章 12: 12. Don't Fall In Love
The next day, Madam Astrid arrived at Duke Ashford's mansion, as promised by Grand Duke Cassius.
Madam Astrid was not a noblewoman, but her gown and suit designs had made her name skyrocket.
Therefore, she was considered an exclusive designer.
The emperor later bestowed her with noble status, believing that the clothing made for the royal family should come from a noble's hands.
Madam Astrid sat down while the servant prepared her tea.
She felt irritated, thinking,
'If it weren't for Grand Duke himself requesting me to create a wedding gown for Eleanor Ashford, I wouldn't set foot in this place.'
This irritation stemmed from the negative rumors surrounding Eleanor.
If she were merely an unattractive woman, Madam Astrid wouldn't mind.
But the problem was that she was a shameless woman who pursued Crown Prince Lucas like a stalker.
The rumors outside had gotten wild, saying that if the Emperor hadn't arranged Eleanor's marriage to Grand Duke Cassius, she would willingly open her legs wide just to become Crown Prince Lucas's concubine.
"Tsk tsk... Duke Ashford's fate is truly unfortunate to have a daughter who can't maintain the family's reputation like this." She shook her head, feeling sympathetic.
Duke Ashford was a retired military general. One of the reasons was that Astoria had no war conflicts and was currently at peace.
However, he also didn't involve himself in politics, although he had the ability to do so. He remained politically neutral.
In the eyes of people, he was a respected, and dignified nobleman.
His son, Ethan Ashford, was also a genius since childhood, his proof of genius was being accepted to study at the magical tower, Lumina Nexus, at the age of ten.
Lumina Nexus itself was a place for learning and researching magic. It stood independently, not under the jurisdiction of any kingdom.
Even commoners with magical talents, if they could get in and graduate with a certificate, many kingdoms would desire them, and they could easily become nobles.
That's how prestigious Lumina Nexus was.
"I heard that Ethan Ashford is also a handsome young man. So, how could she have a father and brother who are handsome, but she has an ugly face?
"Fate is indeed fair. Nothing is perfect in this world," she whispered.
While waiting in the fitting room and sipping her tea, a servant opened the door, and Eleanor rushed in.
"Oh, I'm sorry. Have you been waiting long?"
"No, not at all, My Lady."
Madam Astrid observed Eleanor from head to toe—the graceful posture, milky white skin, proportional height, beautiful platinum hair like moonlight, and ruby-like red eyes.
From a distance, she seemed impossible to have an ugly face. However, the face-covering cloth supported people's suspicion.
"Very well, let's begin," Eleanor said.
Realizing her gaze was too obvious, Madam Astrid blushed and started taking Eleanor's measurements.
Madam Astrid was a veteran designer. She could perceive someone's personality just from the colors and fabrics they chose for their attire.
But upon seeing the fabrics chosen by the young lady in front of her, she was surprised.
Eleanor chose satin and chiffon fabrics.
The color she selected was white, with a hint of blue. It indicated that she was not overly ambitious, brave, stubborn, cool on the outside, and gentle on the inside.
The color choice suited her and the Grand Duke perfectly since he requested to wear a suit in the same color as Eleanor's choice.
She didn't look like a vulgar woman chasing after men at all.
'I guess you should trust your eyes more than your ears,' thought Madam Astrid.
After Eleanor finished selecting the fabrics and Madam Astrid made a note of them, Eleanor asked, "Madam, can you make a couple's suit? To attend a party."
"When is the party, My Lady?"
"In a week."
"Is it for you, or...?"
"For me and Grand duke."
"Ah, I see, My Lady."
Madam Astrid couldn't believe what she heard.
'Grand Duke will attend the party with his fiancée?'
Before meeting Eleanor, perhaps she thought that Eleanor was the one pressuring the Grand Duke to attend the party together.
However, after seeing and talking to her, she realized that Eleanor's attitude was far from the rumors. Perhaps that's what intrigued the Grand Duke.
