<Chapter 37>

‘This wasn’t what I intended.’

Initially, Temenos planned to wait until Inosensia came out of the confessional.

But the moment he overheard Alice confessing her conscience while waiting outside, his mind changed.

“Um, Your Grace… Let me be honest. I confessed to the Prospective Duchess about the order you gave me before.”

 
Alice’s candid confession left Temenos momentarily flustered. He immediately glanced at Kei and Cesare.
 

“You two as well?”

“……”

Kei and Cesare avoided his gaze, as if unable to answer.

The reason they couldn’t speak before Temenos was that they had received penance from Inosensia: ‘Don’t tell him that you confessed to me.’

On the other hand, Alice could confess directly to Temenos because, during her confessional, she had cried so much that she was given the penance: ‘Stop crying right now.’

“A-also, moving forward, I-I won’t be able to follow any orders that betray the Prospective Duchess’s trust. If I’ve overstepped by saying this, p-please fire me!”

A servant employed in the ducal estate, refusing to follow certain orders from the Duke? It was indeed presumptuous of her, just as she admitted.

However, this was the same Alice that Inosensia had taken a liking to, elevating her to a personal maid.

If her audacity stemmed from misplaced confidence in her master’s favor, it would warrant strict punishment. But all she wanted was to serve her mistress with unwavering loyalty. What could he say to that?

Temenos could only respond with a reluctant nod.

“There won’t be any such orders in the future. From now on, prioritize Inosensia’s instructions above all else.”

“Y-yes…! Thank you, Your Grace!”

Now the problem was what Inosensia, who knew everything, would think.

‘Is she disappointed in me? But… she already knows I didn’t trust her…’

Imagining those once-sparkling eyes turning cold as they looked at him made his chest tighten painfully, as though something heavy had dropped inside.

Would apologizing—admitting my past mistakes and promising it wouldn’t happen again—be enough for her to forgive me?

With that thought in mind, Temenos entered the confessional booth.

But before he realized it, he found himself not knocking on the door of Inosensia’s confessional but instead sitting inside the adjacent booth.

“You’re here for confession, right?”

At that moment, he should’ve just said no. Or better yet, revealed his identity and confessed his own sins of scheming behind the scenes.

Why had he instead disguised his voice and adopted an awkward tone to bring himself here?

Temenos suppressed a sigh rising in his chest and fixed his gaze on the wooden screen.

“When you two marry soon, you’ll be husband and wife. Isn’t it strange to keep calling him ‘Your Grace’ even then?”

“In formal settings, isn’t that what people usually do?”

“Sure, in formal settings. But in private…”

“Ah, is that so? I haven’t been married before, so I wouldn’t know. Do you call your wife by her name in private, brother?”

Temenos was momentarily at a loss for words.

It wasn’t that he had never called Inosensia by her name before, but…

“Inosensia!”

This was the first and last time Temenos had called her by name, back during the landslide incident. Since then, he had never addressed her by her name again.

It was strange.

A name that rolled so easily off his tongue when she wasn’t around suddenly felt foreign when he thought of saying it in front of her.

“Brother?” The innocent voice, devoid of any suspicion about his identity, poked at his conscience.

Temenos’ lips moved silently for a moment before sound finally escaped them, “I… haven’t had the chance to properly call her by her name.”

“Why not?”

Temenos turned his gaze to the wooden screen. The dense latticework obscured any view of Inosensia, seated on the other side.

He imagined the face behind it and murmured to himself, ‘Inosensia.’

A strange, tingling sensation spread across his skin.

Not understanding why his body was reacting this way, Temenos rubbed his forearms.

“It feels… a little awkward to call her by name.”

“Ah, you said you’ve only been married for a month? Then I suppose that makes sense. When I get married, I’ll have to call my husband darling, and just imagining it feels so awkward.”

Temenos nearly choked in shock.

“D-darling?”

“Well, we’ll be a married couple. Hm… but do you think His Grace would dislike that? Should I just keep calling him Your Grace?”

Reflexively, Temenos shook his head.  

“No, between a married couple… calling him Your Grace feels a bit…”

“Right? That would feel even stranger, wouldn’t it? So, which do you think is better—calling him darling or using his name?”

