DSMBL CH 05

Chapter 5

Charlotte sat on the edge of her bed, burying her face in her hands.

“Can’t they at least hear me out? Just once?”

But even as she muttered those words, she knew the answer. Her list of misdeeds was far too long, and she couldn’t deny it.

She sighed deeply.

In the past, she had cursed and resented Theo, who had done nothing wrong, solely because he drew Cassius’s attention.

And that wasn’t all.

“Call Cassius here right now!”

She had once lashed out, wielding a weapon and injuring the maids. How could she argue with Cassius for this reaction? The man had every reason to think she might harm Theo, too.

Given how unstable her mental state had been, she could hardly blame anyone for their fears.

And now, after being explicitly told to stay put and cause no trouble, she had escaped—only to be found in Theo’s room, of all places.

“If I were him, I’d lose my mind too,” she murmured, her voice trembling.

Yet, the crushing weight of hopelessness refused to let her breathe. She had been fighting alone, clawing her way through each day, trying to survive—and still, no one offered her even the smallest glimmer of understanding.

It felt as if the very heavens themselves had turned their back on her.

No one cared to hear her side of the story. She could still feel the sharp, accusing gazes piercing through her, the eyes full of resentment.

She was despised—utterly and thoroughly despised. And the more she acknowledged this truth, the more her spirit wilted.

“Maybe I’m just destined to fail at everything,” she whispered bitterly, her hands trembling in her lap.

No matter what she did, the world seemed intent on turning its back on her.

All I wanted was to save Theo, get alimony in return, and finalize the divorce.

I thought everything was going according to plan, but it seems I was wrong. At this rate, I might just get kicked out and end up dying on the streets…

Cassius might already be preparing to throw me out right this moment. He didn’t seem willing to listen to my explanations, and I was caught red-handed after all.

Seriously?!

I need to make a living too! I’m not even trying to mess with the original story! I promised to leave quietly, so why is he making things so difficult?

What’s the point of making me possess this body if this is how it’s going to end?

A deep sigh escaped from my mouth as I kicked at the empty air in frustration.

It felt so unfair, yet I couldn’t blame Cassius entirely when I considered Charlotte’s past actions. It was understandable why Cassius was acting this way and why everyone hated Charlotte so much.

“This is driving me crazy.”

…Am I going to get thrown out today? Looks like dying a pitiful death on the streets is my fate after all.

***

Once Charlotte retreated from the room, Cassius let out a heavy breath. Calming himself slightly, he scanned the servants, who stood frozen, bowing their heads. He knew none of this was their fault.

Right now, ensuring Theo’s safety was more important than directing his anger at Charlotte.

Cassius extended his hand toward Theo but clenched it into a fist before touching him. Theo, wheezing with labored breaths, looked so frail that Cassius was afraid even a touch might harm him.

His brother seemed so fragile, as if even the faintest disturbance could scatter his tenuous life like a dandelion seed.

In a low voice, Cassius gave his orders.

“Bring Miller here immediately. Have him examine Theo and check if Charlotte caused him any harm.”

“Yes, Your Grace,” replied the butler before hurrying off.

Cassius dismissed the other servants and pulled up a chair to sit by Theo’s bed—the same spot Charlotte had been sitting earlier.

Theo had been frail since birth. People whispered that Theo had inherited so little life force because Cassius had taken all the good traits and nourishment before he was born.

Even though Cassius knew it was just a superstition, yet he couldn’t help but feel guilty when he looked at Theo.

He understood that Theo’s illness had nothing to do with him. It was caused by prolonged exposure to magic, a rare disease.

No one could treat it; there was no medicine, and it hadn’t even been officially documented in medical studies.

Cassius’s fingertips trembled.

Theo was the most painful and worrying part for Cassius. Charlotte, on the other hand, was desperate to destroy him.

“Does that dying bastard mean more to you than I do?”

“He’s going to die anyway! I’d rather just kill him!”

Cassius knew that Charlotte’s mental illness was deepening. Their marriage had never been smooth.

From the start, the marriage was flawed, and it was gradually heading toward ruin. Cassius didn’t want to destroy anything, but everything was falling apart, and he felt powerless to stop it.

In the midst of all this, Cassius couldn’t make sense of the situation. He sighed deeply and took Theo’s hand, resting his forehead against it.

“Theo…”

My poor little brother.

Not knowing what to say, Cassius remained silent. He didn’t know what to do about Charlotte either.

However, the expression Charlotte had shown in the end, so unlike her, weighed on his mind. Moreover, normally, she would have caused trouble at a time like this, but instead, she quietly returned to her room.

‘Is she sick?’

Cassius even wondered if that was the case.

But no matter what Charlotte was going through, the important thing right now was Theo. If Charlotte had harmed him, as she had often threatened, he couldn’t forgive her.

“I’m really sorry, Theo,” Cassius whispered in a heavy voice.

“…What for?”

Cassius doubted his ears. Theo’s soft, trembling voice froze him.

“Why are you apologizing to me, big brother?”

Cassius slowly raised his head. Theo was weakly opening his eyes. It had been nearly a year since he last saw him awake.

“Theo!”

“Why are you apologizing to me?”

Theo asked bluntly. Cassius grabbed Theo’s shoulder, touching his cheek and pressing his forehead to his.

“Are you okay? Are you conscious? Do you realize how long you’ve been lying here, you little rascal?”

“Big brother, seriously…”

Theo exhaled a labored breath. Cassius, who had been in a state of panic, called for a maid. The maid entered, her face full of surprise.

“Go bring some food and water!”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

“Don’t talk too much. You just woke up after a year, Theo. You have to be careful.”

Theo smiled faintly, then rubbed his face against Cassius’ palm like a child.

“Did you worry a lot?” “Of course…”

Cassius’ eyes grew red. They were the only two left in this world. Since the Duke had died in battle, Theo had become Cassius’ only responsibility.

But Theo’s condition had only worsened with no sign of improvement.

Cassius had even thought at times that Theo might actually die, as he faced several serious crises.

Yet despite everything, Theo had come back to Cassius once more. Cassius rubbed the bridge of his nose.

“You’ve worked hard, you really have.”

Theo gripped Cassius’ hand tightly. The child’s hand was very warm, a symbol of vibrant life. A sign that he was still alive.

“…Thank you.”

Cassius wondered if perhaps Theo’s late parents were looking after him now. He kissed the back of Theo’s hand.

Shortly after, a maid carefully fed Theo the water she had brought. Then Miller, the family doctor, arrived and examined Theo’s condition.

“How are you feeling now?”

“I feel lighter than before. My head doesn’t feel heavy anymore.”

Miller turned to Cassius and spoke.

“His fever has gone down significantly. He’s regained a lot of strength. For now, you can rest easy.”

Theo, who had been quietly listening to Miller, finally spoke.

“But who was the person who saved me?”

“What?”

Cassius furrowed his brow. Theo’s small face tilted in confusion.

“The one who held my hand. It was a woman… After she left, I felt lighter and my head cleared. I’m sure she helped me.”

Cassius stared at Theo in stunned silence. A woman? There had been only one woman who visited Theo, and that was Charlotte.

He recalled the expression Charlotte had on her face when she seemed about to say something earlier. Her reaction had been unusual as well.

Cassius’ lips parted in realization.

“She helped you?”

“Yes, big brother.”

It couldn’t be.

But after thinking about it, it had to be Charlotte.

“I want to thank her. Who is she?”

Cassius sighed deeply.

Was this the reason Charlotte had been on his mind since earlier?