Episode 8
“With this, as of today, Miss Haenel has become Madame Gracchus.”
Under the gaze of the priest who presided over the ceremony, Hebe received greetings from Castri and Fausta. Castri offered a simple pat on her shoulder, but Fausta lightly embraced Hebe and kissed her on the cheek. Hebe reflexively flinched at the gesture. It was strange that she felt more tension around Fausta than Castri.
“Shall we head out first, Hebe?”
As soon as the ceremony ended, Eres whispered while taking Hebe’s hand. Hebe, who found the thick scent of incense in the temple stifling, gladly accepted his suggestion.
“There’s a tree over there with really pretty flowers. I’ll go pick some for you!”
Once outside, Eres quickly ran ahead.
“Don’t go alone; go with me, Eres!”
Hebe tried to follow him but stopped when she felt a tug at the back of her head. The end of her veil had caught on a nearby branch. She was in a bind, unable to move for fear of tearing the veil, when someone spoke to her.
“May I help you?”
A man appeared like a savior, reaching out to easily unhook the veil from the high branch. Hebe blinked as she looked at him.
“Thank you. Ah, you are…?”
He was the same man who had helped her when she was lost in the castle. As Hebe let out a small sound of recognition, the man smiled.
“Congratulations on your marriage.” “Thank you.” “Hebe, what are you doing?”
Eres reappeared, holding out a red flower that looked like a rose.
“Here! I brought the most beautiful one.” “Thank you. But from now on, you shouldn’t run off ahead by yourself.”
Hebe took the flower from Eres’s hand. She wondered if she should treat this flower as her bouquet. In Irene, brides carried bouquets, but in Divenia, they did not.
“Who is this?”
Standing beside Hebe, Eres stared at the man with a wary look. Just as the man was about to speak, Fausta walked toward them.
“Please forgive my son’s rudeness, Your Highness.”
Your Highness? Hebe looked at the man in surprise. Fausta bowed with a disciplined gesture to greet him.
“Congratulations on welcoming a new family member, Grand Lady.” “Thank you for making the effort to come today.”
The Prince, who had spoken to Hebe like an ordinary man, used a truly royal tone in front of Fausta. No matter how quietly this wedding was held, it seemed they couldn’t deceive the eyes of the Imperial family. Hebe watched the Prince with curiosity.
“Hebe, come over here with me.”
Eres took Hebe’s hand and shook it gently. Since encountering the Prince, Eres had become exceptionally wary. Fausta called out to her son.
“Come here and pay your respects to the Prince, Eres.”
Eres reluctantly stepped before the Prince and bowed.
“It is an infinite honor to meet you. Thank you for coming to my wedding.” “Congratulations on your marriage.”
The Prince did not look down on Eres for being young but treated him like an adult.
“I hope the blessing of the gods remains with the Gracchus family.” “Thank you.”
The Prince left, saying he had matters to discuss with Castri. Fausta told a maid to wait in the carriage with Eres and called Hebe aside. Hebe followed Fausta back into the temple, careful not to step on her long veil.
“Kalia mentioned she wanted to meet you.” “Kalia?” “She said she is a relative of your mother’s. Is that correct?” “Yes. But we aren’t close relatives. I should have greeted her first…”
Fausta turned back to look at Hebe.
“She seems very worried about you, Miss Haenel. Try to have a good conversation.”
Hebe realized that Fausta still treated her like a guest. Even though it was a marriage in name only, Hebe was now her daughter-in-law. It felt as though the distance between her and Fausta could never be bridged as long as she was at the Gracchus estate, making Hebe feel bitter.
As they approached, a woman standing before the altar turned around. She wore a simple purple dress without ornaments; purple was a color only priests or high-ranking priestesses could wear.
“I pray the blessing of the gods is always with the new bride.”
Kalia spoke first upon seeing Hebe. Meeting the very person who had summoned her to this country, Hebe greeted her calmly.
“May I speak with the new bride for a moment?”
At Kalia’s words, Fausta left, saying she would wait in the carriage. Hebe followed Kalia toward the altar.
