Chapter 8 – Part 6

Having lived a life almost entirely cut off from others, physical contact with someone was still unfamiliar to her. She was afraid of being engulfed by the sensations Marsden gave her. While Olivia tried to adapt to him by recalling her limited experiences, Marsden behaved as if he knew her body completely.

‘This is strange.’

Her body reacted sensitively to his touch, as if welcoming it, which made her feel even more conflicted. It felt as if her mind was floating.

The more Marsden seeped into her, the more familiar it felt, making her believe she truly was Olivia.

“Buddy.”

She liked the sound of his voice calling her that. ‘Olivia’ must have liked it too in the past. Otherwise, she wouldn’t feel dizzy and emotional every time he used that nickname.

The more she identified with the real Olivia, the more she felt she had to distance herself from Marsden. She knew that her presence only brought him pain and harm.

This could be the last time.

“Buddy, look at me.”

Knowing her thoughts, Marsden grew more intense as time passed. He kissed her, binding her body. He held her tightly, as if wanting to feel her as much as possible.

Even during those moments, Olivia was aware of the scars on Marsden’s body, which she touched several times. Her touch incited his desire for her, and it only ended when Olivia almost fainted from exhaustion.

“You crazy man… You’re a beast, a beast.”

Even in her sleep, Olivia cursed Marsden. If her body hadn’t been crying out for rest, she would have had many questions for him.

She wanted to ask how they found time for such things while being so busy fighting and keeping their distance from each other. What would become of them?

However, Olivia fell asleep without asking anything. Marsden washed her, dressed her, and laid her down. The familiarity of it all was comforting.

“Good night, Buddy.”

There was a rustling sound beside her, followed by the sound of a kiss on her forehead. Then a long arm wrapped around her.

Marsden began to sing a lullaby. Olivia instinctively knew the lullaby was called “Buddy.”

* * *

Thanks to Hellebore’s discretion, Olivia and Marsden were spared severe punishment. However, their own mistakes during the investigation weakened Gael’s sentence.

Hellebore’s verdict was announced half a day later. It seemed he had focused solely on this matter, putting aside other affairs.

“Count Abyss has neglected his duties and illegally supported a sorcerer. As a consequence, he is stripped of the special privileges he has enjoyed for decades and banished from the capital. He is free to attend social gatherings but is prohibited from residing in the capital for the next fifty years. He has two weeks to find a new residence.”

In simple terms, Gael was banished from the capital. Although he wasn’t imprisoned or had his property confiscated, it was a significant disgrace for a central noble. However, any protest would be seen as defying the emperor’s leniency, attracting public criticism.

The count’s mansion would likely be given to a new noble under the emperor’s direction. Nobles would vie for this opportunity to gain favor with the emperor.

“And as for Duke Marsden, who tampered with the count’s estate and state-managed properties without permission, his contributions to the country have been recognized, and he is sentenced to one week of house arrest starting tomorrow.”

A week of confinement at home. Olivia welcomed this, as she could keep Marsden at home and learn from him like a tyrant.

“And for the Marchioness of Charbert, the Donau border master…”

The issue was Olivia’s sentence, which was complicated due to someone’s meddling.

“Initially, we intended to punish her solely for Buck Rodley’s escape during interrogation. However, due to her negligence in addressing the theft of explosives in the Donau territory, she will be stripped of her title if she fails to fulfill a special mandate from me.”

Even after hearing the verdict, Olivia didn’t feel particularly resentful. Although it felt unfair, she acknowledged that stepping down was appropriate if she had caused unease in her crucial position. Olivia accepted this without complaint.

However, it irked her that Gael had managed to escape with only a public disgrace. Was it because of his past behavior, or was it the expression she saw in the palace corridor recently? Her mind felt tainted, and she was determined to investigate Gael’s background thoroughly, even if it meant defying Marsden’s orders to stay in bed.

Facing Gael head-on would solve nothing. Sadly, this was the reality.

If the previous Olivia had secretly met someone in the annex, they must have known each other to some extent. Olivia had once strongly suspected Marsden because of this.

And maybe…

Unable to remain still, Olivia got up despite the pain in her waist and thighs protesting strongly.

“May I help you, Marchioness?”

