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Chapter 9
“Go home immediately!”
Zeppelin shoved Rebecca roughly into the carriage.
For a man who usually treated her body with such care, it was clear from his roughness that he was truly furious.
Seeing his face twisted with rage, Rebecca felt a spark of satisfaction.
She wished he would writhe in pain just a little longer.
But this was only the beginning.
“All right.”
“All right? What do you mean, all right? Did you enjoy flirting in another man’s arms? Stay quietly at home. You’ll pay the price for today.”
Zeppelin slammed the carriage door shut.
Rebecca exhaled deeply and sank into the cushioned seat.
Her cheeks still burned hot with lingering heat.
It was a thrill she had never felt when dancing with Zeppelin. The entire time she had danced with Julian, she had struggled to keep her feelings hidden.
She thought again, Was the waltz always such a seductive dance?
“How broad and firm he was…”
At the memory of Julian’s broad chest, Rebecca’s eyelids fluttered. But soon she raised her hands and lightly slapped her own cheeks.
“Get a hold of yourself!”
Rebecca had already lived through life once before.
She wasn’t so weak that she would be swayed by the charms of a young man.
She could not allow herself to be shaken by something so trivial.
Rebecca clenched her fists.
Julian, dazed, quickly came to his senses and rushed out after Rebecca.
But the carriage carrying her was already gone.
“You shouldn’t covet what belongs to another, boy.”
While Julian stood staring at the departing carriage, Zeppelin approached, radiating a murderous aura full of hatred.
His energy alone made the servants nearby, who had been smoking, falter and retreat.
But Julian only looked at Zeppelin calmly.
In his eyes, Zeppelin’s threat was no more than the growl of an old, harmless cat.
“She isn’t an object. How could she possibly belong to you?”
Zeppelin’s expression twisted violently.
“You brat… How dare you!”
“What? Do you expect me to treat you like an elder? Is your age the only thing you can boast of? Very well, I’ll oblige you then—Count Uncle.”
At the word uncle, sparks flew in Zeppelin’s eyes.
His fists trembled as he glared at Julian, who only smiled leisurely.
Hiss!
Black cats suddenly gathered at Julian’s feet, baring their teeth and hissing at Zeppelin.
“Oh dear. Be good, my friends. He is a bad man, but making a scene here would only harm us.”
Julian ran his hand back through his black hair.
From beneath his dark locks, dangerous golden eyes flashed.
Though it was a warm spring day, the air around him turned chilling, like a winter storm had swept in.
He was like a lion crouched low, ready to pounce on its prey.
Seeing this, Zeppelin instinctively shuddered.
Yet, unwilling to admit his fear, he forced out words between heavy breaths.
“Don’t you dare approach Rebecca again. She’s my wife, my possession.”
Throwing out this warning, Zeppelin quickly left.
As he hurried away, he suddenly stopped and sneezed several times.
Julian clicked his tongue in disdain.
We’ll see about that.
Then he turned toward Croa, who was leaning against the carriage.
“Ah! Y-Your Grace!”
Croa, just lighting his third cigarette, saw his master approaching and quickly put it out.
“Croa. I told you to quit smoking. The doctor said it would ruin your lungs.”
“It’s not as easy as it sounds, sir. But… what happened? Why was the Earl of Devonshire so furious?”
Julian noticed a single strand of golden hair on his shoulder. He carefully plucked it off and stared at it for a long time.
“Croa.”
“Yes, sir?”
“I think… I’m going to get married.”
“Oh, I see… Wait, what?!”
Croa gawked at him in shock, mind racing, thinking it must be some strange joke.
“But the problem is… the woman’s already married.”
Julian burst out laughing at Croa’s dumbfounded face.
Rebecca’s proposal had been strange—something that could even be called offensive.
But Julian wasn’t offended at all. On the contrary, he wanted to trust her, even without reason.
Had the miracle he had long wished for finally come?
Rebecca…
He repeated her name over and over in his heart.
Tap—tap—tap—
The sound of Rebecca tapping her desk in rhythm filled the room.
Since returning alone from the banquet, she hadn’t said a word.
Alice was dying of curiosity but dared not speak first.
She had served Rebecca long enough to know—she could immediately sense when something was different.
“Alice.”
Deep in thought, Alice didn’t respond until Rebecca called her three times.
“What are you thinking about so hard?”
