Chapter: 04
The day that led to the misunderstanding that I had committed adultery was my birthday.
Even though Ian had heard the rumor that the Marchioness had become lame, he was still kind to me.
When he asked why I was walking alone on such a good day, I asked him in return,
“What makes today a good day?”
‘Because it’s the day you were born.’
At the words he uttered without the slightest hesitation, my fragile heart finally crumbled completely.
‘I celebrate your birth more than anyone else. And……’
‘…….’
‘I’m grateful that you’ve safely reached your birthday.’
‘…….’
‘If being able to say that is what makes today a good day…… Oh, I didn’t mean to make you cry.’
The expression on his face as he reached out toward me, only to abruptly stop in midair, was no different from the one he had worn when we were children.
The sunlight was too bright. I used those words as an excuse to hide my tears.
If only I had known that my mother-in-law had seen everything. No…… If only I had realized a little sooner that even Carlisle insisting that I wear high heels on my birthday had all been part of the trap they had set for me.
Would I have been able to avoid seeing Carlisle, after branding me with the stigma of adultery and taking every bit of the ducal family’s property from me except for the Sharose residence, remarrying the daughter of a merchant as though he had been waiting for the opportunity?
And that was less than a week after my father had died.
‘If you resent me that much, why don’t you remarry too? You happen to have a good match right beside you. A lame wife and a defective duke. If the two of you got together, you’d make a perfect couple.’
One stab after another.
The relentless attacks that came as though he had been waiting for the chance left even my heart in tatters.
“Did you never love me, not even once?”
Even though the question had no subject, he answered without hesitation.
‘Vanessa Sharose. You should have asked that question back when you still had plenty to offer.’
Then I would have gladly whispered that I loved you into your ear.
The violet eyes that had once shone like amethysts when he was very young had become cloudy, tinged with gray. To the point that I wondered whether he was truly the Carlisle Leonard I had known.
No. Come to think of it, those were the same eyes he had when he asked me to marry him.
Once I realized it, the love inside me shattered. It disappeared without a trace, as though it had never held its shape at all.
Like a flower that bloomed for one season and then withered away.
‘It’s a good thing you were so innocent. If you hadn’t gone to look at dresses because of what I said back then, you wouldn’t have kept your distance from Ian. You have no idea how much trouble he caused whenever he tried to talk to you. I almost lost you, you know?’
That evening, a letter arrived at the last mansion that still belonged to me.
Inside was a document transferring the title, bearing my signature in plain sight.
As if being branded an adulteress and divorced wasn’t enough, my father had also died.
I couldn’t let them take the ducal title from me as well.
I intended to go to the Imperial Palace as soon as dawn broke.
If I requested a handwriting examination, it would take some time, but at least the transfer of the title would be put on hold until the results came back.
Besides, I also possessed documents containing evidence of the corruption and illegal acts they had committed.
But because of the inexplicable anxiety that kept creeping over me, I eventually rushed out of the house at dawn.
And the moment I stepped outside, I was killed.
Without the slightest hesitation, as though they had been waiting for me to come out.
‘You’ll pay for your sins later, so rest well, Vanessa.’
That was definitely Carlisle’s voice.
I don’t know how much wealth and glory he enjoyed in my previous life with everything he had taken from me, but the time for you to pay for your sins is now, Carlisle.
Having finished her thoughts, Vanessa forcefully curved the corners of her lips upward.
“Oh, come to think of it, didn’t I hear that a restaurant owned by Dominuc Freya recently opened near the capital?”
When she roughly calculated the time she had returned to the past, something came to mind.
It was the upscale restaurant said to have been opened by the former imperial chef. She had never visited it before.
Before her wedding, she had not been on good terms with her father, and after her marriage, she had been subjected to ridiculous talk about how they needed to save money.
It was also the first time she had ever been told that she was wasteful with money.
And yet, those very people replaced the furniture, wallpaper, and even tableware in the household almost every other day whenever they felt like it.
That wasn’t all.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Even three meals a day weren’t enough for them. Whenever they had the opportunity, they would go there to eat as well.
Even though every single one of those expenses had come out of her own pocket.
The days she had spent in the ducal family, living without envy of anyone else, had become as though they had all been a dream. From the moment she married, she had been completely isolated.
