Chapter – 07
“Yes.”
Despite having so much free time, she had only received one invitation from the ladies of society.
Ikali’s expression shifted in confusion, but Psyche’s face remained calm.
When she continued speaking, Ikali’s face darkened with even more anger.
“It’s from the salon of the Marchioness of Hulyum. I sent a brief reply saying I would attend.”
Ikali was momentarily speechless.
Yet everyone nearby could sense that he was deeply upset.
Hans, standing behind them, glanced nervously between the two.
“Hulyum?”
Ikali set down his utensils with a loud clatter.
“Do you even realize that this family is the one funding Warren?”
He asked in a menacing voice.
A tense silence fell, as if walking on thin ice.
Feeling the sharpness of his gaze, Psyche managed to speak with a hint of hesitation.
“…Yes. I know.”
“Then why did you reply that you’d attend a salon like that?”
Earlier, he had told her to go out and socialize anywhere.
Now, however, he called it “that kind” of salon. And it was hosted by a marchioness.
Psyche clenched her hands tightly and forced her voice to remain steady.
“I heard that Prince Warren has gone down to his estate for issues regarding his barony. Even if the Hulyum family is close to him, there’s no chance we’ll run into him now, and it may be difficult to treat the Marchioness as an outright enemy in high society. She is, after all, central to the social scene in the capital…”
“Warren is no longer a prince; he’s a marquess now.”
“…Right.”
Ikali corrected her on his title. Psyche was slightly embarrassed but recollected her past memories.
The Hulyum family had indeed lent funds to Warren when he had been stripped of his princely title. However, for the past four years, there had been no notable interactions. Once Warren recovered his barony and repaid his debts, the connection had grown distant.
Of course, the twenty-five-year-old Ikali at that point could not have known such a future.
“What I mean is, now that you’re married to me, why would you go visit a family that once supported my former fiancé, Psyche?”
Hearing his proper use of her name, Psyche stared at him in momentary shock, then composed herself.
She realized it might be a minor issue but chose to respond calmly.
“I may have been careless about that. If it makes you uncomfortable, I will decline the invitation. Will that suffice?”
However, Ikali’s displeased expression remained fixed. He looked at her with a mixture of irritation and resentment.
“Hulyum is close to Warren. How am I supposed to accept it that my bride immediately attends that salon?”
“….”
“Answer me.”
His voice was chillingly low. Psyche had never seen him restrain his anger so much. She was so flustered that she couldn’t speak.
To be precise, Ikali’s expression went beyond mere displeasure; it was humiliating.
Suppressing his anger, he asked in a low voice:
“Do you want to get close to Warren now?”
“Your Grace.”
“Yes, perhaps it’s better for you to get along with the marquess, who carries ducal blood, rather than end up with some orphan who killed a child like me.”
“….”
“But now you have no choice. Either you repay all your debts and leave this house as a divorced woman, or you die and leave this family. Those are the only two options remaining for you.”
Psyche’s face turned pale at his clear sarcasm.
She had grown accustomed to his indifference over the past four years, but this blatant criticism drained her spirit completely.
Gathering her resolve, Psyche fixed her gaze on Ikali with determination.
“Or perhaps I should give you a chance now? To return to Warren.”
“I told you a few days ago, Your Grace. Please stop treating me with contempt.”
“Good. This time you understand my intentions clearly.”
Amid the tense atmosphere, Psyche felt uneasy and stood up first.
“Excuse me, but I will take my leave first. I will definitely decline the salon invitation.”
Ikali didn’t reply and drank the wine in front of him instead.
Seeing her calm demeanor, it felt as if the heated argument a few seconds ago had never happened.
Psyche gave him a brief glare out of irritation and left the dining room without looking back.
When Psyche was a child, the reason she fell for Ikali was simple.
He had eyes more beautiful than the stars at night. Whenever she got close, he always smelled good.
He always addressed her gently as “Princess” when speaking to her.
When he smiled slightly while calling her, six-year-old Psyche felt a thrilling shiver in her chest.
She was an utterly mischievous girl who would behave awkwardly in front of someone she liked, sometimes tripping even on flat ground.
One day, when Ikali came to play with her older brothers, Psyche was secretly hiding, planning to startle him.
She jumped out from behind a pillar with a loud “Wow!” but tripped on a stone and fell.
Splash!
The noise made Ikali turn around.
“…Princess?”
Hearing the startled prince’s voice, Psyche’s face turned crimson instantly.
The pain in her knees and chin was nothing compared to her embarrassment.
Curling up and sobbing, she drew Ikali’s attention, who considered her seriously hurt.
After a brief hesitation, he said, “Just a moment,” and carried her on his back. Psyche screamed briefly.
He ran with her to the princess’s quarters, where doctors and ladies-in-waiting awaited.
“Are you alright now?”
After receiving treatment from the court physician, Psyche looked at Ikali’s flushed face.
His neatly pressed shirt had creases, but he showed no displeasure.
Instead, his previously rigid expression softened into a bright smile.
The brilliance of his smile left Psyche unable to look away.
Perhaps that was when her first love began, Psyche thought in her adult years.
The next day, Psyche wrote a letter to the Marchioness of Hulyum, explaining that she would not be able to attend the salon.
As she sealed the letter with wax, Anna looked disappointed.
“Madam, you’re really not going? It’s a rare invitation, and you haven’t stepped outside the house since arriving at the duke’s residence.”
Anna knew well that Psyche had only received one invitation all week.
Trying to hide it, Psyche smiled faintly.
“I think it’s better this way. If I go, it might strain my relationship with the duke. I don’t want to bicker with him every day.”
“Still… then how about going shopping instead? Sir Hans gave you some money!”
“Shopping?”
Psyche had a little money left from her earnings as a housekeeper, aside from the jewelry she sold.
Besides, Ikali had scolded her for not using it the night before. Keeping it hidden in the safe would likely earn her another lecture.
She could at least pretend to go out and get some fresh air to avoid his nagging.
‘He probably thinks not spending money is my way of protesting marriage to a monster,’ she thought.
“All right, then. Let’s go out for a little while this afternoon. We can’t stay cooped up all the time. The ground must be dry by now too.”
“Great!”
“Instead of buying expensive things, we’ll just have tea and come back.”
Anna responded cheerfully, immediately pulling Psyche to the dressing table. Psyche blinked in surprise.
‘Was she really that worried about me staying in my room?’
With an awkward smile, Psyche looked at the excited Anna and returned a small smile.
After a light touch-up, she emerged to see Hans standing in the corridor, looking formal.
“Where are you going out?”
“Just to the square. I thought it would be nice to have a cup of tea at the tea house…”
Anna quickly spoke up with a stiff posture.
“I-I asked Madam to go out! It was my idea!”
She was clearly worried that Hans might criticize her for suggesting it.
Hans observed the two of them with a neutral expression and nodded slightly, as if in agreement.
“An excellent idea, Madam. I will have a carriage prepared immediately for your trip to the square.”
“Eh?”
Hans was also concerned about Psyche staying confined to her room for over a week.
Surprised, Psyche quietly whispered her thanks.
