The White Marriage of the Seamstress and the Ice Count

A day has passed since Miriam has been to the castle. 

I was visiting Lady Margaret’s house with a maid to get some advice about the upcoming harvest festival. 

“…Let’s arrange it like that, then.”

“I look forward to working with you.”

Just as I was about to leave, our conversation concluded, Margaret stopped me at the door.

“Oh my, I almost forgot. I baked some herring pies for you two, so please take it with you.”

“Thank you, Margaret.”

Elsie brought in a basket of steaming hot pies and handed it to my maid. 

On the way to the castle, I realized that I had forgotten to ask Lady Margaret something.

It wouldn’t be right to make my maid wait with a heavy basket of pies getting cold, so I asked her to go back to the castle ahead of me. 

I hurried back to Margaret’s house alone. 

I had walked for just a little while when I heard a rustling sound behind me.

As soon as I started to turn around someone grabbed me from behind and covered my mouth with a hand.

“Ah!”

I flailed my legs and struggled, but the arms restraining me did not budge.

Like that, I was dragged into an old barn a short distance away from the road.

　✧✧✧

In a dimly lit barn smelling of dirt, there was a person waiting for me that I didn’t expect.

“…Master Conrad?”

Master Conrad’s right arm hung from his shoulder, wrapped in a bandage.

Seeing such a painful injury in front of me, my heart ached with him. 

But then Master Conrad ordered the servant that brought me, “You go and stay guard outside.”

However you look at it, something wasn’t right. 

The way I was brought here was not proper in the first place, and for a man and a woman who were not married to be alone in such a place was also preposterous.

Inevitably, my voice became strained.

“…What is your business with me? Where is Miriam?”

“That’s cold, Serafina. You and I are on the same side, aren’t we?”, he said with a smile. 

It was surprising to see that this smile which I loved so much was only a facade.

But for now, I had to somehow get out of the barn. 

“Master Conrad, please let me go. If I don’t get back to the castle soon, everyone will be worried.”

“Oh? But the ‘Ice Count’ only noticed your ability to embroider. He’s just keeping you around under the guise of marriage, isn’t he? Or do you share a bed with him too?”

My cheeks flushed red.

Master Conrad grinned and put his left hand on my chin, forcing me to look up.

“You’re so cute, Serafina… Hey, how about you and I start over?”

“What… are you saying?”

For a moment, I didn’t understand the meaning of his words.

Start over? Start over what?

“To be honest, I’m tired of Miriam. She’s only complaining, not being of any help at all. Even her ‘Transfer’ was not as good as I thought it would be. I would have been better off with one of your embroidered amulets. But she didn’t manage to get that scarf back from you after all. She’s so useless with her nonstop whining. That’s why I sent her back to the Royal Capital first. I’m so relieved that the noisy one is gone. Now I can take my time with you.”

He laughed, choosing sweet words like he was trying to curry my favor.    

But my heart rapidly chilled. 

I was sure he was talking just like this about me to Miriam, too. 

Master Conrad liked fashionable and gorgeous things. But as soon as he grew tired of them, he would throw them away and never look at them again.

The gifts he gave me were always the most popular and flashy at that time.

Now that I thought about it, during our engagement he never once asked what I liked.

Even if they were multicolored embroidery threads for sale in the Royal Capital, he would never have chosen those for me. 

When we were engaged, I admired him. He was stylish and witty, unlike me. I would follow in whatever he told me to do and overlooked any unease I felt.

Now, after being apart from him, I could see a different side of him.

“…Master Conrad, you chose Miriam. I am now married to Master Alexis. It is too late to say such a thing now.”

“Then, I will divorce Miriam. I knew you were cuter and more devoted to me after all. We can remarry. That would be fine, no?”

I was speechless.

Misunderstanding my silence, Master Conrad creeped closer to me.

“You still love me, don’t you, Serafina? I still prefer you, too. You know I get stubborn, but you are so sweet that you will forgive me, right?”

“…I won’t. I don’t.”

“Ah, I get it now.”

His voice was sharp. He pinned me between himself and the barn wall, his left hand smashing on the wall with force.

I felt a THUMP close to my ear and my whole body shuddered.

A fear like I have never felt before creeped up at me. 

Even wounded, Master Conrad still had the physique of a man, and of course as  a knight he still had his sword. 

I was no match for him.

But if I was to obey and- …then, I would no longer be Master Alexis’s wife. 

Master Alexis’s smile, his voice, his all, appeared in my mind.

I didn’t want to lose it.

No matter what.

“…Please stop. I beg of you. Please let me out of here.”

“Don’t be so shy, I know how you feel. That count is a heartless man who abandoned me on the battlefield without second thought, knowing well that I am his brother-in-law. He wouldn’t even look at you, right? Throw away the scumbag that only wanted to use you and let’s have fun together.”

These words brought me back from my daze of fear. 

If it was about me, I could stand all the insults thrown at me.

But I couldn’t stand when Master Alexis was being slandered.

I summoned up all my courage and looked up.

“…Master Alexis is a very kind person. He was even worried about you. He couldn’t help you because he was commanding his own squad and he still regretted it. He is also very good to me… Please stop saying such mean things about Master Alexis.”

Master Conrad’s smile quickly faded.

“Stop saying things like that. I came to you all the way here to see you, didn’t I? You should be more pleased.”

He forced my chin up and brought his lips close to mine.

“No!”

Without thinking, I threw both my hands forward. 

“Ouch!”

“Oh, I’m… I’m sorry…”

The look in his eyes became savage.

But I couldn’t run with my back to the wall.

My legs were shaking so much I couldn’t move. 

I was scared.

He grabbed my arm with force.

“Stop! Somebody… Please help!”

“No one’s coming. I told you, you belong to me. Your place is not here in the countryside, but by my side in the Royal Capital! …Oh, don’t give me that look. I’m just returning you to your rightful place!”

“Stop…!”

It’s wrong.

My heart was racing and it hurt to breathe.

I tried to protest, but my voice trembled with fear and I couldn’t speak properly.

So I shook my head again and again at Master Conrad, who smiled with joy like a child breaking something.

Just two months ago it was true that my place was at Master Conrad’s side. 

But now, it is Miriam who is next to him.

And, even more important than that…

Now there was only one place I wanted to be. 

I wanted to be at Searfield.

I wanted to be at Master Alexis’s side.

I didn’t want to go anywhere else.

But Master Conrad only kept smiling, holding me close to him.