Violet Zerotta's Hasty Marriage - Chapter 8
She was so used to being alone that she didn’t really know what to do when someone else was around.
Even if he wasn’t injured, he had just come back from a long journey. Should she feed him something good? She thought about whether she should catch one of the hens in the yard.
Fortunately for the hen, Violet decided that rather than kill a chicken she had raised for so long, she would go down to the village and buy some beef from the butcher.
Let’s make a rich beef stew for the first time in a while. With plenty of fragrant vegetables.
Once she made up her mind, she finished the sewing work she needed to deliver to the village.
Even with her husband back, Violet’s work didn’t stop. Ah, the sad reality of a laborer’s life. Violet was a little drunk on her own diligence.
A short while later, Violet prepared to head down to the village, just as she always did. She pulled her deep hood low, smeared mud on her face, and gathered up her sewing and money.
Just as she was about to leave the house, Aldrick came out of the room. His face looked a little disheveled, as if he had just woken up from a nap.
He flinched when he saw her appearance.
“…You, what are you even… No, never mind. More importantly, what are you doing?”
“I’m heading to the village for a bit. It’s our first dinner together, and there’s barely any food. I also need to drop off some work.”
“Why are you going out looking like that?”
“Obviously because I didn’t want anyone to know a young woman was living alone. But now that you’re back, I guess I don’t need to anymore.”
Violet replied as if wondering why he was asking something so obvious. Aldrick’s expression twisted slightly again.
“…I’ll come with you. So wipe that off your face first.”
Was it really that unsightly? In truth, she had never looked in a mirror while in that getup, so she didn’t know what she looked like.
Since there was no need for the disguise with Aldrick going along, Violet washed her face quickly and came back out.
She put on the cleanest cotton dress she had and tied her hair back, and it made her feel slightly refreshed.
Going down to the village had always been for work, but today, her heart felt light as if she were going on an outing.
Before she even realized what was happening, Violet was hoisted onto the horse with Aldrick leading her by the hand. Just like the first day she had come here, he took the seat behind her.
“Riding a horse is nice. It’s quite a long walk otherwise.”
The autumn breeze fluttered gently, and cosmos flowers were blooming along the roadside. Feeling strangely cheerful, Violet began chattering on a whim.
Whether he answered or not didn’t matter. Only now did Violet realize how lonely she’d been, not having anyone to talk to all this time.
Her husband still seemed somewhat lacking in many ways, but even so, having him was better than being alone.
Just the warmth of his body behind her was enough. He sat silently behind her like a rock that wouldn’t budge, even in a strong wind.
***
Their business in the village wrapped up quickly. Dropping off the sewn fabric and buying a few cuts of meat and vegetables was all there was to do that day.
But unlike usual, Violet felt the gazes of the villagers settle on her.
Even Mrs. Margaret, the woman at the tailor’s who had always given her sewing work, seemed surprised. Apparently, she had no idea that the oddly dressed figure going around town had actually been a proper young lady all along.
Maybe because of that, Violet’s mood stayed light. She had always thought being alone was fine, but having someone with her was even better.
A smile formed on her lips on its own, and her eyes sparkled with life. Walking with Aldrick made the familiar scenery of the village feel completely new.
Caught up in her good mood, she didn’t even notice that Aldrick was occasionally staring intently at her. Nor did she realize that the eyes of the village men were lingering on her as well.
Not until the butcher joked, while handing her the meat, “If I’d known you were this pretty, I’d have tried to snatch you up as my bride ages ago!”
It was only then that Violet realized what was going on.
She simply praised her own foresight.
That’s exactly the kind of guy I was being so careful to avoid!
Truly, she was wise.
Laughing off the butcher’s comment, she turned around… and was startled.
Aldrick, who had been waiting some distance away while she handled her errands, had somehow crept up right behind her.
“Aldrick?”
Startled, she called his name without thinking. She saw his body flinch slightly in response.
“You know my name?”
“I saw the document at the house.”
“Oh…”
“I bought the meat. You scared me, sneaking up like that. Do we need anything else?”
“No.”
“Then what is it?”
“…Did you……”
“What? I couldn’t hear you.”
“I’m asking if you made it clear to that man that you have a husband.”
It took her a moment to realize Aldrick was talking about the butcher.
