Chapter 35 – I Am This Woman’s Husband
Now, the puzzle pieces all came together.
So, Annette doesn’t know Cassian is actually that bastard Hertian, and that bastard was hiding his identity and sending her letters?
And that bastard used those letters to drive a wedge between Annette and me.
Whatever he wrote must’ve been enough to make her actively avoid me.
Serdis was so dumbfounded, he couldn’t even muster a laugh.
And the one who caused the whole misunderstanding was now married to Annette. He’d even sweet-talked the Emperor into pushing the marriage through without interference.
In the end, the whole situation was the doing of Hertian, who had loved Annette unrequitedly and orchestrated everything.
Serdis reached that conclusion.
“Say something! I’m dying of frustration here!”
“I saw it while checking out the guest room the butler showed me earlier—found it in the drawer.”
He answered vaguely while rapidly thinking about what to do next. His plan came quickly.
Since I suffered because of this, I’m going to make him pay—so painfully he’ll never forget it.
That was Serdis’s way.
“The guest room drawer? That’s strange. Hertian is meticulous about storing letters.”
“That’s not the point. You said those two get along well, right?”
“Yes. I’m sure of it.”
“They’re probably acting. Annette doesn’t even run the household, right?”
Since it was a contractual marriage, she likely wasn’t fulfilling the duties of a real duchess.
“No? She’s working harder than anyone.”
Even Lili had suspected something odd.
They all knew it was a marriage of convenience, yet Annette was enthusiastically managing everything.
Lili had even told the maids that Annette was just a flighty noblewoman from the capital who wouldn’t care about work, but Annette was proving her wrong with sheer diligence.
“I honestly thought Brother Hertian hired someone to manage the household. He’s never home anyway, always busy going here and there.”
This was an unexpected development.
Back at the academy, Annette had holed up in her lab. And now she was running an entire estate?
There were too many suspicious things.
“What’s she so busy doing?”
“I don’t know the details. Last time, a merchant brought a wagon full of herbs, and since then, she’s been traveling all over the territory every day.”
Traveling the estate, huh?
In this northern region, colder than the capital’s winter, there had to be a reason Annette kept going outside.
It wouldn’t take long to figure it out with some investigation.
“Oh, and the other day, she even told me to apologize to a Kurshian! She meddles in everything.”
Lili took the opportunity to voice her grievances.
“You’ve been through a lot.”
“Exactly! Do you know how much I’ve been bottling it all up? Look—my skin’s rough now.”
Lili easily opened up to Serdis, who was at least pretending to empathize.
And Serdis didn’t miss the opportunity.
“Lili. From now on, you and I need to work together.”
“To do what?”
Serdis leaned in and whispered:
“To straighten out this twisted family tree.”
***
“You’re staying longer?”
Serdis and his party, who were supposed to leave soon, were now on their third day at the estate.
“Annette, imagine how my father would react if I returned to the capital like this.”
He claimed he’d twisted his ankle slipping on the stairs.
Lying in bed, Serdis groaned dramatically when he tried to get up—pretending to be in pain.
No one could tell if he was actually hurt. His leg was tightly wrapped from ankle to calf with thick cloth.
“Don’t get up. You might end up stuck here forever.”
“Are you worried about me? You’re so sweet.”
“…I’ll just have breakfast brought to your room.”
Honestly, it worked out well.
He didn’t seem like he was planning to leave anytime soon, and with his injury, he wouldn’t be trailing after her.
Thanks to that, she could spend more time with Violet without interference from Serdis.
Of course, she couldn’t spend too much time because of her promise to Kantard.
But with Lili sticking to Violet like glue, it didn’t seem like Violet was bored during her stay.
“Only two days left.”
More importantly, she’d receive the 3 billion won payment in two days.
Thinking about getting paid felt like waiting for payday—she was in a great mood.
“I can’t wait to tell Hertian.”
He’d probably be shocked.
Maybe even angry.
But he’d also praise her for successfully closing the deal.
And now that she didn’t have to lie anymore, she felt like she could face him without guilt.
She looked forward to tomorrow as she prepared to board a carriage to a border village.
Whoosh!
A strong wind slammed the carriage door shut. She staggered, barely holding onto the door.
“Madam! Please get in quickly!”
A coachman appeared out of nowhere and helped her into the carriage.
The entire carriage shook violently as the wind howled outside.
She clung to the door handle until the wind finally died down. Then the coachman opened the door with a worried expression.
“Are you all right, Madam?”
“Yeah. The northern weather is crazy.”
Beyond the coachman, two men were lying flat on the street, clearly knocked down by the wind.
“They look unconscious.”
If they stayed lying in the cold like that, they’d suffer frostbite—or worse.
“We should take them to a doctor.”
As someone working in the duchy, she couldn’t just ignore it. But when she tried to get out, the coachman stopped her.
“This happens often here. The townspeople usually help them.”
“But no one’s helping them. People are just watching.”
A crowd had gathered around the fallen men, but no one was stepping forward.
“Madam, if we don’t leave now, the wind might pick up again. The carriage might not hold up next time. Weren’t you in a hurry?”
“…That’s true.”
As she hesitated, the coachman added,
“If you’re really concerned, I’ll go ask someone to take them to the clinic.”
“Please do.”
