I Become the Villain's Bride - Chapter 20

Chapter 20

“That woman, she didn’t run away on her own, did she?”

“How can you say such absurd things!”

It felt awkward to go out after being under the bed, to say the least.

Strategic retreat.

Quietly holding her breath, Freesia listened intently to the conversation between the housemaid and Fieldram.

“It’s strange. Will said he has no interest in things like marriage.”

“Why are you so naive? Everyone, gather quickly! We must find her, even if we have to search the entire soldiers and the garden!”

The impatient handmaiden dismissed everyone, and only afterward did she grab Fieldram and explain the situation.

“Her Highness knows the master’s secret.”

“She found out about the secret? How did that happen?”

“I don’t know either. When she demanded marriage using the secret as a pretext during a difficult moment, Freesia appeared and saved the master.”

It felt like hearing both stories that should not be heard and stories that must be heard at the same time.

So, the princess knows the undisclosed secret of the Duke, precisely something even Freesia is unaware of, and she used it as leverage to demand marriage. The conversation overheard by mistake at the ball seems to fit the context, but the following part is hard to sympathize with.

“She’s the one the master chose. She has a good character and a lively personality, so it’s rare to find a lady like her in the capital.”

“What, a good character?”

At the point where she thought she would hear praise for saving the precious Ruby, which was believed to have been lost forever on the day of the ball, The maid scolded Fieldram, praising him with compliments she could not have expected.

“That woman threw herself in front of arrows to save the master because she deeply loves him. Why would you disrespect such a pitiful person who endured all the wedding preparations without complaining?”

To the point of overpraising, it became unclear whether it was due to exasperation, but after hearing these stories, Freesia couldn’t come out from under the bed.

Whether the Maid’s pitiful appeal worked or not, Fieldram did not say a word for a while.

“If not for Madam, by now, instead of a wedding, a funeral would have taken place. Oh, our Madam. Where on earth have you gone?”

Tears streaming down, the maid also ran out of the room, declaring that they would find Freesia.

Though one more set of footsteps should be heard, for some reason, Fieldram didn’t say a word and stood in front of the window like a sleeping statue.

Looking at the feet visible through the bed cover, Freesia took a moment to organize her thoughts.

“So, everything I’ve done so far…”

Even the various nagging, claiming it was intentionally to receive hatred, seemed to the maid as the behavior of a spirited young lady not typical for her age.

It seems the operation to be hated and driven away completely failed.

In the midst of this, Fieldram is outright declaring that he will kill Freesia, making the situation even more helpless.

“She jumped from here?”

At that moment, Fieldram’s footsteps vanished, and a thud was heard from beyond the garden.

Only then did Freesia confirm the empty room and finally crawled out from under the bed.

“Madam! Where are you!!”

Wondering what to say in this situation, Freesia closed her eyes firmly and made a decision.

Indeed, when cornered, ignorance is the best.

With the Ruby earring, thought to be lost, now back in her ear, Freesia closed her eyes and lay on the bed as if nothing had happened.

“Jumping without any support is impossible. If there is something like a rope…”

Fieldram, who came back up to the room, found Freesia pretending to be asleep on the bed.

How would he react?

“What, what is this!”

“I found Madam!”

Just like someone who just woke up from a nap, Freesia nonchalantly rubbed her eyes, got up, and looked brightly at the contemplative maid.

“Good morning, everyone.”

“Ma-Madam?”

“Why is it so noisy this morning? What happened?”

Unlike the composed Freesia, everyone who saw the empty bed could not say anything with faces as if possessed by a ghost.

Indeed, Fieldram was in a dire situation on how to handle this.

* * *

After finishing a late morning meal, Freesia dressed up and began preparations to welcome guests.

“I heard you might be tired today, so take a rest.”

“I have to do what needs to be done properly. I feel much lighter after a good sleep.”

Fieldram felt like he was possessed by a ghost when he heard that he had slept so well without waking up once.

He vowed to give her a good scolding now that he had seen her face, but he had no idea who this woman was who had disappeared and reappeared so suddenly.

“We don’t allow men in from here on out.”

