I am a bad wife.
The next morning. I was in the worst mood possible. I never thought I would be having a meal under the soft sunshine on the terrace surrounded by my ex-husband and his lover. There were several maids near the walls, all staring at me silently with cold eyes. Among them was Mille, the maid who comforted Anna before. She must have told her friends that I hit Anna.
The people here don’t seem to know my relationship with Anna. Over here, Anna might be known as Anton’s wife.
I am a woman of unknown origins who was brought into their master’s life. They wouldn’t think anything good about such a woman who even dared to raise her hand against Anna.
My ex-husband addressed me in a good mood without knowing my complicated feelings.
“How was your night? Some people apparently cannot sleep well when their pillow changes, did you sleep well? Yurika.”
“I don’t think Troylan-made pillows are fit for me. I never slept worse. I want to return quickly to my bed in Ligisia.”
“Is that so? But, you will get used to it soon.”
So even though I wanted to return, it didn’t seem like Anton would let me. He told me to get used to this country. Anna seemed uncomfortable and ate in silence while the former couple talked.
“Yurika, are you having trouble eating? You don’t like it?”
“No. Not really…”
Anton was concerned, but I wasn’t happy at all. The words Anna told me “Child caretaker” weighed on my mind. I intended to do my best to be this person’s wife. I have behaved myself well as a good wife should. Despite this, I was told that my husband did not even think of me as his wife, so his concern for me felt empty.
The breakfast consisted of poached eggs with multi-colored veggies, white bread with veggies, consomme soup, and yogurt.
“There’s no poison in it. Let me taste it for you.”
After Anton said so, he tasted the eggs, vegetables, soup, yogurt in my plate one after another. He apparently wanted to poison taste for me.
“See, you can eat without worries.”
“Hah.”
The reason I didn’t touch these dishes is not that I suspected they were poisoned but because I didn’t have an appetite. Seeing that triumphant look, I lost all of the remaining appetite I had.
Still, when I tried to reach towards the white bread Anton had not touched, his hand was faster. He brought it to his lips and said proudly: “It’s well-baked. Eat up.” making my appetite disappear all over again.
“Thank you for the meal.”
“You did not eat whatsoever, though?”
“I don’t feel like eating…”
In the first place, we are already divorced, so why do I have to sit around table with my ex-husband and his lover? The food that was in front of me looked delicious before my ex-husband touched it, but everything looked filthy to me the moment he touched it.
“I want to withdraw.”
“Mille, lead Lady Yurika to her room.”
Anna instructed Mille who stood next to the wall. Mille momentarily made an amusing expression, but she abided by Anna’s words. When I left with her, she scorned at me.
“You, who do you think you are?”
I sensed that Mille was my junior. I don’t remember ever being called by a younger woman with such a tone, and I couldn’t think why else would she treat me like that besides the time I hit Anna.
“How surprising. The maids of this house don’t seem to be well-educated. What do I think I am, you ask? Aren’t I a guest? How about you ask the person whom you call Master?”
Even children would understand that. When I spoke sarcastically, Mille made a displeased expression.
“That person? Call her Lady Anna. You are rude for someone that’s just a lover.”
“Haah? Me? A lover? Who said something so ridiculous.”
“No one said it… but anyone can see just by looking.”
When I retorted in displeasure, Mille took a step back. I cornered her against the wall, and touched the wall behind her with my hands.
“I will correct you so there’s no misunderstanding between us. You see, I am that person’s former wife. I even have a child. He got together with my trusted maid that was Anna and eloped with her. I am the one who was abandoned. Excuse me, but don’t compare me with that rude woman.”
“Hiii……!”
“I’m not rude whatsoever. Who is the rude one? Well, I will admit that I am a bad wife.”
I cannot be a good person after threatening a servant. I separated from the frightened girl.
“You guys never get bored, huh? Fine. You can talk about it all you want. I’m just tired of you saying whatever you want even though you don’t know what’s really going on.”
Mille didn’t say another word. I left her alone and went to the room that was allocated to me on my own.