IWDGD 02

Chapter 02

The next day, Yulia woke earlier than usual and hurriedly prepared to go out.

Dressed in a white dress with delicate frills, she gazed quietly at her reflection in the mirror.

She still wasn’t accustomed to the sight of three maids clinging to her to assist with her grooming.

Before marriage, when she lived at the Marquis’s estate, she hadn’t been allowed a single personal maid. The Marchioness had resented the idea of Yulia enjoying an aristocratic lifestyle.

Yulia was the daughter of the Marquis, not by the Marchioness, but by his mistress.

Her biological mother was a commoner, so she could not officially become the Marquis’s second wife. By proper procedure, Yulia too would not have been able to be registered into the Marquis’s family.

However, after giving birth to her eldest son, the Marchioness had been diagnosed as infertile and could no longer bear children.

For that reason, the Marquis had Yulia officially registered into the family, concealing the fact that she was illegitimate.

‘Yulia, you are the finest commodity to be used for a valuable purpose.’

As one might guess from the word “commodity,” the “valuable purpose” the Marquis constantly spoke of meant a political marriage.

A father who wanted to use his daughter as a commodity to gain profit.

To her father, Yulia was merely a tool to be sold off to a good match to elevate his own standing.

She knew well that for nobles, marriage was often a political tool, but still, she had wanted a marriage that also included love.

Having grown up in an environment without familial affection, she wanted the family she would build to be full of love.

That was why, when this marriage was decided, Yulia for the first time came to believe in the existence of a divine being.

Because that man, whom she had never once been able to forget all this time… had become her husband.

“You’re going to see His Highness off, aren’t you, Your Highness?”

At the maid’s voice breaking through her thoughts, Yulia finally emerged from the long reverie that had continued since the night before.

Raising her gaze, the maids who had finished her grooming smiled at her. Somewhat embarrassed, Yulia tidied her hair and answered.

“Yes. Since I don’t get to see him often, I wanted to at least greet him.”

“That’s a good idea. His Highness will be very pleased.”

Yulia smiled awkwardly and rose from her seat. It felt a little embarrassing that what she had intended as a simple greeting was being interpreted with such grand meaning.

Still, if she made efforts little by little like this, wouldn’t she be able to grow closer to him?

‘I hope His Highness also wants to be close to me.’

Unlike Yulia, who had never once forgotten him all this time, Fernan seemed not to remember her.

But the promise from that day had already been kept. Because they had met again like this, and she had told him her name.

Leaving the bedroom, Yulia went straight down to the first-floor lobby. She could see the servants lined up in front of the entrance.

The servants who spotted Yulia all bowed their heads in unison. She nodded lightly.

Not long after, Fernan crossed the long corridor and entered the central staircase.

“…….”

Dressed in a black uniform embroidered with gold thread, he entered the hall with a leisurely gait. Yulia stared blankly at his figure.

The splendid formal uniform, draped well over his broad shoulders and solid frame, suited him perfectly.

From the very first time she saw him long ago, he had always been a man of such striking beauty that admiration came naturally.

“Greetings to His Highness the Grand Duke.”

Fernan passed the servants indifferently, then spotted Yulia and abruptly stopped.

His cool gaze settled upon her quietly.

“What are you doing here?”

At his question, asked in a tone even colder than his gaze, Yulia flinched.

His eyes, looking down at her from his great height, somehow felt intimidating.

Yulia looked up at his cold appearance and answered with a flustered face.

“Well… I wanted to offer my morning greetings to Your Highness.”

“Greetings?”

A crooked sneer soon appeared on his sculpted face.

“I have no idea what you’re hoping to gain from this.”

Yulia froze, her eyes wide open.

So he thought her actions were motivated by some desire. To clear up his misunderstanding, Yulia urgently opened her mouth.

“I, I have no other meaning. I simply wanted to see Your Highness off before you left…”

“I see. So you’ve finally grown eager to play the lady of the house.”

At his clearly sarcastic tone, Yulia fell silent, her ears burning red.

Had she done something wrong…? Overwhelmed with embarrassment, her heart began to race wildly.

She could feel the servants glancing at her face. Yulia bowed her head deeply.

Fernan, looking down at her, continued in a slightly softened but still emotionless tone.

“If there’s something you want, do as you please. Remodel the castle, buy jewels, throw parties—it’s all the same to me.”

“…….”

“Just don’t do things like this. I don’t want to see you in the morning.”

His expressionless face told her everything. Don’t expect anything from me.

Because there will be no trace of affection or warmth between us.

Fernan passed by the frozen Yulia and left.

As the servants who had been watching their surroundings gradually dispersed, Yulia was left alone in the lobby.

‘…Did I do something wrong?’

Since their marriage, the number of times she had met and spoken with Fernan could be counted on one hand. He was always busy and never one for many words.

She simply could not recall what mistake she could have made in the meantime.

He was a man who had even left his bride behind on their wedding night, saying he had urgent business. But even that had been fine with Yulia.

At least, until just now, when he had looked down at her with cold eyes.

“…….”

She stood there blankly for a long while before forcing her expression in order. But the sinking feeling in her heart could not be hidden no matter what.

As she forced herself to walk, Fernan’s icy voice lingered in her ears. It felt as though even her heart was growing cold.

—

*

—

The Marquis of Elodie slowly looked around the reception room, savoring his tea.

The interior had a desolate, somber feel to it. Much like the master of the castle, Fernan.

Clicking his tongue lightly, the Marquis lashed out at his daughter.

“What is that husband of yours doing that he doesn’t even show his face?”

