Chapter 39 - Resolve
The day after the ball. In the early afternoon, Opal, along with Claude's family, arrived at the Rousel Marquisate's villa in the suburbs of the Royal Capital. The wedding ceremony tomorrow would be held at the village chapel, so they would spend the night at this estate. After the reception, the family and guests would return to the capital, while she and Claude would spend a three day honeymoon alone in this house. However, Claude was still at the main residence in the capital. And now, having been shown to the mistress's chambers, Opal was feeling as restless and fidgety as a bride should.
In her previous marriage, her husband Hubert had used the adjoining room for only a single night at the estate in his duchy. But this time, Claude would, of course, be using the room next door. It wasn't that she was opposed to it, of course.
What should I do… Even Claude wouldn’t imagine that after seven years of marriage, I’ve still never shared a marital bed, would he…
Having seen Claude's luggage being carried into the next room a little while ago, Opal began to pace around the room, which was furnished with elegant furniture. At twenty eight years old, she certainly understood the matters between a husband and wife. It would be a lie to say she wasn't embarrassed, but with Claude, she felt it would be alright. The only question was whether to tell him. He knew she was a novice when it came to romance, but she didn't know to what extent he understood.
But, if there's some procedure to it, and I end up causing him trouble… I should probably tell him beforehand.
Having reached a rational conclusion, Opal was then faced with the problem of when to tell him. It didn't seem like the kind of thing one should convey in a letter. But if she headed to the capital residence now, she wouldn't be back until late at night.
Well, just telling him will be over quickly, so tomorrow should be fine. There will be time between the ceremony and the start of the reception.
Satisfied with this answer, Opal felt a sense of relief and moved to the writing desk. She had several documents that needed to be processed and had brought them with her. However, when she opened the bag containing the papers, the first thing that caught her eye was the letter from Hubert. After failing to read it once, she had been putting it off, but she knew she had to deal with it now. She should have just sent it back through his agent as she always had when she first received it.
I really was swept off my feet…
Opal sighed at her own foolishness and slit the envelope open with a paper knife. She took out the contents and read through it.
"…This doesn't make any sense."
Opal muttered to herself, placing the letter on the desk and staring at it. She regretted not replying sooner, or better yet, sending it back. Her father, the Count, should have known she had cut off all contact with Hubert. She wondered why he had enclosed the letter, then corrected herself. Her father had nothing to do with it, it was her own fault for procrastinating. Still, she wondered if her father knew what the letter contained.
Father should be arriving in the country around now…
He would be attending the ceremony as the father of the bride, but he would be staying in the capital tonight and would not come to her until tomorrow. He planned to return to his own country immediately after the ceremony, so it seemed he was as busy as ever. As for her brother, he would not be attending, just like last time. Claude had been the one to tell her that.
To think that my brother and Claude have been in contact all this time… it's so unfair.
Opal had written to her brother several times but had never received a reply. And yet, not only had he been corresponding with Claude, he had even helped with supply replenishments during the civil war in the Taisey Kingdom. What's more, she learned he had dropped out of university at some point and was now in some other country. Her father surely knew, which made Opal feel like she was the only one in her family being left out.
Well, as long as he’s healthy, I can’t ask for more than that.
As a child, she had disliked her mean spirited older brother. They weren't close even now, and she hadn't even seen him since he went to university, but she still felt a familial love for him. She worried about him, and she got angry at him.
Really, men are so selfish!
Opal put the letter away with a rather rough gesture, as if taking out her frustration. Fueled by that anger, she tackled her paperwork. She made more progress than expected, and by the time she had finished everything, her mood had cleared.
The next morning. After she finished her preparations, her father, who had just arrived, came to see her. His clothes were impeccable, showing no signs of his carriage journey from the Royal Capital.
"Opal, you are as beautiful as you were eight years ago."
As she was about to step into the carriage that would take them to the chapel, Opal’s brow furrowed for a moment at her father’s words. But she quickly smoothed her expression into a smile and replied.
"…Thank you, Father."
Inwardly, however, Opal was irritated. Did he really have to make such a sarcastic comment on a day like this? Then it occurred to her that he might be serious. He had apparently believed that arranging her marriage to Hubert, however misguided it had been, was for her own good.
"…Father, did you love Mother?"
"What's this, all of a sudden?"
At Opal's question, Count Holloway furrowed his brow suspiciously. In the past, this expression would have terrified her into silence, but now she could stand up to him, just a little. Feeling a bit pathetic about the 'just a little' part, Opal bravely continued.
"Mother loved you until the day she died… Of course, she loved my brother and me dearly, and she gave us so much love. But I can't help but think that what she wanted most was for you to be with her more often…"
"…I made a promise."
"Pardon?"
"When I met your mother, I had inherited the title, but I had also inherited my father's debts and was in over my head. I didn't want her to think I was after her dowry, so I made a point of keeping my distance."
"And yet… you proposed to her in the end, didn't you."
"No, she proposed to me."
"Mother did?"
"Yes. She told me not to run away. That having no money was not shameful. That she had money, so that was enough."
"So you built your current fortune using Mother’s dowry?"
Opal was quite surprised by this unexpected revelation. She tried not to let it show as she prompted him to continue.
"Yes, that's right. I promised her I would multiply her dowry many times over. But in the early years of our marriage, I put her through a lot of hardship. Besides, your mother was never very strong, so I thought it would be better for her to live in the countryside where the air was cleaner. I developed the fief to make it more comfortable for her."
"…I never knew."
"I've never told anyone."
As Opal murmured her response, the Count seemed to puff out his chest with a hint of pride. Opal averted her gaze from her father and looked out the carriage window at the peaceful scenery. She knew her mother had been lonely, and she herself had been lonely too. But her mother had probably loved her father for his awkwardness and all.
Awkward isn't the word, he's completely clueless…
If it were her, even if her body were weak, she wouldn't just wait quietly in the countryside. She would go to be with the one she loved. She would fight to change the situation. It was then that Opal had another realization.
"Did you push through my marriage to Duke McLeod and provide such an extraordinary amount of aid because you saw a parallel to your own situation?"
"…I had factored in your stubbornness, but I had not factored in McLeod's arrogance."
"Then you didn't calculate this outcome either?"
"I do not regret refusing Lord Claude's first proposal. I did regret not permitting the second. But now, I believe this was for the best."
"Yes, I suppose so…"
She had many complaints, but she understood that her father loved her in his own way. Her father, however, would likely never admit to a feeling like love. That was part of who he was, and she loved him for it.
I think I understand how Mother felt, just a little…
Opal's gaze drifted from her father back to the world outside the window, and she swallowed a sigh.