I Healed my Husband, the Leader of the Underworld

Thank you, Io, for the kofi.

I reevaluated my opinion on Siegfried.

He officially went from an asshole to a capable and kind asshole.

Was this issue really going to be resolved so easily? I asked myself because the royal palace’s ball was canceled in favor of Jane’s debutante.

A ball the Empress had diligently prepared for whole months.

To my dear friend, Jane Roam.

Your radiant smile has always been a source of great joy for the court, and I deeply sympathize with Roam’s recent grief.

So, since the thoughtful Duke of Roam asked for my consideration regarding your once-in-a-lifetime debutante, I am willing to take a step back and yield this spring to you.

May your misfortune be covered with greater happiness, and may Roam be filled with blessings.
– Catherine Pembrooke.

Jane, who knew nothing of the world, read the letter to me with a sunny face, claiming that even the heavens blessed her debutante.

If you’re being threatened, please shake a carrot the next time we meet, Your Majesty; I thought, sighing inwardly.

And thinking about the kind of woman Catherine Pembroke was, my sigh deepened even more.

I didn’t know it would really be canceled...; I lamented, staring at the now-empty room that Jan, like a spring breeze, had just passed through before bumping my forehead on the tea table.

But that woman doesn’t know that I had no ill-intensions whatsoever…

As I recalled the Empress and her entourage, my head throbbed.

Jane would naturally only receive these people’s favors just because she was Siegfried Roam’s adorable and cheerful sister, so the arrows were inevitably going to be pointed at….

The one organizing the party. In other words, me.

To make matters worse, the real Milena had a fierce confrontation with the Empress over the “Raw Heart” at the auction where she bought the diamond.

And when I thought about how the diamond disappeared after I sold it off and reappeared in front of me again; I realized I had now taken away something precious from the Empress not once but twice.

Oh, yeah. I’m doomed.

Closing my eyes, memories from the past flashed through my mind; memories where, not wanting to look ridiculous, I raised my head arrogantly to face people’s attacks head-on.

In a world where people labeled me as a villainess just for breathing, such a dreadful thing happened….

Is it impossible for Milena to break free from the antagonist role, after all?

Perhaps I should act as if I’m trying to turn over a new leaf from now on…

But if I did, they would try to deceive me.

I’d be mocked for being gullible.

I’d be played for a fool.

I might inadvertently reveal that I took Milena’s place.

Then, I’d get branded as mentally ill and confined in a monastery…

Ugh!

That situation wouldn’t be better either.

Interpersonal relationships within groups differed significantly from one-on-one relationships. They were more complex to navigate than one might think.

There was always an invisible hierarchy among the members, and likes or dislikes were not always clear.

Milena was precisely stuck in that swamp, sinking no matter what she did.

And all I have done so far was merely struggle.

But now, I’m about to sink even deeper...

.
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The soft fabric brushed against the back of the well-ironed collar of my husband’s shirt.

The smooth sliding motion was the only sound in the quiet of the Oval Office.

I carefully focused on tying the cravat, recalling the proper technique to make the intricate knot. Just as I was about to say it was done, Siegfried suddenly grabbed my hand and kissed me.

Caught off guard, I instinctively opened my mouth to him without realizing it; and his tongue, as if tormented by thirst, smoothly brushed against my palette, slowly but surely circling around mine like a tangled snake.

For a long time, he devoured me relentlessly, our lips passionately colliding. And as my trembling hand clenched the cravat, he pulled my waist closer to his.

It was a kiss filled with consideration.
He pulled me in intensely, then gently released my lips, allowing me to catch my breath before kissing me again.

He made it look like he would let me go, only to drag me back in even more deeply, as if this was a fierce hunt.

“You….You are going to be late,” I managed to say.

“I don’t care.”

If there was one luxury Siegfried didn’t have, it was probably a pocket watch. Other people’s time didn’t matter to him.

“What are you thinking about?”

“The Empress,” I replied.

“Don’t waste your energy; think about me instead,” he whispered before finally letting me go, bowing his head to kiss me on the cheek one last time, and taking his jacket from his aide’s hands.

He was truly shameless.

“I’m leaving now. Don’t strain yourself.”

As the door closed, I let out a sigh.

Even after Siegfried left, his scent showed no sign of leaving my nose.

* * *

“I heard you were sick.”

As I was about to take a step forward, a kitten with an anxious face suddenly blocked my path.

“Just why did you even eat that weird thing?”

Without suppressing my urge, I stroked Lancel’s head, but he avoided my hand, screaming, “Ah! Stop it.” Yet when i tried to walk past him, he muttered, “Fine. Do whatever you want.”

Surprisingly, his attire looked quite tidy today.

I remember buying him a new shirt once after I saw him wearing one with blood stains around the elbows, probably because of a too intense sparring session.

I thought it would be nice if he dressed more neatly, but he paid absolutely no attention to my suggestion.

‘If you don’t want to have to pick it up after I throw it away, then take it back,’ he had said.

In that moment, my hands were really itching to give him a good smack…. just once.

But, just like back then, I managed to suppress my impulses today and tried to greet him.

But, hold on. Why did he come here in the first place?

