He proclaimed me as the new Duchess of Carnoire in front of all his servants.

I still couldn’t believe the fact that I was going to be the Duchess.

Quite dazed, I followed Zahid into the castle.

He brought me to what I wanted without me having to say it out loud.

“I assume you’re wondering where your siblings are at.”

He took me into a rather cozy corridor.

When he opened the door to what seemed to be a bedroom, I saw Cheryl and Ethan snoozing in the bed.

Clean as fresh linen, they had been washed and dressed in brand new pajamas.

Ethan’s scarred forehead was dressed meticulously with white bandages.

There they lay, ever so peacefully; snuggled under heavy blankets, snoring quietly like washed-up deerlings.

Having been worried sick in case they would be confused and frightened, I was finally able to let out a sigh of relief.

Dymon, the butler that wasn’t at the entrance with everyone else, had been taking care of the kids the entire time.

He came up to Zahid and me, greeting us with a brief nod.

I returned my belated greetings after craning to see the twins better.

Dymon filled us in brief about the results of the medical examination.

Ethan’s insides were slightly damaged as I had feared, but soft food along with a good rest would get him feeling better in a few days.

“What a relief……”

It almost felt like I had swallowed a spoonful of warm soup after being sick. Worried sick, to be more accurate.

Once again, I took a deep breath as the tension drained from my limbs.

Zahid, who had been carefully studying me, tossed a comment.

“You seem to care for your siblings dearly.”

I turned my head and looked him in the eyes.

“Thanks to your kindness, sire……”

“Sire?”

He interrupted, slightly lowering his tone, and put on a subtle smile.

“I told you not to be so distant with me, Aerta.”

I felt chills travel down my spine at the unanticipated flirting.

The awkwardness made me stiffen up like a wooden puppet.

He lifted his eyebrows.

He had done as I had asked and seemed confused as to what was wrong.

He was indeed playing his part perfectly.

He seemed to have a talent for acting as well - such a typical protagonist.

Stuttering awkwardly, I responded to his unspoken question.

“I, I mean…… I’m sorry, Zahid. I’m still not quite used to all of this…… You know……”

He playfully tapped the end of my nose with his finger.

“Freshen up, and I’ll see you in my office. After all, we do have a whole lot to discuss, don't we Aerta?”

His honey-like voice brushed up against my ears.

I gave a barely intact nod.

“Dymon, please escort her to her room.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

Dymon put on a light-hearted grin.

Still awkward and tense from the interaction earlier, I followed him out of the room.

Only after losing Zahid from my sight, could I loosen up a bit.

He went on to show me around the corridor.

“The annex wing of the castle has been prepared solely for you, my lady. Young master and miss will be staying here with you.”

It took me a while to figure out that he was referring to the twins.

The first stop on this tour was the dressing room.

Inside the closet, was an entire wardrobe of dresses.

I could tell that these were prepared in a hurry because the dresses were mostly tacky and didn’t suit me.

I assumed Cheryl and Ethan’s wardrobe wouldn’t be any different.

After choosing one that looked passable to me, I was introduced to my very own bathroom.

Maids offered to help me take a bath, but I quickly refused and scrubbed the dirt off my body by myself.

After washing up, I then proceeded to dress and came back to my room to get my hair dried.

I had my maids help me dry my hair and get prepared for my meeting with Zahid.

They all still seemed pretty confused about the whole situation and aided me only when given directions.

We had a long way to go.

Following the calamitous dress-up session, I headed to the main wing of the castle with Dymon who came to pick me up.

Unlike the cozy corridors of the annex wing, the main wing of the castle was ostentatiously filled with the most eloquent decorations.

Dymon left courteously after escorting me into Zahid’s office.

Zahid, who had been sitting at his large desk, slowly lifted his chin

His back was turned against the slightly gaping windowpane, from which a breeze flew in and tickled the curtains.

Holding his quill from signing his end of the contract, Zahid gave me a sleek grin.

“Now that’s more like it.”

“I’m glad you approve.”

“I approve big time. On that note, shall we discuss business?”

He picked up the stack of documents that was sitting on the corner of his table.

