Married to a Man who Wants to Kill me

 

 

It was impossible for Ian, who always kept an eye on Duke Bledel, not to know about Madam Leven, and since he was still waiting for me to speak, I had to come up with a suitable answer anyway.

 

“Just because we’re family doesn’t mean we have to see eye to eye. It’s just that…… I wasn’t the daughter my father wanted.”

 

He pursed his lips as if asking for something more, but I beat him to it, eager to change the subject.

 

“There’s going to be an article coming out soon, covering the scandals of the nobility. It might get pretty loud.”

 

“Is it the work of the Locale newspaper?”

 

Ian didn’t seem very surprised. It seemed that he’d already done his background check on Colin Berrid.

 

“Don’t worry, there won’t be anything against you. Oh, and I’d like to hold a charity auction at the appropriate time.”

 

“A charity auction?”

 

Ian stared at me, a little puzzled.

 

“Sponsoring the Locale newspaper will make the Duke’s faction a little more flexible. I think we can proceed without difficulty if you, the emperor, help us.”

 

“Why would you do that?”

 

“I want to donate some of the proceeds from there to…….”

 

“No. I’m asking for a more fundamental reason.”

 

Ian had long since stopped eating, and I could hear the intent in his sharp voice as he sifted through my thoughts.

 

“It’s personal.”

 

“Are you preparing to leave as you mentioned before?”

 

The look in Ian’s eyes as he spoke the words was uncharacteristic, and I couldn’t help but feel that he had noticed something.

 

Since I didn’t answer, Ian, who was confident in his assumption, asked again.

 

“Why?”

 

“…….”

 

“I have a feeling that you want to get out of the Imperial Palace as soon as possible.”

 

Today, Ian’s persistent questioning seemed relentless. I found it a bit strange, but I could only speculate that he wanted to obtain some clue about Duke Bledel from me.

 

I felt a little overwhelmed by our prolonged conversation, but he was persistent, urging me to answer. I wondered if he was finally willing to listen to Lethenia’s story.

 

He asked me why I wanted to leave. I had only one answer. I looked straight at him and said,”

 

“To avoid dying at your hands.”

 

His gaze seemed a little blank.

 

“You said that last time, too. Do you really think I can kill you?”

 

As soon as he talked about Lethenia, my heart beat slightly faster as I remembered the burning scene I saw in my dream. I gulped down the water in front of me.

 

“Because all that matters to you is Asha, and I am the daughter of the man who would take your precious Asha from you, and no matter who wins, I will be miserable.”

 

“There is no way I will kill you.”

 

The way he spoke so firmly brought a bitter smile to my face. Yes, maybe he hadn’t intended to kill her at first.

 

But as circumstances changed and he fell deeper in love with Rosetin, he naturally changed his mind. Even if Ian does not sentence Lethenia to death, she would eventually have to be dethroned as Empress.

 

And that was a death sentence for her.

 

“Yes, if I’m lucky, I’ll be at your mercy, but one thing’s for sure…… one day you’ll dethrone me, won’t you?”

 

Ian’s mouth fell open, unable to say anything. His reaction made me feel a little down, but I pressed on.

 

“I’m just trying to find my own way in life for when that happens, so whatever you do, I hope you don’t look at it through tinted glasses, and please don’t take this the wrong way, because this has nothing to do with the Bledel family, and I don’t want to bump into you anymore anyway.”

 

“…….”

 

“I’ll get up now. And I hope we can skip this kind of meal from now on. We’re not close enough to see each other and eat.”

 

As soon as I finished speaking, I stood up from my chair. The sight of Ian sitting alone at the large table seemed somehow lonely, but I didn’t feel sorry for him.

 

*****

 

Now that I am in charge of Brilland Farm, I could travel relatively freely. As Ian had said, I would attract unnecessary attention if I were to wander the streets.

 

Unlike the clothes I wore inside the palace, I was dressed plainly and simply. I took a deep breath and left the room.

 

Before I left the main entrance, Ian sent someone to escort me once more, but I declined.

 

I was going to meet Henry Child under the pretext of visiting the farm today. I didn’t like the idea of being followed around by a bunch of people, and I wanted to go alone, but my status as an Empress made that impossible.

 

I left the palace with a group of attendants, including the affable and easy-going squire, Douglas.

 

Bright sunlight streamed in through the carriage’s small window. In bright daylight, Asha’s square was bustling with people, unlike before, when the only noise was coming near the tavern.

 

The lively energy permeated the carriage and made me feel excited.

 

There were children running around, people shouting and fighting, vendors hawking their wares, and many other people going about their busy lives.

