The First Night With the Duke is a witty rom-com that is emotional with a dash of fantasy, and The First Night With the Duke Chapter 73-79 highlights all these elements. It dives deeper into Ripley’s strange connection to her modern world and the truth behind her soul-switching with the “real” Ripley. The two women face each other, swap places, and uncover the power of Isla’s doll. Ripley wakes up after weeks, only to find her loved ones deeply shaken yet relieved. She is now hailed as an excellent businesswoman, a beloved duchess, and a loved fiancée. But her wedding plans and unsolved mysteries still continue to keep her, as well as us, right on the edge.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 73: The Cursed Sleeping Duchess
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 73 begins with the burnt palace being cleaned as dawn breaks. At the annex building, Sylvia nervously inquires about the condition of Ripley. And the doctor gloomily reports that Ripley is still in a coma, Now being gossiped about as “The Cursed Sleeping Duchess”. The doctor even sadly thinks that the people around her need to be stronger.
In the meantime, Duke Zeronis sits at her side, desolated, visibly exhausted. A small boy timidly comes in with fresh lilies. The Duke, surprised, realizes he never that he did not even know that she preferred lilies, and it makes him feel even sadder. He recalls that he does not even know her favorite tea. There is much about her, he is yet to know and discover. As the boy gently finishes his visit, saying, “Everybody misses you, Lady Ripley. And I miss you too,” the Duke strokes the boy’s head with a faint, melancholic smile, weighed down by regret.
Later, Zeronis reflects on the disturbing rumors about her not waking up due to a curse. He then thinks about what she said about her being from another world. He silently asks himself whether she is already back to where she belonged. With complete anguish, he covers his face. Then, the scene cuts elsewhere: in the original world, a girl with short black hair .—Possibly Ripley — appears, leaving the haunting question of whether she really did return home. The First Night With the Duke Chapter 73 ends with mystery hanging heavy, as love, loss, and fate intertwine.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 74: The Ripley Who Returned
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 74 begins with the girl with short black hair feeling strangely out of place, wondering if she had always been this way. As she’s lost in thought, a cheerful friend suddenly startles her from behind, pulling her back into the moment. Later, she feels confused about whether she already had breakfast or not. She gets to know about her having a boyfriend which only adds to her confusion pile. She sees red hair and a blond face, but cannot put it together, and her emotions are oddly muted.
Ripley comes across the boy whom she believes is her boyfriend at school. Yet she does not feel anything when she sees him. Nothing seems familiar, except one thing. An old childhood doll sitting quietly in a corner, the same Ripley doll. For some reason, it doesn’t feel strange at all. In fact, it feels important, almost familiar.
At night, she falls asleep and gets woken all frightened up by a slight meow. She looks out of the window to see a black cat sitting there with the moon shining very brightly behind it. She does not have time to react, when she hears a soft voice say, “Hi, welcome”. And she freezes, thinking if the doll talking to her. She is horrified and scared when she sees a figure with red hair. A woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Ripley turns up in the room. The First Night With the Duke Chapter 74 ends with the girl watching in shock as the mysterious red-haired Ripley makes her eerie entrance under the moonlight.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 75: The Two Ripleys
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 75 begins with the black-haired girl (the Ripley we know) staring in confusion at the red-haired woman who just appeared in her room. The red-haired girl bumps her forehead with hers and it triggers a flood of memories. She suddenly remembers Zeronis, the Duke, and realizes the red-haired woman standing before her is the Real Ripley.
Startled, our Ripley apologizes for causing trouble while inhabiting the real Ripley’s body in that world. However, the actual Ripley just laughs in a friendly saying she also pretended to be her in this world. She appears to be quite content with her new existence in this world. Enjoying smartphones, no pressure to be married, and study learning whatever she wants.
Game of Destiny
Ripley says that she traded her life for the happiness doll knowingly and is happy with her decision. Smiling softly, the real Ripley even teases her for falling in love with Duke Zeronis and admits she read the same novel too. But Our Ripley begins to panic as she wonders whether the end of the novel and her end are now connected or not. But she quickly realizes she has returned to her original world and fears that the real Ripley wants to go back to hers.
The actual Ripley however just shakes her head and says that she loves her new world here. Our Ripley then admits how she wanted to get out of her miserable existence in her former world. How happy she was to have a loving family, faithful friends, and the Duke in her new life. She gets tearful and says at last, “My world is over there.” The First Night With the Duke Chapter 75 ends with her heartfelt determination to return to the world she now calls home.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 76: The Switch of Fates
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 76 begins with the real Ripley calling it “excellent” that our Ripley has now decided to return. She tells her how to reverse things by exchanging fates once more again. Revealing to her the instruction manual that had been stored inside the doll the whole time. The real Ripley tells her that, under the full moon, as before, they can exchange souls again.
Ripley smiles and says, “Isla’s items really are perfect.” But warns that this time, the curse would never be reversed, no more switchings. Our Ripley asks her if she would like to go back and whether the real Ripley would not miss her own world. The actual Ripley nods her head in a sad way and tells her she did not have the opportunity to be the heroine in her story, and she prefers this new world.
