WHYMCF 22

Chapter 22

After the perfect lunch prepared with great care by the mansion’s chef ended, Lizbet was introduced to the mansion’s staff through the head butler.

After greeting them, checking the preparations in the Grand Hall, and walking around the mansion with Calix, it was already close to 6 p.m.

The chef returned to the kitchen with a determined expression to prepare dinner, and Lizbet was guided by the maids to a room.

It was the largest room on the second floor of the mansion.

“If the Lady marries our Marquis, this will be the bedroom you two will use together. So we prepared it in advance.”

The maid who introduced herself as Linda spoke with sparkling eyes.

At the innocent words of the young maid, Lizbet could only smile.

“Use the bedroom together…? I guess we probably should at first…”

What kind of reaction would Calix have?

Lizbet glanced at the empty space beside her.

Calix, who had been following her everywhere earlier, had stepped away for a moment.

“I’m really looking forward to the day I can call you Madam! You’re so beautiful and kind, but those terrible newspapers—”

“Linda.”

“Oh! P-please forget what I just said, Lady!”

They probably believed what the newspapers wrote and thought I was some kind of wicked temptress.

Linda quickly shut her mouth after another maid nudged her. Lizbet reassured her that it was fine and looked around the room.

The first thing that caught her eye was the huge bed.

Seeing Lizbet staring at it, Linda started talking excitedly again.

“It was originally a smaller bed, but the Marquis said to get a bigger and sturdier one. So we moved the old one to the guest room and replaced it!”

“Calix told you to change it?”

“Yes! The Marquis really doesn’t hesitate to spend money on things like this— I mean—”

Lizbet could easily guess what Linda was thinking.

…Hmm. Maybe he’s trying to make sure no one suspects anything.

After all, if you want to deceive others, you first have to make things convincing on the inside.

Tilting her head slightly but accepting the explanation, Lizbet then looked toward the wardrobe.

When she opened the door using the pearl-decorated handle, it was already filled with dresses.

“We bought all the dresses that are currently in fashion! Of course, we’ll need to adjust them to fit your body… Hehe, I’m actually quite good with sewing!”

“Really? I’m looking forward to it. But did Calix buy all of these too?”

“Of course!”

She didn’t know if she would even have time to wear all of them… but Calix must have thought about it carefully while choosing them.

Last time I only said they were all pretty…

Thinking about him struggling to choose dresses from a catalog made her smile—and her face grew slightly warm.

“If the wardrobe is filled with dresses, what is he going to wear? Maybe I should make Calix wear a dress too.”

“If you ask him, he might actually do it!”

Linda burst out laughing.

Lizbet closed the wardrobe and sat on the bed.

“Please rest until dinner is ready! I’ll come get you when it’s prepared, Madam! Ah— I mean, Lady! But you’ll be Madam soon anyway!”

Linda cheerfully left with the other maids.

Now alone in the room, Lizbet murmured quietly.

“A couple’s bedroom…”

Even when she lived in the Imperial Palace with Frederick, there had been a marital bedroom. It had been extremely luxurious and extravagant—so overwhelming that she felt suffocated.

Lizbet had hated that bedroom during their entire marriage.

But Frederick never realized it.

He probably just assumed that women liked luxury, so Lizbet must have liked it too.

It was partly my fault for forcing myself to hide how much I hated it.

Thinking about that time, Lizbet gave a bitter smile and collapsed onto the bed.

The bed was large, but it wasn’t extravagant.

The only decoration was a translucent lace canopy.

The room itself wasn’t overly luxurious either.

Calm green wallpaper, cute decorations, and occasional gemstones—mostly pearls or peridot.

Is this Calix’s taste?

Now that she thought about it, the entire mansion seemed decorated in a similar calm style.

Without the suffocating atmosphere she used to feel, she finally felt like she could truly relax.

“Ah… this is nice.”

But what she liked most was that she could feel Calix’s presence everywhere in the room.

Unlike that flashy but empty bedroom from before.

Even the blanket carried Calix’s familiar scent—deep and gentle.

Breathing in that scent, Lizbet closed her eyes.

“The bed is really comfortable…”

Orange sunlight stretched through the window.

And she slowly fell into a sweet short nap.

* * *

“Mmm…”

She had only planned to lie down for a moment, but it seemed the bed was really that comfortable.

As Lizbet rubbed her eyes, she slowly raised her head after feeling a strangely intense gaze.

“……”

Leaning against the door with his arms crossed was Calix.

He was looking at Lizbet lying on the bed with a strange expression.

It was almost like he was studying what to do with her.

Only then did Lizbet snap fully awake and quickly sat up.

Outside the window, which had been glowing with sunset earlier, darkness had already fallen.

“I apologize for being away so long. The knights had urgent work, so I had to find some documents in my study.”

Perhaps to save Lizbet from embarrassment, Calix spoke calmly first.

…Even though he was clearly watching me sleep the whole time.

Still embarrassed, Lizbet quickly fixed her dress.

Fortunately, nothing seemed too messy.

“The maids said you didn’t respond no matter how much they knocked, so I had no choice but to come in myself.”

“…The maids can’t, but you can?”

“I’m the man who’s going to be your husband.”

Not long ago he used to blush every time he said something like that.

But now he said it confidently himself.

Since it was true, Lizbet couldn’t really argue and just pouted slightly.

Calix then walked over and sat on the bed.

The mattress sank deeply under his weight.

Lizbet’s body naturally tilted toward him.

Then he reached his hand toward her.

“…!”

Lizbet flinched and reflexively closed her eyes.

But Calix only gently fixed her messy hair before pulling his hand away.

“You…”

“….”

“…closed your eyes?”

“Well, you suddenly reached out your hand… so I got startled.”

Lizbet awkwardly mumbled an excuse while avoiding his gaze.

They were alone in the quiet room.

Listening to Calix’s calm but uneven breathing made an inexplicable tension fill the air.

After gripping the bedsheet tightly for a moment, Lizbet finally spoke about the real reason she came today, even earlier than she planned.

“You won’t have any reason to get angry anymore.”

“…Excuse me?”

Calix raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.

Lizbet cleared her throat and continued carefully.

“About what you said in the carriage… I thought it might have been because I acted too carelessly. It kept bothering me, so I found a solution. A way to protect myself using divine power.”

“I see.”

Calix answered casually.

Lizbet was just about to feel disappointed—

when he suddenly froze, as if he had finally understood what she meant.

Then he stared at her.

With an expression of disbelief… or maybe deep emotion.

“You did it… because you were thinking about me?”

“Yes. Because it bothered me. I asked Claude to teach me—”

“Lady…”

Calix called her name softly, almost like he was suffering.

He covered his face with both hands.

Through his black hair, his bright red ears were clearly visible even in the darkness.

Seeing that Calix had reacted almost exactly how she expected, Lizbet shrugged with relief.

Claude had been right—telling him directly was the correct choice.

…Was this the reaction I was hoping for?

Just as Lizbet paused at that thought—

Calix’s quiet voice slipped out, interrupting her thoughts.