‘The Duke of Blair’s people do not welcome you. If you don’t want to live your life worrying about what kind of threat you might face, you better step away on your own.’
With that warning.
Before making my social debut, my goal was to live as a lady by marrying him with the qualifications of a true aristocratic lady.
From birth to death, she appeared to be an aristocratic lady without flaws. And, if at all possible, even if it is an arranged marriage, I would like to work hard to get closer to my husband and build a harmonious family.
Then I realised how desperate I was because my fiance couldn’t open my heart to me.
Nonetheless, I did not give up right away.
The Emperor ordered the engagement of the Duke of Sihon Blair and the daughter of the Marquess Arwen Amaranth.
Lydia didn’t have a choice.
She most likely married him, whether she liked it or not, and she tried to persuade him somehow. Even though she is aware that the other person is not looking at her.
In the midst of it all, she had to spend her entire life surrounded by people hostile to her from the duke’s family.
Regardless of her estranged relationship with Sihon, her future did not appear to be promising.
In that sense, it was fortunate that she had decided to end her marriage to Duke Sihon Blair amicably.
She also learned about the Duke of Blair’s hostility toward her before she was irreversibly married.
But that’s why she didn’t make up her mind.
Is her new home secure? It had to be packed with his people.
Lydia was able to rely solely on the favour he had bestowed on her on a whim.
He was hesitant to marry someone from her family. As Duke of Blair, his own person would have been far more important than his fiancee, who would later break off the marriage anyway.
Lydia wasn’t sure if he would deal with the problem fairly if she claimed that she had been unfairly treated by his people.
‘How far can I trust you?’
* * *
Lydia had avoided bathing and undressing for two days before suffering a leg burn.
On the first day, she was afraid that her wounds would spread because the two maids who usually served her harshly had no way of caring for her burns, and on the second day, she was afraid that they would discover that she had been healed by Duke Blair.
Lydia still washed and dressed in light outdoor clothes before the maids arrived to wake her up.
This didn’t strike the maids as particularly strange. She didn’t want others to see her wound because it was so unsightly. It wasn’t so bad because there was less work to do in the first place because of Lydia’s diligence.
In fact, Lydia’s two maids were hesitant to serve her.
Why should they serve a woman who is not a noble lady and whose true status is no different from theirs? They thought it was unjust. They even felt deprived.
They were envious of Lydia being able to dress up like an aristocratic girl, even if the treatment within the marquis is poor.
Also, if they don’t get caught, they might marry the handsome Duke of Blair and become a Duchess one day.
Lydia didn’t know how to appreciate the fact that her luck was rolling in her favour. It irritates them to see her shivering as if she had embraced all of the world’s misery.
However, the treatment of pouring hot tea on the thigh two days ago was a bit excessive. Even a minor burn will cause blisters, but it must be painful because it was poured in with purpose.
They felt a little sorry for Lydia.
The maids decided to treat Lydia as if they were good-hearted.
“You woke up early. I thought you might be awake, so I made some tea in the morning.”
“You don’t have any appointments this morning, so you should just relax.” Marchioness, cancelled all of your morning appointments.”
The first placed refreshments on the bedside table, while the second opened the window to ventilate and arrange the blankets.
Lydia looked at the two maids with an unexpected indifferent manner. She was perplexed because they appeared to have softened in recent days. But that was it, she wasn’t moved at all. Because they don’t matter to her.
Still, there was nothing wrong with starting the day quietly.
“That’s fine.”
Lydia, who gave a shaky response, passed the time by sitting on the bed.
Sihon told Lydia to get ready because he was going to pick her up today, but Lydia had nothing to get ready.
Because everything Lydia possessed belonged to the true Arwen. I couldn’t come up with anything that wasn’t my own.
That is why, when she changed her clothes today, she purposefully chose the most basic of outdoor attire.
Earrings and necklaces are also not worn, nor is a pin that holds long hair back.
The maids did their own thing and gave some minor news while Lydia was waiting, staring at her watch.
“At eleven o’clock, Mr. Hans Kalden, master Robert’s close friend, will pay a visit.” If possible, please stay in your room from eleven to eleven twenty to avoid bumping into other guests.”
