Chapter 16

The atmosphere of the castle was clearly different from before.

Julia's eyes fluttered when she saw the servants bowing politely to her. They were all new faces.

"His Highness has ordered all the servants to be replaced."

Melissa whispered quietly beside her. Julia looked at Melissa with a slightly puzzled look on her face.

‘Don't tell me it's because of this time?'

Pensive, Julia quickly shook her head.

Fernan was probably just trying to wrap up the hectic atmosphere. It wasn’t for her.

"But aren't you cold, Your Grace? I'm not sure if you're wearing too thin.”

"It's alright. It's cool and perfect."

Melissa didn't want to leave Julia's side for a long time, blaming herself for what happened because of her absence.

Thanks to Melissa's sincerity, Julia was able to recover quickly. 

While walking in the backyard, Julia glanced at the workers gathered in the garden.

Bennett, the butler, who was standing near them, spotted her and bowed his head.

It was strange. The butler told her that she had to get Fernan’s permission to repair the garden, but now he was working on it.

Julia looked at him for a moment and then averted her gaze, unimpressed.

“I can't wait to see the garden filled with flowers when spring comes.”

Melissa added with a bright smile.

“When spring comes, we can garden together! You can plant lots of lily flowers, your favorite."

“Yes, let’s do that."

Julia's face, which was smiling quietly, gradually darkened.

She wasn't sure. She wondered if she could stay here until next spring.

She had no idea when Fernan would end this marriage.

“Do you think this marriage will last forever?”

Thinking of his indifferent eyes when Fernan said that, Julia was once again immersed in depression.

She had long known that he hated her, but she didn't know he was setting an end. Julia quietly lowered her gaze. This marriage, which may end at any time, felt like a life with a time limit.

Suddenly, the words that her father used to say came to mind.

“If your marriage with the Grand Duke is broken, you will no longer be my daughter."

The Marquis thought that Yulia would be frightened by those words, but it was Julia who rather didn't want to live as his daughter.

However, she had nothing at all if she lived on her own without the support of the Marquis family.

Of course, there was no way the Marquis would send her off nicely before that.

Sighing heavily, Julia quickly turned.

"Eh? It seems that His Highness has returned."

As Julia raised her head at Melissa's words, she heard the sound of bells announcing the return of the Lord.

She felt a twinge of reluctance, for he had never returned so early in the day.

Fernan would not be pleased, but she could not be ignorant of his return, so Julia turned around and went back to the castle.

Entering the lobby at a slow pace, Julia stood still and waited for Fernan.

Shortly after, a servant opened the large door.

Fernan, who was staring at the front when he walked in, suddenly felt a presence and turned his gaze to Julia, who was standing to one side.

"Your Highness, you're here early."

At Julia's quiet greeting, Fernan paused.

He stared at her without reply, then glanced at her clothes.

"Where were you going?"

"Oh… I'm sorry. It's a little stuffy to stay in the room."

Fernan looked at Julia with an odd expression. He was about to ask her what on earth she was sorry for, when he stopped for a moment.

For suddenly the words he had said to her came to mind.

"I told you to stay in the bedroom. Seeing as how you're walking around happily, it seems that my words didn’t matter.”

Fernan’s expression tightened for a moment, and then he stopped talking.

He was silent for a moment, and then quickly walked past Julia.

Julia watched his back with a wry smile.

Fernan, who was climbing the main staircase, stopped at the stairs and frowned.

It was because he didn't understand why he avoided her as if he was running away a while ago.

He looked down at the lobby at the bottom of the stairs.

Julia, who had been standing still, walked out the doorway again with her servant.

Fernan couldn't help but catch the last of her back in his eyes.

Then he soon flinched between his eyebrows.

He couldn't figure out what on earth he was feeling now.

Why did it make him anxious and his heart throb?

Fernan turned around with a confused mind and climbed the remaining stairs.

***

The strange atmosphere continued.

