XV: QUINDECIM

Chorong combs my soft hair as I sit on my new dressing table. According to the headservant, Miss Rino, my chamber is the second largest in the mansion, located on the end of the second floor. I occupy one end, and my new husband’s primary suite occupies the other end. 

It’s surprising that he’ll put me in the secondary bedroom. I thought I would be placed in one of the guest rooms. My chamber opens with arched doors. It is a spacious suite with carpeted floors and a King-sized bed. There’s a small couch and seating set-up near the window ledge. I have two desks - a dressing table and another writing desk lined with gold and glass. My high ceiling is painted with frescos and attached with cove lighting detail and a chandelier. 

I remove the amethyst ring carefully. After finishing with my luggage, Bomi comes over and offers her hand, but I shake my head and tuck it safely inside a drawer of the dressing table. I'm going to be really careful with this new-inherited family ring. If I break it, Mrs. Lee wouldn't be happy when I return them. 

Actually - seeing from the way she was overjoyed in tears tonight - I think she would be utterly disappointed when I return the ring - even if it isn't broken. 

I sigh to myself inwardly. It's funny, after all, most newlyweds would never think of divorce on their wedding night. 

But Taemin and I were never engaged in a real marriage, and we were never normal spouses. 

Well, this was the price we both had to pay. 

The tireless wedding day prevented my dreadful thoughts from disturbing my sleep. I landed on my bedsheets and fell into unconsciousness almost right away. When I squint my eyes open again, the morning sun already sent its beams into my chambers. I stretch out of my sheets and cleared my throat. Bomi and Chorong came in to serve me right away. Both of them made no such comment on the things that happened last night. 

“Did you have a good sleep, my lady?” Bomi asked. I returned her with a smiley nod. The bed was different from my home in district 4, but it’s soft enough for me to tumble around. I wash my face in the marbled bathroom, while my maids fix my hair and attire. I slip on a white shirt dress and accessorise them with amethyst earrings - the presents from Mrs. Lee last night. I slip on the family ring as well. Despite knowing that his servants are tight-lipped, I don’t know what they’ll think of me yet, so showing off some prestige and nobility is necessary. I don’t sleep in the same room with my husband, but I’m still the named-high lady of the house. I would not allow servants to disrespect my name. 

The head-servant, Miss Rino awaits me down the spiral stairs. Behind her, a line of servants place themselves into a neat line on both sides, revealing an aisle for me to walk through.

“Marchioness.” They all bow their heads when I descend down the stairs. 

I nod, trying to act like an elegant lady while hiding the weird feeling in my chest. 

Rino speaks first. “Marchioness, as requested by the Marquis, this is the full house of all our servants. We pledge our loyalty to you, madame.”

They bow their heads again. Taemin surely knew what to do with his servants. He’s making me look like the real female owner of this mansion. 

“All your pledged loyalties will be treated with respect.” I give them a regal nod. 

“Please return to your places.” I give off my first command and they scatter back to their positions. 

I catch a glimpse of reverence past Rino. Thankfully, it looks like I’ve won over the respect of the head-servant. She stays rooted in her spot then dips her head towards my direction. 

“Madame, I have been instructed to tour you around the mansion before breakfast.” 

It’s clear who it was that instructed her. I’m surprised that Taemin told his servants to welcome me on full-scale, not to mention that he got someone to bring me around. 

I nod and let her guide the way. Rino does the talking and I throw in some occasional questions from time to time. His Belmont mansion feels surreal and fantastical. It’s not like the palace, where everything screams gold and majesty and wealth. It’s simplistic, but decorated in artistic details that blows my mind away, like the hand-painted frescos on the vaulted ceiling, the marbled floors, the chandeliers with golden ceiling medallions and the long spacious hallways lined in natural stone.

However, there is one thing that disappoints me. Rino opens up the French doors to lead me into an exquisite garden. The space is vast and filled with greenery, but the uniformed plants only make the space look… a bit bland, I would say. 

Rino senses my disappointment, but she doesn’t flinch. In fact, she chuckles, knowing that I can create a blanket of flowers with a snap of my fingers. 

“When my lord first moved into Belmont, he has instructed us to keep things simple, however, with your presence, madame, I’m sure the garden would transform into a paradise.” Rino says with a smile. 

I look outside the bland bushes and tall grass. It’s a shame that he has left this space with dull colours. If I have the chance, of course I would transform this place into a captivating garden, but then again, I’m not sure if I’m allowed to do so.

“Can I?” I ask carefully. 

Rino chuckles. “The floor is all yours, madame.”

I smile. “I’ll get to work right away.” 

“It’s our honour, madame."

She brings me through the hallways again and back to the spiral stairs. Instead of going up, we go down. Once we arrive the basement, we stop behind a pair of white double doors. Surprisingly, she doesn’t bring me inside the doors, nor explain to me what’s inside.

She explains. “It is inappropriate for me to enter this space at the moment, but you are welcomed to explore the basement at any time, madame.”

I give her a nod. “Sure, thank you.”

“This is the end of the tour, madame. If you have any inquiries, please voice them to me, I will do as much as I can.” She bowed. 

“Have a good day, madame.”

“Rino.” I call her before she steps on the stairs. 

She turns to me right away, with her hands placed respectfully to the front, waiting for another order. 

“Madame?”

I suppress the weird twinge in my chest. “Please call me Lady Son instead.”

I see a tiny flinch past her brows, but she suppresses it with a perfect smile. “Of course, my lady.”

