The Grand Duchess Escape

Philip was perplexed, but he tried to keep his composure.

“Why are you suddenly looking for my daughter?”

“His Highness sent an engagement present to the Young Lady.”

Philip bit his lip at the clear and direct answer.

It was a kind of customary practice to send gifts to one’s marriage partner during the engagement period, so it was difficult to refuse his request.

‘Of all things!’

Philip wondered how he could naturally get out of this difficult situation. For the first time in his life, he regretted that he had physically punished Asella.

So far, he had prevented Asella from leaving and locked her in the mansion, so the excuse “She’s not here” wouldn’t work. But that didn’t mean he could use the excuse that she wasn’t feeling well.

This was because it was obvious why Calix Benvito had proposed to Asella.

A healthy heir.

If he were to hear that the woman he was engaged to was not in good health, this proposal might never have taken place.

It all goes back to human nature. If an item was defective, people would try to return it even after using it, much less before purchasing it.

For an unmarried nobleman, breaking off an engagement was not a very good look, but if it was Calix Benvito, breaking off an engagement ten times should not be a problem at all.

So, there was only a certain answer that Philip could give. He smiled awkwardly and opened his mouth.

“Please excuse me for a moment.”

Philip hurried out of the drawing-room and found his aide waiting for him outside the door.

“Sir, are you finished with your meeting?”

“Bring Asella to me now!”

The aide looked puzzled with the sudden order.

“Right now, sir? Why Lady Asella all of a sudden…”

Philip’s face twisted at once. He wiped his forehead with his palm before he spat out a swear word, frowning.

“Damn it!”

“Sir.”

“Ryzen Kadan insists on seeing her. He said he would give her the engagement present the Grand Duke sent in person.”

Philip continued, biting his lips.

“She’s probably in my room. Treat her properly and bring her to me. I don’t want Ryzen Kadan to notice.”

The aide looked at Philip with a puzzled expression. Philip frowned.

“What are you doing? Hurry!” 

“The lady doesn’t have appropriate clothes to welcome guests.“

At that moment, Philip’s face was bewildered.

He hadn’t bought her a single decent indoor dress because he didn’t want to waste money on Asella. So far, no one had ever visited Asella, so it had never been a problem. 

“F*ck!”

Externally, he was pretending to be a highborn nobleman, acting as if he was a good and loving stepfather to his deceased wife’s children. He couldn’t let Asella look like a beggar in front of the Ryzen Kadan.

Philip’s stopped and thought quickly

“Get Rebecca’s clothes and dress her.”

“Huh?”

The aide’s face turned pale.

Rebecca was Philip’s old lover; they had promised each other that they would marry after Anthony had successfully inherited the marquisate.

Although Rebecca and Philip had not yet been officially married, they had already furnished the best rooms in the Marquess’s mansion to their liking and she was often seen in and out of the house.

A pale-faced, dumbfounded aide stuttered.

“But then, Miss Rebecca…”

“Shut up and bring it to me right now!”

Philip cut his words off nervously.

If Rebecca found out about this, he had no doubt that she would go wild. He could totally see Rebecca ripping the dress that Asella wore in front of him while screaming, “How could you do this to me?”

It was infuriating and annoying just to think about it, but there was no other way. He was lucky that Rebecca hadn’t come today.

“I’ll explain it to Rebecca. Just put it on her.”

Rebecca was difficult to deal with, but she was stupid. He could whisper some sweet words to her and she would let it slide.

However, there was still a problem.

“My Lord, even if I did… it wouldn’t be the right size.”

Rebecca was about a foot taller than Asella and had a curvy figure. There was no way that Rebecca’s clothes would fit the petite Asella.

“Just bring them over and let her try them on. If it roughly fits her, then it would be fine.”

Philip scolded, and the aide immediately bowed his head and hurried off.

‘I’d better check it out myself, just to be sure.’

Philip bit his lip as he made his way to Asella’s room.

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