I Become the Villain's Bride - Chapter 82

Chapter 82

“She had a really hard time at her previous company.”

Everyone could tell when she was upset about something, but she’d always deny it, saying she wasn’t interested.

“Maybe she was ashamed. But there was no need for that.”

“Team leader.”

“Just when things started looking up for her, she left us so suddenly.”

At first, none of it felt real. By the time he accepted it was an accident, news of her passing had surfaced in their online community. The comments she had always been the first to leave had suddenly stopped appearing.

It was only then that the reality sank in—he was, once again, too late.

Real life didn’t end beautifully like in stories. Overcome by despair, he announced a hiatus. He was left alone in the space she had vacated, abandoned as if fate were mocking him. Just when everything felt consumed by grayness, someone spoke to him.

“How will you write the next story?”

“…Who are you?”

An enigmatic figure wearing sunglasses appeared at his doorstep, taking in his disheveled state. The woman, with her long, ash-colored hair, bore an uncanny resemblance to a witch from one of his old stories.

He chuckled bitterly at the thought that he had started seeing hallucinations. But the witch asked him,

“What kind of story do you want to write?”

Even at the moment he learned of her tragic end, his mind conjured a story.

In a world without misery, he hoped she could live this time receiving only love—and that he could be the one by her side.

“Write it. The most beautiful scene you can imagine.”

“…I need time.”

Though the person he wanted to read it was no longer in this world, he knew she wouldn’t have wanted him to be like this.

In his previous story, the villain—onto whom he had poured all his hatred—met their end at the hands of the protagonist. The protagonist, who had once followed the villain like a father figure, thrust a sword into the villain’s heart and wept bitterly.

[ I can never forgive you.]

[..As you should.]

Considering the weight of the villain’s sins, redemption was impossible. As the villain breathed their last, the audience cheered, and the story ended with the protagonist’s liberation from their long nightmare.

Now, he reached out and took the witch’s hand.

“I can’t undo the story’s established rules. But I can make a twist or two.”

“Return her memories, please.”

“Not your memories?”

“The protagonist must find happiness.”

As an author, he reasoned that giving a little boost was fair.

By every calculation, the odds that a minor supporting character like her—destined to die miserably—would ever find happiness were no more than 0.000000152%.

“You might fail.”

“…I will succeed.”

“It’s foolish.”

“But if I do nothing, nothing will ever change.”

The witch warned him that the price of this wish would be steep. He would lose all his shared memories with her, and they would remain only as fleeting dreams.

He laughed. Even a slim chance was better than none.

“Why did you give me this chance?”

“…Because it was her wish.”

Despite reading every cruel word he had written, her one and only desire was clear:

“She wanted her favorite character to be happy.”

“What…?”

“Fate should be fair to everyone. That girl, who always drew the worst cards, finally picked a decent one this time.”

Though it was impossible to define exactly what the being that appeared as a witch was, one thing was certain:

This miracle was not for him but for her.

Now, it all felt like a hopeless delusion. But knowing that she had wished for happiness, even at the end, filled him with joy.

So he decided to take the gamble.

“Do you even know what a favorite character is?”

“…That’s not something you ask.”

Even in his half-sleep, he teased, though she still refused to let her guard down. Hiding her true feelings until the very end felt so much like her that he couldn’t help but stifle a laugh.

Sitting on the bed, he began writing the next chapter with his sloppy handwriting, a story about a somewhat odd but endearing character—The Plum Family’s Second Daughter—finally finding true love and happiness.

“Once I finish this, I’ll have to tell her.”

Though there had been many close calls, he had always managed to overcome them.

Whenever fear overwhelmed him, her presence gave him the strength to carry on—even though she would never know.

“I want you to be happy.”

Even if stormy days lay ahead, there would surely come a day when the skies cleared. No matter how many bad hands fate dealt her, happiness was bound to find her someday.

Even if that happiness seemed like an impossible miracle, nothing would change unless he tried.

Clinging to that slender thread of hope, Wilfred spent yet another early morning filling empty pages beside his sleeping wife.

***

The royal family’s official response arrived.

Lily Devlanc’s engagement to the crown prince had been confirmed, and preparations for the wedding were underway. In Rose’s absence, Madame Benoit gladly stepped in to assist Lily with the arrangements.

“If I say I took care of it, even the royal family won’t be able to object.”

