50. A husband's responsibilities
Erna unrolled a new sheet of stationery, replacing the ink-stained one. The golden wolf of the Grand Duke's family, engraved across the top, shone brilliantly in the sunlight. Perhaps the burden of that phrase was the reason she kept making mistakes.
Erna, who had fixed her quill, took a deep breath and began writing the letter again.
To Pavel.
The neat, forceful handwriting began to fill the blank paper line by line.
Madame Fitz had told her that it was a proper lady's courtesy to write thank-you notes to the royal family members who attended the wedding. As a result, Erna had been forced to write so many letters over the past few days that her wrists were aching. Although the names were all unfamiliar, thanks to Madame Fitz's help, she had managed to complete them without a single mistake.
Only after fulfilling her duties as Grand Duchess could Erna finally find the time to write to her family. Her grandmother, the Badens, and Pavel. She didn't want to send a single letter to the Hardys. She wasn't going to be deterred by Madame Fitz's harsh reprimands.
“Your Highness!”
Lisa stopped by as she was about to fold and seal the letter she had written.
Lisa hurried to the desk and quickly dripped the melted wax onto the envelope. Her eyes, bright with anticipation, were as bright as the dazzling lights illuminating the living room.
Erna, smiling slightly, pressed the seal on the desk onto the red wax Lisa had melted for her. Lisa, examining the vividly engraved royal crest, applauded with a pleased expression.
“You are wonderful. You are truly a Grand Duchess.”
Erna, who received applause for merely stamping a seal, smiled awkwardly and tidied up her desk. She meticulously cleaned every nook and cranny, ensuring not a single stain remained, and arranged her quill and inkwell in a visually appealing manner.
Something that doesn't feel like hers.
Erna, everything given to her was difficult and therefore precious. Trying to preserve it, ensuring it sparkled without even the slightest flaw, she naturally became cautious about everything.
“Um. By the way, Your Highness. Isn’t this the gentleman I met back then?”
Lisa's eyes dimmed as she gathered the letters to send. Pavel Lore. It was definitely him. The handsome Royal Academy painter who, if only he had a noble title, would have done anything to bring the young lady together.
“Yeah. That’s right. Pavel.”
“Ah... yes. I see.”
Erna's answer was so blunt that Lisa lost her composure.
Well, wasn't the relationship between the two of them overly plain?
It must have been a letter written with the thought of family in mind, but she didn't want to interfere and upset Erna's feelings. She was simply expressing her gratitude.
“Oh, the thing arrived!”
Lisa, remembering the main point of why she had rushed here, smiled brightly and grabbed Erna's hand.
"The thing?"
"Yes! These are the things we're taking on your honeymoon! They're so beautiful. Come and take a look."
Erna, unable to resist Lisa's urging, stood up from her desk.
Since Madam Fitz was in charge of preparing the honeymoon, Erna didn't even know she'd ordered anything new. She was simply amazed at how much more was needed, given the abundance of items already in place.
“Look! Isn’t it so pretty?”
Lisa, who had led Erna into the bedroom, gestured with theatrical precision to the pile of gifts piled high on the carpet. A new hat, shoes, a dress, even a trunk to hold them. A bewildering array of beautiful items awaited Erna.
"No matter which country you go to, Your Highness, the Grand Duchess will be the most beautiful. I'll make sure you're like that. You can look forward to it. I've been learning really hard from Madame Fitz these days!"
Lisa was so excited that she tried to put various things on Erna's body, who was standing there blankly, chattering away.
Thanks to becoming the Grand Duchess's maid, Lisa was also able to join the couple on their honeymoon. The day she was first informed of this, she was so excited she couldn't sleep.
Although entrusting such a heavy responsibility to a rookie maid seemed unsettling, fortunately, Madam Fitz didn't express any objections. Instead, she urged Lisa to do her best to learn and master the craft so as not to disappoint Her Highness the Grand Duchess. Lisa readily complied. She was working so diligently that every night she dreamed of dressing the Grand Duchess.
“You look so good together. Madam Fitz, she really has great taste.”
Every single item Madame Fitz had meticulously selected suited Erna perfectly. Lisa particularly appreciated the elegance it possessed, a departure from the vulgarly ornate items Viscountess Hardy had been saddled with.
