Chapter 21

Chapter 21

***

Two more days have passed since then.

Evan showed little interest in me, though he didn’t say anything about what I said, so I couldn’t know if my new tactics actually worked. I pretended to toss and turn while Evan was asleep next to me and started hugging him.

He couldn’t even express his dislike. He just sighed and fell back asleep again.

Then, she paid more attention to Evan’s indoor clothes and carefully listened to his breaths as the clothes covered all the heavy bruises, as well as small surface marks.

‘Just the part that’s covered by the clothes…’

He was too elaborative. Evan must have been very intelligent and secretly abused.

‘He’s mentally abusing him. He wasn’t always bright, but he looks more gloomy these days’

At first, I suspected Duke Icard, but I knew it was someone else when I saw Evan was full of new wounds on the day Duke Icard was out all day, for the past two days.

‘Then, obviously, it has something to do with the Knights’ training.’

It was embarrassing to ask anything while trying to dig up information because I didn’t have any proper knowledge about any of this.

‘And… if I moved out of normality, the Duke might suspect me.’

It isn’t a good strategy for me to get caught for my brilliance right now.

‘What the Duke wants is a daughter-in-law who lives quietly and dies, not a quick-witted, smart daughter-in-law.’

Evan is Evan. Although my safety is the top priority, I still couldn’t let this go. Nevertheless, I don’t intend to drag it out for a long time. Evan’s body gets scarier as the days go by…

“No matter how big he is, he’s still a kid…”

He is a child who has been hurting for a very long time.

Finally, I encountered a situation that I had been waiting for, which would be natural for me to move properly.

Serena came to my room to examine me and was talking about random things. She told me the Duke hadn’t replied to what I told her to do.

“I thought you’d tell me not to treat you. Didn’t you say you could fix it anyway?”

I was tilting my head. Serena held my hand and said.

“Laria, Sven told me that he is greatly indebted.”

“Indebted? Sven said that?”

I opened my mouth as if not knowing what’s been going on.

“In fact, Sven’s mother lived underground in the building behind.”

“Oh, really?”

“But the crazy wizard who moved downstairs must have been conducting an illegal experiment.”

Serena sighed and continued.

“He almost made the building fly away. Anyway, thanks to you, Sven said…said he would be getting in touch with you in advance and thank you so much.”

“Good for him, honestly.”

“And this, as a thank-you gift from Sven. He asked you to take it without hesitation.”

Serena handed over a bracelet with thick diamonds.

“Oh, my.”

I shook my head and answered. “I shouldn’t refuse if he asked me not to, but I didn’t do anything.”

While I was checking the bracelet, Serena said in a serious voice.

“Laria, by the way, there’s someone who had been copying your movements.”

“Huh?”

“He’s a commoner named Seymour Letucia… and he was the same person who got money from the Black Horse as well.”

“Well…”

It’s not Seymour. It’s me who imitates him.

“Oh, my God, with that money, he can buy the baron and the rest of the Hanyuan estate. Isn’t it suspicious?”

It is obviously suspicious in the eyes of others.

Serena spoke seriously.

“I’m sure he’s…”

I squeezed my skirt out of nervousness.

“…Maybe he’s a good stalker?”

“Hey, no.”

I swept my chest up and down slowly.

It’s because I knew the original story and moved ahead first, I might almost get treated as a competent stalker-like Seymour if I moved a little too late. It is right for anyone who knew this to feel shameful and feel sorry for Seymour.

‘Oh, good thing I moved first. I always have to take one step first as always.’

Because I am a shameless human being.

If I possessed a wicked woman with many possessions, I wouldn’t have bothered anyone, but I couldn’t help it since I am just a time-limited supporting role.

I can’t help but be a parasite to the Male Lead.

‘I’m sorry, but I had to buy a title… ’cause I’m gonna be fine anyway.’

It was then.

“Little Lady, this is Lisa.”

“Oh, come on in!”

It was not only Lisa but also the guards I was with when we went downtown. The guards each carried a large box. It was just a gift for me.

If it’s not mine, I’ll cry.

“This is… what you have said?”

When I couldn’t hide my excitement, Lisa smiled broadly.

“Yes! The clothes are all repaired.”

“So, we brought it in.” The guards opened the box they had brought.

Indeed, it was full of clothes, miscellaneous goods, and accessories that I had touched once. ‘But this seemed to be more than that?’

