A Noble Marriage - Chapter 39

Chapter 39 – The Oddity In His Study (2)

Soon she returned to the study holding a stool with a cushion that looked full and fluffy. Something other than the teacup, without edges and corners appeared in this room, and it also brought its own fluffiness.

Karenin didn’t say anything about the oddity in his study. He accepted all of this, all of her. And in the days to come, he would often watch his wife move in and out of his world and fill his edgy world with more round and soft things.

According to Karenin’s habits, his guests always sat opposite him, either in their uniform or formal clothes. When talking to them, Karenin was accustomed to figuring out the next sentence before he finished speaking.

But today, after he sat down, he found that he was a little unsure of what tone to use to talk with his company right now.

Next to his empty chair, there was a stool, a fluffy stool. It was pink and had lace made of ribbons. He was sure that if he put his finger on it, it would bounce back gently.

She sat down at the stool and he noticed her from their close proximity. She wore a white skirt, and the neckline of her top was closed with a blue brooch in the middle. Her slender neck was right next to his face and he could see how delicate her skin was, it was like a beautiful lily, how the soft petals look up towards the blue sky. Her gray eyes, that resembled stormy skies, looked towards him and she praised what he had written.

“You write perfectly, Alexei. Anyone can see it at a single glance!” Anna genuinely admired the form.

Karenin’s handwriting had always been her favorite, neither too pretty nor too blunt, but his logical thinking was very strong too. The relationship context listed was simple and clear, and the key points were very prominent.

“It’s nothing.” Karenin said, keeping his voice stable, as his heartbeat unsteadily in his chest.

He began telling Anna about several circles of Petersburg high society. Karenin had divided them into three categories, based on who she should contact as a distinguished lady in Petersburg.

The first was the circle that Anna must be involved in the future. It included his colleagues and subordinates. But it wasn’t the main task today, as Karenin himself would have an active role in this circle.

The second was the circle headed by Countess Lydia. Although it was flashy, it was a secret political channel. Some of these things Karenin would tell his wife slowly in the future.

The third circle was the one that Anna would come into contact with the next day, headed by Duchess Patsy. This was Karenin’s least favorite circle, but he couldn’t completely avoid it.

“Your cousin Patsy is an excellent leader of this circle. She has fully grasped the core meaning of this circle and has never deviated from the theme from beginning to end.” Karenin said in a flat tone.

Although most people would have no idea when they heard this evaluation, Anna could tell that Karenin didn’t like Patsy very much.

“Alexei, don’t you like Patsy?”

Karenin looked intently at her and said, “If someone else asked me this question, I would avoid answering it with my personal preference, or tell them what they want to hear. But I said I would always be honest with you, so I have to tell you with regret, Anna, I don’t like this lady.”

Anna doesn’t have much of an image of Patsy, but only remembered that she was a beauty. Now she was even more curious about why Karenin didn’t like Patsy.

“I don’t want to talk about other people’s right and wrong, Anna. A man should not talk about a woman, regardless of her status.” Karenin said sternly, and Anna knew it meant that he was unwilling to talk about it for the time being.

She no longer delved into it, but she saved this information quietly in her heart. She made up her mind that she would have to find out for herself tomorrow about their history, because she didn’t like her husband thinking about someone else too much. She glanced up at her husband, and saw that his lips were pursed up, as he was obviously a little displeased.

She went over to him and kissed each corner of his mouth. Then she raised her hands and gently lifted the corners of Karenin’s mouth, revealing a small stiff smile.

“Who is in front of you now?” She asked.

Karenin raised his hands, held Anna’s wrists, and finally gave her a kiss on the knuckle of her thumb. His eyes were fixed on her, and he replied calmly.

“You, only you.”

Anna smiled.

Later in the evening, she recalled what had happened that day and understood one thing. She thought she was a tolerant and magnanimous person, but in fact, if it is related to Karenin, she is also the most ordinary person, with a few shortcomings such as a little jealousy.