Chapter 12
She began to comfort herself with words that even she herself did not fully believe. Maybe he didn’t know that she had become the Marchioness of Elantz. He wouldn’t have possibly touched his master’s wife… Nadia pressed down on her forehead. It wasn’t enough to keep her worries at bay.
There’s no way he didn’t know. She’s the wife of the lord he’s serving. Besides, didn’t he say something like she’ll know soon when they parted ways? If he didn’t know that she was the Marchioness, he wouldn’t say anything like that.
Nadia changed her train of thought. Anyway, they wouldn’t need to cross paths. Unless Nadia wandered into the knights’ training grounds or at their quarters for no reason or unless they would have an accidental encounter, he wouldn’t be able to touch her so carelessly because she had no intention of going around alone.
…Was this really possible? No, she shouldn’t doubt it. Nadia bit her lips gently. Touching her meant that he was going against his lord.
Vice Commander of a chivalric order. He was so young, so there’s a high chance that he would be promoted in the future. If he was already in this position back then, would he have given it up for her… She wanted to force these thoughts down, not knowing whether to accept them or deny them.
What did she want to do? But as she floundered through these constant worries, it was Susan who rescued her from spiraling.
“Madam, we’re here.”
The carriage stopped before she knew it. Nadia rose from her seat, shaking off her lingering anxiety. The carriage door was opened, and Edwin reached in for her. She hesitated for a moment and grabbed his hand.
Nadia looked around as she got off the carriage. The first thing she noticed was a beautifully landscaped garden.
The scent of orange blossoms and white daffodils gently blew towards her direction, the flowers growing amongst green leaves. When she raised her head a little, she saw purple flowers hanging onto meandering vines that hung along the castle walls.
She had been trembling in anxiety just a while ago, but it all disappeared easily. A faint smile could be seen on her lips. No one would possibly react differently after seeing a castle like this.
“The garden is beautiful.”
Edwin grinned.
“The rear garden is more beautiful. You’ll like it.”
Edwin let Nadia into the castle. He kindly introduced the butler and the head maid, which was unlike him to do.
Sure enough, he left right away because he was busy. Nadia wasn’t particularly disappointed because she didn’t have any expectations of him holding her hand while looking around the castle.
After the old butler, who had a strict air to him, greeted her politely, he hurriedly disappeared after Edwin. The head maid Mila naturally approached Nadia’s side, but this was all new to her.
“I would like to guide you through the castle, Madam, but I shall take you to your room first. The carriage trip must have been tiring. Please, come this way.”
It was a suggestion that was like rainfall after a drought to Nadia. She followed the head maid and memorized the way. They turned left in front of Edwin’s portrait on the third floor, then went down the hallway with a long red carpet. She saw a view of the Aman River out the window to the right.
They passed through numerous doors and turned left once more, and the most intricate and large mahogany door stood at the end of the hall. Mila looked back at Nadia and opened it with a good-natured smile on her lips.
Nadia quietly admired the room. She heard that it was the room that generations of Marchionesses had used, and it was truly amazing. The room she had at her family’s Ducal estate was also spacious, but it couldn’t compare to this room.
The wallpaper covering the walls were of glossy, deep blue silk, and expensive rugs that seemed to have been bought from the South were strewn across the floor—she thought that she might not even get hurt if she fell on them with how soft they felt. Tables, side tables, chairs and the other furniture in this room were all crafted with precious rosewood.
There was a breeze coming in from the white, smooth marble balcony that was wide. It occupied one side like an open wall, and the breeze made the lace curtain flutter. Nadia was delighted to see wisteria flowers hanging from the trellis. It was such a delicate, beautiful room that she already fell in love with.
Soon, Nadia found something even more surprising. As if she was possessed by something, she approached the opaque glass door on another side of the room and carefully pushed it open. After descending a short stairway, she saw a flower garden.
No, it wasn’t a flower garden but a small greenhouse. With high ceilings and glass walls, the fragrant scent of exotic flowers welcomed her as she gaped at the small fountain in the center with a tea table and a long couch next to it. Nadia couldn’t believe her eyes.
“It was rumored that the Marchioness likes plants. It’s a greenhouse that Milord has given to Your Excellency as a gift.”
Listening to Mila’s explanation, Nadia fleetingly nodded. Susan could normally control her expression, but this time, her cheeks were burning with excitement. Here, Nadia realized once more that she was truly married.
This room—this entire castle—was more than what she imagined as a child while reading all those romance novels. As her mood became lighter, the worries and concerns that had been bothering Nadia all seemed to be insignificant.
Asheel would never be able to come near her room, and Edwin didn’t seem to be the type to abuse his wife or overly engage her in nightly activities at least.
His insulting remarks… If all she had to endure were words, then she would be able to adapt one day. Even if she couldn’t, as long as she didn’t take them to heart, then she didn’t need to listen. No matter what anyone said, she was now a Marchioness and was the Madam of this castle in name and reality. This was not something that could easily be reversed. So she could be more at ease.
