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Episode 1 PDF
Episode 1 PDF
On both sides of Virgin Road, guests dressed in fancy robes were filling the
seats, and the entire hall was filled with solemn dignity.
It really was.
Both the groom’s guests and the bride’s guests all had dark expressions.
‘Make some faces. No matter how uncomfortable you guys are, will I be the
only one?’
Now I have to walk down the middle of this frozen ceremony hall and stand
next to the man who will kill me.
The priest, who may have come to officiate at a wedding or to attend a funeral
mass, ordered my position in a gloomy voice.
I practiced all day yesterday and simulated it in my head, but I couldn’t help but
feel nervous.
I kicked the hem of my dress with my tiptoe and walked slowly forward, just as
I practiced hard to prevent an accidental fall.
The chest... No, I know my breasts are big and beautiful, but my breasts are too
exposed.
I tried it on for the first time today and thought something was missing that
covered my chest.
‘No matter how voluptuous a dress is, isn’t it a bit like a dress like this on the
wedding day?’
As if I wasn’t the only one who thought so, the gazes looking at me clearly
contained negative emotions.
I walked beside my husband, the man who would slit my throat, cutting through
the heavy air, feeling no crumbs of favor.
Of course he didn’t even look at me. To him, I probably felt like a curse or a
punishment that had been placed on him.
I bowed slightly to the blunt priest and let out a small sigh of relief.
The priest nodded nonchalantly and began to recite a blessing prayer.
“Everything in the world praises you, Creator Hershan. Bless these two beautiful
men and women who will build a happy and warm family in the arms of the
Creator today...”
Hmm... I don’t think I’ll ever be able to build a happy or warm future with this
man.
In this situation where I knew that a man who hated me would slit my throat, it
was extremely uncertain whether I would be able to obtain a ‘happy or warm’ or
‘future’.
But on my part, there was no way to deny or avoid this situation in advance.
When I opened my eyes, I was possessed by a new bride who was to be married
in a week.
***
If I had only attacked one by one, things that would have been appropriately
beaten, avoided, or calmed down, all rushed at me at once.
“I’m sorry, chief. Soo-na is still not good at working with Excel. I will fix it
again.”
Ahn Young-eun, who used to do all sorts of things with seniors just because she
came in a year earlier, blamed her mistakes on me.
Manager Park, who had printed out the messy Excel table and waved it around,
nagged at me for a long time while glaring at me sternly, then went back.
I looked at Young-eun with an absurd expression, but she didn’t even look at me
and sat down as if she was tired.
— Ahn Young-eun, how long will that fox live like that?
— Isn’t it me?
My motive for joining the company comforted me via messenger, but it didn’t
give me much strength.
It might be because I saw her go to buy coffee with Young-eun arm in arm at the
end of lunch break.
I felt bad, but this was common, so I just thought it was bad luck and moved on.
Putting aside the fact that I couldn’t see him all weekend, I was upset to hear
that my boyfriend, who had been constantly working overtime recently, had to
work weekends as well.
It’s a pity to just go home. Even if I hadn’t stopped by the XX Mall, which was
our meeting place today, and even if I hadn’t seen my boyfriend walking hand in
hand with another woman, I could have ended with such concern...
I stared blankly at their backs moving away, and it was only after they
completely disappeared that I took out my cell phone and sent a text message.
— They say you work overtime, so you think the woman you hang out with is
your boss at work? The two of them seemed to be working really hard. Bury the
bones in the rectum. Do not contact me in the future.
Unlike me, who struggles not to show off his lack of money and not to be
discovered that he is from a poor family, he was the kind of man who could feel
relaxed even in the smallest of lifestyle habits.
While I was grateful that such a man treated me kindly and even pretended to
die at my words, I couldn’t shake the thought of ‘how long will this last?’.
‘Money is tight. This weekend, I’m going to pay for the romance fantacy novels
that I put in my cart and see it.’
It was my pleasure to read romance fantasy novels before going to bed, but if I
didn’t have enough pocket money, I had to wait and read one episode a day for
free.
I did, but when I thought I could pay for the few books in the cart by saving
money to meet with a man with no nutrition, my steps on the way back became
lighter in an instant.
It was because of the misunderstanding that today’s bad things ended there.
“Uh? Brother?”
My older brother was waiting for me at the door of my studio next to the steep
stairs in a shabby multi-family house.
Before I even got close, the smell of alcohol wafted in and my body stiffened.
“You have a card! Get a cash advance and give it to me! I will be called soon
and send it to you.”
“Oh, fuck, you talk a lot! Who is it that you are alive so far, but are you nagging
me?”
My brother suddenly shouted and my ears were deafened, but I was more
anxious about whether there was someone next door or if he was listening.
I don’t know how many times I thought that it would have been easier if I had
just died without receiving a bone marrow transplant.
“...No. Do you know how much money your brother borrowed from me? Tell
them to pay it back and borrow it!”
I thought my mad eyes were glistening, but my brother slapped me on the cheek.
Lights flashed in front of my eyes and my ears were deafened, but more than
that, it felt like I was floating in midair.
The moment I thought about it, I felt a great shock and pain soon after. It was as
if he hit her head hard on something after a raucous tumble down the stairs.
That was my last memory as Soo-na Choi, a woman in her 20s who was humble
in Korea.
***
Besides, there was no pain in my body that should have been broken or at least
badly bruised. No, I even felt that I was much more energetic than usual.
As I slumped up from the bed, my reddish-brown hair, rich enough to feel the
weight of it, flowed down from my shoulders.
After suffering from leukemia, my hair thinned out, so I’ve never dyed my hair.
“...Sophia?”
“I will go in.”
Then the door opened and a young woman with a slightly frightened appearance
entered, carrying a copper washbasin on a sort of tray.
The clothes she wore were like the maid clothes that cosplayers often wear. No,
that couldn’t have been a maid outfit.
I Thought It Was Common Possession - Episode 1
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EPISODE 2
“There was an order from the owner to stop by the office after dressing up.”
“Yes...?”
“Hurry up.”
Without knowing why, she had to wash my face, comb my hair, and put on a
long dress.
And when I stood in front of the mirror to check my makeup, I realized that
things were going pretty strangely.
Red prayer was a westerner with brown hair, light brown eyes, fair skin and a
glamorous body.
It’s pretty, but looks a bit angular. It would be a good impression to take with
you when you go to refund.
And in the meantime, someone’s memory slowly began to flood into my head.
It was the memory of Edith Rigelhoff, a 22-year-old aristocratic lady who had a
week to get married.
It was strange that a memory of a ‘noble’ girl had formed in the mind of a
human living in the 21st century, but it was even more strange that the name was
not unfamiliar.
‘Edith... Edith Rigelhoff. Where have you heard of it, who is it? Oh wait! No
way...?’
I remembered. That was the name of the wicked woman in Romance Fantacy
novel that I had read until the end the other day.
It was a romantic Edithion titled <I Refuse to Obsess>, aiming to develop cider.
It seemed like my mind was going crazy. You’re not a hero, you’re a villain!
No, before that, possessed!
“Please wait in the room for a while. I will come after receiving permission from
the owner to visit again.”
The maid named Sophia spoke curtly and left without hearing my answer.
Trying to calm my terrifyingly pounding heart, I quickly recalled the story of the
novel. Because I had to come to my senses quickly in this gap.
‘The main character was Liese Sinclair, right? The male lead was Cliff Ludwig.’
I was taken aback, but fortunately my head was back on track.
It was a novel that I enjoyed reading, so it was fortunate that I had a lot of
memories left.
Liese Sinclair, the main character of the novel, was a bright, innocent and
beautiful girl like the goddess of spring.
She was the illegitimate child of the Count Sinclair by touching a maid.
The count puts the beautiful and clever Liese on the family register, thinking
that she will be able to use it someday, but Sinclair and the people bully Liese.
While the family’s persecution intensified, he fell in love with the Duke and
Duchess Ludwig, who stayed for a while in the Sinclair family, and moved to
the Ludwig family.
‘And that’s where I’ll meet Cliff, the male lead, and Killian, the sub male lead.’
Cliff and Killian are the two sons of a ducal family, and the brothers, who fell in
love with the same woman at the same time, fiercely try to get Liese without any
concessions.
Giving what Liese wants, and dealing with what threatens Liese without Liese’s
knowledge...
In the end, she marries Cliff, the eldest son of the Duke, and becomes a
Duchess, and the people of the Count Sinclair, who persecuted her, regret it by
hitting the ground... It’s a common subject, but it was such an interesting story.
‘In Volume 3 or 4, she was a woman who married the sub male lead of
convenience, right? So you’re saying that the wedding with the male lead is a
week away?’
The second son, Killian, who loves Liese, was forced to marry for the benefit of
the family.
The Rigelhoffs were villains who, together with the Ludwig family, pretended to
be emperors and secretly joined forces with the opposition faction to attack the
Ludwig family.
However, unlike Killian, who hated Edith, the problem was that she fell in love
with him at first sight.
‘You were blinded by jealousy and did everything possible to kill Liese!’
In addition, while acting as a spy for Count Rigelhoff, he conspires with his
maid, Sophia, to steal internal documents and secrets from the Ludwig family.
I remembered that there were some bad comments about it, saying that it was a
‘female enemy’ composition made out of jealousy with a man.
Anyway, apart from the confrontation, I couldn’t understand Edith the whole
time I was reading it.
‘Pretty face, good body, healthy, good family, lots of money... What’s wrong
with clinging to her husband? If it were me, I would give up my husband and
live happily.’
I knew very well that people in love often make irrational choices, but it took
too long for me to understand that because I didn’t have enough money.
My wish was to live without worrying about money or worrying about health.
It was a family that was not rich since I was young, and I even got leukemia
from such a family.
Her brother’s bone marrow was transplanted and even cured, but her body
suffered from harsh drugs and chemotherapy could not be healthy.
In addition, my older brother, who had been working daily jobs without even
finishing high school, fell into gambling and extorted money under the pretext
of a bone marrow transplant, and my parents had no strength or will to stop him.
So, the feeling of love was a luxury to me.
Even so, the reason I made a boyfriend was because I still needed a place to lean
on.
Anyway, because of that, I was envious of Edith rather than Liese, and I was
frustrated by her choice.
If only she had given up her husband’s love, she would have been able to live a
comfortable life.
‘If you are in a harmonious family with a lot of money and good health, you
should be grateful.’
Edith did not know how happy it was to not worry about money or to be healthy.
Even if it was a position where you didn’t have to notice others, why did you
covet something else?
‘You’d rather have me Edith it. I’m really confident that I’ll do well.’
I never thought that God would really give me the role of Edith, but I did think
that way.
The proverb that words become seeds didn’t come out of nowhere... For a
moment! Come to think of it, my wish came true...?
If it was someone who didn’t know anything, it would have been overwhelming,
but it was a dream situation for me, who had mastered all the clichés of
Romance.
The memories of Edith Riegelhoff hadn’t fully popped into my head yet, but
they were slowly forming, so it was far better than starting out without knowing
anything.
Tonight, it seemed that a dinner was set up for the last time before the wedding
with the families of both families.
It seems that God was very sorry for me, saying ‘preservation of original
character memory’, which is not provided by most Romance stores.
It felt like calling someone I didn’t know completely as my father, but what’s
difficult about that is that he’s an idiot with a lot of money. Even if you ask me
to act cute, I can do it as much as I want.
However, Count Rigelhoff’s reaction was quite different from what I expected.
His gaze, looking up and down as if trying to find fault, was like the eyes of
Manager Park at work.
And only then did Edith’s situation within the Rigelhoff family begin to be
entered into her mind.
I didn’t remember all of the full text of <I Reject Obsession>, but Edith was
definitely ‘a wicked woman with a high nose and arrogance because she grew
up only finely’.
However, according to the memory that just entered my head, it was just an
‘image for external use’.
Edith’s beauty, voluptuous body, and splendid style were all billboards for the
Rigelhoff family.
“Today, you must not make any mistakes. Because the Ludwig guys are going
to fret because they can’t catch the pod.”
“...Yes, Father.”
“I will negotiate to let in three of our family maids as your maids. You have to
say outright that you won’t entrust your body to anyone other than our family’s
maid. It would be nice to scratch their egos if they couldn’t accept that much.
Can you do well?”
I didn’t know what the hell it was, but I had to pretend I knew it.
Without paying attention to my answer, Count Rigelhoff, who had been writing
tonight’s scenario for a long time, then began to curse Duke Ludwig.
Only then did Count Rigelhoff begin to think of the reason why he was so
anxious about not being able to destroy the Ludwig family.
I Thought It Was Common Possession - Episode 2
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EPISODE 3
‘That’s why my stomach hurts because my friend who was worse off than you is
doing better now, isn’t it?’
The current Duke Ludwig and Count Rigelhoff have been rivals since
childhood.
However, at that time, Count Ludwig, who had less prestige than Count
Rigelhoff, was given the title of Duke after making a big contribution in the war.
And Count Rigelhoff believed that the duchy had been stolen from the Rigelhoff
family.
“Originally, it was a title that your grandfather was going to give to our family
because of his great achievements. But they stole it! Even the emperor is foolish.
To give the Dukedom to such bastards!”
Yes, well, the spirit can win like that. I understand up to that point.
According to the memory that had just arisen, I was getting married to the Duke
Ludwig as a bait to hide the black feelings of Count Rigelhoff, and the Count
knew very well that if things went wrong, I would be blown away from my
head.
It was so absurd that I felt like I was about to burst into tears, but I held it back.
It wasn’t a family that comforted their daughter when she cried.
I’ll be leaving this house in a week anyway, and I’ll have to find a way to live in
the Ludwig family, the main setting of the original story.
I made up my mind and prepared for the evening meeting between the two
families.
***
Although he had strengthened his fighting spirit, he was fed up with the majesty
of Duke Ludwig’s residence, which was no different from a castle.
Count Rigelhoff’s family was enough to make my eyes go round, but now that
I’m a Dukedom, it’s another level.
Winning the war with the neighboring country must have been a huge deal, and
the mansion is enormously large and luxurious.
‘Since the Ludwig family, who lived less than themselves, received a mansion
like this, did Count Rigelhoff have to roll his eyes...?’
Besides, the mansion was not the only one received. I don’t know, but I’m sure I
got more things like estates and chests of gold coins.
‘It’s more important to not get hit even if I block the negotiations today.’
Count Rigelhoff was trying to negotiate for me to send some maids with him.
In particular, Sophia, the close maid who brought in my wash water, was a fairly
favored subordinate, and was in charge of my escort and surveillance at the
count’s residence.
Although she was using honorifics, she was above me in terms of power within
the count’s residence.
‘And he’s also the person who helped Edith in most of the evil deeds he
committed in the original work.’
It was said that just not taking Sophia into it would make my life considerably
safer.
I took a slow, deep breath so as not to show my nervousness, and followed the
Counts and Sisters of Rigelhoff and my brother, Shane Rigelhoff.
“The Count and Countess Rigelhoff, the successor to the Count, and Miss Edith
Rigelhoff have arrived.”
With the butler’s polite introduction, we were ushered into a large dining room.
On one side of the large, elongated table were the members of the Ludwig
family.
‘To see in person the characters that I had guessed from the writer’s
description!’
When I saw the people of Count Rigelhoff, I didn’t think much of it, but when I
faced the main characters in the work, I was amazed and excited.
‘That person is Duke Axel Ludwig, next to him is Duchess Jocelyn Ludwig,
and... And... That’s Cliff, the male lead!’
It’s cool when it’s expressionless, but it’s a beauty that looks like it’s going to
melt away when you smile.
How about a well-muscled body? Even just running my eyes over my clothes
made my saliva go down.
‘He’s one of the most handsome men I’ve ever seen. My heart hurts.’
However, Cliff was a man only for the female lead, Liese.
Cliff has just been demoted to being the second most handsome man I’ve ever
seen.
It’s a family of enemies, it’s Nabal, and if it’s that visual, you can’t hang your
neck.
Killian Ludwig was a handsome man with dark hair and mysterious gray eyes,
somewhat rebellious.
He doesn’t have a single frown, but his cool eyes clearly show the displeasure
he feels, and his nose and jawline are straight and sharp as if they were cut...
Overall, his face was more sensitive than Cliff’s.
His physique is similar to Cliff’s, with a wide chest, a slender waist, and strong
thighs... Ah, this seems to sexualize the male leads too much...
Anyway, I will just say that it seems that my unjust death in my past life has
been rewarded with just the pleasure of my eyes today.
And the last visual impact was received from the female lead Liese Sinclair.
Liese, who attended the dinner even though she was not a member of the
Ludwig family, was so dazzlingly beautiful that the novel described her as ‘like
a goddess of spring’.
Bright blonde hair that seems to be floating on its own, eyes that look like the
blue waters of Jeju Island — it’s a pity that my expressive power is this much
—, smooth and soft-looking fair skin, and a delicate body that I want to protect
even though I’m the same woman...
But perhaps I was the only one who was mesmerized by Liese’s beauty, and
Count Rigelhoff’s brow furrowed disapprovingly.
“You worked hard to come. I prepared veal because Edith likes it, but I hope it
suits your taste.”
“I feel very reassured as a father sending his daughter to you to care so much...
Only.”
“Wasn’t it that only the families of the two families were to attend this event?”
Cliff and Killian’s faces turned cold at the question of Count Rigelhoff, who was
obviously uncomfortable with Liese’s presence.
Ugh, guess who isn’t the male leads?
“Liese is already a child like our family. Since we will continue to see each
other anyway, I thought it would be better to say hello in advance, so I asked
him to come down.”
Duke Ludwig explained, but he didn’t look too happy either. It was clear that he
would not let go if he held on to just one more word.
From the beginning, I was trying to calm myself down before the board broke,
but Liese spoke first.
“Liese, there is no reason for you to be sorry. You are my family The one who
doesn’t understand that doesn’t deserve to be in our family.”
In the original work, it was written that Edith’s eyebrows were raised fiercely
here. It’s a situation that deserves it.
I have to look good for Liese to save my life, and when I see a pretty girl, I want
to get close to her.
“What the Duke and Killian said is right, Father. When I get married, I’ll keep
running into him anyway, so what’s wrong with saying hello in advance now?”
I don’t know if I laughed properly because I was nervous, but I did my best
anyway.
Count Rigelhoff nodded his head broadly, wondering what he was thinking, and
smiled kindly.
Count Rigelhoff had noticed that the two sons of the Ludwig family were
infatuated with Liese.
I was nervous inside, but Killian didn’t answer and looked away.
Killian avoided the question without saying yes, only Liese looked at him in
embarrassment.
Duke Ludwig ventilated the atmosphere as if he would not allow any further
commotion, and the servants who were waiting began to serve delicious food.
If you sit still, the luxurious menu created by the best chef will be placed right in
front of you.
I was worried that Count Rigelhoff wouldn’t be thrilled again, but he seems to
be a ‘smile and stick a knife in the back’ player, so he is very cultured and polite
in front of him.
As the second glass of wine was served, Count Rigelhoff slowly brought up the
subject.
“By the way. I have no doubt that the ducal family will take care of our Edith,
but it is not comfortable to send a daughter with her parents in her arms.”
Count Rigelhoff looked at me with a sad look, then turned his gaze back to Duke
Ludwig and his wife.
Duke Ludwig is also ‘finally the beginning.’ He nodded his head with a smile on
his face.
“I fully understand that feeling. But don’t worry too much. I will take care of it
myself to ensure that you do not lack in any of them.”
“Oh, how could I ask the Duke for such a favor? I just want to send away a few
of my child’s maids. Maybe the maids I’ve had for a long time will suit Edith’s
taste well.”
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EPISODE 4
“Our family maids are also quite talented. It will exceed Edith’s standards.”
“Did Duchess Ludwig bring no maids with her when she got married?”
“That...”
After this conversation, in the original work, Sofia could have been sent in with
Edith.
“Hey, Edith. It seems that Duke Ludwig didn’t like the fact that you brought
some maids with you. What should I do?”
I got goosebumps at the acting that looked like I was going to burst into tears at
any moment, but I had to stay alert. The decision made here will determine my
life.
“Isn’t the Duke’s maid no better than our family’s maid? I don’t want any maids
to leave the county they love because of me. So you don’t have to think about
sending me a maid, Father.”
Not only the Duke, but also the Duke’s two sons were watching me with keen
eyes. He seemed to think that after laying the cushion like this, he would ask for
other conditions.
“Please forget my father’s request, Your Excellency the Duke. It seems that my
father is very worried about marrying me, who is still immature.”
Duke Ludwig sounds like a big deal. What are you talking about because you’re
weak here!
“As the daughter-in-law of the Ludwig family, I don’t want to be seen as spoiled
in the future. I will come alone she believes that the Duchess will send a maid
with good skills.”
The people of the duchy nodded their heads, even though they were
uncomfortable with it, and Count Rigelhoff’s expression hardened.
And as soon as he got into the returning carriage and left the gate of the Ludwig
family, Count Rigelhoff shouted.
I wondered if he would hit me in the face first, but at least I was fortunate. From
now on, I had to act with all my might.
“...What?”
“He was already aware of what his father meant by sending the maids with him.
What should I do if you make such obvious demands?”
It must have been strange for my daughter, who had only been doing what I
asked her to do, to say everything she had to say with her head upright.
“If you’ve already aroused suspicion, what’s the use of taking a maid in? There
will be more watchful eyes around you. That’s why I’d rather not have it,
Father.”
“That’s it...!”
“Have you forgotten what the primary purpose of this marriage was? It was to
dispel their doubts. First of all, we must blunt the edge of the vigilance they set
against us.”
How is it, the talker of the marketing department staff in the Korean peninsula,
trained in all kinds of presentations since college!
“For now, I have to enter alone. And when their suspicions are allayed, I’ll make
an excuse, homesick or whatever, that I’ll fetch her mother’s maid ‘for a while’.
I won’t stop that.”
“Hmm...”
It felt like the knife that had entered under my neck had moved about 10
centimeters away.
***
“Thus the faithful children of the Creator build yet another nest, God, bless the
rings they share and the everlasting covenant that dwells therein.”
Unlike me, who lightly turned around even in an uncomfortable dress, he slowly
and barely stood towards me as if he really didn’t want to.
His formal attire, finally seeing it properly, was so cool that it made me drool,
but looking at him stunned now seemed like a big accident was about to happen.
‘Yes, yes, Killian. Sister knows all about you. So let’s get rid of it quickly.’
It was sincere. Because I also wanted this uncomfortable and terrible time to
pass quickly.
Two chidren approached with rings placed on small cushions. The children who
thought they were still seven years old were so cute.
Unlike the adults of both families who glared at each other as if they were going
to eat each other, these children’s cheeks flushed with excitement just being in
charge of being part of a beautiful wedding ceremony. I couldn’t help but smile
at them like they were disarmed.
Killian looked down at me coldly and picked up the bridal ring.
I politely held out my left hand, and Killian... Really, barely touching my hand, I
put the ring on the ring finger of my left hand.
He reached out and snatched the ring before I could pick it up. Then he put the
ring on himself and stood facing the priest as if he had finished his business.
I was the only one who was about to pick up the ring, but I ended up standing
awkwardly facing him.
The groom’s side of the guest seat exploded with laughter, and the bride’s side
of the guest seat felt anger that would rise at any moment.
It wasn’t that I was okay with it, but if I showed off that I was offended now, it
would only make the situation worse.
I lightly kissed the children’s cheeks and stood facing the priest.
And I thought as I felt the cold air gently spreading from Killian’s side.
‘A life of leisurely enjoying one’s hobbies without worrying about being hit by
one’s father or older brother. How good!’
If you’re lucky, you might be able to sleep with that nice, handsome guy a few
times, using your heir as an excuse.
If even that doesn’t work and you’re lonely, you’ll make a lover later.
***
The reception, which was worried that it would be noisy and busy, probably
because they were not meant to hang out with each other, ended early in a rather
chilly atmosphere.
‘I never thought I’d be so grateful that the two families weren’t on good terms!’
Liese seemed worried that I might be disappointed, but I was rather fortunate.
I had to keep my back straight all day because of the dress that was too tight in
my chest, and it made me feel as if my spine was broken.
What about feet wearing uncomfortable high-heeled shoes and swollen calves?
Just when I wanted to scream that this was torture, Liese, who had been asked
by the Duchess, led me to the bride’s room.
And the maid who was waiting took off the embarrassing and uncomfortable
dress and changed into bed linen.
‘I thought I was going to die before the story even started. Ha...’
Only then did I let out a sigh of relief that I was alive.
“Ah, that...”
I could have overlooked it, but no matter how tired I was, I didn’t want to miss
this opportunity to talk with the female lead.
Besides, isn’t one of the rules of survival for romance novels possessed by the
wicked woman ‘getting close to the good heroine’?
‘A kind and righteous Liese would never avoid my friendly approach. Whoop!’
Like a character hiding a ruse, I laughed sinisterly inwardly, and it was hard for
me to keep my mouth shut, so I realized that Liese, who wiggled her hands, was
beautiful.
Liese, who was wearing an ivory-colored plain but luxurious dress, was much
more dazzling than I had been adorned with glittering jewels.
Rather, Liese was more suitable for the appearance of a chaste and shy bride.
“Today... I apologize for Killian’s rude behavior towards Miss Edith. He hopes
you don’t hate him too much. Even though Killian looks cold and blunt on the
outside, he is actually a deep-hearted person.”
Even in this scene in the original story, Edith talked to Liese first.
Then, she exploded in anger at Liese, who told her not to hate Killian, saying,
“What’s wrong with wearing a white dress to someone else’s wedding? Are you
talking about Killian’s name to me, who has become Killian’s wife?”
To be honest, the reader knows why Liese said that, but Edith, who had to hear
such words without knowing the inside story, thought it was worth getting
angry.
But who am I. Amn’t I the possessive who finished reading original story?
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 5
“I fully understand. Killian was forced into a marriage she didn’t want to do, and
she’s probably offended. But that doesn’t mean I hate Killian. After all, he is my
husband.”
I appealed my harmlessness to Liese, who will soon meet Killian and talk about
me. Liese’s expression brightened as if it had been eaten properly.
“Oh, Miss Liese is such a kind and affectionate person. Today’s dress suits you
so well. No, I think the dress looks pretty thanks to Miss Liese.”
It was sincere.
Wow, can you really be this pretty... I wish I could chew on that soft cheek with
my mouth.
Liese, let’s leave Cliff and live with your sister. Sister will take good care of
you!
“Pi, you must be tired, but I’ve been holding on too long. Sorry. If you’re
resting, Killian will come later... Will come.”
It would be embarrassing and awkward to imagine the first night of Killian, who
has been living like brother and sister for 5 years.
But you don’t have to worry, Liese. Because that won’t happen.
I waved my hand to thank Liese as she returned and I was finally able to be left
alone in the silence.
I slumped down on the bed, took a breather, threw off the bed linen that the
maid had worked so hard on, and soaked myself in the bathtub on the other side
of the room, behind the curtains.
It was a bathtub prepared for the couple to wash themselves after having sex.
It seemed to have been filled with hot water in consideration of the time to have
sex, but as I enjoyed going to the sauna in my previous life, it was just the right
temperature to warm up.
As I was soaking in the hot water, it seemed that my aching body was slowly
relaxing.
“If you live as the daughter-in-law of a Duke, you can even have the maid get
water in the bathtub, right? Amazing, great.”
Even if Count Rigelhoff was annoyed and Killian felt a sharp wind blow, it was
true that this possession was luck.
What if you can’t access the internet? Books, plays, and operas also exist in this
world, and there are hunting competitions, picnics of all kinds, parties and balls.
I don’t have to go to work, I’m free from housework, and I don’t have to worry
about my bank account balance or my brother threatens to borrow a loan in my
name.
He had the confidence to live quietly and enjoy life in the Ludwig family
without interfering with the male lead, female lead, or even the sub male lead
husband, but Count Rigelhoff was the problem.
Even if I live quietly, if Count Rigelhoff behaves according to the original story,
I too may be accused of being a spy for my family and my hair will be blown
off.
Duke Ludwig suspected that the Rigelhoffs were allying themselves with the
Duke of Langston, who was seeking the emperor’s throne, and the Rigelhoffs
proposed a marriage alliance to prove their innocence.
There were rumors that Count Rigelhoff cared for his daughter Edith, so I was a
kind of hostage.
Killian, who became the marriage partner, naturally refused, but Duke Ludwig,
who had to hold the leash of Count Rigelhoff for the time being, persuaded
Killian.
It was also there that the heartbreaking narrative of Killian, who fell for Liese,
came out.
“I love you, Liese. A piece of paper makes me the husband of another woman,
but my soul will always long for you.”
The comment section of the episode where Killian, locked in a dark room, shed
a hot tear and recited that line, was spectacle.
All sorts of comments exploded, such as saying that I can’t throw away this
stock, looking at me as a writer man, and asking for Liese to set up a harem.
Anyway, Killian had no choice but to follow the decision of the owner of the
house, the Duke, even though he had such a desperate heart. Because family
interests were more important to him.
Perhaps the male lead Cliff’s schemes got involved in the process.
On the outside, it seemed that Killian, who had a cold impression, would be
more obsessed with Liese, but in reality, Cliff, who seemed soft at first glance,
was much more crazy.
Maybe that’s why they removed Killian before the situation got serious.
‘Oh, I don’t know, I don’t know. I want to get some rest today. I’m tired.’
Putting off complex thoughts until tomorrow, I relaxed. After being possessed, I
suffered from nervousness all week, so I was very tired.
As the tension was relieved, sleep poured out, so I leaned my head against the
bathtub and dozed off.
Thanks to that, I didn’t hear someone open the door and come in.
“You are a heartless bride to wash alone before the new groom arrives.”
“Omg!”
I was startled by the sudden sound of a man’s voice overhead and covered my
chest.
“Who, who...!”
“Is there anyone else in the bridal chamber other than the groom? Or maybe
there was someone waiting?”
Of course it was. In the original work, there was a scene where Killian and Liese
had a conversation around this point.
At Liese’s words to be nice to Edith, Killian grabs Liese’s wrist and asks if she’s
serious, and just as he is about to kiss her while looking at her desperately, Cliff
appears and interrupts.
In the end, Killian left Liese by Cliff’s side and avoided the seat, and went into
his room and drank alcohol to soothe his sore throat.
Anyway, if that’s the case, doesn’t that mean you didn’t enter the bridal
chamber?
“It has to be. You avoided even sharing a wedding ring. I am an idiot if I don’t
see it.”
To him, Edith Riegelhoff is just the daughter of a mean man and the culprit who
frustrated his love.
But now, everything just bothered me, I was sleepy, and on the other hand, I
thought that I could save my life only if I didn’t hate Killian.
“I was just saying what happened. Seeing your reluctance to contact me, I’m
telling you that I knew you wouldn’t come to my room today. So... Are you
going to sleep here today?”
I said it in the softest possible voice, but I don’t know how it was for him to
hear.
Has the original plot been changed, or is this the same as the original work?
But right now I don’t have the energy to think about anything in detail.
I got up from the half-cooled bathtub and wiped myself off. Tonight, I will sleep
soundly in that fluffy bed!
***
Liese was standing on the balcony on the second floor where the moonlight was
pouring in.
The ivory-colored dress she was wearing looked like the color of a bride, so
Killian wanted to hold Liese’s hand and head to his bedroom.
However, Liese, who he wanted so much, pushed him to go into the bride’s
room.
“I went.”
“...Huh?”
“But Miss Edith is a good person. You accepted me generously at dinner a week
ago.”
“It must have been because of my father’s eyes. The corners of her mouth were
trembling from her forced smile.”
“You have to think carefully about whether it was really friendly or sarcastic
with a smile.”
Killian couldn’t agree with Liese no matter how well he spoke of Edith.
What kind of person is Count Rigelhoff? Isn’t he a man who pretends to be
cultured and kind on the outside, but does all sorts of snake-like tricks behind
the scenes?
I grew up under such a person, but there’s no way I’ll be fine just because I’m
her daughter.
Right now she pretends not to know anything and pretends to be hypocritical,
but it was clear that Edith entered the duchy to help her father with his work.
He had no choice but to marry Edith to prevent Count Rigelhoff from leaving,
but Killian had no intention of continuing this marriage smoothly, nor of
maintaining it for long.
‘If it’s that greedy Count Rigelhoff, I’ll dig my grave before long, so I’ll just
throw that woman away then.’
Killian thought about that and clenched her molars tightly, but Liese frowned
and put on a troubled expression.
“No, that... After listening to Killian’s words, I wondered if Edith was angry
with me earlier...”
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 6
“I took care of Miss Edith and came out... Edith complimented my dress. At the
time, she thought it was just a compliment and was happy...”
The dress she was wearing today was bought by Killian, saying that she wanted
her to wear it to her wedding.
I tried to refuse, saying that wearing a white dress to a wedding is not a bit off,
but Killian earnestly asked, saying, ‘This is ivory, not white.’
Besides, since the dress Edith will wear is white and has a lot of gold threads
mixed in, it is incomparably more splendid than this dress, so I accepted
Killian’s request because I thought a dress as simple as this would be fine.
Killian gritted his teeth when Edith said that he had pointedly mentioned Liese’s
dress, which was nothing else.
‘To cowardly argue with the powerless Liese, knowing that it was the Ludwig
family who prepared Liese’s dress...’
“No way. Think of the dress she wore today. Wasn’t it just that you were
sensitive to your dress?”
“Ah! Edith, you were really pretty today, right? Really shiny...”
“What, what do you mean, Killian! Isn’t it too much to be vulgar to your own
wife?”
When Liese questioned with a shocked expression, Killian quickly tempered his
ferocity.
“It’s not that I’m sorry, I should be sorry for Miss Edith! Don’t you feel sorry
for her? She came alone to a place where no one knew, trusting only Killian.
She needs Killian to take good care of.”
“Killian...!”
“You are cruel, Liese. With what kind of heart did I endure today... Is it because
you really don’t know?”
As you know, Liese was someone who couldn’t express any opinions about this
marriage. Perhaps this was Liese’s way of trying to soothe her heart, she didn’t
know.
This is what happened, put your heart on Edith... Don’t be too sad...
“Liese...”
Killian couldn’t find anything to say and quietly lifted Liese’s chin. Liese’s
surprised face was so lovely.
How comforted I was by that kindness and innocence like the spring sunlight.
If it hadn’t been for the obstruction, Killian might have been able to kiss Liese
today.
“Hey, Cliff!”
Startled, Liese moved away from Killian and waved at Cliff with an awkward
smile.
Killian growled lowly, but Liese pretended not to hear and laughed hard.
And the main character who ruined Killian’s precious moment approached with
a calm face as if he hadn’t seen the scene where the two were about to kiss.
“It was late at night and I was surprised that he wasn’t in the room. But Killian,
why are you here? Did you leave the bride alone?”
“If you feel sorry for me, my brother will go and comfort you.”
“You don’t want to create a scandal about coveting your sister’s woman, do
you?”
When it came to Liese, Cliff, who never backed down, had no choice but to turn
his back on Killian.
If there were rumors that the Ludwig family had a fight over Liese on the
wedding night, Liese would be in trouble.
I didn’t want to make it more difficult for Liese, who was still suffering from
enough embarrassing rumors.
Killian went into his bedroom and took out a drink, feeling the pain as if his
heart had been cut by a sharp knife.
It was a night where I felt like I had to drink at least to fall asleep.
***
I was going to sleep soundly until the sun rose in the middle of the sky, but in
the morning, my eyes opened by themselves.
Even though I was possessed by Edith, the office worker’s biological clock
alarm that wakes up at 6 o’clock was still running.
Contrary to what I expected, of course, that my whole body would hurt like it
would break, it was quite tolerable.
‘Wow, this is the stamina of a 22-year-old, no, that’s the stamina of a healthy
person!’
I wasn’t this healthy when I was 22, so it must be a matter of basic fitness, not
age.
I was so happy that I didn’t get sick despite all the hardships yesterday.
And just like the saying that a healthy mind resides in a healthy body, there is no
sick spot, so I started to see the situation more positively.
It is said that if you get married, you will hate the prohibition of ‘poetry’, but as
long as I can be loved by people called ‘parents’, I don’t care if it’s my parents-
in-law.
It seemed like a traditional Korean culture, but it seemed that no in-laws would
dislike a daughter-in-law who came to say hello the morning after the wedding.
Besides, isn’t one of the rules of survival for a romance novel being possessed
by a villain is to win the favor of the main supporting characters!
In one romance novel, it was said that the aristocratic couple looked through the
bedding where they spent the first night and checked for bloodstains.
If I did something like that on my own, Killian might roll his eyes.
Because he was a man who would protect his pure body for Liese.
‘A handsome virgin, good. But I think it’s a bit too much to force virginity even
to the male lead.’
Did Killian of the original work, who did not give up his love despite not being
chosen by Liese, lived as a virgin until his death?
In my heart, I mourned Killian and pulled the sling line. I laughed out loud for
some reason when I tried to pull the ‘Seolleongjul’ that I had only read in
writing.
Unlike Sophia, the polite maid, who had bowed her head without making eye
contact with me, left without a sound of footsteps.
Even though I was married, I was still called a lady. It was because if she was
called Mrs. Ludwig, she could be confused with the Duchess.
It seemed to me that sooner or later Killian would be given part of the Dukedom
and the title of count, and only then would I be called a countess or something.
‘In the original version, Edith died without ever hearing his wife’s voice.’
I took a deep breath, brooding over the idea that if I made a mistake, I could
follow her.
And with the help of the maid, she tried to transform into a true daughter-in-law.
There were more than one or two dresses sent to me by the Rigelhoffs, showing
off their family wealth, but they were all splendid and cut deep in the chest, so
there was nowhere to look.
“Yes, Anna. Go to the bedroom and ask for the breasts of this dress to be
covered more naturally. Get rid of the flashy decorations. Hurry!”
“Yes, my lady.”
Anna didn’t obey my instructions and immediately grabbed the dress and ran to
the Duke’s bedroom.
Seeing that compliant attitude, I could see how abnormally Sophia, the
Rigelhoffs’ maid, had treated me.
‘Well, from her point of view, I must have been the Rigelhoff family’s pet dog.’
Although they decorate them beautifully, they are nothing more than ‘dogs’.
Leaving Sophia away was truly a godsend.
While Anna came back and touched my hair and put on light makeup, the quick-
witted bedroom maids of the duchy adjusted my dress and sent it off.
When I asked to cover the hollow chest part, I caught the frill in that short time
and repaired it as if it was originally designed like this.
I also reduced the fancy decorations, and now it’s something I can wear.
‘I have to leave the rest of the dresses to be mended quickly. How do you wear
them?’
If she wore something like that, it was clear that the Duke’s people would firmly
label her as ‘extravagant and vain Edith’.
I put on a more neat dress and ordered Anna to say hello to the Duchess.
The servants may have been ordered to be careful with their words in front of
me.
“If you are, then so be it. Then, will you guide me to His Excellency’s room?”
“Yes, lady.”
Straightening my back, but with a slight smile on my face so as not to look too
arrogant, I passed through the hallway of the Duke’s house and headed for the
small drawing room connected to the Duchess’s bedroom.
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EPISODE 7
In the parlor with the door open, the Duchess and Duchess Ludwig, dressed
comfortably, were getting off the car.
A teacup was placed in the seat across from me, as if I had prepared my own.
“Greetings to the Duke and Duchess. Did you have a good night?”
“Thanks to you, I slept well. You must have been tired yesterday, but I’m
worried that you’re too nervous to come to say hello in the morning.”
“Thanks to everyone in the Duke family for their consideration, I also rested
comfortably. Thank you.”
Duke Ludwig’s expression was a little stiff, but the Duchess accepted my
greeting with a benevolent expression.
I was able to naturally sit across from them and drink a cup of hot tea.
Even in the middle of a casual conversation, they didn’t ask why they didn’t
come with Killian or what their relationship with Killian was.
It must have already been reported that he did not sleep in the bride’s room
yesterday.
“I know very well that the count is very precious and raised well, but... I wonder
if you know some of the responsibilities of being a hostess of an aristocratic
house. Oh, of course you can learn from now on.”
It really shines when I read the original work. I would have been embarrassed if
I had been asked this question without thinking.
“I can manage the cash flow and organize the documents. Of course, there will
be a Duke’s way, so if you tell me, I’ll understand it as soon as possible.”
It was a nuance, as if he had come to steal our family’s cash records and internal
documents.
“Kuhm.”
Duke Ludwig cleared his throat for no reason, as if he didn’t know he would
openly listen to him say, “Don’t believe it if you don’t believe it,” and the
Duchess patted him on the side and rolled her eyes.
It seemed that the Duchess would be more communicative than the Duke.
“It’s good that you learned about keeping money and filing documents. Then
can you help me with my work in two weeks? It won’t be too difficult. If you
want to rest more, you can start next month.”
“Do we need to wait until two weeks? I have nothing to do anyway, but if you
leave it to me from today, I will do my best.”
I’ll probably have to leave out documents that shouldn’t be visible to me.
However, the Duke and his wife did not show off like that in front of me like
veterans.
“Then... If you don’t mind, may I call the person from the dressing room?”
The two opened their eyes wide as if in surprise for a moment, then smiled and
nodded their heads. Perhaps, as soon as I got married, I would rather have
ordered an expensive dress with the property of the Duke.
‘Yeah, I like having such low expectations. Then they will rate me more highly
later.’
With some insidious thoughts, I didn’t say why I wanted to call the dressing
room.
“And I think I need to figure out the structure of the Duke’s residence first,
because the Duke’s residence is so wide. Can you give me someone to introduce
you to the mansion?”
“If Killian does that...”
“Killian is busy.”
I didn’t need his guidance because I was determined not to run into Killian as
much as possible in the future.
The Duke and Duchess immediately called the butler as if they realized that they
were talking nonsense.
“This is Philip the butler. Philip knows best about the inside of the mansion, so
let him guide you.”
At the introduction of the Duchess, Philip greeted politely with a light smile on
his face.
“Nice to meet you, Philip. But the butler of the ducal family would be very busy,
but I’m worried that I’m wasting your time. Even if I just accept the introduction
of the maid...”
It would be much more fun to look around the mansion than to sit around in
your room with nothing to do.
“This is the ‘Sistine Hall’, a hall that exhibits art collections from the days of
Count Ludwig. We change the exhibits once a month.”
Famous paintings were hung on all sides of the room, and statues were placed in
the middle.
‘Isn’t it that there is an art museum in your house where different exhibitions are
held every month? Amazing...’
When I thought about it, my heart pounded even though these paintings and
statues were not all mine.
“Is it okay to come and see at any time? Do I need to get someone’s
permission?”
“If you are a member of the Ludwig family, you can come in anytime.”
Liese would be included in that, but well, it’s not something I’m going to argue
with.
Anyway, I have secured a place to come to play when I am bored.
But besides that, there were many places that looked interesting.
“This is a jewelry showroom. The Duke’s jewels are displayed, and during
important parties, the Duke’s family members use the jewels here. Unlike the
Sistine Hall, you must have permission from the Duke or Duchess to enter.”
“This is where you manage your weapons and armor. It is a place where the
Duke and his little masters usually come. The weapons stored here are all made
by renowned artisans.”
Even if I tried to manage my expression, the corner of my mouth kept going up,
so it seems like I just followed him around with a smile.
“The mansion is so large that it is difficult to look around all of it within one
day. Take a look around here today, and I’ll show you more the day after
tomorrow.”
“Thank you, Philip. I didn’t even notice the time passing because Philip’s voice
and speaking skills are so good.”
“It’s an overstatement.”
My compliments on Philip were not meant to please him, but from the heart.
Of course he would be wary of me, but he didn’t show any signs of it and treated
me respectfully.
Besides, it didn’t seem like he talked much, but he picked out the important
points of each room, so it felt like he had been tutored with tweezers.
Philip even taught me a new route and gave a fruitful lecture until the end.
“This is the ‘Great Corridor’. It is a good place to see the beauty of the
courtyard. His Excellency the Duke also enjoys walking and talking here.”
The Ludwig family, including the people and the mansion, everything was
beautiful, so it was pleasing to the eyes wherever I looked.
‘I’ve always regretted not being able to travel abroad in my previous life, but I
never thought I’d be rewarded like this after I die.’
Visiting ancient castles in Europe would not have been more exciting than now.
It’s much more fun to see a castle where real people live than to peek at an old
time that has been stuffed and covered with dust.
‘So pretty.’
Arched shadows colored the floor and walls, and ivy, which had just begun to
sprout new leaves, climbed up the pillars.
Through the railing, we could see the well-maintained courtyard. Liese, Cliff,
and Killian drinking tea on the opposite balcony...
“Ah, that, the young ladies often have tea at this time, but oh, it seems that today
they are having tea with Lady Liese.”
At the same time as mine, Philip’s gaze stopped there, and he was quite
flustered, unlike the calm he had been before.
‘Well, it’s only embarrassing to see that the groom who scorned the bride is
drinking tea with another woman.’
Even since I’m notorious for being a wicked woman, Philip will think that I’ll
be strong no matter what happens now.
In the original work, there was a scene where Edith witnessed that appearance,
and at that time, Edith glared terrifyingly until Killian and Liese looked at him.
“Yes, yes.”
“I think I will come here often in the future. Then, shall we continue?”
His eyes look at me with a pity for some reason, but it must be my mistake? The
person the butler feels sorry for is Killian, not me.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 8
“She followed my instructions well and grasped the structure of the mansion
surprisingly well. She especially liked the Sistine Hall, where the art was
displayed.”
“Did you notice anything strange?”
“No. There was none at all. Contrary to rumors, she showed a very dignified
appearance.”
“Hmph! Count Rigelhoff must have trained her for that much.”
Duke Ludwig frowned and tapped the end of the armrest of the chair with the tip
of his finger.
Even if she came and went after being trained by a snake-like person, Edith was
definitely different from the rumors.
At yesterday’s wedding, apart from the vulgarity of the dress, she maintained an
elegant and upright posture to greet the guests, and even though she must have
been tired, she did not lose her smile throughout the day.
Even though Killian was so rude during the ring exchange, she kissed the
children affectionately and behaved so as not to make the atmosphere awkward.
None of them fit the popular rumor that she was arrogant and careless.
In fact, he and his wife were said to have prepared their hearts for the news that
they were coming to say hello this morning.
I had already heard that Killian had not stayed in the bridal chamber the night
before.
‘Killian, he made things difficult. If this happens, we won’t have anything more
to say!’
Duke Ludwig also adored Liese like his own daughter, and he planned to marry
her as his daughter-in-law.
However, until this year, Count Rigelhoff had to hold on to the leash so as not to
stick to the side of ArchDuke Langston, so he could not refuse their offer of a
marriage alliance with Edith.
Although he felt sorry for Killian, he could not pass on the daughter of the
Rigelhoff family to Cliff, who would become the successor, and finally got
Killian and Edith married after persistent persuasion.
Killian left the place with a face as if he had lost his soul, and he was unable to
say anything.
However, since Edith was rumored to be a wicked woman, I thought that even if
Killian neglected her, he would have a reason to throw Edith out later.
I couldn’t believe Edith would be so calm...
Duke Ludwig let out a sigh, but Philip cleared his throat beside him and added
his words.
“In fact... On the way back through the Grand Corridor, Lady Edith spotted
Master Killian on the balcony opposite.”
“Spotted? No way...!”
On the balcony of the Grand Corridor, Liese and his two sons often had tea time.
“Yes... Master Cliff and Master Killian were having tea with Miss Liese.”
Yesterday was the wedding. And the groom didn’t even spend his first night in
the bride’s room.
She saw such a groom flirting with another woman from the next morning.
Even if the Duke was Edith, there was nothing to say because it would cause
blood to flow backwards.
“That is...”
“What? No, did you think there was a way to appease it?”
Philip was not unfamiliar with the Duke’s nervous mood. So Edith’s reaction
was embarrassing to him as well.
“...What?”
“I don’t know what she thought on the inside, but she didn’t make a fuss or get
angry on the spot. She just moved around as if she hadn’t seen anything.”
Even Philip himself was not confident in his voice, as if he couldn’t believe
what he was saying. And Duke Ludwig was speechless for a while. Because it
was nonsense.
After thinking about it for a long time, he finally came to this conclusion.
***
After returning to my room and having breakfast and lunch with the food the
maid had brought, I readjusted my situation while basking in the sun on the
balcony attached to my room.
I had already given up a lot in this wicked woman’s fantasy romance, but I felt
like it would be tough just to survive.
‘The best thing is to be a part of this family and spend the rest of your life
comfortably. But will things go so easily?’
Until now, all of my appearances were made by my father, and I was actually a
daughter who was abused by my father.
‘There’s no way Ludwig people will believe me. Besides, why did Killian
accept this marriage in the first place?’
If he knew I wasn’t even worthy of being a hostage, he would instantly annul the
marriage itself.
Then I’d be kicked out without a single penny, without being able to return to
Count Rigelhoff’s family.
In the worst case, I could have been killed for betraying my family.
It would be the safest way, but I thought I should first find out if a divorce is
possible with only a woman’s will in this world.
Besides, even if I tried to get a divorce, I had to prove that I wasn’t my parent’s
helper, and there was no guarantee that my parents wouldn’t come and harass
me.
‘It’s a pain in the ass. Maybe I’ll have to run away at night?’
‘Since I have to assume the worst, I need to figure out how the world is going
and collect money.’
Of course, that was a countermeasure assuming the worst situation, and the
ultimate goal is to quietly stick to a corner of the house and suck honey.
‘Anyway, I think I did well for the Duke and Duchess Ludwig today. Let’s focus
on those two in the future. I think it would be good for him to look good to Liese
too...’
Liese Sinclair.
However, her life was not easy until she came to the Ludwig family.
The children of the Sinclair family did not recognize Liese as their brother and
constantly bullied her. To them, Liese was like a doll that they could bully and
play with.
‘Then, the Duke and Duchess Ludwig came to stay at Count Sinclair’s house,
and thanks to Liesee preventing the Duchess from falling off her horse, the
Duchess became interested in Liese...’
At that time, the Duke and his wife, who learned about Liese’s unfortunate life,
were enraged that the young and kind Liese was being abused, and received the
‘right’ to Liese in exchange for the huge amount of money lent to them by the
Sinclair family.
Thanks to this, Liese has the surname of Sinclair, but the Sinclair family could
not claim any rights to Liese, including parental rights.
‘That’s why Liese must have hit the ground when she married Cliff.’
As the son-in-law of the Duke family, he could have secured his share, but
rather, he became the enemy of the Duke family and stepped on the steps of
downfall...
If Liese was on my side, I could easily escape from the fate of death.
Actually, it was the first thought that came to my mind after possessing Edith,
but I was worried about it because I was strangely reluctant.
‘Is it because Edith is set up as Liese’s enemy in the original work? I’m not very
comfortable dealing with Liese.’
It may be a matter of course. Because Liese and Edith had a relationship that
couldn’t be mixed like water and oil.
Even if it’s not a matter of personality, how can the man I love embrace the
woman I love.
Of course, it was a condition that didn’t apply to me, but I didn’t want to get
close to it, probably because I knew that Liese was the one responsible for the
downfall of Edith.
‘Let’s put aside getting close, first of all, let’s observe the three people
unobtrusively.’
In order to survive in this world, basic research is essential, and the most
important thing in that investigation must be the three main characters.
‘If I find the place where Liese is, the other two will naturally follow.’
I recalled the memories from the original story and searched for places where
Liese might be.
‘Finally found! But why are you outside, it’s still cold.’
Under a large tree in the garden, she was reading a book in perfect shape as if
drawn.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 9
She covered her shoulders with a thick shawl and delicately flipped through the
bookshelves. It was so pretty that even the same woman would stare at her in
awe.
But I was the only one who saw that pretty look.
‘Why are you alone? I thought there would of course be male leads where Liese
is...?’
“Liese.”
“Ah, Cliff!”
“It is so frustrating to be confined to my room. It’s chilly, but the air is so clear
that I feel like my stomach is open.”
“It’s a book about the history of the imperial family. Because I didn’t get this
kind of education... Just in case I didn’t know, I was afraid it would become
someone for His Excellency the Duke.”
Although Liese is listed on the family register of Count Sinclair, she is ignored
as an illegitimate child and has not learned anything that a noble should learn.
She felt indebted to the Duke and his wife, who treated her like a daughter, and
feared that the Duchess would be disgraced because of me, so she always wore
books.
‘Poor. Is it Liese’s fault that she was born as an illegitimate child? It’s the
father’s fault for making fun of his lower body!’
As if I wasn’t the only one who thought so, Cliff wrapped his arms around
Liese’s shoulders with a pitiful expression and lightly kissed her on the head.
“But...”
“It doesn’t matter if you read it because you like it, but if you just watch it
because you don’t want to become someone, stop. All you have to do is have
fun here, Liese.”
Cliff kindly soothed Liese, but Liese’s smile was somehow bitter.
‘Cliff, since you know everything, you’ll think it’s okay. But those who can’t
learn and don’t have it aren’t like that.’
No matter how much Cliff protected Liese, she couldn’t get rid of the complex
that Liese herself felt.
I thought that Liese’s self-discovery and study was for her own sake.
But because Cliff was obsessed with Liese, he didn’t like Liese to stand alone
without me. So he must be coddling with such words.
“Liese says she will study hard, so why are you interfering? Liese, do whatever
you want to do. If that’s a way that satisfies you, I’ll be happy to help.”
It was a comfort that was different from Cliff, but if I were Liese, I think I
would have been more grateful to Killian.
However, it was a bit weak for a line the male lead had to say.
The line that male leads might say in a romance drama like this is ‘I’ll give you
everything, you only look at me’.
‘Killian. I agree you’re right, but that’s why you can’t beat Cliff. Cliff is a
sweet, twisted guy.’
Cliff would rather have Liese become someone who can’t do anything without
me.
He could put up with Liese being kind to Killian, but he would feel very anxious
about her standing alone.
It is said that nobles do not work is a virtue, but even if they played, they were
only circling around Liese to the extent that I wondered if they were playing too
much.
‘If it were me, I would have kicked it out because it was annoying, but Liese
accepts it well.’
Either way, it’s certain that it’s not normal. Or is that level of ignorance for the
heroine of Romance a basic patch?
‘No, but that’s what I mean. If Edith had married Killian, wouldn’t it have been
the beginning of volume 4 of <The House/Envoy>? Then you must have already
leaned towards Cliff...?’
That’s how the story of marrying Killian to the villain came out.
However, looking at it now, I had no idea which side Liese gave more heart to.
Even I, who read the original story, am confused, so maybe those two men
really didn’t notice.
‘Wow, Liese Sinclair. Fishing management skills are not common. I have to
learn something like that too.’
If she did this without knowing, she was born with it, and if she did it
knowingly, she could be called a villainess. Of course, Liese is innate.
“Liese, you don’t have to worry so much about her. She’s just a hostage that
she’ll be here for a while and leave. Think so.”
Feeling a chill around my neck for some reason, I carefully pulled myself back
and returned to the room.
***
“Aagh! It’s crazy? Are you crazy? Why would you want a woman like that!”
And Damian Sinclair, who arrived slowly at the request of the maid who rushed
in, looked pathetically at his younger sister Layla, who was having a temper
‘again’.
At the bored voice, Layla turned her head and glared at her brother.
The reason was that they wanted to hold a frugal ceremony with only relatives
gathered, but the pride of the Count Sinclair was torn to shreds as the closest
aides to the duchy were noticed to have attended.
More than anything else, the fact that the bride at the wedding was a daughter of
the Riegelhoffs drove Leyla almost mad.
This is because Count Rigelhoff had a bad relationship with Count Sinclair, and
Layla had a crush on Killian for a long time.
Edith, who was arrogant that she would soon become the daughter-in-law of the
Ludwig family, was upset.
“Then what? Do you really think that seat should have been yours?”
Having been stabbed to the point, Layla’s face was red with anger and shame.
“Is your brother still the heir? As a daughter, I also try to help the family by
finding a good wife, but why is my brother so carefree?”
Even after hearing that, Damian didn’t look too bad. Rather, there was a strange
sense of composure over the smiling face.
“That’s why you can only be a daughter, and that’s why I’m the heir to this
family, you fool.”
“What?”
“When you go out to a party, you talk nonsense and then come back, don’t you?
I come to hear the important stories of the social world.”
Leyla slowly let go of the hem of her skirt that she was holding tight.
“Of course.”
Damian gestured to the shivering maids to remove the broken teacup and sat
across from Layla.
Although not as bright as Liese’s blonde hair, it was noticeably pale brown, and
Layla’s blue eyes, which were said to be beautiful, although not as clear as
Liese’s blue eyes, had a savage personality unlike her pretty appearance.
And the only people who could touch her were her brothers, Damian and Anton,
and her parents.
Among them, her brother, Damian, was the one Layla relied on the most.
Layla urged him on, but Damian didn’t speak until he had a leisurely drink of
the maids’ freshly prepared tea.
“If you believe such a snake-like guy, you’d be saying that Duke Ludwig is also
stupid.”
“I’m saying this because Duke Ludwig isn’t stupid. But Count Rigelhoff has the
right to distribute the iron ore produced in the southern mines.”
“So?”
“You know that iron ore is an important mineral for making weapons, right?”
Damian sighed and shook his head, but he had no intention of bruising Layla.
Originally, a woman just needs to know how to dress up beautifully and make
her husband happy.
Rather, it was a woman who was troublesome when she knew too many things.
“Anyway, the right to distribute such iron ore remains with Count Rigelhoff
until the end of this year. That’s why the Ludwig family needs to hold on to the
leash of the Rigelhoff family.”
“Snood?”
“There are rumors that Count Rigelhoff is showing interest in the Prince of
Langston.”
ArchDuke Langston was the uncle of the present emperor, and one who
disagreed with everything the emperor said.
“Yes. So what would happen if Count Rigelhoff, who had the right to distribute
iron ore, joined the opposite side of the emperor? Will it be very dangerous?”
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EPISODE 10
“By the way, Count Rigelhoff, this man is not usually cunning. To the extent
that I wonder if he deliberately spread rumors that he might be on the side of
ArchDuke Langston.”
“After annoying Duke Ludwig by spreading such rumors, he asked for his
innocence to be trusted and offered a marriage alliance. Isn’t it amazing that he
took the place of the Duke’s in-law so easily?”
Damian chuckled and drank his tea again. However, Layla’s frown did not
straighten.
“But what good news is that? It doesn’t change that Count Rigelhoff became the
son-in-law of Duke Ludwig.”
“Aww, our naive Layla. Do you know that anyone can become a Duke? Duke
Ludwig isn’t that easy.”
“Of course, if Count Rigelhoff calmly saves himself for the sake of his daughter,
whom he handed over as a hostage, he will probably not miss the position of the
son-in-law of Duke Ludwig.”
“What? Are you kidding me now?”
“But Count Rigelhoff is greedy. He had been jealous of Duke Ludwig before.
After all, that person will do something before the end of the year, and Edith
Rigelhoff will be just a blindfold and thrown away.”
Everyone in society knows that Count Rigelhoff loves his daughter dearly.
But Damian knew one more thing besides the rumors about the relationship
between Duke Ludwig and Count Rigelhoff.
He still cannot forget the scene he accidentally witnessed while attending a party
of a count’s family.
Count Rigelhoff, who usually listened to her daughter’s words, hit Edith fiercely
on the head, and Edith, who usually had a proud nose in front of her father,
shrugged her shoulders and begged for forgiveness.
After watching the two of them for a while, Damian was convinced.
Edith, sensual and beautiful, was gorgeous enough to stand out wherever she
went, and there were many men who coveted her.
And Edith enchanted those men and gave them information for her father.
“Nonsense! If Count Rigelhoff is talking about that girl, Edith, he’ll die!”
“Everyone thinks so. But this is solid information. Wherever you go, don’t tease
me carelessly. Because this is extreme okay?”
“Huh. Okay!”
Damian smiled at the sight of his younger sister, who had not been able to
overcome her temper until earlier, and nodded her head calmly.
“Be patient, Layla. Killian Ludwig and Edith Rigelhoff’s marriage is valid until
this year. I’ll give you the seat next to Killian Ludwig, as we’ll get the iron ore
distribution right from my family next year.”
“Brother...!”
“So stop crying. No man likes a woman with wrinkles between her eyebrows.”
Layla smiled happily while acting cutely to her brother, as if she had never
thrown a teacup and played evil.
***
For a while, I lived peacefully, being guided around the mansion by Philip and
figuring out little by little what the Duchess was supposed to do.
It may have been more peaceful because I tried not to actually run into each
other while observing the three main characters.
I decided to take care of Killian’s words lightly. It’s a character that was set up
like that in the first place, so what am I supposed to do?
Since I grew up, there hasn’t been a day when I haven’t worried about money.
But now I don’t have to worry about money, work, parents or older brother.
‘What would my brother do after I fell down the stairs and died?’
At that time, my brother’s pupils were not normal. The eyes of a complete
gambler.
I couldn’t see anything like reality in my brother’s eyes. Always looking only at
the golden castle in the faraway fantasy and following it.
If you lost that much money, you might realize that it was a mirage that would
never be caught, but at the gambling house, it seemed that someone would win
money from time to time in order not to lose a hukou like an older brother.
If the time here and there passed the same way, my brother would probably have
been caught by now.
There was no CCTV in the old multi-family house I lived in, but there was a
luxury apartment complex across the street.
There is no way that not a single image of her brother was captured on the dense
CCTV from the entrance.
I hoped so. Not out of vengeance, but because I wanted my brother to at least do
his part as a human being.
‘Would Mom and Dad be sad?’
My parents, who farm in the countryside, were responsible for dressing, feeding,
and taking us to the hospital until our siblings graduated from high school, but
basically, they weren’t very interested in their children’s affairs.
I didn’t want to know how much my brother or I studied, what our friendships
were like, what our dreams were, and what our worries were.
And even though I knew that my brother was addicted to gambling and
borrowed money from me, he was indifferent.
I’d rather not be sad. Because they love their children so much, it would be more
of a headache if I lost the will to live because of my death.
‘Mom, Dad must have taken a few days to breathe. He must have cared more
about my brother than the dead me.’
Everyone would have been surprised by my death, but they would have quickly
forgotten.
I felt a bit lonely at the thought that no one would have cared about Choi Soo-
na’s vacancy, but it was rather fortunate when I thought of the rest.
Then, as I let out a sigh, Anna told him that the Duchess was looking for him.
‘Let’s calm down. Now is the time to worry about dealing with the people in the
present life, not the people in the previous life.’
Having become a bit sentimental from recalling the events of my previous life, I
stood up with a firm heart.
The Duchess delivered the welcome news in a generous voice to me, who had
visited me with the face of a true daughter-in-law.
“Edith. As you asked the other day, I called the dressing room. I’m supposed to
come tomorrow morning, so if you have anything to order, think about it in
advance.”
“What is gratitude? Thanks to that, it’s been a while since Nana and Liese have
been able to match their dresses.”
‘Oh, come to think of it, wasn’t this an episode from the original story?’
I called the dressing room to fix my dresses, but the original Edith called to
order an expensive dress.
And then, Liese was called to that spot, and it seems like Edith and Liese’s face-
to-face competition took place...
I asked to call the dressing room without much thought, but that’s the flow of
the original story...
It seems that the two of them each ordered a dress design they wanted to wear,
but Liese found a design that suited her perfectly and commissioned it, and
Edith ordered a frenzied dress with everything in it to beat Liese.
The ‘two much’ dress couldn’t have been okay, and in the end, when there were
only compliments on Liese’s dress, the pissed-off Edith got angry, saying that
the level of the dressing room was poor.
And it led to the ending where Killian, who heard the story, made fun of Edith.
‘Well, I’m not buying a new dress, so the result will be completely different.’
After that, I spent time figuring out which dress to leave in the dressing room,
and thinking about where and how to fix it.
The long-awaited next day.
“Miss. Someone came from the dressing room. I will take you to the drawing
room of the Duchess.”
“Oh, hello!”
Liese seemed to be glad that I greeted her first, so she jumped up from her seat
and greeted me.
It’s been a long time since I’ve seen a face, but when I see it again, it’s
dazzlingly beautiful.
‘You should get used to it soon... I feel like I’m going to go crazy every time I
see it.’
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EPISODE 11
Emily, the owner of the dressing room, was a soft brown haired woman who
appeared to be in her early forties.
It seemed that she had brought not only colorful fabrics and laces, but also a
style book with various designs.
Madame Royal took out a style book for older ladies and spread it in front of the
Duchess.
But the wife, who was handing over some style books, raised her head and
smiled.
“Um... As I get older, it seems like I only choose similar designs every time.
Will you guys pick out a design for me this time?”
‘Unexpected situation! Contingency! Why are you taking the test without
notice?’
A cold sweat seemed to run down his back.
Among the designs that Liese and I chose, whether the wife likes the design of
Liese more, or whether the design Liese chose receives more praise after making
both.
“Can I really?”
Thanks to that, the same style book was placed in front of Liese and me.
To find it in it.
Liese has lived together in this house for 5 years, so he must have a good
understanding of his wife’s tastes, and I...
‘It’s been less than two weeks since I fell into this world!’
I never thought the style confrontation episode with Liese would go like this...
The flow of the original work was much stronger than I expected.
“I want to see what this design looks like. I think it will suit you very elegantly.”
Madame Royal quickly took a sample fabric and put it on the Duchess’s
shoulder, flattering that it was an excellent choice.
Indeed, wearing a set of pearl earrings and necklaces as shown in the style book
seemed to suit the wife very well.
The Duchess, with wheat-colored hair, amber eyes, and very fair skin, would
look good in any color match, but blue seemed to be the closest to the answer.
“You made a really good choice, Lady Liese. This is the latest design in our
dressing room. This silk is also the highest quality product delivered to the
imperial family...”
“Uh... I am...”
When the atmosphere that lifted Liese slightly subsided, the Duchess’ gaze
turned to me.
Is this also the flow of the original work?
I had spread out a picture of a dress with a slightly fancy design, which Edith of
the original story would have chosen.
Of course, no matter what I choose, I think my wife will prefer the blue dress
that Liese chose...
“I think the dress that Miss Liese chose would really suit her mother. But on
days when you want to change your mood from time to time, I think this style
will be fine.”
The coppery lustrous brown silk was gently embroidered with vines with gold
thread, and a dark purple underdress was elegantly pleated through the slit of the
robe.
The trimmings of the ensemble (lace or ruffles worn under the elbow-length
sleeves) and robes were also the same deep purple as the underdress.
In my eyes from the 21st century, it was a design that the Duchess would digest
elegantly and with dignity, but I doubted if it would be so in the eyes of others.
“Lady Rigelhoff’s eyes are also excellent! Few people appreciate this two-color
combination.”
“The dress is beautiful, but... Don’t want it to look too flashy to me...?”
“And mother. This dress looks gorgeous at first glance, but it goes well with the
dignified atmosphere of the Ludwig family. Besides, my mother has the beauty
and dignity that go with this dress.”
The Duchess, embarrassed by my answer, said she would order the two dresses
Liese and I recommended.
Even if you beat the main character, it’s a job to accumulate terrifying points.
Of course, if you lose, you will be told behind your back, but I emphasized that
you should try this design ‘for a change of mood’ in preparation for that.
Sometimes it is said that it is a dress to change the mood, but how about
something a bit fancy?
Anyway, when the Duchess’s dress selection was over, Liese’s dress selection
began.
“I just came to watch. I really can wear anything. Even the dress you have is
enough.”
Liese, knowing the price of the dress, waved her hand and refused.
Well, if you are a person with good looks like you, even if you wear a mat, you
will be praised for your avant-garde fashion. Originally, the completion of
fashion is the face.
“There will be a lot of tea parties soon, so you will need a dress with a bright
design.”
The Duchess, lightly ignoring Liese’s futile refusal, started looking through the
style book to find a dress that would suit Liese, and Lady Royal took out the
fabric from the style book she found and brought it to Liese.
“How about this, Liese? A floral print would be perfect for a spring tea party...
Oh, that would be nice too A light blue and pink ribbon would look really good
on you.”
I was watching the pictures of dresses that my wife was excitedly choosing from
the side, and I pointed to them in a hurry without realizing it.
“This too! This kind of pink doesn’t suit just anyone. Lady Liese has fair skin,
and her cheeks are the color of strawberry milk, so they will suit her really
well.”
“Oh, I guess so. Edith’s eyesight is good. How about this white empire dress?”
“That would make Ms. Liese look too young. Wouldn’t this be better if it was
white and simple?”
I pointed to a Greek robe-style dress. Wearing this, Liese would really look like
a goddess.
With a pretty model in front of us, there were so many things we wanted to
wear, so the Duchess and I shook our heads for a while longer.
It was not about what to choose, but about what to give up.
“I know. Next time I call the dressing room, I’ll have to call it much earlier than
the season.”
Madame Royal, as expected, checked the dress Liese was wearing with a happy
expression.
“Huh...?”
Whoop whoop. One of the rules of survival for the evil woman’s possessed
Romance! Try to reverse the image!
From now on, I will spend my money to the fullest, but right now I needed to
overturn my image.
So I intended to present myself as a frugal person who repairs the dress she
already owns, although this is not frugal at all, rather than being the queen of
extravagance, ordering expensive new dresses.
I winked at Anna, and Anna, with the help of some of the maids, brought ten
dresses I had picked out this morning.
“Yes...?”
When the maid held the dress open, I went in front of her and explained the
parts to be mended one by one.
“Please cover the chest part of the dress as a whole. It was uncomfortable
because it was cut too much. Please cover this much.”
“But even the labor cost to embroider those diamond beads must have been
considerable.”
“So I left a few dresses that I really worked on. Please just take this off.”
After completing the repair order for 10 dresses in that way, I checked once
more to see if Madame Royal had written down the details carefully, and then
sat down.
“But Edith. Since you already called someone, why don’t you order the dress as
well?”
“I can’t even wear the dress I brought. I’ll be ordering the new dress next year.
Thank you for caring, Mother.”
In fact, from today on purpose, instead of using the title ‘Duchess’, I was
constantly calling her ‘mother’ and trying to deepen my intimacy with her.
I felt that the Duchess was awkward, but it was a title that would be more
difficult to change later if we didn’t settle it down early in the marriage.
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EPISODE 12
Liese tightened her lips and tried to hold back her smile. Looking at the style
book, it seemed like she had high expectations for her new dress.
‘Even if it’s fine, it seems like you’re happy with the new dress. I can’t even ask
you to buy it with my mouth. Ugh, poor thing.’
I returned to my room with a light heart, hoping that I had won Liese’s favor.
***
A fortnight after the wedding, the Duchess began entrusting me with work.
When I went to the Duchess’s office, the one who greeted me was none other
than Liese.
I was not surprised when Liese popped out of the Duchess’s office, as I already
knew the contents of the original work, but I wasn’t Edith to the original story.
“How can you entrust family documents to someone who is not even a family
member of this house? A person who is not even an aristocrat and who has not
been properly taught...!”
It was a valid question, but since it was Liese who was already living like the
daughter of this family, the Duchess was very displeased with Edith’s
dissatisfaction.
“I’m probably not good at things, so Lady Liese, please teach me a lot.”
“My mother wouldn’t let anyone stay by her side. From now on, let’s get along
well and have fun.”
Liese guided me to the place where I would sit and work, and the Duchess
looked at us with a happy face.
They seemed happy to see that East and West (?) seemed to be on good terms.
Ink and pens, a document tray, and a stack of papers lay on my writing desk.
‘It feels like working for a company in this world... Why do Koreans make
people work there even if they use Romance Fantacy novels?’
I sighed in the atmosphere that reminded me of the first day I went to work at
the company.
‘It’s most likely that you’ll run away at night, but you never know. Killian might
turn round and take me down to the manor.’
If so, you might be able to put what you have learned to good use.
“Edith.”
“Yes, Mother!”
“The bundle of papers I gave you was probably out of order. Maybe the dates
are messed up. All you have to do is organize it according to the date.”
“Yes!”
‘That’s about it! It’s a problem because there’s a lot of it, but the work isn’t
difficult.’
I was even praised by the Duchess for checking some of the documents I had
organized and piled up.
Even if I did work, it was only about 2 or 3 hours at most, so it was a little
disappointing as a Korean office worker who was trained to work overtime.
After receiving the Duchess’ ‘permission to leave work’, I came out of the office
and hummed in a good mood for some reason, when Liese called me from
behind.
“Hey, Edith.”
“Yes!”
“Yeah... If you are not busy, would you like to come over for tea in the
afternoon?”
To be honest, I didn’t want to get involved with the main characters, but if I
refused, I could be accused of hurting Liese’s heart again and being accused of
being a villain.
“We have tea at 3:30 in the afternoon. Today, let’s have a drink on the balcony
of the Great Hall.”
The expression ‘we’ was oddly jarring. Liese must have written it
unconsciously, but he felt like drawing a line between them and me.
Besides, being on the balcony of the Great Hall where I saw them the other day,
I felt a bit uncomfortable.
However, how dare you go against the main character’s words when it comes to
the subject of being an extra who needs to get out of the villain role.
“Today’s weather is nice, so the courtyard must be more beautiful. Then can we
be there by 3:30?”
I waved at Liese with a bright face until the end and then turned around.
I had so many tea times at the romance club that I couldn’t remember exactly
which part it was.
I just don’t think there’s a need to think too sensitively because I just don’t have
to commit the evil that Edith did in the original story.
“Follow me.”
“Killian?”
Sometime after 3pm, Killian came to my room and asked me to follow him.
It seemed to be the first time he had spoken to Killian since the wedding.
“I am going there.”
“Ah...”
The figure of Liese forcibly pushing the back of Killian, who grumbled about
why I had to escort her, was good in front of my eyes.
Maybe today’s teatime invitation was planned to somehow make things better
between me and Killian.
‘Hey, look at your shoulder. Are you a former swimmer? Ugh, that waist... I
wish I could try a back hug.’
But neither his broad shoulders, nor his narrow waist, nor his firm hips and firm
thighs were anything to compare with.
‘This is the first time I’ve ever been bewitched by looking at a man’s body.
Awesome...’
If such a man is her husband, even a normal woman will suffer from infidelity.
It’s okay for Liese to have it. I’m just fine with my eyes closed.
After walking for a long time in such a happy mood, I was at the entrance of the
great hall before I knew it.
I was just appreciating his butt, so when he turned forward, his eyes landed on
the embarrassing part.
“Mom!”
Alas, a warning.
“Liese is like our family. You are more important to me than you are. So... Be
careful with your words in front of Liese.”
When I was reading the original story, it was cider that Killian fired at Edith, but
since I was in Edith’s position and listened to it, I felt bad even though I knew
everything.
But there’s no way our obsessive sub male lead would turn his back on such a
sarcasm.
“What have you got to be hurt about? Wasn’t that what you were prepared for?”
“I am a human too.”
“You are very polite, Killian. Shall we treat Miss Liese according to the
manners of the son of the Duke?”
So, how difficult was the original Edith that loved Killian?
“I think he wanted to ruin my mood and make me a meaner woman, but that’s
too bad. I am not a woman who is easily swayed.”
“What...?”
Without listening to his answer, I passed Killian and walked towards the
balcony of the Great Hall.
Unaware of anything, Liese spotted me and smiled broadly, waving her hand.
Ah, dazzle!
“We are the same age and we always stay together... Why don’t you just call me
by name now?”
“Sure!”
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 13
Cliff was already sitting at the table, and Killian, who had followed, also sat
down with a cold face.
Liese, the hostess of this place, poured tea into the guests’ teacups and gave a
brief explanation of today’s refreshments.
I sipped tea with Cliff and Killian as they raised their glasses.
The tea Liese served was fragrant, like the tea drunk in a Duke’s family, and
somehow sweet, with a clean aftertaste.
As I was admiring the taste of the tea, Cliff, who was sitting across from me,
made eye contact with me.
He was the second most handsome man I’ve ever seen, so my heart skipped a
beat without realizing it.
I was really curious about where the hell he was talking and what he was saying,
but I smiled nonchalantly.
“It’s thanks to everyone in the Duke family for being considerate of me, well.”
“But isn’t it already too early to help her with her work? You’re newlywed...
How about going on a trip with Killian?”
I got to witness the love battle between the brothers over Liese right in front of
my nose. It looks like a shrimp’s back will explode in a whale fight.
“Um, well. Killian seems to be very busy...”
“Hmm... Indeed, it is. Liese, do you want to go inspect the estate together? You
said you wanted to try a trip before.”
Gosh, the male lead is one step above the sub male lead.
Among them, Liese was the only one who was confused.
“Oh, I, I...”
“Why are you making Liese difficult? Liese, you don’t have to pay attention to
what your brother says.”
“But if I’m gone from here... Because of you, Liese will get into more trouble.”
Killian’s love for Liese was nothing more than speculation by the luxury men.
Although she’s a bit pushy, you can assume that she’s getting along like a good
brother and sister.
If it was now that Cliff was hanging around Liese with Killian.
But what would happen if Killian didn’t leave Liese’s side after Cliff went on a
tour of the estate?
Even under the same circumstances, the two will instantly look like a man-
woman relationship.
It is true that Killian loves Liese, and even though he is married, rumors will
quickly spread that Edith is cold to the Ludwig family because he has not been
able to organize his feelings.
‘As expected, even if I was born only a year earlier, my older brother’s level of
thinking is different.’
In the meantime, the refreshments prepared by Liese were really good, so I ate
an eclair instead of popcorn and watched the brothers fight.
Cliff passed the ball to me with a gentle smile, probably not liking my
nonchalant attitude.
“My opinion about being the only one leaving this mansion. In other words, the
situation where Liese, Killian, and you will remain.”
Unlike Cliff, who was smiling round and round, Killian and Liese’s expressions
were pitifully hard.
However, rather than feeling sorry for Killian, I became a little annoyed with
Cliff’s behavior for getting me into this fight.
Knowing that Killian loves Liese, knowing that he forced himself to marry me,
knowing that I am in no position to be loved by Killian, as if playing with
someone on the palm of my hand...
“...Huh?”
“It is Master Cliff’s duty to inspect the territory, so if Master Cliff goes, he goes,
well. Do I have the right to say go or not?”
“But if I were to express my honest opinion about taking Miss Liese, I think that
would be a bit unreasonable. Long-distance carriage trips are quite arduous, and
since Liese isn’t Master Cliff’s wife, it’s a bit much for her to recommend such a
thing... I also think it will be burdensome for her.”
Cliff was still smiling, but somehow looked cold, and Killian looked a little
surprised.
And Liese...
‘Uh...?’
‘Something... Strange.’
However, when Liese raised her head again, the smile from earlier had
completely disappeared, leaving only a worried expression that Liese might
have.
Well, maybe it was. The corners of Liese’s mouth look like it’s upturned, so it’s
because she’s always smiling.
Cliff reassured Liese by showing a real smile, not the fake one he used to give
me.
Then he looked at me again and smiled.
‘Killian, did you see I’m on your side? Even if you feel bad, don’t kill me.
Understand?’
Even the face that was distorted at once was also handsome.
***
Returning to my room after a slightly uncomfortable tea time, I sat down in front
of my desk and thought about the original story, <Obsession Refuses>.
Anyway, all the Romance characters of the possessed novels come up with a
plan to organize and avoid the dead flags, remembering the original story.
So I also had to sort out the evil done by Edith in the original work and think of
a way to avoid it.
I took out a piece of paper and wrote down the parts where Liese and Edith
collided in <I Reject Obsession> step by step.
‘Did you avoid putting poison in your car or releasing poisonous snakes in
Liese’s room because you didn’t bring Sophia with you?’
Sophia quickly and accurately put into action whenever Edith gave her a word.
In that respect, Sophia can be said to be a greater villain than Edith. As if his
girlfriend, who prepared everything he asked for in a short time, was more
amazing than the boy detective Kim ○-Il.
But other than that, there were many other attempts by Edith to frame or kill
Liese.
‘It’s normal to go to all sorts of parties and gossip about Liese, pour hot water
on Liese’s head as she walks around the garden, and present poisoned
embroidery needles. In addition, I poisoned the cake Liese sent and ate it myself.
Ugh, a poisonous bitch.’
Edith tried to ingest the poison himself and frame Liese as the poisoner, but I
didn’t have the courage to swallow the poison myself.
I hate to be sick. Being sick in a previous life is already enough.
Even if this paper is discovered, I have replaced it with words that only I can
recognize so that it will not be seen as ‘evidence of a conspiracy to harm Liese’.
<Right lifestyle>
— Refrain from social activities for the time being (= do not go out to parties
and talk dirty)
— Don’t put too much sugar in your tea (= don’t put poison in your tea)
— Because insects come in, be sure to close the window and sleep (= don’t
release poisonous snakes)
— Don’t throw trash out the window (= don’t pour tea over Liese’s head)
— Hygiene management is for myself and others (=don’t eat poisoned cake,
don’t give Liese something poisoned)
No matter how much I squeeze my head, I can only remember this now.
I nodded as I read through what I had written down once more, then paused at
the last sentence.
‘I should be grateful for what I have, and I can’t covet even Killian.’
But I didn’t know why his subtle eyes as he was looking at me came to mind.
You don’t know what you’re thinking, your watery eyes on a cloudy day...
All I could see was looking at me with contempt, and I couldn’t imagine looking
at me with eyes full of love. It’s so disappointing that it’s kind of funny.
I smiled to myself and circled the ‘Be grateful for what I have’ item over and
over again.
EPISODE 14
“Ah, Liese...”
Killian, who was lost in thought looking down at the moon-soaked garden from
the balcony, smiled faintly as he saw Liese approaching, as if he had been cut
out of moonlight.
“No, nothing...”
Only then did Killian remember Cliff provoking him during the day.
“Ah, that’s nothing.”
Killian met Liese’s eyes, who were looking at him with concern.
In the past, I liked the way Liese looked at her, so I sometimes deliberately
pretended to be serious in front of Liese’s gaze.
Even now, I liked Liese’s gaze, which only looked at me, but I didn’t do stupid
things to deliberately make Liese worry.
Right now, from that afternoon tea time, thoughts about ‘that woman’ kept
coming back to me, and I didn’t have much to worry about.
“You are suffering alone again. Tell me I don’t know if it’s something I can help
with.”
“If... Is it Edith?”
“Yes. I’ve never heard of Edith talking about Killian, but the Duchess said she’d
never heard of it either... You had a complicated expression.”
“Ha...!”
Right now, she’s just lying flat on the floor waiting for everyone to relax.
And when the time comes, she is definitely a woman who will reveal her fangs.
I didn’t want to even meet her face, let alone talk to her.
But I don’t know why the words she said kept coming to mind.
She is a bold woman who stepped into the Ludwig duchy by herself, knowing
that she would be ignored and suspected because she had something to gain.
A woman like that couldn’t have been hurt just by hearing a few harsh words.
Even if everyone knew that he loved Liese, She couldn’t openly say that in front
of his recently married bride.
Even more so if the bride is trying to catch the pod of this side.
That’s why he got angry at Cliff for trying to tell him how he felt about Liese.
But really unexpectedly, isn’t the woman who just said she was hurt by me
shooting at Cliff instead of me?
Rather, it seemed that she was more angry at the rude opponent, and the
response was also arrogant like her.
Killian shook his head as if to get rid of Edith, who was winking at me. Then he
quickly changed the subject.
“Really. You said you ordered a new dress the other day? My mother likes to
dress you in new clothes.”
“Oh, there are so many dresses... I’m so sorry to my wife every time...”
“What do you have to be sorry for? It’s my mother’s hobby. He said from long
ago that there was no fun in raising us. Now that you’re doing it, think about it
and help me out.”
The Duchess, who raised only two blunt sons, always envied families with
daughters.
My husband and sons were all knights, so sometimes all three of us got
depressed on days when we were late for training.
That wife has become much brighter than before after bringing in Liese, who
was severely abused as an illegitimate child by Count Sinclair.
It was thanks to Liese being kind to her like her own daughter.
“In that case, buying Edith’s dress would have made her happier...”
“Actually, it was Edith who asked to call the dressing room person that day.”
“I guess you decided to take away the Duke’s property as soon as you got
married?”
“No. Edith that day, she only had the dress she brought repaired.”
“What?”
If the woman famous for extravagance had called the dressing room, she would
have ordered several super-expensive dresses, I thought.
But she, who is famous for not wearing a dress once worn, repairs it and wears
it...?
“The Duchess invited the dressing room and asked if it would be good to have
the dress tailored, but Edith refused, saying that it was too much for her to wear
all the dresses she brought.”
“Then... Are you saying that your mother lost face in front of the people in the
dressing room?”
“Oh, could it have been! However, it seemed that the wife was a little
disappointed. Perhaps the wife wanted to buy Edith something nice...”
“Edith probably didn’t mean that! When the Duchess and I were choosing
dresses for me, they looked really hard!”
Liese tried to cover Edith, but Killian’s eyes were clearer and fiercer than
before.
“It’s not enough to entrust her own dress, so it’s okay to entrust you and my
mother’s dress? To be arrogant...”
Then, I suddenly remembered that the clothes Edith wore today weren’t that
intrusive.
I couldn’t remember what kind of dress it was, but it seemed that, unlike the
vulgar dress at the wedding, the woman’s flesh was barely exposed.
‘If that woman’s inner body was revealed, there’s no way I wouldn’t know.
Because I hate it more than other women do.’
Every time Edith showed off her inner skin, not knowing that she was ashamed,
her eyebrows furrowed.
Do you know what kind of voice you hear among men?
“Do you think Edith Rigelhoff could lick everything from head to toe?”
“Is there any man who would look fine in front of her naked body? Ahaha!”
Even the slender, pure white naked body who fell asleep in the bathtub alone...
For some reason, his throat was dry, but Killian gulped down his saliva to calm
a certain desire to wake up inside him.
“Have you ever played a strange prank on me? Like choosing a bizarre dress...”
“No! My dress was chosen by the Duchess and Edith together. Don’t hate Edith
too much, Killian.”
Killian also reassured Liese by patting her shoulder, who was worried that Edith
might have been relatively hated because of me.
At the same time, in his heart, he felt sorry for Edith who looked down on the
Ludwig family.
But on the other hand, it seemed that the noble atmosphere of the Royal
Dressing Room was not suited to the woman’s flamboyant taste.
‘I’ll have to ask him to find another dressing room that will satisfy her great
taste.’
Of course, it was only for the sake of the face of Duke Ludwig.
It was because that woman might be talking about things like, ‘I couldn’t even
ask for a dressing room because my level wasn’t right.’
***
Today, while thinking about the original work and adding and subtracting items
to <Right Life Habit>, I suddenly realized one important thing.
In order to be grateful for what you have, you need to know how to fully enjoy
what you have.
When I got married, there was cash that the Rigelhoff family had given me as a
dowry, in addition to jewels and artwork, but the Ludwig family did not accept it
and gave it to me for pocket money.
The unit of currency in this world was ‘senna’, and the money I had was 5
million senna.
It was difficult to determine the exact exchange rate, but it seemed to be about
50 million won.
‘Fifty million won worth of money! Where should I spend this money?’
It’s the first time I’ve had hair like this. To realize that this really is a fantasy
world, in a place like this!
‘Dress? No. It’s a dress that piles up and piles up, and there’s nowhere to go out
wearing it, well. Jewelry or accessories? No, no. I don’t have anywhere to wear
a dress, so do I need jewelry or accessories?’
In Korea in the 21st century, there would have been many places to spend
money, but it was difficult to find a place to spend money here.
Top-notch cuisine comes out whenever you want, the books you want to read
are in the library in your house, you don’t need dresses or jewelry, essential
consumables are also purchased from the family at once on a semi-annual
basis...
‘This is the first time I’ve ever been nervous because I have nowhere to spend
money.’
EPISODE 15
“Miss. I’m almost out of the perfume and rouge I’ve been using. Shall we call
the perfume master (artisan who makes the perfume) and the cosmetics dealer?”
I, who tried to look like them, never fixed my makeup in front of other people’s
eyes.
I wasn’t ashamed that it was a road shop cosmetic, but it was a little
embarrassing that I was scratching so hard that the bottom was exposed on a
compact with all the transferred letters and stickers peeled off.
‘I used to hide lipstick in the toilet bowl and put it on... Now that I think about it,
there was no need to do that. What was so embarrassing?’
Maybe I subconsciously thought that I would be found out that I was unloved.
A person with really high self-esteem would rather be proud saying ‘I’m this
frugal.’
I smiled bitterly and waited for the people Anna would call.
He carefully sniffed the scent of the perfume I had been using before and
nodded.
“This is the finest rose perfume with Ashley roses. Shall I make it this way
again?”
“Sure. The type that is commonly used is a perfume with titania rose. It’s thick
and heavy, and it’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think of rose
perfume. However, there is a feeling that it is too heavy for young people to
write.”
Huh? Wait for a sec. If you count 20,000, isn’t it 200,000 won?
I don’t think that small bottle is less than 50ml, but that’s 200,000 won?
“It will depend on the mixing ratio, but if you make it similar to the perfume you
are using, maybe... It will be between 50,000 and 70,000 senna in a small
bottle.”
500,000 won is far more than my monthly food expenses in my previous life...
“The highest quality is a perfume that uses a Tessian rose or a Nathaniel rose. It
is over 100,000 senna in a small bottle.”
So, you’re saying that a 50ml perfume bottle costs over 1 million won. Yes?
...Am I miscalculating the exchange rate between won and senna? Why so
expensive
I was clenching my molars trying to control my mouth that was about to open,
but the chief asked again.
“How about trying the Nathaniel rose this time? It smells a little deeper than
Ashley’s rose.”
“Oh, oh, no! That, I’ll use the original one. I don’t like the sudden change of
scent...”
“Ha ha ha. Well, you’re still at an age where you’d prefer a light and refreshing
scent. Then I will make it similar to the one you used before.”
“Huh...?”
“You may like a scent you are familiar with, but since you are married, it would
be nice to have a deeper scent.”
If it’s Anna, that would be the case, but I’m nervous about how expensive it will
be. She becomes the daughter-in-law of the Ludwig family, so you can’t say no
to her just because she’s expensive, and really...
“Is that so? But mix a little bit of that expensive rose, just a little bit.”
It’s money that I don’t care if I get rid of all 5 million senna with my pocket
money, but buying a small perfume for 800,000 won feels like I’m committing a
crime against Soo-na Choi in my previous life.
Anna next to me gave another piece of advice, as if she had noticed my hints.
“Anyway, since you keep using similar perfumes, how about ordering a larger
quantity? Then the price will be much lower.”
“You’re right. If you craft it in a big bottle, um... He must be about 130,000
senna.”
Is there a law that says nobles can’t haggle over prices? So, how can you rip off
the nobles to your heart’s content?
Trying to maintain such a dignified mindset, he gently smiled at the head of the
village. He even added something like an excuse.
“It’s because I don’t want to hear that I spent too much money as soon as I got
married. Instead, I will definitely call you next time.”
“Hahaha, this is what a ducal family has hired a thrifty daughter-in-law. I can’t
win. Then I’ll just believe what you say and do it for 125,000 senna.”
“Thank you!”
Successfully bargained for the first time in this world! Are you feeling more
confident?
This is because the cosmetics merchant came after the head of the funeral home
was gone.
When Anna opened the jar of rouge I was using and asked, the cosmetics dealer
took a closer look and opened the bag she had brought.
“It’s a product from Melrose. It is a good product, but the response to the new
product from Lens is also very good.”
Then he took out a few jars of rouge. Melrose’s jade-colored pottery was pretty,
but Lang’s pink pottery was even prettier. It was because the lid had a ribbon
attached to it.
“The color is similar, and there is a saying that Rannce’s products have better
color development. I think this color will suit you well, in addition to the colors
you have used before.”
“They are all really pretty. But how much are these for one?”
“Melrose products are 8,000 senna, and Lens products are 10,000 senna.”
...I think we can bring the price down further by subtracting the price of the
pottery jar.
The pink rouge jar was really, really pretty, but I turned my head away with
tears in my eyes.
“All right. Don’t need a puff? There are also hand mirrors and hairbrushes.”
I tried to shake my hand saying I didn’t need it, but Anna said she needed a
brush to apply rouge.
In the end, I had no choice but to pay 8,000 senna for that.
I spent 141,000 senna on just one perfume, one rouge, and one rouge brush.
My hands kept shaking because I felt like I was going to lose my sense of
money.
I couldn’t afford to spend money, so I decided to enjoy the luxury of not having
money.
Because enjoying culture and art would be a luxury that even my depressed soul
could fully accept.
It is a room full of art that I have been eyeing the most since Philip showed me
around the mansion.
Even in my previous life, I liked to appreciate art works, but the opportunity to
see the actual work right in front of me was rare.
There is no way that the artist or work I knew in my previous life could exist
here, but it is enjoyable to see the work with the artistic spirit even if it is not the
artist I know.
I left only to tell Anna that I would go to the Sistine Hall, and walked slowly
towards the Sistine Hall.
After taking a deep breath in front of the heavy door of the hall, I opened it with
all my might, and a somewhat musty smell greeted me in the stillness of the air.
“And...!”
I couldn’t help but admire it like the first time I saw it.
The walls of the hall, larger than most galleries, were hung with a variety of
works, from items as small as the palm of your hand to large enough to be seen
at a distance.
I enjoyed the work with a relaxed mind, as if I had rented the gallery alone.
“My God, how the hell did you draw something like this?”
Like Monet’s work, the feast of light and color made me stare at it endlessly
from a few steps away.
I couldn’t help but laugh when I saw the dog’s expectant expression in the
picture of the girl playing with the dog.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 16
“It’s overwhelming...”
The blood-stained sky and the countless corpses of soldiers strewn with blood
represented the tragedy of war, but the eyes of the god-of-war man standing
above it were full of will to end all such tragedies.
The liveliness of a horse roaring long with its front paws raised, the will to
victory and great sense of responsibility cast on the face of the male god who
leads the soldiers, the various expressions of each soldier who believes in him
and follows him, and the willingness to help them even with farming tools. The
gritted faces of the people...
“Uh?”
Unexpectedly, Killian was approaching.
“Well, the Rigelhoffs aren’t very interested in art, so it must be surprising to you
that a place like this even exists.”
‘Your house doesn’t have anything like this, right?’ It’s not even a point order
that raises medicine.
If I wasn’t in a position where I had to save my life from Killian, I would have
snapped at him for being conceited.
“It is as you said. You even change the artwork once a month, right? These are
really great collections.”
I gained a little more courage when Killian nodded silently even with his brow
furrowed.
“War is a tragedy, but the male god, the main character of the painting, shows a
noble will to end this tragedy. Everyone looks up to him and follows him, but
he... He doesn’t seem to be delighted with the admiration of others. Even if he
wins, I feel like he won’t be happy. War is something that can’t be happy even if
you win.”
“War is a tragedy no matter how it is packaged. The hero who led the war to
victory is the one who knows that fact best.”
“Ah...!”
“As you get older, your tastes change. I wasn’t very interested in it before, but I
got more and more interested in it even before we got married. But if there is a
place like this in the Duke’s residence, can I just skip it?”
Even if they were the original authors, they wouldn’t have even set the names of
the artists. How do I know that?
“It’s embarrassing, but as I said earlier, I just got interested in it, so I don’t know
of any artists.”
“...Not at all?”
“Yes.”
I sighed quietly and turned my gaze toward the work. He is shaking his head all
the way.
“Oh!”
It was also because the shepherd boy in the painting, who looked about 15 years
old, looked just like Killian.
“When I was young, I was forced to become a model at the request of a painter
close to my father!”
Killian made similar excuses, but when I found something to tease, I tilted my
head and put on a serious face, pretending not to hear what he was saying.
“Huh...”
“What is it?”
“It’s nothing.”
“I asked what.”
“It’s nothing. Just...”
“Just...?”
The shepherd boy was almost completely naked, wearing a mana-like robe, and,
of course, his little ‘precious ear’ was also drawn.
Looking at the painting again, Killian protested with his face reddening at once.
“Oh, I see.”
“Isn’t that obvious? There’s no way a son of an aristocrat would reveal his entire
body in front of a painter!”
“Huh... I guess.”
To be honest, I wanted to laugh in front of him, but I also bit my lip and held it
back. It might have made him even more angry.
“What the hell, you’re someone who has a hard time discussing art.”
Killian scolded me, then turned around and left.
In fact, it’s not that bad when you think about saving my life, but isn’t it too
dreary to live without jokes like this?
I glanced at the shepherd boy’s groin and burst into laughter again.
***
As I stayed quiet, the gazes that looked at me seemed to gradually fade, and
each day was peaceful.
I often leaned against the banister and looked out at the garden spread
downstairs.
Of course, he had to check beforehand that Liese’s tea time would not be held
on the balcony of the Great Hall.
I also visited the garden outside the mansion.
With spring coming, it felt so good to feel the energy of life rising just by
walking in the garden.
The smell of grass everywhere and the small flowers blooming slowly seemed to
soothe my tired soul.
But the most enjoyable thing was walking on the promenade near the
gymnasium in the morning.
I could tell from the sound of blades clashing that someone was using the
gymnasium.
I pretended not to know anything and went for a walk, but when I made sure that
no one was around, I hurriedly ran to hide among the garden trees that the
gardener had cut with his artistic spirit.
Crouching down on the ground on the less leafy side of the garden tree, I began
peeping at the gymnasium through the gap.
Peeping at Killian training with his shirt off was a hobby of mine that had just
started.
I came across this road by accident, and when I saw him undressing for the first
time, I thought it was a real nosebleed.
‘I can’t believe I’m the only one watching this gracious scene... What if I feel
sorry for the other readers of <Home/Delegation>?’
No matter how many times I watch it, it thrills me every time I see it! Always
new! Handsome is the best!
With a bumpy, angry back, and Apollo dimples that are dented like arrows...
The groin of the shepherd boy I saw last time in Sistine Hall must have been
much more dignified than then.
‘Ha... He’s not lucky, but he’s really handsome. As expected, I prefer Killian
over Cliff.’
Cliff, who trains with me across from him, was also taking off his top, but it felt
slightly more angular than Killian.
I’m sure there are people who like that kind of body, but I like round and strong
muscles like Killian’s.
After admiring Killian’s bulging muscles for a long time, I thought I should go
back when my squatting legs started to go numb.
‘I’m going to have a good look today.’
I said hello in my heart and was about to get up, but Killian looked somewhere
and smiled and waved his hand slightly.
‘Uh...?’
Even though I was looking at it from a distance, I could vaguely see the finely
folded eyes and the coolly stretched corners of the mouth.
It wasn’t until he turned around that he could see where he was looking.
From the side he was looking at, Liese was waving at the two men.
‘Well, there’s no other person other than Liese that Killian can laugh at like
that.’
Even after recognizing that fact, I sat there blankly for a long time.
I knew in my head that I had to get up and go into the mansion, but I couldn’t do
anything because I kept thinking of Killian laughing.
I Thought It Was Common Possession-Chapter 16
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EPISODE 17
During the 28 years of living as Choi Soo-na, I never once thought of myself as
an idiot, but I guess it was just that I had never seen a truly handsome face in my
previous life.
‘I thought personality and heart were important for men, but was it all my
hypocrisy...!’
After chewing on Killian’s ecstatic face over and over again, I got up and
limped back to the mansion only after I almost lost feeling in my toes.
The visual and emotional shock of Killian’s face doesn’t diminish my work
today.
“From today, all we have to do is classify the documents there by type and write
down the items we need to purchase, the quantity, and the price in a nice way. It
will probably take a few days because of the large amount, but it’s not urgent, so
take your time.”
“Yes, Mother.”
The documents given to me today were about weapons and armor to be
purchased from the Ludwig family.
‘Have you completely let go of your guard against me? To make me touch these
documents...’
It was clear that the blade that had been aiming at my throat was moving farther
and farther away.
I started organizing the papers that explained the pros and cons of each weapon
and armor, grouped by type.
Then I wrote down the table from what I can see right away. It is better to write
it down in a table so that you can check it clearly later.
It seemed that I was deeply engrossed in sorting papers and organizing tables, so
I didn’t even know that someone was approaching me.
When I came to my senses, Liese was standing next to me, watching me work.
Liese made eye contact with me and smiled brightly, but somehow I felt
uncomfortable.
If you recall the fact that I was possessed by a person from Romance Fantacy
novel whose memory was intact, it was quite possible.
I’m trying to change the things that have been decided like fate in this world
right now, so maybe the power to go back to the original work is working.
‘You can’t lose to the character settings of the original work. If you do that, your
hair will fly off.’
“Yes?”
Liese took the paper on which I was drawing the ticket and said with a tilt of her
head.
“What is this?”
“It’s a ticket. If you organize it like this, it will be easier to see at a glance later.”
In actual history, votes have existed since ancient times, but the author may have
deliberately set it up as a world without votes.
Even at first glance, the documents organized in narrative form look more
luxurious.
I smiled awkwardly and explained the structure of the table, but Liese’s
expression didn’t brighten even after hearing the explanation.
“Um... It’s definitely a way to put a lot of information on one sheet, as Edith
said, but to be honest, it’s a bit awkward for other people to see.”
“Why?”
“It’s a matter of getting used to. Edith may have used this kind of theorem, but
other people don’t. Everyone will be at a loss as to what to look at.”
Maybe I am going too far. The author of this article is also from the 21st
century, but the background of the work is ‘virtual early modern Europe’.
There may be parts of what I say and do with the sense of the 21st century that
don’t fit the setting of this world.
So, just as I was thinking of rewriting what I had organized into tables like other
documents, the Duchess got up from her seat and approached me.
“What’s up?”
Before I had time to answer her soft question, Liese smiled like an angel and
said,
“Edith was helping me sort things out. Edith is still not used to the job.”
Liese, the wife of the first son, and I, the wife of the second son, were helping
each other work, which made her happy.
“I’m sorry, chief. Soo-na is still not good at working with Excel. I will fix it
again.”
For me, who had suffered from all sorts of paperwork in my previous life, this
kind of work the Duchess entrusted to me was not at all difficult.
In the past three weeks, far from making mistakes, he had always done more
than the Duchess had entrusted to him.
But why does Liese treat me as someone who is ‘unaccustomed to work’ even
though she knows that the table I drew is ‘convenient’?
In my previous life, I couldn’t say a word to the manager who was angry with
me, but now I wanted to talk.
“Yes, Liese is helping me a lot. But, mother. I want to ask what your mother
thinks about this ‘ticket’.”
“Huh? Graph?”
“Liese says it’s not used much, so others will be unfamiliar with it, but I think it
wouldn’t be bad for mothers who need to read a lot of information to try this
method.”
She looked over the table I drew and said with a broad smile.
“Of course! This is a really good idea. In the future, we will organize our
documents in this way.”
The Duchess fumbled over the table I had drawn several times and nodded.
“Would you like to organize all your paperwork this way? So that I and others
can learn from what you have done.”
I was praised for something really insignificant, but I felt like an elementary
school student whose homeroom teacher stroked my hair.
However, she was nodding eagerly as she looked at the paper on which she had
drawn the ticket with the Duchess.
I thought of the senior who stabbed me in the back of my head, and involuntarily
became hot.
Feeling a sense of crisis, I laughed at the side and entered at the right time.
“But to be honest, this is all thanks to Liese’s support from beside me. Liese
taught me one by one.”
“Oh no! What am I? To be honest, Edith knows so well that I didn’t have much
to teach you.”
***
After we got married, the only time he visited my room was on the wedding
night and during Liese’s tea time only briefly.
So it doesn’t look like there’s much use like today, but coming in from the
morning and sitting there like that was enough to make me nervous.
Maybe it’s because I haven’t woken up yet, I can’t remember which episode this
is the intro to.
Killian sat on the sofa in the small drawing room attached to my bedroom and
looked around my room with an expressionless face.
Contrary to his perfect figure, I was still wearing acupuncture after getting out of
bed and barely washing my face.
‘Did you catch me peeping every morning? Or maybe Count Rigelhoff had a
fight? Or else, Liese expressed her regret over organizing the paperwork with
that ticket the other day...?’
I tried to look calm on the outside while replaying all the disturbing
imaginations in my head.
The tea was placed in front of Killian by Anna, so there was no poisoning
incident.
I quickly regretted Killian’s reaction, who responded coldly even when I talked
with a smile.
EPISODE 18
Every time we meet, ‘yeah yeah.’ It wasn’t enough even if I lay flat on my face,
but when I met Killian, I felt playful for some reason, and I came up with
something to reply.
‘Is this also the influence of the original plot? Edith of the original work also
roasted Killian all the time. Of course, this and that are a bit different.’
Even though I started a conversation, Killian just stared at me and said nothing.
Spring was ripening, so everywhere you looked, you could see a feast of bright
green.
It was a bit chilly in the morning, but even that felt refreshing.
I was trying to straighten the slippery shawl when Killian came up behind me
and held me between him and the window with his arms outstretched.
Suddenly, I wondered what this was all about. It seems that yesterday’s incident
reached Killian’s ears...
“It is better not to do anything stupid. What you see and hear in your mother’s
room is to be forgotten as soon as you leave that room.”
“Do not worry. I’m not smart enough to remember all of that.”
No, it’s fine, so I’d like you to tell me from a distance. Because it feels like I’m
going to spit out my heart with my mouth.
“Oh, and...”
“What else?”
“Was your mother’s favorite dressing room too noble and classy to be able to
capture your taste?”
“...Huh?”
“If there is a place you want, please tell me separately. I will call you.”
“No, so...”
“I heard that you, who are famous for never wearing the same dress twice, didn’t
match a new dress, so there are so many different ways to protest.”
So now, even the fact that I didn’t have a new dress made me a reason to hate
me?
Other times, it was a trick to try to escape the extravagant image, but in the end,
the result is the same as the original story!
‘It’s unfortunate.’
“Protesting... How?”
“If I didn’t like the dressing room, I called another dressing room right there, so
why would I have the dress mended? Did you think I would notice others with
something like that?”
He flinched and stepped back slightly, who had been clinging to him as if he
were about to rub his lower leg.
“It’s not my fault, you just hate me. I’m somehow trying to fit it in that I’m the
cause.”
“That...!”
“Of course I understand why you want to blame me. That will put your mind at
ease.”
“What?”
“Your behavior of trying to solidify your own happiness by sacrificing me, who
is innocent, and acting as if you were the only victim is cowardly.”
“It’s the first time I’ve ever seen a child cut off his father’s tail.”
After all, to Killian, no, to everyone in the Ludwig family, I meant that
Rigelhoff was only a man.
“If you keep calm like you are now, nothing bad will happen. So don’t do
anything to arouse suspicion. That is the best advice I can give you.”
I was devastated.
The thud, the sound of the closing door seemed to reveal to me the inside of him
who had completely closed his heart.
The room that seemed to be filled with the energy of life until just now felt
empty.
‘Why are you doing this all over again? I was originally alone.’
Just then, several small birds were sitting on the branch in front of me and
chirping.
I was envious of the birds because they seemed to be enjoying the coming
splendid spring without any worries.
‘If possible, I was going to stay as the family’s Jibakryeong and drink honey
until I die... If things don’t go well, I’ll have to run away at night, well.’
It seemed that the time had come to seriously consider the next best option, a
runaway at night.
Even if I was sad anyway, it wasn’t a world where anyone looked back.
***
In the first place, I had only stopped by Edith’s room impulsively on my way to
the gymnasium.
It was probably because of the story I heard from the Duchess and Liese
yesterday.
“Edith is very smart. She even came up with a way to organize information by
drawing a grid like this.”
As if surprised, the Duchess showed Killian the table Edith had drawn.
From his point of view, it was a fairly efficient way of organizing.
“Killian... It seems to me that Edith is trying to adapt to this house in her own
way.”
“Isn’t that child also the one who ended up in an arranged marriage? Even that
child was left alone in what was no better than enemy camp. Couldn’t you pity
him a little?”
No matter how much Edith flirted in front of her, his mother felt sorry for Edith.
It was because Liese’s perspective was a little different from that of the
Duchess.
“My mother said that she is a good helper at work. How does it look to you,
Liese?”
“Oh no! Unlike me, who didn’t learn anything from the Sinclair family, he
learned very quickly. That’s kinda... I was envious.”
“Liese...”
Killian comforted her by hugging Liese’s shoulders, who smiled bitterly, but he
sensitively accepted what Liese pointed out.
In fact, it was thanks to about 4 years of education that Liese was able to help
her mother as much as she is now.
And for someone who hadn’t learned anything from the Sinclair family, Liese
acquired knowledge very quickly, and everyone knew that Liese was smart.
‘If Liese is smart enough to envy, then it must mean that she’s not smart enough,
but that she’s already trained for that kind of thing.’
Besides, the last time we met and talked at Sistine Hall, she didn’t sound as
stupid as rumors had it.
He said he didn’t know any artist, but if you listened to his impressions of the
painting, he wasn’t an idiot who didn’t know anything, and he had a high level
of understanding of the painting.
Of course, I’m sorry you teased me at the last minute over the damn picture,
but...
So, on my way to swordsmanship training this morning, I suddenly had the idea
to stop by Edith’s room.
‘I’ll have to watch her movements and warn her not to do anything stupid.’
Killian, who entered Edith’s room with such a firm resolve, felt a strange and
mysterious tension.
Unlike Liese’s room, which had a subtle scent of violets, Edith’s room had a
sensual rose scent.
The moment he smelled the scent of roses and soft flesh, Killian forgot what he
was talking about.
The look of Edith who greeted him with a tilted head was even more
embarrassing.
The light, off-the-shoulder nightgown that was barely hanging over the shoulder
was dangerous as if it would slip off at any moment, and whenever the sunlight
penetrated, a naked silhouette was reflected.
Besides, the face that was not yet awake looked hazy as if possessed by
something, which stimulated a strange feeling.
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EPISODE 19
The tips of Edith’s rosy ears, her parted lips, her slender nape, and the curves of
her shoulders and breastbone were dizzying.
‘What am I doing?’
Killian spat out anything because of the embarrassment and awkwardness that
came along with the realization.
You seem to be helping your mother well, but just do it the way you are now,
and don’t think strangely.
Of course, I admit that I did not speak in a gentlemanly manner. But he didn’t
know that he would be blamed by her.
“It’s not my fault, you just hate me. ...I can see why you want to blame me. That
will put your mind at ease.”
It was too complicated in my head. The more I thought about it, the more my
temples throbbed.
Why did the woman’s face look so sad when she said that?
From the beginning, he saw her only as ‘the daughter of Count Rigelhoff’, and
everything he guessed about her was based on memories of Count Rigelhoff.
“Ugh...”
The pain that started in the temple spread to the whole head, and the pain was
like breaking the skull.
“Killian...?”
And when Liese’s voice was heard from somewhere, the throbbing head
gradually got better.
“Liese...?”
It seemed that Liese, who often came to see Killian and Cliff’s sparring, was on
her way to the gym today as well.
‘Yes, I like the subtle scent of violets. The strong scent of roses is just
disgusting.’
“It’s really okay, Liese. I came to see an unlucky woman from the morning,
wait...”
“Killian!”
However, since she was next to Liese, it seemed like she didn’t have to think
deeply about that reason.
‘She’s just a spy sent in by Count Rigelhoff. If she wants to grumble, blame my
father.’
Killian thought so and erased Edith’s sad eyes from his mind.
Tried to erase.
***
After Killian went, I had to spend the next few days looking for something to
keep me occupied to avoid thinking about him.
If I wasn’t doing anything, I couldn’t bear it because the cold words that Killian
had uttered seemed to cut my heart.
Even in my previous life, if I felt a little depressed, I filled a large tumbler full of
iced americano and then went outside and walked.
Ever since I became possessed by Edith, I’ve been confined to the mansion,
which made me feel frustrated.
I was deliberately staying at home because of the original Edith, who went out
to parties and gossiped about Liese, but wouldn’t it be okay to just go out to see
the streets instead of having a party?
Anna’s eyes widened for the first time in surprise at the unexpected proposal.
“Yes, lady. After notifying the Duchess, I will prepare to go out immediately.”
“Huh. Please.”
While Anna went out to inform the Duchess, I packed the jewels I had removed
while mending the dress in a small bag.
Then I opened my closet and went through it, picking out the clothes I was
going to wear. Just by doing that, the depressed feeling seemed to get lighter and
lighter.
Anna, who had just returned, told her that the Duchess had allowed her to go out
and put her in a dress for going out.
However, she quickly lowered her gaze, as if she had been taught not to ask
back.
“I guess it depends on what you do. If you are looking for cute clothing stores,
accessory shops, and dessert cafes, Le Belle-Marie Street will be fine, and if you
are looking for a place with banks, galleries, opera houses and high-end cafes,
then Darsus Street will be fine.”
“All right.”
Thanks to Anna who calmly prepared for the outing without asking useless
questions, I got on the carriage in a good mood without having to make excuses.
And soon the scenery that began to be seen out of the wagon window was
enough to excite me.
The ambiguous streets of early modern Europe, which gave nothing to historical
research, unfolded in a charming way to suit my taste.
I felt like I was passing through a theme park decorated in a ‘European style’.
While I was peering out the carriage window, the carriage turned left at a large
crossroads and entered a street with many well-built stone buildings.
Anna instructed the knight to go to the coach station somewhere on this street,
and came and stood beside me.
“Among them, I want to go to a place that pays a good price for buying jewels.
Do you know where it is?”
“How do you know Anna so well? I feel like I know everything in the world.”
“It’s an overstatement.”
Of course, it’s probably an extra that the writer created to avoid a cumbersome
and uninteresting narrative, but it couldn’t be this comfortable having a
character who always gives a quick answer whenever I ask something.
The place that paid the highest price was <Datrias>, but they said they could
only give it by check, so <Amabile>, which paid the next highest price, sold it in
full cash.
At the place Anna pointed to, a seemingly sturdy building occupied the middle
of the road.
‘Is this how Harry ○ter felt when he first visited Grin○ter Bank?’
As I passed through the main gate of the bank lined with huge pillars like a
Greek temple and went inside, I remembered a fantasy novel I had enjoyed
reading in my previous life.
Unlike the bank in my previous life, it was a place that looked like a library.
I followed the man’s guide to the window. The chairs were soft and luxurious,
and the inside of the bank was luxurious.
“There are three types of safes. There are small safes that store 10 million senna
or less, medium-sized safes that store 100 million senna or less, and large safes
that store more. What would you like to open? For your information, starting
with the medium-sized safe, a separate maintenance fee is charged in proportion
to the amount deposited.”
The cash I got from changing my jewelry was a little over 5 million senna, and I
had taken 4 million senna out of my original cash to save.
10 million senna seemed like it would fill up quickly, but there’s no need to pay
maintenance fees in advance.
“I’ll open a small safe for now, and later change it to a medium safe.”
Although I was nervous, I pretended to be okay and read the agreement to open
the agreement step by step and signed it coolly.
However, I did not forget to use a pseudonym just in case.
It was a lot of money in my opinion, but I wasn’t too surprised, as it didn’t seem
like a big deal in the eyes of a bank employee who lives only for money every
day.
“When withdrawing money, you will receive a password and signature along
with a few questions to verify your identity. If any of them are incorrect, you
cannot withdraw, so never forget your password.”
Like an elementary school student who opened a bank account for the first time
in my life, I came out of the bank with a grand mind.
After opening the safe, the remaining 300,000 senna was in the bag, which was
reassuring.
Hungry, I went to the restaurant Anna recommended and was surprised to see a
long line in front of a dessert cafe.
EPISODE 20
“What is that?”
“This is <Peridot>, one of the most popular bakeries in the capital. Some
products there are famous for being difficult to buy even if you line up before
the store opens.”
“I don’t know because I haven’t tried it, but on the days noble ladies visit other
houses, they say they always order servants to buy strawberry tarts from there.”
It was very appetizing, but I wondered if I had to eat it while making the
servants suffer.
It is a restaurant next to a park with green leaves, so you can enjoy food while
breathing in the fresh air on the terrace.
Since it was a restaurant frequented by aristocrats, the food was expensive, but I
was willing to pay for Anna, who followed me around without showing any
signs of annoyance.
‘I’m happy that I can buy and eat as much as I want without worrying about
money.’
I still vividly remember packing lunch boxes to save money in my previous life.
When I was sitting alone in the kitchen and eating a boxed lunch, someone
opened the window in annoyance, and someone looked at me as if I was right.
‘Yes, just having a lot of money makes me happy. Let’s trust money rather than
expecting something emotional from others.’
Some people get the favor of others so easily, but why am I having such a hard
time.
But it wasn’t the time to lose heart. I shared bread with cheese and ham and a
sea bass dish with Anna, chatting about various things, then pretending to be an
idiot to get to the point.
“The commoners say they don’t have carriages at home? So, what do you use
when you go on a trip?”
“People with money stay at inns, and people without money stay homeless.”
If you were going to run away at night, you had to know in advance how to ride
a long-distance carriage and how to stay at an inn.
“Wow, that’s amazing. Where do you ride the long-distance wagon? I’ve never
seen one.”
“You will. Long-distance wagons look completely different from noble wagons.
Think of it as a covered cart.”
“That’s why everyone says they take motion sickness medicine. The place
where long-distance carriages from the capital gather is near the south gate.”
Okay. A long-distance carriage near the south gate of the capital. Prepare motion
sickness medicine in advance.
“Do you send someone to make a reservation if you want to stay at an inn or
something?”
“Usually, you just go into an inn you can see and stay if there is a room
available, or you can’t. People without money sleep in a stable.”
“A cheap place costs about 3,000 senna a night, but the expensive place costs
even 7,000 senna, so it is expensive for commoners.”
You mean the inn costs about 5,000 senna a night? Completed input in my head.
I ended the conversation about the trip with a mysterious face like a young lady
who knows nothing about the world, although it is true.
There were many things I wanted to ask, but Anna, the Ludwig family’s servant,
couldn’t help but report on my outings, and if her tail was long, she would get
stepped on.
“No. Today, I just went out to dispose of the jewelry I took off my clothes and
open a safe. Thanks to Anna going with her, she feels a lot better. Thank you.”
Despite my thanks, Anna’s expression hardly changed, but I noticed that she
was a little surprised that we had been together for several months.
***
Fortunately, the people in this house didn’t seem to be interested in what books I
read in the library.
So today, too, I’ve been stuck in the library since morning, looking for books
with the contents necessary for survival and reading them.
I was researching ‘how to tell old beans from old beans’ for a long time when
Anna suddenly appeared and quietly called me.
“Huh? Anna? What is it?”
“Yes. The jeweler came, and her wife asked her to come too.”
I thought that Liese would already be there in the part where he said that he had
been with ‘the lady’ for a long time.
To be honest, I didn’t want to see Liese or Killian yet, but the Duchess called
and I couldn’t help but go.
