Chapter 75

“That’s because…”

Walter opened his mouth but stopped answering when a line of servants entered.

While appetizers, including potage, were being set up one by one, Hermia realized the answer to her question and quickly drank some water.

It was an effort to prevent her face from getting hot, but it wasn’t of much help. She felt like she was sitting on top of a fire pit.

“Well… it’s always good to get things done in advance. Just in case something… you never know…”

I must be crazy. You never know what…!

After saying everything, she covered her face with both hands and lowered them when she was alone in the large restaurant. It was because the servants, who usually took away empty plates and filled glasses with water nearby, were busy leaving as soon as they finished their work today.

Hermia was even more embarrassed because she knew what they were trying to consider.

How have other nobles endured this night that so many people are watching? It was a moment when she missed Coco, the teacher who had a state wedding with the attention of two countries.

With her stomach tied in knots, she knew she wouldn’t be able to properly digest anything. Wouldn’t it be better to cross the line early?

Hermia looked at the entrance as a habit. Fortunately or unfortunately, the door was open.

The servants here didn’t seem to eavesdrop on the conversations of the owners like the maids of the Count’s family, but she lowered her posture and spoke as quietly as possible.

“Duke… no, Walter.”

He said he didn’t remember when the curse was activated, so this must be the first time he’s heard his name. She was nervous and chewed on her husband’s name before taking courage.

“I can’t call you Duke anymore.”

“Take your time.”

He said gently as if he understood.

“Don’t worry about anyone else, and you can call me whatever you want.”

“Then… honey?”

He didn’t expect that, and embarrassment seeped into his calm green eyes. When his wandering gaze reached his wife’s playful face, Walter couldn’t help but laugh.

“I think just my name will do.”

“Walter?”

“Yes, my wife.”

“……”

She thought it wasn’t a strong enough revenge against “honey,” but Hermia bowed her head.

The repercussions of that title seemed to be enormous. It made her heart flutter much more than when she heard the words “my love” or “darling.”

‘I’m going to get indigestion from drinking plain water at this rate.’

She put her forehead on the table for a while, and then slightly turned her head to make eye contact with Walter.

“…You know, Walter.”

“Yes.”

“Are you hungry by any chance?”

He was trying to figure out the intention of the question, but as soon as he heard the words that followed, he stiffened his lips.

“I’m not hungry because I ate a lot during the day.”

As soon as he finished speaking, Walter got up from his seat. Hermia clearly witnessed his Adam’s apple heaving greatly even in that moment.

* * *

After that, the memory of how she got back to the room was unclear.

She seemed to have vaguely seen the disappointed expression of the chef who had brought in the carefully prepared dish with abalone and asparagus, and she seemed to have vaguely heard the low voice saying, “Then see you later,” while parting in the hallway.

She was already being served by the maids who had gathered and was finished bathing in the bathtub full of flower petals and was seated at the dressing table.

After drying her hair carefully, she applied scented oil to make it fall calmly and put on a purple silk gown over her chemise.

The faint spirit until then suddenly returned. It was when she saw the bridal chamber with the soft light in her clearer vision.

The bedroom, where the maids had bowed politely and left, was too quiet.

“Haa.”

She thought Walter would be there first, but she felt a sense of relief in the empty couple’s bedroom and let out a long sigh that she had been holding back.

While she was catching her breath, the ice bucket on the console table and the champagne neatly placed inside suddenly caught her eye. This must also be something Emily had prepared for tonight.

As soon as she saw the champagne bottle with the pink ribbon, her heart started to flutter again. Her heart, filled with emotions she didn’t know whether it was fear or anticipation, couldn’t calm down easily.

“I’m going crazy.”

Hermia walked to the bed with hurried steps and sat on the end and stood up as if she was jumping.

It’s too… would it look like I’m waiting?

The slippers that had lost their way wandered over the carpet and eventually reached the long sofa. It was almost as big as a single bed, but it was the same anxiety.

She quickly pressed to check the cushioning and looked around compulsively. Her heart shrank like a child who was caught doing something bad when no one was watching.

‘I don’t think I can do it. I don’t think I can stand it with a clear mind.’

Judged so, she turned her eyes to the console, and a ray of hope caught her eye. The water droplets on the surface of the golden bottle were sparkling like jewels.

Champagne would be perfect for moderately relieving tension. No need to worry about getting drunk because of the low alcohol content.

Desperation was buried in the hand that picked up the opener and opened the entrance. There was no room to savor the taste of the best champagne. Hermia started pouring it into the glass and gulping it down.

* * *

Walter’s pace was hurried.

Outwardly, it was a proper gait that was not much different from usual, but the closer he got to the bedroom, the wider his stride gradually became.

