Violet Zerotta's Hasty Marriage - Chapter 31
There was no point in worrying after all. Her background wasn’t going to change overnight, so Violet decided to let it go.
The Count’s mansion was, as expected, luxurious. The grand, three-story stone manor looked almost like something out of a fairy tale to Violet’s eyes.
Having been informed of their arrival, all the butlers and attendants were stationed out front. They’d been waiting to greet Violet and Aldrick.
The moment they rode up to the entrance, the hospitality began.
An attendant came running from somewhere to carry their small amount of luggage, another escorted them a short distance to the entrance and guided their way inside.
Violet, unfamiliar with such attentiveness, felt awkward about every little service. In contrast, Aldrick, surprisingly enough, seemed used to it. He handed the reins of his horse to a stable hand with a nonchalant expression and strode confidently to the front door of the manor.
At the entrance of the main house stood the Count and Countess of Lambert, who had come down upon hearing of their arrival.
“Sir Winter, welcome! I’m pleased to have you at the Lambert manor.”
“Lord Lambert, it’s been a while.”
The two men shook hands with a polite show of warmth and clapped each other on the shoulder.
“Since you left the capital right after the victory ceremony, it’s been nearly four months. I got so used to seeing your face on the battlefield, I actually missed it a little.”
“Dear, shouldn’t you introduce me to Sir Winter and his lady as well?”
The noblewoman standing beside Count Lambert gently chided him with a quiet smile. Violet stared blankly at the Countess.
The Count and Countess Lambert looked like nobles straight out of a painting.
Are we really okay like this? A wave of anxiety began to well up again in Violet’s heart.
“Ah, my wife, forgive me. I was so glad to see an old comrade again after so long. Now, as you know, this is Sir Aldrick Winter. He achieved tremendous merit in the Aslan War. Aldrick, this is my wife, Countess Doris Lambert. And…”
With a glance from the Count, Aldrick introduced Violet to the Lamberts.
“This is my wife, Violet Winter.”
“Once the investiture is held, you’ll be a Countess. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“It’s an honor to meet you. I’m Violet Winter.”
“Our husbands are said to be inseparable friends, so I feel like we’ll get along well too. Welcome to the Lambert manor.”
The Countess smiled warmly. The couple’s eyes were now on Violet.
Trying her best to shake off the lingering nervousness, Violet forced a smile.
At times like this, she couldn’t recall a single appropriate custom or refined phrase to say.
Fortunately, Count Lambert soon redirected their attention.
“Now, no need to stand out here talking. Let’s get you upstairs to rest from your journey. After you’ve had a break, let’s have dinner together. Butler, show Sir and Lady Winter to their room.”
It was only after she was alone with Aldrick in the guest room on the second floor that Violet could finally breathe properly.
* * *
Thanks to the consideration of the Count and Countess, the two were able to spend a relaxed afternoon in their room.
True to her thoughtful nature, the Countess sent over formalwear for the evening meal, which lifted a weight off Violet’s shoulders.
A short note came with it, saying she had thought Violet might not have had time to pack something suitable during her long journey, and that she hoped it wouldn’t cause embarrassment.
Just as Aldrick had said, the couple truly were kind people. Violet wanted to appear as polite and proper as possible in front of them, not simply because they were high-ranking nobles.
Now that her concerns about what to wear to dinner had been solved, Violet turned to a new problem.
Speech levels!
It was about the way she and Aldrick spoke to each other.
Violet was internally berating herself.
‘We’ve been doing it all wrong. We’ve been so careless, just casually using informal speech with each other this whole time. Thank goodness we didn’t let that slip in front of the Count and Countess. This is my fault too. Aldrick talks that way, and I just went along with it like a child…’
With a firm resolve, Violet called out to her unsuspecting husband in a grave tone.
If she left him alone, he’d surely behave no differently during dinner.
T/N: It doesn’t translate very well because the English language doesn’t have speech levels like with Korean, but basically there are three levels most commonly used: formal (-습니다), semi-formal(-요), and informal (-none).
So far, Violet and Aldrick have been speaking informally to each other, whereas wives of their era and standing typically speak respectfully with at least the semi-formal speech level, just like Countess Lambert. Husbands sometimes also reciprocate this gesture, though it seems Count Lambert retains an informal yet still respectful tone (e.g. 아, 부인. 미안하오. // Ah, my wife, forgive me.)
Violet and Aldrick will be tackling this subject for a good part of the novel, so I thought it’d be good to explain it now. Moving forward, I’ll try my best to encapsulate the tone of the speech levels in English.
