Chapter 4
***
"Not eating?"
Roan's eyebrows rose at the absurdity of the statement. How he interpreted it, Sylver added.
"Yes. She’s had nothing but water for days. The nanny says maybe some fruit..................."
"Enough."
Roan cut off Sylver’s words with a snap. It really wasn't worth listening to any more.
It was probably something the woman would find when she had no appetite anyway. Pomegranates or grapes, unavailable this time of year.
He was tired of having such a useless memory, but that wasn't the point.
It was the woman who had the audacity to complain about her situation.
‘I knew you wouldn't be so easily deterred.’
She was the precious jewel of the Count of Eperne. It was obvious how precious she was without even looking, but didn’t he experience it himself?
However, there was a limit to not knowing one’s place.
He was wrong to think that it would be over soon anyway. He should have firmly fixed that habit so that she wouldn’t be so arrogant again.
"Where is she now?"
Roan asked after a brief moment of reflection. If he'd made a mistake, he could make it right again.
***
Delnia sat on the floor of a ramshackle carriage.
The carriage, new from Belfort, was cozy and clean, but cramped inside. There was no room for Marianne, who was still in her seat.
Eventually, after giving up the new carriage to Marianne and Sophie, Delnia traveled alone in the old one.
The worn wooden floor creaked nonstop, but Delnia remained as graceful and upright as if she were sitting on a cozy parlor sofa.
No one saw her, but that didn't mean she couldn't be dignified. The same went for her cleanliness, which she maintained by wiping herself roughly with a handkerchief soaked in the daily supply of drinking water.
For her, these small things were the only way to preserve what dignity she had left.
‘I wonder what will happen when we get to the capital.’
Sitting up stiffly, she worried about her family's future.
The Eperne was not a prestigious family, but it was steeped in history and tradition. Her ancestors had defended Belfort since before she was granted Countess by the first Emperor of Brunois.
Now, in an instant, their future was as precarious as a candle in the wind. Her heart was heavy.
'I can't think of a plan without knowing the details.’
The unanswered questions deepened. Someone knocked on the carriage door.
"It's Sylver Dieppe. Do you have a moment?"
"Yes."
Delnia replied, running a hand through her hair. The door opened a moment later.
"What's going on?"
"Major Barthez wants to see you."
"......Major Barthez?"
Delnia repeated, not believing her ears.
She hadn't seen him since he'd dropped off the new carriage, partly because she'd avoided going outside as much as possible, but Roan hadn't been in her radius either.
And now, suddenly, he's looking for her. What could he want?
"Okay."
She hesitated for a moment, but she wasn't in a position to refuse anyway, so she gave up and pushed herself to her feet.
She stepped out of the carriage and onto the ground. The sudden movement made her dizzy and her vision spun.
She swayed uncontrollably, and Sylver quickly caught her arm.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
Delnia smiled sheepishly and carefully pulled her arm out of his grasp. She felt embarrassed, even in this situation-no, especially in this situation.
Fortunately, Sylver backed off gracefully. Delnia gritted her teeth, steadied her legs, and walked out into the night.
"Over here."
Unexpectedly, Sylver stopped at a grain silo that was far from where the soldiers were housed.
Delnia, who had expected to find the officers' barracks, looked around in bewilderment.
"Major Barthez is here?"
"Yes. He's waiting for you inside."
Sylver opened the warehouse door for her. It seemed like he was going to wait outside instead of going in with her.
A cold sweat broke out on her hands at the thought of being alone with Roan. She took a deep breath to calm her rapidly beating heart and continued on her way.
The smell of dry grass hit her as she stepped inside the warehouse. The door slammed shut behind her.
Inside, the darkness was even deeper than outside. The only light came from a lamp burning softly in the innermost recesses.
Roan was sitting upright on a pile of straw.
The shadows cast by his ruddy forehead and sharp bridge of his nose gave him a decadent air. If it weren't for the uniform he wore, he could have been a prodigal son wooing the village maidens with impunity.
"...."
"...."
Delnia slowed her pace to a broken walk, trying not to show her nervousness.
Roan never took his eyes off her for a moment as she slowly drew closer. His piercing blue eyes flickered eerily in the red light.
"You called me, Major."
She was the first to speak, stopping some distance away.
But he still stared at her, not responding.
"Major Barthez?"
Unable to withstand his unrelenting stare, Delnia urged him again, and Roan, his brow furrowed in disapproval, finally spoke.
"They say you're not eating."
"What?"
"My lieutenant has been worried that you haven't touched food since we left Belfort."
"Ah................"
Delnia let out a shallow sigh, realizing now why Roan had sought her out.
It hadn't been intentional. At first, she'd tried to eat it anyway, for the sake of the soldiers who fed her.
But she couldn't get past it, and after a while, she stopped even bothering.
But was it important enough for the Major to take action? A few skipped meals?
"Are you going to complain to me about not catering to your picky palate?"
His voice, sharp as a whip, slapped her in the ear. Delnia hastened to deny his words.
"No. I'm............."
"Or is this just another one of those nasty habits of yours, where you filter your meals whenever you're upset about something?"
Delnia's breath caught in her throat. Her eyes began to flutter wildly, despite all her efforts to keep them steady.
Roan's lips twisted in sarcasm as he watched.
"Lady."
The mocking title instantly brought Delnia back to the past. Before him, she could offer no resistance. As always.
"Lady. The Count has returned.”
It was the day the Count returned to Belfort Castle after a long absence. Delnia came out to greet the Count, and there were strange children there.
Children were not to be found at Belfort Castle. The Countess, who was weak, hated the sound of children's cries. Needless to say, she had even placed her own daughter's room in a separate annex.
It did not take long for Delnia to be captivated by the first children of her own age, especially the boy who was holding his younger sister's hand tightly with a shabby appearance.
As she stared, mesmerized, he must have felt her gaze, because he jerked his head up. The moment their eyes met, she knew what she was going to do.
"Oh, Lady!”
She couldn't tell even now what was going through her mind, only that an unidentifiable, lustful heat had risen through her body, and she had run, dignity forgotten, as if she were being controlled by something.
"Give me the child.”
For the first and last time, she made a request to the Count. She almost lost her grip on his hand when he stared down at her, but she didn't back down.
And so she got it, her Roan.
But Roan was a servant who was not the least bit kind to his master. Some said he had grown spoiled by her undivided affection and needed to be punished to break his habit.
Delnia, too, was sometimes cruel and heartless to the boy who never opened up to her. Sometimes she would get caught up in his cruelty and act out.
But not always.
Most of the time, she wanted to spare him, to give him only the best, to see his grim face light up, as he would never smile.
"What is this?”
Roan, who didn't understand her feelings, usually treated her only out of obligation.
However, there were moments when the lock on his heart inevitably loosened.
***
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