Secret Wardrobe of the Duchess

Chapter 5

“You should have asked for my opinion.”

Rubica’s accusation was just. Mr. Berner realized what he had missed only then. However, he was naturally positive and soon made sense of things, in his point of view, and smiled.

“I was going to surprise you.”

He sounded as if he never thought about Rubica refusing the proposal.
Rubica couldn’t take it anymore and yelled, “I don’t want to get married to the duke!”

Everyone was shocked to hear that. Mrs. Berner, Mr. Berner, and even the servants in the mansion who had been listening to the conversation quietly.

Duke Claymore. He had become a duke at a young age in his 20s, three years ago when his parents died in a chariot accident. He was literally the most eligible bachelor in the kingdom.

He was so capable that he was now the most trusted subject of the king, and everyone praised his handsome looks.

Rubica was from a baronet family that lived by with the trading business. She couldn’t even dream of marrying such a man.

Nevertheless, she hated him.
Edgar Taylor Clayd Windmore.
How could she ever forget that name? He was the man who invented ‘Stella’, the bomb dropped from the sky.

The Claymore Family had always been full of great inventors. The family had greatly helped the kingdom in becoming the place where the most advanced weapons were produced. The kingdom’s budget of the year depended on what kind of inventions the family made in that year.

Edgar Taylor Clayd Windmore, the 24th Duke Claymore, was thought to be the most brilliant Duke Claymore ever. Eventually, he used that brilliant mind to create the terrible monster, Stella.
That Stella was going to kill most of the people with Rubica in 4 years.

Because of the war it caused, Arman lost his eyes, and many people lost their parents, children, and friends.
And what about Rubica’s end? That merciless weapon didn’t discern the innocents and enemies. Bombs were dropped even at Hue’s Abbey, where priests took care of sick people and orphans, and Rubica eventually died at the age of 70.

To her, Duke Claymore was like her greatest enemy. If it had been another man, she would have handled it, even if it had been an old duke with white hair, but she couldn’t marry Duke Claymore. Ever.

She bit her lips tight and stared at her uncle, protesting. She had never done that before, and the atmosphere seemed to be freezing. She had always been obedient and kind. Mr. Berner hadn’t expected her to protest like that, so he just froze there and started to sweat hard.

“Hahaha!”

Mrs. Berner’s laugh broke the silence. Everybody was frozen and couldn’t say anything, but she threw a rock called laughter to that mood.

“Rubica, you’re not a young teenager. Are you acting like this because the duke didn’t kneel down in front of you and present flowers to you? Oh, Rubica, think of your age! And think of the duke’s high status. It wouldn’t have been right for him to come to you and ask for your hand in marriage like a silly boy from the neighborhood. He asked your uncle, your patron, to accept his proposal instead, from family to family! He has done everything he was supposed to do. It is only right for you to ask your patron’s opinion about whether you are a woman good enough for him.”

Mrs. Berner dismissed Rubica’s anger as childish foolishness, and she was right. There was nothing wrong with how the duke was taking care of the process, but Rubica didn’t want to step back now.

“Nevertheless, you should have asked for my opinion. Was the guest messenger sent by the duke? You should have let me meet him.”

That was a euphemistic and earnest plea. Mr. Berner nodded. However, his wife stared at Rubica with cold eyes. She wouldn’t have Rubica join the meeting, even if Mr. Berner had wanted it.