The beginning was a sudden reproach. The words spat from his mouth were as sharp as his predatory eyes.

When Kedilen could only blink without reacting, Aden opened his mouth again, determined to tear out his throat.

“You laughed off a provocation that was too embarrassing to even listen to. Do you have no balls, or do you think your wife’s humiliation has nothing to do with you? I envy how smoothly the corners of your mouth curled up. You seem to have no worries at all.”

The scathing criticism clawed at Kedilen’s sturdy mask.

That mask, which he thought was harder than rock, easily cracked, revealing the bare face hidden beneath it.

“…Haha, I think your words are a bit excessive, Your Grace.”

“Was it? I apologize then. I must have drunk too much alcohol. But watching from the side made my stomach churn.”

His golden eyes slowly rolled over to Ludmila, who was observing the situation from the side.

“My wife is enduring shame and humiliation with her entire body, while her husband, the man who is her spouse, is grinning with a thoughtless face.”

“I understand what you’re saying, but this is a matter between my wife and me. Please refrain from exaggerating.”

“You’re a foolish man. You should have said that not to me, but to the chairman of the House just now.”

Aden approached, twisting the corners of his mouth, and poked Kedilen’s shoulder with his finger.

Kedilen’s face flushed red at the provocation that only scoundrels would do.

Ludmila could easily guess that Kedilen was in a state where he could explode at any moment.

However, there were too many eyes around to completely throw away the mask. He couldn’t ruin the image he had built up in an instant.

Gossipmongers who chewed on events in high society loved these kinds of stories the most.

After all, the downfall of the noble was not something you could pay to see anywhere.

It has always been a difficult and arduous task to climb stairs, but going down is a joyful thing.

Even if you spend twice as much time going up, if you twist your ankle for a moment, you plummet in an instant.

Knowing this well, Kedilen mustered all his patience and put on a forced smile.

“You seem drunk, Your Grace.”

“It’s not me who’s drunk, but you who are immersed in that role. Why don’t you admit your petty appearance of taking offense at the criticism directed at you while laughing off your wife’s humiliation?”

Thud-, thud-.

Aden blatantly poked Kedilen’s shoulder, causing him to step back.

All Kedilen could do now was bite his lip and endure it.

No one provoked him in such a crude way, as he always walked around with a good-natured smile on his face.

Even the old nobles refrained from using vulgar expressions to maintain their dignity.

Their arguments, if any, were trapped in a frame, like mountain goats trying to hurt each other with horns that didn’t touch.

But the beast in front of him bared its teeth and bit his throat.

With a blatant sneer that there was nothing he could do about that single action.

“…Shouldn’t we stop those two?”

“I can’t do it. I don’t even want to talk to them.”

“What if you get hit for no reason?”

Originally, when something like this happened, it was normal for people around to stop it, but the opponent was Aden.

The leader of the Khanate. The empire’s tumor, Duke Havertz.

Both old nobles and new nobles, without exception, ostracized them, thinking that even talking to those savages would make them lose their dignity.

That’s why no one could save Kedilen.

“That’s enough.”

Except for Ludmila. Her gentle voice flowed calmly like a spring breeze.

Aden, who was pushing Kedilen’s shoulder, rolled his eyes to meet the red gaze fixed on him.

“Please stop there, Your Grace.”

“Ha-.”

Aden twisted the corners of his mouth and brushed his hair back.

His gestures and attitude were raw, hard to find in any noble etiquette book, but Aden’s pronunciation was very clear.

“Hey, Marchioness. I’m taking your side right now. I’m pointing out that your good-for-nothing husband isn’t doing his job properly. Do you not understand this situation?”

“I understand. But this is an issue between me and my husband. I appreciate the sentiment, but I’d like you to stop here.”

“This is absurd.”

Aden frowned as he looked at Ludmila, then turned his gaze to look around.

Confirming the interest-filled gazes of people who had found an amusing piece of gossip, Aden bit his lip and sighed with a disgruntled face.

“You two are quite a well-matched couple. It’s almost moving to see you defending your husband who overlooks your humiliation. Fine, I’ll stop. Hey, Marquis. Be grateful that you have a good wife who defends you even in this situation. And next time, step up properly. If I see that kind of behavior again, I’ll make sure you can’t stand on your own two feet.”

“……”

Aden spoke briefly, exhaled, and twisted the corners of his mouth toward Ludmila.

“Marchioness.”

“Damn it all!”

As soon as he returned to the mansion, Kedilen roughly expressed his anger and threw the pocket watch he had brought on the floor.

As if that wasn’t enough to satisfy him, he crushed it with his shoe, smashing it to pieces.

The humiliation he had experienced at the banquet earlier must have been so shameful that even his earlobes turned red as he spewed vulgar curses from his mouth.

Ludmila, who was following a few steps behind and watching, closed her eyes, dry as withered petals.

‘…It was on purpose.’

Aden poked Kedilen’s shoulder while rolling his eyes toward her.

