The Villain Is Obsessed With His Fake Wife

The dense forest was ablaze with black flames. It burned more fiercely in the pouring rain.

 

“How much should I show you to make you trust me?”

 

John snapped his fingers. The black fire that spread through the forest exploded and the crawlins were swept away.

 

Kwaang-! bang!

 

Wherever the black flames flew, a huge explosion was heard. It’s a monster that the Imperial Knights go out to catch.

 

‘That Crolin…’

 

John was slaughtering. She was sensitive to sound and frowned her forehead without realizing it, so John covered her ears.

 

“It’ll be over soon.”

 

Crolin, engulfed in black flames, screamed in pain and rolled on the floor. But the black flame did not go out.

 

“Kwaaaaaak-!”

 

Until it becomes a handful of ashes. It was a scary sight just to look at, but strangely she couldn’t take her eyes off it. Feeling uneasy for some reason, she asked Johan.

 

“Like this… Is it okay to do this?”

 

“What are you afraid of?”

 

John asked, shrugging his shoulders.

 

“I’m getting rid of everything that could harm you.”

 

Her eyes landed on John’s wildly swirling energy. John’s dark magic, unleashed without control, ran wild without rest.

 

“I feel like you’re overdoing it.”

 

This was the Crolin they had a hard time catching just a moment ago. Plus, this was a forest of monsters, so putting in this much effort couldn’t be easy.

 

“Besides, it hasn’t been long since you got better…”

 

There was even protection magic back then. She couldn’t even imagine how much pain John must be in now that there was no protection magic. John laughed and draped his coat over her shoulders.

 

“I’m more worried about you. It’s tattered, but it’s better than not wearing it at all.”

 

John’s coat, with one sleeve missing and covered in monster blood. But still, she felt warm from John’s warmth.

 

“Now we can go back together.”

 

John held her in that state. She quietly fell into his arms. A black fire burning brightly in the torrential rain, a devastated forest, cracked ground, and the screams of a burned monster.

 

‘It feels like the world is about to fall.’

 

Only John and those around her were fine. John walked in the other direction indifferently, as if the commotion was nothing. How long did it take to walk like that? A group of knights were coming from afar on horseback. They were all those who raised the flag of the Blanchett family.

 

* * *

 

It wasn’t just a swarm of Crowlin monsters. Incidents related to monsters were suddenly occurring throughout the Duchy of Blanchett. Fortunately, the Blanchett castle itself was safe. This was because, as a family that has experienced a lot, their preparedness was excellent. Of course, it was also because John eliminated a horde of Crowlin monsters at once.

 

‘Why do you think Crolin’s target is me?’

 

She couldn’t explain it, but it felt strangely like that.

 

‘Is it because I’m a fairy?’

 

-Are fairies related to monsters?

 

-Well, that’s right. If fairies are God’s bloodline, monsters are chaotic beings that are the opposite of God. Maybe that’s why.

 

-But nothing has happened so far.

 

-Yes. We think that’s really strange too. Even though it’s a monster forest, it can’t be like that…

 

It seemed like the trees didn’t know much about this situation. The trees in the monster forest were trees that couldn’t communicate with them. They have lost the blessings of the summer because they have been so stained by the polluted land.

 

-A summer blessing?

 

-Yes. That we have prayed for you to be healed. It also means sharing the blessings of summer with us.

 

Summer’s blessings. The primordial blessing that God gave to trees.

 

-But is it okay for you to give me such a precious blessing?

 

-You’re worried about everything. It wasn’t a big deal because we shared it!

 

-Okay. Moreover, this summer blessing was originally a gift given to the tree by a fairy. We are really happy that we wrote it for you.

 

It seemed that the tree and the fairy were close, but it was difficult to hear information about the fairy from the tree.

 

-If you were so close, why doesn’t anyone know the details?

 

-Well, that’s right. We don’t know either. Maybe they forgot because we were the ones to blame… 

 

-We knew we had been waiting for someone, but we didn’t know who it was until the moment we met you. And the moment I saw you, I realized it.

 

-We’ve been waiting for you forever.

 

‘I think there’s some secret.’

 

She was lost in thought for a moment, but John urged her.

 

“Estelle, ah.”

 

“Okay, here.”