‘Okay. If you think about the day you run away at night, you should tear it off
beforehand while you can.’
I left the book with the librarian and followed Anna into the Duchess’ drawing
room.
In the drawing room, not only the Duchess and Liese were present, but also Cliff
and Killian.
They had already spread out the products brought by the jeweler and were
picking out things that would suit Liese.
I was really reluctant to join the friendly atmosphere, but I smiled like it was
nothing.
Unlike the Duchess, who greeted him warmly, Killian’s gaze was still cold.
It’s a huge improvement compared to the wedding day when he didn’t even turn
his head in my direction.
“This is Mr. Felix Eppard, the owner of <Eppart>, a jewelry store that has been
dealing with our family for a long time. It’s been a long time since good things
came in, so if you like something, pick it up.”
“Thank you.”
On one sofa sat the Duchess, Liese, and Cliff, and on the other side were the
jewelers Felix and Killian.
“Oh, that goes well too! The white pearl necklace I bought last time wasn’t bad
either, but this one looks better because it’s cream colored.”
Liese continued to shake hands, but the Duchess and Cliff seemed excited.
Killian couldn’t actively participate, probably because of me, and only pointed
at things that looked okay from time to time.
Watching that scene reminded me of reading this episode in the original story.
‘Oh, that’s it! The jeweler episode where Edith was humiliated!’
Even in the original work, the people of the duchy only cared about Liese.
Liese, who couldn’t see that, offered Edith a small necklace, but Edith bluntly
refused, asking where did you offer something like that.
And sitting proudly, whenever someone placed a jewel on Liese, she didn’t even
look at her and just spat out, ‘I’ll do that too.’
The jeweler is at a loss and says, ‘Everything here has only one piece’, and Cliff
buys all the jewels in this place with a blank check. Leaving only the necklace
Liese recommended to Edith.
And to an angry Edith, Killian throws the necklace, saying that there is nothing
left for him to do.
‘At the time, I just thought it was exciting, but now that I’m in Edith’s position,
I understand. It must have hurt his pride.’
Of course, Edith’s attitude wasn’t right, but wasn’t it that he was hurt so much
that he had no choice but to take that attitude?
No, why did you call someone in the first place and treat it like a bag of barley?
While I was blankly thinking about the original work, Liese pointed to one of
the necklaces and said, as if it was embarrassing that people only recommended
jewelry to me.
The necklace Liese pointed to was a thin gold necklace with a small drop-
shaped red jewel attached to it.
‘I thought Liese had rejected it because she chose something strange, but it’s
pretty! As expected, did you just hate it because Liese chose it?’
Although the size of the jewels was on the small side among the items that the
jeweler spread out, honestly, from a modern perspective, I liked these better than
couture-class accessories piled high with large jewels.
I took it because I only knew ruby as a red jewel, but luckily ruby was right.
“You two are very discerning. This is the highest grade ruby. The filigree design
and bezel setting were also done by our best artisans.”
There’s no way for me to know what’s great, but it must mean pretty and
expensive anyway.
In fact, the vivid and transparent red ruby was pretty, so I looked into it for a
while.
However, there was someone who picked up the necklace before me.
“Killian...?”
I wondered why he was acting like this all of a sudden, but it caught my eye that
the Duchess was watching from the other side with a proud face.
EPISODE 21
No matter how I felt, I couldn’t show the cold wind blowing in front of my
mother-in-law.
The person who didn’t want to be touched even when putting on a wedding ring,
this time, for some reason, put on a necklace normally.
If anyone sees it, it will look like a newlywed couple pouring sesame seeds, but
Killian is probably going to die.
Even now, he is covering his mouth with his hand while looking at me, but I can
see that he has bitten his molars.
He looked around my face, neck and necklace for a long time before finally
answering.
“It’s fine.”
“Really?”
He frowned slightly between his brows and nodded as he spoke to the jeweler.
The Duchess happily held her hands together. She must have been quite
concerned about the relationship between me and Killian.
I was still smiling as I watched him just nod his head without answering.
In fact, unlike when I came here, I was in a pretty good mood now.
‘I will hate my wife to death, but I have to reassure my mother, and she will die
of annoyance, right? Hmph! It’s a pain.’
In front of Killian, who had to buy a present for his wife he didn’t like, Cliff
proudly presented all the remaining jewels to Liese.
The Duchess bruised Cliff, but since everyone was cheating anyway, I politely
shook my hand.
“No, Mother! It wasn’t that I didn’t want to buy anything else, I just really liked
this necklace.”
Killian was mean but sincere when he said he liked the necklace.
Of course, if I had acquired a large jewel, my slush fund would have been full,
but famous jewels are at risk of being stepped on when sold later.
I stopped teasing him that much because I didn’t feel like provoking him any
more.
Anyway, even though the flow of the episode was different, the result was the
same.
I received only one small necklace reluctantly bought by Liese and Killian, who
received a lot of jewelry gifts filled with everyone’s love.
***
There were a couple of things to worry about, but anyway, Killian didn’t quarrel
now, and helping the Duchess with her work and building trust went smoothly.
As always, Anna picked out the letters addressed to me and handed them over.
Most of them were party invitations, but no matter how ‘party animal’ Edith was
in the past, several invitations came in every day.
‘In the original version, you didn’t miss out on this party and went out and
spread malicious rumors about Liese, didn’t you? Ugh, the liver is big.’
Even if they had kept secretly slandering Liese, Killian or Cliff would have
found the originator, but since they spread it in so many places... No, maybe
Edith of the original work did this on purpose.
Hoping that Killian would notice that he was so angry and sad.
Anyway, by not going to the party, I completely sealed off any dead flags.
I wish I could have finished checking the letter by tossing a bundle of invitations
to the party today as kindling, but I froze as I passed the invitations with cloudy
eyes.
‘Count Rigelhoff...!’
It was a letter from Count Rigelhoff, who had been quiet for a while.
I roughly guessed that Anna would inform Duke Ludwig of this fact.
Apparently, the sealing was clean, but the envelopes could be exchanged as
much as they like, and the handwriting could be copied as much as you like.
I chewed my lips, opened the envelope, and began to read a letter that wasn’t
going to be very welcome.
— See Edith.
I know it’s hard to adapt to that house, but now the time has come to plan work.
I heard that you are helping the Duchess with her work and accessing the Duke’s
documents.
If there are any documents about weapons belonging to the duchy, steal them
away.
Even after that, the contents continued for a long time, but he wanted one thing
from me.
Of course, the letter was written in a special ink and had to be read by heating it
in a candlelight.
I could read the true contents of the letter because I had Edith’s memory, but to
others, it would look like a letter written by an illiterate father borrowing an old
phrase, worrying about his daughter’s safety.
‘Anyway, how did you know that I was managing the Duke’s documents?’
That meant that there was a spy from the Rigelhoffs in this family as well. It was
because there was no way Duke Ludwig would have bragged about it outside.
‘What... There must be a spy from the Ludwig family in the Rigelhoff family, so
is it the bloody field?’
I was a bit nervous when I first saw the letter, but I was no longer living on a
leash with Count Rigelhoff.
When I came to see for myself, the Duke Ludwig is so solid and powerful. It’s
beyond imagination.
If you try to destroy them, you will have to prepare for extinction.
Besides, isn’t there nothing wrong with the Ludwig family in the first place?
Bongjak is the will and authority of His Majesty the Emperor, so why do you
hate the Ludwig family?
It was written in special ink, as Count Rigelhoff had done, so as not to appear
too halfhearted.
‘I’m sure Count Rigelhoff wouldn’t be able to give up his ambition to this
extent, but...’
Well, it’s better if you grab it by the scruff of the neck and fall down and go to
the goal.
It was one day when I was anxiously awaiting the reaction from the Rigelhoffs
after sending the letter.
Duke Ludwig was so busy with the affairs of the imperial palace and the Duke’s
family that it was hard to see his face.
The fact that another knight besides Anna came to pick me up also fueled my
anxiety.
But with no reason or way to escape, I adjusted my dressing well and followed
Anna.
In the Duke’s office, not only the Duke but also the Duchess, Cliff, and Killian
were seated.
“I heard you called, Your Excellency.”
The Duke and Cliff’s expressions were heavy, the Duchess looked nervous, and
Killian... It was pale.
“Edith.”
“I will ask straight forward. Did you leak the Duke’s documents to the outside
world?”
“Yes? me?”
“Then you just threw your father and your honor to the ground.”
The Duke tossed some of the papers he was holding in front of me.
It was a document related to purchasing weapons and armor that I had organized
a while ago.
“Yes, it is. At the time, you saw the Duchess and Liese together, so you would
know.”
“...Yes?”
“There must be a reason why you ordered me to file fake documents. I just did
what I was told to do. I’m not sure what the hell is the problem.”
“Edith Rigelhoff!”
I was surprised by his booming voice, but even more surprised that he still
called me ‘Riegelhoff’.
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EPISODE 22
“If you hadn’t leaked this document, why would Count Rigelhoff select only the
items listed in this document and pre-order? My, I made you touch fake
documents out of concern for this!”
So, they didn’t believe me, so they sorted out the fake documents, and I dutifully
fell into their trap and leaked these fake documents to Count Rigelhoff.
I even replied to the Count’s letter asking me to come to my senses to leak the
documents.
“Haha! You are so great too. So how do you think this happened? How did the
documents that only you can see end up in the Rigelhoff family?”
“It’s not a document that only I could see, Your Excellency Duke.”
“What?”
Just like Edith did in the original work, it seemed that I would be futile in front
of them.
“Who saw that I leaked that document? Count Rigelhoff knew the contents of
the document I was looking at. Does this fact alone make me a criminal?”
These people were just fooling me. No, maybe some stupid spy?
“I’ll say it again, the Duchess knows that I was looking at those documents, and
Miss Liese knows too. And I know that too. Didn’t I know that I would be the
first to be suspected if something like this happened?”
“If you didn’t trust me at all, you shouldn’t have entrusted me with such a task!”
“But... You would have been able to put pressure on Count Rigelhoff only if you
caught the pod that I leaked the documents. Yes?”
Edith does not know that it is a fake document and steals inside information
about the Ludwig family and sends it to her father.
Of course, since the false information was sent, the Ludwig family did not suffer
any damage, and the Rigelhoff family ended up buying a bunch of useless
things.
But I didn’t.
But how the hell did that document reach the Rigelhoff family?
Angry, he mentioned Liese’s name, but in fact, Liese had no reason to do such a
thing.
‘No matter what I do, I can’t avoid ending up with Killian cutting my throat?’
It would have been better if my life ended with just falling down the stairs!
Even if I cried, I would only get a bruise for dragging on unluckily, like an
idiot...
I just nodded.
“If you’re sure I did it, just hit me in the neck. Didn’t I tell you earlier? I will
risk my honor and my life.”
“Edith is on probation for the time being. If you really are innocent, wait for the
truth to come out.”
Killian, who took me in person, had Anna and the knight wait outside before
closing the door.
That's a big nickname. No, but what does that matter now?
I frowned, but Killian clenched his molars as if he was barely holding back his
anger.
“I know very well that you have guts. But don’t say that you’re going to die.
Because running away with death is cowardly.”
“If you commit a crime, you have to pay for it. Otherwise, the truth will come
out.”
“Well. As much as you don’t trust me, I can’t trust you anymore. I feel like
you’re going to somehow frame me as the culprit.”
“What?”
“It is. You are the ones who put the fake document into my hands, you are the
one who notified me that the Rigelhoffs had acted on the document, and you are
the ones who investigate and pass judgment on it. I just have to be confined in
this room and accept your verdict.”
The arrogant man who believed that the Duke Ludwig was flawless frowned as
if in displeasure.
However, he was not a stupid man, so his head seemed to be spinning enough to
think about changing his situation.
He just looked down at me with his molars clenched together, and then he
finally opened his mouth and muttered:
I didn’t know how he was feeling. In fact, I wasn’t really interested right now.
“Do as you please. Ah, but there is something about not being biased, right?”
“Even if Liese and I are on the list of suspects at the same time, are you
confident that you won’t be biased?”
“That’s what it means to be impartial, Killian. That’s why I don’t trust you.”
He tried to say something, but I didn’t want to hear anything.
“I am tired. Go back.”
***
“Is running away with death really cowardly? Do you know what it feels like to
be the one who even thought of that?”
Locked in the room, I was reproducing my anger while thinking over what
Killian had said.
“Like a bad guy. Is it good enough? Is it all if you have a good body and are
sexy? Tsk. Thinking of you makes me want to see you again! Damn you!”
I want to hate Killian, but when I think of his face and body, I really can’t hate
him.
’You can’t get married for 3 years based on your appearance? No. Even after 15
years of marriage, my husband still looks good. Even if you fight, your anger
melts away when you see your face. I never thought the day would come when I
would understand the internet story that said, ‘Looking good is the best.’
But in this situation where the handsome husband has no intention of appeasing
me, it is understandable to feel angry and upset.
“Ha... I don’t mind being pointed at as cowardly, so I want to die too. If that’s
what I want, why should I live so painfully?”
I slammed the pillow to vent my anger, then sighed deeply and wiped my face
with both hands.
This life is also very irritating, but my previous life was more like a dog than
this.
During the 28 years I lived in that gap, I wonder if I ever thought of dying.
But I have one memory from my previous life that has kept me from suicidal
thoughts.
It was at the time when I was sharing a hospital room with leukemia patients my
age.
***
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EPISODE 23
Just then, a voice that seemed to die out at any moment called me.
I sniffed and turned around to see a girl my age with no hair left standing.
His cheeks were sunken from his skin and he was pale as if a layer of flour had
been applied, but his eyes were really pretty.
“Ugh, oh, no...”
I shook my head.
With a worried face on her face, the child pushed the infusion tray and
approached me.
“No. I also cry often. Maybe it’s because you’re afraid of dying too?”
“What? Why...?”
“My mom and dad only think that being sick is annoying. My brother and I had
the same bone marrow, but he told me to just die. Hehe... I would rather die
now.”
And I don’t know why he said such careless words in the leukemia ward where
the shadow of death always hung over him.
The child had been fidgeting next to me in silence for a long time before
speaking in a very small voice.
“Why... Why can I live... Are you saying you’re going to die?”
“As long as you live... You can change the future. Of course, you may not be
happy, but... Anyway, you have a chance.”
“Ah...”
“I am... Don’t even have that chance. The day I leave this hospital room... I
mean the day I die. If I die, I won’t be able to repay my mom and dad for all
their hard work, I won’t be able to see my friends anymore, and I won’t be able
to turn 20...”
“I really envy you... Do not say that. If I can live, I have to live somehow. Don’t
let it end like this...”
The child, who was about to say something more, wiped his eyes with the sleeve
of his hospital gown and smiled again.
“If you are alive, then if you try to change the future, things will definitely get
better. Cheer up.”
“Sorry...”
All I could say was that I was sorry for the boy who looked much worse than I
was.
While I was waiting in the recovery room after receiving my brother’s bone
marrow transplant, a nurse came and said.
“Fortunately, there was just one seat in the five-person room, right? I’m making
the bed right now, so I’ll wait here a little longer.”
However, the hospital room I went back to was the same room I stayed in for a
few days, but my seat was changed to that of ‘the child’.
When I wondered where the child was, the mother frowned and patted me on the
side.
***
The moment he breathed his last breath, how much he must have envied me
when I went to get a bone marrow transplant. How sad it must have been for
him not to have his further chances.
Even when thoughts of wanting to die overflowed, I couldn’t bear to die because
I thought of that child.
Recalling the face of the child whose name I do not know, I clenched my teeth.
‘You have to be strong. I haven’t done my best yet. I still have a chance.’
***
He came just in time for dinner, so I had to sit across from him to eat.
“Ha... Is it so. Well, you must be busy. So, what are you here for today?”
He ate the bread and ate the stew without answering my question.
The way he was eating was also very picturesque, but I bent my head and openly
started a fight.
“Killian?”
Even though I called him, he slowly munched his mouth and even glazed over
with wine before answering.
“That’s right.”
In the end, I had no choice but to eat. And it was a wise choice.
“Mmm!”
The stew was so delicious that I forgot everything I had said about Killian until
now, so I couldn’t help but snort.
The Duke’s chef was really good. Just the deliciousness of the rice made me
want to bury the bones of the Ludwig family.
In Count Rigelhoff’s family, it seemed that they only fed as much as bird feed to
maintain this figure, but perhaps because this world was a romantic world, even
after coming to the Ludwig family and eating as much as they could, their
bodies did not change.
I answered without even looking at Killian. Now this beef stew was more
important than his gracious face.
The beef without any fishy smell was chewed softly, and the gravy with the
aroma of milk exploded in the mouth.
I don’t know what it’s made from, but the sweet and addictive taste of the roux
goes fantastically well with the boring meal bread.
Just when I felt sorry for the disappearing stew, Killian indifferently pushed a
small bowl with a lid in front of me.
‘What?’
Without much thought, I opened the lid of the bowl and found more stew.
“Ha... Yes.”
“Shall we share?”
“I am done.”
“There is no reason not to.’ Cause I’m innocent I didn’t do anything, so why do
I have to tremble?”
“I hope you are right. We are currently investigating all other routes that the
document could have escaped. As you say... Liese was also subject to
investigation. Just because it’s Liese doesn’t mean you’re just investigating.”
“The investigation is fair to the end, so don’t worry about being partial.”
“All right.”
He sat there with a serious face, as if he had something more to say, and finally
got up without saying anything.
“Please.”
Come to think of it, it was the first time I had ever sat so close to him for a meal.
Thanks to that, the rice seems to have tasted better, and it sounds sad when he
says he will leave.
‘Oh hey, this idiot. Anyway, since a handsome man is by my side, I’m out of my
mind...’
Compared to last time, it seemed like they treated me like a person, so I guess I
had anticipation without even realizing it.
Of course, it was a very happy thing to roll around on the bed, but it got a bit
boring by the third day.
Even in my previous life, I liked making and decorating things, but I couldn’t
start properly because I always lacked money and time.
Concerned, I called Anna. Anna was the only person I could call and talk to
right now.
“Anna, Anna! Do you know what hobbies the ladies from other families enjoy
these days?”
“Usually embroidery or painting, active people enjoy horseback riding.”
“It’s not a hobby of noble ladies... These days, commoner girls from well-to-do
families play with dolls of princes and princesses...”
“No. It is to make clothes with rags left over on the wooden doll. Kids from
really well-to-do families make and wear pretty fancy clothes. It is a hobby that
parents generously allow because it is beneficial for improving sewing skills.”
“Commoner kids usually ask their dad to make them... If you would like to try
it, I will place an order directly with the father-in-law.”
And... A wooden doll made by my father, how precious it must be. I envy you.
EPISODE 24
I took out 200,000 senna of the remaining money I put in the safe last time and
held it out.
It was a situation where I was trying to relieve stress, so I didn’t waste money
like before, even though I took out 200,000 senna. Or maybe I’ve gotten used to
the aristocratic life in the meantime.
“With just this much, you can order a pair of male and female dolls from a
skilled artisan.”
So I gave Anna the remaining 150,000 senna and asked for it.
“Then, buy some good fabric and sewing tools for making doll clothes with this.
The rest is labor cost.”
“It’s my job to take care of the lady, so I don’t need to pay for my labor.”
“Then what are you so nervous about? It’s too little money to hurt my pride to
buy you. So just take it as a cost of labor.”
“I really wish you well. It’s because I’m so bored these days.”
In fact, I knew from the beginning that Anna was the one attached to watch over
me. It’s also a natural thing.
Even for that alone, I was grateful to her, and I always had a desire to repay her.
If Anna had rejected my sincerity in the end, it would have hurt me even more.
And, perhaps thanks to the cost of the labor, Anna brought a pair of wooden
dolls, sewing kits, and a box of various fabrics and buttons that evening.
“If you tell the bedroom, they will draw it right away. I’ll be back.”
Anyway, thanks to Anna, I was able to start making doll clothes the next day.
I only remembered it after I started, but I wasn’t very dexterous with the things I
liked to tinker with.
At first, I was annoyed by the sewing that didn’t turn out the way I had hoped,
but I soon changed my mind.
‘It’s not about who evaluates it, so what if you can’t do it? I’m just looking for
fun by killing money and time. And this is a true luxury.’
Thinking that this was a part of extravagance, I felt relieved at once and
suddenly every sweat was fun.
It was a bit annoying to have to grass to keep the threads from unraveling, but I
was thrilled every time what was a piece of cloth changed into a three-
dimensional piece of clothing.
It’s ironic, but it’s only now that I’m possessed by someone else’s body, and I
finally feel like I’m living as myself.
No one was looking for me all day, and thanks to myself having nothing to do, I
was able to dress the male and female dolls in decent clothes after three full days
of dedication.
When I turned the inside of the clothes inside out, the crooked stitching and the
protruding seams were a mess, but it didn’t matter because I couldn’t see it from
the outside.
After congratulating myself in the absence of anyone around, I cut a thick thread
and began attaching it to the doll’s head.
It reminded me of the old days when I had leukemia, so I hated going bald.
I made the male doll with black hair and the female doll with brown hair, but
they looked much better with the hair attached.
“Finally finished!”
After looking at the male doll wearing a white shirt, black vest, and black pants
and wearing a dark blue cape, and the female doll wearing a light yellow basic
dress, they stood facing each other.
The two faceless dolls stood facing each other and shyly kissed each other.
‘I’ve never been able to do it at a wedding, but you guys can kiss your heart’s
content.’
I put the doll in that pose and looked at it for a while. I felt like I was getting
lonely for some reason, but I found it funny to be overly immersed in playing
with dolls, so I quickly cleared the area.
Now that I’ve made doll clothes, I’m going to try embroidering.
***
“What? Is it really?”
It was the happiest news since Edith took the seat next to Killian, who had only
looked sideways and looked after him, to none other than Edith.
“What on earth did a bride who had just been married receive a probation order
for?”
Damian recalled the letter from Hanson, the spy planted in the duchy, and
briefly summarized the entire story.
“Oh my god... Are you bold or stupid? How long have you been married, are
you already revealing your true colors?”
“You should have rushed. Count Rigelhoff must be planning to attack the
Ludwig family within this year.”
There won’t be any noticeable conflict until the end of the year, but just because
the water surface is calm doesn’t mean it’s calm all the way to the bottom.
Count Sinclair, who was aiming for an aide to the Duke Ludwig, was closely
observing every move of the Rigelhoff family, which is currently the most
closely related to the Duke Ludwig in terms of business.
“But no matter how much they were caught, wouldn’t it be dangerous if the
duchy’s internal documents ended up in the hands of Count Rigelhoff?”
“I’ll say it again, Duke Ludwig isn’t such a nice person. Did he really entrust
Edith with an important document?”
“Even from what Hanson said, he doesn’t seem to care about the leaked
information from the Ludwig family. If that’s the case, he might have entrusted
the document with useless content and tried to check what route it flows over
there.”
“Yes.”
The fact that Duke Ludwig looked at Edith like that was proof that he did not
recognize Edith as his daughter-in-law.
“Then why did you only get probation? You dared to deceive the duchy, so you
have to kick it out right away!”
Damian sighed as he looked at his younger sister, who quickly became irritated.
“You say that because you are so naive. Why did Duke Ludwig marry Edith to
Killian in the first place? It’s because of the idea of holding on to the leash of
Count Rigelhoff.”
“But Edith says that Count Rigelhoff will throw away the cards!”
Who would have imagined ыomeone who wouldn’t mind spending 5 million
senna on a dress for his daughter is using my daughter as bait.
“Why?”
“Then Count Rigelhoff will keep herself tight. That would only delay their
downfall.”
Layla’s lips pouted out, but Damian thought the secret would be out by the end
of the year. Around the time Count Rigelhoff really abandoned Edith and
rebelled against Duke Ludwig.
— ...Master Killian, who had no interest in her, Lady Edith, before, seems to
take care of her strangely after this incident. He sometimes stops by Lady
Edith’s room, and sometimes they eat together.
Of course, it hasn’t been confirmed that Lady Edith was the culprit in the
incident yet...
’It’s better that Killian stays indifferent to her... ‘I’ll dump her eventually, but
she somehow cares about her.’
However, for now, Liese was more of a nuisance than Edith Riegelhoff.
“Brother. What are you thinking so hard about? Crumpling up to the face...”
“Liese?”
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EPISODE 25
“I feel bad just thinking about him. To bewitched the Duke and Duchess Ludwig
while pretending to be kind and naive with trash in the gutter... It’s really
cunning.”
“The problem is, that cunning bitch has even possessed Cliff and Killian. Seeing
that Killian even married Edith, he seems to have given up halfway, but thanks
to that, Liese has a higher chance of marrying Cliff.”
“It’s crazy?”
Layla was so angry that she was about to spit fire out of her mouth.
“That’s why they say Liese is more of a problem than Edith. Besides, if Liese
becomes Cliff’s wife, it will be more difficult for our family to become close
aides to the ducal family. It could be your biggest obstacle to marrying Killian.”
“It is a sin for that girl to be born. Does that make you the Duchess Ludwig?
Nonsense.”
“So before you take the seat next to Killian, you have to figure out what to do
with that girl.”
They had to get rid of Liese, but Liese, who was fully protected by Cliff and the
Ludwig family, had no way to point their swords at them.
Layla, who had been tapping the armrest of the sofa so nervously, suddenly
stopped her hand and spoke cautiously.
Anton frowned and asked back, but Layla’s face was colored with a faint smile.
“Judging from the fact that he was bragging about it before marriage, it’s clear
that Edith has a crush on Killian too. If so, wouldn’t she be hating Liese too?”
At that, Damian nodded slowly.
“Well, there’s probably no woman who won’t fall in love with Killian.”
“So we just stab Edith’s side well. She makes that woman hate her Liese even
more, so just lay her plate down and she will take care of the rest.”
“I know. If it’s Killian’s problem, is your sister racking her brains too!”
The three siblings, who resemble each other, curled their eyes similar to each
other and laughed happily. But there was a sinister undertone in the laughter,
and it sent chills down the spines of the maids who served.
***
The days that should have been written as ‘probation’ and read as ‘vacation’
were passing by.
“Edith!”
“A document written in your handwriting has been found! Are you saying this
isn’t your fault?”
“Father will call you soon. What are you going to explain?”
He had an urgent, anxious face. Evidence that I was the culprit was found, but I
don’t know why he’s a mess.
“I would say you tried to put the blame on me for something I didn’t do. Why?”
“You... Are you sane now? Or are you making fun of Duke Ludwig?”
He glared at me like he was going to devour me, but honestly, I knew that this
wouldn’t kill me, let alone drive me out.
In the original work, this work itself was Edith’s work, and the evidence was
found as it is now, but in the end, Duke Ludwig buries the work. Of course, he
did throw a stinging warning at Count Rigelhoff with this.
“I’m sorry during the talk. His Excellency the Duke is calling Miss Edith.”
I didn’t come out as if the original work had to proceed quickly, and the knight I
saw then came to pick me up.
I put the embroidery frame aside and got up lightly, but Killian’s face was still
terrifying.
“Face your face, Killian. Wouldn’t it be nice for you if evidence was found?”
I jokingly threw it out to change the atmosphere, but he left first with a hard
face. Anyway, with temperamental hair.
Following Anna and the knight to the Duke’s office, the atmosphere is rather
light compared to last time. Only Killian seemed serious.
As I sat down, he put the ‘evidence’ Killian had spoken of in front of me.
“This is a list of items requested for trade that the arms dealer received from
Count Rigelhoff. Written in your handwriting.”
I picked up the paper and examined it to see how the original work made me a
criminal.
And at a glance, I realized that someone had forged my handwriting.
The tables were also not the way I was drawing them.
‘The Duchess, Liese, or someone who must have learned how to draw marks
from the Duchess forged my handwriting.’
“Who?”
“That’s the part that the Duke and others should look into.”
“Edith.”
The Duke seemed displeased, but obediently handed over the documents at the
time.
I drew a table myself, unfolded the parts I had organized, and compared them
with the ‘evidence’ presented by the Duke.
“To me, a ‘table’ is a concept in which the height or width of a cell can be
adjusted according to the amount of information. But when I first explained this
to others, they all drew tables with the same cell size, like a grid.”
It was only then that the Duke seemed to have noticed that the table I drew and
the table for ‘evidence’ were a bit different.
“I don’t draw sloppily like this. This means that a person who has not yet
grasped the concept of ‘table’ is nothing more than a drawing made by me.”
“What are you doing? If I had prepared for discovery, I wouldn’t have written it
in my own handwriting in the first place. Do you see me as a fool from last
time?”
“And if you look closely, the handwriting is a little different. Perhaps I did not
use a capital Q throughout this document.”
The capital Q used in ‘proof’ was written in a sleek, single line, like a lady from
an aristocratic family would use.
It wasn’t a great story, but there were a lot of writings that I sometimes wrote
because I was emotionally ill, so I searched for Q while hiding it from the Duke
and others.
“Um...”
Liese didn’t seem to know that a ‘trial’ was taking place here.
Seeing the serious atmosphere, Liese widened her eyes as if she was surprised,
but she was probably more surprised than I was.
Although Liese was nervous, she looked at the Duke with clear eyes.
“Liese. Hasn’t it already been four years since you helped Jocelyn with her
work?”
“I see. Didn’t Edith teach you how to organize the contents in tables last time?”
“Edith explained it to the Duchess and me, but I didn’t really understand. The
Duchess seems to have understood, but it’s different from the document format
you’ve been using so far, so you’re not using it well yet.”
“What else?”
“I think we should ask if the Duchess taught her aide. Master Cliff and Master
Killian are probably familiar with it from the Duchess. I didn’t understand the
concept well, so I never explained it to anyone.”
EPISODE 26
“If Joslyn never taught anyone else, at best only Edith and my family would
know and use this method.”
“Yes. Maybe. However... Even if I ask why you asked that... Does it?”
Liese asked after looking around the room with a frightened look.
Unlike the cold gaze directed at me, the voice he sent to Liese was soft.
Liese looked at me, worried that she had done something wrong.
However, unable to disobey the Duke’s order to leave, he silently bowed and
left the room.
A sigh came out. It’s such a big deal that I feel like I’m only sighing these days.
I couldn’t quite remember how Liese framed Edith as the culprit in the original
work, but I knew that if it was the main character, he would come up with a
more plausible reasoning or evidence.
If you write a novel with this kind of probability, you will get a lot of curses
from readers, but the flow of the original work was still driving Edith as the
culprit.
Moreover, the Duke expressed it as ‘Edith and my family’. I also have the
surname Ludwig, but the Duke has been excluding me from the other day to the
extent that I wonder if it was intentional.
While he was confused, the Duke let out a long sigh and nodded.
“Yes, what you say makes sense. It’s hard to be sure with such evidence.
Anyway, I’ll leave this matter out of the question. I will also revoke the
probation order issued to you.”
I meant to admit that I wasn’t guilty, but it didn’t mean that I believed that I was
innocent.
In the original version, it was clear that Edith was the culprit, so the ending of
this episode wasn’t so blurry, but now I feel uncomfortable because I don’t
know if this situation is beneficial to me or not.
“All right. I’m just going back... For a moment! What are you looking at?”
While I didn’t pay attention for a moment, Killian was reading my diary.
“Did you write down any information that others shouldn’t see?”
“Is there anyone who writes down information in a diary and refuses to show it?
It’s because it’s my secret story! Really everyone... You have no intention of
being polite to me!”
“It doesn’t matter. You, too, have assisted in much of your father’s conspiracy.”
“What is that...!”
The moment I tried to refute, the things Edith had done in the past began to
come to mind.
Edith not only seduced men and stole information, but also ruined a family party
favoring the Ludwig family according to her father’s order, and interfered with
the marriage by creating a scandal among the children of the family.
‘This possession... I think there are too many flaws for some reason.’
Increasingly anxious.
I thought I became the main character of the villain’s fantasy novel, but the
situation doesn’t change no matter what I do.
“Liese...?”
“Are you okay? I was so worried that I might have said something strange
earlier...”
I was staring at Killian’s hand stroking Liese’s hair without my knowledge, and
suddenly came to my senses.
“I was trying to figure out who I could teach about tables. His Excellency the
Duke is also very interested in it.”
“Ah, that’s right! I’m glad if that’s the case. I couldn’t see Edith at all these
days, so I wondered what was going on.”
“I just took a break because I had a cold. I am all better now.”
He said he couldn’t understand the concept of ‘table’. To the extent that no one
can teach it.
But Liese definitely understood everything I said that day. It’s not a difficult
concept, so there’s no way that smart Liese couldn’t understand it.
I shouldn’t be like this, but I keep getting suspicious of the female lead Liese.
Was it because of Killian who left me and went to Liese, or was it because the
role of Edith came about that way?
I deliberately smiled brighter and went into my room and shut the door.
From behind, Liese said, “Uh, uh...” heard a noise, but she pretended not to hear.
But when I was right in front of the door, I could hear all the sounds outside.
To Liese’s question, which seemed to be shaking his feet, Killian sighed and
paused for a moment before answering.
“Oh my god...”
“It’s my fault.”
“Liese?”
“Sometimes, in the afternoon, I would stop by my wife’s office to do some more
work and then leave with the door open. If someone stole the document...
Maybe it was then.”
Liese said, almost certain that the documents had been stolen from his wife’s
office while he was away.
If I just heard that, I’d think that the kind-hearted Liese was blaming me
unnecessarily, but if someone who knew the circumstances of the mansion were
listening, of course they would doubt me.
There are always guards guarding the area around the Duchess’s office, and it’s
obvious that he’s someone who can pass there without any suspicion.
“Well...”
“What do I do? What should I do to ask for forgiveness from the Duke?”
“You don’t have to. Because I decided to put this thing away anyway. It’s not
even clear that Edith stole it.”
Liese was speechless, but it was clear who she wanted to accuse as the culprit.
‘Liese Sinclair! You me...!’
I laughed out loud because it was so absurd. They said I couldn’t do that until
just now!
‘Anyone who has access to the room at will, who knows about the tickets, who
knows where the papers are... That also applies to Liese!’
Killian, who only liked her, would have been convinced by Liese’s words that I
was the culprit.
“Killian?”
‘What? Until now, you seemed to believe that I was the culprit, but why didn’t
you come running?’
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 27
“There was no such thing as suffering. She was comfortable in her room.”
“Isn’t the hardship of the mind more difficult than the hardship of the body?”
“Just in case, I didn’t really steal the documents. I could risk my life.”
“I know you won’t believe me. It doesn’t matter if you have more muscle. I
really...”
“Edith.”
This.
“How hard has it been for you? You really worked hard, Edith.”
“I believe. I know that you did your best to help me and that you are trying to fit
in in this house somehow. How can you not know that. It’s something I’ve been
through in the past...”
After getting married and living in an unfamiliar house, the days of trying to get
a good impression and adapt to her somehow occupied a large part of her life.
“I don’t know who pulled this vile prank, but I do know it wasn’t you.”
After falling into this goddamn world, I was overcome with emotions at the first
‘understanding’ I had, and tears poured out endlessly.
Crying like a child clinging to the patting hand, I thought of one hope.
“Yes, Edith.”
“...Edith?”
“Ugh... Heo-eok...”
It was strange.
The moment I was about to tell you about my situation, my eyes became yellow
and my breath stopped.
My tongue didn’t move, my tinnitus rang, and my head hurt as if it would break.
Suddenly, everything stopped and I was engulfed in darkness.
And after a while, from somewhere in the still darkness, a clean and emotionless
voice like a morning news announcer was heard.
[Edith Riegelhoff says until the 3rd stage exception conditions are met...]
At first it sounded like a hum, but as I concentrated, the voice gradually became
clearer.
[Edith Riegelhoff cannot reveal hidden settings about himself until he meets the
three-step exception.]
But nobody explained it. It was just an emotionless voice repeating the same
thing over and over again.
[Edith Riegelhoff says until the 3rd stage exception conditions are met...]
The more I listened, the more frightened I struggled to wake up from the dream.
Thanks to giving my body strength for a while, I was able to come to my senses
with my teeth clenched.
When I opened my eyes, I was on the bed in my room, and Anna was standing
guard by my side.
“Not... Me...?”
“Why me...”
“It sounds like you’ve been wasting a lot of energy. It seems that he fainted as
the tension was released...”
Maybe it was because I had slept for a long time or because I was hungry, but
my head was a bit blank, but the dream I had earlier was strangely vivid.
‘You can’t reveal hidden settings about me until I meet the 3rd level exception?’
I don’t know what a level 3 exception is, but I know for sure that I can’t reveal
my truth right now.
“Miss!”
The tinnitus rang again, beeping, and my tongue stiffened.
“Huh, huh...”
“Miss. You are still unwell. Don’t try to force yourself to talk. Take a good rest.
I will be by your side.”
“Thank you...”
“It’s my job.”
I was about to ask if Killian had come and gone, but hurriedly turned away.
And you don’t have to feel bad about confirming that fact.
Following Anna’s advice, I sighed again and finally woke up late at night.
When I first woke up in Edith’s body, I thought I was the main character of the
evil woman’s possessed Romance.
I thought that if I was the only one with a kind heart, I would be able to escape
from death like other cider romances and get a great male lead.
After that, I gave up on my husband and vowed to live without worrying about
money as the daughter-in-law of a rich family.
Strangely, however, the episodes of the original story progressed steadily, and
no matter how I tweaked them, the results were the same as the original story.
‘Villain possessed water is the law of survival in Romance, and I’m just
possessed by a mortal villain. I can’t change this story.’
I wanted to grab someone and argue about where this kind of possession was,
but I just misunderstood it on my own in the first place.
After pondering the whole story for a while, I decided to stop struggling and
accept death.
Of course, it was scary to have my throat cut, but wouldn’t it be over soon if I
closed my eyes?
Since Killian says he’s a great knight, he’ll probably cut it in one shot so it
won’t hurt.
‘If you’re going to die anyway... I should at least try it like Edith in the original
story. Is not it?’
The episode I am thinking of is the episode where Edith tried to seduce Killian
with her body.
When he woke up, he tried to seduce him by taking off his thin apron, but he
was kicked out in shame, receiving Killian’s tremendous contempt.
The guards who were on vigil were caught and shamed for it, maybe?
At first, I thought it was a ridiculous idea, but as time went by, I changed my
mind to ‘what can’t be done?’
The thought itself seemed to be the flow of the original work, and since I can’t
change the original work anyway, I have no choice but to follow the flow.
In the original version, Edith wore only a gown and a slutty bed linen that shed
all her flesh, but otherwise it would be like showing her naked body to men
outside.
Then, putting on soft fur slippers, I carefully came out of the room without
making the sound of my footsteps.
Everyone was sleeping, but not a single ant nested in the hallway.
‘If not now, when else will I try to hit a handsome man on the lips? When I die,
even if I die, I have to keep a good memory with me.’
Taking a deep breath, I hurried silently and reached the front of Killian’s room.
I was nervous that it might have been locked, but the door was left open for the
progress of this episode.
‘Oh, the huge flow of the original story. First of all, thank you.’
I intended to turn away with only a warm, innocent, and soft kiss that never gets
deep.
‘And... It’s a face I’m never used to... It’s new every time I see it, really.’
Hearing this sound, the middle of my chest pounded so much that I wondered
what would happen if Killian woke up.
The heart is only the size of two fists, but why is the heart sound so loud?
‘Wake! You only have one chance. I’m just aiming for the lips quickly and
accurately. Okay?’
I don’t know if what I’m doing is a crime, but if I’m going to die anyway, I’d
rather commit a sin than die innocently, right?
I looked at his handsome face and naked upper body as if fascinated, then took a
deep breath and approached his lips.
“I’m sorry I stole your first kiss, Killian. I really tried not to like you... I guess I
failed.”
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 28
‘It’s warm...’
I could feel the warmth of my body through the soft skin of my lips, and the
inexplicable scent of his body tickled the tip of my nose.
He is a person who always behaves coldly, but you do not know why his body
temperature and scent are so warm.
And even though it was only a part of the body facing each other, I was ecstatic.
To the point that her mind just went blank...
He lingered on his lips for a moment, then slowly removed them and exhaled
carefully.
When you open your eyes, you will meet Killian’s eyes full of astonishment.
They will despise me for being horny, for being a prostitute, for not knowing
shame, and they will grab my forearm and throw me out the door.
‘Ah, also...’
When I opened my eyes, I could see Killian’s startled eyes less than a span
apart. The saliva went down.
I was going to say something casually, but I seemed to be taken aback for a
moment, so nothing came out.
“You pretended not to be, but now you’re so horny that you can’t even play?”
“Well, good.”
Yeah, that’s how you drag me out the door... Why are you throwing me into
bed?
“Where, try to satisfy me like a flower snake in Rigelhof. Don’t you know again
Will there be a body?”
“Yes...?”
***
The day Edith collapsed, Killian wasn’t in a good mood since morning.
Maybe it’s because Edith didn’t confess to her crime until the end, or because
she herself knows that there’s not enough evidence to convict her of being the
culprit.
As that woman said, it was true that one should not steal someone else’s diary
carelessly.
— This morning, I hid on the side street of the gymnasium and spied on Killian.
No matter how many times I see it, my face shines every time I see it. Why is
your body so good? When I think about it, I salivate again.
As expected, my preference is Killian rather than Cliff.
When I read that far, I was angry and a little funny at the same time.
That she acted so arrogant in front of me, but was doing such a cunning thing
behind me.
However, when he read the following, his mood somehow calmed down.
— But his beauty wasn’t all that. Just then, Liese passed by and waved her hand,
and Killian smiled brightly and waved his hand.
I thought I was going blind then. Could it have been more handsome there!
How much virtue did Liese, who can see that face every day, have accumulated
in her previous life? I envy you, really.
Edith wrote it like it was nothing special, but the sentence ‘I didn’t know
because you never laughed at me’ strangely weighed on my heart.
However, when Edith said that I didn’t have any thoughts to be polite to her, and
stood up, my heart throbbed in the middle of my chest.
She ran out with a face as if holding back tears, but for some reason I had no
choice but to follow her.
Why did I say such a thing to someone who was already suffering as much as
she was suffering?
Maybe I just wanted to be convinced that I was right. No, it was more like self
brainwashing.
He was the one who hurt her, so he didn’t know why her words felt like a blade.
Thinking about it always gave me a headache. In the past, digging into a single
thought always gave me a headache like this.
And strangely, that headache only eased when Liese was around.
So when I saw Liese standing in front of Edith’s room, I felt relieved. It will free
me from headaches.
But no.
Give up.
Despair.
Nothingness.
Even after listening to Liese’s important testimony, I was not comfortable with
only thinking of Edith’s turned back.
And even though Liese was by his side, the headache didn’t get better.
So I thought we should just ask about it and forget about it, but it happened the
next day.
I ran up the stairs two at a time and headed for the Duchess’s office on the
second floor, when the servants were trying to wrap Edith up.
“Leave her.”
And when I looked down at her, I noticed that the proud, high-nosed woman’s
face was full of tears.
“Killian! Let’s move now! Because I sent someone to bring the doctor.”
“...Yes.”
The whole time I was carrying her, who collapsed from crying, my heart was
beating strangely and my head hurt so much.
The hurriedly called doctor examined Edith calmly and then asked quietly.
“Has there been anything lately in which she has exhausted her energy?”
“Hmm... Okay. Well, nothing serious. It seems that she passed out because she
was exhausted from the tension. As long as she wakes up, there won’t be any
major problems in her daily life, but for the time being, I think you need to pay
some attention so that the lady can feel comfortable.”
The doctor wrote the prescription with a nonchalant expression, but Edith’s face
was still pale as she lay there.
Killian looked at that face, which had no trace of life left on it, and asked the
Duchess.
“I know you won’t believe her, but she said she never leaked the documents.”
“Yes?”
“That one word made her hungry, Edith. She’s been shedding tears ever since.
She said she didn’t trust anyone... Thank you...”
The headache and tinnitus got worse, but I couldn’t help but think of Edith’s
despair.
“Ugh...!”
“Anna! Go get the doctor! I think we should show off Killian too!”
“Killian!”
Killian managed to stop his mother from showing himself to the doctor, and then
stared at the sleeping Edith for a long time before coming out.
When I came out of Edith’s room, Liese was waiting for me.
I felt something refreshing from the hand Liese held, and the throbbing
headache gradually began to subside.
“Trouble, who. I’m just worried that the rumors will spread strangely and bother
me.”
Killian assumed that this heart, like a fingernail, was constantly bothering him.
“Edith seems to have a softer heart rather than a look. She was trembling with
anxiety enough to collapse...”
It wasn’t that Liese said it with malice, but it sounded as if Edith was trembling
with anxiety because she wasn’t innocent.
“I was innocent, but I could have been deeply hurt because no one believed me.”
“I guess so. Poor Edith... Anyway, you seem very surprised, so take a break.
Yes?”
Liese’s hand caressing his cheek didn’t calm his shaking inside, but strangely,
he couldn’t disobey Liese’s words.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 29
And for two days, he suffered from unknown guilt and headaches.
But that night when he heard that Edith had woken up, he was awakened by a
suspicious human being who barely fell into a light sleep.
‘What? Is it an assassination?’
As he was about to reach for the dagger he had hidden under his pillow, the next
moment he noticed that it was Edith who had broken into his room.
The light scent of roses let me know that it was her before the sound of her
footsteps.
Curious about what happened to the person who fainted and barely woke up this
night, he let Edith do it.
Just when I thought it was an assassination, Edith slowly lowered her body.
The smell of her sweet flesh almost made Killian forget to breathe.
And Edith, who hesitated for a moment, kissed him lightly to make him feel
anxious.
A light kiss that didn’t even come in between the lips, and wasn’t strong.
Had I been in a deep sleep, I probably would have passed by without noticing.
The moment Edith kissed him, Killian opened his eyes in surprise.
Then he looked at Edith, who was standing right in front of him with her eyes
closed and only her lips touching.
Her long brown eyelashes quivered, and her thin eyelids opened slowly as their
lips parted.
But Edith wasn’t too surprised to see Killian open his eyes. As if she knew he
would wake up...
Killian couldn’t leave Edith, who said she would go back, leaving only a futile
kiss.
‘As expected, the rumors about using the body as a weapon seem to be true. You
think you’re at a disadvantage, so you’re trying to seduce me with your body?’
The guilt he had felt for an unknown cause evaporated in an instant, and a heat
of anger or excitement surged up from his lower abdomen.
It was embarrassing, but on the other hand, I thought that I would like to see it
one by one.
Before he could think of anything else, he was already holding onto Edith’s
forearm.
“You pretended not to be, but now you’re so horny that you can’t even play?”
‘You were going to go back with a kiss, where did you come up with a
ridiculous excuse...’
“Where, try to satisfy me like a flower snake in Rigelhof. Don’t you know again
will there be a body?”
“Huh...?”
Killian took off Edith’s gown, who looked embarrassed, and put his hand inside
the hem of her skirt, which he had felt since the last time.
‘So, even though she knows that I love Liese, does this woman care enough to
worry about my situation?’
My teeth were split. At the same time the desire to flatten Edith’s bridge of the
nose also rose.
He soon started stroking Edith’s soft skin again.
“That’s not something to ask me. Aren’t you the one who crawled into my bed
in the middle of the night because you’re confident?”
I had no intention of just rubbing my lips ticklingly like Edith had done in the
first place.
When he pierced through her soft, warm lip crevices and found something sweet
and soft, Killian felt a sense of excitement that his hair was going to stand on
end.
Edith’s breath, lips, tongue, and saliva, which should have been disgusting, were
ridiculously sweet and fragrant.
“Eup, oops!”
When Edith, who couldn’t breathe properly and was flustered, struggled I barely
took off my lips because of her resistance, and Edith only blinked her eyes in
surprise.
“It would have been a pity to just peek at it every time, but take this opportunity
to take a good look at it. You can even touch it.”
“Diary.”
It was worth seeing Edith’s expression as she couldn’t open his eyes wide
enough to even open her mouth.
Killian thought he was crazy, but he held her hand and made her touch his upper
body.
It was an act that he forced her to do, but Edith did not try to withdraw her hand.
I got goosebumps as her thin, soft hand, completely different from mine,
brushed over the sunburnt skin.
It was strangely pleasant to see Edith, who couldn’t take her eyes off my body
even in the midst of her surprise.
“Heeep!”
Edith breathed in with a strange noise, but even that was cute now.
Not that it wasn’t, but the warm body temperature and the rising scent of roses
made my head dizzy.
I definitely thought it was a vulgar and disgusting smell, but why is it so good
now? I felt like going crazy.
Around her neck hung the ruby necklace I had bought for her as if it was natural
for her to do it.
The red ruby, like a drop of blood on the white nape of her neck, suited Edith
well.
Even now, I can’t forget the tension when Edith gathered her hair together and
gently entrusted me with her neck. Thanks to her, I hung her necklace and even
my hands trembled.
I thought that she was going to make a fuss about asking me for such a cheap
thing, but she has always worn this necklace ever since.
Feeling a tickle in my stomach for some reason, I kissed Edith’s hollow clavicle
where ruby had touched, then moved downward and pressed my lips together.
“Ah...! Killian...”
It was just the beginning of a night dominated by passion, instinct, hot body
temperature and slippery sweat.
***
I did.
I did it.
“She is not feeling well today. Get some bath water ready.”
The maid, who was not shaken even after hearing Killian’s order, which was
completely different from usual, prepared a bathtub by the window of Killian’s
room with two other maids after a while.
They covered the side of the bathtub with a blanket, prepared towels and gowns,
and bowed their heads before leaving. Killian, who stretched himself greatly,
whipped out the blanket and lifted me up.
“Well, I can walk...”
“I know.”
“Ah... Mmm...”
It was embarrassing to have a moment like this in the bright sunlight, apart from
what happened at night.
Not knowing where to put my hands and eyes, I ended up burying my face in
my hands.
“Huh...”
“The first night you fell asleep sitting in the bathtub by yourself. You seem to
like bathing in the bathtub quite a bit?”
“Ah, haha, well, yes...”
Killian gently washed me, put me in a gown, and wiped me with a towel again,
as I shrank like a mouse and couldn’t resist.
“I guess... I should.”
After a passionate night and even washing me, I had no idea what feelings he
had for me.
It doesn’t seem like he’s going crazy, so he won’t suddenly say that he loves me,
and I wondered if something he’d been holding back toward Liese might have
exploded.
Although I became a substitute for Liese, I was not miserable. That was when he
was a tolerable man.
I’m doing this with the most handsome and sexiest guy by my standards, and
there’s no way I don’t like that.
I don’t expect anything from this man emotionally, but since he’s strangely
friendly today, my heart strangely melt.
‘It’s a huge change compared to the wedding day when he didn’t want to touch
even one fingertip.’
I smiled for no reason when I remembered the image of him putting on a ring
with a hard expression like a stone.
After drying my hair thoroughly, he even put me on acupuncture and then
ordered the maid outside to call Anna.
“You seem to have a slight fever, so as soon as you return to your room, cover
yourself with a blanket and rest.”
“Yes, thanks.”
We looked at each other, hesitated, thinking we should say something more, and
then parted ways.
I returned to my room unnoticed by Anna, who had picked me up, but I couldn’t
understand the whole series of events from last night and earlier.
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EPISODE 30
So far, I’ve tried to change the outcome of the episode, but even if the middle
process is slightly different, the result hasn’t changed.
However, the episode where Edith tried to seduce Killian changed completely
last night.
Edith, who tried to seduce her body, became a flow that Killian embraced, so
Killian was no longer a virgin for Liese.
Besides, Killian’s first kiss should be Liese, but even that went wrong.
‘Of course, Liese’s first kiss was Cliff. Anyway, Killian’s position as a sub male
lead will be shaken. What will happen to this?’
It was complicated in my head, but for some reason, laughter leaked out.
I kept thinking of Killian, who called my name and hugged me, his kisses, and
his hot gestures.
Anna’s mouth was strictly controlled, so probably no one in the mansion would
know that we had become a ‘real couple’.
But I know.
Because of that fact, I kept laughing, but I was embarrassed to show Anna that
way, so I covered myself with a blanket.
[Step 1 exception conditions met. Exceptions have been made and the author’s
rights have been reduced. Stage 1 exception conditions will expire.]
‘What?’
Phase 1 Exception Conditions? Is that enough? And what are the rights of the
original author?
I didn’t think he would answer my question, but I still asked the voice with all
my might.
[Step 1 exception condition: Follow the original editing method that failed.]
First of all, that voice knows that this world is in a novel and that I am
possessed. Knowing that the original Edith and the current me are different
people.
In addition, ‘exception conditions’ seemed to be a condition that had to be met
in order to make an ‘exception’ that could twist the original work in this
situation where it was being dragged along with the flow of the original work.
The last time the voice talked about the 3rd stage, and this time it was the 1st
stage, so it seemed that there were several stages.
It felt like someone was looking down at me who was possessed by a novel and
mocking me.
‘I’ve been trying hard not to follow the path that Edith in the original story
failed in the meantime, but in the end, that’s what strangled me?’
I don’t know who set the conditions, but it was too bad taste.
An ‘exception situation’ occurs only when you follow the failed method.
I still didn’t understand everything the voice was saying, but I was certain of one
hopeful thing.
Like the voice told me the other day, I couldn’t tell anyone about my situation.
So you can believe that I was lucky enough to meet the first stage exception
conditions like that pervert and change the original plot.
You can change the ending of Killian’s throat being cut and dying miserably.
‘It’s still too early to give up. You can do it, Choi Soo-na! I can do it, Edith!’
***
For those two days, I locked myself in my room and embroidered while thinking
about the future.
‘Who was the author of <Home·Delegation>? It was a pen name that started
with K...’
The voice said that because I met the first stage exception conditions, an
exception occurred, and the ‘authority of the original author’ was reduced.
What does it mean when the author’s authority is reduced when it is a novel that
has already been completed?
At first, I wondered if it was the will of this world to follow the original story,
but something seemed different.
Authority.
The scope of a person’s rights or powers.
Regardless of the identity, if the authority of the subject as the original author
was reduced, where and by how much did it decrease?
Is the will of the original author being reflected in real time, or is the will of the
original story being reflected?
Even if the authority of the original author is reduced, the incident continues, so
does a power greater than the original author maintain this world?
However, seeing that there are at least three ‘conditions’, I thought that I
wouldn’t be able to change everything right now.
‘My head hurts... Anyway, I’ll have to keep an eye on Killian for the time
being.’
We had to see what choices Killian made when a new episode took place.
And on the third day, when I was about to get out of bed and wake up, the
Duchess called me.
She had been to the imperial palace with the Duke for the past few days. Perhaps
she had discussed the dynamics of Prince Langston and the Rigelhoffs and
prepared a defense without their knowledge.
“The Duke was also very worried. And he’s all over the place that he thinks he’s
pushing you too hard. He is a man who has lived on the battlefield for a long
time, so his tone is hard.”
“It’s strange that you speak softly when questioning important issues within the
mansion. I’m fine, so please tell me not to worry too much.”
“What do you want me to do in the future? You don’t have to help me with my
work if you want, but I think... I think it would rather solidify the view of
misunderstanding you.”
“As long as my mother is okay, I want to continue helping her with her work.
But at this rate, the person who framed me might do the same thing again.”
“Ah, was the expression like that? So what I want to say is...”
“No, I know. You want a place where you can work without being
misunderstood.”
I wondered what to do if I asked her to help Liese, but the person she pointed
out was her aide, Linnon Filch.
“Linnon is the person who inspects the tax-related documents sent from each
territory and prepares the documents to be sent to the imperial palace. He is a
person who deals with money matters, so he can be a bit strict and ruthless, but
he is never one to be swayed by emotions or be partial.”
I sincerely hoped that he wasn’t a soft person who was swayed by emotions.
Even when I was working at the company, I hated the boss who emphasized
‘Jeong’, liked dinners, and liked friendship.
People like me, who have vague pride and can’t speak, are always branded as ‘a
person who can’t live in society’ and even belittle their work ability.
And Linnon Filch, whom I met the next day, seemed more stern and unfeeling
than I had hoped.
Besides, I was much younger than I thought. Late 20’s to early 30’s?
“Nice to see you. This is Linnon Filch. Feel free to call me Linnon.”
A blunt voice with little tonality flowed from the gray-pale man’s mouth.
“Nice to meet you, Linnon. This is Edith Ludwig. I want to help Linnon starting
today, what can I do?”
‘First... Please sort all receipts here by year. I will have to classify it by case
later, but for now, only by year.”
What he handed over was a large box full of randomly jumbled receipts.
There were wet and dry marks here and there, and some had footprints.
“It’s the stupid worker I worked for last time. He said he was offended by me
and ran away, scattering several years worth of receipts on the floor.”
“Sure. She was the son of a male writer, and thanks to her father emptying her
hands to become her feet, she could barely end up with reparations.”
“Oh my god...”
I shook my head, but Linnon continued with his sullen face.
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EPISODE 31
“My lady, don’t expect me to be kind to you either. You will regret that you
agreed to work with me.”
I thought that the Duchess took care of me and introduced me to the most
‘functionally moving’ human being.
“I want two things from you. Competent and fair. If you protect that, I won’t
mind if you call me stupid.”
“Then, it seems that the greetings are about this, shall we begin?”
Linnon nodded lightly and went back to her desk.
I also began to sort the receipts by year, unfolding them one by one on the wide
desk.
There was a window, but no direct sunlight, so Linnon’s cool office was quiet,
as if time had stopped.
Except for the rustle of my receipt opening and the sound of Linnon scribbling
something with his pen or flipping through papers, I didn’t hear anything
distracting.
‘It’s calm.’
As I continued to suffer from various things, I felt more comfortable than ever in
the quiet time filled with simple labor.
“Miss.”
It is a place where the sun does not shine well, so I did not feel the passage of
time.
“I’ll just wrap this up and go back. Wait.”
To be honest, I wanted to work a little more, but when I was here, Linnon, who
also served as my supervisor, couldn’t move.
I hurriedly put the receipts into the box, double-checked to make sure nothing
had been dropped, and handed the box to Linnon.
‘I don’t remember reading about an extra named Linnon Filch in the original
work. So I won’t get caught up in a strange episode.’
Anna ran ahead of me, confirmed the ‘intruder’, and nodded at me with a
reassuring face.
“You are here.”
“Killian?”
“Can’t I come?”
Entering the room, looking sideways at Killian, I saw what he was fiddling with
and unknowingly took them away with my hand.
Two wooden dolls, dressed in newly made clothes, fell to the floor with a
crackling sound.
“Ah, ha ha! No, this is, how to say, just a hobby! It’s a hobby, but it’s a bit
embarrassing to show others your skills... No, why are you entering someone
else’s room without permission in the first place? Anna! Put that away hurry.”
I made a male doll dressed like Killian and a female doll dressed like me face
each other and even kissed me, but to hear that Killian saw it, I wanted to die of
embarrassment.
While Anna quietly put away the dolls, I had nowhere to look, so I looked
around and changed my mind.
“That... How have you been doing?”
If it was like before, I think I would have been quicker, but now, for some
reason, it was embarrassing to look at his face and it was difficult to talk to him.
“Thanks to Mother. He started helping his mother’s aide. Sir Linnon Filch, do
you know?”
“Is it so?”
“His father is Theo Filci, the butler who manages the ducal estate. He originally
managed this mansion, but his father left the manor altogether. Linnon stayed
here and became the tax paperworker.”
“Yes.”
“Then...”
He was about to ask to dine with me, but I was looking forward to it when
suddenly someone knocked on the door.
Liese, who smiled brightly, was still beautiful, but I was uncomfortable looking
at her.
I was disappointed that she thought of me as the culprit, and I was stung for
nothing when she took away the ‘virgin’ keyword from her sub-man, Killian.
“Cliff called Killian and asked if it would be nice to have a meal together. He
must have something to say. Ah, Edith! Would you like to go with Edith?”
Liese, who discovered me belatedly, hurriedly suggested, but it was obvious that
the words were out of politeness.
If you’re going to use the word ‘maybe’ twice, don’t say it at all, Liese.
Well, Liese, who had a good heart, would have had no choice but to recommend
it to me, no matter what Cliff’s intentions were.
I wanted to follow him at least, but I didn’t want to see Killian caring for Liese
more than me.
“I think Lord Cliff will be embarrassed. It seems that the two of you have
something to say. If you call me next time, I will join you then.”
“Would you like to? Let’s eat together next time, Edith... So, Killian.”
When I met his eyes, I couldn’t move from the spot for some reason.
I wondered why he had come to my room and what he wanted to say to me.
If it wasn’t for Anna, I would have stood there for a long time.
I checked the wooden doll Anna had set aside and was very relieved to find that
nothing was broken.
I was a bit embarrassed when I realized later that I had checked the male doll
first without my knowledge.
***
For the past three days, Killian couldn’t stop thinking about Edith.
The desire to break into Edith’s room and covet her soared right away, and it
seemed like I was going crazy wondering what she was doing right now.
However, the reason he couldn’t find it was because he needed time to sort out
his feelings.
At this rate, it would be tantamount to falling into Edith’s temptation and being
swayed by it.
‘I thought physical relationships were too easy. I never thought I would lose my
mind like this.’
The long time I spent thinking that Liese was the only woman and not
contacting anyone completely collapsed in just one night. And by the woman he
despised the most...!
Even so, let alone regretting it, I wanted to do it again, so it was absurd.
There was no response even when I knocked, so I opened the door and went in,
and found a strange object on the table while I was slightly intoxicated by the
scent of her own rose.
‘What? Doll?’
At first, I didn’t think much of it, but when I looked closely, the male doll had
black hair, a white shirt, and black pants, and the female doll had brown hair and
was wearing an indoor dress.
Judging from the fact that she even hung a red jewel necklace, the female doll
seemed to be modeled after Edith herself.
Assuming that the female doll was Edith, it was very easy to guess the identity
of the male doll.
‘...Me?’
And the two wooden dolls were facing each other and kissing.
Involuntarily, a fever rose at the tip of my ear, but at the same time, a smile
came out for no reason.
My chest tickled.
If Edith hadn’t pushed the dolls away violently after returning to the room with
Anna, I might have kissed Edith impulsively.
‘What did you hate so much? Have I seen dolls? Or did you enter her room
without permission? Or do you just hate me?’
The night Edith had been flirting with me, she seemed to like it too, but thinking
about whether it wasn’t so made her nervous.
Edith was his first woman, and he did not know what kind of psychology each
woman’s reaction meant.
‘Have I been clumsy? Or did it hurt you? What if you just endured the night
with me? No, what the hell! What am I thinking now...!’
“...Lian, Killian!”
“The woman?”
“Is there anyone other than Edith Rigelhoff that we will call ‘the woman’?”
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EPISODE 32
But, in fact, it was an unusual title. Because I also always called her ‘that
woman’.
“I heard that she will be working under Linnon’s supervision from today.”
“So I asked Linnon to stop by. Ask her if anything was wrong.”
Cliff raised the teacup with a graceful motion.
He still seemed convinced that Edith was the culprit in the document leak.
“Sorry for being busy, Linnon. It’s not different... Did you start monitoring
Edith from today?”
Surveillance.
Of course, there was a purpose of surveillance, but it was to help mother’s work
to the end.
Even Edith asked for someone who could double as her watcher first.
Killian covered his mouth with a teacup to hide his dissatisfaction, but Linnon
answered in his characteristic emotionless voice.
“I heard that you should properly grasp the documents that Lady Edith is
handling so that they are not in danger of being lost, but to be precise, Lady
Edith has come to help me with my work.”
“That is it. Anyway... How do you see it? Did you get any suspicious signs?”
Linnon didn’t say anything for a while, perhaps reflecting on the morning of
working with Edith, then opened her mouth slowly.
Killian was so nervous about what he was going to say that he forgot to drink his
tea.
“This is the first time I’ve heard you compliment someone like this. Didn’t she
try pretty hard to please you?”
“But... Okay, okay. I might call you again next time. Do not let go of her watch
over her.”
But from the side, Liese said shyly, her face dyed red.
“I think Linnon has a crush on Edith. It’s the first time I’ve heard him
compliment someone like this.”
At those words, Cliff sighed.
“But where in the world is there a man who has no feelings? Linnon isn’t
married yet, and Edith is pretty... That might be enough.”
When Liese opened her mouth, she was always lovely, but Killian was offended
by what Liese said for the first time today.
‘No matter how much they say they’re a married couple on paper, they still say
things like that when I, my husband, is by her side...’
No, I couldn’t even call it “on paper” anymore. Because I even slept with Edith.
“No way. I believe in Linnon. It’s been years since I’ve seen Linnon. Is it
because you don’t know how harshly Theo taught Linnon?”
Theo Filch meticulously educated his successor, Linnon, from one to ten.
It was harsh enough to say that even the strict operation was not too much.
However, Linnon accepted her father’s education without hesitation and built up
her skills.
One of the things Theo taught Linnon back then was never to have any feelings
other than loyalty to your master’s family.
At that time, there were often noble ladies who ran away after having an affair
with a servant, so Theo put a lot of emphasis on that to Linnon.
“Besides, when it comes to beauty, Liese, you add more. Linnon, who was not
shaken by you, could not have been shaken by Edith.”
“Ki... Killian!”
However, the emotions that Killian felt were quite different from before.
‘It’s nothing...’
Every time he said something that contained his heart to Liese like a joke, and
every time Cliff laughed at him as if he was laughing, his heart ached.
If you face such a voluptuous woman for hours in a closed room where the two
of you are alone...
‘Linnon is also a man, so he might have been shaken. Maybe she had a wild
imagination. She said that if the woman was determined and tried to seduce...’
When he thought of Edith kissing him and raising her moist eyes, and Linnon
looking stoic at the same time, his stomach seemed to heat up.
“Uh? Already?”
“I have to go down to the Ryzen estate next week with my father, so I have a lot
to prepare.”
“Okay, go in first.”
Liese tried to catch Killian as if she was a bit embarrassed, but Cliff said
goodbye as always.
Before, I didn’t like this, so I sat there until the end, but now I was able to get
up.
The painful days of imagining what Cliff and Liese would have done if they
were left behind somehow felt far away.
Now, more than that, I couldn’t stand it because I was worried about the
relationship between Linnon and Edith.
‘I’m worried about Linnon. She might have been trying to seduce her Linnon as
well... Surely something will happen while I’m gone?’
Though thinking that it was Edith who was bad, Killian gritted his teeth as he
remembered Linnon.
***
I waited for the start of a new episode, helping Linnon with his work three times
a week, enjoying my hobbies, and occasionally chatting with Killian.
After tracing the memory of the original story, it seemed that an episode in
which the confrontation between Liese and Edith would stand out would begin.
And a few days after Killian left for a tour of the estate with Duke Ludwig, the
Duchess called me and Liese and said.
“Next month, the Countess Ermenia will open a bazaar. So starting tomorrow,
there will be an embroidery meeting at my house. You too should attend.”
You may want to know what the bazaar and the embroidery meeting have to do
with it, but the setting in this novel was like that.
The items that elegant wives put out at the bazaar are mainly embroidery works.
And the bazaar was prepared by forming an embroidery group among close
wives, and the meeting place of the embroidery group to which the Duchess
belonged this year was, of course, Duke Ludwig.
“My skills are not very good... I don’t know if it’s causing trouble or not.”
Liese answered humbly like a heroine, but in truth, I wasn’t really good enough
to show off my skills.
In the meantime, I tried embroidery as a hobby, but it was still at the level of
very basic stitches.
Edith of the original work had little memory of embroidery, probably because
her embroidery skills were poor.
I just said I would attend and focused on preparing the embroidery tools.
Originally, when you start something, having equipment is the most fun.
And the next day, I had to face the eyes that looked me up and down for the first
time in a long time.
“As you all know, this is my daughter-in-law, Edith.”
“Nice to meet you. Edith Ludwig. My skills are lacking, but I will do my best.”
I received the introduction of the Duchess and politely posted my greetings, but
the members of the embroidery club seemed to regard me as ‘the Rigelhoff
family’s helper’.
Well, well, the people in this family are still there, but how can you tell them
apart?
“And this is Miss Liese Sinclair, who is staying as an honored guest in our
house.”
I felt bad for Liese’s friendly response, but anyway, what I wanted wasn’t a
future where everyone would be kind to me.
Only the people of the Ludwig family I would live with, more precisely, Killian,
had to have no thoughts of killing me.
After thinking that, the cold attitude of the wives towards me became nothing.
After greeting each other, the full-fledged embroidery time began, and the wives
with good skills picked up fairly large embroidery frames and announced plans
to make masterpieces.
As I took out the small embroidery frame to place the embroidery on the
handkerchief, I was slightly stunned, but Liese anyway... Huh? What is that?
“Oh! You must be really pretty. By the way, did you make that shawl yourself?”
“Yes. I wove it myself with the help of the maids in the bedroom. It’s a bit
messy, but...”
“Sloppy! Did you make it too well? You know how to handle a loom, that’s
amazing!”
To embroider such a large shawl... Was Liese like that in the original story?
Rather, it seems that Liese embroidered the handkerchief, and Edith ordered the
maid she brought to buy a very large piece... It’s fraying.
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EPISODE 33
I was startled by the Duchess’s voice and looked up to see that everyone’s eyes
were on me.
I timidly appealed that I would make several copies, but nothing changed.
I had hoped that the Duchess would secretly purchase it for the sake of the
family’s face, but if it didn’t work out, I’d have to ask Anna to buy it for me.
I didn’t get involved in the conversations of the other wives, and I just flipped
through the embroidery design book.
I decided to embroider a little bird with a bay leaf in its beak, and painstakingly
painted a design on a handkerchief.
It was a little embarrassing to do just that one, so I went around the handkerchief
and added a laurel pattern.
While I was working so hard on the design, my wife, who had been giving me a
particularly cold look from earlier, sneaked up to me and started talking to me.
“Oh! The design is similar to the one my daughter made the year before last. It
will be very pretty when finished.”
At that time, the wife who sat next to her pretended not to know anything.
“I remember the handkerchief Miss Larissa made the year before last. By the
way, how old is Miss Larissa this year?”
“Then you made that handkerchief when you were fifteen. She was just like a
little girl, but to say that she has already become a lady, time flies.”
“Yes? Ho-ho-ho!”
It was also used when the Duchess was busy looking at other people’s work.
‘Wasn’t that lady secretly friendly with the Count Sinclair? Why is she making a
fuss over me and not Liese?’
Well, if the Duchess betrayed Liese, whom the Duchess cherishes like a
daughter, he would hate the Duchess.
I was kind of annoyed, but I didn’t need the attention of people who didn’t
matter anyway.
In particular, the lady who was close to Count Sinclair secretly compared me
and Liese and led the bullying.
‘In a way, it’s only natural that Edith became jealous of Liese in the original
story.’
It’s because I know the original work that I can be bored with such
provocations, otherwise I might have hated Liese too.
Even today, Liese was embroidered with all sorts of flowers and grasses on her
shawl with a spirited skill while receiving plenty of cuteness from the other
wives.
That shawl will probably end up in the hands of Cliff among the two men who
were fighting over each other.
‘Yes or no.’
I looked down at the handkerchief with only laurels embroidered around it,
contemplating what color to paint the bird’s body.
Originally, I was going to fill it with yellow, but I thought it would look too
much like a chick.
After thinking about it, I took out a thread and tried it on, thinking of making the
body light gray and the wings silver and black.
“I think it would be really cute if the leaves on the beak were this light green.”
However, if she refused Liese’s proposal here, she would say that having no
skills is arrogant or that she doesn’t know how to listen to others’ advice, so she
had to be careful.
“Thanks for the advice, Liese. But this... It’s because I’m making it while
thinking of Killian.”
It just happened to remind me of Killian, who has gray eyes, and said it around,
but well, it didn’t seem like a bad excuse to use.
The wives who tried to punish me for rejecting Liese’s proposal couldn’t refute
the excuse I gave.
What would they say if the new bride said she would embroider while thinking
of her new groom, especially the second son of the Duke Ludwig?
Rather, he was busy watching the happy Duchess.
“You are so lovely, Edith! Killian’s eyes are a very pretty color.”
When I even joked with the Duchess, the ladies next to me laughed and matched
the rhythm.
Liese tried to answer their question, but I quickly intercepted her words.
“Sure! Now, with the Duke, I went down to look around the estate that Killian
will receive. When I get back, I’ll tell you that you asked how I was doing.”
He knew that Liese had no ill intentions, but she was seriously lacking in tact.
‘It’s a question for me, and it’s a question about my husband, so why are you
trying to answer it?’
Of course, the author of this world said, ’Liese tried to answer, but Edith
intercepted her words with a ferocious face. She replied that Killian was doing
well, but in fact, Liese knew that Killian seemed distressed recently.
It’s like a damn world that’s only narrated from the main character’s point of
view.
***
They stood on the hillside of Philiac Mountain, overlooking Ryzen, the territory
that Killian would receive with the title of count.
Killian tried to answer nonchalantly, but Duke Ludwig noticed that his son was
quite pleased.
Because Ryzen was the territory he chose after careful consideration for Killian.
“It’s a bit far from the capital, but it’s rare to find a territory with such great
potential for development. In fact, ten days by carriage is not that far.”
“Sure. If you run by horse, it will take less than a week, so it’s not very far.
There are places that take a month.”
Killian was very satisfied with Ryzen.
In fact, I was a little worried about which territory my father and older brother
would separate.
In the past, I thought it didn’t matter anywhere, but if I were to bring the high-
nosed Edith to live, I wouldn’t be able to match her eye level with a tolerable
estate.
‘But if it’s a territory like this, that woman won’t say anything. It seems that my
father felt sorry for me for giving away such a net waste land.’
At one time, Killian had no intention of continuing his marriage with Edith for a
long time, but now he was thinking of bringing her down to the manor.
It was because Edith was more tolerant than I expected, and I already knew that
Liese’s heart had left me.
The wind of early summer that hit me halfway up the mountain was refreshing,
as if it would wipe away the lingering crumbs left inside.
Ryzen in the north was cooler than the capital in all four seasons, so it was more
comfortable than the capital, which gradually gets hotter.
“That’s it.”
Except for the snow problem in the winter, estate was pretty good.
If she complains about being cold, he’d be fine with giving him a fur coat. It
would have been foolish to miss this estate just because it was a little cold.
Ryzen’s area was not very large, but the production of agricultural products
compared to the area was very large.
The land was fertile and the rainfall was just right.
In addition, the working population was quite large thanks to the lack of large
cities around to absorb the youth.
“Since there are a lot of young people, it would be good to develop industries
other than agriculture. If we pave the way across Mount Philiac, it could become
a midway point for merchants roaming across the empire.”
“That’s a good idea. But before that, it would be better to solidify estate’s
security capabilities. Because when outsiders flock to it, crime tends to
increase.”
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EPISODE 34
“Yes.”
After descending from Mount Philiac, they returned to the lord’s castle.
The castle’s butler, Vincent, who had welcomed the owner of the estate after a
long time, was hectic.
Ever since I heard that they were coming, I had been sweeping the inside and
outside of the castle, but it seemed that I was not satisfied.
The estate’s castle was left to the caretakers, so it had no decorations and no
luxuries necessary for aristocratic life.
‘The castle itself is well-maintained, but the interior decoration and furnishings
are too crude. Edith, how much trouble can she find?’
Although they were a contemptible family, the level of wealth of the Counts
Rigelhof was not something to belittle.
The amount of money the family spent on Edith’s clothing was staggering, so
there was no way this last name caught her eye.
‘When I go back to the capital, I’ll have to find a good furniture craftsman first.
I’ll have to look into tapestries and tabards... As for the other things, I’ll have
her look for them.’
If I had to come anyway, it would have been better to come as early as possible
to inspect the estate, and I didn’t like the fact that Edith-related problems
continued to arise within the Duke’s residence.
‘Will she have a hard time if she gets away from the party or extravagant daily
life? What can I do though? There are things she has to endure if she wants to be
a countess.’
Come to think of it, Edith had never attended a party since she got married.
Maybe she’ll get along just fine here too.
If you’re really struggling, you can just send Edith to the capital during the
winter.
While he was staying in Ryzen, he had a deep conversation with his father about
the problems of the estate and the direction he should work on in the future, and
then returned to the capital.
For Killian, it was a time when his heart swelled with the thought of
independence.
He wasn’t even aware that Edith had intervened in all of his thoughts.
***
Killian, who went to look around the estate he was going to receive, said he
returned yesterday, but even after returning, he didn’t even show his nose, as if
he had a lot to discuss with the Duke and his wife.
“Of course, lady. There are many wives who have no interest in embroidery, so
this is enough.”
Innocent Anna had been suffering from my anxious questions for several days
already.
There was nothing I could do about it now, but I bullied Anna several times to
hear the answer, ‘It’s okay.’ It was because he had heard harsh criticism from
Linnon.
After that, I made a few more copies and selected three of the best ones for the
bazaar.
However, contrary to how nervous he was, when the morning of the bazaar
dawned, he became calm.
‘Yeah, well, I’m not going to die just because this doesn’t sell.’
This episode was just to show the difference between Liese and Edith’s ability,
so there was no risk to their lives if something went wrong.
I packed the three handkerchiefs I had painstakingly made in my bag and took
out a picnic dress to put on.
This, too, was an alteration of a dress she had brought with her when she got
married.
The light gray cotton dress, with all the cumbersome lace, ruffles and ribbons
removed, was neat enough to look like a uniform motif at first glance.
I liked all 10 dresses that I ordered because they were much prettier and more
natural than what I asked for.
After getting ready to go to the bazaar, Liese also came out wearing a bright
dress.
The lovely picnic dress with light blue fabric and pink ribbons really suited the
blonde and blue-eyed Liese.
If I put on a bonnet and parasol over there, I thought it would look like a doll.
Liese smiled brightly and praised me. Standing next to Liese in full dress, I
seemed to be nothing more than a background as I had hoped.
“Liese is really dazzling today. I thought that dress would look good on me.”
“Madame Royal’s skills are also skills, but I mean you’re pretty. Isn’t that right,
Edith?”
“Sure.”
I wondered if Cliff had shown up for some reason, but the Duchess looked up at
us and said,
“I will be late. Let us go first The Duke and Killian will come later.”
I followed them, expecting to see Killian today, but thinking about it, nothing
good would happen to me if he came.
‘At that time, it doesn’t seem like Killian’s basic personality has changed just
because the original story went wrong... Even if I came to the bazaar today, I’d
probably fight with Cliff to buy Liese’s work.’
I climbed into the carriage hoping that today would pass without incident.
I didn’t expect much until I came, but when I saw the clear blue sky, warm
wind, and happy faces of excited people, I was also excited.
I followed the Duchess and Liese, paid three humble handkerchiefs, signed the
donation list, and returned.
After that, we sat in the tent assigned to us, had tea, and had light conversations
or greeted the people who came to greet the Duchess.
When the Royal Dressing Room was called, the Duchess wearing the blue dress
Liese had chosen was praised by the people.
“Yes. It’s been a while since I called Madame Royal. This is the design that our
Liese chose. How is it? Are you okay?”
“Of course! It fits perfectly as if it was designed for my wife! Lady Liese’s eyes
are amazing!”
“Edith! I heard that the bazaar has begun, why don’t we go and see it?”
Since I was only keeping an eye on when I would wake up, I nodded lightly to
her and started walking around the venue with her.
Foreign rare items were also seen, and high-quality alcohol was also listed.
“This is really cute. Ah! That bracelet looks like someone preoccupied it. The
ribbon is attached.”
“It’s already sold out, so I guess the competition at the bazaar will be fierce
today?”
Liese pointed all over the place excitedly, and I was in a good mood for no
reason, so I hung around as if I were friends with her.
And Cliff, who followed as if he were our escort, would be quietly attaching a
ribbon to the thing Liese said was pretty.
I had to put up with shame for a while at the stand where the artworks we
donated were displayed.
Anna said that my handkerchief was enough, but her jaw dropped when she saw
large-scale knitted works or embroidered works with complex techniques.
Of course, it was a white lie, but if I had known it was this much, I would have
burned the handkerchief...
I hurried away with Liese to give Cliff a chance to preoccupy Liese’s shawl. Not
because I’m ashamed to see my work, but for the sake of the male lead!
Leaving Cliff behind, we went back to the tent, and at first glance, the wife and
her daughters, or young ladies who seemed to be friends of the daughters,
looked up and down in our direction.
like... I wonder if it’s like Iljin who is waiting for the main character.
“It’s been a while since I came up to the capital, so I can’t adapt to the social
world these days. An illegitimate child wandering around the bazaar.”
“Mother! You have to be careful with what you say. Not just an illegitimate
child, but an illegitimate child living as a guest of the Ludwig family. How
much do you care about the Duke and his wife?”
“Okay? The Duke and Duchess Ludwig are very famous people... Do you keep
that as a pet?”
I looked at them frowning at them saying absurd words, but suddenly I felt
Liese’s hand holding my arm tremble and turned my head.
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EPISODE 35
“I can’t adapt to the social world these days. The country villagers and the like
stir up the bazaar. Besides, don’t you notice?”
Perhaps not knowing that I would stare at me and attack, the wife sharply raised
her eyes.
“Edith Rigelhoff.”
“Ah, he said he was just leaving...? It’s really rumored. There is not even one
place that looks better than an illegitimate child.”
“So you heard that you are being ignored even by your own husband?”
I wondered if he would keep his mouth shut, but a young lady next to him raised
her chin and answered.
“If Countess Bryn doesn’t even know you, Edith, shouldn’t you look back on
your culture and insight?”
“Anyone who picks a fight on a passer-by will have to learn basic etiquette
again.”
At those words, the woman who was said to be Countess Bryn’s eyebrows
twisted even more.
“Now I see that bastard looks better. At least you seem to know where you are.”
“And your wife will have to look good in the eyes of that ‘woman worse than an
illegitimate child’. If this matter comes to the ears of the Duchess now, Count
Bryn will be in danger.”
“I’ve heard rumors that the Ludwig family brought in a daughter-in-law they
didn’t like, but I thought it would be that much.”
“Okay, if you’ve said everything, can you stop blocking the road? Lord Cliff
Ludwig is coming after this.”
I felt like I could feel Cliff’s energy, so I said this without looking back, but I
wonder if they really saw Cliff, and they hurriedly disappeared leaving behind
disapproving glances.
At the sound of Cliff’s voice, Liese let out a trembling breath and raised her
head.
“You are a friend of the Count Sinclair. Even Edith got to hear harsh words
because of me... Really sorry.”
“I am really fine. Talk wildly, what. I have nothing to lose.”
While I was shrugging, Cliff came and looked at Liese’s complexion, and Liese
quickly smiled as if it was nothing.
Those who wanted to look good in the Ludwig family knew that they cared for
Liese, so they praised Liese, but those who didn’t, even after the 4th volume of
the original work, still looked down on Liese, saying that she was an illegitimate
child.
Even the people who looked down on Liese made fun of me, saying that I was
worse than Liese, and if it was Edith of the original work, it would make me roll
my eyes.
I went to the Duke’s tent while repeating ‘selection and concentration’ again.
Back at the tent, Duke Ludwig was sitting, but Killian was nowhere to be seen.
‘Ah, I must have ran to buy Liese’s work. But what about Cliff would have just
bought it.’
If I had known it would be like this, I would have come a little slower.
By noon, people flocked to the bazaar, and the boisterous greetings continued.
And the episode started to do its job.
There was nothing like the group of Iljin people blocking the road earlier.
“Oh my, Ms. Liese gets more and more beautiful every time I see her!”
“It seems that Mrs. Ludwig has already made Miss Liese a daughter-in-law?”
“I saw the work that was put out at the bazaar earlier. How can you be so
skillful?”
Earlier, those people had a fight, so there was a way to pay them back, but these
people didn’t have that either. It was as if they couldn’t see me at all.
The elaborately decorated aristocratic wives were calling each other by name,
but it was a face and name that I couldn’t remember when I turned around.
“Oops! There was also Lady Edith! However... I think my style has changed a
bit from before...?”
“Come to think of it, I see.”
I guess so.
Because the girl who used to emphasize her breasts and preferred flashy dresses
suddenly appeared in plain clothes.
‘Ah! Could that be why Edith wore raunchy and flashy clothes? Otherwise, you
won’t be noticed next to Liese...’
Just then, Killian, who must have failed to buy Liese’s work, approached.
Seeing that he hasn’t seen her in a while, it seems that he hasn’t had time to see
Liese’s face since returning from the estate yesterday.
His gaze turned to me. Do you want to be ignored when you say hello? But if
you don’t do it, you’ll hear people say you won’t do it again, right?
“I was busy preparing for the bazaar, well. Because I am not good at
embroidery.”
There were a lot of days when I couldn’t see Killian even when he was at the
mansion, and I don’t know why.
Despite my unfriendly reaction, Killian only smiled and did not spit out any
harsh words.
Intermittently, Liese talked to Killian, but strangely, Killian did not respond for
a long time.
‘What happened?’
Killian sat next to me the whole time, and I was spared the sack of barley I had
borrowed.
How nice it would have been if the day ended just like that.
After using the luxurious bathroom in the mansion, I came out feeling light, but
someone grabbed my wrist and dragged me to the side of the building.
“Oh, brother?”
It is clear that the tension has loosened in the meantime. You forgot that the
Rigelhoffs could come here too!
Shane looked like Count Rigelhoff, blonde, and said he was handsome, but I felt
very uneasy from the first time I saw him.
It’s partly because I suffered too much from my older brother in my previous
life, but it’s also because this person also didn’t look at me well.
Sure enough, in Edith’s memories that soon followed, this human was no
different from her older brother in the previous life. It was clear that he saw me
as expendable to his career.
“Of course I came with my parents. But, what the hell happened to you?”
“What?”
As he pretended not to know anything, his eyes widened.
“What?”
“I thought you were crazy because I sent you a letter telling you not to think
about attacking the Ludwig family, but right after that, you sent weapons related
documents, and those documents are fake again.”
I hesitated.
“Brother. The weapon papers. When and who did you get it from?”
“Your reply came shortly after, through a private messenger. Did they give you
fake documents to try?”
At the time, he was suspicious of Liese, but thinking about it, Liese had no
reason to do so. What’s wrong with him, so he’ll hurt me?
“If you’ve guessed that far, you know that I’m in a precarious position in the
Ludwig family, right?”
My curiosity was quickly dispelled. After all, Shane wasn’t concerned about my
safety.
Suddenly, it seemed as if the anger she hadn’t been able to pour out to her
brother in her previous life welled up.
“What?”
“I don’t know who did it, but it looks like they sent it to fuck me.”
“What are you talking about... For a moment. If it’s not you who sent it, you...”
“Yes. The letter I sent to my father is my sincerity. Stop thinking about hitting
the Ludwig family. I’ll be in big trouble later...!”
My ears were deafened and physiological tears burst out. It was next that his
cheeks burned like they were on fire.
EPISODE 36
“Ha...”
“Are you betraying the grace of the family that fed, clothed, and raised you? Do
you think we will keep a traitor alive in our family?”
“He fed me, clothed me, raised me, and... Yes, if you have to call it grace, then
my letter was sent to repay the grace. My warning, you better not ignore it.”
“A hawk is medicine for a bastard that doesn’t recognize its owner and goes on
a rampage. Do you think there is no way to tighten your leash just because you
are in the Ludwig family?”
It was because Edith’s memories from a very long time ago came to mind only
belatedly.
“Sorry, Father! Sorry!”
“Stupid bitch! I’ve taught you several times, but I couldn’t do it!”
Cheeks and head and back and forearm... No, Count Rigelhoff, who had been
randomly hitting anywhere his hands and feet could reach, shimmered.
I don’t know why the hell he did this to his own daughter.
No one helped her, and she had no choice but to act as her father’s puppet.
‘For Edith, this marriage... Killian... I must have been really desperate.’
That’s why Ludwig desperately wanted Killian even though he couldn’t refuse
the Rigelhoff family’s order to steal insider information.
Even though there are many differences, I could understand Edith’s feelings.
It’s also about saving my life, but I didn’t want to let Edith die a miserable
death.
Looking in the hand mirror, the cheeks Shane had slapped were red, but it
seemed like they would somehow get over it if he pretended to be slightly
heated by the sun.
“I have been looking for a long time. Where the hell are you coming from?”
“Ah... The mansion is beautiful, so I wanted to see what it looked like on this
side...”
“It can’t be. I also came out to wash my hands and only found you.”
“It’s thrilling to have someone who cares about where I’ve disappeared. Isn’t
it?”
Seriously.
It was so bittersweet.
Did someone care about the empty seat of Soo-na Choi who died?
If I die as Edith Ludwig, who will take care of the empty seat?
Returning to the tent after the speechless Killian, I felt a little weak at the
thought of Shane’s threat and my own lack of support.
“Even at this year’s bazaar, all donations were sold out at high prices! Thank
you. We will deliver your warm hearts as necessary items to each orphanage.”
Mrs. Ermenia, the organizer of the bazaar, announced the end of the bazaar with
the news that all items were sold.
Today would have been a really good day if it hadn’t been for meeting Shane...
***
Returning from the bazaar, Count Rigelhoff hysterically dragged out the cravat,
threw it away, and sat down on the sofa. Then he turned his head to Shane, who
had followed him into the study, his eyes shining sharply.
Shane sat down across from the Count, and belatedly Sophia, the maid, came in,
preparing tea for the two of them.
When the teacup was filled, Shane opened his mouth only after passing a sip.
“I’d rather understand if you said you were beaten over the head by the Ludwig
family. He raised his head very stiffly and talked to me, and he doubted whether
it was Edith.”
At those words, Count Rigelhoff’s eyes narrowed.
Since she was beaten and taught to be completely obedient to other family
members from a young age, Edith did not dare to look into Shane’s eyes unless
they were in front of other people’s eyes.
He couldn’t believe that Edith raised his head and spoke softly.
“At first, I spoke well. Are you being watched by the duchy, and what
happened?”
“Did you?”
“I asked when and from whom he got the documents related to the fake weapon,
and he asked if he knew that he was in a precarious position in the ducal
family.”
Next to him, the maid Sophia said in disbelief, ‘Ouch.’ and took her breath.
“I was taken aback, but the letter I sent to my father said he was sincere and told
me not to think about attacking the Ludwig family, so I slapped him. Did he
dare to betray his family?”
“You mean you couldn’t come to your senses even after being beaten?”
“Rather, more. What? Did he really send that letter to repay the family’s
kindness? Do not ignore self warnings. Sigh!”
At those words, Count Rigelhoff let out an absurd laugh.
“Edith is really crazy. Or maybe the Ludwig family has taken possession of it
more terrifyingly than we have.”
“Maybe he thought he was free now that he was out of this house.”
Now even Count Rigelhoff’s teeth were grinding. Is this what it feels like to be
bitten by a dog?
“You should have killed my mother and me in the first place! I didn’t want to
raise such a mongrel that I didn’t even know who it was!”
Edith was not the real daughter of Count Rigelhoff. Not to mention that she was
her own daughter, she did not know who Edith’s father was.
It’s just that Edith’s mother was the younger sister of Count Rigelhoff.
My younger sister, who usually behaved badly, knelt down in front of me and
cried profusely only when she was so full that she could not hide it.
How dumbfounded I was when I said I didn’t know when I had a child or whose
child it was...
However, he couldn’t bear to kill his sister who had a baby, so he sent her to the
manor under the pretext of recuperation, and when the child was born, he
registered it in his family register.
It was possible because his wife also went down to the manor in a recuperation
car, and it was inevitable for the family’s honor, but in fact, she was reluctant
from the beginning.
The sister who prayed for help gave birth to a child and the bleeding did not
stop, and eventually died shortly after.
I should have abandoned Edith when the fortuneteller said that she was a girl
who ate her mother and that it was unlucky.
His wife, Anais Rigelhoff, was a beautiful woman, but she was too weak to have
children after giving birth to Shane.
It was fortunate that she had an heir, Shane, but it was somehow uneasy to have
only one son from an aristocratic family.
So, it was Edith who raised it thoroughly as a family dog, thinking that it would
be useful someday.
“I reaped what I deserved to die for and raised her as the daughter of a count, but
you betrayed the family without knowing the favor?”
At that time, the maid Sophia, who had been sitting quietly by her side, stepped
out.
“Master. I will go and crack down on Lady Edith.”
Since it had already been discussed with Shane, Sophia had no qualms about it.
“It must be that the lady doesn’t have a railroad yet and doesn’t know anything
about water. I will make sure that you cannot leave the Rigelhoff family even if
you belong to the Ludwig family.”
“The Ludwig family might harm you. Will you be okay though?”
“You are much better than Edith. Then go get Edith to wake up and spy on the
inside of the Ludwig family.”
“What if Sophia’s ‘discipline’ doesn’t bring the girl to her senses? What if I tell
the Ludwig family about it?”
“If he was going to tell me about my situation, rumors would have already
spread in the social world. He’s a stupid bitch, but he knows my situation. If he
knew he was abandoned by our family, would he take him with him to go to
Ludwig?”
“Sophia. If that doesn’t work out, it’s okay for Edith to be mysteriously
assassinated. The culprit must be Killian Ludwig.”
“I understand, master.”
Sophia showed off a bright smile that she had never seen before in front of
Edith.
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EPISODE 37
<I refuse obsession> was a 5-volume romantic edition, and Edith appeared at the
end of volume 3 and disappeared before volume 5 began.
And at the beginning of Volume 5, Liese receives Cliff’s love confession along
with a proposal.
Right now, Liese and I are 22 years old, the same age.
‘Are you sure. I remember thinking that at that age, I wouldn’t even have
graduated from college.’
Until the episode where my throat gets blown off, how many months will it be?
As I thought about it, my back suddenly became wet with a cold sweat.
As I went out into the hallway, I heard a woman wailing from the front door on
the first floor.
“I beg you! Please let me meet my lady! Even before marriage, you couldn’t
even leave your mind without worrying about me, so I don’t know how you’re
doing here alone...!”
“Uh...?”
She also found me and called my name before I had time to escape.
“Cow... Sophia...”
Sophia, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, clung to me with a worried face,
unlike the Rigelhoffs.
I wondered how the maid had managed to get the Duchess and the heir down,
but Shane was standing behind Sofia.
“Brother...?”
I blankly called out to Shane, but he continued speaking with a sad expression as
he stood facing the Duchess instead of me.
“I feel very sorry for causing a commotion. However, Sophia, who was Edith’s
exclusive maid, missed Edith so much, and we, too... I was anxious because I
couldn’t know Edith’s safety at all.”
“Thank you for your words, but you probably know very well that it is not as
easy as it sounds. So, at least let Sophia stay by Edith’s side. Isn’t it just a
maid?”
Only then did I know what Shane was talking about, “how to tighten a dog
leash.”
“Miss! Please, please don’t abandon me yes? Hehe... You can hit me and punish
me. Just so that I can take the lady by my side...”
Sophia clung to me even more.
“Edith. Isn’t it Sophia who has been by your side since you were little? How
much Sofia was worried about you...”
“There are rumors that the young lady is being persecuted by the ducal family!
He said he couldn’t even come to his best friend’s tea party...!”
“You’re still looking at other people’s eyes! She heard that even at the bazaar,
she sat like a loner by herself. Everyone said that Sinclair, a guest at this house,
only cared about the young lady...”
And the Duchess and others also shrugged as if they had been stabbed.
After all, this time, the Ludwig family had no justification for rejecting Sophia.
“If you are that concerned, leave this maid behind. I will use it as Edith’s
exclusive maid.”
“No. If even Sophia takes notice of this house, who will protect our Edith?”
Ha... Anyone who sees it will think it’s a sister complex. The human who
slapped me hard...!
But I couldn’t expose Shane. When I tried to tell her if you hit me at the bazaar,
my tongue stiffened again and I heard tinnitus.
‘Jegiraaaaar!!’
I refused several more times, saying I didn’t need a maid from the Rigelhoffs,
but thanks to Shane, who pushed me to say that even that was not paying
attention to the Duchess, I finally had to accept Sophia.
If you think about it, the episodes that will happen in the future were all things
that Sophia moved.
Besides, Count Rigelhoff would have entrusted me with full authority over my
disposal, so even if I died at the hands of that maid, Count Rigelhoff wouldn’t
blink an eye.
‘If I die, Sophia can’t be in this house anymore. The original work will also be
greatly distorted.’
And finally, when Sophia and I were left alone in the room, Sophia’s expression
completely changed.
“When I heard Shane talk about the young lady, I couldn’t believe it, but seeing
how you replied, it seems that you really did.”
I held back my instinctive fear and tried to convince him as calmly as possible.
“Sophia. The power of Duke Ludwig isn’t all that it seems. Besides, its power is
growing day by day. If my father doesn’t change his mind, our whole family is
in danger.”
“That is not for you to judge. All you have to do is follow the master’s orders.”
“You should think of raising the name of the family by dedicating your life.
“Shane said, the weapon-related documents were not sent by the lady...”
“Is it because you knew it was a fake document? Did the ducal family imitate
the lady’s handwriting and send it because she didn’t send it?”
But I didn’t think that the Duke’s family had to do such a thing.
Their primary purpose in letting me see the fake document was to test me out,
not to attack the Rigelhoff family.
Even so, to avoid getting beaten up by Sophia, it might be better to say that I
didn’t send it because I thought it was a fake document.
But on the other hand, if you acted that way, you could be suspicious of Killian
again.
“Therefore... You mean you really made up your mind to betray your family.”
“I don’t know why this is a betrayal. Are you sure the Rigelhoffs will win if they
beat the Ludwig family? Even if ArchDuke Langston became emperor, do you
think he would give his father the title of Duke? Now, His Majesty’s throne is
secure, and the Ludwig duchy is stronger than the ArchDuchess of Langston.”
“You’re welcome. ArchDuke Langston has the Count in his favor, and sooner or
later the Emperor and the Duke Ludwig will fall.”
“Who is it? Father? Your father is really mistaken. It’s all just your wishes!”
Sophia gave up on her respect, spat out swear words at me, and started beating
the part covered by her clothes at random.
“Evil! Aww!”
I picked out and hit only the places that were painful but inconspicuous, enough
to make me wonder if those who learned were different.
I rebelled, but Sophia didn’t flinch like a man made of wood and stone.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 38
“If you want to betray, do it. If your years are useless, I will kill you and hold
the Ludwig family accountable.”
Even in the midst of tears welling up from the choked breath, I understood
Sophia’s meaning.
She should be able to make up enough to make it look like I was killed by
someone from the Dukedom, and she’ll grab the pod and persistently bite the
Duke Ludwig.
No one would imagine that Count Rigelhoff, who was famous for his daughter’s
care, would have killed my daughter.
“So, if you don’t want to die, do well as a pretty doll like you did before.”
I thought he would hit me again, but Sophia just looked down at me with a
laughable look.
***
Killian was lost in thought, tinkering with the embroidery of a light gray bird
biting a laurel leaf.
After visiting the Ryzen estate, it happened to be the day before the annual
bazaar held by Countess Ermenia.
Actually, about it, ‘I’m tired, but I have to go there again tomorrow.’ It was just
an impression.
“And Edith embroidered a bird on her handkerchief. Do you know what color it
is?”
“Can I know that? Is that an important issue?”
“...What?”
“They put the numbers while thinking of you. Aren’t they so cute?”
The mother laughed as if it was funny, saying that Edith had told her not to tell
you about it, but Killian wondered what Edith had meant by saying that.
And as soon as he arrived at the bazaar the next day, Killian knew that Edith,
Liese, and Cliff had all gone to the bazaar and followed him.
However, because he followed them too late, he witnessed Edith and Liese
returning from the tour.
Just as they were about to pretend to know, a group of women blocked Edith and
Liese’s path.
Although she was a wife famous for her vicious words, she had many followers
because of the prestige of Count Bryn and her caring personality.
However, the woman started a fight with Liese, saying that she was not an
illegitimate child or that she was a pet.
He was about to approach him in anger, but Edith stepped forward to block the
trembling Liese.
“I can’t adapt to the social world these days. A countryman or something like
that stirs up the bazaar.”
At that bold provocation, even Killian said, ‘Whoops.’ I was surprised, but the
other side started making fun of Edith.
He was saying that he was just going out or that he was worse than Liese
because it was true, but the words that a woman said pierced Killian’s heart.
“So you heard that you are being ignored even by your own husband?”
It wasn’t a mistake. Even now, I didn’t think that I had to take care of Edith
carefully.
“I’ve heard rumors that the Ludwig family brought in a daughter-in-law they
didn’t like, but I thought it would be that much.”
The words they uttered were like blades disguised as words. It wasn’t even a lie,
so it was a sharper weapon.
Killian blamed the Rigelhoffs. Even so, he was nervous the moment he looked
away to check Edith’s expression.
However, unlike the frozen Killian, Edith took Liese and left without incident.
But suddenly, he remembered the woman who had said that she was hurt by the
words he had uttered.
Killian, who was watching Edith return to the Duke’s tent, tried to follow her,
but then turned around again.
At the bazaar event, Killian found three handkerchiefs that were clearly
embroidered by Edith.
‘There shouldn’t be a disgrace where the goods from the Ludwig family’s
bazaar remain until the end.’
Thinking about that excuse, he bought three handkerchiefs Edith made on the
spot and stuffed them into his inside pocket.
And when I returned to the tent, the still beautiful Liese greeted me with a bright
smile, and Edith...
No, it can’t be. She couldn’t have wanted to see me, who would only make nasty
comments about her whenever I met her face.
Besides, isn’t her husband ‘ignoring’ her to the extent that everyone else knows?
The weather was nice, and it was nice to meet and greet my acquaintances after
a long time.
Edith, who laughed and sipped iced tea and picked up tea food, was also okay.
It seemed like there would be nothing I couldn’t live with if she behaved like
this.
Perhaps it was because of that thought, he even said a few words to Edith
without much thought.
“Yes? Madame Royal’s skill was quite good. You would be surprised to know
what this dress looked like.”
So I knew that the dress she was wearing was not new, but had been refurbished.
Right across the street, someone was complimenting Liese’s beauty and her new
dress ‘again’, but while Killian was sitting there, no one complimented Edith.
Yes. The reason why people ignore Edith is because Edith has not cared about
her own reputation.
However, when a group of other wives complimented Liese without even saying
hello to Edith, Killian had to admit that he was offended.
But just then, Edith woke up to fix her makeup and come back.
Just as he was about to leave the tent, Liese gently grabbed the hem of his
clothes and asked.
At the same time, the eyes of the other wives also turned to him.
“Oh! The Lord Killian were also there! Long time no see.”
At other times, I would have greeted each one for the sake of reputation and
mother’s face.
However, since they had been trying to look good only to Cliff and Liese
without even paying attention to me and Edith, I didn’t feel very good about
them.
I entered the mansion and looked around to see where the women’s bathroom
was, and then I saw Edith’s reddish-brown hair outside the window.
She was with a blonde man.
‘No way, I don’t think she’s enjoying a tryst with another man with so many
eyes on her, right?’
Even thinking so, Killian hurriedly came out of the mansion and sneaked toward
the corner where they had disappeared.
The man who had been dragging Edith pulled her over and whispered something
to her, then roughed her up.
And only then did Killian find out the man’s identity.
‘Shane Rigelhoff...?’
Shane glared at Edith with a grinning expression, then turned and walked away.
When I saw that she took out a handkerchief and touched her eyes, she must
have been crying.
However, Edith soon took a deep breath and took out a mirror to examine her
face.
Then, with a strange face, she only raised the corner of her mouth with a smirk,
then put the mirror in with a tired expression and turned around.
Killian quickly took a few steps away and pretended to be there just in time for
her to turn the corner.
“I have been looking for a long time. Where the hell are you coming from?”
“Ah... The mansion is beautiful, so I wanted to see what it looked like on this
side...”
As soon as they met, Killian noticed that one of her cheeks was flushed.
It was unbelievable.
The family’s love for their daughter was a famous story in the social world.
However, when I thought of Shane’s unfamiliarly stern face and Edith’s red
cheek after meeting her, I couldn’t help but think of the result.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 39
It was nonsense.
He sarcastically asked if he was excited about things like that when he got older,
but Edith said it as if she were going to disappear.
“It’s thrilling to have someone who cares about where I’ve disappeared. Isn’t
it?”
It seemed that Killian would never be able to forget her lonely expression.
However, her heart to soften toward Edith was stiffened by the words of Liese,
who came late and opened her mouth with difficulty.
“What happened?”
“That is... I was passing by while talking with Cliff, and I definitely overheard
the successor of Count Rigelhoff talking about Duke Ludwig to Count
Rigelhoff.”
“What...?”
Liese wiggled her little hands before continuing with Killian’s request to talk in
more detail.
“It was really accidental, so I didn’t listen closely. It was such a short moment
that even Cliff couldn’t see it. However... I’m sure I heard the words of Duke
Ludwig and Edith’s name. Did he meet Edith yesterday?”
And a few days later, from the morning, Shane brought a rather vicious maid,
and didn’t he dare to put that maid next to Edith?
It reminded me of Count Rigelhoff, who had been trying to get Edith a maid
before marriage.
Even at first glance, the maid Shane had brought was nothing like a normal
maid.
What kind of maid in the world could do such a depravity in front of the Duke’s
family?
‘Edith could have complained about my situation to Shane. That’s why Shane,
angry at the Ludwig family, offered to attach her maid, and Edith might have
been moved and shed tears...’
As she said, the blushing of her cheeks may have been because of the sunlight.
Perhaps because of that suspicion, Edith’s many times saying no to it all seemed
like smoke.
Rumors of persecution of Edith had even spread, but there was no way not to
accept that maid.
‘If you keep an eye on it, you’ll know. Is Edith’s attitude acting or is it sincere?’
From the next day, Sophia became Edith’s exclusive maid, and the duchy
secretly increased the number of watchers around them.
***
It’s a thought I’ve had a few times in my previous life, but I have the thought
that living as an Edithor is far from every day.
It wasn’t until the morning shift, when I could avoid Sophia’s watch, that I
finally caught my breath.
‘Besides, if you come to Linnon’s office, at least you can have tea and snacks!’
Originally, I didn’t enjoy refreshments when I was working, but since I was
hungry, I couldn’t see anything.
I was about to eat all the cookies and madeleines on the plate, but out of
conscience, I left one for Linnon.
But it seems that I was looking at the nasty leftovers with anxious eyes.
They say that they deliberately look for bitter and tasteless things to eat.
I ate the rest of the cookies and madeleines while adding such lame excuses.
Pork soup, cow head soup, bean sprout soup, sundae soup, oyster soup...
But when that evening came, I regretted thinking about the cookies and
Madeleine that I couldn’t refill.
It was clear that I would not be able to eat even that since the next day I would
take a break from work for a few days.
He glared at Sophia and complained, but that only made her feel better.
“If you want to eat it, you have to prove its usefulness.”
“That’s funny. You may be my father’s dog, but I am a man. I have my own free
will.”
“I look forward to seeing how far that free will will go in the face of hunger.”
Sofia mocked me, then suddenly came up to me and grabbed my hair and shook
it wildly.
After shaking for a while, Sophia let go of my head like throwing it onto a
pillow.
I was hit more with sharp fists on my bones and spine, but Sophia was holding
my head on the pillow so I couldn’t even scream as much as I wanted.
In my previous life, I would never have considered myself brave enough to face
such violence, but now I never wanted to give in.
I wanted to stand up to the violence the Rigelhoffs inflicted on Edith.
‘There’s no way the Duke’s family didn’t put guards around here.’
It was because of the belief that there must be someone watching somewhere.
Of course, no one knows what’s going on in this room, but mistakes happen in
the blink of an eye.
The guards might catch me pretending to sympathize with Sophia without even
realizing it.
‘Of course, that story will reach Killian’s ears. How much more will I have to
work to clear up that misunderstanding?’
If I was misunderstood by him more than this, it seemed that I would not be able
to clear up the misunderstanding within a short period of time.
But, it seemed like I could hear the voice of the narrator from somewhere.
[Edith Riegelhoff cannot reveal hidden settings about himself until he meets the
three-step exception.]
Now it’s not enough to hear in dreams, do you even hear hallucinations?
‘I know, I know!’
***
Sophia let out a laugh as she beat Edith to her heart’s content.
It was because he was the one who had ‘disciplined’ and raised Edith from the
age of 12, living like a maid close to Edith.
‘Why did the kid who was trembling and obedient even with a single slap
suddenly change like that?’
Edith, who grew up being severely punished by Count Rigelhoff from a young
age, became infinitely weak in the face of violence.
If you hit her too much, she would shake her body out of hand, so outside it was
a matter of hitting her only as much as she could stand and tightening the leash.
But in just a few months, people change completely, and even after being beaten
like that, they roll their eyes and say arrogant things.
“Because she was so stupid, she forgot her owner. Tsk. I will have to train more
thoroughly in the future.”
She muttered in annoyance, but a smile filled with anticipation bloomed on her
lips.
In fact, Sophia felt the greatest joy and pleasure from beating Edith.
In order not to be discovered by the people of the Duke Ludwig, I had to pick
only the part that was covered by clothes and hit it just enough so that it
wouldn’t bleed, but then somehow the intensity was weaker. That was a bit
disappointing
However, since humans have more than one vital point, there are many ways to
harass them without seeing blood.
Then, at the stair landing, I ran into the rumored Liese Sinclair.
As rumored, it was dazzlingly beautiful, but Sophia felt sick to her stomach.
For Sofia, Liese was on the same level as Edith, or even lower.
‘You’re like a lustful prostitute who seduces men with an innocent face!’
Otherwise, the always cool and rational Shane couldn’t have been so possessed.
EPISODE 40
“Sophia. When you enter the Ludwig family, find out how Liese Sinclair is
doing, what she likes, and if there is anything special about it, and let me know
by letter. Don’t tell your father about this. Understand?”
When the little master she had admired for a long time brought up Liese’s name,
dyeing her ear lobe red, Sofia noticed that he had Liese in mind.
At that time, all I wanted to do was to tear apart Edith and the illegitimate
daughter of the Sinclair family.
I didn’t dare to covet the position of Shane’s wife. However, she couldn’t let her
illegitimate son, who was born on her maid’s boat, seduce Shane.
However, when she came to the Ludwig family, Liese was treated more than
expected, and her escort was at an impenetrable level.
Sophia, while sharpening her sword inwardly, bowed slightly to Liese and left in
front of him.
Then, casually passing by with a servant, he was quickly handed a small note.
— The territory that Killian Ludwig will receive is Ryzen.
Another mercenary planted in the Ludwig family was paying for his meal
properly.
‘Even this ignoramus pays for food, but Edith is still so useless, Won. That’s
why I don’t have the right to eat, and that’s why my husband ignores me.’
Even though I was confident that I would do much better if they gave me the
status of the count’s daughter.
Sophia felt pity for my situation of having to call those lesser than me lady, and
took Edith’s meal for me to eat. While thinking about how to make fun of the
starving Edith today.
***
After five days of starvation, all I could think of was something to eat in the
morning.
However, because Linnon was away on a business trip for several days, they
couldn’t even get refreshments.
‘Hungry...’
I threw the piece of bread I ate last night on the floor and said.
Honestly, if Sofia wasn’t watching, I might have actually picked it up and eaten
it.
At that, Sophia also laughed for a long time. I heard that a girl who is not as
good as a dog is uselessly stubborn.
Anyway, I thought that if I was humiliated like that for lunch today, I would
pick up some bread without even realizing it, so Sofia ran out of the room while
Sophia went to get a meal.
Everyone was busy preparing meals, and the smell of food was vibrating
everywhere.
I searched for a place where I could not smell as much as possible, and then I
remembered the Great Hall and headed there.
‘Hungry... Hungry...’
It wasn’t that he didn’t think about hiding somewhere else and calling another
maid to bring him something to eat.
In fact, on the first evening, I used that method while laughing at Sophia.
I did, but when I went back to my room, Sofia forced me to vomit all of it.
Toxic year.
When I vomited up, my stomach hurt so much that the memory of moaning all
night still lingers like a trauma.
When I went to the Great Hall, the smell of grass and flowers masked the smell
of food, so it was much better.
A peach pie that looked like it was freshly baked was placed on a table.
How beautifully the sugar water was baked, the smooth surface made it look
even more appetizing.
“...Deet!”
Unknowingly, I was just staring at the pie, and I was startled when someone
called me.
It was Liese.
The moment she thought why Liese was here, she could see her surroundings
properly.
Liese, Cliff, and Killian, who had eaten lunch a little earlier, were about to have
tea and dessert on the balcony of the great hall.
I was passing in front of it, and I was standing there staring at the pie...
Since I hadn’t eaten, my head wasn’t spinning, and I couldn’t think of anything
to explain my actions just now.
“If you have eaten, would you like to have tea together?”
Liese asked kindly, but I shook my head, recalling the nightmare of vomiting.
“Oh, I see...”
I was sad to be hungry, but being treated like a beggar made me feel like crying,
so I hurried back to my room.
But maybe the look in my eyes wasn’t serious, so around three o’clock a maid
came to my room with a peach pie.
While I was trying to get rid of my lingering thoughts while thinking about that,
Sophia, who had turned her back to me and was thinking about something for a
long time, suddenly set a table for refreshments.
Then he served hot tea with a piece of peach pie and told me to eat it.
“If I continue to starve like this, I’m sure someone will suspect me. So, I will
allow you this much.”
At first, it was absurd, but when I thought about it, Sofia seemed to be good at
using her brain.
Even thinking about that, I was sweeping my stomach, which was not enough,
but I was still able to avoid dying of hunger. After a while, I felt a pain like
squeezing my stomach.
It hurt.
It hurt terribly.
My stomach ached so much that my eyes turned yellow, and I broke out in a
cold sweat, and my limbs trembled.
“Huh...”
Unable to walk to the bed, I fell to the floor, but struggled with the pain as if
something sharp had stabbed me in the stomach.
After waiting on the floor for a long time, when my mind became hazy, an
episode from the original story came to mind.
The door opened in the distance, and Sophia came in, and she wasn’t at all
surprised to see me down.
By the time my vision went completely dark, I could vaguely hear Sophia
screaming.
***
“How can you be like that, Miss Liese! Did you hate my lady enough to want to
poison yourself?”
“Oh no! I never did! I just sent it because I thought Edith would like it!”
“Yeah, you liked it. She said that Miss Liese sent it, and how happy she was.
But while I was out for a while, the lady... Hehe...”
Yes, that scene is perfectly original story. Even if Killian is a bit different from
the original work, my express train to kill has not stopped yet.
But I couldn’t give up. I finally realized that the original story could be different,
but I couldn’t go back to the starting point.
“Cow... Pia...”
Even in the midst of that, I was happy to find Killian. Still, I must have come to
see that I fell down.
No, did Liese come because she was accused of being the culprit...?
“Miss! Are you all right? Are you in a lot of pain? You’re not feeling well right
now, so don’t force yourself to talk. Hehe, my poor little girl...”
Sophia came to me with a teary face, like someone who couldn’t live without
me.
But her gaze was clearly closer to ‘Shut up!’ I’m not the one to shut up though.
“Liese... What did you do... I’m just, kinda... It’s just pretending.”
what?
Are you saying that you just fed me a poison that would make me vomit blood?
Even if I can’t avoid the future of being decapitated by Killian, I will definitely
kill you!
I clenched my teeth and said with the most pitiful expression on my face.
Then, without giving Sophia a chance to say anything, she spoke to Liese.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 41
“I’m sorry, Liese. I heard harsh words because of me... I’m really, really fine.”
“Edith!”
Killian’s eyes were narrowed and his expression seemed to gauge my intentions.
Yes, even at first glance, it must be suspicious that I insisted that I was fine.
Sophia jumped up in surprise, but she couldn’t stop Cliff’s ferocious spirit.
But honestly, I wasn’t too worried. The poison must have been put in by Sophia,
and there’s no way such poison could be found in my room...
“What is this?”
In his hand was a small vial of clear potion. At first glance, suspiciously, the
bottle had a paper with a picture of a skull attached to it.
Just because he’s Cliff, there’s no way he wouldn’t know that. And Cliff’s eyes
were on me.
“Interesting. So who would have hidden something like this inside the porcelain
decorations in your room?”
Cliff questioned me while waving the small vial in front of me with a sneer.
His mouth was smiling, but his eyes seemed like he was going to choke me at
any moment.
“But Liese!”
“Edith is not your thing. Why are you blaming the victim, Edith? And it could
just be a lotion or an emergency medicine.”
Liese was defending me diligently, but I was convinced that the one with Cliff
was the German I ate.
When it becomes difficult to find the bottle and it is difficult to determine the
owner of the bottle, the episode becomes too long, so the writer must have tried
to solve it simply like this.
And by the afternoon of the next day, it turned out that what was in the vial was
poison that caused stomach pain and vomiting.
Cliff was angry that I had staged a self-made play to put the blame on Liese, and
everyone other than Cliff had no choice but to suspect me.
I grinned at Sophia while lying on the bed, and Sophia glared at me with fierce
eyes and then punched me in the stomach.
“Ouch!”
My stomach, which had even squeezed blood, felt like it would break through.
Perhaps this failure herself was painful, Sophia lost her usual composure and
became angry with me.
Then, curled up like a shrimp, he left the room, leaving me alone in agony.
I felt like my stomach was twisted because I had poisoned my body after
starving for several days.
Having suffered from leukemia in a previous life, I thought I could endure the
pain, but it wasn’t.
It felt like my stomach hurt, my back hurt, my heart hurt, and my heart hurt.
It was Killian.
“Then why did you take the poison and eat it...! Don’t you know it’s
dangerous?”
It’s the same thing every time, but this time I couldn’t help but say it.
“I am not! Sorry!”
I was so used to enduring the pain alone, but just because I was used to it, it
wasn’t okay.
The thought of wanting to end everything like this tormented me again. It was
an impulse that I had been fighting against all my life.
I pulled the blanket and buried my face in it, feeling that I couldn’t stand it if
Killian criticized me any more.
He stood still there for a long time, and eventually turned around and left.
There was the sound of a door closing and the room fell into silence.
Pretending to be strong, I asked him to leave, but when he left, it felt like my
heart was ripped in tatters.
***
It seemed that the peaceful atmosphere of the bazaar was broken in an instant.
However, the reason I couldn’t blindly hate Edith was because of what the
doctor who examined her said.
“Your body is too weak. You should take good care of your medicine for the
time being.”
However, when asked again, the doctor gave an answer he could not have
imagined.
“Starve...?”
“It’s not exact, but it seems to me. There are a lot of young ladies who recklessly
starve to lose weight, and their situation is similar.”
It was because he knew how well Edith eats, even if he didn’t know anything
else.