“Our background checks show that your past is pretty intriguing, Aerta.”

My past should be indeed intriguing.

There was nothing on record other than the fact that I was some girl from the streets, the daughter of a fallen aristocratic family.

It didn’t make any sense why I was able to not only locate the secret information guild but also figure out that the owner of the guild was none other than the Duke of Carnoire.

“How did you find my information?”

“It’s a business secret. I need a card up my sleeve, too.”

“I thought there were no secrets between married couples. Almost a bit disheartening, don’t you think?”

I responded to him and his drooping eyes with a hustle.

“Would you believe me if I said that I could see the future?”

He didn’t buy it.

“I didn’t read anything in these papers about you being delusional…… “

“......”

I pressed my lips against one another.

Zahid must have found it funny because he let out a chuckle.

“With those guts, you would have already become one of the most famous figures in the city had you possessed such powers.”

He was right.

I had my own reasons for not choosing such a path.

For one thing, I didn’t remember the entirety of this novel, and most importantly, I was trying to hide from the protagonist at that time.

My silence didn’t seem to bother him.

“It’s fine if you don’t want to give me the details. I guess I just have to hone my background checking skills, then.”

I didn’t bother telling him that he’d never be able to find anything by digging.

He went on to pick up the paper next to the one he initially held in his hands and waved it in the air.

It was the marriage contract I had signed earlier.

“There are two reasons I asked for your hand in marriage…… I assume you are well aware of the first one.”

I am the Purifier - the very person he needs to unleash his true powers.

That was the first reason he agreed to this deal in the first place.

“The second would be to stop the empire from pressuring me to pressure me into getting married to the Princess.”

The moment he said that a scene from the novel came to my mind.

Among all the side characters that were acquainted with Zahid, there had been the Princess of this empire that almost married him.

“Now that you are the Duchess of Carnoire, you should probably begin your education as a nobility…… It will be a bit tough at first, but I’m sure you’ll catch up quickly.”

Even a fool would understand that this was more of an order than a suggestion.

Alas, I had been expecting this, thus I responded with minimal hesitation.

“Understood. I’ll make sure you have nothing to worry about.”

“Good. Damon will explain in greater detail about the education of your siblings.”

“Yes, Sire Carnoire.”

“Anything else you would like to address?”

My eyes grew twice as wide, sparkling with interest.

Zahid let out a chuckle at my excitement.

“Go on, anything you wish.”

He locked his fingers together and rested his face on them.

With his eyes folding into crescents, he added.

“Under the condition that you’ll stay by my side without making trouble.”

I mean, if I was already planning to stick to him like gum for the next five years, I was going to be an excellent Duchess for him in the meanwhile.

And for me to be one, I needed to start with the basics.

“Sire.”

Thus, I requested without hesitation.

“I’m going to need a better wardrobe.”

***

He burst into laughter at my response and gladly agreed to come with me on my shopping spree.

Though he had a pile of work on his table, he kindly followed me to a dress store instead of sending a servant to my aid.

I had been to this part of town a couple of times before to run errands, but I never got to purchase anything from the eloquent stores that filled these streets.

Things felt quite different, now that I could.

I looked around in excitement.

Zahid, who had been studying my face, made a pleasant suggestion.

“I’m not too familiar with women’s attire, but I do know which shops are the most famous.”

The carriage stopped in front of the most ornately decorated shop on the street.

The coachman let us down the stairs and opened the door of our carriage.

The moment the door flung open; Zahid transformed into the most love-struck fiancé in town.

He got off the carriage ahead of me, and chivalrously gave me his hand.

As I carried myself down the stairs, with my hand in his, Zahid’s slender arms wrapped around my waist and pulled me in close.

He put his beautiful face right in front of mine and whispered entrancingly.

“Let’s go get you all your sweet heart desires, my dear Aerta.”

The coachman, who must have heard the numbingly sweet words come out of his master’s mouth, froze in shock.

He wasn’t the only one that froze by Zahid’s unbelievable attitude.

I also stiffened up, as if I had met eyes with Medusa herself.

I’d rather have him mock and offend me.