 

She fed the soup to sick John again. John calmly accepted her touch with bandages wrapped around his bare body.

 

‘It feels like I’ve tamed a wild beast.’

 

This was how she came to take care of John. When they arrived, the Dukedom was very upset.

 

‘No. ‘Master, what is this?’

 

‘Get a doctor right now! Master-’

 

This was because the condition of Blanchett’s only master, John, was serious. In addition to the injuries she could see with her own eyes, the internal injuries were serious. But John spoke firmly.

 

‘Examine Estelle first.’

 

‘…yes? But the master’s wounds are more serious-’

 

‘Can’t you hear my commands?’

 

Thanks to John doing his best to protect her, she was not hurt. However, at John’s command, the doctor was only able to treat John after examining her to see if she had gotten sick from being out in the rain for a long time.

 

‘Master. No matter how much you are the master, you must rest for at least two or three days.’

 

‘You’re right. The master will take care of it, but that is my opinion as a doctor.’

 

Still, no one could speak ill of John. It seemed like it was because John was a scary master. At that time, she stepped out cautiously.

 

‘Can I look after John? After listening to it, it doesn’t seem like it requires any great skills.’

 

‘What do you mean, madam? If so, we would be very grateful.’

 

Fortunately, John also welcomed her care.

 

‘It would be good if Estelle took care of me. We can spend time alone.’

 

That’s how she got to see John’s meal service and even his bedroom service. Of course, she didn’t have to prepare or do anything hard. This was because the Ministry of Works prepared everything in advance.

 

‘If you think about it, the people at Duchy Blanchett are also a bit surprising.’

 

She was sure the Blanchett family wouldn’t like her. Even though she was stuck with John, she could sense the feeling of being hated. But she didn’t really feel that they hated her. Rather, it was closer to hospitality.

 

‘Was that also John’s trick?’

 

That’s a very versatile dark side. After she had finished feeding some of the porridge, she asked John.

 

“Are you in any pain?”

 

“The wound area is a bit uncomfortable.”

 

“Is it because it hurts? I’ll look at it now.”

 

She bent down to check John’s wounds. At that time, John suddenly hugged her and placed her next to the bed. He rubbed the high bridge of his nose against the nape of her neck and let out a drowsy sigh, saying, ‘I like it.’

 

“I felt uncomfortable without you by my side.”

 

“What’s this? I was feeding it right in front of you anyway.”

 

“But it’s different from holding you.”

 

John had no clothes on and only had bandages wrapped around his upper body. The bandages were rustling and his body could be clearly felt. As she struggled to get away, John chuckled and said, ‘Where are you going?’ and didn’t let her go.

 

“Are you going to sleep like this?”

 

“It’s dinner now anyway.”

 

The strong muscles digging into his body, his lips quivering in his ears, and the bitter yet heavy scent of John.

 

“Shall we sleep like this?”

 

He tickled her ear with his sweet voice. Without realizing it, her face turned red. But she tried not to show it.

 

‘When I’m with John, I’m always swayed.’

 

To be honest, she didn’t think she was the type of person to be easily influenced by others.

 

“Okay. Then let’s sleep like this.”

 

She turned towards John and made eye contact. A close distance where you could sleep on one pillow and even hear the other person breathing. It felt strange as they lay there looking into each other’s eyes.

 

 

John, who was quietly looking at her, begged in a whisper.

 

“But I can’t sleep. Tell me your story.”

 

“My story?”

 

“It doesn’t matter what. As convenient as possible.”

 

What happened at Libertan was difficult to do because there was a lot to hide. But there was only one thing she could do.

 

“No matter what I do, there’s nothing interesting to say.”

 

Ravianne Orphanage. She didn’t know if John, a nobleman, would like stories about her time as a commoner. John grabbed her and dragged her onto the bed. And he held her in his arms and patted her shoulder.

 

“Do it anyway. I want to know about you.”

 

“Dozens of people stayed together in the orphanage. Because there were so many orphans. It was a crazy place.”

 

As in any era, the world was overflowing with abandoned children. She was that kind of kid too. A young child whose parents were unknown. An abandoned child. No one knew how she ended up in that orphanage. Even the director and teachers. This was because too many children were abandoned and ran away repeatedly.

