The Full Story of an Incomplete Divorce - Chapter 2

Early in their marriage, when Lucius persistently avoided consummating their relationship with various excuses, she had even rationally suspected he might be impotent. She secretly followed his personal physician and even tried to peek at his medical records. Whether unfortunately or fortunately, it seemed there were no particular issues with his reproductive functions.

It was also possible that his near-obsessive fastidiousness influenced his aversion to s*x. Or perhaps he simply didn’t desire her. Naturally, no one except her knew this fact.

A married couple who hadn’t even consummated their marriage—what kind of joke was that?

It wasn’t just for the sake of maintaining the family’s honor, a flimsy pretense, that they acted like a loving couple in front of others. Frankly, it was a matter of pride.

As a noblewoman, as a wife, as a woman, it was a shame she never wanted anyone to discover. If it were ever found out, she would undoubtedly face not only public scorn but become a lasting object of ridicule. She hated that. Absolutely.

Just then, a maid entered the reception room pushing a trolley laden with refreshments and tea.

A shadow flickered briefly behind the open door. Wondering who was there, Charlotte narrowed her eyes and looked towards the door, but soon dismissed it, thinking it was probably just another maid.

“Well, I’m glad to hear you’re doing well. Newlyweds really are different. This is the time to be happy, so enjoy it to the fullest.”

Charlotte fidgeted with the handle of her teacup. Her throat felt uncomfortably tight, as if something were stuck in it. She took a sip of tea to moisten her throat and then offered the smile of a happy noblewoman—one she had practiced countless times in the mirror.

“Yes, I intend to.”

The long-brewed tea left a bitter, astringent taste in her mouth.

The gathering had ended later than expected, and by the time she returned to her room, it was quite dark outside. The face reflected in her dressing table mirror clearly showed signs of fatigue. Even for someone as sociable as her, meeting people was always exhausting. Especially on days like today, when she had to spin lies and deceive everyone’s eyes.

It was the time when she had finished washing and was preparing for bed. Sensing a presence, Charlotte turned around, and surprise flickered in her eyes. There, standing in the doorway, watching her intently, was Lucius—looking exactly as he had at breakfast this morning, without a single hair out of place.

“Lucius?”

For an ordinary couple, a husband visiting his wife’s bedroom might not be a big deal, but for the Valentins, it was quite a rare occurrence. Charlotte glanced past Lucius’s shoulder at another room. Just on the other side of a single door, connected by a short corridor, was none other than her husband’s own bedroom.

Shifting her gaze back to Lucius, Charlotte was filled with curiosity. Usually, Lucius would be holed up in his office or study until she fell asleep, so seeing him here, in her bedroom at this hour, was truly a first in a long while. Surely, he didn’t intend to share a bed while still dressed so impeccably.

“How long have you been there?”

Instead of answering, Lucius lowered his gaze. His eyes, hidden beneath neat eyelashes, traveled from the bridge of Charlotte’s nose, grazed the line of her jaw, drifted over her pale, slender neck, and finally settled on the soft skin faintly visible beneath her thin chemise.

For a moment, his pupils seemed to tremble slightly.

“Charlotte.”

But, as if it had been nothing more than an illusion after all, his voice when he spoke her name was exceedingly low and calm. His serene, lake-blue eyes were so clear it was hard to believe they belonged to a man who had just been gazing at a woman’s intimate form in the dead of night. They were the very picture of a pure, chaste priest.

Despite having come to her of his own accord, Lucius was slow to speak. He clearly had something to say. Charlotte didn’t press him and waited patiently. The night was long, and truth be told, she was inwardly pleased to see her husband’s face, which she hadn’t expected to see again until the next day.