Living a Scheming Marriage with a Mad Villain - Chapter 80

She took a deep breath for a moment and then continued speaking.

“Reus… It’s not a deadly disease, just a cold, so it’s a problem to waste that medicine on it. A cold is something you can get better from just by taking medicine…”

“Back then, I was so frustrated I thought I might die. Let’s just say it was because of me that you used it.”

That man was trying to brush it off again! When I looked at him with eyes that said I wouldn’t let it go this time, Reus reluctantly spoke.

“At that time… wasn’t it when I couldn’t use my power?”

“Even so, how could you use it on me?”

“If not you, then who else would I use it on?”

Reus answered a little as if it was ridiculous, and I felt even more annoyed.

‘No, who should be annoyed right now is me!’

I couldn’t shake the feeling that our conversation was going in circles.

“And just taking the medicine didn’t make you better, right?”

“Cold medicine isn’t a cure-all, so it would be stranger if you got better right away. If you just took medicine and rested well for a few days, you would have recovered quickly.”

No matter how much I dislike wasting money, I just couldn’t understand spending tens of millions on a cold. Wouldn’t anyone think that was too much?

‘I get it because I’m a benefactor…’

But I don’t want to waste tens of millions on medicine for a cold.

However, Reus’s expression quickly turned unhappy at my words. He sighed deeply and then spoke with a voice that said he didn’t understand why I couldn’t see his feelings.

“Loelle. From the day you started getting sick, your cough was pretty bad.”

“That’s true…”

“You were sick and sleeping, so you might not have noticed, but I was really worried.”

I knew Reus cared about me, but it was the first time he showed such sincere concern.

“That’s why I wanted you to get better right away. But I couldn’t use my power, and no matter how much medicine you took, there was no improvement. I also hid it because I knew you would hate it… But back then, I couldn’t think of any better way.”

The more Reus spoke, the more I could hear the sadness in his voice from that day. Because of that, my urge to argue naturally faded.

‘When he talks with that expression, there’s nothing I can do…’

“When you just took cold medicine, you kept getting worse, but after taking Melcia’s decoction, you got better right away.”

“So, Loelle. Can you just let this one go, please?”

I really didn’t know where to start pointing out what was wrong.

As I thought about it for a long time, Reus gently touched my hand with his fingertip. His long, firm fingers moved slowly up my hand and then softly rubbed the back of my hand.

It felt like he was saying I was wrong, and suddenly I lost the words I was about to say.

“Loelle, it’s all my fault.”

“W-Well, still…”

“Next time, I will definitely ask you first.”

It wasn’t really a mistake, just a bit too much. But since he apologized like this, should I just let it go?

My heart was so shaken that I struggled for a long time about what to do.

Then Reus pulled my hand a little toward him. While playing with my hand, he suddenly tugged at my bracelet.

“Hey…! Reus, don’t pull it like that!”

I hurriedly held his hand to stop him, and he stopped pulling but didn’t let go. He just moved his fingers quietly on my inner wrist, looking very gloomy.

Every time his fingers moved, the bracelet moved too, and the feeling gathered in my wrist. Nervously, I swallowed quietly.

“Reus, what’s wrong?”

Still staring at the bracelet, Reus finally answered after a while.

“I had a bracelet I wanted to give you as a gift.”

“A bracelet?”

“The one I saw at the festival street.”

Festival street…

‘What bracelet… Oh, could it be the one I thought looked like Reus’s eye color?’

I hadn’t brought money back then, so I was too embarrassed to ask him to pay for that too.

The bracelet itself probably wasn’t expensive, but because I kept asking for all kinds of things in the tempting food-filled street, I was too embarrassed to ask for anything else.

But hearing he secretly bought the bracelet I had been watching was a little touching.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s not the first gift. Really…”

“Not the first?”

“Yes…?”

“Did someone else give you this bracelet?”

A gift… maybe not?

I just said I would keep it precious, and Theron never said it was a gift. But since there was no other way to explain, I nodded as if agreeing.

But then Reus suddenly stiffened.

