~Chapter 34~
“Yes. That’s something I can’t deny. They say the dowry the Duchess brought back then was so great it would even embarrass a queen.”
The Duke accepted it easily and didn’t argue further.
Then he looked at Elin and let out a small laugh. Heat rose to the back of her neck.
She felt like she had gotten too emotional.
But she couldn’t just stay silent after remembering what the Dowager Duchess once said with a lonely expression—
That her husband only cared about business, and she had to find something to fill her loneliness.
That without those hobbies, she might have left long ago.
Now, after hearing Dominic, Elin realized—
Even a close mother and son could have such distance between them.
Seeing him smile as if he had lost the argument, Elin tried to lighten the mood.
“That’s why no one believed it when I said I would marry you. It’s surprising your mother didn’t faint.”
Their marriage was so mismatched compared to the former Duchess.
Anyone who didn’t know the truth would find it strange.
The conversation slowly changed direction.
Elin looked out the window, and Dominic asked casually,
“What would you have done if you didn’t marry me? Were you really going to marry that old viscount?”
Elin turned back to him.
Her clear light-green eyes stared at him as she thought.
“Then… I might be waiting for a death sentence right now.”
She spoke seriously.
“For smashing my drunk husband’s head with a bottle… or strangling him in his sleep.”
Dominic burst into laughter.
It was not hard to imagine.
“If that happened, my parents would probably run away in shame, cutting ties with their murderer daughter. Actually… that might not have been a bad plan.”
Seeing him laugh, Elin also laughed.
For a moment, she felt how unbelievable her current life was.
Then she looked at him quietly.
No matter what others said about him, he was the one who saved her.
And even though he didn’t know—
She had once saved his life too.
What a strange connection.
Even if this was a fake marriage, she decided—
This one year would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for her.
Living with the person she secretly loved.
Being the Duchess of the Linderto family.
Being accepted by the people in the mansion.
That was enough.
Even if she never married again.
Somewhere, there would be a real woman meant to stand beside him—
The woman he would truly love and spend his life with.
The one who would give him a proper heir.
Thinking of that, her smile turned slightly bitter.
“I hope all your plans succeed within a year. That way, I can leave without any regrets.”
Dominic’s expression stiffened slightly.
But Elin didn’t notice and continued innocently,
“It’s not a long time, so I should start planning too… what I’ll do after the divorce.”
She looked serious, as if thinking deeply.
Watching her, Dominic felt strange.
At least, he didn’t need to worry about her clinging to him when the divorce came.
That should have been a relief.
So why did it feel like this?
It felt like sand in his mouth—dry and uncomfortable.
That day, in the moving carriage, they had their first real conversation as a married couple.
Whether intentional or not—
Melisa’s plan was working.
As the carriage moved forward, Elin began to wonder if they were heading toward a cliff.
“When will we arrive?”
Dominic asked the coachman, his voice slightly impatient.
Elin, who had been resting with her eyes closed, opened them.
Something felt wrong.
The sky felt heavy, as if it was about to explode.
Raindrops began hitting the roof harder and harder.
“If the weather were good, we would have arrived by now. We’re close, but the road is bad.”
Elin saw the coachman struggling under a black raincoat.
“Will we arrive before sunset?” she asked nervously.
The sky was already dark with heavy clouds.
“If we don’t want to sleep on the road, we have to reach today—even if we crawl.”
As if mocking his words, the rain poured even harder.
Elin’s face turned pale.
“Don’t worry. If we’re late, they’ll come looking for us.”
Just then—
The carriage suddenly shook violently.
After a heavy impact, it tilted slightly.
“The wheel is stuck!”
Before she could finish—
Dominic cursed and got off the carriage.
“Damn it!”
It was the first time Elin saw him so angry.
She looked outside—
He was standing in thick mud.
His clean clothes and shoes were now covered in dirt.
The coachman tried to remove a large rock stuck in the wheel.
Even with both of them pushing, the carriage wouldn’t move.
Elin quickly got down.
“I’ll help too!”
But Dominic stopped her.
“Stand over there and see if another carriage is coming.”
Understanding, she nodded and moved away.
The road was empty.
Dark and stormy—no one was passing.
The two men struggled, but the heavy carriage didn’t move.
“There’s a house nearby. I’ll go get help—”
Just then—
Elin saw a faint light.
“Ah! Over there!”
A carriage approached.
It stopped in front of them.
The door opened.
“Are you the Duke of Linderto?”
A man with foreign features stepped down, holding an umbrella.
“We’ve been searching for you. You were late.”
He seemed to be from the villa they were heading to.
“My lady.”
He first covered Elin with the umbrella and guided her to his carriage.
She got in, still surprised.
Dominic followed after wiping himself with a towel.
“I’ll go back and handle things here,” the coachman said.
“Alright.”
Soon, they were on their way again.
“I didn’t expect such heavy rain,” the man said apologetically.
“This road is known for accidents. But I’m glad you’re both safe.”
His calm voice made Elin relax.
“This place was chosen by the Prince because it’s quiet and secluded.”
Dominic still didn’t look pleased.
The trip had already started badly.
Still, he said,
“Please thank the Prince for his consideration.”
“This is his wedding gift for you. We will take good care of you during your stay.”
Elin remembered the cheerful prince from the party.
She also wondered how his sister, the princess, was doing.
The rain slowly stopped.
Fog filled the air.
The carriage passed through a white arch and entered a large estate.
It felt like stepping into another world.
Even Dominic looked uneasy.
The colorful lights around the mansion were too bright.
“What did they do to this place…?”
Elin heard him mutter.
“The fountain is beautiful.”
She looked at the unique rectangular fountain.
Water arched like a rainbow, shining under colorful lights.
It truly looked like a rainbow.
Then she followed Dominic’s gaze—
Toward the strange building ahead.