When it was time for her to bathe, the bathroom she entered was also surprising. Without having to bring in water from outside, clean water was poured out when a maid had turned a handle hanging at the edge of the bathtub. She didn’t know how this was possible but it looked like magic to her. It was such a novel thing, however right now, she was too exhausted to act on her curiosity.
While Mila told Susan how to use the Elantz Castle’s various magic tools, Nadia bathed while being assisted by other maids. They were all strangers to Nadia, but they were so skilled that she didn’t feel uncomfortable.
As Nadia dozed off while her hair was being dried, Mila excused herself and went out the door, saying that she could come back before dinner. Left alone now, Nadia went straight to bed and fell asleep as though she had fainted in exhaustion.
How much time had passed by? Nadia woke up when Mila shook her gently. It was difficult for her to open her eyes as though her eyelids were stuck together. Stumbling up, her face was wiped with a warm wet towel.
It had gotten darker outside. She could see servants walking around while lighting lamps along the pathways.
Because everything was unfamiliar, Nadia entered the dining hall feeling a little nervous. At the head of the long table was Edwin, who was dressed lightly, drinking by himself. As she sat next to him, the attendants came out to serve their food.
Nadia didn’t talk to him because he didn’t say anything to her either. For a while, the only sound that could be heard was them chewing or the tableware clinking. As the silence stretched further, useless thoughts made their way into Nadia’s head again.
She didn’t know if he was looking at her as she ate. Nadia gulped dryly.
Should she spend the night with him tonight? Naturally, this was her first thought. It was frightening to imagine, but she was compelled to look forward to it—but at this thought, Nadia was startled.
She was expecting. It was a ridiculous idea. Was it reasonable to look forward to such an overly obscene act? Besides, she didn’t even love him.
Love. The next thing that came to her mind was their relationship. Nadia closed her eyes tightly, then opened them once more. It was clear that he didn’t love her.
If you love someone, you wouldn’t be able to do that… At least before, she thought that it was an act that only lovers did. She was mistaken. No, there were a lot of things that she thought wrong, especially after Asheel did that to her.
Did he? Did he really do that? Nadia asked herself. She had refused so much, but he didn’t listen. Should she have screamed? Or should she have asked the young servant for help—to let him know that there was a man under her skirt at that very moment?
She would have never done it. She was the victim, and she knew that she didn’t do anything wrong.
As Nadia’s hand trembled when she picked up her glass to take a sip of the sweet wine, Edwin called out to her.
“Wife.”
She almost spat out her drink.
“It’s a shame, but try to sleep alone for the time being.”
After sipping his red wine that was like blood, his lips were moistened with a red tint, and he looked at Nadia.
“I have a lot of work to do because I left the territory empty for quite a while. So…”
Edwin rose slowly from his seat. Placing her own glass back on the table, she became nervous. She didn’t even know why she felt so anxious. Her husband strangely had an air around him that made people nervous.
Soon after, the man approached Nadia and, with a soft touch, he swept back the hair that was around her neck.
Nadia froze. He leaned down and touched his lips to her ears. She waited for the words he would utter, but her expectations were betrayed.
The feeling of hot breath went down to her nape, then it was followed by a sudden sting of pain. Shocked, she yelped briefly, but immediately covered her lips.
Nadia glanced sideways at the servants at one side, but they had their heads bowed down, embarrassed. Edwin suckled on her nape so much that she could hear the sound distinctly. Then, his lips soon rose back next to her ears.
She felt goosebumps all over her body, and her shoulders quivered. There was a strange heat pooling in her stomach. The hand that gently touched her shoulder slid down.
He reached down the front of her dress that had a deep-cut collar, and he stroked one of her breasts skin to skin. Nadia stiffened, only her eyes moving as she widened them due to his bold actions.
While Nadia endured this without saying a word, he kept fondling her breasts.
He squeezed and pinched her nipples as he nibbled her earlobe.
After teasing her so much, to the point that the apex of her legs was soaked, he pulled back the moment Nadia couldn’t stand it and tried to hang onto him—as though he had waited for her to react this way. Then, the belated whisper entered her ears.
“Even if your p*ssy feels empty, endure it for a while.”
The heat within her suddenly cooled as though ice-cold water had been poured over her. Nadia was sincerely curious. Did Edwin truly speak this way all the time? Or was it his intention to make her tremble with shame?
He treated her like a cheap prostitute every time they met. Perhaps that’s all she was to him. Or did he find out what she had done with Asheel, that’s why he kept treating her like a cheap woman?
It was just an assumption, but chills ran down her spine. Nadia shook her head. If he knew, he wouldn’t have ended with just verbal ridicule. Why would a man of such high stature continue putting up with a wife who had cheated on him?
She stared at his retreating figure as he walked away without hesitation, then Nadia returned to her room after she finished eating.
She felt like a fool after having been so excited about this splendidly beautiful room. It felt like her heart was being wrenched apart.
That night, she went to bed early, comforting herself from either anxiety or guilt, she didn’t know which.