IRTRHP 14

Episode 14. Wedding Preparations

Ever since she had called him “Brother Lloyd,” there had been no more talk of “brother this” or “brother that.” Ethan might not have liked being called “brother,” but Lloyd had hated it even more when she used that word for him. So, Eileen quietly secured two privileges for herself — the right to call Ethan “brother” all she wanted, and the right to have his personal escort.

That night, Eileen lay down in bed with a pleasant feeling. Just knowing Ethan was alive and well was enough to put her at ease. Her parents had visited today as well, and from tomorrow, preparations for the wedding would officially begin — which she had more or less expected.

“Just one more year. I just have to live peacefully for one year, then I can go home.”

She rubbed her cheek against the pillow. The soft fabric warmed her skin.

Today, she’d seen her parents alive and well — and even met her brother. She hadn’t expected to come to the Grand Duke’s estate, but just seeing her family again made her feel like she was dreaming.

It was a moment she had believed would never happen. For the first time, it felt like all misfortune had lifted from her life. Of course, being married meant she couldn’t see her family often for now… but once she divorced, she’d be free to visit them anytime.

After the divorce, she could even work if she wanted to. Her mother would probably suggest she enter the palace as a maid, as she once had — but Eileen wanted to do something different.

“Oh, right!”

Eileen sat up abruptly, pressing down the pillow. On the day she’d come to the Grand Duke’s estate, she was supposed to meet a merchant to discuss selling a medicine she had made herself. She had completely forgotten to ask Ethan what had happened with that appointment.

“I worked so hard to get that chance…”

She knew her medicine was effective, but forming that first business deal was never easy.

“Well, it’s not like there won’t be other opportunities.”

And this time, things were different. Even if she ended up divorced, the brief title of Grand Duchess might be enough to open the doors of a few major trading companies.

“Then I could sign a contract, sell the medicine…”

She could use that money to resume her research. Though if she worked all day, Ethan would probably disapprove — maybe she could set up a new workshop outside instead? That would take a lot of money, though.

She frowned slightly, thinking about the financial issue, then took a deep breath.

“Money can always be earned.”

With her family alive, what was there to worry about?

As she drifted toward sleep, a faint smile curved her lips — a smile filled with hope for the future.

She fell asleep, blissfully unaware of what awaited her.

The next morning, Eileen washed up with a maid’s help and changed into a fresh dress.

“Is there anything you’d like for breakfast, my lady?”

It was Jane — the maid who spoke with her the most lately. Jane was the most experienced of the household staff and had been the first to volunteer when they needed someone to attend to the Grand Duchess.

Unlike other maids who simply answered when spoken to, Jane looked after Eileen almost like an older sister — and that reminded Eileen of Mrs. Sarah, their neighbor who used to work in the kitchen of a nearby baron’s household. Sarah lived alone, but whenever she cooked too much, she would share her food with Eileen.

“When I go back, I’ll ask her to make apple pie again.”

Eileen smiled softly, comforted by the thought that she’d have a home to return to after the divorce.

“I think I’ll just have a simple soup this morning.”

“If you only have soup, you might get hungry quickly. How about some stew and salad as well?”

“That sounds good.”

Jane signaled another maid with her eyes, then continued attending to Eileen. Today, she seemed unusually attentive about breakfast, which made Eileen glance back at her curiously.

“You’ll need your strength, my lady — today marks the start of the wedding preparations. You’ll be busy all day. I’ll bring you snacks in between, so please make sure to eat.”

Eileen nodded with mock solemnity — so seriously that some of her hair slipped out of place as the maid tied it up.

She adjusted her soft brown hair. It hadn’t yet turned golden, but the oil Jane had applied gave it a healthy sheen.

“You seem to be in a good mood today,” Jane said gently as she brushed Eileen’s cheeks with powder.

“Well, I’m getting married soon. And I’ll get to wear a wedding dress,” Eileen replied, smiling faintly.

In truth, she was just happy — happy that her brother was alive and that she had fallen asleep last night dreaming about her future. But to Jane, she gave a simple excuse.

“Hehe, I hope you stay that way.”

