ETDO Chapter 31

Charlotte furrowed her brow slightly.

“But Ethan has no interest in marrying me, Your Highness.”

She felt a pang of injustice as she responded. 

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Wasn’t it Ethan who was interested in another woman, let alone marriage? How could he, in his right mind, dance with his brother’s wife in front of so many people, with his fiancée present? She had pretended to be unfazed, overhearing the whispers, but she hadn’t been able to lift her head that day.

Moreover, Ethan hadn’t even danced with her that day. And frankly, that was even more humiliating.

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She couldn’t tolerate anything that would tarnish the reputation of the Wellington Ducal family, nor anything that would sully her future honor as the Duchess of Berwick. She had confronted Ethan about it, but he hadn’t understood at all.

“I know. But if the Imperial family applies some pressure soon, it might not be entirely impossible.”

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Charlotte’s face brightened instantly. The Crown Prince watched her with an amused expression.

“In return, Lady Wellington, you will report everything about the Beaufort twins and the Duchess to me. Any internal problems, whom they meet, what they’re worried about, everything.”

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The Crown Prince stepped closer to her, looked down at her intently, and added firmly,

“Thoroughly, without missing a single detail.”

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“Yes, Your Highness.”

Seeing the chilling glint in his blue eyes, so similar to Ethan’s, she barely managed to answer in a trembling voice. 

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─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

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Under the early summer sun, now hot enough to sting, I wore a large, wide-brimmed hat to shield myself. The gentle breeze carried the sweet scent of flowers, pleasantly tickling my nose. I had made time to sit out on the spacious terrace with Mrs. Wilson for a while.

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That morning, the elderly physician, the former Duchess’s doctor, had visited at Mrs. Wilson’s arrangement. The physician, with his full head of white hair, was still in good health despite having retired some time ago. He examined me thoroughly and gave his diagnosis.

“There’s nothing physically wrong with you. Although you were seriously ill as a child, it’s difficult to conclude that your current condition is a direct aftereffect of that illness. It could be due to psychological stress or some other cause. For now, it would be best to relax and avoid anything that might cause you mental strain.”

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The physician then prescribed me a herbal tea he had blended himself, along with some oils to take. He advised me to take them regularly until his next visit, and then he left.

“Madam!”

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A voice calling me drew my attention away from the letter I was holding from my mother. A smile still lingered on my lips from reading the everyday greetings and trivial stories about what was happening around her.

Mary, who had run in excitedly, started setting the teacups, teapots, and other things on the table. I smiled at her and folded the letter, placing it neatly on the table.

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Mary had returned from her hometown a few days ago, but she hadn’t fully resumed her duties as my personal maid. It was because I felt uncomfortable, given the awkwardness caused by Ethan. Mrs. Wilson had only partially assigned her the task of attending to me.

In fact, ever since that first night with Ethan, Mrs. Wilson had taken over the management of my bedroom. Every time, without showing any reaction, she would personally remove the soiled bedsheets and then summon the maids to supervise the rest of the cleaning meticulously.

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She might have asked a question just once, but she kept her lips tightly sealed, almost stubbornly.

Sometimes, I wondered if her loyalty was too blind, to the point of completely ignoring even such things, but as someone with secrets to hide, I couldn’t do anything about it. Guilt gnawed at me, but it was better for her to pretend not to know, so I shamelessly chose to remain silent as well.

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In any case, Mary had become noticeably more affectionate towards me since the incident. If she had previously treated me simply as the official mistress of the manor, now it felt like she had developed a personal fondness for me as a person.

Mrs. Wilson expertly poured the brewed tea into the teacups and placed one in front of me.

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“Please have some, Madam. Be careful, it’s still hot.”

I nodded. While waiting for the tea to cool down, I picked up a savory cookie and turned to Mary.

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“So, tell me. How was your younger sister’s wedding?”

“It was wonderful! Thanks to you, Madam. Thank you again.”

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Mary bowed deeply, and I waved my hand dismissively with a smile, indicating it was alright, and Mrs. Wilson also smiled. Everyone at the Duke’s manor knew that Mary had gotten special permission to rush back to her hometown.

“Was your sister happy?”

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“Yes! She’s been very fond of the groom for a long time. That man, he held out on getting married for so long, I guess this was meant to be!”

