chapter 7
Evnia walked forward, lightly brushing her fingertips over the clothes hanging on the rack.
Every single item looked like top-tier luxury goods. Even the texture of the fabric felt unusually refined.
In an impressed voice, Evnia asked,
“Since when were all of these prepared?”
“Well… when I first came here, most of it was already filled. I heard Lord Ram kept buying things whenever he thought of them.”
“He bought them himself?”
“Yes, for the bride.”
Hanna replied with a proud expression.
She seemed to hope Evnia would be moved by Ram’s devotion, but for someone who had merely ended up here as a temporary guest under his goodwill, the only emotion Evnia felt was pressure.
She quickly pulled her hand away from the wardrobe and asked,
“Am I really allowed to wear this?”
“Pardon?”
Hanna blinked blankly, then nodded as if she had finally understood.
“Oh, I’ll ask Guillermo-nim to adjust the sizes on a proper day. Just bear with it for today. Thankfully, it doesn’t look like there’s a huge difference in measurements…”
“No, that’s not what I mean. I’m not actually the bride. I shouldn’t be using things that belong to someone else.”
Hanna tilted her head again, looking genuinely confused.
“Um… are you not Lady Evnia?”
“That part is true, but… wasn’t Ram-nim’s bride originally supposed to be my sister Emilia?”
“That was true ten years ago. After she passed away, the bride who would come here became Lady Evnia. I’ve always thought you were the one I would serve.”
“You knew I was coming? But Ram-nim….”
“I knew. Guillermo-nim knew, Seven-nim and Sir Max knew as well, and Lady Levy… maybe? Anyway, the only one who didn’t know for sure was Ram-nim. He’s been asleep the entire past ten years.”
That reminded Evnia of something Guillermo had said earlier.
She had thought it meant he had simply been wasting time doing nothing—but could it be that he had literally been asleep for ten years?
Evnia asked in disbelief,
“Is that even possible?”
“Ah, it might sound a little pathetic, but please understand. People sleep more when they’re depressed. After hearing about his sister’s death, Lord Ram was deeply devastated. I’m sure he cried a lot where no one could see.”
As Hanna explained, an image of a man sobbing uncontrollably naturally formed in Evnia’s mind.
It didn’t suit the “monster Ram” she had imagined, but if he had been waiting only for his wife’s reincarnation, it didn’t seem impossible.
When he found out that the wife he had longed for had died again before ever reaching his hands—what kind of emotions had he felt then?
“I don’t think it’s pathetic.”
Evnia replied impulsively.
She had no intention of belittling his love like that.
Recalling Ram’s warm gaze as he looked at his deceased wife, Evnia added slowly,
“I actually… think he’s a very good person.”
At her words, Hanna’s face brightened.
With renewed energy, she began rummaging through the dressing room, looking for clothes suitable for Evnia.
“That’s right. There are some nasty rumors about him outside, but that’s just because people don’t know the truth. I grew up in this region, so I know—he’s so lazy he wouldn’t even kill a mosquito. He raises his voice at Guillermo-nim sometimes, but if you look closely, it’s usually Guillermo-nim’s fault. He even ignored Lord Ram’s order to cancel a marriage proposal and didn’t pass it on properly.”
So that was why a marriage contract no one knew about had been proceeding in the first place—someone had been meddling behind the scenes.
From what Evnia recalled of Guillermo’s polite demeanor, it didn’t seem like he acted out of malice.
“If Lord Ram had been able to go outside more, he wouldn’t have been deceived like that. As you can see, he just refuses to get out of bed… he even placed a barrier around his room for a while and secluded himself. The only one who could break through it in this entire castle was Guillermo-nim, so the rest of us couldn’t even report it.”
“Why would Guillermo-nim accept a bride that the master himself didn’t even want?”
“I’m not sure. When I once asked if there was no need to keep hiring me anymore, he said that Lord Ram still needed a bride. So I figured he must have had his reasons.”
Well, at least I didn’t end up unemployed, so I suppose that’s a good thing.
Hanna added that last part as she pulled out several sets of indoor clothing and presented them to Evnia, signaling her to choose.
After hesitation, Evnia picked the simplest chemise.
It wasn’t as if Ram would demand repayment for the clothes he had prepared for her, but she still wanted to rely only on help she could realistically repay.
Fiddling awkwardly with the unfamiliar garment, Evnia said,
“But marriage is supposed to happen only if both parties want it. From what I can tell, Ram-nim doesn’t seem to have any intention of meeting another woman besides his late wife.”
“Hmm… Guillermo-nim is a bit… unusual in how he thinks. He’s not really human, so it’s hard to explain. He might’ve just wanted someone to serve as lady of the house, since he’s very dedicated to his role as a butler.”
Hanna added the speculation with unsettling plausibility.
Evnia fell silent for a moment, recalling Guillermo serving food with oddly proud composure.
Hanna cautiously observed her expression before speaking again.
“But I also agree that Lord Ram needs someone new. He’s… been lonely for a very long time. I heard his late wife was a very good person, but I’m not sure whether that kind of love is truly a good thing.”
No matter how happy they had once been, no matter how deeply they had loved each other, it was all already in the past.
Because those precious times had existed, his present days without her must be even more painful.
Was forcibly clinging to a passing relationship really the right choice for him?
Was enduring endless suffering for a brief happiness closer to a reward—or a punishment?
Hanna asked such questions, but Evnia could not bring herself to answer. It wasn’t her decision to make.
After a long silence, Evnia changed the subject.
“By the way, Hanna… are you not human either?”
“Pardon?”
“Sorry if that was rude. You seem about my age, but you know so much about things from long ago, so I just wondered.”
“Oh, no! I am human. I’m twenty years old. I just know a lot about this castle because I’ve lived here since I was a baby. Guillermo-nim picked me up off the streets to serve as a maid for the lady.”
“…You were hired as a maid when you were a newborn? Twenty years in advance?”
“People here don’t really have the same sense of time as ordinary folks.”
Hanna laughed awkwardly.
Twenty years old.
That was the exact same age as Evnia’s sister, Emilia.
So this maid had essentially been prepared for her sister from the moment she was born.
Like this wardrobe full of affection—filled with the wish that a bride leaving her family would find peace and comfort in a strange land without any hardship.
Evnia suddenly recalled Ram lying listlessly under the blanket.
And the people of the Hesen family who had wept when they heard of Emilia’s death.
‘So… this place is like our home too…’
This castle had been preparing to welcome Emilia even before she was born, and the Hesen family had spared no sacrifice to protect their daughter.
A thought suddenly crossed her mind.
What kind of life would it be—if the entire world moved for your happiness?
What would it feel like… to be loved by everyone?
