Sickly? Husband’s Contractual Wife - Chapter 55

It looked even shabbier and uglier than the dresses.

“Ah.”

I walked closer and picked up the bag.

“It’s something I brought with me when I first came here.”

“Then it must be precious.”

“There’s nothing expensive inside. Just look at the bag.”

It was fastened with a lock, but it was definitely something that no one would covet.

“Anyway, Milady is the Duke of Efret’s wife. This is just too much.”

I laughed at her words, thinking that the word ‘wife’ was absurd.

“This and this and this—all of them. They’re all too simple, and they’re all too old.”

Rona pointed at the clothes with a dissatisfied tone.

“It’s not like there’s someplace I have to be.”

It was a casual answer, but Rona’s expression quickly grew sad as she heard this.

“It’s because Milord is sick…”

“Well that’s true, but…”

Rona didn’t know about the contract in the first place.

My only role in this household was to produce successors. I wasn’t needed for social activities.

It wouldn’t be practical to give me colorful dresses adorned with jewels and lace.

Those were clothes needed for entering the inner court, for banquets, for other social events where I’d need to meet a lot of people.

That kind of outfit wouldn’t suit me. I was confined to this place, and so all I was allowed were clothes for that.

Even Camilla didn’t wear colorful dresses inside the mansion.

“Even so, doesn’t the previous Duchess dress beautifully around the estate?”

“Yes, that’s the case.”

Camilla was meticulous with maintaining the image of dignity and elegance, and so she would accessorize herself appropriately even while she’s wearing simple and neat, yet opulent indoor dresses.

“How long has it been since you were tailored a dress, Milady?”

“Hmm… It was before you came here…”

As I counted the date by folding my fingers, Rona looked even more aghast, but I spoke gently.

“It’s alright. They’re all still worth wearing.”

“But…”

Rona was sullen, but this made me uncomfortable.

“Then… Should I call the boutique now?”

Rona’s expression quickly blossomed.

“Yes! I’ll call them right away!”

“…Right now?”

“Of course. I’ll contact the boutique right now!”

“Oh, wait…”

I was about to tell her not to.

Camilla might flip a table if she found out that I was trying to order clothes.

‘How dare you.’

That echoing voice rang behind my ears.

I hurried to stop Rona, but…

She was already out the door.

* * * 

“All of this, just what…”

After a while, I was faced with a boutique representative in the drawing room. And I was mesmerized by an unimaginable sight.

“Aren’t these pretty, Milady?”

“That’s true, but…”

Dresses here, dresses there. And everywhere.

Just how many were there?

It wasn’t just that. I felt exhausted already just thinking that they may have brought the entire boutique here.

“It’s nice to meet you, Your Grace. I’m Paula, the chief designer of our boutique. Please feel free to look around.”

Paula then went on to enthusiastically explain each and every fabric, decoration and design.

Everything they showed was expensive and luxurious.

I didn’t even know how much time had passed. My eyes were spinning so badly to the point that I couldn’t distinguish this from that.

“I thought it was Madam Camilla because the Duchy called for us. So I took these and went to Madam Camilla’s drawing room.”

“……”

I looked around anxiously to find Rona. Just thinking about how Camilla reacted made my stomach churn.

“She said she would take care of the payment and asked me to bring everything that her daughter-in-law wants. Oh, it’s enviable to have a mother-in-law like yours.”

“Ah, yes…”

In any case, she was known as the wife of a sickly Duke.

Camilla couldn’t have told the boutique representative to pack up and leave, regardless of whether she wanted to buy me dresses or not.

“But thanks to you, Your Grace, I finally got to meet you in person. I’ve been beside myself with curiosity, but you never went out on social events.”

…And I was really worried that this would happen.

“I don’t like going out much.”

“Ah right, His Grace’s condition…”

Paula covered her lips and made a complicated expression.

“That’s not the only reason. It’s just that… socializing isn’t for me.”

While talking, I realized how clumsy I was being.

“If His Grace was a little healthier, you could have come to our boutique.”

Paula said, her voice laced with pity.

“We have more dresses there. Please visit us sometime. It’s even better if Your Graces can come together.”

“Together…”

I heard that men could also go into boutiques and match clothes with their lover or wife, but I didn’t know this was a common enough occurrence.

