TGLWM 05

Chapter 05 

 The Comfortable Spider’s Web

‘So comfortable…’

Her entire body felt languid, as though it were melting away. Florence was wandering along the boundary between sleep and consciousness, wrapped in something warm, soft, and yet firm. It was so cozy and warm that she felt as though nothing could threaten her as long as she stayed here.

[…My Florence.]

A thick, low voice, as though coming from somewhere deep and distant like a dream or illusion, gradually became clearer as it mixed with the world of reality.

Suppressing her reluctance, she struggled to escape from the comfortable place that was wrapped around her, but for some reason, it would not budge. Instead, it seemed to tighten around her more and more. She desperately dragged up her consciousness that was still submerged somewhere below, rubbed her eyes that kept trying to close, and slowly opened them.

“You’re awake.”

When she heard the breath above the crown of her head, the heavy scent of sandalwood, and the unfamiliar yet strangely familiar voice of Grand Duke Edelston, Florence instantly came to her senses as if cold water had been poured over her.

What entered her wide-open eyes was a man’s chest, large and solid like a wall. Through the white shirt, whose buttons were undone down to his solar plexus, she could see well-defined muscles covered in deep shadows.

A moment later, she realized that she was lying on the bed, held in his arms, and she startled violently.

‘This is crazy! The thing I thought was so warm and cozy was this man’s embrace?’

But he tightened his arms around her and did not let go. Just as Florence flinched at the hand gently patting her back, his cheerful voice reached her ears.

“I think you should lie down a little longer.”

If she did that, she felt like she would be eaten alive right here.

Grand Duke Edelston was a man who somehow gave off the dangerous air of a wild beast.

Sensing danger, she began slowly backing away in an attempt to put as much distance between them as possible.

“…No, I’m fine. I should get up now.”

“You can rest a little longer. You still look tired.”

“I’m fine.”

“I’m fine too.”

Why was the conversation going like this?

Florence was frustrated. The words “I’m fine” were clearly meant to indicate that she was declining his offer.

“I can’t impose on Your Highness, so I’ll be going now…”

“It isn’t an inconvenience, so just relax.”

“…That’s not what I meant.”

The more they talked, the more she felt as though she were sinking deeper into a swamp.

Just as she unknowingly let out a long sigh, he gave a low chuckle and suddenly pulled her body, which had been gradually moving away, back into his arms.

“Nooo…”

A cute little scream escaped from Florence’s lips against Edelston’s chest. He now rested his chin on the crown of her head and let out a delighted laugh.

Meanwhile, Florence’s face turned bright red with embarrassment.

‘I worked so hard to put some distance between us!’

He was such a persistent man.

From their very first meeting, he had held her hand and refused to let go. During the wedding, he had gone so far as to hold her hand and force her to sign the marriage documents. And now, he was trapping her in his arms under the excuse that she needed to rest.

Yet even in this situation, her eyes kept wandering toward his exposed chest and abdominal muscles, leaving her dumbfounded at herself.

Perhaps it was because this was the first time she had actually seen muscles like those that she had only ever seen in murals.

Clark’s body, which he would occasionally expose while claiming he was training with a sword, looked soft and squishy like white bread in comparison.

‘But was his shirt always that open?’

It seemed like a few more buttons had been undone compared to when she woke up, but surely that was impossible.

It must have been her imagination.

Still, she felt that she really could not remain like this, so Florence put all her strength into her arms and pushed him away.

Unexpectedly, he let her go without resistance. Encouraged by this, she quickly took advantage of the opportunity and sat upright.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

As she hurriedly moved toward the edge of the bed, Florence happened to meet Edelston’s lavender eyes and unknowingly asked as though she were under a spell.

Even though her hair must have been an absolute mess, the gaze with which he looked at her was overflowing with affection and desire.

It was a look she had never even received from Clark, despite having been engaged to him for so many years.

“Because you’re beautiful. My bride.”

Florence suddenly went blank at his answer.

What on earth was this man talking about?

The rustling sound of fabric wrapped around her body finally brought her back to her senses.

‘Oh my goodness, I’m still wearing the wedding dress.’

She quickly climbed down from the bed and faced him with a straight posture.

She had no idea what he was plotting, but she could not trust this man.

“The ceremony is over, so please send me home now. I need to change my clothes first.”

A person wearing a wedding dress and looking unmistakably like a bride confidently declaring that she wanted to go home was an incredibly strange and unfamiliar sight.

