C46
Anyway, the nanny who was so disgusted with Zachary wouldn't have informed Bianca about the couple's active relationship. She would only tell her the bare minimum necessary. Besides, she died from an epidemic two years ago.
So it was difficult to relate to Bianca's sudden change in attitude.
And Bianca wasn't very friendly with the maids of the Arno family. Didn't it happen a while ago? As soon as she approaches, the maids scatter. But did she learn from the maids? That was absurd.
If it's about a maid close to her... Well, yes. Recently, she had a maid by her side. However, it had nothing to do with Bianca's announcement of giving birth to an heir, and considering Yvonne's character, which was informed to him, she probably wouldn't have told Bianca that.
Her recent behavior has been filled with strange things.
Is she suddenly talking about giving birth to an heir or saying she will assume Vincent's position?
Taking real power in Vincent's name is something any noble wife would do, so there was no reason to oppose it, so he let it pass, but Zachary was worried inside. It was because he was afraid she would harm her health by doing too much work for nothing. Plus, he also wants to learn horseback riding.
She was still a noble, arrogant, and demanding woman, but he could definitely sense something different from what she had been until now.
Bianca's change in attitude was sudden and extreme, and there was no causal relationship. So, at the very least, Zachary must have wondered if a messenger from the Blanchefort family had come to polish Bianca's qualities. Bianca seems to have taken it in a completely different sense, but...
Bianca's lips were stubbornly closed, and her pale green eyes shone unyieldingly like the fresh green of summer. In terms of the successor issue, her determination not to easily back down was evident.
Zachary wasn't familiar with her like this. Until now, she had always turned her head at an angle to avoid him, and she would only flee from his gaze. As the past is clear, Bianca's gaze, which has recently confronted him directly, has been difficult to adapt to, but it has shaken a corner of his heart. Like the horseshoes of a battlefield rolling tirelessly in anticipation of future wars.
Sixteen is not a young age these days. There were many women who had already given birth at the age of 16, and in reality, Zachary himself went to war and killed countless people when he was 16. But in Zachary's eyes, Bianca is still very young. The sight of Bianca holding her neck stiffly, saying that she had already grown up, tickled his stomach, and Zachary couldn't control the impulse to ask mischievously.
"So, what did you learn?"
"What?"
"What did the maids tell you to do?"
"......"
A faint smile appeared at the corner of Zachary's lips as he asked his young wife.
What will Bianca say?
Just thinking about it made his lips curve.
Bianca's eyes widened in confusion when she first saw a slightly positive reaction on Zachary's face.
She thought maybe she was mistaken, but when she rubbed her eyes and looked again, it was still there. Under the deeply opened eyes, the black eyes that shone like poplars seemed sweet at first glance. That kindness! Before, she suspected that he might have a plan with the Blanchefort family, but he suddenly intruded into her conversation with the maids. Bianca swallowed.
The musky scent, of which she had never been aware, particularly pierced her nose. Now that she thought about it, there was always a faint musky smell on Zachary. Although her dry and ascetic husband seemed strange to her, it was a terrifyingly fitting scent.
The reason his musky smell is not usually emphasized is that the scent is so faint that it can only be felt when one is close enough to his skin.
She usually didn't feel it when she was away from Zachary, but when she slept with him, it always invaded her nose to the point of dizziness. Being able to smell that aroma now meant that Bianca and Zachary were very close, but Bianca didn't recognize that fact.
Bianca's head was spinning, and her mouth was dry. She needed to respond with something. She couldn't seem more suspicious.
Unaware that Zachary was following her movements, Bianca did her best to squeeze out a plausible lie.
"...As the Count is about to turn 30, he needs to have an heir as soon as possible."
Shame overlapped with Zachary's smile, making him swallow saliva at the question he was trying to bother Bianca with.
Bianca's words were true. Twenty-nine. He wasn't at an age where he could be relaxed enough to vaguely wait for his succession. Besides, wasn't he often involved in wars?
Zachary, who only realized he was getting old, coughed a couple of times and tried to persuade Bianca.
"But it seems you weren't informed that sixteen years old is too young to have children."
"Wars are frequent. Everyone in the castle is anxious."
"I didn't know you were so concerned about the castle's situation."
Zachary said it without thinking much, but it didn't sound that way from the listener's perspective.
Did it sound unpleasant that she, who was usually indifferent to the territory, was trying to restrain Zachary's behavior by mentioning that matter? Bianca's face turned bright red at the thought that Zachary was reprimanding her.
The warmth that spread beneath the texture of her white skin didn't easily fade away. Bianca gently lowered her eyebrows and coughed. As true as Zachary had said, Bianca, who had no excuses, turned around.
"You still don't want me to give birth to your successor?"
"We will go to the capital soon. It's not a good time to have a successor."
"Compared to the successor, the capital is not very important. It's a foolish idea that is no different from not farming out of fear of drought. That's nonsense."
He can't retreat here. If she can't break through Zachary's iron wall this time, she'll go back to square one. And she'll repeat the same conversation again. Bianca, who was fed up, said.
"Or is there a reason you're avoiding me to the point where you have to make that excuse?"
"I'm not avoiding you."
"Lie."
Bianca's pale green eyes sparkled. Her gaze stubbornly followed his face as if trying to examine the depths hidden beneath Zachary's expression.
If it had been the old Bianca, she would have sarcastically asked if he was avoiding her because of his lover, but after some conversations, she discovered that Zachary hated talking about that. There's nothing good in irritating Zachary, so Bianca kept her mouth shut about it.
Bianca wasn't the only one persistently seeking. Zachary also continued to explore why Bianca suddenly spoke about his successor.
"Why are you suddenly impatient? No matter how much I think about it, I can't figure it out. What change of heart occurred while I was away?"
Bianca bit her lip. Zachary, who kept asking difficult-to-answer questions, appeared insensitive. She thought she should lie, but she had already used the excuse of the maids once or twice and didn't know what else to say.
Is the reason for her change of opinion so important?
Isn't it understandable that she would suddenly change her mind? She believed they had grown closer. She thought he looked at her favorably because he said he would take her to the capital.
The idea that it wasn't the case made her cry. No matter how much she tried, reality made Bianca feel powerless.
It seems she inadvertently opened her heart to Zachary. This was the result of harboring unrequited expectations and thinking that, of course, he would welcome the successor that would come from her. She felt miserable.
Bianca pressed her trembling lips and tried to steady her voice. But it wasn't easy.
"...Do I need to have a reason to have your child?"
Tags:
TWB (Novel)