Violet Zerotta's Hasty Marriage - Chapter 3
By the time she came to her senses, she was in the bridal chamber.
If it could even be called that.
At a glance, it was an ordinary room. The problem was that it was too ordinary.
The bed was still messy, as if someone had slept in it just this morning, clothes were scattered everywhere, and piles of documents lay around, getting caught on the hem of Violet’s dress as she moved.
“It must look like a barn to a noble lady, but you only have to endure it for one night,” the man said bluntly as he followed her inside, noticing how she was staring in stunned silence.
One night? What was that supposed to mean?
Ah, right—he had said he was leaving tomorrow.
The irresponsibility of it all almost made her angry again.
For him, this was just one more night in this filthy place, but after he left, Violet would have to live here.
An inexplicable resentment toward him bubbled up.
A moment later, she realized it was a mixture of fear, disappointment, and unfamiliarity, all tangled together.
“Are we the only ones here? No maids?”
The man looked at her with a slightly surprised expression.
“Do you really need one? I’m leaving tomorrow anyway.”
So once he left, everything was over?
How utterly selfish.
He really had no intention of caring about what happened to her once he was gone.
Violet sighed softly and looked around the room and the house as a whole.
It wasn’t particularly large, but managing it alone would still be a challenge.
She had done all the household work at her father’s house anyway, so it wouldn’t be difficult—but still, running an entire house alone seemed daunting…
“I’m going to sleep now. Do whatever you want.”
“Already?”
“Departure’s at dawn. So after I’m gone, you’ll have to—”
“When will you come back from the war?”
She had no idea why the question suddenly slipped out.
The man seemed slightly taken aback that she had asked.
“Well… at the very least, five years, I’d say.”
Five years?
Violet swallowed a gasp.
She had heard he was going to war, but she hadn’t realized it would be for that long.
So she would have to spend years alone, waiting for a husband who might return alive—or as a corpse?
Her life had never been happy, but now even her future seemed bleak beyond belief.
Of course, it wasn’t as if she had wanted him to stay by her side, but still…
“What about money?”
Again, the words came out before she had fully thought them through.
What was she supposed to live on while he was gone?
If necessary, she could earn money by sewing, but she still needed something to survive on in the meantime.
At the mention of money, the man frowned.
It seemed all men in the world reacted the same way when the topic of money came up.
“Your father already took a good sum. You need more?”
“That’s that. I need my own money.”
Otherwise, she might starve while he was gone.
With a sigh, he turned to the closet and pulled out a pouch about the same size as the one he had given her father earlier.
The amount was more than she had expected.
This wasn’t just enough to last her a few days—she could probably live comfortably for a whole year without doing anything.
As she looked at the pouch of gold, a vague thought crossed her mind.
She had heard that even a low-ranking knight needed real skill to be officially knighted…
Perhaps this man was more capable—and wealthier—than she had initially assumed.
No, wait.
Was he even old enough to be called a man?
His appearance was that of a full-grown adult, but to Violet, there was still a lingering youthfulness about him.
Maybe that was why he spoke so informally so easily.
“By the way, how old are you?”
The abrupt question made him look at her in disbelief. But he soon gave up and answered.
“…Seventeen.”
“I knew it!”
Violet exclaimed, her voice rising without meaning to.
Realizing she had been a little too enthusiastic, she awkwardly smoothed out her skirt.
Then, as if remembering something, she added,
“I’m twenty. That means I’m your ‘Sister’.”
“Hah.”
A short breath escaped his lips.
Now that she knew his age, he looked even younger.
She had no idea how he had grown so big, but still—
Wait a minute.
Seventeen?
He had just come of age.
“And you’re already going to war?”
“That’s the order. That’s why I had to find a wife so quickly.”
Now, she finally understood why someone like him had ended up in such an absurd marriage.
“You really have it rough… Do you have no family?”
Maybe because they had talked for a little longer, or maybe because she now saw him as a younger brother, Violet found herself speaking to him in a much softer tone.
“No.”
“I see… Since when?”
“Since always.”
He answered simply, though his eyes showed a slight hint of confusion—perhaps wondering why she was even asking.
Well, that made sense.
Being sent off to war to kill people at such a young age… Of course, it would feel overwhelming.
…But could he even wield a sword properly?
Becoming a widow right after getting married… that would be a bit much.