“O-oh, forgive me! I was wondering what dress you should wear tomorrow…”
“I see. But you’re not chattering like usual tonight. Aren’t you curious why I came back early from the banquet?”
Like a fish taking the bait, Alice immediately began to pepper her with questions.
“Why did you return so early?”
Rebecca chuckled at Alice’s trembling eyes. It was a chilling laugh, unlike her usual gentle smile.
She lifted her wineglass.
Normally, she drank little—one never knew when pregnancy might come.
But tonight, she couldn’t endure sober, so she forced herself into heavy drinking.
“My lady, please stop drinking…”
“Today, the Duke of Johannes asked me to dance.”
“Oh my! And what did you do?”
“I danced, of course. His Majesty himself commanded it.”
Alice clapped her hands over her mouth.
Zeppelin would never forgive her for this. The future was already written.
Alice’s voice trembled.
“H-how did it feel? Were you nervous? They say His Grace is very handsome. I wish I could have seen it! So then, how did you feel—?”
Bombarded with questions, Rebecca no longer raised the glass to her lips.
Instead, she just stared at Alice. For a moment, it seemed as though tears had welled in her eyes.
“My lady…?”
Outside, Zeppelin’s furious voice rang out.
“Rebecca! Rebecca! Rebecca!”
“He’s finally here. We should prepare, shouldn’t we?”
Rebecca knelt down by the door.
Perhaps it was only her imagination.
She smiled softly at Alice, reassuring her.
Though uneasy, Alice also knelt.
The door burst open, and Zeppelin stormed in, reeking of alcohol.
Behind him, two maids carried in a box.
Rebecca frowned at the sight of it.
Zeppelin looked down at her, kneeling obediently.
“So, you admit your fault.”
“Yes. I was wrong.”
“But that doesn’t erase what happened! Do you know how humiliated I was?”
He extended his hand, and a maid slipped white gloves onto him and placed a whip in his grip.
“No! Zeppelin, please!”
Rebecca leapt up, reaching out to stop him, but two maids immediately restrained her.
“When you fail your master! You must! Take responsibility!”
The whip cracked mercilessly against Alice’s back. The sound of lashes filled the silent mansion.
Zeppelin never laid a hand on Rebecca.
Instead, he tormented those she cherished, shredding her spirit apart.
The fear carved deep into her body from years past trembled through her again. But Rebecca did not close her eyes.
She vowed to take this moment as fuel—to recall it again and again whenever her resolve weakened.
“I was wrong! Zeppelin! I’ll never look at another man again! It was my mistake! Please, stop!”
Rebecca clung to his feet, voice trembling with tears. She knew exactly how to stop this monster.
She had lived over twenty years as his wife in her previous life. No one knew Zeppelin better than she.
And so, the one caught in her hand now was Zeppelin himself.
As she expected, he stopped.
Looking down at Rebecca, sobbing on the floor, he softened his expression, speaking in a gentle voice, as if the monster moments ago had never existed.
“You should have said that earlier. Then my shirt wouldn’t be stained with blood. Beauty itself is a sin, isn’t it? From now on, if vermin like that cling to you, cut them off immediately. Understood, my lovely wife?”
Rebecca obediently nodded, bowing low in thanks, feigning trembling shoulders in fear.
Zeppelin watched her for a moment, then handed the whip back to a maid. He spoke loudly, as if making sure Rebecca heard.
“Since Rebecca is defiled tonight, I’ll sleep in Alicia’s room. Treat this maid and see Rebecca washed.”
Then he left without looking back.
The maids left as well to fetch water and the physician.
The door slammed shut.
Rebecca wiped the tears from her face with a calm expression and turned to Alice, who lay collapsed.
“Alice, that must have hurt.”
“No, my lady. As long as you’re safe, I don’t care.”
“Alice…”
Rebecca embraced her and gently caressed her face.
A faint smile appeared on Alice’s lips.
No matter how badly she was beaten, as long as she lived, she felt it was worth it. She was even glad, thinking she had served her mistress well.
But Rebecca’s face hardened as she watched that smile.
“Why did you smile?”
“…Pardon?”
Rebecca looked down at her coldly, bringing her hand to Alice’s neck.
Her grip tightened, and Alice’s breathing grew strained.
Alice stared in terror at Rebecca’s hand clutching her throat.
“When the Count raised the whip… I asked why you smiled.”
