"This should be about enough."
After getting out of bed and pulling back the covers,
Ttak.
I tossed it haphazardly on the floor, making sure it would be perfectly visible to the maids.
"Then, I'll be going to sleep."
And then, I flopped down flat on the bed. Perhaps because I had worried about so many things, I was exhausted.
Above all, tonight was definitively a night without an ambush. I didn't want to let such a day go to waste. I planned to fall asleep as quickly as possible to get some much-needed rest for the first time in a while.
"......Your Grace."
Rose didn't get on the bed; she just stood there awkwardly in her spot.
"Is this the respect and courtesy you spoke of as a husband...... Your Grace?"
"That's right."
I replied in a nonchalant tone, still lying down.
"I won't lay a hand on you, Wife."
"......"
"So sleep in peace."
I wouldn't force her to do anything she didn't want. That was the maximum consideration I could offer Rose.
I thought Rose would slowly get into bed by this point.
But.
Heup.
A sound of desperately suppressed sobbing came out of nowhere. I thought I misheard, so I pricked up my ears.
Heuk.
I hadn't misheard. Rose was crying.
'Why on earth?'
Dumbfounded, I immediately kicked off the bed and got up.
Hng.
I saw Rose crying silently, her eyes brimming with tears.
"......Why are you crying?"
Perhaps because of my tone, which implied I absolutely couldn't understand, or perhaps because she was asked a question.
Huup.
Rose took a deep breath, trying to steady her breathing. But the more she tried, the more her crying grew instead of subsiding.
Heuk, hng.
Tears finally began to stream down Rose's cheeks.
Ttuk, ttuk.
Seeing the teardrops dampening the floor by Rose's feet, I felt utterly bewildered, yet at the same time, I was struck by a bizarre sensation—as if I had become a rogue.
'Wait, what did I even do?'
One thing was certain: I couldn't just leave Rose like this. With no other choice, I got up and approached her.
"Wife, why are you crying?"
Wondering if I had misspoken, I traced back my memory up until just a moment ago, but couldn't find anything to pin the blame on. I had only generously considered Rose's position.
'Was she perhaps crying because she was touched?'
That didn't seem to be it. She was definitely crying out of grievance.
"Wife, at least tell me why you're crying."
No matter how much I thought about it, it didn't seem like my fault.
Figuring there must be some reason, I stood in front of Rose and waited. I couldn't just go to sleep by myself and leave her like this.
"-Your Grace,"
Finally.
The moment I was inwardly pleased that I had finally heard Rose's words after exercising immense patience.
"You were so kind to me. I think I made a misunderstanding."
I had no choice but to fall into an even deeper and darker pit of confusion than before.
Why was that coming out here?
"When you entered this bedchamber today, I was prepared for it."
Prepared for what?
"But, as expected. You don't want to embrace someone like me, Your Grace."
Only then did I understand what Rose meant and had to groan.
In other words...... Rose right now...
"Did you think I was going to embrace you tonight?"
Rose looked up at me with watery eyes. After confirming the sheer bewilderment filling my gaze,
Euheuk.
She began to shed tears once again. It was a more sorrowful crying than before.
"Wife, please."
I was in a bind. I knew how to make a woman cry, but I didn't know how to console a crying one.
After some deliberation, the method I chose was,
"Stop crying."
To wipe away the tears staining Rose's cheeks.
"-!"
Rose's breath hitched for a moment.
Kkeum-beok.
As Rose blinked slowly, the teardrops clinging to her eyelashes rolled down again.
Seuk.
I focused silently on wiping them away. I didn't carry a handkerchief or anything of the sort. I just rubbed her face with my large hand, which practically covered her entire face.
Kkeum-beok, kkeum-beok.
I wiped the teardrops from the corners of her eyes before they could fall again, and said.
"Are you done crying?"
Despite my less-than-gentle, rough touch, Rose didn't cry anymore. The act itself seemed to have stopped her tears.
"Now try answering me."
Rose sniffled once and spoke.
"Because it's a right you can naturally demand of me... I thought you would."
So she thought I would embrace her, even by force if necessary.
'Hah.'
I stared at the ceiling for a moment and blew out a sigh. I genuinely wanted to crack open that small head of hers to see what was inside.
She blushed at the mere sight of a bit of my bare skin, so what was she doing discussing marital duties?
She was a woman I couldn't tell whether she was brazen or simply naive.
"Then I'll ask. Do you want me to embrace you?"
The emotion that suddenly arose in Rose's eyes was fear.
"If you demand it, Your Grace... I wouldn't be able to refuse."
"That's the problem. I'm saying I have no intention of demanding it."
"......"
"Did you see me as a shameless rogue who would force himself on a woman who didn't even love him?"
Rose seemed to finally understand a bit of what I was saying.
De-gul.
