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Chapter 4
Late at night, Alice took Hans and disappeared into the kitchen.
Rebecca, catching Alice’s signal, quickly hurried up to the third floor.
Creak—
The sound of the door opening rang out like thunder.
Holding her breath, Rebecca managed to slip into the study.
“Haa…”
It was a study she had never once entered, not even in her previous life.
From the doorway, she paused to take in the room.
The study was perfectly symmetrical.
The books that lined both sides were so evenly arranged that one could tell without counting that the numbers matched exactly.
It was a study befitting Zeppelin’s obsessive personality.
On tiptoe, Rebecca carefully approached the desk.
She knew that even the slightest shift in the carpet’s angle would be instantly noticed by him.
The desk drawer, which she expected to be locked, opened with surprising ease—
as though it didn’t matter if anyone read what was inside.
The documents within were perfectly organized.
Carefully, making sure not to disturb their order, Rebecca pulled one out.
As her eyes skimmed through the files arranged alphabetically, she froze.
Familiar names poured into her mind in a chaotic rush.
With trembling fingers, she pulled out one document.
<Obelia>
Rebecca Obelia.
Her name before she became Rebecca Devonshire.
As she flipped through documents related to her family, she gasped and clapped a shaking hand over her mouth.
Her breath grew ragged.
“My god…”
The documents were filled with details of how Zeppelin had financially isolated House Obelia.
The dates showed that the plan had begun several years before he even proposed to Rebecca.
At last, the old suspicions made sense.
The Obelia family, though not particularly renowned, was an old one.
With fertile lands and steady monthly income, they had never once struggled financially across generations.
Yet, they had collapsed overnight.
It was impossible without deliberate interference.
Rebecca clenched the papers so tightly they almost tore.
The documents laid out exactly how Zeppelin had driven her once-prosperous house into bankruptcy in just a few short years.
“That bastard…”
To cage Rebecca completely, Zeppelin had first dismantled everything around her.
Desperately, she snatched up other files bearing familiar names.
They were her childhood friends.
As she read, Rebecca covered her mouth again.
<I, Diana Judrian, under the condition that I shall never meet Rebecca Devonshire for the rest of my life…>
Zeppelin had found leverage over her friends and forced them to sign pledges to stay away from her.
Rebecca’s hands shook as she held the paper.
She remembered those painful days—watching friends leave, drowning in self-loathing.
“Your friends don’t answer your letters? See, I’ve always told you—you can be irritating at times. You can’t blame anyone but them for their lack of patience. But don’t worry. You still have me.”
Zeppelin’s cruel words echoed in her ears.
Rebecca staggered and clutched the desk for support.
Tears streamed down her face without end.
She had known he was binding her in a cage—
that was why she had run from the count’s estate.
But she had never imagined he had inflicted suffering on everyone around her.
“Your father asked for money again—something about your sister’s debutante ball. What, your family can’t even afford a debut? How long do they expect to lean on me? But don’t worry, Rebecca. Unlike other husbands, I’m different. My wife is so obedient—I can do at least that much.”
“Argh!”
Only now did she finally understand her parents’ silent, breaking hearts, unable to resist when their son-in-law brought in a second wife.
Papers scattered everywhere as Rebecca wept uncontrollably, her hatred for Zeppelin swelling to the heavens.
At that moment, the door burst open.
Rebecca lifted her tear-streaked face.
Zeppelin rushed inside, breathing hard. His brows knit as he saw the mess of documents fluttering about.
“What is the meaning of this, wife?”
“Zeppelin Devonshire! What the hell have you done to me?!”
Rebecca hurled the documents at his face. Zeppelin casually tilted aside, letting them flutter past.
“Careful. What if the paper cut my face?”
He picked one up from the floor.
“Ah, this. It’s nothing.”
“Nothing? You ruined my family and blackmailed my friends, and you call that nothing?!”
“Rebecca, be precise. Everything I did was for you. Those friends weren’t worthy of you to begin with. And as for bankrupting your family—that accusation is a little unfair.”
“Don’t come closer!”
Ignoring her words, Zeppelin walked calmly toward her and wrapped his arms around her trembling body.
Rebecca fought furiously, but his grip only tightened.
“How could I ever harm the one I treasure most? I only helped your father. You just don’t understand how money works. All I did was lend him investment funds.”
Rebecca stared up at him, speechless with outrage. His blue eyes gleamed with cruel amusement.
In her past life, at this point in time, she would have been easily deceived by his lies.
