Chapter 2: 2

Chapter 2: What was your husband like? 

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The glass ashtray, which rolled on the floor after hitting Reina’s head, made contact with the wall and stopped.

Reina bowed her back as if something had happened, trying to keep herself from subconsciously covering her bleeding head.

 “Have you been looking for me?”

Fortunately, her voice came out calmly.

A soft response rang in front of her.

 “You’re late. What were you doing?”

Reina came as soon as she heard that she was called, but the refutation was absurd. 

Reina bowed her head towards the silhouette of the lady, the long hair hanging down in the darkness.

 “I’m sorry.”

Fortunately, Mrs. Hurst gave a short excuse.

 “The Marchioness was talking for a bit.”

The lady laughed.

 “Oh, really? You should have told me earlier.”

She should have given Reina a chance to speak.

It’s just a thought.

But her mouth responds faithfully.

“I’m sorry.”

Drip. Drops of blood dripped down her chin

The lady crossed her long legs and looked at Reina through the mirror.

“Pick it up.”

Reina quickly picked up the ashtray that had stopped near the wall and approached Christina’s side. 

After confirming that there was no blood, she bowed her head and handed the ashtray with her hands, but Christina clicked her tongue and pointed elsewhere.

When she turned her head to the place she pointed out, she saw the comb that had fallen on the floor.

After placing the ashtray on the table next to Christina, Reina turned around without delay and picked up the comb.

While turning around, she wiped the blood from her forehead with the black part of her sleeve.

Reina stepped back in front of Christina and politely handed the comb with her two hands.

But Christina didn’t accept it, she looked at the comb that was held out, and just raised her eyes and looked at Reina.

Under the subtle lighting of high-quality wax candles, the beautiful figure of the noble lady caught Reina’s eye.

 “…….”

Her flawless, fair skin, and brilliant golden curls of hair.

Mysterious emerald-colored eyes and long eyelashes that hung over them, as if newborn greenery were immersed in sunlight. 

Her closed red lips, with a faint smile only once in a blue moon.

She was pretty and beautiful, and it was a face that looked sensitive.

 “…….”

How did both Marchioness and Mrs. Hurst conceive the idea of setting her up as a substitute for such a person?

Although she was said to be the most beautiful among maids, Reina was a sloppy lady who could not appreciate such delicate and luxurious things.

 “…….”

Christina, looking up at Reina, turned her eyes away and looked in the mirror and said coldly.

 “The two of us will talk.”

Mrs. Hurst bowed, “Yes,” and disappeared out the door.

Until then, Christina was still looking in the mirror.

Suffocating air.

It was not until some time after the distant footsteps of the maid disappeared that Christina spoke.

 “Comb it.”

Raina answered, “Yes.” Then she moved her hand that was holding the comb towards Christina and moved it behind her. 

Then she pulled her beautiful hair out of the chair and fixed the comb. 

Gold thread-like hair fluttered through Reina’s fingers.

The candlelight penetrated through the glass ashtray that was kept on the vanity table and created a sharp pattern on it.

Five years ago.

Seventeen-year-old Christina, who refused to marry and was making a fuss, overlapped with her current appearance.

……then the Marquess threw an ashtray at her.

Come to think of it, Reina was the one who got hit by the ashtray instead.

Well, no one remembered.

“…..Would you like a hibiscus?”

Christina silently pointed her fingertips at the other perfume on her vanity table. It was anemone.

Reina picked it up.

Slowly from the bottom, careful not to let the comb pull her hair.

Reina smoothed her hair with moderately heated perfume on her fingertips and began to brush down.

Glossy hair glistened along the spot where the fingers and comb passed once.

In between came the dull voice of the lady.

 “What was your husband like?”

 “…….”

Reina’s gaze remained on Christina’s appearance in the mirror.

Without looking at Reina, Christina continued, looking at the dry flowers on the vanity table.

 “I wanted to hear it.”

 “…….”

Husband……

Reina’s memory who was standing silently holding a comb dates back to the old days.

·

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「Whoever has any objection to this marriage, raise your hand now, and if not, be silent forever.」

「 In sad and happy times, sick and healthy, not only young but also old……….」

「 Until death do you part…….」

「 Will you two vow to take each other as husband and wife, to serve, cherish, and love each other?」

「…….」

「The two of you may sign the marriage vows.」

·

·

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A night where she was trembling with fear while holding a veil.

As if hoping the darkness would cover the face of the fake bride even a little and only one candle was lit in the quiet bridal room.

She recalled Mrs. Hurst’s words not to take off the veil until the candle is completely out.

Reina grabbed her veil so tightly that her trembling hands turned white.

「…….」

If it was Miss Christina, she wouldn’t have trembled like this.

She wanted to pretend to be determined because she thought it would look suspicious, but it was not easy.

「…….」

Reina tried to forget her fears and thought about why she came here.

Her grandmother jumped into the house where the fire broke out and rescued Reina, who had fallen, and was on the verge of death.

The Julius family promised a large amount of medical expenses and a family doctor in exchange for spending the first night with the groom.

Reina could do anything if she could save her grandmother.

「…Are you afraid?」 

Reina shuddered at the voice of a man in the dark.

The man, who looked hazy over the veil, looked at Reina for a moment, smiled, and turned his head indifferently.

