Chapter 2.7

The maids who had left Solnia’s room began grumbling as soon as they stepped into the kitchen on the first floor.  

“Who would’ve guessed? That she’d suddenly marry an Earl and turn her life around.”  

“And not just any Earl, but the next Duke. And he’s even handsome!”  

“Did you see how she spoke to us earlier? ‘What are you doing? Aren’t you leaving?’ She glared at us while saying it.”  

“She must think she has nothing to fear anymore.”  

As soon as they entered the kitchen, a maid from the pantry approached them in a fuss.  

“You gave her the digestive medicine, right?”  

“Huh?”  

“I left it out here earlier when she asked for it. But it’s still here.”  

“What?”  

The maids who had just come from Solnia’s room looked at each other in confusion. Then, they glanced at the white medicine packet in the pantry maid’s hand.  

“This is the digestive medicine. So, what did you give her?”  

“……”  

Their faces turned pale as they stared at each other.  

They had handed her something out of habit, annoyed by the sight of the once-abused girl acting high and mighty. It had been whatever they could grab at the moment.  

But they couldn’t say a word now.  

A maid who had been sent to fetch Solnia returned to the drawing room with an awkward expression.  

Unfortunately, the atmosphere in the drawing room was at its peak.  

“I knew it from the start. Only you could match our Alec, Luette.”  

“You flatter me, Dowager.”  

Just as the conversation about their childhood was in full bloom, the maid hesitated before standing cautiously behind the Dowager Madame.  

“Um, Madam…”  

“Hmm? Yes. Where is Solnia?”  

“She… She’s sleeping.”  

Though the maid hadn’t spoken loudly, the lively atmosphere in the drawing room instantly quieted.  

“What did you say?”  

The Dowager asked again.  

“Well… I went up, but she was asleep. I tried to wake her, but she wouldn’t get up…”  

“……”  

There was a brief silence.  

Luette looked visibly uncomfortable. 

Even if this was her house, how could she leave him sitting here while she went to sleep?  

While he entertained the elderly woman with empty pleasantries, she had the audacity to doze off.  

Recalling the times she had fallen asleep on the way here, Luette furrowed his brows.  

“Hahaha. She’s still such a sleepyhead.”  

The Dowager laughed heartily, as if she found her granddaughter utterly endearing.  

“She must have been exhausted from the journey.”  

Luette offered this as an excuse, and the Dowager nodded.  

“That’s understandable. She’s always been frail since childhood, so it’s no wonder she’s still like this. It must be hard for you to take care of such a child.”  

“Not at all. It’s my duty.”  

“I’m glad Solnia married someone like you, Earl. Thanks to you, I can feel at ease.”  

The Dowager smiled at Luette as if to express her gratitude. Then, she instructed the maid,  

“Try waking her again. Tell her there are many people waiting for her.”  

“Yes, Madam.”  

At that moment, the Dowager exchanged a glance with Luette, as if asking him to understand her immature granddaughter.  

Luette responded with a light smile and a nod.  

Just as the maid was about to leave the drawing room—  

“Sorry for being late.”  

Solnia appeared at the entrance.  

She looked as though she had truly been in a deep sleep, her clothes and hair slightly disheveled.  

Calmly, she walked toward the three seated figures. Her heart was pounding unpleasantly.

Just moments ago, she had vomited everything she had eaten.  

It was strange. Shortly after taking the medicine, her stomach churned, cold sweat broke out, and her vision blurred. Eventually, she ended up vomiting everything onto the bare floor.  

‘Madam! Are you alright? Madam!’  

If it hadn’t been for Angie, she would have collapsed face-first onto the floor.  

Even then, it had taken her a long time to regain her senses before she could finally stand up again.  

“You’ve arrived, Grandmother.”  

“……”  

There was no reply.  

Even with her head bowed, Solnia could feel her grandmother’s gaze. It was the kind of look that scrutinized her from head to toe.  

“My, you must be very tired.”  

“No, my stomach wasn’t feeling well—”  

“You still seem half-asleep. Why don’t you go out and get some fresh air, my dear?”  

“I’m fine. And I wasn’t asleep—”  

“Perhaps you should look in the mirror as well.”  

It was a clear suggestion to take a look at her disheveled state. Knowing better than anyone how terrible she must look, Solnia reluctantly turned to leave.  

In that moment, her eyes met Luette Trovill’s.  

“……”  

The indifferent gaze was unbearable. More than anything, it was humiliating.  

“See? Solnia is still such a child. That’s why I was so worried when I sent her to Melfir…”  

Her grandmother’s concerned voice echoed behind her. Though Luette said something in response, Solnia hurriedly left the drawing room as if fleeing.  

She felt like she was going to throw up.  

***

In the end, they were only able to leave the dreadful mansion by evening. It was only possible because guests were expected to arrive.  

The carriage carrying the couple headed straight for the Trovill townhouse.  

Inside the carriage, there was nothing but dead silence. Occasionally, Luette would let out a long sigh, as if releasing pent-up frustration.  

It was Luette who eventually broke the silence.  

“Tomorrow morning, items from the jeweler will arrive. Please be aware of this.”  

“……”  

“Philip has already checked their condition, so even if you’re resting, it would be good to prepare a letter to accompany them.”  

His tone was flat and uninterested, as if he were handling a tedious task. But Solnia continued to silently stare out the window.  

She couldn’t feel any worse. Her mood had already hit rock bottom after what had happened earlier.  

‘You still seem half-asleep. Why don’t you go out and get some fresh air, my dear?’  

‘Perhaps you should look in the mirror as well.’  

Regardless of how perfectly she played the role of being married, Solnia had wanted to present a flawless image to her grandmother.  

She wanted to say with her entire being that she was no longer the child who had been locked away in a dusty room, reluctantly raised.  

She wanted to show that she could escape her grandmother’s grasp anytime she wanted.  

But the image she had shown after meeting her for the first time in a year was nothing short of pathetic.  

And she couldn’t forget the look in Luette Trovill’s eyes as he watched her.  

His expressionless face. The raised eyebrow. The furrowed brow.  

It was as if he were embarrassed to have such a troublesome family member exposed to the outside world.  

“Are you listening?”  

“……”  

Solnia turned her head to look directly at her husband.  

His thick black hair was slightly disheveled. His large hands were in the middle of loosening his cravat. The carriage was entering the garden of the townhouse.  

“I asked if you were listening to me.”  

“……”  

There was a time she had considered it.  

Telling this man everything.  

He had once known her, after all. Perhaps he would understand.  

Perhaps, unlike others who called her a flower in a greenhouse, this man might believe her story.  

That’s why she had sought him out.  

It was one of the things she regretted most.  

“Are you still half-asleep—”  

“Don’t speak to me like that. I’m not deaf.”  

Solnia finally spoke.