 

“I was the weakest and smallest kid in the orphanage. The director tried to throw me away to save one bite, but either because I was too small or because he was stupid, he forgot what he meant to send me away.”

 

“Maybe it was because he was stupid.”

 

“Yes? He wasn’t a smart person. Every time he got angry, he took his anger out on the kids, and one time I got beat up and almost died…”

 

Death flashed through John’s red eyes.

 

“Tell me in detail. What happened to that bastard called ‘director’?”

 

“It’s all in the past. I don’t even care anymore.”

 

She never protected the director because she was an angel.

 

‘But it’s been so long.’

 

Besides, considering the time she spent at Libertan, it wasn’t that bad when she was in the orphanage.

 

“Originally, in orphanages, small children are targets. There were a lot of boys and girls there who bullied me.”

 

When she thought about it, she received a lot of hate from all over the place.

 

“Estelle.”

 

Long fingers, elegant even in their bones, gently stroked her cheek.

 

“Shall I take revenge?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“Those guys who bullied you when you were young. I will find them all and take revenge on them.”

 

He was quietly angry. Only then did she thought, ‘oh no.’ She shook her head and refused.

 

“Do not be angry.”

 

“I’m not mad at my wife. I’m angry at the ugly bastards who harassed my wife.”

 

She couldn’t even remember how she was bullied. The orphanage was so barren that even children had to bite each other to survive. Maybe that’s why she didn’t feel the need to take revenge.

 

“I’m fine now. There’s John next to me right now.”

 

John sighed lightly at her innocent words. He slowly pulled her tightly into his arms. John’s whole body wrapped around her.

 

“I wish I had been by your side from then on.”

 

He spoke lazily, like a sigh.

 

“If that were the case, I could have protected you.”

 

“Was it so?”

 

Maybe if she hadn’t been adopted by Libertan at that time and met John they wouldn’t have met like this. He wouldn’t have betrayed her to get revenge, and she wouldn’t have been afraid of him. The more she thought about good things, the more she remembered the reality that she couldn’t do that, and her heart grew cold. Reality didn’t change anyway. She became the adopted daughter of Libertan, his enemy, and he climbed up from the bottom and grew up to be Libertan’s vengeful spirit. She clasped his hands together and let out a light laugh.

 

“Could we have been a couple like this even back then?”

 

“Of course. I would have found you somehow and married you.”

 

But John never told her the truth, and she never revealed her secrets to him. They were seeing their own illusions. Even if all this cozy warmth and affection was just a fake that would disappear someday.

 

‘Pray for your life!’

 

It seemed real back then.

 

‘If you cry and pray, I will listen to everything.’

 

She was fake. So she had never had the real thing. But she felt like if someone really loved her, they would say that to her with that look on their face. John saw her smile and kissed her cheek.

 

“Estelle, what are you thinking?”

 

“The other us that John just told me about.”

 

Even though she had been betrayed so many times, she wanted to believe in John. But still, she couldn’t completely give up on escaping. So, she couldn’t trust John and had to be prepared at any time.

 

“I think I would be happy if John found me like that.”

 

She snuggled into John’s strong embrace and focused only on the comfort his warmth gave her.

 

* * *

 

Estelle fell asleep in that state. John rubbed Estelle’s back as she slept gently.

 

‘Sleep well.’

 

She really was such a lovely girl as a rabbit. Even though she kept her guard up, she would soon open her eyes wide and chase after him.

 

‘I know what I’m going to do.’

 

Without realizing it, a Libertan tradition came into Johann’s mind with a smile on his face.

 

‘It seemed like it was her first time hearing about protection magic.’

 

If you were unfamiliar with magic, this was a completely understandable reaction. However, it was also an area that was difficult for Libertans to know about. Libertan had a protective magic passed down from generation to generation. John held a slight amount of magical power in his hands. He wasn’t supposed to use magic, but it was okay to handle this level of magical power. John carefully lifted Estelle’s collar while she was sleeping and injected magical energy under Estelle’s collarbone. This was the location where Libertan’s descendants engrave protective magic. But nothing came from Estelle.

 

At that time, underneath, a blurry scar resembling a knife mark caught his eye.

 

—————————————————————

Translator Note: