Bastian woke at the usual time.
Because the days were getting shorter, the sky was still immersed in the blue dawn light.
Bastian took a slow breath and sat up. Odette was still sound asleep. The neckline of her nightgown had come loose, revealing the nape of her neck.
Bastian's gaze ran down her long, slender neck and straight collarbone, and stopped on her chest, which rose and fell following her calm breath. It was hidden by the slanted nightgown and blanket, but it wasn't too difficult to imagine what was underneath.
After taking his eyes off Odette, Bastian left the bed without delay. The play involving calling in a maid to witness their loving moment was omitted. Because the break time was over. It was time to return to the Admiralty.
Bastian went back to his bedroom through the passageway connecting the two rooms. By the time he made his way to the bathroom and stood under the stream of water in the shower, it was faintly beginning to dawn.
After resolving his moderately satisfied libido, he finished his shower. It was a bodily habit that required no thought and no intervention of will. Like the process of shaving, brushing hair, and putting on a uniform.
"Do you really want a scandal like that?" (Odette)
It was just as he was about to reach the last button on his jacket that Odette's calm question came to his mind.
It was only after the firework show had ended that Odette, who had been staring blankly at Bastian for a long time, began to speak. Even the slight confusion was gone, and the expression on her face was just calm. That was why he nodded his head.
A cheap curiosity about the depth of the lofty woman, or a desire to find her true feelings.
Either way, it was a pathetic feeling.
"Okay. If that's what you want, so be it." (Odette)
The contempt given by Odette, who was willing to comply, was even greater.
"I'll find a suitable partner when the time comes." (Odette)
It was the same with the blunt answer given without any agitation.
Bastian let out a dry laugh and fastened his last button.
Where did she imitate a promiscuous woman when she didn't even know how to kiss properly?
It was not the same spirit, but it was hard to dismiss it as nonsense.
She could have done so if she had wanted to. Although she had no talent for seducing men, she probably didn't even need to put in that kind of effort. She was a woman who could attract enough scandalous men to fill her ten fingers with just one passing glance.
Slowly opening his closed eyes, Bastian finished his preparations by arranging the shape of his shoulder straps. Just then the butler entered with a cup of strong, hot coffee.
"You must be having a hard time going to work due to the long commute, so I have Hans ready for you."
"No, that won't be necessary."
Bastian smiled nonchalantly and tossed a handful of sugar into the cup. It was the quickest and simplest way to make breakfast.
"Then please, at least have a proper meal. If you hurt yourself …"
"It's okay, Lovis."
Bastian put down the empty cup and picked up his hat.
"I know my body best. You needn't worry."
"To think that someone whose duty has been delayed due to health problems would say that."
"Well. If I eat a good breakfast, will I be able to avoid flying shells and bullets?"
Bastian drew a clear line with his clever joke. After a deep sigh, Lovis withdrew without further comment. It was an unspoken rule formed between them over their years together.
After checking the time, Bastian walked out of the bedroom with brisk strides. After passing through the long hallway and down the central staircase, the entrance hall of the mansion came into view as it was lined with servants who had come out to see him off.
Odette was waiting for Bastian in the middle. The morning sunlight pouring in through the large window on the landing added class to the hostess' graceful figure. It was hard to believe that not long ago she was a woman who had slept unprotected and disheveled.
Bastian frowned slightly as he approached his wife. First, a short kiss on the cheek was formalized, and Odette also responded with a smooth smile. It was enough acting to meet the expectations of the people around them.
"Don't come out tomorrow. There's no need to wake up early in the morning and do this kind of formality."
Bastian touched the corners of Odette's red eyes with a hand resembling a soft whisper.
"No. It's not hard because I can't sleep in when it's morning anyway. It is nothing compared to the joy of seeing you one more time."
Although her nervous expression was evident, Odette continued to act in a plausible manner without wavering. Seeing that her skills improved day by day, by the time of their divorce, she might be able to land a lead role in the Royal Theatre.
Facing Odette's hardened eyes, Bastian decided to drop the subject. There were many eyes around. There was no need to go out of his way to create unnecessary confrontations and arouse suspicion.
"Tell me if there is anything you want."
Bastian effortlessly found the most appropriate solution. He had a good idea of what kind of answer would come. And Odette did not deviate from the expected range.
"All I need is you."
Odette whispered a sweet lie with a face that was not a bit different from when she uttered the outrageous words about finding an affair partner if he (Bastian) wanted a scandal to be the reason for their divorce.
Bastian complimented his great wife by kissing her once more. His lips passed her forehead to her reddened cheeks.
