Chapter 8 (Part 5)

As she moved to get out, she noticed that Cardin remained seated, looking at her.  

“Let’s go see a play tomorrow.”  

“A play?”  

“I want to watch it with you. It’s the premiere.”  

She nodded. She hadn’t thought about going to a play with Cardin.  

Back at Stern Academy, she had learned that wealthier people often attended plays.  

Though her father had been an executive at Messerode Bank, he had been too stingy to spend money on her, so she had never been to one.  

She remembered feeling envious of others marveling at the intricate performances, unable to join the conversation.  

Especially plays at the Orsium Theater, known for its sophistication and history, were highly coveted, with tickets being quite expensive.  

Thinking about it now, she recalled some embarrassing rumors about the theater that had circulated during her academy days.  

Supposedly, many secretive activities took place there.  

Having graduated from the academy and married Cardin, those rumors no longer held much significance for her.  

At that moment, she felt a firm grip on her hand.  

Startled, she looked up to see Cardin smiling as he helped her down from the carriage.  

She tried to steady her nerves and said, 

“Thank you.”  

As she attempted to pull her hand away, Cardin held on.  

He looked down at her hand, gently stroking the back of it with his thumb before pressing it lightly.  

The soft touch sent a wave of tension through her lower abdomen, leaving her slightly breathless.  

When Cardin lifted his gaze, their eyes met slowly.  

His eyes were dark and intense, different from the ones she had seen in the carriage before.  

A more persistent and blind desire could be felt. She stared at him blankly when a hurried voice called out.  

“Your Grace!”  

The voice carried considerable urgency, as if something needed to be resolved immediately. She tried to pull her hand away from his grasp, but Cardin only tightened his grip.  

Startled, she looked at him, and Damon stood right beside them.  

“Your Grace, I’ve finally found it!”  

Found what? 

She looked at him curiously, and only then did Cardin release her hand. He glanced at Damon and spoke briefly.  

“Go inside. I’ll be there shortly.”  

“Yes! I’ll prepare everything.”  

Damon seemed pleased. After bowing to her, he quickly ran toward the estate. It struck her as odd. Normally, Damon would always be waiting around this time.  

Typically, several servants would wait for their master’s arrival, but she hadn’t noticed this custom at the previous estate either.  

At that moment, Cardin draped his jacket over her shoulders. Startled, she accepted it, and he carefully adjusted it as he spoke.  

“It’s cold. Wear it.”  

She glanced at him. Although Cardin was only in his shirt, he looked perfectly fine, showing no signs of discomfort in the chilly weather.  

Then she remembered Damon.  

“Wasn’t Damon always following you around?”  

“I told him to focus on something else since he’s busy right now.”  

Cardin opened the door for her. She stepped inside and looked at him.  

“What’s going on?”  

She was curious about what Damon had mentioned earlier. Cardin smirked, lowering his head slightly to meet her gaze. His smiling eyes stood out more than usual.  

“You seem more interested in this than the herbs.”  

“I’m just curious.”  

Cardin kissed her cheek lightly before stepping back.  

“It’s about the family law. It’s almost finished now.”  

The family law—this was related to her pregnancy. Cardin had been working hard for it all this time.  

She felt guilty that he was going to such lengths because of her but chose not to say more.  

She figured Cardin wouldn’t want to discuss it further either. Instead, she spoke for his sake, knowing how busy he was.  

“I’ll head upstairs now.”  

As she turned to leave, Cardin blocked her path. Startled, she looked up, and he briefly kissed her lips.  

“Good night.”  

Cardin smiled warmly. For a moment, she wanted to stay with him, but she quickly turned and hurried up the stairs.  

When she entered her room, she was out of breath, even though no one was chasing her. 

They had already done everything a couple could do.  

Even as she thought about it, her cheeks flushed. She couldn’t help but recall the way his face twisted as he tried to suppress his intense excitement.  

She found herself exasperated at her own thoughts. She walked over to the bed and collapsed onto it. Something fell with a soft thud.  

It was Cardin’s jacket, which he had given her earlier, saying it was cold. Without thinking, she brought it to her nose and sniffed.  

Sniff, sniff. It didn’t smell like the forest. It only carried the scent of freshly pressed fabric.  

‘Is something wrong with my nose?’  

Or maybe her nose remembered the scent from her memories.  

She buried her face in the jacket absentmindedly and soon drifted off to sleep.  

***

Cardin unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt as he headed to his office. His steps were quicker than usual.  

