Chapter 10

The next morning, Mrs. May and Mrs. Blone recommended that I change rooms, saying

that I cannot leave the Duchess' room empty. Up till now, they didn't say a single word about me

using the guest room.

The Duke showed disapproval last night, so I thought he would react, but I didn't expect

it to be this fast. I must have happened to have a blank look on my face while I was taking care

of Carl.

"Wouldn't it be a little early?"

If my situation was more like Marilyn's and I were the daughter of a Count no one would

question me. If my marriage was made up of a promise between the Duke, my father, and the

Count, no one would have cursed at me for marrying the Duke. I was to fill Marilyn's vacancy,

but I took her place. I was the perfect woman to be cursed at. Even if others recommended me

to use the Duchess's room first, I couldn't take it all at once. First of all, Mrs. Blone spoke with

that stern look on her face.

"I know how you feel about honoring your late friend, but it's not a good idea to leave the

Duchess' room empty for too long. Furthermore, you can't go in and out of the Duke's bedroom."

It was a very convincing remark.

"You're not a mistress or a prostitute..."

Mrs. Blone twisted her lips in displeasure. The last small addition made it easy to guess

the rumor about me. However, no one told me to move to the Duchess's room when the rumor

began...I didn't completely trust Mrs. Blone or Mrs. May very much, but for now, I didn't have a

choice.

"We'll get the room ready for you now."

Mrs. May added cautiously. It was the safe option, but I hadn't yet confirmed I would use

the Duchess's room. Mrs. Blone agreed at Mrs. May's words. Seeing the two of them made me

feel uneasy.

I could guess why they were pressuring me to move to the Duchess's room because the

Duke said something about it last night. I pushed down the surge of anger and gently snuggled

Carl in my arms, patting his back. Huh, sleeping with the Duke was much more beneficial than

being a good mother to the Duke's successor. Contrary to the purpose of Count Betrika's

appointment of me as a Duchess to care for Carlos.

I didn't want to face them anymore, so I got out of my seat.

"I want to pack some of Marilyn's things for Car before I clean up the room."

The two nodded their heads at my words. I immediately took Carl and headed for the

Duchess's room, where there were still traces of Marilyn. Neither the hallway nor her room

changed, but she was gone and I was in her place.

Her bedroom, which I visited again after a long time, remained the same. The bed she's

laid down on, the fireplace that would keep the room hot, and the magic purifier that cleaned the

smoke from the fireplace. I'd like to change the furniture here and replace it with new ones. I

also looked where her jewelry was.

After Marilyn's death, the space was tightly locked and sealed by the maids. However,

valuables could have been stolen by the people who would be in and out of the room before I

could after it becomes my room. It was necessary to check her valuables first before the

full-fledged organization began. The room where the Duchess changed and decorated was a

place I had never been to since I came to the Duchess. Marilyn was ill and no one forced the

sick Duchess to dress up, so as her friend I had never been there.

"A married couple."

Carl clung to me more with clumsy hands. The Duchess' space was freezing because no

one had heated it for quite some time. I opened my fur coat and wrapped Carl underneath it.

The baby's warm body gave me some comfort.

When the colorful door opened, a room with a dressing table, various mirrors, and a

glass display stand appeared. When I opened one of the inner doors a room full of colorful

dresses was seen. I shut the door, moving on to the glass displays. It seemed to be designed to

allow the Duchess to change her clothes and choose what accessories to wear.

Marilyn was originally the daughter of the wealthy Count Betrika, the display housed

jewelry that was glowing on their own. There were a few pieces I was familiar with from her

maidenhood. I was going to keep all this for Carl and have him carry some of it. That way he'll

be able to remember his biological mother as he grew older.

In the original book, Carl had nothing to remember his mother. The greedy Amanda took

all of Marilyn's things or sold them. Carl would often imagine how his mother would act and look

if she were alive. Now, Carl could remember Marilyn through her jewelry.

"This is all your mother's, Carl. I'll keep it and give it to you when you get big. Pretty,

huh? Marilyn had a lot of jewelry to match her green eyes. It'll look good on Car, too. Because

he inherited his beautiful green eyes from his mother."

While looking at the glittering jewelry, Carl reached out.