“Uh…”

“Oh, right! I tried to come up with a nickname for him before, but he turned them all down. Do you think he hated the idea or was just too embarrassed?”

“Well…”

“If he really hated it, I won’t bring it up again. But if it was just embarrassment, maybe I should push a little harder. What do you think? Would His Grace dislike his wife using a nickname for him?”

“…Why are you asking me…?”

“Well, weren’t you one of his trusted guards at the time? Surely you know him well, right?”

“It’s not that I don’t know, but…”

Temenos couldn’t pull himself together. He fidgeted with his burning ear, staring helplessly at the innocent wooden screen.

‘Did she really want to call me by a nickname that badly?’

Didn’t she say she was so smitten with me that she couldn’t eat or sleep properly?

The thought filled him with guilt for not noticing sooner.

“Brother? Are you still thinking it over?”

“…wouldn’t… mind…”

“Pardon? What did you say?”

The heat in his face seemed to grow even stronger. Temenos pressed his lips together before speaking again.

‘I should take courage.’

“I believe he wouldn’t mind it.”

Even though it felt like a small step to him, it was a significant moment of bravery. Temenos took a deep breath, reminding himself to take it slow.

“Really? So, which do you think is better: Temi, Menny, or Tini? Oh, Tini sounds cute too!”

“Cute is a bit…”

“Sorry? What did you say?”

Temenos closed his mouth tightly.  

Temi, Menny, Tini.

How blinded by love must she be to think those names suit me? Does she see me as some sort of teddy bear?

“…Anything is fine.”

“Hmm?”

“Since you’re the only one who’ll use it, just pick whatever you like best.”

“Oh my, a nickname just for the two of us, as a couple?”

“Cough!”

Temenos couldn’t hold back his reaction this time and choked. From the other side, he heard her worried voice.

Afraid she might come over to check on him, Temenos quickly collected himself.

“Anyway… just do as you like.”

“All right. I’ll trust your words then. You’re sure His Grace won’t get angry if I call him that?”

“He’s not so petty as to get angry over something like that.”

“Really? If he does get mad, will you take responsibility?”

“I will.”

“Good! If you’re that confident…”

Inosensia hesitated for a moment, and Temenos waited nervously.

‘Don’t tell me she’s going to ask me to reveal my name so she can seek me out later?’

If she does, what would I say? Temi? No, definitely not Temi.

Thankfully, she didn’t ask for his name.

“Come back here after the wedding, when the full moon rises.”

But her suggestion was equally startling.

“Here… you mean?”

“I say what’s spoken in the confessional can’t be disclosed outside, right? Similarly, the penitent’s name is off-limits. Since I can’t find you outside, we’ll have to meet here again.”

“There’s such a rule?”

If so, that was a relief. Temenos exhaled quietly.

“All right. I’ll come back when the full moon rises.”

“Great! Then, I’ll give you one more task until then.”

“A task?”

“More like penance. Your wife fell for you at first sight, so much so that she’s practically dying from it, and yet you feel guilty for not reciprocating her feelings, don’t you? Letting your wife one-sidedly love you after getting married is a grave sin.”

“…Is that so?”

Hearing it said so directly made him feel like he had indeed committed a terrible crime. Temenos nodded humbly.

“So, what should I do?”

“It’s not like you dislike her or don’t see her as a woman, right?”

“That’s not the case.”

“Then, even if it’s not entirely true, tell her you like her first.”

“Tell her… I like her?”

“Who knows? Maybe by saying it, you’ll actually start to feel that way.”

Temenos gazed at the wooden screen, pursed his lips, and tried to speak.

“…like…” The moment he tried to say it, the words stuck in his throat.

“Pardon?”

“…Understood. I’ll do it.”

Though he agreed, doubt filled him.  

Can I really do this?

He couldn’t help but worry about what kind of chaos would ensue if he did.

Still, she didn’t set a deadline, so there’s no rush.

Eventually, as they lived together as husband and wife, the day would come when he could say those words naturally.

Neither of them knew then.

The day Temenos completed his penance would come far later than either had imagined.
 

<To be continued>

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