The Grand Duke of the North

Chapter 2

The way Varas was standing behind her was making her increasingly uncomfortable. Fortunately, a soft growl came from Selene’s stomach. A low, cold voice echoed in her ear.

“Eat.”

With that, Varas strode out of the room. As the faint warmth she felt from him faded away, the lingering metallic odor returned. Though the bedding was now gone, the faint smell seemed to linger in the air. Selene flung open all the windows in the bedroom, and the unmistakable chill of the north immediately hit her. Though spring had begun, the air was still freezing, and the snow outside hadn’t melted yet.

She scanned the room slowly. Like a typical northern fortress, the walls were adorned with various fur tapestries, and the floor was covered entirely with plush carpet. Suddenly, she remembered the soft thud of Varas’ footsteps from the night before. She doubted she’d make a sound, even if she were to stomp or run around the room.

How could he walk on such thick carpet and still make all that noise?

Her gaze soon fell on the desolate-looking bed, and she recalled Varas’ emotionless face as he splattered blood across the bedsheets.

Should I just run away while I have the chance?

In the original story, before her wedding night, Selene had fainted, and shortly after, her confinement began. The grand duke had declared his retirement from the battlefield, vowing never to fight again, and returned to his estate to hold their wedding. Publicly, he claimed that he would live off his farm from then on, but in reality, he lived quite comfortably in the grand duchess’s chambers. The idea that he would make a living from farming in the north was absurd to begin with. Since confinement and coercion were key themes in dark romance, he was the worst kind of monster, indifferent to the plight of a twenty-year-old girl who couldn’t even meet his gaze.

She had a sinking feeling that whatever awaited her wouldn’t be promising. What hopes and dreams could a woman who was sold for money possibly have in a beast’s lair? She had read many books filled with sweet, pure love, like something out of a fairy tale. If she had known that she would end up in a dark romance like this one, she never would have opened that book. Still, at least she wasn’t being locked up right away. She seemed to have some time to prepare mentally.

Suddenly, Varas’ cold gaze and brusque voice came to her mind, and she began to worry about what her first time with him would be like—surely, it was going to be anything but gentle. She sat down to eat, but in the end, she couldn’t bring herself to take even a single bite. Instead, she just sat there, staring blankly out the window.

As the newly appointed grand duchess, Selene didn’t dare flee from this strange place where she suddenly found herself. She had no idea where to go or even how to get there, and stepping outside would likely mean freezing to death on the streets. Having already experienced the brink of death from cold and hunger while living as Yumi, the fear of running away without anything to her name only grew stronger. There was no way she could muster the courage to face that towering man, either. No matter how hard she thought about it, there was no solution.

While Selene sat by the window, lost in thought, Anna came in, tidied up, changed the bedding, and told her to eat lunch. However, she had no appetite whatsoever. The thought that she might not see the sun again by tomorrow made the setting sun feel almost cruel. For a moment, she recalled her time as Yumi, an orphan whose situation was no different from Selene’s. She had dreamed of becoming an actress since she was a teenager and joined a small theater troupe to hone her skills, even appearing as an extra in several successful productions. She had finally been starting to land decent roles. That dream had now turned into nothing but a collection of pointless memories, scattered and lost.

In the north, the days were short, and it quickly grew dark outside. The wind coming through the window felt noticeably colder as it stung her skin. She heard someone clear their throat outside the door, followed by a knock.

“I’m coming in.”

Varas entered, shutting the door with a thud, mirroring the sinking sensation in Selene’s chest. He had that look in his eyes again, like he was observing her.

Once he entered the grand duchess’s room, the first thing his eyes were drawn to aside from Selene was the window. She was a woman from the southwest.

She must be freezing.

As he studied her face closely, he wondered why she hadn’t closed the window yet. Still, the northern wind was refreshing, so he wondered if maybe she liked it. The maid had informed him that Selene had skipped lunch. She did look a bit weak, but there were no signs of the typical symptoms associated with a drop in body temperature. He found it a bit absurd how he kept checking in on her.

Just as he held back a laugh, Selene suddenly met his gaze. Since she had been staring out the window for a while, he figured that she wasn’t pleased with his presence. He couldn’t deny that his instincts weren’t entirely off the mark. Still, looking into Selene’s eyes as she gazed back at him felt nice. Her gaze was steady and direct, free of avoidance or discomfort, and lacking any hint of disgust—qualities he found oddly appealing. Above all, it felt even better knowing that she didn’t seem to be afraid of him.

