I Married the Mad Duke Who Killed My Husband - Chapter 3
“Shall I bring some tea, miss?”
“Something cold, please.”
When I arrived at the Duke’s residence with the letter, the butler greeted me barefoot. He then led me to the drawing room and offered tea.
T/n: The phrase “버선발로” in Korean means “in sock feet” or “wearing only socks,” not literally barefoot. In this context, it suggests the butler came quickly to greet the visitor, possibly without taking time to put on proper shoes. This detail likely conveys the butler’s prompt response or the informal nature of the welcome.
“The Duke will be down shortly if you could wait a moment.”
“Thank you.”
It seems they’re also short on servants to help with household chores, just like our home. However, unlike our house where it’s due to lack of money, the reason here must be different.
Perhaps because I requested cold tea even though it was not hot weather yet, the butler handed me a soft blanket.
As I draped it over my knees, I noticed that he seemed to like me. It’s better than being disliked, but isn’t this too easy an acceptance?
“Is it because of my face?”
It’s hard to be hated with this face, I suppose. But surely there are more important virtues for the lady of a newly established ducal house than just looks.
I fell into thought as I watched the butler leave. I should carefully consider what to say before the Duke arrives. Taking a big gulp of the cold tea, I began to count my requirements one by one.
“I’ve never seen a noble lady drink tea so heartily before.”
“…You’re one to talk.”
The Duke was standing at the doorway, watching me. I’m not sure when he arrived.
He, too, was leaning his tall frame in a most un-noble-like, casual posture. I deliberately set down my teacup with a clang as I stood up. Gaining the upper hand is crucial in negotiations.
“If only you had been this competent the other day.”
“…”
As I spoke mockingly about him on the day of the Marquis’s attack when he was far too careless for a male lead in a novel, his playful expression turned serious as he closed the door and entered.
Perhaps it was the author’s downgrade patch for the protagonist for the sake of the early plot? Otherwise, there’s no way a man like this would have been so careless during an attack. Just now, I didn’t even notice him come in, so why did he enter so openly that day?
“…So you know.”
“Those red eyes are hard to forget.”
“My eyes are beautiful, indeed.”
He comes closer. His red eyes, which people avoid saying they’re close to blood-colored, were honestly as beautiful as rubies to me. But not wanting to agree, I raised my chin haughtily with a snort.
“Sneaky attacks don’t suit me. I’m more accustomed to cutting down enemies who charge at me head-on.”
He stepped towards me threateningly, as if treating me like an enemy charging at him. But I know that this man, like me, is just trying to gain the upper hand and has no intention of cutting me down.
…By the way, I thought he had keywords like ‘gentle’ and ‘puppy-like’ in the novel, so why does he seem so psychopathic in front of me? Is it because I’m not the female lead?
Should I have helped with the treatment instead of the attack?
“The prospect of marrying into a ducal house that’s just a shell, without a single subordinate to order an attack, is quite daunting.”
“It’s not that there are none. They’re just each doing their own tasks.”
“That’s what I mean by insufficient.”
The Duke turns his head, caught off guard. He seemed slightly embarrassed, probably not expecting to be cornered with such words. I’ve won this battle of wits, Cassion!
“So, is that a rejection?”
“I said it was daunting, didn’t I?”
Now it’s time to offer a carrot instead of a stick.
“It means I’m willing to help straighten out this ducal house and cooperate with you.”
I reached out slightly and grabbed his collar. As I pulled him towards the table where I had been drinking tea earlier, he obediently followed and sat across from me. He still looked skeptical, as if trying to figure out my intentions.
“Let’s have a contract marriage.”
“What?”
I went straight to the point. Regretting not having asked the butler for paper along with the tea, I began to raise my fingers one by one.
“First, our marriage will end on the day His Highness the Second Prince is appointed as Crown Prince.”
Start the contract with a bang. There’s no better way to shake up a man rumored to be the Second Prince’s dog than this. As expected, his expression, which had been crumpling at the mention of a contract marriage as if it were nonsense, froze.