“He is… very occupied with administrative affairs.”

Yulia answered evasively, clutching her teacup. Her father, whom she hadn’t seen in a while, was still difficult and uncomfortable to be around.

The Marquis complained about Fernan with a displeased face for a while before changing the subject.

“But why have you grown so thin? Nothing is uglier than a gaunt woman.”

“Well… I suppose I just haven’t had much of an appetite.”

At that, the Marquis’s eyes flashed as he looked her up and down and asked.

“Could it be that you’re pregnant?”

“Excuse me?”

Startled, Yulia put down her teacup and shook her head urgently.

“N-No. That’s absolutely not it.”

“If it’s not, then it’s not. No need to be so startled. Have some decorum.”

At the Marquis’s light rebuke, Yulia flinched out of habit. She didn’t want to continue this topic, but he showed no sign of stopping.

“Do you two have marital relations regularly?”

It wasn’t a suitable topic for a conversation with her father, but Yulia couldn’t show her displeasure and simply nodded.

She couldn’t tell the truth. If he found out that she hadn’t even consummated the marriage, her father would surely fly into a rage.

There hadn’t even been a chance to grow closer to Fernan. He was still busy, and their only shared meals often ended without a single word exchanged.

In such a situation, marital relations were a distant dream.

“Haven’t I told you time and again? An heir is what will make this marriage complete.”

“…….”

“Once you have a child, the Grand Duke won’t entertain any stray thoughts. That young upstart is so arrogant, I have no idea what goes on in his head.”

Yulia kept her gaze lowered and fidgeted with her hands. Whenever the Marquis spoke critically of Fernan, she didn’t know how to react.

“At least you’re fortunate to have a passable face. If that stone-faced girl didn’t even have that, I don’t know what would have become of you… Tsk.”

“…….”

“So from now on, make sure you keep the Grand Duke from running around outside.”

Yulia nodded with a reluctant expression, wishing only for this trying time to end soon.

The Marquis looked at her with a dissatisfied face before pulling something from his bosom. It was a small vial containing a thin liquid.

“Take this. It’s something men often use for revitalizing their health. Even a single sip has an immediate effect, so use only a small amount.”

Yulia blinked in puzzlement. Her expression showed she couldn’t understand why he was giving her a medicine meant for men.

Seeing that, the Marquis frowned in frustration before speaking in a meaningful tone.

“The Grand Duke is busy with administrative affairs, so he must have little time to rest. As a result, his stamina is bound to decline.”

“…….”

“Before you share a bed with him, secretly feed this to him. If you mix it in water or wine, it won’t be noticeable.”

Yulia accepted the vial, feeling bewildered. The Marquis realized she still didn’t understand the meaning of this medicine, but he said nothing more.

Yulia felt something vaguely unsettling about it, but since it was in front of her father, she had no choice but to put the medicine away.

Still, the instruction to administer it secretly weighed on her mind, so she planned to call a pharmacist later to confirm whether it was truly a harmless medicine.

Not long after, the Marquis left the castle, saying he needed to go meet Fernan in person.

“…Haa.”

Returning to her bedroom, Yulia sighed and placed the medicine in her storage box, locking it tightly.

After dealing with her difficult and uncomfortable father for so long, she felt completely drained.

Fernan was attending to administrative affairs at his other residence, located in the northern part of Caesar Castle.

The relatively modest-sized residence was an extremely private space accessible only to a handful of servants and his adjutants.

The reason he had prepared a separate residence, despite having the Grand Ducal castle that rivaled the imperial palace, was simple.

He needed a private space that no one could intrude upon.

And now, Fernan was facing an uninvited guest who had barged into his space without permission.

“Haha, since you showed no sign of coming even after waiting, I decided to come to you directly. I hope I’m not being rude?”

The Marquis of Elodie flashed a benevolent smile and stepped into the study. Then, seeing Fernan staring at him coldly, he flinched.

Fernan set down the documents he had been reading and gestured with his chin. A gesture meaning “sit down.” At the attitude, as if treating a subordinate, the Marquis’s smile twisted.

“Since I’m busy, let’s get straight to the point.”

Fernan crossed his legs arrogantly and stared at the Marquis. The Marquis once again put on a friendly face and pulled out a letter from his bosom.

“I understand you’re busy with administrative affairs, but you shouldn’t treat the one who brings the Emperor’s message this way.”

The Marquis placed the letter on the table with a thud and smiled triumphantly. Fernan twisted one corner of his mouth.

“The Emperor is truly careless. To send an aging Marquis all the way out here just to deliver a single letter… Indeed, now that I see it, the errand-boy role suits you quite well.”

The Marquis’s face flushed red in an instant. Having properly struck a nerve, the Marquis was silent for a moment before forcing the corners of his mouth upward.

“Haha… What can I do? Since His Majesty’s only nephew refuses to show full loyalty to the imperial family, He’s using this old man to straighten the ranks.”

“Loyalty…”

Fernan let out a short laugh with his eyes half-lidded. The more Fernan’s power grew, the more the Emperor tried to pressure him in ways like this.

As if weary, Fernan slowly tilted his head and gazed silently at the Marquis’s face.

Dark brown hair and blue eyes. Naturally, his wife Yulia came to mind.

“Even marrying the Marquis’s daughter has been an excessive act of loyalty on my part.”

For the sake of that loyalty the Emperor spoke of, Fernan had become a commander at the age of seventeen and participated in the imperial war.

After years of fighting at the brink of death for the empire, the result was an unwanted marriage.

To the daughter of the Marquis of Elodie, the Emperor’s dog.