Selene’s heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it was about to leap out of her chest. Years of honing her ability to mask her emotions had led her to believe that she could hide her current state from the man before her. Just looking at his striking physique, he was honestly her type. His massive, solid frame and sharp features stood out, but it was the air of being unapproachable that reminded her of a famous actor she had once seen. He inspired a sense of awe without even trying. His presence alone effortlessly overwhelmed those around him—and that man was her husband.

Can both excitement and fear coexist in one’s heart? she thought.

Selene tried to maintain a neutral expression and shifted her eyes elsewhere. His eyes were like those of a predator, and she felt that if he caught her wavering for even a moment, she would be torn apart and devoured alive.

After watching her for a while, Varas slowly asked, “Aren’t you hungry?”

Selene felt an odd sensation. His words felt akin to a gentle gorilla asking a rabbit if it should bring it some grass. She gave a slight smile, raising an eyebrow, while the corner of her mouth curled up in a peculiar expression. She was making a face that seemed in disbelief of what she was hearing, but there was something different in Varas’ eyes. It was the first time he’d seen an actual expression appear on her face.

Ah, so Selene likes it when I ask if she’s hungry, he thought.

It was truly a ridiculous thought. Moreover, as he had been in the battlefields since before he was ten, he had never even stood close to a woman. He didn’t even know what the lace on women’s skirts looked like. Even at the victory balls hosted by the imperial court, which he had reluctantly attended a few times, no women had ever spoken to him. To be exact, no one had ever approached him aside from the emperor, the empress, and the soldiers who fought alongside him.

Whenever someone met his eyes, they’d quickly look away. Therefore, no one ever dared to actually greet him. To them, Varas was nothing more than an object of fear. They didn’t see him as one of them.

Encouraged by his gentle tone, Selene decided to ask for what she wanted most right now.

“Outside.” After just that one word, she clamped her mouth shut again. She was taken aback by how different her voice sounded from the one she had always known. Clearing her throat, she took a deep breath before continuing, “I would like to go outside.”

As soon as she finished speaking, regret washed over her. She didn’t think Varas would grant her wish. In the book she read, he was portrayed as domineering, violent, and someone who couldn’t even comprehend what patience was. It seemed she had misjudged the grand duke when he unexpectedly asked if she was hungry.

Just when she thought he might very well lock her away, she caught sight of Varas slowly rising to his feet.

Varas recalled that Anna had visited his office twice today.

What was it that she said? Something about how Selene didn’t eat anything all day and just stared out the window.

When Selene looked up, the enormous man nodded slightly.

“Well, if you want to go outside, you must get up.”

As soon as he said that, Selene stood up hesitantly. Even with her back straight and standing tall, her head barely reached his chest. Had it been like that at their wedding too? He had heard that first impressions were the most important in relationships between a man and a woman, but Varas’ memories of that day were hazy. Perhaps it was because he had felt nothing at the time. Even as he watched her, thinking he would spend his life as that woman’s husband, not a single emotion had stirred within him. Instead, the memory of her curled up in the blankets in the pitch-black of the room came to mind much more vividly.

For a moment, his gaze lingered on top of Selene’s head before drifting away. It wasn’t intentional—his eyes simply moved there naturally. Gradually, his focus shifted to her collarbone. When he looked down at her from above, the view was a bit… titillating.

Varas inwardly clicked his tongue in disapproval as he opened the wardrobe and took out a thick coat and a cloak to wrap around Selene. She seemed a little taken aback. The setting sun cast a reddish hue on her face as she looked up at him, seemingly questioning why he was bundling her up so much. She had a beautiful face, but what he liked most was how her eyes always sought his gaze. It had stolen his attention, so much so that he almost didn’t notice her porcelain skin and luscious lips.

He made an effort to tear his eyes from her and strode over to open the door. A breeze flowed through the open window, circulating through the room as a colder draft settled in. Selene tried to keep up with Varas’ pace, but the long hem of her coat kept getting caught under her shoes, making it difficult. Varas waited calmly, watching her fumble as she struggled to gather her clothes properly while trying to walk quickly. He didn’t even think about how long it took her to get from there to here. Watching her take careful steps, seemingly flustered by the awkward coat length and her unexpected clumsiness, felt oddly peaceful.

As she approached, their eyes met, and it was as if her expression was saying that she had come this far and was wondering if she had done well. It was a ridiculous thought, even to him. Why would a grown adult expect praise for just walking a few steps? The problem was that to him, it really looked that way. When she took a few steps and looked up at him with that bright expression, their eyes locked, and that absurd idea crossed his mind.