Not only the servants, but also the attitude of Bennett, the butler, had completely changed.

“Um, Your Highness.”

It was around afternoon when Julia, who was heading for the dining room, stopped.

Looking back, she saw Bennett bowing to her politely.

Lately, Bennett had been talking to her and asking her permission, even though it wasn't a big deal.

"The garden renovation you mentioned the other day. I think it'll be done in a month."

"I see."

Her response was vague, so Bennett did not hide his impatience.

"The greenhouse will be built soon. You have to choose what to plant, and I think it would be better for you to choose..”

"Well, go ahead and take care of it yourself.”

Julia replied expressionlessly, and took another step forward. She wasn't interested in managing the castle anymore.

Perhaps it was the fact that she was locked in the study, the castle itself seemed to have caused an instinctive repulsion.

A restless Bennett hurried to follow Julia.

“Your Highness, I'm sorry for being so rude to you.”

Julia stopped again and looked back at Bennett with a curious face.

"I will accept any punishment for my past rudeness. Please forgive me.”

Bennett lowered his head deeply as if he was about to hit the floor. Julia blinked in panic. She felt like he would just fall over if she left him alone, so Julia answered simply.

"I see. I forgive you. Get up."

Bennett finally raised his head. His face was tinged with relief and fear.

Actually, on the day Julia was locked in the study, Bennett was out for a while.

He was told of the situation belatedly and felt very guilty.

Bennett had ignored his Master’s wife without a second thought in the past, but he didn’t expect the other servants to do the same.

Of course, that didn’t mean his fault would go away, so there was no excuse.

Besides, Fernan seemed to be terribly angry.

He was a master who was not interested in domestic affairs, especially about his wife.

However, with an expressionless face as usual, Fernan ordered a punishment that Bennett thought was a bit excessive.

All the servants involved in the incident were purged, and even the other servants who had so blatantly bullied Julia so far disappeared without any words.

"May I ask why the sudden change in attitude?"

Julia asked quietly as Bennett stood there apologetically.

Bennett then bowed his head again with a puzzled look on his face.

"The incident that happened to you a few days ago was entirely my fault for failing to properly educate my servants. The attitude I’ve displayed, I’m sure I encouraged them…”

"…"

"I'm sorry, Your Grace. If you wish to punish me, you can do it."

Julia looked at Bennett with surprised eyes at his unexpectedly frank answer.

She did not feel so badly about Bennett.

Of course, his tone was sometimes rude, but basically he never deliberately tried to bully her.

Besides, Bennett was the first person who confessed his mistakes and asked for forgiveness, so she didn't want to punish him now.

No, she just didn't want to care about anything now.

“That’s enough. Let's get going."

“Yes, yes. Have a nice meal."

Leaving Bennett with his head bowed behind, Julia retraced her steps.

As she entered the dining room slowly, Julia unexpectedly saw Fernan was already sitting there.

Holding the document in his hand, he raised his head and looked at Julia.

"Good evening, Your Highness."

Julia, who greeted him like a habit, sat down across from him. It had been quite a while since she had dined with Fernan.

Immediately the servant placed an appetizer on the table. Holding the tableware, Julia glanced at Fernan on the other side.

He was always working, whether he was eating or moving. Come to think of it, she had never seen him rest.

"Aren't you tired?"

Turning away from the document at her quiet question, Fernan asked back.

"Why do you ask that?"

"It's just…I thought you’d be tired."

Actually, she asked out of concern, but she knew the man would not like it if she answered that way.

He didn’t like her talking to him in the first place.

Fernan didn't reply, so Julia gave up and silently absorbed herself in her meal. The silence lasted a long time.

Fernan, who was reading a part of the document, clicked his tongue. It was hard to concentrate when there were so many things to consider.

It wasn't until Julia appeared in the dining room that he wasn’t able to concentrate.

Fernan had to admit that she cared so much about him.

Rather than feeling unpleasant about the fact, his confusion was even greater.