Princess Shu

As soon as Schuden thought of that, he wrapped his arms around Valia’s waist. His hand gently clasped her chin, not caring at all about the employees who might be following from afar. Though Valia was a little different.

“But the employees are looking…”

“The employees…”

Schuden raised his head. Paul caught his gaze and cleared his throat with a formidable sense, the other employees also quickly avoided eye contact. 

Well, I guess this is enough.

The problem was that Valia was also avoiding his eye contact. Schuden grinned, he grabbed Valia’s waist and lightly lifted her up.

“Schu?”

Startled at the sudden lift, Valia wrapped her arms around his neck. Schuden turned halfway around and put her down again gently. Their positions changed in an instant. Valia stared at him with bewildered eyes. Schuden had completely turned his back on the employees.

“You can’t see them like this.”

It was just as Schuden said. He was one head bigger than Valia. With his broad shoulders and firm back—the result of training, if he set the angle just right, neither Valia nor the employees would be able to see each other. Valia had no idea that she could obscure her view that way.

“Can you still see them?”

It seemed like if she said she still could see the employees, Schuden would drive away all the employees from the yard. Valia shook her head. 

“…I can’t.”

A small but definite answer. A satisfied smile was reflected on Schuden’s lips. He grabbed Valia’s chin again and lifted it up, kissing her pink lips thereafter. Her lips opened easily for his tongue to dig into the gap. Her body was trembling. Their breaths mixed. And their fingertips tingled.

With Schuden’s kiss feeling like it was melting her throat, Valia slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was golden eyelashes that closely resembled his hair. Although it was not as much as his red eyes that had a dark beauty, Schuden’s closed eyes had a charm that was hard to put into words. Valia often could not take her eyes off his sleeping face.

Valia could not keep her gaze for long. Her eyelids, which had loosened their strength, were about to close. Her head was dizzy at the deep kiss. Just when she was about to close her eyes, someone caught her eyes. It was Schuden’s aide.

As Paul instructed, the aide was avoiding looking at the couple before him, but his hands and feet seemed impatient and unable to stand still. It was a pity that he could do nothing with just feet stomping.

‘…Come to think of it…’

The aide should leave before sun-down. The garden was bright so she did not notice it, but the sky above the crystal orb was quite dark. Schuden’s kiss was good enough to heat her up but she did not want to get in the way of his schedule. Valia lightly pushed his chest. Schuden lifted his chin slightly, resting at a distance where their lips were half touched.

“Schu, I think you have to go now.”

With every word she said, their sensitive skins rubbed against each other, making it feel like they were still kissing. Valia said while hugging Schuden.

“Your aide is getting restless. It’s already very late.”

Schuden then looked up to the sky. Just as Valia said, it had become very dark all of a sudden. If he did not leave now, it would be a close call. Schuden let her go after giving her a peck one more time.   

Garth’s yard was so wide that they had to walk a little to get to the side where the horses were left. Schuden was immersed in his thoughts as he slowed his legs to match Valia’s pace. In fact, there was one thing he was concerned about.

[He said you accepted the marriage with the temple princess because of the sacred relic, Your Grace.]

As soon as Schuden heard Shaun’s report, he was engulfed in the urge to go and grab Mercille by the neck right at that moment. He wondered how arrogant Mercille could act, but it was more than he had imagined. The one that bothered him the most was Valia. Despite Shaun reporting that she was calm, Schuden did not believe it, she was someone who did not show her emotions well after all.

That was the reason he went home. To see Valia in person. But Valia looked better than he thought. Her silvery-gray eyes were calm and tranquil as always and she smiled as often as usual.

She looked fine.

She looked okay.

So he just had to move on. Schuden had always been indifferent to others. He despised those who whined about their wounds. His coldness had turned into a habit, and that habit of his will be ingrained into his personality. So now that he knew she was okay, he could just move on. Because that was how he lived until now. 

However, he always showed a different side only to Valia. 

Sure. I can just do that.

“Valia.”

But why am I like this only to her?

“Don’t mind what High Priest Mercille said.”

“Pardon?”

“Him saying that I accepted the marriage because of the sacred relic is complete bullshit.”

Why do I have to say this to Valia?

Schuden himself did not understand it. She sure looked fine, but most importantly, the main reason he accepted the marriage was not very romantic. The reason he accepted was because he was bothered by Philemon’s frequent visits.

“Your Grace, you really have to go now. Even if we leave now, the time…”

The aide urged cautiously. The time for him to leave had definitely been delayed a lot. Schuden got on the horse that his aide had prepared. He smiled briefly at Valia before leaving, she seemed to have flashed a smile too. The employees bowed their heads to see off the Marquess.

