A Change of Husband - Chapter 2

If she had committed any sin, it was that she had placed desperate faith in someone she never should have trusted.

 

In the world where she was left all alone, the man named Joseph Bonaparte—her husband—was Asilie’s only light.

 

She should have realized something was off.

 

But blinded by love, intoxicated by the belief that she had gained the world by carrying the child of the man she adored, Asilie failed to notice his strange behavior.

 

“Ah… ahhhk…!”

 

“You stubborn wench! What’s with that disgusting look in your eyes? Just die already!”

 

That devil hurled curses at Asilie as she struggled in pain from the poison coursing through her body. Then, after she coughed up blood, he cruelly kicked her and turned away without a second glance.

 

Fear of death, fury, and hatred from her husband’s betrayal made her body tremble.

 

The loneliness of dying alone in a forest where no one would find her—the crushing sense of isolation…

 

Faced with that despair, Asilie couldn’t stop herself from sobbing.

 

“No…!”

 

The venom constricted her veins and made her heart feel like it was being ripped apart.

 

Yet even as she endured the agony of the poison, she felt no pain from her abdomen.

 

Even as she lay dying, Asilie knew.

 

The child inside her… was already gone.

 

“No…”

 

Her blood grew cold, and her consciousness faded.

 

As death drew near, her fear, regret, and sorrow settled into one burning emotion—hatred for Joseph Bonaparte, the man who had done this to her.

 

Asilie had always tried.

 

Despite being a lowborn adopted daughter, scorned and insulted, she endured it all, believing that someday she would find happiness—that someday, he would finally look her way.

 

But in the end, Joseph Bonaparte betrayed her trust.

 

Even though she had his child in her womb!

 

That monster didn’t just kill her—he killed their baby too!

 

Asilie recalled the face of Joseph Bonaparte, who had looked down at her one last time—calling her persistent, dismissing her desperate gaze as pathetic.

 

She clenched her teeth.

 

I will never forgive him.

 

I will have my revenge.

 

With that fierce vow, she lost consciousness.

 

But when her eyes, which she thought would never open again, blinked back to life—she had returned to her eighteen-year-old self.

 

“Where am I…?”

 

“Did you cough, my lady?”

 

Someone responded to her dazed muttering.

 

“Greta…?”

 

“Did I introduce myself to you yesterday, my lady?”

 

Greta muttered, confused, but Asilie had no words to respond.

 

In fact, it was Asilie who needed answers.

 

“Why am I…?”

 

“You’ve only just arrived in the capital, so I understand it must be hard to adjust. But after breakfast, your schedule begins. The Duke has ordered that you be thoroughly educated so you lack nothing as the adopted daughter of the Grandier household.”

 

“This… this can’t be real.”

 

She couldn’t believe it.

 

How could she have returned to the day after being adopted into the Grandier Duchy… after dying?

 

Before she closed her eyes, she had been poisoned by her husband and abandoned in a secluded forest.

 

She had died in agony, cursing and filled with hatred.

 

So why…?

 

Was this some cruel joke from the gods, mocking her pitiful life?

 

Or had the gods granted her one final grace, moved by her desire for revenge?

 

Or perhaps… this was all just an illusion?

 

“This can’t be happening!”

 

“My lady?”

 

Yet this unbelievable thing was indeed happening.

 

It was only after Asilie slashed her own wrist with a decorative sword from the hallway, watching the blood spill and feeling the pain, that she accepted the truth.

 

That pitiful and foolish woman who had married into a house that never welcomed her, who had waited for a love that never came, who failed to protect the one child she finally conceived and lost it all to a faithless husband—had returned to the past, to a time before she ever met him.

 

“Isn’t she creepy?”

 

“Right? Honestly, I don’t want to serve her.”

 

“How could she cause such a scene? I still can’t believe it.”

 

The maids of the Grandier household didn’t like Asilie.

 

Her attempted suicide the day after her adoption was shocking enough. But what disturbed them more was the way she now just stared blankly out the window, mumbling to herself like a madwoman.

 

“I mean, I get it. She’s not in her right mind. Her situation was apparently awful, right?”

 

“I’ve heard the stories. But still…”

 

Despite having noble blood, Asilie had been so impoverished that her family had sold off their title, leaving her with only a name. Just before her adoption, she had suffered greatly.

 

She lost her father overnight due to debt collectors, and was separated from her younger sister, brought alone to the capital at the Duke’s request.

 

With no one left to rely on, how could she not be broken?

 

Still, being taken in out of necessity didn’t mean she was entitled to sympathy.

 

“You really have no filter, do you?”

 

The maids whispering about Asilie jumped at the stern voice behind them and quickly turned around.

 

It was Greta, the head maid who had served the Grandier family for generations.

 

“S-sorry!”

 

“Please forgive us!”

 

“How many times have I told you—what you see, you didn’t see. What you hear, you didn’t hear!”

 

The maids bowed their heads, pleading for forgiveness.

 

“It won’t happen again, Head Maid!”

 

“If I catch you gossiping again, you’ll be out the door. Understood?”

 

“Yes, Head Maid!”