“It doesn’t seem like she starved for a long time, but since hse swallowed the
poison while she hadn’t eaten, it’s more lethal than if she swallowed it while she
was healthy. She will be in pain for a while.”
“There is also a pain reliever in the medicine we prescribe, but only when it is to
a certain extent. Now you just have to be patient. Warming the stomach will
help a little.”
It was absurd.
The fact that he had been poisoned after starving for days made him angry, apart
from the fact that he was trying to frame Liese.
Killian was very angry and called Edith’s maid, Sophia, to question him.
At first, Sofia, who said that Edith eats well every day, confessed that she was
starving herself to lose weight only when she told her the doctor’s diagnosis.
“My lady gained a lot of weight after getting married. In the meantime, she
seems to have been unaware of even the lady herself, but she said that she
should lose weight because I told you...”
It is said that he gained a lot of weight after marriage, but no matter how much
he remembered, Killian couldn’t recall where and how Edith had changed.
However, the current Edith did not gain enough weight to lose weight. Rather,
places like the nape of the neck and collarbone look too skinny, so it’s
dangerous...
Then, suddenly, I thought of Edith, who was sitting quietly alone at the bazaar.
‘Did you feel embarrassed when you heard people complimenting only Liese at
the bazaar? So, to lose weight...?’
The person who did that was treated cold food in an instant, so it was only
natural to miss the attention of others.
‘Perhaps I drank poison because I wanted attention rather than trying to frame
Liese.’
If I had starved for a few days, I would have known that I was not feeling well,
but the thought of swallowing poison made me even feel scared.
Duke Ludwig was furious with the suspicion that Edith had tried to harm Liese
even by swallowing poison.
It was natural.
The Duke and his wife promised to keep Liese safe while rescuing Liese, who
was living under severe persecution in the Sinclair family.
Since she seems to have opened up to me a little, I thought I’d try to convince
my father to be honest and ask for forgiveness.
The hand that was holding the sheet so tightly that it turned white was shaking.
The doctor said that for the time being, even if he took medicine, he would feel
sick to his stomach, so this was the only pain Edith had to endure.
Killian got angry without even realizing it because his sick and thin body was
frustrating.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 42
“Then why did you take the poison and eat it...! Don’t you know it’s
dangerous?”
I couldn’t understand why she did this when she was going to be in so much
pain.
However, Edith said she was not the culprit until the end even though she shed
tears.
“I am not!”
Oddly enough, I felt as though I was constantly hearing from her the plea that it
was not her.
‘If you see that even in the state of evidence, you claim that it is not like that, is
it really not? But then who the hell would do this!’
‘I’d rather you tell me everything and hang on me! Don’t you know that I’m the
only one who can help you right now? Or is it because I’m not trustworthy?’
I wasn’t sure if this was anger or something else. He didn’t know whether this
feeling was for Edith or for himself.
In the end, he had no choice but to come back with his molars clenched.
“Edith says you don’t know. If Edith really wanted to frame me as the culprit,
why would he say he pretended as soon as he woke up?”
“In the first place, Edith, who is the real daughter of the count and has already
become Killian’s wife, would have wanted to harm me because she felt sorry for
her? It makes no sense.”
It seemed like that kind of argument had come and gone, but the people in this
family, who couldn’t openly say ’Because Killian loves you!’, couldn’t break
Liese’s opinion.
In addition, Liese drove a wedge into their conscience with words that pierced
their conscience.
“Edith is not feeling well right now, but it’s too cruel to push her against things
that aren’t clear! Edith is just a girl the same age as me!”
In the end, the people of the duchy decided to take a step back.
I believed that I was the culprit, but out of respect for Liese’s opinion, I decided
not to punish or hold me guilty.
In fact, what I was most curious about when I received this information from
Sofia was Killian’s reaction, but I couldn’t ask Sofia about it.
Anyway, after getting out of the crisis thanks to Liese, I felt sorry for doubting
Liese.
‘No matter how much, I was almost accused of poisoning because of me, but it’s
a great mercy. After all, he’s the main character.’
In fact, in the original work, it went like this, and it was concluded that Edith
was the culprit, and Edith, who was actually the culprit, apologized to Liese and
barely escaped being kicked out.
I didn’t poison myself, but this situation caused by Sofia made me look like the
culprit.
However, Liese embraced me for not even apologizing, and thanks to that, I was
able to return to my daily life without much questioning.
‘Okay. It might be because of my jealousy that Liese looked suspicious all this
time.’
I tried not to pay attention to Liese, but as I was constantly being compared and
discriminated against, it seemed that I hated Liese without even realizing it.
I could understand now that Liese seemed to be accusing me of being the culprit
of the leaked documents. From her point of view, I was suspicious enough.
‘How could a heroine in this world harm a villain like me? She was self-
conscious about me.’
I felt grateful to Liese for making this event unprecedented. If it wasn’t for
Liese, he might have had to stay locked up in this room for another few months.
It would have been enough to last for a few months, but the problem was that
there was not much time left before my throat ran away.
Having made that resolution, I cautiously asked Killian, who stopped by a few
days later to check on my condition.
“Anyway, since I’m not being framed, I thought I should give you something.”
Come to think of it, it was a bit surprising that Killian came to visit me.
It’s good, but I’m a little worried about doing something I’m not used to.
“Ah, I guess.”
It wasn’t because I really had any special intentions that I had to repay Liese.
However, even that was influenced by the flow of the original work.
In the original work, Edith gave Liese an embroidery needle set as a gift of
‘apology’.
After applying the poison that poisons him little by little, he secured an alibi
while watching Liese gradually weaken.
‘But in the end, the poisoned embroidery needle was discovered by Cliff, who
thoroughly investigated everything Liese encountered.’
My stomach was drying up, but Killian went out saying that he would call a
handicraft dealer right away.
And after a while, the handicraft merchant called by Killian laid out all sorts of
things and suggested this and that.
“How about this? This is a high quality embroidery needle set. I have sold
dozens of sets of these, and those who have used them once are so good that I
recommend these needles to others.”
“No needles!”
“Yes?”
“Oh, no, that... It’s too small! Still, it’s a gift, but it should look like something.
I-what is that?”
“Ah! This is good too! This is an embroidery thread set imported from Suitan
Kingdom. It is made from the finest cashmere wool. You have good eyesight.”
It was quite expensive because there were so many colors and a lot of thread, but
I bought it and wrapped it myself without thinking it was a waste at all.
“It doesn’t hurt much anymore. Rather... I heard that Liese put a lot of effort into
her efforts for me. Thank you very much.”
Seeing her worrying about my physical condition first, I sincerely hoped that I
could get to know her in my heart.
Did you come in advance and wait because I was afraid that I might say
something harsh to Liese?
“Killian. I knew from before that I was on good terms with Liese, but it’s rude
for her to sit in the lady’s room.”
You don’t know too much how to get in and out of Liese.
At those words, Liese burst out laughing, and Killian laughed as if it were
absurd.
But the atmosphere wasn’t bad. To the point where you’re mistaken that you can
make a good relationship like this.
***
However, things did not go the way I had hoped. It seems like it’s always been
that way, though.
The damn ‘flow of the original work’ broke out the incident as if it was anxious
to drive me into a villain again this time.
It was evening, a few days after the gift of embroidery thread to Liese.
Suddenly, my door burst open, and Killian, who was contemplative, jumped in.
I was grateful for his sudden appearance, as I was about to get hit by Sofia when
I was smirking, but I couldn’t understand a word he was saying.
“I got poisoned while embroidering with the embroidery thread you gave me as
a gift.”
“Yes...?”
“Nonsense! What do you mean? I bought the thread from a handicraft merchant,
wrapped it up on the spot, and carried it myself. In the meantime, no one has
touched it!”
“So you didn’t ask? What the hell have you been doing?”
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EPISODE 43
‘No, it can’t be. If that’s the case, it doesn’t make sense to change the details.
Someone poisoned it!’
But why did it have to be the embroidery thread I gave you? Why did you have
to accuse me of being the culprit?
“Killian. Right now I’m doubtful, but think soberly. I... How can you be that
stupid?”
Killian didn’t say anything either, but he seemed to be barely holding back his
anger as he clenched his molars.
“Do you think I would do something like that in a situation where everyone is
suspicious of me because of the peach pie incident?”
Killian didn’t agree with me.
Well, I can’t believe this situation right now, but others are shocked.
“I want to believe in you too. But how many times has this been done? Can’t
you keep me from doubting you?”
Sure enough, Sophia looked at her with fearful eyes before interjecting.
“Miss! Surveillance!”
Hmph! How long did you know that I would be swayed by you?
“Killian. I’m begging you. Please don’t doubt me without even doing that. If
nothing changes, I have no choice but to doubt the Duke.”
Killian sat down and called the butler to reassign Anna to me.
He may have called Anna right away, thinking that I would be planning
something with Sophia if he left for even a moment, but for me, it was to avoid
Sophia’s assault, which could happen in a matter of seconds.
But the problem remained. Because I was still the biggest suspect in Liese’s
poisoning.
“I should have caught it by now. But would he have tried to poison a random
person? Who lives off of it?”
“Well, yes... After I gifted the thread to Liese, did no one have access to it?”
“If I were to say that the people who came in and out of Liese’s room were
Liese’s close maid, Cliff, me, and mother. There was a time when Liese’s room
was empty, but it’s too short a time to think that she’s found the embroidery
thread and even applied the poison.”
“But it’s not completely impossible. Yes? Maybe liquid poison was sprayed
over the embroidery basket.”
“You can be nervous. Anyway, I can’t help but feel that someone is trying to
harm Liese safely by using me as a scapegoat.”
“Continue.”
I had been busy taking care of myself and had forgotten about it, but Liese
Sinclair’s main enemy was not me, but the Count Sinclair family.
Especially her half-brothers and sister, who were no more beautiful or smarter
than their illegitimate daughter Liese.
“I’ve heard rumors too, but I heard that the half-brothers in that house aren’t
very friendly to Liese.”
“...Yes.”
“...”
“And the Count Sinclair don’t get along very well with the Count Rigelhoff
either.”
“If Liese dies or gets seriously injured and I get punished or expelled because of
that... The Count Sinclair must be very happy. Isn’t it?”
“I guess so.”
“And you can’t bet that among the many servants of this mansion, there won’t
be a single spy from the Count Sinclair family, right?”
“That... In the meantime, it sounds like Rigelhoff’s spy is also involved.”
“There are also people from the Ludwig family in the Rigelhoff family, right?
Don’t think I don’t know that much, it hurts my pride.”
His eyes seemed to be burning for some reason, but I had no intention of being
pushed away from here either.
“At first, to be honest, I doubted that the duchy would frame me and disgrace
the Rigelhof family.”
“How could we do such a mean thing! I can say on my honor that it never
happened.”
“You’re upset that you were suspected for a moment, right? Even though I said I
would risk my life, you didn’t believe me. Can you imagine how I felt?”
“But don’t worry. I also believe in you and the Duke. To be more honest, I don’t
think you’ll ever feel that I’m worth the effort.”
“It’s a pretty plausible guess, but I don’t know if my father and older brother
will fully agree.”
“I understand. To be honest once again, I’m doing this because I don’t want to
be suspicious of Liese rather than them. I don’t want to be remembered as the
person who gave me the poisoned thread as a thank you.”
At those words, Killian opened his eyes wide as if he was a little surprised.
“You all know what I think of Liese, don’t you? Besides, everyone praises Liese
rather than you...”
You know very well that I owe a duck egg to the Nakdonggang River.
To be honest, I don’t know if I was a little jealous in the past, but now I’m not at
all.
“Killian. Do I look like someone who would beg for your love or the praise of
others? Even doing such a bothersome thing?”
Killian seemed at a loss for words.
But when I said this, I really felt like a ‘strong older sister’ and my courage and
self-esteem rose.
I can’t believe the day will come when I can say these lines in my life!
But then Killian suddenly put his hand on the back of my head.
I’ve been beaten by Sofia lately, and when a hand reaches my head, I get
nervous without realizing it.
But Killian put his hand on the back of my head and held it firmly, then kissed
me straight away.
“Oh!”
Contrary to his rough attitude, his lips were surprisingly soft on my lips, and
then, in between, he slipped his tongue between them.
“Uhhh...”
I was surprised for a moment, but I was helplessly caught up in his kiss.
It was really strange to feel only the sweetness of someone else’s lips and
tongue.
When I didn’t push him away, he moved deeper into me, and there was nothing
I could do but hold on to his shirt.
“Ha...”
“Ha ha ha...”
He continued the slow kiss for a long time, and he finally let me go when I was
out of breath.
“What...?”
“Anyway, I will share your opinion with my father and older brother. I sincerely
hope that you are not guilty.”
“What, what...?”
It was absurd.
He still doesn’t seem to trust me, but there have been times when I’ve felt subtly
given away after a night we impulsively spent together.
Even that alone made me think it was a big step forward, but such a sudden
kiss...
When it comes to the leading role in romance, this kind of technique seems to be
standard equipment.
He must have been a virgin who hadn’t even kissed until he did it with me.
I Thought It Was Common Possession - Chapter 43
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EPISODE 44
His heart must still be filled with Liese, and I’m probably just a foreign object
that bothers me.
‘This and that is annoying, suspicious, and annoying, but I just need enough
attention and affection to think that killing is too much! Just give me that much
affection.’
Praying for such a small wish, I welcomed Anna. The rotten face of Sophia
coming in after him was electrifying.
***
As Edith was enjoying an evening free from beatings, a discussion was going on
in Duke Ludwig’s office.
“Of course, as the woman said, the Count Sinclair has been quiet lately. But
that’s just speculation.”
“The idea that Edith is the culprit is just speculation. Besides, like Edith said,
it’s so instantaneous. Edith isn’t stupid enough to do something that would make
him the culprit right away.”
“It’s just that we couldn’t find the culprit, brother! Did you suddenly become an
idiot because it’s Liese’s job?”
No matter how plausible logic he refuted, Cliff never stopped doubting Edith.
If Edith is the culprit because no one else has touched the embroidery thread,
then why is Edith the culprit when no one else has been found to have poisoned
it?
“Anyway, I don’t think this is Edith’s work. You don’t know who came in and
did this while Liese’s room was empty.”
“Accusing Edith as the culprit because the embroidery thread she gave you was
poisoned is a serious jump. Besides, you said you obtained poison and applied it
to avoid the eyes of the watchers we placed around Edith? Are the Ludwig
family watchers so incompetent?”
Killian was frustrated with his brother, but his persuasion was not in vain.
Whatever Cliff might have been, Duke Ludwig slowly shattered the confidence
that had wrapped around his thoughts like a hard shell.
“There is a point in Killian’s words. It’s hard to believe that Edith or the child’s
maid got her poison away from her watchful eye.”
“Since the peach pie incident, the maid’s luggage has already been thoroughly
checked. She may not know the maid.”
And Liese, who heard the story, also sided with Edith.
“Couldn’t Edith, who must have had a hard time recovering from her aching
body? Besides, when I delivered the gift, Killian was also in my room. There’s
no way Edith would have casually given such a terrible thing in front of
Killian.”
Looking at Liese, whose lips were still blue, Cliff clenched his molars.
“Edith, the woman raised suspicion that the Sinclairs were trying to harm you by
framing her. She has no evidence, but I think she needs to investigate.”
“Liese. It’s about taking your life. I can’t just get over it.”
As the water formed over Liese’s blue eyes, Cliff felt a pain as if his heart were
splitting.
If I could, I would have wanted to capture Edith and torture her by feeding her
the painful poison just enough to keep her from dying.
However, he was also afraid that Liese would continue to suffer if he continued
digging into this matter.
“But I promise you. If other evidence is found... At that time, I will do my best
to find the culprit.”
Liese had no choice but to promise to do it for Cliff, who seemed distressed
because he couldn’t find the culprit right away.
***
Layla grinned as she read the letter from the spy planted in the Ludwig family.
— Miss Liese collapsed from being poisoned by the poison on the embroidery
thread, and it is said that Miss Edith gave it as a gift.
It is believed that the second method was used after the self-made play of
poisoning the pie given by Miss Liese and eating it failed.
Not only the Duke, but also Cliff and Killian were very angry.
After reading the letter, Layla narrowed her eyes and murmured.
It seemed that Edith’s efforts to develop hatred for Liese by using the people
around her were finally paying off.
I thought it was amazing when I heard that she tried to frame Liese by mixing
poison with the peach pie sent by Liese, but as soon as that failed, she
immediately tried to retaliate, like Edith the Villain.
Damian, who opened the letter and quickly scanned it with his eyes, also smiled.
“It’s bold, but it’s kind of stupid. Still, this job is a bit of a waste. It was a great
opportunity to put them both away.”
“I know.”
“I am not.”
“Yes... I see.”
“But...”
“Huh?”
Damian rolled his eyes as he tapped the corner of the folded letter on the palm of
his hand.
“What? Really?”
“I don’t know what it was used for or what kind of poison it was. But you seem
to want to keep it a secret, so don’t ask too much.”
“Okay. I don’t want to take her mother’s tantrum either. However... Why did
you keep it a secret?”
“I don’t know. And it’s not clear whether her mother is behind this or not. She
should be the one or two people my mother wants to kill.”
To them, the exchange of lives of people who had nothing to do with them was
just a joke.
“Anyway, what is certain is that Edith is gradually losing her place in the
Ludwig household.”
“To lose completely is a different matter. It might be difficult now, but if Edith
completely loses trust, we can directly attack Liese and put the blame on Edith.
Would the Ludwig family believe that Edith was doing it?”
The siblings of the Sinclair family put their heads together again for the day they
would use Edith to get rid of Liese.
***
Right after the incident, I thought that Cliff or the Duke would call me in right
away, but whatever Killian said, I was ordered to be put on probation, but I was
not taken away and questioned.
In fact, I was also curious about the person behind or the culprit behind this
incident.
‘Who the hell poisoned that embroidery thread? Why did it have to be an
embroidery thread? Because Liese likes embroidery? Or not... You know I gave
you the embroidery thread as a gift...?’
I told Killian plausibly that the Count Sinclair was suspicious, but in fact I had
no idea.
In my actions that deviated from the flow of the original work, the strong flow
of this world tried to drive me into a villain even by having another character,
and to find a probability there and go back... Well, there’s no way Liese and her
maid could have done it, so only the Count Sinclair remains.
‘I think it’s quite different from the original plot? There aren’t many Sinclair
counts in the 4th volume of the original work where Edith appears.’
‘No, there is still no evidence that the Sinclair family did it. And even if there is
another suspect, this situation where I am accused of being the culprit can
continue.’
In the end, I had no choice but to wait in this room for someone to tell me the
conclusion.
The good thing was that he no longer had to suffer from Sophia’s tyranny.
Since Anna was a maid with a higher rank than Sophia, Sophia had to do errands
such as bringing meals and preparing bath water.
In other words, it never happened that I was left alone with Sophia.
“Yes...?”
“Since the peach pie incident last time, you have been seasoning all my food.
What’s the matter?”
“Ah... It was...”
I couldn’t blindly eat the food Sophia brought, so I made her taste it on purpose,
and when the taste was over, I ate the food as if it were delicious.
If she could shoot lasers with her eyes, Sophia would burn me to death again and
again.
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EPISODE 45
Thanks to that, my weak body, which had been unable to eat, gradually got
better, and my dizziness all the time got better.
The outcome of the incident was heard one day when I was recovering
smoothly.
Someone came to my room and said something in Anna’s ear, and Anna said it
back to me.
“A few suspicious circumstances have been detected, but Lady Liese said she
doesn’t want to make things big...”
“...Yes.”
When Liese buried the peach pie incident, all she could think of was thanking
her, but I thought it was a bit strange that Liese kept asking for an incident like
this to never happen.
To rescue me?
In the meantime, I heard it through Killian, but even Cliff and the Duke admitted
that it didn’t make sense that I tried to poison Liese as soon as the peach pie
incident was over.
Then, just because it’s burdensome that the incident related to you is growing
within the Duke’s family?
‘Since the Sinclair family can’t come out already, the flow of the original story
might have led Liese to ask about this case.’
‘If that’s the case, does it make sense to go against the force of the flow of the
original work?’
It is a story that is too empty and draining, and the voice that used to explain the
rules of the game to me in a dream is not explained.
‘Obviously someone has me playing the game... Are doing the same thing
However, there are stages where I can intervene and change the story.’
However, the truth about me cannot be revealed until the three-level exception is
met.
The truth about me, Edith, is almost a twist. Being able to tell that fact will bring
about a big change in this story.
And to make that much of a change, you have to meet the three-level exception,
and maybe...
‘It must mean that as the stages pass, there are more things I can change...!’
My fists were clenched tightly.
I’ve made different assumptions and thought about it several times, but it
seemed that this was the only reason that ‘levels’ existed.
The problem is, as with step 1, I don’t know what the exception conditions for
steps 2 and 3 are.
It must be a situation where you have to hope that the cow will backtrack and
catch the mouse.
‘No matter how you think about it, it’s vicious. You mean it’s fun watching me
struggle?’
While I was lost in my thoughts, Anna, who had been visited by someone again,
approached and whispered.
“The lady’s probation has been released. You can go to Lord Filch’s office
tomorrow morning.”
I went to Linnon’s office the next day, completely unaware of how the case had
worked and had been resolved.
I decided to ask about the case, but with the eyes of the servants and knights
looking at me, I realized that the suspicions about me had not yet been resolved.
It was to the point where I thought that the probationary order might have been a
measure to protect me from such gaze.
‘Well, Liese has already been with this ducal family for 5 years, and during that
time she has also attracted favor from the servants. In their eyes, I’m just the
daughter of the Rigelhoff family and a wicked woman who is jealous of Liese.’
It seems like there is a long way to go, but the fateful day is approaching, so my
stomach is burning.
However, Linnon’s office, which had been open for the first time in a while, was
still there.
The smell of paper, the slightly cool air, silence, and a dry feeling.
“Hello, lady.”
I haven’t been out for quite a while, but I wonder if Linnon has been doing
everything alone.
Of course, he is a person with that much ability, but I felt sorry that he seemed
to be having a hard time because of me.
He would need a worker who could go to work more stably than me.
Because I had asked the Duchess for no reason, Linnon had done nothing wrong
and took on the shunned me.
But today, Linnon treated me the same way as before, like someone who hadn’t
even heard of me.
“All right.”
I took the file that Linnon gave me and sat down at my desk.
Receipts and purchase statements were laid out one by one on the wide desk,
and again, nothing was heard in the office except for the rustling of paper.
Some may find this silence unbearably frustrating, but I felt comfortable.
There was no glare to find fault with my attitude, no need to try to understand
anyone’s psychology.
“I’ve thought about it before, but you have good concentration and quick
hands.”
I laughed when I remembered the story of the person who scattered all the
documents of the duchy and ran away.
“The papers the lady worked on are meticulously and neatly organized, so I have
no place to touch them. It is always a huge help.”
“Miss...?”
I didn’t know what to say. I was grateful to him for evaluating me solely for my
work. Because of my reputation or a series of events, there must have been a lot
of room for other feelings to intervene, but he treated me excluding personal
feelings.
“Sigh, uh... Sorry. If you give me a little time, it will stop soon, soon.”
I tried to hold back my tears by hiding behind a pillar, feeling sorry for Linnon,
who was probably bewildered.
But Linnon caught me trying to hide behind a pillar and handed me his
handkerchief.
“There is no need to hold back your emotions like you are being chased like
that. Emotions are bound to explode someday if you forcefully cut them off.”
“Linnon...”
“You take care of things so quickly that you have time, so you can take it as
slowly as you like.”
After leaving me behind a pillar, Linnon quietly went to his desk and began to
do his business nonchalantly.
Feeling much more at ease with that, I buried my face in the handkerchief
Linnon had given me from behind the pillar and tried to calm myself down.
Even if most of the people who try to put me down and attack me, I didn’t know
that someone would know my sincerity would be such a great comfort.
‘It’s an extra whose name doesn’t even appear in the original work...’
The Duchess also appeared a few times, so her aides had nothing to do with
appearing.
Of course, their opinions can’t change their reputation for me, but...
‘For a moment.’
‘The Duchess or Linnon are minor supporting actors. Their opinions can’t make
a big difference to the flow of the story...’
It may be a guess.
‘So rather, these people are hardly affected by the flow of the story.’
No matter what impression they have of me, I can’t get in the way of the story.
Conversely, it means that they are characters whose thoughts about me can
change without being swayed by the flow of the original work.
‘As for supporting actors, they are not subject to the flow of the original work,
so I can change them more.’
Maybe it will be a small hole through which you can escape from a miserable
death.
In addition to the goal of saving his life by forming a bond with Killian, he
began to see a small hope.
I decided not to ignore nameless extras from now on. Because they were
precious people who could be my lifeline.
As I returned to my room to help Linnon with his work, I greeted the servants
who made eye contact with me with a slight smile.
Sureman
EPISODE 46
Most of them hurriedly lowered their heads as if they had seen something they
shouldn’t have seen.
I didn’t feel good about the obvious rejection, but I smiled hard for my route that
was different from ‘Choice and Concentration’.
“Hi?”
A freckled young maid and a middle-aged male servant who were mending the
old railing greeted me back.
In fact, it was nice that they didn’t have to be of great help to me.
I heard Sophia’s voice chilling down my spine and the sound of the door closing
behind me, then she grabbed me by the neck with her arms and pushed me
against the wall.
“Ugh!”
Sophia, who had been teased by me for several days, seemed angry to the top of
her head.
It was evident from the fact that the strangling force was much stronger than
usual.
“I will give you one last chance. Please steal the tax details of the major estates
of the duchy from where you work now.”
I coughed for a while to pass the time, but there was no sign of Anna coming
back.
“Huh... If the... If I refuse, what will happen?”
“My lady is dying. It’s something I got permission from the owner.”
However, it was not that surprising since I had known that person’s true
intentions since she got married here.
“If you kill me here and now, will you find out that you are the culprit?”
“You think I’m stupid like a lady? Don’t worry, I’ll kill you to make it look like
the Ludwig family did it.”
“Sophia, I am giving you one last chance. Please calm down. You’ve been here
too, so now you know. The Duke’s family isn’t that easy.”
“Well. I thought there were only idiots out there? Besides, the two sons of this
house only have their eyes on the illegitimate woman.”
As expected, Sophia knew it was my fault. It is certain that Sophia never had a
chance to even reach for that embroidery thread.
I struggled through the loosening of her restraints and managed to free myself
from her arms.
As if the last word was decisive, Sophia turned on the light in her eyes and
rushed at me.
I noticed that she loved Shane because I caught a glimpse of her affectionately
kissing a letter to Shane.
Anyway, at this point where I was being beaten, none of that mattered.
Of course, it did not lead to a dangerous assault because there was a restriction
that no traces of being beaten should be visible to others, but if the assault was
prolonged, there was nothing good.
“You know that. Knowing that you are a discard card in Count Rigelhoff’s
family, the only thing left for you is to be discarded here as well. Killian Ludwig
will be more than happy to throw you away.”
Hearing the reason he hadn’t thought about for a while from someone else’s
mouth made his heart feel cold.
“And the master will make even useless things useless. Imagine what a terrible
life that would be.”
“So think carefully. Because the only place to accept a person as lacking as you
is your family. If you successfully steal the papers, I will also revise and send
my evaluation of you to Shane.”
And as soon as she took a few steps away, the door opened and Anna entered.
Sophia bowed slightly with the most obedient attitude and went out.
***
“You know that. Knowing that you are a discard hand in Count Rigelhoff’s
family, the only thing left for you is to be discarded here as well.”
Sophia must have made such a threat because she did not know that I would
have my head cut off before I could be thrown out of this house, but at least she
knew that I couldn’t ask for help from anyone in this house.
He would spend the night or kiss me, but it was only a physical urge, not
because he had any other feelings for me.
I could tell from the fact that he still stayed by Liese’s side whenever he had free
time.
His attitude toward me was slightly better than before, but I wasn’t sure if it was
enough to want to help me when I was in trouble.
‘Edith must have grown up with this kind of verbal violence, right? Even as an
adult, I feel sick to my stomach, how hard it must have been for young Edith.’
In the original story, she would have crawled through this despair and died
miserably at the hands of the man she loved without anyone understanding.
I felt like I was going to cry even though it wasn’t something I had been
through.
I was lying on the bed blankly thinking about that when someone knocked.
As I got up, Killian kicked Anna and Sophia out, closed the door, and strode
toward me.
“Killian...?”
“The probation is over, but why don’t you crawl into my room this time?”
“Huh?”
Killian’s eyes, which spit out completely incomprehensible words, were shaped
into something like anger.
I didn’t think I’d ever made such a promise, so I rolled my eyes and asked him,
but Killian smiled.
There was clearly an aura of ridicule.
“My way?”
“If you feel uneasy after claiming your innocence, seduce them with your body.”
“What, what?”
I had never really understood Killian’s words before, but this time I couldn’t get
the context to the point where I wondered if the dimensions he and I were living
in were a bit different.
“No, not that... You seem a bit drunk right now. I have no idea what the hell
you’re talking about.”
“Yes.”
“First of all, I have always been innocent. You just didn’t believe it.”
“Ha...!”
“And I never seduced you physically. That thing at that time... Technically...
Could it have been your misunderstanding?”
“Now, are you claiming that you were unilaterally beaten by me?”
I was going to speak confidently, but when I remembered what had happened
that night, a fever rose from the nape of my neck.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 47
“Ah, no, I really tried to match your mouth just once. Really.”
I tried hard to explain, but Killian laughed and shook his head.
Well, from his point of view, it’s tempting... It may have looked like it did.
And... In my previous life, I never thought I would get such a grand title...
“I think I know a little bit about how it works now. Since Killian Ludwig is a
caught fish, are you going to focus on other prey now?”
“What? Haha, Killian! What kind of imagination are you stretching? Another
prey? So, do I have any prey here that I can catch?”
I laughed at his ridiculous assumption, and then Killian gnashed his teeth and he
came closer.
It was only then that I realized that his breathing was quite rough.
“I have heard rumors that you are a good hunter. You use your advantages so
well.”
“Advantages?”
“Where do you think I heard that Edith Rigelhoff’s skin was so smooth and
fragrant?”
“Ah!”
“At a club where young men gather, you were a hot topic. Do you know?”
It didn’t hurt where he bit it, but it felt like he was on the verge of something,
and he was short of breath.
“Even if you don’t want to hear it, the story always comes out. How tempting
you are, how many men have fallen for you...”
No matter how much I searched Edith’s memories, she had never crossed the
line with a man.
Of course, there were times when she gently seduced them, and there were times
when she pretended not to know how she gently kneaded her, but she never
allowed more than that.
So, all the guys who gave my name and spread stories must have been bluffing.
“The more you do this, the more you know that a man loses his temper.”
However, Killian, who thought he would run wild at any moment, suddenly
stopped.
“Ki, Killian...?”
It must have been because I was in a state of excitement that I had such
thoughts.
However, Killian seemed to be frozen because the excitement that had been
heating up until just now did not disappear in an instant.
He hurriedly got off my bed, lit a nearby lamp, and started looking behind my
shoulder again.
I opened my mouth to make an excuse, but the truth is, I didn’t know what to
say either.
When he made me lay down and pulled my bedsheet down even further, the
words Sophia had said echoed in my head.
“If you know that you are a discard hand at Count Rigelhoff, the only thing left
for you is to be discarded here as well...”
It was dizzying.
I believed in the big flow of the original work, but when this situation came up,
my anxiety rose.
In the original story, Edith was not beaten by Sophia, and no evidence of being
persecuted was revealed.
But how does the story change when Killian finds out that the bruises that must
have been made countless times on my body were Sofia’s work?
Killian looked at my back and was silent for a long time. No, there was no slight
movement.
“Killian...”
I tried to get myself up again, but he turned me over, brushed my hair, pulled
down the bed linen, and checked my body thoroughly.
I couldn’t see what my back was like, but seeing Killian so serious, it looked
pretty flashy.
So close.
It was ecstatic to overlap with Killian, but in fact, for now, it’s just... His body
temperature was desperate.
If he hugged me, I thought that the embers of courage that had gone out could be
revived a little...
“Oh no! We are a couple, a couple. I know it’s his, his wife’s duty...”
Knowing my wifely duty, Killian would have liked to do some of her husbandly
duty, but judging from the current atmosphere, it was nothing.
“A couple...”
There was no more heat in Killian’s voice. He seemed to have regained his cold
sanity.
It was clear that soon there would be questions I could not answer.
“Answer, please.”
It’s as if he doesn’t even feel a physical need for me, so I’m impatient.
“Killian... That... I know it’s inappropriate in this situation, but I just... Can you
hug me?”
Can’t I?
...Can’t you?
“I am not a beast enough to hold a person covered in bruises. Just have a good
night’s sleep today.”
Oh, also...
Every time I met Killian, I confirmed that his heart wasn’t going to me, and yet I
became more and more greedy, and the loneliness pierced me.
I had no hope but Killian, but I was sad because I was close to despair for him.
‘It was better the first time you ignored me altogether. They seem to care
strangely these days, so I’m expecting nothing.’
I tried to breathe, but the water that formed around my eyes quickly dripped.
‘Ah, why are you so embarrassing? I can’t be weak. They say that no one else
will take care of me here. Therefore... I can’t be weak.’
I tried to hold it in, biting my molars, but tears quickly wet my eyelashes and
cheeks.
Maybe it was because my heart was empty, or maybe it was because I had a
fever from crying, so I couldn’t continue my thoughts and fell asleep.
***
Edith wasn’t the person he thought she was. I’m telling you, not even the
fingertips!
“Do you think I would do something like that in a situation where everyone is
suspicious of me because of the peach pie incident?”
Maybe it was because, as he also barely noticed, everyone in the Ludwig family
was ignoring her.
She proudly asserted her innocence and even asked for a guard to be put in if she
suspected anything.
Even without making that much effort, she even gave a tingling advice not to
easily drive herself as a criminal.
‘Edith is right. We were suspicious of Edith whenever something happened,
without making the slightest effort.’
When he realized that fact, Killian felt more curious than embarrassed or
ashamed.
The Ludwigs had never used such sloppy tactics anywhere, whether on the
battlefield or in politics.
‘Why didn’t I feel any discomfort until Edith pointed this out?’
However, he did not seem to have dulled his senses, as he was suspicious of the
sensitive reaction of the maid from the Rigelhoffs when Edith asked for more
maids.
EPISODE 48
Even in a situation where she was under suspicion, Edith analyzed the incident
with a calm and dispassionate attitude.
The fact that Liese’s room was empty was something that Killian and Cliff were
also sensitive about.
I deliberately told Edith that the free time was short, but in fact, it was empty for
quite a long time.
However, after seeing Edith, who probably did not know about the
circumstances, immediately point out and doubt that part after the handicraft
merchant, Killian came to think that Edith was not the culprit.
If Ludwick had been a stupid attempted poisoner, as people thought Edith would
have been, she would have been flustered and consistent with excuses when she
was driven to be the culprit.
However, Edith acted coldly, as if seeing things that had nothing to do with her,
and a person that smart would never have done things in such a row.
If you think that the idiots of the Count Sinclair are behind this incident,
everything fits.
‘If that’s true... Edith has been suspected and insulted while not guilty of
anything.’
Edith continued to insist that she was not guilty, but she was the only suspect.
Maybe that’s why I’ve been turning away from that easy assumption more.
But it was too early to hand over the apology that he was already sorry. Because
nothing has been revealed yet.
It’s very strange, but as I kept talking to Edith, I wanted to see her face-to-face
with her by scratching her insides and provoking her so shamelessly.
“I said I would risk my life, but they didn’t believe me. Can you imagine how I
felt?”
“I trust you and the Duke. To be more honest, I don’t think you’ll ever feel that
I’m worth the effort.”
Edith, who did not get angry at the rude provocation and responded proudly,
was attractive enough to make me drool.
Edith, whom I met face to face only after preparing for marriage, was a
completely different person from the rumored character I knew.
“I am Edith Ludwig. Do you think I’ll be jealous of another woman just because
I want a man’s love? Don’t get me wrong.”
When Edith raised her chin proudly as if mocking him, Killian had no choice
but to kiss her, who was far more dizzying than the ‘rumor’ he knew.
If I hadn’t done that, I might have put up with her more, then I would have
knocked Edith to the floor and clung to her like a beast.
The crisis was glossed over with the absurd excuse of ‘I just wanted to do it’,
but his pitiful desire did not disappear, he just waited for the right time.
Hearing that Edith’s probation had been lifted from today, he paced in front of
Linnon’s office in time for Edith to be working.
Feigning a coincidence, it was to check her condition.
‘I’m asking you to go in and look at the tax receipts from last year’s Ryzen
estate. That would be natural enough.’
Even when he came up with such an excuse, he didn’t notice that there was
something strange about him.
When I quietly opened the office door after taking deep breaths several times,
the scene seen through the gap in the door made Killian stand tall.
I didn’t know what to do, as if I was embarrassed by the endless tears, and I
even tried to run away.
“There is no need to hold back your emotions like you are being chased like
that. Emotions are bound to explode someday if you forcefully cut them off.”
“Linnon...”
“You take care of things so quickly that you have time, so you can take it as
slowly as you like.”
After handing her the handkerchief, Linnon went back to her seat like a mature
adult and started working casually.
Edith buried her face in Linnon’s handkerchief from behind the pillar, took a
moment to catch her breath, and took several deep breaths to calm herself.
And before leaving the pillar, Edith practiced smiling while raising the corners
of her mouth, as she did next to the corner of Countess Ermenia’s residence...
“I’m fine now. Thank you for your understanding, Linnon. What should I do
next?”
Smiling more naturally than she had practiced, Edith accepted the job from
Linnon.
And Killian eventually couldn’t go inside and turned his body back.
At the bazaar, when I saw Shane smirk in the mirror after he left, I wondered
what she was doing.
Her eyes weren’t smiling at all, but it was such a strange expression that she was
struggling to lift the corners of her mouth.
I remembered how Edith came back from the corner and smiled casually.
My head, which had been fine for a few days, started to hurt again.
Killian squeezed his throbbing temples and tried to think of something else.
And the thought that immediately came to mind was Linnon, who was handing
her a handkerchief.
‘Could it be that Linnon seduced Edith? ...No, no. Linnon just acted in a very
gentlemanly manner. It’s because Edith cried that Linnon took out her
handkerchief. Edith seduced Linnon.’
As usual, I remembered the thought of rebuking Edith, and the headache got
better.
‘I knew that too. Men know well that women’s tears are weak. Linnon wouldn’t
be immune to that. Yes, the bad one is Edith.’
As if trying to convince himself, Killian kept repeating, ‘It’s Edith that’s bad.’
Then the headache got better for a while, but that wasn’t the ultimate reason he
felt bad.
Then, at the end of that thought, I had no choice but to face my embarrassing
true heart.
On the day we spent the night together, she clung to me so beautifully, and after
that, she didn’t come back and even kissed me, only to accept it.
It was an expression only used by lustful men, but that was all I could think of.
I tried not to look funny to Edith, but Edith seemed to have seen through me
easily.
When I erased the thought that Edith was stupid, everything I had done in front
of her so far seemed like a mistake.
Killian, who was buried in such thoughts until nightfall came, couldn’t stand it
when the servants started to turn off the lights in the hallways.
He jumped up from his seat and went to Edith’s room. He sent out all the
surprised maids and insulted and pushed Edith.
The surprised eyes that seemed to know nothing were disgusting. She was
detestable, but I thought, strangely, endearing.
So I had no choice but to kiss her on the neck and avoid her gaze.
Just when the scent of roses from her made him feel like he was going to turn
around with excitement, he froze at a sight he couldn’t understand at all.
‘What is that?’
However, her shoulders, which should only glow white in the dark, were stained
with black bruises the further they went.
It wasn’t a bruise that could have been caused by accidentally bumping into
something.
Judging by the green and purple bruises, it was probably made over several
days.
Edith tried to explain something, but Killian, seeing her back, refused to believe
anything she said.
She didn’t even answer the question of whose fault it was, but that was a
sufficient answer for Killian.
And until she was like this, the proud maid of Rigelhoff had not even posted a
single report.
Anger welled up inside him, but Edith suddenly begged in a faint voice as if
holding onto the hem of his clothes.
“Killian... That... I know it’s inappropriate in this situation, but I just... Can you
hug me?”
Even though she wasn’t crying, he had the illusion that Edith’s eyes were wet.
I couldn’t understand why Edith was trying to protect the maid by even seducing
him with her bruised body.
I don’t know if she had her own circumstances, but Killian could never forgive
her.
“I am not a beast enough to hold a person covered in bruises. Just have a good
night’s sleep today.”
Then he went straight to his room to find some ointment for the bruise, and he
had to cool off his anger for a long time before going back to Edith’s room.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 49
‘You’ve become like that, so far, you’ve never said a word. Not a word!’
The evidence of brutal assault, clear even in the dark, raised a fire of anger in his
heart.
But at least I thought I could become a protector, but to her, I couldn’t even
become that.
Well, since I’ve never protected her, it’s not like that I couldn’t understand.
After barely controlling my stomach that was about to explode, I went back to
Edith’s room and saw that Edith was asleep in the meantime.
But the tears on her eyelashes and cheeks were still glistening in the light.
“Edith...”
He called her name in a low voice, but Edith was soundly asleep as if she had
relaxed.
Edith keeps her mouth shut even though she is receiving all sorts of contempt
from people, Ludwig and even me.
As if the day would come when he could reach her truth, Killian let out a long
sigh that melted the stuffy inside.
However, the hand that applied the medicine to her body was infinitely careful
and gentle.
I had to gather patience in the middle because of Edith who was tickling and
moaning a little, but Killian applied the medicine to her body and hugged her
until the dawn broke.
Killian let out a self-deprecating laugh as he watched Edith digging for warmth
without even knowing it was him.
‘It was me who was stupid. What can I do with shaking like this?’
Unless I’m crazy, how can I be swayed like this by a woman who doesn’t even
know my true feelings?
***
I think it was because I had a very cozy dream last night, and I slept through it
without waking up even once.
I don’t know who it is, but I didn’t hate it when I gently caressed it, as if I were
touching something fragile. No, it was good enough to bring tears to my eyes.
I wanted to entrust my body to that hand, and entrust my heart to that warmth.
‘It’s really amazing that it’s a dream full of senses.’
It was the first time I had a dream in which I saw nothing and did not have a
story.
But thanks to that, the gloomy mood of last night was blown away, and I
stretched for a long time.
“Huh?”
It felt like the acupuncture needles were sticking to my back as if I had applied
sticky body lotion.
When I reached over my shoulder and touched it, there was definitely something
on my back.
‘Killian...!’
Sophia and Killian were the only people who knew I had bruises, and Sophia
wasn’t the best person to drug me.
‘Then, I hope that dream... Killian...?’
Since Killian grew up with a strict education, he couldn’t have just watched a
woman get hurt to the point of black bruises. That’s what she is, no matter how
much she hates it.
‘Don’t fall asleep. No, if I hadn’t been sleeping, wouldn’t they have applied the
ointment?’
I kept feeling sad that if I hadn’t slept, I wouldn’t have been able to make
another sweet scene with him.
The fact that he took care of me was something I was grateful for.
‘By the way, I think he has caught something about Sofia, but what’s going to
happen...’
Sophia was a maid sent to me under the name of Count Rigelhoff, and she came
with the mission of watching over me so that Duke Ludwig would not persecute
me.
Even though I was dumbfounded and asked, Killian gave an order to the knight,
only glaring at Sophia terribly.
“This can’t be! I am the maid Count Rigelhoff sent to guard my lady!”
“Oh, really?”
“What on earth are you going to do to my lady that you’re taking me off! Count
Rigelhoff will never sit idly by!”
Sophia raised her head stiffly on the subject of the maid and screamed.
“What nonsense is that! I’ve been taking care of her since she was little...!”
“From a young age? You mean you’ve been like that since she was little?”
He sat down in the chair next to me and asked Sophia as if he were interrogating
her in earnest.
“Well, that’s it, so that the attendant can always stay comfortable and healthy,
it’s to check before calling.”
“Of course! Since she was young, I have been thoroughly educated as a maid
only for the lady.”
“Has a maid so well aware of her duty not reported or treated the bruises on her
master’s body?”
“Oh no!”
Sophia protested, but her eyes turned to me. The threat that she would not let go
if she opened her mouth was clear.
“Even if you didn’t stare at Edith like that, Edith didn’t say a word. Is it good or
foolish?”
The surroundings became quiet. To the point where you could hear a gurgling
sound coming from Sophia’s throat.
“Ah, I didn’t know about the minor injuries she had because she didn’t talk
about them. It’s my fault for not looking into it...”
“Is she slightly injured? If it’s something trivial, do you want me to give you a
minor beating and let it go?”
“What...?”
“It is amazed that you are trying to deceive me to the end. Well, you are the
maid that Shane Rigelhoff sent in with all his might, so you’re not an ordinary
maid.”
However, Sophia seemed surprised by something other than that Killian had
been roughly aware of her true identity.
“Well, by the way, the Young Master saw the wounds of the young lady... Do
you mean that?”
Her eyes were wide open and she was looking at me and Killian alternately.
“What are you so surprised about? Edith and I are married, so is it really that
surprising that the husband checked his wife’s body?”
Perhaps that was the point, Sophia couldn’t even control her mouth opening.
“I want you to be flogged for contempt of a nobleman, but they begged me to let
go of your limbs, seeing how well you was treated as a vassal by the Rigelhoff
family. More suspiciously.”
It’s not even morning yet, when the hell did the Rigelhoffs get the news?
“Anna. And Leonard. Keep silent about what you see and hear in this room until
you die. Neither will be safe if the story leaks out.”
Anna and the knight gave a short answer to Killian’s threat. Like Anna, the face
of the knight named Leonard was terribly businesslike.
Seeing the terrifying resemblance between their expressions, I had a hunch that
the two would never reveal this.
In the meantime, Anna had packed all of Sophia’s belongings. From the moment
the knight seized Sophia, she was squirming something, but from the moment
Killian said he would kick Sofia out, she seems to have packed Sophia’s things.
“Anna. Take good care of Edith. I must send their noble maid in her carriage
from the Rigelhof family.”
Oh my god.
It seemed that the Rigelhoffs had even sent a carriage to take Sophia.
Why don’t you go around spreading rumors that you’re a suspicious person!
Left in a desolate room, I was completely absorbed in what had just blown up
like a storm.
“It’s my negligence for not taking good care of the lady’s condition. If you
punish me, I will accept it sweetly.”
It was impossible for Anna to notice the bruises on my body, since I wasn’t
being attended to in the bath or getting a massage.
Even so, Anna had a gloomy expression, as if it were really her own fault.
“Thank you for your forgiveness. Then... May I take a look at your body?”
A sigh came out. If she said no, she might be punished by Anna.
As I removed the outer dress and carefully lowered the chemise for the last time,
I felt Anna’s breath stop behind me.
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EPISODE 50
“Anna...?”
“Miss...”
After Anna, who is not agitated, called me with a trembling voice, I waited for a
long time before continuing.
If it hadn’t been for the fucking restriction of not being able to say the least bit
about how I was treated in the Rigelhoffs, I wouldn’t have been able to hold
back and tell someone.
But for those who don’t know it and can’t understand it, a plausible excuse is
needed.
I turned around and saw Anna furrowing her brow. It’s the first time I’ve seen
Anna’s expression change so dramatically.
And with that one word, Anna understood everything and didn’t ask more.
There were a few more episodes left for Sophia to commit, but I was afraid of
how that part would transform and attack me.
But one fact had been scratching my insides satisfactorily since earlier.
I was beaten by a maid, and rather than worrying about my safety, Count
Rigelhoff even sent a carriage to send Sophia back intact...
If your head turns even a little, you won’t know. Even Anna seems to have
noticed already.
However, instead of kicking me, who had no value as a hostage, Killian threw
Sofia away.
Because I’m closer to the main character than Sophia, and my narrative has
more weight than Sophia’s.
Since there are still many things I have to do in the future, I had the belief that
the big flow of the story could not exclude me.
Even so, it was a great comfort to me that Killian did not ignore my situation
and took action.
‘You have to be alert at times like this. If you watch it in movies or dramas, it’s
said that when it’s like this, it gets loose and ruins the work.’
I don’t know how much sympathy Killian had for me, but it’s true that he sees
me as ‘a woman who tries to seduce him with her body when she’s at a
disadvantage’.
‘So from now on, I should never get dirty with Killian and keep a clean distance.
Then he’ll find out someday. That I would never be that kind of woman.’
Then their hatred for me would diminish, and now that they knew about my
circumstances, Rigelhoff might just look at me when he cuts people’s throats.
I smirked and shook my body slightly, and knowing that I was crying, Anna put
her hand on top of mine and patted me.
***
It was because he forgot what his original name was, but K didn’t mind that fact.
What was important to K was this world.
Liese was the perfect heroine with all of K’s wishes, to the point where one
wonders how he created such a lovable being.
That’s why, when he was possessed in this world after his death, he thought he
had been blessed by the gods.
What a joy it is to be able to live together in a world where the characters you
create live!
Liese, whom I love so much, was really beautiful, and the male leads for her
were a combination of fantasy.
Watching their life and love right in front of you was heartbreaking.
But at the point where he was living the same life for the fifth time, K had the
first thought that this might be a curse rather than a blessing.
I open my eyes at the point where the original story begins, and when the
original story ends, everything becomes blurry and I go back to the starting point
and repeat...
‘The world I created can’t be hell. Then... Okay! Let’s make a variation on the
story!’
The story needed a change to endure the repeated life, but the desire to make
Liese stand out even more did not diminish.
And among the people who read the story, the person who thought it would be
interesting was possessed by Edith Rigelhoff.
The possessors, who read the original work and quickly accepted that they were
possessed in a romance fantasy novel, showed interesting behavior.
At first, they are mistaken for being possessed by a wicked woman and are
delighted.
After that, unlike Edith in the original work, he tries hard to live a good life.
However, if the flow of the original story did not change and the comparison
with Liese continued, he became a fresh villain incomparable to the original
Edith.
Thanks to this, K was able to forget the tedium of repetitive life, and Liese was
able to become a more prominent protagonist every time.
The thing that makes Liese look the most attractive. That was K’s joy.
But K. did not feel that he was being unfair. It was because he possessed a
person who had died anyway, and Edith had already set up a device that could
go against the flow of the original story.
Of course, it was not easy to meet the exception conditions because it was a
game that was advantageous to K. However, there were nine Ediths who met the
first stage.
That was fine. Rather, it had the effect of making the story more interesting.
However, K, who had treated all the Ediths as if they were ants, felt a strange
tension with the 13th Edith who was possessed this time.
Most of the Edithors panicked and started to collapse when they were accused of
being the culprit of the document leak.
Especially this time, in order to make Edith a definite culprit, I even gave a new
setting, ‘Do not use tables in forms.’
Edith, however, was not taken aback. He examined the evidence that made him
the culprit as if to try it once, and he brought the papers and diary he had written
and compared them to the forged letters, claiming his innocence.
The people around her were persuaded by her reasonable argument, and the
episode where Edith was supposed to be a spy ended in a blur.
Even the part that met the first stage exception condition, ‘Follow the method
that the original Edith failed’, was different from other Ediths.
When other Ediths met the first stage, the part where they followed the original
plot was to cling to Killian or follow the orders of the Rigelhoffs.
But the 13th Edith just kissed Killian and tried to turn around.
The act of kissing was part of the original Edith’s failed plan, so she barely
passed the first stage.
Anyway, when the first stage exception conditions were met, the person who
faced Edith’s actions at that time, namely Killian, began to change.
To quantify it, her dominance over Killian went down from 100% to 70%.
Up until now, there was little concern even if Edith fulfilled the first stage and
her control over Killian was reduced. It was because Killian had never caused
Edith to change his emotions.
I was surprised when I found out he had spent the night with Edith, even though
he was a character she had created, it was so strange.
It was the first time I had seen a character leave the hand of the original author
and move on its own.
And that was all an exceptional situation that happened because of the
probability this Edith created, and that was the biggest reason K was nervous
about the 13th Edith.
Besides, there was another point that this Edith was different.
‘I don’t know if they know it, but she’s recruiting extras that I can’t control.’
Although K created this world, she was not a perfect god of this world.
The greatest force leading this world was the ‘flow of the original work’,
followed by probability, and K was only the original author trapped in the
original story.
However, K was able to control the minor settings of the story and dominate the
characters. The more carefully K created the character, the stronger K’s
dominance was.
So, the numerous extras whose names were not set were as if they were not
under the control of K.
That is the reason why I was able to possess different people into Edith.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 51
It was because the extras were able to flexibly deal with any unexpected
situation so that the flow of this world would not be disrupted.
However, the 13th Edith drew the Duchess and her aide Linnon to her side.
And she was trying to change her perception of herself by saying hello to
nameless servants.
He even insisted on his innocence in a more dignified and haughty manner than
in the case of the document leak, while making a plausible reasoning to accuse
the Sinclair family as the culprit.
Thanks to this, Killian seemed to lean more towards Edith, and he had no choice
but to cover up the case where Edith should be accused of being the culprit.
If the previous Ediths were helplessly swept away and collapsed by K’s tricks,
the 13th Edith felt like fighting against K.
If he fulfilled the second level, Killian was almost unable to control himself, and
his control over the main characters other than Killian was slightly lowered.
If the third level was met, K’s dominance would be almost useless, and if Liese
and Cliff were unable to be united because of that, K didn’t even know what the
world would be like.
It was because of K’s confidence that bordered on arrogance that he brought the
possessed chair from the multidimensional universe even after taking such a
risk.
However, K had the confidence to protect his world. After all, this was just a
game where K won.
‘It’s a condition that Edith will never be able to meet, and it has to be able to
reinforce the flow of the original work by repeating the action opposite to the
condition. What are those conditions?’
K, who had been thinking for a long time, looked over Edith’s actions and
smiled.
After a while, the ‘original flow’, which could be called the system of this
world, accepted K’s condition.
***
This is because there were not a few families who gave birth to and raised
daughters for that purpose.
Edith, who has been packing herself up like an arrogant and selfish young lady,
will be deeply hurt if rumors spread that she was beaten by a mere maid.
‘I can’t understand at all, but each family has its own circumstances.’
It’s ridiculous, but people have different opinions, and even villains have their
own cause.
If it was truly unbearable abuse, Edith would have asked for help.
“If you look at the recent events, the maid is also suspicious.”
At that explanation, Cliff got angry, saying, “I should arrest her and investigate,
what should I do if you send her away as it is?”
“But...!”
“The maid I didn’t like from the beginning was kicked out at this opportunity, so
I just know that.”
“There is no confirmation, but at least there seems to be a plan. She said that
there were incidents that made the maid suspicious and that she would send her
back, so he accepted it silently.”
In the end, Cliff and the Duke also accepted Killian’s decision.
It was because the expression on Edith’s last face when he was dragging Sophia
out was close to being relieved.
I thought she was a arrogant and shrewd woman who never lost to anyone, but
she was a bear-like woman who couldn’t even talk about her pain and endured
it.
The maid probably assaulted Edith right after she entered.
Even so, seeing that Edith never lowered her arrogant chin made me think she
was really amazing.
‘Come to think of it, that peach pie incident... Didn’t Edith starve for several
days to lose weight?’
Sophia said that Edith voluntarily did not eat in order to lose weight, but looking
back now, it was nonsense.
Just looking at Edith, who started to gain weight as soon as I attached Anna on
her, I could tell that she had no will to lose weight.
‘No way, that’s why she asked me to put another maid on her?’
‘She didn’t just shut her mouth and hold it in. She didn’t intend to give in even
after being beaten like that, she was that kind of woman.’
I couldn’t hide my laughter when I thought of Edith, who had a grim expression
on her face, asking for more maids from the Ludwig family to reveal her
innocence.
I thought she would do anything for her father, but` she did not obey even the
family’s orders.
I was strangely satisfied with the fact that I had been taken advantage of by her
tricks.
Liese was also grateful for the decision to let Sophia go without much fuss.
“Thank you, Killian. I really... I didn’t want to think about it any more.”
“I can’t say for certain that the maid named Sophia is the culprit. The Count
Sinclair’s family is still the most suspicious, and she just kicked out the maid
she didn’t like on this occasion.”
“Whatever.”
Liese, who was slowly recovering from the poisoning, looked really tired.
Until now, Cliff had tried to convince her, but there was no way he could defeat
Liese, who was crying pitifully.
It was only then that Liese’s face brightened when she suggested it in a half-
playful way.
“Of course.”
“Okay, Killian.”
“Yes, Liese.”
Liese hesitated a little, then slightly raised her eyebrows and said.
“...What?”
“How hard must it have been for Edith? Now that I’ve been poisoned, I think I
know how hard it must have been for Edith, who was poisoned last time.”
Killian knows. Because he saw her in pain firsthand.
“I believe Edith was not the culprit. Therefore... Killian, please comfort Edith,
who must have been having a hard time.”
“Please do the same for Edith. Just like when you comforted me, we drink tea
together, take walks, talk...”
If it had been the same before, it would have been an offer that he would
immediately reject, saying, “Am I crazy?”
It was a mixed feeling of guilt that he didn’t know Edith at all, and curiosity that
he wanted to know more.
“I know. But changing my mind is something that will take me some time,
Liese.”
Liese, who understood his meaning, lowered her gaze as if she was sorry.
Her forehead was warm from the slight fever that hadn’t come down yet.
Seeing Liese looking up at me with big clear eyes, Killian smiled and nodded.
“Yes, what.”
We can go out together, take a walk in a sunny garden, buy expensive and good
things in the downtown area, and eat delicious food together.
It was a bit cumbersome, but the method wasn’t difficult, so Killian accepted
Liese’s request without much hesitation.
But things didn’t go as expected.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 52
Killian, who took it easy and suggested a tea time to Edith, was politely rejected.
A little embarrassed, Killian invited Edith to eat together the next day.
“It seems like you eat alone in your room every time, but it’s good to come
down and eat in the dining room.”
“Ah...”
“Speaking of which, how about having a meal together today?”
“I know that the Duke is still uncomfortable with me, but I don’t want to
interrupt the mealtime for nothing. Thanks for the suggestion, Killian.”
Killian, who was worried about making a proposal that was unlikely to interfere
with other family members, said lightly as if he was passing the next day.
“The weather is nice, so I’m going to take a short walk in the garden. Would you
like to go with me?”
However, Edith, who was surprised with her eyes wide open, smiled again and
shook her head.
“...If so.”
After the third rejection, Killian got the feeling that Edith was avoiding him.
‘Why the hell? Didn’t I kick that damn maid out? Then isn’t it not enough to
hang on to thank me?’
“Is it mandatory?”
“It is not.”
Edith’s eyes looked startled again, but she soon shook her head after looking at
him like ‘I understand’.
“I don’t really want to go right now, and I don’t want to waste your time with
that.”
“All right.”
“Thank you for asking.”
With a bitter taste, Killian had no choice but to return to his room like a defeated
soldier.
‘Coming to think of it, I haven’t seen Edith go to a party at another house since
she got married... Maybe the party is boring.’
***
“Someone gave me a strawberry tart from <Peridot> as a gift, would you like to
eat it together?”
Even before the store opened, I was really curious about the strawberry tart from
<Peridot>, which was said to be impossible to buy without standing in line.
“Thank you, but lately I’ve been eating too much dessert, so I’ve gained some
weight... How about eating it with Miss Liese?”
“Liese and...? Are you serious?”
“Of course! Because I never care about the two of you being close!”
I tried to appeal to my selfless heart, but I felt that Killian’s lips tilted crookedly
and his pupils became menacing.
“It doesn’t matter if it’s just me and Liese, just the two of us...?”
Finally, it seems that I have been able to take a look at my true feelings.
“Sure! I know very well that you two have been like family for a long time. I
never! I have no intention of interfering with your intimate relationship.”
“Ha...!”
But, as if he couldn’t believe it, his expression of anger did not show up.
Killian turned around. Then he walked away with the strawberry tart from
<Peridot>.
You’ve had a bad appetite, but you shouldn’t collapse on what to eat here.
I just wanted a strawberry tart, but Killian might suspect I was slurping on a tart.
‘You have to keep a neat relationship without being clingy. You must never fall
for Killian’s test.’
It was clear that Killian was putting me to the test, too, seeing as I made
suggestions that I would never normally make.
It was quite embarrassing to have the appearance of refusing the favor, but it
was not difficult to figure out the intention of the examiner because all of his
suggestions were to do something in close proximity to him.
‘If I continue to appeal to my pure heart like this, Killian will believe in me
someday. Isn’t that the reason why you deliberately even test it? Like the final
gateway...?’
I encouraged myself even more with the pride of passing his tests one by one.
But the next day, Liese, who hadn’t gotten out of bed yet, called me.
I still had to appeal to Liese for my innocence, so I quickly headed to the room
where she was lying.
“Liese! Are you okay with your body? I was very worried.”
“I heard that Edith has suffered a lot. Why do these things keep happening...”
“Where did I read that? At times like this, everyone just thinks it’s because I’m
cute.”
“...Yes?”
I just smiled broadly at Liese, who didn’t understand and gave me a puzzled
expression.
Liese, who was smiling at the same time, hesitantly opened her mouth with
difficulty.
“By the way, Edith. By any chance, did you feel sorry for Killian... No, of
course there must have been. There might have been...”
“Uh... That’s a bit of an exaggeration, but anyway, I’m more grateful to Killian
than sorry.”
I tried to look like the Virgin Mary as much as possible, hoping that Liese would
convey my story well to Killian.
“Yes? Me?”
“Yes... Killian seems to be trying to get closer to Edith, but Edith seems to be
refusing...”
“Oh, oh, no! It’s not what Killian said, it’s just... Where did you hear that?”
It seems the maids made fun of their mouths lightly. I don’t know my speed.
“Yes, Edith.”
“Killian is a pitiful man. He is the one who sacrificed himself for the Ludwig
family. He says arranged marriages are common, but if he was someone like
Killian, he didn’t have to do it.”
“Ah, Edith...!”
“I am not blaming anyone, I swear! Actually, this marriage wasn’t bad for me.”
I deliberately explained in a brighter voice, but Liese’s pitiful brow didn’t seem
to straighten.
“But Killian is different. That person is still... They can’t accept me. In the end,
even making me this or that offer would be forced because of his position.”
Liese held my hand tightly and explained in detail that Killian had opened up to
you and that he was trying to become closer with you.
Of course, there’s no way that Killian would have been around saying that, so
Liese might be trying to convince me, but I know Killian’s intentions.
Even as I thought about that, I had to smile while pulling my trembling facial
muscles as much as I could.
“Sure. I’m grateful for Killian. Anyway, I’m worried that Liese, who is not
feeling well because of me and Killian, was too concerned.”
‘Reveal your true nature! Take off the mask!’ and poked me in the side, driving
me into a corner, as if expecting me to collapse soon.
‘But no matter how much pressure you put on me, I don’t have that nature. Of
course, if Killian pushes me, I can’t refuse.’
I set a table for you to eat, but there is no reason to refuse that.
But I’m not going to actively set the table... Huh? It looks like Killian is in my
room again.
I calmly entered the room and sat across from Killian, determined not to give in.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 53
“Oh, Killian! Were you waiting for me?”
Killian went off the rails and spun out Edithorials of little importance.
“By the way... How about increasing your exercise a bit for your health? I heard
that you take a walk in the morning, but in fact, it would be good to take a walk
around the garden path once after eating.”
To be honest, I probably ate a little too much after I started starving, and I
couldn’t stop myself from gaining weight even with the rompan world buffs.
Even so, it’s to the extent that the side meat is slightly caught...
If Killian, who is not interested in me, has gained weight, how much did she
gain?
I jumped up.
“Huh...?”
“Ah... But now that I think about it, Killian’s remark just now is a bit insulting.
If I gain weight, they tell me how much I gained and exercise...”
If I clung to you like I did earlier, your gaze at me would have become very
cold, right?
“I think my expression has been misunderstood. It was that you gained weight
compared to when you lost a lot of weight before, not that you had gained
enough weight to lose weight.”
“Ah, I see. I’m sorry for the misunderstanding too. But I don’t feel like going
out that much. Of course, thank you for caring about my health, Killian.”
Taking advantage of the gaps Anna wasn’t looking at, I danced for joy by
myself, but suddenly I remembered Killian’s eyes staring at me and stopped.
‘Now it’s clear that the high ground is not far away!’
It will be the end of doubt.
‘It can’t be like this, but if it were this woman, she’d say it’s right and run.’ She
must be testing me with a willing heart, but since she doesn’t roll like she
thought, she must be in a state of doubt.
‘If I get over this hurdle, then can I have tea with Killian? I want to eat together,
take a walk...’
Will you treat me like a person when you realize I’m not the lascivious,
boisterous woman that rumors say?
***
I was always nervous while going through Killian’s ‘test’, and if there was any
time to control my mind during that time, it was definitely the time I was
working in Linnon’s office.
Linnon’s office, cool even in summer and full of the smell of paper, was one of
my favorite places in the mansion.
Contrary to the initial introduction that said he was stingy with praise, Linnon
praised me more often than I thought.
In fact, there was nothing difficult about sorting documents by date and
organizing the contents scattered into several pages into one page, but Linnon
said in passing that it was handled neatly and meticulously.
I found peace of mind in those words that were not excessive, but acknowledged
my hard work.
When I went to work (?), I found Killian sitting in the middle of Linnon’s office.
“It’s not like that... It’s just, I’m surprised. I think this is the first time I’ve seen
it since I’ve been working here?”
“Ah, that’s right... Then, do you have something to discuss with Linnon?”
“Yes, what...”
Well, although he is the second son of the Duke, Killian was also helping the
Duke. He might have something to ask about taxes, so it was no surprise that he
showed up at Linnon’s office.
I smiled and sat down in front of my desk with what I had to do today, but I
couldn’t get rid of the thought that Killian had come to watch over me.
‘Yes, I’ll show you how hard I work.’
He never paid attention to Killian, and focused only on filing the paperwork.
But Killian, who was quiet about what he was doing, suddenly spoke to Linnon.
I guess I wasn’t the only one who thought that word was out of the blue.
“I’m sorry I didn’t take care of you for a while. When you come in person
during business hours, you look like you have too much work.”
I can finally understand Liese’s expression of being blunt on the outside but
deep inside.
It was a little embarrassing even though it was a proposal with concern for
Linnon, and his voice was hard and indescribable.
“Thank you for your concern, but Miss Edith is helping you, so it’s okay.”
At first, I thought I didn’t like hearing compliments, but now that I think about
it, I feel like I have to admit it, so it seemed like a process of giving up my
doubts.
I pretended not to have heard the conversation between the two and worked
harder on the paperwork.
***
— April 2, 1824
The Duchess sent Miss Edith to me. She seems to help with work.
I didn’t have high expectations, but it’s true that things have been a little
daunting since the last time the fool ran away.
I hoped that the young lady had at least the intelligence not to confuse the date,
but surprisingly, the young lady was sincere and meticulous in organizing the
receipts.
She even looked very skilled, like someone who had been working somewhere
for a long time.
I thought that if she continued to do this much, I would have nothing more to
ask for, but in the afternoon Master Cliff called me and asked me about Lady
Edith.
I answered as I felt, but it didn’t seem like the answer the Young Master wanted.
Lady Edith, who was always diligent, seemed strangely anxious and nervous
recently.
When I asked if something was wrong, she took something out of her pocket
and asked if I was okay.
At first, I thought it was a piece of cloth, but upon closer inspection, it turned
out to be an embroidered handkerchief.
It seems that it will soon be sold at the bazaar of the Countess Ermenia.
I can honestly say that the handkerchief is a little wrinkled on all sides and the
stitches are randomly spaced, but I can definitely tell what kind of picture it is.
In my opinion, it was a compliment, but the lady made an expression as if the
sky had collapsed.
I don’t know what to say to women’s embroidery work to make it sound like a
compliment.
The other day, the Rigelhoffs sent a maid to Edith, but the lady didn’t seem very
happy.
Even though she seemed a little weak, she suddenly enjoyed the refreshments
she hadn’t eaten today.
She left a cookie and a madeleine for me, but as I sipped my tea, her eyes were
fixed on it, so I couldn’t help but tell her to eat it.
The way she asked if it was okay was like a young girl.
But why are you suddenly eating refreshments? Have you ever had a baby?
After returning from a business trip, the atmosphere at the mansion is unusual.
It seemed that Miss Edith first poisoned herself and staged a play in order to
harm Miss Liese, and then attempted to poison Lady Liese.
The circumstances of the superiors were not my concern, so I did not listen to
the servants’ gossip.
Lady Edith said she’s on probation for the time being, but having one hand
empty is quite inconvenient.
It seems that the incident involving the young lady has been roughly sorted out,
but the servants still seem to believe that the young lady is the culprit.
I was a little taken aback, but fortunately I had the mentality to hand over the
handkerchief.
The lady quickly wiped away her tears and went back to work.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 54
— August 2, 1824
It was the first time the Young Master came to sit in my office, but strangely, he
said it as if it was a common occurrence for Lady Edith.
Lady Edith worked quickly and focused today, whether or not Master Killian
was present. She is truly a talent that I covet every time I see her.
But the Young Master glared at the back and suddenly said to me how about
hiring an employee.
It was a thank you, but it wasn’t that I didn’t hire an employee so far.
I always picked them up, but they all ran away after half a year.
The young lady was more sincere, understanding, quick-witted, and smarter than
anyone I’ve ever seen, except for the often-repeated probationary spirit.
So I said that it wasn’t necessary because Lady Edith was helping me these
days, but Master Killian looked at me with terrifying eyes.
Perhaps Master Killian wanted to get Miss Edith’s attention, but if that’s the
case, say something nice to Miss Edith.
***
Seeing that they came and didn’t do anything, it seemed to be for the purpose of
spying on me.
But if you want to watch, you have to hide. There is no basic posture of
monitoring.
Anyway, I didn’t care about him and persevered, playing a sincere employee.
No, this is not smoke.
Even in the healing game, my soul couldn’t escape the Korean Peninsula office
worker who earns money to pay off the loan.
“If you add up the amount written on this receipt, the total is 3,568,478 senna.
But the actual statement is written as 3,568,487 senna.”
“Okay. It looks like it was written by swapping the last two digits there. I was
wondering where 9 senna disappeared, but thank you for finding it.”
“It’s not over yet. This number is wrong. It’s not a big deal, but I think it’s going
to get in trouble later if these little calculations are wrong.”
“You’re right. I thought about it before, but the lady is quite meticulous. Thanks
to this, the paperwork that was full of errors has been considerably cleaned up.”
“Thanks to Linnon for teaching me well, well. She worked hard today too.”
“You did a great job, Mrs. Then see you next week.”
“Ha... No. I’m also going to wake up now, so I’ll take you to your room.”
Killian grabbed my wrist and slipped out of Linnon’s office before I could finish
cleaning the desk.
He strode toward my room in such a hurry, and I had to run halfway to keep up
with his pace.
And when we arrived at my room, Killian dismissed Anna, who was waiting for
me, and said almost threateningly.
“Does anything change by putting it off until tomorrow or the day after
tomorrow?”
“...Not that.”
It was different from the previous suggestions of things that could be done
within the mansion, from asking the two of them to go out of the mansion.
I smiled condescendingly.
“Killian. You don’t have to try so hard. Because I’m really fine.”
First of all, in the part where he doesn’t accept the request for a date, his dry
chastity stands out.
In the part asking her to go out with Liese, she feels cool, not obsessed with her
husband, and in the part where she pretends not to know the temptation hidden
in the offer to go out in the dark, she shows a priest-level stoic attitude.
Strangely, however, I felt that Killian’s hand, which was holding my shoulder,
seemed to add strength.
“Killian...?”
The fact that he and I were husband and wife became a fact that could not be
denied or denied as the seals of both families were stamped on the documents,
and the seals of the priest were also stamped, but he and I hadn’t been married
very much.
“Are you saying that you thought of me as a husband and rejected all offers to
live as a married couple? Ah! There was one thing you wouldn’t refuse, really.”
Killian’s eyes, which were wet with heat, were the ones he looked up at some
other time.
The floor suddenly receded and the legs in the air startled me and I struggled.
He let me go as soon as I asked. Being on the bed was a bit meaningful, though.
“Stop, no way!”
“But isn’t that the only thing you won’t reject me for? Isn’t that right, Edith?”
Oh, how fast his hands were. In the meantime, the heavy dress slipped down.
“Killian, I really didn’t mean this!”
“So, was this your retaliation for refusing the last request to hug you?”
He growled and questioned me, but he didn’t listen to my answer and kissed me.
“Ugh...!”
Originally, he was a good kisser, but today the feeling was different. It was a
little thicker and rough and honest to the point that it felt like a wall was
missing.
“Hahaha, Killian...”
“Yes?”
“So, didn’t you cry that much in front of Linnon too? Even from a distance, it
made my heart ache.”
“Linnon...?”
Even in the middle of a wild, destroying kiss as if my soul were going to escape,
I remembered the day I cried in front of Linnon.
Even from afar, does that mean that Killian was looking somewhere?
“You’re distracted. How can you think of something else in front of me?”
“Ah, that...”
Killian suddenly hugged me tightly and put his lips on the nape of my neck.
“Ugh, Killian...!”
His body touched through the thin chemise was hard and hot.
I was a little scared that if he hugged me tightly, my body would collapse as it
is.
But on the other hand, I wanted him to hug me so tightly and deeply that I
couldn’t even think of anything.
The kiss that followed again and his body temperature warming my body made
my head turn white.
“Sob, heuk...”
“So, if you make that face in front of another man, I can’t help but be angry.”
I couldn’t understand why I was crying either. I couldn’t understand what the
hell Killian was mad about.
Even so, my body was getting hotter, so I had no choice but to put my arms
around his neck and exhale excitedly.
[Step 2 exception conditions met. Exceptions are made and the author’s rights
are reduced. Stage 2 exception conditions will expire.]
From beyond the darkness, I heard a voice that I was even glad to see now.
At first, I was blankly thinking, ‘Oh, it’s been a long time, hasn’t it?’, but
gradually I came to my senses.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 55
‘Wait, what are you talking about? What conditions do you think I met?’
It was the same when the first stage exception condition was met, but this
situation that the second stage exception condition was met was also
incomprehensible.
Could it be that the conditions are fulfilled every time I sleep with Killian?
The voice spoke as if it were listening to the answer recorded by the machine.
‘What?’
Shocked, my first thought was that someone with that condition was playing
with me.
‘Are you sure. They’re having fun watching me struggle in real time.’
It was clear that he knew I liked Killian and made that condition.
I couldn’t hold back the smile that spilled out and laughed.
I didn’t have any strength in my languid body, but something held me firmly so
my body didn’t collapse at all.
“What are you dreaming about, why do you laugh while sleeping?”
It seems that it has passed from a dream for announcements to a normal dream.
Killian’s voice whispering to me...
“Huh... Good...”
When I slightly opened my eyes, I saw the man’s bare chest, albeit blurry.
Considering that I heard Killian’s voice earlier, this must be Killian’s heart.
It was only after I buried my face in Killian’s chest for a while and breathed in
his body odor that I did everything I wanted to do, and then I felt something
strange.
Feeling somewhat chilly, I blinked my eyes hard and tried to wake up.
In front of my eyes there was the man’s chest bone, which had deepened as he
lay on his side.
Crazy! It was not a dream! I had slammed my face into Killian’s bare chest.
“Yes. However... If it were real, you wouldn’t be able to stay still... I thought it
was a dream.”
“What?”
When I couldn’t understand what he was saying and my eyes widened, he pulled
me back and locked me in his arms again.
He hugged me tightly and let out a long sigh as if he was somehow satisfied, but
said nothing.
I didn’t hate being hugged by him either, so I just let him do it.
I thought I was going to fall asleep again, but Killian was playing with my hair
through his fingertips.
I pretended to be crazy and fiddled with his chest muscles because I felt like he
would let me off whatever I did.
‘I think this will be enough for a C cup... Is not it? I want to rub it once.’
“What are you curious about? It is natural that you will build muscle as much as
you train. I was more curious about your body.”
“Ah...”
“I’m hungry.”
I hadn’t thought much of it until a while ago, but I suddenly felt hungry when I
heard that it was dinner time, having skipped lunch.
“Yes...”
“Me... Are you serious about not looking at me as a stallion or anything else?”
No, you shouldn’t talk like that! When did I get a chance to do that?
“Let’s go to the opera with me tomorrow. Even outside the bedroom, you’re like
this...”
Killian, who tried to say something more when he said let’s go to the opera, just
looked down at me and couldn’t speak more.
“I’m fine. I thought you were forcing yourself to suggest this and that out of a
sense of duty, I didn’t mean to push you away.”
If it hadn’t been for that growling sound in my stomach, we might have gone
into second round.
While I buried my face in the palm of my hands at the embarrassing sound,
Killian laughed and pulled the rope.
“Prepare the bath water. We will eat after we’re done bathing.”
Even seeing our nakedness, Anna obeyed the order without the slightest
wavering.
We didn’t have much of a conversation, but I felt full and the time flew by.
“I will be leaving tomorrow after lunch. When you’re ready, I’ll come pick you
up to your room.”
My heart fluttered at the thought of going out on a date even though we were
already married.
“I’ll wait.”
***
[Step 2 exception conditions met. Exceptions are made and the author’s rights
are reduced. Stage 2 exception conditions will expire.]
‘How so fast!’
K was shocked to hear that the second stage exception conditions had been met.
I thought that this condition would never be broken, but Edith quickly met the
condition as if he had waited.
‘Didn’t you love Killian? She must have looked like that?’
The 13th Edith also fell in love with Killian, just like the previous 12 Ediths. It
was clear.
That’s why he was confident when he set the condition of ‘refusing Killian
Ludwig’s offer 10 times.’
How can you reject a tempting offer from someone you like 10 times?
The love that K knew was the feeling of wanting to do whatever the object he
loved wanted, and giving it to him.
Even if someone you don’t love asks for a favor, it’s hard to refuse 10 times, but
how on earth...!
‘I said I was anxious, but I never thought it would really turn out like this.’
It happened between Killian, who could only control 70%, and Edith, who
couldn’t get involved at all, so I don’t know exactly how things went.
How strange it was for Killian, who was talking about Edith, not Liese, with a
bitter face...
However, because of that, he was able to not miss the abnormal signs and
persuaded Edith through Liese.
‘Certainly at that time, there was something strange about the atmosphere.’
Unlike herself, who didn’t like this marriage, Edith said that she felt sorry for
Killian, who fell victim to an arranged marriage.
“He is still... They can’t accept me. In the end, even making me this or that offer
would be forced because of his position.”
At the time, I thought he was complaining roundly because he was mad at
Killian, but now that this situation has occurred, it seems that he really thought
that Killian was forcing him to do something he didn’t want to do.
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EPISODE 56
‘So you’re saying you turned them all down for Killian’s sake?’
Considering the context, it was only possible to come to such a conclusion, but
if so, K helped Edith to meet the second stage exception condition.
If it had been left alone, Killian wouldn’t have made the offer 10 times in a row,
and if that was the case, Edith, who was relaxed in the middle, might have
accepted the offer at least once.
Encouraging Killian to strengthen the flow of the original story turned into a
reverse blade. It was useless to regret it now.
‘Shit! If it’s down to level 2, that means Killian won’t listen to me!’
It was the second step that had never been met before.
Killian, whose dominance of K has been lowered to about 30%, will be more
difficult to control in the future, and the dominance of characters other than
Killian is also lowered to about 70%.
‘If the three-step exception condition is met... What will become of this world?’
He thought he was the god of this world, but when he was cornered into this
situation, he felt very helpless.
A bigger problem was that time would continue to flow if the law of following
the original work disappeared.
When Liese becomes the Duchess and the Sinclair family members feel intense
regret at the end of the story, everything slowly fades away and then returns to
the beginning of the story, unlike until now, time continues to flow after that.
However, apart from being bored with the repetitive life, K was not curious
about what happened after the original work.
‘I lived happily ever after, I don’t want to know the story after that! I don’t want
to see Liese grow old!’
K wanted the story to stop at the pinnacle of happiness. How could I have seen
the layer of time sinking down on the beautiful Liese face?
It should be stuffed at the moment when it is young, beautiful, happy, and loved
by everyone.
It was only after this situation that I realized more clearly, but K was only able
to dominate the character he created, and was trapped in the great flow of the
original work along with everything else.
And in the flow of the original work, only one Killian was set up as the person
who would kill Edith.
‘Of course, since the second stage exception conditions have been met, the rule
of following the original story has weakened. If that’s the case, I could use
probability to kill Edith, but... The penalty given to me will not be easy.’
If Killian fell in love with Liese again, things would be easier, but anyway, the
most powerful weapon K could wield was ‘exception conditions’.
If the last exceptional condition is not met, there is a high probability that
Killian will eventually kill Edith by the flow of the original work no matter what
unexpected situation occurs.
‘So, the 3rd stage exception condition must be set to something that Edith will
never be able to satisfy. I should try to kill Edith as much as possible.’
Maybe it’s because it’s the first sentence I’ve heard, but the voice I’ve always
heard felt cold today.
***
At the opera house, where I came out with Killian to prove I wasn’t treating him
like a stallion, I couldn’t help but look around and gape.
The high ceiling, wide stage, private rooms around the walls on the 2nd and 3rd
floors, and luxurious seats spread out on the 1st floor seemed like it wouldn’t be
out of place in any modern theater.
It might be because he had only been to a movie theater in his previous life, but
it seemed that the author had conceived the opera theater in a luxurious way,
probably for Cliff and Liese’s date at the opera house.
“Yes. No.”
The only places where Count Rigelhoff presented his daughter were parties and
gatherings.
Even when he seduced a man, he never sent him to a place where surveillance
was difficult. It seemed that he knew that he would probably run away if he was
sent out to a place out of his surveillance.
“It can’t be. I think I’ve seen Count Rigelhoff and his wife and their successors a
few times in the theater...”
Killian only slightly frowned at me, but did not ask for details.
“It’s <Odelette>.”
“What is it about?”
He answered indifferently about the title, but looked at me incredulously when I
asked for the content.
“You don’t have to know that! You are ignorant because no one knows. Do not
be unnecessarily interested in entertainment, do what you are told to do!”
It was the day when I went to a social gathering for young ladies and returned
home in disgrace because I did not know the contents of a popular play at the
time.
I asked for even a brief explanation, but Count Rigelhoff ignored it as if it was
annoying.
‘That man was afraid of his daughter becoming more knowledgeable. Because
he would have wanted a dog that was good at telling me.’
No matter how much it was set up to create Edith’s distorted view of love, it was
a family relationship that I really wanted to see.
When I showed signs of not knowing anything about Odelette, Killian thought
about something and explained it with a nonchalant face.
“Odelette, the daughter of a viscount with a strong Gasse, went into the woods
to pick raspberries and found an injured man. Odeleith helps the man out of her
pity, but she falls in love with her. The man says he has lost his memory, but in
reality he was Laslo, a prince from a neighboring country who was being hunted
by an assassin sent by his political opponent.”
“The two grow in love, but Odelette’s father wants to marry her off to a man
from a wealthy household to start a family. Upon learning of this, Laslo begs
Odelette to escape with her love.”
“You’re right. After her troubles, Odelette is married to her rich man, and Laslo,
despairing, returns to his country. And a year later, Odelette sees Laslo, the
prince of a neighboring country marrying her princess, and ends her life in shock
and regret after committing suicide.”
“It is a tragedy.”
It was like the European version of <Lee Soo-il and Shim Soon-ae>. How many
love stories with similar sad endings are there?
While we were talking, the lights in the theater turned off and the stage lit up.
As the spotlights poured onto the stage and the beautifully decorated singers
began to sing, I immediately fell in love with the opera.
At first, Odelette and Laslo developed a fresh love while singing bright songs.
However, their love is quickly jeopardized.
Odelette’s father introduces the wealthy baron Hubert to Odelette for the sake of
the family.
Odelette agonizes between the wealthy man Hubert and the man he loves, Laslo,
and Laslo earnestly asks Odelette to believe in herself and come to me.
And Hubert, who seduces Odelette with money, even though she knows that she
has another man she loves.
“Oh, forgive me, Laslo. My heart will always be yours, but I must leave you.”
They said that the human body is the best instrument in the world.
“Uh...?”
I whispered a little and took a handkerchief from him to wipe away my tears.
And the play ended with Odelette stabbing herself in the chest with a dagger
behind Laslo’s wedding, which was celebrated by everyone.
When the actors came to the stage and greeted me, I jumped up and applauded
enthusiastically, along with the others.
“Was it fun?”
“Yes! I never imagined that opera would be like this. I don’t think I’ll forget it
for a while.”
I put my hand on my still pounding heart and thanked Killian for bringing me
along.
Then Killian thought about something and asked out of the blue.
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EPISODE 57
“Hubert? Are you talking about that guy who only has a lot of money?”
“He tested love. Even though he knew what Odelette’s situation was, he did not
reveal his identity because he was testing the love. Son of a bitch.”
“But if you really love, can’t you be swayed by the lure of money?”
“To say it’s just money... There are so many things that can be solved with
money.”
I knew that all too well. So I could understand Odelette, but I couldn’t forgive
Laslo.
“But...”
Killian froze at my answer. I quickly turned away, wondering if I had dug up his
wounds for no reason.
“In the play, Hubert was treated as a very mean person, but in fact, Hubert is the
man who loved Odelette.”
“Didn’t he extort money from Odelette, who was already passionately in love
with another man?”
“Is it so. He knew that Odelette loved another man. Even so, you worked hard to
get Odelette. If she were that rich, she could have loved herself and got a woman
as beautiful as Odelette to be her wife.”
“That...”
“Perhaps, if Laslo hadn’t reappeared as if to take revenge on Odelette, Hubert
and Odelette could have lived a normal, happy couple.”
“So, it was very stupid for Odelette to commit suicide at the end. To be honest,
it’s not very likely. I would bet the author of this play would be a man.”
“You have a tendency to risk your own life too much, but that’s right. The
author of the play is a man.”
“So you must have thought that the woman would regret it and kill herself. But
as for the woman, she is much stronger than you think.”
“...I see.”
We walked out of the opera house side by side with a feeling of excitement.
I felt like a couple who went out on a normal date, and it tickled my stomach.
Killian stepped out into the street where the sun had not yet set and turned to me
and asked.
Everything on the street where the evening sun had fallen seemed relaxed.
Piroche Street, walking with Killian, was close to Darsus Street, where Anna
and I went last time, but unlike Darsus Street, it was a place where commoners
and nobles were mixed.
“It’s candy.”
“Candy?”
“They say it’s a candy manufacturing method brought in from abroad, but they
say it’s popular these days.”
When I stared blankly at it, Killian smiled and led me in front of him.
“Make me one.”
“Yes.”
The candy vendor rolled multicolored molten taffy-like sticks around a thin
wooden stick, made a lollipop right away, poked it in the powdered sugar
powder, took it out, and handed it to me.
“It’s 50 senna!”
“Here.”
“Oh, hey, sorry. Because I don’t have enough change... If you wait a moment, I
will change it right away.”
The merchant was taken aback when Killian handed over the 1,000 senna bill.
Well, I don’t think many people even take out bills to buy street candy.
“Change is done.”
“Yes?”
Killian put his arms around my shoulders and started walking, leaving the
surprised candy seller behind.
I laughed to myself because it was funny to try Turkish candy that I had never
tasted in my previous life in this strange world.
However, the fact that it was Killian who bought it might have made it taste
even more delicious.
While I was sucking on a long lollipop, Killian stared at me and swallowed for
some reason.
“Seeing you eat makes you want to eat, right?”
I didn’t understand what he was saying, so I looked up again, and Killian looked
me straight in the eye, swallowed again, and shook his head.
“It’s nothing.”
“It’s bland.”
But the child will definitely hang around here until nightfall if he doesn’t sell all
those flowers.
“Please lend me some money.”
When I came out, I forgot to bring my money, so I tried to borrow some money
from Killian, but instead of lending it to me, Killian approached the child and
bought all the remaining flowers.
The child, who must have been seven years old, bowed to Killian several times
before running away lightly with an empty basket.
And Killian gathered the wilted flowers he had bought from the girl, tied them
together with his handkerchief, and handed them to me.
“There is no lady who buys flowers herself when a man is by her side.”
I picked up the small bouquet he was holding out and put my nose to it.
The wild flowers, which must have been picked in the mountains or fields, gave
off a scent closer to that of grass, but the simple scent permeated my heart more.
Come to think of it, it was the first time I had ever received flowers from
someone in my past and present life.
My parents in my previous life believed that it would be better to use that money
to buy jajangmyeon than to spend money on a bouquet of flowers that you can’t
even eat.
“This is the first time I've ever received something like this.”
“You must have received such withered flowers for the first time. If it had been
in the morning, the flowers would have been a bit fresher, but it’s a pity.”
“...What?”
I was smiling single-singly, looking at the flowers, but I felt something strange
next to me, so I turned my head and saw Killian looking at me with a very
strange face.
“Yes.”
“Didn’t the men who courted you take the trouble to send you flowers?”
“Ah... That... I didn’t get it. There may be someone who sent it.”
“What else...”
It was a little shocking to me that there was no scene in Edith’s memory of
receiving flowers directly.
There were many men who sent her flowers in return for courtship. The problem
was that all the bouquets were used to decorate Count Rigelhof’s room, or
Shane’s room, or her mansion itself.
‘Why the hell did you scold Edith so much? Wasn’t she her biological
daughter?’
However, I can’t openly say that because I haven’t yet met the third-level
exception condition.
‘I shouldn’t have said that it was my first time receiving flowers.’ With regret, I
turned Killian’s attention to the juggling clown.
It was something that Killian pointed out as a way to keep me from digging deep
into my problems, but juggling in all kinds of poses and not dropping a ball
thrown into the air was really amazing.
There were many other spectators besides us, but few threw coins into the hat in
front of the clown.
Commoner children would have no money, and nobles passing by would find it
rude to sit among commoners and watch clowns.
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EPISODE 58
After receiving it, I went forward and put the bill into the clown’s hat.
Then the clown started juggling around me, and the violinist behind me played
even more passionately, embarrassing me.
When Killian spoke in a laughing voice, the clown thanked him repeatedly and
withdrew, and I was finally able to return to Killian’s side.
Our evening, which melted away as quickly as 50-senna street candy, ended
with a sweet aftertaste and the smell of fresh wildflowers.
“You may not believe this because you don’t trust me yet, but I had a lot of fun
today. Thank you.”
Killian gave a small nod, and I smiled one more time before closing the door.
A sigh leaked out only when the door stood between him and me.
In my desk drawer, the piece of paper I circled over ‘Be grateful for what I
have’ is still stored...
***
Edith closed the door without looking back at Killian, so she didn’t see him raise
his hand belatedly.
Edith closed the door without seeing it, but Killian knocked on the door again
and did not call Edith out.
Everything I did with Edith today was a first experience for her and a new
experience for Killian.
It’s been like that since <Odelette>, the opera I chose just hoping for a smooth
date.
Odelette was such a famous opera that even Killian had seen it several times.
It was just a little different that the lead soprano of today’s opera was a
particularly famous singer, but it was just going to be the same experience for
Killian. If the person I went with wasn’t Edith.
At first, Edith was dumbfounded for not knowing even this famous opera. It
almost made me wonder if she was pretending to be innocent and lying.
However, as I recalled, no matter how many times Rigelhoff had seen people at
the opera house, he had never run into Edith.
I wonder if she doesn’t like opera, but Edith’s reaction after the opera started
was truly surprising.
“Oh, no!”
She involuntarily covered her mouth and breathed in, sighed along with the
agonizing Odelette, and shed tears at the despairing soprano’s singing.
As I wiped away the twinkling tears, Edith smiled slightly in surprise as if she
hadn’t noticed that she was crying.
‘What the hell happened? There’s no way she stopped going to the opera on the
Riegelhof Street.’
I have such a question, but Edith’s opinion about opera was even more
surprising.
Edith said she would choose Hubert out of the two men and would not kill
herself and that Laslo was a bad ass.
“He tested love. Even though he knew what Odelette’s situation was, he did not
reveal his identity because he was testing the love. Son of a bitch.”
I had never thought of it that way. Until now, I thought it was just a story of a
foolish woman who lost her true love because she was blinded by material
things.
Testing love is a very arrogant act of considering himself to be above the other
person.
If he really loved Odelette, he should have reassured her before she suffered
from anguish.
And Edith made another unexpected statement.
“Killian. Have you ever been without money? To say it’s just money... There are
so many things that can be solved with money.”
It was a bittersweet smile, as if there was a miserable past due to lack of money.
In addition, the moment she said that I should be able to understand Odelette,
who married for the sake of her family, made me cringe.
Edith knew that even though I loved Liese, I was forced to marry her for the
benefit of the family.
Even though it might hurt her pride, she never showed it like that.
Rather, it was the side that comforted her that she did not have to be nice to me
by force and that she did not have to suffer from such a sense of duty.
She was.
Edith’s smile, looking back as if nothing had happened, was dazzlingly beautiful
and heartbreakingly sad, yet it seemed as if it would never be broken.
However, when the woman who felt so strong appeared on the street, it seemed
that she had become a young girl.
If the 50-senna candy tasted good, it would have tasted like melted sugar.
However, Edith seemed happy as if she was eating a dessert that could not be
tasted anywhere else in the world.
It would have been better if he hadn’t caught his eye on those lips that glistened
with sugar water.
Asking if he was looking at it because he wanted to eat, the look on her lips was
naive yet strange.
Edith didn’t seem to notice until the end what he wanted to eat.
‘It was me who was obscene, not Edith.’
He sighs, but this time she asks to borrow money to buy the girl’s withered
flowers.
Edith was probably the only lady in the empire who would buy flowers herself
even with her husband by her side.
I bought the flowers that were not noticeable and tied them with a handkerchief
to cover the broken branches, and Edith accepted it with emotion.
“This is the first time I've ever received something like this.”
Edith hurriedly turned away when I asked if there was a man who sent flowers,
and Killian began to suspect that Edith’s situation within Rigelhoff was very
strange.
‘If there is a person who sent it, but the person in question did not receive it,
where did the flower disappear in the middle?’
The men who courted Edith must have all been sons of well-to-do families, and
Count Rigelhoff was someone who could not turn those families into enemies.
She couldn’t even tell the juggling clown to get out of the way, and I was
frustrated at what kind of past the woman was hiding.
My wife.
The echo of the word came to me like an impression. Like Edith, approaching
with a benevolent smile...
And only then did Killian realize that his wife, Edith Ludwig, was a beautiful
woman who would stand out anywhere.
The voice that came to me and whispered felt lovely beyond rejection.
It’s the same thing I felt when I came out with Liese one day, but whenever I
thought of her, Cliff always came to mind, and on the other side of my heart,
impatience and inferiority complex always bloomed.
But when I was with Edith, I didn’t have to think about that.
Around the time I was about to apologize for going out too modestly, Edith said
that she really enjoyed it.
The fact that all her firsts were filled entirely by him faithfully satisfies Killian’s
desire for monopoly.
But that night, sitting alone in his room and reminiscing about his date with
Edith, Killian fell deeper into the question he had been feeling before.
I Thought It Was Common Possession-Chapter 58
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EPISODE 59
Killian wasn’t one to judge someone solely on rumors, but the rumors about
Edith Rigelhoff were too numerous and too consistent.
However, seeing Edith himself from the sidelines, she couldn’t be said to be the
rumored person.
‘In the world, who is the venomous, vicious, and lascivious Rigelhoff family’s
flower snake?’
‘Does it have something to do with the saying, ‘It’s the first time I’ve ever been
in an opera, and it’s the first time I’ve ever received flowers’...?’
I felt like digging into the truth she had hidden would lead me to a much bigger
truth.
It was when I was immersed in such thoughts.
Someone knocked on his bedroom door. The person who would come to visit at
this time would have been someone close to him.
‘Edith?’
However, the person standing outside the door was not the person expected.
“Sorry for the late hour, Killian. Can I talk to you for a second?”
“Liese...”
Killian brought her into the room, looking anxious and anxious.
“Killian. I don’t know what to do, so I’m here to hear what Killian thinks.”
“Okay? Then sit here and tell me. What’s the matter?”
“Therefore... I mean...”
Liese bit her lip for a while and was restless.
“Liese. You came to me means you believe in me, right? Then don’t worry and
talk. Anything will help.”
It seemed that Liese was encouraged a little by the voice of Killian who patted
Liese’s tender shoulder and soothed it.
“Killian. Today... One of the maids of the mansion has gone missing.”
“It is literally. Leaving all their belongings behind, only the people
disappeared.”
“I don’t know. No one has seen the maid since she turned off the lights last
night. However...”
Looking at Liese’s swaying eyes, Killian noticed that from now on, this was the
story Liese wanted to tell.
“Of course, it’s still something I’m not sure about, and I don’t believe
everything...”
Killian somehow felt uneasy at Liese’s way of turning his words around.
“Liese. What do you want to say? Talk.”
“The maid said she saw Edith poison the embroidery thread. She said she would
tell Cliff today... She said she suddenly disappeared...”
“What...?”
In the past, Killian would have been paralyzed and immediately went to catch
Edith just by seeing Liese shudder, but now he couldn’t accept this.
I didn’t want to do anything more to push Edith with only ‘simple feelings’.
“It hasn’t been long since you talked about it. She seems to have been thinking
about it for a while... When Cliff heard about this today, he sent someone to find
the maid.”
Killian’s eyes narrowed. Several assumptions and questions quickly crossed his
mind.
Liese, who was looking up at her with teary eyes, was still pitiful and lovable,
and he wanted to protect her.
“Killian...?”
Liese asked as if clinging to herself. It seemed that Liese, too, was terrified of
the assumption that Edith was the culprit.
Well, it’s creepy to think that the person I live with face to face every day tried
to harm me with a calm smile.
Killian sighed and continued talking.
“You said it before, but why would Edith want to kill you?”
If Edith was a spy planted within the Ludwig family by order of Count Rigelhoff
and had been ordered to assassinate someone, he would have tried to kill
someone from the Ludwig family, not Liese, a member of another family.
In the past, he thought that he would have tried to kill Liese because he loved
her.
However, based on their experience together, Edith was not jealous of Liese.
She didn’t expect anything from Killian, to the point where he was upset.
“Of course, he must be the real culprit. I don’t want to step on your tail, so
didn’t you just spread rumors that would make me suspicious of Edith and get
rid of them?”
“I’ll have to check out all the other maids who said she heard about it.”
“Oh no! I didn’t want things to get this big!”
“Shh, calm down, Liese. You don’t have to worry about anything. It’s chilly in
the morning and evening, so wear warmer clothes.”
Killian carefully covered Liese’s thin shoulders with the shawl again.
Killian stood up with Liese and asked for one thing as they walked to her room.
“Liese. I’m sorry, but in the future, if Cliff tries to take care of Edith-related
things on his own, will you come and tell me? Anyway, as a husband, I need to
know.”
“All right.”
“But don’t show Cliff this way. Then Cliff will keep it a secret even from you.”
Liese also knew Cliff’s personality, so she agreed with a bitter smile.
Killian brought Liese to her room and kissed her on the forehead to wish her
good night.
Killian’s expression, which had been mild until then, turned cold as he turned
his back to Liese’s room.
‘Why did the words come up again now that everything has been covered?’
***
“Yes, lady.”
Anna only told Killian what she heard, so it was difficult to hear an answer even
if she asked.
After going on an opera date, Killian was making time with me every day.
At first, the afterglow of the date remained, so I just liked it, but after 3 days, I
became a bit puzzled.
Even if I grunted alone, the answer wouldn’t come out, so I decided to ask
during today’s meal.
Unlike me, who felt awkward sitting with him, Killian sat across from me very
naturally.
“Why don’t you help out with Linnon’s work these days?”
The attitude of asking about my current situation was also very calm. To the
point where I wonder if I’m strange that I’m awkward with this situation.
“It’s similar to what you saw when you came. You go, get a job from Linnon, do
it, and hand it over.”
“Yes. Usually yes. Like me, Linnon seemed to like to focus quietly when
working.”
Then I remembered what he said about Linnon when he held me. I think they
were asking if you didn’t cry like this in front of Linnon or if you didn’t know
how erotic that was...
I asked it without hesitation, but Killian’s mouth was closed as if that was the
correct answer.
I really couldn’t, I really wanted to, but I couldn’t help but ask a question that
came to mind.
“What kind of jealousy is jealousy? After all, you are my wife, so why should I
be jealous of Linnon?”
“It was the night before we went to the opera. I cried in front of Linnon... That’s
right, how the hell did you know that? Did you spy me?”
His fork and knife as he sliced the chicken meat came to a halt.
Then she winked as if she knew everything, and Killian’s cheeks turned red.
I Thought It Was Common Possession-Chapter 59
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EPISODE 60
“It was just a coincidence. Just as I was about to enter, such a scene unfolded... I
just thought it was not a situation for me to intervene.”
“That...”
But he, who had been hesitant until just now, suddenly fixed his gaze on me and
answered in a serious voice.
“Huh?”
“The rumors about you have been very bad, and even virtuous adults and men
can develop feelings if they spend a long time alone together. So I was a little
worried.”
“Ah...”
“At first, I thought it was because I was worried about Linnon... Later... Yeah, I
think I was a little jealous of Linnon.”
After he finished speaking, I felt that the area around our table was too quiet.
“Ah, yes.”
“Then you’d better finish your meal. The food will cool down.”
Strangely, my heart pounded and my appetite, which had been around until just
now, had completely disappeared, but I forced food into my mouth so as not to
find out my embarrassment.
It seems that the opera date was the starting point of some big change. Suddenly
being so honest...
However, as someone who knows the ‘flow of the original work’ like something
in this world, his change was more embarrassing and suspicious than welcome.
It seemed like it was time to ask what I was trying to ask in the first place.
“Killian.”
“Yes, please.”
“What do I mean?”
Killian seemed to have decided to take it out a little bit, but I had no intention of
going overboard.
“I’m saying this because we haven’t been like a normal couple until now. Don’t
try to talk further.”
With my firm will, Killian put down the cutlery as if he had given up hope of
properly burying it.
“I want to get to know you from now on. Of course... I don’t completely trust
you. You are still the prime suspect in the past incidents.”
“But now, I think it might not be you. And I hope it wasn’t you.”
Killian has now declared that he wants to get to know the real Edith Ludwig,
throwing away his prejudice against me.
“It’s not something you should be thankful for, but it’s actually something I
should apologize for.”
It was such a huge change that I wondered if I was the person who picked up my
wedding ring and wore it on my own, not wanting to touch me at all.
“So that’s what you said, but I want to increase the time we spend together in
the future.”
“Yes?”
“In order to get to know each other, it’s only natural that, first of all, we need to
increase the amount of time we spend together. I don’t want to miss any of your
little habits.”
I didn’t know yet whether increasing the time I spent with Killian would be
poison or medicine for me, but the die had already been cast.
‘Yes, let’s think positively. If I do this, he’ll at least get attached to me.’
So the ‘observation period’ that started must have been ‘effort’ for Killian, but it
was also difficult for me to get used to.
“I bought a strawberry tart from <Peridot>. Would you like to eat together?”
This time, of course, I couldn’t refuse. It was also the strawberry tart from
<Peridot> that I missed once.
I don’t know how the tart’s filling was made, but it tasted like a mixture of
strawberries, vanilla whipped cream, and even cheese, so I felt like I could keep
eating it without getting tired of it.
“Oh! Was it too rude expression? But it’s just so delicious that it can’t be
expressed in words!”
“I didn’t know you would like it this much. <Peridot> sells several types of tarts
besides these, but if you want something to eat, I will order it.”
Killian paused at the words I spat without thinking, and raised his head.
“As soon as I get the word out, I ask, but that peach pie?”
“Of course! Are you going to poison me because I’m crazy? I hate being sick.”
The pain that felt like squeezing my insides made me feel like I would break
into a cold sweat even thinking about it now.
“I really don’t think so, and I don’t think so... If... Was it the maid?”
However, regardless of the flow of the story, in order for me to live, it was the
most advantageous thing to inform my situation. So it must have prevented them
from speaking until they met the third-level exception condition.
“Why on earth do you protect your family after being treated like that? Is it
because you think I can’t protect you alone?”
A sigh came out, but I didn’t want to make the atmosphere heavy here.
“Never?”
Killian’s eyes turned slightly to the side, stayed there as if reminiscing about the
past, and then turned back towards me.
“There are some things that cannot be said. Sometimes you have to wait.”
From Killian’s point of view, it would be so stuffy that the outfit would explode.
But no matter how frustrated he is, I should only do it.
Fortunately, Killian didn’t force me to answer more and gave a shallow nod.
“The time will come when we will know the answer someday.”
Please... Did you have to make that analogy? Make my sister tremble.
“Don’t be nervous. I’m not a man so insignificant that I can only rely on the
words that come out of your mouth.”
“Are you saying that you will actively investigate the background?”
“...Of course.”
The next day, Killian, who said he was leaving for work, stopped by my room a
little before 3pm.
“The wind has been cool for the first time in a while, let’s take a walk together.”
When Killian greeted me with an eye smile, I had no choice but to avoid his
gaze because I felt like I would go blind.
I hope you turn on the blinker and come in when you hit someone’s heart.
Although the wind was cool, the sun was still stinging, probably because it was
the end of summer. But a cool breeze blew in the shade of the trees.
If I had been in my previous life, I would still be unable to live without an air
conditioner, but the weather here was definitely cooler than in Seoul.
“Yes, I tend to do it unless it’s a bad day or when I’m not feeling well.”
After Sophia’s assault I was feeling unwell, I was taking my morning walk
again. After taking a walk, I was able to start the day with a light heart.
But what Killian wanted to ask was not the walk itself.
Ha, that is right. The guy who was a virgin before me dares to make fun of
experienced people, right?
“What is different?”
“Killian when swinging the sword... There is a different beauty than in the bed.”
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EPISODE 61
I whispered in his ear from the ‘in the bed’ part, and then Killian’s ear lobe
started to turn red.
“The back and shoulder and arm muscles that move when holding, extending,
and swinging the sword are really cool. I can feel that you have been training
hard for a long time.”
Even though his face seemed to be heating up, I wonder if he didn’t want to hear
it, Killian didn’t bother to stop me.
“You seem to have a certain set of standards for observing the male body.”
“Yes. Just as Killian has his own taste for observing a woman’s body.”
As if he was aware of that, Killian’s face was now so red that he couldn’t even
say it was okay with empty words.
Even though he’s sloppy when he provokes him, he’s surprisingly naive when
you see him like this.
“But if you’ve been spying on me... You must have seen Cliff too?”
However, ending this date with hurting his feelings would put the future at risk,
so he needed to be moderately relaxed.
“...To be honest, Cliff’s muscles are more toned. I tend to gain weight even if
I’m a little lazy.”
“Hoo...”
Ugh, I fell for selfish talk without realizing it. Why did you drag the topic of
conversation to the lower half of your body?
He raised his head pretending to be shameless, but Killian’s eyes were shining
completely different from before.
“Married couple... You’re right. We are a couple. You can confidently look at
someone’s chest or butt.”
“Ha ha ha. That... That’s right.”
Now the heat rose to the nape of my neck as well. I want you to stop talking
about this topic...
I thought it was fortunate that the topic of conversation had changed and I was
flapping my fan, but Killian grabbed me by the waist and pulled me in a
whisper.
“Huh...?”
While I was perplexed, he called a maid from a distance and ordered her to
prepare the bath water quickly.
And while the maid ran away, he continued our walk, hugging me around the
waist as if nothing had happened.
But that was exactly 15 minutes. By the time the maids had prepared the bath
water.
***
The moment I realized that clearly was the moment Killian came to take me to
Liese’s tea time.
“Yes.”
Killian replied lightly, as if it was nothing, but I was surprised that he had come
to take me to their tea time.
While feeling both shock and emotion at the change, I remembered that the tea
time in the past had also been invited by Liese.
Umm... Of course, considering the character Liese, I couldn’t erase the awkward
feeling.
Of course, she wouldn’t know that she was the main character of this world, and
she wouldn’t even know that Killian was a ‘sub male lead’.
However, you should know that Cliff and Killian were always around her and
gave it only for her.
How would it feel to see a man who always looked out for me become kind to a
woman who had always said no to her?
‘Originally, a sub male lead is a bit lacking for me to have, but that’s why it’s a
waste to give it to others.’
In the original work, there was a scene in which Liese asked Killian and Edith to
be nice to her, but I don’t know if that was sincere or just tongue-in-cheek.
An elegant tea table was prepared in the shade of the tree, and Liese and Cliff
were already seated.
They were laughing and laughing at what they were talking about.
“It’s because I’m afraid you’ll catch a cold and bother myself.”
“Really. I won’t let you know that I have a cold, so don’t worry...”
“Sounds funny.”
“Yes?”
“If you hide the pain one more time, I will never let you go, so know that.”
“No, that...”
I was choosing an answer, wondering why he was doing this again, but luckily
Liese stepped in and cut off our awkwardness.
“Yes! I gained weight just by lying down and eating delicious food.”
Liese put out her lips cutely and pinched her side with her hand.
“Liese. How many times have I told you that you need to gain more weight?”
“No matter how much I eat, it’s impossible to have an adult body like Edith. I
just stretch my sides.”
“Edith has her own charm, and you have your own charm. You are pretty
enough.”
“Thank you, Cliff. But sometimes I envy Edith. Even from Killian’s point of
view, Edith is better, isn’t it?”
Liese is all good, but the problem is that she doesn’t notice too much.
He continued to shake his shoulders and laugh beside Liese, who apologized.
“Ahahaha!”
“What?”
Killian continued to stare at Cliff, but Cliff smiled and said, unaffected.
“Do you think you and sister-in-law have a good relationship these days?”
Killian’s eyebrows crumpled even more at the way he spoke, whether it was
mockery or praise.
“I made it difficult...”
Seeing Liese’s troubled face, Killian kept his mouth shut, but I seemed to know
what Cliff was talking about.
If it had been the original story, no, even a few months ago, without going to the
original plot, Killian would have given an answer praising Liese.
And I, who had been observing Liese’s expression from earlier, noticed that
Liese was also surprised by Killian’s answer.
‘Could it be that you said that knowing that Killian would definitely lift you
up?’
Even knowing that I would be humiliated here? Or not... Was he trying to check
Killian’s heart?
However, Liese, who quickly erased her surprised expression, smiled brightly as
if she were happy.
“You two look so good. Like a real couple...!”
Seeing her blushing cheeks, I thought I could roughly guess what Liese was
talking about as a ‘real couple’.
‘That’s right, Liese couldn’t have said it with such an insidious thought. It’s
because he’s a bit ignorant, he’s a good boy.’
This is a fact that is clearly stated in the original work. Liese Sinclair is bright,
kind, and righteous.
There was no way that Liese would purposely try to fuck me.
“Edith. There are mandarin black tea and strawberry black tea. Which do you
prefer?”
I put aside my thoughts and smiled brightly at Liese’s voice asking how I like
tea.
Killian spoke to me again. Once again, Liese and Cliff’s slightly surprised gazes
turned to us.
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EPISODE 62
“Raw strawberries are a bit sour. I like the sweet processed side or the one with
only the strawberry scent.”
Killian nodded with a face that acquired new information, then leaned toward
me and smelled the scent.
“Not bad.”
Uh? For a moment... Is this, by any chance, trying to arouse Liese’s jealousy?
Should I help with this?
For now, I decided to pretend to be on good terms with Killian. Even if it’s a
mistake, there’s nothing wrong with pretending to be friendly.
“Not bad... Are you saying it’s not good?”
“I’m glad that the scent I always wear also appeals to Killian.”
Liese and Cliff’s gazes were stinging, but I stubbornly pretended not to know
and only looked at Killian.
At that time, as if to refresh the atmosphere, Liese started pouring tea into a
teacup.
“This is the strawberry black tea I bought from <Martinez>. I don’t know if it
will suit Edith’s taste.”
“The tea you gave me the other day was also delicious. Liese’s taste is
trustworthy.”
When I praised Liese, it was only then that Liese’s laughter began to be heard
again.
With him, the four of us chatted lightly and enjoyed tea and tea food leisurely.
Even in the middle of it, I was complicated in my head thinking about how the
story would flow.
‘There are things that don’t appear in the original story... Doesn’t the existence
of the three-step exception condition mean that the ending of the original work
itself will not change unless the higher steps are met?’
If I can not die without meeting the 3rd level condition, there is no reason for the
existence of the 3rd level exception condition itself.
While I was thinking about that, Liese spoke to Killian in an apologetic voice.
“By the way, Killian. Excuse me, but could you please go to Rue Le Belle-
Marie with me next Friday? I received a call saying that the shoes I had ordered
with Killian in the past were completed.”
“Ah! If Edith is offended, Killian doesn’t have to go with him! Ho, I can go
alone.”
Even though it’s the shoes you ordered with Killian, you don’t have to go with
them when you look for them, right?
‘Strange... Liese Sinclair... I mean, every time I see it, I can’t figure it out. Or
am I really weird?’
Now, I couldn’t even tell whether it was because of Liese’s strange behavior that
I had these thoughts, or whether it was because I had an inferiority complex
towards Liese.
The bigger problem is, not too long ago, he patted Killian on the back and said,
‘Okay, let’s have a good time with Liese!’ I could have done it, but now I can’t.
Killian didn’t seem to attach much importance to going out with Liese. I know
that.
It broke my heart to think that Killian would treat Liese kindly like when he
went out to see the opera with me, no, even more than that.
There’s nothing you can do about being jealous of Liese, and if you seduce
Killian, you might end up being treated like a prostitute again.
I can’t do this or that, so I just have to wait for Killian to dispose of me.
***
It was three days after the outdoor tea time that an uneasy harbinger began to
loom over the strange happiness she was enjoying recently.
This is because Count Sinclair and his eldest son Damien Sinclair, who should
hardly appear in volume 4 of <The House and Envoy>, visited Duke Ludwig.
‘How did this happen? Why does the Count Sinclair appear all of a sudden?’
In the interim, the Count Sinclair and the close extras touched her temper, but I
didn’t expect it to appear so directly.
‘Duke Ludwig didn’t make a meeting with Count Sinclair even because of
Liese, what the hell was going on?’
I was curious, but I couldn’t come forward and ask what was going on.
Then Anna came and informed me that the guests were leaving, and then I
pretended to be calm and went down to the lobby on the first floor.
In the lobby, Cliff and Killian, as well as the Duchess, were standing together to
see Count Sinclair off.
“Please drop by again sometime. My wife is waiting for the day when she will
take care of the Duke and her wife. Ha ha ha!”
The slim man, who must have been quite handsome in his youth, smiled softly at
Duke Ludwig.
Her eyes looked similar to Liese’s, but her image was completely different.
“I will definitely stop by when the time is right. Thank you for visiting today.”
I quietly walked over to Killian’s side. Liese looked around, wondering if she
hadn’t come down, and at that moment, her eyes met Damian Sinclair.
‘Are you admitting that the nobility of this world are good if they don’t have
manners? Why is everyone like this?’
I want to run right away, catch him by the collar, and then yell at him to take
good care of his eyes.
However, it was clear that I would be attacked again if I showed off a bad mood
here.
“Good bye.”
“...Goodbye.”
In the end, I held back my arrogance and smiled. Of course, it was irresistible
for Damian to have a crooked gaze.
As they rode away, I tugged at the end of Killian’s sleeve and asked in a low
voice.
“I think you or the Rigelhoff family will get into some trouble.”
“It looks like the Sinclair family will sign a distribution rights contract with a
northern iron ore mine owner soon. It seems that the behind-the-scenes work has
already been completed.”
I thought what it had to do with them having the right to distribute iron ore, and
the reason why I was able to marry Killian suddenly came to my mind.
‘It was thanks to Count Rigelhoff’s family having distribution rights for
southern iron ore, indeed.’
If it were just a wealthy county, Duke Ludwig wouldn’t have cared too much
whether the Rigelhoffs sided with Prince Langston or not.
However, Count Rigelhoff was almost the only family with a stable supply of
iron ore, and it was a difficult opponent for Duke Ludwig, who was also active
in making new weapons.
It would have been unsettling for such a family to turn to the Grand Duke.
‘That’s why I’m turning a blind eye to what Count Rigelhoff is doing, but if
Count Sinclair suddenly gets the right to distribute iron ore...!’
However, it seemed that there was something more besides the superficial
circumstances.
“By the way, you’re saying that you’re already talking about the iron ore
distribution rights you haven’t had yet?”
Killian opened my door, pushed me in first, and then quietly closed the door.
“...Then, in their eyes, I must be very intrusive, but didn’t you talk about me?”
“I would have thought it was not the time to do it yet. But eventually you will.”
Seeing Killian talking about other people’s business, I became a bit bitter.
‘Well, what’s wrong with him?’
I became more and more anxious about Killian’s reaction to this incident, along
with accepting Liese’s offer to go out casually.
How nice it would be if I could live with Killian and joke like this.
He was the one who accepted my marriage even though he loved Liese. How
easy it would be for her to play with me she doesn’t even love and then throw it
away.
***
I tend not to let myself get depressed.
It’s a habit I’ve developed since my sophomore year of middle school when I
realized that even if I was depressed, no one would look after me.
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EPISODE 63
It is a law to be very happy even in small occasions, but also to be greatly sad.
However, at that time, I was not in a relaxed situation to the point of being
swayed by small opportunities.
“Ah, leukemia! Mr. Hai, there is no money in the house, but the kid got a
strange disease.”
The day I went home after being diagnosed with leukemia, my dad got annoyed
by talking to someone on the phone. In front of me too.
My whole body hurts, but my mom and dad only sighed deeply while frowning,
and it didn’t ease the fear and anxiety I felt.
Feeling like a sinner, I was quietly hospitalized, fighting the disease, and
receiving my brother’s bone marrow transplant. I was depressed and sad all the
time.
To be honest, I don’t know how many times I’ve wished I was dead.
I wasn’t happy when I found out that my brother’s marrow matched mine.
“Ha... Soo-chan, just do this and I’ll buy you the laptop or whatever you
wanted...”
“...Really? Is it real?”
“Draw, draw.”
Even though I was by my side, my brother’s voice telling me to just die would
come to life in a corner of my head every time I saw him.
After a bone marrow transplant traded for a gaming laptop and several
treatments, there was no one by my side as I was exhausted.
My parents were standing next to my older brother who donated bone marrow,
complimenting me on how wonderful I was and how good I worked, and I was
lying alone looking at the white ceiling.
I was so sad and depressed that I burst into tears, and at that moment I thought I
was crying to get my parents’ attention.
