I Think My Husband is a Murderer

It was a bright moonlit night. It meant that it was the perfect day to hold a banquet. Fortunately, the dress she prepared was said to have been delivered to Edith Prim. Johannes rested his chin on the back of his hand and wondered if what I had done would have helped the outcome at all. It started out as a curiosity that was nothing special. Will Edith Prim protect her pride? Sadly, it was just a joke that wasn’t that big of a deal. But it’s just a minor prank that isn’t that serious. And there was no intention of backing off the prank until the report came in.

 

“I received a call from Mrs. Marilyn, and it looks like Miss Prim is not doing well.”

 

Fret Gunner continued, straightening his posture.

 

“I heard you sent me a thin muslin dress,” she said. “No matter how hot you are, it’s the middle of winter, so I think this is a bit of an unreasonable outfit.”

 

In short, it meant asking if you had any thoughts. In fact, even for Johannes himself, it was an action that was problematic based on common sense.

 

“So you said you were going to wear it?”

 

“It seems like that, seeing as there wasn’t much to say on Mrs. Marilyn’s part.”

 

She was an extremely foolish woman.

 

“If you have an idea, you will figure it out.”

 

Johannes said. Then Fret Gunner defended Edith.

 

“But it would be difficult for Miss Prim, who grew up as a commoner, to refuse the master’s gift.”

 

“You’re foolish.”

 

“It’s not foolish…”

 

Fret Gunner shut her up. Anyway, no matter how much I explain, my boss, who was born a great nobleman, will not understand.

 

“Are you ready for the banquet?”

 

As expected, Johannes did not consider the story about Edith Prim as a big deal and quickly moved on from the topic. After sighing, Fret Gunner answered.

 

“It’s perfect. All the nobles were present.”

 

“Okay, good job.”

 

Johannes gave a brief congratulatory message to him, who seemed to have complicated feelings. Darkness descended on the office. Johannes, left alone, tapped his desk regularly with his long fingers. Then he looked away. There was a thick white shawl neatly folded in one corner of the desk. He came prepared with a dress. From the beginning, he had no intention of sending only the dress. But I clearly saw him shivering because he was cold, and to think that he kept avoiding me with such a ridiculous excuse… It seems like he really doesn’t like me. In other words, it was a shameful crime. Ordinary Docilian nobles are not affected by the weather. They were always self-indulgent and were not afraid of the bitter sea breeze or the sky. These were people who were willing to wear clothes that did not fit the season as long as it allowed them to shine. However, Edith Prim did not grow up as a Docilian noblewoman. He didn’t know that either. Was it severe? You can’t hurt yourself.

 

Johannes sighed and picked up the shawl. Then he moved his long legs and left the office, heading towards where Edith was staying. After walking along the corridor for a while, an absurd scene unfolded. Rather than anger, laughter came out.

 

“I didn’t expect the prestige of the Shultz family to fall to this level.”

 

As he spoke, barely able to swallow the curse that was about to come out, eyes like the green of dawn looked at him.

 

* * *

 

The frozen man let go of his grip on his neck. I just sat down on the floor. I coughed endlessly. Even as I was cooing, I felt a cold gaze on my head. When I came to my senses, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the man hesitating and taking a step back. After catching his breath, he slowly raised his head. Johannes walked out slowly from the center of the marble corridor, wearing a pitch black tailcoat. His well-ironed tailcoat fell perfectly on his broad shoulders. He looked like the main character of the banquet. In his right hand was an embroidered white shawl, which did not look very fitting. The ice-cold eyes that had been directed at me returned to the man.

 

“It looks like things are worse than I thought.”

 

Johannes continued speaking while maintaining a dry expression.

 

“Seeing as how you tried to do such a big thing inside my castle.”

 

“No! That, that…”

 

The man’s hands trembled like aspen trees. He stood there hesitantly, not knowing what to do, like a hyena that had encountered a predator.

 

“I feel like I’m just an intruder sent by the royal family…!”

 

Johannes slowly approached, ignoring the man speaking gibberish. He walked past the very frightened man and extended his hand to me. As I held his large hands together and stood up, Johannes draped the shawl he was holding over my shoulders. Then he turned to the man. The straight closed lips opened. A dry voice came out.

 

“Count of Swabia. In Count So’s eyes, this young lady looks like an intruder.”

 

Johannes winked at me and spoke with admiration.

 

“At best, she seems like an ordinary lady who can’t even learn self-defense skills. It seems that Count So is so undecided that he cannot distinguish such things.”

 

Meanwhile, Count Swabia, who had been glaring at me, took a deep breath. Meanwhile, Johannes’ sharp words continued.

 

“It looks like the Schwaben family’s bloody bloodline doesn’t fade away no matter how many generations pass by.”

 

Count So opened his eyes wide. His body trembled as if he couldn’t take it any longer, and then he started spitting and screaming.

 

“Do not insult our family’s honor!”

 

“I don’t know if I have the honor to insult you.”

 

Unlike Count So, who got angry all the time, Johannes spoke in a voice that had no pitch. It even seemed like he didn’t think he was insulting the other person at all.

 

“I thought it was amazing to see an illegitimate child doing such crazy things, but I didn’t know there was an even bigger squire here.”

