Living a Scheming Marriage with a Mad Villain - Chapter 110

Even though I was just thinking about it, I strangely felt heat rising to my cheeks. At the same time, the embarrassing words that Roshan and Emily had said—thinking it was part of the novel’s story—came to mind.

“Reus likes me? Does that even make sense…?”

The strange feeling I had wasn’t just my imagination, I realized. Still, the thoughts fought fiercely inside me: could Reus really like me?

‘But he has been overly nice to me until now. Still… can I be sure that means he likes me? Maybe he’s just being kind because I helped him… No, but he really has been too kind.’

I kept repeating the same thoughts in my head. Because of that, I didn’t hear the sound of the door opening. It wasn’t until I noticed Reus looking down at me that I finally snapped out of it.

“Loelle, what were you thinking about that you didn’t answer when I called?”

“Oh, I wasn’t thinking about anything. I was just a little sad that my friends left so quickly, so I was just thinking about them. I wasn’t thinking about anything else…”

“Your long answer makes me think that’s not true.”

“No! I really wasn’t thinking about anything…”

“I see.”

Reus chuckled softly and naturally took off my shoes. I shivered at the touch on my feet. When I stiffened, Reus sat up again, looking a bit worried as he leaned slightly closer.

“Loelle, your face is red…”

Then his hand touched my cheek. I immediately screamed softly and slapped his hand away.

“Loelle.”

After I not only pushed his hand away but also ran away, Reus looked like the most shocked person I had ever seen.

I’m really sorry, but today running away was more important than clearing up Reus’s misunderstanding.

“I-I’ll sleep separately today. Sorry, Reus.”

I left the stunned Reus behind, put on the slippers in the room, and ran out. As soon as I reached another room, I locked the door.

‘I’m in big trouble.’

Every time I saw Reus, the things Roshan and Emily said kept popping into my head.

At first, I was confused. I had believed for a long time that this man wouldn’t have feelings for me, so I found it hard to accept Reus’s actions.

But now, all the confusing behavior made sense once I added the reason of liking me.

Even if he’s grateful to me, he’s been unusually worried about me. Whenever I spent time with Theron, he clearly showed he was upset. And when I was about to leave, he canceled the ship to Veliata.

Looking back, it was foolish not to notice.

‘So that’s why Theron said you’re the only one who didn’t know.’

Anyway, the main point is that now, knowing everything, I can’t treat Reus as casually as before.

After the meal today, I ran away from the dining room and escaped as fast as I could. I ended up at the maze garden, somewhere I usually didn’t visit. I crouched down out of sight from the building.

“What should I do, really.”

The biggest problem wasn’t anything else but calming my heart after knowing why Reus grabbed me.

Before leaving the Grand Duke’s castle, I gave up because Reus didn’t show up. Then, I got mad because he wouldn’t say why he grabbed me, so I avoided him for a while… but my feelings for him stayed the same.

‘I think I’m going to be caught liking him first.’

After complaining meaninglessly in a corner of the garden for a long time, my legs went numb, and I stood up. I thought it would be better to sit trembling on a chair than acting like this, but just as I was about to leave…

“You can’t keep running away like this forever…”

Something suddenly grabbed my waist.

“Got you.”

There was only one person who would catch me like this at the Grand Duke’s castle. Soon, I heard Reus’s voice behind me.

“So, how long are you going to keep running away like this, Loelle? It hurts to be ignored.”

“No, I’m not.”

“Oh, so you’re not running away?”

“Yes, I’m not… I was just taking a walk.”

“If this continues, I’ll say hiding is your hobby.”

“P-please let me go now.”

I struggled hard, but Reus ignored it and lifted me up. Afraid he’d see my flushed face, I hugged his neck tightly and buried my face.

But there was no answer from Reus, and I felt no movement.

Reus stayed frozen, holding me.

“What are you doing?”

“Why are you so still, Reus?”

I spoke as I secretly lifted my head. Then I saw the back of Reus’s neck, completely red. At that moment, I froze, too.

He usually doesn’t mind skinship—so why today?

