CH 37

“When I was young and used to spend my time here, I would ride a horse and gallop along the lakeside whenever I felt bad. After running and feeling the cool river breeze, my unpleasant feelings would quickly fade away.” 

“Do you still feel bad?”

“It’s the opposite now. I’m riding with my wife.”

Brandon had occasionally used the word ‘wife’ before. It was often a joke at those times, so it didn’t carry much weight. However, the feeling conveyed by the word ‘wife’ Callie heard today differed from before. 

Her heart raced.

Just like when she grabbed his arm as he was leaving the bedroom last night, just like when he started unbuttoning the buttons in front of her chest, just like when their lips met with fervor.

Callie enjoyed the scenery around the lake as she leaned on Brandon’s chest. They had run quite a distance from the house when Brandon pulled the reins.

“Shall we get off and take a break?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“Wait a moment.” 

Brandon, who got off the horse first, reached out his arm to Callie, still sitting atop it. Perhaps it was because they had spent the night together, but the gesture felt natural.

Callie leaned towards him without hesitation. Brandon lightly hugged her and helped her down from the horse.

“Let’s sit here for a while. The view from here is really beautiful.”

Brandon, who had found a spot near a sloping hill where they could overlook the entire lake, took off his jacket and spread it on the ground. He said, “Sit here, Callie.”

Gazing at the lakeside scenery with admiration, Callie looked down at the jacket spread out on the grass for her.

It must be expensive clothing, and she felt sorry for sitting on it.

“It’s okay. I’ll just sit.”

“You don’t want to sit because it’s my clothes?”

“No, not at all. It just looks too nice of a jacket to sit on.”

“So what if it’s nice? I want to do this much for my wife, so just sit.”

Feeling sorry for disregarding Brandon’s feelings, Callie stubbornly gave in and sat on the jacket he had spread out.

“I don’t want you to resent me later when you throw away your clothes.”

“We’ll see about that when the time comes.”

“What the. Who was the one who just said it was alright?”

“If you had refused one more time, I would have put it back on.”

“What?”

When Callie quickly tried to get up after she heard Brandon’s joke, he chuckled and gently sat her down again.

Only then did Callie realize he was joking again and rolled her eyes.

As Brandon smiled happily and tried to sit beside her, Callie finally moved slightly aside, letting him sit beside her.

“Let’s sit together.”

“This suit is from the most expensive tailor in the city. If I sit on it too, it will really be a mess,” he said, then sat on the grass so Calli could sit by herself.

Callie could also tell. He was considerate enough to let her sit comfortably.

“You said it was okay to throw it away?”

“I added the proviso that it was if it’s for my wife.”

“It’s not a waste if it’s for me, but does it mean that you’re not included? Is that what you mean?”

Brandon nodded gently with a soft smile.

In truth, he didn’t care if the clothes got ruined. Even if it was made by the most expensive tailor in the city, he could always order another set of clothes like that.

However, he said it because he wanted Callie to feel more comfortable sitting.

Callie, realizing what he was thinking, smiled along with him and turned her head to look around the lake.

“This place is truly beautiful.”

“Yes, it’s the best spot to admire the scenery around the lake.”

“It seems like a place you often come to?”

“Leslie and I discovered it when we were young.”

“If it’s a place Leslie and you discovered when you were young, then Olivia must have been with you, too. I heard the three of you were always together.”

At Callie’s words, Brandon turned to her and raised the corners of his mouth. 

“Are you jealous because Olivia was also there? I said Leslie and I discovered it, I didn’t mention Olivia. But judging by how you immediately thought of Olivia, it seems like that’s what you’re thinking.”

His expression seemed to enjoy the idea of her being jealous.

“Because she’s my husband’s first love.”

“I have never said that my first love was Olivia.”

“But all the servants… They all believed that. Isn’t it true?”

“At least, she’s not my first love.”

“Then why did such rumors spread?”

“She’s definitely not my first love, but I’m not sure about Olivia.”

Ah, so Olivia’s first love isn’t Brandon, but Brandon is Olivia’s first love, is that it? Among the servants, such rumors spread, but he didn’t deny it for Olivia’s sake, right?

