Eden scanned the scenery of the unfamiliar room with a confused mind. By the time he finished asking where he had been, his memories of the previous night were already over.
'I want to sleep in Your Highness's arms.'
Cecilia, who had been sipping wine throughout the meal, got drunk and he carried her into the bedroom. Then, she stopped him from leaving, so he tried to lie down for a while, but he fell asleep right away.
Eden slowly blinked his eyes to clear his blurred vision. Cecilia, who had fallen asleep with her head on his arm, was now curled up under his arm, pressed against his chest.
“...”
Eden quietly looked at Cecilia's face, still sleeping soundly. The innocent face of the woman who had been drunk last night and had kissed him first was nowhere to be found.
'She asked me to ask if her maid, Miss Nova, could accompany her to the meal.'
Even a three-year-old would know that Cecilia's maid, Ilya, was secretly flirting with him. It was not something Cecilia didn't know. But Cecilia didn't care at all.
Even if they are a couple who entered into a political marriage with no interest, no one would tolerate seeing their partner flirting with them right in front of their eyes.
'You and Ilya go well together. Don't you think so, Your Highness?'
Cecilia praised Ilya even in the restaurant. She didn't have to reveal her thoughts in detail to provoke Ilya. She even treated Ilya kindly when the servant was watching.
When he was about to become angry, Cecilia kissed him. Of course, it was just a kiss, just their lips touching. And she whined about why he was being so kind to Ilya. Surprisingly, that small gesture satisfied him.
“It’s not that you didn’t care...”
That one complaint put his mind at ease, and all the emotions that had been bubbling up in his body melted away like bubbles. Eden felt relieved.
So even though Eden wasn't sure what the name of this feeling was, he realized that he was obsessed with Cecilia. Not in a bad way at all.
“Your master is still resting, so do not wake him up until the departure is imminent.”
The maids standing outside the bedroom were startled when they saw Eden coming out of Cecilia's bedroom. Eden ordered them not to come in as Cecilia was still sleeping and walked towards his bedroom.
In fact, if he opens the door and passes through a small reception room, he will find himself in his bedroom. However, he went outside to prevent the maids from opening the door and coming in at will.
“Your Highness, did you sleep well last night?”
Of course, if he had known he would run into Ilya, he wouldn't have chosen it.
“Miss Nova.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Eden spoke while looking blankly at Ilya, who was blushing, wondering what she was expecting. Ilya’s golden eyes had a certain bewitching light, but he didn’t think much of it. It was the same before, and it was the same now.
“Would you please step aside?”
When she was told to get out of the way instead of responding to her greeting, Ilya stepped aside with an embarrassed look on her face.
“Cecilia is still fast asleep, so it would be better not to stop by.”
At Eden's addition, Ilya's eyes widened in surprise. It was only then that she noticed Eden's crumpled shirt.
Returning to the bedroom with his drunken wife, and seeing the man who appeared late in the morning in a wrinkled shirt, there was only one thought that could be had. A faint sadness appeared in Ilya's eyes.
“I will keep that in mind.”
“What a different kind of sadness,” Ilya stammered, but Eden turned away without looking at her.
He got everything he wanted. And since Cecilia had clearly expressed her jealousy, he had no intention of tolerating Ilya's greed going beyond the limit.
After about an hour of riding in a carriage, the port came into view. Cecilia stared blankly at the ship waiting to pick them up.
“There aren’t many followers, and the distance to the island isn’t far.”
Eden explained as he helped Cecilia onto the ship. It wasn't a large ship like a cruise ship, as it only carried Cecilia, Eden, and their servants. However, it was sturdy enough to provide a reasonable sense of stability.
“But they said we still have to go for another hour, so I’m going inside to rest.”
Eden suggested that they go below deck. Cecilia shook her head and stood facing the blowing sea breeze. The hem of her skirt, made of high-quality fabric, flapped like a flag in the wind.
“No, I like feeling the sea breeze.”
Cecilia glanced at Eden, then turned her gaze back to the front and said.
“It’s not common to see the sea like this.”
In her previous life, she had never seen the sea. Usually, after passing down the family line to her children, she would take a cruise and travel the world. However, in her previous life, Cecilia did not live that long and did not have children.
“At first, you seemed reluctant.”
“Once I got on the boat, my mind changed.”
Cecilia answered refreshingly.
“I feel free.”
As she watched the ship gradually move away from the port, she felt a strange sense of pleasure. It was as if she was getting away from the pain and countless emotions she was carrying.
