Chapter 7 (Part 7)

“I’m already married to Brienne. Why would I marry again?”  

“Do you really think your marriage to Brienne has benefited you? Getting involved with that con artist family?”  

“The Earl Hurrick and Brienne are separate matters.”  

“They’re family. How can you separate them?”  

“Mother, you’re particularly good at twisting my words today, aren’t you?”  

Hernes sneered coldly. Cardin met her gaze calmly and spoke.  

“The only reason I’ve been patient so far is because you helped with my marriage.”  

“If you don’t marry Foyne, you’ll be making the most foolish decision of your life.”  

Hernes stared at him intently. Cardin’s tone grew colder as he pressed on.  

“I’ve already married Brienne, and I have no intention of divorcing her. The more you push for a marriage with Foyne, the more resolute I’ll become. So stop.”  

As Cardin’s icy gaze bore into her, Hernes’ lips tightened. Anger flickered in her eyes.  

“Cardin, you should stop wasting your time on someone so insignificant. What you’re doing now is pointless.”  

“I don’t think it’s pointless. When Brienne returns someday…”  

“Do you think changing family law is easy?”  

Her tone was mocking. Cardin frowned as Hernes let out a hollow laugh.  

“With no child of your own and most of the retainers siding with Roquek, you can’t even manage that properly. And you want to change family law? All for some insignificant woman?”  

“So what is it that you’re afraid of, Mother?”  

Cardin stared at Hernes, his gaze sharp and calculating.  

“In the end, you’re afraid that this family will fall apart because of me, and that your position will be threatened. Isn’t that your greatest fear?”  

Hernes met his gaze with an indifferent expression.  

“I simply can’t stand the idea of this family, which I’ve contributed to more than anyone, falling into ruin because of you. That’s all.”  

With that, she turned to leave. Just as she was about to open the door, Cardin spoke.  

“The herbs you fed Brienne—they were useless from the start.”  

Hernes frowned, confused. Turning back, she saw Cardin smiling.  

“Brienne can’t conceive. All the herbs you fed her were for nothing.”  

Hernes’ carefully composed expression twisted in an instant.  

“You…”  

“No matter what tricks you pull, my feelings won’t change.”  

“You’re insane.”  

Cardin simply smirked without replying.  

***

Brienne had just finished wiping her tears when she heard a knock at the door.  

“Kelle asked me to call you for dinner.”

It was Batrick’s voice, the man she had met before. Brienne quickly got up and checked herself in the mirror. She wiped away the remaining tears with her sleeve and left the room.

Right outside, she saw Batrick. He seemed startled, as if he hadn’t expected her to come out, and froze as he looked at her. Brienne gave him a slightly awkward nod before heading toward the dining table. Kelle had already prepared a hearty dinner.

Carrots marinated in lemon juice, perfectly toasted bread, potato salad, plump sausages, and chickpea soup. It was everything Brienne used to enjoy eating here.  

The sight of the chickpea soup, in particular, filled her with delight. She had been craving the soup Kelle used to make. Kelle ladled a generous portion of the soup into her bowl, filling it to the brim.  

“You didn’t have to give me so much.”  

Brienne looked at her, startled, but Kelle spoke with a tone of encouragement.  

“You need to eat plenty to stay strong.”  

For a moment, Brienne’s heart twinged. Did Kelle know something?  

Batrick, who was sitting nearby, chimed in.  

“She never gives me this much.”  

“That’s because Madame Flurdy takes good care of you.”  

“Not at all. She actually gets annoyed when I’m around. That’s why I always have to cook for myself.”  

Batrick turned to look at Brienne. After hesitating briefly, he spoke.  

“I’ve heard a lot about you. They say you helped Kelle a lot around here.”  

Brienne nodded. Batrick furrowed his brow, as if deep in thought, then his eyes brightened.  

“You left because Kelle was giving you too much work, didn’t you? Lately, she’s been making me do harder and harder tasks, too.”  

Kelle smacked Batrick on the back.  

“Stop saying nonsense and eat.”  

Batrick winced as if in pain and looked at Brienne.  

“See? She hits me like this all the time.”  

Brienne couldn’t help but smile. Despite their bickering, the two seemed quite close. Thanks to their lightheartedness, the tension in her heart began to ease.  

As the atmosphere grew more relaxed, Batrick glanced around and said cautiously,  

“When I first saw you riding in that fancy carriage alone, I wondered what your story was. I never thought we’d meet here.”  

