《The Substitute Bride Is Adored by the Clumsy Margrave》 Chapter 1 Chapter 1 ¡°Clarisse, Your marriage partner has been decided.¡± She had thought that it was unusual to be summoned to her fathers¡¯ office, since he had never done so before, but after listening to what he said, Clarisse Farenheit blinked her violet eyes. ¡°My marriage partner ..?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Her father did not even make eye contact with Clarisse, as he explained the situation in a businesslike manner. There had been a battle with a neighboring country on the border. When the king had asked his vassal what he would like as a reward for his remarkable war achievements, he asked for marriage to the ¡°Jewel of Farenheit¡± who was rumored to be the best in the kingdom, and the king granted the request on the condition that the vassal pledged eternal loyalty to the royal family. The ¡°Jewel of Farenheit¡± was the title given to Matilda, the eldest of the two daughters of Viscount Farenheit. Matilda was beautiful from birth, her blue eyes charmed all who saw her, and her voice was as pretty as a bell and made all around her embarrass themselves by tripping over themselves when they saw her. After she came of age this had not changed, and she was constantly receiving offers of marriage from all the families around the kingdom. She was a daughter that her parents were proud of, and they felt happy just by looking at her. Clarisse, on the other hand, had violet eyes and when compared to her elder sister, her appearance was average and there was nothing special about her. She was always seen as an insignificant presence in the Farenheit family. If you looked at her, you could see the intelligence in her eyes and her lady-like manners, but even that was overshadowed by Matilda¡¯s beauty. Her parents gave Matilda whatever she wanted and gave the leftovers to Clarisse. The butler and other servants had no choice but to follow the parents¡¯ attitude. Clarisse was actually treated very kindly behind the scenes by those who felt sorry for her, but since they knew they couldn¡¯t go against her parents, as they were their master, they only did it in the shadows. Clarisse knew that her parents would probably arrange her marriage to some nobleman sooner or later, but she had never thought that she would be offered to a Frontier Margrave, whom she had never met, for the sake of her sister. They had not the slightest intention of offering the lovely Matilda to a stranger who was living far away near the border, although the Frontier Margrave undoubtedly had meant her sister. However, the Frontier Margrave had not specified Matilda by name, so they weren¡¯t disobeying the royal order. ¡°I have heard that your partner, Margrave Gutenberg, is a great man.¡± Her mother, who was sitting next to her father, remarked, but Clarisse, who was fond of books and secretly read the newspapers, knew that the Margrave Gutenberg was rumored to be a cruel man with the appearance of a wolf and the temperament of a tiger. The nickname he was given was the Cannibal Margrave. ¡®Neither father nor mother loved me¡­ until the end¡­¡¯ Clarisse, who hid her disappointment to the fullest extent, had no choice but to say yes. After Clarisse returned to her room, her sister Matilda came in. ¡°What should I wear to the ball tonight?¡± Clarisse looked at her sister, who looked like a beautiful porcelain doll. ¡°¡­A ball?¡± Matilda saw the surprised look on Clarisse¡®s face, and said in an apologetic tone . ¡°You may not have been invited. Just me¡­¡± ¡®Again¡­¡¯ Her sister always used to make sarcastic and mean remarks like this, tormenting Clarisse constantly and in the past, she used to cry a lot because of that, but now she has gotten used to it since she knew that her sister was that kind of person, so she tried not to take it personally, but on days like today, when she was already feeling down, it was hard to bear. ¡°I¡¯ve heard from our father that your marriage partner has been chosen.¡± The voice of her lovely sister cornered Clarisse, although her voice was as soft as a ringing bell, her words were laced with poison. ¡°He said he couldn¡¯t bear the thought of letting me go, so he will send you instead of me. I¡¯m so happy for you, I think it¡¯s a wonderful match for you. You get to become the wife of a Margrave. Well, it¡¯s my hand-me-down though. Fufufu.¡± Clarisse felt the pain of a sharp knife slicing through her chest. She stared at her sister who had a beautiful smile on her face as if she was pleased with making her suffer. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard the rumors about him, apparently he eats people, right? ¡­I wonder if he took you to be a sacrifice.¡± Matilda finally left after she was satisfied with her verbal tormenting of her, Clarisse hugged her cold body in an attempt to warm herself up. ¡°¡ªMy Lady.¡± Mary, the kind maid who had been in the room before Matilda came in, called Clarisse¡¯s name softly in a caring manner. Clarisse came back to her senses and tried to smile at her. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Would you like me to get you something warm to drink?¡± After being treated so coldly by her family, those kind words almost brought tears to her eyes. ¡°Thank you. But that¡¯s okay. Can you leave me alone for a while?¡± ¡°As you wish, My Lady.¡± Mary left the room with a worried look on her face, and Clarisse sat quietly on the couch by the window until night fell. In the midst of the silence, Clarisse slowly made up her mind. ¡®Yes, it will be fine.¡® The king of this country was reputed to be a wise king, and there¡¯s no way that the Margrave that he valued was a man-eater.* One thing that concerned her was whether the Margrave had met Matilda somewhere and had then taken a liking to her. Matilda has been to many more soir¨¦es than Clarisse, and with her good looks, there was a good chance that was what happened. In that case, he might be furious once he realises that Clarisse was sent in her place. If that happened, the only thing she could do was to apologize so that he might forgive her, and she would have to bear the guilt of her family. Once she had made up her mind, her previously frozen body finally began to move. Early Fall?Clarisse Farenheit?Nineteen years old. Chapter 2 Chapter 2 According to her father, the matter of Clarisse¡¯s marriage had been arranged quietly behind the scenes and it was to be kept as private as possible at the Margrave¡¯s request. She was allowed to bid farewell to a few noble ladies she was close to, but the future marriage was never announced publicly to the aristocratic society. The Margrave had sent word through the royal family that Clarisse would be welcome to arrive at any time. However, he could not come to the capital to pick her up because the current condition of the border was too unpredictable and he needed to remain to keep it secure. ¡°It¡¯s a pity there won¡¯t be a ceremony.¡± Matilda, who was still trying to bully Clarisse, said. However, on the contrary, Clarisse was rather pleased that things were proceeding quietly. She thought it would be worse if the Margrave came to the capital for the ceremony and found out that she was not the wife he had wanted. It was unlikely that her selfish sister would have gone to that remote area just because she had been ordered by the king and if they were not careful, the Farenheit family would probably be ruined as a punishment for disobeying a royal decree. Clarisse couldn¡¯t think of much to take with her, so she just packed a few of her favorite books in addition to her daily necessities, along with a few items that she treasure which were kept in a wooden box. The winter in the remote area was said to be very cold, however she thought it would be better to buy winter clothes there, so she didn¡¯t bother to prepare them. The only maid she was taking with her was Mary, who had volunteered. Although Mary wasn¡¯t the only one who volunteered to go with her, she had to comply with the order from the Margrave that she could only bring one personal maid. Mary was four years older than Clarisse, and she had been Clarisse¡¯s maid since they were both little, so having her for company was reassuring. The preparations proceeded smoothly and the departure date for the wedding was set, and the only thing left for her to do was simply to keep quiet and do everything she was told. When the morning of her departure finally arrived, her parents and Matilda bid farewell to Clarisse at the mansion¡¯s entrance. ¡°Take care of yourself.¡± As her father said this, her tearful mother nodded next to him. ¡°I will miss you, Clarisse. Be sure to write to me.¡± Matilda said with the face of a sister who was grieving over the fact that her beloved sister was moving faraway. There was no one better at this kind of acting than her. It was hard to believe that she was the same person who had been sitting in Clarisse¡¯s room a few minutes ago, saying how refreshing it was to see her leave. Once their parents arrived Matilda had quickly changed her to a gloomy expression. She had always been this quick to change her expressions since childhood, and Clarisse had no intention to say anything about it now. She just thought, vaguely, that her sister seemed happy to get rid of her. ¡°Father, mother, sister Matilda, take care.¡± That was the end of the conversation. After a quick farewell, Clarisse walked out of the house with Mary and was surprised to see all the servants lined up outside. ¡°You all¡­¡± They were all the people who had served Clarisse well since she was a child. Seeing them felt much more sorrowful than saying goodbye to her parents and sister. ¡°Take care of yourself, Lady Clarisse. Mary, you must serve Lady Clarisse well.¡± The head maid looked at Mary with teary eyes. ¡°Of course I will, even if it costs me my life.¡± The head maid, the butler, the head chef, and the other servants all expressed their grief at Clarisse¡¯s departure and their concern for her future. ¡°Thank you, everyone. I wouldn¡¯t be who I am if it weren¡¯t for you. I hope you will continue to support the Farenheit family.¡± As the sound of sobbing echoed through the air, Clarisse fought to keep from crying as she and Mary walked out the gate. The Margrave had sent them a carriage for her to travel in. It would take three days by carriage from the royal capital to the border where the margrave residence was located. The coachman of the Gutenberg family was surprised at the small amount of luggage she was bringing with her. He glanced quickly at the other young man next to him, who nodded as if to say he understood. ¡°My Lady, the daughter of Viscount Farenheit.¡± The young man opened his mouth. He was a tall man with pale golden hair and a kind face. ¡°My name is Marius, the eldest son of Viscount Shtok, in the service of the Margrave Gutenberg. I am here to escort you on behalf of the Margrave.¡± As he looked at Clarisse¡¯s face, he saw that her blue eyes widened as if she was startled, but she quickly blinked to hide her shock. ¡°Lord Marius.¡± Clarisse greeted Marius with a smile. ¡°Marius is fine.¡± ¡°¡®Then, by all means, call me Clarisse as well.¡± ¡°Very well, My Lady, then, please come this way, Miss Clarisse.¡± Marius assisted Clarisse and Mary into the carriage and then sat down next to the coachman. ¡®What a beautiful person!¡¯ Marius thought back to Clarisse¡¯s beautiful face as he leaned back against the swaying carriage. Those violet eyes¡­ there¡¯s nothing quite like them. Marcus thought back to the scene he had just witnessed, and she seemed to be adored by the servants as well. There was less luggage than he had expected, and from what he caught a glimpse of, the contents were relatively modest. No wonder the coachman was surprised. Marius came from a similar family as the Farenheit family, as both families hold the title of Viscount. Still, his mother and sister always made a fuss over trips that lasted for a few days, and as he recalls, the luggage they always packed him was more than Clarisse¡¯s today. ¡®She¡¯s a strange one, Miss Clarisse¡­¡¯ Chapter 3 Meanwhile, Mary, the maid, was suffering from severe motion sickness in the Margrave¡¯s luxurious carriage. It hadn¡¯t been long since they¡¯d left the mansion, yet she was extremely ill when they arrived. ¡°Oh, Miss¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­please forgive me for going before you¡­¡± Clarisse giggled at the maid, who appeared to be dying and was out of breath. ¡°You¡¯re exaggerating, Mary.¡± She then showed Mary a small glass vial that she had hidden in her skirt pocket. ¡°I brought you some motion sickness medicine, just in case this would happen.¡± ¡°As expected, my lady is always prepared¡­¡± The servants surrounded Mary after they parted. They tearfully asked her to take care of the young lady. Still, even before doing anything, she had already caused trouble¡­ Mary reflected on how she shouldn¡¯t have pretended to be calm and said, ¡°Even if it costs me my life.¡± She should have died immediately to apologize and make up for this situation ¨C but instead, she¡¯s already dying of motion sickness! ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t smell great, but drink it all at once.¡± Clarisse, with her angelic smile, handed her a black liquid with a strong odour. The smell alone made Mary think that if she drank it, she might die anyway. It smelled like a sweaty shirt that hasn¡¯t been washed in three days after working outside every day in the middle of summer. It¡¯s one of two options: does she want to keep having motion sickness ? Or, will she take this medicine? Does she have the courage to take it? Mary took the vial with trembling hands and looked at Clarisse. She was watching her with a smile plastered on her beautiful face ¨C making Mary fall in love with her. ¡®Oh, my Lady, these clear eyes of yours¡­they are dazzling¡­.¡¯ ¡®Eeeeew, whatever!¡¯ Mary slurped down the contents of the vial in one gulp. Suddenly, violent coughing came from within the carriage, and Marius, startled, turned around. There was a small frosted glass window between the seat outside where the coachman sat and the inside of the carriage. Still, it could only be opened from within for security reasons, so he knocked lightly on the window. Though the intermittent coughing was still going on, the window opened a few moments later, and Clarisse¡¯s beautiful violet eyes peeked out. ¡°What¡¯s the matter, Mr. Marius?¡± ¡°No¡­ um¡­ there was a coughing sound¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but Mary is coughing.¡± It¡¯s not possible to see where Mary, the maid, is sitting through the small window, but since Clarisse could talk normally, the coughing could only belong to Mary. And while Marius and Clarisse were talking, the coughing seemed to have finally subsided. ¡®Hmm? What¡¯s that¡­strong smell¡­?¡¯ For a moment, the scent of condensed sweat drifted around him. Still, Marius decided to believe that the wind was changing direction and that he smelled the scent of the coachman. It was a cool, early autumn day, and he didn¡¯t think that someone would sweat that much. When the window closed, the pungent smell subsided, and Marius forgot about it for the rest of the day. ¡°My Lady¡­ the motion sickness is definitely gone¡­ but the other side effects are terrible.¡± Mary opened the small window behind her; as she was seated in the back, the window faced away from the coachman. She had a hunch that if she didn¡¯t aerate the carriage then she would definitely find herself dead. She heard coughing from the coachman of the second carriage behind them, which carried Clarisse¡¯s belongings, after being hit by a scent bomb. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, coachman¡­ it¡¯ll go on for a while, get used to it¡­ but I promise you won¡¯t get motion sickness¡­¡¯ Mary apologized in her heart. ¡°That medicine is very effective, but it smells¡­ I think I¡¯ll add some dates to it next time, just to make it more fragrant.¡± ¡°What, you¡¯re going to add dates to that medicine? Won¡¯t it make it smell even weirder? ¡°I know, but there isn¡¯t any other material that smells so good and won¡¯t compete with the benefits¡­¡± Mary imagined a version of the sweat she had just smelt with a sweet smell added to it. She was confident she could vomit from that alone. They say sweetness together with sweat brings memories of sweet youth¡­ Clarisse¡¯s wooden box, which she had placed on her cart. Having been isolated at home since childhood, Clarisse¡¯s interest was in gardening. She became friends with the gardeners. As they shared their knowledge with her, she began to study them: focusing on medicinal herbs. She now knows so much about medicinal herbs that she can mix and create her own natural remedies. Of course, this is Clarisse¡¯s hobby and skill that no one in her family knows about. However, all the servants working for the Farenheit family knew about it, and her knowledge had saved them many times. Clarisse, of course, has brought with her to the Margrave mansion a guide to medicinal herbs, a medical book, and a notebook containing all the medicine she has created so far and the methods used to prepare them. It was the first thing she had packed away, for it was the only thing she was absolutely determined to bring along. ¡®I hope the Margrave will be open to the idea of Lady Clarisse handling medicinal herbs¡­ I don¡¯t even know if he will give his wife that kind of freedom in the first place¡­ I¡¯ll have to be careful¡­¡¯ Mary made up her mind after her motion sickness had subsided entirely. Chapter 4 Marius was impressed by Clarisse¡¯s manners throughout the trip. She understands her position and never complains. That¡¯s right; not at all. The trip to the border was excruciatingly long; even a grown man would have complained at least once on the way, and there was no such thing as a good meal or luxurious accommodation. However, Clarisse always had a smile on her face and never forgot to thank Marius and the coachman. He¡¯s never seen a noblewoman like her before. She may be a little shy, but even so, when Mary, her maid, is around her, she appears more at ease than usual. Not that she did anything rude to Marius. She was always polite. She flashes friendly smiles at him, but when she¡¯s with Mary, she occasionally laughs when the maid says something funny. Her smile at the time was truly beautiful. It was as if she was glowing from within, and she had those mesmerizing violet eyes. When Marius learned that his master intended to marry a 19-year-old viscount daughter and bring her into his family, he assumed she would find it difficult. Any normal noblewoman would think so, because the mansion was close to the border, where she would be forced to live a difficult life. It had gotten to the point where Marius thought his master had finally lost his mind. But now, Marius was utterly intoxicated by Clarisse. He decided that he would stand by her and help her if that stubborn man-eating margrave ever made her cry. ¡°My Lady, today I was able to spend the day without taking any medicine for motion sickness!¡± At a humble inn on the second day of their journey, Mary proudly exclaimed this as she helped Clarisse change her dress. Mary has been by Clarisse¡¯s side since she was a child, so when they¡¯re alone, she relaxes her guard and gets cocky. Clarisse can¡¯t help but find this side of Mary cute, and she not only forgives but also enjoys their conversations. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear that. You must have really hated taking that medicine.¡± ¡°Only those who have taken it will understand, My Lady. It was a life-threatening experience, to say the least.¡± Mary sighed as she brushed Clarisse¡¯s silky, lustrous hair. People only admire Matilda¡¯s blonde hair, but Mary thinks her master¡¯s shining brown hair is much more beautiful. ¡°My medicines are very effective, but they just don¡¯t taste very good, do they?¡± ¡°It is indeed the most effective medicine in the world! I¡¯m well aware of that, but when it comes to taste, it¡¯s as good as poison.¡± ¡°Oh, Mary. Don¡¯t you know that the better the medicine, the more bitter it tastes?¡± ¡°There is a limit to how bitter it can taste.¡± She folded Clarisse¡¯s dusty clothes and tied up her hair with a deft hand. Normally, she would change her clothes first and then brush her hair, but because she was covered in dust, including her hair, Mary decided to remove the dust from her hair first and then prepare a simple loose indoor gown that she could wear without needing to cover up with a shawl. As Mary was putting away Clarisse¡¯s luggage, Clarisse asked. ¡°Mary, do you mind if I put it on myself?¡± ¡°..Well, we are not in the residence anymore. Go ahead.¡± Clarisse basically wanted to take care of herself, but she knew that when she was in the mansion, it was the role of the master to let the servants do their work. But now that she was alone with Mary at the inn, she didn¡¯t need to worry about anyone else. While Clarisse was putting on a simple but elegant evening dress by herself, a knock came from the hallway. Marius¡¯ voice came shortly after, telling her to come to the dining room for dinner whenever she was ready. *** ¡®She really doesn¡¯t seem like a Viscount girl ¡­!¡¯ He expected it to take more time than that ¨C noblewomen always take a long time to get ready ¨C but not long after that, Clarisse and Mary came down to the dining room, looking neat and tidy. To his surprise, Clarisse appeared in a simple dress. Although the inn was simple, it was basically an inn where aristocrats stayed during their travels. Thus, the food was reasonably good. However, since all the nobles gather in the dining room to eat, apparently, there were a number of upper-class young noblewomen who didn¡¯t like the idea of nobles of various classes gathering together. They would have been happier if there had been a better place to stay. Nonetheless, this was a decent place to stay when travelling along the border, where things get worse as they get closer. Even in this situation, there was no hint of dissatisfaction from Clarisse about the inn. As simple as her dress was, Marius thought that Clarisse was more beautiful than any of the women in the dining room. And she didn¡¯t seem to be aware of her beauty at all. ¡°This way, Miss Clarisse.¡± Clarisse sat down at the seat Marius led her to and stopped Mary from walking over to the wall. ¡°I know this is very rude of me, but could you ask the innkeepers to deliver Mary¡¯s food to her room later?¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± The dining room was now occupied by nobles, and Mary, a maid, was not allowed to eat; they were supposed to be standing by the wall in the hallway. After Clarisse finishes her meal, Mary will prepare her for bed and then return to the small room she has been assigned and wait for the servants¡¯ mealtime, which is set for late in the evening. That would mean she would have to go to bed at midnight. Clarisse smiled brightly and thanked Marius. ¡®She is a person who can smile for others, isn¡¯t she?¡¯ Marius was impressed by Clarisse¡¯s kindness, which was evident in the way she was caring for Mary, who was tired from the long journey. Mary, with eyes full of appreciation, bowed and went to stand by the wall. Chapter 5 The closer they got to the border, the more sparse the houses became: there was less greenery, and the road became more craggy and rocky. Clarisse had never been outside the royal capital since birth. Hence, the world through the carriage window was simply refreshing. ¡°Mary, look! I can see the horizon. It really is a straight line!¡± ¡°Only a lady of noble birth would be happy to see the horizon.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s just like what I¡¯ve read in books. Isn¡¯t it amazing? To actually see it with your own eyes!¡± Mary didn¡¯t seem to understand, but Clarisse never seemed to get tired of looking at the scenery outside. Using her knowledge of medicinal herbs, she took note of the trees in the distance. She¡¯d have to get a closer look to examine them properly. Still, it might be slightly different from the plants that grew in the royal capital because of the climate difference¡­ ¡®I still don¡¯t know what kind of person the margrave is, but if I¡¯m going to have to spend my days alone in his residence, I¡¯ll start by investigating the nearby plants using the botany book that I got from the herbalist who frequented the house.¡¯ Clarisse grew up in a home where her parents didn¡¯t care for her. When her older sister saw her, she tormented her. Hence, she spent more time alone in her room or in the garden than with her family, as a result, she became very adept at spending time alone. ¡®Besides¡­ even now, the situation near the border isn¡¯t exactly stable¡­¡¯ A peace treaty was signed the other day following a victory in a battle with a neighbouring country. The country was safe for the time being. However, the situation was still unpredictable, and Clarisse believed the Margrave when he said that he couldn¡¯t leave due to security concerns. ¡®Either way, I¡¯m sure that the Margrave is a very busy person¡­ but it¡¯s all right, I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be fine¡­¡¯ When she looked at Mary, she noticed that she was nodding off, tired from the long ride in the carriage. Clarisse draped the lap blanket she¡¯d given Mary earlier over her shoulders. When Mary woke up, the maid was embarrassed and said, ¡°You¡¯re doing this to me again, My Lady!¡± A smile appeared on Clarisse¡¯s lips. Later that day, they finally arrived at the Margrave¡¯s mansion. The area was already enveloped in darkness, making it hard to see the scenery. However, there were torches burning brightly at the mansion¡¯s gate. The Fahrenheit family also had a mansion of their own, but Clarisse could tell that the Margrave¡¯s mansion was twice as large from a simple glance at the outer gate. ¡®So¡­ the Margrave is here¡­ the one who will be my husband¡­¡¯ She squeezed her hands, which she had unconsciously rested on her knees. She overheard Marius utter something to the knight guarding the outer gate. The gate swung open soon after, and the carriage drove into the grounds. After entering the grounds, the carriage took several minutes to reach the mansion before coming to a halt. A few moments later, Marius opened the carriage door for them. ¡°Miss Clarisse, we have arrived.¡± ¡°Thank you, Mr. Marius.¡± She stepped out of the carriage with his assistance, looked up at the mansion, and let out a sigh. ¡®It¡¯s stunning!¡¯ The mansion was even more beautiful than she had imagined. Perhaps tomorrow, in the sun, she would be able to get a better view of the whole place. However, even at night, it looked fantastic, illuminated by the lights seeping out of each window. ¡°This way, please watch your step.¡± She looked up at the large front door as Marius led her up the magnificent stone staircase. Without a doubt, the Margrave seemed to be an incredibly wealthy man. Marius rang the heavy iron doorbell next to the entrance. The door opened from the inside without much delay, and an older man who appeared to be the butler bowed respectfully. ¡°We¡¯ve been expecting you, Lady Farenheit.¡± ¡°Oh, my, thank you.¡± Clarisse, who did not expect to be welcomed so politely, thanked him with a smile. The butler straightened his posture and met Clarisse¡¯s smile with a glint of admiration in his eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve been instructed to lead you to the Master first.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Clarisse agreed, despite the fact that meeting with him first meant she couldn¡¯t put her luggage away. This surprised the butler and maids, possibly because Clarisse had unexpectedly agreed without a complaint. ¡®Right, because most normal noblewomen would be angry if they were not given enough time to rest and dress nicely first.¡¯ Marius muttered in his mind. Now he can¡¯t help but look forward to it: wondering how his Lord will react to this unusual young lady. This will be fun, he thought to himself as he trailed behind Clarisse, following the butler. ¡°This is the master¡¯s office, My Lady.¡± Apparently, her future husband was behind the gorgeous door at the end of a long, long corridor. The butler knocked on the door, and a clear, low voice from within said, ¡°Come in.¡± ¡®Wow¡­I can tell he¡¯s a confident man just from the tone of his voice¡­!¡¯ Clarisse took a deep breath and stared at the door as it opened. Chapter 6 ¡°I have brought Lady Farenheit.¡± At the butler¡¯s words, the man sitting at the large table in the back of the room stood up with a quick, light gesture.. The butler held the door open and gestured for Clarisse to enter. She stepped into the room without looking at him in order not to offend the Margrave. She picked up the hem of her skirt with both hands, bent her waist and knees, and bowed her head deeply. Marius also entered the room, and the butler closed the door softly behind him. ¡°A pleasure to meet you Margrave Gutenberg, I am Clarisse Farenheit.¡± The sound of the Margrave¡¯s footsteps echoed in the quiet room, and a pair of large black leather shoes came into view as Clarisse lowered her gaze to the floor. ¡°Raise your head, Clarisse.¡± ¡°¡­¡± It was the first time she had seen a man of such wild beauty in front of her. His face was undoubtedly attractive, but it was overshadowed by his overwhelming masculinity. Above all, his broad physique indicates that he works out often. ¡®How beautiful¡­ with his golden eyes and silver hair ¡­¡­ I can see why they refer to him as a tiger or a wolf¡­¡¯ Clarisse was fascinated by his beautiful eyes and short hair, as if under a spell. His eyes glowed with unwavering intelligence, and she knew instantly that he was definitely not some sort of cannibalistic Margrave. Most of the aristocratic men Clarisse had met in the past had been fashionable, with a liking to poetry and the piano, neatly styled hair, and a taste for cravats and trendy clothes, so this was the first time she had met a man with such a unique style: overwhelming anyone who saw him. The Margrave, on the other hand, had a somewhat blank look on his face. His eyebrows wrinkled faintly as he stared at Clarisse in silence. When she noticed the wrinkles between his eyebrows, Clarisse realized. ¡®I wonder if he¡¯s disappointed because I¡¯m not Matilda, but he did call me by my first name, right?¡¯ Clarisse¡¯s father told her that he had once sent a letter to the Margrave to acknowledge his approval of the engagement; he did not write ¡°the jewel of Farenheit,¡± but only that he was sending his second daughter, Clarisse Farenheit, to be his fianc¨¦e. Anyone who lived in the capital knew that Clarisse was not the ¡°Jewel of Fahrenheit¡±. Therefore, she assumed that the Margrave had accepted the possibility that it was Clarisse. However, suppose the Margrave had never greeted Matilda and passed by her at a ball and asked someone for her name. In that case, it is quite possible that he had been told that she was the ¡®Jewel of Farenheit¡¯ and not by her name. ..That¡¯s how famous the nickname ¡°Jewel of Farenheit¡± was. When Clarisse came to that conclusion, she suddenly turned pale. At that moment, the Margrave reached out and gently held Clarisse¡¯s thin arm. ¡°Are you alright? Your complexion is pale.¡± His face still showed the same stern expression, but his gesture and voice were gentle. ¡®He¡¯s not angry at me, is he?¡¯ He did not move once he had grabbed Clarisse¡¯s arm, but instead kept staring at her violet eyes. At the same time, she also gazed at her own reflection in his golden eyes as if bewitched. ¡°..Buh-ha!¡± Laughter echoed from the back of the room, and the Margrave released his grip on Clarisse¡¯s arm. ¡°Jean, Clarisse must be tired after her long journey; maybe you should let her rest on the sofa?¡± At the back of the room stood a young man with a face resembling Marius¡¯s, but with a cocky smile that made him appear younger and a little more devious. Marius sighed in response to the young man¡¯s blunt words. ¡°Sid, you are being rude. You really shouldn¡¯t talk like that.¡± ¡°Why? Why? The two of them just froze there like dolls, isn¡¯t it unbearable to watch?¡± Marius sighed. ¡°First of all, you shouldn¡¯t call her by her name -¡± And then he looked at Clarisse and continued, ¡°Miss Clarisse, I apologize for the rudeness on his behalf. He is my cousin¨C¡° ¡°The third son of Viscount Hansen, Sid Hansen, Clarisse, at your service.¡± Of the three men in the room, Clarisse thought of Sid as the most similar to the aristocratic men she had previously encountered. Marius was too kind and polite, and the Margrave was ¡­. not much of a talker. ¡°Third son of Viscount Hansen, it is a pleasure to meet you as well.¡± Sid waved his hand lightly. ¡°You can call me Sid, Clarisse. By the way, Jean and I are milk brothers. You really don¡¯t have to be so nervous about him.¡± ¡°Do you want to sit down? Clarisse.¡± Suddenly, a smooth baritone voice interrupted, and Clarisse shuddered involuntarily. She looked up to see the Margrave looking down at her from a close distance, his brow wrinkled once again. She felt as if her mind would go blank, and she wouldn¡¯t be able to think straight if she stared into those golden eyes, so she replied in a panic, forcing out the words. ¡°Um, excuse me, but I¡¯ve been riding in the carriage all day, and I¡¯m covered with dust¡­ I¡¯m worried that I might stain the sofa¡­¡± ¡°What the ¡­, Jean, did you make Clarisse come here before she even had a chance to change her clothes?¡± ¡°Shut up, Sid,¡± Marius warned Sid. Sid then took out a handkerchief from his pocket and laid it on the sofa. ¡°Now the sofa will be clean, okay?¡± ¡®I wonder how it came to this¡­¡¯ Clarisse sat down on the sofa, unable to refuse after having a handkerchief laid out for her; the Margrave sat next to her as a matter of course, Marius and Sid sat on the sofa across the table. ¡°Have you eaten dinner?¡± The Margrave suddenly spoke up, and Clarisse hurriedly nodded. ¡°Yes, I had it before we arrived here.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good then.¡± The Margrave¡¯s expression was still stern, but his voice was unexpectedly gentle. Clarisse concluded that this was probably a standard facial feature of his. If you were to close your eyes and just listen to his voice, no one would think that the Margrave was wearing this sort of expression¡­ The Margrave¡¯s entire demeanour towards Clarisse since her arrival had been one of concern and care. ¡°By the way, Clarisse, can you tell me about the ¡®Farenheit Jewel¡¯?¡± When the Margrave asked her that, Clarisse turned pale once again. Chapter 7 ¡°So you collapsed from anemia, right, Miss?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°The Margrave had burst into the room with my Lady in his arms at such a speed that I nearly fainted from worry.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± Here¡¯s what happened. Clarisse had wanted to tell the Margrave the truth: ¡°The Jewel of Farenheit is my sister.¡± Clarisse intended to tell the frontier count that the ¡°Jewel of Farenheit¡± was her sister. She thought, maybe, after she told him, that his golden eyes would show contempt, anger, and disappointment that she was ¡°not Matilda¡±, as others had done since she was born. Clarisse had never experienced anything like this before, and she suspected that she had lost consciousness due to a combination of excessive tension after three days of a tight travel schedule. As Mary was packing up Clarisse¡¯s belongings in the room that the butler had arranged for her, without any knocking, the door opened with a bang, and the largest man she had ever seen charged in ¨C she hadn¡¯t realized it was the Margrave at the time. He walked in carrying the unconscious Clarisse, and Mary thought her heart had stopped. However, once the heart stops beating, it usually dies. After that, the large man kept asking Mary, with a stern expression on his face, if Clarisse was sick or if she had any chronic illnesses. Mary was overwhelmed by his intensity, even though she had done nothing wrong, she had lost the will to live. ¡°M- My Lady has no chronic illness. She is in perfect health. I believe it¡¯s because she¡¯s tired, but I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be fine after a little rest.¡± Even though she had answered all of his questions, the large man stared at Mary suspiciously before he gently laid Clarisse down on the bed. ¡®Well¡­ I appreciate the way he gently handled the young lady¡­ and the fact that he wasn¡¯t intimidated by the dusty young lady and brought her in himself¡­ but my life span has been shortened by ten years¡­ and my heart almost stopped¡­¡¯ That was about an hour ago. ¡°Do you want me to take some of that restoring elixir you made, Miss?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m fine.¡± ¡°Would you like me to ask one of the servants to bring you some hot water for your bath? ¡°No, thank you, I feel bad bothering them at this time of night.¡± Clarisse said this, but Mary frowned at her response since the only way to bathe was to have the water boiled in the kitchen or laundry room, have the servants carry it several times to the rooms, and then pour the water into the bathtub to fill it. ¡°But you¡¯re covered in dust, my lady. I must change the sheets before you go to bed.¡± Of course, Mary was well aware of her lady¡¯s reserved nature, so she did not press her further. ¡°I¡¯ll get you some hot water to wipe yourself down with for today. I can only bring you that much myself.¡± ¡°But you are tired too, Mary¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t. Worry. About. Me.