Living a Scheming Marriage with a Mad Villain - Chapter 43

I never intended to ask him to just let this go.

 

But after thinking alone for so long, the situation, which seemed like something to get angry about, started to feel like something that could be overlooked. That’s why I wanted to talk with Reus and decide on a specific course of action together.

 

Also, I wanted to express that I believed ’s group was more at fault than Elia, and that the punishment should reflect that difference.

 

But before I could even explain my thoughts properly, I got scared and said something defensive, which only made him angrier.

 

Reus’s atmosphere was so intimidating that my mouth went completely dry.

 

Still, since I had already brought up the topic, I felt I needed to explain myself in as much detail as possible. So I finally called out his name in a small voice.

 

“Um, Reus…”

 

“I’m listening. Go ahead.”

 

“If I wanted to let it go, I wouldn’t have brought it up in the first place.”

 

“I just didn’t know how to handle it on my own… So I wanted to talk it through with you.”

 

Maybe because I made it clear I didn’t want to ignore it, Reus’s anger seemed to ease a little.

 

“But… I also felt that making Elia take the full blame wouldn’t be right. So I’m saying, after hearing everything, we should think about how to handle this together. We can still give Elia a clear warning and talk with the viscount couple to find a compromise point for punishment…”

 

“I understand your general idea, but I’ll pretend I didn’t hear the part where you called it a favor.”

 

We hadn’t even gotten to the details of the compromise yet, but Reus flatly rejected the idea without even pretending to consider it.

 

“Why, why not?”

 

“Like I said, I still have no intention of treating something this trivial as a favor.”

 

“You’re the one who said I could ask for anything anytime…!”

 

I protested, full of frustration, but soon had no choice but to shut my mouth.

 

“Don’t you think it’s too much to ask someone to overlook another person’s child’s wrongdoing just because they saved your life?”

 

When he put it like that, I really had nothing to say.

 

He was so convincing I almost said, “Well, I guess that’s true,” like an idiot.

 

He isn’t even a talkative person, so how is he so good at arguing?

 

“So, this is a no, then?”

 

“Yes. That’s right.”

 

“Then you shouldn’t have said I could ask for anything.”

 

“I can hear you, Loelle.”

 

“I really said it quietly, but I guess you heard… Sorry, Your Grace.”

 

“How long are you going to keep calling me ‘Your Grace’? I don’t like it.”

 

We had agreed not to use formal titles, so I didn’t know why I slipped up again. It was clearly my fault, so I quickly apologized.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

Then Reus made a strange expression.

 

“What’s with the immediate apology again.”

 

“Well, this is that, and that is this…”

 

“Try being that strict with the people who actually wronged you.”

 

How does he never say anything wrong?

 

Today, his verbal attacks were so strong, I completely lost the will to argue back.

 

Somehow, the discussion about the Viscount Pillaren’s family got brushed aside yesterday. Since Reus said we’d finish talking about it tomorrow, I felt a bit relieved, but when I woke up, Reus was nowhere to be seen.

 

I quickly changed clothes and went to Loteo.

 

“His Highness has gone to the Pillaren estate today.”

 

“What? Where…?”

 

“To the Pillaren estate, Your Ladyship. He probably won’t return until after dinner.”

 

Even though I was repeating what I had just heard like a fool, Loteo kindly responded without any sign of annoyance.

 

It was late morning, close to lunchtime, but after hearing that, I lost my appetite and skipped both breakfast and lunch. I couldn’t eat a single bite and just paced around my room restlessly.

 

‘Wait. Maybe he’s in his office?’

 

I had spent enough time at the duke’s castle to know that Reus always stopped by his office, even when there was nothing special to do.

 

‘Yeah, he’ll definitely stop by the office before coming to the bedroom.’

 

I headed straight to Reus’s office.

 

I waited for a while. As the day turned to dusk, just like Loteo had said, Reus returned to the castle.

 

“You weren’t in the bedroom, so here you are?”

 

“Ah… I thought you’d stop by the office first before going to the bedroom.”

 

Reus came right over and gently pushed me back into my seat, then sat down next to me.

 

“What was so urgent?”

 

“You went to the Pillaren estate, didn’t you?”

 

“Yes. So? Was that worth skipping meals over?”

 

I wanted to talk about what happened at the Pillaren estate, but for some reason, Reus kept changing the subject.

