A Change of Husband - Chapter 53

Her belly was slowly starting to swell.

She felt uncomfortable inside, took more naps during the day, and had breakouts on her face. Because of all this, she didn’t go out as often as she used to before marriage.

That’s why Monica Bellucci—no, now Monica Bonaparte with her new name—couldn’t hide how annoyed she felt.

Even the maids at the Bonaparte Count’s estate had realized she wasn’t easy to deal with and began to quietly avoid serving her.

And Monica wasn’t the kind of person to miss such signs. That only made her more irritated.

If this had been the Bellucci Count’s household, a maid wouldn’t have dared to choose which master to serve. By Monica’s standards, discipline in the Bonaparte estate was a mess.

But still, she couldn’t rebel against the Countess Bonaparte, so she was stuck in a frustrating situation.

Today, unable to bear the discomfort any longer, Monica stormed out of her room, ignoring a maid who told her it was too hot outside. She walked down the hallway.

“Damn it…!”

If she had known she’d be treated like this, maybe it would’ve been better to risk her health and have an abortion.

In Astel, women who had abortions were harshly judged, so she had instinctively hesitated—but that had been foolish.

If she was worried about how others saw her, then choosing Joseph—who was constantly the talk of the town for his outrageous behavior—as her husband had been the real foolish decision.

Thinking about it again only made her angrier.

Full of rage, Monica stomped through the hall, moving in a way that the former “flower of high society” would have never shown.

Then suddenly, she felt someone watching her.

She looked around to see who it was, and soon spotted Geoffrey standing at the top of the stairs, looking down at her.

“You look like something’s bothering you.”

He was the first to speak.

Talking to Geoffrey was extremely uncomfortable for Monica, especially after she had married Joseph without even saying goodbye to him.

And the fact that he had seen her acting so poorly embarrassed her even more.

“There’s nothing wrong. So then…”

With her face flushed red, Monica tried to walk away, but in the blink of an eye, Geoffrey came up to her, grabbed her thin wrist, and pushed her into a nearby room, then shut the door.

“Ah!”

Startled, she let out a small scream and looked up at him.

But Geoffrey’s face was calm, as if he had done nothing wrong.

“What do you think you’re doing?!”

“I wanted to talk to you.”

“I have nothing to say.”

“Nothing to say? If people here found out that the heir’s wife used to be his younger brother’s lover, both of us would be laughed at. And you say there’s nothing to talk about?”

Monica glared at him furiously.

“Shut your mouth. We’re over, and that’s that.”

“Without even saying goodbye?”

Geoffrey’s voice turned cold.

But Monica didn’t back down.

“Who was it that planted someone to drug me in the first place? Did you really think you could have me after doing something so disgusting?”

“You found out—and still married my brother?”

“And what if I did?”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“What would that change? The fact that you did something so low behind my back won’t go away. How lightly must you have thought of me…!”

“If I had thought lightly of you, I wouldn’t have done something like that.”

Geoffrey interrupted her.

At his words, Monica’s expression froze.

“What do you mean?”

“I just… I wanted to make you mine, for sure. I thought that was the only way. It was a mistake, a bad judgment.”

His calm confession that he had been wrong left Monica confused.

“Monica, unlike my brother, I never saw you as just some decoration. I wanted a future with you.”

It was an unexpected confession.

Actually, the whole conversation had happened so suddenly.

Ever since she married Joseph, Monica had done everything she could to avoid Geoffrey.

So hearing a confession from him now made her both stunned and deeply unsettled.

“…What are you even saying?”

She asked, her tone a little softer. Geoffrey looked at her without replying.

His gaze was just as intense as it had been when they had their secret meetings.

“Monica, I’m sure the child you’re carrying is mine.”

“W-what?”

“When the baby is born, we can count the dates and figure it out. But I already know. That baby… it must be mine.”

Monica shook her head desperately at his firm voice.

“Don’t say something so ridiculous!”

“Are you sure you’re not the one who wants to believe it’s ridiculous?”

At that question, Monica bit her lip.

In truth, after the drug incident, she had only slept with Joseph once.

But every time she met Geoffrey, they had been physically intimate.

There really was a high chance that Geoffrey was the father.

“Monica, I’m not going to use the baby to threaten you or get angry. Sure, I was furious at first. But now, I understand the betrayal you must have felt.”

Surprisingly, Geoffrey didn’t attack or pressure her.

His calm and composed attitude made Monica’s expression soften slightly.

He was, after all, once her lover.

Among the many men she had dated, Monica truly believed that Geoffrey had loved her sincerely.

Maybe she had rushed into marrying Joseph out of anger and hurt from Geoffrey’s betrayal.

“…Why are you saying all this now?”

“I came just to ask. But when I saw you looking so miserable, I couldn’t just pretend not to care.”

“You think I look miserable?”

“You know better than anyone how poorly my brother treats you.”

Monica’s eyes widened.

She hadn’t expected Geoffrey to know about her not-so-good relationship with Joseph.

“I feel sorry for you—and for the child, who might be treated the same way.”

“Hah…”

“We’ve both done wrong to each other. But I don’t think we can truly hate one another. Monica, even for the sake of the child, I will do something for you.”

As he spoke, his blue eyes sparkled, and Monica’s heart wavered.

She looked up at him for a long time before finally asking:

“Why are you doing all this…?”

“Because I love you. At least for me, you are still the one I love.”

If this had been before, she would’ve coldly turned him down. But now, Monica couldn’t say anything.

She couldn’t even remember the last time someone had said “love” to her.

Joseph had never once told her he loved her.

Maybe because their relationship started from her chasing after him, he had never treated her with care or affection.

