The Villain's Sickly Wife Dislikes Being Overprotected - Chapter 1.3

***

On my way to my first meal in this magnificent mansion, my steps were light.

I’m naturally energized by the prospect of starting a golden spoon life that I couldn’t even dream of in my past life.

The duke’s mansion, living up to my expectations, was indeed very spacious and complex.

Now all that’s left is to spend prosperous and peaceful days in this large house!

The corners of my mouth kept twitching upwards.

But Lia, still worried about my condition, insisted on supporting me.

“If you collapse again, you could get seriously hurt. Please, let me do this for you, my lady.”

She insisted on supporting me from the side.

In the end, I gave in to her persistence and placed my hand on the arm she offered. As a result, our walking pace slowed down.

“As you instructed, I told the chef to put all his expertise into making the best food. You’ll be surprised when you taste it!”

On the way to the dining room, Lia chattered continuously. Not just about the meal, but also about how shocked everyone was earlier and how even the other servants had tears in their eyes.

“It would be nice if the master could join you for the meal, especially when you have an appetite for once…”

The master, of course, refers to my husband, Kyron.

“Why? I prefer eating alone.”

He’s someone who doesn’t come home often anyway, so we’re not close. It would be more awkward to eat together.

I want to enjoy the food comfortably by myself.

“Still… I wish the master could see how nice you are, even just once…”

Lia seemed more upset than I was about having an indifferent husband.

“Well. I actually prefer being alone.”

“Pardon?”

Lia was surprised by my words, which were unlike the usual Ekette.

“I mean, you don’t need to be upset about it.”

“Oh, I see.”

Lia nodded, though she seemed puzzled by my changed demeanor. But she looked even more perplexed at my next words.

“I probably won’t run into my husband much, and I don’t want to either.”

“Then, are you not going to see the master off today? You always used to…”

Today? That means Kyron is leaving today. It was the day he was departing again after being home for a few days.

When my husband leaves, this mansion will truly become my world.

The timing of my possession couldn’t be more perfect.

“See him off? No, I won’t go.”

***

Of course, I was alone in the spacious dining room. I had the entire long table, which could easily seat twelve people, all to myself.

I sat in the center of the table. An endless feast of food stretched across the table. So much so that the large table didn’t feel empty at all.

From appetizers to main dishes, the chef’s food was amazingly delicious.

Even to my palate, which was used to mediocre food in my past life, I could feel the high quality.

As expected, the Duke’s household is different.

I kept exclaiming in admiration as I focused on eating the food.

“Delicious! It’s so delicious!”

It was even better without anyone to eat with. I could enjoy it to my heart’s content without having to be mindful of anyone.

Yes, this is the life of a golden spoon.

I cleaned every plate, and soon only dessert remained.

I had especially asked for extra care with the dessert, so I was even more excited.

I wiped my mouth clean and reverently waited for the dessert.

That’s when it happened.

The door, which no one but the serving staff had entered or exited, suddenly opened.

The meal wasn’t over yet, how dare someone interrupt my meal? I ought to give them a good scolding…

…No, never mind.

The moment I saw the silhouette of the man entering through the door, I quickly canceled my decision to scold.

There was only one person in this mansion who could interrupt my mealtime.

A tall stature with a large frame filled the doorway. A presence that instantly focused the flow of the room on himself. A handsome face that anyone would give a second glance to.

Until just now, I was the sole and wealthy protagonist of this dining room, but suddenly I felt like the lead role had been stolen by a born star.

The man with a visibly muscular body approached with heavy steps. His aura felt almost intimidating.

I thought I wouldn’t have to see his face.

My husband, Kyron, briefly scanned the table and sat down across from me without much deliberation.

“How many days has it been since we last saw each other?”

So he at least remembers that I’m his wife. I was briefly worried that he might have forgotten my existence entirely and not recognize me.

I searched through Ekette’s memories.

He had returned home 3 days ago. The last time we had faced each other was when I went to greet him then.

Since then, Kyron had lived his life, and Ekette had lived hers, without once crossing paths in this large house.

It was a relationship that could hardly be called a marriage.

“It’s the first time since you returned 3 days ago.”

“I see.”

Kyron nodded with a face that showed no surprise at all.

If he can’t even remember when he last saw his wife, his interest in her must truly be approaching zero.

“I was planning to fill my stomach before leaving, but I didn’t expect you to be eating first.”

He said, looking at the empty plates in front of me.

“I’m just about to have dessert, so if you wait a little, you can eat comfortably. The chef put a lot of effort into preparing everything today, and all the dishes are delicious.”

In other words, I meant that my meal would soon be over, so it would be good if he waited outside.

It seemed it would only be uncomfortable for both of us if we sat and ate together.

We’re just a business couple anyway, so is there any need to share a meal?

However, whether out of laziness or not, Kyron didn’t leave his seat. Instead, he raised one hand to call a servant.

“Bring me something simple that I can eat quickly.”

“Yes, Master.”

He added an explanation to me as I stared at him.

“I don’t have much time as I’m about to leave soon.”

As expected, he does as he pleases.

Well, moving according to our own schedules is also a kind of business relationship, I suppose. I decided not to mind.

Since he said he was leaving soon, I was willing to endure a moment of discomfort. This would probably be the first and last time we’d face each other anyway.

Soon my dessert arrived, followed by Kyron’s simple meal.

My dessert was as splendid as I had requested earlier.

From bite-sized mini cakes to a chocolate fountain for dipping bread pieces and fruits, it was like a dessert buffet.

The fountain, which continuously spouted chocolate powered by magic, was a spectacular sight.

If Kyron hadn’t been there, I would have shed tears of joy and even applauded at the unexpected grandeur.

Kyron glanced at the chocolate fountain once, muttered “I didn’t know we had such a thing in the mansion,” and started his meal.

We focused on emptying our plates without any conversation. Of course, we didn’t waste energy asking about each other’s menus or recent happenings.

I started with the small cakes and worked my way up to the chocolate-dipped bread pieces, savoring each bite.

Meanwhile, Kyron, having finished his plate, stood up first.

“I’m busy, so I’ll leave first.”

I was grateful that he was leaving first. I was also satisfied that we hadn’t disturbed each other’s meals.

This seems like a fairly decent relationship, all things considered.

Kyron picked up his coat and was about to leave the dining room.

“Um…”

It was I who stopped him as he was about to leave. There was one thing I wanted to ask since we had met anyway.

Kyron’s sharp gaze turned towards me. His expression wasn’t pleasant, probably because I was holding up someone who was in a hurry.

“When will you return from this trip?”