She remembered finishing her meals alone while they deliberately entered through the mansion’s entrance, chatting happily together.
Strangely enough, after returning in time, even those memories had become fuel for her desire for revenge.
‘This time, I’ll show them exactly what it means to be extravagant.’
She intended to show them exactly what happened when the duke’s daughter deliberately spent money without restraint.
The more extravagant she became, the more they would pressure Carlisle for having let her slip away.
They had always wanted money that would never run dry, after all.
The more they suffered over the wealth and prosperity they had lost right before their eyes, the stronger her desire for revenge would become.
“Where did you hear that……? Enough. Fine. Once you’ve finished your business, prepare yourself and come. I’ll be waiting.”
After her father’s words, Vanessa entered the ducal residence and quickly composed herself.
Then, when she arrived in front of the drawing room, she naturally formed a gentle smile on her lips.
It would have been nice if she could even erase the relationship they had shared as childhood friends, but there was nothing she could do about that.
Still, it was fortunate that she had returned just before accepting his proposal. At least now she could call off the marriage.
“Barnet! I was originally going to contact you before coming, but I couldn’t stand how much I wanted to see you.”
When she opened the door, instead of the mature face filled with coldness that she remembered, she was greeted by a youthful face filled with excitement.
In the past, she had thought his hair was dazzling, as though it had been fashioned from sunlight.
His softly curved eyes had also seemed like violet amethysts that gave off their own light.
But now……
They were as bland as purple paint spread across bright yellow wallpaper. She felt nothing from them. No emotion, no excitement, no fluttering of her heart.
“Carlisle! You should have contacted me before coming. If you had, I would have been late getting back.”
Vanessa smiled brightly, narrowing her eyes as much as possible.
To anyone watching, it looked as though she was genuinely happy to see him.
But the words hidden beneath her smile were more than enough to make Carlisle feel puzzled.
“……Huh? Haha. Then I would have gone to meet you.”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I meant. I wanted you to come meet me. It felt strange not seeing you.”
“…….”
“I really…… missed you too.”
Did he know?
How much she had missed him at this point in time.
How much she had hated him, to the point that she had wished she could return to that moment and set everything right.
How much she had regretted it.
In the silence, Vanessa quietly stared at Carlisle, who was standing in front of her with an awkward smile.
By now, he would normally have immediately become irritated, asking what she had a mouth for if she wasn’t going to speak.
But instead of getting annoyed, he avoided her gaze, causing the smile on Vanessa’s lips to deepen.
‘I have so much more now.’
The leg she had lost, her honor, her reputation.
All of it had returned to her hands.
Enough to make Carlisle Leonard have no choice but to whisper words of love to her.
Facing the youthful Carlisle’s face, she was having trouble holding back her laughter.
‘Carlisle Leonard, in this life, your wife will be the commoner your mother wanted so badly.’
And you will lose even that pathetic marquis title of yours.
Suppressing her laughter inwardly, Vanessa gently curved her eyes as she looked at Carlisle.
“Carlisle.”
“Yes, Barnet.”
“Do you love me?”
Perhaps he had never expected such a question to come out of nowhere. His violet eyes widened, then slowly curved into a smile.
With the clearest smile of all, he answered.
“……Very much. I love you so much that I can hardly believe you and I are lovers.”
Pfft.
A mocking laugh escaped Vanessa’s lips before she could stop it.
Perhaps Carlisle thought that she was laughing because she was happy to have her love confirmed, because he immediately began speaking as though he had been waiting for the opportunity.
“By the way, what do you think about getting your wedding dress from Sovina Salon? I’ve looked around a few places, and I think that one is the best. Apparently, everyone has been getting their dresses made there these days.”
“A wedding dress?”
“Ah.”
At Vanessa’s words, Carlisle let out a small exclamation and blushed shyly.
“I was thinking…… maybe we should get married soon. We’ve been together for quite a long time, ever since we were young, and more than anything…… I’ve come to want to be with you as husband and wife.”
“Isn’t that a little sudden?”
“……You’re so beautiful. How could I possibly leave you alone?”
Unlike the sweet words he effortlessly uttered, his eyes were filled with annoyance.
When their gazes met, the way his eyes quickly curved made her want to laugh hollowly.
‘I really was completely insane.’
Only now did she realize the way Carlisle had truly looked at her.
