Chapter 3.9

Natalie could not easily get out of bed even after dawn had broken. Her head ached. As she barely managed to lift her heavy eyelids, the events of the previous day flashed through her mind in an instant.

“I’ll be your lover, Mr. Wharton.”

The moment she vividly recalled the words she had spoken, her headache worsened. Natalie groaned, trying to force herself to think of something else. Then, Mr. Wharton’s words came to mind.

“I’ll ask you again tomorrow.”

Tomorrow?  

It was already tomorrow. 

Natalie quickly sat up. At that very moment, a lively knock echoed at the door. The rhythmic knock could only belong to Sally, even without asking.

“Sister! Are you awake?”

Even though the door blocked her, Sally’s booming voice seemed to echo in Natalie’s aching head.

“I’m awake…”

Natalie replied, but Sally, apparently not hearing her, knocked again.

“Natalie! Wake up!”

Bang, bang—the loud sound felt as though it was knocking directly on Natalie’s head rather than the door. With difficulty, Natalie got up and made her way to the door. The moment she opened it, Sally’s exclamation rang out.

“There’s a guest!”

Natalie asked back with a startled expression.

“A guest?”  

“…What happened to your face?”

Sally, upon seeing Natalie’s face, looked equally surprised. Grabbing Natalie’s cheeks, Sally began inspecting her face with concern.

“What’s wrong with your eyelids? Did you cry?”

As Sally’s hands roamed over her face, Natalie felt truly at her limit. Her head spun, and nausea welled up.

“Sally, stop… Who’s here to see me?”  

“They’re looking for you. They’re waiting in the parlor.”

Only one person came to Natalie’s mind upon hearing about the guest.  

It must be Mr. Wharton.  

Natalie’s heart raced. She glanced down at her current attire. She couldn’t meet Mr. Wharton dressed in a thin negligee.

“Could you let them know I’ll come down after changing clothes?”  

“Changing clothes alone won’t be enough.”

Sally pointed at Natalie’s swollen eyelids.

“I’ll go get some ice.”  

“Alright, thank you.”

While Sally went off to find ice, Natalie searched for something to wear. She wanted to get dressed quickly, but her body didn’t cooperate. Every movement made her feel more nauseous.  

Sally, who had been remarkably quick, returned with ice in hand. Wrapping the ice in a handkerchief, she placed it over Natalie’s swollen eyes.

“What’s so urgent that they’ve come looking for you first thing in the morning? They’re way too interested in you.”

Sally grumbled about the unexpected visitor while helping Natalie into a dress. Natalie slipped her arms into the sleeves as Sally guided her and responded.

“They must have something important to say.”  

“Important? I bet they’ll end up practically moving in here.”

Natalie moved the handkerchief to her other eye. Once dressed, she began to worry about her messy hair. She quickly reached for a brush on the vanity.  

Seeing Natalie brushing her hair, Sally frowned.

“Why are you brushing your hair?”  

Natalie froze, feeling as though her hidden intentions had been exposed. She lowered the brush, worried that it might look like she was trying to impress Mr. Wharton.

“My hair’s just too messy…”  

“Oh, come on. How perfect are you trying to look? Give it here. At this rate, you’ll never finish brushing.”

Snatching the brush, Sally began vigorously brushing Natalie’s hair before leading her out of the room.  

Before she knew it, they were standing in front of the parlor door. Natalie stopped walking and looked at Sally.

“Sally, I’ll be fine on my own.”

It was a polite way of asking to talk alone. Sally placed her hands on her hips and gave Natalie a long look.

“If they bother you, I’ll deal with them.”  

“Thank you.”  

“By the way, last time, didn’t they bring an old man as your partner? How could they do that? I’m sure they just want to marry you off quickly and take over this house.”

Listening to Sally, Natalie realized she had misunderstood. The guest wasn’t Mr. Wharton.  

“…Is it Mrs. Mars?”  

“You’re only asking now?”

She suddenly remembered that she had rejected the partner Mrs. Mars had introduced. No doubt, Mrs. Mars would be beyond upset—she’d be furious.  

Natalie wanted to take off her dress and avoid meeting Mrs. Mars altogether.  

I shouldn’t have gotten out of bed. I should’ve said I was sick.  

But it was too late for regrets.

“Are you sure you’ll be okay alone?”  

“…Yes.”

Natalie forced herself to answer. Sally opened the parlor door for her. Taking a deep breath, Natalie stepped inside.  

Seated at the table was Mrs. Mars. Natalie felt as though her feet were glued to the floor, but she managed to move forward.  

