Violet Zerotta's Hasty Marriage - Chapter 4
While Violet was lost in thought, the man had already stripped off his clothes and climbed into bed.
“…Y-You, in front of a lady—”
“What?”
“No… never mind. Forget it. More importantly, where am I supposed to sleep?”
“Hmm. Well, I suppose you can sleep wherever you want.”
“What about bathing?”
“There’s a washbasin in the kitchen, but…”
Violet felt stifled.
Her so-called husband looked at her as if wondering why she was asking him all these questions.
“Forget it. I’ll figure it out myself. Besides, the bed is too small anyway. I’ll find another place to sleep.”
She couldn’t very well kick him out of the bed when he was heading to the battlefield tomorrow.
Even as she spoke, he just stared at her blankly, as if she were a cow or a chicken.
‘Is he like this because he’s young, or is he just an idiot?’
She would have to rely on him for the rest of her life. Please, let it not be the latter.
If there was one thing Violet excelled at, it was refusing to fall into complete despair, no matter how dire the situation.
And so, even in this mess of a situation, she found a few silver linings.
First, because her husband was young and clueless, she wouldn’t have to endure a dreadful wedding night.
Given the circumstances, he seemed to have no interest in her whatsoever.
From the gossip she had overheard among village women, Violet knew how terrible a wedding night could be.
She had an excellent memory, and she never forgot the things she had heard in passing.
Some women had said that when a girl first accepts a man, it feels like her entire body is being shattered to pieces. Others had said it felt like being ripped apart.
She didn’t know exactly what it meant, as no one had ever explained it to her, but whatever it was, it sounded horrifying. That fear had always made her dread marriage.
So, the fact that her husband was leaving for the battlefield first thing in the morning was an incredible stroke of luck.
The second good thing—she was finally free of the wretched Zerotta household.
Even if she had been sent off to a completely unfamiliar village, that in itself was a good thing.
Ever since her mother had passed away when she was three—so young that she couldn’t even remember her face—Violet had been raised in the Baron’s household, enduring constant mistreatment.
The Baroness’s blatant scorn, the subtle torment from her stepsisters, and her father’s utter neglect had made Violet’s childhood a miserable one.
It was a miracle she had even survived this long. She had no fond memories of her childhood.
That was why the thought of living alone after her husband left tomorrow filled her with a strange sense of anticipation.
She had never once had a room of her own, and now she had an entire house to herself. That, at least, was something to be happy about.
And now, she had the pouch of gold coins her husband had given her.
Violet had never held a single gold coin in her life. The sensation was oddly thrilling.
As sleep crept in, she thought to herself,
‘Maybe this marriage isn’t as bad as I thought.’
Sure, she had to take care of a taciturn, slightly slow-witted husband, but at least he would be gone for a while.
Still…
‘He will come back alive someday… right?’
Right before drifting into sleep, she found herself hoping that her husband would return safely.
She had only just met him today. She knew nothing about him except for his age.
But for some reason, the thought of that oversized boy dying left an unsettling feeling in her chest.
And with that last thought, Violet fell into a deep sleep.
Thus ended the first night of twenty-year-old Violet’s marriage.
***
The next morning, Violet’s husband left for war.
No farewells, no nothing.
By the time she woke up, he was already gone.
She vaguely recalled falling asleep at the dining table, but when she opened her eyes, she was tucked in bed.
Had he moved her?
She had no way of knowing.
Aside from the fact that the man had disappeared, the room was exactly as it had been the night before. The same piles of clothes and scattered papers remained untouched.
It was only then that Violet realized.
She didn’t even know her husband’s name.
Yes, it had been a rushed, haphazard wedding, but still, this was ridiculous.
Dumbfounded, she sat on the bed for a moment. Her toes nudged against a piece of paper on the floor.
She absentmindedly picked it up and saw that it was an official document, written in elegant script.
“This is… a knighthood certificate?”
Leaving something so important just lying around—her husband truly was careless.
As she scanned the document, she finally found the information she had been looking for.
‘Aldrick Winter.’
The signature at the bottom, hastily scrawled, looked similar to the one she had seen in the temple yesterday.
Aldrick Winter.
Sir Aldrick Winter…
Muttering his name for the first time, now that its owner was gone, Violet felt a strange sense of clarity.
‘Alright. First things first—survival.’
She would figure out how to live until her husband returned.
No one was doomed to die just because circumstances were tough.
She was all alone in this secluded house, but that didn’t necessarily mean her situation was hopeless.
It was a little overwhelming, sure, but the sudden freedom didn’t feel all that bad.
Her goal was simple—survive.
As for what happened when her husband came back…
That’ll be a problem for the future Violet.