That atrociously rude man even gave a small sneer, as if saying it was her turn now, like an actor reciting lines on stage.

Ludmila could understand the smoothly raised corners of his mouth. And how advantageous the situation he had set up was for him.

“That damn lowlife dared to…!”

As proof, Kedilen’s anger, which should have been directed at her, was entirely focused on Aden.

He took off the clothes Aden’s fingers had touched, throwing them violently and only cursing at him.

Ludmila couldn’t understand Aden’s actions earlier.

Did he really have a reason to intervene in that situation?

Even if she thought back on whether there was a reason, the only thing that came to mind was that she had shown him her bare back.

Moreover, she had drawn a line with words telling him not to mind it.

There was nothing to gain from intervening except sharp criticism and curses directed at him, yet he deliberately provoked Kedilen.

Biting her lips slightly, Ludmila thought it over many times but couldn’t come to a plausible conclusion.

In the meantime, Kedilen, who had unleashed his anger to his heart’s content, turned his head and fixed a violent gaze on Ludmila.

“What’s your relationship with that man? What kind of relationship do you have that that lowlife protects you!”

Ah, of course. When the introduction of the music ends, the climax naturally follows.

As usual, all his dissatisfaction was directed at his wife in the end. Ludmila calmly answered with an unsurprised face.

“We have no relationship.”

“No relationship, yet he takes your side in that situation. Did you perhaps develop feelings for that man?”

Feelings. Even if I had feelings for that man, it wouldn’t compare to you, who crawls under a different woman’s dress every night.

Ludmila pulled her dry lips and shook her head slightly.

Even though it wasn’t an answer she spoke out loud, Kedilen only frowned without expressing any particular dissatisfaction. He also knew.

The fact that Ludmila stayed inside the mansion as a faithful doll without going out.

A woman with a dog collar tied, unable to go outside without his lead. That was Ludmila.

“But why!”

Kedilen, who nervously scratched his head, spewed rough anger.

How long would she have to watch this sight? Her legs hurt. It was a tiring and terrible day.

A short time, not even a full day since experiencing death. Ludmila wanted to return to bed and end the strange and horrible day.

“Don’t think about it too much. Thanks to that man, your reputation has risen even higher.”

“What?”

“The noble ladies I met before returning were praising you in unison. They said Marquis Erdi, who controlled his anger even in that situation, is a true noble who knows honor.”

“True… noble?”

As he repeated her words like a parrot, Ludmila swallowed a sneer.

Despite his success, his complex as a low-ranking noble was still his background.

“They said there’s no point in getting angry and losing your temper at a freeman, as it only makes you lose your own dignity. In that sense, this incident might actually be a good thing for you. It raised your honor.”

“……”

As if he had never been angry, Kedilen propped his chin and pondered deeply, the corners of his mouth curving up slightly.

“Well, I suppose so.”

He’s simple-minded. I wonder if his otherwise cunning mind becomes this simple only when it comes to his background.

Ludmila was curious if his mind was also wearing a mask, but she wanted to wrap up the situation.

“Then, I’ll be going back now. You should rest too.”

“Wait, Ludmila.”

As Ludmila turned around after a brief farewell, Kedilen’s voice pierced her back.

Is there still something to pick on? Ludmila let out a small sigh and turned around, holding her long neck upright.

“Yes, go ahead.”

Kedilen, who had been silently watching her unwavering attitude, seemed to be thinking about something before raising the corners of his mouth.

“Cancel the fasting.”

“…Pardon?”

“You handled it well just now. As a reward, I’ll overlook the disrespectful remarks you made to me and today’s mistake. Be grateful.”

“……”

Ludmila’s eyebrows furrowed slightly at the word ‘reward’ thrown out like a favor.

He must be concerned about what Chairman Bex had said, not the reward.

Yet he tries to elevate himself again with the word reward.

Ludmila clicked her tongue at his infuriatingly clever mind and only gave a small nod.

“I understand. Then…”

“Ah, and one more thing.”

Kedilen sighed and spoke again.

“I’ll be visiting your bedchamber when I return from my business trip next week, so keep that in mind.”

Ludmila’s neat eyebrows twitched at the word ‘bedchamber’.

She bit her unusually dry lips and spoke quickly, unlike her usual self.

“Bedchamber? We…”

“Didn’t you hear earlier? They said it’s strange that you haven’t conceived a child.”

He cared about those words? You never showed interest before.

As Ludmila’s eyes wavered, the corners of Kedilen’s mouth rose obliquely.

“I’ll embrace you starting next week, so be grateful.”

“……”

“You may go. Take care of your body so you can get pregnant.”

Having finished his words, Kedilen immediately entered the bathroom.

As the door closed, Ludmila, who had returned to her room in the quietness, slumped onto the bed.

It was a fear of a different nature than the terror of death.

Ludmila raised her head and looked at her reflection in the mirror.

Her face, lifeless like a flower grown in soil that hadn’t received a single drop of water, was pale and haggard.

It felt like hanging from a cliff with no more escape.

Translation complete. 100% of original text translated.