“Your Grace didn’t know. These days, wives visit boutiques with their husbands all the time. It’s a trend to wear matching clothes these days.”

“I see.”

I spoke with difficulty as I put on a thin smile.

“By the way, I can’t possibly try all these on…”

Since there weren’t only one or two dresses that Paula brought, it was too much to even think that I’d try them all.

Then, Paula clapped once, its sound reverberating through the room.

“Oh, we have samples so that you won’t be hassled anymore.”

“Samples?”

As Paula beckoned, one of her assistants brought out one of the bags and set it in front of me.

“What’s this?”

When I opened the bag, it was full of dolls.

From eyes, nose, lips, eyelashes, even hands and feet—the clothes worn by the doll modeled after a woman were the same clothes that Paula showed me earlier.

“These are so pretty. How were these crafted so delicately?”

Paula just shrugged off Rona’s admiration.

“It’s easier to do it this way, instead of putting on dresses and removing them again and again.”

“That’s a good idea.”

I started dressing the dolls with a smile, and Rona, who was excited by my side, also spent some time matching clothes.

At first, Rona was the only one enthralled, but I soon followed as I admired the dolls.

It was fun to choose clothes leisurely and immerse myself with playing with the dolls.

As a result, I half-forgot any cold gaze that was directed at me, or anything that happened during that night.

“Okay, I’m done choosing.”

After finalizing my choices after going through countless clothes, I sighed in relief as though a load was carried off my chest.

“Milady is done? Really?”

Rona looked at me with wide, dumbfounded eyes.

“Yes.”

“Aren’t you going to buy more, Milady?”

Rona immediately became teary at my curt answer.

“But what else do I need? Thirty is already so much. You’re still not satisfied?”

“They’re all for everyday use!”

I nodded, not seeing anything wrong with my decision.

“Why don’t you get a ball gown, Milady?”

But Rona said, as though she couldn’t get on the same page with me.

“Milady is too frugal.”

“I’m not.”

Humans all had the same eyes when it came to the standard of beauty. What’s pretty in my eyes was also probably pretty in anyone else’s eyes.

There’s just a few differences in taste. That’s why I also knew which dresses were exactly expensive and worthwhile.

It’s just that… None of this was mine.

Those dresses were items that would one day become the property of Amoide’s real wife.

The real Duchess of Efret. Not for a fake like me.

“Why don’t you order a ball gown, Milady? An evening dress would be really pretty, too. And a horseback riding outfit as well!”

Rona stomped her feet as she looked at the dress samples.

“I don’t need to go to such places.”

I have not and will never need to go to outdoor tea parties, to colorful promenades, to horseback riding grounds for women.

“Those are unnecessary.”

I said it straightforwardly.

“But…”

Rona muttered disappointingly.

“This is enough.”

“I understand…”

When Rona nodded, Paula, who was watching our argument, walked closer with a smile.

“We shall send all the clothes Your Grace has ordered on a fixed date. Please sign here.”

I paused for a moment while looking at the confirmation receipt that Paula was holding out.

“What should I sign…?”

As I spaced out with the quill pen in my hand, Paula looked at me with doubt in her eyes.

“Duchess?”

“Oh, I was confused for a moment.”

“You may just sign your name, either Selena Efret or Duchess of Efret.”

Neither of the names Paula mentioned were mine.

The last time I signed anything was two years ago, with the marriage contract and the agreement I had with Camilla.

As a Duchess, I’d never done any official activities, now have I gone out to buy anything under this name before.

Therefore, there was nothing to tie me to the name ‘Duchess Efret’.

‘Selena Efret.’

Somehow, I thought that I shouldn’t write this name.

I hesitated before writing ‘Selena’, and instead, I chose to write ‘Duchess of Efret’.

“Can I use this signature?”

While signing with an unfamiliar name, I muttered under my breath, and Paula seemed to catch it.

“Oh, is it because of Madam Camilla? It’s confusing because there are two Duchesses in the estate, but you’ll get used to it eventually.”

“Get used to it?”

“Usually, it’s common to refer to the wife of the current lord as the ‘Duchess’, and the lord’s mother would be called ‘Godmother’.”

Paula’s words seemed to have the power to captivate people.

Because she just validated my presence here.

It was more important than I thought to hear another person’s acceptance with their own words.

‘Well alright then. I’ll be borrowing this name for a little while, so I hope that’s fine.’