He spent too much time washing. It was only when he reached a point where he couldn’t even count how many times he had doused himself with cold water that he heard the head maid’s urging from outside. She said he had to come out.

Thanks to that, his head seemed to have cooled down to some extent, but his body, which had been repeatedly doused with ice-cold water, became hot again as if nothing had happened when he reached the bedroom door, and the long time became useless.

He moistened his dry lips and slowly grabbed and turned the doorknob. First, he should apologize for being late…

Thinking that opening the balcony window first might be better, he stepped inside and stopped speaking.

“Oh. You’re here.”

It wasn’t that he was surprised by the bedroom, which was completely dyed in the light of the sunset even though the sun had already set. The problem was the woman inside.

The woman who had become his wife today was holding a champagne glass in one hand and a nightgown in the other and waving happily.

Because the gown that should have been wrapped around her body was fluttering in the air, her thin chemise was completely exposed. He consciously took his eyes off of her and discovered a slipper lying far away.

Naturally, his gaze went down and his white feet standing on the carpet came into view.

“Why did you take so long? I thought I was being stood up on my wedding night.”

“……”

He silently took her to the sofa and sat her down, picked up one of the slippers that had fallen on the floor, took out the other wet one that was in the ice bucket, and placed them side by side against the wall.

It was easier to feel comfortable when things flowed like this. Walter let out a breath like a sigh with a deflated laugh and took the glass from Hermia’s hand.

“You’re drunk, my wife.”

“I’m not drunk, honey.”

The two, who had been looking at each other suspiciously for a while, burst into small laughter at the same time. A soft voice continued in the quiet room.

“It’s better to sleep early today. You must be tired from moving around since early this morning.”

“Somehow, my feet hurt.”

“You’ve been wearing shoes all day, so it’s understandable. Let’s go to bed first…”

“You can sleep here. The sofa is so fluffy. Look, Your Grace.”

Hermia showed off the function of the cushion by shaking her body while sitting down. Seeing that she liked the sofa, he briefly thought that he had made the right decision to leave the interior to Emily.

But ‘Your Grace,’ huh?

He sighed at the title that had returned to before the wedding and picked her up. He had to close his eyes and regain his composure at the momentary dizziness from the hand that wrapped around his neck as if she had been waiting for him.

Taking her to bed and covering her with a blanket was also difficult, but it was okay again when he saw her comfortable face.

The tension that she had shown in the dining room seemed to have flown somewhere when she drank alcohol. Hermia, who was looking at him with softly loosened eyes, patted the seat next to her.

“Duke, lie down too. I’ll allow it.”

“…It’s an honor.”

It didn’t seem like the right thing to say on the first night after becoming a couple, but he decided to be grateful.

Considering that the last time she had been drunk, she had looked for another man to marry while he—her fiancé—stood right there, this was certainly progress.

Walter laid down in a spot that was far enough away that there would be no problem even if one person was in the middle. He was going to be her conversation partner for a while, and when Hermia fell asleep, he was going to get up, turn off the lights, and quietly return to his bedroom.

“Ah. That’s right.”

Hermia, who was lying down looking at the ceiling of the bed, turned her body towards him.

“Today is our first night.”

“I appreciate the acknowledgement.”

Walter, who was leaning his back against the head cushion, only turned his head slightly and answered.

Hermia, who didn’t like the distance that was far away, puffed out her cheeks with dissatisfaction and suddenly got up.

“I know now.”

“……?”

“I know what you need now, Duke, just like I needed alcohol.”

Then, she got out of bed and ran towards the door without giving him a chance to stop her.

“Hermia.”

She lightly ignored the voice that was trying to stop her and pushed the slightly open door as it was and closed it. Walter, who had been following right behind, paused and took a quick breath. At the same time as the door closed, his heart sank.

Hermia was desperately blocking the front of the door with an expression that said there was no way. He desperately turned his back to find the balcony with his increasingly blurred vision.

He was losing strength in his body as if he had been given a strong anesthetic. The bedroom that he saw in his current state was unnecessarily wide, and the balcony was only endlessly far away.

He barely arrived and grabbed the doorknob to pull it down, but it only rattled and didn’t open.

“Damn it. The lock…”

The detached house, which had all the interiors and windows replaced, even had balcony doors that were different from the main building. The hand gesture that groped for the door frame became as urgent as the curse that came out without him knowing, but Hermia, who was staggering towards him, didn’t seem to want to help at all.

“What you need right now, Your Grace, is the curse.”

“Hermia, open the door.”

He said it with the last of his patience and looked at his wife, who was still laughing with a drunken smile.

“I won’t open it. I will never open it for you.”