Chapter 2

“Come on. We need to go to my house first.”

Violet looked at the hand the man abruptly held out toward her.

Violet had no desire to put on airs and act like some haughty noble lady in this situation.

Still, perhaps because she had retained some pride as a noble’s daughter, there was something about his manner of speaking that rubbed her the wrong way.

He’s speaking informally?

In Illore, even serfs of a fief were expected to use polite speech between husband and wife.

She knew he was a junior knight from a commoner’s background, but even if he had received little education, was it really acceptable to speak informally to someone he’d just taken as his wife?

The slight guilt she had felt toward him because of the ring disappeared completely.

In truth, the person most at fault was Baron Cerota, who had sold her off like this. But Violet’s anger was directed at the man standing right in front of her.

However, her anger was short-lived.

What good would getting angry do?

She was now a woman with nowhere else to go.

If she didn’t want to spend the night in this tiny temple halfway up the mountain, she had no choice but to follow the complete stranger standing before her.

Though he was technically her husband now.

But the man really had no consideration whatsoever when it came to women.

Violet practically had to run to keep up with his long strides.

The man put Violet on the horse he had ridden there, then his fellow knight disappeared after merely telling him not to be late for the departure ceremony.

Violet assumed that he would lead the horse while she rode.

So when he naturally climbed onto the horse behind her, she was so startled that she let out a scream.

“If you keep screaming like that, you’ll frighten the horse.”

He spoke in a slightly irritated tone.

“Why are you getting on behind me? This isn’t a two-person saddle. Can’t you just lead the horse?”

Perhaps because she was becoming defiant over the way he kept speaking informally, Violet snapped back at him without even realizing it.

When she sensed that he was slightly surprised, Violet felt a strange sense of satisfaction.

“I don’t do that. Besides, if we went that way, we’d get home in the middle of the night.”

Violet didn’t want to exchange any more words with him, so she fell silent.

Once she became quiet, the man urged the horse forward.

Sitting pressed tightly against an unfamiliar man on the narrow back of a horse was an ordeal in itself.

On top of that, Violet was inexperienced at riding, so the faster the horse walked, the more precariously her upper body swayed.

Unable to watch any longer, the man gripped the reins with one hand and wrapped his other arm around her waist.

Naturally, Violet protested and struggled, but the man’s arm didn’t budge an inch.

“Don’t. You’ll fall.”

His tone sounded as though he were scolding an immature little sister.

Violet simply gave up on everything and let her body go limp.

She had no energy left to struggle anymore.

If there was one consolation, it was that the heat radiating from the man’s body behind her kept her from feeling cold.

The two of them rode along the mountain road for quite some time.

It was only much later that they finally arrived somewhere that could be called their destination.

“Is this your house?”

It was a wooden house of a size that was somewhat difficult to classify—not quite a cottage, but not quite a mansion either.

It was only slightly larger and slightly better maintained than the old house belonging to Baron Cerota’s family where Violet had lived.

Of course, House Cerota had been completely ruined since the previous generation.

But what about this man?

Didn’t he have a family he lived with?

What about his parents?

Did he have maids or servants?

There were so many things she wanted to ask, but the man was unhelpful.

With those same long strides, he entered the house alone, leaving Violet behind.

There wasn’t the slightest bit of kindness or consideration for his new bride.

Violet thought bleakly.

Should I run away like this?

But where would I go?

The house seemed to be located in a secluded area, some distance away from the other residences.

Violet merely clutched the hem of her skirt.

Even though she was legally an adult, she had only just turned twenty.

Violet still didn’t have the courage to leave and go somewhere without having anyone to rely on.

And more importantly…

She had no money.

What should I do?

There was no other option.

Violet stepped into the shabby wooden house as though she were entering a tiger’s den.

When Violet came to her senses, she was in the bridal chamber.

If this could even be called a bridal chamber.

In some ways, it was an ordinary room.

The problem was just how ordinary it was.

The bed was clearly unmade, as though someone had slept in it only that very morning. Clothes were scattered everywhere, and stacks of documents lay strewn about, catching on the hem of Violet’s dress as she walked.

“It probably looks like a barn to a noble lady, but it’ll only be for one night anyway, so bear with it.”

The man followed Violet into the room and spoke bluntly.

Only one night?

What did he mean by that?

Oh, right.

He had said he was leaving tomorrow.

His irresponsible remark nearly made her angry again.

He only had to sleep in this filthy place for one more night, but Violet would have to live here after he left.

An inexplicable resentment toward the man bubbled up inside her.