I wonder what’s behind the mysterious door for Rino to stop her steps. She said it’s inappropriate for her to enter, but somehow I can go in? Perhaps it’s some top secret of this house? A trail of thoughts follow my speculations as I turn the door knob. Warm lights fill my eyes as I walk further inside. 

Suddenly, I wondered where Taemin went. We’ve toured the whole house — including the basement, and I didn’t catch a single glimpse of him. Well, maybe he’s in the office, or he has his work outside. 

It’s then when I come across this glass door. When I get a glimpse of what’s inside, my feet harden into stone. I can’t help but to let out a gasp as I turn this glass door open. 

A 16 metre indoor pool stands before my eyes. 

It’s clad with mosaic tiles, with gold leaf tiles on the wall raining into the pool and transitioning into navy blue. 

I can’t believe that he has a freakin’ indoor pool in his basement. Rino should’ve said it earlier! I would’ve let her call me madame, if it meant that I could have a taste of this pool too. 

And then I realised why Rino said it’s inappropriate for her to enter.

My eyes travel to the far end, and a silhouette rises from the waters. 

The skylights only make his skin look paler than he already was. I hear a thump against my heart as he rises above the waters, surrounded by a gleam of luminescence and moisture. The crystal clear water goes up to his mid-chest, but the reflection still portrays an artwork of beauty. Without clothing, his shoulders are broader than I expected, with bulging biceps and curves that shape his arms. He turns around and leans against the edge, as he lifts his muscular arms to wipe his eyes. I catch the grooves that run mid-line down his chest, before they sink deep down below through the luring of the waters. 

I am lucky that the pool hides parts of his body. It prevents me from looking further downwards.

I’ve never had a taste of romance or had a glimpse of something further—a man before. I know how bodies are crafted from books, but not in real life. 

He raises his hand to flip his black hair that glistens against the skylights. 

Calm. Down. I tell myself, as I try to force down the thump on my chest, the lump in my throat and fan off the heat from my cheeks. I bring my gaze away from him and force myself to turn around. It’s never too late to run away before he notices me. 

He clears his throat. 

I curse myself a million times - why I walked into this room, why I caught sight of him, why I decided to stand still and-for heaven’s sake— admire his body with my own eyes, and why— why didn’t sneak out earlier. 

I turn back to him with the dullest expression I can manage, as if it’s no big deal seeing his upper body. 

Yes, it’s no big deal.

He surveys me with raised brows. 

I might look unfazed, but I’m unwilling to take another step towards him. I take a deep breath inwardly. Come to your senses, Son Naeun!

I clear my throat. “Y-You didn’t tell me there’s a nice pool down here.”

“You never asked.” 

I send him a look. Who would’ve expected an underground POOL?! 

I settle on the couch closest to the door, and furthest away from him. “Well then, I’d better make the best use of this pool before I leave.”

He nods nonchalantly, giving me permission to use his facilities. I keep my eyes on the clear waters and mosaic tiles, just so they won’t wander to elsewhere. 

“You finished the tour?” His voice echoes across the dribbling waters. 

“Rino is an excellent tour-guide. Everything was great, aside from the red carpet that gave me a bit of a heart-attack this morning.” 

The corner of his lips twitches. “Are you not used to one? I thought the dazzling Ms. Elantris would’ve taken the hearts of the continent and had admirers lining up from one side of the earth to the other.”

I roll my eyes. I’m not a Princess. The Ms. Elantris' election was just another gossip of the papers. 

“Don’t worry too much about the servants.” He adds. “I just need them to recognise the lady of the house.”

My heart stops for just another millisecond before it resumes itself. I might be able to hold my composure and prestige in front of the servants, but with him voicing it out loud – of things like I own the house, like I’m his actual wife, like I’m his literal half— and it takes me a moment to realise that I’m indeed married to him, and it makes me feel as if…. I really deserve to be here… and I’m really… 

His wife. 

I finally managed to take a glance at him, but it was absolutely bad timing, because without a word, he moves towards the pool side and climbs up from the waters, and I quickly turn away. 

His voice echoes from behind. “Did you have a good sleep?” 

I count another three seconds inwardly before turning back slowly. I catch a glimpse of him in the corner of my eyes. I don’t know if I'm relieved that he has a towel wrapped around his torso, or that he only has a towel wrapped around his torso. 

“The chambers are perfect. You?” 

He nods, ruffles his hair and picks up another towel to dry the drips. 

I am suddenly faced with a blast of visual stimulation, and my slowed heartbeat now quickens itself again. Now that his chiselled chest is in my sight, the grooves and creases and the defined muscles suddenly become more profound and artistic – almost as if sketching an artwork of masculinity. In the midst of the ferocious loud thump against my chest, I watch the grooves run from his chest – split and form creases, shaping his body into toned curves and notches. I find myself imagining those broad shoulders wrapped around mine, the body warmth that radiates against mine, and the chest that presses against my own, or maybe even certain dangerous areas of my body–

“I can see them.” His voice snaps my reverie.

“Your eyes,” He says, as I shoot my eyes straight up to his face. 

“They are being naughty.” He matches mine with a teasing gleam, along with– maybe pride? I’m not too sure what– lies in his orbs. 

Before I figure out what to say from embarrassment, he grabs a piece of clothing and smirks. “I’d better cover it up before you take too many free glances.” He says as he slips on the bathrobe. 

I look away, fi