“I feel like that’s an even nastier way of doing things...” Bernard muttered, shuddering. “Anyway, I don’t think my heart would hurt if I were to have a marriage blanc with that wicked woman.”
“Sounds like you do have a conscience, though.”
“Yes, I wouldn’t want to put an innocent woman through that.”
“Well, if that’s what you want to do, I won’t oppose it. I have no reason to protect Miss Ariel either. But take heed, Marquis Balladur. Just because she’s a wicked woman doesn’t mean you can treat her however you want. Remember that.”
“Of course,” Bernard responded. “I have no intention of treating her in an inhumane way. I simply need a wife in name only.”
Claus contemplated for a short while, then murmured under his breath. “Hmm... In a way, that might open up a new path for her... Very well. I won’t interfere with this matter any further.”
The two men exchanged a handshake, and their conversation drew to a close...
Bernard frowned upon recalling that meeting. It’s not like I acted in the way he implied...but still, maybe I pushed things too far? Ariel might have been his wife in name only, but he hadn’t even known where she lived, and he’d reprimanded her based on a lie he’d believed without question. He closed his eyes tightly as he remembered what had happened. I think I should apologize to her.
Bernard had gone looking for Ariel, and found her for some reason doing the laundry together with the servants. “What on earth are you doing?” he asked her.
When the servants noticed their master had arrived, they hurriedly lowered their heads. Ariel finally noticed him when he addressed her, too, and glanced at him with obvious dislike. “Do you need something?”
Bernard recoiled at her harsh glare. He’d intended to apologize diligently, like a proper head of the house, but when he saw the obvious disgust Ariel looked at him with, all the words he’d prepared died in his throat. She must’ve come to hate him more than he’d expected after what had happened.
“N-Not really... But what are you doing?” he inquired again.
“I’m washing diapers. Jack is only two years old, so he needs a lot of them.”
“D-Diapers?! You should leave that to the servants! Why are you doing it?” Bernard demanded. It was unthinkable for a marchioness to wash the diapers of her servant’s child.
The displeased Ariel shook her head. “Because I’m the one with the most free time. But why do you care all of the sudden? Aren’t you the one who refused to treat me like an actual marchioness, Your Lordship?”
“W-Well...” Bernard cleared his throat awkwardly. “I was unfair toward you. I didn’t check where you were living, and I accused you of having a secret child...”
“I don’t really care,” Ariel replied brusquely. “I’m just a bride who was sold off as collateral for a debt, and I did all the bad things you heard about from high society, so I’m prepared for you to treat me however you see fit. Anyway, is that all you wanted to say? I need to hang these diapers up to dry now, so do you mind?”
“R-Right...” Bernard mumbled, bewildered at the girl’s blatant dislike of him. She did admit to her own wrongdoings, but is this really the same Ariel Roussel I’ve been hearing about?! She’s completely different from what I expected!
Bernard’s hatred of women had begun when he was a child. Whenever his father’s lovers or young brides sneaked into his bedroom to try and connect with the next head of the house, he’d be forced to flee their evil clutches. And whenever he stepped outside, noblewomen who wished to become the next marchioness would swarm him and bat their eyelashes at him. They’d look at him with flirtatious expressions, exuding a strong scent of perfume. In sweet voices, they’d slander other women in order to kick them down. Bernard hated all of it.
Strange... From what I’ve heard, Ariel Roussel was like the culmination of all these wicked women. But in contrast to that, she leisurely glared at him, spoke to him harshly, and vigorously washed the diapers of a servant’s child.
“You... Who are you? Are you really Ariel Roussel?” he asked before he could stop himself.
Ariel’s scowl deepened. “Why yes, I’m Ariel, your wife in name only.”
“Then why did you tolerate that kind of treatment? Collateral or not, it’s strange that you’re so understanding. You’re supposed to be a wicked woman, so shouldn’t you be more violent?”
“Even a wicked woman is a human being, which means she can change.”
“Then what caused you to change so much?”
Ariel looked thoughtful for a while. “I suppose...that would be my sister,” she said eventually.
“Your sister? The one you slandered?”
For some reason, Ariel smiled at that question. It was the first time Bernard had seen her smile since she’d arrived. As she was doing laundry, her golden hair was up in a tight bun, and she had no makeup on. But her blue eyes were strangely clear, radiating a tranquil beauty. Bernard panicked for a moment when he realized what he’d just thought and shut his mouth tightly.
“I’m sure you’re aware, but I used to bully my sister constantly,” Ariel began. “But she was always so kind to me... So kind that I wondered if there was something wrong with her. Later, high society found out about my bad deeds, and on top of that, my mother sold me off. Yet even then, the only person who still treated me with kindness was my sister.”
Ariel paused and turned to look Bernard in the eye. “That was when I realized: my sister is an incredibly strong person. And it was she, of all people, who was shining down on us as brightly as the sun. Once I realized that, I felt ashamed of my own actions.” The girl smiled in embarrassment. “It might be too late, but at least from now on, I want to live in a way that wouldn’t bring shame to my sister. That’s all. That’s also why I want to avoid causing you any problems too, Your Lordship.” After saying that, Ariel walked away to dry the diapers.
Bernard stood still, staring at her retreating figure.