Secret Wardrobe of the Duchess

Chapter 12

Edgar laughed so hard that he fell from the chair. It was the answer he had been waiting for more than anything.

‘You cannot do it even if the woman wants it unless you are in love with each other.’

If his father had learned that earlier, such tragedy would have never happened. There was a small drop of tear hanging at the corner of his eye as he laughed.

***

In the meantime, Rubica, who huffed in anger outside for some time, realized what she had done and started to tremble in fear. She had slapped the duke’s cheek and called him a bastard!

She couldn’t believe she let herself lose her temper at the duke’s provocation and spoke such rude words. It was the word she hated the most in the world. However, she wasn’t brave enough to go back inside the carriage and apologize. She could only quietly curse at her foolishness.

“Oh, Ms. Berner, have you had a good conversation with His Grace?”

Butler Carl, who had finished taking care of the people of the Berner Mansion, found her and spoke to her. However, his warm voice only put her down into even deeper sorrow. She just shook her head.

“Did he smile at you warmly?

“No.”

“Hmm, then did he praise your beauty?”

“What? Of course not.”

Rubica answered, quite puzzled. Carl smiled warmly and said, “Then it must have been a very good conversation.”

“Yes, it was a very good one.”

It wasn’t Rubica who said that.
Edgar opened his carriage’s door wide and came down. There wasn’t any trace of Rubica’s slap on his smooth cheek. He smiled warmly and offered her his hand as if she had never hit him.

“As we have finished talking alone, let us go to finish talking with your family.”

“Oh my, I see Your Grace is extremely angry.”

Carl was about to give Rubica a piece of advice, but he had to shut his mouth and quickly back off at Edgar’s sharp gaze. Rubica had to let him take her hand and take her into the mansion.

It was deadly quiet inside. It had been very noisy when Rubica had snuck out, but now, they didn’t even see a maid on their way to the drawing room.

Carl led them with ease as if he had been working there for many years. Mr. and Mrs. Berner were sitting in the room with their daughter. Mr. Berner was pale. When he saw Rubica, he jumped to his feet and smiled widely.

“Rubica! We’ve been waiting for you. You must listen to me…”

Mr. Berner still hadn’t realized his situation and called Rubica by her name, and it made Edgar feel uncomfortable. Carl read his expression and immediately warned Mr. Berner.

“Please do not call the duke’s fiancé by her name.”

“What, what the… I am Rubica’s uncle. I took her in when she had nowhere to go!”

Mrs. Berner had met the duke at the main gate and had experienced how cold he was. She pulled her slow-witted husband’s pants, but the optimistic Mr. Berner didn’t care.
He didn’t know how great the duke and his men were, but the person who was going to become the duchess was the Rubica who he had raised.

She had to at least know how big what he had graciously given her was. Moreover, the duke also had to clearly learn that without him, he couldn’t have even dreamt of taking Rubica.