Chapter 4
Count Pure finished his mental calculations and spoke with a greedy expression.
“To have my daughter, who looks just like my late wife, taken away so quickly… I am so heartbroken I won’t be able to sleep.”
Although she expected it, the blatant shamelessness made Elledin let out a dry laugh. Without realizing it, she stared at the Count with a look of pure disgust.
Duke Kaelard smiled faintly and said,
“Oh dear, I can understand how a father must feel sending away his daughter. Though no amount of wealth could ease that loneliness, I wonder if you’ll accept this as a token of goodwill.”
“What might that be?”
The Count asked with a sly grin.
“I will give you three million gold coins, a business under your name, and a gold mine.”
Three million gold coins were more than enough to pay off the family’s debts and still purchase two or three mansions in the capital.
Startled by the enormous generosity, Elledin opened her mouth to protest, but the Duke stopped her by holding her hand.
Still, the greedy Count, looking dissatisfied, spoke again despite watching the Duke’s mood.
“Sending away my daughter… that kind of wealth doesn’t exactly ease the loneliness. For a Grand Duke…”
“Hm… is that so? Unfortunately, all I have is wealth. Then, let me offer you a mansion in the capital. Throwing a party or two might help with the loneliness.”
The Grand Duke’s mansion was enormous and famous even in the capital.
Owning that mansion would completely change the nobles’ perception of the Count. His business would flourish even more.
Imagining the ripple effect, the Count grinned slyly and bowed his head.
“Then, please give me the marriage contract to sign.”
The Duke handed over the contract.
The Count quickly signed it, passed it to Elledin, and whispered under his breath.
“Don’t think this means you’ve escaped me. You’ll be discarded soon enough and have no choice but to crawl back. And when you do, you’ll be punished for acting out on your own.”
“…”
Seeing the fear on Elledin’s face, the Count smirked and bowed to the Duke.
“Well then, I shall take my leave.”
After the Count left, Elledin turned toward Duke Kaelard, fiddling with the signed marriage contract, and snapped angrily.
“What were you thinking? That was a huge loss for you. Don’t you know how greedy that man is?”
Oddly enough, she wasn’t afraid in front of the Duke, so her words spilled out without hesitation.
“Well, none of that means anything to me. If you’re not satisfied, I can always take it all back later.”
He smiled lightly.
His change in tone made Elledin glance at him nervously.
“But… why are you speaking so politely?”
“In our family, couples don’t use informal speech. Even if we’re only together for three years, we’re still husband and wife. I look forward to our time together, my lady.”
He extended his hand with a smile.
Elledin hesitated but eventually placed her hand in his.
Receiving an escort—something she had only read about in books—from someone like him felt strange.
“I look forward to our time together, Duke Kaelard.”
“Don’t treat me like a stranger, my lady. You can call me Fernan.”
“Yes… I look forward to it… Fernan.”
Seeing how unfamiliar his name still felt to her, Fernan asked gently,
“Do you have anything you need to pack?”
“…No.”
“Is it alright that your attendants aren’t coming with you?”
Fernan extended a hand as he stepped into the carriage.
“It’s fine.”
Elledin accepted his hand and got into the carriage.
The interior was far larger than the one she had ridden earlier. It was big enough for two adults to lie down fully. But being in the same space as him made her uneasy.
As Elledin sat upright and tense, Fernan rubbed around his eyes.
‘Did I do something wrong?’
Though his expression wasn’t clear, he could tell she was sitting as rigidly as a statue.
After a brief thought, Fernan spoke.
“My lady, I can’t see very well. If I make any mistakes, please tell me right away.”
Gone was the fearsome demeanor from the cathedral. Now he looked like a sad puppy, making Elledin blink in surprise.
Come to think of it, he had mentioned it earlier too.
What did he mean by ‘can’t see’? He seemed to act like a normal person.
Perhaps sensing her hesitation, Fernan smiled.
“I’m not completely blind. My vision is just darkened, and I see living beings as red outlines. I can’t make out details very well.”
Because of that, he had no idea what the woman sitting in front of him looked like.
His words weighed heavily, prompting Elledin to ask hesitantly,
“Did your eyesight… become like that after the demonic curse?”
She chose her words carefully.
She had secured the contract on the condition she could lift the curse, but if he found out she knew little about it, the marriage agreement might be torn up on the spot.
Fortunately, Fernan shook his head without suspicion.
“No. This came much later. I changed gradually over time, so I can’t pinpoint when it began. I don’t think anyone without special power could undo it. It’s not part of the demonic curse, so don’t consider it part of our contract. Please don’t worry.”
No more words passed between them after that.
Though Fernan told her not to worry, she couldn’t let it go.
He had rescued her from hell and paid a massive sum. Doing nothing in return didn’t sit right.
