Why Are You Sorry, Darling?

Chapter 6

I knew it. I shouldn’t have brought flowers. I lowered the hand that I’d been about to scratch my cheek with.

The inside of the house was remarkably small compared to the DeLov estate, but it was simple and cozy like a rainy flower garden. But as someone who had lived in a studio apartment, I still thought this place was huge. Lucky. She owns this whole building. It was a bitter pill to swallow as someone who’d be left with nothing but her freedom after the divorce, but I was grateful that the duchess would at least be returning to a wealthy family.

While I leisurely gave myself a tour of the house, Seira hovered around me pitifully as if she were about to collapse at any moment. Her hands were still trembling, and she was uneasy on her feet. I ignored her and continued to examine the rooms.

While I was checking out a room with an open door, a voice came out of nowhere. “Miss, I’ve finished cleaning this room...” A woman with bobbed hair and slightly tan skin stepped out of the innermost room and stopped short when she saw me. “M-m-my lady?”

Just like Seira, her face went pale. I narrowed my eyes. Who’s she? I don’t know her. I considered her for a brief moment before I realized who she must be. After all, she was wearing the maid uniform of DeLov Manor. The DeLov crest was embroidered on the collar of her shirt, so I couldn’t help but know.

I couldn’t believe a maid of the manor was here. This was over the line even for me. Ha. Come on, Duke DeLov. Wasn’t it enough that you cheated on your wife? You had to assign your mistress a maid too? Although I had described the house as spacious, it was a place that could be suited to rich commoners. In other words, it wouldn’t have been difficult for Seira to clean the place by herself. And he still sent her a maid? He’s determined to spoil her rotten. How romantic.

I understood why the maid was so stunned. She worked for DeLov Manor, so of course she knew my face. She seemed more taken aback than the situation warranted, but it was probably because she was afraid that she would lose her job if she got tangled up in our fight, so I let it slide.

Wow. I was actually kind of shocked. To be honest, I’d imagined there would be something like a loving portrait in their love nest, but this... took the cake. Seira was a commoner, and in this world, that meant a person who was used to doing things themselves. So the fact that my husband assigned a maid to her showed how much he cared for her comfort. He gave her a life of luxury.

At this point, he might as well just move her into the manor once and for all. It was only for a moment, but I wanted to talk to Seira comfortably. Sis, just move in! I’ll see myself out!

I’d figured I’d see what the house looked like while I was here, but sightseeing hadn’t been my real purpose. I was just looking around since I was here, and I didn’t have the slightest interest in seeing their bedroom or anything.

“I’m feeling a bit peckish.” I hid my entertained expression and looked at Seira. “Shall we get out of here?”

* * *

We went to a restaurant that wasn’t far from Seira’s house, but we had to leave immediately because Seira, who’d been following me quietly, turned pale and refused to dine there.

“L-let’s go somewhere else, please...!”

She didn’t actually protest much, but she was shaking like a leaf, so I conceded because she wouldn’t be able to eat if she was deathly afraid anyway. I couldn’t let my savior who’d do a huge favor for me get an upset stomach. I wasn’t that hungry either because I had just come from the count’s luncheon, so it didn’t really matter. The next best option was the boutique, but Seira didn’t want to go there either, and she started quivering again. “A d-dress for me? Absolutely not, Your Grace.”

Goodness. This girl turns pale at everything. “Hmm. Yes, I’m sure my husband has bought you plenty of dresses.” I agreed without complaint once again, and we left the boutique. There was nowhere else to go in this neighborhood, so we took my carriage that had been parked out of sight and went elsewhere, finally arriving at a location we were both familiar with.

“You know this place, don’t you? It’s where we met, after all,” I said.

It was none other than the gallery, which was convenient because most of the visitors were commoners, so I wouldn’t run into anyone I knew. That was also the reason I liked to come here alone from time to time. Maybe it’s because the painting style here is similar to what I liked in my previous life. I was so busy in this world that my longing for the past had grown faint, but I still missed it every now and then. Gosh. I want to wrap everything up quickly and live my sweet YOLO life.

“Shall we take a look around?”

Seira’s face was still pale. There was so much I wanted to say, but it wasn’t going to be very fun if she continued to be frozen in fear, so I decided to give her a moment to calm down. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to mind being in the gallery. Was it because she didn’t expect me to buy a painting for her? Then again, what mistress’s house would feature artwork that her lover’s wife bought for her? But I was a bit drawn to the idea. I wanted to give her a painting and make her tell my husband that it was from me. It was amusing to imagine him flinching whenever he saw it at her house. Of course, I’m not actually going to do it.

Seira’s face had turned exceptionally pale at that restaurant we’d gone to. Does that mean she can’t stomach the idea of sharing a meal with me? I glanced around, but I couldn’t see her anywhere. I started to look for her, wondering where she could’ve gone, and found her studying a painting not too far away. Perhaps she thought I wasn’t going to look at her. She’d stopped trembling for a moment while she focused on the artwork. A painting? I wondered which piece had caught her attention and silently walked toward her.

The painting featured two women and a man. Beyond a curtain, a woman in a nice dress was holding a handkerchief and looking out a window, and outside that window, a man dressed in a color that matched her outfit was kissing another woman whose hair was nearly blond. Anyone with a keen eye could see that the woman gazing at the window and the man kissing the blond woman were married from the matching bands on their ring fingers.

Oh, good grief. I took a peek at the title and the artist’s name.

—Title: A Clean Relationship / Artist: Unknown

Is this some new kind of irony? I loved the painting the moment I read the title. Should I buy it for my husband? I had a strong impulse to.

“Seira,” I called her name, shaking my head inwardly. She jolted like a startled rabbit, blinking rapidly with surprise. Why would you choose to look at this one out of all the other artworks? Guilt? "You were studying this one quite carefully, so I was wondering if you liked it. Shall I buy it for you?”

“No. No! I-I couldn’t accept it.” As she firmly shook her head, her snow-white hair tumbled all over the place. A flower in bloom captivates in any room, and Seira was the same way. Even just standing still alone, she was eye-catching despite her light coloration.

“What does my husband tell you he likes about you the most?” I couldn’t resist the urge to blurt out the question. The duchess would’ve asked out of envy, despair, or jealousy, but not me. I was just purely curious.

“His Grace... loves me very much,” Seira replied slowly but firmly.

Oh, come on. That’s obvious. “Is that so?”

I had a lot to say. Wow, good for you! I hope you two will be happy for a long time. Please live together as a family in the manor as soon as possible. That was what I wanted to tell her.

“I mean it. His Grace absolutely l-loves me!”

“Hmm. I see. You must be happy.” I nodded. “But why does he continue to see you without divorcing me?”