Chapter 5

A night ceremony? This wasn't part of the plan. Moreover, Duke Lapholeon has no interest in women, and there are rumors that he doesn't even go through with the night ceremony! I awkwardly looked around the bedroom where I was left alone. Sniff, sniff. When I bathed earlier, I had sprinkled so many flower petals in the bathwater that my body still seemed to carry the scent of flowers.

“This is too thin, isn’t it?”

I lifted the sheer slip that revealed my silhouette several times. Of course, no one was there to answer me in the empty bedroom.

“...Since we’re just going to sleep, why did you braid flowers into my hair?”

And why are my lips so red? I tried to remove the flowers braided into my hair, but I couldn't manage it on my own. I sighed softly, looking at my reflection in the vanity mirror.

‘Should I just say I’ll sleep in an empty room?’

I swept my hand over the large bed and then quickly shook my head. It seemed best to escape from this bedroom. The moment I turned around, the bedroom door opened as if it had been waiting for me. A familiar yet strange, refreshing scent spread through the room.

“...”

“...”

Terdeau, wearing a similar material nightgown, entered, tousling his wet hair with his hand. He stopped and stared at me, seemingly surprised to see me in the bedroom.

“Surprised? The maids suddenly pushed me in here, talking about the night ceremony and all.”

“...”

“I think it’s better if we use separate bedrooms. I’ll sleep in an empty room tonight, so you can rest easy, Your Excellency.”

I tried to hurry past Terdeau, but he immediately turned around and reached out to slam the bedroom door shut.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

　 My whole body stiffened at Terdeau’s voice right above me. I could hear his breath so clearly from behind. I tried to steady my trembling voice and spoke calmly.

“Your Excellency said you don’t go through with the night ceremony...”

“Who said that?”

“Huh?”

Surprised by his question, I turned around to face Terdeau. He was much closer than I thought.

“According to the rumors...”

“Do you believe such rumors?”

Gulp. I swallowed hard. I couldn’t look down at his nightgown, which revealed his silhouette so clearly. After staring at me for a while, Terdeau turned his back.

“If the rumor spreads that we spent the night together, no one will doubt our relationship.”

“T-That’s true.”

“If we part ways after the one-year contract, I won’t be forced to marry by His Majesty if I pretend to miss you.”

That makes sense. Terdeau probably needs a contingency plan to prevent the same thing from happening after the divorce.

“So, there will be no separate rooms during our marriage. Don’t worry, I have no intention of touching you.”

“Then where will you sleep? I can use the sofa...”

“In the bed.”

“Huh.”

I gasped and looked at the bed.

“Are you going to sleep on the floor or the sofa for a year? If you want to, go ahead.”

“Of course not...”

“The bed is wide, so I’ll be on this side, and you on that side. If it’s really uncomfortable, we can put a cushion in the middle. If we can’t trust each other to this extent, we shouldn’t have a contract marriage. Isn’t trust the foundation of a contract? We’ll be acting as a married couple for the next year.”

Terdeau said this casually and roughly dried his wet hair.

‘He seems so calm. Was I the only one so surprised?’

Thinking about it, what Terdeau said was reasonable. I should have anticipated this situation when he proposed the contract marriage. Who knows what other situations might arise in the future.

‘Right, if we can’t trust each other to this extent, we couldn’t have a contract marriage.’

I nodded calmly and climbed onto the bed. It was definitely softer than the one at the Zahart Manor.

“Alright, I thought the same. Since we’re in a contractual relationship, this level of trust is basic. I’ll be on this side, and you on that side.”

I subtly moved to the corner of the bed.

“Since we’re married now, drop the ‘Your Excellency’.”

“Then what should I call you?”

“Whatever you like.”

Whatever I like? I thought for a moment and nodded readily.

“Alright, Terdeau.”

Why, why? He said to call him whatever I like? Terdeau, who was sitting on the bed, raised an eyebrow.

“Are you going to sleep with that in your hair?”

He pointed to the flowers braided into my hair.

