The Creditor Is My Husband? - Chapter 54

“You’re receiving all sorts of things from President Taylor, but you never once thought about your mother? You didn’t think about your family at all?”

“……”

“Thoughts like ‘This would suit mother better than me,’ or ‘I should take better care of our family so we don’t look shabby on the wedding day.’ Those kinds of thoughts.”

Her father and half-brother nodded in agreement with her stepmother’s dramatic words. Giselle was so dumbfounded she couldn’t even let out a bitter laugh.

Interpreting her silence in a way that suited them, the Baron cleared his throat again and spoke.

“Anyway, we’ll overlook today’s incident generously. Don’t feel hurt that we said some harsh words at your wedding. It’s all for your own good.”

“Of course. Our dignity is your dignity, isn’t it? When you have dignity, your husband’s dignity is properly maintained as well.”

Her stepmother nodded and agreed with her husband’s words. The Baron glanced at his wife and then continued, stroking his beard.

“So, about that…”

* * *

“Oh, what happened to the painting?”

Lucas suddenly turned to look at the butler following him while walking down the corridor. Bushin promptly answered as if he had been prepared for the question.

“It arrived an hour ago.”

“That’s good. Then have it placed in the bedroom.”

Lucas nodded slightly with a satisfied expression upon receiving Bushin’s report and gave the instruction. Bushin bowed his head with a pleased smile at his master’s order, then turned away.

“……”

Perhaps it was because of the smile of the butler who had been watching over him for a long time,

Lucas felt somewhat embarrassed and stroked his chin before turning around. Then he continued walking along the long corridor.

He couldn’t hide his fatigue from dealing with those who had attended the wedding, including the Crown Prince.

He continued walking while frowning and massaging the back of his neck. But soon after, his furrowed brow gradually began to smooth out.

He was approaching the room where Giselle was resting.

“Oh my, Master!”

Almost simultaneously as Lucas reached the door, it opened and a maid pulling a trolley came out, hurriedly bowing when she saw him.

He simply nodded to acknowledge her greeting, then unconsciously looked at the items on the trolley.

Several teacups and dessert plates.

The tea was hardly diminished, and the desserts appeared untouched.

Lucas, who had been looking at them with indifferent eyes, asked the maid.

“Did the Baron Anticia family visit?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes, they did, Master.”

The maid answered belatedly, looking at him with wide eyes, wondering how he knew.

But it wasn’t that surprising. Lucas didn’t have any special predictive abilities.

It was just something that could be guessed with a little thought.

There were limited people who would visit the room where a newly wedded bride was resting. Giselle wasn’t the type to have a wide circle of acquaintances either.

Moreover, considering that the refreshments were barely touched, it didn’t seem like they had a cordial conversation.

So, taking all these points into account, one could only assume that Giselle’s family had visited.

‘…I can only assume they’re family.’

Lucas gave a bitter smile, then gestured for the maid to go and opened the door without knocking.

Either not hearing the sound of him opening the door or simply not reacting, Giselle was seen sitting blankly.

Instead of the image of her blushing and making the marital vows in a small voice during the wedding ceremony, or placing the ring on his finger with trembling hands.

Displeased by this, he clicked his tongue without realizing and deliberately made his presence known as he approached her. Only then did Giselle, hearing Lucas’s footsteps, turn her gaze and try to stand up when she saw him.

“Ah! Lucas.”

“Stay seated.”

Lucas gestured to stop her and sat on the sofa opposite her. Seeing this, Giselle, flustered, tried to call for the maid.

“Just a moment. The tea…”

“I don’t need tea, Giselle. I’ve already had so many cups that my stomach feels like it’s sloshing.”

He had lost count of how many cups of tea he had drunk while dealing with people. Understanding his meaning, Giselle blinked a couple of times and then let out a light laugh. But that laughter soon turned bitter.

Watching this change quietly, Lucas leaned forward and stared intently at her face.

“Why, why are you looking at me like that? Is there something on my face?”

As his deep blue gaze remained fixed on her face, Giselle blushed and slightly leaned back. But he continued to look at her and instead of answering, asked a different question.

“Did something unpleasant happen?”

“Pardon?”

“I heard that the Baron… no, your father visited.”

