CH 7

Ever since attending my own funeral, I behaved as if I was a crazy woman all day. 

I would wake up in the morning with a healthy body and feel happy, then cry myself to sleep at night… 

When I got out of bed, I would absentmindedly read the newspapers and gossip tabloids over and over again. 

News of me no longer appeared in the Empire Daily. 

Not only that, but whenever I had the time, I would take out the card that came with Novian’s handwriting and read it over and over again.

‘Just what in the world was the promise between Noah and Blair?’

Although the message didn’t contain a greeting or closing remark, it still made me feel oddly anxious.

Novian was a man who abided by courtesy, even if it was towards someone who didn’t possess an aristocratic title or came from a humble household.

According to what I knew, there weren’t any friends he disregarded courtesy with either. 

“Friends?”

Blair Acacia, whose name wasn’t even worth mentioning in gossip tabloids, was his friend?

Besides, the Novian who had a personality that didn’t allow him to get friendly with women, was friends with Blair?

“Relatives?”

He belonged to royalty.

If they were relatives, Blair would also have to be royalty.

Then, it wouldn’t have been possible for Count Acacia to marry a beautiful young woman whose value was equal to that of the royal family.

“Colleagues?”

Judging by the shocked reactions of the people in the mansion every time I read a newspaper or book, it seems that Blair wasn’t a very intelligent person.

The kind of people that Novian, who graduated as the Academy’s valedictorian, despised the most, was also people who lacked a brain.

Just judging from Marge’s attitude, that seemed to act too casually with me, wasn’t that the case?

Marge, the head maid, wasn’t a bad woman, but she wasn’t very courteous either.

It wasn’t to the extent where I found it offensive, since I had already experienced the shrewd and manipulative madis of the Grand Duchy, rather, although she was only a countess, I secretly looked down on the way Marge treated Blair as if she were only her niece.

I slowly approached the mirror and looked at my reflection. 

Even from my perspective, Blair was extremely beautiful.

It was due to the fact that she bore such a chilling resemblance to me.

After all, I hadn’t been called ‘the Grand Duchess whom Novian, the Iron Chancellor, fell in love with at first sight’ for nothing.

If it weren’t for my weak body that constantly seemed as if were going to crumble, I would’ve been overflowing with the energy that people my age would’ve had.

It wasn’t because my body had a flaw nor was it because my appearance was lacking.

‘You must have looked stupid.’

tl/n: she’s referring to blair

But that wasn’t the case anymore. 

Since albeit only for a short while, I had also attended the academy and had even been prided as the only woman in Ronta who could speak  on equal footing with Novian.

In fact, I could feel that the way the servants in the County looked at me was a bit different from before.

I hadn’t only been acting like a crazy woman over the past few days. 

I had instructed for the bedroom that was full of that terrifying pink and the drawing room to be changed slightly and distributed the butler’s work a bit as his workload seemed too heavy.

Marge became more cheerful as the colour pink gradually disappeared from the house whilst colour seemed to return to the old butler’s face.

Contrary to the Grand Duchy’s servants who never tried to interact with me properly, more and more people had gradually started asking me what to do with this that.

It was clear that they too, needed someone to properly manage the house. 

Although I wasn’t sure what I would do in the future, when I first started interacting with them, I wondered whether I could get attached to the servants of this mansion.

‘I need to find out, quickly.’

Just what sort of promise was between Blair and Novian?

Novian had personally extended an invite to his vassal’s wife, and even after delivering such a peculiar message, never came to find me. 

It bothered me that even after he did something that wasn’t like him, he didn’t show any other suspicious behaviours. 

Since he didn’t seem surprised to see this face at the funeral, he clearly must’ve known Blair.

‘If you saw me from up close, would you know that I’m Adrienne?’

I was thrilled with the odd expectation that he would recognize me if he just looked a little closer. 

tl/n: omg bruh girlie is so delusional pls #getittogetheradrienne2021

How many years had we spent together?

It was time that surpassed any limit. 

I couldn’t wait for Novian, who hadn’t even promised to meet me, to contact me first.

‘I have to go find Noah.’

But how? 

Without the seal of Count Acacia, it was impossible for a letter that was sent from me to get past the front door and into the Grand Duchy.

As I strolled through the Count’s simple garden, I paid close attention to whether there was anyone else coming to hand me another note.

Shortly thereafter, a loud noise sounded from nearby as Marge whose face was flushed ran into the garden.

“Gosh, I was wondering where you had gone off to again this time! You should’ve told me where you were going!”

“What is it?”

“The master has returned! He seemed to think that you’d be out instead of in the garden though?”

“!”

“Since master has finally returned to the mansion after a few months, shouldn’t you hurry up and go see him?”

“…Did he ask to see me?”

“What do you mean? You should still go, even if he didn’t ask to see you. That’s what a married couple is normally like!”

Right, that’s the way it is. 

The things I had to do as someone’s wife were still unfamiliar to me.

Count Acacia, who had been away from the mansion, had finally returned after several months… 

After hesitating for a while, I nodded and followed Marge to the office on the 3rd floor. 

