Chapter 1 (Part 4)

“What?”

“I can’t promise as prosperous a life as the Seidon Dukedom, but I can promise to keep you safe. I’ll do my best to make you happy. Come to me, Sella.”

Chester, with a rather solemn expression, was evidently nervous.

Sellakia looked at Chester silently. His eyes were a deep brown, like an old tree that had stood in one place for a long time. A warm color, perfect for leaning against when feeling lonely and weary.

“…”

Faced with such a tempting offer that shook her heart, Sellakia shook her head with difficulty.

Chester deserved to meet someone good. It was the right thing to show consideration to a thoughtful friend, and it was also about keeping the resolution she had made countless times as a child.

Sellakia thought of Viscount Lensch, who was just like her mother but entirely different from her.

“I can’t let anyone suffer because of my marriage.”

“Suffer? No one would suffer from our marriage.”

“As much as you care for me, I care for you too, Chester. If you didn’t know, from now on, keep it in mind.”

Beneath her playful tone was a clear implication of refusal. Chester seemed taken aback, as if he hadn’t anticipated this situation at all.

“But…”

“Marrying the Young Master Seidon might be a good thing in many ways. The Young Master finds his rightful place, and perhaps I find a new place for myself too. . A marriage beneficial to both—how ideal a strategic marriage is that?”

Though she knew it was overly optimistic, it sounded quite plausible once she said it. However, Chester’s reaction was lukewarm, his lips pressed tightly together in dissatisfaction.

To lift the mood that had somehow sunk as if she had announced a funeral instead of a wedding, Sellakia spoke brightly on purpose.

“I heard rumors of the Young Master’s extraordinary beauty. Won’t you congratulate me on winning the empire’s most handsome man as my husband, Chester?”

Sellakia’s blue eyes sparkled like a child’s.

Her changing the subject was a declaration of her unwavering decision. Chester, who had never once broken her stubbornness, sighed in resignation, unable to hold out for long.

“Soon, you’ll be the mistress of the Seidon estate, which has everything. Are you satisfied with just such an honor?”

“Mistress, I like that word. As long as there’s a place for me to stay, that’s enough for me. What more could I possibly wish for?”

Sellakia added with a smile.

“It’s greedy to expect him to be as kind as you, Chester.”

Sellakia wanted only one thing from this marriage.

The glory everyone admired, the wealth to have the empire at her feet, or romantic love.

Such luxurious things were not within her reach. Sellakia simply wanted to breathe without being conscious of it and be recognized as a member of the household.

Those simple and basic things were so difficult at the Lensch Viscount family. Perhaps it would be different at the Seidon Ducal House, where no one knew her.

She decided to willingly dive into the small hope that barely reached her ankles.

“Then you could just marry me.”

Ignoring Chester’s grumbling, Sellakia chattered excitedly. Her cheeks glowed with a reddish hue like a ruby, making her finally look like a girl of her age.

“I’ll write to you after I confirm with my own eyes that the Young Master’s appearance matches the rumors.”

“I can’t wait.”

“I heard the previous Duke and Duchess had such a harmonious relationship. What if the Young Master falls for me at first sight and showers me with affection?”

“Sellakia. I always support your fantasies, but once you become the mistress of the Seidon Dukedom, please maintain your dignity.”

Sellakia furrowed her brow and asked seriously.

“Would confessing my future hopes to the Young Master be undignified? You know, the righteous sun…”

“Please, Sellakia! Promise me you won’t even mention that word. Please!”

Startled, Chester jumped up, pushing the table. Sellakia burst into a cheerful laugh.

Until then, Sellakia had felt a little flutter in her heart with the long-awaited anticipation for the future.

* * *

Sellakia’s dreamlike optimism was shattered on the day of the wedding.

Contrary to her thoughts that she would leave empty-handed, Viscount Lensch surprisingly provided her with a generous dowry. Perhaps it was out of respect for the significant party involved.

Three luxurious carriages trailing behind, Sellakia’s mood was not too bad as she headed to the Seidon Dukedom. In fact, it was rather good. 

