Chapter 25

As the sun set and night approached, I could confirm the nature of my uneasy premonition.

"Y-You want me to wear this?"

I took a step back in surprise at the clothes Mari held out, but she calmly led me to the dressing room as if she had expected this reaction.

"It's just a very ordinary nightgown, my lady."

"How is this ordinary...?"

"Ladies of high society all wear these."

"I can't believe it. Do they all sleep in these sheer slips? How can they sleep comfortably?"

I looked at Mari with disbelief, and she shrugged.

"Since you'll be taking them off anyway, what's the point of comfort?"

"B-But take them off...!"

I couldn't even bring myself to say it out loud, and my mouth hung open. Mari smiled reassuringly and naturally took off my dress.

"Spending the night isn't scary at all. It's natural for a married couple. You didn't have a maid before, so you couldn't pay attention to such things, but now that I'm here, you don't need to worry. I'll help you get a successor safely."

As I nodded, entranced by Mari's calm voice, I found myself already dressed in the sheer slip. My reflection in the mirror felt awkward, and my body felt twisted.

'Besides...'

The woman in the mirror exuded an odd atmosphere, as if being naked would be less embarrassing. Even though no one was watching, I felt embarrassed and wrapped my arms around myself. Mari smiled contentedly and led me to the sofa. On the table were wine, crackers, and fresh fruit, and the room was dimly lit with fewer lights than usual.

"Isn't the atmosphere a bit too obvious?"

"There's no reason for it not to be obvious since you're already married."

No matter what I said, Mari held her ground logically. I couldn't argue with her at all.

"Lord Altear will be here soon. I served him nourishing food for dinner, so he probably noticed the signal."

Thinking that Altear already knew the situation made me even more embarrassed. If we had naturally spent our first night together, would today's awkwardness be less? No, it would probably have been similar. Still, it would have been better than now... My thoughts continued to swirl, making my head complicated. Mari smiled softly at me and patted my shoulder reassuringly.

"I can't believe how much you've grown, my lady. You're married now and will have a husband and children, so you won't be lonely anymore."

The word "lonely" made my heart, which had been beating nervously, turn cold. After my loving parents passed away, I had always been alone. I thought I had hidden my loneliness well, but apparently, even Mari, who was close to me, couldn't be fooled.

"Mari, I... like it here."

"Really?"

"Yes. At first, I was surprised that my husband was someone I never expected, but after getting to know him, he doesn't seem entirely bad. There must have been a reason for things to turn out this way..."

Mari tilted her head, not understanding. Of course, she didn't know that the future Altear in the novel was a terrifying villain.

"Anyway, I'll do my best here. If Lord Altear married me to have a successor... I want to do my best for that too."

Of course, having a child isn't something that happens just because I try hard.

'No. Don't think weakly, Nadia! The more you try, the higher the probability, so effort is important!'

I clenched my fists and burned with enthusiasm, and Mari smiled and slightly bowed.

"Of course. Our lady always puts her heart into everything."

"Yes!"

"I'll leave you now. If you need anything, pull the bell rope."

I took a deep breath and nodded solemnly.

'This time...'

Come on, Altear!

* * *

"Lord Altear, dinner is ready."

"Dinner?"

"Yes. May I bring it in?"

Hearing the chef's voice from outside the study, Altear tilted his head in confusion. Altear wasn't the type to eat on schedule, so if he didn't ask for it, the kitchen wouldn't prepare a meal. But today, dinner was ready.

"Bring it in."

Altear let the chef in, feeling curious. He thought Pavel might have given special instructions because of his busy schedule. Expecting a simple sandwich, he was surprised to see elaborate dishes being set on the table. Altear stood up from his seat, bewildered.

"What's all this?"

"The food was sent by my lady."

"My lady? Nadia?"

"Yes. She prepared it, insisting that you eat dinner."

The chef nodded with a content smile.

