Chapter 17: Acting Like a Married Couple
Knock, knock.
Early in the morning, I knocked on the Grand Duke’s door.
“Your Grace?”
No answer.
Just as I was about to knock again, I heard a loud noise from inside—thud!—and then the door suddenly swung open.
Standing there, looking slightly flustered, was the Grand Duke. He was dressed in a shirt and vest, with his cravat hanging loosely around his neck.
“Lady?”
“Good morning, Your Grace! By the way, weren’t you going to start calling me by a different name from now on?”
As I leaned toward him, he quickly stepped back.
“What brings you here?” he asked.
“I thought we could have breakfast together.”
“I don’t usually eat breakfast.”
“Oh… I see.”
I glanced inside his room through the open door, and he let out a small sigh before stepping aside.
“Come in, then.”
“Thank you.”
I stepped in without hesitation. The room was empty except for him—he didn’t seem to have any attendants helping him get dressed.
“Were you in the middle of changing? Did I come too early?”
“…It’s fine.”
He looked like he wanted to scold me but still remained polite.
“Are you tying your cravat?”
I noticed the loose fabric hanging around his neck and immediately brightened up. This was the perfect chance to get a little closer.
“Would you like me to help?”
“What? No, that’s not necessary.”
He instinctively raised a hand to shield his neck from me.
“I’m really good at tying them.”
“I can do it myself.”
“No, but I really tie them well.”
I wasn’t just bragging—I genuinely was good at tying cravats.
I learned this back when I worked on a commercial set for a medieval-themed game. The client had complained that the model’s cravat looked sloppy, so I had to research and practice different knot styles on the spot.
By the end of the shoot, I had become so proficient at it that I was tying the cravats rather than the stylist.
Seeing how carelessly the Grand Duke had tied his, I couldn’t just let it slide.
‘That won’t do! Fashion is all about the details!’
Back at work, I had spent so much time making sure models’ outfits were flawless that now, even in everyday life, little things like this stood out to me.
“Let me tie it properly for you! I promise it’ll look great.”
The Grand Duke sighed deeply.
“Lady.”
“Duchess.”
“…I’m used to doing things on my own. I prefer it that way.”
“But I want to do it. I never get the chance to tie one anywhere else, and I can’t exactly go around tying cravats for just any man, can I?”
At the mention of other men, his eyebrow twitched slightly.
Sigh.
Then, as if giving up, he leaned toward me.
“Like this?”
Haha. He acts tough, but he’s actually pretty softhearted.
I grabbed the fabric of his cravat.
The moment I pulled on it, his whole body stiffened like a wooden puppet. His upper body was so tense that if I wasn’t careful, I might actually bounce off him.
“You don’t have to be so nervous. I’ll be done soon.”
I carefully adjusted the fabric and began forming the knot.
“…”
“…”
“…Is it not done yet?”
“Just a moment. I have to wrap this around like this….”
Even though I knew how to do it in my head, it had been a while since I last tied one, so it wasn’t going as smoothly as I’d expected. I fumbled with the fabric, trying to get it right.
“…I-I think I’ll just do it myself.”
When I looked up at him, I noticed that his neck had turned bright red.
“Oh my, I’m sorry. Did I pull too hard?”
“…No. It’s just… Hurry up.”
The Grand Duke quickly turned his head to avoid meeting my eyes. Before I knew it, even his ears had turned pink.
‘Oh my, how cute!’
Wasn’t the Grand Duke around ten years old when he inherited the curse?
Since then, he had never properly held a woman’s hand… No, actually, he held a hand for the first time just yesterday. His reactions were so innocent.
“Hold on a moment. If I just turn this here… Done! Take a look in the mirror!”
It felt like it had taken over five minutes, but in the end, the knot turned out fairly nice.
When I gently nudged the Grand Duke toward the mirror, he flinched as if startled by my touch.
“Stop touching me so much.”
He grumbled softly but stepped in front of the mirror.
“How is it? Looks much better, right?”
Indeed, the cravat, with its loops at the front and the draped folds below, looked much more stylish.
“…You have good hands.”
“I hear that a lot.”
I shrugged proudly.
“I’ll tie it in a different style for you next time.”
“Once is enough.”
The Grand Duke answered reluctantly, clearly uncomfortable with how overly friendly I was acting.
