"Wasn't this room for me alone?"
"I already have a record of driving you out to the annex, so if we were to sleep in separate rooms as well, unpleasant rumors would spread. Because of that, it was decided we'd share a room… Did you not hear of this?"
"No, not at all."
It turned out to be a matter of the servant forgetting to explain in detail.
"I had no idea."
Muttering so, Estelle gripped the lapel of her shower gown tightly.
It wasn't all that different from their wedding night, yet the reason she felt more nervous now must have been because the situation had shifted somewhat.
"We've already held hands, he's already held me by the waist… Can he really keep from touching me elsewhere?"
The memories of her first nights with other husbands flitted through her mind.
How many times had she cried out, begging them not to touch her?
[Please, let's just talk!]
The earnest plea did not work.
Like a beast that had forgotten how to converse, he exhaled hot breaths at her, his age-spotted hand reaching out to subdue her…
Her mind went blank.
"…My apologies."
Lennox turned away.
"I'll be outside. Tell me when you're done changing."
Even after Lennox left, Estelle stared blankly at the closed door for a while before finally forcing herself to change into her nightclothes.
Her hand was trembling faintly.
"Mije, you can come in now."
Hiding her still-shaking hand behind her back, as though she had not yet calmed down, she saw Lennox slowly re-enter the room.
The first thing he did was check Estelle's attire, then he continued the conversation that had been interrupted.
"It's late, so moving you to another room right now isn't practical. Tonight, sleep in the bed. I'll take the sofa."
"Like on the wedding night?"
"Yes. Like on the wedding night."
After a brief hesitation, Estelle asked again.
"…Is it because I'm dirty?"
"No. Wherever I sleep, I'm plagued with restlessness. It's practically a chronic ailment, so it makes no difference to me."
"In that case…" Estelle lowered her voice. "Let's lie in the bed together."
Estelle spoke firmly.
Had he looked at her with even the slightest hint of lewdness, or revealed some vile intent, she never would have suggested this.
But his clean, clear-cut restraint only reassured her.
Come to think of it, this was his room to begin with.
Her hands no longer trembled.
"If it's uncomfortable no matter where you sleep, then at least your body should rest properly, shouldn't it?"
"Estelle…"
"The bed is wide enough. Even if you have restless habits in your sleep, we won't touch each other."
Lennox raised an eyebrow, as if not entirely pleased with the suggestion.
"If Your Grace sleeps on the sofa, it will trouble my conscience. I might end up losing sleep instead."
"So this is… for my sake?"
"Yes."
Only then did he show signs of wavering.
Estelle pressed the advantage.
"If Your Grace refuses to sleep in the bed, then I'll leave this room at once."
After some hesitation, Lennox finally nodded.
"…I'll put out the light. You lie down first."
Fortunately, her gamble had worked.
Just as he said, Estelle lay down on the bed and closed her eyes.
The light went out, and she felt Lennox settle onto the other side.
For no reason at all, Estelle turned her body away from him.
Lennox did the same.
Their backs ended up facing each other.
"…Um, I was thinking of using the dowry money. Is that all right?"
Breaking the awkward silence, Estelle asked carefully.
When they married, all of Estelle's private property had been brought along under the name of a dowry.
She knew Lennox would never claim that money as his own, but the thought still bothered her enough to bring it up.
"You've already been allocated a personal allowance. And now you want to use the dowry?"
"Was there an allowance provided separately from the contract payment?"
"Of course. The household expenses are supposed to be supported on my side."
His tone was blunt and curt as always, but hearing it said aloud gave Estelle relief.
Until now, everyone around her had only ever eyed her wealth with greedy intent.
"For the details, ask Pippin."
"Yes."
That was the end of the conversation.
But afterward, she kept remembering the distinct sensation of his hand holding her waist, and her face grew hot.
It must just be me.
Estelle tugged the blanket toward herself for no real reason.
At that, Lennox spoke.
"If sharing a bed with me makes you uncomfortable, then from tomorrow we'll use separate rooms. The adjoining room should be fine."
Being conscious of someone's presence didn't necessarily have to mean something negative.
But Estelle knew her place well.
She gave the answer a contract bride was expected to give.
"…Yes."
The next day, Lennox opened his eyes.
So it must have only been me who was conscious of it.
He felt refreshed, since he had slept without nightmares. But his mind was tangled with confusion.
Truly… strange.
Nothing made sense.
