“There’s one thing I’d like to ask you, Marquis.”

Johannes stopped walking.

“Ria, no, the Marchioness said she had never received any letters from me, and she didn’t know at all that I had visited the mansion.”

“Is that so?”

“But I was told that the Marchioness didn’t want to meet me, so I left. I also received a letter from her.”

“……”

“Forgive my impertinence, but perhaps the maids at the mansion are disrespecting the Marchioness……”

Before Raoul could finish speaking, Johannes burst into laughter.

“Ah, sorry. It’s just such an absurd story. Certainly, it’s an excessive question. It’s not an area you should be concerned about, and it especially questions my abilities. Do I look like someone who can’t even control mere servants in your eyes?”

“That wasn’t my intention, but if it sounded that way, I apologize.”

“I understand. It’s a story from a cherished friend, so you couldn’t just let it go.”

Johannes’s face darkened.

“I didn’t want to say this……”

He continued with a sigh.

“Whether it’s the shock of suddenly losing her father, Count Dyke, Ria has become very frail.”

“Frail?”

“Yes.”

Johannes pulled Riena closer to him. He pressed his fingernail hard against her thigh.

Riena let out a moan at the sharp pain that seemed more than just a simple press of a fingernail. However, her voice was drowned out by Johannes’s continuing words.

“I hate to say this, but sometimes she has hysterical fits. She faints during these episodes, and when she wakes up, she forgets what she did.”

“When did I… huh.”

Riena couldn’t continue her words as Johannes’s fingernail dug into her thigh again.

“It seems Riena wasn’t in a good state when you visited. So the head butler must have sent you away on his own accord.”

“…Is that so?”

“Yes. But just in case, I’ll check when I get back. Shall we go now?”

“I’m sorry for taking up so much of your time. Please go home safely.”

Johannes pulled Riena along as he started walking again. When they were far enough that Raoul couldn’t see them, he pushed her towards the wall. Then, placing one hand on the wall, he approached Riena.

An ominous shadow loomed over Riena’s head.

Johannes was still smiling. Riena looked up at him, trembling.

“My lady.”

“……”

“Or should I call you Ria?”

“That……”

“Hearing a nickname of my wife that I don’t know come so naturally from another man’s mouth isn’t very pleasant.”

He sneered, lifting just one corner of his mouth.

“No, it’s extremely unpleasant.”

“It’s not a name with any particular meaning.”

“Really?”

Riena hurriedly nodded. Seemingly pleased with her attitude, Johannes generously changed the subject.

“By the way, my lady. Didn’t you come along today on the condition that you wouldn’t do anything foolish?”

“……That’s right.”

“Then why did you meet with Lord Berna?”

“Just, well, I was happy to see a childhood friend after so long. I hadn’t been able to contact him.”

Riena trailed off, looking towards where Raoul had been.

He had always been on her side. Riena had faith that Raoul would protect her no matter what happened.

That’s why when Countess Dyke forcibly pushed for a marriage with Baron Rothman, she sent a letter to him first.

She had hope that Raoul would come this time too. Someone who knew her well like him would have noticed that her reaction was strange when she was with Johannes.

So…

“Where are you looking, my lady?”

Johannes grabbed her cheek and turned her face.

“Your husband is right in front of you, yet you’re openly thinking about another man? Where did you learn such a habit?”

Riena bit her lip hard, suppressing her voice.

“You’re not going to apologize until the end? My lady is quite tough.”

Johannes grabbed Riena’s hair tightly.

“Ugh……!”

“Have you still not grasped the situation, or do you enjoy this? If you want, I could shower you with affection without you having to provoke me.”

Riena, barely swallowing her groan, gathered courage to speak.

“Raoul……”

“Again, again talking about that bastard.”

“Raoul said strange things. He said he sent me letters and even visited me in person, but I didn’t receive any contact.”

Johannes listened quietly, as if waiting to see how far Riena would speak.

“He said I sent a letter ignoring him, and even turned him away at the door, but I really never did such things. What’s going on? Is this your doing? Why?”

“……”

“You say I’ve become frail and have hysterical fits? That my mind comes and goes? You know better than anyone that’s not true. If I’ve gone mad, it’s because of you… ugh.”

Riena couldn’t finish her words as Johannes grabbed her shoulders and pushed her hard against the wall. Her shoulders felt like they would be crushed.

“If I say so……”

Johannes leaned down and whispered in her ear.

“What can you do about it, my lady?”

“How could you do this? Raoul is my friend. How could you……”

“I’ve told you many times, my lady.”

Johannes spoke sweetly, as if whispering words of love.

“You only need me.”

“……!”

With Johannes’s words, Riena woke up from her sleep. She couldn’t breathe properly, as if someone had tightly squeezed her throat.

Riena frantically scratched at her neck with her fingertips, trying to breathe. But as if she had forgotten how to breathe, she couldn’t inhale.

Just when she thought she might suffocate to death, her airway finally opened.

‘What kind of dream was that?’

It was clearly that dream again. However, it felt somehow different from the dreams she had been having.

It felt as if she had entered someone’s mind and rummaged through their memories. At the same time, her head was in a whirl, as if someone had randomly kneaded her brain.

The content of the dream was so intense that she couldn’t distinguish what was dream and what was reality. The fear she felt in the dream as well.

Because of this, Riena couldn’t shake off the aftermath of the dream for a while.

Only after she finally regained her breath could she think properly.

‘What kind of dream was that?’

Why had she married Johannes and become the Marchioness of Belliard? What was that about Johannes abusing her?

Moreover, why had Raoul turned his back on her? Was it because he didn’t believe her, or was he afraid of the Belliard family’s anger?

Now that she had woken from the dream, she would never know the reason.

However, even though it was just a dream, the betrayal by a trusted friend was so shocking that her hands were still trembling.

‘This is truly a nonsensical dream. More nonsensical than any dream I’ve had so far.’

There was no way Raoul would betray her.

Furthermore, Johannes Belliard, known to be the most gentlemanly in the capital, would never treat her like that.

No, even before that, there was no way Riena would marry Johannes in the first place.

Riena took a few more deep breaths to calm herself, then pulled the bell rope.

“Good morning, Miss. The weather is clear today… Oh my goodness! Miss, what is this?”

Amy, who discovered the red marks on Riena’s neck, let out a shrill scream. Riena hurriedly covered her neck with the blanket, but Amy, who had rushed over, insisted on examining it closely.

“Are these scratch marks? Who on earth would do such a thing to you, Miss……!”

“Amy, calm down. Who else could have done this? I must have scratched myself in my sleep.”

“This severely?”

“Mm-hmm.”

Fortunately, Amy seemed to believe her words. She didn’t press further, but continued to look upset at Riena’s injury.

“The wound doesn’t seem too deep, so it probably won’t leave a scar. But the red marks might last a while, so I’ll get some medicine from the doctor.”

“Okay, thanks for your concern.”

“It’s nothing. I’m just doing my job.”

Amy was about to leave the room, saying she would send another maid here and go to find the doctor herself. Riena quickly grabbed her and asked.

“Amy, what is the Duke doing?”

“The Duke? Umm……”

Amy trailed off ambiguously.

“He woke up early at dawn, did his strength training and sword practice, and then went out. I don’t think he mentioned where he was going.”

“I see. Okay, thank you.”

“Yes.”

Amy left the room looking more apologetic than Riena.

Soon, another maid entered. Throughout their attendance, Riena couldn’t completely shake off the contents of the dream.