Living a Scheming Marriage with a Mad Villain - Chapter 58

After returning to the Grand Duke’s castle, she was fine at first but then, without warning, waves of anger would suddenly rise up. It got to the point where it disrupted her daily life.

Sometimes, tears would well up out of nowhere. Other times, words she couldn’t say back then would come to mind, and her chest would tighten with frustration.

It got so bad that even while eating, she would often have to pause mid-meal to calm herself down.

‘Is this normal? Does everyone feel like this?’

She wanted to talk honestly with someone and ask what she should do in times like this.

But sadly, there was no one in the Grand Duke’s castle she could open her heart to.

If it were Roshan, Emily, or Eni, they would’ve been furious on her behalf after hearing what had happened. But she had no such friends here. And of course, she couldn’t talk about what happened with Cassien to the servants.

Especially not to Reus. That would be completely ridiculous.

‘He’d probably ask why I’m telling him something like that…’

Ever since that day, Reus had clearly avoided bringing it up. He might even get a little angry.

Yes. Reus had always shown concern and respect for her, especially because she had once saved him. But it was clear he wasn’t interested in her personal feelings.

In the end, she had no choice but to keep everything bottled up for days.

She was lost in confusion for a while when suddenly, it occurred to her wasn’t she acting just the way Cassien would want her to?

Determined not to let that bastard occupy her mind anymore, she started spending as much time as possible walking around the castle and talking with the servants.

As a result, she barely spent any time with Reus but she actually felt relieved by that. He always had a way of getting under her skin with the smallest things, so this quiet distance felt like a blessing.

As she settled back into her routine, her anger gradually cooled. She thought she had managed to get through this situation pretty well. But no sooner had one worry faded, than another cropped up.

That afternoon, she left the main castle for a light walk.

‘Why does he keep following me from behind like that?’

At some point, Reus had stopped talking to her much. And now, he kept trailing her a few steps behind. She knew it didn’t suit a man like him, but there really was no other way to describe it.

‘If he wants to take a walk, he could just walk beside me.’

Come to think of it, Reus had started acting like this not long after they returned to the Grand Duke’s castle.

Was it because of what happened with Cassien?

He had probably heard about that day from the knights. He already knew what kind of relationship she had with Cassien, so he could guess what was said.

‘Hmm… no, that’s not it. Reus has never shown any interest or asked questions when it came to Cassien.’

Yes. If he were curious, he would’ve asked by now.

Then what was with this strange behavior? Though they had grown a little closer, it was hard to figure out what he was thinking when he acted so out of character.

Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind.

‘Wait… could it be because I slapped him?’

That day, Reus had stared intently at her hand. And then, immediately looked at Cassien.

‘Why did I even do that?’

Honestly, she hadn’t known she was capable of being violent. She never thought she’d raise her hand in anger.

At the time, she was so furious she couldn’t think straight. But now, in hindsight, it felt embarrassing like she had lost control and made a scene.

‘Ugh, I should stop thinking about this. I’m supposed to forget Cassien completely.’

Still, setting Cassien aside, how long did that man plan on following her from that distance? She stopped in her tracks, deciding it was time to talk. Strangely enough, Reus stopped right then too.

“Hey, Reus.”

The moment she called his name, Reus strode toward her, as if he’d been waiting for that.

“If it’s okay… would you walk with me? It might look strange to others if you keep following from behind.”

“May I walk with you?”

“Huh?”

What kind of question was that?

“Of course. Why wouldn’t you be allowed?”

Since he asked so politely, she gladly said yes. But his cautious attitude still remained.

Honestly, part of why she invited him to walk with her was because she hoped he might start a conversation. But Reus said nothing. Or rather, it looked like he wanted to talk but kept hesitating.

She finally couldn’t take it anymore and asked directly.

“Reus, is there something you want to say to me?”

“No. Nothing.”

There is. There definitely is. He looked like he had something specific on his mind.