“Hm? What did you say?” Eileen asked, distracted by her reflection in the mirror.

“It’s nothing, my lady.”

“It’s fine — tell me.”

Jane opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, a firm, formal knock sounded — knock, knock! — followed by a line of people entering the room, each carrying something in their arms.

Eileen blinked in surprise. They reminded her of ants — each balancing loads several times their size yet walking in perfect order.

Jane stepped aside calmly, as if she had expected this. The other maids did the same, leaving Eileen sitting alone on the sofa — the center of everyone’s gaze.

The woman at the front, dressed in an especially ornate gown, stepped forward.

“Your Grace, the Grand Duchess.”

“…And you are?” Eileen asked politely.

The woman curtseyed. “Designer Bella, at your service.”

“Jeweler Phyllis.”

“Representing the Harium Trading Company — Jetan.”

“Gardener Paul, my lady.”

Before she could even memorize their names, they had already surrounded her, pulling out samples and catalogues.

Jane leaned in to whisper, “All of them are of lower rank than you, my lady — you don’t need to speak formally.”

But faced with their eager, burning eyes, Eileen found herself being polite anyway.

Still, she took Jane’s advice and quickly adjusted her tone.

“So, what are you here to show me?”

“Jewelry, my lady — freshly crafted pieces.”

“Nightgowns, for you to choose from.”

“Curtains for the room you’ll be decorating. Which fabric pleases you?”

“And flowers for the room’s décor…”

Eileen’s face grew paler as the barrage of voices continued.

“The room to be decorated”… that must mean the bridal chamber.

She had thought “wedding preparations” just meant the ceremony — she hadn’t realized it included decorating a marital bedroom.

“Wait, hold on. Curtains? Don’t the rooms already have those? Why change them? As for the flowers, anything fresh will do. Nightgowns… I have to pick those too? And jewelry — I just say what I like, right?”

She spoke offhandedly, but the crowd froze, unsure of how to respond. Seeing their hesitation, Eileen quickly raised her hand.

“Why don’t we take turns — one person at a time.”

At her suggestion, they exchanged glances. The jeweler, Phyllis, stepped forward first, opening a box full of dazzling gems.

“These are my latest works, Your Grace. Each one was designed with elegance and dignity befitting you.”

“So I just pick one?”

“You may choose more than one, of course. This pink stone, for example, is an extremely rare gem called Mitrie, found only in the frozen caves of the distant Terralis Kingdom…”

His explanation went on — and on.

Eileen’s eyes began to glaze over. He described everything from how the raw stones were mined to how they were cut and polished into jewels — in excruciating detail.

“I’ll… think about it,” she said finally.

Phyllis bowed and stepped back. Next came the curtain merchant, handing her a thick sample book.

“What color shall we choose, my lady? These lace curtains, for instance, are light and flutter beautifully in the breeze.”

“Then maybe one of the lace ones, any color is fine—”

“But lace doesn’t block sunlight, so once summer comes, your room will be bright from dawn.”

“Then something thicker—”

“Still, when the morning sun filters through lace, it makes such lovely patterns on the floor.”

So lace was the prettiest, but also impractical.

Eileen hesitated. Should she still buy them even knowing the drawbacks? Was she even allowed to decide this alone? Her head began to ache.

By the time Jane brought in snacks, Eileen was completely drained. As the merchants finally retreated to their guest rooms, she let out a long sigh.

“Do I have to finish all this today?”

“It’s a bit tight, my lady, but as long as everything’s decided within the week, it’ll be fine.”

“But there were so many things!”

“The Grand Duke himself could handle all this in less than half a day… though, of course, he’s a very busy man.”

“How could anyone do that so fast?”

“They say, my lady, that he always answers instantly — never hesitates.”

“Really?”

I try to decide quickly too, she thought, but I keep getting stuck or second-guessing myself…

“What should I do?” she murmured helplessly.

A voice — deep and unmistakably male — answered from behind her.

“What do you mean, what should you do?”

Eileen’s head shot up.

The man who had felt so heavy and intimidating just yesterday — today, she couldn’t help but smile upon seeing him.

But that smile faltered almost immediately, replaced by a faint look of distress.