Chapter 2 – A New Beginning (Part 2)

After confirming that the bathtub was filled with water, Celine said.  

“I’ll help you with your bath.”  

“What? Oh, no. It’s okay.”  

She didn’t want to show her scarred body.  

Ellerdin waved her hand.  

Respecting Ellerdin’s wishes was Celine’s top priority, so she complied without further comment.  

After Celine left, Ellerdin spent a long time massaging her aching legs before finally getting into the bathtub.  

Soaking in the warm water for a while, her stiff legs slowly began to relax.  

‘Let’s do well, please. If my legs stiffen on the first night, I won’t be able to satisfy him.’

‘Don’t let yourself get criticized for something like this when you already don’t do anything well.’  

Fatigue suddenly overwhelmed her.  

Ellerdin, slumped, tilted her head back and stared at the droplets on the ceiling.  

“……”  

She tried to think of something else, but only images of Baron Brian and her father scolding her came to mind.  

Maybe it was because they were the only people she met before she died.  

‘People are all the same.’  

‘Even if the Duke is kind now, if you upset him, he will surely act just like them.’  

‘It’s only natural.’

‘But is the Duke really the same as them?’  

Without realizing it, Ellerdin buried her face in her hands.  

A sprout of hope began to grow deep in her heart.  

‘I shouldn’t be expecting this.’  

‘You know how painful it is when expectations are crushed.’  

Countless thoughts flashed through her mind.  

‘Let’s not be greedy.’  

Ellerdin swallowed her sadness and lifted her face.  

When she finally finished her long bath and came out, it was already 11 o’clock.  

‘When will he come?’  

Draped in a shawl over her thin slip, she stood by the door and waited.  

‘…It’s cold.’  

Maybe because she had taken a warm shower, the cold felt even sharper.  

White breath scattered in the air.  

‘How should I behave to please him? If I make him feel good, will he hurt me less?’  

Ellerdin bit her lips as she paced in front of the door.  

‘Ah… Brian liked it when I waited lying down. He said that’s how I would be loved.’  

But that stopped after he met Sarah.  

Ellerdin lay flat on the floor and bowed her head.  

In the cold darkness, Ellerdin wished Fernan would return quickly and end their first night soon.  

***  

While sitting in his office handling documents with Mollek, Mollek tilted his head and asked.  

“But Master, when are you going?”  

Fernan, who was sorting documents, looked up.  

He was identifying which family each document came from through the faint magic left on the seals.  

“What time is it now?”  

“One o’clock.”  

“What?”  

Fernan jumped up.  

“Foolish…! Has it already gotten so late?”  

Fernan grabbed his throbbing forehead and hurried out of the room.  

‘She must be asleep by now.’  

‘I’ll just check if she’s sleeping and then leave.’

As he opened the door, he saw Celine glaring at him with a stern face.  

“Why are you so late? Madam has been waiting for you since earlier.”  

Celine shouted, clearly upset.  

It was serious if even Celine, who was also human like Ellerdin, said such things.  

Fernan, flustered, hurried to Ellerdin’s room.  

He carefully opened the door.  

There should have been another figure on the red-painted bed, but it was empty.  

As he lowered his gaze in confusion, he saw a red figure curled up on the floor, which should have been painted black and empty.  

Fernan, shocked, lifted Ellerdin up.  

“Ah…”  

At the strong grip on her arm, Ellerdin swayed and lifted her head.  

Her skin was as cold as ice.  

‘If I wasn’t coming, you should have slept alone. Why do something so foolish on the floor!’  

His words came out harsh due to his confusion and worry.  

“Why are you doing this! Who told you to do such a thing?!”  

“…I’m sorry.”  

Flinch. Ellerdin shrank back at his raised voice.  

Realizing his mistake from her reaction, Fernan closed his eyes tightly.  

He carefully carried the swaying Ellerdin to the bed.  

“I’m sorry for raising my voice. I didn’t realize it was so late. I’m sorry for being late.”  

Ellerdin nodded weakly.  

He laid her on the bed and covered her with a blanket, saying.  

“Please don’t torment yourself like this again. You are now my wife and the Duchess. The only ones above you are the Emperor and Empress, so walk proudly.”  

