I Become the Villain's Bride - Chapter 59

Chapter 59

When Freesia returned to the drawing room, Luca was on the verge of tears.

“Freesia, please save me.”

Freesia massaged her temples as she took in the sight before her—a bewildered Luca, now dressed in an elaborate gown.

Several ladies had rushed in and applied makeup and a wig from out of nowhere, making him look like a damsel in distress.

“What on earth happened here?”

“He can’t sing, can’t recite poetry. There’s nothing this boy can do well.”

“Let me demonstrate my swordsmanship instead!”

“He was so adorable that I couldn’t resist dressing him up. Who knows? Maybe this skill will come in handy if you ever need to escape.”

Freesia was momentarily taken aback by Lily’s confident words. Indeed, in episode 364, there was a plot where the protagonist, unintentionally disguised as a woman, sought a hidden treasure in a village forbidden to men.

“You really do look quite charming.”

“Right? It reminds me of a scene from Alster’s work.”

“Yes, exactly.”

That particular scene had been a brief episode in his childhood, covered in a single volume.

Despite justifying her actions, Lily cheerfully tied a large ribbon into Luca’s hair.

“Oh my, where did this cute little lady come from?”

“Everyone, please stop.”

Freesia rescued Luca, who was on the brink of crying, and glanced over at Wilfred’s carriage as it departed in the distance.

“Freesia.”

“Let’s get that makeup off. Come here.”

Even as she washed Luca’s face and chatted with him, she couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that lingered in her heart.

As the time came for the social club to disperse, Freesia bade farewell to the guests, her eyes frequently drifting towards the estate’s exit.

“Will the Duke be late?”

“He mentioned having other business. It seems Wilfred might even stay out overnight.”

Freesia was genuinely shocked to hear of his potential overnight absence from Madame Benoit.

“A pajama party with just us wouldn’t be bad. I’ll even invite Rose.”

Taking this opportunity to pull an all-nighter, Madame Benoit enthusiastically included not just Lydia but also Rashita in the plan.

“Sister, are you okay?”

“Oh, yes. I suppose I’m just tired from everything that happened today.”

Although nothing was wrong, Freesia felt an inexplicable tightness in her chest.

“Then go to bed early. For the first time in ages, I am willing to offer my lap as a pillow for you.”

What used to be a natural comfort—resting her head on her sister’s lap—now felt strange as she found herself subconsciously comparing it to Wilfred.

She was truly happy discussing her favourite books with new friends and receiving gifts from her sister, who had rushed over to see her.

‘Could he have gone to the palace?’

She tried to believe it wasn’t the case, but the thought that he had offered to escort the princess himself was truly unexpected.

Given what she knew of him, Wilfred Crowford was not the kind of person to show such kindness to anyone other than his wife.

At least, that’s what she had always believed.

“Freesia?”

“Huh? Oh, sister, what were we talking about?”

“I heard the princess visited today. I was worried she might have caused you trouble.”

“Nothing happened.”

Well, technically, Madame Benoit spilled wine, so Freesia left before anything could escalate.

But for some reason, the image of Wilfred offering to escort the princess kept gnawing at her, making it hard to shake off the unease.

“Seriously, the male lead in the original <Lady Margaret> is even worse than the one in <The Runaway Duchess>.”

“No way, <The Runaway Duchess> has a way worse male lead.”

As Lily and Lydia debated who was more of a scoundrel, Freesia quietly slipped out of the room and headed to the garden.

“When will the Duke be back?”

“I heard he’s out on some distant business today, so he probably won’t return until tomorrow afternoon.”

“I see.”

The laughter coming from the room felt unusually distant tonight.

Dressed in her nightgown, Freesia sat in the garden, counting the flowers blooming in the flowerbeds. The season had grown chilly, and the petals were beginning to wilt.

“It’s cold.”

“Rose, sister.”

Rose appeared, wrapping Freesia’s usual shawl around her shoulders.

They sat together on a bench in the garden, and after some time, Rose gently clasped Freesia’s cold hands in hers and was the first to speak.

“When you were with me, you never had to worry about things like this. Why is my Freesia so upset?”

“Nothing really happened.”

“You little rascal. Trying to deceive your sister?”

In truth, there was so much Freesia wanted to say, but she didn’t know where to start.

She chose to avoid the subject, but her perceptive sister easily saw through the clumsy lie, reading Freesia’s troubled heart.

“Did that man hurt you?”

“He would never.”

“Then why is my sister so upset?”

“I think… I’m becoming a little strange.”

Even though she had brushed off similar situations countless times before, today, it kept gnawing at her.

She knew he often stayed up late in the study, sometimes even spent nights away, and yet, her heart, now wounded, seemed unwilling to return to its place.

“Did he make you feel hurt?”

“I’m just hurt on my own.”

