A Change of Husband - Chapter 111

“This is a dress sent from Shop Sophia.”

 

Asilie, who had been studying and interpreting legal texts, looked up at Madame Marce’s words.

 

Behind her, maids were entering the room carrying several heavy dresses.

 

“…Do I have to change into multiple dresses on the day of the royal wedding?”

 

“That’s not the case, but it seems they sent several on purpose so you could choose. Also, since there will be banquets for several days after the royal wedding, they probably sent some banquet dresses in advance with that in mind.”

 

“I see.”

 

“Ah, the designer couldn’t come in person, so she left you a letter instead. I believe it contains an explanation about the dresses…”

 

Madame Marce handed Asilie a small envelope. Asilie nodded and accepted the letter.

 

“I still need to study the legal codes for now, so I think it would be better to delay the fitting until after dinner. Is that alright?”

 

“There’s no problem helping you with the fitting, but didn’t you promise to spend time with His Majesty after dinner? If I remember correctly, that’s the case…”

 

“Oh.”

 

Only then did Asilie recall her promise to take a walk with Esperad after dinner.

 

“There’s no etiquette class tomorrow morning, so I can do the fitting then and send feedback to Shop Sophia. It won’t be too late. The wedding date hasn’t been officially set yet anyway.”

 

“Then we’ll do that. Thank you, Madame.”

 

“Not at all. Please don’t hesitate to tell me if you need anything, My Lady.”

 

“Yes. You may go now.”

 

“Understood. And…”

 

Madame Marce hesitated a moment, then added carefully,

 

“If something is troubling you, please feel free to talk to me. Worries of the heart can make a person suffer, and that suffering can age and weaken them. But if there’s someone to share those worries with, it makes things a little better.”

 

At those words, Asilie quietly looked at her.

 

Compared to how she had appeared in the parallel world, Madame Marce’s face now was overly wrinkled and aged—as if it reflected the years she had spent weighed down by sorrow.

 

“…I will. Thank you for your concern.”

 

At Asilie’s reply, Madame Marce gave a slight bow and left the room.

 

Strictly speaking, she was supposed to stand a few steps away and stay by Asilie’s side, but ever since she realized that Asilie felt uncomfortable with her presence, she had stopped insisting on it.

 

In truth, it wasn’t so much that Asilie found her presence uncomfortable. It was more that she felt bad seeing the elderly woman standing stiffly without even taking a seat. But if she spoke honestly, she knew Madame Marce would stubbornly insist on standing anyway, so Asilie chose to let her continue the misunderstanding.

 

Asilie was planning to read the letter from Sophia later, but without much thought, she took it out of the envelope.

 

 

**[My Lady, this is Sophia.
The shop is too busy for me to leave, so I am writing instead.
I had hoped to meet you and explain in person—please forgive me for not doing so.

 

The wedding dresses I sent are three designs chosen from the ones based on the image you said you wanted before. You don’t have to choose from only those three…
(skipped)

 

When I visited you recently, I mentioned that I might have something important to tell you before I returned.

 

Actually, on the day I visited the palace, I had a strange feeling of recognition when I saw the maid who poured tea into your cup.

 

I wasn’t sure that day, so I didn’t say anything, but after checking, I’m certain now. I saw her before at Count Bellucci’s estate. Back then, she was the Count’s mistress.

 

It’s quite strange that a woman without noble status was able to enter the palace as a maid, and even more so that she now serves you, who is to become Queen of Astel…
(skipped)

 

Please burn this letter, and if you ever need help, don’t hesitate to ask.]**

 

 

After reading the long letter all the way through, Asilie read it again once more, then did as Sophia had asked and placed the letter in the fireplace.

 

“Haah…”

 

As she watched it burn, a sigh naturally escaped her lips.

 

She had suspected it, but seeing firsthand that Count Mirk still had influence within the royal palace left her with an unpleasant feeling.

 

It was something she might never have noticed if not for Sophia.

 

She would need to investigate further to find out how that maid, the one Sophia mentioned, managed to enter the palace and end up serving Asilie, who would soon be queen.

