Chapter 16

After the reception ended, Helene was immediately summoned by the Dowager Duchess and scolded.

The Dowager Duchess’s sisters, Madam Veraché and Madam Hills, who were staying at the duke’s residence, often mocked Helene. Even now, they continued their snide remarks and behaved spitefully.

“How could you steal your sister’s dress? What a disgrace as a member of the royal family.”

“Even with ten of your own dresses, you envy and steal from someone who has only one.”

At this, Helene raised her eyes and began calmly refuting them, point by point.

“I am not yet the lady of the house, so I have no authority to spend a large sum on a dress. Also, I don’t have such a poor relationship with my sister that I would fight over such things, nor am I so lacking in manners that I would steal what isn’t mine.”

“Then are you saying Duke Lucanossa stole your sister’s dress and gave it to you? How shameless can you be?”

That was, in fact, the truth.

But even if she gave them evidence, they obviously wouldn’t believe her. After all, these women were never on Helene’s side.

Just then, the duke appeared and stepped in to mediate.

“It seems the dressmaker made a mistake. The dress I had ordered for her got switched. It wasn’t her fault, so don’t be too harsh on her.”

Helene bit her lip.

‘Then you should’ve explained that in front of everyone…’

“You mean you couldn’t even remember the dress you wore? You must’ve received it the day before the ceremony, so you had plenty of time to check.”

Madam Hills persistently pressed on the issue.

‘Exactly. That’s why he kept silent and just avoided the issue earlier.’

Helene sighed.

The nobles of Medeia were fastidious and sharp people.

As proud royals—even if only distant members of the royal family—they never beat around the bush out of politeness. Yet, they were exhaustingly formal in every manner.

As Helene remained silent, the duke once again explained on her behalf.

“She must have been overwhelmed with the wedding preparations. Let’s leave it at that, ladies.”

Helene remained well-mannered and followed after him.

“Your Grace, was the dress really switched?”

“Yes, it was.”

“Then I’ll contact the Mary-Siren boutique and have them bring my original dress.”

The duke halted in his tracks and turned to her with a chilling gaze.

“How tiresome. Are you suggesting we hold another wedding?”

“No. It’s just because it was made for me and tailored to my measurements.”

“I’ll have the butler take care of it, so just wait.”

Helene felt a surge of anger rise within her.

“Are you going to keep putting the blame on me like that to get out of trouble from now on?”

“Blame? What are you talking about all of a sudden?”

“You humiliated me by making it seem like I caused the incident when you did it, all because you were so fixated on General Vicente.”

As soon as Helene finished speaking, the duke grabbed her shoulder roughly. His gaze flashed with a murderous intensity.

“Watch your words. Who exactly are you saying I was so fixated on?”

But Helene was no ordinary woman.

“Then are you saying I was jealous of my sister? I compete with others, but I don’t wallow in inferiority. I don’t even understand why you’re so concerned with a war orphan. He probably doesn’t care or think of comparing himself to you, so why are you acting like the noble and commoner have switched roles?”

“And what gives someone of a fallen bloodline—who normally wouldn’t even be treated as a princess—the right to say such things?”

The duke glared at her, his anger reaching its peak.

“And yet, such a noble and outstanding man as yourself publicly humiliated his wife in front of everyone?”

“Isn’t it a wife’s duty to support and uplift her husband?”

“We married for mutual benefit, didn’t we? If you wanted a self-sacrificing wife to boost your ego, then you’ve clearly chosen the wrong woman.”

“It seems like all you learned from your bridal classes was how to talk back to your husband and argue with him.”

Helene looked at him coldly as he continued to belittle her with baseless insults.

“Your Grace, you seem to be mistaken. You didn’t choose me—I chose you. And that’s because your terms were the most favorable.”

“What?”

“I’m saying there are plenty of others who would treat me like the princess I am. So if you look down on me one more time, I’ll make you regret it. Anyway, we’re speaking informally now, right? Let’s keep it that way.”

Now that she was already married and had become the duchess, she realized she didn’t really need him anymore.

Helene turned away coldly.

Watching her back as she walked away, the duke scowled viciously.

