Chapter 27

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 27

Chapter Title: To Clodel's Bedroom

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"......Strange."

On the day of the wedding held at Valmond Castle, Clodel had been adorned from head to toe with glittering jewels dangling all over her bridal gown.

The wedding gift he had given her—though he now knew Antyone had stolen it, leaving Clodel unable even to look at it—hadn't satisfied her? He had thought her taste flashy enough to make sense of that.

"I've never seen her dressed up."

Yet the Clodel he saw in Rowen Castle never wore any jewelry.

Annoyingly, it was true that he had only seen her in the bedroom as the butler said, but even outside of those times, there were no jewels or gold on her earlobes, neck, or fingers.

Ah, there was one exception.

She was still wearing the button bezel he had given her like a silver ring.

Whenever it caught his eye, he secretly wanted to take it off, but he never found the chance, and Clodel always carried it on her.

"If you have something that suits you among what you own, try it."

"I'll try later. I got tired looking at clothes for so long."

She had looked troubled at his words.

His sharp intuition hovered on the brink of a conclusion.

That night.

When everyone was asleep, Kaiyan slipped silently toward Clodel's bedroom.

There was no one in the castle who could stop him from entering her room.

Even so, the reason he entered like a shadow melting into the darkness was something else.

Kaiyan's eyes fell on the bed, which still showed no sign of anyone lying in it.

Clodel was sleeping cozily nestled among the large pillows and cushions.

He glanced over her form and quietly headed to the dressing room.

The man, whose night vision was sharper than most, surveyed the vast room by the moonlight streaming through the window.

"This is ridiculous."

Most noblewomen were obsessed with hoarding as many jewels as they could.

Regardless of age, they all did it—no need to look far; his cousin and the kingdom's only princess, Biange, wore earrings, necklaces, rings, bracelets, and even anklets without a single bare spot.

On top of that, they usually had dresses for every season, purpose, color, and even matching accessories based on the fabric.

But Clodel's dressing room was so empty it felt barren.

Anyone might mistake it for an unoccupied room.

Kaiyan frowned in disbelief, and his eyes caught a familiar dress.

Upon closer look, in the smallest compartment of the expansive dressing room—barely an arm's length wide—a few garments hung.

Just three, including the Valmond-style dress with the high neckline he had told her to throw out today.

And that was it, along with two familiar nightgowns neatly hung.

One of them even had the front lacing torn from when he had ripped it off in excitement, but it had been mended with hand-stitching.

Kaiyan's gaze turned to the jewelry storage.

Click.

The faint metallic sound accompanied the opening, revealing an even more absurd sight inside.

The torsos that had overflowed with splendor—more than some living people enjoyed—when the previous duchess, his mother, used this room were all completely bare.

Nothing was there.

Clodel owned nothing.

Kaiyan quietly slipped out of her bedroom.

His heated mind cooled like water poured over it, and his reason sharpened to the conclusion he sought.

"She lied."

When he learned she had Herzol and raged, Clodel had definitely said that.

"Daring to deceive Rowen's lord with a flawed bride? The old fool from House Vermonte has lost his mind."

"I'll raze Valmond territory until nothing lives or breathes..."

"No!"

"I-It was me. Duke Vermonte... Father knew nothing."

That she had deceived him alone.

That Duke Vermonte knew nothing.

"How could he not know?"

There was only one reason a duke's family wouldn't send even a single dress or bridal gift for a royal-ordered marriage between ducal houses.

Duke Vermonte had known Clodel would die.

Kaiyan roughly raked his hair back.

He couldn't tell if his rising irritation was because Clodel had lied to him or because Duke Vermonte had made a fool of him.

Rowen Castle was bustling from early morning.

After finishing breakfast, Clodel wondered what was going on and peeked out the window, but she couldn't tell.

Then the butler came looking for her.

"Madam. The lord commands you to prepare for an outing."

"Pardon? An outing?"

"Yes. It's not far, but you should wear a new dress."

"All right."

As the butler left, Hanna's eyes sparkled.

"Hurry and change into a new dress."

"What should I wear?"

She needed to know the destination to dress appropriately, but the butler was already gone.

"This one. Wear this."

Hanna picked a dress that exposed both shoulders with a V-neck plunging at the chest.

"Isn't that for parties or balls?"

"No such thing. It's not even that flared."

"We don't even know where we're going. The chiffon is so thin—if it catches and tears?"

"Then what? Beg the lord for a new dress."

After a long argument, Clodel settled on a dress with puffed sleeves, a square neckline, and a ribbon cinched just below the bust.