“Oh... I tried to take them out earlier, but I couldn’t.”

“Turn around.”

What? My heart pounded. Terdeau came closer and leaned over me, starting to untangle the flowers from my hair.

‘He’s surprisingly delicate. I thought he’d just yank them out.’

“Ah... thank you.”

I was tense, feeling a strange man touching my hair. Maybe it was because of what the maid said about the night ceremony, but my throat felt unusually dry.

“Cersia seemed to like you.”

“I didn’t do anything, but apparently she does.”

“She probably likes that you don’t run away when you learn about the curse. Everyone else either fled or did something when they found out.”

Ah, I see. I nodded, and Terdeau continued calmly as he untangled the flowers.

“She didn’t smile after losing her family, but today she looked bright.”

“She lost her family?”

“Cersia is the biggest victim of this curse.”

Maybe because of his calm voice, or because I was tired from the day, or because his touch on my hair was as soft as a feather, I couldn’t help but feel drowsy.

“She didn’t even notice a small cut on her fingernail and happily cooked for her husband and child.”

Terdeau’s voice was soothing, like a lullaby.

“While she was out, her husband and child, who had eaten the food, were dead.”

I remembered seeing Cersia crying and causing a commotion in the past.

“For over a year, she didn’t see anyone. She even tried to kill herself so many times that she was tied to the bed.”

My heavy eyelids slowly closed.

“After that, Cersia avoided people. Starting a business was one of the reasons. When she heard that the curse doesn’t affect you, she wanted to meet you.”

My body slowly leaned back. My head rested on something solid.

“...”

It was a quiet silence. A gentle hand carefully laid me down on the bed. I sank into deep darkness. ***

‘You have to die for that inheritance to come to me. Sasha, you love me, so die for me.’

Sif, who always brought me happiness, was killing me with those lips.

‘Did you really think Sif loved you? Snap out of it, Sif is my man. He married you to pretend to love you for the inheritance.’

Reina, laughing brightly in Sif’s arms, mocked me.

‘Your life was shortened by your father. If there was no will leaving the inheritance to you...’

And my stepmother, holding a cushion, approached me.

‘What a shame, we could have had a good mother-daughter relationship. Don’t worry, I’ll use the inheritance well after you die.’

The cushion pressed down on my face. I couldn’t move a finger, just like before.

‘Why? Didn’t I already die and come back to life? Why again!’

I couldn’t breathe properly. I couldn’t tell if this was a dream or reality. All I could think was that I wanted to live.

‘Save me.’

My hand, filled with the desire to live, reached out into the air. The sound of my throat being scratched came out as I couldn’t breathe properly.

“Gasp... Choke!”

I don’t want to die. I want to live. Someone, save me.

“...! Fereshati!”

Just as I was sinking into the deep sea, someone grabbed my hand strongly.

“Fereshati!”

A voice calling my name. The person who pulled me out of the depths of despair. I let out a weak breath. The slip I was wearing was soaked with cold sweat. It seemed I had rolled over in my sleep and the blanket had covered my nose and mouth. A blurry red eye appeared in my hazy vision. It was like a rising sun, or a candle illuminating the darkness.

“Where does it hurt? You couldn’t breathe. Should I call a doctor?”

In this darkness, the only thing I could rely on was those burning red eyes.

“...My family... tried to kill me.”

In the midst of drowsiness, I clung desperately and pleaded.

“Save... me.”

My voice was muffled, and my vision was gradually fading.

“I want... to live.”

I whispered the desire to live and was pulled back into the deep abyss. ***

It was early morning, before dawn. The rustling sound that had been waking me up for a while made me feel uneasy.

‘It’s hot.’

Moreover, my body felt sticky and uncomfortable, as if I had been sweating. Why? I clearly had a refreshing flower bath and went to sleep last night. I frowned and instinctively rolled over to find a cooler spot. Thud. My hand touched something nearby.

‘What’s this?’

It was hard, warm, and soft. The sensation was familiar.

‘Human skin...?’

Why is someone next to me? Is there someone who should be here? Feeling uneasy, I opened my eyes.

