🔊 TTS Settings
CHAPTER 20
“…I feel like dying…”
“Lady Ladian. Please hold this against your eyes.”
Wendy approached Ladian and placed a cold wet towel over her bloodshot eyelids. A refreshing sensation seeped into her eyes.
“Why are you so tired these days?”
“Mm. I haven’t been sleeping well lately…”
“Should I prepare some medicine to help you sleep?”
“No, no. There’s no need. Thank you.”
It would actually be a problem for Ladian if she started sleeping properly. Magic lessons were fascinating and fun, but Michael was extremely strict and merciless.
“I’ll just sleep a little…”
“Yes. Should I have lunch prepared a bit later?”
“No. I’ll skip it… could you wake me around five?”
“Yes. Sleep well.”
Wendy replaced the now lukewarm towel with one soaked in cold water. Soon, Ladian’s steady breathing was heard again.
“…Mm… Wendy?”
Feeling a prickling gaze as if someone was watching her, Ladian woke from her sleep.
“You were sleeping so adorably. Like a fairy.”
As soon as she opened her eyes, an unpleasant voice greeted her. Ladian removed the wet towel covering her eyes.
Elliot, dressed neatly in a tailored suit with his hair slicked back and his red eyes glinting, was looking at her.
He wore an awkward smile, clearly trying his best to start a conversation.
“Haha. You’re awake, Ladian?”
“Why are you here?”
At her sharp tone, Elliot responded smoothly.
“Am I not even allowed to visit my own wife’s room? Though this place is quite shabby. Living somewhere like this can’t be good for your health.”
“Stop changing the subject. And I told you to speak formally, didn’t I?”
“C… cough. Understood.”
As soon as Ladian dropped into informal speech, Elliot immediately backed down and raised his tone. But no matter how he looked around, Wendy was nowhere to be seen.
“Wendy!”
“If you’re looking for the maid, I sent her out for a moment.”
At Elliot’s confident tone, Ladian frowned.
“What did you do to my maid?”
“What do you mean ‘did’? That sounds rather harsh. She must be someone precious to you, huh? Haha. Don’t worry. I just asked her to step out for a moment.”
His words didn’t seem like a lie, but Ladian remained suspicious.
“Bring her back.”
“Ha, really. You don’t trust your husband at all…”
“Right. I don’t trust you even a bit, so bring her here immediately.”
Elliot pressed his fingers against his cheekbone and stared at Ladian for a moment. Ladian stared back without backing down. After a few seconds of eye contact, he let out a defeated sigh and shouted outside.
“Tell the maid who was here earlier to come in!”
“Yes—”
The attendants outside answered in unison. Soon, Wendy entered carrying a tray filled with wine and snacks, her eyes widening in surprise.
She had prepared the drinks thinking the couple wanted a sweet moment together, but the tense atmosphere made her shrink back nervously.
“I-I brought wine and some food…”
As she quickly set everything down and tried to leave, Ladian grabbed her wrist.
“Eek…!”
Startled, Wendy looked at Ladian’s cold hand gripping her wrist. Ladian scanned her up and down. She had only gone to fetch food, yet this level of overprotectiveness was excessive.
“Lady Ladian…?”
“It’s nothing. By the way, I heard this morning that the central hall on the first floor is being cleaned. Go help them there.”
“Yes, I will.”
Wendy nodded, looking at Ladian’s worried expression. As she opened the door to leave, she saw the lined-up attendants outside. Among them was Michael, which made Ladian feel slightly relieved. Their eyes briefly met, silently communicating.
‘Don’t worry.’
‘Thank you.’
When she looked back, Elliot was there, clearly struggling to hide his irritation. Though he was forcing a smile, he looked far from pleased.
Ladian’s reaction wasn’t strange. In two years, Elliot would kill her alive.
But for now, Elliot—who had done nothing yet—was irritated by his wife’s excessive suspicion. What, is that maid that important to her? Are they perhaps… something more? He glanced at Ladian suspiciously, but she ignored him.
“So, what brings you here?”
“What do you mean? I just came because I truly wanted to see my wife. Surely we’re not the kind of couple who can’t even share a drink together?”
“You’ve never even shared a glass of wine with me before, yet you’re good with words.”
“What do you mean! We drank wine together at the picnic!”
