Previously
Damian and Aracella navigate the social expectations of their wedding reception by feigning affection, despite Damian's aversion to physical contact. They move into the Vandermeer Mansion to spend their first night together, agreeing to sleep separately to maintain their contract and avoid intimacy.
Noble ladies typically brought a retinue of maids from their family homes upon marriage.
Aracella, however, chose not to.
Convinced that divorce was likely within a few short years, she saw no point in dragging people back and forth.
Despite her mother’s anxious advice, Aracella brought only Audrey to the Vandermeer Mansion. Damian, for his part, respected her wish.
Within the estate, the Head Maid saw to assigning Aracella personal servants.
At first, Duke Vandermeer’s household seemed poised to kick up a fuss over the matter, but they soon ceased their meddling as though they had lost interest.
The Head Maid divided the maids into veteran and newly hired staff under Aracella’s direction.
She then gathered the servants to pay their respects to their new mistress.
Moments later, Aracella appeared in a black gown adorned with lavish lace embroidery, with Audrey following just behind.
The Head Maid bowed first in greeting, and the younger maids echoed the greeting after her.
Aracella gave a slight nod in acknowledgment and settled gracefully into her chair.
Aracella studied the maids closely.
They were all unremarkable, drawing no particular notice, save for one who stood out clearly.
It was a blonde maid who kept stealing glances up at her, even while holding her head low.
Singled out so suddenly, the blonde maid flustered and dipped her head even lower.
Rosalyn shrugged her shoulders and gave a small, negative shake of her head.
The Head Maid tactfully stepped in.
As an awkward chill settled over the room, Audrey, standing behind Aracella, chimed in with a quip.
Both women laughed, which eased the tension on the maids’ faces.
In the lighter atmosphere, Aracella greeted the servants.
The maids replied in unison and bowed.
Aracella rose from her chair and rested a hand on Audrey’s shoulder.
She spoke out of consideration for the maids, knowing they might find it daunting to approach her directly, offering Audrey as a bridge between them.
It was meant to make life easier for them.
Only later would Aracella realize that words born of good intentions could sometimes be twisted to ill ends.
Even with her new life, her daily routine changed very little.
The only real shift was the house she returned to after work; otherwise, Aracella carried on just as she had before the wedding.
She still departed early in the morning and returned late at night, striving to conclude her research on the Floating Stone, which was nearing its end.
Even on the rare evenings she returned early, she preferred having dinner with her family at Marquis Hugo’s Mansion, just as she had done before marrying.
Adrian was the most overjoyed by the arrangement.
He had assumed his sister would grow distant after marriage, so her weekly visits to share a meal delighted him beyond measure.
Aracella gladly read over the lesson report on her brother’s performance.
She felt a brief pang of chagrin, but Iris’s voice drew her attention away.
The three siblings walked together in easy harmony toward the dining hall, where the Marquis and Marchioness welcomed them.
In an atmosphere so reminiscent of the days before the wedding, they began their dinner.
The Marchioness asked with evident concern, but Aracella merely gave a casual shrug.
It was not as though Aracella was coming to her family home while her husband waited for her at the mansion.
Both were so busy that they scarcely saw each other, even during their honeymoon period.
It had been a long while since they had even shared a meal.
So whenever Damian was away, Aracella headed to her parents’ house.
It was true; even when Damian returned home early, he secluded himself in his study and buried himself in paperwork.
Serving as a knight commander at such a young age meant he shouldered a mountain of duties.
Indeed, he had to work hard if he was to take up the dukedom quickly.
Aracella, longing for a swift divorce, wholeheartedly encouraged Damian to work late.
Thanks to that, she had the entire bedroom to herself ever since their first night.
The Marchioness placed her utensils on the table and pressed a hand to her forehead.
She had thought them well-suited when she agreed to their marriage, but had her judgment been flawed?
It felt as though she were watching two identical people steadily dismantle their own married life.
The Marquis tried to soothe his wife, content to see his daughter regularly no matter the circumstances.
Having kept silent before the wedding lest her parents object, Aracella now spoke the words with easy relief.
What could happen now? They were already husband and wife.
The Marchioness, who held that bearing children after marriage was an absolute certainty, looked ready to faint.
She brushed aside her husband’s soothing hand and cried out.
Aracella answered steadily, without a flicker of emotion, as she lifted a piece of shrimp to her mouth with her fork.
Silence fell over the table.
The Marchioness then spoke with hesitation.
They had never attempted anything, and they had barely been married long; how could she possibly tell?
Aracella gave an indifferent shrug and quietly resumed eating.
As the sudden debate over infertility escalated, the worries of Marquis Hugo’s family only deepened.
The couple’s relationship was strained.
That was Rosalyn’s conclusion after weeks of working at the Vandermeer Mansion.
They never dined together, never slept in the same room, and showed no interest in one another. On top of that, the mistress visited her family home almost daily.
It was plain to anyone that a rift existed between husband and wife.
A faint smile curved Rosalyn’s lips.
In truth, she was a spy dispatched by the Vandermeer Duchy to disrupt the couple’s life together. Despite her utter lack of experience, she had secured a post as a maid by bribing the Housekeeper.
Rosalyn routinely leaked the mansion’s internal affairs to the Vandermeer Duchy and received instructions in return.
She drafted her reports in secret and sent them off every Tuesday under the guise of running errands; the replies arrived two days later, on Thursday, tucked away among delivered groceries.
The Vandermeer Duchy had failed to stop the marriage, but they were still intent on sabotaging it.
Their goal now was to use Rosalyn to alienate the couple and delay the appointment of an heir, all while seeking a way to undo everything.
Rosalyn smiled with confidence.
Ever since childhood, she had been regarded as the prettiest girl in her village. Even as she grew older, men had always flocked to admire her beauty.
Winning men over was effortless for her. Even the most stoic crumbled before her charms.
‘True, the mistress isn’t bad-looking, but men prefer sweet, coy girls like me, don’t they?’
Aracella, by Rosalyn’s observation, was certainly beautiful and sharp, but she was hardly the sort to fawn over her husband.
She carried herself as though she took the admiration and respect of others entirely for granted, as if it were her birthright.
Perhaps Rosalyn was viewing things through a cynical lens, but she could not help feeling that way whenever she saw Aracella return to the mansion late at night, composed and poised.
‘No matter how haughty she acts, she is nothing without the master’s favor. That is how it is for noble ladies, isn’t it?’
Rosalyn’s lips twisted slyly.
A dreamy look washed over her face as she pictured herself beside Damian, carrying herself as the lady of the house in Aracella’s stead.
Even if she was a commoner who could never become a noblewoman like Aracella, becoming the master’s mistress would elevate her above the rest.
Rosalyn laid out a scheme to tarnish Aracella’s reputation among the staff.
It was straightforward enough: all she needed was to make everyone see her as a poor mistress.
There were two essential steps: first, to cultivate a favorable image of herself among the servants, and second, to learn more about Aracella.
Rosalyn began with the first step.
She went out of her way to help her fellow maids with their chores, feigned innocence to win their favor, and spun fabricated tales about her past to elicit their sympathy.
Having forged friendships and secured her standing among the servants, she cast her bait during a break when they gathered to chat.
Unsuspecting, the maids began sharing their impressions.
Despite Aracella’s frequent absences due to her work, the sentiment surrounding her was overwhelmingly positive.
A bit taken aback by the unexpected reactions, Rosalyn masked her surprise and dangled another hook.