“Aren’t you happy with your looks?”
Lisa tilted her head, observing Erna's expression as she stood there blankly. Perhaps the lace and frills were too minimal for her taste? Just as she was starting to worry, Erna gave a small nod.
“No. That’s not it...”
Erna looked at the dazzling pile of gifts before her with slightly frightened eyes. The thought that all of this had come from Bjorn made her heart sink.
The Baden family's mansion. And the Hardy family's debt.
All she gave him was a mountain of debt, but she was always receiving more than she deserved.
"That's true. I guess you're feeling a bit uneasy. Why did your first destination have to be Lars?"
Lisa, misunderstanding the prolonged silence, sighed deeply.
“I’m okay, Lisa.”
Erna smiled as she took off the hat Lisa had given her.
Going on a honeymoon to Princess Gladys's country was a bit of a stretch, but she figured there had to be a reason. This trip wasn't just a sweet getaway for newlyweds.
“Don’t worry. I will make you the prettiest in the world, incomparable to Princess Gladys!”
Lisa, with renewed determination, grabbed Erna's hand. Just then, Madam Fitz appeared, and her heart nearly sank.
She gave the frivolous maid a brief glare, then quickly straightened her expression and faced Erna.
“Your Highness, your guests have arrived.”
“Are you a guest? Oh, yes.”
Erna belatedly recalled the day's itinerary that Madame Fitz had told her this morning. She'd been told a royal tutor would be visiting, but she hadn't yet heard what she would learn.
Erna, who had adjusted her clothes, faced Madam Fitz with a gentle smile on her face.
“Yes. I’ll go now.”
After the meeting, which lasted longer than scheduled, ended, the study fell into a deep silence.
The bank directors, exhausted from a near-battle debate, sipped their cold tea in silence. Bjorn, too, with a somewhat weary expression, lit a cigar and took a bite.
The fatigue from the repetitive, hectic schedule had now become quite severe. Day after day, being summoned to the palace and the council, the grinding grind was reminiscent of his days as Crown Prince.
I will deposit my personal savings in your bank.
It was a tiresome task that he would never have agreed to if it weren't for the outrageous conditions his father had set for him.
Your Majesty, you are truly an experienced person.
A light chuckle escaped his lips, awestruck at his father for throwing him a bait he could never refuse.
While the sum was substantial, the symbolic value of managing the King's deposits was paramount. This is especially true in the current climate, where banks, born from the expansion of capital markets, are fiercely competing. But if you think about it, it seems like they're trying to extract more than just bait.
“Then let’s proceed with the merger as agreed upon today.”
Bjorn, putting out a half-smoked cigar, concluded the meeting with a short speech.
While choosing Lars as their first destination was certainly politically motivated, it also had a significant banking purpose. The plan was to take down one of Lars' failing commercial banks.
The directors, who had been waiting anxiously in case the meeting would last longer, stood up with beaming faces.
As they hurried out of the study, Bjorn sat half-reclined in his chair, eyes closed. At this point, he felt like he was about to set sail. At least he could relax and enjoy the rest of the ship.
Come to think of it, he wonders if the Grand Duchess has finished preparing to leave.
Just as his wife's face suddenly flashed through my mind, a slightly noisy greeting came from beyond the study door. "Your Highness." The directors' voices, their voices different, pierced his ears. It seemed they had encountered Erna.
Bjorn rubbed his sore neck and turned his head toward the noise. Soon, Erna entered the study. Her approaching pace was brisk, and she looked quite anxious.
“Could you talk to me for a moment?”
Erna, standing beside the chair, asked. Her tone was even more agitated than usual.
Bjorn nodded and sat up straight. Erna, after a moment of hesitation, sat down quietly across the reception table and faced him.
“Tell me what you want, Erna.”
Bjorn spoke slowly, his eyes scanning the elaborate braids and curls. The maid, like a guard from hell, was improving noticeably by the day.
“I heard that the person who ordered me to teach that was the Prince.”
The words that came out after taking deep breaths were incredibly bland.
“Ah. That.”
Bjorn nodded absently and grabbed the glass of water on the table. Erna turned her head slightly, rubbing her flushed cheeks several times before looking at him again. It seemed she hadn't learned much.
