I Had No Complaints About This Marriage - Chapter 26
Let everyone see what I’ve given you.
Esina interpreted his words a little differently.
‘Ah—so everyone can see just how much of a wicked wife Esina Telloien is.’
Though his tone was commanding, thinking of it that way made sense. After all, it was what they had agreed upon. Strangely, that thought eased her discomfort.
“Here.”
“You called, sir?”
At Herman’s gesture, an attendant approached with a nod. While the clerk began explaining the packaging options—box patterns, ribbons, and the like—a blatantly hostile voice cut through from nearby.
The small group of noble ladies and wives invited to this soft opening were whispering among themselves.
“Isn’t that the Demon’s Diamond?”
“That ridiculously expensive one…”
“Good heavens. She definitely married into the Telloien family for their wealth.”
“How vulgar—like some cheap prostitute.”
Their words reached Esina, but she paid them no mind. Or rather, she wasn’t really listening. Her gaze remained fixed on the necklace.
‘Am I really going to get robbed over this?’
Her brief moment of relief had passed. Now, a different worry nagged at her. The dazzling diamond necklace seemed like far too tempting a target. The fact that Herman had assigned a small army of bodyguards to follow her around did little to ease her mind.
‘What if some bold, highly skilled thief comes after me?’
The more she thought about it, the more wearing it out in public seemed like a bad idea. Wouldn’t it be better to tuck it safely in a drawer and, if necessary, sell it off later as loot?
‘Loot, huh…’
Once that thought took root, she suddenly felt the urge to hoard jewels like a squirrel stockpiling acorns. After all, any jewelry Herman bought for her could eventually become her money. The same went for the raw gems that would come from the sapphire mine he’d promised.
‘He didn’t say I couldn’t indulge even more, right?’
Now that she’d received an unexpected gift, a little greed began to stir. Maybe if she wheedled him a bit… Hadn’t she boldly declared she’d play the part of the wicked wife so thoroughly that even the Telloien family would hear the rumors?
As Esina’s mind whirred with schemes, Herman stood nearby, his brow slightly furrowed as he listened to the hushed, venomous whispers around them. Unconsciously, a vein pulsed faintly in his jaw.
“Young Duke.”
Just as Herman’s expression grew colder and Esina was debating what to coax him into buying next, a man who appeared to be the manager approached and spoke to him.
“Since you’re here, there are some documents that require your attention…”
“…I’ll be there shortly.”
After a brief hesitation, Herman gestured to a few other clerks—young women—and instructed,
“Keep my wife entertained until I return.”
“Of course, sir.”
With that, Herman left with the manager. Though slightly disappointed she hadn’t gotten the chance to ask for more, Esina soon brightened as she received the elegantly packaged diamond necklace.
‘How much could I get if I sold this?’
Not that she planned to sell it immediately. But still, it didn’t hurt to wonder.
Trying to suppress a smug grin at the thought of her growing emergency fund, she barely registered when one of the clerks addressed her.
“Madame Young Duchess?”
“Huh? Oh—yes?”
As soon as Herman disappeared, the clerks’ expressions turned noticeably cooler as they looked at her.
“We’ll escort you to the garden.”
“We’ll have refreshments prepared for you.”
In other words, don’t wander around—just sit quietly in the garden. But Esina didn’t mind.
If anything, she had no desire to parade this expensive piece around. What if someone marked her as a target? That simply wouldn’t do.
Obediently following them, she stepped into the greenhouse garden on the opposite side of the first-floor lobby—and gasped.
“Wow.”
While the marble-finished exterior of the greenhouse gave a modern impression, the interior was like stepping into an elegant, old-world garden.
Vines curled around trellises, bursting with blooms, and exotic flowering trees in full splendor hinted that no small fortune had been poured into this space. Typical of the Telloien wealth, she mused. The greenhouse alone could probably run as a botanical garden. Yet another testament to Herman’s capabilities.
‘Nice.’
Even as she was led to a secluded corner, Esina was too busy admiring the flowers. Some, she noticed, bore the same deep crimson hue as her hair.
Settling into a nook surrounded by those very blooms, she sipped her tea, stroking the necklace box with a contented smile. The air was sweet with the scent of climbing blossoms.
Then, another group—similarly ushered in by clerks—took seats nearby. A cluster of noble ladies gaped at her.
“…Is she sitting among the Flemmel flowers on purpose?”