Chapter 4
The day that led to the misunderstanding that I had committed adultery was my birthday.
Even though Ian had heard the rumor that the Marchioness had become lame, he was still kind to me.
When he asked why I was walking alone on such a good day, I asked him in return,
“What makes today a good day?”
‘Because it’s the day you were born.’
At the words he uttered without the slightest hesitation, my fragile heart finally crumbled completely.
‘I celebrate your birth more than anyone else. And……’
‘…….’
‘I’m grateful that you’ve safely reached your birthday.’
‘…….’
‘If being able to say that is what makes today a good day…… Oh, I didn’t mean to make you cry.’
The expression on his face as he reached out toward me, only to abruptly stop in midair, was no different from the one he had worn when we were children.
The sunlight was too bright. I used those words as an excuse to hide my tears.
If only I had known that my mother-in-law had seen everything. No…… If only I had realized a little sooner that even Carlisle insisting that I wear high heels on my birthday had all been part of the trap they had set for me.
Would I have been able to avoid seeing Carlisle, after branding me with the stigma of adultery and taking every bit of the ducal family’s property from me except for the Sharose residence, remarrying the daughter of a merchant as though he had been waiting for the opportunity?
And that was less than a week after my father had died.
‘If you resent me that much, why don’t you remarry too? You happen to have a good match right beside you. A lame wife and a defective duke. If the two of you got together, you’d make a perfect couple.’
One stab after another.
The relentless attacks that came as though he had been waiting for the chance left even my heart in tatters.
“Did you never love me, not even once?”
Even though the question had no subject, he answered without hesitation.
‘Vanessa Sharose. You should have asked that question back when you still had plenty to offer.’
Then I would have gladly whispered that I loved you into your ear.
The violet eyes that had once shone like amethysts when he was very young had become cloudy, tinged with gray. To the point that I wondered whether he was truly the Carlisle Leonard I had known.
No. Come to think of it, those were the same eyes he had when he asked me to marry him.
Once I realized it, the love inside me shattered. It disappeared without a trace, as though it had never held its shape at all.
Like a flower that bloomed for one season and then withered away.
‘It’s a good thing you were so innocent. If you hadn’t gone to look at dresses because of what I said back then, you wouldn’t have kept your distance from Ian. You have no idea how much trouble he caused whenever he tried to talk to you. I almost lost you, you know?’
That evening, a letter arrived at the last mansion that still belonged to me.
Inside was a document transferring the title, bearing my signature in plain sight.
As if being branded an adulteress and divorced wasn’t enough, my father had also died.
I couldn’t let them take the ducal title from me as well.
I intended to go to the Imperial Palace as soon as dawn broke.
If I requested a handwriting examination, it would take some time, but at least the transfer of the title would be put on hold until the results came back.
Besides, I also possessed documents containing evidence of the corruption and illegal acts they had committed.
But because of the inexplicable anxiety that kept creeping over me, I eventually rushed out of the house at dawn.
And the moment I stepped outside, I was killed.
Without the slightest hesitation, as though they had been waiting for me to come out.
‘You’ll pay for your sins later, so rest well, Vanessa.’
That was definitely Carlisle’s voice.
I don’t know how much wealth and glory he enjoyed in my previous life with everything he had taken from me, but the time for you to pay for your sins is now, Carlisle.
Having finished her thoughts, Vanessa forcefully curved the corners of her lips upward.
“Oh, come to think of it, didn’t I hear that a restaurant owned by Dominuc Freya recently opened near the capital?”
When she roughly calculated the time she had returned to the past, something came to mind.
It was the upscale restaurant said to have been opened by the former imperial chef. She had never visited it before.
Before her wedding, she had not been on good terms with her father, and after her marriage, she had been subjected to ridiculous talk about how they needed to save money.
It was also the first time she had ever been told that she was wasteful with money.
And yet, those very people replaced the furniture, wallpaper, and even tableware in the household almost every other day whenever they felt like it.
That wasn’t all.
Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Even three meals a day weren’t enough for them. Whenever they had the opportunity, they would go there to eat as well.
Even though every single one of those expenses had come out of her own pocket.
The days she had spent in the ducal family, living without envy of anyone else, had become as though they had all been a dream. From the moment she married, she had been completely isolated.
She remembered finishing her meals alone while they deliberately entered through the mansion’s entrance, chatting happily together.
