Ellin washed her face with the water the maid had brought and slowly combed her hair.

Her glossy red hair sparkled in the sunlight.

In the mirror framed with gold carvings sat not Ellin Nilson, who resembled a maid from a low-ranking baron’s family, but Duchess Ellin Linderto.

‘I know I’m a fake duchess. In a year, I’ll return to my original self. Perhaps I’ll even gain the stigma of being a divorced former duchess. Still, for one year, I’ll think of myself as a real duchess. I need to be sincere enough to convince myself, then others will believe it too.’

She made this resolution while looking at herself in the mirror.

* * *

When Ellin went down to the dining room after getting ready simply, a neat breakfast was prepared.

The freshly baked bread and glossy jam looked appetizing.

Well-smoked meat and fresh fruits harmonized perfectly next to the beautifully arranged fresh flowers.

Ellin hesitated momentarily before the vast dining table, and Jeffrey skillfully pulled out a chair for her.

“Thank you, Jeffrey.”

He spoke with a perfectly restrained smile.

“The old duchess left early, saying she had some business to attend to.”

Then he took something out of the pocket on his chest and handed it to her.

“The duke left this for you, asking me to deliver it when you woke up.”

When she unfolded the paper, a short message was written in elegant handwriting.

[I’ll be away on business for a while, as I mentioned yesterday. I’ve taken care of your brother’s matter as promised, so you needn’t worry. Until we meet again, I hope you adapt well and enjoy your new home.]

When Ellin stared at the brief memo for quite a long time, Jeffrey cleared his throat softly.

“The duke has always traveled frequently for business.”

He seemed to be making excuses on the duke’s behalf.

Jeffrey broke into a nervous sweat, thinking Ellin must be shocked that the groom had left for a business trip the day after their wedding.

But the part Ellin read repeatedly with such attention was completely different from Jeffrey’s assumption.

Ellin lifted her head, emerging from her private thoughts, and spoke to Jeffrey.

“Would you teach me the basics of what I should know as a duchess this morning? I hope you’ll feel free to tell me whenever I’m lacking in my role as the mistress of the duke’s mansion while we live together.”

Jeffrey nodded solemnly at her words.

“I will do so. I’ll also organize and present the ledgers that the mistress manages.”

“Thank you.”

Ellin didn’t forget to make another request, seeming to have suddenly remembered.

“I’d also like cushions and extra blankets prepared for the bedroom. I have poor sleeping habits, so I’m concerned the duke might not rest comfortably.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

The butler accepted her request without the slightest doubt.

Ellin expressed her gratitude with a gentle smile.

“I should visit my brother at the hospital this afternoon. Could you prepare a carriage for me?”

Jeffrey straightened his back and replied.

“I’ll do as you command, my lady.

* * *

The train about to depart was spewing steam.

Dominic, who had stepped out of the carriage, walked toward the platform with the first-class seats, his face rigid.

“Don’t you think leaving on a business trip the day after your wedding is too harsh?”

When Higgins cautiously broached the subject while following behind, Dominic answered in a businesslike voice.

“Since when did you become the duchess’s spokesperson?”

Higgins shook his head, unable to fathom the inner thoughts of the man he served.

No wonder—the duke had tracked her down after just a brief encounter at a party and proceeded straight to marriage.

He had rejected the passionate courtship of Lady Silvia, who was adored in social circles, for this marriage.

How could he do this?

If it wasn’t a forced marriage, shouldn’t he normally stay in his room during the honeymoon period?

Higgins couldn’t understand it at all.

These thoughts led him to blurt out an impertinent question without realizing.

“Did the new lady perhaps have something on you before the marriage? Maybe a new life in her womb?”

Dominic, who had been walking quickly, stopped and turned to look at Higgins with eyes that seemed ready to devour him.

Higgins covered his mouth with a “Hup!”

He laughed awkwardly and changed the subject.

“You don’t seem to have slept well yesterday. Your eyes look hollow, and you appear quite tired today.”

Higgins busied himself by directing the attendants to handle the luggage carefully.

Dominic boarded the train, rubbing his eyes wearily.

True to Higgins’s words, he hadn’t slept a wink until dawn.

‘With someone beside me, I couldn’t possibly fall asleep due to the distraction.’

Misinterpreting the meaning of ‘distraction,’ Dominic thought he would need to find a solution somehow when he returned

.

Meanwhile, at the duke’s mansion, Ellin was preparing to go out and heading down to board the carriage.

Hearing a commotion from somewhere, she turned her head to see someone drunkenly causing a disturbance in one corner of the garden.

When she stared intently at the scene, Jeffrey became flustered and didn’t know what to do.

‘Get rid of him quickly!’

He sent servants to the area, shooting them a piercing glance.

Watching the servants behind her rush over, Ellin grew more puzzled.

‘How could such a drunkard enter the duke’s mansion in broad daylight?’