Though he pretended otherwise, the more Callie knew him, the more it seemed that Brandon was considerate toward others.

Despite entering into a marriage without much hope or expectation, just looking forward to the divorce, it seemed more and more that Callie made the right decision by staying in this marriage.

So I don’t want to cause trouble for Brandon and his family because of our marriage. I should tell him about Matthew Loris and what kind of person he is.

“Brandon.”

“What is it?”

“About the dowry.” 

“Ah, that’s been delayed, right? You asked to postpone it, so I left it alone. But once we return from our honeymoon and settle into Hughes Hall, I’ll meet with Viscount Matthew to discuss it.”

“That’s not what I’m trying to say.”

“Then what?”

“I don’t want the Viscount, who registered me in the family registry to claim the Loris estate, to receive a substantial portion of the dowry.”

“The reason why Viscount Matthew had us marry is probably because of the dowry, right?”

“He probably thought so.”

Just looking at Callie’s face, devoid of laughter, he could tell she didn’t like her adoptive father.

Brandon recalled the small but old scar on her back from last night.

“There’s an old scar on your back. Does that have anything to do with Viscount Matthew?”

“…”

She didn’t really want to talk about it. She would get whipped by Matthew and his wife at even the slightest mistake. They claimed it was to teach noble etiquette and behavior to the Loris family’s heir, but it was an irrelevant excuse.

Even when she had done nothing wrong, they’d find a reason to justify caning her. It was not about taming her; it had nothing to do with the dignity or behavior of a noble family.

She didn’t want to bring up the painful past again.

“I don’t want to talk about that. However, I hope that my uncle’s greed to make a good living by getting me married will not be satisfied.”

Being an island nation surrounded by the sea, Irze had limited interactions and was closed off from other countries, resulting in different laws than neighboring countries. 

The marriage granted higher ranks, and even the dowry system was different. The groom’s side would give the dowry to the bride’s family, and the larger the amount, the more it symbolized the groom’s affection for the bride.

Therefore, noble and wealthy families would showcase their wealth by paying significant dowry, while the bride’s family would gauge the depth of affection based on the amount. As a result, the public would focus on how much dowry was given at prominent families’ weddings. People were curious about how much dowry the Clearts, one of the wealthiest families in Irze, would provide to the Loris family in this marriage. 

Among those who dislike the Cleart family, there were rumors that they had almost depleted their fortune by supporting the king during the previous rebellion. With such perceptions, if they were to offer a small dowry, the Cleart family would no longer be seen as a wealthy family, and it would greatly impact Hugo’s business. Therefore, to prove that their finances were still strong, the amount of the dowry was significant.

Aware of this, Matthew readily agreed to postpone the customary dowry payment before marriage. It was not simply wanting to give a smaller amount just because Callie didn’t want to give a large sum.

“Well, the dowry is not an issue I can decide alone. It involves the honor and dignity of the family.”

“…I understand that, but still, I don’t want unnecessary money to be spent by your family because of me.”

“I understand your feelings, Callie. Let me discuss this matter with my father.”

“Okay.”

“Now that the boring conversation is over, shall we do something fun?”

“What would that be?”

“For example, a kiss.”

As Brandon’s face leaned towards her, Callie reflexively leaned back and looked around. Brandon chuckled and pulled Callie closer to him.

“There’s no one here. This place is usually not frequented by people.”

“So, is that why you brought me here?”

“You caught me.” 

Playfully, his lips briefly captured hers before pulling away.

“It feels different from kissing in the room.”

When his lips parted from hers, he snaked his arms around her nape and waist as he wrapped his arms around her, refusing to let go. 

Even if she tried to avoid it, she couldn’t, but Callie had no desire to escape either.

They sat under the shade of a tree, away from the sun, and as the gentle breeze rustled through their hair, Callie rested her arms around his neck, cherishing the picturesque scenery beneath them.

“Which one feels better to you?”

“Well, I think we need to explore a bit more to find out.”

Brandon’s lips descended once again onto Callie’s.