The Murderous Duke's Domestic Affairs - Chapter 18

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 18
Despite my assurances that everything would be fine, my complexion had been poor since morning. Seeing my pallid cheeks drained of all color, Aster Veil Lilywood furrowed his brow, prompting me to laugh with a parched sound.
“You skipped breakfast this morning as well.”
“I… but I feel like I might get indigestion.”
At Calvin Stewart’s quiet observation, I made a feeble excuse. After exhaling sharply, Aster Veil Lilywood issued an order to Calvin Stewart.
“Bring me warm milk with honey.”
“Yes, sir.”
Calvin Stewart answered briefly, bowed his head, and left the Office. Watching his retreating figure, I sighed softly. To Aster Veil Lilywood’s ears, that sigh sounded far too loud.
“Are you worried?”
“Worried… I’m not sure. Is it worry, or is it just nervousness?”
I appeared somewhat anxious. Delania Siaz was the type to obsessively hunt down even the smallest of my faults and magnify them, so both my nervousness and worry were hardly unreasonable. Aster Veil Lilywood understood this better than anyone. He had someone like that in his own life as well.
“You’ll be fine.”
He casually placed his hand on my head. Then he gently stroked my hair. His touch was incredibly soft. As I lifted my gaze, his face came into view—his eyes narrowed slightly, a smile playing at his lips.
“You’ve prepared thoroughly. It will be fine, Lauren.”
“Of course. There’s nothing for her to criticize. The servants of the Duke’s Mansion are quite capable.”
I murmured to myself in a low voice and laughed. No matter how I forced a smile with my ashen face, it only looked pitiful. Aster Veil Lilywood stroked my hair a couple more times before withdrawing his hand. My jet-black hair was so smooth to the touch that if he didn’t stop himself, he feared he would continue caressing it without realizing.