“I didn’t mean to wake you.”

Right in front of me, I saw bulging muscles. I was touching his clearly defined abdomen.

“...What are you doing?”

Terdeau was lying next to me, propped up on his elbow, looking at me. My mind froze. He was only covered by a thin piece of cloth.

“Gasp!”

I gasped and quickly sat up, backing away.

“Why, why! Why are you here!”

Terdeau was lying in the spot I had designated for myself.

‘This crazy guy!’

How did I fall asleep last night? My hand touched something as I tried to back away. Looking back, it was the flower from my hair.

‘Right, he was going to untangle it for me, and then I fell asleep.’

I seemed to have had a dream in between, but I couldn’t remember it clearly. It felt like a bad dream. I frowned and glanced down to check my clothes. The slip was still on.

“There seems to be a misunderstanding.”

Terdeau sat up. Shocked by his movement, I fled to the corner of the bed, waving my hands.

“Stay there! Talk from there.”

“I was going to tell you last night, but you fell asleep first.”

“Did our contract include a marital night?”

“Why don’t you listen to me first.”

“Wait, don’t say anything!”

I clutched my head with both hands, confused. He said he wasn’t interested in women and didn’t do the night ceremony. Was that just a rumor? I bit my dry, chapped lips, my face pale. Terdeau propped himself up on one leg and said,

“I know what you’re thinking, but that’s not it.”

“Don’t prop up your leg!”

Startled, I threw the blanket at Terdeau. Propping up his leg, the thin cloth that covered his lower body lost its function.

“It’s almost dawn, and the servants will come in.”

Terdeau looked out the window calmly.

“You don’t want the servants to see us lying at opposite ends of the bed and think we didn’t go through with the night ceremony, do you?”

“Ah...!”

Looking out the window, I saw the sky beginning to lighten. Realizing it was a misunderstanding, my face turned red.

“T-That’s right. ...If you had said that from the beginning, there wouldn’t have been a misunderstanding.”

“Who told you not to talk?”

“...I was thinking too. I was just startled from sleep.”

Terdeau leaned back against the bedhead. He covered his lower body with the blanket and stretched out his arm.

“Come here.”

He patted his outstretched arm casually. Since it was the day after the night ceremony, it would be better if we looked like we had spent the night together.

“...I’ll come over.”

I cautiously approached his side and lay down a distance away, resting my head on his arm.

‘I won’t do this again.’

I could hear his heartbeat through his firm arm.

“If you’re going to be this far away, there’s no point.”

Terdeau, displeased, pulled me tightly into his embrace.

‘Gasp!’

I held my breath involuntarily.

“Just bear with it for a while. Even if you don’t like it.”

His skin touched my cheek, hands, and all over my body. The contact with a strange man made me catch my breath. Terdeau calmly covered me with the blanket he was using.

“When the servants come in, I’ll go to wash, so pretend to be asleep.”

The close proximity of his breath made me drowsy, and I closed my eyes tightly. The stillness around me was like time had stopped.

‘I can’t breathe.’

The firm arm around my waist, belonging to Terdeau, kept distracting me.

“Stop moving.”

“It’s ticklish.”

Despite trying to stay calm, my voice trembled. Terdeau held me even tighter, and the more he did, the more I squirmed.

“Did you have a nightmare last night?”

“Huh?”

A nightmare? I shook my head at his sudden, unexpected question.

“I don’t remember. Why? Did I snore? Or grind my teeth? Talk in my sleep?”

“No. I just asked because you changed positions. That’s all.”

What, what a pointless question. Knock, knock. As I grumbled, the bedroom door finally knocked.

“Close your eyes.”

Terdeau held me tightly and loudly said, “Come in.” The door opened as if it had been waiting.

“Good morning, Your Excellency. I came to greet you...”

The voice I heard was not the servant’s, but a familiar one. Surprised, I lifted my face from Terdeau’s chest.

“Sel, Selphius!”

There stood Selphius, nine years old, his mouth wide open in surprise.