¡± When Mary began to talk like this, things usually wouldn¡¯t go well until she got her way, so Clarisse sat on the bed and quietly watched her maid leave the room. Then she sighed and decided that she would tell the Margrave about her sister when she sees him tomorrow. No matter what that attractive man might say to me, I¡¯ll be fine, I¡¯ll be fine. That¡¯s what Clarisse told herself. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re Clarisse¡¯s maid, aren¡¯t you?¡± Mary went to the kitchen and found a young aristocrat who looked a lot like Marius but was much more laid back than he was. ¡°Has Clarisse woken up?¡± ¡®Who is this?¡¯ She was suspicious, but since he knew Clarisse¡¯s name and she was sure he was a nobleman from his appearance, she gave him an appropriate response. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Haha, you¡¯re really wary of me.¡± He was full of energy even at this time of night.. Mary paid no attention to him and asked a servant to boil plenty of water for her. While she waited for the water to boil, the young man didn¡¯t leave but instead kept staring at Mary, which she found very annoying. ¡°Is there anything I can help you with?¡± Typically, it would be considered rude for a servant to address a noble without being asked anything. However, if he was staring at her like this, she must do something. She had no choice but to ask him, and then he smiled at her. He had a smile on his face, but his eyes weren¡¯t smiling, she thought. ¡°I wonder if Clarisse has been holding back like that all her life. Is she enduring so much to the point where she collapses?¡± ¡®How rude¡­ I hate this guy.¡¯ Although she never showed it on her face, Mary immediately added him to her ¡°disliked¡± list. Of course, Marius, who had been so polite and kind to Clarisse during the trip, was on the list of people she liked. ¡°I¡¯m not authorized to answer that question.¡± He seemed to have already guessed the answer and just shrugged his shoulders. ¡®Compared to this man, the Margrave seemed to be reasonably decent.¡¯ Mary secretly shuddered as she remembered the time when he had stared at her like he could have killed her with a mere glance. Chapter 8 The next morning, Clarisse awoke to the sound of a knock on the door, followed by Mary¡¯s entrance. This room had a wall-mounted clock, and she quickly glanced at it to see that it was past ten o¡¯clock in the morning. When Clarisse was at her family home, she kept to a regular routine and rarely overslept. But last night, she had gone to bed late and was exhausted, so it couldn¡¯t be helped. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be up by now. The Margrave would like you to join him for lunch.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Thank God, even though she had collapsed in front of him yesterday, it seemed that he didn¡¯t hate her just yet. Clarisse got up from the bed, and Mary brought a tub of water and towels to her bedside. ¡°Do you want to do it yourself?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Clarisse soaked the towel in the cool water, wrung it, and then wiped her face. The cool water was very refreshing. Mary quickly prepared a simple, pale blue dress for Clarisse. Clarisse didn¡¯t have that many dresses to begin with, and today¡¯s dress is one that she has worn for several years. Although her father had bought Matilda a mountain of dresses whenever she asked for them, he had always neglected Clarisse¡¯s dresses because she was too shy to ask for them herself. After she got dressed, Mary brushed her beautiful brown hair and tied it up nicely. She rarely wore makeup because she didn¡¯t like it much. And the few times she did wear makeup, Matilda would give her a look of disgust, saying, ¡°Your look is a joke!¡± and torment her non-stop, so she only wore makeup at soir¨¦es. But even then, it was always just to emphasize Matilda¡¯s beauty. ¡°You¡¯re looking stunning today, my lady. Your complexion, which appeared to have been run over by a carriage the night before, has returned to normal, which is a good thing!¡± Mary praised me like this every day. Despite her foul-mouthed words, her skills as a maid are top-notch, and she is always kind to Clarisse and gives her words that her family did not give her. ¡°Thank you, Mary.¡± Clarisse couldn¡¯t live without Mary. The butler came to meet Clarisse in her room and escorted her to the dining room just in time. The more she looked, however, the bigger and more magnificent the house appeared to be. Nevertheless, it seemed to be a good blend of luxury and masculinity, just like the wild image of the man she had exchanged greetings with yesterday. As she walked towards the dining room, Clarisse was worried that she wouldn¡¯t be able to finish her meal if it was too lavish. However, the butler led her to a private dining room used by the Margrave himself, and she was relieved when he opened the door to reveal that it was not that large, with only a table in the center of the room large enough to hold six chairs. The Margrave hadn¡¯t arrived yet, so Clarisse sat in the chair pulled out by the butler and waited quietly for him to arrive. It wasn¡¯t long before the sound of steady, unwavering footsteps echoed down the hallway, and she soon realized that they were getting closer and closer to this room. ¡®It must be the Margrave¡¯ Clarisse stood up softly to avoid rushing when the door opened. The footsteps were indeed the Margrave¡¯s. He opened the door, looked at Clarisse standing there, and furrowed his brows. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± He took Clarisse¡¯s right hand in his and kissed the back of it lightly. Clarisse¡¯s hand was much smaller in comparison to his large, hot hand. As he took her hand, he looked at Clarisse and seemed to be observing her complexion. ¡®He¡¯s so close¡­!¡¯ She felt her face gradually blushing as the attractive Margrave stared at her from a close distance. ¡°I¡¯m very sorry for the inconvenience I caused you last night. I¡¯m feeling much better now that I¡¯ve had a good night¡¯s rest.¡± When Clarisse managed to thank him and looked up at him, he blinked his golden eyes a few times before nodding and letting go of her hand. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear it. I¡¯m sorry to have called you last night when you were so tired.¡± The Margrave then drew Clarisse¡¯s chair and assisted her in sitting, after which he walked across the room and sat across from her. His face was expressionless, but his voice was still gentle. ¡°No, there¡¯s no need for the Margrave to apologize¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s Jean, Clarisse.¡± She looked at him with a puzzled expression. ¡°My name is Siegfried. So you can call me Jean. It¡¯s not the Margrave.¡± After that, he fell silent and seemed to be thinking about something, so Clarisse kept silent so as not to disturb him. After a while, the maids brought them their meal, which consisted of omelets, salad, vegetable soup, and bread, all of which were delicious. The two of them ate together in silence. When the meal was over, the butler asked if they wanted coffee, which surprised Clarisse because it was an expensive delicacy that was rarely served in her parents¡¯ home. Still, the Margrave ordered the butler to bring two servings, so she just went along with it. The coffee arrived with warmed milk and sugar a few moments later, and Clarisse savored her first caf¨¦ au lait. Meanwhile, the Margrave drank his coffee black. ¡°Well, Clarisse.¡± The Margrave spoke quietly as Clarisse finished her caf¨¦ au lait. ¡°We have a lot to talk about. It¡¯s a beautiful day, so why don¡¯t we take a walk through the gardens?¡± Chapter 9 ¡®First of all, Margrave¡­ I must listen to what Lord Jean has to say, and then I must inform him that I am my sister¡¯s substitute.¡¯ As he escorted Clarisse, they walked through the garden with her hand around his elbow. The mansion, let alone the garden, looked amazing from the outside. There appeared to be many plants in this large and magnificent garden that she had never seen before. She wished she could look at each plant more closely, but she simply couldn¡¯t do it now! She wasn¡¯t ready for that. The Margrave, who had been silent the entire journey from the mansion, opened his mouth as they entered a small path leading to the garden¡¯s centre. ¡°First and foremost, I want to apologize for not being able to pick you up at the capital. As I told the king, even though a peace treaty has been signed with the neighboring country, there is still tension near the border. I can¡¯t leave my own territory during this period of instability.¡± The Margrave always had a stern expression on his face. However, the content of his speech was still considerate and kind to Clarisse. ¡®He apologized¡­ even though he didn¡¯t have to¡­¡¯ ¡°Yes, I understand, Lord Jean.¡± Jean glanced at her as she called his name. ¡°And, with the king¡¯s blessing, we¡¯re ready to marry right away, but I¡¯d like to postpone our engagement party until relations with our neighbors are more stable. Oh, and regarding the wedding, do you have any desires, wishes, or plans that I should be aware of?¡± She assumed Jean didn¡¯t want to do the wedding ceremony, so she was taken aback when he asked her that, but she quickly shook her head in a small gesture. ¡°I don¡¯t¡­I don¡¯t need¡­a ceremony.¡± Either way, she was a replacement for her sister. If they held a big wedding in the royal capital, Jean would be humiliated for being trapped with her. After all, as soon as Clarisse tells him that she is her sister¡¯s substitute, he may break off the engagement and send her back to her parents¡¯ house. ¡°Is that so?¡± His tone sounded a little surprised. ¡®But what does that mean? He was going to hold a ceremony for me if I wanted one?¡¯ Suddenly, Clarisse¡¯s eyes caught sight of a large, tube-like object standing perfectly next to the mansion. It seemed too unconventional and inorganic for the elegant mansion. Jean, who had followed her gaze, explained. ¡°That¡¯s a tube that leads to the sewer.¡± ¡°¡­What exactly is a sewer?¡± ¡°Every floor has a bathroom. In short, it¡¯s a system in which all unclean things flow down through that tube into the sewer. The sewer is a way to flush out the filth.¡± Yes, this mansion had toilets! Of course, the bathroom didn¡¯t have a flushing system, but rather its own tub of water to wash in, but it was still a rare thing. Most of the noble families in the capital usually used something like an Omaru* to do their business. (TL note: potty, the kid¡¯s toilet practice chair :)) After doing their business, the Farenheit¡¯s family servants would flush the garbage into the gutters and rivers where the river¡¯s water flowed. Honestly, it wasn¡¯t a very sanitary method of disposal. Come to think of it, Clarisse suddenly realized that this house, unlike any other in the royal capital, had no odor.. ¡°I was thinking about it when I heard that many children get sick, and it occurred to me that it could be because of the filth around us or what we flush down the river. So I built a sewer system and poured it somewhere other than the river. Then, little by little, year by year, the number of sick children has decreased. So, in my territory, we are working hard to build sewers and bathrooms as close to each household as possible.¡± He seemed more talkative and lively when he talked about the sewerage system he was working on for the people of his domain than any other topic. Clarisse was struck by this. So far, she could tell that he was proud of his efforts to govern his remote land. ¡°But the only downside is that the sewers smell, making it really difficult to use the restroom, especially in the summer. That¡¯s why I¡¯m encouraging the estate¡¯s researchers to come up with a better system of restrooms and sewers.¡± ¡®I see, for smell-¡­¡¯ Clarisse thought about it. ¡°Sansevieria.¡± Jean was intrigued by Clarisse¡¯s mumbled words. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡®I said it out loud¡­..¡¯ ¡°It¡¯s nothing-¡­¡± ¡°You can¡¯t say it¡¯s nothing now. You should finish what you were going to say.¡± His golden eyes captured her violet irises. Clarisse had no choice but to give up when he said that. ¡°There¡¯s a plant called Sansevieria that comes from the south and has a deodorizing effect. It¡¯s relatively easy to get to the capital, so it¡¯s not that expensive. If you can get it here, I think it¡¯d be helpful if you plant it around the sewers.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± ¡°Also, since herbs are less expensive and easy to find, we can make a simple spray with peppermint or lavender, both of which have antibacterial properties¡­ If we leave it in the bathroom and everyone can use it as they please, it will keep the bathroom relatively clean, and the odor may lessen a bit.¡± ¡°I see.¡± After she had said that much, Clarisse came back to herself. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I shouldn¡¯t have said that!¡± Jean looked down at her with a puzzled look. ¡°Why? I¡¯ll have to run some trials to see if it¡¯s feasible, but I¡¯ll take it under consideration. I¡¯m surprised; you know a lot about plants.¡± Clarisse felt a great warmth deep in her chest. It wasn¡¯t because of his handsome looks or the fact that he owned such a large mansion, but because he recognized Clarisse as she was, without looking at her through spectacles. ¡®I¡¯m sure that Jean-sama is a noble person.¡¯ That¡¯s why she had a strong urge to say something. ¡°Um, Jean-sama¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I am not the ¡®Jewel of Farenheit¡¯¡­ the ¡®Jewel of Farenheit¡¯ is my sister.¡± Jean stopped, and Clarisse followed. He looked down at her, but his beautiful golden eyes did not appear to be filled with the disappointment and rage that Clarisse had expected to see. Instead, what was floating in the air was ¡ª what was it? His eyes flashed with an emotion Clarisse didn¡¯t recognise and then vanished. ¡°I see.¡± They returned to the mansion in silence, and he escorted Clarisse to her room without telling her whether she could stay or return to her parents¡¯ house. Chapter 10 Chapter 10 Later that day, Sid visited Jean in his office and couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°What? You were talking about sewers and toilets?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°You¡¯re lying! It¡¯s the morning after you meet your fianc¨¦ for the first time, and that¡¯s what you talk about!¡± ¡°Why, it¡¯s important. Besides, Clarisse also provided me with some useful information. She has an excellent point of view.¡± Sid had known him long enough to know that Jean was seriously complimenting her. ¡°You know, if she were a normal young lady, she¡¯d faint at the mention of sewers.¡± ¡°Why would she faint?¡± Based on the number of years they had known each other, Sid knew that Jean was serious! ¡°Most young ladies, you know, don¡¯t openly discuss that kind of vulgar talk. Never mind from a man to a woman! Clarisse is well-mannered, so she went along with it!¡± ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous. Every day, we use the restroom. It¡¯s something only the capital¡¯s nobles do.¡± ¡°You do realise Clarisse grew up in the Royal Capital, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°The engagement period is a time to deepen your love for each other, so talk about each other, get to know each other, and whisper things like (I like you)!¡± Jean sighed, ignoring half of Sid¡¯s passionate speech. ¡°You¡¯re really cool when leading the knights and very talkative when it comes to politics and territories, but when it comes to women¡­ you¡¯re just ¡­ hopeless.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°Clarisse seems to have lived her life holding back a lot in the first place, so I think she¡¯ll hold back a lot here as well if you don¡¯t lead her gently.¡± Jean glanced at the letter from Viscount Farenheit on the table. He then raised his eyes to Sid and changed his tone. ¡°In the meantime, Sid, let¡¯s talk about one of my favourite topics: politics. Go call Marius.¡± ¡­ ¡°Are you alright? You appeared to have been hit by a carriage this morning, but you now appear as pale as if you had been kicked by a horse. The lines were decrypted by layla, You know how if you get kicked by a horse and get hit in the wrong spot, you¡¯ll die? Do you understand? In short, you are about to die.¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± Mary¡¯s casual tone was soothing, as it always was. ¡°Do you want to lie down? Or do you want me to give you a massage, My Lady?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Mary. Please excuse me, but could you please get me some cold water?¡± Clarisse sat on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling, as Mary quickly exited the room. Was Jean disappointed to learn that Clarisse was not the Jewel of Farenheit? From his reaction, it seemed that he wasn¡¯t disappointed, so Clarisse wondered if he might have known it from the beginning. He didn¡¯t say anything else after that, and she was afraid to elicit a reaction from him, so she remained silent. Jean, on the other hand, escorted her to her room and did not ask her to return to her parents¡¯ house. ¡®He didn¡¯t tell me to go back home, but he also didn¡¯t tell me to stay here either.¡¯ I guess he¡¯s still thinking about it. She wondered how long Jean had been in Royal Capital in the first place. Did he really not know that Matilda was the Jewel of Farenheit ? Suppose he had known from the beginning that the Jewel of Farenheit was her sister. Why didn¡¯t he refuse when her father wrote to him saying that he would send Clarisse as his fianc¨¦e? Clarisse knew almost nothing about him because it was not a marriage born from love, as is often the case with noble marriages. She was also surprised to find herself wanting to know more about that charming man who always had a stern expression on his face but cared about her through his words and actions. ¡®I want to know more about Jean-sama.¡¯ If he¡¯ll let me, she softly added in her heart. It only took Jean a few hours to discover Clarisse¡¯s interest in plants, which even her family was unaware of. That alone made Clarisse feel special. Mary went to the kitchen to return the cup, relieved to see Clarisse¡¯s colour returning to normal. ¡°Oh, Clarisse¡¯s maid.¡± ¡®What the¡­ I met that nasty guy¡­ does he wander around every day? This guy.¡¯ That nobleman¡¯s son, whom she took the liberty of naming as a degraded version of Marius, walked towards her from the other side of the corridor, waving his hand in the air. He didn¡¯t leave as she bent her back to greet him, so she had no choice but to resume her original posture. ¡°Did Clarisse say anything about her conversation with the Margrave today?¡± She immediately felt calm since it was about her mistress. ¡°The lady said nothing in particular¡­¡¯ ¡°I see. But she didn¡¯t seem unwell or anything like that?¡± Mary hesitated. Suppose the nobleman in front of her was Marius. In that case, she might have been a little more trusting of him and spoken more freely. However, she was hesitant to reveal information about her mistress when she didn¡¯t even know the man in front of her that well. ¡°Oh, so you can¡¯t tell me? Of course not; you don¡¯t know me.¡± He nodded and began to walk forwards before turning around and saying, ¡°Follow me for a minute.¡± Mary had no choice but to follow him as he walked further and further down the second-floor corridor until he came to a very secluded spot and stopped. ¡°You¡¯ve got some nerve, you know that? Aren¡¯t you afraid? Following me here in a deserted place?¡± Mary stared at the young man in front of her. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid.¡± ¡°Why not? I won¡¯t be offended; just tell me.¡± ¡®Oh, how annoying. I want to expose my true colours and make this man despise me as much as possible..¡¯ ¡°You may act like a bad person, but I don¡¯t think you¡¯re that bad-¡­.¡± He was surprised and stared at Mary with a serious gaze, and she continued. ¡°A bad person wouldn¡¯t ask something like (Aren¡¯t you afraid), and¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± Unlike before, he asked Mary as if he were genuinely interested. ¡°I¡¯m confident that I won¡¯t lose facing most men.¡± That¡¯s right. Mary had learned self-defense from fellow servants of the Viscount Farenheit family, and she was confident that she could match or even exceed the strength of a slender nobleman¡¯s son. Of course, she is no match for the men within the servants. Still, even so, she is confident enough to take advantage of a momentary opening if he is not careful, mistaking the opponent for a weak woman. Her abilities were one of the reasons she was chosen to be Clarisse¡¯s servant this time. ¡°Really?¡± By staring at Mary rudely, he made her feel uneasy. ¡°Would you mind telling me where we¡¯re going? I have to get back to my Lady right away.¡± Then he turned around and opened the massive door in front of him. ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Jean¡¯s place.¡± Chapter 11 Chapter 11 ¡°Did you not bring Marius with you?¡± the Margrave asked as soon as they entered the room. ¡°I thought it would be better to ask Clarisse¡¯s maid instead,¡± said the degraded version of Marius, without hesitation. The Margrave then turned to Mary and asked her a series of questions. Of course, Mary answered them despite being overwhelmed. She couldn¡¯t tell that degraded version of Marius anything, but she would surely answer to the Margrave, who would one day be her Lady¡¯s husband. The Margrave had the degraded Marius sit with them while he was asking Mary private questions about Clarisse, so that she understood their relationship by leil and that it would be okay to tell this lesser version of Marius some things about Clarisse the next time. However, whether Mary would actually talk to the downgraded Marius is another matter. ¡°The lady came back from her walk today feeling a little down.¡± ¡°Jean! That¡¯s exactly what I was talking about!¡± ¡°Shut up, Sid.¡± ¡®The temperature just dropped to about -15 degrees¡­¡¯ Mary could feel the temperature of the room drop whenever the Margrave, whose expression never changed, wrinkled his brow. She might literally turn to ice by the time she leaves the room. ¡°What happens when Clarisse feels this way? When she gets into a fight with her family, for example? Simply respond truthfully.¡± The Margrave inquired, and Mary responded truthfully, of course, in order to avoid freezing to death. ¡°How can I put it¡­the young Lady has always been¡­you know¡­when she has a quarrel with her family, or rather¡­, she doesn¡¯t spend that much time with her family. But the Lady always smiles at us servants, so I¡¯m not sure.¡± She answered so honestly that she became tongue-tied. Mary couldn¡¯t say anything bad about her employer, the Viscount Farenheit family, because she was a servant, so that was all she could say. ¡®Oh no, it¡¯s about -20 degrees right now¡­¡¯ ¡°In short, did the Farenheit family really despise Clarisse like that?¡± Mary had no way of answering that question. The Margrave folded his arms in thought and didn¡¯t seem to be looking for an answer either. Sid, the degraded version of Marius who had been blabbering about trivial matters until now, also fell silent. The servants who have worked with Mary for many years at Viscount Farenheit¡¯s residence have always referred to her as a fierce warrior. She had something she really wanted to ask the Margrave, despite her pride as a fierce warrior. ¡°I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m being rude, but may I ask you a question?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Did you ask for the Farenheit Jewel to be your wife?¡± The question caught the Margave off guard for a moment. Mary was present in Clarisse¡¯s room when Matilda came in to bully Clarisse, claiming that she was marrying the Margrave instead of her. Mary was enraged that Clarisse, who had spent her entire life in Matilda¡¯s shadow, had been sent as a substitute bride for her. ¡°What do you mean?¡± The Margrave did not take Mary¡¯s question lightly, and Clarisse¡¯s future husband (to be) made a much stronger impression on her. Mary attempted to be as objective as possible in her explanation of what she had seen and heard in Clarisse¡¯s room. The Margrave¡¯s brow furrowed further and further. The temperature in the room had dropped to nearly -30 degrees before she realised it. ¡°What was your name again?¡± The Margrave suddenly asked her, and when she told him it was Mary, he nodded. ¡°Mary, you are a good maid, loyal to your master. I hope you will always be in Clarisse¡¯s service. Thankfully, your question has answered most of my doubts.¡± The Margrave then told her she could leave, and Mary did so, shivering in the cold. It wasn¡¯t until she was walking down the corridor that she realised she hadn¡¯t received an answer from the Count. Still, even the toughest of men wouldn¡¯t be foolish enough to ask him the same question again. The following day, when Clarisse finished getting ready and went down to breakfast accompanied by the butler, she found the Margrave already seated in the dining room. ¡°Good morning, Jean-sama.¡± ¡°Ah.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry to keep you waiting.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be. Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± He still had the same stern expression on his face today, but he spoke in a gentle manner. Clarisse was becoming more at ease with this contrast in him. As he stood up, he approached Clarisse and kissed the back of her hand, then stared down at her from a close distance, making her blush. As usual, they didn¡¯t talk during breakfast, and when they finished their meal, they had coffee. He invited Clarisse to go to the garden. ¡°You must be very knowledgeable about plants, so you can tell me all about them in the garden.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­.. Is it okay for me to do that?¡± Clarisse asked him, puzzled, and Jean, with a distorted expression, said, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to, that¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it. I¡¯m just happy to be going to the gardens again.¡± ¡°¡­Clarisse, you can go to the garden any time you want¡­¡± She was puzzled once again; what¡¯s wrong with Jean today? And any time she wants? So she could stay in this house? Her heart felt warm as a result of these thoughts. ¡°Could you not freely go to the garden at the Farenheit residence?¡± ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t like that, but¡­¡± Rather, it could be described as being left alone, so she was immersed in the gardens. Matilda was the only one invited to tea parties and soir¨¦es, while Clarisse was often at home. As a result of this, she spent a lot of time in the garden, which is unbecoming of a noblewoman. Her body has become stronger than ever, which she considers to be a blessing in disguise. ¡°Then you may do so here as well. You won¡¯t need a maid when I accompany you, but when I don¡¯t, be sure to take a maid with you.¡± Clarisse found herself slowly smiling as the Margrave spoke as if he was dealing with a child. ¡°Yes, Jean-sama.¡± Jean, sitting across from her, looked at Clarisse with a stunned expression. ¡°Who knew you could smile like that.¡± However, the words he muttered did not reach Clarisse¡¯s ears. The time they spent in the garden was delightful. Jean had to go to the knights¡¯ camp near the border in the afternoon, limiting the amount of time they could spend together. However, it was still fun just to look at the plants that were slightly different from those in the royal capital, and to answer Jean¡¯s questions about them. Since the topic of plants was something she was really interested in, she felt more at ease and comfortable discussing it. He was a very enthusiastic student who seemed to be more interested in the benefits of the plants than in the names of the plants themselves. He said that he wondered how much it would help his men if he, as their commander, had the knowledge to use wild plants when they ran out of medicine in the field. Clarisse thought it was very typical of him, given what he¡¯d said and done thus far. A subordinate with a superior like him would certainly be happy. The second time they spent together in the garden was mainly spent talking about plants. Still, Clarisse managed to enquire about Jean¡¯s age in between conversations. ¡°28.¡± She wasn¡¯t surprised to learn that he was older than she was because his stern demeanour made him appear older than he was. Still, the way he carried himself certainly seemed to be appropriate for his age. She wanted to ask more questions, but just hearing his age made her feel a little closer to him. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 For a while, the flow of life went on peacefully in the days that followed. She always ate breakfast with Jean, and they spent more and more time in the mornings together. When the weather was pleasant, they¡¯d go for a walk in the garden, and sometimes they¡¯d go to the library together to pass the time. Jean would occasionally take her on a tour of the surrounding towns. On some days, Sid and Marius would pay a visit and share a cup of tea. Jean kept an expressionless face and didn¡¯t say much, but his words and actions were always considerate of Clarisse, so staying by his side was very comfortable. Clarisse gradually became accustomed to spending time with Jean. He had a way of showing her how he cared about her without using words. It was more believable than some useless sweet talk. They would have lunch together every few days or whenever his schedule allowed it. Their routine was slowly taking shape. There was no Matilda in this house to humiliate Clarisse or be sarcastic towards her whenever she saw an opportunity. She doesn¡¯t have to feel pain over her parents¡¯ unloving words and actions. As the autumn deepened, Clarisse¡¯s heart was slowly healing after years of being tortured by her family. ¡°The daughter of Viscount Farenheit is truly an amazing person.¡± It was late autumn when Mary was approached by the middle-aged head maid of the mansion. Mary was told that the winters in this remote land are many times harsher than in the royal capital. She thought it was time to prepare her Lady¡¯s needs for winter, so she went to ask the head maid. ¡°She¡¯s a noble lady, but she remembers the servants¡¯ names right away, looks us in the eyes and speaks to us politely, and always thanks us! Most of all, it¡¯s wonderful that she¡¯s willing to try to do her things on her own.¡± Clarisse, whose farewell had saddened the Farenheit family¡¯s servants to great lengths, had also won the hearts of the Gutenberg mansion¡¯s servants. The fact that the head maid, who was in charge of all the maids, was praising her so highly probably meant that the other servants had the same opinion. Mary was proud to know that her beloved master was also admired by the servants. ¡°The Master has such a strong personality, and we were all worried about what would happen if a selfish young lady came into the family, but I¡¯m glad our fears were unfounded. I¡¯ve never seen the lord look so happy.¡± ¡®If that¡¯s how he appears when he¡¯s happy, then what was he like before¡­ Well I must say, the Margrave is quite the man.¡¯ The Margrave, Mary believes, has high ideals that he demands of others, but he is even more demanding of himself. He has the best qualities as a leader, which is great, but whether he is easy to deal with as a person is another story. If a selfish young lady who was not to his liking and whose personality did not match his own had entered his household, he would have divorced her immediately, or at best, separated from her. Clarisse¡¯s maid knew he liked her Lady when he asked her for her name. If he wanted to send her back to her parents¡¯ house, his character would have been unconcerned about the scandal and would have divorced her quickly. Mary, on the other hand, had no idea whether Clarisse was aware of it or not. ¡®It¡¯s tough to tell, but he cares for the lady and loves her¡­right?¡¯ Despite the fact that they are officially engaged and have the king¡¯s approval for their marriage, they have yet to share a bedroom, and they have separate rooms. Mary reasoned that this was not because the Margrave despised Clarisse, but because he prioritized her adjustment to the house. He may be a little difficult to understand, but he cares about Clarisse. In Mary¡¯s mind, Clarisse¡¯s future husband -or potential husband- has already scored a lot of points in Mary¡¯s eyes. ¡°Your question has answered most of my own.¡± ¡®Now, if only I could figure out what he meant by that¡­¡¯ Mary brushed the question to the back of her mind as she asked the head maid to prepare for winter. ¡°My sister¡­?¡± ¡°Yeah, Viscount Farenheit wrote to say that your sister¡¯s engagement is about to be arranged and that you and I should make an appearance.¡± Clarisse was stunned when Jean said this at breakfast the following day. ¡®My sister is getting married only a few months after my engagement¡­? Then she invites us to the party¡­? Knowing my sister¡¯s personality, I¡¯m not sure why, but I have a bad feeling about this.¡¯ ¡°¡­I see¡­¡± She tightened her hands that rested on her lap. This mansion was so comfortable that the thought of returning to her parents¡¯ house now gave her a sharp pain that made her chest tighten. ¡°If we are going to go, I think it would be better to do so before winter sets in. There are many days during the winter when it snows in remote areas and you are unable to move.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± In a gentle tone, Jean asked Clarisse, who was unusually stammering for words. ¡°You don¡¯t like it? If you don¡¯t want to go, I can decline and say we¡¯re too busy to attend.¡± Clarisse sensed the kindness in his words and felt terrible for him right away. ¡°No, no¡­I can¡¯t let you lie Jean-sama¡­it¡¯s okay.¡± He stood up and walked around behind Clarisse, who was slightly downcast, and looked down at her hands clasped in her lap before gently placing his large warm hands on her shoulders. ¡°We¡¯ll stay at my aunt¡¯s house when we arrive in the Royal Capital. You should go to the Farenheit house at the very least.¡± ¡®I¡¯m sure Jean-sama has noticed ¡­¡­¡­¡¯ She looked up with her violet eyes to meet his golden eyes that now made her feel more secure than anyone else, and his beautiful eyes encouraged her. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of it.¡± He said this quietly, and Clarisse nodded slowly. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 Jean and Clarisse left for the royal capital the following week. ¡®It¡¯s the absolute worst¡­ the absolute worst¡­¡¯ There were two carriages for this trip. The first carriage carried Jean and Clarisse, and the second carriage carried Mary and some of Jean¡¯s assistants, but there were no servants. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been to the royal capital; I¡¯m excited.¡± That was Marius¡¯s downgraded version¡­ or rather, Sid. ¡®When we came here, Lord Marius was a gentleman and sat next to the coachman for the entire journey¡­ Well, I suppose it¡¯s okay now since Lady Clarisse, the fianc¨¦e of the Margrave, is riding in another carriage.¡¯ Furthermore, to Mary¡¯s surprise, the Margrave did not have a fixed attendant; he had been educated as a knight his entire life, so he took care of everything himself. In that regard, he and Clarisse seem to be on the same page, but that¡¯s not the point right now! ¡®Oh no¡­ for the next two days¡­ this person will be right in front of me¡­¡¯ ¡°Nice to meet you again, Clarisse¡¯s maid.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll just ride next to the coachman.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say such depressing things~! It¡¯s a long ride, and we¡¯ll have plenty of time to talk! So stay here and keep me company.¡± ¡®Whoa! This man¡­..¡¯ Meanwhile, time passed slowly inside the carriage with Jean and Clarisse, as it always does when the two of them are together. Jean had been trying to make up for the two weeks he needed to spend in the capital by handing over administrative duties to Marius and hurriedly taking care of some urgent work, so he hadn¡¯t had much time to relax with Clarisse in the last few days. He was glad that he could sit across from her and share some quality time. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to spend an entire day away from her, if it wasn¡¯t for this. Because of his large size, Jean had made the carriage larger than usual. Still, he sat with his legs tucked in as far as possible to keep them out of the way, but eventually, Clarisse, sitting across from him, smiled warmly and said, ¡°Jean-sama, you can ease up on your legs if you want.¡± ¡°¡­ excuse me.¡± ¡°Did you often go to the royal capital, Jean-sama?¡± ¡®Clarisse asked me a question¡­!¡¯ Clarisse is a very reserved person and rarely asks Jean any questions. If he were to ask her a question, she would give him a quick, sincere answer. On top of that, Jean wasn¡¯t very good at initiating conversations, so he almost never talked about himself. He was thrilled that Clarisse had asked him about it. ¡°No, I¡¯ve never lived in the capital. I grew up in a remote town and stayed there all my life since my father was originally from there. So I only ever went to the capital to visit my aunt¡¯s house or to run errands.