“You asked for me?”  

“Yes, have a seat.”

Natalie felt like the guest rather than the host. Mrs. Mars seemed more like the lady of the Maron family, while a nervous Natalie felt like an outsider.  

“I won’t beat around the bush. The reason I’m here is…”  

Mrs. Mars looked at Natalie intently. Under that gaze, Natalie already felt scolded.  

“…I’m worried about you.”  

It was the same advice she had heard countless times before.  

“I know. You’re worried about my marriage, right?”  

“Yes, so you do understand. You’re well aware of the plight of women who can’t marry at my age, aren’t you?”  

“…Yes, of course.”  

“If a daughter stays home, not meeting any men or even people, how much do you think it troubles her father? And your sister, too. If you don’t marry, it puts her in a difficult position.”  

“Don’t worry about Sally.”

Natalie meant that there was no need to drag Sally into her own issues.

“That girl is bright and clever enough to manage on her own. As long as I, her older sister, doesn’t delay my turn by postponing my own marriage.”

Mrs. Mars smiled, satisfied with her pointed remark.  

“I’m saying all this for your sake. That’s why I introduced Mr. Collins as your partner.”

Now she was getting to the point. Natalie, still feeling unwell, rubbed her aching side.

“Mr. Collins said he felt sorry for not dancing with you.”  

Feeling sorry? 

Natalie frowned slightly without realizing it.

“My dear, no man likes a woman who acts like she knows everything.”

Mrs. Mars spoke in a deliberately gentle tone. The “woman who acts like she knows everything” was, of course, Natalie herself. Natalie could vaguely guess what Mr. Collins might have said.  

“You have to pretend not to know, and you should know how to flatter others. How can you expect him to like you if you talk too much? Mr. Collins didn’t tell you directly out of courtesy, but that’s why he didn’t ask you to dance.”

According to Mr. Collins’ account, Natalie was a know-it-all who had been rejected.  

“From now on, watch your words and behave politely. Do you understand?”  

“I never acted like a know-it-all. Mr. Collins might have felt that way because he didn’t know much himself.”

Mrs. Mars’ kind smile vanished in an instant. Before she could scold her, Natalie quickly spoke up.

“You don’t need to worry about arranging anything for me in the future.”

Mrs. Mars let out a laugh, as if she couldn’t believe what she was hearing.

“Oh, how can I not worry? If you don’t get married…”  

“I already have a lover.”

The parlor fell silent. Natalie didn’t avoid Mrs. Mars’ gaze. She maintained a poised posture and looked her straight in the eye.

“…A lover?”

The silence was broken by Mrs. Mars’ laughter. It echoed loudly through the parlor, as if she had heard an absurd joke. After laughing for a long time, Mrs. Mars pretended to wipe tears from her eyes.

“What lover? Did you find one in your dreams last night? So, who was it? Who appeared in your dream and became your lover?”  

“……”  

Natalie couldn’t bring herself to say Mr. Wharton’s name. She didn’t mind being ridiculed herself, but she didn’t want Mr. Wharton to become the subject of gossip. Mrs. Mars would undoubtedly spread stories about him, which would lead to unwanted rumors.  

As Natalie remained silent, Mrs. Mars looked at her with the same pitying gaze she always used. Under that gaze, Natalie felt as if her confident words had been rendered meaningless, leaving her feeling small.  

“There’s no need to lie to me. I can quickly find you another partner….”  

At that moment, Mrs. Mars’ words trailed off. The parlor door had opened. Mrs. Mars’ eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected visitor. Natalie realized why Mrs. Mars was so startled when she heard the voice of the guest.

“I am Miss Maron’s lover.”

Hearing the soft and polite voice, Natalie looked up. Mr. Wharton, who had approached her, smiled radiantly. He looked like a dream lover come to life.  

Staring at someone so intently was unheard of in Mrs. Mars’ etiquette manual. Whether it was admiration or curiosity, concealing one’s feelings was a virtue for a lady.  

However, the unexpected guest—Nathalie’s unanticipated lover—caused Mrs. Mars to break her own rules. She stared blankly at Mr. Wharton. The man, as beautiful as the rumors said, smiled as dazzlingly as the morning sun.  

“Good morning, Miss Maron.”

It was a greeting filled with genuine affection, as if addressing a lover. However, Natalie, with a dazed expression, merely blinked. Mrs. Mars’ eyes narrowed. Natalie’s reaction was far too awkward for someone greeting a lover.