Droit du Seigneur: His Lordship's Right of the First Night - Chapter 60
The clear autumn sky, free of any clouds, was as clear as a watercolor painting on canvas. With the splendid sunlight gently coloring the world, new news spread through the Evron territory.
“Did you hear? The lord is getting married soon! Finally, the lady of the castle will be in place!”
“I wonder what kind of person the Archduchess will be. Hopefully, she will be someone warm-hearted who will look after the people of the territory well.”
The sudden news had everyone in the castle excited. Since events and festivals greatly influenced sales, the merchants in the market buzzed about the topic during any idle moments.
“If a grand wedding takes place, it will surely help our business, right? There will be many guests from outside.”
“Indeed. Should we stock up on more goods? What are you going to do?”
Louise was arranging items displayed in front of the grocery store, listening to the chatter between Mr. Martin, the fishmonger, and the bakery owner. Just then, Mrs. Melissa, carrying a wooden box full of canned goods, sighed deeply as she came out of the store.
“What’s wrong, ma’am?”
“Louise, have you heard the rumor that the lord might be leaving for the capital?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“They say the lady who is to become his wife doesn’t want to spend her newlywed life in such a rural place.”
“Then this place….”
“Either a deputy will be appointed, or it will be returned to the imperial family, and someone else will come to be the lord.”
The thought that the lord might leave Evron forever….
‘I guess I’ll really never see him again.’
The moment Louise heard those words, her heart sank. She knew she would never be able to talk to him or touch him like before, but just knowing he was here had been a great comfort.
And she had thought that perhaps one day, she might catch a glimpse of him from afar….
But she didn’t think she could bear to see him build a happy family with the noble lady who suited him.
Their relationship had ended as planned. After fulfilling the two-month contract, the imperial knights didn’t stop her from leaving the castle, and as promised, the Emperor supported the remaining treatment costs for Mildred. And since she left without leaving even a short note, there had been no contact from Richard.
He must have already forgotten about Louise. A mere commoner girl who had only warmed his bed for a while couldn’t have meant anything to an imperial like him. Despite understanding this obvious truth, Louise felt a hollow emptiness in her heart.
“Still, things have gotten better since the new lord arrived. What will happen if the lord changes again…?”
Mrs. Melissa’s lament drifted by as Louise mechanically continued arranging the items.
***
“Sister, when will you be back if you go out now?”
A few days later, Louise was hurrying to prepare for the market. As she packed items for sale into a large bag, Mildred watched her, resting her chin on her hand.
Since it was a season of frequent events and festivals in various villages, Louise had been traveling to different places on her days off from the grocery store. Today, she planned to go to a neighboring village where a small festival was being held.
“I have to sell everything I take, so it will be late at night. Don’t wait up for me, just go to bed, okay?”
“Okay, Sister….”
Recently, Louise had been trying to return to her daily life by keeping herself busy. Even after hearing about Richard’s marriage, she focused on her work, pretending that there was nothing wrong.
One consolation was that Mildred’s health had significantly improved. Since returning from the hospital, her coughing had notably reduced, and the doctor’s optimistic words about a complete recovery with continued treatment gave Louise great hope.
‘I have to forget about what happened with His Lordship. I must forget.’
However, no matter how hard she tried, there were memories that couldn’t be erased. Whether eating, before going to bed, or walking down the street, thoughts of him would unexpectedly intrude into her daily life.
Ironically, while she wanted to forget everything about Richard, she was also afraid of forgetting completely. The deep, low voice that called her name, the warm body that held her every night, the large hands that stroked her hair, and the soft, heavy scent she always sensed when close to him… She feared all these memories would eventually fade away.
Which was better, to remember him and feel heartache or to forget everything? Even if someone gave her a potion to erase her memories, would she have drunk it? At that time, Louise couldn’t be sure.
‘Suspicious. There must be something….’
Cherinia, leaning against the door with her arms crossed, scrutinized Louise with narrowed eyes. It was clear that Louise had been acting strange lately. Ever since she returned from offering her first night to the lord in her place and being away for a while.
When Louise said she had been hired as a temporary maid at the castle due to a shortage of workers, Cherinia hadn’t been interested. She thought that such a menial job suited Louise perfectly.
The day Louise returned, Cherinia had accidentally run into her while getting water in the early morning. Louise had been wrapped in a shabby black shawl like when she left, but Cherinia had glimpsed fine satin beneath it.
‘What’s that? Do they dress maids in such fine clothes at the castle?’
Unable to contain her curiosity, Cherinia had eventually snuck into Louise’s room while she was out and searched it.
