We're Married, After All - Chapter 37
Danel glanced out the window again. It was probably the fifteenth time.
Danel Veloce was a man with extraordinary patience, yet, occasionally, he behaved as if he had none at all—usually when it came to his wife.
At the moment, Laurea was sitting under the shade of a large tree. She had spread a blanket instead of a mat and was watching the orphanage yard. Beside her was a woman Danel didn’t recognize—a stranger who had arrived at Lamprey Castle the evening before, the day before Danel and Laurea’s arrival.
The woman, along with her companion, had arrived just before the castle gates closed and was staying at the inn nearest the entrance.
The name on the inn’s register matched the one on the identification badge presented at the castle’s gate, and her companion appeared to be her husband. Both names were unfamiliar to Danel.
Yet, this woman seemed to know Laurea.
According to the knight assigned to watch over Laurea, the woman approached her when Danel left to inspect the newly constructed training grounds. She waited until Danel was completely out of sight before approaching Laurea, who was left alone.
The woman greeted Laurea so warmly that the knight assumed she was a local woman volunteering at the orphanage.
The knight began to sense something was amiss when Laurea and the woman started walking together toward the hill behind the orphanage. It wasn’t just the woman acting overly familiar—Laurea also seemed at ease with her.
Only after the two had disappeared completely did the knight realize what had happened: Laurea had intentionally moved the meeting out of sight.
The delayed report was eventually delivered to Danel. His lieutenant began questioning locals in an effort to uncover the woman’s identity.
The delayed report eventually reached Danel. His lieutenant began questioning locals to uncover the woman’s identity, and Danel relocated to a room with a clear view of Laurea. From then on, he glanced out the window every few moments.
Danel stared blankly at the documents before him. He couldn’t shake the suspicion that Laurea had deliberately suggested bringing in new archery targets to coincide with this timing.
Under normal circumstances, he would have escorted Laurea to the orphanage himself and likely would have encountered the woman waiting nearby. Perhaps he would have even noticed that Laurea was acting differently and asked for an introduction to the woman directly.
Through the window, Laurea was chatting with the stranger. Danel realized it was the first time he had ever seen her engage in conversation with someone like that. Laurea usually preferred horseback riding to socializing.
Or maybe… that wasn’t entirely true.
In the Veloce estate, there hadn’t been any noblewomen her age for Laurea to befriend. The same held true after she became the mistress of Lafecia Castle. Laurea had married quite late, and most women of her age group were already in the capital, focusing on building connections for their children. Laurea wouldn’t have fit in with them even if she had tried.
But the real reason Laurea hadn’t formed any close relationships was Danel himself. He had deliberately obstructed her chances of developing such ties. It was only natural that he had never seen this side of her before.
As the woman clasped Laurea’s hands, the door to the room opened.
“My lord,” a voice said.
Danel turned to his lieutenant, who entered and quietly closed the door behind him. Lowering his voice, the lieutenant spoke.
“The woman is a guest from the Marquessate of Temesio.”
“Family? She seemed like a complete stranger.”
“She’s the daughter of the personal physician to the Marquess of Temesio. Her surname changed after marriage, and those around her refer to her by her baptismal name, which delayed our identification.”
Danel let out a quiet sigh. He recalled the letter Laurea had sent to the Marquess of Temesio’s household a few days ago:
…Are you still interested in children, Janna? I’ve recently been working on renovating an orphanage. It’s a new one we built on the outskirts of Lamprey Castle, and I think I’ll visit it again next week.
“Baptismal name… So that woman is ‘Janna,’ then.”
“That’s correct.”
A letter sent to someone who wasn’t family, with detailed information about her plans, including specific times and locations. Danel had his suspicions, but it was now clear: Laurea had indeed written the letter to summon someone.
“She was apparently quite familiar with your wife’s family, likely due to frequently accompanying her father to the Marquess’ household. She’s said to have gotten along well with your wife since they were young.”
The lieutenant reported this casually, as if it were of little consequence. Yet, Danel’s mind was in turmoil.
‘A friend?’
