Chapter 16
16. A Deadly Breakfast2021.10.24.
Chirp, chirp.
“!”
The moment Reina felt the birdsong and the sunlight streaming in before her eyes, she bolted upright reflexively. Morning!
‘I overslept!’
Arthur, who had been drawing back the curtains at the window, turned to her with a puzzled look at the sudden vigorous movement on the bed. Their eyes met.
“…….”
His sculpted face, bathed in the morning sunlight, was dazzling. Arthur smiled brightly.
“Good morning.”
Reina answered in a daze.
“Go-good…… morning……. Sir Arthur…….”
The next moment, it hit her. Right. I’m not a maid anymore. I didn’t need to jump up in a panic like this. With a bewildered expression, Reina calmed her startled heart and touched her sweaty forehead. I’m Lady Christina now. And it had been three days since she’d reunited with that man. Swish…… Arthur drew back the curtains, letting sunlight flood into the room through the window.
“You wake up so energetically. I wish my soldiers would follow your example.”
“…….”
Embarrassment flooded her face too late. Reina fiddled with her messy bangs, her face sheepish as she said nothing. Arthur turned toward her with a bright smile.
“Did you have a good dream?”
A good dream. At that question, Reina’s face turned bright red like a tomato.
“Y-yes?!”
Startled, Reina shot back. Her voice came out high-pitched like a scream. She stammered as if she’d committed some crime.
“?”
Taken aback by the unexpectedly intense reaction, Arthur paused in bewilderment and looked at her.
“……I don’t think I said anything worth jumping at like that.”
He was right. As he spoke, last night’s dream overlaid his composed face. Flustered, Reina hurriedly averted her eyes and bowed her head deeply. Her face burned hot. Cold sweat beaded, her fingertips curling inward. Waking from the dream last night hadn’t felt this mortifying. Sneaking glances at his sleeping face alone was one thing, but meeting his gaze was worlds apart. The insane dream from last night and the heady sensations revived vividly. She felt like she’d die of shame right there. It seemed like he’d see right through her thoughts any second.
“?”
Arthur tilted his head as he looked at her. Her face was almost entirely hidden by her hanging hair, but peeking through the golden strands, her ears were red, along with her neck, shoulders, and even her arms. Arthur smiled as if teasing her.
“Why are you so red? Did you have a naughty dream or something?”
“……!”
Reina’s shoulders twitched visibly. Then she looked up at him in frantic alarm, as if she’d overheard something scandalous from a bandit.
“…….”
Arthur shut his mouth. It had been a joke, but her reaction was dead serious. He frowned awkwardly, forcing a wry smile.
“……What is it, really? You leave your husband chaste after five years apart and have naughty dreams all by yourself.”
“!”
Reina avoided his gaze, her face exploding red. She clutched the sheet as if to crush it. Tears finally welled in the corners of her tightly pressed lips from the unbearable shame. Unable to say a word, she trembled with teary, reddened eyes.
“…….”
Arthur hesitated, then let out a sigh and sat beside her, keeping a bit of distance. He looked at her with an inscrutable expression. He opened his mouth as if to ask something…… but then just closed it. With a bitter smile that seemed somehow irritated, he turned his gaze aside. But Reina didn’t see it, her head bowed low in a mortified wish-she-could-die expression.
* * *
“……Sir Arthur and the lady have risen, they say. We sent up washing water just moments ago. Shall I ask if they’d like to dine together in the breakfast room?”
The marquis pressed between his brows and waved his hand dismissively.
“No. Send them to another breakfast room or bring food up to their quarters separately. I have an appointment here.”
They had a separate breakfast appointment with representatives from merchant houses that would become key trading partners. Lord Rembrandt had even been invited. For House Julius, riding the wave of the ‘Arthur boom’ into a massive boom, every one of these was a critical engagement they couldn’t neglect. Whether a merchant had been invited just days after Arthur’s return had become a vital measure of their current worth. Accomplished merchants and high nobles competed over how soon after Arthur’s homecoming they received Julius’s invitation, eagerly awaiting their valuation from the house. In particular, leaders of major merchant houses engaged in fierce behind-the-scenes maneuvering and cutthroat rivalries to secure an early invitation from Julius. The ‘first from Julius’ was locked as the imperial side—that is, Lord Rembrandt—a fact no one contested. So second or third was ideal. If that proved impossible, they had to secure at least a spot in the top ten. They forecasted what ‘nth from Julius’ title their house could claim, unwilling to miss any chance to climb the ranks even a little, and came forward with unprecedented deal terms in hopes of an earlier meeting. For Julius, paddling hard while the waters of the ‘Arthur boom’ were rising, there was no choice but to accommodate all those bold proposals favorably and grind through the suffocating schedule without disappointing them. That was why their days were packed from breakfast and lunch to dinner, interspersed with teatimes and evening parties.
「Damn it! No time to meet Arthur.」
「It’s fine. They said they’d stay silent as long as they have that girl in hand. Smile. To compete with Archduke Myers’s side, we have to sign with the Rena Merchant Guild no matter what.」
Most merchants hoped to see ‘Arthur’ and ‘Christina’ together and earn the title of ‘the merchant Julius let meet Arthur and Christina.’ But the marquis granted that to no one. More precisely, he couldn’t. The marquis and his wife forced smiles, saying things like Arthur still wanted rest so they hadn’t scheduled anything out of consideration, or that Christina was staying by his side to help him relax fully and get accustomed to home now that her husband was back—leaving them wanting with promises of another joyful meeting later, that they’d definitely make time soon. Instead, for truly vital meetings, they asked ‘Lord Rembrandt’ to attend together. It was the maximum sincerity they could show as a fallback without parading out Arthur and Christina.
