A Way to Confirm Your Husband’s True Feelings - Chapter 74

As for how to cross that mountain… she still wasn’t sure.

Pushing aside the longing and sorrow she already felt for her husband, Beatrice began walking toward her own carriage. The heavy footsteps following behind her tugged at her nerves, but she didn’t look back.

Caesar helped her into the carriage, and even after it turned the corner and disappeared from view, he did not avert his gaze.

Once his tall figure was no longer visible through the window, Beatrice pressed her face into both hands and let out something close to a sob.

It was the first argument in their marriage, after a life together with not even a single small quarrel.

‘Surely this won’t be our last fight…’

Even though she told herself it was an absurd thought, an overwhelming anxiety still gripped her.

‘No, we can fix this. And a bit of time apart might not be a bad thing.’

They both needed time—she as much as Caesar. Though she felt a bit guilty about it, she deeply wanted to rest in her family home.

Besides, her sister Freya was due to return the next day. After meeting her, she planned to return home and talk to Caesar again.

‘Let’s just take a few days to think.’

Leaning her head against the rattling carriage window, Beatrice slowly began to calm herself.

The deepening moonlight made it feel like a lonely night.

***

“I told you, didn’t I? You have to keep the leash tight. You went easy on him, and now the man’s climbing over your head!”

Regina, flustered and annoyed, grumbled.

“No, Regina. The Margrave I saw wasn’t that kind of man. He’s the type you have to handle gently.”

Amelia objected to her sister’s words.

“I still say Beatrice needs to meet some new men.”

Camilla, half listening to her sisters’ conversation, firmly stuck to her own opinion.

And Beatrice, watching the three of them… simply had a headache.

After parting with Caesar the night before, she had retreated straight into sleep at her family’s home.

When she came down late for a meal, she found Amelia and Regina, who had rushed over upon hearing she’d returned, already in the dining room, along with Camilla for some reason.

The moment she arrived, her three older sisters had pounced, asking whether she’d resolved things with her husband, and she could only give vague answers.

Since then, it had been like this the entire time. One after another, her sisters were taking turns pitching their opinions to her.

She was grateful for their concern, but she had no idea how to tell them that their advice wasn’t helping much right now.

The clamor finally settled when her eldest sister Freya entered the dining room.

Beatrice had only learned that Freya had returned a day early through a maid that morning.

She had waited so long to see Freya again, but instead of joy, what rose first was sorrow—because nothing had improved in the meantime. In fact, things had only gotten worse.

“There you all are. Beatrice, have you been well? I’m so glad to see you.”

After a month away, Freya’s return was met with warm greetings from her sisters. Soon after, they each left for their own obligations.

Finally alone, Freya and Beatrice moved to the drawing room for tea.

“So, it seems there was something you wanted to talk to me about?”

It seemed Freya had already been briefed about Beatrice’s visits and letters that were received during her absence.

“Yes, Sister. I’m sorry to bring this up as soon as you’ve arrived, especially when you must be tired.”

“No, not at all. I was glad to hear you were here. But tell me, why did you stay here last night? Is it related to what you want to talk about?”

With Freya sitting in front of her, Beatrice hesitated, unable to speak right away, but after some time, she finally managed to share everything that had happened.

“I see.”

After quietly setting down her teacup without a sound, Freya seemed to pause to find the right words.

For some reason, Beatrice felt tears welling up. They were tears that hadn’t even come the night before.