Chapter 14

Alice thought about asking Daniel directly, but even if he truly believed such things, she doubted he would honestly admit it to her. Feeling stifled, Alice wrote a letter to Dorothea, expressing her desire to discuss something. Dorothea, seemingly free at the time, quickly sent a reply through a servant, and the two met the next day at a café in the city.

“What? Really?”  

Hearing what had happened to Alice, Dorothea’s eyes widened in shock.  

“Wow, I knew Daniel was sweet, but this is incredible. He went so far as to make himself bleed…”  

“…”  

“But on the very first night, there wasn’t any maiden’s blood?”  

“No… And since then, Daniel has been leaving for work early and coming home late. At night, he doesn’t even kiss me…”  

As Alice spoke, she felt as though Daniel was truly disappointed in her and distancing himself. Unconsciously, tears began welling up in her eyes. Startled, Dorothea handed her a handkerchief.  

“It’s okay! Do you really think Daniel would abandon you so easily? He’s probably just overwhelmed with work. Besides, he needs to have energy left for… you know.”  

“Do you think so?”  

Even with Dorothea’s reassurance, Alice’s worries didn’t fade. She recalled how Dorothea had once emphasized the importance of physical intimacy. After all, Alice had found Daniel’s size overwhelming, so perhaps Daniel also felt dissatisfied with her.  

“What if Daniel is avoiding me because he’s not satisfied with me?”  

Hearing Alice’s tearful voice, Dorothea, now flustered, began tugging at her own hair.  

“No, no way! Alice, there’s no way Daniel would feel that way about you. Maybe another man might, but Daniel? Never…”  

Even as she spoke, Dorothea’s voice trailed off, as if she wasn’t entirely confident. Alice, tears streaming down her face, murmured softly.  

“But these days, he doesn’t even kiss me…”  

Of course, Daniel always gave her a goodnight kiss on her cheek or forehead before bed, but to Alice, a proper kiss between a married couple was one where their soft tongues intertwined.  

Upon hearing this, Dorothea looked at Alice with a face as though she might faint. Then, as if making a decision, she grabbed Alice’s hands.  

“It’s not too late yet. How long has it even been since your wedding? Alice, if you try, you can still fix this!”  

With that, Dorothea pulled Alice out of the café and dragged her to a lingerie shop. Alice’s face turned bright red when she saw where they were headed.  

“Th-this place…”  

It was a lingerie shop well-known among the nobility. As it catered to aristocrats, it didn’t openly display provocative lingerie in the windows. Instead, sheer curtains hung near the windows, giving glimpses of the interior and stimulating one’s imagination.  

Alice knew that the lingerie sold here was extremely daring. Even the risqué lingerie the maids had dressed her in on her wedding night had come from this shop.  

Dorothea patted Alice on the back.  

“You’re a married woman now! What’s there to be embarrassed about? You need to put in the effort! Or are you going to let someone else take Daniel away?”  

“N-no!”  

The thought of anyone taking Daniel from her made Alice snap out of her hesitation. Taking a deep breath, she resolutely followed Dorothea into the lingerie shop.  

*Ding!*  

The door to the shop opened, and as Alice stepped inside, she momentarily stopped breathing at the sight in front of her. Beside her, Dorothea gasped audibly. Dorothea whispered Alice’s name in disbelief.  

“A-Alice…”  

A woman in a revealing, extravagant dress was holding a pair of provocative lingerie in both hands, seemingly deciding between them. Standing beside her, conversing, was Daniel. Alice immediately recognized the woman. It was Marie Anderson, a courtesan renowned in noble society.  

Something heavy seemed to crash down on Alice’s head. Without thinking, she called out her husband’s name.  

“…Daniel?”  

Hearing his name, Daniel turned around. When he saw Alice, his eyes widened in shock. Beside him, Marie Anderson let out a soft “Oh my” and looked at Alice.  

The most famous courtesan in the kingdom, a woman who could tempt any man at least once. She held provocative lingerie in her hands, and Daniel was helping her choose.  

Realizing what the scene before her meant, Alice fainted on the spot. The last thing she heard was Dorothea screaming in panic and Daniel shouting her name as he rushed toward her.  

‘Alice, please wake up.’ 

Daniel’s tearful voice echoed faintly in her ears. Drifting in and out of consciousness, Alice heard his voice as though in a dream.  

In the darkness, she saw Daniel, n*ked, rolling around in bed with Marie Anderson. Marie, lying beneath him, giggled, and Daniel, seemingly satisfied, smiled as he moved his hips vigorously above her. Just as he had done with Alice, he licked her body with his tongue, and Marie let out soft moans, clearly enjoying it. Watching the scene, Alice burst into tears.  

‘Daniel, please… Please don’t do this.’  

But when Daniel turned to look at her, his gaze was cold, like the look he gave other women when he rejected their advances.  

‘You pretended to be so modest, but you weren’t even pure, were you, Alice?’  

‘No, I really was! You were my first!’

‘How can I believe that? There was no trace of maiden’s blood.’

‘I-I don’t know why, but I swear you were my first…’  

‘You didn’t even enjoy kissing me, acting all prudish, yet you’re so indecent.’ 

‘No, Daniel, that’s not true!’  

‘Most of all, being with you isn’t satisfying. You feel the same, don’t you?’ 

Hearing Daniel’s icy words, Alice wept bitterly in her dream.  

‘No, Daniel, please…’

‘I don’t need you. There are plenty of other women.’  

Then, Daniel kissed Marie Anderson passionately and entered her deeply, moving his hips vigorously. Marie clung to him, letting out ecstatic cries. Watching this, Alice collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.  

When she opened her eyes, she was back in the bedroom she shared with Daniel at the Earl’s estate. Feeling her tear-soaked cheeks, Alice murmured to herself.  

“A dream…?”  

Wiping away the tears she had shed in her sleep, Alice sat up. Her body was drenched in cold sweat, likely from tossing and turning during the nightmare.