“At whose behest?”

“I need to change my dress.”

Fieldram rushed out of the room as Freesia hesitantly ran her hand over the knot in her nightgown, and then replayed the morning’s events piece by piece.

“What the hell is going on?”

Sure enough, there was not a single ant on the bed.

If someone had come and gone, there should have been traces, but anyone observing outside the dwelling testified that they hadn’t seen anyone entering the room.

“What on earth happened?”

Certainly, if she had truly disappeared, it would be a significant problem in itself.

Pondering for about an hour, Fieldram swallowed hard in front of the finished Freesia.

“Is this some kind of scam?”

“Please call it art. Our mission is to enhance the beauty that the lady was born with as much as possible.”

Maturity had settled on the still-young face. Freesia, wearing a dried rose-colored dress and elegantly tying up her brown hair, extended her hand lightly to Fieldram standing by.

“Will you not escort me?”

“Uh, well….”

“Making a lady wait is not good manners.”

Perhaps it was a monster wearing human skin inside out. Otherwise, the previous behavior is simply incomprehensible.

Even with a not-so-great effort to think, there is no satisfactory answer.

Wilfred, who usually faced guests with an expressionless face, hurriedly approached with a surprised look at the unexpected arrival of his wife.

“I told you to take a break today.”

“I am the duke’s wife. I want to do what I have to do properly.”

The duke, momentarily thinking that her bright, smiling smile was quite cute, quickly approached and lightly caught the hand that Fieldram was escorting.

“Why did you two come together?”

“I naturally thought they were sent as my escort.”

In the moment of the natural smile, Fieldram’s situation became even more awkward.

Even after glancing around and stepping back in various ways, Fieldram’s gaze continued to be directed towards Freesia.

‘Something seems odd.’

With his hand casually placed on his waist, Duke Crowford never left the side of his ‘wife.’ Seeing them exchanging light food and conversation, it seemed that the two got along quite well.

“My dear, say ‘ah.'”

Watching the public display of affection, Fieldram’s insides twisted even more.

With a deliberate gesture, Freesia put a piece of fruit into the Duke’s mouth.

“My dear, actually…”

Hearing the so-called lady’s whisper, the Duke suddenly glanced at Fieldram’s place.

Clearly, she’s saying something, but there is conviction without evidence.

‘That’s real.’

Indeed, that woman is undoubtedly a monster in human disguise.

* * *

“My dear, say ‘ah.'”

Facing the smiling Freesia, the duke was momentarily caught in a dilemma.

Until just now, it seemed like he couldn’t stand the sight of her at all.

Despite being told to take a break, Freesia intentionally stepped forward in front of the guests and displayed affection.

“I actually have something to say.”

With a mischievous smile veiled in shyness, Freesia glanced towards the distant Fieldram.

Simple and ignorant, yet possessing a destructive power that was unmatched.

Moreover, openly harboring resentment towards the ‘duke’s wife,’ she might be able to use that as an excuse to escape from the duke.

“What’s the matter?”

“Well, you see.”

There might not be anything specific to say, but creating a situation that Fieldram could misunderstand was sufficient.

Motioning for him to come closer, as he approached, Freesia softly whispered in a voice that only he could hear.

“You seem very nice, Mr. Fieldram, and I was wondering if you were seeing anyone else?”

Blinking naturally, Freesia smiled slyly.

“I don’t think so.”

“I see. It’s nothing special, just asking in case I could introduce someone around.”

Introducing a destructive deity recklessly might lead to some grudges.

There would never be such a thing, but at least, there was nothing better than to amplify Fieldram’s anxiety about the unknown content.

The duke’s eyebrows furrowed at Freesia’s unusually lively appearance.

“Your taste is unique.”

“It’s cool, isn’t it? Initially, he may seem reserved, but once he falls in love, he’ll probably become a husband who only looks at his wife.”

“A husband who only looks at his wife?”

By now, Fieldram might be trembling in anxiety, thinking that he might be scolded.

Leaning her head slightly on the duke’s arm, Freesia discreetly observed Fieldram’s helpless appearance.

“Smile Love”