Although it was a carriage sent by the Duke, it was far from luxurious, just a common travel carriage often seen on the streets. Moreover, the carriage entered through the back gate used by servants, not the main gate of the Duke’s mansion, and dropped her off.

After getting out of the carriage, she quickly walked to the Duke’s quarters with her hood pulled up to cover her face completely. Though it was dark all around, she could tell that she had arrived not at the main building located in the center of the Duke’s estate, but at an annex building situated in a remote area.

Of course, even so, it was larger and more beautiful than most noble family homes.

When she arrived, the mansion’s butler helped her out of the carriage.

“The Duke is waiting for you.”

The butler said as he escorted her to the central entrance of the building.

“I will guide you from here.”

The maid who came to greet her was a middle-aged woman with a dignified appearance and graying hair. As Celia saw the woman bowing to her, she was about to awkwardly bend her body in return.

“There’s no need for the Duchess to show such courtesy to me.”

“Ah, I see.”

At the gently informing voice, Celia straightened her body back up and stiffly corrected her posture.

“I am Mrs. Letten. I take care of the household affairs in this Duke’s mansion. Please feel free to call me as you wish.”

“I understand.”

Celia said in a tense voice. Mrs. Letten was too elegant to be called a maid, and her voice was soft and gentle.

“Please follow me.”

Mrs. Letten raised a lamp high and led the way, and Celia followed behind her.

Entering the dim interior and climbing several flights of stairs, Celia finally arrived at the room where the Duke was waiting.

“Your Grace, I have brought the madam.”

When Mrs. Letten announced, a gesture of permission to enter was heard from inside.

“Let’s go in.”

Celia stepped inside with a very tense face. The Duke smiled with satisfaction as soon as he saw her.

Feeling those eyes, as cold and creepy as that day, scanning her body, Celia unconsciously shrank back.

The Duke looked her up and down and said,

“Prepare for the wedding night immediately.”

Surprised by those words, Celia jerked her head up. She hadn’t expected to share a bed with the Duke on the very first day of her arrival.

Seeing Celia’s surprised face, the Duke laughed with a clicking sound.

“The sooner, the better for these things.”

“But we haven’t had a wedding ceremony yet.”

When Celia hastily spoke up, the smile disappeared from the Duke’s face.

“Is that really so important?”

“……”

Celia lowered her head, afraid of the Duke’s eyes.

“So you want to go through the formalities, huh.”

Celia swallowed dry at the words that sounded contemptuous.

“We’ve already registered the marriage, so having a child as soon as possible by consummating is the priority. That wedding ceremony nonsense……”

As the Duke’s displeased words continued, Celia was once again reminded of her situation. That to this man, she was nothing more than an object bought with money, like buying fruit at the market.

Even so, she hadn’t expected to share a bed with a man without even having a wedding ceremony. But now she had to accept it.

“I understand.”

As soon as the words of agreement fell from Celia’s lips, Andros looked at his newly welcomed bride once again with a satisfied face. Feeling that gaze, Celia felt as if bugs were crawling all over her body, but she tried to ignore it.

“You’ll look quite decent once you’re washed and dressed.”

He sounded like a child who’s talking about a doll they play with. It wasn’t much different. In his eyes, she was nothing more than a doll he had bought with money, something he could do with as he pleased.

Celia tried to calmly accept this reality.

‘Just think about the money.’

She was no better, having accepted the proposal to bear a child purely for money. It was a transaction where what was to be given and received was determined fairly from the start. Since she had accepted it, she had to fulfill her duty without question.

She couldn’t back out now. Her father had already squandered the money he received as an advance on alcohol and gambling. Remembering this fact, Celia took a deep breath, feeling overwhelmed once again.

“I have one request.”

“A request? How impertinent……”

As if asking how a mere doll dared to speak, an unpleasant light flashed across the Duke’s face. Celia quickly spoke up in that moment.

“The remaining money I’m supposed to receive…… please give it directly to me. Not to my father.”

Hearing those words, the Duke’s brow furrowed even more, and a sneer appeared on his lips.

“Ah, it seems that fellow has already squandered all the money?”

“……”

“This is why it’s useless to help drunkards who gamble. Selling his daughter and still not coming to his senses.”

The Duke showed a smile that was nauseating just to look at. Celia tried to calm her churning stomach. Her father, Gilmore, was disgusting, but so was the Duke who had bought a daughter from that drunkard with money.

Of course, the most disgusting of all was herself, who had to sleep with a man who had bought her like an item at the market and bear his child.

“Fine, I’ll give you half of the remaining money when you get pregnant, and the other half when you give birth to a son.”

The Duke smiled contentedly, as if he had done her a favor.

“Thank you.”

Celia bowed her head in gratitude, and the Duke, who had been watching her silently, clicked his tongue and said,

“Bring her back after making her look presentable.”

“Yes, this way please.”

Mrs. Letten immediately acted on his order.

Guided to the bathroom, the maid who approached Celia quickly stripped off her clothes. One by one, the fallen clothes were all placed in a basket and taken away somewhere.

“Please enter.”

Celia did as she was told and entered the bathtub filled with fragrant water where rose petals were floating. From that point on, there was nothing more for her to do. The maid began to wash Celia’s body with skilled hands.

Although she seemed to be a maid of quite high rank, Celia thought it strange that she was doing this kind of work herself, but she didn’t even dare to ask.

As the maid massaged her entire body with perfumed oil, her originally fair skin quickly regained its color and became as soft as silk.

After finishing the bath and coming out, the maid quickly dried her off and brought clothes for her to wear.

“Do I… wear this?”

It was something that looked more like a dragonfly’s wing than clothes. When worn under candlelight, it softly revealed the flesh underneath, stimulating the eyes even more.

The thinly woven fabric was clearly of the highest quality, but in this situation, rather than feeling the luxury of wrapping such expensive cloth around her body, it reminded her of the almost n*ked women in brothels.

“It’s the Duke’s order.”

As Celia nodded, Mrs. Letten dressed her with practiced hands. The fabric was so thin that she couldn’t move her body freely, afraid it might tear.

Standing under the candlelight, she could see the thin fabric draped over her body. Under the transparent fabric, her white skin with a light pink tint, rose-colored n*pples, and even the cleft between her legs were clearly visible. It looked even more obscene than being completely n*ked.

Not to mention, the soft glow on her fair, smooth skin stimulated the visual senses even more.

“Do I… go like this?”

Celia was busy trying to cover her chest and between her legs with her hands. The thought of going to consummate the marriage wearing clothes that seemed like they would tear at the slightest touch made her dizzy.

“Please wear this over it.”

Celia shrank back, and Mrs. Letten brought a silk robe and put it on her. It could hide the transparently visible skin, but it was a garment that would have to be taken off in the bedroom anyway.

“It’s all done.”

All preparations for the wedding night were complete. The entire process was carried out so discreetly and swiftly that it seemed no one in the Duke’s mansion, except for the maid who had directly washed and dressed her and the butler who had guided her when she got out of the carriage, would know she was here.

After checking Celia’s condition one more time, Mrs. Letten escorted her to the bridal chamber, which was somewhat properly prepared.

“The bed is in the center.”

As Mrs. Letten removed the robe Celia had been wearing on the outside, the cool air enveloped her entire body.

She hesitated, fear rising within her, and the maid pointed towards the direction of the bed as if telling her to go in.

“Um……”

Celia unconsciously grasped Mrs. Letten’s sleeve.