Married Couple’s Qualifications

By the time Rivianna got home, it was already after dusk.

 She stared at Bake, who was sitting on the bed, covering his face with both hands.

 There was a strong scent of perfume in the room.

 “… now?” (Bake)

 Bake raised his head and asked carefully.

 It was a darkened room, but it wasn’t difficult to notice his eyes moving around while looking at her mood.

 Ever since Rivianna witnessed his infidelity, the cold war has continued between them.

 “The meeting with His Majesty was longer than expected.” (Riv)

 Bake’s eyes widened for an instant.

 It seemed that he did not know that Rivianna would admit her meeting with the emperor.

 “……You met His Majesty?” (Bake)

Rivianna left her coat to the maid standing next to him, told her to put wine on the table, and walked to the terrace.

 On the terrace, there was a chair for two people and a table.

 “Your Majesty is well aware of our situation.” (Riv)

 “If it’s our situation…” (Bake)

 “That you have a woman.” (Riv)

 “I’m sorry! I was mean!” (Bake)

 Rivianna stared straight at Bake, who was even more embarrassed.

 And then, calmly, she continued on to the next words.

 “And he asked if I want to remarry?” (Riv)

 “… .”

 “He said he knew a very nice person.” (Riv)

 “… so? What did you say?”  (Bake)

 “Curious?” (Riv)

Rivianna smiled and looked out at the garden outside the terrace.

 Just looking at the wide expanse of the landscape could not relieve her feelings, but she just stared at it for a long time.

 “I said I don’t want a divorce.” (Riv)

 “… .”

 This seemed to be an unexpected answer.

Rivianna continued, still not looking back at Bake.

 “Would you like to have a drink together after a long time?” (Riv)

 “…  .”

 “You don’t have to do it if you don’t want to.” (Riv)

 “No, it can’t be!” (Bake)

 Rivianna didn’t look back, but there was a commotion behind her back.

 She looked up at Bake, who was standing across from her, hesitantly.

 “Sit down.” (Riv)

 “Is that okay?” (Bake)

 “I’m the one who suggested that we drink together.” (Riv)

 When Rivianna smiled, Bake also smiled awkwardly.

 And just in time, the maid brought out a table with drinks.

 “….”

 “…  .”

 The table was set, but no one touched it first.

 Rivianna took a long breath in the silence that followed, and then spoke carefully.

 “I’ve been thinking about it. What should I do next?” (Riv)

 “… .”

 “We can’t keep going like this. I think we need to sort things out.” (Riv)

 “That means…” (Bake)

 “I’ll think of it as a mistake.” (Riv)

 “…  ..”

 Facing Bake’s trembling eyes, Rivianna held out her glass to him.

 The elegantly cut glass gleamed red in the reflection of the sunset.

 “Everyone makes a mistake at least once. I think you’re the same.” (Riv)

  “…Is that the truth?” (Bake)

 “I got the memorandum out of anger, but we have Mariel.” (Riv)

 “…  .”

 “I don’t want to take Mariel’s father away from her for something like this. I don’t want to see anyone else insult my daughter for this.” (Riv)

 As Rivianna was about to pick up the wine opener, Bake grabbed her hand.

 Their gazes met in the air like naturally overlapping hands.

 “I’m not going to talk about that any more from today, so let’s forget everything and start over.” (Riv)

 “Are you serious?” (Bake)

 “It won’t be easy, but we’re still a couple. Let’s try together.” (Riv)

 ‘So that we can go back to the old days.’

 Bake hugged Rivianna tightly.

 The smell of perfume, which grew stronger as he got closer, tickled her nose.

 She hugged him back without saying a word to his wet shoulders.

 It was no use trying to hide it with the strong perfume smell. Her husband not only smelled ambergrass, but also smelled alcohol.

 Nevertheless, she gently caressed Bake’s neck. Because she had already seen too much to be offended by a mere touch.

 There were reddish marks that were placed where Bake’s gaze could not reach.

****

“A bouquet of flowers is really romantic.”

“Yes, it is. Everyone cools down when their marriage is too old, but the Marquis and Marchioness of Clayton don’t cool down, they burn up more.”

“It’s not just that. Didn’t you see Marquis Clayton escort his wife all the way to the party venue?”

“Seeing as how he asked the servant when the party will be over, he would come to pick her up too.”

The ladies added words one by one and burst into laughter.

The ladies were holding a bouquet of Bake’s gift in their arms.

The flowers in full bloom were not yet suitable for the cold season, but that was why they were treated with such importance.

It was not just a bouquet for the number of people, Bake must have put in a lot of effort to get enough flowers to fill the room. 

“He’s always so sweet. He’s a good man.”

Rivianna smiled, nuzzling her face into the bouquet of flowers.

She knew exactly what kind of rumors to expect, but she didn’t show what they wanted to see.

She was just a happy Marchioness of Clayton, and there was nothing wrong between them.

After she forgave him, Bake had tried to win her heart somehow, and she had gladly received them and smiled.

Thanks to that, they were able to spend more time together than before.

She looked outside the window and waved lightly when she spotted Bake waiting for her.

Everything was peaceful.

Or, more accurately, she was just pretending to be exactly like that.

****

“Why didn’t you contact me?”

“I told you not to come visit me unnecessarily.”

Bake grabbed Margaret’s shoulder and dragged her into the alley.

