Prologue 2
He didn’t touch Odellette after she shook off his hand. Odellette didn’t even bother asking for him. When they eat together, Cherdian simply says to her to eat in a calm manner. At that time, Odellette hadn't been interested in him for a while, but she suddenly wanted to know why he was doing this, and spoke bluntly without knowing it.
"If I get fat, the noble ladies in the capital laugh at you. Besides, you wouldn't like your wife to be chubby."
Odellette, who had finished speaking, looked at Cherdian, but he did not get angry.
Instead, he was a little silent, then opened his mouth in a cold tone with a light sigh.
"If you are weak, you can't give birth."
"I'm not a baby-bearing tool. What the hell, what the hell are you—“
In the end, instead of eating, Odellette went up to her room.
That evening, she asked for another room, saying she didn't want to use the same room anymore. Cherdian said that she didn't have to, so he moved to another room.
Around that time, rumors circulated that Cherdian had taken an actress as a mistress in the theater district. Odellette had seen that actress. The girl with a pure, innocent face gave off a fresh air just by looking at her. Unlike her, who already smells of thick cosmetics and artificial perfume, the actress was full of life just by looking at her.
Once, I went to the theater with Cheddian in appearance. And the girl looked at Odellette with shining eyes.
“Duchess, I’m so honored to see you! You’re as lovely and beautiful as I expected!”
Just what the hell did these people hear….? Odellette, at this point, had given up arguing. She just emptied her seat so that the girl and her husband can be together.
“Then, you two can talk.”
“Odellette, then I’ll—“
“No. I’ll only be disturbing you.”
Odellette left the box seat without listening anymore.
Coming to the theater reminded her of a long time ago. She was then looking for a job in the theater. A self-writer had a lot of debt, and she was quite talented in writing.
She remembered her childhood, and she was soaked in nostalgia, but someone spoke to her.
“Odellette?”
The man who had spoken to her was none other than Wiston. He was the second son of Count Jabern, who once went to the theater district with Odellete, and showed interest in art, not like a nobleman, and was quite in harmony with her.
She was originally quite fond of him, so she welcomed him.
The meeting, which was briefly saying their greetings, repeated twice, the second was a promise to meet next time, and by the time it entered Cherdian's ears, the social world became bustling with the scandals of the two.
* * *
“Cough.”
“Madame, are you alright?”
Odellette, who was looking back on the past, coughed loudly and escaped from her thoughts.
It was a meaningless memory.
* * *
Odellette really didn't have a shred of shame.She knew better than anyone that she was innocent by herself. So when Cherdian asked about the scandal, she thought she could just tell the truth and explain it. Besides, the gossip of the social world was originally something that went around a little and then faded. As Adelgarte’s mistress, she thought she could get through the situation.
What surprised her, however, was that she saw Cherdian, who seemed not to care what she did with other men, was so angry for the first time.
Odellete, who was waiting for him in his office quietly at his ‘command', suddenly froze at the cold stare of the man who opened the door roughly.
Growing up in her own writer's mansion all her life, she couldn't handle the life of a man who lived on the battlefield. The atmosphere of him, as if holding her from head to toe, seemed to suffocate.
However, Cherdian strides toward her. As if an animal roaring, a low but deep voice rang eerily in her ears.
"Is this why you refused me?"
“What—“
“Did he satisfy you instead of me?”
“Keep your mouth shut! What qualifications do you have to reproach me? You’re the same…!”
But she couldn’t finish her words for him. Blocked by the suffocating anger and monopoly desire of the man, her petite plea, claiming innocence, was of course to be blown out like a bubble without any use.
That day, Odellette burst into tears in terror toward her husband for the first time.
Cheddian hesitated at her appearance, then found reason and backed away. However, he must have realized to some extent.
She couldn't treat him as she used to.
Since then, Odellette’s eyes at Cherdian were mingled with fear. The mere opening of his mouth during the meal made her flinch. But she did not rebel against him. One day, when he unconsciously reached out, Odellete closed her eyes and trembled. Cheddian retracted his hand again. He just told her to clean it up because the petals fell on her head.
