WBWB | Chapter 26
by Quill“I like that room.”
“Wouldn’t you change your mind after moving to the new room? If you find it uncomfortable after moving, tell me. I’ll switch it back.”
“I will.”
For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com
With even the Duke insisting, I had no choice. I nodded, and only then could I leave the library.
‘But was he… always this talkative?’
Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text
The next morning, as soon as I finished breakfast, Madame Pauline came and said she would show me my new room.
I went with her to the newly assigned room. It was indeed spacious. Unlike my previous room with its exposed ceiling, this room had proper wallpaper, and a large, bright window offered a panoramic view of the garden.
Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish
‘My old room must have been drafty. It’s much warmer here, even with such a large window.’
A carpet covered the entire floor, preventing the cold from seeping through. A wardrobe stood on one side of the room, a round table and chairs in the center, and a sofa with a footrest next to a much larger and more ornate fireplace than the one in my previous room. There was even a glass cabinet filled with teacups, a teapot, teaspoons, and other tea-making utensils.
For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“Would you like to see the bathroom, Miss Jeanne?”
The most surprising feature was the attached bathroom. It had a spacious porcelain bathtub with cat feet. The bathtub I had been using was a small, half-sized one, only big enough to sit and soak my lower body. But this bathtub was large enough for two people to lie down with their legs fully extended.
Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish
‘Is it really alright for me to have this room?’
As I thought it would be suitable even for guests, Madame Pauline said,
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“It was originally a guest room, but it’s been unused for several years, just covered with sheets. Rooms tend to get damp and deteriorate if they’re not used, so would you mind staying here, Miss Jeanne?”
I couldn’t refuse after she put it that way.
Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com
I moved to the new room before lunch. Indeed, the new room was so much better that I couldn’t even remember the old one.
Lady Ana also visited after lunch.
Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text
“Teacher! Your room is so pretty! Almost as pretty as mine!”
“Isn’t it?”
Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text
Lady Ana said she had gotten lost for a moment, not knowing I had changed rooms.
We sat on the bed and played card games for two until dinner. I had drawn and made the cards myself to teach her the game.
Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish
Engrossed in the game, we didn’t notice the sun setting.
“Teacher, I want to have dinner with you tonight.”
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
Lady Ana’s words reminded me of my dinner appointment with the Duke. And that I had to tell him what I wanted during that dinner.
I told Lady Ana that I was invited to dinner with His Grace.
For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“Shall I ask if you can join us?”
“…No.”
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
Just those words seemed to make Lady Ana slightly timid, and she quietly returned to her room.
‘But what should I ask for?’
Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com
Left alone, I took out dresses from my still-unpacked trunk, pondering.
‘What should I request?’
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
As I spread out the beautiful dresses and contemplated, a thought suddenly struck me. Something I had been longing for. And only one person could grant it; the Duke.
That evening, I chose a cream-colored silk dress. As I entered the dining hall and sat down, the Duke stared intently at me. But when I looked at him, he abruptly turned away, as if embarrassed.
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
‘Is something wrong?’
I self-consciously touched my cheek and smoothed down my dress.
For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“Thank you for inviting me to dinner, Your Grace.”
“Hmm.”
Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com
Dinner began shortly after. When the appetizer was served, I thanked him for the new room. He nodded slightly and offered me an aperitif.
“Drink.”
Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish
Thirsty, I unthinkingly drank the clear liquid in the glass. Aperitifs were usually light and refreshing. But as soon as I swallowed the seemingly water-like liquid, I almost spat it out. I clenched my teeth and forced it down, unwilling to make a scene.
‘Oh my!’
Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text
My mouth burned, and my stomach felt like it was on fire. The alcohol was so strong that my eyes watered. I picked up the glass and stared at its contents.
‘Is this… the right drink?’
For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com
I had heard that alcohol in colder regions was stronger. But the drinks at the previous dinners hadn’t been this strong. Wondering if something was wrong, I sipped the drink cautiously and glanced at him. He was emptying his glass without a flinch.
‘So this is normal?’
Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish
I carefully sipped the drink, trying not to drink any more. But the single glass I had already consumed had already set my mouth and stomach ablaze. Soon, my whole body felt warm and flushed. The dining hall felt hot, and my head spun. I tried to cool my cheeks with the back of my hand.
‘I need to pull myself together.’
Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish
But the single sip had already lit a fire in my body. My eyes felt hot, and my pupils dilated.
The alcohol had a powerful effect that evening. It made me fearless.
For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“Where did you get that dress?”
The Duke asked.
Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text
“Did you buy it?”
“No. Madame Pauline gave it to me. It belonged to the former mistress…”
Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish
The Duke shrugged.
“Then it must have been my mother’s. I thought it looked familiar.”
Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish
His words made me realize something obvious.
‘Madame Pauline’s mistress, of course!’
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
The mistress Madame Pauline served was his mother. How had I not connected those two facts before? I self-consciously smoothed the wrinkles on my dress.
“Do you know anything about my mother?”
Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com
“Very little.”
Just a small footnote in history.
For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com
“She was Duchess Marie Adelaide, His Majesty’s aunt…”
How had the previous King exerted his influence over the barbarian chieftain after granting him the fief? The barbarian, though a vassal, shared the same ancestry as the invaders who attacked every summer. What if he joined forces with them and betrayed the kingdom?
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
There was a tried and true method for such situations; marriage.
The previous kings had married the heads of the Skadi family to their daughters, or to their nieces if their daughters were unavailable. As far as I knew, the previous Duke’s wife was the third of the previous King’s six daughters. That meant the current King and the Duke were cousins.
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“Yes. My mother was the current King’s third aunt. She lived in the warmth of Franc until she was sixteen and then came here, where she spent the rest of her life. As the Duchess of Skadi. So, how did you like that dress?”
“…”
Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text
“How did it feel wearing it?”
How did it feel wearing the dress?
Visit Lily on the Valley to read full chapter without gibberish
An answer came to mind immediately, but I hesitated.
Normally, I would have showered it with compliments. That it was beautiful and didn’t look outdated at all, despite being from a previous generation. But the alcohol gave me courage. The courage to tell the truth.
Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text
“This dress is… too thin. For this climate. So, when I had it altered, I had a thicker lining added. It’s beautiful, but here, this dress…”
“Is unwearable. The dress is beautiful, but completely impractical.”
Support us by visiting our official site at lilyonthevalley.com
The Duke shrugged again, as if he had already known my answer.
“As you can see from the dress, my mother never forgot her homeland. Even after marrying my father and bearing him two sons, she never adapted to Skadi. Even though it wasn’t a foreign country, but within the same kingdom. My mother longed for Franc and the court life all her life. And she diligently ordered and wore dresses that were in fashion there. Even though she could never return, she didn’t want to fall behind the trends there. But you can’t wear such clothes here, not even in summer. That dress eventually made her ill. Consumption. Or perhaps it was homesickness.”
Please visit lilyonthevalley.com to support the translator
“…”
“My father loved my mother. I think it was a curse upon him. To love a woman who hated his land and himself. Wouldn’t it have been better for him to have taken mistresses?”
For the best reading experience, visit lilyonthevalley.com
He stopped there.
“I’ve misspoken. Please forget what I said.”
Read the complete chapter at Lily on the Valley without random text