 

Even though Madame Marce, Esperad’s most trusted aide, oversaw all internal affairs of the palace, a “fly” like that had still managed to slip through.

 

‘Where did things start going wrong?’

 

She thought about telling Esperad, but the fact that the maid was once Count Bellucci’s mistress and how she entered the palace was still uncertain. That made Asilie hesitate.

 

Esperad was preparing for a major confrontation with the conservative nobles. And even he didn’t know every detail of what went on inside the palace.

 

It seemed wiser for her to make preparations of her own—something only she could do.

 

‘I’m not weak.’

 

Asilie closed the book she had been studying.

 

She had no doubt that continuing to read legal texts right now wouldn’t help her concentrate anyway, so her decision came without hesitation.

 

When she stepped outside, Madame Marce and the maids waiting in the hall looked at her with surprise.

 

“My Lady, where are you going?”

 

“I’m thinking of visiting Sir Villian. I need to ask a favor.”

 

“Sir Villian is probably…”

 

“I know where he is.”

 

“Then let me guide you.”

 

“No, Madame Marce. I’ll be back soon, so there’s no need to accompany me.”

 

She was planning to meet Lydia.

 

The relationship between Asilie and Lydia hadn’t yet been made public, and many in the palace didn’t even know Lydia was under royal protection.

 

She didn’t want the woman who had once been Count Bellucci’s mistress following her around, pretending to serve her, and then reporting their meeting.

 

“Still…”

 

Madame Marce tried to stop her with a worried face, but Asilie gently—yet firmly—refused.

 

“It’s alright. I’ll be back shortly.”

 

With those words, Asilie turned and walked away swiftly.

 

She could feel Madame Marce’s gaze lingering on her back for a long time, but she didn’t stop walking.

 

 

 

 

Esperad quietly looked at Asilie who had finished changing clothes and getting ready for bed. Then, he gently kissed her on the cheek and spoke.

 

“I heard you went to see your sister today.”

 

“Did Sir Villian tell you?”

 

“Edgar reports everything that happened during the day to me before coming home.”

 

Now that she thought about it, she was curious.

 

What happened to Lydia and Edgar after she died?

 

How did Astel change afterward, and what kind of king had Esperad been?

 

She suddenly wanted to know about all the things that had passed by as if nothing had happened while she was gone. No, in truth, she had always been curious.

 

“…Would asking about what happened after I died in that world hurt you?”

 

Even so, she hadn’t asked because she worried that talking about that empty time when she wasn’t there might cause him pain.

 

He looked surprised by the unexpected question and stared down at her. Honestly, he had thought she would be curious, but since she hadn’t brought it up, he assumed she wasn’t interested and never mentioned it.

 

Of course, Esperad could fully understand Asilie’s curiosity. He would have felt the same.

 

“Not at all. That time wasn’t happy, but now I am happy, so I’m not afraid to think about it.”

 

“…I’m glad.”

 

“What would you like to know?”

 

“Everything. But most of all… I’m curious about Lydia and Sir Villian. The two of them didn’t seem like just ordinary friends. And even here, you chose Sir Villian to guard Lydia, so I thought something might be going on.”

 

After Edgar’s long pursuit, the two of them got married.

 

Since Lydia had officially been adopted as the second daughter of the Grandier ducal family, the Villian family didn’t object, and the two had a noisy but exciting romance before getting married.

 

They never had children, but whether it truly didn’t bother them or not, they didn’t seem to mind.

 

“They were a joyful and healthy couple. Edgar followed your sister around quite a bit.”

 

“I figured as much. Lydia is a charming girl.”

 

“Whether it was fate or destiny, it seems Edgar is also quite fond of your sister in this world.”

 

“It’s so confusing… I don’t really know. I know this world isn’t exactly the same as that one, but is everything repeating?”

 

That was not a question with an easy answer. Even he couldn’t say for sure.

 

Not everything was different, but it wasn’t the same either. No, many things had changed.

 

For example, Count Mirk, who had already died in the world Esperad lived in before, was still alive here. Cordelia, too, should have disappeared from Astel by now based on how time passed, yet she remained.

 

And what about guns? Jonathan, the real inventor of firearms, was being exploited here without ever stepping into the public eye.

