Chapter 9: Legal Wife

My name is Eleanor Cecilia Archelaus. I am the legal wife of Marquis Archelaus.

But I wonder…if that will end tonight…I let out a deep sigh.

***

I was summoned to my brother’s mansion in the middle of the day, and my head was hurting as I tried to convince him. It was becoming more and more frequent these days.

“See, with a disipirited face like that…I wouldn’t have thought it possible, before.”

My brother, Oedipus, who has felt sorry for our family’s hell that has been going on for two years, has been trying to bring me and my daughter, Alice, back to my parents’ house at every turn. I am grateful to my brother for his kindness, but I want to fix my relationship with that person and haven’t given up.

And, most of all, I want my dearest daughter to return to normal.

“Brother, even so, I love our family. I don’t want to leave them.”

“Why? That man is always going out and making you feel insecure, isn’t he?!”

Ah, I’m at a loss for words. My brother’s golden eyes gleam. But I know it’s because this is a source of heartache for him.

“And yet, it is inevitable that as long as I am a legal wife who can no longer hope for children… I have no choice but to endure…”

Then my brother slammed the desk hard and leaned forward.

“Eleanor! As your brother, I will not allow you to live in a family like that! Even if it’s only for the best, you married into the house of a marquis from this duke’s house. I can’t allow them to treat you in such a way…that is unacceptable.”

I couldn’t say a word to my brother, who was shaking with trepidation. I myself don’t care about the lowered status of my family, but my brother’s heart and the eyes of the world do.

And so, I returned to the Archelaus mansion, running away from my brother who told me to make my resolve in the near future anyway.

***

My brother’s words were like a death sentence that ran through my head, and I was dumbfounded, unable to hear what the maid who brought me dinner to my private room was saying.

Then, as I had been depressed in my room for a while, something unexpected happened.

My husband, Siegmund, who hasn’t visited my room at all as of late, and sometimes didn’t speak with me for days, visited.

I was uneasy. My weak heart trembled with fear at the unusual event.

“Eleanor.”

Siegmund walked into the room and looked me in the eye. He abruptly gave me a gentle smile.

I was surprised to see it. I hadn’t seen a face like that in a long time.

“Come here.”

My husband let out a sincere voice as I was drawn to his side.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve talked this close, hasn’t it?”

“……”

I couldn’t speak well out of my frightened mind and could only nod my head in a small way.

Then my husband gently stroked my silver hair with a slightly sad look on his face.

My shoulders twitched and my shoulders trembled.

Why is he being so kind to me?

Why is he suddenly acting so different?

These questions circled uncomfortably in my head.

Then my husband brought his face close to my ear and whispered,

“I’m going to end it tonight.”

!!!

My mind went blank.

What was going to be ended?

Was it with me? Our relationship?

Or was he on the verge of finding a new wife? Or was she a concubine?

My head is dominated by bad expectations, but my husband gave me one more pat on the head and left.

I sit up in bed. It was already night, but I couldn’t change into my negligee and get ready for bed, so I just sat there in a daze.

I couldn’t bring myself to notice it when Rouge made me a warm cup of tea.

“Mistress…how heartbreaking…”

Rouge gave me a pained look.

Thinking back, this maid often tells me how Siegmund is doing.

I asked her, “Did Siegmund…Did something change for that man today?”

For some reason, Rouge’s shoulders twitched when she heard that. Was there something wrong?

“Rouge?”

Then Rouge fell painfully on her face and covered her mouth with her hand.

“Yes, ma’am. There’s been a slight change.”

“What happened…?”

No way, do I really have to divorce him?

Rouge exhaled and covered her face with her hands, despite my trembling.

“Yes, ma’am…your husband has requested me.”

“……?”

Requested…As in, desires?

My mind can’t seem to grasp reality as I wonder what it meant.

“Ahh! He wishes to have me. I have always supported Master. I’ve been staying by his side. Especially in the last two years…That’s why he has decided that I am the one he wants.”

“Oh—…Ah—!”

Rouge retracts here hands from covering here face and peers happily into my face. I thought in my blurred mind that it was very strange that our faces were so close together, and yet our eyes didn’t meet.

“Mistress…I can go and give your share comfort to the Master as well, shall I?”

Finally, Rouge said this in a silky voice, and with a quick flip of her head, she left the room.

“………”

I just stared speechless for a moment, and then I—

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T/N: Begone Rouge!! And Papa Archelaus–why are you so misleading???

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