¡± Thinking about it, this was probably the first time he had ever talked about his parents. Even the servants at the mansion knew the story, and it wasn¡¯t a secret, so he didn¡¯t feel the need to tell her. ¡®I wondered if Clarisse had been holding back her desire to ask. I¡¯ll tell her as much as she wants any time she asks.¡¯ ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°It was the current King who appointed me as a Margrave, but my father was a local nobleman himself. I¡¯ve always thought it wouldn¡¯t be a bad idea to establish myself as a knight.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Come to think of it, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever told you, my parents died in an unfortunate carriage accident eight years ago, and I have no siblings.¡± It was comforting to see her violet eyes narrow painfully. Jean didn¡¯t like to receive half-hearted consolations and was grateful that Clarisse was not the kind of woman to show flattering pity. ¡°Shortly after, I was appointed by the king as the Margrave of this area, so I was too busy to mourn.¡± Jean thought back to those chaotic days. It wasn¡¯t that he wasn¡¯t sad, but there was a thought that kept him inspired: the thought that his parents would be proud of him for receiving a noble title when he was just a little over 20 years old, and that the King himself took an interest in him and made him a Margrave ¨C even if it was only for one generation. He later heard that it was a coincidence that the King had appointed him as a Margrave. Regardless, the state of affairs with the neighboring countries at that time was worse than it is now, so no one came forward to take this position. After becoming a Margrave, his milk-brother Sid and his cousin Marius remained by his side, and the knights, who were his colleagues, followed him even after he became their superior. ¡°You must have been very talented, Jean-sama¡­ When was your last successful battle?¡± ¡°Oh, it was last year. There have always been frequent petty conflicts with neighboring countries along the border, and those of us on the frontier knew that one day it would turn into a major battle.¡± So as soon as Jean was appointed as the Margrave, he immediately began to make detailed preparations. He strengthened the fortress, prepared the knights for any surprise attack, and devised a plan to minimize casualties in any case. If necessary, he himself would stand on the front line to boost the spirits of the knights and soldiers, but at the same time, as the commander, he had to consider the safety of his people. After several battles in the field, he had finally won the battle, and the peace treaty was signed last year after seven years of negotiating. Jean simply believed that the King¡¯s recognition was based on all the work he had done for him since he became a Margrave. ¡®Oh no, I¡¯ve been talking way too much¡­¡¯ If Sid had been in the same carriage, he would have been disgusted as this was not something to talk about with to a noblewoman, but when Jean looked at Clarisse, he saw a spark of admiration in her beautiful violet eyes, and she did not seem to be disgusted by what he had said at all. There are many moments when Jean feels the kindness of her nature. The fact that Clarisse was so attuned to Jean¡¯s feelings in this way made him want to treat her well. He gazed at Clarisse¡¯s beautiful face. He had thought she was beautiful from the first time he saw her. Of course, her face was beautiful, but it was her intelligence, kindness, and honesty that made her attractive multiple times over. It was hard to believe that the Farenheit family had treated her so poorly. Now, even he knows that the servants of the Gutenberg family worship her and that Sid and Marius think very highly of her. ¡®But then again, there are people in every world who can¡¯t understand the value of gems, even if they lived next to a diamond mine.¡¯ Chapter 14 Chapter 14 Since Jean and Clarisse weren¡¯t married yet, they didn¡¯t have their first night together and booked separate rooms at the inn. Unfortunately, on the first day of the trip, there were only two rooms available for the nobility at the inn, so Clarisse stayed in a room by herself, but Jean and Sid had to share a room. The look on Sid¡¯s face was priceless. ¡°You¡¯re expecting me to share a room with this big guy?¡± Sid was relatively short for a man, but Jean was large and muscular. It would undoubtedly be too crowded for two men to be staying in the same room. Mary got out of the carriage, exhausted from the first day, and was enjoying the sight of Sid¡¯s annoyance. ¡°You see, Mary, Sid-sama, although a bit annoying, is a smart person. I¡¯m certain that the Margrave sees him as a valuable asset.¡± When Clarisse asked Mary what they had been talking about in the carriage as she finished her supper and prepared for bed, she responded dismissively. ¡°He seems to be quite obsessed with the Margrave, and I think he is fond of you, My lady, though I don¡¯t like him because he acts way too familiar with me.¡± ¡°Mary¡­¡± Despite Mary¡¯s foul mouth, she doesn¡¯t actually have many likes or dislikes for people. In fact, it¡¯s rare that she dislikes someone this much; either she doesn¡¯t get along with them very well, or she gets along with them too well. But no matter what she said, the image of herself being seriously scolded by Mary came to mind, so Clarisse wisely didn¡¯t touch on the topic any further. The following day, after a quick breakfast at the inn, they started to move quickly. However, Mary seemed to have lost her patience and tried to sit next to the coachman, saying she was a servant. Sid, on the other hand, stated quietly that he could not allow a woman to sit outside and that he would take her place, so she had no choice but to reluctantly give in. This left Mary, the servant, inside and Sid, the nobleman, sitting outside. Clarisse watched in silence as Mary, who may not have shown it on her face but must have looked as if she had a demon inside, climbed into the carriage with Sid¡¯s help. ¡°I wonder if Sid-sama is fond of Mary.¡± Clarisse asked, growing more familiar with Jean thanks to the day they had spent together in the carriage yesterday. She felt that Jean¡¯s demeanor had become more relaxed and his tone of voice was a little more casual. The trip to the royal capital was something that Clarisse would have preferred not to go on, but she was glad that it had brought her closer to him than before. ¡°I suppose so. Sid is a womanizer, but he hates women.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°Well, I guess he likes a strong, firm woman like Mary.¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Mary is indeed strong and firm; even Clarisse cannot deny that, as she has always been helped by Mary¡¯s strength. ¡°Has Mary been your maid for a long time?¡± There were some complicated reasons why Mary became a maid for Clarisse. Clarisse pondered how to answer since it wasn¡¯t about her, but since Jean didn¡¯t seem to be breaking off his engagement to her, and since Mary would probably be meeting with Jean for a long time to come, she thought it would be better to let him know what was going on. Especially since she was going to visit her parents¡¯ house. Clarisse had been mistreated by her family since she was born. She spent her days trying to figure out what they were thinking not only by their words but also by their facial expressions and actions. Although Jean doesn¡¯t use straightforward words, his facial expressions and actions were enough for her to understand that he¡¯s very considerate and always thinking of her. She feels that he¡¯s really interested in her. Above all, the way he treats her is almost the same as his attitude toward Sid and Marius, who are his allies and childhood friends; therefore, although it¡¯s hard to put into words. Clarisse wants to believe him. That he really wants to marry her. ¡°Mary¡¯s family was originally a barony, but after her father¡¯s scandalous downfall, the family split up, and Mary was taken in as a maid by my family. I was only eight years old, and she was twelve. We¡¯ve been together ever since.¡± Jean¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh my, Mary was a former baron¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see; I thought she was more than just a servant, but to think she had that background.¡± The rank of baron itself is the lowest in aristocratic society, but aristocrats are still aristocrats. Somehow, Mary didn¡¯t feel like an ordinary servant, so it made sense to him that she was originally a baron¡¯s daughter. Jean suddenly felt that Sid would be pleased with this information but decided to keep it quiet for Mary¡¯s sake. As he had heard from Marius, Jean could not help but admire Clarisse¡¯s manner during the trip. She never showed any signs of displeasure or whine and was always cheerful and caring, not only to Jean but also to everyone else. Typically, when people are severely fatigued, their true nature reveals itself. So, this is Clarisse¡¯s true nature. It was very attractive, and it was no wonder that Marius was instantly captivated by her. Jean had originally trained as a knight and was blessed with a good physique, so he didn¡¯t feel that tired on a trip like this, but Clarisse had never even left the royal capital before coming to Jean¡¯s home. After such a long trip, she might be physically tired, but how could she be so mentally calm and not even show a hint of tiredness? Moreover, she always seemed to be satisfied with the food and the not-so-luxurious accommodations. Jean was beginning to respect this thin and petite girl, who was almost ten years younger than him, for her strong mental strength. It had been a long time since he had been to the royal capital, but it was definitely a city. Sid was going to stay at his relative¡¯s house, so he went on his way, and Clarisse, Jean, and Mary were going to stay at Jean¡¯s aunt¡¯s house. Marchioness Lotte Ainsworth, who was the sister of Jean¡¯s father, and just like Jean, she was a rather large and beautiful woman with a clear face, much like Jean. Her husband, Marquis Ainsworth, and their son were currently staying in their territory, not in the royal capital. ¡°Oh my god! Jean, to be engaged to such a beautiful girl! I couldn¡¯t be happier for you.¡± The Marchioness of Ainsworth gave her a sincere welcome. ¡°Nice to meet you, Marchioness Ainsworth; my name is Clarisse Farenheit.¡± ¡°Soon to be Gutenburg.¡± Clarisse was a little surprised when Jean interrupted her from the side. It¡¯s almost as if he wants to get married as soon as possible. Marchioness Ainsworth looked at her nephew with extreme amusement. ¡°Well, well, you shouldn¡¯t dwell on little things like that, Jean.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m just stating a fact.¡± It¡¯s hard to tell, but it looks like Jean is acting spoiled in front of his aunt. Clarisse thought that the relationship between Marchioness Ainsworth and Jean was good. Marchioness Ainsworth smiled at Clarisse as if to say, ¡°This boy¡¯s a real troublemaker.¡± ¡°May I call you Clarisse?¡± ¡°Of course, Marchioness Ainsworth.¡± ¡°Hehehe, Lotte is fine between us, Clarisse.¡± ¡°Lady Lotte.¡± When Clarisse curtsied with the hem of her dress, Lotte giggled happily. Her laughter warms the heart of anyone who hears it, and Clarisse is able to understand why Jean was so fond of her. She, as well, liked Lotte very much. ¡°Aunt, tomorrow, as I informed you, I need you to help Clarisse get ready.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Jean nodded and turned to Clarisse. ¡°I want you to go with aunt to pick out a dress tomorrow for the visit to the Farenheit family.¡± Chapter 15 Chapter 15 The following day, Clarisse went to a famous dressmaker¡¯s boutique in the capital that Jean¡¯s aunt Lotte liked. Although she told Jean that buying a new dress for a visit to her parents¡¯ house would be a waste of money, he, who usually respects her wishes, ignored her and told her to go buy one and have his aunt find one for her. In the end, she couldn¡¯t refuse and ended up coming to the store. The store was lined with colorful dresses, and Clarisse, who had not properly picked out a dress in a long time, quickly gave up trying to choose one herself and decided to leave it to Lotte. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that such a lovely lady will be wearing one of my designs! Oh my! What beautiful violet eyes! I¡¯m getting excited. If I could, I would have tailored it from scratch, but I¡¯m afraid we don¡¯t have time for that this time.¡± The store madam said so, and while discussing this with Lotte, she brought out more and more elegant dresses, leaving Clarisse flabbergasted. They said things such as ¡°these sleeves are the most fashionable nowadays,¡± or ¡°this lace is the current fashion trend.¡± She kept trying on dresses, one after the other, and then walking in front of the two. It wasn¡¯t that she didn¡¯t enjoy it; it was just that it was something she wasn¡¯t used to, and she was utterly exhausted by the time she left the store. Lotte eventually decided to buy two evening gowns and four day gowns. Lotte laughed it off before Clarisse could say anything, saying that Jean would be paying for the dress anyway, so she didn¡¯t have to worry about it. They agreed with the store that the dresses that needed alterations would be delivered to the Ainsworth residence later. Her first impression of Lotte was correct; she was cheerful, kind and had a lot to talk about. When they returned home, a young woman who was one of Lotte¡¯s favorite hairdressers was also there. She took care of Clarisse¡¯s chestnut hair, and she gave it a quick trim, saying it was perfectly cared for and shiny, with the perfect volume. The hairdresser gave Mary a few tips on how to style her hair in a way that she thought would look good on Clarisse, as well as how to match her makeup. The two of them were happily playing with Clarisse¡¯s hair. Jean returned from his outing in the late afternoon. ¡°Did you get a dress? Let¡¯s go out-..¡± She was surprised because she hadn¡¯t heard anything about it. Still, Lotte, who had apparently asked Jean regarding his outfit, then advised her to wear the dark navy evening dress she had brought back to match with his. After that, Mary helped her to do her hair, using the technique she had learned today and applied her makeup. Considering she doesn¡¯t usually dress up that much, Clarisse herself was astounded at how different she looked. ¡°My Lady¡­ you look so beautiful¡­ really.¡± Mary praised her again today in a quivering voice. If this stout maid quivered, then she must be highly impressed. ¡°¡­Thank you, Mary.¡± Her fianc¨¦, a very masculine man with short silver hair and golden eyes, was waiting for her as she walked down the hall. ¡°It suits you well.¡± As they got into the carriage, Jean, who was also dressed in formal attire, gave her a sincere compliment, and Clarisse¡¯s cheeks flushed. Jean himself looked great ¨C his thick physique made him stand out more than usual in a tuxedo that flattered his figure, his sturdy body stood out even more. ¡°We¡¯re going to the National Theater, do you like comedy musicals?¡± ¡°To the National Theater¡­? Yes, I like comedies very much.¡± Jean relaxed his eyes and told her the title of a comedy musical that was currently being performed in the royal city. Matilda had often gone to the theater with their parents, but Clarisse had never been. Her mother had tried to take Clarisse, but Matilda disliked it, so it was a no go. So the comedy that Clarisse knew was in the books. He stared at Clarisse¡¯s face, who smiled happily. ¡°Did you often go to the theater when you were in the royal capital?¡± But now, she was at a loss for an answer. She didn¡¯t want to lie to him, and she didn¡¯t want him to pity her by telling the truth either. As if he could sense her hesitation, Jean opened his mouth softly. ¡°I think you already know, but I¡¯m not very good at understanding people¡¯s feelings. So I need you to say it clearly so that I can understand it.¡± Before she could open her mouth to say that Jean is a kind and sensitive person, he added, ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean you have to try to appease me. No matter what you say, I will never dislike you. What I need is for you to be honest with me. Otherwise, I won¡¯t be able to understand what you¡¯re thinking.¡± ¡®See, you¡¯re kind¡­¡¯ When she looked down, Jean, who was sitting on the seat across from her, quietly asked if he could hold her hand. She turned her head and gave a slight nod, and he gently took her hand. ¡°There are times when I look at you, I feel that you must have been through a lot. That hardship must have been related to the Farenheit family.¡± Normally, the mention of her family¡¯s name brings a slight pain to her heart, but now that Jean was holding her hand and she felt the warmth of his hand and his presence closer to her, she didn¡¯t feel that pain. Doesn¡¯t the warmth of a person make your heart grow stronger? When Clarisse looked up, he had his usual stern expression on his face, but his golden eyes were gentle. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to tell me, you don¡¯t have to. But I want to protect you from the pain your family brings.¡± ¡°¡­¡­!¡± ¡°I¡¯m so rugged that the only thing I can think of is to protect you from the Farenheit family is by force. I don¡¯t mind being the bad guy if it makes you happy, but I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t like it because you¡¯re kind-hearted, so you have to decide and then tell me how I can help you. I promise, if it¡¯s for you, I¡¯ll do anything.¡± ¡°¡­Jean-sama, you don¡¯t have to waste your time on my behalf!¡± She couldn¡¯t help but look down again. Her mother didn¡¯t mistreat her by any means, but she never stood up for her either because she didn¡¯t have an opinion of her own and was always at the mercy of her father. It was not particularly unusual in an aristocratic family. She thought a person like her father would only look for such a marriage where his partner would be expected to obey him. She was not able to attend parties due to Matilda¡¯s interference. She had given up on the idea that she would marry for love, as she was almost certain that she would be a tool in a political marriage. She knew that she had to find out how to deal with the other party, live in seclusion, and avoid getting in the way of her husband-to-be. That¡¯s exactly how she envisioned her life when she learned that she was to be a substitute bride to a man-eating Margrave. She thought that her tyrannical fianc¨¦ would be waiting for her, and that she would just have to live in hiding. But the reality was quite different. Ever since they first met, Jean had cared for her, and even if he didn¡¯t use words, he had always cared for her with his actions. Even now, in a situation like this, he was trying to think of Clarisse¡¯s feelings first. ¡°A waste is not the right word to use here. I wouldn¡¯t waste my time on useless things. Just remember that you are worth it.¡± Clarisse looked up at him and saw the same expressionless, scary face as usual. But his golden eyes are still filled with kindness. ¡°I know you and I have only just met, and it will take some time before we can truly trust each other, but for now, can¡¯t you trust me just a little bit?¡± Clarisse nodded slowly. During the time before they arrived at the National Theater, Clarisse told Jean about how she was sent to marry him as a bride in place of her sister, the Jewel of Farenheit. She also told him about her family and her relationship with her sister. Throughout her story, he held Clarisse¡¯s hand as he listened to her story, his forehead wrinkling more and more, but he seemed to hold back and refrain from commenting on her family. As they talked, Clarisse found herself feeling as if a weight was being lifted from her chest. It was as if she and Jean were now supporting a huge weight that she had been carrying alone without knowing it. ¡°I thought it was something like that. You¡¯ve done well to endure until now. Clarisse is admirable.¡± When she was done talking for the time being, Jean sighed and said so. His words gently caressed her wounded heart as if wrapped in soft cotton. Jean watched Clarisse¡¯s face for a while, and then, rather unexpectedly for him, his expression softened. ¡°For now, you can watch a comedy tonight and laugh.¡± Chapter 16 Chapter 16 Clarisse, who was visiting for the first time, was taken aback by the magnificent architecture of the historic National Theater, which had been designated as a historic-cultural landmark. Jean, who looked expressionless as usual, took her to the terrace seating on the second floor. There was a curtain dividing the room, making it look like a private room. He sat Clarisse on the sofa and went out into the hallway to get some snacks and water from a vendor before returning to the terrace. Those who purchased the expensive terrace tickets were permitted to consume food and beverages throughout the performance. ¡°This is really your first time coming here.¡± He said in a relatively soft voice, and Clarisse, who was busy admiring the entire theater as it slowly filled up with people, couldn¡¯t help but laugh at his remark. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I got carried away. I must¡¯ve acted like a child.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t say that.¡± A soft light flashed in Jean¡¯s eyes as he reached out and gently stroked Clarisse¡¯s cheek with his thumb. ¡°You ought to laugh more.¡± ¡®Perhaps he chose a comedy musical¡­ to make me laugh?¡¯ However, before she could reply, Jean offered her snacks and some water, which he followed by suggesting that she eat them before the play started, which was the end of the conversation. The first comedy musical she ever saw in her life was wonderful. Clarisse, who had never seen a comedy or a musical, to begin with, was fascinated by even the slightest movement of the stage set during a scene change. The audience laughed as the performers humoured them. Everyone was intoxicated by the dazzling way the performers sang, which transformed the theater into one ample space and generated a unique heat. Although the play was a comedy, there was a sad story in the midst, and Clarisse was busy laughing and crying. Jean was entirely unresponsive to the play from beginning to end. Occasionally, he would steal glances of her face with amusement as he watched her eyes twinkling happily and her fascination with the stage; she was unaware of this until the end. ¡®Wow, it was wonderful¡­!¡¯ The three-hour comedy musical was over, and Clarisse, still in a state of excitement, held onto Jean¡¯s arm as they walked through the crowded theater passageways. ¡°I see you enjoyed it.¡± ¡°Yes, it was wonderful. Thank you, Jean-sama, for bringing me here.¡± As she walked through the stream of people, feeling all fluffy, heading out of the theater, she noticed the aristocrats¡¯ gaze around them and realized that they didn¡¯t seem to recognise Jean. Most of the aristocratic men looked at Jean, who was obviously dressed in a high-quality tuxedo and carried himself nobly: wondering who he was. In contrast, the women were enchanted by his manly appearance and impressive physique and looked enviously at his companion, Clarisse. After all, as he said himself, he has rarely been to the capital, so the people were unaware that Jean was the famous ¡®Man-Eating Margrave.¡¯ *** ¡°Oh, the Man-Eating Margrave things?¡± In the carriage on the way back, Clarisse asked Jean this ¨C quite boldly of her. But he didn¡¯t seem particularly bothered by it and simply nodded that he had heard of it, which was a bit of a surprise. The way he spoke about it made it seem to be a trivial matter to him, even though it was a very unsettling name, which was very much like him in a sense. ¡°I think it all started when the newspapers made fun of my relentless fighting style on the battlefield, I recall Sid or Marius saying something like that.¡± ¡°Is that so¡­¡± The calm and simple man in front of her was so gentle that it was easy to forget that he was a man with a history of tremendous war achievements. Since he was so proud of his territory, he must have been ready to devote his time, passion, and all of his energy to his duties as a Margrave in case of a war. ¡°The last time I was in the capital was when the king summoned me after signing a peace treaty with a neighboring country, so it¡¯s already been a year.¡± After Clarisse told him about the feud with her family before the play, Jean began to act closer to her, as if another wall between them had been broken down. In fact, on the carriage ride home, he sat next to her instead of across from her, though he probably did so unconsciously. But of course, it was never uncomfortable, and Clarisse felt relieved to have Jean¡¯s large, warm body next to hers, giving her an overwhelming sense of safety. ¡°Did you know that my sister was known as the ¡®Jewel of Farenheit¡¯?¡± ¡°¡­Yeah.¡± A feeling of discomfort spread like a stain in Clarisse¡¯s heart as if a drop of ink had been dropped on it. After all, when they met for the first time, the first thing he did was to ask if she was the Jewel of Farenheit. ¡°Is that so¡­ then as I thought¡­ did you ask the King for the ¡®Jewel of Farenheit¡¯ as a reward for your battle, Jean-sama..?¡± Her words grew fainter as she asked him. She had been wondering if she should ask him since she had mentioned being the substitute earlier. However, he had never denied or confirmed the story that he had asked the king to grant him the Jewel of Farenheit as his wife. So she wanted to ask him if he really wanted her sister and if he just went with her as a substitute bride since she was not so bad after spending time with her? She wanted to live her life with dignity as much as possible. Still, the feeling of inferiority to her sister, which had been imprinted on her since an early age, suddenly welled up from the depths of her heart, and Clarisse felt as if she were being overwhelmed by dark thoughts. After all, her sister is better than she is, right? Jean took Clarisse¡¯s hand in his and squeezed it gently. ¡°Clarisse¡­ after we go to your parents¡¯ house, I¡¯ll tell you something. But right now, all I can say is that you have to trust me.¡± Jean becomes silent when necessary, but over the past few months, she has learned that he is not a man who would lie. The temperature of his skin, the gentle touch of his hand holding hers, and those few words were enough to lift her out of the darkness she was starting to drown into. ¡°I will.¡± The appointment with the Farenheit family was scheduled for the end of their two-week stay. In the meantime, he would occasionally leave Clarisse with his aunt and go into town alone, but in the afternoons, he always spent time with her enjoying the capital. He took Clarisse to the theater twice after that since she loved it so much, and he took her to a candy store to eat trending sweets, even though he himself did not like them. When the weather was sunny, they walked together in the park with the capital¡¯s famous fountain, and he took Clarisse, who loved reading, to a large bookstore, where they became absorbed in the books and stayed for a very long time; resulting in Lotte looking for them when they didn¡¯t make it in time for dinner. Although Clarisse was secretly worried that she might run into her sister or her parents when she was in the capital, the capital was so big, and they must have been so busy with their tea parties and soir¨¦es that they didn¡¯t cross paths at all. She felt that by spending time with Jean like this at first, he was trying to make many good memories in the capital with her. He might have imagined various things that could happen at her parents¡¯ house, so he made arrangements for them to leave the capital as soon as the visit to the Farenheit family was over. Clarisse¡¯s expression became more cheerful and brighter day by day; her smile became more sincere, and she even laughed out loud while talking to Jean. She doesn¡¯t even think about her family when she is with him. It seemed as if the flower bud that had been held back until now was finally given sunshine and water, and she became more beautiful as if she were slowly blooming. On the day before she visited the Farenheit family, Sid visited the Ainsworth residence for tea for the first time in many days. When he saw Clarisse, his eyes rolled unreservedly. ¡°Clarisse! You look like a different person!¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± When she looked at Sid with a puzzled look, Jean spoke to her from the side with a snort. ¡°Clarisse, you don¡¯t have to worry about it. ¡ªSo, Sid, what about that thing?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah, I understand; I¡¯ll shut up. Here it is.¡± Sid handed Jean a small blue velvet case. ¡°It took a lot of work to make it exactly the way you described; you should be grateful.¡± ¡°I appreciate it.¡± ¡°Waah! That wasn¡¯t sincere at all.¡± Ignoring Sid¡¯s grumbling, Jean opened the case towards Clarisse. Inside, there was a ring with a sparkling violet stone the size of her thumbnail. It was so beautiful that it took her breath away. ¡°Oh my¡­ so beautiful¡­¡± ¡®Is this the same color as my eyes¡­?¡¯ ¡°It looks like a real gem, but it¡¯s an imitation.¡± Sid remarked with a smirk. When she looked up at Jean, he nodded towards her. ¡°I think we need to have a strategy meeting for tomorrow.¡± Chapter 17.1 Chapter 17, Part 1 Meanwhile, Mary was meeting a fellow Farenheit family maid at a cafe in the heart of the royal capital. This particular maid was one of Matilda¡¯s personal attendants. Since Mary began working for Clarisse, this maid had frequently complained about Matilda¡¯s selfishness and arrogance, and how she envied her serving a master like Clarisse. After ensuring that no one could overhear, the maid began to whisper ¡°Lady Matilda has become extremely aggressive and violent since Lady Clarisse left.¡± Mary¡¯s thoughts were immediately visible on her face; Lady Matilda was already extremely harsh in her treatment of others, but¡­ even worse? ¡°How?¡± ¡°The resentment and abuse she previously directed at Lady Clarisse are now directed at the maids, and it¡¯s truly unbearable. The Viscount and his wife have no idea, and it¡¯s gotten to a point where we can¡¯t handle it.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Indeed, it must be hard to deal with. Mary shrugged her shoulders. She could easily imagine what was happening back at the viscount household. Matilda would abuse Clarisse regardless of whether maids were present, because she regarded them as mere pieces of furniture. Mary herself has also witnessed Matilda being rough and mean to Clarisse hundreds, if not thousands, of times. In fact, based on Mary¡¯s character, there were many times when she couldn¡¯t stand it. Still, she knew that if she stood up to Matilda face to face, Matilda would run to tell her employer, the Viscount, and he would remove her from being Clarisse¡¯s maid, so she endured it just for Clarisse¡¯s sake. She kept telling herself that if she stayed still long enough, she would be able to secretly comfort the young lady once the evil woman had left the room. ¡°True, Lady Matilda is more beautiful than most, but Lady Clarisse is as well. That¡¯s why Lady Matilda never allowed Lady Clarisse to dress up.¡± This was an unspoken fact among the maids. Although Matilda¡¯s face is more attractive than Clarisse¡¯s, Clarisse is also quite attractive. She would be even more stunning if she dressed up a little, but Matilda prevents her from doing so. It got to the point where she begged her parents not to take Clarisse to as many tea parties and soir¨¦es as possible. ¡°I¡¯m not sure which is it, her obsession? Or hostility towards Lady Clarise is honestly too scary. Our poor Lady Clarisse¡­ she was fortunate to be able to escape from her parents¡¯ home. Lady Matilda, on the other hand, became disoriented as soon as she left. She had always said she had no desire to marry, but now was engaged to the Marquis¡¯ son.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± The nickname ¡®The Jewel of Farenheit¡¯ had always drawn suitors, and she was certain there must¡¯ve been a slew of marriage proposals from which they could choose. Meanwhile, the Marquis¡¯ son probably only knew Matilda¡¯s appearance. On the outside, she appeared to be an angel, but on the inside, she was a jealous and sly snake. Either way, after a short time of marriage, they will probably become a masked couple, pretending to be happy on the outside, like most aristocrats, so as long as they keep up appearances, the inside was irrelevant, Mary thought to herself. ¡°Do you remember that rumor?Everything would make sense if the rumours were true. As soon as Lady Matilda agreed to the marriage proposal, the Viscount didn¡¯t think twice and swiftly finished all the tasks needed to make this marriage happen. Isn¡¯t it weird, looking at how much he adores Lady Matilda?¡± For a long time, a rumour had circulated among the servants, and Mary was certain that Clarisse was unaware of it. ¡®Yeah, I should probably tell the Margrave about that rumor¡­¡¯ The maid seemed interested in learning more about Lady Clarisse¡¯s fianc¨¦, so Mary simply told her to look forward to seeing the two of them at the Farenheit house tomorrow. And that was the end of her outing. ??? ¡°¡­¡­ Is that true?¡± Clarisse, who had gone completely pale after hearing Sid¡¯s story, dropped down onto the couch. ¡°Yeah, unfortunately.¡± She pressed her right hand against her shaking head, which was most likely caused by the shock. It was unbecoming of a lady, but now was not the time to worry about that. ¡°Are you okay? Clarisse.¡± Jean, who was sitting on the sofa across from her and watching her, called out to her with concern. She looked vaguely at Jean and felt strangely at ease as she looked into his golden eyes. ¡®Yes, Jean-sama said that because he wanted to help me.¡¯ ¡°Yes, Jean-sama, I¡¯m sorry if I made you upset.¡± ¡°No need to apologize. We were inconsiderate. It would be upsetting to be told such a story without any prior warning.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a terrible story, really.¡± Sid agreed quietly. ¡°Does sister Matilda¡­ know¡­ about this?¡± Clarisse muttered, but both Jean and Sid remained silent and shrugged their shoulders. The silence dominated the room for a while, but eventually, Jean opened his mouth. ¡°We need to have the right information when deciding how to fight, and we also need to consider all possible options. It is, after all, a mind game. In the end, whoever has enough of the right information will win.¡± ¡°And there he goes again¡­¡± Sid chuckled, but Clarisse nodded with a serious look on her face. ¡°I think you are right, Jean-sama. ¡­Because if I didn¡¯t know anything, I think I¡¯d reach a different conclusion.¡± His calm golden pupil met her slightly wet violet eyes. ¡°What I think is most important, Clarisse, is that big decisions like this should never be made in an emotional state. So, when you¡¯re as upset as you are right now, it¡¯s probably best not to give an answer.¡± ¡°Jean-sama¡­¡± ¡°So until tomorrow morning. I¡¯ll ask you about what you want to do with this matter, whatever conclusion you come to, I¡¯ll go with it, Clarisse.¡± Chapter 17.2 Chapter 17, Part 2 ¡°Oh, I thought you were out, but you¡¯re back.¡± ¡®Is today my unlucky day?¡¯ Mary came home from the caf¨¦, entered through the servant¡¯s entrance, and as she stepped into the hallway, she ran into Sid. ¡°Where have you been?¡± ¡°..Huh¡­well¡­to meet someone I used to know when I was here¡­¡± When she said that, Sid¡¯s face instantly turned grim for some reason. ¡°Is it a guy?¡± ¡®What?¡¯ Mary was dumbfounded to hear this, but within her mind, she felt that she didn¡¯t need to answer and tried to slip past Sid. Just then, she spotted the Margrave¡¯s large frame approaching from the other side of the hallway and took advantage of the opportunity to rush over to him. ¡°I¡¯d like to have a word with you, Margrave if you have a moment¡­¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± During their stay in the royal capital, Clarisse had visibly changed, and so had Jean. As the relationship between the two grew closer, Jean¡¯s facial expressions softened and became easier to read, and although this might be just in Mary¡¯s mind, but he seemed a little more approachable than before. ¡°All right, let¡¯s take a moment now and listen to what you have to say¡­ Sid, you too.¡± Jean went into the nearest guest room, leaned against the wall, and invited Mary to sit in a chair, which the maid firmly refused, naturally. On the other hand, Sid, who was always cheerful and flirty, was now pouting, which made Jean raise his eyebrows in surprise, but he didn¡¯t comment on it and urged Mary to talk. Mary told the Margrave what she had heard today from the fellow maid at the Farenheit household, being sure to speak in as much detail as possible. Mary met with that maid for Clarisse¡¯s sake, and when Sid heard that the person she was meeting with was a fellow maid, a woman, in particular, his expression instantly brightened, while Jean looked at him from the side and folded his arms leisurely. After Mary finished speaking, Jean took a moment to collect his thoughts and then nodded to her. ¡°Thank you, Mary; this story proves that we are on the right track. It has helped a lot. You may go to attend Clarisse now. ¡° Mary¡¯s expression relaxed a little, as if relieved, and she bowed before quietly leaving the room. As soon as the door closed, Jean thought to himself. ¡®The pieces are in place¡­ all that remains now is to wait and see how Clarisse wishes for the matter to be handled.