“Second, we’ll appear to have consummated the marriage publicly, but we won’t actually have an heir.”
“Seems you’ve learned something from your previous marriage.”
“Don’t interrupt me.”
Because I’m the one in charge of this contract.
“When the contract period ends, you’ll provide me, your ex-wife, with an appropriate amount of money and a house to live in. The house doesn’t have to be in the capital, it can be on the outskirts.”
“The contract seems too one-sided. What do I gain that warrants doing all this for you?”
This is the crucial part now. The truth is, I have no choice but to do this to survive, but I can’t show that. It’s important to appear as if I have nothing to lose.
“You need a proper duke title to support the Second Prince, and for that, you need to marry a daughter from a noble family, right?”
“There probably isn’t another man besides me who would take you, a fallen noble and one of the suspects in the Marquis’s murder.”
“I could just not get married at all. And if I lower my standards a bit, wouldn’t it be easy to catch a wealthy commoner with looks like mine?”
I spoke coyly, brushing back my pink hair that had fallen forward. He closed his mouth and gestured for me to continue. Good, he’s taking the bait.
“You must have lost many people while traversing battlefields. Just as you attacked the Marquis who supported the First Prince, there will be many who will attack the ducal house supporting the Second Prince, so it will be dangerous in the future as well.”
“…I see. You know well.”
“Isn’t it because you don’t want to lose any more people you know that you don’t keep many around you? Until His Highness the Second Prince becomes Crown Prince and stability is achieved as you wish, I’ll help protect this household as the Duchess.”
“…”
“When the time comes, divorce me and bring in a wife you love to a ducal house that’s no longer in danger. In return, just give me an appropriate amount of money. Simple, right?”
I’ve already nearly lost my life once. Moreover, as long as I remember the original story, even if it’s hazy, I’m confident I can avoid major attacks. It’s a gamble worth taking rather than ending up on the streets with nothing.
The question is how he’ll take it…
“Alright, simple indeed.”
“!!”
“From what I saw last night, you don’t seem like you’d die easily either. I like that.”
No, I almost died by your blade. I nearly grimaced without realizing it, but I held back.
Without averting my eyes from his, I rang the bell on the side of the table. The butler enters.
“Bring paper, a seal, pen, and ink.”
I rang the bell, but it was the Duke who was speaking. Confused by our serious demeanor, which doesn’t look like that of soon-to-be-married lovers, the butler glances around nervously as he brings what was requested.
“I’m the party A. Party A, Asilia Cornel, and Party B, Cassion Yeager, enter into a time-limited contract marriage. The terms of the contract are as follows.”
“It’s been a long time since I needed dictation, so there’s no need to recite it, wife.”
“Turn the paper this way, will you? You’re not secretly writing other clauses, are you?”
“Looks like I’m getting a very suspicious wife. An excellent trait for survival.”
Despite saying this, he doesn’t turn the paper and keeps dawdling, so I move my chair to a new position. I’m going to check every single thing he writes.
“That’s too vague. Contract clauses should be as clear as possible.”
“Wife, when do you think would be good for the wedding?”
“The amount… Let’s leave it blank for now. It’s better to record it as a percentage rather than an exact number. We don’t know how much the ducal assets will grow.”
“Asilia, you’re beautiful, so any dress will suit you well. You’re smart, so you know it’s pointless to delay the wedding date for a custom-made dress, right?”
“Don’t write ‘won’t have an heir,’ write ‘won’t lay a hand on each other.’ Do you know how big the difference is between the two?”
I rushed to scrutinize the contract he wrote before the ink even dried. After some modifications, a satisfactory contract was completed. This should do.
“The wedding will be tomorrow.”
“I’m very pleased. It seems I’ve acquired a fine Duchess.”
“Don’t forget it’s temporary.”
As I glare at him, he bursts into laughter.
Four days after my first wedding with the Marquis, I’m set to have a new wedding with the mad Duke who killed my husband.
