“My father had a bad gambling habit. He bet his daughter in place of stakes and the interested parties joined in. I met my husband for the first time that night, along with all the officers present here.”

Odette’s clear voice broke the heightened tension.

Erich Faber lost a chance to be the main character, looking at Bastian’s wife with a frown. Even when she humiliated herself, she was surprisingly calm. 

What a performance.

It made him feel like a fool for making a fuss over something so trivial.

“Bastian was the winner of that bet. He let me leave safely in a manner worthy of an honorable soldier. Of course, it was only possible because his friends agreed. I am deeply grateful for the kindness extended to me in my time of need.”

Odette could not have added a more perfect finish.

Erich laughed in amazement. It was a cleverly beautified version that worked in her favor, but it wasn’t entirely wrong. That point perplexed him even more. She won. It was a stunning counterattack.

“How romantic! It must have been the first meeting that you couldn’t help but fall in love with.”

Putting down her glass, Sandrine let out an exaggerated admiration. At that point, Erich saved himself by quietly withdrawing.

With all attention focused on herself, Sandrine looked at Odette with sharp eyes. She (Odette) lowered herself to the utmost, but that was by no means an act of humility. 

Wouldn’t it be better if her arrogance was sky high? But on the other hand, she seemed like a pretty soft-hearted woman. If it was really nothing, there would be no reason for her to be so desperate to appear so calm.

“Your husband might be different if someone else had won that night.”

Sandrine smiled broadly as she threw a taunt disguised as a joke. She was determined to see how long Odette could pretend to be so calm and in control.

“Everybody should have worked harder. It was a golden opportunity to acquire the Emperor’s niece for a bargain. Isn’t that right, Mrs. Klauswitz?”

Sandrine provoked Odette with her blatantly mocking questions. By the time Odette’s quiet eyes began to shake, the laughter of the excited guests stopped all at once.

Sandrine let out a soft sigh and turned her gaze to the direction where everyone was looking. There stood Bastian who had returned to the terrace before she knew it.

***

The heavy silence did not last very long.

With the corners of his mouth lightly lifted, Bastian began moving toward his wife as if nothing had happened. The sound of footsteps walking at a steady stride and speed echoed through the night garden.

The phone call with Thomas Müller ended faster than usual.

He summarized the key points, and Bastian also gave simple and clear answers. When he returned to the terrace, Erich was about to detonate a bomb.

He (Bastian) decided to observe the situation first out of curiosity.

Bastian was curious to see what choice Odette would make after being put on the chopping block.

It was a kind of test.

The result was not satisfactory.

The strategy was good, but Odette was not very skilled. And Sandrine precisely dug into that gap.

It was still Sandrine who had the virtues of a wife that Bastian needed. However, the current Mrs. Klauswitz was Odette, and his wife’s dignity was directly related to the husband’s honor.

“I’m afraid that wouldn’t have happened.” (Bastian)

Standing behind Odette’s chair, Bastian smiled softly. He wrapped his arms around his wife’s shoulders in a showy display of possessiveness.

“Even if someone else had won, the result would have been the same. I would have stolen it. Right, Odette?”

Leaning in deeply, Bastian whispered affectionately.

Odette turned her head in shock, and involuntarily let out a small sigh. Bastian’s face was not even a hand away from hers. Even at the moment when he pretended to be a sweet lover, his eyes that contained Odette were unchangingly cold. It felt like facing a blue wick in a flame that shimmered with warm light.

Suddenly embarrassed, Odette tried to turn her head away, the hands gripping her shoulders tightened. And soon their lips met.

Barely swallowing a scream Odette stiffly endured the sudden kiss. The laughter and jeers of the rude guests were now only appreciated. If it hadn’t been for that fuss, her exploding heart would have been caught.

Fortunately, Bastian backed off without crossing the line.

He smiled casually and sat down nonchalantly, and the dinner party returned to its original trajectory. No one mentioned anything else about that night. They just laughed and chatted and enjoyed the summer evening. The same was true of Erich Faber and Countess Lenart, who showed obvious malice.

Odette was finally relieved. It was then that she felt a large, firm grip on her hand. It was Bastian’s hand.

Bastian grabbed Odette’s hand and put it on his lap. She tried to refuse, but to no avail.

“I didn’t expect you to be such a loving husband. You really are such a lovely newlywed couple.”

