Chapter 17: Playing Married
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 17: Playing Married
The next morning, I knocked on the Grand Duke’s door early.
Why isn’t he answering?
Just as I was about to knock again, I heard a loud clatter from inside. A moment later, the door swung open.
The Grand Duke stood there, looking flustered. He was wearing a shirt and vest, with a cravat hanging loosely around his neck.
“Lady?”
“Good morning, Your Grace. By the way, didn’t you agree to call me by a different name starting today?”
As I leaned toward him, he hastily took a step back.
“What is the matter?”
“I thought we might have breakfast together.”
“I do not usually eat breakfast.”
“Ah… I see.”
I gave a half-hearted response while peering through the gap in the door. Eventually, the Grand Duke gave in and opened the door the rest of the way.
“For now, please come in.”
I didn’t hesitate and stepped right into the room. The Grand Duke was alone. It seemed he didn’t call for servants or valets even when he was getting dressed.
“It looks like you were in the middle of changing. Did I come too early? How rude of me.”
“……No, it is fine.”
The Grand Duke gave me a look that seemed to ask if I really meant that, yet he remained perfectly polite.
“Are you trying to tie your cravat?”
Seeing the fabric dangling beneath his long neckline, my eyes sparkled as I approached him. This was a perfect opportunity for a little skinship.
“Shall I tie it for you?”
“What? N-no, that is quite alright.”
The Grand Duke raised the back of his hand to his neck as if guarding himself against my sudden proximity.
“I’m actually very good at tying knots.”
“I know how to tie one myself.”
“No, I mean I’m really good at it.”
I wasn’t just saying that; I truly was an expert at tying neckwear.
I even went out of my way to learn!
It was back when I was filming a commercial for a game set in the Middle Ages. The client had thrown a fit because the model’s cravat looked messy, so I had looked up every knotting technique on the internet right then and there to fix it. I still remembered at least one of the techniques I used on set that day.
I definitely had a talent for it! For some reason, the knots only looked pretty when I tied them, so I ended up having to tie them all day instead of the head stylist.
Looking at him now, it seemed the Grand Duke usually tied his cravat haphazardly since he didn’t have a valet.
That won’t do! Details are the lifeblood of fashion!
On a film set, my daily routine involved finding flaws—checking if a model’s eyebrows were drawn correctly or if there were any wrinkles or loose threads on the clothes. Perhaps because of that, I couldn’t stand seeing such minor things out of place even in the real world.
Is this a professional habit?
Come to think of it, even while talking to the Grand Duke yesterday, that poorly tied cravat had been bothering me.
“I’ll tie it really beautifully for you!”
The Grand Duke let out a deep groan.
“……I am used to doing everything alone. It is more comfortable that way.”
“But I want to try… I haven’t had the chance to tie one anywhere else. It’s not like I can just go around tying cravats for any random man.”
At the mention of "other men," the Grand Duke’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
Sigh.
Then, as if resigning himself to his fate, he leaned slightly toward me.
“Is this low enough?”
Haha. He acts like he doesn’t care, but he’s surprisingly soft-hearted.
I took hold of the cravat hanging around his neck. At the sensation of my hands pulling the fabric, his entire body stiffened like a wooden doll. He was so tense that it felt like he might snap if I touched him the wrong way.
“You don’t have to be so nervous. It’ll be over soon.”
I gripped the fabric firmly and began to form the knot.
“Are you finished yet?”
“Just a moment. Let’s see, you wrap this part like this…”
I was sure I remembered it in my head, but tying it after so long proved difficult. I held the fabric with both hands, fiddling with it and turning it this way and that for quite a while.
“I-I will just do it myself.”
I looked up at the Grand Duke; the skin around his neck was flushed bright red.
“Oh dear, I’m sorry. Did I pull too hard?”
“……No. It is just… please, hurry.”
The Grand Duke jerked his head away, avoiding my eyes. Before I knew it, even his ears had turned a shade of pink.
Oh my, how cute!
Wasn’t he around ten years old when he inherited the curse? Since then, he probably hadn’t even held a woman’s hand properly… No, wait, after we held hands for the first time yesterday, every single one of his reactions was incredibly pure.
“Wait a second. If I just loop this through here… Done! Take a look in the mirror!”
It felt like it had taken over five minutes, but regardless, the knot was finished and looked quite nice. When I gently pushed him toward the mirror, he flinched at the touch on his back.
“Please stop touching me.”
The Grand Duke grumbled softly as he stepped in front of the mirror.
“What do you think? Much more handsome, right?”
And it was true. The cravat, with its full loop in the front and elegant folds cascading down, made him look far more sophisticated.
“……You are quite skilled with your hands.”
“I hear that a lot.”
I shrugged, looking proud of myself.
“I’ll tie it in a different style for you next time.”
“Once is enough.”