“At 12:00, my lady will attend Viscount Lauren’s tea.”
It was mostly about what kind of schedules the marquis’s members had today and what time the guest would visit the mansion.
Lydia responded with short answers like ‘Yes’ and ‘Okay,’ or she spilled it. Because it no longer matters to her.
Therefore, she did not respond much to the next news that the maid announced.
“The doctor will be here around 3:00 p.m. Still, it’s a body that will receive the Duke Blair’s seed later, so you shouldn’t have such a disgusting scar during the first night.”
“…..”
The news that the doctor was on his way seemed very encouraging. Particularly if it is not a mild cold but a symptom such as a second-degree burn that necessitates immediate medical attention. Originally, the action should have been taken immediately following the incident, but it was too late.
If Lydia had been normal, she would have been relieved or suppressed her sadness.
The current Lydia, on the other hand, had already been treated at the Duke of Blair. She had already left the mansion by 3 p.m., but she didn’t require treatment.
It could be a second that she did not respond, but she did not appear to be excited.
The maid’s eyes narrowed because she felt a sense of difference from the dull reaction of Lydia.
“Strange.”
“……”
“Get her!”
The maids changed as if they hadn’t shown a softening attitude. Only then, alas, Lydia, tried to fix it, but it was useless.
“What did you say? I just didn’t hear what you were saying… … .”
“Don’t be ridiculous! I know you heard it right!”
A fight erupted between the maids who wanted to undress Lydia and Lydia who refused to take them off. Regardless of how hard she fought, she was outnumbered.
Lydia was eventually crushed to the ground and subdued after a hand-to-hand battle. The maids were astounded when they rolled up her skirts to inspect her smooth legs for signs of burns.
“Tell Madam right away!”
“Okay, fine. Meanwhile, keep her from running away!”
Maeve entered Arwen’s room not long after the maid had rushed out to report.
The maids grabbed Lydia, who was struggling, and rolled up her skirt as Maeve silently raised her chin.
Lydia was shaken by Maeve’s and the maids’ actions, which did not treat her as a human being.
She will be questioned if she has ever told anyone “the matter” after they discovered that she was treated secretly by the Marquis.
Torture may be carried out again until Sihon arrives.
Lydia froze, her gaze lowered.
Maeve questioning her, on the other hand, was completely unexpected.
“Do you have a relationship with Duke Blair?”
“Pardon?”
“Are you telling me you gave him your body before you even got married?”
How did you arrive at this conclusion? Lydia was perplexed.
I never imagined the marchioness would be suspicious in that way. Naturally, I expected her to be infuriated at me for portraying her as a bad mother who abused her daughter.
However, in the next words of the Marquis, she said.
“Then how does he know that you have burns on your thighs! Take off your dress and put down your stockings to see the part!”
“That ……”
I didn’t do strange things with him; I just got treatment from a female priest and a doctor.
Lydia was about to say something similar, but she stopped herself. The fact that she was treated at this time is not a coincidence, and it may have revealed that he had been collecting evidence of abuse for a long time.
This, however, fueled Maeve’s rage. If she had been honest, she would have explained it logically, but she had no choice but to make Maeve believe that her suspicion was correct because I couldn’t come up with an excuse.
You bitch! How dare you roll around in the face of my daughter? Look who isn’t the daughter of a whore. Why? Don’t you think you won’t get married if you don’t mix your body and hold back? That’s a dirty rags technique! Arwen was my favourite child to raise! I’ll never forgive you for tainting that name!”
It is unusual for others to notice burns on someone’s thighs. As a result, it’s understandable that the marchioness misunderstood. But isn’t this a bit much?
It was so absurd that she couldn’t argue with it and froze, and then her hair was grabbed and slapped across the cheek.
“A-ak!”
The pain caused a scream, as if her scalp had been ripped off, and his cheeks were on fire.
Lydia struggled to crawl on the floor and escape after collapsing. The marchioness, on the other hand, immediately grabbed her hair.
Lydia’s eyes were filled with the contemptuous lady’s sky-blue eyes as she turned her head involuntarily.
The dark memories she had been trying to forget surfaced at that precise moment.
***
