Come and Cry at My Funeral - Chapter 38
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She didn’t know exactly what Izar did, but Freesia had a peaceful time for a while before their departure.
Normally, by this time, Electra would have been harassing her, but the Elder Madam had locked herself in her room and didn’t come out until the day Izar and Freesia departed for Deneb.
‘Well… it doesn’t matter to me for now.’
However, as they crossed the mountain and Deneb’s castle approached, she became increasingly curious.
Why exactly had Izar decided to spend a fortnight here?
‘To strengthen the alliance? …But Arcturus and Deneb don’t have that close of a relationship. Arcturus had never invited them over before either.’
Deneb, unlike the rolling hills of Arcturus, was a peaceful territory with ancient, dense forests.
Perhaps because of this, the people who came to greet them seemed quite relaxed.
“Welcome, Your Graces Duke and Duchess Arcturus.”
Leading the welcoming party were the Marquis and Marchioness. Though they paid their respects and spoke deferentially to the Duke and Duchess, they were actually old enough to be their parents.
They smiled very kindly, but Freesia instinctively remained on guard.
‘Will they look down on me as a bastard here too?’
Just like the noblewomen who laughed at the tea party but actually despised her.
However, the Marchioness who was attending her smiled warmly with wrinkles forming around her eyes.
“Welcome, Your Grace. It must have been hard traveling through the mountains as newlyweds.”
“No, seeing new landscapes is not a hardship but a pleasure. I didn’t notice the time passing because the scenery here is so beautiful.”
“Haha, I’m glad to hear you say that.”
Pleased with her answer, the Marchioness’s eyes sparkled.
The Marchioness then took Freesia on a tour of important places in the castle.
Banquet halls, gardens, dining areas…
As they moved around, Freesia was constantly on edge, wondering when the Marchioness would subtly mock her.
However, the Marchioness asked a peculiar question with a smile.
“Now that I’ve shown you around, when would you like to use the healing spring?”
“……?”
Freesia was momentarily speechless.
She looked puzzled, and although she regretted showing that expression, the Marchioness had already noticed it.
“Oh my. I thought that was why Duke Arcturus sent a letter.”
“It… It’s embarrassing to say, but I thought the Duke had some matters to discuss with the Marquis.”
“Ah, there’s that too.”
The Marchioness waved her hand dismissively.
“His Grace has been asking these past few days for permission for you to use the healing spring.”
“Me…? But that place is…”
Ever since hearing they were going to Deneb, it seemed like one incomprehensible event after another.
The ‘healing spring’, as its name suggested, was a stream imbued with the power to heal wounds. Although it struggled with serious diseases, soaking a wound in its waters for a long time could heal it.
‘I heard that its power disappears the moment the water is taken away, so it can only be used here?’
Therefore, the Deneb family opens the ‘healing spring’ only to distinguished guests, much like the imperial family.
Freesia had heard of such a place but never imagined it would be the reason for their visit to Deneb.
The Marchioness burst into laughter like a young girl.
“Oh dear! It seems the Duke is more shy than I thought.”
“……?”
“To go through such trouble for his bride and not even mention it!”
Freesia blinked in disbelief at the absurd appraisal.
Shy? Who?
Izar Arcturus?
While it’s true that she harbored feelings for Izar, she hadn’t lost all objectivity.
‘The Marchioness seems nice, but perhaps lacks discernment.’
Freesia cautiously spoke up.
“Madam, but the healing spring is only open for distinguished guests. Is it really alright for me to enter so casually?”
“Yes. His Grace has agreed to pay the price for it.”
“…Price? What kind of price?”
Her mouth dried with tension after speaking. ‘A shy Izar’ followed by the unimaginable scenario was too much to grasp.
Her ‘husband’ paying someone else for her sake?
‘That’s… absurd.’
No. Such a thing shouldn’t happen.
Because that would lead to unnecessary expectations.
Being treated so preciously was too frightening a possibility to bear.
Life tends to bring more disappointments than joys, so she always wanted to keep her expectations at the lowest.
However, the Marchioness, unaware of Freesia’s desperate efforts, cheerfully continued her explanation.
“Recently, monsters have been appearing frequently on our land, and His Grace has offered to personally lead a subjugation campaign to exterminate them.”
“His Grace himself…”
“Yes, we are truly grateful. Ah, those creatures have been wreaking havoc on our crops…”
The Marchioness’s complaints about estate troubles didn’t fully reach Freesia.
Izar, acting on behalf of a territory that wasn’t even his?
‘Because of my injuries…?’
Unwillingly, her heart throbbed painfully. If this was an act of kindness, it was overwhelmingly sweet, yet utterly terrifying to fully embrace.
If it were merely recognition for being ‘useful’, it might be different.
But to feel ‘cherished as a person’…
It would only lead to wanting more.
For instance, to be loved by him as much as she loved him…
‘Stop thinking about it!’
Freesia clenched her necklace, biting her lip.
‘Lower your expectations. Get a grip.’
It was wasteful to get carried away by foolish thoughts. While she managed to maintain a calm exterior, she couldn’t organize her thoughts before another remark hit.
“And this is the room you and His Grace will be using.”
“Ah…”
“Isn’t the view splendid? It’s already summer weather here, so the sunlight might be a bit strong.”
“It’s… it’s too splendid. Really splendid.”
Her voice trembled foolishly in reply, but the Marchioness seemed to take it as a sign of being moved.
That was a relief.
At that moment, Freesia wasn’t looking at the scenery outside the window but something else.
Towards the giant bed prepared in the room.
‘We’re not staying in separate rooms.’
She hadn’t even asked for the same room, yet felt like she was caught doing something wrong. She broke into cold sweat.
Izar had already warned her not to act like she’s his wife, and she intended to avoid anything he disliked as much as possible.
But how could she say, ‘We’re newlyweds, but please prepare separate rooms’ in front of the hosts?
‘I can’t do that.’
Even if Izar disliked it, due to proper noble etiquette, asking for separate rooms was out of the question.
