~Chapter 17~
Before getting married, Elin had often dreamed of scenes like this.
Usually, it involved both of them in robes, with her sitting on his thigh and kissing him.
Naturally, their robes would fall to the floor…
Ah!
Elin shut her eyes and shook her head sharply, embarrassed as if he could see her every thought.
Contrary to her panic, Dominic gave a sly, almost teasing smile.
“Do you hate it that much? Even me coming close?”
He took her head-shaking as a rejection, assuming she was disgusted by him.
He had meant the playful gesture only to see her reaction, but now his interest dropped sharply. He even felt a little foolish.
Dominic chuckled lightly and gently grasped a strand of her flowing red hair.
In truth, it wasn’t entirely playful—he remembered the kiss at the wedding and wanted to try again, just once more.
That thrilling touch at the top of his head… he needed to feel it again.
Instead of kissing her lips, he pressed his lips softly to her disheveled red hair on his hand.
Elin, eyes half-open, stared quietly at him.
“What happened to that bold young lady in the greenhouse that night? Pretending to be innocent now?”
His teasing made Elin involuntarily recall that night in the greenhouse.
The moment she had lifted her leg, kissed him first, and surrendered her body like she was entranced.
Remembering it, her face burned red with shame.
Dominic laughed cruelly.
As he let his hand drop, her hair slipped softly from his fingers.
A hollow silence passed briefly between them.
Dominic straightened his back, turning away with a cold expression.
While he poured himself another glass of wine, Elin adjusted her posture, undoing the arch in her back.
The strange tension from before vanished as he casually picked up documents from the table drawer, as if this was part of his routine.
“You don’t need to thank me, and there’s no need to be so tense.”
Dominic sat in the long armchair, legs loosely crossed, flipping through papers with a dry tone.
“We’re not really husband and wife. We’re just acting like it.”
His cold, detached words made it clear exactly how he viewed this marriage.
Elin had briefly forgotten the true purpose of this marriage.
“Ah… of course, I’ll have to act sweetly in front of others.”
She spoke with difficulty after listening to him.
“Then wouldn’t it be better to use separate rooms? I imagine it might be uncomfortable for you.”
“I’m afraid that’s not possible.”
He rejected her suggestion immediately.
“To avoid any unnecessary suspicion, we have to share a room for now. Your mother is here too.”
Her mother, Melisa, was perceptive enough to notice even a slight hint of doubt, and Dominic didn’t want to give her any reason.
For the next year, this marriage must appear perfect.
Elin nodded slowly, understanding.
“Then how should we use the bedroom? If it’s uncomfortable for you, I can sleep on the sofa.”
Dominic’s gaze shifted from the documents to her.
Elin placed her hands neatly on her knees, lightly making fists, and spoke clearly.
When he approached, her eyes looked as if she might collapse onto the bed at any moment. His smile revealed his amusement at her change in demeanor.
The daring, tempting Elin from the greenhouse versus the cautious, polite Elin now—
Which one is her true self?
“It looks like three people could lie here comfortably. Is it really necessary?”
His words made her glance at the bed.
It was indeed wider than any bed she had ever seen, and his words were no exaggeration.
‘But…’
Hesitation crossed her face again.
Even if the bed was huge, sharing it meant emotional discomfort. She would lie awake every night with a racing heart.
And what if the person next to her was the man she had long admired?
Could anything be more torturous?
Elin looked only at her toes and murmured,
“I’ll just sleep on the sofa…”
“I’ll be away on a business trip for a while. Quite a long one, in fact. So there’s no reason for you to avoid the bed, right?”
Dominic shrugged once and returned to the documents, signaling the discussion was over.
Elin gave a short “Yes” and remained silent, feeling she was interfering with his work.
An awkward silence filled the room.
Elin couldn’t bear the suffocating quiet and kept sipping the wine Monica had brought.
Before she knew it, her head nodded slightly, and she drifted off to sleep on the sofa.
Dominic, finishing with his documents, rose and pressed his tired eyes briefly, watching her sleep.
She was completely unaware of his presence, sound asleep.
