~Chapter 10~
“What are you thinking so deeply about?”
Elin didn’t notice the Duke looking at her with a curious expression.
“Ah, no… If we… get married, would it be okay to invite my great-aunt in Castia?”
Elin asked carefully. She wasn’t sure how this contract marriage would take place. She didn’t even know if there would be a proper wedding in front of people.
Dominic laughed lightly, as if her worry was unnecessary.
“Of course. You can invite anyone you want. It’s your wedding.”
Elin finally felt a little relieved.
Seeing her in a wedding dress would make her great-aunt less suspicious.
“Yes.”
Seeing her relieved expression, Dominic felt a strange sense of guilt.
Had his selfish plan taken away the happiest moment of her life?
He quickly pushed the thought aside, rationalizing that he would just give her more in return.
“I’ll make sure your brother can be moved to the royal hospital immediately after the wedding. And whatever you want—jewels, dresses—you’ll have it all.”
Elin felt her neck grow hot, realizing he might have noticed her noticing his modest appearance.
Dominic quickly added:
“Don’t think of it as indulgence. Acting appropriately as the Duchess of Linderto is part of the contract. That way, we can avoid unnecessary suspicion.”
Elin nodded.
“I understand. I’ll be careful not to bring shame to the Linderto family.”
Dominic smiled in satisfaction.
Then he looked into the distance with a serious tone.
“And my mother will probably come to the capital soon…”
A faint sigh escaped his lips, leaving the rest unsaid. Just that told her he was worried about his mother.
“I’ll handle it, but I’ll need your help too. We’ll talk about the details later.”
He looked satisfied that the conversation went well so far and turned to her.
“Even if we marry, I won’t spend much time with you. I’ll be busy with business.”
“Yes…”
“So don’t feel burdened by me. I won’t make you uncomfortable.”
Each of his polite words felt precise, yet they pierced Elin’s heart like a dagger.
“Then let’s consider this conversation settled.”
He held out his hand as if shaking with a business partner.
Elin gently took his hand, and he gave it a soft shake.
“I’ll have a carriage take you home.”
“No, I can walk.”
Dominic made a slightly troubled expression.
“Have you considered how it will look to others if you walk home instead of riding the Linderto family carriage?”
Elin felt embarrassed.
The Duke wasn’t just concerned for her—he was thinking about making this contract marriage go smoothly in everyone’s eyes.
“You’re right. Honestly, I was worried my family wouldn’t believe this even at home.”
Elin smiled awkwardly. His judgment was correct.
Even stepping out of a carriage with the Linderto family crest would send a clear message.
Her stepmother and father wouldn’t need endless explanations.
That single scene would be far more convincing than a hundred words.
“Then I’ll gratefully take the carriage.”
Elin understood his intention and agreed. Dominic smiled, clearly satisfied.
“You’re quick to understand.”
Elin, sitting in the Linderto family carriage, couldn’t feel at ease at all.
The navy velvet sofa, decorated with golden studs, was so soft it felt like sitting on a cloud.
But to Elin, it felt uncomfortable, as if she were wearing someone else’s clothes.
She could sense the coachman in the front seat glancing at her repeatedly.
“Do I look strange?”
Elin deliberately looked out the window, trying not to care.
But something about the carriage route seemed strange.
The carriage should have turned toward her home by now, but it kept going through the busy shopping district.
“Wait! I think we’re going the wrong way!”
She said urgently. The coachman responded politely.
“I know. The Duke asked me to stop by somewhere briefly before taking you home, so we are on that way now.”
Elin frowned in confusion.
“Stop by somewhere? For what?”
It wasn’t that the coachman had been staring because she felt awkward in the carriage.
He had been worried she might notice the detour.
The carriage entered the main street, slowing down in a luxurious shopping area.
“Huh! The Countess?”
Elin had to sink into the sofa as she saw not forests or hills outside the window, but familiar faces.
The countesses she passed were famous even in the capital for gossiping.
Ladies gathered in small groups, chatting or enjoying afternoon tea at the cafés.
“Where are we going exactly?”
She asked urgently as the carriage began to slow.
This was…!
The most luxurious and famous boutique in the shopping district.
Elin looked at the coachman, confused, but he was already opening the carriage door.
