I Think My Husband is a Murderer

It was well past 6 o’clock.

 

Johannes sat in the Schultz Duke’s carriage, staring at the burning end of his cigarette with a dry look in his eyes. He repeatedly gestured towards his watch.

 

He had assigned guards, and there was no expectation that Edith would cause any trouble.

 

However, he continued to feel uneasy.

 

“If you continue like this, Madam will never open her heart to you.”

 

Perhaps it was because of Gunner Prett’s words.

 

Unnecessary. Johannes soon flicked the cigarette he had between his fingers.

 

When he regained his composure, he found himself in front of a house. Through the window, lively sounds and warm lights were emanating from inside.

 

It seemed like they were having a joyful time, enough for time to fly by unnoticed.

 

Had that woman ever acted so cheerfully before? It felt strangely unpleasant.

 

When Johannes cleared his throat, a knock on the door came from the Schultz Duke’s coachman.

 

“Who…”

 

A little later, Mrs. Penciller came out with a puzzled expression. Alternating between the Schultz Duke’s carriage and Johannes, she went inside the house in surprise.

 

Before long, Edith Prim appeared with a stern expression, cheeks tinged with red.

 

For some reason, it felt like she was looking at him with subtle caution during their conversations.

 

The woman’s gaze changed every time they spoke. Initially, it seemed like she was somewhat pleased, but it quickly turned dark.

 

What on earth?

 

As Edith’s reaction was being gauged, an unexpected response came.

 

“Johannes, I know you love me endlessly, but there’s no need for you to come to pick me up like this.”

 

As if someone had forced her to speak in a lovely voice, she pulled her face in, as if making a forced smile.

 

“What…”

 

It was the moment Johannes faintly narrowed his forehead.

 

The door opened with a bang, and Mrs. Penciller shouted with an exaggerated voice.

 

“Edith, I’ve kept you here for too long! It hasn’t been long since you got married, and you’re already so thoughtless.”

 

Then she laughed heartily.

 

As she stepped out, the slightly ajar door revealed the inside of the house. It was so narrow that you could see the kitchen and living room from the entrance.

 

Johannes’ thick eyebrows gathered in the middle.

 

Now, he finally understood why Edith felt different than usual. He chuckled softly.

 

“Scandian?”

 

***

 

Throughout the journey back to Evanstein Castle, I couldn’t utter a single word.

 

Johannes didn’t mind that Sina feared him. Instead, he wondered if she had been staying illegally in Dochlia, even finishing an identity check.

 

I know why he acted that way. But…

 

After getting off the carriage, I headed straight to my office. As I approached, Ahin came towards me.

 

“Madam, a letter has arrived for you.”

 

“A letter…?”

 

Did someone send me a letter? As I tilted my head in confusion, Ahin handed me a letter, saying, “It’s from Mrs. Penciller.”

 

Did Mrs. Penciller mention sending me a letter? I might have forgotten.

 

“Thank you.”

 

I opened the letter Ahin handed me and, upon finding the letterhead, paused.

 

It was the same type of paper as the pile of mail in front of the house a little while ago.

 

It wasn’t from Mucen.

 

“Did Mrs. Penciller send it from somewhere else?”

 

I initially thought little of it, but when I saw the writing at the top, I couldn’t move.

 

“Father…?”

 

Because the handwriting on the letter was unmistakably that of my late father.

 

Thoughts about Johannes had long disappeared.

 

As I stood frozen without any reaction, Ahin asked with a worried look, “Madam, is it bad news? You don’t look well.”

 

“Huh…? Oh, it’s nothing.”

 

[Edith, I cannot come forward at the moment, so I send this letter.]

 

Reading the sentence at the top, I nodded my head slightly. Since he mentioned not being able to come forward, I couldn’t reveal that it was a letter from my father.

 

Although Ahin seemed skeptical, he nodded his head discreetly.

 

“I can’t be sure of the letter’s authenticity…”

 

My hands involuntarily tightened.

 

After sending Ahin out of the office, I continued reading the rest of the letter.

 

The letter was filled with incomprehensible contents.

 

References to words my father mentioned during his service, claiming to be hiding even though alive, and even suggesting not to tell her husband and asking him to come find her.

 

“What is this…?”

 

My father’s handwriting was unmistakable. But my father had passed away. Even if he were alive…

 

“He wouldn’t contact me like this.”

 

If he wanted me to recognize him, wouldn’t he have used a different method instead of making me uneasy?

 

“Who on earth is playing such a prank?”

 

Could it be the person who sent all those letters to the mailbox in front of the house?

