CH 45

“……what a nerve.”

Ezekiel’s face became grim. He reached out his hand and held his wife’s jaw, who was kneeling in front of him, and said each syllable with strength.

“Why didn’t you ask me earlier why I didn’t punish you? Don’t be brave because you’re not with your son’s father. Staying in a temple with only the ladies raised my mercy to the fullest. But I can’t forgive you like this. Don’t be mistaken. I’m just holding it in until I get to the castle. Do you understand?”

“Ugh……oh, it hurts!”

“Herace, my pretty wife. You seem to think I’m still a clueless idiot, but I know. Who your son’s father is.”

While struggling with pain, Herace raised her eyes. If she could speak, she would at least question what it means, but she was even unable to do so because of Ezekiel, who had a strong grip on her jaw. She tried to pry Ezekiel’s hand off by scratching his hand with her nails.

“Well, that’s…… Ugh!”

Ezekiel was like a wounded beast. He picked up Herace roughly and pushed her down on the carriage’s seat. Herace tried to wake up reflexively, but Ezekiel was faster. With the clatter of the shackles, he uttered the name of the person whom his wife committed adultery with, shivering with madness. His voice contained an unquestionable desire of murder at the name.

“……Charles. Your ex-fiance, my brother, whose name you sang even in your dreams, as if you missed him. You’ve been in and out of the castle many times to see him.”

Herace opened her eyes wide at the name she didn’t expect to pop out of nowhere. What do you mean, Charles?…. But one moment came to her mind.

‘No way…’

She once met Charles without telling Ezekiel. Her ex-fiance came to her saying it was the last time. Their relationship was like a kite that was cut off due to bad wind, so she shouldn’t have met him.

However, Charles and she were not only involved in a political marriage. They were childhood friends and had been together for more than 10 years. Herace could not refuse to meet her childhood friend, who said he would move to another country after losing everything due to his mother’s crime and being kicked out of the Empire.

But that didn’t mean that she cheated on Ezekiel. Herace could swear to heaven.

“I’m sorry, Herace. I’m so sorry.… I can’t stand it without telling you. This will be our last meeting.”

“Charles…”

“Herace, I love you so much. I’ve always loved you.”

“Charles, I…… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for you, but I can’t accept your heart. I’m…”

The meeting was like saying goodbye. Both Herace and Charles were aware of it. Herace cried sadly, but she firmly rejected Charles, and Charles also said nothing at her refusal. He must have known. That Herace would refuse his confession.

“……Ezekiel, I love my husband.”

“…….”

“I’m telling you now, Charles, you must know that. I’ve actually been…….”

“Stop.”

“…….”

“……I know what you mean. So stop it, Herace.”

“I’m, I’m sorry. Charles, I’m sorry…….”

He was leaving anyway. She should have refused because she was the one who refused him. However, while choosing to hurt Charles again, Herace brought up the uncomfortable past. She was so confident in her love. She loved the man in front of her.

“Since it was Charles’ blood, your son deserves to use Serpence’s surname. But I don’t intend to be the father of a child who doesn’t connect to my blood. So don’t try to treat me like a jerk any more. It’s more unpleasant to be treated as a fool who doesn’t know anything than the fact that he was deceived.”

But what’s wrong with this person? What kind of misunderstanding was he talking about? The pain that stung enough that she forgot stabbed her heart. Herace looked up at the man with wet eyes.

‘He’s doing this because he doesn’t believe me…… Right?’

Herace was surprised to realize that the biggest emotion she felt was betrayal. For more than three years, she thought she had erased all of Ezekiel, but when she knew the reality of the misunderstanding he made, the sadness that she did not know dominated her body.

At the same time, however, Herace felt something flowing near her heart like spring water rising from between rocks.

‘It will be okay if I can explain everything. If I just tell him what happened then…….’

Since it became clear that it was a misunderstanding, it was easy enough to solve it. Well, if she explains it well, well, he’ll……. Herace calmed down her emotional feelings and clenched the seeds of hope that swayed gently in the breeze.

“No, listen to me, Ezekiel. You’re misunderstanding something. Charles and I… Argh!”

After the reunion, for the first time, Herace spoke of Ezekiel’s name. However, as soon as ‘Charles’ came out of her mouth, Ezekiel made a ghostly, creepy expression and covered Herace’s mouth with his big hand.

“Shut up.”

“Ummf!”

“Please shut up, Herace. Don’t call that name in front of me. Don’t say the name with your mouth or your voice.”

It was a reaction close to a seizure. He covered her mouth and buried his face in the crook of her neck. With the sound of rough breathing, Herace felt sharp teeth touching the scruff of the white neck, and the mouth reaching her ear.

“……all you have to say is my name.”

