CH 4

After safely passing through the mana tunnel and standing in front of the Hamilton March, I touched the pendant on my necklace. The pendant with blue jewels was the only thing my mother left before she passed away.

“…Don’t let them know. Right… I will seal it.”

My mother’s last words rang in my ears.

“Whatever the price, even if I have to pay for it…”

Looking at Marquis Hamilton, who appeared before my eyes again, I muttered quietly to myself. “I have to protect Merilly. Mother…”

With a determined look, I showed the knights guarding the mansion’s entrance a piece of crystal I had received from Selli. They let me in without questioning anything.

Recalling my memories of coming here with Selli, I headed straight to the main mansion. It was clear that Marquis Hamilton would be in the main mansion. His wife, Magorit, must be there too. It was the moment to unmask Endrew, who was Marquis Endimion de Hamilton.

After changing into the maid’s clothes, I went into the main mansion. I raised my head, pretending to be as unconcerned as I could, and started looking for a place where Endrew was.

It was the moment I was walking around inside, looking for him for such a long time. Suddenly, I noticed a trolley loaded with tea and refreshments going into the room. Sensing someone was in there, I stepped closer to the room.

Through the gap of the slowly closing door, I saw silver hair. I quickly poked my head out to check on the owner of that hair. It was a fleeting moment, but it was clearly visible. Endrew was in that room. Gulping down my dry saliva, I finally grabbed the door handle of that office.  

“You there.”

My body stiffened at the sound of a high, dignified voice. As I turned slowly, I found an old madam who dressed gorgeously.

“…Yes?”

“Huh,” as soon as she saw me, the old madam quickly approached me in stride. Soon after, my head turned in an instant with a slapping sound.

I just grabbed the doorknob of the office, but what did I do to get a slap? My lips trembled.

“How dare you not even bow to me.” She pouted her lips and looked down at me arrogantly.

Just for that reason, you hit people on the cheek…? It was my first time getting involved with a noble, and I could never understand. I covered my hurting cheek and then blinked my eyes quickly. The maid who was standing behind her hurriedly came to me.

“I’m sorry, big Madam. I will re-educate her.”

If she’s the big madam…! It meant she was the former marchioness, which meant Endrew’s mother.

As I raised my head again, Kriella snorted as if the situation was absurd. “Huh, where the hell did you get this insolent thing from?”

“I’m sorry, big Madam.”

“Take this insolent thing right now!” A hostile shout echoed through the hallway. In an instant, the merciless hands of the maid grabbed my arms.

“Why, why are you doing this!” It was an unexpected situation that made me scream in bewilderment.

The office where Endrew was supposed to be was getting farther and farther away. My body was dragged by the maid to the floor. Kriella looked at me with satisfaction. The place we headed to was a very old and shady basement.

“A woman who doesn’t know how to behave should be punished.”

The place was full of various torture instruments with sharp edges. My eyes, filled with fear, wandered here and there. In the basement where I felt the chill, white breath poured out every time I exhaled.

Kriella naturally picked up a whip as if she were familiar with it. Torturing maids seemed to be part of her routine.

“Ma-Madam!” I hurriedly shout to Kriella. Unfortunately, Kriella wasn’t a person who would blink at the woman’s plea.

“Good, with this…”

“I, and Marquis…!”

“…What?”

Kriella’s hand, which lifted the whip, stopped in the air.

I didn’t know how to introduce myself, so only my tears were dripping. Endrew and I had our wedding in a small church with no witnesses. But Magorit was different.  They got married with the blessing of people at a gorgeous and wonderful wedding hall.

Am I a concubine or his wife? Even I couldn’t define my relationship with him clearly.

“How dare you mention that noble name with your humble mouth… How dare you!” Kriella raised the whip high.

“Between me… and the Marquis…!”

Finally, after finding the right words for me to spit out, I shouted with my eyes tightly closed. “We have a child…!” A sob leaked through my tight lips. It was the first time I felt in despair.

“…A child?” One of Kriella’s eyebrows twitched. She continued. “My son has just been married. But what do you mean by a child? How can a woman who didn’t behave to lie!”

“It’s not a lie…! Three years ago, Marquis was bleeding in the forest, and with that encounter, we…” I was choked up and couldn’t continue the conversation.

At my words, she dropped the whip.

“Hmm…” Then she gently swept my chin with a slight frown as if she was thinking about something.

“It was three years ago.”

