The Cold-Hearted Grand Duke Obsesses Over Me After My Death - Chapter 8

Episode 8. I Became the Grand Duchess

Murmurs faintly brushed her ears like sounds heard through fog. She tried to open her eyes, but her eyelids were as heavy as stones and wouldn’t budge.

‘Why won’t my body move? I need to open my eyes…’

Emilia summoned all her strength and slowly moved her fingers. As she managed to put some strength into her index and middle fingers, she then focused on her eyes.

“When I wanted her dead, she clung to life. Now that she’s finally useful, she tries to die. Save her. She must be saved.”

“But, Your Grace, I’m afraid the young lady…”

She heard two voices—one angry, the other flustered.

At that moment, her eyelids faintly parted.

A stranger’s face came into view. A middle-aged gentleman she had never seen before was looking down at her.

“Ah, young lady. Are you awake?”

‘Ugh… my head…’

From the moment her eyes opened, an unbearable headache surged. As she touched her head with one hand and frowned, the gentleman urgently asked, “Does your head hurt? Which side is it?”

“Who… are you?”

At her question, the man hesitated briefly before calmly introducing himself.

“I am the attending physician of House Berthe.”

“House Berthe?”

Her voice cracked like a dry swamp in drought.

“Move aside. Emilia, are you awake?”

An elderly man with white hair pushed the physician aside and asked anxiously.

Who is he?

Emilia stared at him in thought. He was an old man with sunken cheeks and sharp eyes—a strict expression.

“Who are you?”

“Your grandfather. Don’t you recognize me?”

Grandfather?

“I don’t know… Where am I?”

The bedroom before her blurry vision wasn’t the tower where she had lived.

“Don’t you remember? This is your room at the Duke’s mansion. You were in grave danger.”

The physician answered from beside the elderly man.

‘Young lady? House Berthe?’

People she’d never seen and unfamiliar names; it felt like a dream.

Emilia pinched her cheek with her mobile right hand. She couldn’t exert much force, but there was a bit of pain. As she touched her face slowly, she realized her forehead was bandaged.

“……”

As she remained silent, the physician said gravely, “She appears to be suffering memory loss from a concussion, Your Grace.”

“She’s lost her memory? When will it return?”

The old man raised his voice.

“That I cannot say, but since she’s regained consciousness, her memory should come back eventually,” responded the physician evasively.

“Emilia, your wedding is soon. Even if you don’t remember, we must hold the ceremony first,” the Duke hastily urged her.

‘A wedding? What is he talking about?’

Emilia stared silently at the old man.

“Your Grace, she needs to rest for a while.”

The physician grabbed the Duke’s arm, trying to calm him.

“Then can she still go through with the ceremony?”

“Well… let’s talk outside.”

“Hmph, fine.”

The Duke reluctantly left the room with the physician.

‘Where am I? A wedding?’

Once they were gone, Emilia tried to recall her memory. The headache had eased slightly, but she still had no idea what had happened to her.

Knock, knock.

Just then, a woman entered with a tray.

“Young lady, are you all right?”

The woman checked her complexion and asked. She seemed to know Emilia well.

“I don’t know who you are, but could you explain what’s going on?”

Her voice came out hoarse, like it was filled with phlegm.

“Please speak comfortably, my lady. I’m Rosie, a maid of House Berthe. You are Lady Emilia, granddaughter of Duke Berthe. Three days ago, you fell down the stairs and hurt your head.”

“…I see?”

She spoke casually as requested, but she didn’t remember being Emilia or being the Duke’s granddaughter.

“Then that man earlier…?”

“Yes, that was Duke Berthe.”

After explaining, Rosie gently propped her up with a large cushion.

“My lady, I’ll feed you a little. Please eat something. You’ve been unconscious for three whole days.”

Rosie lifted a spoonful of thin potato soup and brought it to her mouth. Emilia blankly accepted the soup.

“That’s enough. I don’t think I can eat more.”