Every time he leaned in like this, my heart dropped a little.

A truly unhealthy treat for my eyes, indeed.

I wouldn’t be surprised if there had been a basement full of women that had died of heart attacks at the sight of his face.

I forced my twitching lips into a smile.

“Much obliged, my love.”

He was definitely having a lot of fun with my awkward response.

He pulled my hand towards the store.

Before we even arrived at the entrance, all the employees of the store had lined up by the door.

They curtseyed as a sign of respect as we walked by.

However, their eyes lit up brightly with curiosity, busy trying to take a peek at the new mystery Duchess.

Though they were trying to best to keep it lowkey, they weren’t doing it very well.

In the short amount of time since I signed the marriage contract, the news had already made its way around the entire capital.

After all, Zahid had been the center of attention for all the women in town.

He was the only young aristocrat of such high status that didn’t have a fiancé.

On top of all that, he had his killer looks. It wasn’t a surprise that he was seen as fiancé material by all the young women in town.

Not only the maidens but also married women and courtesans attempted to seduce him.

Even if the greatest beauty of the empire had jumped into his bed naked, he would decline.

He was so impossible to seduce, that there had been rumors of his inability to consummate.

This was all because his sole passion was acquiring glory and power, as well as massive wealth.

This was the same Duke of Carnoire that had promised a mystery girl from the slums to pay her debt and took her in as his bride.

Those who had heard about the rumors were dying to know more.

One wrong move now, and I would be the talk at dinner tables for the next decade.

I acted as naturally as I could, making sure I neither seemed too arrogant nor intimidated.

While Zahid sat himself down on the boutique sofa and was being served snacks and something to drink, the designer of the store came at me.

I curtly shook my hand and declined the women’s catalog in her hands.

“We’re going to do children’s clothes first. I’m going to need you to bring me all the ones you have on the rack at the moment.”

She initially seemed taken aback by how accustomed I sounded to giving orders, but quickly hid the shock in her eyes with a smile.

It was clear what kind of prejudices she had against me.

As unlikely as it might seem, I too had once been educated as a socialite.

I was well aware of the basics.

Zahid, who had been observing me interestingly, flashed a glacial look upon noticing the designer’s attitude.

With a dead smile, he addressed the designer.

“I’m going to need you to serve and treat my wife with the utmost respect. So that she is satisfied to her core.”

Beads of panic-filled sweat rolled down the designer’s forehead as she apologized.

Zahid looked at me with his kind eyes again and asked.

“For your siblings?”

“Yes. I would like to order their clothes first.”

I told one of the employees the sizes I was looking for.

I thought of buying the clothes a size larger because children their age tend to grow as quickly as lightning, but I decided not to.

I assumed that my rich husband would simply buy them more if they were to grow out of the ones we get today.

One of the things that I spent a lot of time considering before finding Zahid was the temperament of my siblings.

To be honest, neither of them seemed fit to live the life of an aristocrat.

Cheryl, being the Wizard of Flames that she was, had a flaming personality.

It was impossible for her to become one among the nobles – to fan herself gracefully, giggle quietly, things of that sort.

It wouldn’t be a surprise if she went on to beat up the other young noble lords and ladies with her fan.

Ethan, on the other hand, had a very relaxed personality, much like the magic that he possessed.

However, he suffered from aphasia for a while after witnessing our parents taking their lives.

He did recover to the point where he could have conversations, but he still had a small stutter.

Disorders like such were a big deal among the nobility.

Everyone had to be impeccable and poised.

I could already envision the twins becoming the center of criticism among the aristocrats.

The least I could do was to dress them to seem like they fit in.

With the appropriate looks and the Ducal House of Carnoire behind their backs, they would at least be treated with respect.

I dug through the wardrobe they suggested, looking for the perfect attire.

Something about this situation didn’t seem to sit right with Zahid, however.

He squinted his long eyes.

“What about your clothes, Aerta.”

“After I get something for the twins, I…”

“Should I pick out your clothes while you look for something that will suit the twins?”

“...What?”

I almost asked what he thought he was doing but managed to reword it at the last moment.

