I Married the Mad Duke Who Killed My Husband - Chapter 9
“It seems like there have been fewer applicants since you’ve been standing firm.”
“If they want to be employed by the Duke’s household, they need to adapt to me as well.”
Cassion told me to rest for a few more days, but I didn’t want to postpone the schedule.
Wearing a small hat tilted to cover my wounds, and long gloves reaching up to my elbows, with the Duke accompanying me behind, it must have been quite intimidating as I sat for the interviews.
Some applicants turned back at the door, and not a few people who made it into the room fumbled their interviews after seeing the Duke standing there imposingly.
At this rate, I wonder if we’ll end up composing the Duke’s household with only people as gutsy as that doctor.
“More importantly, shouldn’t you hire more maids? One seems too few.”
“I wasn’t even going to hire that one. Besides, I’m someone who will be leaving this place, and you’ve seen what kind of house I grew up in. I don’t really need to be waited on.”
If anything, being waited on is more troublesome. But thinking that I’d need help with dressing for future events like banquets to save time, I only hired one maid who seemed to have good sense.
“…You don’t have to emphasize that you’re ‘someone who will be leaving’ like that.”
“What are you muttering about?”
Anyway, after several days of interviews, we finally hired all the necessary staff for the mansion. As I was organizing the list of employees, Cassion was grumbling about something he didn’t like.
“Was there someone you didn’t approve of? You should have said so earlier.”
“It’s fine. It’s not that.”
Then what is he furrowing his brow about?
“If you don’t have any complaints, since we finished early, why don’t we go out together?”
“I told you to rest, and now you want to go gallivanting around again?”
“Oh, come on, all this nagging over a few scratches…”
“Nagging! Even knights wouldn’t call injuries like that mere scratches!”
I’ve heard the word ‘rest’ so many times that my ears might start growing calluses. As I pouted, he shouted back, even more agitated.
“It’s not like anything’s broken.”
For a commoner-born war hero, he sure makes a fuss over a few scrapes and bruises. Ignoring his exasperated expression, I tugged on his sleeve, and he did follow.
“Where exactly are you trying to go?”
“On a date.”
I quickly linked arms with him as he came out of the room, following my lead. As expected, he flinched but couldn’t shake me off.
“It’s been almost a week since we got married, but apart from going to the boutique on the first day, we haven’t shown our faces to people much. We need to display some lovey-dovey behavior at this point to quell rumors about our marriage being fake…”
We need to secure public opinion before my family can come up with any excuses to deny or acknowledge the marriage.
“And I’m craving something sweet right now. I’d like to go to a dessert shop.”
But public opinion aside, I was also curious about the cake shop that had reportedly opened nearby a few days ago. In fact, I haven’t had cake in this life, except in my previous one.
“A dessert shop…? Do men even go to such places?”
“It’s fine if it’s for a date.”
Actually, I don’t know. But I stubbornly pulled him along and told the newly hired servant to call for a carriage.
“You said you don’t know your food preferences well, right? This is a chance to try something.”
The chef is excellent, but his skills are more focused on the main dishes.
When I said that, Cassion, with a reluctant look, gently held my bandaged hand under the glove to escort me, being careful not to hurt it. I smiled as I followed him into the carriage.
“Besides, they say eating well helps you heal faster. Anyway, I said I want to eat it.”
The thought of eating something sweet and pretty lifts my mood. Seeing my expression, Cassion gradually smoothed out his furrowed brow.
“If that’s the case, you could just say you want to eat it.”
“It’s not just that I want to eat, I want to go together with you.”
We need to kill two birds with one stone by spreading rumors about the Duke and Duchess. Plus, without the Duke, I have no friends and would have to eat alone.
“…You say such things so easily.”
“I don’t think wanting to eat dessert is such an outrageous thing to say.”
Is it because noble ladies usually pay attention to their figures? But even so, they all eat a dessert or two. I don’t understand what Cassion found so strange about it.
“Ah, there it is! Luckily, there aren’t many people since it’s early.”
I was worried we might have to wait in line, but it seems there are still seats available, probably because it’s before lunchtime. Even from the outside, the romantic white interior decor made Cassion’s expression darken slightly.
“There… I have to go in there?”
“The best date spots are always a bit embarrassing. Come on, smile and escort me properly.”
The carriage had already stopped in front of the shop, but Cassion seemed frozen, not getting out. I pushed him lightly. He stumbled out, nearly falling, and mechanically offered his hand to help me down.
“Get it together. Remember, from now on, we’re in the public eye.”
“…Alright.”
Indeed, as soon as we got out of the carriage and entered the shop, I could feel subtle gazes… Unfortunately for Cassion, there were no other men present. Well, it happens.
“Welcome. I’ll show you to your seats.”