“That was just you and your father. I was stuck drinking cheap orange juice.”
At Ladian’s indifferent tone, a vein popped on Elliot’s forehead. Even so, Ladian ignored him completely.
“I see… I didn’t know. I thought we were all eating the same things since I was at a different table.”
Elliot endured the humiliation better than expected and looked at her warmly. A gaze that would once have made her heart flutter now left her completely unmoved. If anything, it felt disgusting.
When his gaze tactic failed, Elliot subtly tried to place his hand over Ladian’s pale hand on the table.
“Ladian…”
Swoosh.
“You were told before to refrain from physical contact.”
“R-right… sorry.”
Ladian pulled her hand into her skirt and snapped at him. Elliot withdrew his hand with a cough, his attempt at physical closeness also failing. He bit his lip.
Noticing his wavering expression, Ladian became wary.
“If you have nothing to say, then please leave—”
Before she could finish, Elliot suddenly stood up. His large frame blocked the light, making his expression unreadable and his presence oppressive. His fists were clenched tightly.
Is he going to hit me?
Then Ladian realized she had been so worried about Wendy’s safety that she had forgotten her own.
Elliot stepped closer. His face was still hidden in shadow. Sweat gathered in her palms. Her throat went dry.
Just as she glanced toward the door—
Thud.
Ladian froze.
Elliot had dropped to his knees.
He was kneeling on the floor, looking up at her with pleading eyes.
“I seem to have deeply hurt you by not understanding your feelings. I don’t know how to fix it, but I felt I had to sincerely apologize.”
The man who would one day kill her was now kneeling before her. Ladian said nothing. She couldn’t.
Elliot gave her a sorrowful smile that could move anyone.
“I’m truly sorry.”
“….”
“I know this apology may not be enough to ease your anger. But I don’t want to give up on you. I want us to rebuild our relationship and move forward in a better direction.”
His gentle words made her momentarily flustered—but then anger slowly began to rise from deep inside her.
“You think I’ll forgive you just because you apologize?”
At her sharp tone, his eyes flickered, then softened again.
“No. I’ll apologize as many times as it takes until your anger subsides. And not just with words—I’ll show you through actions.”
“How exactly will you show me?”
“I will ensure my parents and siblings never lay a hand on you. I will buy you anything you want. I will take you out often and share meals. Whatever you desire, I will give it to you.”
“And if I don’t want to be with you at all?”
“Then… I will wait. Until your heart changes.”
He seemed to have returned to the gentle man he had been before their marriage. His words were soft like cream—but they pierced her heart.
He knew everything.
How much she had suffered. How she had been mistreated by his family. He had known all along for three years—and ignored it all for his comfort. And now, using that knowledge as leverage, he was trying to win her over with affection. It was infuriating.
Ladian swallowed the words that almost became resentment. She couldn’t reveal all her cards.
“Stand up.”
“Are you… forgiving me?”
Tears even seemed to well in his red eyes. It was absurd.
“You said you’d do anything I want, right?”
“Y-yes. Dresses? Jewelry? Anything.”
He looked at her expectantly.
Money could easily buy favor. But Ladian’s answer was unexpected.
“Used mana stones.”
“Used… mana stones?”
“Yes. Is that impossible?”
“N-no. It’s not impossible. We have a warehouse full of spent mana stones. Tens of thousands of them just sitting there… but why would you—”
“Do I need to explain? I’m starting to feel uncomfortable.”
“Ah, no! I was just curious! I’ll give them to you. All of them. Everything in this house is yours.”
“I don’t want ‘access.’ I want full ownership. Put it in a contract. With the ducal seal. You can deduct it from my allowance if necessary.”
“I wouldn’t reduce your allowance even if I could. Fine. We’ll write the contract. Tomorrow morning—no, I’ll bring it tomorrow morning.”
“I’ll be waiting. Thank you.”
For the first time in a long while, Ladian smiled brightly at him.
Elliot stared at her, mouth slightly open, as if seeing something precious. He immediately thought he would prepare the contract first thing tomorrow.
Whatever her intention, if this was how to regain her favor, what was a few discarded mana stones? Soon enough, an untouched mana stone mine would fall into his hands anyway.
A cheap deal.
Elliot stood up, watching her carefully, and finally rose from his kneeling position.
