I Healed my Husband, the Leader of the Underworld

Thank you, SuviLs Kon, for the Kofi 😘

 

The second male of the original story was a genius painter who dominated the era.

His name was Ershayne Roger.

His father was a priest, and his mother was a highly respected nobleman. However, only her reputation was the only remarkable thing about her. Ershayne’s maternal family decided to sell off their daughters instead of giving them a title, forcing them into the marriage market to feed many mouths.

Among them, Ershayne’s mother was the luckiest. She fell in love with the priest who rescued her and gave birth to Ershayne.

So far, it was a happy ending.

However, it was only up to that point.

Ershayne’s first misfortune was being born into a poor family, and the second one arose when he fell in love with something he shouldn’t have.

One Sunday, while he was quietly strolling through the cathedral, he noticed a beautiful statue at the end of his gaze.

It was a particularly rainy day as even in the afternoon, not a single ray of sunlight had penetrated the cathedral, creating a somber atmosphere.

On that day, Ershayne stood silently in front of the saint’s statue for quite some time.

That was his first love.

He had fallen in love with art.

Unlike his father, who found sanctity in religion through that sculpture, the son chose a different path.

If it hadn’t been for that, the first misfortune of poverty might not have affected him so tragically. But the love that came unexpectedly during adolescence intensely shattered him, weathered, and wore him down.

His talent, like an uncut gem, grew to resemble the beautiful pieces he loved.

The masterpiece he left behind was “My Myriam”, which depicted the female protagonist, Diana Caser.

Myriam was not only the name of Milena’s mother, but it was also the name of a certain saint.

A saint that once made the land fertile with her own blood.

Adored by the people, she protected the empire though countless sculptures and paintings.

And one of them, the most famous one, resembled Diana Caser; the essence of Ershayne’s profound yet selfless love.

Perhaps that’s why it didn’t become a masterpiece that would go down in history?

His sublime creations were something that people willingly admired, but art without emotion cannot exist.

That’s why, when I opened my eyes and realized that I had become ‘Milena Roam,’ the first thing I felt was disappointment.

If only the wedding vows haven’t already been completed, I could have taken the sub-male lead route…

How nice it would be to not have to worry about dying. Besides, Rochester had a lot of money, and was already sponsoring multiple artists, so even if I were to add one more to the lot, people probably wouldn’t have noticed the difference.

Alas, my happy dreams ended as soon as I heard the name ‘Milena Roam’.

Roam.

My beginning….

And Milena’s end.

My gaze swept over the first floor, scanning Siegfried surrounded by people.

He was treating them with the same polite but distant demeanor he treated me with before his mother passed away.

It seems that side won’t be a problem; I thought before moving closer to look at the unrealistically beautiful man standing in front of the railing.

If Siegfried was the epitome of perfection, Ershayne embodied delicacy crafted with gentle lines.

Between his slender fingers, this charcoal had become something far more mysterious than mere burnt wood.

The man was deeply immersed in the scenery he was observing. Most of the time, those who were passionately dedicated to a particular field tend to emit this compelling charm into the hearts of others.

He wasn’t just a secondary male lead in the novel.

He would work on weekdays and display his paintings on the street during the weekends.

But without the help of a friend who had succeeded in life thanks to his amazing social skills, Ershayne wouldn’t have been here.

His destiny was to remain unknown until the heroine recognized his talent, but…

Someday, he will surpass even the friend who brought him here.

With that thought in mind, I tried to walk pass Ershayne.

The person who was going to save me was not him, but myself; he was no longer an option.

I knew that, so I was just  going to leave.

What stopped me at that moment was the blood seeping through his shirt as he was absorbed in his painting. The vivid red hue on the side of his strong arm was provocative. And when he pressed that area with his hand, even more blood stained the shirt. My healer instincts compelled me to stop, itching my fingertips to address the issue.

Even with such a handsome face, there must still be traces of whipping on his back.

Being an artist costs a lot of money, and Ershayne mainly worked as a servant, doing various odd jobs to make ends meet.

And due to his good looks, he was hated by his employers and often treated unfairly.

Nevertheless, because his hands couldn’t be damaged, he could not wield a sword or do labor-intensive work that paid more.

Originally, at this point, the heroine should have become Roam’s new hostess and saved him…

I glanced once again at my husband, who was standing in the middle of the hall on the first floor. He still seems uninterested in this side.

The heroine is running late; i thought.

Because of me.

Was it because of the guilt I felt? Or was it a sense of relief that my husband wasn’t seeing this?

“That’s an impressive sketch.”

I spoke as though I didn’t know anything, Words coming out faster than the concerns filling my head.

But wait, was there ever a scene in the original where Milena meets the secondary male lead in this novel?

“… I don’t think you are on the guest list, am I mistaken?”

If I was going to ask my husband to help me save him, plausible justifications would be needed.

Although, saying that I saw something curious in front of the stairs as I was walking out of the room would be an interesting story.

At the sound of the voice that was going to change his fate, Ershayne’s handsome face left the paper and turned towards me.

His eyes, seen up close, were very red, and his wavy brown hair brushed across his face.

“If you’re an intruder, I think I should know,” I added.

But instead of an answer, red eyes carefully scanned my face.

