A Fox-like Bear
Duha walked down to the dining room with a confident stride, followed by Leila, who looked slightly uneasy.
In the dining room, she was greeted by the Duke and dozens of attendants. The Duke started to rise upon seeing her but stopped, his face hardening.
“…What is this?”
“What do you mean?”
“Are you asking because you don’t know?”
Duha smiled lightly at the shocked Duke.
“Of course I don’t know. May I sit down?”
Duke Leonhardt’s face grew harsher at her words, but Duha, as if completely unconcerned, sat in an empty seat with tableware set before her.
She was wearing only the sheer nightgown she had worn for their wedding night.
“I’m excited to try imperial cuisine for the first time.”
Leonhardt was momentarily at a loss for words for her brazen attitude. The surrounding attendants were equally shocked.
With the Duchess sitting there in a nearly transparent gown, they couldn’t even raise their heads, let alone serve her.
“Is the food not ready yet?”
“I distinctly remember sending new clothes and a maid to attend to you. What is the meaning of this?”
“New clothes? A maid?”
Duha tilted her head as if she had misheard.
“I didn’t receive anything like that.”
She gestured to Leila, who was standing by the dining room door, to come closer.
“Instead, I received this.”
Leonhardt frowned at the sight of the ragged dress Leila presented. He had ordered the maids to bring clothes but hadn’t checked what kind they were.
What nobleman would check every piece of clothing his wife wore?
He had assumed the maids would handle it appropriately—never imagining this could happen.
“And no maid came to attend to me. Unless you count the errand girl who brought this dress.”
Duha’s words deepened the furrow in Leonhardt’s brow.
“Moreover, you told me to maintain my dignity as the Duchess. I didn’t wear that dress because it would have caused me to lose my dignity. Did I do something wrong?”
“……”
“Or does the Ducal house consider such rags new clothes? If so, I will gladly wear it.”
Instead of directly reprimanding the Duke, she deliberately mentioned the entire Ducal household.
It was more effective to criticize the group led by the leader rather than the leader himself, especially if the leader took great pride and responsibility in his group.
Duha smiled innocently and looked at the Duke across the table.
After a long silence, Leonhardt finally stood up. He strode over to Duha at the other end of the long table and draped his outer coat over her shoulders.
Duha blinked her large eyes at the Duke standing before her.
‘I didn’t expect this.’
Despite his courteous gesture, Leonhardt’s face clearly showed displeasure. He asked the attendant next to him in a cold voice.
“Who was the maid that brought the clothes to my wife today?”
“T-That would be Emily, one of the maids…”
“You know I didn’t ask for her name.”
At Leonhardt’s deadly tone, the attendant fell to his knees and prostrated himself.
“F-Forgive me, my lord! I will fetch her immediately and have her punished…”
“There’s no need for servants who overstep their bounds. Remove her from this castle immediately.”
“Y-Yes! I will do so at once!”
The attendant ran out in a hurry to carry out the Duke’s command.
“Last night, you didn’t say a word, so I thought you were a dumb bear.”
Then, a small, low voice whispered above her, just loud enough for her to hear.
“But you’re a fox pretending to be a bear. My dear wife.”
Duha looked up at the Duke. His intensely handsome face was filled with hostility.
“Well, I prefer bears over foxes. They’re stronger.”
She smiled brightly at the Duke.
“And I’m not a fox pretending to be a bear. I’m a bear that resembles a fox.”
Duha stood up, wrapping the Duke’s coat around her as if it were hers.
“Hearing about a maid being dismissed first thing in the morning has spoiled my appetite. I’ll return to my room to rest.”
She spoke loudly enough for the surrounding attendants to hear and bowed to the Duke.
It was a perfect imperial etiquette that she had somehow mastered.
“Leila, let’s go.”
“Yes, Princess— I mean, Duchess.”
Duha left the dining room without hesitation, accompanied by Leila.
She didn’t see the faint look of interest that crossed the Duke’s face as he watched her retreating figure.
*** *** *** *** ***
“Wow, that was amazing!”
Back in the room, Leila jumped up and down in excitement.
“That maid this morning— I heard she’s been infatuated with the Duke for a long time!”
“Really?”
“Yes! She’s been trying to get close to him ever since before we came. But when the Duke ignored her and married you, she lost her mind!”
“So, she was a pitiful woman in her own way.”
Choosing the wrong person to pursue had ultimately led her away from the Duke she adored so much.
“Serves her right for messing with you, Princess!”
“Leila, you should use proper and refined language.”
Leila puffed her cheeks, looking deflated at Duha’s reprimand.
“Oh, what does it matter! It’s just us here. And I only speak like this because I picked it up from you!”
“…That’s unfortunate.”
“So please, let it slide. I don’t talk like this outside! Dealing with those sly maids is so frustrating!”
“For all your complaints, it seems you haven’t done much so far.”
“Oh, Princess!”
Leila’s cute whining made Duha chuckle softly.
“All right, you’ve worked hard. I feel sorry for dragging you back to the Empire when you didn’t want to come.”
She meant it. Leila had bitter memories of being mistreated in the Empire because of her mixed Bashar blood.
“I chose to come with you. You don’t need to feel sorry.”
Leila turned away, blushing as if embarrassed by Duha’s words.
At that moment, there was a knock on the door.
“Duchess, I’ve been sent by the Duke. May I come in?”
“Come in.”
With her permission, four maids entered.
“What is it?”
“I am Sylvia, the head maid. The Duke has sent dresses that he thought would suit you, and we are here to help you change.”
Sylvia, the head maid, gestured to the maids behind her, who presented the dresses they carried.
There were over twenty dresses, all decorated with luxurious silk, embroidery, and jewels.
Despite claiming there were no prepared dresses earlier, they managed to bring these high-end garments in less than an hour. Truly, the Duke’s household was remarkable.
“I’m pleased that the Duke is so considerate of my dignity. It seems he was quite displeased with the dress he initially gave me.”
“…I apologize on his behalf for this morning’s incident. It was my fault for not managing the servants properly.”
“Since the Duke has already taken care of it, I’m not concerned.”
Sylvia’s face stiffened slightly at Duha’s words. Normally, people would say it wasn’t their fault or that it was okay, but the Duchess simply said she wasn’t concerned.
‘So, if the Duke hadn’t dealt with it, she wouldn’t have let it go.’
While Sylvia was internally flustered, Duha smiled and spoke to her.
“Since the Duke sent these dresses for me, I should try them on. This one looks good.”
“Ah, yes.”
At Duha’s word, the maids moved swiftly to help her dress.
Meanwhile, Sylvia picked up the Duke’s coat that Duha had taken off.
“Wait.”
“Yes?”
“Leave that coat.”
“But the Duke requested that it be returned…”
“The borrower should return the borrowed item.”
Duha smiled firmly at the head maid.
“Or the one who lent it should come to retrieve it personally. Don’t you agree?”
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