The Duke's Unwanted Wife

The edge of town bordering the forest of damnation was a rough remote area. It was no place for a lady like her or a young lord like him. Yet, here they were, looking for properties for sale amongst the shabby inns and stores that traded items from the relatively poorer explorers who went into the forest. There was a tangible stench in the air, the reason for the permanent handkerchief on Sebastian’s nose. It did bother Natalia but her nose soon got used to the stench as it was something she had experienced many times in both lives.    

    

“I want to apologize again for bringing you both here…..”    

    

“No, this isn’t your fault. Natalia, what the hell?!”    

    

“If it wasn’t necessary, we wouldn’t have come here. Let’s see if we can search for people desperate enough to want to sell their properties”    

    

“You don’t look like you’re in much discomfort. Tell me, have you been here before? Has that Kristen bastard brought you here?!”    

    

“So quick to jump to conclusions. No, I haven’t come here before. But brother dearest, don’t tell me you’re quick to forget that accident”    

    

“Oh……” Sebastian was suddenly mellow, dropping the handkerchief. He took a deep breath and coughed, his eyes watering. The realtor stared at both of them, confused but decided not to pry. There was nothing good that could come out of prying in a noble’s business. Natalia simply smiled.    

    

“Bastian, you have a good eye for people. Select our prey”    

    

“Don’t say it like I’m some sort of pervert” he said, looking around as instructed. Sebastian did have an eye for people and after minutes of searching, he narrowed down the suitable prey for his sister.    

    

“I have two choices. Look at that inn over there” he pointed to a relatively clean yet deserted building. It was better than 90 percent of the buildings there yet there was just something off about it. A middle aged balding man sat on a stool in front of it, fanning himself with a fan made out of animal hide.    

    

“And that stall over there” the second place he pointed to was in fact a building but because of its state, it could hardly be addressed as such. Only the first floor was completed and the second was covered with a tarp. There was a tent set up in front and a stall that sold magic items. It was manned by a much younger looking man who made occasional sales.    

    

“I knew I could count on you, Bastian! Truly the pride of the capital”    

    

They decided to walk over to the inn first. The realtor took the front, talking to the man. The two nobles that were left standing in the sun were soon covered by their servants and a tent was quickly set up for them. A servant rushed to buy snacks for them and they conversed as they waited.    

    

“They say the southwest is the land of barbarism. I never imagined such words to be true. How can our only Grand Duke let his land get this bad? If he cannot manage his territory, how can he manage his marriage?”    

    

“It would be good not to hold a grudge against him. In fact, I want you to convince Father to support him”    

    

“Why?! Have you lost your mind!?”    

    

“Perhaps. Brother, what do you think would happen if the Grand Duke decides to rebel and take the throne for himself?”    

    

“I’m sure that bastard is more than capable of that. But, if it’s the current Grand Duke, he has a higher chance of succeeding”    

    

“Exactly. This is one of the reasons our marriage was rushed and the crown prince allowed you to take Princess Alana. It isn’t easy to guess that the Duke would hate this marriage because he’s in love with Princess Alana and having her here would cause enmity between both our families. This would make us less likely to take the Grand Duke’s side and the royal family would stand a chance against the Grand Duke”    

    

“To think we’d be controlled like Puppets! I……”    

    

“The Gand Duke would win. If we decide to oppose him, we are the ones who would get killed for him to maintain a new balance with the nobles. We should aim to be a Grand Duchy in the event of his rebellion”    

    

“I’m sure if I tell father, the chance to become a Grand Duke would entice him”    

    

“No, you, Sebastian Adamantine, has to become the next Grand Duke. The territory we would gain is the Southwest. Meaning, we would become the next guardians of the Forest of Damnation”    

    

“Urgh, why would I want something like that? Your plots are too vicious”    

    

“Tis but an idea, dearest brother. In reality, there are a myriad of options we have to consider and obstacles we would have to face. To make sure our family survives this conflict, we’ll have to make a choice and plan towards that future. If I’m correct in my hypothesis, in a year, The Grand Duke would become King”    

    

“But if he becomes the king, you can easily become the Queen. Even if something happens to us, nothing would….”    

    

Natalia scoffed, casting a glance to the Realtor. From the looks of things, the negotiations weren’t going well.    

    

“Grand Duke Kristen plans to make Princess Alana his wife. I, his unwanted wife, would easily be discarded with my family”    

    

“Do you plan to make a deal with him?”    

    

In her past life, the only reason she remained the duchess when he took over the throne was because she gave birth to his son. However, it wasn’t so straightforward either. The clue lied in the crown prince and his troublesome actions as well as her father.    

    

“If I plan to make a deal with him, he’ll be suspicious. Let us wait”    

    

The realtor made his way back to the noble siblings, sweating greatly.    

    

“He refused the amount offered for the deal. I’m afraid…..”    

    

“I’ve waited so long, Natalia…..”    

    

“You’re not allowed to intimidate him”    

    

Sebastian stood up immediately, walking over to the man. Natalia picked up a parasol and followed him, the servants closing up the shade they set up for them. Natalia got there in time, pinching her brother to make sure he stayed calm. He did well, pulling back and forth with the man.    

    

“It is absurd that we’ll pay that much for a family heirloom. It’s not a noble family and it doesn’t matter to us. We’re already giving a lot of money away!”    

    

“How can a pair of wet behind the ears nobles disrespect my family’s heirloom? We may be commoners but we have our own pride”    

    

“I understand that, sir, but this is important to me. I apologize for my brother’s behavior. However, this price is indeed a bit unreasonable to us. Instead, why don’t we set up a lease agreement? Instead of buying the property, we lease it for a few years? This would benefit us both”    

    

“Nobles leasing property? I’ve never heard of that. Well, I can……”    

    

DING. DONG. DING. DONG. DING. DONG.    

    

Immediately the sound was heard, the traders started packing up to leave.    

    

“What is that sound?”    

    

“This must be your first time in Traisen. That, my noble friend is the execution bell. Right now, a criminal is being executed in the town’s square”