It wasn't too much, she thought, but once on, it was quite thin, revealing her figure.

"This feels a bit much, doesn't it?"

"You need to adapt to Rowen style, Madam. Everyone wears them fine."

"Really? It's okay?"

"Of course. It's just your imagination, Madam."

Hanna kept adding "Madam," making Clodel feel pressured, so she nodded.

A short while later, a castle servant escorted her, and a large, sturdy carriage waited in front of the castle.

"Wow."

Clodel gasped in admiration.

Compared to this, the carriage she had ridden from the north seemed flimsy enough that leaks from the ceiling felt inevitable.

She stared in wonder at the incredibly luxurious and solid carriage when a familiar cold voice came from behind.

"What are you waiting for? Get in."

"Ah......"

Kaiyan extended his hand to her.

As Clodel stood blankly, he impatiently grabbed the hand holding her dress hem and pulled.

"I'm busy. Hurry up."

"Yes."

As she boarded with Kaiyan, the door closed, and they departed immediately.

The carriage seats were spacious, with soft cushions that felt good to sink into. There was no jolting, so the breeze from the open window brushed pleasantly against her.

It had been over two months since arriving at Rowen Castle, and this was her first time outside.

Maybe that's why. Clodel felt herself getting excited.

She had been a body awaiting death on the way here, but recovering so cleanly felt like a miracle.

Her cheeks flushed, Clodel called to Kaiyan.

"Duke."

"What?"

"There's something I want to try. Is it okay?"

"Do what you want."

With permission from Kaiyan across from her, she lay sideways on the seat despite propriety.

"Wow. I can lie down."

Lush trees glowing pale green against the blue sky rushed past the window by her head.

Clodel quickly sat up properly again.

Kaiyan watched her with his usual baffled expression. He rarely showed emotion and always looked angry, but now she could read his eyes a little.

"It's my first time in such a big carriage. I wondered if I could lie down."

Seeing the vertical crease form between his brows, Clodel shut her mouth.

"Shouldn't you be more curious about where we're going than that?"

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see when we get there."

Not even bothering to answer properly.

Clodel quietly enjoyed the view outside.

Rowen was incredibly beautiful.

Different from around Valmond Castle, where the tallest shrubs barely reached waist height.

"If it hadn't rained on the way here, I would have seen this."

Sadly, her journey to Rowen had been through constant rain for the last three days, forcing the windows shut. Even open, only gloomy gray skies would have shown.

As the butler said, the carriage soon entered a paved stone road. Magnificent buildings lined both sides, making Clodel's eyes sparkle.

When it stopped, Kaiyan got out first and offered his hand.

"Get out."

"W......"

She almost said "wow" in awe but clamped her mouth shut.

She didn't want to seem unsophisticated in front of him.

People recognized their lord and bowed from all directions.

"Wow."

Seeing his authority in a different light from the castle, Clodel was purely impressed.

She could perfectly feel that he ruled this land.

"Come here."

Clodel took his hand and entered the shop.

It was a jeweler's.

The gemcutter who had made her ring and bracelet before greeted them with a bright face.

"My lord. Madam. I've been waiting. Please sit here."

Sitting side by side on the long sofa with Kaiyan made Clodel overly aware of him for no reason.

They had sat across tables before, but never like this.

"What am I thinking? We've spent nights together—what's sitting side by side?"

As she tried to push away stray thoughts—

"Recommend jewels that suit my wife."

Clodel blinked, not comprehending Kaiyan's words.

"If there's something you like, pick it yourself."

"Jewels?"

"Yes."

He furrowed his brow.

"If I see anything in that tacky Valmond style, it'll go straight into the moat under the drawbridge. You have been warned."

"Ah......"

In truth, Clodel had no jewels at all.

Her uncle, Duke Vermonte, hadn't provided any proper bridal gifts.

Not because he lacked them, but deliberately.

Because upon her death, her assets would revert to House Temneth.

Her uncle and aunt had argued for days over it.

The duchess insisted sending a daughter empty-handed from jewel-rich House Vermonte was shameful and would get them investigated, while Duke Vermonte ranted he couldn't bear seeing Valmond's gems become House Temneth's before his eyes closed in death.

In the end, they loaded the gifts onto her carriage, but stopped outside Valmond Castle where the duchess couldn't see, unloaded everything, and only then continued to Rowen.

"Did he... notice I have no jewels?"

Yesterday he had said to try something if she had it, and she had acted awkward.

"Nothing catches your eye?"

"No. No, they're all beautiful."

Clodel answered hastily, and Kaiyan nodded.

"Give her all of them."