Chapter 5 A Deal

The maids are busy preparing me for my wedding and it's been hours. I thought that getting ready for my debutante was long enough but this is longer. My butt is killing me. I have been sitting for hours and they haven't stopped doing things on my body.

My mother then came into the room and sat on the chair across from me. "After you get married make sure you won't embarrass our name" My mother's cold voice gave shivers to my spine.

"Yes Mother" I replied as if I was whispering to the wind. Erin then flicked her fingers and some lads came in while carrying my wedding dress.

It was a long white wedding gown that was simple yet elegant. I was astonished at the sight of my wedding dress.

At the very least, they spent a lot of money on my wedding dress. "You should be grateful, we spent a lot just for your wedding even though you're useless"

"Yes Mother" I replied.

My wedding is today but I feel nothing whenever I think about leaving this place. Since Katy will be coming with me to the north, I do not have any attachments left from this place. I just feel nervous that I will be living with the Duke. After our encounter, it seemed that the Duke would not be killing me anytime soon after our wedding.

I'll try and negotiate with him regarding our marriage, hopefully, the duke will let me go after serving as his wife for a few years. With that thought in mind, another hope is in sight.

"The time is near, change her" My mother's cold voice was heard. The maids who kept doing things in my body and hair stopped. I stood from my seat and faced the wedding dress, I raised both of my hands and the maids did what they had to do.

"In case that you are not listening, I will repeat what I said. Don't do anything that will embarrass our name on the North"

She said while watching every movement of the maids. She was making sure that they wouldn't make any mistakes. For the first time in my entire life, I got the courage to look at my mother straight in the eyes.

"Did you know that this is the first thing that you have given me, Mother?" I asked, pertaining to the wedding dress.

Erin gave me an uninterested look. "That is why you should be thankful, you're not worth any penny but still as a mother, I was kind enough to buy you your own wedding dress," My mother said, and that almost made me laugh.

'You bought me my own wedding dress not because you're obliged to but because you are afraid to be criticized by another woman in the high society

Arthur's POV

"Can you tell me why I should go through this again?" I asked my butler Charles.

"She is the only woman that you paid attention to and for the elders to shut up," Charles said while serving me some tea.

"Why do I have to get married when I can adopt someone to be an heir of the family?" I asked again, frustrated that I had to get married when I made it clear that I was not interested in having a wife.

There is no need for this blood to continue. "Don't make that kind of face in front of the lady Duke, it's disgusting" Charles said disturbing me from my thoughts.

"When is our next monster subjugation?" I asked while fixing my tie.

"It's not set yet why?" He replied while giving me a confused look.

"Just wondering if the monster's hunger will ease after they ate you," I said using my most serious tone.

"H-hey don't joke like that! Besides you can't do that" He said confidently after fixing the cup that I used for drinking tea.

"How so?" I asked raising a brow at him.

"You'll be so lonely without me" He teased and ran straight outside the room.

I shook my head in disgust at what he said. I took my pocket watch and put it inside my black coat. I looked myself at in the mirror and sighed. "I'm really getting married, well I hope the future duchess can accept the family and not run away from it" I whispered to myself and left the room.

Beatrice Blanche, they said she was the ugly duckling of the family and they said that she was crazy but that was not what I saw at her debut. She has a pure aura around her, almost as if she is the most awaited saint to descend after years. Charles was right, after our encounter in the pond she was the only woman who caught my attention. It was not my intention to intervene in their conversation with the second prince but I did not like the way Edward looked at her.

The most interesting thing that caught my attention was not her beauty but it was her scars that they wanted to hide under makeup. It seems that Duke Blanche is not respectable as the rumors say.

I only accepted this marriage to shut up those old geezers in the family. I chose Beatrice to keep an eye on the Blanche family but it seems that they are throwing away their daughter. Well, that was all my assumption.

As I opened the door where I should wait for the bride, I saw Charles looking around the room seriously.

"What are you doing?" I asked curiously.

"Just checking around to check if there is something suspicious. It's better to be safe, you know Duke Blanche's personality," he said and I sighed.

"Don't worry, they won't do that. They won't like to be embarrassed at the party after being caught by me of all people" I replied.

"Well that's true, the Duke is not that stupid. I should go, it's around time the future duchess will arrive" He said after checking his pocket watch. I nodded at him and he left.

After a few minutes, Beatrice arrived and I was speechless. She looked so stunning that people who believed she was the ugly duckling felt stupid. "Greetings to the Grand Duke Lionel"

I awkwardly smiled at her and guided her to sit down while we waited for the time our wedding would start. As we sat quietly in the room she kept eyeing me from time to time which made me feel nervous.

Me nervous? That's impossible. I coughed and looked at her. "How are you feeling?" I asked. Why the hell that I ask her that? I should have asked if she was nervous at all.

She looked at me, shocked at my question and I just smiled at her awkwardly. She immediately changed her expression from being shocked to looking serious. I also looked at her seriously, sensing that she wanted to tell me something. She sighed and looked back at me.

"I want to make a deal Duke Lionel"