Chapter 16
Grace’s eyelids, which had been slowly closing, opened once more.
Standing at the door was the Duke of Winstaine. He had changed out of his formal attire and was now dressed in shirt and trousers. He walked over to the bed.
The drowsiness that had just begun to take over her completely vanished. As tension surged through her, Grace’s heart began to pound.
The Duke climbed onto the bed and took a seat beside her. Grace slowly clenched and unclenched her fists on the sheets in an effort to calm herself.
Even when he leaned forward and blew out the nearby candle, plunging the room into soft darkness, Grace remained frozen, only glancing sideways to see what he was doing. She had no idea what he would say next or how he might act.
“…?”
But that was all. The Duke lay down on the bed and closed his eyes. It was as if he didn’t even notice she was there.
Is he… just going to sleep like this? Grace’s eyes widened in surprise. All that nervous energy about how she would respond if he spoke now felt almost silly.
Was it really okay to just sleep like this?
Her eyes darted around. She didn’t feel quite ready to fall asleep. It felt like there was something left undone.
“…Ah.”
She remembered how the Duke had helped her earlier when she almost fell. In the flurry of emotions and surprise, she hadn’t been able to properly thank him. It had lingered in her mind ever since.
“Um, excuse me…”
Still fidgeting, Grace carefully opened her mouth.
“T-that is…”
The Duke raised his upper body and turned to look at her. Grace tensed up as she met his gaze. Even though she tried to stay composed, the way his dark eyes stared straight at her made her feel nervous again. It was her first time seeing him this close.
“If you have something to say, go ahead.”
Maybe because they were no longer strangers—or because they were now married—he spoke to her informally. To her, that somehow felt overwhelming.
“Um, a-about earlier…”
Her lips trembled as she tried to get the words out. This time, she wanted to say it properly.
“Th… thank you…”
“For what, exactly?”
“F-for… catching me… earlier. When I almost… fell…”
Grace gave a small, awkward smile. She hadn’t quite finished her sentence, but she was sure the meaning came through.
“Ah. It was nothing. I couldn’t just let you fall.”
The Duke looked at her for a moment, then turned his head away again as if it wasn’t a big deal.
“Still… th-thank you, Your Grace.”
“…Frederick.”
“…Sorry?”
“Call me Frederick. ‘Your Grace’ feels too formal.”
His gaze lingered somewhere in the air, unfocused. She couldn’t tell what he was looking at.
“From now on, just call me that.”
“Y-yes… Fr-Frederick.”
Grace nodded enthusiastically, eyes wide. She’d called him “Your Grace” because that’s what everyone else did, but maybe he preferred to be called by name, she thought.
“Um, and I’m… Gracie…”
She wanted to say her name clearly, but her face turned slightly crestfallen.
“Yes, Grace.”
“Ah…”
Hearing her name spoken from Frederick’s lips left Grace a little dazed. Ever since her mother died, no one had said her name properly. Emily couldn’t speak, and her half-siblings only ever called her “the bastard.”
“You should get some sleep. You must be tired.”
Frederick lay back down on the bed.
Grace lay beside him. It still felt strange to be in the same bed with someone she barely knew, but after expressing her gratitude and exchanging names, the tension wrapped around her body seemed to ease.
Sleep fell gently upon her closed eyelids. Soon, Grace was drifting off into deep slumber.
The next morning, a breakfast feast was prepared in honor of the newlywed Duke and Duchess.
Grace, who had been used to having simple meals in her room, was surprised to see the table filled with food. It was even more luxurious than the dinner she’d had with Frederick on her first night at the duchy.
“Eat,” Frederick said simply before beginning his meal in silence.
Grace picked up her fork.
In the center of the table was a whole roasted goose, beautifully garnished with grilled fruits and vegetables.
After finishing her soup and bread, Grace reached for a knife to cut into the goose’s leg. But the greasy skin made the blade slip and slide, making it hard to carve.
“If you hold the knife like this, it’ll be a little easier.”
Frederick, watching her struggle, suddenly spoke.
“…?”
“Like this—wrap your index finger over the top of the blade for more control.”
He lifted his hand holding the knife to show her.
“Ah…”
Grace mimicked his grip and pressed the blade into the goose’s thigh again. Just as he said, the knife held firm and sliced smoothly through the meat.
“Is it working now?”
“Yes…”
She successfully separated the goose’s thigh and placed it on her plate.
“Th-thank… you.”
Not forgetting her manners, Grace cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. As she tasted it, her expression brightened. The texture was so tender it felt like it melted on the fork.
“Is it to your liking?”
“Yes. Yes…! It—it’s really delicious.”
“…I’m glad.”
Frederick went back to his own meal. Grace also resumed eating, but she kept glancing at him from time to time.
He’s… a kind person.
The fear she’d felt when coming to the duchy had quietly faded away.
He wasn’t a monster, as the rumors had said. He had helped her. Though his cold appearance had made her nervous at first, she now wondered if he might actually have a warm heart.
“A tutor will be arriving at the estate soon.”
“A… tutor?”
“You’ll start by learning reading and arithmetic. You’ll need it to live here from now on.”
Reading… arithmetic.
Grace repeated the words in her head.
“Apparently, she can’t speak properly and can’t do anything either. They just sent some simple-minded girl.”
“When the master’s a fool, it’s the servants who suffer.”
She recalled what the servants had said. Maybe they weren’t entirely wrong. She wasn’t good at speaking, and she didn’t really know how to do anything.
But if she learned reading, arithmetic, and other skills, wouldn’t that change? Maybe what they expected of a “duchess” was someone who spoke well, could read and write, do math, and knew all sorts of things.
“You’ll also learn about northern customs later. I’ve already asked someone suitable to teach you. I’ll let you know when they arrive.”
“Yes…”
Grace’s heart swelled. The fact that the Duke had arranged for people to teach her made her feel quietly touched.
“If it ever feels like too much…”
“N-no.”
She quickly shook her head. She was afraid he might take back everything he was offering her.
“I—I can… do it.”
She hurried to reassure him.
“Th-thank you. F-for… caring.”
“If there’s anything else you need, just let me know.”
At his words, Grace smiled. It wasn’t the awkward smile she had worn before, but a shy, blooming smile—bright and lovely, like a flower in bloom.
She could smile like that? He hadn’t expected it. From the moment they first met, she had always looked timid, so this side of her caught him completely off guard.
“…”
Grace blinked in surprise when she noticed Frederick staring at her silently.
“Ahem. Was the meal to your liking?”
Only then did Frederick realize he had been staring. He cleared his throat and changed the subject.
“Yes…!”
“I have work to attend to, so I’ll be leaving first. You can take your time.”
“Ah… okay.”
“I’ll see you later.”
Frederick left first. Grace stared blankly at his back, then picked up her fork again.
It’s delicious…
A smile spread across her lips once more.