He stared at the upright Florence for a moment before touching his hair and speaking.

“You and I held a wedding ceremony today in front of everyone, and we signed documents guaranteed by the Great Temple and stamped with the Imperial seal. Wherever you go in the Empire, you are the Grand Duchess of the Ricca Duchy, and you will be treated accordingly.”

The moment he finished speaking, he immediately pulled the bell cord beside the bed.

Soon, maids came rushing in. After leaving them with the words, “My duchess is tired, so take good care of her,” he disappeared through a door that Florence assumed led to the Grand Duke’s private quarters.

‘This can’t be happening!’

Florence was so shocked that she could not speak for quite some time.

She was particularly stunned by the fact that Grand Duke Edelston had just referred to her as his Grand Duchess.

After a long silence, a cautious voice addressed her, allowing her to finally regain her senses.

“Your Grace, my name is Miranda, and I am the head maid. Hot water has been prepared, so I will escort you to the bath.”

The most mature-looking of the maids stepped forward and gave her the first piece of relatively welcome news she had heard.

She then bowed politely together with the maids lined up behind her, saying that they would do their very best to serve her.

‘Right. I need to get out of this wedding dress first. I’ll calmly think about what I should do from here while taking a bath.’

Florence was deeply irritated by being called “Your Grace,” but she could not exactly explain the entire situation to the servants, so she decided to let it go for now.

The bathroom was located at the very end of the dressing room, beyond the Grand Duchess’s private chamber.

When they passed through an arched door carved from olive wood, Florence saw a white marble bathtub filled with steaming water.

With the maids’ assistance, Florence removed her dress and stepped into the tub.

The bath salts smelled wonderful, and the temperature was perfect.

As she immersed herself in the warm water, her nerves, which had been wound so tightly, began to slowly relax…

“Would you like to be accompanied by His Highness the Grand Duke?”

…only to stiffen again.

Startled, Florence firmly warned Miranda, who had just said something outrageous with an utterly composed expression.

“I’ll do it alone, so I absolutely do not want you to call His Highness.”

“Understood.”

Miranda carefully attended to her bath.

This probably was not normally the head maid’s job, but she seemed to be paying special attention because it was Florence’s first day.

Until yesterday, Florence had been attended by Danya, so this entire situation felt incredibly awkward.

‘Come to think of it, the Grand Duchess’s room I briefly saw was impressive, too. This place is amazing as well.’

It was the most beautiful bathroom Florence had ever seen.

If the maids had not been around, she would have happily spent time looking around.

Even the ceiling above the bathtub was shaped like a dome. Miranda enthusiastically explained that if Florence turned the handle installed beside the bathtub, a glass ceiling would appear, allowing her to admire the sunset or the stars.

“The view is truly beautiful even during the day. His Highness the Grand Duke took special care of everything for Your Grace.”

No matter how much effort he had put into it, this place did not belong to her.

Florence desperately wanted to say, ‘I’m not Your Grace.’

But Miranda seemed determined to fan the flames of a newlywed couple’s romance.

She probably had no idea how this marriage had come about.

Thinking quickly, Florence decided to subtly sound out the servants.

“By any chance, what did His Highness the Grand Duke think about the marriage? I’ve become rather curious.”

Perhaps Miranda was delighted by the question concerning the person she served, because she smiled broadly and began explaining enthusiastically.

“You have no idea how excited His Highness was about welcoming his bride. He completely renovated not only the bathroom, but also the drawing room, study, and even the garden. Oh, and the chef is absolutely marvelous, so you can look forward to the meals. He even had a private beach prepared and built a small villa nearby. There’s a beautiful stretch of white sand…”

The other maids soon joined in excitedly, adding one thing after another.

Thanks to them, Florence learned a ridiculous amount about how wealthy, strict, yet generous a master he was.

‘It feels like I’m listening to someone brag endlessly about the child of a person I barely know.’

The servants looked ready to start chanting in unison about how wonderful “our Grand Duke” was, so Florence decided to send them away as quickly as possible.

She had not gotten the information she wanted, and at the very least, she wanted some peace and quiet for her ears.

“I’ll take care of things from here, so you may all leave now.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I wish they would stop calling me that.

Left alone in the empty bathroom, Florence submerged half of her face in the water and let out bubbling, exhausted sighs.

“Blub…”