Chapter 08
The Duke and Time-Limited Wedding(5)
Knock, knock.
After Cassel left, Mercian sat dazed, then looked up again at the sound of another knock.
“May I come in?”
The deep, heavy male voice was somehow not unpleasant to hear.
Mercian instinctively knew the man outside was the duke.
She straightened up and replied,
“Yes, please come in.”
“Lady, I’m sorry for coming so late, just before the wedding, to greet you. You must have heard from Cassel that I’m not feeling well and couldn’t bring the wedding gifts myself.”
“What? No, it’s okay.”
Is this man the duke?
Mercian stared in disbelief at Ruan, who entered the room and greeted her.
This can’t be! This is a nightmare!
Ruan looked very different from the image she had imagined.
Stammering, Mercian was met with his smile as he said,
“Thank you for understanding. Let me properly introduce myself. I am Ruan Canoluf, and I will be marrying you today.”
[He’s handsome and cool, but now he’s so sick you can’t see his old self.]
[He’s poisoned but doesn’t have many symptoms. He’s just lost a lot of weight and is very weak.]
From what Charl and Cassel said, Mercian had imagined what Ruan might look like.
But this?No way.
He’s very tall, nearly 190 cm, with jet-black hair and black eyes, and skin paler than hers.
He’s so thin… no, not just thin — he’s almost as skinny as Luciane.
Maybe even skinnier than Luciane?
Less than half my body size… If he closed his eyes, I might believe he was a corpse.
Yet, despite that, his handsome face confused Mercian.
How can someone so thin and pale be so good-looking?
It’s not fair.
He’s thinner and better looking than me — and I’m just plain.
Glancing at herself and Ruan in the mirror, Mercian frowned without realising it.
“Madam? Are you feeling unwell?”
“Huh? Oh, sorry. Duke, I mean, I’m Mercian Beanoman.”
“Call me Ruan.”
“Ah, yes. Ruan, please call me Mer too.”
“Mer, that’s a very pretty name.”
Pretty? My name is pretty.
Mercian tilted her head in confusion.
She had never thought her name was pretty before.
“No, nothing’s wrong. Thanks to what you told the staff, everyone in the duke’s house has been very kind to me.”
“That’s good to hear. Then I’ll see you later at the ceremony.”
“Yes.”
After Ruan smiled and left, Mercian’s head was full of thoughts.
So a person can be that thin and still alive and moving?
But can he survive for six months?
Is he so thin because he’s tall?
No, he’s always been thin.
Looking at her reflection with a worried face, Mercian thought about Ruan again.
At the wedding, even though Luan will be thin and handsome, I’m plump and so ordinary.
Everyone will laugh at me when I walk in.
A bride twice the size of the groom…
Ah, I think this marriage is doomed…
Mercian was already starting to feel nervous about the looks she would get from people at the wedding in about 30 minutes.
Among them, there was no doubt that Luciane and Penelope would look at her with contempt.
They wouldn’t laugh loudly, pretending to be polite, but after what happened earlier, they would surely show pitying faces and complain to other nobles about how hard it was to have a sister like her.
If she had known this, maybe she should have just let Luciane spill soup on her wedding dress.
At least then, she could have postponed the wedding—though postponing wouldn’t solve anything.
There was no way the duke would gain weight by then…
Perhaps if he lost even more weight.
People might think he looks pale because he’s sick, but who would have guessed he was this thin?
Mercian didn’t care much about looks, but since it was her wedding, she didn’t want to become a gossip.
She had just planned to get through the ceremony, but now unexpected problems gave her a headache.
Despite Mercian’s worries, 30 minutes passed quickly.
Knock, knock.
“Miss—no, my lady, it’s time to enter the ceremony.”
Charles came in, checked her makeup carefully once more, and gently helped her stand up.
“Charles, are there many guests at the wedding?”
Expecting Charles to say there weren’t many, Mercian was surprised when Charles smiled brightly and said,
“Of course, my lady. Most of the nobles of the empire have come. Especially to celebrate the duke’s wedding, even His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is here, and the hall is packed with people.”
Packed with people?
And even the Crown Prince?
Mercian had heard rumours that the duke and the Crown Prince didn’t get along well.
Thinking of the Crown Prince, Mercian suddenly understood why Luciane had come dressed so elegantly to the duke’s house.
She wasn’t there to see Mercian’s wedding but to catch the Crown Prince’s attention.
Mercian didn’t feel angry, but rather a bit empty, and gave a bitter smile.
If there are so many people, there must be reporters too.
Tomorrow’s headlines will probably say something like “Sick Duke Marries Fat Woman.”
She might become a laughingstock for the whole empire.
Sigh, maybe I won’t be allowed outside the duke’s house for six months.
Mercian wanted to push Charles away and run far away from the duke’s house.
“My lady, everything is ready now. You may go out. And congratulations on your wedding. Welcome to the duke’s house!”
Seeing Charl’s exaggerated smile, trying to ease her tension, Mercian smiled back and said,
“Thank you, Charl. By the way, how do I enter the ceremony?”
Usually at noble weddings, the groom enters first, then the bride enters holding the hand of her father, older brother, or a close male relative.
