Chapter 72
On a morning where nothing in particular had happened, Julia woke up feeling refreshed. But as she leisurely continued her breakfast, her mind grew needlessly complicated.
“Potatoes. Do you want more?”
It was because Cayente hadn’t come to her bedroom. She had expected him to wake her if need be, but he never came.
“Julia?”
“Yes? Ah, no, I’m fine.”
Had she said something unnecessary when she asked him to desire her more? If those words made him unwilling to hold her at all, then that possibility was real. Ever since he met Maria, Cayente had seemed a little more relaxed than before. Julia had forgotten about it for a while since they were always together, but still…
―I wish for your misfortune, Julia.
After all, Cayente was someone who could say such things without flinching. Julia had doubted how sincere those words were, but surely, they weren’t meaningless. Perhaps he was caught between the thought that she needed to bear his child and the thought that he didn’t want to give her what she wanted.
“Haa…”
As several nights passed without Cayente visiting her chamber, Julia’s sighs only deepened.
“Madam, has something happened lately? You sigh much more these days.”
“Do I?”
If she was considered useless even for bearing Cayente’s child, her position would shrink even further. She had thought that once she had a child, Cayente’s interference would ease, and by then, she might be able to earn money through cello performances and help her family’s finances. But at this rate, who knew when that day would come…
What hurt even more was that she seemed to be the only one worrying about such things. She had promised herself not to long for Cayente on her own anymore, yet she realized she desired not only to bear his child but also simply to be held in his arms.
Sleeping alone again reminded her of her family, whom she had temporarily forgotten when embraced by him. How much longer could her remaining family rely on Cayente’s favor? If her father’s news truly never came, should she eventually hire someone to investigate? Such thoughts kept her awake longer than nights in Cayente’s arms ever did.
“Madam, are you awake? You’re scheduled to visit a factory in the city today.”
“Yes.”
Even today, she had no real energy to get up, but hearing about the factory visit gave her enough push to prepare. Stepping out with Becky, she found Cayente waiting by the car, apparently planning to accompany her.
“Are you a little less busy today?”
If the only problem were the nights, that would be one thing. But lately, despite this being their honeymoon, Cayente had left her alone often due to his busyness. Her words came out sharper than intended. She expected him to scold her tone, but Cayente only opened the car door silently. Soon, with Merwin driving, the car left the estate.
* * *
The duchy’s capital, Durken, wasn’t as large as the empire’s capital, but each street seemed to carry a different atmosphere. When the car entered the alley where the Clu Weaving Factory was located, all Julia could see were shabby brick warehouse-like buildings. Compared to the street with the pie shop they had visited before, the contrast was so stark it felt like another city entirely.
“We’ve arrived, Madam.”
“Here?”
“Yes, Madam. Please step out carefully.”
As Merwin stopped the car, a man rushed out from the factory to speak with Cayente. Meanwhile, Julia followed Merwin to look around the factory.
“Do they work for hours like this every day?”
“Generally, ten hours a day. But when orders are heavy, they may work up to fourteen.”
“That much?”
Inside, Julia couldn’t help being shocked. The building only had a high ceiling, with barely any windows for ventilation. Dust filled the air, visible even to the eye, and the rows of weaving machines were so loud she could barely stand inside for ten minutes.
To think they endured such conditions for hours every day…
Julia hurried outside, looking back with awe at those who carried on with their work so matter-of-factly.
“How much do they earn for all that?”
“They receive ten gold a week in duchy currency.”
“Only that much?”
“This factory actually pays one gold more than most, since the labor is so intense.”
Julia suddenly felt ashamed of everything she was wearing. Her shoes, clothes, even her jewelry, worth hundreds of gold—while those hardworking people could labor ten years and still struggle to buy a single one of her dresses.
“If someone earns ten gold a week here, how is their living?”
“They can live decently, I suppose. But I cannot say much, having served nobles all my life.”
Judging from their clothes, it might have been “decent,” but certainly not comfortable. The central square of Durken was filled with tall, splendid buildings, yet behind them lived people who worked endlessly without affording a single fine garment. The thought left Julia uneasy.
