Chapter : 11
The wedding date with Duke Cassiar was decided.
The schedule was set earlier than expected, and it was largely because of the letter the Duke sent on the day I stayed out overnight for the first time.
After reading that letter, both of my parents suddenly changed their attitude toward him in a favorable way.
Well, the contents of that letter were sweet enough to rot one’s teeth.
Honestly, I almost got cavities just from reading it.
As I’ve felt for a while now, Duke Cassiar is a sly fox of a man.
Otherwise, how could he write such a saccharine letter—to a woman he feels nothing for—that makes you feel like you’ll get a cavity just from reading it?
[However, I would like to ask you for one favor. Please don’t scold Riel too harshly. Next time I visit the Marquisate, I will gladly take double the scolding on her behalf.]
I ended up imagining Cassiar actually saying that.
It just doesn’t suit him at all.
A kind, gentle Duke Cassiar?
That thought made goosebumps rise all over my body, and I rubbed my arms with both hands.
“Milady, you should start getting ready to go out.”
Lily, who came into the room, seemed more excited than usual.
“Go out?”
I asked, puzzled, since no particular event came to mind.
I wasn’t supposed to visit the Duke’s mansion again until the wedding. Duke Cassiar himself had said I didn’t need to come until then—probably because he found dealing with me troublesome.
Over the past few days, I had sent over everything said to be good for sleep to his mansion.
Though, unintentionally, I might have only made him angry with those things.
One day, I had heard that scented candles were good for deep sleep, so I tried to light one in his room.
“Fire!”
“Bring water, quickly!”
Lighting the candle was fine—but when I accidentally knocked it over, the entire mansion almost burned down.
“So, you intended to put me to sleep forever, I see.”
If the Duke hadn’t used magic to put out the fire, just as he said, everything really would have turned to ashes.
After that, I had to endure his sharp, cold glare for days.
Since that nearly caused a disaster, the next attempt was a safe foot bath.
Soaking his feet in warm water went fine.
“My lord, they say it works even better if you add a foot massage. Watch carefully—massage between the toes like this.”
I lifted my dress slightly and demonstrated the massage on my own feet.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
That man, who looked like he wouldn’t bleed even if you pricked him, averted his gaze and blushed—just from glimpsing my ankle.
I was the one flustered by his reaction.
“It’s just to show you the massage method! What’s the big deal? I’ll explain quickly—just look for a moment.”
“Unless you’re trying to seduce me, I must refuse.”
Honestly, I had never heard of seduction via ankles in my life. But Cassiar was adamant.
What is this, the Joseon Dynasty or something? All this fuss over showing just a little ankle?
“Fine then. If you insist, I’ll massage your feet for you.”
“Wait—!”
But the moment my hand brushed his foot, his whole body flinched.
That reaction was so funny that I did it a few more times.
“I’ll finish the foot bath myself. Get out.”
In the end, I was thrown out of the room by the Duke himself.
I’d tried almost every method said to be good for sleep—so why wasn’t a single one working?
“Milady, today’s the day you’re supposed to go see your wedding dress. His Grace made an appointment with Madame Tou, the famous dressmaker.”
“The Duke did?”
“Yes! I’m so envious. For a bride, wearing a gown made by Madame Tou is every woman’s dream!”
Lily was right.
I too had once dreamed of wearing a Madame Tou gown and vowing love to the man I loved.
Instead, I ended up in this sham of a marriage.
Still—
“That’s right! If nothing else, I’ll enjoy wearing a Madame Tou gown to my heart’s content.”
“Yes, Milady!”
My spirits lifted. I jumped up from my seat and eagerly began to get ready.
By the time I was finished, dressed and styled from head to toe, I drew the eyes of everyone in the Marquis’ household as I stepped outside.
“Oh my, Riel, are you off to a banquet?”
My mother’s gaze was one of genuine curiosity.
Maybe I overdid it a bit?
I hesitated for a moment, but then steeled myself.
So what if I stand out? You should dress up as much as you can while you can. Youth doesn’t last forever.
I resolved to enjoy this moment without regret and walked toward the carriage.
But today, the wind was especially strong.
A gust blew, and the wide-brimmed hat I was wearing flew right off my head.
“Oh no! My hat!”
I reached for it, but it had already drifted up and gotten stuck at the very top of a tall tree in front of the estate.
That hat was one of my rare limited-edition pieces by a master craftsman! I’d hardly worn it because it was too precious.
