ASDEF 17

Chapter 17

A quiet bedroom.

I felt awkward seeing myself in the white slip dress, and I sighed repeatedly as I looked at my reflection in the mirror across the room.

‘Damn Daniel… I know we have to act out this marriage, but this is too much!’

I wanted to tear my hair out, but what’s done was done.

Soon resigned, I sat on the edge of the bed, running my hand over the white sheets, feeling their soft texture.

Just then, Daniel entered, wearing a white shirt. Gone was the gentle, impossibly soft smile from earlier; his face had suddenly turned grim.

“Why are you sitting there?”

“Huh? Then where should I…”

“Surely you don’t actually want to spend the wedding night with me.”

“Huh? So we’re not spending the wedding night…?”

“You’re more innocent than you look.”

Daniel, leisurely scanning my nightgown-clad form, slowly walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. My body swayed along with the movement.

“It seems you didn’t read the contract properly. It should have been written in Clause 3. In official settings, we must maintain the appearance of a proper married couple.”

What? That clause included pretending for the wedding night too?

With my mind focused on the huge sum of money, I hadn’t had the chance to think it through deeply.

“Even if it’s a contractual relationship, outwardly we’re a newlywed couple who just had their wedding ceremony. What would people think if we slept in separate rooms on our very first night as newlyweds?”

“……”

“If you understand, then get up from there now? Well, if you have any other wishes, I have no reason to refuse.”

Daniel, looking me over as if undressing me, lowered his gaze to my white slip dress that his fingertips had touched.

Seeing him casually fiddle with it, I widened my eyes and quickly jumped up.

He withdrew his gaze from me and immediately lay down on the wide bed. Then, with both arms behind his head, he closed his eyes.

‘Wow, there are all kinds of threats.’

I stood there hesitantly, glancing sideways at him, who looked perfectly at ease.

“Hey.”

Just as I was moving my lips, holding back all the curses trying to escape, I heard a sudden voice and looked back toward the bed.

“Let me make this clear in advance. Until the contract period ends, we’ll be sharing a room. So unless you plan on sleeping on the floor, you’d better find a good place to sleep in here, instead of grumbling like that.”

Cough. I immediately closed my mouth and looked around.

A place to sleep in here… The bed already occupied by Daniel, the table, the chair, or maybe the dressing room over there?

Ah, that would be too obvious.

After ruling everything out, the only place left to sleep was this sofa beside me.

How important a good night’s sleep is to a person, and he expects me to sleep on this narrow, hard sofa?

Indignant, I mustered up the courage and blurted out.

“Excuse me, young master…!”

My clear voice echoed loudly in the air.

He slowly opened his closed eyes again. Furrowing his brow deeply.

I took a deep breath, my nostrils flaring, and asked.

“Then, isn’t there an extra blanket? The sofa is a bit cold. I’m not being too demanding, am I? Hahaha.”

The next morning. Golden morning sunlight was seeping deeply into every corner of the Benson mansion.

“Ugh, cold.”

Having curled up on the sofa wrapped in only a thin blanket, I barely lifted my heavy eyelids at the sunlight streaming through the curtains.

An empty bed. I looked around, but Daniel was nowhere to be seen.

“Yeah, it’s not because I’m scared. I’m just cutting him some slack because I feel sorry for his pathetic life!”

Just as I clenched my fists, a knock at the door made me jump up from the sofa.

A maid, carrying a glass of water, entered upon hearing my presence.

“My lady, the young master headed to the dining room a short while ago. After I air out the room, I will prepare your clothes for changing.”

“Oh, uh, okay, thank you.”

As the maid opened the window wide, the somewhat noisy sounds from outside reached my ears even as I drank my water.

Curious, I peeked outside the window.

The Benson mansion was bustling with activity from early morning, with not a single person lazing about.

Beyond the maids hurrying between the main building and the annex, I could see the vast garden. The gardeners were pulling out all the weeds, and the sharp scent of grass filled even the inside of the house.

The head maid was standing on the main building’s veranda, inspecting their work personally.

‘Right. Duke Benson is a meticulous man who doesn’t tolerate flaws. If even a single small weed is visible, he’d fire the gardeners for negligence.’

Just as I was clicking my tongue in amazement.

A sudden thought made me stop mid-swallow.

‘Wait a minute. This isn’t the time to be leisurely watching!’

I had read extensively in the original story about how Duke Benson tormented his disliked daughter-in-law.

For example, when the daughter-in-law made the mistake of dropping her fork at the dinner table, she was banned from sharing the same table for a while.

What if I were late to a meal table as tense as a sheet of ice…?

Clicking my tongue again, I quickly got dressed with the maid’s help and rushed down to the first floor. My steps were somewhat uncomfortable in the unfamiliar heels, but I had no time to worry about that.

As I entered the dining room, I saw Daniel and Alisa already seated, and Duke Benson, Robert, who had already begun his meal.

Amidst the faint scent of marigolds filling the vases, the courses were laid out one by one in order.

There were over twenty servants in attendance, but only the clinking of the Duke’s family’s forks could be heard occasionally; the atmosphere was quiet, to the point of being austere.

The Duke, who had been savoring his tea, set down his cup as I entered.

Preparing to be scolded, I bowed my head first.

“Good mor…”

“You’re here. Sit down.”

…Huh?

When I raised my head, the Duke was looking me over with a surprisingly benevolent face.

Why isn’t he scolding me? Is he not fully awake yet…?

I clasped my hands politely and quickly sat down next to Daniel.

Daniel, who had slipped away on his own, was eating his salad as if nothing had happened. Glaring at him, I soon regained my composure upon seeing the warm, freshly baked bread placed before me.

‘Oh my god, how long has it been since I had freshly baked bread?’

The bread was baked to a golden brown, as if offering a small comfort to my tense life.

Just as I was about to bite into the freshly baked bread, I overheard the Duke calling over a nearby chef and speaking.

“The black tea tastes rather dull today.”

“Is, is that so? I prepared it because you said it suited your taste last time…”

“So you’re saying I’m being fickle.”

The Duke cut off the chef’s words and set his teacup down with a clatter. His gaze had turned fiercer than before.

As the flustered chef broke into a cold sweat, the head chef, who was setting down the main dish, deftly tasted the black tea. He then bowed respectfully to the Duke.

“It seems the tea was brewed incorrectly due to the chef’s mistake. I will have a fresh pot brought out immediately.”

“Never mind.”

“Then I will prepare a different tea to accompany your meal, Your Grace.”

As the Duke gave a silent nod of assent, the head chef let out a short sigh of relief and shot a deadly glare at the chef beside him.

The pale-faced chef quickly excused himself.

I couldn’t even register the texture of the bread in my mouth.

The Duke at the previous introduction meeting had been positively gentle. Having witnessed with my own eyes the sharp personality of the Duke that I had only known from the novel, my heart was trembling.

‘Here, the Duke’s word is law. The key point is that Daniel and Alisa act so unfazed even in this situation. To survive here without being caught, I need to be as quick-witted as that head chef…’

Just as I was assessing the situation and taking another bite of bread, I heard Alisa’s voice.

“Sister-in-law, since you’re now a member of this household, may I offer you some advice?”