 

“I heard you skipped both breakfast and lunch.”

 

“I wasn’t hungry. So… what happened?”

 

With a slightly dissatisfied look, Reus handed me a paper envelope.

 

“What’s this?”

 

“The minimum gesture of sincerity you deserve.”

 

Feeling slightly uneasy, I opened the envelope. Inside, there was a considerable amount of paperwork.

 

The document on top was a land deed.

 

A quick glance told me that it was about transferring ownership of a small mountain range that the Viscount Pillaren owned.

 

I had guessed that things wouldn’t end with just a conversation when Reus went to the estate, but I never imagined he’d bring back a mountain range.

 

“I don’t know what exactly you meant by a compromise point, but this is as far as I can yield.”

 

So that meant…

 

“Does that mean things ended well with the Viscount?”

 

He still looked slightly displeased, but he reluctantly nodded.

 

“From your perspective, yes.”

 

After yesterday’s conversation, I thought there was no way this would end smoothly. The fact that he left in the morning without a word made me brace myself for a storm.

 

But this… from Reus’s side, this really was as quietly as things could’ve ended. The fact that he bent his decision to settle things the way I hoped was both surprising and deeply appreciated.

 

“Thank you, Reus…”

 

“I don’t want to be thanked for something like this.”

 

“Even if it ended this way, I actually thought my opinion wouldn’t matter. But you considered it seriously. I really appreciate that.”

 

Reus tilted his head slightly.

 

“I may be a fake husband, but that’s a bit harsh.”

 

“Huh…?”

 

“So you thought I was the kind of brute who wouldn’t even listen to your opinion…”

 

“Wha– why are you twisting my words like that!”

 

“Isn’t that what it means? Thinking I wouldn’t consider your opinion at all.”

 

“That’s not what I meant at all! Please don’t twist what I say…”

 

At that, Reus let out a faint chuckle.

 

“If it’s twisting, then why do you already think I’m annoying? You even said my smile was disgusting—”

 

“When did I ever say that?!”

 

This man is dangerous. He’s even bringing up things I never said now.

 

“You said it to my face. That my smile was disgusting.”

 

“When did I ever say that!”

 

“Before you begged for melon ice cream.”

 

Hearing him bring up that forgotten moment from our bedroom, I went completely silent.

 

“You hugged my neck and said I was warm, then suddenly told me not to smile—”

 

“Stop…! Please stop…”

 

I covered Reus’s mouth with both hands without realizing it. My face felt like it might explode if he said another word.

 

Though it was a sudden action, Reus didn’t look upset.

 

“Can you please forget that ever happened? It was a mistake…”

 

As I slowly removed my hands, Reus replied immediately, as if he’d been waiting.

 

“Hard to say no when you literally shut my mouth.”

 

For once, he seemed to go along with me without resistance.

 

“It was a memorable event, so I can’t promise I’ll forget… but since you want me to, I won’t bring it up again.”

 

So in other words, he wouldn’t forget.

 

If this kept going, I’d be the only one who ended up flustered. I stood up abruptly.

 

“If that’s all, I’m going now.”

 

But before I could take a step, Reus grabbed my hand and gently pulled me back down next to him.

 

“We’re not done. You need to know what happened at the Pillaren estate, don’t you?”

 

I wanted to run out of the office right then, but I was also curious about what had happened, so I relaxed a little. Reus let go of my hand naturally.

 

“Just as you said, they were caught red-handed. It seems Lady Plona found out that Elia had been secretly meeting a commoner man.”

 

Of course, I hadn’t expected something like this to be involved…

 

‘So something was going on between them.’

 

Turns out, the person Elia had been secretly seeing was the son of a servant who had worked at the estate two years ago. And this wasn’t the first time their relationship had caused trouble.

 

“She even tried to run away before she came of age.”

 

“Runaway…?”

 

Apparently, the whole estate had been in an uproar at the time. The father and son left the estate on their own, and Elia promised never to do something like that again.

 

But the two had continued meeting in secret without their parents knowing, and somehow  had found out about it.

 

‘Did she investigate the ducal family just to get close to me?’

 

What good could all that effort do…

 

Maybe it’s because I’d already learned from Cassien that people’s hearts can’t be changed by force, but ’s actions just felt even more meaningless to me now.