I Become the Villain's Bride - Chapter 43

Chapter 43

A sudden throbbing headache pierced through her head.

“Are you okay?”

Despite saying she was fine and trying to swallow the dryness in her throat, Freesia nestled into his arms, trying to suppress her confusion.

“This is the first time I’ve heard of such a thing.”

“You’ve always been afraid of me. Your sister, who used to say you’re the prettiest in the capital, deliberately came to find me and even argued with me.”

She had repeatedly argued and insisted on breaking up with her sister, saying this marriage was absolutely not allowed.

The sight of her drooping head was somehow pitiful.

Despite their close relationship, it seemed like there was a lot of regret, as he expressed a heartfelt look of disappointment.

He looked somewhat like a big puppy.

“I’m not afraid of you at all now.”

“Really?”

“You’re kind of cute. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve lost my memory.”

She deliberately tousled his neat hair. Besides the fact that she had been called a husband from the beginning, there was an inexplicable feeling of familiarity with this person.

“It seems like you’ve been very resentful towards me.”

“Resentful?”

“I’m not sure, but I suddenly had that thought.”

As he approached, she held him tightly. Despite feeling like she should be anxious because of her lost memories, she couldn’t help but feel extremely comfortable in this cozy nest.

“I’ll excuse myself for a moment as it’s late.”

Knock, knock, accompanied by the sound of knocking, there was a presence outside the room.

“What’s wrong?”

“Ah, well… Lady Freesia, I mean, my lady, has awakened, they say.”

Since she had collapsed, Luca had been training diligently, and it wasn’t until after the sun had set that he heard the news of Freesia waking up. The belated attendants, worried about their master’s feelings, quickly took Luca’s hand and led him inside.

“I apologize. I will teach him better so that this won’t happen again.”

“What’s going on?”

“Come to think of it, she probably forgot about this child’s existence too.”

Contrary to expectations of receiving a reprimand, Wilfred, with a gentle smile, allowed Luca to enter.

The boy, who had been nervously observing their expressions, burst into tears as soon as he confirmed the safe appearance of Freesia.

“Lady Freesia, I…!”

“This child is the one we were taking care of together. Luca Bailey. At the request of Mrs. Bailey, who was not in good health, we took on the role of guardian.”

“That’s why. I’ve already been wondering if I had such a big child.”

Luca had been told that all of her memories were gone, and he had asked for a meeting the hard way, even if it meant being kicked out, because even if you lose your memories, you don’t change.

Freesia pulled at the sleeve of his shirt and gently wiped the tears from his eyes.

“Ada told me you protected me when I was in danger.”

“I wasn’t any help.”

Although she had heard in advance that she would have been in big trouble if it hadn’t been for her husband, who had come to fetch her, hearing such a young child say he would protect her was truly admirable.

Even though he was young, he had a sense of dignity that was truly commendable.

Seeing his tearful appearance somehow made her feel pitiful, so Freesia hugged the trembling child gently.

“Even just being there was a source of strength for me.”

“My lady.”

“Call me Freesia. ‘My lady’ makes me sound too old.”

Despite losing her memory, she hadn’t changed at all.

She smiled gently as she comforted the crying child again.

“Let’s keep the fact that I’ve lost my memory a secret for now. Since it doesn’t affect my normal life, let’s proceed with the visit to the library with the princess as we originally planned. Under the assumption that Luca will accompany us.”

“Leave it to me.I’ll make sure that nothing untoward happens to you again.”

The Duke’s prediction that Freesia, with her tender heart, would never let such a commendable statement slide, hit the mark perfectly.

After deciding on a date soon, Freesia stared intently at Alster’s collection of books hanging on the wall.

“Everything else seems to be the same, but this bookshelf stands out.”

“It’s your favorite book. You used to love that author.”

“Is that so?”

Without remembering at all, Freesia casually took out the book. After briefly flipping through it, she put it back on the shelf as if she had no interest.

“I’m not sure. I can’t believe I liked this.”

“…You really liked that author. You even prepared gifts personally.”

“Is that so…”

Despite having such a wonderful husband, why did she do such foolish things? None of the seemingly ordinary romance novel titles caught her eye.

“I’m going to sleep now. I feel a bit tired.”

“…You really don’t remember anything.”

“Yeah. I don’t remember anything.”

Freesia, feeling quite comfortable and relaxed, fell asleep in his arms.

Although she felt happy that he trusted her words without any doubt, for some reason, there was a slight ache in her heart, as if a hole had been pierced through it.

“Talking like this feels nice.”

“Really?”

“I don’t remember much, but I think I really liked you too.”

