SMCBRN Chapter 4
by flowie“My Lady, My Lady.”
A voice stirred me from sleep. And before me, an impossibly handsome face, That face spoke.
“You’re finally awake. I hate to disturb your rest, but I figured offering thanks before I left was the decent thing to do.”
As I listened to the man’s voice, memories of the previous night returned in a rush.
So it wasn’t a dream after all. I’d hoped, perhaps naïvely, that I would wake and find it had all been just a passing illusion.
“Thank you for last night. It’s time I took my leave.”
Even before I had risen, the crown prince stood before me, dressed not in sleepwear, but in clothes for going out.
“It was an honor to be of service, Your Highness.”
Though I already knew the answer, I asked out of courtesy.
“Did you sleep well?”
“I did.”
The prince looked refreshed, though his expression held a trace of reluctance.
“Surprisingly well, even for me.”
I understood. He’d lived his life with his guard constantly raised, even before he came of age. The novel described how he would only find peace beside the female lead.
And now he’s found that precious peace… in my bed!
What a ridiculous twist of fate. I’d stolen a moment that rightly belonged to the heroine.
Sigh… oh well, As a devoted reader of “Looking for a Husband,” I felt a twinge of disappointment, but I knew my priorities lay elsewhere.
“Then… are you no longer hearing that voice?”
“That’s right. I used to hear it endlessly, but now there’s only silence.”
Just as I’d thought! Sharing my bed had broken the curse. I’d spent half the night fretting, worried nothing would change.
I had no desire to endure another night of such a tense and terrifying sleep.
While Reynard slept like a log beside me, I’d remained stiff and awake, afraid that even the slightest brush might cost me my life.
If there was one benefit, it was the chance to admire that devastatingly handsome face up close…
Wait, no! Focus!
At some point, just before dawn, I’d finally dozed off without realizing it.
That was about an hour ago. Considering nothing had happened in that time, I assumed he’d slept soundly, too.
“No need to get up. Stay in bed.”
Despite his words, I couldn’t just lie there while he left. I followed him to the window to see him off.
“Ah.”
A sudden thought struck me.
“By any chance… was it Your Highness who sent me the imperial birthday banquet invitation?”
“Yes.”
So it was you!
“You’ve been grounded at home, and I couldn’t find another way to see you. It would’ve been odd to invite you to the palace with no connection, and visiting the Marquisate myself would’ve caused a stir.”
Fair enough. Just imagining the rumors that would spark gave me a headache.
“And at the banquet… when you approached me?”
“I couldn’t exactly bring it up right then and there. Asking to sleep in your bed in front of everyone would’ve made me look like a pervert.”
Of course. Making such a request to someone you’re not even romantically involved with would’ve been beyond inappropriate.
“So I decided to drop by late at night and explain everything properly.”
Well, how considerate. This truly was the side character from “Looking for a Husband”, unique in every way.
Suddenly, he changed the subject.
“My lady, you lied to me.”
“Pardon?!”
Reynard’s eyes narrowed in amusement.
“You said you sleep quietly.”
“Did… did I do something wrong…?”
“Nothing major. I’ll let it go this time. But don’t lie to me again.”
And with that unnerving remark, he leapt over the terrace railing and vanished below.
“What did I even do?!”
I only dared to cry out once he had fully disappeared, skillfully evading the mansion’s guards.
Did I touch him? No, if I had, I wouldn’t be alive and well right now.
Maybe I snored… or ground my teeth. Just imagining it made my cheeks burn.
“Ugh, forget it! He said it was nothing, so it must be nothing!”
Shaking off my embarrassment, I collapsed back into bed. I’d only slept an hour, and sleepiness quickly won over my worries. After all, eating and sleeping well were key to survival.
⚜︎ ⚜︎ ⚜︎
Disaster. I overslept.
“How can you be so lazy?”
As I sat before my first meal of the day, I hung my head in shame.
“If I hadn’t woken you, you would’ve slept straight through the afternoon.”
The voice delivering this tirade belonged to the Marchioness Lyndsey, Charlotte’s mother.
A beautiful woman with golden hair tinged orange, she frowned deeply at me.
“You reeked of alcohol last night after returning from His Majesty’s birthday banquet.”
She was stricter with Charlotte than even her own father, the Marquis. Partly because Charlotte was always getting into trouble, but the bigger reason was…
“What do you think people will say about me, your mother?”
Public perception, that was the core issue.
After the death of his first wife, the Marquis married the current marchioness, a commoner with a child in tow, despite all opposition.
Not only that, he officially adopted Charlotte and made her a noblewoman.
Deeply moved by his love, the marchioness swore to become a proper lady of the house. In her eyes, Charlotte, who failed to adapt and stirred up trouble, must have been a constant source of stress.
People already talk even when I behave. But I gave them every reason to gossip.
A mix of guilt toward her husband, fear of being judged for her daughter’s bloodline, and disappointment in Charlotte, that’s what shaped the marchioness into who she was.
As a reader, I used to find Charlotte pathetic, wasting her golden opportunity by chasing after a man who didn’t want her. All she had to do was behave to live in luxury as the daughter of a Marquis!
“This won’t do. Grounding you isn’t enough. You’ll go to a remote convent, and stay there until you’re reformed.”
But now wasn’t the time to pity Charlotte. I was Charlotte!
A convent? Absolutely not!
It wasn’t like a villa vacation. It meant living like a monk, rising before dawn, toiling and praying all day, and surviving on meager bread and vegetables. That tiny portion of it, too.
No proper sleep, no proper food. Without those, I wouldn’t last.
“…I’m truly sorry, Mother.”
Putting on my best pitiful expression, I dropped my shoulders, sneaking glances at the Marquis.
Up to that point, he had remained quiet, watching his wife’s mood. Finally, he spoke up tentatively.
“Dear, I believe that’s enough punishment. Charlotte is reflecting…”
“You’re too soft! She doesn’t learn unless it’s harsh!”
So much for that. I’d hoped he’d speak up, but he shrank under her glare. The Marquis sympathized with Charlotte but ultimately was a devoted husband.
Unbelievable! I trusted you! Now I really will be shipped off to eat weeds in a convent!
“Mother.”
Salvation came from an unexpected source.
“Sending her to a convent seems excessive.”
The man who’d remained silent until now calmly eating, finally spoke.
“My sister has been managing herself well lately.”
It was Jadon Lyndsey, the Marquis’s heir and Charlotte’s half-brother. With neatly combed red hair and a composed gaze, he looked at the marchioness.
“Well… I suppose you have a point.”
She must’ve been shocked too, Jadon had never sided with Charlotte before. Even I was taken aback.
Jadon was the son of the late first marchioness. Though he treated his stepmother with courtesy, the marchioness was always intimidated by him.
He was the epitome of nobility, elegant, polite, and proud.
A walking contradiction, both refined and aloof.
No wonder he disliked Charlotte, who constantly embarrassed the family. The only grace was that he ignored her rather than antagonize her.
It had been half a year since I possessed this body, but I’d barely exchanged real words with him. Just brief greetings in passing.
Even though he clearly disliked me, he still called me “sister” and spoke respectfully. So noble.
But what’s with him today? Did he eat something strange?
Even the servants blinked in surprise. But the Marquis quickly seized the moment.
“Jadon is right, dear. Charlotte is trying. She deserves encouragement.”
He looked between his wife and me.
“Why not go shopping together? Let her pick out what she wants.”
“She’s grounded.”
“But she’ll be with you. And a bit of fresh air does the soul good.”
Ugh. I’d rather stay home and do nothing.
Still… anything was better than the convent.