Chapter : 42
Late at Night, in the Bedroom
Before Alessandro could speak, someone else opened their mouth first.
“Oh my! The atmosphere is so grim.”
The one who barged in between them was the tactless Helen.
She had always been bad at reading the room, but at this moment, Helen looked like a savior to Alessandro.
He was applauding her courage in his heart.
“Let’s stop talking about such boring things, Your Grace. Why don’t you tell us about the Imperial Capital?”
Helen drawled her words and added a soft giggle.
She looked very clearly interested in the duke.
Not knowing anything about the relationship between Psyche and Clint, she must have spoken without much thought, simply trying to lighten the heavy mood.
Though it did seem like she had added just a bit of personal interest toward Clint as well.
Since Alessandro thought that changing the atmosphere between the two was the priority, he hurriedly chimed in.
“Hahaha, indeed. Your Highness. Shall we talk about something everyone here might know?”
At those words, Clint shot Alessandro a murderous glare.
With just that look, Alessandro felt like he might die on the spot, so he tried his best to avoid meeting Clint’s eyes.
Fortunately, Helen immediately picked up the conversation.
“Really. I’m so curious about how nobles in the Imperial Capital live.”
She asked with sparkling eyes, as if she were dreaming.
Her gaze was fixed entirely on the duke.
Displeased by Helen’s behavior, Clint took a sip of water and then answered while looking back at Psyche instead.
The bandages wrapped around his hand caught Psyche’s eye, but she decided to ignore them.
“The lives of nobles in the Imperial Capital? The lady lord here should know that very well.”
As he blatantly pointed at Psyche, Alessandro once again felt like he was about to die.
“Um… my sister—no, the lady lord—never talks about her time in the Imperial Capital at all. Maybe she only has bad memories. I feel bad even asking her…”
Helen trailed off, and Clint’s expression grew even harsher.
Alessandro wanted to cry.
“Ah. Were you dissatisfied with life in the Imperial Capital?”
Clint asked Psyche again.
Alessandro felt like the conversation he had barely managed to redirect had returned to square one, and he wanted to scream somewhere.
“As for life in the Imperial Capital…”
Psyche, who seemed like she would simply ignore the question, opened her mouth, and all attention instantly focused on her.
“It’s nothing that would interest Your Highness.”
“I’m curious.”
‘Ah…’
Alessandro just wanted to disappear.
Realizing he could no longer lighten the mood, he decided to bury his face in his plate and focus solely on eating.
Who was he to get involved in the emotional conflict of his superiors anyway?
“All the noble ladies in the Imperial Capital live with a sense of ennui. My life was utterly ordinary. There’s nothing more to say.”
With a perfectly calm face, Psyche was essentially spitting in Clint’s face.
At least, that was how it felt to Alessandro.
Ennui—wasn’t that a word well chosen to offend Clint?
But Alessandro had long since given up on the two of them. He focused hard on eating, pretending not to hear anything.
“That’s unfortunate. It seems the lady lord’s emotions have dried up.”
“Rather than that… my husband was that way.”
Psyche smiled brightly as she shot back the response.
“Oh my. Really now. Did the two of you ever meet in the Imperial Capital?”
In the end, the one who interfered between them again was Helen.
“….”
At the words “my husband,” Clint fell momentarily speechless, and Helen seized the opportunity.
“Not boring stories—aren’t there any interesting rumors from the Imperial Capital these days?”
Helen asked again, her eyes sparkling.
Having regained his composure, Clint deliberately looked away from Psyche.
“News from the Imperial Capital, huh…”
“….”
Psyche, now completely withdrawing her interest from Clint, merely poked at the food on her plate with her fork.
“There’s nothing particularly noteworthy these days.”
“Even old news is fine! This place is so remote that stories from the Imperial Capital hardly ever reach us.”
Helen asked with a pout.
“Old news…”
Clint muttered, then opened his mouth again as if something had occurred to him.
“There’s a count’s daughter named Rachel.”
“…!”
At that name, Psyche’s gaze was naturally drawn to him.
She had never expected to hear the name “Rachel” again here.
Even now, just thinking about it made her blood boil, and she deeply disliked Clint bringing it up.
