Eloise

Chapter 31: Northern Borders

The loyal butler was taken aback watching the Duchess' appetite. She wasn't picky with food but she tend to eat like a bird. But now, she was eating everything heartily. It almost seem like she was reborn.

"You seem to be in a good mood, Madam." Knox commented amidst the silence.

Of course, he was happy to see her finally warming up after their fight. But he was also torn thinking that their relationship was beyond mendable.

Is she relieved of the Duke's absence?

"I just realized how foolish I was all this time."

"P-pardon?" Knox was left puzzled by her response, but the Duchess just gave her a tight-lip smile.

Her conversation with Farrell made her think back of her plan. Running away is futile in her current situation. She cannot even leave the castle without a guard.

However, Nathaniel was showing no signs of killing her for the time-being. Instead, he was acting kindly towards her. It even made her doubt herself.

'Was it really him who ordered to kill me in the past?', it was the thought that played on her mind in the past few days.

Still, she cannot let her guard down. He may not have been the one who got her killed, but the fact that he had a woman and divorced her was an irrevocable truth.

Acknowledging that, she decided to change her plan. Instead of blindly running away, she will support Nathaniel with his affair and help them get a happy ending. If the Duke realizes that she was not a thorn to their relationship, perhaps he will spare her life and let her live outside the territory after breaking their marriage. When that happens, she will also have her happy ending. Living a simple life at the land she purchased. Thinking about it made her smile even more.

Knox gave a polite smile, still puzzled. Just as he bowed his head, he suddenly remembered something.

“Ah, Your Grace. It's nearly winter and you have to look for new clothes for the season.”

“I'm fine. I still have dresses I haven't worn yet from last year Charles designed for me.”

“How about accessories, Your Grace?”

Eloise was taken aback by the sudden inquiry. She expected him to brush it off after her first answer. “Well.. the Fleiss Duchy has a huge collection of jewelry that I can use as well.”

“But still, those are jewelries already worn by the previous Duchesses. You might want to purchase something new.”

Eloise finally caught up that there was really something bothering him and asked.

“What is it, Knox?”

Knox was hesitant to speak at first but eventually heaved a sigh of defeat, “The budget for the upcoming year was already drawn but again, Your Grace was not spending your allocated allowance on anything.”

Eloise thought for a while. Wasn't that a good thing that she was not spending her husband's fortune?

“What's wrong with that? I already have everything I need.”

Knox' lips formed a thin line with a single thought playing on his mind ‘doesn't she have any greed or desire’.

The Fleiss was a well-known family throughout the Kingdom. Their wealth and prestige was vast and incomparable. Furthermore, the Duchess' personal allowance was an amount that will make the other noble ladies gasp. If it is a way to measure a husband's affection, the Duke's love for his wife was tremendous. But given their cold relationship, it might be a test to see if she will eventually give in to her greed and take advantage of the power she has as a Duchess.