Resting her head on her sister’s shoulder, Freesia closed her eyes.

It had been a good day, where everything went exactly as planned.

It should have been, at least. But the moment she saw him escorting the princess, her happiness had plummeted.

“Well, you’ve lived long enough to experience it. Jealousy, of all things.”

“It’s not that.”

“What do you mean, ‘it’s not’? I’d be disappointed if you didn’t show this much displeasure when I get married.”

“Are you getting married, sister?”

Rose burst into laughter, seemingly pleased with her sister’s startled reaction, wide-eyed like a rabbit.

Rose leaned against Freesia’s shoulder, gazing quietly at the stars scattered across the night sky.

“Sometimes, I have a dream.”

“What kind of dream?”

“A dream where you go far away, out of my reach.”

‘In those dreams, no matter how desperately I call out to you, my voice never reaches your ears, and I always wake up in tears.’

There was something unsettling about Rose’s tender words, a weight to them that Freesia couldn’t quite grasp.

“That’s a strange dream.”

“That’s why I’ve always wanted to keep you close, somewhere within my reach, so that such a thing could never happen.”

“Sister…”

“If anything ever happened to you, both Lily and I would live with that regret for the rest of our lives.”

The sincerity in Rose’s words was undeniable, a reflection of the deep bond between the sisters who had always cared so deeply for one another.

As Rose pressed her warm hand over Freesia’s, tracing the lines from her fingertips to the back of her hand, she spoke softly.

“So promise me, if anything ever happens, you’ll tell me. Even if it’s something small.”

“I was just upset.”

She wanted to ask him why he insisted on escorting the princess himself, to tell him there was no need for it, but she didn’t have the courage to say it then, using Luca as an excuse to flee instead.

“I know it’s childish jealousy, and I know it’s just me being silly, but…”

“Don’t hold it in. Whatever you say, I’m always on your side.”

“I just wish… I wish he wouldn’t do that again.”

Freesia finally let her true feelings spill out as she nestled into her sister’s embrace.

She hadn’t meant for these feelings to grow so strong, but now they overwhelmed her, leaving her breathless, like she had stumbled into an emotion too deep to manage.

“That’s how feelings are. But remember, I’m always on your side.”

“Thank you, sister.”

“But it’s unfair, isn’t it? Why should he be allowed to stay out overnight while you can’t?”

Freesia quickly nodded in agreement with her sister’s remark.

If he had to rush out like that, he could have at least said something.

“You’re right, it is strange.”

“I think I need to have a word with Madame Benoit.”

Freesia wiped the tears from her eyes with her sleeve and linked her arm with her sister’s, feeling a newfound strength. Even if her fate ended in disaster as the original story intended, with Rose by her side, she felt like she could face anything.

“Rose! It’s not fair to hog Freesia all to yourself!”

“You had her all day long! How is that fair?”

“By the way, I haven’t seen Luca around. Ada, where is he?”

“He’s out with the master. They’ll return tomorrow with Fieldram.”

While the news of Fieldram’s return didn’t thrill her, knowing Luca was with him put Freesia’s mind at ease. She was so caught up in her own thoughts that she had almost forgotten about Luca’s absence.

“Ada, you’ve done well today. Take a good rest.”

For some reason, Freesia felt a weight lift off her chest.

Finally, with a smile on her face, she nestled between her sister and Lily, falling into a deep sleep.

* * *

Luca was beginning to think he’d never get along with Freesia’s sister, Lily.

Just as his energy was wearing thin from the day’s troubles, Jade came looking for him.

“I need you to come with me for a bit.”

“At this late hour?”

Luca didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye to Freesia as Jade quickly led him out of the estate.

Grabbing his sword and strapping it to his waist, Luca rode with Jade until the carriage’s bumpy path jolted him awake.

When he came to, the surroundings were cloaked in darkness.

“Where are we…?”

“This is Crowford’s training ground, just outside the capital.”

He had no idea why he was brought here at such a late hour.

‘Could it be…?’

Sometimes, the Duke of Crowford’s gaze felt unnervingly sharp as it lingered on him.

Gripping his sword tightly, Luca tried to familiarize himself with the area, scanning the terrain repeatedly.

“Finally, we’re here.”

The carriage stopped, and Jade stepped out first, offering his hand to Luca.

“Oh…”

“There’s no step, so take my hand to get down.”

“Th-thank you.”

His earlier tension seemed almost laughable now. The fear of being harmed had subsided, though an inexplicable unease continued to gnaw at him.

Grrrrrr!

Suddenly, a beast’s roar pierced the night, and Luca’s head shot up. Beyond the torches, a massive silhouette loomed.

“That’s a wyvern, a dragon used for transportation. Fieldram captured them himself.”

“Fieldram…?”

“He’s practically the Duke’s right-hand man. His skill in martial arts is second only to Lady Rashita’s.”