“That’s good then.”
Aster Veil Lilywood glanced down, gauging my reaction. Would she think he was treating her like a child? That wasn’t his intention. Fortunately, she showed no sign of displeasure. For some reason, he felt genuinely relieved. And the moment he realized he had felt that relief, he was startled.
“Aster?”
As he hastily withdrew his hand and furrowed his brow, I called his name as if confirming something. Aster Veil Lilywood twisted his lips and swept back his hair. Lately, for some reason, he kept entertaining unnecessary thoughts. Perhaps it was the leisure that came from returning from the battlefield where he had risked his life. He swallowed down the sigh threatening to escape.
“In any case, it would be best to handle work only until the morning. Letti Torres isn’t here to review documents anyway.”
“Oh my. If you dump all the miscellaneous tasks on him, Letti Torres will be overwhelmed.”
“That’s why I hired him at such a high salary.”
I crossed my arms and narrowed my eyes at him. At his half-joking remark, Aster Veil Lilywood let out a short laugh. I could laugh naturally again, just as I always did. I had returned to my usual self. Now it was fine.
In any case, Aster Veil Lilywood continued. The important thing wasn’t that.
“Don’t skip lunch. Even if you feel indigestion, eat something, even if it’s just a little.”
“…Y-yes.”
I couldn’t answer properly and hunched my shoulders. My lavender eyes rolled upward to look at him. Feeling as though I were scolding a child, Aster Veil Lilywood gave a bitter smile.
* * *
Did I really need to prepare this much? I sighed from within the bath. Submerged in the tub filled with fragrant oils and floating flower petals, I was being attended to by Anna and Lise. Thanks to the two of them generously applying oils and massaging me, my skin gleamed with a smooth, lustrous sheen.
Anna wrapped my body in a towel and led me to the Vanity, where I sat down. Her hands were gentle and meticulous as she dried away the moisture. Somehow, drowsiness was setting in. It was probably because I hadn’t slept properly last night. I still couldn’t quite tell whether what filled my mind was nervousness or worry.
Still, it seemed I had done well to prepare early, following Aster Veil Lilywood’s advice. After being thoroughly kneaded by the two of them in the bath, I now sat before the Vanity in a camisole and drawers. There was no time to feel nervous or space to worry. Drowsy, I stared blankly into the mirror. Lise opened the cosmetics cabinet, and Anna stood behind me, brush in hand. Both their touches were attentive.
“This seems excessive, and I’m not even going to a ball.”
I was too tired to even bother speaking, and the two of them seemed so excited that I had kept quiet, but eventually I sighed anyway. The dress Lise had brought out after finishing my makeup was far too elaborate. The clothes from the Aloria Dressmaking Studio that Jasmine Aloria had brought were tailored to my taste, but occasionally pieces like this—excessively ornate—caught my eye.
Of course, “excessive” was by my standards.
“Excessive? But his lordship instructed us to dress you befitting the dignity of the Lilywood Dukedom.”
If one were to find the dignity of the Lilywood Dukedom in such matters, I had nothing to say. With furrowed brows, I scanned the several dresses Lise had laid out. Floral patterns and lace, ornately decorated ribbons and jewels made my eyes dizzy. Not a single solid-colored, easy-to-move-in dress that I preferred was among them.
I pulled one corner of my lip. With my brow furrowed, it naturally became a bitter smile. What had Delania Siaz said when she saw the clothes I had worn? Something about how they still looked like something a governess would wear? In truth, compared to what Delania Siaz had worn, each piece was made of high-quality material, but Delania Siaz would have no interest in such things. She had simply looked down on me because, in her eyes, my attire wasn’t flashy enough.
Had Aster Veil Lilywood heard what she said? Did he think my usual appearance didn’t suit the Lilywood Dukedom? Well, since I was closer to an administrator for the Lilywood Dukedom than an actual duchess, perhaps he simply hadn’t mentioned it until now.
However, a “guest” had arrived at the Duke’s Mansion. Whether I could truly call Delania a guest was debatable. Regardless, it was clear I needed to present myself in a manner befitting the Duchess—someone worthy of respect. I exhaled softly and pointed to one of the dresses with my fingertip. It was a delicate floral summer dress with wide, muted-toned ruffles adorning the hem of the skirt.
“An excellent choice! It will suit you beautifully!”
Lise clapped her hands together with delight, gave Anna—who had just set down her brush—several instructions, and began helping me dress. Anna returned to the Dressing Room and emerged carrying a large jewelry box, then began holding various pieces against my neck and ears.
“Lise, what do you think of this?”
“That one? I think the one beside it would suit better.”
“Ah, you’re right. This will complement my lady’s eyes better.”
Even the voices of the two maids exchanging opinions were cheerful. I no longer felt inclined to stop them. I stared blankly into the mirror. This single dress must have cost as much as a month’s living expenses for the Marquis Estate. I had never once imagined I would wear something like this.
“You look truly beautiful, my lady.”
Lise smiled with satisfaction as she finished arranging my hair in neat braids woven with ribbon and adorned with several jeweled hairpins. I reached up awkwardly to touch the delphinium-shaped necklace hanging at my throat. No matter how many times the cool touch of the jewels met my skin, I could not grow accustomed to it—much like the reflection of myself in the mirror.
* * *
“My lady, your guest has arrived.”
At the sound of Calvin’s voice from beyond the door, I took a deep breath and rose from my seat. My gaze fell upon the clock above the fireplace. She was slightly late. How typical of Delania, always seeking to draw attention wherever she went. Propriety, it seemed, meant nothing to her.
I made my way to the Lobby of the Mansion with Calvin. In the center of the Lobby, where the fading evening light poured through the large windows, Delania stood as though she were the heroine of a novel. Her burgundy hair, which had appeared nearly black at first glance, now gleamed with hints of brown. I suppressed the frown threatening to form and smiled at my cousin.
“Welcome, Delania.”
“Does this Mansion have no servants? Making a guest stand about like this!”
Delania grumbled with evident displeasure. One would never guess she had been invited. After all, wasn’t she the one who arrived late? My forced smile faltered.
“I see. Come this way. I’ll take you directly to the Dining Room.”
I swallowed a sigh and began walking ahead. As I traversed the short Corridor, I felt Delania’s gaze upon me from behind, assessing me from head to toe.
“So you really are the Duchess.”
I had told myself not to respond. Yet without thinking, I stopped walking and turned to face Delania. She was smiling at me with her narrow, brown eyes—a smile that was far from pleasant.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Just what I said. Now you finally look somewhat noble. You should have dressed like this from the start. When I mentioned that you looked like a governess, you got your pride hurt because you’re supposedly a Duchess, didn’t you?”
What was she saying? The wrinkles I had forced myself to smooth from my brow deepened. But regardless of how I reacted, Delania would say whatever she wished. It had been that way when we were children, and it remained so now. She still gave no thought whatsoever to how others might receive her words.
“Delania.”
“Isn’t it true? No matter how much you boast about your Territory and your title, once you’re married, you’ll end up confined to this Mansion anyway.”
Delania’s spiteful smile was directed at me. I opened my mouth to protest, but the words caught in my throat. In that moment, though I did not wish to admit it, I realized her words held truth. Her scornful laugh echoed in my ears, as if to say, “See? I was right.”
I clenched my teeth and finally turned away, drawing in a breath. When I lifted my eyes, they met Calvin’s, who had quietly stepped aside and was watching me. Recognizing that our conversation had ended, he gave a subtle nod and resumed walking ahead of us both. Perhaps it was merely my imagination, but his gaze, usually so gentle, now felt distinctly cold.
And why wouldn’t it? The Duchess, unable to manage a single Marquis’s daughter—her own cousin, no less—had lowered her head in defeat.
In the eyes of one who had long served the Duke’s Mansion, I must have appeared pathetic. I closed my eyes tightly, then opened them. Of late, I had begun to wonder: was I truly suited for the position of Duchess? Perhaps, in my desperation to find a way to survive, I had forced my way into the Duke’s Mansion without proper consideration.
A Duchess should carry herself with confidence before others. She should not feel awkward in fine garments. She cannot live as I did in the Marquis Estate, doing as she pleases. It is not a position that can be filled by merely knowing how to manage a few trivial tasks. The moment this realization struck me, I felt as though I could not breathe. The “lady” that Aster Veil Lilywood needed was neither an excuse to avoid marriage to the Princess nor a capable administrator.
“For mutual benefit.”
I suddenly understood how shallow and meaningless those words of mine had been.

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