A Marriage of Convenience /The Marriage Business

Ch.28

After the cold winter wind blew through the branches, all that remained were bare branches. It had snowed all night, and instead of flowers, the piled-up white snow on the branches welcomed Bianca.

The gardener had cleared the snow from the ground in advance for the Madam, who often went for walks. Thanks to this, Bianca was able to leisurely walk through the winter garden. Some of the snow had melted, leaving puddles of water, but Yvonne skillfully directed Bianca.

There wasn't much to see because it was winter, but Bianca enjoyed the simple and dry atmosphere of the winter garden. In fact, she not only loved winter but the garden itself.

It was comparable to buying luxuries or decorating a room. While all the responsibilities of the lord's wife were delegated to Vincent, Bianca paid great attention to the garden work, but it was something she handled as a "mistress."

Bianca liked gardens like this and would usually walk around the garden as much as she could, but today she ended her walk early without even walking much.

Yvonne looked into Bianca's eyes, worried that she might have been paying attention to her attire. It was ridiculous as a servant that her Madam couldn't do as she pleased because she was too worried about her subordinates. Bianca, who read Yvonne's thoughts, shook her head slowly and muttered to herself.

"I'm tired today."

"Are you feeling tired?"

As soon as Yvonne heard Bianca talking to herself, she asked me. Bianca's complexion had been poor since Zachary stopped by earlier in the day. Worry grew in Yvonne's eyes, not even dreaming that Bianca was making an excuse.

"Yes. I've been busy with many things since this morning. Oh, come to think of it, my hands are a bit sore."

"Now that I think about it, I forgot to apply the herbal water before going for a walk today. What should I do?"

As soon as Bianca spoke, Yvonne made a fuss. Bianca shrugged gracefully and continued to lie naturally.

"Well... I wasn't in the mood at that time. You can do it now."

"Yes. I'll go and prepare it."

Yvonne believed Bianca's words and ran towards the castle step by step. Dirt splattered beneath her shoes, but she ran without caring about the mud.

A smile slipped onto Bianca's lips as she watched her. It's good that someone is desperately doing something for her. An unfamiliar sensation tickled Bianca's fingertips. Similar to the warmth of a stove.

While smiling to herself like that, Bianca made eye contact with Gaspard, who was standing behind her. Fearing to meet the deep blue eyes that were looking at her, Bianca reflexively tightened her lips.

Bianca knew what others thought of her. They whispered that even Bianca's smile could have hidden motives. Gaspard wouldn't receive it well either.

Embarrassed, Bianca coughed loudly, then turned around and hid her face as if nothing had happened. Then she headed towards the castle following Yvonne.

Gaspard silently followed Bianca's steps forward. His face remained motionless, but his eyes constantly swayed with subtle ripples, as if a stone had been thrown into a calm lake.

-----

Shortly after Bianca returned to her room, Yvonne arrived with the same herbal water as yesterday and applied a poultice to her hands. After that, she had a light meal and soaked her tired body in the bathtub. The accumulated fatigue from the daily routine gradually dissipated in the warm water.