The Duke didn't let me go for a second and continued holding me against his chest. I could see Adaranth in my peripheral vision panicking and he was turning his bags upside down, looking for medicine. The two of them gave me even more nausea and I pushed the Duke away. He finally let me go and I sat down in the grass:
"I told you. I don't need your pity."
I turned towards Adaranth and smiled:
"Don't worry. It will pass in a few minutes."
The Duke kneeled down in front of me and started fanning my face. I decided to ignore him and just focused on calming my stomach down. Adaranth didn't listen to me and continued looking through his bag. He finally found the medicine box that he packed and rushed back to me. He had trouble reaching me because the Duke was surrounding me with his body.
"Your Grace... I'm sorry but could you please move aside a bit?"
Payne finally stood up and Adaranth handed me a bottle to smell. After a long time, I finally felt better and smiled at Adaranth:
"Thank you so much, it's way better now."
I stood up and seeing me move, the Duke rushed back to my side. I shook his hands off and climbed back onto the carriage by myself. His hands still stayed in the air as if waiting to catch me if I were to fall.
"Are you sure that you are okay? We could stay longer."
I shook my head:
"I'm good. I'm sorry for delaying you.
-Don't apologize. I am sorry that I pushed you too hard."
I frowned.
"Why are you apologizing? I was the one who insisted on keeping going.
-If you feel sick, let me know."
I had no idea what to say and just stayed silent. We finished the journey in less than an hour and the Duke came to open the carriage door. I accepted his hand and got off the carriage but the silence was weird for some reason. When I looked up next, I froze. Why were so many people there? The first time I arrived no one had come out to greet me but now the whole Dukedom seemed to be present. I looked behind myself wondering if they were waiting for someone else to arrive.
Seeing me come out of the carriage, all the servants and knights bowed and even the Duke's family lowered their heads a bit. The servants all exclaimed at the same time:
"We greet the future Duke of Grimsbane."
I was so surprised that I just stared at them dumbly. Seeing my pale face, Payne started touching my forehead:
"Are you okay? Is it your head again?"
I pushed his hand again with a frown:
"I'm fine. I am just tired."
He thought a second before raising his hands:
"Should I carry you?"
He didn't seem to know how he should do it and just clenched the air a few times. I couldn't stop getting surprised, I should have gotten used to nothing making sense at that point:
"No!"
It seemed I wasn't the only surprised one. The servants started whispering seeing the scene and even Payne's family seemed lost. A woman with very long black hair started laughing:
"They always say that traveling changes a person."
I wasn't unhappy to see Yureka Grimsbane. She was Payne's sister and was like a cool aunt. She didn't stay at the mansion long when I arrived but her unbothered personality immediately pleased me. She didn't care about politics at all and was the only one who talked to me like a normal person. She spent most of her life traveling and hearing about her brother's engagement she rushed back to the Dukedom.
Having our eyes meet, she smiled at me:
"It is so nice to finally meet my dear brother's lover. You can call me Yureka."
I quickly shook my head:
"We are not lovers."
Yureka just smiled which was weird. She looked at her brother and I couldn't help looking at Payne too. Seeing him sad made me immediately look away. Why would he look like that? I didn't lie.
A woman with white hair and the same dark eyes took a step closer to me. She was by far wearing the most ostentatious clothes and her polite smile was thinner than her eyebrows. I immediately recognized Essence Grimsbane. She was Payne's grandmother and the real head of the family. Despite being the Duke in name, Payne wasn't the real Duke until the previous head didn't die.
"We are honored to welcome you to the Grimsbane mansion."
I just nodded. I wasn't going to pretend that I was happy to be there. This woman hadn't apologized to me even after I saved her granddaughter's life. She didn't deserve my attention.
"I am tired. I will excuse myself first."
Essence Grimsbane's smile faltered but she quickly found back her countenance:
"You must be tired after your long journey. Our butler, Vaughn, will take you to your room."
I couldn't help frowning. Vaughn was just as bad as Essence, if not worse. I by far preferred going alone than with that man. I didn't have time to say that, however, because I felt the Duke's hand find its place around my waist. I got so surprised that I didn't push him back:
"My fiancé is feeling sick because of the ride. Have our family doctor come to my room."
Essence frowned:
"Your room? We prepared a guest room for your fiancé."
Payne didn't seem to like that answer:
"Where else would my fiancé sleep than with me?"
I finally came back to my senses and pushed Payne away:
"I don't want to sleep with you."
Once again Payne looked hurt for some reason but I ignored it:
"I am perfectly fine with the guest room."
Feeling the tension, Yureka nodded:
"Zeidan is right. Why would he sleep with you? No person in their right mind would put their feet into your room. Jokes aside, at least give Zeidan time to get used to the Dukedom."
Payne thought about it for a second:
"Okay. But only for a week."
Yureka frowned:
"Why a week? That's not enough for someone to get used to a completely new place.
-Married people should share a room."
Essence and I both screamed:
"Married?"
Payne looked at the both of us with a frown:
"I will bring our marriage forward."
Essence came up to us and gestured for the servants to leave:
"What are you doing? You know very well that you need to wait for the church's approval.
-They take months to answer.
-Then we'll have to wait months."
I quickly nodded:
"Your grandmother is right. I can wait, I don't mind waiting as long as necessary."
Payne shook his head:
"I refuse to wait any longer. In a week we will hold the wedding."