Chapter 1

"Congratulations on your marriage, Duke Brevall and Duchess!"

As Claris, trembling, signed the marriage vow, the voices of the gathered attendees in the chapel rose.

Then applause broke out, but it sounded sparse, far from the enthusiastic response a grand wedding would receive.

Claris bit her lip, once again reminded of how unwelcome this marriage was to everyone.

"Look at this lavish ceremony. Just how shameless can they be?"

"There's no way His Highness—the Duke—would want such a flashy event. It must be that vixen's wish."

"Poor Duke. He avoided women so much, and yet to fall into the trap of such a young girl..."

"I wonder what kind of trick she used..."

"Oh, the Duke avoided women, but he's still a gentleman. Maybe she pretended to be injured or something?"

"Probably..."

As Claris made her way through the attendees who were gossiping loudly, the newly minted Duke of Brevall—Prince Patrice—offered no help. He walked straight ahead with his usual expressionless face, as if he didn't even notice her hand on his arm.

His strides were long, and Claris, in her delicate and heavy dress, had to drag it along and hurry to keep up with Patrice, almost jogging in her skirt.

Claris's torture continued throughout the reception at the royal palace.

She hadn't heard Patrice's voice all day.

She noticed he was talking to the King, her brother, but only heard his low, mumbled voice.

However, no matter how difficult it was, she couldn't show it in her demeanor.

Her mother, the Dowager Countess Bonafé, her sister-in-law, the Viscountess Brech, and the Queen were all looking at her with worried eyes.

So, Claris forced a smile, trying to appear happy.

This only seemed to invite more resentment from the other noblewomen.

They would casually approach and shower her with nasty comments.

The fact that Patrice, the groom, was not by her side since the first dance at the reception made it easier for them.

Some women, who were more direct, openly asked how she had managed to get Patrice to marry her.

As the guests drank more, even the men, who were supposed to be gentlemen, began to approach, inviting her to dance and touching her inappropriately.

She couldn't seek help from her mother or sister-in-law, who were busy, and the groom, who was supposed to protect the bride, was nowhere to be found.

One particularly drunk man loudly said, "There must be a reason for such a hasty marriage. I look forward to a few months from now," which drew laughter from the crowd.

Claris, unable to refute such blatant remarks, could only mumble incoherently and try to escape.

She knew it was all her fault.

Her rash actions had led to this situation.

Even so, Claris had reached her limit. She ignored the people calling out to her with a forced smile, and just as she was about to escape the crowd and reach the door, someone grabbed her arm.

Turning back, on the verge of tears, she froze when she saw who it was.

"Prince Patrice..."

"Call me Duke."

Married royals formally leave the royal family.

Calling him "Prince" was a mistake, but Patrice only coldly corrected her before leading her out of the room filled with curious eyes.

Mocking voices followed them, but Patrice, without looking back, pulled Claris through the door and down the surprisingly quiet corridor.

Despite how much she had wanted to leave the room, Claris was now terrified.

"Your Majesty, I should greet—"

"It's already done."

Patrice had apparently bid farewell to the King and Queen alone.

While it might seem like he couldn't wait to be alone with his bride, the King and Queen must have known it wasn't the case.

Claris could only follow Patrice in silence.

When they boarded the Brevall family carriage, Claris remained silent.

She didn't ask where they were going.

The creaking of the carriage and the sound of the horses' hooves echoed in the quiet interior.

Patrice's well-known dislike of women was something Claris had only learned after moving to the capital from her home in the Bonafé estate.

Why had she thought she was different?

She had believed that if she revealed her true self, Patrice would laugh with her.

This result was the consequence of her foolishness.

She regretted it deeply, not for her own future, but for involving Patrice in this farce.

The carriage eventually stopped, and Patrice quickly got out.

Not expecting anything, Claris composed herself and stepped out with the help of a servant.

Looking up, she saw the grand mansion.

It was indeed the Brevall Duke's residence.

Though this was just for their stay in the capital, the mansion in the Brevall estate was likely even more impressive.

Patrice had already climbed the stone steps and was waiting for her.

Hastily grabbing her skirt, Claris followed him up the steps, where a line of servants, including the butler, awaited.

Their faces were cold, and they didn't seem to welcome the new mistress.

The butler, in particular, looked disdainful.

"Welcome. I am the butler of this Brevall residence, Silves. If you need anything, please let me know."

Silves's words lacked emotion and subtly warned against bothering Patrice with trivial matters.

Patrice, meanwhile, stood silently, not even introducing Claris.

"…Nice to meet you, Silves. I'm Claris."

Reluctantly introducing herself, Claris caught Patrice's glance before he turned and walked into the mansion.

Claris followed, but Silves blocked her way.

"I'll introduce the other servants later. For now, you must be tired, Lady Claris. I'll show you to your room. Your maid is waiting there, so you can relax."

Silves, with his flat tone, called Claris a guest, not "Mistress."

Realizing how unwelcome she was, Claris felt more absurd than sad.

She suppressed the urge to laugh, determined not to embarrass Patrice, and straightened her back.

However, upon entering her room and seeing her childhood friend and maid, Amira, she relaxed.

"Amira..."

"Lady Claris... I mean, Mistress. You must be tired. I've prepared a bath for you. Please take your time."

"...Thank you. Where's Ene?"

"Mother is already waiting in the bath. Would you like some tea first?"

"No, I can't wait to get out of this tight dress."

"Understood."

Amira chuckled and led Claris to the bath, where Ene, her mother and Claris's nursemaid, was preparing.

"Oh, Lady Claris. You must be exhausted. It was a tough day, but you have Amira and me. You can relax now."

Ene's words finally made Claris's tears spill.

Both Amira and Ene knew how difficult the day had been for her and had noticed the servants' attitudes.

Wiping her tears, Claris smiled.

"Sorry. I just let my guard down. I'll cry later. First, I need to get out of this tight dress."

"Lady Claris..."

"Yes, of course. Your corset must have been very tight today."

Claris forced a bright tone, and while Amira had tears in her eyes, Ene smiled in response.

As she soaked in the bath, the tension in Claris's body gradually eased.

She wasn't worried about the night ahead.

While the physical aspect of marriage might have been embarrassing, she knew Patrice wouldn't come to her room.

So, when she woke up alone in the large bed the next morning, she wasn't surprised.

Patrice didn't need an heir.

Therefore, he wouldn't visit her room.

Claris sighed, got out of bed, and rang the bell for Amira.

While getting dressed, she asked about breakfast.

"You can have breakfast in the dining room, but it might be better to have it brought to your room."

"...Yes, that sounds good. Please arrange it."

Recalling the cold faces of the servants from the night before, Claris accepted Amira's suggestion and casually asked the question she was most concerned about.

"By the way, where is Patrice... I mean, the Duke? I have some questions about the future."

She wanted to know how she should behave, whether she should attend social events, and if there were any events they needed to attend together.

Ene, who had been silent, took a deep breath and answered.

"The Duke left for the military early this morning."

"...What?"

"He wants you to go to the Brevall estate. He wishes for you to stay there. According to Silves, the preparations for your journey are already in place, and you should leave today."

"Today..."

Claris had known she would be a decorative wife and likely left at the estate.

But she hadn't expected it to happen so soon, and she was left speechless.