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Chapter 14
Do You Know How Dangerous Your Words Were?
2022.01.18
Johann’s gaze was fixed on me, unwilling to look away. I smiled brightly at him.
“It’s okay now. You can do whatever you want, Duke.”
“Whatever I want?”
His red eyes flickered as if testing me. The feeling was different from usual, but I couldn’t tell what emotion lay behind them.
‘I feel strangely uneasy.’
The only thing I could sense was that Johann seemed even more unhinged than before.
“Yes. I just stopped you from slandering me, so I handled it myself!”
I hesitated, worried this might trigger some strange flag, but I decided to maintain it—it wasn’t something I could waver on.
“That’s all it was, so now you can do as you wish. Kill or not, it’s your decision.”
I kept smiling to show that I meant it sincerely.
“Estelle. Aren’t you afraid of me?”
A strange tension began to weave between us.
“Why would I be afraid of you, Duke?”
If I said I wasn’t scared of Johann, it would be a lie. I was terrified. I feared that he might trample on my future or that betrayal would lead me to death. But at this moment, my fear of Johann was of a different sort.
“I’m not afraid of you, Duke.”
“You’ve seen everything.”
Johann whispered in a languid voice.
“I’m someone who can easily trample and kill others. Have you heard about the murders that happened in the capital?”
“…….”
“Knowing that makes things easier to explain.”
There was amusement in his gaze.
“Do you think you can handle me?”
I swallowed hard without realizing it.
“…Did you do it for no reason at all?”
“You’re naive.”
A faint smile deepened at the corner of Johann’s lips.
“In such actions, the reason isn’t important. What matters is the result. If you look for the reason behind a vile act, you lose sight of its essence.”
Johann described himself as a villain and condemned himself.
“If there was a suitable reason, does that justify everything? Can you trust that the reason is true?”
Johann deliberately tapped Anton’s head with his foot.
“Even after seeing how I handle people in front of you?”
His elegance and poise made the cruelty all the more terrifying. I shook my head firmly.
“But what if I still say I’m not afraid of you?”
“Why wouldn’t you be afraid?”
His voice carried a mocking undertone.
“You’re not stupid enough to fail to understand me, are you?”
Johann tilted his head, locking his gaze with mine. The deep crimson abyss of his eyes consumed me. He didn’t know something—I wasn’t as altruistic or kind-hearted as he assumed.
‘Why isn’t the reason important?’
Having suffered in Libertan from capricious cruelty without reason, Johann’s words didn’t resonate. The world isn’t made up solely of outcomes. Besides, I wasn’t particularly empathetic.
‘Empathy is for people who have the luxury to spare.’
There was no space for that in my life, and certainly none for scum like him.
“Think carefully before you regret it. Your husband isn’t as good as you think. He’s closer to being a terrible person.”
I knew that already.
“So, should I hate the Duke over something I barely know?”
Johann clenched his jaw. I watched his masculine throat move and stared into his red eyes.
“Honestly, if you’re so terrible, why are you giving me a warning like this?”
“To put you at ease.”
“That way, nothing gets done.”
The faint smile on Johann’s face vanished, making my heart skip a beat.
‘I hope I didn’t do something wrong again.’
In the original story, my downfall truly began after confessing to Johann. Before that, Estelle frequently expressed admiration for him—just not outright love confessions. So this small show of affection might just skirt the line. The atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive, but I refused to look away or change my words.
“Even if it seems foolish from your perspective, Duke, I can’t help how I feel.”
“…….”
“Because that’s my truth.”
Seeing me tremble inwardly from fear, Johann covered his eyes with his large hand and laughed brightly.
‘Why is he laughing all of a sudden?’
Johann’s behavior was unpredictable. After chuckling for a long while, he tilted his head at me.
“…Do you know how dangerous your words just were?”
“Me?”
I thought I was just playing along.
“What did I say?”
“You really didn’t know, did you?”
Johann nodded without explanation, watching Anton gasp for breath. Truly, an extra’s death seemed meaningless.
“I’ll let him go while he still breathes.”
Relief washed over me. I didn’t want to witness a death up close.
‘At least Johann seems calm now.’
I didn’t know exactly why, but it felt like some tension had eased.
‘It’s strange.’
I didn’t understand why Johann looked so satisfied. Anton twitched, attempting to speak, but Johann stomped on his throat. Only the sound of breaking breath remained.
“I can’t let a vermin like this live. No healing either.”
Essentially, he wouldn’t kill him here and now.
“Because he dared harm my wife.”
I didn’t care either way.
“Do as you wish, Duke.”
“No. I’ll follow your decision.”
“What?”
“Since he harmed you, it’s only right that you decide his fate.”
Johann’s gentle tone carried restrained violence.
“How shall I kill him?”
Yet his words seemed almost respectful of my choice. I didn’t know how to react.
“If you want to torture him while he’s alive, you may order it.”
“I…”
I didn’t know how to speak in a way that would please Johann.
“I don’t want to see Anton anymore. I want this to be over quickly.”
“And?”
“I’m not sure about the rest.”