“I thought you weren’t well acquainted with women’s clothing, honey.”

“I am not, indeed.”

He responded, flipping through the pages of the women’s catalog.

“Well, love makes you try out new things.”

Cries of adore broke out from the employees here and there.

Had anyone else said the same line, I would have slapped some sense into them.

But when Zahid said it, all of a sudden it didn’t sound too bad.

He went a step further and gently nudged me with a question.

“Do you not want me to, Aerta?”

He asked, slightly tilting his head.

He was beautiful, handsome, and……

Adorable even.

Could there be anyone who could say no to that face?

I didn’t think so.

Even if such a person were to exist, that sure wasn’t me.

“Oh well, then.”

I decided to let him be in charge of picking out my new wardrobe.

It was a truly wise decision.

Thanks to Zahid’s exquisite taste, I loved every single piece he picked out for me.

He even went as far as to suggest different combinations that even the designer hadn’t thought of.

My hair and eyes are on the paler side of the color spectrum.

He was so talented in picking the colors that would go perfectly with such characteristics, that even the designer was mind-blown.

While Zahid was on his spree, I managed to pick out a couple of pieces for Cheryl and Ethan.

By the time I stepped out of the boutique, I had been draped in all sorts of brilliantly sparkling accessories.

I could probably light an entire room with all this sparkle.

It had been ages since I was dressed in something this ostentatious.

I glanced at Zahid as I awkwardly fixed my sun hat.

The designer, who had been standing by the door to see us out, flinched her fingers.

The hat I had on had ribbons coming down to my chin to hold it in place, but I had messed the bow up.

She was about to come to fix it cautiously but stopped herself.

“Aerta.”

Zahid called as he fixed the loosened bow.

His smooth, long fingers slowly undid the knot and neatly tied it back.

The airy, silk ribbon brushed up against my neck.

I leaned back trying to avoid the tickling ribbon, and Zahid gave me his orders with raised brows.

“Stay still.”

I had to heed his orders.

I thought that I had done a pretty good job giving charismatic orders earlier at the boutique, but I was nothing compared to Zahid.

I was beginning to understand why he was so obsessed with gaining power; he wasn’t the type to take orders from others.

Zahid smiled contently as he finished tying the ribbon into a perfect bow under my chin.

“Our next destination is not so far from here…… Shall we take a stroll?”

He said, slipping my arm in his.

With the bowing employees behind our backs, I left the store feeling like a prisoner.

But that didn’t necessarily mean that I didn’t enjoy any of this.

It didn’t feel all that bad to be shopping at the most expensive store in town, when just until yesterday I was on the streets, worrying about how to feed my starving siblings.

Whilst attempting to not look too excited, I looked around to find a familiar store.

It was a store that sold various treats and delicacies, including fancy fruit drops.

I was drawn to the store like a moth to a flame.

I had quite the sweet tooth.

Alas, dessert was crazy talk back when we could barely afford stale bread.

Every time I walked down these streets, I would see that store and think to myself what I wouldn’t give to put one of those heavenly drops of candy in my mouth.

However, the glass walls between me and the colorful snacks were much too thick.

It had always been uncertain whether I would be able to try one out during this lifetime……

“Do you want some?”

Zahid asked.

I must have been staring too blatantly.

It seemed useless trying to hide it now, so I decided to ask him for it.

“Yes, please.”

His eyes bloomed into a smile.

“Wait just a moment.”

After ordering his guards to keep me company, he disappeared into the delicate dessert store.

Just when I was thinking that he was taking a bit too long for a person to buy candy, he came strutting out the door.

In one hand, he held a large bag of fruit drops.

On the other was a roll of documents.

Zahid came up to me and whispered in my confused ears.

On his face was a smile sweeter than honey.

“It’s all yours.”

I asked for a bag of candy, and what I got instead was the entire store.

Having been handed a ridiculous combination of candy and ownership documents, I stared at him dumbfoundedly.

“So, what do you say, Aerta?”

His arms caringly wrapped around my shoulders.

Pulling me in closer, he whispered in my ears.

“How do you like being a Carnoire?”