As soon as he pushed open the office door, Damon and Sodric turned to look at him.  

Damon immediately sprang to his feet and approached him.  

“Your Grace! Just as you instructed, I questioned the tutor and the maid who worked at the estate where Roquek lived 30 years ago, and it’s confirmed!”  

Cardin reviewed the documents Sodric handed him. Leaning casually against the desk, he scanned them calmly.  

“When is the trial date?”  

Sodric answered steadily.  

“A week from now.”  

“I’ll adjust it to three days. Wrap it up quickly.”  

Damon’s eyes widened in disbelief.  

“Your Grace! If it’s within three days, we’ll have to work through the night just to organize the documents. On top of that, Roquek has already submitted the family law violation charges against you to the court, putting us at a disadvantage. And…”  

Cardin slowly lowered the documents. His sharp, chilling gaze was as cutting as a blade.  

“And?”  

Though his tone was low, the atmosphere grew so tense that it felt suffocating. Damon couldn’t speak further. Instead, he glanced pleadingly at Sodric, who cautiously opened his mouth.  

“Your Grace, while the information Damon obtained gives us a strong case, organizing everything and concluding within three days will be challenging…”  

“Finish it in three days. The documents only need basic organization. It’ll probably take two days, not three.”  

Damon shot up from his seat.  

“But what about the vassals? They’ve already made up their minds…”  

Cardin shook the documents in his hand.  

“With evidence that Roquek is an illegitimate child, what else do we need? Once we present this proof to the vassals, they won’t have anything to say.”  

Damon fell silent, realizing the truth of his words. From a legal standpoint, it seemed airtight, and Sodric had no further objections.  

It was a clean solution—delivering precise evidence and issuing a notice.  

In a way, Cardin was fulfilling his role as the head of the family.  

Damon, who had been worried about how to approach each vassal individually, closed his mouth and began organizing the documents. With Cardin’s instructions, all he had to do was work through the night to finalize everything.  

‘It’s simple once you think of it, but why didn’t I realize it sooner?’  

Damon sighed, thinking about how he’d miss spinach ciabatta tonight.  

***

When Cardin finished all his work, it was precisely 4 a.m.  

There was a noble council meeting the next morning, so even if he went to bed now, it wouldn’t be enough rest.  

Still, he didn’t go straight to his bedroom.  

He wanted to see Brienne.  

He visited her every day like this. Even if she was asleep, just seeing her would help calm his restless heart, even if only a little.  

Though it wouldn’t calm him entirely.  

He turned the doorknob slowly and entered the room. It was silent.  

His eyes, accustomed to the dark, scanned the room until they landed on her, sleeping loosely on the bed. A faint smile appeared on his lips.  

Brienne was lying on her side, not even properly covered by the blanket.  

The jacket he had draped over her shoulders earlier was now carelessly tossed on the floor.  

Cardin’s brows furrowed slightly, almost imperceptibly.  

It wasn’t a big deal, but his gaze lingered on the jacket lying on the floor.  

He thought of Brienne avoiding him or refusing his touch.  

Cardin had been deep in thought since earlier.  

Her gaze lacked vitality, as if she was losing interest in him.  

The only time her eyes had sparkled was when she looked at the herbs earlier, but even that might not last long.  

Cardin turned his attention back to Brienne.  

He sat beside her bed quietly, but she remained fast asleep.  

He pulled the blanket over her completely, ensuring she wouldn’t catch a cold.  

Her brown hair spilled over her slender neck.  

He wanted to gently hold her hair, bury his face against her neck, and inhale deeply.  

It felt like he had gone back in time—to when he first met Brienne and struggled to control the wild emotions she stirred in him.  

He laughed at himself.  

They were married now, living in the same estate.  

So why did it still feel like there was a wall between them?  

He had thought he could easily tear it down if he wanted to, but that had been a selfish assumption.  

He knew her heart was drying up and breaking, yet he had foolishly believed that his efforts alone would be enough.  

The result of that complacency was emptiness, so profound that it was almost irreparable.  

Cardin pressed a hand to his forehead.  

His low sighs grew heavier, contrasting with his deepening thoughts.  

It was because her breathing, so close to him, stirred his senses.  

Heat pooled below, making him tense.  

Even without her doing anything, his excitement was entirely self-generated, driven by selfish desire.  

A short sigh escaped his lips, further fueling his frustration.  

Cardin furrowed his brows and stood up from the bed.  

He picked up the jacket that had fallen to the floor and left the room.