Choosing Felix as my husband was, in hindsight, a tremendous mistake, but at the time it seemed a rational choice.

For me, who had lost my parents early, the young foreign count was an attractive prospect.

His gentlemanly manner and kind smile made my heart flutter, and our shared experience of losing family and being left alone created a sense of kinship.

“We have so much in common. We’re both alone in this world. So couldn’t we make it work together? Come with me. I want to make you the mistress of my house.”

I readily took his hand.

It was quite a decent marriage.

He had a respectable home and title, while I had no title but inheritance to receive upon marriage.

Although there was the issue of having to leave for a foreign land, Elendril was my grandmother’s hometown, so it wasn’t entirely unfamiliar.

So I left Araz where I was born and raised, and came to Elendril. Believing that my ‘beloved husband’ would never betray me.

It was a truly terrible mistake.

If I could go back to that time, I would have immediately come to my senses and rejected Felix.

But it seems God had no intention of correcting that as well. Considering He sent me back to the same point twice.

I quietly observed my surroundings.

A morning alone in the countess’s bedroom, maids looking at me with concern, and that person nowhere to be seen.

Everything was exactly the same as before.

“Hahaha…”

For some reason, I couldn’t help but laugh.

According to my memories of my first life, the night before this morning, I had witnessed irrefutable evidence of Felix’s infidelity and fainted.

Felix must have realized by now that his actions had been discovered.

But he never came to see me first.

In my first life, and in my second, at the time I woke up, he was spending time with his mistress, not me.

The man I had loved as my husband was that kind of person.

“Our poor lady…”

Mary approached me with tears in her eyes.

“Can you get up? I’ll tell the chef to bring out the rabbit stew you like. Eating some delicious food will make you feel better.”

Those words snapped me back to reality.

In any case, I had finally returned again. I was given the third chance I so desperately wanted.

A chance to change my life and get revenge on him.

For now, I needed to take care of myself by eating and resting well.

I collected myself and turned to Mary.

“While you’re at it, could you bring some mashed potatoes, freshly baked brioche, and Camembert cheese to go with the stew? And chocolate-covered cookies for dessert.”

Mary nodded vigorously.

“Yes! I’ll have it prepared right away!”

***

After filling my stomach, I became lost in thought.

I needed to plan how to utilize this third chance given to me.

Of course, my goal had been set from the beginning.

To take revenge on Felix.

Not just revenge, but to drag him down to a terrible abyss so that he could never touch me again.

The problem was that I didn’t have much to use for my revenge.

The assets I brought when I married became merged with Count Tolomies’ fortune upon marriage.

Therefore, I didn’t have much funds I could manage independently.

I had no reliable family or relatives, nor did I have any allies to carry out the revenge with.

I couldn’t immediately hire someone to assassinate him either.

I had already failed at attempting something similar before, and if he were to die under suspicious circumstances, I, as his wife, would be the first suspect…

When my thoughts reached that point, I suddenly realized.

Wife.

Yes, I am his wife.

No matter how much I’ve abandoned him in my heart, at this moment, he is still my husband, and I am his one and only wife.

Therefore, I have one very powerful weapon.

The qualification of being ‘Countess Tolomies’.

That is something that Julia Florence, Felix’s mistress, can never forcibly take away, no matter how hard she tries.

Even if Felix wants to drive me out, he can never demand a divorce from me unless I first create a justification.

And as long as I remain in the position of ‘Countess Tolomies’, I can access numerous secrets of the Tolomies family as the mistress of this house.

In my past life, I foolishly squandered that right, but this time, I couldn’t do that.

“Mary, call Felix for me.”

“Pardon? The master?”

Mary frowned at my words.

“Um, my lady. Wouldn’t it be better to eat first and compose yourself a bit? As far as I know, the master is currently…”

“Gone to meet Julia, right? I know.”

Mary’s eyes widened. She seemed surprised that I had mentioned that woman’s name.

I sat up straight and gave the order.

“I’m fine, so when Felix returns, call him immediately. We need to talk.”

***

That evening, I had a conversation alone with Felix.

In fact, it was already the third time I was facing this moment. And truthfully, what I did was less of a conversation and more of unilaterally listening to his petty confession.

When I presented the evidence, Felix readily admitted his wrongdoing and even volunteered details of his past actions that I hadn’t asked about.

I sat with my arms crossed, listening to his pitiful confession.

Surprisingly, I felt no emotion at all. It was like waiting for a boring play whose ending I already knew to finish.

Finally, when his story ended, I uttered just one sentence.

“…I see.”

That was all the commentary I had to offer.

But Felix seemed to think I was too shocked to speak.

“I’m sorry you had to find out this way.”

Suddenly, I recalled how I had reacted to his betrayal in the past.

In my first life, I had clung to him, crying, unable to overcome the shock.

In my second life, though not as surprised, I still felt a considerable sense of betrayal and sat slumped for a long time.

I’m not sure why I did that even though I already knew the outcome. Perhaps I had a sliver of hope that he wouldn’t repeat the same actions.

Of course, I had long since abandoned even that hope.

As expected, he was just as shameless in this third life. So, I opened my mouth, feeling like I was flipping through a novel whose ending I already knew.

“I understand what you’re saying.”

Anyway, I had decided not to divorce him.

So for now, I had to pretend to have resigned myself to everything.

“Come to think of it, I was quite foolish. A woman like me could never satisfy you. I’ve known for a long time that I’m not worthy of your love.”

Felix looked at me in surprise.

I gazed at him with a sorrowful smile, thinking that it would be good if I appeared utterly pitiful and fragile to him right now.

“I won’t ask for anything more. If you want to meet that woman, feel free to do so.”

Hearing my words, he asked incredulously.

“Lizzy, do you really mean that?”

“If I could, I’d like to let you go.”

This much, at least, was sincere.

If I had my way, I would have immediately cut this detestable man out of my life and left without a trace, as if nothing had ever happened.

But that was never an option for my benefit.

I put all my effort into acting the part of an understanding wife.

“But if we separate now, it would bring great dishonor to the Tolomies family. I don’t want to burden your family in such a way because of my inadequacies.”

I continued speaking, suppressing the rising nausea.

“You should spend time freely with that woman. I will fulfill my role as the Countess Tolomies. For both our sakes, let’s live quietly as if nothing happened.”

Having finished speaking, I quietly lowered my gaze.

In truth, I already knew what answer he would give.

“You’re such a kind woman.”

His disgusting voice reached my ears.

“Alright. If that’s your wish, we’ll do that. What right do I have to ask you for a divorce? Thank you for understanding.”

I inwardly sighed.

As expected, this man had the courage to betray me, but not the courage to leave me first.

He wouldn’t want to lose either the elegant and stable ‘Countess’ or the fresh and lively ‘young mistress’.

No, he probably staged this ridiculous farce because he couldn’t give up being both the ‘Count Tolomies’ with a respectable family and the ‘charming man’ loved by his mistress.

Suppressing my disgust, I smiled kindly until the very end.

“Thank you, Felix.”

Felix looked at me and smiled awkwardly in return. His apparent relief was utterly repulsive.

Nevertheless, I didn’t remove the mask of a kind wife until the end.

He probably didn’t see it. The cold smile on my face as I watched his retreating back.