Living a Scheming Marriage with a Mad Villain - Chapter 87

Since arriving in Leveren, Reus’s mood had steadily gone downhill.

He had hoped that by leaving the Grand Castle and being in a new place, he might get to spend a little more time together with her. But that was a big mistake.

Loelle, who had lived her whole life in a small world, was now surrounded by things she had never seen before. Someone like him would never catch her eye. Reus felt foolish for expecting anything different, even though he knew just how insignificant he was to her.

He was the one who had proposed the contract, the one who had drawn the line, saying not to cross it—and yet now he was full of regret. It was laughable, to the point it hurt.

This relationship was a mistake from the very beginning.

He wondered if he would have felt less uneasy if it had been a real marriage, not a contract. But when he asked himself, the answer was still no.

This is probably the best it can be because it’s just a contract.

Reus knew very well that Loelle had never really liked him from the start.

Among the many people at the ball, she had been the only woman who looked at him differently—far beyond dislike, there had been stronger emotions.

Resentment. Anxiety.

Reus didn’t know where those feelings came from or why they were aimed at him, not then and not now.

He had never expected her to like him. But what if, instead of even the smallest hint of affection, there was still a part of her that hated him?

He wondered if that had something to do with the conversation he’d had with Theron a few days ago. Maybe that was why she hesitated to take his hand.

So even the smallest of Loelle’s gestures or tone of voice became a source of torment, as he tried to read into them. But Helen, unaware of how he felt, kept calling Loelle out again and again.

She’s the queen, doesn’t she have anything better to do?

Reus was a little dumbfounded. He had been worried Loelle might start looking at other men in Leveren—but now the one he was bothered by was his own close friend.

Today again, overwhelmed by self-pity, Reus couldn’t clear his head.

As expected, in moments like these, it’s best to just act first and think later.

Helen didn’t need anything complicated to mess with Reus.

All she had to do was call for Loelle.

Watching Reus look disappointed every time his wife drifted away from him—always with a new expression—never got old.

She had ended up mimicking the actions of a husband she didn’t even like, but so what? Teasing her stoic friend was just too fun.

Maybe Claude had taken out his own frustrations on Reus in a similar way?

To be honest, even without those reasons, spending time with Loelle was more than enjoyable.

It had been a long time since Helen had talked to someone without wondering if they were hiding something or playing some kind of trick.

“You skipped meals often on the battlefield?”

“Of course. He hated eating with other people that much.”

“How could he even swing a sword like that…?”

Even though it was all in the past, just hearing it made her uneasy. Loelle’s face quickly turned pale with worry.

“That’s why Reus was pretty well-known, one way or another. He looked like he might die any minute, but after the battle, he actually looked healthier. In the end, even the ones who were worried stopped saying anything. It sounds silly, but some of the soldiers even said war suited him.”

“I see…”

Helen meant to ease her concerns, but Loelle only looked more worried. Noticing this, Helen quickly changed the subject.

“By the way, didn’t you say you were thinking of traveling around Leveren a bit after leaving the palace?”

“Yes. I won’t be able to go far, but I’ll try to see as much as I can.”

“Then how about staying to see the swordsmanship tournament at the palace in a few days?”

“The swordsmanship tournament?”

Helen really wanted to keep Loelle around as long as possible, but she was a little afraid the kingdom of Leveren might fall at Reus’s hands if she pushed too far.

Still, she wasn’t about to give up teasing Reus.

“Loelle, do you know the three most famous things in Leveren?”

“No, not really…”

“Men, the swordsmanship tournament, and Melcia. The tournament is basically the crown jewel of Leveren.”

At the mention of the herb used in her cold medicine, Loelle paused.

“I’m asking you because I know Reus won’t go. He watched it once and said it wasn’t his style, so he never went again.”

There was a reason for that, but Helen left it out on purpose. Loelle, seeing no reason to say no, accepted the suggestion without suspicion.

She had no idea the tournament was more like a show where looks and bodies mattered more than actual sword skills.

Reus, clearly unhappy that Loelle had spent the whole day with Helen again, spoke in a sulky tone.

