Chapter 3

She couldn’t even remember how the wedding ended.

From the moment she took Sinclair’s hand and walked away, her memory completely vanished.

‘Ah……’

When Cecia came to her senses, the wedding was already over, and she was sitting in the bedroom on the third floor of the newly moved mansion.

She would spend her first night after the wedding here.

Cecia couldn’t even remember when she had taken off her wedding dress.

There were so many surprising and bewildering things that she just kept saying “Ah, ah,” and ended up here.

‘When did I change into my gown again?’

Finding herself sitting on the bed in the newly tailored pearl-colored silk gown, Cecia became flustered as Marquis Sinclair walked toward her.

The Marquis was also only wearing a single gown.

‘I need to breathe deeply. Deep breaths……’

It was natural to have the first night after marriage.

But for Cecia, who had never even dated, this moment felt so overwhelming that her heart might burst.

‘We kissed……didn’t we.’

The moments of the wedding, which she couldn’t remember at all due to her nervousness, flashed back in fragments.

For example, Sinclair’s lips as he made the vow kiss to her.

The man now walking toward her had kissed her in front of everyone.

She now recalled the sweetness of that moment.

To forget even the memory of the first kiss, perhaps it was because everything about this marriage was a series of shocks.

She believed that once all these sudden situations calmed down, her memories would return one by one.

They had to.

If the most important memories of the first kiss and the wedding were blurry, it wouldn’t make sense.

“Aren’t you tired?”

Marquis Sinclair, who had come closer, smiled kindly and handed Cecia a glass of wine.

“If you have a drink, it will ease your fatigue.”

How could even his voice be so romantic and sweet?

‘Disability? His being too handsome must be the disability.’

Yes. This man’s disability was definitely being too handsome.

If someone is too outstanding, that too can be a disability.

Causing others to feel a sense of inferiority is a nuisance, and living such a nuisance of a life could surely be called a disability.

But if it were a disability like this, she could gladly embrace it and cherish it, living happily until they were a hundred years old.

“Aren’t you afraid of going to the North from the South where there’s only summer?”

“It’s not winter all year round, right? And if it’s cold, I’ll just put firewood in the fireplace.”

[If it’s cold, you can hold me in your arms and warm me with your body heat, can’t you?]—she couldn’t bring herself to say that.

But she hoped for it in her heart.

Like, him embracing her n*ked when she shivers from the cold, or sitting n*ked on a bear skin rug in front of a blazing fireplace, sharing wine.

Anyway, such fantasies wouldn’t leave Cecia’s mind.

It was all because this man was so handsome.

Cecia realized for the first time that when someone is handsome, useless curiosity and fantasies are stirred up.

Is this what it means to be full without eating, and drunk without drinking?

“From now on, since we are married, may I call you ‘Madame’ instead of ‘Miss Benoit’?”

“Of course. I will call you……”

“Call me Adam.”

“Adam……”

Even his name was wonderful, Adam Sinclair.

Adam Sinclair, Marquis of Aeon, and his wife, Cecia Sinclair, Marchioness Sinclair.

Could anything be more wonderful than this?

Adam’s hand touched Cecia’s gown.

Seeing that he was about to take off her gown, Cecia closed her eyes.

Her heart pounded so hard it felt like it would burst, and she gripped the wine glass tightly in her hand.

It was then.

Knock knock knock—.

No, who would knock at the door at such a crucial moment?

Cecia was furious that some thoughtless, impolite person ruined such an important moment in the middle of the night, but she never showed it on her face.

“Just a moment.”

Just before removing Cecia’s gown, Marquis Sinclair walked to the door.

He opened the door and, leaving it slightly ajar, spoke with someone outside.

‘Who could it be?’

It wasn’t her father.

Then, could it be one of the people who came with the Marquis?

The Marquis had brought quite a few attendants on the way here.

It might be one of them.

When the Marquis returned to the room, Cecia immediately noticed the shadow of worry on his beautiful face.

“Is something the matter?”

Now, they were married.

The Marquis’s concern was now hers.

Cecia thought that the Marquis’s worries were now her worries.

“A messenger has come from the territory asking me to return immediately because the mine has collapsed.”

“Oh my……”

Cecia was quite surprised to hear that the mine had collapsed.

“Are there any injured……?”

“I don’t know yet. Since it happened in my territory, I have to ride out and return immediately, even now……”

“Go ahead. I’m fine, so please leave now. I’ll follow tomorrow if needed.”

Yes. The first night wasn’t what mattered.

Now that she was the Marchioness, she had to think of the territory first.

“Are you sure it’s alright?”

Marquis Sinclair gently took Cecia’s hand.

“We’ll be reunited soon.”

Yes. It’s not as if this man is running away somewhere.

They would meet again soon.

She could wait a few more days.

“Thank you for understanding.”

The Marquis kissed Cecia’s cheek.

She wanted to be intoxicated by the tender kiss that melted away her disappointment, but now was the time to send him off.

After hurriedly changing clothes, Cecia, now dressed in her wedding dress, followed the Marquis to the mansion’s entrance and watched as he mounted his horse.

“I’ll leave Ralph behind, so Ralph will take care of you all the way to the North.”

“Yes. Go without worry.”

“Then, I’ll see you again in Aeon.”

With those words, Marquis Sinclair rode off into the darkness.

After Marquis Sinclair and all his attendants disappeared, only Cecia, her father, and Sinclair’s agent Ralph remained.

“How long does it take to get to Aeon?”

“If you ride like that, it’ll take three days, but by carriage, it’s about eight days.”

“Eight days……”

It’s far. The North really is far.

“Don’t worry, Madame. I’ll do my best to make your journey comfortable.”

“Yes……”

Ralph was trustworthy, but Cecia sincerely prayed that Sinclair wouldn’t get sick or injured from overexertion on his way.

And so, the night of the wedding passed.