After that he was no longer alone with her.
Cerdian, who was often away from his residence, did not stop by the residence at all, even when she didn’t go out.
I wondered if I would see his face or not once a year, but it seemed he often stayed outside.
In the capital city, there was a rumor that he had given the actress something, rumors circulated that he had a relationship with a princess of a kingdom on the battlefield, but Odellette thought it was better.
Only a few meetings have been held in such a few years, and it has already been nine years of marriage.
Cerdian, who came with a victory report from a fairly big battle, said he would stop by the duke's office after a long time. With a message asking if she has recovered from the cold.
"Madame, are you alright? Your cough is getting worse."
"It's okay. The weather is unusually chilly these days. Could you add more heat?"
"But it's already hot enough.... Are you getting a fever? What in the world!"
The maid, who felt at her forehead, screamed loudly in a fit of surprise.The family members hurried to bring the doctor, but the doctor sighed and opened his mouth.
"You seem to have pneumonia."
"What do you mean pneumonia?”
"Madame’s body is so weak and haven't you suffered a lot lately?”
Odellette laughed awkwardly. As he gave the prescription, he added.
"I'll do my best for now. Make sure you take your medicine and eat regularly as I give you the prescription."
Audellit nodded, but after years of socializing, she noticed from the doctor’s expression that there was no hope. But, she just smiled gracefully and nodded.
When the doctor left, the maid opened her mouth.
"I'll send a message."
"There’s no need. There’s still a lot of things to be done, but there is no need to report such a thing."
“What do you mean by that? How could there be any more importance than this?”
“No, listen to me.”
The maid looked at Odellette’s pitiful face.
Odellette smiled faintly and leaned more and more against the pillow. And at that moment, blood flowed from her mouth as she coughed.
The maid had a face of despair as if she knew what’s going to happen. But after calmly changing the pillow and sheet, she left the room.
Odelite looked out the window blankly. There was a time when she was happy just to see that.
If Cherdian comes before the leaves over there run out, she loses, and if he comes after, she wins.
There wasn't much difference between winning and losing. But she wanted to wait for him that way.
However, it is now useless. Odellette fell asleep while looking at her skinny arm.
Cheddian arrived at the duchy earlier than scheduled.
At his sudden appearance, the butler and the maid rushed out to meet him. After that, the rapidly lined employees bowed down. However, as he hurriedly entered the mansion with the chill of winter, he wore a ferocious face instead of receiving greetings from the usual.
"Didn't you say it was a simple cold? But what do you mean, suddenly pneumonia?"
"Madame told me not to say anything useless. She thought you'd find it annoying to hear it anyway."
Cherdian was speechless for an instant, with an angry expression. In the end, he didn't talk any further, but instead took a step right away.
Unlike the always calm and heavy footsteps, each of his actions was scattered out of the ordinary.
He went upstairs as if destroying the duke's residence, but as he got closer to the room of Odellette, he slowed down and stopped at the door.
While trying to knock, he seemed to be worried about the fact that his wife had fallen asleep, and then opened the door. But, contrary to the maid's words, Odellette was awake. Odellette was a little surprised to see the man who came in through the door, but she did not respond as intensely as before. However, she turned her head with a face that was not very happy.
Cherdian approached her side. Odellette opened her mouth coldly.
"You wouldn't have finished the war yet."
“I, even if I’m not around, it can be wrapped. Your body...are you alright?”
“I’m alright. Unfortunately, a successor will be too much.”
"It's not a matter of successors right now. It would be better to call a doctor tomorrow and go to a warm place after a close examination."
“There’s no need. I like it here at the duchy.”
Odellette replied coldly. Cherdian opened his mouth to speak, and eventually shut it back. His face, as always, was so cool. It was no different from the face she had been looking at for 9 years.
Odellit laughed as if she had expected it.
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