.
“……”
Illyin smiled bitterly.
If that was true, if the sin was with me, why did only the servants who knew about Sid's death die like that, and not me?
Illyin looked up at the ceiling.
She could see the curtains scattered like a bride's veil covering the bed in layers.
I have no intention of hiding anything about my family.
I won't talk about my ability to have Precognitive dreams because they won't believe it anyway.
After all, I came here alone with nothing to offer.
To marry the worst groom in the Empire, whom everyone avoids marrying.
Is he really the worst?
Actually, I don't really know what kind of person he is.
It feels like I'm walking a tightrope with my eyes covered.
The three families trying to get closer to the bride, and me, who ended up marrying the head of Red Deloz, who seems uninterested among them.
There is still so much I don't know about Biften.
Thud.
At that moment, all the lights in the room went out.
