The Grand Duke's Soulmate
Chapter 428: The Wedding Night Of A Contractual Marriage (I)

Chapter 428: The Wedding Night Of A Contractual Marriage (I)

"Hmm... you go ahead and change," Drystan said as they arrived at the bridal chamber.

During their walk down the hall, he had noticed the shadows of three people discreetly following them. Not wanting to alarm Sylvia, he decided to keep the matter to himself for now.

"I can’t undo the dress myself. I need someone to help me," Sylvia admitted, her voice tinged with exhaustion.

The ornate dress, with its layers of kirtle, gown, surcoat, and tightening corset, along with the heavy headpiece, had worn her out.

"I’ll help with that," Drystan offered.

"Why would you do that? My personal maid usually helps me with this," she replied, surprised.

"No need to bother her with this trivial task. Rather than waiting for her to arrive, we might as well handle it ourselves. It’s not like I’ve never done it before," he said confidently.

Sylvia’s cheeks flushed. She wanted to refuse, but she understood that Drystan preferred to keep things simple and straightforward.

After all, he had undressed her before, seeing her only in her chemise when they spent the night together in the deserted barn. So, he wouldn’t be surprised to see her body now.

After helping her out of her clothes, the couple took turns washing their faces and cleaning up before settling for the night.

While waiting for Drystan, Sylvia took the chance to peek out of the opened window, watching as guests began to leave one by one from the mansion’s compound.

"We should be down there, thanking everyone for attending our wedding ceremony and bidding them goodbye," she said.

"It’s fine. I already told your father and mother that we needed to retreat early for some rest. It has been a long day for us," Drystan reassured her, his voice close.

She turned to find him already standing right beside her. Her heart immediately raced at his proximity.

"Let me close the door. The wind is cold today," he said, placing his hand over hers as she held the window’s sash.

He pushed it down and locked it before moving away to the large four-poster bridal bed. A piece of white cloth was laid in the centre of the mattress, and the knight understood its significance.

Silently, he sat at the edge of the bed, and the mattress shifted under his tall, sturdy frame.

Sylvia felt a wave of nerves wash over her at the sight. Her hands fidgeted with the fabric of her gown.

Obviously, Drystan would be sharing the bed with her tonight. Though this wouldn’t be their first night together, there was a distinct difference.

Tonight marked their wedding night, and according to custom, the married couple was obligated to perform their first marital duty—the consummation.

"Come and sit here," Drystan said, patting the empty space beside him.

Sylvia swallowed hard. Was he going to make a move on her? Although the knight had promised to respect her and not take advantage, she worried that if he suddenly changed his mind, there would be nothing she could do to stop him.

Drystan was now her official spouse, and he had the right to demand that she serve him. In their society, the husband typically held the upper hand in decisions and expectations regarding his wife.

"What’s the matter? Are you scared?" he asked, raising an eyebrow when he noticed her frozen stance.

"No, I’m not! Why would I be afraid of you?" she replied, trying to deny her feelings.

A chuckle escaped his lips as he already knew her well by now.

"Look, I’m not going to eat you. Come on, we’re just going to talk," he reassured her. "Just sit beside me."

Sylvia composed herself and took a step forward. If she didn’t come to him, Drystan would tease her for the rest of the night. She approached him and sat down on the bed.

"See? Nothing harmful, right?" he teased.

Sylvia bit her lower lip. The knight’s jokes sometimes felt annoying, but she had to hide her emotions.

Drystan took a moment to study his wife. As he noted her expression, a pitiful thought crossed his mind.

During the wedding reception, Sylvia endured relentless teasing and comments about heir, far more than he had. He knew she was affected by it and had barely escaped with her excuse to see Anna.

"It must have been hard on you today. Sorry, I didn’t do my best to support you," he said gently.

Sylvia met his gaze.

"What do you mean? You went through the wedding with me. We wouldn’t have made it to the end if we hadn’t been determined about our decision," she replied.

"I meant the comments from your family and guests about children. I saw how your face changed after it was mentioned God knows how many times!" Drystan corrected.

"Ah... about that! Yeah, it was kind of annoying. It was fine at first, but they went too far by mentioning this and that on how to conceive one, to the extent of detailing the techniques and everything! I’m pretty sure you are annoyed too!" she admitted.

Drystan let out a small laugh.

"I was, especially when they made it sound like I’m a breeding stallion as if it were that easy to have children! For all I know, it takes two people’s efforts and requires perfect timing. Some couples get lucky right away after marriage, while others don’t. It all depends on how God has determined it for you," he explained.

"True. And we just got married today. I don’t think it’s proper to mention it right away," she said.

"Agreed."

The bridal chamber fell silent momentarily. After a moment of thought, Sylvia continued, "If I may ask... do you like children?"

Drystan gazed ahead with a smile, lost in melancholic memories. He was reminded of his nephew, who had attended the wedding with his sister and brother-in-law. The little boy had grown so much since the last time he saw him before going off to the campaign to secure the border.

"I do. I’ve thought about having a few, but not that soon," he replied.