Although the sudden appearance of a new husband was had made me slightly flustered, it might not be such a bad thing.

After all, if you think about it differently, he’s the person who can give me the most information about Blair Acacia right now.

[ / / / ]

Knock knock-.

The door was already open wide enough for it to be embarrassing to knock.

The office was monotonous.

A desolate space with no paintings or vases. 

It greatly contrasted with Blair’s bedroom, which was filled with all kinds of beautiful things.

Leaving Marge outside, I cautiously stepped in and saw Count Acacia leaning against a large window next to the desk in the office. 

He was standing by the window and looking outside.

Since it was my first time facing Count Acacia ever since I had entered Blair’s body, I was slightly nervous.

“Count.”

“…Countess.”

“You’re back.”

I bowed my head slightly towards the Count who turned his head at the sound of my footsteps. 

The feeble Count Acacia bowed slightly to me with a hunched posture.

Then, he sat down naturally on the sofa and beckoned for me to sit down as well. 

It was then, when I had let down my guard and relaxed due to the friendly appearance he had shown me.

“Have you met the Grand Duke?”

In an instant, there was silence. 

My heart was pounding quickly and cold sweat was seeping out of my hands. 

I didn’t answer at once. 

Without neither affirming or denying it, I just stared at the Count. 

As I was trying to figure out what I should say, his amber eyes which seemed to be looking at a disobedient daughter, swept over me.

The fact that a vassal’s face could be so calm, despite it seeming as though his wife had gone out without even a single maid, and in addition, could even ask if she had gone to meet his master, was extremely bizarre.

“…No.”

I, who had been stiff with confusion and nerves, finally managed to open my mouth. 

Then, a short sigh of a voice came from the opposite side.

“Are you not going to keep your promise to the Grand Duke…?”

I felt my heart drop to the floor with a thud. 

My whole body stiffened as I sat with a straightened back.

There was no sign of contempt or anger on the face of the Count whom I had just met.

As expected, he asks me about Novian and whether I’ve met him or not.

Badump! Badump! Badump! Badump!

My heart that felt like it had dropped started beating faster. 

Blair, who was from a lowly family and may have been a commoner.

And Count Acacia who respects her like that. 

A conversation that doesn’t feel as if it were between a couple at all.

And if I’m not mistaken, his face is slightly pale and tired.

‘Like a man who’s scared to death.’

“…What promise?”

Just what was that promise? 

Did Novian, who was so careful he didn’t even leave behind his name on the note, tell this vassal know about the promise as well?

The Count looked startled at my words. 

And whilst clutching his heart, he stood up feebly and walked to stand in front of me. 

Although it was only a short distance, even that much seemed to make him out of breath for a while.

The old vassal whose body was weak, soon knelt in front of me.

“…Count!”

Startled, I tried to help him up, but he opened his mouth faster.

The Count grabbed my knee with his old hand and said desperately.

“Please. Please spare me, Countess!”

“…!”

“Please, keep your promise. Countess. I don’t want to die a dog’s death when I’m already nearing the end of my life! Please…” 

“Please get up, Count!”

“Enough of your delaying, this is the limit already. At my age, other people play poker leisurely, while I’m still struggling to go back and forth between the Grand Duke’s estate and the capital!”

I fell into confusion once again.. 

A man who begs for his wife to spare his life. 

I was just asking what him what that promise was.

It wasn’t that strange of a question.

“Aren’t you aware of the lack of mercy the Grand Duke has? With the Grand Duchess ending up like that, now even the Grand Duke is pressuring me with every passing day. It’s to the extent that even I, with this old body, can clearly see what he wants.”

“I…I’m just curious about what that promise is.”

“If I were to tell that to the Grand Duke, would my neck still remain intact?” 

He said as he wrapped his trembling hands around his neck.

Eyes that were filled with fear, as if his neck would be cut off at any moment. 

Pale lips that said that his neck was hanging on a single promise.

It wasn’t a light promise such as meeting once to have tea. 

I hid my trembling hands and stared at the Count that remained kneeling. 

The inside of my mouth was so dry that even saliva couldn’t pass.

“I don’t want to be involved in this anymore. I don’t want to be stuck like this between the two of you. Wasn’t the reason why we had that nonsensical wedding between you and I in the first place, just so you could legally become the Grand Duke’s mistress?”

“!”

My stiff body, as if wondering when it had stiffened up, suddenly relaxed.

At the same time, it felt as if someone had pushed me down a cliff! 

Within the chilling feeling that seemed as if the ground beneath my feet had suddenly caved in, the sound of the Count’s constant murmuring couldn’t reach me.

I didn’t have to find Novian in order to confirm what sort of promise we had made.

The figure of my husband, who was grieving in front of my body, passed by me swiftly like a kaleidoscope. 

My heart…it hurts. 

But then, then…

‘…Yes, that’s right. I, no, Blair is… This Blair is…’

To borrow the words of his vassal, Count Acacia… 

This Countess Blair Acacia, was my husband, Novian Trovica’s mistress.