Valia watched Schuden moving away. Riding a black horse, he quickly disappeared through the front gate. She did not go right back inside. her gaze was at the place where Schuden disappeared. A sentence she could not say to him lingered in her mouth.

…Did you come all the way to the manor to tell me that?

 Her heart was pounding strangely. She did not love him. She could not love him. She knew who Schuden would meet and whom he would fall in love with. She also knew how miserable Marchioness Garth was in the past. Valia would not love Schuden so that she would not be miserable. She was determined to do so.

Why does my heart keep pounding?

A certain emotion that had only been gently wrapped around her until now was tightening her heart. 

Why are you so nice to me?

Schuden would never know for the rest of his life. What made Valia hurt was none other than his kindness.

A man who would love someone else. Valia was the one who walked in despite knowing that. That fact did not change. 

Valia closed her eyes.

She liked him.

But she did not want to love him…

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

Valia’s exclusive designer, Fleur, has had one concern lately.

‘The Marchioness has not been very bright these days.’

Valia was never as lively as a blooming flower but she used to always have a smile as calm as the moonlight. She was calm and elegant so she was always one to catch people’s attention, but recently, she was a little different.

‘It seems like there’s something else on her mind.’

No one knew what she was thinking. However, Fleur was a little worried.

Why does she look so sad?

She was worried that the occasional depression would become more frequent.

But Fleur was a professional. There was no need to tell someone who looked sad to smile brightly. Fleur had overflowing confidence to turn even sorrow into beauty. She had carefully chosen the color of Valia’s dress. Since Valia had fair skin and clear eyes, bright colors looked good on her. But for now, it was much better to emphasize elegance rather than fanciness.

Her final choice was a navy blue dress that exuded a luxurious atmosphere. In return for the fabric color being dark, it had a wide neckline to reveal the collarbone. The waistline was set a little higher than a normal dress and a lace band decorated with small diamonds was wrapped around the waistline. It was a dress that evoked a noble and calm feeling while not looking heavy at all.

“Marchioness, are there any parts that do not fit or feel uncomfortable?”

The dress that Fleur chose was a perfect match for Valia. Marchioness Joan’s tea party, to which Diana sent an invitation, was tomorrow. Fleur chose the accessories for Valia to wear, then she returned home after setting the appointment to visit the manor tomorrow.

“Madam, I will take the jewels you’re going to wear tomorrow out of the safe in advance.”

“Sure. I want to rest.”

“Yes, I will take my leave.”

Sarah bowed her head with the maids and got going. The door to the Marquess couple’s bedroom closed smoothly. Sarah’s expression on the way down to the first floor was not bright at all, she was actually worried. The Madam had been looking strangely out of energy these days.

“Paul, when will His Grace return home?”

“Well, he’s busy with work in the Imperial Palace… Last time I heard from his aide, he said that the preparations for the Eastern delegation’s visit were in the final stages.”

“Then it will be difficult for him to come tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

As Paul said so, he glanced up the stairs to the second floor. He had also noticed that the Madam was different from usual these days. They were not at the top positions of the employees for nothing.

“Paul, I will have to tell the kitchen to put a lot of sweet desserts for dinner tonight.”

“Yes, tell the chef that.”

Employees of noble families were sensitive to changes in their master’s psychology. Their Madam was not sick, just subtly dejected. As they deem it excessive to tell His Grace about this, Paul and Sarah were restless.

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

At the time Paul and Sarah were worried, Valia was buried in her soft, sun-dried bedding. Valia blinked slowly. The bed was still spacious even after lying down together with Schuden.

Schuden.

Valia stared at the empty space. She was in a situation where she had no choice but to walk even though she knew rain was pouring. Valia trusted the umbrella she was holding. She thought she could block it even if it rained.

The raindrops had only been wetting the hem at best, so when did it turn into heavy rain? The rain poured down horrifically. She knew she would be soaked but she could not help it.

At one time, she was glad she knew the future. Valia knew how her fate went, she was able to avoid what she had. Sadly enough, what Valia should avoid now was Schuden, her husband.

Valia died after living without ever knowing love for the rest of her life. That was how she lived in the past, and because of that, she was confident this time as well. Her ignorance of love was also Valia’s only advantage, and so, she thought it would be okay for Schuden to love another woman. She was confident that she could just stay next to him like a calm ink painting. Without such confidence, she would not have been able to respond to the recruitment of the temple princess.

‘…I’m scared.’

Scared would be the right expression. A man who would fall in love with someone else… How tragic it was to love such a husband? Valia could not even guess what to do with this situation. 

The Marchioness in the past shed tears while saying how nice it would have been had she not loved him. Her appearance kept piercing her head.