A Change of Husband - Chapter 118

Even though it was a conservative country with low status for women, Cordelia was still a member of the royal family.

 

She had never once been in a miserable situation like being locked alone in a cold prison.

 

So this experience was deeply shocking for her.

 

On top of that, the despair of knowing that no one was coming to rescue her made Cordelia feel even more hopeless.

 

Until she met the person sent by Count Mirk, she couldn’t escape the pain.

 

“His Majesty has ordered us to rescue the former queen.”

 

Maybe it was because she’d been tricked by Esperad once before, but her first reaction was suspicion.

 

However, she decided to hope—just this once—that they wouldn’t go through the trouble of sending someone just to punish her for betrayal.

 

Besides, it would mean she still had some use.

 

She didn’t really have other choices anyway.

 

That was how she had just arrived at Count Mirk’s mansion.

 

“Please step down,” said Madame Marce.

 

Cordelia glanced at her face for a moment.

 

She had thought this woman was just a maid serving that annoying girl, but it was surprising to learn that she was also one of Count Mirk’s people.

 

It wasn’t pleasant to realize how strong Count Mirk’s influence was, but in the end, it worked in her favor.

 

“Hm…”

 

“Is something wrong?”

 

“No. But will you be serving me from now on?”

 

“No, I won’t.”

 

“Then is it Odette?”

 

“No, not her either.”

 

Madame Marce looked at Cordelia with emotionless eyes.

 

The former queen still didn’t fully understand her situation.

 

If she had thought a little more deeply, she would have realized why Count Mirk was looking for her.

 

All the conservative nobles had already surrendered, and only Count Mirk was still resisting Esperad until the end.

 

That meant, if he lost, there would be nowhere left for him to go.

 

Someone like that couldn’t stay in Astel.

 

So Cordelia was just a tool he planned to use for his escape to Velkoz.

 

But if Count Mirk succeeded and Cordelia became useless, then her death would only be delayed—eventually, she would be removed.

 

“The former queen has arrived,” Madame Marce informed the guards of Count Mirk’s mansion, avoiding Cordelia’s gaze as if to say she wouldn’t answer any more questions.

 

The guards, already instructed, quickly came to Cordelia and grabbed both of her arms.

 

“W-What is this?”

 

Cordelia’s face turned pale at the unexpected situation, but it wasn’t something Madame Marce cared about.

 

All she had been ordered to do was bring Cordelia to the mansion.

 

What happened to her afterward was none of Madame Marce’s concern.

 

“This is the end…”

 

Madame Marce entered the mansion.

 

Oddly, there were no knights guarding the place, and not even a single servant was in sight.

 

Perhaps, just as Count Mirk had ordered the kidnapping of Lady Grandier knowing his end was near, the servants had also fled early, afraid of being branded as followers of a traitor.

 

Either way, it was a good thing.

 

At least it meant no one would get in her way here.

 

Madame Marce quietly slipped into Count Mirk’s study, hoping she wouldn’t need to use the dagger hidden in her clothes.

 

It didn’t take long for her to find the late Duchess Camédici’s belongings.

 

“Ah…”

 

As soon as she saw them, tears welled up in her eyes.

 

These were letters and gifts that showed the love between Count Mirk and the late Duchess Camédici before her marriage.

 

Back when these letters were exchanged, the Duchess would never have imagined they might one day be used as tools to spark doubt about her purity after her death.

 

“I’m sorry, my lady… I just couldn’t bear to see you dishonored…”

 

Tears ran down Madame Marce’s wrinkled cheeks.

 

“I know you would blame me, but this was the best I could do. It was the best… sob…”

 

Esperad might have been her master too, but the one Madame Marce truly served was Lady Rihanna, whom she had looked after since childhood for decades.

 

The only reason she gave in to Count Mirk’s threats was because she couldn’t bear to see Rihanna’s honor tarnished.

 

“But now, it’s finally over.”

 

She found a flint and lit the fireplace.

 

Then she threw all of Duchess Camédici’s belongings into the fire.

 

“Now I really feel at peace. I can leave this world calmly…”

 

Madame Marce pulled out the dagger she had hidden deep in her clothes.

 

Closing her eyes, she whispered quietly to herself.

 

“Forgive me, my lady… Forgive me, my master… Please forgive this foolish and lacking servant’s betrayal…”

 

The mansion was a place Esperad knew well, since he had grown up there.

 

But now, it was filled with a heavy, ominous air.

 

That was likely because someone who wasn’t the rightful owner was occupying the Medici mansion.

 

Esperad got off his horse and walked through the front door.

