I Married the Mad Duke Who Killed My Husband - Chapter 2
Even on that day, I felt it, but I clearly have a talent for acting. It’s a shame there’s no profession of entertainer in this world.
“Are you sure you didn’t see anything? Think carefully. Or perhaps you conspired with the person who murdered the Marquis……”
However, when money is involved, there are always those who maintain cold rationality even in the face of great acting.
“How could you say such a thing…… sob How could I kill my husband! And on our wedding night!”
In fact, to avoid such suspicion, I had screamed for quite a long time while pinned under the blood-soaked Marquis. Until everyone in the mansion gathered.
Those who saw the scene that day quickly excluded me from the list of suspects, seeing me unable to get up, pinned down in an embarrassing position with my clothes disheveled.
When asked if I had seen the face of the person who killed the Marquis, I blushed and silenced everyone with the excuse that the Marquis had collapsed while my eyes were closed in fear of the wedding night.
“Ahem. I was just double-checking, just in case.”
Still, it seemed I hadn’t completely extinguished the look of suspicion in their eyes. But amidst all this, there were those who were captivated by the beautiful widow who was about to be driven out with dishonor rather than money. Even in black clothes and a veil, my beauty couldn’t be completely hidden.
“She said she didn’t. That seems too much of a stretch. Madam, you look like you’re about to collapse.”
As a man from a collateral branch subtly came to support me, I leaned on him as if fainting and burst into even louder tears. While everyone looked at me with annoyance, they got to the main point.
“Madam? We can’t acknowledge that! The Marquis passed away before they even spent their wedding night!”
“She’s just the daughter of a Viscount family. Let’s send her back!”
Of course, I should have become the Marchioness since we had the wedding ceremony, but they absolutely refused to acknowledge it. They didn’t want to hand over even a single gold coin or a room in the mansion. In fact, it was closer to them wanting to say this rather than truly suspecting me as the culprit.
I didn’t want to become the Marchioness anyway, but I was dumbfounded by their unexpectedly petty behavior, which was dirtier than I had imagined.
“I agree that we can’t acknowledge Asilia Cornel as the Marchioness, but haven’t we all heard the circumstances? She’s a victim too. Even if we send her back home, we should at least show some courtesy to a woman who could have become part of our family.”
The hand that pretended to protect me while subtly caressing my shoulder felt unbearably sticky. I pretended to faint from exhaustion and collapsed onto the floor to avoid that touch. You lunatics, I’m going to escape from here.
“Oh, my. Doctor! Call for a doctor!”
It was such a mess of a funeral that one might fear the Marquis would rise from his coffin due to high blood pressure.
***
“Ah….. Maybe I shouldn’t go in.”
Fortunately, the doctor covered for me, saying that I had merely collapsed from shock rather than exposing my feigned illness.
But since it wasn’t a serious illness, I had to board a carriage, almost being kicked out of the Marquis’s house as soon as the funeral ended.
Paying for my carriage fare back to the Viscount’s house was their last act of decency.
“Won’t they grab me by the hair as soon as I enter?”
From what I’d overheard, they didn’t just kick me out; they had also visited my family, the Viscount’s house, early in the morning and taken back the money they had given as a dowry. They said they couldn’t give the money since the marriage was invalidated.
It must have been a bolt from the blue for my family, who thought they had hit the jackpot by selling me off, and that anger would surely be directed at me.
After getting out of the carriage, I lingered for a long time in front of the familiar, shabby house. But I had no other options.
Knock knock-
To avoid having my hair grabbed, I tied it up tightly and knocked on the door. I heard the sound of someone rushing down from inside. They had been happy about hiring servants first when they received the money. Judging by these harsh and sharp footsteps, it must be Mother.
Bang-
“Why are you so late! Come in quickly.”
“……?”
I instinctively stepped back slightly as the door opened. But I wasn’t slapped or grabbed by the hair. Instead, my wrist was grabbed, and I was dragged into the house.
“Mother……? Father?”
“How long has it been since the funeral ended, and you’re only coming now? So slow.”
“Brother….. I’m sorry.”
I was dragged all the way to the kitchen of the mansion, where I faced my family members looking at me with bloodshot eyes.