Even when I cried, they didn’t look back at me. I was lucky if I didn’t get
scolded for being salty.
After I realized that, even if I felt depressed, I felt that the feeling itself was
useless, so I was able to get out of it quickly.
In the meantime, I’ve been working hard to get the extras’ favor, and thanks to
that, the number of servants pretending to know me has increased, but I needed
to make more practical preparations.
‘Sell everything you took off the dress, and the accessories you brought with
you when you got married... Well, let’s sell anything I don’t like.’
I searched all the drawers and accessory cases to find something to sell, but
there weren’t as many jewelry to sell as I thought.
The large jewels that adorned the dress were colored minerals that looked like
rubies or sapphires, and although they were jewelry, they did not command
much money.
I wondered if someone would buy a dress that I was wearing once or twice, but
the used dress market seemed to be booming as there were people who never
wore a dress once or twice.
Among the dresses I brought with me when I got married, I sorted out the flashy
and erotic dresses that I had left in fear that they would look weird if they were
repaired.
“All right.”
It seemed that she was the owner of a pretty popular dress shop on Le Belle-
Marie Street.
After exchanging brief greetings, I brought out the three dresses I had removed
beforehand in front of him.
“Oh, it is in very good condition. How many times have you worn it?”
“I’ve probably worn this one once, the other two never.”
“Yes? Selling a new dress second-hand? Wear it at least once and sell it. Even if
it is brand new, when I buy it, it is unconditionally used, isn’t it too much of a
waste?”
“Not worth it. It’s a pity, but... I don’t want to wear any more dresses that could
damage the dignity of the Ludwig family.”
“It hurts your dignity. These dresses must look very good on you. These days,
this level of exposure is nothing.”
Isn’t this a design that must have been chosen after careful consideration to
make Edith stand out the most in the family of Count Rigelhoff? It was a bit of a
problem how I tried to stand out.
“Thank you for saying that, but I probably won’t wear it in the future. So, I want
to sell it before it goes out of fashion.”
“If you have to, I understand. So this dress is 300,000 senna, this... I’ll give you
400,000 senna, and this one 180,000 senna.”
Dresses that were likely to be close to a million senna at the time of production
are down to less than half price.
“Can’t you hit me a little more? No matter how used, these are like new...”
“Actually, I would like to do that too, but there are few people who can wear a
dress with such an unconventional design, so it is difficult to sell it...”
After listening to it, I understood what the merchant was saying. Not many
people can wear a design like this.
The next day, I took Anna to the jewelry store on Darsus Street.
This time, I went straight to <Amabile> without comparing several places.
It was because I had dealt with them before, so I thought they would hit me a
little better.
But when the jewelry store owner took a closer look at the jewels I had taken, I
was nervous inside.
“Um... I will give you 10,000 senna for each diamond bead. Topaz is 30,000
senna, tourmaline is 50,000 senna, and garnet is 30,000 senna...”
With a serious face, he calmly sorted the jewels and counted while flicking the
abacus.
Apparently, the price of semi-precious stones has dropped a lot even if the eggs
are large. The diamond beads that I had left just in case got a good price.
I’m a little disappointed, but the jewelry store owner’s voice brightens slightly
as he checks the accessories I’ve brought.
“It is a good emerald. Hmm... At this rate, I think we can buy it for 3 million
senna.”
A necklace made of emeralds and diamonds that was too flashy was 3 million
senna, a ruby earring so splendid that it hurt the eyes was 1.5 million senna, and
a bracelet with diamonds and semi-precious stones was 1.8 million senna.
The shopkeeper put on the jewels with a satisfied look on his face and handed
me the cash right away.
A total of 7.79 million senna was earned from selling the dress and jewelry.
‘Even if you add all the money in the safe, it’s 16.79 million senna... It’s not
enough.’
It wasn’t enough to run away and live, and even if I tried to bribe the people
around me, it wasn’t enough money.
I didn’t know if I could escape the flow of the story or not, but I needed a lot
more money to try anything.
‘Even if you’re the daughter-in-law of a powerful man, a woman can’t get a lot
of money.’
Of course, I was grateful that I wasn’t possessed by a poor commoner, but I was
a bit bitter that I didn’t have as much money as I had hoped.
But when I got home and was resting, Killian came to visit me. Looking at the
fine wrinkles between his eyebrows, it seemed like he had come to nag.
“Huh?”
“Ah...”
Fast.
Anna’s mouth was also controlled and people were called secretly, but within a
day, Killian heard it.
Well, it’s probably because he might have put a guard around me.
“Haven’t you thought about how it would look in the eyes of others if you sold
off your things, even if they were worthless?”
“Sorry. I hadn’t even thought about that. I didn’t have the cash to spend, so I
only sold useless things...”
“No cash?”
“Yes.”
Killian, who was trying to explain something, suddenly put his hand on his
forehead.
“This... Sorry. I should have set your deposit, but I seem to have forgotten.”
“Huh?”
Are you saying you didn’t give me the money you should have given me? Oops,
blood pressure rises!
Killian, you idiot! There is nothing else to forget! I thought he was a smart
guy...!
“I’m really sorry. I will give you all at once what I have not been able to give
you until now.”
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EPISODE 64
If they were going to buy it, I would like them to buy something else or give it
with money, but it was really difficult to even say that.
“It would have been nice if you had spoken to me before selling.”
Killian looked quite upset, probably because he thought I was short of money
enough to throw away my aristocratic pride.
“Territory...?”
Well, for Killian, he have to leave behind his beloved Liese and go far away, but
I may have been too insensitive.
“Ah, that...”
If someone gives you a face for saying that they will take you away, even if it’s
me, I think my heart will hurt...
“No, on the contrary, I was too carefree. Even though it was time to prepare to
go down to the manor, he seems to have been distracted.”
“I’m glad you dispose of your stuff under the concept of organizing, but the
truth is there’s a lot more to buy here. The Ryzen territory itself is not a bad
place, but the castle we will be staying in lacks a lot of items.”
“All the furniture is crude, and there is nothing to decorate the castle. There is
no luxury goods manufacturing place nearby, so you have to buy them all here.”
“Ah... Okay.”
“It would be better to order the furniture in advance. It will take time to make it
all.”
“No, you have to order everything, starting with the bowls and candlesticks.
You will have to change everything according to your taste as the hostess.”
I was about to say that I could use what I had, but I was so moved by the word
‘hostess’ that I was speechless.
Killian Ludwig, who was looking at me with eyes eager to throw me away, went
through the word ‘my wife’ and finally called me ‘hostess’! I can’t be so moved!
The hard work of the past few months seemed to pass before my eyes.
But the excitement did not last long. This is because the common sense in my
head quickly pounded the calculator.
“If that’s the case, are you saying it doesn’t matter if it’s a commoner’s
farmhouse?”
“...I will pay my deposit to you as soon as possible. So please forgive me.”
He seemed to think that I was sarcastic when I said I was wasting money on him
for forgetting my money.
But I didn’t have to stop him from giving me money, so I just nodded.
***
A few days later, a really huge amount of money came down to me.
Killian apologized once more, and I tried my best to keep my mouth from
opening wide.
I gracefully thanked him and looked down at the money in front of me as soon
as Killian left.
As the daughter-in-law of this family, the amount she could receive per month
was 2 million senna. A total of 18 million senna is in front of me, including what
I did not receive in the past 8 months and what I received this month.
I was happy to receive a large amount of money, but somehow I was a bit
discouraged.
It felt like I was gradually reducing the size of my parachute while on a plane
that was about to crash.
I thought about how suffocating it was, several times every time I withdrew
money, and my hand that pressed the ‘withdrawal’ button always trembled.
In her previous life, Choi Soo-na lived far away because money was difficult,
but now...
‘Well, even if the money is piled up now, it’s fate that you don’t know if your
head will be cut sooner or later... No, no. Let’s not think like this.’
Between Choi Soo-na, who worked hard for a penny, and Edith, who
accumulated money but might die miserably sooner or later, what should we do?
And it was just the moment I was about to get on the carriage.
At that moment I realized that today is Friday. The day Liese and Killian go out
together.
“Liese! You said you were going to Le Belle-Marie Street today, right?”
“Yes. I’m excited because it’s been a long time since I’ve been out.”
“There are a lot of really good dessert shops there, right? <Perdot> is also on
Darsus Street, right?”
Killian seemed to be suspicious of my going out again, but Liese didn’t give
Killian time to think deeply.
It could have been a courtesy greeting, but I was thrilled because it sounded like
he was going to come back to me.
I put everything in the safe except for the emergency fund, and the balance of 32
million tax made me happy.
It was a bit of a waste to pay the safe deposit fee, but at this level, it was a
decent amount to plan anything.
I took her to <Peridot> to make the excuse I gave to Killian true, and to pay
back a little bit to Anna, who has always been with me.
“No. I am looking for a place for the two of you, my maid and I.”
“I’m sorry if you are accompanied by a maid, but the second floor is difficult,
and only seats on the first floor are available.”
Anna and I were shown to a seat by the window, where the sunlight was bright.
Apparently, it was expensive food for commoners to eat, so most of the halls on
the first floor were filled with noble ladies accompanied by maids.
Perhaps it was because the weather had turned cooler, a sip of hot black tea
warmed my body, and my heart softened.
Besides, I liked Anna even more because she looked happy without expression.
Me and Anna couldn’t help but admire the moist strawberry cake.
The store’s signature strawberry tart was delicious, but the strawberry cake was
no less.
In fact, if you like something soft, you might prefer the strawberry cake.
The small size and wicked prices reminded me of the dessert cafes I couldn’t
enter in my previous life.
‘Now I can buy and eat these as much as I want! I’m rich!’
I briefly thought that it was petit bourgeois to feel that I am rich in a place like
this, but what is it?
I was having a satisfying tea time with Anna, and Anna also said something she
wouldn’t normally say, to see if she was relieved.
“Huh?”
Anna hesitated as she looked down at the teacup before opening her mouth.
“Oh no! It’s not like that, it’s because I’m surprised. Why were you curious
about that?”
Anna seemed to be a bit troubled between her position as a maid and her
curiosity.
However, I was glad that Anna had finally said this to me, so I quietly calmed
her down.
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EPISODE 65
“It seemed that the young lady loved the young master, and I was happy that the
relationship between the two of them had improved recently... Today, I saw only
the two of you, Miss Liese and Master Killian, going out...”
“Ah...”
“Why... Did you send only the two of you?”
I felt even greater joy in the fact that Anna was delighted with the improved
relationship between me and Killian.
However, seeing that Liese and Killian went out alone today, it seems that Anna
became anxious again.
“But the young lady is Master Killian’s wife, and no matter how much they live
like brother and sister, Lady Liese is a man with a wife... No, no. Pretend you
didn’t hear it.”
I felt a little comforted because I thought that was how Anna looked.
“It’s not that I don’t trust Master Killian. Rather... I can’t understand her.”
“Anyway, to you, I must be frustrated and strange. But in the end... I am doing
this to live.”
I just chuckled.
Anna’s gaze at me looked complicated.
However, a man who was secretly considerate and protective of me even though
he spoke cold words.
The man who was dazzlingly beautiful, awakened the passion within me that I
had not known, and called me, the daughter of a political opponent, ‘my wife’.
Perhaps even if someone other than me possessed Edith, they would have no
choice but to fall for him like Edith in the original work.
“It is not concession. Concession is a word used when the other side also covets
it.”
“Yes...?”
“Liese doesn’t want Killian. If so, I would have clung to him already when the
talk of me and Killian’s marriage came out. Even if I had only seen one drop of
tear in front of Killian, Killian would have defeated anyone, including the Duke,
and tried to get Liese.”
Because the male lead given to her was Cliff, not Killian.
“Then, why is Lady Liese looking for Master Killian these days…?”
“Huh?”
“Oh no!”
It was clear that Anna, who was relieved of tension, was resentful of me now.
However, it was impossible to pick up the words that had already been spat out,
so Anna hesitated and mumbled.
“It’s strange these days, Lady Liese seems to be nice to Master Killian.”
Maybe the effort I put into the extras was finally paying off.
“Of course. By the way, when did the ‘these days’ you just mentioned start?”
“That is... That... It must have been since the day the young lady and the boy
went to see the opera.”
It feels strange that it was the day after the second stage exception conditions
were met.
“In fact... That night Miss Liese visited Master Killian’s room. She didn’t stay
long, but it’s kind of strange that she stopped by at that time dressed in a spit...”
If you have something to say, you can do it the next morning. If it was an urgent
matter, he would have called a maid.
“And from that day on, I think I started to see the two of them together often.
We used to see each other often, but unlike before, Miss Liese recently came to
visit the young boy.”
“I am... I thought that if the young lady loved the young master, she would stop
only Lady Liese and her from going out.”
“It’s true that Killian has been visiting me often lately. But she’s not sure if it’s
because she has a crush on me or if he’s spying on me. Well, it’s me, I don’t
care either way.”
It really was.
“Thanks for telling me anyway, Anna. You must have had a lot of trouble
whether to tell me or not.”
It was quite significant that Anna, whom I had only thought of as a member of
the Ludwig family, gave me information that only she knew.
Her uncle, Baron Sorrell, was a man of decent character who took pity on his
brother’s daughter who died violently after falling into a gambling addiction, but
he was not good at making money.
Thanks to her father who was addicted to gambling, Anna, who grew up seeing
all sorts of things from an early age, was an expressionless child, but was quick
to notice.
“Great mother. I’m sorry, but could the noble find a place for her maid?”
As soon as Anna turned fourteen, she decided to get a job as a maid. Since she
had taken care of her housework since she was a child, there was no objection to
her work as a maid.
“No matter what, you are the blood of the baron family. Not a maid, not a
maid!”
Baron Sorel, who had taught a noble lady the knowledge she needed to possess
without discriminating against her own children, loudly proclaimed that he
would marry Anna too.
But Anna knew.
She called her troubled aunt aside and asked her again.
“Thank you so much for raising me all this time. I will leave a letter for my
uncle, so please find a place for her maid.”
Anna went that way as a maid to a countess her aunt had introduced her to.
The life of a maid was hard, but Anna quickly gained a good reputation for
quietly doing the hard work.
Anna lived faithfully, sending part of her salary to Baron Sorel and saving the
other part.
And the Duke and Duchess Ludwig also quite liked Anna, who was quiet,
sincere, quick-witted, and had the right values.
“Starting today, take care of Liese. She is a child with a deep wound in her
heart, so she may not be able to speak even if she is a little uncomfortable, so
please take a good look at her and help her.”
When a dazzlingly beautiful girl named Liese Sinclair came to live in the duchy,
Anna was also chosen as her first maid.
“Didn’t I say no? Nice to meet you. I’m Liese Liese Sinclair.”
Liese, who smiled like sunlight at me as I greeted her, was so beautiful that
words cannot describe it.
Anna, as she always did, took care of Liese delicately and served as an
exemplary maid who prepared in advance before she felt uncomfortable.
However, she noticed that Liese was overly lucky because of her ‘careful’ life.
I wasn’t talking about an illegitimate son who was almost abandoned even by
his father, who fell in the eyes of the Duke and married couple and lived in the
Duke’s house.
The weather was always nice on the day she went out, the things she wanted
were always there, and the circumstances were unusually favorable to her.
Around the time I was thinking about that, Anna was suddenly assigned to a
different location.
“Sorry for the sudden change, Anna. But it’s something I’ve done before, so it
won’t be difficult, right?”
“Yes, madam.”
Anna worked as one of the Duchess’s maids, just as she had done before
becoming Liese’s maid.
There was no regret that things had changed, but oddly enough, I had a strange
sense of distance from Liese.
It was like Anna’s instinct, who had experienced various misfortunes since
childhood. Because she had never seen anyone as lucky as Liese.
After spending several years at the duchy, Anna was assigned as a maid for
Edith, who would become Killian’s wife.
“Anna. Trusting you is what I entrust to you. If Edith seems to have plans or
does something strange, come and tell me right away. Even if Edith acts evil on
you, be sure to report it.”
Duke Ludwig made a solemn statement as if sending his beloved knight to the
battlefield.
Anna was not very impressed, but as always, she quietly lowered her head.
She had a glamorous appearance and had a pretty loud gossip, but she was quiet
inside the Duke’s mansion.
EPISODE 66
It seemed that he was enjoying his own peace by reading a book, going for a
walk, basking in the sun, or drinking tea.
If there was a difference between her and the other young ladies, she did not
have a ‘line’ to draw when dealing with her subordinates.
No matter how generous and merciful a person was, that was the case. They
always drew the line.
The first time she went out to Darsus Street, Edith did not hesitate to share food
with Anna at the restaurant where they had lunch.
Looking at Edith with a frown and wide eyes, Anna realized that there is no such
thing as ‘good’ for this young lady.
“...I’m not sick Even if you eat with me, you won’t get sick.”
The owner who was worried that the servants would turn away from him was
the type of aristocrat whom even Anna, who had been working as a maid for 10
years, had never seen before.
I still can’t forget the shock of the day I saw Edith’s bruised back.
Her back, which should have been white and smooth as if milk had been
released, was stained in a ghastly mess.
That, too, was probably because of the maid sent by her parents.
“How do you say that?”
With a voice mixed with a dejected smile, Edith said as if it was nothing.
‘It’s my fault... No matter how much he didn’t show it, how could he not know
until he became like this!’
I managed to suppress the surge of unknown emotions and applied the medicine
to her back, but only then did Edith’s shoulders tremble slightly.
‘Miss...’
Edith, who was said to be a villainess, was rather just a person who loved a quiet
daily life, weaker than anyone else Anna had ever served and who only put up
with it.
It was then that Anna patted Edith’s hand for the first time. She might have been
called arrogant on the subject of a maid, but she was a sincere consolation.
And Edith didn’t get angry or cry out loud, just let out a trembling breath.
After that, Anna erased the line she had drawn on Edith.
To her, Edith has established herself as a weak person she needs to protect.
Because of that, I was happy that Edith and Killian’s relationship was getting
better, and I hoped that Edith would be able to continue a happy married life.
‘I pretended not to know Master Killian’s love until now, why now...!’
So even though I knew it was presumptuous meddling, I told Edith about Liese’s
affairs, but Edith smiled bitterly and said,
“Thanks for telling me anyway, Anna. You must have had a lot of trouble
whether to tell me or not.”
Seeing Edith put the maid’s heart ahead of her own pain, Anna made up her
mind once again.
Anna, who lived without much inspiration from anyone, accepted Edith as her
master from that day on.
***
After enjoying tea and dessert in <Peridot>, a maid I hadn’t seen before came to
visit me.
“Mister Cliff wants to see you for a while.”
“Yes, lady.”
But with no reason or excuse to refuse, I followed the maid to Cliff’s study
without changing my clothes.
He didn’t seem to have very good feelings for me, and I couldn’t figure out why.
“Don’t be nervous with such a suspicious look on your face, please sit down.”
“It’s a family, but it seems like we spent too much time together.”
He was calm, as if he understood my embarrassment. Although that laid-back
attitude had bothered him from before, he was certainly a capable human being.
“You seem to have a much better relationship with Killian these days.”
“It seems that Killian is trying to do something for me, but only for a few days.
You never know what will happen in the future.”
“Yes? Why?”
Cliff’s appearance as he drank the tea was extremely elegant, but the young
curiosity and sympathy in his eyes were hard to ignore.
“Rather than refutation, I don’t think there is any need to be nervous. I’m
already Killian’s wife. And I don’t think Liese has any reason to seduce
Killian.”
“That’s true, but I’m uncomfortable with Liese now focusing her attention on
something else.”
Oh, I forgot.
Regarding Liese, the one with no middle ground was Cliff Ludwig...
“Let me give you some tips on what Killian likes. It is up to you to decide how
you will use the tip.”
“It’s annoying...”
“Well. Would you like to bet with me? Whether you take my advice or not...”
unlucky guy.
When I took a step back and built up my pride, Cliff laughed as if he was having
fun, then spoke in a serious voice.
“Killian enjoys sailing on the lake. But I couldn’t have it this summer. I used to
go with Liese every year, but this year Killian became a married man.”
“It’s because there is someone else’s attention. A newlywed man said he went
boating alone with another woman. How would that look in the eyes of others?”
It’s even funnier that someone who cared about such things pushed through this
marriage.
Well, rather than ‘love’, people believed that Liese was bewitched by that face.
“I also like to appreciate art. It would be nice to actively use the Sistine Hall in
the mansion, and it would be nice to go see other families’ artworks.”
“Well, unintentionally.”
“When you’re with Killian, it’s good to give him a lot of compliments. He
always has a complex about being second place behind me, so he likes to be
praised.”
It’s not Cliff’s fault that he won first place, but it’s also sarcastic to say it that
way.
Even though he was aware of his brother’s relative deprivation, he didn’t seem
to be very considerate.
The two would join forces at once if something happened to their families, but
they weren’t people they would get along with.
Until now, if it wasn’t for Liese, I wouldn’t have seen her face often.
“Why are you doing this all of a sudden? It hasn’t been a day or two since
Liesee has been kind to Killian.”
Cliff’s smile was also playful as I looked at him with the smile in my eyes.
“The point is that Killian is just starting to open up to you. In the past, even if I
gave you these tips, it would have been of no use.”
“Huh?”
“You wouldn’t know, would you? Didn’t the two of you go out today?”
I feel like I’m being pointed out many times about that issue...
“It’s not like that, but the problem is that Liese asked first. Liese never asked
first before.”
“...Is it so?”
But Cliff also feels strange. He was completely convinced that Liese was paying
attention to Killian.
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EPISODE 67
‘Why is Liese suddenly doing this? Could it really have something to do with
me meeting the stage 2 exception condition?’
I was lost in that thought when suddenly Cliff said something different.
“Yes? Who?”
“Sabina.”
“No. It’s the first name I’ve heard. What do you look like?”
“...She is a slightly skinny maid with mixed blonde and chestnut hair. She
mainly hauled laundry.”
“Um... Sorry. Any laundry that goes in or out of my room was taken care of by
Anna or Sofia, so I can’t remember. But what about the maid? What’s going
on?”
Cliff smiled slightly when I asked. It was something that felt very
uncomfortable.
“Yes?”
“I see. Sorry. I still don’t know all the names of the maids in the mansion.”
“Anyway, don’t forget what I said, give it a try. If it goes well, wouldn’t it be
good for you and me too?”
However, there is not much time left until the episode where the hair is blown
off.
***
Liese, who had been out together for the first time in a while, smiled as she
pointed to the show window of a common general store on Le Belle-Marie
Street.
In the show window, there were music boxes and glass crafts that were imported
from abroad.
From Killian’s point of view, they were expensive and pretty garbage, but when
Liese said they were pretty, he just thought it was because of it.
However, Killian took Liese and bought the things she pointed out.
A music box made by one of the world’s top three artisans cost 200,000 senna,
and a rabbit-shaped glass ornament said to be imported from a famous glass
producer cost 18,000 senna.
“I’m really fine...”
Liese, who had been embarrassed the whole time Killian was paying the price,
received the gift and raised her eyebrows again.
“I just bought it because I wanted to buy it. Because there aren’t many days left
before I can buy you something like this?”
“Edith too?”
Asking the obvious was like that, and the nuance that seemed impossible was
also like that.
“Isn’t that obvious? Of course, Edith will miss life in the capital, but the lord’s
wife has no choice but to follow suit.”
“It’s because I’m sorry, what. Because I don’t have many friends...”
Killian remembered that Liese didn’t have many friends his age, and thought he
would regret it.
“Yes.”
The shop owner immediately remembered the two dazzlingly beautiful people.
Then he took one of the boxes off the shelf and opened it in front of them.
Liese smiled shyly, sat down, and stuck out her dainty feet.
The shoes were lined in cream satin and decorated with ribbons and diamond
buckles at the insteps.
Edith had come out to comfort Liese, who smiled sadly, saying that she was
much smarter and better at work than she had never learned.
Perhaps that day, Edith also said that she was going out with the maid.
They were words to comfort Liese, but they were also words to say goodbye to
Liese.
Originally, he wanted to be a ‘good place’ for Liese, but he was saddened by his
situation of not being able to hold Liese in his arms anymore, and these were the
shoes he bought with that in mind.
The heart that was heartbroken at the time was nothing now.
Perhaps even letting Killian fall in love with Liese was a smoke screen operation
to slowly make Liese her own.
“As long as you live, things will get better, Killian. I think you and Edith are a
good match.”
I remembered the words of my mother, who once heard and was angry.
At the time, I thought it would never happen, but now I just confirmed that
nothing my mother said was wrong.
The image of Edith standing in front of the carriage with only the maid kept
flickering in front of her eyes.
‘Before we go down to the manor, Edith’s shoes and boots should be adjusted a
bit more. Come to think of it, I don’t have much time, do I?’
Killian blamed himself for being indifferent and said to the shoemaker who
repeatedly praised Liese.
“Soon I will visit again with my wife. I think I will have to order two or three
pairs of shoes and boots. How long will it take to make them?”
“If you two each have two or three pairs, well... I think it will take three months
no matter what. I guess orders for winter shoes will be pouring in soon.”
“Edith’s taste?”
“I thought she was like that too, but after getting married, it seems like her tastes
have changed a lot. I didn’t know she was such a pragmatist.”
“Perhaps the shoes here are too luxurious and expensive,” he said.
“Really? I misunderstood because I heard that all the dresses she has are
gorgeous, and even hearing from the side that I like flashy styles. However,
Edith looks good with flashy styles...”
“Well, that’s right. The dress she wore on the wedding day was a bit
embarrassing, but it suited her well.”
It was embarrassing to even think of the dress that exposed her bulging
breastbone, but I thought she would like to try it on again in a place where no
one was around.
After leaving the shoes packed in the shoe store with the servant who followed
them, the two decided to look around Lebelmari Street again.
Just as he was about to take his step, Killian turned to the side at the unfamiliar
sensation he felt on his forearm.
“Huh? Why?”
‘It must have been a good feeling since Liese came out after a long time.’
As I was walking down a street full of cute shops with Liese and young girls in
pretty dresses, I suddenly remembered Edith and the street we had walked after
watching an opera.
It was connected to Darsus Street, but it was a little shabby than that.
A street with a cheap candy seller, a girl who picks and sells wild flowers, and a
clown who doesn’t even get a few coins for tricks all day long.
It was a place I would never have been to if I hadn’t chosen to go out the back
door because of the crowds at the front door of the Opera House.
However, unlike someone who was born and raised as an aristocrat, Edith did
not hesitate to contact commoners.
‘Come to think of it, there’s nothing left of the things I bought back then...’
The candy was all eaten before he returned, and the flowers must have withered
in less than two days. Zergling caliber also had nothing materially left.
So I belatedly came to the idea that Edith should have made it possible for her to
remember that day whenever she saw it.
“Killian. Look over there. It seems to be a new store.”
“Ah...!”
Killian, engrossed in thoughts about Edith and startled, turned his gaze to the
direction Liese pointed.
It was a shop full of pink that you might want to pass by.
I didn’t want to go that far because I’d been stared at by people passing by, but
Liese seemed to want to stop by.
‘Now that we’re out, I’m going to have to look at everything I want to see
before going in.’
When I went in, it was an accessory store that sold things like ribbons,
headbands, corsages and lace.
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EPISODE 68
“Oh my God! Welcome! It is an honor to have you visit our store.”
The shop owner, a young woman, made a fuss as if she knew Killian and Liese.
Looking around the store, I saw that there were fancy faux chandeliers hanging
from the ceiling, romantic decorations everywhere, and the pink carpets of the
counters were sparkling with accessories suitable for girls.
“Isn’t it cute? If you wrap it around your head once like this and put this corsage
next to it...”
Killian, who was looking outside the window instead of inside the shop, quickly
turned his gaze to Liese.
“Killian...?”
When Killian saw Liese, he immediately called her pretty, but it was a
completely different reaction from before, when he always only looked at Liese.
Even Killian himself felt it.
“Isn’t it pretty to look at, sir? This kind of decoration, no one can digest. It’s
okay. It makes me look childish when people who are not good at it. The true
value of this corsage and ribbon can be displayed only when it is worn by a
beauty equivalent to that of Miss Liese.”
The shop owner praised Liese’s appearance until her mouth was dry.
Killian listened without showing any signs of being bothered, and then asked
him to count all the things Liese said were pretty.
Because of the store owner’s flattery and praise, when I finally left the store, the
bag I was holding in my hand contained quite a lot of things.
“Are you okay. It doesn’t come out often, so it’s not bad to buy it all at once
when it comes out.”
Killian encouraged Liese to spend more money, who was still feeling sorry
whenever she spent money.
Then I moved to the store I had looked out of the window earlier.
“Liese, I’m sorry, but let’s stop over there for a while.”
“Huh.”
Liese, who had been apologetic since she had been buying only her own things,
seemed happy.
However, the store where Killian entered was a store that sold women’s
accessories, just like the store Liese stopped by earlier. Although the atmosphere
was completely different from that store before.
“Huh? Why?”
“The atmosphere is very different from the places I’ve been to before.”
“Yes? Edith?”
“Yes.”
“Yes?”
Killian didn’t notice Liese, who was a little flustered. It would have been
ridiculous if it was like before, but now I was concentrating on finding
something that would suit Edith.
“No. It’s not like that, but I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything fancy
before...”
“Is it? I think Killian took good care of Edith... You bought me a necklace
before!”
I don’t know if it’s a memory that Liese brought out to comfort Killian, but
Killian’s conscience stung.
“...You mean the day Cliff gave you all the rest of the jewels?”
“Ah...”
“Honestly, the Cliff was severe that day. At least you should have allowed Edith
to choose. You didn’t even think about my face, and I made you in trouble.”
To be honest, I didn’t think much of it at the time, but as time went on, I became
more and more embarrassed about what happened that day.
All kinds of precious jewelry were in front of Liese, but Edith put on a ruby
necklace smaller than a pea and smiled brightly at me.
I really like it, I will keep it well, revealing that white and dazzling nape...
“Why is it your fault? Cliff’s fault. It was fortunate that you chose the Edith
necklace as well. Me too at that time... Because I can’t take care of it well.”
Killian sighed and looked around the store, looking for something that would
suit Edith.
“Is it Garnet? It’s less than Ruby, but it would be nice to have something like
this.”
His fingers ran through the various corsage headdresses. The shopkeeper busily
picked them up.
“Ah, I think this will suit you well... Are you saying it’s too flashy?”
He pointed to the white and black gloves made of delicate and colorful lace and
pondered for a while, but eventually decided to buy them too.
When I thought of Edith, I saw an endless number of things that would suit her.
At the pink shop earlier, there was nothing that would suit Edith, but this place,
which had many elegant and sensuous designs, had many items that would suit
Edith.
“Shall we do this?”
After wandering around the store for a while, Killian followed him and looked at
the store owner who was putting what he was pointing to on a silver tray.
Liese, who was watching that, said as if she was a little upset.
“Hmm... Is it?”
But no matter how I looked at it, there was nothing to subtract from it.
“If I go down to the manor anyway, I won’t be able to buy it even if I try, so this
is good enough.”
“When you go down to the manor, there’s no party hall to do these things.”
“You can do it in the castle. You will be able to show the dignity and grace of a
countess.”
“Count... Ma’am?”
Killian thought about it a little longer, fearing that he would really get scolded
by Edith, but in the end he chose to buy them all.
The price came out a little more than Liese’s accessories, but since I hadn’t
bought anything before, it didn’t feel expensive.
After leaving the store, Liese suddenly said that she was tired and wanted to go
home.
Killian honestly didn’t like Le Belle Marie Street that much, so he returned to
the mansion feeling fortunate.
After having the maid move Liese’s things into her room, Killian knocked on
her door with a paper bag full of Edith’s presents.
“Uh? Killian!”
In the past, I thought it was a really normal eye color compared to Liese’s deep
blue eyes, but recently, these comfortable and warm colored eyes felt quite
elegant. Besides, how attractive it is when you mix a arrogant look over there...
“Come on in.”
“Yes! I went inside <Peridot> and ate black tea and dessert. Did you know that
strawberry cake there is also very delicious?”
Killian laughed at her involuntarily and awkwardly handed over the bag in his
hand.
Edith tilted her head with round eyes and carefully unfolded the items in the
bag.
“If you don’t like it, you can go and change it to something else.”
“No. They are all really pretty. Who picked this one?”
Thanks to Anna’s help, the satin ribbon decorated with pearls was beautifully
pinned to Edith’s hair.
“I think it suits me well as well. It’s surprising that you had such keen eyes,
right?”
“My eye for good things has been trained since childhood.”
“Is that so? I like everything. Even if I were to choose, I wouldn’t be able to
choose something as pretty as this. Thanks, Killian.”
There was no sign of sorry or pretense on Edith’s face, who smiled brightly at
me.
She was really just delighted with the gift I gave her.
It was a bit of a refreshing experience for Killian, who always heard that Liese
was sorry whenever he gave something to her as a present.
Up until now, I had thought that Liese’s modesty was very pretty, but to be
honest, from the point of view of giving the gift, I was much happier with
Edith’s reaction.
“I’m glad you like it. If I had known you would like it this much, I would have
bought more.”
“No, it’s not like that. There are too many of these. Just...”
“Just...?”
“It’s just that I’m more happy that you were thinking about me and choosing
things outside. Thank you, Killian.”
Killian felt a pang in his stomach as she received the modest gift he bought to
erase his guilt and Edith thanked him for thinking about her.
Killian, who was clearing his throat for no reason, said as if it was no big deal
that he would buy her this much.
“Next time... Let’s go together. I still have to order shoes and boots before going
down to the manor. I have already told the shoe store today.”
“Is it so. I always have time, so please tell me when it’s convenient for you.”
Killian got up from his seat and hugged Edith, holding her waist, who was
coming along to see him off, and kissed her lightly.
Edith naturally accepted his kiss and smiled softly.
“Yes.”
Killian, who took a regretful step, went back to his room and twitched the
corners of his mouth without realizing it.
I casually told Edith to go out together. She seemed to take it with ease, too.
The symptoms of being stabbed in the chest also improved, and more than
anything, the thought of going out with her seemed to excite me.
He wasn’t in the least bit thinking about Liese, whom he went out with today,
but Killian, whose head was filled with thoughts about Edith, couldn’t even
think of that fact.
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EPISODE 69
Liese, who had returned home today with a huge pile of presents, was staring
out the window blankly, not even thinking about unpacking the package.
Sitting in front of Liese, who responded with a weak smile, Killian examined the
pile of presents.
“It’s not like that. In Killian’s mind, there’s only Edith, so don’t misunderstand.”
“Okay?”
“Sure! I thought I would just go out alone today. I feel like I’ve bothered Killian
for nothing...”
With a tired expression on her face, Liese turned her head again and looked out
the window at the setting darkness.
Cliff hugged Liese from behind and patted the nape of her neck with his lips.
“Liese.”
“Yes, Cliff.”
“You know that’s not the case. I mean, can’t the only one of you be me?”
However, Liese was well aware of the hidden desire for exclusivity and lust that
she was trying to suppress so that it would not boil over.
“What do you mean, Cliff? You know very well that I love you.”
“Know. I know...”
“I am.”
Cliff whispered as he lightly bit Liese’s ear lobe with his lips.
“I mean Sabina. Aren’t you sad because Killian didn’t care about Sabina?”
Cliff suddenly brought up the word about the maid who had recently been
telling the maids around her that Edith had tried to kill Liese.
“Sabina, she said, she must have seen it. I saw with my own eyes that Edith was
poisoning the embroidery thread that she was giving to Lady Liese.”
The maid who had come to report Sabina’s whereabouts wheezed that Edith
must have been involved in her disappearance.
He kept his mouth shut when he investigated the inside and outside of the
mansion to find the culprit, but only started talking about it now that the incident
was completely buried.
Besides, when and where he saw it, how did Edith know that what he was
wearing was poison, or no, how he knew that the thing he was applying
something on was an embroidery thread that belonged to Liese.
“I really don’t understand the maid’s story. Why did you suddenly appear
now...”
Although Liese pretended to tell Killian about Sabina secretly, it was almost
impossible for Liese to do something without Cliff’s knowledge.
“It’s not certain yet. I’m currently investigating the maids around Sabina who
heard about it...”
“Cliff. I’m really fine. It’s something I’ve already covered. Of course she will
have to find the maid, but she doesn’t want to break Killian’s heart by accusing
her Edith of being her culprit.”
It wasn’t a very pleasant feeling to see that Liesee had little lingering feelings
for Killian, but it would have been more enjoyable if she could definitely take
her mind off of her through this process.
“Sure. Even when I went out, I kept thinking of you. I would have been better
off going out with you.”
“Of course. Am I the same as a married man who is indifferent and indifferent?”
However, Cliff continued to press his smiling lips onto Liese’s shoulder and
whispered.
“In the hope that my younger brother and his wife will be happy, I told him a
few ways to win Killian’s favor...”
“So what?”
Because it was completely dark outside, Liese and Cliff were reflected in the
window.
There were shadows on their faces, but their eyes shone brightly, reflecting the
candlelight.
“That Killian likes to go yachting on the lake. He told me he also likes to look at
art, but I think he’s already tried that.”
“Liese. I am the one who exists only for you Whatever you desire, I will give
you.”
Cliff raised Liese’s hand and kissed the back of her hand.
***
Killian even bought me a present, which gave me a little more courage.
It was a very important change that I thought of myself not only when I could
see it, but also when I couldn’t see it.
‘Okay. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with following Cliff’s advice.’
Killian was trying to figure out what I liked, so I felt like I would have to go to
the trouble of doing what he liked too.
“Come to think of it, I haven’t even been to Lake Everton this summer.”
But basically, Killian, who tends to be a tsundere, never gets over it easily from
the beginning.
“You said you never went to see an opera, have you ever played on a boat?”
Each time, after replying flirtatiously, ‘I don’t like being on a boat because it’s
scary,’ I took the necessary information from him and returned to the dock.
To the dismay of those expecting a hot night, Edith was immediately captured
by the Rigelhoffs’ knights and forced to return home.
“Well, it’s a popular game for lovers. Even though it’s small, only the two of us
can be left in a confined space.”
No, thank you for being jealous, but how do I get rid of this?
“It’s not just for lovers. Who doesn’t like to float a boat on the lake on a nice
day? Of course, the small boat was a bit scary, but...”
It seems that Cliff wasn’t lying when he said that Killian liked yachts.
Killian quickly opened his eyes and explained the specifications of his yacht.
When, where, and who made it, how high-quality materials were used, how
meticulously it was finished, who rode it and what praise it received.
It was a feast for pretending to be proud, but after hearing the story, I started to
get excited a little bit.
“Uh? Really?”
I did my best to show that I was very happy, and Killian gave the order to the
yacht manager by having a servant with a very satisfied expression.
“I’m going to ride tomorrow, so tell them to make sure there are no deficiencies
in the maintenance of the yacht.”
“Yes, I understand.”
The servant quickly ran to the yacht manager with a quick attitude.
At first, it was started to win Killian’s favor, but the more the work progressed,
the more my heart pounded.
I had never even been on a duck boat, let alone a cruise on the Han River, in my
previous life.
I thought I would ride a boat across the Jordan River when I died, but I thought I
would ride a yacht here.
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EPISODE 70
“The weather should be fine tomorrow. What kind of clothes should I wear?
Maybe a simple outdoor dress would be better, right? Ah! Shall we pack a lunch
too? Eating outside tastes better. Should I bring a parasol? Would the wind make
it rather uncomfortable?”
Even though I was full of anticipation and making this and that, Killian listened
without showing any signs of being annoying.
“I like clothes that are easy to move. For lunch, whatever you want, it would be
better to wear a hat than a parasol.”
Excited like a child the day before the picnic, I prepared everything I would
wear the next day before dinner.
And the next day, fortunately, the weather was very fine. It was perfect weather
for yachting.
“Yes! Actually, it took me quite a while to fall asleep, but I slept well.”
“Who, who? Just... It feels good to go to the lake after a long time.”
In fact, I forgot that Anna was there and hummed it, but Anna’s expression was
also quite good to see.
While the wagon was loaded and Killian briefly went in to retrieve something he
had forgotten, Liese appeared while strolling through the garden picking
flowers.
Even if it wasn’t Anna or Cliff’s story, Liese wasn’t happy with Killian
anymore.
“Killian’s yacht isn’t big, but it’s really beautiful. I went for a few rides and
really enjoyed it.”
“You went fishing when you went with me, but are you fishing today?”
“Okay.”
Even then, Liese, who had not left her seat, spoke to herself with a somewhat
stiff face.
“Sounds fun...”
Haa, when you say such a lonely line with such a pretty face, the listener feels
very sorry...
Killian came down just as I was not knowing what to do and laughing lightly.
Liese greeted Killian with a smile as fresh as the pink rose in her hand.
“It will be fun. It seems like it’s been a while since I’ve been on a yacht.”
What Liese wanted to say was so clear that it was difficult to ignore.
‘I want to go too.’
But I don’t know if this is my qualifications, but I thought it was an awkward
reaction for the character Liese Sinclair to do, as I felt before.
‘Liese Sinclair, who has already had feelings for Cliff, wants to join Killian and
me on an outing...?’
While I questioned Liese’s behavior, Killian grinned and stroked Liese’s head.
I was shocked inside and just looked at the two of them alternately, but Liese
smiled casually and nodded.
“Really? I think it would be so much fun even if the four of us went together.”
I forcibly smiled brightly and waved at her, and Killian saw Liese turn around
before heading towards me.
“Let’s go.”
“Ah yes...”
Escorted by Killian, I climbed into the carriage.
It’s subtle, but everything is different from the beginning of the wedding.
The time Liese and Killian make eye contact, the nuances of their conversation,
the time they look at the other person’s back when they turn around, the
temperature of their gaze... Nothing was the same as before.
I thought about the change that I might be able to rejoice in peace for a while,
but as soon as I saw Lake Everton out of the carriage window, all the thoughts in
my mind were blown away.
“Yes, I know.”
“When I go on a yacht, I usually come early. It hurts. Don’t pull yourself out.”
And from then on, Killian held my hand tightly like a new father with a child
out.
I was distracted from looking around. If Killian hadn’t been holding my hand,
I’m sure he would have fallen over and over again.
People who recognized Killian greeted him instead of boarding the yacht.
Thanks to that, I held onto my spirit to scatter in all directions and showed a
smile befitting a daughter-in-law of the Ludwig family.
There was no doubt that the eyes looking at me with Killian’s arms crossed had
an aura of ‘exploration’.
Yes, it’s surprising that Killian brought only me and not Liese. I’m curious too
We made our way through the greetings of the people around us and finally
reached the yacht.
“Wow...! Cool...!”
There were several yachts larger than his, but none seemed more beautiful.
The white and dark wood color of the yacht looked very sturdy. In addition, it
must have been well maintained, and there was no place where the paint peeled
off or rusted.
“When you get on board, you have to be alert. If you don’t do it wrong, you may
fall into the water.”
“All right.”
“If I’m not trustworthy, you catch me. Then it will work.”
I laughed at him as if teasing him and climbed onto the yacht as he guided me.
He was a man in his mid-50s, with a shaggy beard, but a very good impression.
Killian, who followed me, asked Samuel. Samuel nodded his head with a very
proud face.
“Sure. Yesterday, I checked every little thing, and there was nothing wrong.
This guy must have been impatient because he wanted to run for a long time. Ha
ha ha!”
I could tell from Samuel’s expression that he loved his job as a yacht manager.
And after a while, the yacht began to move gracefully like a swan on the surface
of the calm Lake Everton.
“Wow...”
It was a windless day, but I could feel the cool breeze on the moving yacht.
The panoramic view of Lake Everton, where the forest that has not yet turned
leaves meets the blue water surface, was beautiful, and the laughter of people
enjoying boating in the distance decorated the happy time.
I leaned on the boat with Killian and stared blankly at the beautiful sight.
I never imagined that I would be able to capture such a beautiful scenery with
my eyes.
“It is so beautiful.”
Killian wrapped his jacket around my shoulders and gave me a little hug.
I didn’t know because I was excited, but the air was a bit full, and the jacket
with his body heat left over felt very warm.
I turned to Killian and he was looking at me.
‘Uh... For some reason, it seems like the right time to kiss...’
Beautiful nature, time tinged with happiness, and a man and a woman close
together.
This. I think it was the right timing to kiss, but I guess it wasn’t Killian.
“A man who doesn’t know what to do with a woman with her eyes closed in his
arms is really...”
Before I could finish my words, Killian pressed his lips over mine.
Our lips were hot, so I just squeezed the hem of his shirt.
Killian also held on to my shoulders and waist and only caressed me.
Maybe it’s because it’s been a long time since we’ve kissed, so I was ecstatic as
if I was about to lose my mind.
But we were sitting on a yacht, and even Samuel was with us.
We barely parted our lips, which were still trying to cling to each other.
We stopped the yacht in the middle of the lake and invited Samuel over for
lunch.
Sandwiches and fruit juice in baskets were perfect for a light lunch.
I Thought It Was Common Possession-Chapter 70
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EPISODE 71
“I will.”
As usual, Samuel and Killian suggested going around the lake on a yacht.
I enjoyed a relaxed mood and watched the blue water surface where the sunlight
broke.
But there was no wind, and the yacht did not tilt in the slightest. That’s why
Killian didn’t actively stop me.
Killian watched me with a smile, then wrapped up the rope hanging on the floor
and tidied it up.
“Uh...?”
Sleep seemed to suddenly come before my eyes. It was only then that I realized
that my body was tilted.
“Kyaaak!”
“Edith!”
I could hear Killian’s urgent voice from afar, but there’s no way I could defy
gravity.
Time seemed to pass so slowly that I wondered if this was real, and soon I fell
into the cold lake.
Even back then, I was just worried about getting hurt by Killian.
I had no idea how the hell I had fallen into the water, but I thought he might be
nagging because I hadn’t properly listened to his caution not to pull myself out
too far.
And the moment I reached out and swung my legs there, the hem of the dress
caught on the heel of my shoe and got tangled.
“Omg!”
I struggled on my limbs, but the more I did, the more I got away from the yacht.
“Edith! Edith!”
The lake water ran over my nose and mouth, suffocating me, and a cold fear
overtook me.
‘Let’s stay calm! I can’t die here Killian is the one who will kill me, so there’s
no way I’ll die here!’
I remember learning that when rescuing a drowning person, you shouldn’t rush
into it.
I have to throw the rope or tube towards me first... But why is the yacht so far
away...?
I barely took off my shoes and my feet were free, but I was getting more and
more dazed, perhaps because the water was cold.
I felt the strength drain from my struggling limbs and my body sinking.
It must have been completely submerged in the water, so it was quiet all around.
[When Edith Ludwig dies as a villain, the story returns to its original trajectory.
Three minutes until her death.]
I understood the words, but it was a beat late to grasp the meaning.
‘What? What the hell are you talking about! Where is this!’
It was an unfair game in the first place, but the rules themselves suddenly
changed!
’Why did you suddenly change? Was it originally a game without even rules?
Was I complacent?
I came to my senses and tried to swim, but the water-soaked clothes were
heavier than I imagined, and my head, which couldn’t breathe, went paralyzed.
And the water surface I was supposed to head for was getting farther and farther
away.
Even with my fading consciousness, I wanted to see Killian. And that kind of
myself felt a little funny.
It can’t be...
***
[...]...Is collapsing...]
What do you mean?
Why does my throat and nose hurt so much? Did you catch a cold?
[Part of the flow of the original work has collapsed due to the original author’s
excessive intervention. The original plot was further damaged. The original
author’s dominance is weakening.]
Not only my nose and throat hurt, my speed hurt, my ribs hurt, and it felt like I
had been beaten all over my body.
‘For sure... Yacht... Yeah, I went yachting... I fell into the water...?’
Seeing that he was still able to think this way, it seemed fortunate that he hadn’t
died.
As my blurry vision became clearer, I was able to recognize who was looking at
me next to me.
“Kil...”
I wanted to ask what happened, but my voice didn’t come out properly. Perhaps
it was my misunderstanding that I came to my senses, and my eyes quickly
became dizzy.
“Shh... Get some more sleep. It’s okay now. Because it’s okay...”
Ah, anyway, I survived and Killian seems to be all right. I was very fortunate.
I was relieved and fell asleep again.
***
I woke up from a sound sleep without dreaming, but it was midday again.
“Killian...”
I called out to him in a small way, but it was Anna who hurriedly approached
me.
“Not... Me...”
“Huh...”
I finished the glass of warm water Anna offered me and slowly looked around.
I knew I had fallen into the water, but looking inside this peaceful bedroom, I
couldn’t fathom what had happened.
“Yes.”
“Ha... Thank god. What kind of disgrace is this... You will listen when I tell you
not to stick out from the side of the boat.”
“Huh? Then?”
“It is said that the yacht’s steering wheel malfunctioned at that time. Suddenly, it
turned around and the boat tilted and moved in a strange direction.”
I didn’t swim much, but the reason the boat moved away must have been
because the boat was moving.
Apparently, Samuel said that he checked the yacht the day before, and there was
nothing wrong...
“What?”
“Uncle Samuel is not the kind of person who would make such a mistake. It has
never been like this while managing the Duke’s yachts. Besides, you’re a really
nice person. He couldn’t have intentionally tried to hurt her.”
Even if Anna didn’t appeal to me, I believed Samuel had nothing to do with it.
The person who shone with pride in his job could not have tarnished his
reputation by deliberately causing the ship to malfunction.
[Part of the flow of the original work has collapsed due to the original author’s
excessive intervention.]
The original author who played with me broke the rules of the game and tried to
kill me by intervening in the original work.
At first, I doubted that the rule itself had disappeared, but I was convinced after
hearing that the original work was destroyed by the intervention of the original
author.
‘I must have been nervous because I met the second-level exception condition...’
The fact that he did so at the risk of weakening the authority of the original
author probably means that he was cornered that much.
I was very happy that I could go beyond the cursed setting of the original work
as long as the three-step exception conditions were met.
But this situation, which was pleasing to me, would be disastrous for Samuel.
I had no intention of leaving Samuel, who was only used by the original author,
to be unfairly punished.
“Anna. Go tell Killian I’m awake. I’m looking for Killian a lot...”
“Yes!”
Anna seemed to have a personal relationship with Samuel, and unlike usual, she
seemed urgent.
And not long after Anna left, there was a sound of hasty footsteps outside and
Killian rushed in.
“Edith!”
“Killian...!”
Killian’s complexion was noticeably unwell. The bottom of his eyes were black,
and even the light in his eyes was moldy.
“Are you worried about me as soon as you open your eyes? Did you know you
almost died?”
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EPISODE 72
I’m impressed. Do you really think you have a heart for me?
I gently brushed his bobbed hair in order, trying not to make it too obvious that I
liked it too much.
“Three days, Edith. You just opened your eyes after three days.”
“Killian. What the hell happened? I heard that the ship has malfunctioned.”
“We are investigating now. Examination of the yacht revealed that important
screws on the steering wheel had come loose. I believe that Samuel neglected
my work or was instigated by someone.”
“Edith...?”
He’s an extra that probably wasn’t even mentioned in the original work, but he’s
already earned the name ‘Samuel’ in my world.
I didn’t want such a person to die in vain at the play of the original author.
“Why did you do something that would be discovered so quickly? Even he was
on the same boat. He probably took a closer look.”
Killian sighed and hugged me. Then he whispered in a voice that only I could
hear.
“Killian...!”
“Of course, we are not neglecting the investigation of Samuel. But there are no
clues yet.”
The frustration of having to investigate a crime for which no evidence was left
was evident in his voice.
However, as long as the original author, who is like a god, intervenes, it will be
impossible to find evidence.
“The culprit of this incident will not be caught so easily. Conversely, it also
means that the other side was very determined and used their hands.”
“But why...”
In his firm embrace, I too let out a sigh of relief for the first time.
“Don’t punish Samuel. There must be a separate culprit, but it is not fair for an
innocent person to suffer.”
“I know he didn’t intentionally break things or hurt you. But that day, it was his
fault for not checking the yacht once more, so he should be punished too.”
“Everyone overlooks the mistakes of nobles. But why are you so ruthless about
the mistakes of commoners?”
Killian wrinkled his brow and answered with a sigh.
“I understand that you have to correct your mistakes and realize your mistakes.
But those who haven’t learned should be more forgiving. Whose sin is greater:
those who make mistakes despite learning, or those who make mistakes because
they haven’t learned?”
“Yes, please.”
Cliff, who invited me to go boating, and Liese, who wanted to follow me on the
morning of the boating...
***
Thinking back on it, it was terrifying.
Edith said that the clear weather, the fresh wind, the yacht that sailed smoothly
to the middle of the lake, and the fish swimming in the calm water were cute.
And as if he had waited until he felt happy, his stomach suddenly tilted.
“Uh...?”
At the moment when I couldn’t believe the situation and said something stupid,
Edith fell into the blue lake with a sharp scream.
“Edith!”
On the yacht, which suddenly seemed to move wildly, Killian struggled to throw
the rope he was holding in his hand towards Edith.
However, when Edith’s head, which was bouncing up and down on the surface,
became invisible, Killian took off his vest and shoes without thinking twice and
jumped into the lake. His one hand was holding the rope tightly.
Then, when he found Edith sinking into the abyss from the lake he jumped into,
Killian felt his heart freeze.
I couldn’t even remember how I had managed to swim all the way there to
rescue Edith.
When I came to my senses, I was swimming toward the yacht, shouting to the
unconscious Edith to wake up.
“Ha...”
Just thinking about it made my heart beat terribly, and even my breathing was
quick.
Pressing Edith’s chest, who was pale as a corpse and not breathing, Killian
prayed to God over and over again to save Edith.
“No, Edith, please! Live please! Open your eyes! If you die like this, I will never
forgive you!”
Fortunately, Edith started to breathe again, and after being treated by the doctor,
she opened her eyes normally, but the experience of Edith almost dying did not
go away.
When Edith collapsed from the poison of the peach pie, I must have thought it
was just annoying, but now, just thinking about Edith’s wet, pale face made me
feel like I would get goosebumps.
No, the peach pie incident was only feeling horrific in hindsight.
It was something I could have known even if Edith hadn’t said it. He was such a
good swimmer that he could swim out quickly even if he fell into the water.
But with Edith, it’s a different story. Because of the hem of the already heavy
dress and uncomfortable shoes, aren’t women always in danger whenever
boating accidents happen?
So, anyone who touched the steering wheel of the yacht would have hoped that
Edith would be in danger.
‘Count Rigelhoff, who took offense at Edith? Or the Count Sinclair, who hates
Liese and the Rigelhoff family? Or, another force...?’
It was the Rigelhoffs’ maid who poisoned the peach pie, but it wasn’t the maid
who poisoned the embroidery thread.
Even the suspect has not yet been able to find out who stole the documents.
All three cases pointed to Edith only to the extent that it was difficult to point to
a suspect other than Edith, but that made it even more suspicious.
It was Liese who protected Edith every time she was accused of being the
culprit.
Besides, Liese was also the one who would marry Cliff and get the title of
Duchess.
Just as Edith had no reason to hurt Liese, Liese had no reason to hurt Edith.
However, the more he denied it, the more he cared about Liese’s attitude, which
had subtly changed recently.
Before, Liese had obviously given him and Cliff equal affection, but a few
months before he married Edith, she felt her affection for Cliff grow stronger.
Liese, who hadn’t changed even after marrying Edith, had changed recently,
around the time Killian started dating Edith.
And from the moment he felt it, a fearful assumption was rising in Killian’s
head.
‘In addition to the peach pie incident, in the cases Edith was accused of being
the culprit, there was another person who could be considered a suspect.’
During the document leak incident, the person who was able to touch the
document and draw a table, albeit clumsily, was Liese.
Liese, the person who was able to apply poison directly to the embroidery
thread.
After thinking about it like that, everything Liese told me about Edith also
became suspicious.
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EPISODE 73
“Ugh...!”
I was trying to recall the past when a headache came over me.
Killian hurriedly took out a headache pill from his desk drawer and ate it.
“Let it in.”
“Sit down.”
“That, that...”
“Sin, sorry! I swear it wasn’t me who loosened the screws on the cockpit. I
definitely checked all the parts the day before and went back.”
“You’re not here to repeat what you said for three days, are you?”
“Yeah, but... Looking back, I suddenly remembered one thing...”
“Something?”
“The night before the accident... Master Cliff has come to visit me. He said he
had something to take out from inside the boy’s yacht, so I followed him out,
but in the meantime, I left my cabin unlocked.”
Samuel lived alone in his cabin near Lake Everton, and all the keys to the
Ludwig family’s yacht were kept in it.
“It’s hard to believe that someone stole the key and tampered with my yacht’s
steering wheel during that time... Well, how do I know you’ll be away like that.”
“Yeah, that’s right. Just... She remembered that she hadn’t talked about it...
That, but it’s my fault for not properly locking the door and not checking before
departure. I am really sorry.”
Samuel, who had confessed his sin, was trembling on his knees on the floor.
“But why are you confessing that? If she had kept her mouth shut, she would
have passed on.”
Edith said she would forgive and let Samuel go, so if he had kept his mouth
shut, he wouldn’t have been so scared.
“Eh, sorry Miss Edith, I couldn’t stand it. She is such a kind and merciful
person... I am... Because I did something stupid... Sigh... Sorry...”
A man in his 50s begged for a mistake while shedding tears. Saying sorry to
Edith...
Edith’s forgiveness brought out the ‘memories’ that could not be brought out
even with caning and threats.
Killian smiled lightly, thinking of Edith, who insisted that commoners are the
same, and that uneducated people should rather be forgiven.
“Hey, hehe...”
“Edith believed you couldn’t have done anything bad or been bribed on purpose.
So... I will believe you.”
“Young master...!”
“Three days of torture will replace the punishment for your mistakes.”
“Ah, but...”
Samuel thanked him several times as if he was about to hit his head on the floor,
and then went back.
‘Cliff stopped by the lake the night before... He spent a lot of time on the yacht
and went back without finding anything...’
Although he and Cliff had quarreled because of Liese, their relationship was not
bad.
Even though he thought it couldn’t be, the smoke of disbelief was rising in
Killian’s heart.
***
My nose, throat, and stomach hurt for a few days after I fell into the water, but I
improved faster than I thought.
But Killian couldn’t easily shake off the memory of the moment I stopped
breathing.
It gave me the luxury of reclining on the bed and tasting the dessert he brought.
“Samuel came late and told me that he had gone out the night before with the
door unlocked. It looks like someone stole the key and broke into my yacht’s
control stick... Anyway, Samuel told me to tell you he’s sorry.”
“Thank you.”
At first, I was going to eat it myself, but after cutting the canelé in half and
missing the knife, Killian cut it into bite-sized pieces and put it in my mouth.
Crispy outside and moist inside, the sweet canelé is like Killian, and I feel better
every time I take a bite.
Who to blame.
From Samuel’s testimony that he briefly mismanaged the key, he could only
guess that someone had stolen the key and gone into hiding.
‘Well, that’s a bit odd. How did Samuel know how to empty the cabin at that
time and wait?’
But he preferred to confess rather than keep his mouth shut, so I ruled him out as
a suspect.
“They say they have something to look for on their yacht. She and Samuel
searched for something on the yacht for a long time, and she just went back
saying that she was mistaken.”
“If that’s the case, I’m sure... It must not have been a lack of time for someone
to commit a crime.”
Next to Killian, who was deep in thought, I remembered the voice I heard when
I lost consciousness.
[Part of the flow of the original work has collapsed due to the original author’s
excessive intervention. The original story has been further damaged. The
original author’s dominance is weakening.]
The original author said that he intervened ‘excessively’, but what kind of
format was that?
Could it be that the character was moved while ignoring the original plot
setting?
Seeing that there is no attempt to kill me directly, it seems that the characters are
moving...
‘If that happened, there would have been a big problem with probability, so it’s
understandable that part of the flow of the original work was broken.
Fortunately for me, this incident has weakened the original author’s dominance.’
‘It should also be noted that the character the original author moved was Cliff,
not Killian right next to me. Maybe Killian... It seems to have deviated
considerably from the original author’s control.’
Killian has been showing behavior that is quite different from the original work.
Even as the original author, there was no way to have multiple incidents that
were burdensome.
I cried out to myself that I could live once again. Then, he grabbed Killian’s
hand as he tried to cut the canelé in half.
Killian hesitated at the unexpected greeting, then gradually reddened his ear
lobe.
“Keep it. I should have stayed closer to you... I was sorry the whole time
because I thought you were drowning because I was careless.”
“It was an accident. No one could have done anything. But Killian.”
“Yes, Edith.”
“The next time something like this happens again, you can’t just jump into the
water to save me. Either way, we’ll both die.”
I was so thrilled that I was about to shed a few tears when Anna announced that
a customer was visiting.
Cliff approached with a playful greeting in a voice thicker and warmer than
Killian’s.
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EPISODE 74
“Isn’t it natural that I, as a husband, take care of a person who could have been
in big trouble?”
“Usually it is.”
On Cliff’s grinning face, it was hard to find a hint that he had done something
sinister.
Cliff gently shook the bouquet in his hand before handing it to Anna.
“Actually, I recommended the yacht to Edith. I mean, it’s what you like.”
“What...?”
Hey, why are you talking about that now? Killian is by my side, what’s my
face?
“What? Did you two meet separately? What are you talking about, tell me
honestly.”
Killian wrinkled his face more, as if he was offended that there was something
only he didn’t know about, and Cliff shrugged at me, who was flustered with
embarrassment, and said,
“I was very far away. I just lightly told you a little bit about your taste in the
hope that you and sister-in-law would get better. He likes to ride yachts and look
at art.”
“By the way, I heard that brother also went to the yacht the night before? Why
did you go?”
“Why did you lose something and go to the lakeside at night? Dangerously. You
can come with us the next morning.”
Killian asked in a laughing voice, but I noticed a sharp energy in his eyes.
“Actually, it was because Liese lost her precious earring. She said she must have
lost it the last time she went out on her yacht.”
“...Liese?”
“Huh. It’s something I cherish very much, but I was upset that I couldn’t find it
no matter how much I searched for it. But it wasn’t there.”
Maybe if Killian’s brain was working properly, he’d be thinking the same thing
as me.
‘Perhaps, Liese...?’
Liese herself would not have moved. I would have bought someone
Well, it would be enough if he just said that he lost his earring. He didn’t even
ask to find it right away, because Cliff was overly loyal and just went out and
looked for it at that time.
‘If it’s Liese’s doing, it’s a really meticulous calculation. I thought Cliff would
take care of it just by throwing a clue, so it’s a great trust.’
Looking at Cliff, who changed the topic and started talking about something
else, I exchanged lightly and smiled casually.
Killian, who was just about to stand up, met eyes with me when he heard that
Liese was visiting, and sat down again.
“Edith!”
Liese, who approached with a worried face as if about to burst into tears, was
still dazzlingly beautiful.
I was a little worried that Killian wouldn’t be swayed by that, but I, who risked
my life, alerted myself.
“Are you okay now? I thought I was very sick because I had been refused
hospital visits until now.”
If someone hears that you are being rejected, you will know that you have been
rejected.
In addition, in ‘I thought I was very sick’ after that, I felt even reprimanded that
I had refused to visit him without being seriously ill. Is it a sense of entitlement?
“You weren’t in very good condition to receive a hospital visit, were you? But I
don’t think you can refuse well, so I declined in my line.”
...said the person who had been visiting the hospital for several days.
“You must have been looking for it, but you were disappointed. I’m sorry,
Liese.”
“Oh no! Edith’s health is more important. Are you really okay now?”
“Yes. For a few days, it hurt a little here and there, but now it’s much better. I
think I will be able to get out of bed sooner or later.”
“I’m so glad.”
I was just going to laugh and pass it off, but suddenly I wanted to try a little bit
of Liese.
“I was very fortunate. Killian jumped into the water to save me without
hesitation. If it wasn’t for this person, by now I’d be...”
In my previous life, I had seen an American drama in which the main character
was a scientist who studies minute expressions.
I am not well versed in such psychology, but even if I saw it, the expression on
my face at that moment was clearly close to negative emotions.
Is Liese the character that reflects the will of the original author the most?
“Yes, Edith. Please don’t have such horrible dreams. I am so glad you are so
healthy.”
Liese smiled with a benevolent face, as if asking when she had been serious, and
I also responded with a smile.
“By the way, Killian. It’s fortunate that both of them are safe, but they say it’s
dangerous to jump into the water blindly. Killian could have been in trouble too.
I was worried.”
Liese started attacking Killian with a worried face, as if she had finished her
business with me.
He is trying to change Killian’s mind even by breaking away from the basic
personality set for Liese Sinclair.
“You sound the same as Edith. But you can’t be her husband and just watch her
wife die.”
As much as I felt cool inside, Liese felt like her insides were twisted.
‘That’s true,’ he said, extending his tail cutely, but Liese definitely seemed
offended.
“It looks like it will be a nuisance to Edith if she sits for too long. I’ll just get up
and see.”
“Thank you for visiting the hospital, Liese.”
Though I felt refreshed at the thought of Liese, my backbone felt like it was
pulling. Of course, it wasn’t clear that Liese was trying to kill me.
All of this is heartbreaking... The problem was that it was a fairly strong heart
attack.
“Edith.”
Killian seemed to feel the same way, and called me in a quiet voice.
“Yes, Killian.”
“Still, I guess you were glad that I saved you? I pretended not to...”
“Of course. Do you mean that? I thought you wouldn’t care if I disappeared, but
my husband risked his life to save me. How touching is that?”
“Killian...!”
“How do you know where to go and what to do when you disappear? I’d rather
keep it by my side and watch it.”
Alas, yes.
I giggled and started laughing, and Killian turned his head and smiled.
To be honest, even this level of comfort was too sweet for me.
***
A few days later, fully recovered, I headed to Linnon’s office for the first time in
a while.
I wanted to finally get my normal days back, but there was an unexpected
change.
“Hello, lady.”
As I passed by, the servants of the mansion greeted me with a friendly smile.
I was in a good mood, but I was dumbfounded, but when there were no people
around, Anna, who was beside me, whispered.
“Everyone who uses the mansion treats Uncle Samuel like a father or close
friend. There is no one who has not owed money to Uncle Samuel at least once.”
“My uncle works back and forth between the mansion and the cabin. He had
been working for a long time, and he had good personal connections here and
there, so he helped the workers a lot.”
EPISODE 75
“And rumors spread that Uncle Samuel was able to be safe thanks to the lady, so
everyone is grateful to the lady.”
Well, she also tried to convince me that Samuel couldn’t have had a bad heart.
Then Anna looked around, grabbed my arm, and headed for a more obscure
place.
“What? Live?”
The name Sabina was somehow familiar, but it was a name I heard from Cliff a
while ago.
At that time, he said that if he had a good reputation, he would promote him...!
“Yes. But more importantly, they say that a few days before the child
disappeared, they said that they had seen Lady Edith poisoning Miss Liese’s
embroidery thread.”
“What?”
“And he said he would tell Cliff sometime soon, but he suddenly disappeared.
So everyone was talking about Miss Edith having something to do with her
disappearance.”
It was absurd.
“Yes. It seems that the lady who saved Uncle Samuel even when her life was in
danger changed her mind, saying that there was no way she would have done
anything with the babbling maid.”
I just nodded my head slightly, not even thinking about closing my gaping
mouth.
“Just in case, I don’t even know what that maid named Sabina looked like. I also
heard her name from Lord Cliff for the first time.”
“I was almost always by her side, and there is no way she would have gotten rid
of the maid without me noticing.”
“Thank you.”
“Long time no see, Linnon. I have no face to see Linnon because he often gets
into it while helping out.”
“I heard that you almost drowned this time. There are no windy days.”
“I mean.”
Well, from the point of view of the boss at work, it was something to be pissed
off about.
I put in a parachute as a newcomer from the top, but on a fictitious day, if I miss
work for various excuses, I can’t find a new person, and it’s like doing twice as
much work.
Breaking out in a cold sweat, I told her what had happened. I tried my best to
convey only the facts without putting my feelings in it, but somehow I felt like I
was the culprit.
While I was worried about that, Linnon nodded heavily and then suddenly tilted
her head.
“It’s not the incident itself, it’s because I don’t understand the Duke’s actions.”
“What?”
“In all of these cases, Lady Liese could have been the culprit. Could it be that
Lady Edith didn’t know?”
“...Thank you.”
“I know.”
Again, Linnon seemed less influenced by the original author thanks to the
unnamed extras.
This simple assumption, which no one in the Ludwig family could easily accept,
was coming to Linnon’s mind at once.
Conversely, wouldn’t it be that the people of the duchy were dominated by the
original author because they were close to the main characters?
“Linnon isn’t the kind of person to be, but it’s better not to talk about this here
and there. As long as you’re a vassal of the duchy, there’s nothing good about
hating Cliff or the Duke.”
Linnon listened to my words and gave a shocked look for a moment, then burst
into a dejected laugh.
“That lady of the House of Sinclair wields great power in this mansion.”
I was nervous that I might hear bad things about Linnon because of me.
“There’s no way Cliff or Killian couldn’t have thought of that. But... There is no
proof that Liese is the culprit.”
“Right, what.”
“Why didn’t the principle of being innocent unless there was clear evidence
apply to the young lady?”
There are people who can talk, so it seems like it’s all over the inside, but it’s
impossible to show that.
“There were circumstances that seemed to point to me as the culprit, even if the
evidence was flimsy. So... I think it’s easy.”
I smiled shyly at Linnon.
However, the rational and logical Linnon shook his head as if he didn’t quite
understand this situation.
“Linnon. Don’t be silly. The Sinclairs could be the culprits, maybe... My own
family could be the culprit.”
“Originally, I was going to ask you from the other day, but it was delayed due to
various things happening. From now on, please check the documents related to
the Ryzen estate.”
“Ryzen?”
“Yes. This is where Master Killian and Lady Edith will go. It’s a bit far from the
big city, but it’s a pretty decent estate.”
When I heard that it was a place for me and Killian to go, a sudden affection for
the papers welled up.
I opened the 10 thickly folded files one by one and figured out the situation of
the territory where Killian and I would live.
In the meantime, I have seen the tax receipts of some territories, so I can see that
Ryzen’s production capacity is not bad.
When I think of Korea in the 21st century, especially Seoul, the population is a
bit disappointing, but when I look at the population distribution by age, sex
ratio, and productivity by population, I smile naturally.
In my previous life, I should have played some kind of Gongji nurturing game.
No, it’s no use
In any case, we will continue to nurture this estate, which has great potential for
development but is still underdeveloped.
Using the memories of my previous life, I might be able to raise Ryzen as the
best territory in the empire.
‘So please, I hope I can survive safely and leave for Ryzen with Killian.’
***
In the Count Sinclair’s family, which has been trying to expand their power
recently, the count’s tea party was in full swing today.
And Layla, who was there, unexpectedly heard the exciting news.
“Did you hear that? Edith Rigelhoff almost drowned in the lake!”
Up to that point, what followed was a story I was very much looking forward to.
However, the wife who was spreading the rumor continued a very disappointing
story.
“But Killian jumped into the lake and saved Miss Edith. That was so cool!”
“Oh my god...! All of his sons are brave like Duke Ludwig!”
But she didn’t give up hope and carefully intervened in the story.
“So, how is Miss Edith doing now?”
She had hoped to hear that she was on the verge of death, but this time her hopes
were shattered.
“Oh wow, I almost got in trouble! When he first got it, he wasn’t even breathing.
He said he woke up after three days, but fortunately he is fine now.”
‘It would be nice if I could just die without having to wait until the end of the
year!’
“But, you know, the yacht malfunctioned, that... It was because someone
deliberately tinkered with the control stick.”
The tea party table went silent for a moment at the voice that seemed to be
giving a light quiz.
I Thought It Was Common Possession - Chapter 75
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EPISODE 76
“No way...”
It’s terrible.
‘If the steering wheel of the yacht belonging to the Ludwig family was modified,
it means that there is a force within the Duke family who wants to eliminate
Edith!’
Who else could have broken into Killian’s yacht if not the Duke?
Edith said she was not breathing when she was pulled out of the water.
‘I pretended to save her to make an excuse for Count Rigelhoff, but that girl
with a strong silk thread survived. He had eyes to see, so he couldn’t have killed
him again...’
Rumors of a feud between Killian and Edith have already spread to the social
world.
Thanks to that, even when the story about Liese came out, I was able to stay
calm without getting angry.
“No, that... Miss Liese is being treated as a future Duchess in the Ludwig
duchy...”
At that, Layla and Count Sinclair snorted at the same time. In particular, the
count actively refuted.
“I kept my mouth shut because it was embarrassing for my family, but it seems
that rumors are spreading. The illegitimate child was bought by the Ludwig
family with money. She probably works as a maid there.”
The wife who had mentioned Liese tilted her head and made eye contact with
the wife who came with me.
“As the Duke Ludwig and my family were doing business together, we
borrowed some money from the Duke. It is common in business.”
“By the way, it seems that His Excellency Duke Ludwig, who came to our house
for a short visit, was in need of a maid. And then she said she would take him
instead of exercising her bond.”
“But... If it was Duke Ludwig’s family, he could have saved her maid without
having to do that...”
It was only then that some of the wives who understood the words blushed and
rolled their eyes.
The quick-witted wives then cursed Liese and her mother in front of them,
which made Layla and the Countess feel better too.
But it wasn’t Liese that Layla cared about. After all, I wasn’t interested in things
like menial things.
As soon as the tea party was over, Leyla headed to the study on the first floor
where Damian and Anton were playing pool.
“I know. Didn’t the talkative ladies talk a lot about getting married today?”
Despite Anton’s sarcastic grin, Layla smiled and sat down on the sofa.
“It seems that the Ludwig family has no intention of keeping Edith Rigelhoff
alive for long.”
In the stimulating rush, Damian and Anton stopped playing pool and sat down
on the pool table, looking at Layla.
“Edith said she almost drowned while out on a yacht with Killian. By the way,
who has ever touched the steering wheel of a yacht?”
“So?”
“You know that rumors of a feud between the two have spread, right? But isn’t
it strange that the two of them rode a yacht?”
“But...”
“Puha! If that was true, Killian’s expression would have been worth seeing?”
“But it makes no sense otherwise. I heard that Killian Ludwig’s wife almost
died, but the case just went to shreds. What could that mean?”
“Layla. You know that the founding festival will be held soon, right?”
“Then. I already ordered a dress.”
“That’s your chance. Don’t forget that the end of the year is approaching.”
The end of the year, when Count Rigelhoff’s family would fall, was
approaching, and Killian was so upset that he wanted to kill Edith.
In order to preempt Killian, who will divorce or bereaved next year, he had to
capture him at the founding festival.
***
And a few days later, the body of a maid named Sabina was found in the forest
to the east of the capital.
He said that he was hit in the head with something like a club and that he died
instantly.
Of course, I was nervous because it was close to the place where Count
Rigelhoff’s house was located, but thanks to Rigelhoff’s people descending into
the manor, I was able to pass without much suspicion.
In addition, it was later revealed that Sabina borrowed money from various
places around her and gave it to a certain man.
Thanks to that, rumors circulated that the story that she had pointed me to as the
culprit was also a ploy to extort money from me.
Ironically, the only one who cared about the maid’s circumstances was me, who
almost got framed because of her.
In this world, the circumstances of extras are so light that they can be described
in just one or two lines, so even those who whispered at first acted as if they had
forgotten everything the next day.
Because the original plot setting didn’t wait until I felt better, and immediately
announced the start of the next episode.
Duke Ludwig made the founding festival a topic of discussion at a meal with the
whole family after a long time.
“This time, the atmosphere on the side of ArchDuke Langston was unusual.”
Even though it seems like it should be serious, Cliff said it with a faint smile as
if it was nothing.
No one was taken aback by the story of ArchDuke Langston following the
founding festival, probably because everyone was aware of it.
“He will try to show off his power. Since he is foolish and greedy, he probably
still believes that the throne should be his.”
I quickly recognized that ArchDuke Langston was a human not very different
from Count Rigelhoff.
Count Rigelhoff also believes that the Dukedom of the Ludwig family should
have been his.
‘It’s probably the episode of the ball that appears in the second half of volume 4,
the construction festival featuring ArchDuke Langston. There really isn’t much
left.’
I got goosebumps.
After this ball, there will be events that put Edith’s life on the line.
After the meal, I returned to my room and thought about the future. I realized
that this episode of the founding festival was going differently from the original
flow.
‘Come to think of it, the original Edith was on probation, so she couldn’t go to
the foundation festival!’
And Edith, who was left at the mansion, seems to have plotted something with
Sophia.
‘It’s unclear what Edith did because the narrative was centered on Liese and
Cliff... That was one of the reasons Edith later died...’
After the ball at the foundation festival, a fight breaks out between the
Rigelhoffs and the Ludwigs, during which Shane attacks the Ludwig mansion.
‘But now Sophia is gone, and I’m also going to the founding festival. Then this
would be a good change for me, right?’
There were a lot of twists and turns, but somehow my heart was pounding with
the feeling that I was heading towards a better future.
Isn’t it the ball in the imperial palace that I always go to when I read romance
novels?
I smirked to myself as I recalled the countless prom episodes I had read on the
club.
Perhaps in this episode of the founding festival, Liese will be in the spotlight,
and Grand Duchess of Langston will come out.
All I have to do is watch the situation wearing 3D glasses and feeling like eating
popcorn.
It spread in such a leisurely mood, but from the next day, the Duke’s family
became busier.
Waking up at the same time as usual, washing the same clothes, drinking tea,
and reading <The Secret Seduction of Mrs.
“No. She said she called the <Dwell Robe> dressing room used by Her
Highness the Princess. It is twice as expensive as the Royal Dressing Room.”
The Duchess was not an extravagant person, but <Royal Dressing Room> was
also quite expensive.
If it is twice the price there, it means that it is a place that even aristocratic
families can call with a big heart.
I Thought It Was Common Possession-Chapter 76
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EPISODE 77
It seems that Edith in the past was famous for never wearing a dress once worn,
but I can’t afford that luxury.
Besides, the dresses in my closet right now were only worn by Edith in the past,
and the current Edith, possessed by Soo-na Choi, never wore them.
However, I was the only one who had such an idle thought, and Killian came as
soon as lunchtime had passed.
“Wardrobe.”
“Will you match the clothes I will wear to the foundation festival?”
I was excited to see if I could watch Killian tailoring his clothes, but he
answered while slightly avoiding my gaze.
“This is the first event we’ve been out together since we became a couple. I
want to put an end to the rumors of our discord and go out wearing matching
clothes.”
Honestly, I wonder what that’s important, but seeing that the nobles here live
and die for their reputation, well, following Killian’s opinion, I didn’t think
there would be anything bad.
When I came out of the room, there was something fuss about Liese’s room.
‘When I see you suddenly asked to go to the dressing room... Do you think it’s
still painful to see Liese and Cliff doing that together?’
Killian seemed to be pretending nothing was wrong, but I got a little fed up with
him.
Of course, I love him, and although his attitude towards me has changed quite
positively lately, it won’t be easy to give up on an old crush anytime soon.
Even today, the weather is gloomy, so Killian’s mood may sink even more.
“Madame Royal’s skills are impeccable, but today I’m going somewhere else.”
As the carriage carrying us pulled out of the Duke’s me, I wiggled my hands and
slipped close to Killian’s side.
Stares as if asking what they were doing flew right in, but California Sunshine
doesn’t flinch at this.
Originally, when a person is cold, he thinks more lonely and lonely thoughts.
I clung to Killian’s body and warmed him up, following the initial line to
comfort Killian’s heart.
For some reason, it seemed like an act to satisfy my selfishness, but my intention
itself was pure. Really!
Fortunately, my sincerity seemed to work, and Killian did not push me away and
stayed still.
“If you go to the founding festival this time... You may feel a little offended.”
“Why?”
“There are some rumors about you... It’s not getting better.”
“I know you know, but before you were extravagant, vain, promiscuous,
jealous...”
“Ugh! Yes. If that was the case anyway, now the bad news has gone in a slightly
different direction.”
“The relationship between the two of us is so bad that it can’t get any worse, and
you’re jealous of Liese and you’re doing bad things...”
“Wow.”
Even though I thought I had overcome the flow of the original work, the outside
of the Ludwig family was still flowing as the original plot.
“It is my fault.”
“Yes?”
“Since I rarely talked about you outside, and even after we got married, I went
out with Liese quite often... Maybe the rumor itself was because of me. Sorry.”
I never expected to hear such an apology from Killian, but it was surprising.
“Such rumors will soon disappear. Because it’s not true. Yes?”
“...It will.”
“Sure. We’re on our way to get our banquet dresses tailored too.”
After doing that, I felt really good, like everything was going to be okay.
There is also a research result that says that if you force yourself to smile, your
mood improves as well, but it seems to be true.
Seeing that Killian looked at me and raised the corner of his mouth, it seems that
Operation California Sunshine wasn’t bad.
On the wall of the building, there was a small sign that said <Moffett Dahlia>.
“I was introduced to this place by someone I know, but I thought this would suit
you better than the Royal Dressing Room.”
“Is it so?”
The inside of the dressing room, which I entered with curiosity, was more
luxurious than when I saw it from the outside.
The dress samples lined up around her were much more colorful than what she
had seen in the design book of the Royal Dressing Room.
“I think it’s okay as long as it fits. ...It shouldn’t be too revealing, though.”
While we were talking about that, the owner of the clothing store, a male
designer, approached.
“Oh my, oh my, my God! Who is this! It’s such an honor to have you come to
my humble store!”
The man, who looked to be in his thirties, had a slim body like a fashion
designer, and was dressed smartly, but he was a little high-tension.
He brought out a variety of dress samples and design books, and the staff also
brought out fabrics and subsidiary materials that were supposed to be new
products.
Fearing that his mood would go down again, I put it in his ear and asked softly.
Killian shrugged his shoulders a little, as if it was itchy from my snoring, then
cleared his throat a few times.
“Still, it’s a pretty prestigious clothing store. It seems to me... I think this might
suit you...”
Killian pointed to one of the design books he had been flipping through.
“Excellent choice! It’s that design that I’ve been contemplating whether or not
to recommend to my wife. If you want a more daring style than this one, this one
is fine, and vice versa.”
Moffett Dahlia, the owner of the dressing room, said excitedly. The surname
‘Dahlia’ was obviously a pseudonym, but I seemed to know what he was aiming
for. It will never be pure and simple like a violet.
Anyway, he flipped through the design book and showed me, and I didn’t think
much of it, so I decided to try on the dress with Killian as he recommended.
However, when I put on the dress Killian pointed out, I realized once again that
he had a high eye.
In addition, it went well with my spring warm tone skin color and reddish brown
hair.
Why was that so embarrassing? I couldn’t look directly at him, so I looked down
at the hem of my skirt or looked around.
‘Star theory...?’
Why, if the clothes aren’t good, I have to think for a long time to talk around so
that the other person won’t get hurt.
“It’s fine.”
Not sure if I was really okay or not, I looked up and met Killian’s eyes.
‘Uh...?’
That smile that only Liese, who was blessed to be the protagonist, thought
would be able to see.
A fever suddenly rose to the nape of his neck.
“This dress has finally found its owner! I’m not bragging, but there were quite a
few people who coveted this dress. However, in my opinion, none of them fit
perfectly, so I politely suggested a different design. To be honest, it felt like
everyone was buried in the dress. However, the wife is digesting the splendor of
this dress in an elegant and dignified way...”
The owner of the dressing room continued to praise me for a long time, but
those words did not reach my ears.
It was because he had been making eye contact with Killian for a long time.
‘I’ve been married for almost 10 months, why is my heart beating so fast...’
“That... I’m going to do it with this, so will you look at my husband’s clothes
now?”
As for what I said, the owner of the dressing room gave a happy smile while
holding his hands tightly and twisting his body.
This dressing room, the clothes are fine, but I don’t think I’ll be able to come
here often because the shop owner is a bit burdensome.
I Thought It Was Common Possession - Chapter 77
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EPISODE 78
“Oh, be romantic!”
“...Is it.”
Seeing Killian’s face stiffen at the snort of the dressing room owner, I was
convinced that he was of the same opinion as mine.
However, as if the rumor that it was a famous dressing room was not false, the
owner of the dressing room skillfully and seriously recommended Killian’s
banquet suit.
It was a style that looked more glamorous than what Killian usually wore, using
dark blue fabric and gold thread decorations on the lapels and cuffs.
However, when put together with my dress, it was a banquet suit that subtly
looked like a couple, so both I and Killian liked it.
Thinking about that, I looked at Killian, and he had the same expression as
mine.
We all laughed at the same time, lowered our heads and giggled, then came out
with all the staff in the dressing room seeing us off.
“It seems like it was decided too soon. I wish I could try on a few more...”
“No. I really liked that dress. Honestly, I thought you had a good eye for it.”
“I’m going to match the boots and shoes while I’m out.”
“Come on!”
Since the street where the clothing store was located was close to Le Belle Marie
Street, we headed to the shoe store on foot.
“Wow!”
When I set foot on the street of Rebel Marie, a ‘wow’ that had been quiet for a
while came out.
Darsus Street was also a street of nobles, so it was luxurious and had a lot to see,
but Rebel Marie Street really seemed to be a street specialized for women.
There were many cute and cute shops, and there were also many feminine and
elegant shops.
The cafes seemed to pay more attention to their appearance than the cafes on
Darsus Street.
But what I liked better than looking around the streets of Le Belle-Marie was the
apologetic voice of Killian.
“If I knew you would like it this much, I would have come out more often.”
Instead of answering, I smiled broadly and entered the shoe store with him.
“Welcome! Ah! You are the Young Master of the Ludwig family. This one...?”
“As I said before, she is my wife. I’m thinking of ordering two pairs of boots
and a pair of shoes.”
“I see. Please sit over here. I’ll bring you the original yard paper right away.”
The shop owner warmly greeted us and prepared for shoe making.
“Ryzen is colder than here and it snows a lot. We need to make boots that are
waterproof and warm for the winter.”
When I heard about Ryzen, my heart pounded again. If there was a lot of snow,
it would be a big deal to prepare for the winter, but that meant that there would
be quite a bit of precipitation in the winter.
‘Besides, the winter scenery will be beautiful, so I think it would be nice to grow
it as a tourist destination. By planning Ryzen’s own winter festival...’
While I was laughing to myself as I spread my imagination, the shoemaker put a
piece of thick paper under my feet and began to imitate the shape of my feet.
I was embarrassed to see Killian staring at my feet and ankles with my skirt
slightly raised.
“Yes?”
Killian was about to say something, but he shook his head and muttered, but the
redness on his cheeks made him think of something strange.
It’s kind of self-praise, but Edith’s slender ankles and slender calves were so
pretty that even I could salivate.
It was so much fun to watch Killian get up again and look bewildered.
For winter boots, I chose a design that was quite similar, so it seemed like it was
purposely tailored for a couple.
After matching shoes and boots, we walked through the chilly streets and
entered a high-end cafe to drink hot tea together.
Compared to the early days of Bing, when my husband decided to give up, I
thought he was really successful.
Enjoying a happy mood, we quietly sipped his tea, but suddenly Killian’s
expression began to harden.
And at the same time, I heard the story of the table behind us.
“Isn’t that Sinclair an illegitimate child? The two brothers are mad at the fox.”
“Ah, please. Mrs. Sinclair certainly did. She said she sold her illegitimate
daughter to the Ludwigs in that house. It seems that the Sinclair family
borrowed some money from the Ludwig family.”
I hoped their chatter would end here. Because it was true so far.
“She said she was pretty. But even if the Ludwig family were sane, she wouldn’t
hand down the Duchess to someone like an illegitimate daughter.”
“It’s ridiculous that she’s a Duchess. Instead, she’ll heat the bedrooms of the
men in the house.”
Some middle-aged wives giggled, not knowing that one of the sons of the
Ludwigs family was sitting right behind them.
‘I’ve been trying to cheer him up all day, but those ladies ruin everything.’
I didn’t want to think about what Liese and Cliff were doing alone, so I couldn’t
say anything bad in front of the people who came out.
As if the sound of their laughter was annoying, Killian’s face became stern
every minute.
I got up from my seat before Killian exploded and walked slowly in front of the
wives.
“Oh, that is a very interesting story. Could you please join me too?”
Duke Ludwig and his two sons, debating whose ‘it’ was the tallest, looked at me
in amazement.
“Who, who...?”
I didn’t expect anything special from people who were not ashamed of others
and talked about low-level gossip in public, but I should have known at least the
faces of the people they chewed on and their families. Tsk tsk.
Even though I showed them the ring I was wearing on the ring finger of my left
hand, they couldn’t remember who I was.
Then one of them spotted Killian sitting behind me and let out an inner scream
and swatted the woman sitting next to me on the arm.
It was only then that the other wives found Killian and covered their mouths in
contemplation.
I said, holding the teapot in the middle of their table and pouring tea into their
cups.
“Do I look like someone who will live in the same house as the woman who
sleeps with my husband? Ah! You said you didn’t know who I was? If I say
Edith Ludwig, no, Edith Rigelhoff, would you know it?”
The tea water overflowed the teacup and flowed over the saucer.
And all the wives were surprised by the name ‘Edith Riegelhoff’.
Even though my face wasn’t known much, it seems that my notoriety was as
high as it was.
The lady who seemed to be the organizer of this meeting managed to excuse
herself, but I kept my arrogant expression on my face — and this also required a
lot of patience — and started pouring tea over her teacup as well.
“Who didn’t say that it’s better not to talk about rumors that they can’t handle?”
The area around the table became so quiet that I could hear only the sound of the
tea being poured.
The wives, unable to move even though the skirts of their dresses were getting
wet from the tea spilled on the table, barely nodded.
As I turned around, I pushed my face out in front of them again and whispered.
As long as this is the world in <Home/Emissary>, Cliff must be at the top of all
specs. Maybe.
When I returned to my seat and sat down, the women sitting behind us hurriedly
got up and left.
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EPISODE 79
“Ahahaha!”
“Aha... Haha, ah... I don’t know how long it’s been since I laughed like this.”
Killian continued to wipe his eyes, realizing that he had tears from laughing.
“When I heard rumors that the woman who would become my wife was a
wicked woman, I thought that a disaster had befallen my life.”
“That’s why it’s said that it’s something to live for a long time and see.”
Killian shook his shoulders again, then finally calmed down and drank the cold
tea.
“As you may have heard before, the lesser-minded people of Count Sinclair’s
family are anxious not to speak ill of Liese. They are spreading such ridiculous
rumors. Muddy water will splash on you too.”
“Originally, the more famous and successful you are, the more you suffer from
rumors like that. And don’t worry too much. Such low-level nonsense will soon
disappear.”
Right now, the Count Sinclair family is doing that because they don’t know.
When they see Liese, who took Cliff’s side at the founding festival, they will
realize what kind of cards they abandoned and bitterly regret it.
“You are so... The more I look at you, the more amazing you are.”
“Me?”
“If it were someone else, when they heard the same rumors earlier, they would
have been angry with me or tried to harm Liese.”
“Why?”
“That’s a bit different from the rumors the wives were talking about earlier.”
“It doesn’t matter to normal people. They would think that the fact that they
acted to create such rumors was a problem in itself.”
He was smiling, but for some reason he looked more bitter than before.
Did he feel that he was not loved even by a supporting actor like me?
“Killian, I...”
I opened my mouth to comfort him somehow, but Killian didn’t hear me and
called the cafe staff to ask for the bill.
Even if I told him I love him here, it would be difficult to deal with it.
***
After a rather enjoyable outing, they returned to the mansion, but the tumultuous
atmosphere in the mansion was still the same.
In her room, the Duchess, Cliff, and Liese were sitting together creating a
friendly atmosphere.
“Everyone is here. We just got back.”
Killian calmly greeted us, and the Duchess, Cliff, and Liese greeted us warmly.
However, I didn’t miss the embarrassing light on the faces of the Duchess.
“By the way, why did you bring out the ‘Light of Lorraine’?”
‘Oh, that scene! The episode where the Duke couple allowed Liese to do it at the
time of the founding of the Duke’s most precious jewel!’
The ‘Light of Lorraine’ was a historical and great necklace that symbolized the
ducal family. Wearing such a necklace on Liese at the time of her giving was an
announcement that the Duke had accepted Liese as a member of her Ludwig
family, and meant that her attack on her would be regarded as an attack on her
Ludwig family.
I just had that level of appreciation, but Killian’s eyes were somehow cold.
“Ah, Liese decided to wear this necklace for the founding festival.”
Cliff seemed to already be aware of Killian’s low mood, but he answered in a
pleasant voice without any hesitation.
When Killian grinned, everyone in the room, including me, was surprised.
It was clear that the Duke and Duchess were as puzzled as I was, exchanging
glances at each other, who were always relaxed and dignified.
“It is the treasure of the Ludwig family. You’ll probably have priority. How
about going out wearing that necklace at the foundation festival?”
Why is he so angry?
Killian, wake up! The person who will wear that necklace is Liese!
While I was messing around, Cliff’s eyes hardened, and Liese looked like she
was about to cry in embarrassment.
No matter how much I thought about it, there was nothing good about going
against the planting of the male and female protagonists.
I didn’t even want to wear a huge necklace like that, and it seemed that if I wore
it out, it would be stolen or lost.
“It is a very beautiful and precious jewel, but I will politely decline this time.
Besides, I think it would suit Liese, who has blue eyes, better than me.”
“But...”
“And if you’re discerning, you’ll know that the dress I made today doesn’t
match that necklace.”
“Then let’s go to the jewelry showroom now. Pick one that matches the dress
you picked out today. Is that all right, mother?”
As the startled Duchess nodded with an awkward smile, Killian wrapped her
arms around my shoulder and left the Duchess’s room and began to head
towards the jewelry room for real.
But at the official event where everyone in the Duke family went out together,
Liese, who was neither a real daughter-in-law nor anything, wore that necklace
before me and went out.
It was clear that I would be treated as a worse daughter-in-law than Liese, who
was a guest of the family.
She will establish herself as Cliff’s parther and an aide to the princess, and will
flatten the nose of Count Sinclair and emerge as a goddess of society.
If I had Liese by my side and I wore that necklace, what would it mean?
“I’ve been thinking you don’t care too much about reputation management, but
that’s another matter!”
“Liese will soon marry Master Cliff. You know, I know, and everyone knows.
The future Duchess only wore that necklace a little bit first, so what’s wrong
with that? Rather, wouldn’t it be rude for me, her second daughter-in-law, to do
it first?”
“Edith!”
After all, at the foundation festival, everyone will only talk about Liese.
“And the dress I picked out today. The dress itself is so gorgeous that I think it
would be better not to wear jewelry like that. Since you are a discerning person,
I mean, do you understand?”
After my logically argument, Killian finally gave up amd let out a big sigh.
“I didn’t know you were such a greedy person.”
“You are too generous to say that the woman who took over Killian Ludwig is
not greedy.”
He suddenly said ‘Ha, really.’ I laughed out loud and laughed several times.
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EPISODE 80
“I’m going to wear only this ruby necklace with the dress I made today.”
“You only do that? I’m sure you don’t care about other people, but I’m sure
someone will pick a fight.”
“They say that they always wear a piece of my husband’s heart around their
necks. What treasure could there be more precious than that?”
Killian’s face reddened quickly.
Hehehe, if you say something like that while giving off a pleasant feeling, it’s
not persuasive at all.
Killian looked around and muttered softly while clearing his throat.
“I call a jeweler once before going down to the manor. Then... You can buy
anything you want.”
All I want from Killian is to leave my neck safe before bailing, but for now I
nod my head so as not to break the mood.
***
Liese was facing Princess Catherine Iberia in the sunny parlor of the imperial
palace, where preparations for the founding festival were in full swing.
Catherine, who has had a crush on Cliff since childhood, was jealous of Liese,
who was loved by Cliff, and at one time tried to harm him.
However, at some point, he was influenced by Liese’s innocent and kind
personality, and became jealous of Cliff, who is now in love with Liese.
“Everyone in the Ludwig family is kind to me. As I said before, every day is like
a dream when I come to the ducal family.”
“You deserve more than that. If you really don’t like it, you can come and live in
the imperial palace as my lady-in-waiting.”
“Because I don’t want to leave the side of Duke Ludwig and his wife. To me,
they are my parents.”
Liese was the most beautiful and kind person Catherine had ever seen.
The one who warmly embraced himself who insulted her with a twisted heart.
‘I won’t let those who don’t recognize and harass such an angel.’
The starting point to practice that promise was the Count Sinclair.
Count Sinclair, who made an illegitimate child by recklessly teasing her lower
body and registered it only on the family register, was indifferent to it, or the
countess and her children, who bullied Liese for not recognizing them as family,
Catherine always intended to scold her.
And she had planned that day as the founding day of the year.
“Float or tremble.”
“Brother Damian seems to be helping his father with his successor training, and
sister Layla...”
“Who asked about that? I’m not doing anything strange to you.”
“...Liese?”
Liese, who had waved her hand in denial, suddenly stopped moving and blurted
out her words, and Catherine’s eyes sharpened.
Catherine persuaded Liese by even acting cute that she wouldn’t do in front of
other people.
“I still don’t know who did it... In fact, there was a reason she couldn’t accept
Her Highness’ invitation last time.”
“What?”
“Isn’t Duke Ludwig incompetent? How could someone get poisoned and still
can’t find the culprit?”
“No! I will listen and judge. Tell me in detail from one to ten exactly what
happened.”
Liese let out a deep sigh and then stuttered, reluctantly, explaining what had
happened.
And after hearing the story, Catherine gnashed her teeth.
“Are Cliff and Killian idiots? Anyone can see that Edith Rigelhoff is
suspicious!”
“Everyone thought so at first. However, Edith had no reason to do so, and Edith
herself strongly insisted on her innocence, and there was no clear evidence...”
“The maid who said she saw her poison the embroidery thread was found dead?
Surely she wasn’t killed by that woman?”
“But it would be unfair to accuse Edith of being the culprit based on that
circumstance alone...”
Catherine grabbed the back of my neck and let out a rough breath.
“You’re too nice to wear, Liese. There are people like beasts in this world that
you can’t cover up with your good heart!”
“If you live thinking that way, you will only become suspicious and afraid of
people. I don’t believe that the Sinclair brothers or Edith did such a terrible
thing.”
Catherine looked at Liese, who smiled brightly again, and hit her chest.
‘Liesee can’t stand the fact that someone will be punished because of me. Even I
have to punish Liese without knowing!’
As Liese said, it is impossible to kill someone when there is no clear evidence.
‘I’ll take this opportunity to teach them clearly that they have to bow their heads
under Liese’s feet.’
Catherine smiled nonchalantly at Liese, but deep down, she was making a list of
people to look after at the founding festival.
Edith Rigelhoff was newly added to the top, but he didn’t bother telling Liese.
***
I couldn’t sleep the night before, excited with the anticipation that I would
finally be able to see Romance Fantacy novel’s ball in person.
Plus, I really liked the dress that arrived three days ago. My dress was pretty too,
but Killian’s banquet dress was truly speechless.
Killian, who had come to escort me, gave me an arm with a nice smile.
Feeling like a princess from a fairy tale, I put my hand on his arm and lightly
grabbed the hem of his skirt as I went down to the lobby on the first floor.
“And...!”
In the meantime, several maids who had learned their faces covered their
mouths in admiration.
‘You’ve got the spirit to praise me instead of Killian, you’re doing well in
society?’
I smiled at them and nodded slightly, then stood at the front door and waited for
the rest of the family.
I looked back at her and my jaw dropped at the visual shock I hadn’t felt in a
long time.
Regardless of what you thought of Liese, it was an undeniable fact that she was
beautiful.
The dress made in that expensive dressing room was beautiful to match the
price.
The hem of the light blue dress was gently embroidered with silver thread and
diamonds, so it shimmered like a star whenever it caught the light, and the
sleeves that started from the shoulder end were made of a sky-high material that
was transparent and looked romantic.
In addition, when the white and thin nape of the neck was exposed with natural
buns, the ‘light of Lorraine’ stood out even more.
“If anyone sees it, they will know that you have a crush on Liese.”
However, today’s best-dressed person I picked was neither Killian nor Liese, but
the Duchess.
The wife who appeared with Duke Ludwig gave the same amount of glances
toward Cliff, Liese, Killian, and me and said proudly.
“Uh? That...!”
It was the same dress I had picked out when I came back from the Royal
Dressing Room.
The brown silk and dark purple underdress looked glamorous, yet weighty and
elegant.
I clapped my hands for the look that suits me much better than I imagined.
The Duchess also smiled happily, as if she seemed to like the way she looked in
the dress.
Wearing the dress I chose for the most important event, the founding festival,
was unheard of in the original work.
“Yes. It’s a design I picked out when I came back from the Royal Dressing
Room.”
Also, I answered cautiously, fearing that he would grumble about his taste, but
he nodded with a face like a parent with a first-class child in the whole school.
Liese is right in front of you, and she even gives me lip service like this!
I hadn’t even set foot in the ballroom yet, but I felt like I was already at the top
of the sky.
Of course, from an objective point of view, Liese is probably the most beautiful.
It was explained that way in the original work, and Liese is the main character.
However, compared to what was described as ‘When she appeared, not only
Killian but also the Duchess were mesmerized by her beauty.’
To some extent, Duke Ludwig, who was only friendly to Liese, praised me for
being beautiful as well.
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EPISODE 81
I could have passed without saying anything, but it meant that he had the
courage to give me a compliment.
“Father is really cool today too. Shouldn’t the two sons be very nervous?”
At my reply, the Duke burst out laughing and we were able to head to the
imperial palace in a good mood.
The Ludwig family rode in two carriages and headed to the imperial palace, but
I, Killian, Liese, and Cliff went together in one carriage.
It was autumn in full swing, and the air was getting colder.
The autumn leaves decorating both sides of the main road leading to the
imperial palace were as beautiful as the bright spring flowers, and all the nobles
who headed to the biggest ball of the year seemed happy.
I was looking out of the wagon window with a thrilled heart at the same time,
when Killian lightly poked me in the side and said.
“Yes? Me?”
Killian looked at my exposed shoulder and forearm and nodded.
“Because it’s okay. Everyone is dressed like this. Liese is not much different
from me.”
Although Liese’s dress had sleeves, it was see-through, but it was okay.
Killian, who had been silent there, looked at me again after a while and tapped
my foot.
As they got closer to the imperial palace, they were driven slowly by carriages,
but they seemed to be playing a joke because they couldn’t stand it.
I was surprised and cute that he was playing a prank on me, so I tapped his foot
twice.
This childish prank was going on under my wide skirt, so Cliff or Liese
wouldn’t know.
“Mmm!”
Killian pretended to clear his throat and laughed, then tapped my foot again.
From the third time, I needed quick and light footwork and acting skills to
pretend that nothing was wrong.
I pretended to look out the window and moved my feet.
Killian and I played childish pranks, biting our lips tightly to keep from bursting
into laughter.
It was because Liese, who was tilting her head, asked Cliff with a worried face.
“Um... Well, rather than... Maybe two friendly canaries are pecking at the
wagon.”
“Yes?”
Liese frowned between her brows and looked at me and Killian for the next
moment.
When Killian and I asked with embarrassing smiles, Liese laughed, saying she
was surprised.
“Don’t be nervous, Liese. Today you will be the star of the prom.”
Cliff must have assumed that Liese was becoming sensitive due to nervousness,
so he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and lightly kissed her on the
forehead.
I was nervous to see Cliff unreservedly showing affection in front of Killian, but
Killian only slightly averted his gaze, but his face did not stiffen or look sad.
Rather, Liese slightly shrugged her shoulders as if she was trying to get away
from Cliff.
Befitting the founding festival, which is the biggest event of the year, there was
a festive atmosphere inside and outside the palace.
We entered the huge banquet hall as the imperial palace attendants guided us.
I took a quick look around, enjoying the joy of seeing the highlights of the 4th
volume of <The House and the Envoy> right in front of my eyes.
And seeing a young man and woman in amazement with Damien Sinclair
nearby, he was convinced that they were the children of the Sinclair family.
It seemed that their eyes passed Liese and stuck to me, but it was probably an
illusion.
“Liese!”
However, it was revealed for the first time today that the two are close, so
everyone was surprised.
“Didn’t you say that lady was sold as a maid or something from the Sinclair
family to the Ludwig family?”
Thanks to Sinclair, people’s faces were becoming more and more earthy.
However, the sights were not limited to the people of the Count Sinclair family.
The girls who clearly had a crush on Cliff couldn’t take their eyes off Liese and
Cliff with shocked faces.
“That necklace...”
“The fact that you gave that up means that that woman is Lord Cliff’s bride-to-
be?”
They trembled as if they did not know that they would lose to an illegitimate
child.
It was so interesting that it made me want to eat some popcorn if there was one
around.
“All right.”
I was in a good mood, and I replied with a smile, but at that moment I met Count
Rigelhoff’s eyes.
“Omg!”
I hadn’t been paying attention until now, but it was only natural that the people
of Count Rigelhoff’s family would come to the biggest ball held in the imperial
palace.
Count Rigelhoff, the Countess, and Shane were staring at us with astonished
eyes.
‘Aha! Well, it’s as if he abandoned me at the same time he took Sophia, but he
couldn’t have imagined that I would be escorted by Killian.’
“I’m sorry, Killian. My feet hurt a little... I will lean on you for a bit.”
At this level, from over there, Killian and I would look quite friendly.
Just imagining that would kill me with excitement, but Killian suddenly hugged
my waist and bowed his head toward me.
“Are your shoes uncomfortable? I haven’t greeted His Majesty the Emperor yet,
so I can’t sit still... Are you okay?”
Oh! From this angle, from the other side, it would look like they were kissing!
Even if my feet really hurt, I would have forgotten about them when I saw
Killian’s face on this street.
“Then I’m glad... If you have any difficulties, tell me right away.”
Killian seems to be getting more and more affectionate lately, but today he’s
even sweeter.
‘Why are you doing this? It’s good, but it’s hard on the heart.’
My face seemed to relax to the point where I didn’t even know if I was
controlling my expression or not.
But then I realized that there were quite a lot of people staring at us.
‘Oh right! Didn’t he say there was a rumor between him and me?’
Obviously, the reason for matching the dress was ‘to put an end to discord’.
I don’t know what the rumor was and how much it was inflated, but Killian
seemed to have judged that the rumor was not beneficial to the Ludwig family.
‘Oh, I almost mistaken it without even noticing. So you’re saying that all of this
is an act to get rid of rumors of discord between us? OK, reception complete!’
Killian has been good to me lately, so I had to live up to his expectations. In the
end, it will all be for my comfort.
From a distance, they will look like a newlywed couple whispering love!
“Ugh. You should have taken the shawl, not me. What if I catch a cold?”
He flung his gaze into the air, unable to make eye contact with me, as if he was
ashamed to find out that he was weaker to the cold than me with his bare
shoulders exposed.
I quickly wrapped my hands around Killian’s cheeks and made him look at me.
Although his neck went up and down a lot, he tolerated the lingering dislike of
me and the embarrassment of the situation quite well.
I Thought It Was Common Possession-Chapter 81
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EPISODE 82
I glanced around, raised my chin proudly, and crossed Killian’s arms again.
Count Rigelhoff froze with his mouth wide open, some of the people covered
their mouths with fans and chatted with the people next to them, and some of the
girls were pale.
I realized it belatedly, but since Killian was as popular as Cliff, it seemed that
the girls who were aiming for Killian’s ‘post-divorce’ were taken aback by the
good looks of Killian and me.
It was strange.
He said that he was more surprised that I was crossing Killian’s arms than Liese
was crossing Cliff’s.
‘Well, the Sinclair Counts don’t have a good relationship with the Rigelhoffs, so
I’m going to point them out.’
Perhaps the main character of the incident in which Liese’s embroidery thread
was poisoned was Count Sinclair, so he may have wondered why I was fine
when I should have been accused of being a criminal and in trouble.
‘To be able to put down the rumors of discord with Killian and at the same time
fuck a lot of nasty people. This is killing two birds with one stone, no, killing
many birds with one stone!’
If I think back to my previous life, where I was always stabbed in the back, how
much progress I have really made now!
Leaving behind those in shock and horror, we followed the Duke and Duchess
Ludwig.
“Your wife’s dress stood out from afar. You look so good together.”
“I thought so too! I’m too scared to try a new style, but how did your wife take
on such a bold style? Be great.”
Well, since she’s the Duchess, no matter what she’s wearing, she’ll pour out
compliments.
“Is there anyone you haven’t said hello to yet? This is Edith, my daughter-in-law
who married our second Killian. Edith, say hello. This is Countess Etelman, and
this is Viscount Krause.”
They couldn’t hide their surprised expressions, but they responded skillfully to
my greetings.
I also thought that the Duchess would evolve the rumors of a feud between me
and Killian.
In that state, I continued to say hello to dozens of wives, and I was able to get
out of the place just as the dance music resounded in the hall.
Killian pulled me out of the spot and stood close to me, putting his hand on my
waist.
By that time, I already wanted to run away from this ball.
I thought it was just a dating scene for young men and women, but there were
far more old nobles, and how long it took to be introduced one by one!
I’d forget to tell you his name, so why should I know whose cousin he is and
what territory he belongs to!
“I can’t remember any of the names of the people I was introduced to earlier.”
“These are people who don’t mind forgetting. You can just remember the steps
for now.”
But in my head, there was a lot of dance knowledge. It seems that Count
Rigelhoff taught the dance very harshly.
I wondered what would happen if my head and body moved separately, but
fortunately I was able to dance convincingly.
I wasn’t sure if he was sarcastic or joking, but I decided to think it was all right.
The fact that Killian’s gaze at me feels a little hot is probably because of my
‘super’ positive mindset.
The problem is, when I started thinking about it, I felt a little hotter.
The act of a man and a woman moving while hugging each other, or moving
only the upper body while the lower body is almost facing each other, is quite
meaningful, and even requires constant eye contact.
“I was a little nervous because it’s been a while, but, well, it’s not bad.”
“Well, isn’t it a skill that you’ve developed by dancing with all sorts of men?”
“A man who brings out every single thing in the past and is jealous is not
attractive.”
Stepping along with him, I slightly bruised and then quietly brushed the forearm
of Killian, who only raised one corner of his mouth as if he was dumbfounded.
It was a seduction technique in Edith’s memory, but even Killian, who seemed
not to be able to overcome it at all, flinched at the sudden provocation.
If it was the same in the past, I would have thought it was because he hated me
and hated me, but now it was a little different.
It was both fun and thrilling, so I secretly touched Killian’s forearm and chest
throughout the dance.
But the moment I stepped out of the hall, breathing lightly after the dance, I saw
Count Rigelhoff walking toward me.
“That, just. There are too many people, and if I miss you, it will be difficult to
find you again...”
As I hesitantly stepped back and made strange excuses, Killian smiled again and
shrugged.
“I see.”
Even if you didn’t bother to look into Edith’s past memories, he was a human
being whose name was a waste.
He sent Sophia to assault me, trying to subdue me, only caring for Sophia’s
safety, expecting me to get into trouble at the Ludwig family, but taking no
action.
There wouldn’t be many sons-in-law who would refuse such a request from their
father-in-law, and no one seemed to doubt Count Rigelhoff’s expression.
“That is a bit odd. What the hell are you talking about, are you trying to leave
me out? Suspiciously...”
“That’s kind of the case. Since I haven’t seen her daughter in a while, I’m just
trying to say hello to her.”
Killian, fighting!
I was rooting for Killian in my heart, but Count Rigelhoff furrowed his brow as
if he didn’t like that kind of Killian or me who kept his mouth shut and didn’t let
him go.
“That’s rude. Anyway, I’m your father-in-law, but you ignored my request like
this...”
Killian boldly cut off Count Rigelhoff’s backside and glared at him with cool
eyes.
“Is the maid doing well?”
“Huh, what?”
“The maid who assaulted my wife and you asked for her limbs to be returned. I
was so angry that I slapped them a few times, but as you said, didn’t you put all
your limbs on and put them on the wagon sent from your house?”
“I still don’t understand. How could someone who cared so much for her
daughter make such a decision?”
“That, that’s it... She is a maid who has worked in our house for a long time...”
“What a great servant love. Enough to make it seem that the maid is treated
better than your daughter.”
And at the same time, I realized that Killian knew pretty much everything about
me.
“Ha... As you know, our daughter is a bit, aren’t the rumors bad? To straighten
out my daughter’s conduct, I had to have someone by my side who yelled at me
fiercely. Sophia is like a tutor.”
Sigh!
Killian and I burst out laughing briefly at the same time.
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EPISODE 83
“My, I just want to talk to my daughter about that matter. It’s been a while since
I’ve seen my daughter, so I’m curious about her current situation...”
“That makes me even more suspicious. It seems like the two of you made a pact
with each other to share information about our family, don’t you?”
When Killian came out and looked at him alternately with cold eyes, Count
Rigelhoff let out a light laugh in embarrassment, but Killian did not relax his
expression at all.
“I want to know what Edith is up to, but why do we have to talk to the two of us
separately? What the hell do you want to know?”
“Oh, that’s not what I meant...”
Count Rigelhoff was at a loss as he couldn’t even find a profit. Even so, he
seemed to keep commanding me with his glances.
“I am doing very well. More than ever since I was born. So... Do not worry too
much.”
Count Rigelhoff’s face stiffened for a moment, perhaps realizing that I had
decided to completely ignore his orders, but quickly nodded with a big smile.
“That, yes. Got it, Edith. Then... See you next time.”
‘You damn bastard. They still think they can wield me as they please.’
I read the contempt and anger in the eyes that looked at me clearly. The red half
and the lower half are oily resins too!
But what makes me even more resentful than that is that I was trembling without
even realizing it.
The physical and mental abuse that has been going on since childhood has
entangled my body even though I did not suffer it myself.
The hands holding Killian’s jacket were damp with sweat, and his throat was
parched.
I shamelessly held my head up even after being hit by Sofia, so why am I getting
nervous now...
“Ki, Killian...”
“No, that...”
Killian took me, who couldn’t even answer properly, and went out to the
outdoor balcony.
When the cold wind hit my cheek, I was able to calm myself down from panic.
I was able to move my stiff mouth only after taking a long deep breath.
“No, are you surprised? I’m sorry for acting like an idiot.”
“Looks like you’re okay now. What the hell is going on?”
The damn restrictions were still in effect, so I couldn’t explain why I was having
a hard time or what that human Count Rigelhoff had done to Edith.
Killian looked down at me and then suddenly closed the door between the
balcony and the hallway.
“Who was afraid to listen? You may speak now.”
‘What can I do? What do you say? Why are you so stiff...!’
Now that I can’t tell the truth about the fear of Count Rigelhoff, I don’t know if
I’ll get some strange misunderstanding again if I hesitate to answer.
I blamed myself for not reacting aloofly, but I couldn’t undo what had already
happened.
Looking for an excuse, I thought about the situation earlier, and suddenly
remembered the time when I danced with Killian.
Then he came up with an excuse that was a bit forced, but worth pushing
through.
“Ugh! Hmm! Promise me you will listen and not despise me.”
Yeah, well, that wasn’t the point, so let’s compromise and be brave at this point.
I took a deep breath and babbled.
“That is...”
“Edith. Be honest.”
I gulped again.
“What is that...”
“With you... The moment I thought I wanted to kiss you, I was so embarrassed.
Why, there is such a thing. I think I was caught trying to do something bad.”
“Ha...!”
I was rubbing my reddened neck while Killian saw it and suddenly turned
around.
But he took out a dagger for self-defense from his bosom and inserted it between
the two handles of the balcony door. It’s like locking a bolt.
“Killian...?”
I couldn’t figure out the reason for that action, so I called him in a daze, but
Killian approached me threateningly and growled.
A hot breath hit my cheek, which had been cooled by the cold air.
“Eup!”
“Huh!”
As if I was being sucked out of my mind, I flinched from the wild kiss and
quickly got trapped between the pillars on the balcony and Killian.
“Yes...”
My mouth was blocked by the deep kiss, so I had no choice but to let out a
snort-like moan.
“And you were excited in the imperial palace. Thanks to that, I got caught up in
it too.”
Even though I thought I had to wake up, my body was steadily heating up in
Killian’s hands.
“How excited are you?”
“Your mouth often tells lies, so I should ask your honest body.”
As if teasing me, Killian sucked my lips and bit my earlobe, then kissed my
neck with a clicking sound.
“Hick!”
Even if the balcony door was locked, someone passing by from outside could
have seen us.
‘More... More...’
My legs trembled, and chills ran down my spine, and I couldn’t think of
anything.
“Huh... Yes...”
“If you could see the look on your face, you wouldn’t say that.”
But it wasn’t a rough kiss like before, it was a slow and light kiss that made fun
of me.
Fortunately for that light caress, I was able to calm down my excitement by
slowly catching my breath.
While I looked around and thought about what to do, Killian was tidying up my
dress.
“Ki, Killian...”
“You’re not satisfied, I understand, but it’s a bit dangerous here... When we get
home, I’ll do as much as you want.”
It’s a very thankful proposal, and it’s a proposal I’ll gladly accept, but that’s not
what I’m worried about right now, is it?
“Therefore... That...”
He kept his voice down for fear of being overheard by those around him, but it
was a laugh that conveyed his happy mood.
At that, Killian laughed again. It was nice to hear that it was a boyish laugh, but
I was still worried about his underside, which must have been embarrassing to
see.
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EPISODE 84
“Haa, really, you sometimes make fun of me by saying things I never thought
of...”
“Uh, how...?”
I was wondering about that sort of thing, but Killian whispered in my ear as if
threatening.
Come to think of it, something happened when I came out on the balcony, what
was it?
...Why did I get so serious about that little squid face? I don’t remember at all.
***
Killian hugged Edith, who was still exhaled, and rubbed her back.
I didn’t know that the corner of my mouth that curved pleasantly would come
down.
Who would have known that I would have such an impression on Edith?
I thought it was just a cute provocation when she touched my arms and chest
while dancing, but I didn’t know that she would directly say that she was
excited.
At that time, Killian had no choice but to forget about Count Rigelhoff and rush
to Edith.
If it wasn’t for the imperial palace, he would have eaten Edith somehow.
“Yes...”
As Edith’s shivering shoulders calmed down, Killian, worried that her body
temperature would drop, took off his coat and put it on her.
“If you step back into the banquet hall, Count Rigelhoff might hang around you
again. Are you okay?”
“Yes. I am okay. But I don’t want to see my father separately. Will you stay by
my side?”
“Gladly.”
Isn’t this a family that took care of the maid who assaulted Edith so much that
her back was stained with all sorts of bruises?
