GDTN 05

Chapter  05

Barras pondered for a long time.

Why he was not reaching out to the woman he had properly paid for, even while swallowing his saliva at the sight of her.

He had never hesitated to trample on the bodies and minds of others.

Using people for objectives without emotion? That was routine. Nothing special. Just another ordinary task.

It had been the same with that woman.

From the very beginning, he had brought her only to produce an heir.

Even before the wedding, all he had considered was how she should be treated.

How far he could loosen restrictions so she would not become a nuisance. Whether it would be easier to simply confine her if she became noticeable. How long he should wait before she bore a child.

In all these matters, he had not regarded her as a human being.

In truth, he had even leaned toward simply locking her away.

Not because he felt anything in particular—he simply found her occasionally irritating.

Until the wedding, nothing about his thoughts had changed, or rather… had they changed? In any case, he had always avoided looking directly at her gaze.

Before, he had been the only one observing her. But the night of the consummation changed everything.

When Selen began to meet his gaze, the situation shifted completely.

Once his eyes landed on her, he could not look away.

Why.

What had she done to him that night? Or had something changed within himself?

Selen’s nose made a soft, sleeping sound—do-ron, do-ron.

Barras felt strangely unsettled.

Even yesterday aside, how could she be asleep so peacefully with him right beside her? So close?

He stared at her sleeping face.

At this point, she truly did not seem to fear him.

Did not seem to loathe him.

Perhaps… she might even see him as a person.

Or perhaps even as a husband…

‘Ridiculous.’

If that were the case, would she have so coldly rejected his first escort?

In truth, it had not been that severe, but Barras interpreted it that way regardless.

A few strands of hair fell across Selen’s face.

Barras raised his left hand, intending to brush them away, but clenched his fist instead.

Her was beautiful, and his hands were grotesque.

Ah. Was that it?

Was this the reason he could not touch her?

Barras thought.

‘I find her beautiful.’

So he could not bring himself to lay his bloodstained, ugly hands upon her.

He had never once thought of anything as beautiful before. Especially not a woman.

But he had discovered it now.

Then what should he do?

Take her.

Even if he had to break that flower, he must make it unquestionably his.

And once that was done… he would have to lock her away.

Would he not?

What was beautiful in his eyes—would it remain beautiful in others’ eyes as well?

[Day 3]

Someone opened the door, and a cold draft brushed Selen’s cheeks as she woke.

The figure who entered placed a tray of breakfast on the window table and added a few logs to the fireplace.

Watching the flames stir in the newly added wood, Anna bowed deeply.

The older woman’s respectful gesture made Selen uncomfortable, and she hurriedly waved her hands.

“You don’t have to bow like that.”

Anna chose her words carefully as she looked at the duke’s newly acquired duchess.

“Will you treat everyone who greets you that way?”

Anna watched for a reaction.

At first, the duchess seemed flustered, then her face turned red as she lowered her head. She had reportedly been a commoner. Anna accepted that to some extent.

After a moment, the duchess slowly raised her head again. Her flushed expression had softened.

“I… I grew up as a commoner, so I’m not very familiar with etiquette. I still don’t really know how I’m supposed to act in each situation.”

It was clear she genuinely did not know. But Anna did not find it unpleasant.

At least her tone and voice were properly controlled, with a clear and appropriate manner of speaking.

Anna bowed deeply once more, then left the room.

Left alone again, Selen ate a simple meal by the window.

Yesterday she had no appetite, but today hunger made everything taste better.

The meal was short. Sitting quietly and looking outside, a wave of melancholy slowly rose again.

Now that she thought about it, no one had actually told her not to leave the room.

She had simply assumed it, based on the original story.

Selen decided she should go outside, feel the breeze, and get some sunlight.

She would go out after Anna brought lunch.

[Later]

At lunchtime, Selen put on her coat and left her cloak by the door just as Anna knocked.

“Anna here.”

Selen immediately picked the cloak back up.

“Come in.”

Anna entered with a tray and saw Selen already preparing to leave.

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going outside. Staying inside all the time makes me feel like I’m trapped.”

Anna hesitated briefly, then asked,

“What about your meal?”

“Ah.”

Selen looked at the tray with a slightly disappointed expression.

“I can’t take it with me, can I?”

Anna assumed she had been expecting a picnic. Of course, they could prepare finger foods if needed, but she did not say that.

Instead, she suggested a place where she could eat outdoors.

“There is a table in the corridor outside. You could have your meal there. It might feel like a picnic.”

Selen nodded.

That sounded good—it was outdoors and overlooked the courtyard.

After she agreed, Anna went ahead to prepare everything.

The table had been set between the corridor and the courtyard terrace, covered with a cloth and decorated with small glass bottles filled with pretty stones.

Flowers were rare here, so stones were used instead.

Anna pulled out the chair, and once Selen sat down, the meal was served.

Anna stood quietly beside the table, watching Selen’s slightly awkward movements as she ate.

She still did not know how much she should teach her.

If she truly intended to live here only as a woman to bear an heir, then there would be nothing to teach at all.

But observing her over the past two days, that did not seem to be the case.

Anna could distinguish human blood from animal blood. So could her lord.

Yet the blood spilled on the bedding had clearly been meant for the outer servants to see.

A performance—to ensure rumors would not spread even though the consummation had not taken place.

Such a subtle act would not normally come from her lord.

Anna had also thought deeply about the fact that the consummation had not occurred.

More than anything, she focused on the fact that the duchess had caused even a slight deviation in her lord’s behavior.

It felt like a seed of hope had fallen into her heart.

Could this seed take root?

Could the duchess… stop her lord’s rampage?

A change was beginning to stir in his mind—and at the center of that wind was Selen.