Chapter〈009〉
The wedding was held on a smaller scale than expected. I wouldn’t know, since it was my first time getting married, but compared to the vast garden of the Camellia estate, it certainly felt that way.
Unlike the bride’s side, where relatives had gathered in droves, making it noisy and lively, the groom’s guests were few in number, and all sat solemnly, upright and serious, which made the contrast even starker.
‘Daniel should have been the flower girl to liven things up!’
I couldn’t help but lament inwardly. I had been a strong supporter of “Daniel as flower girl,” but I was overpowered by my sister Sophia and her group, who were even stronger believers in “the bride is the star of the wedding.” On top of that, when my parents casually pointed out that having a daughter as the flower girl—despite it not being a remarriage—might make it look like one, I couldn’t hold my ground.
It wasn’t because I cared about what people would say about me. It was because of the attention Daniel would get that day. Daniel had never appeared in any official setting before. Moreover, her mother’s identity was still unknown.
There were all kinds of rumors—that the Earl of Winchester fathered a child with a maid, that he had a child with a foreign woman during the war, or that she wasn’t even his daughter but a war orphan he adopted—but there had never been an official statement from the Winchester family.
If Daniel were to appear at the wedding, all eyes would immediately be on her. Everyone would whisper about her, scrutinize her features, and speculate about who her mother might be. I could already picture it. And I couldn’t bear the thought of Daniel being torn apart by those cruel assumptions.
“…Marriage is the union of two people who trust and support one another, walking together through joy and sorrow for the rest of their lives. Now, I ask…”
The long sermon was finally nearing its end.
“Lorinus de Winchester, do you swear to take Naeri de Pomots as your wife, to be with her in joy and in sorrow for all eternity?”
“Yes.”
As always, the Earl of Winchester’s reply was immediate and unwavering.
“Naeri de Pomots, do you swear to take Lorinus de Winchester as your husband, to be with him in joy and in sorrow for all eternity?”
“Yes.”
I too answered without hesitation. After all, this marriage had already been agreed upon.
“Then, I now declare you husband and wife. You may seal your vows with a kiss.”
…Wait, what? A k-kiss? That wasn’t part of the agreement!
I panicked at the seamless flow of the ceremony. I hadn’t been expecting this at all.
‘Surely the Earl is just as startled… wait, he’s not?!’
I became even more flustered when I saw him already turned toward me, looking calm as ever.
‘What the heck? Why does he look so natural?’
Then, as he gently wrapped one arm around my waist and the other around my shoulders, I grew more flustered.
‘N-no, wait a second…!’
As the Earl’s face slowly approached mine, my eyes shook wildly. I thought I saw a faint smile on his lips as he looked at me.
‘He’s going to…!’
When his features came so close that I could no longer distinguish them, I tightly shut my eyes.
‘It’s… warm.’
The unexpected sensation on my lips made the tension in my face and body melt away.
I had thought it would be cold. Like the chill in his eyes, like his emotionless voice—I thought his lips, and this kiss, would be cold too.
But they weren’t. His lips were smooth and warm. And, as if he were being considerate of the woman he was marrying after meeting only three times, the kiss was even respectful.
“…Ah.”
When our lips parted, I almost felt regret.
“Haah… I’m so tired…”
As I let out a sigh, pale breath rose from the warm bathwater. Hosting guests after the wedding and reception had worn me out. Everyone had finally left close to midnight.
Even during all that, I had worried—like after the last ball—whether Daniel had been left unattended because everyone was too busy. In the end, I’d quietly asked Sophia to look after her, but I hadn’t seen Sophia since, so I didn’t know how it went.
“Should I check in real quick?”
It was already late—surely a child would be asleep by now. But I knew where her room was. I figured it wouldn’t hurt just to take a quick peek at her face. And maybe check if her belly was still round…
“Just seeing Daniel’s sleeping face will probably recharge me.”
Even just thinking about her soft, chubby cheeks and those sparkling eyes made me smile.
“Alright. I’ll rinse off and go.”
I had already washed off all the heavy makeup and sweat from standing around all day. And if I stayed in this warm tub any longer, I felt like I might doze off.
As I stood, water cascaded down my body.
‘Come to think of it, there’s no maid assisting me?’
I remembered how, when I first bathed at the Pomots estate, a maid had entered so naturally, trying to assist me. I’d been embarrassed being the only one undressed and insisted on bathing alone.
“Hmmm~”
When I stepped out, the hallway was dark and quiet, like an early winter dawn.
‘Daniel’s room should be this way, right?’
Just as I turned to head right—
“This way, madam.”
A polite voice with a commanding tone came from the left. I turned my head, and in the dim light, my eyes adjusted to the figure that hadn’t been there before.
It wasn’t a black-and-white maid’s uniform. It was too dark to be certain, but the woman looked middle-aged, wearing a plain, deep navy or dark green dress.
“Who are you?”
“I am Sionne Perede, the housekeeper. I feared you might not know where the bedroom is on your first night here, so I was waiting.”
“Hm…”
So, the housekeeper—who manages the mansion and the maids—knew I was bathing, but didn’t send in a maid to assist me?
Without a word, I walked toward her. The light from the bedroom she guided me to revealed her features more clearly.
Unlike Tiffin, the housekeeper from the Pomots estate, who had a plump figure and was always smiling, this woman was thin, with a stern, stiff expression. She looked more like a dormitory supervisor at a girls’ boarding school than a housekeeper.
“Please go in.”
She was polite and even opened the door for me herself, but oddly enough, it still sounded like a command. Was it her stiff posture? Or the look in her eyes that didn’t seem to recognize me as the mistress of the house, despite addressing me that way? Or was that just her natural demeanor?
“Alright.”
I was too tired, too drained. I had no energy to bicker with the housekeeper in a dark hallway at this hour.
“See you tomorrow.”
But tomorrow would be a different story, once I’d had a good night’s sleep.
I entered the bedroom thinking about what tomorrow might bring. I kept my posture composed and dignified until I heard the door close—lowered my gaze to appear graceful, pushed out my chest to appear confident, and held my neck straight.
“Whew…”
And as soon as I heard the door close behind me, I let out a sigh and relaxed all the tension in my body.
“Being a countess is exhausting.”
The moment I muttered those words, a figure appeared in front of me.
“Ah!”
My shoulders straightened with tension again. My spine, which had been slumped, snapped upright.
The man who had made me a countess was standing right in front of me.
“…Earl of Winchester.”
The man who would share my bedroom—and my bed—was there.