‘Edith is definitely trying to keep her distance from Count Rigelhoff. I don’t
know why the family abused Edith...’
It was regrettable that Edith had a painful past, but it would be nice if she cut
ties with Count Rigelhoff because of it.
Unlike the past when I had no intention of continuing this marriage life for a
long time, now I wanted to go down to the Ryzen estate with Edith if possible.
She was a woman who was suspicious and nasty in everything until not long
ago, but at some point, just looking at those hateful lips made my mouth water.
In fact, even before leaving the mansion today, I couldn’t take my eyes off
Edith.
Even when Liese appeared in dazzling beauty, rather than admiring her beauty, I
was busy checking whether Edith was saddened by the ‘light of Lorraine’ that
was allowed to Liese in advance.
In the past, I thought that what Edith wore was unconditionally vulgar.
However, putting aside my prejudice, Edith was just a look that looked good
with something flashy.
I felt guilty thinking that I had spoken mean things to her and made her wear
only plain dresses all these years.
It didn’t seem to break his nose in the slightest, so he hadn’t paid attention to it
yet, but Edith was secretly trying to infiltrate into the Ludwig family.
Even so, he felt sad at the thought of her not wanting his help, but she asked for
it for the first time.
No matter how you look at it, you, as a husband, had to protect your wife, who
felt rejected by her father.
I had to protect Edith, who would have endured alone until now.
***
While he pondered that thought, in the banquet hall inside the balcony door,
various eyes and opinions were exchanged over Killian and Edith, who had
disappeared alone.
Damian Sinclair asked Layla, who was trembling with her hand clenched to the
fan.
“You did! Killian Ludwig tried to kill Edith Rigelhoff! Is that the expression on
the face of the person you tried to kill? It was dripping with honey.”
“What honey is missing? It’s something we don’t know yet. Didn’t you see
Count Rigelhoff’s expression earlier? It looked like I was going to stab you to
death right away!”
“...It was.”
It was confusing.
However, since he appeared at this party with Edith by his side, Killian and
Edith were showing a friendly side while clinging to each other.
“It’s not just Killian that’s strange. Edith. That girl... Your impression has
changed from before.”
“Impression?”
“In the past, he looked ferocious and somehow dark just by looking at it, but
now she just looks a bit arrogant, she looks very bright.”
“Okay... That must be the feeling of incongruity I felt from that woman from
earlier!”
Damian, who clearly remembered Edith when he was beaten by his father, said
with a serious face.
“How the hell is it going? Liese Why is that girl next to Her Highness, the
princess, with that necklace hanging around her neck!”
Liese, who thought she would have been sold to the Ludwig family and became
a plaything for the men of that family, came out confidently wearing the ‘Light
of Lorraine’ around her neck as if she had become Cliff’s wife, and even that
wasn’t enough, she was right next to Princess Catherine.
In addition, Killian and Edith, who had been rumored to have a discord, did not
separate from each other from the moment they entered the banquet hall, and
they whispered secretly to each other in their ears.
Didn’t they even do a sticky-looking dance and then go out to the balcony alone
and close the door?
It was all the more so because Killian’s appearance today was breathtakingly
cool.
Layla couldn’t keep her senses because it seemed that the pink dream of
Konkukje, which she had dreamed of for nearly a month, was shattered.
While she was in such a whirlwind of anger and confusion, Count Rigelhoff also
gnashed his teeth and burst into anger.
“Edith, that girl really betrayed me! Killian stuck to him and didn’t even treat
me like a father.”
Shane also agreed with his father’s words, remembering Edith who had been
rude to me.
“Are you crazy? Now Ludwig can’t forgive that girl more than they do. I saved
her dying life and raised her until now, but she doesn’t even know the grace!”
Count Rigelhoff muttered lowly as he glared in the direction where Killian and
Edith had disappeared.
“Since Ludwig seems to have become a human now, we should bury that year
along with Ludwig.”
ArchDuke Langston said lightly as he looked around the banquet hall where the
atmosphere was ripe.
It could have been dangerous, but it was because he thought that if he did
something today, when the most nobles gather, he would be able to reverse the
situation in which he was inferior.
Count Rigelhoff spoke in a solemn tone and then quietly disappeared into a
corner of the banquet hall with Shane.
***
We kissed and talked for a long time even after the heat had subsided, and
finally opened the balcony door and came out only when the air became
extremely cool.
Or maybe it’s because I came out of a place where there were so many people
and did something dirty just across the door.
Me and Killian made eye contact, then laughed and averted our gaze, and then
our eyes met again.
Is this a ‘summary’ ride? A thrill that I had never felt in my previous life shook
my heart.
“Ah, Killian!”
“I have been looking for a long time. Where are you going?”
“Ah, what... It was too hot inside the banquet hall, so I came to get some fresh
air. Why?”
However, Cliff gave a meaningful smile and whispered while covering his
mouth with his hand.
I was so embarrassed.
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EPISODE 85
“It was a joke. But it’s strange. You buried it in Killian’s mouth, but why is
sister-in-law covering her mouth?”
Oh... Caught...
“Since you came here, you couldn’t take your eyes off of sister-in-law, so I
wanted to tease you once. Haha!”
Cliff laughed lightly and then whispered into Killian’s ear.
The joke quickly faded, and Cliff’s and Killian’s faces took on a bitter look.
“Liese?”
“Her Highness, the princess, took it away and won’t give it back.”
“Still not fat. But strangely, it seemed that he looked more carefully at you and
sister-in-law than Liese.”
It becomes more suspicious whether the Sinclair family is the real culprit in the
embroidery thread incident?
‘It’s very strange that Cliff walks around alone without Liese. Didn’t you say
that the princess took Liese? Is that episode then?’
I wondered and snooped around, and it seemed that an episode from the original
story was in progress at the banquet hall.
Princess Catherine was greeted by the other young ladies with Liese at her side.
‘As expected. An episode that brought together all the young ladies who had
dismissed Liese as an illegitimate child and made them bow their heads!’
They were bowing to the princess, but at the same time bowing to Liese.
But no one could say anything. Originally, it was the law for a young lady who
accompanied the princess not to bow her head to anyone other than someone
higher than the princess.
Liese, who would soon become Cliff’s wife, would not have to bow her head to
any of those young ladies.
‘It was a cider event where Liese escaped her natural limits.’
From now on, all that is left for Liese is popping the cider.
I took a deep breath and entered the banquet hall with him.
Princess Catherine put Liesee by her side and made the other girls taste
humiliation, then gave Liese back to Cliff, who approached them, as if she
didn’t like it but couldn’t help it.
The fact that the princess, who had a crush on Cliff before, fights with Cliff over
Liese was also quite a fun spectacle.
“It seems that Liese has suffered quite a bit from Her Highness, the princess.
Fall down there.”
However, the moment I was waving my hands, my gaze met with Princess
Catherine’s gaze.
And the princess with a subtle smile walked straight towards me.
Since Catherine grew up like a friend from childhood with Cliff and Killian, she
will not have much ill feelings toward Killian.
Still, if you see that my voice is so cold, it must be that you don’t like me.
After that, Catherine turned to Killian and completely excluded me and only
talked to him.
“The marriage itself was an unreasonable demand from the Rigelhoff family,
right? That house is so shameless...”
“Your Highness...!”
“Oh! I’ve heard that too I heard that Liese was poisoned a while ago? Knowing
how close Liese and I are, why didn’t you tell me?”
“That’s Liese...”
‘What are you talking about all of a sudden? Why is Princess Catherine doing
this to me?’
In the original work, Edith didn’t attend the founding festival, so maybe I took it
too lightly.
The original author, or the project to create the original Edith Villain, is not over
yet.
“No. We tentatively concluded that Edith was not the culprit. And that thing
Liese wanted to be buried. If not, would Cliff have stayed still?”
It was strange.
It was a fact that I already knew that Killian loved Liese, but those words were
like stabbing a knife into my heart.
“Just as Your Highness gave up her feelings for Cliff because he loves Liese, so
do I. Isn’t Liese bad for clinging to a hopeless love?”
...What?
In the original story, Killian, who gave off the nuance that he would never be
with anyone because of his love for Liese, gave up his feelings for Liese...
‘How painful was it to fold that big heart? No, it must be painful now, right?’
I think it will be hard for me to give up this feeling after facing Killian for only
10 months, but I keep imagining how difficult it must be for Killian who has
been looking at Liese for 5 years.
The story that she had given up her feelings for Liese was shocking, and perhaps
Catherine was the same.
“Ha! Killian Ludwig, you’ve changed so much. Is this woman that important?
She’s a girl you’ll have to get rid of sooner or later anyway.”
My heart, which had flowed sentimentally, was so shocked that I burst into
tears.
However, those who were not allowed to speak by the princess were not allowed
to interfere in the conversation. I just have to trust Killian and wait.
“Your Highness, Princess. Can you take full responsibility for what you are
saying now?”
“What?”
“You’re ‘getting rid of’ my wife? Who said that? If my wife is being removed,
will you be getting rid of me too?”
“Or are you saying that you want to take my wife’s place in the imperial family?
Do you think her imperial family can wield the Ludwig family at will?”
“Then what! I’m planning to go down to the estate next year with Edith, but
didn’t Your Highness say that Edith would be ‘get rid’? Then whose will is
that?”
It might be a bit serious since even Catherine, who has a nasty personality, is
embarrassed.
Aww! Killian’s fierce gaze reached me. Shrimp back explodes in whale fight.
Then, a bright voice came from somewhere.
Catherine was quick to excuse herself, but Killian was not in the mood to let go.
At Killian’s question, both Catherine and Liese flinched at the same time.
Catherine defended Liese, but Liese muttered with a face that looked like she
was about to cry.
“I’m sorry. While explaining why she couldn’t accept Her Highness’s
invitation... But why?”
“I don’t know how you explained the incident, but it was because Her Highness
accused Edith of being the culprit.”
Liese was quite taken aback, and Catherine also waved her hand, saying that
Liese was right.
“Then why did you insult my wife like that? I know that there are all sorts of
malicious rumors about my wife, but I thought that Your Wise Highness
wouldn’t believe them straight away...”
I’m going to be away for a while, so can’t you guys take care of it yourself?
But, as if Killian had sensed my desire to run away, he suddenly put his hand on
my shoulder and grabbed me.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 86
“I don’t know how I look on the outside, but I’m a soft person on the inside. No,
even if it’s not, Her Highness, Ludwig shouldn’t do this to people. Isn’t it?”
“I-I’m fine, Your Highness! I know that my past conduct has not been very
wise, and I believe that Your Majesty deserves to be misunderstood. Actually,
because of me, even Killian hears this and that... I guess Lee has become a bit
sensitive. Sorry.”
I said, lowering my body as much as possible, hoping that this situation would
end well.
“If you think of Killian that much, why don’t you stop your father?”
“Your Highness...!”
The moment Killian was about to scream again, I tried to spit out a sound that
barely caught the limit.
However, I couldn’t answer ‘yes’ or nod my head to this question. The question
was specific, so it seemed like a restriction was triggered.
But now I knew how to communicate my intentions to the other person without
any active action.
The expression of the eyes drooping as if all energy was lost and the corners of
the mouth forcibly raised.
I was proud of myself for having made it this far without ever having to tell my
truth out of my own mouth.
I was so excited, but I managed my expression until the end, lowered my eyes
and let out a small sigh.
“...There is such a thing. I can tell you that my wife is completely separate from
the Rigelhoffs.”
Killian’s determined attitude seemed to clear Catherine’s misunderstanding
about me.
Uncharacteristically for a princess, Catherine scratched the back of her head and
apologized.
“Um... Sorry. I thought Killian was living on her leash in a marriage that was
pushed through with cowardly measures, and I thought that Liese was being
bullied.”
“Ah, haha.”
And if that were the case, even if Edith of the original work could have come to
the foundation festival, it is obvious that he would not have been able to return
after enjoying the banquet. Catherine must have worked it out very well with
words.
However, unlike Edith in the original work, I was a person who had no intention
of helping my parents or being jealous of Liese, and the hot-tempered Catherine
quickly admitted her mistakes.
Because of this cool personality, Catherine was able to become a friend of Liese
rather than a villain.
“I’m sorry for saying hurtful things. I’m sorry about Killian. I’m sorry for
bothering Liese.”
Catherine even apologized to me, Killian, and Liese.
Liese just comforted her by saying, “No, Your Highness!” but Killian nodded
once and accepted her apology.
Catherine, who quickly threw off her downcast appearance, grabbed my hand
with a hearty laugh.
“In addition to being Killian’s wife, she is also my friend if she is Liese’s sister-
in-law. She shouldn’t be difficult from now on, and she often visits the imperial
palace with Liese. Understand?”
And I felt the people around me stare in amazement at the fact that I was the one
who invited the princess to hang out often, not enough of holding hands.
‘But it’s a bit strange... Wasn’t Liese the one who was in the spotlight today
because of her friendship with the princess?’
Of course, the episode where the princess took Liese and made the other ladies
bow their heads went normally, but now this situation is a bit...
‘No, let’s think positively. The hope of my life is getting bigger and bigger!’
As I looked at Catherine’s back, who was moving away from Liese again, I
prayed that the favor of this world, which had only been directed towards Liese,
would fall on me just a little bit.
Ugh, there are a lot of things to be done in the episode of the founding festival,
so I’m distracted.
“Originally, the former emperor cared for his younger brother, the Grand Duke
of Langston. He was told that from an early age he was so fraternal. Ha ha ha!”
Count Rigelhoff, who had been praising the former emperor to those around
him, suddenly raised his voice and inserted the story of ArchDuke Langston.
“Oops, am yo! In the imperial family, where all sorts of strife raged, could there
be anyone as trustworthy as one’s own lineage? Isn’t it?”
A man who looked like a windswept next to me came out with another cheer.
The nobles around him nodded their heads as if they had realized a great truth.
‘That must be the Duke of Langston. Seeing what they’re doing here, it seems
they have the strength to stand against the emperor.’
It is to question the origin of the current emperor, and to claim that ArchDuke
Langston is the legitimate heir to the throne.
From an early age, the current emperor, who looked so different from the
previous emperor, was constantly suspected of being the emperor’s seed.
However, in order to ascend the throne here, he had to undergo pure blood
verification at the temple, and the current emperor also passed that verification,
so he ascended the throne.
So, everything they said was nothing more than reproducing malicious rumors.
However, Duke Ludwig, the strongest sword of the current emperor, could not
stand by.
“Bloodline is the most reliable. Isn’t ArchDuke Langston also the Emperor’s
uncle and most loyal subject? Ha ha ha!”
“I heard that you are very wary of fleeting greed because you grew up watching
the imperial family’s strife. He is truly an adult in the imperial family who sets
an example for others.”
“Anyway, when it’s the founding day, His Majesty the Sun Emperor comes to
mind. How good were the days when His Majesty the Sun Emperor reigned. I
miss you even now.”
Originally, everything in the past felt good, but even if that was not the case, it
would be difficult to dare to refute the saying that the time of Emperor Sun was
good.
“You are right! His Majesty the Sun Emperor was indeed a wise man. Also,
didn’t His Majesty the Sun Emperor thoroughly educate His Highness the
Crown Prince to continue the unfinished business?”
“That’s why they say that there is no one who can carry on the will of the
previous emperor except for the present emperor!”
and... It feels like a linguistic art because even turning it around has become this
much.
With generous smiles, they exchanged words that hid sharp daggers as if they
were fighting a duel with invisible rapiers.
‘The biggest drawback of this banquet hall is that there is no popcorn. At least,
if there was butter-grilled squid, this sighting would be much more fun...’
Originally, he said that watching someone else’s house, watching a fight, was
the most fun.
I watched the two camps fight with Killian with excitement, but for some reason
the side of my face stung.
‘Huh?’
I looked to the side, thinking, but many of the young ladies who were looking at
me secretly turned their heads or looked away. It was kind of surprising to have
Layla Sinclair in between.
‘Aha! Is everyone glancing at Killian? I didn’t know that even Layla Sinclair
liked Killian.’
The second view of the world—the first for me—was a handsome man nearby,
so it was only natural that he looked at him.
But after a while, a young lady passed by us and shed her eyes at me, not at
Killian.
It was no coincidence.
If you’re like me, you’ll see a little bit more of Killian during the time you see
me!
While I was quietly clicking my tongue, Killian touched me and said quietly.
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EPISODE 87
“I will bring you something to drink while Count Rigelhoff is hectic. I’ll be back
soon, so don’t move from here.”
Even with such a request, Killian looked back several times as if leaving a child
behind.
It was so cute, I stood alone and covered my mouth with the back of my hand
and smiled.
“Pretending to be cute...”
But when I turned my head, the young lady who had been glaring at me earlier,
Liese Sinclair, and several other young ladies were looking at me and hardening
their faces.
My God, jealous!
It was a very fresh experience for me, who had never been jealous in my life.
It wasn’t something of my own, but I was jealous only because of Killian, but
this is somewhere!
For no reason, I felt as if my chin went up and the bridge of my nose got 3mm
higher.
“They will try to survive even if it means fawning over them. It seems that the
Count Rigelhoff has completely turned to His Excellency Langston.”
“They said it was no different from a hostage in the first place. Seeing what has
happened, it seems that Rigelhoff has also decided to throw it away.”
Uh? Even if I don’t tell you, everyone knows my situation well! I don’t think
you need to meet the 3rd step exception condition?
‘But being in a good mood and hurting the honor of me and the Ludwig family
are different things.’
Thank you for being jealous, so I thought about letting it go, but on this floor,
they said that if you keep your mouth shut, you will be protected.
“I know, right. There is no bumble hill, and you are like a hostage.”
“They say that if you divorce, you will receive alimony and a small mansion.
Then, living in that mansion, I would live on huge alimony or digging into
metallurgy. But am I pretty and have a good body? Then maybe you can live
with a few decent lovers. If you don’t mind having a lover, you’ll remarry.
There’s really nothing wrong with that. Yes?”
“After all, you’re nothing more than a leech attached to the Ludwig family.”
“Oh! Isn’t that how you live? Before marriage, you are proud of your father, and
after marriage, you use the name of your husband. That’s why I also hung out
there a little bit...”
“Oh, of course it is different. I’ll at least be the woman who married Killian
Ludwig. The man you admire so much.”
“What is it?”
I glanced at the young ladies staring at me with burning eyes before asking
dryly.
“...You?”
“If you know how to fawn, try trembling. You’re not doing that in front of
anyone other than me, are you?”
“No. Someone told me to fawn in front of you, so I thought I had mastered such
an advanced skill without even realizing it.”
hmm. In most cases, it’s your misunderstanding, but I feel good, so I won’t
bother to refute it.
And thanks to you talking so close to me, those girls are so excited to break their
fans.
Looking at the atmosphere right now, no one would imagine that Killian would
slit my throat.
It was more shocking that Liese, an illegitimate son, was the closest aide to the
princess than that I, the daughter of a count, had been favored by the princess. In
particular, Liese’s dazzling beauty caught everyone’s attention.
It was also fun to watch how men who fell in love with Liese’s beauty glanced
at her, but didn’t even dare to approach her because of Cliff by Liese’s side.
‘How nice it would be to be able to live while enjoying this interesting romantic
world.’
‘Winter is coming.’
In the original work, it was a very cold winter when the heads of Count
Rigelhoff, including Edith, fell.
There was also a terrible expression that steam rose from the blood that spurted
out when their heads were cut.
It’s still autumn, but Count Rigelhoff seems to be starting his engine, so it’s
probably sooner or later.
It wasn’t just for the future of surviving and enjoying wealth and glory.
“Aagh!”
Damian, who came back from the founding festival, sighed and watched Layla’s
depravity.
“I know. When he heard that Liese had bewitched the sons of the family, he
thought he was just being treated like a mistress...”
“Do you know that being a Duke’s hostess is only because she has a pretty face?
If she is a girl who has not learned anything and cannot borrow the power of her
parents, no matter how pretty her face is, she cannot even become the daughter-
in-law of a viscount.”
“Besides, I think the rumors of a feud between Killian Ludwig and Edith
Rigelhoff were just rumors...”
“Ah, sure. Edith: Didn’t that woman also go easy on her? Seeing my father end
up on the other side of the Ludwig family didn’t make me flinch at all.”
The fact that Liese showed off his friendship with Princess Catherine by
appearing with Cliff’s arms folded, and that Edith did not hide her affection for
Killian, and that Killian had no intention of abandoning her.
“It seems that Edith Rigelhoff was more of a shock to Lady Layla than Liese.”
“Even so, what if she spreads all the rumors that the Rigelhoffs are abandoned? I
told you to crack down on your mouth that much, tsk.”
“Noisy!”
“Who is at fault and where are you screaming? You’re so restless and impatient,
that’s why you’re like this!”
“Do not be ridiculous! Count Rigelhoff was revealing everything on the spot
that he was on the side of ArchDuke Langston, but do you think others don’t
even know that much? Do you know that only brother is good?”
“Seriously, it’s such a short thought. Yes, if you are that good, find a place for
yourself.”
Leyla, left alone, stammered for a while more, breaking things and locking
herself in her bedroom.
‘The Duke Ludwig is crazy! Why on earth did he carry that kind of stuff around
with him!’
Liese could say it was because she was so pretty that even men couldn’t help but
Edith wasn’t that pretty.
‘Besides, Count Rigelhoff has become a complete traitor now. Still, he’s going
to live with that woman? Nonsense!’
Layla was grinding her teeth and brooding over her anger.
At first, I ignored it, wondering if raindrops were falling, but the sound of ‘tok-
tok’ was heard more clearly than before.
The sound was coming from the outermost window of the bedroom.
‘What, what! Thief? Robbery? Assassination?’
As Layla sneaked toward it, wondering if she should scream, something crawled
under the window sill, and the figure fluttering outside the window quickly
disappeared.
Layla stood still for a long time, but she didn’t hear another strange sound or see
a human shadow.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 88
‘What is that?’
Layla slowly walked over to the window and carefully picked up the envelope
that had been pushed through the window frame.
I don’t know who sent it, but I’m pretty sure the recipient was me.
Layla, half worried and half excited, opened the envelope and unfolded the letter
inside.
— Dear Miss Layla.
...Layla, who was looking at Killian Ludwig at the foundation festival today,
looked quite embarrassed.
In fact, I too felt rage beyond absurdity when I saw Edith Rigelhoff’s shameless
actions.
I have a very good plan to get rid of Edith Riegelhoff, but I can’t do it alone.
If Miss Leyla is also feeling resentful towards her, please come to the address
below tomorrow.
In the letter I read, skipping all the formal greetings, the proposal to get rid of
Edith together was written in a polite tone.
Ordinary people would have suspected the sender of the letter first, but Layla,
who had been burning with anger at Edith all day, was rather delighted.
‘As expected, I wasn’t the only one who hated that woman!’
The next day Layla, accompanied by a maid and a knight, went to the address
written in the letter.
It was one of the many alleys that ran on both sides of Rue Lebel-Marie.
“Is it here?”
Layla checked the address over and over again by matching the address on the
letter with the number on the building.
The Sinclair family knight escorting Layla was nervous as he grabbed the handle
of his sword, but the knight who came out of the building was very polite.
Layla raised her hand to calm her escort and looked around before entering the
building.
The old red brick building looked gloomy from the outside and was dark inside.
“Why is it so dark?”
Contrary to the shabby exterior, the inside of the building was decorated like a
house for a wealthy commoner.
However, unlike the clean, dust-free state, this house did not feel human warmth
at all.
“Sorry. Since it was a secret meeting, I was taken to a place that did not suit
Lady Sinclair. We ask for your kind understanding.”
The knight led Layla to the second floor of the building, and in the drawing
room on the second floor he opened, a calm-looking woman in her mid-twenties
was waiting for her.
Not knowing the rank or position of the opponent, Layla nodded slightly and sat
down on the couch as she suggested.
“I want you to reveal the identity of the person who sent the letter to me first.”
Layla lifted her chin and said, and the woman across from her smiled lightly.
“I can’t tell you who it is, but... That should give you an idea.”
The woman lifted her outer coat slightly to reveal a small badge on her left
breast.
“Then... You and that knight are both from the Ludwig family?”
“That’s right.”
“You want to get rid of Edith Rigelhoff in the Ludwig family too, right? Yes?”
“We only move as our master tells us, and we cannot make fun of our
judgments. Our master’s intention is the same as the contents of the letter you
received.”
‘The Ludwig family was also looking for an opportunity to get rid of that
woman! But the fact that she called me on that...!’
Along with that, I also wanted to give Damian a shot at ignoring me.
“It is not difficult. Does the lady know the Viscount of Sicily, right?”
“Young Viscount from Sicily... Ah! The man who was crazy about Edith
Rigelhoff?”
“Yes, that’s right. All you have to do is give him a small word.”
“By the way, wasn’t that person kicked out of the house?”
Youngsik, Viscount Sicily, or Fred Sicily, was a man who had followed Edith
around to the point of being annoying about the year before last.
Edith had seduced him to get information about the railway construction
business that the Sicilian Viscount was involved in, but Fred, who had never
seen such a pretty woman seduce him, completely fell in love with Edith.
However, Fred, who gave away all the information, was abandoned in a good
way, and he obsessed with Edith for a long time and followed him until he was
thrown into the manor by his father.
“Looks like you’ve finally been forgiven by Viscount Sicily, right? But if all
you have to do is contact Fred, why bother borrowing my hand?”
“My master wanted it to look natural, down to the smallest details. So that later
everything can be seen as just an ‘accident’.”
“That, is it?”
“Yes. You must have received an invitation to the tea party tomorrow at the
Viscount’s in Sicily, right?”
“It’s not that the Ludwig family doesn’t have enough ability to put a heavy
burden on the young lady. Just give me this amount, and the rest will take care
of itself.”
I was a little bewildered, but the execution itself wasn’t difficult at all.
Besides, it seemed that no matter what happened, the investigation would not
extend to me.
“However... I want you to tell me what’s going to happen after this, as much as
the plan. Because I don’t want to be taken advantage of without knowing what’s
behind it.”
“Well. That’s what Sicilian Youngsik will do on that day. What do you think
will happen in Lady Sinclair’s opinion?”
Layla, who had been staring blankly at the young woman, began to laugh
slowly.
“I know... I don’t know what will happen, but I’m very excited.”
“Of course.”
Layla reached out to the young woman, and she too clasped hers tightly.
It was a moment when something very simple, but something that might have
dire consequences was planned.
***
After returning from the Konkukje, Killian and I stayed up all night doing the
unfinished deed on the balcony.
And the next day I had to rest in bed almost all day.
However, when he warmly kissed me after suffering through the night, covered
me with a blanket, and told me to call him right away if I felt any discomfort, I
felt so good that I wondered if this was the feeling of being loved.
Fortunately, Edith was very healthy, unlike me in my previous life, so the next
day I was able to wake up feeling refreshed as well.
“Edith!”
“You’re welcome.”
Cliff and Killian, who were always together during Liese’s tea time, were
nowhere to be seen.
Then he laughed hee hee and he was so cute that his heart would burst.
Okay, let’s play together with my sister, oh gu oh gu... No, let’s stay alert!
Liese poured tea for me and put delicious tea food towards me and said lightly.
“As soon as the foundation festival passes, the street is in a year-end mood.
They said it would be decorated very pretty soon.”
For me, the image of the word year-end has long since changed from a warm
and happy feeling to a nervous and fearful feeling.
“Coming to think of it, I don’t think the two of us ever went out together,
Edith.”
“Um, I see.”
“Uh... I’ve been to Le Belle Marie a few times. It’s a nice street for her to hang
out with her girlfriends. I’ve only been to Darsus Street a few times.”
“Oh, really? There are so many pretty things on Le Belle Marie Street... When
won’t you come and play with me? If you go down to the manor with Killian,
you won’t really have a chance to buy or look at pretty things.”
There is absolutely no episode about Edith going out with Liese to play alone.
Edith in the original work would have tried to kill her if only the two of them
had to go out together, and Cliff and Killian in the original story wouldn’t have
let only the two of them go out.
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EPISODE 89
‘Is it because the flow of the original story has weakened and the relationship
between me and Liese is becoming more and more like an ordinary East-West
relationship?’
While I was in a whirlpool of confusion and doubt, Liese added with a smile.
“Actually, His Excellency Duke Ludwig asked me. Before Edith goes down to
the manor, take her to downtown and let Edith buy whatever she wants...”
“Me, really?”
“Yes. Actually, I was going to tell you after shopping, but Sir Ludwig is very
sorry to Edith. It seems that it is still difficult to tell Edith directly about it.
Please understand your Excellency a little.”
It was amazing.
‘The original work has really changed a lot! I thought it would be harder to
change my mind than Killian.’
But if Liese takes me out and does some shopping, I’ll know right away that the
money came from Duke Ludwig’s pocket.
‘And he must have hoped that I would notice that and open his heart to me.’
Thinking that the tiger-like man must have been nervous, his lips relaxed in an
instant.
If the two of us go out, the knights of Duke Ludwig will be in charge of our
escort, and we will play under their ‘watch’, so it seemed that nothing big would
happen.
I stopped by for a short time when I matched boots with Killian, but I didn’t get
to see the streets of Revelmarie properly.
There are so many cute and pretty shops, so I was curious because it seemed like
it would be really romantic.
Liese held her hands together and smiled brightly as if she was really happy.
“However...”
“Yes?”
“When we go out that day, me, Liese, and who else is going?”
“My maid and one of my knights.”
I feel like I don’t have enough people to testify that I didn’t do anything.
“I would like to take one more of my maid and knight. If something happens,
the two knights will need to be there.”
“What if? Le Belle-Marie Street is a very safe place. So no one takes a knight
there.”
oh! Does talking about ‘what if’ make it look like I’m plotting something again?
And that night, Killian, who had been to the imperial palace, stopped by my
room and asked how my day was.
‘For Killian to ask about my daily life, it would seem like a newlywed couple
who are deeply in love with each other.’
Even though I was smiling, I told him about the day’s work.
“The day after tomorrow, I decided to visit Liese and Le Belle Marie Street to
play. What did His Excellency ask Liese for? He told me to buy everything I
want.”
“Father...?”
“Yes. You said you were sorry for me all this time.”
“Killian...?”
“What?”
“Did you forget already? That Liese was the one who asked Cliff to find her
earrings during the yacht accident.”
I was surprised.
Can I forget that fact? But I didn’t know that he would even remember Killian,
and that he would doubt or keep Liese in check.
“I think that is too strange, but there is no confirmation that Liese is the culprit.
It’s not like you can stay away from Liese forever just with a heart attack.”
“It is.”
“Isn’t it similar to the case where I was accused of harming Liese in the past?
But even then, Liese treated me like nothing. So I should too.”
“But...”
However, she couldn’t live forever avoiding the things she was doing with
Liese, and she had no good reason to reject Liese’s offer.
By now, it would have sounded like ‘actually, Liese couldn’t have done that’,
but Killian was just thinking hard about something, not defending Liese.
‘It really did change.’
Killian was no longer the original man. As much as I want to be like this.
“Well, there are maids and knights, so I don’t think it will be a big deal... Never
do anything stupid. Do you understand?”
Killian looked at me with an open gaze. I felt like I was being questioned for
some reason, so I secretly averted my gaze.
***
The day I went out with Liese was cloudy, but not too cold.
Liese and I, Anna and Liese’s maid rode in the carriage, followed by a knight on
horseback.
“I’m going to buy some knitting yarn and winter gloves today. What will Edith
buy?”
“Hmm, first I’d like to buy some underwear. The ones I had were worn out and
uncomfortable.”
“Good for you! There’s even a really pretty underwear shop on Le Belle-Marie
Street! And what else would you like to buy?”
“Uh... This, for now, I’m going to go and think about it. I don’t know what’s on
Le Belle-Marie Street...”
“Ah, I see! There are many accessory shops and jewelry stores on Le Belle
Marie street, and there are also many pretty cafes. There are many dressing
rooms to the north of the street...”
‘Okay... Liese is not the problem, the original author is the problem. Whether
it’s Lieseden or Cliff, they only move according to the will of the original
author, and I don’t have any direct ill feelings towards them.’
The opponent who is playing the game with me is the ‘original author’ to the
last.
He has dominance in this world, and I think that might be the force that moves
the characters.
You can see it when you look at Killian, who is gradually acting out of the
original work.
‘It was said that the original author’s dominance was weakened due to the
failure of the yacht incident last time, so maybe it’s not impossible for Liese and
I to get close.’
I have already reduced the authority of the original author by meeting the
second-level exception conditions, and the original author lost more power
because of the yacht incident.
perhaps... The original author may have already reached the point where he can
hardly use his power.
With a heart full of challenge spirit, I entered the streets of Le Belle Marie with
Liese.
“Wow...!”
The last time I stopped by, exclamations came out, and the streets of Le Belle-
Marie, dressed in a year-end atmosphere, drew exclamations from me once
again.
Korea in the 21st century has lost the splendid and thrilling feeling of the end of
the year as each year goes by, but this place is charming and sparkling like
winter in a fairy tale.
“That’s the shoe store where Killian bought my shoes the other day. I heard you
go with Edith, did you go?”
“Yes. I ordered a pair of sturdy shoes and two pairs of winter boots.”
“The shoes in that store are really comfortable and sturdy. It will come out very
pretty.”
Even though I was alone with Killian, Liese didn’t seem upset at all.
It was quite a different look from a while ago when it seemed like he was trying
to regain the sub male lead.
“Have you ordered winter gloves? If you ordered boots, I think you should also
get furry gloves to go with them.”
“How about ordering while it’s out? I’m going to buy fur gloves too.”
But I shook my head, thinking of Killian, who looked happy as he put the shoes
together.
“Still, Killian suggested we order together, so I’ll come back with Killian later.
If I were the only one who ordered first, that pout might get angry again.”
Liese laughed so much that the words that the bread burst came to mind.
“Haha, I really don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve laughed like this. Edith
is really great. No one ever says that to Killian. Pooh!”
That, so? Well, in the eyes of others, Killian must be the perfect male figure
along with Cliff.
Liese laughed heartily and introduced me to the most popular shops on Le Belle-
Marie Street.
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EPISODE 90
“<Moonlight Bookstore> receives new popular romance novels the fastest, and
<Fiance> sells a lot of really pretty bonnets and parasols. <Pink Cake> sells a lot
of cute accessories...”
Liese was surprisingly quick about Lebelmari Street. She had been around a lot
and she had a surprisingly lucky story of hers.
“The Lebel Marie Magazine is published every three months. I’m just
memorizing the introduction of the shop there. Someday, if I ever make a friend,
I’ll definitely go there...”
To them, Liese was just ‘a lowly girl who possessed Mr. Cliff and Mr. Killian as
an illegitimate child’.
No matter how much it was Duke Ludwig’s request, it was me who ‘stole’ his
sub male lead.
It was something I felt earlier, but Liese seemed to have abandoned the idea of
retrieving Killian. In fact, it is unclear whether the things that seemed to seduce
Killian were Liese’s own thoughts or the original author’s trick.
Liese seemed a little taken aback, but I tried on things and found a bonnet that
suited her best, and I opened a parasol in front of her and looked around.
Liese’s expression gradually loosened up, and later she clung to my arm and
laughed with a clear voice.
Come to think of it, I also had vague memories of having friends my age.
I was definitely there until college, but as I went to work, I got farther away one
by one.
I couldn’t help it. Unlike my school days, when I could only meet people at
school, I needed money to meet friends after graduation, and I didn’t have that
money.
But now I was able to spend money to my heart’s content with Liese. That’s the
Duke’s money!
While I was enjoying my life with money and friends for a long time, Liese,
who was looking around, whispered in my ear.
“Edith. By any chance, do you like romance novels that are a bit weird?”
“Oh no, I can’t read it because I don’t have it. Have you read The Secret
Seduction of Mrs. Graham?”
In fact, <The Secret Temptation of Mrs. Graham>, which I read last time, was a
19-karat gold romance novel that was so interesting that I thought it would be a
hit even if it was published in Korea in the 21st century.
In this era, there is no 19 gold rule, so the scene part is very... It was very hot.
“That... It’s a bit embarrassing for the maids to know, so we go alone. If Cliff
gets this news, I’ll be in trouble.”
Heh really, Cliff’s son, although it’s a character expressed as having a strong
monopoly and obsession, are you jealous that your girlfriend is reading a 19-
karat gold romance novel?
However, if women from aristocratic families who have to live at home all day
cannot even read 19-karat gold romance, that is too much!
I called Anna and gave her some pocket money, saying, ‘I need to go buy some
interesting books, so take Liese’s maid and look around.’
“It’s a bookstore a little further down the alley, so what’s the danger? Liese’s
position is a bit embarrassing, so Anna takes her to kill time.”
“All right. Don’t go into places that are too dark.”
Just like that, Liese and I walked towards <Milain Bookstore> alone.
<Milane Bookstore> was not located on the main street of Revelmarie Street,
but in an alley that stretched to the side.
Liese winked her eyes as if she didn’t know well, and I also nodded and stepped
inside.
Inside the bookstore, several girls wearing scarves were carefully selecting
books.
‘19 Passion for gold doesn’t discriminate between times and places.’
If they encounter the 21st century Korean e-book market, they will probably roll
their eyes. I would have stayed up all night for several nights if there was no
limit on my pocket money. Cancer.
“Then, if we look around the bookstore and pick out a book to buy, we’ll meet
in front of the cash register.”
“All right.”
It must be difficult to share one’s 19 gold taste with someone who has just
become friends.
Looking at Liese’s back as she walked away to the bookshelf over there, I also
looked through the bookshelf with a pounding heart.
Frowning my brows, I took out the book I saw in front of me and slurped it. I
raised my head and looked around a little, then looked down.
Escort knight Raphael mocked Elfia, then grabbed her by the waist and moved
faster...
“Whoa...”
I browsed the bookshelves, looking for a title I liked, and picked up <The Secret
Affairs of Serah the Maid>.
‘As expected, the story of the night between the maid and the master.’
It felt a bit boring, but I liked it because the male lead was portrayed so sexy.
The book was also caught in my side, and I slowly turned around the shelves
again.
‘If I stay too long and leave, Anna will be in trouble, so shall we go back?’
At my side were four books with obscure titles. Actually, I wanted to buy more,
but I was afraid to buy more because I was afraid that Killian or others would
notice.
I took the books, approached the checkout counter, put them on, and looked for
Liese in the bookstore.
The bookstore owner, who looked at me with strange eyes as I walked around
the store, asked curtly.
“Ah, that, yes. Calculate it for once. But, by any chance, did the lady who came
with me pay first and leave?”
“Uh... Just by looking at it, there must have been a very pretty girl. Blonde hair,
blue eyes, and pretty anyway.”
“Well. Among the people who have bought books in the last hour, not a single
one is so conspicuously beautiful.”
If Liese paid for the book, there’s no way that blunt cashier wouldn’t remember
it. Because she is the most beautiful woman in the world.
‘I think Liese went back first, but why did she leave without saying anything?’
Did Cliff show up on Le Belle-Marie Street by any chance? So Liese’s maid
hurriedly found Liese, and Liese might have left me alone because I was too
focused.
Anyway, there was no problem because Anna would be waiting for me when I
went out to Le Belle-Marie Street.
I paid for four books and left the slightly dim <Milan Bookstore>.
‘When I came with Liese earlier, I didn’t know it was such a lonely place...’
The street looked even more gloomy because of the overcast weather, so I
moved my legs a little faster towards the main street of Le Belle-Marie Street.
However, just before the end of the alley was left, a man suddenly appeared and
blocked my way.
A plump figure, a face that was pale and greasy, and, as expected, thick brown
hair... He was a man in his mid-to-late twenties, but he seemed to be aristocratic.
Even at a glance, he seemed to have lost his taste somehow, but he seemed to
know me.
“Who...?”
There was also a calculation that if you raised your voice, someone would look
at you.
But the man didn’t seem to have the spirit to realize that.
“This is Fred Cicily. A Sicilian Viscount, the man you threw away as soon as
you got all the information about the Armov region railroad construction.”
“...Yes?”
I ran my head furiously and searched for Fred Sicily in Edith’s memories.
‘Oh, my God.’
Fortunately, I was able to find it in my memory, but it was not a very hopeful
memory for me.
Fred Cicily wasn’t a very attractive man, as you see now, and even timid.
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EPISODE 91
How thrilled and happy this man must have been when a woman he had never
dared to look at touched him with a charming smile.
He gave Edith all the information he had about the railroad-laying business.
But as soon as he got all the information he needed, Edith cut off contact with
him.
Fred, who was addicted to drug-like love, almost went mad, and he persistently
appealed for his love, following Edith.
‘Then he is a person who went down to the manor by the Viscount Sicily’s
order... Why are you here?’
It sounded like I was sweating, but I spoke as calmly as possible.
“I heard that you went down to the manor. When did you come?”
“I just got out of probation a while ago. You let me go because I pretended to
completely forget you in front of my father? If I knew it would be like this, I
would lie and say that I forgot about you sooner. Haha.”
“I’m sorry, but I’m a bit busy right now. If you have something to say, please
put a request to visit Ludwig Street. Well then.”
A sultry voice came from right next to him as his arm grabbed his chin.
“Leave this!”
“Kyaaaaaa!”
People are coming and going right in front of you, so someone will look this
way.
And I met eyes with a man who glanced this way.
“Help!”
However, as soon as I screamed, Fred violently covered my mouth, and the man
who met my eyes pretended not to know and went on his way.
Even if it wasn’t for that man, there’s no doubt my screams couldn’t have been
heard all the way out there, but everyone didn’t even look this way.
‘What, what is it? can this be Did the original author intervene again?’
But Fred kindly explained why no one was paying attention to my voice.
“Don’t get involved in what’s going on in the dark alleys. That’s the unwritten
rule in this country. Hehehe.”
“If you are walking down the street and see something going on in an alley and
not on the main street, never interfere.”
“Why?”
“If I interfered, the young lady would not be able to take responsibility for it.
I’m telling you not to become a burden to the family by touching useless
things.”
It seems that when I was young, someone like a tutor asked me to do that.
Then, Fred suppressed the struggling me with terrifying power and dragged me
somewhere in the alley.
As long as I can safely go to Ryzen and live with Killian, I will pour all my
energy into strengthening Ryzen’s security! I swear!
Even if Edith was healthier than Choi Soo-na in her previous life, she couldn’t
resist the power of an adult man while wearing an uncomfortable dress.
I kicked Fred in the shin and struggled, and then he wrapped me around me and
went into an empty house in the back alley.
He locked the door of the empty house and blocked the front with something
like a chair before turning to face me.
“I missed you, Edith.”
The word ‘murder’ seemed to distract me, but I immediately focused on the fact
that he had other options in mind as well.
All kinds of crazy people call, but most of them will calm down if you listen to
them calmly and sympathize with them.
Of course, there were some guys who called me just to vent their anger, but I
prayed that Fred wasn’t the worst.
“Fred. If you show up after a few years, kidnap people and say scary things like
that, what the hell are you asking me to do?”
When I raised my eyebrows and said something about to cry, Fred was
momentarily taken aback and scratched the back of his head.
“...Where?”
“The day before yesterday my sister had a tea party at her house. I heard
someone say it there.”
It was only two days ago that I decided to go out to Le Belle-Marie Street. How
could that have been unraveled as information at the tea party that was supposed
to be at noon that day?
The thought of Fred was more chilling than anything in front of him.
“Then you have to pay me for telling you that information. Wasn’t that your
way?”
Fred grinned.
Goosebumps ran up to the top of my head again, but I clenched my molars and
endured it.
“Fred. It’s a crime. Aren’t you the heir to the Sicilian Viscount? You have to
think about how much trouble you will bring to your family if you commit such
a crime!”
“You sound like my father. However, I am not a person who values family
duties. Actually, I didn’t even know until I met you...”
“As it turns out, I am a romanticist who lives and dies for love.”
“What, what?”
“I made a promise when I came back to the capital. I can’t live without you, my
life is to gain you or die with you... It’s just one of them.”
I thought my eyes were gone, but I thought I would have really gone crazy.
“You got it wrong, Fred. I am the true daughter-in-law of the Ludwig family,
and I am the wife of Killian Ludwig.”
“Shut up!”
[When Edith Ludwig dies as a villain, the story returns to its original trajectory.
Three minutes until her death.]
My heart started beating terribly. No, it was scary from a while ago, but as the
time until my death materialized, it felt more realistic and my heart pounded.
“Fred.”
I deliberately called his name more calmly to calm my heart that was draining
the last blood of my life.
Then he, too, bit the knife as if his excitement had subsided a little.
“Sorry, sorry, Edith. I’m so excited. It wouldn’t even be a marriage you wanted.
Yes?”
I felt compelled by the words that asked back, ‘Isn’t it?’ The pressure that you
must answer yes, so that you can live.
But it couldn’t be that simple answer was all this man wanted.
And while I was rolling my head to answer well without provoking this man, I
remembered one fact.
‘It’s not like you’re going to die unconditionally after three minutes. You lived
last time.’
I swallowed dry saliva, took a deep breath, and answered calmly again.
“Fred. First of all, I apologize for what happened three years ago. I am really
sorry for hurting you.”
“No no! You don’t have to. Because I will unconditionally become one with you
today, nothing about the past...”
“If the past is not sealed properly, the present and the future cannot be okay.
Sorry for using your heart.”
It wasn’t my fault, but I could understand Fred’s feelings as I had been treated
like a hoe by my ex-boyfriends.
The first thing I wished for in the past was a sincere apology from my ex-
boyfriend who treated me like a hogu and treated me carelessly.
“Edith...? What’s your intention this time? You’re not the one to apologize. Ah!
Are you going to pretend to apologize and run away?”
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EPISODE 92
“Fred. You have no obligation to accept my apology. But to say to me, ‘I’m not
the one to apologize’ sounds like something I should apologize for.”
“Yes?”
“You were always a proud woman looking down on others. It was the reigning
goblin. Are you apologizing? Nonsense.”
Ah... Fred.
“Then you must mean that you talked about true love without even knowing me
very well.”
“What?”
“Fred. You don’t know how much I’ve suffered from men like you. Everyone
just looked at my appearance and family and rushed at me. Do you know how
terrible those greedy eyes were?”
[When Edith Ludwig dies as a villain, the story returns to its original trajectory.
Three minutes until her death.]
Yes! Time to death extended by 3 minutes!
I don’t know how long it can be extended, but I have to endure it as much as I
can.
“At first, I thought you were different. But in the end you whispered the same
thing as the other men. Do you remember?”
“Therefore... It means that my body was the purpose from the beginning. You
can’t just add the word ‘love’ to it.”
The distorted memory of that man who considered himself only a pitiful victim.
“I was really disappointed there. That’s why I cut off contact. I sometimes
wondered if I might have misunderstood you, but listening to what you say
today, it seems I didn’t misunderstand you.”
Fred didn’t seem to know exactly what he had done wrong, but his previous
ferocity had been tempered.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t live up to your expectations, but I’m a completely different
person from the nicknames of the goblin and Rigelhoff’s flower snake. Just a
normal woman.”
“Then why do you do that to men? Pretending to give your heart, you used men
and then threw them away!”
“I’m the only one bothered by men. When you approached me, I whispered that
I loved my true self, but in the end, I wanted my body. I just turned it down!”
“After getting married, I can live the way I want. The only party I attended this
year was the Konje Festival. I am not interested in places where people gather
and I live a peaceful life reading books. Are you bored?”
I smiled at Fred and walked slowly. The window was so dusty that I couldn’t see
outside, but I walked over to the window and looked outside, pretending to be
lost in thought.
“Even if you stay with me, I bet you’ll get tired of it in half a year. I am not the
woman who lives in your fantasy.”
“The Edith you imagined would probably be a woman who seduces men and
makes them fall at their feet like a witch, while giving her sweet skin at night,
right?”
There was no answer from Fred. He must have been hit in the head.
“You know what book I read recently? Yes. I was impressed by the chapter on
distinguishing between old and old beans. And today, I just came to buy new
stockings with a hole in the toe side of the stockings I usually wear. Recently, I
have been constipated, and I have gas in my stomach...”
Again, he was just trying to fit me into the woman he had created in his
imagination.
[When Edith Ludwig dies as a villain, the story returns to its original trajectory.
Three minutes until her death.]
“Fred. I’m not the woman you wanted I’m just a meaningless being on which
you projected your illusions. Isn’t it too futile to end a life with such a
meaningless existence? I mean, your life is not pitiful.”
If I had prepared a presentation with all my might like this in my previous life,
my status in the company would have risen considerably.
Well, it’s a game where you die if you can’t convince your opponent, so you
have to do everything in your power.
“If I were only thinking about my comfort right now, I could lie. But I’ll be
honest for you. The feelings at that time were not ripe for love. Curiosity,
likeability, self-satisfaction.”
I was afraid that he would turn a blind eye and run at me at any moment.
There was only one entrance to this damn building, the one from earlier, so there
was no way for me to escape.
I have to convince Fred to go out on my own, or I have to hope that Anna, who
has noticed that I’m gone, will come and find me.
The problem was that neither of them felt that the prospect of living was too
slim.
“Sorry... Do.”
“Fred...!”
“I also realized this while going down to the manor and recuperating, but I like a
woman who tramples on me.”
I nodded benevolently, hoping that he would come to his senses, while trying to
give him hope.
“I overheard at a party that men of your taste are rare, and the queen-type
women you like are always in short supply. So have hope, Fred.”
“Thank you. Ah, this is the luggage you carried earlier... Huh...?”
[When Edith Ludwig dies as a villain, the story returns to its original trajectory.
Three minutes until her death.]
At the same time as I heard that sound, Fred’s glistening eyes with a sly smile
turned to me.
In his hand was a book called <The Countess’s Pet Dog> among the books I had
bought at the bookstore earlier.
The cover picture shows a man lying flat on the floor wearing a dog leash and
being stepped on by a woman wearing high heels.
“Heh heh heh heh heh... I almost fell for you stupidly again, Edith. My Edith!”
Holy shit!
“Did you hate me enough to lie so painstakingly? Why? I can be your faithful
pet dog. Why!”
“Am I ugly? Yes? I know very well what women say to me. Because it’s
impossible for me to be good-looking... I hope you become ugly.”
“Calm down!”
I unintentionally threw my first chair shot in my life, but the situation was not
very good.
Unlike before, when he approached her defenselessly, thinking that she was a
powerless woman, now he looks like an armed robber in front of him.
But he pretended to wield a knife, then grabbed the leg of the chair and dragged
it roughly.
I was almost dragged along by a chair, but I quickly let go of the chair and ran
behind a large table.
After that, a chase and chase battle took place in the not wide room.
Even while I was running away, I looked around for something that could be
used as a weapon, but there were no pokers left in the abandoned building.
“Aaaaaaa!”
As I looked around, Fred suddenly screamed and jumped up on the table and
attacked me.
“Kyaaaaah!”
I fell to the floor and Fred, holding a knife, climbed on top of me and gave me a
maniacal laugh.
I Thought It Was Common Possession-Chapter 92
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EPISODE 93
“Whoever wants!”
And the next moment, something knocked Fred out. I think I heard a pop.
“Give me Edith!”
It was Killian.
Even in the middle of my mind, I was curious about that. But I didn’t have the
strength left to ask that.
Killian ordered the knights who came with me to bind Fred, and Anna, who
followed me later, shed tears as she saw me.
“Miss!”
“No... Don’t blame you And I’m sorry... Take care of my luggage over there.”
I asked Anna to pick up the 19 gold romance books while Killian was distracted
from binding Fred.
It looks like Fred bumped his head when he fell over. But right now, I’m out of
my mind, so it’s hard to objectively figure out what my condition is.
“This is all your karma for poking this guy and that guy! When men have bad
feelings, a weak woman like you can’t stand it! Why on earth would you touch
such a gloomy man...”
He was more incoherent than usually and his voice was too loud.
Even though he was bruising me, the moment I felt his body and body
temperature, my tension was relieved.
‘When I read the romance novels, I wondered why the female protagonists
collapsed like that, but the characters in the romance world are themselves
extreme jobs.’
It’s unfair that I was sick enough to die from poisoning, but I almost died after
buying a yacht, I almost died from some crazy stalker... Isn’t this really too
much?
And when I was half awake in a state of unconsciousness like this, the voice of
the announcer came out...
[Part of the flow of the original work has collapsed due to the original author’s
excessive intervention. The original story has been further damaged. The
original author’s dominance is seriously weakening.]
It’s a voice that tells me that I’m not dead yet in this world, so I’m even glad to
see it now.
However, the guidance that came out this time was different from the previous
one.
The last time he fell into the water right in front of Killian’s eyes, but this time
he was dragged without knowing him.
‘I don’t know how Killian knew and came to rescue me, but it must have been
an unexpected interruption for the original author. If the original author’s
dominance was severely weakened, it would be difficult to do something like
this again.’
As days passed, Killian became farther away from the original character, and
now he had almost given up on Liese.
Perhaps other characters are also escaping from the control of the original
author.
‘It’s not long until the episode where my neck falls off. So... The original author
won’t do anything more than this.’
There was a high probability that I would try hard not to meet the third-level
exception condition rather than overdoing it.
‘I’m at a disadvantage because I still have to catch rats while the cow steps
backwards. But seeing that the original author tried to kill me despite knowing
that, the range of conditions that the original author can put forward is getting
narrower and narrower.’
It wasn’t a 100% sure idea, but I’ve always defined the author and my game that
way, and it mostly fits.
Besides, since I can’t know the exact thing from my point of view, I had to make
a guess in this way and move forward.
Yes, moving forward without stopping.
That was the only way I could beat the original plot in this game.
***
[Part of the flow of the original work has collapsed due to the original author’s
excessive intervention. The original story has been further damaged. The
original author’s dominance is seriously weakening.]
An inorganic yet friendly voice kindly guided me through the current situation.
‘How could this be? Nonsense. How could I live in that situation!’
K. had not the slightest idea that this work would fail.
Being driven into a corner, it was a situation in which he had squeezed out all
the possibilities he could squeeze out.
Edith had attracted Duke Ludwig without any suspicion, and also cleverly
designated the location of <Milan Bookstore>.
The character of Fred also took the setting of being one of the men Edith
possessed, and gave it a new setting of a blind man who worships her arrogant
attitude.
The reason he didn’t appear in the meantime was because he was in recuperation
in the manor, and the reason he came back was that he lied to his father with the
intention of dying with Edith.
It was a character that was suddenly pulled out, so I felt that the original work
was twisting with a squeaking sound.
‘Seeing that Killian has appeared there, he is now becoming the male lead for
Edith!’
The original work was getting damaged day by day, and now this story was
diverging into the story of Liese Sinclair and the story of Edith Ludwig.
It was a situation that only K, the original author, could know, but that made K
even more afraid.
‘To think Killian is becoming the male lead for Edith! Who the hell made up
this story!’
It was the first time that the story he had created was out of his control.
The biggest change was that Killian, who should have been a sub male lead,
gradually became a male lead by the 13th Edith.
He instinctively sensed Edith’s danger and ran at all costs to save her.
‘Now it’s too late to change Killian back to Liese’s sub male lead. He is swayed
by Edith, and after Edith dies, he is devastated.
It was a character with affection, but if it was a character that would shake the
world in which Liese was the female lead, she had to tear it down.
But the problem is, to create such a situation, Edith must first die.
I thought I was going to die from panicking, but it was an unexpected action.
Her calm response persuaded the most powerful force that allowed this world to
flow, ‘probability’, and thanks to this, she was able to postpone her death for
some time.
‘I didn’t know that Killian would find Edith in those few minutes. I was
complacent.’
Killian, who heard that Edith had decided to go to Le Belle Marie Street with
Liese, felt uneasy about it the whole time.
And today, he came to Le Belle Marie Street without Edith and Liese’s
knowledge to find them.
K was also surprised by Killian who suddenly appeared and asked Liese about
Edith’s whereabouts. However, he thought that it would not change the ending
of Edith’s death.
K, who made Liese speak that level of lines, had no intention of telling Edith
where he had disappeared.
So it was relaxing.
It was after I heard the announcement that Edith would die within 3 minutes.
‘How can I search this wide Revelmarie Street in 3 minutes? Ah, there must be
less than two minutes left.’
While K was grinning inwardly, Anna suddenly jumped out and grabbed Killian
and appealed.
“The ladies went to the bookstore in the back alley, but Miss Liese came out
alone! I heard that Lady Edith has disappeared, and even though we were
standing around here, Lady Edith has never left that alley!”
Hearing that, Killian searched the alley with the two knights and found Edith in
less than 10 minutes.
She had no idea when Anna had become such a loyal maid to Edith.
The extras, who didn’t even have names in the original work, couldn’t be
bothered to take care of how much they influenced Edith.
‘In addition, it’s because of ignoring the fact that Edith’s narrative has already
been the supply of mistresses.’
The male lead appearing and saving the female lead at the moment of crisis is
unrealistically realistic, but in the world of Romance, it was an acceptable
cliché.
However, this is a luck that is only allowed for the female lead.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 94
It’s a luck that would be absolutely impossible if Edith was still a ‘villain
supporting role’.
You should have noticed when you saw Edith come back to life during the
yachting incident last time.
I only thought that Killian was able to save it because it was an accident that
happened right in front of Killian’s eyes.
No, I didn’t want to admit that a heroine other than Liese had been born in this
world.
‘It’s really dangerous now.’
Due to this failure, K’s control over Killian converged to 0, and the other
characters fell to about 30%.
If he put all his energy into it, he could have tried to kill Edith one more time,
but the risk of failing to do so was too great.
‘All I have to trust now is the 3rd level exception condition. I can’t let Edith
meet that condition.’
It was because I couldn’t make Edith meet the 3rd stage conditions while
continuing to drive her as a villainess.
But seeing as Edith struggles to resist Fred and survive, it seemed like he could
do it.
‘Edith is a human after all. A man would never be able to meet that condition.’
K managed to grin.
***
‘It’s a dream.’
There was a dark colored door in front of me. Looking around, it looked like an
aristocratic mansion.
‘Where is this?’
‘Count Rigelhoff...?’
He came up to me, took a key out of his pocket, opened the door I was looking
at, and entered.
Ah...
Shit.
It was a scene I didn’t want to see.
Little Edith, who must have been only 12 or 13 years old, was weeping with
swollen cheeks and black bruises on her eyes.
As soon as he saw Count Rigelhoff, he knelt on the floor and prayed while
rubbing his hands together.
I was sure that no matter what wrong a girl this age did, she wouldn’t be beaten
that way.
However, this family was strict only with Edith, and they severely beat Edith for
even the slightest mistake.
Count Rigelhoff, who had been looking down at the trembling and crying Edith
for a while, scolded Edith with a voice mixed with annoyance.
“Edith. I wasn’t asking you to sell your body, I was just asking you to do
something cute. What’s so embarrassing that I missed my chance!”
“Sorry... Sorry.”
“The nobleman said he liked a young girl, so he deliberately created a place and
an opportunity. A missed opportunity never comes back!”
“Sorry...”
“Tsk. It is useless.”
When asked what the hell he was trying to catch a child for, it seems that he
asked him to act cute in front of a pedophile.
Edith, who was young and naive, must have froze because she was ashamed and
scared of the situation.
No matter how much women are treated as family property, this is the level of
not being treated as a child at all!
Edith, who appeared to be in her late teens, was walking in the garden with a
man who appeared to be in her late twenties.
The man pointed to the bench under the wisteria tree and smiled sinisterly.
Edith smiled at him and nodded to the escort knight who was following him
from 10 paces away, but the man seemed very displeased with the escort knight
following him.
Anyway, the two of them sat down on a bench under a wisteria tree, and the
escort knight was watching the surroundings from some distance away.
“Ms. Edith looks more mature than her age. It is rare to see a young lady at this
age who has matured so well.”
“I am still immature.”
“What if you don’t have a little iron? Aren’t you old enough to be cute? Ha ha
ha!”
The man said ‘it’s okay to be cute’ and tapped Edith’s butt like a joke.
However, even after he finished speaking, he did not remove his hand from his
hip.
On the contrary, he grabbed Edith a little tighter and pulled him towards him.
“Next time we meet, let’s meet without an escort knight. It’s frustrating to see
this every time.”
“If you do, my father will scold you. You are so sensitive to my safety.”
Then, as if she thought she had all the information she needed to obtain, she left,
saying that she had to go back, and Edith’s escort knight put her in a carriage
and returned to the count’s house.
However, in the carriage, Edith was trembling all over and was wiping the bare
skin that the man had touched with a handkerchief.
“Dirty... Dirty...”
I broke out in a cold sweat, couldn’t stay still for a moment, and wiped myself
convulsively.
However, the moment the carriage stopped and the door opened, Edith got off as
the count’s expressionless and elegant daughter-in-law.
Even when I saw what might have happened only in a novel, my heart ached as
if it would break.
Choi Soo-na, who trembled with all kinds of anxiety, fear, and self-loathing
when alone, but pretended to be normal in front of others, was overlapped with
the original Edith Rigelhoff.
‘They say it was Count Rigelhoff who broke Edith, but who ruined Choi Soo-
na?’
This time, Edith, who had grown almost the same as the current me, was
fidgeting with her hands.
The place she was sitting was the same room I was living in now.
Her cheeks were sunken and her eyes were dark. Her empty-looking eyes
wandered in the air, and her lips were dry and brittle.
Next to her was a letter of unknown origin. No matter how many times she had
taken it out, the four corners of the paper were bluntly worn.
— See Edith.
Sooner or later, our family will declare a land war against the Ludwig family. Of
course we’ll win, but there’s one thing at odds, so we plan to raid Duke
Ludwig’s residence as well.
All you have to do is stay calm and put a simple device on the back door of the
mansion on the day I signal.
The method can be easily seen by looking at the picture in the next chapter.
The letter was from Shane, and she held something black and small in her hand.
The device was to be inserted into the hole on the door frame side where the
door lock went into.
Killian who always looked at her with contempt, Killian who smiled kindly only
at Liese, and when Count Rigelhoff declared a land war, Killian started
pretending not to see her at all...
Edith, who was walking along the darkness, opened the back door of the
mansion slightly, put in the black thing from earlier, and closed the door again.
Bangs, bangs, something breaking, screams and shouts were intertwined, and
Shane with a sword was dragging the rebellious Liese out.
“Withdrawal!”
At his word, the men in black who had occupied the Ludwig family quickly
escaped through the back door.
Edith also hurriedly ran after him, but suddenly turned around and looked at
‘me’.
Unlike the ones who hadn’t recognized me before, Edith was looking straight at
me.
This is what happened in the original story. And that was the decisive reason
why Killian got angry and cut Edith’s neck.
The look in Edith’s eyes when he looked back at me at the end was so clear.
It was clearly a cry for help. It was a desperate and sad plea.
‘Don’t worry, Edith. I’m not going to do anything. I won’t die this time.’
I sent condolences to poor Edith who was unable to move under the pressure of
the power that suppressed her.
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EPISODE 95
“Um...”
At the same time as I let out a small moan, I felt a sense of reality and opened
my eyes.
For a while, I couldn’t think of anything. Only the chest of the man in front of
my eyes felt strange.
‘What happened?’
Rolling my sore eyes from side to side, I searched for memories and recalled the
moment when I was almost killed by some crazy man.
As I moved my body, which had seemed stiff for a while, the arms on top of
mine hugged me tighter.
“Ugh.”
“Edith...?”
“Killian...”
“Do not worry. This is the mansion, and you are all right. It’s okay now...”
“You slept half a day. Thankfully, you didn’t seem to have a concussion, you
just passed out because you was relaxed.”
“Uh? Really?”
“Even when you passed out, you were holding on to my clothes, and you kept
looking for me like you were talking in his sleep.”
Guess who wasn’t an obsessive sub male lead, he has a really steady personality.
I was just enjoying his soothing childlike pats. It really seemed to make my
mind more stable.
That was the only thing he could say when he opened his mouth.
Killian let out a long sigh and spoke slowly as he rubbed my back.
“When you said you were going out alone with Liese... For some reason, I didn’t
feel good about it.”
“So what?”
To think that Killian, the sub male lead, was so suspicious of Liese that he even
lied.
“Do you think it could be called ‘coincidence’ that three grown men came to Le
Belle-Marie Street?”
“It was easy to find Liese on Le Belle-Marie Street. You just have to go where
people are glancing at you.”
After all, the dignity of the best beauty in the world!
“But as we got closer, something was a little strange. I can see Liese and Liese’s
maid... You and your maid are nowhere to be seen. When I asked Liese where
you were, she replied that she had been looking for you because you suddenly
disappeared.”
No matter how crowded the inside of the bookstore was, it wouldn’t have been
difficult for Liese to find me. Besides, I didn’t leave the book where I first broke
up with Liese.
“So dizzy, your maid came running and pointed out an alley, saying you had
never been out there. Thanks to that, I was able to quickly search the alley, and
found you and the madman in an abandoned house at the far end of the alley.”
“I see...”
“If it wasn’t for that maid, I would have been in big trouble... No, let’s not talk
about this. Because it’s terrible.”
I nodded again.
“Yes.”
“How the hell did you end up like that there?”
“Ha... I know, right. It’s long to say, but first of all, I have to tell you why I went
to that alley so there will be no misunderstandings.”
Although Liese had requested that Cliff be in trouble if he found out, I didn’t
think I would have to keep that secret while she lied about my whereabouts.
I calmly listened to the story of how the two of us went into the bookstore
recommended by Liese and picked out books for about an hour, the story of how
I went out alone and met the man, and how no one helped me even though I was
dragged along by him. Laid out.
Killian didn’t say anything the whole time I was talking. He didn’t even put a
chuimsae.
“That’s all there is to the surface story about my situation with that man in the
abandoned house.”
“That’s right. It’s kind of strange how the man ended up there.”
I was still looking at Killian’s chest bone, but somehow I felt his sharp gaze.
“Tell me.”
“When I asked how he knew I was here, he said he overheard someone talking
at the tea party. But that was two days ago. It was only two days ago that I
decided to go out with Liese.”
“They asked me what I would give them in return if I let them know. So I
couldn’t ask any more.”
“Whoever it was, it’s a really strange thing. Doesn’t that mean that someone
knew in advance before you even decided to go to Le Belle-Marie Street?”
“I mean. But... Yes, this is just speculation, but... Couldn’t there be another
person who could have predicted that?”
I didn’t answer.
Killian also just hugged me without saying anything. Even I can’t believe it, so
Killian will be confused too.
“I don’t know if this is good news or bad news, but Fred Sicily, who was
rampaging in prison... He committed suicide two hours ago.”
“What?”
I raised my head in surprise.
“It’s good that the madman can’t harm you again... It is a pity that the
opportunity to uncover the truth of the case has also been lost.”
“At that time... I’m sorry that I blamed you too. I was so surprised and nervous
that I didn’t know... No, no. I was just wrong.”
I remembered how the man who lifted me up into the arms of the princess was
angry, saying that this was all karma for any man.
“I don’t know why only hateful words come out in front of you. It seems that
blaming you has become a habit. I’m sorry.”
I chuckled.
No. You were just being swayed by the original author. How can a single
character stand up to its creator?
And maybe now it’s almost left to the original author. Of course, it’s all thanks
to me.
Suddenly, Killian playfully wrapped my hair around his fingers and started
twisting it.
This...
“My tastes are very diverse. There is a story of a princess being beaten by her
escort knight, and a story of a countess who makes men kneel under her feet...”
“So you mean... To refer to when spending the night with me... You mean you
bought those books?”
His large hand, which had been brushing my back, slowly moved down.
Rather, my whole body tensed at the hands that slowly kneaded my body.
“I hope you get well soon. I want to put the theory you have learned into
practice.”
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EPISODE 96
I’m fine right now, but if I say that, would it seem too revealing? It’s a bit like a
person who almost died becomes sticky as soon as he opens his eyes... Right?
Killian must have noticed my feelings as well, and secretly lowered his head
towards me and kissed me.
“You don’t know now, but when you wake up, your whole body will probably
ache. I also got a bump on my head from a fall, so I need to be careful for the
time being. I want to too, but...”
***
Every time Layla went crazy, the maids had no choice but to look for Damian
with tears.
It wasn’t fun even for Damien, who was dragged along every time, but the
maids kept quitting if I let it go, so I couldn’t help it.
“Why again!”
“Edith, what about that bitch... It looks like they are using magic or something.”
Only then did Layla calm down and slump down on the couch.
Layla gulped down the iced tea the maid had given her and continued her
conversation.
“Because the man who was crazy about her almost killed Edith.”
From receiving a letter from an unknown sender on the night I went to the
foundation festival, to the plan to ‘kill Edith’ conveyed by the servants of the
Duke Ludwig on behalf of others.
“She almost died this time, but my God... Killian showed up again and saved
her. Does that make sense?”
Damian frowned as he watched Layla shake her head with a dejected laugh.
“So after all, you don’t know exactly who sent you the letter?”
It’s a shame because it was a plan for the real Edith, because if it was a trap to
catch Layla, it would have been a big disaster.
But Layla didn’t listen to her brother’s advice.
“Anyway, that’s what you said. And I didn’t do anything great either. All I said
was that the Viscount of Sicily attended a tea party and spilled a few words next
to that disgusting man.”
“Edith said that in two days, around noon, he would stop by <Milan Bookstore>
on Rue Belle-Marie.”
“Suicide? Is there any possibility that he tried his hand over there?”
“I thought that too at first, but this man is much crazier than I thought. He said
that if he killed himself, Edith would remember him forever, so he killed
himself.”
“Ha...!”
“Anyway, are you sure the people who came to tell you are the Ludwig family?”
“Huh. It was a badge worn by Dukes and servants. The knight’s uniform also
belonged to the Ludwig family.”
“What if it’s fake? Anyway, the information they gave was solid, and Edith
almost died. It bothered me that only they knew who I was, but it was an offer I
couldn’t refuse.”
Well, it seemed that no one would dare to pretend to be the Duke Ludwig while
doing such a thing.
“Then... Surprisingly, the person who bought you a job could be a bigwig?”
“What?”
“Cliff isn’t interested in her, and Killian doesn’t seem to hate her enough to kill
her right away. But it’s different when it comes to Duke Ludwig.”
“You remember me and my father talking about the iron ore distribution rights?”
“Huh!”
“Maybe Duke Ludwig wanted to get rid of Edith Rigelhoff. Because I don’t
need it anymore.”
“Really?”
“It’s expected, but isn’t it quite plausible? Who would most like to get rid of
Edith Rigelhoff at this point?”
Count Rigelhoff, who openly showed admiration for ArchDuke Langston at the
founding festival, iron ore distribution rights that he no longer regrets, Edith
Rigelhoff, who is useless.
“My brother is right. As Duke Ludwig, there is no need to have Edith with you
anymore.”
“Rather, if Count Rigelhoff joins the rebellion, protecting Edith itself would be
embarrassing. So this seems like a very good thing for you.”
Then, Layla was delighted for a moment, then stamped her foot again, as if
indignant.
“It would have been so much better if that bitch Edith had died!”
Since they were taking away the things that Count Rigelhoff enjoyed, one by
one, they could also take away the wifeship of Killian Ludwig.
‘It would have been better if I had been Cliff’s wife... There is a high probability
that Liese will occupy it. But it’s only a matter of time before the Duke Ludwig
becomes our family’s best ally.’
Damian clenched his fists, imagining a future where the Sinclair family would
enjoy the greatest prestige among the counts.
***
I think I’m a bit young to say that I’ll live a long life and see things, but for the
first time since I fell into this world, Liese and I were reversed.
I was curious about what kind of setting the original author had instilled in Liese
so that the kind Liese drove me to death.
“It can’t be. Although the bookshelves were complicated, the bookstore itself
was not that large. It’s not like I moved all over the place. You can ask the
owner of the bookstore about this.”
“The bookstore owner has already done research. She also remembers you
clearly. As she was checking out the books, she asked if she hadn’t seen the
other lady who had come with her.”
“Liese went to the bookstore and looked for books, but thought it was strange
and wanted to leave. He said he could have been so impatient with the guilt that
he didn’t look for you.”
“What, what? Are you shy and guilty? Nonsense! The person who told me about
the bookstore was Liese...!”
“I’m saying this because it’s between us, but I think that’s a bit too much.”
“I agree. Cliff is a madman. It won’t be much different from the guy who
attacked you.”
It’s been a while since we agreed, but you’re tough too, Killian.
“My father is blaming himself, and Liese is also crying, saying it is her fault.
She completely stopped eating. Cliff said you... It seemed he was hoping to
reassure his father and Liese.”
I was thinking that Duke Ludwig or Liese were involved in this incident.
Then it would be like me comforting the person who was trying to kill me when
I almost died... Does that make sense?
‘But if I refuse, they’ll say something bad about me again. Almost certainly.’
Now I must have gotten used to the system of this world to some extent, I can
see the circumstances going roughly.
It was clear that this was the original author’s trick to erode my reputation.
“Ha... If I don’t go, people will say that I did too much, so what can I do? Now
that this has happened, I should go and ask Liese.”
As soon as the words came out, I put in a message that I would go to Duke
Ludwig and Liese.
Although it was a little funny that we live in the same house and put in a
message every time we visit.
“No matter what others say, I should have sent more escort knights, but I was
too complacent.”
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EPISODE 97
“By the way, Your Excellency. If... Have you ever told me somewhere else that
Liese and I would go out?”
Well, it was hard to imagine that the Duke like that tiger would hold on to the
people around him and talk about his daughters-in-law.
‘Besides, it was Liese who took me directly to <Milain Bookstore>... No, no.
The two may be accomplices.’
I observed the Duke carefully until the end, bowed politely and withdrew.
After that, I went to see Liese lying on the bed with a paler face than me.
“Eh, Edith!”
Liese, whose big eyes were filled with tears, greeted me with a guilty face.
And next to her stood Cliff, who seemed to have a little bit of strength between
his eyebrows.
“I-I’m fine. Because of me, Edith... Hehe... Sorry. I really didn’t know that
would happen.”
“Who would have predicted such an accident? Isn’t it? Although there are some
strange parts.”
I wiped Liese’s forehead, which was drenched in cold sweat, with the
handkerchief next to me and smiled brightly.
Really, anyone who sees it would think that the person who almost died was
Liese.
In fact, it’s not that it wasn’t, but Liese looked very bad somewhere.
‘Was it that shocking that I almost died? Well, I’m usually surprised if the
person I went out with almost got killed by a stalker.’
“No! No. It was just a thought that came to my mind when the Duke told me to
go shopping with Edith. Because the only place I know is Le Belle-Marie
Street.”
“Is it so?”
The mouth has been wearing a smooth smile since earlier, but the eyes seem to
have thin ice.
“Of course.”
“All right. I’m not hurt, and the person who did this committed suicide while
going on a rampage... Hurry up and get up, Liese.”
“Huh... Sorry.”
I said it jokingly, but I thought that if Liese was the culprit, or if the original
author who was creating all of this was watching, he would have noticed the
meaning behind it.
‘It must mean that you’re crying for a reason of your own.’
I was about to get up after finishing the conversation, but Cliff glared at me
without even a polite smile.
“When am I?”
“Every word you said was like that. Can’t you just say that while looking at
Liese, who is trembling with guilt over a trivial thing, the fact that you went to
the bookstore together and came out first without finding you?”
As expected, Cliff will become a knight who protects Liese until the end, just
like the male lead.
Rather than Cliff defending Liese, Liese overreacted to such and such a thing.
It was as if he was doing everything in his power to make himself look like a
victim. If it’s not that, you know something and you’re trembling in fear.
“Is Cliff really the only one who can talk like that? I’m about to die! Today is
the first time I’ve seen Master Cliff since that incident, didn’t you say anything
good to me?”
“Think of the cases you have been accused of! Liese has never once blamed
you!”
“I didn’t blame Liese either. And that can be argued against Liese and me, and it
cannot be an excuse for Master Cliff’s rude attitude!”
Only then did Cliff shut up. Of course, he didn’t even apologize to me.
“It seems that even now they think of me as a rumored villain, but I have no ill
feelings towards Master Cliff or Liese. Asking Liese was not to accuse Liese of
being the culprit, but to find out how that man could have appeared there.”
Even if I say this, Cliff will not stop being suspicious and wary of me. Cliff was
like that from the beginning.
On the outside, she pretended to be flirtatious and generous, but on the inside,
she was wary of anyone who could harm Liese’s comfort. Because it’s south
“Liese. You must be more surprised that I almost died twice in a short period of
time, but don’t worry too much. I don’t think this will happen again.”
“Yes...?”
Liese, whose cheeks were wet with tears, looked at me with a bewildered gaze.
Cliff was glaring at me, wary of what else I might say to hurt Liese.
Because I wonder how much power the original author has left to control this
situation, no, whether he did.
“So don’t worry too much and take care of yourself. Master Cliff is so worried.”
***
The incident where I was almost killed by Fred Cicily was quietly buried thanks
to Killian’s efforts.
It seems that Fred had to crack down on the mouths of the soldiers guarding the
prison because of the riots in the prison before his death.
Since Fred had become a troublemaker for the family because of Edith, it hadn’t
even happened for a day or two, so the Viscount Sicily guessed that Fred had
acted on his own this time as well, so he handed the money to the soldiers and
kept his mouth shut.
If rumors spread, the Viscount Sicily would suffer more damage than the Duke
Ludwig, so the Viscount Sicily would not have had time to mourn his son’s
death.
‘It’s really unfortunate that there is no way to confirm who came out after
overhearing.’
The most suspicious was Liese, but considering that this was the original
author’s trick, the number of suspects increases.
It is not only the Counts Sinclair and Counts Rigelhoff who are always
suspected.
Thinking of the young ladies who glared at me during the founding festival, I
couldn’t count on both hands the number of people who wanted me dead.
Maybe the original author made it sound like an auditory hallucination in Fred
Sicily’s ears.
Even while speculation about who informed me of my outing was lost in the
labyrinth, the situation changed quickly.
At the time of the founding, the Count Rigelhoff, who had been the Grand Duke
Langston, completely reversed her position as an ally of the imperial family and
the Ludwig family. Now, the Counts of Rigelhoff were representative of the
Grand Duke of Langston.
And he began to file small complaints with the Duke Ludwig, with whom he
had been closely involved in business.
After this point of confrontation with the Ludwig family, the Rigelhoff family
crosses a river of no return.
Whether or not you guys passionately burn your short lives is fine, but I don’t
want to get on that train.
However, my will did not have any effect on the flow of the story.
That night, when he saw that a letter with a reluctance like a 1st class express
ticket to Hwangcheon arrived.
While thinking about the original work, I found a point where I thought there
must have been a similar episode.
I still remember the letter from Shane, who sent a strange device to install on the
back door of the mansion.
I took a deep breath and slowly walked over to the window and picked up the
letter that had fallen on the floor.
Then, without a letter knife, I just tore open the envelope and took out the letter
inside to read it.
If you want to come back to Edith Rigelhoff, hang a yellow ribbon from the
window.
For those who do not know how to reflect, there is only death.
It was a letter without a sender, but it was obvious who sent it.
Line after line of the letter is full of lies, gaslighting and deceit.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 98
‘Why is it my fault that I was abandoned here? It’s your fault for sending me
here! Damn bastards.’
Edith in the original work would have grown up receiving such brainwashing
throughout her life.
What I am thankful for to my parents in my previous life is that they were rather
indifferent to me.
If you hold on to me, you have to take care of your brother, you have to help the
house, otherwise you are an ungrateful human being, and if you brainwashed
me, I would have lived a much more miserable life.
‘If that’s the case, even after possessing Edith, I would have lived being swayed
by Count Rigelhoff.’
I went to the fireplace with the letter and skimmed the ashes with my poker.
‘It was a letter that would have been better used as firewood.’
It wasn’t enough to confirm that the letter was completely burnt, so I hit it
several times with a poker and completely reduced it to ashes. I gave a long
yawn and went back to bed.
While thinking about how to avoid suspicion when he said that the defenses on
the window side of the mansion should be strengthened.
But the next day, while the letter from the Rigelhoffs was also in a bad mood,
even an unwelcome guest announced that they would visit the Ludwig family.
“The Count Sinclair said they would visit this Friday.”
“He said he would like to meet his father and talk about his business next year,
probably because of the iron ore distribution rights. But again I don’t know.
Liese got attention at the founding festival, so maybe that’s why.”
Liese, who attended the founding ceremony as Cliff’s partner with the Duke’s
treasure around her neck, emerges as a hot potato in the social world thanks to
Catherine’s supportive fire.
And when Count Sinclair realized that the value of Liese, which he thought he
had sold well, was much greater than they thought, he quietly approached Duke
Ludwig to claim parental rights.
It is Count Sinclair who has already signed that he will give up all rights to Liese
when he hands it over to the Duke Ludwig in exchange for a debt of 30 million
senna.
Duke Ludwig is not an easygoing person, but there is no way he will be fooled
by the sound of ‘parent-child relationships’.
This time, he must have been more afraid because he had met them at the
founding festival.
“I say it’s okay, but can it be okay? My complexion was not very good. Now,
Cliff is beside me and comforting me.”
In the original story, Killian also became Liese’s guardian and stopped the
bullshit of Count Sinclair, but now Killian is by my side, not Liese.
Although I’m glad this reality has changed from the original work, I still
couldn’t let go of the thought that my life was like a lantern in the wind.
‘I shouldn’t cut off Killian’s good feelings until the last minute.’
I sincerely prayed that I would be able to greet next spring after the coming
winter.
***
The brown-haired, skinny man looked younger than his age, but still somehow
servile.
“It’s been a while since the count didn’t come to the founding festival.”
“Yes, I was inevitably absent from the founding ceremony this time because I
had something to do with the territory. Did our kids say hello at the Konkukje?”
The Duke glanced at the children of the house that the Count Sinclair had
brought.
It was understandable that he brought his firstborn, Damian, but bringing his
daughter, Layla, was strange.
To be honest, it was the Count Sinclair and his children who harassed Liese, and
among them Layla was particularly severe, so Duke Ludwig was not very happy
that Leyla came.
But Layla was smiling at Duke Ludwig. It was to the point where anyone would
mistakenly believe that the Duke and Layla were already close friends.
Duke Ludwig cut the salutation that was about to get long and got to the point.
“I’m worried about what kind of story I should start with so I don’t get
misunderstood. First of all, um... Shall we start with Count Rigelhoff?”
“Yes? Why are you suddenly bringing up the story of Count Rigelhoff?”
“I know why the Duke married Killian-kun to the daughter of the Rigelhoff
family. Is it because of the iron ore distribution rights?”
There were many small reasons attached to it, but the most important reason was
the right to distribute iron ore.
It was because it would be difficult if Count Rigelhoff, who had the largest
distribution rights for raw materials for making cutlery, joined the ArchDuke of
Langston.
However, the external reason was simply ‘strengthening the alliance’, so Duke
Ludwig could not carelessly nod.
“I’m not here to find out why. Rather, the Duke came to lighten the burden.”
“When we visited last time, we just said that we were going to get iron ore
distribution rights, but now that is almost confirmed.”
“This is Latis of the North. Do you know that iron ore was found there?”
“I know. However, it seems that it will take quite a while for the mine to be
developed.”
“No. Count Morento, the lord of Latis, lied. I was afraid that Latis would
become a battlefield.”
Duke Ludwig stopped drinking tea and looked at the Count Sinclair with a
surprised face.
“Then...!”
“Even though the conditions put forward by the Count of Morento were
difficult, for 10 years from next year, the Count Sinclair will have the right to
distribute Latisse iron ore.”
Latisse iron ore was already rumored to be of good quality, so having the right
to distribute the latisse iron ore from the Count Sinclair family was a major
event that changed the status of the Sinclair family.
In particular, it was better for the count family to have iron ore-related interests,
rather than the right to mine or distribute gems, as the count family was closely
related to the Ludwig Dukedom, which was close to the Mughal family.
‘But where did the money come from in the Sinclair family...?’
As far as Duke Ludwig knew, the financial situation of the Count Sinclair was
not much better than before.
Count Sinclair let out an embarrassing laugh, probably noticing Duke Ludwig’s
suspicious expression.
“Of course, I received a little loan from the imperial treasury, but I’m not
cheating the Duke. The distribution rights were obtained because we decided to
hand over 30% of the distribution profits to Count Morento.”
If it was 30% of the distribution profit, it was a huge price.
For the Count of Morento, it was like sitting still and making money.
However, the reason why Count Sinclair brought up the idea that he had
obtained the right to distribute iron ore by mentioning Count Rigelhoff was self-
evident.
“Your Excellency the Duke. The Counts of Rigelhoff can no longer be called the
imperial faction. He is not an ally of the Ludwig family.”
“Kuhm...”
Duke Ludwig agreed to that. Probably all the aristocrats who attended the
founding ceremony knew that fact.
“Count Rigelhoff, only His Excellency the Duke and Killian suffered great
damage from that man’s trick. How dare you marry Rigelhoff’s wife with
Killian if you didn’t talk about it as an alliance or fidelity?”
“Ha, that...”
Duke Ludwig hadn’t been able to say anything since before. Everything was as
Count Sinclair said.
“You must have known that Count Rigelhoff was cunning, but who would have
known that he would betray me even after taking my daughter hostage? Besides,
you pretended to care very much for my daughter outside.”
“I mean.”
Duke Ludwig shook his head and drank again. It felt like my stomach was
burning.
“This is not the time to insist on such good thoughts, Your Excellency.
Wouldn’t that make it look like you’re being tricked by Count Rigelhoff?”
As Count Sinclair went over the area he was worried about, a deep gap formed
between Duke Ludwig’s brows as well.
‘Why is it my fault that I was abandoned here? It’s your fault for sending me
here! Damn bastards.’
Edith in the original work would have grown up receiving such brainwashing
throughout her life.
What I am thankful for to my parents in my previous life is that they were rather
indifferent to me.
If you hold on to me, you have to take care of your brother, you have to help the
house, otherwise you are an ungrateful human being, and if you brainwashed
me, I would have lived a much more miserable life.
‘If that’s the case, even after possessing Edith, I would have lived being swayed
by Count Rigelhoff.’
‘It was a letter that would have been better used as firewood.’
It wasn’t enough to confirm that the letter was completely burnt, so I hit it
several times with a poker and completely reduced it to ashes. I gave a long
yawn and went back to bed.
While thinking about how to avoid suspicion when he said that the defenses on
the window side of the mansion should be strengthened.
But the next day, while the letter from the Rigelhoffs was also in a bad mood,
even an unwelcome guest announced that they would visit the Ludwig family.
“He said he would like to meet his father and talk about his business next year,
probably because of the iron ore distribution rights. But again I don’t know.
Liese got attention at the founding festival, so maybe that’s why.”
Liese, who attended the founding ceremony as Cliff’s partner with the Duke’s
treasure around her neck, emerges as a hot potato in the social world thanks to
Catherine’s supportive fire.
And when Count Sinclair realized that the value of Liese, which he thought he
had sold well, was much greater than they thought, he quietly approached Duke
Ludwig to claim parental rights.
It is Count Sinclair who has already signed that he will give up all rights to Liese
when he hands it over to the Duke Ludwig in exchange for a debt of 30 million
senna.
Duke Ludwig is not an easygoing person, but there is no way he will be fooled
by the sound of ‘parent-child relationships’.
Even on her last visit, Liese must have been trembling in her room.
This time, he must have been more afraid because he had met them at the
founding festival.
“I say it’s okay, but can it be okay? My complexion was not very good. Now,
Cliff is beside me and comforting me.”
In the original story, Killian also became Liese’s guardian and stopped the
bullshit of Count Sinclair, but now Killian is by my side, not Liese.
Although I’m glad this reality has changed from the original work, I still
couldn’t let go of the thought that my life was like a lantern in the wind.
‘I shouldn’t cut off Killian’s good feelings until the last minute.’
I sincerely prayed that I would be able to greet next spring after the coming
winter.
***
The brown-haired, skinny man looked younger than his age, but still somehow
servile.
Duke Axel Ludwig cleared his throat, thinking of Liese, who had died like an
angel.
“It’s been a while since the count didn’t come to the founding festival.”
“Yes, I was inevitably absent from the founding ceremony this time because I
had something to do with the territory. Did our kids say hello at the Konkukje?”
The Duke glanced at the children of the house that the Count Sinclair had
brought.
It was understandable that he brought his firstborn, Damian, but bringing his
daughter, Layla, was strange.
To be honest, it was the Count Sinclair and her children who harassed Liese, and
among them Layla was particularly severe, so Duke Ludwig was not very happy
that Leyla came.
But Layla was smiling at Duke Ludwig. It was to the point where anyone would
mistakenly believe that the Duke and Layla were already close friends.
Duke Ludwig cut the salutation that was about to get long and got to the point.
“I’m worried about what kind of story I should start with so I don’t get
misunderstood. First of all, um... Shall we start with Count Rigelhoff?”
“Yes? Why are you suddenly bringing up the story of Count Rigelhoff?”
“I know why the Duke married Lord Killian to the daughter of the Rigelhoff
family. Is it because of the iron ore distribution rights?”
There were many small reasons attached to it, but the most important reason was
the right to distribute iron ore.
It was because it would be difficult if Count Rigelhoff, who had the largest
distribution rights for raw materials for making cutlery, joined the ArchDuke of
Langston.
However, the external reason was simply ‘strengthening the alliance’, so Duke
Ludwig could not carelessly nod.
“It’s not just that...”
“I’m not here to find out why. Rather, the Duke came to lighten the burden.”
“When we visited last time, we just said that we were going to get iron ore
distribution rights, but now that is almost confirmed.”
“This is Latis of the North. Do you know that iron ore was found there?”
“I know. However, it seems that it will take quite a while for the mine to be
developed.”
“No. Count Morento, the lord of Latis, lied. I was afraid that Latis would
become a battlefield.”
Duke Ludwig stopped drinking tea and looked at the Count Sinclair with a
surprised face.
“Then...!”
“Even though the conditions put forward by the Count of Morento were
difficult, for 10 years from next year, the Count Sinclair will have the right to
distribute Latisse iron ore.”
Latisse iron ore was already rumored to be of good quality, so having the right
to distribute the latisse iron ore from the Count Sinclair family was a major
event that changed the status of the Sinclair family.
In particular, it was better for the count family to have iron ore-related interests,
rather than the right to mine or distribute gems, as the count family was closely
related to the Ludwig Dukedom, which was close to the Mughal family.
‘But where did the money come from in the Sinclair family...?’
As far as Duke Ludwig knew, the financial situation of the Count Sinclair was
not much better than before.
Count Sinclair let out an embarrassing laugh, probably noticing Duke Ludwig’s
suspicious expression.
“Of course, I received a little loan from the imperial treasury, but I’m not
cheating the Duke. The distribution rights were obtained because we decided to
hand over 30% of the distribution profits to Count Morento.”
For the Count of Morento, it was like sitting still and making money.
However, the reason why Count Sinclair brought up the idea that he had
obtained the right to distribute iron ore by mentioning Count Rigelhoff was self-
evident.
No, now I thought I knew why Layla Sinclair was here.
“Your Excellency the Duke. The Counts of Rigelhoff can no longer be called the
imperial faction. He is not an ally of the Ludwig family.”
“Kuhm...”
Duke Ludwig agreed to that. Probably all the aristocrats who attended the
founding ceremony knew that fact.
“Count Rigelhoff, only His Excellency the Duke and Killian suffered great
damage from that man’s trick. How dare you marry Rigelhoff’s wife with
Killian if you didn’t talk about it as an alliance or fidelity?”
“Ha, that...”
Duke Ludwig hadn’t been able to say anything since before. Everything was as
Count Sinclair said.
“You must have known that Count Rigelhoff was cunning, but who would have
known that he would betray me even after taking my daughter hostage? Besides,
you pretended to care very much for my daughter outside.”
“I mean.”
Duke Ludwig shook his head and drank again. It felt like my stomach was
burning.
“So that’s what you say.”
“This is not the time to insist on such good thoughts, Your Excellency.
Wouldn’t that make it look like you’re being tricked by Count Rigelhoff?”
“Isn’t it the Count Rigelhoffs who will one day be defeated together with
ArchDuke Langston? By the way, are you leaving Edith Rigelhoff with the
Duke? Would that be a proper cut?”
As Count Sinclair went over the area he was worried about, a deep gap formed
between Duke Ludwig’s brows as well.
EPISODE 99
“Besides, Edith Rigelhoff seems to think of the Ludwig family as his own
wallet. She said that even if she divorces Killian, she will receive a large
mansion and a large amount of money as alimony, so she will not regret it.”
“What?”
“This is a story that Edith herself said at the last founding festival. Many other
people have heard of it, so you can do some research.”
If I cut off everything before and after and listened to only the contents, it
sounded as if Edith was spreading such rumors here and there.
Duke Ludwig had recently been apologetic towards Edith, but hearing such
words at a time when he was still having trouble with Count Rigelhoff’s family
made him feel betrayed and clenched his teeth.
“...That’s not wrong. It is clearly stated in the contract that was written at the
time of marriage.”
“How long will you put up with being cunning and arrogant like my father?
Count Rigelhof has already left. And I can provide you with a reliable iron ore
distribution network. You don’t know what this means, do you?”
The marriage was concluded for the iron ore distribution rights and alliance
anyway, but since those two conditions have already lost their meaning, it is
only natural that the marriage should be broken.
“Hmm...”
Even so, when Duke Ludwig spared his words, Layla hesitantly opened her
mouth with a sorrowful expression.
At those words, which accurately pointed out the part of Duke Ludwig’s
hesitation, the Duke looked at Layla.
“At that time, I was too young and immature. I was jealous because Liese was
pretty... But not now. Anyway, Liese is my younger sister.”
Layla pretended to reflect on her past with a pitiful expression, but Duke
Ludwig did not react to it either.
It was because Duke Ludwig knew that Layla Sinclair was the source of the
vicious rumors about Liese that had been circulating steadily until recently.
‘But it’s also true that an iron ore distribution network is needed. Sooner or later,
another large-scale order for weapons such as swords and spears has to be
entered...’
Of course, the empire’s iron ore wasn’t dominated by just two families, but the
closest distribution chain was the Counts of Rigelhoff and the Counts of
Sinclair.
As the Duke, who did not know the details of what was going on in the mansion,
he did not know exactly about Killian’s feelings.
However, he believed that Killian did not love Edith. Compared to Killian when
she loved Liese, the current Killian was closer to Edith’s bluntness.
“Hmm. It is premature to talk about this. It’s not that Count Rigelhoff
completely betrayed me, and it’s not like I can control Killian’s marriage at will.
But I understood what the Count wanted to say.”
Count Sinclair decided to step back from this point, even though it was a little
regretful.
“Of course, I didn’t mean to ask you to decide the matter of Killian’s marriage
right now. Rather, we’ve definitely got the right to distribute the iron ore, so the
Duke just stopped by to tell us not to worry too much.”
“Thank you. Thanks to that, I think I will be able to respond to the Langston
anti-aircraft wave without impatientness.”
***
Hearing that he was from Count Sinclair’s family, Cliff deliberately took Liese
out of the house, and Killian and I guarded the drawing room with the Duchess.
“I’ll probably come out here after the time to be alone and talk for a while
before going back.”
The Duchess also did not like the visit of the Count Sinclair.
Well, since it was a family that had been harassing Liese, who thought of her
like a daughter, no, even now, she was constantly creating malicious rumors and
harassing her, so it couldn’t be nice.
“I don’t know how thick the faces of shameless people are. I would like you to
take off the skin and check it out.”
It was a casual tone, but it gave me goosebumps to know that he was someone
who could really do that if he put his mind to it.
‘Come to think of it, even in the original work, cutting Edith’s head and killing
him at once was a pretty merciful disposition. He didn’t torture her.’
...Maybe Rigelhoff just didn’t have time because he had to kill all the humans.
While I was chewing on the idea of zero productivity, Duke Ludwig entered the
drawing room with Sinclair and humans.
The Duchess, who had been making a disgruntled expression until just now,
greeted them with a bright and benevolent smile as if she had never done that
before.
“You have been talking for a long time. I hope you didn’t drink too much tea. I
prepared a lot of tea food.”
At the glance of the Duchess, the waiting maids set tea and refreshments on the
table.
The sunset-colored black tea smoked fragrant seaweed, and the freshly baked
scones with clotted cream and strawberry jam were also delicious.
However, Layla, who was seated across from her, seemed to be more busy
looking at Killian than eating delicious refreshments.
Even if it were me, I would only watch Killian the whole time I was here and
then go back. It’s not worth the time to blink.
Killian was expressionless throughout, but the Duke and his wife were more
sociable people than him, so they kept their dignity and led the conversation.
I don’t know if it’s on purpose or it can’t be helped, but it’s because the topics of
conversation were all things in the past that I didn’t know about.
I don’t think it would help if I interrupted anyway, so I was drinking tea with a
smile on my face when I accidentally met Layla’s eyes.
Contrary to what I expected to glance at me, Layla smiled and spoke to me.
I could have called the maid to take her away, but it seemed like she had
something to say to me, so I got up.
“Thank you.”
Layla followed me with a completely different look than she did during the
founding day.
And as soon as I entered the hallway leading to the bathroom, I put on a smile as
if I wanted to hear it.
“I’ve been thinking about it since the other day, but I think it would be better for
Layla to look at herself before talking to others.”
I even copied Layla’s trembling expression and repeated what she said.
Layla quickly turned red and bluish, then managed to raise her nose.
“We’ll see how long you can go on with that arrogant attitude. Oh! Did you hear
that my family preoccupied the northern iron ore distribution rights?”
“It seems that they are not so interested in the world. You know that the reason
you were able to marry Killian was because of the iron ore distribution rights of
the Rigelhoffs, right?”
You were very excited. How could I have endured all this time because I wanted
to brag about that to me?
“From next year, my family will have the right to distribute iron ore in the north.
It means that until then is the validity period for you to keep the position.”
“It is. The Ludwig family had no choice but to take you as their daughter-in-law
because of the alliance and the iron ore distribution rights, but the alliance has
already been broken, so what use is the Rigelhoff family’s iron ore distribution
rights? But my family, a friend of the Ludwig family, obtained the right to
distribute iron ore. What does this mean, I really don’t know?”
I let out a long sigh.
“Poop! Oh my gosh, Edith. How can you say that? You who ignored Killian’s
wishes and pushed for marriage with him!”
I felt like I could understand a little bit of Killian when he first married me.
How disgusting was the position of his wife who was traded in this way.
“The bathroom is over there. Aren’t you stupid enough to get lost on your way
back to the drawing room?”
As if she didn’t like my casual attitude, Layla glared at me with the ferocious
eyes she had during the founding festival and smirked.
Don’t look down on the time I went through to change his mind!
Without looking at Layla, I waved and walked toward the drawing room.
Without looking back, Layla was grinding her teeth right in front of her eyes.
However, turning away from her, my heart wasn’t very clear either.
‘No matter how much, Count Sinclair’s family is Liese’s main enemy, so can it
be twisted like this?’
In the original work, Duke Ludwig cruelly tramples on Count Sinclair, who
realized the value of Liese belatedly and clung to him and talked about Liese’s
parental rights.
EPISODE 100
Layla, who continued to spread malicious rumors about Liese, is also disgraced
and buried in the social world.
Then, for some reason, they suddenly recognized Liese as Cliff’s wife and
instead targeted Killian.
‘Ah! Edith in the original work was not even in a position to be attacked, oh!
Both Cliff and Killian were only looking at Liese, so Liese became the target of
attack until the end!’
He must have thought that it would be easier to attack me, who seemed to have
no hills, and occupy the seat next to Killian than to touch Liese, who seemed to
be protected by the ducal family.
And, unfortunately, the conditions the Sinclairs had brought in were creating a
great probability of knocking me out.
‘Even if I were a Duke, he would think that Layla would be better than me.’
‘Besides, if the Rigelhoffs do something sooner or later... I think the offer from
the Sinclairs will be very attractive.’
‘It means that you can get a divorce even if Killian doesn’t cut my throat.’
Of course, even if you get divorced, you can live without worrying about
money. As I said at the founding ceremony, I will be provided with a decent
mansion and generous alimony.
‘But...’
I took a deep breath and went back into the living room.
“Are you saying you can’t even go to the bathroom by yourself? Shouldn’t she
have hired me as a maid?”
Where will the survival period of the wicked woman possessing water, which is
out of principle, flow?
I gulped down the tea to stop the sigh that came out.
***
Count Rigelhoff, who had been quiet since the founding, suddenly declared a
territory war against the Ludwig duchy.
When Killian stopped by my room and told me the news with a puzzled look, I
expected it, but my spine went cold.
‘Oh, finally...’
How could a count’s family, at least with some money, think of declaring war
on a samurai family that is said to be a hero of saving the country...
‘He probably believes in the knights of ArchDuke Langston, but behind the
Duke Ludwig is the royal family, you idiots!’
Of course, if a land war breaks out between nobles, the imperial family must
remain neutral.
But look at all the history of the East and the West. Where is the imperial family
that kept perfect neutrality?
‘Besides, even if it’s not the imperial family, the Ludwig family’s firepower is
no joke.’
I have never seen it with my own eyes, but the artist fully explained it in <I
Refuse Obsession>. How messed up the Rigelhoff family was in the Battle of
Territories.
“Please. Rather, the price of iron ore was lowered by Count Rigelhoff. But they
said that we had no choice but to cut it because we put pressure on it.”
I shook my head.
Count Rigelhoff was really lost in his own thoughts and was driving his family
into danger.
With that level of self-pity and pride, how the hell did Count Rigelhoff raise his
children!
“Huh? What?”
It was only belatedly that I remembered that the human who declared the Battle
of Territories was the person set up as my father.
“Ah, what... Isn’t it inevitable? With this, it seems that the Rigelhoffs and I have
completely become strangers.”
“Thank you if you think so. But you’ll have to be a bit more mindful. Depending
on the outcome of the war, Count Rigelhoff...”
“I know.”
Well, no matter how hateful the father is, it must be a bit surprising that I am as
insensitive as I am while expecting my father to die.
But should I treat him like a father? A man who abused his young daughter and
tricked a man into stealing information?
“...Maybe.”
“My father is too greedy. He can’t see himself and his family objectively. I’ve
tried to stop him, but...”
I pretended to be the victim as much as possible and tried to make a pitiful face.
Fortunately, Killian sighed as I did and came over my shoulder as if to comfort
me.
I paused for a moment, feeling his warm hand, then asked with a sigh.
“I’m still pretending not to know that ArchDuke Langston has come out as if it
has nothing to do with him, but I think this Battle of Territories will be the
starting point of the treason.”
“ArchDuke Langston is also bold. What the hell did he believe in doing this...”
Count Rigelhoff, who had served as the pawn of ArchDuke Langston and had
constantly touched imperial aristocrats, declared a land war against the right-
hand man of the emperor, Duke Ludwig. How could that be a mere family
quarrel?
“It’s obvious what ArchDuke Langston believes in. After Taehwang. Because
Empress Dowager Taehwang believes that Her Majesty the Emperor is not the
son of His Majesty the predecessor.”
“Nonsense. The temple already recognized pure blood 27 years ago. That’s why
I was able to ascend the throne.”
“The Empress Dowager thinks that the recognition of the temple at the time was
also pressured by Her Majesty’s Saga.”
“Then, why is His Majesty the Emperor at this point, 30 years after he ascended
the throne?”
“It’s disrespectful, but... Her Majesty’s mind seems to be unstable. You are 98
years old.”
Her husband and eldest son had already left long ago, and she had been living in
her own little world, occupying the back room alone, and seemed to be showing
signs of dementia for several years.
“Yes.”
ArchDuke Langston was also a great man to seduce an old man who
remembered the events of 30 years ago more vividly than the day before
yesterday with subtle words to achieve his ambition for the throne.
“Treason that has been waiting for 30 years, should I say this is amazing...”
“He must have tried to give up the throne at first. But not Dane, the son of the
ArchDuke. It was probably Dane who seduced Empress Dowager Taehwang.”
It was said that it was treason to give the position of emperor to his son.
It’s much better than a person who uses his children as hostages and easily
throws them away when he’s no longer needed, cancer.
“There may be humans who will attack you just because you are the daughter of
Count Rigelhoff.”
“It’s not your fault. And now I am Edith Ludwig, not Edith Riegelhoff.”
“You know that. Arm yourself with that thought. Whatever anyone says, just
refute it that way.”
“Is there anything difficult, what? I’m just worried about you getting hurt.”
“Well, I heard that young widows attract flies like that. I will never see that
again.”
The sweet breath and the stimulation of the hot tip of my tongue melted away
my anxiety little by little.
Killian softly opened his mouth with a ticking sound, looked down at me with
his mysterious gray eyes and whispered.
“I will take this opportunity to show you what a great man your husband is.”
It was a warm moment that made me think he might be in love with me.
Killian and I were trying to playfully overcome this situation, but in fact, it
wasn’t a very happy atmosphere.
You can tell by looking at Duke Ludwig, who hasn’t even looked at me since
Count Rigelhoff declared a Battle of Territories.
Suddenly, I thought of Layla Sinclair, who had been cursing me to make the
most of the seats that were about to expire.
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EPISODE 101
‘I’m Killian who accepted marriage talks with Count Rigelhoff despite having
Liese whom I love so much. At least I could easily be replaced by Layla
Sinclair.’
Killian looked at me closely and then wrapped his arms around my shoulders
and said.
“I’m thinking of going down to Ryzen as soon as the situation in the capital is
stabilized after the Battle of Territories. What do you think?”
“I agree. If you are in the capital, you will suffer from gossip...”
“It might be a little boring going down because it’s an ordinary manor, but for
the time being, treat yourself as if you’re recuperating.”
I was really looking forward to going to the manor, but Killian seemed to think
that I had no choice but to go because I didn’t want to go.
I sincerely hoped that the day to go down to the manor with Killian would come
as soon as possible.
***
“The Rigelhoff family has been in a hurry. It’s annoying, but it worked out
better. I really need to root it out this time.”
Duke Ludwig said while looking through the current status report handed to him
by his aide.
Cliff and Killian, who sat together in the office, nodded without saying
anything.
“Why not? It seems that you will take this opportunity to slay Grand Duke
Langston, who climbs up without knowing where he is going, and Her Majesty,
Empress Dowager Taehwang, who never treated Her Majesty as an emperor.”
“At last!”
“You have been patient. Honestly, to the point where people watching from the
side burst into tears.”
“His Majesty must have been waiting for a day like this. There has never been a
justification for purging, and no one will be able to refute this time.”
Cliff nodded, but this time he lowered his voice a bit.
It was to find out the families involved in the treason and ask if the level of
punishment was determined.
“Looks like it’s over. The Grand Duchess of Langston, the Counts of Rigelhoff,
and the Counts of Islet will not be able to escape extinction.”
At the same time as ‘Count Rigelhoff’ was mentioned, the eyes of Duke Ludwig
and Cliff turned to Killian.
“Edith thinks the relationship with the Rigelhoffs has already been cut off.
Actually isn’t it? Because she declared war without even half a word,
completely ignoring the welfare of her daughter, whom she entrusted to her as a
hostage.”
While nodding his head, Duke Ludwig looked as if he didn’t like Killian’s
answer.
Killian didn’t want to see Edith enduring any more wounds and pain.
After living quietly and diligently in Ryzen for several years, people will forget
Edith’s past and the last name Rigelhoff.
People’s curiosity boils at once, but the tableware cools down just as quickly.
“I am leaving in a week. Cliff, you take the Knights side, and Killian, you take
the weapons side, prepare to depart without a hitch in a week.”
“Yes, I understand.”
When the meeting broke down, Duke Ludwig headed back to the imperial
family, and Cliff and Killian were busy preparing their duties thoroughly.
After the sun went down, Killian, who had finally found time to relax and had
dinner with Edith, returned to his room with a feeling of regret because he had to
document the situation of the arsenal he had grasped today.
However, while working on the document, I couldn’t get rid of the thought of
Edith in the corner of my head.
‘I’ve been eating less... Even if I pretend it’s not, I’m sure you’re worried.’
Edith, who always exclaimed and ate happily, started leaving food a few days
ago.
It was so absurd that Anna, who was about to clear the table, asked, ‘Is it true
that you have finished eating?’
‘Edith should have endured well until the Battle of Territories is over...’
It was when I was just sorting through the documents with a low sigh.
It was too late for anyone to come, but Killian walked slowly to the door, feeling
a strange déjà vu.
Edith had never come to me first, except for that night when she secretly tried to
kiss me.
And the person standing outside the door, as I guessed for no reason, was Liese.
She was wearing acupuncture like when she came to tell the story of the missing
maid, but unlike the acupuncture she always wore, it had a design that left her
shoulders exposed, like Edith’s.
‘Is this type of acupuncture in vogue these days? But I don’t think it suits
Liese... It looks like a child stole her mother’s bedding.’
When Edith wore it, it was bewitching and dazzling, but when the slender Liese
wore it, I was nervous because it seemed like it would flow down any moment.
“What is it, at this hour?”
“It’s so hard to see Killian’s face these days. I came because I wanted to be here
at this hour.”
There was a bright smile on his face that he had been accustomed to seeing for
the past five years.
“Cliff is Cliff, and Killian is Killian. Are you busy and did I interrupt you?”
“No, no. Come to think of it, I haven’t been able to take care of you lately.”
“Just... I’m worried because he said he’s leaving soon... I want to say hello...”
“Where am I going to die? Both you and Edith worry too much. Heck, maybe
it’s because he didn’t see Cliff and me fighting on the battlefield.”
Liese laughed, but her pretty water blue eyes seemed somehow sad.
“Killian. Do you remember that? When I first came to the mansion... He was
walking around the garden and his hair got caught in the twigs of the garden
trees and he was stuck.”
“Ah! Haha! I don’t remember. At that time, you were very embarrassed.”
“That’s right. Unlike Sinclair Street, I was really excited because I was able to
see the garden on my own. Then, I was embarrassed that my hair got tangled in
the tree, but I was even more embarrassed when the second boy found out about
it. I thought I might get hit by a few.”
***
It was an early summer day when Liese, who had been almost rescued from the
house of Count Sinclair, was just starting to get a taste of freedom.
Liesee, who had been wandering around the garden of the Ludwig family, which
was bigger and more beautiful than the garden of the Count Sinclair, had her
hair caught in a tree because of the wind that day was a little harsh.
I reached out and tried to fumble, but I couldn’t figure out how the hair got
caught.
“What...?”
“Ah, ah, hello, how are you?”
Twenty-year-old Killian was a little colder, sharper, and more sensitive than he
is now, so Liese was trying to be as inconspicuous as possible.
“I-I didn’t do this on purpose, because the wind blew, I really didn’t expect it to
happen like this... I’m sorry I didn’t tie her hair neatly. Sorry.”
Killian looked at Liese, who was afraid of me for no reason, and handed the
book he was holding to Liese.
Liese accepted the book in bewilderment, and with both hands he freed Liese’s
hair from the tree.
I had no choice but to use a knife to cut off the parts that got tangled even worse
as Liese whimpered.
The garden tree, after all its hair had been removed, had dazzling blond hair
intertwined in places.
“Your blonde hair is pretty, so I guess he wanted to touch him a little too.”
Killian put his pocket knife in and said while taking the book that was in Liese’s
hand.
It was the first time the two of them had talked since the Duke and Duchess
Ludwig introduced Liese to their sons.
***
“I was sure then. They say that this person is actually a kind person...”
It really was.
He didn’t like the illegitimate son of the Sinclair family, whom his parents had
suddenly brought in, but he had no intention of frightening him.
It was just a little annoying, and at the same time, a little annoying.
At some point, when I heard Liese’s clear laughter, my heart raced, and when I
saw Liese’s tears, my heart sank.
When Liese looked at Cliff, I felt jealous and impatience, and when Liese
looked at me, I felt happy that my whole body would melt.
“In fact...”
“Hmm?”
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EPISODE 102
“My heart...?”
“Yes...”
Killian also assumed that Liese knew my heart. But saying it out loud was an
entirely different matter.
“I am grateful that Master Cliff loves me. It’s a bit scary at times, but...”
“Sigh...”
Killian covered his forehead with his hand as his mind seemed to be jumbled.
Numerous moments that could have been Liese’s sign passed before his eyes.
“If I hadn’t been an illegitimate child... Could something have been different?”
Killian didn’t know what to do at the question, which seemed to be soaked with
sadness, and just stiffened.
Edith, who said she was worried about me, but gave a mischievous reason.
However, Killian thought that Edith’s playful expression was more relevant than
Liese’s tearful concern.
And at the same time, the memories of the past replayed in my head.
There were many moments when I was mistaken by myself that Liese might be
in love with me, but there were more moments when I realized that it was an
illusion.
The smile she gave to Cliff was brighter than the one he smiled at me, the two of
them were much closer without me, and sometimes felt alienated even in the
presence of the three.
Liese didn’t tell me that she loved me. She just said, ‘I knew your heart.’
‘I almost made another stupid mistake. No, did Liese intend this kind of
misunderstanding...?’
Killian frowned slightly and shook his head.
However, the moment Liese approached, even the cold-hearted Killian couldn’t
help but be taken aback.
“Liese...?”
The moist eyes, the exposed shoulder, the hand on Killian’s forearm, everything
of Liese was tempting Killian.
For the first time, the fragments of sunlight he had longed for for the past five
years were shining towards him. He wanted her.
“Liese...”
If Liese had approached half a year earlier, Killian would have kissed Liese
without thinking twice.
“Killian...?”
“You don’t have to do it like sending someone to die like that, you fool.”
With that alone, the strange atmosphere that had been hanging between them
was scattered in an instant.
“I’ll bet you. It would take less than a month to win or lose the Battle of
Territories. The reason why this Battle of Territories happened in the first place
was because my father thoroughly hid our power. I was waiting for them to
provoke me like this first.”
“Ah...”
“You and Edith, it seems like you’re too nervous when you say war.”
“Don’t worry, get some sleep. Let’s go, I’ll see you.”
Killian would have offered him one or two more times if Liese had refused, but
he thought that Liese might feel embarrassed when he refused to kiss him, so he
said yes.
Unlike usual, Killian, who said goodbye without even a kiss on the forehead,
was lost in thought as he looked at the door that Liese had left behind.
‘Why is Liese suddenly acting like that?’
I had been thinking for some time that Liese seemed to be subtly seducing me.
‘No matter how you think about it, Liese definitely had feelings for Cliff. Why
did I say it as if it was Cliff’s one-sided mind?’
Right after hearing the words ‘I knew your feelings’ or ‘Would it have been
different if I hadn’t been an illegitimate child’, I almost mistaken it for a
moment with shock and embarrassment, but if I calmly think back on my
memories, Liese is definitely Cliff. Was close to loving.
That’s why I accepted the marriage with Edith, and until then, Liese was close to
supporting me and Edith.
No matter how much I thought about it, it was difficult to find the reason.
However, one more surprising thing was that even after hearing Liese’s words,
he did not waver.
It’s not just because of the responsibility of ‘like it or not, Edith is my wife’.
He felt more comfortable with Edith and felt more desire for her.
Instead of Liese, who was bright, clear, and kind like the sun, who blamed
herself for anything that happened and was cautious that she would break up any
minute, Edith, who was careless, brazen, confident, and never lost a word, had
taken over his heart from some point on.
‘With the Battle of Territories ahead, Liese only felt confused about her feelings.
Let’s forget it.’
Killian sighed and smiled at the same time, then suddenly stopped touching the
document.
‘If Edith was like this, she would have assumed that she was trying to seduce me
to hide something about herself...? Then... Shouldn’t we have the same question
towards Liese?’
Thinking like that made me realize how absurdly suspicious I had been towards
Edith in the past, and how partial I was.
And finally, I came to question whether Liese is really ‘kind and innocent’.
The truth about the day Edith was almost killed was still unknown, and the most
suspicious person was Liese.
Killian immediately called a servant and told him to bring Anna, Edith’s maid.
And he lowered her voice and secretly commanded Anna, who had come
running in a month.
“Never take your eyes off Edith while I’m gone. Do your best to protect Edith’s
safety.”
“All right.”
“I am sorry to burden you so much, but you are the only one I can trust.”
Anna replied confidently and quietly withdrew, but Killian’s eyebrows hardly
straightened.
It seemed that the beautiful memories of the past five years spent with Liese
were shining brightly to protect her, but Killian feared that something was
hidden under that light.
***
Step-step.
And just as the sound of footsteps became more frequent, a low, soft voice came
from the darkness.
“Cliff...”
Cliff, who was waiting for Liese in front of her door, smiled and spread his arms
toward her.
Having locked Liese in his arms, Cliff opened Liese’s door and went inside
together.
Even though Liese had heard it over and over again, her shoulders trembled like
an aspen tree.
“Instead of worrying about me or Killian, watch over Edith while we’re gone.”
“Yes...?”
His trembling shoulders stopped, and his puzzled eyes stared at Cliff.
“I’m hoping it’s Ki-woo, too, but you never know. You have to keep a close eye
on Edith to see if there’s anything strange going on.”
“Send the hawk. I will tell the guy who manages Jeon Seo-eung in advance.”
***
The colder the day, the harder it is to get out of the blanket.
But it wasn’t just the cold that made it hard to get out of the blankets today.
Killian, who held me warmly last night, blinked his thick double eyelids, then
shook his body and laughed.
“Is it too bad that you won’t see me for a few days?”
If it was like before, he would have sarcastically said that he was overly self-
conscious and that it was an illness if he was misunderstood, but he couldn’t do
that this morning.
It was ironic that the man destined to cut my throat was the only one I could turn
to, but for now, Killian was the only one to protect me.
Who would protect me now, the daughter of Count Rigelhoff, who dared to
declare a fief war against the Ludwig family?
I Thought It Was Common Possession-Chapter 102
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EPISODE 103
“Edith.”
His body odor, a mixture of alluring musk and the scent of tree bark, always
thrilled my heart.
“It won’t take long. You only need to wait for a month or so. Do not go out of
the mansion as much as possible, and do not write to others.”
“I was afraid that I would go outside just because I was excited about this yard
where my father walked to Battle of Territories toward my in-laws’ house?”
“Not that... It means that you have to put up with the occasional outings in the
city. I’m sorry about you.”
The pat on the back was kind enough to bring tears to my eyes.
“Cheese... Do you know who is young? Be careful not to get hit by either you or
the blind arrows.”
“For me...?”
I put on the shawl I had by my side and opened the chest of drawers.
As soon as I heard that the Battle of Territories had been declared, a pair of
finished handkerchief, which had just been completed yesterday, were lying
quietly in a clumsy look.
I pulled it in the opposite direction to correct it, but the whirlwind shape stayed
the same and only stretched in the opposite direction.
“Pffft!”
