Violet Zerotta's Hasty Marriage - Chapter 36
“I’ve been very curious about you and Sir Winter. I heard you first met on your wedding day? And that you lived alone for three years afterward, that must have been difficult. How was the journey to the capital? I was born and raised here, and have never been to another city my whole life.”
Like her husband, the Countess seemed warm and sincere. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, and as Violet answered her, she found herself truly enjoying a conversation with another woman—for the first time in a very long while.
No, perhaps it was the first time.
There was no particular topic to their conversation. Before long, Violet learned that Count Simon Lambert was a high-ranking knight five years older than Aldrick, and that the Countess was the same age as Violet.
She also found out that it was highly unusual for someone to be appointed as a high-ranking knight or sent to war at such a young age, like Aldrick had been.
“At first, I was quite worried too. I thought there might be people who judged Sir Winter by his age rather than his ability.”
Everything the Countess shared was new to Violet. As she listened with a sense of novelty, she suddenly realized just how little she still knew about Aldrick.
“My husband… doesn’t really talk to me about the war, so these are all things I didn’t know.”
“Oh my, he doesn’t even talk about his own achievements? Sir Winter’s feats were so impressive that His Majesty made an exception and decided to grant a title to a knight outside of the usual order.”
The Countess continued to recount Aldrick’s accomplishments.
Aldrick had led his unit to victory in most of the battles fought between Illo and Aslan. His unit consistently suffered the fewest casualties. On top of that, he had personally killed Aslan’s great general and returned with his severed head. His individual contributions were countless.
“I heard the Commander-in-chief relied on Sir Winter a great deal. When His Majesty brought up granting him a title after the war, no one dared to oppose it.”
Still, Violet couldn’t shake the feeling that the Countess was talking about someone entirely different.
To her, Aldrick was innocent—though lately she had begun to question that belief—and young. He was simply her husband. She had never even seen him hold a sword, so she couldn’t quite grasp the idea that he was such an exceptional knight.
“As you may know, Countess, Aldrick and I haven’t spent much time together yet. So it’s hard to believe what you’re saying… No, I don’t mean to doubt your words. I just never imagined that my husband was such a remarkable knight.”
“I heard the ceremony was arranged in haste due to Sir Winter’s circumstances. That’s perfectly understandable.”
“Actually, I was a little worried. As you said, Sir Winter is still quite young and lacks experience… And the Aldrick I know is so gentle and innocent that I even wondered if he could ever truly raise his sword against someone—”
Pfft. Guh—
In the middle of speaking, Violet turned her head at the strange sound.
At some point, the Count and Aldrick had finished their conversation and approached the sofa where the two women were seated.
Aldrick stood with a subtle expression on his face, while Count Lambert’s face was oddly contorted—almost as if something were tickling him terribly.
“…Gentle… Innocent… Pffft.”
“Simon.”
Count Lambert, as if barely restraining himself, tried to say something through clenched lips, but at Aldrick’s stern voice, he promptly closed his mouth.
After a moment, the Count swallowed whatever he was about to say and continued in a composed tone.
“My wife’s words about Aldrick’s achievements are not in the least exaggerated. Especially the battle on the Plains of Pereia—it was a masterstroke that will go down in Illo’s military history. Because of that, Aldrick was even given the nickname ‘The Golden Lion of Illo’. I suppose you hadn’t heard?”
Naturally, Violet hadn’t.
Perhaps embarrassed by the praise, Aldrick stood quietly beside the Count, but at Violet’s glance, he cleared his throat awkwardly.
The rest of the evening passed in similar small talk, and only late at night did the two couples finally return to their rooms.
Though the dinner she had worried about ended without trouble, that night’s conversation planted a single seed of doubt in Violet’s heart.
She began to feel uneasy… perhaps her husband was someone entirely different from what she had believed.
Even after lying in bed with Aldrick, Violet couldn’t fall asleep easily and kept tossing and turning.
She began to wonder if she needed to completely revise the image of Aldrick she had built up until now.
To her, Aldrick had always been a kind, gentle husband. There were even times when she had worried that he might suffer in this harsh world because he was too soft-hearted.
But to everyone else, Aldrick was already a distinguished knight. Even if she couldn’t quite believe it yet, it seemed to be the truth.
Though she was clearly glad, and even proud, it also made her feel strangely distant from him.
Why did the fact that there was an Aldrick she didn’t know make her feel so uneasy?
That thought suggested two possibilities. Either Violet had failed to see Aldrick’s true self all this time, or he had deliberately hidden it from her.
She didn’t like either option.
It was time she started seeing him a bit more objectively.
And when she viewed Aldrick objectively…
He was someone far too good for her.
That was the true reason behind her discomfort.
