A Change of Husband - Chapter 11

Asilie had been spending her days with ease lately.

 

She had said that she wouldn’t fulfill her duties as the lady of the house or exercise her rights until the spy inside the Medici Mansion was caught. Because of that, Madam Marce was still handling all her responsibilities.

 

Even so, perhaps hoping for something, Madam Marce kept bringing her invitations to social gatherings.

 

Asilie had no plans to go outside, where she could Asilie be attacked, until everything was resolved. But whenever she was bored, she would read the invitations and politely write letters of refusal.

 

…Therefore, we would like to invite the Duchess of Camedici to this event.
We look forward to your positive reply.

 

It was not a very impressive invitation.

 

Asilie set it aside, thinking she would write a refusal later, when she noticed another invitation lying under the book she had been reading.

 

She was about to set it aside, thinking it was the same as the others, when she realized the paper was much stiffer and thicker than usual. She picked it up again.

 

“This is…”

 

Looking at it again, it was clearly an invitation from the royal family.

 

For something this important, the head of the family, Esperad, should check it and send a reply with his seal.

 

There had either been a mistake during sorting, or Madam Marce had deliberately passed it on to her.

 

Asilie was curious, but she didn’t open it. She just placed it quietly on the table.

 

Esperad wouldn’t get angry even if she opened it first, but just because he was kind didn’t mean she wanted to act carelessly.

 

Esperad would return to the bedroom soon after dinner, so she decided to wait and talk about it then.

 

By the way, it had already been two days since the Duke of Grandier had visited.

 

She had thought a day or two would be enough, but perhaps she had underestimated things—no reply had come.

 

Asilie decided to wait until the next day, and if there was still no answer by evening, she would send someone to check. With that thought, she changed from her dress into her nightgown.

 

Not long after, Esperad entered the bedroom.

 

“Are you already ready for bed?”

 

“I have nothing to do, so I get ready early. Was your day hard?”

 

“It’s something I do all the time, so I’m used to it.”

 

“So it was tiring.”

 

“You understand me so well, I wonder if you can read my mind.”

 

Esperad smiled gently and took off his outer coat.

 

His broad shoulders and firm muscles were clearly visible even through his shirt.

 

Asilie sometimes found herself staring at his perfect body, and every time she realized it, she felt incredibly embarrassed. So now, she made a point of not looking and turned completely away, walking toward the table.

 

There, she spotted the royal invitation she had set aside.

 

“This… I think you need to check it.”

 

“I heard the royal family had started sending out invitations. Looks like one got mixed in.”

 

“I guess so. But… is there an event happening at the palace?”

 

“In two weeks, there’s a banquet at the royal palace. Every May, a ball is held to enjoy spring under Her Majesty the Queen’s patronage. Most nobles in Astel attend.”

 

“Then it’s a must-attend event.”

 

“If you don’t want to go, that’s fine. There will be many people, so I may not be able to watch over your safety closely.”

 

“What do you think, Esperad? Not my opinion—just your honest thoughts.”

 

Esperad thought for a moment.

 

He usually didn’t enjoy social events, even ones hosted by the royal family.

 

But with Count Mirk acting strangely, it seemed better to attend unless there was a specific reason not to.

 

Though he often saw major nobles during meetings, that wasn’t enough. He needed to observe their movements. If possible, he wanted to check on King Hort’s condition too.

 

Esperad had requested an audience after meetings, but he had always been refused. The reason was that the king’s health was poor and he needed to stay away from state affairs.

 

However, during a banquet, there was no good reason to refuse an audience. Since Esperad already knew about Hort’s condition, Count Mirk likely wouldn’t block him too strongly either.

 

“I think we should attend. It’s rare to meet so many nobles at once, and since it’s our first public appearance after marriage, the bigger the occasion, the better.”

 

“If that’s your thought, then let’s do it. I’m fine with it too. And in two weeks, the situation inside should be a bit more settled.”

 

“Then I’ll write a reply. I’ll go wash up.”

 

Asilie quietly watched Esperad walk into the bathroom.

 

“…It’s really hard to believe.”

 

Her whisper slipped out on its own—it was her honest feeling.

 

It was hard to believe that Esperad was truly her salvation.

 

Until now, no one had ever shown her real consideration. But Esperad had made her accept kindness—something she had never experienced—as if it were natural.

 

Even though she was clearly in a weaker position, she had never been ignored.

