WeTried Translations

Translator/Editor: Malfoid

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◈ Fragments of Thorns and a Cradle ◈

Volume 1, Part 4

Chapter 25

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Content Warning: explicit sexual content; sexual exploitation and slavery.

"Marie."

Endymion's voice reached her through her wavering consciousness. Marie had dreamed a long dream, so it took her time to recognize who was calling her. By habit, she reached for the child in her lower belly.

"The child is safe."

Endymion stroked her hair as he whispered. Marie opened her eyes and glanced at her belly. She did not know whether she should be glad or sad. Yet she could not be sad before Endymion. Though he envied the child, he would not forgive Marie for rejecting it.

"How is the marchioness?"

Endymion frowned when she asked after Henrietta. Marie gazed at his warped expression before lowering her eyes. He immediately relaxed his face, as though reproaching himself, and stroked her endlessly, like someone afraid she might break.

"It is all right now. I will protect you."

He softly kissed her forehead. Breathing in his familiar scent, Marie slowly traced the shape of her despair.

It was obvious what Henrietta would think of her after this. The same went for everyone else. The servants of San Arzok, even the wives of knight-attendants who came to the castle. They would think Marie had tormented the lawful wife to keep her master in her bed.

"I am fine. More importantly, is the marchioness all right?"

"Why do you keep talking about that girl? Are you afraid of her? Do you think I cannot protect you?"

"No. It is not that. I am worried about her..."

Marie shook her head. Endymion's face had already hardened.

Marie was a threat to Henrietta simply by existing. Her presence in this castle was an unbearable misfortune, an intrusion into Henrietta's marriage.

And if that slave girl had already borne two of Henrietta's husband's sons, was carrying another child, and monopolized his favor, what could be more dreadful?

Marie's pale hand searched for Endymion before she bit her lip.

"Why are you worried about that girl?"

Because you are not, she wanted to say. Instead, Marie swallowed the words and sought something else to say.

"Since you have not recovered, I entrusted the banquet preparations to Elena."

"To Lady Elena?"

Elena had been Endymion's nurse. As Lucrezia's closest aide, the servants called her Madam Retman. Marie, too, called her Lady Elena or Madam Retman.

"You completed more than half of it already. You only need to finish it, do you not? You said the preparations were nearly complete."

"That is true, but..."

Marie looked at him uneasily. Endymion seemed not to care who oversaw the banquet. Marie and the child in her belly came first, and her recovery seemed to be all that mattered.

But Marie cared.

It was a banquet for the marchioness. Such a banquet could not be entrusted to a mere servant. Not that Madam Retman was incapable of overseeing it, of course.

As Endymion said, only the final details remained. Marie had even selected paper for the invitations. As long as the guest list was checked carefully, there was little to worry about. The ladies who had worked with Marie could discuss any problem with Elena.

Still, Marie feared people would say that a mere servant had overseen the marchioness's banquet. Marie had attended to past banquets as a concubine, but Lucrezia had always been in charge. Marie's name had not circulated among the guests. She was someone who should never be visible.

"Would it not be better to let the marchioness finish it herself?"

"No."

"Master..."

Marie swallowed a sigh. Endymion's face was stubborn. He looked determined not to permit Henrietta's influence in any part of this castle or household. Marie wondered why he had taken a bride at all if this was how he intended to treat her.

Marie believed Endymion needed to draw a line between them. It would not be easy, but she had firmly made up her mind. For a long time, she had been trying not to think of him as her lover.

He was a master who owned a slave.

Master and slave were different. Even if they shared a bed, ate the same food, and had three or four children together like acorns, a master was not one's partner. Even if he whispered love dozens or hundreds of times, mistaking favor for love could have only one ending.

Marie did not want to become like her mother. She had heard until her ears hurt how Agnes had lived and loved. Lucrezia, and the people who had cared for her, had always taught Marie about Agnes's life. They taught her what became of a slave who loved her master.

If she mistook being owned for love, her life would be no different. Marie had thought of Agnes when she gave birth to Claude. She had thought of Agnes even when Endymion did not love Claude.

Do not expect. Do not grieve...

Expecting nothing had allowed her to smile when he took a wife. Even while preparing his wedding, she had not shed a single tear.

"This is originally the marchioness's work. She is sad because I did not give her the opportunity to prepare it. I took her work away, so of course she must be upset."

"Be quiet and sleep."

Endymion spoke sharply. He was trying hard not to lose his temper. But Marie did not stop. He needed to love his wife. If he could not love her, he should respect her. Marie intended to do what she could for that.

"I was wrong."

"I told you to be quiet and sleep."

"I..."

"It is your work."

Endymion withdrew the hand that had been stroking her. Marie met his fully hardened eyes. He did not look as though he could be persuaded.

"This is the place you cultivated and cared for."

"Master."

"When you entered San Arzok and became my woman, you became my mother's daughter-in-law and successor. Do you not feel that it was taken from you? You changed the castle curtains every season, repaired the outer walls, met with gardeners, and cared for the grounds. Every year, you prepared my birthday and my mother's birthday banquet."

"..."

"The wives of knight-attendants you command. The servants who move at your word."

Endymion rolled his lip between his teeth. Marie held her breath and tried not to cry.

"Would you be all right if that woman took all of it?"

"..."

"Would you be all right if she took even my love?"

She would not. Of course not. Of course... it hurt terribly.

Marie was sad. No matter how hard she tried not to love Endymion, she had come to love him. And just as she loved Endymion, she loved San Arzok.

She had tried not to become attached, but she had tended every part of it with her own hands. There was not a wall or a nail in this castle that she had not attended to. How could she...

"I cannot forget."

Marie sobbed. Fever burned through her body until every limb ached, and the sorrow rushing over her heated the skin beneath her eyes. Endymion looked despairing as he confessed his pain.

To him, it might have been nothing more than a wedding that remained in his memory. But to Marie, to Marie...

"You smiled as you placed the ring for another woman's hand in mine."

Perhaps she had cried. Her nose stung, the skin beneath her eyes was wet, and she must have looked ridiculous.

Endymion pulled his weeping wife into his arms. To him, Marie had been his wife for a very long time. Ever since his dead father had placed her in his arms and called her his, she could have been nothing else.

His wife, woman, lover, his Marie. His possession. His love. The woman who had borne his children.

Endymion could not become erect for anyone but Marie. Even if that woman, the woman Marie called his wife, came to him half undressed and embraced him, no heat rose in that slack flesh.

So unless he took an aphrodisiac, he would never impregnate another woman. Not unless, after passionately having sex with Marie, he thrust himself into another woman's opening...

Disgusting.

The thought disgusted him. He could not imagine holding a woman who was not Marie.

Ridiculously enough, he was a man who had kept his devotion. Unlike Randolph, he had not slept with anyone but Marie. He had not even touched another woman with his fingertips. He did not speak long with them or offer them his attention. He was even that way with his mother.

Marie was the only woman in his world.

"Are you truly not bothered by any of this?"

He asked as he watched Marie sleep. Rather than answer, she furrowed her brows and winced faintly. Endymion found even that lovely and kissed her forehead.

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