Episode 5

Mary, who was carrying a washbasin, avoided Eveline’s gaze and moved like a rusty machine.

“Yes? Of course not! I must have developed shaky hands!”

Rose noticed her unnatural movements, snatched the washbasin from Mary’s hands, and hummed casually.

“Hmmm~ Madam really only knows His Grace~”

Although her tone was playful, Rose’s voice trembled like a goat’s.

Seeing the maids acting differently from usual, Eveline suddenly felt uneasy.

Wait. I only know Cassian?

Could this possibly mean—

‘Does this mean Cassian is cheating on me?’

But Cassian didn’t seem like the type to do that.

Just a few days ago, he had personally fed me soup!

My husband was practically desperate to feed me nothing but good things, and he was seeing another woman behind my back?

Did that even make sense? Especially when we were newlyweds?

Countless possibilities flashed through her mind one after another, but instead of clearing things up, they only tangled her thoughts like a ball of thread.

‘Ah, my head hurts. I’m done thinking about this.’

If she couldn’t figure it out no matter how much she thought about it, there was only one thing left to do.

Ask directly.

“You two. Are you hiding something from me?”

Crash!

“Yes? Of course not!”

Mary, who was bringing over some scented oil, was startled and dropped the glass bottle.

As the bottle shattered, the scented oil, separated from its cap, rolled across the floor.

Rose water spilled onto the white carpet, and a faint stain spread out like ripples.

Mary hurriedly picked up the broken pieces of glass, hiding her flustered expression.

How did she know? Was the villainess’s intuition really that sharp?

They wanted to run out of there immediately, but Sophia’s voice came through the artifact disguised as a brooch.

—Rose! You let your mouth run! First, deny everything!

To prevent such a situation, Sophia had given Rose and Mary one artifact each disguised as a brooch.

Fortunately, the artifacts had been enchanted so that only the wearer could hear the voices coming through them, meaning Eveline couldn’t hear anything.

—Mary, Rose. Be careful! Just endure for two months and you’ll be promoted to official maids.

Hearing the head maid’s voice, Mary came to her senses and desperately pulled herself together.

‘That’s right. There’s no job this good anywhere! Stay calm. We only have to endure for two months, right?’

Just a little longer and I’ll be an official maid!

But Eveline standing right in front of her was simply too frightening.

[They say Lady Seldian slaps maids on the spot whenever she finds a tangled strand of hair while being brushed!]

[If another lady takes the dress she was supposed to wear to a banquet, they say she gathers all the maids and beats them until she feels better!]

[Apparently, she carries a riding crop around and frequently beats any maid who displeases her!]

Mary had scoffed when she heard the other maids talking about her.

But now, it seemed those rumors weren’t entirely false.

Just look at that terrifying gaze.

“Tell me the truth.”

“Gasp! Madam! Please don’t say such hurtful things!”

“That’s right~ What secret could we possibly have from you, Maaadam~?”

Even Rose, who had been acting so casually, avoided Eveline’s gaze and shook the washbasin.

Water splashed everywhere, but there was no time to point it out.

“You’re both trembling far too much for that to be true.”

Sharp pressure poured down on them.

Even though they clearly looked troubled, Lady Seldian didn’t stop interrogating them.

When they had first been assigned to serve Eveline, they had been so afraid to enter her room that they had desperately begged the head maid to assign them somewhere else.

“My goodness, you two are going to be my personal maids?”

But when they actually met Eveline, she seemed to have a halo shining around her.

It was as though the goddess of the earth who created all things had appeared before them.

When she smiled sweetly with those innocent eyes, they had thought an actual angel had descended.

But now, she was a demon!

What were they supposed to do?

If she found out, they were doomed!

“Mary… I think we…”

“…should confess, right?”

The two exchanged glances, then suddenly grabbed the hem of Eveline’s skirt and blurted everything out.

“Sob! The thing is!”

“Actually, Madam!”

—No!!!

The head maid’s scream could be heard through the artifact, but there was nothing they could do.

Surviving right now came first.

‘Your Grace, I’m sorry. We couldn’t help it!’

“Duke, I think you should hurry to your study.”

Head Maid Sophia hurriedly went looking for Cassian.

At Sophia’s sudden urgency, confusion appeared in Cassian’s eyes.

“What happened?”

“I’m sorry, Duke. The maids let something slip.”

The maids let something slip…

Had the lady figured something out?

After sending Sophia away, Cassian checked the information sent by his spies and gathered and organized everything.

Then he tied a note to the leg of a carrier pigeon and sent it in the direction of the Imperial Palace.

Only after confirming that the bird had left the ducal residence did Cassian finally leave the hunting grounds attached to the main building and begin walking.

“Darling.”

When he entered his study, Eveline was sitting on the sofa with her arms crossed.

“Eveline?”

“Eveline? Where did you leave out the proper form of address?”