*****

“What’s all this!”

A servant carrying a table stopped in surprise at the woman’s sharp shout. As he turned his head in the direction of hearing the sound, he saw a blonde woman grinding her teeth while pointing with her hand. The servant, who recognized the opponent, hurriedly put down the table and bowed his head.

“I’m asking you what you’re doing!”

“Well, that’s…”

The servant mumbled at Charlotte’s urging. Then the maid behind Charlotte jumped out and gave a shout.

“Your Madam is asking. Can’t you answer quickly?”

‘What do you mean, Madam…… Lily, you good for nothing. A filthy snitch.’

A servant with the head bowed deeply rubbed his palm servilely, swearing at Charlotte and the maid. Apart from feeling hateful, Charlotte was someone they feared.

“I’m moving things to the annex over there, Madam.”

Charlotte’s rose eyebrows sank the moment when the servant said ‘Madam’. She asked again, sweeping the white fox scarf around her neck.

“The annex at the corner? Why would you take this there?”

“I don’t know why. The only thing I can say is that it’s the order of the Lord…….”

“What?”

Charlotte’s voice rose again when the word “Lord’s command” came out. She took her scarf she was wearing down and raised her hand to her mouth to chew her nails.

‘Come to think of it, there’s a rumor going around that he had found the woman……. Is that true? She’s coming back here, and she’s gonna throw me out to that corner of the castle, not even letting me live in the mansion?’

The anxiety that had been barely suppressed rose in an instant.

Charlotte, who stirred the castle at will while being called the Madam, only authority she was given was some gold and the false courtesy of her subordinates. More than a few years after Herace’s departure, Charlotte did not have any real authority, as well as any penny of Serpence Castle.

“Do you know who my son is? Do you know who Miguel’s mother is? It’s me! I’m the mother of the next Duke! But what? Not letting me in? Do you want to die right now?”

“Go back. You’re not allowed in here.”

No matter how much Charlotte made a disturbance and shouted at them, the men Ezekiel left at the castle remained motionless. Several times she tried to conciliate them with overflowing gold, but they did not change their expressionless faces, only saying that they would tell Ezekiel and that’s what stopped Charlotte. Thanks to this, Charlotte could not know that Ezekiel was returning to the castle until about the same time as the servants.

“Well, then I’ll be on my way.”

Sensing danger from the trembling Charlotte, the servant quickly ran away with the table. The maid next to Charlotte also took a few steps back when she realized that the expression of the ‘Madam’ was getting serious.

“……No, I don’t think so. There’s no way the woman who hasn’t shown her nose for three years will come back. The annex is… he’s decorating it because he has guests coming with him. So I don’t have to worry. Oh, my God! How can he think of leaving me in a separate house now! I’m the mother of the heir!”

The tips of the well-trimmed fingernails were crushed and distorted with a small tremor. Miguel, who looked at his mother’s nails carefully, smiled and raised his hand and held Charlotte’s hand. Charlotte looked at her son at the light movement.

“Mother, you’re wrong about that.”

“What?”

Miguel’s words were small enough to be heard only by Charlotte. He whispered in a small voice as if the child was telling a secret and pointed his finger to the East.

“The Duchess is coming back. With Father.”

*****

It took about a month from the temple where Herace stayed to Serpence Castle even after the familiar knights rode horses at full speed. However, the severe winter weather delayed the return to Serpence Castle.

The knights were excited about their return after a few months and the scent of spring, but Herace lifted the curtain covering the carriage window and looked outside before lowering her hand helplessly.

‘……I came back after all.’

Herace sighed as the castle began to appear in the view. To others, this scene seemed to be welcoming, but for Herace, that huge castle was like looking at a prison.

“Ah……”

Herace, who was looking at the wall out of the window, wrapped herself with the blanket and groaned. Her neck was littered with various red marks. Herace pulled back her collar and pulled up her clothes as much as possible to hide the marks on her neck. She remembered the shameful night.

‘I can’t stay like this.’

She had to think about anything she could do for Erzen, but her mind became lethargic like a body that was getting weaker day by day.

‘He doesn’t even give me a chance to talk…… What the hell am I supposed to do?’

She was at a loss whenever she thought of Ezekiel.

Herace had told him countless times in the last two months, “You’re misunderstanding”. But every time she spoke of the subject, Ezekiel only spilled poison or quietly revealed a murderous look.

‘Isn’t it embarrassing to tell a lie every time?’

In addition, he acted like a super jealous man when Charles’ name was mentioned in the mouth of Herace. Every time he covered her mouth with a big hand, Herace was terrified and couldn’t do anything. Then she had to bite her lips under his torture. And every time that happened again and again, Herace felt like something was breaking in her heart.