“Of course. The look on the princess’s face was priceless—it made my day!”

“…Don’t provoke her too much.”

“Who cares? She was the one who picked a fight with you first. I don’t let people get away with that.”

As her younger sister gritted her teeth in frustration, Freesia, struggling to stay awake, began nodding off.

“Didn’t sleep well last night?”

“I slept fine. He even gave me his arm as a pillow. Hmm…”

“Have a snack. I baked some apple crumble today.”

It was a homemade specialty from Crowford, filled with freshly picked apples from the farm, fragrant cinnamon, and a buttery cookie dough topping.

Lily, already excited, grabbed a fork, and Madame Benoit carefully sliced a large piece, setting it in front of Freesia first.

“Do you want some cream?”

“…No, I don’t have much of an appetite today. Just a small piece, please.”

“Are you sick, sister?”

“My stomach feels a bit upset… Ugh.”

The sweet aroma overwhelmed her, making her feel nauseated as the sticky sweetness lingered in her mouth. Unable to bear it, she rushed to the bathroom.

Lily, startled, dropped her plate and followed.

“Should I call a doctor? I’ll call Rose right now!”

“It’s fine, Lily. I just feel a little… Ugh.”

“Could it be acid reflux?”

“…No, that’s not it.”

While young Lily remained clueless, everyone else easily recognized the nature of Freesia’s condition.

After drinking some soothing lemon tea, Freesia consulted with her physician and underwent a few tests.

“You’re pregnant. It’s quite certain now.”

“Sister is… pregnant?”

“…Well, it’s only natural, considering how long you’ve been married.”

Madame Benoit gently scolded Lily for her naïve remark and cupped Freesia’s pale cheeks in her hands.

“Congratulations, truly.”

“Madame Benoit…”

“It’s still early, so you should be careful. I’ll attend the engagement announcement in your place.”

Lily’s expression twisted at the suggestion.

“But…”

“It’s fine. The Duke stood in for me last time, so I want to go this time.”

“Are you sure you won’t regret it?”

Freesia laughed at Madame Benoit’s question.

“It seems Her Highness is plotting something nasty again.”

She hadn’t said it outright, but Freesia knew the princess had tried to set traps for her before. On several occasions, she had barely escaped from situations that could have led to isolation in society.

This time, she was determined to end it on her own terms.

“You don’t have to push yourself. There’s no need to do something you don’t want to do.”

“What I hate more is giving up on what I want because of someone like her.”

“Freesia…”

“Besides, I have a good idea of what she’ll try.”

Hearing that the princess had mentioned Luca made Freesia’s heart sink, but it only confirmed her suspicions.

No doubt the princess had laid a cruel trap. But Freesia was confident she wouldn’t fall for it.

“Avoiding it won’t solve anything.”

“You’ve grown stronger.”

“Have I?”

In the past, she would have done anything to avoid confrontation.

Reflecting on how much she had changed, Freesia smiled faintly.

“I want to be someone I can be proud of. I’m not suited to just relying on others and crying.”

“You’ve always been amazing, sister.”

“Oh, Lily, you.”

As she playfully ruffled Lily’s hair, Freesia glanced toward Luca, who was training in the distance.

Sohee had cautiously warned her about the princess’s strange behavior.

“Luca’s birth mother is a relative of mine. Our family has spent years searching for any trace of him.”

It was Wilfred who had hidden Luca’s past and brought him to Freesia’s side. That made Sohee even more careful as she shared her findings.

“If the princess finds out about Luca’s past, she’ll use it against him somehow.”

If Luca was truly the protagonist from the original story, his actions were nothing short of self-defense. Had he not fought against the adults trying to harm him, he wouldn’t have survived.

“No matter what she does, I won’t let her win.”

Freesia had already noticed the princess’s increasing interest in Luca. It was clear she intended to use him, but Lily’s idea to disguise him as a girl had bought them some time.

“Lily, you’re so clever.”

“Why does it feel like something bad is going to happen when everything seems to be going so well today?”

“How was His Highness the Crown Prince? I should thank him properly for his help.”

“Well, about that…”

Lily, avoiding eye contact, fidgeted as if she had something to confess. Then, she leaned in close and whispered in Freesia’s ear:

“Who’s supposed to kiss first?”

Freesia’s mind went blank for a moment at her sister’s unexpected question.