Chapter 45
It was unclear whether Melchor’s manhood
was too big, but it appeared so when he hugged himself earlier. Such a gesture, if done too tightly, could indicate an underlying health problem.
Roseline was already fretting about the pain she would experience the next morning, even though her husband had not yet arrived. She knew that, even if she managed to get through the first night without discomfort, she needed to keep her body in good shape for the next day’s schedule. She decided to prepare painkillers in advance and asked her maid, Deborah, to fetch them.
“Deborah, can you get me some medicine?” she asked.
“Of course, madam!” Deborah replied, hurrying out of the room to fulfill her request.
Roseline knew that the young maid would not understand why she needed painkillers, but she didn’t want to explain herself. She also recognized that it was difficult to understand the rigors of marriage. “But once you’ve experienced it once, you’ll get used to it,” she thought to herself.
Without considering the possibility that she may have misunderstood Melchor’s intentions, Roseline put a card away and sighed as she sat back down on the bench.
“Sir, you’ve arrived,” greeted Hugo the butler as Melchor strode in, cape still on.
“What about Roseline?” Melchor asked without missing a beat.
“The wife is in her room,” Hugo replied.
Melchor’s pace quickened as he made his way up the stairs and down the corridor towards Roseline’s room. He felt his expression deepen as he approached. When he finally arrived, he took a short breath, feeling strangely out of breath even though he wasn’t tired.
He didn’t know why he felt that way, but he didn’t think it mattered much. What was important to him now was not the reason behind his labored breathing.
“Roseline, I’m coming in,” Melchor announced as he hurriedly opened the door. However, before he could even step inside, the changed atmosphere of the room caught his attention.
He wondered aloud, noticing the two glasses and bottle of wine on the table, which were usually reserved for simple documents.
“Were you getting ready to sleep? Then why did you leave the candles on?”
“You’re here,” she said, sounding a bit bitter. “Well…welcome.”
Melchor noticed that Roseline’s clothing was different from her usual attire.
“Were you getting ready to sleep?” he asked.
“Ready to go to bed…sort of,” Roseline replied.
Melchor nodded. “I don’t know what it is, but if you were about to fall asleep, I understand that the room was dark and lit. I still don’t know why the candle was lit, but there must be a reason because you did it.” He glanced toward the table and asked, “You can’t sleep?”
“No,” Roseline said. She brought some alcohol to drink before bed, but Melchor warned her against drinking.
“Drinking after the age of 20. It’s not right to drink already,” he said.
“You have posted a marriage report, so I’ll be treated as an exception,” Roseline replied.
“Even so, your body won’t,” Melchor said. “If you can’t fall asleep, try another way. Alcohol is not good.”
“I didn’t prepare it because I liked it,” Roseline explained.
“Why did you bring alcohol when you don’t even like it?” Melchor asked.
“I don’t know the detailed rules because I didn’t have a bride class, but there was always alcohol in the bridal room,” Roseline said.
She heard that the couple should have a light drink before going to bed. So she just prepared it. Of course, it’s not that she didn’t expect her husband to be a beast beyond common sense, but what a straightforward nag! This was unexpected again.
“I’m afraid you might drink,” Roseline said to Melchor.
“I did not,” Melchor replied, lifting his eyebrows.
Roseline asked why Melchor came to his room to drink, wondering if Roseline had said something to provoke him. However, Melchor did not enjoy drinking and preferred strong coffee in the morning to clear his mind. He did not have any worries to forget, nor did he seek excitement.
“I have no intention of drinking,” Melchor assured her.
“Do you mean that you will go straight to bed without needing to set the mood with a drink?” Roseline asked, surprised by Melchor’s response. She had even decorated the room with the help of Johanna for Deborah, expecting Melchor to stay a while.
But Melchor did not touch her or even come close to her, asking instead if she needed any other arrangements. When Roseline mentioned the decorations, Melchor seemed surprised.
“Decorated the room?” he repeated.
Melchor was convinced that Roseline had decorated the room to refresh herself. He knew that people often changed the look of their rooms to feel different, so it was no surprise to him. He praised Roseline, but she didn’t seem to want any praise. Melchor wondered if he should say something teacher-like, but he didn’t want to hurt her pride.
“Okay. It’s time to go to bed,” Melchor said.
“Try to get some sleep,” Roseline added.
Melchor knew that sometimes people wanted to go to bed early, so he didn’t mind going to bed early himself. He put on his cape and took a step back, so as not to disturb Roseline’s sleep. As he turned to leave, Roseline asked him if he was just leaving.
“What’s wrong? Is there something else you need?” Melchor asked.
Roseline seemed to be unsure whether it was her or Melchor who had something else to do.
“I don’t think so,” Melchor replied, rolling his eyes. He had already done what he came to do: see Roseline’s face and hear her voice. He had no other business to attend to.
“What makes you think that?” Melchor asked, puzzled.
Roseline let out a small sigh in response, feeling embarrassed and caught off guard. She was also a little emotional. When Melchor had given her a card asking for a marital relationship, she had been initially embarrassed but didn’t think it was an unreasonable request. As legal partners, it was only natural to have a physical relationship unless there was a valid reason not to. Roseline had no intention of refusing, and so she hadn’t questioned Melchor about it when he came to her room in a hurry and didn’t take off his jacket.
But when it seemed like he was just going to leave without saying anything, Roseline grabbed him and asked if he had changed his mind. It was almost like a test to see how Melchor would react.
“Do you always have to make people give in to you to feel satisfied?” Roseline asked, her tone slightly accusatory.