The Villain Is Obsessed With His Fake Wife

6. Why are you apologizing?

Somehow, Betty’s care seemed more polarized. Even after dinner, Betty grabbed her snack right away.

“My Lady. Shall I bring you more of your favorite dessert?”

“I ate dinner and dessert.”

“Then would something like a simple cookie be better?”

“Yes, please.”

Come to think of it, even before Betty, he seemed to have been trying to feed her something. Could this be John’s command?

‘Because if the target of revenge starves to death, that will be difficult too.’

Still, it was good that she continued to eat delicious things. When she was living with the Duke of Libertan, she thought she didn’t like to eat very much. She had no favorite food, and she had no appetite. But that was because she hadn’t eaten properly.

‘I never thought food would be this delicious.’

She thought that she might not be able to eat like this again, so she ate every meal she could.

‘Today’s dinner was also delicious.’

In particular, the grilled scallops, which the chef paid special attention to, melted in her mouth. As if they had been prepared in advance, Betty quickly brought snacks. However, Betty’s expression, which had been smiling brightly just before, had darkened slightly.

“Betty. What’s going on?”

“Oh, nothing, Lady.”

Having said that, Betty asked her.

“By the way, did you say you were going to the study before going to bed today?”

She nodded and added.

“Yes, I heard that the mansion is a place where I can go as I please. Did the Duke, by any chance, be displeased with me going in and out of the study?”

Unlike ordinary aristocratic wives, as a false wife, she had nothing to do in this mansion. Since everyone knew that they are not even actually married, there was no way she had any authority.

‘But I have to do anything to escape.’

So what she chose was to go to the study in the annex building. The Duke Blanchett family had several libraries in the mansion befitting a ducal family reconstructed with great care by the dark side, so even the annex had a huge library.

‘I don’t know if there’s any information I want.’

Still, it’s better than doing nothing. She could make an excuse that she went there because she wanted to read a book. However, it was a risk since they could say she was moving without the Duke’s permission.

“If that’s the case, it’s okay if you tell me honestly.”

Come to think of it, it might be annoying for the fake wife to go around on her own.

“Ah. It’s not like that. The master also allowed it.”

After a moment of silence, Betty opened her mouth slowly.

“…I wanted you to ignore anyone you meet in the study.”

“Why, who is in the study?”

“Even among the employees, he is famous for his filthy and strange personality. So, if he says anything strange, just ignore it.”

“It’s so strange that Betty talks like that.”

“You’d do best in the mansion if you said something offensive.”

She was not sure who it was, but she nodded at Betty’s kind warning.

‘Is this the person I saw in the original story?’

However, even thinking about the original work, she didn’t think there were any characters who appeared in the study.

* * *

But unlike Betty’s words, she didn’t have a big sense of crisis. Honestly, the reason she went to the study was to get information. To be precise, to find information about the Warlock.

‘John is a warlock.’

The boy who lost everything had only one way to get revenge. Becoming a black magician was taboo in the empire. So, with the help of his maternal grandfather, a black magician who lived in seclusion, John sacrificed everything and became a black magician. And he slowly ruined the Duke of Libertan from below while disguising his appearance with black magic.

‘Was it precisely the magic that interfered with face recognition?’

If the Duke of Libertan recognizes John from the moment he appeared, his revenge may be disrupted. It was probably the magic that was put in place to prevent that part.

‘I’m sure all the magic has been removed now.’

Anyway, black magic was a very important tool for John’s revenge. And she didn’t know anything about this black magic that would continue to come out. Even in the original work, she didn’t solve the black magician well because it wasn’t related to her.

‘If I want to escape, I need to know about black magic.’

Knowing the warlock’s weakness would make things easier.

‘I can’t help it if I’m not in the study.’

Still, if she was the arrogant black magician she thought of, she would have put a book on black magic in the study where she could go. John’s study was the largest room downstairs. The door was so big that it was easy to find. 

Kiki- 

The moment she tried to open the door, she almost bumped into a man trying to get out.

“Sorry.”

He was a tall handsome man with blue-grey eyes and long navy hair tied in a ponytail. The man first apologized and tried to get out of the door, but hardened as he looked at her face.

“Nice to see you. Are you the madam who came this time?”

“Yes. That’s right.”

He calmly placed his right hand on his chest and lightly bowed his head.

“It is an honor to meet you. My name is Baron Erich Boulogne, master’s aide.”

Overall, he was a sensitive-looking beauty. He was a man who looked more suited to the adjective “pretty” rather than handsome. However, his eyes and expression were sharp, so he gave off a cold impression.

‘Baron Erich Boulogne.’

