🌻 🌻 🌻
AS night fell, we returned to the hotel in Tesouvius. The town started to turn on the lights amid the setting sun, and our splendiferous hotel towered over its surroundings. Since we’d returned from the plain convent, the structure looked more magnificent and splendid than usual. We happened to meet an influential noble of the town and were invited to attend a dinner party for merchants. I had no time to rest as I got dressed and headed for the room next door, where Lucas was waiting.
“Thank you for your patience,” I said.
“All right,” Lucas said, standing up. At a glance, he looked like his usual self.
“Are you okay, Lucas?”
“I’d be lying if I said I was, but it’s better to be busy to keep my mind off things.” He tried to regain his composure and stroked my head, his hand gliding through my hair before he took my hand and kissed my fingers. “It’s nice to see you dressed up so beautifully,” he said. “As always, you’re my pride and joy.”
“Thank you,” I replied, thanking him honestly.
Recently, I’d been able to express my gratitude naturally instead of denying his claims. Lucas extended his arm to escort me.
“Let’s go,” he said. His voice was gentle, but it sounded like he was reassuring himself as well. “If we speak with other nobles, I might be able to glean more information about my mom.”
“I’m sure things will go well,” I said.
He squinted his eyes and nodded. Tonight’s party was a jaunty affair, where young nobles who had just succeeded their house gathered. Unlike the usual stiff gatherings of the royal capital hosted by older aristocrats, for better or for worse, the young nobles in attendance were interested in Lucas. They were eager to form business relationships with him as they passionately engaged him in all sorts of conversations as though it was some sort of contest.
Lucas acted gracefully, playing the part of Baron Lucas Stock, whom everyone was eager to learn more about. By his side was a silver-haired hunting dog—Leik stood by proudly for all the world to see. Lucas’s striking appearance had already made him stand out, with his canary-yellow hair neatly arranged as he dressed in the trendiest suit. He sat elegantly with his legs crossed; his socks peaking from underneath his pants looked plain, but they were made from high-quality elastic and were rather thin, allowing the shape of his ankles to stand out. In due time, I was certain that these socks would be popular amongst the younger aristocrats.
I was sitting in the corner of a sofa with Kiki in tow while I joined in with the ladies chattering away. All of them were wearing lovely dresses and either ranting about matters they couldn’t say to their family or bragging about themselves under the guise of a complaint.
The conversation was a delicate balancing act, for one would need to keep in mind their social ranks and relationships. Every story they shared had some sort of meaning in mind. The ladies, in turn, listened and gave vague replies to join in on the conversation.
I felt quite odd. In the past, I’d tried my best to act like I didn’t exist and never tried to jump in on these discussions. I was desperate not to tarnish my family name and did my best to steer conversations away from my sister. There was no time for me to enjoy talking with others. But now, my standing was Baroness Stock, and we were in Tesouvius, a town away from the royal capital. I felt liberated from my title as the plain daughter of Marquess Karelia, and surprisingly, that fact alone allowed me to relax more and have fun. It reminded me of my carefree days at the women’s academy.
“Ah, I’ve heard something interesting,” one of the ladies said, glancing at me, her gaze filled with interest. “Baroness Stock, your husband loves you very much, doesn’t he? I’ve been told of the time he barged into a salon, and the display of affection was simply passionate!”
She referred to that day when Lucas kissed me, and before I knew it, I’d commanded the attention of the other ladies.
“He’s just infatuated with you, isn’t he?” the lady continued. “But as you two come from completely different origins, surely it was quite the trial to get used to these differences?”
I tried my best to gauge this situation in my head. How much of their knowledge was truth, and how much was baseless rumors? Why did she bring this topic up? Did she have a goal in mind? Would my answer benefit Lucas or work against his favor? Lucas’s kiss was his method of shooing away other ladies, but I had no idea how he wanted to display our relationship to others. My goal was to act in accordance with Lucas’s wishes. And so, I suppressed my embarrassment and urge to deny those claims as I maintained a smile while taking a sip of sparkling water.
“Well…” I started, acting hesitant as I gazed down, gathering everyone’s attention. I used this pause to maintain the ladies’ interests and have their imaginations run wild as I gave a sheepish smile. I was extra careful about my intonation as well. “You’re right. My husband…is a very passionate person.”
“Oh my,” a lady gasped.
“He is a very honest man. Perhaps he shocked the ladies who were present at the salon. I have told him before to tone down on the immodest behavior, but it seems he’s been doing his best to…”
I used my fan to hide my lips and gazed down once more as the ladies glanced between Lucas in the distance and myself. It seemed each lady was filling in the blanks in their own way. Some couldn’t hide their curiosity, while others looked at me sympathetically.
“It must be quite difficult to marry a man raised so differently from you.”
“I suppose, at this rate, it won’t be long before you two can conceive a child.”
“Should that time come, please invite us to your party.”
As I answered inoffensively to their words, I tried my best to prevent my face from twitching. A child, I thought. I recalled Lucas whispering minute details on how a child would be conceived into my ear the other day and was tempted to cover my face. Fortunately, the conversation moved on to another topic, and I kept a smile plastered on my face as I joined in.
Some of the ladies who gathered today were married and had children. The mere realization that they were speaking about children while fully understanding what that process entailed almost made me dizzy. I had just recently learned the truth.
My mother had passed away before I could receive sex education from her, and I’d only obtained a rough idea from the women’s academy. The vague sense of understanding that I had wasn’t nearly enough. I could hardly call it understanding what conceiving a child meant.
Our conversations petered out, and we dispersed to head back to our husbands and families. I was more nervous than usual, but I finally relaxed.
“I’m so glad Lucas is my husband,” I whispered as I fanned my face and took deep breaths. Just then, I felt someone’s gaze and turned around. “Am I…imagining things?”
All I could see was a lavish curtain and a clear window. Servants and employees were busy at work. When they noticed my gaze, they tried to approach me, but I glanced at them to imply that I was all right. For the entire night, I’d felt an observing gaze. It bothered me the whole time, right until the party ended and I returned to my room in the hotel.