¡¯ ??? Mary knocked on the door of Clarisse¡¯s room and entered. Clarisse was sitting on the sofa, lost in thought, but when she noticed Mary, she smiled. ¡°Did Betty look well?¡± ¡°Yes, she looked fine. She was very interested in your fianc¨¦, so I told her to look forward to tomorrow. Besides, we should surprise everyone by showing them how beautiful you are, my lady. You should wear that beautiful dress that the Margrave had bought for you. I will show you all the skills I polished to do your makeup and hair.¡± Mary continued speaking, trying to sound as normal as possible, and Clarisse giggled. ¡°I¡¯m looking forward to meeting everyone¡­¡± ¡®Everyone¡­ I assume that doesn¡¯t include her family members.¡¯ Mary¡¯s heart ached. ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯re all excited to see you, and I¡¯m sure the head chef is going to bake so many of your favourite baked goods that you won¡¯t be able to finish them all. It would be nice if we could bring some back with us.¡± Mary continued to talk to Clarisse, hoping to make her master feel a little better. Even when they were having dinner together later that night, Jean did not say anything to rush her. He was just there for her. Which up until now, there had been no one like that for Clarisse. ¡®I¡¯m not alone, Jean-sama is there for me, and no matter what answer I give him, he will accept it.¡¯ Before she fell asleep at night, her final thought was no longer about her family but instead filled with Jean. And when she woke up early the following day, Clarisse¡¯s mind had calmed down, and she had finally come to a decision. Chapter 18.1 The next morning in the dining room, Jean felt that Clarisse¡¯s face looked completely fine as soon as she entered his sight. Yesterday, she looked somewhat upset, but she seemed to be in perfect control of her emotions this morning. As usual, he approached her with several steps and dropped a morning greeting kiss on her soft hand. He could see no hesitation in her violet eyes as he continued to stare down at her. ¡®As expected¡­ you found the answer yourself.¡¯ ¡°Good morning, Clarisse.¡± ¡°Good morning, Jean-sama.¡± ¡°So, what do you plan to do?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to ¡ª.¡± ??? When Clarisse came down the entrance to go to the morning tea party that the Farenheit family invited her to, she was glowing so beautifully, far more so than she had ever been. Her violet eyes complemented the pale, delicate blue day dress she and Lotte had purchased. The dressmaker¡¯s madam boasted that her soft, elegant sleeves were the best on the market today. The round neckline and hem of the skirt were adorned with the layered lace she recommended as the latest fashion trend. At the same time, the simple cut enhanced Clarisse¡¯s slender body. Gorgeous rhinestones were scattered around the dress without being too extravagant, making it look more luxurious than an evening dress. Mary¡¯s makeup and hair arrangements were so sophisticated to match the dress. To be frank, Jean wished he could go out with Clarisse alone instead of going to the unpleasant Farenheit mansion; she was that lovely. As they boarded the carriage, Jean sat down next to Clarisse, now ready to go; the ride to the Farenheit mansion began; Jean took her left hand in his and gently kissed her ring finger. ¡°Here, let me put this on you.¡± He pulled out a ring box from the inside of his suit¡¯s pocket, a ring with a beautiful, large violet stone that no one would believe was artificial. No matter how you look at it, it looked like a perfect engagement ring. When Jean slipped the ring on her finger, the stone sparkled brightly, making Clarisse¡¯s eyes smile even though she knew it was artificial. She couldn¡¯t help but sigh in admiration as she held out her left hand and gazed at the ring with great care. ¡°It¡¯s very beautiful against the light.¡± ¡°Yeah. And this one too.¡± He took out a teardrop-shaped gold chain necklace with a similar-sized violet stone. This, too, glowed beautifully when it caught the rays of sunlight. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°..Is this artificial too¡­?¡± When Jean placed this necklace around Clarisse¡¯s neck, the violet stone sparkled brilliantly on her chest. ¡°Perfect.¡± He nodded in satisfaction. Clarisse listened silently to the sound of the carriage ruts. Her spirits became heavier as they got closer to her parents¡¯ house. ¡®I mustn¡¯t be so frail; I¡¯ve made up my mind.¡¯ ¡°Clarisse, for the record.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to respect your wishes and stay out of your way as much as I can. But I might start saying unnecessary things if I just can¡¯t stand it. If I do, feel free to hit me, and I¡¯ll probably come to my senses.¡± ¡°I would never do such a thing hitting-¡­¡± Jean burst into laughter, a soft smile on his masculine face. Ever since they arrived in the royal capital and spent more time together, he had been smiling like this more often when they were alone. And every time he did, Clarisse couldn¡¯t help but be charmed by the smile he only gave her. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m giving you that right especially.¡± Clarisse knew he was joking with her, hoping to make her feel a little better. ¡°Jean-sama, may I hold your hand ¡­. just until we get home?¡± As soon as she said that, his big hand smoothly snatched Clarisse¡¯s slightly cold hand. All Clarisse could do now was close her eyes, take a deep breath, and wait for the time to pass. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Meanwhile, Mary, who had stayed behind at the Ainsworth mansion, was so worried that she couldn¡¯t help but step out into the hallway to find some work that she could help with, even though she was allowed to stay in her room since Clarisse was out and didn¡¯t have any work to do. Her strategy was to keep herself busy to avoid thinking about anything else. As she made her way toward the kitchen to help with washing dishes or something, she was approached from behind. ¡°Didn¡¯t you go with Clarisse today?¡± She really didn¡¯t have the energy to talk to the degraded version of Marius right now, so she bowed and turned to leave for the kitchen. ¡°You¡¯re worried, aren¡¯t you? I can take you to the Farenheit residence if you want to.¡± Chapter 18.2 Chapter 18, Part 2 It was a little embarrassing to invite Jean, the owner of such a beautiful estate, into the small and humble Farenheit mansion, but she knew that he would not judge her on such matters. The viscount¡¯s mouth dropped open as he greeted his daughter and her husband at the house entrance. He hadn¡¯t seen his daughter in several months. The Viscountess stood next to him, her eyes already watering at the sight of Clarisse in a beautiful dress. They both looked cautiously at Jean, the Margrave, with his large physique, who was at least 30 centimeters taller than Clarisse, and stood protectively next to her. They had exchanged letters, but they had never met him in person, so it was only natural that they were surprised to see how handsome and robust Jean looked. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to meet you, Viscount and Viscountess Farenheit, and thank you for inviting us. We also extend our hearty congratulations to Miss Farenheit on her engagement.¡± ¡°Oh, thank you¡­¡± Her parents were completely bewildered when the nearly expressionless Jean greeted them clearly and without hesitation. They must have never imagined that the man-eating Margrave who married their second daughter was such a splendid person. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the tea room¡­ Matilda should be coming down shortly.¡± Since Matilda was a late riser and took a lot of time to get ready, she never made it to the tea party on time. Clarisse held onto Jean¡¯s arm, thinking that Matilda was still the same as ever, and followed her parents to the tea room. ¡°Well¡­Clarisse¡­ I¡¯m glad to see you happy.¡± As they sat down on the chairs in the tea room, her father, who sat across from her, spoke to Clarisse in a confused manner. Clarisse tightened her grip and replied to her father, who seemed to think it was surprising that she looked happy. ¡°Yeah, the Margrave is treating me very well.¡± ¡°Indeed, I can see it in your face.¡± Her mother added. To Clarisse, it was a surprise to find that her mother, who rarely spoke to her in the presence of her father, was actively speaking to her. Her father almost snickered, and then, perhaps remembering that he was in front of Jean, made a slight gesture in an attempt to cover it up. Then the head maid brought in the tea, and the four of them had a boring conversation. To begin with, they were invited to the Farenheit house for Matilda¡¯s engagement, but since she was not there, her parents could not discuss it. Clarisse, who had gradually calmed down with the presence of Jean sitting next to her, noticed a sight of her parents that she had not seen before. ¡®Father doesn¡¯t like me much after all¡­ but mother seems to care about me¡­? But I wonder if my father has always been this hesitant when talking?¡¯ Whenever Matilda was around, her parents¡¯ attention ¨C especially her father¡¯s ¨C would turn to her, and Clarisse would always feel lonely and despised, struggling to appease the pain in her own heart, never able to look at her parents objectively from a distance. ¡®The fact that Mother is so reserved¡­ Perhaps what Sid said yesterday is true¡­¡¯ Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ??? Finally, thirty minutes later, Matilda opened the door to the tea room. Clarisse¡¯s heart pounded, and she looked towards the door to see the ¡°Jewel of Fahrenheit,¡± the one her parents had loved so much, standing there with her golden hair neatly curled, her blue eyes shining as beautifully as sapphires, her sharp nose, and her plump red lips. Today she was again wearing a new dress, a pale pink one that Clarisse had never seen before. She must have gotten it after Clarisse left. ¡°Oh, Matilda, We¡¯ve been waiting for you¡­ come here quickly.¡± Matilda stood there as if she hadn¡¯t heard the words of her father, who was so happy to finally see his lovely daughter. Matilda glanced first at Clarisse, then at Jean, who was sitting next to her, and then slowly back at Clarisse. She looked at the dress she was wearing, the necklace Jean had just placed on her, and, of course, the ring with the violet gem on her left ring finger. As she observed them all up, the smile on her face utterly disappeared, and she looked like a noh mask (tl not: look it up if you don¡¯t know how it looks lol). However, she quickly pushed that expression away and put on a bewitching expression that can only be described as befitting the Jewel of Farenheit. She came over to stand in front of Jean and Clarisse and, ignoring Clarisse, held out her left hand to Jean. ¡°I¡¯m Matilda Farenheit, Clarisse¡¯s sister. Please, call me Matilda.¡± Clarisse was overwhelmed by the beauty of her sister, who looked even more beautiful up close. She glanced at Jean to see what he thought, but his expression remained indifferent as usual. He completely ignored Matilda¡¯s offered left hand and simply returned the verbal greeting. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you, Miss Farenheit; I¡¯m Siegfried Gutenberg.¡± ¡®Wah¡­what a greeting.¡¯ It¡¯s just about as rude as you can get. Matilda narrowed her eyes and put her left hand back as if nothing had happened, but Clarisse noticed that her face was flushed with red for a moment. That Matilda, who was always being pampered, must have never been greeted in such a careless manner before. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Her parents were seated on the double sofa, Clarisse and Jean on the opposite side, and Matilda on the single sofa around the table. However, Matilda didn¡¯t choose the sofa near hers or their mother, but the one near their father and Jean. ¡®What are you planning to do, sister Matilda¡­?¡¯ As Clarisse took a deep breath, Jean¡¯s right hand moved gently to touch the back of her left hand. When she looked at him, Jean nodded slightly while still looking forward, so she pretended not to notice and decided to keep her hand in contact with his. The warmth of Jean¡¯s body was reassuring. ¡°Clarisse, your dress is adorable.¡± Matilda¡¯s voice echoed through the tea room. Chapter 19.1 ¡°Your dress is beautiful too, sister Matilda.¡± ¡°Really? Thank you. Gregory likes this color. He says that pink gives you a youthful and fresh appearance, unlike cold colors, which make you look older.¡± Gregory was probably the name of her fianc¨¦. Clarisse sighed to herself. To be mentioning her fianc¨¦¡¯s name despite knowing that they have yet to hear the details of the engagement because she was late ¨C was typical behavior of Matilda. And even using her fianc¨¦¡¯s name to attack Clarisse¡¯s blue dress. ¡°Yes, that color suits you very well, sister.¡± Clarisse is used to being treated this way on a regular basis and wasn¡¯t hurt by this kind of attack, so she didn¡¯t bother with it and quickly ended the conversation. ¡°Which boutique did you get it from?¡± Matilda glanced at Jean¡¯s face as if to say, ¡°You can¡¯t help wanting to look at my beautiful face, can you?¡± However, Jean¡¯s face remains expressionless as ever as he sips the tea in front of him. ¡®I wonder if she sat on that side of the table because she thought Jean-sama would be interested in her.¡¯ When Clarisse replied with the dressmaker¡¯s name, Matilda¡¯s face distorted for a moment. She then looked at Clarisse with an intense gaze. ¡°You¡¯re lying, right! You have to have a reservation to get in there, you know. I¡¯ve always wanted to buy a dress from that dress store, but let alone buying; I¡¯ve never been able to get in¡­!¡± Clarisse was just answering the question asked, but she didn¡¯t realize that she would be criticized as the meaning behind Matilda¡¯s word was, ¡®How could someone like you get in there while I can¡¯t! It¡¯s unfair.¡¯ Regardless, Clarisse decided to end this fruitless conversation. ¡°I guess I was extremely lucky then.¡± ¡°And that¡­ ring¡­ and necklace..¡± Matilda was about to say more, but the Viscount interrupted her. ¡°Matilda, enough about Clarisse. We are gathered here today to discuss your engagement.¡± Matilda, as expected, held her tongue when her father, who had always shown his affection only for her older sister, said this. The Viscount began discussing the engagement details with Jean and Clarisse. Gregory McCain, the Marquis¡¯s eldest son, is the other party. Not having much experience in the social world, Clarisse couldn¡¯t even recall his face, but Jean seemed to know him. However, even Clarisse, who was not familiar with the aristocrats, had heard of the Marquis of McCain, one of the most influential and wealthy families in the capital. He was ten years older than Matilda, which meant he was 31 years old, making him older than Jean. Her father kept saying that Gregory was a fine-looking young man, paying attention to Jean, so she guessed that he was probably a ¡°weak, dainty, aristocratic young man.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°The wedding itself will probably take place next year or the year after, so come back then.¡± That¡¯s all that¡¯s been decided at this point, the Viscount said, ending the conversation. ¡®For something like this¡­ they invited the busy Jean-sama from the frontier¡­?¡¯ She felt sorry for causing Jean to have to adjust his busy work schedule. And to Marius, who took care of the work while they were gone, and to the knights guarding the still tense borders. She felt incredibly ashamed of her self-centered and ignorant father. He had the audacity to call his younger daughter¡¯s fianc¨¦ from a place where it would take several days to get there just to inform him of his lovely daughter¡¯s engagement. ¡°How about having lunch with us today? What do you say?¡± Her father asked, but Clarisse, not wanting to stay in the Farenheit residence any longer, shook her head and declined. ¡°Father, there are a few things I would like to take from my room before I leave¡­ would you mind if I went to my room?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s fine. But I want you to go alone.¡± When her father, feigning concern, implicitly told her not to take Jean with her, her fianc¨¦, sitting next to her, nodded to Clarisse that he would wait here with her parents. When she entered her room, which she hadn¡¯t been to in a long time, she found that it had been cleaned, but it looked somewhat cluttered and disorganized. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only When she looked around, she saw that although she didn¡¯t have much of anything luxurious, some of the better quality dresses and accessories she had left behind were gone. It must be Matilda¡¯s doing; Matilda has always had no hesitation in taking things she likes from Clarisse¡¯s room without asking. However, what Clarisse wanted to take back to the Margrave estate were the rest of the botanical books, herbal books, medical books, and some of her favorite novels, which Matilda was not interested in, so they were completely untouched. As she stood in front of the bookshelf looking for the book she wanted, she heard the door open behind her. ¡°Clarisse.¡± When Clarisse turned around, she saw Matilda standing there, looking like a demon. Chapter 19.2 In the tea room. Jean asked the Viscount quietly. ¡°By the way, Viscount Farenheit¡­ why did you send me such a letter?¡± ??? ¡°You¡­ Don¡¯t look so high and mighty just because the Margrave is a bit of a decent, nice guy.¡± If this had been Clarisse before, she might have remained silent, but she took a breath and replied quietly to her sister. ¡°I¡¯m not having that look on my face, sister.¡± ¡°Yes, you do! You¡¯ve come to show off to me by wearing such a dress and accessories, haven¡¯t you? How can you do that when I told you not to wear make-up in the first place?¡± ¡®This person ¡­..¡¯ After Clarisse met Jean, and as he took good care of her and cherished her, she was finally able to accept who she was, albeit little by little. Not only Jean, but also Sid, Marius, and of course Mary and the other servants, who had always been there for her, in short, thanks to the people who cared for her, she learned that there are people who will love you for just being the way she is. The image of Clarisse imposed on her by her family, who did not love her, was a useless young lady who is not as beautiful as Matilda. But Clarisse now knows that she was wrong to have spent so long being convinced that she was worthless, listening to them and doing as they told her. ¡°I only did it for me, never to show off to you¡­ Besides, I¡¯m already engaged and have left home, so I don¡¯t think I need to follow your orders.¡± ¡°What the¡­! You¡¯re just my substitute!¡± Angrily, Matilda came up to Clarisse and grabbed her left wrist. ¡°This ring too¡­ it should have been mine!¡± ¡°No, Jean-sama gave this to me, not to you, sister¡­¡± ¡°Shut up! Enough for a useless bitch like you!¡± Matilda then grabbed Clarisse¡¯s left wrist with tremendous force, pulled the ring off, and threw her forcefully against the bookshelf. Clarisse was slammed into the bookshelf with a loud crash and then lost her balance and fell on her back. The bookshelf was so solid that it did not fall over, but several heavy books fell from the top and hit Clarisse. She quickly used her arms to cover her head and closed her eyes. ¡°For someone who does nothing but read stupid books!!!! I¡¯m going to go to father and ask him to replace the marriage between us.¡± When Clarisse opened her eyes, Matilda was no longer there. She sighed and was about to stand up when she noticed that something slimy was running down her forehead. Her forehead felt warm and feverish. ¡®I must have injured myself.¡¯ ¡°Miss! There was a tremendous noise, what the hell¡­!¡± ¡°Mary¡­ you¡¯re here¡­ and so is Sid-sama¡­¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks When Mary and Sid swooped in at the right time and saw Clarisse¡¯s face, Mary let out a roar of anger. ¡°¡­I can¡¯t forgive her¡­! Doing this to My Lady!!!¡± Clarisse¡¯s forehead was torn by the book, and fresh blood poured out. Mary knew in her gut that Matilda was the only one who could do such a thing. ¡°Mary, calm down. We need to stop Clarisse¡¯s bleeding first. Do you have any clean clothes?¡± Sid calmly instructed, bringing Mary back to her senses, and she rushed to grab a clean cloth from the shelf and handed it to Sid. He gently placed it on Clarisse¡¯s forehead with a familiar hand to prevent the wound from bleeding and told her to hold it down. He also told her not to move for a while because she might have bumped her head. Clarisse was in such a state of tension that she hardly felt the pain of the wound and spoke to Mary feverishly. ¡°Mary¡­I talked back to my sister. I talked back¡­I fought back, myself.¡± At these words, tears welled up in Mary¡¯s eyes as she knew how much Clarisse had lived her life by keeping her feelings buried deep inside. ¡°Miss¡­ you¡¯ve really¡­ worked hard¡­ and I¡¯m proud of you¡­¡± Clarisse smiled. ¡°Thank you, Mary. I¡¯ll leave the rest¡­ to Jean.¡± ??? ¡°What do you mean, ¡®letter¡¯?¡± Although he had expected it, Clarisse¡¯s father, unlike Clarisse, seems to be just a snob. ¡°Did you forget? The letter from our engagement.¡± The Viscount stammered. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about, but I believe it clearly states that I am sending you Clarisse.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with that part; it¡¯s the next part I¡¯m asking about.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand what you¡¯re talking about.¡± He seemed to be trying to keep a clean slate. Just as Jean was about to open his mouth for his next verbal attack, a heavy cracking sound echoed from somewhere inside the mansion. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only ¡®Clarisse¡­?¡¯ He was concerned about the fact that Matilda had disappeared as if following Clarisse, who had just left her seat. However, the Viscount had already said that he should stay here, and he was hesitant to walk around without permission when it was not his house, so Jean patiently held back. After a while, the sound of running footsteps echoed, and Matilda came running into the room. She sat down beside the Viscount¡¯s knees and looked up at her father. ¡°Father! Please, replace Clarisse¡¯s engagement with mine! Clarisse agreed, and gave me this ring.¡± A violet ring shone on the ring finger of her left hand. Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¡®This woman is so stupid, it¡¯s beyond redemption¡­¡¯ How can a marriage contract between two families be swapped at the sole discretion of the parties involved? Furthermore, Jean¡¯s and Clarisse¡¯s engagement and marriage were arranged under the king¡¯s authority. He was sure the Viscount had already told her that the king had already given his blessing to their marriage. Did she think she could be forgiven after disobeying the king¡¯s order? From what Clarisse had told him, he had already known that Matilda seemed to have no trouble saying and doing things like this without thinking twice, but he had never imagined that she would actually do something like this in front of guests¡­ Did she seriously think that Jean would be grateful and happy if she appeared wearing her sister¡¯s engagement ring? She is entirely out of her mind. She was a woman who lacked common sense, intelligence and interpreted everything in a way that only suits her. Jean wanted to show the Viscount¡¯s family, who had not cared for Clarisse since she was a child, that he needed her, so he wanted her to wear the engagement ring when they came to visit. However, according to what Mary had told him privately, Matilda was extremely displeased with Clarisse dressing up and being beautiful, so if Clarisse were to wear an engagement ring, he thought she would definitely take action and try to get it somehow. So after much thought, he decided to use an artificial stone for the ring. If it was a real jewel and Matilda had taken it, Jean would have not minded retrieving it by force, but he thought that Clarisse wouldn¡¯t like that, so at least there was this alternative plan. When he mentioned his plan softly to Clarisse, she agreed that Matilda would want the ring and accepted to wear the artificial ring. For the record, the gemstone in the necklace he gave Clarisse this morning was a real violet sapphire; unlike the ring, if she wanted to take the necklace, she would need to use significant force to pull it off, so he thought it would be okay. However, even though he had expected it, seeing the woman actually wearing the ring he had put on Clarisse this morning as if it were a matter of course, made Jean furious. This must be the same way she took everything from Clarisse. If it weren¡¯t for the fact that she was still Clarisse¡¯s sister, he would have taken the ring right away, without any hesitation. This woman does not deserve even an artificial jewel. ¡°Wh- What are you saying! You¡¯re going to marry Lord Gregory! Didn¡¯t you agree to get engaged to him in the first place because it was a better arrangement than the Margrave?!¡± ¡®And there he slips with his tongue¡­Let it be the daughter or father. Both parent and child are stupid.¡¯ Jean looked at Viscount Farenheit and his daughter with a cold gaze; however, even the Viscount seemed to be stunned by his eldest daughter¡¯s behavior; meanwhile, the Viscountess remained motionless and silent. ¡°Lord Gregory is not as tall as Lord Siegfried, nor does he have silver hair or golden eyes. In that household, I don¡¯t think I could spend money so freely.¡± Matilda muttered as she admired the violet ring. She didn¡¯t like the fact that it was the same color as Clarisse¡¯s eyes, but she¡¯ll soon make him buy her a blue ring, the same color as her own, then this ring will be useless, and she can simply throw it away. Matilda had the illusion that she was the one to make the choice. If she wished for it, there was no doubt in her mind that the Margrave would choose her instead of Clarisse. But her father, who was listening to everything she had to say, shook his head. ¡°Matilda, this is impossible. I¡¯ve already made preparations for the engagement, and we can¡¯t just ignore our promise to the other party. Let alone the fact that they come from a Marquis family.¡± She made a face as if to say, ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯ and proceeded to give her father a solution. Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks ¡°So why don¡¯t you offer him Clarisse? He may not be satisfied with Clarisse as my replacement, but if he doesn¡¯t like it, you can break off the engagement to Lord Gregory.¡± As she said that, she turned around and looked at Jean with a flirtatious look in her eyes. ¡°Lord Siegfried, you¡¯ll take me back instead of Clarisse, won¡¯t you? Didn¡¯t you want the Farenheit Jewel, Lord Siegfried? Did you not know? Perhaps Clarisse lied to you about it, but I am the one who is called the Jewel of Farenheit.¡± Jean looked at the girl in front of her with a blank expression. Clarisse asked Jean in the morning, ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say to my family, Jean-sama, but please don¡¯t hurt them if you can.¡± Surprised, he asked her if she was sure she wanted that. ¡°I¡¯m not trying to act like a maiden, but I¡¯m happy being with you, and I don¡¯t want my family to be hurt or unhappy because of me.¡± It was a typical answer from Clarisse, who had been mistreated by her family for a long time. It¡¯s hard to believe that Clarisse, who is thoughtful, kind, and strong-minded, was the sister of Matilda, who was self-centered, short-tempered, and just plain greedy. And, quite unbelievably, it was this wasteland called Farenheit that gave birth to the magnificent flower that is Clarisse. But Jean is Jean. He had no intention of being as gentle with this family as he is with Clarisse. If Clarisse were here right now, she would need to hit Jean to bring him back to his senses, but even that wouldn¡¯t stop him, especially if they mistreated his precious Clarisse like this. The scene he had seen a year ago flashed through his mind. When Jean¡¯s brow wrinkled in annoyance, the temperature around him dropped quickly. ¡°My fianc¨¦e is Clarisse.¡± Suddenly, a blank expression appeared on Matilda¡¯s face. ¡°No matter how much money is offered, if it is anyone other than Clarisse, I will decline. However, if you are in such dire straits that you have been promised financial support from the Marquis of McCain in return for his engagement to Miss Farenheit, I¡¯ll let you know that you won¡¯t receive a fraction of that from me.¡± Jean stared at the Viscount with his piercing golden eyes; the Viscount sat behind Matilda, his mouth agape. On the other hand, Matilda was so angry at the rejection that she didn¡¯t seem to exactly understand what Jean was saying, but she shouted in disbelief. ¡°Wh-..!! You¡¯re nothing but a little good-looking, man-eating Margrave¡­! I¡¯m the Jewel of Farenheit, the most famous lady in the royal capital! Everyone knows me¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it improper for you to call yourself the ¡®Jewel of Farenheit¡¯ when your father is not even the Viscount of Farenheit?¡± Jean threw the bomb quietly, and the room became tense as though it were hanging by a thread. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only Matilda¡¯s face instantly turned pale, and she looked back at the Viscount, who had also turned pale. Whether Matilda knew the secret of her birth or not, it did not matter. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if Miss Farenheit is qualified to call herself the daughter of this family. But I definitely won¡¯t be returning Clarisse. Well, I think it¡¯s time for me to take the Gutenberg Jewel back home with me. You have no objection, right?¡± The Viscount, who had suddenly aged ten years, nodded as he weakly slumped down. It was time to get out of this unpleasant house. Jean stood up from the sofa and held out his hand in front of Matilda, who was sitting on the floor in a daze. ¡°Miss Farenheit, you have no right to even touch that ring. I will have it returned to my fianc¨¦e.¡± Chapter 21.1 Jean asked a maid to lead him to Clarisse¡¯s room, and as they passed through the hallway, he heard Mary¡¯s sobs from inside. He thought Mary was at his aunt¡¯s house. For that strong maid to be crying? It must be an emergency. Jean knocked on the door, wondering as to what was wrong, and to his surprise, it was Sid who opened the door. He immediately put the puzzle pieces together and realized Mary had come with Sid. ¡°Jean, look, just calm down, okay? ¡­ Don¡¯t lose your temper, alright?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Just promise me you won¡¯t lose your temper, no matter what you see.¡± Hearing those words, he knew his intuition was correct. He pushed Sid aside and entered the room, where Clarisse was sitting on the floor with a bright crimson-stained cloth on her forehead, desperately trying to comfort Mary, who was crying hysterically. In a low voice, he asked Sid, ¡°What happened here?¡± Sid could tell that Jean, who still remained expressionless, was truly furious. ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ we only heard the sound, but it seems that Miss Farenheit pushed Clarisse towards the bookshelf¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m killing that woman.¡± Even though ¡°kill¡± was a figure of speech, he had to say something to calm his nerves. He turned around and was about to leave the room when Clarisse¡¯s voice reached his ears. ¡°Jean-sama! You came!¡± The relief in her tone indicated that Clarisse was really pleased with Jean¡¯s arrival, and he immediately turned his full attention to Clarisse and nothing else. He made his way to her side in a few steps, avoiding the books scattered about, and kneeled down in front of her. ¡°Are you okay? Let me see your wound.¡± He gently squeezed her hand and softly removed the cloth, letting out a little exhale as the wound appeared smaller than he had expected. The bleeding had stopped now, and the wound didn¡¯t look to be very deep to an inexperienced eye. But a wound is a wound, and the thought of possibly having a scar left on her forehead made his insides boil. As soon as they get back to his aunt¡¯s house, he¡¯ll summon a doctor to examine it. ¡°I think a book fell on me from above and hit my forehead. It doesn¡¯t hurt that much. In the meantime, I¡¯ll make some medicine for the wound¡­ I¡¯d like you to pick some herbs from the garden, Mary.¡± With those words, Mary finally stopped crying and left the room to get the herbs and materials Clarisse had instructed her to get. Having been with Clarisse for so long, Mary was able to recognize some of the herbs and knew how to use them. Sid also tactfully left the room to leave Jean and Clarisse alone. As soon as Sid stepped out, Jean didn¡¯t hesitate to hug Clarisse. ¡°You poor thing. You must have been scared.¡± ¡°Rather than being scared, I was startled¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Jean-sama, the dress is probably stained with blood, and you went out of your way to buy it for me.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care about the dress.¡± Come and read on our website wuxia worldsite. Thanks Jean¡¯s body was much larger and muscular than her, and when she was wrapped in his, she let out a sigh of relief and gently rested her cheek against his shoulder. It was a childish gesture, but her body relaxed when she felt his heat. As he sensed the change in Clarisse, his arms tightened even more. ¡°My sister¡­ is a pitiful person who needs to destroy the happiness of others to be satisfied.¡± ¡°She is a stupid, a person who doesn¡¯t even deserve to be called pitiful.¡± Jean, still quietly furious, cut her off in one swift breath. ¡°¡­But if she stays like that, no one will take care of her, and one day she¡¯ll be all alone.¡± ¡°Even though she¡­¡± ¡°But I shall turn a blind eye to it. Jean-sama, in some way, this is the punishment for sister Matilda.¡± Clarisse said in a firm tone. To Jean, this wasn¡¯t even close to punishment, but it was a matter for Clarisse to decide, and he had no right to say anything about it. He silently rubbed the purplish bruise on Clarisse¡¯s left wrist. The bruise must have been from when that woman took her ring. How could she be so kind to her sister when she had been mentally abused ever since she was a child, and even today, hurt physically? At that moment, a hesitant knock came from outside, and while supporting Clarisse, who was struggling to stand up, Jean opened the door. ¡°You are¡­¡± There stood the Viscountess Farenheit with a pale face. ¡°The maids were talking about Clarisse¡¯s injuries, and then I realized you two were here, so¡­¡± Jean carefully checked Clarisse for any signs of concussion, then sat her down on the couch across from the Viscountess, and cross-legged he sat next to Clarisse. When her mother saw the scar on Clarisse¡¯s forehead, tears welled up in her eyes. Her mother was a person who always cried silently in these situations. She wiped away the tears with a handkerchief, and then, as if she had made up her mind, the Viscountess opened her mouth. ¡°Margrave Gutenberg, you¡¯ve known everything about our family, haven¡¯t you?¡± Jean didn¡¯t answer the question but just shrugged his shoulders. Read latest Chapters at Wuxia World . Site Only He didn¡¯t have good feelings towards this mother ¨C he was angry and resentful of her for not protecting Clarisse enough ¨C but the reason for her coming here was obvious, so he asked bluntly. ¡°If you¡¯re here, I assume that means you are going to talk about it with me?¡± ¡°Yes, Clarisse, if you want to hear it too, I will tell you everything.¡± Clarisse¡¯s violet eyes sparkled with intense light. ¡°Mother, please tell me everything about the Farenheit family.¡± Chapter 21.2 9-11 minutes 06.10.2021 Translator: Leila Editor: Onee Part 1 of the novel is now fully translated on on Patreon! Chapter 21, part 2 TW: Toxic relationship, mention of abortion, mention of abuse Clarisse¡¯s violet eyes sparkled with intense light. ¡°Mother, please tell me everything about the Farenheit family.¡± For a brief moment, the Viscountess remained silent, as if she was unsure how to speak. Jean suddenly realized that Clarisse had the same hair color as her mother, and her face was also somewhat similar to hers, except for the color of her eyes. ¡°Clarisse, you¡¯re probably aware that my father is a fallen viscount. Before our downfall, I had a fianc¨¦ who had pledged his future to me; we were childhood friends, and I always thought I would end up marrying him.¡± Clarisse was surprised. She knew, of course, that her mother came from a fallen viscount family, but she had no idea that her mother had previously had a fianc¨¦. The couple¡¯s families had known each other for a long time, and the original fianc¨¦ was the second son. The young couple had a perfect relationship in which they cared for each other, and although his family was not wealthy, they believed that together, they could build a loving and peaceful home for the rest of their lives. The Viscountess¡¯s mother, Clarisse¡¯s grandmother, had died a long time ago, but she was reassured by the fact her daughter would have a happy marriage to her childhood friend. ¡°It¡¯s just that¡­ My father, deceived by the sweet words of his relatives and impatient to grow his business which ended up failing¡­by then his family¡¯s finances were in ruins, so he selfishly broke off my engagement and decided to marry me to Viscount Farenheit, who offered to financially support my family¡­ so he and I eloped with the intent of never returning to the capital. ¡°Eh¡­?