“Yes,” Callis answered at once.
“I have been waiting to escort her.”
“I believe it would be best for the lady to decide the matter herself,” Rouche said.
Then he turned to me, “Who would you have as your escort?”
Without hesitation, I placed my hand on Rouche’s arm.
“Thank you, Your Grace,” I said.
“Your kindness is too much.”
“Not at all,” Rouche said, still glaring at Callis.
“It is the least a husband could do for his wife.”
Callis’s face hardened like lead.
I turned away, refusing to meet his gaze any longer.
Knowing that Callis and Lina were us from behind, I mustered every ounce of strength I had towards walking with the grace befitting of a noblewoman.
Only when we turned off the main corridor did I allow the tension to drain from my body.
“Your hand is cold,” Rouche said as we walked.
“Yes, I’ve been outside my room for a while now.”
“How long?” Rouche glanced back at Lennon who had been trailing behind us.
“Lennon, the lady has been outside all this time and you did not offer her your jacket?”
“Yes, well, I did want to, Your Highness,” Lennon said as he rushed forward to walk astride us.
“But, you see, I was worried I might catch a cold myself.”
“Then I suggest you start wearing two jackets.”
“Of course, Your Grace.” Lennon nodded and fell behind us again.
I was watching him out of the corner of my eye, surprised to see not a hint of annoyance on Lennon’s face, and I couldn’t help but smile at the absurdity of their brief exchange.
Our walk to the priestess’s chambers was short.
After receiving treatment from the priestess and a fresh bandage, I felt better, but I was thirsty.
“Your Grace,” I said, “might you be able to offer me a cup of tea?”
“Is it not customary for you to make such an offer?” he smirked.
“Yes, it is.
But my annex appears to have been overrun this afternoon.”
“Shall I have them thrown out?”
“Even the Saint?
Surely, the priestesses would have heart attacks if you did such a thing.
Please, no more trouble today.”
“I have never been the cause of trouble in my own castle.”
“Surely, you jest?”
“Do you take me for a joker?” Rouche must have noted my skepticism.
He gestured with his chin.
“Let us take it in the chancery.”
The chancery?
I was overwhelmed by the mere thought of it.
Every winter, Seria Sterne visited the dominion of House Berk to inspect the glaciers, and on the first day, Rouche would share a cup of tea with her.
It was nothing more than a formality, a way for nobles to greet each other and show respect, after which they would stay out of each other’s way.
I could recall no instance of her having any significant conversation with Rouche in the novel.
And they always took tea in the reception room of the main castle, never in the chancery.
This was my first time in Rouche’s chancery, the room where he spent most of his time.
Here he worked, taking care of his responsibilities as head of House Berk, meeting with visiting dignitaries on important business and consulting with his advisors.
I took a seat on a sofa opposite Rouche and began by bowing my head.
“Your Grace…”
Somehow, the subtle bow did not feel quite sufficient.
I began to rise from the sofa and kneel before him, but before I even found the ground, Rouche had grabbed me by my good arm and gently lifted me up, placing me back on the sofa.
“My lady?” He stared at me curiously as though I’d gone mad.
“Have you injured your head as well?”
“My head…?
No, not that I know of…”
“Then what do you think you are doing?”
“Sorry, I… I know I’m a little out of sorts, but I…”
Between Callis and Lina’s secret outing, the disastrous wedding, my near-death experience, and then waking only to learn that I’d become Rouche Berk’s wife, this wild succession of unanticipated events had left my head totally muddled.
Only now, having been invited into a room as important as Rouche’s chancery, had it suddenly dawned on me that I had not yet thanked Rouche properly.
“I wanted to thank you, Your Grace.
For saving my life.
I am beyond grateful.”
I owed him my life.
He had become my savior, literally.
Typically, someone in my shoes would invoke their family name, pledging the loyalty of their entire family in return for such a favor.
Regrettably, Seria’s relationship with the Marquisate of Keliden was far from cordial.
Thus, it was better to act as if I had no family to speak of.
“Your Grace, as you know, I am all but estranged from my House, the Marquisate of Keliden.
I have an obligation to uphold my standing as a SterneInstead, but everything else, everything within my power, I pledge to you as repayment for your kindness.”
Rouche examined me with squinted eyes and a furrowed brow.
Suddenly he reached out, grabbing my arm and guiding me into the seat beside him.
“Are you truly Seria Sterne?” He was still looking at me closely as though he were trying to understand something but couldn’t.
“Of course I am.”
Though taken aback by his probing eyes and direct question, I managed to respond with calm composure.
But it was so strange.
Nothing of consequence happened between them in the story, so why now?
I even remember Seria being indifferent towards him, and he towards her.
But now here he was, scrutinizing me and even trying to get to know me.
“Your soul has switched places with that of the Saint?” Though the question was ridiculous, his eyes were dead serious.
“Tell me the truth.”
“What?
Absolutely not.”
That, at least, I could assert that with total certainty.
