C78
That day, earlier than usual, Zachary burst into her room.
Bianca, who had been resting in her chair, tried to stand up at the unexpected visit, but Zachary stopped her with his hand. Bianca, who had exhausted all her energy on the brief outing, sat down willingly.
His expression was the same as always.
Because it was difficult to judge his mood by his expression, Bianca also started looking around. The tone of his voice. The length of his stride. Small things like how close he gets to Bianca. Gathering that information, she could get a rough idea of how he felt.
Slightly trembling eyes. Exceptionally large stride. A closed mouth trying to say something. Zachary seemed a little nervous and embarrassed.
Bianca slowly scratched the fiber of the fabric on the wooden handle of the chair with the tip of her nail, trying to deduce why he would be like this.
But Bianca's curiosity didn't last long. Because the reason came out of Zachary's own mouth.
"Is it true that you met the maid?"
Gaspard. She thought he was a man with a heavy mouth, but he seemed lighter than anyone. She wondered where he had gone in the meantime, but apparently he went to inform Zachary. Not only is his mouth light, but his behind* is as well. Bianca chuckled a bit and clicked her tongue.
If it hadn't been for Zachary's voice, which asked again if it was true that she had met Ante, sounding urgent and anxious, Bianca wouldn't have believed that Zachary had visited her just for that. Because it wasn't something worth it.
Both Zachary and Yvonne were making a strange fuss, but in fact, Bianca didn't really understand why they were doing it. Bianca nodded slowly.
As soon as she did, Zachary quickly examined Bianca's complexion. He suddenly grabbed Bianca's hand and even checked her palm.
What? Does he think I couldn't control my temper and slapped his cheek? Bianca's cheeks twitched. But Zachary didn't notice and kept observing Bianca. Only after confirming that she wasn't injured anywhere did he let out a sigh of relief.
"Well, Gaspard was with you, so it wouldn't be a big deal."
"That's right. Sir Gaspard was with me, so what could have happened?"
Bianca chuckled and blinked at Yvonne by her side. Yvonne brought the chair closer to her side and positioned it in a good position for Zachary to sit. It wasn't until Zachary sat in the chair that the eyes of the two people, who were disproportionately close, met.
If she were the Bianca from the past, she might have suspected that Zachary had hidden that woman. In front of Bianca, he tried to pretend to be cool, and then sent the maid to a nobleman he knew and continued their relationship in secret, a truly delusional illusion.
However, considering Zachary's personality, which she had been observing for six months since his return, he didn't seem to be that kind of person.
It was funny that rumors circulated about the existence of a mistress. If he had been a man who could act so cunningly, he would have been sweeter or more cruel to her. There would be no need to worry about every little thing that isn't necessary.
That being said, it's not that I believe Zachary has feelings for her as Yvonne mentioned. It's just that... Zachary was sincere.
So maybe he's trying to treat her, his only wife, with respect. Maybe it's out of respect for the alliance with the Blanchefort family that weighs on his shoulders....
Of course, that logic wasn't without contradictions. When Bianca said she didn't want to see her father, if Zachary really cared about the Blancheforts, he wouldn't have said so easily that it wasn't necessary for her to go. But that was the best Bianca could come up with.
Bianca was afraid to convince herself that someone loved her. Because she has realized how cruel it is to believe in love.
The presumption that the other person would love her stirred love for the other in her heart. She felt so alone, and Fernand, who said he loved her, was like rain after a drought. But what was the result? A brutal betrayal!
In the end, it was her own love, and even that love was left with nothing but the humiliation of being used.
But more than that, it's because the opponent is Zachary.
She couldn't believe in his love because he was her legitimate husband, a man already qualified to possess much of her. She shouldn't believe in it. What the hell was she supposed to do with her wounds if he betrays her?
Believing in Zachary's character was Bianca's minimum guarantee, the Maginot Line to protect herself.
Bianca was satisfied with the way they were now. They respect and consider each other without confirming their feelings for each other... It would be perfect if they got physically closer, but she also knew that it was her greed based on her anxiety about the future.
Anyway, there was no need for love to interfere in their relationship.
After improving relations with the Blancheforts, Bianca was no longer as obsessed with her first night with Zachary as she used to be. Anyway, next year she will sleep with him, and it's never too late to work hard from then on. As long as the Blanchefort family is alive and well, she doesn't have to suffocate to stay in the Arno family....
At that moment, a corner of Bianca's chest tightened. An indescribable pressure of pain surrounded her. She felt like she was missing something important, but she had no idea what it was. As Bianca tried to guess the cause of the pain, Zachary, who was sitting in the chair, snapped his fingers.
"Water."
Bianca, who awakened from her worries only then, tilted her chin toward Yvonne, where the water pitcher was. Yvonne poured water into the cup, and Zachary drank it immediately. His neck moved sharply, showing the movement of the water flowing through his throat.
Zachary, whose throat was moistened, took a deep breath. Bianca casually said, with her awkwardly stiffened cheeks raised.
"You must have come in a hurry."
"Ah."
Zachary nodded. He felt fear upon receiving Gaspard's report and rushed out, but after confirming that Bianca was okay, he felt relieved.
The maid was rude to Bianca, the master's wife, even in Zachary's castle. As she didn't know how to deal with other nobles in the capital, her heart pounded even though she knew Gaspard was there. It would be better to find out who was behind her.
The capital is too dangerous. Especially the people.
It was only after Zachary sighed that he could look deeply at Bianca. It seemed like she was trying to pretend to be calm, but her face was hardened as if she was ashamed of her husband's sudden action. It was then that Zachary realized he had been rude and let out a small sigh of regret.
Except for the uncomfortable expression on her face, Bianca's appearance was particularly dazzling today. The sun's rays made her red dress and the necklace of the same color as her eyes shine brightly. It was an item he chose very carefully for Bianca.
Until now, he thought she hadn't worn it because she didn't like it, he didn't expect her to be wearing it today... a strange sense of pride consumed Zachary.
"...The necklace looks good on you."
"Of course. Who chose it for me? What about the dress? It's made with the fabric we chose together back then. Do you remember?"
"I remember everything. It looks good on you."
Seeing Bianca look at the hem of her dress, Zachary repeated the words without understanding them like a parrot.
The feeling of melancholy disappeared for a moment, as unlike the hero of the kingdom, he seemed like a fool. Bianca smiled mischievously and playfully asked Zachary.
"Do you have anything else to say besides saying it looks good on me?"
"...beautiful."
Zachary looked into Bianca's eyes and added. He was a man with a weak mind. It can be said that it was a compliment made as a last resort. Bianca, who from the beginning didn't expect Zachary to praise her with elegant modifiers, added with a smile.
"This dress alone cost the count two horses, clearly it should be beautiful. If it were Vincent, he would have scolded me for a long time."
"Why would he scold you?"
"It's a waste of money."
"It's not a waste. It looks very good on you. Didn't I say previously that I would buy you anything you wanted?"
Zachary tilted his head in a strange way. His black eyes moved up and down as if he was observing Bianca's attire, and soon his head nodded. Looking at him again, he seemed to be thinking a lot about it.
Bianca looked at Zachary for a moment. He wasn't good with compliments, but he was good at doing embarrassing things like this. Sometimes, when she sees this, she can't tell if it's good or bad dealing with women.
Tags:
TWB (Novel)