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Chapter 13
“Can we talk?”
She had a feeling this marriage wouldn’t go smoothly. Grace’s head was starting to ache.
But misunderstandings had to be cleared up. She didn’t want separate rooms—she just wanted her own study.
Regaining her composure, Grace left the room and walked down the hallway, looking around.
She opened doors as she passed. Guest rooms and empty unused rooms appeared, but Aiden wasn’t there. She checked inside, but didn’t see him.
Servants moved through the halls and stairs, all from the Turner household.
They passed her as if they didn’t see her. The atmosphere was strangely cold, and she couldn’t bring herself to stop them and ask where Aiden was. Heading toward the stairs, she ran into Lisa, who was carrying Grace’s belongings.
“Lisa, wait a moment!”
“Yes?”
“Have you seen Aiden?”
“If it’s Lord Aiden, I think he was in the reception room earlier.”
“Thank you!”
After hearing that, Grace quickly went down the stairs. She passed the hall and reached the reception room, where she saw his back as he sat in a chair looking out the window.
When Grace appeared, his sharp eyes glanced at her briefly, then turned back toward the window.
Grace tapped the wall lightly with her knuckles.
“Can we talk?”
Aiden spoke in a low voice without moving.
“I have nothing to say.”
“No, we need to talk.”
With a long sigh, Aiden stood up and faced her. His expression was blank, but his eyes were sharp.
“What is there to talk about? I’m doing everything you want, and you still want more?”
“I don’t want separate rooms!”
When Grace shouted, the servants who were organizing items suddenly froze. Then, as if on cue, they all left the reception room and the entire first floor. The area became eerily quiet.
Aiden frowned slightly.
“Did you really have to say that in front of the servants?”
“You weren’t listening to me!”
“Ha… Fine. Then say it. If not separate rooms, then what? Divorce?”
Hearing the word “divorce” on the first day of marriage felt absurd, and Grace gave a bitter smile.
“If I wanted a divorce, would you give it to me?”
“To think the bride on her wedding day is already talking about divorce… Ha!”
His eyes burned with anger. Grace didn’t feel good either, but she forced herself to stay calm.
“That’s not what I mean.”
“Then what is it? Do you want to live in a different house entirely?”
His mocking tone made her expression harden.
“Stop being sarcastic.”
“No, I’m genuinely asking what you want. Do you even want anything from this marriage?”
“Aiden, I came here prepared.”
“Prepared? So marriage requires preparation like that?”
His tone rose, and Grace finally snapped back.
“Of course it does! You don’t understand. I even prepared myself for the wedding night!”
At that, Aiden’s face turned bright red as if it would explode. His usually cold expression shifted into complete embarrassment.
“I would never force myself on someone who doesn’t want it!”
“But at the terrace last time—you tried to kiss me even though it was our first meeting!”
“Good heavens…”
He ran a hand through his hair repeatedly, his ears still red.
“I thought going to the terrace was some kind of signal!”
Grace didn’t fully understand, but she nodded as if she did.
“Fine. That’s how prepared I was. So don’t say things like divorce or separate rooms again.”
Aiden slowly calmed down.
“Then what do you want? Be precise.”
“I just need another room. My own space.”
“So you do mean separate rooms.”
“No, I mean a different room for something other than sleeping.”
“Why do you need another room?”
Grace hesitated. She couldn’t tell him she wrote novels.
If he found out she wrote cheap romance stories, he would surely look down on her. She didn’t think he would understand.
But she still wanted him to accept it.
“I like reading alone. At the Broighton estate, I had my own personal study. Reading and thinking alone is an important part of my life.”
“A study…”
“I just want that. Not a separate bedroom, just a personal study. Even a man can have a study, right?”
Aiden looked at her silently. The long pause felt like minutes.
Then he finally spoke.
“Alright. Use the room next to the bedroom as your study.”
His surprisingly easy acceptance brightened Grace’s face.
Aiden continued.
“And you don’t need to ask me for permission for things like that. This is our home—do whatever you want. Just be careful what you say in front of the servants. And don’t mention separate rooms again.”
“Alright.”
“Anything else you want?”
Grace thought for a moment, then her eyes lit up.
“Oh, yes!”
“What is it?”
“I’ll have Lisa help me with corsets.”
Aiden covered his face with his hand. The tips of his ears were still red.
“You can do whatever you want with that.”
“I heard couples usually do it together.”
“Do you want me to do it?”
“No.”
Grace quickly replied, and Aiden laughed in disbelief.
“I have no desire to break your thin waist anyway, so I’ll pass on tightening corsets.”
“I’m not that fragile.”
“Yes, yes. The bride who fainted during the entire reception.”
“I just couldn’t sleep last night.”
Aiden looked at her with a flat gaze.
“Why couldn’t you sleep?”
“I kept looking out the window.”
“What were you thinking about?”
“My marriage to you.”
“And what conclusion did you reach?”
“There wasn’t one.”
The expression on Aiden’s face disappeared completely. His eyes became as emotionless as his tone.
Grace continued anyway.
“I don’t know yet. When you look out at the night sky, all you see is darkness.”
“Darkness…”
“Yes.”
“I’ll go upstairs first. You go check the room you’ll use as a study.”
Aiden left the reception room quickly. The atmosphere seemed heavier, but Grace didn’t care.
At least they had talked properly and gotten results, which made her feel a bit less tired.
She went back upstairs with lighter steps. As soon as she arrived, she saw Aiden talking with the butler.
“Let me introduce him. This is Butler Polman. He’ll be working here from now on.”
“Ma’am, good day. I am Polman, the butler.”
“Hello.”
After the greeting, Aiden stepped aside.
“We were just talking about the study. It’s better if you discuss it directly.”
“Alright.”
After Aiden left, Grace quickly looked around the room. It was large enough to become a study.
In her mind, she already pictured it perfectly.
“I want bookshelves along that wall, and a desk in the center.”
Polman nodded.
“Any other furniture needed?”
“Hm… I’d like a dresser there! And a comfortable chair too.”
“Yes.”
“Then please arrange it like that.”
“Yes. We’ll start preparing the furniture tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Polman.”
He gave a slight bow and left the empty room.
His movements were polite and quiet, but the atmosphere still felt heavy. Only then did Grace notice it.
The servants moved silently as always, but the mood felt cold.
Except for Lisa from the Broighton household, everyone looked unhappy.
Grace stared around for a moment, then looked away, feeling something strange.
Dinner was so heavy and uncomfortable she couldn’t even remember how she ate it.
The day—wedding, reception, moving, and settling into a new house—had been overwhelming.
After dinner, Lisa quietly called her.
“Lisa, what is it?”
“I hope you have a happy evening today.”
“That’s not going to happen!”
Lisa just smiled and sprayed perfume on Grace’s neck.
“What was that?”
“This is your favorite lily-of-the-valley scent, ma’am. I hope Lord Aiden likes it too!”
Lisa ran off upstairs before Grace could say anything more.
The servants had already gone to their rooms on the third floor. The reason was obvious—they didn’t want to interrupt the wedding night.
The mansion was eerily quiet.
All that remained was going to bed.
But before sleeping, Grace still had one important task: making sure Aiden didn’t see her embarrassing nightwear.
When she entered the bedroom, Aiden wasn’t there. Thinking it was her chance, she quickly grabbed a simple nightgown from the adjoining room.
She hurriedly unbuttoned her blouse—
And at that moment, the door suddenly opened.
“Are you inside?”
“Eek!”
Their eyes met.
And Aiden’s face instantly turned bright red again, heat rushing up his face.
(To be continued…)