¡± ¡®Father¡­ tried to marry my mother using money¡­?¡¯ ¡°Of course, my father and Viscount Farenheit immediately sent out their chasers, and we were brought back three weeks later. I heard that he was sent straight to a neighboring country. I told my father I would never marry anyone; it had to be him. But he locked me up in a room and wouldn¡¯t let me out until my wedding day, six months later.¡± ¡°Oh no¡­¡± Clarisse had never thought that her mother, who had been hiding in the shadow of her father, would have such a memory, and the story broke her heart. ¡°And then, in the days leading up to the wedding, I found out that I was carrying his child in my stomach.¡± Clarisse gasped. ¡®It¡¯s sister Matilda.¡¯ ¡°I couldn¡¯t tell my father because I knew that if he were to found out, he would probably try to beat me into abortion. I really wanted to have his child¡­ but of course¡­ my husband found out.¡± The Viscountess pleaded to the Viscount, ¡°As you see, I am a bad woman; please break off our engagement.¡± To which, the Viscount said, ¡°I will not play into your hands. You are going to chase after that man if I let you go, aren¡¯t you? I will not allow that.¡± Despite her older age, her mother is still a beautiful woman, so Clarisse can only imagine what she must have looked like in her youth. Her father was probably sickly obsessed with her for that reason. And the Viscount still stood by his words, ¡°You will still be punished for your actions, so be prepared for that.¡± Even after her mother was sacrificed and married off to the Viscount to save her family¡¯s finances, her family still went bankrupt and lost their title. By the time Clarisse was born, her grandfather, the source of all this, had died in disappointment. ¡°I didn¡¯t understand at first¡­ whatever my husband meant by what he said. After Matilda was born, he loved her very much and cared for her as if she was his own, but after you were born, Clarisse, I understood what my husband meant.¡± Of course, Clarisse was the offspring of the Viscount, but to the Viscountess, It was nothing but suffering to share a bed with a spouse who was not in love with her, but when the Viscount told her that it was her duty to birth an heir, she could not refuse. Her family had already fallen, and she had nowhere to go, so she had no choice but to do as the Viscount said; however, when the child was born, it was a girl, and the Viscount was quite disappointed. As soon as he found out that the eyes of the newborn Clarisse were violet, he began to treat his second daughter coldly, even though she was his own child. Instead, he spoiled and adored the child she had with her former fianc¨¦e even more, as though she were not. Matilda was a very beautiful child, but her appearance resembled her ex-fianc¨¦, so one would expect him to hate the child. ¡°There were times along the way¡­ when I was wary¡­ that he was actually thinking of getting his hands on Matilda himself¡­¡± They weren¡¯t related by blood, so she wondered if that was the case, but as expected, it didn¡¯t seem to be. ¡°One day he told me this, fortunately, Matilda had a beautiful face so he would use her as much as he could. From the start, he made it clear that he saw my daughter with that man as an asset to sell. He said that he would spoil her and make sure that she would not have the intelligence to think for herself, and turn her into someone who would never think about eloping like me¡­. He pretends to be a good-natured viscount on the outside, but on the inside, he¡¯s really a cunning man.¡± Clarisse was deeply frightened when she learned of her father¡¯s true nature. It was not that he adored Matilda because she was cute, but that he had hidden such twisted thoughts in his mind. Jean interrupted coldly. ¡°You say he¡¯s cunning, but he seems to be lacking in various areas. Well, I suppose he is the worst, the kind of person who gets tough with the weak, and in fact, Miss Farenheit grew up just as the Viscount had planned. As her mother, you could have stopped him, and yet you did nothing but watch.¡± ¡°¡­I know you might think this is an excuse, but I did try to stop him in the beginning¡­ Matilda is his child, and I wanted to take good care of her¡­. But every time I stood up against him, the Viscount would abuse me physically.. and in the worst cases, he would lock me up inside the mansion¡­ and before I knew it, every time I wanted to stand up against him, my body would tremble and lose the ability to say anything. Besides, I felt that whatever I do will upset my husband, and I didn¡¯t want any harm to come to our children.¡± ¡®It¡¯s true¡­ mother never objected to anything father did¡­ but to know that she went through such a thing¡­¡¯ Clarisse recalled her childhood. Come to think of it; her mother was more kind than usual when her father was not around. When her father was around, she would become awkward and uncomfortable. She never imagined that the reason for this was because her father had been violent to her behind closed doors. Tears began to spill from her mother¡¯s blue eyes. Still, she continued to speak. ¡°Around the time I got pregnant with Clarisse, there was a servant in the Farenheit household who had violet eyes¡­ and the Viscount suspected I was involved with him for that reason¡­ even though Clarisse really is the Viscount¡¯s child¡­ and even though I told him many times that children with violet eyes are occasionally born in my family, he didn¡¯t believe me.¡± The Viscount thought that it might not be the boy he had been waiting for, but for it to be a child born of his wife¡¯s infidelity with the servant! That thought alone made him begin to see his second daughter as the enemy. He was not afraid to state that he did not have any children of his own and that his daughters were merely tools to expand his power. Her mother was frightened that she would be forced to sleep with him in order to produce an heir, but the Viscount said that he had no intention of having anything to do with an adulterous woman and although he had had several mistresses, he had never had a child with any of them. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve done your research, Margrave Gutenberg. Our family¡¯s finances are on the verge of bankruptcy.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± Jean simply nodded. ¡°It was during this time that he decided to marry Clarisse off. In fact, he wanted to marry her off to the Marquis G¨¹nther, but I guess he couldn¡¯t disobey a royal order.¡± ¡°Marquis G¨¹nther¡¯s¡­ to the second son? That loose-head? Well, indeed that family is financially well off, but¡­¡± Jean gritted his teeth. Thank God Clarisse was not offered to G¨¹nther as a bride. She was mistreated and had a hard life, and if she were to be sent to that family, it would only worsen. ¡°My husband was willing to marry Clarisse off to anyone as long as he could make money. I think he carefully looked into which house would pay the highest amount of money, and when he realized that Clarisse wouldn¡¯t bring him anything, he rushed to use Matilda¡­¡± ¡°I see, so that explains the current situation with Marquis McCain¡¯s son?¡± longer release as promised¨t(*¡ã¨Œ¡ã*)¨s How do you feel after knowing the truth behind Clarisse¡¯s family ?? Her father is disgusting Also, I¡¯m thinking of picking up a new Japanese novel, do you have any request or recommendation? I have tons of books in my amazon basket but no idea which one to go for o(*£þ¨Œ£þ*)¥Ö yes I choose novels with beautiful covers then move to read the Chapter 22.1 Chapter 22, part 1 ¡°Did you know about Marquis McCain¡¯s heir?¡± ¡°Even though it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve been to the royal capital, it doesn¡¯t mean that I haven¡¯t been receiving information¡­ and since I arrived here, well¡­¡± Clarisse blinked because, during the strategy meeting, Jean and Sid had told her that they had been working on gathering information since they had arrived in the royal capital. But they hadn¡¯t said anything about her sister¡¯s fianc¨¦. ¡°Why do you think the heir to a great nobleman like the Marquis of McCain is still unmarried despite being over the age of 30?¡± Jean asked Clarisse. ¡°Is it because of a certain circumstance?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Because of his origins, Gregory McCain had never struggled for money once. It seemed that he was incapable of committing himself to anything because he knew that he would be able to live lavishly off his inheritance in the future. Even as an adult, he was flirtatious and careless with women, and already had several children out of wedlock. His mental capabilities are so bad that he can¡¯t even conduct political affairs properly. However, he manages to keep up appearances as an heir to the family due to the excellence of his attendants. Since he was young, his parents have been trying to arrange marriages for him, but every time he got himself involved in a scandal, the first time with fraud, the second time with a woman, and the third time with money. ¡°The fact that he is the only child of the family with no one else to inherit the family is probably fortunate for Gregory, but unfortunate for the house of Marquis McCain.¡± Then, an unexpected marriage proposal came from the ¡°Jewel of Farenheit¡±. Viscount Farenheit, knowing that if he offered Matilda, the ¡°Jewel of Farenheit,¡± the McCains would accept the marriage with open arms because of her excellent reputation, on the condition that they would provide considerable financial support to the Viscount¡¯s family. ¡°My husband was pleased, saying that Matilda was sold at such a high price. Either way, rumors were circulating among the servants that our family was on the decline, so he thought it was time to marry off the money-consuming Matilda¡­¡± Although the family was struggling financially, he bought her dresses and jewels as much as he could, perhaps thinking that it was his way of preparing to sell Matilda at a high price¡­ He didn¡¯t care about the personality or family background of the person he was marrying her to; he didn¡¯t care if Matilda was going to be happy or not; he just wanted to make money. I¡¯m sure that my sister will have a very hard time in the future at her new home¡­ and since it¡¯s in exchange for money, she won¡¯t be able to come back¡­ Father¡¯s revenge will be complete by giving her the same situation as mother¡­ Well, revenge wouldn¡¯t be necessary if father hadn¡¯t been so obsessed with mother in the first place¡­ As Clarisse clutched her fist in her lap, Jean¡¯s large right hand gently wrapped around hers. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, you mentioned earlier that you received a letter from my husband, Margrave Gutenberg. If you don¡¯t mind, could you tell me what it said?¡± Jean¡¯s gaze went to Clarisse as her mother made a desperate plea. ¡°Would you mind if I tell you here, and now, what I said I would tell you after we visited your parents¡¯ house?¡± ¡°Yes, of course, Jean-sama.¡± Looking up at him, Jean¡¯s gaze was fixed on her with those calm golden eyes. ¡°Clarisse, first of all, let me make it clear that I asked the king for you, Clarisse Farenheit, to be my wife from the very beginning.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°This is all I have to say, for now; I¡¯ll tell you the rest later.¡± Jean added in an expressionless but gentle tone, giving Clarisse the sort of smile he occasionally showed her and then turned to the Viscountess. ¡°How much do you know about my proposal?¡± Her mother, who had been watching the exchange between Jean and Clarisse with tears welling up in her eyes, answered with a faint smile. ¡°I¡¯ve heard that the Margrave Gutenberg wants my daughter as a reward for his achievements in the recent war, that the King has consented to it, and that he has imposed some minor conditions. However, my husband told me that he wanted Matilda instead, and I believed him, but it wasn¡¯t true. I¡¯m sure of it, otherwise, that child¡¯s self-esteem wouldn¡¯t have been satisfied. ¡° ¡®¡­That¡¯s right¡­¡¯ Dumbfounded, Clarisse listened to the conversation. It was all her father¡¯s plan for her sister. The only thing on his mind must have been how to make her sister happy and agree to marry the Marquis of McCain. The conditions of the marriage were probably that she had to travel to the remote area alone, and the number of maids she had to bring with her. ¡°You didn¡¯t know, did you, that I wanted Clarisse? I made my proposal last year, but when the royal family contacted Viscount Fahrenheit, his response was prolonged?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that either¡­ my husband didn¡¯t mention anything about that¡­¡± Jean nodded as if to say, ¡°I thought it would be something like that.¡± ¡°I think he was just starting to contact Gunter¡¯s residence to finalize Clarisse¡¯s engagement at the time. He must have been annoyed by the fact that I was interfering and that things might not go according to his plan.¡± ¡°¡­That may be the case¡­¡± The Viscountess, who knew her husband¡¯s personality well, admitted this. ¡°I¡¯m sure the royal family contacted you many times¡­ Well, after waiting for a while, I finally received a letter from the Viscount saying that he accepted my marriage proposal¡­¡± Chapter 22.2 ¡°I¡¯m sure the royal family contacted you many times¡­ Well, after waiting for a while, I finally received a letter from the Viscount saying that he accepted my marriage proposal¡­¡± £ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß I¡¯m pleased that you are interested in taking my daughter, Clarisse Farenheit, as your fianc¨¦. Although I¡¯m unable to offer you the Jewel of Farenheit, if your desire is to have Clarrise, she would be delighted to accept. I am ashamed to admit that my family is struggling financially and will not be able to send you anything for a dowry. Please forgive me for sending her literally by herself. She will only be taking one servant along with her. I hope for your understanding. I would also appreciate it if you would consider providing financial support to my family once the marriage between my daughter and you takes place. £ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß£ß In short, the letter clearly stated that there was no money to be spent and that Clarisse would be the only person to be sent, and that if he wanted to marry her, he was to pay compensation. It also stated that only one servant would be allowed to accompany Clarisse. ¡®So it wasn¡¯t Jean who decided the number of servants¡­ it was father who decided that I should have one servant¡­¡¯ He had no idea what the name ¡°Farenheit¡¯s Jewel¡± meant; when he asked, he was told that it was the name of what the eldest daughter of Farenheit was known for. ¡°I have never expressed to the King that I wanted the Farenheit Jewel. I clearly told him that I wanted the violet-eyed daughter of House Farenheit. So it was very strange to see those words written in the letter, and the night Clarisse arrived, I even asked her what the ¡®Farenheit Jewel¡¯ was.¡± Although I¡¯m unable to offer you the Jewel of Fahrenheit, if your desire is to have Clarrise, she would be delighted to accept your proposal. The sentence that was suddenly thrown in without any context certainly gave a strange impression. However, Clarisse¡¯s reaction afterwards made him realize that she was under a lot of pressure, to the point of fainting, and he decided not to ask her anymore for a while until she calmed down. The first time they took a walk in the garden together, the day after she collapsed, Clarisse said that they didn¡¯t have to have a wedding, and she looked so sad that he suspected it had something to do with it. He couldn¡¯t help but feel that he might hurt Clarisse if he questioned her, as she didn¡¯t trust him yet. Immediately after that, he asked Sid and Marius to go to the royal capital and make arrangements to have the surroundings of Viscount Fahrenheit investigated. And when Mary summoned up her courage and asked, ¡°Did the Margrave want the Jewel of Farenheit?¡± The question convinced him that Clarisse had not been properly informed. In addition, soon after, there was a word from the royal capital, reporting on the shady relationships and finances involving the Viscount, and Jean guessed to some extent what was going on behind the scenes. Clarisse listened to the story absentmindedly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Clarisse.¡± Clarisse looked up into his now most reliable golden eyes. He was always exploring her expressions, trying to figure out what she was thinking and how she was feeling. ¡°I kept quiet about it. I should have asked you; I should have told you sooner¡­ I thought it might have been less of a shock to you if the truth had come out after our visit to your parents¡¯ place, but I may have been wrong.¡± He thought it was for Clarisse¡¯s sake that he had kept quiet. He was afraid that he would unnecessarily hurt her by telling her about the dark side of her family. Clarisse squeezed his hand that was resting on hers again. ¡°No, Jean-sama, please don¡¯t apologize¡­¡± ¡°Yes, you have done nothing wrong, Margrave Gutenberg. It¡¯s all my husband¡¯s fault and mine for not being able to stop him.¡± ¡°Viscountess, why do you think the Viscount suddenly wrote to me about the Jewel of Fahrenheit?¡± The Viscountess thought about it for a moment. ¡°Perhaps he wanted to bring more value to Matilda¡­ He probably started thinking about giving up on Clarisse and marrying Matilda off to some nobleman at that time¡­ I think that¡¯s all.¡± He wanted to say something along the lines that he couldn¡¯t offer the ¡°Jewel of Farenheit¡± even for a marriage that the King blessed. He must have said that to the house of McCain. Jean¡¯s contempt was apparent on his face. ¡°He¡¯s so vulgar that it¡¯s a waste of time to even despise him.¡± ¡°Clarisse, I can hardly ask you to forgive me.¡± The maid came into the room moments later, happy to see her again after all that time. Mary had brought some medicinal herbs with her, so she decided to take them to Ainsworth Manor as well. Just as Mary had expected, the head chef had baked many of Clarisse¡¯s favorite pastries and prepared them so she could take them with her. The servants were all surprised at the large, expressionless Jean, but they were happy to see Clarisse so happy with her partner. Of course, her father and sister did not come out of the house, but today her mother saw them off. Jean rode ahead after the luggage was loaded while Clarisse¡¯s mother held her hand. ¡°In the end, I was too selfish to protect you, my child. So I can¡¯t really ask you to forgive me, but I felt relieved when I saw you with Margrave Gutenberg. I don¡¯t know if I can be one to say this, but you are a strong girl. I¡¯ve always seen how you are adored by the servants. So I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡®I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine..¡¯ The words that Clarisse muttered in her heart to herself when she became a substitute bride in front of the Margrave residence, she was suddenly reminded of the words that her mother used to say to her when she was a child to comfort her. Her mother must have told herself the same words many times by now. ¡°Mother¡­¡± ¡°I have no choice but to stay in this house, but the memory of my beloved is what keeps me alive. So don¡¯t come back no matter what.¡± ¡°But, Mother¡­¡± ¡®Wouldn¡¯t the Farenheit family be in chaos from now on?¡¯ Her mother interrupted before she can continue and shook her head firmly. She had always lived in the shadow of father, but now she looked clear and radiant. ¡°Margrave Gutenberg cares for you very much, so don¡¯t dwell on the past anymore, and live for the future.¡± So¡­ how does everyone feel after knowing the full truth (¡«£þ¨Œ£þ)¡« her father is a piece of sh*t and I¡¯ll leave it at that.. don¡¯t feel so good about her mother either.. although I agree, she wasn¡¯t in a good position either, but at least she could¡¯ve tried to salvage the relationship between her two daughters even if her husband was trash! idk but I¡¯m sure she could¡¯ve done more if she put up more effort ? Chapter 23.1 After getting into the carriage, Clarisse sat there absentmindedly for a while. Jean, who sat beside her, remained silent, letting her immerse in her thoughts. ¡®There¡¯s just so much that I didn¡¯t know before¡­ so many things to think about¡­¡¯ Clarisse shook her head lightly. All Jean had told her beforehand was that the Viscount Farenheit family¡¯s financial situation was not so good and that Matilda¡¯s engagement was probably in exchange for financial support, so to be honest, what she heard from her mother was too shocking, something she had never even imagined, including the part about her past¡­ ¡°You are injured; try not to move your head as much as possible.¡± She couldn¡¯t help but laugh a bit when Jean warned her in such a calm manner, it was very much like him. Frankly, the cut didn¡¯t hurt that much anymore, and she had forgotten all about the incident with Matilda because of the shocking story she had just heard. ¡°Jean-sama¡­ are you sure you¡¯ll be okay with someone like me? You saw how my family is¡­ doesn¡¯t it worry you to have a bride from a house like that?¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t.¡± He gently patted Clarisse¡¯s head. ¡°You see, I saw you for the first time over a year ago when I came to the royal capital to report upon the successful end of the war.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°It was at a royal banquet. I wanted to go back to my territory as soon as possible, but I was forced to attend at the king¡¯s request. There, I saw you and your sister from a distance.¡± Last year¡¯s banquet at the royal palace¡­ Indeed, she could easily remember, as she had attended only one evening party at the royal palace. It was a large-scale banquet, and most of the prominent nobles must have been there. At that time, Matilda wanted to leave Clarisse at home, like always, but their father insisted on taking her that time and wouldn¡¯t listen to Matilda¡¯s pleas. Looking back, her father must have wanted to show her off to Marquis G¨¹nter. ¡°Even from a distance, your beauty was evident; your sister was completely out of the picture. Your violet eyes left a great impression on me¡­ then I worried over how lonely you looked.¡± When Jean unconsciously asked the nobleman next to him about Clarisse¡¯s identity, the man casually replied. ¡°Oh, she¡¯s the young lady of the Farenheit family.¡± ¡°Later, I don¡¯t know if you recall, but a certain young lady suddenly collapsed, and while none of the people around her did anything, you were the only one who looked worried and quickly lent a hand to the servants. I was too far away to help her, but I would have done the same thing if I had been closer, so I was even more impressed.¡± She remembers. Matilda later scolded her a lot for acting like a servant and bringing shame to the Farenheit family. Still, Clarisse couldn¡¯t just leave someone who collapsed right in front of her eyes without doing anything, especially since the person in front of her was still a young lady. ¡°You really¡­were there?¡± He really was at the same banquet from what he said, but she had no recollection of him. It would have been hard to forget such an overwhelmingly beautiful man once she saw him. But, when she attended the banquet, Matilda kept telling her to not attempt seducing men with her vulgar gaze, so she didn¡¯t even try to look around. ¡°Yeah. I left shortly after that, though.¡± He gently stroked Clarisse¡¯s hair again. ¡°I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off you until I left the banquet¡­ and when the king asked me what I wanted, I couldn¡¯t help but say I wanted the violet-eyed daughter of the House of Farenheit. I¡¯ve never had these feelings for anyone before, that it came as a surprise, even to me.¡± ¡°Jean-sama¡­¡± ¡°And when I saw you up close for the first time back at the residence, I was struck by how lovely you are. You are truly beautiful, Clarisse, but your magnificence is not limited to your appearance. You know that, right?¡± She nodded unintentionally in embarrassment and heard him let out a soft chuckle. The sincere smile that she rarely saw from him was so sweet that it almost made her heart melt and want to scream aloud. ¡°And after I told you not to move your head carelessly¡­ In any case, you are wonderful because of your inner beauty and intelligence. Even with a house like that, you grew up upright and never decayed. You have a heart willing to help others. You have the strength to grasp the better things in your given environment. You even learned about plants. Mary told me how many times the servants who couldn¡¯t easily afford to go to the doctor were saved by the medicines you made.¡± Jean gently caressed her cheek and softly took Clarisse¡¯s left hand in his. ¡°I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re the one who¡¯s going to deal with a rugged man like me.. nevertheless, I want you by my side and always will.¡± Jean fumbled through his jacket¡¯s breast pocket with his free hand and pulled something out. ¡°Clarisse, a romantic man would not offer you something like this in a carriage, but you know me, I am such a man, so please forgive me.¡± With that, he began slowly slipping a ring through the ring finger of her left hand and then nodded his head in satisfaction. ¡°I had it resized at the jeweler¡¯s the other day¡­it fits perfectly.¡± Looking at the simple silver ring that slipped through her promised ring finger, Clarisse was mesmerized as she stared at it with her big violet eyes. ¡°I don¡¯t want the ¡°Jewel of Farenheit¡± or any grand name; I want you and only you, Clarisse Farenheit, as my bride if you would have me. My dear Clarisse, will you marry me?¡± Tears began to well up in Clarisse¡¯s beautiful violet eyes, and Jean was secretly impatient, wondering if his actions had made her sad. ¡®Did I say something wrong? Did I speak in the wrong order? Did I carelessly presume Clarisse¡¯s feelings¡­? Was it a bad idea to mention ¡®The Jewel of Fahrenheit¡¯ here¡­¡¯ ¡°Clarisse, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t even consider your feelings.. again¡­¡± She smiled as she cried. ¡°No, no, Jean-sama¡­ I am just so happy.¡± Clarisse looked down at the ring, almost as if she were looking at a treasure. ¡°It¡¯s a lovely ring¡­¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. You can buy a proper ring later. Unfortunately, this is not a very expensive item as my father gave it to my mother when they got married¡­ As I told you before, my father was just a small local aristocrat-¡­¡± ¡°Jean-sama.¡± Tears rolled from her eyes more and more, and Jean didn¡¯t know what to do anymore. ¡°I don¡¯t need any other ring¡­I will treasure this ring forever and ever.¡± In his eyes, she was so dazzling that Jean reached out with both hands, pulled her close, and hugged her tightly and firmly, trying not to brush against the injury on her forehead. Chapter 23.2 Chapter 23, part 2 Jean stood in front of Clarisse¡¯s door for a while, wondering if it was okay to come and see her this late at night¡­ When they returned home, Jean called for a doctor to examine Clarisse¡¯s wound. He was informed that it was a minor wound just like she had told him it was, and after he cleaned up the wound, the doctor told them that it would heal nicely. They had dinner together and exchanged good night wishes before heading back to their room. Later in the night, while Jean was in his room, he received a letter from Viscountess Farenheit. ¡®Should I just wait to tell her tomorrow morning?¡¯ But he didn¡¯t want to hide anything from Clarisse anymore if possible, so Jean knocked on the door with a light tap. A few moments later, the faint sound of someone approaching echoed, and Clarisse, who had opened the door slightly, looked up at Jean with a surprised look on her face. ¡°Is there something I can help you with?¡± ¡°Ah¡­ the Viscountess contacted me.¡± Upon hearing this, Clarisse opened the door wide and invited Jean to come inside. Clarisse was dressed in a thin, white nightgown, and although she had already removed her makeup, she still looked beyond beautiful, and Jean found it somewhat hard to look at her as he was distracted by her beauty. She sat there looking up at him with a concerned look on her face, probably not even imagining what thoughts were going on in his mind. As they sat down next to each other on the sofa, he was now ashamed of his sinister thoughts and started to speak, trying to avoid looking at her as much as possible. ¡°It seems that after an argument, Miss Farenheit hit the Viscount with tableware.¡± A gasp escaped Clarisse¡¯s throat. ¡°Sister Matilda?! With tableware! And how is father now?¡± ¡°Well..he was definitely hurt, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be serious.¡± If anything, the problem is more about what happened afterwards. Jean continued. ¡°After that, the Viscount apparently hit Miss Farenheit¡­¡± After the Viscountess saw them off, she returned to the mansion, and the butler immediately rushed up to her, informing her of the emergency. When the Viscountess hurried back to the tea room, she found an enraged Viscount, bleeding from the head, mounted on Matilda and beating her senselessly. The Viscountess shuddered at the sight of her husband, who had once been violent toward her, but she gathered herself up to protect her daughter and asked the butler and other male servants to seize the Viscount at once and free Matilda from his grip. However, by the time they managed to do that, Matilda was unable to move and her face was swollen horribly, according to the letter. Clarisse covered her face with her hands. ¡°-¡­How¡­how could he¡­do such a terrible thing?¡± Jean was about to reach out to her, but stopped midway and tightened his fist. ¡°Perhaps it¡¯s my fault. The two of them might have gotten into an argument because I mentioned earlier that Miss Farenheit was not the daughter of the Viscount¡­¡± He was angry at Clarisse¡¯s father and sister, so he ruthlessly lashed out with words, but it seems that this wasn¡¯t the best move, as it might have ended up making Clarisse sad in the end. However, Clarisse looked up at him and spoke in a firm tone. ¡°No¡­it¡¯s not your fault, Jean-sama. It¡¯s just that¡­it¡¯s a torn family to begin with. And regardless of what happened, there is no reason for a man to be violent toward a woman. Of course, it¡¯s not okay for Sister to throw something at Father either¡­ In any case, maybe both of them are just getting what they deserve for their own actions.¡± Clarisse started with a sigh and continued, ¡°What else did my mother say?¡± Jean had felt some sympathy for Clarisse¡¯s mother¡¯s situation as he listened to her story earlier, and was deeply convinced that the reason Clarisse had grown up so pure despite being mistreated by the Viscount and Matilda might have been because her mother had protected her behind the scenes. Still, when he received this message from her, this feeling became stronger. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about our house anymore. Do not come back. ¡° Tears welled up in her violet eyes, as she dropped back in her chair and squeezed her knees together. It was a rude gesture, but Jean knew exactly how she felt, so he just held her tightly as if trying to comfort her. ¡°Mother¡­ she is going to fight this on her own¡­¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± Clarisse¡¯s tiny body was trembling, and Jean wished very much that he could take over all of her sorrow; if that was not possible, he wanted to carry it with her. Clarisse cried for a while, but eventually she raised herself up slowly, wiping away her tears, and Jean released her body a bit to check her expression. The initial shock that was evident on her face seemed to have eased, and Clarisse appeared to have calmed down. ¡°Thank you, Jean-sama, for trying to comfort me.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry for telling you this late at night, but I thought you¡¯d want to know as soon as possible.¡± Clarisse smiled slightly and nodded. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m glad you told me.¡± The atmosphere between them was more intimate than ever before, and when Jean began to feel slightly awkward and tried to stand up, she grabbed the hem of his nightgown. ¡°Oh¡­I¡¯m sorry.¡± She was so sad to see Jean go that she grabbed him unconsciously, and she couldn¡¯t help but blush and quickly remove her hand. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything ¡­ so, can I stay with you tonight?¡± When Jean asked her this, she looked like a blooming flower as she smiled beautifully. Chapter 24.1 Chapter 24, part 1 Clarisse awoke startled on her final morning in the Royal Capital to discover Jean resting on one elbow, peering down at her face. He had just awoken with a beard that had grown overnight, adding to his manliness, and in any event, he is just as beautiful. ¡®What? Jean-sama..! How did he get here¡­?¡¯ The surprise only lasted for a moment before she remembered that she didn¡¯t let go of Jean¡¯s nightgown last night, and he had slept next to her. It was the first time she had ever slept with someone in her bed; in a normal situation, she wouldn¡¯t be able to sleep due to her nervousness, but having lived an overly intense day with too many different things happening, she fell asleep as soon as she laid down on her bed. Jean could have gone back to his room afterward, but instead, he stayed and slept with her in the same bed. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± His voice was hoarser than normal; perhaps it was because he had just awoken from sleep. Seeing his face and hearing his voice just as he woke up first thing in the morning warmed her heart; it was as if she was sharing this special moment with him. ¡°Yes¡­ I must¡¯ve been exhausted; I slept like a baby.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad. You were tossing and turning during the night; you didn¡¯t have any nightmares, did you?¡± ¡®He¡¯s worried about me¡­¡¯ The kindness he showed her was heartwarming. Clarisse smiled at him, and he smiled back, the corners of his lips lifting in relief. ¡°Good morning, my lady!¡± At that moment, Mary knocked and came into the room without waiting for an answer, just as usual, and froze when she saw Jean on the bed. ¡°Eh..! eh..! Margrave¡­! I beg your pardon; I¡¯m leaving now!¡± ¡®Oh my, Mary!¡¯ In a slightly amused tone, Jean spoke, stopping Mary from leaving. ¡°Mary, it¡¯s okay, I¡¯ll leave now. Help Clarisse get ready.¡± Then he turned to Clarisse and said, ¡°I¡¯ll see you later at breakfast.¡± He dropped a kiss on her forehead, just like the first time he had ever met her, carefully avoiding the injured area, and then left the room. ¡°I¡¯ll be a little more careful when I come to greet you in the morning from now on, hehe. By the way, when did the Margrave come to your room, My lady?¡± As Mary prepared a bowl of water and a cloth for Clarisse, she asked this. She assumed that the Margrave had come to check on Clarisse because he was concerned about what had happened at Clarisse¡¯s parents¡¯ house the day before, but she couldn¡¯t hide her embarrassment at the realisation that this situation would almost certainly happen again in the future. ¡°Last night¡­before I went to bed¡­Mary, did you hear? About what father did to sister Matilda¡­¡± Of course, Mary, who had not yet heard the story, rolled her eyes but nearly dropped the bowl in surprise when she heard what happened. ¡°Oh my god!! At last¡­ the Viscount has gone mad!¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s madness, but it most definitely looks like it.¡± ¡°So, what are you going to do about it? Do you want to extend your stay in the Capital?¡± ¡°No, we will leave the royal capital tomorrow as planned.¡± Her mother would be upset if they decided to stay longer, which is probably why she wrote such a letter and had it delivered to the mansion so late at night, so she could return to her home with Jean as planned. Clarisse muttered this in her mind and began to wipe her face with the cloth Mary had prepared for her. Chapter 24.2 Chapter 24, part 2 After breakfast, Sid visited the Ainsworth mansion to make the final preparations for their departure, and while he was in Jean¡¯s room, his eyes widened in amazement by what he heard. ¡°So, you didn¡¯t lay a hand on the miss and just slept together? Seriously? Are you telling me that you¡¯re a saint, Jean?¡± ¡°Sid.¡± ¡°You slept in the same bed with each other, right? Wow¡­ a woman you love is by your side all night, and you don¡¯t even touch her¡­ Are you into those kinds of things?¡± Of course, he was joking, and Jean knew it. Sid didn¡¯t think that Jean would touch Clarisse on the same day that she was injured by her sister. He¡¯s just making fun of him because he¡¯s excited that they¡¯re getting so close. So, after saying that much and laughing in amusement, Sid suddenly thought of something and asked Jean. ¡°Didn¡¯t I forcibly drag you to the whorehouse with me a long time ago?¡± That uptight breast-brother looked extremely uncomfortable and nodded. ¡°Then you left in a great hurry¡­you didn¡¯t sleep with a woman then, did you?