“May I know the name of the person who disturbed my party?” I persisted.

As expected of a second male lead; his boldness was out of the ordinary.

“A name would do.”

But I didn’t back down either.

“I’m the person hosting this ball.”

“…….”

“If the ball is so unpleasant that you don’t go out into the hall and enjoy yourself, I wanted to know why. And if you were truly an intruder, I was curious about what kind of amazing picture you thought you could paint that you’d dared sneak into Roam.”

“I am accompanying Benjamin who is under the patronage of Baron Renell.”

At the mention of Roam, the answer came rather quickly.

“The ball is splendid. I couldn’t take my eyes off the hall, so I had no choice but to capture it.”

“You seem quite skilled. Why haven’t I heard your name before?” I spoke again, glancing at his sketchbook. “I would like to know your affiliation.”

Ershayne struggled to replied to the question.

“Your mentor?” I insisted.

No answer came back this time either. As expected.

Now that I had sized up his artistic talent, I was about to tell him that I would inform my husband, and that he’d be looking for him soon. I thought this would be a neat and tidy conclusion, but……

“Madame.”

A cold voice finally replied.

“Of all the things I’ve seen, you are the most beautiful.”

So straightforwardly.

“Do you know that you’re very charming?”

Not understanding what he was trying to say, I frowned as I looked at him.

“I don’t want to cause or receive any unnecessary misunderstandings.” he then added, shifting his gaze to Siegfried standing in the middle of the hall.

Fortunately, my husband wasn’t looking our way.

“You are trying a very effective way to kill talent, madam.”

With those words, he slapped his sketchbook shut, politely bow, and left.

And as I stared at his retreating figure, I held my breath.

I didn’t think his response was an overreaction. There must be a reason for him to become such a wounded soul.

As a handsome man, and a genius artist, he would be a target of jealousy and caution for any other man under the same roof.

There were conspicuous bloodstains on the vest that seemed to have been borrowed from somewhere.

[Of all the things I’ve seen, you are the most beautiful.]

… As I pondered on his words, I couldn’t take my mind off the bloodstains.

Even when he is injured like that, this man didn’t give up the opportunity to draw Roam.

By the way.

Could it be that I have had a greater influence on leading Ershain into the world of art than the sculpture itself…? I joked inwardly, wondering if he got lost inside the cathedral when I was younger and missed the chance to see the sculpture for him to call me the most beautiful thing he has ever seen.

Fortunately, the incident from earlier quickly faded away before it could become a topic of discussion.

The imperial couple, holding their invitation, appeared late, giving rise to a new topic of conversation.

And it was no coincidence.

In social circles, there is no such thing as coincidence.

Every single move was bound to have its own purpose and intention.

It seemed the royal family wanted to express their dissatisfaction regarding the cancelation of the imperial ball.

In the meantime, the emperor kept eying Siegfried, looking like he was caught in the middle of something and was worried.

I gathered myself, descended the stairs planning to greet the couple, and when I reached the first, Siegfried immediately wrapped his arm around my waist, and greeted them as well.

I subtly glanced at him.

Seeing that his demeanor was no different from before, I turned my gaze forward again, and addressed the royal couple.

“Thank you for gracing us with your presence.”

The Empress tried to respond to my words with the usual compliments, but I unscrupulously interrupted her.

“Although.”

“…….”

“You’ve missed the beautiful dance of our beloved Jane. What a pity.pity”

The Empress’s lips twitched slightly in response to my comment subtly pointing out her tardiness.

Even the nobles, who were enthusiastically praising Jane earlier, turned their attention to me.

‘Beloved Jane.’

It was an expression imbued with an intimacy they couldn’t casually use.

Something only I could say.

“Even if Your Majesty,  the Empress were to encourage Jane to dance again, it wouldn’t be the same as the first time,” I smiled beautifully, indifferent to people’s gazes.

After all, my husband said I could behave more wickedly, and that Roam would bear the consequences of all my actions.

“It’s regrettable that you arrived late to such a beautiful ball. It seems the Imperial Court maids don’t know how to hurry,” I continued.

Living here was hard, so whenever an opportunity to hit back arose, I had to seize it

I had no intention of living a life where I’m taken advantage of like a fool.

The protagonist of this carefully prepared debutante should be Jane herself, not the late imperial family.

“Of course,  madam.” Catherine Pembrooke replied, curving her plump lips.

Her manner of speaking was clear, and there was a sharp hint of hostility in her eyes.

With such a face, she spoke kindly to me.

“That necklace suits you so well. And this mansion… it’s truly beautiful.”

“…….”

“Next time, I’ll make sure not to be late. Thank you for kindly reminding me of something I had forgotten. Lady Roam is as nice as ever.”

Then, leaving these words behind, she walked pass me, the emperor following after her while everyone else present stared at me with bated breath.

It was a first.

The first time being a Roam didn’t feel suffocating but on the contrary liberating.

However, that thought only lasted less than a minute.

“…Well done by the way.”

A husky voice whispered in my ear.

“What made you so late?”

“Upstairs,… my wife found something pretty,”  he said fiercely as if he were trying to bite my ear off.

“You are playing tricks again…is there something that you want?”

My heart raced. I knew that I had to give a good answer.