Chapter 18

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“I’m sorry, my Lady. I was stupid. I asked you to go first, but when I heard you went missing, I got so scared of Iz’s reaction that I ended up lying to him...... Really, I’m so ashamed to admit this.”

Freya, who repeatedly bowed her head, her purple eyes glistening with tears, seemed truly sorry.

If I hadn’t known much about their relationship, I might have forgiven her.

She said she was scared of Izek’s reaction? What dog sh*t. And if she was really sorry, she would tell him the truth later. Why would she only tell me? Ah, she was somewhat scary.

Depending on how I react here, I’d get to know Freya’s true self.

Of course, I would continue to look insignificant. Especially for her.

“It’s okay, that’s possible. Lady Furiana didn’t know that such an accident would happen. I understand everything, so don’t worry.”

“If I hadn’t made such an offer in the first place, my lady...”

“It’s really okay. It’s a secret, but this was actually a little fun. This had never happened in Romagna. I feel sorry that the paladins had been working so hard to find me until late at night, but I was fine.”

When I smiled brightly like a child, she stared into my eyes as if she were searching for something, and then grinned, like she understood. It may be just my gut feeling, but at first glance, she seemed to be ridiculing me.

“I see what you mean. But I’m glad my Lady is okay. Feel free to let me know if there’s anything I can do for you in the future.” Suddenly, I could tell why I didn’t feel any animosity from her until now.

I was not worthy of hostility to her. Not at all. I didn’t know what suddenly offended her, but Freya was an old friend of Izek and Ellenia. Her position was unparalleled in the North.

No matter what happened, no one would believe me.

It was ironic that in this dark situation, the final boss: my husband, is my last ray of hope. The problem was that I hadn’t even seen a strand of his hair since that night. To make matters worse, I couldn’t even dare to take a step outside the mansion even after my injured ankle was healed.

The guards in the mansion watched me with their eyes wide open as if they were very happy about the situation. Ellenia seemed to be very angry with me and stuck to a very bystander-like attitude.

Haa.

I couldn’t even go out of the mansion even after my ankle healed.

I had to see his face to check if I had a chance of surviving or not!

If he made a decision, threw away all my hard work, and sent me home, I... I didn’t want to even imagine what was going to happen next.

“The banquet will be held soon.”

But Ellenia was less heartless compared to her brother. She visited me and kindly reminded me of the event I had forgotten.

My husband’s birthday, in the midst of the cold and ruthless winter, was approaching. Summer had already ended.

“What can I help you with?...”

“I’m just going to do what I do every year, so it’s fine. By the way, all the clothes you’ve ordered will arrive this afternoon.”

When I asked carefully, she retorted with a sharp tone.

Indeed, even if I stepped up in this situation, I felt that I would only gain more haters, and not provide help. So I decided not to pressurise anymore.

Ellenia looked at my bowed head without saying a word, and got up, “I’ll be a little busy until the day before the party. I told the maid to prepare whatever you need right away, of course.”

So, that was how I’d been placed under the mercy of these scumbags, who were anxious to kick me out, for a while.

Waah! Ellen, why do you keep abandoning me?

Until just a while ago, the servants all pretended to take care of me, but after the night of the incident, they all became cold again.

When I pulled the rope by my bed because I needed something, a maid with an unpleasant look would appear almost half a day later.

The maid who received my jewellery the other day was named Lucille or something – it would have been a pain if I hadn’t bribed her that day.

I didn’t know who was going on, so I didn’t want to ask about anything sensitive.

In particular, the maid(nanny) felt as threatening as Freya.

How do I lighten my complicated husband’s mood? I was also stressed about what to prepare as a birthday present. It’s not that I hadn’t experienced such a similar situation, but I was being very careful because I didn’t know when or where he’d go. After nearly half a day of racking my brain, I decided to just rely on experience. Since it was difficult to ask anyone out of the house anyway, all I could prepare was embroidery.

My father’s mistress, Lady Julia, brought me an embroidery kit as a wedding gift.

I was lucky to still have it.

“I didn’t know you enjoyed embroidery.”

