I remember that they also had affection for their wives, but they were doing useless things.
Whenever I sit at a table with older ladies, the topic that inevitably comes up is my husband’s ‘mistress’.
Their self-deprecating lamentations about where they live and what they buy with other men’s money have always been a hot potato. Hermia, who had heard it so many times that it was hard to believe, could not help but be skeptical about marriage.
Unfortunately, there wasn’t much that the inexperienced Nora could say to Hermia.
Nora, who had been staring blankly at the table, spoke as best she could.
“It might be inappropriate advice for someone like me who isn’t even married, but I think you should avoid giving up before you even start. That’s a defeatist mindset.”
Defeat… What? Hermia, barely able to swallow the words that were about to burst out, hesitated for a moment before asking.
“…Would you do the same, Your Majesty?”
“What?”
“I have a sense of responsibility, so I won’t divorce you, but you’ll meet another woman.”
“If it were a normal twenty-two-year-old, I would say, well, but if it were a man named Walter Rockford… … .”
Nora hesitated for a moment before shrugging her shoulders.
“If I were Miss Hermia, I think I would believe it at least once.”
* * *
If Walter had been old and ugly, he would have been able to settle down in the duke’s castle and live comfortably, regardless of whether he met another woman or not.
The man walking from afar seemed to glow with his own light even in the darkened sky. Could it be that the curse was making his body glow?
How could that be? Fortunately, Hermia was able to discern that much, so she decided to admit it.
‘I like that man’s face and body. Externally, the duke is perfect.’
“Have you been waiting long?”
As Walter approached, I could smell both soap and a masculine skin scent.
‘The low voice and the smell are good too.’
Accepting it obediently made her feel much more at ease. Hermia shook her head, hoping that his favor would last a long time.
“I didn’t wait long, I waited, I came out ten minutes ago.”
In the morning, Gerard was taken back by the attendant who had come to pick him up from the palace, and Walter was said to have trained with the soldiers and had lunch and dinner at the official residence. Thanks to this, Hermia was able to enjoy a sumptuous feast alone in the guest room today.
After dinner, I felt heavy and decided to take a light walk in the garden, but it seems Emily reported this to the Duke.
I was just about to leave after finishing my preparations for the walk early when I heard the message that I should go out together after washing up. Hermia quickly changed the subject.
“Starting tomorrow, we’ll eat together at the restaurant. My muscle pain has also improved a lot. Thank you for your consideration.”
“That’s fortunate.”
Walter smiled softly as he spoke. Hermia noticed that his face, which suited her perfectly, looked a little different than usual.
His ebony hair was soaking wet, as if he hadn’t dried it enough. With his bangs down, he felt a refreshing, boyish vibe.
The garden in front of the main building was bright even in the evening thanks to dozens of streetlights. She walked slowly, feeling the lukewarm breeze blowing in from time to time.
I was feeling awkward for some reason and was just looking at the picturesque garden when Walter spoke to me.
“I’m sorry about earlier.”
He was talking about what happened in the study. Somehow, the tension rose rapidly.
“I’m sorry for being rude… … .”
“No, no, it’s okay. I get dizzy sometimes too.”
“Dizziness… … . Yes. I think that’s what it was.”
Walter tried to brush it off as if he thought it would be better that way.
“… … .”
“… … .”
And then both of them were silent.
Hermia racked her brain, remembering a time when she had taken a walk along the lakeside with Frederick.
‘I don’t know why women want to go out so much in the spring. All it does is blow pollen and make your shoes dirty. I’d like to invite you to my villa next time. I’m sure you’ll like it, Miss Hermia. I’ve got a few paintings hanging there by famous artists… Oh, and do you know how to read? I especially like nudes, and not in a strange way, but from an artistic point of view… ‘
You were quite good at talking by yourself.
Now, the opportunity to go to Frederick’s villa and see the paintings of naked people was gone, but I didn’t regret it at all because I had no interest in the first place. Even if I had liked the paintings, it would have been the same.
She felt so awkward that she could feel the movement of her joints, so she decided to repeat what Frederick had been mumbling.
“Does your highness like to go for walks?”
“Sometimes when I have something to think about, I go out and take a walk.”
“I see. Do you have a villa by any chance?”
“I didn’t buy it, but my family owns a few villas. If there’s a place you want to visit… … .”
“How many do you have?”
“… … .”
“Do you like drawing?”
“It’s not my hobby, but I went to a few exhibitions when I was young. If there’s a piece of work I like, I’ll buy it for you… … .”
“It’s not your hobby.”
Walter answered vaguely and looked down at Hermia, who was thinking deeply about the next question, and then he burst out laughing without realizing it.
“It seems like I’m being interrogated.”
“I see. You like being interrogated… Huh?”
Hermia was startled and shook her hands and head wildly.
“This is not an interrogation!”
“It’s okay. I was going to do it too.”
“That’s really not true… … .”
“Let’s give and take fairly.”
She stared blankly at Walter’s face as he spoke cheerfully.
