A Change of Husband - Chapter 6

“This… is this what you mean?”

 

Esperad’s eyes widened slightly.

 

Asilie looked at him as if wondering why he was acting that way, then clapped her hands together as if something had dawned on her.

 

“Oh, maybe the buttons are too small and hard to undo. Then perhaps I should call a maid…”

 

“No, it’s fine. I’ll help you.”

 

Although he offered to help, Esperad’s mind was a tangled mess.

 

What exactly did Asilie want from him right now?

 

No, perhaps the answer was so simple that all this worry was pointless.

 

They had held a wedding and were officially married now, after all.

 

Still, Esperad had never truly considered the idea of married life with Asilie.

 

He had defined their relationship in simple terms—as a partnership formed to achieve their respective goals.

 

Had he been taking the concept of marriage too lightly?

 

“Is it proving too difficult?”

 

Even now, Asilie remained overly composed.

 

As if she had no intention of seducing him. As if he was the only one misreading the situation.

 

Her calm demeanor only added to Esperad’s confusion.

 

Eventually, he made up his mind, reached behind her back, and began undoing the buttons while keeping his gaze firmly fixed on the wall.

 

Asilie’s figure was so small that it could be hidden behind both of his hands. Still, perhaps due to the tightly cinched waist, the fabric sprang apart on either side as each button came undone.

 

Naturally, the curve of her spine became visible.

 

Esperad, trying hard not to let his eyes linger on her pale skin, found himself startled by the long scar near her waist.

 

He stared at it in surprise.

 

“Esperad?”

 

Asilie looked back at him, sensing his hand had stopped.

 

But Esperad’s gaze remained fixed.

 

“You have a scar.”

 

“Huh?”

 

“A sword wound… it seems.”

 

Esperad was likely shocked to see such a scar on the body of a woman who was only eighteen. But Asilie was just as stunned—nearly to the point of fainting.

 

Why? How? For what reason?

 

So many questions flooded her mind all at once, throwing her into confusion.

 

Asilie was aware of that scar—it was impossible not to be. A blade had touched her body, and she would never forget it.

 

The issue was the timing.

 

Asilie had received that scar around the age of twenty-three. She had resisted her husband Joseph when he, drunk, tried to force himself on her. In a rage, furious that she dared to defy him, he had grabbed a decorative sword from the wall and slashed her across the back.

 

The fear and pain of that moment were unforgettable. Truly.

 

The next day, Joseph apologized, fearing it might cause tension between their families.

 

And foolishly, still loving that man, Asilie believed his apology was sincere. She smiled and told him it was okay, not wanting him to feel guilty.

 

Looking back, it was a warning sign—a sign that he could hurt her at any time. That’s why the memory of that scar lingered.

 

But then why…

 

Why did the eighteen-year-old Asilie bear the scar that the twenty-three-year-old Asilie had received?

 

That event hadn’t happened yet. And yet, the scar was already there.

 

“Asilie?”

 

“Oh, no—it’s nothing. I was told I got it when I was younger. I don’t really remember the details.”

 

She quickly mumbled an excuse and reached back, undoing the remaining three buttons herself.

 

Once the last button came undone, the wedding dress fell to the floor.

 

The soft rustle of fabric brushing against itself instinctively made Esperad turn toward her.

 

But what he imagined didn’t happen. Asilie was wearing a thin slip dress underneath, the back of it cut low.

 

He hadn’t really expected anything, but Esperad still felt oddly deflated.

 

“…If you don’t need help anymore, I’ll go change as well.”

 

“Yes, go ahead. I’ll wait here.”

 

Her cheerful reply left Esperad with a strange sense of guilt as he turned toward the small dressing room connected to the bedroom.

 

A moment later, dressed in comfortable indoor clothes, Esperad returned to find Asilie wearing a cardigan over the slip dress she’d worn earlier.

 

“You look great.”

 

Asilie let out a small, involuntary sigh.

 

“Pardon?”

 

“I mean you, Esperad. You’re tall and broad-shouldered—you look good in anything you wear.”

 

She had never seen such a well-built man in her life.

 

She’d thought so before, but now she was sure. Before things went wrong, it was easy to see why he’d been such a popular bachelor.

 

Asilie began to wonder if he was too good for someone like her.

 

Then, as if reading her thoughts, Esperad replied,

 

“You’re the same.”

 

“…What?”

 

“Let’s go. At this rate, we might not finish touring the Medici Mansion today.”

 

As he naturally wrapped his arm around her waist, Asilie took a sharp breath. She didn’t get a chance to dwell on what he had just said.