“Is it because I’m so clumsy and don’t know anything that you didn’t come?”
“I'm not coming?”
“You never came to my bedroom. Not even once since that day.”
Erna, twisting the hem of her dress, asked in a trembling voice. As the fatigue from his wife, who was acting like a child, grew, even the conscious smile vanished from Bjorn's face.
“If you knew that, Erna, shouldn’t you be doing your part in your own place, not here?”
Bjorn let out a soft sigh.
The main reason he hadn't visited his wife's bedroom since our first night was that he was so busy. He had been in the capital for several days, unable to return home. Of course, that doesn't mean there weren't reasons like Erna mentioned.
The pleasure his wife's body gave him was immense, but he didn't want to endure the burden of dealing with another ignorant woman. He could come back when she was ready and able to fulfill her duties properly. Erna wouldn't wait for him anyway. Her face, swollen with tears, her bloodstained face, her small body trembling. When he recalled the memories of that day, it was clear.
“I know that I am lacking in many ways... in that regard.”
Erna, who had been looking down at her stiff, white hands, opened her mouth after a long time.
"I now realize that I came into marriage without knowing the things I should have learned. I'm truly sorry about that."
Erna held her breath at the memory from just a moment ago, which made her dizzy just thinking about it.
Madam Peg, who had taught royal ladies the ways of the bedroom, was a gentle and kind person. Erna fully understood her step-by-step explanation of why she needed to learn such things. However, as the embarrassing explanation began, her consciousness began to fade. Ultimately, Erna couldn't bear it anymore and ended the lesson. She then went straight to find Bjorn.
"I'll learn. If that's part of my role, I won't shirk responsibility. But..."
Erna paused for a moment and took a breath.
"But I don't like other people. If I absolutely must, Bjorn, I'll learn from you."
"...What?"
Bjorn asked, feeling drunk from the alcohol he hadn't even consumed. He was so shocked that his mind was spinning, but Erna, with a steady, serious expression, continued her argument.
“You teach me. You’re my husband.”
Erna unrolled a new sheet of stationery, replacing the ink-stained one. The golden wolf of the Grand Duke's family, engraved across the top, shone brilliantly in the sunlight. Perhaps the burden of that phrase was the reason she kept making mistakes.
Erna, who had fixed her quill, took a deep breath and began writing the letter again.
To Pavel.
The neat, forceful handwriting began to fill the blank paper line by line.
Madame Fitz had told her that it was a proper lady's courtesy to write thank-you notes to the royal family members who attended the wedding. As a result, Erna had been forced to write so many letters over the past few days that her wrists were aching. Although the names were all unfamiliar, thanks to Madame Fitz's help, she had managed to complete them without a single mistake.
Only after fulfilling her duties as Grand Duchess could Erna finally find the time to write to her family. Her grandmother, the Badens, and Pavel. She didn't want to send a single letter to the Hardys. She wasn't going to be deterred by Madame Fitz's harsh reprimands.
“Your Highness!”
Lisa stopped by as she was about to fold and seal the letter she had written.
Lisa hurried to the desk and quickly dripped the melted wax onto the envelope. Her eyes, bright with anticipation, were as bright as the dazzling lights illuminating the living room.
Erna, smiling slightly, pressed the seal on the desk onto the red wax Lisa had melted for her. Lisa, examining the vividly engraved royal crest, applauded with a pleased expression.
“You are wonderful. You are truly a Grand Duchess.”
Erna, who received applause for merely stamping a seal, smiled awkwardly and tidied up her desk. She meticulously cleaned every nook and cranny, ensuring not a single stain remained, and arranged her quill and inkwell in a visually appealing manner.
Something that doesn't feel like hers.
Erna, everything given to her was difficult and therefore precious. Trying to preserve it, ensuring it sparkled without even the slightest flaw, she naturally became cautious about everything.
“Um. By the way, Your Highness. Isn’t this the gentleman I met back then?”
Lisa's eyes dimmed as she gathered the letters to send. Pavel Lore. It was definitely him. The handsome Royal Academy painter who, if only he had a noble title, would have done anything to bring the young lady together.
“Yeah. That’s right. Pavel.”