“Usually such requests are the hardest.”
Johann nodded calmly.
“Many things come to mind, but I suppose you’d prefer a clean death.”
Thankfully, he seemed to understand me.
“As my wife wishes.”
His sweet voice leaned toward me. At that moment, Anton’s body flailed and disappeared. Blood splattered across Johann and nearby surfaces. It happened so fast that I couldn’t even process it. My body stiffened, stunned at how someone could vanish so quickly. The metallic scent of blood shocked me physically. Johann didn’t care about the blood on his body and calmly wiped his cheek.
“He probably went without pain. I’ve never seen such a death myself, so I can’t be sure.”
He smiled brightly, still stained with blood.
“Tell me what you want. I’ll handle the rest.”
I hadn’t wanted anything like that.
Johann led me out of the room. Outside, I felt free from the oppressive smell of blood.
‘I only expected Anton’s body to disappear.’
Though infamous for cruelty, I hadn’t imagined he would act so directly. Even in the cool night air, Anton’s death replayed vividly in my mind.
‘I hope I don’t have nightmares tonight.’
Fortunately, I rarely dreamed. Once asleep, nothing could wake me until deep slumber.
‘I’ll be fine.’
Thinking that brought a sense of relief.
“Johann?”
He stopped at the stairs, and I tilted my head in curiosity.
“Is something wrong?”
He hesitated, then smiled gently at me.
“Nothing much. Just had a strange thought.”
“Strange thought?”
“This.”
He embraced me. His large frame enveloped me firmly.
“I should have held you as soon as I entered.”
“……”
“Cleaning up that trash prevented me from taking proper care of you.”
Despite the fear, I felt strangely comforted.
“Scared?”
Johann’s hand patted my back.
“It’s okay. You came immediately, Duke. And this.”
I showed him my wrist. When Anton tried to drag me away, the red mark had heated slightly to protect me.
“Your mark protected me all along, Duke.”
Johann looked at my wrist for a moment, then smiled.
“That protection magic works because you think of me constantly.”
“Eh?”
I hadn’t realized such a simple spell had that condition.
‘He knows I’ve been thinking of him.’
It was good proof of my previous words, though embarrassing that my thoughts were revealed. My cheeks burned.
‘Or not?’
As I felt the heat, my head felt dizzy.
‘Anton’s incident was harder than I thought.’
I tended to run a fever after stress or tears, especially after being threatened with a dagger.
“Where are we going now?”
“My room.”
“Eh?”
“I can’t let you worry. You’ll sleep in my room from now on.”
My eyes widened.
‘I can’t even sleep in peace now!’
Though he wouldn’t constantly disturb my sleep, it was still unsettling to have him nearby.
“Don’t worry. Your room is separate. Only sleep together.”
Sleeping together only—there’s the problem!
“Every night?”
“Do you dislike sleeping with me?”
“Not exactly……”
“You certainly look like it.”
Johann was sharp as ever.
“Or did that guy say something strange to you?”
He bent slightly, meeting my gaze. I instinctively stepped back.
“I didn’t hear anything unusual.”
“About your family too?”
“I heard about the Dukes of Libertan, yes.”
I had already gathered information outside. I answered calmly, despite grumbling inside.
“Don’t worry. I don’t believe anything unreliable people say.”
“You always say not to worry.”
“But there’s really nothing to worry about.”
Hearing known facts didn’t shock me—the shock had already come from recalling the original story.
“I heard the one who pinned the debt on the Dukes of Libertan was my husband.”
Johann’s expression stiffened slightly.
“So I thought why you brought me here on the condition of debt forgiveness. I recalled what you said to me back then.”
Johann wouldn’t tell me anything about his revenge. I didn’t expect him to, so I smiled.
“You said I was worth that much to you.”
“……”
“So I decided to trust that once more.”
He squeezed my hand. His red eyes studied me, slightly bewildered. Servants of the Blanchet Dukes moved nearby to deal with Anton’s remains. Among them, I recognized one person.
‘Baroness Petrisha Gilette.’
Her black-brown hair neatly tied, cold teal eyes, expressionless like a statue. Her posture radiated strictness even while standing still.
‘The head housemaid of the Blanchet Dukes.’
In the original story, she tormented me as a maid inside the house. I expected to meet her eventually, but not in such a stressful situation.
‘A more exhausting opponent than Erich.’
I rarely saw Erich, Johann’s aide, but Petrisha, as head maid, constantly clashed with me. Unlike Erich, her past was mostly unknown, making her harder to deal with.
“Greetings, madam. I am Petrisha Gilette, head maid of the Blanchet Dukes. I apologize for not introducing myself sooner; I’ve been preoccupied.”
She approached and bowed politely.
“Are you well? I heard you faced great difficulties due to my negligence. I am truly sorry—”
My vision blurred further.
‘I shouldn’t start off showing such weakness.’
Unable to overcome the heat in my head, I staggered. Johann quickly held me.
“Madam, why have you had a fever since earlier—”
Through my fading vision, I saw the people around in confusion and Johann’s shocked eyes.