"Oh, it's nice right. You're going to put it in your mouth when you touch it again, right?

That's not good."

The last time he wanted Agatha's necklace, he seemed quite fond of shiny things. Carl

struggled for a moment and whined, but when I patted him on the back, he turned his attention

from the jewelry to my hair.

Slowly, we walked along the display trying to remember the jewelry by the color and

memorizing how many there were. There are quite a few, so I thought I should ask the maid for

help. I also checked Marilyn's dressing table drawer in case I missed something. Carl was

looking at the jewelry with a fascinated face with me. However, he buried his face in my arms

again when he headed to the dressing table. I held the child in one arm and froze. Now Carl

was slowly getting heavy in her one arm.

"Hmm?"

While going through the dresser, I saw a small drawer filled with dried flowers. The

flowers were so dry that it was hard to know what color they once were. A letter was seen under

the flowers and the sender of the light pink envelope was Charlotte. Earl Charlotte Emile. It was

an unfamiliar name to me. Not one that came up in Marilyn and my childhood memories, Marilyn

must have started the interaction after getting married.

Did he come to the funeral? As Marilyn kept the letter on the dressing table separately, I

was curious. Earl Charlotte Emile. I closed the drawer thinking that I should look into it

separately. Her correspondence was also well collected and kept by an experienced maid.

One can guess her personality and life from the correspondence she received. Letters

weren't worth money, unlike jewelry, so no one would steal them if I left them in their spot.

Confirming that there were no other valuables, I left the Duchess' room. Later, the maids

carefully moved Marilyn's jewels and not a single item was missing. I kept all the jewelry well

maintained. I decided to donate Marilyn's clothes and furniture, which were filling up the

dressing room, in her name. This would probably be the last charity in Marilyn's name.

This winter the preparations were done properly. Upon Mrs. Blone's recommendation,

we began preparing the military supplies for the next war. Seamstresses and jewelers visited to

sew new clothes and sell new pieces of jewelry.

When spring came again and it was time to send off the Duke. After his first birthday,

Carl was big enough to walk around, he went out with me to see the Duke off. When he saw his

young son rushing over, the Duke leaned down in his armor and hugged him. Carl smiled and

rejoiced even when the Duke lifted him awkwardly, wondering if he liked the height.

"I'll be back, wife."

He said while holding Carl in one, despite how heavy he was, and holding me with his

other arm. I slightly raised my head and he kissed my lips this time.

"Have a safe trip."

"Don't worry."

We looked at each other silently. Under the name of husband and wife, there was an

awkward distance between us. This was due to the little interactions we had in our daily lives

despite spending nights together. However, neither of us could easily say goodbye without

thinking of longing for each other due to the intimacy we shared.

I touched the Duke's armor. The battle against the monsters on the border never stops,

not until Carl grows up and falls in love with the Dragon. The Duke would spend nearly half his

life on the battlefield, as his father and grandfather did.

"Come back healthy. Do lots of good things."

The Duke blushed at the joke and threw a smile at me. He nodded his head. Carl, who

had been in his arms for some time, struggled toward me again and I took him into my arms.

The Duke eyed us before saying.

"Hug me like that when I get back."

Then he turned around. His figure was imposing and reliable from the rear as much as

the front. I know that he will come back safely. I kissed Carl on the forehead when I saw the

Duke climb onto the horse.

"Yes, Carl, was it cold? We'll go in now. Since your father is gone now and won't come

back till later, so should we wave at the Duke leaving?"

I raised Carl's hand and waved at the Duke, I hugged him tightly and we headed inside.

He's heading to the border war zone, I'm heading into the castle. I had to take care of the

administration of the estate in my way while he was away. By the time the Duke returns this

winter Carl will be quite big by then. I thought that it would be a good idea to work on their

relationship then. While that is happening I can build my relationship with the Duke too.

Anyway, unlike last year, I was now recognized as the Duchess and the Duke of

Demancier's wife. I can live by just looking after Carl, but it's good to live with a handsome and

young husband too. With a pat on Carl's warm back, I bravely moved into the city. Mrs. Blone

and Mrs. May followed me as the Duchess. The Duke of Demanche's administrators followed

me as the lord's wife and permanent representative in a polite manner.

Second, to be recognized as the Duke's wife. Success