20. I think he loves my mistress
Estelle’s clear blue eyes shook greatly. Long, white eyelashes trembled. Estelle’s hand holding hers also trembled.
“Hey, what about the Duke?”
“What?”
John did not kindly answer Estelle’s question.
“Why did the man I married destroy my family?”
He slowly watched the woman’s reaction. His heart was beating fast, and the warmth of his hands, embarrassed and affectionately holding hers, slipped away.
“I don’t know. How can I know when the Duke won’t tell me anything?”
Estelle, who lowered her head for a moment, opened her mouth.
“Did my parents get arrested for false accusations?”
“No.”
Estelle slowly lifted her head and met John’s eyes. He felt her uneasiness and trembling in the shrunken shoulders.
“They were arrested for the crime they committed.”
Faux treason was also treated as treason in the Empire. This was because treason was a very serious sin. Especially when entire families had been uprooted and gone, like the Blanchett duchess.
“Then, how can I blame the Duke?”
A bitter smile hung on Estelle’s lips.
“Even if the Duke destroyed the Libertan duchy, if that was the right thing to do.”
As Estelle spat out those words, there was a sadness that could not be hidden and a faintness that seemed to be about to crumble. John unknowingly clenched a fist into the hand that did not cover the woman.
‘She’s a really funny woman.’
He always thought she was innocent and naive without thinking. He also thought that she was putting too much trust in her husband. Because no one had even the slightest suspicion towards strangers. Rather, that part was so suspicious that John tried to seduce the woman more and find something hidden in it. But now it was more difficult to know.
‘Why, my reaction is so different?’
Her husband ruined the parents she loved so much? Even if John hadn’t seen the family fall in front of his eyes, he would have vowed revenge. He was a demon who would pay back many times over even if he died. But Estelle even asked John with her eyes wide open.
“Did the Duke have anything to avoid from the Duke of Libertan? Is that why you directly brought down the Duke of Libertan?”
“Well.”
“But then it doesn’t make any more sense, then why did you bring me into this house?”
Not knowing that he was trying to kill her, the eyes that blindly believed in him and looked at him were funny. It’s earlier than expected, but he felt like he should end the play now.
‘I can’t do that.’
The reason was simple.
‘To end it like this.’
His gaze went back to the nape of the woman’s neck. A thin, delicate neck that could be covered all with one hand of him.
‘Because I can kill her anytime.’
Johan said to Estelle with a friendly smile.
“Don’t take it too seriously. Even if the Duke of Libertan fell for treason, my wife’s situation would not change.”
“…why?”
“Because I want my wife to be in the Blanchett duchy.”
A languid smile spread across John’s lips.
“So my wife just needs to stay the way she is now.”
* * *
Betty realized that the atmosphere in the Blanchett family had changed drastically recently.
“Betty. Tomorrow is the day the madam is going to meet the Duke and Duchess of Libertan, isn’t it?”
“Yes. that’s right.”
“Then bring her this.”
The chef prepared a new snack for the madam and secretly poked it at Betty.
“We’re always available, but she doesn’t ask us well.”
“Maybe the madam will like it too.”
“Okay. Tell them to cheer up.”
Betty walked away with the snacks the chef had stabbed. Even those who hated the Duke of Libertan no longer hated Estelle. She was too pure, innocent, and not libertine.
‘Everyone thought the madam’s innocence was also unpleasant.’
Suddenly, everyone began to accept the existence of the mistress differently from Libertan. Even if she didn’t say it with her mouth, her actions definitely felt that way.
‘Maid Patricia is like that too.’
Patricia, along with Erich, belonged to the most hardliners in the Blanchett family. Even if she was adopted, she couldn’t forgive Estelle, and she didn’t even want to understand that, and she even tried to bully her directly. But now, Patricia seemed to serve Estelle wholeheartedly.
“Betty. Assist in everything so that the mistress is as comfortable as possible. Even if I am on probation, there will be more children who will follow me. In that case, tell them my name and follow the madam.”
“Can I really use the name of the head maid?”
“It was something the maid should have done for the new lady. It’s just that what I’m doing now is slow.”
Betty was amazed at how many people changed.
‘But the most surprising thing of all…’
The master. While Madame Estelle didn’t wake up, John seemed strangely out of his mind.
‘This is the first time my master has been so surprised.’
