“It was quite a meaningful item to me. Didn’t you like the gift?”

Kaian’s question came out of nowhere and was sudden.

“Or was it that I wasn’t good enough?”

Clodel doubted her ears for a moment.

Still looking at the dust-raising cargo carts moving away, he asked as if talking to himself.

“Even if you grew up like a commoner and became an adopted daughter, you should have learned at least that much.”

He slowly turned around, hands behind his back, and looked down at her.

“The custom is to wear and show off the wedding night gift as soon as you receive it.”

This was the first time she faced him since the wedding.

If she had to describe her wedding, it felt like being human laundry.

Clodel was dragged around, stripped of will and personality, soaked in a bath, and washed by the hands of maids.

After getting out of the water, she was dried, her hair glossily arranged, and for the first time, her face powdered and lips rouged.

Then she had to don the unfamiliarly coarse bridal gown and all sorts of ornaments, which were heirlooms of the family.

Most of these were made with big, thick jewels hanging and swinging, and the part with jewels set was invariably made of heavy gold or platinum, attached to thick leather belts.

As the heavy jewels required sturdy belts, wearing them made her feel like a prisoner about to be executed.

Dragged by several hands, she finally stood in front of her groom-to-be, Kaian. As soon as her eyes met his cold, disdainful red ones, she bowed her head.

That was the last image she had of Kaian on her wedding day.

The expression was so striking that she hardly remembered what he wore or how the ceremony was decorated.

Unlike on the wedding day, there was no contempt for Bermonte in Kaian’s eyes.

The expression he wore was probably not dissatisfaction with Clodel. After all, one cannot be dissatisfied with something they don’t know.

Just like anyone living in Balmond would make the same face at the mention of Temnes. That’s why she thought he looked at her so coldly.

So, Clodel found herself observing the man who was reddening in the sunset.

Her husband, whom she was facing properly for the first time.

Kaian was much taller than her, so she had to tilt her head back to see his face.

Even though he wasn’t wearing armor under his formal attire due to the feast with the vassals, the broad shoulders and thick arms underneath the clothes looked as strong as if he were wearing armor.

‘That person…’

Her thoughts inadvertently drifted to the first night they spent together.

Kaian and Clodel were like rabbit and lion, so different in build it was intimidating.

Recalling the large man hunched over and fitting his body with hers, Clodel’s cheeks reddened, and she felt dazed.

Kaian, who had been watching her, twitched his eyebrows.

“Can’t you hear me?”

“…Yes?”

“Didn’t you like the gift?”

“Ah. That, I mean…”

Embarrassed for having been caught daydreaming, Clodel blurted out an excuse.

“I did like it…”

“Really? Then why didn’t you wear it to the gravesite?”

“That, well… it didn’t seem to suit me.”

She felt her mind go blank.

Any words just spilled out of her mouth in her flustered state.

“Hmm. So it wasn’t a protest for disliking it?”

“Absolutely not. It’s very beautiful and wonderful.”

“Is that so.”
“Fortunately, it seemed that Kaian found her answer acceptable, as he just nodded slightly and entered the castle without further comment.

Thud, thud.

Her heart pounded oddly, feeling stiff.

Her shoulders and back, tensed to the utmost, seemed to have lost circulation, leaving a tingling sensation as the strength drained from her body.

‘Oh, what should I do? This isn’t right.’

Clodel was at a loss.

The sun hadn’t even set yet, and here she was, outside the castle, recalling the bed she shared with her husband and blurting out such an absurd response.

‘How can I not do anything right?’

It was certain that the disease eating away at her body was now affecting her mind.

Overwhelmed with self-loathing, Clodel staggered back to her room.

That evening, Hanna was arguing with the maids again.

‘You lot are completely mad, aren’t you? Isn’t the housekeeper managing you?’

The maids of Lowen Castle looked indifferent, even picking their ears, as Hanna raised her voice in frustration.

‘It’s well past dinner time! Why haven’t you served the duchess her meal?’

‘Oh, we can’t.’

One maid sarcastically replied to Hanna’s question.

‘Even a single piece of bread is too good for a Bermonte.’

‘Your mistress might starve, but our lord won’t bat an eye. He’ll soon marry a beautiful lady from the Temnes.’

‘What?’

A passing servant joined in.

‘Even if you set a proper meal, does she eat a bite? It doesn’t seem like it, as the food just comes right back out.’

A smartly dressed man sneered smoothly.

‘A kernel of corn, a bean, a bit of bread, a couple of spoonfuls of soup, if that’s fine, I’ll bring it.’

‘These people…’

Just as Hanna was about to resolve the situation with her fists, Clodel stopped her from outside the room.

‘Hanna, stop.’

‘My lady.’

Turns Out He’s Been Secretly in Love with Me

One-line summary: He acts like he doesn’t like her but is actually playing hard to get.

Synopsis:

Xu Muzhou like her. He has liked her for a very long time, and through repeated schemes, he finally closed the distance with her.

But this is still far from enough.

He wants to be the one who stands out among her many suitors, to fight for her attention, and to make her take the initiative to pursue him.

_____

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