Three years ago, Endimon went out hunting monsters and disappeared for several days. Then he came back well without a single scar. He said that he was attacked by a monster, but strangely his appearance was neat and clean, which made her wonder. This information wasn’t disclosed to anyone so it wouldn’t be leaked to the outside world. So, there was no way this commoner woman would know about it. Unless she really met Endimion.

“Child.”

Kriella’s voice changed instantly. Taking out her handkerchief, she gently wiped my cheek, which was still in tears. Her sudden change of attitude made me widen my eyes.

“Really, did you mean that you received my son’s seed and gave birth?” Kriella still spoke her words in a kind voice. This voice was similar to Endrew’s, though a little higher.

Feeling relieved inside, I nodded my head vigorously. “Yes, yes, that’s right. Her name is Merilly. Endrew, no… The Marquis named her himself.”

“…Merilly. I see.”

Kriella smiled softly, loosening the cloth that was tied to me by the maid.

“Then we should check.”

Caressing my suppressed wrist, I blinked my eyes slowly. I felt like I was going crazy, confused by what was happening.

“Chelsea.”

“Yes, big Madam.”

“Bring Endimion and Magorit.” Kriella gave the order overbearingly toward the maid.

“T-the little Madam too?”

“We may have to bring in his concubine. Of course she should be there too!”

My heart sank at the word ‘concubine.’

“I-I understand…!” Upon receiving her order, Chelsea hurriedly moved her steps.

Concubine… My emerald eyes, which had been shining brightly, gradually sank into the darkness. Was this the right thing to do? Knowing that Endrew enjoyed meeting another woman and me at the same time, I had to struggle to be treated as his concubine.

Right, no matter what… let’s hear from him first. I looked as if I was about to cry and waited absent-mindedly for Endimion and his wife to come. A suffocating time passed, and soon he entered the basement with urgent steps. With that, Magorit was frowning fiercely, unable to hide her astonishment.

“Lia, Honey!”

Despite Magorit’s presence next to him, a kind voice that hadn’t changed was addressed to me.

“You must be surprised, right? I didn’t want to surprise you like this.”

“Endre, no, Marquis Endimion.”

“Don’t call me like that. I’m your husband.”

Beside him, Magorit looked back and forth between him and me with a bewildered look. It was a natural reaction for her.

Magorit and Endimion had been engaged since they were very young. The two naturally fell in love and dated even before their marriage. Their wedding day was only two days ago. However, her husband was now calling a commoner woman she had never seen as ‘Honey.’

“Now, what happened…?”

“Oh, Mari. I will explain everything.”

Endimion spoke softly without changing his expression. “Lobelia is my wife. We got married three years ago.”

“…Now, what did you say? Got married?”

“Yes. This person is my lifesaver.”

Things were going crazy. Magorit’s hands trembled. As much as the shock Lobelia got at their wedding, Magorit was also stunned to death.

“I love both of you.” He gently folded his eyes and smiled as if he were a god of love.

“Huh… Endi!” Magorit couldn’t control her temper and screamed at him. However, Endimion was still calm.

“So I hope you two will understand. I have the responsibility to protect my children and wives. I’m a very responsible person, so I can’t give up on both of you.”

It was the same with me, who couldn’t keep my mouth shut due to astonishment. I thought that there would be no other husband like this in the world who was kind and sweet. But I was completely fooled. He was stupid, not sweet, and his kindness belonged to everyone, not only to me.

I couldn’t live with that crazy guy anymore. It was when I was about to refute what he said.

“First of all, Endimion. You should stay up now.” Kriella suddenly cut in between the two women, who were dumbfounded.

“Yes? Why, Mother?”

“I have something to say to the two of them. And shouldn’t you bring your child as well?”

“Hmm, that’s right. It’s natural. I can’t keep my bloodline growing in a place like that. Alright, I will let you talk about it.”

She sent Endimion back up first with her sweet words. When he was gone, Kriella spoke to me.

“Guide me to where the child is.”

“C-child?”

“I’ll have to see my grandchild first. Let’s talk more after bringing the child.”

Kriella raised her mouth with the most benevolent appearance. Then she took ointment from Chelsea and applied it to my cheek where she had hit.

“I’m sorry. If I knew you were my son’s lover, I wouldn’t have treated you this way.”

Maybe it was because I was lonely for too long before I met Endrew and after my mother died. I was naively fooled again by her feigned kindness.

“…Yes,” I replied dumbly.  “I will guide you.”

Who knew it was the way to open the hell gate with my own hands.