“I heard you’re right. I saw Madame Marcel coming out of Lord's office late at night.”
Her triumphant voice was full of excitement.
"No way. Madame Marcel is the Duchess's seamstress. The Lord must have had something to tell her.”
“Do you mean to do that at ten o’clock at night when the sun goes down? And that every day?”
My eyes widened when I heard the word "every day." My hand trembled as I held the door handle that I was about to close.
“Do you know how easily excited voices and laughter can be heard outside the office door?”
"Really?"
“If you’re curious, come and listen. I'm so embarrassed that I can't pass by that place at night anymore. Even the guards in the hallway will hear it.”
Kaian came to my bedroom later and later. At one time, he knew that I couldn't fall asleep without his hug, his body temperature, or his presence, so he tried to finish his work as quickly as possible.
There were a few times these days when I fell asleep even if he didn't come. I fell asleep and when I woke up, I found him lying next to me, and when I snuggled into his arms, Kaian hugged me even in his sleep and gave me one of his arms.
...But was there another reason for coming late?
My heart was pounding unsteadily.
“Still, it seemed like the Lord cared about the Madam. I thought he would kick her out right away because she’s from Vermont, but she’s still doing well.”
“The world is not that easy. Originally, all noble marriages are like that.”
"That's right. On the outside, it’s just like that.”
Among the chattering maids, the most energetic one spoke.
“It’s a marriage without love in the first place.”
“I see.”
"That's right."
The voices chirping in agreement gradually became more distant.
"Ha."
I sat down on the spot.
I felt sick to my stomach and felt like I was going to throw up at any moment. It was dark before my eyes as if blinking.
Madame Marcel was a very attractive woman.
The woman who was born and grew up stayed in the capital all her life. Even when she was compared to men, she did not fall behind and even went to art school.
I, who had never been outside the castle of Valmonde, encountered the capital and the only women I had were Irena and Madame Arnanti, who had been invited to teach me.
Madame Arnanti behaved very politely because she was older and she was an etiquette teacher, but Madame Marcel was lively and free-spirited compared to her.
She was the woman who said that she was intelligent and sophisticated, like her custom-made clothes.
I was still very grateful to have hired such a person as my seamstress and paid a large sum of money for her.
This is because life at Rowen Castle, where Hannah and I lived like a remote island, seemed different before and after Madame Marcel came.
Hannah also followed Madame Marcel very well and got along well with her, like a friend and a sister. She was alone, and so was Madame Marcel, who had come to work all the way from the capital to LlRowen and knew no one here.
The daily life that the three of us had enjoyed so far was suddenly broken.
‘Madame Marcel and Kaian...'
I could not recover from my shock for a long time. Then the last thought that came to mind was denial of reality.
'No. That can't be possible. That can't happen between two people.'
In particular, what Madame Marcel said came to mind.
About halfway through the trip to the capital, Madame Marcel's face darkened a little, unlike usual. When I and Hannah were concerned, she smiled bitterly and said.
"No way. Madame Marcel is the Duchess's seamstress. The Lord must have had something to tell her.”
“Do you mean to do that at ten o’clock at night when the sun goes down? And that every day?”
My eyes widened when I heard the word "every day." My hand trembled as I held the door handle that I was about to close.
“Do you know how easily excited voices and laughter can be heard outside the office door?”
"Really?"
“If you’re curious, come and listen. I'm so embarrassed that I can't pass by that place at night anymore. Even the guards in the hallway will hear it.”
Kaian came to my bedroom later and later. At one time, he knew that I couldn't fall asleep without his hug, his body temperature, or his presence, so he tried to finish his work as quickly as possible.
There were a few times these days when I fell asleep even if he didn't come. I fell asleep and when I woke up, I found him lying next to me, and when I snuggled into his arms, Kaian hugged me even in his sleep and gave me one of his arms.
...But was there another reason for coming late?
My heart was pounding unsteadily.
“Still, it seemed like the Lord cared about the Madam. I thought he would kick her out right away because she’s from Vermont, but she’s still doing well.”
“The world is not that easy. Originally, all noble marriages are like that.”
"That's right. On the outside, it’s just like that.”
Among the chattering maids, the most energetic one spoke.
“It’s a marriage without love in the first place.”
“I see.”
"That's right."
The voices chirping in agreement gradually became more distant.