And yet, Rouche continued to stare into my eyes, unable to shake off his suspicions.
I feared that trying to avoid his gaze might implicate me as guilty, so I forced myself to meet his eyes, which really wasn’t that difficult given their bold color.
And as I did, I found myself tracing the lines of his face and thinking that he truly was a handsome leading man.
I had been trying to adapt to this new reality ever since first waking in Seria’s body.
It was fascinating to see the characters from the novel spring to life before my very eyes.
I still remember the first glimpse I got of Seria—of myself—in a mirror.
I was so captivated that I could hardly tear my gaze away.
Rouche, I had found particularly intriguing.
He was exactly as described in the novel.
His eyes, the deep red of blood, were cold and sharp.
His stoic expression, coupled with the intimidating weight of his eyes, was enough to send a shiver down anyone’s spine.
But it wasn’t just his eyes.
Everything about him was a faithful reflection of the character in the novel.
He was tall, with long limbs, broad shoulders, and muscles that rippled right through his clothes.
He was written specifically to appeal to women, so naturally, in his own world, his name was constantly on the lips of the ladies of the nobility.
Suddenly, it struck me that this wildly handsome main character, destined to be the subject of society gossip well into old age, had thrown away his first marriage to save me––the first marriage of the only archduke in the Giroux Empire.
Thinking about it, I broke into a cold sweat.
“Your Grace,” I could barely look at him.
“I will do my utmost to ensure I do not hinder your path to a worthy marriage.”
“A worthy marriage?”
“Yes.”
“How strange,” he said, eyeing me curiously.
“No woman has ever expressed any concern for my marital prospects.”
“I didn’t mean it in a bad way.
Even if Your Grace were to have a second or third marriage or even a ninth one, you would still set the ladies’ hearts aflame.”
“You seem to view me as quite the libertine,” he accused.
“No, that’s not true!”
“Sure it is.”
“But I don’t.
That’s not what I meant at all.”
It felt as though I was just digging myself into a deeper hole.
However, it was true.
I had never thought of Rouche as a womanizer.
Despite his appearance and desirability to any woman who set eyes on him, the story had given no instance at all, past or future, of Rouche Berk being intimate with any woman other than Lina.
So it had never crossed my mind, but it did feel like I was in his way.
“Your Grace,” I said, “would it offend you if I said that, during our temporary marriage, I will do my best as a Sterne to represent the dominion of House Berk?”
Rouche gazed at me thoughtfully before asking, “Why are you so concerned with my reactions?”
“Huh?”
“I have not cut the budget allocated to the Sterne, nor have I issued any probation against you.
So what is it, I wonder?
Do I intimidate the great Seria Sterne?”
Strictly speaking, it wasn’t Rouche I found intimidating, but his role as the main male character.
And here I am, occupying the life of the villainess, a secondary character who has no business at all associating with the likes of Rouche.
I just felt so out of my depth.
So, I decided I had better speak honestly.
“It’s not that I find you intimidating, Your Grace,” I replied.
“But I think, because of your high status, I merely wish to be cautious.”
“You seemed to have no problem berating the Marquis of Hanneton.”
“The marquis was, until recently, something very different to me.
Besides, he deserved it.”
“Yes… I thought you might kill him,” Rouche said with a touch of wonder.
I stared at him, noting the look in his eyes, the set of his lips, and I realized that he was serious.
I didn’t know what to say.
It was kind of scary to think that I was in the body of someone who might truly be capable of such a thing.
Rouche let out a short laugh and leaned back on the sofa, making himself comfortable.
“Well, my lady, our treasurers will certainly be pleased to hear that you will continue your work as a Sterne.”
“I will do my best.”
As I well knew, the treasurers of House Berk struggled every winter.
The only way they could maintain the budget was by keeping a keen eye on Sterne’s activities.
They had no choice because Sternes had a history of being fickle.
It was indeed Sterne’s duty to assist in the inspection of the glaciers.
And while no Sterne ever neglected this duty entirely, the duration of this duty was at the Sterne’s discretion.
To put it bluntly, there was nothing to stop the Sterne from inspecting the glacier once and then heading straight back to the capital.
The winters in the archduchy were harsh and unpleasant.
So, why remain through the season inspecting glaciers in such extreme conditions when you could simply return to the warm and glamorous capital where balls and galas were held nearly every night?
That was why all the nobles living in House Berk’s dominion went out of their way to cater to the Sternes.
If a Sterne requested a bedroom gilded in gold, they complied without a complaint.
Winter in the Archduchy of Berk was the Sterne’s season.
The storerooms were always filled to the brim with expensive and difficult-to-obtain items that were meant to entice the Sterne into staying as long as possible.
This was especially true for food.
Each and every day, we were treated to exquisite dishes that were served warm and made using the best ingredients from all over the empire.
They were meals befitting royalty, served in extreme comfort in the luxurious banquet halls of Castle Berk.
The food really is the best thing about living here.