A Marriage of Convenience /The Marriage Business

Ch.54

She couldn't even understand it. "Count?" Of course, he's a Count, so she calls him Count. How else should she call him?

From the moment Zachary received the title of Count, Bianca called him Count. Bianca's bewildered lashes fluttered over her eyes, and the hand holding the reins tightened.

Bianca's refusal to acknowledge his intentions made Zachary nervous. His lips trembled. Though he was embarrassed to say it outright, his throat tickled with the words. Bianca silently waited for him to say something, as if she had a strong desire for something.

Zachary added in a soft voice that only Bianca, who was close by, could hear.

"Since then, you haven't called me 'darling.'"

"...What?"

"...?"

In the face of the unexpected words, Bianca asked, not understanding, unsure if what she had heard was true. Zachary remained silent. As if it was embarrassing for him to ask for such a title, his ears burned red against his indifferent face.

Bianca then convinced herself that what she had heard was correct.

"Yes. I called him 'darling' once. That's right. When he said he would take me to the capital."

But after Zachary saw her smile and ran out of the room, Bianca didn't even know how to smile in front of him anymore, and she didn't want to call him 'darling.' The first attempt had disastrous results, so it was natural that she didn't have the courage to chase after that.

"At that time, he fled like he had seen a monster, so why is he talking about it now?"

Once Zachary reached out his hand towards Bianca, she was glad to hold it. If he wants her to call him 'darling,' it means he recognizes her as his wife.

If it had been the old Bianca, she would have seduced him more actively, taking advantage of this opportunity, but a story she heard from the maids a few days ago caught her attention.

"Be arrogant, nearly impossible to reach..."

Bianca sighed and gently pushed Zachary's chest with the tips of her fingers. Zachary's large, heavy body was pushed like a feather under Bianca's fingertips. The smile that had already brightly filled her face now hung only at the corners of her mouth and around her eyes. Bianca spoke slowly, softly, like a whisper, but with a clear voice.

"We are married, but we are not a couple. So, maybe it's too early to call you by that nickname yet?"

Bianca's true intentions mixed a bit as she approached Zachary and repeatedly tasted the bitterness of failure. To be honest, Bianca's pride is very high, and she didn't feel very good about being rejected by her husband every time.

Bianca's fingers slid away from his chest. Zachary, who was pushed back, couldn't approach Bianca. Zachary remained silent and looked at Bianca with a sad gaze, but that was all. Even if he was the god of the battlefield, the undefeated knight, and the iron-blooded Count Zachary, his great courage disappeared in front of his wife. He slowly turned his head, avoiding her gaze, and muttered.

"...I'm not forcing you to do it."

Zachary's profile seemed embarrassed to have been rejected. Even Bianca felt a little embarrassed.

Bianca, who was not immune to this kind of thing, felt the anxiety of calling him 'darling' when she saw Zachary like this. She tried to reach out, but did she push too hard?

Anyway, she couldn't understand Zachary's thoughts. He wants her to call him 'darling,' but why does he inevitably avoid having a successor with her?

As Bianca contemplated, Zachary quickly calmed down and returned to his usual expression. Realizing that time was running out, Bianca kept her mouth shut, considering whether to call him 'darling' or not. Now that she thinks about it, she can read Zachary's facial expressions better than before.

"I noticed that his expression changed. Even if it's a lot to think about, yes... it's progress, it's progress."

Bianca was so proud of herself. If Zachary and the others had known her thoughts, they would have jumped and beaten their chests in frustration, but no one knew what she was thinking.

Zachary, who swallowed everything he wanted to say in deep silence, added with an ironic smile.

"It's cold today, so you will start learning horseback riding tomorrow. I will teach you."

"You will?"

"...Don't you want to?"

Faced with Zachary's deep gaze, Bianca felt she shouldn't say no. Actually, she didn't want to say no. What kind of opportunity is this? Bianca hurriedly excused herself.

"No, it's not that I don't want to... You're so busy. I'm very grateful that you spoke to me in person today."

"That's why."

"What?"

"I feel like I've been missing out a lot."

Bianca tilted her head. It was the same when he suddenly mentioned the nickname. His words were always harsh. He spat out a story that only he knew, but Bianca couldn't understand.

Whatever the reason for Zachary's sudden change of mind, it's good to see him often. It was just at the moment when Bianca was worried about how to see his face more often. Thinking of taking advantage of this opportunity that came on its own, Bianca smiled gently as if she knew nothing.

"Alright. I'm looking forward to it. Until then, I'll name the horse."

When Bianca showed pure joy, Zachary also smiled at Bianca in response.

His sharp eyes were folded and curved, and his silver-gray eyelashes hung like a crescent moon over his black eyes.

Bianca's heart beat fast for a moment at the unfamiliar appearance of his smile. Usually, he always smiled with the corners of his mouth upturned or made a sarcastic grimace.

Without even knowing why she felt this way, Bianca comforted herself by saying that she felt embarrassed seeing Zachary's unfamiliar appearance.

Just as spring has arrived at Arno Estate, the sound of spring's arrival can be heard in the frozen and motionless relationship between the two individuals. Quietly and secretly, like a flower budding and opening its petals. But the change was so natural that Bianca didn't realize she was changing.