"All the dishes are good for men. I made them with special care, so please enjoy them, Lord Altear."

"Thank you."

Altear waved the chef away. The chef's overly content smile as he left was a bit unsettling, but Altear dismissed it and sat down to the food. The freshly prepared dishes looked appetizing. They were all famous tonics from the eastern region.

'Did I look a bit tired?'

Altear touched his face. He usually didn't notice, but his skin felt rougher than usual.

'I made him worry unnecessarily.'

He was already a worrier, so he must have seen his condition and sent the tonics. After losing his parents at a young age, Altear had done everything on his own. It felt strange to have someone take care of him after so long. Altear looked at the food with a strange feeling and started to eat carefully. Unlike what Mari had predicted, he didn't notice any signals.

* * *

Altear didn't come, no matter how long I waited.

'He does seem busy lately.'

It wasn't unusual; I often fell asleep waiting for Altear to come. I tried to stay awake, but the overly cozy atmosphere of the room made it hard to resist sleep. Just as I was dozing off, I heard the door open. The small sound instantly chased away my drowsiness.

'He's here!'

I jumped up from the bed, realizing I was dressed differently. I shivered, either from the thinness of the slip or from nervousness.

"Y-You're here?"

"I just finished my work. The food you sent was... good..."

As Altear entered and our eyes met, he suddenly trailed off, his mouth slightly open, looking dazed. His gaze slowly dropped from my face to my body. He was clearly surprised by my attire.

"What... Why... Just a moment..."

Altear covered his mouth with his hand and took a step back. The part he couldn't cover turned bright red, making me feel hot too.

"Mari said you would know... I sent nourishing food for dinner..."

I fumbled with the slip, and Altear winced, frowning.

"No, what... So, if that's... what I think it means..."

"It's me!"

I steeled myself and spoke to the confused Altear.

"I found the answer. What kind of wife you expect from me."

"..."

"Of course, I didn't figure it out on my own. I got help from someone else... Mari said you married to have a successor."

Altear still didn't react. He lowered his hand and looked at me with a dazed expression. Despite feeling incredibly embarrassed, I decided to be a bit more courageous.

"So... I thought this might be the answer... and since we're married, this is natural... if the rumors aren't true, the thing we didn't do on our first night, let's do it today."

Altear listened to me and quietly closed the door. As the door closed, my heart started pounding.

"You're right. The role of the wife I expect is this. I needed a successor, so I had to get married. I was willing to move forward for my purpose, regardless of the wife's situation... but..."

Altear slowly walked towards me. As he got closer, my mouth dried from tension. When he was right in front of me, he reached out and stroked my hair. The light touch made my shoulders shiver, and he chuckled.

"It's truly strange. I could do anything I want just by reaching out, but I don't feel like forcing it."

Altear's red eyes stared directly at me. His cold, sharp gaze felt strangely hot.

"There's no need to do something you don't want to just out of duty. It's true that I need a successor, and others are encouraging it, but I can wait until you're ready. Don't rush."

Saying this, Altear brushed past me. I was still processing his words when I quickly grabbed his arm before he got too far. He pulled his arm away as if burned.

"I can wait, but don't be too provocative."

His tone was firm, like he was teaching a child. This made me even more determined. I bit my lip and reached out to grab his arm again.

"I don't understand why you think I'm not ready. I am ready. Really."

"You're just being pressured by others, so you can't refuse and..."

"I know I'm a bit timid. I can't express myself well, and I'm afraid of being rejected... but I am an adult."

I looked Altear straight in the eye. I could see his pupils trembling.

"I know how I look to you, but I won't let others' opinions sway me on this. This is my decision, my judgment. I... am ready."

As I spoke, my voice trembling, Altear's lips tightened. I felt my eyes welling up, thinking my message hadn't gotten through.

"Really... I want to be a proper wife to Altear... and have a child..."

My final plea didn't finish. Altear, muttering a small curse to himself, suddenly pressed his lips to mine.