Episode 2
Night came.
The nobles were still busy drinking and dancing, but the newlywed bride and groom had to go upstairs to prepare for their own night.
Kaiden and I were each led around and washed by our attendants before we even had time to feel awkward.
My body was generously coated with fragrant oil, and I was dressed in a white négligée and robe.
“Have a pleasant night.”
The attendants, led by Madam Marchn, left those words behind and disappeared like the wind.
I stood awkwardly in the middle of Kaiden’s room, rubbing one arm. I had entered his room a few times when I was young, but seeing it again after such a long time made it feel unfamiliar.
It was a large, antique room befitting the home of the King of the North. However, there were somewhat mismatched cute decorations, wine and glasses placed on the table, and, as the finishing touch, rose petals scattered across the bed.
Anyone could tell that considerable effort had been put into creating a certain atmosphere.
“Marion. Come here.”
When Kaiden tried to take my hand, I was startled without realizing it and slapped his hand away.
“Ah….”
“…….”
His expression darkened in an instant. I was flustered, not knowing what to do.
“I, it’s just….”
“Shall we sit and have a drink?”
He quickly turned around and walked toward the table. He looked like someone trying to hide his expression from me.
“…Yes.”
Feeling sorry, I followed him with small steps and sat down. He poured wine into a glass and handed it to me. I carefully took the glass, doing my best not to let Kaiden’s hand touch mine.
Then I downed it in one shot.
“Kh…. It’s bitter.”
“Marion.”
It wasn’t enough. I thought I would need to get a little more drunk to work up the courage, so I reached for the bottle….
“Marion.”
“Gasp!”
Clang!
“…….”
“…….”
While avoiding Kaiden’s hand as he tried to stop me, I ended up dropping the wine onto the floor. I watched as the liquid spread across the floor with a gurgling sound from the broken bottle.
I tightly closed my eyes in dismay. I didn’t know why I kept making one mistake after another. It felt as though I couldn’t see my surroundings properly, nor could I hear sounds clearly.
‘What on earth is wrong with me?’
“Marion. Look at me.”
“I’m, I’m sorry….”
“I’m not going to eat you, so look at me.”
When I cautiously opened my eyes, Kaiden was looking at me with a forced smile.
“I think this is the first time we’ve made eye contact since the ceremony ended.”
“I’m sorry….”
“I wasn’t asking for an apology.”
“I’m sorry about that too….”
“Marion.”
He stopped my apologies. Somehow, the atmosphere was strange. I had vaguely thought that although I would be nervous on our first night, I would still be excited, but right now, I only felt burdened. I was a little scared, too.
Kaiden slowly opened his mouth.
“I won’t do anything you don’t want.”
“What?”
I looked at him with a surprised expression. Kaiden took a sip of wine and said calmly,
“Exactly as I said. I won’t do anything at all that you dislike.”
He raised both hands as if surrendering. My mind wasn’t working properly.
“Uh…, what do you mean….”
“If sleeping in the same bed is burdensome, I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
“What?”
“And….”
Kaiden hesitated for a moment, then spoke with a determined gaze as though he had made a great decision.
“If you want platonic love… I can do that too.”
“…What?”
I was dumbfounded.
Platonic love? What was he talking about?
While I was unable to escape the whirlpool of confusion, Kaiden abruptly stood up.
“…You must be tired from today, so go to sleep now. I have some work left, so I’ll go out for a while.”
“Ah, no, wait….”
I reached out toward Kaiden, but he opened the window and jumped out. Only my hand remained suspended blankly in the air. Wind whooshed in through the gap of the open window.
☆☆☆
Kaiden jumped up to the spire of the Grand Duchy Castle. To a Sword Master, this height was nothing. He sat down, looking at the moon in the sky, and gazed down at the castle.
The streetlamps that had been lit here and there illuminated the Grand Duchy Castle. Since the reception was in full swing, the sounds of people’s laughter and music from the banquet hall could be heard carried by the wind.
“Haa….”
A sigh escaped him naturally.
He had been bothered by the sight of Lucas and Marion dancing and whispering to each other during the reception. He had also been extremely bothered by Lucas placing his hand on Marion’s exposed back.
Moreover, Lucas kept saying things that got under his skin. Things like how possessive men were easily disliked, and how he was always ready to wait for an opportunity.
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Marion, but he couldn’t ignore Marion’s disposition, which he had known for a long time. Marion liked handsome men. And Lucas was excessively handsome.
“How annoying.”
Kaiden swept his hair back with a frustrated expression. He resolved that he shouldn’t let Marion see Lucas for the next few years.
But Lucas wasn’t the real problem.
Today was the first night of their marriage. He had entered the room feeling nervous but excited.
But it was obvious at a glance that Marion was extremely nervous and uncomfortable. She had even startled and pulled away when only their fingertips touched. Seeing that had shocked him inwardly.
He tried, in his own way, to understand Marion.
‘We confirmed each other’s feelings, but… we had also slept separately in our own rooms for several months, and our physical contact during that time had only amounted to things like lightly holding hands or hugging, so I suppose it’s understandable that she would be startled. But….’
He looked down at the hand Marion had pushed away. He hadn’t expected her to show such a strong rejection.
‘On our first night… does she not even want my hand to touch her….’
But he wanted to hold Marion’s hand, hug her, and whisper words of love while doing even more than that with her.
But with this kind of reaction…. He couldn’t even imagine how Marion would accept anything beyond that.
“Haa….”
Kaiden sighed again without meaning to. At a glance, she looked like a rabbit trembling faintly after being thoroughly frightened. Though she didn’t seem to know that she was trembling herself.
A rabbit that was timid yet cute, lovely yet impulsive. A nimble rabbit that he had no idea whether he could catch if it ran away.
He had even brought up the matter of platonic love to reassure Marion, but as he climbed the spire, he regretted bringing it up.
Hoping that Marion wouldn’t want platonic love, Kaiden swallowed the words he couldn’t say outright in his heart.
‘…I want to, Marion.’
Somewhere, the howl of a wolf could be heard.
☆☆☆
Chirp, chirp.
Morning sunlight came in through the bars of the window. I got up with a blank expression and looked around.
“Oh my, Lady Marion. You must have had such a blissful night for your face to be positively glowing. Hohoho.”
When morning came, Madam Marchn and the attendants entered and attended to me. Looking at her, I said,
“Could you please call me Marquis as usual, Madam Marchn? And is my face really glowing…?”
“Oh my, that simply won’t do. You are now, in name and in truth, the mistress of Baltstein! Your face is as smooth as a peeled egg.”
“I see….”
Of course. I had waited for Kaiden to return, only to fall asleep without realizing it and sleep soundly until the sun was high in the sky.
So Kaiden really hadn’t come back.
“Where is the Archduke…?”
“The Archduke got up early and is attending to the affairs of the territory. He could rest on a day like today, but he left the newlywed bride all alone.”
“Indeed….”
“But since the two of you had been together for such a long time, I suppose it feels no different from usual. Hohoho!”
No.
We didn’t even hold hands last night. He left me behind and went out.
…Wait, did I get cast aside?
My mood sank. But I, too, had spent some time reflecting after he left like that.
Even from Kaiden’s perspective, it was obvious that I had been utterly terrified last night. A Sword Master had gone so far as to break a wine bottle, after all.
So he must have tried to reassure me by talking about platonic love and whatnot. He had desperately gestured that he was harmless and wouldn’t do anything I disliked.
But….
‘Even so, it’s not platonic love!’
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