“Ha, she’s no different from those domineering noblewomen on my mother’s side.”

Prideful, pretending to be graceful while spewing venomous remarks, crushing a man’s pride, and still shamelessly expecting to be treated with respect.

Now that he had such a woman as his wife, he could understand why his late father, the former duke, had died young.

‘If I don’t want to die young, I’ll have to treat her like a stranger.’

This political marriage was just a means to an end, and he had no intention of loving her.

With a click of his tongue, the duke turned his back to her.

And so, the rift between them was drawn as a clear line.

***

Massera and I stayed silent for a moment after entering the room.

But that only seemed to add to the awkwardness, so I spoke first.

“So, we’re sleeping in the same room?”

“It seems so.”

He spoke as if it were an unexpected accident.

For some reason, it felt similar to the process of how our marriage came to be.

I rubbed my gloved hands together and looked out the window.

“It’s snowing really hard just like the butler said.”

Snow was falling heavily from the darkened sky.

When they insisted we stay the night, I had thought the butler might be the mastermind of some scheme, but it was just out of concern for our safety in case we got stranded somewhere.

Wrapping myself in a blanket, I went to sit in front of the crackling fireplace.

“Why are you sitting on the floor? You said you were going to rest.”

“This is resting, for me. It’s also the warmest spot.”

This was my favorite way of relaxing, but Massera seemed to think I was uncomfortable with him.

Putting back on his coat that he had neatly hung up, he said—

“I’m stepping out for a bit.”

“No.”

Maybe it was because this wasn’t my house, or the room was too big—or maybe it was the creepy portrait of some old man on the wall—but I didn’t want to be alone.

I scrambled to my feet and grabbed Massera by the sleeve.

“I just have to check something outside. I’ll be back quickly, so—”

“What is it? I want to go too.”

“It’s just something.”

“I can’t stand not knowing things.”

Now it was more about my curiosity than not wanting to be alone.

While we were having a little scuffle, I lost my footing and stumbled backwards.

Massera quickly grabbed my arm and pulled me to my feet.

“Ack!”

Thankfully, I didn’t crack my head open and the “Top Ten Rom-Com Clichés: Accidental Embrace” wasn’t broken either.

In the end, I ended up collapsing straight into his arms.

Massera let out a sigh and irritably pushed me away.

To be exact, his expression showed irritation, but his actions were careful.

It seemed he was worried I’d fall and he’d have to catch me again.

“You seriously…”

Muttering in what sounded like an annoyed tone, he stormed out of the room.

I didn’t quite catch what he said and that was probably because I was still reeling from my first hug from a handsome man.

Left alone, I shrugged my shoulders and let out a sigh.

“Well, I guess I’ll go look for that cheeky cheese cat.”

I’m really curious about what he’s up to. I just have to know.

I immediately left the room and looked down the end of the corridor.

“Did he sprint out of here?”

He’s already gone. I blinked in a daze as I stood in the corridor.

At that moment, I heard movement behind me and a kind voice followed.

“Your Highness, what are you doing there?”

Hearing the unfamiliar title, my shoulders twitched as I turned around.

It was Duke Henry Lucanossa looking at me.

“Hello. I was looking for the general. He said he’d be right back, but I’m worried because it’s been a while. You didn’t happen to see him, did you?”

One minute is quite a long time.

He smiled as I tilted my head.

“Well, perhaps he went out to smoke a cigar.”

“A cigar? He never smokes around me, so I had no idea.”

“Are you worried that he might have gone to meet a secret lover?”

“No…?”

He clearly wasn’t the type of man who could juggle multiple relationships.

The duke continued with a teasing tone.

“It’s understandable you’d be worried. He’s quite handsome, so he draws a lot of attention from the ladies.”

“You must have stolen the hearts of many women yourself, Your Grace. But you strike me as someone who’d think of only one woman your whole life, whether you like her or not.”

I offered the compliment in return and glanced out the corridor window.

But when no reply came, I turned to look at the duke again.

Did he not like my reading of him? He totally has the look of a second male lead who falls in unrequited love and turns dark from his twisted feelings though.

Seeing him, there was something strange about the way he looked at me.