「…What a silly question.」

「…….」

Fortunately, in the eyes of the person who didn’t know the young lady’s face or personality, Reina seemed to be just plainly afraid of the first night.

Under the dim light that flickers uneasily.

In Reina’s heart, she hoped he didn’t recognize her and that everything would pass safely.

When he realises that she was not the ‘Lady of the Marquess’, he would get angry and want to leave the room.

Reina closed her eyes and tried to think only of her beloved grandmother.

He was silent, but after a while he spoke again.

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「…If you will」

A low voice continued quietly after a short interval.

「 I can’t put it off any longer.」

「It would be nice if I could wait a little longer.」

「 The rest of the night is short, and I don’t have time…….」

Reina was silent.

He untied the heavy clothes and some ornaments and put them down on the table, and he came up. 

Standing in front of the trembling Reina, he looked down at her for a moment.

「 Tonight, it’s going to be a little harder for you…….」

「I’ll try, but you’ll have to endure it.」

「Please bear with me.」

「I’m sorry in advance.」

At that time Reina thought that was a bit unexpected.

Reina looked up at him for the first time.

「…….」

A handsome figure and a sculptural face.

The mysterious grey eyes contained a silent burning light.

A man like a winter wolf in the snowy field was what came to her mind.

「…… I’m late in introducing myself..」

「My name is Arthur.」

「……I’m sure you saw it when you signed the vows earlier.」

As if all this were funny, he lowered his head and smiled faintly.

「You are the one who will become my wife.」

Was he joking at that time?

Or was he hoping for an obvious and lame statement?

「…….」

Reina couldn’t say anything.

It wasn’t just out of fear.

She’d better not let him hear her voice as much as possible.

Not disappointed that Reina didn’t reply to him, he calmly said it for her.

「……you don’t have to say your name.」

「…….」

The candle went out.

Tuk. 

The veil fell down helplessly at his touch.

Feeling the cool hand around her neck, 

Reina closed her eyes.

·

·

·

She thought it would be terrifying.

All it takes is one night, it’s nothing, no one pays such a high price for a maid’s first night.

She tried to comfort herself but,

Deep down, she thought she’d feel miserable, ashamed, and violated.

But he was courteous, and he was considerate of Reina at every moment. 

Lady Christina was treated so preciously.

To the point where she felt as if she had glimpsed a new world she did not know.

The point was that it wasn’t difficult.

But he treated her with such respect that she felt guilty.

…..Thanks to him, there was no major scar left in Reina’s heart.

·

·

·

 “…….”

Reina, who returned to reality, moved her hand that had stopped for a moment, brushing the lady’s hair a couple of times and opening her mouth.

 “He’s….”

After a brief pause, Reina continued.

 “Quite handsome.”

“…….”

Christina, who was sitting like a statue, looked at Reina in the mirror coldly.

She had cold eyes as if she were saying, ‘Do you think I called you to hear that?’

Reina smiled faintly and looked at Christina’s face from the mirror.

 “……Don’t worry too much. He wasn’t such a bad man.”

 “…….”

Christina did not answer.

Reina began to talk quietly, while gently brushing her hair.

* * * 

After her time with Christina… 

Mrs. Hurst, who was waiting outside the door, called Reina separately and confirmed the guesses that she had.

She also said that she would leave the mansion quietly for a while without making nonsense remarks to others and they would give double the weekly wage when she comes back.

What was unexpected was that she added that they would extend the care of Reina’s grandmother, which was originally promised only this year, by five more years.

Surprised, Reina opened her eyes wide and covered her mouth with her hands.

“Thank you…… Thank you!”

Reina, who bowed to Mrs. Hurst several times with a look of emotion, happily withdrew from the closed door of Christina’s bedroom.

* * * 

It was around dawn when Reina returned to the maid’s attic.

It was the time for all the maids to get their backs up and go to work, who would have barely slept in at dawn.

A small sunlight was just coming through the window of the narrow attic where there were always beds. 

Reina leaned against the closed door and smiled as she confirmed she was alone in the attic.

“Ahhh—hap…..”

Then she raised her arms behind her back, stretched, yawned, and moved her feet toward her bed.

She wouldn’t even work, but she would get double the money…… It was a random blunder.

She was supposed to only see the people who took care of her grandmother until the end of the year, but they would care for her grandmother for five more years.

She had prepared a lot in preparation for the loss of support, but this gave her much more room.

Maybe she’d be able to find an old house on the beach sooner or later with the money she had prepared.

‘I should go see my grandmother tomorrow.’

She thought so, but she changed her plan to take a good rest for a day.

The bed was pulling her tired body, which had not been fully rested for even five hours each night for two days.

Reina rubbed her tired eyes, thinking that she should close them before the maids came back.

…….Would it be okay to leave for about a month?

There wasn’t a lot of luggage, either..….

‘I’ll just pack my things to take home and rest.’

Reina squatted in front of her bed and started organising her luggage.

Tuk—

Her hand, which was organising her luggage, brushed against the filing cabinet, and the lid was slightly dislocated and opened.

Reina’s gaze stopped at the scrapbooks that stuck out through the opening.

 “…….”

Newspapers that have faded yellow over the years.

Touching the old, soft corners with her hands, Reina, who counted the time buried there, smiled.

One night husband.

I really resented you during the month of cleaning the mansion, but now I’m happy thanks to you.

Thank you for the last present.

I hope you’re happy to be back.

Your former wife.

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