Strategic Marriage with the Mad Villain - Chapter 99

“Your Majesty! I truly didn’t mean to…!”

“Haah…”

Reus let out a sigh suppressed with anger and frowned deeply. Verodica froze in place, unable to even breathe.

“Since getting married, there seem to be many people making unfunny misconceptions. They all seem to think I’ve become a truly kind person like my wife just because I smile at her.”

The hand tapping the sword was very irritable.

“My mercy is not meant for worms like you… I don’t understand why you keep misunderstanding.”

“Y-Your Majesty…”

“I’ll say this one last time. I have no interest whatsoever in who you received the Areia from, or what your intentions were in using it on my wife.”

“…”

“So if you’re going to start spewing lies now, you should be prepared to have your tongue cut out.”

“Hngk…”

Terrified, Verodica bit her lower lip hard and trembled, clutching the blanket tightly. Reus spoke in an indifferent tone:

“I don’t particularly want to recommend keeping your mouth shut.”

Then he stopped twirling the sword he had been playing with and gripped the hilt.

“If you stay like that, I’ll have to exert effort myself to make you want to open your mouth.”

Seeing the Grand Duke looking like he would cut her down at any moment, Verodica hurriedly got off the bed and knelt down.

“Your Majesty, please have mercy just this once-!”

“It seems you’ve finally decided to have a proper conversation.”

“I was wrong… I was truly wrong, Your Majesty. I committed a mortal sin…!”

Though she begged in a humiliating prostration, there was not the slightest change in Reus’s expression. If anything, the loud noise seemed to grate on his nerves.

“It seems you still haven’t come to your senses. Apologies are not for me, are they?”

“…Y-Yes! Your Majesty is right! I meant to say I’m truly sorry to Her Highness, Your Majesty…!”

Reus wiggled his foot for a moment.

A sense of satisfaction could be felt from the leisurely movement that didn’t match the situation.

“I’m thinking of giving you a first and last chance.”

Verodica, who had been trembling with a pale face, suddenly lifted her head.

“If my wife generously forgives you, I’ll follow her words without complaint. I’m more obedient to my wife than you might think.”

“I-I’ll do it! I’ll go right now and ask Her Highness for forgiveness…!”

A twisted smile fell upon Verodica, who was bowing her head deeply.

“You seem confident. Is it because you’ve always looked down on my wife?”

“N-No! Your Majesty, truly not. I sincerely…”

Reus ruthlessly sheathed the sword he had drawn. At the sound, Verodica trembled greatly and reflexively prostrated herself.

“Didn’t I say I’m not curious about your sincerity?”

Soon, the scabbard was thrust into the center of Verodica’s field of vision.

“Now I’m starting to get annoyed.”

“I apologize, Your Majesty. Truly, I apolo-”

“Stop with the useless words and just answer me.”

“Wh-What answer…”

The scabbard spun round and round in Verodica’s vision. It felt as if he was contemplating whether to just kill this woman now or not.

“If my wife says she won’t forgive you.”

“…”

“Do you agree to receive the punishment befitting the crime you committed?”

It was by no means a question with options. Soon, the predetermined answer flowed from Verodica’s mouth.

“Yes, I’ll definitely beg Her Highness for forgiveness…!”

“That’s enough.”

Reus got up from his seat, and the scabbard was naturally withdrawn. Verodica carefully raised her head.

“That’s a sufficient answer, Lady Plona.”

Reus, who answered thus, showed a comfortable smile for the first time. It was a smile that felt so fresh that anyone would have fallen for it if not for this situation.

“I wish you luck.”

But Verodica had to tremble in fear. For it felt as if he was delighting in her predetermined end.

We set out on the road back to the Grand Duke’s castle.

The journey back took much longer than usual, as Reus kept ordering to stop every time the carriage wheels rolled a bit, but we finally arrived safely at the Grand Duke’s castle after many twists and turns.

Even after returning, my body didn’t obey my will for a while. I would suddenly collapse frequently, and some days I would fall into a deep sleep for days on end without waking up.

But after intensive care, I’ve now almost fully recovered. It was thanks to everyone – Reus of course, but also Theron, Dwin, and all the servants of the Grand Duke’s castle – who worried about me with one mind and helped me.

Because of that, everything in the Grand Duke’s castle revolved around me for a while, and Reus in particular never left my side even for a moment.

It was because of the healing. Reus held my hand and sincerely apologized for not being able to help much, but judging by how I got up from my sickbed much earlier than the chief physician had expected, it seems he was actually a great help.

‘My body’s not quite back to normal yet… But this is really a big improvement.’