“You resemble your mother quite a bit. You know we aren’t complete strangers, right?” “Yes, I know.” “Don’t be so tense; relax. You look like you’re afraid I’m going to eat you.”
Kalia smiled softly as she looked into Hebe’s eyes. She possessed a quiet and elegant aura.
“It isn’t easy to give up ten years of your life. Thank you for making such a difficult decision.” “It’s such a long time that I’m trying to live without thinking about it too much.” “Time seems like it doesn’t move, yet it flows anyway.” “I hope everything is well-settled ten years from now.” “It will be. Don’t worry about a thing.”
Kalia continued.
“The reason I asked for this private meeting is to tell you that you must apply for an annulment later.”
“Is an annulment different from a divorce?”
When a puzzled Hebe asked, Kalia shook her head.
“A divorce leaves a record. But an annulment negates the marriage itself, so no record remains at all.”
“I thought I only needed a divorce.” “I suspected you might be confused about that. Please keep what I am telling you in mind. Ten years from now, you must apply for an annulment together with Lord Eres once he is an adult.” “I see. Thank you for letting me know.”
Hebe felt sincerely grateful to Kalia, as she might have returned home with a divorce on her record otherwise.
“However, there is a condition for the marriage to be treated as if it never happened.” “A condition?”
“Both you and Lord Eres must not have a physical relationship. If you become a real couple, the gods will not recognize the annulment.”
A physical relationship. Hebe blushed; even with Anke, she had only progressed as far as holding hands. Furthermore, Eres was a child; though they held a ceremony, she didn’t truly view him as a husband.
“There’s no way Eres and I would become a real couple. I am much older than he is.” “Age doesn’t matter.”
Kalia patted the back of Hebe’s hand.
“You’ve been busy since this morning. You must be tired, so you should head back now.” “May I come visit you occasionally?”
Hebe asked hesitantly. Meeting someone even slightly related to her mother in a foreign land made her loathe to simply say goodbye.
“Of course. This place is open to everyone.”
As if reading Hebe’s mind, Kalia spoke kindly. Hebe smiled in relief and left the temple.
There was nothing special about the first day of marriage. Hebe spent the remaining time quietly in her room. At night, the new maid came to help her change.
“The edge of your veil is a bit damaged. It needs to be mended.” “It got caught on a branch earlier…” “You must always be careful. It’s a nuisance if it gets snagged on something.” “Wearing a veil is so awkward. In Irene, we just went around with our hair out.”
In the gentle island nation of Irene, everyone wore thin, light clothes. Hebe missed the times she woke up at dawn to bathe in the lake and wandered around with her wet hair exposed. She wouldn’t enjoy such pleasures until she returned home.
“Have you always worked here?”
Since she could communicate easily with this maid, Hebe spoke with a relaxed mind.
“Yes. My mother entered this family when she was a girl and had me here.” “Then it really has been a long time. What did you do before becoming my maid?” “I was an assistant in the nursery. I cleaned or helped the wet nurse.” “Then did you happen to look after Eres too?” “I looked after Lord Eres whenever the wet nurse stepped out for a bit. He was so young then that someone always had to be watching him.” “An even younger Eres… he must have been cute. Was he as kind and gentle then as he is now?”
The maid’s hand, which had been brushing Hebe’s hair, faltered.
“Lord Eres was… well.” “Hmm?”
Hebe looked back at the maid in wonder.
“It isn’t for me to say.”
An awkward smile flickered in the maid’s eyes. Hebe felt unsettled but didn’t ask further. Had Eres been a terrible troublemaker as a baby?
After the maid left, Hebe sat at her desk and spread out some paper. She intended to finish the letter she had started to her mother. Just as she picked up her pen, she heard someone outside. Thinking it was a servant passing by, she tried to ignore it, but when she heard her name being called, she opened the door. Eres stood there, holding a candle in one hand.
“I’m glad. Hebe, you weren’t sleeping yet.” “Eres? What are you doing here?”
Hebe hurriedly brought Eres, who was wearing thin pajamas, inside. Eres glanced around hesitantly before speaking.
“Can I sleep with you tonight, Hebe?”
