Even Masha, who had been dressing Olivia with a worried face until the end, left, and Olivia moved to her bedroom where Alex lay. Only the stains remaining on the carpet proved the commotion from moments ago. Olivia glanced at Alex as she saw the wine prepared exactly as it had been when she first entered the bedroom.
“Haah, I said that, but.”
To think she could feel so little interest in a naked body. Olivia let out a deep sigh as she looked at Alex, his entire body flushed from alcohol.
“What am I supposed to do with a man this senseless from drink?”
It was when Olivia, perched on the bed, wet her dry lips. Alex, who had been lying face-down, turned over and pulled Olivia toward him.
“Hek!”
“Well, well, who do we have here? Isn’t this Olivia Russell, who has finally become my bride.”
“Young Duke?”
“No, you don’t need to be so stiff now. Alex. No, Alec. You should call me that.”
Olivia, held against his bare body, suppressed an inexplicable uncomfortable feeling and subtly pulled away. It looked as though she had unintentionally touched his chest.
“You’ve had too much to drink.”
“Nagging already. Truly dreadful.”
For someone saying the word dreadful, his expression looked incredibly pleased.
“Still, at least in appearance, it would be hard to find anyone in this kingdom to match you.”
That made it the seventh time. Olivia’s heart cracked once again at Alex’s appraisal.
“Before I leave for the battlefield, I thought I should check this goods at least, so I urged the Count to hurry.”
Alex’s gaze turned toward Olivia’s chest. Even the thin robe had become disarrayed during their brief struggle. Alex, who had lightly swept the long hair cascading forward over her shoulder, tilted his head.
“Yes, that’s what happened. Oh, why are you split in two?”
Olivia had now lost even the energy to respond to that nonsense. Alex closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them and spread his arms with a bright smile.
“Haha, were you actually twins? That’s even better! Now then, I’ll lie here, so why don’t you……”
Alex, who had continued his nonsense, eventually fell asleep as if he had fainted. When had he ever conversed properly? He shut his mouth in an instant, and Olivia was so dumbfounded she did not know what to do.
“…You crazy bastard.”
Olivia immediately rose and threw the blanket over Alex. Then she uncorked a new wine and poured it generously over his head. If he had woken up, Olivia had intended to duly fulfill her duty. To increase her chances of survival. But even amidst this, he did not wake.
* * *
Dawn. It was an early hour before the sun had risen. Olivia, who had spent the night with her eyes open, rose from the sofa. To protect the title of Young Lady, there was something she had to do from now on. Olivia loosely undid the fastening of her robe and lay down beside Alex.
‘Is there really a need to go this far?’
Olivia thought that for a moment, but soon shook her head. After all, they had not consummated the marriage, so she had to at least create a situation that would leave him uncertain. It was a well-known fact that Alex lost his memory the day after getting dead drunk.
“…Alec.”
“Ugh……!”
“Wake up. There isn’t much time left before your departure.”
Alex furrowed his brow, then barely lifted his eyelids at the word departure. Beside him, as he opened his eyes, an unfamiliar woman was looking down at him.
“What, you……!”
“It’s Olivia. Olivia Brown.”
Only then did Alex have the presence of mind to properly look at the woman’s face. Olivia, with a pale, makeup-free face. She was so different from the usual appearance he remembered that he had not recognized her. Had such a face been hidden in her? Alex grinned and subtly stroked her shoulder.
“Ah, Olivia. My wife.”
“I’m embarrassed, so don’t look at me like that.”
“Were you also someone who knew embarrassment?”
Olivia pushed his hand away and properly fastened her robe again. Then she rose from the bed and waited for Alex to get up.
“What do you mean?”
“You acted like a block of wood throughout the wedding, but your attitude changed overnight.”
“I am merely fulfilling my duty.”
“We’ll make quite a well-matched pair. If I return alive, that is.”
Alex rubbed his face roughly with both hands as if tired. Then he rubbed his fingertips, which retained a subtle stickiness and scent, and looked around. The white bedding was covered with scattered red wine stains.
“Did I spill this wine?”
