Grand Duke, Please Stop Obsessing Over Your Wife! - Chapter 72

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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72.

“Hoh.”

The Duke beside her let out an impressed exclamation.

Who would have thought even the coachman would join in this bizarre word practice.

Annelize struggled to calm her reddening cheeks.

Just the memory of the maids surrounding her in a circle and tormenting her when she put on her dress today was already overwhelming!

[Oh my! My lady. You look truly beautiful today. So Annelize-like!]

[Of course. Since you are Lady Annelize herself, naturally you would be more Annelize-like than anyone else!]

[Girls. I appreciate the sentiment, but I think I’m starting to develop a neurosis about my own name.]

In reality, she had been hearing in just a few days what should have been months’ worth of her name.

‘Thank goodness. Once we leave the north, I can escape this suffering, even if just for a moment.’

Annelize sighed in relief as she climbed into the carriage.

“It’s fortunate that the north and northwest don’t usually interact. They probably don’t know about the new words being used in the north yet.”

The Duke answered as he followed her into the carriage.

“No.”

“Pardon?”

“They already know everything. After distributing to all the villages, we had paper left over, so I had Pamine distribute it to the party attendees.”

He had planned to inform them at the party anyway.

As compensation when showing the kindness of lending wheat for the national tribute.

“You distributed it? The proclamation?”

“Yes. They need to study it in advance before meeting us.”

“Then… then they all know already. Everything.”

Annelize’s voice grew smaller and smaller toward the end.

“What’s wrong? Your face suddenly turned pale.”

“Haaaaaah…”

She let out a very long sigh.

It was long enough for the Duke to wrap a soft fur cloak around her shoulders.

Annelize looked enviously at the masked Duke.

“I should have worn a mask too. I should have brought at least a fan.”

Fortunately, Anna Rose had brought a fan.

Annelize desperately snatched her younger sister’s fan with various excuses.

* * *

Count Cullen’s estate.

Upon entering the ballroom where the party was being held, they could see people gathered in small groups having conversations.

Since it was a small party, few people were invited. Still, there were enough for Annelize to find what she wanted.

Annelize looked around and found a man around Anna Rose’s age.

Then she pulled Anna Rose, who was standing beside her, and whispered.

“See that man over there? That’s Count Cullen’s son. Go dance one song with him.”

“What? I was just planning to sit in a chair and nibble on party food. I don’t particularly want to dance!”

“Shh. You learned how to dance. The Crown Prince might ask you to dance, so you need to practice for real.”

At her words, Anna Rose’s gaze shyly turned toward the Crown Prince.

“Of course, not at this party. If something goes wrong, His Highness’s identity might be revealed.”

“Do… do you really think His Highness the Crown Prince would ask me to dance?”

“Who knows? If you dance well this time, His Highness might be deeply impressed by your dancing skills and extend his hand to you at the next party?”

Anna Rose was fired up with motivation. She walked creakily toward her target.

Annelize glanced sideways at the Crown Prince.

The Crown Prince watched with furrowed brows as Anna Rose approached the young man her age and grabbed his arm to move to the center of the stage.

‘The jealousy strategy seems effective.’

She had thrown fuel on the fire of the budding love between the prospective sibling-in-law couple.

Now she needed to find Count Cullen.

Before calling him, Annelize steadied her breathing.

‘No matter how embarrassing it is and how much I want to hide, I must stay calm.’

“Want some?”

The Duke had brought a glass of water from somewhere.

Annelize downed the water in one gulp, then bowed silently to Count Cullen who was approaching to greet her.

Count Cullen’s acquaintances who followed him looked back and forth between the Duke and Annelize and smiled in unison.

The Count greeted Annelize.

“Your Grace, the Duchess. You are beautiful. Or should I say you are very Annelize-like?”

Damn it.

Annelize quickly covered her face with her fan before her trembling lips could be noticed.

Stay calm.

The more you react to this kind of teasing, the more you get it.

Annelize quickly took a breath and composed her expression.

“Thank you for the invitation, Count Cullen. Of course I’m Annelize-like. That’s who I am.”

With a shameless face, she pretended to be nonchalant while covering her mouth with the fan.

Count Cullen laughed heartily and introduced the other nobles.

After everyone formally greeted the Duke and Annelize, they began adding compliments one by one as if they had been waiting.

“We finally get to meet the master and mistress of the legendary House of Duke Aperhis! I’ve heard much about Your Grace the Duchess’s beauty and elegance.”

“Oh! Baron. Elegant? You should say ‘Annelize-like.’ Didn’t you read the proclamation the Duke sent?”

“Oh dear. Please forgive my mistake, Your Grace the Duchess. You are truly so Annelize-like!”

Wow. I really want to go home. Should I just give up on the national conference, the Crown Prince, and everything else?

The middle-aged gentlemen old enough to be her uncles gleefully teased her.

They must have been planning this since receiving the Duke’s proclamation.

It wasn’t unusual for the Duke to act like a doting fool in front of people, but this time was particularly difficult.

‘I could tolerate him being lovesick just in the north. Everyone was used to seeing the Duke like that. But what if he does this outside too? What will everyone think of us!’

A pot that leaks inside and a pot that leaks outside are different matters.

Annelize gripped her fan tightly and endured.

‘No. Stay calm. For the greater good, let’s endure this momentary shame.’

She glared at the cause of this situation.

“Hmm.”

The Duke made a satisfied sound beside her.

“It was good to deliver it in advance. Everyone came properly prepared.”

At the Duke’s words, the nobles laughed heartily.

Excellent.

Excluding Annelize, the atmosphere was very harmonious. Stepping back to observe the people, she suddenly realized something new.

‘Even though they’re in front of the Duke, none of them seem particularly uncomfortable.’

There was a reason Annelize had only met with Count Cullen until now.

She had worried that ordinary people would feel repulsed when meeting the Duke.

‘At the capital’s banquets, everyone avoided getting close to the Duke. Even with a mask, it takes time to adapt to the Duke’s unique intimidating presence. But these people are different.’

Compared to people from the capital, these people seemed to have relatively little aversion to the north.

Being neighbors might be one reason.

But that wasn’t the only reason.

The nobles attending the party were treating the Duke more comfortably than she had expected.

There were even nobles who joked with the Duke first.

“I see you in a new light. It turns out His Grace Duke Aperhis is quite the romantic! Haha. My wife was so envious when she received the proclamation. She scolded me asking why I couldn’t do the same.”

“Haha! I was surprised too.”

“Everyone, stop teasing! I completely understand that feeling, Your Grace. Any man with a lovely wife would do the same. It was truly a creative decision! Why didn’t I think of that?”

“No need to blame yourself. It’s not something anyone could easily think of.”

Even the Duke showed a not-bad reaction.

At least he wasn’t asking when they could go home, and judging by how he didn’t avoid the situation despite being surrounded by several people.

Everyone seemed pleased to see the respect shown for the content of the public announcement.

Annelize grasped the general situation.

‘They felt a sense of kinship seeing the Duke who loves his wife.’

Because all these aristocratic gentlemen here are lovers too.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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