She had always pitied Izer. Among those times, today, he showed his weakest self more than ever before. It was true that her heart softened when the man who claimed she was his entire world begged her to look at him.

But she too had reasons why she had to leave. Celian whispered.

“I’ll die if I stay here.”

Those words broke the steadfast man. Izer, who had been prostrated, slowly straightened his back. His voice was completely cracked.

“No divorce.”

“……”

“I’ll prepare a house for you to stay in. You can bring Beth, and see Percy whenever you want. But no divorce.”

“……”

“That way I can provide living expenses for you and Beth. The compensation money alone or what the royal family returned won’t be enough to establish a new Berienne.”

“……”

“Please, Lian. At least until Beth gets married, no, until she graduates school……”

“……Okay.”

Celian quietly answered. Holding onto the impossible hope that distance in body would lead to distance in heart. 

 * * *

 The time they departed was late afternoon the next day.

When the carriage was about to leave, Izer made a fuss saying he had forgotten something or needed to check the luggage again. Only when Marsha spoke up saying the madam must be tired from waiting did Izer allow the carriage to depart.

Once they left the city surrounded by pointed spires, the scenery outside the window changed.

Sunlight scattered in small pieces as it reflected off the river flowing on the right. A kingfisher held a minnow in its beak as it dove sharply into the river water then flew back up to the sky, shaking its feathers.

Around when the carriage that had been bumping along the stone road turned onto an unpaved dirt road, a partially bloomed eulalia blocked Celian’s view.

Izer reached forward and drew the curtain for her.

“The setting sun will hurt your eyes. Just close your eyes for the ride. We’re almost there.”

It was quiet except for the noise of rolling wheels. Just an hour out of the city and it became this peaceful. She asked with her eyes closed.

“What will you tell people about why I left the house?”

“How would you like it to be known?”

“Recovery.”

“Alright. I’ll tell them that.”

Celian preferred the quiet suburbs to the busy city. That was why she had insisted on living in her father’s villa far away instead of in the center of Humingham where her family and friends were.

Friends came to visit even when she stayed still, and she couldn’t see her father often even living in the city. Who would want to live in the city where one had to maintain appearances, giving up their own world free of nagging and everything else?

The time she considered moving into the city house was right after Beth was born. It was also when she visited most frequently, concerned about her young sister who lost her mother right after birth.

But the sister who looked exactly like her older sister declared in her clumsy pronunciation as soon as she turned three that she wanted to live in the villa too. The two deep wrinkles on their father’s forehead must have been results provided one each by his two daughters.

A smile formed on her lips at the old memories. Her thoughts continued to drift to the past.

Once while playing in the backyard, she had slipped in a puddle of rainwater and dripped mud everywhere. Of all days, it was when her father had shown up at the villa unannounced with his fellow soldiers.

Her father put his hand to his forehead as soon as he saw her.

‘Celian, you’re already eight years old……’

‘I didn’t know there was a puddle. I’m sorry for troubling the maids.’

‘That’s not the issue…… Never mind. Go wash up and change clothes.’

She thinks Count Schwenn laughed behind her as she turned around after giving a spirited greeting.

‘As expected of the Colonel’s daughter.’

Count Schwenn wouldn’t have known how much her father sighed every time he saw her.

The girl whose daily routine included rolling in mud puddles at age eight started climbing trees like a squirrel after turning ten. However, since trees large enough for her to rest comfortably weren’t quite suitable for direct climbing, she received help from ladders.

Of course, whether it was ladders or whatever, her father nearly fainted just from the fact that she was higher than an adult man’s height.

Tok, her dozing head fell onto Izer’s shoulder.

Izer looked down at the small head covered in shimmering silver hair.

She thinks Izer has granted her wish for once. He let her believe she was freed from the presence of the man she dreaded.

Izer’s eyes sank coldly.

Celian Chesterfield must exist as the wife of Duke Chesterfield. There were no other possibilities. She would have no chance to turn her eyes to other men.

The list of people who visit her would all go to him. If he saw any impure intentions from them, he planned to use whatever means necessary to keep them away from Celian. Of course, Doctor Owen was no exception.

She would never know that the price of separation was freedom in appearance only. His dry gaze slightly lifted the curtain. The sun had almost set already.

‘We should be arriving soon.’

A small church came into view. It was evidence they were almost there. Just then his wife stirred.

A gentle mask settled over the cold expression on Duke Chesterfield’s face.

“We’re here. Let’s get out.”

“This is……”

Celian lifted her head groggily.

Beyond the curtains covering the window, a small two-story house situated on a gentle slope came into view. Rather than nobles’ mansions, it was a white house of a size that would suit families who could say they made some money in the countryside. Smoke rose from the brick chimney above the triangular roof painted in light gray.

Celian slowly approached her new nest.

The garden was full of trees. What’s especially eye-catching was the huge chestnut tree placed where the river was. An unfamiliar streetlamp brightly lit the area around the tree even as it grew dark.

Izer’s voice was heard.

“The ladder is in the storage shed. I’ll tell them to take it out tomorrow morning.”

“Izer, how did you get this house……”

“I bought it as a wedding gift.”

“……”

The first thing Izer did after returning from the Schwenn estate was to find out who currently owned the old Berienne villa. It was some greedy noble. Being the type who would do anything for money, it didn’t take long to reclaim the house.

However, since it wasn’t exactly a marriage where one deserved a house as a gift, it remained in Izer’s possession.

“I’ve had the interior renovated too. For the furniture, I relied on my memory and Wendy’s help. Thank her.”

“……”

“Beth will come the day after tomorrow afternoon. There’s no need for her to stay in Porchmen anymore. You could transfer her to school in Humingham. You and Beth can decide that. Don’t refuse since Chesterfield will cover the tuition.”

Every carefully calculated line was a means to bind her. Izer concealed his true intentions.

“Let’s go in. Dinner should be ready.” 

 * * *

 Celian’s room had almost the same layout as she remembered.

The furniture was also similar in design to what she had used. She belatedly thought that perhaps one reason she felt comfortable at Wendy’s house was their similar tastes.

Water dripped from her hair that she had just finished washing.

As soon as she sat at the vanity, her short hair was gently grasped by her husband’s hands behind her. As if he had come solely to dry her hair, Izer meticulously pressed and dried the silver strands.

Celian kept her mouth shut and received her husband’s attention. It was around when her scalp became completely dry.

The man’s hands slid under her thighs. Celian maintained her non-response.

Now the hands that started at her thighs traveled up through her waist. The mirror clearly reflected the sight of him openly exploring her body beneath her thin negligee.

The knuckles caressing her br*asts protruded through the fabric. Though it was a lewd sight, her husband’s face in the mirror as he met her eyes while toying with her br*asts was nothing but gentle.

Though clearly aware that Celian’s composure was breaking from her hardening peaks and rising temperature, he casually kneaded her br*asts as if unaware. A small moan escaped between the teeth of Celian who had been keeping her mouth shut.

“Hnn……”

Izer might have smiled nonchalantly. The parted lips closed again. Noticing his wife’s body had tensed, the man changed tactics.

The fingers that had been exploring just her flesh circled her ar*ola playfully. The fingertips that had been soothing her by only touching around the area, as if calming her tension about when they would press her peak, tapped the protruding peak once and withdrew.

“Ah!”