“The Duke asked you to stop by briefly; he has ordered something for you.”
“Ordered something for me?”
The coachman just shook his head, unsure.
With no choice, Elin stepped out and entered the store with a hesitant expression.
Everyone in the boutique turned to look at the visitor at once.
“Elin?”
There she was—the person Elin most didn’t want to see.
Janice, noticing her, tilted her head with a shocked expression and walked toward her.
“Oh my, who is this? What are you doing here?”
Janice no longer hesitated to look down on Elin in front of others.
The young ladies in the boutique quietly watched the scene unfold.
Janice stroked the feather on her pink hat and asked:
“Are you in the wrong store? The butcher is on the other side.”
Someone behind giggled.
“That’s harsh.”
Elin felt embarrassed, meeting Janice and her friends here, but she soon smiled faintly.
“Janice, I didn’t expect to see you here. I have some business to attend to as well.”
“Business? In this boutique?”
She scanned Elin’s faded dress from head to toe.
“You’re not here to find a job, are you? How much more disgrace do you want to bring to our family?”
Janice laughed, folding her arms, but Elin didn’t just stand there.
She smiled silently once, then looked at the hat in Janice’s hand with a pitying gaze.
“Such a pretty pink. It would shine if it had the right owner, but I don’t think it suits your skin tone. It’s good to have strong taste, but maybe you should listen to your mother’s advice once in a while?”
The young ladies around couldn’t help giggling.
They knew how Janice often dressed in flashy colors that didn’t suit her.
Janice froze, stunned, unable to speak.
“Wh-what did you say?”
Elin, who usually ignored her, had just humiliated Janice in public.
Janice’s face boiled with anger, but Elin still wore a composed smile.
“Your face doesn’t look well. Are you okay?”
Janice wanted to grab Elin by the hair.
“Can I help you, madam?”
Luckily, a store clerk approached Elin before Janice could react.
“Ah, thank you.”
Elin shifted her attention from Janice to the clerk.
“The Duke of Linderto ordered something for me, I hear.”
The word Duke froze the boutique for a moment.
“Ah, it’s him! This way, please.”
The clerk straightened and moved swiftly.
“We kept some special items reserved for you, madam.”
Janice, still confused, exhaled sharply and glared at Elin.
“The Duke ordered something for you?”
Elin didn’t need to answer.
The clerk began presenting the most exquisite items in the store.
“This is a bag by a rising designer. The ruby drop-shaped buckle is crafted like a work of art.”
Not only that—hats made of pure gemstones and fur, and other expensive items not even on display—were laid on Elin’s hands one by one.
Janice was speechless, and the other young ladies were equally astonished.
“Indeed, it’s beautiful. I like it. Please wrap everything the Duke ordered and load it onto the carriage.”
Elin calmly instructed the clerk.
“Of course.”
Soon, all the boxes wrapped in blue silk and white lace were loaded into the carriage.
Elin turned toward the door.
“I’ll leave first, Janice.”
She gave Janice a light nod and left the store with the clerk’s escort.
Janice watched, frozen like ice, unable to believe it was real.
“Wow… that rumor really was true.”
“Look! The carriage outside belongs to the Linderto family.”
“Really?”
The young ladies crowded the window, chattering.
Janice, walking slowly toward the window, could clearly see it too.
The black carriage bore the Linderto family crest.
And Elin, escorted, climbed aboard.
“This can’t be happening…”
She muttered as if in a daze.
People whispered about Elin and the Duke, but she always scoffed at such talk.
She had thought only Sylvia, the Countess’s daughter, could be the future Duchess.
If the young Duke sat next to Sylvia, it was natural, nothing to envy.
He was the perfect groom, she the perfect bride.
But his partner was really Elin? That Elin? The Duchess? It didn’t make sense.
Amid her confusion, voices whispered behind her:
“Wow, I thought Royce Crayton would be the lucky one, but the Duke? What a stroke of luck!”
“Exactly! A distillery family versus an ancient Duke family—no comparison. I’m so jealous~”
“Have I done anything wrong to Elin? I don’t want to offend the Duchess.”
Even knowing Janice was there, they couldn’t hide their envy.
Janice, who would normally glare sharply, still seemed unable to accept the situation, stunned and speechless.
