After the duke left, Railey couldn’t fall asleep for a while.
It wasn’t because she was uncertain about whether or not to go through with her plan—her mind was already made up.
It was more the mix of emotions: the relief that Walter had finally acknowledged her hardships, the strategizing on how best to deceive Margaret going forward, and various other tangled thoughts swirling in her head…
All those feelings churned inside her, completely banishing any drowsiness.
In the end, she gave up trying to force herself to sleep and got out of bed.
She stepped out onto the terrace for some fresh air, hoping it would clear her mind.
‘Margaret’s quarters are far from here… But maybe I still feel uneasy just knowing she’s nearby.’
She needed to quickly win Margaret over, receive the magical artifact, and obtain decisive testimony.
She was ready to do whatever it took to make that happen.
With that resolve, she walked from the terrace toward the garden—when an unexpected voice called out.
“…Lady Railey? Where are you going at this hour…?”
“Huh…?”
She turned toward the youthful voice and saw a small figure standing in the shadows beneath a tree in the moonlight.
Though cloaked in a deeply pulled-down robe unlike his usual appearance, the voice was unmistakably her husband, Serge.
“Young Master Serge?”
“Yes—ah, could you please not come any closer? I’m not properly dressed…”
He backed further into the darkness, almost as if he was on guard.
Thanks to her knowledge of the original story, Railey quickly figured out what was going on.
‘He must have his fox ears or tail showing…’
Young beastfolk especially struggled to control their magic, sometimes leaving them stuck in a half-human, half-animal form. That likely explained the robe covering him from head to toe.
“Alright. I won’t come any closer.”
“…Thank you. But… you didn’t answer my question…”
“Ah…”
Only then did Railey recall that he had asked where she was going at this late hour.
“I wasn’t really going anywhere. I just couldn’t sleep, so I came out for a walk.”
“That’s a relief…”
“A relief?”
“I was worried… Maybe that nanny woman called you out to torment you or something…”
“Ah…”
“Even though it’s safe inside the duchy… just in case, I think it’d be better not to go out at night.”
“…Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry.”
“Ah—no! There’s no need to apologize…”
Serge flailed his arms in panic, and Railey couldn’t help but smile at how adorable he looked.
“And you, Young Master Serge? What brings you all the way out here? This is quite far from the East Wing.”
“…!”
As soon as he heard the question, he flinched and lowered his head.
Even though the lighting was dim and only his silhouette was visible, his emotions were plain to see.
“A f-fox…”
“Pardon?”
“Sometimes… a fox comes to the estate…”
Why is he bringing that up now?
Unaware of Railey’s confusion, Serge awkwardly continued with his excuse.
“I followed it here because it seemed to be heading this way… I was worried it might cause trouble…”
“I see. Though it looked like a clever fox, so I didn’t think it would cause any problems.”
“…”
Railey looked at her hesitant husband and paused to think.
Saying he followed a fox was clearly an excuse.
But why would he come near her quarters while still unstable in his human form?
As if responding to her unspoken question, Serge spoke again.
“More importantly… Lady Railey.”
“Yes?”
“Has… anything bad happened to you?”
His voice was filled with concern.
Come to think of it, he had said something similar earlier too.
“I was worried… that maybe the nanny called for you just to harass you or something like that…”
‘Was he… guarding the area out of concern for me?’
Maybe his father had told Serge what he witnessed in fox form regarding the nanny.
Could it be that Serge had been keeping watch out of worry for her?
She was so moved by the thought that she couldn’t respond right away.
Sensing her silence, Serge quickly added.
“If nothing happened, then that’s good. I’ll be going, then…”
It was as if he had used up all his courage for this interaction—he hesitated, ready to withdraw.
Railey quickly stopped him.
“Ah, wait…!”
“…?”
Even if he was her husband, they had just barely met.
She would eventually leave this household; he was supposed to be just a passing acquaintance.
But no matter how heartless she thought herself to be, in this moment, she truly wanted to cherish the kindness and connection he had shown.
That’s why she believed it was only right to share the truth with him.
“To be honest… yes, something significant happened while you and Father-in-law were away.”
“…!”
“I already told Father-in-law about it earlier… but if it’s alright, may I tell you as well?”
“O-of course!”
“But if you’d rather not talk about it now, we can wait until tomorrow morning.”
“No.”
Serge replied more firmly than usual.
“Since Father already knows, I should too. Please tell me now.”
Railey nodded, unaware of the subtle defiance in his voice.
“Yes, then it might take a little while…”
Knowing that her husband deliberately avoided showing himself, she stayed where she was and began speaking.
The nanny compelled her to commit a deed as despicable as that of a spy. Using this against the nanny and her family to ensure they face due punishment is her intent. To secure the magical artifact and conclusive evidence, she plans to take matters into her own hands.
From the shadows, Serge listened quietly to Railey’s words.
His expression was hidden, and Railey began to worry slightly.
‘…What if, unlike Father-in-law, he feels disgusted?’
The fact that her family—the family he had just married into—was such trash… was enough to make anyone feel repulsed by her too.
“Lady Railey.”
“Y-Yes? If I’ve offended you…”
“I agree with my father.”
“…Pardon?”
Railey blinked in surprise at the unexpected words.
“Even if you do nothing… Father will take care of it properly.”
“…”
“There’s no need for you to bother with that nanny, who’s worse than trash. We could just get rid of her as early as tomorrow…”
“I don’t want to trouble the ducal family.”
“I wouldn’t consider that trouble…”
“No, truthfully, that’s just an excuse. It’s more that… I don’t want to leave any loose ends.”
Serge inhaled, surprised.
Railey knew her father-in-law to be a gentle and soft person.
Such a person would likely act within the bounds of the law—and that wouldn’t be enough to truly take down the Viscount family.
That’s why she wanted to set a trap and end things for good.
Serge stayed silent after hearing her reasoning.
In truth, he had pulled a face when she described his father as “gentle and soft,” but Railey couldn’t have known that.
Mistaking his silence, she mumbled in a small voice.
“Am I… a strange person?”
“What?”
“I mean, even though they’re my birth parents, I’m treating them so coldly…”
Her heart was firm. Her decision would not change.
But a part of her still wondered if she was broken inside—to feel no hesitation about punishing her own parents.
She feared her husband or father-in-law might come to despise her.
However…
As soon as he heard her words, Serge answered firmly.
“The strange ones aren’t you… they’re your parents.”
“…!”
“A child doesn’t get to choose their parents. So at the very least… shouldn’t they have the right to dispose of parents who failed to act like ones?”
~~~
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