47.

Lo nearly protested against Anna’s choice, but changed her mind and quietly buried her head in the pillow.

Fine, do as you please. After all, it had been agreed upon that they wouldn’t spend the night together. Though they couldn’t officially notarize it in writing, Cardier wasn’t the type to go back on his word.

“Now, please change into this.”

Lo eyed the undergarment Anna handed her with skepticism. It was truly impractical in form. Lo weakly protested.

“Would you rather just give me a string?”

“Oh. Should I?”

……Never mind. She hastily put on whatever Anna handed her. It felt a bit tight, but compared to the suffocating corset, it was far more wearable.

Besides, even if she wore this, the thing the Duke and Duchess hoped for wouldn’t happen tonight anyway.

Lo decided to stay calm. Cardier had voluntarily joined the group blessing the groom in order to send her in early, and such blessings in the Empire usually involved sharing a drink. As Lo expected, Cardier wouldn’t return until dawn, thoroughly drunk—just like any groom on his wedding night.

Yet he arrived at the bridal chamber much earlier than anyone anticipated, looking completely sober, as if he hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol. Anna, who had been tidying Lo’s hair, quickly and discreetly stepped out of the room.

An awkward silence fell once they were alone. Lo stood up stiffly in front of the mirror and said,

“……I look decent enough.”

Cardier let out a dry laugh. Only then did he seem to relax, loosening his cravat as he spoke.

“You look disappointed that I’m decent.”

Not exactly disappointed. She had just assumed things would be easier if he were drunk. Cardier usually fell quietly asleep when intoxicated. She’d learned that long ago, when the ruffians of Toulon celebrated their revered young vice admiral’s coming of age by force-feeding him rum.

Looking back, it was only because Cardier ultimately relented that things didn’t end badly…… Otherwise, those involved would surely have been sunk to the ocean floor with bullets in their heads.

That rum had been viciously strong—enough to kill a whale—and yet Cardier had walked around the next day looking perfectly fine. She’d thought then he wasn’t an ordinary man, especially since it had been the first time he’d ever tasted rum.

So perhaps now, as a full adult, even after guzzling an entire crate, he could still appear this composed……

“……What? You don’t smell like alcohol at all?”

Lo sniffed the air around him like a dog. Even a single drop of strong liquor would have been hard to hide from her sharp sense of smell, yet he was as fresh as when she’d first met him that morning. His bangs were even damp, as if he’d just washed, and aside from the clean scent of soap, nothing else clung to his body. Cardier ran a hand over his smiling lips as he replied,

“It shocks me that you assumed I’d even touch alcohol. Still, it is our first night.”

“Everyone else seems to manage just fine.”

“I don’t.”

Lo shrugged. She’d seen more than a few people completely drunk on their wedding day. Then again, noble weddings might differ from commoners’. Lo grimaced as she recalled the disgustingly long sermon from the archbishop. She’d never experienced such a pious, dull wedding before. It was a pity it had to be her own. Lo waved a hand carelessly and added,

“Why go through all that trouble? It’s not like this night means anything anyway.”

At that, Cardier’s expression stiffened momentarily. Lo, expecting his usual retort, was surprised when no reply came. When she glanced at him, Cardier quickly offered a smile.

“……Yes, that’s right.”

Seeing that awkward smile, Lo was suddenly seized by an odd sense of guilt—like she’d stepped hard on the front paw of a puppy tumbling at her feet.

But why? They had mutually agreed not to spend the night together. This marriage was merely a contract. Her feelings shifted from guilt to a vague discomfort.

“Let’s make one thing clear. The reason we married……”

“I know.”

Rarely, Cardier gently interrupted her mid-sentence. He continued,

“Our marriage is a contract, and even that is closer to a financial transaction.”

“……”

“And I also know very well that you haven’t welcomed this marriage from the beginning.”

……Well, when put that way, she had nothing to say. The conversation had taken a strange turn. Lo realized she wasn’t so much opposed to this particular marriage as she was distrustful of the institution of marriage itself. But Cardier seemed to have interpreted it the former way.

She wasn’t ignorant of pirates who retired after marriage to live comfortably, but in her experience, such cases were rare—perhaps one in a hundred. And even then, people said they’d be at each other’s throats within ten years. Even that fleeting spark of affection might once have been real, but Lo trusted gold more than shallow human emotions. Especially after being betrayed by Nick. ……Damn it, thinking of Nick only made her head more chaotic. Lo shook her head to clear the thoughts.

“Still……”

“I’m not blaming you. I don’t intend to.”

“……”

“Having no other choice was simply my good fortune.”

Cardier gently brushed a loose strand of hair from her pale forehead as he spoke. She felt her earlobes burning hot. She hadn’t noticed earlier because Cardier acted so casually, but she was now wearing only a thin dress. Beneath it, there was barely any undergarment at all.

Realizing this, she could no longer remain composed. Lo covered her burning ears with her hands and took a few steps back from Cardier.

“Fine, then.”

“……”

“Let’s sleep. Where do you want to sleep?”

Lo hastily looked around the room. Besides the bed, the only other place someone could lie down was a narrow stool. Even for Rosetta, it would only be possible by curling up her legs.

Damn it, they wouldn’t even let a dog sleep there. Lo reluctantly opened her mouth, driven by the last shred of her conscience.

“You sleep on the bed tonight. I’ll take the stool.”

“No need.”

“Then do you have another option?”

Cardier swept his damp bangs back with his hand. Lo’s gaze instinctively followed, then snapped back in embarrassment. As if finding her dazed expression endearing, Cardier’s expression softened slightly.

“Even if we can get by like this tonight, we can’t keep it up forever.”

“That’s true, but……”

“We’re newlyweds. We can’t use separate bedrooms.”

Most Imperial nobles lived in separate bedrooms after the wedding night, but Rosetta had no way of knowing such private details. To her, it was common knowledge that married couples slept pressed tightly together in the same bed.

And now, staring at Cardier’s utterly innocent, sincere face, as if he were incapable of a single lie…… Not sharing a bed felt like something truly unforgivable.

“Still. That’s…… probably right?”

“Let’s share the bed.”

“Fine, then.”

Lo nodded casually. She was someone who had slept soundly in every nook and cranny of the crowded eastern slums, surrounded by men. Of course, back then, she’d always kept a deadly knife close at hand. Sleeping at opposite ends of the bed meant no contact at all—there was no need to be fussy.

The uneasy feeling that if she gave up one end, he might eventually steal the entire spot beside her…… was surely just paranoia. Lo shook her head to dispel the ominous thought and fluffed her pillow with a few taps. Seeing this, Cardier asked,

“Already planning to sleep?”

“What else is there left to do?”

“Just a moment.”

Cardier approached her and reached for the table beside the bed. Lo flinched slightly at the sight of metal, but quickly relaxed when she realized it was just a paper knife. The blade even looked dull.

“Why……”

She couldn’t finish her sentence. In the next moment, Cardier pressed the blunt blade against his forearm and dragged it roughly—almost tearing the skin. Lo barely suppressed a scream and shot up from her seat. The wound wasn’t deep, but enough to make blood flow. Cardier extended his arm over the sheets and let a few drops fall with a soft drip.

“……What?”