“I hope to see Your Grace together with the Duke next time. You’d look like a painting together.”
After confirming the order, Paula said this as she tucked in the receipt in her bag. I only smiled silently in response.
Paula was the kind of person who could deal with different kinds of people because she was friendly.
It wasn’t unusual to hear these kinds of platitudes especially because of the position I’m borrowing, but I think Paula isn’t a completely pretentious person.
It’s common, however, to think that she may just be trying to make the other party lower their guard with that smile of hers so that I’d spend more money.
Maybe this’ll be the last time I’ll see her.
The clothes tailored today would be enough for the rest of my days here.
Of course, the premise was that I’d miraculously still be alive then.
After Paula left, Rona excitedly bounced around the room.
“Milord will really like it when he sees you in your new clothes, Milady!”
“Really?”
I smiled bitterly. Only his blue eyes, which pierced so deeply into me, stood out starkly in my memory.
I thought we had gotten a little closer, but just as a butterfly would flutter away just before being caught, we were far apart yet again.
It was still my intention to stay close to him and prolong his life—thereby protecting my own well-being.
I don’t think I’m wrong.
I wasn’t trying to kill him. In fact, I’m doing everything I can to save him.
How must I prove myself again?
The goal was to protect him from dying, but at the end of the day, aren’t I just saving my own skin by doing so?
That’s a plausible enough reason. But there’s no way that this could get rid of his doubts against me.
What else was there?
I had my head in my hands as I wracked my brain for an answer, but I suddenly thought of something.
‘Should I propose a contract?’
I’ll promise to divorce him, and all he’ll need to do in return is cooperate so that he could recover.
If I say this, would he listen?
But then, he might bring up my contract with Camilla.
He would be mad at me for having this kind of contract that was controlling his marriage and… he could just hate me more.
Anyway, it was me who accepted the contract and signed it myself.
And even before that…
There’s still a possibility that the contract would be broken by default, and Camilla was likely to drive me away by calling me a crazy woman and promptly shipping me off to the loony bin.
That had a higher probability of happening.
“What do you want from me, huh.”
I dunno. Ah, seriously, I dunno.
What should I do so that I can live well?
How can I win over Amoide to my side?
At least, from what I heard from Raymond, his complexion had gotten better and his general condition had improved somewhat.
Of course, there’s also the matter of the exaggerated rumors of his… vivacity… I would need to take responsibility for that, along with managing his health.
“Then you can take responsibility for me in return.”
I decided to simplify these complicated thoughts.
Since I did something wrong, I need to apologize and appease him until he forgives me.
That’s how I can continue my life extension project.
But there’s one thing… It’s been days since I last saw him. I was told that he rarely came out of his room and just locked himself inside.
He hadn’t been going on strolls to get some sunlight.
He’s been stuck in that dark room all this time.
Apart from that, Jean kept sighing while saying that he hasn’t been eating well.
We’re back to square one.
…This is bad.
“I’ll be back after seeing Amoide.”
“Then I’ll accompany you.”
Rona stood up, worried.
“No, it’s fine.”
I left the room waving behind me.
* * *
“……”
As soon as I stood in front of Amoide’s door, I had to face the maid who stood like Cerberus itself, guarding the underworld.
It wasn’t Emma, but a maid close to her.
“L-Little Madam, Milord will not be meeting anyone…”
The distorted expression she had, despite her having a hard time maintaining it, was full of annoyance. But I had no time for this—he’s being neglected.
Thus far, I’d been going out on walks with Amoide, so this was a complete one-eighty again from the habits we had established.
Even so, he thought that I was pretending all that time.
It was scary to think about.
“Sure, fine. Now get out of my way.”
I lightly pushed away the maid guarding Amoide’s door.
However, she stood her ground.
“Milord said he won’t meet anyone.”
It was Emma who spoke from behind me, rushing forward to block me. It’s like she’s shooting lasers out of her eyes.
Oh, me in the past. How did you endure all this?
A deep sigh came out of my lips as a sense of indignation rushed in.
Was there a reason for me to endure any longer?
The person I signed a contract with was Camilla, and the condition stated in the agreement was for Amoide not to find out about it.
