Episode 69. What’s needed now
Since that day, Odette has been thoroughly preparing for the first night under Ellie’s supervision.
Of course, it wasn’t necessarily just about taking the lead.
‘Because this is like an important event.’
In fact, it wasn’t important unless she really went through the first night.
But Walter and Odette had to at least show the entire mansion a signal that they had passed the night.
‘That way, it can really feel like I’ve become the hostess of this mansion.’
The relationship between the master and mistress greatly influenced the servants.
In any case, from their point of view, it was Walter, the Duke of Ertmann, who had served them for a long time.
Odette was still somewhat of a stranger.
Therefore, if there is a rumor that Walter is neglecting her, it is inevitable that she will be treated differently.
Furthermore, Walter and Odette have been pretending to be passionately in love in order to deceive Arnold.
But what if they don’t celebrate the first night right after they get married?
‘They’ll surely find it suspicious.’
And rumors will spread about the Duke and Duchess not being as passionate as before.
It wouldn’t take long to reach Arnold’s ears.
‘We’re supposed to love each other, even if we don’t.’
At least, they are in a position where they have to pretend to love each other.
So, can you really let your first night with someone you love go to waste?
The answer is ‘no’.
‘First night is something that cannot be avoided. And in the future, as long as we are a couple, things like this will happen often.’
So there’s only one conclusion.
‘Ellie and Emma are right.’
She must take the initiative early in the night!
With that mindset, Odette faithfully worked on the <First night suppression project>.
The first step was to gather knowledge.
“From here to here! This is a list that I confidently recommend. If you read only this, Your Highness, you’ll be able to act as if you’ve been with several men!”
Odette received a bunch of novels with strange titles from Ellie.
The content also varied.
Some were about a young lady who had no idea what a man was and swayed here and there, and others were stories about a skilled and sly female fatale who had attracted countless men under her skirt.
For that reason, Ellie said.
“Maybe it’s good to have a few different types for reference, right? Learn it well and use it differently depending on the situation!”
Ellie’s advice made sense.
Odette nodded solemnly and picked up the book on top.
“……!!!”
The moment she looked at the first page, Odette shut the book.
Her face turned crimson, she looked for Ellie with a scream.
“E- E- E- Ellie! I-Is this alright?”
“Yes? What’s wrong?”
“T-This- I mean- it’s- it’s too much! This woman is supposed to be a lady! an intellectual, an educated lady, an example to others, how could she do this!”
As she spoke, the scene came back to her mind again, and Odette buried her face in her hands, letting out a muffled scream.
Emma, witnessing the commotion, quietly approached and took the book from Odette’s hands.
“Why are you reacting like this? Ms. Ellie, do you mind if I take a look?”
“Of course, Emma.”
“Then please excuse me.”
With an expressionless face, Emma quietly flipped through a few pages of the book and then closed it with a thud.
“Ellie, do you happen to know a lot of books like this? Where did you get them?”
“There’s a bookstore I know, and they bring in books like this every other week. Why? Do you not like them?”
“No, it’s not that. If you think about saving a person, would you mind telling me about that bookstore…….?”
That’s right, Emma used to be the same…… with Ellie.
The two quickly joined forces and began sharing their own lists of recommendations, and Odette somehow ended up feeling a sense of relative deprivation among them.
“Do you two find it okay to read these kinds of things?”
“Of course not, because I don’t have it!”
“There are even more explicit novels. If you want, I can recommend those too…….”
“No, Ellie. If I show those, Your Highness will never deal with a man again. There’s a reason I didn’t open that part of the list.”
“Ah……! I see. You’re wise, as always.”
Only after hearing the two people explain that ‘this is nothing’, Odette gathered the courage to pick up the book again.
Ellie also added some advice for Odette, as a beginner.
“If you feel uncomfortable, just skip scenes like this and focus more on dialogue and actions, and you’ll get used to it that way.”
And this time, Odette faithfully followed Ellie’s advice.
‘It’s a novel that everyone reads. It might be a natural thing, and I just didn’t know.’
She told herself over and over again.
Surprisingly, the method really worked, and at some point Odette found herself enjoying the novel.
The stimulating and passionate love stories were actually…… quite interesting!
In this way, Odette actively accumulated knowledge.
The second step was to choose an outfit.
With Emma’s help, Odette took the time to try on each pair of nightgowns and explore what would be the most appropriate outfit.
Of course, the outfit couldn’t be complete without a little makeup and body care.
