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Chapter 7………………………………..
“What… what are you saying?”
“Whether it’s something your mother asked for, or something you need, from now on if you want to ask me for anything, you should give me something worthwhile in return. Don’t try to get things for free just by saying a few words.”
Iliot stared at Radian with a dazed expression. Was this really the same Radian he knew? As he looked at her blankly, anger began to boil somewhere deep in his chest.
It’s often said that when a kind person becomes even slightly less gentle, they seem like a terrible villain, while when a normally rude person does something kind once, they’re suddenly seen as “rude but decent inside.” In the same way, Iliot had always treated Radian like someone beneath him, so seeing her act like this made him frown and raise his voice.
“You’re really going too far. Why have you changed like this? This isn’t like you.”
“What does ‘like me’ even mean?”
“Well…”
“So what, I was supposed to be a pushover who does whatever you tell me, sits there like a doll even when your mother-in-law and your younger sister insult me, and just say ‘yes, yes’? Ha! Why should I do that?”
“B-because you’re my wife… and you… you love me. I married you because I love you too. Since we’re married, it’s only natural that you take care of my parents… and I would’ve treated yours well too if they were still alive…”
“A decorative wife? What good are pretty words? And love? You call that love?”
Radian suddenly burst into laughter, then stopped all at once. The abrupt shift in her expression made Iliot instinctively step back.
Normally, when a “kind” person gives even a little affection, it feels like a blessing from heaven. But when Radian, who had always been submissive to him, behaved like this, Iliot frowned in confusion.
“If you really loved me, you should’ve treated me well for the past year. Do you think a few comforting words after I’ve been doused with water or had my hair pulled out makes everything okay? I stayed quiet because I loved you—not because I was a fool. And you say you love me? Even a passing dog would laugh.”
“You’re thinking that way because you haven’t received physical affection. I know you must have wanted love over the past year. I’m truly sorry. But can’t you understand me a little more and wait? Lately, every time I see you all dressed up beautifully, I feel my body reacting a little…”
A blatant lie. If this had been the old Radian, she would have cried tears of joy at those words and said she would wait forever. But the current Radian simply stared at him coldly without even scoffing. How foolish I was back then.
And yet, her heart still ached. The old Radian… she must have wanted love. A child who had never been loved by her parents or family must have clung desperately to even the smallest traces of affection from this cunning man.
A clear, glass-like tear slipped down Radian’s eye. It was a tear shed for her past self—how pitiful she had been. Iliot, misinterpreting it, became excited.
“Don’t cry. Seeing you like this hurts me too. So please, go back to how you used to be…”
“You said you love me, right?”
“Y-yeah, of course…”
Then you would say sweet words like this forever—if she endured insults from his family, stood like a doll at social gatherings, and took all the blame for him.
“What’s my favorite food?”
Iliot, who usually spoke so smoothly, suddenly clammed up as if his mouth had been sealed. Radian looked down at him with a cold, noble expression. Swallowing nervously, Iliot replied with forced confidence:
“A ham sandwich!”
“Wrong. My favorite is chocolate cookies with macadamia nuts. Ham sandwiches are what you like.”
Radian’s face was colder than ever. Iliot felt oddly wronged. She used to say his likes were her likes!
“You’re lying…”
“And don’t speak informally to me. We’re the same age, so why are you talking down to me? Speak politely. Or I’ll start talking informally too.”
Good heavens. Iliot’s face flushed red and then pale. Some husbands did use mutual honorifics, but neither his friends nor his parents ever did that. Why was it only him? It was infuriating.
“You’ve been speaking properly all along—why change now? If you’re this strict, I’ll lose any desire to…”
“You didn’t have any desire to begin with. It was a secret, wasn’t it? Something you wanted to keep hidden?”
Iliot frowned as if to argue but then shut his mouth. How had this woman—who used to know nothing but him and tremble at the slightest affection—changed so much? He felt like he had been deceived.
“Fine. I’ll use honorifics too.”
“Good. And from now on, whenever your mother or Sylvia says anything to me, you’ll come immediately and respond on my behalf.”
“That’s… my mother and sister are only worried about you…”
“I can respond myself too, of course. But didn’t you want a peaceful household? If I start responding, this house will fall apart. Consider this both my consideration for you—and a warning.”
“…I’ll, I mean, I will comply.”