Lancel Roam was devoted and obedient to Siegfried to the extent of worshipping even his shadow. So, if he had something to discuss with Siegfried, he would have waited for Siegfried to call for him instead of coming here directly.

Moreover, I saw him respectfully bow his head and nod in acknowledgment when Siegfried was getting on the carriage earlier.

My husband, seemingly pleased with the well-behaved boy, affectionately ruffled Lancel’s hair before climbing into the carriage.

Lancel bid him farewell while maintaining a respectful distance from Jane, and being polite in his actions towards her just like a ghost escort, so the only person left for him to meet here would be……

I’m the only one left, aren’t I?

“You look fine. I guess it’s not that serious,” the boy blurted out before he started walking away.

“Lancel,” I called.

The little guy turned his head to look at me.

“If you came to see me, you should state your business before leaving.”

“I didn’t come to see you!!!” he screamed with a heated face, his violent reaction making him look like a thief who got caught red-handed.

Then, the grunting kitten rummaged through the inside pocket of his small jacket and quickly slipped something in my hand before running away, saying,

“Just hurry up and get better.”

The thing he stuffed in my hand was a very small vial. Judging by the scent, it seemed to be a healing potion.

Surely, he didn’t make it himself, I thought.

This rare concoction was a top-grade item made with the best ingredients and mostly sold on the black market.

How did this little one manage to get its hands on something from the black market? I asked myself, then I quickly recalled that the jewelry store, filled with rare treasures, Siegfried took me to was surprisingly located at the center of the underworld, and that Lancel was a child he brought from somewhere unknown.

“To bring a child of unknown origin to Roam, really … in any case, the child was well taken care of, so Siegfried must have brought him in for an important reason.”

But even the late Duchess Roam didn’t seem to know where Lancel came from. If that’s the case, then Lancel was most likely picked up from the underworld.

I thought he was a cute kitten, but it turns out he was a baby beast. So, that’s why he is always so fierce…? I wondered as I gazed at the vial he had given me.

Just then, Jane, wearing a sunshine-like smile, walked up the stairs.

“Milena!”

She looked overjoyed.

As she quickened her pace, gasping for air, Jane grabbed my hand once she reached me and bowed her head for a long moment to catch her breath.

Then, she looked up at me, saying,

“Oh my God, oh my God. There’s a surprise for you on the first floor.

An ominous feeling immediately crept over me, making my shoulders tense up.

And when I went to take a look, I saw a middle-aged gentleman with neatly combed black hair, standing on the first floor, and looking at his pocket watch.

Next to him was a large-built man with his arms crossed in a very dissatisfied manner; He looked literally like a duplicate of his father.

“It’s Milena’s father and brother!” Jane said excitedly.

“Nobody was supposed to let them in….” I whispered, stunned for a moment as I stared at the mansion’s front door.

Jane, on the other hand, completely oblivious to the severity of what had just happened, laughed cheerfully.

“But they are your family.”

“…….”

“Didn’t you miss them?”

For some reason, I felt my eyes heating up at Jane’s words.

It wasn’t because of some sense of familial love; it was because Jane made such an ordinary event sound so extraordinary. (1)

That’s right; it’s natural for people to come through that door. Even in Roam, it’s normal for outsiders to visit.

It’s just that it took me by surprise.
Just a little bit.

After regaining my composure, I calmly moved downstairs.

‘I’m sure about my decision. I’m going to be happy in Roam,’ a memory suddenly echoed in my head.

I believe that everyone has a side of them they don’t want others to see.

Well, for Milena, that side was the fact that she wasn’t welcome in Roam.

Why were Roam’s servants able to isolate her so easily after the madam’s death?

It was simply because she couldn’t bring herself to tell the Rochester family, who cared so much about her, that she wasn’t happy here after the enormous dowry her father had to give.

After that stubbornness of hers could not be broken despite her two brothers’ strong objections, despite them telling her how dangerous Siegfried was.

She desperately wanted to prove that her choice was right.

She thought she could somehow endure everything and live happily ever after. But in the end, she died longing for her husband’s affection, and utterly consumed by her love for him.

She swore to never divorce him even if it meant her death, but she still ended up dead, and divorced.

What was the end of the Rochester’s family like?

The novel didn’t mention how they retaliated, but if the opponent was Roam, then they must have been ruthlessly trampled on.

‘A marriage without a wedding ceremony? I shall discuss this matter with Mrs. Roam….’

‘You just want to find an excuse to meddle and ruin my wedding.’

‘Milena!’

‘What about just exchanging our wedding vows? If you keep your mouth shut, Father, I’ll be Mrs. Roam in a few years.’

What was going through Milena’s head when she died?

Did she remember the last words she had said to her father?

“Father,” I called.

I would never know.

“Brother.”

However, I knew this much.

My powers were unstable, and these people were the only ones who could help me.

1-Jane’s attitude towards her family’s arrival makes it feel like a significant and emotionally charged event, even though she didn’t particularly see it as such. So, her unexpected emotional reaction is a result of how Jane’s turned an ordinary situation into something extraordinary. Basically, Jane was excited to see the dad and brother because she knew Milena was like garbage in Roam and that she must have missed her family, the people who loved her, the people she had hurt to get married to a man who, until recently, treated her like shit.

If you like this chapter, buy me a Kofi 😁.