Chapter 9…
Deal Sealed
“Ahem.”
The meeting resumed, but as silence stretched on, one of the senators let out a deliberate cough. Lloyd, who had been leaning lazily against the armrest, straightened his posture and turned to look at him.
He was someone close to Allan, the head senator. He was also the same man who had clicked his tongue disapprovingly when Eileen left earlier.
Lloyd wiped the smile off his face and replaced it with a different expression—half relaxed, half irritated.
“Leaving without a word… I’m worried she hasn’t been properly educated.”
“We didn’t lock her up, did we? Is stepping out of a room such a big problem? You can tell she’s well-educated without even talking to her.”
Lloyd replied nonchalantly. His gaze, which seemed to say “Do you want me to lock you up too?”, shut the man up immediately. Another retainer spoke up.
“Even so, this is someone else’s residence—”
“It’s my residence. And if I say I don’t care, who dares to make it a problem?”
Do you want to be the one kicked out of my house?
The retainer fell silent and sat down. Then, as if drawn by some invisible force, everyone’s attention turned to one man—Lloyd’s uncle, Calix. Having observed long enough, Calix finally decided to step in.
There was only one reason his nephew would defend the beta woman he had brought in.
“So… you’re saying you’ll marry her?”
“That’s why I brought her from the beginning, wasn’t it?”
Lloyd clicked his tongue as if to say how pathetic. The marriage was already decided—not with Ethan of House Claudia, but with Eileen.
“Let’s hurry the wedding.”
Lloyd announced to everyone the same way he had told Eileen earlier. At some point, he had begun to handle the senate exactly as he pleased, and this time was no different.
“Your Grace.”
The voice came from Allan, the head senator, who had been quietly watching until now.
“You cannot treat such a grand event lightly. Nothing is more important than the Duke’s marriage.”
Allan’s words carried a certain weight. Lloyd silently stroked his chin and met Allan’s gaze.
Allan—the man who had interfered with everything he did, who had once tried to use him when he first became Duke. Lloyd didn’t want to give an inch to him. A relaxed smile spread on Lloyd’s face, even more nonchalant than before. He wanted to sweep away the entire conversation they’d had up to now.
“But isn’t there something just as important as marriage?”
“Something important…?”
“She says she wants to have a child.”
The deliberate emphasis on the last words made everyone think the same thing.
The woman must be desperate. She wants his child already? She must be dying to have him.
“What do you think?”
Lloyd stared at Allan with a provocative smile. Allan let out a small, strained sigh, sensing the trap in Lloyd’s words.
“Weren’t you the one who pushed hardest for this marriage in the first place? Then you, more than anyone, should understand the importance of an heir.”
Lloyd made it perfectly clear that Allan was the reason this situation had come about. Allan thought for a moment before looking at Lloyd. The conclusion was all or nothing—either the whole plan would fall apart and the marriage be scrapped, or he would accept the bride Lloyd had chosen.
Allan lifted his wrinkled eyes.
“You must ensure the birth of an heir.”
“If it’s just marriage, what problem could there be?”
Lloyd grinned widely, enough to show his fangs.
Eileen waited anxiously, unable to calm her heart. She had done everything she could. She hadn’t shown them her brother and had offered the Duke a deal. She had emptied her pockets, given up everything—she had nothing left.
Honestly, she had known from the start that it was unlikely to happen, but offering a child was the best bargaining chip she had. Who in their right mind would stake a child? If she’d thought there was even a real chance of having one, she never would have said it.
“He clearly said he’d marry me, but… I’m nervous.”
Eileen ruffled her hair and dropped into a chair, practically collapsing into it. She had made the offer, and he had said they would hurry the wedding, but she still couldn’t relax.
The reason was the Duke’s expression. He hadn’t taken the conversation seriously at all, and even when he left, he had worn that same light, unconcerned face. How strongly would he push his opinion in the senate? Eileen never imagined he’d crush his retainers with that same expression she’d doubted earlier. She kept sighing repeatedly, unable to hide her anxiety.
“Brother… am I doing the right thing?”