Though her insides churned and her body was uncomfortable from the constant jostling of the carriage, she was excited as it was her first time embarking on such a long journey.

“Welcome to the Seidon Ducal House. Please follow me this way.”

However, Sellakia’s bright smile disappeared as soon as she arrived at the Seidon Dukedom. 

Only a few servants greeted her. The man who was to be her husband did not show up at all. 

Sellakia was quite taken aback. She had expected some degree of neglect, but not to this extent from the beginning. The minimal reception felt like a warning to remind her of her humble status.

She was moved to a guest room and had to prepare herself without rest. And in the late hours of the night, when everyone was asleep, she went through a makeshift wedding ceremony.

The grand yet cold atmosphere lingered in the quiet chapel. 

Inside, there were only four people: the priest officiating the ceremony, the acting Duke, Sir Aldrich Logue, and the bride and groom, the two main figures of the wedding.

It was a modest affair, hardly believable as a wedding hosted by the Seidon Dukedom. It was hasty and devoid of sincerity, akin to a secret marriage.

In the plain chapel, devoid of even the common sight of flowers, the only thing worth looking at was the man who would be her husband. Tenus Seidon, who proved the extravagant rumors about his looks with his face alone.

“It seems the bride has forgotten how to smile.”

His sarcastic tone quickly shattered the appreciation of his captivating beauty.

“Why not at least try to smile? You are, after all, the main character of the wedding.”

Expecting much for a ceremony that was hardly a wedding.

She almost retorted to his whisper as he slipped the wedding ring on her finger, but she couldn’t. Tenus naturally took her right hand to put the ring on. 

Had he been informed of her insignificant trait of being left-handed? For a moment, Sellakia forgot Tenus’s sarcasm and was purely impressed by the Seidon Dukedom’s ability to gather information.

The wedding ring prepared by the groom’s side featured a blue sapphire the size of her pinky nail in the center, with slightly smaller diamonds on either side. 

Though it exuded restrained beauty, it fell far short of the Seidon Dukedom’s stature. It even seemed a bit worn. Had they just picked up something lying around out of necessity?

Her heart, inflated with expectation like a balloon filled with air, deflated with a hiss. She felt a sigh about to escape, but Sellakia forced a semblance of a smile on her lips. There was nothing to gain by provoking a groom who already seemed displeased.

However, her efforts were in vain, as Tenus’s disapproving expression did not change at all.

“For someone who swears eternal love, you seem utterly unfeeling.”

If he found her so distasteful, he could simply avert his gaze. Yet Tenus’s cold, piercing gaze, like icy thorns, persistently followed her throughout the ceremony. 

His dark blue eyes resembled a stormy sea on a late night. 

Within them, there was no trace of gentle emotions like kindness or warmth. Sellakia bowed her head, stamping out the flicker of hope that had arisen within her, and each time she did, Tenus’s expression grew worse.

Perhaps because of that.

On the awkwardly prepared first night, with the help of the Duke’s servants, Tenus never showed up.

Sellakia spent her first night wide awake and alone. By the time she was roused by a knock, the morning sun was already shining brightly.

A maid cautiously entered the room and delivered a message.

“The Duke left for the academy early this morning.”

“…I see. I couldn’t see him off.”

Still in her wedding attire from the night before, Sellakia nodded calmly. 

She thought absentmindedly, noting how they already treated him as the Duke here, and let out a sigh of relief. It was a relief that the intense gaze that had tormented her throughout the wedding was gone.

Sellakia comfortably occupied the spacious and lavish Duchess’s bedroom. The servants of the Dukedom addressed her as ‘Duchess’ and treated her with courtesy, but they did not hide their exclusive gazes. 

It was obvious that the treatment of a scarecrow Duchess who hadn’t even properly spent her first night would be poor. Yet, Sellakia didn’t mind. Compared to the Lensch Viscount family, where she had to erase her existence completely, she could breathe more freely. She no longer had to stay confined to her room.