I Become the Villain's Bride - Chapter 19
Chapter 19
“What, what’s going on? Why is the reaction like that?”
“That kid is calling her an absurd villainess. Who would say such nonsense?”
“Don’t be ridiculous. Until just before I left, he said he had no interest in things like marriage!!”
Fieldram, who was unusually loyal to Wilfred, had already adopted an attitude that made him seem like an enemy.
In the subtle atmosphere between the two that always seemed a bit off, if one were to examine who wanted the marriage more ‘proactively,’ it would undoubtedly lean towards the Duke’s side.
Wilfred, always doing unpredictable things, quite actively expressed his preference for the second daughter of Devlanc.
‘But it doesn’t seem like that’s the case for Freesia.’
Even though she was obediently following, her vigilant glances, like a young beast, looking around as if she might escape at any moment, didn’t disappear.
Maybe she had thoughts of escaping before the wedding night, fleeing like a squirrel over the fence. The fool deliberately stayed behind, causing a ruckus in the mansion.
“What’s going on?”
“Wil!”
As the Duke descended wearing his morning attire, Fieldram laboriously sheathed his sword, facing him.
Although the idiot himself seemed indifferent to whether he had lost his sanity over a woman or not, unfortunately, Wilfred’s current condition did not seem very healthy in Rashita’s eyes.
“Are you okay? Did you fall for villainess and decide to give up the entire dukedom?”
“…Interesting.”
“Huh?”
Contrary to expectations that he would outright deny such nonsense, Wilfred responded to Fieldram’s confusion with an expressionless face.
“It’s true that I’m enchanted. Not exactly an evil woman, but there’s something strange.”
“W-what does that mean?”
“You probably know better than anyone what state I’m in. Go ahead, tell me. It wouldn’t hurt to keep it in mind.”
Despite the owner willingly setting up the stage, Fieldram struggled to reproduce exactly what he had heard.
“So, I… I think Wil, you’re smitten with a woman…”
“I know that I’m infatuated with a woman.”
Due to his tendency to act with his fists before his head, Fieldram is strong, but precise control is needed.
Seeing him calm down after seemingly ready to destroy the mansion just a while ago, Rashita and the head maid nodded appreciatively at Wilfred’s skill.
“It seems that there will be quite a few guests today as well. May I go up to attend to Lady Freesia?”
“Just leave her alone.”
“Huh?”
“She might be tired, so just leave her alone.”
Assuming the Duke would handle the guest reception himself, the head maid cheerfully saluted.
While Rashita cleaned up the remaining debris and prepared to welcome guests, Wilfred, sipping his morning tea, asked Fieldram, who had bowed his head before him.
“So, who told you such nonsense?”
“I met the Viscount of Marseilles on my way back. A cunning woman who didn’t know the topic, but she’s the one who flirted with Lord Gandair before. She said she has now enchanted you and is going to marry me.”
“What?”
Facing Fieldram, who seemed to bring some absurd rumor after seeing Freesia, Rashita faced him, not denying it outright.
Wilfred, facing Fieldram’s blunt question, merely gave a mysterious smile without saying anything.
“The Duke seems to be in a weird mood.”
The two maids, who had been watching the exchange silently, whispered among themselves.
“I’m disappointed, Fieldram.”
“But even after hearing it for the first time, I couldn’t believe it. You said you would never get married!”
If he were an ordinary heir of a dukedom, it might be different, but Wilfred was the type of person who would change the rules by roasting the nobles of the legislative branch, rather than being dragged into an unwanted marriage.
Why did he participate in this marriage? Facing a confused Fieldram who couldn’t understand the situation, Wilfred smiled bitterly.
“I fell in love at first sight.”
“Are you telling me to believe that now?”
“I have nothing else to say. However you look at it, she is the mistress of Crowford, so make sure you meet her expectations.”
“Wi-Wil!”
Fieldram’s impulsive charge was met with a cold rejection.
There was irritation filled in Wilfred’s actions amid his unusually fatigued appearance.
“If you come out like that, I’ll have no choice but to check it out myself.”
He couldn’t just leave a woman who could be detrimental to Wilfred alone.
The animalistic senses ingrained in his body were shouting like that.
While the formal guest reception began, Fieldram, having repaired his sword, stood firmly in front of the tightly closed bedroom door.
“This is not allowed!”
“Quiet, get out of the way!”
He kicked the door forcefully with his foot and entered the room, feeling a cold breeze on his cheek.
An open window and an empty bed.
Crowford’s Duchess, who should have been sleeping soundly on the bed, was gone.
“Huh?”
Why did this happen to come in at this time? Fieldram clutched his innocent head.
* * *
“Hmm.”
Twisting her body, she felt warmth. Come to think of it, on stormy nights, Lily, saying that she was scared alone, would always sneak into Freesia’s bed.
As a habit, Freesia would hug her sister and pat her head many times.
“You’re good. Our Lily.”
“…”
“Because you have your sister, nothing is scary. Everything will be okay.”