‘He told her to buy a couple of similar ones.’

I sighed once again inside. I should have gone to more expensive and luxurious stores.

While I was searching for the most expensive thing secretly, Lisa greeted Serena first.

“I guess you’re the new doctor. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’m Lisa Alonya, Laria’s maid.”

“Yes, I am Serena Morristo.”

After Serena smiled and greeted Lisa, she tilted my head, and looked at the hairpin I picked up from the box.

“Laria, that kind of hairpin…will make you look old. How about this shape?”

I held up my hairpin and laughed awkwardly. This is the hairpin Lisa recommended to me, saying it was pretty.

“You look older and mature. It suits you very well, Miss Laria.”

As expected, Lisa was furious and put the hairpin I was holding on my hair.

“Oh, this is better.”

Serena picked up another pin from the box and put it on the other side of me.

“Serena? I’ve been with Laria all this time, and of course, I would know best.”

“Oh, what does it have to do with the time that you have spent together? Laria is so cute, and this looks good on her.”

No matter if she is a spy for Duke Icard, Lisa’s eyes, who always maintained a friendly tone, rose aggressively.

“Will the doctor’s eye be better, or will the maid’s eye, who often worked on grooming her master?”

Serena was feeling relaxed, while Lisa responded sharply.

“I’m a person who only sees her. I am better than a maid serving all kinds of people.”

“No, is the doctor taking out the maid who knew their master more? What are you doing?”

“The bond is only proportional to time. Laria and I, we’re one-on-one here!”

While the two were having a strange fight, I looked through the box just in case, but there weren’t many goods to cash in.

I should’ve just gone to the jewelry store directly instead of fiddling with this little girl’s trinkets. So, I felt like I should just use it to groom myself for a change every day by day. (wording and word choice?)

This is the moment I’ve been waiting for. Even though I didn’t find it, the guards came to see me for public affairs, and today, Duke Icard is staying at the residence.

All right, there’s no way he’s going to tail me around.

I should act natural.

“Oh, by the way.”

Of course, my acting is the most natural. I looked at the escort as if I had suddenly remembered.

“Do you think I’ll be a little stronger if I take swordsmanship classes or something?”

“What?” One of the escorts replied with a puzzled look.

“A sword lesson? The young lady?”

It seemed absurd.

My stamina is like a flimsy dress that had been taken out of a box.

It was a bit of a blow.

“Yeah. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been working out too much.”

It would be ridiculous for someone with my body to be doing swordsmanship.

However, instead of answering, ‘You already have a knight, can you run properly with that kind of body?’ the guard turned very euphemistically.

“Well… why don’t you talk to your doctor and have a thought about it?”

‘Why? That sounds like fun,’ I blinked with an innocent look. Serena, who was arguing with Lisa, looked at me and said.

“Do you need my opinion? Moderate exercise is good. Done. Now, let’s take a look at the dress.”

This time, she and Lisa started arguing again about choosing a dress. I asked the escort drivers again, who were more perplexed by Serena’s words.

“Do a lot of first-timers, like myself, get hurt in order to learn swordsmanship? Like a wound or something?”

“What? A wound?”

“The whole body is full of bruises and cuts… that would be a problem. I have to wear dresses.”

“Oh… not really.” The escort driver replied, scratching the back of his head.

“It’s not a battle. It’s just a drill, but not to that extent. The muscles may be a little sore.”

So, Evan was lying when he said, ‘This is what happens when you practice swordsmanship.’

The escort drivers kept glancing at each other, worried that she might really want to learn swordsmanship.

“Though, in the case of a little lady, your muscles will hurt a lot.”

“I don’t think the little lady can do kendo right now…”

Of course, I had no intention of learning swordsmanship.

“I don’t want to have scars.”

Having learned swordsmanship with this body, she would not be able to beat Serena, let alone win the world title.

“Yes, you can think about it. I’m just saying.”

Then, I added with a big smile.

“Evan’s been going to the Knights lately. I also asked because I thought it would be nice to learn together.”

“Ah.”

The escort driver smiled at my naive remark.

“It’s probably hard for you to learn together. There is a big difference in standards, and he had been specially taught by the Knights Commander General…”

“The Knight Commander General?”

I bit my lower lip slightly.

Now, my little husband must be getting beaten up by none other than the Knight Commander General.