Chapter 4 – Prejudice (Part 3)

After hesitating for a moment, Sophia followed Victor’s words and, with his help, got into the carriage. Since she was leaving the Loden family following Killian’s instructions, she decided to follow his directions to the end.

However, she couldn’t completely shake off her suspicions, so she remained tense, holding her breath and watching the scenery outside the carriage as it traveled.

The carriage headed down a path Sophia had never been on before. After traveling for a while, the carriage stopped in front of a large mansion.

“Oh?”

The mansion was so large and grand that it caught her eye, and Sophia looked at it with bewildered eyes. The place was especially impressive with walls surrounded by rose vines.

As the gates adorned with a lion emblem opened, a vast garden, a large fountain, and a pavilion came into view. Sophia’s eyes widened at the sight of the expansive mansion.

The carriage, which had stopped, began to move again. The sound of the horses’ hooves continued as they passed through the vast garden.

Then, a beautiful garden with flowers of various colors blooming warmly welcomed Sophia. While she admired the beautiful garden through the window, the carriage arrived at the entrance.

There, employees who had been waiting for them stood in a line to welcome her. Except for Victor, they were faces she had never seen at the Loden family.

After helping Sophia safely out of the carriage, Victor stood in place and reintroduced himself.

“Let me formally introduce myself again. I am Victor, the butler in charge of managing the mansion. If you need anything, please let me know.”

“Oh, yes. I look forward to working with you.”

Receiving his courteous greeting, Sophia found herself bowing her head as well. Lifting her head, she looked at the employees with bewildered eyes.

Victor then approached her with a gentle smile.

“Sir Killian has newly hired them.”

Newly hired… Was suddenly being told to leave the Loden household a way of saying to move to a new house? Could it be for my sake during these hardships?

Seeing Sophia’s incredulous expression, Victor spoke with a faint smile on his lips.

“Do you like it? This will be your home from now on, Madam.”

“Is it really my home?”

“Sir Killian judged that it would be difficult for you to continue living in the Loden household, Madam, so he specially arranged a separate place for you to live.”

After neglecting me for a month, now he’s taking care of me?

It was truly surprising that Killian himself decided on the move, but Sophia still couldn’t understand what kind of person Killian was, leaving a lingering unease in her heart. She didn’t know if he was genuinely taking care of her or pretending to while having other intentions behind the scenes.

“Oh, yes.”

Feeling flustered, Sophia replied briefly and carefully observed the faces of the employees. They were faces she had never seen at the Loden family.

This meant there would be no one to harass the maids and attendants from the Dveshi family anymore, allowing Sophia to feel relieved and finally at ease.

“Would you like to take a tour inside now?”

Victor, thinking they had exchanged enough greetings, made a polite gesture inviting her to enter the mansion, and she followed him to explore various parts of the mansion.

Countless rooms, sophisticated interior decorations, neat wallpaper, and luxurious furniture—all of it made the mansion more astonishing the more she explored.

It’s surprising.

Knights were generally known to be more focused on training and less refined in their taste, so it didn’t seem like Killian picked these out. Whoever chose them, everything they picked was sophisticated yet gave a classic feel.

From the bed itself to the white bedding matching the bed, the luxurious wallpaper and tapestries—everything was perfectly suited to the mansion.

The places that surprised Sophia the most were the bedroom and the dressing room.

She preferred a clean room but wanted a luxurious bed. To her surprise, the bed was adorned with ornate curtains and lace-covered bedding, just to her taste.

The dressing room was also filled with clothing styles she loved, along with shoes and accessories that matched her preferences.

It seemed unlikely that Killian would pay such meticulous attention to her tastes, so someone must have informed him.

There was one person in the Dveshi family who could have provided such information: her second brother.

Could it have been Brother Liam who told him?

Sophia had previously disapproved of Liam’s closeness with Killian, but now, after receiving such help, she felt guilty for all the complaints she had directed at him.

“I should thank him when I see him next.”