Even Lily, who had suffered greatly from harassment during her debut, could find stability somehow as long as Freesia was there.
Even though she had undergone unimaginable torment, Lily always questioned if she had done something wrong.
If choosing parents was a sin, it would be sad to conclude it that way.
“No matter what anyone says, I’m on your side.”
May her pitiable sister never cry secretly.
After patting her head many times, somehow the sensation in her hand felt subtly strange.
Come to think of it, the bed was excessively soft, and Lily’s hair, which should be voluminous, seemed strangely short.
When she opened her eyes, the sparkling blonde hair, touched by the morning sunlight, caught her attention first.
“Eek!!”
She hugged the duke, who was asleep with his eyes closed, and wondered what she had done. Freesia quickly backed away, covered herself with the blanket, and crouched down.
‘Did I… Did I cover him first?’
Whether sleeping with her sister, her younger sister, or even when the three of them slept together, it became a habit to cuddle and hold each other close.
‘When Rose slept with us, a pillow was always a basic option, and the cheeky Lily always snuggled into Freesia’s arms, asking for her head to be stroked.’
‘This is trouble.’
Even if we were sleeping in the same bed, the danger might not be the duke but rather her own habit.
“Hmm.”
Ignoring the movements of the duke who was just waking up, Freesia pretended to be deeply asleep with her eyes tightly closed.
‘Did I… did I get caught?’
Fortunately, the duke didn’t say anything and soon got up. After drinking a glass of water placed on the table, he silently opened the window.
The cold air seeped in, making her body shiver. Still pretending to be asleep under the blanket, a man’s arm slipped under her, and he lay down, crouching.
‘I hope he doesn’t notice my fluttering eyelids.’
Even though her eyes were closed, the overwhelming presence still made her aware that she was being watched.
“Whatever your intentions, I want to enjoy a normal married life properly.”
As their lips lightly touched, she opened her eyes cautiously.
“What do you mean?”
“No one will disturb us, so rest today. We can talk in detail later at night.”
Due to just waking up, she hoped that the disheveled blonde hair went unnoticed. With an emotionless face, the duke picked up the robe beside her.
There were scars on his chest and back.
There was a mention once that they were wounds from childhood. But seeing them in person, even the already healed scars seemed quite deep.
“It seems you’ve seen a rough sight.”
“No, I think it’s beautiful.”
Even with scars, a body with well-defined muscles is not common. If the muscles are too developed, it becomes burdensome, and if the shoulders are too narrow, the clothes’ lines do not show.
The most suitable way is to be slim yet exude a sturdy atmosphere.
“… Rest.”
He scowled openly, closed the door, and left the room.
She thought for a moment that she might have made a mistake, but it was already spilled water.
Looking out through the bright open window, Freesia realized.
“No one is watching?”
The bedroom was on the second floor. The height was not impossible to descend if she tore the curtains and used them as a rope.
Theoretically, it might be possible, but…
“If I jump out incorrectly, my ankle might get injured.”
Even if she ran away in her nightwear without anything else, the chances of escaping unharmed were almost zero.
Certainly, she spent the night as she wanted, but the duke’s intentions were still unknown.
“Well, considering I saw that sight yesterday, it’s only natural for things to cool down a bit.”
Recalling unintentionally accumulated embarrassing moments, Freesia tapped the pillow, realizing that one side of the Ruby earring, which was worn and slept on, was missing.
“Ah, no way.”
Certainly, it must be somewhere.
After searching every nook and cranny and even under the bed, she finally found the missing earring far away.
“It’s a bit misshapen, but there’s nothing I can do.”
Still, she could say she survived with the help of the long bed.
Tying the nightgown skirt to the side, Freesia crawled under the bed to reach for the fallen earring.
Admiring the immaculate cleanliness of the Duke’s mansion, which was dust-free, she was about to crawl back out when…
“This is not allowed!”
“Quiet, get out of the way!”
With a man’s shout, the door slammed open.
With several footsteps rushing in, Freesia quickly covered the exposed bed cover again.
“Huh?”
The missing Duchess, the wide-open window, and now…
It was enough material for people to misunderstand.
“The mistress has disappeared. Quickly, soldiers, search the garden!”
The urgent voice of the Maid made Freesia start to stick her head out to tell them it wasn’t her, but the name she heard behind her sent her scurrying back to the foot of the bed.
“Lord Fieldram. Why on earth are you doing this?”
Described as the Duke’s right arm, practically Crowford’s sword, but there is only one nickname that is popular within the fandom.
The God of Destruction, Fieldram.
Even for minor pairings, fans refrain from associating their favorite characters with him. A hapless man who doesn’t want anyone, not even his favorite character, to be involved with him.
Especially with the way he blindly follows Duke Crowford, he is practically treated as a fixed villain within the fandom.
No matter who gets involved with him, they end up facing adversity due to Fieldram’s jealousy, to the point that he’s become a cliché nuisance. However, it seems that even Freesia, having married the Duke, is not exempt from this.
“Smile Love”