A Change of Husband - Chapter 8

Esperad Medici, his superior and long-time friend, was not someone who assigned unreasonable tasks Asilie.

 

This time was no different.

 

Others might question why such a highly skilled person was sent to fetch a mere sixteen-year-old girl, but Edgar understood well how important this mission was.

 

It was just frustrating that he had to ride for ten days from the capital and then ride back for another ten days.

 

The reason he had to go through all that trouble was because that sixteen-year-old girl was none other than the Duchess Medici’s younger sister.

 

So after standing as a witness at Esperad’s wedding, Edgar immediately traveled to Pembis to carry out his mission.

 

“The location is confirmed. All that’s left is to bring her back.”

 

It really wasn’t that difficult.

 

Even finding the house was easy.

 

It wasn’t in the village but stood all alone near the forest, far away from the rest of the homes.

 

“My God… someone actually lives here?”

 

Edgar had seen plenty of miserable places, but the house where the former duchess had once lived was in terrible shape.

 

The roof was full of holes, making it questionable whether it could even keep out the rain. The door had long since stopped functioning—its handle was missing. For some reason, the fence was broken, and part of the wall had collapsed.

 

Edgar couldn’t believe a sixteen-year-old girl was living alone in such a horrible place.

 

‘Should I knock?’

 

But it looked like the door might fall apart if he did.

 

As he looked around, he finally noticed a rusty bell hanging near the door. The rope was almost rotted through, but when he pulled it, it still made a sound.

 

Ding—dong—

 

The sound was dull with age, but loud enough to let someone know there was a visitor.

 

“Get lost!”

 

The shrill voice caught Edgar off guard.

 

He figured he might be treated with suspicion, but he didn’t expect to be told to leave before even showing his face.

 

“Excuse me…”

 

“I said get lost! You want to be cursed? Want me to make it so you can never show your face again? Huh?”

 

The girl yelled threateningly as she kicked the door and stormed outside. She stopped when she saw he wasn’t who she expected.

 

Only then could Edgar get a good look at the girl—Lydia.

 

Her hair was brown, unlike her sister’s, but she had the same amber eyes.

 

Unlike the Duchess, whose large eyes held a story, Lydia’s were filled with hostility.

 

Still, though she looked a bit shabby, he figured she might look decent if she were cleaned up.

 

“You’re another one…”

 

Lydia slowly spoke.

 

“What do you want?”

 

Her bold attitude left Edgar momentarily speechless.

 

Then she raised her old broom like it was a weapon.

 

“Hah, you look like some fancy knight, but you can go on your way. Even if I’m dirt poor and starving, I’m not going to sell myself!”

 

Only then did Edgar understand what this young girl must have been going through.

 

A father killed by debt collectors, a sister dragged off to the capital, and a girl left all alone.

 

He had seen many noble ladies in the capital, so maybe he hadn’t noticed at first—but now that he looked again, Lydia was just as beautiful as them.

 

If she looked this striking even in such a state, it wasn’t hard to guess that some shady people might have tried to take advantage of her.

 

“I’m sorry, but I…”

 

“Get lost! You want to die? Or want me to curse you so you’ll never be a man again? My curses don’t go away once I cast them!”

 

Edgar sighed and shook his head.

 

He meant for her to stop, but Lydia seemed to take it differently.

 

“I warned you!”

 

She charged at him with fierce energy.

 

Lydia ran at him faster than he thought possible and swung her broom at his right shoulder.

 

If Edgar hadn’t instinctively blocked it with his sword sheath, he probably wouldn’t have been able to use that arm for a while.

 

He had never imagined things would unfold this way, and for a moment, he could only stare at her in shock.

 

“What? You blocked that?”

 

But the fact that he blocked her seemed to excite Lydia even more.

 

In her amber eyes, Edgar saw both anger and fear.

 

He realized he had to explain himself and end this confrontation.

 

But she didn’t give him the chance.

 

Taking advantage of his distraction, Lydia struck again—this time aiming for his side.

 

Thud!

 

The attack landed.

 

The pain was incredible, even though the broom looked too worn-out to be an effective weapon.

 

Clutching his side, Edgar fell to one knee.

 

“Ugh…”

 

Maybe the reason she’d survived alone for almost a month was because she was so strong.

 

Still, Edgar had never heard anyone say the Duchess’s younger sister was a fighter.

 

As he looked up with a pained expression, Lydia proudly walked over to him.

