Living a Scheming Marriage with a Mad Villain - Chapter 75

The senses that had momentarily gone off track slowly returned to normal, and the first thing Reus saw was Loelle’s face, looking slightly pale.

“Your outfit, as I thought, is a bit…”

“Is it uncomfortable?”

He hadn’t heard the earlier conversation, so he thought it was simply due to discomfort. But seeing Loelle hesitate for a long time, he realized it was something else.

“No, it’s not uncomfortable… It’s just… it looks kind of strange. Like it doesn’t suit me very well…”

Her voice even sounded a little sad, which made Reus’s expression harden quickly.

“Did someone force you to wear it even though you didn’t want to? Some crazy—”

“What? No…! It’s not like that…! I just thought maybe you wouldn’t like it. It doesn’t seem to suit me, even in my own eyes.”

If she had really hated it, it would have been natural to say outright that she didn’t want to wear it or that the design wasn’t her style.

But Loelle spoke as if Reus’s opinion mattered more than her own, and she put herself down first.

‘It’s obvious without even seeing.’

Damn those Ivelle people. Just how much had they crushed her spirit with ridiculous reasons?

She always picked clothes that looked overly neat, even to the point of seeming a bit stifling. He had thought that was just her taste. But it turned out the abuse had affected even those small preferences.

Reus wanted to frown and curse right there and then.

“Reus…?”

But now he knew that kind of reaction only frightened Loelle. So he quietly reached out his hand. Even that gesture was so careful that Loelle, who had been a bit tense, looked surprised.

Soon, her delicate hand, soft like a snowflake, gently landed on his. Reus walked very slowly to match her pace and asked in a gentle voice,

“Loelle, do you not like the dress?”

“Um…”

She realized Reus was acting like he normally would, but she still looked unsure.

“The dress… is pretty.”

Reus’s expression darkened slightly at her answer. Every time he discovered new traces of abuse in unexpected places like this, the helplessness overwhelmed him.

It pained him to think that his words might not bring her any comfort.

He wished he could speak sweetly like other people.

After a long pause, Reus finally spoke in a casual tone, as if this was the best he could do.

“Then that’s enough.”

“What…?”

That’s enough? Loelle kept looking at him, even as she walked forward.

‘Is it really over with that? Or is he just letting it go because he thinks I’ll feel embarrassed?’

Judging by how deep in thought she looked, she was still trying to gauge her own feelings.

Then Reus met Loelle’s eyes and said,

“You’re the one wearing it, so what matters most is whether you like it. What could be more important than that?”

His tone made it sound like the most obvious truth in the world. Loelle lowered her head slightly and looked down at the dress.

‘How I feel…’

If she set aside everything else, Loelle honestly really liked this dress.

On sunny days like today, even if they weren’t going on a trip, she wanted to wear it often at the Grand Duke’s estate.

‘I thought so before too, and even now… I think it’s pretty.’

Loelle timidly fiddled with the hem of her dress.

Just watching her small hand move showed how much she liked it.

A faint smile soon appeared on her lips.

“It suits you well.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Very much so.”

There wasn’t a hint of a lie in his calm tone.

Her heart started to race, and her face flushed with heat. Loelle lowered her head deeply.

She was overwhelmed by the fluttering feelings and stared at the ground as she walked.

“But when we get on the ship, you should wear a jacket. Especially in the evening—the wind gets cold…”

“Okay, okay, I get it…”

“Did you just sound annoyed?”

It wasn’t even enough to really call it annoyance. But considering how Loelle usually acted like her opinions and feelings didn’t matter, even that slightly whiny tone was a huge step forward.

“No, I didn’t mean to…”

Even turning her head away to avoid eye contact was a small act of boldness. Seeing how much the scars of abuse had faded compared to before, Reus spoke without thinking.

“It’s nice to see.”

“What?”

Who in the world says it’s nice to see someone get annoyed?

One time, he said it was nice to see her act selfishly, and now he says it’s nice to see her annoyed.

