Duke of the Beast and the Vicarious Bride - Chapter 38 - V.

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

`V.`

Having spent the entire morning sleeping off her travel fatigue, Fiona ate the lunch Marie had prepared for her the moment she opened her eyes. Though she had fallen asleep immediately after breakfast, her digestion had somehow managed, and she cleared every last bite of the midday meal as well.

Only when the sun had passed its zenith did Fiona finally leave her room. The private parts between her legs still throbbed with embarrassment, and the muscles of her inner thighs were painfully tight and sore, but fortunately the discomfort was bearable.

Judging by the atmosphere, there was clearly no butler or head maid to guide her through the castle interior, and even if such a person existed, there was no guarantee they would deign to attend to her.

Though she had acquired the new title of Grand Duchess, Fiona could not yet grasp her position in reality. Of course, she was well aware that this status was merely an empty shell.

‘With the master of the castle in such a state…’

Having seen her husband’s condition with her own eyes, she was even more certain. As the Emperor had said, the Grand Duchy title was merely a pretext to use and manipulate Caligo as they pleased.

Whatever these complicated circumstances might be, the clear reality was that Fiona must live here. Time moved forward equally for both a Grand Duchess and a butcher’s girl, so she could not simply spend her days in vacant idleness.

Thus she intended to see with her own eyes the place where she would now dwell. Knowing the lay of the land and any peculiarities might help her gauge how to occupy herself.

She began in the central hall, where she had first set foot yesterday.

‘At least I know it is damnably vast.’

Like the Kraphelsus Mountains she had seen on her journey here, the Grand Duke’s castle overwhelmed with its sheer size. The grounds were so extensive that exploring them all in a single day would be a challenge.

Bathed in the midday sun, the castle interior was not as dreary or sinister as it had seemed last night. Its greatest flaw, if it could be called, was its excessive scale, which left it feeling hollow and empty.

‘There do not seem to be many servants.’

From her room on the second floor to this hall, she had encountered not a single person. Clearly, relative to the castle’s size, the number of inhabitants was pitifully small.

‘Well, the quiet is pleasant enough.’

For Fiona, who had unwillingly been a topic of gossip at the Count’s estate, the absence of staring eyes and whispering tongues was actually welcome.

Thanks to the lack of human presence, Fiona was able to explore the old castle alone in silence for some time. The stillness and solitude gradually soothed her troubled heart.

‘If only Rose could see this with me.’

The thought came to her when she had examined about a third of the castle’s interior. Her first impression had not been favourable, but the place possessed a certain antique charm. Even someone who knew nothing of art could easily appreciate the castle’s grandeur and dignity.

Beyond this elegant beauty, however, the castle had many peculiarities. First was its suspiciously immaculate condition.

Though said to be so old that its construction date was unknown, every part of the Grand Duke’s castle was as clean and pristine as if completed yesterday. There was not a single spot of rust or damage, not a cracked tile or torn curtain. In some respects—such as the hot water pipes installed in the bathroom—it was far superior even to the Troyes County estate near the capital.

From the central hall, Fiona continued to explore the castle wherever her steps led her. Before long, she discovered a spiral staircase ascending upward. Impulsively beginning to climb the counter-clockwise winding steps, she arrived after some time at what appeared to be a defensive watchtower.