When I stayed in my bedroom all day, maybe because she thought it was suspicious, but the maid who came, mentioned this.

I just grinned.

“I’m just practicing.”

“Are you making it for the Duke?”

“Yes, but it’s been a while, so I don’t know if it’ll be good. I wonder what would be the most appropriate...”

“If you don’t mind the advice of this humble servant, a willow pattern would be great.”

“Willow...”

“Yes, when the Duke was young, there was a willow tree that he often climbed up and played with. But now it’s been a long time since it was cut down, so he often feels sad remembering it.”

Her light brown eyes glowed with a mean look, along with that thin smile. I got goosebumps at that moment, but I didn’t show it and smiled.

“Ah, thank you for the good information. I’ll keep that in mind.”

Of course, I had no intention of embroidering the willow tree.

What, he often felt sorry remembering it? Aside from the fact that I was not the type to fall into such cheap sentiments, her hate for me was too much to actually ask me to do this. I didn’t know exactly what caused Omerta’s mother to die such a tragic death, but I clearly remembered that she had committed suicide by hanging herself from a willow tree in the backyard.

I still couldn’t believe she told me to embroider that.

A sign asking to be beaten to death by a willow cane.

She must have turned off the fire on purpose on the first night.

It was just a suggestion, but it was very obvious, you b*tch!

She seemed to be looking forward to me getting kicked out of here, but I won’t allow that, you vile woman.

When I thought of my first night here, I naturally thought of monsters.

Especially Popo. A strange creature who understood me and helped me. I thought it was silly back then, but there were suspicions that other monsters might be the same as it. The Gargoyle in the basement where Cesare had once pushed me into. My first night, when I met that monster, and the water monster that dragged me into the palace pond...

I was sure that Rudbeckia had some connection with monsters.

I didn’t have the weird ability to do this. No, I didn’t think there was a human being with such an unusual ability to understand monsters in this world itself.

Nevertheless, Popo communicated clearly with me and made it clear that it couldn’t understand what anyone else said, except me.

It was something I had to wait and see for now.

If I told someone about this beforehand, I’d be labelled a witch.

I worked hard on the embroidery for a few days. It had been a long time and I was so absorbed in it that my fingertips were swollen, but I ignored it.

By the time it was almost completed, I had asked Lucille to give me stationary for writing a letter.

While I was writing with all my heart, I was a little scared that the personality wrecker might just tear it apart, but I couldn’t just stop. My back throbbed, and pain spread through my lower stomach.

I heard bad things happen all at once. I knew I had irregular cycles, but why did it have to come today? It was sad that even Mother Nature wasn’t on my side.

I was pretty good at enduring pain, but this time it was especially severe.

I almost wanted to roll over the bed.

How long had it been since I pulled the rope next to my bed, sweating buckets?

“Are you feeling uncomfortable, ma’am?”

It would have been better if Lucille came, but why did this maid come? Just as I was about to grumble and open my mouth, she spoke, “You don’t seem very well, I’ll get you a painkiller for now. Also...”

Huh?

I tilted my head and looked at her.

The pain was so severe that my vision was blurry, but I could see that the grumpy maid had a hesitant look on her face.

What, what are you pretending to be hesitant about?

“I’m sorry, but the Duke has said to tell my Lady to stay here today. You don’t have to attend the banquet.”

What?

“You just don’t seem to be feeling well, so you’d better follow it. If there is anything I can deliver to the Duke, I will deliver it for you.”

Of course, I didn’t plan on leaving my well-prepared gift in the hands of this woman.

And what? What’s going on? You must be selling me crap.

No matter how angry he was, I couldn’t just stay in my husband’s room while his birthday party was going on. I wanted to believe that it couldn’t be possible for him to say that, but on the other hand, I felt anxious about what to do if it was real.

It was not impossible if it was him.

I knew he was not going to see me for a while, but if he was really trying to get rid of me...

Only

Not long after the maid left, Lucille came in and gave me painkillers. I felt sorry for myself, but I was unfamiliar with the way she looked at me with pity.

I asked her to call Ellenia, but all I could hear was that she was out and that she would be back by the end of the banquet.

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