Salvation under your feet

Chapter 03

Episode 3

“Didn’t she say she was waiting for someone to guide her?”
The palace, with its countless expansions over the years, was a maze of complexity. He found it intriguing that she chose to navigate it alone.
He asked for confirmation, “Are you heading back to your quarters?”
“Yes. It was a chance meeting, but I was glad to see you, Count. I’ll be on my way now.”
“The path won’t be as easy as you think, Lady Adeline. Waiting for someone might be a wiser choice, don’t you think?”
“Thank you for your concern, but I can find my way just fine. Goodbye.”
Adeline turned swiftly after speaking. Her fluency in Kasselian was so perfect that one wouldn’t suspect she was a foreigner.
Michael silently watched her leave, unimpressed by her polite farewell. The calm demeanor she displayed was almost hard to believe—this was the same woman who had been crying moments earlier.
He assumed she was acting out of defiance, rebelling against the arranged marriage she didn’t want. However, her steps showed no hesitation. Moreover, the direction she took was a shortcut to the guest wing.
Michael couldn’t take his eyes off her retreating figure, feeling an odd sense of dissonance. As far as he knew, Adeline had only arrived at Hart Palace two days ago.
Could she have learned her way around in that short time?
Soon, she disappeared into the distance, crossing a fork in the path. Only then did Michael glance at his watch and open his cigarette case.
“A bride too good for Lars, who can’t even find his way in daylight.”
He adjusted his assessment of Adeline after their brief encounter. He let out a dry chuckle, but that was it. There was no need to dwell on the matter.
Blowing out a puff of smoke, Michael checked the time again. His next formal meeting, one he couldn’t avoid, was approaching. He turned away from the fountain, where he’d lingered briefly, and walked in the opposite direction.
It was just another day with an unexpected encounter. Michael brushed off his meeting with Adeline and left the courtyard.
A palace servant arrived at the central garden about ten minutes later, but by then, the space was empty.
Adeline clenched her knees tightly under the table, suppressing the humiliation surging inside her.
Lars, meanwhile, drank without restraint. She hadn’t expected him to be courteous, but his behavior was still shocking.
For their first meeting, he drank ceaselessly, showing no regard for her feelings. The very act of setting up this dinner—after standing her up two days ago—seemed perfunctory at best.
“The wedding is next month, isn’t it? The second Sunday, I heard?”
“…Yes.”
“My mother is all excited about the preparations. I didn’t realize weddings were such a hassle.”
Lars shrugged, clearly annoyed. A servant promptly refilled his glass, the movement efficient and practiced. It was obvious this wasn’t a rare occurrence.
Adeline sat silently, watching Lars, who was infamous for his love of alcohol. She lowered her gaze, trying to contain the growing contempt in her expression. She didn’t want to cause unnecessary trouble.
But his gaze—bold and insolent—was hard to ignore. It felt like he was scrutinizing her entire body.
Her intuition wasn’t wrong.
“You’re thinner than I expected from the pictures.”
“…Pardon?”
It was an inappropriate remark for their first meeting. Adeline couldn’t help but ask for clarification.
“I mean, it’s understandable. Lechern must’ve gone through a lot recently. But you should start eating properly now.”
“…”
“I prefer more… voluptuous figures. I hate it when bones clash together. You understand what I mean, right?”
Adeline froze, stunned by his crude words and inappropriate laughter. How could he say such things, especially at the dining table where servants were present?
“You’ve had a fiancé before, so this can’t be entirely new to you. Or maybe in a ‘proper’ relationship, none of this comes up?”
As Lars drank again, Adeline’s expression hardened. He had crossed the line by bringing up her late fiancé.
She bit her inner cheek to keep from crying. She wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing her tears.
Her fiancé, Loengrin Weiss, had been a respected soldier and a close friend since childhood. Their engagement was practical rather than romantic, but she had trusted and admired him.
However, the war took him away.
“We’re sorry to inform you. Major Weiss went missing during the battle at Schurd. He’s presumed dead.”
The news came after a brutal battle that claimed countless lives. Loengrin never returned, and the loss devastated Lechern.
Adeline fought back the lump in her throat, refusing to show vulnerability in front of Lars. Meanwhile, Lars emptied another bottle of liquor, his gaze turning hazy with drunken satisfaction.
“Hmm,” he murmured, studying her.
She was beautiful, he admitted—the golden hair and vivid green eyes were striking. But Lars cared about other things.
His gaze lingered shamelessly on her chest as if her dress could magically disappear.
‘Not bad,’ he thought.
Still, this was a political marriage, not a romantic one. He had no real expectations of her.
For him, women were sources of physical pleasure, nothing more. He doubted Adeline could fulfill that role. Reserved women were boring in bed, and he had no patience for them.
“Well, I think we’re done here.”
Pushing back his chair, Lars stood abruptly, eager to leave.
He was distracted by the thought of an exclusive party he’d been invited to—a night of indulgence filled with alcohol, women, and other vices.
“Tonight, huh?”
“Yes, don’t miss it,” his associate had urged.
Excitement coursed through him as he left the dining room without another glance at Adeline.
Adeline, too, stood, relieved to see him go. She nodded briefly to the servant, signaling she was ready to leave.
The humiliation of the evening weighed heavily on her. She staggered slightly as she followed the servant, who made no effort to accommodate her pace.
This was her future—a marriage to a man like Lars. And there was no escaping it.