With guards outside, it was impossible for someone to enter without permission, and if it was one of the workers, it seemed even stranger.

This would mean the estate wasn’t being properly managed.

‘Jeffrey and the duke wouldn’t allow such a person to stay, which makes this strange.’

The more she thought about it, the more curious she became.

“My lady, please get in.”

When Jeffrey opened the door, Ellin turned away from the scene and boarded the carriage.

“Have a safe journey.”

With his farewell behind her, the carriage slowly began to move toward the main gate.

From the carriage crossing the garden, Ellin looked back at where the noise had come from.

She could see more clearly the staggering person under a tree column.

The servants who had rushed over earlier took away his bottle and supported him, leading him behind the mansion.

He seemed to be causing trouble, resisting violently.

‘Who could that be?’

Ellin watched with a concerned face before sitting straight again.

‘Even seemingly peaceful mansions have their share of troubles.’

She thought that dealing with people who act on their own whims was the same whether at home or at her great-aunt’s house in Castia.

Thinking this might be such a case, she dismissed it without much concern.

* * *

Ellin’s mouth fell open when she got out of the carriage and saw the building.

“My goodness.”

She had heard many good things about the Royal Hospital, but she never expected this level.

Though meant for royalty and high nobles, this place looked less like a hospital and more like a high-class resort.

Even while walking down the marble corridors, doctors and nurses who appeared highly skilled passed by her with slight bows.

Their relaxed yet meticulous demeanor inspired infinite trust.

“This way, please.”

The place she arrived at, guided by kind directions, seemed to be the best room in the Royal Hospital.

Through the large window visible immediately upon opening the door, a perfectly rectangular beautiful garden could be seen clearly.

Perhaps because of this, instead of the strong smell of disinfectant, there seemed to be a subtle, pleasant cotton fragrance.

“Eddie?”

Eddie looked bewildered, seemingly unaccustomed to being alone in such a large hospital room.

“Sister!”

He greeted Ellin with the most delighted eyes she had seen from him so far.

Placing the flowers she had picked from the duke’s mansion’s garden on the table, Ellin approached her brother.

“Sister. What’s going on? Why am I in a place like this?”

Eddie whispered rapidly to her with anxious eyes, looking around.

“Don’t worry. The duke arranged this place in the hospital for you.”

“The duke?”

“Yes. I was going to tell you beforehand, but I didn’t know he would move you here so quickly.”

Eddie relaxed slightly, now understanding why he was there.

“Still, this place is too strange.”

Ellin narrowed her brows slightly with concern.

“What? What’s strange about it?”

“They bring medicine on silver trays. The meals are things I’ve never eaten even at home. People seem to check on my condition at least ten times a day. It’s really overwhelming.”

Eddie whispered to his sister while checking the door to see if anyone else might enter.

Seeing her brother like this, a small smile broke on Ellin’s lips.

“It must be overwhelming indeed. So let’s get better quickly and leave the hospital. Okay?”

Eddie sighed softly, seeming resigned.

The end of every conversation with his sister was always ‘So let’s get healthy quickly and leave the hospital.’

He asked again with curious eyes.

“You got married yesterday. Is it okay for you to visit me today?”

Even Edward, who was unfamiliar with the ways of the world, found it strange.

His sister had married the famous Duke of that family, but should a duchess be this free the day after her wedding?

Ellin hesitated momentarily before answering with an awkward smile.

“Y-yes. The duke doesn’t seem to be the type who strictly follows formalities. The old duchess isn’t fussy either. All the people working there are nice too.”

She couldn’t bring herself to tell her brother that the duke had left home at dawn the day after their wedding.

He would surely worry.

“That’s good then.”

Eddie relaxed and rested his head comfortably back on the pillow.

“Eddie. Let’s work hard on your recovery for the next year and go to Castia together. The environment there will be much better for your body. Promise?”

Eddie gave her another puzzled look at Ellin’s words.

“Now that you’re married and a duchess, can you freely go to Castia? The duke must be a very generous person.”

“Huh? Oh, yes. Right. He’s really a good person.”

Once again stung by her brother’s sharp question, Ellin awkwardly laughed it off.

“Great-aunt is returning to Castia today. So I’m planning to stop by home on my way. I’ll come see you again soon.”

After this brief visit to her brother, Ellin left the hospital with a lighter heart than before.

Looking back at the hospital one more time before getting into the carriage, she wore a determined expression.

‘Duke, I will do my best to fulfill my role as duchess for the next year.’

Though the duke was still uncomfortable and difficult for her, she was truly grateful to him for keeping his promise so quickly.

She had hesitated a lot about this marriage, but Duke Dominic Linderto had given not only her brother but also her the opportunity to have a new dream after a year.

So she must repay him.

With a commitment to do her best in this contract marriage, she boarded the carriage.