Chapter 20
Dissonance
For the week after the wedding, she had no choice but to rest, just as the head maid had advised. He came to her day and night without regard for the hour, and they did the dead each time. But Elaria didn’t dislike it.
“Newlyweds are probably all like this, right?”
If she didn’t feel this kind of heat at the beginning of a marriage, then when would she?
Thinking positively, she prepared herself with Amanda’s help. Before putting on her dress, she discovered the marks left on her body and her ears flushed red, but Amanda helped her get ready as if it were nothing.
With her hair neatly pinned up to keep her cool, she left the room with Amanda. She had only eaten breakfast in her room until now, so she planned to go down to the dining room for the first time in a while.
It was already past the time he would have finished eating, so she would have to eat alone, but she also wanted to familiarize herself with the servants’ faces. Although she had often visited the ducal manor since childhood, the interior felt unfamiliar, perhaps because there had been a long gap in between.
Then again, the only places she had ever entered within the residence were the guest drawing room and dining room on the first floor, and the study on the second.
As she descended the stairs, she admired the portraits and paintings hanging along the walls. Then she noticed something strange. She had never looked closely before, but there were many duplicate portraits. For example, two portraits of the previous Duke, Lucian’s father, were hung side by side.
They were not completely identical and the compositions were different, but it was the first time she had seen a noble family display multiple portraits of the same person together.
“Why are there two portraits of the same person hanging like this?”
At her question, Amanda answered politely.
“I’ve only heard that it is a long-standing tradition of House Asiel.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes, Madam.”
At the mention of tradition, Elaria simply nodded and examined the portraits more closely. She wondered if there might be two of Lucian as well. However, she didn’t find even a single portrait of him as she continued down.
“Is there no portrait of Lucian?”
Hearing her quiet murmur, Amanda answered tactfully.
“I’ve heard that His Grace’s portrait is painted after he has an heir.”
“Oh, so not yet.”
“Yes, that is correct.”
“Thank you for explaining, Amanda.”
“It was nothing, Madam.”
After coming down while viewing the portraits and listening to Amanda’s explanations, she headed straight to the dining room. The butler had been informed in advance of her arrival and was waiting in front of the door.
“Good morning, Madam.”
“It’s a bit late to call it morning, so I may seem lazy, but good morning, Benjamin.”
Since she had seen him often since childhood, she was able to speak comfortably. Benjamin had always treated her kindly, which made her feel even more at ease. She followed him into the dining room. The interior was different from the last time she had seen it.
Fresh green curtains and a tablecloth suited for summer caught her eye. She sat down as the butler pulled out her chair.
“Today’s breakfast menu is potato soup, smoked sausage, boiled eggs, and a salad with orange dressing. Is there anything else you would like to add?”
“No, that should be enough.”
“Then I will bring out your meal shortly.”
After the butler disappeared into the kitchen, she looked carefully at the servants standing nearby one by one. Some were faces she had known since childhood, while others were new.
After finishing her meal properly, she toured the interior of the ducal manor under the butler’s guidance.
“This is His Grace’s study. If you look at the handle here, you can see a red ribbon tied to it.”
“I see it. Why is something like this tied to the handle?”
“It means His Grace does not wish to be disturbed. So if the red ribbon is hanging, it means he is concentrating on his work, and I ask that you keep that in mind as well, Madam.”
“I understand.”
Since it was important, Elaria repeated it to herself. After lunch, she visited the storage rooms located behind the main building. These were places the lady of the house would manage, not only the food storage but also the vault where jewels and ornaments passed down through generations were kept.
The butler took out a ring of keys from inside his jacket and showed it to her.
“For now, I will continue to manage them, but someday this key ring will be entrusted to you, Madam.”
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