Before he could say anything else, a crooked glare flew toward him.

Her sharp, snake-like gaze ensnared Cassian.

“Of course not. I simply wanted to call my wife by her name.”

“Hm. I see.”

Cassian’s eyes curved gently at the corners, and Eveline gave him a suspicious but accepting look before taking a sip of the tea on the table.

This is clearly my room, so why am I the one walking on eggshells?

He had no idea how this had happened, but Eveline had taken over his study with the maids in tow.

“Sit down, darling.”

“Yes, my wife.”

Anyone would think she was the owner of the place.

With a smile fixed on his face, Cassian took a seat opposite Eveline.

“What brings you here?”

“Does it look like I wouldn’t come?”

Bang!

The moment his question ended, Eveline slammed her teacup down.

Some of the tea spilled from the cup and soaked the decorative cloth beneath it.

The spilled liquid stained the embroidered cloth, but neither of them seemed to care as they stared at each other.

Only after an uncomfortable silence filled the study did Eveline slowly ask, as though suppressing her anger,

“Why have you been hiding it all this time?”

Oh no. Had she already found out?

Even though he had told them to be extremely careful.

From her shortened question and reproachful gaze, Cassian became certain.

Eveline’s memories had returned.

‘Maybe this is actually fortunate? At least we can end this ridiculous charade quickly.’

Now that she knew the truth, there was nothing he could do.

The play was over. He had no choice but to reveal his true identity.

“That’s because…”

Just as Cassian was about to reveal the truth, a shocking statement burst from Eveline’s mouth.

“I heard the ducal family is poor!”

“Poor?”

Cassian felt as though he had just been struck over the head.

House Hethis, which was enjoying greater prosperity than ever, was poor?

The Hethis family, which rivaled even the Imperial Family when it came to wealth?

“Rose, Mary.”

To understand what was going on, Cassian called the maids.

At his somewhat intimidating tone, both girls hiccupped simultaneously.

“Hic!”

“Don’t say anything to the maids.”

He sent them a questioning look, but Eveline blocked him.

It seemed her memories hadn’t returned, so he could continue the act.

However, he had suddenly become an incompetent husband.

‘Does this woman think I’m an idiot who can’t even take care of my own household?’

He was too dumbfounded to speak.

He was wondering where to even begin correcting her when—

“Phew. I should have realized it sooner.”

Eveline muttered to herself with a serious expression.

At the same time, she fell into a brief recollection.

[His Grace is too busy making money to stay at the ducal residence!]

[Sob! That’s right, Madam! Because of their impoverished lifestyle, the ducal family is currently going through terrible hardships.]

Only after hearing the truth from the maids did Eveline suddenly realize, like a flash of lightning, the source of all the strange things she had occasionally noticed.

‘That’s right. I knew something felt off.’

Even if she was a bedridden wife, they were still husband and wife.

And they were newlyweds, yet there was a reason Cassian rarely came to visit her.

Fortunately, after the maids finished speaking, a sudden headache struck her, and information about the South entered her mind.

The farmlands that had been turned into a sea of fire several years ago, the import business that had suddenly been halted, the trade routes that seemed to have been deliberately sabotaged…

Several incidents came vividly to mind as though she had experienced them herself.

It was strange that she had only acquired certain pieces of information, but it was an unexpected gain.

‘Regardless, if Cassian is personally going around earning money, that means the ducal family’s finances must be in serious trouble.’

“Ibel—No, my wife.”

“Have you eaten?”

“Not yet.”

“I knew it! Even if you’re busy, you still have to eat your meals properly. Mary, Rose. Hurry to the kitchen and tell them to prepare a meal.”

“Yes, Madam!”

He didn’t even eat properly because he was so concerned about my meals.

How hard must it have been for him, worrying about his sick wife in front of everyone while secretly going out to earn money himself?

There must have been plenty of other ways to make money through other people.

‘My husband is such a pushover—no, he’s just too kind for his own good!’

Well, what can I do? Someone as strong-willed as me has to protect him.

“Darling, don’t worry. From now on, I’ll be with you!”

Eveline’s sharp attitude changed in an instant, as quickly as flipping over the palm of her hand.

Grabbing Cassian’s hand, Eveline blinked her lashes and smiled brightly.

Her eyes were filled with blind affection.

Looking into those eyes, Cassian felt strangely uncomfortable.

He carefully slipped his hand away and awkwardly averted his gaze.

“Even if it’s only words, thank you.”

“No, we’re husband and wife. We have to overcome the crisis together!”

Overcome it together…

For someone who was accustomed to facing everything alone, it was strange to hear someone say such a thing to him.

Even though he knew she was the enemy’s lover, her words somehow brought him comfort.

And just as Cassian’s wariness began to ease more than before—

“But, darling. Where’s the ledger?”

Eveline tilted her head and dropped the main point.