‘No wonder she’s tired.’
He recalled her wedding dress from earlier, the nervous hands hiding behind the bouquet, yet smiling brightly at him.
Her innocent, trusting face made his heart skip a beat.
Dominic crossed his arms and stood watching her sleep.
Bold enough to plot this little scheme with him, yet her sleeping face was utterly innocent.
Naïve? Brazen?
The red tint of wine still lingered on her slightly parted lips, teasing him.
‘Would those lips taste like sweet cherries again?’
Curious, he resisted the urge and gently picked her up, carrying her to the bed.
Her face, smiling faintly in a pleasant dream, pressed innocently against his chest.
He laid her on one side of the bed and rested on the other.
Even on a wide bed, the sound of her gentle breathing felt unusually close.
Her earlier words, “I’ll sleep on the sofa,” now made sense—he felt it entirely.
Turning slightly, he surveyed the room now familiar in the dim moonlight, yet strange with her in his bed.
She seemed completely at ease, as if this were her rightful place.
Arms resting on one cheek, her calm face looked almost comical in its peace.
He turned away from her, golden eyes gleaming faintly in the dark.
The memory of that night in the greenhouse—soft skin, warm breaths—suddenly surged over him.
He forced his eyes closed.
Only the curtains at the window fluttered gently in the night breeze, in the quiet room.
Elin smiled slightly but squinted her eyes.
The morning sunlight tickled her eyelids.
Snuggling deeper into the crisp, fragrant sheets, she wanted just a little more laziness.
“Ah!”
For a moment, her light green eyes snapped open.
She clutched the blankets and sat up, startled.
The bright room, filled with birdsong, felt peaceful—and she was alone in the bed.
‘I must have fallen asleep on the sofa last night…’
She slipped her hands into her hair, trying to recall the events of the previous night, but she couldn’t remember walking to the bed.
‘Could it be… the Duke?’
Looking at her robe, the tie was slightly loose, but otherwise, it was the same as yesterday.
‘I only had a little wine, but I must have passed out completely. But he’s already gone?’
As she tried to get up, a knock came from outside, followed by the door opening.
“Good morning, Madam. Are you awake?”
Monica and another young maid, who had helped her with her bath yesterday, entered.
“Oh? Ah, yes. I guess I was a little tired yesterday.”
Elin felt embarrassed for waking late, but Monica smiled brightly and replied warmly:
“It was your wedding and the first night together. How could you not be tired?”
“Has the Duke already woken up?”
The maid opened the curtains wide as she answered.
“He left early this morning. He usually wakes up early anyway. And right after the wedding, he’s already off on a business trip again.”
Her expression was unclear—was she worried for the Duke, or the new Duchess?—but she busied herself again.
“Shall I bring your breakfast to the room?”
Elin slid out of bed.
‘I can’t be lazy on my first day as a Duchess.’
Once they left, another maid came in carrying a basin of water.
Elin paused before dipping her hands in.
On the back of the maid’s hand, a red blister had formed.
Studying it closely, Elin saw the maid flustered and say:
“Ah! I’m so sorry! I’ll get another maid to bring water instead…”
The maid tried to withdraw her hand, but Elin was faster.
“Why haven’t you treated this yet? If you don’t put medicine on it, it could scar.”
Without realizing she was frowning, Elin gently held the maid’s hand, examining the wound.
“I’ve burned myself in tea before. The pain is worse after it happens than in the moment. Like being cut by a sharp knife. And it hurts more at night. Right?”
The maid blinked, stunned, and slowly nodded.
“Yes, Madam.”
Elin looked at the wound as if it were her own little sister’s, her eyes filled with concern.
“Until it heals, don’t let it touch water. I’ll make sure another maid brings your basin from now on.”
She looked at the maid expectantly; the maid nodded slowly, still dazed.
“Go quickly and put medicine on it. I can wash my face on my own.”
The maid left the room, still bewildered, closing the door behind her.
‘I thought she’d scold me for bringing water with a wounded hand.’
As the maid set down the basin, she was surprised, recalling the events from before.