“Yes, ma’am. Just wait in the carriage. I’ll be right back.”
It did feel like he was deliberately trying to keep her from approaching—but she decided not to dwell on it.
What reason would he have?
“But I do feel a bit chilly today.”
She pulled her fur cloak tighter.
Ever since Serdis arrived, she’d been mentally exhausted, and her condition had worsened.
The cold wind didn’t help. A fever was slowly rising.
“I better finish this quickly and get back.”
***
Kantard’s wounds had healed, leaving only faint scars.
It had taken time, but the treatment had gone well.
She scolded him as he stomped his foot.
“You haven’t used your left leg for almost a month. Don’t go running around—start with walking slowly.”
“I’m going straight into training.”
“Don’t blame me later if it hurts. Tomorrow’s our last day.”
Surely Hertian would be suspicious by now.
She’d been leaving the estate daily for nearly a month.
But knowing she’d be paid 3 billion tomorrow and wouldn’t have to lie anymore filled her with a sense of freedom.
She even hummed happily.
“You look pleased.”
“Of course! I’m finally free. Coming here every day for a month was hard work, you know.”
“I made you go through a lot, huh.”
“Well, you paid for it.”
She began packing the herbs she’d been using in the barracks.
Tomorrow, she planned to teach the soldiers one last time, so she needed to tidy up in advance.
“I’ll leave after I clean up today.”
At that, Kantard snapped.
“You just got here, and you’re leaving already? Trying to earn money without working?”
He always guilt-tripped her with money whenever she tried to leave. By now, she was used to it.
“That’s not it.”
She had just finished sorting the herbs and stood with a basket when—
Stagger.
Her body swayed, and her vision blurred.
Again…
She was on the verge of collapsing.
And of all places—here.
Bonisa hadn’t come with her today because there was too much work at the castle due to unexpected guests.
She absolutely could not faint here.
If she collapsed, she’d be out cold for a full day. If she stayed out overnight, Hertian would come looking.
If he found out she had secretly traded with a Kurshian…
He might even ask for a divorce.
Her head spun.
She mustered every bit of strength to stay upright.
“I’m just… feeling a bit under the weather.”
Luckily, she regained some clarity.
Using that brief moment, she managed to walk to the barracks entrance.
If she could make it to town, she’d ask the coachman to take her to the castle. She didn’t mind passing out in the carriage.
She just couldn’t collapse here.
“Wait. I need to talk to you.”
Unaware of her situation, Kantard called out.
But she didn’t stop walking.
“If it’s not urgent… can we talk tomorrow? I’ve got a bit of a headache…”
“It’s not urgent… very well. Take care.”
Thankfully, he didn’t stop her. She made it out.
Just a little farther to the village. Just a little more…
Her body trembled violently.
She clutched her cloak tightly, but even layered with another, it couldn’t block the wind.
Fox fur… rabbit fur…
It was freezing.
Wearing thin commoner clothes was a mistake.
She sniffled and swore she’d wear her fur cloak tomorrow no matter what.
And then—
“Hey. Are you okay?”
Kantard, who had come out of the barracks, turned her around by the shoulder.
That sudden touch broke her last bit of self-control.
“Ah… no…”
The last thing she saw was Kantard’s warm-looking fur cloak.
***
Kantard shouted when Annette collapsed in front of him.
“Get a grip! You can’t die!”
Annette had lost consciousness, her eyes rolling back.
Kantard froze in panic, shouting her name over and over. He had no idea what to do.
But it didn’t last long.
“Lower your voice.”
Someone took Annette from his arms.
A man with black hair and pale skin.
He gently held her and wrapped a warm shawl around her with practiced ease.
Then, without a word, he turned toward the village and walked away, casting a cold glance at Kantard.
Kantard unconsciously followed him across the border into town—forgetting it was illegal.
As he followed, he saw the familiar people of Requies village.
They bowed their heads to the man and led him to a house.
There, he laid Annette on a bed, covered her with a thick blanket, and watched her for a long while. Only when her color returned did he finally look away.
The villagers then came in and bowed deeply.
“We are deeply sorry. We knew she wasn’t well, yet we didn’t stop her from going to the barracks.”
“We’ve committed a grave sin. After all the grace you’ve shown us… the Duke told us to look after her…”
Kantard’s breath caught at the word “Duke.”
In the light, the man’s clothes looked distinct—not just in style, but in the aura he gave off.
Kantard had met many Requies residents before, but none had this kind of presence.
“We’ll speak later,” the man said.
The villagers quietly left.
Then the man—looking like a doll come to life—turned toward Kantard.
Kantard asked, though he already knew,
“You’re the new lord of this place?”
“That’s right.”
His tone was as cold as the north itself.
“You seem unusually attached to your vassals for a lord.”
At those words, Hertian tilted his head slightly.
So Kantard added,
“That woman—she’s the duchess’s attendant, isn’t she? You, personally caring for your wife’s servant… you act more like her husband than her lord.”
It wasn’t praise—it was criticism. A lord should not be carrying someone else’s servant.
Why not take care of your own wife instead?
Kantard disliked how protectively the man stood by Annette’s side.
He tried to move closer to her, but Hertian blocked him firmly.
“She’s my business partner too, so I’ll look after her until she wakes—”
“No. I’m not doing it as her lord.”