If her brother were here, he would pat her shoulder and say she was doing well. It had only been a few hours since she’d last seen Ethan, but she already missed him and felt tears welling up. Some might call it excessive, but after Ethan’s death, she hadn’t seen him for years. After her regression, she’d only gotten to see him briefly.
“If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve hugged him before I left.”
She missed her parents too. Just as her nervousness was turning into homesickness, there was a knock at the door. The door opened, and armored knights entered, followed by maids in uniforms.
Eileen swallowed dryly as they surrounded her as if to escort—or drag—her away.
Did… did it not work? Are they really going to drag me out like this?
They must have known that if they just told her to leave, she wouldn’t. She must have seemed pathetic earlier, begging to give everything up—that probably came across as a desperate refusal to let go.
Her thoughts tangled in panic. Just then, the man standing in front of her knelt on one knee.
“From this day forward, I will serve the Duchess.”
One after another, everyone around her paid their respects. The knights knelt on one knee with their right hands over their hearts. The maids bowed their waists. The solemnity of their greeting was overwhelming, and Eileen was too stunned to respond.
“The… Duchess?”
“By the Duke’s command, I pledge everything I have to protect the Duchess.”
“We will serve you with all our devotion.”
The words of the knight and the maid behind him emphasized her new status.
They said… Duchess.
Eileen, still dazed, slowly began to understand.
She had been acknowledged as the Duchess. That meant the Duke had accepted her deal and that the senate had approved the marriage.
Haah… thank goodness.
Eileen closed her eyes in relief. It wasn’t becoming the Duchess that comforted her—it was the realization that her brother wouldn’t die.
The next morning, Eileen headed to the dining room after hearing that the Duke was waiting for her. She rubbed her stiff eyes, but seeing the maid walking ahead glance back, she awkwardly lowered her hand.
She still felt out of place in the ducal mansion. She knew that every little action of hers could spark gossip. She was supposed to act like nothing was wrong, but after a sleepless night, it was hard to keep up appearances.
It doesn’t feel real.
Since the servants came to address her as Duchess, they had treated her with the utmost care. Even though no one had used the bedding, they replaced it, and even the vase of flowers in her room had been changed. They asked if she was uncomfortable about anything, and two or three maids stuck to her side from her bath until she fell asleep.
I’m a count’s daughter too…
Anyone else would find it funny if she said she was uncomfortable with being served like this—but it was true. She was from a modest noble family, and she’d only had one maid. Knights rotated to guard her. Here, everything was far beyond that.
When she lay down to sleep, she couldn’t help but think: I didn’t move a single finger on my own.
“This way, my lady.”
Eileen naturally followed the polite maid’s lead with her eyes.
Isn’t she coming in with me? she wondered—when suddenly, she felt a gaze. She turned her head and saw Lloyd resting his chin on his hand, watching her. It was morning, and the way he looked at her made her feel awkward. She greeted him first to hide it.
“Good morning.”
“You still have time to look at other people when I’m right here…”
She hadn’t expected a reply, but of course, he found something to pick on.
“I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Then look at me. You should be looking at the face of your future husband.”
Lloyd straightened his back and lifted his chin slightly.
“What comes to mind when you look at my face?”
“Well… you’re very… handsome.”
“Exactly. A face like this isn’t common.”
She already knew that the Duke of Rihast had an unrealistically handsome face. If one’s standards of beauty weren’t skewed, his sharp eyebrows, deep-set eyes, and perfectly balanced high nose bridge left nothing to be desired.
She knew that, but she didn’t want to actually voice any praises in front of him.
“No, I mean, you’re… well-proportioned. Eyes where they should be, nose where it should be, mouth where it should be…”
“And the marriage contract…”
“You were so handsome that when I first saw you yesterday, I was shocked. I honestly thought your face was glowing.”
Before he could use the contract to threaten her, Eileen cut him off, changing the subject mid-sentence. Lloyd’s expression shifted to satisfaction—apparently, he liked what she said.
“I like that attitude. You’re not the type to stubbornly insist on your way, so we can always find a middle ground.”
“Thank you for the compliment.”
“It means you’re spineless.”
“…”
That one hit hard.