But not anymore. Since fleeing the estate, she had endured too much, grown too wise to fall for such cheap tricks.
She knew the truth.
He had hired conmen to approach her father.
Her father had invested in their schemes and lost heavily.
Then Zeppelin had swooped in like a savior, offering money with no strings attached.
Desperate to recover, her father had reinvested—again into Zeppelin’s staged frauds.
And the debts had piled higher and higher, beyond what any house could bear.
Rebecca’s fists shook with fury.
Yes, her father had been gullible—
but the true culprit was Zeppelin, who had orchestrated everything.
Now that she understood the whole truth, she glared up at him, her reason swallowed by rage.
She opened her mouth to hurl every curse she knew—
But his next words froze her on the spot.
“You’re rebelling because I took a second wife, I get that. But if I were you, I’d behave. Otherwise… Alice dies.”
His tongue cut sharper than any blade.
Rebecca’s shoulders slumped helplessly.
Alice was her only ally. She could not, would not, let her die again because of her.
“Well? Answer me, my lovely wife.”
“…I understand.”
“Good. Then I’ll graciously overlook tonight’s little mistake.”
Zeppelin pressed a light kiss to her forehead.
“Lord Count, Lady Alicia has arrived,” a servant’s voice called from outside.
Zeppelin took Rebecca’s hand and led her out. She stumbled along after him.
“Why did you rush off like that, my lord? Oh—Lady Rebecca?”
Alicia, just entering the mansion, looked up in shock to see Rebecca standing beside Zeppelin on the third-floor landing.
A carriage laden with luggage was just pulling up before the estate.
Watching it, Rebecca was struck with a question.
Why has she come back already?
In her memory, Zeppelin and Alicia had gone on a week-long honeymoon.
She remembered vividly, because Alicia had returned with seven gifts that had tormented her.
But now, the future had changed.
Is it because I returned early from the wedding?
Rebecca’s gaze drifted down to where Alice stood, held by a servant.
Alice smiled brightly up at her, as if to reassure her.
That smile gave Rebecca strength. She could not lose it again.
She placed a hand on Zeppelin’s shoulder and forced a trembling smile.
“Forgive me for causing a scene. I was foolish, not understanding your true heart.”
“Everyone makes mistakes. Don’t worry about Alice—I’ll just give her a light punishment and let her go. Still, she must pay for failing her mistress, don’t you think?”
Zeppelin smirked and gestured to the servants.
Alice went quietly, without resistance.
Watching her retreating figure, Rebecca’s heart ached with unbearable sorrow.
For the next few days, Rebecca fell gravely ill.
Her fever burned, though no one could find the cause.
When she finally woke, the first face she saw was Alicia, tending to her bedside.
“You’re awake!”
Alicia hurried to call the doctor.
When he assured her that Rebecca was out of danger, Alicia sighed with relief.
“Thank goodness! I was so worried something terrible had happened to you.”
Alicia, in her prime, was dazzlingly beautiful.
Rebecca gazed at her in quiet awe, then quickly shook herself.
Alicia was always like this—
hiding her ambitions behind gentle smiles.
She acted solely according to her own interests.
In her past life, the only reason Alicia had helped her escape was because she coveted the position of first wife.
Rebecca had known, vaguely, of Alicia’s selfishness even back then.
But she had never been able to hate her.
Whenever Alicia showed kindness, Rebecca’s defenses crumbled.
Even knowing she was embracing a doll made of thorns, Rebecca had held on—
because pain was better than loneliness.
That was why she had fallen for Alicia’s schemes time and again, not even realizing they were schemes.
She had lost the lives of many maids.
She had lost her place in her husband’s chambers.
Her jewels and dresses—countless things.
And every time, she had blamed herself.
Zeppelin had exploited that weakened Rebecca at will.
Looking back, she realized it: Alicia and Zeppelin had been the perfect partners in tormenting her.
What on earth had she been thinking, to trust Alicia enough to reveal her hiding place?
Regret crept in like a shadow.
Sensing old bad habits stirring, Rebecca shut her eyes tightly.
No. I must not blame myself.
She steeled her heart.
The first vow she had made upon returning was this:
She would not blame herself.
The villain was Zeppelin. Only Zeppelin.
Rebecca forced herself to believe it.
Alicia, receiving no reply, looked at her intently. Then, in a trembling voice, she lowered her head.
“Lady Rebecca… you must hate me, don’t you?”
