Living a Scheming Marriage with a Mad Villain - Chapter 40

“It seemed like she finally found what she wanted, so I handed it over myself….”

 

Unlike what he thought—that she’d just look around for a bit—since receiving the key, Loelle had spent most of her time in the library.

 

Although it was Reus who reduced the workload of the Grand Duchess and gave her the key to the library, he wasn’t happy with how things turned out.

 

Maybe it was because ever since he saw Loelle completely absorbed in her books even in the bedroom, he had been feeling this way.

 

“If she clings to books like that, she should be tired of reading by now.”

 

Reus grumbled quietly as he looked out at the empty garden, not thinking about all the days he himself had struggled through paperwork.

 

But today, the garden wasn’t empty because Loelle was in the library. She had gone to the territory of Viscount Pillaren, which was directly to the left of the Duchy of Rochester.

 

Now that she was the new mistress of House Rochester, it was time to show her face to their vassals and start minimum interactions with the families they were closely connected to.

 

Of course, this was originally something the real Grand Duchess should’ve done.

 

Reus had no intention of letting the fake Grand Duchess handle public affairs.

 

Anyway, since there were already rumors that he had fallen in love and married a naive woman in a rush, no one would find it strange if Loelle didn’t go out often.

 

“People will just say I can’t live without her and keep her glued to my side.”

 

And the more outrageous the rumors, the less people would suspect that theirs was a contract marriage—so letting the rumors grow was actually better.

 

Still, for some reason, Reus decided to formally introduce the fake Grand Duchess to the vassals and began taking her with him to important events.

 

“Pretending to be a married couple a little more thoroughly won’t really hurt.”

 

But that didn’t mean he was happy about Loelle going out. Though he hadn’t admitted it to himself, he was actually closer to worried.

 

It was because of news about Cassien Ersian that he couldn’t avoid hearing, even when he didn’t want to.

 

Unlike how he acted at Count Ivelle’s estate, Cassien had gone quiet right after the wedding, so Reus thought he’d given up… but then—

 

After the Imperial Princess’s birthday banquet, rumors began to spread that the Ersian heir was drowning himself in alcohol. Recently, people were saying he even begged his father to let him marry Loel—and got slapped for it.

 

And still, he hadn’t come to his senses. Lately, he’d been spotted wandering around places Loelle used to frequent, and people in high society were starting to whisper.

 

Reus sneered internally.

 

“Even when I tell him it’s pointless, he won’t accept it.”

 

No matter how desperate he got, Loelle Ivelle—no, Loelle Rochester—was never going back to him.

 

“Loelle Rochester…”

 

Her name felt unusually nice rolling off his tongue today. He was quietly savoring the satisfaction when his face suddenly hardened.

 

Loelle was headed to the territory of Viscount Pillaren.

 

It was a decent-sized estate ruled by Rike Pillaren, one of House Rochester’s vassals. The duchy’s knights were stationed there, so it was one of the safest among the vassal lands.

 

Reus had thought it was the best choice—a place that annoying man would never dare approach.

 

But he’d been so focused on that one fact, he’d completely overlooked that Pillaren had a port.

 

“How could I forget something like that? Where’s my head these days?”

 

Pillaren Port was the place Roel had tried to flee to when she escaped from Ivelle.

 

Compared to back then, when she had tried to run without a penny, now Loelle had more than enough money—it was overflowing.

 

In other words, if she wanted, she could leave today.

 

“Would she run away?”

 

Now that he thought about it, when they signed the contract, Reus had even said:

 

“So even after signing the contract, if you ever want to leave, you’re free to go anytime.”

 

“It really wouldn’t be strange if she ran away right now.”

 

Reus knew Loelle was not only surprisingly kind but also responsible. She wasn’t someone who would just disappear without a word.

 

Still, he couldn’t shake the unease. Why?

 

“Come to think of it, Viscount Pillaren did complain about running the port.”

 

Because of its location, Pillaren Port saw more pirate activity than most other ports.

 

It cost a lot to maintain security, and Viscount Pillaren constantly whined that he couldn’t avoid running a deficit.

 

Reus’s mind raced.

 

If he bought all the shares of the port and acquired the nearby land, Pillaren Port would practically be in his hands.

 

He hadn’t thought much about what to do with it afterward, but it felt like something that might come in handy later, so he was already leaning toward buying it.

 

The problem was, the Viscount had offered to sell a large portion of the port’s shares several times—along with asking Reus to help train a navy—and Reus had rejected him every time.

