Chapter 03
A delicious smell tickled my nose.
It was a rich, tasty scent—like lamb stew with potatoes and carrots, cooked for a long time. The smell of pepper made it even more mouth-watering.
Ah… it reminded me of an old memory.
When I was in the Duke’s mansion, I was once locked away in a room by the Duchess for a silly reason. I cried there alone, but a kind cook secretly brought me stew that smelled just like this.
‘Still… this dream feels way too real.’
I could hear the windstorm raging beyond a thin glass window and the crackling of firewood. The room felt warm and cozy.
Even though I couldn’t see, my other senses were so sharp that I knew this wasn’t the afterlife.
‘This isn’t a dream!’
As soon as I realized that, I jumped up.
“Mom! You scared me!”
Crash!
I heard a dish break and a woman’s voice in surprise. Wait, there was someone else in this room?
More importantly, where was I?
I bent my knees and felt around to understand my surroundings. The first thing I touched was a soft and warm futon and bedsheet.
So many sensations were coming at once—it was overwhelming.
But at least it meant I was alive. The next question was—how did I get here? And where was my cane?
“Are you looking for this, Lady?”
Wait, there was someone else in the room after all.
It was a man’s voice—older than mine.
“W-who are you?”
“I’m Frater.”
“What?”
The name caught me off guard. I had no memory of anyone named Frater in either my past or present life.
‘And that’s not the voice of the person who saved me.’
Frater must’ve seen my confusion because he pulled up a chair and sat down.
“The outer walls are painted black. The floors are made of white birch. Across the stairs, the castle is built like a fortress, and there’s a magical barrier around the place to keep strangers out. Also—”
“Wait, hold on. What are you even talking about?”
He was calmly listing details like he was used to explaining things.
But shouldn’t we be starting with an introduction?
“I explained the castle since you can’t see.”
“That’s not it—can you introduce yourself first?”
I felt a bit hot-headed from all the confusion. But Frater answered calmly again.
“Of course. I serve the Duke of Glacies. You are in the Glacies Castle, Lady.”
“I-I’m in the North? How did I get here?”
“The Duke brought you. He and the knights were waiting for you when he sensed something and found you.”
The Duke of Glacies brought me here?
I could barely believe it. But considering where I was now, that must be what happened.
I hesitated, then spoke.
“Um… then you are—”
“Just call me Frater.”
“Alright, Frater.”
I took the cane Frater handed me.
I was so relieved to have it back. Right then, I heard Frater pushing back his chair.
“Welcome to Glacies Castle, Lady Fiana.”
That was the first welcome I received from someone in the North.
“Are you really sure you can walk to the dining hall?”
“Yes, I’m okay.”
“That’s good to hear.”
One of the maids helped support me while I held my cane with my other hand.
Frater’s tone was formal and stiff, but there was a small kindness hidden in his words.
‘If I said I wanted to rest until dinner, it probably would’ve made things harder for him.’
Tap, tap. The cane made soft sounds as we walked through the quiet hallway. After a while, Frater stopped, and I did too.
“We’re here, Lady.”
I heard the heavy doors open. As I waited for them to fully swing open, I stepped in with the maid’s help.
Immediately, the air felt warmer, and the smell of food made me hungry again.
I turned to the maid beside me and asked,
“Hey, what does the dining hall look like?”
“Uh… well…”
She seemed at a loss for words. I was just curious since it was a new place, but maybe I asked something awkward.
“The walls are white, and the ceiling is high. There’s no carpet, so it’s easy to walk. And um… at the end of the table, the Duke is waiting. He wants to eat with you alone, so there aren’t any other servants around.”
I wasn’t expecting a big welcome party, but this was simpler than I thought.
But what kind of person is the Duke of Glacies?
“So, what does the Duke look like?”
“Pardon? Oh, well…”
She hesitated again. Maybe he’s a beast-like man who wears blood and chains, someone terrifying. That would explain the hesitation.
“He’s… really handsome!”
“…What?”
Yet again, I was stunned by the unexpected answer. Judging by her excited tone, she really meant it.
“How long are you going to just stand there?”
A cold, deep voice suddenly spoke. It was commanding.
I turned toward the voice.
‘That’s the voice I heard before.’
Even though he showed no emotion, it was a pleasant voice. Not a boyish voice, but a calm and mature one I liked.
“Have a seat, Lady Fiana.”
Tap, tap. I followed the sound of my cane, guided by the servant, and walked over to the chair.