Maybe it’s because she’s lowering her head, but I can’t take my eyes off her lips that draw a nice curve.
A guy who is my perfect type smiles at me. And he seems to like me quite a bit.
What would it feel like to kiss this man?
‘It’s crazy. It’s crazy.’
The curiosity that suddenly rose quickly subsided. He was obviously a conservative man, but if a woman made the first move… … .
As the image of Walter’s disgusted face came to mind, he naturally imagined himself being mercilessly kicked out of the duke’s castle.
If I open my mouth here, I’ll definitely say something that’ll make you faint. Let’s think of something else quickly. I can’t become a pervert.
Hermia bit the flesh inside her mouth, afraid that the foul words would spill out.
“This time, I will ask the question.”
“Yes! Okay!”
Walter hesitated for a moment before asking, seeing her respond actively.
“What is your favorite food?”
“I eat everything without being picky. Oh, I found out after coming here, but I don’t think I like Seokhwa.”
He nodded calmly, having enjoyed petrification periodically. Petrification was now permanently excluded from the table.
“What is your favorite color?”
“Hmm. Black? Blue?”
Walter was silent for a moment, as it was a bit unexpected for a woman whose hair and face were all dazzling white to be her favorite color.
“I like it when the weather doesn’t show much.”
“okay.”
“What about your highness?”
“Is that you?”
He answered as if he was possessed, looking at her innocently blinking eyes.
“…blue is the best.”
“okay.”
Hermia laughed playfully, mimicking Walter’s stiff tone.
“But why did you become a soldier, Duke? You’re rich enough to spend your whole life living off of leisure.”
At some point, the questioner changed, but that wasn’t a bad thing. He, who had always been in charge, even felt excited.
Walter had to pause again for an answer, as he had never thought about why he became a soldier.
“There is no special reason. When I was born, both my grandfather and father were soldiers, and when I came to my senses, I entered military academy.”
“Wasn’t there anything else you wanted to do besides being a soldier? My father has failed in every business he’s ever done, and now he’s even aiming to become a politician.”
He crossed his arms and thought about it quite seriously.
“What I wanted to do… … . Now that I think about it, when I was very young, I think I wanted to be an adventurer exploring the New World like Robin.”
“Who is Robin?”
“ah.”
He was at a loss for words at the question that came back so calmly. My fiancée somehow had a knack for making me speechless.
“… is the main character of the book.”
“A book?”
“It is a fairy tale about a boy named Robin wearing a red hat who goes on an adventure alone and adds companions to his group.”
It was so old and famous that everyone knew it. I thought I should keep that saying buried for the rest of my life.
“The Duke is wearing a red hat. Haha. It doesn’t suit him.”
Hermia laughed out loud. He was much more suited to being a conqueror leading an army on horseback than a wanderer.
Walter sat her down on a white bench in the middle of the path and sat down next to her.
“If you’re bored while you’re here, I can show you around the central library. My grandfather is a book collector, so there are more books there than in most libraries. There’s also ‘Little Red Riding Hood’, which I read when I was little.”
“Then there’s also the thief Youngae?”
Gerard had brought something, but he shook his head and pretended not to see it.
“There is classical literature that contains love stories.”
“It’s a classic… … .”
“I don’t really recommend it because it contains provocative content that is out of date.”
“… … !”
It was dirty. Hermia promised herself that she would definitely see it when she had the chance.
By the way, ‘Thief Young-ae’. It was a joke, but my heart suddenly feels heavy, as if I suddenly remembered all the laundry that had piled up. And I’m also concerned about Mel who disappeared.
She began the story cautiously.
“Hey… I heard that Mr. Isaac took the train.”
Walter asked, knowing that Hermia would be curious and having the head butler relay the news.
“Do you know anything more about doctors?”
“I’ve only seen him once. The butler from the count’s house took him to the hospital. He needed to make sure the child he was bringing was healthy and not sick.”
“… … .”
“When I said I didn’t have any money, he said that he didn’t accept money from customers coming from Bansenga. I still remember the look on Mr. Isaac’s face at that time. He looked very sad.”
“That was when Melissa went missing.”
“Now that I think about it, I think you must have thought of Mel when you saw me. Instead of the daughter of a benefactor, a commoner suddenly became the young lady of the count.”
Hermia spoke calmly and looked up at the dark-clouded night sky.
“The teacher said that he was a homeless child who wandered the streets begging, but he was able to become a doctor with the help of the Count. He said that he would never be able to repay the favor for the rest of his life, but he left too early, so he always felt indebted to me, and he told me not to feel too burdened.”
“Debt of the heart… … .”
Hearing that, Walter speculated that Isaac and Jack Bahnsen’s relationship might have been older and deeper than he thought.
“That’s all I know.”
Hermia took a deep breath, her eyes peeled for the starless sky. The damp, humid air filling her lungs made her feel like it was going to rain soon.
Her prediction was proven right the next morning: the rainy season began earlier than usual.