It was indeed a curious coincidence. Encouraged by his words, Brienne finally said something she hadn’t before.  

“Thank you for helping with the carriage wheel. You could’ve just passed by.”  

Batrick waved his hand dismissively.  

“No, not at all! The roads around here are so rough that it’s common for carriage wheels to break. There are piles of rocks nearby, and during heavy rains, landslides happen often, too.”  

Brienne nodded as she scooped up a spoonful of chickpea soup. Its rich and savory flavor was delicious.  

She felt Batrick’s gaze on her again. After a moment, he cautiously asked,  

“What brought you back here?”  

Kelle nudged him with her elbow and gave him a look. She must have thought the question would make Brienne uncomfortable. But Brienne didn’t mind. It was a reasonable question, and she hadn’t formally explained it to Kelle either. So, she answered.  

“Staying in Devok felt suffocating. I’ve lived in places like this for so long that I find it hard to adapt to crowded cities.”  

She spoke honestly. Of course, she didn’t directly mention her relationship with Cardin. Kelle glanced at her and asked,  

“You’re still on good terms with Cardin, right?”  

Brienne thought for a moment before replying.  

“Yes.”  

After all, they weren’t officially divorced yet. And Cardin didn’t seem like he would give up easily. That was what worried her the most.  

He needed to produce an heir as soon as possible, but she couldn’t provide one.  

A small cough broke the silence. Kelle handed Batrick a glass of water and then spoke.  

“I was worried you two might have fought again, but I’m glad to hear that’s not the case.”  

At that moment, Batrick looked at Brienne with wide eyes.  

“Are you married?”  

“Yes.”  

Batrick still seemed stunned, unable to close his mouth. Kelle looked at him curiously before turning back to Brienne.  

“The social circles there must be hard to adjust to. I’ve only heard rumors, but even I shook my head at some of the things I’ve heard. It must be even harder without many acquaintances there.”  

Brienne nodded silently. After her father’s scandal, people’s attitudes toward her had been far from welcoming.  

While Cardin had been understanding about everything, his support alone wasn’t enough to shield her from it all.  

She could feel Batrick’s gaze lingering on her. He seemed deeply shocked by what he had just learned and couldn’t take his eyes off her. When she looked at him curiously, he finally managed an awkward smile.  

“Sorry. I’m just surprised by something I hadn’t expected.”  

Kelle laughed.  

“Brienne was really popular around here. Even the local postman had a crush on her.”  

The memory of that time wasn’t a pleasant one for Brienne. She stirred her soup absentmindedly as Kelle continued enthusiastically.  

“After Brienne left, the postman came looking for her, saying he was heading to Devok as well. He seemed really disappointed when he found out she was married.”  

“……”  

“And when he learned that her husband was the head of the Messerode family, he was even more shocked.”  

At this, Batrick exclaimed in surprise.  

“The Messerode family?”  

“Yes, who else could Cardin be? He’s the head of the Messerode family.”  

Batrick seemed even more taken aback, sitting there with his mouth agape. Brienne set her spoon down. Kelle, noticing her reaction, quickly leaned closer to check on her.  

“Brienne, don’t you like the food? I made a lot on purpose.”  

“No, it’s delicious. I’m just full.”  

“You barely ate, though.”  

“It’s been a while since I’ve eaten like this, so I filled up quickly.”  

“Why? Don’t they feed you well at that grand estate?”  

“No, they do. I just don’t eat much there either because I get full easily.”  

Kelle shook her head.  

“This is why I need to be here to take care of you.”  

With that, she added a spoonful of potato salad and a sausage to Brienne’s plate.  

“At least eat this. I noticed you barely touched your food earlier.”  

Kelle looked at her with concern. Grateful for the warm welcome and the effort Kelle had put into the meal, Brienne picked up her fork without complaint.  

At that moment, Batrick spoke.  

“I really didn’t know. When I saw the carriage before, it didn’t have a family crest, so I was curious… Even though I’d seen mentions in the newspaper, I didn’t realize you were Madame Messerode. I’m sorry.”  

Batrick bowed his head politely. His overly formal demeanor made Brienne feel uncomfortable.  

“It’s fine. You don’t need to apologize so much….”  

“No, I should’ve recognized you. I’m sorry for not doing so.”  

He looked genuinely downhearted about it. Throughout the meal, Batrick avoided meeting her eyes. Occasionally, when he thought she wasn’t looking, he would steal a glance, but he never looked at her directly.