Chapter 3
Fortunately, despite his large build, his stride wasn’t particularly wide, so Grace was able to catch up to him without much difficulty.
Keeping a distance of about two steps behind him, Grace followed along while glancing around the interior of the Felix estate.
Built with solid stone walls suited to the harsh northern climate, the castle was as grand as befitted the largest estate in the Empire. And yet, it was so desolate that there was almost nothing worth looking at.
Perhaps it was because the former mistress of the castle—the late emperor’s younger sister, Duchess Felix—had passed away and the place had been left unattended for so long. In the central garden, where withered plants lay buried under piles of white snow, decorations that had long fallen out of fashion stood chipped and shabby.
It seemed that the Monster Duke, Arthur Felix, had little talent for decorating his residence.
Watching Arthur’s back as he walked straight ahead without once looking back, Grace thought as much.
“…This is the bedroom where you will be staying from now on, Madam.”
After passing through the central garden, going through another door, and climbing a curved marble staircase, Arthur stopped in front of a door.
He reached for the handle first, opened the door, and gestured toward Grace. The gesture seemed to mean she should go inside, so Grace awkwardly passed by him and entered the bedroom.
“…Oh my.”
The moment she stepped inside, the sight that greeted Grace was completely different from what she had imagined.
A large bed spacious enough for three people to lie comfortably, draped with a white canopy. Warm pale-pink wallpaper, a silver vanity, a wide wardrobe, and a large window leading to a terrace—all of it perfectly followed the latest trends of the capital.
Grace’s eyes widened in surprise at the bedroom, which felt utterly disconnected from the bleak atmosphere of the rest of the estate she had seen earlier.
“Do you like it?”
“…Ah, yes.”
Arthur asked in a blunt voice as Grace stared around the room with wide eyes. When she nodded without thinking, the eyes visible behind his mask seemed to crease slightly.
After clearing his throat briefly, Arthur confirmed that she had fully entered the room, then stepped back and spoke.
“Then rest well. That small door there leads to the attached bathroom, so you may bathe there.”
“…What? Ah, yes.”
“I’ve ordered for your luggage to be organized tomorrow, so you won’t have to worry about maids barging in while you rest.”
“…I see.”
Before she could even ask, Arthur efficiently answered what she would likely be curious about. The way he spoke felt as if he were saying, I’ve told you everything, so don’t ask me anything more.
Grace nodded awkwardly.
Arthur tightened his lips, then let out a short sigh.
“I know what you’re worried about. But what you’re imagining will probably never happen.”
“…Pardon? What I’m imagining?”
“Tonight, tomorrow, and forever after. You will never experience something like a horrific first night with a monster.”
“…What?”
“In other words, the curse clinging to me will never be directed at you.”
As Arthur spoke curtly while looking down at her with his blue-and-red mismatched eyes, Grace’s eyes widened in shock.
His words felt as though he had read every fear buried deep in her heart. Realizing that the thoughts she believed she had hidden well had been exposed, Grace was momentarily left speechless.
Arthur looked down at her for a moment, then turned his head away indifferently.
“Other than interfering in the internal affairs of the Felix territory, and unjustly mistreating my younger brother Leon, you are free to do whatever you wish within this castle.”
“…Anything?”
“I have no intention of forcing marital duties on someone bound to me through a political marriage without love. Whether it’s lovers or extravagance, do as you please.”
“…!”
“I’ve said everything I needed to say. Now rest comfortably.”
With that, Arthur closed the bedroom door behind him and left.
Left alone in the suddenly silent bedroom, Grace stared blankly at the spot where Arthur had been standing just moments earlier.
He hadn’t spoken a single word from the wedding ceremony all the way to their arrival at the estate—so this must have been why. The thought that he had likely been observing her closely in that short time and seeing straight through her made a chill run down her spine.
“The curse clinging to me will never be directed at you.”
What exactly had he meant by that?
Did he truly have the power to curse her, but simply chose not to? Or did he never have such power to begin with?
Either way, from Grace’s perspective—someone who planned to use his “curse” as an excuse to separate from him and regain her freedom—it wasn’t exactly welcome news.
If only he had ignored her completely, or treated her openly harshly, it would have been much easier later to “act crazy.”
With that thought, Grace flopped down onto the bed covered in soft blankets.
Whatever. No matter what he meant, all I have to do is survive and leave this estate safely.
Yes. That would be enough.
There was no reason to dwell uneasily on the words of Arthur Felix, the Monster Duke.
Thinking that, Grace got back up.
Now that she no longer had to worry about a first night or anything of the sort, she just wanted to soak in hot water and get some sleep.
Draping the robe hanging on the rack over her arm, Grace entered the bathroom. Outside the window, heavy snow was once again falling thickly.
* * *
Thus, Grace’s first night in the Felix territory passed, and morning arrived.
Wrapped in a thick blanket nearly as wide as her torso, Grace had fallen into a deep sleep. She woke to sunlight pouring in through a slightly open window.
“…Ah, it’s cold.”
“Madam, did you cough?”
Shivering from the biting cold she had never experienced in the capital, Grace wriggled under the blankets before sitting up at the sound of a maid’s voice from outside the door.
“Yes. I’m awake.”
“May I come in? I’ve brought water for washing.”
“Well… all right.”
After hesitating briefly, Grace answered the maid’s words.
The bedroom door opened, and a maid entered, pushing a tray with a silver basin filled with steaming hot water.
The maid, a middle-aged woman with red hair and freckles, approached Grace, who was half-sitting up on the bed.
“My apologies for the late introduction, Madam. My name is Sally. I’ll be attending to you from now on.”
“Nice to meet you, Sally.”
“It’s an honor to serve such a beautiful Madam. Hehe. It’s very cold today, isn’t it? Shall I help you wash here?”
“No, I think it would be better to go to the vanity…”
“Yes, Madam. Then I’ll bring you a fur coat.”
As Grace got up from the bed, Sally quickly draped the fur coat over her shoulders.
The warmth against her chilled back eased the cold considerably. As Sally gently washed Grace’s face with warm water and neatly brushed and pinned up her long hair, Grace spoke.
“Um, Sally?”
“Yes?”
“What should I do today?”
At Grace’s cautious question, Sally tilted her head, looking genuinely puzzled. After thinking for a moment, she answered as though she still didn’t quite understand.
“Well… you don’t really have to do anything.”
“What? Not even replying to letters, or overseeing the estate… things a duchess should normally take care of?”
“Yes. The Duke always says, ‘Let the Duchess do whatever she wishes.’ He said the same to Lady Electra before, and to Lady Bianca, who was once his fiancée—oh my!”
“…Ah.”
“I’m so sorry, Madam! I misspoke—!”
Sally, who had been chatting without thinking, suddenly realized her mistake and hurriedly covered her mouth with both hands. Watching Sally anxiously dart her large green eyes around, Grace smiled lightly.
“It’s all right.”
“I’m truly sorry, Madam. I’ve committed an unforgivable sin.”
“It’s really fine. …So I truly have nothing I must do?”
“…Yes, Madam.”
“That’s good, then. Could you show me a nice place to take a walk? I’m bored, and my body feels stiff—I’d like to move around a bit.”
“Yes! I’ll quickly change you into a warm dress! Then we can go for a walk together!”
Though Sally continued to apologize, Grace spoke partly to ease her heart—and partly with her own secret plans in mind. Sally’s face instantly brightened.
She cheerfully agreed, finished fixing Grace’s hair, and hurried over to the wardrobe.
Grace chuckled softly at the sight and looked at her reflection in the mirror. Thanks to Sally’s careful work, she looked quite beautiful.
