Married To A Savage Duke

Aside from the Marquis, Cherryl decided not to attach much meaning to marriage. It was actually difficult to think of it as something special because it was a rope that she had chosen to get out of the worst situation. But if she told the princess that she never imagined herself in a white wedding dress, it would be a lie. She vaguely remembered a scene of taking one step at a time to the calm melody of the piano as her heart pounded heavily due to the pledge she would make in front of the podium before kissing the Grand Duke. As the wedding approached, she used to imagine how nervous she would feel on the day itself.

“Help me.” Cherryl, who was standing while hugging the bedpost, blinked, her voice sounding pained. As she imagined that special day over and over again, she felt no excitement or palpitation. The only pain in the back.

“It’s a corset that you must wear on such a special day, My Lady. I hope you can endure it.” Lily said as she pulled the string behind her back mercilessly. Defeated, Cherryl retorted.

“I don’t want to wear it. I want to take off this piece of cloth right now——-”

“Ho-ho. You’re a girl, too. It’s your wedding, so, of course, you have to wear it! You’re just saying something weird because you’re nervous, My Lady.”

At last, the distressing moment was over. The sound of crossing and tying cords was heard in the background but the situation hadn’t improved. Cherryl breathed like a woman trapped in a box with only one small hole. Something must have gone wrong.

“Is this normal that I can’t seem to breathe?”

“Don’t worry. You’ll get used to it.”

After the torture, Lily hummed out of the bedroom. No other devil could make her suffer like this. Standing in front of the bed, Cherryl made a crying sound. “I can’t even walk on the wedding aisle at this rate.”

Cherryl looked at Lucy who was standing by the window wearing the most sympathetic expression.

“The guests might see a dying bride, not a beautiful one.”

Maybe she felt sorry to hear her whine, Lucy came up and loosened the strings a little, allowing her to breathe. “Please don’t tell Lily that I loosened it up in secret, My Lady. She emphasized that the dress would look prettier when the waist is tightened as much as possible.”

What must come first should be her breathing room and not the wedding gown’s appearance. Cherryl felt this violent urge to kick the human being who developed this cursed thing. She snapped Lucy’s hand. “I’ll never tell on you. I’m so glad you’re next to me on a day like this.”

“My Lady.”

The sound of the hanger’s wheels rolling came from beyond the door as tearful impressions came and went. It was time to put on her wedding dress, the pinnacle of the wedding.

***

The fortress of the Blkanov family, which had existed since the 9th century, had always been treated as a national precedent. Nevertheless, the Blkanov Castle never had as many guests as it was today compared to recent decades. Groups of twos and threes were already gathered in the spacious garden and most of them were aristocrats from high-ranking families. They were not only influential people. They also had a solid position within the empire, such as businessmen who ran large-scale businesses and professors at academies. They had different opinions on the marriage, but they seemed to want to see the ceremony of the young lord, who was solidifying the foundations of the North.

“Wow. Is this the glass greenhouse that you said was under construction?”

The aristocrats, who had taken a special interest in the building, spat out exclamations while gawking at the greenhouse’s interior design.

“From the design process, we put in several designers and architects who studied abroad must have had enough money.” The glass greenhouse, which was well over 5 meters high, could easily accommodate 200 guests. The pointed gable roof and walls of the greenhouse, woven with dark wooden frames, were made of opaque glass so that the inside couldn’t be seen. It was a unique building that still blended against the eerie backdrop of Blkanov Castle. On the other hand, the interior design of the greenhouse felt was like a completely different world. Even if the glass was specially treated, she could see what was outside clearly from the inside. The sky beyond the transparent surface was very blue, but it wasn’t the clear sky that caught the attention of those who raised their gazes. The sight of countless pale purple flowers hanging from the high ceiling in lines captivated all guests at once. The chandelier at the center was shaped by round crystals on dozens of golden branches, which harmonized with the surrounding flower decorations. The slack-jawed nobles walked along the wedding aisle stretching to the podium, admiring the gorgeous scene in wonder.

“That’s weird. I know it’s a lot of work, but it’s a little too much for a one-off ceremony. Why did Archduke Blkanov build such a greenhouse?”

“Are you stupid? Why are you even asking that after coming to his wedding? Of course, he made it for the bride.”

“That’s the most shocking part. The Archduke isn’t a priest who acts altruistically for others.”

Subtle silence ensued in the greenhouse. Those who spoke were members of a business social club, who had several face-to-face encounters with Cade, thanks to a club invitation sent with congratulations the moment Cade succeeded the Dukedom. They initially thought he would ignore it, but to their surprise, he accepted their invitation. After that, he often showed up at banquets and gatherings. This allowed aristocratic businessmen, including the Marquis Milrose, to interact with him for quite a long time. A cold-hearted man. That was all the impression they got from Cade. He was not a man who knew how to make a beautiful glass greenhouse that moved women’s hearts.