“...Have you ever wanted to leave?”
Eden asked. His voice was not loud enough to be drowned out by the regular sound of the waves hitting the bottom of the boat. But strangely enough, the sound was very clear.
That's because the sentiment behind those words was similar to a sense of caution.
'I want to sleep in Your Highness's arms.'
Cecilia, who had been sipping wine throughout the meal, got drunk and he carried her into the bedroom. Then, she stopped him from leaving, so he tried to lie down for a while, but he fell asleep right away.
Eden slowly blinked his eyes to clear his blurred vision. Cecilia, who had fallen asleep with her head on his arm, was now curled up under his arm, pressed against his chest.
“...”
Eden quietly looked at Cecilia's face, still sleeping soundly. The innocent face of the woman who had been drunk last night and had kissed him first was nowhere to be found.
'She asked me to ask if her maid, Miss Nova, could accompany her to the meal.'
Even a three-year-old would know that Cecilia's maid, Ilya, was secretly flirting with him. It was not something Cecilia didn't know. But Cecilia didn't care at all.
Even if they are a couple who entered into a political marriage with no interest, no one would tolerate seeing their partner flirting with them right in front of their eyes.
'You and Ilya go well together. Don't you think so, Your Highness?'
Cecilia praised Ilya even in the restaurant. She didn't have to reveal her thoughts in detail to provoke Ilya. She even treated Ilya kindly when the servant was watching.
When he was about to become angry, Cecilia kissed him. Of course, it was just a kiss, just their lips touching. And she whined about why he was being so kind to Ilya. Surprisingly, that small gesture satisfied him.
“It’s not that you didn’t care...”
That one complaint put his mind at ease, and all the emotions that had been bubbling up in his body melted away like bubbles. Eden felt relieved.
So even though Eden wasn't sure what the name of this feeling was, he realized that he was obsessed with Cecilia. Not in a bad way at all.
“Your master is still resting, so do not wake him up until the departure is imminent.”
The maids standing outside the bedroom were startled when they saw Eden coming out of Cecilia's bedroom. Eden ordered them not to come in as Cecilia was still sleeping and walked towards his bedroom.
In fact, if he opens the door and passes through a small reception room, he will find himself in his bedroom. However, he went outside to prevent the maids from opening the door and coming in at will.
“Your Highness, did you sleep well last night?”
Of course, if he had known he would run into Ilya, he wouldn't have chosen it.
“Miss Nova.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Eden spoke while looking blankly at Ilya, who was blushing, wondering what she was expecting. Ilya’s golden eyes had a certain bewitching light, but he didn’t think much of it. It was the same before, and it was the same now.
“Would you please step aside?”
When she was told to get out of the way instead of responding to her greeting, Ilya stepped aside with an embarrassed look on her face.
“Cecilia is still fast asleep, so it would be better not to stop by.”
At Eden's addition, Ilya's eyes widened in surprise. It was only then that she noticed Eden's crumpled shirt.
Returning to the bedroom with his drunken wife, and seeing the man who appeared late in the morning in a wrinkled shirt, there was only one thought that could be had. A faint sadness appeared in Ilya's eyes.
“I will keep that in mind.”
“What a different kind of sadness,” Ilya stammered, but Eden turned away without looking at her.
He got everything he wanted. And since Cecilia had clearly expressed her jealousy, he had no intention of tolerating Ilya's greed going beyond the limit.
***
“I didn’t know we would have to leave so quickly.”
Cecilia muttered as she held Eden's hand and climbed into the carriage. Of all the things she had revealed to Eden, this was the only one that was completely sincere. Eden smiled briefly as if he understood her feelings.
“I didn’t know it would be this bad.”
The departure for the island was earlier than expected. Enon heard his superior's words to review the schedule as "make the time right away," so he postponed the schedule he had already planned.
“But I said okay because I thought it would be perfect for a change of pace.”
Cecilia nodded. The two of them didn't go on a honeymoon like everyone else, so it wasn't a bad idea to explain to others the reason for their sudden trip.
“Isn’t it boring just staying in the townhouse?”
At Cecilia's question, Ilya, who was riding in the same carriage, jumped.
“No, that’s not true. Both Your Highness the Grand Duke and Your Highness the Grand Duchess have been kind to me, so how could I dare to have such thoughts?”
Ilya spoke softly as if to make sure there was no misunderstanding. However, despite that, the content was quite impure.
