I Become the Villain's Bride - Chapter 54

Chapter 54

For some reason, all the residents of Arisford died.

Although no one can say exactly who it was, the presence of a young boy who was oppressed in Arisford is clearly remembered by the merchants who passed through.

And strangely, around the same time, Luca Bailey, who was recuperating in the countryside, suddenly came to the capital and was entrusted not to the Bailey family, but to the Crowford Duke’s family.

Although there is no concrete evidence yet, circumstantial evidence made Sohee confident that the Duke of Crowford was behind all of this.

“We have confirmed that there was a boy who was endlessly discriminated against just because he was of mixed blood with the Eastern Continent.”

“I don’t see what that boy has to do with Luca. We even have the personal letters from the boy’s mother, Countess Bailey.”

Even if that boy is an impostor as Sohee claims, with the Countess Bailey and Duke of Crowford aligning their stories, if this becomes a public issue, Sohee will only make a fool of herself.

“Are you sure that what you’re doing right now is truly the right path for that child?”

“I…”

“If what happened in Arisford is fully uncovered, who do you think will be hurt the most?”

The boy, who was practically a slave to the entire village, disappeared, and the villagers were all found horribly dead. Even if it was retribution, if an official investigation begins, the boy would certainly not escape the death penalty.

But for the Duke of Crowford, that wasn’t even an issue. Simply because of the boy’s adequate skills and his young age, which could lull others into complacency, the Duke willingly created a false identity for him and made him his wife’s bodyguard.

“He’s still just a child. How could you use a child for something like that…?”

“This was entirely his own choice.”

To remain an orphan, exploited by the villagers, or to gain a noble title, even if in name only, and the protection of the Crowford family—naturally, the boy chose to take the Duke’s hand of his own will.

“If you really wanted to, you could have found him. The fact that you didn’t is on you.”

“You’re being too harsh.”

“If that’s how you feel, then persuade him yourself. If that’s truly what he wants, I’ll gladly let him go.”

With an endlessly arrogant attitude, he glared at Sohee, who stood before him. His arrogance, not fearing anyone, made her shudder, but there was one thing she was certain of.

There’s only one reason this confrontation ended with mere verbal sparring—because she is Freesia’s sister close friend.

“You’d better make a wise decision.”

Leaving only a cold warning, he leisurely exited the Viscount Blado residence.

“Where is Freesia?”

“Lady Lydia Lavalni left earlier.”

She had allowed Freesia to call on her new friend, but still, this sort of thing was bothersome.

She detests annoying matters, but today is the release day of <The Plum Family’s Second Daughter>.

No matter how familiar he becomes with this, the pre-release jitters never quite go away. That’s why he wanted to show it to her in advance, but Freesia insisted on sharing her first impressions with someone else.

“Where is Mustrang?”

“He said he’s busy with work and won’t be back for a few days.”

“He ran away, huh.”

She had intended to properly confront him about spreading false information regarding Alster, but given the situation, she couldn’t reveal her true identity any further.

As he forced himself to calm his uneasy mind and entered the mansion, Freesia, wearing a splendid lemon-colored dress, greeted her with unusual cheer.

“You’re back, dear?”

“Ah, yeah.”

She seemed in an unusually good mood, and she happily linked her arm with his first.

“Dinner isn’t ready yet, right? I waited on purpose because I wanted to eat with you.”

“Didn’t you eat with your guest?”

“Miss Lydia left earlier. I now understand why you wanted to show it to me. The second volume of <The Plum Family’s Second Daughter> was really enjoyable.”

“That’s a relief.”

He didn’t intend to concern himself with others’ reactions, but he couldn’t help but pay close attention to Freesia’s. It was inevitable; she was the only woman in the world whose opinion truly mattered to him.

“So, about that…”

“Hmm?”

“I heard there’s a big bathhouse just for Gazoo.”

“There is. Though I rarely use it.”

“Is that so?”

It hadn’t been built with the best of intentions, and now it was just a waste of servants’ labor, something he’d considered getting rid of, but now that Freesia had asked, a hint of mischief crept into his voice.

“It wouldn’t be enjoyable unless you join me.”

But today, for some reason, Freesia’s eyes seemed unusually mischievous.

“Well, if you want, I suppose I could join you.”

“Huh?”

“But only if you want it. It’s not like I’m the one asking for it first or anything.”

His gaze naturally drifted towards the head maid standing behind her.

Seeing her frantically shaking her head, it became clear that this must be Madame Benoit’s doing.

“Are you sure you can handle it?”

“It’s just a bath, after all. How hard can that be?”

Seeing Freesia’s confident reaction, bragging that she can even swim, Wilfred found no reason to refuse.

Since she initiated the challenge, he had no choice but to accept.

