C71
Just one step away from them. It felt like a position dedicated to him.
You can't enter this line just yet. You're not fully part of the family...
Zachary hadn't slept with her yet. Therefore, it was impossible to say that they were a complete family, even though they had celebrated the wedding. In fact, didn't Bianca refuse to call him "darling" for that reason?
To Bianca, Zachary was the "Count de Arno."
She was free now. Zachary respected that freedom. Because she was still seventeen years old.
Although the difference between seventeen and eighteen was not as distinct as to be cut with a sharp knife, he thought it could be justified with the holy ceremony of adulthood.
He believed it could be a marriage based on respect and mutual love, and not a marriage as a business transaction.
And freedom was synonymous with being filled with dangerous responsibilities. The only difference was that it was Zachary, not Bianca, who assumed the responsibility for it. That was inevitable. Because it was always the responsibility of the husband and the older man to take responsibility for the relationship.
Until now, Bianca has been talking about a successor, and there is a reason why she keeps coming despite Zachary's refusal. Because she believed that Count Blanchefort would not accept her.
But not now. Count Blanchefort, who was shocked to see his daughter whom he hadn't seen in a long time, would gladly listen to her even if she said she wanted to divorce Zachary. Even if she divorces him, it doesn't change the fact that Zachary is on the side of the first prince.
Ten years were enough time to understand the humanity of a person, and Count Blanchefort understood perfectly well what kind of person Zachary was...
Now Bianca could go back to Blanchefort whenever she wanted. If she wanted to leave, Zachary had no reason to hold her back.
Fearful of acknowledging that fact, Zachary's mouth dried up, his clenched fists trembled, and the tendons protruded from the back of his hand.
What if Bianca truly fell in love with someone else? Then I...
"To be honest, it doesn't seem like the Madam is very fond of the Count. But what does she mean by not even sleeping together?"
Before leaving for the capital, Sauveur's words spread like ripples in Zachary's mind. What he had distanced himself from back then, just in case, was now right around the corner.
Feeling the alienation of being alone in a different place, Zachary fell into deep and confusing thoughts. The noise of the reception hall echoed like a dull noise in his ears. It felt like he had been taken away and moved somewhere else.
It was his own voice that slipped in the midst.
"She can't leave me. If I do better... There's no reason for her to leave me. We've been doing well for 10 years."
"Are you sure?"
"..."
"No need to worry. There's a better way than relying on her. Just sleep with her. Then she'll be completely subordinate to you."
"That's not allowed!!"
"Why not? She is your wife, and she wants to have your heir... There is absolutely no reason not to do it. All you have to do is set aside your humble pride. Mutual respect? Marriage for love? If you are so certain about that, why are you so confused now?"
As if there was a demon in his head, all kinds of sweet and seductive words sounded in his ears. The ground trembled like an earthquake. The slim and tall body that was capable of balancing gracefully even on top of the fiercely swaying warhorse staggered in a state of shock.
Zachary took a deep breath and tried to regain his composure. Bianca, looking through his blurry eyes, was crying as she saw her father whom she hadn't seen in a long time, and she seemed to shine alone in the darkness...
Until now, he thought he had to keep his mind strong by himself, but now he realized he couldn't resist by relying solely on his self-control and patience.
Once anxiety and desire arose in his head, he found himself cornered by them from time to time. No matter how many times he tried to suppress it, it kept resurfacing.
Zachary gritted his teeth.
"All these are whispers from the devil to confuse me... If I can't bear it now and sleep with her... I'm sure I will hurt her. I can be more patient. I am Zachary de Arno. It was patience to endure pain and suffering that saved me from the infernal battlefield. That patience will save my life, and hers and my future too..."
At that moment, Bianca turned towards him.
With tear-stained cheeks, she smiled brightly.
Zachary tried to smile at Bianca. He pulled on his cheeks painfully, but his mouth remained stiff. Zachary didn't know what expression he was making. He simply did his best to give her a little relief, at least silently, pretending to smile.
---
After that day's meeting went well, Bianca started having dinner with the Blancheforts regularly.
Although they alternated between the Arno family's quarters and the Blanchefort family's quarters, most of the time, Bianca and Zachary headed to the Blanchefort's quarters.
Since that first encounter in over a decade, many things had changed.
Johaseng and Gustave were surprised by Bianca's discerning taste, the small amount of food she ate, and how the hero of Sevran took care of every item on the menu.
They were particularly amazed by Bianca's eating habits because in their memory, Bianca was a girl who smiled happier than anyone when she received a piece of chocolate cake after a meal.
They couldn't believe how little Bianca ate, eating as little as a bird.
Zachary laughed bitterly. It was because Bianca's picky taste was also a problem for him. He still didn't feel completely well, so she should at least eat properly... But no matter how much he said that, Bianca didn't listen, so Zachary had no choice but to worry on his own.
After dinner, the conversation didn't last long. It hadn't been long since Bianca recovered, so everyone quickly left their seats due to her low resistance.
Perhaps because she ate as little as a bird, the three men acted as if Bianca were a chick.
Bianca and Zachary returned to their rooms. They were not a couple who talked often, and Bianca was not the chatty type. Needless to say, Zachary was straightforward.
But lately, it had been really terrible.
When did Zachary's attitude strangely change?
Bianca was able to find the answer quickly. It was the day she met her father.
When she thinks about the slip of the tongue she made at that moment, her heart races. She is very glad that they have cleared up their misunderstandings. Now that she has the protection of her father, she doesn't have to worry about Zachary mocking her for her mistakes.
Anyway, it was after that that Zachary's attitude strangely changed.
Although he was originally a straightforward man, recently it had gotten worse.
When he was with his father, he still showed a somewhat softened reaction, but when they were alone, it completely disappeared.
He never spoke with Bianca, and he looked firm enough to repel any word Bianca might utter. It was not an exaggeration to say that a deadly silence fell between them.
Still, she started to get nervous after meeting her family. Until now, she had pretended not to know and ignored it, but after facing them like this, she couldn't overlook their deaths. Bianca's nervous system started to burn.
Johaseng died when he was 20, in a war in the Algoth region, Sevran's border. As the Algoth area was a key point for Sevran, everyone fought in the war to prevent it from being taken by the Kingdom of Aragon. Perhaps Zachary also participated in the war. Because he is a man who never loses a battle.
The reason Bianca remembers the war particularly vividly is that not only her younger brother but also Prince Gautier died in that war. It was understandable that Gustave, who had lost both his successor and his master, set aside persistent feelings about life.
So, Bianca, somehow, had to make sure that they didn't die in the war. It would be good if Prince Gautier also survived, but in any case, Gustave would not give up in vain if he saved Johaseng. Gustave was a prestigious noble. If he survives, he will be of great help to Bianca...
No. No. Bianca simply wanted her father and her brother to survive.
Anyway, Bianca's head was burning because she was worried about her family's death. In such a situation, her husband, Zachary, instead of helping her, seemed annoyed and moody for unknown reasons.
Just as Bianca and Zachary walked down the hallway in an uncomfortable silence, they encountered a stranger from the other side.
Darkness descended, and only the moonlight and torches illuminated the corridor. The person coming from the other side approached closer and closer. It wasn't until they were close that they knew who the opponent was.
Tags:
TWB (Novel)