He just enjoyed the pride of having “the flower of high society” as his wife.

It was completely different from how other men had treated her before.

That’s why she had blamed Geoffrey even more for pushing her into this hasty decision.

But now, hearing that word—love—her heart trembled.

“…Don’t you know this is wrong? You’ll regret it.”

“I don’t mind regretting it.”

“But still…!”

Geoffrey noticed that she was starting to waver.

Monica didn’t know it, but he was someone who understood better than anyone how to deal with people like her.

“I heard you’re going to testify at the noble trial that Duke Camedici requested.”

Monica had been about to ask how he knew, but then remembered Geoffrey was still part of the Bonaparte household and quickly changed her question.

“…So what?”

“Monica, I don’t understand why you’ve gotten involved in something so dangerous.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Think about it calmly. No matter who looks at it, it’s clear that your brother made a big mistake against the House of Medici. Don’t you agree?”

“That’s…”

Monica bit her lip.

She also knew that Joseph had clearly done something wrong—so much so that he was being harshly criticized and couldn’t even show his face in society. He had been thoroughly humiliated.

Even so, the reason she said she would testify for him was because she believed she had enough power to save him.

Besides, didn’t Count Bellucci also promise to do everything he could?

“There won’t be a problem.”

“That’s a mistaken thought.”

“Why do you think that?”

“Monica, if you, as his wife, appear as a witness when there’s no one else defending your husband, do you think people will trust your testimony? They’ll just think you’re trying to protect your husband.”

It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered that before—but she hadn’t thought it through calmly.

That was because, at the time she made her decision, she had been blinded by hatred for Asilie Medici.

Afterward, so many things changed so quickly that she had no time to think about it. She didn’t even feel the need to.

But now, hearing Geoffrey’s words, fear suddenly crept in.

To avoid looking weak, Monica hid her trembling hands behind her back and asked,

“What are you trying to say to me?”

“I’m going to help you.”

“You? Help me?”

“Tell me what kind of testimony you gave and what you plan to do next. That’s the only way I can figure out how to help you if your husband loses.”

“Lose…?”

The word “lose” made fear rise inside her.

If Joseph lost the trial requested by the Duke of Medici, everything would be over.

Joseph would be ridiculed, and her own reputation as his wife and witness would hit rock bottom.

Besides, people already knew that she had been humiliated by Asilie that day.

Suddenly overwhelmed by fear, Monica felt the world go blurry before her eyes.

Come to think of it, everything she had done so far had been impulsive.

Maybe it was because she had lost her mind after being embarrassed by a woman she thought was beneath her, after living like a princess all her life.

Only then did Monica realize how dangerous a position she had put herself in.

If things went wrong, she could lose everything she had built!

‘No, there’s still a way.’

Monica looked Geoffrey up and down with a cold gaze as he stared at her with desperate eyes.

‘If I can use this foolish man, I should.’

Though he was shameless, Geoffrey was the one who had been smart enough to secretly switch her birth control pills.

Compared to the foolish Joseph, he seemed far more reliable in handling this situation.

“Fine.”

“You’ve decided?”

“My husband won’t return to the mansion tomorrow. So come to me secretly tomorrow night. Then we can have a deeper conversation.”

“Understood.”

Filled with hope that she might have found a way to fix the situation, Monica didn’t notice that Geoffrey’s smile looked different from before.

“I’ll prepare the carriage.”

“Is it already the appointed time?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Alright, let’s go.”

Duke Grandier rose from his desk, placing a hand on it. He had been looking over documents his son brought on his birthday after being sent to the countryside to manage estate affairs.

His adopted daughter had hurriedly left the mansion after the birthday dinner but had sent a letter saying she would return.

Though he didn’t think there was any special reason between them, the idea of seeing her again was rather interesting to him as a duke.

Conversations with his clever adopted daughter—who was smart enough to make people question her origins—were always fascinating.

‘Still, I’m definitely curious about what this is about.’

As he sat down first in the drawing room, Duke Grandier thought to himself.

‘Is it something about the throne?’

Even as the head of the Grandier family—considered a pillar of the neutral faction—he didn’t know everything happening in Astel.

If his adopted daughter hadn’t trusted him and come asking for help, he would have never known that the conservative nobles, led by Count Mirk, had already started acting in secret.

Even after learning that, Duke Grandier hadn’t decided on any specific action or how he would guide the neutral nobles.

No, he didn’t even feel the need to make a decision—at least, not yet.

The neutral nobles had always only acted when something truly serious happened and only when it was necessary.

Even his support of the Duke of Medici was due to their personal alliance through marriage—and the belief that one day, he’d get a return on that favor.

Knock knock—

Lost in thought, the Duke of Medici looked up as the door opened and Asilie entered. He stood from his seat.

“You’ve come.”

“It’s good to see you again, Father.”

“Sit. I was surprised you didn’t mention the reason in your letter.”

As he sat down again, she smiled lightly and took the seat across from him.

“I came in person because it’s a serious matter, Father.”

“A serious matter?”

“Yes, Father.”

Even at his probing question, Asilie remained confident and bold.

That was one reason why Duke Grandier enjoyed talking with her.

“Well then, what is it?”

“I won’t keep you waiting, so I’ll get to the point. After discussing with my husband, the House of Medici has decided to offer the House of Grandier an interesting proposal.”

“Interesting, huh? Are you sure it’ll be interesting enough for me?”

He laughed heartily, and Asilie nodded.

“If it weren’t, I wouldn’t have come. I’m sure you’ll be very pleased.”

Her amber eyes sparkled with confidence.

With that answer, Duke Grandier straightened his posture.

Now, their real conversation was about to begin.

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