 

After giving them a sharp glare, Greta turned on her heel and stormed down the hallway—unusually furious.

 

Her destination: Asilie’s room.

 

Knock knock.

 

Without waiting for a reply, she opened the door.

 

Asilie sat blankly on her bed and looked up, startled by the abrupt intrusion.

 

“My apologies, my lady. But I cannot give you more time. Forgive my rudeness.”

 

Asilie simply stared at her in silence, making no move to respond.

 

Greta sighed deeply at the sight.

 

“I understand your pain. If I had lost my father and been separated from my sister, I wouldn’t be able to bear it either. But…”

 

“Sister?”

 

Greta hadn’t intended to be interrupted, but Asilie couldn’t help asking.

 

“Yes?”

 

“Lydia…?”

 

Greta looked puzzled.

 

But Asilie didn’t have time to care—she was too shaken by her own realization.

 

How… how could she forget her one and only sister, Lydia?

 

Of course, in hindsight, it made sense.

 

To Asilie, Lydia had already died seven years ago.

 

Right after marrying Joseph, she had tried to contact Lydia and bring her to the capital—but what came back was news of her sister’s death a month earlier, and a cheap ring as her only memento.

 

Since then, Lydia had lived only in her memory—as someone already gone.

 

“I have to bring her back.”

 

But Lydia was still alive. She had to be saved. Asilie couldn’t lose her again.

 

Maybe that obsessive dependence on Joseph had been her way of coping with the pain of losing her family.

 

Perhaps this… was her first chance to make things right.

 

“Lydia… Lydia! How do I bring her here? What should I do?”

 

“My lady, please…”

 

Greta called to her anxiously, but Asilie seemed completely consumed by thoughts of her sister.

 

Watching her mutter Lydia’s name over and over, Greta eventually steeled herself and raised her voice.

 

“My lady!”

 

“…”

 

“Please come to your senses! If you want to reunite with your sister, then all the more reason to pull yourself together!”

 

“…What?”

 

“His Grace the Duke wants you to become the perfect noble lady. Only if you establish yourself here can you see your sister again, can’t you?”

 

The words snapped Asilie out of her daze.

 

As her eyes regained focus, Greta quickly added:

 

“You must make a flawless impression at the upcoming ball hosted by the Count of Gariburn. Only then will you be able to achieve your goals.”

 

The Count of Gariburn’s family was one of the few neutral houses left among Astel’s aristocracy, now deeply divided between reformists and traditionalists.

 

Asilie closed her eyes.

 

She felt like something important had happened at that ball before—but she couldn’t remember.

 

Still, she chose not to obsess over every little detail.

 

What mattered now was this:

 

She had to satisfy the Duke at the Gariburn ball.

 

If she failed, she would be cast out of the Grandier family—and lose her one chance to save her sister.

 

“Greta, summon the tailor.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“This is the first time I’ll be introduced as the Grandier Duke’s daughter. Even if I have to wear a high-necked dress, if it doesn’t fit properly, I won’t look the part of a noble lady.”

 

Claiming neutrality can be seen as a lack of firm beliefs, but in another way, it can also mean having the strength to keep one’s position without siding with any faction.

 

In Astel, the Grandier Duchy, Count Gariburn’s family, and Count Rupield’s family were typical examples of noble houses that remained neutral.

 

However, as political conflict between the progressive and conservative factions grew sharper, the influence of neutral noble families declined.

 

In the end, the few remaining neutral nobles tried to gather strength by forming alliances with families that had firm political beliefs.

 

That’s why, before her return, Asilie had to be registered into the Grandier Duchy and marry into the Bonaparte family, one of the most stable among the conservative noble houses.

 

Whatever the hidden reasons may have been, the status of the few remaining major neutral noble families still seemed impressive on the outside.

 

The same went for Petro Rosé, the villa owned by Count Gariburn, where the party was being held.

 

“Let’s go in.”

 

“Yes, Your Grace.”

 

The mansion was as large and splendid as the Grandier estate, which could have been overwhelming, but Asilie didn’t even look around, nor did she show any sign of surprise.

 

Though the Duke of Grandier hadn’t expected much, he gave her a sideways glance, finding her performance unexpectedly impressive.

 

‘Interesting.’

 

On the day she first arrived in the capital, Asilie had been disappointing.

 

She looked utterly exhausted, as if she had been through everything, with eyes that had given up on life. The next day, there were even reports that she had cried uncontrollably and tried to harm herself.

 

He had doubted whether she could even attend today’s social gathering, but so far, she had been flawless.

 

And now that he looked again, her looks, which had once seemed plain, were actually decent.

 

Her face was pale from poor nutrition, and her hair and skin weren’t in the best condition—but if she ate well from now on, she could Asilie match the nobles raised in the capital since birth.

 

After finishing his assessment of his adoptive daughter, the Duke of Grandier turned his attention to the nobles approaching them and greeted them.

 

“It’s been a while, Duke.”

 

“Count Proud, it has indeed. I was worried because you hadn’t been seen in the capital lately, but I heard your gold mine investment last year was a great success. Congratulations.”