Killian’s eyes widened as he turned the handkerchief I gave him back and forth,
then raised his head.
“I’ve been thinking about it since the bazaar’s embroidered handkerchief, but
you’re not good with your hands.”
“I bought all three because I was afraid someone would see them.”
“I asked who bought it and it was you! Thank you. In fact, I was nervous
because I was afraid that it would not sell until the end.”
“Ahahaha!”
“Actually, I wrote something good. Maybe it’s because I’m not good at it, so I
started investing in materials.”
It’s a bit of a foul to say things like that with a face that says you’re going to die
of joy.
And Killian didn’t miss that gap, grabbed me by my nape and kissed me.
His lips, still smiling, moved playfully on top of my lips and then slipped into
each other, and the dry lips parted in the gap and stuck their tongues out, making
a sloppy noise.
“Haa, Killian...!”
Killian held on tighter to me as he pushed me away and led me back to the bed.
“Yes... I can’t...”
We glanced at the brightening window, nervously but quickly throwing off our
bedclothes, and horrified by the cold air, seeking each other’s body heat.
My body, remembering the heat of the previous night, quickly heated up, and
Killian and I impatiently put our bodies together.
‘It’s okay to say that Killian only wants my body. I think I’ll be happy living
like this.’
I know it sounds like low self-esteem, but Killian is kind and charming enough
to bring that thought to mind.
It was a person.
If the original Edith had been a little more relaxed, she would not have suffered
such a catastrophe. Killian wasn’t the kind of person who could ruthlessly cut
off the person clinging to him.
‘If only this Battle of Territories ends well... If only I could greet Killian without
anything happening... I can avoid the ending of the original plot!’
The third-stage exception was something I couldn’t figure out, and now I
couldn’t be relieved just by avoiding the ending of the original story, but I could
accomplish my first goal of surviving anyway.
After one climax, I held onto Killian’s shoulder as he licked my lips again and
stopped me.
Killian glanced at the alarm clock on my dressing table and clicked his tongue in
disapproval.
“I’m already getting annoyed at the thought of not being able to do this for a
month.”
“It’s the same with other knights, but you shouldn’t be like this.”
Killian nodded, shaking his head and finally pulling himself away from me.
After that, I had to hurry like a mother who wants to send her child to a daycare
center.
He hurried Anna to get some water, washed her up, and put on his clothes.
While I was dressing her, she asked Anna to shave Killian.
“Jocelyn. While I’m gone, I’ll give you full control of this mansion. Philip! I
want you to help Jocelyn and keep the mansion intact.”
“Sir Gordon. I will entrust you with the defense of this mansion during the
Battle of Territories.”
“Mrs Luigi. As the head maid, I ask you to help Jocelyn and Philip keep the
house safe and sound.”
“Yes, Master.”
Starting with Philip the butler, Duke Ludwig asked the captain of the mansion
escort knights and one of the main servants what to do.
Probably everyone in the room noticed that fact. Killian’s face hardened in an
instant.
“...”
Anyone who sees it will think that Killian was ignored, not me.
“Yes. And I’m fine, so don’t worry too much about it. Right now, His
Excellency the Duke must be in a complicated state of mind. I am the enemy’s
daughter.”
“No. You are not an enemy’s daughter, but Duke Ludwig’s daughter-in-law and
my wife. Don’t forget that your name is Edith Ludwig.”
I’ve never forgotten it’s the last bastion I can beg for my life.
But I just smiled and held his hand one last time.
The tip of the yarn ball touched my fingertips.
I was grateful to him for insisting on wearing the sloppy pajamas I had woven.
“Don’t get hurt and come back. I will remember that brag about how great you
are.”
“Gladly.”
Killian kissed me one last time and followed Duke Ludwig out.
Finally, the beginning of the episode that could be Edith’s last has risen.
***
When the Battle of Territories started, newspapers in the capital became busy.
Everyone must have been interested because it was a fight between Count
Rigelhoff, who was said to have the most wealth among the counts, and Duke
Ludwig, the right-hand man of the emperor.
— The reason for the Battle of Territories was the Ludwig family’s unfair iron
ore price pressure! The truth?
Headlines like those seen in beauty salon magazines decorated the front pages of
newspapers.
Even in the midst of this, the temperature difference between the newspapers
influenced by the ArchDuke Langston or the Count Rigelhoffs and the
newspapers that paid attention to the imperial family was clearly felt.
‘The imperial family is too quiet. It’s probably that the people who joined the
rebellion are waiting for them to reveal themselves.’
Ever since he ascended the throne at the young age of 18, he has had to confront
those who have ignored and belittled him.
He grew up seeing all sorts of dirty things from a young age, and he was the one
who kept his position in the middle of the rugged power struggle.
‘But humans who are intoxicated with a handful of their own power can’t see
that.’
The Ludwig family has also been hiding their powers. That, too, was the will of
the emperor.
Sooner or later, Count Rigelhoff will say, ‘Those swindlers! You tricked us!’ It
seemed as if the figure was drawn in front of my eyes.
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EPISODE 104
“It is said that the Grand Duchess of Langston is constantly shaping public
opinion by attending banquets large and small.”
Princess Catherine, who stopped by the Ludwig family avoiding the eyes of
others, said annoyedly while drinking tea provided by the Duchess.
“I’ve been avoiding attending banquets in fear of hearing rumors that I’m
overpowering, but that seems to have been an excuse for them to catch the pod.”
Because of the sudden fame and power, the Ludwig family was afraid to cause
any inconvenience to the imperial family.
However, no matter how careful this side was with good intentions, those who
wanted to criticize somehow twisted and interpreted it in a bad way.
“I don’t think we should be intimidated, Mother. But... I’m worried that there
will be people who will get angry if they get swept up in the momentary
atmosphere and join the anti-communist faction.”
To those who don’t know my true story, it would be funny for me, the daughter
of Count Rigelhoff, to say such a thing.
“For Miss Edith, wouldn’t it be better if more people joined the anti-communist
faction?”
Princess Catherine had no ill will toward me. She just wants to see the inside of
me.
‘It’s certain that the Ludwig family will win. If they regret it even a little, they
will accuse me of being a traitor, and if they are happy, they will point their
fingers at me as a bitch who abandoned my parents and siblings. It’s obvious,
right?’
If you’re going to get criticized somehow, the latter is better. You have to save
your life! I want to see the people who abused me fall!
“Her Highness. People do not have only one position. Her Highness, the
princess, may also experience conflicts between the position of being the
princess and the position of being someone’s wife. Then what should I do?”
Although she was a princess who was said to be selfish, it was felt that she was
still confined to the boundaries of traditional education at times like this.
“What if His Highness’s life was at stake? Can you still make excuses for
listening to what others have to say? In the end, it’s up to you to choose.”
“Uh... Huh...”
“I too have chosen. Even after marrying me into the Ludwig family, my parents
who caused a fiasco without consulting me, and my in-laws who have protected
me so far. No matter what the outcome, I will take responsibility for my choice,
and I will not regret it even if someone criticizes it.”
It was a choice without a choice for me, but those people won’t know that, so I
hope they just consider it special.
“Sorry, yes, yes. Actually, when I saw you in the past, I had the impression that
you were being swayed by Count Rigelhoff. Everyone else said that Count
Rigelhoff raised you, but in my opinion... It seemed like you were constantly
watching your father.”
It seems that even the princess is not doing just anyone. Everyone else was
fooled, but to see through it?
If there was at least one place to escape to, Edith in the original story wouldn’t
have lived like that.
“Well, it’s not like I’m going to come back and bruise what I did back then.
Just... I mean, it looks much better now. I’m not good at talking, so I apologize
if I offended you.”
Catherine, who nodded and smiled, turned her gaze to the Duchess again.
“Oh, and there was a word that His Majesty had to convey. It won’t be a big
deal, but just in case, I’ll send some imperial troops to the Ludwig family.”
If the imperial troops protect this area, they will be able to sufficiently prevent
Shane’s attack, which occurred in the original story.
“No. Can you bother the emperor with something like this? There are enough
troops guarding the mansion, so tell them not to worry too much.”
I was like, ‘No, why?’ looked at the Duchess with a smile on her face.
“On the contrary, your wife’s refusal increases His Majesty’s anxiety. It
happened to punish the group of traitors, and it is right for His Majesty the
Emperor to bear the responsibility.”
That’s right!
“Of course, they won’t be sent rumored to be imperial troops. I’ll dress up like a
mercenary and send it off...”
“If rumors spread by any chance, it’s like giving ArchDuke Langston another
excuse.”
The superficial reason for this Battle of Territories was always the discord
between the two families, and for that reason, the royal family appearing to take
one side in the Battle of Territories might be the picture that the other side
wants.
‘But that’s only a problem when the Battle of Territories is long. By the time it’s
revealed that the Imperial Knights guarding Ludwig’s mansion are revealed, all
the rebels will be slain.’
In the end, Catherine also sighed and accepted the Duchess’s opinion.
Suddenly, the Duchess took out a handkerchief from her bosom and put it
around Liese’s mouth, startled.
“Liese!”
Liese also stopped the bleeding with a puzzled face. The white handkerchief the
Duchess handed over quickly turned red.
At my words, the Duchess hurriedly called Liese’s maid. It seems that such
delicate children are pouring out nosebleeds just from such tension or worry.
In the end, the tea time ended earlier than expected because of Liese, who went
back to her room with the help of a maid.
“Still, wouldn’t it be much safer if the Imperial Knights help defend the
mansion?”
“Um... It doesn’t.”
“Then why did you decline? Is it really because of the imperial family’s duty of
neutrality?”
But after a while, the wife tilted her head and muttered.
“Why did I do that?”
“Yes?”
The Duchess was regretting her actions, as if she had become a completely
different person from just half an hour ago.
“No. If you’ve been rejected, what will you do? It’s not that there aren’t too
many troops to defend the mansion, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
No, I wrote it. This was not enough to stand against Shane’s mercenaries.
‘Is the Duchess’ strange behavior also due to the flow of the original story?
Even in the original work, there is no mention that the Imperial Knights guarded
the mansion. That’s why Shane’s mercenaries attacked...’
Because I met the 2nd stage exception conditions and overcame the original
author’s intervention twice, the flow of the original work was greatly weakened,
but it did not completely disappear.
‘Anyway, it’s the most important event in which I, the villain, will die, so I think
it’s progressing according to the original story rather than a minor episode.’
***
From that day on, I toured the mansion every evening to see if there was
anything unusual.
It was a mansion with many escorts and servants, but I couldn’t shake my
anxiety.
The reason why Shane was able to raid so many mansions was that, in addition
to the unlocked back door of the mansion, he also smoked sleeping incense
everywhere that put so many people to sleep or made them feel drowsy.
Of course, in the original work, the role was played by Sophia and the spy
planted in the mansion in advance.
‘Maybe I didn’t install Sleep Incense without Sophia, but I don’t know...’
I didn’t know who the spy was planted in this mansion beforehand.
So, I also had to look around the mansion, avoiding the eyes of an unknown spy.
‘First of all, I’ll have to check the back door every day.’
The flow of the original work, which made it impossible to use me, might use a
spy to unlock the back door.
I checked the door lock with Anna, then got near the back door and had Anna
check the other side.
In the unlikely event that a strange device comes out, it will be difficult if you
doubt me about how I expected this.
However, I ran into the person I didn’t want to run into the most.
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EPISODE 105
“Edith...?”
“Ah, Liese. What are you doing there?”
I laughed lightly.
I was a little surprised to see Liese in the place where Edith in the previous life
had put an anti-lock device, but Liese was just locking the door.
I approached Liese, locked the back door, grabbed the doorknob, and shook it a
few times.
“Looks good here. Me and Anna checked the eastern hallway. I’m thinking of
going to the west hallway now.”
“Then, now Liese should check the eastern hallway and I should check the
western hallway. It will be more accurate if you check it twice.”
“I guess so.”
I waved to Liese, who was still pale, and walked with Anna toward the west
hallway.
‘Nothing’s going to happen. Nothing...’
He refused the Rigelhoff family’s last notice to cooperate with the family, and
he would not do any strange devices at the back door.
Every day, I would go around the mansion to see if there was anything like
sleeping incense, and if there was no sleeping incense, the mansion wouldn’t be
easily occupied.
It was the night of the week since I checked the door of the mansion, repeating
that I would be fine alone.
As usual, I checked the back door while Anna checked the aisle toward the
warehouse.
‘Huh?’
After hearing the usual clicking sound, I felt that the back door, which was
locked tightly, sounded like it was not locked well.
‘No way...!’
After confirming that Anna hadn’t come out of the shed aisle yet, I opened the
back door and groped inside the hole for the lock.
Though I thought that couldn’t be the case, I pulled out the ‘something’ with my
fingernails, put it in my pocket, and closed the back door again.
clap.
There was the same sound as usual and the back door was locked tightly.
Along with the chilling sensation, it seemed that my back was wet with cold
sweat.
“Miss...?”
“Uh! Uh huh?”
I thought it was Anna, but one of the maids who was taking the laundry was
looking at me strangely.
“Mae, every night I check the door lock. You... It’s late. Are you still working?”
“Yes, then...”
The maid bowed to me and disappeared into the darkness.
“Haaa...”
“Miss?”
Just as I was about to catch my breath, I was startled by Anna’s voice calling me
again, so I stuttered involuntarily.
But Anna didn’t say anything and we moved on to check the door lock again.
It’s a shame because it’s dark, but if it had been bright, my complexion would
have looked strangely pale to anyone’s eyes.
But I couldn’t. The device that Edith put in the back door in the original work
was now in my pocket.
But the fact that the device was still in my pocket didn’t feel too good.
I kept imagining how suddenly someone would dig through my clothes and find
this device and accuse me of being a spy for the Rigelhoffs.
I swallowed dry saliva and checked the door lock, then I hurriedly lay down on
the bed, making the excuse that I was tired today.
The first person to suspect was a spy from the Rigelhoffs, who must have been
in the family.
‘No matter how much I search Edith’s memories, I can’t figure out who it is.’
Count Rigelhoff sent Edith alone into the enemy’s lair, but he didn’t believe it
all, so he didn’t even tell Edith who the spy he planted was.
‘I don’t know who it is, but it’s clear that he’s as competent as Sophia just
because he hasn’t been caught so far.’
When the sound of Anna walking around outside the bedroom disappeared, I
quietly took out the device I had hidden under the pillow and examined it.
It was hard to see with the small lamp lit by the head of the bed, but it was a
simple device with a spring in the middle.
But since it’s made of metal, it won’t burn, and going far to throw it away seems
suspicious.
‘I’m going to throw it away somewhere while taking a walk in the garden
tomorrow.’
Even after thinking that, all sorts of bad imaginations arose one after another.
While I was doing that, I suddenly remembered the original author who was
looking down at me and smiling at me.
‘What did I do wrong? What crime did I commit in my previous life to do this to
me?’
The more I thought about it, the more my anger boiled over.
There was a time when I thought this possession was luck, but now all I can
think of is that I was caught by an unlucky mad god.
‘If this device was installed, there is a high probability that the sleeping incense
was also hidden. I have to find all of them at least in the direction of sleep.’
***
“Hello, Linnon.”
“Hello, lady.”
Even in the middle of the Battle of Territories, the work of the Duke’s servants
continued as usual.
I could barely sleep because I was grinding my teeth all night thinking about
how to mess with the original author.
What’s more unfair is that I couldn’t sleep and thought about it, but I couldn’t
come up with a sharp number.
It’s a textbook conclusion, but that was the only thing I could do now.
“Today, you can take care of the documents of the Ryzen estate. You worked so
hard that there aren’t many papers left anymore.”
I smiled awkwardly and received the documents for the Ryzen estate from
Linnon.
“It’s a matter that needs to be discussed with Killian, but if I ask for my own
opinion, I want to develop it into a commercial and recreational city.”
I unfolded the map of the Ryzen territory plugged into one side of my desk.
Mt. Philiak was not very high, and it was a thankful mountain that provided
various forest products to the people of Ryzen.
However, because of this mountain, Ryzen was treated as an isolated rural area,
disconnected from small and medium-sized cities across the mountain.
“You don’t have to push all the mountains. Because Mt. Philiak is definitely a
valuable resource for the people of Ryzen.”
“Sure.”
“The way?”
It would be difficult to drill a tunnel in this era, but it would be worth trying to
find the flattest and shortest road, build a mountain road, and organize the
surrounding vegetation.
“Ryzen will change completely if we pave the way to connect to small and
medium-sized cities beyond Mount Philiac and equip the auxiliary facilities for
merchants to use.”
“Hmm. I guess so.”
“In addition, don’t you think it would be quite okay to build a villa for nobles
near Mount Philiac as long as the amenities are well equipped? It will become a
city with convenience while enjoying nature.”
Even with that expressionless face, Linnon showed a little worried expression
and asked cautiously.
It must have been a question that everyone wanted to ask me, but couldn’t bear
to ask directly.
“But...”
“The fact that you left me here and provoked the Ludwig family means that the
ties between me and my family have been severed. I don’t want to be loyal to a
family that told me to die, even giving my life.”
However, in this world, family honor was considered more important than life.
Perhaps the way I severely sever ties with my parents might look vulgar in the
eyes of nobles who live and die in honor.
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EPISODE 106
“From Linnon’s point of view, I may seem like a person who doesn’t know the
kindness of my parents and family and betrays me like flipping the palm of my
hand.”
“No. To be honest, I think you are the one who has the courage to turn your
back on your family. How many women are treated as tools because they lack
that courage. That is wrong.”
A sincere man who talks kindly with an expressionless face. He has less impact
than male leads and sub-leaders, but what a good person to marry and live with!
“...Linnon is a good person.”
“It’s because other people don’t know Linnon’s true identity. I wish I could
make a connection with a really nice lady.”
***
The lord of Tricia, who had to give up his territory as a battlefield for a crime
against the Rigelhoff family, was drying up his blood, but unfortunately for him,
the charter had been tilted toward the Ludwig family from the beginning.
“This time, the ironclad cavalry and infantry divisions appeared from behind
Mount Roseto and struck the flanks of our troops, resulting in a heavy defeat.”
“Duke Ludwig must be the strongest in the Empire when it comes to tactics.”
“Cliff Ludwig and Killian Ludwig were knights who surpassed my father. It’s so
bold that it’s hard to believe that he’s never been to war.”
As desperate reports came one after another, a gloomy atmosphere drifted in the
camp of Count Rigelhoff.
Count Rigelhoff’s hair, which was always neatly arranged, was disheveled, and
a few strands fell between his frowning brows.
“Fucking bastards. You’ve fooled us thoroughly so far! Is this the way you treat
your friends!”
Count Rigelhoff vented indignation at the fact that the Ludwig family had been
hiding their firepower while I, too, had been deceiving them.
Even though he had to blame himself for being self-confident that he fully
grasped the current state of the Duke Ludwig prior to the Battle of Territories.
He had always been dissatisfied with Cliff, who was just lucky enough to
become the Duke’s heir, and had thought that Cliff and I were no different.
However, the Cliff he encountered during the Battle of Territories was truly a
monster.
Rumors that he resembled Duke Ludwig of the previous generation, who led the
war against the Kingdom of Janoch to victory, did not seem to be false.
In particular, in the battle not too long ago, the troops guarding Shane’s front
collapsed under Killian’s horse’s hooves.
Killian’s contemptuous voice, which came right in front of me, still lingered in
my ears like a nightmare.
— Lady Edith doesn’t seem to have any intention of cooperating until the end. I
guess it’s better to trust that unidentified helper.
His Excellency, ArchDuke Langston, has finished preparations for his rebellion
in the capital.
Sooner or later, the imperial family will fall into the hands of His Excellency
Langston, so you asked for a little more strength.
“It looks like that. Since Duncan has also been kicked out, it is even more
difficult to determine his identity.”
They were still thinking about an unknown person who contacted them saying
they would help them not long before the declaration of the Battle of Territories.
Duncan, the spy planted in the Ludwig family, was discovered as soon as the
Rigelhoff family declared a land war, and was severely beaten and kicked out.
Even Edith rejected the last offer, so I was thinking about what to do, but a
secret letter suddenly arrived.
— This is the person who works at Duke Ludwig’s residence. If you’re trying to
destroy the Ludwig family, I’d like to add a little bit of strength.
I cannot reveal my identity, but you’d probably rather trust me than trust your
daughter.
I was suspicious of his identity at first because he had sent me such a letter.
He wrote and sent details such as the remaining troops and the number of
employees in the Ludwig family, and said that he would install a sleeping
incense burner and a door lock prevention device.
Although it was said that the anti-locking device was discovered and removed
by someone from the Ludwig family in the middle.
“Even ArchDuke Langston is ready, so I can’t put off work any longer. I have
no choice but to trust Lee.”
“All right. Then I will go up to the capital tonight under cover of darkness.”
“Don’t worry!”
Shane secretly headed to the capital that night, keeping it a secret from the
Knights, accompanied by only one of his closest aides.
Unlike the restless and gloomy Rigelhoff camp, Ludwig’s camp had a relaxed
atmosphere.
“Is there anything to be desired? They’re so lousy, they’re trying to get a little
boring.”
“Don’t be careless.”
After congratulating the knights under his command and returning to his
barracks, Cliff took off his heavy armor and warmed up lightly.
Then, holding his breath, he looked around to see if there were any people
around him, then swept his hand under his bed.
It was an envelope containing the report of Cliff’s hired investigator and a letter
from Liese.
How are you? No matter how good the story of Battle of Territories is, it makes
me anxious.
The Duchess is resolutely leading the ducal family, and the butler and the knight
commander are not neglecting the management and defense of the mansion.
Edith seems to be very anxious, and in addition to locking down the door, he
goes around the mansion and checks for anything strange.
After reading Liese’s letter, Cliff immediately opened the investigator’s report.
Detected that Sofia, who was Shane Rigelhoff’s closest aide and Edith
Rigelhoff’s maid, signed a contract with a mercenary unit under an assumed
name.
Suspicious movements are also seen on the side of ArchDuke Langston. The
target is the Imperial Palace.
“For some reason, he said he couldn’t see Shane since the other day.”
Cliff secretly visited Duke Ludwig’s barracks late at night with the two letters in
his arms.
The Duke waited for Cliff with the brightness of his lamp reduced because he
had contacted him saying he would visit him in advance.
“Do you think this mercenary unit outnumbers the mansion’s defense
personnel?”
“Shane isn’t too stupid either, so he probably signed a contract with a fairly
large mercenary force, but he’s 50 at least. There are a total of 70 knights left in
the mansion, and there are quite a few servants, so we should be able to block
them enough. ...However, if there are collaborators inside the mansion, the story
is different.”
Cliff also handed over the letter he had received from Liese to the Duke.
“Liese doesn’t seem suspicious, but isn’t Edith a bit strange? The part about
wandering around the mansion.”
“Nasty things. You don’t even know the honor of being an aristocrat, and you’re
trying to do something that only wild dogs do.”
“It was wrong from the beginning that the right to distribute iron ore was in the
hands of such people.”
Duke Ludwig, who originally had a bad relationship with the Rigelhoffs, kept an
eye on the Rigelhoffs from the time they obtained the right to distribute iron ore
from the Rigelhoffs.
They deliberately treated them as friends and kept them by their side to monitor
them, and skillfully manipulated the surrounding forces so that they would not
abuse their power.
Even so, the Rigelhoffs succeeded in every investment they made and amassed
an enormous fortune.
“It was all thanks to the information Edith obtained that made their investment
successful.”
“Do you know how I felt when I pushed a child who must have already been
worn out as Killian’s bride and pushed it in front of him? I probably won’t be
able to erase that guilt until I die. Still, spilled water, I tried to accept the child,
but betrayed us like this...”
Cliff didn’t bother to mention that Killian was surprisingly getting along with
Edith.
It was something I had to cut out anyway, but I couldn’t let my father’s decision
falter.
EPISODE 107
“I will go up. If you send Killian, you can be swayed by small emotions.”
“Well, Killian has a soft heart. Even if she is the daughter of an enemy, she will
pity her.”
“Anyway, the Battle of Territories will end soon. This will be their final push, so
don’t let your guard down. A cornered mouse bites a cat.”
“I get it. Don’t tell me that I sent it because I thought there would be a problem
with the imperial family. Leave quietly, even tonight.”
After Cliff had a secret conversation with Duke Ludwig, he quietly left for the
capital with one of his troops.
***
News about the Battle of Territories was different for each newspaper, so it was
difficult to know the exact situation, but it seemed certain that the Ludwig
family had an advantage.
However, this did not mean that all public opinion in the social world was
concentrated in favor of the emperor.
There were quite a few demagogues on the side of Prince Langston, too.
“I didn’t expect this to be the reason for going to a party after a long time.”
The Duchess let out a low sigh as she headed for today’s party, the Count
Wyndham.
As Princess Catherine had said, people felt closer to the Counts of Rigelhoff and
the Grand Duchess of Langston, who showed their faces here and there, than to
the Ludwig family, who rarely showed themselves in social circles.
Because of that, people who claimed to be neutral began to waver, and in the
end, the Duchess, I, and Liese decided to attend the party.
“The Count Sinclair will also be here today. So Liese, don’t leave my side.”
“Yes, madam.”
Liese was obviously nervous, but she was trying hard to pretend to be calm.
Even before leaving the house, the Duchess kept asking if she was okay.
“The more I hide, the more people will look down on me. As long as I am the
daughter of the Rigelhoffs and the daughter-in-law of the Ludwigs, sooner or
later it is something I have to face.”
I had to repeat what I said yesterday. The reason the Duchess keeps asking even
after hearing the same answer is probably because she herself is also anxious.
Would I enjoy being in front of people who would bite me because I was crazy?
If I did, they would surely suspect me of opening the door to the mansion.
Normally, I wasn’t the type to just get over it when someone got into a fight, but
today I hope you come up with a more plausible answer.
Everyone seemed to crawl out when they heard that Duchess Ludwig was
attending.
“It’s an honor to find you, Duchess Ludwig.”
The Count Wyndham, who had been chosen to attend a party hosted by Duchess
Ludwig, seemed very happy as the emperor and his uncle were fighting for
power and war was raging somewhere in the empire.
“Thank you for your willingness to attend despite the sudden notice, Countess
Wyndham.”
The Duchess expressed her gratitude without being arrogant at all while
maintaining dignity and dignity.
When the Duchess appeared, the Count’s hall became somewhat bustling.
It seemed that the families who had not yet attached themselves to either side
were paying attention.
However, it seems that I, who followed her, stood out more than the Duchess to
the family members who had already established camps.
“What does that mean? Are you saying you want to take the Rigelhoff family
with you to the end?”
I couldn’t help but smile calmly even though I thought this evening was going to
be really eventful.
But unlike what Duchess Ludwig had been worried about when she came here,
she didn’t pay attention to the noise.
Rather, it stood proudly with me and Liese standing on either side, and it
became the focal point for the supporters to gather.
“I didn’t go out to fight a big war, what. I think it will be an opportunity for the
kids to learn the real battle.”
And at the bold appearance of the Duchess, the forces following Duke Ludwig
seemed quite relieved.
And as if waiting for me to think this way, someone pretended to know me.
“Why haven’t you been to the party like this? He declined all invitations... Are
you sure you were locked up?”
“It can’t be. Since I got married to the Duke Ludwig, not anywhere else, I
realized that I lacked a lot. So, I was busy learning this and that, so I didn’t have
time to spare.”
“That’s right. Anyway, nice to meet you. Since we haven’t seen each other in a
while, would you like to say hello to her old friends? Everyone is waiting for
Miss Edith over there.”
At the place she pointed with her hand, the young people from the families on
the side of Prince Langston gathered and smiled in that direction.
Besides, even though they were old friends, they were all just a bunch of people
who came together out of necessity, and no matter how much they searched
Edith’s memories, they had little knowledge about them.
I gave Clara no room to drag me along, and I greeted her straight away to the
Duchess.
“Yes. She’s a friend I used to hang out with when I was a girl. Ah! Come to
think of it, you live nearby with Viscount Boris over there, right? Come this
way. Let me introduce you to Viscount Boris.”
I didn’t even listen to Clara’s protests and dragged her in front of Viscount
Boris.
Viscount Boris was an ardent follower of the Duchess, and as soon as I took
Clara with me, I glared at her fiercely.
“Hello, Mrs. Boris. This is my old friend, the daughter of Viscount Clara
Sheldon. Since you’re near Viscount Sheldon’s house, you might already be
close.”
Clara’s complexion had already turned pale as she was about to lead me towards
the Duke of Langston.
And Viscount Boris, realizing my intentions, looked me over with her eyes as if
she were quite right, then grinned at Clara.
“I have to take care of my mother, so I can’t afford it. How about Mrs. Boris
introducing Miss Clara to the other wives?”
“I-I’m fine!”
“Oh, is that so? Then Miss Clara. Follow me. Let me personally introduce you
to the ‘really’ dignified and cultured ladies.”
“An opportunity like this is rare, Miss Clara. Don’t forget to say thank you to
Mrs. Boris.”
I lightly dodged Clara’s hand that was trying to grab me, waved at her, and went
back to the Duchess.
When Clara glanced in the direction of the group that was trying to take me,
they were quite perplexed.
“Oh dear. Edith, it looks like you’ve been through a lot. To be so skinny in one
year...”
“Thank you for your concern, but you shouldn’t grab my hand like this, as I’m
already another man’s wife, Viscount Bartlett.”
I laughed as if it were a joke, but I resolutely pulled the old man’s hand away.
He seemed surprised for a moment, but then said he didn’t know anything.
“Oops, it looks like you’re paying attention to Mrs. Ludwig. But how many
years have I known you? Your wife knows very well that you treat her like a
daughter.”
Isn’t it that you’re trying to hold my hand again and again? He even tried to put
his hand on my waist.
I Thought It Was Common Possession-Chapter 107
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EPISODE 108
‘Wherever you go, there are beasts that don’t deserve your age.’
It was the work of the ‘elderly men’ who had encountered many times in
previous lives.
Even this person was trying to lower the prestige of the Ludwig family by
harassing me in front of Mrs. Ludwig.
“If you notice me once, you should take care of yourself, Viscount Bartlett.
Have you become deaf lately?”
“Eh, Edith!”
“Or, since Duke Ludwig and his sons are not here, did you think it was time?
You dare to touch the Duke’s daughter-in-law. Do you want to cut off your
wrists too?”
“What do you mean! Can you really do this to me, who is like an uncle you have
known for a long time?”
“My father doesn’t even touch me. What’s more, my uncle. You are shameless.”
Perhaps the people around could clearly see what had happened.
“Viscount Bartlett.”
A dignified voice that clearly reveals that he is one level above me.
I was about to say something, but the Duchess held out her hand in front of me
to block my words.
“You are misunderstanding, Viscount. I meant to say that since I saw what you
did earlier, I knew why Edith was angry.”
“Why is the Duchess like this? These days, women are not allowed to joke
anyway...!”
The Duchess, who always looked dignified and gentle, began to exude alpha
beauty.
“We own large mills in the Bartlett estate and in the capital. We are getting
wheat from the Magpie estate.”
“Hmm... Magpie Manor has some money borrowed from us... What if the reason
for not being able to extend repayment was Viscount Bartlett?”
The size of the threat is different. It’s not just about destroying one opponent,
it’s about destroying the other person’s family, territory, and even the business
partners. Alpha girls are always right.
“That, sin, sin, sorry. It seems I’ve been drinking a little too much. Ha ha ha...”
The Duchess, who did not take her eyes off him until the end, looked at me with
pity when he disappeared completely and said,
Today is the first time I’ve been personally victimized, but how much
harassment did Edith of the original work experience?
If something like this happened, Edith would have been accused of being
lascivious.
Not just for myself, but for the sad Edith of the original story, I decided to
become stronger.
Fortunately, following the failure of the young lady, even the seasoned viscount
withdrew and resigned, so the ArchDuke of Langston could not recklessly
extend their grip on me.
Instead, I could feel some members of the same imperial faction staring at me
with disapproving eyes.
“Oh my god. To think of coming out with the Duchess, must have been
courageous.”
And here. There was one young lady who decided to fight directly.
“Hmph.”
Layla Sinclair, who passed by arguing so that only I could hear it, approached
the Duchess with a bright smile.
Then he greeted the Duchess with the utmost courtesy and asked how he was
doing. It was like I couldn’t even see it.
‘But I’m never going to get over it. Because she’s a woman who’s looking for
my place.’
It seemed that Layla would endure the humiliation of bowing her head to Liese
for the sake of Killian’s side.
“Liese. It seems too late, but even now I want to ask for your forgiveness. I
know I’ve been too mean to you.”
Of course you know. I was determined to be mean and behave meanly, but I
can’t help but be unaware of that!
“Sister...”
“At that time, I was too young and immature. And I was afraid that I would lose
my father’s love to you.”
Layla took out a handkerchief and pressed it to her eyes. If you press so
ignorantly, tears will come out.
“I won’t ask you to forgive me right away. It’s fine even if it’s little by little...
We are still sisters.”
Maybe it’s because there’s a melody that has been bothering Liese for a long
time, so she’s good at handling Liese.
“But maybe...”
I was thinking about Leyla, but she glanced in my direction and asked Liese
again, looking concerned.
“Are you okay? I don’t know if it’s too late to say hello, but I’ve heard rumors
that someone caused you to do this or that.”
“Yes? Who... Yo. This?”
Then, Layla took a step closer to Liese and whispered something into her ear.
Only then did Liese’s gaze reach me and then move away.
‘You decided to attack Liese in order to get rid of me? This, isn’t the original
plot too twisted?’
To think that the Count Sinclair family, who remained enemies to Liese until the
end, changed their stance so quickly in this way.
I couldn’t say anything and just kept biting my molars, but the Duchess came
forward for me again.
“Yes?”
“Yeah, that can’t be. She said that Liese almost died because of Miss Edith.
Although she has forgotten where she heard it.”
“If that’s true, it’s a secret affair that happened within our family, and it
wouldn’t even reach Miss Layla’s ears. That doesn’t make any sense unless
someone plants her spy.”
Leyla was speechless when the Duchess said as if she had heard a funny joke.
I said, ‘Where did you get that nonsense from? It’s cute too.’ She gave Layla a
smile on her face.
Layla’s face, which had been laughing proudly as if she had won just now,
contorted in an instant.
‘Take care of your face. Being able to see through everything transparently is
very first grade, first grade.’
“I know, right. It seems that such rumors have arisen because the daughter of the
Rigelhof family is in a place where she does not fit in.”
The people who had been looking at me with disapproving eyes nodded as if in
response.
‘Isn’t this an atmosphere that even the Duchess can’t carelessly embrace?’
It wasn’t just against one person, it was because the eyes of many aristocrats of
the imperial faction were focused on this side.
“It’s a rumor I’ve heard, but from what I’ve confirmed, someone said it was
done to frame Miss Edith?”
“Besides, Miss Edith, Rigelhoff is no longer a person. It’s Edith Ludwig. Is not
it?”
Layla didn’t answer that question. Her molars clenched together, she just
lowered her gaze.
“Miss Layla Sinclair. Didn’t you hear me? Should I ask again?”
“Then don’t be greedy in vain. Killian Ludwig is not a man you can handle.”
Catherine, who already knew that Layla was aiming for the seat next to Killian,
was about to say hello to Liese and me after finishing that, but Layla suddenly
asked,
And to answer that question, no, not an easy man for me either. So it won’t be
any easier for you.
“Can’t you see? Killian has a crush on Edith. I’ve been friends with that human
for 18 years, but you’re surprised every time I see you?”
No matter how much you took my side, it’s too... It’s so embarrassing. That too,
in front of Killian’s old crush, Liese, and Killian’s mother...!
I Thought It Was Common Possession-Chapter 108
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EPISODE 109
‘What is Killian obsessed with? He just feels like a body for me!’
Because I’m his first woman, I’m the partner of all his first experiences, he just
feels a bit of responsibility for his harsh personality.
It’s probably the first time in Killian’s life that he’s doing this, so it’s
understandable to some extent that Catherine misunderstands him like that... To
be embarrassed is to be embarrassed.
Hearing Layla’s absurd voice, I involuntarily looked at her, and then met
Liese’s, who looked puzzled.
“Why? Don’t you think? Do you think Miss Layla knows Killian better than I
do?”
“Do you know how dirty his personality is? Oh, my God, the Duchess was there
too.”
“It’s okay. Killian’s personality, I know that well.”
“I’m glad the Duchess knows too. Anyway, even if she’s his wife, he’s not the
kind to be around someone he doesn’t like. Did he say that he hates me even as
the princess?”
“A person like that rushed to defend her, saying that the princess had beaten his
wife a bit. Do you know what this means?”
I’m suing, but I want you to notice that one of the characters in the story is
standing right next to you.
When I think about something, the story proceeds as if I’ve been waiting for it.
Why is this? Embarrassing people.
“Don’t pretend you don’t know and tell me. How hot you and Killian are.”
“Ha ha ha... It’s because my self-esteem isn’t low enough that I have to talk
about it.”
“What? Ahahahaha!”
Beside him, Liese looked at the surroundings with an embarrassed smile, and
Layla was trembling with anger. It looked like a trio creating a perfect
dissonance.
“I’ve been thinking about it since the other day, Edith, I really like it. A person,
even a woman, should have the guts and arrogance like you.”
Catherine continued giggling, then suddenly opened her eyes wide and said:
Well. Ask that person when you meet them, and I hope you will stop saying that
you are infatuated with him now.
“Whether Lord Killian fell for her or not, shouldn’t we definitely draw a line
now that we are facing Count Rigelhoff?”
When Layla, who was about to attack me, couldn’t even make it and was about
to leave, Damian finally took the mound.
“This is Sinclair. But you know what? Historically, aristocratic families have
had countless marriages, and when families fought, the woman always belonged
to her husband’s side. If that’s the case, Edith is already a member of the
Ludwig family.”
It’s the first time that old-fashioned family relationships are so nice.
“The arranged marriage itself was made when there was something to be gained
from each other. But what more can the Ludwig family and we the Imperial
faction have to gain from the Rigelhoff family? Rather, it is something that
needs to be cleared before it becomes more complex.”
“Damian Sinclair. How much more are you going to cross the line now? I am
here, my daughter-in-law is here, who cleans whom?”
‘I’m a bit envious of having an older brother like him even though he’s a
villain.’
‘Someone was pushed down the stairs while extorting money from my brother
and died. Besides, even though I possessed someone else, my brother was trash.
Chet.’
“You treat people completely like tools or means. Since last time, I’ve been told
that I’m a hostage, that the expiration date is short, and that I need to get rid of
it...”
“Ha! I have no intention of hurting the Duchess, but I have to say something and
go. If you didn’t even have that value, how could you have become the
daughter-in-law of Duke Ludwig?”
“Aha! That’s why you were able to be so cruel to the lovely Liese, right?
Because you thought it was worthless?”
“That, that...!”
“The Ludwig family is the focal point of the imperial faction! Some
responsibility...!”
It was clear that everyone was thinking of the cold, sharp figure of Killian.
Killian, who had never smiled at anyone other than Liese at any banquet, and
whose sword skills were on par with Cliff’s.
“Killian is a bit picky, but he is quite wise and cool-headed. Trust his judgment.
I am giving you advice for your comfort.”
“Yes. So... I look forward to the day when he will make a wise decision.”
After that, Damien and I giggled and clinked champagne glasses, as if we had
never stared at each other.
Only then did the people around him breathe out and start chatting.
The music flowing in the banquet hall seemed to be heard properly now.
“As expected, she’s the woman Killian chose.”
‘Weren’t you close with Liese? Why are you doing this to me?’
“That stupid Layla Sinclair might only have her eyes on Killian’s skin, but
Count Sinclair and Damian Sinclair aren’t just targeting Killian. The Ludwig
family itself.”
As expected, the pattern alone wasn’t the princess. Catherine was a lumberjack
who knew how to grasp the situation coolly, despite her rough appearance.
“I know. All I’m saying is the Sinclair family’s delusion. If Layla takes Killian
and Liese marries Cliff, then she will suddenly reveal her paternal love for Liese
as his daughter.”
Actually, that’s not incorrect. After all, Liese was the daughter of Count
Sinclair.
“So I expect you to hold on to Killian. I won’t let those people who persecuted
Liese live benefiting from Liese.”
“Let’s try.”
“By the way, why not come to the imperial palace to play?”
It was at this moment that Catherine was about to bring up a more intimate
story.
Suddenly, the banquet hall door burst open, and the imperial trumpeter blew
noisily.
With someone’s shout, the Imperial Knights rushed into the banquet hall and
surrounded them on all sides.
Then, a man who looked like an official of the imperial family ran in and
reported to Princess Catherine.
“An attempted assassination of His Majesty has just occurred in the imperial
family.”
“What...?”
Not only Catherine, but everyone around us was astonished.
Then the man whispered in her ear so that only Catherine could hear it, and
Catherine’s expression turned cold.
The banquet hall was in chaos in an instant, but the imperial knights quickly
organized the banquet hall and checked the identity of the people attending the
banquet by writing a list.
Then, everyone was instructed to return home and wait until further instructions
were given.
“Everything will be fine. Anyway, since it’s an attempted attempt, that means
the assassination attempt failed, and since Her Highness Princess Catherine
wasn’t in a hurry, Her Majesty doesn’t seem seriously injured.”
I nodded too.
‘Rather, they should have caught the evidence that ArchDuke Langston was
plotting treason.’
Also appeared in the original work.
In this attempted assassination case, the long tail of ArchDuke Langston was
caught, and as long as the evidence of treason was caught, the extinction of the
Count Rigelhoff family became natural.
‘In the original work, the attempted assassination of the emperor and Shane’s
raid on Duke Ludwig’s residence occurred at the same time... Still, you
prevented the kidnapping of the Duchess and Liese. Thank god.’
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EPISODE 110
Perhaps, as in the original story, Shane might have attacked the Duke’s
residence, but since the Duchess and Liese weren’t kidnapped, my head
wouldn’t be blown off.
We were guided by the Knights, quickly identified ourselves, and boarded the
wagon.
I was even more relieved because the engineer sent to the mansion confirmed
that there was nothing wrong with the mansion during the identity check.
‘Then... What’s the future?’
I’ve passed the worst, but I haven’t yet heard a voice say that I’ve met the 3rd
stage exception conditions.
The wagon we rode in was speeding along the dark night road.
Because he was a Duke, he was able to leave the banquet hall faster than others,
so the way back to the mansion was quiet.
She told me not to worry, but the Duchess didn’t say anything about whether she
could stop worrying, and Liese chewed her lips carefully and trembled with
anxiety.
The inside of the carriage was very quiet, except for the loud sound of the
wheels rolling.
The carriage shuddered loudly with the shouts of the escort knights and the long
neighing of the horses.
“Kyaaak!”
I, who was sitting across from him, tried to look out the window, leaning against
the wall of the wagon so as not to fall.
The sharp noise of clashing swords hit my ears, and it became clear that
something was not right.
‘No way...!’
I wrapped my arms around the Duchess and Liese, who were embracing each
other.
“Shit...”
All kinds of swear words were mixed in my head.
Even with the mask on, I couldn’t mistake those sinister eyes or eerie voice.
‘No matter how hard I try, if I don’t meet the 3rd stage exception conditions,
important episodes just happen...!’
It was hopeless.
And in the meantime, Shane grabbed Liese’s arm, not anyone else’s.
“Come on!”
“Kyah!”
Then the carriage door on the other side of Shane’s entrance opened, and
masked men dragged the Duchess and me down.
“Liese! Liese!”
The Duchess stretched out her hand toward Liese, who was being dragged away
by Shane, but the older wife couldn’t beat the strength of the trained mercenary.
I shouted at the Duchess, who was violently dragged away by the mercenaries.
“Let Liese go! Liese! Liese!”
However, the Duchess only looked for Liese, not me. It seemed to her that she
could only see her Liese.
No, maybe he thought I couldn’t get hurt because he noticed that it was Shane.
“Aren’t you afraid of the aftermath of dragging the Duchess along! Let go of
that hand right now!”
Then I saw Liese collapse. She didn’t think Shane hit her, but she probably
passed out from fear.
“What are you doing! Liese has nothing to do with it! Let Liese go!”
As the wife screamed and struggled, one of the mercenaries who was dragging
her away hit her on the back of the neck hard, causing the Duchess to collapse
helplessly.
“Mother!”
My screams didn’t reach her. Rather, it only angered Shane, who was dragging
her Liese away.
“Mother? Haha! Have you forgotten who your mother is? You ungrateful
bitch!”
It was deafening and it felt like lightning had struck in front of my eyes.
“Stop there!”
There was only one mercenary holding me, and he let go of my arm as if he was
flustered by my sudden struggle.
But instead of running away, I pulled the Duchess, who was almost pulled up
into the carriage.
Even in the dark, I could see Shane’s eyes burning with rage.
He pushed Liese into the carriage and immediately ran towards me and punched
me in the face.
“100 million!”
Shane kicked me in the stomach as if he really wanted to kill me right here, and
I blacked out in excruciating pain.
***
“Eww... Ugh...”
“You are finally awake. I was thinking of sprinkling some water on it.”
My vision was blurry, but I could tell who the person next to me was. Can you
forget that voice
“Cow... Pia...”
“Did you remember me? I thought you completely forgot about me because you
completely betrayed your family.”
“Ahahaha!”
Sophia laughed in a more pleasant voice than ever before. No, it was the first
time I had ever seen Sophia show her emotions like she is now. It was the sound
of laughter she had heard before, but now I could feel her ecstasy in its fullness
to the point of giving goosebumps.
“Please wait a minute. When the surroundings are cleaned up, I will personally
treat the lady with all my heart.”
I didn’t want to receive the ‘treat’ that Sofia offered me. Now that even the
restriction of striking only the part covered by clothes was removed, it was
probably a treat that would surely break or bleed.
The surroundings were dark, but the surrounding objects were not completely
indistinguishable. Through the small window, I could see the dawning sky.
‘Did you stay up all night...? Where the hell is this place?’
It had a high ceiling and was made of stone on all sides, making it look like a
prison.
It was obvious, but it wasn’t the place inside Count Rigelhoff’s residence.
It was like a prison inside the castle, so it might be the castle of the nobles of the
Grand Duchy of Langston who have estates around the capital.
‘If it’s not that, I don’t know if it’s a building borrowed for the purpose of this
kidnapping... Well, Cliff will find it anyway.’
If the episode in which Liese and the Duchess were kidnapped had occurred, the
ending in which Cliff came to the rescue would also happen without distortion.
A chill seemed to seep into his bones. The shoulder that touched the floor wasn’t
hurting from being hit, but was only feeling pain from the coldness of the floor.
The Duchess and Liese were still not coming to their senses, and I had my hands
tied.
It was only that they were lying on an old blanket, not on the floor, perhaps
because they were worthy of being held hostages.
However, the group that attacked the wagon was clearly more than six.
The rest might have been guarding the outside of the building.
“Huh...”
Even when I moved my body a little, I could hear the music. White breath
bloomed in the dark air and then disappeared.
I struggled to get into a more comfortable position, but no matter how I turned,
it still hurt.
And just then, the door burst open and Shane appeared.
“The Duchess and Miss Liese haven’t woken up yet, but our young lady has.”
“Sophia. Be careful with your words. How could that be ‘my lady’? That’s just a
traitor!”
“In our family, that deserves a lower treatment than a laundry maid. And that
year’s education, as always, I believe you will take care of it.”
Shit. ruined.
It seems that Cliff has never been as desperate as he is now since he possessed
Edith.
Until now, what happened when I thought about it, why are you silent now? Is it
because it’s not yet time?
While I was wriggling like an earthworm on the floor, Shane knelt down in front
of Liese, grabbed her chin and lifted her slightly.
The touch he touched Liese’s cheek was not the feeling of treating a simple
hostage.
That fact alone was no different than Shane’s plan to kill him.
It was Shane who had a decent look but never thought he was handsome because
his expression was always bad, but he smiled happily for the first time.
It’s a creepy smile that makes you feel like you’re about to do something bad.
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EPISODE 111
“Good. Lock the Duchess in the first room. You’re a precious hostage, so be
careful not to get hurt.”
Mmm. How did Cliff cut Shane? Did he simply cut his throat, or did he cut it in
half lengthwise...?
It’s a lot of things, but if you go that state, it’s confirmed to be half vertically.
No, now is not the time for me to think about these things.
From now on, Sophia is going to get beaten up by that ignorant woman.
“Ah, that girl goes to the basement. It’s a headache if you can hear the loud
shouting around you.”
It was cold and I had goosebumps all over my body, but I felt like I would get
goosebumps again.
“Move quickly.”
‘It’s not a castle. Probably an old villa on the outskirts of the capital...’
It seems that there was a time when it was fashionable for aristocrats who had
never soiled their hands and longed for rural life to build a villa in the form of a
farmhouse.
It looked like a villa built at that time, but for an abandoned one, traces of people
were visible everywhere.
‘I must have bought an abandoned villa and slept and fed the mercenaries here.’
If it hadn’t been noticed yet, there was a good chance that this place was quite
remote or unexpected.
‘No. The look in Shane’s eyes when he looked at Liese earlier made it look like
he was about to do something. But isn’t this floor rule for the male lead to
appear right before the female lead suffers something terrible?’
The mercenary in the lead walked forward holding a lantern and opened the
door to what appeared to be a warehouse.
And while he placed a lantern nearby, the mercenary who had attached me sat
me down in a chair.
“Oh, ouch! A little bit... Please tie it gently. Anyway, I’m so sick I can’t even
move.”
My shoulders hurt so much from how roughly I was treated with my hands tied
behind my back. It felt like all my joints were out of alignment.
“I’m not as good as the woman the captain took earlier, but this woman is pretty
good too, isn’t it?”
The mercenary who gently tied me up grabbed my chin and turned me to the left
and right while laughing.
I’ve never had the thought of being raped. It would be only the main character
who would avoid such bad luck, but what did I believe and think complacently?
“Why, do you think your husband has many lovers? Or is that great beauty just
her husband’s lover?”
“I don’t know if people of high rank can afford to grumble about side dishes, but
guys like us pick up and eat anything unless it’s very spoiled.”
His hands groped my neck and ears more and more densely. Creepy goose
bumps ran down his spine.
“By the way, do you know what kind of woman the captain ordered you to be?”
“What are you doing? She speaks in a very straightforward and commanding
tone when it comes to women, but it doesn’t look like she’s a noble.”
I was alert, hoping that the topic of Sofia would be an opportunity to escape this
crisis.
“The commander is in charge. Oh, by the way, what’s your relationship with the
captain?”
“...He is my brother.”
“What?”
The men were astonished. The mercenary who groped me quickly withdrew his
hand.
“Yes.”
“Huh... No, why did you hate your brother and how did you end up like this?”
I wanted it to be this time, so I bit my lip and squeezed out the tears.
“Could you... Do you have any siblings?”
Every time I do this, I envy others and at the same time get angry.
The mercenaries who treat people’s lives at the cost of their own lives are good
older brothers to my younger siblings, but why am I the only one like this?
“You two must be strong older brothers and sisters. I am envious of your two
younger siblings. I am... Whoa...”
More tears came to my eyes when I thought of my older brother who was
anxious about not being able to pay my salary in my previous life.
“That Sophia from earlier is a maid in our family. But, have you seen it? Being
nicer to that maid than to me.”
“Yeah, that was a bit odd. But it didn’t seem like the two of you were like that.”
“Sofia has a crush on my brother. And while she’s a maid... She is also a
mercenary.”
The two men let out sarcastic laughter at the same time.
“What, then, did a girl who wasn’t much different from us act so arrogant?”
“Ah, this pisses me off. When we caught the women earlier, he used his chin to
command people, saying, “Move here or there,” as if he had become a unit
commander.”
The mercenaries didn’t seem to have very good feelings for Sophia.
“Since I was little, Sophia has been bullying me so much. Seeing that my
brother hated me, I harassed him with peace of mind. You don’t know how
envious I was when I saw the trustworthy older brothers from other houses.”
I didn’t get a stiff tongue or hear tinnitus, even though I was going to reveal the
story of my past.
I don’t know if it’s because they’re insignificant extras, or because I’m half-
making up the story, but it was a green light anyway. It was because the
mercenaries’ gaze was slightly pitiful.
“My older brother has grown up a little. He must have been through it, so you
know, so he only knows himself. Didn’t I say something harsh to you?”
“Ah, that’s what I got used to before.”
“My older brother didn’t treat me well as a younger brother. I got married for
the sake of my family, but my in-laws and my parents suddenly fell out. Then
they made unreasonable demands, such as asking me to get information about
my in-laws or installing something in the mansion.”
I sniffed once and checked the mood of the mercenaries. Fortunately, the
mercenaries were immersed in my story.
“By the way, would the Duke’s defenses be lax? So when I failed, I was told
that I was a traitor, that I was a worthless bitch... Hehe... Now I see you’re trying
to kill me. What is this person called brother like?”
Even those whose job it was to kill people seemed to have sympathy at the level
of an average person.
“Sophia is coming to kill me. She is bound like this and she will be brutally
beaten to death. Too... It’s so unfair.”
As I shed endless tears, they looked at each other and seemed to be thinking
about something.
Then the person with the lantern started to look outside, and another person
loosened the rope that tied me a little more. If he struggled hard, he seemed to be
able to pull his hand through the gap in the rope.
“You know we can’t do anything great either, right? Even if I let her go now,
she will tie me even tighter when that woman who knows her as Sophia comes.”
“If you’re lucky enough to survive, loosen the rope and run. This is Wellesley in
the south of the capital, so if you leave, run north unconditionally.”
The mercenaries, at least, were far more forgiving than Shane or Sofia, even
though they were briefly tempted to rape me.
“Thank you. Thank you very much. So let me tell you one thing.”
“Huh?”
“In a little while, the knights of the Duke Ludwig will come. So, as soon as you
get out of here, run away immediately.”
“Hey, lady. I know how desperate you are, but the Dukes don’t even know that
the captain is here, do they?”
“The Duke’s knights chased after us earlier, but they lost us in the middle.”
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 112
“No. They’re already coming this way. Don’t take my word lightly, if you want
to save your life, please run away. I’m saying this because I’m thinking of the
younger siblings who only believe in you. Cliff Ludwig... I’m not going to spare
anyone here, no one.”
“But you don’t get paid until the job is done. We still only received the down
payment.”
The impatience is gone. At this rate, even those who did small favors to me
would perish under Cliff’s cruel blade.
Whether in my previous life or in my present life, there were really few people
who were kind to me, so I really wanted to save them.
It wasn’t a dress with jewels, and the hair ornament was a corsage and ribbon, so
it was unlikely to be money.
It was as if she hadn’t been taken away yet thanks to her neck-length dress.
It was a bit of a waste because it was the necklace Killian bought me, but if I
lose my mind anyway, Sofia might take it.
I’d rather give it to these people than give it to that bad bitch.
“Ok?”
“It’s a quality ruby and gold string. If you bring it and sell it, it will make a lot
of money, so take it and run away.”
At my urging, the man who tied me carefully removed the neck of my dress and
removed the necklace.
“Take it and run away. I don’t want the people who did me a favor to die. Come
on. Stop fighting over each other!”
“I-over there...”
“Yes?”
“Kuhm... Good luck.”
A nameless extra that would not have even been mentioned in the original work.
But I know they have siblings they get along with, and I have received a favor
that could possibly save my life.
And as soon as they left, someone else’s voice was heard in the distance.
“Ah, ahaha! Don’t be harsh. The aristocratic lady was so pretty that I was
looking around for a bit.”
“What makes a fuss about being pretty? Guess who isn’t a country boy.”
“Whoops. You look good. So when Shane gave us the last chance, we should
have taken it. Stupid thing.”
Cliff will come in soon. So, if I took my time well, it could have ended without
much hit.
“What?”
Sophia’s lips hardened at my question. I brought it up to make it less hit, but did
it really offend Sophia?
But then she laughed like a snort.
“In a commoner family of 3 boys and 4 girls, the 5th halfway child was loved
the most by his parents.”
“I thought I could achieve anything if I tried. It is said that money buys a title of
nobility, so I tried to become a noble someday and live proudly. I was
confident.”
He is a passionate and enterprising talent that people in the 21st century Korea
would really like.
“But as I grew up, I realized that there are more important factors to success
than brilliance.”
I just asked you to tell me why you hate me. How long do you have to listen to
this? Of course, it serves the purpose of wasting time.
At that moment, Sophia pointed a finger at me and asked if she had noticed that
I was lost in my thoughts.
Since the intention of the questioner does not seem to want a textbook answer, I
spit out a self-help answer for the 21st century Korea.
Those who work hard can’t beat those who enjoy, those who enjoy can’t beat
those who are lucky, and those who are lucky can’t beat those who are 100
good.
Uh? Is it correct?
“That’s right. Luck and background, or bloodline. I’m much better than you, but
I’m only your maid, and you’re much more stupid and useless than me, but
you’re lucky enough to become the countess’s daughter.”
“...What?”
“Oh, you didn’t know? Your mother is Count Rigelhoff’s deceased sister, and
you don’t even know who your father is.”
Sophia looked quite amused, perhaps assuming that I was mentally shocked to
learn of the cruel truth.
But I was just relieved to know a little bit about why Edith was abused.
‘It’s not Count Rigelhoff’s illegitimate son, he was the son of his sister. That’s
why he was able to act like a stranger!’
It was because of that that I was able to say ‘Family’s favor’ to me. From their
point of view, it was to show favor to the ‘family disgrace’ that deserved to be
thrown away, and let them be admitted into the Rigelhoff family.
Anyway, there was nothing good for Sophia to know that I was fine. I put on a
shocked expression.
“Well, then... My father and older brother beat me, and my mother was
indifferent to me... You mean that’s why?”
“I can’t blame Master and Shane. They are the ones who made you, who should
have been abandoned in an orphanage, into the count’s daughter. You were right
only because you were incompetent. Okay?”
“I was beaten before I was five or six! What kind of competence did you want
from such a child?”
“At that time, maybe it was because I thought of your mother who died giving
birth to you.”
Sophia laughed like she was having fun. Then, her face suddenly hardened, and
the difference in temperature was so great that I wondered if Sofia had gone a
little crazy.
“If I had been the Count’s daughter, I would have been able to benefit Count
Rigelhoff much more. It’s much more than you who can’t understand words.”
“It wasn’t my decision to be enrolled as Count Rigelhoff. Is that a reason to hate
me? It’s not my fault!”
At that, Sophia, who had been looking down at me coldly, slapped me on the
ear.
He hit so hard that the corsage from his headdress fell off.
“Do not be ridiculous. If that was the case, there would be no reason to hate
Liese. You just needed someone to vent your anger on for what you didn’t have.
Why are you rationalizing now?”
Sophia gritted her teeth, as if she didn’t know that she would find out that she
hated Liese.
“Either you or that girl are sitting in a seat that doesn’t fit the subject of being
born dirty, so it’s cheap to be hated!”
A burning pain rose up in my cheek again. Perhaps because I was hit in the same
place consecutively, my nose broke out and I tasted blood in my mouth.
However, it was clear that the beating in earnest was about to begin.
Sure enough, Sophia rolled up her arms and picked up a short horsewhip.
“Master Shane, such a vulgar girl is not suitable. A prostitute who bewitches
men believing that her face is smooth...!”
“You know the noble ladies well. Which of them would you approve of
becoming Shane’s bride?”
“Shut up!”
It really hurt a lot, but I gritted my teeth. If I screamed that I was sick and
stopped talking, from then on, I would just be beaten without saying a word.
“There is no way I can answer that. Is not it? That’s what love is originally. No
matter how bad I am, I don’t want to see someone take over my loved one
instead of me. Yes?”
“I don’t know what the hell you are talking about. This dirty bitch...!”
“You don’t love Shane? can i swear to god She’s okay with Shane being
completely someone else’s is this?”
Even though the room was dark, I could feel the light in Sophia’s eyes.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 113
“Have you ever confessed? But he’s Shane, who’s been by your side for a long
time.”
“Because I’m not stupid enough to do something I know the outcome of.”
“Isn’t love a joyous thing just by confessing it to the other person? To you, is
everything worthless if you don’t succeed? It’s disappointing if you really think
so, Sophia.”
It was a story to buy time, but the more I talked about it, the more I felt sick to
my stomach.
“But... It’s not easy. I haven’t confessed yet either. I should have done it before I
died...”
“Well... Anyway, before you die, at least make a confession. Because that would
be the path that leaves no regrets behind.”
From the way he showed me nothing but contemptuous eyes, to the way he was
sarcastic and sarcastic, to the way he was angry and engulfed in impulse, to the
way he gently smiled at me...
I always took a step back just because I knew the original work. Edith in her
original novel appealed for her love and she was coldly dumped, so she assumed
that I would be the same.
‘If we get rescued from here, so if we meet Killian again... Let’s confess then
even if I get rejected, conveying my feelings is meaningful in itself.’
I’ve dated a few times in my previous life, but I’ve never confessed my love.
Of course. It wasn’t because I met men because I loved them, but because I met
them because I needed them.
It was a life where I was complacent that they liked me, and I drew a line in
advance not knowing when that heart would leave.
“By the way, even if you have a chance, I think it would be better not to
confess?”
Sophia, who seems to have regained her composure, said with a vicious smile.
“Aren’t you mistaken that Killian Ludwig was a little nice to you? It’s all a play.
Didn’t she know?”
“...What?”
“I advertised around me that I was good to the daughter of the Rigelhoff family.
That way, when fighting the Rigelhoffs, you’ll be able to stick out your flippers,
saying you had no choice.”
“Killian is not like that! Of course I don’t expect him to love me...”
Sophia giggled and laughed. It was a laugh that I could clearly sense that he
wanted to hurt me.
“We have already completed the background investigation. The person who
used the billboard called you the best was Killian Ludwig.”
“No. Killian...”
“I still haven’t come to my senses. You always have to be right to come to your
senses.”
“Evil!”
I screamed involuntarily, but before the pain was over, the whip started hitting
me again.
“Ah!”
“If only you hadn’t betrayed me, Shane wouldn’t have been this hard!”
A burning pain rose in my forearms and thighs along with nonsensical noises.
But the moment I remembered Cliff intensely, the outside became noisy.
The sound of something crackling, something like people’s footsteps rumbling,
could be heard from the ceiling.
The whipping, which did not stop despite the commotion upstairs, finally
stopped.
Sophia was just about to get excited, but she must have felt bad about being
interrupted, and even the man who called her was irritated.
“I told you not to call me for anything else! What the hell is going on?”
I felt that I was finally here, and my nervous heart was relieved.
‘It seems my wind and timing were perfect this time. Thank god.’
While I was brooding over such idle thoughts, Sophia managed to control her
absurd expression.
“What are you talking about! How do you know where to go!”
“I-I don’t know!”
“Mo, I don’t know. I’m here to see Sophia... Another guy went to get Shane.”
Sophia groaned and tried to follow him, but suddenly looked back at me.
“You don’t have to like it because I only delayed dying a little bit, Edith. Hang
in there. After I kill Ludwig, I’ll kill you too.”
***
In the past, when the romance of rural life swept the social world, a few villas
modeled after farmhouses were built, but since the trend passed, it has been
virtually deserted.
And the cottage that Cliff was now looking out through his telescope was also a
plain old fashioned one, and it seemed to have been abandoned for quite some
time.
However, the road in front of the villa, which should have been covered with
fallen leaves and bushes, was as clean as if someone had cleaned it.
Cliff suppressed the desire to attack immediately and waited for the scout’s
return.
‘I should have come to the capital a day earlier... No, if only it was an hour
earlier...!’
Cliff had already berated himself several times that he should have been quicker
to come up to the capital.
Upon arriving at the mansion, news awaited them that the Duchess, Liese, and
Edith had been kidnapped.
Linnon and some of the soldiers who went to rescue them missed the kidnappers
due to the difference in numbers, and Linnon was even seriously injured and
unconscious.
I immediately bought informants, released them all over the capital, and waited
for them. Three hours later, a report came up about the suspicious place.
After leading the knights and following where they were headed, they came to
Wellesley.
They said that they couldn’t help something that had already happened, but they
had to hurry up and save Liese’s mother before something happened.
“The scout is back!”
Fortunately, the nimble and skilled scout quickly identified the enemy’s
situation and returned without being caught.
“The building seems to have been built with two floors above ground and an
attic, and there are quite a few people gathered inside the building. There are
about 40 to 50 mercenaries.”
“Mostly swords.”
After checking the enemy’s strength, Cliff asked what he was most curious
about.
“Something?”
“The movements of the Duchess and Lady Liese were captured, but Lady Edith
was not.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes. Those who stayed in the storage room on the first floor came out carrying
their wife and Miss Liese on their back, but none of them carried Lady Edith on
their back.”
“Also...”
“I didn’t believe her. She said she was suspicious, but she was...!”
It felt like it was turning inside out, but now wasn’t the time to be arguing about
it.
“We shouldn’t give them a chance to steal the hostages. They might try to
secure an escape route by threatening the lives of their mother or Liese. So
speed is of the utmost importance.”
Cliff selected one person who was the most skillful and skilled in ambush in the
knights.
“Yes!”
Cliff and another knight were dressed in black, similar to Shane’s mercenaries,
with hoods covering their heads and faces.
“Let’s go.”
Cliff quickly ran into the dark woods behind the villa, and the remaining knights
began counting the time nervously from then on.
***
At that time, Shane was delighted as he looked at Liese, who finally came into
his hands.
Liese, who came to her senses right after Edith was dragged underground, did
not scream or cry even though she was frightened.
Shane’s stomach tickled at the sight of those big, blue eyes quivering.
As if her languid smile was creepy, Liese pushed herself further into the corner.
But Shane looked at her carefully and said with a relaxed mind.
“The Ludwig family are the ones who stole the Dukedom that our family should
have received. So Cliff is just a lucky guy who became the Duke’s heir.
Everything he enjoys should have been mine...”
The contents that Count Rigelhoff had instilled since childhood combined with
Shane’s inferiority complex became the reason for rationalizing all his evil
deeds.
“The most coveted of them all was you. The most beautiful woman in the
capital, Liese Sinclair.”
EPISODE 114
“You don’t love me. I’m just coveting my appearance. What do you know about
me that you love me?”
“I’m sure Cliff fell for your looks anyway, so what are you denying so much?”
“Cliff is different! Cliff knows who I am. He is someone who loves me even
though he knows my weakest and ugliest side.”
“Whatever it is, it doesn’t matter. You will be mine today, and then Cliff will
have no choice but to give you up.”
“I apologize if the place doesn’t suit you because it’s a little urgent to make you
mine. Please be patient with me today.”
It was the moment Liese turned white as she saw the hand reaching out to her.
Smart.
“Who is this!”
“I’ve run into a bit of a problem. I think you should come out for a while.”
Shane clicked his tongue and turned away from Liese and went towards the
door.
And the moment he opened the door, the man standing outside punched Shane
hard in the face.
“Ouch!”
At the same time as Shane was knocked out, the man outside quickly entered the
room, locked the door, and struck Shane in the head as he was crawling on the
floor, knocking him out.
“Hey, Cliff...?”
Liese, who had been trembling in a curled up position in the corner, raised her
head.
“Cliff! Cliff!”
Only then did Liese burst into tears and cling to Cliff. His body was trembling.
Cliff brushed Liese’s back, blaming Count Rigelhoff, Shane, and himself.
“Yes?”
“Right now, getting out of here is the first priority. Can you walk?”
“Yes!”
Liese barely stood up clinging to Cliff’s arm. He was so nervous that his legs
seemed to squeak, but Liese eased his stiff body by walking in place.
Cliff tore off Shane’s cape, made a string, and tied his hands together.
“It must be awful to be with this guy, but bear with it.”
Then, standing by the doorway and listening to the sounds outside, he opened
the door and ran out.
Outside the closed door, the sound of metal clashing, the sound of desperate
screams, the sound of something bluntly hitting the floor, and the sound of
shouting were entwined noisily.
And when the noise died down, the door opened again.
After that, when a man like a knight from the Ludwig family came in, Cliff
clapped his chin at Shane who was lying on the floor, and the knight
immediately raised Shane up and grabbed him.
“Yes!”
Liese closed her eyes tightly as Cliff told her to, and embraced him.
Cliff walked outside through the hallway littered with corpses while holding
Liese in his arms.
The soldiers who had finished their work grabbed the corpses by the backs and
dragged them outside, while a knight carrying a Duchess was approaching from
the other side, protected by other soldiers.
“Rest of it?”
“Maybe because they were mercenaries, the charter was unfavorable, so they
quickly ran away. I caught a certain woman, but I don’t know what she is
doing.”
Cliff glanced at the woman who was said to have been captured, then frowned.
Because she remembered that she was the maid Edith had with her.
“Don’t be alarmed. She’s like a maid that Count Rigelhoff cares for quite a bit.”
Cliff came out and dropped Liese off at a safe place, then suddenly approached
Sophia.
“Well.”
“Wherever you stole it, I will find it and kill it. With her brother.”
“Hey, you filthy bastards! Let the master go! Master! Master!”
Cliff cut his attention from Sophia, who was again screaming.
“Yes! It was strange that they dispersed so quickly, so I tried to fool one, but he
said something strange.”
“Some two guys got away before we hit. After learning that he had been kicked
out without receiving any money, there were rumors among them that he had to
withdraw quickly.”
When Cliff saw the Duchess come to her senses after laughing, she quickly
approached her.
“Nice... Cliff...?”
“Yes. Rest assured now.”
“Oh, Cliff!”
“I’m going back to the mansion now. Is there any place where you feel
uncomfortable?”
“Edith is...?”
The Duchess looked back at Cliff with a worried look on her face.
“No way!”
“In the first place, she wasn’t even imprisoned like her mother or Liese. It looks
like they stole it somewhere else while they were here.”
The Duchess clearly remembered Edith, who was screaming and rebelling for
her at the time of the attack.
But at that time, Liese, who was by her side, added in a melancholy voice.
“Come to think of it, when I first woke up from where I was being held, there
were only me and my wife there.”
“Let’s go to the mansion and talk. The weather is cold. You might be hurt
somewhere.”
Cliff helped the Duchess, who had lost her words in shock, and ordered the
knights to stand up.
***
I slowly opened my eyes to the fierce cold and somehow bleak feeling.
Even though I opened my eyes, it was still dark, so I was startled to think that I
was blind.
However, he was relieved when he noticed the faint light leaking through the
crack in the door.
If that amount of time had passed, no matter how badly I did, it seems like five
or six hours have passed. Why am I still here?
‘Why is it so quiet?’
I held my breath and listened to the sounds around me, but I didn’t feel any
presence.
“Oh, ouch!”
Because I had been neglected for a long time, I moved my stiff body and made
all sorts of sounds.
Of course, the places where Sofia hit me, such as my face, both arms and thighs,
also tingled and throbbed, giving me sharp pains every time I moved.
I endured all the pain and struggled to free my hands from the ropes that bound
my wrists.
Thanks to the mercenary who tied me up quite loosely, I was able to get my
hand out without being rubbed too hard.
‘I’m dying, really. Should I go out first?’
As expected, when she beat me at the mansion, Sophia wasn’t using all her
strength.
I limped up to the door, assessed the presence outside, and opened it slowly only
after I was sure that no one seemed to be around.
It was a relief that Sophia didn’t have time to lock the door.
The villa was a two-story building seen from the entrance side, but three or two
and a half stories from the other side.
Thanks to that, even in the basement there was a window at the top of the wall,
through which bright sunlight was seeping in.
It was around dawn when I was brought here, so it seemed like five or six hours
had really passed.
As soon as he reached the ground, the fishy smell of blood stung his nostrils.
My body felt stiff for a moment, but I gritted my teeth and continued to rise.
And the situation on the first floor they faced was miserable.
As if the corpses had been dragged out, the floor was littered with bloodstains
from something that had been dragged out, and bloodstains were scattered on
the walls as if it had been splashed during the fierce battle.
The dirt floor in front of the cottage was strewn with horseshoe prints, and
corpses lay neatly on the right side of the cottage.
After all the work was done, it looked like it had been cleaned up.
“No way...”
In the original story, Edith stays with Shane’s gang who raided the mansion and
is captured by Cliff who came to rescue Liese. With Shane and Sofia, of course.
But this time, I was the only one left here, no, abandoned.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 115
‘I don’t think I took part in this, but I didn’t want to spare him...?’
He saw me tied up like a prisoner and beaten up, and he left me behind, so I
couldn’t think of anything else.
If they left me there and caught me for not knowing, the Ludwig family would
not be held accountable for my death.
‘Killian... Is this something you agreed on too?’
In the original story, Cliff’s rescue operation was known to both Duke Ludwig
and Killian. It was because Cliff decided to go after careful planning.
‘Then Killian must know about this operation, and I’m sure about my
disposition...’
Recalling the original work, I stood there for a long time, blankly looking up at
the sky half-covered with light gray clouds.
‘It’s winter again... She was like this when she married Killian... It’s been
exactly one year since Edith appeared.’
It seems that many things happened during that year, but even when I tried to
think of those things, I kept thinking only of Killian’s face.
“...The person who used the billboard called you the best was Killian Ludwig.”
The fact that Killian was good to me was an act to show the people around me...
Did you already finish the background investigation?
‘Was he being nice to me even when others weren’t looking, was it to fool me
completely?’
I wanted to believe it wasn’t, but the negative imagination happened after biting
the tail after tail.
If Killian really accepted me as his wife, Cliff couldn’t have abandoned me no
matter how much he hated me. Because he wasn’t the older brother defying his
brother’s will.
However, even in despair and despair, humans were animals that felt hunger and
cold.
The ‘Plan B’ of being kind to the extras was like saving my life in the end.
If it weren’t for the mercenaries who loosened the rope, I would have died of
starvation or freezing in that dark underground warehouse.
Because of this, I had to find the money quickly before the Ludwigs family
blocked the withdrawal from my safe.
Although he opened the safe using a pseudonym, it seemed like he could easily
find out everything if he was the Duke Ludwig.
“If you’re lucky enough to survive, loosen the rope and run. This is Wellesley in
the south of the capital, so if you leave, run north unconditionally.”
I looked at the sun hidden by the hazy clouds and my blurry shadow, and after
roughly choosing the north, I started walking aimlessly.
Even going from here to the center of the capital wasn’t safe right now, so I was
determined to concentrate on that.
***
The results of the land war between Duke Ludwig and Count Rigelhoff came
out faster than people expected.
Even those who expected the Ludwig family to win did not expect it to end so
quickly.
“I was too proud of ArchDuke Langston, Count Rigelhoff, Duke Ludwig, and
His Majesty the Emperor.”
Those who had supported ArchDuke Langston in the social world had
disappeared, and changed their words as if they had supported the emperor and
the Ludwig family from the beginning.
That’s also true, because all the representative families that supported ArchDuke
Langston were in danger of extinction.
“Attempting to assassinate His Majesty the Emperor... Isn’t this treason so you
can’t even take anything out of it?”
“Not even ArchDuke Langston. I heard that it was your son who did it.”
“Hey, watch your words. No matter how much my son did it, I couldn’t believe
the grand Duke didn’t know about it?”
As soon as the assassination attempt failed, the imperial family arrested the
Grand Duke of Langston and all the families of the five families that supported
him as if they had been waiting. Those who escaped were wanted, but the family
head and heirs were all caught, so extinction was almost certain.
While Rigelhoff took the prisoners and prepared for execution in the prison
outside the Duke’s mansion, Cliff and Duke Ludwig and Killian returned to the
capital, receiving a welcome like a victory ceremony.
“Thank you for your hard work, Father. You worked hard, Killian.”
Cliff, who was waiting at the mansion, greeted his father and brother who had
returned.
As soon as Duke Ludwig got off his horse, he strode without a word and hugged
the Duchess, who was standing behind Cliff, supported by a maid.
Killian, who was watching the passionate reunion between his father and
mother, looked around as he got off his horse.
It seems like everyone in the Ludwig family has gathered, but no matter how
much he looks, he can’t find the face he’s looking for.
“Brother...?”
“What...?”
“It looks like they originally intended to raid the mansion. She said she looked
suspicious as the woman moved around her mansion.”
The Duke knew about it, but Killian had never heard of it. His brow furrowed
grimly.
“I heard that he went around the mansion every night to check the door lock, but
it seems he was trying to do something to the back door of the mansion. There’s
a maid I saw opening the door in front of him and fiddling with the lock.”
“Not only that! They say you’ve been wandering around places where there’s no
door to crack down on. That’s all over the place.”
Cliff said it as if it were some kind of great evidence, but Killian snorted.
“Killian.”
“And who’s seen Edith looking at every nook and cranny like that?”
“Edith is our family too! It’s been almost a year since I got married, how long
are you going to treat her like someone else?”
Killian could understand a little bit of the resentment and frustration Edith must
have felt living in this family.
Just because she was the daughter of the Rigelhoffs, it was assumed that all her
actions were for some conspiracy.
“Edith wasn’t there when we went to get him. It looks like they stole it in the
middle, but they haven’t answered properly where they stole it.”
“When I woke up there, it was just me, the Duchess, and those people. I haven’t
seen Edith since she was taken, Killian.”
“Did you ask my lady if a place like this would suit you?”
Cliff’s meaning is ‘Does anything else need to be said to prove that Edith is the
spy over there?’ It must have been, but Killian felt something strange.
‘Sophia, the maid tried to save Edith? She was glaring at Edith, is she the
woman?’
Edith’s back, mottled and bruised from Sophia’s beating, was still vivid in her
memory.
Even if Edith decided to be loyal to her family again, Sofia didn’t seem loyal
enough to her to let Edith escape alone.
“Nonsense...”
“Killian. I understand the feeling of not wanting to believe. But this is not
something that can be forgiven out of pity or affection.”
Then, Duke Ludwig, who had been listening to Cliff’s words, stepped forward.
“Yes. I haven’t been able to solve much for the mansion’s defense, but since the
knights have all returned, I’m thinking of increasing the number of searchers.”
Cliff and the Duke seemed to believe that Edith must have helped Shane, but
Killian couldn’t.
Anyway, even if Edith really betrayed the Duke Ludwig, no, Killian, and turned
around, I wanted to hear from her directly.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 116
“I also have to find Edith. It cannot be denied that she is my wife, even if she is
her spy.”
“Killian! Are you saying you want to prioritize your personal feelings over
family?”
“If Edith really did commit a crime, she should be punished. But even if you kill
her, I will kill her myself!”
Killian’s atmosphere was brutal, as if he were about to pull out his sword.
“I’m going to check the scene where Mother and Liese were kidnapped right
now! Leonard! Select ten people and prepare!”
However, Cliff’s anger, which almost lost Liese, was also formidable.
“Father. I will release more people. Find Edith Rigelhoff and bring her to my
father!”
Killian ran straight to Wellesley’s abandoned villa, ignoring the welcome dinner
prepared for them after they returned from the war.
“Don’t get hurt and come back. I will remember that brag about how great you
are.”
Edith, who had been steadfastly smiling despite being ignored by Duke Ludwig,
kept coming back to that last smile.
No, in fact, not only at this moment, but throughout the entire Battle of
Territories exhibition, I endured, thinking of that smile, warm eyes, and the
dizzying scent of roses.
He thought of Edith, who must have been working hard to weave the sloppy
blanket she made for him every night. It was the only genuine laugh of the day.
By any chance, if she was really a spy for the Rigelhoffs, I had to find her first.
‘I have to find it first and keep her safe. If I secretly take her to Ryzen and have
a child, my father and older brother won’t be able to object.’
The cold wind hit his cheek, but Killian didn’t slow down a bit, and thanks to
that, he was able to reach Wellesley in no time.
“There it is!”
Cliff and the knight who went on the hostage rescue operation led Killian to the
villa where the incident took place.
There was still the smell of something rotting around, but Killian didn’t care and
entered the villa.
Bloodstains on the floor and walls gave a rough idea of what had happened there
that day.
“The Duchess was at the other end of the room, and Lady Liese was at the other
end of the room.”
“Did you search every nook and cranny?”
“That, that... At that time, the Duchess was not in a good condition and had to
return quickly...”
Killian didn’t even listen to the knight’s answer and ordered the knights behind
him to search each room.
And he himself went to the storage room on the first floor where Liese first
woke up.
It was a place where the light did not come in well, so I turned on two more
lights and lay flat on the bare floor of the warehouse.
The other knights were perplexed, not knowing why Killian was doing this, but
Killian scanned every nook and cranny of the floor with his back.
“Yes.”
Killian jumped up and went outside. The knights searched each room, but no
one found anything in particular.
When Liese opened her eyes, she said that Edith was not there. If so, Edith
would have been taken somewhere earlier.
And Count Rigelhoff or Shane would not have immediately forgiven Edith for
betraying their family.
Killian took a good look around and his eyes landed on a dark passageway in the
corner opposite the warehouse.
“What is that?”
Killian pointed with his hand, but the knight who had come with Cliff had a
surprised face as if he had never seen it there.
Killian thought it would be better to check for himself than to hear more
frustrating answers, so he went straight down to the basement.
When I opened the door leading to the basement floor, a hallway appeared that
was underground but not underground.
Ignoring the further explanation of the knight who followed him, Killian went
straight to one of the rooms.
Among the rooms that lined the corridor, it was the only one with an open door.
“Ah...!”
Killian, who was shining his back into the room with the door open, made a
sound without even realizing it.
A lamp with a burnt wick smoked on a shabby wooden table, and a black
horsewhip was lying haphazardly in front of it.
But what caught Killian’s attention more than anything else was the blood on
the floor and the corsage he had bought for him.
“Edith...”
In this cold weather, where and how far could the injured woman in a banquet
dress and satin shoes move?
Killian gripped the corsage tightly and clenched his trembling molars.
You shouldn’t be flustered and shaken here. I had to move right away for Edith,
who was trembling somewhere.
“Leonard.”
“Yes!”
Killian assigned the job to Leonard, the only knight who knew that Edith had
been assaulted by Sofia.
“Go to the mercenary guild right now and buy seekers. Scour the capital. He
probably hasn’t left the capital yet.”
“Yes!”
“Why don’t you go back to the mansion and get rid of travel poisoning first?
You haven’t been able to rest for too long.”
“If it were you, would you be able to rest even if you lost your wife?”
“Follow Leonard, the two of you head to the capital, and search for the rest from
here!”
The knights who looked at Killian curiously noticed something when they saw
the corsage in Killian’s hand and Leonard’s heavy aura following him.
Killian looked resentfully at the sky, where even light snowflakes began to fly,
then gnashed his teeth and got on the horse.
***
It was luck to meet a kind-hearted baron and couple while walking north from
Wellesley.
“You look like an aristocratic lady no matter how you look at it, but why are you
walking alone?”
Fortunately, they didn’t know who I was and didn’t run away even after seeing
my miserable face.
“I hear there are a lot of kidnappings for ransom these days! Come on, come on,
get in the carriage!”
I gladly accepted their favor.
Baron Ruben and his wife, who had just come up from the countryside to meet
relatives in the capital, were good people, as if they had never done anything bad
in their lives.
Not only did they take me, who looked suspicious at first glance, into the
carriage, but they also gave me water.
“The favor is truly appreciated. But there are things I need to do before that.
Please forgive me for not being able to explain in detail as it is a serious matter
for my family.”
I played the young lady with a lot of stories and wiped my face with the
handkerchief the baroness gave me.
The dried blood did not come off well, so I had to wipe it off with a
handkerchief soaked in water for a long time.
‘Thank god. Even if he managed to get to the capital, he would have been
immediately arrested by the National Security Agency.’
I promised the baron and couple that I would repay the favor someday, and left
them worried and headed to Darsus Street where the bank was.
I wish I could cover my face a little, but I didn’t have any money on hand.
Fortunately, the bank gatekeeper didn’t stop me.
As soon as I sat down, the woman who showed up with a huge bruise on her
face, asking for money, must have looked very strange.
The bank clerk forgot to put on a hospitality smile and stared at me with his
mouth wide open before whispering lowly.
“No! Can’t you see my face now? I left the house after fighting with her
husband, so why am I going in there?”
“Ah...!”
I was looking for a lot of money, so there were a lot of paperwork to fill out.
I quickly filled out the paperwork while glancing at the front door of the bank,
fearing that someone looking for me might come in at any moment.
If I hadn’t had the experience of helping Linnon work, I would have been lost
for a while.
Thanks to the pseudonym I used to open the safe, the bank teller didn’t seem to
notice that Ludwig was a person.
You wouldn’t have imagined that the person who appeared with such a messed
up face was Ludwig’s daughter-in-law.
I received the bill minus the safe deposit fee, divided it in half, and put it in both
pockets.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 117
It couldn’t have been so fortunate that it was a cold winter. Even when her face
was wrapped in a scarf, no one suspected it.
I went straight out of there, completely different from before, and went back to a
more shabby-looking inn.
I was nervous inside that the innkeeper might look at me strangely, but he took
my money without question and gave me the rest.
After starving for two full days, I was so hungry that my stomach hurt.
After quickly finishing a bowl of hot stew, I went into a shabby single-person
room, locked the door, and was able to rest my aching body.
However, perhaps because I was too tired, my mind wandered and my anxiety
and worries rose.
When I came out of the inn I stopped by earlier, I thoroughly covered my face,
but I kept thinking about whether my behavior was awkward without my
knowledge.
He hadn’t completely escaped death yet. Cliff, who couldn’t find my body,
might be looking for me.
And if caught by them, it seemed that death would be inevitable this time around
as in the original story.
‘If I don’t meet the 3rd level exception condition, is it useless no matter how
much I struggle?’
If so, this means that my efforts to escape outside the capital are futile.
However, the only things I had met the exceptional conditions up until now were
those I got while trying to live somehow, so I couldn’t help but make these
efforts.
‘But where should I run to? I don’t know anything about the provinces outside
of the capital... No, let’s get some sleep first. And tomorrow I’ll buy a map and
some things I need for the trip...’
There was no end to her worries, but perhaps her energy was completely
discharged, and at that point, she lost her mind and fell asleep as if a fuse had
blown.
After a deep, dreamless sleep, my back hurt, so when I opened my eyes, the
room was already bright.
Gently rubbing my swollen eyes, I looked outside and saw that it was already
noon.
It was still painful and painful, but I didn’t think I would get any more sleep.
I gave some coins to the inn errand boy and got some water to wash my face.
But the bruises and wounds from being beaten by Shane or Sofia were still
terrible, so I had to cover my face with a scarf even indoors.
I went down to the first floor, paid for an extra night, and asked where I could
get a map.
“That would be a bit expensive... If you go out and go all the way to the right,
you will come to a crossroad where you meet a main road. You can live there.”
It was fortunate that the innkeeper did not ask more about my personal
circumstances.
I covered my head with a shawl once more and went outside.
I bought a cheap coat because I was wearing commoner clothes, and the cold
wind permeated me.
‘I have to be alert.’
I was confused whether it was my skin or my heart that was the cold wind. With
her shoulders shrunken, I too walked hard, mingling with the people who often
walked.
And at the crossroads that meet the main road, I raised the collar of my coat
pretending to be shivering in the cold.
It was because he saw the knights of the Ludwig family on the street.
And it was only when I reached the <Kindra Manmulsang> that I could barely
breathe.
The owner of the store was an elderly man, and he, too, paid for things like an
empire map, a leather travel bag, a portable lamp, a flint, a candle, a utility
knife, a first aid kit, and a money belt without asking my circumstances.
The luggage was a little heavy, but I bought underwear, a woolen cardigan, a
thick skirt, and winter stockings.
Returning to the inn with a whimper, I packed my little belongings into my bag
and jumped up.
Since the search team was dispatched, someone might already be at the carriage
station.
I thought about going back and forth between the rooms and decided to rest for
one more night.
Picking up such an excuse, I ate again at the inn and lay down on the bed to rest.
But the next day I paid the innkeeper for an extra night.
because it rained
‘I don’t even have an umbrella, and I’ll catch a cold if I go out. It’s dangerous to
catch a cold at this point.’
At the same time, I borrowed an umbrella from the inn, bought two books from
a bookstore on the main road, and bought a piece of whipped cream cake from a
nearby bakery.
Then I locked myself in my room and read a book while cutting off a piece of
what might be the last cake.
And the next day I had a little fever, the next day it was too cold, and the next
day I delayed my departure date because I wanted to eat one more cake.
‘If I leave like this, I won’t be able to see Killian again, right?’
Looking back on my life, including my previous life, there was no one who gave
me as much excitement and joy as Killian.
At first, it was simply because of his appearance, but as time went on, it was
difficult not to love him who believed in me and tried to protect me.
But that evening, while eating in the inn’s dining room, I realized I couldn’t hold
back any longer.
“Who?”
“I heard that you are from the family that fought for the territory last time? The
entire family was captured, but only one escaped. A daughter or a daughter-in-
law.”
“As long as there are wanted flyers, we will catch them soon. The aristocratic
lady must have escaped.”
It may have been a topic they consumed insignificantly, but it was frightening
news to me, who was listening behind them.
If you were looking for me, Killian’s wife, you wouldn’t be looking for
‘someone from the family that fought the land war’, but rumors would have
spread that you were looking for ‘the Ludwig family’s daughter-in-law’.
As my hopes that Killian would visit me were shattered, it suddenly felt like the
whole world went dark.
‘What kind of happy ending is there in my life... You have to hope for what you
want.’
But even in the midst of that, I couldn’t hate Killian. In the end, he was rather
grateful that he had treated the person he was about to throw away so kindly.
‘Everything happened, but... Still, the past year has been like a dream. Yes?’
I laughed hard.
Just the fact that I was able to spend time with Killian made me happy. In the 28
years she lived as Soo-na Choi, she enjoyed a joy in her life that she had never
felt before.
I decided to erase the painful memories and leave with only the thrilling
memories.
***
The carriage station near the south gate of the capital, where they arrived with
heavy steps, was much more cluttered than they had imagined.
The long-distance carriages lined up side by side were like a roofed cart, as
Anna had said, and both the knight and the passengers screamed loudly.
It was fortunate that the weather was getting colder, so I could wrap my scarf
and shawl tightly over my face, but it was still cold even with the scarf and
shawl wrapped around me, and my toes froze.
Dryburn was a port city where people and work flocked. There were many
opportunities to earn money here, and in case of emergency, you could get on a
boat and escape to a foreign country.
Apentus was also a city the size of Dryburn, but it was also said that there were
many shops run by women because it was also a place where commerce was
developed and consciousness was more awake than in the capital.
However, there was one thing these two places had in common, and that was
that they were close to Ryzen.
It was a place where I could not give up such tattered hope and decided on it.
“Drivon row! We’re leaving soon! If you haven’t ridden yet, hurry up!”
The driver of the carriage to Driven wandered around and shouted noisily.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 118
“Wagon to Appentus, leaving in five minutes! It will be full soon, so hurry up!”
I missed the trip to Dryburn, so I had to take the trip to Appentus. He knew it in
his head.
While I stood up, sat down again, and wiggled my feet nervously, someone
managed to take the last seat in the carriage bound for Appentus, and when it
was full, the carriage departed without further delay.
I sighed, staring blankly at the empty seats left by the carriage to Appentus.
Sitting on the same bench as yesterday, I nervously tapped the floor with my
feet, then missed both the carriages bound for Dryburn and Appentus, got up
again, and left the carriage station.
Even from that evening, I had a fever, so I had to spend another three days in
pain.
Impatient, I headed for the carriage station as soon as the fever went down. This
time, it was a cold day as if my body was freezing.
While waiting for the carriage under the roof of a shabby carriage station
avoiding the snow, she heard conversations with people around her.
“Did you see the wanted list from the Ludwig family?”
“Ah, I saw the flyers posted on the way back. She’s a pretty girl, isn’t she?”
“Wouldn’t the Ludwig Knights come here sooner or later? They seemed to be
looking to see if they were mixed among the people going down to the
provinces.”
“Ah, even if I die soon, I’m still a noble lady, so would you ride a carriage in a
place like this? He must have borrowed a carriage from an acquaintance and
escaped.”
The choices and decisions that had been sluggishly postponed could no longer
be postponed.
The carriage to Dryburn left ten minutes later, and the carriage to Appentus left
twenty minutes later.
With that in mind, I bought three freshly baked potatoes at the kiosk at the train
station.
If you hold it, it will be warm, and since you haven’t had breakfast, it’ll be fine
as a meal replacement.
The canteen was filled with water, so this should be enough to hold on to
Ramolo, the first stop.
The moment I turned around to head for the carriage to Driven, thinking about
that calculation, my feet stopped without realizing it.
I had never thought of this even though I was living Choi Soo-na’s life, where
every moment of my life was lonely, but I felt like I learned about loneliness
properly only after meeting Killian, who taught me excitement.
The sigh that leaked out like a sob turned into white breath and clouded his eyes.
No, I didn’t even know that there were tears.
Even after I ran away, I would always be conscious and nervous that I hadn’t
met the 3rd stage exception condition, and I would never forget Killian in the
meantime.
‘Maybe I can meet someone else and set up a house. You might be able to live
like a moderately good couple. But that... Is this the life I want?’
The child who was lying next to me in the leukemia ward, who eventually
closed his eyes while I was undergoing a bone marrow transplant.
But now, even thinking about that child, I didn’t feel much of an obligation to
live.
Like an old lamp that has burned down every last drop of oil, I am so exhausted.
If there was anything that had a positive effect because of my presence, it was
the part that Killian seemed to have escaped from his blind love for Liese.
‘If I die, Killian will be able to love others with peace of mind.’
I sat back on the bench with a hot potato wrapped in a paper bag in my arms.
And I watched quietly as the carriages to Dryburn and the carriages to Appentus
left.
Even when I saw the empty seats left by the carriage, I didn’t feel so anxious or
sad anymore.
It was when the potatoes in their arms were almost cooled when the knights
wearing the Ludwig family’s insignia came to the carriage station.
“There will be a check-up for a while! All you have to do is check the face, so
don’t panic or be afraid and follow the orders of the Knights!”
While people were confused by the sudden, unintentional check, I put the paper
bag containing the cooled potatoes in the bag and adjusted my clothes.
His face was still bruised from how hard he had been beaten by Sophia, and he
was a little worried that Killian would look at him with disgust.
I laughed and slowly took off the shawl and scarf that had wrapped my head and
face.
“Uh... Uh...?”
The knight, who had routinely glanced at my face, turned around and then
turned his head again and made a strange noise.
“Yes?”
The knight that said they came to catch me somehow seemed even more
perplexed.
A person who seemed to be the commander of the knights asked the knight
standing in front of me.
I slowly turned my head and looked at the knight commander, and the knight
captain was also surprised with an ‘Ouch!’ sound.
“I waited. Go now.”
However, perhaps because I had been sitting in the cold for a long time, my legs
were stiff and staggered.
Fortunately, the knight in front of me held me back, but I had no choice but to
scream in pain as he held my whipped forearm hard.
The knights let go of their hands in surprise, and the field exhaled as I held on to
the pillar next to me.
I managed to stand on my own, but my legs kept shaking and I couldn’t walk
properly.
“I’m sorry about the wanted criminal subject, but can you help me a little? My
legs don’t move very well...”
According to the rules, I had to walk to the Duke’s place on foot while being
tied to a rope.
The knight commander seemed to be thinking about something, and then called
another knight.
“You can just let them walk alone from near the mansion.”
***
It was great luck that Killian ran into some guy snooping around Wellesley’s
villa.
“I was snooping around this deserted place as if I knew it well! Like looking for
something!”
“If you know this place well, there’s a good chance you were one of the
mercenaries who got away!”
When the knights who caught the man told him, the man fell flat on the floor
and trembled.
However, Killian knelt down in front of the man with the feeling of grabbing a
straw, grabbed his hand and asked.
“Do you know the brown-haired woman who was caught here? With reddish
brown hair, she was about this tall and her eyes were brown... She will not hold
you guilty if you tell me a little about her whereabouts.”
At those words, the man couldn’t make eye contact as if he was embarrassed,
and he barely opened his mouth while restless.
“That, that woman... She said she was the captain’s sister, but she had nothing to
do with them! She was a good person!”
Hearing the words of a man who knew and supported Edith, Killian felt as if a
light had shone.
“Yes, that’s right! She’s not guilty of anything! Did she ever see her? Please tell
me something! I am her husband!”
It was only then that Killian realized how Edith had been able to untangle the
rope and get out of there by herself.
“Then he thanked me and gave me and my colleague the last ruby necklace he
had. Then he told me to run away, that the Duke’s knights would come soon. If I
hadn’t run away at that time, I and my comrades would have been dead too.”
“I guess you were one of the first mercenaries who ran away without taking any
money.”
“Yes. After that, I found out who the captain who bought us was and who the
people we kidnapped were, but no matter how much she listened to her, she
didn’t seem to hear about her, so she came here in a hurry.”
Killian squeezed the man’s hand tighter and thanked him several times. A
mercenary hired by Shane helped Edith, who he himself could not help at all.
What a valuable help to Edith.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 119
“I told him, if he survived, he must flee to the north. I told you that this is
Wellesley in the south of the capital.”
“North? Yes, you did! Thank you!”
The man who was a mercenary caught him again as he immediately got up and
was about to run towards the north.
In his hand was the ruby necklace he had bought for Edith the other day.
“I gave money to my colleague and I received it... After he found out who he
was, he kept it because he felt hesitant to sell it. I-I will give you this, so please
forgive me just once.”
Killian was about to shed tears because of the man he didn’t know the name of.
When he was handed a ruby necklace, he tore off all the gold buttons on his
uniform and forcibly gave it to the man who was reluctantly refusing.
“My wife must be alive. She’s usually not a smart girl. But the reason she was
able to live must be because of you. So she said you deserve this.”
Then they gathered the knights scattered all over Wellesley’s house and headed
north.
‘If I had headed north, there would have been a big road, and I would have met
other people and asked for help.’
Thinking that it must have been so, that Edith will be safe, hope and anxiety
intersect, Killian continued to look around.
The knights who followed him were also suffering because of Killian, who did
not rest from dawn until late at night, except during the time when it was
completely dark, but seeing Killian whose eyes were becoming more and more
gloomy day by day, they could not help but pick up their dissatisfaction.
“I heard that Uriya was resting at the mansion, but Master Killian hasn’t been
able to rest since the battlefield?”
“Yeah, what. Seeing that he is desperately looking for her, he must really loves
Edith.”
“But is she really still alive? If the woman in the dress had been walking down
the street, she would have been a prey for robbers...”
“Be careful with your words. If the Young Master hears it, he won’t let you go.”
There was talk of this and that among the knights, but Killian was only focusing
on finding Edith.
“You must have been badly hurt... I would have had no money, no water...
When it gets dark, wild beasts or robbers may appear...”
The oldest among the knights tried to stop Killian, but Killian didn’t listen to the
advice, muttering strange things like a man out of his mind.
It had already been several days since he had searched for Edith. Even if it
wasn’t for the knights’ gossip, all sorts of ‘worst case scenarios’ were already
unfolding in his head.
And as time passed, it was regret and guilt that occupied Killian’s heart.
‘It’s all my fault. I should have protected Edith even if I bought a mercenary...’
No one expected that the Duchess, Liese, and Edith would attend the banquet of
the Countess Wyndham. That’s why she recruited only her Anna to help her in
her mansion, but when it came to this situation, she just thought that she had
done everything wrong.
‘Edith... It’s my fault. I... I did everything wrong, so please stay alive. Please...’
All the way back to the capital after overtaxing his body in the Battle of
Territories, Killian couldn’t rest properly because he was taking care of the
knights.
After leading such a body for several days without a break, his steel-like stamina
was inevitably running out.
I felt so resentful of myself for not being able to stand by her side when she was
most afraid and in pain, so Killian wanted to cut his chest with a knife.
[Killian!]
When I was daze from exhaustion, I heard Edith’s voice calling me like an
hallucination.
“Edith? Edith!”
“What are you doing all of a sudden, Young Master!”
“Yes?”
If a woman’s voice could be heard in the quiet outdoors, the other knights
couldn’t have heard it.
Seeing him absentmindedly looking around and calling Edith, the knights
worried that he might be crazy.
And just as he doubted that his worries had become reality, a messenger from
the Ludwig family came to Killian.
At the news like a thunderbolt from the sky, Killian got on the horse without he
had time to say anything else.
***
It was early in the morning when I was caught, but it was well past noon when I
arrived at the Duke’s residence. It was because my physical condition was not
good and my walking speed was slow.
Even so, I was grateful for the consideration of the knight commander who did
not rush me.
The scale of Duke Ludwig’s residence, which I had not yet looked back on, was
considerable.
One of them was the prison and execution ground used privately by the ducal
family.
It’s the place where Edith ended his life, so I’ve been curious about what it
would look like before, but I finally got to see the inside.
Perhaps because today was the execution day, the area around the prison was
heavily guarded by knights and soldiers.
‘It doesn’t deviate in the slightest from the original work. Even if he was caught,
how could Rigelhoff be caught on the day of execution?’
I smiled lightly and walked behind the knight who had taken me in, but
suddenly someone came running from the other side.
“Edith!”
It was Liese.
She tried to cling to me with a pale face, but Cliff, who had followed,
fortunately caught her.
I didn’t really know what she was asking, so I asked back, but Cliff glared at me
fiercely.
“I can’t seem to decide whether you’re asking about helping Shane from the
inside to make it easier to raid the mansion, or helping him with the
kidnapping.”
It was absurd.
I thought Cliff had left me at the villa after seeing me, but he didn’t even come
down there to look for me.
And at the same time, he believed that I had helped Shane with my guesswork.
“What?”
No matter what I tried, in the end, it reminded me of the early days of Bing,
when the episodes flowed according to the original story.
In the meantime, I thought it had changed a little, but in the end, the road is the
starting point.
I was about to ignore Cliff and ask to go again, but Liese stepped in again.
“I ask for help, Edith! I beg you that it was a mistake, that you sincerely regret
it! Killian is a person with a deep heart, so there is no way he ignores Edith!”
“I think I’ve already been branded as a sinner, but who will believe me?”
“Liese. That woman is not worth your concern. Don’t worry about it and come
here.”
I was more worried that I would have to go into that prison and face the scornful
gaze of Killian who would kill me.
I laughed as I watched Cliff take Liese, who kept shouting at me not to give up.
‘Eat well and live well with the main characters. Don’t worry, I’m going to
finish clean here.’
For two or three days, I couldn’t eat properly and couldn’t sleep.
‘You just have to hold out for a little while. It’s over soon.’
In the original story, Edith clung to Killian, who was about to kill her, and
begged him to save her, but in fact, I didn’t even have the confidence to look at
his face.
Even though I wanted to see him so much, I didn’t want to leave his face
looking at me with disgust as my last memory.
‘If Killian cuts at once like in the original work, the pain won’t be great. Let’s
not be nervous. Let’s not remain ugly in Killian’s memory.’
***
The Duke’s spacious prison had never been used since the succession of the
current Duke, Axel Ludwig.
However, just as the storm did not last forever just because the weather was
good for a few days, the ducal family, who had been tolerant of the opposition
for a while, did not forgive their insidious attempts forever.
At the kidnapping of his family and nothing else, Duke Ludwig’s anger
exploded.
He stood on the platform of the execution hall on the first floor of the prison and
ordered all the Rigelhoffs to be pulled out.
Moments later, those imprisoned were dragged out with low groans.
At that time, Cliff came over and whispered in the Duke’s ear.
“The news that Edith has been captured says that Killian has just returned. He
will come this way right away.”
Cliff looked alternately at the door where Edith would soon enter and at Liese,
who strangely hoped for Edith’s life, then asked.
“Edith’s disposition.”
The story of cutting the heads of the Rigelhoff family had already been decided,
but Edith was still undecided.
This is because Killian, who must have an opinion on her punishment, has been
away from home while looking for Edith.
When the Duke kept his mouth shut and didn’t answer, Cliff said in frustration.
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EPISODE 120
“It seems that Killian has a crush on that woman, but the punishment of the
ducal family should not be shaken by just such a thing!”
“Even though Killian has a deeper heart than he looks, he is not a guy who will
ruin the important family history with trivial emotions.”
“But...!”
“You look a little emotional right now. Liese has returned safely, so don’t get
excited about her. It only irritates Killian more.”
In the end, Cliff couldn’t push his opinion any further and took a step back.
And while the Rigelhoff family and their aides were kneeling in the middle of
the execution site, Killian entered the execution site and the Duke and Cliff
approached the line.
Killian’s appearance, which returned after a few days, was not very good at first
glance.
He had shadows under his eyes, and his beard was unkempt. In the meantime, as
if he had lost weight, his cheekbones and jawline became more prominent.
“Where is Edith?”
Just then, one door of the execution ground opened and Edith walked in
following the knights.
‘Edith!’
Due to the distance and being hidden among the knights, I couldn’t properly
check her condition, but seeing her staggering body as if walking properly was
beyond her strength, it seemed that her body was badly damaged.
Edith must have been assaulted or tortured since Wellesley’s villa, so it might be
surprising to stand on her own now.
Killian wanted to know right away that Edith had been assaulted by those
Rigelhoff humans, but the atmosphere at the execution ground ahead of the
execution was so heavy that Killian couldn’t recklessly step out.
“If it had ended with the Battle of Territories, I wouldn’t have bothered to kill
you guys with my own hands.”
If that were the case, the ducal family would not have been given the right to
dispose of the Rigelhoff family. It was the emperor’s authority to deal with the
family involved in treason.
However, they tried to kidnap vulnerable women and use them as hostages.
And for that very reason, the emperor exceptionally granted the right to dispose
of it to the duchy.
“Those who know the honor of nobles cowardly kidnap women? Do you still
have the right to complain that you have been deprived of the duchy?”
The sword was pulled out of Duke Ludwig’s scabbard with a thud.
“I will slit the throat of anything that bears the name of Rigelhoff! Send the
severed heads to the imperial palace to be hung on the walls and the necks of
other traitors, and throw the remaining corpses into the mountains to be eaten by
beasts!”
When a thunderbolt-like order was issued, the executioners standing on one side
of the execution hall grabbed new sharpened axes, and screams and cries broke
out among the sitting prisoners.
The Duke, who had been looking down, turned his gaze to Killian and made one
exception.
The Duke looked back and forth at Cliff, who looked displeased, and Killian,
who looked cold.
“It seems disrespectful to Killian for someone else to decide Edith’s disposition.
If Killian decides to save Edith, I will respect that. Of course, Killian should be
responsible for that as well.”
And the Duke took a step back and gave way to Killian.
Killian slowly approached Edith with his sword handle tightly gripped.
As if they had been waiting for this moment, the knights who had brought Edith
knelt down on the spot.
Only her forehead, eyes and nose were visible from the scarf, but I could tell
that her complexion was pale.
“Edith...”
Neither crying nor laughing, she gazed into the air with a nonchalant expression
on her face, gathering the hair that had fallen out of her scarf to one side,
revealing the white nape of her neck.
Her resolute appearance did not look like someone who was about to die. He
had been ridiculing her for being vulgar or lascivious, but at this moment his
Edith was such a noble lady.
As Killian approached Edith one step at a time, Liese, who had been watching
while stamping her feet nearby, desperately urged Edith again.
Seeing her not expecting anything, Killian’s stomach was boiling and bursting.
‘Am I still that unreliable? You still don’t trust me that much? You don’t want
anything from me?’
Every time I thought about it, I felt like I was about to explode.
I felt so sorry for Edith, who was only letting the pain go inside, and I felt sorry
for her who couldn’t even ask for help, so I felt like I was going crazy.
“Stop!”
When Liese shouted Edith’s name again, Duke Ludwig stopped Liese, which
was rare.
In the midst of that, Killian opened his mouth, looking at Edith who was
unwavering.
“All of the Rigelhoffs who took part in the treason, as well as committed acts of
wrath, deserve to be punished.”
Killian was more upset and his stomach turned even more at the faint smile that
only he noticed.
“Killian!”
“What’s wrong, bro? If you don’t believe me, can you bring and show us the
wedding vows that we wrote when we got married?”
“Dad, why aren’t you taking responsibility? When are you forced to ask me for
this marriage, and now are you going to take it away?”
Killian was new to himself even after spitting out the words.
My father pushed ahead with the marriage that he did not want to do so much
under the pretext of ‘for the sake of the family and the emperor’, and the
wedding vows that nailed the marriage were still left in the archives of the
Duke’s residence and in the aristocratic circles of the imperial family.
And there it was stated that Edith Riegelhoff’s name would henceforth be Edith
Ludwig.
‘I can’t do this.’ It was the look in her eyes that made Killian almost burst into
laughter.
It was then.
“If you want to kill us, you have to kill her too!”
“That’s right! If you want to kill all the Rigelhoffs, kill her too!”
Everyone in the room except for Killian and Edith was surprised by their
desperate attitude.
Killian was vaguely aware that Edith was not the beloved daughter, but to the
rest, she was still Count Rigelhoff’s person, who was famous for being a
‘daughter fool’.
No matter how rumors spread that he had abandoned Edith, the sight of Count
Rigelhoff struggling as if an enemy had lost was completely unexpected.
Even the rest of the family sitting behind Count Rigelhoff were staring at Edith
with vicious eyes.
Only then did Duke Ludwig think something was wrong.
“Shut up! It seems that you haven’t realized the reality yet. Whose decision do
death row inmates dare to disobey?”
“Father!”
***
I looked back and forth between Duke Ludwig and Killian, trying to understand
the situation.
The Duke’s lines were the same as those in the original story.
Until I was brought to my knees by the knights and Killian approached me, I
thought that everything that was allowed to me was finally over.
In case the sword didn’t work well because of the hair and it would be painful, I
quickly removed my hair and put my neck out.
I didn’t even look in that direction because I was afraid that my heart would be
shaken when I saw Killian’s face.
‘If I die here, where will I wake up next? Or, will everything end like this?’
Thinking about that, I was waiting for Killian to kill me without pain at once,
but Killian made a very different statement from the original story.
Now, the line should have been ‘Including Edith Rigelhoff, who has never been
Ludwig!’...
“But my wife’s name has been Edith Ludwig ever since she got married here.”
At first I thought I had heard something wrong. After that, I wondered if there
was something I forgot in the original story.
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EPISODE 121
But right away, Count Rigelhoff and Shane went mad, saying they would kill
me too.
It is also a scene that did not exist in the original story, of course. In the original
story, Edith’s head fell off before this scene happened.
I was so surprised that I looked at Killian without realizing it, but the eyes of the
guy who said he would save me somehow seemed to burn more than he was
trying to kill me.
I wondered if Duke Ludwig would try to keep me alive, but he said he would
respect Killian’s decision again, and Killian was getting angry again when he
was told to take me to prison for interrogation.
But whether I was confused or not, the knights under Duke Ludwig’s order held
me from both sides and raised me up.
“Ah...!”
It was a cheap scarf, but it was still chilling and cold when a layer that was
blocking the cold air came off.
No, not only Killian, but also the expressions of Duke Ludwig, Cliff, and the
people around him became strange.
“Your face...”
Killian couldn’t speak and clenched his teeth. But just that word made me
realize what they were surprised to see.
My face, which had been hit twice by Shane during the abduction and three
times by Sophia in the cellar of Wellesley’s house, was so disfigured that it was
fortunate that my nose hadn’t sunk or my jaw hadn’t turned.
It was only natural that the Baron and his wife Ruben, who had helped me when
I came up to the capital, and the knights who were here and there when I was
walking around, did not recognize me.
Because my face was swollen and bruised, it wouldn’t have looked like mine.
There’s no way the face like that could have healed in just ten days.
The area around my cheekbones was still brightly colored with purple and green
bruises.
“Who did this! Was there any harsh behavior during the arrest?”
Then, the knights who had been escorting me shook their heads quickly in
amazement.
“Then what happened? Are you saying that she was beaten by some bully while
running away?”
At that time, Killian, who was staring blankly at me, spoke without turning his
head.
“At Wellesley’s villa where mother and Liese were kidnapped, Edith was also
held. I guess that’s when she got hit.”
“What? Cliff! Didn’t you say there was no Edith at the villa?”
Cliff seemed a little taken aback by the Duke’s questioning. It’s a rare sight to
see the male lead bewildered.
“No, of course! I searched every room in the two-story villa, but Edith was
nowhere to be found. Besides, Edith’s maid also stated that she wasn’t there!”
“What?”
“In that villa, there was also an underground passage. You did not know it?”
Cliff froze, and Liese, who was standing next to him, looked very pale even
from a distance.
At Killian’s command, the knight who had accompanied Killian when he kicked
Anna out stepped forward and said in a nonchalant voice.
“When I opened the door to the basement, there were several doors on one side
of the long hallway, and only one door was open. There was a chair in the
middle of the room that someone had been tied to, and on the floor was a
horsewhip, bloodstains, and... A part of Lady Edith’s hair ornament fell off.”
“It must have been four years since you tied Edith up and tortured her there,
Sophia. And to kill Edith until the end, you would have said that Edith wasn’t
there.”
Maybe it was because it was a cold execution ground, so Sophia’s giggling was
grotesque enough to be creepy.
A person who took delight in tormenting Edith for having something she didn’t
have...
Killian tried to protest again, but Duke Ludwig resolutely turned his head away
from Killian.
I started walking into the dungeon while being held back by the knights.
My relaxed legs faltered, but the dragging didn’t happen because the knights
were much more polite than before.
The knights who put me in the prison rushed out again, and I was a little dazed
in the place where it was so quiet that I could hear the sound of burning torches.
In the original story, the story after this is mostly centered on Liese and Cliff.
Even if I knew it, it was said that it would not be of any help to me now.
“Oh, it’s really cold in here.”
Before, I didn’t even feel the cold, probably because I thought I was going to die
soon, but now it’s so cold that I wonder how I couldn’t feel the chill.
The pain in my whole body that I had forgotten about for a while came back.
Even though people’s throats were being cut, there wasn’t much inspiration.
Maybe it’s because they know they’re going to die at this point.
‘Ah, sleepy.’
I didn’t mean to do it while hearing other people die, but the aftermath of not
sleeping for days was finally coming. I was so tired and so sleepy.
‘If you fall asleep in a place like this, your mouth will return...’
[Step 3 exception conditions met. An exception has been made and the original
author’s rights have been completely lost. Stage 3 exception conditions will
expire.]
It was the message that the three-step exception condition was satisfied so much.
‘What, what is it? What the hell was the exception this time?’
It was so absurd that I couldn’t even ask politely like before. However, manners
were not an important issue, and a voice like an announcer answered.
Huh?
‘No, I didn’t really ask to say it twice, what the hell did that mean!’
[It means giving up the will to live when in danger of dying.]
‘Ah, so just like I did earlier, I see someone coming to kill me and offer my head
to ask for a pretty cut... Is that so?’
[You’re right.]
It’s even more annoying when a voice like crazy AI answers clearly.
Even though I was dreaming, I stayed blank for a long time. It was funny that I
felt that way, but it was anyway.
Nix, cyx, what did you just say? This XX, are you playing with people’s lives
right now?
Every swear word I knew quickly flashed through my mind, replaying my anger.
‘Don’t resist the fate of death means to make up your mind to die!’
If you are a human, no, if you are a living being, that is almost impossible.
‘Even if I rode a long-distance carriage, the knights would have chased and
captured me, right?’
However, it seemed that the business of the unlucky voice was not over yet.
I thought there was some kind of crackling noise, and then another
announcement came out.
[Congratulations on your survival. The original scenario set for Edith Ludwig
has disappeared. Since the original flow has become extremely weak, the force
that supports this world is changed from ‘original flow’ to ‘probability’.]
Although I was disappointed, I won the fight against the original author anyway.
All the efforts of the original author to kill me as a villainess were in vain thanks
to my great luck.
‘What you said to Sophia was half right. Those who work hard can’t beat the
lucky ones... I’ve never wished for honor like this, but...’
Only then could I comfortably fall into ‘real sleep’.
***
Liese came out of the execution site at the attention of the Duke and Cliff, who
told her not to watch the terrible scene of the execution.
However, Liese’s hand, wearing a warm fox fur coat, was still shaking.
Liese chewed on her fingertips and walked recklessly back and forth outside the
execution site.
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EPISODE 122
I had never thought of such a result. So, I didn’t know what to do next.
K was a writer whose first article she wrote for fun was a hit.
He created the heroine ‘Liese Sinclair’ with all his longings to the point where
he could forget all the gloomy reality, and created the male protagonist ‘Cliff
Ludwig’ with all his desires.
In addition, <Obsession Refuses> was the first work I wrote by properly mixing
Romance clichés.
The number of people who read the article, which I wondered if someone would
laugh at it, increased day by day, and soon after, a major publisher came in to
publish it.
And the work that was published in the middle of the day recorded a huge hit as
soon as it was launched.
‘Well, how many books have I read since I was young and how many things do
I know? It’s different from what those kids wrote.’
K, who quickly fell in love with the role of a ‘successful writer’, looked at the
works pouring out every day with a cynical gaze and posted malicious
comments pretending to be a reader.
— Overall, the characters are flat and the content seems childish. It looks like
the author wrote it without hesitation.
— There are so many parts that remind me of <jjch is sj>. Did the writer sell his
conscience?
— Why pay money to read this? I only watch until the free minute and get off.
Because my coin is precious.
At first, he revealed why he didn’t like it, but later it was at the level of writing
malicious comments for the sake of malicious comments.
‘I’m saving readers money. Please read better works during the time you spend
reading such rubbish.’
And K evaluated the works of the members once a month in the name of the
development of the association members.
“It seems that the number of words used is too small. Read more books.”
“Isn’t the situation too contrived? Even though it’s a dead end, if the probability
is broken to this extent, I’m cursed.”
K’s criticism was harsh, but the members of the Writers’ Union thanked him,
saying that he was sobered up by his sharp advice.
A work written by one of the members of the Writers Union was a huge hit. It
was a success that surpassed <House·Delegation>.
Then, the members of the association congratulated the member and asked him
to evaluate his work.
‘What? It’s a hit thanks to the good promotion, but it’s cocky.’
And right away, he started leaving bad comments in the comment section of the
work.
However, whether the tail was long or the degree was excessive, the writer sued
K.
And the writer who faced K in court was furious when he learned that K was the
president of the Writers Union, and went so far as to expose the fact to the
Writers Union and all kinds of communities.
K eventually had to abandon his original pen name and write his works under a
new one.
However, the second work, written under a pen name, tasted a miserable failure.
She got into a big fight with her parents who recommended counseling and
treatment, and as she fell, she became obsessed with <House/Envoy>.
‘I wish it was Liese.’ From one day, the wish changed to the idea of ‘Liese is a
character born with me as a model’, and in the end, one thought ate into K’s
head.
‘I’m Liese.’