Strangely enough, after returning in time, even those memories had become fuel for her desire for revenge.
‘This time, I’ll show them exactly what it means to be extravagant.’
She intended to show them exactly what happened when the duke’s daughter deliberately spent money without restraint.
The more extravagant she became, the more they would pressure Carlisle for having let her slip away.
They had always wanted money that would never run dry, after all.
The more they suffered over the wealth and prosperity they had lost right before their eyes, the stronger her desire for revenge would become.
“Where did you hear that……? Enough. Fine. Once you’ve finished your business, prepare yourself and come. I’ll be waiting.”
After her father’s words, Vanessa entered the ducal residence and quickly composed herself.
Then, when she arrived in front of the drawing room, she naturally formed a gentle smile on her lips.
It would have been nice if she could even erase the relationship they had shared as childhood friends, but there was nothing she could do about that.
Still, it was fortunate that she had returned just before accepting his proposal. At least now she could call off the marriage.
“Barnet! I was originally going to contact you before coming, but I couldn’t stand how much I wanted to see you.”
When she opened the door, instead of the mature face filled with coldness that she remembered, she was greeted by a youthful face filled with excitement.
In the past, she had thought his hair was dazzling, as though it had been fashioned from sunlight.
His softly curved eyes had also seemed like violet amethysts that gave off their own light.
But now……
They were as bland as purple paint spread across bright yellow wallpaper. She felt nothing from them. No emotion, no excitement, no fluttering of her heart.
“Carlisle! You should have contacted me before coming. If you had, I would have been late getting back.”
Vanessa smiled brightly, narrowing her eyes as much as possible.
To anyone watching, it looked as though she was genuinely happy to see him.
But the words hidden beneath her smile were more than enough to make Carlisle feel puzzled.
“……Huh? Haha. Then I would have gone to meet you.”
“Yes. That’s exactly what I meant. I wanted you to come meet me. It felt strange not seeing you.”
“…….”
“I really…… missed you too.”
Did he know?
How much she had missed him at this point in time.
How much she had hated him, to the point that she had wished she could return to that moment and set everything right.
How much she had regretted it.
In the silence, Vanessa quietly stared at Carlisle, who was standing in front of her with an awkward smile.
By now, he would normally have immediately become irritated, asking what she had a mouth for if she wasn’t going to speak.
But instead of getting annoyed, he avoided her gaze, causing the smile on Vanessa’s lips to deepen.
‘I have so much more now.’
The leg she had lost, her honor, her reputation.
All of it had returned to her hands.
Enough to make Carlisle Leonard have no choice but to whisper words of love to her.
Facing the youthful Carlisle’s face, she was having trouble holding back her laughter.
‘Carlisle Leonard, in this life, your wife will be the commoner your mother wanted so badly.’
And you will lose even that pathetic marquis title of yours.
Suppressing her laughter inwardly, Vanessa gently curved her eyes as she looked at Carlisle.
“Carlisle.”
“Yes, Barnet.”
“Do you love me?”
Perhaps he had never expected such a question to come out of nowhere. His violet eyes widened, then slowly curved into a smile.
With the clearest smile of all, he answered.
“……Very much. I love you so much that I can hardly believe you and I are lovers.”
Pfft.
A mocking laugh escaped Vanessa’s lips before she could stop it.
Perhaps Carlisle thought that she was laughing because she was happy to have her love confirmed, because he immediately began speaking as though he had been waiting for the opportunity.
“By the way, what do you think about getting your wedding dress from Sovina Salon? I’ve looked around a few places, and I think that one is the best. Apparently, everyone has been getting their dresses made there these days.”
“A wedding dress?”
“Ah.”
At Vanessa’s words, Carlisle let out a small exclamation and blushed shyly.
“I was thinking…… maybe we should get married soon. We’ve been together for quite a long time, ever since we were young, and more than anything…… I’ve come to want to be with you as husband and wife.”
“Isn’t that a little sudden?”
“……You’re so beautiful. How could I possibly leave you alone?”
Unlike the sweet words he effortlessly uttered, his eyes were filled with annoyance.
When their gazes met, the way his eyes quickly curved made her want to laugh hollowly.
‘I really was completely insane.’
Only now did she realize the way Carlisle had truly looked at her.