 

He expected it to be dark inside, but instead, the mansion was brightly lit with candles, as if it still had a proper master.

 

“At least it’s not a strange place, so maybe that’s a small relief.”

 

The one he worried most about was Achille.

 

As Esperad’s footsteps approached, Achille raised his gun cautiously.

 

At that moment, knights and soldiers suddenly came running from the end of the hallway toward him.

 

It wasn’t pleasant to have to kill people in his own mansion, but saving Achille as fast as possible was more urgent than worrying about the others.

 

So Esperad began to shoot without hesitation.

 

Bang— Bang— Bang—

 

Each time a shot rang out, one of the charging soldiers fell.

 

The situation was being resolved far too Asilie.

 

Feeling something was off, Esperad took a closer look at the fallen enemies.

 

“Damn.”

 

They didn’t even have proper weapons to kill him.

 

They only had shields and swords, and their terrified faces made it clear they were not trained.

 

Finally, Esperad understood what was going on.

 

“That bastard…”

 

The weapons factory had exploded, and the only weapons left were those supplied by noble families involved in trade, like the Bellucci or Bourbon houses.

 

Since those nobles had left Count Mirk, there was no way his soldiers could be properly armed.

 

And the knights who were trained to use swords…

 

“Foreign slaves were under the Bellucci and Bonaparte families, and only noble children could receive knighthood…”

 

All the other nobles had already signed surrender documents.

 

That meant the knights followed their families and left Count Mirk as well.

 

Even if there were a few knights left, they would be extremely few in number.

 

And Esperad knew that not a single knight was still loyal to Count Mirk.

 

Even his own vassals had signed the surrender papers.

 

So the people charging at him now were untrained soldiers armed with outdated, useless weapons.

 

It was obvious why Count Mirk had sent them.

 

“He wants me to kill my own people and feel guilty about it.”

 

Count Mirk had never attacked directly in politics.

 

He always used backdoor tactics to crush his opponent’s spirit.

 

Esperad should have expected something like this from him.

 

Now he felt suffocated, knowing that his oversight had cost people their lives.

 

“I will not kill you.”

 

When Esperad said this, the terrified people who had not dared to approach him looked visibly relieved.

 

“This is mercy for my people. Leave this mansion. No one will come after you.”

 

“Th-Thank you… thank you so much…”

 

Even though there was a delay before the gun could fire, its power was incredibly strong.

 

Those who had accepted their inevitable death quickly dropped their weapons at Esperad’s words and hesitated for a moment before running out of the mansion.

 

Once everyone had left, Esperad quickly climbed the stairs.

 

He wasn’t sure, but if Count Mirk knew the layout of the Medici Mansion, then the place he would be was…

 

‘The secret room.’

 

Others might not know, but Count Mirk would definitely choose that place as his final location.

 

Creak—

 

When he opened the door, he saw Count Mirk sitting calmly at a table, reading something.

 

As expected, all the lights were brightly lit.

 

“You found me quickly. I thought you might guess this place.”

 

“I figured someone as arrogant as you would choose this place.”

 

“Hahaha, you really know me well.”

 

“You’re not as prepared as I expected.”

 

“What more preparation do I need when I have this woman?”

 

Count Mirk chuckled as he kicked Asilie’s shoulder.

 

Esperad tried not to look at her to keep from showing any emotion, but after seeing her like that, he couldn’t ignore her.

 

The moment their eyes met, Esperad felt his blood boil.

 

What on earth had he done to Asilie? Her cheekbones were swollen with bruises, her lips were torn and dried with blood, and her hair was completely disheveled.

 

“What the hell did you do to her?”

 

Count Mirk felt a little satisfied hearing his voice turn cold and low.

 

He would’ve been disappointed if there was no reaction. There would’ve been no point in going through the trouble of kidnapping her.

 

When Esperad drew his sword and moved toward him, Count Mirk waved the sword he had placed on the desk, mocking him.

 

“Take one more step and I’ll show you what it looks like when a head flies off.”

 

“You bastard…”

 

“I wrote a document to make our pointless conversation more efficient while you were on your way.”

 

Chuckling, Count Mirk waved a piece of paper and placed it in front of Asilie.

 

“Wouldn’t it sound better if the woman read it?”

 

When Asilie kept her mouth shut and said nothing, Count Mirk hit her on the head with his palm.

 

“Ugh!”

 

She tried not to make a sound, but in the face of physical violence, she was helpless.

 

When Asilie gritted her teeth, Count Mirk found it amusing and gave the command again.

 

“Read it.”