K’s mind, which had been gradually eroded over the years, could not distinguish
between reality and delusion, and one day K decided to return to where he
should be.
In a small studio with no one to stop him, K took a handful of sleeping pills and
didn’t hesitate at all.
And in the end, K woke up as the Liese Sinclair of a certain universe, just as he
had hoped so much.
All the inferiority feelings I felt in my previous life were resolved at once, and I
was happy every day.
Moreover, there was no crisis in her life because she was able to manipulate the
main characters with her ability as the original author and tweak the settings as
long as they did not deviate from the original work. There is only the beginning
of an incident that looks like a crisis.
K, who has been through such a life several times, decided to add a little thrill to
his life instead of admitting that the same life over and over again is hell.
That’s why I chose ‘Edith Possession’. Edith, who is a one-time villain who
appears briefly in the middle and then disappears, but who directly clashes with
Liese and acts evil, was the most easygoing character.
The result was as expected. You don’t know how fresh the villain who doesn’t
move according to the original story was.
His life, which was about to fall into mannerisms, had new vitality, and every
time he won a confrontation with a human possessed by Edith, his whole body
was thrilled.
It should have been like that forever, but I really never imagined that it would be
blocked by the 13th Edith.
The 3rd stage exception condition, which was thought to be impossible to meet,
was satisfied in the 13th Edith.
Even though she persuaded her to ‘help Killian save her life’, Edith didn’t even
listen, as if she had completely given up on life.
[Step 3 exception conditions met. An exception has been made and the original
author’s rights have been completely lost. Stage 3 exception conditions will
expire.]
The guidance echoing in my head was terrifying. I didn’t know who was talking,
but I wanted to run right away and shut his mouth.
However, the god of this world was not on the side of the original author.
[The original scenario set for Edith Ludwig has disappeared. Since the original
flow has become extremely weak, the force that supports this world is changed
from ‘original flow’ to ‘probability’.]
In addition, the flow of the original work has also weakened, so the future
success of Liese, which was planned in the future, has also become an uncertain
future.
“No... No...!”
As she trembled and was a little startled, a nearby knight cleared her throat and
comforted her.
“Lady Liese has a delicate heart, so it must be hard to just listen to her voice, but
there is an order in the world that needs to be followed even with such drastic
methods.”
“Lady Liese...?”
The knight looked at Liese’s complexion anxiously, but Liese showed a gentle
smile as if she had never shivered.
“...That’s right. To keep order... There must be something that can’t be helped.”
The knight was proud inside that he had soothed Liese well. And Liese was truly
grateful to that knight.
***
How long have I been sleeping.
Seeing that the screams of the execution site could still be heard, it didn’t seem
like he had been asleep for as long as he thought.
The crack in the mouth had healed to some extent, but even the slightest
pressure on the bruised area felt a dull pain.
If you’re going to save me, I’d like you to put me in a better place than this.
Because I think I’m going to freeze to death here.
Perhaps because of that thought, I soon heard the sound of someone opening the
prison door and coming down.
I couldn’t hear the sound of footsteps, so I didn’t think it was a knight or Killian.
“Edith!”
“Uh? Liese...!”
“Thank you, Liese. It was so cold that I thought I would freeze to death.”
“If you didn’t want to die that much, why didn’t you say a word to Killian
earlier?”
“Yes?”
“You were going to die earlier. I told Killian to ask for help, but he didn’t
pretend to hear...”
For some reason, Liese’s tone of voice felt a bit different from the original
character.
Besides, I couldn’t understand why the moment when I fell into despair and
gave up even the will to live was to be criticized in this way.
“Thank you for worrying about me. But earlier really... I thought that life had no
meaning. No matter what I said, you wouldn’t believe me. Liesee thought I
helped Shane. Yes?”
Since everything is fine, I wish I could hand over the hot water bottle first, but I
felt a bit embarrassed to even say that.
I let out a deep sigh.
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EPISODE 123
I don’t know if it’s because I wanted to die, or if it’s because I wanted to live.
Something was strange, but I answered steadily. Because I had to get a hot tub.
“Liese...?”
“Li...!”
“So, just think about dying. You must die here today.”
No, why did you suddenly take the dagger out of your pocket and make a fuss!
As I pushed my body behind the bars, Liese cut her arm with a dagger and
screamed.
“Kyaaaagh!”
Then he threw the dagger he was holding into the cage where I was.
‘Why are you giving me that when you ask for hot water?’
I didn’t feel like this situation was real at all, so I just stared blankly at it.
However, contrary to my vain wishes, Liese started playing the victim without
hesitation.
As I was stumbling around, not knowing what to say, Cliff, Killian, and a few
knights rushed in as if they had been waiting.
Cliff, like a male lead, quickly wrapped his arms around Liese and asked.
Then, he found clothes that had been cut off with a knife and Liese’s forearm,
which was lightly cut and bleeding.
“Eh, Edith suddenly tried to stab me. I was just trying to add hot water...”
Liese, who was welling up with tears, looked like she was seriously hurt.
At that time, Killian, who was watching this scene from the side, stole the key
from the knight who had the key to the prison and opened the prison door where
I was locked up and came in.
It’s Killian I’ve been wanting to see so much, but I’m afraid that he’ll be
disappointed in me, and I’m afraid that the small favor he’s been harboring for
me will fade.
If I had known this was going to happen, I would have been better off just
dying...
Killian, who entered the prison, did not pretend to look at me and picked up the
dagger that had fallen on the floor.
After examining it back and forth, he gave it to Cliff after having the knights
guarding the prison touch it.
I was just staring blankly at him with my mouth half open, when Killian strode
towards me and took my hand.
“Killian...?”
“It’s cold.”
Of course. Can’t you come down here and take a look? Not only my hands, but
my entire body is said to be in a field of ice.
“What?”
“I tried holding it, but the blade and handle were all hot. Higher than human
body temperature.”
“Edith’s hands are as cold as ice. If the hand that just held the dagger was this
cold, how could the dagger be so warm?”
And before Cliff could say anything back, Killian’s hand slipped inside my coat.
I was so surprised that I screamed, but my voice didn’t come out loud because I
had no strength.
“Even the clothes that Edith is wearing do not have any warming function, so
the body... Too cold. It’s not the knife this person had, that’s it.”
And Killian’s gaze turned to Liese.
“But if it’s Liese’s arms holding the hot water bottle, it’s understandable that the
sword is so warm. Is not it?”
“Killian!”
However, no one in the seat responded to Liese’s cry. Even Cliff’s eyes froze in
shock.
Killian gave me a chance to defend myself. I was so thrilled that I gasped, but I
took a deep breath and told the truth.
“Liese... She said she came to deliver hot water... She asked why I wanted to die
earlier, but she suddenly said that I had to die here... She took the dagger from
her bosom, cut her arm, and threw it over the bars. And she screamed... You and
Cliff came right away.”
“It’s a lie!”
“Then why is the dagger so warm? You can tell by touching it, but the dagger is
too warm.”
“That, that’s...”
It was a bit unexpected, but after seeing the actions of Killian who was handed
the dagger back to Cliff, I realized that he realized that Liese was the culprit the
moment he came down here.
“Look at this, Liese. Even I can’t cut your arm that deep.”
As Killian stretched out his arms and stumbled through the bars, both Cliff and
the knights standing next to him realized ‘Ah!’
There were several rows of bars running across the barbed wire, about the same
height as Liese and I.
It was hard for my arm, clad in a winter coat and winter wool cardigan, to slip
through the cracks in the lattice.
It was difficult for me to extend the hand holding the dagger outside, so Liese
could have pulled back in the gap, and even if I had quickly reached out, the gap
between the bars was so narrow that only wrist strength would have been
enough to move the dagger.
With that kind of force, how many layers of winter clothes did you cut through
and even scar her bare skin? That was nonsense.
‘It must have been a crucial mistake to cut her arm with too much force to draw
blood.’
Taken aback, Liese only opened her mouth, and Cliff looked flustered.
“Why don’t you believe me? I’m sure Edith tried to kill me.”
“If you feel unfair, explain what happened so that we can understand it, Liese.
At least Edith, whenever something happened in the mansion, she tried to prove
it wasn’t her fault! Shouldn’t you put in the same amount of effort?”
At those words, it felt like a ‘thump’ came from my chest, not Liese’s.
But, as if Killian was more angry than me, he pushed Liese fiercely.
“Edith has endured such resentment! While the stupid Ludwig family, including
myself, protect you like fragile glass, Edith has endured without even saying that
she is sick!”
“You didn’t even take a good look at Wellesley’s villa, and you just nailed Edith
as cooperating with Shane! If Edith hadn’t untied herself and escaped, Edith
could have frozen to death or become unable to use his limbs there!”
Cliff couldn’t answer even though Killian shot at him sarcastically. Because it
would have been true.
“Brother, you know what? When Liese is involved, you becomes a bit of an
idiot. I don’t care about other things, but if the price of my brother’s stupidity is
the death of my woman, my wife... You must be prepared to turn me into an
enemy. Or, am I complacent?”
Seeing how hard Killian was clenching his fists, his bones turned white and
trembled.
Every word from Killian made me feel better, but I felt like I had to stop him. It
is said that the colder it is in the winter, the more one should be careful of rising
blood pressure.
Many emotions were mixed in his gray eyes, like the cloudy winter sky, but I
noticed that he was feeling the most guilt among all of his senses.
“Edith... What can I do? Don’t stop me, rather rather beat me up. Please, do me
a favor!”
The blame for something I didn’t even do was cleared. That too, I was worried
that Killian’s heart might have left me.
The knights also witnessed all of this, so neither Liese nor Cliff will distort the
incident.
And I found out who the main character who drove me to be a villainess was.
It’s kind of funny that I was literally the main character.
“However, don’t you want to live again?” Liese asked, a face full of strange
earnestness.*
(A face full of earnestness — Liese explain in her POV, later on, that she tried to
elicit Edith’s will to live so that she will fail the third condition: To accept death
calmly and patiently. But Edith already accepted it calmly, so it is cleared in the
previous chapter. If Liese make her say she wants to live within the day, she can
revert the third restriction.)
I’m not sure if I’m feeling unhappy because I was willing to die or if I’m feeling
unhappy because I wanted to live. I didn’t want to say it, I felt it was too much
to say in front of Liese, the heroine.
Something was off with Liese, but I answered steadily. I had to get the hot onion
soup that Liese is holding, no matter what.
“But what shall we do about this situation? You will be soon accused of being a
traitor and suspected of being a criminal.” Her speech and remarks were so
unlike Liese’s. Cold and callous like a rusted knife.
What the hell does this mean? Why is Liese saying such weird things? Why...
Why... Are you suddenly taking the dagger out of your arms?
I inched forward, but I was held back by the barbed wire in front of me. As I
stopped a feet away from her, Liese slashed her arm with a dagger and
screamed. Her blood began to bleed freely, yet as she screamed, she didn’t
flinch or move an inch.
“Oh my god!”
Then she threw the dagger she was holding into the cage where I was. It landed
a little far off but within my reach.
I asked for a warm soup, but why are you suddenly performing a new scene for
me?
I felt like this situation was too absurd, so unreal, so I just stared blankly at
Liese. I don’t know what I should I do.
Am I still asleep?
(The House and the Envoy — a Korean film that depicted a political battle
where the main protagonist, who was the stereotypical righteous heroic lead,
was the hidden villain all along. The lead betrayed his comrades to which caused
the opposing force to win. This movie title is often used to describe when the
person you knew to be good suddenly flips their image and plays the victim to
hide their true status as the villain. Similar but not quite to a ‘Pick Me Girl’.)
But contrary to my vain wishes, hoping that this was all a dream, Liese did not
hesitate to play the victim, sobbing and crying, finally moving from her place.
“Oh, no, there’s...” As I was stuttering, wondering what to say — Cliff, Killian
and some knights rushed in, as if they were waiting outside.
“What’s the matter, Liese?” Cliff, like the main character, quickly wrapped his
arms around Liese and asked. He soon discovered the cut-off clothes and the
thin cut of Liese’s arm, which dripped blood.
At that moment, I thought a laser beam would come out of Cliff’s eyes.
“Well, Edith suddenly tried to stab me. I was just trying to give her the spring
onion soup...”
I kept saying these stereotypical dialogue. I really felt like the villainess.
Soon Killian, who was watching the scene from the side in shock, took the key
from the corrections officer and opened the door of the prison where I had been
locked.
It was Killian, whom I had longed to see so much, that I was afraid would be
disappointed with me. Maybe the little affection he had showed me would fade
away.
When Killian came into the prison, he picked up a dagger that had fallen on the
floor without looking at me. Then he examined it back and forth. He gave the
knights who guarded the prison, a chance to touch it once, before handing it to
Cliff.
Cliff took the dagger and grinded his teeth at me.
I’m pretty sure you want to stab me with that dagger now.
I was staring blankly at him with my mouth half open, and Killian strode
towards me and took my hand. I looked at him, ashamed of my appearance.
“Killian...?”
“It’s cold, isn’t it?” He said, softly. No anger, no sadness. Only warmth that
flowed from his hands.
What is he...
Of course. Can’t you see after close to me? Not only my hands, but my whole
body is frozen. I will turn to ice sooner than later.
“What?”
“I held it, and the blades and handles were all warm. Warmer than normal
human body temperature.”
“Now that’s not what I’m saying—”
“Edith’s hands are as cold as ice. How can the dagger be so warm if the hand
I’m holding is so cold?”
And before Cliff could refute what he said, Killian’s hand took off his own
jacket and covered me. I felt his familiar warmth from his familiar scent. I
suddenly felt at home.
I was so surprised that I tried to scream, but my voice was too weak to speak
loudly. I sounded like a child, croaking from a sickness.
“Besides, Edith’s clothes don’t keep her warm at all, and her body is... It’s too
cold. It’s not the temperature that the offender would have.”
“But in the hands of Liese, who was carrying a hot spring onion soup, it would
be understandable that the sword was so warm. Don’t you think so?”
“Killian!” This time Liese screamed out the name of Killian. But no one there
reacted to Liese’s cry. Even Cliff, who was always on Liese’s side, froze with
shocked eyes. Everyone was shocked with news.
Killian asked Liese with deadpanned eyes. “Then explain to me what happened,
Liese.”
“I came to give Edith the hot soup, and Edith took out her dagger and said to me
—!”
“Then why is the handle so warm? You’ll realize quickly when you touch it
yourself, but its too warm.”
“Well, that’s—!”
It was a bit of a surprise, but when I saw Killian, who handed the dagger to Cliff
earlier, he quickly noticed that Liese had been the culprit as soon as he came
inside to be with me.
“Look, Liese. I can’t even slice your arm so deeply from inside.”
As Killian stretched his arm through the bars and the barbed wire, Cliff and the
knights nearby looked as if they had realized, “Ah!”
There were several bars across and along the prison around the height of Liese
and I.
It was difficult for my arms in winter coats and winter wool cardigans to escape
through the lattice. Even Killian, who warn lighter and luxurious clothes, could
not reach all the way through.
It was difficult for me to reach out for a dagger, so not only could Liese have
stepped back in time, but even if I attacked swiftly, the gap between the bars
was narrow. Only my wrist could’ve passed and willed the dagger expertly.
How many layers of winter clothing was Liese wearing? How strong must I be
to be able to slice through the layers and reach her skin. That didn’t make any
sense.
I admired Killian, who had seen through the truth in the most unexpected way.
Liese was caught off guard, and Cliff looked bewildered.
Killian again, with a cold look in his eyes. “Liese, why did you try to frame
Edith?”
But Liese wept and insisted. “Why don’t you believe me? Edith tried to kill
me!”
“If you’re upset over something, explain it to me so that I can understand what
happened, Liese. At least Edith, when something terrible occurred in the
mansion and she was suspected, she proved that it wasn’t her fault! Don’t you
think you should make that much effort as well?”
It seemed to me that there was a thump in my heart, moved by the realization
that Killian saw me as an innocent person for a long time. I’m sure Liese can’t
say the same.
“You remembered eveything, Killian.” I was so happy and grateful that my body
trembled.
“Edith endured all this time in the midst of such injustice! Edith couldn’t even
say that she was sick! She’s been holding on, while my foolish Ludwig family,
including myself, protected you as if you were fragile glass!”
“You didn’t even look inside Wesley’s Villa thoroughly! Everyone was cursing
Edith as if she was cooperating with Shane! If Edith hadn’t escaped from the
rope herself, she might have frozen to death, god forbid, she could’ve been
dismembered!”
“That’s... I’m sorry.” Cliff hung his head low. Unable to meet Killian’s blazing
eyes.
“Why? Are you so impatient that you couldn’t look in the cellar? Liese said
something, didn’t she? She conspired another ploy against my wife!”
Cliff could not answer. It seems like Liese must’ve said something.
Killian snapped sarcastically.
“You know what? When Liese is involved, you turn into an idiot. I don’t care
what you do, but if the price of my brother’s foolishness is the death of my
woman, my wife... You must’ve been prepared to become my sworn nemesis!*
Or am I too easy for you to care about?”
(Killian uses the word ‘my eternal nemesis’ a deep Korean often used in
historical dramas which means a person you’ve loathed due to an unforgiveable
sin done to you. In English, there is no exact equivalent except enemy, so I used
sworn nemesis.)
Killian clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white, trembling harder as the
silence grows longer.
Every word of Killian made me feel better, but I wanted to stop him. It is said
that the colder the winter, the more aware you need to be of the size of your
plate*.
(Size of the plate — derived from how much you can place on your plate.
Similar to the saying, ‘biting off more than you can chew’. Often referring to the
condition and healthiness of a person in Korea. A strong porcelain plate is strong
but often fragile, a plastic plate is weak but durable, a small plate gets sick often
and a large plate is super healthy.)
His gray eyes, like the cloudy winter sky, were mixed with emotions, but I
noticed his eyes held the most guilt within them, as though he was the sinner.
“Edith... What can I do for you? Don’t just stop me and let them paint you as the
bully again. Please, try to ask me a favor! I will do anything!”
It was a very grateful sound and dialogue. Everything I wanted came true right
here.
I cleared of the suspicion for something I didn’t do. By the anxious Killian, who
I was afraid lost his mind as soon as he saw me in my tattered attire.
Knights were key witnesses of it all, so Liese and Cliff can’t distort the story as
they please.
And I found out who was the character who had schemed the role of a
‘villainess’ onto me.
https://forum.novelupdates.com/posts/7388783/
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 124
“Thank you for your words. Then I will ask you one favor.”
“Li, can you give me the hot water bottle that Liese brought? It’s too cold...”
Maybe it was because I was so moved that I shed tears, but now I even have a
runny nose.
“Wear that, but take off the mana coat! No matter how much I tried to
camouflage it, where did that happen...!”
Killian told me to take off my coat and then took off the fur coat he was
wearing.
“Ah!”
A scream came out without my knowledge. It was the place where Sophia
whipped me, so it was the most painful place.
I was gasping for pain to the point of breaking into a cold sweat, but it seemed
that Killian’s complexion was worse than mine.
At his scream, the youngest of the knights standing at a distance rushed outside
in a hurry.
Liese, who was watching this, was staring at Killian with a tear-stained face as if
it were absurd.
Cliff hugged her and spoke as if to soothe her, but Liese’s devastated expression
did not improve.
But all of a sudden, my eyes seemed to turn upside down, and I felt dizzy.
His voice, indistinguishable from his complaints or worries, could only be heard
that far.
It was because I felt like my whole body was sinking to the floor, and then I lost
consciousness again.
While I was losing my mind, I was certain that Killian would protect me.
***
Killian had to suffer from severe regret and remorse while carrying the fallen
Edith out of prison and laying her down in his room.
I couldn’t understand why Liese tried to frame Edith, but if Edith hadn’t cleared
the frame then Edith could have been dragged back to the execution ground.
No, if it was Cliff who believed that Liese almost suffered terrible things
because of Edith, he would have done anything to slit Edith’s throat.
I was staring at Edith’s pale face in devastated thoughts when one of the knights
who had arrested Edith came in with a cheap leather bag.
“This is the bag Lady Edith had when I found it at the carriage station.”
When the knight said goodbye and left, the room fell silent again.
And the moment he checked the objects revealed between them, he let out a
sigh.
“Oh, my God...!”
Tears fell uncontrollably.
At the top of the luggage in the bag were three small, cooled potatoes wrapped
in paper.
Even Killian, who was unfamiliar with the lives of commoners, knew that these
were the potatoes sold at carriage stations for snacks.
A person suffering from merciless violence and cold, could not even eat a proper
meal because she was afraid of being caught.
I choked at the thought of her carrying cheap potatoes in a paper bag that people
wandering the streets would have warmed their hands with.
“Shit...!”
When Edith looked at the things in her bag, her heart ached even more.
In order not to be seen, it contained rough clothes that commoners would wear
and traveling tools such as a portable lantern, flint, and utility knife.
All of them were flimsy items, and it was clear that Edith would have suffered
beyond words if she had started a long-distance trip relying only on these things.
So she would have chosen to go to the long-distance carriage station and return
there to die.
Imagining Edith’s cold and sad heart, Killian squeezed his chest tightly. My
heart ached so much.
‘There was no one on Edith’s side in this world. Isn’t her family trying to kill
her, because I, who is her husband, always pushed her to take the side of another
woman...’
There is nothing to criticize the Rigelhoffs for. The same goes for her Ludwig
family, who did what they couldn’t do to her.
Was there ever a time when they took care of their daughter-in-law Edith more
than Liese? No, on the contrary, they ware busy questioning everything.
Since the owner’s family was like that, there were reports that even the servants
of the mansion kept their distance from Edith. Even back then, it was all thought
to be Edith’s own business. Really stupid...
“...In the meantime, Master Cliff interrogated all the servants in the mansion.
The atmosphere was so bloody that everyone had no choice but to say what
Master Cliff wanted to hear or to say they didn’t know. Ah! Only one, Lady
Edith’s maid, Miss Anna, was said to have sided with the lady until the end.”
According to the report of the warden, who overheard Edith while taking Edith
out of prison, Anna was interrogated for several days because she was Edith’s
maid, but she stood by Edith until the end. She was faithfully carrying out her
orders, which he had given before he set out on her territory, in her own way.
“Call Anna.”
It was Anna who was called here and there for several days for interrogation and
even received a probation for not testifying against Edith(?).
I wanted to let her rest, but for now, there was no one he could safely entrust his
Ediths to, Anna.
After a while, Anna came running, neatly dressed as always in a maid’s uniform.
She was probably pretending nothing was wrong, but her sunken cheeks spoke
for her hardships.
“I’m sorry for calling you so suddenly, but this time I have something I can only
entrust to you.”
“Edith...”
“Okay. I have to show her to the doctor soon, but her body is very hurt. I think
she need to change her clothes and do some cleaning...”
Anna approached with a nervous face and covered her mouth with her hand as
she drew in her breath at the sight of Edith sleeping with a bruised and
emaciated face.
“That bitch, Sofia, tried to kill Edith. Then she shouldn’t have just been kicked
out, she should have been crippled somewhere...”
Killian murmured, full of regret, and Anna bit her molars to suppress her rising
emotions.
“I will bring her a bed linen and a towel to wipe her body.”
“Please, do so.”
Anna rushed outside, and Killian carefully stroked Edith’s cheek, who had
closed her eyes.
Her body was so cold that I wanted to massage her limbs, but when I thought of
the reaction when I grabbed her forearms, I couldn’t carelessly touch her
because I thought there were many scars all over her body.
And that prediction unfortunately came true.
The moment he and Anna took off Edith’s clothes, both his and Anna’s eyes
became bright as lightning at the same time.
“She should have been torn to pieces! I should have ripped her to death rather
than beheading her!”
Her forearm, which had been whipped particularly badly, was covered in flesh
from the cold, in addition to a wound that had not yet fully healed, and her feet,
which must have been walking for a long time in uncomfortable shoes, had
about two toenails dangling.
Even Anna, who is famous for not changing her expression in the mansion, was
unable to touch Edith’s body as she shed tears.
It was like seeing the weight of life that Edith’s slender body was enduring.
‘I drove Edith to hell. I didn’t even make an effort to find out more about her
because she seemed unconcerned, so no wonder his Edith didn’t lean on me!’
At the same time, he thought he knew everything, and boasted that he was
smarter than Edith.
Killian continued to curse himself inside and wiped Edith’s body with Anna.
It was an extremely cautious touch, like wiping a newborn baby, fearing that
Edith would get hurt if I exerted even the slightest effort.
And after I managed to get Edith to wear acupuncture needles, I heard the news
that a doctor had arrived.
“Bring him here right now. If Cliff tries to take the doctor first, tell him I’ll kill
him.”
In the unprecedentedly bloody atmosphere of Killian, the servants ran with their
eyebrows flying and brought the doctor.
And as soon as a doctor who had been almost arrested saw Edith’s condition, he
looked back at Killian with a shocked face.
“Thank you for asking me kindly. If it isn’t a bother, could you do me a favor?”
“Liz— Um, can I have the hot onion soup that Liese brought? It’s so cold...”
Perhaps because I was so moved by Killian earlier that teared up, my eyes felt
stiff and my nose began to sting from the cold.
“I’ll take off another coat. No matter how much someone tries to disguise
themselves. How could you wear so thinly..!”
Killian asked me to take off my thin coat and took off the thick fur coat he was
wearing himself. He made sure to secure it firmly on my thin, cold body.
He breathed quickly to shake off his cold sweat*. Killian seemed to look worse
as second pass as he looked at my condition. He looked worse than I did.
(Doctor — a person with deep and extensive knowledge in medicine. Used for
pharmacists and herbalist during the Joseon Period. Closest similar is doctor.
Not a physician this time.)
One of the knights standing far away heard his cry, seemingly the youngest and
began sprinting outside of the prison. The other knight lingered, looking at us
with mixed gazes.
Liese, who was looking the commotion, looked at Kylian with a tearful face.
Well, despite being self-inflicted, she was bleeding, too.
Cliff circled his arms around her and said to her soothingly but Liese’s stunned
face did not waver.
As time went by, I grew dizzier as if my eyes were turning upside down. Killian
held me in his arms as I slowly layed on the bed, his warm hands were my only
comfort.
“Where and how much have you been hurt?” I could only hear his voice, which
I was hard to decipher if he was complaining about my mishaps or worried
about my condition. I don’t have the luxury to think deeply about it.
This is because I felt as if my whole body was falling to the floor and my soul
was slowly escaping.
While I was fading from consciousness, I was convinced that Killian would
protect me, no matter what.
_________________
As he went out of prison with Edith in his arms and settled her down in his
room, Killian had to suffer from endless and terrible regret constantly.
I’m furious with myself for being so ignorant of Edith’s situation. I wanted to
beat myself to the bone!
I was staring at Edith’s pale face miserably. Soon, one of the knights who
arrested Edith came in with a cheap, ratty leather bag.
“This is Miss Edith’s bag while she was on the run. We found it at the
Commoner’s Transport Hub*.”
“Who search for her bag? Did she leave it to someone else?”
“No, we searched the area when Lady Edith surrendered. We came upon the
carriage she was boarding, her bag was left there.”
The knight bid goodbye and left. The room became quiet yet again.
Killian glanced at Edith and carefully opened her bag. He felt like he was
invading her privacy, much like when he browsed her diary. He took a peak of
what was revealed inside.
Killian breathed out sharply, shocked.
“Oh, my God—!”
At the top of the bag was three small potatoes wrapped around newspapers.
Despite Killian, who has never lived the life of a commoner, knew that these
potatoes were sold as snacks at the Commoner’s Transport Hub. It was a cheap
snack, meant to eaten when food was scarce during long commutes.
My heart is breaking.
She suffered from merciless assault and was so cold from escaping from the
Villa. Edith probably couldn’t eat properly because she was nervous about her
fate.
I felt breathless. To think that those traveling or those who ate cheap potatoes
wrapped in paper to ease hunger and seek warmth... To think that was how Edith
lived, for the couple of days where she felt like she was truly alone. To think her
situation was far worse than being terribly assaulted*.
“What the—!”
When Killian looked through the things she packed in her bag, his heart ached
even more.
In order to hide, there were ratty and rough clothes that ordinary people would
wear. She had packed portable lanterns, flints, and travel tools like multipurpose
knives and handy axes.
It was clear that Edith would’ve suffered beyond words if they were sloppy
while she survived on these in her long journey.
I’m afraid I would get so trapped in my depressing emotions that I could die.
Edith surrendered at the Commoner’s Transport Hub and chose to come home.
She must’ve given up and resolved to die in the Duchy.
She would’ve never surrendered unless she resolved to kill herself... She knew
what her situation would be like if she came home.
I squeezed my chest.
“There was nobody in the world on her side. She must’ve thought that her old
and new family were trying to kill her. Despite being her husband, I’ve always
turned a blind eye for another woman... I’ve been pushing her away for a long
time... It was only recently that I’ve been able to stand by her, but did she think I
stood by Liese? Not by her side?”
I knew my feelings for Edith not long ago yet how could I be so be so blind
about Liese...?
Have my parents ever held their daughter-in-law, Edith, above the house guest,
Liese?
The Lord’s family received reports that everyone was distancing themselves
from Edith.
“...So far, Master Cliff has questioned everyone. The atmosphere was so vicious
that everyone spoke their versions of the truth hurriedly. They didn’t know what
he wanted to hear and spoke what they knew to ease Lord Cliff. They recently
released a maid, Anna, who is close to Lady Edith.”
“...”
According to the report by the guard, once suspicions against Edith were known,
Anna was brought in for interrogation. She was questions for days because she
was Edith’s only maid. She was her only trusted servant.
It was said that Anna defended her endlessly. Anna was even confined in her
room for being unable to testify against Edith.
Anna was faithfully carrying out the orders she’s been given before the Battle of
Territories broke out. It was odd that she, who was the closes to Edith in her
daily life, had nothing to say about her master. Yet those, who have never served
Edith once, had much to say.
“Call Anna.” Killian ordered another knight, who was waiting outside his room.
I wanted to give her a break from her own problems, but for now, Anna was the
only other person I could trust to serve Edith, with confidence.
After a while, Anna, dressed in her maid uniform as usual, came running inside.
She pretended to be calm and composed, but her rough cheeks represented her
hard work. It seems the interrogation grew rough, despite that, Anna never
cursed Edith.
Anna kept her head low. She didn’t see Edith’s thin form on my bed.
“I apologize for calling you suddenly, but you’re the only person I can trust with
this sensitive matter.”
Anna raised her head unconsciously when I mentioned Edith. She looked down,
unable to meet my eyes.
The anxious look on her face made Killian think that he was worse compared to
Anna. She had done more for Edith and silently stood by her.
“Yes, the Doctor is on his way, but my wife very sick. I think its best if she can
change into better clothes and have her cleaned before the examination. I don’t
want her condition to worsen suddenly.”
“I’ll do so in a minute. Before that... Young Master, may I see the Madam for a
moment?”
Killian nodded and allowed Anna come closer, near the bedside where Edith lay.
Anna approached nervously, an anxious look present on her usually blank face.
She lat her sights on Edith’s bruised and thin face. Anna breathed in sharply and
covered her mouth with her hands.
“The maid from before, Sophia, tortured Edith. Sophia was trying to kill Edith
while Mother and Liese were captured. Edith, fortunately escaped... I shouldn’t
have stopped in banishing her, I should have crippled and tortured her...”
Killian murmured with regret. Anna clenched her jaw, suppressing her own
surge of emotion.
“I’ll bring you some ointments and towels to wipe Madam’s body with. I will
excuse myself.”
“Please do so.”
Even when she is in this state, my wife is the most lovable woman in the world.
I must do her right... I need to undo the negative change within me. I will change
for the better...
For my wife...
I want to massage her limbs because her temperature was still too cold for my
liking. Considering her reaction when she tried to standing while holding onto
my forearms, that seemed to be a terrible idea. She must’ve slept restlessly since
she was bruised heavily. I hope she is only bruised, I hope nothing worse will be
found...
As soon as I removed Edith’s clothes with Anna’s assistance, our eyes grew
round like dinner plates.
There were numerous wide and deep bruises on Edith’s forearms and thighs.
In addition to the unhealed wounds, the arms, which were particularly beaten,
were covered with slices and marks from a sharp tool. Her feet, which travelled
for a long time in uncomfortable shoes, were red and bruised, various sores and
boils.
“How could— How could— Madam!” Anna sobbed, clutching her damp towel
as she contained her words.
I couldn’t touch Edith’s body. Myself, who is known to have a cold and
unchanging expression within the mansion, thawed. My eyes grew moist again
and I let my own tears fall, clenching my hands.
Her body was a testament to the life she endured the past couple of days.
Why now...!
I didn’t make an effort to know more about her because she ignored me. No
wonder Edith never relied on me!
Killian experience an agonizing pain as though his heart was being crushed
repeatedly.
I’m terrible!!
Killian cursed himself endlessly. He began wiping Edith’s body with Anna.
Not long after they finished cleaning her. They managed to get Edith dressed
warmly and comfortably.
“Bring him here at once! If Cliff dares to steal the Doctor, I will kill him.”
It was unprecedented, how brutal Killian’s atmosphere was. The servant who
announced the Doctor’s arrival ran quickly and brought the Doctor immediately
to Killian’s room.
Almost immediately, the Doctor was taken aback. The Doctor looked back at
Killian with astonishment as soon as he finished checking Edith’s condition.
https://forum.novelupdates.com/posts/7389781/
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 125
“Don’t try to know the whole story. You should value your life.”
“Ah, yes...”
The slightly startled doctor sat down and examined Edith’s body.
“Fortunately, there are no broken bones. From now on, please apply warm
compresses frequently and apply the ointment I prepare and send to you
morning and night.”
“We will decide whether to take the medicine after the lady wakes up and I will
examines her. And since she don’t seem to have been able to rest or eat
properly, she should absolutely rest for the time being.”
“I see.”
Twice more he was told that the bruise itself was not a big deal, only that it
looked bad on the outside, but Killian asked the doctor to wait at the mansion.
He sighed like that, but after a while, Duke Ludwig called Killian and Cliff to
confirm what happened inside the prison.
“Thanks.”
Killian went to the Duke’s office, feeling a sense of comradeship with the maid,
in whom he had not been interested in yet before.
Upon entering the office, the Duke was wiping his blood-splattered hand with a
wet towel.
“Sit down.”
Sensing the cool atmosphere of the two sons, the Duke sighed deeply and sat
down.
When the Duke muttered something in trouble, Killian didn’t even look at his
brother.
“Concerning the matter earlier, does your brother have anything to say?”
“...”
“I will tell you, Father. I’m a little excited, so I might say something radical, but
my brother will correct that later.”
“I get it.”
For the first time, the Duke gave Killian the right to speak, not Cliff.
And in the Duke’s office that day, the story about the truth that they didn’t know
continued for a long time.
***
It was warm.
I no longer felt the coldness and frigidness that had been chilled to the bone, that
I felt sick of even though I only experienced it for a short time.
‘Me... I live...’
I opened my eyes slowly, sweeping the soft bedding surface under my palm.
‘Where’s Killian?’
‘I am scared...’
Suddenly I wondered if I might be dead, and I got goosebumps.
It was cold because I had nothing to put on my bed, but I wanted to find
someone else besides me.
“Killian...”
I opened the door between the bedroom and the drawing room, calling for
Killian in a voice of no confidence.
The gazes of the three people who were sitting at the table in the parlor were
simultaneously looking at me.
“Edith!”
Surprised, Killian jumped up and strode toward me. But he struggled with his
arms and hands without even holding me or hugging me.
“Why did it happen? You body has not fully recovered yet.”
Only then did I feel the anxiety that had risen within me ease.
“I’m scared because there’s no one there. I... I thought I was dead.”
At those words, Killian stiffened like a paused video and only stared at me.
“No. It’s just that I didn’t get enough sleep, so I had some weird thoughts.”
It must have been quite shocking. The first time I changed my clothes, even
though it was my own body, it was so unfamiliar that it was so intense that I was
shocked.
Looking at the dark purple bruises on my forearms and thighs, I was a little
worried that these would go back to flesh color.
“Do not worry. You only slept for about three days.”
“Uh? Is it so?”
“You ate soup once in between and drank some water. You even went to the
bathroom once.”
I blankly nodded.
I asked because I was really worried, but Killian’s expression seemed to hold
back his anger.
“You don’t have to look at my father or older brother anymore. Rather, they will
have to look at you.”
“What happened?”
Killian looked me in the eye for a long time, let out a long sigh, and told me
what had happened.
***
When Edith was imprisoned in the dungeon and the execution of the Rigelhoff
family began, Count Rigelhoff was the first to kneel.
However, Count Rigelhoff, who was already gripped by anger, fear, and
madness, glared at Duke Ludwig with bloodshot eyes and smirked.
“If I die, please also kill my daughter Edith. It is dishonorable for us all to die,
and she survives alone.”
“Puhaha! When did you say that you cared for that child so much?”
“I don’t know why you’re finally looking for the daughter you abandoned.”
“If you don’t remember abandoning her, it must mean that you never considered
her a daughter in the first place.”
It was stabbed once, but when he realized that it was close to the correct answer,
Killian felt worse.
“A traitor is never spared. That is the iron rule of the Rigelhoff family!”
As Count Rigelhoff screamed, Duke Ludwig, who was listening by, looked at
him with a twisted look and then said, bored.
“He doesn’t even know how to respect the traditions of other families...!”
Then the knight who was out to be executed raised a well-edged axe.
“Kyaaaagh! Argh!”
“Father!”
The screams of the Rigelhoffs echoed loudly throughout the execution grounds.
The moment the ax cut through the freezing cold air, the two eyes that were
staring at Duke Ludwig went blank, and hot blood splattered into the air.
The end of a human who let envy and jealousy corrode my life was miserable.
After Count Riegelhoff was executed, the rest of the family were executed one
after another.
Even while the execution site was filled with screams of terrible agony, Killian’s
nerves were on Edith, who was trembling underground.
‘I can take Edith to the mansion! Is my father still suspicious of Edith? Don’t
they believe me?’
As time passed, Sophia’s turn came to assault Edith while she was getting more
and more nervous.
“That bitch...!”
Killian turned on the light in his eyes and took a step forward.
But then, a soldier guarding the entrance to the execution ground ran and
informed the Duke.
“Linnon? Is he awake?”
“It seems that he came running this way as soon as he woke up.”
It was Linnon, who lost consciousness after being hit in the head by a
mercenary’s group while trying to stop a kidnapping.
It must have been a very important message for him, who was usually not
embarrassed or impatient, but to the extent that he came running as soon as he
woke up.
“Bring him.”
And Linnon, who came to the execution site at the Duke’s order, with a bandage
on his head, looked at the few remaining criminals with an urgent face.
“I heard that the young lady was caught and brought to the place of execution.”
“However?”
He raised his voice, and Linnon stumbled, resting his head on his temple.
Killian was very happy and desperate to see the appearance of someone who
insisted on Edith’s innocence.
Seeing that Killian was still calm, Linnon had a hunch that Edith was not dead
yet.
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EPISODE 126
“She did not help the Rigelhoffs in their sordid crimes. I saw it clearly with my
own two eyes. Rather, Miss Edith was the one who was assaulted the most by
them!”
Duke Ludwig had already heard Killian’s testimony and felt his own
misunderstanding, but on the day of the abduction, he wanted to hear more
about Linnon, who ran ahead of the knights.
“Tell me in detail.”
“On that day, I heard the news that there was an assassination attempt on His
Majesty the Emperor at the Imperial Palace, and that all parties in the capital
were suspended because of it. For some reason I didn’t feel very well, so I told
Lord Gordon that I’d better go see the Duchess. I was in a hurry, so I left first.”
It was the same thing I heard from Gordon, the knight commander guarding the
mansion.
“From a distance, three women in dresses were seen being dragged away by
black-clad men. Two of them had already passed out and were being loaded
onto the wagon, but one resisted to the end. The woman who succeeded in
dropping the man who held her, she did not run away, but she clung to the
Duchess, who was being pulled up into a carriage, to dismount.”
Linnon recalled that moment with a sad expression. The moment he felt so
helpless.
“Our knights were approaching quickly, so if she had held out a little longer, the
abduction would not have happened so easily. However, one of her goons got
out of her carriage and beat her mercilessly. Her fallen woman was her dark
colored hair, and the man who hit her must be... It was Shane Rigelhoff.”
“Really?”
“I swear on my honor.”
But to Killian, who was listening by his side, the more important issue was how
and where Edith was injured.
“Slap her face with his fist, her belly with his foot...”
“He hit a weak woman like that? Isn’s she his sister?”
Not only Killian but also the Duke were surprised and asked back.
“I was very surprised and ran, but the number of mercenaries was greater than
expected and I was quickly surrounded. While I was struggling with them,
Shane ran away with Lady Edith in a wagon.”
“Shit...”
I couldn’t even guess where or how much Edith had been hurt.
“I think the reason is that Miss Edith completely turned her back on the
Rigelhoffs. The lady was very much looking forward to going down to the
manor and was swollen with dreams of developing the manor. There’s no way
someone like that would have betrayed the Ludwig family.”
“You mean that...”
The Duke regretted it belatedly, and Killian’s heart seemed to be breaking down.
I wonder how long Edith must have been waiting for that day as she pondered
over the plan to develop the estate.
But I felt so foolish that I didn’t know that kind of heart and thought only what
would happen if she went down and whined about being cold.
“So, did you run as soon as Edith got up because you was afraid of her being
executed?”
When Killian asked with a faint smile, Linnon nodded with a blunt yet
somewhat embarrassed face.
“Do you think I would let my wife die? But thank you, Linnon. Thanks to that,
my father seems to finally believe me.”
At that time, hysterical laughter was heard from the middle of the execution
ground.
As Shane screamed to death, Sophia, who had been screaming more painfully
than him, already looked half insane.
As if she was going to get revenge, she grinned with burning eyes before
revealing Edith’s secret.
“But what? The wife of the son of the great Duke Ludwig is actually not the
count’s daughter, but an illegitimate daughter who doesn’t know who she is.
Ahahaha!”
At those words, everyone caught their breath and looked at Killian and the
Duke.
But Killian wasn’t surprised by that. Rather, it felt like the puzzle had finally
been put together.
“If a dog doesn’t even know the owner’s grace for reaping what it deserves to be
abandoned, you should make it come to its senses even by hitting it.”
“Dog...?”
“Yes! Edith was the dog of Count Rigelhoff. If you release a bitch in heat, male
dogs with valuable information will flock to you.”
Everyone was shocked by Sophia’s attitude of referring to the woman who was
her owner as a ‘dog’. No, it would be accurate to say that Edith had never been
Sophia’s owner in the first place.
“She was quite useful until marriage, but after marriage, isn’t it that you don’t
recognize the owner and repeat stupid things? If it hadn’t been for that bitch’s
betrayal, you would have been sitting on the execution ground now.”
Sophia was sarcastic, but Killian fired the truth in a cold voice.
“That means Edith was the most important person in the Rigelhoff family. If I
had known that the family would fall like this without Edith, I would have
rushed to get married.”
Then he went down to the execution site, grabbed the ax from the executioner’s
hand, and ordered Sophia’s hands tied to the frame.
“I have to personally slaughter Rigelhoff’s dog that was harassing my wife. First
of all, the two hands that dared to hit my wife.”
The two hands that were clenched in the mold fell to the floor with a ‘thump’
along with the ax blade.
“Gaaaagh!”
“How noisy. My wife was the woman who proudly held her chin in front of me
even after being beaten by you. If you want to be cocky, why don’t you learn a
little from Edith?”
“Well, you’re too stupid to learn from Edith... It was too late.”
Then, with a big swing of the axe, he cut off the head that was crying loudly at
once.
“If Edith is a dog, then you are no different than dog fleas who survived thanks
to that dog.”
Killian spat out his last words at Sophia’s steaming corpse as if spitting with
contempt, handed the ax to the executioner, returned to his place, and spoke to
the Duke.
“I will take Edith to the mansion right now and call the doctor. Even if there is
something to interrogate Edith, treatment comes first.”
The Duke nodded his head without making any more harsh noises.
“Anyway, Lady Liese just went down with a hot water bottle.”
His expression seemed to tell him not to worry, as if Liese wasn’t very proud.
It was the same anxiety I felt when I heard that Edith was going out to play with
Liese.
“Just now?”
As soon as he heard that sound, Killian headed towards the prison. It was Cliff
who caught Killian.
“The execution is not over yet. Liese went to deliver the hot water, so keep your
seat.”
“No. It’s because I’m worried that Liese went.”
“What?”
And when they stood in front of the stairs leading down to the dungeon, Liese’s
screams were heard from the dungeon.
Killian and Cliff ran down the stairs of the dungeon without asking anyone first.
***
“After that, I think you will remember. Liese tried to frame you.”
“I don’t think I will ever forget Liese’s expression at that time for a long time to
come. It didn’t seem like the Liese I knew. Or maybe I’ve been
misunderstanding Liese for a long time... ”
Killian seemed to place more weight on the fact that he misunderstood Liese.
“She is locked in her room. I don’t even remember what happened to you.
According to the doctor, it seems that she was shocked by the terrible
appearance of the execution site and showed destructive behavior without
knowing it... ”
“Huh?”
“That sounds funny. I know, you know, maybe Cliff or Dad knows. But that’s
what it means to bury it roughly like that.”
Killian, who smiled crookedly, came closer to me and asked in a low voice.
“But that is what they think. What would you like to do? Be honest and be
sincere.”
“Yes.”
“Yes.”
... What had happened to him in the meantime that made him change so much?
“Why are you acting strange all of a sudden? It is not like you.”
“It must be difficult for you to accept my change right away. Doubt as much as
you like, criticize as much as you like. I will wait forever until your heart is
freed.”
There was a feeling of overdoing it a little, but I could tell that he was sincere.
But in fact, it wasn’t his own fault that Killian had ever been suspicious of me
and tried to distance himself.
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EPISODE 127
He was just a character in this novel, so he couldn’t go against the flow of the
original plot.
The reason he can see all of this now is because I met the 3rd stage exception
condition and the flow of the original work has become extremely weak.
Not only Killian, but perhaps Cliff and the Duck are also affected by this.
‘From now on, probability, not the flow of the original work, will be the main
force supporting this world, right?’
Just because the original causal relationship has disappeared doesn’t mean I
suddenly become the main character of this world.
Rather, what will happen from now on is that even if I have read the original
work and come, I will not be able to know the future.
I wanted to let him know about me without hiding anything from him. So, as a
complete me, I wanted to be understood and loved by him.
I took my hand out of his hand and placed it on the back of his hand.
“Yes, after all, I grew up in the Riegelhoffs and was abused from an early age.
All the swearing I did at the party were all forced by someone called my father.”
“There are two reasons for that. First, I wasn’t sure if you and the Ludwigs
would accept me after knowing the truth about me. I was a hostage for the
loyalty of the Rigelhoff family, but if you knew that I was an empty chaff that
couldn’t function...”
“Edith...”
Until this moment, I was thinking about whether it was okay to reveal my truth,
and if so, how to explain it.
“Killian.”
He raised his head, perhaps wondering why I suddenly called him while I was
talking.
“Because that’s the second reason I haven’t revealed everything about myself to
you.”
“I have all the memories of Edith. And at the same time... I also has human
memories of Choi Soo-na.”
“Chei... What?”
I laughed briefly at his pronunciation.
“No. Choi, Soo, and Na. I was a 28-year-old woman living in a country called
South Korea. My parents farmed in the countryside, and I earned money while
working in the capital city, but I have no money to gather because my brother
who is like a bitch keeps stealing money, and in addition, I suffered from a
serious illness when I was young, so I am not healthy... It was a rough life. Still,
I did my best to look as if I lived as well as others.”
Just a year ago, I was Choi Soo-na. But it already felt like something in the
distant past. Could this be a side effect of possessing?
“Actually, it was a life that was not much different from Edith. My parents were
her biological parents, but you know what? Even real parents can stop loving
their children. My parents did. They didn’t hit her, but they pretty much left me
or her brother unattended. And my brother was worse than Shane Rigelhoff.”
From the time I brought up the name ‘Choi Soo-nara’, Killian couldn’t control
his gaping mouth and listened in a daze.
When I asked with a smile, Killian closed his mouth and shook his head.
“I’m glad I still look fine. I have to tell you more strange things from now on...”
“Please.”
As soon as I coughed, Killian poured water from the water bottle on the bedside
and handed it to me.
The attitude of listening is very good.
“Possessed...?”
“Yes. Another soul enters a person’s body and becomes the owner of that body.
It is said to be a ghost...”
“Oh, oh, no! There’s no such thing as too much power! Just... It was like this
when I opened my eyes. It’s not even what I wanted.”
While I was nervous, Killian stared into the air for a long time before sighing
and changing the topic.
“What kind of accident was it? The accident that killed you.”
“Uh... My brother was waiting for me drunk. I went home after work, and he
was in front of the door.”
Every time I left work, I often imagined that an unfamiliar robber might be
waiting for me on the stairs.
“He asked me to give him money that day too. But I wasn’t in a good mood that
day. So I stretched out saying I couldn’t give it to him.”
“So what?”
“Unluckily, I had just finished climbing the stairs... I was slapped on the cheek
and fell back. I think I fell down the stairs... I passed out from the shock as if I
had been hit in the head hard somewhere, and when I opened my eyes, it was
Edith’s body.”
“...Voila!”
I added childish sound effects as I stretched out my arms from side to side like a
magician doing a successful magic trick.
“Anyway, that’s why I was a bit reluctant to expose Edith’s past as if it were my
own experience. I wonder if I have the right to sell someone else’s misfortune.”
“Sigh...”
Killian let out a sound that I couldn’t tell if it was a laugh or a sigh.
But I decided not to talk about it there. It seemed that Killian would get too
confused, and it was difficult to say that he was in the book anyway.
“It’s okay if you don’t believe me. Since I started living as Edith, I’m just Edith,
and my mysterious experiences like this aren’t important. I just didn’t want to
hide anything from you.”
“To be honest...”
Killian was still in thought for a long time after he opened his mouth.
I understand. It’s the first time he’s ever heard of something like this.
“I don’t believe everything you say. But it’s too specific to disbelieve, and
there’s no reason for you to fool me with such a story.”
“I don’t mean to confuse you. But... Get down to Ryzen and let me help you
with your work. Choi Soo-nara’s memory will be quite helpful to you. The
world I’ve lived in is a bit more advanced than where I am now.”
“You said you were full of dreams of developing Ryzen, and that was true.”
A tickling feeling ran from the back of the hand, through the arm, straight to the
heart.
“Do not worry. I’ll listen to whatever you say now. I’ll try to understand, and if I
don’t understand, I’ll keep talking. I don’t want to make the same mistake
again.”
“Even if you say that a soul from another world has possessed you.”
Maybe what I wanted to hear from Killian wasn’t blindly saying that he loved
me or that he would do whatever I asked for, but that he would try to understand
me.
“What... As the head of this family, His Excellency the Duke must have been
careful about every little thing. I understand.”
I giggled with Killian and then we talked more about small things.
That this morning, at the execution site of the Imperial Palace, the heads of those
involved in the treason conspiracy, such as the Langston family and the
Rigelhoff family, were hanged; The Duchess had just woken up yesterday, and
Linnon had another week to recuperate, and so on.
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EPISODE 128
“Once you feel better, let’s go straight to Ryzen. To a land where you can no
longer be hurt, and we will grow together.”
***
It wasn’t because the sun had set that the room was dark. It was because Liese,
who seemed to have a nervous breakdown, told her to draw all the curtains.
“I don’t know if I should have asked before, Liese. Why are you... Did you try
to get rid of Edith?”
Cliff, the main character of the sigh, asked Liese, who was hiding in it, using the
blanket as a cocoon.
At the end of Liese’s words, which barely answered, the water was wet again.
It had already been a week since Liese had been confined to her room.
Regarding what happened in the dungeon, he complained why he didn’t believe
him, and later trembled, saying he didn’t know why I did it. Then, when he
came to the Duke and asked, he changed his words, saying he didn’t remember.
Liese’s actions were suspicious to anyone, and the people of the Ludwig family,
who were no longer dominated by the flow of the original story, did not protect
her unconditionally like before.
The suspicions that had been directed at Edith so far spilled over to Liese, and
Liese was unable to properly answer the questioning.
Duke Ludwig, who cared for Liese like a daughter and unconditionally trusted
her words, felt betrayed and shocked. For fear of collapsing from shock, he
couldn’t even talk to the Duchess.
However, Cliff was an ardent believer in Liese no matter how the order of this
world was reorganized.
“I don’t need understanding for you. If I had only known you wanted it, I would
have been happy to help. Why didn’t you tell me too?”
“If you knew what I wanted, would you have loved and cared for me?”
“Of course. The night before Edith fell into the lake, do you really think I went
all the way there without knowing anything?”
“All of a sudden, the night before Killian and Edith went boating, they say it
seems like you accidentally spilled an earring on my yacht, but even if I was an
idiot, I would have guessed what you were up to.”
“Actually, I proposed to Edith to go boating, and I told you that it was all... It
was to find out what you were thinking.”
“Of course I didn’t know you wanted to kill Edith, but I expected something to
happen.”
No one would be surprised to hear that the opponent he thought he had been
playing with had, on the contrary, known his intentions and was willing to
match them.
“If I do, I’m afraid you’ll completely hide yourself from me.”
Seeing that Liese refused to reveal her truth to me even though Liese made
everything she wished for, Cliff thought that she was like a bird always ready to
run away.
When it feels like it, it pretends to be weak and naive and sings brightly on your
shoulder, but it is a clever and beautiful bird that will fly away even if you feel
the slightest sense of danger.
“I knew from the moment I met you that you were different from others. It
seemed to anticipate and act on everything. Even your unhappiness makes me
feel like you created it.”
Whenever she was framed or faced with unknown threats, Liese always turned
the crisis to her advantage.
Even if Liese didn’t do it herself, someone around her would help, or luckily
coincidence overlapped.
“At first, I simply thought you were lucky. After that, I thought I had a good
relationship with a good person. However, without a single exception, the
coincidence and fate are repeated, and you take the result for granted... From
then on, I thought you were special.”
Liese was surprised that Cliff had been seeing through her for a long time.
Up until now, I thought that I was in a position similar to that of God, and that
everyone, including Cliff, was just a creature created by myself and unable to
surpass me...
‘You mean I didn’t know all the characters I created, and I didn’t have complete
control over them! I am... Then what was I?’
As Liese covered her mouth with her hand and struggled from the slow shock,
Cliff cautiously approached her and held her in his arms.
“I don’t care who you are or what you do. I just want you, Liese. Can’t you just
lean on me from now on?”
“I am... You will grow old and grow old. It will get ugly and fall apart.”
“Isn’t it natural for people to get older and get old? I want to grow old with
you.”
“I can’t even predict what will happen to me in the future. The luck that you
thought was strange until now won’t happen in the future. I am no longer
special.”
“I will be with you. I will be your sword and shield. If there’s anything you
want, I’ll be happy to put it at your feet.”
Liese shook her head at Cliff’s oath. He couldn’t believe that it was okay to look
old and ugly or to fall into failure. Who can love a human being who is neither
beautiful nor successful?
“Don’t tell me easily. If I trust you and lean on you and then get dumped later,
who will take care of me?”
Liese, who knew how to look only at her own wounds, did not know that she
was hurting Cliff even when she hurt him.
However, Cliff, who was so infatuated with Liese that he was called half-crazy,
loved even this selfish side of Liese.
“If you want, I can even write a contract for you. I’ll put my leash on you You
will become a special person who can control Cliff Ludwig at will.”
Liese, who is the incarnation of severe narcissism, felt the limits drawn to her by
Cliff’s confession and oath that she loved her.
‘Cliff doesn’t want me to stand out as Liese Sinclair. He only wants to be special
as his lover and wife. Cliff is selfish!’
However, Liese had no intention of working hard and struggling like Edith to
become special as she was.
‘My golden days don’t come back anymore. If I die after living this life, will I
be able to open my eyes again at the beginning of the story?’
Liese, who only wanted glory without a price, decided to accept Cliff’s offer in
the end, feeling like she would suffer a great loss.
She didn’t even realize that it was the limit that Liese herself had drawn for
herself.
[The story of Edith Ludwig, separated from the story of Liese Sinclair, begins.
The end of this story has not been decided.]
A few days after the announcement that the three-step exception conditions were
met, the announcer’s voice was heard.
As usual, I was having a lucid dream, and at that moment I felt completely
confirmed that I had won the battle against the ‘original author’.
‘My life is no longer a side story for Liese Sinclair. It became my own story!’
When I opened my eyes intoxicated with such a pleasant sense of victory, I felt
the body temperature of Killian who was sleeping hugging me from behind and
smiled proudly once again.
‘The most handsome man I’ve ever seen in my life is really my husband.’
It seems like I’m losing a little if I think of the cost of dying miserably and the
cost of all the hardships I possessed as a villain, but if I were to include the
territory I’m about to get, well, I think it’s okay.
As I was smirking alone, the hand that was holding my belly moved slowly and
began to rub my skin.
“Yes...”
The same question he asks every morning as soon as I wake up. How is my
body?
“Just like your question is the same every day, my answer seems to be the same
every day... It’s better than yesterday.”
Not just an answer to reassure him, I was quickly getting back to my senses and
health.
Originally, Edith’s body was much healthier than Soo-na Choi’s, but I felt like it
was recovering faster than when Sophia hit me before.
I decided to live believing that I was the main character of this story.
“This is also getting better quickly. You eat everything that is good for your
body. Because I want to gain weight.”
Killian gave me a light kiss on my neck, shoulder, and cheek before I got up
from the bed.
After lightly doing gymnastics with his bare hands, Killian put on his clothes
and called Anna. Then, Anna immediately appeared with warm water and a
towel and wiped my face and body together with Killian.
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EPISODE 129
“No matter how hard you try, I told you to be careful for a month. Please think
comfortably and leave your body.”
When everyone was saying bad things about me or saying that I didn’t know or
that I hadn’t seen them, Anna stood by me while enduring the harsh
interrogation.
‘When I go to Ryzen, I’ll keep her as a maid close to me for a few years and
then promote her to head maid.’
Since she was still young, it seemed that she would feel burdened if she was
already entrusted with the role of head maid. But since she’s smart and quick-
witted, it’s only a matter of time before Anna becomes the head maid.
After wiping me down, Anna immediately went to prepare my breakfast.
Originally, it is normal to have breakfast and lunch between 11 and 12, but
Killian insisted on inserting a light soup breakfast.
Of course, the soup was also ‘light’, and there were many times when Killian
put in rare ingredients obtained by asking around.
Just listening to Anna’s story, it sounds like the ‘X Totogi Soup’ that I
sometimes made in my previous life, but the beef in this dish was premium
quality beef from a famous production area, and the mushrooms must have been
more expensive mushrooms than beef.
When I manage to dry what Anna is trying to feed me and I take a spoonful at a
time, Killian then goes to the bathroom to wash herself and change clothes.
And while Killian did what he had to do that day, Anna stood by my side, and
when Killian came back and stuck by my side, Anna did other things only after
that.Same thing was going on.
But today, when he came back a little earlier than usual and had lunch with me,
Killian’s expression was not very good.
“Just...?”
Killian, who had been making a more complicated expression for a while,
sighed deeply and said.
“I thought that I was a human being who had no eyes to see people and could
not be objectified.”
“I don’t know how I thought Liese was like an angel. Besides, I thought my
father and older brother were morally flawless people. I’m not even a kid,
really...”
That’s because you had to follow the flow of the original work...
“Liese is still oblivious to what happened that day. Even with so many
witnesses... And mother and Cliff feel sorry for Liese.”
Looking back, Killian seemed pretty upset. It seems that his expression looked
complicated because he deliberately killed his temper just because he was in
front of me.
“My father keeps a distance from Liese, but Cliff seems to have coaxed my
mother, who doesn’t know everything. To that... He asked if we could forgive
Liese just once. I got angry that it wasn’t my decision, and I told you... He asked
me to ask you once.”
I nodded.
Cliff aside, it wasn’t that he couldn’t understand Duchess Ludwig’s heart.
No matter how sorry she felt for me, her relationship with me had only lasted
one year, and Liese had been like her daughter for the past six years.
If I think of Liese in the original work, it was clear that she must have been such
a kind, bright and supportive person before I came into this house.
Moreover, since the wife does not know the truth about everything that
happened at the execution site and the past, even if Liese did something strange,
as if she was possessed by something, she couldn’t hate Liese enough to kick
her out of the house.
So, if I said I couldn’t forgive Liese, it would only hurt their feelings.
“Killian. Just like the Duchess and Master Cliff said, let’s just pretend it didn’t
happen. On the surface.”
“I knew you would say that. That’s why I didn’t want to ask.”
“It is so heinous that I cannot forgive it. I don’t know how Liese came to you
and asked you to forgive those who deceived us until now, even though it’s not
empty. I can’t even forgive myself!”
Ugh, I can’t get used to the person who once wanted to kick me out the most.
He didn’t have anything to say that he was sophomore, but he hated unclean
things as much as he had high pride in the name Ludwig.
‘But as long as Cliff is obsessed with Liese, we can’t kick Liese out anyway. If I
stretch out for no reason, only Killian will get stuck in my hatred.’
When I think of how they deceived me with an angelic smile and tried to kill
me, I get chills up my spine and become angry enough to make each hair stand
on end.
But there are understandable circumstances. That she is the ‘main character’
who will be influenced the most by the original author.
In the end, rather than defending my pride by fighting for nothing, I decided to
take this opportunity to take a pragmatic route.
“Do we really have to kick out the person who has been a good daughter to your
mother for the past six years? Besides, he has nowhere else to go.”
“And no matter how we get out, Master Cliff will marry Liese. She’s going to be
your sister-in-law anyway.”
Killian clenched his fists.
“Are you going to take the place of the successor? Then you wouldn’t marry
me.”
I don’t know if it’s because I wanted to hear it, but I burst into laughter at the
spoiled tone.
“To be honest, I also felt jealous of Liese. Maybe Liese did that, I don’t know.
Maybe I just wanted to get your attention back from her.”
“Because there are many people who think that money and love are the best.”
“Instead...”
“Hmm?”
“On the surface, it can be assumed that nothing happened, but I would like to
have a conversation with the person responsible. If you want to end it quietly,
tell me not to refuse this.”
Seeing them face to face like this makes them look like couple fraudsters or
villains.
***
The evening after Killian delivered my words, Liese, who had drawn on Cliff,
came to Killian’s room where I was lying.
Of course, they weren’t naive enough to understand that this was sarcastic.
The person who should be sorry for me was avoiding my gaze, and Cliff
apologized on her behalf.
“First of all, I misunderstood Miss Edith...”
“Cliff.”
I boldly cut off Cliff’s words. I didn’t want to waste time sluggishly talking
about obvious things.
“I’m sorry, but I don’t have that many questions about Master Cliff. I want to
talk with Liese just the two of us.”
Then, both Cliff and Killian made worried faces at the same time.
Cliff must have been worried about Liese, but Killian was of course worried
about me.
“It’s okay, Killian. Hopefully the same thing won’t happen twice. Right, Liese?”
Anyway, in the end, only Liese and I were left in the bedroom.
Just in case, Killian and Cliff decided to wait right outside the bedroom.
In the bedroom that became quiet after Killian and Cliff had disappeared, I
looked at Liese for a while.
She was still a woman of dazzling beauty, but the brilliance I felt when I first
saw her was no longer felt.
“No one will hear the conversations we have here. So, let’s be honest.”
I even felt my heart pounding at the feeling of finally knowing Liese’s true self.
“I will ask you one by one. First of all, should we start with the document leak
case from about a year ago? Did you forge my handwriting?”
I should have guessed, but the answer that came out without any resistance was
a bit absurd.
“Then maybe the embroidery thread was poisoned... Did you do it yourself?”
I shook my head.
“No way... The maid... Killing the maid who saw me smearing her poison on the
embroidery thread... Is it you?”
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EPISODE 130
The first consonant of a harsh curse was about to jump out of my mouth, but I
tried my best not to get excited.
“The yacht incident must be you, too, then?”
“Let’s talk calmly. Why the hell did you do that? Why is it me?”
I asked her with a half-hearted smile. She’s probably manipulated by her author,
hoping she’ll give me something more plausible.
But Liese, who was just staring at the floor, suddenly smiled.
“Among the Ediths I dealt with, you were the best. I didn’t know I would lose
though.”
“What...?”
Since Liese spoke softly, I also spoke softly, but something is a little strange.
“Edith’s’?”
“What?”
“No, before talking about ‘Ediths’, tell me about yourself. Who are you?”
With a foreboding and strange feeling, I suddenly asked about Liese’s identity.
Somehow it felt like it had to be.
“I am the original author of <I refuse to obsess>. I was possessed like you. To
the main character of the novel I wrote.”
It seems that the reflex condition is that when you are too startled, your eyes
widen and your mouth opens. When I see you making that expression without
even realizing it.
“The original author? The existence of the original author who tried to kill me
by turning me into a villain until now, was you?”
“Huh.”
“Why did you do that? It was because I had to be the main character of this
world forever, and you had to be the villain who was jealous and obstructed me
and died. Isn’t that the original content?”
“Earlier, I said the 13th Edith, right? So, you mean there were more Ediths
besides me?”
“Uh, how...?”
“I possessed it.”
“Why?”
“A life that died anyway, shouldn’t you be grateful to me for giving me another
chance to live?”
“I’ve been living this story ever since I possessed Liese. It was fun. But it was
kind of boring because the same content was repeated over and over again.”
When I heard that far, I seemed to know the reason why I was possessed.
“So after thinking about it, I got Edith to possess the reader of my book. So, as
my life was full of thrills and the story itself became very rich, I stood out more.
That was until you became possessed.”
“Then please... Are you saying that all 12 people in front of me died just like the
original Edith?”
“Huh.”
It was a ‘yes’ that seemed so natural that I didn’t feel any guilt.
“Sigh...! I live and live and see all these crazy bitches.”
“So you think you’re normal now? You mean you drove other people to
miserable deaths for your own satisfaction!”
“They are dead anyway. I’m going to die after living a bonus life as a supporting
character in an interesting novel, but I should rather be thanked.”
“If you put it that way, you’re already dead, too, and if you’re living the same
life over and over again in Liese’s body, you’ll be grateful for that. Why did you
look for a thrill?”
My blood pressure is rising and I’m about to die. Should I call Killian?
However, Liese let out an even more enraged sound, as if she was really aiming
for my cerebral blood vessels.
“In addition, you provided a device for Edith to win. That’s an exception.
Thanks to that, you are still alive.”
“Ah, that condition where you have to expect to catch a mouse with a cow
walking backwards? If that’s a fair game, would you do the opposite? I set the
conditions, and you meet them. Risking your life, of course. How is it?”
The eyes that were glaring at me as if they would fight me at any moment
quickly run away to the side.
“You are the same as me in the first place. The same goes for the last 12 Ediths.
Such people, you took advantage of a little advantage and abused them like a
joke, then brutally killed them.”
“God? Yes, the proud god gentleman. So what can you do now?”
“If it wasn’t for you, I would still be perfect! Everyone in this world would be
happy! Because of you, I have no idea how this story will go now! How will you
take responsibility?”
Liese hesitated and stepped back, but I firmly grabbed Liese’s forearms.
“Originally, this is normal, Liese. Life is not knowing the future, and living a
life like this is human!”
“Don’t be silly! Everyone else is living an unknown time day by day! The same
goes for the characters in this novel. If you already knew the future, you would
have laughed at them, but you know what?”
“It’s unfortunate... This is what I wrote...! That means I’m the main character!”
“Since I took the test called life while looking at the answer sheet, I must have
thought that way. I’m sorry to sprinkle cold water on that illusion, but I was the
main character of my life from the beginning. Not an extra for you!”
Thoughts that Choi Soo-na in her previous life couldn’t have come out of her
mouth now.
How nice it would have been if I had been able to do this even then.
If that was the case, I wouldn’t have kept my mouth shut even after being
unfairly treated at the company, I would have cursed at my ex-boyfriends who
betrayed me, and I would have been able to dump my brother coldly.
At the same time as feeling guilty, it was the reason why he couldn’t even drive
Liese away.
““The House and the Envoy” was, of course, an interesting novel. But this world
won’t end just because the ending you decided doesn’t come. Rather, a more fun
and happy ending might come to you.”
“Do not be ridiculous! There can’t be a happier ending than the ending of the
original work. Besides, I’m going to be old and ugly from now on! It’s all your
fault!”
“What?”
“Then stop talking like that already. I intend to have fun even when I am old.”
“It will look forever beautiful to Cliff. Unless you continue to be greedy to be
‘everyone’s lover’ in this way. If you can’t give up that greed in the end, you...
Far from being everyone’s lover, you’ll even miss Cliff.”
“You said you were a writer? Then think about a happier ending. That’s all the
advice I can give you.”
My blood pressure rose and I talked a lot, so I was pretty tired.
“Killian!”
I smiled brightly at Liese who gritted her teeth as if she would cry at any
moment.
Liese, I know I’m being sarcastic right now, but I hoped she’d come to her
senses and get on with real life.
***
After Edith calmed down to some extent and Liese was able to pretend to be
calm, Duke Ludwig finally opened the door to the mansion.
The Duke Ludwig, who had won the Battle of Territories and became the closest
aide to the emperor both in name and reality, was flooded with all sorts of gifts,
invitations, and requests for visits.
Among them, the Count Sinclair was allowed to visit the Duke fairly early.
That alone made Sinclair’s nose soar that the siblings didn’t know how high it
was.
At the greeting that praised his two sons more than himself, Duke Ludwig
looked at Cliff and Killian sitting next to him admirably and nodded.
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EPISODE 131
“I heard that the Duchess almost got into trouble because of the cowardly tricks
of the Rigelhoffs in the middle. How could the so-called nobility do such a dirty
joke! Like shameless bastards!”
Because of that incident, the emperor gave the right to dispose of the Rigelhoff
family to the Ludwig family, and I had heard that all members of the Rigelhoff
family had their heads cut off and were hanged in the imperial palace.
“Well, it’s not a very pleasant memory, so I’d like to talk about that.”
He whispered about the distribution rights for northern iron ore, which he had
recently acquired completely, and winked at Layla, who was with him.
“By the way, Your Excellency. Have you thought about that story?”
“I heard that you had a lot of trouble marrying a girl of the Rigelhoffs for
convenience.”
“It doesn’t matter where I heard it. Isn’t it true that the Rigelhoffs brought his
daughter to you in exchange for iron ore distribution rights and loyalty to the
Emperor?”
“Rufus Rigelhoff, that man has been so wicked since ancient times!”
Count Sinclair interrupted Killian when he tried to say something more, and
went on with his own words.
“Finally all of the Rigelhoffs have been dealt with, so you should get a new wife
too. That’s why I recommended my daughter, Layla, to the Duke before.”
Layla dyed her cheeks and made eye contact with Killian, then lowered her head
slightly.
“I think you might not like an arranged marriage. However, more than half of
marriages between aristocrats are arranged marriages, and aren’t you especially
the son of a Duke? The interests of the family should come first.”
“Oh, that can’t be! It seems that our Layla has been admiring you for a long
time. She will make a wonderful wife who will faithfully support you. She can’t
compare to that prostitute from Rigelhof!”
Count Sinclair, meanwhile, used bad words to bring down the Rigelhoffs, who
were enemies of the Ludwig family, but Killian’s mood was worse than ever.
Watching Count Sinclair, who had no time to stop, Duke Ludwig put his hand
on his forehead.
“Does the Count Sinclair dare to insult the daughter-in-law of the Ludwig
family?”
Count Sinclair and Layla were taken aback by Killian’s aggravated mood.
“Suddenly why, Killian. Isn’t she already dead!”
“Who dies, who dies! Edith Ludwig, who is still alive, no, now to Countess
Ryzen, what? Prostitute?”
It was only then that Count Sinclair realized that Edith had not died and was still
Killian’s wife.
“Well, first of all, excuse me. I never intended to insult the Ludwig family. But,
Killian, think carefully.”
“You are the second son of the Ludwig family, but you will soon become a
faithful servant of His Majesty the Emperor and the new count. Does it make
sense that you have the daughter of a treasonous thief as his wife?”
Killian felt like he would be relieved if he pulled out a sword right here and cut
off this human’s head.
“Killian. Be patient. In any case, he is a friend of our family and a loyal subject
of His Majesty the Emperor.”
Cliff’s hand covered Killian’s hand, which was resting on the handle of the
sword.
Killian let out a long breath that melted his anger and spoke in an infinitely
heavy and cool voice.
“I love Edith very much. I’m crazy about her. She is my only wife.”
“Huh, what?”
“Since you don’t seem to have grasped the atmosphere yet, I will be very
generous and close my eyes just this once. If you say such nonsense one more
time... You must be prepared to turn me against you, Count Sinclair.”
Only then did Duke Ludwig sigh and shrug his shoulders.
“I’m sorry, but, well, it’s come to this, so we’ll have to end the conversation
here.”
“Oh, and that. I don’t think we’ll bother Count Sinclair for the iron ore
distribution rights.”
“Yes?”
“His Majesty the Emperor confiscated the southern iron ore distribution rights
they possessed when the Rigelhoffs were executed, but fortunately, they gave it
to us.”
It was the worst situation for the Sinclair family.
It was because he had the right to distribute iron ore in the north even at a great
loss in order to attach himself to the Ludwig family.
‘If the biggest iron ore buyer disappears, even holding the right to distribute iron
ore will be useless!’
“Yeah, that’s right. By the way, Your Excellency. I wanted to tell you before,
but...”
“What is it?”
“No matter how much the contract is written, the relationship between parents
and children is a natural law. Please return Liese now.”
And that was the worst move the Count Sinclair could have made.
An incomparably heavier life force flowed from the Duke than Killian.
While the Duke was coldly responding, this time Killian held Cliff’s hand and
said.
Count Sinclair and Layla, who thought he was just playing with the letter knife,
backed off after hearing Killian’s words.
In the end, Count Sinclair, who had to return without getting anything, became
desperate.
It was then that I found Liese sitting in the drawing room on the first floor
warming up by the fireplace on the way out of the Duke’s drawing room.
Count Sinclair took notice and then quickly ran towards Liese.
“Liese! Liese!”
“Liese, come back home now. No matter what anyone says, you are my
daughter! The family should live together!”
“Family... What?”
“Yes, family! Your family is us, not bloodless people! Forget the things of your
childhood. From now on, this father...”
“Foot!”
Since Liese is naive, Count Sinclair, who had decided to seduce her by
appealing to her emotions, was shocked to see her clearly ridiculing her and was
speechless.
“It’s not enough that you arbitrarily gave birth to me, took me away from my
mother, and abused me as you please.
“Liese...?”
“It’s a family now... Yes, as the Count said, let’s call it a family. Then you will
have to pay off the debt you owe to the duchy again, have you prepared 30
million senna?”
“Listen carefully. Humans like you, even if they’re not Ludwig, can’t be
recognized as my family.”
“Just because the end you decided doesn’t come, this world won’t end. Rather, a
more fun and happy ending might come to you.”
Liese was remembering what Edith had said.
And having decided to do so, Liese decided to say goodbye to the past days,
when she lived a frustrating life pretending to be nice.
Cliff, who had been chasing after Count Sinclair, spoke in a murderous voice.
“Hey, fiancee?”
“Should I show you the contract again? You cannot claim any right or
connection to Liese.”
Count Sinclair, who was furious at those words, exposed Liese’s words and
actions.
I Thought It Was Common Possession-Chapter 131
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EPISODE 132
“You are being fooled by this child’s mask! Do you know what she said to me
earlier?”
“As long as you swing your lower back and give birth, everyone asked if you
were the father. Even if I’m not from the Ludwig family, I can’t accept this kind
of human being as my father.”
Cliff did not even raise an eyebrow in spite of his more intensified expression.
“Liese seems to have only said the right things, but what’s the problem?”
“Ah, I’m going to do that anyway. The temple finally gave permission to
abandon the castle.”
Liese replied as if she had been waiting.
The reason she still took the surname Sinclair was because the temple did not
allow her to be separated from the family. There is a contract that says you can’t
claim a connection, but religion is a separate issue.
It was difficult to withstand the pressure from the Ludwig family, who had
become close to the empire’s highest power, in the temple, and Liese was finally
able to part with the last name Sinclair.
Liese smiled that angelic smile, crossed Cliff’s arms, and headed for her room.
***
And at the same time, Layla bumped into Edith, who was walking slowly while
holding on to the railing.
The Duke and Killian did not pay much attention to Count Sinclair, who ran
towards Liese, and Cliff, who slowly followed him.
Thanks to that, Layla also became a little bolder. In fact, she couldn’t see
anything in her eyes because the plan she had been dreaming of had collapsed.
“I’ve thought about it before, but it’s amazing mental strength. Even though all
my blood relatives died and you survived alone, I can’t see any guilt or fear at
all. You were a bit brazen at first, but...”
Even while watching Layla openly arguing with her, Edith just smiled.
“I thought you came to take my place now that my validity period is over, but
there is no such word? Did you fail?”
Edith, who tilted her head to the side, looked extremely amused and arrogant.
Layla clenched her teeth and trembled, but Edith erased the smile on her face in
an instant and said.
Then she slowly walked over to Layla and lifted her chin with the tip of his
index finger.
“And my husband, eyes high. There’s nothing wrong with having this much.”
As soon as she finished speaking, she swiped her fingers aside, causing Layla’s
head to turn limply in that direction and quickly return to its original position.
It was as if Edith, who had just been casual before, now had a knife hidden
behind her back.
Thinking that if I crossed the line just a little longer, I would stab myself in the
heart, so Layla eventually hesitated and stepped back.
“It would be nice to go back with your father as soon as possible. If that’s how
you buy His Excellency’s anger... There is no answer then.”
Edith, smiling grinning and pointing the tip of her chin at Count Sinclair, who
stood stunned on the first floor, looked like an enchanting witch.
And Cliff, who was taking Liese upstairs, saw Edith and shook his head.
“Isn’t that bad? It’s because it seems like we’ve been taking it easy.”
Killian responded to Cliff’s words, and Edith grinned once more as she looked
at Liese, who looked away.
***
“I heard that Cliff asked Liese to hold a wedding. I guess I have to go see her
wedding, is that okay?”
“They got engaged a while ago, but they’re already married?”
It was a sudden news that I heard while Killian and I were preparing to go down
to the manor.
It was surprising that the heir of the Duke suddenly announced the engagement
without a grand ceremony, but there was a feeling that he was in too much of a
hurry to beg to have a wedding in less than two months after that.
“Well, that’s rather good. Going back and forth is also work, but if you finish it
all at once and go down, you’ll be able to focus on the manor for the time
being.”
I said that because I really thought about it, but Killian must have been watching
me for a while, and suddenly came up behind me and hugged me and put his lips
on my neck.
What are you even thankful for? Compared to the past, it’s really impressive.
And I feel like they’re using bean pods against me at a very rapid rate...
“When did you say that you’re going to be known as the Ludwig family’s
villainess?”
Killian still seemed upset about the incident, which had been going on for two
months.
“Did I spread such rumors in the social world because my response was
unsatisfying? That’s what you did, right?”
After Count Sinclair and Layla passed away, far from malicious rumors about
Nana and Liese in the capital’s social circles, rather mocking rumors about
Leyla spread.
Layla Sinclair tried to seduce a married man, and even failed miserably...
Rumors that aren’t so much a lie.
“Well. I don’t really know because I’m not really interested in gossip in the
social world.”
We exchanged a light kiss and sat face to face again to check the list of items to
be prepared for estate’s castle.
I was excited because I felt like I was getting married and moving into a new
house.
“I think we are almost done with the furniture for the bedroom and parlor. I
heard that some of them departed for Ryzen the other day.”
“That’s enough garage! Honestly, if it wasn’t for the hospitality, I wouldn’t have
bought silverware that is difficult to maintain.”
“You say they don’t like expensive tapestries and carpets, you don’t buy
ornaments, and you prepare minimal furniture... You don’t want to stay in
Ryzen Castle for long?”
“It’s because that’s enough. If you go and need something, you can order it
then.”
He scrambled with me with all kinds of ‘coma’ items, and even went so far as to
call all the famous jewelers in the capital to see what he didn’t like, but the ruby
necklace he brought back was enough for me.
The assurance that a piece of his heart was always with me was enough.
Because what determines the happiness of Killian and me won’t be the number
of items in the castle or the number of jewels I own.
***
And half a year later, Cliff and Liese’s wedding was held in the hall of Duke
Ludwig’s residence.
True, that seemed grand at the time, but everything about Killian and my
marriage was on a simplified scale. The atmosphere of the guests on both sides
was not good, so the reception ended quickly.
But maybe it was because Cliff was the heir to the Duke, or maybe because they
were the main characters in the original story, this wedding felt like everything
the Duke could do was poured out.
‘I’m glad it wasn’t a wedding like this. By evening, the bride dies.’
But Liese, who likes to be in the spotlight, might like a wedding like this.
However, even though the original author’s powers were all gone, whether the
privilege still remained, and despite the fact that the full story of what Liese had
done to me in the past was revealed, she was still Cliff’s lover and bride, and she
did not receive any ‘punishment’.
It was a bit unfair for me, who almost got punished without committing any
crime, but if Liese died or disappeared and Cliff turned black, it would be a bit
of a headache for me and Killian, so I decided to think positively.
Contrary to what I thought, however, in the past half a year, the relationship
between Cliff and Liese has become a bit delicate.
Liese, who had lost the power of the original author, made all sorts of demands
to Cliff, as if she somehow wanted to be in the same spotlight as the original
Liese, and Cliff, who met all her demands at first, also treated her with a rather
tired face around the time of the wedding. There was.
‘I don’t know how the hell he took my advice, no, she accepted it.’
It’s okay to quit the old angel table play, but for some reason Liese’s eyes,
which became fiercer by the day, were a little uneasy.
Whether it was only me who felt that, even the Duchess, who used to adore her,
said that she hadn’t been looking for her lately.
The Duke was even skeptical about Cliff and Liese’s marriage, but the past that
had given Liese the ‘light of Lorraine’ held him back.
‘Maybe this is the punishment given to Liese. That mobster still doesn’t know
how great it is to lose the people who loved her.’
If Liese doesn’t change, then from now on, she will live her life watching the
love of others she held in her hands and the luck based on their love disappear
like sand.
I Thought It Was Common Possession-Chapter 132
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 133
‘Well, Cliff and the Duke and Duchess of Liese should live well on their own.
I’ll live my life caring only about my own happiness.’
I was thinking about such leisurely things, but how did he misunderstand my
expression as I looked around the wedding hall? Killian said something scary.
“I’m sorry for being harsh, but it was really hard for me to endure our wedding.
Have you ever endured a day wearing a dress that seemed to show off your
breasts even if you bowed down a little, and even wearing high heels?”
“I told you. All the actions that I would be criticized for were all done by ‘the
person whose name I cannot tell’. I thought my spine would break on our
wedding day.”
At my tired voice, Killian chuckled and started laughing.
At that time, the guests started to come in and Killian and I stood at the entrance
with the Duchess to greet them.
“Oh my God, Edith! No, you’re Countess Ryzen now, right? It’s late, but I heard
you. They said you suffered a lot.”
In the meantime, rumors circulating in the social world were not limited to
Layla.
The story of how I fell out of favor with the family while trying to stop Count
Rigelhoff’s conspiracy to treason, and because of that, suffered a lot, evoked
sympathy from many people.
“Thank you for your concern, madam. I’m fine now thanks to Killian and my
parents-in-law’s taking good care of me. I hope you have a good time today.”
I smiled brightly and sent the wife into the ceremony hall.
I didn’t know how many more times I would have to say hello like this, but
since it’s my duty, I have no choice but to do my best until my facial muscles
paralyze.
‘Still, if it was like before, there wouldn’t have been such a friendly
atmosphere... Is it because the flow of the original work has disappeared?’
It was not even rumored that I was the illegitimate child of Count Rigelhoff’s
sister.
At the execution site, Sophia screamed loudly as if she were taking revenge for
the last time and revealed the secret of my birth. In fact, many illegitimate
children like me were born in other families, and married brothers often hid
them by adopting them, so it wasn’t such a big revelation.
Still, it was a fact that I was of the Rigelhoff family, but people were
unexpectedly looking at me as a victim.
‘That’s why the flow of the original story has been bullying me so far.’
Once again, while I was fortunate that I had won the game against the original
author, I also felt somewhat discouraged.
“Edith?”
“No! I am okay.”
Just having the person I love next to me made it possible for me to shake off
even a minor sense of discouragement.
They seemed to be wearing the best clothes they had, but since it was a wedding
attended by high-ranking nobles, they looked relatively shabby.
“Oh, how are you? Excuse me... We came after receiving the invitation, but I’m
sorry, but actually we don’t have connections in the capital... I don’t know who
greeted you.”
It wasn’t enough to suddenly send a wedding invitation from a ducal family they
didn’t know at all, and said he would provide all the expenses for the trip and a
place to stay.
“I’m sorry.”
“You did good to a woman whose identity was unknown and her face was
beaten in a mess, and gave her a carriage ride. I am that woman then.”
“Yes?”
“When I ran away from Wellesley’s cottage, they drove me to the center of the
capital in a carriage. If it wasn’t for these people, I might have died on the road.”
“You have been my wife’s lifesavers! I’m sorry I couldn’t figure it out. I am
Killian, the second son of the Ludwig family and Count Ryzen.”
“This is my wife, Edith Ryzen. At the time you helped my wife, the opposition
family kidnapped her.”
Baron Ruben and his wife were perplexed, not knowing what to do.
I said while holding the hands of Baron Ruben and his wife.
“I told you I would definitely repay the favor. First of all, I’d like to introduce
you to people who can help Baron Ruben at today’s wedding.”
Olives were mainly grown in the small estate of Baron Ruben, but he, who was
not very good at commerce, was not getting the right price even though he was a
good quality olive.
I deliberately put them next to Viscount Mo, who is running a big fruit
distribution business.
‘Because he’s a quick-witted person, he’ll quickly figure out why I introduced
him to the country baron.’
Since they were interested in their children’s education, their children would be
able to attend the capital’s academy with the support of the Ryzen family.
Of course, as long as the Baron Ruben family did not change their mind in the
middle, they would always be friends with the Ryzen family.
Seeing the bewildered but happy Baron and his wife Ruben, I also found
comfort in my heart.
***
When the orchestra played a splendid song that was incomparably larger than at
Killian and Edith’s wedding, Cliff, dressed in a white suit, held the hand of the
dazzlingly beautiful Liese and proceeded to the altar together.
“Oh my god... She is so pretty.”
“Miss Liese’s beauty has been famous since before. She just looked young
before, but now she looks like an adult?”
It seemed that rumors had not yet spread that she had completely halved the line
of her good-natured life.
Killian pondered.
If there was any sentiment, it was the part called Liese’s ‘wedding’, not Liese’s
wedding.
The dizzying cleavage of her voluptuous breasts was openly visible through the
dress, so people’s eyes were directed only there, but in fact, Edith that day was
really beautiful.
Her reddish-brown hair was intricately braided up, and the white nape of her
neck was smooth enough to bite.
Despite the not-so-good wedding atmosphere, Edith was proud without being
intimidated in the slightest.
‘I was nasty and I did something childish... Now that I think about it, I feel
ashamed to death.’
Killian’s face turned red as he recalled the rudeness he had committed the
moment he shared his wedding ring.
I didn’t even hold Edith’s outstretched hand and put the ring on using only two
fingers. I snatched the ring I was going to wear before Edith did and put it on
myself.
‘Even then, Edith didn’t show any signs of getting angry or offended.’
Unlike me, who behaved childishly, she affectionately kissed the children who
brought the ring so that they would not panic. Again, her caring heart touched
me.
In any case, at the wedding where everything went badly, Killian’s impression
of Edith was, in one word, ‘vulgar.’
But on the other hand, I couldn’t deny that she was beautiful and enchanting.
You don’t know how embarrassed I was when I was forced to enter the bridal
chamber at Liese’s suggestion.
On the empty bed, there was only the bed linen that the priest had thrown off.
And as he followed the escaping steam behind the veil, he momentarily stopped
breathing.
The strange figure of Edith, who had been sleeping naked in a large bathtub,
ignited his dormant lust.
The priest’s officiating ceremony continued boringly. It was clear that Edith was
bored and stabbed him.
“It’s nothing.”
Before the wedding, I heard rumors that Edith was bragging about her marriage
to me.
So, naturally, Edith had high expectations from this marriage and I thought that
she liked me.
However, seeing the Edith that was so different from what I expected, I
remembered how embarrassed I was.
Of course, according to Edith, Edith, who was rumored to be getting married to
me, and Edith on the day of the wedding were two different souls, so it was only
natural that the atmosphere between the two was completely different.
But if I really wasn’t interested in Edith, I shouldn’t have cared how she turned
out.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
EPISODE 134
‘At that time, I had already fallen for Edith. On that subject, I wanted to believe
that I was different from other men.’
‘It would have been better had I had a more serious conversation with Edith
back then... I think I’ve hurt Edith too much. She is such a nice woman...’
Killian let out a long sigh as he watched Edith congratulate the woman who tried
to hurt her.
‘If you leave this woman alone, she will definitely act smart and spread it out to
others. It can’t be, she’ll be protected by me.’
She held her chin up and said everything she had to say, but in the end, she was
a woman who embraced him generously.
Killian lowered his face into Edith’s ear as he was clapping and whispering,
pretending to answer her, then kissed her cute earlobe and bit her it lightly.
“Oops! Killian!”
Just looking at Edith, who was flinching, made his dry saliva go down.
“...Damn.”
“Should I be the only one who can’t undress you right now?”
Edith, who was shaking her shoulders at the voice of Killian whispering lewd
pushes, glanced playfully at Killian and slapped his forearm.
“We could disappear for an hour after lunch and no one would know.”
Killian and Edith clapped together with the others with the dignified expressions
of a count couple again, but inside they were just a hot-blooded newlyweds who
had just fallen in love.
***
Killian’s acquisition of the title of Count Ryzen had already been decided while
I was recuperating.
At that time, Killian was in the mood to go down to Ryzen right away, so Duke
Ludwig hurriedly reported to the imperial family, and from then on, Killian was
Count Ryzen.
Although the trip to estate was delayed a little because of Cliff and Liese’s
marriage, we didn’t neglect our preparations, so we were able to head straight to
territory shortly after Cliff and Liese’s wedding.
“Mother and father, please stay healthy. I will post a letter as soon as I arrive.”
On the day we left the Ludwig Mansion, Duchess Ludwig couldn’t hide her
tears, and Duke Ludwig was clearly saddened.
However, since Cliff had already been chosen as the successor, it was natural for
the second son to receive a different title and leave for the estate.
Cliff also shook hands with Killian with a sad expression on his face.
“Who would have known that you would end up like this?”
But if you think about it, isn’t it Cliff who said that he had a complex because
Killian never defeated him?
Whether it’s thanks to me or not, I’m happy if Killian is at least a little bit out of
the complex about his older brother.
After a long exchange of greetings, our party hurriedly departed the capital.
Time was running out to reach the village that would be our stopover before
sunset.
At Killian’s command to depart, the carriage I rode in began to move with a jolt.
“A lot will change, Anna. Not just me or Killian, but you too.”
“How is it? It is still a simple rural area, but the potential for future development
is endless.”
While our hearts were pounding at the panoramic view of Ryzen through the
carriage’s window, the carriage carrying us entered the castle of Lord Ryzen.
“Ryzen has a new owner. My name is Vincent, the butler of the castle.”
Butler Vincent, who had been managing the castle, looked a little younger than
Philip of Ludwig Mansion.
However, it may be as good as the first hair, the castle that had not been owned
in the meantime was very neat.
In addition, the furniture and items I ordered and sent in advance were put in
their places, so I thought I would have to organize my luggage as soon as I
arrived.
“What... It may be lacking in many ways compared to Duke Ludwig’s residence,
but...”
“I like it.”
There’s no way I wouldn’t like the things I chose and ordered after consulting
with Killian one by one.
However, it seemed that Killian felt that even that was not enough.
“If you need anything, don’t worry. I will place an order right away.”
I wonder if Ti, a boy who grew up not knowing what he was lacking from a
young age, is like this.
“No. For living, this is enough. If you need anything, buy it with my permission.
You tend to waste some money.”
“I...?”
“To develop the territory, we must tighten our belts from now on.”
When I said it with my fists clenched, Killian tried to refute something, but
ended up laughing.
“Somehow, it seems that the role has changed from what I thought... I’ll have to
push myself to keep up with you.”
“Of course! If you’re lazy, she won’t look after you because she’s your husband.
I will be very angry!”
Will it be able to follow the schedule of Korean office workers who are trained
to work overtime?
Even though I had a dark heart to exploit workers, I smiled at Killian at the
interview like a boss who smiles with a good impression.
After looking around the castle, we took a bath, changed into simple clothes, and
went up to the fortress wall to get some fresh air.
“It is beautiful.”
“It was the most beautiful place among the estates my father had.”
Mountains that were not too steep surrounded the territory, and wheat and barley
grew in the wide fields.
There seemed to be some orchards in the distance, and there were quite a few
private houses.
“If you give us a way to go through Mount Philiac more comfortably, Ryzen
will grow explosively.”
“Before that, we need to strengthen security and develop from the roads within
the territory.”
“Oh, and we need doctors and schools! There must be a clinic where commoners
can go when they are sick or injured, so the population of the territory will
increase, and thieves and beggars will decrease if children are properly taught.”
“You’re right. Then we need to find competent doctors and teachers. To pay
their labor... I’ll have to tighten my belt like you said.”
We talked for a long time about what was needed for Ryzen’s development, and
then took a deep breath for a while.
Originally, there was almost no fine dust in this world, but Ryzen boasted even
cleaner air than the capital city.
Then I laughed and said.
“...Huh?”
“Actually, I didn’t know you would bring me this far. Thank you.”
“Like the Count inclair said, you could have divorced me properly and
remarried to a woman from a really decent family.”
“Killian...?”
“That’s why I gave up my realistic interests and brought you... It’s because of
the ‘body’...?”
“No?”
I didn’t know what mistake I had made, so I was lingering around when Killian
suddenly hugged me tightly around the waist and gave me an ominous smile.
“I have to pay the price for downgrading Killian Ryzen’s love to my body. Is not
it?”
“Yes? Wh, what?”
At that moment, I was a little dazed. I wonder what I just heard from Killian...
“Kyaaak! Killian!”
“Save your neck, Edith. You have to keep screaming in bed from now until
tomorrow morning.”
It was too late to find out why Killian was offended, but it was too late.
I was so ashamed to see the servants around me wide open their eyes and lower
their heads urgently that I buried my face in my hands.
Of course, there was no way I would hate this situation that my husband, whom
I had acquired, would love me for.
<FIN>
As punishment for lowering Killian’s love to body, I had to suffer from his back
for days.
During the day, whenever someone said something, he would put on a lonely
expression, saying ‘We live for our bodies’, and at night...
‘Why are you confirming with your body that Killian’s love is not about your
body? It doesn’t match!’
“Because there is no other way to show it. Even if you try to buy me a present, I
all refuse...”
Killian was impatient to buy me anything, but I really didn’t need anything
more.
Choi Soo-na, who used to write down household accounts in an old studio,
became the owner of a large castle, what would be regretful?
“You already bought me this and that when I came down from the capital.”
The ruby necklace I gave away to the mercenaries is still hanging around my
neck thanks to Killian’s recovery, and my jewelry box is full of jewelry of my
taste.
The dressing room was also filled with practical and pretty dresses, and there
was no shortage of other accessories, cosmetics, and shoes.
“No, those were of course necessary. What... Music boxes, glass dolls, high-end
scented candles... Don’t you like that?”
“Ha...”
Killian seemed to be missing the ‘pretty trash’ that Liese coveted, but I wanted
to save that money and fix the road to estate rather than spend money on things
like that.
I wasn’t talking about the household items or furnishings in the castle. They are
already plentiful.
The problem I encountered was the hierarchical problem with the servants.
Servants who had been without owners for a long time had strong personalities
at best, and arrogant at worst.
Killian treated me with a respectful attitude, while I looked like an outsider for a
month.
Maybe the rumors about me were bad.
‘It takes a long time for rumors of the capital to spread in the countryside, so
they’ll still think I’m a villainess here.’
Innocent Killian had no choice but to marry a lustful villainess due to the
Rigelhoff family’s scheme, and the kind-hearted Killian killed all the Rigelhoffs
but couldn’t even kill his own wife, so he brought her.
It’s probably because they don’t know how immature Killian is yet.
“Anyway, the attitude of the servants is a bit problematic. If Killian finds out, it
will be a big mess.”
“The maids here are naive and diligent, but on the other hand, they seem proud
and stubborn.”
“It seemed so. They say hello to me, but their expressions are really bad.”
While I was walking down the hallway thinking about how to do this, two maids
just happened to pass by from the opposite side.
They just passed by, averting their gaze and nodding their heads in a very
careless manner.
Seeing that, Anna’s complexion was worse than mine.
“No. If you do, Anna will be left out among her maids. Leave it alone for now.”
“But, madam.”
Actually, I was helpless too, but I didn’t want to forcefully create a hierarchy by
beating or punishing the servants.
“What is it?”
Even so, I was a little anxious from the time I left it.
I was worried that we would be able to weave a tapestry of the size we requested
before we died, but as expected...
“But don’t worry. I’ll find another place soon and ask for it.”
Killian seemed worried that I would be disappointed, but I didn’t really think
much of it.
Honestly, I’m not even sure why he would pay so much money for a tapestry
hanging on a castle wall...
‘For a moment. But why pay that much money to the artisan of the capital?
There are too many people who need money in our territory!’
“No! It’s a pity, but now that I think about it, I wonder if it’s really necessary to
entrust the tapestry to the artisans of the capital.”
“However, local workshops are not very skilled. When weaving tapestries, we
employ the women of the neighborhood with our own hands.”
“Exactly, Killian!”
“The production cost of one large tapestry was 5 million senna. If you entrust it
to the tapestry craftsmen of our estate, wouldn’t it be possible to make one large
and one medium tapestry?”
“We could make more than that. But...”
“Good for you! Then, let the local artisan supervise the weaving of the tapestry,
and we will also use the women of our estate!”
From the perspective of Killian, who was born and lived as a great aristocrat in
the capital, it must have been because my attitude was too sloppy, but Killian
hesitantly opened his mouth.
Wow, chicken...
I thought the modifier ‘beautiful and wise’ had disappeared since Shin
Saimdang.
“Killian. You often seem to forget, just as you are the lord of the land, I am the
wife of the lord of the land. It’s only natural that I think of our estate.”
“Well, it seems that you have more ambitions for developing the territory than I
do.”
“Sure! Someday, I will make it the best territory of the empire. Everyone wants
to come and live in Ryzen.”
After that day’s conversation, I met with the tapestry artisans in the estate to
discuss their opinions on tapestry production, and signed a contract to produce
the tapestry after the fall harvest.
“The maids in the castle are asking about the madam these days.”
“Uh? Suddenly?”
“Why?”
According to Anna, people in Ryzen always think there is not enough work.
Especially when the harvest is over and winter comes, from then on, they have
to live by eating what they have accumulated, but since the winter is cold and
long, it is said that when spring comes, there is nothing left in hand.
“That’s why I’m grateful that the castle’s luxuries are given to the women of the
territory as part of their work, rather than commissioned by the capital’s
artisans.”
I didn’t do anything great, but I felt proud that I was helping people’s lives.
And at the same time, I came to think about the meaning of living while ruling
people.
‘If I’d been living in the capital and received news of the territory, I wouldn’t
have known any of these details.’
I wanted to know how people survive the winter, what they need in spring, what
the bad habits of land are, and what kind of help people really need.
So from the next day, I personally visited places that did odd jobs.
“No, madam!”
When I appeared, the people who were covered in soot stood up in surprise.
They were the people who cut and burned firewood to heat the castle.
“It’s a lot of work. I’m here to check the workplace for a bit.”
“Oh, to such a shabby place...”
“Are there any shortages of equipment needed for cutting wood and chopping
firewood?”
I went down just in case, and sure enough, all of the axes, saws, pokers, and ash
barrels were old.
“Tell me when I’m there so I can buy what you really need.”
Then they exchanged glances with each other and then opened their mouths with
difficulty.
After all, it seems that they were not comfortable with the old ax either.
“It’s usable, but it’s not at a comfortable level for work. Let’s raise the
efficiency a bit. Take good care of what they used and share it with those in
need in the village.”
“All right.”
“And add a first aid kit and leather work gloves. There is always a risk of getting
hurt, so something like that is absolutely necessary.”
“Yes, madam.”
There, too, was as busy and poor as the woodcutting place, and everyone was
surprised to the point where their eyes popped out when I appeared.
“No, madam!”
I looked down at them as they bowed down, thinking they had done something
wrong, and then I looked around the entire laundry room.
A dark room, damp air mixed with the smell of water mold, hands with eczema
from always washing clothes with wet hands...
I could understand why the laundry maid is the lowest rank among maids.
“Vincent.”
“Yes, madam.”
“Huh?”
“If they continue to work here, it is natural that they will get sick. I should move
the laundry room to a place that is well ventilated and sunny.”
Vincent involuntarily opened his eyes wide and opened his mouth.
“I have to make it properly, so come to my room tomorrow with the two best
laundry maids and a designer.”
“Ah, I see.”
Vincent’s voice was trembling, but the facial expressions of the laundry room
maids brightened.
In that way, I toured the kitchen, the bedroom, the wine cellar and food storage,
the servants’ quarters, and so on.
Vincent was getting the maximum result with the minimum investment, but I
didn’t want the comfort of replacing others like that.
I wanted to live happily with everyone here.
‘I never thought the day would come when I would be considered lucky that I
was in the lower class of the labor market in my previous life.’
Killian, a ruler to the bone, will lead Ryzen well, but I, a petit bourgeois to the
bone, will need to pull his reins.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
The hierarchy in the castle was getting better and better, and I was quite used to
life in Ryzen, so it was a good time to inspect.
If only Killian had gone out, I would have looked around on horseback, but I
really wanted to look around every corner of the estate with my own eyes.
I wonder if Killian didn’t intend to leave me alone, an open car to ride with me...
Instead, an open wagon (?) was produced.
We looked around the estate in a small wagon with a hole in the top and front.
“Right now wheat sowing and autumn vegetable harvest are in full swing.”
“The largest product of the territory is wheat. The quality is pretty good.”
The appearance of the well-organized land after sowing and the grown vegetable
garden with fine grains was beautiful.
In some places, villagers gathered to harvest pumpkins and carrots, and children
who were not yet of working age were playing around and laughing.
As we passed, the locals who were working took off their hats and bowed in
greeting.
I found something that bothered me, but I kept my mouth shut because I hadn’t
looked around the territory yet.
The carriage passed through a wide field and entered the town of the manor,
where private houses were gathered.
Although it was an urban area, it was not as densely populated with buildings as
in the capital city, and the market was a bit sloppy.
However, although it was lax, the size of the market was not small.
“Fifty percent of the population of the territory live in Mazuka Street, which can
be called the main city center of the territory.”
As the aide introduced, the streets were quite crowded and lively.
Merchants shouting to buy goods in a loud voice, people negotiating and paying
the price, which is like a fight, steamy snack stands and children wandering in
front of them, neighbors greeting them warmly as they pass by...
In the fields busy with harvesting and planting, in this noisy market, I saw
children sitting in wooden boxes with a lethargic look on their faces.
The people who seemed to be the children’s mothers glanced at her from time to
time, but they were busy with work and couldn’t really pay attention.
“Hey, Sir Altens. What are those kids? I’ve seen people putting their children in
boxes like that from earlier...”
At first, I thought it was made as a substitute for a crib when the children were
young, but when I looked closer, the children inside the box were of different
ages.
The children were looking enviously at the other children who were playing, and
they just seemed to have no idea.
“These children are sick children. These days, during the busy farming season,
even the children in the family have to work, so there was no one to take care of
them, so I had no choice but to bring them out.”
“Ah...!”
“It is not an epidemic. There have been no reports of contagious diseases in the
territory yet. They are probably born with some kind of crippling disease, like
Crosoe’s disease, which has no known cause or cure.”
It was only then that I felt like I knew why my eyes went to those children.
“The doctor is too expensive for commoners to use. All they have to do is go to
the apothecary who handles herbs.”
“But the medicines the pharmacists prescribe aren’t going to be enough to cure
those children’s illnesses, right?”
“...It is difficult not only for Ryzen, but for the common people of the entire
empire to find a doctor. I don’t know about the wealthy commoners in the
capital.”
I nodded.
It wasn’t Sir Altense’s fault that the villagers couldn’t go to the doctor.
“Looks like you have a lot to say to me when you get back to the castle.”
I wanted to refute it, but if you say something, ‘I dismissed my love as a body.’ I
kept my mouth shut because I thought I was going to say something like that.
“We really need a treatment center that the locals can use. In order for estate to
grow, the population must increase, and what is more important than increasing
the birth rate is to increase the survival rate of children and mothers who have
already given birth.”
“I agree. However, as Lord Altens said earlier, building a treatment center does
not mean that the territories can use it. Treatment at the clinic is expensive.”
“So the lord should support us.”
It was thanks to Korea’s medical insurance that I was able to continue my life
despite living in poverty and sickness.
“I said I remember my past life, right? In my previous life, there was something
called ‘National Health Insurance’. All citizens pay a certain amount as ‘medical
insurance’ according to their income level. Those with more money get more
money, and those with less money get less money.”
“Are you saying that you save money and use it when you are sick?”
“There are many more complicated things, but to put it simply, yes. The state
made a profit by investing with the collected insurance premiums, and people
could use hospitals with little money when they were sick.”
Of course, this was possible only when the number of health insurance
subscribers was large. It also required the cooperation of doctors.
“Ryzen people won’t have the money to pay insurance premiums right away.
So, doing public service is a substitute for paying medical bills. And 70% of the
medical expenses are supported by the lord.”
Killian groaned and rubbed his chin.
“But when people flock to the doctor, they can’t afford it all.”
“No. You didn’t forget that we had to pave the way to Mount Philiac, right?
Considering the wages of those workers, it is not a business that is losing
money. Besides, since 30% is the person’s burden, no one will go to the clinic
even though they are not sick.”
I was waiting for something to mobilize people anyway. And paying their wages
all at once was a burden even for Killian.
If we call it ‘medical insurance payment’ and use people for free, and then spend
it step by step with medical expenses support when they go to the hospital, we
could do both things at the same time without a big hit to our financial situation.
“My wife, as it turned out, was the goose that laid the golden eggs.”
Originally honorific words when a male character is sexy, it’s when he suddenly
speaks rudely.
Will there come a day when I can naturally accept Killian’s overflowing
expressions of affection and do something for him?
Killian hasn’t yet accepted all the stories about my past life, but he’s still trying
to believe me anyway.
“Um... I had the kind of disease that would have me dying here.”
“I was 15 years old, I had health insurance, I had high medical skills, and I was
lucky enough to be able to extract the right bodily fluid from my brother’s body,
so I saved my life. But then... I didn’t want to live that long.”
“Why...?”
“My parents didn’t bother me that I was sick, and my brother told me to die.”
“It’s not like that, but to be honest, when I first possessed Edith, I was horrified
because Shane was just as bad as my older brother in my previous life.”
It was a warm touch, as if comforting Soo-na Choi in her previous life, who had
never properly said the word that she was sick.
“Come to think of it, it was him who saved me, and it was him who killed me.
He always told me to know that I was alive thanks to him.”
“If I had been with you in my previous life, I would have cut off that brother’s
head.”
I giggled and told him more about law and order from my previous life.
Killian was curious, but couldn’t agree with the story that executions were rarely
carried out.
I also talked more about health insurance and the health care system.
Killian kept asking, ’Is it magic?’, but was at a loss for words when I explained
that it was just human knowledge and technology, not magic or anything.
“So, I was a person who owed such medical technology and medical insurance,
and I was someone who knew how sad and unhappy it was to be sick. So I want
to give some hope to the sick people here.”
“Every time I hear about your past life, it hurts me so much that I couldn’t be
there.”
“Thank you for hurting me. In my previous life, no one would have cared about
my disappearance, but since you comforted me here, nothing has gone wrong.”
It was sincere.
At one time, I felt sick thinking that someone would take care of my empty seat,
but now it’s okay.
Because there is a person next to me who cares about the vacant seat that he has
never seen and hurts his heart.
From the year after coming down to the territory, we enthusiastically embarked
on the development of the territory.
Throughout the winter, the tapestries that village women worked hard on were
hung in the main hall and corridors of the castle, making the castle even more
beautiful.
There were many times when servants came up to me and talked to me or gave
me something.
Anna, who was by my side, took the handing over from my servant, Theo,
instead of me.
“Oh, oh, I bought this morning, I went to the mountain to cut wood, I went, the
dog picked it up, I dug it...”
Theo was a servant who cut wood and chopped firewood, a shy and stuttering
man who was often nice to me.
Actually, I couldn’t understand what he was saying, but I did my best to laugh.
“What’s this?”
It was amazing.
In my previous life, I had eaten ‘truffle stuff potato chips’ with about 0.00001%
truffle oil, but it was the first time I saw real truffles.
“I can’t just accept something this precious! I’ll make this one from you.”
‘To be able to really taste something that I couldn’t even smell properly in my
previous life, it’s worth possessing at least once.’
After smelling the unusual scent of truffles rising up, I passed it on to the
kitchen and told them to use it for dinner.
And that evening, Killian was the first to notice the truffles on the veal.
“...Theo?”
“Hard work...?”
Killian’s expression grew even weirder, but I raised my chin proudly inside and
said.
“When I first came to the castle, I didn’t actually tell you, but the castle servants
had a crush on me.”
“It must have been embarrassing to suddenly have a new owner. I didn’t want to
force them into loyalty. So I went around the castle and created a good
environment for people to work.”
“That’s right. As a result, my relationship with the servants improved, and there
were people who brought me gifts like this.”
“Huh?”
“I... In my previous life, I was on the outside at work. Do you know what it was
like at Duke Ludwig’s residence after being possessed? It makes me really,
really happy to see the employees greet me, smile sincerely, and even give me
gifts like this.”
“Ah...”
“What were you trying to say? I think I cut off halfway through...”
“Oh, no, nothing. I even eat. Theo... It’s a precious gift from him.”
“Yes!”
Thanks to the people who work in the castle, that wasn’t the only happy thing.
Looking down from the castle to see Killian commanding the knights, I went
down to the gymnasium out of curiosity.
“Killian!”
I may seem a little spoiled, but the lord’s wife also had to put her eyes on the
knights of the castle properly.
The knight commander approached me, got down on one knee, and asked for
my hand. When I held out my hand, they kissed me lightly on the back of my
hand, bowed once more, and withdrew.
And in line with his command, the entire Knights shouted loudly.
As they raised their swords and spears high in unison, and then knelt down on
the floor, their hearts suddenly pounded.
‘Me and Killian’s Knights!’
The thought that they were our knights who would protect us made me feel
affection.
“Everyone is having a lot of trouble. I think Killian is training too hard, but if
anything is too hard for you to bear, let me know.”
The knight commander who raised his head trembled with humility, but the
knights and soldiers behind him laughed at Killian and the knight commander.
“Anyone who visits my wife’s office in private will be hung upside down from a
tree.”
The atmosphere would have been great if Killian hadn’t been so intimidating. It
was a joke, of course.
***
Killian was revisiting what a socialite scandal-maker his wife had been lately.
He guessed that the low-paid firewood chopper gave him a gift of a rare
mushroom that could earn about 150,000 senna at a time, and it wasn’t just out
of loyalty.
He was a bit late, having suffered from a fever as a child and then stuttering.
However, because of his good-natured and diligent character, Killian also liked
him. He even already had his wife and children, who were also simple and kind.
Killian, a little embarrassed that he hadn’t even known his name yet, gave him
two gold coins worth 100,000 senna.
He declined several times, but Killian forced the gold coin into his hand.
“It’s you who suffered, but shouldn’t we be good with our mouths? Go and buy
your wife and children something tasty.”
At those words, Theo greeted him several times with a thrilled face and then
went back.
‘Am I overreacting? Well, there’s no way all the men in the world covet Edith...’
However, Killian brought back his doubts when he saw Edith being warmly
welcomed by the knights.
‘Where are those bastards looking now? Should I tell them to cover their eyes?’
Killian was dissatisfied with his wife who suddenly came down to the gym.
‘Why are you wearing a dress that reveals your neck like that today?’
Even though she was dressed naturally in the warm weather, Killian was very
concerned about the eyes of the knights staring at her.
Besides, he didn’t want Edith to give her hand just because the knight
commander was kneeling.
I didn’t like the fact that the knight commander put his snout on it.
‘You dare to put your mouth on my wife’s hand while I’m watching with my
eyes wide open?’
Even though it’s a greeting that all noble ladies do, Killian felt like a thousand
dollars were welling up inside.
“Everyone is having a lot of trouble. I think Killian is training too hard, but if
anything is too hard for you to bear, let me know.”
It was dazzling to see Edith smiling brightly like a spring breeze and
encouraging the knights and soldiers.
All the eyes of the guys lined up at the gymnasium were fixed on Edith.
‘Edith was originally as beautiful and kind as this. I just wasn’t aware of it...’
When Edith first entered Duke Ludwig’s mansion, he had no idea that she was
beautiful. No, he was consciously trying not to think about it.
But Edith was always beautiful from then until now, and even while Killian
himself didn’t realize that beauty, there must have been many eyes attached to
her.
I know now that all their lewd words back then were bluffs, but their desires
probably weren’t lies.
Killian looked at Edith, who flinched at him because of the threats he had
uttered at the knights.
However, at the same time as thinking that, I also thought that if I did that, I
would be hated by Edith.
Frustrated, Killian drove Edith to the climax that night more violently than
usually.
I was upset and nervous, and I was afraid that Edith would give attention to a
man other than me, so I pushed her as if imprinting myself on her.
“Killian... What are you so afraid of? I’m always by your side...”
Burying his face in Edith’s chest, who saw through his feelings at once, Killian
made a small confession.
“I think I’m crazy. I’m jealous of every man in the world, I want to hide you.”
Edith’s soft hands caressed his back and the back of his head.
“I love you.”
“Tell me one more time.”
“I love you, Killian. Do not forget that the reason I came back from the long-
distance carriage station was to die at your hands rather than live without you.”
At that time, I was sad because I thought she didn’t want anything from me, but
when I found out that what she wanted was to face the end while looking at me,
I don’t know how heartbreaking it was.
“It is alright. If you’re anxious, you can doubt it. I’ll let you know whenever.
How much I love you.”
When a satisfied smile came out of Edith, Killian was finally able to put his
mind down.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
SPECIAL STORY 4. In Front of a Warm Fire
After a busy year without blinking an eye, winter has returned, when we have to
dig through the things we have accumulated over the past year.
You don’t know how long I’ve waited for winter since the wind got chilly.
This is because sweet potatoes were planted in a small field in Estate Castle this
year.
The plump ripe sweet potatoes were dried well and then stacked in the
warehouse.
Even though it was morning, Killian turned on the lamp in the dark room, pulled
the curtains and looked out for a while before saying.
“Because I feel like I’ve been tricked by my father. He said that it snows ‘a
little’ a lot, but this isn’t ‘a little’ level.”
Mount Philiac, which had already turned into a snowy white mountain, was
faintly visible through the misty blizzard.
It is to check that there is no snow in the castle, that there are no frozen food
materials stored, that there are no problems with heating, and that no one is sick
or suffering.
I always had to pay attention to whether there would be any problems due to
heavy snowfall in the village, but since I had done quite a bit of construction for
winter facilities this year, it seemed that there would be no major accidents.
“So be it.”
I sat in front of the large fireplace in the drawing room on the first floor of the
castle, gently skimming the ashes from under the burning firewood.
“In fact, rather than eating sweet potatoes, I prefer sitting and talking with you
like this.”
When I first started roasting sweet potatoes, Killian used to wonder why the
Countess was digging through the ashes.
Of course, the fuss subsided when I handed him a piping hot roasted sweet
potato in his mouth.
“How on earth did you know how to grow sweet potatoes? Is that also the
knowledge you knew from your previous life?”
“Oh, no. That... I learned it from reading agricultural books in the library of the
Ludwig Mansion.”
Killian, who was well covering the ash with a poker, turned to me.
“What did the future countess do to know how to grow sweet potatoes?”
“That is... I thought that someday I might have to run away at night. Then, I
didn’t know if I would have to grow something to make a living, so I learned
how to grow it, focusing on dry crops.”
“Yes. I’m saying it now, but back then it was really serious. The Rigelhoffs
were in a mood to do something even if I stopped them, and the Ludwigs kept
doubting me.”
Killian’s expression hardened again.
“I didn’t resent you or the Ludwig family. At that time, I was just reading
agricultural books, thinking that I might be able to use them someday...”
“I’m sorry to you, but no matter what happened, you wouldn’t have succeeded
in escaping at night.”
“Huh? Why?”
Ah, it seems that the hardening of Killian’s face earlier was not because of guilt,
but because of anger.
“No, I would have searched all the way there to find you, and you would have
been here right now, next to me, even if you hadn’t changed your mind there.”
For some reason, it seems that the obsession that should have been directed
towards Liese has completely passed over to me.
I was approaching the fireplace to check if the sweet potatoes were done,
giggling at Killian’s affectionate threats.
‘Ouch!’
Thanks to that, I’m going to the bathroom well these days, but sometimes my
stomach hurts because of too active bowel activity.
Wearing thick gloves, I took out a well-baked sweet potato and put it on a plate.
Then, after peeling off the skin with a barrage of ’attoo!’, I shared it with Killian
amicably.
Killian, who ate the baked sweet potato without noticing that there was soot on
his cheek, was quite cute.
***
After a long winter, the spring breeze slowly began to blow in Ryzen as well.
“The roasted sweet potato season is over. Now it feels like an undeniable
spring.”
Others say that spring has arrived, but I was a little sad that winter was gone
after enjoying roasted sweet potatoes and a fireplace all winter long.
“Uh? Is it so?”
“It was a continuous life of eating, sleeping, eating and sleeping, almost like a
bear, wasn’t it? It is natural to gain weight.”
“Don’t starve just because you’re losing weight. Because you are still so pretty.”
For some reason, I slammed his hand down because I was angry, but Killian
rather kissed my cheek and lips like that without hesitation.
“Today, we need to check the southern part of the territory. I’ll be back soon, so
you’re resting.”
