"Mistress, we have arrived. Please come out."
The carriage came to a stop, and the servant who rode with her got out and held out a hand to Adelina. Shaking her head, Adelina got out by herself without any help.
"Wow."
A short exclamation burst out of her lips as she looked around the residence.
The green bamboo shooting out of the snow caught her eye.
"This place is well-known in Gideon."
"It's winter, but they're still green."
Even though she was speaking with the servant, Adelina's eyes were busy gazing at her surroundings.
A sharp gust of wind blew past Adelina. It was a bit chilly, but the wind felt refreshing. Her face began to glow.
"Ah!"
When she heard the sound of the shaking bamboo trees, Adelina's eyes widened. On one hand, it sounded like the cries of a woman. On the other hand, it also sounded like the mischievous laughter of a child. Adelina found it fascinating.
The servant burst into laughter after seeing Adelina's surprised expression.
"They say one can hear the cries of a maiden when the wind blows through the bamboo grove. Because they believe it is the sound of a ghost possessing a human, many are afraid of it."
"Even if a human has been possessed by a ghost, they are still human. How can something that cannot be seen by the eye do anything to a living, breathing human? I find the sound of the bamboo in the silence to be very pleasing to the ear."
The servant's eyes widened at Adelina's reply. However, this only lasted a moment. The servant's expression quickly returned to normal as they followed Adelina's gaze and stared at the bamboo forest.
"There was once a madame who hated the sound of the bamboo grove."
Adelina's eyes narrowed in confusion. However, at that moment, a woman came outside with a dark expression and whispered into the servant's ear. The servant paled at the woman's words.
"Mistress, let me guide you to your chambers."
Something seemed off. However, even though she knew this, she felt that she couldn't ask because she still felt like she was a stranger here.
Ethan told her that this wouldn't be easy. And she was the one who had entered this life with determination.
But she still couldn't help feeling afraid.
"Yes, please."
She recalled how Nisha had burst into tears as she asked her not to go last night. She recalled Scarr's joyful face as he told her everything would be alright. Adelina suppressed the bubbling emotions that threatened to come out.
It was too early to lose her nerve.
She did her best to smile as she followed behind the servant.
* * *
"Mistress, this was the residence of the previous master's wife."
The place where Adelina would reside was a lot larger and more splendid than the Scarr Family's residence even when they had been at their peak.
The trees seemed to want to hide the splendidness within. If Adelina hadn't been captivated by the green bamboo trees outside, she would have thought this place was lovely.
Her expectations and her reality were a bit different. Adelina couldn't get any words out. Barely any sunlight entered the residence. She merely stared in silence for a long time.
"Master told me to escort you here, but… Let me find a different residence for you right away."
"There's no need."
Adelina stopped the servant and slowly looked around. There was barely any light, but it wasn't completely dark. If she wanted to enjoy some sunlight, she could just go outside.
If anything, this place was much better than the house she had lived in before her wedding. As long as she didn't have any difficulties in her day-to-day life, it didn't matter.
"I'm a bit tired after having sat in the carriage for so long. May I rest for a bit?"
"I was shortsighted. Let me serve you some tea."
"Actually, I would like to be alone for a while. Are these the things I brought with me?"
"Yes. We brought them here before your arrival, Mistress. Let me bring them in and…"
Adelina shook her head. Ethan didn't like the idea of bringing anything from the Ju residence, but Adelina needed something to depend on while she lived here.
In the end, all she brought with her was a chest full of ornaments that her mother had stowed away, a cut of Nisha's hair, and the bow and arrow she had always used.
Although Scarr was against it, she had never gone without her bow and arrow after having learned how to shoot from her father. In the end, she secretly handed some money to the servant and brought them with her.
After tidying up her belongings in her new room, Adelina's hand came to a halt.
"Huu."
Her calm face finally darkened.
The exhaustion of the wedding had finally caught up with her. Adelina touched her hair that had been swept up after her wedding[1]. It felt so unfamiliar to her.
After their wedding, Adelina hadn't seen Ethan.
As she waited in fear and anxiety, she passed her first night without seeing her new husband. After seeing the dawn sky light up with the sunrise, Adelina took off her bridal clothes by herself along with her bridal headdress.
"This is something that I chose, so…"
Rumors about the abandoned bride began to spread quickly among the gossip mongers. Although she had expected this, she still found it hard to endure the curious gazes and whispers around her.
"Ah!"
When she opened the door, a cool breeze brushed past her face.
She had heard that Ethan's father had grieved the wife who had left him for the emperor until he had taken his final breath.
Remembering this, she recalled how the servant had warned her to never talk about Consort Min inside this place.
Was this the price she had to pay to carry out this unwanted marriage? Ethan had given her the remote residence surrounded by bamboo trees that had once belonged to Consort Min.
"He's basically telling me to live as if I'm dead."
This building was hidden by a dense forest of bamboo, completely set apart from the rest of the residence.
A bitterness began to well up deep within her heart, but Adelina did her best to suppress it.
It would be difficult, but it was her responsibility to deal with it.
As she enjoyed the cool breeze, Adelina let out a deep sigh.