 

“If I do buy in, it’ll have to be everything, not just a part.”

 

As Reus was deep in thought, Derwin quietly watched his master’s back from a distance.

 

It had started again. His Highness was once again standing by the window today.

 

“He’s been acting strange ever since returning from the battlefield…”

 

Derwin truly didn’t know where his master’s mind had wandered off to these days.

 

Despite hating to waste time, Reus would suddenly stop working and stare blankly out the window. Sometimes, he’d even sigh or laugh softly—Derwin couldn’t tell which.

 

And at times like that, Derwin wondered,

 

“Maybe I’m the one who’s weird.”

 

At first, he thought so. But after witnessing too many strange behaviors, he finally realized:

 

“No. His Highness has gone mad.”

 

Right now, he was glaring at the innocent emerald sea like he wanted to kill it—definitely not normal behavior.

 

“As a loyal servant… what am I even supposed to do?”

 

Still, the one thing to be thankful for today was that Her Grace was out. Derwin misread the situation entirely and saw Loelle’s absence as a stroke of luck.

 

“Your Highness, it’s time to depart.”

 

Just as Reus was about to leave, at that exact moment, Loelle arrived at the Viscount’s estate.

 

Contrary to her expectations, it wasn’t the Pillaren couple who greeted her when she stepped out of the carriage, but a young girl with a youthful face.

 

“Welcome, Your Grace. I’m Elia Pillaren. I hope the journey wasn’t too hard?”

 

“Not at all. It’s nice to meet you, Lady Pillaren.”

 

“It’s truly an honor to meet you, Your Grace.”

 

“Thank you for the warm welcome. But… I don’t see the Viscount and Viscountess?”

 

At my question, Elia’s expression stiffened slightly, then returned to normal.

 

“My parents had to leave urgently to inspect a problem in the territory. They left this morning, and we don’t know when they’ll return… So I’ll be the one to host you today.”

 

I had heard that the Viscount’s daughter had been really looking forward to this visit, but Elia had just come of age this year. She was too young to host the Grand Duchess on her own.

 

Just from seeing that she’d brought only one or two maids, it was obvious she wasn’t used to welcoming important guests.

 

“Well, if it’s an emergency, there’s nothing we can do…”

 

Still, isn’t it usual for at least the lady of the house to stay behind when a guest comes?

 

Something felt off. But considering how nervous the Pillaren couple had been at the wedding, they probably hadn’t planned this on purpose.

 

“Right. It’s just that the Viscount and Viscountess aren’t here. Nothing dangerous will happen.”

 

Elia must’ve felt a lot of pressure being suddenly given this important role, so I decided not to show any discomfort and just spend the time quietly.

 

“I may not be my parents, but I’ll do my best to serve you properly, Your Grace.”

 

“Then I’ll count on you, Lady Pillaren.”

 

I walked through the open hallway, following Elia’s lead. The salty air from the nearby sea hit my nose strongly.

 

“Even though it’s the same sea, this feels so different.”

 

Unlike the Duchy of Rochester, the Pillaren estate had a port.

 

Blue waves, swaying ships, and a lively crowd—all under the blazing sun—it left a strong impression.

 

Then I saw a ship where passengers were just beginning to board.

 

“If I hadn’t saved Reus, I would’ve already arrived in Veliata on one of those ships.”

 

It felt strange that instead of fleeing, I had returned as the Grand Duchess of Rochester.

 

But wait.

 

“Now that I think about it… I could still leave, couldn’t I?”

 

With the money I had saved so far, I could easily settle down in Veliata. And even if I left today, Reus probably wouldn’t be too bothered.

 

But… I didn’t want to leave the Grand Duke’s estate yet.

 

“Still, the least I can do is tell Reus before I go.”

 

More than that, I just wanted to enjoy a bit more of the peaceful daily life I had at the Grand Duke’s residence.

 

“By the way, is this your first time visiting our estate, Your Grace?”

 

“Yes. The port is so beautiful. I feel like I wouldn’t get tired of it even if I saw it every day.”

 

“It feels different from the view in the Duchy, doesn’t it? Oh, the area to the left is the dock. And over there is…”

 

I was listening closely to her explanations, thinking they might come in handy later, when Elia suddenly let out a sigh.

 

“But my father is always trying to sell it.”

 

“The port?”

 

“Yes. He’s constantly troubled because of the pirates.”

 

“I see.”

 

“He’s been planning to move our residence inland once he sells the port—but it’s already been delayed for two years.”