A Way to Confirm Your Husband’s True Feelings - Chapter 16
Since she had now adjusted to life in the Valentin territory, building a life of her own meant spending the social season in the capital and managing the estate when back in the territory—that alone had been enough.
But cutting back on shared meals, time spent together, and even marital intimacy felt like a far too severe prescription.
“Do you really think my husband’s attitude will change if I do all that…?”
And yet, part of her found Regina’s words oddly convincing. Though she hadn’t been able to bring herself to say it aloud—that Caesar had described their married life as bothersome and tiresome—granting space to someone with such thoughts did make a certain kind of sense.
It had been deeply shocking to overhear those words at the time, but if most couples went through a phase of indifference like this…
Then maybe, as Regina advised, just adjusting their overly close routines and environment could help her avoid divorce and preserve the marriage.
“If you go about your life without clinging to him, he’ll be the one growing restless. But even if he does, don’t let up so easily. You have to tame a man from the start. Don’t lose control. Ugh, I should’ve taught you this ages ago.”
And so, Beatrice decided she would follow the advice given by her fourth sister, whom she had run into by chance at the Estern estate.
It felt a bit different from the kind of guidance Freya would’ve given, but even a stopgap measure was better than nothing.
That very evening upon returning to the residence, Beatrice began to act differently. She pretended to have a headache and didn’t go out to greet Caesar. It was the first time she had ever done such a thing since their marriage.
‘Was I really being too shameless, just like Sister said…?’
Though their newlywed days had been spent in a distant and unfamiliar territory, Beatrice had her own routine. It wasn’t as though she had nothing to do and thus waited on her husband each day.
Even when busy and pressed with her own tasks, she had always made time to go out and meet him. It had been her unique way of showing affection.
Had Caesar seen it as the meaningless gesture of a bored housewife?
‘I just… really like him. That’s all it is…’
Even after all that had happened, clearly, she still hadn’t come to her senses. Truthfully, she wanted nothing more than to ignore Regina’s advice and run downstairs to greet Caesar warmly.
Though the wound from his words hadn’t yet healed, and she wasn’t sure she could keep her expression composed, she still wanted to see her husband’s face after a full day apart. She wanted to tell him everything about her day and hear everything about his.
To exchange little stories, then, when they were finally alone, to fall into his arms and share warmth. Wasn’t that what it meant to be a family, a married couple? Had she been too naïve in her view of marriage?
Tossing and turning under the covers for many reasons, Beatrice ultimately chose not to go out.
After all, if Caesar truly had complaints—if their marriage needed change—then she had to start doing things differently now.
And just as tears were welling up from the sorrow of not going out to greet her husband, Beatrice heard the door to her bedroom quietly open.
Startled, she quickly closed her eyes and held her breath, afraid her awkward breathing would give her away.
The footsteps, soft and nearly silent, were unmistakably Caesar’s. He had come, likely to check on her after hearing she was unwell.
“Beatrice…”
His voice, so softly murmured it seemed meant not to wake her, made her heart plummet.
This was the Caesar she knew. She could hear the concern and affection in his voice even in that brief whisper. Was what he’d said that morning truly how he felt?
She considered, for a moment, throwing off the covers and speaking honestly with him. But while she hesitated, Caesar exited the room just as quietly as he had entered.
And with that, Beatrice’s brief courage faded.
Restless for hours afterward, she only managed to fall asleep deep into the night.
*
The next morning, Beatrice again declined to join Caesar for breakfast, citing poor health.
She also skipped sending him off, just as she had the day before.
And from that day on, a rumor began to spread among the staff of the Margrave’s residence—that a chill was blowing between the master and madam.
The sudden change in the Margravine’s behavior was so striking that the Margrave even brought in a physician to examine her, but she was found to have no specific illness.
The staff had always known that Caesar rarely showed emotion on his face, but never had they seen their master look so subdued.
Nor was it any different for the Margravine. With a dark expression, she minimized all contact with her husband and barely left her room—so withdrawn, it was as though she had become a different person.
Despite it being the height of the social season, a cold and awkward air lingered throughout the capital residence of the Valentin household, mingling with the whispered concerns of the staff.
