The next morning, Yulia woke up earlier than usual and hurried to get ready to go out.
Dressed in a white dress adorned with delicate frills, she gazed at her reflection in the mirror with a hint of hesitation.
The sight of three maids assisting with her dressing was still unfamiliar to her.
When she was living as a writer before and after her marriage, she didn’t even have one dedicated maid. The current lady of the house was displeased with her enjoying aristocratic life.
Yulia was not the lady of the house but the daughter of the lord’s concubine.
Because her mother was a commoner, she couldn’t officially become the lord’s second wife. According to procedure, Yulia wouldn’t have been able to enter the lord’s house.
However, the lady of the house, after giving birth to a son, was declared infertile and could no longer have children.
For this reason, the lord formally admitted Yulia into the lord’s house while hiding the fact that she was a love child.
“Yulia, you are a valuable commodity meant for a worthwhile purpose.”
As implied by the word ‘commodity,’ the ‘worthwhile purpose’ the lord always spoke of like a habit referred to strategic marriage.
A father who put his daughter up as a commodity to gain profit.
To her father, Yulia was just a tool to be sold off to a good place to elevate his status.
She knew well that for nobles, marriage was mostly a political tool, but still, she wanted to marry with love.
Having grown up in a family-less environment, she hoped her future home would be filled with love.
So when this marriage was decided, Yulia started to believe in God for the first time.
The man she had never forgotten until now… had become her husband.
“Did Your Grace come to see you off?”
At the maid’s awakening words, Yulia finally emerged from her long-lasting memories since last night.
Raising her gaze, she saw the maids who had finished preparing her all smiling broadly. Yulia, feeling embarrassed, touched her hair and answered.
“Yes. Since I rarely get to see him, I wanted to greet him.”
“You thought well. Your Grace will be very pleased.”
Yulia smiled awkwardly and got up from her seat. What she had intended as a simple greeting seemed to be interpreted with grand significance.
Still, if she continued to make efforts like this, could she get closer to him?
“I hope His Grace wishes to get closer to me too.”
Unlike Yulia, who had never forgotten him even once, it seemed Fernan didn’t remember her.
But he had already kept their promise. Meeting again like this, she had told him her name.
Yulia left her room and went straight to the lobby on the first floor. She saw servants lined up in front of the entrance.
The servants spotted Yulia and all bowed their heads. She nodded lightly.
Not long after, Fernan walked through the long corridor and entered the main staircase with leisurely steps.
“… ”
Dressed in a black uniform adorned with gold threads, he entered the hall with a calm stride. Yulia stared blankly at his figure.
The splendid uniform draped over his broad shoulders and sturdy body suited him well.
From the first time she saw him long ago, he had always been a remarkably beautiful man who elicited admiration naturally.
“I greet Your Grace.”
Fernan casually passed by the servants but stopped abruptly when he noticed Yulia.
His chilly gaze settled on her quietly.
“What are you doing here?”
His tone was even colder than his gaze, causing Yulia to startle.
His large eyes looking down at her somehow felt intimidating.
Yulia looked up at him, her face showing confusion, and replied.
“I… I wanted to greet Your Grace this morning.”
“Greet?”
A sly smirk appeared on his chiseled face.
“What are you really after?”
Yulia stood frozen, her eyes wide.
Did he think she had ulterior motives? Desperate to clear up his misunderstanding, Yulia hurriedly spoke.
“I, I don’t mean anything else. I just wanted to… see you off…”
“Oh, so you’re already aiming to be the lady of the house.”
His mocking tone was evident.
Feeling her face reddening, Yulia closed her mouth.
Was this not the right thing to do? Flustered by embarrassment that reached her head, her heart began to race wildly.
She felt the servants’ eyes glancing at her. Yulia bowed her head deeply.
Fernan, who had been looking down at her, continued speaking in a slightly softened but still indifferent tone.
“If you want something, feel free to ask. Whether it’s renovating the castle, buying jewelry, or hosting a party, it doesn’t matter.”
“…”
“But I prefer not to see you around in the morning.”
His expressionless face conveyed the message. Don’t expect any affection or warmth from me.
Fernan passed by Yulia, who remained frozen.
Feeling the servants dispersing their attention, Yulia was left alone in the lobby.
“… Did I make some kind of mistake?”
After marrying Fernan, the number of times Yulia had conversations with him could be counted on one hand. He was always busy and never talkative.
During that time, she couldn’t figure out what mistake she had made.
He even left the castle after the wedding, citing urgent business. But even that was okay with Yulia.
Until a moment ago, before he looked down at her with cold eyes.
“…”
Standing still for a long time, Yulia forced herself to gather her expression. But she couldn’t hide the sinking feeling in her heart.
As she forced herself to move, Fernan’s chilly voice echoed in her ears. It felt like her heart was freezing.
—
Lord Elodie slowly surveyed the interior of the reception room while savoring the tea.
The interior felt stark and somber, much like the owner of the castle, Fernan.
