Episode 14
“And today, your walk was the talk of the town.”
“What exactly did they say?”
My voice became hushed all of a sudden.
“They said that the two of you were walking hand in hand in the yard and then went to a place called ‘the resting place where the moonlight lingers.’”
Of course. I had planned for that to happen. I felt proud when I found out that what I did wasn’t for nothing.
“Well, then, that’s good.”
I spoke in a voice that sounded tired. After putting on a show, I was completely worn out.
“You can do it, my Lady. Isn’t it true that you’ll get closer and closer to the master? If you’ve only been together physically until now, maybe you’ll start spending time together outside the bedroom soon.”
“Stop.”
I cut her off quickly because I felt like going on would make me sick.
Rona put her hand over her mouth and quietly watched my response.
But she couldn’t fully hide her bright eyes.
“It’s fantastic.”
Rona’s smile was back on her face.
‘At least someone in this mansion wants me to do well,’ I thought.
Rona was the only person in this huge house who seemed to be on my side.
I had saved her before, so that’s why she was nice to me.
She was different from the other maids because she had come straight from the slave market.
She was saved from her crazy father who was going to auction off his daughter to pay off his debts.
So Rona couldn’t have known what was going on with me when I first got to this ducal house.
Now that I think about it, I wonder what became of Rona after I died.
Even without a maid, Selene didn’t take up much space.
“Rona.”
I gave her my hand.
“Yes?”
“Do you have a place to go if you had to leave this mansion?”
“Ah…no.”
I had a pretty good idea that Rona was seeing someone. Robert. He worked in the same mansion.
When they thought I wasn’t looking, they would sneakily look each other in the eyes or send each other finger hearts. More than once or twice, I saw them do this.
I tried to act like I didn’t notice, though.
But, like Rona, Robert had nowhere to go.
“Why do you suddenly say that? Did I make a mistake?”
Rona turned pale and shook like a wet rabbit before she asked.
“No, that’s not it.”
As I tried to comfort her, I was upset and shook my head.
“If I’m not in this mansion anymore, just in case…”
“My lady? Are you going somewhere?”
“No, I just wanted to make sure.”
“Then I’ll have to follow you.”
“Rona…!”
Oh, I’m so thankful that it makes me tear up. A person who says she won’t leave me even if my husband tells her to.
Even though I don’t have a good husband, it looks like I’m lucky to have a reliable helper. “If you want, I can set up a house for you and Robert to live in after you get married.”
“How did you know?”
Rona let out a squeak.
Oh, that was a bad idea.
It seemed like she didn’t know that everyone in the house, except for the stones, knew that the two were dating.
“Don’t worry, I’ll keep it to myself.”
I didn’t try to add that everyone knows already.
Rona seemed to finally feel better, and she nodded her head.
“Do you still find the Master strange?”
Strange… Well, of course. But that’s not quite it.
When I think back on the two years since I got married, I realize that my relationship with Amoide has become more than just strange.
He didn’t like me, and I didn’t like him.
I couldn’t get close to him because of the way he looked at me, and it was even harder to have a deep talk with him.
At this point, it was even more amazing that Camilla still wanted to have a child even though all of this had happened.
“But you two seem to be much closer these past few days.”
“Us? Amoide and me?”
Rona firmly nodded her head.
“You both went for a walk together and talked. It’s a big step forward. And in a place that was so hidden…”
“Stop.”
“Yes.”
Rona again put her hand over her mouth and laughed.
From the point of view of a third party, even though it was awkward that it had to be Rona, it made me quietly happy that it seemed like that. I didn’t feel like all my work was for nothing. It was important to make the people in the house think that ‘The Lady and the Master have a special relationship.’ I could probably get people to say things like,
‘The Duchess couldn’t possibly kill her husband.’
“You’re much closer now than when you first met the Master, right?”
Rona asked this question with a hopeful look on her face.
“Well…”
Rona talked about ‘getting closer,’ but I didn’t know where it began or stopped. But it was clear that they were not even close to being a ‘married couple.’