"Ha."
I sat down on the spot.
I felt sick to my stomach and felt like I was going to throw up at any moment. It was dark before my eyes as if blinking.
Madame Marcel was a very attractive woman.
The woman who was born and grew up stayed in the capital all her life. Even when she was compared to men, she did not fall behind and even went to art school.
I, who had never been outside the castle of Valmonde, encountered the capital and the only women I had were Irena and Madame Arnanti, who had been invited to teach me.
Madame Arnanti behaved very politely because she was older and she was an etiquette teacher, but Madame Marcel was lively and free-spirited compared to her.
She was the woman who said that she was intelligent and sophisticated, like her custom-made clothes.
I was still very grateful to have hired such a person as my seamstress and paid a large sum of money for her.
This is because life at Rowen Castle, where Hannah and I lived like a remote island, seemed different before and after Madame Marcel came.
Hannah also followed Madame Marcel very well and got along well with her, like a friend and a sister. She was alone, and so was Madame Marcel, who had come to work all the way from the capital to LlRowen and knew no one here.
The daily life that the three of us had enjoyed so far was suddenly broken.
‘Madame Marcel and Kaian...'
I could not recover from my shock for a long time. Then the last thought that came to mind was denial of reality.
'No. That can't be possible. That can't happen between two people.'
In particular, what Madame Marcel said came to mind.
About halfway through the trip to the capital, Madame Marcel's face darkened a little, unlike usual. When I and Hannah were concerned, she smiled bitterly and said.
'I'm heading towards the capital and it reminds me of the guy I forgot.'
It was the story of an ex-husband who was having an affair with a maid at Madame Marcel's store.
'Do you still miss that person?'
She was disgusted by her careful questioning.
'No. I'm afraid that if we run into each other, I might become a murderer.'
‘Don’t worry, Madame Marcel. Perhaps the Lord, who really likes Madame's dress, will forgive it.'
When Hannah boldly comforted her, she barely smiled.
A person with such feelings is in a relationship with someone else's husband.
It was too humiliating for both Kaian and Madame Marcel.
But at the same time, it felt like a dagger was stabbing me in my weak spot.
A marriage without love.
It was a known fact that Kaian and I were forced to marry by the King's command. But that didn't mean there wasn't love between us.
I just couldn't tell it to Kaian.
Didn't I think it was fortunate that the man who said he couldn't accept my heart and answer my confession because he didn't trust me didn't even say that he loved me?
It was clearly my feeling.
Third parties who knew nothing about such things were talking like that.
There is no love between us
Me and Kaian's marriage would be like a flimsy sand castle without the pillars of love to hold it together.
It's heartbreaking like this.
Just imagining that he might be interested in another woman makes my body tremble and my blood rush.
If it's not love, what should we call it?
On the other hand, my secret worry reared its head.
If the maids are openly talking among themselves in the hallways, isn't there a person in the castle who doesn't know this story?
It was when I tried to calm down by taking long, deep breaths.
“Cough. Cough.”
A small cough broke out.
'The coughing is getting worse.'
I had never coughed like this since Herzol got better. My recovery was quick and good, but I had been bothered by chest tightness and coughing since I became pregnant.
But I had one more thing to worry about.
“I shouldn’t be suspicious of people for no reason.”
I barely stood up.
“I just need to check.”
I wasn't going to believe it unless I saw it for myself.
The time when the castle was in darkness.
I walked through the castle hallways holding an oil lamp.
Sabak, Sabak.
Every time I took a step, the sound of my footsteps with the light rustling sound of the hem of my clothes dragging slightly.
I rarely visited Kaian's office.
He had a lot to do and was not always in the office.
I, on the other hand, stayed in the bedroom most of the time. I never went to a restaurant to eat.
At first, it was because I had no reason to be in a position where people criticized me for being the unlucky daughter of Vermont, and because I had become sick and injured in the middle, I kept my place in the bedroom.
I was now so accustomed to having ny meal brought to my room and cleaned up at every meal that I never even thought about going to the restaurant to eat anything.
So, if I bumped into Kaian during work hours during the day, he would often unilaterally come to my bedroom to see where I was staying.
When I saw the central hall, I remembered the day I and Kaian went to the kitchen.
'I didn't know something would happen again this soon.'
