Chapter 31
“A formal invitation? For me?”
Several days later, in the ducal residence’s toilette room, Kyrie repeated the words in disbelief.
“And in the Empress’s name, no less?”
“…My lady.”
Startled, she had turned her head abruptly, causing the maid combing her hair to flinch and let out a panicked squeak. The soft bristles of a high-quality brush raked lightly across her scalp.
Realizing her mistake, Kyrie stilled and returned her gaze to the grand full-length mirror before her.
The bruises from her fall had nearly faded, replaced now by faint red marks across her skin.
As the Grand Duke had ordered, she had eaten diligently, and it showed, she had filled out slightly.
Beside the woman in the mirror stood newly hired maids, assisting with her hair and dressing her.
Thankfully, unlike the gossipy servants of other noble houses, they neither whispered nor looked openly offended to be serving the infamous “mad dog.”
At least they did their jobs well enough.
As they carefully adorned her, Kyrie glanced at her reflection. She looked like a porcelain doll, marred with smudges.
“A half-dressed porcelain doll,” she thought.
The Grand Duke had entered the toilette room without knocking, as if it were his own, and now stood casually speaking of this bewildering invitation.
The maids, pretending not to notice his intrusion, busied themselves even more. Kyrie turned to him and asked:
“What kind of event am I being invited to?”
The Grand Duke, lounging like a lazy predator on the window sill behind her, met her gaze through the mirror. His eyes wandered her reflection, unhurriedly appraising her.
“No date’s been set yet.”
He reached into his coat for a cigar, as he often did mid-conversation, but paused halfway, his eyes fixed on the space between her brows. Kyrie frowned, puzzled.
Then he put the cigar away and offered a crooked smile.
“They’d like the Grand Duchess to attend the upcoming imperial banquet.”
“……”
Kyrie’s expression froze.
“A palace banquet?”
But the shock melted quickly with the Grand Duke’s next words.
“It’ll likely be the Crown Prince’s engagement announcement.”
“Engagement? Just like that?”
“Quite some time has passed since he unilaterally declared the betrothal. Seems they plan to speed through the formal engagement and wedding while momentum lasts.”
“Ah.”
Realization drained her of all energy.
So, formally, the invitation had come from the Empress, but in truth, it might as well have come from Lexion himself.
He must want me to see him happily beside Elise, just to gloat.
It made sense. For a man with pride as towering as Lexion’s, the humiliation he’d endured during the wedding must have stung deeply.
And now that enough time has passed since Elise’s fall down the stairs, accusing me again would seem petty…
Nearly two months had gone by. In the fast-moving world of high society, that incident was already considered old news.
Besides, Kyrie was now the Grand Duchess, reviving that scandal could spark conflict with the Grand Duchy itself.
It’s not a bad roof over my head, she thought.
She had married the Grand Duke in haste, just to escape the storm, but ever since entering this house under his name, all the whispering that used to follow her had ceased. Clearly, people were wary of Dominique Haswell.
Even if he was a man who barged into his wife’s private rooms without regard for boundaries, the overall situation was surprisingly stable.
Most importantly…
It got me out of that wretched ducal house.
Kyrie recalled something else: letters she had received a few days prior. One from Johansson. And shockingly, one from Elise.
She had tossed Johansson’s unread, filled with the usual nonsense. But Elise’s, she’d opened, if only out of curiosity.
What on earth could my scornful little sister possibly have to say now?
After much hesitation, Kyrie had read it. To her surprise, it was painfully ordinary.
Greetings, Grand Duchess Haswell.
I am currently helping organize a banquet.
I would be most grateful if you would assist me with preparations.
As sisters, and both now engaged to royalty, it would be lovely to celebrate together and collaborate on the event.
I look forward to your positive reply.
– Elise Ehrenberg
So this was the banquet she had been invited to in the Empress’s name.
Kyrie smirked faintly.
