TDWO Chapter 28

It was strange.

From what Anri read, Edwin hadn’t managed the family affairs properly since meeting Erze.

There was probably no significant change before that, either.

Edwin didn’t have any particular affection for his family.

He had no reason to love his family or the household.

To Edwin, family was just people who happened to share the same surname because they were born into it.

Rather, the people he chose were more important in his life.

For example, Erze, Erze…

But how could someone like Edwin have any interest in a chick?

Unless he had died, returned to life, and reformed!

Anri furrowed her brows, feeling puzzled.

However, there was another possibility.

 

‘Hmmm. Is he just saying that? Who would openly admit to having no attachment to their family, especially as a duke?’

 

If Edwin truly had enough interest to control every corner of the duke’s household, she would find out soon enough.

After all, she was going to live with him.

Or she could ask the servants about Edwin right now.

However, Anri thought it was better not to do that.

Unless the topic about Edwin came up naturally, she didn’t want to give off the impression that she was digging for information about him.

Still a bit puzzled, Anri changed her dress.

Since she had been dragged directly from the ball and couldn’t even go home, Anri didn’t have any other clothes.

Fortunately, at the instruction of the Grand Duchess, the duke’s household had procured an evening dress from a nearby dress shop.

Including the dress, there were also several outfits suitable for tea parties, luncheons, and more.

There were all sorts of clothing accessories, including undergarments like petticoats.

The dress was a faded pink color, like dried roses. It was an evening dress with a deep neckline and short sleeves.

Golden frills adorned the shoulders and chest, sparkling with small flashes of light as she moved.

Thanks to this, Anri’s slightly revealed skin appeared even brighter.

She styled her hair with a side part, naturally covering her ears with the side strands.

The back hair was braided into a single braid and wrapped up at a low position to finish.

This classical yet romantic hairstyle, typical of the era, delighted Anri greatly.

 

“Nice to meet you, Miss Wentworth.”

 

Soon, Anri exchanged greetings with the servants she encountered while touring the mansion.

She focused on memorizing their faces and names.

As the number of employees introduced exceeded fifty, she felt a tingling overload in her brain.

There were still many more servants to be introduced.

Nevertheless, Anri stood upright, maintaining a gentle smile and behaving elegantly.

She wanted to give a good first impression, one that was not too casual but also not too formal.

Maintaining a business-like smile made her cheek muscles sore.

Yet, Anri still couldn’t bring herself to act casually with the servants.

 

‘It’s just that the upper class’s unique, stern way of speaking is too unfamiliar.’

 

She couldn’t speak to them as familiarly as she would to the servants at Wentworth House.

Moreover, while it was a given that she would soon become the Duchess of Briston, she was not yet married and officially the duchess.

The servants, being people themselves, wouldn’t follow her blindly just because she was a noble and their employer.

Authority, dignity, and consideration within reasonable limits were necessary to earn genuine respect.

After all, manners are meant to avoid damaging each other’s pride, regardless of one’s status.

Both sides were able to get what they wanted through the proper conduct of interactions, preserving dignity.

Though she was a temporary duchess, Anri wanted to leave a good impression.

That’s why she continued to be polite to the servants.

After receiving a complete tour of the mansion, she wrote a letter to her father.

Then it was time to head to Eliza House.

The Eliza House, where the Grand Duchess resided, was within the Briston Duchy, just like Mayfair House.

However, due to the slight distance, they had to travel by a small carriage.

Anri took a seat in a two-person Landau carriage with open sides.

She stole a glance at Edwin sitting next to her. Her eyes narrowed suspiciously.

 

‘He is incredibly handsome…’

 

Under his black silk hat, his nose was unrealistically high and straight, resembling a marble statue.

The suit he wore was so neat and elegant that he looked like a mannequin dressed in new clothes.

To Anri, he seemed even more unreal as a fictional character.

 

“Your Grace,”

“…?”

 

At the sudden call, Edwin turned to look at Anri with a blank expression.

Anri stared intently into his eyes.

Whose eyes could those be?

They were not exactly as she had imagined while reading about Edwin in books.

They were darker and deeper, more of an intense black.

 

‘Wow. The Duke and Edwin seem like completely different people.’

 

She was worried that he might develop a split personality.

Clearly, they were the same person, but for some reason, she couldn’t synchronize them.

Eventually, they arrived at Eliza House, which was a much smaller mansion compared to Mayfair House.

The Grand Duchess moved to this building three years ago, fearing she would not be able to see a daughter-in-law if she continued to live under the same roof with her grown son.

She named the mansion Eliza after herself.

Originally, it was said to have been used solely as a gallery to display the art pieces collected by the Grand Duchess.

Thus, Anri was determined.

She would someday be introduced to the Grand Duchess’s collection.