Radian looked at him with contempt as he hastily corrected his speech.
“Oh, and I’ve already told someone I trust about your secret. They’re connected to the press too, so you’d better not do anything foolish. I have evidence.”
“You… you told someone my secret? Are you crazy? Who? Who did you tell?!”
Iliot grabbed her collar in shock. Radian shoved him hard. He fell backward onto the floor, staring up at her blankly.
“And one more thing. Don’t ever touch me again. It’s disgusting.”
“O-okay… but who was it? Someone I know? One of your friends?”
“If I tell you, will you kill them both?”
“Kill them? Don’t say such nonsense…! Why would you say something so frightening?”
Even Iliot’s denial sounded so artificial that Radian felt a chill. His acting was so good—no wonder the old Radian had been fooled.
“If you behave, nothing will come of this. But if anything happens to me, by the next day even the dogs in Tokki Kingdom will know you’re a ‘seedless watermelon.’ Remember that.”
A seedless watermelon?
She had never heard the expression before, but it was easy enough to understand. Iliot frowned.
“You… why have you changed like this? Do you perhaps have another man?”
As if she hadn’t been faithful.
“Since when were you so interested in my personal life? But I’ll tell you one thing. Yes. I no longer love you.”
Iliot’s face collapsed.
Radian continued without blinking.
“Not only do I not love you—I feel deep disgust as a human being. So please leave this room immediately. I can’t stand seeing your face any longer.”
Struck directly, Iliot tried to say something more but lowered his head and staggered out. His retreating figure looked pitiful to anyone watching, but Radian did not care.
Wendy, who had been pacing anxiously outside unable to enter, rushed in immediately.
“Lady Radian! What happened?”
Seeing Wendy’s worried face somehow eased her tension.
“Wendy… my stomach hurts. Could you bring a warm water bag? And there’s blood on the sheets… I think I need to wash them. Sorry.”
“You don’t need to apologize, Lady Radian. It’s my job. Please wait. I’ll bring some warm tea too.”
Wendy smiled as if she understood everything and quickly returned with blankets, hot water, tea leaves, and a pouch.
She filled a waterproof bag with hot water, wrapped it in soft cloth, and placed it in Radian’s arms. The warmth eased her chilled body as she hugged it tightly.
Then Wendy brewed tea at the bedside table. Watching the tea bloom in hot water like flowers made the room feel warm. The cup was placed before her with a soft clink, steam rising gently.
“Thank you, Wendy. I only have you.”
Wendy, knowing she didn’t mean it literally, simply smiled quietly.
Radian leaned back on the bed. Saying she had told a trusted person about Iliot’s secret had been a complete lie. Where would she even find such connections?
But her acting had worked better than expected. Iliot still seemed uncertain.
He would probably investigate. By then, she just needed to have someone truly reliable on her side. If necessary, Belzebuth would help—she wouldn’t die—but she couldn’t fully trust him either.
Radian sighed deeply.
* * *
Dressed in a burgundy autumn dress that matched the season, Radian shimmered beneath the autumn sky. At Wendy’s insistence that she stay warm, she chose a high-neck design that covered her skin, giving her a refined, noble air rather than feeling stifling.
She wore no makeup except a touch of coral lip gloss, yet her natural beauty stood out. Recently, she had been eating well and had gained some weight. Her formerly skeletal frame now had soft curves, making her noticeably more striking.
As she walked toward the picnic site, people kept glancing at her. Shan noticed and frowned.
“A green-haired woman in a red dress—you’re trying hard to stand out. At this rate, rumors will spread that the Marchioness of the Skanan family has lost her decorum.”
Her words were somewhat inaccurate. The dress was actually a deep, almost black burgundy velvet, and the combination was not unpleasant at all. Her hair was neatly styled and hidden under a wide-brim hat, so from a distance, her green hair was barely noticeable.
Shan was simply displeased that Radian, now married into her family, was attracting attention from other young nobles while her daughter Sylvia was being ignored.
Radian, too tired from her menstrual pain to respond, said flatly,
“As if anyone would think that at a family picnic.”
“I agree, Mother. I love my wife so much—how could I even think of infidelity? Right, my dear?”
After two hours of deliberation, Iliot had decided to act gentle again. Radian gave a half-hearted nod, not even bothering to respond properly.
Shan’s expression darkened.