“Who… exactly… gave it to you?”

“Actually, it’s not really a gift…! Theron gave it to me for protection.”

His reaction was strange, so I quickly added, but his face only darkened more. This time, he even looked a bit angry.

‘Why is he like that? Did he want to give me the bracelet that much?’

If it was bought at the festival, he had many chances to give it to me. Since Reus hadn’t said anything during that time, I didn’t quite understand, but I couldn’t cancel the one I had already received from Theron…

After thinking for a moment, I said to Reus.

“Well, since it’s like this, how about we exchange gifts?”

At those words, Reus, who had been staring only at my wrist, finally looked up.

I leaned slightly and pulled a shopping bag from beside the sofa. Reus looked a little dazed, probably not expecting that I had bought a gift.

But when he saw the bag, he immediately frowned.

This time, instead of looking complicated, he looked more like he was shocked and found it ridiculous.

“You used the money I gave you to buy what you wanted… No, that money probably wasn’t enough to buy this watch.”

“Um… I asked Theron just in case last time. I told him to return some money to my name now, so I can use it anytime.”

“Planning to leave for Veliata?”

“No…?”

I was always surprised whenever Veliata came up at such a random time.

I moved some of the money I had saved in the fake identity’s account to one in my real name, just in case Peria came to the duke’s castle again.

Honestly, since we agreed to be on the same side, I didn’t think it should be just one person’s fault.

Though I said it was my fault, it was really because I acted carelessly that Reus had to help Ivelle personally.

I tried to pass it off as nothing, but no matter how I thought about it, it was too uncomfortable.

‘I know how much he hates Ivelle, how can he just let it go…’

Anyway, all the money I have comes from the Ivelle count’s family, so if anything happens, it makes sense to use the money in my fake identity.

But Reus’s frowning face still didn’t relax. He seemed to think I was dodging the question about Veliata.

“My mother came by last time, right? I was worried she might ask for something again.”

After his question was answered, Reus nodded reluctantly. Then he looked at the shopping bag and asked me again.

“Do you really know how much this watch costs?”

“Um…”

At my reaction, Reus seemed to realize that I knew the price when I bought it.

“Roel.”

“Yes?”

His expression changed strangely, then suddenly he burst out laughing.

“Is this really a gift for me?”

“Ah, yes…! It is. It’s a gift for Reus.”

I didn’t understand why he was laughing so much, but I answered anyway. Then Reus took the shopping bag and opened the box.

After a little hesitation, afraid he might refuse, I quickly took out the watch and wrapped it around his wrist. Thinking about the price made me sweat a little, but luckily I managed to fasten the watch buckle without mistakes.

Reus quietly looked at his wrist and then met my eyes.

“You really… do things quietly and well.”

“There’s a bit of a story behind it.”

If she hadn’t acted like that, I would have bought something else after hearing the price!

Honestly, I admit 360 million won is expensive.

‘No wonder he’s shocked.’

After making a fuss about a 10 million won bag, I bought a 300 million won watch. Even I thought it was a bit ridiculous.

Breaking the silence, Reus calmly said,

“Well, it doesn’t matter.”

“Really?”

“Yes. No matter what you do, I have no intention of interfering.”

Fortunately, Reus didn’t make a fuss like when I got the bag. Instead, he smiled as if very satisfied.

“I’ll try to keep the price in mind.”

“Huh…?”

“You gave me such a big gift, so you should expect to receive something like this in return.”

“Though I’m a bit confused that you say 10 million is too much but 100 million is okay… Well, does it really matter? Now I know your standards.”

That’s not it.

“Um… I, I really didn’t know the price when I bought it…”

At my words, Reus just smiled like it didn’t matter at all.

“I will treasure the gift you gave me for life. But, Loelle.”

“Yes, yes?”

What else could there be? I looked up nervously, and Reus smiled brightly.

“If you bought the watch with your own money, and the bracelet was a gift, then you didn’t actually use the money I gave you, did you?”

Why did I only realize it now?

‘Double…’

I felt like crying for real.

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