CH 55

The first rays of the morning sun peeked through the window, casting a warm glow over the room. Bastian stirred awake and sat up, taking in the peaceful atmosphere of the early morning. 

He glanced over at Odette, still lost in her dreams. Her nightgown had slipped down, exposing the delicate curve of her neck.

His eyes travelled down her long, delicate neck and straight collarbone before stopping on her calmly rising and falling chest. It was obscured by the tilted blanket and nightgown, but it wasn’t hard to guess what was underneath.

Bastian turned away from Odette and quickly got out of bed. The scene in the play where they summon a maid to witness their passionate exchange was left out. Due to the fact that the break was finished. The moment has come to head back to the Admiralty.

Bastian retraced his steps to his bedroom via the adjoining passage. As he stepped into the bathroom and turned on the shower, the first light of dawn was barely visible in the sky.

After satisfying his moderate desire, he finished his shower. It was a routine activity that required no conscious effort or willpower, similar to shaving, brushing hair, or putting on a uniform.

“Do you really want such a scandal?”

Odette’s measured question entered his head just as he was about to press the final button on his jacket.

Odette didn’t start speaking until the fireworks display was over; she had been gazing at Bastian in silence for a while. Even the slightest hint of perplexity was gone, leaving only peace on her face. He gave a head nod in understanding.

A naive yearning to discover the noble woman’s actual emotions or a cheap curiosity about her profundity. It was a horrible feeling, either way.

“Fine. If that’s your desire.” 

Odette’s acquiescence was laced with disdain as she replied. Her response to Bastian’s earlier proposal was equally blunt,

“I’ll find a suitable partner when the time comes.” 

Bastian chuckled dryly as he finished fastening his last button. She didn’t even know how to kiss properly, so how could she imitate a promiscuous woman?

Even if it wasn’t in the same vein, it was difficult to write it off as foolishness.

With a single glance, Odette could attract enough scandalous men to fill her ten fingers, if she so desired. She had no need for any seductive tactics, as her natural allure was enough.

Bastian finished preparing for the day, adjusting the shape of his shoulder straps, before opening his eyes. As he did, the butler entered the room with a cup of hot, strong coffee.

“Considering your long commute to work, it must be difficult for you. Therefore, I have arranged for Hans to assist you,” offered Butler Lovis.

Bastian shrugged indifferently and added a handful of sugar to his cup of coffee. It was his usual breakfast routine.

“Please do have a proper meal at least. I would hate for you to harm yourself.” Lovis persisted.

Bastian set down his empty cup and reached for his hat. “Thank you, Lovis, but I know my own body. There’s no need to worry.”

Lovis furrowed his brow. “It’s hard to believe you’d say that, considering someone in your position who has had to delay their duties due to health problems.”

“I suppose a hearty breakfast will protect me from enemy fire?” 

Bastian  made light of the situation, and Lovis could sense the clear boundary he drew. With a heavy sigh, Lovis retreated, and they both knew this was an unspoken understanding that had developed over their years of working together.

Bastian glanced at the clock and strode swiftly out the bedroom. The entry hall of the mansion, which was lined with servants who had come out to see him leave, came into view after travelling through the lengthy corridor and down the central staircase.

In the center, Odette was holding out for him. The hostess’ elegant body gained sophistication from the early sunlight streaming in through the big window on the landing. It was difficult to imagine that she had once been a lady who had slept unsecured and unattended.

As he got closer to his wife, Bastian scowled a little. Next, a polite cheek kiss was given, to which Odette reciprocated with a smile. Acting was sufficient to live up to the expectations of those around them.

Bastian’s hand gently brushed the corners of Odette’s red eyes. “You don’t have to come out tomorrow. There’s no need for you to wake up early and go through this kind of formality,” he said in a soft whisper.”

“No. As I am unable to sleep in when it is morning, it is not difficult. It is nothing in comparison to the delight of seeing you again.” 

Odette’s face was showing signs of nervousness, but she kept up her believable behavior. She might be able to obtain a main role at the Royal Theatre by the time of their divorce, given how her abilities were growing every day.

Bastian made the decision to change the subject when he saw Odette’s hardened eyes. A lot of eyeballs were everywhere to watch. There was no need to make an effort to instigate pointless conflicts and stir up distrust.

“If there is anything you need, let me know.”

Bastian effortlessly arrived at the best answer. He was fairly certain of the type of response that would be given. Odette also stayed inside the planned range.

“You are everything I need.” With a countenance that was barely changed from when she said the crazy thing about finding an affair partner if he did, Odette mumbled a lovely fib. Bastian desired a controversy to serve as the catalyst for.

Bastian gave his wonderful wife another kiss as a praise. Her forehead and flushed cheeks were touched by his lips.

Slowly, he moved his lips. Odette jerked her body in surprise, but he moved a little quicker as he securely enveloped her face.

When Lovis’s coughing announced the time of departure, which could no longer be delayed, the slow and persistent parting kiss came to an end.

Odette strained to control her breath as Bastian lightly kissed her lips before letting go. Her breath, which came out in a tiny sigh, was sticky with heat. The conclusion was gratifying.