¡± It must have been about ten years ago. At the time, Jean was still aspiring to be a knight, and despite his obviously attractive appearance, he was overwhelmingly shy and still a virgin, so Sid, out of amusement, took him to a whorehouse. He was pretty reluctant, but he followed him to the room where they drank, and after Sid went to his favorite whore¡¯s room, he apparently left the whorehouse as fast as he could. The whore who wanted to be Jean¡¯s partner said this, so there was no doubt about it. ¡°You used to work hard to become a knight, and then you became a Margrave¡­did you ever even have a lover? Is it possible..that you haven¡¯t been to a whorehouse since then either?¡± He knew Jean had never had a lover before. So it was inevitable that he would end up talking to Clarisse about things that ordinary aristocratic men would not say to a lady¡­ However, He thought that Jean would at least have experience in this area. Is it possible that Jean, a man with such a great physique, would be able to spend all this time alone? ¡°I didn¡¯t go.¡± Wait a minute. Then there is only one possible answer. ¡°You¡¯re lying. Please tell me you¡¯re lying.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You¡­ you¡¯ve never slept with a woman?¡± Jean looked at Sid with a casual look on his face. ¡°Of course not. I¡¯ve decided I¡¯m not going to sleep with anyone until I find a woman I want to marry.¡± ¡®This guy, wow¡­¡¯ In a way, it was impressive that the stiff, uptight ideals have come this far. ¡°Can you do it? When it comes time to be with Clarisse, will you be able to handle it as a virgin?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need practice. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡®I wonder where his confidence is coming from¡­ a mystery¡­¡¯ ¡°But, you know, if you hesitate on her first day, don¡¯t you think she¡¯ll be disappointed?¡± ¡°Why not? Everyone has their first time, and Clarisse is not the kind of person who would be taken aback by something like that. Animals don¡¯t need anyone to teach them how to mate. Why can¡¯t humans do it?¡± Jean turned around and asked Sid, trying to change the subject. ¡°You like Mary, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Wh-¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯ve never been that obvious before. Well, I don¡¯t think she¡¯s taking you seriously, though.¡± ¡°I know.¡± To Mary, this is probably the most ridiculous thing she has ever faced in her life. ¡°What is it about Mary that makes you want her so badly?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know¡­¡­ She¡¯s different, not to mention she¡¯s fun to watch.¡± ¡°I agree that she¡¯s unconventional, but she¡¯s not a noblewoman; she¡¯s just a maid, you know?¡± ¡°Maid or not, Mary is Mary, and it doesn¡¯t matter.¡± After confirming Sid¡¯s intentions, Jean crossed his arms. ¡°Think about it; what if Mary was more experienced? Plus, how would you feel if she was sleeping with another guy, saying she was getting ready for you? Or would you say it¡¯s no big deal, it couldn¡¯t be helped?¡± ¡°J-¡­¡± That is indeed not true. He is not demanding for his partner to be a virgin since he is not one himself and doesn¡¯t really care about the whole ¡®A lady must be a virgin¡¯ whole thing, but he certainly cares for her so much that he doesn¡¯t feel too good when he thinks that Mary has already been with another man. In this country¡¯s aristocratic society, there is a tendency to expect women, in particular, to remain virgins until marriage. For men, however, it is not to that extent. On the contrary, it even seems that noblemen who play around to a certain extent are considered more elegant, so, Sid, without thinking too much about it, had been moderately going to brothels frequented by noblemen and playing with young noblewomen who had the same mindset. But now, after Jean pointed this out to him, he realized that he had never liked anyone before in earnest, which was probably why he didn¡¯t think much of it. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it¡¯s strange that a woman is expected to remain virgins until marriage, but men are allowed to play around? Don¡¯t you think that any woman in her right mind would be happy if her man remained virgin just like her? Women get jealous, too, if the guy they fell in love with had a partner before, let alone if the partner in question was their first time.¡± Sid admitted his defeat quickly. ¡°Okay, my bad, I didn¡¯t think it through¡­ Well, as much as it¡¯s your first time, please take care of Clarisse¡¯s first time; she¡¯s been through enough pain already. Well, you don¡¯t need me to tell you that¡­ it¡¯s all right.¡± Sid was always somewhat worried about him, who was terrible with words, but Jean is a very nice guy, faithful and loyal, and Clarisse couldn¡¯t be nicer, so they will live happily together for years to come. He envied Jean for having such a unique partner like her. And they would share each other¡¯s first time together? When he thought about it, perhaps, being a stiff stoic¡­ is not so bad after all. Chapter 25 On their final day in the royal capital, Clarisse was directed to a bookstore by Jean, who had asked her where she wanted to go. They also stopped by a nearby drugstore. The owner of the drugstore was knowledgeable about medicinal herbs that could be found in the area, so she spent lots of time discussing herbs with them, oblivious to the passing of time. Of course, after returning to Jean¡¯s mansion, she hoped to continue her studies on this subject. After dinner, she wrote a letter to her mother and sealed it, hoping that her feelings would be conveyed to her. She felt closer to her mother than she had ever felt before. It was all thanks to Jean, and Clarisse was honestly grateful to him. She thought they would sleep in separate rooms tonight, but Jean came to Clarisse¡¯s room and asked if it would be okay to stay the night with her, which she accepted, and they laid down on the bed together. Clarisse wasn¡¯t as tired as she had been the day before, and although she had anticipated being too anxious to sleep, his reassuring presence allowed her to do so without any trouble. Perhaps some invisible fatigue had built up. She fell asleep quickly, unaware that Jean was looking at her sleeping face, smiling and gently patting her head. The next morning, Mary again popped into the room as usual and blushed at the sight of them, as she had done the day before. They were supposed to leave first thing in the morning, and even though she didn¡¯t have to, Lotte kindly came out of the mansion to see them off. Lotte was an ideal hostess until the end. As for Clarisse, she was very sad to leave her, but Jean reminded her that he had called his aunt to come from her home, the Marquis of Ainsworth¡¯s estate, so they could meet here, and as soon as they left, Lotte would also return to her family. ¡°I would very much like you to come to the Ainsworth estate next time. I want to introduce you to my husband and son.¡± She giggled and continued, ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind if Jean couldn¡¯t make it to our estate.¡± Lotte, who was probably aware of the incident at the Farenheit house, didn¡¯t talk about the matter, and just spoke to Clarisse with a broad smile. ¡°Thank you, Lotte-sama¡­it¡¯s my pleasure.¡± ¡°You can come when you and Jean have a fight.¡± Lotte said mischievously, but Jean was astonished and muttered with a blank face, ¡°This would never happen.¡± Lotte looked at her nephew happily and then smiled at Clarisse, telling her to take good care of Jean. Mary seemed to have gotten somewhat used to being with Sid, but was still fed up with the thought of spending another three days in the same space. After seeing her off to the carriage, Jean escorted her into their carriage and followed her inside. Naturally, he sat next to Clarisse. His presence, which she now felt completely at ease in, allowed her to take in the passing royal city as she looked out the carriage window at him. She never imagined that her feelings would change so much before and after coming to the capital. At least she no longer had any regrets about her parents¡¯ house, and although she did not know when she would be able to come back to the capital again, she had a feeling that if she did, she would be able to treat her mother with much more affection than before. Although their relationship has always been one of indifference and a lack of communication, she has very conflicted feelings toward her father because he used violence against her mother and sister. She may never speak to him again. Her sister¡­ Clarisse could not help feeling sorry for her sister as she was a pitiful person. She is aware that she had been treated poorly enough from Jean¡¯s and the servants¡¯ perspectives, and that part should never be tolerated, but she can¡¯t stop thinking about her sister. All her life, Clarisse wanted someone to love her just the way she is, and perhaps, it was the same for her sister or even more so. ¡®But¡­I shouldn¡¯t be on your side, sister Matilda, I must not do that.¡¯ If she was around her, Matilda would try to relieve her own anxiety by continuing to assault Clarisse, and Clarisse would spoil her sister by continuing to indulge and accept the abuse. She ought to stay away from her sister and turn a blind eye to whatever is about to happen in her sister¡¯s life. Clarisse felt that this was the last act of devotion to her sister that she could do¡­ Matilda needs to be able to stand alone without taking advantage of her, and she should look at herself and live a strong life. Not to mention that their mother will be able to be close to Matilda from now on, just as Clarisse has Jean next to her side. ¡°Jean-sama, may I plant a field of medicinal herbs in the garden when we return to our residence?¡± ¡°Of course. You can do whatever pleases you.¡± Clarisse was so delighted with this that she leaned her head softly on his shoulder, looking at the ring as Jean silently took her hand in his. ¡°Thank you, Jean-sama.¡± Thank you for finding me. ¡°It¡¯s been a hectic stay, but I¡¯m glad things got sorted out as a result.¡± ¡°Yes¡­I think you¡¯re right.¡± Mary was grateful that Sid had taken her to the Farenheit mansion the day before yesterday at that time. Thanks to him, she was able to be there for Clarisse. Sid was a troublesome man to deal with, but he was not a bad person, or at least that¡¯s what she had come to think of him. ¡°You really like Clarisse, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes, I love her!¡± Mary¡¯s immediate response made Sid, sitting across from her, pause, then burst out laughing. ¡®His laughing face is kind of cute¡­huh, I shouldn¡¯t let him get into my head.¡¯ ¡°What do you like about Clarisse?¡± ¡°What? If I start talking about what I like about our perfect young lady, we¡¯ll stay here all day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s okay, we have plenty of time, so tell me, what do you like about Clarisse?¡± Sid continued to listen with narrowed eyes as Mary happily talked about how wonderful a master Clarisse was. Chapter 26 Chapter 26 After three days on the road, they returned safely to the borderland. This time, time seemed to fly by as Jean and Clarisse naturally engaged in conversation during the carriage ride, and when she got tired, she would rest her head against Jean¡¯s shoulder. During their journey, an accident occurred in which the carriage wheel fell off. It took so long to repair it that they didn¡¯t make it to the inn until late at night, but the most significant change was that Jean and Clarisse would sleep together in the same room at the inn, as if it were a matter of fact. In the morning, Sid grinned the whole time at the breakfast table but never made fun of Clarisse in any way, and Mary began to be more careful in the mornings, no longer popping into their room. Jean was still concerned about the injury on Clarisse¡¯s forehead, and he didn¡¯t do anything beyond hugging her and falling asleep ¨C not that Mary had any concerns about that :)). Over the past few days, Clarisse had become quite accustomed to feeling his body temperature while sleeping. Compared to the lavish royal capital, the borderlands offered more nature and a more relaxed atmosphere, yet Clarisse was genuinely thrilled to be back here. Compared to the royal capital, where she had lived with her family her entire life and felt neglected, this place already felt like her hometown, which made her happy. Just as they were about to arrive at the Margrave mansion, Jean nervously said, ¡°Clarisse, would it be okay if we shared a bedroom from today onward¡­?¡± While she was at a loss for an answer for a moment, Jean added hurriedly, perhaps thinking he needed to say more. ¡°I know it is the custom for nobles in the Royal Capital to have separate bedrooms, but I want to be with you all the time.¡± It is not customary for couples in noble families to share a bedroom; this was also the same for Clarisse¡¯s parents. Generally, husbands visit their wives when the need arises, but in some cases, it is the other way around. In either case, they usually sleep in separate rooms. This custom has contributed to their promiscuous sexual life, and there is no shortage of scandalous stories about husbands visiting their wives¡¯ rooms to find their lovers and vice versa. Of course, that didn¡¯t mean Jean suspected that Clarisse would be unfaithful or anything of the sort. ¡°Of course not, Jean. I hope you don¡¯t feel uncomfortable with us sharing the same room. ¡° When she replied, he raised his eyebrows as if to say, ¡°No way,¡± and Clarisse laughed. To others, he still appears to be the stern, scary-looking Margrave, but in her eyes, he has become much more expressive. This is partly due to the fact that Clarisse has become more comfortable with Jean, but it is also because Jean has opened up his heart to Clarisse. Being with Jean, who is always thinking of her happiness, fills her heart with joy. He is her new, forever family with whom she will spend the rest of her life. ¡®Mother was right when she said that¡­¡¯ ¡°-..don¡¯t dwell on the past anymore, and live in the future.¡± There is no need to look into the past when there is a bright future out there. After some time away, the mansion was truly beautiful in Clarisse¡¯s eyes. Jean took her hand as they slowly climbed the front staircase, which she had climbed with much anxiety a few months ago. The butler opened the door respectfully, and they were greeted by the servants with their heads bowed down. ¡°Welcome home.¡± ¡®Welcome home¡­¡¯ ¡®This is my home and always will be.¡¯ Clarisse thought this with a trembling heart, looking up at the beautiful nobleman standing next to her, her husband-to-be. Jean looked at her, too, as they shared the same feeling for a moment. ¡°We¡¯re back home.¡± Clarisse smiled as the Margrave¡¯s dignified voice echoed through the mansion. Chapter 27 Chapter 27 She woke up in Jean¡¯s arms. Having gotten used to it by now, Clarisse gazed at her fianc¨¦¡¯s face as he lay there, his eyes still closed. He had been working late last night in his office and had not returned by the time she went to bed. He must have entered the room in the middle of the night and hugged her, as he usually does. It had been three weeks since their return from the royal capital, and Jean had been busy trying to make up for the time he had been gone and finishing any delayed work. In the midst of all this, he felt bad that he couldn¡¯t spend time with Clarisse as much as he used to, though he tried to squeeze in as much time as possible to be with her. She did tell him once that he could focus on his work and not bother, but Jean sulked with those words and said, ¡°Don¡¯t you know? I just want to be with you,¡± and hugged her, making Clarisse¡¯s face turn bright red. ¡®Ah, but it¡¯s so comfortable in Jean-sama¡¯s arms¡­¡¯ Growing up in an aristocratic society, children were rarely hugged by their parents. However, because Clarisse had a strained relationship with her parents, she had little experience being hugged by an adult man since she was a child. She couldn¡¯t imagine a more secure place to be than when Jean¡¯s large body hugged her. The amber perfume he wore, as well as his naturally masculine, clean scent, were now a source of comfort for her. And before she knew it, she was dozing off again. It¡¯s hard to believe, but lying in bed with him, she can sleep for as long as she wants, a good, pleasant, uninterrupted sleep she¡¯s never had before. Mary, who knows Clarisse¡¯s living situation at her parents¡¯ house, speculated that this could be a reaction to her past. In other words, she was relaxing after everything she had been through. When she awoke a short time later, Jean was awake as well, and he was gently stroking her forehead. ¡°The wound is healing well, just as the doctor said.¡± He said quietly and gently kissed Clarisse; she reached out her hands, placed her hand on his cheek, and closed her eyes. She could feel Jean¡¯s beard beginning to grow, and it felt itchy. Nevertheless, she liked the feeling of being close to him. Jean had told Clarisse the night they shared the bed that he wanted to take things slowly as he was new to this kind of experience. She was surprised that he had no experience of being intimate with women, but regardless, she felt delighted over his honesty and the fact that Jean hadn¡¯t held anyone in his arms before. He could feel his growing member against her thigh; then, he quickly pulled away from Clarisse after he broke the kiss. He had decided that when his work was finished, he would take her to the lake he had enjoyed since childhood on the outskirts of the region and spend their first night together there. She simply laughed it off and told him with a lovely smile on her lips that it would be the same even if they waited until then. As he got out of bed, Jean said to Clarisse, ¡°I need to do some office work this morning, but I¡¯m free this afternoon.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yeah, we can spend the day at home, or we can go to town. Think about it, okay?¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Jean got out of bed and walked away, but he returned and pressed his lips against hers again, as if he couldn¡¯t resist. It took all of his willpower to stop kissing her, but he dropped a light peck on her cheek as if to say goodbye. ¡°Oh, your lips are so sweet, I can¡¯t get enough of them. It drives me crazy.¡± ¡°Jean-sama.¡± After looking affectionately into Clarisse¡¯s round violet eyes, Jean walked up to the closet to get ready for the morning meetings. Even now, he does all his preparations by himself. ¡°I¡¯ll get my work done as soon as possible.¡± ¡°Around what time will you finish?¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m not talking about today; I mean, I want to go to the lake with you as soon as possible.¡± ¡®Is that¡­?¡¯ Realizing what Jean¡¯s reply meant made Clarisse¡¯s face turn bright red. ¡°So, where are you going today?¡± ¡°I was thinking of going to the bookstore and the pharmacist in town¡­¡± ¡°It seems to be the perfect outing for you, Miss.¡± Mary laughed as she helped her get ready for the morning. She brushed her glossy brown hair and arranged it neatly, put on light makeup, and then slipped on an elegant day dress she had bought in the royal capital. Mary was struck by how beautiful Clarisse had become. Not just her outward beauty, but her internal brilliance, has added to her beauty, making her a beautiful woman of incomparable charm. ¡°If you are going to the town, I think it would be a good idea to buy a winter coat or dress.¡± ¡°Indeed, yes¡­¡± It is the end of autumn now, and winter, which is rumored to be harsh, will soon be upon them. Mary has asked the head maid at the Margrave mansion for some preparations, but Clarisse, who doesn¡¯t go out much, might not even need it as far as outdoor wear is concerned. However, if she was going to go to the city, it might be a good idea to buy some anyway. Although Clarisse, as always, is not that interested in clothing, winter clothes are a necessity. ¡°Mary, why don¡¯t you come with me? I have no taste in fashion, so I doubt I can choose a good one myself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m kind of worried about your sense of fashion, to be honest, but I think you could talk to the madam at the store, and I don¡¯t want to bother you two in the first place¡­¡± Clarisse suddenly remembered that Sid was coming to see Jean this morning. ¡°Then shall we ask Sid-sama to take you in his carriage?¡± Mary¡¯s face flushed red. ¡°W-w-w-why is that man¡¯s name coming up now? No, thank you, I won¡¯t.¡± The maid noticed Clarisse¡¯s eyes fluttering as she looked at her and hurriedly amended. ¡°Oh! I¡¯m done! Miss! Enjoy your breakfast!¡± Chapter 28 In the carriage to the Margrave¡¯s estate, Mary went on and on for a while about Clarisse¡¯s charms, and Sid seemed to enjoy listening to her very much, but suddenly she stopped talking. ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Why did you stop?¡± Sid asked in surprise, and Mary felt embarrassed. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, that was¡­rude of me; I¡­kept talking on and on by myself.¡± He burst out laughing again. ¡°Did you just realize that now?¡± ¡°I mean¡­Well, I had a vague idea¡­¡± ¡°I see¡­ it¡¯s almost as if you were doing whatever you wanted because you didn¡¯t care if I hated you, am I right?¡± Even Mary felt a little sorry when he pointed out the obvious. He may seem flirtatious by nature, but he is loyal to Jean, and he is also fond of Clarisse and takes very good care of her. He is also someone who takes the time to care for her, although she was just a maid. While Mary had shoved the memory of her being born a noble to the back of her mind by now, there were moments when the memory would suddenly sprout. Frankly, part of the reason she didn¡¯t like Sid much was that he reminded her of her past because of his resemblance to someone she once knew when she was a baron¡¯s daughter. But that was her problem, not Sid¡¯s; perhaps it¡¯s time for her to change her attitude towards him. ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯m sorry to be rude anyway¨C um, as we speak of this, thank you for taking me to the Farenheit residence yesterday; thanks to you, I was able to be close by when the young lady was in trouble¡­well¡­although I couldn¡¯t have been of much help.¡± Sid looked surprised when Mary thanked him properly, then giggled. ¡°That¡¯s not true at all; I¡¯m pretty sure Clarisse was reassured by your presence.¡± Mary blinked at the sight of Sid¡¯s smile, which reminded her of her old friend¡¯s. ¡°Thank you, Lord Hansen.¡± She hesitantly called him by his family name because she didn¡¯t know anything about his position. (Tl note: like if he were a knight, she would call him Sir, etc.) ¡°Just Sid is fine.¡± On second thought, she said she would change her attitude towards him, but as expected, she doesn¡¯t really like how familiar he acts towards her. The person in her memory, though, didn¡¯t have such traits, making her not think too much about him. In a way, it is thanks to Sid that she didn¡¯t turn too sentimental. ¡°That¡¯s, um¡­ I think it¡¯s unacceptable for someone in my position to do that, so¡­¡± Sid looked at Mary in frustration. ¡°I don¡¯t mind, so what¡¯s the problem with that?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡®I don¡¯t think it¡¯s something that can be done just because you don¡¯t mind ¡­ I¡¯d probably be killed if the other maids heard this¡­¡¯ Sid is very popular among the servants because of his easygoing manner and casual attitude. His cousin Marius is too serious, and the servants feel uneasy interacting with him, but Sid is just the right person for them to chat and giggle with behind the scenes. According to the servants¡¯ network, Sid enjoys womanizing in his own way, but he had never touched a servant before, so if the other maids were to find out that he gives special treatment to Mary¡­ ¡®Wow¡­I can already imagine being mercilessly shoved down into a frozen river.¡¯ ¡°I wish you would call me by my name, Mary.¡± ¡®He¡¯s still going on about it!¡¯ ¡°This is not appropriate; I¡¯m a servant¡­¡± ¡°Okay, then how about you call me by my name when it¡¯s just the two of us? That¡¯s fine, right?¡± ¡®It¡¯s a pain in the ass¡­¡¯ ¡°Well, I guess so¡­¡± When they return to the Margrave mansion, Sid will go back to his residence, and he will only visit the Margrave¡¯s mansion occasionally when he has something to do with Lord Jean, so they won¡¯t have to see each other so much. ¡°Really? Then try to call me by my name now. ¡° ¡°Okay, ¡­ What is it, Sid-sama?¡± Sid looked at Mary as if he was gritting his teeth. ¡°Mary! You finally called my name¡­!¡± She is completely dazzled by his unexpected reaction; he seems to be deeply moved by something that is very irrelevant to her. ¡®Did he eat something weird¡­?¡¯ ¡°Mary, I like you, so please take good care of me.¡± ? ? ? ? ? ¡°¨D¨D¨D¨D¨DWhat!?!?¡± Suddenly, Mary snapped out of her reverie. However, despite what he had to say the last time she saw him, Sid had not come to the Margrave¡¯s mansion for three weeks after he went back home, leaving Mary to wonder if the conversation they had before he left was a mere hallucination. But when she learned that Sid was returning to see Jean after a long absence, she began to wonder if there was somewhere she could hide¡­ ??? ¡°Ahh, you mean that lake?¡± Sid, meeting Jean for the first time in a long time, smiled as he brought a cup of tea to his lips. Inside the office, Jean, Sid, and Marius were talking while taking a break from work. ¡°Jean, you used to love going to that lake when we were younger, right?¡± Though Marius is known as the Margrave¡¯s aide publicly, when they are out of the public eye, Marius refers to him by his name comfortably, and the two are actually close friends. ¡°Yeah, since it¡¯s so close to my father¡¯s hometown.¡± ¡°Oh yes¡­ it brings back memories.¡± Jean and Sid were breast brothers, but that didn¡¯t mean that only Jean¡¯s parents and Sid¡¯s were close friends; the same was true for Marius¡¯s parents as well. Their parents were all close friends, which resulted in them growing up as friends as well. ¡°The lake is so beautiful. I¡¯m sure Clarisse will be thrilled when she sees it, and Jean, I suppose you know, but that place is the perfect spot to enjoy some romantic outing with her. Don¡¯t speak about things that might ruin the mood xDDDD.¡± In response to Sid¡¯s smirking and teasing, Marius offered a more practical piece of advice. ¡°It might be a bit cold this time of year, so make sure to take warm clothes for Clarisse-sama,¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that. I¡¯m going to be gone for a few days, and I need you guys to take care of the place if anything happens.¡± Neither Sid nor Marius had any reason to refuse, both of them having witnessed Jean¡¯s long and strenuous efforts to serve as a Margrave for the borders, both physically and mentally, and now they had no intention of stopping him from going on a prewedding trip with his beloved fianc¨¦e. ¡°Speaking of which, are you taking Mary along to the lake?¡± Sid asks Jean in a casual tone. ¡°Mary? No¡­ Maybe?¡­ Are we taking her with us? I guess we¡¯ll have to ask Clarisse about that if you want to know¡­¡± Marius had no idea why Sid was suddenly talking about Mary, but Jean seemed to understand what this was all about. ¡°Hmmmm, if we took her to the lake with us, you wouldn¡¯t be able to ask her out on a date. Is this what that¡¯s all about?¡± Jean teased. Marius then witnessed his cousin, who had always made fun of Jean¡¯s stiff and aloof nature, turn red at Jean¡¯s words, which was the first time he had ever seen him blush. Chapter 29 Later that afternoon, Clarisse went into town with Jean, and after stopping at a bookstore and a pharmacist, she bought some much-needed winter garments. She bought a simple brown warm leather coat and several dresses made of the warm, thick material recommended by the madame. Not being confident in her own taste, she left it to the madame and Jean, who were surprisingly good advisors with good fashion sense. When the madame heard that they were going on a trip near the water, she decided to recommend warm underwear that she could wear underneath; she brought a few options from the back of the store and had them choose from the selection available. Jean suggested that they contact the dress store in the capital to see if they could find some winter dresses, but Clarisse said that what they had here was enough and he didn¡¯t have to worry about it. She did not bring Mary with her, so she didn¡¯t know if Mary had spent time with Sid or not, but when they returned home that evening, both Sid and Marius were already back at their mansion, and Mary did not say anything, so she didn¡¯t ask any questions. After Clarisse and Jean had retired to their bedroom, it was already time to go to bed, and as Clarisse sat on her bed, she muttered, ¡°Sid-sama looks a lot like Cedric-sama¡­¡± ¡°Cedric? Who is that?¡± ¡°Mary¡¯s childhood friend from the Viscount¡¯s family. If the baron¡¯s house had not been ruined as it was, he would probably have been engaged to Mary. I think Cedric-sama probably had a fondness for Mary and not just in the way you would feel toward a childhood friend.¡± Mary¡¯s image is frequently portrayed as harsh, owing to her harsh demeanor. Her actual appearance, on the other hand, was quite appealing to the point where she could easily compete with Clarisse; if ten people were asked what they thought of her appearance, all ten of them would probably consider her a beauty. She has beautiful dark hair, calm gray eyes, and a slender physique, which is not bad in any way, but ¨C because of the way she speaks and acts ¨C Jean thought that Sid¡¯s preferences might be a little different from others. It was a surprise to learn that there was another man who wanted Mary as a wife. ¡°What do you mean by resemblance? Face?¡± ¡°Well, if we¡¯re talking about facial features alone, I think Sid-sama is more handsome¡­but his smile reminds me of Cedric-sama¡¯s.¡± Jean sat down on the sofa and thought about it. ¡°Where is this Cedric man now?¡± ¡°Only to the extent that I met him when he was with Mary at the time¡­I didn¡¯t know him that well. As you know, I rarely went to soir¨¦es¡­ I just remember he was four years older than Mary, so he may have already gotten married by now. ¡° Indeed, when the barony was demolished, Clarisse mentioned that she was only eight years old, making Mary only 12 at the time, which was a long time ago, and Clarisse herself was also a child, so it¡¯s no wonder she didn¡¯t know what happened to Cedric afterward. The baron¡¯s family had separated, apparently, but Cedric must have known that Mary had joined the Farenheit household in the royal capital as a servant. Hence, the fact that he had not shown his face since then means that he abandoned her. ¡°Do you think Mary liked Cedric?¡± Clarisse pondered. ¡°This is just my guess, but I think she probably did love him. But since Mary has such a personality, I have a feeling that she cut off her past once and for all when the barony was ruined, and I don¡¯t think I ever saw her display any emotions regarding Cedric sama after that.¡± ¡®That¡¯s certainly¡­ very Mary-like.¡¯ ¡°Why did you suddenly remember Cedric?¡± Was there any sign that made Mary think of Cedric? Clarisse smiled bashfully when he asked that, and Jean couldn¡¯t care less about Mary¡¯s story at that moment; he just wanted to hug her and love her, but he managed to contain himself with rationality. ¡°That was this morning when I told Mary about Sid-sama¡­ Mary¡¯s face turned bright red, and she was so flustered¡­ I wondered if she liked Sid-sama. And when I thought of that, I realized that Sid-sama looked like someone else¡­and I remembered Cedric-sama.¡± ¡®I see¡­it¡¯s worth checking out¡­¡¯ Clarisse must have just remembered it somehow, but now with the mess of the Farenheit family being cleared up, Cedric might be worried about Mary and investigate her whereabouts, and since Mary is now in a different position from when she was a maid in the Farenheit household, he might think that he could meet with her if he wanted to. Since Jean felt happier and more contented than he had ever been in his life with his companion, Clarisse, he thought it would not be a bad idea to look into the background of the woman his breast brother was interested in. He asked Clarisse for Cedric¡¯s full name and made a note in his head to have Marius look into it secretly tomorrow. Then he lay back on his bed, pulling his beloved fianc¨¦e to his side, and thought about suggesting to Clarisse that it might be a good idea to not take Mary to the lake. Chapter 30 Several days later, Jean and Clarisse departed for the lake on the outskirts of the remote region. Jean told Marius about the situation and instructed him to find out about Mary¡¯s family and Cedric. Clarisse also decided not to take Mary on this trip, as Jean had suggested. Clarisse was fine with it either way because she had already planned to give Mary some time off. Mary only had dresses for Clarisse that she could put on and take off herself; thus, Clarisse, who could basically do everything by herself, would be fine without her. Her only concern was how Clarisse would arrange her hair. Still, she won¡¯t be meeting any other nobles on the trip, so she doesn¡¯t need to worry about doing complicated hairstyles; as long as Clarisse can tie it up without difficulty, she¡¯ll be fine. Jean, who was sitting next to Clarisse in the carriage, took her left hand and began twirling her ring around and around. ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about something; when I asked you about it before, you said we didn¡¯t need a wedding ceremony¡­ but it just doesn¡¯t sit right with me¡­ we don¡¯t need a grand ceremony in the royal capital, but why don¡¯t we do it here in the borders? Sid, Marius, and the servants can celebrate with us.¡± ¡°Here, on the borders?¡± ¡°Yes, here. Well, at any rate, the winter has already started¡­ how about we hold it in the spring when the flowers start to bloom? The king has already given his blessing for the marriage, so if we just were to inform him of the date and time in advance, it should go off without a hitch.¡± ¡°Is it really okay?¡± Clarisse asked Jean, her violet eyes glowing with joy, and he was confident that he was right to ask this question. ¡°Of course. I want to see you in your bridal dress.¡± ¡°I am so happy! Jean-sama ¡­ Actually, at the time, I thought you wanted my sister and not me¡­I just couldn¡¯t say anything.¡± ¡°Ah, I see.¡± Both Jean and Clarisse have come a long way to reach this point, just because of the selfish lies sown by her father. ¡°I¡¯d like to see you dressed as a bridegroom, too, Jean-sama. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll look very splendid¡­¡± Clarisse¡¯s rosy cheeks and smile were so cute that Jean couldn¡¯t help but steal her lips into a kiss. With their tongues entwined, they indulged in the sweet kiss for a while before Jean reluctantly pulled away. Jean was in the most flirtatious mood he had ever been in, so if she were to give him a chance, he might just go the way while in the carriage. ¡°I can¡¯t¡­ We¡¯ve waited all this time¡­¡± As soon as she was released from the kiss, Clarisse leaned her head on his shoulder. Jean initially mistook Clarisse for shy and reserved, but she actually preferred to be spoiled more than he expected, and the fact that he was the only one who knew her in this way satisfied his possessive desires and brought him enormous joy. ¡°Let¡¯s contact that dressmaker in the royal capital to have the wedding dress made; they have a rough idea of the size, so it would be easy to make without us going there personally.¡± Jean said, and just as he thought, Clarisse refrained. ¡°That¡­.I don¡¯t want anything too extravagant, Jean-sama.¡± ¡°Just¡­you¡¯ll only wear a wedding gown once in your life, and I want to see you, the most beautiful of all, in a beautiful gown; let me spoil my wife.¡± Jean is the one who spoils her so much, so when he puts it like that, she can¡¯t say no, and it appears that he is looking forward to seeing her in her wedding dress. She smiled and nodded slightly as she leaned back against him. ??? ¡®I¡¯ve got four days off¡­what should I do?¡¯ On the other hand, Mary was in her room at the Margrave¡¯s mansion, enjoying her first vacation in a while but worrying about what in the world she was going to do. Since joining the Farenheit household, she had almost never taken a day off because she had never wanted to leave Clarisse with Matilda, who was constantly being mean to her. ¡®Let¡¯s go to town today ¡­¡¯ The Margrave told her that if she needed to go to town, she could request that the butler prepare the carriage, which she gratefully agreed to use. A short while later, the butler called her to get into the carriage, which was waiting at the mansion¡¯s entrance¡­ ¡®What the ..? ¡® When she went to get into the carriage, she found Sid, whom she had not seen for three weeks, standing there. ¡°Mary, long time no see. Have you been well?¡± ¡°Y-Yes.¡± ¡°Do you have someplace you want to go to?¡± ¡°No, well¡­¡± ¡®What does this mean? Does the Margrave also know about this? Of course he does¡¯ Mary was perplexed, but she reminded herself that, while she was embarrassed to meet him, she already knew what he was like, so there was no need to be nervous now. It¡¯s not that she is particularly uncomfortable being with him. Unlike aristocratic daughters, who are considered indecent to walk around with a nobleman, she, as a servant, has no reputation to worry about. She considers this quick turnaround to be one of her strengths. ¡°I¡¯ve never been to the town, so I¡¯d like to go there.