Chapter 2: You Are Being Childish, Alexis

—Vroom.

The black car sped along the unpaved road with a powerful roar of its engine.

Eloise gazed listlessly out the window.

“Is it really all right to leave like this, my lady?”

Luria, who had volunteered to serve as her personal maid, asked, but Eloise merely smiled once before turning her indifferent gaze back to the window.

Although it was an arranged marriage between nations, their meeting had been rather modest. To the point of seeming slapdash.

Yet the newspapers of both countries that carried their story the following morning painted a different picture. Their arranged marriage made the headlines and drew public attention.

At the same time, Eloise left home as quickly as possible and departed for the Marquis of Rasterian’s estate. The three days Alexis had given her left little time, and her wish as a widow to fade from people’s memories remained unchanged.

“His Grace and the young lord must be disappointed. You are leaving so suddenly.”

At Luria’s words, she recalled the faces of her father and older brother, who had remained appalled until her departure. She had been the one to restrain them as they raged and declared that they would speak to the king. No, she had really only dissuaded them.

No…… perhaps…… it would be more accurate to say she expected nothing from them.

They were indecisive men who would barely be able to speak once they stood before the king anyway. Thinking back to her first marriage, she had already experienced that side of them enough.

“It is all right. They will understand. They have to. More than that, I am worried about you.”

Eloise took Luria’s hand as she spoke.

“I worry that I have taken you away from your home simply because you have no family. If you follow me…… you will have to spend the rest of your life in a foreign land.”

At those words, Luria smiled brightly and held Eloise’s hand tightly.

“You are my family, my lady. You took me in when I was an orphan with nowhere to go, and you have cared for me without ever saying a harsh word. I am happier to be able to stay with you, since you would otherwise be alone in a foreign land.”

Luria, whom she had known since childhood, comforted her as gently as ever.

Feeling warmth in her heart, Eloise smiled back.

“My only regret is that I could not attend you during your first marriage as well.”

At Luria’s next words, Eloise’s breath suddenly caught. Feeling as though all the blood were draining from her body, she hurriedly withdrew her hand before it could begin to tremble. Then she smiled once and quickly turned her gaze toward the window. Breathing quietly to calm herself, she closed her eyes.

Unlike her anxiously trembling eyelids, the sunlight outside illuminated the road with dazzling brightness.

“My lady, we will arrive at the marquis’s mansion shortly.”

At the driver’s words, Eloise, who had dozed off briefly, opened her eyes.

They were arriving much earlier than she had expected. It was all thanks to the Peyron Bridge that the House of Rodiana had built across the ravine. That immense, imposing structure was the greatest achievement of the ducal House of Rodiana. The greatest bridge on the continent of Gruel.

Had they traveled around the ravine without using the bridge, they would have barely made it to Robitan in time.

“Father and my brother certainly accomplished something remarkable.”

Even as she spoke of her family’s greatest achievement, Eloise murmured indifferently, as though it had nothing to do with her.

Just then, the enormous mansion of the House of Marquis Rasterian began to appear in the distance.

“That is……”

His home, where Alexis had grown up.

Swallowing the rest of her words, Eloise straightened in her seat. As the distance narrowed, the tension she was trying not to show tightened around her body.

“Um, my lady. I do not see anyone coming to greet us.”

The driver, Austin, sounded bewildered. Just as he said, there was no one waiting in front of the mansion to welcome her. Instead, some servants who had been moving about outside spotted their car and hurried inside in surprise.

‘I certainly sent word.’

“It is all right. Go in. Once they see a guest has arrived, someone will come out.”

Already doubtful about this marriage, she did not raise her voice, as though she had resigned herself.

Finally, the hesitant Austin drove toward the main entrance.

—Honk.

After sounding the horn once and stopping the car, he climbed out and announced Eloise’s arrival.

“Lady Eloise Rodiana, daughter of the Duke of Rodiana of Arcadia, has arrived.”

Yet there was still no response. Having removed his hat, Austin clutched it and anxiously looked back and forth between the car and the front door.

How long had passed? At last, there was a sound from inside, and the door opened.

“Ah, my apologies. We neglected to notice that a guest had arrived. I am Robert, head butler of the House of Marquis Rasterian. We are not yet prepared to receive guests. Would you please wait a little longer?”

Thirty minutes had passed since their arrival.