 

“See? I told you to back off, you idiot!”

 

“Could you just listen for a moment…”

 

“Oh, please. Let me guess—you’ll pay whatever I want for one night? Men! Whether you’re a lowborn thug or a fancy noble, you’re all the same—filthy pigs!”

 

“Sigh… This is a misunderstanding.”

 

“Misunderstanding? What kind? Ha! Now that you know you’re cursed, you’re getting scared, huh?”

 

While Lydia boasted confidently, Edgar recovered from the shock and quickly stood up.

 

She hadn’t expected a strong knight to recover so fast, and she backed away in surprise.

 

“I’m not here to hurt you.”

 

As she looked ready to fight again, Edgar quickly spoke up.

 

“So please stop pretending to be a witch. It may help now, but if word gets to the capital, they’ll send a purge squad.”

 

“…Why do you care?”

 

“I should’ve introduced myself earlier. I’m Edgar Villian, from the House of Medici. About ten days ago, the Duchess—your sister—married the Duke of Medici.”

 

“What?”

 

“She desperately wanted to find you, so the Duke sent me here on her behalf.”

 

Lydia stared at him, stunned. She looked like she was trying to decide whether to believe him.

 

But there was no reason for a well-dressed knight to come all this way and lie.

 

After a long pause, she asked with a bitter look,

 

“Why didn’t you say that earlier?”

 

She now looked embarrassed about all the yelling and aggression.

 

Edgar let out a sigh of relief and gave a wry smile.

 

“I didn’t get the chance…”

 

 

After finishing breakfast with Esperad, Asilie waited for Lady Marce and found herself thinking about Lydia again.

 

Even after what happened last night, she was filled with excitement.

 

Before returning to the past, she had always carried guilt over abandoning Lydia.

 

Back then, she hadn’t been able to protect her sister.

 

She had never let herself dwell on it too deeply, but it was easy to imagine how terribly Lydia had died—alone, in a desolate place after their father’s death and Asilie’s departure.

 

Lydia had been so lovely. Even in a hard life, she never lost her smile, always cheerful and full of life.

 

She was a child anyone would’ve found adorable, and that made it hurt even more.

 

Asilie never let herself imagine how Lydia’s story ended.

 

Even the thought tore at her heart so much that she felt she couldn’t do anything.

 

That was why succeeding in saving Lydia after coming back in time meant so much.

 

Now, Asilie would get to see Lydia again. And Esperad was someone who kept his word.

 

The sisters could now live together at the Medici mansion.

 

After such a long detour through time—finally.

 

Knock knock.

 

“My lady, this is Rosetta Marce. May I come in?”

 

Hearing the voice outside, Asilie realized she had let her mind wander too long.

 

She couldn’t afford to get lost in thought, not after what happened last night.

 

“Come in.”

 

At her reply, Lady Marce quietly entered the room.

 

She looked pale, likely having heard about the assassination attempt on Esperad and Asilie.

 

“I heard there was an incident last night, my lady. Are you hurt or uncomfortable anywhere?”

 

“Thanks to the Duke’s exceptional skills, I wasn’t harmed at all.”

 

“Oh, thank goodness.”

 

Lady Marce looked visibly relieved that Asilie was safe.

 

But Asilie kept her expression firm.

 

This wasn’t something to be brushed off as just fortunate.

 

She had entered the Medici mansion only yesterday, and not even twenty-four hours had passed before she was attacked.

 

There were seven assassins. If not for Esperad, she would’ve died.

 

“Last night’s incident raised several questions. And I believe you’re the only one who can answer them.”

 

“…Ask me anything. I sincerely hope I can help you, my lady.”

 

“Thank you. Then let me ask—when did you first hear about the Duke’s marriage?”

 

“Around a week ago… Yes, I believe exactly one week.”

 

If she learned about the marriage then, she would’ve started ordering furniture and decorations for the bedroom that same day or the next.

 

Delivering them to the mansion would take two or three days if rushed.

 

“When was the bedroom location finalized?”

 

“Four days ago.”

 

“So the servants of the mansion all learned the bedroom’s location four days ago.”

 

At her words, Lady Marce’s body visibly trembled.

 

She looked at Asilie in disbelief, her face now pale.

 

“You’re not… suspecting the staff, are you?”

 

“If I was attacked last night, it means someone had the information earlier and prepared. Even if the leak came from the Grandier family, you’d still need an insider to know the layout.”

