Chapter 3: Thorny Path (Part 3)

Immediately returning to the bridal chamber, Sophia searched the room thoroughly. Though the chances of finding something related to Killian’s weakness were slim, she might find something unexpected, so she needed to search everywhere.

However, no matter how much she searched the room, nothing related to Killian came up. Instead, she found Clive’s belongings.

It was the watch he wore when he went on a date with Sophia. It wasn’t neatly placed but almost thrown into the drawer, suggesting he had left it in a hurry.

Upon recognizing the owner of the watch, Sophia realized that the bridal chamber had been prepared for Clive. It was only natural, as no one had anticipated a change in the groom, but it left her feeling drained.

Sitting heavily on the bed, she saw the deer mounted on the ceiling opposite. That was definitely not to Clive’s taste.

“He wouldn’t like that deer…”

Judging by the room’s decor, which was far from Clive’s taste, and the watch he left behind, it seemed he had no intention of staying in this room even after the wedding.

This likely meant Killian felt the same way.

“I’ll be leaving now.”

Emily’s voice broke Sophia out of her thoughts.

“So suddenly?”

Sophia’s eyes widened.

“I was ordered to stay by your side until you woke up, Miss. So, I think I have to go now.”

“No, don’t go.”

Sophia hurriedly grabbed Emily’s arm. She didn’t want to be alone with that creepy deer and hoped Emily would stay with her.

“I don’t want to leave you alone either, Miss. But today is your first day of marriage, so I can’t stay long. I should leave before Lord Killian comes in.”

“That’s true…”

Even if Lord Loden had no intention of staying in this room, he would come in on the first night. Keeping Emily would only put her in an awkward situation.

Reluctantly, Sophia released her grip on Emily’s arm.

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault at all, so there’s nothing to apologize for.”

“I’ll come back in the morning.”

Emily hesitated, not wanting to leave, and Sophia nodded, indicating it was okay.

After Emily left, Sophia was alone in the room and let out a deep sigh.

What should I do now?

Since Killian had another woman in his heart, he probably wouldn’t easily accept Sophia. However, it wasn’t a situation she could be entirely relieved about.

Being a man with a rigid side, he might try to force himself on her if commanded by the King.

“Sigh.”

The thought of that man entering the room soon made Sophia let out a deep sigh.

Could I really endure it?

If she had known this would happen, she would have investigated Killian more thoroughly. She regretted not doing so, as she hadn’t anticipated marrying him at all.

The only consolation was that, while there wasn’t much information on Killian, it wasn’t entirely lacking. So, she had to hope it was accurate.

Please let him be devoted to only one woman, as the rumors say, and abstinent with others!

Even after several prayers, she found it hard to calm her mind. Especially when she remembered that tonight was the wedding night, her nerves were on edge.

Every little sound outside the door made her heart pound, fearing it might be Killian coming in.

She thought her heart might burst if she stayed like this. Looking around the room for something to do, her eyes landed on a bottle of wine on a small table.

“Did they prepare this in advance for the bridal chamber? How convenient.”

It had been a day too difficult to face sober, so using alcohol didn’t seem like a bad idea. A little intoxication might ease her tense nerves.

One of the Loden family’s main businesses was this wine. So, the Dveshi family never drank it, but now she needed it.

Sophia sat at the table, sipping the wine alone.

“Oh? It’s good.”

Contrary to her expectation of bitterness, a sweet grape flavor lingered in her mouth, bringing a smile to her face. She had to admit that, despite her dislike for the Loden family, their wine was exceptional.

Hiccup.

As the effects of the alcohol set in, Sophia’s face flushed, and she felt as if she might have the courage to face Killian.

Come on, bring it on!

With a firm resolve, Sophia stood up, only to stagger and collapse onto the bed with her arms outstretched. Despite having napped briefly, lying on the bed made her feel a wave of fatigue.

A ray of sunlight streamed through the gap in the curtains, hitting her face, causing Sophia to frown and open her eyes.

Huh? Am I alone?

Realizing she was alone in bed, Sophia recalled the events of the previous night.

She remembered drinking wine alone and lying down but then fell asleep and remembered nothing afterward.

Did Lord Loden not come into the room last night?

Seeing she was still in the same clothes as the night before made it easy to assess the situation.

Raising her upper body to look around, it seemed she had slept alone in the room. The only thing greeting her was the deer’s head staring at her from across the room.

“Still as creepy as ever.”

Shivering once, Sophia got out of bed, stretched, and looked out the window. The bright light outside indicated it was morning.

“Did he not come in at all last night? If I had known, I would have drunk less…”

With her head pounding and feeling nauseous, Sophia regretted drinking so much out of fear.

“No, it’s actually a good thing since the worst didn’t happen, right?”

Even as she held her head, she let out a sigh of relief. However, she felt an inexplicable unease and realized the reason a moment later.

She had to report to the King. Since last night was the wedding night, she was supposed to inform him that they had consummated the marriage, but in her current state, she couldn’t do that.

Her plan had been to talk things over with Killian and feign consummation by creating a bloodstain without actually doing anything. But since they had spent the night in separate rooms, her plan had gone awry.

“Or maybe it’s for the best?”

Since her husband hadn’t entered the room, it wasn’t her fault. So if the royal family asked, Sophia could blame Killian.

There was also a glimmer of hope.

The fact that Killian hadn’t come into the room on their first night meant he disliked Sophia enough that he might be the one to ask for a divorce. He might say he married her out of obligation to his brother but couldn’t bring himself to be with a woman he didn’t love.

“How wonderful would that be.”

Recalling Killian’s harsh behavior, Sophia thought it was a plausible scenario and smiled with hope. Just then, there was a knock at the door.

Knock, knock.

Emily cautiously opened the door after knocking.

“You’re awake? Is there something good happening this morning?”

“I slept well last night.”

“Ah, that’s a relief, but people are talking. Lord KIllian left early this morning.”

It seemed the news that the groom hadn’t entered the bridal chamber on the first night had already spread throughout the mansion.

“Is there anyone from the royal family among the guests? Any reactions?”

“Well, except for those who came from afar, everyone returned home last night, so maybe they don’t know yet that the wedding night wasn’t consummated? They ended the banquet in just one day.”

Typically, wedding celebration parties would last two to three days, but since this wasn’t a marriage blessed by many, it seemed they ended it in a day.

“That’s a relief, but…”

Her heart, which had felt a bit lighter, now felt heavy again. But suppressing these feelings, Sophia headed to the bathroom.

As an unwelcome guest of the Loden family, Sophia had an important task that morning: she had to pay her respects to the Duke and Duchess of Loden.

[You don’t have to dine with us since seeing your face might ruin my appetite, but make sure to pay your respects in the morning.]

It was a note from the Duchess that had been delivered to her after she fainted yesterday. Having seen the note in the morning, she couldn’t ignore it.

“Will I be able to do it well?”

After bathing, styling her hair, applying light makeup, and donning a neat dress, Sophia wore a worried expression.

“Just do as you always do! You’ll do great! Duke Loden is said to be in the study, so you should go there first.”

“Uh, okay.”

The thought of greeting people who weren’t friendly made her feel suffocated. But knowing it was something she had to do, Sophia steeled herself with Emily’s encouragement.

Taking a deep breath, Sophia headed to the study where the Duke of Loden was supposed to be.