How could they leave the daughter of a foreign duke outside like this, especially when she would soon become the mistress of this mansion?

As Austin looked incredulous, the mansion’s front door closed firmly once more before he could respond.

“Wh-what kind of people are these……?”

At such unimaginable treatment, he placed a hand on his hip and clicked his tongue in disbelief.

“Are they really going to keep us waiting like this? This is absurd! How dare they? Do they not know who you are? What sort of rudeness is this toward their future mistress? I must go and confront them.”

Seeing Luria roll up her sleeves, Eloise caught her arm and shook her head bitterly.

“But, my lady!”

“Let us wait. There must be a reason. I would rather not raise our voices at our very first meeting.”

Despite Luria’s uncomprehending expression, Eloise simply closed her eyes and rested her head against the car door.

The marriage, and the fact that her partner was Alexis. It was all more than she could bear.

‘Is this retribution? For having treated him so heartlessly……’

Eloise’s hands tightened in her lap.

‘Tell me why.’

‘I told you. I do not like you anymore. So let us end things cleanly here.’

‘Do you mean it? Do you really mean that? I cannot believe those words. No, I will not believe them!’

Ripples stirred in his unusual, beautiful blue-gray eyes.

His long, slender fingers, drained of color, trembled as they slipped through her hair and cupped her cheek. She had never felt his hands so cold before, and goosebumps rose along her spine.

‘Do not do this, Eloise. Did I do something wrong? Then I will beg your forgiveness. Is there something you dislike? Then I will change it. I will do anything. Anything you tell me to do. So please…… do not lie and say you no longer like me. Please do not do that.’

His tears, his desperation, felt through their touching foreheads, stirred the urge to uncover the true feelings she had buried deep in her heart and throw herself into his arms.

No.

Feeling the pain of her nails digging into her flesh, she pushed his chest away with an indifferent hand.

‘You really insist on having your way until the very end, do you not? Your voice irritates me. It irritates me to death. Do you understand?’

‘……What?’

‘The way you say whatever you please because you feel like it, the way you call my name. The things you say while refusing to accept reality, thinking whatever you want and sniveling! I do not want to hear any of it. I do not want to hear your whining voice anymore! Do you understand, Alexis?’

As he slowly stepped backward with disbelieving eyes, her hand kept wanting to reach for him. So she only tightened her grip on her innocent skirt.

‘I do not even want to hear you breathe. Let us stop now. It is over.’

“Mm!”

Eloise suddenly trembled involuntarily and opened her eyes wide.

Her heart was pounding madly, and she turned pale as she clutched her chest.

“My lady? Are you all right?”

Feeling as though she might collapse at any moment, Eloise held the hand Luria offered and spent a long time steadying her breathing.

‘It is still as vivid as though it happened yesterday.’

She barely suppressed a hollow laugh.

She had chosen it herself. What good would regret do now, and whom could she blame?

“I must have fallen asleep and had a nightmare. Thank you, Luria. I am all right now.”

Gradually calming down, she gave a faint smile, but Luria still looked anxious. Making an effort to ignore it, Eloise looked outside and found that the sun had almost set.

Had they left her outside all this time?

“Has no one come out again?”

“No, but…… His Lordship seems to have returned home. A car went in over there earlier.”

“……Is that so?”

‘He must have seen my car when he returned, yet he did nothing.’

It was truly one bitter smile after another.

Considering what she had done to him, perhaps she should accept even this as retribution.

But for the sake of Luria and Austin, her people, she could no longer remain still.

“Luria, let us go.”

“Pardon?”

Eloise opened the door and stepped out first. Austin, who had been dozing, also startled awake and hurried after her with the luggage.

Just as she approached the door and was about to knock, it opened as though someone had been expecting her.

“You have waited a long time. Allow me to show you inside, my lady.”

Robert, the head butler, greeted her with impeccable courtesy.

Eloise gave an incredulous laugh at his absurd behavior and nodded.

“My driver and maid must be exhausted. Please show them to their rooms and have a generous meal sent to each of them. And His Lordship has returned home, has he not?”

“Yes, he has. His Lordship instructed me to show you to your room……”

“No. I must see His Lordship.”

As he led her toward the study, Robert found himself wondering about the marquis’s new mistress of the house following behind him.

Her skin was exceptionally fair and delicate. The straight bridge of her nose and her red lips accentuated her beauty. Moreover, her unusually deep, clear green eyes, like gemstones, were striking.

