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Chapter 47
Ezekiel came into my room wearing nothing but a thin shirt.
Even on our wedding night, we had each rushed off to the sofa and bed separately, so this tingling atmosphere was hard to get used to.
Awkward!
Just being together made my whole body twist up, and I wanted to shout that strangers shouldn’t be acting like this.
“I have something prepared for you.”
Unlike me, Ezekiel spoke calmly. His body showed faintly through the shirt.
When he came too close in that state, I instinctively stepped back.
“What did you prepare?”
“Michele said our conversations have been going in circles.”
He pulled out a book.
The Psychology of Conversation
“…?”
“The book says that just by finding something to compliment about the other person, relationships can improve.”
This man, seriously.
I folded my arms with a crooked expression.
“Mr. Ezekiel Betra. Was it because of this book’s advice that you called me pretty?”
“That was…”
Ezekiel’s pupils trembled, but then he smirked as if he had never been flustered.
“That was sincere. Not some clumsy compliment copied from a book.”
He stepped further into the room and closed the door.
With him standing there looking down at me lazily, with that striking physique, I suddenly had nowhere to rest my eyes.
“Put on some more clothes…”
“It’s summer.”
“Even in summer, it gets chilly at night.”
“I feel like we’ve had this exact exchange before.”
True, there was déjà vu.
Was it when I first arrived at the Betra duchy?
I was lost in thought when he came closer.
“I wore this shirt for you to see.”
“…You wore it to show off your half-naked body? What kind of twisted logic is that?”
“No man in the world could have a better body than this.”
It was a bit off the mark, but not wrong.
“So you don’t need to take in a lover.”
“Excuse me… what?”
I had no idea what kind of face I made from the shock.
“When did I ever say I’d take in a lover? Why are you remembering things I never even said!”
“You said you were carefully reading Section 1, Clause 2 of the divorce law, didn’t you?”
“What was that again?”
“Are you pretending not to know, or did you really forget?”
Only after thinking hard did I recall it.
‘All men and women have the right to take lovers.’
Memories flooded back and my head went dizzy.
I had mentioned that clause vaguely while pretending to read the law book in front of Ezekiel.
Ollie’s suspicious attitude and Anna’s sad eyes flashed across my mind.
So the duchy’s servants had thought that I… that I… was actually planning to take a lover?!
“How far has this misunderstanding piled up?!”
It went past being flustered into downright creepy. Did he think I was some shameless person?!
“So you thought I was going to take a lover?”
“I assumed it was your secret wish.”
“Who in their right mind would say such a wish in front of their husband?”
“In Betra, it’s quite common. My mother even joked about wanting a lover in front of my father.”
Well, I guess that could be possible.
But not wanting to insult the previous duke and duchess, I raised my hand to cut him off.
“Fine. Let’s say this was a misunderstanding.”
“A misunderstanding?”
“Yes, a misunderstanding. We can sort out responsibility later.”
“I’d prefer to avoid words that sound like you’re ready to dive straight into divorce proceedings.”
Ezekiel clicked his tongue, and I was thrown off by this unfamiliar reaction.
“Ezekiel. Our contract still has 7 months and 2 days left. Divorce is far off.”
“My wife, I’m amazed you keep track of something I can’t even remember.”
“It’s an important date. You should remember it too.”
“If the date of our divorce is that important, then sure.”
He gave a small scoff.
It sounded like his usual sarcasm, but for some reason it didn’t feel unpleasant.
Maybe I was the strange one.
“Let me make it clear tonight. I have no intention of taking a lover.”
Only then did Ezekiel relax, looking satisfied.
“I thought, since you’ve thrown off the burden of choosing maids, you’d finally start acting on it.”
So that’s why he knocked on my door half-dressed—just to warn me not to stray.
“Well, that won’t happen. No need to be anxious. Done. Understood?”
“Still, since I came over here, it would be a waste to just leave.”
Ezekiel lifted my hand and pressed his lips to the back of it.
His breath tickled my skin.
“I’ll at least give you a goodnight kiss.”
It was just his lips on my bare hand, yet the sensation shot through me from head to toe.
“Make sure you read The Psychology of Conversation. Everything I want to tell you is in there.”
I watched my contract husband’s back as he disappeared down the corridor.
The man who always appeared full of charisma and weight in front of others had actually come in the middle of the night just to sway my heart.
And to think it was all because he wanted to prevent me from taking a lover!
Of all things, to misunderstand that way…
I’d thought we always untangled our missteps as they came, but this misunderstanding just kept multiplying endlessly.
Surely there aren’t more we haven’t resolved yet, are there?
I tossed and turned in bed with that thought.
Ezekiel being restless, trying to change my mind, is strange. Does he think divorcing before the set time is a disgrace?
He likes the Saintess, yet he acts like this only toward me.
After that restless night, it was finally the day to return to Betra.
Anna dressed me in a light gown and clear jewelry, perfect for summer.
“I chose a fabric that won’t stick to your skin so you won’t feel hot on the way back.”
Anna’s choices were always brilliant—her sense for hair, outfits, and balance made everyone admire her.
“Anna, have you ever thought about working in fashion or styling?”
“Even if I want to, I’d need a master to apprentice under, and that’s hard to come by.”
She adjusted my appearance and spoke with a hint of regret.
“Someone like me, without connections, would need to go to an academy. But I don’t have the time or money for that.”
It was the kind of thing that could make someone sound discouraged, but Anna still smiled brightly.
“Besides, I’ve been a maid since I was little. It’s more stable to keep working in this field. Thanks to you, my lady, I became your personal maid, so I get to handle dresses all I want.”
So she had compromised with reality just to survive.
As we bid farewell to the capital mansion and headed back to Betra, her words lingered in my mind.
Then, absentmindedly, I looked up.
…It’s oddly quiet.
The inside of the carriage was a mess.
Ezekiel, who had barged into my room late last night, was sleeping with his eyes closed.
Michele, meanwhile, was sprawled across Ezekiel’s lap, groaning from motion sickness.
I picked up the book lying on the seat beside me.
The Psychology of Conversation
As cicadas chirped outside, I flipped open the first page—only to find a dedication jumping out at me.
[The greatest book of this era, for my uncle and aunt.
— Michele Betra]
Of course. He must have poked his uncle in the ribs and shoved the book at him with that cheeky grin.
The Psychology of Conversation – First Passage
Follow your heart. If you want to say something to the other person, express it—even if it comes out awkwardly.
Bold actions may lead the relationship into a new phase.
There was an underline beneath the lines—proof that Ezekiel had studied them carefully.
I traced over the mark with my finger, sensing his troubled thoughts.
Was his bizarre way of warning me not to take a lover his version of “expressing it”?
Well… this way is easier to deal with.
Maybe because I was always used to writing, diaries, and books, this kind of indirect communication through a book felt oddly pleasant.
It was the quiet sort of exchange I once dreamed of having with a future lover.
I didn’t even realize I was smiling as I focused on the book—
When suddenly, the carriage came to a screeching halt.
Unprepared, my body lurched and fell to the side.