A maid approached, offering assistance. Olivia asked for a cup of sweet cocoa. The maid quickly returned with a tray and prepared the cocoa herself.

“Thank you, it’s delicious.”

“Thank you… Marchioness, if it’s not too much trouble, may I say something?”

“Sure, go ahead.”

Olivia found the young maid endearing and nodded. The maid clasped her hands, unable to hide her excitement.

“My aunt raised me and lives in the Donau territory. My uncle works as a soldier at Flatd Castle.”

“Oh! Really?”

Olivia reached out in delight, and the maid gently held her fingertips, overwhelmed with emotion.

“Since you returned, she said life has been much better without having crops and money taken away. She said you came back even better than before.”

Touched by the sincere praise, Olivia was momentarily speechless. The maid’s eyes shone brightly.

“As an ordinary person, I never thought I’d have the chance to meet someone as important as you. I begged and begged the head maid to let me serve you! So what I want to say is…”

The maid’s cheeks turned red.

“I truly, truly respect you.”

Olivia patted the seat next to her. The maid, thrilled, sat down, and Olivia gave her a few cookies.

“What’s your name?”

“Catherine, but most people call me Cassie.”

Even while eating cookies, Cassie answered clearly. Olivia enjoyed watching the adorable Cassie munch on the cookies like a squirrel, finding it a healing experience.

The peace was broken when Olivia gave Cassie the last cookie.

“Marchioness, you have a visitor.”

A visitor? The knight’s roundabout way of speaking indicated it was someone important. Cassie, sensing Olivia’s unease, quickly walked to the door.

“The Marchioness is resting. May I ask who has come?”

Cassie asked in a clear, firm voice, contrasting with her earlier demeanor. Olivia felt a sense of pride in the young maid. The visitor had come when Marsden was away visiting Hellebore and Glenn was checking the situation at the Marquisate. Bay had gone to Flatd Castle for a patrol after hearing the verdict.

“It is Count Abyss.”

Ah. No wonder the knight was hesitant to say the name directly. Cassie glanced at the door and then at Olivia.

“The duke gave strict orders to send him away, but the Count is insistent.”

“What should we do, Marchioness?”

Cassie was fidgeting nervously, but Olivia calmed her down with a request.

“Could you bring me my robe?”

“What? Oh, yes!”

Olivia was wearing her pajamas with only a chemise underneath. Changing clothes entirely would have been ideal, but she didn’t want to put in the effort for Gael’s sake.

“Come in.”

With her robe tightly fastened up to her neck, Olivia watched as the door slowly opened.

“Liv.”

Despite the drama, the fool still called her by her pet name.

“You…”

Olivia quickly gathered her thoughts. If Gael showed concern, then there might have been some genuine feelings in him. But if he criticized her, all his affectionate acts would be revealed as nauseating pretense.

“Don’t you have something to say to me?”

And if he started scolding her in that condescending tone he used before, it would prove once again that he was nothing but a pathetic third-rate loser.

“Cassie, you can go.”

“Are you sure you’ll be okay?”

Cassie, now dear to Olivia, asked with genuine concern. Olivia patted her head.

“Yes. But if the conversation goes over ten minutes, could you inform Duke Marsden for me?”

“Yes! I will!”

At the mention of Marsden’s name, Gael visibly flinched. Olivia couldn’t help but let out a dry chuckle at his cowardly reaction even as he came to confront her.

Once Cassie closed the door and left, silence filled the room. Olivia resolved not to speak first. It was always the one with something to lose who started talking.

“This verdict has put me at a great disadvantage. And you’ve always cared for me in times of crisis. But now, is there not a single bit of that feeling left?”

“The verdict was handed down by His Majesty. Why take it out on me? Are you lashing out because you can’t complain to someone stronger?”

Olivia’s sarcasm made Gael’s face turn redder.

“Liv, I’m truly sorry I couldn’t be more affectionate when you returned. But you know, my fiancée was unwell. Actually, Ronae kept holding onto me, saying she was sick…”

“Get to the point without changing the subject.”

Olivia deliberately used formal language to distance herself. This only made Gael more displeased as he continued to speak.

“I know you’re angry with me. But think carefully. Can you really say there’s no love left for me at all?”

“The point.”