“Ah... yes. I see.”
Erna's answer was so blunt that Lisa lost her composure.
Well, wasn't the relationship between the two of them overly plain?
It must have been a letter written with the thought of family in mind, but she didn't want to interfere and upset Erna's feelings. She was simply expressing her gratitude.
“Oh, the thing arrived!”
Lisa, remembering the main point of why she had rushed here, smiled brightly and grabbed Erna's hand.
"The thing?"
"Yes! These are the things we're taking on your honeymoon! They're so beautiful. Come and take a look."
Erna, unable to resist Lisa's urging, stood up from her desk.
Since Madam Fitz was in charge of preparing the honeymoon, Erna didn't even know she'd ordered anything new. She was simply amazed at how much more was needed, given the abundance of items already in place.
“Look! Isn’t it so pretty?”
Lisa, who had led Erna into the bedroom, gestured with theatrical precision to the pile of gifts piled high on the carpet. A new hat, shoes, a dress, even a trunk to hold them. A bewildering array of beautiful items awaited Erna.
"No matter which country you go to, Your Highness, the Grand Duchess will be the most beautiful. I'll make sure you're like that. You can look forward to it. I've been learning really hard from Madame Fitz these days!"
Lisa was so excited that she tried to put various things on Erna's body, who was standing there blankly, chattering away.
Thanks to becoming the Grand Duchess's maid, Lisa was also able to join the couple on their honeymoon. The day she was first informed of this, she was so excited she couldn't sleep.
Although entrusting such a heavy responsibility to a rookie maid seemed unsettling, fortunately, Madam Fitz didn't express any objections. Instead, she urged Lisa to do her best to learn and master the craft so as not to disappoint Her Highness the Grand Duchess. Lisa readily complied. She was working so diligently that every night she dreamed of dressing the Grand Duchess.
“You look so good together. Madam Fitz, she really has great taste.”
Every single item Madame Fitz had meticulously selected suited Erna perfectly. Lisa particularly appreciated the elegance it possessed, a departure from the vulgarly ornate items Viscountess Hardy had been saddled with.
“Aren’t you happy with your looks?”
Lisa tilted her head, observing Erna's expression as she stood there blankly. Perhaps the lace and frills were too minimal for her taste? Just as she was starting to worry, Erna gave a small nod.
“No. That’s not it...”
Erna looked at the dazzling pile of gifts before her with slightly frightened eyes. The thought that all of this had come from Bjorn made her heart sink.
The Baden family's mansion. And the Hardy family's debt.
All she gave him was a mountain of debt, but she was always receiving more than she deserved.
"That's true. I guess you're feeling a bit uneasy. Why did your first destination have to be Lars?"
Lisa, misunderstanding the prolonged silence, sighed deeply.
“Your Highness, really. Must he insist on going to the country of his former wife for your honeymoon? I wish he would consider Your Highness's feelings as well.”
Erna smiled as she took off the hat Lisa had given her.
Going on a honeymoon to Princess Gladys's country was a bit of a stretch, but she figured there had to be a reason. This trip wasn't just a sweet getaway for newlyweds.
“Don’t worry. I will make you the prettiest in the world, incomparable to Princess Gladys!”
Lisa, with renewed determination, grabbed Erna's hand. Just then, Madam Fitz appeared, and her heart nearly sank.
She gave the frivolous maid a brief glare, then quickly straightened her expression and faced Erna.
“Your Highness, your guests have arrived.”
“Are you a guest? Oh, yes.”
Erna belatedly recalled the day's itinerary that Madame Fitz had told her this morning. She'd been told a royal tutor would be visiting, but she hadn't yet heard what she would learn.
Erna, who had adjusted her clothes, faced Madam Fitz with a gentle smile on her face.
“Yes. I’ll go now.”
***
After the meeting, which lasted longer than scheduled, ended, the study fell into a deep silence.
The bank directors, exhausted from a near-battle debate, sipped their cold tea in silence. Bjorn, too, with a somewhat weary expression, lit a cigar and took a bite.
The fatigue from the repetitive, hectic schedule had now become quite severe. Day after day, being summoned to the palace and the council, the grinding grind was reminiscent of his days as Crown Prince.