Since John always controlled his emotions well, the outpouring of emotions that he hadn’t managed to capture was very surprising. John even came to Madame Estelle’s side at any time and place and nursed her all night. It was something that Madame Estelle, who was unconscious, could not understand.
‘And those eyes.’
John’s expression as he took care of the sick Estelle and held her hand was so heartbreaking.
‘Even though he told me not to tell her.’
No matter how you look at it, it was not an attitude to deal with the target of revenge, as he was restless and secretly called all kinds of doctors for fear that the madam would not wake up. Strangely, it wasn’t just this. Even when Betty was presumptuous to John, she tried not to tell Estelle’s story. If it were the original John, he should have fired Betty from the maid position. He would have at least separated him from Estelle’s side. Because John had been brutally clearing out any human beings who got in the way of his plans. But John’s reaction was different.
“Doing well.”
“…what?”
“Has my wife ever had another hardship or pain?”
Contrary to the fear of severe punishment, John praised Betty.
“From now on, stay by her side, help her and make her feel comfortable.”
And he passed it on without asking what kind of story Betty was hiding. It’s a series of things that were not like Duke Blanchett’s. But it wasn’t a bad thing.
‘Because the madam was abused by the Duke of Libertan.’
Betty was happy that Estelle’s situation was getting better little by little.
‘By the way, what if she has an incurable disease, as Viscount Henry feared?’
In fact, in the Duke Blanchett family, there were rumors that could not be ignored that Madame Estelle, who had collapsed for no reason, had an incurable disease. Estelle, of course, smiled casually and explained that her original body was just weak.
“Like the Duke, I think he thinks I’m too weak. You don’t have to treat me so delicately.”
The more Estelle laughed so innocently, the more Betty’s heart broke. It was as if that pure smile was created just to survive, to endure harsh conditions.
‘She’s such a nice person.’
Estelle was more concerned about the feelings of Betty, the other person around her, than about her own wounds. The more Betty spent her time with Estelle, the more she became saddened by the memories of Estelle’s scars on such a pretty, delicate body. She, of course, had some people whom she began to harbor a stronger antipathy for. It was Erich, Betty’s older brother.
“Did you come to bring that snack to the lady?”
After returning from a mission, Erich found Betty. Erich was annoyed at Betty in a sensitive voice.
“I asked you not to pay too much attention to her. But should my sister keep ignoring me like that?”
“Ha. Brother.”
Betty replied with a sigh.
“The madam may not be who we thought.”
“Betty. Are you going to keep doing that too?”
Erich glared at Betty annoyedly with his arms crossed.
“You are obsessed with that woman. She passed on a kind smile. Even though you’re the only one who gets hurt.”
“It’s not like that. Just madam…”
“Stop.”
In the meantime, Betty and Erich were siblings who had rarely fought. But now, the two would fight every time the story of Estelle came up.
“If you’re going to stand up for that woman, let’s never see each other’s face again.”
Eventually, Erich let out a deep sigh and went back in anger. Betty beat him in the chest in frustration and resentment.
‘Really, Madame is not that kind of person…’
To make matters worse, Estelle’s body was getting weaker every day. Estelle herself didn’t feel it, but her stamina was much lower than before, and her sleeping time was getting longer. She even shed tears and talked to herself more often when she wasn’t looking.
‘Even if you pretend not to be, you must be having a hard time. Even if they are hateful to us, they must have been precious parents to you.’
However, there was nothing Betty could do without Estelle speaking to her first. Because Betty was also the one who judged and tried to deceive Estelle. She feared that her victim, Estelle, would do something she didn’t want to.
She arrived at Estelle’s room. She knocked.
“My lady. The chef made tiramisu for you and brought it to you. Would you like to try it?”
“Come in.”
As soon as Estelle saw the tiramisu, she smiled faintly.
“Tell the chef thank you for taking care of me.”
“Yes. Okay.”
Betty watched Estelle eat tiramisu with her tea. She then carefully opened her mouth.
“My lady. You’re going to see ma’am’s parents tomorrow, right?”
“That’s right. I’m going to see them.”
“Tomorrow that trash… no. Would you mind seeing the Duke and Duchess of Libertan? It may be difficult…”
“What can be difficult?”
It was common for abused adopted children to want to meet their abusive adoptive family. But even so, Betty’s heart ached as it seemed that the madam’s behavior in front of her was further misunderstanding between Master John and Erich’s brother.
“I’m going to see them because I want to. Originally, we should have been in prison together, but I ended up outside, undeservedly.”