Before sitting, I held my cane under my arm and lifted my dress slightly.
“Fiana Lucianos, daughter of the Duke, greets the Duke of Glacies—”
“That title. I don’t like it. Just call me casually.”
Again, another unexpected response. I was flustered but tried to adjust.
“Then… Duke… sir…”
“Not ‘Duke sir’ either. Just Russell.”
Call him by his first name on the first day we meet?
Even though I had no idea what to do, I chose to strike a compromise.
“R-Russell… sir.”
“…As you wish. I’ll call you Fiana.”
He sighed softly. I awkwardly sat down.
‘He’s impossible to read.’
Being informal is harder than being formal. At least with titles, you know how to speak. But he doesn’t even want that—what’s his deal?
‘Is he trying to make me lower my guard?’
I held onto my dress, deep in thought.
Then his voice came again.
“Fiana. You haven’t eaten anything. Are you feeling unwell?”
“No… I’m just not hungry.”
“You didn’t eat the stew Asha gave you. You’ve gone two days without food. How can you not be hungry?”
Ah—so the girl who gave me the stew and helped me earlier was named Asha.
I swallowed nervously and said what I needed to say.
“I… I can’t see.”
“I know.”
Seeing how composed Frater Asha was despite my condition, I uttered it on a whim.
So he really did know I couldn’t see, and still agreed to an engagement?
Thinking that made Russell even harder to figure out.
I thought the duke’s family hid my blindness while arranging the engagement.
I kept hearing the sound of utensils clinking. Even in this situation, he was calmly continuing his meal.
He must have some kind of hidden motive.
I took a deep breath and tried to speak as calmly as I could.
“If you have a motive, I think it would be best to just say it now.”
“…What did you say?”
His voice sounded angry, and I instinctively flinched.
When I lived at the duke’s house, the duchess would scold me whenever she sounded displeased. My reaction was automatic.
But I have to say what needs to be said.
I straightened my shoulders and spoke firmly.
“For someone like me, with such flaws, to be chosen as your fiancée… you must have a reason. So why don’t you just say it?”
Russell stayed silent for a long time. I waited, then spoke again as if to urge him.
“I heard Your Grace isn’t the type to enjoy hiding things.”
I heard him set down his utensils and froze. But instead of being angry, Russell gave a low chuckle, as if amused.
“I was wondering if you’d be just like the other noble ladies… but it looks like I had nothing to worry about.”
I wasn’t sure if that was a compliment or an insult, so I stayed quiet. Russell continued in his usual commanding tone.
“You’re right. I made a deal with Duke Kalidus to make you a puppet Grand Duchess.”
A puppet Grand Duchess.
That phrase was all I could hear. I didn’t even know that he had made a deal with my father in this life. I just clenched my fists around the hem of my dress.
I guess nothing comes easy in this life, just like in the last.
I turned my head toward his voice and lifted it firmly.
“Please explain clearly.”
“It’s just as I said. I’ll give you wealth and power as the Grand Duchess, but I have no intention of marrying anyone else.”
He’d give me wealth and power but wouldn’t marry anyone else? Was someone pressuring the monstrous Grand Duke into an engagement? As questions filled my head, he spoke again, clearly and firmly.
“And of course, I have no intention of sharing a bed with you.”
He saved me—a girl rejected even by her own family, with nothing to her name but her body.
And it was all just to make me a puppet Grand Duchess?
Still, I should be thankful that he got me out of the duke’s house.
If not for him, I would’ve still been trapped in House Lucianos, endlessly dreaming of escape. But this “puppet” role—it didn’t sit right with me.
My voice trembled as I barely managed to speak.
“Is there a reason you need a puppet Grand Duchess?”
“We’re not close enough for me to explain that much.”
I heard the chair slide back. Russell must’ve stood up.
His footsteps slowly faded away.
“Talk with Asha and take some time to recover.”
Then the door opened and closed. Now alone in the room, I lowered my head and fell deep into thought.
There must be a reason—even for a puppet—why he chose to make me the Grand Duchess. Otherwise, why save someone like me, someone with flaws, and choose me as a fiancée?
As I was thinking, a gentle voice echoed in my mind.
“It’s okay if you’re not strong. As long as you have the courage to take one more step forward, there’s nothing to fear.”
Even if I’m just a puppet Grand Duchess… could I find that person from my faint memories?
He had always felt like someone who lived in a completely different world from mine.
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• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •By Freya• ❁ • ❁ • ❁ •
If you want to support the translation and the translator, you can buy a coffee~
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