#6.

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The duke’s mansion was deathly quiet in the evening, in stark contrast to the splendid wedding ceremony held during the day.

The atmosphere had settled so calmly that it was hard to believe today had been a wedding day.

Jeffrey asked Higgins, who had walked down the long corridor.

“Is he still in the study?”

“Yes. Just like always.”

When Higgins shrugged his shoulders while looking back at the study, Jeffrey made a slightly troubled face.

No matter how he thought about it, this didn’t seem right.

A groom leaving his bride alone from the first night.

“But he held his wedding today.”

“That’s what I’m saying.”

Higgins looked at Jeffrey as if to say it was pointless to ask him about the duke’s thoughts.

While both men were sighing with complicated feelings, they saw the head maid Monica carefully closing a door from the other end of the corridor.

Jeffrey immediately shot her a laser-like glance.

Monica noticed the signal and tiptoed quickly toward the two men.

“How is the duchess? Has she already gone to bed?”

Monica lowered her voice at Higgins’ question and calmly relayed the situation.

“She just came out of the bath. She asked for a glass of wine, so I’m on my way to get it.”

Alcohol?

Jeffrey and Higgins exchanged meaningful glances.

“Right. Nothing better to ease tension.”

“Bring her a bottle, not just a glass. And don’t forget to bring two glasses.”

“Yes.”

When Monica headed toward the kitchen, Jeffrey called her back again.

“Bring the finest one we received as a gift from that foreign merchant last time.”

“Yes.”

Watching her go, Higgins shook his head slightly.

“The bride must be feeling anxious. The first wedding night, and the groom is absent until this hour. The duke really is… has he been possessed by some workaholic ghost? This is too much even for him……”

Before Higgins could finish, the study door clicked open.

Higgins and Jeffrey straightened their postures with a start.

“Your Grace.”

The duke, who had already changed from his formal attire into a comfortable shirt, looked tired with sunken eyes.

Carelessly brushing back the hair that had fallen over his forehead, he spoke to Higgins.

“Where did I put the mine report? The one analyzing the situation of nearby houses.”

“Ah. I’ll place it on your desk in the study so you can see it first thing tomorrow morning.”

After hearing Higgins’ answer, Dominic raised his hand once in acknowledgment and began to walk away.

Jeffrey and Higgins watched him with expressions that said ‘Finally!’

Feeling their intense gazes, the duke stopped walking.

“Why are you two standing there? Like you’re conspiring together.”

When the duke turned around with cold eyes, Jeffrey respectfully answered.

“The duchess requested some wine, so we’re having it brought to her.”

Hearing this, Dominic slightly raised his eyebrow and made a surprised expression.

Meanwhile, Ellin hadn’t yet adjusted to her new room.

She paced around the room like a rabbit trapped in a cage, sometimes awkwardly perching on the sofa before standing up again repeatedly.

The luxurious wallpaper with gold patterns on a sky-blue background, the large bed with its canopy draping in all directions—under normal circumstances, she would have gasped in delight.

The cream-colored carpet covering the entire floor was so soft it cradled even bare feet comfortably.

The romantic large windows and the chandelier that sparkled like water droplet diamonds were all impressively magnificent, but Ellin had no peace of mind to appreciate them.

Because tonight was her wedding night.

She steeled herself and stared at the large door.

Everything was different from the wedding night she had imagined.

A handsome groom carrying his bride like a princess to a bed romantically decorated with candles, gently…

Two people looking at each other with hungry, yearning gazes, their lips meeting, their bodies joining, the bed creaking.

Slap.

‘I must be crazy.’

Ellin slapped her own cheek, cursing herself for indulging in such lewd fantasies.

‘Get a grip, Ellin Nilson. This is a contract marriage. What are you fantasizing about? The duke probably has his own separate room.’

Many nobles used separate rooms even after marriage.

Seeing that the groom had not yet entered the room, her fantasy of the wedding night was gradually shattering.

Her shoulders, tense with nervousness, began to relax a little.

‘It’s not even a real marriage to begin with.’

But whenever she heard the slightest footstep outside, her body tensed up again.

‘I wish he would just clearly tell me if he’s going to sleep in another room. If I keep waiting like this, not knowing if he’s coming or not, I won’t be able to sleep at all. Ah…… I’m really too tired today.’

That’s why she had asked the maid who helped her bathe to bring her a glass of wine.

She thought that with a light drink, she could collapse into bed and fall asleep immediately with the help of alcohol.

‘When I’m asleep, I won’t know if anyone comes in.’

Despite this shallow calculation, Ellin pressed her forehead and let out a long sigh.