No. It’s not so, madam. Madam was greatly abused by the Duke of Libertan… how do you think Betty cried as she squeezed Estelle’s hand. A lot of talk came up to her throat, but there was not much Betty could say. She had only one question to ask.
“My lady. What do you think of the master?”
“That…”
When the story of John came up, Estelle’s face hardened slightly.
“I do not know either. I want to be a good wife.”
Her calm light pink platinum hair was dull, giving the impression that it would disappear at any moment. It was like a beautiful mirage.
“My lady. It may be presumptuous, but…”
“No, take it easy.”
“Anyway, the master…”
Betty brought out the words that had been on her mind.
“I think he loves the madam.”
“Really?”
Estelle, who had a surprised expression for a moment, gave a bashful laugh.
“Is the duke really doing this because he loves me?”
Betty tried to give Estelle as much confidence and peace of mind as possible. and so the next day. The day came when Estelle went to see the Duke and Duchess of Libertan.
* * *
It’s the day she went to see the Duke and Duchess of Libertan. She prepared while waiting on Betty. She waited for this day to come, but to be honest, it was a little difficult for it to come.
‘I didn’t know John would ask such a question.’
She wondered if they were already trying to get rid of her, so she was very scared.
‘Honestly, I don’t care what happens to the Libertan couple.’
She didn’t know how her mind was organized so easily, but at some point her blind love for the Duke and Duchess of Libertan completely disappeared as if it had run out. So now she really felt like a stranger.
‘I just need to know a clue about my curse.’
Of course, the curse itself has to do with the fact that she was a fairy. So, unfortunately, there was nothing she could tell people.
‘I’d rather John’s behavior is unsettling, but I can understand it.’
Since she said that she would meet the Duke and Duchess of Libertan, he hasn’t appeared at all. That’s what happened often in the original work anyway. But what struck her the most was the behavior of the Blanchett family!
“It’s fine, lady. Everything will be fine.”
Like Betty who suddenly comforted her and hugged her and cried.
“I arranged it so that the lady can do the duties of the duchess comfortably at any time. So use me as you please. Originally, subordinates were meant to use it this way.”
Patricia, who had been looking at her while on probation and looked at her with a blunt but sad expression.
“My lady, cheer up.”
The sudden increase in the number of meals and the extremely polite attitude of the servants of the Blanchett family were also very strange. Even Erich was like that.
“I don’t trust you, but… This is just my conscience at least.”
The man, who had been quarreling with her every time, gave her a present while making a strange expression. Fearing that it might be a cursed object, she was afraid to even unwrap it.
‘…Could it be that they are being so nice to me now to deal with the treason and get rid of me?’
Originally, death row prisoners were treated best the day before they died.
‘I’m not going to go to jail like this, right?’
However, when she arrived at the imperial prison, John did not act the way she expected.
“Can I go in alone?”
“You have an escort, Betty.”
He was John, who thought she would unconditionally be with the Duke and Duchess of Libertan.
“It might get in the way of your quiet time with your parents.”
“Can I do that? Still, the Duke of Libertan was wronged for treason…”
“Of course, from my point of view, I don’t like my wife going to see the Duke and Duchess of Libertan. Because they are traitors. Your wife might get involved by mistake, right?”
John points out her dangerous situation and puts his hand on her shoulder.
“But since it was a request from my wife. Regardless of that, I’m trying to make it happen the way she wants it most. Do you like it?”
“…yes. I like it.”
She didn’t even know if he would lose the chance to face the Duke and Duchess of Libertan if she just said she was anxious.
“I’ll be back.”
“If there’s a commotion instead, I’ll get right in. I can’t concede that.”
She looked back before entering with Betty. John shook his hand.
“Don’t forget that I am there.”
It sounded somehow meaningful.
* * *
There was a loud noise outside. The sound of the guards moving. The Duke and Duchess of Libertan, who were imprisoned, reacted sensitively to the sound. And into the dark cell, Estelle, their adopted daughter, slowly appeared. Next to her was a brown-haired lady-in-waiting who said she had become the Duchess Blanchett. If you look at her well-dressed, you might mistakenly think that she was being treated like a proper duchess.
‘No, do you think so?’
The important thing was that Estelle came as they wished: to save them!
“Baby.”
Roselia clung to Estelle with a sweet voice.
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Translator Note:
There won’t be any release next week, sorry!!
Hello there! This is RJR.
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Next will be released on August, 9.
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