“Is Your Highness kind to Ilya?”
At Cecilia's question, Ilya raised the corners of her mouth slightly. Not arrogantly, but somewhat mischievously.
“His Highness the Grand Duke is such a sensitive person.”
He is also affectionate to me. Is that what she wants to say with such a transparent face? Ilya's attitude of staring straight at him and spitting out such shameless words was quite good.
It was a classic but effective method. A subtle way to sow discord.
“Yes.”
But if you don't respond, only the one who spoke will feel embarrassed. When Cecilia smiled at Eden and answered, Ilya twitched her lips with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
“I heard that Ilya was a busy person in Vester, Your Highness.”
“Is that so?”
“I was worried that it would be boring once I got into the system.”
“The rumors are exaggerated.”
“What did you do to make such a rumor start?”
“I just helped my father and brother with their work. Just doing some calculations and helping with the ledgers...”
Although she said it was nothing special, Ilya's expression was a little smug. It seemed like she was happy to show off her abilities in front of Eden. In her opinion, Cecilia was a stupid woman.
"Ah."
Cecilia let out a short exclamation as if she had just realized it.
“That’s amazing. Accounting is still difficult for me, so I keep avoiding it.”
“It depends on your mind, Your Highness.”
Ilya said to take it easy, but in reality, it was no different from giving advice that would hit Cecilia in the head. Cecilia didn't get angry easily. She just patted Eden's hand as if to appease him, who was frowning in displeasure.
Ilya's gaze was fixed on the disturbing sight. Cecilia smiled.
“Then I guess I understand why the number of people washing their hands has decreased in Vester recently.”
“...”
“I was curious, but I didn’t ask because I thought Ilya wouldn’t know.”
Ilya, who had been staring at the overlapping hands of Eden and Cecilia for a long time, finally stopped. Since it was something she had proudly boasted about, she couldn’t pretend not to know.
“As you know, commerce and industry have grown in the islands and ports.”
Besides, she wanted to expose Cecilia's shortcomings in front of Eden.
“And the mine’s production has almost reached its end, so the amount mined has decreased significantly. For one reason or another, a considerable number of people have fled to other places.”
“...”
“Furthermore, due to recent crop failures, many households are struggling financially and we are unable to collect taxes.”
Vester had a generous system of exempting or deferring certain items of tax if someone was unable to pay during a sudden famine. If the number of poor people had increased and tax revenue had decreased, this could naturally be a plausible excuse.
"Is it so."
But there were other possibilities. This was the case when the number of slaves who did not pay taxes increased. Usually, this was divided into two cases: either they were degraded into real slaves because they could not pay their debts, or they were slaves only on paper. The latter case was usually related to embezzlement by the manager.
“Yes, I understand.”
Cecilia didn't ask Ilya about that possibility. It was clear that Ilya either didn't know or wouldn't tell her honestly even if she did.
“Ilya is smarter than I expected. I feel bad for calling her just my maid.”
Eden, who was looking out the window because he felt uncomfortable joining in the conversation between the girls, took a quick glance at Ilina.
“I think we’ve arrived, Cecilia.”
But that was only for a moment. He ignored Ilya very cleanly.
“You don't have a big belly, do you?”
Cecilia muttered as she held Eden's hand and climbed into the carriage. Of all the things she had revealed to Eden, this was the only one that was completely sincere. Eden smiled briefly as if he understood her feelings.
“I didn’t know it would be this bad.”
The departure for the island was earlier than expected. Enon heard his superior's words to review the schedule as "make the time right away," so he postponed the schedule he had already planned.
“But I said okay because I thought it would be perfect for a change of pace.”
Cecilia nodded. The two of them didn't go on a honeymoon like everyone else, so it wasn't a bad idea to explain to others the reason for their sudden trip.
“Isn’t it boring just staying in the townhouse?”
At Cecilia's question, Ilya, who was riding in the same carriage, jumped.
“No, that’s not true. Both Your Highness the Grand Duke and Your Highness the Grand Duchess have been kind to me, so how could I dare to have such thoughts?”
Ilya spoke softly as if to make sure there was no misunderstanding. However, despite that, the content was quite impure.
“Is Your Highness kind to Ilya?”
At Cecilia's question, Ilya raised the corners of her mouth slightly. Not arrogantly, but somewhat mischievously.
“His Highness the Grand Duke is such a sensitive person.”
He is also affectionate to me. Is that what she wants to say with such a transparent face? Ilya's attitude of staring straight at him and spitting out such shameless words was quite good.