 

Esperad genuinely tried to protect her. Even though it must have been a hassle, he kept switching bedrooms with her without complaint or showing off.

 

It had already been five days since the first threat, and though nothing had happened since, he still remained cautious.

 

Asilie had thought he would treat her as just a tool to uncover the truth. Even if that were true, she wouldn’t have complained.

 

It was something she was used to. And honestly, even that would have been better than what she had before going back in time.

 

But now, she owed him too much. They were no longer equals.

 

“You’re not lying down first?”

 

Asilie was startled and turned her head at Esperad’s voice.

 

He had already finished washing and was drying his wet hair, shirtless.

 

“Oh, I wasn’t waiting, really…”

 

Her voice trailed off as she instinctively looked away.

 

Her heart was pounding wildly.

 

She had seen him like this for days now and should be used to it, but every time, she was surprised. By his bare upper body, to be exact.

 

Every time, it felt like seeing it for the first time.

 

Even when she had lived with Joseph, even after sharing a bed, she had never felt this startled or shy.

 

But now, with no hidden motive, just him standing there shirtless after a bath—her heart wouldn’t calm down.

 

Esperad, seemingly unaware, replied calmly.

 

“I thought you were waiting. If it ever takes too long, feel free to go to bed first. Sometimes I finish late too…”

 

“It’s okay. I’m not doing anything, so it’s not hard to wait.”

 

Asilie’s answer made Esperad smile.

 

He finished drying his hair and checked the bedroom.

 

Tonight, the room had no windows at all. Their sleeping quarters were always in hard-to-access places to prepare for attacks.

 

Esperad locked the door, then placed the sword he brought under the bed.

 

Asilie watched him, then lay down. He left only one candle burning and turned off the rest before lying down beside her.

 

“Good night, Esperad.”

 

“See you tomorrow, Asilie. Sleep well.”

 

The two exchanged goodnight wishes and closed their eyes.

 

Since the room had no windows, it was darker than usual. In the silence, with only the sound of breathing, they drifted off to sleep.

 

“Wahh, wahh, wahh!”

 

It was the same baby’s cry she had heard before.

 

Asilie opened her eyes and looked around.

 

She was in a dark forest, full of thick trees.

 

But in that forest, there was no one else but her.

 

Still, somewhere nearby, she could hear the sad cry of a baby.

 

“Wahh, wahh!”

 

Her ears rang from the sound.

 

Where was this baby crying from, that it sounded so close?

 

Even if she wondered, there was no one to answer.

 

Asilie slowly walked forward.

 

With each step she took, the crying grew louder.

 

Then she stopped walking.

 

A tree branch with many leaves blocked her path.

 

“Wahh, wahh!”

 

For some reason, she felt like something would happen the moment she moved that branch—like she would see something she shouldn’t see.

 

But the baby’s cry gave her courage.

 

Asilie tightly clenched her fist, then slowly reached out and pushed the branch aside.

 

“Milady!”

 

A man’s loud voice woke her up.

 

The dream quickly disappeared from her mind, and only the sharp sense of reality remained.

 

It was a familiar situation.

 

She could hear the sound of blades clashing nearby, and the sharp smell of blood filled the room. Some warm drops of liquid had even splashed on her face.

 

Asilie tried hard not to think about what that liquid was and quickly looked around.

 

Thankfully, Esperad wasn’t fighting alone today.

 

It seemed to be true that more guards had been stationed after the last time. The room was already lit up in many places, and inside the bright room, Esperad and the family’s soldiers were fighting the assassins.

 

This time, there were many more assassins attacking the Medici Mansion.

 

The last time there had been about seven assassins, but now there were more than twenty.

 

They had broken into the mansion, even risking being caught, just to make sure they killed her.

 

Clang—clang—

 

Esperad, standing in front of Asilie, cut down the charging assassins with a single stroke.

 

Hot drops of blood splashed on her each time, but Asilie didn’t scream or gag.

 

The assassins’ target was her.

 

At this moment, she was someone who needed to be protected, but also someone who couldn’t help at all. She couldn’t draw attention to herself.

 

“Hmph!”

 

The last assassin, who rushed in to kill Asilie, struggled against Esperad’s sword.

 

Thinking he had no other way, the assassin pulled a dagger from his clothes while clashing swords with him.

 

Asilie knew nothing about fighting, but the moment she saw it, she understood.