“You poured it. On me.”
“Ah.”
Alex believed Olivia’s lie without a shred of doubt. Because it was exactly the kind of thing he would have done. He did not remember, but he was also certain that they had spent not a bad night.
“I acted too aggressively toward my refined wife. I apologize.”
Olivia gave a light nod.
“Is your body alright?”
“A little sore, but bearable.”
“It’s a shame I don’t remember. If it’s not too late, once more……”
“Alec. It’s far too late.”
The attempt to lay Olivia back on the bed failed at once due to the intrusion of an uninvited guest. Alex let out a small sigh as he heard the knock. Normally, they would not have dared to announce themselves from outside first, but today was different. It seemed Olivia’s words had not been wrong.
“Come in.”
Seeing the maids who had cleaned this place last night enter, Olivia carefully removed Alex’s hand, which was still holding her.
“Help the Young Duke prepare.”
“Yes, Young Lady.”
* * *
The maids gathered in twos and threes in the laundry room sat around as if they had waited only for break time, exchanging stories about the Young Duke and his wife.
“The bedding was completely soaked in wine.”
“And the robe was all torn up.”
“Good heavens!”
“I thought he was dignified, but I guess he’s different at night.”
One of the giggling maids looked around and lowered her voice.
“So, has anyone here talked to the Young Lady?”
“She did. Last night.”
Where their gazes landed was Dorothy, sitting far away and looking out the window. Dorothy turned her head at the voice calling her. It was the head maid.
“How was it?”
“The very textbook definition of a noble. Just from a single gesture, from her tone, there’s something that makes a person unable to move.”
“Do you think it’ll be tiring from now on?”
“That far, I’m not sure……. We didn’t have a long conversation. We’re in charge of cleaning, after all.”
“What about the maids who came from the Count’s house? Where are they all?”
“Two are in the kitchen, and one is a maid no different from a lady-in-waiting. She’s always attached to her side.”
Dorothy, who had looked out the window again, faintly noticed the members of the ducal family crowding outside. Behind Olivia, that maid, Masha, was also visible.
“By the way, if the Young Duke doesn’t return, what happens then?”
At the head maid’s voice telling them not to carelessly bring up such things, everyone shut their mouths tightly.
Alex set off, receiving the send-off of Olivia and his family with a face that did not look very regretful. Madam Brown dabbed at her tears and caught her breath.
“My only son is heading to the battlefield, and there is nothing else I can do for him.”
“It will be alright, Mother.”
“I feel nothing but sorry toward you.”
“……”
“It was a marriage hurried by our greed, after all.”
Olivia thought it was not something to cry over and apologize for. Because it was not only Madam Brown’s greed. She too clearly had something to gain from this marriage.
‘Since there is no child, he must return alive no matter what. For the sake of the rest of my life, at least.’
* * *
Three months later.
There was no better excuse for changing the mood of a household than the season. Olivia fiddled with the thin lace curtain, thinking she should ask Madam Brown whether she could change the bedroom curtains.
It was then.
“Olivia! Olivia!”
Masha, standing beside Olivia, could not hold back her laughter at Madam Brown’s voice coming from outside the bedroom.
“Pfft, it’s just like being back at the Russell house.”
“She’s not someone who raises her voice like that. How strange.”
“Huh, you’re right. Now that I think about it……”
Even Masha thought something was strange. Olivia and Masha looked at each other and quickly headed downstairs.
“Olivia, what are we to do about this, Olivia!”
As soon as Olivia came into view, Madam Brown finally collapsed. Olivia ordered the head maid and the butler to support her inside, then asked Dorothy, whose face was serious, what had happened.
“Dorothy, what on earth happened?”
“…Someone was sent from the military. The Young Duke……”
It was a moment when the unfinished words could be anticipated. Olivia slowly shifted her gaze to the entrance hall.
“Madam Brown.”
“Your Highness the Grand Duke.”
It happened three months after Alex headed to the front lines. Olivia covered her mouth as she looked at Winston, who bowed his head in uniform, and the soldiers visible behind him.
“I regret having to deliver such news.”
