“Ah…!”

“Eek! Why is that in there!”

The maids clinging to Belladonna jumped in surprise and reached for the drawer.

One of them picked up the necklace and quickly stuffed it into her pocket, while another swiftly pushed the drawer shut with a bang.

“…”

“…”

Hey, don’t you think acting like that makes you look even more suspicious…?

Belladonna slowly turned her head to look at the maids.

They subtly avoided her gaze and pretended to focus on the dress.

“Th-The dress is really beautiful, my lady!”

“That’s right! This color really suits your fair skin perfectly!”

“When the tailor comes, we should request several dresses in this style!”

Belladonna narrowed her eyes and reached out to fiddle with the drawer.

Would you mind explaining what that was just now…?

Finally, Cindy, who was standing at the very back, let out a troubled sigh and opened her mouth.

“I apologize, my lady.”

Again?

Belladonna lowered her shoulders as she heard yet another apology, having lost count of how many times today.

“Amy, it’s yours, right? It seems Amy left her necklace behind when cleaning here last time.”

“Yes, I’m sorry…”

The maid who had quickly picked up the necklace and stuffed it in her pocket earlier added her apology.

Belladonna nodded, curling up the corners of her mouth as if she understood.

At that, a relieved atmosphere spread among the maids.

‘That can’t be true.’

Wiping the smile from her face and looking in the mirror, Belladonna thought to herself.

Even to her untrained eye when it came to jewelry, the necklace from earlier seemed quite valuable.

It was similar in quality to the heavy necklaces that had always hung around her neck during her time at the papal office.

‘There’s no way a maid could afford such a necklace on her salary.’

Belladonna lowered her gaze to her knees.

‘The traces of a woman found inside the castle that seemed to have been touched by a woman’s hand, and in the lady’s room.’

She could almost hear the pope’s sinister laughter in her head.

A husband with loose morals.

Loose. Morals.

This…

‘…It’s complete garbage.’

She clenched the small fist resting on her knee and trembled.

“My lady, shall we go to the bathroom now?”

Hearing Cindy’s voice, Belladonna shook her head vigorously up and down.

She needed to cool her gradually heating head.

[This is the timeline separator]

How refreshing…

Having washed with hot water in the spacious and comfortable bathroom, Belladonna entrusted her hair to the maids and slowly blinked her eyes.

Already tired, and now having had a warm bath, with someone gently stroking her hair, sleep was creeping up on her.

Mmm… A nice fragrance…

The maids applied a softly scented oil to her hair, shoulders, waist, and thighs.

‘I think I’ll be able to sleep deeply tonight.’

Belladonna recalled the cramped carriage seats, the makeshift bed made with a blanket spread out, or the corner of a barn where she had tried to sleep during her journey to Grieblata.

Then she glanced at the large bed with her eyes.

‘How long has it been since I’ve had a soft bed!’

She smiled slightly and relaxed her entire body.

“My lady, shall we move now?”

To the bed, you mean?

Belladonna nodded and started walking towards the bed.

I suppose it wouldn’t be fitting for a saint to just flop down on the first day?

“Ah, not that way, we need to go to the lord’s bedroom.”

Cindy stopped her just a few steps away from the bed.

Huh? Where?

“The lord’s bedroom is located on the opposite side of the second floor across the central staircase.”

Bedroom…?

Belladonna, still not fully awake, looked at Cindy with a bewildered face.

“Oh my, you must be very tired. But I wonder if you’ll be able to sleep properly tonight…”

“…?”

What, wh-what are you saying?

“Then this way…”

Standing still in a daze, Belladonna looked down at the negligee that half-revealed her body’s curves.

And only then did she fully wake up and understand what this situation was about.

Ah. I’m going to consummate the marriage…?

“My lady?”

Cindy and the other maids were waiting for her at the door.

Belladonna awkwardly moved her limbs towards the door.

Consummation…

Stepping out of the room, Belladonna walked down the quiet corridor following Cindy and the maids, her face pale.

The maids, having walked to the opposite end of the second-floor corridor, stopped in front of a tightly closed door.

Knock knock.

From inside the room, nothing but a faint sound of water could be heard.

After briefly exchanging glances among themselves, they carefully turned the doorknob and opened the door, trying their best not to look inside as they turned to Belladonna.

“You can go in now.”

Belladonna, feeling somehow solemn, nodded and entered Escalion’s room.

Behind her, the sound of the maids carefully closing the door seemed like guards locking up a prisoner.

“…”

Escalion was not in the room.

Judging by the sound of water coming from the bathroom, he seemed to be still bathing.

Belladonna stood quietly in the middle of the room and looked around.

His room was similar in size to the one assigned to her, but it contained much more furniture, so it didn’t feel empty.

Belladonna gulped as she looked at the large bed placed in the center.

