I Was Meant to Be the Evil Wife, But the Cold Marquis Fell for Me - Chapter 18

The next day, Liliana was eating a late breakfast alone at her table.

Leivis was apparently at home today, but she felt uneasy about seeing him, so she pretended she had woken late. In truth, she hadn’t slept well the night before. Her mind had been spinning with unpleasant thoughts.

Serving her today were the head housekeeper and Anne. Liliana felt a quiet relief that Elina was absent.

Suddenly, her hand trembled, and the cutlery struck the plate with a clatter. The shock tipped over her glass, cold water spreading across the tablecloth. Her body jolted, and she dropped the cutlery to the floor. Liliana stared at it, frozen with dread.

—She had done it. She would be scolded.

“Madam, are you all right?”

The head housekeeper’s voice reached her ears. Liliana couldn’t answer at once.

“…Thank you. It’s nothing.”

Her voice sounded weak even to herself. The housekeeper quickly replaced the cutlery.

“Let’s reduce your workload for now. You’ve been too eager from the start. You were so positive and learned quickly that I ended up giving you too much.”
“N-no, I’m fine.”

If she stopped doing household work too, she would truly be useless. She had to prove she had some value, or she would be discarded as a bad wife.

“But you look very tired. At least today, please rest.”

Liliana couldn’t accept the kindness. Admitting she was weak, admitting she was useless, was terrifying.

“Besides, the master is at home today.”
“……”

Those words weighed even heavier on her chest. Precisely because Leivis was here, she couldn’t let him see her weakness.

“Yes.”

Unable to resist further, Liliana forced a stiff smile.

She sat in her room, staring blankly out the window.

Her work had been taken away. It was called a rest day, but she felt no will to do anything.

She couldn’t bring herself to embroider. She couldn’t walk in the garden. If she left her room, she might encounter Leivis.

If he looked away from her now, her heart would break.

Trying not to think of him only brought her family to mind.

(I need to think of a way to raise money…)

She couldn’t put it off forever.

But her body and mind refused to move.

—If only she could vanish completely, how easy life would be.

She sighed deeply and closed her eyes. Then she remembered the plant encyclopedia she had seen in the library.

She wanted to see it again. But she feared approaching the library. She might overhear voices speaking about her again.

Still it might be better than staying in her room.

Liliana called to Anne, the maid waiting nearby.

“Anne, would you accompany me to the library?”
“Yes, Madam.”

At the library, she noticed the door slightly ajar. She remembered it had been like that before, even when she thought she had closed it.

(Perhaps it doesn’t shut properly… it should be repaired…)

She reached for the door—

“Master…”

A sweet, girlish voice came from inside.

Her chest tightened, her body froze. She wanted to flee.

There was only one person called “Master” in this house.

(Lord Leivis…?)

—And that voice…

She peeked inside. Elina stood beside Leivis in front of the bookshelves.

Liliana’s blood ran cold.

—The library episode.

The cheerful Elina, eager to study, impresses Leivis. He begins teaching her, and they grow closer. From employer and servant, to teacher and student, to friends, and eventually lovers…

That was the “correct story” Liliana knew. The story where heroine Elina builds happiness with Leivis.

“I want to study, but these difficult books are so hard to understand…”

Elina’s upward glance, her sweet voice.

(No mistake… this is the novel’s episode…!)

The correct story of this world was unfolding before her eyes. And it was supposed to be a joyous development.

After this, Leivis would divorce Liliana and marry Elina. But Liliana’s “bad wife” score was low, and the marriage remained unconsummated. She would receive compensation upon divorce, flee to a convent, escape her family and noble society, and live peacefully ever after.

Everything was proceeding as Liliana had expected. It was all according to plan.

So why… why did her chest ache, her fingers grow cold?

—She didn’t want to see them together.
But she had to. For the sake of her future actions.

Looking again, she saw Leivis gazing down at Elina with a blank expression. His eyes flicked to her briefly, then dropped to the book in his hands.

“There are children’s books over there. Start with those.”

His voice was flat.

Liliana felt something was off.

(…This isn’t quite the development I know…)

He was supposed to be moved by Elina’s eagerness, gently guiding her step by step. Stern yet kind, teaching her carefully.

(…Is Lord Leivis in a bad mood…?)

Perhaps he was more irritable than usual. The air was tense.

“I want you to teach me, Master…”

Elina pressed further. Leivis sighed, closed his book, and his golden eyes pierced her.

“—Name and affiliation?”

His low voice rang out.

Liliana shrank at the coldness, but Elina only smiled brightly.

“I am—”
“I beg your pardon!”

The one who burst in with a desperate apology was Anne.

“She doesn’t know proper manners yet! I’ll teach her myself!”
“Don’t interrupt—”
“Be silent!”

Anne silenced Elina with a sharp rebuke. Then she bowed deeply to Leivis, apologizing fervently for Elina’s rudeness. Her body trembled slightly.

Liliana gasped.

Elina’s eyes burned with anger, an expression Liliana had never seen before. Almost demonic.

(That’s not a face the heroine should make…!)

She wanted to believe it was a trick of the light.

“……”

Leivis silently returned the book to the shelf and walked toward the exit.

—Liliana froze.

If she stayed, she would meet him at the door. She could simply step aside, but even passing him felt unbearable.

She glanced around, then fled into a nearby empty room.