 

It was a very different atmosphere from the stuffy and static palace.

 

The carriage ran for a long time without stopping. At one point, the outside of the window turned into a natural landscape of green and yellow.

 

Henry Child, Rachel’s lover, spent his nights gambling and meeting noblewomen, and his days running a small fortune-telling parlor. It was sort of like a psychological counseling center, but given that most of his clients were middle-aged women with husbands, it could go either way.

 

Whether it was genuine fortune-telling or something else, the parlor was located in an area slightly away from the palace and conveniently close to Briland Farm.

 

The carriage swayed like a boat in a storm as we traveled on the bumpy roads. Perhaps because it was a remote place, the road was not very good. Just as I was getting tired of the motion sickness-inducing ride, the carriage stopped.

 

I arrived at my destination. As I walked a little on the winding road, I found a small cabin. It looked more like a family home than a fortune-telling parlor.

 

Knock knock!

 

There was no response. I knocked on the door again and it creaked open. It didn’t seem to be locked in the first place. Upon entering, I felt a subconscious sense of alarm at the strange interior.

 

Aside from the clear crystal ball in the center of the table, the room was filled with bizarre objects, including a doll’s costume with strange patterns on it, unrecognizable animal bones, and a staff crudely studded with expensive jewelry.

 

Strange bottles of medicine rolled around near the brazier on one side of the dark and dull wall. Did he set it up to look like a fortune teller?

 

It was a place that felt like a fraud even at a glance. While looking around the inside with wary eyes, someone entered through the door opposite.

 

“First time seeing a lady like you here.”

 

It was Henry Child, his collar half undone and slightly disheveled, his hazel eyes sparkling.

 

His strange gaze swept me up and down. When our eyes met, he grinned in the most seductive way possible.

 

Compared to his portrait, he seemed much more lascivious. I couldn’t tell if he was a man or a woman, but his appearance gave off a strange aura.

 

Her skin is as white as Lethenia, with crimson lips and a captivating smile and an androgynous voice.

 

In a way, it feels like I’m looking at a handsome woman, and in a way, I feel like I’m looking at a pretty man.

 

“Oh, my.”

 

Just then, the woman behind him spotted me and hurriedly covered her face with a fan. Her hair was disheveled, and her dress was wrinkled here and there.

 

The nameless woman didn’t even bother to greet me before hurrying away. It was obvious that something had happened between them behind the cabin.

 

This was no ordinary fortune-telling parlor, after all. He suddenly walked right up to me and stuck his face in my face.

 

I was so surprised that I couldn’t even step back, and my body froze. Looking at the man’s face up close, he gave off a strangely eerie feeling, like a different species.

 

“You know,” he said, “I sense a very intriguing aura about you, and it’s very attractive.”

 

Intriguing aura? I shot him a defensive glance. He squinted and murmured something strange.

 

“Wait…… those purple eyes…… seem familiar. Have we met before?”

 

“Don’t be silly. I’m not here for what you think.”

 

With a discerning look at my stern expression, he buttoned up his clothes. Then, he let out a small sigh and spoke with a slightly deflated voice.

 

“Hmmm, I see you’ve come for a special purpose. It’s a real disappointment to have my heart race like this for nothing.”

 

He flopped down in front of the table first. I sat across from him and made eye contact with him. Henry Child raised his chin and showed a mischievous smile.

 

“What’s the matter? I’m sure you didn’t come here just to have your fortune read, right?”

 

I didn’t want to take too much time in a place like this, where I didn’t know when another secret visitor would show up. I decided to speak bluntly.

 

“You’re seeing Rachel Bledel, aren’t you?”

 

His eyebrows twitched slightly at the mention of Rachel, and the corners of his mouth curled up even further.

 

The sparkling eyes that were full of curiosity now began to exude a subtly aggressive vibe.

 

“Well…… don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“The dawn’s sunset. That seems to be a pretty useful thing for you.”

 

His eyes slowly closed and opened with a languid expression. However, his eyes, which harbored a unique radiance, sharpened like he was quickly trying to read the other person’s intentions. Observing his response, I continued speaking.

 

“From what I’ve been able to find, it was once a treasure passed down from generation to generation in an ordinary noble family in Xenos, but when the war broke out, the family went into hiding for years, traveling from country to country.”

 

“…….”

 

“Then, shortly after the father died, his son, the heir apparent, bribed Duke Bledel with the family treasure in exchange for becoming a commoner of Asha.”

 

“…….”

 

“I think it was around that time that you and Rachel started dating…… You two must have hit it off pretty well, seeing as how you’ve been together for so many years.”