Duke of the Beast and the Vicarious Bride - Chapter 13

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※ This work contains depictions of coercive relationships, explicit language, and other graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

Indeed, Jayden, under the pretext of escorting Fiona north, had been ordering the party about as if he himself were the Grand Duke. Not that this was entirely without grounds. Jayden was commander-in-chief of the second northern expeditionary force and had been granted plenipotentiary authority by the Emperor over all matters concerning the Grand Duke’s marriage. Whatever his actual status as the Troyes viscount, here he wielded unchecked power.

Added to this was his position as the bride’s brother, so it was natural that everyone obeyed his commands. It was also his achievement, they said, to have discovered this castle while subjugating monsters during the first expedition, and to have found the “beast” abandoned here for some reason.

Perhaps because of this, Jayden often spoke as if the Grand Duke were his personal pet.

“The Grand Duke should be greeting you as well. This is the first time he’s been presented with a woman.”

This instance was no different. Arrogance radiated from him, as if he held the beast’s leash, no matter that it was a Grand Duke. His smirking attitude, as if providing a mate for livestock he owned, made her sick.

“So? Do you like your new quarters? To my eye, it’s a place perfectly suited to the Beast Grand Duke and his Grand Duchess.”

On a normal day, Fiona would have reached for a knife, even if none were at hand, but now she was so utterly exhausted and tense she lacked the energy to confront him.

“Yes, truly a place perfectly suited to me.”

At Fiona’s unenthusiastic response, Jayden shrugged.

“How boring. I expected you to put up more of a fight.”

“…”

“Well, even you must be quite worn out from the journey here. But don’t think about resting yet. The ceremony will proceed shortly.”

“…At this hour of night?”

“Reputation is a race against time, Fiona. Announcing the appointment of a Grand Duchess as soon as possible will set His Majesty’s mind at ease.”

He paused briefly, then added,

“And besides, to produce an heir, you must consummate the marriage quickly, must you not?”

The expression on Jayden’s face as he spoke was somewhat twisted, but Fiona, who had turned away in disgust at his incessant talk of the marriage bed, did not see it.

“I wonder, is the Beast Grand Duke bestial below the waist as well? What do you think, Fiona? Are you not curious?”

“Jayden Troyes.”

She knew he was deliberately provoking her. Between this one and that one, all they sang was “heir, heir,” so she had resigned herself to the need of bearing a child quickly.

“That’s enough.”

Yet whenever Jayden mentioned that fact and mocked her, she felt a strangely nauseating sensation. At times, he seemed almost like someone trying to prevent the consummation by provoking her revulsion.

Of course, he had no reason to do so. Under the present circumstances, for Fiona to successfully consummate the marriage and bear the Grand Duke’s heir would benefit both Jayden and the Count. So his behaviour must be simply intended to torment her. Truly, he was a meticulously vile creature.

* * *

As Jayden had said, the ceremony began immediately. Far from resting from her journey, she had not even removed her coat.

Fiona, inwardly tense at the prospect of finally facing her husband—the one they called a beast—realised only after some time that he would not be appearing at the ceremony.

“Ah, did you truly expect this to be a normal wedding? Disappointed there’s no kiss of vow? If you wish, I would gladly offer my lips instead.”

Instead, standing beside her as the Grand Duke’s proxy was Jayden Troyes, whispering his odious remarks.

In an atmosphere as rigid as a courtroom, a priest dispatched from the Imperial Palace confirmed Fiona’s identity and appearance. The documents she was then handed contained complex, curving scripts. Pressing her lips together, Fiona thrust them at Jayden. He was both the Grand Duke’s proxy and her witness.

In the end, the marriage contract bore not the signatures of bride and groom, but only Jayden’s handwriting. Watching him complete the signing with a serious face made her feel utterly filthy, as if she were marrying Jayden himself.