"I understand. It will take some time for you to find the right person to bear your children, right?" Sylvia smiled.

Drystan’s casual demeanour shifted to seriousness. Her statement clearly implied that he should find another woman to be the mother of his children.

Of course, why would she give him any?

Their marriage was just a contract for a year, arranged for the sake of the Marquess of Sylvere, and when the time came, they would go their separate ways.

"Are you fine with being a divorcee, Sylvie?" Drystan suddenly asked, changing the topic.

Sylvia looked back at him nervously.

"What do you mean? We’re not going to have a divorce so soon, right?" she asked.

"No, definitely not. His Lordship is so happy with this marriage, and both families are pleased as well. We can’t shock them with that so early. I’m just asking because, in most cases, the women would be the ones affected by it. I want to know how you would feel about it," he said.

Sylvia lowered her eyes as the question lingered in her mind.

"To be honest, I’m not sure. All I wanted was to make my grandfather happy. He sacrificed so much for the empire, for the people, and for our family. If I could give him something in return, even if it means facing such consequences, I wouldn’t mind. I love him dearly, Drystan," she admitted.

"I understand. I respect him highly, too. He bragged a lot about me to the guests, saying I’m the best husband material for you when I’m just a common man," Drystan said, amused.

"No, you’re not! You’re a great person, and I can see that," Sylvia insisted. "I wouldn’t have done this without you."

Drystan smiled.

"Thank you for holding me in such high regard. I’ll ensure to keep our promise to you." He extended his hand for a handshake. "Ally to the end?"

A smile crept onto Sylvia’s face.

"Ally to the end!" she responded, intertwining her hand with his as they shook on their agreement.

As they finished their handshake, Drystan said, "If you ever feel burdened and need someone to talk to, you can always come to me. Don’t keep it all to yourself. We’re in this together, aren’t we?"

Sylvia nodded.

"As for the divorce, let’s not think about it for now. As long as we’re legally married, I will always respect and uphold your dignity. In the eyes of society, you are my official wife, and to me, you are my partner in this agreement. Whatever the outcome may be, I’ll make sure you won’t get hurt," the knight promised.

"Thank you, Drystan. That means a lot to me," she replied.

Having this heart-to-heart conversation with him made her feel less burdened. She was now convinced that the knight would do his best to keep his word and protect her.

"Now, how do we settle this?" Drystan said, touching the white cloth spread across the centre of their bed. "You know what this is for, right?"

Sylvia blushed, fully aware of its purpose. Even her mother and the midwife had whispered about it before the wedding.

The white cloth was used to wipe away bloodstains after consummation and then handed to the midwife for examination. It symbolised purity and innocence, and its staining was seen as proof of the bride’s chastity.

This visual confirmation was important for demonstrating to families and the community that the marriage had been consummated properly.

Seeing Sylvia turn red, Drystan chuckled.

"Don’t worry. We won’t be doing it. Your first time should be with the man you love, and I won’t force you, even though I have the right to. I told you I would respect you, didn’t I?" he reassured her. "It’s just that we need to avoid raising any suspicions. If there’s no mark on this cloth by morning, the midwife and your family will surely make a fuss about it."

"Then, what do you suggest we do?" she asked.

Drystan pondered momentarily before standing up. He walked to the nearby table, searching for an object. When he found it, he picked it up—it was a letter opener.

Swiftly, he sliced the sharp edge across his thumb. A small cut formed, and blood trickled down. He returned to the bed and grabbed the white cloth.

"Oh, my God, Drystan! What are you doing?" Sylvia cried in alarm, noticing the wound now that he was facing her.

But Drystan ignored her concern and wiped his blood on the cloth, staining it as it was meant to be.

"That should do it. They’ll have what they want by morning," he said calmly.

"Oh, you shouldn’t have cut yourself!" Sylvia exclaimed, worry etched on her face. "How could you just do it without telling me?"

"It’s fine. It’s just a small wound, and it’s already stopped bleeding. See?" he said, showing her his thumb.

Unsatisfied, Sylvia took his hand and examined it closely. "You’re a knight. You use your hands a lot. You shouldn’t cut them recklessly," she scolded gently.

"It doesn’t hurt. Really," he emphasised.

"Still, I don’t like it when you do that without telling me. I’m going to put some medicine on it. Wait here!"

Sylvia got up from the bed and went to her dressing table. She retrieved a small bottle with a red cap and returned to the bed. Carefully, she applied the medicine to her husband’s hand before placing the bottle on the side table.

Drystan’s eyes flickered at her as she diligently rubbed the ointment and gently blew on the cut to soothe it.

"Does it still hurt?" she asked.

Drystan didn’t answer. Her gentleness made him want to pull her into his arms.

Why was she being so caring?

He wished he could embrace her like a real husband, but he knew he couldn’t. That would break his promise to her, and besides, Sylvia was only doing this for the sake of her grandfather.

"It’s fine now. You can let go," he said.

Feeling embarrassed, Sylvia pulled her hand back. Her eyes darted around, and she finally said, "It’s getting late. You should get some rest now."

"Just not yet. We still have another problem to settle."

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