“Milady, what should we do? The tree is too tall—no one can climb it.”
Lily stomped her feet in frustration, knowing how much I cherished that hat.
Ugh. I’d had a bad feeling all morning—so this is what it was.
“There’s no helping it. Let’s just go.”
“But it’s your precious hat, Milady…”
Lily glanced regretfully at the tree.
“It’s a shame, but it’s already gone. Nothing we can do.”
“Wait—Milady, look there!”
Just as I was forcing myself to walk away, Lily pointed toward the tree.
Someone was swiftly climbing it.
With white hair flowing like clouds, the figure nimbly reached the top, snatched the hat, and leapt down toward me.
It was Suu.
I had almost forgotten his existence, since I hadn’t seen him in a while.
Duke Cassiar had said Suu would protect me from the shadows—but to think he’d been watching all along, unseen, until the very moment my hat blew away.
So a person really can exist without leaving any trace at all.
Thanks to him, my hat was safe.
I hugged it to my chest gratefully.
“Thank you, Suu. I really treasure this hat. I’d have been so sad if I lost it.”
As I smiled brightly, Suu’s gaze dropped to my hands.
Just like last time—it felt like he was staring at my hands again.
“Suu, you’re hurt—”
His cheek was scratched, likely by a branch. It was deep enough that even looking at it made me wince, but he himself seemed unconcerned.
“Lily, fetch the medicine box.”
“This is nothing, you don’t need to—”
Suu casually wiped the blood away with the back of his hand.
“Lily. Quickly.”
“Yes, Milady!”
After darting into the house, Lily soon returned with the medicine box.
I had Suu sit beneath the shade of the tree and gently applied medicine to his cheek.
“You should take better care of yourself, Suu. A wound like this must hurt.”
He obediently let me tend to him, quiet and docile.
Really, he was like a gentle puppy.
He might be the Duke’s knight, but his aura was completely different.
If only Cassiar had half of Suu’s temperament, he would’ve been so much easier to deal with.
“All done. This is a good ointment—it’ll heal quickly.”
I might’ve applied it a little thick, but hey, the more the better, right?
As I closed the medicine box and handed it to Lily, I noticed a leaf stuck in Suu’s hair.
Was that from earlier?
I reached out and brushed his head to remove it.
…Strange.
He looked almost happy at that touch.
Though Suu’s face was usually expressionless, when my hand touched his hair, I saw the faintest change in his expression—like a dog wagging its tail when petted.
I almost imagined seeing an invisible tail wagging.
“Milady, we should leave now, or we’ll be late for the appointment.”
Lily, who had just put the medicine away, urged me on.
Ah, right. I was supposed to be heading to try on wedding dresses.
I almost forgot.
Maybe it’s because this marriage was only ever a contract, but going to choose a wedding gown didn’t feel real at all.
“Yes, let’s go.”
With Suu escorting me, I boarded the carriage and gazed out the window, thinking—
Since it’s just for the fitting, surely Duke Cassiar won’t come.
My prediction wasn’t far off.
“It seems His Grace will be late.”
We arrived at Madame Tou’s salon later than the reserved time, but the Duke was nowhere to be seen.
Not that it mattered—this was a sham marriage, and he wasn’t needed for dress fitting anyway.
“He must be very busy. What matters isn’t the Duke—it’s these dresses filling the salon!”
Inside, rows of breathtaking gowns awaited.
“Hm, let’s try this one first.”
Humming, I picked out a dress.
“Of course. I’ll assist you right away.”
Madame Tou skillfully helped me change.
In an instant, I had become a bride clad in pure white.
“Wow… prettier than I imagined! They say the face completes the fashion, and it’s true.”
The off-shoulder gown accentuated my slim waist before flaring out below, pure and elegant.
My silvery hair cascaded in soft waves over my chest.
A perfect bride.
Yet my violet eyes shimmered with unshed tears, as if ready to spill.
I thought I’d be fine with this marriage. After all, I stood to gain a lot, and once I found a way to put the Duke to sleep, it would all be over.
Receiving his deceitful letters.
Choosing my wedding dress alone, without anyone by my side.
The lack of love in this union.
I thought I could endure it all.
But I couldn’t.
A loneliness I had never felt before crashed over me like a wave.
And when the tears finally broke free, I wiped them quickly, sobbing quietly.
“Riel, may I come in for a moment?”
A man’s voice came from beyond the changing room curtain.
