Chapter 31
Yulia couldn’t help but feel concerned about the electricity bill. The round bulbs were quite expensive, and seeing so many of them being installed, she imagined the cost would be hefty. Despite her worries, her mother was decorating the nearby trees with lights as if she were decorating a Christmas tree.
“Madam, where should we place these poles?”
“This spot will do. Place them here and there to form a perfect square shape.”
They started setting up a temporary structure around where the chairs would go, shaping it into a large square, resembling the frame used for setting up a canopy and drapes at the sides of a bed.
“Mother, didn’t you say you were just going to check which lights would look best today?”
“That’s what I was planning, but the carpenter said he had time today, so I thought we might as well check it all out together.”
“The wedding is still more than two weeks away. How can we start setting all this up already?”
“It’s fine. We can see what looks best and take it down later if needed.”
Yulia felt a bit frustrated. Didn’t her mother realize that setting it up now would mean extra costs?
“Hmm, there’s no need to unify all the lights, right? We can use the Brighton lights for the trees and the Shine ones for the poles?”
Although it was pointless to argue at this stage, Yulia couldn’t help but feel a little helpless. As if watching her mother go wild with her decisions, Henry, who seemed to stay behind to monitor things, watched with a satisfied smile.
It seemed her mother was in a very good mood, at least.
“It would look so pretty to decorate the floor with lilies. I wonder if they’ve gotten the white silk to cover the floor. I should check on that while I’m out.”
Yulia’s mother had always been fond of excessive decoration. She wasn’t exactly rich, but she had come from a family that could afford to buy whatever she wanted, and that, combined with her falling in love with the Baron, led to her over-the-top taste in luxury.
“What else could we add to make it more sparkling?”
Because of her marriage to a man without much status or land, Yulia’s mother had not been able to indulge in extravagant dresses. She had always seemed immature to Yulia, but still, she was an adult, and despite her habits, she had adjusted to the circumstances.
“We can’t exactly scatter jewels around in this large space… or can we? Our Count is pretty rich, right?”
Her mother, though adapted to the situation, was now trying to fulfill her unsatisfied desires. No matter how much Cayente had money, Yulia felt the value he placed on it was different from hers. She had a feeling they might waste the equivalent of a small mansion on this wedding alone.
“Mother, I’ll manage the checkbook from now on.”
“What? Why? You’ll still need it for many things.”
“I just don’t want you to use it all up. We’re already spending way too much on things like these lights.”
Even if this wedding proceeded smoothly and didn’t result in more debt, Yulia didn’t want Cayente to spend too much money on her. She didn’t want to be the woman who was bought with money.
“She’s a woman bought with money…”
Yulia did not want to remain in that position forever.
“Everyone is working hard, but I should bring them something to drink.”
“What? They’re getting paid to do the work.”
“Still, the weather’s getting warmer. I’ll go get it.”
“No, Lucy. Stay here and make sure Mother doesn’t destroy the garden any further.”
The wedding had been decided very quickly, but the date was still more than two weeks away, and the heat was increasing rapidly.
“Uncle Henry, it should be fine if I just stop by the kitchen for a moment, right?”
“That should be fine.”
“I’ll be right back.”
Yulia walked toward the kitchen after asking Henry for permission. As she approached, she overheard the maids gossiping through the open door.
“Well, I was hoping that maybe the Madam would change the mood when she entered.”
“Don’t expect too much. What kind of wedding has lights during the day? I’ve never seen a person who spends money so recklessly be a good person.”
The maids were talking about Yulia. She couldn’t bring herself to go in, so she stopped just outside the kitchen door, waiting for the conversation to end. In retrospect, she realized she should have just gone in immediately.
“I guess the rumors are true.”
“They must be. I never thought our Count would do something like that. If he’s that stingy with money, there’s no way he would let her spend it so freely.”
“When did he seduce her, I wonder? We’ve never met her before.”
“She probably came to the mansion on a night when we weren’t around. She’s pretty, and her figure… Oh, goodness. No matter how cold the Count is, a man is still a man. How could he resist when she’s got that face and body? If she took off her clothes and came on to him, who could resist?”
The maids were gossiping about the scandalous rumors that had circulated about Yulia. She had heard them before, dismissed them, and moved on. But now, it seemed that not only the nobles but the servants were talking about it too. It was almost easier to find someone who didn’t know about the rumors than those who did, and the thought brought tears to Yulia’s eyes.
She had even dismissed the maids’ comments as just her imagination when they had ogled her earlier, but now it seemed those looks weren’t just casual.
“She seemed so prim and proper.”
“Exactly. That’s why men go crazy. A woman who looks innocent but is so aggressive in bed… isn’t that what every man wants?”
Yulia couldn’t bear to hear it anymore. The rumors had spread further than she thought, and as she stood outside, tears threatened to spill from her eyes. Yet she had to control herself. She couldn’t let them see her cry. Especially now, when she was about to become a part of that world.
She was better than that.
She had to be strong. She had to handle herself with dignity. She couldn’t let people laugh at her from behind her back.
Determined, Yulia stepped forward, ready to go into the kitchen.
“Why are you standing here doing nothing?”
At that moment, like a déjà vu, Cayente’s voice came from behind her. Yulia turned around to find him standing just a few steps away, holding a stack of papers.
“I just wanted to grab a drink… How did you get here? I heard you were busy with work.”
“I asked the questions first. But… why are you crying here?”
“Oh…”
Yulia hadn’t realized she was crying. Turning at the sound of Cayente’s voice, her tears had fallen without her noticing. She quickly wiped them away, but the maids’ voices kept echoing in her mind.
“Is it true about that… skill in bed?”
“What? Are you curious?”
“Well, Oliver keeps looking around. Maybe learning that would help.”
Yulia’s heart raced, her fear rising as she tried to focus on her feelings. Her emotions were in turmoil. But Cayente’s cold expression didn’t help ease it.
“Are you crying because of those rumors?”
Yulia feared that Cayente might be angry at her. She couldn’t stop the tears now, though.
Cayente, with his usual unreadable expression, raised his hand and gently wiped the tear from Yulia’s cheek.
That’s right. He was always like this. Even with a cold face, his hand was warm.
“You’re crying over something so trivial.”
His voice wasn’t kind, but his touch was gentle, and that comforted Yulia just a little.
“Count!”
“Count! When did you arrive?”
But Cayente didn’t give Yulia any time to gather her composure. As he moved past her into the kitchen without hesitation, the maids awkwardly stood still, unsure if they had been heard.
“Is there something you need?”
“If you need something, you should call for someone. No need to come all the way to the kitchen.”
“It’s funny, isn’t it, how rumors spread?”
The maids froze, still wearing awkward smiles, as Cayente mentioned the word “rumors.”
“If there was no woman around, they’d say the man couldn’t do his job. But as soon as a woman appears, they start saying he got her pregnant before the wedding. Which rumor should we follow now?”
Cayente’s smile froze the air, his words as cold as ice.