Not just an invitation, she wants help planning it?
She and Elise had never been close, and she had no illusion that this invitation came from goodwill.
If I manage to avoid being ordered around like a servant, it’ll be a miracle.
Just then, the Grand Duke asked, as if pouncing on her thoughts:
“So, will you go?”
“You mean to the banquet?”
“Before that, your sister’s request.”
The letter, then.
“How do you even know about that? No, of course you do.”
She narrowed her eyes at him. He wasn’t even trying to hide that he’d read the letter addressed to her.
“I’m not going.”
“Hmm.”
“There’s no reason to.”
Her reply was clear and unwavering. Dominique tilted his head slightly.
So she hasn’t lost her edge.
He had, truthfully, worried, just a little, that marriage and stability might dull the mad dog’s bite. That once she felt secure, she might mellow.
But she wasn’t that foolish. He found it oddly reassuring. A sign that he hadn’t chosen wrong.
So he continued, tone as nonchalant as ever:
“Well, as for the banquet, you don’t get to choose.”
“And why not?”
“You’re my wife. A Grand Duchess doesn’t simply skip such an event.”
“…You sound like you’re hoping I’ll go cause trouble.”
“I’d be grateful if you did.”
The sharp exchange made the maids freeze. But Kyrie didn’t flinch.
I see what he’s expecting.
He wanted her to appear and scandalize the palace. To tarnish the Grand Duchy’s name with one of her infamous outbursts.
To behave like the mad dog she was rumored to be.
She might have been willing, if he had been a little more considerate. But this man, who waltzed into her private space without knocking, said only what he pleased, and then looked at her like she was prey, didn’t deserve that kind of cooperation.
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
“Do you even see me as your wife?”
“…What?”
He looked genuinely confused. Then, as if to answer, he reached out and casually brushed a lingering mark just below her collarbone.
“If I didn’t,” he said, “would I do this?”
One of the maids, still helping her dress, flushed bright red. The others looked just as embarrassed.
Kyrie swallowed a sigh and spoke evenly.
“You may all go.”
“B-but, my lady…”
They were clearly worried she’d fly into a rage. Her reputation preceded her.
“It’s fine. Just a moment.”
“Still…”
When Kyrie repeated herself more firmly, the maids turned their eyes to the Grand Duke for permission.
He gave a slight nod, barely perceptible unless you were looking for it.
“We’ll return when called.”
Only after receiving his silent approval did the maids scurry out.
Kyrie watched them leave, then closed the door and turned to him.
“Everything you’re doing now…”
“What about it?”
He met her gaze with a blank expression.
Still half-dressed, she stared back, unfazed.
“You don’t think this is how a man treats a mistress, not a wife?”
That was exactly how she had felt moments ago.
He didn’t treat her like a true spouse, more like a concubine, a woman to be handled casually.
Barging into her toilette room uninvited, reading her private correspondence, even the way her own maids seemed to recognize his authority over hers, it all pointed to one thing.
He didn’t regard her as an equal.
“Mistress?” he repeated, frowning ever so slightly.
The small crease in his perfect face made him seem, for the first time, vaguely human.
Kyrie found her gaze drawn to it, then to his eyes, as he replied:
“Do I look like the sort of man who enjoys keeping mistresses in his bed?”
“…Don’t you?”
She asked it so naturally, as if the answer were obvious.
Why else,
Why else would he, every night without fail, push her to her limits with that cold smile?
Why else would he say things like…
> “You’re always full of fire, except in bed.”
“You need to build more stamina.”
“I suppose I’ll have to work harder.”
Even just last night, she had been too worn out to resist, but still, he had pressed on, laughing low in her ear.
Their lovemaking went far beyond what was required to simply ensure conception.
If all he wanted was a child, it wouldn’t take this much time…
But Dominique never finished quickly.
The strange truth was, he seemed to enjoy her.
And that unsettled Kyrie more than she could admit.
