The Substitute Bride Is Adored by the Clumsy Margrave

When Jean was rewarded by the king for his service as a margrave, he bought a villa near here as well as renovated his parents’ residence. When Clarisse expressed her surprise at how he was able to do this, he explained that everything here was cheaper than in the royal capital. Nevertheless, she knew that most of his daily life is centered around his work; he is not extravagant in general; and he is not the kind of person who wastes his money.

The villa was located near the lake. It was a small and cozy place. The villa was small enough that Mr. and Mrs. Brown, his servants, were responsible for taking care of the place, as they only needed to come to the villa to clean and let the air flow through the house from time to time. 

“I never thought I’d see the day when Jean-sama would bring such a beautiful young lady here.”

Mr. and Mrs. Brown, who had known Jean since his childhood, were overjoyed when they heard that Jean was bringing his fiancée. Mrs. Brown was holding a handkerchief under her eyes to keep the tears at bay.

“She’s still my fiancée, but we’re getting married in the spring.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“I’d love for you guys to be there. I’ll send you a letter when the details are finalized.”

All the people around Jean are nice people who care about him, Clarisse thought while smiling. This is no doubt a reflection of Jean’s care for them.

The house itself is very simple and beautifully furnished in a country style, and every corner of the house was thoroughly cleaned. Mrs. Brown had prepared a delicious dinner that included many of the region’s local dishes.

She was told that milk and cheese are the specialties of this area, and they were so delicious that even Clarisse, who is a rather light eater, ate a lot of them.

After spending a warm moment with Jean watching Clarisse as she ate, and after the Browns watched them attentively, they lit a fire in the living room on the first floor, told them they would be back in the morning, and went home.

“Clarisse, come here.”

　Jean sat down on the rug in front of the fireplace and called her over, sitting Clarisse on his lap and hugging her from behind. His large body covered Clarisse entirely, giving her the feeling that he was protecting her.

“Are you enjoying your trip so far?”

“I am enjoying it.”

Clarisse relaxed her body and leaned against him slightly, but his sturdy body didn’t even twitch. The scent of amber, her favorite scent, wafts from him. Surrounded by the warmth from the fireplace and his hot body, Clarisse’s eyelids gradually close as she listens to the crackling of the fireplace. As always, she really sleeps well when she is by Jean’s side.

The next time she noticed, Jean had picked her up and was carrying her into the bedroom.

“Did I wake you?”

“Oh…I must have fallen asleep.”

“You’ve been in the carriage for a long time; you must be tired. You slept well.”

He gently placed her down on the bed and sat beside the bed himself, gently brushing her chestnut locks away from her face. Suddenly, a thought came to Clarisse from deep within, and she murmured without thinking.

“Jean-sama, I like you.”