Chapter 41 - Newlyweds
Some time after the servants had begun to stir, Opal awoke to an indescribable sense of unfamiliarity. The sight that greeted her before her mind was fully awake nearly made her scream, but she managed to stifle it. Startled by the sight of Claude's sleeping face so close to hers, Opal was then tormented by a wave of embarrassment. Fortunately, Claude showed no signs of waking.
(Th, that was a shock…)
Pressing a hand to her heart, which was pounding hard enough to leap from her chest, she held her breath and gazed at Claude’s face. They had known each other for a long time, but this was the first time she had observed him from such a close distance.
(…Oh? There’s a faint scar on his cheek. Since when?)
Opal furrowed her brow at the mark, which looked like it had been made by a sharp blade. She should have known about any injuries he sustained up until their school days. It then occurred to her that he must have received this scar during the civil war. Claude had said it was nothing serious, but of course, she had not believed him. Even if she could not ask about it now, she hoped he would tell her soon. Opal reached a hand toward the scar, then stopped.
He was sleeping so peacefully. She wanted him to rest a little longer. With that thought, Opal savored her happiness while gazing at his sleeping face for a while longer before quietly slipping out of bed.
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"Opal."
Having finished her morning preparations, Opal was looking through some documents while sipping her tea when she turned at the sound of her name. Claude was peeking out from the bedroom door. Opal hurriedly stood up, forcing a smile to hide her embarrassment.
"Good morning, Claude."
"…Good morning."
Although she offered a cheerful morning greeting, Claude’s response was stiff. Hiding her anxiety about what mistake she might have made, Opal decided to act the part of a wife.
"Shall I have breakfast brought to our room? Or would you prefer the breakfast room?"
"…The breakfast room."
Claude answered curtly and closed the door, but Opal immediately followed after him. If there was a problem, she wanted him to tell her. She wanted to try her best to fix it.
"Claude."
"What is it, Opal?"
"What is it, you ask…"
When Opal called out to him, Claude, who had been heading back to his room, stopped and gave her the same smile as always. Opal’s resolve instantly faltered. Perhaps it had just been her imagination that Claude seemed displeased. But she felt she should trust her intuition. She did not want any misunderstandings or to make him endure something in silence.
"If I… if I’ve made some mistake, I want you to tell me."
"A mistake? You, Opal?"
"Yes. About… about last night… Was I wrong in some way, as a bride?"
"As a bride…"
Claude repeated her words as if to digest them, then, after a pause, his eyes widened in understanding.
"Of course not! No, no. You did nothing wrong, Opal! It’s my problem!"
"Yours, Claude?"
"I’m not a morning person."
"You’re not?"
While she was surprised to learn this for the first time after their long acquaintance, many nobles were slow to rise in the morning, so Opal did not see it as a problem. If anything, she was the one who woke up too early. So, Opal waited for Claude to explain further. But he did not continue.
"Um… I don’t see how that’s a problem."
"Ah, well. That’s why I said it’s my problem…. It feels like a waste, or rather, uncool, that I was just sleeping while you were right next to me…"
"You’re always cool, Claude. You look very cool right now."
"…Thank you. Well then, I’ll go change so I can be even cooler."
"Yes, I’ll be waiting in the breakfast room."
After seeing Claude off with a smile, Opal returned to the living room and sank to the floor. She let out a deep breath and pressed a hand to her doki doki heart.
(That was nerve-wracking…. I acted normally, right? There was nothing strange about me, was there?)
She was relieved to know she had not made a mistake, but Claude’s words had almost made her break into a grin. She had somehow managed to maintain her composure, but her face felt hot. Fanning her face with one hand, Opal stood up, rang the bell, and then stood before the mirror to quickly tidy her appearance.
"How may I help you, Madam?"
"Could you please inform the staff that my husband and I will be dining in the breakfast room, and to make the preparations?"
"As you wish."
She suppressed the ticklish feeling of being called "Madam" by the maid who appeared at the ring of the bell, and her tone became a little sharp as she hid her shyness at calling Claude "my husband." To compensate, she gave the maid a smile, who then departed with a look of relief. They had only been at this estate for two days, so the servants were still trying to get a measure of their new mistress. She had to establish boundaries as an employer, but she wanted to build a good relationship with the staff. She wanted to avoid a repeat of what had happened at the Duke McLeod mansion at all costs.
(Come to think of it, I need to do something about Duke McLeod…)
Opal, who had been about to head to the breakfast room, remembered the letter and sighed. She could ignore Hubert, but then the mystery would remain unsolved and would weigh on her mind. In any case, she intended to consult Claude before deciding whether to grant Hubert's wish. And so, once Claude was seated for breakfast, Opal waited for the right moment to bring it up.
"McLeod is coming to see you?"
"That’s right. I should have refused sooner, or returned the letter unopened, but I was careless…. He’s probably on a ship by now. But, I still have the option of not seeing him…"
When she told him about the letter from Hubert announcing his intention to visit, Claude’s brows drew together in suspicion. As a result, Opal found herself making excuses. Noticing her tension, Claude’s expression softened into a faint smile.
"What do you want to do, Opal?"
"Me? I… to be honest, I am curious what on earth he’s thinking."
"I can see that."
Claude's gentle question eased the tension from Opal's shoulders. When she answered honestly, Claude smiled encouragingly and agreed.
"If you don’t meet him, you’ll probably always wonder what it was all about. So I think you should see him. However, it should be after we return to the Royal Capital in two days, and I’d like to be there with you."
"Of course. Thank you, Claude. I’ll feel much stronger with you by my side."
As Opal smiled in relief, Claude’s expression turned mischievous.
"To be honest, I’m curious too. Purely as a nosy onlooker. If I weren’t, I’d be so jealous I’d lock you in the attic and never let you see McLeod."
"…But if you did that, I’d escape. By any means necessary."
"I know. That’s why I love you so much, Opal. You’re stubborn, you hate to lose, and you despise anything unjust."
"I, I’m not happy to hear that! That’s not a compliment!"
At his unexpected confession, Opal’s cheeks flushed red and she turned away with a huff. Claude immediately burst out laughing, and in the end, Opal could not hold back either and joined in.