Just then, Reus spoke again, his voice a bit heavier.

“Loelle.”

“Yes, Reus?”

“These days… why…”

She looked at him, curious about what he was trying to say, but he only opened his mouth and closed it again, eventually giving up.

“Never mind.”

He seemed to hesitate several more times but in the end, said nothing.

It was a deep night, the moonlight faint. A single small lantern barely lit the dark office.

Reus looked up, sensing someone’s gaze. Across from him sat Theron, slouched on the sofa in a slightly rude posture.

“How long are you going to keep acting like this?”

The moment he heard Theron’s sharp voice, Reus knew exactly what he meant.

Ever since Countess Ivelle visited the castle, his focus had clearly shifted from revenge to Loelle.

But Reus didn’t respond. He simply gave a look that said, “Get to the point.” Theron scoffed.

‘This idiot…’

Theron had been against the contract marriage from the start.

No matter how nicely people dressed up Loelle Ivelle, to Reus, she was still the daughter of the Ivelle count his enemy’s blood.

After what that man had done to Reus’s parents, how could he bring his daughter into their home? Even that was hard to accept, but what baffled Theron most was that Reus himself had brought her here and insisted on the marriage, fully aware of the risks.

The Silent Forest? Sure, having it would be useful.

But what if, even by accident, she ran back to her father and spilled everything? What if she let something slip before the rebellion began?

There were too many reasons to be against this contract.

Yet Reus brought her to the castle and married her, all on his own.

Back then, Theron thought Loelle Ivelle was the real problem.

But now, he realized the one he truly needed to watch out for wasn’t the naive girl but the man who’d lost his mind.

“How long are you going to keep playing this stupid little game?”

Yes, the idiot who had fallen in love with his enemy’s daughter.

What was worse was that Loelle hadn’t even done anything but this fool already looked like he was ready to hand over his heart and soul.

Just look at this: Reus had never shown his healing powers to anyone before but he didn’t hold back when it came to Loelle.

“Oh, now you’re just ignoring me?”

Finally, Reus spoke.

“It’s not something to rush. Moving too fast would only ruin things.”

“So you’re just going to sit on your hands? I thought you’d gone a little crazy lately, but it seems you’ve completely lost it now.”

Despite the sarcastic jab, Reus didn’t react.

What really got under Theron’s skin was the Silent Forest.

Before the wedding, Reus and Theron used to search the forest almost every day at dawn.

But not long after the wedding especially since returning from the battlefield Reus barely left the castle. Eventually, he stopped going out at all.

Sure, right after the wedding, it made sense.

The forest had officially become part of the Grand Duke’s territory, and the Emperor was watching closely. Laying low was wise then.

But it’s been over four months. Even the Emperor and his spies had relaxed their guard.

Yet Reus still did nothing.

He stayed beside Loelle Ivelle, getting weaker by the day. No he went beyond that. He gave her everything.

Theron could only conclude that Reus Rochester had completely lost his mind.

“If you keep this up, I’ll just handle things my own way.”

Still, Reus didn’t respond. His continued silence made it clear he wouldn’t engage tonight.

With a loud click of his tongue, Theron stood up.

And before disappearing, he left Reus with one last remark:

“You’re not going to give up your revenge and choose that woman, are you?”

It wasn’t an insult. Just a blunt reminder of a truth they both knew.

“Stop wasting time. Don’t screw everything up over some girl with Ivelle blood. Get your head on straight.”

With that warning, Theron vanished.

Only then did Reus lean back in his chair. He let out a deep, drawn-out sigh.

Who said I gave up on revenge?

The only reason he was still alive was to take revenge on the Emperor. That wasn’t something he’d give up so easily. Theron wasn’t wrong about that.

But choose?

‘What a joke.’

That girl had no interest in him.

Reus knew better than anyone: he was the only one feeling anything.

‘So who’s choosing who here?’

He let out a bitter laugh.

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