The Grand Duchess did not casually share her collection unless it was with someone with whom she had established a considerable emotional connection.

 

“Woof, woof!”

 

As soon as they entered the mansion, a dog came running out to greet Anri.

It was a pug. Its face, nose, and mouth were black, while its body was a yellowish brown color.

 

‘Ah, is that the dog the Grand Duchess raised, Brownie? The one that tragically fell into the lake during a picnic and died?’

 

Anri watched the lively pug with sympathy as it jumped around, barking cheerfully.

To Anri, the pug appeared more comical than cute.

However, it was a breed quite popular among noblewomen these days.

 

‘Since the Grand Duchess loves him second to Edwin, I should get close to him. I’ll take it for walks often, too!’

 

Anri subtly withdrew her arm that had been linked with Edwin’s.

As she was about to reach out to the pug and bend down,

 

“Hello, Brown—”

“Welcome, Miss Wentworth.”

 

The Grand Duchess emerged from the drawing room with a benevolent smile.

Quickly standing up, Anri lifted the hem of her dress to show her respect.

 

“Hello, Your Grace. Thank you for the invitation.”

“I hope you found everything comfortable.”

 

Elizabeth pressed her gloved hand gently against her chest.

Anri straightened her posture and lightly clasped her hands.

 

“Thanks to Your Grace’s careful attention, I had a very comfortable day. I’m grateful for the clothes you sent over.”

 

Elizabeth gazed at Anri’s appearance with sparkling eyes.

 

“You look lovely. The dress suits you perfectly. Don’t you agree, Edwin?”

 

Impressed, Elizabeth turned her head toward Edwin.

However, his response was:

 

“…Yes, I suppose.”

 

It was rather indifferent.

Edwin quickly glanced at Anri with a sidelong look before giving that reply to the Grand Duchess’s question.

 

“Shall we all go inside?”

 

Then he began to walk toward the dining room with his long legs.

Anri and the Grand Duchess exchanged glances, their eyes meeting for a moment. Did they somehow have the same thought?

However, the eye contact was very brief, and both moved toward the dining room.

With narrowed eyes, Anri subtly glared at the back of Edwin’s head.

 

‘If it gets out that the marriage is fake, it’ll all be Edwin’s fault.’

 

Finally, once everyone was seated, the footmen entered and began serving the courses.

Even though she didn’t feel particularly hungry, the smell of food made her stomach feel tight.

Anri quickly removed her lace gloves and placed them on her lap.

 

“I wonder if Miss Wentworth’s mother and family have arrived safely.”

 

The Duchess cast a kind glance at Anri. With a harmless smile, Anri returned it.

 

“Yes, Your Grace. By now, my family should be having a late dinner. They should have arrived already.”

“That’s a relief. It seems the town isn’t as far as I thought.”

 

The Grand Duchess chuckled, surprised by Anri’s words.

She had thought it was a much farther place.

In fact, Elizabeth had been having trouble sleeping lately.

Although she had quickly pushed for Edwin and Anri’s marriage, there was still something unsettling in her heart.

This suspicion didn’t seem to be going away anytime soon.

She only showed Anri formal and ceremonial kindness, as well as smiles.

Of course, Anri was a beautiful and kind young lady.

Her charming and sweet demeanor was truly exceptional, capable of captivating those who looked at her.

Had they met in society as young and seasoned ladies, they might have become good friends.

Although it was unclear whether they would have had common interests, Anri’s attentive attitude seemed thoughtful.

But could it be a cruel twist of fate that they had met as the wife of the duke’s son and his mother?

Although they were both nobles, Anri came from a completely different world, and it was unclear whether she could skillfully and elegantly manage the duchy in the future.

With Edwin around, her worries were somewhat eased, but the role of the mistress was significant in another sense.

…because she had to bear and raise an heir.

It was uncertain whether a nameless country viscount lady would adapt well to high society.

Elizabeth often welcomed noble young ladies who were far more experienced, cultured, sophisticated, and full of sensibility than Anri.

Even without seeing if those young ladies were born and raised in the capital, Elizabeth could easily tell.

From birth, they must have been surrounded by only the finest clothing, food, and luxuries.

Several capable governesses would have trained them to develop delicate sensibilities and grace.

Not only were they cultured, but they would have also learned the arts and instruments, only seeing beautiful things and hearing elegant sounds…

But Elizabeth couldn’t even imagine what kind of life Anri had enjoyed.

She hadn’t grown up under the proper care of attentive parents.

Had she perhaps been exposed to unrefined situations?

 

‘If the dignity of the Duke’s family were to be undermined…’

 

Just thinking about such a hypothesis made her dizzy.

Seeing that girl’s stepmother and sisters made her feel even more uneasy.

However, Elizabeth’s opportunity to experience Anri’s capabilities came sooner than expected.