“She got married and apparently held a banquet even grander than the one for Her Highness the Imperial Princess.”
“Oh my! How grand are banquets in the Imperial Capital? They must be incredibly extravagant, right?”
Helen replied with excitement, her face like that of a girl lost in a dream.
Psyche was somewhat surprised.
She had thought that by running away like this, Rachel would cling to Clint even more…
It was hard to believe that the woman who once flailed about wildly in front of her had given up on Clint and married another man.
“Who’s the groom?”
Unable to suppress her curiosity, Psyche broke her silence.
“She married the Marquis of Marsenne.”
“….”
Still, Psyche found it strange.
And more than that, she disliked that Clint had deliberately come all this way just to bring up Rachel in front of her.
Knowing full well that Rachel had tried to drive a wedge between them, Psyche found it unpleasant that her story was being spread here at all. She quickly pushed her plate away and stood up.
“Oh? You’re done—no, have you finished eating?”
Helen asked familiarly, then quickly corrected her tone to be polite.
“I know it’s proper etiquette to remain until the end, but I’m not feeling well, so I’ll excuse myself first. Claude will guide you to your rooms. I wish you a pleasant evening.”
Without even meeting Clint’s eyes, Psyche spoke and swiftly left.
Clint tried to follow her, but Helen kept pestering him for more stories about the Imperial Capital, and his feet ended up stuck in place.
Leaving behind the sound of Helen and Clint’s laughter, Psyche hurried away.
*
“Ha… I’m really exhausted.”
As soon as she left the dining room, Psyche decided she would quickly wash up and go to sleep.
With Clint’s visit keeping her on edge, she felt utterly drained.
She hadn’t meant to be rude by leaving the table early.
But to hear Rachel’s story at a reunion like that—it was something she simply couldn’t endure.
“It makes me think of the baby…”
Her mood sank again.
Dealing with Clint alone was overwhelming enough; thinking about the dead child made it feel like neither her body nor her heart could endure it.
Sitting on the bed, Psyche lightly patted both cheeks.
“Don’t think about it.”
She swallowed her emotions and shook her head.
“Ah, I wonder if Shield has fallen asleep?”
It bothered her that Shield must have eaten dinner alone and gone to bed alone while she entertained Clint’s party.
She hadn’t left him alone for such a long time before.
She decided she would quickly check on Shield and then go to bed early.
She pulled the bell cord and summoned a servant.
“Is Shield asleep?”
“Ah, he was whining that he wanted to see you, my lady, but he just fell asleep.”
“Oh, really?”
She had been about to drape her robe over her shoulders and go out, but upon hearing that he was asleep, she sat back down on the bed.
It made her feel sorry to hear that he had fallen asleep while fussing, but she didn’t want to wake him by going to his room.
“All right, then… take good care of him so he doesn’t wake up, and let me know as soon as he’s up tomorrow. I’ll go see him.”
“Oh my, Shield will be so happy!”
“Yes.”
Just thinking about seeing Shield in the morning lifted Psyche’s mood.
“Aren’t you going to sleep, my lady? Shall I bring you some tea to help you rest?”
“…No. I’m tired. I can fall asleep right away. You may go.”
The servant bowed and left the room.
Watching her go, Psyche quickly took off her robe and folded it neatly on the table.
“It’s already so late…”
It was deep into the night.
She wondered briefly whether Claude had wrapped up dinner well with Clint’s party, but since she had left it to him, she decided to trust him and sleep.
Knock, knock, knock.
Just as she was about to get into bed.
Someone knocked on the door. Startled, she lowered the blanket she had lifted.
“Huh? Did Shield wake up?”
Thinking the servant had returned, Psyche hurried out of bed.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
The visitor, whom she had assumed was a servant, was none other than Clint.
Startled, Psyche quickly wrapped her robe around herself.
Without thinking, she shouted sharply.
“Are you insane?”
“….”
Clint quietly entered and shut the door with a sharp click.
“Do you have any idea where you are?”
Clint tilted his head and smiled faintly.
“What’s so wrong about a husband entering his wife’s room?”
End Of Chapter : 42