I had walked with Kaian holding my hand, but as I walked by with my doubts about my husband like this, my heart became increasingly distressed.
‘It’s not because I doubted him. I just want to check.'
It was necessary to call the maids in the castle and scold them for talking nonsense.
As I passed through the hallway, I saw his office guarded by two guards.
Ho ho ho.
Before I could get close, I heard a familiar sound of laughter from inside the office.
As Claudel stopped in place with her oil lamp, the guards standing in her hallway looked in her direction.
“Ma, Ma’am.”
There were very few people wandering around the castle this late at night, so it was a face they would never have guessed was the Lord's Madam.
I could hear Madame Marcel and Kaian talking inside the office.
However, perhaps because the door was thick, I couldn't tell exactly what they were talking about.
“Tell me honestly. Did Madame Marcel come to your office every day?”
“Ma, Ma’am. That is."
The guards looked at each other in confusion.
However, I read the correct answer from their expressions and actions.
'The rumors the maids were talking about were true.'
Feeling that the world I had believed in was collapsing, I cracked down on the escorts.
“You must not tell the Lord that I have come and gone.”
At my words, the guards bowed their heads instead of raising their voices.
Kaian was originally a person who was stingy with praise.
He had no choice but to do that because he was too good-looking and superior in his own right.
The man who had given Madame Marcel a harsh review of the dress she brought with all her might, calling it 'the best I've ever seen,' has now given it a generous rating.
“That’s amazing. It’s great.”
Although it was just a few words of praise, Madame Marcel was moved.
This was because she had never given Kaian a compliment that could not be twisted.
“Do you like it?”
"Good. That’s very cool.”
For the past few days, Madame Marcel has been pestering Kaian to tell Claudel, but she has been unsuccessful.
In the end, she was very upset because she did not get a chance to do the basting herself even though it was custom-made for Claudel.
Still, she felt rewarded when Kaian praised her for doing a neat job.
'I can't wait to see Claudel wearing this.'
Claudel had a truly attractive appearance. She has very striking red hair and golden eyes.
White skin, different from other women in the South. Madame Marcel was also from the capital, so she was fairer than the southern women here, but Claudel's skin color was typical of northerners, and she liked it very much.
Because Claudel's skin was light, she looked good in any color of dress.
“Good job. I really like it.”
When Kaian was satisfied, Madame Marcel spoke quickly.
“But when I tried to put all the jewelry here, I ended up using up my entire budget.”
"I don't care."
“Ohhohoho. As expected, you have a big barrel. I wonder how happy your wife will be.”
Kaian was proud.
How hard he had worked so far to prepare a special gift just for Claudel.
He thought this bridal gown would be the best gift.
Even for Kaian himself.
“When will she put that on?”
He became happy just by imagining it.
However, when he entered Claudel's bedroom feeling like he was about to fly, his wife's face was dark as he greeted her.
“Claudel, what's the matter? What happened?”
“I want to change the castle’s seamstress.”
It was the story of an ex-husband who was having an affair with a maid at Madame Marcel's store.
'Do you still miss that person?'
She was disgusted by her careful questioning.
'No. I'm afraid that if we run into each other, I might become a murderer.'
‘Don’t worry, Madame Marcel. Perhaps the Lord, who really likes Madame's dress, will forgive it.'
When Hannah boldly comforted her, she barely smiled.
A person with such feelings is in a relationship with someone else's husband.
It was too humiliating for both Kaian and Madame Marcel.
But at the same time, it felt like a dagger was stabbing me in my weak spot.
A marriage without love.
It was a known fact that Kaian and I were forced to marry by the King's command. But that didn't mean there wasn't love between us.
I just couldn't tell it to Kaian.
Didn't I think it was fortunate that the man who said he couldn't accept my heart and answer my confession because he didn't trust me didn't even say that he loved me?
It was clearly my feeling.
Third parties who knew nothing about such things were talking like that.
There is no love between us
Me and Kaian's marriage would be like a flimsy sand castle without the pillars of love to hold it together.
It's heartbreaking like this.
Just imagining that he might be interested in another woman makes my body tremble and my blood rush.
If it's not love, what should we call it?
On the other hand, my secret worry reared its head.
If the maids are openly talking among themselves in the hallways, isn't there a person in the castle who doesn't know this story?
