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IGF 5
Lady Rowin, Wijena, was originally the illegitimate daughter of the previous Marquess. She had come to the Marquess's estate before the previous Marquess passed away, and as soon as she was registered into the House of Russell, she became a lady-in-waiting at the Imperial Palace. After serving as a lady-in-waiting to the Empress and then the Emperor, she eventually secured the position of the Emperor's mistress. She was granted the Rowin estate and became Lady Rowin. The incident where the Empress, devastated by the shock, attempted to poison her and was subsequently confined was a scandal of passion known to every citizen of the Empire.
Since the ailing Empress had been confined, it was fair to say that Wijena had almost entirely taken over the Empress's place. Backed by the Emperor's favor, she began funneling all sorts of national projects to her brother, Marquess Russell. Under Wijena's protection, the House of Russell was spreading its wings and thriving.
“I wonder who Marquess Russell will propose a marriage to?”
A noblewoman murmured, her eyes narrowing as if trying to gauge the intentions of the Marquess and Lady Rowin. She could have bet every piece of jewelry she wore today that every noble present was thinking the same thing. Depending on who the Marquess Russell's daughter married, the succession of the Empire could change.
Who should they align themselves with first? The people, preoccupied with their own calculations, only snapped out of it long after the music announcing the start of the wedding began.
The bishop, stepping forward to the altar, announced the entrance of the bride and groom. To the sweet melody of a violin, Roselyn entered the wedding aisle, her hand resting on Isaac's arm. The venue, which had been slightly buzzing until then, fell deathly silent the moment Roselyn appeared.
This was because Roselyn, her glossy wheat-colored hair braided and pinned up, was shockingly beautiful—enough to be called the incarnation of an angel.
Her white wedding dress evoked the attire of an angel descended to earth, and the fluttering veil attached to the flower crown atop her head moved softly, like the wings of a fairy.
In that moment, neither the crudely decorated banquet hall nor the groom's unremarkable appearance caught anyone's eye. Only the radiant image of Roselyn remained etched upon the retinas of the guests. Even those who remembered Roselyn as a child could not hide their astonishment at how beautifully she had grown.
The people, who had been holding their breath for a moment, were only able to exhale once Roselyn reached the altar. Only then did silent gasps of admiration ripple through the crowd. One guest even whispered sneeringly to the person beside them.
“My, it’s like watching the fairy tale of Beauty and the Beast. Hahaha.”
As for Roselyn, she listened blankly to the bishop's officiation, completely indifferent to what the guests were thinking or saying. She thought it would feel real once the wedding day arrived, but it felt just as surreal, as if she were performing in a play without a script.
“...And so, I solemnly declare before the holy Lord God that the marriage of these two is now complete.”
Roselyn, who had been standing with unfocused eyes, only came to her senses after hearing the thunderous applause. It had ended without a single word—no reciting of marriage vows, no promises of eternal love. A hollow smile naturally formed on her lips at the absurdity of a wedding conducted so haphazardly from start to finish.
Perhaps bothered by Roselyn's vacant expression, Isaac gripped her arm tightly. Enduring the stinging pain in her arm, she turned back from the path they had walked and headed toward the door. And so, Roselyn Bluebell simply became the Countess Bluebell.
After the ceremony, the reception began. The reception was being held in the garden of the Count's estate, but Selena sent Roselyn up first, saying there was no need for her to attend. The maids, acting on Selena's orders, took Roselyn to the bath and dressed her for the wedding night.
Roselyn bathed in a tub filled with rose oil so potent it gave her a headache, and then she put on the thin chemise and underwear that felt like mere scraps of cloth provided by the maids.
“I’d like to wear a gown over this. Would that be alright?”
Startled by the sight of her body clearly visible through the fabric as soon as she looked down, Roselyn pleaded earnestly. Contrary to her worry that she might be refused, the maid readily handed her a gown, speaking cheerfully.
“You intend to surprise the Count, I see?”
“...Yes. That’s right.”
Rather than clearing up the misunderstanding and risking having the gown taken away, it was better to appear as a new bride doing her best for her wedding night. As she pulled the collar of the gown tight and tied the waist string firmly, the embarrassing clothes were fortunately hidden. Roselyn was then immediately led to the bedroom.
The bedroom of the Count and Countess was silent, as if severed from the vibrancy outside. The room was decorated far more cozily and luxuriously than the convent rooms or the attic she had lived in. On the high canopy bed, goose-down pillows and a plush duvet were neatly arranged, and the engravings and embossments of the furniture, which looked newly acquired, were all gilded and polished to a shine.
However, Roselyn thought it would have been better to spend her entire life locked in an attic. Until the wedding ended, it hadn't felt real, but as the night deepened, she felt herself being dragged into a hellish reality.
Soon, she would have to spend her first night with Isaac. That thought only intensified Roselyn's misery. Recalling Isaac's face from the previous night, sneering that she needed to be tamed, made her feel nauseous.
‘How can I... with a person like that....’
She walked to the window and looked down for no particular reason. As expected, it was too high to escape.
‘Should I just jump?’
Her thoughts raced to a dead end. However, Roselyn could not turn those thoughts into action. She had sworn before her parents' graves to live steadfastly, and eventually happily, on behalf of her mother and father.
‘But Mother. When on earth will I become happy? The more I live, the more the future seems filled with darkness.’
Her legs gave out, and she leaned weakly against the window. Just then, with the heavy sound of the door closing, a greasy, slick voice echoed through the silent bedroom.
“Ho. You were already here, I see.”
“.......”
Isaac approached Roselyn with a sinister smile. He appeared to have bathed, as he was only loosely wrapped in a gown. As he drew closer, the same scent of rose oil that she wore emanated from him. Feeling disgusted, Roselyn instinctively stepped back.
“Your husband has arrived, yet instead of having your legs spread and ready, you’re backing away? Come here!”
At her retreat, Isaac's face contorted, just as it had the previous night. As he reached out and glanced at the bed, he looked ready to seize her and throw her down onto it. Terrified, Roselyn barely managed to avoid him and picked up a wine glass from the table. With trembling hands, she poured the wine and offered the glass to Isaac.
“Please drink this first. There’s no need to rush.”
“Fuck, do you think I don't know what you're up to, you bitch?”
It was obvious she was trying to avoid him at all costs. The way she blinked, pretending to be innocent and composed, struck a chord with Isaac's petty pride. He let out a sudden shout, snatched the glass from Roselyn's hand, and hurled it to the floor.
The color of the wine slowly seeped and spread across the light green carpet. To think that a man who called himself a knight behaved worse than a common street thug. Fortunately, the glass did not break when it hit the carpet, but Roselyn, pale with fear at his violent behavior, cried out in a shrill voice.
“What do you think you're doing?!”
“What am I doing? I'm taming an insolent, ill-mannered wife!”
Isaac approached her with a sneer. As he grabbed her gown, Roselyn reached out to cover her chest, which was exposed as the fabric gave way, but his eyes reached her breasts first, as if mocking her. In an instant, Isaac's piercing gaze softened slightly, taking on a sinister air.
He licked his lips for a long time as if savoring the moment, then, as if having made a decision, he shoved her gown aside. Roselyn staggered, her face flushing with shame. No matter the circumstances, she could not tolerate such a complete lack of respect. The thought of having to live face-to-face with such a man in one house made her future seem bleak and brought on a wave of nausea.
“Please... ugh... respect me! Such undignified behavior is...!”
“Dignity?”
Isaac chuckled as if he had heard something amusing. Hearing his behavior criticized, the veins on his flat forehead bulged.
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