Then she carefully moved and sat awkwardly on the bed.

Sitting on the wide bed, it started to feel real that she was truly married and had a husband now.

‘But…’

It was a marriage that would end in three months anyway.

It didn’t seem like a good idea for either her or Escalion to have a relationship like this.

‘If we don’t consummate the marriage, it would be easier for Escalion to remarry later…’

From the moment she heard from the pope about marrying Escalion and then divorcing, Belladonna had no intention of having a relationship with him.

So for now, she should make an excuse about being sick!

Since she had shown signs of discomfort in the carriage, she thought it would work on him too.

Belladonna looked at the bathroom door where water sounds were still coming from.

‘Why is this man taking so long to bathe…’

Not knowing how long it would take, she quietly crawled onto the bed and lay down comfortably, looking up at the ceiling.

Yawn… I’m sleepy…

Belladonna yawned and then widened her eyes to stay awake, starting to count the patterns on the ceiling.

‘One square, two, three, four…’

Concentrating, Belladonna unknowingly drifted off to sleep.

[This is the timeline separator]

Ah, it’s cold…

Belladonna frowned and curled up her body.

Instinctively burrowing towards the source of warm heat, she leaned her face against something that felt like a hard wall.

This is a bit warm…

Belladonna pressed her whole body against that hard wall to get even a little more warmth, raising her hand to feel up and down.

“Are you doing this on purpose?”

At that moment, a very low, deep voice hit her ear.

Half asleep, she slowly opened her eyes.

What she saw before her slowly opening eyes was not a hard wall, but a man’s firm chest.

Aaaahhhh!

What is this!

Startled, Belladonna raised both hands to push the wall back, but instead, she was the one pushed back.

Instantly pushed to the edge of the bed, she looked up at Escalion with wide eyes.

“…”

Wow, she almost screamed out loud.

Escalion had turned towards her with his arms crossed, wearing an indifferent expression.

His robe, more than half open, revealed his toned upper body.

Belladonna blinked for a moment, scanning him up and down, then quickly closed her eyes.

And she tried to pretend to be asleep, making an effort to breathe as evenly as possible.

“At this point?”

He spoke again.

Ah, is it too much after all?

Belladonna awkwardly opened her eyes and raised her upper body.

“When I came out after washing, you were sleeping soundly with your mouth open, and I was wondering whether to wake you or not.”

My mouth?

Belladonna unconsciously brought her hand to her chin.

Seeing her like that, Escalion chuckled and reached out to grab her slender waist, pulling her towards him.

“But you woke up on your own so nicely, so I should give you a reward.”

Suddenly finding herself in Escalion’s arms, Belladonna awkwardly stiffened her body.

She exhaled very softly, trapped between his thick arms.

On the contrary, Escalion let out a somewhat satisfied breath and began to slowly caress her lower back.

At the same time, he very skillfully showered kisses along her hair, forehead, and the bridge of her nose.

‘He’s definitely a playboy.’

Belladonna quietly raised both arms to block his lips, then brought her hands to her lower abdomen and put on the most pitiful expression she could muster.

“…What is it?”

He asked with a disgruntled expression.

No, I’m in pain…

Belladonna persisted, rubbing her lower abdomen clockwise while maintaining the most pained and upset face she could manage.

After watching her movements for a moment, he tilted his head and asked.

“You’re in pain?”

Nod nod!

“At this point?”

…Nod nod.

“Why is your stomach suddenly hurting?”

That’s…

Not having thought that far, she subtly averted her gaze.

“So you want to just sleep tonight?”

Nod nod!

“Hmm…”

Staring at Belladonna, who was clearly lying to anyone who looked, Escalion playfully curled up the corners of his mouth.

“But is that the attitude of someone making a request?”

Why, what… What are you trying to do now…

Once again, that look in his eyes.

The look of a beast with prey right in front of it. That look of wanting to play a little more before devouring in one go.

Eventually, his smooth lips parted.

“If you want me to consider your request, why don’t you sing a little tune?”

Wh-What should I do…?

Belladonna looked up at him with a shocked expression.

Escalion shrugged his fully exposed muscular shoulders once.

“That’s the least you could do for me to consider your request, isn’t it?”

“…”

“If you can’t do it, then forget it.”

Escalion, speaking mischievously, lowered his head towards Belladonna.

Startled by his face suddenly coming close, Belladonna once again blocked his lips with both hands.

Escalion playfully stuck out his tongue and licked her palm.

“…!”

Wh-What is this! You pervert!

Belladonna quickly removed her hands and let out a silent scream, her face turning bright red.

H-How could the pope think of sending a saint to such a playboy!

“It’s not that hard, is it? I’ll let it slide even if you just hum.”

Escalion spoke again with a sly expression.