The two women confess to each other about the suffering they faced in their previous lives. And eventually, you decide to cast the curse. The real Ripley requests her to take care of her parents, Sylvia. She even adds Rose before parting, saying the real Rose is not as bad as painted in the novel.\
The Price of Switching Fates
Just at that moment, our Ripley finds herself in the dark space that she had witnessed previously. She sees the black cat, which appears to lead her as the guardian of world peace. She trails the cat as her determination stiffens.
Ripley wakes up in bed, unable to move, and is filled with sadness, feeling Zeronis sitting next to her. She makes an attempt to speak, to stand up. At last her eyes open and she says to him: “How come you look so haggard… it makes me sad.” The First Night With the Duke Chapter 76 ends with her quietly returning to his side, ready to reclaim her place in that world.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 77: Waking After 52 Days
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 77 begins with Ripley slowly sitting up in bed, still disoriented. Zeronis, by her side, at last, sighs with relief and says to her that she has slept for 52 days. Ripley is surprised as it seems she has spent only one day in her weird dream world.
As his composure falters, Zeronis begins to break down completely. He again asks her whether she is really awake this time. Ripley kisses his forehead and says that she is back, she is truly here. They hug each other. Both are overwhelmed with tears. And they finally make it complete with a passionate kiss as all their feelings are released.
The Longest Sleep
Sylvia later runs into the room in full tears before they even have time to catch their breath and goes to Ripley and holds her hand. Shortly thereafter, Ripley’s mother and father also come in. Crying hysterically as well, all had feared that she would not wake up. Etoile comes hurrying in a little later too, with her usual misty-eyed appearance.
With all the relieved faces in the room, Zeronis discreetly gives way to Ripley to enjoy her moment and talk with Etoile. After they both calm a bit, Etoile brings over the new business report, her eyes shining with immense pride. Ripley accepts the report and flips its pages slowly. She finds that the store has been doing exceptionally well in her absence. The figures are good and everything is booming. However, when her eyes land on her share in the business, she becomes frozen with shock. The amount on the page completely shocks her. The First Night With the Duke Chapter 77 ends with Ripley stunned by just how much her small dream had grown in her absence, realizing how much she truly means to those around her.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 78: Blossoms, Bees, and Whispers
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 78 begins with Ripley glowing as the center of attention. Now she is hailed as a great businesswoman, and the duke is happy to accompany her in the garden, silently enjoying her joy. She is so excited about her new-found success. She even offers to get him anything he desires now that she has her own money. But quickly realizes that he is already the wealthiest individual she knows! The duke flushes and answers, with playful seriousness, “Then I shall think about what I want.”
Ripley then decides to volunteer with Etoile again. A little boy brings her lilies, warming her heart even more. Ripley and the Duke walk together admiring the rebuilding of the palace ruins after the fire. Just then she boldly suggests that they should get married now. However, the Duke remains silent and this makes her wonder why he is not sharing her excitement.
Right at that moment a bee buzzes near Ripley, making her jump. She flings herself into the arms of the Duke and clasps him in her arms. Resting her head against his chest she feels his rapid heartbeat, wishing to hear it forever. Meanwhile, somewhere else, Etoile and Wright are delighted over Ripley’s success and the manner in which she is recovering. Until the scene shifts to a mysterious woman in dark clothes quietly moving through the crowd, ending The First Night With the Duke Chapter 78.
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 79: Cake, Steak, and a Flustered Duke
The First Night With the Duke Chapter 79 begins with Ripley joining Etoile and Wright at the children’s home to volunteer. Ripley immediately brightens up, and she plays around with the children. Her joy shines through as everyone has fun. The children debate whether cake or steak is better, and Ripley happily declares her love for steak, making them giggle.
Hoping to clear the debate, she tells them that when they attend her wedding, there will be cake and steak for everyone. Yet a timid little kid softly asks that he is afraid that people might laugh at Ripley if she brings them to her royal wedding. Ripley embraces the kid and gently says, “Don’t worry, nobody will laugh.” She adds, saying how these children are already her mini-siblings.
Why Is Zeronis So Flustered About the Wedding?
Later, the trio- Ripley, Etoile, and Wright sit down to eat. As they talk, the conversation naturally shifts to Ripley who is about to get married. Etoile and Wright tease Ripley about setting the wedding date. But she shares her concern, saying how the Duke was flustered when she had asked him.
Wright, with pity, lets slip that the Duke has even lost weight lately. That might have been the reason. But Ripley questions further. She sees that Wright seems to have the same flustered expression that Zeronis had. She zeroes in and finally calls Wright out on his strange behavior. The First Night With the Duke Chapter 79 ends with Ripley’s mind lingering on her flustered Duke.
What do you think about The First Night With the Duke Chapter 73-79? Subscribe to AnimeMangaToon to know why Zeronis is avoiding the wedding talks.