“When did the two of you first meet?”
“Our very first meeting?”
I felt a little embarrassed as I said the words.
The first time we met.
The first time we met.
Would such special words ever suit Amoide and me? I stopped dead in my tracks and thought back to the first time we met. When did we first meet?
When people first met… I closed my eyes and started to think back to that day.
“It was in the bedroom.”
“Bedroom?”
Rona’s blank eyes turned to me with a shocked look.
“I bled quite a bit.”
“Oh, my, My lady.”
Rona hit me on the arm and turned to look around.
“…I’m being serious.”
I scratched my arm and turned to look at Rona.
“Yes, I do know.”
This time, Rona hid her face with both hands because she was ashamed.
“Are you aware of it?”
“I already know everything I need to know.”
Rona made a fist and then spoke. I told her that she looked so cute because I thought it was so.
“So much blood was there. I thought my life was over.”
When I thought about that day, I closed my eyes. Rona’s face went white in an instant.
“…Was it really that bad?”
Rona’s face was so pale that it looked blue.
“You’ve been through a lot, My Lady.”
Rona’s face was now wet with tears, and she gripped my hand tight. I gave her a pat on the hand and spoke.
“It was more than what you think,” I said.
It was really impossible to imagine. I slowly closed my eyes.
“It was a hell of a first night.” If I close my eyes, I can still remember every detail of that day.
—
The softly lit wedding room, which was lit by candles, was very nice.
There was incense burning everywhere, making the air soft and dreamy.
It was said that it was a special scent made for couples, and it did seem to work.
Even though it wouldn’t help in front of my groom, whose eyes were cold and sharp.
“Who are you?”
He asked in an angry way.
I wanted to say, “I’m your wife,” but I couldn’t get my mouth to move.
“…I’m supposed to stay here starting today.”
“Are you a new maid?”
He seemed to know it wasn’t true even as he asked.
Anyone could see that the room was filled with flowers and incense and that the woman in front of him was wearing a light, delicate outfit. This must have triggered his senses.
I took one step at a time toward him, the man who would become my husband tonight.
There were rose petals all over the floor.
The strong smell of these rose petals made it clear that they were good ones used to make perfume.
The perfume roses sold for a crazy amount per pound.
As I walked across the floor and stepped on the flowers, I felt so bad for them.
What did these things cost?
“I asked who you are,”
He talked in a way that sounded like he was grinding his teeth.
People said he was weak, but his voice was rough and sharp.
It was hard to believe he was sick because he was so cranky. And…’He’s handsome.’
No, the word ‘handsome’ wasn’t enough to describe my husband’s beauty on paper.
Under the soft light of the candles, the man had an air of mystery about him.
His shirt was half undone, so I could see some of his skin. This made him even more attractive.
I had pictured a man who looked so weak that he would fall apart at the least touch.
But when I saw my husband, he was nothing like that at all. It was as if… He was a strange, spellbinding person.
“…What are you looking at?”
A creature that could also communicate with people.
I must have been staring so hard that I didn’t even know it.
I turned my back on him out of shame, but he kept talking.
“It seems like everyone but me knows what this strange room is for and who you are.”
Didn’t the Duchess say anything to him?
Did she think that if she pushed me into the wedding room, her son would just push me down by himself?
“Who are you?”
Again, he looked at me with a serious face.
Even though his look alone made me feel like I couldn’t breathe, I had to do something.
“My lord, I am your wife.”
“My… what did you say?”
As he spoke, he creased his brow deeply.
“When did I get a wife that I don’t even know about?”
“About a month ago.”
I barely could be heard when I answered. It was the truth.
A month ago, I came to this house and engaged myself in the lessons for brides, or more specifically, the lessons for “continuing the line.”
After that, I signed the contract for our marriage, making me the Duke’s wife for real.
“..I gave the Duchess a promise.”
“What kind of a promise?”
He had a slight tilt to his head.
“To have… the child of the Duke.”
