Chapter 8
After Fernández had finally entered the Duke’s residence in that state, Chase let out a sigh. He should have at least fixed his hair before going in. Honestly, it was understandable that the bride would be upset—she had spent three years alone, married without her husband.
On top of that, she must have been dealing with the dowager all by herself during that time! Everyone who knew Fernández was aware of how particular his mother was. One could only imagine how much she had tormented Titania.
In a situation like this, a weapon was needed. A weapon: beauty!
But entering with hair like it had been chewed by rats… Chase sighed in sympathy.
“Why the long face?”
“Nothing… just pity.”
Chase shook his head.
“Send the horses to the stables. Dismiss the knights, and have training start a week from now. The Emperor should grant a reward within the week, so we’ll just wait.”
“Yes, Sir Chase!”
Chase handled the light work in place of Fernández, who seemed restless. By tomorrow morning, Fernández would need to enter the Imperial Palace to meet the Emperor. It would be good for him to spend at least one day catching up with the bride he hadn’t seen for so long.
Chase silently cheered Fernández on and turned away.
Titania blinked.
“M-Ma’am…!”
Sara still called Titania in a breathless voice.
Titania slowly took in the man before her. Thin, radiant silver hair, pale blue eyes, a high nose, and thin lips that harmonized perfectly with his features. Even his messy, rat-chewed hair seemed to suit him—he was handsome.
There’s an old saying: fashion is completed by the face.
Even with dusty armor and disheveled hair, a man’s charm didn’t diminish one bit. After scanning him thoroughly, Titania narrowed her eyes.
“…You’re the one from the portrait?”
“What do you mean?”
Fernández asked, his voice flustered. The one from the portrait…?
“Oh, I spent my wedding night with my husband’s portrait. I wondered if you might be the same man from it.”
Titania smiled brightly, with no hidden meaning. Yet, every word she spoke felt like a dagger piercing Fernández—like a newlywed scolding a husband who had stood her up.
Fernández forced a smile.
“I am that person… but I apologize.”
“Oh, not at all. There’s no need for that.”
Titania sincerely shook her hand. But to Fernández, it felt like she was saying: “I no longer rely on you, so there’s no need for apologies.” He lowered his head, looking gloomy.
It was all the Emperor’s fault.
An awkward silence fell between them. Sara realized this was the perfect moment to intervene.
“Um… you two… if you’re going to have dinner, you should start preparing now.”
“Ah.”
Titania scratched her cheek. It seemed tasting the pasta she had made herself would have to wait. Sara, eyes sharp as a hawk, would never allow her to let her husband eat alone after three years.
Marriage was exhausting, indeed. Titania said to Sara,
“Tell the others to eat first. I think I’ll eat with Fernández. Ask the chef to prepare dinner so we can eat as soon as Fernández finishes bathing.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
“…Are you waiting for me?”
Fernández asked, hope flickering in his eyes.
“Yes.”
Titania nodded casually. Having dinner a little later wasn’t a big deal to her.
“Thank you.”
To Fernández, it seemed like a matter of great importance.
Lisander attended to Fernández with a look of awe. With Lisander’s help, Fernández removed the cumbersome armor. He asked, glumly,
“How has Titania been all this time?”
“She has been well. Honestly, it’s thanks to her that the Duke’s residence has remained intact. The dowager has long since stepped back from duties, and Princess Ludmila…”
“Princess? Why is a princess mentioned here?”
Fernández looked puzzled. Lisander parted his lips, then closed them again.
“Did… you not receive the notice?”
Lisander asked, his voice strained.
“What are you talking about?”
Fernández frowned slightly. A princess? He had never heard of this. He had corresponded with Titania and Lisander, but due to the war, communication had been sparse.
Of course, it was understandable that Lisander might not know everything going on at the mansion…
“Are there guests staying at the residence?”
“Y-Yes.”
Lisander bowed, looking troubled. Come to think of it, he had never mentioned Princess Ludmila before. Such matters were probably Titania’s domain, not his…
“I apologize, Your Grace. Princess Ludmila of the Perun Kingdom has been staying at the residence for the past year.”
“Under what pretext?”
Fernández ran his hands through his messy hair.
“The dowager invited her. That’s…”
“Explain in detail.”
Fernández leaned back against the table, his voice heavy. Something seemed to be happening at the residence that he was unaware of.
“The one from the portrait?!”
Sara exclaimed, almost losing her mind. Titania shrugged, completely unfazed, as if she had no idea what was wrong.
“That’s accurate. Until now, it wasn’t my husband.”
Titania pointed at Fernández’s portrait on the wall, brought by Lisander.
“I spent my married life with this portrait.”
“That… that’s true, but…!”
Sara sighed.
Titania never spoke falsely. She never lied—but that often drove people mad.
Titania’s expression darkened.
Her husband had returned.
In other words, Titania’s freedom was over. She had spent her days roaming the residence freely, doing whatever she pleased. A faint shadow of gloom settled around her eyes.
Her pale face, drained of color, seemed almost pitiful.
What about her first husband?
Titania smiled coldly. Her first marriage had ended once she discovered he already had a seven-year-old son.
‘Why didn’t you tell me beforehand?’
It was her first marriage, and she had some dreams of romance at the time, so the wound ran deep. The man had responded shamelessly to her questions:
‘If I had told you, your parents would have happily allowed the marriage. Especially your mother—she was desperate to sell you off for a high price, wasn’t she? You were worth more than they paid, so you should be grateful.’
She could never forget his cold, biting expression—even decades later. And the “mother” he mentioned later sued his family for the marriage scam and gained more money than what was initially paid at the wedding.
And then the second marriage.
She married on the third day after meeting her second husband. That too was her mother’s will. And when the marriage fell through, it was also by her mother’s plan—the man’s family had gone bankrupt.
Yet he did not try to hold onto Titania. He simply said that the time had come.
‘You’ll be sold on the marriage market again, won’t you? Your mother will think it’s good. She can profit from you one more time.’
Titania had found it utterly tiresome. She had no words to contradict him. Indeed, as soon as the man’s family went bankrupt, her stepmother began searching for a new husband for her.