 

“There hasn’t been a single outside hire among the servants. Everyone here has either served since the late Duke’s time or inherited the position.”

 

Lady Marce protested with a trembling voice, but Asilie wasn’t convinced.

 

“That alone isn’t enough to clear suspicion.”

 

“My lady!”

 

“The only outsiders who came in were the workers delivering furniture. How far into the mansion were they allowed?”

 

“…Up to the first-floor hall.”

 

Even the few outsiders hadn’t seen where the bedroom was located.

 

“I understand what you’re thinking, my lady. But there were seven attackers. Couldn’t they have found the room while searching?”

 

“I’ve considered that.”

 

Asilie sighed deeply.

 

Esperad had told her that all the servants had been working since the former Duke’s time.

 

So it was hard to suspect them without evidence, but no matter how many times she considered it, the conclusion stayed the same.

 

“If the assassins split up to search and found the bedroom, how did they coordinate to attack it all at once?”

 

“…”

 

“And every hallway had guards. None were killed or even wounded. Not one person noticed the attack. The Duke questioned everyone, and no one reported anything strange.”

 

Lady Marce’s face grew darker.

 

It made sense. From this moment on, she would have to doubt people she had worked with for years.

 

“So are you saying one of the guards betrayed us? Or the assassins already knew where the bedroom was before coming?”

 

“My lady…”

 

Lady Marce’s voice was filled with sorrow, but Asilie didn’t stop.

 

It wasn’t that she couldn’t understand those feelings—but right now, she didn’t want to.

 

Asilie wasn’t playing around. To protect herself, she had to uncover the truth completely and clearly.

 

Esperad had promised to protect her, but she couldn’t depend on him all the time.

 

No matter how capable he was, he wasn’t invincible. He also couldn’t always be by her side to save her from danger.

 

Asilie had to prepare for every situation.

 

She could say with certainty—after last night, her life would be in danger at any moment.

 

“Did you know? The window latch was undone.”

 

Asilie closed her eyes with a troubled expression.

 

That morning, after drinking the herbal tea Esperad gave her, she told him she would return to the scene of the incident.

 

He tried to stop her, saying the area wasn’t fully cleared yet, but Asilie didn’t back down.

 

Seven people had died there. It was bound to be disgusting and horrifying, but that was all the more reason to go. She had to check for anything that could be a clue.

 

There, she saw and learned many things.

 

“The window latch… you say?”

 

“I mean the lock that opens and closes the window. It’s installed so that it can’t be removed from outside. If the latch is locked, someone from outside would have to completely break the window to get in. But the bedroom window was perfectly intact. It was wide open, though.”

 

Madame Marce knew the layout of the Medici Mansion better than anyone.

 

Each room in the mansion was different in size and had a different number of windows. So even if someone checked from the hallway, it was hard to get in through the windows. On top of that, the room layouts were different on each floor.

 

The house was built during the Continental War, so it had features that made it hard to attack or break into.

 

“There must be an insider. That’s the only way to explain what happened last night.”

 

“But Madam, none of the Medici Mansion’s servants would ever have such disloyal thoughts. His Grace the Duke treats his household with great care. Everyone is deeply loyal.”

 

“That’s an interesting story.”

 

“Madam…?”

 

Asilie looked at her with cold eyes.

 

The gentle expression she’d shown when they first met yesterday evening was gone.

 

“I’m the only one who came from outside. Are you saying I removed the window latch to put myself in danger?”

 

“I didn’t mean to accuse you, Madam. It’s just…”

 

“Unless I can open up someone’s head and look inside, there’s no way to know what they’re thinking.”

 

Asilie no longer wanted to waste words with Madame Marce.

 

Marce wasn’t a bad person, but she still hadn’t fully accepted that her role had changed.

 

Until now, she may have made all the decisions inside the mansion—but now that role belonged to Asilie, the rightful mistress of the House of Medici.

 

So Asilie didn’t need to ask for her permission. She only needed to give orders.

 

“Write down a list of all the servants, their family ties, and where they live. Give it to me by this afternoon. We need to start cleaning up.”

 

“Madam…!”

 

“Until everything is clean, I will not exercise any rights or duties as the mistress of House Medici.”

 

Asilie was firm.

 

Madame Marce stared at her for a long time, then lowered her head with a resigned expression, knowing her mind would not be changed.

 

“…As you command, Madam.”