 

“Thank you. I didn’t expect the rumors to spread so quickly—I’m almost afraid I’ll end up turning someone else’s celebration into a chance to brag.”

 

“Hahaha, I’m sure Count Gariburn will understand. He must be in good spirits, having gained such an excellent son-in-law.”

 

Smiling, Count Proud replied to the Duke’s comment.

 

“I agree. If I had a daughter, I’d have tried to make the match myself.”

 

“Since we’re of one mind, shall we go congratulate Count Gariburn together?”

 

“Of course. But this lady here is…?”

 

As Count Proud turned his gaze to her, Asilie lifted her skirt and bent her knees in a polite greeting, as if she had been waiting for it.

 

“I’m Asilie of House Grandier. It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”

 

“I’m Antony Proud. I’ve finally met the lady I’ve heard so much about.”

 

Even if her appearance was acceptable, she likely hadn’t yet mastered the complex language of nobility.

 

To prevent further conversation between the two, the Duke quickly spoke to Count Proud.

 

“How about we continue our talk as we walk? Ah, you stay here and wait.”

 

“Yes, Your Grace.”

 

As the two men walked away, people’s attention shifted to Asilie.

 

Before her return, she would have found these stares uncomfortable, lowered her head, and waited quietly for the Duke to return.

 

But Asilie was different now.

 

She had already crossed the river of death and come back—what was there to fear? There was nothing here that could threaten her.

 

Asilie boldly met the eyes of those sneaking glances at her.

 

Many faces were familiar. Most of them were people who had been unkind to her.

 

In Astel’s society, she had been openly looked down on—she came from a humble background, had no outstanding qualities, and was even ignored by the family she belonged to.

 

She was used to being disregarded and mistreated, both inside and outside her home, and had accepted it all in silence, not daring to say it was unfair.

 

‘Why was I like that? Why was I so weak?’

 

Now that she looked people in the eye, it didn’t seem that hard.

 

Even just before her death, she had been overly timid, afraid to make a mistake, too scared to even speak.

 

Remembering that made her chest feel tight.

 

Thinking it might be better to get some fresh air, Asilie quietly stepped out of the banquet hall.

 

Thud—

 

“Ah!”

 

She had intended to slip out and back in quietly, but as soon as she stepped outside, she bumped into a young lady wearing a high-necked dress.

 

“Are you alright?”

 

Asilie reached out her hand right away, so the lady who had fallen was able to get up quickly.

 

“I’m Asilie of House Grandier. I’m sorry. I wasn’t looking ahead while coming out…”

 

“I-I’m fine…”

 

Her answer said one thing, but she didn’t look fine at all.

 

Her voice trembled weakly, and her face was pale and unsettled. Asilie couldn’t help but speak again.

 

“Um… is there anything I can help with?”

 

“No, no… I’m alright.”

 

The young lady gasped as if she couldn’t breathe, then hurried past Asilie.

 

It wasn’t uncommon for young ladies attending their first social event to faint from nerves—but this one felt different.

 

And somehow… familiar.

 

Too familiar to ignore.

 

Asilie hesitated, wondering if she should follow her and ask again if she needed help. But in the end, she gave up.

 

She had been in Astel’s society for seven years, but she had never seen that young lady before.

 

It wasn’t wise to meddle with strangers. Especially not today, when it was her first appearance back in society.

 

Asilie stood and watched the girl stumble away for a while, then realized more time had passed than she thought. Without having properly cleared her head, she turned back into the hall.

 

Fortunately, the Duke of Grandier was still busy talking with other nobles and hadn’t returned yet.

 

Asilie let out a sigh of relief, knowing she wasn’t late.

 

Then, she made eye contact with a man standing at a distance.

 

‘That man is…’

 

Even after spending seven years in society, it was impossible to memorize the names and faces of all nobles.

 

Especially not the ones who rarely attended events.

 

But the man she had just locked eyes with was an exception.

 

Esperad Camedici—the young head of House Camedici and a man of royal blood.

 

Even though he rarely showed up at social gatherings, Asilie knew his name and face. She also knew his future.

 

‘Wait… if he’s here, then…’

 

Asilie’s eyes widened.

 

In the past, at a party hosted by Count Gariburn, something had happened.

 

The party had ended in chaos after a sudden announcement.

 

And the next day, society was shaken by tragic news.

 

‘Yes—it was that young lady I bumped into earlier.’

 

She finally remembered.

 

After spending seven years in society, she could recall most of the noble ladies and women from reputable families.

 

Anyone who could attend a party hosted by Count Gariburn should have at least been familiar in appearance, even if their name or family wasn’t.

 

But Asilie hadn’t recognized her.

 

‘Of course. Because today, she…’

 

Duke Esperad Camedici would have three engagements.

 

Lady of Duke Triburn, Lady of Count Cassnut, and finally, Lady of Count Gariburn.

 

But all three engagements would end in failure. The reason:

 

“There’s been a murder!”

 

The ladies of Duke Triburn and Count Cassnut had died under mysterious circumstances, and on the day of the party, the Lady of Count Gariburn was found dead—drowned in the lake.