I Married the Mad Duke Who Killed My Husband - Chapter 15
The night of the invitation meeting was a success.
As if proving that our relationship was not just for show but genuine and that Cassion’s influence as a Duke had increased, letters poured in from various noble houses requesting our visit.
“Ah, the letters aren’t the problem right now…”
But I’m racking my brain over a different issue. It’s about the progression of the original story.
“I’ve already altered the beginning of the original story, but can the timeline be this off?”
Cassion, who failed the assault from the start, ran away haphazardly and met the female lead somewhere. In other words, I don’t know where the female lead lives or what she’s doing now.
Moreover, unlike in the novel where he couldn’t even return to the Duke’s mansion he was granted, let alone marry a noble, the current Cassion is on a winning streak.
“That’s all thanks to me.”
Should I say thanks? I didn’t feel particularly sorry for the original female lead or Cassion. Even if I remember the ‘original story’, isn’t this the reality that I’m living in?
It’s not like I committed a crime, and it’s just a contract marriage, not a real one, where I’m temporarily taking care of Cassion.
“If it’s true fate, they’ll meet even if it’s delayed a bit.”
Besides, truthfully… I kind of hope they don’t meet. I’ve grown somewhat fond of Cassion as a friend in the meantime.
“The original story was too shocking.”
Moreover, for a romance novel, the original was a typical ‘successful revolution, failed love’ story.
From the very beginning with the male lead’s failed assault, how could their future have been easy? They went through very rough days, and after much hardship, they succeeded in raising the Second Prince to the Crown Prince, but the female lead died. And then the male lead, Cassion, also died.
“That doesn’t make sense…”
Cassion is no longer just a character from a novel to me, but someone I know. I gritted my teeth, feeling chilled at the thought of such a Cassion dying.
The female lead, who often received numerous attacks as the price for driving out the First Prince’s faction, eventually dies at the end, and Cassion chooses to follow her in death after watching the Second Prince ascend to the throne from afar – the novel ends with this implication. It was shocking and terrifying.
“The original story is nonsense. Either they shouldn’t meet at all, or if they must meet, it should be after the coronation.”
I furiously crossed out the parts about the female and male leads on the paper where I had been jotting down notes about the original story.
“There are more urgent matters right now.”
For now, the imperial situation is more of an issue than their love story. I wrote down the First Prince and Second Prince, jotted a few words below them, and then leaned back in my chair, lost in thought.
“No matter how I think about it… The rumor about the Second Prince’s bloodline seemed to have come out around summer, but it’s spring now, isn’t it?”
I don’t understand why the developments related to the imperial family have accelerated so much. The problem is the event that’s supposed to happen simultaneously with this rumor – we don’t know if this event will also be moved up, disappear entirely, or occur in a different way.
Knock knock-
“Asilia.”
“Aaah!”
Crash!
Forgetting all manners, Cassion entered the room almost simultaneously with his knock. I was startled and tried to hide the paper, ending up falling over with the chair.
“Asil!”
Dropping even the paper I was trying to grab, I fell hard. Seeing this, Cassion rushed over in surprise. It was so embarrassing.
“No, you should knock and wait for a response! What’s the point of knocking if you just open the door right away!”
I got angry out of embarrassment, but Cassion, who approached in one stride, was too busy checking if I was okay.
“There was a loud noise, did you hurt your waist or hip? Maybe we should call a doctor…”
“It’s not that serious.”
“Let me see your face, Asilia.”
Don’t overreact, it’s only making me more embarrassed. I kept my head down, quickly taking my hand away from my bottom that I’d been rubbing, and waved it dismissively in the air.
Cassion’s large hands gently but firmly cupped my flushed face, tilting it upward.
“Your face is red…”
“Ah, because it’s embarrassing! Just let it go, please!”
I pushed him away as he tried to examine me more closely, and straightened out my half-overturned dress skirt. Then, looking around for the paper that had flown somewhere, Cassion reached out first, following my gaze.
“Ah, that…”
“This?”
