TDWO Chapter 22
by xxsienna“Edwin, as your mother, I must first offer my congratulations.”
After hearing the whole story from Edwin, the Grand Duchess finally rose from the antique sofa.
The Grand Duchess had a slightly bewildered, displeased, yet amazed expression.
Despite this, her slightly stiff yet dignified posture was unmistakably like that of a queen.
Though she was adorned with jewels on her head, ears, neck, and wrists, it didn’t feel flashy or messy at all.
It simply added to her graciously aged beauty, enhancing her wealth and elegance.
The Grand Duchess began to move towards the stairs situated at the center of the innermost part of the hall.
Even as she drew the attention of over 200 people, her demeanor remained natural and composed.
However, Anri’s gaze was fixed on the man, unable to look away.
The name the Grand Duchess had just used to call him…?
Ed… win…?
Anri was overwhelmed with shock, as if she had been struck in the back of her head.
He looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes, puzzled by her reaction.
Why is she reacting like this when she just agreed to marry me? he wondered.
“…What did you say your name was…?”
Anri was on the verge of fainting but managed to hold onto her senses.
She felt as if a weight had suddenly been attached to the back of her head, making her dizzy.
No, it can’t be.
“Whose name are you asking about? My name?”
She nodded slightly, urgently and imploringly, at his cold gaze.
Then he smiled slightly, pulling at the corners of his mouth, and opened his lips as if to express joy, honor, and satisfaction at finally revealing his name.
“Edwin Askar.”
The pronunciation was clear and aristocratic.
The accent focused on the ‘d’ in “Ed,” while “win” flowed smoothly, a distinctly British pronunciation.
He had a rather dignified and noble expression.
His black eyes sparkled like transparent stars, as if his name were gilded.
“……”
Anri’s head snapped back as if she had been punched in the face.
Just before she was about to fall, she grabbed his arm and took a deep breath.
“What, what did you say?”
Anri could barely get the words out.
As she asked again, he furrowed his brows in sharp puzzlement and repeated,
“Ed. Win. As. Kar.”
He enunciated each syllable slowly and clearly, with a honeyed intonation that sounded as if he were drilling it into her ears.
It was clear that his tongue and lips were functioning perfectly.
He stated that his name was unequivocally Edwin Askar.
So, the problem must be with Anri’s ears?
However, hearing the same name several times suggested that her hearing was fine.
“Is there another Duke of Briston in this country?”
Her heart seemed to stop with the overwhelming realization.
His gaze narrowed further, looking somewhat displeased.
“Of course not.”
“……!”
Good heavens.
Now, she has no choice but to admit it.
The man before her was Edwin Askar, the Duke of Briston.
In this country, there was no other Duke of Briston.
And that name belonged to the male protagonist in *The Queen’s Consort*.
Anri recalled what he had said to her in the carriage on their way back from the exhibition.
‘I am from one of the ducal houses of the kingdom.’
At that time, he had introduced himself as a duke.
However, in the kingdom, the title of “Duke” was the highest rank, but it was held by many of the royal family members and even more common aristocrats who inherited it through generations.
Moreover, even knights or commoners could receive the title of Duke if their achievement was recognized, thereby elevating their family’s honor.
Anri didn’t know the exact number of noble families holding titles like Duke, Marquis, or Count in this country, but she guessed there might be hundreds.
When she wrote fanfiction about *The Queen’s Consort* under the nickname “Edwin’s Wife,” she once looked up information about dukes out of simple curiosity.
She suddenly remembered that there were approximately thirty existing dukes in the UK, and it was likely even more now, considering the 19th-century novel setting and the possibility of dukes who lost their titles or couldn’t inherit them in the future.
So, if Anri encountered a duke on the street, the likelihood of that duke being the Duke of Briston was…?
No, could this duke really be the Duke of Briston? The probability of such a doubt was…?
Anri blinked vacantly.
In her 21 years of living as Anri, she had never interacted with or been introduced to a high-ranking noble like a duke.
In her original world, the Duke of Briston and other high-ranking aristocrats were comparable to top conglomerate CEOs or high-ranking politicians.
A duke is like the president, right? Next to the king, or equal to him?
Thus, she had never doubted it, nor had she even considered the awareness that she should.
The man didn’t wear any heraldic crests or emblems unique to his family.