¡± Sid, who probably did not expect a serious reply, blinked his eyes and then smiled. ¡®His smile though~~ it¡¯s simply beautiful..¡¯ ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll show you around the town today¡­although it¡¯s not as grand as the royal capital.¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m sorry to inconvenience you, but I¡¯d appreciate it if you would accompany me around.¡± Of course, Sid is familiar with the town, so she decided to be honest and ask him for a tour. And with that, the two of them got into the carriage and headed towards the town. Chapter 31.1 ¡°It is more urban than I expected for such a remote city; oh, I hope you won¡¯t be offended by the way I put it.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t expect you to be so demure after all this time. You can be more at ease with me, okay?¡± ¡°Hmmm, I wonder about that too, but it makes me feel more fortable, thank you very much.¡± Mary answered in a serious manner. However, Sid started laughing again. Eventually, Sid took her to a store where she could buy some winter clothes at a more affordable price and then to a bookstore. Mary, a former noblewoman herself, could read; despite constantly mocking Clarisse for being a bookworm, she too was one herself. However, unlike Clarisse, she was not interested in learning or academic materials and only read popular romance and historical novels. Sid was surprised that Mary could read but opted not to say anything, instead silently watching her while she chose a book. Today, she enjoyed shopping as much as she wanted. She had almost no place to spend her salary as a maid in the Farenheit family, and then came her considerably higher-than-market salary in the Margrave¡¯s mansion, which both kept accumulating until now. Although Sid offered to pay, she declined politely as he had no obligation to. ¡°So what does the town thrive on since it is in the middle of nowhere? Is there some sort of industry or something? The location is pretty inconvenient, being so far from the rest of the kingdom.¡± Mary asked a question that occurred to her, and Sid looked at her as though she was asking a surprising question. ¡°Well, basically, there¡¯s a lot of trade; it¡¯s the most thriving sector here; there¡¯s been plenty of exchanges between us and the neighboring countries, you know, with treaties and all.¡± ¡°Oh, I suppose so. Hmm, I think agriculture isn¡¯t that active in this area, right? We passed through rocky areas a few times on the way here. Are there any minerals that can be extracted, perhaps?¡± ¡°When it es to agriculture, it¡¯s undeniable that we need as much produce as we can get our hands on. Now that the relationship with neighboring countries has settled down a little, I think Jean will be able to work on improving it, although the weather is not suitable for agriculture, to begin with.¡± In remote areas, it seems that the four seasons are not so well defined, with a short spring, followed by a long summer and fall, and then a harsh winter; if anything, it is more like a three-season cycle. Right now, it is between late fall and early winter, and in some parts of the area, temperatures are expected to drop severely, and snow will keep people in their houses for days at a time. Mary also learned from other servants in the mansion that people in remote areas worked hard to stockpile for the winter months in advance, to be able to make it until spring. ¡°There are some minerals, but¡­ nothing too valuable, I suppose. Basically, it¡¯s a poor area.¡± As a result, when Jean was appointed as a margrave, the other nobles weren¡¯t exactly overjoyed. Thus, he was rewarded and honored by the king, and if they considered the wealth and position he had built up alone, it showed that it was a fruitful land, but the process of getting there was harsh and horrendous. If it were someone other than Jean, they would have given up and thrown it away long ago. ¡®Besides, Jean didn¡¯t care so much whether he had wealth or not¡­well, I guess now it¡¯s a bit different since he wants to be able to use it for Clarisse.¡¯ Chapter 31.2 Chapter 31, part 2 ¡®Besides, Jean didn¡¯t care so much whether he had wealth or not¡­well, I guess now it¡¯s a bit different since he wants to be able to use it for Clarisse.¡¯ Mary nodded her head To put it simply she was different from the other noble women in his life, He had no idea why he was so attracted to her. When he first approached her in the mansion, he thought she was a beautiful woman indeed, but once she opened her mouth, the beauty of her face went away, and she made him feel so unique and joyous that he couldn¡¯t help but be charmed by her personality. She is nothing like the kind of woman who has been around him in the past, who is usually quick to start flirting. Not to mention her unwavering loyalty to Clarisse, which is pleasant to watch. ¡®But I didn¡¯t know she could read¡­ How does she know how to read?¡¯ ¡°Sid-sama, are you the eldest son of Viscount Hansen?¡± Out of the blue, Mary asked him a personal question; he never thought she might be interested in him before, so that made him feel happy for some reason. He was so surprised that he didn¡¯t even realize that Mary had called him by his name, which he had longed for to happen. ¡°Hmm, no, I¡¯m the third son of Viscount Hansen.¡± ¡°You have older brothers, I see.¡± ¡°Yes. My eldest brother will succeed my father, so I can live comfortably.¡± Mary didn¡¯t make any particular comment, but she nodded her head and smiled as if she had guessed from Sid¡¯s usual behavior that it was something like that. ¡°You know, Marius is my cousin, right? He¡¯s the second child, but he only has one other sister, so he¡¯s the heir to their family.¡± ¡°Ah. Marius-sama?¡± ¡®Ah. She calls him by his name without hesitation¡­¡¯ A spark of jealousy began to burn within him. His cousin has always been exceptionally popular with women because of his serious nature and kindness. However, he is just as uptight as Jean, so he rarely plays with women. He thought, ¡®Perhaps being stoic and uptight isn¡¯t such a bad thing after what Jean told me the other day.¡¯ He became depressed all of a sudden. After all, Mary might prefer a man like Marius. Perhaps it¡¯s natural for Mary to think so since she sees the happy face of Clarisse being loved by Jean. Sid had never wanted to redo the past as much as he does now. He wanted to strangle the man who had been playing with women without thinking and beat the crap out of him to bring him back to his senses. Of course, Sid respected them, and he had never toyed with them; he was just having fun without thinking much about it. But if you ask him if he can remember the faces of these women¡ªhe can¡¯t, not a single one of them. It had been that way until the moment he saw Mary. There was something Jean told Sid after he fell in love with Clarisse at first sight¡ªhe knew it when he saw it. He said, ¡°Love is not something you just fall into slowly, but rather, when you realize it, you have already fallen.¡± Back then, he thought that Jean was a romanticist despite his face, but now he could actually understand what he meant about how, when you realize it, you¡¯ve already fallen. Mary looked curiously at Sid¡¯s sudden silence. Still, she did not make any comment, just remained silent and shifted her gaze to the scenery passing by outside the carriage. ¡°Mary, do you ever wish you could redo the past?¡± Sid asked suddenly, and after pondering about it for a moment, she said. ¡°Going back to the past is not at all realistic, but if I could do it all over again, I think I would.¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­like, how old would you be?¡± Mary was silent for a moment, but quickly answered. ¡°If I could, I¡¯d like to go back and do it all over again before I turned 12 or so.¡± When they arrived at the Margrave¡¯s mansion, Sid pulled a wrapper out of his pocket as he helped Mary out of the carriage. ¡°Here, please accept this.¡± ¡°¡ªwhat is it?¡± Sid smiled. ¡°It¡¯s a sweet candy that¡¯s currently very popular in the town. You can¡¯t buy them by yourself, can you?¡± As Mary stammered, he pressed the wrapper into her hand. ¡°Thank you for going out with me today. I¡¯ll come again tomorrow to see you.¡± Chapter 32.1 Chapter 32, part 1 After returning to her room, Mary wondered what Sid¡¯s true intentions were as she held the wrapped sweets in her hands. He probably doesn¡¯t know that she used to be a noble, so was he just trying to get his hands on a rather unusual maid? She is aware that she is a bit peculiar and even called ¡°fierce¡± among the servants of the Viscount Farenheit family, but she also knows that she doesn¡¯t look that bad. There was a time when she even had a lover after becoming a maid, though she is sure that Clarisse doesn¡¯t know this. However, he was taken aback by Mary¡¯s too Clarisse-centered life, and the relationship soon came to an end. Nevertheless, if the third son of a viscount took an interest in the maid and messed around with her ¡­ ¡®At best¡­a mistress? At worst¡­just a flirt? But would he do that kind of thing?¡¯ In the first place, he is a popular guy, so even if he was not interested in her, there would be plenty of women who would want to be his girlfriend¡­. As she got to know Sid, she found it hard to believe that he could be such a carefree person, and Mary was unusually troubled by this thought. As she opened the packet of sweets, she found a beautiful blush-pink bite-sized baked confectionary with something similar to a cream filling inside. ¡®Cute¡­¡¯ Despite her appearance, Mary was surprisingly fond of pretty things, and she enjoyed them very much. When she gently brought them close to her face, she could smell their appetizing aroma, and she smiled as she devoured one of the sweets. ¡­ The lake in early winter was even more magical than she had expected. According to Jean, it was a few hours¡¯ trip by carriage from the residence to the lake, and based on its location close to the borders, she thought it might be cold, but surprisingly the temperature was not that low. However, since it was near the water, the wind was slightly chilly, and strong winds would deprive the body of warmth. The lake was very large, and she wondered if this was similar to what the ocean was like, although she had never seen one before. When she mentioned this briefly to Jean, he told her it was true that the lake had waves and fish living in it, but that it was completely fresh water and that this was not the same for the ocean. ¡°The water is slightly cold, but it¡¯s quite pleasant to swim in, and because it¡¯s fresh water, you can wash your body and even drink if you want to.¡± After listening to Jean¡¯s typical comments, they took a leisurely stroll around the lake. In the center of the lake, there was a small detached island with trees, making her wonder if there were animals living there, too. ¡°Not to ask the obvious, but of course you can swim, right, Jean-sama?¡± Clarisse asked, holding his arm as they walked along the shore. ¡°Yeah, I think I mentioned that to you before, but my father is from here, so I used to play in this lake when I was younger, and in the summer, we used to come here to swim all the time.¡± She observed his strong, athletic physique and realized that it was probably because he had been playing near nature since he was a child that he had grown into such a fit and well-built man. Although this can be partly due to his training as a knight, it is most likely that he had already developed an excellent physique from an early age. ¡°When you say we, you mean you, your father and Lotte-sama as well, right?¡± She heard that Lotte was Jean¡¯s father¡¯s younger sister. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. She grew up here with us for a long time, and met the Marquis of Ainsworth in the royal city, where she had her debutante ball.¡± ¡®So many wonderful stories¡­¡¯ If Jean¡¯s words are true, their origins do not appear to be that influential nobility, so the fact that she fell in love with a marquis and married him must have happened only after overcoming various, probably unthinkable difficulties, and they are still happily married. Clarisse decided that the next time she saw Lotte, she needed to know everything. ¡°All right, let¡¯s head for the mansion before the sun goes down.¡± Chapter 32.2 When Jean was rewarded by the king for his service as a margrave, he bought a villa near here as well as renovated his parents¡¯ residence. When Clarisse expressed her surprise at how he was able to do this, he explained that everything here was cheaper than in the royal capital. Nevertheless, she knew that most of his daily life is centered around his work; he is not extravagant in general; and he is not the kind of person who wastes his money. The villa was located near the lake. It was a small and cozy place. The villa was small enough that Mr. and Mrs. Brown, his servants, were responsible for taking care of the place, as they only needed to come to the villa to clean and let the air flow through the house from time to time. ¡°I never thought I¡¯d see the day when Jean-sama would bring such a beautiful young lady here.¡± Mr. and Mrs. Brown, who had known Jean since his childhood, were overjoyed when they heard that Jean was bringing his fianc¨¦e. Mrs. Brown was holding a handkerchief under her eyes to keep the tears at bay. ¡°She¡¯s still my fianc¨¦e, but we¡¯re getting married in the spring.¡± ¡°That¡¯s wonderful.¡± ¡°I¡¯d love for you guys to be there. I¡¯ll send you a letter when the details are finalized.¡± All the people around Jean are nice people who care about him, Clarisse thought while smiling. This is no doubt a reflection of Jean¡¯s care for them. The house itself is very simple and beautifully furnished in a country style, and every corner of the house was thoroughly cleaned. Mrs. Brown had prepared a delicious dinner that included many of the region¡¯s local dishes. She was told that milk and cheese are the specialties of this area, and they were so delicious that even Clarisse, who is a rather light eater, ate a lot of them. After spending a warm moment with Jean watching Clarisse as she ate, and after the Browns watched them attentively, they lit a fire in the living room on the first floor, told them they would be back in the morning, and went home. ¡°Clarisse, come here.¡± Jean sat down on the rug in front of the fireplace and called her over, sitting Clarisse on his lap and hugging her from behind. His large body covered Clarisse entirely, giving her the feeling that he was protecting her. ¡°Are you enjoying your trip so far?¡± ¡°I am enjoying it.¡± Clarisse relaxed her body and leaned against him slightly, but his sturdy body didn¡¯t even twitch. The scent of amber, her favorite scent, wafts from him. Surrounded by the warmth from the fireplace and his hot body, Clarisse¡¯s eyelids gradually close as she listens to the crackling of the fireplace. As always, she really sleeps well when she is by Jean¡¯s side. The next time she noticed, Jean had picked her up and was carrying her into the bedroom. ¡°Did I wake you?¡± ¡°Oh¡­I must have fallen asleep.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been in the carriage for a long time; you must be tired. You slept well.¡± He gently placed her down on the bed and sat beside the bed himself, gently brushing her chestnut locks away from her face. Suddenly, a thought came to Clarisse from deep within, and she murmured without thinking. ¡°Jean-sama, I like you.¡± Chapter 33 Chapter 33 The hand that was caressing Clarisse¡¯s hair suddenly stops. Not only his hand, but Jean-sama as well, stopped moving completely. ¡®I wonder if something¡¯s wrong¡­?¡¯ She watched in astonishment as his face, which had always been expressionless, gradually loosened and turned bright red. He murmured shyly as he pulled his hand from Clarisse¡¯s hair to cover the lower half of his face. ¡°Have you noticed, Clarisse? This is the first time you ever expressed to me that you¡­ well¡­ like me¡­¡± ¡®Oh so he¡¯s shy!¡¯ But then Clarisse, realizing that she had unconsciously let her thoughts leak out, now turned bright red as well. ¡°I-¡­didn¡¯t I ever tell you that I adore you¡­?¡± ¡°Nope.¡± He was still covering the lower half of his face with his hand, still very red. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about that¡­ I, Jean-sama, adore you more than anyone else.¡± One moment Jean seemed to move, and the next, Clarisse was being embraced by Jean. His wild face was unusually tense, and his golden eyes were undoubtedly filled with a hint of lust, but his tone was as gentle as ever. ¡°Clarisse¡­I love you¡­¡± ¡®Do you realize that this is the first you¡¯ve said it to me, Jean-sama¡¯ Although she had no doubt that Jean loved her and that he cared for her more than anyone else, she had never heard him speak to her in clear, explicit words of love. He had shown her enough with his actions that she didn¡¯t really need him to say it, but¡­it was such a heavenly feeling to hear him say it for the first time¡­. She looked at her fianc¨¦, who was precious to her more than anyone else, with her violet bright pupils while she enjoyed the moment they were having. ¡°Jean-sama, I¡­love you too.¡± ¡°Clarisse¡­¡± He stole Clarisse¡¯s lips as if he could no longer hold back. When Jean confessed to Clarisse that he had yet to have intercourse with anyone, he told her -in his typical formal manner- that he was reading a guidebook on the art of the bedroom, her face turned red at the time and she simply said, ¡°Oh, I see¡±. She had actually read a similar book, which her mother had sent to her when it was decided that she would get married to Jean. At first, she was so surprised by the blatant descriptions that she closed the book almost immediately after reading the first few lines, but understanding that it was necessary, she read it with some reluctance. The book that Clarisse read was written for young ladies, so it was probably written in softer terms than the one that Jean was reading, but nevertheless, she read through it. (tl: welp¡­) The sight of her, whispering words of love to him, aroused him to a point he never thought was possible, he devoured her lips and stole her breath as if his life was depending on it, and by the time he was satisfied after attacking her lips, her legs went weak and her strength was drained. He then gently dropped kisses down her neck and ran his hands over the buttons of her dress. All of the dresses she brought with her had the buttons in the front, this was Mary¡¯s idea, for Clarisse to be able to put on and take off her dress by herself, but perhaps she had foreseen that this might happen as well. He began to undo the buttons as if he was unwrapping a gift, and soon enough, her chest came into view, revealing that she wasn¡¯t wearing any corset, which made Jean¡¯s eyes widened for a second. ¡°You aren¡¯t wearing a corset¡­!¡± Clarisse¡¯s face, which was flushed due to the heated kiss, turned even deeper red at that point. This was also one of the things Mary had recommended. The actual corset is a lot more difficult to put on and take off, so instead of a corset, she has prepared a thick undergarment so that her body lines will not show through the dress. When she asked Jean if he thought she was being vulgar, he looked rather pleased and pulled her arms out of the dress, followed by her underwear. Now, her upper body was completely exposed, and the dress barely covered her lower body. ¡®My chest¡­. he can see everything¡­¡¯ As she tried to cover her breasts with her arms, Jean, who had been staring at her body in a daze, gently grabbed her hands. ¡°Don¡¯t hide.. Every part of you is so beautiful, so please don¡¯t hide yourself from me¡­¡± With that, he placed another light kiss on her. As he enjoyed their kiss, he slowly ran his hands over her breasts, gently tracing their shape. ¡°Mmm¡­¡± She let out a squeal as he kissed her, and Jean looked down at her with a lustful look on his face, as if to say he wanted to skip the kissing part and just devour her entirely. ¡°Clarisse¡­if you don¡¯t like what I do, feel free to beat me until I come to my senses.¡± Clarisse, whose body was tightly pressed against his, knew that his crotch was already growing larger as he uttered this line with a serious face. Even in this state, he was a man who would be kind to her and care about her before doing anything. ¡°I love you, Jean-sama.¡± She pulled his face to hers, and this time she initiated kissing him affectionately. When he finally raised his head, satisfied after caressing Clarisse¡¯s body, she was already out of breath. He helped her out of her dress as he whispered words of love to her. With a passion so difficult to imagine from his usual self, he began savoring her body with his tongue. Clarisse soon began to moan in pleasure as a result of his gentle yet persistent caresses. There was nothing about Clarisse¡¯s body that he did not know; he was satisfied beyond words, and then he turned to take off his own clothes. Clarisse gasped at the sight of his muscular body. She had known all along that he was big, even when he was fully clothed, but his broad chest, toned abs, and large muscular body were manly in a way that she, as a woman, had never seen before. He had stripped off his underwear as well, and she could see the proud, towering form between his legs. It was the most lewdly-shaped thing she had ever seen in her life. He looked at her in silence, as if he were asking for her permission to continue. She wasn¡¯t stupid enough to misinterpret what he meant, so she nodded coyly and he smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll try to make it as painless as possible.¡± Then he moved gently to spread her legs apart; her thighs were already covered in love bites from earlier, and it looked like a field of blooming red flowers on a spring morning. He started to rub his cock against her entrance, which he had already caressed, and felt as she became more wet under his fingers. Still, she was tight, and he wanted to make her first experience as painless as it could be, so he endured his lustful desires and continued to rub and caress her entrance with his finger so she would loosen a bit more. ¡°Ah¡­¡± When Clarisse let out a muffled moan, Jean looked happy to know that she felt it to the point she couldn¡¯t suppress her pleasure. ¡°I will do it slowly¡­¡± True to his word, he slowly buried his cock inside her. The pressure of him entering her was too much for Clarisse, who was holding her breath as he pushed his cock inside her tight vagina. Jean stared at Clarisse¡¯s face as she slowly moved her hips forward. ¡°Is it painful?¡± His voice was hazy with lust, like nothing she had ever heard from him. It would probably be painful for him to stop here, but his tender consideration filled her heart with love. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine¡­ Keep going.. Ahh.¡± She gently wrapped her hands around his neck and hugged him tightly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, it¡¯s too big. I might not be able to fit all of it in tonight¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s all right, Jean-sama, put it in..¡± Encouraged by her words and actions, his massive cock slowly entered the virgin¡¯s vagina, rubbing against her tight walls. Jean groaned as he was indeed forced to stop; she was just so tight. ¡°Clarisse¡­ Can I enter all the way in¡­? It might hurt a lot.¡± ¡°Yes, yes, Jean-sama, please give it to me¡­¡± As she replied with enthusiasm, Jean shoved himself deeply into her, as if his previous slow movements had been a lie, and broke through her hymen at once. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Chapter 34 Chapter 34 Even though it was something they both wanted to do, as expected, at the moment of penetration, a sharp pain hit Clarisse, causing her to let out a loud moan. Jean continued to enter her little by little while keeping an eye on her expression, and when he reached the innermost part of her, he kept his hands placed on her thigh as sweat dripped from his forehead. ¡°-..I¡¯m in¡­¡± Jean muttered in a husky voice and looked at Clarisse¡¯s face. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± Clarisse felt that she could breathe a little easier when she sensed his care and affection for her; he would ask for her consent several times before he started doing anything. Then his large hand began to rub her body slowly, and the pain seemed to ease a little. The movements of his hands were not obscene; rather, they were gentle movements tinted with compassion, making it all the more pleasurable. ¡°Jean.. kiss me¡­¡± She whispered, and Jean happily obliged. The kisses she shared with Jean were dreamy, as their tongues entwined; although the pain was still lingering, it gradually eased as they continued kissing. ¡°I¡¯m finally inside you, Clarisse¡­¡± ¡°Mmmm¡­¡± He rose up, releasing her lips, and every slight change in posture elicited a sweet sound from her. ¡°If you are in pain, then I¡¯ll be content to call it a day.¡± She knew that Jean was concerned about her body and that he would really be willing to stop if she wanted him to, but her body was now filled with her love for Jean, so much so that she wasn¡¯t sure if she would be able to stand it if they were to stop right now. Clarisse wanted to indulge him; she wanted to become fully his, and she wanted this to happen tonight. ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­ I¡¯m fine.. just move slowly¡­Jean-sama¡­¡± Hearing those words, his lust-filled golden eyes gazed at her violet ones, reflecting her love, and he began to move his hips slowly while she gasped for breath. ¡°Ah¡­hah¡­nn¡­!¡± Clarisse¡¯s hip movements became a little bolder as her muffled moans became louder, trying to match his movements. His throbbing cock continued to thrust against her soft walls, and soon enough the pain was erased completely and replaced by the pleasure taking over her. ¡°Jean-sama ¡­¡­ Ahh, mmm¡­ I love you..¡± ¡°Clarisse, does it feel good? Am I doing it properly?¡± She nodded her head enthusiastically. Clarisse was now struggling to keep up with the waves of pleasure that Jean was making her feel. When Jean thrust deep into her, it felt like her body was about to break in half; perhaps due to his large size, every time he would slam again into her, she would feel a deep, heavy sensation springing up from the depths of her body. ¡°Ah¡­there¡­hah¡­nn¡­ahh¡­¡± ¡°It feels¡­too good!¡± Jean was now stirring up Clarisse¡¯s insides, and it started to make an embarrassing wet sound as he continued to pound into her. ¡°Clarisse¡­ Can I put it all the way in?¡± ¡°Put it all the way in..Ahh.?¡± ¡°Yeah, all the way in..¡± Clarisse honestly didn¡¯t know what was going to happen to her, but in her hot, boiling excitement, she reached out towards him. ¡°Yes¡­.¡±. Jean pushed into the innermost depths of her body, holding her body tightly, and Clarisse¡¯s mind went blank from the sheer shock of it. Her toes felt as if they were numb, as if her entire body was covered in warm water¡­ He reached down and gently rubbed her sensitive bud, and Clarisse¡¯s sensual body shivered and shuddered as she reached her first ever climax. ¡°Ahhh¡­!¡± Her walls tightened around him as she came, and her body was trembling and shaking still. Jean kept holding her as they both breathed in their own pleasure. When Clarisse¡¯s trembling finally subsided, he began to gently suckle on her neck and nibble her earlobes tirelessly without pulling out. ¡°Ah¡­!¡± Clarisse¡¯s body shuddered on its own this time, and her vagina tightened as she tried to suck his cock in. He slowly pulled out of her vagina before thrusting back inside her, now even stronger than before, and an overwhelming rush of pleasure erupted from deep within her as his cock hit the deepest part of her body. She reached her climax and moaned again, this time at the top of her lungs. ¡°Jean-sa¡­ah¡­ahhhhhhh!!!!¡± Jean¡¯s hands moved to the side of her head and intertwined with her own, and he continued riding on her orgasm. The sound of body slapping and their sweaty bodies colliding with each other¡¯s echoed through the air, and before long, Clarisse reached her third climax of the night due to the crazy amount of pleasure she was receiving from him. After that, every time he thrust into her, she would be gasping and panting like crazy. ¡°Oh, God, I can¡¯t take it any longer¡­ oh, God¡­ deep inside¡­ it feels so good¡­ Jean,¡± she says. ¡°Is it okay for me to cum inside¡­ or is it better if I don¡¯t?¡± ¡°Ahhh .. please come inside me, give me all of it..Unn.¡± As Clarisse squealed softly, Jean finally pumped his entire load into her womb.. ??? ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± As Clarisse lay on the bed after the events that took place, too limp to even raise her arms, she was surprised to see Jean, who had just pulled out of her insides, apologizing to her right from the get-go. He gazed at the pinkish liquid that was a mixture of her virgin blood and the cloudy white fluid he had released inside her as it flowed down her thigh. He was apologetic yet still somewhat pleased with himself. He then moved to gently stroke her body as if he were handling a treasure. His gentle gestures showed her how much he loved her, and that on its own made her tremendously happy. ¡°I was going to refrain from cumming inside you before our marriage, but it felt so good that I couldn¡¯t resist.¡± Clarisse blushed again at his blunt words. Although they had just performed more embarrassing activities than what he had just said, the power of his blunt words was even more astonishing. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I wanted you to do it too.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll be careful until the wedding. I¡¯m really looking forward to seeing you in your wedding dress.¡± ¡®That¡¯s¡­!!!¡¯ Was that his way of saying they¡¯ll continue to have sex even when they return home, but he will be more careful to not release inside her until they get married officially? ¡°Wait for a second while I go get the bath ready.¡± He wiped off her sticky body with a damp cloth and then cleaned himself up roughly, put on a gown, and rushed to the kitchen to boil some water. Clarisse covered her feverish body with the sheets and dozed off to sleep, this time from exhaustion as she thought about the sensational yet incredibly happy event that had happened to her. She was awakened by the feeling of him gently lifting her in his arms. Carrying her lightly in his arms, he headed for the bathroom, where the bathtub was filled with steaming hot water. ¡°Did I wake you up? You must feel uncomfortable not getting yourself cleaned off before sleeping.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± She rubbed herself against his neck in a dreamlike state, and the scent of Jean, whom she loved so much, now filled her heart. ¡°I¡¯m a lucky man. Not only am I able to make love to you, Clarisse, but I¡¯m also able to fulfill my dream of taking a bath together.¡± ¡®What¡­? A dream? Bath together?¡¯ Clarisse was very confused by his sudden words, but his will was incredibly firm. Needless to say, once freed from his grip, Jean indulged himself in savoring her body, and while he showed great care for Clarisse¡¯s body, he was relentless and continued to tease her even in the bath. Chapter 35 Chapter 35 The next morning, Clarisse slowly opened her eyes and found herself unable to move¡ªJean¡¯s muscular arms were wrapped tightly around her waist from behind. Despite her initial reservations, she had taken a bath with Jean last night¡ªas he had wished¡ªand he had washed her body thoroughly. He must have cleaned up the bathtub after that, but she was so exhausted that she fell asleep instantly, not even noticing the noise. She thought back vaguely about last night, the first time they had been physically connected. It had been an amazing experience. ¡®It was just¡­amazing¡­Jean-sama was so gentle,¡¯ -she thought to herself Even now, she could still feel the tingling sensation between her legs. It felt as if he was still inside her. Her body felt heavier than usual, so she might not be able to move much today. Yet Clarisse was happy anyway. It was a strange feeling, as if she had become closer to Jean than ever before. Clarisse slowly closed her eyelids once more and drifted off into the depths of sleep. ??? ¡°Good morning, Mary!¡± Sid arrived while Mary was having breakfast, and Mary couldn¡¯t help but smile. ¡®Wah! He really showed up!¡¯ Furthermore, as one would expect from a man who knows the Margrave¡¯s mansion so well, he is quite the tactician, coming in just as the servants were clearing out. ¡°What are you planning to do today?¡± ¡°That¡¯s.. I haven¡¯t thought of anything¡­.¡± Sid, who was dressed in flashy clothes today as well, tilted his head to the side. While the Margrave wore simple and casual clothes¡ªprobably for comfort¡ª and Marius mostly wore clothes that were more on the plain side, Sid, however, always seemed to wear flashy outfits. Especially after visiting the town yesterday, she had come to know that Sid¡¯s wardrobe was actually quite trendy. ¡®I knew how he was.., but that¡¯s all¡­¡¯ ¡°How about we go to the park near the mansion? It¡¯s slightly cold, but I think you¡¯ll be fine if you wear the coat you got yesterday.¡± ¡°A park?¡± ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a tearoom in the park, too. I¡¯ll treat you to a cup of tea.¡± ¡°Treat¡­ me?¡± She pouted at him and received a smug nod in return. ¡°Lord Hansen, you are the third son of a viscount, you know. You don¡¯t need to treat me¡ªa servant¡ªto tea, remember? Besides, I am sure that the tearoom is full of aristocrats, so I would stand out if I went.¡± After she firmly declined his invitation, His face contorted in an unusual display of displeasure ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to say that about yourself. There¡¯s no such thing as a lowly profession, is there? I¡¯m the one who wants to have tea with you. Why should we care about what anyone else thinks? And if you keep a calm and dignified manner, no one will know.¡± ¡®¡­¡­ I always knew I¡¯m somewhat strange, but this man¡­ he¡¯s quite¡­weird¡­. How should I put it?¡¯ He¡¯s a free spirit¡­. ¡°Hehehe¡­¡± She couldn¡¯t help but smile, and Sid¡¯s eyes darted over to her. ¡®He really is a strange one¡­.¡¯ Mary was well aware of her own tendency to find such ¡°freedom¡± amusing. Sid had been feeling restless from the moment he woke up that morning. The entire way to the margrave¡¯s mansion, he had been arguing with himself worrying over what to say and where to invite Ma. Yet, as soon as he saw her lovely face, his worries vanished, and he found himself simply asking her what she would like to do today. That was the first time in his life he has ever done something like that, and it made him flustered and anxious as he awaited her response. Then, feeling that she was going to carelessly decline his invitation because he had no plans yet, so he invited her to a park where there was a tearoom, hoping to find some way to spend some time together. However, as he had half-expected, she was hesitant because of her station, and he ended up trying to reassure her too forcefully. He looked back at Mary¡¯s puzzled expression and thought, ¡®Oh, no¡­ I fucked up again.¡¯ ¡°Hehehe.¡± Sid couldn¡¯t believe his eyes when he saw her smiling so happily. ¡°You¡¯ve changed, Sid-sama.¡± Perhaps because they were in a mansion, she had addressed him as ¡°Lord Hansen¡± earlier, but when she called him by his name, he instantly felt as if his heart would burst with joy. Mary added happily, ¡°Oh, I mean it as a compliment when I say that you¡¯ve changed. I have too. Ah, Now it sounds like I¡¯m tooting my own horn. Hahaha!¡± Her words¡¯ sounded music to Sid¡¯s ears. Mary laughed a bit and told Sid that, although she could not join him in the tearoom, she would be happy to accompany him to the park. Chapter 36 The remaining two days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was now finally the day that Clarisse and the margrave were scheduled to return from the lake. During their absence, Sid had shown up to the margrave¡¯s mansion every day and had taken Mary out to all sorts of places. That must have made the situation obvious to the other servants, but surprisingly¡ªperhaps due to their excellent training at the margrave¡¯s hand or due to Sid¡¯s own tactical mind or some mixture of both¡ªnobody harassed Mary. On the contrary, she actually felt that the others gazed on her more warmly now, which was somewhat embarrassing. Although she was looking forward to seeing Clarisse and serving her again, she was also a little disappointed that this pleasant vacation would be coming to an end. And she was further somewhat embarrassed to admit that Sid was one reason for her disappointment. It was late in the evening when Clarisse and Jean made it back to the manor. ¡®Myyyyyyyyyyy Ladyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!¡¯ When Clarisse came back, she was completely radiant and sparkling. She had always been beautiful, but now she had the added glow of a well-loved woman, and it was clear to Mary what had happened between the two of them during this trip. The margrave was also overflowing with energy and confidence, and his limited facial expressions made it all too obvious that he was even more captivated by Clarisse than ever before. Basically, it was not an exaggeration to say that his emotions were leaking out when it came to Clarisse. ¡®Thank God!