Misfortune 34

Chapter 34

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It all started when Roan suddenly announced that he was going to Belfort. The moment was still fresh in the Admiral's mind.

It was the first time he realized that Roan was stubborn. It was a strange thing to see, considering how he was usually so vague about what was going on in his life.

Of course, he was familiar with Roan's deep trust and respect for him. Nor did he doubt the bond they had forged over the years.

Roan rarely revealed his true feelings. The Admiral was no exception.

Roan was clearly struggling to survive, but what he was struggling for was unknown.

That seemed strange to the Admiral. Where did this will to survive come from, this determination to do whatever it took? What on earth made him so resigned, so longing.

Sometimes, when Roan looked at the moonlit night sky and the sunset ocean, his eyes were so distant and he wouldn’t speak.

When he suddenly insisted on going to Belfort, the Admiral had no choice but to listen.

Little did he realize the ramifications.

"On reflection, I should envy you."

The Admiral's mind flashed back to the beautiful, pathetic noblewoman who had made a name for herself in her youth with her colorful romances, but now she was a slave.

Perhaps this had been foreseen when Roan had announced his intention to go to Belfort.

‘I don't know what the story is.’

He felt a pang of sympathy for the once-prized woman's plight, but nothing he could do to help.

The Admiral hoped she would provide some relief from Roan's loneliness. May she bring a little human desire into those eyes that resembled the sea of doom.

"May I speak to the Marchioness?"

The light question gently pushed the admiral's thoughts away. 

"That the Admiral seems to be longing for his youth." 

Roan's lips curled up in a wry joke. The Admiral smiled in return, the same smile that had won him women. 

"Ha, I'm going to need a better drink to keep your mouth shut." 

Not one to let an opportunity pass him by, the Admiral quickly got up from his seat, rushing like an excited child to the liquor cabinet.

***

The carriage lurched as it rolled along, and the recoil jerked Roan's body from the seat, forcing him to sit upright. He reached for the curtain covering the window. As he pulled it open, the star-studded night sky was the first thing he saw. A black river flowed beneath the bridge the carriage had just crossed. 

"Ha..............." 

He exhaled loudly. The pungent odor of strong drink once again wafted into his already numbed nose. Being the Admiral's drinking partner was no easy task. 

There was no one in the fleet who could match him, save Roan. Even Roan couldn't keep up with the alcohol consumption, but even as he breathed in deeply, he didn’t feel any better.

He reflexively raised his hand to his throat to pull the cravat down. He paused when he realized the knot looked different than usual. 

From the trembling fingers, to the slender wrists, to the outline of a small, rounded shoulder. It wasn't hard to picture her in my head, step by step. 

“It’s bad.”

The woman's eyes wavered in his mind's eye as he recalled his harsh judgment. At the same time, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. In the first place, Roan had never needed someone to take care of him.

Coming from a commoner's background, and even surviving as a loner on the sea, it had been ingrained in him to do everything himself.

What's more, things that could be done quickly and easily by himself would become unnecessarily long and complicated when someone else intervened, making it even more cumbersome and inconvenient for him.

So, paradoxically, he didn't mind a slave who couldn’t even do a smallest task right.

That wasn't what he wanted from her in the first place.

"Then tell me another way. Tell me what I should do.”

Her eyes were as lost as if she were wandering in a sea of nothing but the horizon, and that satisfied him.

It was an impulsive decision, to be sure. But it was satisfying in the end. So much so that he wished he had done it sooner.

She could have been a little more obedient as a slave, though.

At the very least, she should have obeyed her master's orders, not blurted them out as if under duress.

"How is this real?”

As he muttered to himself, Roan felt a new sense of realization.

She was really his.

His chest tightened as he loosened the knot of the cravat.

The knot, loosened but not completely undone, lingered at the base of his neck.

***

The 'strange' orders had been going on for days.

Delnia had no doubt that Roan would be very cruel, and she had prepared herself accordingly.

But despite her preparations, Roan's orders were not harsh in the least.

It was a series of mundane tasks, such as making tea and snacks and tidying up after him.

At one point, he even ordered her to move some things, but the heavier items were moved before she could reach them. She could understand the head maid's words about him not needing servants.

'Maybe that's why I don't know what to do.'

Those were such easy days that such thoughts came to her on their own.

To be honest, it was very relaxing. The head maid's congratulations on her success were not wrong.

However, as much as her body was relaxed, her mind was restless. The distance between them had grown so rapidly that every time he called her, her stomach churned.

Of course, that was her own problem. She could deal with it alone.

The real problem she faced, then, was something else.

‘I still haven't gotten any of my money back.’

She was trying, but it didn't seem to be working.

She wondered if he hadn't meant to return the money in the first place.

Just as these doubts were forming, Delnia was called to an unexpected location.

"Excuse me."

She stepped into the study with much more caution than usual.

Roan and the butler, who were both working, immediately turned to her. Feeling somehow intrusive, even though she had been summoned, Delnia turned on her heel and quietly made her way to a corner of the study.

"So, what do you think of the manor's manager?"

"Oh, yes. With the hiring of a new gardener.................."

Roan dropped his gaze from hers and went back to discussing business with the butler.

It was unintentional, but it allowed Delnia to watch him at work.

Today Roan was dressed in comfortable clothing. His bangs, which were usually neatly brushed back with a pomade whenever he wore his uniform, had fallen naturally to cover his forehead.

It gave him a softer, more languid air than usual. His blue eyes as he reviewed the documents were as calm as the ocean without waves.

Delnia studied him calmly, as if she were letting herself be carried by its gentle waves. It was the first time she had seen Roan in such a peaceful mood since their reunion.

His jaw was strong and firm, his lips full and smooth, and his nose sharp and upturned.

His appearance reminded her that the world's admiration for Roan was not limited to his exploits.

She felt a pang of envy, especially when she heard the respectful tone of his voice and the seriousness of his manner when he spoke to the butler.

'Perhaps it is only in my presence that Roan becomes so harsh.’

Just thinking about it made her feel bitter. To think that she’d be treated badly by him for the rest of her life.........

Delnia looked away from him, trying to drive away the sudden wave of bitterness.

Not that there was anywhere in particular to look, though. She glanced around the study absentmindedly.

Inkwells and candlesticks were arranged on the wide wooden desk where he sat, and behind him, bookcases lined the walls with books.

Despite the ornate style of the building itself, including the ceiling paintings, the contents of the room were simple and unadorned. Like his bedroom, which served only one purpose: to sleep.

Perhaps it was a reflection of its owner's personality that the decoration was more rigid than wealthy.

"Let’s call it a day, then."

Roan dismissed the butler, who had finished his work while Delnia was lost in thought.

"Oh, you can leave the letter, I'll put it away."

"Yes, sir. If you need anything, please call me anytime.”

The butler bowed politely and left the study. Leaving the two of them alone in the quiet room.

***

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