But now she regrets not having suspected it earlier.
However, the reason she couldn’t associate this man with the male protagonist was because
‘The Edwin in my imagination was much more handsome and perfect.’
While this man was certainly above average in appearance, he still didn’t quite measure up to the idealized version of the male protagonist in her imagination and fantasy.
Then Anri suddenly realized.
Among the many men in this ballroom, this man stood out as exceptionally distinguished and handsome.
And how shocked she had been when she first saw him, captivated by his unreal beauty.
Come to think of it, the man before her had the same hair and eye color as the character from the novel, and he held the same title of Duke.
Yet, there was something strangely different about the atmosphere compared to the original Edwin.
In the novel, Edwin was portrayed as more sensitive, often flipping his hair or having a sharper, more intense presence, but now he doesn’t look like that.
Perhaps it was due to his slightly tousled hair, but he appeared softer and more refined.
There was a subtle difference not only in his appearance but also in his personality. It was hard to describe, but he seemed far gentler compared to the cold, decisive, and cruel character from the book.
Even his casual style appeared more elegant than that of Edwin in the novel.
‘What is this? This sense of discomfort… Why does it feel different?’
Anri felt alienated now, like seeing identical twins with different tastes and personalities.
Was it just the difference between text and reality?
Anri hadn’t even considered that there might be another reason for the difference she felt between the original Edwin and the real Edwin.
“Is it really Edwin Askar? Or is it Axcal or Astkar…”
When Anri strangely twisted the pronunciation, his sharp brow furrowed even deeper.
“Like I said…”
Just as she was about to ask why, the Duchess of Elizabeth took her place at the top of the staircase, which was carpeted with red.
While she was adjusting the hem of her dress, everyone’s attention was focused on the Grand Duchess.
The ballroom suddenly became solemn.
“It seems that bringing my son, who has passed his prime age, here by force was worthwhile after all. It’s all thanks to you all who came all the way here.”
As the Duchess smiled warmly, several nobles returned her smile, creating a cheerful atmosphere.
Though not overtly noticeable, there was a humble joke mixed in the Grand Duchess’s words.
‘To call his son someone who has passed his prime age…’
Edwin found it absurd.
The term “passed his prime age” typically refers to women who haven’t married by the appropriate age, and twenty-four is not an unusually late age for marriage.
Of course, it might be considered late by a mother’s standards.
The Grand Duchess’s voice continued.
“Having only raised a son, I couldn’t truly understand the feelings of women with daughters. But seeing my son not yet married and causing me worry felt like raising a daughter of marriageable age who wasn’t yet married.”
The Duchess let out a hollow laugh, and the nobles chuckled softly in response.
After waiting for the nobles’ laughter to subside, the Duchess spoke again, her tone now more subdued and her eyes moist.
“In my younger years, I sought to enjoy life on my own. My late mother worried and shed tears over me, which seemed excessive at the time. Yet, becoming a mother myself, I realized how worrisome it is not to have someone by your side always.”
The Grand Duchess paused, choked up for a moment, and then continued with emotion.
“I won’t be alive until my son dies.”
Suddenly, the ballroom grew somber again, and a misty atmosphere began to spread.
Some noblewomen were already pulling out handkerchiefs to dab their eyes.
It was almost like a scene from a melodramatic film.
“What’s the point of having many friends and a lot of money? Without a family by their side, you’re like a naked beggar left alone by the river.”
As the Grand Duchess finished speaking, the atmosphere in the hall was on the verge of tears.
Meanwhile, Anri remained in a dazed shock, unable to focus on anyone, feeling confused.
She wanted to raise her hands in desperation.
‘There’s someone here who really wants to cry!’
Anri cautiously glanced up at Edwin, as if peering at the Grim Reaper.
Just moments ago, she had been frowning at the Grand Duchess, but now Edwin stood with his arms crossed, his expression solemn. His eyes appeared to be moist, too.
It seemed he was moved by the Grand Duchess’s words.
“Is this really my Edwin?”
Seeing the man of her dreams in person was, of course, amazing, exhilarating, and an honor.
It was so overwhelming that she thought she could faint from joy.
But that was when she was watching him “secretly,” not when she was to become his temporary fake wife like now.
Edwin was destined to fall into a devastating love that would consume him, leading the Wentworth family to ruin.
‘That can’t happen! No way!’