 

Although he acted as if he had no intention of being sarcastic in the slightest, the truth is actually more bitter. Count Sowa of Swabia’s face, reflected in the faint moonlight, was dark red, to the point of red.

 

“…What did you just say! Your Majesty the Duke, I will not tolerate any further disrespect…!”

 

“Do you think it is acceptable to be rude to my fiancé?”

 

Johannes tilted his head. At the same time, the shoulders of the Count of Swabia, which had been raised a lot, went down. He looked down at me with disgust as I stood staggering.

 

“As expected, you don’t look surprised. I’m telling you that I knew you were my fiancé.”

 

“That-!”

 

“I will contact the Count separately. He raised his son born with the Countess and his illegitimate son in the same way, and the depth of his denial is unparalleled.”

 

In short, I will tell your father everything, so you can take care of everything. This was said in a very noble way. Then Count So pointed a point at me and shouted.

 

“Oh, no. I was just trying to be loyal to that woman because I thought she might be a spy.”

 

“Didn’t your father send a spy in a dress to Castle Evanstein?”

 

At the sharp voice, Count Schwabenso jumped up and threw up his hands.

 

“Absolutely not! How can you be so rude…!”

 

“Then wouldn’t it make sense that she should have come straight to me with the woman in tow?”

 

Johannes’ voice became more subdued as he glanced at me.

 

“Unless the Count of Swabia is deeply involved in the dirty deeds of an illegitimate child, there is no reason for her to be strangling her like this.”

 

Count So opened his eyes wide. He had the expression of someone who had hit the nail on the head.

 

“The Count’s prestige has fallen a lot these days due to the ridiculous scandal with Banux. Then shouldn’t we be more careful about taking out our anger on useless people?”

 

Looking at the way he, who had always been quick to keep his mouth shut, was unable to respond, it seemed that Johannes had not said anything wrong.

 

Johannes spoke coldly to Count So, whose eyes were about to pop out.

 

“If you wait well at home, we will take appropriate action against the count’s family soon.”

 

* * *

 

As the Count of Swabia ran away with a red-faced face, Johannes and I were the only ones left in the gentleman’s corridor.

 

“Thank you-”

 

“How did we get here? I won’t stay in the palace until I attend the banquet.”

 

He cut me off and asked with a hard look on his face. A little while ago, he spoke in a voice that seemed to have no emotion at all, but now he sounded angry. Does this mean it’s okay to hide your feelings from the nobles and still be angry with me? What took the place of relief was resentment. I looked up straight at Johannes’ stern face. Did he react that way not because he was worried about me, but because Count So had harmed someone who would become a member of the dukedom? 

 

I didn’t know that I would completely ignore it when it wasn’t worth using. Anyway, that’s true. I almost died. I can still clearly feel the feeling of being strangled.

 

“I asked why are you here? The banquet is starting soon.”

 

When I didn’t answer, he asked back with an even more stiff face. Ah, are you angry because you think you won’t be able to attend the banquet on time? I need to announce my marriage and spread the news quickly so that the public will be excited, but I almost can’t? A bitter smile escaped me. My heart soared. I answered in a slightly sharp voice.

 

“I’m lost.”

 

“There would be no reason to get lost at this time. Shouldn’t we be busy preparing for the banquet?”

 

I felt like I had to make an excuse because Johannes was snapping at me.

 

“I had a headache. The speed is tedious. It’s noisy outside, but I don’t think things will get better if I stay in my room… I couldn’t mess up the banquet, so I got permission from Marilyn and went out to get some fresh air…”

 

As I kept making excuses, I felt even more unfair and sad. The strength in his shoulders disappeared in an instant.

 

“I don’t know why I’m trying so desperately to explain this. Why are you so angry at me…?”

 

“When will I get angry-”

 

“You paid it. You didn’t yell.”

 

I looked up at him with narrowed eyebrows.

 

“I’m sorry for making a fuss. I know you are worried that the banquet will be disrupted. But I’m not the only one who thought something like this would happen. I didn’t expect to meet a stranger strangling my neck in the castle… I couldn’t even imagine it.”

 

Then he said, stroking the back of his neck where he felt hot pain.

 

“Of course, I know it’s presumptuous to want you to worry. But can’t you just ask if it’s okay to say empty words?”

 

I was happy, relieved, and grateful that that man saved me from almost being killed by both mice and birds without me knowing. Funny enough, when he put the shawl around me, I felt like he was my ‘real’ husband. But the only thing that came back was a question as to why I was here. Even while angry. What’s so big about coming in here? How can you talk to someone who almost died like that with a straight face? I continued to speak, pushing through the rising emotions.

 

“For me. I was so relieved that the Duke came.”

 

“…that.”

 

“I know this is presumptuous. But I must say this.”

 

The atmosphere calmed down in an instant.

 

“Even if it’s just a facade, I hope you don’t forget that I am the one who will become your wife.”

 

Johannes made no response to that. Is it absurd that I am being presumptuous? Acting as if she were my real wife…? I don’t know. Fortunately, he seemed to be taking my condition into consideration, so he didn’t get angry anymore. He just stared at me with a strange face. I smiled bitterly and bowed deeply.

 

“Thank you so much for saving my life.”

 

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