It was a classic but effective method. A subtle way to sow discord.
“Yes.”
But if you don't respond, only the one who spoke will feel embarrassed. When Cecilia smiled at Eden and answered, Ilya twitched her lips with a somewhat embarrassed expression.
“I heard that Ilya was a busy person in Vester, Your Highness.”
“Is that so?”
Eden's numb eyes flicked to Ilya. Her subtle nudging of Cecilia must have gotten on his nerves.
“The rumors are exaggerated.”
“What did you do to make such a rumor start?”
“I just helped my father and brother with their work. Just doing some calculations and helping with the ledgers...”
Although she said it was nothing special, Ilya's expression was a little smug. It seemed like she was happy to show off her abilities in front of Eden. In her opinion, Cecilia was a stupid woman.
"Ah."
Cecilia let out a short exclamation as if she had just realized it.
“That’s amazing. Accounting is still difficult for me, so I keep avoiding it.”
“It depends on your mind, Your Highness.”
Ilya said to take it easy, but in reality, it was no different from giving advice that would hit Cecilia in the head. Cecilia didn't get angry easily. She just patted Eden's hand as if to appease him, who was frowning in displeasure.
Ilya's gaze was fixed on the disturbing sight. Cecilia smiled.
“Then I guess I understand why the number of people washing their hands has decreased in Vester recently.”
“...”
“I was curious, but I didn’t ask because I thought Ilya wouldn’t know.”
Ilya, who had been staring at the overlapping hands of Eden and Cecilia for a long time, finally stopped. Since it was something she had proudly boasted about, she couldn’t pretend not to know.
“As you know, commerce and industry have grown in the islands and ports.”
Besides, she wanted to expose Cecilia's shortcomings in front of Eden.
“And the mine’s production has almost reached its end, so the amount mined has decreased significantly. For one reason or another, a considerable number of people have fled to other places.”
“...”
“Furthermore, due to recent crop failures, many households are struggling financially and we are unable to collect taxes.”
Vester had a generous system of exempting or deferring certain items of tax if someone was unable to pay during a sudden famine. If the number of poor people had increased and tax revenue had decreased, this could naturally be a plausible excuse.
"Is it so."
But there were other possibilities. This was the case when the number of slaves who did not pay taxes increased. Usually, this was divided into two cases: either they were degraded into real slaves because they could not pay their debts, or they were slaves only on paper. The latter case was usually related to embezzlement by the manager.
“Yes, I understand.”
Cecilia didn't ask Ilya about that possibility. It was clear that Ilya either didn't know or wouldn't tell her honestly even if she did.
“Ilya is smarter than I expected. I feel bad for calling her just my maid.”
Eden, who was looking out the window because he felt uncomfortable joining in the conversation between the girls, took a quick glance at Ilina.
“I think we’ve arrived, Cecilia.”
But that was only for a moment. He ignored Ilya very cleanly.
“You don't have a big belly, do you?”
After about an hour of riding in a carriage, the port came into view. Cecilia stared blankly at the ship waiting to pick them up.
“There aren’t many followers, and the distance to the island isn’t far.”
Eden explained as he helped Cecilia onto the ship. It wasn't a large ship like a cruise ship, as it only carried Cecilia, Eden, and their servants. However, it was sturdy enough to provide a reasonable sense of stability.
“But they said we still have to go for another hour, so I’m going inside to rest.”
Eden suggested that they go below deck. Cecilia shook her head and stood facing the blowing sea breeze. The hem of her skirt, made of high-quality fabric, flapped like a flag in the wind.
“No, I like feeling the sea breeze.”
Cecilia glanced at Eden, then turned her gaze back to the front and said.
“It’s not common to see the sea like this.”
In her previous life, she had never seen the sea. Usually, after passing down the family line to her children, she would take a cruise and travel the world. However, in her previous life, Cecilia did not live that long and did not have children.
“At first, you seemed reluctant.”
“Once I got on the boat, my mind changed.”
Cecilia answered refreshingly.
“I feel free.”
As she watched the ship gradually move away from the port, she felt a strange sense of pleasure. It was as if she was getting away from the pain and countless emotions she was carrying.
“...Have you ever wanted to leave?”
Eden asked. His voice was not loud enough to be drowned out by the regular sound of the waves hitting the bottom of the boat. But strangely enough, the sound was very clear.
That's because the sentiment behind those words was similar to a sense of caution.
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