He did the dirty work as the shadow of John, the black man. And he, like John, was also a figure who hated the Duke of Libertan. Maybe that’s why, along with Patricia, the maid, she was the supporting character he hated the most.

“Nice to meet you, Baron Boulogne.”

“I am also glad to see you like this.”

As evidence of that, unresolved hatred leaked out of his blue-grey eyes.

“Madam, what are you doing in your study?”

“Ah. I’m here to find a book to pass the time.”

Fortunately, Erich was one of the important people, so he knew about the past.

‘He’s from a Libertan vassal family.’

The Baron of Boulogne was a loyalist family that had served the Duke of Libertan for a long time. And it was also an upright family that gave advice to the current Libertan duchy. However, the Duke of Libertan, a scumbag, used and abandoned such a loyal family, the Baron de Boulogne. Even that was not enough, and he even destroyed the Boulogne family for confirmation.

‘Probably because it was dangerous because it was the chess piece used to accuse the Blanchett family of treason.’

It was truly an act of the trash Duke of Libertan. She fully understood how he felt, but it made her uncomfortable to see the raw hatred on his face to the point of stinging and crying.

‘This must be the bad-tempered person Betty was talking about, right?’

“How about the Blanchett Mansion? Are there any inconveniences in your stay?”

“No. It’s been a while since I came, but everyone is so kind and nice.”

“It certainly looks that way.”

Apparently, unlike John, Erich wasn’t good at hiding his emotions.

“Seeing you go in and out of the master’s study without thinking about anything just because you’re bored.”

Even listening to the sarcastic voice, she laughed casually.

“Wasn’t I supposed to come here?”

“Not necessarily. It’s a space where even the important servants of the mansion can come and go.”

Erich laughed at her with hostile eyes.

“It’s just that Madam doesn’t seem to know her situation yet.”

“…”

“This is not Libertan. It’s not a place where you can walk around carelessly with a smile on your face. I want you to know that.”

It was her situation that he was pinching. Her marriage with John was not normal. She was the bride brought from the Duke of Blanchett after paying off the huge debt of the Duke of Libertan. So, like other brides, she did not bring a single dowry. If she hadn’t been in such a hated position, she probably wouldn’t have been treated normally.

“It’s not like you never know what will happen to the Duke of Libertan that you trust.”

There was a strange delight in his voice. Especially when he mentioned the Duke of Libertan, he felt a stronger sense of pleasure.

‘The day has finally come when the Libertan dukedom will fall due to treason.’

Although there was no exact evidence, it seemed difficult for him to be so confident with something that has not already happened.

‘Then, it’s not enough that I got married into an enemy’s family, and the family has even fallen due to treason.’

It’s a very unusual marriage in her opinion. But she also had quite a few unfair parts.

‘So we’re not actually married? He was just pretending to be married.’

In order to be recognized as a couple in the Empire, both parties must submit a marriage registration agreement. In this case, it did not matter if you obtained the permission of the head of household instead. However, John only received the marriage registration and did not submit it. To mock her for believing that they were a real couple.

“Do you understand what I mean?”

Erich arrogantly crossed his arms and looked down at her.

“I didn’t know the level of the new Madam, so I kindly explained it, but I didn’t consider the possibility that it was lower than that level.”

“…I understood.”

I lowered my long eyelashes and nodded.

“I’m sorry for coming to the study on my own. Maybe, I was so excited that I forgot my situation.”

Erich was still looking at her with a cold gaze.

‘But I got all the permission.’

It wasn’t enough that she asked Betty, she got confirmation twice through John! But talking about it didn’t change anything. Because there was no way the person who hated her would know.

‘I’m really used to this situation.’

In the Duke of Libertan, it was more than this. She was accused of being a lowly commoner who dared to step over the position of their beloved daughter.

‘Compared to that…’

Verbal insults didn’t hurt much. Because what really hurted was something else. Erich furrowed his eyebrows at her innocent answer.

“So you’re saying you’re familiar with your situation now?”

“Well. Although it may not be as much as Baron Boulogne wants.”

“Then, it seems that Madame is a person who speaks easily.”

Why the hell was he arguing so much? Maybe if he saw her crying, he would be able to clear his intuition. Should she squeeze out some tears? But even though she wanted to cry, the tears didn’t come out right away. She was really good at crying before.

“If there is anything shameful about the madam, I don’t think I would be able to walk around in this mansion.”

Erich bit her lip lightly as he contemplated the reaction he wanted.

“…Sorry.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s because I’m a hostess who doesn’t live up to the Baron’s expectations. Then it must be my fault.”

Then, a strange ripple arose in Erich’s bluish-grey eyes.