Madam Astrid smiled. "Very well, My Lady. Leave it to me."
"Thank you, Madam. I apologize for not being able to accompany you outside, there's something I need to take care of."
"Oh, it's alright, Miss." Then, a servant escorted her out of the Mansion.
After Madam Astrid left, Ellie asked Lyra, one of her servants, for a pen and ink.
Then she started writing a letter to Grand Duke Cassius, expressing her desire to attend the party with him and that she had prepared a couple's suit for them to wear if he didn't mind.
This morning, Ellie and her father had seen the dowry sent by Cassius.
They stared in awe at the countless chests filled with treasures being brought into their mansion.
Dresses made of the finest silk, beautiful jewelry adorned with numerous red rubies resembling the color of her eyes, and something Ellie couldn't fathom, when Max, Cassius's messenger, handed over documents of property deeds and ownership paper of the diamond mine.
Duke Ashford, whose mouth remained agape in astonishment, finally snapped out of his surprise and asked, "D-Diamond mine!? What does this mean!?"
Max answered, "As you can see, Duke." And then smiling with a smug face.
Duke Ashford never expected the dowry for his daughter to be this extravagant.
'How could such a lavish gift befit a duke's daughter? It was more fitting for an emperor's daughter!' He thought.
Thus, Ellie's mind became complicated towards Cassius.
'How can I execute my plan if Cassius is this generous?'
He didn't demean her, treated her kindly, and even gave her a dowry that was more suitable for a princess.
Ellie wasn't an ungrateful woman, so the least she could do was accept Cassius's invitation and prepare a couple's suit for him to show her appreciation for his goodwill.
She massaged her temples, aching from a migraine.
"So far, nothing has disturbed my plan. I've bought ten warehouses of sugar, and I'm just waiting for the news from the guild I visited to find illegal slaves."
In the novel, she could know what future events might unfold.
Soon, the imported ship carrying sugar and salt would encounter a storm in the middle of the sea and sink.
That event would affect the price of sugar and salt in Astoria, as both were essential goods and couldn't be produced here.
Their prices would soar. That was Ellie's goal in buying sugar—to sell it at a high price when the market price skyrocketed.
It would be highly suspicious if Ellie also bought a large amount of salt through the guild.
So, she planned to buy salt through someone she trusted. And the money earned from the sale would be more than enough to escape to a distant country with her family.
Ellie wouldn't take a single penny from the dowry given by Cassius because she believed it would be incredibly cruel to leave him using the money he had gifted her.
She prepared this plan as a precaution, in case the Caspian Grandduchy fell in the future.
"I am not a heartless woman who would abandon her husband when he falls.
"I do this to survive. Now, I have people I care about—Sera, Lyra, and my father. I can't sacrifice their lives just to be seen as a faithful wife who accompanies her husband at all times."
Besides, she married not out of love but due to the Emperor's intrigue.
Therefore, for her, Cassius was a stranger who happened to be forced into her life by fate.
"To ensure there are no more variables that can disrupt my plan, there is only one way out. Do not fall in love."
Ellie convinced herself that she could do it because she had never experienced love throughout her life.
She would still fulfill her duties as a wife, but she would consider Cassius merely as a partner living with her, nothing more.
As she sipped the tea in front of her, Sera entered and said, "My Lady! My Lady! There's news you need to know!"
Sera had a bad habit.
She was a gossipmonger.
And whenever she wanted to share gossip or anything else, she was always loud like this.
Ellie's already aching head worsened with Sera's shouting.
"Sera, lower your voice. What's the matter?"
"There's a beautiful young girl who requested to meet Duke Ashford. She was dressed like a commoner, so the guards ignored her. However, once she presented a letter with the seal of the Ashford Duchy, the guards immediately informed Duke Ashford, and she is currently in his study, My Lady!"
"A commoner? Who?" Ellie whispered softly.
"I don't know, My Lady. Should I eavesdrop?"
"No need."
'Well, I guess I'll find out once I go there,' she thought.
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