Droit du Seigneur: His Lordship's Right of the First Night - Chapter 20
Bed Service
The next morning.
When Louise woke up, she was momentarily bewildered. The bright morning sunlight pierced through the curtains. Turning her head, she saw the red wall adorned with a shield and a decorative dagger bearing a golden emblem. Realizing where she was, the remnants of sleep quickly fled her mind.
Thump.
It was the first time she had slept in such a soft bed. As she sat up, the sheet that had been covering her slid off, revealing the reddish marks scattered across her chest below her collarbone. Louise blushed deeply.
‘This is crazy, absolutely crazy!’
She was alone in the room. How could she have slept so soundly? Louise was amazed at herself for having overslept more than usual. She had overworked herself in tension for the past few days and had succumbed to the unfamiliar comfort of the bedding.
‘Has the lord already left…?’
She saw the table and small chair where she had fallen asleep the previous night across from her.
Wait?
I’m sure I fell asleep at the table, so what happened?
Could it be that His Lordship…?
Just then, the bedroom door opened, and an older maid entered. Seeing Louise still in bed, she frowned deeply. The maid noisily approached, pulling back the curtains and dusting the furniture irritably.
“Ugh, look at you, still lying around. Do you think this is your home? When the sun is up, you should be up too. What are you doing still in bed at this hour!”
The maid began to beat the bed with her duster, causing Louise to shrink back. The maid clicked her tongue as she took in the red marks adorning Louise’s pale shoulders and chest.
“You must have enjoyed yourself! Aren’t you ashamed, flaunting yourself like this? I’d be scared if my son brought someone like you home.”
“…….”
“If a man earns less, you should think about earning the wedding tax yourself. Young people these days, always trying to take the easy way out if they’re a bit good-looking….”
Muttering in displeasure, the maid tidied the room and glared at Louise.
“His Lordship left early this morning! How disgraceful, not even greeting him because you were sleeping in. Get out of here quickly.”
“Um, my clothes….”
“They’re in the hallway. The head maid wants to see you, so don’t forget to visit her on your way out.”
Louise wrapped herself in the sheet and opened the door slightly, finding her clothes from the previous day crumpled in a wooden box in the hallway. She tried to smooth out the wrinkles as much as possible before putting them on and knocked on the head maid’s office door. The same stern, thin woman from yesterday opened it.
“Loosen your top so I can see your chest.”
Once inside, Louise removed her clothes, revealing the red marks from the previous night. The head maid nodded in satisfaction. Finally free, Louise received a marriage approval document stamped with His Lordship’s seal from the house steward and left the castle.
Outside, the sun was already high in the sky, casting dazzling light on the road. Despite her situation, the warm spring sunshine felt oddly peaceful as she walked down the quiet path. The events of the previous night seemed like a distant dream.
‘His Lordship isn’t as bad as I thought…’
It would have been nice to thank him this morning.
I probably won’t see him again. Louise felt uneasy about not properly thanking Richard. Despite his circumstances, he had shown her so much consideration.
He had moved her from the table to the bed, and even shed his blood to create false evidence of their consummation. Thinking back, he had been gruff yet considerate. That must be why she had felt safe enough to fall asleep so easily last night.
Her thoughts quickly returned to the strong arms that had caught her when she almost fell, the firm jawline and high nose she had glimpsed from below. The warmth of his touch and the subtle sandalwood scent he carried…
He was the lord of the land she lived in, so perhaps she might see him again someday. But Louise soon realized that despite living in this land for twenty years, she had never seen the previous lord, Marquis Liberti.
During major events or festivals, the lord’s procession would pass through the square, but the heavily armed guards made it hard to catch even a glimpse of the carriage. Officially, commoners could request an audience, but that wasn’t something someone in her position could hope for.
“What’s your name?”
The deep voice that had reverberated in her ears, combined with the sharp sandalwood scent, spread through her chest. The bright sunlight suddenly felt scorching on her face.
I guess I’ll never see him again.
Goodbye, my lord.
She was used to giving up on things. Leaving behind the fluttering banner of the lord’s castle, Louise tried to shake off the inexplicable sadness in her heart as she continued to walk.
