“Would it be too much to ask for us to share a meal?”
Briseis asked as dinner time had not yet passed.
“That’s…”
“Milady, we have already eaten together at a restaurant,” Delilah said brightly. “Instead, I will sit by and watch while you eat.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Damian’s heart raced. After Briseis had looked at him like a sworn enemy, hearing her speak to him like her old self moved him deeply. Looking at his excited face and feeling the flutter of his heart as he embraced her, Briseis felt a wave of nausea. His appearance hadn’t changed, but his actions felt so faded, trivial, and unpleasant.
“Deli, you go on upstairs first.”
“Pardon? But you promised to help me with the portrait.”
“Tomorrow.”
Delilah cast a glance at Briseis before speaking. “I’ll do that then. After all, it’s only right that the Madam conceives a child first.”
When Delilah spoke with that sorrowful tone, Briseis replied, “Thank you for the consideration, Miss Delilah.”
With that, Briseis took Damian’s hand first. It felt as repulsive as having an insect caught between her fingers, but she avoided his gaze and headed toward the dining room.
❖ ❖ ❖
“Is it truly alright if only I eat?”
“Yes, of course,” Briseis replied as the main course was served. She had intentionally skipped the appetizers and finger foods, moving straight to the main dish.
Creak.
“I find I am hungry as well, Milady.” Delilah sat down with a smile.
“Where is Mother?”
“She mentioned she would be staying at the Count of Rostina’s estate for the night.” Briseis relayed the information she had heard upon arriving home.
“Oh dear. I shouldn’t have sent you home so early if I had known.”
“It’s alright. I did a lot of thinking while I waited.”
The three sat in a U-shape. Damian occupied the head of the table, with Briseis on his left and Delilah on his right.
“Serve a meal for Miss Delilah as well.”
“Yes, Madam.”
Damian then took the plate from in front of Briseis.
“Damian?”
“I will carve it for you.”
Damian began to carefully slice the salmon steak and said, “Brie, your mouth is quite small.”
“Is my mouth small?”
“Yes, it’s on the smaller side. Even if it looks large on the outside.”
“Are you saying the inside is small?”
“Yes.”
Briseis had quite full lips, so she dismissed his words as nonsense.
“Is that why you always eat such small bites?”
“I suppose so.”
Briseis smiled, pretending to agree while internally disagreeing. In reality, she cut her food into small pieces for the sake of elegance, not because her mouth was small. With lips as full as hers, it was impossible for her mouth to be small.
“I’ve heard that a woman with a small mouth serves her husband well.”
“In what way?”
“In the bedroom.”
“Ah, I see.”
Briseis felt a surge of disillusionment hearing him say something so vulgar at the dinner table. However, recalling the words of lawyer Jeronis Abane, she forced her old smile.
“I… am not quite ready yet.”
“I understand. Still, I hope you prepare quickly. That way, Deli can have my child as well.”
The reason he gave was so absurd that Briseis’s expression momentarily crumpled.
“I think the Madam only needs to bear one heir. I’ve promised to give Demi ten children,” Delilah interjected.
“I see, Miss Delilah. However, speaking while chewing is against noble etiquette, so please be careful.”
“Yes, Deli. Don’t speak while eating.”
“Understood.”
Delilah smiled at Damian as if nothing were wrong, and he smiled back, looking at her with pride.
“How about tonight? The wedding night is nothing special.”
“Tonight isn’t a good time.”
“Then how about tomorrow?”
“Damian, I am currently eating.”
As Briseis spoke with a strained smile, Damian snapped back to his senses.
“My apologies. I was impatient because it felt like you had finally forgiven me. I suppose we should start with a kiss.”
“…Yes.”
Briseis wondered if she truly had to go as far as kissing him for the sake of the divorce, but looking at his face, she didn’t want to do even that.
“Instead of that, why don’t you two have a child first?”
There would be no better evidence than that. Yet, as she said it, a corner of her heart felt unpleasant and murky. She couldn’t maintain the facade of a smile.
“I would never do that. The kiss was a mistake, but the bed must be shared with Brie first.”