‘What a strange man…’

The port of Pillaren was full of life again today under the dazzlingly sunny sky.

Loelle looked out toward the distant horizon.

She saw fluffy clouds drifting in groups across the clear blue sky. The clouds, colored by the blazing sun, looked so clean and fresh they might even smell like sun-dried laundry.

And the emerald sea beneath them so stunningly beautiful. The shimmering surface of the water was enough to make her forget the heat in an instant.

The warm sun gently touched her shoulders, the waves crashing against the dock, and the cries of seagulls here and there lifted Loelle’s mood even more.

‘I feel happy.’

Loelle’s eyes soon landed on a large white cruise ship. It looked like a pure white hotel floating on the sea.

“Wow…”

She forgot to keep her expression in check and even opened her mouth in awe.

She vaguely remembered seeing cruise ships in her past life, so this wasn’t her first encounter.

But the difference between a photo and the real thing had a huge emotional impact. It was only natural that she felt like a kid visiting an amusement park for the first time.

And Loelle’s innocent reaction brought Reus great joy as well.

How could she sparkle like that every time? Just watching her like this made him feel happy. But at the same time, he was amazed.

Even though the world had hurt her so much, Loelle always tried to see the good in it. Honestly, if he were to share his own impression of the port, it wouldn’t have been very positive.

The complaints of tired and frustrated people grated on his nerves, and the overflowing trash bins gave off a stench even from a glance.

Even the massive cruise ship had water stains and scratches on its walls, and the ground beneath them was dirty and stained.

But when he looked at the world through Loelle’s watery blue eyes, everything felt different.

The sky looked like a vast playground for birds. The sea below seemed like a masterpiece every time it met her gaze. The waves whispered life into the air.

Even the noisy people and the steel cruise ship became part of a beautiful painting.

The world seen through her bright, sparkling eyes was so dazzling, he couldn’t look away.

Even though they could have boarded quickly, Reus waited patiently so Loelle could take in the scenery as much as she wanted.

Soon, they boarded the cruise.

Loelle looked even more excited than she had at the port. It was because of the many things to enjoy inside the huge cruise ship.

There was a casino, a music hall, a spa, a pool, and even sports courts.

The cafeteria, which looked out over the ocean and the pool, was already filled with people who had boarded earlier, enjoying their time.

Loelle looked around for a while, as if even that made her heart flutter.

“Do you like it that much?”

At Reus’s teasing voice, Loelle smiled and replied,

“You like it too. You’ve been smiling since earlier.”

Reus touched his chin awkwardly, pretending he didn’t know. Loelle burst into laughter.

It was a harmless, sweet laugh that made his chest feel ticklish just hearing it.

“You look really good when you smile like that, Reus.”

Look who’s talking. Reus chuckled softly without meaning to, then quickly returned to a straight face.

He hadn’t realized he’d been smiling so much. He could almost picture himself walking around all day looking dazed and foolish.

At that moment, Dwyn approached them.

“Your Highness, I think it’s time to go up to your room.”

Thanks to his aide’s good timing, Reus was able to escape the unfamiliar feeling quickly.

After arriving at the Kingdom of Leveren, Reus went off to talk with Dwyn about the upcoming schedule. I came to the shopping center with Millie.

Honestly, I had no plans to shop at all. But I had fallen neatly into Reus’s trap and ended up on the first floor of the cruise shopping center.

‘I should’ve just smiled instead of answering.’

Not long after we reached our room, Reus suddenly asked me: since we were on a cruise, shouldn’t we enjoy it properly like everyone else?

“It’d be nice to enjoy it, especially since we don’t know when we’ll get another chance.”

That simple response was my mistake.

Reus gave a mysterious smile like everything was going according to plan, then said I should start by visiting the place most popular among passengers. And before I knew it, he had given me a ridiculous amount of money.

The “most popular place” Reus mentioned turned out to be the shopping center inside the cruise ship.

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