I will deposit my personal savings in your bank.
It was a tiresome task that he would never have agreed to if it weren't for the outrageous conditions his father had set for him.
Your Majesty, you are truly an experienced person.
A light chuckle escaped his lips, awestruck at his father for throwing him a bait he could never refuse.
While the sum was substantial, the symbolic value of managing the King's deposits was paramount. This is especially true in the current climate, where banks, born from the expansion of capital markets, are fiercely competing. But if you think about it, it seems like they're trying to extract more than just bait.
“Then let’s proceed with the merger as agreed upon today.”
Bjorn, putting out a half-smoked cigar, concluded the meeting with a short speech.
While choosing Lars as their first destination was certainly politically motivated, it also had a significant banking purpose. The plan was to take down one of Lars' failing commercial banks.
The directors, who had been waiting anxiously in case the meeting would last longer, stood up with beaming faces.
As they hurried out of the study, Bjorn sat half-reclined in his chair, eyes closed. At this point, he felt like he was about to set sail. At least he could relax and enjoy the rest of the ship.
Come to think of it, he wonders if the Grand Duchess has finished preparing to leave.
Just as his wife's face suddenly flashed through my mind, a slightly noisy greeting came from beyond the study door. "Your Highness." The directors' voices, their voices different, pierced his ears. It seemed they had encountered Erna.
Bjorn rubbed his sore neck and turned his head toward the noise. Soon, Erna entered the study. Her approaching pace was brisk, and she looked quite anxious.
“Could you talk to me for a moment?”
Erna, standing beside the chair, asked. Her tone was even more agitated than usual.
Bjorn nodded and sat up straight. Erna, after a moment of hesitation, sat down quietly across the reception table and faced him.
“Tell me what you want, Erna.”
Bjorn spoke slowly, his eyes scanning the elaborate braids and curls. The maid, like a guard from hell, was improving noticeably by the day.
“I heard that the person who ordered me to teach that was the Prince.”
The words that came out after taking deep breaths were incredibly bland.
“Ah. That.”
Bjorn nodded absently and grabbed the glass of water on the table. Erna turned her head slightly, rubbing her flushed cheeks several times before looking at him again. It seemed she hadn't learned much.
“Is it because I’m so clumsy and don’t know anything that you didn’t come?”
“I'm not coming?”
“You never came to my bedroom. Not even once since that day.”
Erna, twisting the hem of her dress, asked in a trembling voice. As the fatigue from his wife, who was acting like a child, grew, even the conscious smile vanished from Bjorn's face.
“If you knew that, Erna, shouldn’t you be doing your part in your own place, not here?”
Bjorn let out a soft sigh.
The main reason he hadn't visited his wife's bedroom since our first night was that he was so busy. He had been in the capital for several days, unable to return home. Of course, that doesn't mean there weren't reasons like Erna mentioned.
The pleasure his wife's body gave him was immense, but he didn't want to endure the burden of dealing with another ignorant woman. He could come back when she was ready and able to fulfill her duties properly. Erna wouldn't wait for him anyway. Her face, swollen with tears, her bloodstained face, her small body trembling. When he recalled the memories of that day, it was clear.
“I know that I am lacking in many ways... in that regard.”
Erna, who had been looking down at her stiff, white hands, opened her mouth after a long time.
"I now realize that I came into marriage without knowing the things I should have learned. I'm truly sorry about that."
Erna held her breath at the memory from just a moment ago, which made her dizzy just thinking about it.
Madam Peg, who had taught royal ladies the ways of the bedroom, was a gentle and kind person. Erna fully understood her step-by-step explanation of why she needed to learn such things. However, as the embarrassing explanation began, her consciousness began to fade. Ultimately, Erna couldn't bear it anymore and ended the lesson. She then went straight to find Bjorn.
"I'll learn. If that's part of my role, I won't shirk responsibility. But..."
Erna paused for a moment and took a breath.
"But I don't like other people. If I absolutely must, Bjorn, I'll learn from you."
"...What?"
Bjorn asked, feeling drunk from the alcohol he hadn't even consumed. He was so shocked that his mind was spinning, but Erna, with a steady, serious expression, continued her argument.
“You teach me. You’re my husband.”
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