Episode 34: Lady Oppreese

The lips that endlessly whispered cruel words grew clearer as time passed. Could a dream remain so vivid for this long? Afrosa thought about the time when her husband had been another woman’s husband as she looked at Alec.

She also replayed the image of Alec standing beside the woman, who wore a lavender dress that bloomed like a flower, laughing with pure happiness as he whispered words of joy about her pregnancy. It wasn’t meaningless. No, it wasn’t meaningless. That dream was stronger than the love Afrosa held dear. It shook everything, enough to break her resolve.

“Are you okay? What’s going on? Hm?”

“…I had a dream.”

Alec froze, holding his wife as she crumbled helplessly in his arms.

At last, Afrosa began to cry. Alec looked down at her trembling figure. She could barely move, as though every ounce of strength had left her. Slowly, her blue eyes shifted to meet his gaze.

“Rose.”

“You… you….”

Tears flowed endlessly. Alec laid her back down on the bed and gently stroked her pale cheeks. Afrosa continued crying without even knowing why, turning her face away to avoid her husband’s attempt to kiss her.

“I don’t want to kiss you.”

Her voice was soft as she glanced at the man, whose face had stiffened. Even after hearing her, Alec tried to kiss her again with a persistence that betrayed his growing unease—no, something deeper. Afrosa pushed against his chest, her voice rising in a desperate shout.

“You were with another woman!”

“……”

“Do you know her?”

“What are you talking about?”

Afrosa couldn’t believe the absurdity of her own words. She had dreamed of her husband standing next to another woman, publicly announcing her pregnancy, while she, dazed and stupefied, could only watch. Yet here she was, asking if he knew the woman from her dream.

“Do you know her?”

“Rose.”

“She had black hair and green eyes. She was so beautiful… And I, I…”

“What are you saying?”

Afrosa couldn’t respond. Trembling violently, she struggled to push him away. Alec, his face twisted in frustration, attempted to embrace her.

Afrosa repeatedly whispered, “I don’t want to kiss you.” But Alec disregarded her protests, forcing his tongue into her mouth and touching her chest. She found him repulsive.

Every time he pressed his lips against hers, trying to merge with her, the dream came flooding back. More precisely, it was the vision of Alec with that woman, pregnant with his child. It didn’t feel like a dream anymore—it felt like a foretelling of what was to come. And in that dreadful future, Afrosa felt she would wither away, utterly alone.

“Run away, Lara.”

The whispered words, echoing like tinnitus, spurred her into action. She bit down hard on his tongue. Even as he bled, Alec didn’t retreat. He continued to satisfy his desires. Afrosa’s heart pounded, fast and unpleasantly, just as it had in her dream.

---

Two days later.

The banquet at the Heslow Marquis began in the early evening. As the crimson dusk settled over Dranberk, the scenery appeared both exotic and dazzlingly vivid.

Buildings in a kaleidoscope of colors crowded together, forming narrow alleys like a tangled web. Between them, merchants had pitched tents, tirelessly displaying their wares, seemingly prepared to call out to passersby until midnight.

The vibrancy of the Dranberk locals was striking. Afrosa thought to herself that while the people of Lorange were full of life, they didn’t seem to possess the same tenacious resilience as these city folk. It was only then that she realized just how tranquil and quiet the village she had left behind truly was. The occasional visitor who had remarked on its calmness had not exaggerated; compared to this bustling metropolis, it had been a world apart.

Four-wheeled carriages clattered through the streets, newsboys shouted as they sold papers, and flower girls in tattered shawls meandered with their baskets. The stark contrast between wealth and poverty was evident, yet the streets seemed harmonious. It felt as if Afrosa was the only one who didn’t belong. Alec, reclining comfortably against the seat, appeared utterly indifferent to their surroundings.

On the morning after that dreadful nightmare, Alec’s demeanor had shifted in a chilling way she couldn’t quite define. He wasn’t neglectful—far from it. While his presence felt unsettling, he fulfilled his duties as a husband.

She didn’t know where he went or what he did, but whenever a physician came to examine her, he stayed and listened attentively to the doctor’s words.

They still shared breakfast and dinner without fail. If he was delayed in returning home, he sent a servant to inform her. He held her, kissed her briefly on the cheek, and whispered sweet words of love and longing when he came back.

On the surface, nothing had changed. Yet something about him felt different. His face in the dream had been as sharp as a blade, and now, in reality, it seemed that way too.

He had, in fact, lost some weight. Though his build remained solid, Afrosa, who was held by him every night, could tell the difference. The loss had slightly sharpened the contours of his already handsome face, making his features more strikingly defined.

The addition of his inherent arrogance to his already few words made Alec’s demeanor truly sharp, like a blade. Still, he was Alec. And wasn’t Afrosa changing too? Since that night, when she had cried like a child after the nightmare…

Suppressing the fear she felt from him, didn’t she continue to act as his wife, as usual? Every time Eilek tried to kiss her, she resisted, pushing him away. Even in bed, she would hesitate, avoiding him…

If anyone should be feeling confused, it should be Eilek, not her. Yet, despite everything, Eilek appeared unchanged, as if there was no emotional shift at all.

