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chapter 4
Slaaap!
Hearing that, Griselda immediately strode forward and slapped Iona across the cheek.
“Ah, Baldur… forgive me. Surely a demon has entered this household.”
Iona, her face turned, let out a deflating puff of air.
“If you call me a demon, then my husband must be a man in league with demons.”
“How dare… dare you!”
Griselda trembled, shocked.
Iona glanced around, pushed through the servants, and picked up a porcelain vase overflowing with flowers.
“Put that down. While I’m still speaking nicely! Do you want to be thrown out of this house again?”
“I’ve already been thrown out once, so what difference does it make.”
Crash!
Muttering indifferently, she dropped the vase just to show off.
“Nooo… no, no!”
Griselda fell backward at the sight of her cherished vase shattered.
While the servants helped the pale, stunned matron, Iona stated clearly:
“Try laying a hand on me again. I’ll destroy each of your precious things right before your eyes.”
The now-useless vase had been extremely precious to Griselda.
One of the few gifts she had received from her late husband—a truly petty story for a countess dowager.
Iona didn’t care about that.
‘Ah, I feel so free.’
Her cheek still tingled and her palm hurt, but her heart felt light.
“I’m going to my room to rest. Don’t wake me. I won’t be doing evening prayers or anything else.”
Iona said sharply and turned away.
‘I should have done this sooner.’
A thrilling sense of delight spread from her toes to her head.
She already felt like she knew how she would live this second chance at life.
But when she opened her eyes again, Iona could not help but feel extremely irritated.
“Will you not apologize?”
Her husband, who had visited the bedroom fewer than five times during their entire marriage, stood before her.
Moonlight fell on Felix Teresia, whose beautiful face was stiff, sitting in a chair.
Half of him was shrouded in shadow, making him appear less divine than usual.
“I realized it truly was your birthday. Consider it a gift; if you apologize for what you did today, I’ll let it pass. But do not repeat such behavior again.”
Then.
Her vision shook violently, and a “message” appeared again.
[Constellation ‘Serious About Punishing That Adulterer’ is greatly outraged.]
[Constellation ‘Revenge Service Industry #1’ expects you to show something.]
[Constellation ‘<Urgent> Husband Broken into 14 Pieces, What Should I Do?’ expects something shocking.]
[Multiple constellations rattle diamonds in their hands.]
[▶ Current sponsorship: 10 diamonds]
[Preview channel ‘Likes’: 6]
[Preview channel ‘Views’: 5]
Five entered, but six likes?
The numbers didn’t match.
Iona held her head, thinking this, as a creeping headache arose from the stressful situation.
‘Maybe it’s just from seeing that bastard’s face.’
Anyway, she blamed her husband for all the bad things and calmly pointed out:
“I just woke up, and yet you barged in and sat here. Are you a pervert?”
“……What kind of language is that?”
“Language? How elegant of you to speak to your wife that way.”
“…….”
“Watching me sleep all this time? Disgusting. Apologize for that first. Even a husband cannot enter a noblewoman’s private bedroom at will, is that not the law?”
Nothing she said was wrong.
Stubborn Felix couldn’t argue.
“I should have poured cold water on your face to wake you.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
Yawning, Iona set the bizarre messages aside for now.
‘Looking at the sky, it’s probably evening. He won’t feed me, right?’
So she’d have to starve. Not ideal.
“I apologize for not keeping my promises.”
It said something about diamonds—could it actually mean real diamonds?
‘Then I could sell them.’
Who was sending these messages? She didn’t know.
But… did it matter?
‘Somehow, I feel they’re on my side.’
Now she was coming to her senses.
Whether Felix’s apology was forced or a demand, she ignored it and carefully read the letters.
She had clearly died and awakened young again. Seeing strange letters now wasn’t so strange.
‘I hoped at least one person would be on my side. Maybe I’m seeing things. Maybe it’s my imagination.’
Her mind cluttered, Iona decided to think like that.
She didn’t want to think about anything else right now.
“Madam, it seems you have no grasp of the current situation. I am restraining my anger.”
“You seem to be the one who cannot grasp the situation. I have never gone a single moment in our marriage without being angry.”
“……!”
What was she supposed to do with that?
If Felix had ever treated her politely, she wouldn’t have been so brazen.
No, if he had once stood up for her in an unjust situation, maybe… maybe.
Even once.
But Felix Teresia, so upright and just, was cruel only to her.
“I will not accept your apology until you return the painting your sister stole.”
Not “give it” or “please give it”—“return it.”
The tone was very rude.
He couldn’t immediately point it out because it felt awkward.
‘Who is this woman?’
Even in darkness, her hair caught the eye—like honey mixed with cream.
Long, loose hair swayed to her waist—the very style he disliked.
Thanks to the saintess, he had gotten used to it, but as his mother said, a virtuous woman should tie her hair neatly.
Following that tradition, Iona had kept her hair tidy since the first year of marriage.
At least during the day when facing him.
‘This loose style feels strange.’
That explained it. The awkwardness came because he arrived at the wrong time.
His mother had fallen ill, and he came quickly to mediate—but early morning was a poor choice.
Yet Felix could not leave.
The blue eyes staring at him burned fiercely.
Not the color of a lake or sea, but pure azure.
The life in her irises gripped the lungs of anyone meeting her gaze.
‘How dare she be so confident?’
Frowning, he noticed her head held high. He realized he had never properly looked her in the eyes before because she always kept her gaze down.
“I will never apologize until I get my paintings back.”
“Wasn’t that matter already settled?”
“I never agreed. All the paintings released under Blanche Teresia’s name, correct them—they’re mine.”
Truly, she was born into a family devoted to Isis.
Dragging up a long-resolved matter just to stir it again.
Felix, suddenly exhausted, ran a hand through his hair and sighed.
“Must you go this far for satisfaction? Show mercy. If you correct it now, what will people think of Blanche? It won’t be good for your reputation either.”
“Don’t talk about mercy. Don’t pretend to worry about my reputation. You’re just annoyed. I am asserting my rightful claim.”
“Madam, you never yield a single word, do you?”
Her blue eyes fixed on him.
Feeling somehow overpowered, Felix unbuttoned his collar.
For some reason, his chest felt tight.
Was it from Iona’s shouts smashing the saintess? Or because he hadn’t even realized it was her birthday?
No matter how guilty he felt about forgetting her birthday, he would not overlook all her rudeness.
“Further discussion will lead to no progress. You also must clean the mansion you damaged. From today, you shall not leave the bedroom for three days. This is an order as head of the household. Reflect well, and we will speak again when you are clear-minded and proper.”
“No, shut up and sit down, Felix Teresia.”