I was absentmindedly staring out the window when it happened.

Suddenly, without warning, the door flung open and someone entered the room. I already knew it wasn’t Reus from the somewhat rough entrance, but my eyes widened in surprise at the unexpected figure.

“…Verodica?”

Verodica, who had hurriedly entered the room as if being chased by something, fell comically onto the carpet. But instead of trying to get up again, she crawled towards me in that state.

“Your Highness, I’m truly sorry. Please forgive what I’ve done, please…”

“What’s this all of a sudden…”

“Your Majesty, I was completely wrong. I’ll beg like this, so please forgive me, Your Majesty…!”

At that moment, Reus quietly pushed open the already open door and entered.

“I apologize for startling you, Roelle. Lady Plona opened the door and entered on her own.”

Everything was too sudden for me, but Reus, who sat down beside me, casually stroked the back of my hand with his thumb as if it wasn’t a big deal.

The careful touch seemed to say there was no need to worry too much.

“Lady Plona begged to apologize to you no matter what.”

“Your Highness, I was truly wrong. If you forgive me just this once, I’ll never appear before Your Majesty again. No, I can even leave forever from before the Ercian nobles… from the Empire! So please forgive me just this once, Your Majesty…!”

When I looked at Reus with a troubled face, a fresh voice that didn’t quite match the situation was heard.

“Roelle, you can say whatever you want to say.”

“…Reus.”

“Whatever feels comfortable.”

We were clearly in the same space, but it felt like we were all in different worlds.

Especially Reus felt that way.

He seemed to know full well that I was confused, but his hand caressing my cheek was as gentle as usual, and his eyes were softer than ever before.

“Roelle.”

The low voice that followed seemed to be urging something.

I carefully opened my mouth.

“…Wasn’t it Lady Plona who said she hoped to never meet me again?”

“I-I really tried to keep my promise, I tried not to appear before Your Highness again… I’m sorry, I’m truly sorry, Your Highness.”

I had only spoken one sentence. But Verodica trembled all over. However, I couldn’t keep that sight in my eyes for long.

It was because Reus turned my face to look at him instead.

“Roelle. What shall we do?”

It really couldn’t be…

“I’ll do whatever you want.”

Reus’s face looking down at me seemed like someone who had something enjoyable right in front of him.

“Reus…”

“Yes, Roelle.”

The Reus I knew wasn’t that kind of person.

When I stared at him silently, Reus smiled. As if to say everything I said was right.

“Your Highness, please show mercy just this once… Please…!”

Verodica was now almost prostrating herself flat on the ground. As I moved my lips looking at that sight, Reus immediately spoke.

“Roelle. If it’s noisy, I’ll just get rid of it.”

“Ah, no, Your Majesty!”

Startled by Reus’s words, Verodica crawled on her knees. But before she could even get close to the bed, she was blocked by Reus’s leg.

Surprised, Verodica trembled greatly and fell backwards.

“I-I didn’t mean to startle Your High-”

The unfinished words turned into tears that flowed down Verodica’s cheeks.

“Hic… sniff…”

As I was staring at Verodica in a bit of a daze, Reus grasped both my hands.

That was all, but I seemed to know what he wanted to say. Don’t we have a promise? Don’t you have something to say now?

“Verodica, I…”

“Please, please just this once, for the first and last time… Your Highness, please-”

“I have no intention… of forgiving you.”

Soon, Verodica’s face turned ashen as if she had received a death sentence.

“So please leave now.”

For a long while, she just stared blankly at my face with an ominous look in her eyes, and just as I thought it wasn’t good, Verodica tried to lunge at me. But once again, she was restrained by Reus’s hand even faster.

“Your Highness! I begged like this! You should forgive me by now! Did you never even consider forgiveness from the start? When I’m begging like this! You’re just the same after a- mmph…! Mmph!”

The knights who entered the room due to the commotion gagged Verodica and immediately dragged her out.

The screaming cries gradually faded away and were completely cut off by the door Reus closed.

It felt like a storm had swept through, leaving me completely dazed.

Seeming to know my state, Reus carefully laid me down on the bed.

“Roelle. I’m sorry for making it noisy. If I had known you would dislike it this much, I wouldn’t have allowed her entry in the first place.”

“…It’s okay.”

The blue eyes looking down at me showed no emotion other than concern. Looking into Reus’s eyes like that made the events from just now feel like a fleeting illusion that had passed through me.

“Are you sleepy again?”

“No, I’m just a bit tired…”

Instead of answering, Reus stroked my cheek and then smiled brightly.

“Roelle. I’m truly happy that you kept your promise to me.”