IDLYITL CH 4
- Feb 19
- 7 min read
Chapter 4
• ────── ✦ ────── •
As Soon As Possible
“You are right, Madam. It would not be proper for me, who was once betrothed to Young Master Warren, to keep you standing out here like this.”
“I’m glad we're on the same page, Princess Psyche.”
A satisfied smile spread across Madam Tilly’s face. Psyche stared at the her with emotionless eyes.
“However, as you said, I was sold to the current Duke. As such, I would not dare to defy his will.”
“What—!”
Madam Tilly’s jaw dropped at the unexpected refusal. As Madam Tilly’s face flushed with exasperation, Psyche told the gatekeeper to send her away, then calmly walked away from the main gate.
Once she was a certain distance from the gate, she could no longer hear Madam Tilly's furious voice. Anna hurried after Psyche, she was heading back to the manor.
“A-Are you all right, Your Highness?”
Anna also knew that her mistress was a tender-hearted princess.
Hadn't she been a woman who wept inconsolably for three days and nights, refusing to eat or drink because her husband hadn't come to her on their wedding night?
It wouldn't have been strange for her to burst into tears like a child right then and there, having just heard Madam Tilly's insults to her face. But Psyche stared blankly ahead.
“I'm fine. Don't worry about it.”
“Your Highness…”
Anna on the contrary, looked like she was about to cry herself. Psyche was walking ahead toward the manor, stopped abruptly. Her husband was standing in front of the mansion.
• ───────── ☽༓☾ ───────── •
It was around this time. Because of Ikali, who had killed her husband and seized the title of family head, Madam Tilly came to the ducal manor to protest almost every day. Raising her voice wouldn't make Ikali obediently hand over the title, but it was true that the atmosphere in the household was gloomy for a while because of her.
Before her regression, Psyche had also avoided meeting Madam Tilly as much as possible, knowing she was always furious. And now, Psyche Dawson calmly looked at the man standing before her.
His stiff shirt buttoned all the way to his neck, and his posture impeccable. His jet-black hair fluttering in the spring breeze was exactly the way she had always loved.
Facing her husband looking exactly as he did four years ago, Psyche took a moment to compose herself. No one was quick to speak and silence settled between the two of them.
Anna standing behind her, fretted and was the first to bow.
“I-I greet His Grace the Duke.”
“Have you returned from your walk?”
Ikali shifted his gaze to Anna. Instead of answering his question, Psyche blurted out something else.
“Your Grace, Madam Tilly is protesting at the main gate. Were you aware?”
His gaze returned to Psyche. It wasn't the answer he wanted, but as if he already knew, Ikali gave a casual nod. He had known all along and still refused to meet the madam.
“She’ll get tired and leave on her own.”
His voice held a hint of fatigue and annoyance. He had always been like this for the past four years.
When he occasionally ran into Madam Tilly, he said nothing, even if she lunged at him with her nails or said things that would make a person’s face turn red.
He acted as if he were used to it. Like a sinner. He would simply wait for time to pass, he never forcefully drove her away. She had been puzzled at first as to why he was so weak when it came to Madam Tilly. But now, Psyche felt that none of that mattered.
She looked at him with firm eyes.
“Your Grace, it doesn't seem like something you should just stand by and do nothing about it. Just now, she hurled countless insults at me.”
“Insults?”
Before her regression, every time Psyche ran into Madam Tilly in society after Ikali left for the war, she was forced to listen to vulgar insults that would make her face flush.
Madam Tilly bad-mouthed her in front of high society, saying she was a bride who had been sold. She even looked down on her royal family and belittled it in front of the imperial ladies. At that time, Psyche kept her mouth shut despite all the humiliations. Her husband was away at war, and she was tormented by the fact that he didn't even acknowledge her.
Reflecting on that, she pushed back a strand of hair from her cheek..
“Your Grace, I hope this is the last time I have to endure humiliation from the former duchess.”
“What kind of humiliation did you endure?”
Ikali looked at her, his brow slightly furrowed.
“She said that a scarecrow sold for a debt was playing the role of duchess.”
“…”
“Actually, that didn't hurt much.”
“…”
“I can endure being called a princess who was sold to a murderer. But I don't want to hear Madam Tilly insult my royal family. I ask that Your Grace take appropriate action.”