He had never once shared a bed with anyone, and so he was certain he wouldn't be able to sleep.
Yet, lulled by the calm sound of her breathing, he had slept deeply, without a single nightmare.
All this time… I've only ever been able to sleep soundly when she was beside me.
But why?
Even in his office, the words on the page refused to sink into his head.
Tilting his head slightly, Lennox glanced out the window—and there was Estelle.
"Duren, no!"
"Kyah! Young Master! You mustn't eat that!"
During their walk, little Duren had picked up a bug and naturally tried to put it in his mouth. Estelle and the maid both screamed in alarm.
Kuh—
Unable to hold back the laughter that bubbled up, Lennox set his pen aside altogether, propping his chin on his hand as he gazed at her.
So her claim that she would keep her distance from the child wasn't just empty words, after all.
Estelle, quite naturally, entrusted the boy to the maid and walked a short distance apart.
Lennox's gaze followed her.
"Your Grace…"
Pippin, who had come in midway, called out to him—then stopped short.
I walked right in, and yet he didn't notice my presence at all. He's watching her, isn't he?
Hovering nearby, Pippin had to stifle a laugh.
"The weather is fine today."
"…Yes. It is."
When Pippin, feigning ignorance, opened the window, Lennox faltered for a moment, then pretended to look back at his documents.
But it didn't last long—his gaze kept drifting outside.
Estelle was no longer in sight, perhaps having finished her walk. Yet he found himself glancing toward the window again and again.
And then—
"...!"
Lennox suddenly shot to his feet.
"Madam—did something happen to her?!"
Startled, Pippin rushed over in a panic.
"Pippin. I warned you repeatedly to refuse the priests' visits. Did you carry out my orders properly?"
"…What?"
As he came closer, Pippin suddenly seemed to recall something.
"Ah—my lady said she wished to purchase some jewels, so a merchant was summoned. They must have arrived."
"What nonsense. Those are priests."
"But their clothes are those of a merchant—"
Before Pippin could finish, Lennox had already swept past him.
They might have been dressed as traders, but there was no mistaking it—they were priests.
He recognized the face. In his past life, that very man had fawned at Helios's side.
"…Where are you going, Your Grace?"
"To Estelle."
"…Pardon?"
The Winteren family and the temple had never been on good terms.
And now, a priest had infiltrated the ducal estate disguised as a merchant?
Such a thing could not be overlooked.
"I said, I'm going to my wife."
Yes—this was for the security of Winteren.
Not because of Estelle.
—
Having been informed of the merchant's arrival, Estelle had swiftly entered the main keep.
Here a flash, there a flash!
As the merchants laid out the jewels, the world seemed to sparkle—so did Estelle's eyes.
All of that will be my secret fund.
At present, Estelle's wealth did not truly belong to her.
During marriage, it belongs to my husband. After divorce, it will be bound to the Bellonsaga family.
Which is why she needed to siphon off some money in preparation for whatever might come.
The first step—
Convert money that existed only as numbers into physical assets.
And nothing was more natural, or easier to obtain, than jewels.
So, the personal allowance Lennox had allotted her? That was hers.
The future contract payment? Of course, hers.
And the money Bellonsaga spent as if it were theirs? Entirely hers as well.
"My lady, regarding this jewel, I must say—"
Bang!
"Estelle!"
The door burst open, and Lennox strode in.
"Nothing happened, did it?"
"Wha—? N-no, of course not."
Still bewildered, Estelle watched as Lennox walked right up to her and whispered in a low voice.
"One of the merchants is a priest."
"…A priest?"
He gave a firm nod.
Lennox's sharp gaze swept over the merchants.
"…Not here at the moment."
"Could it be that you were mistaken?"
"Impossible."
With his sharp eyesight, there was no chance he had seen wrong—especially not when it came to those priests he so utterly despised.
"It seems part of their group split off midway. I'll track them down myself, so don't concern yourself."
With eyes blazing in wrath, Lennox departed.
A priest…
For Estelle too, priests were anything but welcome.
"Wait here for a moment."
Leaving those words behind, Estelle stepped out of the room.
His Grace is already gone.
Wandering where her steps led her, she suddenly stopped when she spotted the small back of a child.
And in front of the child stood—
[If a woman is pretty, the wise choice is to marry quickly and bear children. That woman was wise indeed.]
The very priest she had seen on her wedding day with Helios.
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