A moment later, Violet realized that what she was feeling was actually a mixture of fear, hurt, and confusion at being in such an unfamiliar place.

“Is it just the two of us here? Don’t you have a maid?”

The man looked at her in slight surprise.

“Do you need one? I’m leaving tomorrow anyway.”

Does everything end once he leaves?

Is he really that selfish?

He doesn’t care how I live after he’s gone?

Violet let out a small sigh and looked around the entire house and the room.

It wasn’t particularly large, but it was somewhat too big for one person to manage alone.

She had already been responsible for all the household chores at her father’s home, so it wasn’t as though it would be difficult.

Still, doing everything alone would be a little overwhelming…

“I’m going to sleep now. What are you going to do? Do whatever you want.”

“You’re going to sleep already?”

“I have to leave before dawn tomorrow. So after I leave, just take care of things yourself….”

“When you go to war, when will you come back?”

She didn’t know why that question suddenly slipped out.

The man seemed a little flustered that Violet had asked.

“Who knows? I suppose it’ll take about five years at the most.”

Five years?

Violet swallowed a startled breath.

She had only heard that he was going to war. She hadn’t realized it would be for such a long time.

Does that mean I’ll have to live alone for that long?

Starting the very day after getting married, she would have to wait for a husband who might return alive—or might return as a corpse?

Violet had never had a happy life, but she couldn’t believe that even her future had to be this bleak.

Of course, it wasn’t as though she wanted this man to stay by her side instead of leaving…

“What about money?”

That question, too, came out before she could stop herself.

While he was away, how exactly was she supposed to feed herself?

If things became difficult, she could perhaps find sewing work and earn some money.

But even so, she needed enough money to make sure she wouldn’t starve for the first few days.

At the sudden mention of money, the man frowned.

Apparently, men everywhere shared the same trait of becoming displeased whenever money was brought up.

“Your father already took that much. Do you need more money?”

“That was for him. I need some separately.”

Otherwise, how am I supposed to keep from starving to death while you’re gone?

That was what she meant.

The man sighed and searched through the wardrobe.

He pulled out a pouch of gold coins about the same size as the one he had given her father earlier.

Violet was secretly surprised by the unexpectedly large amount.

At this rate, I could live comfortably for a year, not just a few days.

As she stared at the pouch of gold coins, a vague memory came to her.

She seemed to remember hearing that even a junior knight had to possess considerable skill to receive an official knighthood…

Perhaps this man was actually a fairly reliable husband after all—someone whose skills and income were better than she had expected.

But then again…

Was he even old enough to be called a man?

Violet suddenly became curious about that.

His appearance was already that of a fully grown adult, but to Violet’s eyes, there was still something unmistakably youthful about him.

Perhaps that was why he so casually slipped into informal speech.

“By the way, how old are you?”

At her sudden question, he once again looked utterly bewildered.

But soon, as though he had given up trying to understand her, he answered.

“…Seventeen.”

“I knew it!”

Violet exclaimed loudly, delighted that her guess had been correct.

But she soon felt embarrassed and unnecessarily began fiddling with her skirt.

Then, as though she had suddenly remembered something, she added,

“I’m twenty. So that means I’m your older sister.”

“Huh.”

A breathy sound escaped his lips.

Now that she knew his age, he looked even younger.

Violet had no idea what he had eaten to grow so large, though…

Wait.

He was only seventeen, and he was going to war?

“You’ve only just become an adult, haven’t you?”

“Yes.”

“And you’re going to war?”

“It’s an order. That’s why I hurried to find a woman to marry.”

At last, Violet understood why such a perfectly healthy young man had entered into such an absurd marriage.

“You poor thing. Don’t you have a family?”

Perhaps because they had exchanged a few more words, or perhaps because knowing his age made him feel more like a younger brother, Violet was able to treat him much more gently than before.

“I don’t.”

“I see. Hmm… Since when?”

“Since the beginning.”

He answered her question literally, though there was a trace of confusion in his eyes over why she was asking.

Well, that made sense.

He was so young, and yet he was going off to war to kill people…

Of course he’d be confused.

But can that kid even swing a sword properly?

It would be terrible to become a widow right after getting married.

While Violet was thinking that, he had already taken off his clothes and crawled into bed.

“…You, taking off your clothes like that in front of a lady….”

“What?”

“No, no. Never mind. More importantly, where am I supposed to sleep?”

“Hmm. I guess you can sleep wherever you want.”

“What about washing?”

“There is a bath in the kitchen, but….”

Violet felt her chest tighten.

This man she had acquired as a husband today looked at her every time she asked a question as though wondering why she was asking him about such things.