Blushing shyly, Freesia reached out and playfully tousled his blond hair.

Like two kittens who had just learned to love, they leaned on each other’s warmth and closed their eyes gently.

* * *

“It must be difficult for your beloved wife to have amnesia.”

He had brought the manuscript after completing the final proofreading for republishing, but for some reason, the author’s state seemed extremely awkward today.

“It’s not that difficult.”

“Well, it must be nice that your wife, who used to be afraid all the time, doesn’t know anything about your infamous reputation now.”

Wilfred’s discomfort with the Mustang’s needlessly irritating behavior only increased. 

Although the decision to republish was made entirely for her, for some reason, Freesia seemed to have no memory of her own book at all.

“Sir, madam is here.”

“Please show her in.”

Even though her memory was completely gone, Freesia, with her knowledge intact, willingly fulfilled her duties as the Duchess.

As he was about to put the proofreading manuscript back in the drawer, she carefully carried in a tea tray and welcomed the guest with an affectionate smile.

“You say you’re the head of the Mustrang Publishing Group?”

“Yes, madam. If you have any books you like, please let me know anytime. Even if it’s a book we don’t handle, I’ll do my best to get it for you.”

“I’ll gratefully accept your offer.”

“Rest a little more. There’s no need to rush out like this.”

Despite his suggestion not to overexert herself for the guest’s sake, Freesia offered him a cookie with a bright smile.

“The cookies were baked so deliciously that I wanted you to taste them first.”

“Madam, personally baked cookies… Can this humble man dare to taste them?”

“Of course. Feel free.”

Despite her gracious offer, Wilfred snatched the cookie from Mustrang’s hand and popped it into his mouth.

“Come on, I’m a guest.”

“I’m afraid I don’t have time to spare right now, so I’ll keep the cookie to myself and enjoy it.”

“Are you jealous?”

“…….”

Wilfred struggled to keep his composure at Freesia’s aggressive provocation and brought the plate of cookies to his desk. Mustrang clicked his tongue in disbelief as it was obvious he wasn’t going to share any of them.

“We’ve known each other for years, and it’s just one cookie?”

“It’s still awkward like this.”

“What’s so awkward about it? The duchess seems to be completely smitten with our Duke already.”

“…Well, that’s one way to put it.”

Wilfred’s true feelings are plain to see. A wife who seems to know nothing, and a duke who struggles to keep her happy.

It was refreshing for Mustrang to see a childish jealousy in Wilfred, as opposed to his usual cynical and cold demeanor.

“Isn’t it much better for the Duke to live with his memory as it is?”

“The human mind is truly cunning.”

Taking a bite of the cookie she had made, Wilfred swallowed the bitter taste along with his bitter feelings. While it warmed his heart to see her approach him with a carefree smile, it was somewhat regrettable that she no longer showed interest in his book.

“I was wondering how to thank you for the brownies.”

“What about your publishing plans?”

“…I don’t know.”

Although he had decided to retire from the position of Duke and had started writing cautiously upon hearing that his wife was eagerly awaiting his new work, now that he couldn’t fully dedicate himself to writing, he hastily finished two books while carrying around just one book and laughing and crying on the bed with his wife.

“…I originally wrote that story for Freesia’s sake.”

“Even so, now that you’ve written it, I hope you’ll complete it for the other readers who are waiting.”

“I know that.”

Just a few days ago, he had been jealous of Alster, the blindly adored author, but now that Freesia had completely forgotten his existence, he couldn’t help feeling a lingering sense of sadness.

Staring silently at the first edition manuscript of “Lady Margaret” tucked away in the drawer, Wilfred painfully realized the meaning of the word “dilemma.”

* * *

“How could my sister forget about me? How is that even possible!”

Lily’s eyes had not stopped shedding tears for a single day since she heard the news.

“It’s all a plot concocted by brother in law! That must be it!”

Facing her angry young friend, Sohee finally brought up the issue that had been weighing on her mind.

“Are you never going to see Matthew again now?”

“Absolutely not. How could Matthew and Lady Naphier do that to my sister, knowing how much she loved them both!”

Lily was well aware of Matthew’s affection for Freesia, but neither Rose nor Lily had ever suspected that Lady Naphier, who seemed to like her so much, had such intentions.

Even Lily, who prided herself on being everyone’s darling, had once envied her sister for receiving the attention of Lady Naphier, who was admired by various families.

“I didn’t know about that…”

She had thought that Matthew and Freesia would talk things out before anything happened, but she had only waited until Freesia realized her feelings.

Learning that Lady Naphiere considered the position of Matthew’s wife merely as a backup plan among various families filled Lily with unquenchable rage.

“Smile Love”