Having been watching the scene closely, Sandrine gave a barbed compliment. She was smiling brightly, but the look in her eyes at Odette showed jealousy that she had no intention of hiding.

Being treated as her husband’s mistress by another man’s wife. Odette thought.

Odette’s cheeks flushed red when she realized what a strange marriage she had had. But Bastian still seemed unwilling to let her go. Even though there was no way he didn’t know Sandrine’s feelings for him.

Bastian squeezed Odette’s clenched hand with heavy force. Then, slowly, he intertwined his fingers between her rigid ones. She tried her best to fight it, but the difference in strength was overwhelming. Soon their hands  interlocked into a perfect one.

Confused by the unfamiliar sensation, Odette hurriedly lowered her head to hide her blushing face. Even at that moment, Bastian was casually continuing his conversation with his guests. Odette could not look Sandrine in the eyes until dinner was over. She felt like she was committing an act of infidelity. It was a disgusting feeling that cast a shadow deep in her heart.

****

“There are still quite a few parts of the house that need the help of the hostess.”

Sandrine’s cheerful voice echoed through the quiet hallway. Stopping for a moment to explain, Odette turned to face the ladies who were following her.

After the supper, Bastian and his friends moved to the study. In the meantime, it was the hostess’  responsibility for the entertainment of the ladies. 

Refreshments accompanied by music were common, but today, as it was their first hosting event, it was decided that a house tour would be more appropriate. It was a decision made after seeking advice from the Countess of Trier.

“Yes. The guest bedrooms and common areas have not yet been completely decorated. The outbuilding is close to being finished with only the exterior of the building.”

Odette answered with a kind smile. Nodding her head, Sandrine opened the door at the end of the hallway without permission. It was a small study, a space for the hostess to entertain guests.

Sandrine entered the room proudly as if walking through her own house. The rest of the guests retreated around the corner, busy looking at the house.

Odette called the maid who had been waiting from afar to lead them back to the terrace and followed Sandrine into the small study.

After examining the still empty walls and cabinets, Sandrine sat down on the sofa in front of the large fireplace. Watching the scene, Odette quietly closed the door. It seemed that a not-so-pleasant conversation was about to begin.

“I don’t like the trending painting styles these days. Too vague is not my taste. I prefer classic paintings. But exaggerated themes like history and religion can be heavy. I prefer bright  landscape paintings.”

Staring at Odette as she approached, Sandrine gave her a clear and specific demand.

“I would decorate the top of the fireplace with a mirror rather than a painting. For the lamp and clock to be placed on the mantelpiece, I would prefer Pellise. Berg’s items inevitably lack a delicate aesthetic. You would understand since I spent my  childhood in Pelia, wouldn’t you?”

“I’m not sure what the Countess is talking about.”

Standing on the other side of the sofa, Odette looked down at Sandrine with a face that no longer smiled. The light from the lanterns fell quietly over the two women as they stared deeply at each other.

“Please keep the manners of a guest.”

Odette who first broke the silence.

“I will do so in public. I don’t want Bastian to be ashamed. But when it’s just the two of us, you’d better not have that kind of expectation. I have no intention of accepting a two-year employee as Bastian’s wife.”

No longer having the desire to play the game of tug a war, Sandrine brought up the main point without adding or subtracting.

“You look surprised. Why? Did you really think the marriage contract was a secret only between you and Bastian?” (Sandrine)

Sandrin looked at Odette with sharp eyes. As if bewildered, the dazed eyes deliver the answer instead.

“I see. Well, the Countess might have an illusion of having a special relationship with him. It’s funny, but I understand. Bastian is taking advantage of you too, and above all, young men need that kind of fun.”

Sandrine’s gaze stopped on Odette’s pale hand. When she remembered Bastian holding that hand tightly, even the last sympathy she had for the woman who had sold herself for money disappeared.

“By the way, Odette, I hope you take appropriate measures and be careful.”

“What do you mean by that?”

With a pale expression, Odette asked back.

“I mean that you should not even think about getting pregnant and taking my place. I can tolerate you to an extent, but if by any chance you have Bastian’s child, you would have a world of heartbreak to deal with.”

“No way… are you threatening me right now?”

Gone were her niceties, Odette finally revealed her honest feelings.

“What else could there be in this conversation?”

Sandrine shrugged her shoulders lightly and smiled.

It seemed that Odette finally got the message.