Turning to his daughter, he shot her a pointed look.
“What has your husband done to make even your nose turn up?”
“…He’s just very busy, Father.”
Answering evasively, Yulia clutched her teacup. Meeting her father after a long time still felt difficult and uncomfortable.
Lord Elodie, with an unsatisfied expression, continued to grumble about Fernan before swiftly changing the subject.
“Then why are you looking so down? There’s nothing as unappealing as a skinny woman.”
“I… I suppose it’s just that I’ve lost my appetite.”
After blinking at her words, Lord Elodi scanned her from head to toe and asked, “Could it be, you’re not pregnant?”
“Pardon?”
Startled, Yulia set down her cup and hurriedly shook her head.
“Oh, no. Absolutely not.”
“Well, if you’re not, there’s no need to be so surprised. You don’t even have the decency.”
Yulia instinctively shrunk back at her father’s casual reproach. She didn’t want to continue this conversation, but he seemed intent on pressing forward.
“Do you two engage regularly?”
Although this was not a conversation suitable for a father and daughter, Yulia could not show her discomfort and simply nodded her head.
She couldn’t speak the truth. If her father knew they hadn’t even consummated the marriage, he would surely explode.
There had been no opportunity to grow closer to Fernand. He was always busy, and their meals together often ended without a word exchanged.
Given these circumstances, engaging regularly was an overly optimistic dream.
“My sister said that this marriage would be perfect once a child arrives.”
“…”
“A child would prevent the Duke from having any silly ideas. Heaven knows what a young lad like him might get up to if left unchecked.”
Yulia kept her gaze lowered, her hands fidgeting. She couldn’t predict how she was supposed to react when her father criticized Fernand.
“At least you’re halfway decent looking. If you were as cold as stone, I don’t know what I would do.”
“…”
“So from now on, make sure the Duke doesn’t wander off too far.”
Yulia nodded reluctantly, hoping this difficult conversation would end soon.
After staring at her with an expression of dissatisfaction, Lord Elodi pulled something out of his pocket. It was a small vial filled with a pale liquid.
“Take this. It’s something the men often use to refresh themselves. Just a sip works wonders, so use it sparingly.”
Yulia blinked in confusion. Her expression showed that she didn’t understand why her father was giving her a tonic meant for men.
Seeing her puzzled look, Lord Elodi frowned in frustration but then spoke with a meaningful tone.
“Considering the Duke’s heavy workload, he must have little time to rest. His stamina might start to wane.”
“…”
“Administer it to him discreetly before you two engage. Mix it with water or wine so it won’t be noticeable.”
Yulia accepted the vial hesitantly. Lord Elodi seemed to realize she didn’t understand the true purpose of the tonic but said nothing more.
Feeling uneasy, Yulia placed the vial in a safe place in her room.
Exhausted from dealing with her difficult and gruff father for so long, she let out a sigh.
—
Meanwhile, Fernand was attending to affairs at his other estate located in the northern part of Caesars Castle.
The relatively modest-sized estate was a very private space where only a few servants and his officials could enter.
Despite having a grand palace comparable to the imperial palace, he had set up this separate estate for one simple reason:
He needed a private space where no one could intrude.
Currently, Fernand was facing an unexpected guest who had barged into his study.
“Ahaha, since you never come when I wait, I had to come find you myself. I hope I’m not being too forward?”
Lord Elodi entered the study with a pleasant smile, but upon seeing Fernand’s cold gaze, he faltered.
Fernand lowered the documents he had been reading and gestured for him to sit, a gesture that implied treating him as a subordinate. This caused Lord Elodi’s smile to falter.
“Since you’re busy, I’ll keep this brief.”
Fernand crossed his legs arrogantly and stared at Lord Elodi. Seeing Fernand’s demeanor, Lord Elodi fidgeted nervously but proceeded to take a letter out of his pocket.
“I know you have a lot on your plate, but Her Majesty’s message cannot be ignored.”
Placing the letter forcefully on the table, Lord Elodi laughed cheerfully. Fernand raised an eyebrow.
“Her Majesty is rather indifferent, isn’t she? Sending an old man like me all the way here just to deliver a single letter…. Yes, I see why you’ve risen so far.”
Lord Elodi’s face quickly turned red and green. Feeling his pride was hurt, Lord Elodi smiled forcibly.
“Ah, what can you do? Since my niece isn’t fully committed to the royal family, I have to use this old man to correct her.”
“Commitment…”
Fernand looked down with one eye and smirked. As his authority grew stronger, the Emperor often tried to pressure him in this way.
Yawning slowly, Fernand looked at Lord Elodi.
With his deep brown hair and blue eyes. Naturally, his wife, Yulia, came to mind.
“Even though I married your sister, it was excessive loyalty.”
To achieve the loyalty that the Emperor spoke of, Fernand became a commander at seventeen and fought in the Empire’s war for years.
Thus, the marriage, which resulted in unwanted circumstances.