Mary chattered like a cheerful songbird, a bright smile on her face.

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“You said he was your friend’s older brother? Why didn’t you help them get together if your sister liked him?”

“Of course, I tried my best to play matchmaker. Actually, the problem was that her brother was too shy. I mean, they already knew each other, but he couldn’t even talk to her properly, he was always so nervous and kept avoiding her… and my sister was frustrated, so she kept nagging me about it.”

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I smiled faintly, imagining the situation. Mary excitedly continued her chatter.

“Seeing how pathetic they were, my friend gave her brother an ultimatum before leaving for the capital with me. She said that if there was no progress by the time she returned, she wouldn’t let either of them off the hook. Thanks to Alice’s fierce threat, her brother finally found the courage…”

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Mary, with her words pouring out like a waterfall, suddenly stopped. Seeing Mary glance at Mrs. Wilson, I asked,

“And?”

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“Ah, yes, so, that foolish man finally worked up the courage. After waiting for so many years, they finally got their happy ending.”

I tilted my head, watching Mary’s restless hands fidgeting with her apron.

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“I see. That’s good. Does your friend also work in the capital like you?”

“Uh… yes, well, she…”

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“Lily!”

A familiar voice rang out from nearby, interrupting Mary just as she was about to answer. It was a voice full of anticipation.

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“Are you done with your checkup? What did the doctor say?”

Mary was startled and quickly took two steps back behind the garden table. Arthur hurried over, kissed my cheek, and plopped down on the chair beside me.

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Mrs. Wilson took Arthur’s cane, placed it neatly beside him, gathered the teacups, and gave a short curtsy. Mary, who had been standing awkwardly beside us, also bowed quickly and darted after Mrs. Wilson.

“So, tell me, Lily. How was the checkup?”

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tilted my head, watching their backs as they retreated with lightning speed, then turned my gaze to Arthur, who was sitting beside me, his eyes sparkling with anticipation as he waited for my explanation.

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─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

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We returned to our daily routines. The twins were incredibly busy with the management of their respective territories, as well as the Beaufort family business. This was because they had started new ventures in addition to their existing ones.

Even though Arthur had more or less resolved the chaotic situation in his territory, he still had a mountain of work ahead of him. There was no end to the matters requiring his decisions, so he often found himself stuck in his studies late into the night.

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Ethan’s situation wasn’t much different from Arthur’s. The territory bestowed upon him by the Emperor needed to be reorganized under its new owner, and he was also swamped with work as Arthur’s business partner. In addition, the reorganization and inspection of the military often required him to be away from the ducal estate.

Both twins grumbled and reluctantly left for their duties. It wasn’t just the heavy workload that annoyed them, but also the decrease in the time they could spend rolling around in bed with me. Thanks to this, I was freed from the twins and could finally enjoy some time to myself for the first time in a while.

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Besides managing the household affairs of the ducal estate and tending to the garden, I spent most of my time leisurely. With James and Mrs. Wilson as my reliable and veteran support, there was no reason for me to worry.

Since I didn’t enjoy parties or social gatherings in the first place, there wasn’t much for me to do, and Arthur had already given me permission not to attend every social event if I didn’t want to.

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Of course, I was politely declining numerous invitations, but that didn’t mean I could ignore every single one. Events hosted by the Imperial Family were mandatory for everyone unless there were unavoidable circumstances.

The first such event was the horse racing. We headed to the Imperial Racecourse on the third day, which was said to offer the most exciting and interesting spectacle. Having never seen horse racing before, my eyes widened in amazement.

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Upon arriving by carriage, we headed to the entrance of the stands, which were accessible only to nobles. Separated from the general spectator seats on the third floor, it was a slightly protruding building designed for better viewing, with strictly controlled access.

We passed through the entrance and went up another level to the Royal Box, reserved for the Imperial Family, and exchanged greetings with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, and some elderly members of the Imperial family whom I had never met before.

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We sat down together in suitable seats. Watching from above was quite enjoyable. The seats beyond the racetrack were also packed with people.

The area overflowed with men in morning coats, silk hats, and suits, and noblewomen in glamorous dresses and colorful hats. Arthur, looking through the day’s program, turned to me.

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“Lily, which horse do you want to bet on?”

My eyes widened in surprise.

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