 

“Truly, this is a beautiful mansion.”

 

It wasn’t flattery. After spending seven long years in high society, Asilie had more than enough ability to express admiration so convincingly that no one would think it was mere formality. But there was no need for that here.

 

Her words were pure and sincere, free of any pretense.

 

Although the previous Duke of Camedici had made significant renovations when purchasing the mansion, the Medici Mansion was so grand that it was hard to believe it had been built during the continental war 200 years ago.

 

“I really like it, Esperad. I’m also looking forward to meeting that diligent head maid you mentioned.”

 

“You’ll have the chance to meet her soon.”

 

“Will I?”

 

“Of course. Asilie, would you like to come this way now?”

 

The place Esperad led her to as the final stop of the tour was the innermost room on the top floor of Medici Mansion.

 

“This room is usually only accessible to Madam Marce and myself. But today, quite a few people had to enter.”

 

He whispered as he opened the door.

 

“When I was little, I used to jokingly call it the ‘Secret Room,’ and eventually, that became its official name. Allow me to present the Secret Room of House Camedici.”

 

The first thing that caught Asilie’s eye as the door opened was a large family tree.

 

“The wedding will be held quietly and modestly at the Pezula Temple on the outskirts of the capital, and on that day, your name will be added to the Camedici family tree.”

 

Recalling the conversation between the Duke of Grandier and Esperad, she finally understood why he had brought her here.

 

Esperad had wanted to show her something.

 

That the two of them had truly become partners.

 

“You brought me here to show me this.”

 

“It was part of the intention. And though the family history might be short…”

 

The House of Camedici was unique, even among royal-bloodline families.

 

Normally, royals who didn’t become king were added to the royal Astel family tree and granted a title, but that title was not hereditary. It was a one-time title that reverted to the kingdom upon their death.

 

Their children could not be added to the Astel family tree either, and to maintain their status, they were required to marry into other noble families.

 

However, established noble families were reluctant to marry into royalty that offered nothing but bloodline. Marrying royalty meant risking royal scrutiny and interference.

 

Thus, the only suitable matches for such royalty were newer nobles who sought the legitimacy of royal blood.

 

But the Camedici family was different. The previous Duke Camedici had passed his title to Esperad with the king’s formal approval. That was why Esperad was such a popular groom.

 

“My father was the youngest brother of the late King Ludwig II.”

 

Esperad smiled as he fondly recalled his peacefully resting father.

 

“Though there was a significant age gap, they got along very well. King Ludwig II was very pleased that my father was close friends with his two sons — the late King Brium III and the current Count of Mirk.”

 

“They may have been uncle and nephews, but they were similar in age, so I imagine they were more like friends.”

 

“Exactly. That’s why there are many amusing stories involving the four men in the royal palace.”

 

“Amusing stories? Now I’m curious.”

 

“Hmm, the first one that comes to mind is about my mother.”

 

“You mean Lady Rianne, right?”

 

“Yes. In the past, King Ludwig II, King Brium III, and Count Mirk all helped my father choose a bride. But their opinions didn’t align, so my father remained unmarried even past the usual age for marriage.”

 

Asilie listened closely, thinking that Esperad seemed to be in a very good mood, softly sharing a story he must’ve heard from his own father.

 

“Then one day, my father saw my mother, the princess of Descartes, at a ball and fell for her instantly.”

 

“It’s common knowledge in Astel that the former Duke Camedici was a famously devoted husband.”

 

“Yes. The marriage seemed to progress smoothly, but Count Mirk strongly opposed it — unexpectedly so.”

 

“Count Mirk? Why?”

 

“My father and Count Mirk were of the same age and got along well despite being uncle and nephew. But no one imagined they’d have the same ideal type.”

 

“No way…”

 

“Yes. Count Mirk also fell in love with my mother at first sight at that same ball.”

 

It was truly a story that few people would know.

 

At first, Asilie simply enjoyed how relaxed Esperad was, but now she genuinely wanted to know the rest.

 

“King Ludwig II and King Brium III told them to work it out themselves, so my father and Count Mirk both tried to court my mother. And she said she wanted them to duel with swords.”

 

“Swords?”

 

“Having been the princess of Descartes — a country that faced many invasions due to its central location on the continent — my mother wanted a man who could protect her. The late king testified that the duel was extremely fierce.”

 

“So the former Duke Camedici won that duel.”

 

At that, Esperad smiled and nodded.

 

“My parents married a month later. It was unusually quick, but I’ve broken that record myself.”