Rose's eyes darted around frantically. Then, she asked in a tightly suppressed voice.
"Really? It's not because I'm ugly?"
"What in the..."
I furrowed my brows and pressed my fingers against my forehead. It felt like a headache was coming on for the first time in a while.
"Why do you even think you're ugly in the first place? I never said such a thing."
"My mother..."
That damn Viscountess Vikander.
Right, I remembered. The abusive language Rose had heard before she departed in the carriage today.
'How lucky you are to be married off into the Schmaichel family like the likes of you. Though, of course, His Grace will never take a fancy to someone like you.'
'What if His Grace sees your face and runs away? Don't even think about coming out of the room, unnie.'
Anyone would have turned out strange growing up listening to that kind of garbage.
"I'll say this now while I have the chance."
I took my hand off my forehead and met Rose's eyes.
"You are not that ugly, Wife. Understood?"
"Yes..."
Rose nodded her head with an expression that didn't seem very convinced.
It seemed the thought "I am ugly" was firmly nailed into her head. It would likely take a lot of effort to pry it out.
"And as for that matter, I will think about it if you truly want it. But before that happens, I will never be the one to demand it first."
I had never let my guard down in a bedchamber to begin with. How could I engage in marital duties when an assassin's dagger might come flying in at any moment?
Seeing this side of her, I couldn't tell if she was frustratingly dense or just naive.
'She was strangely too resolute.'
She had approached the bed having made a tremendously huge resolution and resolve of her own. By arbitrarily misunderstanding my words about attending to marital duties.
"Are you calmed down now?"
"A little... bit."
"Then let's go to sleep."
I went back to the bed and flopped down. There was another blanket laid out aside from the one I had tossed aside earlier, so I pulled it over myself.
'I couldn't do this anymore.'
Consoling her this much was truly giving it my best effort. Doing things I wasn't used to was making the corners of my mouth twitch.
Just making an un-intimidating expression had my facial muscles working at full capacity.
Sabak.
I thought I would just ignore her and go to sleep if she cried again this time, but surprisingly, Rose quickly approached the bed.
"U-um, Your Grace."
"...What is it now."
"Am I sleeping next to you?"
"Or are you going to sleep on the floor?"
"No..."
She really was a handful.
Even as I grumbled inwardly, I answered her diligently, and only then did Rose sluggishly climb onto the bed.
The bed was so large that even Rose, who got in from the opposite side, didn't touch me at all. Well, I had ordered the largest bed available with that exact intention in mind.
Sabak.
I felt the fabric move on the other side, perhaps because Rose had pulled the blanket up.
Now I could really sleep...
"Your Grace."
"...If you call for me one more time, I'll put you to sleep by force."
"No, this is really the last time."
Even though it was a somewhat serious threat, Rose spoke nonchalantly, whether she had grown incredibly bold or had completely lost her nervousness.
"What is it you want to say?"
"So, today..."
Rose paused for a moment to gather her words before continuing.
"Thank you, for today."
"If you're thankful, go to sleep quickly."
"You're still the same..."
Rose's last words were mumbled, so I couldn't hear them well. But with those words, Rose truly fell silent.
'It had been a long day.'
Only then was I able to relax my body a little.
I needed to sleep quickly. Tonight, there was no assassin climbing through the window, and no sword suddenly popping out from under the bed. It was guaranteed to be a good night's sleep.
I closed my eyes with that thought, but.
...I couldn't sleep.
Even though it was a rare chance to sleep soundly, even though my brain knew this fact!
Sleep wouldn't come.
I had grown so accustomed to closing my eyes without ever letting my guard down that the reverse situation actually chased my sleep away.
It was also my first time lying this close to someone. The faint warmth on my right side was incredibly bothersome and uncomfortable.
Sabak.
The faint noises Rose made were also one of the reasons I couldn't sleep. She seemed to be trying her best to be careful, but in the silence of the night, any sound echoed as loud as thunder.
The rustling sound of Rose's body brushing against the blanket, and her faintly exhaled breaths—every single sound grated on my nerves, making it impossible to fall asleep.
'Should I count the patterns on the ceiling?'
They said repetitive and boring tasks helped you fall asleep.
While I was having such thoughts.
"Your Grace."
Rose whispered in a small voice.
"......"
I decided to ignore her. I was asleep right now.
"Your Grace, are you asleep?"
'Why was she asking the obvious.' When I didn't answer—naturally—Rose actually propped herself up.
Basak.
The faint warmth I had been feeling since earlier grew larger, approaching my side.
"......"
Rose's faint breath brushed close against me. Even without opening my eyes, I could tell she was looking down at me from right beside me.
'She was doing something dangerous.'
My fingertips tickled. An impulse rose within me to bolt upright right this instant, pull her in, and slit her throat with a dagger.