Damian spoke happily, noticing her expression.
“Was kissing Miss Delilah a mistake?”
“Of course. I wanted to share every ‘first’ with you, Brie.”
Briseis was bewildered that he could say such a thing right in front of his mistress.
“But didn’t you kiss her because you were attracted to her?”
“Deli is more about lust. You are love.”
“…Damian.”
“I am sorry for being so harsh until now. But look at this. Only after I did that did you finally come to your senses.”
She thought she couldn’t be disappointed any further, yet his words felt like another part of her heart was collapsing. Briseis managed a bitter smile.
“You’re right.”
She began to eat the salmon steak he had carved. It was easy to eat, being cut into perfect pieces, but it tasted like chewing on grains of sand. She could feel no flavor.
“Brother Mikhail visited recently.”
“Ah, yes. I heard. He left without even seeing me.”
“He told me to get along with you. He said since a couple will see each other for a lifetime anyway, I should forgive you.”
“Young Marquis Mikhail said that?”
“Yes.”
Damian’s face brightened as if he were deeply moved. Seeing his expression, Briseis forced another smile.
“I’m glad. You are indeed a wise wife, Brie.”
“I suppose so.”
“Yes, because it is a wife’s duty to please her husband.”
Briseis fought to keep the smile on her face.
“Demi, do you want a bite of this?” Delilah held out a piece of salmon she had cut on her fork. Damian frowned slightly and glanced at Briseis.
“I’m full.”
“Please?”
He took the bite she offered, testing Briseis to see if she was truly okay with it. Briseis pretended to be unfazed and continued eating. Seeing her expression, Damian felt strangely good. He realized she still had feelings for him.
“I want to feed you, Brie.”
“Very well.”
Briseis pretended to be happy and handed him her plate. Damian took it and began feeding her piece by piece. She loathed this undignified behavior, but seeing Delilah’s forced smile, she didn’t mind it so much. And so, the dinner passed like a silent war.
❖ ❖ ❖
Briseis was studying in her room and headed to bed when she felt tired. Calisten’s words flashed through her mind.
“Make sure you move the key from the second drawer to the first.”
She opened the second drawer and took out the key to the chastity belt he had forced upon her.
“Whew.”
She let out an involuntary sigh, put the key back into the second drawer, and slammed it shut. Then, she went to bed to forget the unpleasantness.
❖ ❖ ❖
“Why don’t you take this opportunity to quit the Academy?”
Briseis was unwillingly sharing a carriage with Damian and Delilah on the way to the Academy.
“I’ve spent three years there; it would be a waste. Besides, it’s true that the Academy helped us confirm our feelings for each other.”
She had no intention of quitting. She would graduate and then divorce him. Afterward, she planned to get a job as an Imperial official and run her own businesses. It might be difficult for a woman, but with her Academy grades, it wasn’t an impossible dream.
The House of Philia would surely demand their dowry back once she divorced. If she couldn’t pay it, they would sell her off again. It was better to return what she had saved and find her freedom. She also needed someone who would maintain a fake marriage with her before agreeing to a divorce later. Furthermore, she wanted to reclaim the money she had earned for the Grand Duchy before she left. That was part of why she was hiring a lawyer.
“You have a point. It was at the dance party that we confirmed our feelings, wasn’t it?”
At the mention of the party, Briseis spoke up. “The season for dance parties is coming up soon.”
“Indeed.”
“Attend this one with Miss Delilah.”
“But…”
“In exchange, attend the graduation ball with me, Damian. I won’t compromise on that.”
Briseis acted like a generous lady, but in reality, she just didn’t want to spend an entire day stuck to him at a dance party.
“If not me, who else would be your partner, Brie?”
Briseis answered without thinking. “Duke Rosephel.”
Only after she said it did she realize why that name had come to mind. A man of gentle character with a title but lacking wealth; a trustworthy man who had been Gael’s friend. And someone with a generous enough nature to grant her a divorce whenever she asked.
In her mind, the most suitable person for a contract marriage was Cassius Rosephel.