However, when they faced each other, Afrosa couldn’t help but feel an unfamiliar emotion. A feeling that something had changed, even though nothing had. The thought that maybe, in his mind, there might be another woman…

“Darling.”

Afrosa, who had been staring blankly at him, called out to Alec, who was reading the newspaper. He looked up from the paper, his gaze cold and metallic. Afrosa felt a brief moment of suffocation and could only dryly move her lips.

“Why?”

“Ah, never mind.”

She shook her head.Alec didn’t say a word in response. Afrosa quickly turned her gaze to the window. The carriage soon came to a halt.

This was her first time attending such a banquet. As she stepped out of the carriage, accepting Alec’s escort, the Heslow Marquis’s mansion, where the event was being held, was as grand as it was magnificent.

Just like in the dream, well-dressed noblewomen gathered in groups, waving fans, while men lit cigarettes.

Afrosa walked steadily, trying to appear composed, accepting Alec’s escort. The first person she greeted was the host of the evening, the Heslow Marquis.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Grace.”

The Heslow Marquis, now dressed in much grander attire than before, looked even taller in the sumptuous setting. As expected from a grand event, even the most subtle details had been carefully adorned, adding to his striking appearance.

The cufflinks on his sleeves were sapphires, and his handkerchief was similarly a dark navy color.

With his cravat lavishly tied, he appeared much younger than his actual age, and Afrosa couldn’t help but think that perhaps his companion, a woman around Afrosa’s age, had inspired him to put extra effort into his appearance.

“Hello, Your Grace. And…”

“Julia Flappins.”

The Marquis replied. Afrosa turned her gaze to the woman beside him. She was striking, with bright, golden blonde hair and captivating blue eyes—an impressive woman.

Though it was their first meeting, the alluring contour of her face felt oddly familiar. Despite not remembering her name, Afrosa was certain this was the first time she had encountered this woman.

The woman also didn’t pretend to recognize Afrosa. Yet, a familiar discomfort overwhelmed her. Afrosa forced a smile and greeted her.

“Nice to meet you, Miss Flappins.”

“Nice to meet you, Your Grace.”

Julia Flappins curtsied. As she lifted the hem of her purple dress gracefully to greet, she smiled sweetly. No matter how finely dressed the Heslow Marquis was, standing next to such a young woman made them look like a father and daughter.

“It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness.”

After greeting Aphrosa, Julia’s gaze shifted to Eilek. When Aphrosa saw the longing in her blue eyes, a wave of nausea rose within her. Trying not to show it, Aphrosa tightened her lips.

Eilek was an exceptionally handsome man. It was no surprise that young noblewomen looked at him with admiration, considering that he was a prince.

Still, the way Julia looked at him felt oddly unpleasant and uncomfortable. No, it was more than that. There was an unsettling sense of unease, as if Julia resembled someone Afrosa couldn’t quite place. It was strange to feel such emotions from someone she had never met before.

“My Lady.”

A low voice came from behind the Marquis. Afrosa couldn’t force her lips into a smile anymore.

“Oh. Lady Afrosa.”

The Marquis greeted someone with a cheerful voice, far more lively than when he greeted Afrosa.

The moment Afrosa saw the woman, she froze instantly. It felt like her legs had given out beneath her.

It wasn’t just that Alec’s strong arm around her waist kept her from running away. It was because her legs were so weak that she felt as if she would collapse with even a single step.

“Your Grace.”

The green eyes before her were even more vibrant and beautiful. Her unstyled hair naturally cascaded down her white, elegant neck. Afrosa checked every detail of what the woman was wearing and was suddenly reminded of that time. Yes. It was that time.

Not a “dream,” but “that time.” It might not have been a time that didn’t exist. Afrosa held back her trembling, trying to steady her lips. She couldn’t figure out what had happened to her expression. This was the first banquet she had attended with Alec.

Originally, yes. If she were still “Lara,” she would never have dared to be in such a place. A space she couldn’t even set foot in. If she hadn’t married Alec… The overwhelming sense of defeat hit her.

Her face flushed, and she felt like she might cry. The woman hadn’t done anything to her. She was simply walking towards them, smiling. And yet, a whirlwind of thoughts flooded Aphrosa’s mind, as if she had already endured some terrible experience.

“I… I need a moment…”

“Rose.”

As Afrosa tried to leave her seat, squeezing her lips together, Alec grabbed her shoulder. She avoided making eye contact, her eyes darting around. It was becoming harder to hold herself together.

“Rose.”

Even his familiar low voice felt unfamiliar now. In a panic, Afrosa trembled, and then, suddenly, her mind cleared as she locked eyes with his soft green ones.

“Focus, Lara. That woman… Valerie doesn’t know you.”

Wait. How does she know? How do I know her name? For a moment, her knees buckled.

She couldn’t maintain her composure. A wave of dizziness hit her. The golden chandelier seemed to spin in circles. Afrosa collapsed into Alec’s arms, unable to stay upright.

“Rose!”

Alec’s voice called out in her ear, but Afrosa couldn’t keep her eyes open.