I was going to tell him not to look at it.
“It’s only been a few days since the invitation meeting ended, and you’re already working…”
Cassion, about to hand me the paper, seemed to have inadvertently seen a few words written on it. Seeing his expression change immediately and his body stiffen, I sensed that I was in trouble and clasped my hands together.
“…Is this also ‘your information’?”
“Well… yes.”
“Asilia.”
Fortunately, I had erased the parts about the female lead, but the paper contained general information about the First Prince and Second Prince, along with what I had mentioned about the true bloodline on the day of the invitation meeting. And lastly, I had written ‘Emperor’s assassination’.
That’s right. In the original story, while everyone’s attention was focused on the rumor that the Second Prince was not of imperial blood, an incident occurs where someone attempts to assassinate the current Emperor. This was the event I had been worrying about.
“Cassion, that’s…”
“Are you hurt anywhere? We should call a doctor right away.”
His voice had become heavy, and I was starting to break out in a cold sweat, thinking he would finally ask about the source of the information or my identity when he suddenly cut me off and rang the bell.
“My wife needs a thorough examination. Tell the doctor to come immediately.”
“Pardon? Madam, are you unwell…”
“Quickly.”
“Ah, yes.”
He gave orders to the butler who had rushed in at the sound of the bell, and then examined my entire body with a serious expression that was incomparable to when I had fallen earlier. His furrowed brow, as if to prove his seriousness, was visible, but I couldn’t understand the situation.
“Cassion?”
“Information obtained at the risk of your life…”
As I called out to him in confusion, he muttered something and gritted his teeth. I wish he’d be more careful with his teeth. What’s going on?
“How painful a life have you lived?”
“What?”
“To gather such information to escape that house, how much… Those bastards, I shouldn’t have let them escape with their limbs intact.”
“No, wait a minute.”
You’re seriously misunderstanding.
“You’re with me now, Asilia. You don’t have to push yourself too hard anymore. If you need information, request it from me and my subordinates.”
“No…”
“It’s better if you’re not exposed.”
He said heavily as he tore up the paper he was holding. This… innocent and naive person.
“No, I could have written strange things or done it on purpose. You shouldn’t trust people so easily.”
Cassion firmly believed my words about ‘gathering information at the risk of my life’. Moreover, he seems to think I’ve engaged in more dangerous behavior because I know new information besides the bloodline details.
How naive can a person be to ask if I’m hurt from gathering information before questioning whether the information is real or where it came from?
“I know you’re not that kind of person.”
“That’s the problem with your attitude. You could lose your life, not just get backstabbed, you know?”
“You’re the naive one, Asilia.”
He continued to circle around me, scanning me from head to toe as if looking for non-existent injuries.
“People who really intend to deceive others don’t say such things.”
“Oh, this is driving me crazy.”
I felt like I was going to lose my mind and grabbed my disheveled hair. Cassion, glaring, grabbed both my wrists and pulled them down, stopping even that.
It’s because he’s this naive that he probably followed the female lead in death when she died.
I was more worried about his complacency than relieved that I didn’t have to explain the source of the information. Even if I’ve altered the original story, can he survive until the Second Prince’s coronation like this? Being good with a sword and fists isn’t everything.
“Hah… You should really be grateful you met me. I’ll protect you.”
“What nonsense. From today, you’re not going out alone. …When is the doctor coming?!”
“I told you I’m not hurt! I probably just got a bruise on my bottom!”
“You say the Madam has a bruise on her bottom?”
At that moment, the doctor who had just entered with his medical bag looked at my bottom with a dubious expression, then at Cassion. What kind of lecherous thoughts are you having?
“I just fell on my bottom! There’s no need for an examination, you can just go!”
“No, we need a thorough examination. I’ll be outside, so strip her completely and examine her.”
“Could you two please agree on what you want?”
“Do as I say!”
“Do as I say!”
“…Not that kind of agreement.”
With the doctor, who seemed to have left his liver at home today, between us, we glared at each other.
How can he navigate this rough world being so naive!