“For this bath, I mixed rose water made from Châtel region with a fragrance oil containing ylang-ylang. How do you feel?”
“I like the scent. But it feels like there’s a bit too much essential oil?”
“In that case, I’ll reduce the amount of essential oil and instead apply it in the finishing step after the bath.”
Emma, she was an expert.
Wherever she got it from, Emma brought various bath products and recommended them to Odette.
She aimed to find the optimal combination by adjusting the blends and changing the application methods.
After the bath, Emma applies a mixture of granulated sugar and honey to soothe Odette’s skin and a balm to keep it silky soft.
Of course, she didn’t forget to apply the essential oil for a glossy hair finish.
These were things Odette had always done since coming to Ertmann, but the difference was that Emma’s hands applying the perfume were filled with even more passion.
The final stage of the project was, of course, preparing the honeymoon room.
After going through all of these steps, Odette’s feelings were as follows.
‘If I can’t impress him, I won’t be able to face Emma and Ellie.’
They were so eager to help, and she knew they’d be furious if she messed up.
Emma might not care, but it’s certainly for Ellie.
“Don’t forget anything you’ve prepared, okay?!”
Ellie had said it over and over again, right up until the end.
But now, she completely forgot about it!
The only good thing is that Odette realized it wasn’t too late.
It was on the carriage ride back to Ertmann’s residence that Walter brought up the topic of the first night.
On the day of the wedding, a moonlit night.
Odette stood in front of the mirror, adjusting her clothes and thinking about the day’s events.
– Do you have any thoughts about the first night?
While Odette was left speechless by the shock of remembering something she had forgotten.
The carriage soon passed the gates of the Duchy residence and came to a halt.
This gave Odette no chance to think.
And as if he was teasing Odette, Walter hugged her, took her off the carriage, and whispered in her ear.
– You’d better start thinking now, because I’m not going to let you go.
Because of that Odette has returned to the manor with a bright red face.
Fortunately, the servants seemed to think that Odette’s blush was because Walter had picked her up from the carriage.
‘I’m the one who got swayed again.’
She couldn’t continue to be swayed like this.
Moreover, by bringing up the first night topic, Walter cleverly avoided answering what Odette said.
– Don’t deceive me, Walter.
In retrospect, he hadn’t said anything about this.
He had exploited Odette’s weak spot and made her lose her wits.
This made Odette forget about the fatigue that was weighing her down, and she felt unusually motivated.
‘This time, I’ll take back my composure.’
She said.
She checked her appearance in the mirror and walked away satisfied.
Emma, holding the door open for her, cheered her on with a small fist pump.
‘Cheer up, Madam!’
It seems to be saying.
Odette nodded slightly and headed toward the couple’s bedroom.
When she opened the door without knocking and saw the picture she expected.
A bottle of amber liquor on the table, two glasses already filled.
The lights dimmed just enough for them to see each other’s faces in detail even from a short distance away.
“You’re not coming in?”
The sight of a man approaching, putting down his half-empty glass of alcohol.
There was only a faint light, but she could see that the tips of Walter’s hair were slightly wet.
He’d probably just gotten out of the bath.
The usual neatly combed hair is now covering his forehead.
Maybe that’s why Walter looked a little younger and sharper than usual.
And sensual at the same time.
As Odette hesitated, he reached for her waist.
However, the outstretched hand did not rest on Odette, but on the doorknob behind her.
Clack.
The sound of the door closing was unusually clear.
And the whisper that followed.
“I hope you weren’t thinking of running away.”
“…… I don’t break promises.”
Odette pointedly responded, gently pushing Walter, who was standing right in front of her.
Walter, who was standing like a rock, obediently pushed away and muttered cynically.
“Did we promise a midnight meeting?”
“If we had a wedding, we should fulfill the duties that come with it.”
Odette retorted as she walked to the table where the drinks were set.
“That’s a Princess answer. Though not the best answer.”
“What’s the best answer?”
“That you love me, so you won’t run away.”
When Odette turned her head at the words that followed, she saw Walter approaching right in front of her.
That unsmiling face and extremely cold gaze.
It was the same face that often shook Odette.
But for today, Odette is determined not to be swayed by that.
All she needs to do is whisper her love in his ear with a blatant lie.
“Walter.”
Odette, who was half-sitting on the table, her lips parted.
“If I told you I loved you, would you believe it?”
There was only one thing she needed now.
A provocation.