The waiter approached and spoke to me without being flustered by Cassion’s presence. But I wanted to look at the display case visible over his shoulder.
“It’s okay. We’ll sit after looking around a bit.”
“Then, may I take your coat and hat?”
“It’s a bit chilly inside. I’ll keep them on. How about you, honey?”
“Hm?”
“You should probably give them your coat, honey.”
I poked his side gently, which had stiffened even more at the frilly interior decor. He reflexively handed his outer garment to the waiter. While the waiter was moving our coats to our table, I led him to the dessert display case.
“Wow… Look at this. It’s so pretty. Everything looks delicious.”
“…It is pretty, indeed.”
Under the bright lights, cakes topped with expensive fruits and other desserts were lined up. It’s better than I expected. Cassion, finally seeming a bit interested, bent his large frame to look at the display case with me.
“Is this even food?”
“Those are macarons. Shall we order some?”
“They’re so small. Do you eat them one by one?”
“When you come to a place like this, you’re supposed to buy several small portions. We need to try different kinds.”
“Still, they’re too small. Order more.”
“Should we get one of each from this row? Can you eat a lot? I’ll just have a bite of each.”
“Order the bottom row too.”
As I thought at the boutique, he seems to be quite a good shopping companion. He never holds back, you could say. His earlier stiffness at the interior decor seemed like a lie as he now looked at the desserts I was explaining with interested eyes. He looked a bit cute, like a young boy.
“Please give us one of each from the first and second rows, and for the macarons… four of each flavor. Do you have any cold tea?”
“Pardon?”
“Don’t you have cold tea?”
“Ah, no. We have black tea that’s been cold-steeped with honey and milk added.”
“We’ll have that. Let’s go, honey. That table looks nice.”
“Isn’t it too little?”
“Let’s try these first and order more if needed.”
Leaving the bewildered waiter behind, I pulled him away from the display case he was looking at one more time. The table was perfect, a spacious one with a view outside.
“Honey, you should sit next to me.”
I guided him to sit beside me as he was about to sit across from me reflexively. We deliberately sat side by side, leaning on each other’s shoulders to act like a lovey-dovey couple.
The pre-prepared desserts quickly filled the table. However, perhaps because we ordered so much, the patissier rushed out from the back.
“I hope it suits your taste, Madam…”
The patissier, who greeted me nervously, seemed unsure how to address Cassion, who looked out of place in such an establishment.
His fame might be well-known, but he hasn’t been back in the capital long since returning from the battlefield, so his face isn’t widely recognized yet.
“This is His Grace, the Duke.”
“Ah, yes! Your Grace! It’s an honor! Please, if there’s anything unsatisfactory, feel free to let us know!”
As I leaned my head on his shoulder and smiled with my eyes, the patissier flinched in surprise but bowed so low he almost folded in half.
It seemed like the surroundings went quiet for a moment as I revealed Cassion’s identity. Successful.
“Honey, try this first. You were curious about it, weren’t you?”
Ignoring the numerous glances around us, I picked up a delicate pink macaron. I was just going to hand it to him, but when Cassion naturally opened his mouth, I thought ‘What the heck’ and fed it to him. He chomped down on it in one bite.
I don’t know much since I haven’t tried them before, but shouldn’t you eat them in small bites? Won’t it be too sweet eating it like that?
“Hmm. It’s edible.”
“…Is that so?”
But Cassion’s palate seemed unexpectedly childlike. This time, he turned his gaze towards a cake with artistically piped cream filling.
Noticing his gaze, I cut a small piece with my fork and held it out to him, and he eagerly ate it.
…Something seems backwards here.
“This isn’t bad either. But the previous one had a crispy texture that I liked better. You should try it too.”
Yeah, you jerk. I was terrified for a moment, thinking I might have to feed you desserts all day long without getting to taste any myself. I finally put down my fork and opened my mouth.
“Aah-”
When I made a sound indicating I wanted to be fed, he flinched, pulling his shoulders back and staring at me. Seeing his wavering pupils, I glared at him slightly with my eyes. If I only feed you, it’ll look like I’m serving you. Hurry up and feed me.
“…Ahem…”
As if it were a big deal, he carefully selected a macaron color and timidly brought it to my mouth. Since I couldn’t swallow it whole like he did, I bit into it, and his finger lightly brushed my lips. As he said, it was crispy and sweet.
“Maybe we should have ordered something a bit more bitter to drink, other than the honey tea.”
It’s fine, but I think it might get cloying if we’re going to eat all the other desserts too. As I belatedly regretted my menu choices, he rubbed his fingers together and averted his gaze.
“…Just order that too.”
“Shall we?”
I grinned. It wasn’t easy to ignore the people who stopped in their tracks outside the shop, looking at us with shocked expressions, but it was amusing.