Psyche looked at him with emotionless eyes. Ikali stared at her for a moment, then nodded.
“From now on, I will make sure she can't even stand at the main gate.”
Ikali examined Psyche's reaction indifferently, as if to ask if that was enough. It was an easy answer. After all, if Madam Tilly was just prevented from protesting in front of the manor, the chances of her running into her would decrease significantly for the time being.
Psyche didn't back down and added one more thing.
“I have one more request.”
“What is it?”
“Please arrange a room for me in the annex, not the main building.”
Her request made Ikali furrow his brow, who had shown no change in expression until now.
“Why?”
“I'd like to have fewer occasions to see you, Your Grace.”
Ikali let out a short, hollow laugh.
“If what you say is true, you were sold to me. From that point of view, are you saying you don't even want to see my face?”
“In the three days since I arrived at this manor, the Duke hasn’t wondered about my well-being.”
“…”
“Therefore, I thought it wouldn't make a difference to you whether I lived in the main building or the annex. Am I wrong?”
Ikali was taken aback by her daring words. He brushed back the hair that fell over his eyes, placed a hand on his hip, and let out a long sigh.
“Is this perhaps about our wedding night?”
“…”
“I’m asking if you're acting this way because I didn't visit you on our wedding night.”
At his direct question, Anna who was standing behind them, deeply blushed.
“Given that you were sold here against your will, I didn't think you would want a wedding night either.”
“Your Grace, there's a limit to how much you can look down on me.”
“I never looked down on you.”
His face contorted. Their conversation kept going awry.
“If you have a complaint, say it properly.”
“I have already stated my complaint and my request is that we use separate housing.”
“Hah…”
Psyche knew that Ikali had not touched her for the entire six months before he left for the war. At the very least, Ikali had never felt any lust for Psyche. The only one who had been impatient was the Psyche of the past.
Thinking of the past, the bitter feelings from that time resurfaced. Psyche looked at his face for a moment, then smiled.
“If Your Grace wanted to spend time with me, I would not want to bother with the inconvenience of moving housings either. But I know very well that you don't.”
The man who had left his bride alone for three days after she arrived had no reason to hold onto Psyche. Ikali, understanding her meaning fiercely hardened his expression, but he had no words to refute her.
“Sigh. I'll think about it.”
“Thank you.”
She didn't insist further and backed down. After holding her skirt and curtsying, Psyche led Anna toward the manor.
“Your Highness, what did you mean by saying that…?”
Anna’s face was deathly pale as she stuck close to Psyche's side. What on earth gave her the nerve to make such a brazen demand in front of the empire's murderer?
What's more, the Royal Family of Dawson was busy trying to stay in Ikali's good graces. Anna was urgently fretting and sweating, when a chilling voice was heard behind her.
“Stop.”
Psyche and Anna turned to look at the duke. He was angry.
“Why are you calling her Your Highness?”
“Pardon?”
Anna trembled violently at his chilling question, it was as if a blade had touched her neck.
“I know you hate being married to me. You were sold to me against your will, is that it?”
“…”
“But now you are from the empire and the Duchess of Demiosis. Use the proper title. If you do it again, I will whip your maid.”
Ikali looked directly into Psyche's eyes, not Anna.
It was both a warning to Anna and a message to Psyche. Only then did Anna realize she had called her madam’s old title. Only after Anna, with a terrified expression, apologized repeatedly was Psyche able to take her back to the manor.
As she entered the grand gate of the manor, Psyche glanced back.
She saw Ikali standing in the same spot.
• ───────── ☽༓☾ ───────── •
After returning to her room, Psyche examined the valuables she had brought from her kingdom.
There were accessories she had used since her time in the palace and several dresses made and gifted to her by the royal seamstress. In addition, the royal family had included a few of their cherished possessions for her.
These alone wouldn't do much to solve the royal family's immense debt, but they were certainly valuable assets. Anna looked at her curiously as she took out the various extravagant clothes and laid them on the bed.
“What are you going to use all these clothes for?”
“I'm going to sell them.”
“Pardon? Why?”
“Because I thought it would be good to sell them and buy some cheaper clothes.”
“What? But… what will you do after selling the clothes? Why are you going to such lengths?”
Psyche fell silent for a moment.
Because I have to divorce Ikali as soon as possible.
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