“I’m sorry, you mean?”

Taking it as a positive sign, she met his eyes and held his hands together.

“Maybe I won’t be a good hostess to please the Baron in the future, but I’ll at least try my best not to cause trouble.”

Then, the wave of emotion that had spread through his blue-gray eyes began to fluctuate even more. Erich clenched and opened his fist, biting his teeth tightly.

‘Did I answer wrong?’

It seemed that he was even more angry when she, the daughter of Libertan, readily apologized. Crying and shouting evil might have been a more desirable response.

“…why…”

He asked in a strained voice.

“What do you know that you are apologizing for?”

In the end, Erich, unable to keep his hand still, distorted that sensitive face. It was a face full of pain.

“But there is nothing I can do but apologize.”

In response to her calm reply, Erich eventually left her behind.

“A subject you know nothing about.”

He left, leaving a single word as if chewing.

* * * 

All the obstructions were gone, but when she heard the news of Libertan’s fall, she didn’t want to stay in the study.

‘Let’s not give any excuse.’

So, following Betty’s advice, she went straight back to her room and tried to sleep. If it wasn’t for John who knocked on her door late at night.

“Madam, are you sleeping?”

Even late at night, John was wearing a suit without any disturbance. In his bosom, he was holding a gorgeous bouquet of red roses. She looked at the bouquet with surprised eyes. Then he waved the bouquet leisurely and gave a languid smile.

“A long-planned project is over. So I was going to give my wife a bouquet of flowers to celebrate.”

As expected, it seemed that the Duke of Libertan had fallen today.

‘Great.’

Those evil bastards must be properly destroyed. Even if her life took a little more twist, she genuinely enjoyed Libertan’s downfall.

“I don’t know if you like these flowers, madam.”

John approached and put a bouquet of roses in her arms.

‘It doesn’t smell like anything.’

Upon closer inspection, these flowers were not real flowers, but artificial flowers. She thought the rose was particularly attractive, and the stamens were made of jewels.

“It is really pretty.”

It’s not a real flower, but a flower made of jewels. Darkness had a different scale of spending money. She tried to touch the petals, wondering if they were made of jewels, but unfortunately they weren’t.

‘As a gift, artificial flowers seem to be better than real flowers.’

She suddenly remembered the flowers she received as a birthday present from Libertan. She was surprised to find a bug in the middle of the flower. At the moment, she checked this flower nervously, not knowing that there might be bugs in it.

‘Fortunately there are no bugs.’

John asked with strangely red eyes.

“Fortunately, you seem to like my flowers.”

“Yes. This is the first gift the Duke gave me.”

This was the first time she had ever received a proper gift, so her heart was pounding involuntarily.

‘Is this also to seduce me?’

Maybe it’s because he’s a black man with tremendous information power, so he knew the information that she hated bugs and gave her the harmony on purpose.

“I will cherish it.”

John took a flower from the bouquet in her arms and smiled sweetly and put the flower in her ear.

“Flowers go very well with my wife. Make the gift worthwhile.”

“Is that a compliment?”

“Of course it’s a compliment. Because that’s what I want most from my wife.”

“Then I’m happy too.”

She smiled at John’s face.

“If I fulfilled your wishes in some way.”

Then, strangely, the corner of his mouth felt strangely hardened. In particular, it seemed that his fingertips were slightly tense.

‘Are you hungry?’

If Libertan had been accused of treason, it would have been difficult to eat in the meantime. Come to think of it, due to his dark personality, he might have starved on such an important day.

‘How important food is.’

She didn’t know how lucky she was to have the cookies Betty took care of at this time. It wouldn’t be a proper meal, but it’s still better than not eating. Putting the bouquet aside, she pulled out Betty’s cookies and handed them to John.

“It’s nothing special, but would you like some cookies?”

“Teddy bear cookies?”

“Actually, it’s not just teddy bears, there are also rabbits and chicks here.”

John’s expression changed more subtly. It seemed a little strange that John came out of her room right away with cookies. Well, originally noble ladies didn’t live with things like this.

“I heard you finished a project you’ve been planning for a long time.”

“So you want to give it to me?”

“Yes. The only thing I can give you right now is this.”

Even these cookies came from the Duke’s kitchen, so it was a bit embarrassing. But still, she decided to go out boldly.

“Congratulations, I will pray that everything goes well for the Duke in the future.”

Then John’s eyes darkened. Looking at the cookie, he didn’t open his mouth for a moment. An uncomfortable silence ensued.

‘But on the day I succeed in revenge, I have to eat something nicer than cookies.’

It seemed absurd that he only received a cookie.

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