My whole body was tense.

‘Could it be that I won’t bleed anymore here?’

Fortunately, I did not vomit blood again.

‘……I should be able to handle it at this level…….’

Johan was looking at me with a stern face.

‘It doesn’t seem to be there.’

I spoke to the trees in indignation.

[Dash]Why now of all times!

[Dash]Is something wrong? Suddenly, why is the child suddenly angry?

[Dash]Yeah, it’s a good thing for you if the curse weakens.

[Dash]Johan was right in front of the situation. I have this strange misunderstanding now.

Then the trees sneakily retreated.

[Dash]No. We have……. done our best to heal you.

[Dash]Yes. Since it seems urgent, we’ll leave now.

[Dash]Well, explain yourself. We believe the child will do well!

Johan bent his knees slightly to meet my eyes as I sat in the examination room chair.

Complicated emotions were contained in his red eyes.

‘Even though I pretended to be sick…….’

I didn’t expect to vomit blood because the curse suddenly weakened!

“……You’ve been enduring it all along?”

“Huh?”

“Were you sick from the time you were controlled by the Duke and Duchess of Hettel?”

Johan took out a handkerchief and carefully wiped my mouth.

He didn’t ask why I suddenly vomited blood.

“I’m sorry. Even though I’ve been watching, I didn’t know at all.”

……Because I wasn’t sick, you couldn’t have known.

“I didn’t even know I was in this condition, so how could you, Johan? Don’t blame yourself.”

“It’s not selfblame.”

“Huh?”

“It’s a reflection on my incompetence.”

Johan bit his teeth tightly, lowering his long eyelashes. He seemed to be very angry with himself.

“I showed what I prepared, and missed the most important thing.”

“……”

“Me, of all people.”

Johan’s eyes twisted as if enduring pain.

‘Why do you keep making a pained expression?’

I stared blankly at the jewellike red eyes.

‘Am I important to you?’

Squirm, a question I had avoided surfaced.

‘Why?’

You are keeping me as your wife for revenge.

‘……Don’t think about anything more, Estelle.’

People only judged what was shown on the surface anyway.

No one thought about who the real ‘Estelle’ was. That’s why I became a fake.

Johan wasn’t much different either. He was a man who took me, the ‘adopted child of Libertan,’ as a target for revenge.

‘Thinking more will only make you suffer.’

Johan was really amazing.

I thought I had given up on relying on anyone, but why, only to Johan…

‘Don’t make me expect anything.’

Strength entered the toes inside my shoes. I asked as hard as I could.

“When did Johan know about the Hettel Count’s house?”

“Quite a long time ago.”

Johan answered surprisingly coolly.

“In case it might be useful someday.”

“So you had a reason to be sure that you sent that document?”

“Hmm. The reason I found out you were the wife was because I had everything about the Hettel Count’s house figured out. But just one thing, Libertan’s document was something I didn’t know.”

Just one, the only variable.

“So naturally, the source of that document had to be you. The only variable I didn’t understand was you. Of course, I still don’t know how you had it.”

“Do you always have all the noble houses figured out like that?”

“It would be nice, but of course, I can’t. The reason I figured out the Hettel Count’s house this time is simple.”

“……”

“The downfall of the Hettel Count’s house was set.”

I felt a strange chill.

‘The downfall of the Blanchet Duke’s house was set too.’

Of course, my downfall was included in that as well.

“I kept it alive because it was useful, but when it became useless, I discarded it.”

Johan told me about the end of the Hettel Count’s house, who had dared to slander me.

The name of the Hettel Count’s house was erased, all the property was returned to me, the Count and Countess of Hettel would live in prison for their crimes, and their daughters became commoners without a penny.

Listening to that story made me more anxious. Their future seemed like my future.
‘As expected, Johann’s nature hasn’t changed.’

He doesn’t hesitate to use any means necessary for revenge, a dark antagonist.

Coldblooded, judging people based on their usefulness and discarding them as tools.

‘And I, too… if not the subject of revenge, will lose my value.’

But at the same time, this action was for me.

‘The fact that the Count’s family lost its usefulness, is ultimately to harm me.’

He is still caring for me.

Just by obediently telling me all the circumstances, I knew it.

‘I really don’t know.’

The fear that he might cruelly kill and discard me once my value drops.

Grateful for using his power to take revenge on my behalf, solely for me.

These two feelings coexisted.

Then Johann swept my disheveled side hair behind my ear.

“The madam is hiding a lot from me. I know it well.”

It seemed useless to deny it.

“……It’s not that I don’t want to tell Johann.”

“Yes, madam has her reasons.”

“Ha, but!”

I failed to break down the dark antagonist’s guard.

But I decided to take the best gamble I could.