“Was your conversation with Helen fun today as well?”

“Yes.”

Loelle smiled brightly, and Reus unintentionally let out a small smile before quickly hardening his expression.

“What do you talk about that it takes so long every day?”

“Oh, just this and that…”

It didn’t seem like they talked about anything important, but Loelle mumbled vaguely, just like she did when she had hidden her conversation with Theron.

As Reus suspected, there wasn’t a big reason behind hiding it. The problem was that a lot of the conversation with Helen had been about Reus, and that made her feel a little awkward.

If I told him we talked about him while he wasn’t there, he might get uncomfortable…

There was nothing as sensitive as what she had discussed with Theron, but still, she couldn’t bring herself to say it.

Reus, already upset about losing all their time together, decided he wouldn’t wait around anymore when even now she was keeping her distance.

Fine. If he was curious, he’d just coax her into telling him.

As Loelle approached, Reus put on a gloomy expression—he knew exactly how to get her attention.

“Reus, is something wrong?”

“Reus?”

As soon as Loelle’s gentle hand touched the back of his, Reus laced his fingers with hers, like he had been waiting.

Pretending to be pitiful was fine, but today, he decided to be more direct—so she wouldn’t even find a way to slip out.

Then Reus spoke in a slightly gloomy voice.

“I’m hurt.”

“What?”

“I thought we had grown a little closer.”

“Guess it was just my imagination.”

His pale blue eyes trembled under half-closed lids, as if struck by an earthquake. Reus held her gaze, keeping up his pitiful expression, and added the final blow.

“You still feel uncomfortable around me, don’t you, Loelle?”

Even before she could reply, his sorrowful eyes said he had already been hurt. Naturally, Loelle panicked and fell right into his trap.

“No, Reus! Why… why would you think that?”

“Reus, really, that’s not true!”

Seeing Loelle more flustered than he had expected nearly cracked Reus’s carefully crafted expression.

But unaware of that, Loelle, noticing that Reus wouldn’t even look up, jumped from the bed and crouched in front of him.

“It’s really not like that… Can you tell me why you think that way?”

Her voice was like she was soothing a child.

Reus felt a little guilty for using Loelle’s kindness, but he told himself this was the only way to get her attention—it was the best he could do.

Enough teasing. Time for answers.

“You’ve been avoiding conversations lately because you’re uncomfortable with me, right?”

“No.”

Her answer was clearly too delayed.

So she had been avoiding him. If only she’d tell him the reason, he would’ve fixed it—whatever it was.

She seemed open at times but still held back certain things, and that just made him want her more.

“Doesn’t sound like ‘no’ to me.”

“That is… I mean…”

“It’s fine. If it’s really that uncomfortable, you don’t have to—”

“Actually, with Helen…!”

In the end, perfectly caught in his trap, Loelle blurted it out with a trembling voice.

“We were… talking about you…”

“Hm.”

“It’s true. Really.”

“Really?”

“Yes. Really.”

Seeing her determined expression, Reus felt his mischief bubbling up again.

“Are you just saying that to cover it up? I don’t know if I believe you.”

His suspicious tone made Loelle’s face fill with frustration.

“When we first met, how you saved Claude… and… uh…”

Seeing her fluster and try to explain melted Reus’s resolve, and he burst into laughter. The sudden laughter made Loelle stop mid-sentence.

“You were teasing me again.”

“No.”

“Then why are you laughing?”

“How can I not, when it’s so funny?”

At that, Loelle’s face turned bright red.

Not from embarrassment—but from a wave of betrayal and a bit of anger. But Reus was just as skilled at drawing sympathy as he was at drawing attention.

“I meant it, when I said I was hurt.”

At those words, Loelle’s soft heart began to melt again.

“You’re the only person I feel comfortable with here. But it doesn’t seem like you feel the same way.”

Reus gently pulled Loelle to sit beside him.

“It’s just that… when you hide even the little things, I get sad.”

“I was afraid it might upset you…”

“Me?”

Reus asked in disbelief.

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