Rosaline opened her mouth as if she couldn’t help it. “Okay… you have to seduce a warm-hearted husband who you can’t fight in hand-to-hand combat. That’s what you’re saying.”
“…”
“Then let’s do this. Let’s go by the book. First of all…”
* * *
Two days later, Yelena left the count’s estate and boarded the carriage to return home to the duchy.
Yelena had thought about staying a few more days because the time she spent with a friend, who she hadn’t seen in a long time, was more enjoyable than she thought.
However, there was a reason why Yelena got on the carriage as she originally intended.
“You’re going to reconcile as soon as I head back, aren’t you?”
“…I don’t know,” Rosaline answered, turning her head grumpily.
Rosaline fought with her husband, Count Max.
The quarrel between the couple, which started with a minor disagreement, escalated.
Yelena shook her head as she recalled servants in the count’s estate walking on eggshells around the couple.
“The atmosphere’s brutal. Please reconcile as soon as possible.”
“Oh, I don’t know. Hurry up and get in the carriage.”
Rosaline hit Yelena for no reason.
Yelena climbed into the carriage.
As she looked out of the window to bid farewell for the last time, Rosaline said, “Send me a letter if you make any progress.”
“That’s a given.”
“Don’t forget that this teacher is always cheering for her student.”
“Yes, Master,” Yelena chuckled as she waved her hand out the window.
Rosaline waved back.
‘It’s a lover’s quarrel.’
On her way back to the duchy, Yelena thought about Rosaline’s quarrel.
However, Yelena wasn’t too worried.
The couple seemed to love each other no matter how one looked at it.
Even if you loved someone, you would quarrel.
As a child, Yelena often wondered how she could push Edward down the cliff, but she still loved him because he was family.
‘I’m more worried about myself than Rosaline.’
While Yelena was lost in thought, the carriage arrived at the duke’s castle.
The butler greeted her with a bewildered look on his face.
“Madam, you have returned?”
Ben quickly adjusted his expression, but Yelena didn’t miss his fleeting expression.
‘What is it?’
Yelena was back according to schedule.
She was neither late nor early.
“You will need to relieve the fatigue from your travel. I’ll tell them to get a bath ready.”
“It’s fine. I’ll take care of that later.”
She wanted to do something before taking a bath to relieve the fatigue from the long journey.
In Yelena’s memory, after a long trip, her father always visited her mother first.
In the eyes of young Yelena, the act seemed like natural behavior and somehow looked really good.
Consequently, around that time, she would play the same game with her friends: the ‘I had a good trip, Honey’ game.
But now, it was not a game; it was a real situation.
‘To do as I remember, I will have to kiss him on the cheek…’
Yelena was afraid it was too early for that.
Rosaline informed her that stages of skinship of the ‘new lovers’ ranged from 1 to 10.
Among them, a ‘cheek kiss’ was in the intermediate stage.
Though, Yelena personally thought it wasn’t a big deal.
‘It’s a shame, but I guess today I’ll just see you and say I had a good trip…’
Also, there was one more thing she wanted to do when she faced her husband.
Yelena’s steps naturally became hasty.
She stopped by her residence and changed her clothes first.
Since she had been out for a long time, her clothes had become dirty due to the dust. She became worried again.
“Is the Duke in his office right now?”
While waiting for her clothes, Yelena asked the maid.
At this point, her husband being in the office could be said to be unquestionable.
It was a question where she had naturally expected the answer.
But, unexpectedly, the maid shook her head.
“No, he went to bed early today.”
“Huh? Already?”
Surprised, Yelena glanced at her watch again.
The hands of the watch were only pointing a little past dinner time.
‘You went into the bedroom at this hour?’
Her husband, whom Yelena knew, slept very little.
Without exception, his bedtime was always late every night.
If the watch wasn’t broken, it was too fast.
‘Why so early…?’
Wait.
A particular assumption crossed Yelena’s mind.
‘Are you sick?’
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