Even though his blindness was an added burden, her duty remained the same.
As the carriage rocked gently, Elledin watched the sleeping Duke and made a vow in her heart—to break both the demonic curse and his blindness.
*
‘So far…’
Exhausted from the long journey, Elledin bit the inside of her cheek.
Even after using several teleport scrolls, they hadn’t yet reached the Duke’s territory.
If only she had something to lean on.
Suddenly, the carriage jolted from a rough road. The impact threw off her rigid posture.
‘Ah!’
She quickly straightened up and bowed her head with a pale face.
Did he see? Trembling, she glanced up at Fernan.
Thankfully, he remained asleep, undisturbed by the jolt.
‘Thank goodness…’
She exhaled in relief.
If she had been with her father, she would’ve been beaten the moment they arrived.
Count Pure had always expected perfect posture at all times, pouncing like a beast if his young daughter made even the smallest mistake.
‘It’s okay. He’s gone now.’
No need to be afraid anymore.
Elledin turned to the window, calming her nerves.
Outside, once bright and sunny, had already turned dark.
After traveling for quite a while, the carriage finally entered the Duke’s territory and arrived at the mansion.
With Fernan’s help, Elledin stepped down.
What greeted her was practically a ruin.
The castle walls were cracked, cobwebs stretched across the structure, and broken stones lay scattered.
Unable to even find the entrance, Elledin stood frozen—until a man with dark brown hair came running toward them.
He rushed to Fernan, chattering about various things, but upon seeing the documents Fernan handed over—and Elledin behind him—his eyes widened in shock.
“My lord! Did you kidnap her?!”
He then began running around, flailing his arms.
“A kidnapping! It’s a kidnapping! Somebody help!”
At his absurd reaction, Fernan clicked his tongue.
“What are you on about? She’s my wife now. Take good care of her.”
Fernan took the documents from the stunned man’s hands.
“My lady, I have some work to do. Please take your time looking around.”
His tone was kind.
The man looked horrified, glancing back and forth between them.
Left alone with Elledin, he whispered suspiciously,
“This is a kidnapping, right?”
“No. He proposed properly. Um… and I’m Elledin. Please treat me well.”
“Really?”
He opened his eyes wide and circled her, stroking his chin.
After checking her over and finding nothing strange, he snapped his fingers and smiled.
“Well, okay then! I assist the lord with his work. Uh… My lady? No, Duchess? Madam?”
The aide tilted his head, confused.
Maybe it’s the northern air… he’s a peculiar man.
Thinking that, Elledin nodded.
A moment of silence passed, and the cold northern wind blew in.
‘So cold…’
Her body shivered. She’d definitely catch a cold like this.
Rubbing her arms, the aide finally realized and opened the castle door.
He, wearing only a thin shirt, didn’t seem cold at all.
The interior wasn’t as bad as the exterior, but it was still a mess. Dust and broken objects lay scattered everywhere.
As Elledin wondered how she’d clean it all, the aide muttered to himself.
“Right? Left? Which room is better?”
“Um…”
“Right it is! Yes, Madam!”
The man turned around, decision made.
“What should I call you?”
“Oh, I didn’t say? Haha! It’s been so long since I talked to someone, I forgot. My name’s Molek. Nice to meet you! Oh, and it’s just me, the chef, and the lord here. If you need anything, call me.”
Twitch.
A cold sensation brushed past her spine.
Molek bowed with a smile—but the glint in his eyes made Elledin feel uneasy.
“What are you doing still down there?”
Fernan’s voice echoed from the stairs.
He was now in a casual outfit—black shirt and black pants.
“She was picking her room.”
“There’s nothing downstairs. I’ve cleaned it out. Come upstairs.”
Fernan approached her.
“Your room is two doors down from mine. I’ll be stepping out briefly, so rest well.”
After he left, Molek led her to her room.
“If you need anything, pull this rope!”
He pointed to the cord by the bed and smiled.
After Molek left, Elledin quietly looked around.
Her room was huge—about the size of the three largest rooms in the Count’s mansion combined.
All the furniture was spotless, without a single scratch.
She opened a side door and found a large, clean bathroom.
Her legs gave out from the tension, and she sat on the bed. The mattress was soft and the blanket cozy.
Pressing the bed down a few more times, Elledin whispered in awe,
“Amazing…”
It was the first time she had a proper room to herself.
It wasn’t borrowed or for work—it was her own space to rest.
Her cheeks flushed with joy.
Just then—tap tap—a noise came from the window.
She turned around and saw a massive raven pecking at the glass.
She’d never seen a bird that large before.
Startled, Elledin let out a shriek and fell to the floor.
“Kyaaah!”
Honestly it sounds more like she’s in a haunted manor rather then a dukes mansion