Fernan looked at Ellerdin, who still seemed withdrawn.  

Though he couldn’t fully understand her true self, he could tell she wasn’t living comfortably.  

Her cautious behavior in every step seemed more like being chased by something rather than maintaining manners.  

Meanwhile, Ellerdin felt confused by Fernan’s words.  

‘What does he mean by being proud?’  

It was the first time she had heard such words in her life.  

He could just treat her comfortably.  

His considerate attitude made her uncomfortable.  

But too exhausted to argue, Ellerdin simply nodded, saying she understood.  

Fernan sighed softly, seeing her obvious disbelief, and approached her feet.  

“Excuse me for a moment.”  

Not understanding what he meant, she kept her mouth shut.  

Feeling a rough touch on her legs, she woke up with a start.  

Fernan had carefully pulled back the blanket and was slowly massaging her stiff legs.  

“Please lie down. It must hurt.”  

“No, it’s not necessary. You don’t have to do it.”  

Ellerdin waved her hand, feeling both confused and overwhelmed.  

But Fernan, as if not hearing her, continued to gently massage her muscles.  

Though his skin was rough, his touch was so soft that her stiff legs slowly relaxed.  

Her restlessness was short-lived, as she soon felt her tension easing and sleepiness overwhelming her.  

Leaning against the bed, Ellerdin asked in a sleepy voice.  

“Aren’t you going to sleep, Duke?”  

“I have a lot of work to do. Please go to sleep first. And once again, I’m sorry for being late today.”  

‘…A strange person.’  

‘You don’t need to apologize.’  

Feeling his warm touch, Ellerdin barely stifled a yawn.  

‘I shouldn’t sleep. I need to get through the first night.’ 

But despite her will, her eyelids slowly closed.  

She tried to shake her head to stay awake, but soon fell asleep.  

Watching her, Fernan chuckled softly.  

Originally, he had come to talk about his departure, but waking her up to say it now would be pointless.  

‘I can tell her tomorrow.’  

After massaging her legs for a few more minutes, Fernan quietly stood up and left the room.  

***  

‘…The forest.’  

Ellerdin slowly rose from the bed.  

She felt an inexplicable urge to go to the forest beyond the window immediately.  

Though it was dawn, the forest was pitch black.  

Ellerdin left the bed and began walking as if in a trance.  

She stepped outside and felt the cold grass under her bare feet.  

She had no doubts about why she was doing this or why she wanted to go to the forest.  

She just felt an urgent need to reach the forest.  

The entrance to the forest was dark, as if no light could penetrate it, but she felt no fear.  

‘Strange…’  

She felt a surge of energy. She felt like she could do anything right now.  

She had never felt so confident before.  

Her steps were strong. The cold northern wind didn’t feel cold.  

Every moment of walking towards the center of the forest felt vivid.  

Her pace quickened.  

The sound of the wind in her ears was pleasant.  

How long had it been since she ran like this?  

Her soles were cut by the sharp grass in the forest, leaving a trail of faint blood. But she felt no pain.  

After running for a while, a large rock blocked her path.  

Panting, she looked up and saw a large black figure staring at her from atop the rock.  

It was Girtin.  

Ellerdin, lost in the trance, didn’t realize that the creature calling her was a monster and stared at the black beast.  

Smelling the blood, it grinned widely. A hissing sound escaped between its sharp teeth.  

Ellerdin, as if enchanted, slowly moved towards it.  

As she reached out towards the rock, a loud bark and a large black animal blocked her path.  

Girtin, annoyed by the sudden intruder, hissed in displeasure.  

With another bark, the enchantment on her broke.  

“Huh…?”  

As soon as the enchantment lifted, Ellerdin saw Girtin on the rock and the black dog blocking her path.  

Though both were black, Girtin’s fur stood on end, while the dog’s body was covered in scale-like fur.  

“Gasp.”  

The creature on the rock was the same one she had seen through the window on her first day here.  

Ellerdin covered her mouth with her hand and stepped back in shock.  

Feeling a sharp pain in her soles, she looked down at the ground.  

Her white bare feet were stained with blood.  

The confidence she had felt earlier disappeared, replaced by overwhelming fear and helplessness.  

Her body trembled.