The Villain's Sickly Wife Dislikes Being Overprotected - Chapter 3.8

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“I know, right? It’s annoying that there are more rooms to clean.”

It seemed like the hotel staff in charge of room management were talking. They were speaking in hushed voices.

“So, is that rumor true? The one about the Duchess clinging on to get married?”

I sensed that their conversation was drifting towards gossip about me. Ekette was often subjected to such talk.

It was one thing to face disdain from the nobles in social circles, but to be disrespected even by the staff of the hotel I was staying at.

I bit my lip bitterly.

“What? There’s such a rumor?”

“You didn’t know? It’s famous.”

“I didn’t know!”

“Then don’t tell me you didn’t know that the Duchess is from a Viscount family?”

“Eh, really?”

“And it’s from a really backward countryside. I heard it’s a family that’s barely different from commoners. A family with nothing.”

“And she became a Duchess?”

“Yes. She was extremely lucky.”

What, I’m lucky?

At that moment, I couldn’t hold back any longer.

“You say I’m lucky when I have to hear such things from people who don’t even know me?”

I flung open the door that had been slightly ajar.

“Eek!”

The two staff members who had been quietly gossiping about me were startled.

Ah, I should have brought a magic recording device on this trip. Then I could have presented irrefutable evidence.

I stepped out of the room and advanced towards them, one step at a time.

“Do I look happy now? Do I look lucky, having become a Duchess despite being from a family with nothing?”

The two staff members turned pale.

“We’re sorry, Duchess! We didn’t know you could hear…”

The two hurriedly bowed their waists and then ran away as if escaping.

‘Running away?’

I laughed dejectedly, feeling dumbfounded.

“Haha…”

We’re trapped in this small building and can’t even go out, do they think running away will solve anything?

Their belief was so stupid that I just stared blankly in the direction they had disappeared.

“Oh? Madam?”

At that moment, Lia, who happened to be passing by, quickly approached me.

“Why are you out here? Is there something you’re uncomfortable with?”

“No, nothing’s uncomfortable. I was just bored and thought I’d chat with you about anything. If you’re not busy with something else, let’s have a chat.”

Even at my suggestion to chat, Lia examined my complexion.

“Are you alright, Madam? Did something happen?”

She looked in the direction I had been staring at until just now.

“It’s nothing, Lia. I just want to have a fun conversation with you.”

When I smiled at her, Lia’s face finally brightened.

“I’m so happy that you treat me so kindly, Madam.”

“I’m so glad to have you.”

How fortunate I am to have at least one person who truly cares for me, unlike those who just spread words without knowing the details.

In my lonely life, she was my only support and friend.

I swallowed a bitter smile as I returned to the room with Lia.

The day was passing without being able to take a single step outside the hotel.

I spent time in the room with Lia, Allis, and Hanna, a hotel staff member who had recently become friends with Lia.

Most of the time passed with Allis unraveling her stories.

While Allis chattered away, Lia groomed my hair and massaged my shoulders. During meals, we ate the hotel’s food and the soup Allis had brought.

“By the way, I’m worried about the night.”

“Why?”

“It’ll be hard for all the staff to sleep cramped together, and if we sleep in rooms without the fireplace lit, we might freeze to death.”

This was Hanna, the hotel staff member, speaking.

She had been kind and friendly to me all day today.

She even made and brought drinks, and brought a chess board in case I got bored. She even had the sense to interrupt when Allis’s stories got too long.

While there were staff in this hotel who talked about me behind my back, there were also kind staff like Hanna.

“You’re right, it’s worrying.”

Most of the hotel staff and our servants were in the lobby. As the hotel owner had said, the only fireplaces that were lit were in my room, Kyron’s room, and the lobby. The staff areas were naturally cold.

Since the staff and servants couldn’t spend time in our rooms, they naturally all gathered in the lobby.

“Wait. I’ll talk to the owner here about a solution.”

I left the room and headed to the lobby.

The lobby was stuffy as if showing a determination not to let anyone catch a cold.

Staff were squeezed onto sofas that were originally for visitors, and some were even sitting on the floor.

They were either chatting or playing chess.

The hotel owner happened to be there too.

He noticed me and immediately approached.

“Is there something wrong, Madam? Is there anything you’re uncomfortable with?”

The hotel owner asked politely.

“I’m worried about tonight, so I think we need to talk.”

“What part are you worried about? We’ll address it right away.”

His immediate response to address the issue was reassuring.

“All these people can’t sleep in the lobby, can they? And there are even more when you count those working in the kitchen right now.”

The hotel owner nodded in agreement to my words.

“You’re right. I’m worried about that too. So I was considering heating one more room at night.”

“That could be a solution, but we don’t know how many days we’ll be trapped here, and we need to save firewood as much as possible… How about letting some female staff, servants, and Allis sleep in my room for now?”

“Pardon?”

The owner’s eyes widened.

Naturally, it was extremely rare for nobles to share rooms with commoners. Had such a thing happened even once in the empire in the past hundred years?

“Madam, that’s…”

The owner trailed off, seemingly finding it difficult to answer.

“I don’t want to face frozen staff when I wake up tomorrow morning. You can understand that, can’t you?”

I pushed a bit harder.

“That’s true, but…”

“Ekette, what are you saying?”

The response came not from the hotel owner, but from behind me. The voice that reached my ears was Kyron’s.

When did he start listening to me again?

Kyron approached, glaring at me. He seemed angry after hearing my words.

“You’re saying you’ll share a room with commoners? Do you think that’s possible? Besides, there’s only one bed in your room.”

“We can put cots in the empty space.”

He made an expression of disbelief.

“This is nonsense. You’re a Duchess.”

“Even you would share a space with knights and common soldiers in urgent battle situations, wouldn’t you? This is a comparable disaster situation.”

As I countered, Kyron sighed.

I had come on this trip as he wished, but I didn’t want to do everything his way here too. I was prepared to refute whatever Kyron said.

But… I was taken aback by the unexpected words that came out of Kyron’s mouth.

“If you’re so set on letting them sleep in your room, then you leave that room.”

Leave…?

What is this…?

“You can sleep in my room.”

What?

It was something I never imagined. I, who was about to argue point by point, lost my words and opened my mouth.

“I can’t stand you sharing a room with just anyone.”

I couldn’t find a rebuttal to his words. My mind had momentarily stopped.

“You’re saying I should use your room?”

Even though I knew I had heard correctly, I couldn’t help but ask again.

“Yes.”

End of Volume 1