‘He must think I have no pride as the daughter of a Marquis.’
But that didn’t bother me at all.
To me, the Grand Duke was like my new client—my lifeline.
‘I need to build a good relationship with him no matter what.’
“Getting Closer to a Shy Client”
Once I set that as my goal, my determination flared up.
I had spent years catering to all sorts of clients.
Pride? Dignity?
Those had long been worn away by years of emotional labor.
‘As long as I get close enough that he won’t cast me aside even if the Marquis rebels later, that’s all that matters.’
Time moves slowly in this world.
Before, I would’ve already attended two meetings, met with a client, written a report, gotten scolded by my team leader, and received at least three problem calls from vendors.
Here, I just take occasional walks and sip tea.
In other words, I have plenty of time to stick to the Grand Duke.
I had already decided to visit him at least three times a day—morning, noon, and night.
‘I’ll keep helping him manage his mana until he feels so refreshed that he won’t want to let me leave Blenheim!’
With my eyes gleaming, I asked,
“I smelled something really delicious while walking past the stairs. Aren’t you curious about what’s for breakfast?”
“I told you, I don’t usually eat breakfast.”
“That’s too bad. If I skip breakfast, I can barely walk. You should eat too, Grand Duke—you need energy for all your work.”
“Lady—no, Grand Duchess.”
The Grand Duke, rubbing his temples as if tired, corrected himself when he saw me glaring.
“The staff in the Grand Duke’s castle are discreet. There’s no need to act like a real couple.”
“What do you mean, ‘act like a couple’?”
I tilted my head and replied,
“I just want to eat breakfast with you.”
Seeing my innocent expression, completely free of ulterior motives, the Grand Duke tightly shut his mouth.
“The clam soup from yesterday was delicious. I wonder if they’ll serve it again today? I wouldn’t mind eating the same thing two days in a row.”
Eventually, grinding his teeth, the Grand Duke said,
“Fine. Let’s go. I’ll eat.”
“Good choice. Skipping meals isn’t good for you.”
Watching the Grand Duke, who already seemed exhausted, I lifted my hand.
“Then, will you escort me?”
“…To the dining hall?”
“I’m wearing high heels today.”
I lifted my foot slightly to show him.
“If I trip on the way…”
“…Fine. I get it. Just stop talking.”
Even after answering, he hesitated for a while before finally raising his arm.
The moment my hand rested on his, I flinched at the unexpected firmness.
“Oh!”
“Are you hurt?”
The Grand Duke quickly pulled his arm away, startled.
“No, I was just surprised. Your arm is really solid.”
At my words, his face, which had finally calmed down after the cravat incident, instantly flushed red again.
“Shall we go?”
And so, I walked to the dining hall, arm-in-arm with the Grand Duke.
When we entered, the servants waiting to serve breakfast looked shocked.
Among them, only Whitley remained unfazed, efficiently giving instructions to the staff.
Apparently, the Grand Duke didn’t dine with female servants, as the maids quickly left and footmen took their places.
Surprisingly, my first breakfast with the Grand Duke was quite enjoyable.
It seemed like he was excited to have company for a meal in this vast dining hall.
‘I thought he was the type to enjoy eating alone.’
In my previous life, before I moved out, I had to battle through chaotic family meals with six people crammed around a tiny table.
When I finally got my own place, I loved eating alone. Even at work, I preferred solo lunches to avoid interruptions.
But after coming here, eating alone didn’t feel so pleasant.
Maybe because I had company now, my appetite grew, and I even had two slices of strawberry cake for dessert.
“You like cake?”
The Grand Duke’s first question to me was that. He had stopped eating a while ago.
“Not really, but the strawberries are delicious. I love fruit.”
I said, scraping up the last bits of strawberry from my plate.
“Now that I think about it, why are Blenheim’s strawberries so good?”
“They’re probably imported from Rondoris.”
“Oh, I see. I really want to visit Rondoris someday! I heard it’s beautiful. Maybe I’ll get the chance when I get married for real?”
Just as he was taking a sip of water, the Grand Duke choked.
“Just kidding.”
His jaw clenched so hard it looked like his teeth might crack.
Seeing his flushed face, I let out a playful laugh.
This Grand Duke was definitely fun to tease.