¡¯ Mary, who greeted Clarisse every morning and took care of her personal needs, naturally knew she and the margrave were not yet truly husband and wife. But the more she got to know the margrave, the more she thought he had something in mind. This also confirmed that he had waited for Clarisse to be more comfortable around him before progressing their relationship further. In any case, as long as their lovemaking was mutually consensual, it wasn¡¯t her place to tell Clarisse what she should and should not do. Also, the fact that Clarisse was glowing with joy was more or less what she would have expected from the margrave. ¡®But I really have to be careful about my morning greetings from now on¡­The glare he would give me should I accidentally intrude on them! I would simply die!¡­¡¯ As someone who had known Clarisse since she was a child, it was deeply moving to see her finally climb the ladder of adulthood. Mary had been by her side through everything with the Viscount Farenheit family, and she felt she might very well weep should Clarisse and the margrave have a baby. While Mary, for her part, was struck by the changes she saw in Clarisse on her return, it seemed that Clarisse was struck by something she saw in Mary as well. As Mary helped her prepare for bed, she looked at Mary curiously and asked, ¡°Mary, did something good happen to you?¡± ¡°Eh, what¡¯s this all of a sudden¡­? No, nothing in particular¡­¡± For a moment she was startled, but she decided to feign ignorance. Clarisse did not know that Sid had been coming to the margrave¡¯s mansion every day to take her out. ¡°Hmmmm¡­ your expression is kind of bright¡­. I don¡¯t know¡­ you always said you didn¡¯t need a vacation, but I guess you did need a few days off¡­.¡± ¡°No, no, no, no, Miss, it¡¯s not like that! I always wish to be by your side¡­.¡± As she said that, she took the simple day dress that Clarisse had taken off herself¡ª¡®Yeah¡­ that¡¯s what happened¡­. I knew it¡­.¡¯¡ªto see that there were red marks all over her back. She pretended not to see them as much as possible and quickly continued to help Clarisse get dressed from behind. With her back looking like this¡­ Clarisse would surely be embarrassed if she looked at the front. No, no, she was afraid to look at the front because it would probably be¡­ crazy. Nevertheless, that was what you¡¯d expect from such a large, healthy adult male¡­ and, well, placing marks where people wouldn¡¯t see them if she wore a dress was just how the margrave was¡ªhe didn¡¯t want her to feel embarrassed by leaving them in obvious places. That¡¯s an extra point to the margrave! Mary was deeply relieved that Clarisse had met the margrave and was finally getting what she deserved, and, after wishing her lady a good night, she went back to her own room. ??? Jean had been gentle from the start, yet his nightly acts were becoming sweeter and more intense by the day. Tonight too Clarisse found herself gasping for breath, struggling to keep up with him. Even so, his golden eyes always revealed his love and admiration for her, and that alone made her extremely happy. Although Clarisse had fallen asleep immediately afterward that first time, after a few more times, she was able to stay awake. But still Jean insisted that it was his responsibility to help her wash up, which was always embarrassing to be honest. But, if it made him happy, she was happy, so she let him do as he pleased. ¡°I am sure it is not enough for you, Jean-sama,¡± Clarisse muttered as she helped him change the messy sheets. ¡°What isn¡¯t?¡± ¡°You know how you have a lot of stamina, Jean-sama¡­ and I¡¯m a little¡­ well¡­ inexperienced¡­ I can¡¯t do it so many times¡­ and I can¡¯t promise I¡¯ll be able to soon¡­ but in the future¡­ I¡¯ll be more experienced so that you can be fully satisfied¡­.¡± ¡°Clarisse.¡± He stopped changing the sheets and walked over from the other side of the bed. She felt her face turning red at what she had just uttered, and she couldn¡¯t help but look down. He stopped a few feet from her. ¡°I¡¯m satisfied from the bottom of my heart, Clarisse.¡± ¡°¡­Um.¡± ¡°If we didn¡¯t feel comfortable with each other, these acts would be meaningless, wouldn¡¯t they? You don¡¯t have to force yourself to do it more times than you can. I¡¯m fully satisfied with just seeing you enjoy yourself. What more could I possibly want?¡± He gently brushed through her chestnut-colored hair and added in a gentle tone, ¡°What pleases me most is that I get to be your first and last man.¡± ¡°I love you, Jean-sama.¡± She couldn¡¯t hold back and hugged the large, firm body in front of her, and he squeezed her in return. ¡°I love you.¡± Clarisse raised her crimson-flushed face and her fianc¨¦¡ªwith his silver hair and golden eyes and an impossibly tender expression¡ªkissed her gently. ??? It was several days later that Marius came to the margrave¡¯s mansion, bringing along with him information he had gathered regarding Mary. Chapter 37 Chapter 37 ¡°You came back quite quickly,¡± Jean said, raising an eyebrow, when he saw Marius in his office with the research report. It was a little over a week ago that he and Clarisse had gone off to the lake. Assuming that Marius had left for the royal capital¡ªa three day journey from here¡ªit would be safe to assume that he had gotten a reply in the shortest possible time. ¡°Yeah, it wasn¡¯t particularly difficult to investigate; it seems it was a relatively well-known story around there.¡± Marius placed a stack of reports on Jean¡¯s desk, and Jean proceeded to skim through them carefully. ¡°I see¡­ a simple-minded man with good intentions was deceived and lost his fortune¡­.¡± Mary¡¯s father, Baron Roosevelt, was a naturally good-natured man. He lost his fortune rapidly, because he believed false stories that he would make a lot of money if he invested in some business. The Roosevelt family, which had no power to begin with, was quickly and easily destroyed. However, the baron was well known for his good character, and the people around him extended helping hands as much as they were able. It was said that the Viscount of Farenheit took Mary in because he pitied the young girl who was not yet old enough to be on the street. Currently, the former baron was reported to be living quietly in the countryside with his wife. Mary had an older brother who followed his parents and now worked hard as the fallen family¡¯s breadwinner. After a few minutes, Jean set down the papers. ¡°Is it possible to have the title restored?¡± ¡°Well, I don¡¯t know. To begin with, It was more than 10 years ago¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like he was a criminal punished for horrid sins; if anything, he was a victim of fraud, right? Could we ask the king to do it? It would make all the difference if they could at least have their title back, even if it¡¯s only a name.¡± Jean folded his arms and¡ªwithout any pretense¡ªrevealed the card he held in reserve. ¡°That reminds me, the king has told me that, if I want another reward, I can always ask for it, so that¡¯s perfect.¡± Marius shrugged in response. ¡°Are you doing this for Sid¡¯s sake?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± No matter how free of a spirit Sid was or how capable he thought he was, it would be almost impossible for him to take Mary, a servant, as his lawful wife, even in this remote province so far from the royal capital. At the very most, he could take her as his mistress but not as an official wife. But if she were to become Mary, the daughter of Baron Roosevelt¡ªa noblewoman¡ªeven in name alone, it would be a different story. It might be difficult in a royal city with many nobles, but no one would have any complaints if she lived here under Jean¡¯s rule. And once married, Mary would already be the wife of the third son of Viscount Hansen, and there would be no problem even if she moved to the royal capital after that. Jean knew Sid¡¯s parents¡ªthe Viscount and Viscountess Hansen¡ªquite well, and believed that, if they knew Mary as a baron¡¯s young daughter, they probably would not object to their son marrying her. Perhaps Sid was thinking of having Mary adopted by some noble family and then marrying her. But the best method would be to have her own family¡¯s title restored. ¡°As his cousin, I¡¯m grateful you¡¯re thinking this through. Well, I guess both of us have never really seen Sid like that before, so I can understand¡­.¡± ¡°Once we find out what Mary thinks of Sid and determine that it¡¯s necessary, I¡¯ll make arrangements immediately. Either way, I¡¯ll have to write to inform the king of the wedding date.¡± ¡°The wedding?¡± Hearing this for the first time, Marius asked back, and Jean nodded. ¡°Yes, Clarisse wants us to hold our wedding ceremony in the spring; once spring comes, we will become lawfully married.¡± Marius flashed a big smile on his handsome face. ¡°Well, you both seem like a couple already, but¡­ congratulations, Jean.¡± Jean¡ªthe stiff man that he was¡ªonly ever loosened up when he discussed Clarisse, and now too cracks appeared in his stony facade as he expressed his gratitude for Marius¡¯ blessing, ¡°Thank you.¡± ¡®I¡¯m genuinely grateful that Clarisse-sama came to Jean¡­¡¯ Marius¡¯s heart lightened up as if a flower had blossomed when he thought of the happiness that this lonely man, whom he admired so, had achieved. Jean¡¯s face quickly lost the expression it was near to completing. ¡°And, have you found out anything about that Cedric guy?¡± Marius was now accustomed both to Jean¡¯s stony expressionlessness and his propensity to change subjects without warning. He was neither particularly surprised nor amused and pointed to the report he had just handed over. ¡°Yes, Cedric Anderson, Viscount Anderson¡¯s legitimate son. It seems his parents were quite close to the Baron Roosevelt family.¡± ¡°Ah, Clarisse did mention him being a viscount.¡± ¡°The Viscount Anderson family themselves seem to be a very ordinary noble family. They were very active in helping the Baron Roosevelt family when it was being stripped down.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I have a brief report on Cedric¡¯s current activities, so take a look at it. If you read it and require any further information, please let me know, and I¡¯ll look into it¡­. ¡ªOh, and this is what you asked for.¡± Marius handed Jean a thick envelope containing a letter. ¡°This is from Viscountess Farenheit to Lady Clarisse.¡± To show your support for the work, consider leaving a rating/ or review on the work . You can also support us by being a patron and get access to advance chapters in return! Chapter 38.1 Chapter 38 part 1 ¡°The Roosevelts?¡± That night Clarisse was relaxing on her bedroom couch when Jean surprised her with his plan to reclaim the Roosevelt family¡¯s title. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°And¡­ is it true, well, how Sid-sama feels about Mary?¡± ¡°Most likely.¡± Clarisse had had the feeling from Sid¡¯s behavior that he might like Mary, but now she knew with certainty¡ªespecially since Jean, whom Sid had known for a long time, also saw it that way. He continued, ¡°Well, as a matter of course, Mary¡¯s feelings must come first. She may not be willing to accept Sid, right? She may tell you in time, so let me know if you hear anything, Clarisse. As for the restoration of her family¡¯s title, I think it¡¯s only fair, but I¡¯m aware that she may not want it. If the title is restored, there will be people who will have unkind things to say about it.¡± ¡°Jean-sama¡­¡± As usual, he was a man with a broad perspective. Even when she was struggling with her family¡¯s problems, he never forced his ideas on her, but instead encouraged her to make her own choices. Thanks to him, she was able to act as she saw fit, confident and responsible for the consequences of her own decisions, and she believed that made her stronger in a way. Marius and Sid might have laughed at that and said that, while Jean had always had a broad perspective, he was only this sweet and gentle when it came to Clarisse. However, she believed that Jean was also very kind to Sid and Marius, and she felt that everyone understood his true nature. And that was why they admired him so much. ¡°As for Cedric Anderson¡­¡± Clarisse blinked as he mentioned a familiar name. ¡°Cedric-sama?¡± ¡°Yeah, I had him looked up while I was at it.¡± ¡°Was he married?¡± ¡°No¡­ and I don¡¯t think he has a fianc¨¦e either.¡± Cedric Anderson was now 27 years old and, according to the report, had no fianc¨¦e yet, so Jean intended to instruct Marius to obtain additional information when he could. ¡°I see¡­. I wonder if he still has feelings for Mary¡­ but it doesn¡¯t feel right somehow. I don¡¯t know what Cedric thinks of her, but I don¡¯t think she likes him that much. I¡¯ll ask her next time.¡± ¡®That might be the quickest way to find out,¡¯ Jean thought. Clarisse would tell him as soon as she found out anything about Mary, so he just had to wait for that. ¡°After that,¡± he continued aloud, ¡°Marius also sent a messenger to stop by the Viscount Farenheit¡¯s house, and I think he received this letter.¡± He passed a thick envelope into Clarisse¡¯s hand. The handwriting, which read ¡°To Margrave Siegfried Gutenberg,¡± definitely belonged to her mother. The letter was addressed to Jean, but it was clear that it was intended for Clarisse, so Jean had not opened the envelope. ¡°Do you mind if I read it now?¡± ¡°Of course not.¡± Jean sat down next to Clarisse, who, upon getting his permission, opened the envelope with a letter knife and took out its contents. To show your support for the work, consider leaving a rating/ or review on the work . You can also support us by being a patron and get access to advance chapters in return! Chapter 38.2 Chapter 38 part 2 In her elegant handwriting, Lady Farenheit began by thanking Clarisse for the letter she had sent to the Farenheit family on the day she left the royal capital. In plain words, her mother wrote about how the rumors of the violence between Clarisse¡¯s father and Matilda had somehow spread; how the family of the Marquess of McCain had sent a notice to call off the engagement between Matilda and their heir; how her father had nearly attacked Matilda again upon hearing this, which she desperately tried to stop him from doing; how she and her father had separated because of it; and how she had begged her father to divorce her and that he agreed to do so. She explained that she wanted to hold off on the separation until Clarisse married Jean, because of the way people might view her, but added that this might be difficult. Matilda was completely dejected and so depressed that her mother feared she might commit suicide, so she kept Matilda monitored around the clock. ¡®Mother¡­ you are fighting this battle all by yourself right now¡­¡¯ Matilda probably felt that the blind love from her father that she had relied on until now was crumbling from its foundation, and that Clarisse, whom she had used as an outlet for her anxiety, was happy and far away from home. And she was surely frustrated at not knowing what she should do with herself now. She had only ever been praised by their father for her external beauty. That was all she had ever worked on, and Clarisse had never known her to have any other hobbies or interests. ¡®I, however, know that watching from afar like this is my punishment for my sister¡­.¡¯ She still faintly felt that she would like to see her sister in person again someday. There was also the thought that that might never come to pass. However, only time could tell Clarisse the answer to that question. Clarisse respected her mother¡¯s decision to leave her father. The fact that her father, who had been so obsessed with her mother, had agreed to leave her, made her wonder if he too had lost his attachment to her, as if a possession had been lifted from him. And if they were to divorce, her father, with his title of Viscount Farenheit, might still have a chance to remarry, but her mother and Matilda, with no backing, might very well be left in the streets. It would be nice if her father could give her mother proper compensation, but if the family finances are on fire, would that even be possible? As she was mulling it over, Jean asked softly, ¡°What did the viscountess write to you?¡± Clarisse described the letter¡¯s contents, and he folded his arms. ¡°If Viscount Fahrenheit has finally agreed to let go of the viscountess, then I suggest that the separation, if it is to be, be quick. It has nothing to do with our marriage. It would be a problem if the viscount returns to his senses after our wedding and refuses to leave her.¡± ¡°Yes, I thought so as well, so I shall write that in my reply.¡± ¡°And if the viscount doesn¡¯t provide for her to live decently, I¡¯ll¡ª¡± Clarisse quickly placed her hand over his mouth and stopped him from finishing the thought. ¡°Jean-sama, please don¡¯t say that just yet.¡± She knew what he would say¡ªthat¡¯s why she felt so bad about it. ¡°Well¡­ for the time being, getting divorced should come first. We can figure out the rest after that.¡± He took her hand and kissed it gently. Clarisse looked up at him to find his golden eyes already burning with lust. ¡°Come here, Clarisse.¡± ???????? ???????? Clarisse was more forward today than ever before. Although it had been a long time since they had spent their first night together, she was still shy about it. So, when she gently but lustfully stroked his soaring erection¡ªwhen the woman he loved behaved so seductively¡ªhis passion was inflamed, and he pushed her down onto the bed, where he quickly began to ravage her body. Normally, he would take his time to make love to her, but now he wasn¡¯t in his right mind. He always tried to avoid causing her pain as much as possible, but tonight he penetrated her immediately. Nevertheless, Clarisse¡¯s vagina, which now accepted him daily, remembered his shape and gladly welcomed him in. He was overcome with joy when her slender legs entwined around his waist and she breathed out, ¡°Jean-sama.¡± He loved this moment when his dick nestled tightly in Clarisse¡¯s wet vagina. He felt tremendous happiness as she began to unravel beneath his touch. Though he had penetrated her already, he wanted to make love to her before starting to move in earnest. He took her right nipple in his mouth and sucked on it with some force while he pinched the other, twirling it between his fingers. Clarisse¡¯s tight, warm pussy squeezed him as he played with her nipples¡ªanother feeling he loved. To be honest, he was drowning in everything Clarisse offered him. Clarisse moaned under him, ¡°Hmmm, I want more, Jean-sama¡­ please¡­.¡± ¡°I know.¡± He changed his position and began caress her with kisses, starting from her face and working his way down her neck. Tonight as well, he was intoxicated, and red marks began to bloom on her skin. To show your support for the work, consider leaving a rating/ or review on the work . You can also support us by being a patron and get access to advance chapters in return! Chapter 39 Chapter 39 ¡°Me? With Cedric?? Miss, you must be out of your mind,¡± Mary responded, giving Clarisse a look that questioned her sanity just as well as words. Clarisse had asked her about Cedric as soon as she saw her in the morning, and she knew almost immediately that her suspicion must be correct. Mary continued, ¡°It¡¯s true that Cedric was very kind to me. He was my brother¡¯s best friend. Even now, I would be happy to meet him, but I can say for certain that he doesn¡¯t have any special feelings for me.¡± Clarisse was taken aback by Mary¡¯s definitive proclamation. ¡°Is that so? Are you sure?¡± ¡°Yes. I can¡¯t tell even you all the details, Miss, but definitely yes.¡± Clarisse was convinced, since she said it with such conviction. She decided to tell Jean that there was no need to investigate Cedric any further. ????????? ???????? In the office, Marius and Jean were discussing the Viscount Farenheit family. Sid, who they had been informed was planning to visit the mansion today, had not yet arrived. ¡°Well, if they are going to divorce, perhaps the viscountess can finally get some peace of mind.¡± ¡°I suppose so.¡± Marius started as if the idea had just returned to him. ¡°Jean, you told me to look into Cedric, but I think it would be better to look into Mary¡¯s former lover¡¯s servant, don¡¯t you think? It seems that after Mary and he broke up, he was involved in an engagement scam and is now on the run bearing quite a large debt.¡± ¡°Hmmm, I see. Mary had a lover, not Cedric.¡± ¡°Oh, yes. Well, they were together for a short time, and it was a long time ago, so I don¡¯t think there¡¯s any chance he¡¯ll come back to Mary now¡­.¡± Sid stood outside the office, his hand on the doorknob, listening to the conversation. ¡®That¡¯s right, she¡¯s that attractive. She might even have had a lover or two¡­¡¯ What Jean had once asked him¡ª¡±What if Mary had more experience?¡±¡ªnow weighed heavily on his mind. However, his feeling of discouragement was short-lived. At that time, they had not met, and the important thing was how they were going to spend their time in the future. ¡®I¡¯d be lying if I said I didn¡¯t care¡­ but I still want Mary, so I guess it is what it is,¡¯ he thought to himself, before smiling, turning the doorknob, and walking into the room. ???????? ???????? ¡°Mary, what do you think of Sid-sama?¡± Clarisse decided to ask a more direct question after hearing about Cedric. She knew Mary¡¯s character well enough to know that she would not be offended by such a question, and she had recently found Jean¡¯s more direct approach to be very effective at times. ¡°S¡ªS¡ªSi¡ªSid-sama?¡± Mary reacted with more force than Clarisse had expected¡ªher face, usually so calm and composed, flushed bright red. ¡®I knew it¡­¡¯ Clarisse felt bad for surprising her with a sudden question. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mary. If you don¡¯t want to talk about it, that¡¯s okay.¡± Mary smiled brightly in response, as if to reassure her that that was not the case. ¡°Sid-sama is so kind and cares for me so much that I find myself dreaming of things that could never come true.¡± ¡°Mary¡­¡± ¡°I am sure that you too had the thought that Sid-sama resembles Cedric-sama, didn¡¯t you, miss? It¡¯s true that their smiles are somewhat similar. When I talk to Sid-sama, I¡¯m reminded of what it was like when I was a noble, and I find myself wondering what I would be doing now were I still one. I feel I spend a lot of time thinking about that when I am with him.¡± Although Mary was speaking around the point, Clarisse understood exactly what she meant. If she was still a baron¡¯s daughter, she would have a future with Sid. Yet she had disciplined herself from the start not to even dream of that possibility. Clarisse hesitated before asking quietly, ¡°Would you like to go back to the way things were?¡± Mary answered with a smile. ¡°No, actually, Sid-sama asked me a similar question the other day. I answered that I wanted to go back to before I was 12 years old. But, later, I thought it over again and realized how happy I am to have gotten to spend time with you, so actually I have no regrets.¡± ????????? ???????? Jean, who had no plans to go out today, suddenly had some free time in the afternoon and wondered how Clarisse was spending it. He asked the butler, who answered that she was in her room, so Jean went straight there. When he entered the room, Mary bowed to him, but Clarisse¡ªthe most important person in the room¡ªhad a book spread out in her lap and was pondering something in a daze. Normally she would smile at him as soon as she felt his presence. This was really unusual. ¡°Clarisse,¡± he called out, and she literally jumped up in surprise. ¡°Jea¡ªJean-sama, I¡¯m sorry! I was just thinking.¡± ¡°It seems so.¡± Well, the flustered Clarisse is also very cute in her own way, he thought to himself before instructing Mary to leave them alone for a while. When she had, Clarisse told Jean what Mary had told her that morning. ¡°I see¡­¡± ¡°Mary seemed to be unable to tell me about Sid-sama, but she seems to like him. I think it is undeniable that she is hesitant about him because of her status. You were even thinking of restoring the Roosevelt family¡¯s title, but I don¡¯t think Mary would be happy about that. As I thought, we can¡¯t say anything now unless she and Sid-sama were on the same page.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s leave that to Sid¡­. It¡¯s nothing for us to interfere with.¡± She nodded her head. Usually she seemed rather mature, but this kind of unguarded behavior seemed more appropriate for her age. ¡°I was thinking about Cedric-sama and wondering why Mary was denying it so much, and then I remembered something too¡­.¡± It seemed she had been lost in thought about that very thing. As she continued speaking, Jean was indeed astonished by the story she revealed to him. To show your support for the work, consider leaving a rating/ or review on the work . You can also support us by being a patron and get access to advance chapters in return! Chapter 40.1 Chapter 40 part 1 When Mary was directed by Jean to leave the room, she excused herself and stepped out into the hallway. She pondered whether she should go back to her room for a while. The fact was that her head had been aching all morning and her body felt heavier than usual, so she thought she might have a fever. As it was, she was now stumbling through the halls, placing her right hand on the wall to keep her feet steady. ¡®If I really have a fever, it would be better not to infect Clarisse-sama. I should tell the butler too¡­.¡¯ Perhaps this was due to the fact that she no longer had to maintain the tension required to serve Clarisse, but her body was getting more and more sluggish, and she crouched down in the corner of the corridor to rest for a bit. She curled up in a small ball, placing her forehead firmly against her knees, and took a deep breath. ¡®Ahh, I used to sit in this position a lot in the past¡­¡¯ When the baron¡¯s family was about to be ruined, her parents were such good-natured people that they hoped that the culprits who defrauded them would be happy with the money, even though they themselves were on the verge of ruin because the culprits made off with so much. She was also truly grateful for the help of the people around her, including Cedric¡¯s parents and Clarisse¡¯s parents. Mary loved her parents, and she loved that they were like that. When Clarisse mentioned Cedric¡¯s name earlier, she had felt a dull ache in her chest. It reminded her of those days¡ªof course, she knew full well that it was a bad thing to be saying. Still, just a short while ago, Mary was dressed in beautiful clothes and talked with Clarisse and Cedric as equals, but now she was a servant and had to step back and just watch over them, which was a pain that no one could ever describe. Both Clarisse and Cedric remained friendly and smiled at her the same way as they did before she was stripped of her noble status, and they were very kind to her, but the kinder they were to her, the more miserable and painful it was for Mary. As she had told Clarisse, being taken in by Viscount Farenheit as her personal maid was the best arrangement she could have possibly had. Her parents and brother were hesitant to bring her with them to the countryside where they were not certain they would even be able to maintain a decent life for her, and she was so grateful to Clarisse, who was so kindhearted and gentle. If it had not been Clarisse whom she served, she might have been crushed. Still, when she became a maid and was taken in by the Viscount Farenheit estate, at night she would often crouch down in the servants¡¯ quarters while hugging her knees, just like this. The truth was that Mary had wanted to be with her family, even, she had thought, if everything went wrong and they all just ended up dead, unable to make their way in their new lives. As long as they were all together. After all, she had been just a 12-year-old girl. Then, one day, she thought that if she became a cheerful Mary, no one would notice that she missed her family or say anything about how the baron¡¯s family had been ruined. Since that day, she was always extraordinarily cheerful in public. She reminded herself that it was weak to show her pain to others and that she could always hug herself like this at night when she was having a hard time. Mary felt her vision distorting even more, and keeping her eyes open was difficult, so she slowly closed them to rest them for a bit before returning to her room. ¡®Oh, this is really not good¡­¡¯ Chapter 40.2 Chapter 40 part 2 Mary felt her vision distorting even more, and keeping her eyes open was difficult, so she slowly closed them to rest them for a bit before returning to her room. ¡®Oh, this is really not good¡­¡¯ ¡°Mary! What¡¯s wrong? Are you alright?!¡± ¡®Sid¡­ sama¡­?¡¯ She heard the sound of footsteps echoing, and whoever it was kneeled down next to Mary. ¡®They said he was coming here today¡­.¡¯ She raised her face from her knees and looked at him. Her eyes were watery and her vision was blurry, but surely it was Sid. He instantly placed his hand on her burning forehead and murmured, ¡°You¡¯re warm.¡± His hand felt so nice and cool. Without a single sign of hesitation, Sid quickly put his hands under Mary¡¯s head and knees and picked her up in a so-called princess carry. ¡°You have a terrible fever, I¡¯m taking you to your room, tell me where I should go.¡± ¡°Upstairs¡­ second floor¡­ at the end.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Sid might have been small for a man, but there was no hesitation in his steps as he lifted her up and strode off. She looked up at his face from below in a daze. ¡®Clarisse¡­ Sid is nothing like Cedric¡­. Sid is¡ª¡¯ With that last thought, her consciousness suddenly slipped away, and she fell asleep. That day, she had a dream. She dreamt of her mother, whom she had not seen since she was twelve. She was sitting at her bedside, nursing Mary. Her hands were stroking Mary¡¯s dark hair. It was a very slow motion and filled with great tenderness. ¡°Mother¡­¡± She murmured, and the hand stopped for a moment, but then¡ªas if nothing had happened¡ªit began to move again. She missed her so much and longed to see her, and part of her knew that this was a cruel dream, and tears spilled from her closed eyelids. Sid watched painfully as Mary murmured ¡°Mother¡± and shed some tears, but he gently wiped away the spilled tears with his fingers. He had picked her up to carry her to her room, and she had gone limp in his arms before they arrived¡ªprobably due to her high fever. When a butler passed them in the hallway, Sid had asked him to arrange for a doctor and to inform Clarisse that Mary would need to take the rest of the day off. The attentive butler, whom Jean valued greatly, immediately showed Sid to Mary¡¯s room and not only arranged for a doctor but also sent the necessary water and fruit to her room. Sid didn¡¯t need to rush home today since he had already discussed his business with Jean, so after placing Mary in bed, he decided to stay behind to take care of her. Then, he looked around her room and was surprised to find a letter envelope on the writing desk. He already knew she could read, as she had bought a book when they were in town together, but this meant that she could apparently write as well. He was tempted to look at whom the letter was addressed to but held back, thinking that it would indeed be impolite to do so without her consent. From the way she mumbled ¡°Mother,¡± Sid concluded that Mary must have been the daughter of a high-rank noble and not just any family. Placing a damp towel on Mary¡¯s forehead as she slept soundly, Sid gazed at her fair face, which looked surprisingly younger when her eyes were closed. ¡®I wonder if you¡¯ll ever open your heart to me, or if you¡¯ll run away some place I can¡¯t find you if you knew how I felt.¡¯ Chapter 41.1 Chapter 41 part 1 Sid knew that Jean and Marius would do some research on her once he was unable to hide his love for Mary, but he never really asked them about it because he wanted to hear things about her, directly from her. Since they had known each other for a long time, they would not talk about Mary in front of him, out of respect for his feelings. Sid was not bothered by any of this, as he would have done the same thing if the situation were reversed. In short, they are concerned to some extent and anticipate various things, but unless it is necessary, they wouldn¡¯t interfere at all and quietly watch over the situation from a suitable distance. That¡¯s why the other day, he accidentally overheard what they were talking about inside Jean¡¯s office. ¡®She had a boyfriend¡­and there was a guy named Cedric too? I wonder what kind of life she was leading.¡¯ During the four days that Jean and Clarisse were away on their vacation at the lake, he felt like he was getting to know Mary a little bit better. He sensed that her smile towards him had become more friendly instead of the stiff one she used to have, and she even started calling him by his first name in the mansion. The more he got to know her, the more he found Mary¡¯s refreshing personality approachable and likable, and the more he was attracted to her because he could see how intelligent she was from the exciting conversations he had with her. His attraction to her was growing daily, so was his desire for her to look only at him. ¡®I should just ask her about it¡­¡¯ Sid has had too many fleeting relationships in the past but never been seriously in love with someone. In his old relationships, the beginning and the end were always sudden and abrupt because both sides had mutual interests. He didn¡¯t think too much about all sorts of things because he didn¡¯t feel the need to chase after them if they left him, but he was anxious when it came to Mary because he didn¡¯t want to lose her. Nevertheless, watching Jean and Clarisse so closely, Sid has come to truly envy their relationship. Although he is not strong enough to be like Jean, he is sure that he can at least show his affection for the woman he likes, just as Jean does. Mary slowly came back to consciousness, as someone¡¯s voice urged her to try to speak. ¡°Mary, I¡¯m sorry to do that when you¡¯re sleeping so well.. The doctor is here, will you please wake up for a minute?¡± ¡°Sid-sama?¡± To her own surprise, her voice sounded raspier than she had expected. Chapter 41.2 Chapter 41 part 2 ¡°Sid-sama?¡± To her own surprise, her voice sounded raspier than she had expected. ¡°Can you get up in bed?¡± That finally reminded Mary that she was sick and crouched in the hallway when Sid picked her up. The headache that had been going on all morning seemed to have subsided now. Her body was still sluggish, but the fever had gone down and the pounding ache seemed to be gone. ¡°I¡¯m all right.¡± She managed to get up on my own, and Sid offered me a glass of water, which she gratefully accepted and drank down in one gulp. The water seeped into her parched throat and she felt as if she was coming back to life. ¡°Umm, Sid-sama, what brings you here?¡± If a word got out that he, the third son of the viscount, was nursing her, a female servant, in her room, fearing it would damage Sid¡¯s reputation, not to mention Mary¡¯s, she asked him nervously. Sid, who probably knew exactly how Mary felt, smiled. ¡°I want to be there for you. For the meantime, I¡¯ll let the doctor in and we¡¯ll talk about it later, okay?¡± The doctor examined Mary and said that while her throat showed some swelling, her lungs sounded normal and she did not appear to have any illness to be named, probably just a fever from overwork. He said that as long as she took her nutrition and fluids and rested well, she would probably recover soon. He said that it might be related to the change of season and the cold weather, so he suggested that she sleep as warmly as possible at night. ¡°That¡¯s a relief, as long as you eat and sleep properly you¡¯ll get better.¡± Sid said, relieved. Then he left the room, saying he would go and talk to the butler about Mary¡¯s condition. ¡®What did he say he would talk to me about later?¡¯ Mary was confused, but right now she had a fever and her head wasn¡¯t functioning properly, so she couldn¡¯t be bothered to think about this or that. At any rate, she took the prescribed medicine and laid down on the bed once more, and was quickly sucked back into sleep. Sid informed the butler that Mary was not feeling well and would probably not be able to take care of Clarisse tomorrow. He left a message with him to be relayed to Jean asking him to come to Mary¡¯s room when he had time so they could talk a little and also ordered the butler to arrange for a thicker blanket to be sent since Mary only had a thin comforter. After that, he went into the kitchen, had the pitcher filled with water again, and went back to Mary¡¯s room. The room was quiet and the sound of her sleeping echoed through the air. She seemed to have taken the medicine the doctor had left for her, and she must need a good night¡¯s sleep to recover. Sid placed the pitcher on the bedside table and sat down in the chair he had just been sitting in. He spotted on the bedside table the same novel that she had bought the other day in the town with him, and decided to read it to pass the time. Back at the bookstore, she had told him that it was the latest book in a series she had been wanting to read, so he wouldn¡¯t feel that bad about reading it. Mary seems to have already read quite many pages, and he noticed that there is a bookmark tucked in, so he opened the page that was marked. ¡®Oh, this¡­¡¯ It was the wrapper of the sweet he had given her, carefully folded and tucked in. If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know via our discord so we can fix it as soon as possible.