 

The assassin was going to throw the dagger at her, not at Esperad.

 

Esperad seemed to realize it too. He looked back at her with a shocked face, and at the same time, the dagger flew toward Asilie.

 

“Asilie!”

 

They say when you’re too shocked, your body freezes and won’t move.

 

Asilie had experienced that before. But today was different—completely different.

 

She had never learned how to protect herself, and her reflexes were terrible.

 

Even so, she picked up the pillow beside her and miraculously blocked the flying dagger.

 

Clang—

 

After checking that Asilie was safe, Esperad raised his sword and struck down the assassin without mercy.

 

That was the last assassin coming for the two of them.

 

“Don’t kill them—capture at least one!”

 

The situation was far worse for the intruders.

 

More knights of the Camedici family were rushing into the bedroom, and with no windows, the room had become a prison with no way out.

 

Some of the assassins, realizing they had lost, ran away. Some were already dead, and some were still fighting.

 

But they didn’t last long.

 

In the end, the knights managed to capture one of the struggling assassins, and they showed no mercy afterward.

 

Before long, the fight was over.

 

“Take that one and lock him in the dungeon. I’ll interrogate him in the morning.”

 

“Yes, sir!”

 

Once the knights began leaving the bedroom, Esperad turned to check on Asilie.

 

“Are you alright? That was close just now.”

 

“I’m not hurt anywhere.”

 

“Asilie.”

 

“I mean it. I’m perfectly fine—it’s hard to believe I was attacked twice.”

 

“Sigh… I’m sorry. Even though we increased security, this still happened…”

 

Esperad truly looked angry about what had happened. But none of it was his fault.

 

“No one can stop attackers who are this determined. For now, we should get out of here.”

 

“There’s something I must do. I can’t say the mansion is completely safe yet, so please go with the knights to a safe place. I’ll send someone to you.”

 

“Alright.”

 

So, still tense, Asilie headed to Esperad’s office with two knights.

 

Other than the bedroom, Esperad’s office—with many important documents—was the safest place in the mansion.

 

Luckily, there were no signs of other intruders on the way or inside the office. But even after some time passed, the two knights didn’t lower their guard.

 

“What’s going on?”

 

Asilie, who had stayed quiet, gathered her courage and asked.

 

The two knights looked at each other, unsure how to respond. Then one of them carefully spoke.

 

“Just before dawn, the gatekeepers of the Medici Mansion were found dead, cut down by swords. When the guards on standby rushed to the bedroom, His Grace was already fighting the assassins.”

 

“If His Grace hadn’t noticed… If he’d stayed asleep, he would have been killed.”

 

“…That’s likely true.”

 

After that, there was no more conversation.

 

When the person Esperad had sent arrived to say the situation was mostly under control, the sun was beginning to rise.

 

The two knights went to join the other guards, and Asilie decided to wait in the office until Esperad came.

 

But when morning fully arrived, it wasn’t Esperad who came—it was Madam Marce.

 

Her face looked shaken, just like it had after the first attack, as if she had already heard what happened.

 

“My lady, His Grace ordered me to escort you. Are you alright?”

 

“There’s nothing to worry about. Thanks to His Grace, I’m not hurt at all.”

 

“Haah… I’m so glad. We have secured the bedroom you used the night before last and cleaned it so you can use it again. Other rooms are still being searched in case more intruders are hiding.”

 

Asilie nodded at Madam Marce’s report.

 

As she stood to head back to the bedroom, Madam Marce carefully pulled something from her pocket.

 

“Um… I have something for you.”

 

“For me? What is it?”

 

“It’s a letter from the Duke of Grandier. It arrived early this morning. His Grace said to give it to you right away.”

 

Asilie’s eyes widened. She nearly snatched the letter from Madam Marce’s hand and tore open the sealed envelope at once.

 

As you expected, poison was found.

 

We’re still identifying the type, but it doesn’t appear to be a deadly one.

 

I’ll write again once it’s confirmed.

 

At the bottom of the letter was the seal of the Duke of Grandier. There was no need to question it—it was a letter directly from the duke himself.

 

Asilie immediately lifted her head.

 

“There’s something I need to confirm with you.”

 

“Whatever it is, I’ll answer honestly. Please ask, my lady.”

 

“On the night of my wedding with His Grace, you remember the tea that was brought to the bedroom.”

 

“Of course.”

 

“Who prepared that tea?”