 

“Maybe that’s why they say life is full of surprises.”

 

“You sound like an old man.”

 

“Do I?”

 

Asilie replied softly and looked around the secret room. Standing behind her, Esperad spoke in a quiet voice.

 

“This secret room now belongs to just the two of us. Of course, Madam Marce will occasionally tend to it…”

 

At those words, Asilie felt something strange stir inside her.

 

Esperad could have treated her formally. After all, they had come together for their own individual purposes.

 

Even so, he had accepted her as the true mistress of House Camedici and was treating her accordingly.

 

But that alone wasn’t what made her heart swell like this.

 

What truly moved her was that Esperad treated her as a person — as an individual.

 

“Thank you.”

 

She whispered softly.

 

“For treating me like it’s only natural…”

 

When she spoke in a choked voice, Esperad instinctively turned to look at her — but then deliberately stayed behind her, answering instead:

 

“Because it is only natural.”

 

 

After a pleasant dinner together, the two briefly parted ways.

 

Esperad said he needed to check on some family matters he hadn’t touched all day, so Asilie returned alone to the marital bedroom.

 

“Head maid, Rosetta Marce, at your service.”

 

There, she finally met the head maid, Madam Marce, who had been waiting for her.

 

From her appearance alone, she looked diligent and sincere. In just a week, she had thoroughly prepared for the arrival of the mistress and was the one who had kept the enormous mansion so well maintained.

 

“It’s nice to meet you. I’ll be counting on your help, since I’m still lacking.”

 

“It will be my honor to assist you in any way I can, Madam.”

 

“Thank you for saying that. If I ever make a mistake as the lady of this house, please don’t hesitate to correct me.”

 

“I will do everything within my power.”

 

Asilie thought she’d like to talk with Madam Marce more.

 

But the head maid seemed a little rushed, so Asilie couldn’t continue the conversation and had to focus on preparing for her wedding night.

 

Before long, she stood in front of the mirror, the picture of a shy bride awaiting her husband.

 

A subtle floral scent wafted from her freshly bathed body. Her still-damp hair clung to the thin slip dress, dampening her shoulders and back in a way that felt strangely sensual.

 

Perhaps it was the massage during the bath, but even without makeup, her skin was glowing and her lips looked soft and moist.

 

“Your legs are quite swollen from today’s schedule. This might hurt a bit, but you’ll have to bear it to release the tension.”

 

As Madam Marce massaged her tired arms and legs, she spoke gently.

 

“Alright.”

 

Asilie found the situation oddly different.

 

When she had prepared for her wedding night with Joseph in the past, she hadn’t been treated with such care.

 

No, it wasn’t that she hadn’t — she couldn’t. The count’s family had only sent her single young, inexperienced maid.

 

She’d taken a simple bath, put on an ordinary nightgown from the ducal estate, and waited for Joseph.

 

And when he finally arrived at dawn, drunk, she had no choice but to endure his aggressive behavior without resistance.

 

“Please sit and wait. The master will arrive shortly. Here is a tea to help you relax. It’s beneficial for both of you. I’ll leave you now.”

 

Madam Marce lit a scented candle said to create a sweet atmosphere and quietly exited.

 

Left alone in the bedroom, Asilie finally began to feel nervous.

 

The two of them were not married in the usual sense.

 

Though Esperad treated her as the proper duchess of the house, that treatment only pertained to rights.

 

There was no telling if he would extend the same attitude in the marital relationship.

 

What if he wants something more intimate…?

 

Just as the question crossed her mind, the bedroom door opened — perfect timing — and Esperad entered.

 

Asilie stared as he approached, shirtless, drying his wet hair with a towel.

 

My goodness. She had never seen such a perfect body.

 

Even the most carefully sculpted statue couldn’t compare to him.

 

She had known he was tall and broad-shouldered, but seeing his bare physique, the word “magnificent” was the only one that fit.

 

His strong arms looked like they could lift anything, and the muscles of his chest, ribs, and abs showed how diligently he trained himself.

 

Asilie watched a droplet fall from his damp hair and trail down between his chest muscles before hastily lowering her eyes.

 

“Did I keep you waiting?”

 

“N-No, not at all. But…”

 

“But?”

 

Even though she’d been married to Joseph for seven years in her past life and wasn’t new to a man’s body, she felt strangely nervous.

 

And in that state, flustered by Esperad’s gentle question, Asilie blurted out the very thought she’d been mulling in her head.

 

“Are… are you going to sleep with me?”