From his sidelong glances, she showed none of the obsession with aristocratic dignity or status that her splendid noble appearance might suggest. If she had, she would not have quietly endured being left outside like that. Yet her request to be shown to His Lordship’s room had been full of dignity. The kind belonging to a noble whom a subordinate dared not defy.

‘What could have happened between them for His Lordship to order that someone like her be treated so poorly……?’

No, what puzzled him in the first place was that his master was not a man who would give such an order. Robert and his family had served the House of Marquis Rasterian for generations, and given the family’s nature, an order to mistreat another person was unimaginable.

While he pondered these things, they reached the study, and Robert hesitated. Alexis had said he would not face that woman before the wedding, no matter what happened.

“Um…… perhaps it would be best if you simply went to your room and rested after your journey……”

“I will take responsibility.”

“Pardon?”

When Robert looked at her in surprise, Eloise continued.

“I am the one who wishes to see His Lordship, so I will do my utmost to ensure that you suffer no consequences. If anything should happen nonetheless, my House of Rodiana will take responsibility and compensate you. So please do not worry.”

With those words, Eloise stood before the door. Then, just as she was about to knock, she simply flung it open.

“Who is entering my study without announcing……?”

Looking startled, Alexis spotted Eloise coming through the door and frowned.

“You may go.”

Eloise spoke quietly and closed the door.

“Robert should have shown you to your room. Why have you come to my study? And entering without even knocking—have you already forgotten your manners, Lady Rodiana?”

“I arrived before noon. And now the day is over. I spent more than six whole hours in the car. You were the one who forgot your manners first, Alexis.”

At her words, Alexis gave an incredulous snort.

“So you intend to take revenge?”

“No, revenge is too grand a word. Considering what I went through, I thought I could at least dispense with knocking.”

After glaring coldly at her for a while, Alexis returned his gaze to the documents he had been signing.

“You made such a tremendous fuss that I thought you would not come, yet you managed to crawl in after all. Should I get on my knees and thank you for agreeing to marry me?”

“Do not be sarcastic. I know I have no other alternative now. I only came to ask you to look after my people. They are good people. They will work hard to adjust to this place, so please treat them well. That is all I need.”

Alexis listened silently, then gave a short laugh. As though asking whether she ever thought about anyone else.

Feeling the full meaning behind it, Eloise quietly clenched her hands.

“That will depend on how they and you conduct yourselves.”

She felt suffocated.

She was not accustomed to conversations so openly hostile. Nor had she ever imagined Alexis would be the one speaking to her this way.

The uncomfortable atmosphere seemed to weigh increasingly upon everything in the room.

“The wedding will be held at three in the afternoon the day after tomorrow, at the church owned by the House of Rasterian. Ah, I have already chosen the dress. You have no attachment to this marriage anyway, so you will not mind throwing on just anything, will you?”

Why?

Although his words were clearly unjust, guilt surged over her before anger or resentment.

His blade-like words saddened her more than they hurt.

Foolishly.

“Yes, I do not mind. I am sure you chose well.”

At those words, Alexis felt his insides twist even further.

What? What was it about that woman that allowed her to remain so calm even at such insulting words? Why was he the only one so furious he could hardly bear it?

“Leave. I have work piling up, so stop disturbing me.”

“All right.”

Watching Eloise answer obediently and turn away, Alexis barely restrained his boiling anger as he called out.

“From now on, address me formally. Ah, but I suppose I shall continue speaking informally. You must find listening to me terribly unpleasant, so I should finish speaking as quickly as possible.”

At those words, Eloise stopped on her way out. After standing there for some time with her back rigidly straight, she nodded.

“Yes, I shall do so, Your Lordship, the Marquis of Rasterian.”

—Click.

As Alexis silently glared at the closed door, his breathing grew increasingly harsh. Finally, seething, he swept everything off his desk in a fit of temper.

—Crash!

Documents, an ink bottle, and everything else clattered to the floor.

“Do not let the past control you. Stop behaving like a fool! Alexis Rasterian……!”

Muttering those words, he covered his eyes with his hand.

‘Alexis.’

That tender voice he had once struggled so desperately to escape echoed faintly in his ears.

“D*mn…… d*mn…… d*mn it!”

—Bang!

Blood flowed from the hand he had slammed mercilessly against the desk.