It was when I tried to calm down by taking long, deep breaths.
“Cough. Cough.”
A small cough broke out.
'The coughing is getting worse.'
I had never coughed like this since Herzol got better. My recovery was quick and good, but I had been bothered by chest tightness and coughing since I became pregnant.
But I had one more thing to worry about.
“I shouldn’t be suspicious of people for no reason.”
I barely stood up.
“I just need to check.”
I wasn't going to believe it unless I saw it for myself.
***
The time when the castle was in darkness.
I walked through the castle hallways holding an oil lamp.
Sabak, Sabak.
Every time I took a step, the sound of my footsteps with the light rustling sound of the hem of my clothes dragging slightly.
I rarely visited Kaian's office.
He had a lot to do and was not always in the office.
I, on the other hand, stayed in the bedroom most of the time. I never went to a restaurant to eat.
At first, it was because I had no reason to be in a position where people criticized me for being the unlucky daughter of Vermont, and because I had become sick and injured in the middle, I kept my place in the bedroom.
I was now so accustomed to having ny meal brought to my room and cleaned up at every meal that I never even thought about going to the restaurant to eat anything.
So, if I bumped into Kaian during work hours during the day, he would often unilaterally come to my bedroom to see where I was staying.
When I saw the central hall, I remembered the day I and Kaian went to the kitchen.
'I didn't know something would happen again this soon.'
I had walked with Kaian holding my hand, but as I walked by with my doubts about my husband like this, my heart became increasingly distressed.
‘It’s not because I doubted him. I just want to check.'
It was necessary to call the maids in the castle and scold them for talking nonsense.
As I passed through the hallway, I saw his office guarded by two guards.
Ho ho ho.
Before I could get close, I heard a familiar sound of laughter from inside the office.
As Claudel stopped in place with her oil lamp, the guards standing in her hallway looked in her direction.
“Ma, Ma’am.”
There were very few people wandering around the castle this late at night, so it was a face they would never have guessed was the Lord's Madam.
I could hear Madame Marcel and Kaian talking inside the office.
However, perhaps because the door was thick, I couldn't tell exactly what they were talking about.
“Tell me honestly. Did Madame Marcel come to your office every day?”
“Ma, Ma’am. That is."
The guards looked at each other in confusion.
However, I read the correct answer from their expressions and actions.
'The rumors the maids were talking about were true.'
Feeling that the world I had believed in was collapsing, I cracked down on the escorts.
“You must not tell the Lord that I have come and gone.”
At my words, the guards bowed their heads instead of raising their voices.
***
Kaian was originally a person who was stingy with praise.
He had no choice but to do that because he was too good-looking and superior in his own right.
The man who had given Madame Marcel a harsh review of the dress she brought with all her might, calling it 'the best I've ever seen,' has now given it a generous rating.
“That’s amazing. It’s great.”
Although it was just a few words of praise, Madame Marcel was moved.
This was because she had never given Kaian a compliment that could not be twisted.
“Do you like it?”
"Good. That’s very cool.”
For the past few days, Madame Marcel has been pestering Kaian to tell Claudel, but she has been unsuccessful.
In the end, she was very upset because she did not get a chance to do the basting herself even though it was custom-made for Claudel.
Still, she felt rewarded when Kaian praised her for doing a neat job.
'I can't wait to see Claudel wearing this.'
Claudel had a truly attractive appearance. She has very striking red hair and golden eyes.
White skin, different from other women in the South. Madame Marcel was also from the capital, so she was fairer than the southern women here, but Claudel's skin color was typical of northerners, and she liked it very much.
Because Claudel's skin was light, she looked good in any color of dress.
“Good job. I really like it.”
When Kaian was satisfied, Madame Marcel spoke quickly.
“But when I tried to put all the jewelry here, I ended up using up my entire budget.”
"I don't care."
“Ohhohoho. As expected, you have a big barrel. I wonder how happy your wife will be.”
Kaian was proud.
How hard he had worked so far to prepare a special gift just for Claudel.
He thought this bridal gown would be the best gift.
Even for Kaian himself.
“When will she put that on?”
He became happy just by imagining it.
However, when he entered Claudel's bedroom feeling like he was about to fly, his wife's face was dark as he greeted her.
“Claudel, what's the matter? What happened?”
“I want to change the castle’s seamstress.”
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