After a few spoonfuls, Emilia turned her head as her stomach churned.

“Do you remember the accident?”

At the mention of the accident, her head throbbed again.

“No, I don’t remember anything.” Emilia weakly shook her head.

Rosie said gently with a sympathetic expression, “I see. You need to start preparing for the wedding now.”

“Wedding?”

“Yes. In two days at 2 p.m., you will be marrying His Highness  Grand Duke Richert in the Grand Temple.”

Who is Grand Duke Richert?

Even hearing the name of her supposed husband brought nothing to mind.

“All right.”

Emilia replied with a resigned expression. Even if she couldn’t remember, she couldn’t cancel a scheduled wedding. Fortunately, thanks to resting, her body was slowly recovering.

Two days later, early in the morning. Several maids entered the room, bathed her, and began dressing her up. Emilia sat before the mirror, staying still as they worked.

‘It’s almost the wedding, and I look a mess.’

Seeing her thin, pale face, she sighed inwardly.

“I will remove the bandage now.”

One maid carefully unwrapped the bandage around her forehead. A large bruise was revealed.

The maids styled her hair and applied makeup. But the bruise couldn’t be hidden. Somehow finishing her makeup, they helped her stand and dressed her in a pure white wedding gown. Emilia remained motionless like a doll, letting them do as they wished.

“This tiara was bestowed by His Majesty the Emperor.”

After placing a large veil over Emilia’s face and neck, the maids carefully set the diamond-studded tiara on her head.

“Are you ready?”

Once the preparations were complete, Duke Berthe opened the door and entered with an anxious expression.

“Yes…”

Emilia weakly nodded toward the Duke.

“Then let’s go quickly. There’s not much time left.”

After the Duke left, Emilia was assisted out of the bedroom by the maids. Paul and the servants carried her to the carriage.

As soon as she boarded, the carriage departed.

***

In front of the Grand Temple where the Grand Duke’s wedding was to be held, invited nobles had gathered and were exchanging greetings.

“The Duke of Berthe had a granddaughter?”

“Exactly. I was shocked when I received the invitation.”

“I heard the wedding was arranged in a hurry. Nobles from distant regions weren’t invited this time.”

The Richert Empire’s territory was vast, covering more than half the continent, so nobles from far-off regions couldn’t be invited within a three-week notice.

“If no royal decree was issued, doesn’t that mean the Grand Duke’s bride had already been chosen as Lady Berthe?”

“Isn’t that unfair? To marry off someone like the Grand Duke, a top-class groom, without a selection decree?”

Noblewomen with unmarried daughters complained it was unjust.

“Nothing we can do now. Let’s head in.”

As the wedding hour of 2 p.m. approached, the nobles all entered the Grand Temple. But the carriage carrying the bride had yet to arrive.

“The ceremony time has passed. Speed up.”

Duke Berthe, checking his pocket watch with an anxious face, urged the coachman.

Inside the rattling carriage, Emilia was battling a headache. The pain had eased before departure, but the shaking made her head throb as if it would split, and her vision blurred.

“Pull yourself together.”

Perhaps her condition looked concerning, for the Duke kept urging her to come to her senses.

“……”

Emilia didn’t respond and leaned back against the seat, eyes tightly shut.

Beside her, Rosie gently wiped the sweat from Emilia’s forehead with a handkerchief.

After a long ordeal, the carriage finally arrived before the large Grand Temple. Getting out of the carriage, Emilia ascended the steps with Rosie’s support. No one was visible outside; it seemed everyone had gone inside.

“This way, please.”

Upon entering the Grand Temple, a young priest who had been waiting immediately guided them toward the central aisle. There was no time to rest in the waiting room, as they were already late.

As soon as the two stood at the entrance of the aisle, solemn music began to play and the wedding started. Without a moment to collect herself, Emilia held the Duke of Berthe’s hand and slowly walked down the aisle. At the end of it stood the man who would become her husband.