“Don’t just think about coming soon, take a close look without missing
anything.”
After confirming that he had left the castle gate, I called Anna.
“I’ll have to check that out, so don’t let anyone know and bring the doctor
quietly.”
The only thing Anna, who doesn’t respond to orders, asked back was about my
health.
She ran away like the wind with a nervous expression on her face.
It’s not me, but I was lost in thought as I touched my soft, fleshy belly.
‘Come to think of it, I haven’t had my period for four months, how did I pass it
without knowing?’
Killian and I, who were busy throughout last year, solved the regrets of not
being able to be together last winter.
We stayed together all day, reading books, eating roasted sweet potatoes,
talking, and watching the snowy scenery.
It was so much fun that I must have forgotten that I hadn’t had my period for
four months.
And it wasn’t until this morning, when Killian told me that I felt a little bloated,
that he noticed it.
It felt like I drank a sip or two of wine at dinner sometimes, so I felt anxious for
no reason.
‘No. I really could have gained weight because of roasted sweet potatoes.
Menstruation was originally a bit irregular.’
Even so, it was about two months delayed, but it could have gotten worse
because I pushed myself a little last year.
“It’s not that it’s uncomfortable... I want you to confirm that I am pregnant.”
At those words, the eyes of the doctor and Anna widened at the same time.
“No, madam!”
After placing a thin towel on my belly, the doctor carefully touched my belly,
asked various questions, and nodded.
“Three months seems to be enough for you. Good news will spread throughout
the estate by this summer.”
“Your baby is a filial son. I didn’t even give her morning sickness so that her
mother wouldn’t be tired.”
“Come to think of it, no matter how much I like sweet potatoes, I felt like I ate
too much. Was it morning sickness? Why, I heard there is such a thing as eating
sick?”
“It seems so. I didn’t have much to do, so I ate and slept, ate and slept.”
“Why is it Anna’s fault? Neither I nor Killian knew. I guess she’s a little quiet
Anne, well.”
I calmed Anna down and waited for Killian to return with a mixture of
anticipation and nervousness.
Killian returned to the castle before dinnertime, as he had said he would come
early.
As always, we set the table in the room and ate dinner in peace.
“Yes. One of the bridges across the stream looked like it would need some work,
but no major problems.”
“Thank god.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Just... I’m so happy with my life right now. Sometimes I feel so unbelievably
happy...”
“What, Killian? Maybe soon... I think your happy life is about to collapse.”
Killian’s face suddenly stiffened like someone who had been stabbed in the
back.
Just by looking at his face, I could tell that he was thinking of the worst.
Hearing that I had called the doctor, even the cutlery Killian was holding in his
hand dropped. Then he came up to me, knelt down, and held my hand tightly.
“Edith... Whatever happens, I’ll be there for you. Don’t be afraid. No matter
what, I’ll get you any medicine...”
“Because it is.”
“Killian...?”
At the same time, my eyes grew hot and I cried along with him.
But the excitement ended there. From the next day, I was treated as glass that
would break at any moment, and I was half confined.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
SPECIAL STORY 5. The Diary of Linnon Filch
For those of us who needed talented people, the news that Linnon was about to
quit working at the Duke Ludwig was good news.
And after finishing the Duke’s work, we finally met Linnon, who had come
down to Ryzen, and had a long-awaited meeting.
“It’s a good thing for us, but wasn’t Linnonn sad about quitting the Duchy?
Unless you’re in the imperial palace, there’s no other place that pays you that
kind of salary.”
“Well. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve already saved up quite a bit, but money
wasn’t the main issue.”
Linnon was still stingy with his emotions, but the moment he said it, he looked
tired.
When Killian asked anxiously, he pondered and took out his diary from his bag
and handed it to Killian.
Killian and I were taken aback by Linnon’s behavior of taking out his diary as if
it were a report, but he seemed unconcerned.
We started looking through his diaries from the day we left Duke Ludwig.
***
As soon as Master Cliff’s wedding was over, Master Killian and Lady Edith left
for Ryzen. Taking Anna with them, it feels as if all traces of the two of them
have disappeared from the house.
At first, I didn’t think much of it, but after the two left, the atmosphere at the
Duke’s residence changed a lot.
It seems that the relationship between the Duke and his wife, who had always
been so friendly before, and Lady Liese have become somewhat inconsistent.
The Duchess also doesn’t look for Lady Liese very well, and His Excellency the
Duke seems to be sighing and drinking.
At the wedding not too long ago, Master Killian and his wife were there, so the
atmosphere was good on the outside, but now I can’t say it looks good with
empty words.
Lady Liese, who used to be quiet in her room, has recently been revealing
herself.
He felt like attending the party, and as the days went by, he dressed more and
more, and this time he declared that he would prepare for the year-end party in
December.
It seems that Master Cliff and Master Cliff have become a little more vocal
about that issue, but it seems that Lady Liese has decided to prepare for a party
in December anyway.
The Duchess is still correcting it, but there are many rumors that the daughter-
in-law is already trying to play the role of the family’s hostess.
The Duke’s year-end party yesterday and today was the most luxurious and
luxurious since I’ve been working here.
According to Lady Liese, the prestige of the Ludwig family, who became the
emperor’s closest aide, should be properly displayed, but... Even without this
pretense, the Ludwig family was the best family in the empire.
The Duke and Duchess seemed relaxed and unconcerned as always, but seeing
that the housekeeper sighed deeply after escorting them to their room late at
night, it seems that the two of them were not very happy.
Because Her Highness Catherine also attended and made the event shine, and
was introduced as the host of the party and received a lot of attention.
Miss Liese danced with men other than Master Cliff several times, but as each
session went on, Master Cliff’s expression got worse, and I was all nervous.
In the end, I also left early and came back and abandoned it.
Am I the only one who misses the gentle and dignified Duke Ludwig?
Even though the new year is bright, it’s already been 15 days.
At the beginning of the month, after sending an official letter requesting the
submission of tax collection details for the second half of last year to each
territory, it is a free time for a while.
So, while drinking tea, I read Miss Edith’s letter from yesterday.
Lady Edith sent New Year’s greetings not only to the Dukes, but also to the
servants she was close with.
He said that the lady and Master Killian get along very well.
It seems that you are thinking about various development plans while inspecting
the estate, and I am very curious about the future of Ryzen that the two will
develop.
Miss Anna also sent a letter of regards, and I was able to learn more about the
hardships that Edith hadn’t told me about.
In the evening, I took out a letter after a long time and wrote a reply, secretly
leaking the story of wanting to change jobs.
— February 5, 1826
I’m tired.
In all my years of working at the Duke’s residence, I think this is the first time
I’ve ever felt so tired.
The beginning was definitely the day I went to the post office.
While going out, he ran into Lady Liese, and when asked where he was going,
he simply replied, ‘I’m going to send a letter.’
It seems that he noticed that the letter I was sending was going to Ryzen.
I didn’t know that Miss Liese still had feelings for Lady Edith.
Edith was rather lenient, but I don’t understand why Lady Liese hates Edith.
Anyway, after that, I take on tasks that are not my business, or suddenly burst
into the office and argue over trivial matters.
It wasn’t something I couldn’t solve on my own, but it’s true that I’m a bit
worried about the days ahead.
— March 1, 1826
Even in the midst of the chilly feeling of spring, the cold wind of midwinter is
still blowing in the Ludwig Mansion.
Not too long ago, Lady Liese came to meet His Highness the Crown Prince
without saying anything to the Excellency or Master Cliff.
He said it was for the Ludwig family, but His Majesty the Emperor was still
correcting it, so it was already seen as trying to connect with His Highness the
Crown Prince.
Indeed, His Majesty the Emperor also summoned the Duke and asked what he
was up to.
In the end, it is said that His Excellency the Duke severely scolded Lady Liese,
but instead of reflecting, Lady Liese said she went out after blaspheming Her
Excellency.
It seems that Master Cliff is caught in the middle and hears hateful voices from
both sides.
There’s no way that the Ludwig Duke family would collapse over just this, but I
can’t help but feel bittersweet as I recall the past when I was strong inside and
out.
Lady Liese was put on probation for slapping the cheek of a young viscount.
In the past, I would have said that the angelic Liese lady could not have done
such a thing, but now no one doubts that.
As I was passing through the hallway to see the Duchess, I heard the sound of
Master Cliff and Lady Liese fighting.
Lady Liese shouted, ‘You’re a liar’, and Master Cliff was disgusted, saying,
‘Please do it in moderation.’
I don’t know about the secret circumstances of the two of you, but if it’s enough
to fight like that in front of the servants, I wonder if the love between the two
has already ended.
— May 2, 1826
I got a letter from Lady Edith, and she said that if it’s okay with me, she wants
to hire me as Ryzen’s budget manager. I am just grateful that you noticed my
heart.
I told the Duke and his wife about it and asked for their understanding, but the
two of them felt sorry for me, but they gladly blessed my future, saying that it
would be better for me.
But Master Cliff and Lady Liese were not.
Master Cliff caught me once more, mentioning the honor of being a vassal of the
duchy and the large salary.
You must have wanted to kick me out for helping Lady Edith in the past, but
perhaps you didn’t know that I would really go to Ryzen, and raised suspicions
that I was trying to steal information from the Duke’s family into the Ryzen
Count family.
Lady Edith should have seen Miss Liese’s expression at that time...
It hurts my heart to think that a family that has devoted passion and loyalty for a
long time is being destroyed because of one person.」
***
Killian, who once thought that his parents and sibling had no moral flaws and
that Liese was just like an angel, smiled dejectedly, perhaps because she was
funny.
“Even so, it would have been difficult for you to give up your life in the capital
and your status as a ducal vassal, but thank you for choosing us, Linnon. Things
were escalating, and we desperately needed a competent budget manager.”
“As I wrote in my diary, I wanted to come to Ryzen from before. I thank you for
inviting me, Countess.”
I was worried about my pregnancy and lack of manpower, but how fortunate it
was that Linnon came just in time.
Since there were already several talented people recruited, it would be perfect to
appoint Linnon as the manager.
‘By the way, the Duke’s situation isn’t as serious as Linnon thought...?’
It was pitiful that Liese was still awake, and I thought that this was all due to the
Ludwig family’s own income, but anyway, I was a little worried because the
Duke’s family was Killian’s family.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
Since I was pregnant, my sleep has improved and I have a lot of dreams.
But even so, it was rare to remember dreams, but one day when the mountain
months approached, I had a really vivid dream.
There was a smell I had long forgotten about, but I couldn’t completely forget.
It was the damp, damp smell that emanated from the stair landing of an old
multi-family house.
Every time he opened his mouth, the smell of alcohol wafted out.
My brother came down the stairs, put his hand under my nose on the floor, then
went up the stairs again and walked around.
It was then that my older brother, who was looking around to see if there were
any witnesses, turned to my bag that had fallen to the floor.
My brother, trembling, found my wallet, put it in his bosom, and ran away.
Even after being addicted to gambling all night, he even bought cigarettes with
my card at a nearby convenience store at dawn...
My brother ran away from the approaching police, but after he was caught, he
was taken away as if he had given up everything.
The scene changed and a familiar place unfolded before my eyes. It was the
company I worked for.
“What is this really about? It’s the first time in my life that I’ve been around an
incident on the news.”
One mate whispered to another mate. However, the expressions on their faces
were closer to interest and curiosity than pity or sadness.
Rather, Ahn Young-eun, who hit me in the back of the head, and Park, who was
annoyed with me, had worse complexions.
“I feel so bad. The day Soo-na died, I did something really mean to Soo-na.”
“There is something like that. But I didn’t know that would be the last time with
Soona-san.”
“Hey, it’s already past, so even if you regret it, it won’t come back. Forget it
right now.”
Ahn Young-eun sighed while exchanging stories with someone through the
company messenger.
At that time, Manager Park hung up the phone call with someone and slowly got
up from his seat and looked around.
“Hey, after work today, I want only two or three people to go to Soo-na’s
funeral... Anyone, anyone to go?”
“I’ll go.”
“Oh, yes, Mr. Young-eun. Then, me and Youngeun... Who else is there to go?”
In the end, a newcomer who didn’t even know me joined the ranks of
condolences.
‘This is funny too. None of the people I thought I was close with came.’
I half expected it, but seeing it with my own eyes gave me a sense of collapse.
The newcomer who didn’t know anything seemed to be trying to please the
manager by paying attention to him.
“The day Choi Soo-na died... I got really angry over something that wasn’t
really a big deal. Even though I can see that the child is just flustered, I was
annoyed at that time...”
“Chief...”
Ahn Young-eun, who was sitting next to me, was chewing on her lips, unable to
say that she had blamed me.
“Did you really know it was going to go like this... Ha... Still, that was the last
thing I said to someone who had been working diligently since joining the
company. ...I’m so sorry.”
Manager Park’s face looked really complex. Then, I heard a whimper next to
me.
Dad was smoking a cigarette, and Mom was crying and complaining to her aunt.
“I don’t know why my arm is so ferocious. There are only two children, one of
whom has been sick since she was young and has been upset about it, and the
other has been upset because of reckless behavior... Oh, it’s really good for me,
unni.”
“Ugh... Soo-na, don’t call me a child who has already left, but what about Su-
chan?”
“They say that if the family pleads for mercy, the sentence will be reduced a
little, how much...”
No one said that my brother killed me. She was just concerned about my brother
awaiting trial.
As if the funeral was already over, Mom and Dad were sorting out my
belongings.
In the household account book, it was written when and how much money was
taken from her brother, and how much money was split and spent. On the days
when I couldn’t stand the urge and ate something, I emphasized it by putting an
asterisk because of the guilt...
“Uhhh... Is the only thing you buy outside food once a month is a pizza that
costs 10,000 won per plate, bitch...!”
There were several pieces of my clothes hanging in my closet that Dad was
opening.
“This damn girl... When the hell did I buy this and still...”
Dad cried while looking at the coat he bought for my middle school graduation.
‘Come to think of it, she’s been wearing that for over 10 years...’
At that time, it was the first and last expensive clothes my dad bought with great
enthusiasm.
It was a coat that wasn’t awkward even now because it was a decent design, but
the shiny sleeve hem and the hips looked a bit sloppy.
“Oh, Soo-na, I’m sorry! I’m sorry that I couldn’t be a mother, Soo-na!”
My mother cried bitterly as she hit the floor, and my father also covered his eyes
with his hands and turned his head.
I felt sorry for my parents, but I felt like the resentment of my previous life was
finally resolved.
As I smiled with a satisfied heart, the scene in front of my eyes changed again.
‘Uh?’
He sat blankly in his room with a somewhat bewildered expression on his face.
“Hey! Miss C, who lives in ○○-dong, died. Doesn’t your girlfriend also live in
○○-dong? Isn’t that your girlfriend?”
“She was killed by her brother. But didn’t your girlfriend have a brother? It’s a
little creepy.”
“Hey, what are you doing today? You say you’re out of business?”
His friends joked about the story of ‘Miss C who was murdered by her older
brother’ that spread on the Internet.
At first glance, the screen read “Choi Soo-na (42).” He must have called me 42
times.
After hearing the announcement voice he had heard several times, he hung up
and opened the last message I sent.
「Darling~ I’m confirmed to work overtime and weekends today ㅠㅗㅠ I’m
sorry. See you next week. I’ll buy you something delicious♡ (6:08 pm)」
「Pretty girl♥Soo-na: Ung-woong, okay. I’m fine so don’t push yourself too
hard. (6:09 p.m.)」
“Soo-na, I’m sorry, I’m sorry... I was really wrong... It’s Soo-na... Ugh, what
should I do, what should I do, Soo-na?...”
He shook his body and cried while holding his phone tightly.
Well, if I had gone on a date with him that day as planned, I might have avoided
the fate of dying at the hands of my brother for a while. He seemed to blame him
for my death.
However, it would have happened at any time unless my brother came to his
senses.
‘Thank you for being sorry. I’m doing well, so you can forget about me and live
well.’
These people will eventually overcome the sadness of this moment and live.
Like I do.
When I woke up and opened my stiff eyes, Killian was asleep next to me.
He massages my limbs and feet until I fall asleep, which won’t be easy after a
tiring day.
Perhaps, had it not been for the experiences and memories of my previous life, I
might have missed this person too.
Having obtained this kind of love, I now have nothing left in my previous life.
“Hmm...? Edith...?”
Killian didn’t even wake up, told me he loved me and hugged me warmly.
‘I will live this life without any regrets. Even the highest number or share of the
previous life, without regret.’
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
In early August of that year, I gave birth to a child while thinking, ‘Is this life
over here?’
Fortunately, thanks to Edith’s body type with a wide pelvis, I was able to give
birth easily (though it was never easy in my opinion).
“Good work, Edith. It was a lot of work... Thank you. Thanks, Edith. I love
you.”
“What a crybaby...”
The baby was born as a boy, and we chose name ‘Erdin’ as the best match for
the child among the name candidates we had chosen in advance, and gave him a
name.
Erdin was a very pretty kid who inherited Killian’s black hair and my light
brown eyes.
“He’s pretty just like you. The eyes have completely taken you out.”
“But here you are. His lips are all yours? Oh my, oh my! Look at that lip
smacking.”
“Mamma ate as much as she could. He must be sucking milk in his dream.”
He was a baby who couldn’t even control his limbs and had his whole body
wrapped up tightly, and he made a fuss about moving his lips, laughing, and
yawning enough to make dimples appear on his cheeks.
In fact, in my previous life, it was so difficult to take care of my own body, so I
didn’t even think about getting married, let alone having a child, but after giving
birth to a child, my heart was so full that I felt that my happiness was finally
complete.
‘If I was single parenting, I would have raised both hands and feet.’
Before the 100 Days Miracle happened, it wasn’t hell parenting where mom and
dad hardly slept.
Thanks to having a nanny, I got a good night’s sleep and ate healthy food to
keep myself in shape.
Erdin didn’t give me morning sickness and was a quiet big kid, so even after he
was born, he was on the quiet side compared to other babies.
The bigger Erdin gets, the more I think the baby resembles Killian, but Killian
says he looks like me every time he sees Erdin, so it was funny.
“You two are half and half alike. When you look at it this way, he resembles the
Count, and when you look at it that way, he resembles the lady.”
Ever since Erdin was born, Anna, who has shown affection for Erdin as much as
me and the nanny, said with a happy face today.
And every time I saw Anna like that, I felt pity, sorry, and a sense of
responsibility all at once.
In Korea in the 21st century, she would still be in the prime of her youth, but in
this world, she was at an age where she would be labeled an old woman.
“Are you married alone? And don’t worry, madam, I’m quite satisfied with my
life now.”
Anna seemed really happy, not empty words, but I felt uncomfortable when I
thought that when Anna returned to her room after carrying my help all day,
there would be only silence to greet her.
Maybe this feeling itself was the sympathy I had for Anna.
‘It doesn’t matter if Anna is really happy living alone, but if she feels lonely
after losing her youth because of me...’
If so, I will have a hard time shaking off the guilt. Although I will support her
through the rest of her life, there are parts that her money alone cannot fill.
‘Maybe Anna is still alone because she hasn’t had a chance to meet a man.’
There is a huge difference between meeting someone but not seeing them and
giving up without ever meeting them.
Besides, you have to look at the sky to find the stars, and you have to meet a
man to know if you want to date or get married.
If Anna wants to be single even after meeting a decent man, then I can
comfortably support her singleness.
That evening, I put my head together with Killian and started thinking about it.
“If it were the capital, I would have been able to find some candidates, but in
Ryzen, it is difficult to find a man who can match Anna. Besides, they tend to
get married earlier than in the capital...”
“That said, it is also possible to connect a divorced or widowed man with Anna.
Honestly, where else can we find a bride like Anna in Ryzen?”
After shaking our heads for a long time while citing the candidates that came to
mind one by one, we were able to narrow down two candidates.
Of course, I didn’t like either of them, but if Anna met them in person, they
might be different.
I was taking a breather, but this time Killian said with a troubled face.
“Not even Anna, but Linnon is also a problem. Linnon is already over 30.”
When I think of Linnon, whose expression never changes, I can’t imagine him
meeting a woman, falling in love, and starting a family.
I knew it.
“There is no doubt that the letter to be delivered to Linnon is also full of stories
about marriage.”
The other day I received a letter from Lord Filch addressed to Killian, and it
contained a small letter asking him to pass it on to his son.
“If he hates himself that much, there’s nothing we can do about it.”
“Well, Linnon also rejects women, but conversely, no woman will like him. He
is a dull man who only cares about work.”
And the next day, I persuaded Anna in advance before asking the two men who
were selected as candidates, which doctor Killian would face.
“Anna said that she would live as a single person, but I was wondering if you
should still have a chance to meet a man.”
“Madam, I...”
“I know, I know. You are satisfied with what you are doing now and you are not
worried about your old age because you are working hard on saving money. I
know everything, but why don’t you meet up just for experience? If you don’t
like it, I’ll decline in my line.”
“The total winter wheat harvested in spring and summer is 5,000 tons. Spring
wheat, which will be harvested soon, will have a slightly lower yield than this,
but there will be no problem with winter food supply.”
“Similar to last year. However, since the business of growing various fruit tree
seedlings has begun, in just a few years, different fruits will be filled with
different fruits every season.”
Linnon handed Anna a document with all the data neatly organized.
“Would you like to take a look at the crop production situation in the
surrounding territories?”
“If you don’t mind, madam, I’ll go to the administrative office and get it. Sir
Filch is busy.”
Anna gave a light smile and a light nod and followed Linnon, who greeted me.
The two people, with similar attitudes, facial expressions, and tone of voice,
seemed to be the same person with only the sexes differentiated into male and
female.
‘It’s a blessing, a blessing, to have talented people who work well and are
sincere like that.’
With a proud heart, I watched their backs disappear and felt sorry for them.
Because I forgot to give him a letter from Linnon’s father.
‘I forgot that I was giving it to Linnon when he came today. I forgot a lot after
having a baby.’
Anna wasn’t there, so I searched the desk drawer for the letter myself, then went
after Linnon and Anna.
Linnon’s voice sounded a bit nervous, coming from around the corner.
“The butler’s nephew and the knight of the knights. You’ve said it’s okay
several times, but since the madam is always worried about your situation...”
At Anna’s words, Linnon let out a long sigh and said regretfully.
“Even so, this morning the Count asked me insinuatingly about my intention to
marry. If I had known it was Miss Anna, I would have said it...”
I swear I’ve never seen Anna smile so shyly. Not even once!
“No. I will go and tell her. I was going to tell her at the end of the year when
you’re free...”
“Sorry.”
“I am sorry. Miss Anna must have been in trouble because of me.”
Anna’s cheeks turned red in an instant, and Linnon, taken aback by it, quickly
removed his hand.
There was no one watching (except me), but the two of them were busy
pretending nothing was wrong while making hmm-hmm sounds.
I laughed proudly from behind the corner and began to tease my feet toward
Killian’s office, lest I forget again.
Because we have to cancel all these plans before Killian takes his place.
No, I don’t even know if I poured oil on a small burning ember. Whoop whoop.
Liese leaned against the cold stone walls of the imperial palace and tried to
understand the still unbelievable situation.
Although she had lived this life over and over again as Liese Sinclair and Liese
Ludwig, she had never visited the imperial prison. She had to do that in her life
as well.
However, the shady air I felt on my cheeks was too terrifying to be a dream, and
my forearms that had been grabbed by the guards were still tingling.
Tears streamed down her cheeks and dripped onto her dress.
She just shook her head, trying desperately to figure out what was wrong.
‘Yeah, no matter how much I think about it, it’s only since that damned Edith
appeared.’
At the time, that day was so thrilling and exciting, but looking back, that day
was the beginning of all misfortune...
Liese blankly began to grope about things from ‘that day’.
***
Liese, who was watching the wedding ceremony from the side of the Duchess,
smiled inwardly.
It was already the 13th time that Edith possessed someone else’s soul, but this
moment was always a mixture of tension and anticipation.
And every time I felt this thrill, I felt that I was alive.
The 13th Edith also quickly accepted the fact that she was possessed by
Romance Fantacy novel, and was moving in the opposite direction to the
original plot in order to avoid Edith’s evil deeds.
Seeing that at the dinner a week ago, he had accepted Liese pretending to be
kind and declared that he would not bring a maid from the Rigelhoff family to
the Ludwig family.
‘Still, on average, I think it’s a bit bold. There were some kids in the Rigelhoff
family who realized Edith’s hidden plot and couldn’t move.’
Liese’s heart was pounding because she didn’t think this round would end with a
bland game.
Killian openly expressed his dislike of Edith, and the reception ended quickly.
Seeing Edith, who was not embarrassed by Killian’s rudeness and coped with it
well, and did a good job as a bride without losing her smile throughout the chilly
reception, she was even admirable.
It was the most fun to see such a resolute human struggling and collapsing.
“Liese. The wedding reception is coming to an end soon, so would you like to
escort Edith to her room?”
“Yes, madam.”
“Ms. Edith. Now we are going to go to the bride’s room. Let me guide you.”
“Oh, God, thank you, no, ho ho ho, go, thank you, Miss Liese.”
After almost throwing away her mask, Liese took Edith to the bride’s room and
changed her dress.
“Today... I apologize for Killian’s rude behavior towards Miss Edith. I hope you
don’t hate him too much.”
This scene, in which she looks more like a bride than a priest and asks Killian to
Killian’s bride, was good for understanding Edith’s tendency.
Edith, who felt uncomfortable with Liese, frowned or answered briefly, and
Edith, who was determined to impress Liese, was overly sympathetic.
“I fully understand. Killian was forced into a marriage he didn’t want to do, and
he’s probably offended. But that doesn’t mean I hate Killian. After all, he is the
one who became my husband.”
Since you’ve read the original work, you should know that this is the dress
Killian bought while thinking of ‘The Bride’, but seeing that she even praised
Liese’s dress.
‘It looks like I’m going to look at my eyes. There is a high probability that you
will be swung as you swing.’
Imagining that he would be frightened or wag his tail at every word he said, I
felt like I would burst into laughter already.
It was expected that Killian, who had been sent into the bride’s room, would
come out early, but his answer was unexpected.
“They didn’t have any expectations for tonight either. Although I was a little
surprised.”
“...Yes?”
Although she was a little surprised by that kind attitude, Liese quickly regained
her composure.
The game started, and Liese had to use the new Edith to create a situation where
she could stand out the most. And that was what Liese did best.
“What?”
Liese raised her eyebrows and bit her lips as if in trouble. ‘I really didn’t want to
tell you this’ was his expression that appealed the most.
Then, when Edith slightly twisted the words that she complimented her on the
dress, Killian quickly got angry thinking that Edith was making fun of Liese.
‘Okay. It’s just fun, nothing difficult. It’s a game I’ll win in the end.’
Seeing Killian’s back as he tried to kiss me but failed, Liese smiled lightly.
And that night, Liese set the first stage exception condition.
[Step 1 exception conditions have been set. Step 1 Exception Condition: Follow
the original editing method that failed.]
‘Now, is it really possible to pass even the first stage of this Edith?’
Liese happily waited for another story in which she would be the main character.
***
As expected, Edith tried to score points with Liese and other key characters.
It was like that when he was diligently choosing dresses for the Duchess and
Liese, but didn’t match his own, and so was his behavior during tea time with
Liese, Cliff, and Killian.
It was highly appreciated that he didn’t look flustered or servile, but there were
several Ediths who chose this route.
‘He must have thought that he could avoid death if he avoided the evil done by
Edith in the original work and be kind.’
‘The flow of the original work’ is the most powerful force that pulls this world.
That’s why, before Edith met the three-step exception conditions, the story was
supposed to flow according to her original story no matter what she did.
In particular, this Edith was walking the opposite path, like a person who
decided not to follow the original Edith at all.
‘If I continue like this, I will die without even meeting the first stage exception
condition?’
It was on the night of tea time that I realized she wasn’t blind.
That night, Liese was at ease when she found Killian looking out from the
moonlit balcony.
It was clear that Killian was saddened by his situation of being pushed back by
Cliff, and Liese thought it would be a good thing to comfort him and increase
his affection for her.
“Ah, Liese...”
However, the existence that occupied his head was not Liese.
“If... Is it Edith?”
Killian, who had said that Edith was intrusive and disliked him in words, was
furious when he said Edith didn’t talk about him at all.
‘Already such a change! How the hell did you create probability?’
The most powerful force supporting this world was the ‘flow of the original
work’, but in the line where the original story was not damaged, I was able to
create a favorable situation for myself using probability.
I don’t know if Edith knows about it or not, but I don’t think I’ll be dragged by
the original work anyway.
While telling the story of calling the dressing room, Liese cleverly accused
Edith of being a villainess.
However, Liese did not know exactly about the changes taking place inside
Killian.
Like it or not, it was because he underestimated the fact that the existence of
Edith had taken root in Killian’s mind.
***
On the morning of the day she went out to help the Duchess, Liese muttered to
herself while looking in the mirror.
Liese went to the Duchess’s office with high expectations and observed Edith.
“From today, all we have to do is categorize the documents there by type and
organize the items we need to purchase, the quantity, and price in a nice way.”
When the Duchess naturally handed over the document in question to Edith,
Edith, who was looking through the document, smiled proudly.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
Liese, who was keenly aware of Edith’s psychology, glanced at Edith while
pretending not to.
Liese tried hard to hide her discomfort with Edith, who looked more competent
than herself.
Edith was organizing the information by drawing a table that was not found in
other documents.
At that moment, Liese came up with a way to make sure Edith was the culprit in
this leaked document case.
‘Because the original work never mentioned the creation of documents using
tables...!’
Liese hurriedly gave this world the setting of ‘do not use tables for formatting’.
Since everyone was ignorant of the concept of ‘tables’, it was clear that Edith
would be accused of the culprit if documents organized using tables were found
on Rigelhoff’s side.
Liese smiled innocently at Edith, but inside she sharpened her sword.
‘Sooner or later, the Rigelhoffs will send a letter to Edith telling them to steal
the documents.’
Liese took out the documents Edith had arranged at the time, made a copy by
forging her handwriting, and sent it to the Rigelhoff family.
And just like in the original story, Edith was immediately accused of being the
culprit in this case.
‘What he didn’t even do happened exactly like the original work. Now, what am
I going to do?’
‘What? Why are Cliff and Killian investigating me? You have to interrogate
Edith while you investigate me!’
It was embarrassing, but Liese pretended not to know anything until the end.
After waiting for a few days, the flow of the original work put the document that
Liese had sent to Rigelhoff into the hands of Duke Ludwig. Of course, that was
‘proof that Edith was the culprit’.
‘You can’t even protest now, can you? How crazy would that be?’
This episode was the first obstacle that most edits collapsed on.
Liese responded to the Duke’s call, expecting that this edit would also collapse
greatly.
The atmosphere in the office where she was called as a ‘witness’ was as
expected serious, and Liese looked at Edith’s expression as if she was surprised.
Liese answered the Duke’s questions and steadily drove Edith like a criminal.
I looked back to the end, wondering if I had seen it wrong, but Edith still raised
her arrogant chin.
‘What the hell are you thinking? Aren’t you afraid of sitting as a criminal in
front of the Duke?’
Liese was so curious about it that she waited for her in front of Edith’s room.
When her edit was taken by her knight and her maid, she feigned concern and
intended to come up with her thoughts.
But it wasn’t the knight and the maid who brought Edith.
“Liese...?”
Liese was so surprised that she almost made another strange expression.
Edith looked more relaxed than before, but for someone who was about to be
kicked out of this family, she seemed quite calm.
“Killian?”
Killian didn’t get excited when he heard the story that could drive Edith away.
‘How did this happen? Isn’t the character’s change threatening the flow of the
original story? Edith Rigelhoff! What are you doing?’
Liese felt chills down her spine for the first time.
***
‘This is not the time to believe only in the exceptional conditions and flow of the
original work. I have to crack down on Killian.’
While Liese was thinking about that, news came that Edith had collapsed. With
the news that Killian ran right away and hugged Edith.
When I ran to the front of Edith’s room, I was sure to find Killian with a
complicated expression.
It was possible to grasp Killian’s ‘contamination level’ from the hand he held.
For Killian Ludwig to feel guilty about Edith Rigelhoff, K had never written
anything like this.
Because of that, Killian was suffering from severe headaches due to the
influence of the separation from the original work.
It was a way to reinforce the character’s setting, reduce his headache, and
subconsciously make him lean on himself.
“Edith seems to have a softer heart rather than a look. She was trembling with
anxiety enough to collapse...”
“I was innocent, but I could have been deeply hurt because no one believed me.”
It seems that he still hates Edith, but somehow Killian was defending Edith.
[Step 1 exception conditions met. Exceptions have been made and the author’s
rights have been reduced. Stage 1 exception conditions will expire.]
Liese, who had been sleeping for a long time, was shocked to hear the
announcement in her dream.
‘What? Already?’
In the meantime, there have been many edits that have met the first-level
exception condition, but it has never been at this point.
In response to Liese’s question, the system of this world showed her a part of the
original work as an image in her dream.
It was the part where Edith, cornered by the leaked documents, went into
Killian’s bedroom in the middle of the night and seduced him.
Liese hurriedly turned the page to find the scene from the night before.
However, I had no choice but to close the book before reading half of the
contents that were forcibly corrected by Edith.
It was because the contents of 19 gold that he had never written before were
spreading.
‘Unbelievable... Nonsense!’
It was unimaginable that Killian and Edith had a physical relationship.
It was as if Killian, who had never been Liese’s sub male lead, had completely
given up on Liese and accepted Edith.
Until now, even if the exception conditions were met, such a huge thing had
never happened.
‘How on earth...!’
It was absurd, but I couldn’t figure out where to start fixing it.
***
For a while, Liese observed Edith and tried to deepen her relationship with her.
Fortunately, Edith didn’t hate Liese despite the alienation from Sinclair’s side.
It was the same when he bumped into Countess Bryn, who regarded Liese as a
thorn in her eye at the bazaar of Countess Ermenia.
“I can’t adapt to the social world these days. A countryman or something like
that stirs up the bazaar.”
That guts surprised Liese as well.
Edith, who had been dealing with Countess Bryn’s group for a long time, glared
at them, who were moving away with Cliff’s appearance, and whispered to
Liese.
No matter how much he knew the original story and said he had to show it well
to the main characters, Edith saved Liese without hesitation.
It was a type that was hard to understand for K, who couldn’t stand people who
were better than me.
That said, if Edith was a stupid fool with no countermeasures, that wasn’t the
case either.
Edith was always proud, and he didn’t show any attitude to please Killian.
I didn’t know what part of the edit was causing the change in Killian, but even at
the bazaar, Killian showed a very different attitude from the original story.
Edith and Killian weren’t aware of it, but a subtle pink air was already flowing
between them.
Their eyes briefly met and then turned away, but a smile spread across their
mouths, they pretended to be looking elsewhere and peeked at each other,
clearing their throats to cover the smiles that spilled out...
If Edith did not fully meet the 3rd stage exception conditions, the flow of the
original work would maintain its power, but no one knew what the ending would
be if the narrative between the two was solidly completed.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
Nervous, Liese slightly twisted the original plot and made Edith and Shane
meet.
As expected, Edith rebelled against Shane, and a few days later, Shane led Sofia
into the Duke’s mansion.
‘Since Sofia will never let you go if you rebel, you will definitely help the
Rigelhoff family’s conspiracy just like Edith in the original story.’
There has never been an Edith who has not succumbed in the face of violence.
So, I tried to save Sophia’s appearance until the very end, but I had no choice
but to make it appear earlier because Killian’s emotional change was so great
than expected.
Liese was greatly shocked by Edith, who was beaten by Sofia and rebelled even
to the point of starvation.
He was suffering so much, but it wasn’t that Edith was trying to reveal his
situation.
Liese smiled like an angel as she watched the starving Edith stare blankly at the
peach pie.
The ‘dog cake self-play incident’ that appeared in the original work was quickly
transformed into the ‘dog pie self-play incident’.
Edith, who woke up after drinking poison, stopped Sophia, saying that she was
just pretending to avoid the situation somehow, but the episode that had already
begun did not stop.
As in the original story, Cliff searched the room and found a bottle of poison,
and Edith was suspected of committing a play.
Liese expected Edith to despair at the situation that did not change from the
original story while saving Edith wearing the mask of an angel.
I hope she despairs of her situation even though she meets the exception
conditions for the first stage.
So when Edith brought the ‘embroidery thread’ as a gift, Liese thought it was
poisoned like in the original story. Of course, I was soon disappointed.
‘I know you’re trying, I’m sorry, but it’s no use. You will die as a villain, and I
will remain as the protagonist forever.’
Liese, who internally laughed at Edith, poisoned the embroidery thread and
embroidered it in front of the maids who would act as witnesses.
Cliff as well as Duke Ludwig were very angry, believing that it was Edith’s
conspiracy, but Killian ran to Edith first.
Although she was saddened by Killian’s change of heart, who had never looked
at a woman other than me, Liese thought that Killian would return to her soon.
But another miracle happened.
“Edith is strongly insisting that he is not the culprit. In fact, it’s also a pretty
credible refutation.”
Cliff returned from the meeting about this incident and said with a bitter face.
“It’s ‘revenge’ that happened so immediately after the dog pie incident, but
that’s rather strange. Because Edith knows very well that she is in the most
suspicious situation.”
In the original work, Edith was still suspected, but the logical attitude that the
13th Edith had maintained while insisting on her innocence so far moved
people’s hearts with Ludwig.
Thanks to the power of the original author, the pain was greatly alleviated, but
the radius of action was greatly reduced, which was a loss to Liese in many
ways.
A few days later, the Duke, Cliff, and Killian tentatively concluded that Edith
was not the culprit.
The Count Sinclair, who should not have come out yet, was even pointed out as
the mastermind, so Liese had no choice but to bury this incident in order to
prevent the original story from becoming more distorted.
***
After the first stage exception conditions were met, I couldn’t figure out what
happened between Killian and Edith, but what the hell happened, Killian kicked
Sofia out of the Rigelhoffs.
Seeing that there was no resistance from the Rigelhoff family, it seemed that
Killian had caught the right pod.
In addition, as if noticing that minor supporting roles are less affected by the
original work, Edith began recruiting extras.
[Please specify the exception condition for step 2. If not specified within the
deadline, Edith Ludwig is automatically considered to have met the 3rd stage
exception conditions.]
For some time now, the warnings of the system have been going on.
For this Edith, it was impossible to arbitrarily set the conditions for the second
stage, so Liese held out until the end of the deadline.
It was a condition she had never specified before, but Liese was confident.
Then, he asked Killian, who stopped by to deliver the news that Sophia had been
thrown out.
“...What?”
“Like when he comforted me, we drank tea together, took a walk, talked...”
Although he didn’t like that change, Edith could never satisfy the second stage
thanks to it, and he would continue to act contrary to the conditions while
strengthening the flow of the original story.
Liese sent condolences in advance to Edith, who was supposed to be happy with
Killian thanks to her.
However, things did not go as Liese intended.
Killian, who came to visit the hospital, muttered with a bitter face.
“As you said, I’ve been recommending this and that to Edith.”
“Huh?”
Liese gently coaxed Killian into figuring out how he recommended Edith.
“Killian. A woman’s heart is delicate. Edith must have thought that Killian
hadn’t meant it.”
“What? Why?”
“Think of the suggestions Killian made. I don’t feel Killian wanting to be with
Edith at all.”
“...Is it so?”
“Suggest something with the feeling that you really want to be with Edith, not
with the thought ‘I’ll hang out with you.’”
‘Phew. It would have been a big deal. No, this is not the time to be at ease. I
need to call Edith and talk.’
Edith came running with no hesitation and was concerned about Liese’s health.
“By the way, Edith. By any chance, did you feel sorry for Killian... No, of
course there must have been. There might have been...”
“Oh no! I’m sorry for Killian, I don’t have a fingernail.”
When asked if he was sorry for Killian, Edith wrapped his hand around Killian.
“Killian is a pitiful man... In the end, even making me this or that offer would be
forced because of his position.”
However, Liese thought that Edith had been seriously angry with Killian.
‘You’re pretending to be nice. Killian, who made me feel sad, has suggested
various things on the contrary, so he must be taking this opportunity to get
revenge.’
“It’s not like that, Edith. Killian is opening up to Edith. And he’s trying to be
friendly with Edith.”
However, Liese’s efforts, instead of reaping results, brought about the worst
situation.
[Step 2 exception conditions met. Exceptions are made and the author’s rights
are reduced. Stage 2 exception conditions will expire.]
Liese tried blaming Killian, but in this situation, it was meaningless to cover the
wrongs.
Rather, it was a more serious problem that the second stage exception condition
was met for the first time since K possessed Liese, and Killian was about 70%
free from Liese’s control.
‘No. I have to be the main character here until the end. I won’t let the story I
wrote collapse!’
Not only did Edith set the 3rd stage exception conditions that could never be
fulfilled, but Liese had to intervene herself and twist the story so that Edith
could die as a villain.
Eventually, at the tip of that thought, Liese realized that what she believed in
was not coincidence or luck, but the nature of existence.
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‘You’re dead once and you’rea possessed soul, but you’re a living person in this
world anyway. If it is a living being, it will instinctively avoid death...’
After thinking hard, Liese slowly decided on the third stage exception condition.
[Step 3 exception conditions have been set. Stage 3 exception condition: Do not
resist death.]
If you try to live, you die, and if you try to die, you live. It was a terrible
paradox.
‘The only problem is that Edith can give up at the very last moment...’
I wanted to put a condition that made no sense, such as ‘I accept death happily’,
but this ‘condition’ had limitations.
The fact that the condition of not resisting death was accepted because there was
even a slight possibility that Edith would give up in the story.
Liese felt compelled and vowed that she would try to kill Edith herself from now
on.
***
However, Killian, who was greatly out of Liese’s control, moved like a
character who exists to love Edith.
Killian, who brought Edith to the tea time spot, was no longer a ‘sub male lead
who has a crush on Liese Sinclair’.
As if they didn’t even care about Liese and Cliff, the two pushed each other and
exchanged secret glances.
It didn’t seem that the 30% or so remaining dominance was completely useless.
Liese smiled in repentance as she looked at Edith, who was trying hard to hide
her disappointment.
But a few days later, the Count Sinclair family suddenly came to the mansion.
That’s because he was aiming for Edith’s position.
In order for Liese to become the main character, clear villains had to attack
Liese, but that power is weakening.
The fact that it changed to target Edith also meant that Edith was becoming the
main character.
Liese suppressed her sense of urgency and waited for her outing with Killian.
Liese urged Killian, who kept wandering in front of Edith, and headed to Le
Belle Marie Street, giving him a smile and a lot of charms that she didn’t usually
show him.
Cliff said, ‘Shall I buy one?’ I didn’t ask. He just smiled and nodded, and later
sent all the things Liese pointed out to Liese’s room as gifts.
But now, Killian’s attitude wasn’t bad either. I’m sure he’s never bought a
present for Edith like this before.
However, as the date at Le Belle Marie continued, Liese began to annoy Killian
with his words and actions.
I didn’t like the thought of going down to the manor with Edith already, and it
made me feel bad when the shoe store said, ‘I’ll stop by with my wife soon.’
‘What? I’m trying on shoes right now. Then you should focus on me!’
Liese, who was in a very bad mood, tried to find fault with it.
“But I think we should consider Edith’s taste as well. Edith probably likes
something a bit flashier.”
“I thought she was like that too, but after getting married, it seems like her tastes
have changed a lot. I didn’t know she was such a pragmatist.”
In the end, Liese was heartbroken and even crossed arms with Killian.
However, Killian only looked down at Liese with his arms crossed, and there
was no reaction.
Rather, he spoiled Liese’s mood even more by showing off his boredom even at
the accessory shop he entered for Liese.
Then, when Killian suddenly asked to stop by somewhere, he was quite happy,
and what he chose was Edith’s gift, not Liese’s.
“No. It’s not like that, but I don’t think I’ve ever bought anything fancy
before...”
“Is it? I think Killian took good care of Edith... You bought her a necklace
before!”
“...You mean the day Cliff gave you all the rest of the jewels?”
Liese did not expect to receive an attack like this from Killian.
Of course, he seemed to think that what happened that day was Cliff’s fault, not
Liese’s, but if he had been the old Killian, he wouldn’t have even remembered
what happened.
Tired of enduring and enduring, Liese eventually returned home with the excuse
that she was tired.
Even after Killian returned, he didn’t take Liese to the room, but instead headed
to Edith’s room with Edith’s gift.
Liese could no longer say that she knew about the character Killian.
“Cliff!”
Yes.
“In the hope that my younger brother and his wife will be happy, I told her
several ways to win Killian’s favor...”
“Liese. I am the one who exists only for you Whatever you desire, I will give
you.”
Liese smiled as she kissed Cliff, but deep inside she pondered a bleak thought.
That’s why I didn’t like Killian more, who moved against her will as the creator.
***
The day before Killian went on a yacht with Edith, Liese slowly put the plan
into action as it got dark outside.
Liese sat Cliff at the table, who had come to drink tea, and continued searching
every nook and cranny of the dressing table.
“Earring?”
Cliff began to show interest in Liese, who seemed nervous and anxious.
“When was it... Ah! It was the last time we went yachting!”
Liese was restless and pulled out another jewelry box that she had already
searched through before.
Liese thanked Cliff several times before sending the mercenary she had bought.
He would know what screws to loosen, so the job seemed unlikely to fail.
And the next morning, Liese showed signs of wanting to go boating. If I could
just follow him, I would be able to kill Edith even more surely.
Liese was a bit disappointed, but smiled calmly and waved her hand.
‘But, well, there’s no way you can survive. Hello, 13th Edith.’
I hoped that the corpse would be found later, and that it would be a very
swollen, terrifying figure.
And Liese spent the morning leisurely waiting for the news of Edith’s death.
[When Edith Ludwig dies as a villain, the story returns to its original trajectory.
Three minutes until her death.]
‘As planned.’
It was a perfectly fitting day for Liese Sinclair to get back on track as a
protagonist.
However...
[When Edith Ludwig dies as a villain, the story returns to its original trajectory.
Five minutes until her death.]
It must have been about 3 minutes since the announcement came out earlier. In
addition, the time to death was also increased.
[Part of the flow of the original work has collapsed due to the original author’s
excessive intervention. The original work was further damaged. The original
author’s dominance is weakening.]
Even though the third stage exception conditions were not met because she
poured her strength into it without knowing that this work would fail, Liese’s
dominance was already weakening.
Killian, who was soaked wet, came back carrying Edith, who had lost
consciousness, but was alive.
Killian desperately screaming while holding a woman who wasn’t her was really
unfamiliar.
I Thought It Was Common Possession-Chapter 145
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I had never been in a situation like this before, so I didn’t know what to do, but I
had to do something.
‘I have to save the power of the original author. So, let’s use the extras that
haven’t been contaminated yet.’
Liese decided to use Princess Catherine to get Edith into trouble and prepared
for the founding festival.
The preparations for the founding festival flowed similarly to the original work,
so Liese found a sense of stability.
Cliff called the most expensive clothing store in the capital and ordered a
beautiful dress, and the Duchess Ludwig brought out the ‘Light of Lorraine’ for
her.
‘Yes, I am the main character!’
But as soon as she thought that, the door to the Duchess’s office opened and
Killian and Edith entered.
Killian was laughing, but Liese noticed that he was very angry, and his gaze was
fixed on Lorraine’s light.
The Duchess was perplexed by his sad blue eyes and answered.
“It is the treasure of the Ludwig family. You’ll probably have priority. How
about going out wearing that necklace at the foundation festival?”
It was absurd.
Liese lived through <Home and Envoy> several times, but this was the first time
she was in danger of losing the ‘Light of Lorraine’.
“But...”
“And if you’re discerning, you’ll know that the dress I made today doesn’t
match that necklace.”
In the end, Killian took a step back from Edith’s calmly admonishing attitude.
‘To think that I was protecting Lorraine’s light with a sympathy like Edith’s...’
The one looking down from above should always be herself. It was a word that
she, the creator and protagonist of this world, should not be pushed aside by a
mere possessed human.
Liese, whose pride was severely damaged, brought up the ‘poison embroidery
thread incident’ as a topic when she went to meet Princess Catherine.
***
Tok.
Knock knock.
Inside the carriage heading to the Imperial Palace to attend the founding
ceremony.
Liese had been paying attention to the strange sound she had heard from
somewhere earlier.
“Huh?”
Although there had been signs of this before, it was now evident that the two
were in love and could not hide it.
‘Damn. If I had a little more strength, I would have done the work at the
foundation festival...’
In the end, Liese believed only in Princess Catherine and entered the imperial
palace.
Princess Catherine led the episode just like the original story so that Liese could
stand out.
Seeing Liese being greeted by the other ladies following the princess, the
siblings of the Count Sinclair’s family also turned earthy.
Behind the princess, Liese was calculating various things while putting on an
extremely pure and humble expression.
On the surface, this episode of the founding festival seemed to flow similarly to
the original story, but in fact, if you examine it in detail, the narrative for Edith
was flowing separately.
It was like that when the Duchess came wearing the dress Edith had chosen for
her.
‘She wore the dress I picked out to a bazaar, but to wear the dress Edith picked
out to the founding festival makes me feel like I’m behind.’
Both were well received by the people, but the scale of the event was different,
so in the end the confrontation was tantamount to Edith’s victory.
Not only that, but Killian and Edith showed more affection than me and Cliff, so
they caught people’s attention.
It wasn’t enough that they did a dance that was so hot that it drew attention to
themselves, and the two of them threw Count Rigelhoff off and went out onto
the balcony.
Since the young ladies who had unrequited love for Killian were only looking at
them the whole time, their interest in Liese was less than in the original work.
Even Layla Sinclair’s jealousy, which should have been towards Liese, seemed
to lean towards Edith.
‘But Princess Catherine will take good care of her. Catherine hasn’t met Edith
yet, and there’s no room for contamination.’
Sure enough, Catherine walked straight towards Edith, who met my eyes, and
insulted Edith right in the face.
“Her Highness...!”
“Oh! I’ve heard that too I heard that Liese was poisoned a while ago? Knowing
how close Liese and I are, why didn’t you tell me?”
“That’s Liese...”
“Because your wife is a suspect?”
Liese cheered Catherine, measuring the point at which she had to approach.
When Catherine insulted Edith, Killian became angry and actively defended
Edith.
“Just as Her Highness gave up her feelings for Cliff because he loves Liese, so
do I. Isn’t Liese bad for clinging to a hopeless love?”
That was the first ‘declaration of giving up’ that came out of Killian’s mouth.
Liese felt even more impatient when she saw Killian who had completely lost
his position as sub male lead.
Liese felt chills running down her spine at Killian’s cold gaze, which she had
never seen before.
‘Why the hell did this happen? Was it a problem to leave it to Catherine’s hot-
tempered personality?’
“If you think of Killian that much, why don’t you stop my father?”
“You really tried to stop Count Rigelhoff from sticking with the Duke of
Langston? Did you understand me correctly?”
Edith lowered her eyebrows and smiled faintly. She deftly evaded her
restrictions and revealed her situation.
“Um... Sorry. I thought Killian was living on her leash in a marriage that was
pushed through with cowardly measures, and I thought that Liese was being
bullied.”
After apologizing like that, Catherine burst into a hearty laugh when she heard
that Edith wanted to go say hello to her, but was hesitant because she was timid.
At that smile, the faces of the aristocrats who had been glancing at me from
earlier turned into a look of surprise.
Liese realized that the title of ‘The Princess’ Entourage’, which should have
belonged only to her, was divided in half.
‘Edith is becoming more and more the main character! Before the heroization
makes it harder to kill, I have to try something.’
Although the original author didn’t have much power left, Liese planned the
assassination case of Edith feeling cornered.
It was a relief that I wrote down a line in the novel about the man who followed
Edith.
Liese gave him the name ‘Fred Sicily’ and added that he was half-mad with
Edith.
Her power leaked out like water when she rushed to create a setting that didn’t
exist.
After gathering all the probabilities she could draw, and using Leila Sinclair and
Duke Ludwig as well, Liese herself took Edith to the scene of the incident.
It was after confirming that Killian was going out that morning.
‘There won’t be anyone around who can help Edith, so this time I’ll succeed.’
Edith, completely unaware of this situation, treated Liese like a close friend.
Liese would have had a pretty good time if it wasn’t for the person who came to
ruin her story.
However, what was important to Liese was the world in which she was the main
character.
“Edith. By any chance, do you like romance novels that are a bit weird?”
Edith snapped at the bait as if he had seized the opportunity to become friendly.
Not knowing that it was a guide to death, Edith accepted Liese’s offer and set
foot in a dark alley.
Fred Cicily hadn’t slept properly for two days after picking up the information
Layla deliberately leaked at a tea party at her house the day before yesterday.
“Edith Rigelhoff is going to the Milleine Bookstore near Lebelmarie Street the
day after tomorrow around noon. That she uses a bookstore that sells lewd books
like that, she deserves to know her level.”
That amount of information was enough to make the twisted desire stalker set
out to find Edith.
I Thought It Was Common Possession-Chapter 146
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And about an hour later, a sharp scream from a woman rang out near <Milan
Bookstore> and quickly disappeared.
Of course, no one paid attention to those who did not want to get involved in
troublesome matters.
To Anna, who asked, ’Where is Miss Edith?’, Liese said that she was also
looking for Edith, and then stomped her feet on the spot.
Feeling impatient, Anna ran to the back of the alley where <Milan Bookstore>
was located, but Anna’s strength alone would not be able to stop Fred Sicily.
[When Edith Ludwig dies as a villain, the story returns to its original trajectory.
Three minutes until her death.]
Although she was surprised, Liese responded with a relaxed mind. Edith will die
soon, and the dead don’t talk.
At that time, Anna, who was searching in the alley, jumped out and grabbed
Killian.
At the same time, the systems of this world repeated ominous guidance.
[When Edith Ludwig dies as a villain, the story returns to its original trajectory.
Three minutes until her death.]
While Liese prayed for Edith to die quickly, and Killian and Anna prayed for
Edith to endure even a little longer, the time until death was extended twice
more.
Killian and the knights ran into the abandoned house at the end of the alley.
“No...!”
[Part of the flow of the original work has collapsed due to the original author’s
excessive intervention. The original work was further damaged. The original
author’s dominance is seriously weakening.]
After listening to the guidance of the system, it’s not that it’s not, but the
dominance that can be extended to the characters has decreased by about 30%.
If you recall how selfish Killian with 30% control was, he had that much
control, but it was mana.
After returning to the mansion with a broken heart and listening to the story
behind it, Edith seemed to have persuaded Fred Sicily with ‘words’.
However, this was the world in romance novels, and the clichés of romance
dramas do not allow the main characters to die easily.
‘I have to kill her before reaching the 3rd stage condition. Certainly!’
Liese started preparing for the final episode, the Battle of Territories and the
kidnapping case, feeling like a knife had been stabbed into her throat.
Just before declaring the Battle of Territories, Shane wrote a letter to Edith
saying he would give her one last chance, but Edith refused.
In addition, as soon as the Battle of Territories was declared, the spy of the
Rigelhoff family was kicked out after being trampled on and beaten.
The spy was the one who remained in the mansion until the end in the original
work and conspired with Sophia, but this time it was discovered because Edith
had met the second stage conditions.
Liese sent a secret letter to the Rigelhoff family with an unknown sender.
「He is someone who works at Duke Ludwig’s residence. If you are trying to
destroy the Ludwig family, I would like to contribute even a little.”
Count Rigelhoff and Shane were doubtful, but would have been forced to accept
the offer.
Liese, who had arranged the work up to that point, tried to cast the bait of
temptation for the last time to Killian before the campaign.
Although she was momentarily taken aback, Liese summoned memories of the
past that would have been beautifully glorified, formed a consensus, and slowly
approached Killian.
Liese, who had been tempting with a sad smile for a while, spoke with the
intention of completely shaking Killian.
“Before you leave, can’t you kiss me just once?”
Killian paused.
Liese was sure that Killian would not refuse this request.
However, instead of covering her cheek, Killian’s hand, which was approaching
Liese, flicked the tips of his fingers and tapped her on the forehead.
“Killian...?”
“You don’t have to do it like sending someone to die like that, you fool.”
Killian smiled pleasantly with a face that was not young at all. Seeing that, Liese
realized.
As if she had been abandoned by the character she had created, Liese returned to
a depressed mood.
“Cliff...”
Cliff kept trying to open up Liese’s feelings in a coy tone, but Liese couldn’t
reveal her true feelings even to her ardent followers.
‘If you knew what I was thinking, you would abandon me too. Yes?’
In the end, Liese sent them to the place where the Battle of Territories was
taking place, showing only a delicate and weak appearance in front of Cliff.
Edith didn’t even get a greeting from Duke Ludwig, which made her feel sorry
for her, but she couldn’t afford to be happy with such a simple thing.
Princess Catherine came and offered to send the unsolicited imperial knights,
and Liese gathered what little power she had left and made the Duchess reject
the offer.
Liese’s strength was weakened to the point that she had to rest for a while
because her nosebleeds dripped after she exerted herself.
After losing the power that seemed omnipotent, Liese had no choice but to move
on her own. But even that didn’t turn out so easily.
To make raiding the Rigelhoff family’s mansion easier, sleep incense was
provided and an antilock device was installed, but Edith found all of them and
put them away like someone suffering from obsessive compulsive disorder.
In the end, Liese wrote a letter to Cliff saying that Edith’s behavior while
looking for it was strange.
‘The mansion raid can’t succeed in this state. I have to change my method.’
The Duchess and Miss Liese will be attending the party at the Count
Wyndham’s house on the day that ArchDuke Langston causes an uproar.
And when the knights of the imperial palace finally rushed into the carriage,
Liese chewed her lips involuntarily, fearing that she would fail again.
‘I must be successful this time. I don’t know anything else, but Edith has to
die...!’
Since Edith had been emphasizing in her letters that she had completely
abandoned the Rigelhoff family, there was no way Shane or Sofia would leave
her alone.
Suddenly, the voice of the escort knight and the neighing of the horses were
heard, and the carriage shook.
‘Done!’
But instead of killing Edith right away, Shane bursts into the carriage and drags
all three to Wellesley’s abandoned cottage.
‘You fools! Why don’t you kill Edith? Kill her quickly!’
Cliff would come in after a while, so until then, I had to kill Edith.
Liese was only thinking about that while dealing with Shane who was trying to
rape her.
That’s why when someone knocks on the door and Shane tumbles on an
outstretched fist from outside, I get a little annoyed.
Of course, while I was thinking about that, I didn’t forget to cry and cling to
Cliff who entered with an urgent face.
However, Sophia was on Liese’s side until the end.
While she was caught and dragged away, she did not reveal Edith’s location.
“Hmph! Do you think our young lady would fit in with a place like this?”
Contrary to her words that seemed to hide Edith at first glance, her eyes were
filled with malice like miasma.
‘Yes, if I stay trapped in this kind of weather, I’ll freeze to death or starve to
death.’
Liese encouraged the knights to hurry back by saying ‘When I woke up, Edith
was not there’ to the Duchess, who shouted that Edith couldn’t have betrayed
her.
However, even as time passed, the voice of the system was not heard.
By this time, it would be possible to hear an announcement that Edith had a few
minutes left to live, but there was no such announcement until the Duke and
Killian returned to the capital.
‘Edith Riegelhoff! Where the hell are you and what are you doing!’
I Thought It Was Common Possession-Chapter 147
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While Liese chewed on his fingertips, Killian led the knights to find Edith, and
Cliff also increased the number of knights looking for Edith.
If that was the case, Edith would have to beg for Killian’s life until the very end.
Liese was drying up day by day until the day of the execution of the Rigelhoffs.
‘If... If the conditions for step 3 are met, then what will happen?’
It was just that the future that Liese knew disappeared and time continued to
flow.
However, the unknown future approaching, and getting old and ugly was
tantamount to disaster for Liese.
For the first time in her life as Liese, she felt helpless. An existence like that of
soldiers standing at the execution ground.
Liese wanted Edith to make a final effort, but as always since the 13th Edith was
possessed, her wish didn’t come true.
Edith’s expression, as she staggered along behind the knights, showed no will to
live.
“What?”
Edith, who had been ignoring Liese’s appeal to clear up the misunderstanding,
eventually revealed her white and thin neck in front of Killian, who had the right
to dispose of her.
‘No! No way!’
The moment Liese let out an inner scream, the voice of the system was heard.
[Step 3 exception conditions met. An exception has been made and the original
author’s rights have been completely lost. Stage 3 exception conditions will
expire.]
“All of the Rigelhoffs who took part in the treason, as well as committed acts of
wrath, deserve to be punished.”
Killian, who opened his mouth as if he was going to cut Edith’s throat at any
moment, added with a light smile.
“But my wife’s name has been Edith Ludwig ever since she got married here.
Edith being Rigelhoff, that’s an insult to the Duke Ludwig. Isn’t it?”
Liese was dazed by the ‘exceptional situation’ caused by the fulfillment of the
third stage exception condition.
‘To think that Killian saved Edith, who everyone was trying to kill...’
The last 12 Ediths lost their lives under Killian’s sword right now, right here.
When the execution of the Rigelhoff family began, Liese came out and bit her
lip as she moved back and forth nervously.
It was the disappearance of the meaning of existence in this world. Because this
was a world where Liese Sinclair had to be the main character.
At that time, one of the knights by his side came to meddling widely.
“Lady Liese has a delicate heart, so it must be difficult to just listen to the sound,
but there is an order in the world that must be followed even with such drastic
methods.”
Hearing those words, Liese’s head seemed to brighten.
‘It’s just that the third-level exception conditions have been met. As long as
Edith dies, Liese’s narrative can be revived!’
When Edith dies, the stories that differentiated into Edith’s narrative will
disappear, and the things that hinder Liese will disappear.
Even though Liese didn’t have character control, it was a life she had lived
several times, and she was able to fully control changes within the permissible
range.
Liese thanked the knight who advised me and ran to the mansion to get a hot
water bottle. A sharp-edged dagger was also with them.
“I don’t mean to watch the execution... I’m going to bring Edith some hot
water.”
“Liese...”
“It will be cold. It was decided not to execute Edith anyway. So please allow me
this much, Cliff.”
The soldiers nearby made faces as if they were moved by Liese’s warm heart.
Liese held the hot water bottle and dagger tightly in her arms and went down to
the dungeon where Edith was being held.
When I went down, I saw Edith, who had turned blue from the cold, and was
shaking.
Rejoicing at the fact that she couldn’t refuse the hot water bottle, Liese called to
Edith in a bright voice.
“Edith!”
“Uh? Liese...!”
However, at Edith’s answer that followed, Liese hardened her face involuntarily.
“Thank you, Liese. It was so cold that I thought I would freeze to death.”
Liese was dumbfounded at the sight of a woman who had even removed her hair
before ordering her to cut her head, now happily accepting the hot water bath,
saying that she would die from the cold.
“If you didn’t want to die that much, why didn’t you say a word to Killian
earlier?”
“By the way, do you want to come back and live again?”
Edith’s last reply was simple, saying that she had given up hope because she
didn’t think anyone would believe her, and that she was tired of claiming
innocence or being branded a liar.
‘I should have held on to Killian from the start. If I did, he wouldn’t have come
this far...’
Liese felt Killian run out of 50,000 tablets, took out her dagger and cut her
forearm hard.
The feeling of the sharp blade slicing through the skin was unpleasant, but it was
a cheap price to say that everything was recovered with just that amount of
wounds.
“Kyaaaagh!”
Liese threw the dagger into the cage and screamed, and Cliff and Killian came
down as if they had been waiting.
Liese pretended to be frightened and cried, but was relieved. If she was injured
while they alone, the culprit would surely be determined by Edith.
Until Killian picked up the dagger and handed it back to Cliff, Liese had no
doubts that Edith would be dragged away again.
However, the target Killian was suspicious of was Liese, not Edith.
“What?”
“I tried holding it, but the blade and handle were all warm. Higher than human
body temperature.”
At that moment, Liese realized her mistake. However, she couldn’t think of
anything to excuse because it was an unexpected mistake.
She had no choice but to repeat that Edith’s words were lies and that she had
only come to hand over the hot water bottle.
The dagger couldn’t make a deep cut with a hand that couldn’t get out properly
through the lattice bars.
“Why don’t you believe me? Are you sure Edith tried to kill me?”
Liese, who had never been driven into a corner this far, cried out with a really
unfair feeling.
However, Killian blamed her even more, and even criticized Cliff for protecting
Liese.
‘What! Why is she more like a main character and making a fuss!’
Liese had no choice but to watch as Edith left the dungeon in the arms of
Killian, shedding tears of resentment.
***
Even when Liese was admonished by Edith, she couldn’t even refute a word,
and Duke Ludwig, who had been on Liese’s side until now, turned away, saying
he was greatly disappointed.
It was the first time in a long time that I had to realize what it was like to live as
an ordinary human being, not as a main character, when the Duke and Duchess
Ludwig gave Edith a box of gold bars, furs, and huge jewels because they were
sorry.
Edith smiling brightly under the spotlight in the middle of the stage and myself
standing outside the light and clapping hands...
The memory of the previous life is already faint, but only the sense of the time
when he abandoned the pen name K and was forgotten by everyone and fell was
revived.
A life praised by everyone is addictive, and even taking one step away from it
was followed by an unbearable sense of deprivation.
In order to escape from that sense of deprivation, and to overturn the reality of
being left behind by Edith, Liese first prepared a dazzlingly gorgeous wedding.
However, in the original work, the things that happened even if Liese did not ask
for them were fulfilled only when Liese requested them from one to ten after the
original work’s power disappeared.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
In the weddings of their past life, which they have experienced many times, the
flowers that filled their wedding hall were the finest white roses without a single
exception.
However, the decorative flower written on the budget that Cliff had brought was
a white hydrangea.
The flowers were so large that it would look rich even without a few flowers,
but that kind of ‘efficiency’ was far from the ‘heroic quality’ that Liese wanted.
“The flowers for the ceremony are white roses. Even the petals you sprinkle.”
“But that amount of white roses is difficult these days. White hydrangeas are
also popular as ceremonial flowers...”
Cliff also accepted her request, but Liese was unbearably uncomfortable with
the small sigh that followed his answer.
Throughout his life as Liese, Cliff longed for a handful of her affection, and
gave her what she wanted before Liese could even speak.
However, as the conversation related to the wedding went on, the number of
conflicting opinions increased, and Cliff’s sighs increased as well.
Of course, that didn’t mean Liese would step down, but the ambush was the
Duchess, who was managing the family’s budget.
But the words that came out of her mouth were unexpected.
“Cliff has been planning a wedding, but I think it’s a little off.”
“He seemed very excited to hear that he was marrying you. They put all the
luxuries in it.”
The Duchess shook her head and showed Liese the wedding plan and budget
written by Cliff.
“If the ceremony goes on like this, rumors will spread that the ducal family is
cheating. Cliff loves you. It’s not unknown, but it’s so different from Killian’s
wedding, Won...”
She seemed to have no doubts that this plan all stemmed from Cliff’s excessive
affection, and that Liese would frugally revamp it all.
‘Originally, you guys have to hold a wedding like this even if I stop it!’
“Yes, I am an illegitimate and insignificant girl. But what about Cliff? It’s the
wedding of Cliff, the heir to the Duke, and it shouldn’t be shabby than other
nobles’ weddings.”
The Duchess was speechless with her eyes wide open in surprise.
In the end, the wedding went as Liese wanted, but in return, Liese could not
spend time with the Duchess as before.
In fact, what bothered me more than the Duke and his wife who distanced
themselves from me was Edith’s attitude.
Maybe she didn’t have a belly button, or she didn’t care about Liese anymore,
Edith was smiling brightly and applauding at the wedding of the person who
tried to kill her.
To the point that Killian and Edith look much happier than the main characters
of the day, Cliff and Liese.
One of the purposes of this splendid wedding was to arouse Edith’s envy and
jealousy.
However, when Edith with Killian left for Ryzen, Liese’s displeasure felt a little
better.
‘Yes, Edith is gone now. From now on, I’m going to create a new narrative for
Liese!’
Besides, there was nothing to stop her, who was certain to be the next Duchess.
It must have been a godsend to sign a contract with Cliff before marriage.
「Cliff Ludwig will defend and protect Liese Ludwig no matter what.」
These two clauses alone were tantamount to not only holding Cliff’s leash, but
also obtaining an indulgence for everything.
Even though she vowed to create a ‘better future than the original work’, what
fills her head is the success and glory of the original story.
Rather than pioneering a new path, it seemed more certain to walk the path I
already knew. Even if it is the path of the original plot that has already
disappeared.
That’s why I was anxious if the original episode I knew didn’t happen.
In the original work, Liese, who married Cliff, received dozens of invitations a
day.
Of course, several invitations came this time as well. However, the number was
less than in her original work, and above all, there was no invitation she wanted.
‘The invitations didn’t come from the people who should be extras for the next
episode!’
And if you were going to attend a party, you had to stand out more than anyone
else.
There were a lot of dresses that the Duchess or Cliff had bought for her, but
frankly, not many of them exactly matched Liese’s taste.
It was because she always chose a simple and innocent dress rather than her own
taste in order to fit the character of Liese, who is kind and sorry for being
indebted.
‘In the first place, when I was making Liese’s character, I should have made her
breasts as big as Edith’s.’
I created a slender and innocent Liese to contrast with the sensuous body and
dumb-haired villainess, but now I’m a bit dissatisfied with that.
Even though I wore the same bed linen that exposed my shoulders, I still can’t
forget that Killian’s gaze was completely different.
Because she was still the most beautiful woman in the world.
***
Even though she knew that the power of the original work had already
disappeared, Liese chewed on that thought like a habit.
This is because it was more difficult than expected to get close to the characters
needed for the original episode.
‘In the original work, the humans who first sent an invitation and begged to
meet...!’
My pride did not allow me to approach those people first and pretend to be close
to them.
They managed to move the people around them cleverly and open their faces,
but the relationship did not progress beyond that.
‘I can’t do it. I have to create a situation where they have to come up to me and
say hello.’
Liese pondered over several options, and eventually planned the one that would
attract the most attention.
When the weather started to get chilly and the year-end party started to come
out, Liese said with a bright smile at the dinner table.
However, contrary to what they thought would come easily, the expressions of
the Duke and Cliff hardened a little.
“It will still be too much for you. Watch what Joslyn does and learn from it, then
start hosting it yourself in about five years.”
Duke Ludwig warned with a gentle face, but Liese had to do it this year.
Because the original episode had to happen early next year.
“I have seen and learned what my wife prepares for the past five years. This
year, when I married Cliff, I really want to take over.”
“Liese.”
“Does the Duke know that there are still many people who laugh at me as a
lowly illegitimate child? And there are people who laugh at Cliff who married
me like that.”
A sigh came out of the Duke’s and Cliff’s mouths at the same time.
Because that bastard’s ‘illegal position’ was already an excuse that Liese used
several times.
“The hostess position at the year-end party will prove that I have become a
member of the Ludwig family.”
Duke Ludwig tried to say another word, but the Duchess stopped him.
Unlike Liese who thought ‘I won’, Cliff seemed to have a broken heart.
That evening, Liese shouted in unison to Cliff, who raised his voice, saying,
“My mother still corrected me!”
“You?”
“Everything I do is for the ducal family, so you shouldn’t treat me as an
ornament any more.”
Liese turned away from Cliff, who was shocked by her remark that drew the line
by saying ‘you guys’.
Cliff’s appearance was no longer special to Liese, who lived the same life over
and over again.
No, sometimes it was even boring. Enough to dream of breaking away from
other characters.
‘So, at this year-end party, I’m going to meet the heir to Count Lieberman, be
introduced to the Crown Prince, and start dating!’
In the original work, Count Lieberman’s successor was an extra who fell in love
with Liese’s beauty and first invited her to his ‘Celebrity Club’ and constantly
appealed for her charm, but was frustrated because she couldn’t move the heart
of Liese, who was single-minded with Cliff.
Besides, the already married crown prince was also described as handsome and
captivated by Liese’s beauty.
In her marriage to Cliff, which was the same every time, and this time even
more disappointing, such good-looking men were enough to stimulate Liese’s
deviant psychology.
‘Since ancient times, the more men who love me, the better.’
Liese was moved by her gesture and started preparing for the year-end party,
imagining other men to kneel.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
The Duke’s year-end party was prepared completely differently than before.
Crystal chandeliers, the finest champagne, expensive gifts and food made with
rare ingredients...
Cliff and the Duchess tried to stop it several times, but Liese said rather as if
they were frustrated.
“We have to take this opportunity to properly show the prestige of the Ludwig
family, who have become His Majesty’s closest aides. There will never again be
a family that makes up its mind like the Rigelhoffs.”
It was an excuse she added because she wanted to put Edith down, but contrary
to her intentions, the Duchess sighed as she recalled Edith, who was thrifty and
smart.
Anyway, the year-end party was as luxurious and luxurious as Liese’s planned.
Seeing people’s admiration and envy in their eyes after a long time, Liese
seemed to finally be able to breathe.
She was even able to become more intimate with Youngsik, Countess
Lieberman, who could be said to have been the purpose of the year-end party.
Seeing him suggest a dance with a somewhat trembling voice, Liese sang joy
inwardly.
Dancing with him and sharing a glass of champagne made my heart flutter for
the first time in a while.
Cliff’s expression hardened moment by moment, but Liese completely ignored
him.
On that day, Liese had no doubt that her life would bloom brightly like the
original work.
It was because the successor to Count Lieberman brought up the story of the
crown prince to her like the original story.
“Did I tell you that I studied alumni with His Highness the Crown Prince?”
“Awesome. I’ve only seen Her Highness the Crown Prince from afar.”
“Is that so? Then, when will you go to the prince’s palace with me? His
Highness, the Crown Prince, will also be pleased with his wife’s visit.”
‘Also! No matter how much the power of the original work has weakened, big
events still happen!’
Now, if she met the crown prince and solved his troubles, and then even found
the emperor’s lost nephew, Liese would be able to win the emperor’s favor.
I was happy to anticipate the future that would continue like the original story,
but a few days later, something happened to catch that mood.
“Edith. Ah, no, a New Year’s greetings letter from Countess Ryzen!”
The butler, Philip, gave the letter from Edith to the Duchess, Cliff, and Linnon
with a happy face. Even Philip, the head butler, the gardener and the yacht
manager seemed to have received a letter.
It felt like the atmosphere of the mansion, which had been somewhat heavy
lately, suddenly brightened up with that letter.
Even Cliff smiled brightly and handed the letter he had read to Liese.
The letter I received without hesitation was full of details about the busy life in
Ryzen, the worthwhile life, and their well-being.
「...How’s Liese doing? After marrying Master Cliff, she must have helped her
mother more with her work, but I’m worried that it might be too much for her
delicate body.
I was confident in my stamina, but I felt that my body was getting tired after
playing the role of a countess here.
Liese won’t gain weight no matter how much she eats, so I hope she eats better
and takes better care of her health...」
Because Edith met all the conditions, she lost the power of the original story, but
Edith was having a happy time in Ryzen.
Even the people in the Duke’s residence, who were only on my side in the
original work, acted as if they missed Edith.
Rarely, seeing Linnon going out, Liese asked lightly to say hello, and the answer
from Linnon’s mouth sharpened her nerves.
‘Yeah, you said Linnon helped save Edith, right? I won’t let you go.’
From that day on, Liese started to fault Linnon for every little thing. Of course,
not once did Linnon panic or succumb.
However, Liese was not discouraged either. Because soon the prince will be on
her side.
***
In the carriage on the way home from the prince’s palace, Liese nervously bit
her lip.
Until the introduction of the crown prince to the successor of Count Lieberman,
it went smoothly like the original plot.
The prince I met today should have bounced a little in front of Liese, but then he
fell in love with her personality and wisdom and expressed his liking.
However, the prince’s attitude was a little different from the original story.
“I heard from Isaac. In fact, even if it wasn’t for Isaac, I could hear the story of
his wife, the most beautiful woman in society, everywhere.”
The face of the crown prince with a smile felt a subtle difference from the one
set in the original work.
In words, it was the story of her ‘most beautiful woman’, but the slightly
crooked smile seemed to contain a hint of mockery.
‘Am I oversensitive?’
He tried to think that way and move on, but by the time he got up from his seat,
the prince, who had to promise the next meeting, said nothing.
In the original work, he invited her to his social gathering with a look of regret...
It was an opportunity for the nobles, who were still repelled by the fact that she
was an illegitimate child, to change their attitude toward her in favor.
‘No. Let’s not think too anxiously. Changing the attitude of the nobles is
possible in other ways.’
A few days had passed since Liese felt uncomfortable with the episode that did
not go the way she had hoped and looked for another way.
However, the anxiety that had plagued Liese the whole time took shape around
noon one day.
“Call Liese!”
Duke Ludwig, who returned from visiting the imperial palace, issued a
disobedience with an angry face.
It was the first time he had called Liese in such an angry state.
And when the bewildered Liese entered his office, the Duke asked without even
looking at Liese.
The day Liese went to meet the crown prince, she kept the schedule a secret.
That way, when she gains the support of the Crown Prince, the Duke’s people
will be more surprised by her hidden ability.
But the Duke seemed to already know everything.
“Yes. Not long ago, with the introduction of Count Lieberman’s successor...”
“You mean you didn’t say a word to me or Cliff on the way to meet the imperial
family?”
“It was a meeting that took place thanks to the favor of the successor of Count
Lieberman. I just drank a cup of tea or something. Do I have to report every
detail of my trip to tea?”
“It might have been tea time with other wives or young girls, but it was with the
royal family! Have you never thought about what that would look like in the
eyes of His Majesty the Emperor?”
“While His Majesty was still correcting it, the eldest daughter-in-law of the
Duke Ludwig came out after chatting in the palace of the crown prince. It’s just
perfect for others to misunderstand that the Ludwig family is already lining up
for the crown prince.”
“It’s not like His Highness the Crown Prince hasn’t met anyone personally, isn’t
that a drastic leap?”
At Liese’s resistance, Duke Ludwig let out a long sigh as if letting out his
boiling anger.
“The problem is that Ludwig is a person, not another person. Because you held
last year’s year-end party so splendid that everyone in the empire knew about it,
everyone thought that our family had finally entered the political arena!”
“Yes...?”
Duke Ludwig personally told me that the emperor called him and asked, ‘What
was the intention of skipping me and meeting the crown prince?’
Along with the words that he began to worry that the Ludwig family, who had
given power with their own hands, might point the sword at the emperor
himself.
“I did it for the Ludwig family! I didn’t expect His Majesty the Emperor to
accept it with such a misinterpretation!”
Even though Liese was angry with the red flag, she was embarrassed on the
inside.
Even though he knew that the original work had already collapsed, when the
reality went differently than he expected, a fear he had never felt before
engulfed his whole body.
Liese became sharper, as if sharp thorns were tightly set up.
At a party, I slapped the cheek of a young lady who seemed to be ignoring me,
and I got into a big fight with Cliff because I was resentful of Cliff for allowing
me to be put on probation.
In the meantime, Linnon, who was a thorn in the eye, quit his ducal job and left
for Ryzen.
Liese felt like she was going crazy because everything seemed to revolve around
Edith.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
‘This is your last chance. If even this thing goes wrong, I...’
One day in the fourth year of my marriage to Cliff.
Even though Liese felt herself going crazy, she had been waiting for this day.
The last episode of the original story where Liese wins the favor of the imperial
family, the day that episode takes place.
“Where?”
I was also sick of Cliff’s expressionless face and mechanically asking questions.
He seemed to have only a small obligation left in the prenuptial agreement.
Liese closed the carriage door as if to erase Cliff’s dry face, and ordered them to
depart.
‘A month before the founding festival, a slave auction on the outskirts of the
capital...’
In the original story, Liese tries to give presents to the Duke and Duchess on the
occasion of the founding day, but misunderstands a store and ends up in a slave
auction, where she searches for the lost lineage of the imperial family.
I just impulsively brought him because I felt sorry for the boy who seemed to be
proud of himself being treated harshly.
The boy says he can’t remember his past, but he is unexpectedly knowledgeable
and smart about aristocratic etiquette.
Liese, who is proud of such a boy, makes him her errand boy, but Princess
Catherine, who just came to the mansion to play, is surprised to see the boy.
‘Because the fact that the emperor’s nephew was kidnapped was a top secret.’
Recognizing her cousin at a glance, Catherine invites Liese and the boy to the
palace together, and the boy’s mother, whom Catherine had called in advance,
has a touching reunion with her lost son on the spot.
The ending of the original story was that Liese, who found the lost bloodline of
the imperial family, immediately became favored by the imperial family, and
that she lived happily with Cliff.
Even though the weather was still hot, Liese’s shoulders trembled.
When I think of the things I’ve lost over the past few years, I don’t think I’ll feel
refreshed even if I drink Edith.
It was only after she had completely lost the affection between the Duke and her
husband that she thought she didn’t need it anymore, until she realized how
warm and comfortable it was, and Cliff’s love, which she thought was boring,
could not be replaced by anyone else’s love.
There were many men who confessed their love to Liese, but they all coveted
Liese’s appearance and the position of ‘Duchess Ludwig’.
The more she heard other people’s confessions of love, the more Liese’s heart
became empty.
‘If I win the favor of the imperial family, everyone will love me again. It has to
be.’
Liese squeezed her trembling hands tightly and headed for the outskirts of the
capital.
Then, after putting on a hooded cloak prepared in advance and covering his face
with a fan, he waited for the boy’s turn at the slave auction.
I was nervous as if it was the first time even though it was something that I had
repeated several times in my life of Liese.
Liese held the bidding board in her hand and did not take her eyes off the stage.
“Now, the last auction of the day! This time, it is a rare handsome boy! Thirteen
years old! In my 15 years of slave auction, I have never seen such a pretty guy!”
The comment of the man conducting the auction was the same as the original
story.
However, Liese’s hand, which was urgently trying to raise the bid board, was
stiff.
‘What, what!’
The boy who came on stage was a handsome boy with fair skin and dazzling
blonde hair, just like in the original story. But he was a different child from the
emperor’s nephew.
Standing there was not a boy who held his head high and clenched his teeth
because of his pride even at a young age, but a boy trembling with fear and
looking at his surroundings anxiously.
‘At this rate, you’re going to grow old as a Duchess who can’t even receive love
from her husband?’
It was terrible. Isn’t it the life of an extra whose name is not even mentioned in
the novel?
The moment Liese was about to panic, she suddenly heard the auctioneer’s
voice.
“5 million pesos! Up to 5 Million Persons! Hehe, this level of beauty must have
many uses. Is there anyone who would care more?”
Ironically, like the original work, which no longer exists, Liese was able to win
the bid for the 8 million Persona boy.
***
“Name is?”
Liese frowned at the boy who kept staring at him and stuttering.
“Sorry.”
“And you don’t remember anything before last year. Got it? I only remember
your name, John.”
At the sudden request, Peril, no, the boy who has now become John widened his
eyes.
“No matter what anyone asks, they say they don’t remember. Isn’t it difficult?”
“Good. Then, starting tomorrow, I will assign you a teacher, so learn the
manners and manners of aristocrats. Even in the smallest of actions, you have to
be perfect to show off your aristocracy.”
Yohan seemed to be lacking in confidence, but Liese knew very well that
humans could do anything if pushed to their limits.
If you think about what the last 12 Ediths did until the end.
Liese called a servant and told her to wash the child well and gave one secret
order.
“Take sleeping pills with your child’s dinner. And while he’s asleep, tattoo a
butterfly on her collarbone.”
The red butterfly-shaped mole on her collarbone was decisive proof that she was
the emperor’s nephew.
Since the kidnapping of the child had already happened five years ago, if there
were so many resemblances to the lost child, the emperor or the child’s parents
would be fooled.
From that day on, Liese managed John’s every move and thoroughly
transformed him into the ‘lost nephew of the emperor’.
“What did you even buy slaves for again this time?”
“What else do you need an errand boy for? The maids do it all.”
“What do you think you know?”
“Isn’t it because you don’t know what will happen if you, who are still young,
put a pretty boy as your engine?”
After such a big fight, I closed the door and locked it.
Annoyance and anger were intense, but Liese tried to regain her reason. He was
like this and he couldn’t afford to be angry.
To celebrate the founding of the country, Killian and Edith were scheduled to
come up to the capital with their children.
***
Liese greeted Catherine, who invited her to the palace after a long time.
Catherine, who used to send invitations saying that a day is a long way off, has
also been missing from sometime.
However, perhaps thanks to the fact that she managed her personal connections
outside the Ludwig family better than inside, Catherine welcomed Liese without
much difference from before.
“Who is he?”
“Ah, this is the child I have as a boot. I felt sorry for her situation, but
surprisingly, she knows noble etiquette well and is clever.”
“Okay?”
Catherine furrowed her brow as she carefully scanned the well-dressed boy.
“John?”
“Princess, do you have any problems? This child I got from a slave auction
house, but unfortunately, he says he doesn’t remember the past very well.”
“No, slave? Oh my god...!”
“When I was young... I remember living in a very big and nice house. I don’t
know what I was doing in that house. I remember that there was something like
a rug hanging on the wall with the sun painted in the middle.”
“That and?”
“I only remember that a beautiful woman with the same hair color as mine
called me John, John, that I had a white dog with black spots, and that the dog’s
name was Othello.”
“Call Aunt Sierra! Hurry! Tell me you think you found John!”
The ladies-in-waiting became busy with Catherine’s urgent order, and Liese
looked at Catherine with a bewildered expression.
“Huh?”
“Anyway, this child looks like my cousin John, whom I lost five years ago.”
“Yes?”
It seemed that all the hardships of the past had been compensated in an instant.
Moments later, Catherine’s door burst open without knocking, and a woman,
looking devastated, rushed in. Behind her were the Emperor and the Marquis of
Theroux, the Emperor’s younger brother and the woman’s husband.
“John!”
The woman rushed into the room, stood tall as soon as she saw the boy, and
slowly approached the boy and knelt down in front of him. Then she studied her
boy’s face, as if searching for something.
Her face was already full of tears.
The boy glanced at Liese once, then awkwardly shook his head.
“They say they don’t remember the past very well. But I remembered the
tapestry hanging in the Marquis House and Othello, the dog I had as a child. It’s
something you’ll never remember unless it’s John.”
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
She nearly fainted when told that the boy had been found at a slave auction and
that he must have suffered a great deal.
“This is going to be a big deal for Sierra. First of all, I’ll call a doctor to see if
John’s health is okay, and I’ll have to calm him down a bit.”
The emperor looked at Liese while soothing his sister and wife who were
looking for their lost son.
Catherine tried to give Liese a boost, but Liese waved her hand.
“It was really accidental, and I just reaped it because I felt sorry for the child. I
didn’t know any of this.”
“It may be sudden, but your boots look like my nephew. When I return home, I
will decide on a reasonable compensation and contact you.”
Liese was embarrassed, but after bowing politely, she returned to the Duke’s
residence.
***
Five years ago, the emperor’s youngest brother, the Marquis Theroux, and his
wife, Sierra, suffered a painful event, such as having their limbs ripped off.
At an outdoor banquet held at the imperial palace, their lovely youngest son
John disappeared.
At first, thinking that the child must have wandered and got the wrong way, he
focused on freeing people to find the inside of the palace.
However, when the soldiers searching the garden came up with only Johann’s
shoes and clothes and a note saying ‘If you talk about this, I will kill the child’,
they realized that this was a kidnapping case.
I anxiously waited for the kidnappers to contact me, but to my dismay, there was
no contact for over a week.
From then on, the Marquis of Theroux and the imperial family released people
to find John, but they couldn’t find a clue about the lost child anywhere.
John’s disappearance was kept a secret, fearing that ill-wishers might commit
fraud or that the gang that kidnapped John might harm him.
Even then, the child she hadn’t found for five years, Liese, came from the slave
auction house.
Marquis Theroux was as light as if the stone that had been weighing down his
heart had disappeared.
“Young Master is in good health. I don’t remember the past, I think it’s because
of the shock at the time of the kidnapping rather than his head injury. Besides,
five years is a long time for children to forget the past.”
Although I felt sorry for the words of the doctor who finished the examination, I
decided to be grateful that my body was still healthy.
“Sierra?”
How must it have felt for a mother who lost her eight-year-old son?
Marquis Theroux enjoyed a comfortable and happy heart after a long time.
However, Sierra’s expression after returning to the room after talking with John
was not very bright. So much so that she knew right away that something was
wrong.
“Sierra...?”
“Is it strange?”
Sierra, who was staring into the air as if she was persistently recalling some
memory, spoke after a while.
“However?”
“What? Uh, that can’t be...! If that child isn’t John, how can he remember the
tapestry hanging in the mansion or Othello?”
***
“It’s been a long time since I’ve been to the capital, so it feels new for some
reason.”
Edith said while looking out the window of the running carriage.
Killian, who had grown up holding Erdin on the other side, smiled at Edith, who
looked somewhat excited.
“I feel like it was only yesterday that we left for Ryzen. I’ve been so busy I
don’t know how the time went by.”
The conversation and smiles shared in the lightly rocking carriage were as calm
as usual.
“Kyaaak!”
After Shane’s kidnapping, Killian urgently soothed Edith, who was startled
whenever the carriage stopped suddenly.
Edith rubbed his chest with an embarrassing smile, and Killian opened the
carriage door.
At the escort knight’s answer, Edith poked her head out the door.
The knight seemed to be running at any moment, but Edith stopped him.
“But ma’am...”
“Quickly.”
After Edith gave birth to a child, she couldn’t pass by beggar children on the
street.
Even if the money she gives goes to the leader of the beggars, that child will be
able to get by without being beaten for just one day.
After a while, the knight caught the scruffy-looking boy and brought him along.
“A guy with no quirks! What kind of safety are you being arrogant!”
The boy, who did not hide his dissatisfaction even in front of a knight from an
aristocratic family, bowed his head roughly when he stood in front of Edith.
“I am sorry for stopping the carriage of the noble sir. I tripped on a rock and
fell.”
The child’s pants had holes in them, and blood was oozing from his knees, as if
he had been rubbed against the stone floor, but the child did not feel any pain.
Edith felt sorry for him and took out an ample coin and handed it to the boy.
But when he saw Edith trying to give me money, the boy suddenly made an
impression.
It was quite arrogant for a boy who looked like a beggar to anyone to say in
front of money.
“I don’t give it to you for that reason, buy some medicine and apply it.”
The boy bowed modestly, as a noble would do to a lady, and tried to turn
around. If Edith hadn’t caught on.
I could see clearly that the child, who seemed to be in his early teens at best, was
trying hard not to flinch in front of the adults.
Looking at the shabby outfit or the upright body, it didn’t seem like there were
parents or adults taking care of them.
Edith felt rather sorry for the child who pretended to be tough to survive in the
rough alley.
“I am busy because I have to find a job by the end of today! Good bye!”
The boy who was about to turn around turned his head.
“Really?”
Killian, who was across from Edith, also asked, narrowing his eyes.
“Suddenly?”
However, Edith told the boy to get into the driver’s seat of the carriage and
ordered them to leave.
***
Edith washed the boy and fed him to his stomach at the inn where he stayed
overnight before entering the capital. He was a fair-skinned, fair-haired kid.
Then he sat across from the boy, whose expression had softened slightly, and
asked him a few questions.
“No.”
Edith asked where he had lived, if there were any colleagues he had been with,
and how he had managed to eat and live in the meantime, but the boy only gave
vague answers.
“So what?”
“If you have nowhere else to go, would you like to go and work with us at
Ryzen? Our castle is always short of workers.”
The boy, frowning and pondering something, asked in a much more polite
manner.
“What am I going to do?”
“The most passable would be a servant in the castle. But if you want to wield a
sword, you can grow up as a knights soldier, or if you are interested in learning,
you can work as an assistant in the administrative office.”
The boy’s eyes brightened a bit. However, at the same time, there was a look of
embarrassment in his face.
“That, by the way. Ryzen is... Is it very far from the capital?”
The boy said while hesitating, rubbing his palms on his pants.
Edith noticed that the boy had some circumstances he couldn’t tell, but she
didn’t rush to ask.
“I will stay in the capital during the fall and winter. I will introduce you as the
boot of me and my husband, so you can stand by us and run small errands.”
“All right.”
And Edith had been watching the boy’s actions ever since.
‘Unlike a kid who grew up on the street, I’m somehow cute. Could he be a
descendant of a fallen noble?’
The greeting he gave me in front of the carriage was too formal to be said to be
imitating nobles.
Seeing that the firearms were young in the pupils, it seemed that he would soon
learn the job.
Edith gave him the name ‘Daniel’, remembering the future of the boy who
would follow and learn work as Linnon’s assistant.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
However, contrary to what he expected to say goodbye to after a long time, the
mansion was cluttered.
“Killian! Edith!”
Only the Duchess greeted them, and she was not happy to see her long-awaited
grandson.
It was natural.
In this situation where the Imperial Knights were occupying the mansion and
searching every room.
She finally let out the tears she had been holding back.
“Did you know that Marquis Theroux lost his youngest son five years ago?”
“If you are the youngest son of the Marquis of Theroux, didn’t you say that you
were raised in the estate from a young age because your body was weak?”
The Duchess shook her head.
“Everyone knew that, but in fact, they said he was kidnapped. It was kept secret
for one reason or another, but Liese... They said they found him and brought him
back.”
“Then you have to pay the prize. Why is it a crime of contempt for the imperial
family?”
“Yes?”
Killian, as well as Edith, seemed to have been hit hard in the back of the head.
“I knew that the child Liese brought was a child of the Marquis of Theroux or
otherwise, but that was all Liese taught me.”
“Yes?”
“How the hell did Liese know that... So now your father and older brother have
been taken to the imperial palace, and the imperial family is inspecting the
mansion.”
It reminded me of the last episode of <I refuse to obsess> that I had forgotten for
a while.
However, as long as the power of the original work was almost all gone, the
story could not flow as it was.
That was confirmed after hearing from Linnon about Liese’s meeting with the
crown prince.
In the original story, Liese’s status changed dramatically thanks to the prince
who met Liese and introduced her to his people.
However, this time, the crown prince did not introduce his people to Liese, and
he said that he was scolded by Duke Ludwig for that.
‘That’s enough to know that the original work has already collapsed. Didn’t you
let go of your obsession with the original work?’
‘You fool! You should have thought about what kind of suspicion you would get
if things failed!’
She knew everything that was kept secret in the imperial family, and she boldly
pushed a fake.
Of course, the imperial family would think that Liese had something to do with
the kidnapping.
“I didn’t raise Liese that way. I just gave her everything out of pity, and I thinks
it ruined her.”
But Edith knew she couldn’t. Because they were people who existed to give
everything to Liese.
Liese’s dominance over them must have weakened while she was fulfilling the
exceptional conditions, but why didn’t she notice Liese’s strangeness at that
time...
‘Well, even I didn’t know he was the original author until the end, so who are
you blaming?’
It’s easy to evaluate after everything has happened. However, it will not be easy
to doubt the object that you loved as much as your family, who lived with each
other.
At that time, another carriage came and stopped outside. Since it was a carriage
with the imperial crest on it, the imperial knights who were monitoring the
exterior of the mansion moved in perfect order and opened the carriage door.
And the people who got off the carriage were the Marquis of Theroux with a
cold, hard face and Princess Catherine with a puzzled expression.
“Mrs. Theroux!”
The Duchess hastily wiped away her tears and greeted her, but Sierra’s face was
cold.
“Of course. But are you okay? I heard you’re not feeling well.”
“Does it make sense that Duke Ludwig or the Duke’s heir didn’t know what
Miss Liese knew? No, I don’t know if your wife knew.”
“I swear to God, we didn’t know. But... It is our fault that Liese did not know
anything to do such a thing. I’m sorry, ma’am.”
Edith came out of the mansion and approached the carriage to check the
situation. Fortunately, it wasn’t a heavy load.
“Until the investigation by the Imperial Knights is over, stop for now.”
While the servants, who had heard her order, put some of the luggage they had
unloaded back onto the wagon, Edith approached Daniel, who was standing
blankly next to the wagon.
“I’m sorry you had to go through this as soon as you came to the capital, Daniel.
Are you okay?”
Edith thought that Daniel was surprised by the power of the Imperial Knights,
but Daniel just shook his head.
“Your wish?”
“Before leaving for Ryzen, there is someone I really wanted to see. That’s it. I
can leave for Ryzen with peace of mind.”
The imperial knights and servants of the mansion were wandering around
countless times, so it was impossible to know who Daniel was talking about.
“If you tell me who it is, I will arrange a meeting for you.”
“No. She won’t want to see me. So it’s done.”
Sadness dwelled deep in the boy’s eyes, which had only been strong enough to
turn back.
“I get it. I won’t ask more. There’s nothing to do right now anyway, so let’s go
in and get something to eat. Follow me.”
Edith took Daniel, who was about to shed tears, and went into the mansion.
As they entered, Killian, who was standing by the Marquis and Duchess,
approached.
“Why Daniel?”
“Unloading has stopped anyway, and Daniel looks very tired. I’d like some
warm milk and some cookies.”
Seeing Daniel’s stiff head bent, Killian also felt sorry for him. He is a boy who
used to live on the streets, so he must be afraid of the Templars too.
“This child is our errand boy. I’m going to give him some warm milk because he
seems surprised by the knights.”
However, despite Edith’s explanation, Sierra approached Edith and the boy as if
she couldn’t shake her suspicions.
As she approached, Daniel lowered his head further and hid behind Edith.
“Yesterday?”
“Yes. He almost got hit by our wagon, but he said he had nowhere to go and he
had to find a job, so we tried to take him to Ryzen... Hold on, madam!”
Edith hurriedly stopped her, but Sierra pulled the collar of his shirt behind
Daniel’s neck as he lowered his head. On the nape of Daniel’s neck was a small
red dot that at first glance looked like a butterfly.
Edith protected Daniel, who was trying to hide more while holding on to the
hem of her skirt, by locking him in her arms.
Daniel, assuming that Edith’s arms were safe, finally turned his head and
glanced at the marquise.
“Ma’am!”
Sierra suddenly jumped at the boy and cupped the boy’s cheek.
Edith tried to stop Sierra, but how did such a delicate body come out with such
strength? She faced Daniel without backing down at all.
“John...”
Tears welled up in her eyes. But she couldn’t say anything more, and Sierra
collapsed.
And after Edith let go of him and supported Sierra’s body, Daniel turned his
gaze back to Sierra.
Then, looking at Sierra, who had lost her mind, he screamed in surprise.
“Mom!”
Killian, the Duchess, and Catherine, who had rushed to Sierra’s collapse,
widened their eyes at the sound.
Even that wasn’t enough, Daniel grabbed Edith’s cuffs and begged.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
While Sierra was being treated by the doctor in the guest room of the Duke’s
residence, Edith, Killian, the Duchess and Princess Catherine heard a startling
story from the sobbing Daniel.
“Yes...”
“Yes.”
John sniffed and wiggled his hands before finally opening his mouth.
“I heard that my mother abandoned me. She secretly threw me away because I
was useless... But I’m afraid I’ll be hated even more if she finds out I’m here...”
“Hey, my aunt...”
“Aunt?”
***
On the day of an outdoor banquet at the imperial family, John was playing in the
garden with his cousins.
The weather was nice, food was plentiful, and it was the happiest day of having
fun with peers I hadn’t seen in a long time.
“Aunt!”
She smiled, picked him up, and walked further into the garden.
When his mother told him to, John clung to her without suspecting anything.
Because she was her aunt who often came to visit and became friends with the
writer after The Lux.
However, in the secluded garden she entered with John in her arms, a man was
waiting for them with a shabby commoner boy’s clothes and wig.
“Why?”
Yohan got excited and changed his clothes and put on a wig.
But this time, the man who had been waiting there picked up John, looked
around, and dropped him into a carriage.
“Yes?”
“Think about it. There are already two more healthy sons above you, so there is
no reason your mother should raise you.”
“Yeah, but!”
“Look at this. It’s the money I got from your mother for cleaning you up. Do
you remember this silk pouch?”
Every remember because that was one of John’s gifts to his mom for Mother’s
Day this year.
“He said he didn’t need it and gave it to me. In the meantime, your mother had a
hard time raising you. Because you don’t look like your father, I was even
suspected of having an affair.”
As John lost his words and hesitated, the man who rode with him in the carriage
continued.
“If you don’t want to be a nuisance to your mother, you’d better follow me
quietly. Your mom will get in more trouble if you mess up.”
I tried crying and struggling later, but I was only beaten by a man.
And the man who took John somewhere in the province sold him to the owner
of an inn.
***
John was smart enough to remember all this, but he was only eight years old at
the time.
And when the rumor that the Marquis of Theroux did not hear that he was
looking for him, John believed Avery’s words.
“No, John! I was afraid that the kidnappers might harm you if I spread rumors
that they are looking for you. Your parents did everything they could to find
you!”
And then, there was the sound of something crashing behind them.
When everyone looked back in surprise, there was Sierra with a bewildered face
sitting there, trembling.
“John...!”
“Uh, Mom...”
“My baby, since the day I lost you, there has never been a moment I haven’t
thought about you. I lived because I couldn’t die yet because of the hope that
you would be alive.”
“Mom!”
The mother and child who met after 5 years hugged each other and shed tears.
The moment everyone was thrilled to see it, only Edith was shaken.
In the original story, Liese found the boy, but this time he found something,
which made him uncomfortable.
It was a bonus to feel like the talented person I could see was taken away.
Anyway, judging from the memory of the original work, the Emperor will soon
call her and offer to do something in return.
‘Tsk. No matter how much you hate it, you have to save people’s lives, right?’
Of course, it was unknown whether the emperor would really forgive Liese.
There was a high probability that Duke Ludwig or Cliff, who had nothing to do
with this, would be released, but hanging was being discussed for Liese, who
dared to bring a fake and inflicted even greater pain on the Marquis Theroux.
***
The news that the real John had been found this time caused an uproar in the
imperial family.
Sierra’s sister, Avery, was urgently arrested and an interrogation team was set
up to indict her.
The innkeeper who bought John and the man who sold him were arrested and
testified.
“My sister always pretended to be noble and elegant while having everything!
She wished she had seen that face contorted at least once!”
She always thought she was prettier and more popular than her sister. However,
the Marquis of Theroux chose Sierra as his bride, and she was shocked.
The more my sister started a happy family, the more her hatred for her grew, and
she kidnapped her youngest son, whom she cherished so much, in the hope that
her happiness would be ruined.
The kidnapping of the youngest son, which had put Marquis Theroux and his
wife in pain for five years, ended in a happy but bittersweet way.
And the emperor called Killian and Edith without deciding what to do with the
Ludwig family.
“It really happened by accident enough to be called a god’s prank, but it is true
that you saved John and kept him safe. If it wasn’t for you, my younger sister
and his wife would probably have been in pain until they died.”
“I heard that the countess was the one who saved John? So Edith Ryzen. Say
what you want. I will award you on behalf of the Marquis Theroux.”
Edith, who had been lowering her head, took a deep breath and mustered
courage.
“Since His Majesty’s castle is already enjoying a life that is not lacking, the
Ryzen family has nothing more to ask for. But if I dare to ask, please forgive my
sister-in-law Liese Ludwig just once.”
“What?”
“You saving John is different from Liese Ludwig bringing a fake and scorning
the imperial family.”
“I know. But if it hadn’t happened, Mrs. Sirlux would never have come to the
Duke’s house, and she wouldn’t have recognized John. We would have taken
John to Ryzen without knowing anything.”
“Isn’t all of this God’s arrangement to return the son to the Marquis Theroux
and his wife? Think of that and forgive my sister-in-law just once.”
After thinking about it for a long time, the emperor finally let out a long sigh
and came to an undesirable conclusion.
“Speaking of that, I am at a loss for an answer. I get it. I will spare the life of
her, Liese Ludwig.”
That meant that Liese avoided the worst, but it didn’t mean that she was
completely acquitted.
“In exchange for sparing the life she deserves to die, she deprives Liese Ludwig
of her nobility status and orders her to serve in a monastery for the rest of her
life and repent for her sins. As of today, her marriage to Cliff Ludwig is also
annulled.”
The Emperor’s decision left everyone in the Ludwig family speechless for a
while. However, it was unreasonable to ask for greater forgiveness from the
emperor.
Liese, who tried to keep her status as ‘Duchess Ludwig’ by even writing a
prenuptial agreement to Cliff, was eventually stripped of her position as Cliff’s
wife by order of the emperor.
***
‘Yeah, everything got messed up when Edith appeared. Why did it take
something like that...’
Recalling the past leaning against the cold stone wall of the prison, Liese
regretted it over and over again. At that time, he said that he wasn’t going to
make that human possess Edith, no, he wasn’t ignoring Killian’s change.
The urgent thing right now was to find ‘fake John’. I didn’t know that the
location of the dot, which was set as ‘above the collarbone’ in the original work,
had changed.
The crime of scorning the imperial family was the second most serious crime
after treason. He could have been executed or imprisoned forever.
Until now, while drawing the villain’s words, he had never paid attention to the
villain’s fear or pain, so Liese couldn’t think of what to do in this situation.
Liese felt that her execution had finally been decided, and her mind went blank.
However, the emperor’s name was a bit different from what was expected.
“I will spare your life, but I am ordering you to take away the name Ludwig and
the position of nobility, and to serve in the monastery for the rest of your life to
repent of your sins!”
Before he had time to panic at the unexpected notification, Liese had to hear
more shocking news.
“You took good care of your sister-in-law. Countess Ryzen found the real
Master Johann, and asked His Majesty the Emperor to help you save him.”
The administrator looked down at Liese with dry eyes and then went outside.
However, despite the news that her life was saved, Liese felt complete despair.
It was clear what it meant that she had met an end worthy of a villain.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
In the meantime, the Ludwig family has been a hot potato in the social world,
but we fell into an inexplicable sense of emptiness and spent the entire fall and
winter in deaf silence.
We did not attend the founding festival and rejected all kinds of invitations.
But it was impossible to stay like that forever.
Around the time buds sprouted everywhere and bees flapped their wings near
the flowers that were just blooming, the Ludwig family slowly shook off their
pain and began to rise.
“Hapa...”
“Kyaha!”
Every time the Duke hugged and flirted with him, Erdin was so excited that he
even drool, but the Duke didn’t mind getting his high-end cravat or jacket wet
with Erdin’s saliva.
Beside him, the Duchess rocked all sorts of rattles and dolls.
Then, Erdin struggled to hold it and his eyes twinkled, but the Duke and his wife
said it was cute too and died.
In fact, the person I was more worried about than the Duke was Cliff.
“Thank you so much for saving Liese’s life.”
No matter how long they had been apart, it would have been difficult for him to
easily shake off his feelings for Liese.
In fact, last fall and winter, he rarely came out of his room unless absolutely
necessary.
But even Cliff seemed to have made up his mind when spring came.
“On the outside, it doesn’t look any different from before. I don’t know how the
inside must have been rubbed.”
Even the place he invited for tea time was the balcony of the Great Hall, where
he, Killian, and Liese often drank tea.
On the spot, under the warm sun, Cliff was waiting for us with quality
refreshments prepared.
“The tea smells good. Thank you for inviting me to tea time, Mr. Cliff.”
“Welcome. It’s not a big deal, but I’m embarrassed to say thank you. Haha!”
But I noticed by his thin cheeks, his rough skin, and his slightly shrunken
physique that he was in great pain.
And what were the thoughts that engulfed his sleepless head all through the
quiet winter night?
I roughly guessed how hard he must have been, but smiled brightly as if I didn’t
know anything. Like he does.
“It’s too soon. Are you going to go back right after the baptism?”
“I thought so, but I think I still need Erdin by my mother and father’s side, so
I’m going to stay for one more month.”
However, Killian took this opportunity to ask Cliff with the momentum to get a
definite answer.
“What are you thinking about, brother? You can’t go on living like this.”
“Killian!”
“You are right. I can’t live like this forever. Because I am the eldest son of the
Ludwig family.”
“It’s not just a sense of duty to stand up. I want my brother to be happy.”
“Thanks.”
Then, after looking down at the courtyard for a while, he slowly opened his
mouth.
“What nonsense is that? Did you eat something wrong this morning?”
Killian tried to break the heavy sinking atmosphere with a joke, but Cliff
continued in a heavy voice.
“Meantime... I looked back on the relationship itself with Liese. I blindly only
thought of Liese, and would not hesitate to do anything for Liese. Because of
that, I put you and sister-in-law in danger.”
“To stand on the side of the person you love unconditionally, to give, to
overflow... I thought that was love. But now that this has happened, I can’t get
rid of the thought that it was I who made Liese that way. So I deserve to pay for
my sins.”
“Brother!”
Killian and I tried to comfort him, but it was difficult to find anything to comfort
him. Seriously, if you think about it, he was right.
Cliff turned his gaze to me, then lowered his head to apologize.
“Before, it seems that I was so busy protecting Liese that I couldn’t properly
apologize. I’m so sorry, Edith.”
“No matter how in the past, it doesn’t change the fact that I did something
shameful.”
He sighed.
“Now that I think about it, Liese’s relationship with me was very abnormal... I
don’t know why I didn’t think of that at the time.”
I suddenly wondered if Cliff had finally escaped the control of the original
author.
Well, if the emotions that were so intense for a person disappear in an instant
just because the author escaped from the control of the original author, that
might be a violation of probability.
“When you’re buried in your emotions, you don’t even know you’re buried in
them. It wasn’t until you got out that everything looked right.”
Because he too was harsh with me because of his feelings for Liese.
Now, on the main stage of <The House and the Envoy>, there was no one
possessed like me.
When I found out that Liese was behind everything that tried to harm me, I
might have been able to kick Liese out if I had only tried to get revenge.
“Even if we regret and hurt our hearts, we must look ahead and move on. There
are many things we have to overcome to get stuck in the past.”
I didn’t even know what I was saying was something I was supposed to hear.
“So... I also thought about my future. It is not a lie to say that you will pay for
your sins.”
“The heir to the ducal family is more like me, who has a lot of flaws, than you,
Killian...”
“Shut up!”
Killian covered Cliff’s mouth in a huff before he could finish his sentence.
“Brother, is changing my life at will is the punishment you are talking about?
Do you think that the effort that Edith and I are putting into Ryzen is not so
great that it should be replaced with just one of your sentimental thoughts?”
“...I didn’t mean that.”
Killian took a deep breath to calm himself down. And I agree with Killian’s
opinion.
Ryzen is just taking the first step of change, and if we suddenly leave, our
efforts will be lost without seeing the light of day.
“We know very well what Cliff meant. However, if Cliff feels responsible for
Liese-related matters, he should rather succeed. Please take responsibility and
raise the Ludwig family like before, no, stronger than before.”
Instead of giving up and running away, it is more painful to stand and endure. If
that’s the case, I didn’t even know that Killian and I were being cruel to him.
But if Cliff really wanted to pay for his crimes, he had to.
“Once again, I almost acted like an idiot. Sorry, Edith. I’m sorry, Killian.”
“Be strong for the sake of the Duke and his wife, as well as Cliff himself.”
“Edith is right. It’s a bit early, but think about getting married.”
It was certainly flawed that the heir to the Ludwig family would grow old
without a wife or children, but that did not make it easy for him.
“It should be. If my marriage and the production of an heir are delayed, it will be
a burden to my parents and you.”
As is typical of Romance male leads, Cliff’s first and only love was Liese.
To him, marrying another woman would be like changing the whole world. And
in this world we live in, it meant that the contents of <House·Envoy> would
completely disappear.
However, in this world that has already become a reality, it is impossible to live
by picking up the crumbs of a vanished novel.
“I sincerely hope that you will get out of Liese’s shadow. I hope we can have a
warm family, not just a marriage out of a sense of duty.”
“I will remember your advice. I don’t know if I can be as happy as Killian and
sister-in-law.”
We didn’t laugh out loud or pretend to be amused. I just had warm tea, hoping
that the day would come when I could look back on this as a memory.
❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦❇️♦
After Erdin’s baptism, we stayed in the capital for another month before
returning to Ryzen.
Breathing in the fresh air from Mount Philiac, I felt like I was back home.
There were all kinds of convenient things in the capital, and I could buy various
things, but the place I and Killian truly felt attached to was Ryzen.
However, it was not only the refreshing breeze of Mount Philiac that awaited us.
Killian and I let out a small sigh, but we had no intention of procrastinating.
Because we were in a hurry to go.
We also worked hard to publicize medical insurance and accelerated the Philiac
Mountain Trail development project.
For security within the territory, police stations were set up in each village, and
clinics and nurses were also recruited for the treatment centers that residents of
the territory could use.
At first, people who were dissatisfied with the young lord couple doing useless
things began to have hope for the manor life getting better and better.
Although everything was still in the infancy stage, I was blissfully happy every
day as I felt like I was getting closer to the things I dreamed of.
I will probably never forget what happened when I went to check out the
growing clinic.
A skinny girl held out to me a yellow flower that looked like it had just been
picked on the street. It was a weed that looked like a rape flower, but it was as
pretty as the girl’s smile.
Anyone could see that the sickness was evident, but the girl’s large eyes had a
bright light. It occurred to me that she must have seen such clear, pretty eyes
somewhere.
At that, the child twisted her body in shame and then ran to her mother behind
her.
While I was watching it with satisfaction, my aide, Lord Altense, spoke quietly
from the side.
“This is a child who was dying of Crosoe’s disease. Thanks to the parents of that
child who actively participated in the airspace for medical insurance, the child
was able to receive treatment as soon as the clinic was built.”
“Ah...!”
“It is too early to say that she is completely cured, but it is true that she has
improved a lot. And seeing the case of that child, people around her are also
responding positively to health insurance.”
The child’s mother bowed her head and greeted with a trembling voice, as if she
had heard Sir Altense’s explanation at first glance.
“This child is the reason my husband and I live. But if it wasn’t for medical
insurance, we wouldn’t have been able to pay for the treatment. I will never
forget the grace of the lord and the lord’s wife.”
And then I remembered where I had seen those pretty eyes of a child.
From behind the width of my mother’s skirt, the child peeking out her head and
smiling, I watched over the image of the child who died envying me receiving
my brother’s bone marrow transplant.
Killian, who came belatedly by my side, saw me and asked in surprise. It looked
like I had shed some real tears.
***
“Mom! Lillia keeps...!”
“Brother-!”
When you have two children, there is no quiet day in the house. It’s the same
today as we are busy preparing to leave for the capital.
Erdin, who was docile from the inside out, grew up to be a gentle and
affectionate son.
But who the hell does Lillia, the second daughter, look like? Even before she
finishes talking, she feels the energy of a tomboy.
Behold, Erdin, who was tormented by his younger sister who had just started
running, came running with a sad face today.
“Why Lillia?”
“Lillia keeps climbing on my back and pulling my hair! Here, even her spittle!
These are new clothes...”
Erdin frowned as if he was about to cry and pointed to his damp shoulder.
Erdin’s hair, which had been neatly combed in the morning, was as messy as a
bird’s nest, and the shoulder area of the light green jacket was the size of the
palm of his hand and had a dark color.
It was Erdin’s kind and kind side that, despite being beaten like that, he ran
slowly to match his sister’s running speed.
“Lillia seems to like her brother too much. So every day, only her brother
follows her.”
“Yeah, but...”
Erdin was five years old and Lillia was three years old. In a castle with no peers,
Erdin and Lillia had no choice but to play with each other.
Normally, I would have to worry about my daughter getting hurt because of the
strength difference, but in our case, it was the exact opposite.
Lillia, always full of energy, often bothered Erdin by clinging to Erdin, who
likes to read books and play quietly.
Erdin was usually able to play with his younger sister and put up with it, but as
the days went by, Lillia’s pranks got worse, and recently, he came running to me
with a face that looked like he was about to cry.
Erdin’s face was so cute as he cried, thinking what if his mother didn’t take his
side, but if I left it like this, he might really cry. I didn’t want to teach her to
accept her brother’s life unconditionally.
“Lily. No matter how good your brother is, you can’t do this! Your brother is
having a hard time.”
Lillia, realizing that it was an atmosphere of scolding herself, closed her mouth
that had been babbling loudly until just now, and began fidgeting with the
buttons on my dress. Her expression of ignorance was that of a pure angel.
“When you go to the capital, you will have many friends your age, Lillia.”
Killian, who went to meet the knight commander, entered the room without a
trace.
“Yes, well done, Erdin. You should be more careful and behave like a
gentleman, especially with those who are weaker than you.”
Killian gently stroked the top of Erdin’s head, who reacted in a huff, and tidied
up his messy hair.
Erdin seemed to have eased his mood again, and a smile leaked out between his
tightly closed lips.
We’re leaving for the capital’s mansion today, and Erdin is excited about the
fact that he’ll be able to meet many of his peers.
“For some reason, having to live both capital and Ryzen life is a bit daunting.”
“But most nobles are like that. As for the education of our children, we cannot
ignore the social world altogether.”
Then, upon hearing that the preparations were complete, we headed to the
capital, receiving farewells from the town servants and local residents who had
come to see us.
The ten-day ascetic practice must have been burdensome, but the children were
all excited. What is this, what is that, me and Killian were more exhausted by
the constant barrage of questions.
But I was also a little excited. The weather was nice, and outdoor meals are
always delicious.
“I think they are doing well. It was like that when I saw him at the wedding, and
I felt that he became more comfortable in the letters that came after that.”
I nodded.
Cliff married a completely different type of girl from Liese. She was the
daughter of a viscount, with dark brown hair, clear green eyes, and a round face
with a soft expression.
She was neither a great beauty nor eye-catching, so it seems that there were
quite a few rumors about the marriage between the two at the time of marriage.
But after I met her and exchanged a few words, I quickly realized why they were
getting married.
She had an easy-going personality and was very wise. She loved Cliff more than
anything. Not as an heir to the Ludwig family, but as a man named Cliff.
It wasn’t love that burned like Liese’s time, but that’s why I thought ‘I’ll be
happy for a long time.’
Liese...
Liese, who had been behaving strangely as if she had lost her mind for a while,
calmed down after hearing the news of Cliff’s marriage.
According to the letter sent by the abbot, it was a face that had laid down all the
burdens of the world.
I prayed that her soul might also be saved. Even if it’s by a god we don’t believe
in...
Two children hanging from the window with twinkling eyes, Killian leaning
halfway over there to prevent them from getting hurt, the refreshing spring
breeze, and the brilliant sunlight.
Killian, who was looking at the children, tilted his head and looked at me.
I will continue to live hard for the happiness of me and my people here.
Even beyond the word ‘Complete’, until the day our breath stops, forever.
<Completed>