But Mercian had no relatives, so she would have to enter alone.
“My lady, you will be entering together with the master today.”
“Together?”
“Yes.”
Is he being considerate of me?
Mercian wondered if the rumours that the duke had no emotions were exaggerated.
Wait… together?
“Charl, don’t brides usually enter holding the hand of their father, brother, or a male relative? If none, then alone?”
“The master said he wants to enter with the lady. I think he knows you have no male relatives and wants to be considerate.”
***
In Ruan’s study.
“How is it? Will the Crown Prince be satisfied with this?”
“Not just satisfied, he’ll be so happy his smile won’t fade. But is it common to lose this much weight from poisoning?”
Cassel looked at Ruan’s very thin figure and said.
“Well, anyway, losing weight fast is the best way to show you’re sick. Oh, and bring me my cloak!”
“Why the cloak all of a sudden?”
“Because it’s cold.”
“Excuse me? Suddenly? I’ve served the duke for almost ten years, and he’s never said he feels cold before…”
“I guess the poisoning makes him feel cold. So bring the cloak.”
Cassel grumbled but went to fetch the cloak.
“Will this do?”
“Yes?”
Ruan looked satisfied, muttering as he saw how the broad shoulders made him look bigger overall.
“Alright, then. Shall I go pick up my bride?”
***
Mercian’s steps were heavy as she walked toward the ceremony hall with Charl.
If only her father had been there, he would have told her she looked beautiful, and everything would have been fine.
As the hall got closer, Ruan approached Mercian with a smile and held out his hand.
“Lady, welcome.”
Huh?
Mercian stared at Luan’s outstretched hand, surprised.
He had seemed less than half her size before.
“Oh. Your cloak?”
Could it be that he was wearing the cloak to cover himself for her sake?
Ruan stood wearing a cloak over his tuxedo, his broad shoulders hiding his thin frame, making him almost look the same size as Mercian.
Normally looking ridiculous on someone else, Ruan’s tall figure made it look natural.
It looked much better than before—even if it wasn’t exactly wedding attire.
Seeing Mercian’s surprised look, Ruan gave a slightly embarrassed smile and said,
“Sorry. As you know, I’m always cold because of the poisoning. I was told there’s no rule against wearing a cloak over a tuxedo at a wedding. Please forgive me if it looks odd.”
Mercian couldn’t tell whether it was truly because he felt cold or if he was being considerate of her.
But as soon as she heard his words, all the tension she had carried seemed to melt away, and tears welled up in her eyes.
“Sniff… Oh, no, it’s nothing…”
“You’re a lady who cries a lot. Now, shall we enter the hall?”
Ruan took a handkerchief from his pocket and gently wiped her tears.
Mercian nodded.
“The bride and groom will enter!”
At the shout from a servant at the entrance, the doors opened.
Ruan kindly held Mercian’s hand, and they slowly walked inside together.
His hand, which she held for the first time, was warmer than she expected.
As Mercian held Ruan’s hand and walked down the aisle, the guests stood and applauded, celebrating their marriage.
When they reached the altar, the officiant stepped forward, placed his hands over their heads, and gave a blessing.
Then, they exchanged their marriage vows.
“Hereby, I declare Ruan Canoluf and Mercian Beanoman husband and wife.”
As the officiant finished, flower petals were thrown from both sides, and the guests rose, cheering for their marriage.
Is it over?
Mercian turned around, holding Ruan’s hand and greeting the guests, then looked up and met Luciane’s eyes.
Luciane, glaring at her as if to kill, glanced at Ruan’s pale face and gave a satisfied smile with applause.
Mercian knew the reason without asking — Ruan looked so sickly that he might close his eyes at any moment.
After leaving the banquet hall amid the applause, Luan seemed to stumble as if he was struggling to stay on his feet.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I guess I’ve been standing too long.”
Seeing Ruan looking like he might collapse, Mercian said,
“Then lean on me.”
“Huh?”
Ruan looked down at Mercian, who seemed at least 30 cm shorter than him.
If I lean on that woman’s shoulder, it would look awkward…
“Or should I just carry you?”
Did she just say she would carry me?
Ruan looked down at Mercian, who had just said something unexpected.
When Cassel told him Mercian had been crying, Luan only went to see her because he thought it was proper manners to visit his bride before the ceremony.
When he saw Mercian’s expression darken as he entered the room, he realised it was because of his own thin body.
That’s why he had gone to get a cloak and put it on — nothing more, nothing less, than showing respect for his six-month contract bride.
But… is she worried about me?
Seeing Mercian stretch out her arms as if she meant to carry him, Luan gave a slightly awkward smile.
“N-No. It’s not that serious.”
“Oh, it’s fine. I may look soft, but I’m pretty strong. I could easily carry someone like you.”
Mercian felt so happy just not being embarrassed at the wedding hall that she could have run around carrying Ruan inside the duke’s mansion.
Luan couldn’t help imagining himself being held in Mercian’s arms.
Feeling oddly embarrassed by such a thought, he stepped back with his face growing hot.
“No, I’m fine. Ed!
At Ruan’s call, a tall, middle-aged man hurried over with a worried look on his face.
