**Chapter 32**
With stiff fingers, I reached for the envelope.
As I broke the wax seal and opened it, the scent of roses wafted out more strongly than before.
“……”
Slowly unfolding the letter, I began to read its contents.
The elegant, flowing script curved across the page, and I had to fight hard not to scowl as I followed the lines.
“So this is…”
When I finally reached the last sentence and lowered the paper, Rachel’s face came into view.
She was smiling—pleasantly, as if nothing were amiss.
“It seems the lady was growing worried from the delay. She sent word asking to confirm… whether you’re fulfilling your duty properly.”
Her tone was light, almost cheerful.
I bit down hard on my lip.
The “confirmation” in question… was something I hadn’t even considered.
“She’s trying to teach me?”
If I had to sum up the letter in a single word, it would be that: **instruction**.
More precisely—**bridal instruction**.
She intended to educate me on how to spend the night with a man.
Had I not clamped my mouth shut, I might have let a curse slip.
Rachel, as if responding to my silence, stepped closer.
Reflexively, I shrank back.
She offered a faint smile, then reached out to take the letter from my hands and whispered low:
“You do understand, don’t you, my lady? That all of this is for your own good.”
Her lilting voice curled in my ears like smoke.
“Please don’t worry. I, Rachel, will do everything in my power to help you conceive safely.”
Her soft laughter overlapped with old memories. A chill ran down my spine.
“Let’s be off, my lady. Regardless, we can’t carry out your education here—who knows when the Grand Duke might return.”
Without waiting for a reply, she turned on her heel, walked to the door, opened it, and looked back at me.
Her eyes urged me to follow.
‘There’s no way out of this…’
A thousand thoughts raced through my mind in a flash, but none offered a real escape.
In the end, I bit down on the inside of my cheek and silently followed her out.
We arrived at a guest room far removed from the Grand Duke and Duchess’s quarters.
It was one of several rooms reserved for visitors, and unless someone was told exactly where to go, this place would be near impossible to find.
‘Might as well be a prison.’
How could I get through this unscathed?
As the door closed behind me, the cool air from the hallway was abruptly cut off.
“Please, have a seat.”
There were two teacups already set on the table in front of the sofa, steam still rising from both.
It was clear—she’d prepared everything in advance.
I cautiously sat down, careful not to touch the unfamiliar tea.
“How was your night with His Grace?”
“…What?”
“I’m referring to the night you spent together.”
Rachel asked the question as calmly as if she were commenting on the weather, sipping her tea with graceful ease.
I nearly choked.
“Well… that is to say…”
“What sort of caresses does he prefer?”
My words died in my throat.
I didn’t expect her to ask such things so… bluntly.
Or rather, I’d suspected she might, but not in such a direct, uncouth way.
A refined lady would never speak so openly about bedroom matters.
When I didn’t answer right away, Rachel adopted a kinder tone.
“It’s all right. This is for your education, after all. You must answer honestly.”
I took a deep breath to stop myself from frowning.
‘At the very least, I have to pretend we spent the night together.’
Feigning embarrassment, I glanced away.
“There’s nothing to compare it to, so I can’t say for certain… But… he wasn’t bad.”
That part was true.
Even just his kiss was enough to make my mind go blank.
Rachel gave a knowing hum.
“Of course. My lady wouldn’t know, having never experienced another man. That’s why you think so little of it.”
“……”
“Let me guess—you laid there stiff as a board, head held high like a virtuous maiden. But you see… men lose confidence when a woman is too cold and rigid.”
What was she even trying to say? Just as confusion began to bubble up—
Her gaze turned icy.
“Take off your clothes.”
“…What?”
“I’ve brought something especially for you.”
She pulled a small glass vial from her bodice.
The moment I saw it, a chill crawled up my spine.
No. This wasn’t right. My instincts screamed at me to stop.
Just as I opened my trembling lips to speak—
“Why should I—”
**CRACK!**
A whip-like sound exploded through the room.
Rachel had struck the edge of the table with a riding crop that had been lying nearby.
I flinched, eyes shutting tight.
My shoulders trembled uncontrollably.
That sound… it always came right before someone screamed.
The image of a young maid collapsing to the floor, blood misting the air, flashed before my eyes like a waking nightmare.
Though my mind urged reason, the trauma etched into my body dulled my thoughts with fear.
My fingertips trembled beyond control.
“If you were born with noble blood, then you must fulfill your noble duties.”
Her voice was cold, piercing my ear like a needle.
Noble blood.
That damned bloodline—always used to break me.
I bit down hard on the inside of my mouth until I tasted blood.
The pain helped clear the fog in my mind.
I shut my eyes tightly, then opened them again.
My vision sharpened.
Rachel was simply carrying out my father’s command.
And as long as she was acting on his orders, I had no excuse to refuse.
‘If I couldn’t endure even this much, I never should’ve taken on this farce.’
I slowly lifted my back from the sofa.
Rachel, looking satisfied, set the crop back down—within easy reach.
I adjusted my posture and reached behind me, undoing the ties of my robe.
It was a simple garment, easy enough to remove alone.
A soft **thump** echoed as the fabric dropped to the floor, leaving me in a thin chemise.
I straightened my spine and lifted my chin.
“You truly were born with a body that gentlemen would admire,” Rachel said, her eyes glinting with amusement.
Her gaze, sliding over my skin like a measuring scale, made it hard to breathe.
This was nothing like when I’d revealed myself in the bath to leave a mark.
Now, I was being judged—evaluated.
My rage flared hot, but my mind stayed cold.
Rachel approached, holding the vial.
Inside, a pink powder swirled in liquid, dancing wildly as she shook it.
“This contains the ground petals of a rare flower from the South,” she explained.
When she stopped shaking it, the pink shimmer settled thick in the liquid.
“Inhaled through the nose, it scrambles the mind. But when diluted… it heightens the senses.”
In other words—
*It’s an aphrodisiac.*
I drew in a sharp breath.