Margaret complained of the pain in her throbbing shoulder, but it didn’t matter to Bake.

In the building next door, Rivianna was waiting for him.

If Rivianna heard, it would truly be over. Even if she forgave him once, it was hard to expect her to be merciful a second time.

“What should I do then? I don’t see you coming to visit!” (Margaret)

Bake’s face flared red, but Margaret only grabbed Bake’s shirt urgently.

Bake gritted his teeth as he watched her eyes filling with tears as usual. She was a woman with plenty of tears anyway.

“I told you. We’re done.” (Bake)

“Done?” (Margaret)

“Rivianna forgave me.” (Bake)

“…Forgave you? That’s not possible.” (Margaret)

Margaret’s moist lashes fluttered slowly.

Rivianna was inflexible, much like her father, the previous Marquis of Clayton.

There was no way she was going to honestly forgive the dishonest Bake like that. 

“It doesn’t matter what you believe or don’t believe, because the only thing that matters is that Rivianna chose me even though she knows everything.” (Bake)

“Do you really think she chose you?” (Margaret)

“Excuse me?” (Bake)

“Don’t get your hopes up. She just needs you to be Mariel’s father. And it won’t last long since Mariel’s real father is back, so she doesn’t need a fake father.” (Margaret)

“Mariel is my daughter.” (Bake)

“Isn’t that what you want to believe?” (Margaret)

Margaret raised the corners of her lips upward. Bake was feigning nonchalance, but she knew the man better than anyone. 

“You said it first, that Mariel doesn’t even look like you.” (Margaret)

“….”

“And so you said, eight years ago, Duke Pierre had secretly returned to the capital, and that time happened to be….ah!” (Margaret)

“If you don’t want to die, don’t say anything else.”  (Bake)

“Ack ack!” (Margaret)

Margaret hurriedly hit Bake’s hand because he was choking her.

The force was so great that her vision blurred.

“Do you understand?” (Bake)

In her blurred vision, Bake’s glowing eyes were red.

Margaret finally nodded her head, which didn’t move well, and his hands, which were tightening her neck, finally relaxed.

Gasp.

Margaret put her hands on her throbbing neck and let out a ragged breath.

Her legs weakened and she dropped down, but the man who looked down at her didn’t even seem to be sorry.

Bake just couldn’t control his anger and roughly scrubbed the floor with his shoes.

He scrubbed the floor roughly, as if he was wiping off a stain.

Margaret looked at the grass that was caught in the heel of Bake’s shoe and grinned.

Her neck and shoulders ached, but it didn’t matter.

“So are you going to pretend you don’t know again?” (Margaret)

“Don’t interfere.” (Bake)

“It’s not interference, it’s concern.” (Margaret)

“…”

“It’s not enough for you to pretend you don’t know that your wife has met another man, and I feel sorry for you, who have to raise the child of another man.” (Margaret)

Margaret’s hands shook from the shock of what had just happened, but she didn’t care.

Margaret smiled like a saint and reached out her trembling hand.

“You don’t have to pretend that you don’t know. I’ve already heard from you when you were drunk. Eight years ago, you said you witnessed Rivianna’s meeting with Duke Pierre firsthand with your own eyes.” (Margaret)

And their hands slowly intertwined.

Just like snakes before mating.

Margaret stuck her tongue out at the dry, parched lips.

The coarse sensation on the tip of her tongue sent shivers down Bake’s spine.

“I’m not asking you to give me everything. Just promise me this one thing.” (Margaret)

Margaret grabbed Bake’s hand and placed it on her belly.

It was not noticeable to the naked eye, but it was a subtly swollen belly to the touch.

“It’s your first child. Your firstborn child, not of the Duke of Pierre, whom you hate, but of your blood, your true blood.” (Margaret)

“…”

“It is also the child who will now be the true heir of Clayton.” (Margaret)

“….”

“…You’re not trying to give everything you have to that child, are you?” (Margaret)

That didn’t mean that Rivianna would be able to see her child now.

Margaret opened her eyes as if she knew everything .

Rivianna had Mariel after several miscarriages, but that didn’t mean the child saw the world easily.

Rivianna endured and embraced the child that everyone was telling her to give up, and as a result, Mariel was born safely, but Rivianna’s body was damaged.

“Think carefully. No matter how much Mariel obeys you, she will naturally visit her real father later on, but wouldn’t it be very sad for you if you regretted it at that time?” (Margaret)

“….”

“Stop accepting it. We all know how much Rivianna cares for Mariel, so why are you the only one who pretends not to know?” (Margaret)

“….”

“No matter how much you try and struggle, Rivianna will never love you.” (Margaret)

Margaret prided herself on knowing more about Bake than anyone else.

The man in front of her had chosen Rivianna at every moment of choice, both past and present, and he knelt to her with ease.

It was true that she was first.

He didn’t know how miserable that fact was.

Margaret’s lover was a money-grubber who had spared her even a gold ring, but Rivianna’s husband had been a loving husband who let his wife have only the best.

But such things were meaningless now.

A man who didn’t care about the wounds on his own body couldn’t help but be frightened by even the smallest of Rivianna’s wounds, no matter how much he confessed his love for her.

From the moment the little life sprouted in her (Margaret’s) belly, the final winner had already been decided.

No matter how hard Bake and Rivianna tried, once the trust was broken, it wouldn’t be the same as before.