To be precise, Lucas had guessed the situation and asked the maid first.

Giselle let out a small “Ah” at his words and then nodded with a bitter smile. Seeing her look almost dejected, he narrowed his eyes.

“It seems they didn’t just come to congratulate you on your marriage.”

“Well, it was… nothing. By the way, why did you come? Ah! Is the banquet preparation complete?”

She tried to change the subject, not wanting to mention her family. She didn’t want to talk about how they had blatantly demanded money, especially not today, on her wedding day.

“Hmm, I was told the preparations are almost complete.”

Lucas looked at Giselle quietly for a moment before going along with her change of subject. He didn’t want to pry into what she didn’t want to talk about.

“I came to go together with you.”

“I’m sorry. It must have been hard for you alone.”

She felt sorry for being so comfortable while everyone else had worked hard. Come to think of it, as the new mistress of this place, she should have been out there taking care of everything herself.

“It wasn’t particularly difficult. It’s fine.”

He shook his head with a slight smile, seeing her drooping eyes. But her expression didn’t lighten.

“Still, I should have helped with something.”

“You’ve had a tiring day, Giselle.”

Even though she had rested for a while, her face still looked tired. Or perhaps it was because of her family.

“But the same goes for you. And yet I’m the only one who didn’t do anything…”

Giselle argued with an apologetic look. Lucas looked at her, then raised the corners of his mouth and tilted his head to the side.

“……?”

This behavior seemed somewhat unlike the usual Lucas. Rather, it gave her the feeling that he was about to make a mischievous joke.

As Giselle watched him warily like a cautious cat, Lucas spoke with a hint of amus*ment in his tone.

“You say you didn’t do anything. But you were doing the most important thing.”

“……?”

But contrary to her wariness, there was nothing particularly strange about his words. Of course, that doesn’t mean she understood what he meant.

‘What important thing was I doing?’

As Giselle looked puzzled, not understanding his words, he resolved her curiosity with a mischievous smile and a low voice.

“You were conserving your energy for our ‘wedding night’.”

“……!”

Giselle’s green eyes widened as big as plates upon hearing those words. Lucas chuckled at her reaction and stood up, extending his hand towards her.

“Shall we go now, wife?”

Unlike his playful voice and nonchalant demeanor as he tried to escort her, Giselle couldn’t even think of taking his outstretched hand. She looked up at him and belatedly, with a reddened face, exclaimed,

“Are, are you crazy? Even if it’s a joke, that’s too much. How could you make such an embarrassing joke…”

She slapped away his outstretched hand with the back of her hand, then stood up, fanning herself to cool down her flushed face.

As she hurriedly tried to leave first, Lucas spoke to her again from behind.

This time in a serious tone, without any trace of amus*ment.

“It was a bit of teasing, but it wasn’t a joke.”

“……!”

“As I’ve said before, I have no intention of being just a husband in name with you.”

Giselle unconsciously swallowed hard upon hearing his words.

She felt a tingling sensation deep in her stomach. It felt like her throat was getting parched, and an inexplicable heat was rising.

Would it be appropriate to describe it as feeling like it wasn’t her own body, even though it was?

Lucas, who had been quietly observing Giselle as she struggled with these unfamiliar sensations, chuckled and then approached her, taking her hand.

He caught her slender fingertips without warning. They trembled slightly in his hand.

He grasped that small hand more firmly and spoke again.

In a tone tinged with playfulness, as if he had never been serious:

“So, prepare yourself well, wife.”

“Wh-what kind of preparation…”

Aaah. Giselle shook her head, startled by her own strange imagination. Even as she was being led out by his hand, her round earlobes turned bright red.

Lucas glanced back at her and raised the corners of his mouth again. A peculiar male satisfaction was evident in his relaxed expression.

* * *

“I sincerely congratulate you both on your marriage. May God’s blessings always be with you.”

“Thank you, Your Excellency.”

Giselle bowed her head respectfully in response to the Archbishop’s words of blessing. Anyone would have done the same.

Unless it was a royal event, it was not common for the Archbishop to make a personal appearance.

It was only natural for Giselle to be moved, given that such a person had personally officiated the wedding ceremony and even offered words of blessing like this.

“Then I’ll take my leave now.”