However, despite her desperate prayers, Craig’s breath remained the next day and the day after that.

It was a repetition of the same routine, like a hamster wheel.

That is, until she saw his fingers move slightly.

“Huh?”

Cordelia rubbed her eyes, unable to believe what she had seen.

“What’s wrong?”

“The fingers. Did you just see it? The fingers moved.”

“I’m not sure.”

The maid looked at Craig’s hand with a skeptical face. As if it were a lie, his fingers showed no movement.

“I must have seen wrong.”

“If you want it desperately, it could seem that way.”

Emily laughed it off nonchalantly.

However, the next day, Cordelia witnessed Craig’s fingers moving again. Unfortunately, the maid had gone to fetch water, so she was the only witness.

Cordelia, startled, hurriedly approached his side.

“Craig?”

“Ugh…”

He even let out a groan. Seeing him wake up, joy and disappointment…

No, in fact, disappointment was greater. The thread of life is truly tenacious.

However, Cordelia hid her regretful feelings and imitated a modest wife.

“Craig. Are you conscious?”

“Ugh.”

After groaning painfully a few times, Craig barely opened his eyes. His blurry pupils gradually came into focus.

“…dy?”

“Yes?”

“Wh-where, ugh, where am I?”

“It’s the main castle. Do you know it’s been over five months since you collapsed? I should call for a physician right away.”

Cordelia reached for the bell to call a maid. However, her arm froze stiff at the following question.

“My name?”

“What did you say?”

“What’s my name?”

* * *

Helena screamed at the news that Craig Abrams, who had miraculously awakened after five months, had become a fool who didn’t even know his own name.

“This can’t be happening!”

She immediately summoned five renowned physicians from nearby, but they all shook their heads.

“We’re sorry. Even we don’t know much about cases like this…”

“Fix him back to normal right now!”

“We’re truly sorry, Lady Countess.”

The physicians bowed their heads deeply, fidgeting. Helena paced anxiously around the sofa.

“No. This absolutely can’t happen. At this rate, someone else will steal the family. After all I’ve accomplished!”

Although she had sworn the servants to secrecy, rumors about Craig’s condition had already begun to spread.

It was good news for those who had been eyeing the opportunity to become the head of the family since Craig’s collapse. After all, they couldn’t have a fool as the family head.

If this became known, it was obvious that anyone with even a drop of Abrams blood, be it Craig’s cousin or distant relative, would come forward claiming to be the rightful heir to the count’s position.

If that happened, Helena, as the stepmother, would become like a kite with its string cut, unable to keep even a single coin and be driven out of the castle.

On the other hand, Cordelia’s eyes began to sparkle upon hearing the physician’s diagnosis.

‘A fool, they say, a fool!’

It seems heaven hadn’t completely abandoned her after all. As soon as she heard the physician’s words, a way to escape this wretched hell suddenly occurred to her.

“Lady Countess. I’ll try talking to Craig.”

“What? You?”

“Yes. We are husband and wife who have shared a bed, after all. Perhaps if we talk about the past often, his memories might return?”

“Oh, the Countess’s suggestion is quite plausible.”

Fortunately, one of the physicians supported Cordelia.

Normally, Helena wouldn’t have given her the time of day, but now she was in no position to be picky.

“Right. I suppose you’re helpful at times like these.”

Helena’s face brightened. She earnestly implored Cordelia.

“You need to do it as quickly as possible. Those wolves won’t sit still.”

“Don’t worry.”

Cordelia left the room with an ingratiating smile. Then she swiftly headed to her room.

“Where is it? I’m sure I put it somewhere around here.”

Cordelia frantically searched through all the drawers, looking for what she had hidden away.

“Ah, found it!”

The crumpled parchment roll smelled musty from age.

It was fortunate that she had obtained one just in case.

The only empty space was where the husband’s signature was needed.

She grinned as she took it and rushed to Craig’s bedroom.

‘It would have been better if he had died, but becoming a fool isn’t bad either.’

If she could gently persuade him to sign this document while he couldn’t remember anything, she could obtain substantial alimony and freedom.

Then it might be possible to open a small shop, which had been her long-cherished dream.

Cordelia went to Craig’s room, preciously holding the document to her chest.

The maid guarding the room bowed deeply upon seeing Cordelia and then went outside.

“How are you feeling?”

Cordelia sat down in the chair by his bedside, smiling as kindly as possible.

“Terrible.”

Craig muttered, looking at his limp body with disgusted eyes.

“Still, I’m so happy you’ve woken up like this. I prayed to the morning star every day. For you to wake up…”

“Name.”

“Pardon?”

“What’s your name?”

Craig coldly cut off her words.

Cordelia, who had been lying without even wetting her lips, immediately put on an apologetic expression.

“Oh my. I’m sorry. I forgot that your memory isn’t intact. My name is Cordelia. I’m your wife.”