“I really should bring this up sometime…”
Looking at the workers, half-deafened by the factory’s noise, Julia realized she now had another concern: the wages and revenue distribution of Cayente’s enterprises. But lately, with their relationship strained, how could she broach such a topic without seeming presumptuous?
“…Merwin, could I see the company ledgers?”
“I’m sorry, Madam. I only manage the estate matters within the duchy. The one who oversees the businesses is Steward Henry.”
“Is that so? Then how are the duchy’s businesses run? I thought you handled them.”
“The man speaking with the Count by the car—that is Daniel. He manages matters here and reports to Steward Henry, who in turn reports to the Count.”
Ah, so that was why she’d seen him back at the duchy office as well.
It was surprising. Cayente, who trusted no one and preferred to handle everything himself, had actually appointed an intermediary. She had thought at least Henry would be the one traveling back and forth.
Unable to stand inside, Julia only glanced at the factory exteriors, confirming there were over ten Clu Weaving factories in all, before returning to the car.
“Mr. Daniel must be quite capable, then.”
Julia thought perhaps Cayente wasn’t completely distrustful of people, that there was something reassuring in him after all. But her hope crumbled instantly.
“Anyone could manage at that level.”
“Then why leave the duchy’s work to him?”
“Because he has no other way to earn money unless he works.”
So Cayente hadn’t entrusted Daniel out of faith. He had chosen someone who could not betray him.
Daniel’s wife had tuberculosis and couldn’t manage the household, let alone work. He had five children, and was already old. Cayente deemed such a man incapable of deception. If Daniel stole even a little, his entire family would starve—so he wouldn’t dare.
Julia realized that speaking of revenue-sharing or wage increases with such a man would sound utterly naive.
“Haa…”
Once again, all she could do was sigh.
“Buy what you want, look around, and go back home. Becky, be wary of strangers. Especially keep Cain far away.”
“Yes, my Lord.”
When the car reached the busy district, Cayente, with some matter of his own, pulled over and left Julia and Becky behind. Holding the small bag with her checkbook inside, Julia watched his car disappear with a heavy sigh.
The amount she had spent without thinking the past few days alone could probably pay for a whole season’s worth of meat for the estate’s people. Yet telling Cayente to give that money to them instead of letting her spend it seemed futile.
* * *
In the back seat while Merwin drove, Cayente caught sight of Julia in the distance as they rounded a corner. He frowned faintly.
What on earth was she dissatisfied about, sighing at every turn? Even yesterday, she had delighted in the pure white porcelain tea set delivered to the house, then suddenly sighed again.
“I can’t make sense of her.”
He had even taken her once more to see the lake she loved, made sure Becky showed her every corner of Durken so she wouldn’t regret never returning, let her eat and buy whatever she wanted. And to spare her body any strain, he hadn’t even visited her chamber these past nights. What, then, was she unhappy about?
Hadn’t she stopped worrying about her father? Or was that what weighed on her again?
“My Lord, are you still too busy with work?”
“Why?”
“Every evening, Madam waits at the entrance of the estate. Even after hearing dinner is ready, she waits for a long while before finally giving up and going inside. Perhaps that disappoints her.”
Merwin, too, had noticed Julia’s increased sighs. Cayente thought it absurd that she would be upset over a few missed dinners—but then remembered. This was supposed to be their honeymoon. From her perspective, it was indeed cause for disappointment.
“She can’t possibly be wanting something else…”
Her request for him to “desire” her wasn’t necessarily about physical intimacy. Julia must be disappointed that even on their honeymoon, he showed so little attention.
It was strange—she still expected things from him, only to be let down. He had driven House Luferga to the brink but hadn’t had the heart to push them over. He hadn’t abandoned her remaining family completely. And from there, Julia had built expectations of him again.
“Unrelenting…”
Dozens of times she had been disappointed, and he had never taken back his words—that he wished for her misfortune. Yet even now, she expected something from him. At this point, he no longer knew who was the more unrelenting one.