“Damn it.”
After the maid backed away bowing, the marquis spat through gritted teeth, eyes blazing.
“That bastard isn’t messing around with that wench of a maid, is he? If that girl ends up with a bastard child before Christina’s even had a chance…….”
The marchioness cut him off coldly.
“I’ve seen to it there won’t be any mishaps, so don’t worry. And control your expression.”
The marquis ground his teeth.
“That lunatic Christina even now, in the middle of all this……!”
His words cut off unfinished. The marquis and his wife beamed wide smiles as they greeted the entering merchant house representatives and Lord Rembrandt in the breakfast room. * * *
“Shall we serve in the breakfast room?”
“No. Bring it here.”
“Yes.”
The maids exchanged glances among themselves before turning to Reina.
“Lady, shall we help you change?”
Reina nodded frantically, as if she’d spotted rescuers.
“Yes, please. Would you do my hair too? And makeup if it’s not too much trouble.”
All qualms about playing the lady vanished in the face of her embarrassment. Sure, trying to order people around after being here such a short time might seem brazen, but it paled next to the ordeal of being alone with Arthur. Reina’s face was still flushed. She couldn’t bring herself to look straight at him. How ridiculous he must find it. She’d burst into tears just as the mood turned serious, kept her husband chaste as he’d said, yet dreamed something so indecent alone. She prayed he hadn’t noticed. Wanting to be alone together was black history three times as intense as those words. Reina stiffly avoided Arthur’s gaze.
“…….”
The two maids merely exchanged puzzled glances. Arthur watched her with a somewhat aggrieved expression before reluctantly stepping back. * * *
“Hibiscus alright?”
It was a familiar question. Just recently, Reina herself had asked Lady Christina the same thing.
“…….”
Reina recalled how Christina had done it and pointed to another perfume with her fingertip.
“Yes, then peony it is.”
Once they’d helped her change, Brody headed downstairs for the meal while Marina, remaining behind, applied the perfume and began combing Reina’s hair. A fresh, vibrant scent spread through the room as Reina’s locks took on a moist sheen and sparkled. The once dry, rough strands now flowed down with a silky shimmer, like a lie. Without dwelling too long on the hair, Marina picked up the tools from the vanity. A light brush through the brows and a trim with a thin blade tidied the once hazy, sullen impression into something clean and sharp. A simple base patted lightly over her face evened out her skin tone. A few feathery brush strokes brought dimension to life across her features. A ticklish few passes over her eyelids deepened her gaze into something surprisingly profound and soulful. Finally, the pink flower tint dabbed on her lips lent a luxurious vitality to her formerly ashen look. Reina stared blankly at her transforming face under Marina’s deft hands. Her plain, unadorned features had changed beyond recognition. Nothing about it had seemed difficult, nor had it taken ages. It was then that Reina belatedly recalled the story that the black-haired maid handled Lady Christina’s makeup.
“…….”
Until now, she’d been dragged and pushed along so hectically that she’d never had a calm moment to check her own appearance like this. Gazing at the stranger in the mirror, she finally understood why the madam and Mrs. Hurst had chosen her to impersonate Lady Christina. She resembled Lady Christina. Undeniably so. With her hair down and styled, makeup applied, even Reina herself was startled at how similar she looked to the lady. Unless it was someone who already knew her or had exceptionally keen eyes, they wouldn’t spot it at a glance.
“…….”
Reina fell into confusion.
‘How did Sir Arthur…… realize I wasn’t Lady Christina right away?’
Five years ago, he’d only glimpsed her for a brief moment in the darkness. * * *
By the time Marina finished adorning her, Brody returned, wheeling in an ornate three-tier trolley with the meal. Brody and Marina spread a tablecloth over the large round table in the bridal chamber and neatly arranged the food and tableware. The preparations were done in no time.
“Please enjoy your meal comfortably.”
“Call if you need anything.”
As they moved to withdraw, Reina—still nowhere near mentally prepared to be alone with Arthur—grabbed at the maids in a fluster.
“Eat with me.”
“……Pardon?”
Marina and Brody, caught off guard, echoed blankly. Reina quickly turned to Arthur and asked.
“Sir Arthur, there’s so much food…… May they join us?”
“…….”
Recalling how Christina had once used the exact same excuse in front of the marchioness to keep her and eat together, she hurriedly added.
“They take such good care of me. I want to look after them in return.”
“…….”
Arthur, who had been leaning against the desk with arms crossed watching them, smiled faintly and narrowed his eyes. He was smiling, but he clearly looked displeased. The two flustered maids glanced around anxiously.
‘Anyone can see he’s unhappy……?’
Without answering, Arthur pulled out a cigar with a blank expression and lit it.
“…….”
He exhaled a puff of smoke. Then he spoke.
“Does my wife dislike being alone with me?”
“…….”
Thump. The maids froze, faces caught between a rock and a hard place. Reina scrambled to smooth things over.
“N-no, it’s not like that.”
Arthur puffed out smoke and nodded toward the maids.
“Sit. But only until the meal is done.”
“…….”
The atmosphere turned frigid beyond saving. It felt like he was saying to eat quickly and get out.