 

“No…”

 

“Please, read it, Asilie.”

 

Esperad pleaded desperately.

 

Count Mirk was not someone you could fight with pride. If she resisted, only more pain would come to her.

 

At his voice, Asilie finally lowered her head. It was terribly humiliating, but she knew that holding out would only make it harder for Esperad. So she clenched her fists tightly and began to read the document Count Mirk had dropped.

 

“I… Esperad Camedici Astel, as of February 10th, hereby hand over the throne to Cartel Ludwig Mirk.”

 

Esperad frowned.

 

“Is that all?”

 

“Do you need more?”

 

“You know this has no legal effect.”

 

“As long as there’s a reason, it’s enough to make things work.”

 

“If I sign that ridiculous paper, then what?”

 

At that question, Count Mirk suddenly burst into mad laughter.

 

As if he had heard something unbelievably stupid, he shook his head and laughed uncontrollably. While Esperad looked at him, he quickly turned his eyes to Asilie.

 

“I didn’t think you’d be stupid enough to ask something like that. Ahahaha.”

 

Count Mirk picked up the paper that had been in front of Asilie, grinned, and gave a simple answer.

 

“You’ll have to die.”

 

Esperad’s face twisted.

 

Ah, Count Mirk felt a thrill. That expression reminded him so much of the face of someone who had once haunted him for a long time.

 

“This is exciting.”

 

“…What?”

 

“You remind me of Astron, that foolish guy.”

 

It had been fate’s cruel joke that both men fell for the same woman.

 

Back then, as an innocent young man, he couldn’t bring himself to betray the deep friendship he had built with Astron since childhood, so he never confessed that Rihanna was his lover.

 

In the end, he lost the duel Rihanna proposed, and when the date for Astron and Rihanna’s wedding was set, he finally confessed.

 

“Rihanna was my lover, Astron.”

 

He felt that if he lost her, he would regret it forever.

 

He thought he wouldn’t be able to bear meeting Rihanna as “his friend’s wife” for the rest of his life.

 

He didn’t hope for her to come back to him.

 

He just wished, at least, not to have to meet her in that way. And he believed Astron—his friend—would at least do that much for him.

 

There were many women in the world. He was Astron’s closest friend, after all.

 

“The day you fell for her at first sight, Rihanna and I had already confirmed our feelings for each other. I can’t face Rihanna, your wife, like nothing happened. So…”

 

“Cartel, time will fix everything.”

 

“What?”

 

“She’s my lover now. We’re already engaged, and Rihanna has started to open her heart to me. The past is just the past—nothing has to change.”

 

“……”

 

“Once you get used to it, it’ll just be an old memory.”

 

Maybe that was when it started—when betrayal and hatred began to boil inside him.

 

He had lost both love and friendship. The anger inside Count Mirk’s heart kept piling up.

 

He tried again and again to control himself because he didn’t want to cause trouble, but in the end…

 

“Please don’t do this!”

 

Taking another man’s woman wasn’t as satisfying as he’d expected.

 

But strangely enough, seeing the betrayed face of Astron…

 

“You bastard.”

 

…was quite satisfying.

 

Maybe that was when he realized he enjoyed seeing people in despair.

 

“Killing your fiancée would be a hassle. Killing you is faster.”

 

But he didn’t want to do that.

 

Watching the son of Astron and Rihanna—who had betrayed him—fall into despair without even knowing why his fiancée died, and being hated by everyone, was much more entertaining.

 

Claiming the throne was also a meaningful goal, but he didn’t consider it urgent. So he chose to pressure Esperad in a way that amused him.

 

That was why Count Mirk chose a method that puzzled the nobles who followed him.

 

He made up a weak excuse about dividing Esperad’s supporters and taking a safer route.

 

“Well, it’s come to this now, but it was fun. Still, I think it’s time to wrap things up. That bookshelf beside you—yes, that one. Inside the blue book, you’ll find the paper. Use the quill in front of it to sign.”

 

The paper had the exact same words Asilie had read a moment ago.

 

And the quill on the shelf had no ink on its tip.

 

Count Mirk’s intention was so clear that it made Esperad laugh in disbelief.

 

“You lunatic.”

 

“Nice compliment.”

 

For now, there was no way to back out.

 

Without hesitation, Esperad drew his sword and cut the back of his arm. Then he dipped the blood into the pen and signed the paper.

 

“Is it done?”

 

“Yes. Everything’s just the way you wanted. So now, let Asilie—”

 

But he couldn’t finish his sentence.

 

Because Count Mirk stabbed his sword straight into Asilie’s back.