Bridal Lessons - Chapter 65
“I’ll be off.”
“……”
After his figure disappeared, Rosen stared blankly at the closed door for a while.
A few maids dressed in the grand duchy’s uniform entered the room just as Rosen was hastily putting on the nightgown she had found lying beside the bed.
“Miss Rosen, did you sleep well?”
“We will prepare your bath shortly.”
“We’ll help you get dressed.”
It had been a long time since Rosen had seen anyone other than Iscarion or Joshua, aside from the maid who brought her meals when she was first confined and the day she attempted to escape.
During her time in the annex, Iscarion had taken care of all her meals and clothes himself. Not only did he bring them, but he also dressed and fed her personally.
Bathing was no exception. He never allowed Rosen to bathe alone, always washing her himself like a child. Of course, these sessions rarely ended with just a bath—she would emerge from the bathroom, drowsy and limp like a melted sugar cookie, only to find the bedroom cleaned and fresh sheets on the bed.
The Lutèce Grand Duchy was vast, and there were so many employees that even Rosen couldn’t know all of them. However, the maids who came to the annex were all unfamiliar faces. If they had been the usual maids, she could have asked them about the situation outside in detail.
But Rosen soon changed her mind. It was less embarrassing to have strangers see her body, which had likely changed in ways she hadn’t noticed herself.
Her fair skin tended to retain marks for a long time, but since she had stopped having relations with Iscarion, the numerous red marks that had covered her delicate skin were gradually fading. However, she still felt that her nxxples, which had been relentlessly nibbled and sucked daily, seemed thicker and redder.
Thankfully, the area below didn’t seem to have darkened or changed much, but she feared someone might notice any differences.
Initially, she had been mortified and hated having Iscarion bathe her. Yet, without realizing it, she had adapted. Now, she was startled to find the experienced hands of the professional maids more uncomfortable.
Just as Rosen finished washing and dressing in an indoor gown with the maids’ help, someone knocked on the door.
“Miss Rosénia, it’s been a while.”
“Head Butler Edward!”
Standing outside was the familiar head butler of the manor. Seeing a known face after such a long time made Rosen happy, but she instinctively avoided his gaze.
Thinking about the indecent acts she had engaged in daily with Iscarion in this room made it difficult to look directly at the butler, whom she had known and followed since childhood.
The butler, on the other hand, smiled proudly at Rosen. Watching the young lady he had seen grow up since she was six become the proper mistress of the grand duchy filled him with pride.
“Miss, have your lessons been difficult?”
Of course, the butler believed that Rosen had been reading etiquette books and studying the scriptures about the duties between husband and wife as part of her “bridal lessons”. However, Rosen, who had only gained knowledge of indecent acts she couldn’t speak of, completely misunderstood his words and froze.
“Should I start educating you on something else? It seems like a lot of training will be needed for you to handle me.”
Surely… everyone knew she was receiving shameful training to repay Iscarion for “raising her”…
“You seem a bit pale, perhaps from staying in the bedroom so much.”
The butler, seeing Rosen’s pale face, added with a friendly smile. The shame of having the lewd activities in the bedroom discovered made her face flush red. However, the butler, who saw her as nothing more than a grand duchy bride-to-be, interpreted it as mere shyness.
“Even though your engagement period was long, it’s understandable to feel this shy now that the time has come. After all, you were so young when you got engaged.”
As the butler reminisced about the first time Rosen came to the manor, he smiled warmly.
“Haha, no need to be so embarrassed. Everyone goes through this when they grow up.”
‘It wouldn’t be right to treat someone soon to be the grand duchess like a child.’
Seeing her expression change though, he quickly reassessed his behavior.
Having worked at the grand duchy for so long, he expertly adjusted his expression. Although his sudden and awkward distance caused more misunderstandings for Rosen…
He bowed politely and handed her a booklet.
“Miss, we are planning to redecorate the grand ducal residence, and I was hoping you could help with it.”
Rosen, still processing everything, looked at the booklet with a mix of confusion and reluctance.
