Violet Zerotta's Hasty Marriage - Chapter 14
Her regret over the house was eventually resolved with a single suggestion from her.
“Let’s rent it out to someone.”
The idea came to her out of nowhere.
There was always a shortage of homes for commoners. Even if the house was in a slightly remote location, it was large and clean. Surely, someone would want to live there.
“It’s fine even if we don’t ask for much rent. Let’s just ask them to take good care of the house. Then maybe we’ll have a reason to come back and visit one day. What do you think?”
Since Aldrick was the actual owner of the house, Violet sought his agreement.
As always, Aldrick replied, “Sure, sounds good.”
That was how he typically responded to Violet’s suggestions.
That was also why she sometimes thought he was too agreeable.
It was as if he didn’t have any opinions of his own. He agreed with everything she said, accepted every suggestion she made.
But there was one thing he absolutely would not compromise on: the issue of the bed.
He still firmly refused to let either of them sleep on the floor.
Ever since she had started thinking about the consummation, Violet had grown uncomfortable sharing a bed with him. His solid body and warm heat were pleasant, but sleeping so closely together was a burden. She was also scared… What if Aldrick did something to her in his sleep?
But even after an entire week passed, there wasn’t the slightest sign of anything like that from Aldrick.
As several uneventful days went by, Violet came to a conclusion.
Aldrick clearly had no intention of making a move on her.
She thought carefully about why that might be. And she reached a reasonable conclusion of her own.
Aldrick was simply too young, completely clueless when it came to this sort of thing.
To her, that was honestly a huge relief. As long as Aldrick didn’t know, the one terrible thing she feared most would never happen.
Maybe we could go on like this forever, living peacefully as a couple without ever having to go through that first night. We just won’t tell anyone!
Violet felt her affection for Aldrick deepen even more.
Ah, how could my husband be this wonderful? That excessively handsome face, that tall frame, that broad and solid build—and on top of that, a perfect personality to match.
At this point, she even felt she should be grateful to her father, Baron Zerotta, for arranging this match.
And so, Violet made a quiet wish.
That her exemplary husband would always stay just as pure and kind.
…Of course, life never worked out exactly the way one hoped.
***
It was their last day in Aldrick’s house.
After one more night here, Violet and Aldrick would leave. Not forever perhaps, but to a place far enough that returning would not be easy.
Arranging the rental had been simple. They went down to the village and asked Mrs. Margaret to look after the house, and she readily agreed.
The rent was offered at a very generous price, and when they decided to let her keep all the income, she was deeply moved.
With everything settled, Violet was now packing the very last of their things.
She was organizing items into a large sack, anything they might need along the way.
Naturally, Aldrick was helping her. He folded small clothing items, tied odds and ends together with string. His hands were surprisingly skilled, and Violet guessed that he’d lived alone for quite a while, too.
“Violet.”
Just as she was checking every last corner of the house one final time, Aldrick called out to her.
“Hmm? What is it?”
“This—should we take it with us? It looked important.”
He set down a bundle wrapped tightly in red silk in front of her.
“Oh, that…”
At the sight of it, Violet’s expression turned faintly complicated. Naturally sharp-eyed Aldrick didn’t miss it.
“It’s fine. Let’s leave it behind. It’s not needed anymore.”
“Why? What is it?”
His curiosity was piqued by her expression. After a moment of consideration, Violet decided there was no reason to hide it and opened the bundle.
“It’s nothing special. Just…”
When she undid the red silk, a ceremonial cloak made of dark green satin embroidered with gold thread was neatly folded inside.
It was something Violet had made herself.
Sewing and embroidery were the only skills she truly had.
And with time to spare, her mind would often wander when she was at home alone.
She had started making it to distract herself from such thoughts. And it had been nearly a year since she’d finished it and put it away.
“I just used what money I had left over to buy fabric and thread. I was going to make a dress at first, but it’s not like I ever go to banquets, so I figured I didn’t need one… I made this just in case. But now that you’re a lord, you can have something nicer made. So let’s just leave this behind.”