 

Even Benjamin, who had once leaked information about Esperad due to Count Mirk’s threats, was now completely loyal to Esperad after he helped save his sister.

 

“It’s true that many things are flowing similarly, but I don’t think it’s impossible to change that flow.”

 

“I suppose that makes sense. But…”

 

Suddenly, a thought came to her.

 

“Why did Count Mirk use such roundabout methods? If he really wanted the throne—though I shouldn’t say this—”

 

Asilie looked up at him.

 

“He could’ve just killed you instead of your fiancée.”

 

“That’s because…”

 

He didn’t want to go into detail about his late mother’s unhappiness. It would be the same no matter who asked, not just Asilie.

 

But he also didn’t want to keep secrets.

 

“He was seeing someone else in me. Someone he could never see again. That made him think I was worth keeping alive.”

 

It felt like an incomplete explanation, but Asilie figured Esperad had his reasons for only telling her this much.

 

She didn’t want to dig into the parts he wanted to keep hidden. That was the respect she could offer him.

 

“That man is a coward.”

 

“………”

 

“Even though someone gave up so much to make him king, he didn’t try to take the throne himself and couldn’t even bear to lose the one thing he had. It makes me think that’s why he couldn’t be king, and you could. Maybe he was never worthy in the first place.”

 

Esperad didn’t respond. He just kissed her forehead.

 

Asilie thought his warm breath and soft lips against her skin felt incredibly comforting.

 

To her, he was like the warm sunlight that falls during a cold winter’s day. It still felt unreal that someone like him was truly by her side. And at moments like this, she felt a deep gratitude.

 

“It’s a relief that he was only that much. Otherwise, I might never have met you. And if that happened, I wouldn’t have known that this kind of happiness even existed.”

 

“I don’t see it that way.”

 

“Why not?”

 

“Because it doesn’t make sense that no one but me would recognize someone as precious as you. Even if it weren’t me, someone else would have eventually found you. And they wouldn’t have let you go.”

 

Esperad hugged Asilie tightly.

 

Only when her small body was in his arms did he feel at ease.

 

“That’s why I’m grateful. That I was the one who found you first, and that I wasn’t too stupid to realize I should never let you go.”

 

Before Asilie could respond, his lips covered hers, as if he had been waiting for them to part.

 

It had been a long time since they had kissed this deeply.

 

“Haa…”

 

Maybe it was because everything around them was dark except for the candlelight, or maybe because the silence was broken only by the soft sound of their lips meeting. Or perhaps it was simply because two lovers who longed for each other were finally alone without interruption.

 

Their kiss grew deeper and more intense, and their hands began to explore, familiar yet honest, heating the air between them.

 

“I tried to hold back.”

 

“You don’t… have to.”

 

“But I promised…”

 

He had meant to wait until she was legally and completely his. But why was this woman so beautiful it made him suffer?

 

Esperad clenched his fists, trying to resist, but Asilie gently touched and loosened his hands, whispering softly.

 

“That promise was… until you officially proposed, wasn’t it?”

 

Those words shattered his restraint.

 

Esperad lifted her into his arms and laid her on the bed. But he didn’t give her a chance to rest.

 

He immediately took off his shirt and tossed it aside, then kissed her fiercely.

 

It wasn’t a kiss without care. In fact, it was so respectful it felt like he didn’t need to hold back anymore.

 

Of course, Asilie knew from experience that this respectful kiss wouldn’t last long.

 

“Mm…”

 

Esperad roughly bit her lower lip, then moved downward.

 

The delicate skin of her slender neck was gently but firmly nibbled, and the sensation was both rough and sensual. Asilie couldn’t open her eyes.

 

She was afraid to meet his gaze, afraid of what might happen if their eyes met.

 

If that happened, she wouldn’t be able to stop him or control him. That scared her.

 

But at the same time, a part of her bravely wished he wouldn’t stop, that he would let go of control, and that he would mark her body and heart as his completely.

 

“It’s okay… to do more.”

 

She opened her eyes and softly spoke the words like a spell.

 

Was it a request for him to continue, or was it a magic whisper that broke the chains holding him back?