She sat on the edge of the sofa, pulling her legs tightly to her chest and resting her chin on her knees.

She would startle at every sound outside the door, but when it was just someone passing by, she would let out a small sigh.

‘No. Actually, I’d prefer if the duke just came in. I can’t keep feeling anxious like this forever. It would be better to clearly establish what’s going to happen from now on.’

She couldn’t understand her own heart, which kept swinging back and forth in such a short time.

At that moment, the golden doorknob turned with a click and the door opened.

“……!”

This time it was real.

The doorknob really turned.

Ellin looked up with surprised eyes as he calmly entered the room.

“D-Duke.”

Ellin quickly lowered her gathered legs from the sofa and closed the front of her flimsy nightgown.

But when he opened the door, Dominic had already caught sight of her.

Her cream-white skin and the soft curves hidden beneath the thin gown.

Ellin was equally flustered.

She had only ever seen the duke in his perfectly composed state.

But now he appeared before her with several top buttons undone in casual attire for the first time.

His thick black hair was disheveled like that of a free-spirited artist.

For some reason, this look seemed breathtakingly sexier than his usual flawless appearance.

Shortly after Dominic entered, Jeffrey came in carrying a silver tray.

It was the first time she had seen him with such an unnatural and awkward expression.

The enchanting red liquid sloshed in the crystal bottle Jeffrey brought.

“Then I wish you a good night.”

With skilled and swift movements, he set down the silver tray and left the room without making a sound.

Dominic looked at the wine bottle and the sparkling glasses, then went over himself to pour two glasses.

“Um, I was just going to have one glass and go to sleep in case I couldn’t fall asleep.”

Even as Ellin made her excuse, she felt it wasn’t quite right.

“That’s perfect. I was just in the mood for a drink too.”

He extended a glass to Ellin.

After quietly observing the liquid that swirled seductively under the chandelier, she accepted it.

‘This might be for the best. With some alcohol, I might gain a bit of courage. This might be my only chance to talk to the busy duke.’

As she took a small sip of the sweet and slightly bitter wine, Dominic watched her.

Ellin kept the glass to her lips and slightly raised her eyes to look up at Dominic.

Their gazes met while she held the wine glass to her mouth.

Ellin hastily broke eye contact first and looked elsewhere.

A strangely warm atmosphere began to spread through the room.

‘How strange. I’ve only had one sip, but my body already feels hot?’

Ellin was conscious of the peculiar heat rising to her face. Her face must have turned red.

Dominic, who had emptied his glass in one go, began removing his shirt as he approached where the robe was hanging.

Below his sturdy shoulders, a firm and broad back was visible.

Ellin stared at his back with wide eyes before quickly averting her gaze.

Her heartbeat, which had been relatively regular until now, began to race unusually fast.

‘Get a grip. He’s just changing clothes.’

Ellin placed her glass on the table with trembling hands and adjusted her position on the sofa.

It seemed like the right moment to speak up.

“Um…… thank you so much, Duke. For helping me and my brother. This debt of gratitude, even after our divorce, I won’t forget……”

“How do you plan to repay it if you won’t forget?”

“Pardon?”

When she looked up, he was approaching her.

The loose robe draped over his large body might as well have been nothing at all.

Through the loosely tied robe, his smooth bare skin was visible.

His firm body, toned with muscle, tantalizingly revealed itself with each step he took.

Seeing this, Ellin completely forgot what she had just said.

“Now that we’re husband and wife, fulfilling our marital duties seems sufficient.”

He slowly placed his hand on the armrest of the sofa where Ellin sat and lowered his upper body until their faces were close enough to touch.

“If you agreed to the marriage, you implicitly consented to the duties between husband and wife, right?”

Trapped between the sofa and him, Ellin froze like ice and stared directly at the duke’s face.

The reason she couldn’t move her eyes was that if she lowered her gaze even slightly, she would see his broad chest through the open collar of his robe.

Ellin unconsciously gulped.

She had occasionally dreamed of scenes like this before getting married.

Usually, they involved both of them wearing robes, with her sitting on his thighs, kissing him.

Naturally, both their robes would fall to the floor and…

Ah!

Ellin closed her eyes and shook her head vigorously.

She was flustered, feeling as if he could see all her thoughts.

Contrary to her thoughts, the duke smiled slyly.

“Do you hate it that much? Even me coming close to you.”

He interpreted Ellin’s head-shaking as rejection toward him.

He had mischievously teased her to see her reaction, but Dominic’s interest rapidly diminished.

He felt rather pathetic.