C9
Bianca stopped several times on her way to Zachary's room, wondering if she was going in the right direction, since it was a place she rarely visited.
When he finally reached his door, he discovered that it was ajar. She could hear the sound of servants moving through the crack. It seemed that they were busy helping her lord who had returned for the first time in a long time.
Bianca gave several graceful knocks on the door. It would be impolite of her to walk in unannounced, regardless of whether the door is open or not.
-Who…? Mrs?
Vincent frowned as he opened the doors and discovered the unexpected visitor. Bianca was not surprised. Although Vincent couldn't hide her worried expression, she remained unperturbed, not even raising an eyebrow, and asked in a low voice.
-Count?
"He's getting ready to bathe," Vincent replied dryly.
Every time Zachary returned from the war, the first thing he did after entering his castle was take a bath. It was a habit, something that never broke. Vincent found it ridiculous that Bianca, the wife of his master, was unaware of that fact. He only further cemented the butler's opinion that she had absolutely no interest in her husband.
"I am here because I have something I would like to discuss with the earl."
Bianca felt a small sense of relief as her voice came out steady without a single tremor.
Bianca suddenly asked to see Zachary it was an event similar to sunrise in the west. Vincent's eye flicked over to Bianca as the latter pretended not to be bothered by her openly suspicious look at her, only casually lifting her chin. Her heart was beating rapidly in her chest in fear of how things would play out.
No matter how hesitant he was, Vincent was not in a position where he could hinder the lady of the house. Having no other choice, he let Bianca in.
"Please wait a moment, I'll go and notify the lord."
-Okay.
The butler disappeared, leaving Bianca alone in the room. Her trembling hands reflected how anxious she felt. She was able to hide her hands with her sleeves, but she couldn't do anything to keep her legs from moving from side to side.
Zachary's room was much larger and wider than hers, but it was also much emptier. The walls had no particular decorative design, the curtains were plain, and the carpet was generic and drab. The only items in the room that could be called decorations were a tapestry bearing Arno's crest and a few weapons hanging on the walls.
Thanks to the servants who had worked diligently to prepare the room, the fireplace was already burning. It might have been because Bianca had been continually tense and nervous since morning, but it only took a second for her attention to waver and be stolen by the flickering embers of the burning firewood.
A deep voice belonging to a man interrupted his thoughts.
“It's been a while.
Startled, Bianca turned her head. Standing tall as a mountain by the door was her husband, Zachary of Arno.
He had thick eyebrows and sharp eyes that always seemed clear and unflinching. The high bridge of her nose matched her self-esteem while her tightly closed lips reflected her reserved personality. The expression on her face seemed as if he was looking at an enemy leader instead of his wife.
Was he 29 now? Bianca had died at the age of 38, so Zachary was actually much younger than the age Bianca had lived. He was at the height of his youth and yet he barely gave off the feeling of youth. It was the result of Zachary's years of experience far exceeding his actual age.
Of all the distinguished noblemen who made themselves, Zachary was the cream of society. Born the second son of the Hugues family and unable to inherit his father's title or territory, he was left with only two options. Zachary without hesitation picked up a sword and chose the path of a knight, setting out on the battlefield at the age of 16.
That was what it meant to be 16 years old; it was an age when one was recognized as an adult. The men were kicked out of their homes, the women were sold to other families, and most of the children still left in the house were dispersed before they reached that age. The only one who could stay was the heir. The other exception was ladies belonging to powerful families who did not need to be involved in matrimonial business.
16 was also Bianca's current age.
While Zachary had taken up his sword at this age, Bianca…
Bianca interrupted his train of thought as continuing alone would further complicate his mind. After a simple glance, she realized that Zachary's current outfit was much lighter than the heavy armor she used to wear.
He wore a simple tunic and pants, as well as leather boots. The silver-gray hair that covered half of her forehead seemed a bit damp. It seemed that she had intruded in the middle of her bath.
"Am I interrupting your bath?"
“I still have to start.
His voice was flat. Zachary was always a man of few words. Not only was he one of those who never talked about trivial matters, but he also didn't talk much about things that were necessary. It seemed almost impossible to have emotional exchanges with him, much less try to get any minor information from him.
Creeaak.
The door behind Zachary closed, probably the servants leaving so as not to interrupt the couple's conversation. Bianca swallowed a drink, her slender neck trembling slightly. The only ones left in the room now were her and Zachary.
Zachary pushed himself away from the door frame and took a step, then another, into the room. But instead of stopping directly in front of Bianca, he stopped some distance away.
No doubt, it was a distance that one used to watch the other while waiting for the opportunity to attack. At that moment, it looked like a predator circling its prey, and of course the prey was none other than Bianca.
Zachary looked at her. Though Bianca wanted to turn away from her piercing dark pupils, she couldn't. Showing fear would only take credibility away from what she needed to say. Noticing her stiff expression reflected in the window, she Bianca transformed her features and performed an act of bravado.
Zachary was the one who broke the silence.
"What brings you here all of a sudden?"
-What do you mean? It is natural for the lady of the house to find her husband who has returned home from the war.
Despite jokingly responding with a forced smile, Bianca was well aware that she was, in fact, out of line with their relationship. Her ears turned red at this embarrassing and awkward situation, completely sympathizing with how surprised Zachary must be at her abrupt visit.
"It must be something urgent."
She bit her lip at his tone which seemed to be expressing that she wouldn't have come looking for him if it wasn't urgent. She was able to get a better understanding of what he thought of her the more he talked.
The discord in their relationship was greater than he thought and it seemed that it would not be easy to fix. But if she were to see it from another perspective with the roles reversed, Bianca would likely build higher walls around her heart if Zachary came to her and suddenly acted like Fernand. That's how suspicious this situation seemed.
“…I'm just here to greet you and see how you're doing.
Bianca answered patiently, clenching her fists tightly.
-Exactly.
Zachary didn't even blink once. His gaze was focused as if he was trying to figure out his intentions.
“It really must be something urgent if it's to the extent that you're asking me about my well-being, right?
His voice came out monotonously, but the sarcasm mixed in his words was as sharp as protruding nails. Every word that left her lips only attacked her, as if they were asking "You haven't been interested in me all this time, so why now?"
Bianca knew that her sudden visit would not be welcome. Everything that happened so far was within her expectations, but she still felt her tongue harden and her heart pound in her chest. She felt as if she had stones in her mouth. She took several breaths trying to calm down as she contemplated how she could lighten her mood.
But Zachary didn't give him time to do it and added.
"There must be something you want, right?" If that's the case, you can let Vincent know.
-That's not. Only me…
Bianca pursed her lips, unable to easily express what she wanted to say. She didn't know what she would have to say for him to listen to her without misunderstandings. Grasping the fabric of her dress, the bones of her slender and pale fingers stood out noticeably.
For now, she had no choice but to remain adamant, regardless of whether he believed her or not. Even if they both knew her words were lies.
Bianca forced a smile on her pale face. It was likely that she seemed awkward and strange to others, but this was the best she could do for now.
"...You just got back from the war, right?" As your wife, she is expected to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment