I Healed my Husband, the Leader of the Underworld

“As expected, Lord Rennell. Your discerning eye for art is truly remarkable.”

The person referred to as “Lord Rennell” nodded graciously at the compliment.

Although lacking the grandeur worthy of being addressed as a lord, Benjamin had no qualms about calling him that.

“By the way, there’s an artist I’d like to introduce to y…” Benjamin trailed off, turning his head as he noticed the sudden hush that had overcome the surroundings.

Subtly, he glanced in the direction where everyone’s attention seemed to be fixated on.

Siegfried Roam; he said inwardly.

The master of this place.

As he was passionately kissed his wife in a display of ego, everyone could not hide their shock.

And the place where the eyes of such scary man had been directed towards was….

Roger.

In a hurry, Benjamin gave the baron a courtesy and quickly walked quickly.

Fortunately, Ershayne was no longer in the ballroom, but just as he was about to return to his activities with relief after scanning the main entrance, something got caught under his foot and made him to look down.

Beneath his wrinkled eyebrows, his dark eyes spotted something, and he swiftly picked it up.

“Oh, that crazy bastard,” he muttered.

What he held in his hand was a crumpled and rolled up piece of paper.

His confused eyes skimmed over what looked like a sketch of Mrs. Roam. Yes, despite the effort to conceal the muse’s identity with the zigzag lines on her face, it was all too obvious who the person on the canvas was.

What kind of crazy person would bring a sketchbook to a ball like this…; Benjamin thought as he anxiously looked around before stuffing the damn paper in his pocket.

But at that moment, someone firmly grabbed his hand.

“My name is Andrew Harrison, the chief aide of His Excellency, the Duke of Roam.”

“…….”

“If you don’t mind, may I take a look at what you just put in your pocket?”

.

.

.

“Was my wife fond of men who draw?”

With the crumpled paper in his hands, Siegfried Roam seemed to be deep in thought.

And Harrison, who had brought him to the lounge with the intention of revealing something of great important, was prepared to abide by whatever decision Siegfried would make.

However, Siegfried was calmer than expected, and the aide could guess the reason thanks to the faint traces of red lipstick on his master’s jacket sleeve.

After examining the paper a few times, Siegfried handed it back to him.

It was sign for Harrison to dispose of it himself.

The paper, that is.

“Here I was thinking there was only one competitor,” Siegfried chuckled. “My wife seems to be attracted to various types of bastards, isn’t she?”

“How about dealing with this matter discreetly.”

Andrew Harrison, true to his role as a competent aide, reached a clear conclusion.

“And what if my wife come to despise me?”

“…….”

“Milena won’t be pleased if I kill him.”

Siegfried’s way of thinking was equally straightforward.

“She might fall for another man after. And It won’t be possible to deal with every man the same way, each time.”

“We could attach someone to her.”

“My wife would be frightened.”

“…That’s true. If we handle it the Roan way, Madam might get scared.”

Andrew fully agreed.

Milena was Rochester’s precious jade. For a woman who had beheld and experienced only beauty and goodness, Roam’s shadows would seem far too dark. Scaring her would not be the right way to make her embrace Roam.

“Of course, that’s to be expected. Milena is adorable.”

Siegfried’s expression indicated deep contemplation.

Andrew too was lost in thought. He was carefully considering whether it was truly possible for the word “adorable” to come out of Siegfried’s mouth.

And indeed, it was no hallucination.

“Still, it doesn’t matter,” Siegfried said arrogantly. “After all, it’s only natural for the most superior male to occupy Milena’s side.”

With that, he rose from his seat and began to walk away.

“… Your Grace.”

Perhaps because Harrison was no longer looking at his master’s face, he finally managed to muster up the courage to bring up the topic that had been on his mind.

“Aren’t you angry?”

“Perhaps she was lonely,” Siegfried replied without looking back. “it’s my fault.”

* * *

Roam felt like a deep darkness.

The closer I got to it, the farther away everything bright and good that once surrounded me seemed to be.

I didn’t want to imagine how the Imperial Family would treat me from now on. I had challenged the Empress in public, and she didn’t seem pleased at all.

If the palace and my family continued to drift away like this, the only I’d left would be Roam, so I had no choice but to be alert.

Numerous thoughts raced through my mind.

If my abilities were to falter in this situation; if Siegfried were to realize that Diana was a more useful than I was….

I hurriedly began to look for Diana, hoping that my gamble was the right choice.

I wanted to know about her.

Now that Siegfried is finally out of the way, it’s the perfect opportunity.

There would be no second chances.

After our kiss ended, I told Siegfried that I would go fix my makeup and return to his side, but he took the lipstick from his aide’s hands and applied it to my lips himself.

“Open up, Milena,” he had said, his relentless eyes scanning my trembling lips.

As my lips quivered and parted, his gaze lingered on my tender skin. He held my chin, delicately rubbing the lipstick on my lips, turning them red.

Even though I said that I could do it on my own, instead of answering, he just moved my hand out of the way, thus every bit of my trembling was clearly conveyed to him through this touch.

Even after he finished his task, he continued to silently gaze at the space between my lips and when I asked him if something was wrong, he replied:

“No.You are just so beautiful.”

I was even more frightened by his dry, and straightforward words.

“…How come it’s so tender and sweet? Your tongue,” he had added.

His whispering voice was still ringing in my ears.

Since then, Siegfried has stood by me relentlessly, claiming that everything happened because he let me go.

That was until Andrew Harrison came to get him.

When he left, I finally had a chance to find Diana, so I busied myself through the party hall.

Where are you, Diana….

As time passed, my heart grew increasingly anxious. I had to find her.

Right now.

if not….

There she is.

My eyes flashed with excitement when i finally spot her Indigo hair and light blue eyes.

My heart was pounding in my chest.

My mind was crowded with what to say to Diana. And just as i was about to take a step towards her…

“You always seem so busy.”

I was blocked by the Empress’s beautiful smile.

“People who has a lot of desires can’t indulge in laziness, can they?”

The Empress was truly an ambitious woman.

Eager to rise to the highest position, she gladly sat beside the aging Emperor, who had lost his wife.

She knew that Roam wasn’t an option.

Siegfried Roam is a dangerous man after all.

So, in the end, she chose stability over inevitable destruction, and was pleased with the outcome.

But……was she still satisfied with her choice?

“Once again, the necklace suits you really well, Lady Roam.”

Her eyes were always full of curiosity when she looked at me.

The Empress seemed to wonder when I would fall apart, and whether her choice would be proven right.

That’s why she always stayed neutral.

I was an intriguing subject of observation for her.

It had to be Roam, not her, who broke me.

It was a pity that what the Empress envied was this precarious position.

To me, it seemed utterly ridiculous that this position was so coveted.

“Thank you, Your Majesty,” I finally replied, putting on a perfect smile.

Then, remembering that she had just complimented my necklace, i added,

“My husband said to think of his eyes every time I look at it. It’s such a thoughtful gift.”

“Is that so?” The Empress replied as nonchalantly as she could, but her lips were twisted in a subtle frown.

“It’s hard to believe that Duke Roam would ever say such a thing.”

It was a reasonable doubt.

Even I couldn’t imagine Siegfried saying such words.

“Thank you,” I casually brushed off her sharp observation with gratefulness.

After spending two years in high society, I was adept at this sort of thing.

“I don’t think we should keep the protagonist of the ball waiting for too long. Would it be alright for me to step way?”

“…….”

“Jane has already been waiting for quite some time. Although Your Majesty can make her wait, I’m in a position where i cannot neglect my husband’s sister.”

“Of course.”

Although the Empress’ lips were smiling, her eyes, which were scanning me, were not.

With nothing more to say to her, I turned away and glanced around.

I had thought I had finally found Diana, but it seemed like I would have to look for her all over again.

Still, I comforted myself, thinking I had handled the Empress well, and was about to take a step forward when….

“I hope to see the Duchess’ smile often in the future.”

The Empress’s chilly voice echoed.

“After all, that blue diamond has an interesting story behind it.”

I turned back to look at her, and the Empress continued to speak without changing her cold expression.

“How do you think that necklace ended up in your hands, Duchess?”

There was something similar to this diamond in my previous life.

The famous Hope Diamond.

Known as the diamond that devour its owner, it inevitably brought a tragic end to whoever possessed it. The eerie, deep blue color seemed ominously captivating, just like the deep sea.

“The Marquis of Edinburgh was fascinated by that diamond and wanted to prove that the curse was merely superstition. The result was a letter sent to from Roam,” The Empress continued in a singing tone.

“The desire for a quiet eradication was written in that letter. Thanks to the precious affection of a husband who wanted to give his wife the most valuable gift, the Duke ultimately prove the curse to be true,” she added, weaking a winner’s smile. “I wish you luck.”

But I was doomed. It was ironic to find out about that fact just when i was desperately looking for Diana so I could survive.

I casually shifted my steps towards the balconies, feeling the same way I did when I ran to the stable I after the butler’s funeral.

I turned my back to the Empress with a smile, but her voice did not leave my mind.

First, I needed to catch my breath.

I believed that I would feel better once I breathed in some fresh air.

So, opening the door of the first balcony I could find, I entered wherever it led to….

“Siegfried?”

Coincidently, my husband was also there.

As he slightly turned his head towards me, our gazes met in the empty place.

I thought I had a lot to say to him, but it all instantly faded away.

It must have been because he was unrealistically beautiful under that stupid moonlight.

It was so quiet, even the sound of my breathing could be clearly head in the darkness.

Darkness.

A madman.

Destruction and gaps.

Siegfried crushed the expensive cigar against the railing and then threw it over without hesitation.

“Who did this?”

What did I look like in his predatory eyes?

“… Tell me, Milena.”

The scent of his cigar filling the balcony was intoxicating to the point of clouding my mind.

In a world enveloped by the atmosphere he created, unaffected by it all, the man walked towards me, lowered his head and whispered in my ear.

“Who did this to you?”

He seemed to be asking who made me like this.