Now that I understood the meaning behind his reactions, I couldn’t just ignore it. So I chose to close my eyes tightly and bury my face again.

“I told you to put me down.”

“You say that, but you keep… you keep hugging me.”

“W-well…”

I was stuck. I didn’t want to show I felt the same way, but I also didn’t want to wander the castle while being held.

Of course, the servants were used to it by now and didn’t care… but I didn’t like that.

“Then take me to my room.”

“Alright.”

“But not walking…! Like last time with Theron.”

“Can you stop saying Theron’s name, Loelle?”

It was ridiculous how quickly he got angry at Theron’s name, but I answered anyway.

“I won’t say it anymore. Just today, please.”

“You promised.”

“Yes, promise… promise. Okay.”

I said that, and in just a few seconds, I felt the air around me and Reus change. Looking through my hair, I realized we had arrived in the bedroom.

I waited, thinking he would put me down, but Reus didn’t move.

“Loelle.”

“Yes…?”

“When did you contact your aunt?”

“Oh.”

When was that? I desperately pretended not to know and suddenly remembered today’s date. I shivered.

“It seems you forgot about the trouble you caused while running away.”

“You said you wouldn’t run away, huh?”

I ignored Reus’s words and changed the subject.

“Have they arrived already?”

“You don’t even answer now.”

“Then I have to change clothes…”

“Such blatant disrespect.”

“Hurry… take me to the dressing room.”

Reus teased me, saying I had gotten pretty natural at bossing him around.

There were some rough moments, but maybe because I made up my mind firmly in the dressing room, I acted quite naturally even when I saw Reus waiting.

We greeted Shanette, who arrived at the Grand Duke’s castle a day earlier than planned.

“Loelle… your face looks really bad. You’ve been eating well, right?”

“Of course.”

But even after my answer, Shanette’s worried face didn’t fade, and she soon said,

“It looks like you have a long way to go before you fully recover.”

“I think you should put off your volunteer work for now.”

Anyone could tell Shanette was just like Reus’s aunt. I thought they only obsessed over feeding me, but they also looked at me as if I were very fragile.

“You’ve lost a lot of weight… Reus, are you really taking good care of Loelle? For now, Loelle, go to your room and rest. Don’t catch a cold. Come on.”

“H-hey, I’m fine…!”

“I’m the one worried here. I didn’t expect you to get so weak… I can’t just watch you like this. If you stay in your room, I’ll bring you some medicine right away.”

Medicine…?

“Really, I’m really okay.”

I tried to refuse, but my words were empty echoes to the two of them. Reus and Shanette were so focused on the medicine that they didn’t hear me at all.

“So, take this medicine every morning and evening, and this one lightly before bed. And this isn’t medicine, but…”

Shanette finally succeeded in getting me to sit on the bed and explained the medicines one by one. Because I couldn’t tell them apart, she said she had already told Reus thoroughly, so I only needed to know the basics.

“By the way, I’m really worried. You’re already so weak… When I first heard you collapsed, I was shocked. Especially hearing that Lady Plona did that, it was hard to believe it was true.”

Verodica was careful about her public image, so Shanette’s reaction wasn’t strange. Unless someone was very close, everyone would react similarly.

“Anyway, Loelle keeps saying she’s fine, but I think it’s better to wait to volunteer. Now isn’t the right time.”

“Then please take me next time.”

“Sure. Now, shall we take the medicine?”

“Okay.”

I forced down the bitter medicine, thinking about how to look normal to Reus and Shanette.

‘Maybe if I gain weight?’

Then maybe they’ll stop trying so hard to feed me.

While I was making that silly guess, Shanette carried the medicine bowl away and said,

“Volunteering might be too much, but how about attending the salon that will be held soon?”

“Salon?”

“The princess was feeling lonely without peers around. I think it would be good for you to get some fresh air by going, too. We’ll try to have this salon inside the duchy.”

Since the original story had changed completely, it made sense that the people around Iris had changed, too. But I was a little surprised that I was still close with Shanette.

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