Chapter 3

The morning after the wedding, Patrice left the mansion early and joined his unit, but he was worried about whether Clari was properly managing the manor. Therefore, he decided to visit the manor under the pretext of gathering information about the bandits.

From the reports of past damages, the bandits were not on a large scale, and it was estimated that there were no more than ten of them. If that was the case, a few knights and himself would be sufficient.

He recruited three knights, but a competition to accompany him began because they all wanted to see his bride. It was decided by a draw. Regardless of the outcome, the knights and their squires, who were skilled with swords and bows, would be a valuable force. Since the mission was to gather information rather than to eliminate the bandits, Patrice judged that this arrangement was appropriate and informed Samond in a letter, then set out from the garrison the next day.

Upon arriving at the manor as scheduled, Patrice seemed to have been expecting Clari to greet him. Disappointed by her absence at the front door, he led his horse to the stable himself. There, he was satisfied to see that Dead and the other horses were well cared for, but he also heard the head groom Peter's mild complaint about Clari interfering with his work. Once inside the mansion, Samond complained to Patrice about the current state of affairs in the study.

According to Samond, Clari had allied with the housekeeper and was interfering with the male servants' work, even encroaching on Samond's jurisdiction. When Samond expressed his dissatisfaction, Clari declared that she was the lady of the manor and that everyone should obey her. She even ordered Peter to be dismissed. Initially, Patrice found it hard to believe, but as he heard that Clari had declared herself the lady of the manor, his frustration grew.

He began to wonder if the meek appearance she had shown was just a pretense. The memory of his mother, who had only acted as a gentle woman in front of his father, the late king, and had oppressed the servants and himself, the third-born, with a terrifying expression, resurfaced. Despite knowing that not all women were like his mother, he still had a lingering aversion. However, for a moment, when the topic turned to Dead—the horse—Patrice felt a strange sensation as if he were talking to Chris, which confused him. When he looked at Clari with a puzzled expression, she had returned to her cold demeanor and continued speaking.

"…Sir, are you satisfied with Peter's work?"

"The stables are well-maintained, and the horses are well-cared for. There are no issues, as mentioned in his previous employer's recommendation."

"Then there are no problems, I see."

Clari's voice clearly contained disappointment, which made Patrice recall his childhood tutor. Patrice had strived to gain the approval of his grandmother, the empress dowager, but the tutor often compared him to his two older brothers and lamented his shortcomings.

"Sir, have you ever stayed in this castle before?"

"…No, this is my first time."

"Is that so? Then how long do you plan to stay?"

"…Do I need permission to stay in my own castle?"

"Of course, no permission is needed. However, I just want to know your schedule. As the lady of the castle, it is my duty to manage it, and it is important for me to know how long your companions will be staying. Samond seems to have forgotten this."

Clari's words further stimulated Patrice's childhood inferiority complex, causing him to lose his composure. Patrice glared at Clari and defended Samond and the others in a childish manner.

"…I never intended to bring a lady of the manor here. Samond fully understood this and was trying to fulfill his duties."

"Then why did you propose to me at that time? The situation was indeed difficult, but if you had explained it properly, everyone would have understood. The only people present were the Countess of Ilebonia, the royal couple, and my sister-in-law."

"I… couldn't afford to inconvenience the royal couple."

"Is that so? To me, it seems that you just chose the easiest path. Did you not understand how difficult it is for us to refuse a proposal from a royal? I sent many letters asking to break the engagement, but after one reply saying you had no intention of doing so, the rest were returned unopened. If we had talked properly, we could have avoided this marriage without causing trouble for anyone. You closed that path yourself. You can blame me for being naive, but while you stay here, please consider not only the opinions of Samond and Peter but also those of Mrs. Hutton and the maids. If you still feel nothing, then I…"

Patrice watched in surprise as Clari spoke rapidly. Initially, he had thought she was just a meek woman—or at least pretending to be. But Clari repeatedly stood up to him, much like Chris, who had often challenged him with a wooden sword despite falling to the ground many times. Her impression kept changing, and Patrice found it intriguing, so he encouraged her to continue.

"Then, what do you intend to do?"

"I… I despise you."

However, this response was unsatisfying to Patrice. He felt a bit foolish for having expected something else and let out a sigh, then stood up. Clari flinched and shrank back, but quickly straightened her back and looked at Patrice.

"Are you going to whip me?"

"…Why?"

"For being insolent to you, my husband."

"Of course not… I just thought we had talked enough."

Clari's question shocked Patrice. It seemed that her father, the previous Count of Bonafe, had used a whip, much like his own mother. This thought filled Patrice with a near-hateful anger towards the previous Count of Bonafe, but he managed to suppress his feelings and left the study. Being around Clari stimulated various emotions, making it difficult for him to remain calm. He feared that continuing the conversation would bring out more of his negative traits, and he did not want to hurt her.

(I hope she isn't still upset at dinner…)

As he entered his room and began to undress to bathe, Patrice sighed deeply in regret. However, his worries were unfounded. At dinner, Clari quickly bonded with the knights and laughed joyfully. Patrice should have felt relieved, but for some reason, he felt irritated.