Although it was between his mother and his wife, it was only right for him to detest me because Camilla and I made a deal about him without his consent.
That’s why I was able to withstand hurtful words like ‘Get out’ and ‘Stop trying to fool me’.
It made me feel less guilty.
But right there, these maids were not the people I had to apologize and bow towards.
It’s my husband.
Camilla used me only to achieve her own goals.
In return, I accepted monetary compensation. There’s no need for me to feel more inferior or feel more guilty because of this arrangement.
“I’m the wife of the person who said that.”
I answered calmly.
“Are you allowed to treat me like this?”
With a low, frightening tone, the maid looked at me with a shaky gaze.
“But Milord…”
“Yes. Amoide said he won’t meet anyone. That doesn’t apply to me.”
In fact, I already knew that I was the person he hated to see the most.
Even so, I raised my chin and spoke in a pressuring tone.
“Get out of my way. How many times must I repeat myself?”
Emma quietly lowered her eyes, faltering to the side.
“I have been unwise.”
“Of course.”
After the door was opened, I jerked her out and closed the door shut in front of her face.
As soon as the door closed with a loud bang, a strange silence followed.
This room was something like a pocket dimension that could only be entered through that door, and it was completely different from the outside.
“Amoide?”
I called his name still, but I couldn’t hear an answer.
“Where are you?”
Even as I called again, only still air responded.
It was such an unsettling silence that it didn’t even seem like there’s someone here.
The room was dark. The heavy curtains on the windows wouldn’t let even a single ray of light in, so it was hard to believe it was midday.
‘It’s always been like this.’
In my two years of stay here at this mansion, there was a time when his condition became critical.
That was the cause for him to stay cooped up in this room where no sunlight entered.
I couldn’t move forward without waving my hands in front of me for fear of knocking something down or falling myself.
And cold air wrapped around my body.
‘Why is it so cold?’
His room was facing the south where the sun would later shine warmly, so this room should be the warmest place in the mansion.
Nevertheless, bitingly cold air pierced through my skin, colder than the air at the warehouses in the north.
“It’s alright if you don’t want to look at me.”
I kept moving forward.
But I really couldn’t tell if I was going left or right because this was a large room.
“However, this will ruin your health.”
When my eyes gradually adjusted to the dark, I breathed a sigh of relief.
I could see some movement from the bed. Even so, he wouldn’t answer.
“Amoide?”
I called his name once again. He was still as immovable as ever.
Ah. I don’t know anymore.
I stepped closer to a window and opened a curtain at once.
I heard a swear word uttered under his breath behind me, but I pretended not to hear anything.
“The sun is shining so brightly. Why did you close all your curtains?”
“……”
There was still no answer. Let’s just attack from this point on.
Anyway, who does he resemble with that closed-off heart of his?
Was his father also like this?
Did he ever make Camilla upset whenever he’d just shut his lips when he’s angry?
No matter how temporary of a wife I am, this is still too much.
I kept my boiling anger at bay, then turned towards him.
Amoide, who rolled to his side with white sheets tucked up to his chin, was finally found by me.
His blonde hair was sticking out from the rolled sheets. It was the only indication of his presence.
I held back my laughter for a second.
“What is this? You’re not even a caterpillar.”
I approached his side and placed a hand over the sheets wrapped around him.
“……”
The temperature I felt under my skin was a little strange.
Why is it so hot? Did his body temperature rise because he’s wrapped up under so many blankets?
But even so, this was still a higher temperature than normal.
“Amoide?”
Something’s wrong.
“Are you sleeping?”
No. This can’t be.
So who’s the one who said the swear word I heard just now?
I grabbed his shoulders and shook him hard.
Shhhk.
The sheets slid down and his face was revealed.
“Oh my god.”
I was already nearly sobbing when I raised him from the bed and embraced him. His drooping body was heavy, but there was no resistance.
“Wake—wake up. Please. Can you hear my voice?”
Slap, slap!
I hit him hard enough that it would make a sound, but his eyes still wouldn’t open.
Instead, only a voice that groaned out flowed out from his heavily opened lips.
“Be qui… et…”
Then with his face so flushed from his fever, his head fell forward.
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