He moved his lips slowly. The startled Odette moved her body, but his movements were a little quicker as he wrapped her face tightly.
The slow and persistent parting kiss ended when Lovis's coughing sound signaled the time of departure, which could no longer be postponed.
Before letting go, Bastian kissed Odette's lips briefly, as she struggled to hold her breath. Her breath that erupted with a thin moan was soaked with moist heat. It was a satisfying ending.
"Let's have dinner together. I should be back before eight at the latest."
Bastian left the mansion with that promise.
"Bastian!"
Odette's urgent call was heard just as he opened the driver's door. Bastian looked over his shoulder at her.
"There is no need to overdo it. I wish I could be with you, but I don't want to be a burden."
His good wife again showed a touching compassion.
"Don't worry about that. It's not a busy day today."
Bastian ended the show with a response worthy of a caring and loving husband.
After checking his watch, he got into the car with a sharper motion than ever before. The time was later than planned, but it was a gap that could be narrowed as much as possible by increasing the speed.
As he started the car, the servants lined up in front of the mansion bowed their heads in unison. Bastian responded with a light silent bow and turned his gaze to the center of the crowd. The sunlight shining down on Odette was dazzling as she stood in a straight posture.
Bastian left the scenery behind and sped up. By the time he exited the mansion's entryway, the fog that had been lingering on the horizon had completely lifted. The sea was brighter blue-green on the cool, clear day.
His eyes turned to the ocean more often than usual as he drove along the coastal road. That, too, was the habit of his body in which there was no room for consciousness to intervene.
***
The dirty bundle of fur was, surprisingly, a puppy.
Carefully exploring the path, Odette urgently pulled back on the reins to stop the horse. Fortunately, the well-trained horse quickly understood the command.
Her fast beating heart soon calmed as Odette hurriedly dismounted the horse.The puppy, who had suddenly jumped out of the woods, was still standing in the middle of the road, blocking the path and wagging its tail.
"Where did you come from? Did you perhaps lose your owner?"
The puppy became even more excited and began jumping as she asked cautious questions. Another dog emerged from the grass just as Odette took a step toward the pup.
Startled, Odette stopped as if frozen. The dog looked to be quite a good breed, albeit in a messy outfit covered in dirt and dust. It was fuzzy and large, with white fur that stretched long to the ground. It was a look that could never have been a stray dog.
"You're the mother."
Odette, looking at the stray dog with swollen milk, involuntarily let out a deep sigh. But it was difficult to approach casually. The mother stood blocking her baby's way and began to growl, baring its teeth ferociously.
Despite Odette's best efforts to convey that she had no hostile intentions, the dog did not let down its guard.
Odette first took a few steps back. Meanwhile, the mother dog fled into the woods with her cub.
Where in the world did a dog like that come from?
Odette struggled as she looked out into the deep woods where the two dogs had disappeared.
The only mansions in this area belonged to the two Klauswitz families. Since her and Bastian's mansion was essentially dog-free, the only possibility left was the family home across the forest and facing the property.
However, they were close enough to contact each other to ask if there was a missing dog, right?
It must have been well over two months since the mother had given birth alone in these woods, if she had raised her pup that long. If they had lost their dog, they would not have been without any contact for that long.
And so the question was back where it started.
Odette turned around with a sigh. There was no more than half an hour left of spare time allotted for horseback riding. If she did not leave quickly, she might have to greet guests in her riding clothes. Odette could vividly picture the look Bastian would send her upon learning that she had treated the wives of naval generals in such a manner.
Cold contempt.
Sometimes when he looked at her with eyes filled with such emotion, her heart was infinitely heavy and miserable. It was a feeling she never wanted to experience again.
Having erased all unnecessary feelings and thoughts, Odette mounted the horse again. Thanks to the arrival of her riding clothes last weekend, she was able to get on the horse more easily.
It was all Bastian's consideration. He gave her the opportunity to ride horses whenever she liked.
He gave her a horse that she could ride as much as she wanted, he gave her the equipment, everything.
The fact that she was aware of the public eye did not change the value of the favors Bastian provided.
So Odette wanted to do well. Forget his heart-wrenching words, while also enduring the increasingly untenable role of the loving newlyweds. To be remembered by the man as an employer who had at least paid a high wage for her services.
She would end up having an affair like Bastian thought and getting a divorce, but she planned to live quietly out of reach of the influence of the royal family and social circles once her contract was over. So Odette could only hope for one thing. Have a good end with Bastian.
After talking her eyes off the road where the two dogs had disappeared, Odette turned her horse in the direction of a shortcut. Soon the powerful sound of horse hooves began to echo along the overgrown path.