“Let’s eat dinner together, please. I’ll be back as soon as eight at the latest.”  With that pledge, Bastian exited the mansion.

“Bastian!” 

He opened the driver’s door just as he heard Odette’s urgent call. Bastian observed her from behind him.

“It’s not necessary to go over. Although I would like to be there with you, I don’t want to be a burden.”

Once more, his devoted wife displayed endearing sympathy.

“Don’t stress over that. Today is not a hectic day. “With a reaction fit for a husband who cares and loves his wife, Bastian wrapped up the programme.

With a glance at his watch, Bastian swiftly slid into the driver’s seat of his car. Although the time was later than anticipated, he aimed to make up for lost time by accelerating as much as he could. 

As he started the car, the line of servants standing in front of the mansion bowed in unison. Bastian returned the gesture with a nod and focused his attention on the center of the crowd. There, standing tall and straight, was Odette, illuminated by the brilliant sunlight.

As Bastian left the estate and stepped on the accelerator, the view behind him quickly disappeared. The fog that had once enveloped the horizon vanished, revealing a bright and clear day with a sea of bright blue-green. 

As he drove along the winding coastal road, his gaze kept returning to the ocean, almost involuntarily, as if his body had a mind of its own.

*.·:·.✧.·:·.*

A puppy with a shaggy coat and a dusty coat suddenly appeared in the woods. 

Odette quickly pulled back on the horse’s reins to stop it as she carefully navigated the road. Luckily, the devoted horse obeyed her urgent order instantly, allowing her to quickly dismount. Odette approached the hairy creature, which was standing in the center of the road and waving its tail as if to say hello, her heart pounding.

“I’m curious where you’re from. Do you still have your owner?” Odette approached the puppy with caution, asking it a number of questions while sounding worried. The dog began to hop up and down with joy as its eagerness increased. Odette moved closer to the dog when another dog appeared from the surrounding grass.

She was startled and came to a complete stop. Though being dressed in a sloppy, dust- and dirt-covered attire, the dog appeared to be of a good breed. It had long, white fur that reached the ground that was soft and big. A wandering dog could never have given off that look.

“Oh, you are the mother.” 

Odette unintentionally let out a long sigh as she stared at the stray dog with the bulging milk. Yet making a casual approach proved challenging. The mother growled ferociously while obstructing the baby’s path and bared its teeth.

The suspicious dog didn’t relax and kept its guard up despite Odette’s soothing gestures and attempts to convey her pleasant intentions. Odette took a couple steps backwards carefully to give the dog some room. She was left wondering where such a strange dog could have come from as the mother dog and her pup disappeared into the woods. 

Odette was trying to figure out what was going on as she stared into the thick woodland where the dogs had disappeared. As far as the eye could see, there were only two mansions in the area, both belonging to the wealthy Klauswitz families. 

Odette and Bastian’s mansion was virtually dog-free, so the only possible explanation for the barking that had roused them from their slumber was the family home across the forest, looming ominously in the distance. 

But there was a glimmer of hope: perhaps they could reach out to their neighbors and inquire if they had lost a dog. After all, the two mansions were in close enough proximity to each other that communication was possible.

It had been at least two months since the mother had given birth in the seclusion of the woods, based on the size of the puppy. They most certainly wouldn’t have gone that long without communication if the dog’s owner had lost track of it. She was forced to ask herself the same question she had been considering from the beginning after coming to this conclusion.

With a heavy sigh, Odette turned around, her heart sinking as she realized that time was running out. There was less than half an hour left for her to indulge in her passion for horseback riding before she was expected to welcome the esteemed guests. If she failed to make a swift exit, she would have to face them in her riding clothes – an unforgivable faux pas that would undoubtedly draw the cold contempt of her husband, Bastian.

The weight of his intense gaze often left her feeling burdened and despondent, a misery she hoped never to endure again. To shake off the overwhelming emotions, she cleared her mind of all extraneous thoughts and feelings before mounting her horse once more.

Fortunately, with her new riding clothes having arrived just the previous weekend, she was able to clamber onto the horse with greater ease than before.

Odette was grateful for the kind consideration that Bastian had shown her. He had gifted her a magnificent horse that she could ride to her heart’s content, along with all the necessary equipment to make the experience as comfortable and enjoyable as possible. 

Even though she was always conscious of the public eye and the expectations that came with her position, she never took for granted the immense value of the favors bestowed upon her by Bastian.

Despite the pain of his heart-wrenching words, Odette stayed determined to perform to the best of her abilities. 

She gritted her teeth and soldiered on, playing the role of the loving newlywed even as it became more and more challenging with each passing day. Her ultimate goal was to leave a lasting impression on her husband as an employee who had earned every penny of her high salary.

Bastian had suspicions she would eventually have an affair and seek a divorce, yet Odette had other plans in her mind. Once her contract was up, she intended to retreat from the public eye and live a quiet life away from the influence of the royal family and their social circles. 

For now, all she could hope for was to part with Bastian on good terms and bring their complicated relationship to a positive conclusion.

Odette moved her horse in the direction of a shortcut after taking her eyes off the route where the two dogs had vanished. Horse hooves soon started making a loud echoing sound along the overgrown trail.