The Grand Duke’s lukewarm response made it clear he was extremely uncomfortable with my overly friendly behavior.
He probably thinks I have no pride, acting like this despite being the daughter of a Marquis.
But I didn’t care. To me, the Grand Duke was essentially a new client I had been assigned to.
He’s my only lifeline; I have to establish a good relationship with him somehow.
「Goal: Befriend the Shy Client」
Once I set that as my objective, my motivation caught fire. How many years had I spent catering to the whims of all sorts of clients?
Pride? Face? Those things had long since been worn away by years of emotional labor.
I just need to get close enough so that he won’t cast me out even if the Marquis commits treason later.
The days here were long. If this were before my transmigration, I would have already finished two meetings, gone to a client consultation, written a report, been chewed out by my team leader, and received three calls about issues from vendors. Here, I just took occasional walks and drank tea.
That meant I had more than enough time to pester the Grand Duke. I had already planned to visit him at least three times a day—morning, noon, and night—to achieve my goal.
I’ll drain his mana whenever I can to make his body feel light as a feather! I’ll make it so that if I ever say I’m leaving Blenheim, he’ll beg me to stay.
I looked at the Grand Duke with sparkling eyes and asked, “I smelled something delicious when I was coming up the stairs. Aren’t you curious about the breakfast menu?”
“As I told you, I do not usually eat breakfast.”
“That’s a shame. If I don’t eat breakfast, I’m too hungry to even walk. You have a lot of work to do, Your Grace, so it would be very good for you to eat.”
“Lady, no… Grand Duchess.”
The Grand Duke massaged his brow as if exhausted, but seeing me glare at him, he reluctantly corrected the title.
“The servants of the Grand Duke’s Castle are tight-lipped. There is no need for you to go to such lengths to play married.”
“Play married?”
I tilted my head and said, “I just want to have breakfast with you, Your Grace.”
At my clear, innocent gaze—devoid of any ulterior motives—the Grand Duke’s mouth clamped shut like a clam.
“The clam soup we had yesterday morning was delicious, but they probably won’t serve it again today, right? Actually, I wouldn’t mind eating the same thing two days in a row.”
Finally, the Grand Duke spoke through gritted teeth.
“Let us go. I will eat.”
“Good choice. Skipping meals is bad for your health.”
Seeing the Grand Duke looking as if his soul had been sucked out of him since early morning, I raised my hand.
“Then, will you escort me?”
“To… the dining hall?”
“I’m wearing high heels today.”
I pointedly lifted my foot a little.
“If I don’t have an escort and I happen to trip…”
“……I understand, so please stop.”
Even after answering, the Grand Duke hesitated for a long time before finally, reluctantly, offering his arm. The moment I placed my hand on his arm, I flinched at the sensation of muscle that was much firmer than I had expected.
“A-are you hurt?”
The Grand Duke pulled his arm back in surprise.
“No, I was just startled. Your arm is incredibly solid, Your Grace.”
At those words, the Grand Duke’s face, which had finally calmed down after the cravat incident, instantly flushed red again.
“Shall we go?”
And so, I was escorted to the dining hall by the Grand Duke. When I entered the room with my arm linked in his, the eyes of the servants waiting to serve us went wide.
Amidst the surprise, only Whitley remained unfazed, quickly barking orders to the servants. It seemed the Grand Duke was not supposed to be in the same space as female servants; the maids quickly exited the dining hall, and footmen took their places.
Surprisingly, my first breakfast with the Grand Duke was quite pleasant. Perhaps it was because it was my first time eating with someone else in this vast dining hall, but I felt quite excited.
I thought I was the 'solitary gourmet' type.
Before I moved out on my own, my family of six had fought like soldiers every day over a cramped dining table. When I started living alone and eating by myself, I couldn't have been happier. Even at work, I ate alone because I didn't want to be disturbed during my mealtime.
But after coming here and eating alone, the feeling wasn't exactly pleasant.
Was it because there was someone across from me? My appetite was suddenly stimulated, and I ended up devouring two slices of the strawberry cake served for dessert.
“Do you like cake?”
That was the first question the Grand Duke had initiated. He had put his fork down a long time ago.
“I like the strawberries more than the cake itself. I love fruit.”
I spoke while neatly scraping up the last bits of strawberry left on my plate.
“I felt this yesterday too, but why are the strawberries in Blenheim so delicious?”
“They were likely brought in from Rondoris.”
“I see. I’d love to visit Rondoris someday! I heard it’s a very beautiful place. I wonder if I’ll be able to go once for your wedding, Your Grace?”
The Grand Duke, who happened to be drinking water at that moment, began to cough violently.
“I’m just joking.”
The Grand Duke looked so appalled that his jaw muscles bulged from how tightly he clamped his mouth shut.
I let out a playful laugh as I watched his crimson face.
This "client" was certainly going to be fun to win over.