“Let’s go together after dinner. If you like it, you can use it every day from now on.”

“I’m really looking forward to it.”

Unaware of what awaits her, Freesia was walking straight into her own trap.

How can someone be so naive? If it were anyone else, they might suspect Madame Benoit’s intentions, but she continued to enjoy her meal as if she had achieved her goal.

“Where did you go today?”

“I went to seek advice from an expert on a new purchase.”

Of course, it’s actually a gift for his sister-in-law, still far in the future.

Freesia, who never doubted him, once again fell for his trickery.

“You’re going to the Viscountess Blado’s mansion next week?”

“Yes. Sohee suggested it first because she wants Luca and Lily to get along better.”

“I see.”

Though the intention wasn’t bad, it would be troublesome if she just took away Freesia’s new plaything.

Since Luca was still quite useful, he deliberately ordered Luca to be brought in.

“Your Grace, the Duke.”

The boy, visibly trembling with fear, was called forward. Wilfred calmly spoke to him.

“I hear you call Freesia by her name?”

“Well, that’s because…”

Even though he already knew, Wilfred intentionally brought it up, causing anxiety to flash across Luca’s face.

“In that case, you should also call me Wilfred.”

“How could someone like me dare…!”

The suggestion, something Luca had never even considered, shocked not only him but the head maid behind him as well.

Having never been kind to anyone in his life, Wilfred had no idea how to handle such a situation.

“If you think about it, how could someone like you dare call my wife by her name?”

“He just wants you to call him by his name too. Honestly, why do you say things like that?” 

Unable to hold back any longer, Freesia stepped in to mediate.

She placed a hand on Luca’s shoulder, who looked as if he was about to cry, and gently comforted the frightened child.

“You’ve grown so attached to me that our Duke seems to be quite jealous.”

“Lady Freesia.”

“Well, while you’re at it, perhaps you could help him with his swordsmanship training, since it would do him a lot of good to say you taught him yourself.”

“I’ll consider it.”

Even that small gesture brought tears of gratitude to Luca’s eyes.

As Wilfred watched her console the weeping boy, he decided not to be jealous.

“Since I was the one who decided to bring you here, it’s my responsibility to see it through to the end.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Is there something going on? It’s unusual for you to be so kind today.”

“I just found it admirable how well you’ve been by my side.”

The more he oppressed her, the more her attention would be drawn to that boy.

Feigning indifference, he chose to embrace the situation rather than succumb to clumsy jealousy.

“Oh, I’ll continue to do my best.”

Though Viscountess Blado would surely not be pleased if she found out about this, he had no intention of retreating gracefully.

“That’s great, Luca.”

“It’s all thanks to Lady Freesia.”

Of course, he couldn’t help but feel a bit envious of the boy who had all of Freesia’s attention.

But he decided not to voice such thoughts.

* * *

The Crowford Duke’s mansion was filled with dangerous things.

“You’re despicable.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

Soaking in the hot water, Freesia was busy trying to remove his hands that were wrapped around her waist.

Clinging to her fading consciousness, she calmly recalled what Madame Benoit had said.

“I actually have a favor to ask.”

“Well, I kind of expected that.”

“…What am I supposed to be in that case?”

Although her husband was as infuriating as ever, it was unfortunate that he showed no intention of letting go of her even a little bit.

Pushing away his clinging hands with all her strength, Freesia lightly bit his annoying nose.

“Do you even know how it feels to always have to tread carefully, worrying you’ll get angry?”

“I’m not sure how much kinder I need to be.”

“I didn’t mean that in a bad way.”

Today, he had been particularly generous towards Luca, so it made it harder for her to complain. Besides, she had been quite harsh with her words lately. She couldn’t deny that his reactions had become noticeably gentler despite that.

‘Could it be that I’ve finally managed to tame him?’

It seemed that her method of being kind was starting to work.

Not wanting to ruin her progress, Freesia subtly leaned closer to him, resting lightly against his side.

“You know how much I like you, right?”

“…What exactly are you trying to ask for?”

She couldn’t shake the feeling that he saw right through her, but seeing how much her Duke had changed was already a significant achievement. Everything seemed to be going well.

‘But it’s too early to be complacent.’

The fact that he was like a ticking time bomb, ready to explode at any moment, was still a source of anxiety.

With her arms around his broad shoulders, Freesia whispered playfully.

“We can’t keep doing this forever.”

“…What do you mean?”

Sensing his discomfort, Freesia carefully chose her words.

“Well, it’s just a shame that the social club gatherings have come to a halt. We’ll have to return to the estate before the New Year, so I thought it might be nice to host one last proper gathering before then.”

“Tell me what you really want.”

“I want the next social club meeting to be held at our house.”

Emphasizing the word “our,” Freesia looked straight into his eyes.