 

I took out the crumpled letter from my bag.

 

The handwriting was different, but the letterhead was the same. What were the odds that two different people would send a similar suspicious letter to the same person?

 

Could someone be doing this just to ruin my marriage with Johannes?

 

If not that, there would be no reason to add not to inform Johannes.

 

However, upon deeper reflection, there is no reason for someone to go through the trouble of investigating me, finding out about the relationship with Mrs. Penciller, and forging my father’s handwriting to approach me in this way.

 

If, by any chance, it is my father…

 

I didn’t want to harbor false hope, but merely thinking about it wouldn’t reveal anything.

 

“First, I need to find out where the letter was sent from.”

 

Swallowing my dry throat, I put the letter away.

 

—

 

Will he not come today either?

 

Johannes stared at the firmly closed bedroom door, thinking it might be the case.

 

Even when he heard the truth about the murder case, he seemed visibly shocked. That’s probably why he didn’t return to the bedroom and spent the night in the office.

 

So he won’t come in again this time.

 

If the Skandian Continent person heard the story about General Schutz, he seemed to avoid me subtly, even inside the carriage.

 

Maybe he’ll keep his distance from me in the future.

 

But I didn’t want him to go through the trouble of coming to get Edith. If it’s uncomfortable, she’ll come back someday.

 

There wasn’t really a reason for me to step forward and explain.

 

Getting misunderstood by someone is familiar.

 

He was sure of that. However, when Edith entered the room, Johannes felt an inexplicable sense of relief.

 

He raised his upper body, leaning against the bed.

 

Edith’s face was shaded with a deep shadow. She sighed deeply and silently approached, lying down next to Johannes as if nothing happened.

 

The tension she had before was completely gone, replaced by a calm appearance.

 

Johannes’ face showed confusion at the abrupt change of attitude. 

 

“Did something happen in that short time?”

 

Johannes looked at Edith lying nonchalantly under the blanket.

 

There was no sign of tension or anything unusual in her demeanor.

 

Suddenly, Johannes felt a sense of relief.

 

He couldn’t help but ask impulsively, “Is something wrong?”

 

“No. I’m just tired.”

 

The prompt response was even more bewildering.

 

“What…?”

 

Johannes frowned faintly. Edith was never a person who didn’t show emotion. He wondered if he misunderstood her behavior earlier.

 

After a moment of thought, he asked, “It seems like you have something to say.”

 

At least, it should be okay to ask.

 

Edith looked up at Johannes with slow blinking eyes. Her eyes, matching with the forest green, met his.

 

Her thick lips let out an unexpected answer.

 

“Ah… Thank you.”

 

Johannes’ eyebrows faintly furrowed.

 

What was she thanking him for? Why didn’t she ask anything after going through such a near-death experience?

 

“Why are you thanking me?”

 

“You came to pick me up. Weren’t you expecting words of gratitude for that…?”

 

Edith blinked her eyes slowly. It seemed like a face that said, “Isn’t there anything else?”

 

Johannes chuckled.

 

“I didn’t know Madam considered me such a despicable person.”

 

A confused expression spread over Edith’s face as she sat up from the bed. The shadow that had spread over her face disappeared.

 

“…What? I thought you were acting as the duke, who came to pick up his beloved wife. But since you cared for me, I wanted to express my gratitude…”

 

“Why would I always treat you hypocritically?”

 

Of course, he was the one who said that theirs wasn’t a typical marriage. But wasn’t it him who always treated her as the real duchess? Whatever the process, he was always a person faithful to the result.

 

It might be a temporary situation, but Johannes considered Edith a real duchess. The reason might be different, but he had always been true to the result.

 

Of course, he didn’t know how long it would last.

 

This might be why Edith was avoiding him since hearing about the murder case.

 

Maybe she is leading a protest against me.

 

Johannes couldn’t figure out why Edith, who hated him so much before, didn’t ask anything. However…

 

“I feel like you have something to say.”

 

Edith denied Johannes’ question.

 

“I don’t think that way, of course. I know you are taking care of me excessively, so I’m trying to keep my boundaries. Anyway, we are without love—”

 

“Why are you so sure? Emotions can develop.”

 

Even when they had their first kiss, she seemed to hate it so much. She looked pretty repulsed.

 

Johannes intercepted her words as she didn’t finish. He wrapped his arm around her waist and laid her down on the bed.

 

In an instant, Johannes climbed on top of her.

 

Tilting his head slightly, he asked, “So, did you come to the bed like this with no trouble?”

 

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Translator Note:

 

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