Sitting on the plush bed, Sophia smiled contentedly.

* * *

Killian, who had shown his face briefly in the morning, appeared again in the evening.

“How did you spend your day?”

Sophia hadn’t done much that day. She had unpacked, organized her belongings, and given her weary body some much-needed rest, and before she knew it, night had fallen.

“The day passed quickly while I was organizing.”

Since there was no need to list everything, Sophia answered simply. However, speaking with Killian was still awkward, and despite trying to speak calmly, her voice trembled.

“That’s good to hear. Do you like it?”

“Yes, I do.”

As she answered, Sophia looked at Killian with questioning eyes.

‘Sir Killian judged that it would be difficult for you to continue living in the Loden household, Madam, so he specially arranged a separate place for you to live.’

Victor’s words kept echoing in her mind.

Why did he bring me here? Did he really move me because he was worried about me?

It was a relief not to have to stay at the Loden mansion, but the uneasy feeling didn’t go away.

Although her mind was cluttered with thoughts, Sophia didn’t ask Killian anything. She figured that even if Killian had moved her for her sake, it wouldn’t change anything.

Since they were bound to divorce someday, whatever he thought didn’t concern her.

“I’m going to sleep now, so please leave.”

Feeling that their conversation was over, Sophia walked to the bed, covered herself with the blanket, and lay down. She waited for Killian to leave before blowing out the candle on the bedside table, but instead of heading for the door, he walked toward the bed.

“Huh?”

Not expecting him to come to the bedroom, Sophia watched his movements in confusion. He walked to the opposite side of the bed and lay down.

Seeing Sophia staring at him with wide eyes, Killian asked.

“Is there a problem?”

“Why are you lying here?”

“I plan to sleep on my bed.”

Since it was the couple’s bedroom, there was no issue with Killian using the bed. However, Sophia felt differently.

Having never shared a bed before, the sudden situation of having to sleep under the same blanket was awkward and uncomfortable.

“It’s been a month since we got married. Why are you doing this all of a sudden?”

“I thought you might need an adjustment period, so I refrained until now.”

Seeing Killian turn his back as if he only intended to sleep, Sophia wondered what he was thinking.

Sophia stared blankly at Killian’s back and ended up staying awake all night. It wasn’t until dawn the next day, after Killian left the bedroom, that she finally managed to fall asleep.

* * *

Bright sunlight streamed intensely through the gap in the curtains. Sophia frowned as she opened her eyes. Stretching her arms and getting out of bed, she was drawn to the sounds coming from outside and naturally moved to the window.

Pulling back the curtains and looking outside, she saw Killian and the knights standing in formation in the training grounds in the distance. From their attire, it was clear they were the Imperial Knights.

Why are they training here at the mansion in the scorching afternoon instead of at the royal palace?

The royal training grounds are indoors, so there’s no need to train outside in the hot weather…

Sophia, with a puzzled expression, looked for her brother Liam, the deputy commander, but he was nowhere to be seen.

She was about to turn her gaze away when Killian, standing at the front giving orders to the knights, caught her attention.

His overwhelming charisma and precise movements captivated Sophia, and she decided to watch him a bit longer.

Soon, two knights stepped forward at Killian’s call. Drawing their swords, they began to spar.

They swung their swords with such force that, even though the mansion was quite distant, it felt as though the clashing sound of metal could be heard. The men moved with agility, indicating they were quite skilled.

“Even though it’s training, it’s quite intense.”

Just watching them felt strange. Sophia, who was muttering to herself, was about to shift her gaze back to her room when something happened.

Someone must have made a mistake because the match stopped immediately, and Killian glared at them with a fierce intensity.

Eek!

Even from afar, his powerful presence was palpable, sending chills down her spine. Sophia quickly closed the curtains and stepped away from the window.

Even though Killian was no longer in sight, her heart was still pounding.

“He’s definitely a man I can’t be at ease around.”

Sophia murmured softly with a slightly trembling voice.