“Your maiden name?”

“It’s Vasquez.”

“Vasquez, huh. Ha, pearls on a pig’s neck.”

He sneered, looking Cordelia up and down. It felt more like appraising an object than the sticky feeling of lust he used to have.

‘He’s completely changed after coming back from the brink of death.’

It was unlike Craig’s original manner of speaking. It felt strangely out of place, but Cordelia dismissed it as unimportant.

“Where is the Abrams main castle located?”

“What do you mean, where is it?”

“I’m asking in which region this castle is located. No, never mind. You probably wouldn’t know the name even if I told you, being stuck in this backwater. Rather, what are the eight closest families?”

“The main castle is between Vasquez and Hillerst. It’s a bit closer to Hillerst.”

“Hillerst, huh. That’s somewhat fortunate.”

He muttered. Though his voice was low, it wasn’t so quiet that Cordelia, who was beside him, couldn’t hear. She asked.

“What’s fortunate about that?”

“You don’t need to know. Why did you come to see me?”

“Why? Do I need a reason? We’re husband and wife.”

“We don’t seem to have been a loving couple.”

“…Why do you think that?”

Cordelia asked, still maintaining a light smile.

Craig arrogantly pointed at her with his chin.

“You. When I woke up, you looked disappointed rather than happy. And you didn’t come to see me for a whole day.”

“That’s…”

“When a husband who had been unconscious for five months wakes up.”

“Oh my, disappointed? I was just so surprised… And I didn’t come yesterday because I thought you might be tired.”

Too sharp.

Cordelia began to doubt if this man was really a fool.

How could someone who didn’t even know his own name make such keen observations?

“I hate wasting time. Stop with the useless excuses and tell me why you came.”

“Actually…”

She took out the divorce intent confirmation as naturally as possible.

“I came to finish the conversation we couldn’t complete.”

“What’s this now?”

“Craig. I’m sorry to show you this as soon as you’ve opened your eyes, but…”

Cordelia made her expression as pitiful as possible by lowering her eyebrows and the corners of her mouth.

“You wanted to finalize this before you collapsed. And so do I.”

“Divorce?”

“Yes. You know, or well, you might not remember, but you had someone you loved besides me. Miss Alicia and Miss Elizabeth. You were deeply in love with both of them. I can call them right now if you want.”

“Ha.”

Craig sneered, raising only one corner of his mouth. It wasn’t clear who the sneer was directed at.

Cordelia, undeterred, held out the divorce document to him.

Upon close inspection, it was filled with conditions that were solely beneficial to her.

“You said you wanted to make one of them your wife. It was painful, but what could I do if you said you loved them? We agreed to part ways cleanly. Here, you just need to sign at the bottom.”

“You’re something else.”

“Pardon?”

Craig snatched the document she was holding out and threw it onto the bedroom floor. It was an extremely rude action.

Cordelia frowned and glared at him.

“What are you doing?”

“Did you think I’d become a complete idiot just because I can’t remember anything?”

His demeanor became so sharp that Cordelia suppressed her anger and took a deep breath.

“From what I heard from the servants, it seems our relationship as a couple was the worst. You thought this was your chance since your husband became a fool, so you brought the divorce papers, didn’t you?”

“…You also found it difficult to continue our married life.”

“You know very well why a nouveau riche family like the Abrams took a Vasquez as a bride, don’t you? Since when did marriage require love?”

“What…”

“And do you think the Abrams would just let you go? They must have spent quite a bit to buy Vasquez blood.”

“Who are you?”

Cordelia felt goosebumps. She unconsciously backed away.

This wasn’t just a change in personality. He was speaking like a completely different person.

Not only his behavior and manner of speaking, but even his way of thinking was so different that he seemed like a stranger rather than the ‘Craig Abrams’ she knew.

“What do you mean? I’m your husband.”

Craig smiled at her for the first time. His smooth face was as creepy as a snake.

“Instead of thinking about handing divorce papers to a husband who woke up after five months, why don’t you tell me about my past?”

He commanded her so naturally. Cordelia, overwhelmed by his presence, sat down awkwardly by Craig’s bedside.

‘What’s going on here?’

She thought she could just humor him and get his signature since he was supposed to be a fool, but the situation had changed strangely.

Cordelia picked up the divorce intent confirmation document that had fallen to the floor, pretending to be nonchalant.

There was plenty of time anyway. Patience had been her companion since a very young age.

“Then let’s talk about divorce after you’ve recovered. You want to know about your past?”

“Yes. I’ve heard a bit from the servants, but you, as my wife, should know better.”

“Well, I’m not sure. We’ve only been married for a year.”

“Just tell me what you know.”

He said coldly.

She wanted to refuse, slightly afraid that his real memories might return, but if this reached Helena’s ears, things could get more complicated.

‘I should first find out how much he remembers.’