Strangely, they didn’t criticize or attack me, but they looked at me with somewhat crazed eyes.
Not understanding how things had turned out, all I could do was plead.
“……It’s not your fault, is it? Come here and sit down.”
“Pardon?”
Father, smiling with a twitch at the corner of his mouth, pointed to the chair next to him. Throughout all the years I grew up in this house, I always sat at the end of the table during meals or ate alone in my room, but suddenly I’m being offered the seat next to Father? I’ve been kicked out of the Marquis’s house, but instead of angry shouts, what’s going on?
“Hurry.”
While I was bewildered and hesitating, this time Mother grabbed my wrist and led me to the table, then almost pushed me down onto the chair. In front of Father was a letter that showed signs of having been opened.
“Asilia, you definitely didn’t spend the night with the Marquis, right?”
“What?”
“Yes. My chaste daughter. Well done.”
My family members nodded at each other, interpreting my response of disbelief as affirmation.
“The Duke’s family is better than the Marquis’s. Being a war hero, he must have a lot of wealth too.”
“We should hold the ceremony quickly before people start talking.”
“Good, let’s send a reply to the Duke right away to set a date.”
I don’t feel left out, but I wish they’d explain things to me too. Mother, with a flushed face, left the table and went up to her room, once again making loud noises with her shoes.
“You’re about to have two wedding ceremonies in a week, Asilia. Aren’t you happy at the thought of wearing a dress again?”
“……I don’t understand, Brother.”
My half-brother sneers at me, who doesn’t understand the situation. He doesn’t seem to know that during my one-day stay at the Marquis’s house, I regained memories of my past life. I’m no longer the timid Asilia of before. If they keep ostracizing me like this, I might end up throwing a punch before I know it.
“Duke Yeager sent a letter saying he wants to marry you.”
“What? Isn’t that a letter that arrived before I married the Marquis?”
“No, it’s a letter that arrived precisely this morning. He seems to be fully aware of the current situation too. I thought he was a barbaric fellow, but he’s a man with a broad mind. Go with a happy heart, Asilia.”
Father kindly handed me the letter that had been bothering me since earlier, as if telling me to check for myself. Indeed, it bears today’s date and the seal of the Duke’s family.
[Miss Asilia Cornel, I presume you are greatly distressed by the sudden death of the Marquis. I am writing this letter out of concern for how your delicate self might endure such a great shock. If you are amenable, I would like to form a new connection with the Cornel family and be by your side to soothe that shock. Please forgive the rudeness of proposing by letter due to the complicated circumstances.]
“Surely you’ve learned a lesson from this incident, Asilia? This time, you must definitely consummate the marriage. If we lose the Duke, our family will never have another chance to recover.”
“Darling, I’ve finished writing the reply.”
After hearing nothing but crazy talk from everywhere since yesterday, I’m starting to wonder if I’m still dreaming.
Mother, who has just come down with the reply letter, making thumping noises, is only biting her lip at the fact that there’s no servant to deliver the letter.
“Right, Asilia! You should go. Take this opportunity to see your new husband’s face too. I’ll lend you my old dress.”
New husband! The idea of a new husband is driving me crazy.
“But Duke Yeager hasn’t even officially received his title as Duke yet!”
I finally shouted in protest.
Cassion Yeager. A war hero of common birth and the right-hand man of the second prince, famous for being a bloodthirsty barbarian.
He played the biggest role in restoring stability to the current empire. As a result, Cassion Yeager was recognized for his achievements and received the title of Duke, and the second prince, who had been far behind in the line of succession, came to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the first prince.
However, there’s one catch to this.
“Wouldn’t everything be solved if you marry him?”
Being of common birth, he received the title of Duke on the condition that he must marry a daughter from a noble family within a year. Thanks to this, I hear he’s living in a hastily built ducal residence in the capital, without even having a proper duchy yet.
“No matter how much our family fortunes have declined, we’re still a viscount family. We’re more than qualified. That’s why the letter came.”
They must have sent it thinking I couldn’t refuse!
His public courtship aimed at daughters of noble families had been famous for a long time. However, it wouldn’t have been easy to find a wife among women who would rather choose to be the second wife of an older nobleman than marry a barbarian of common birth. Then, I appeared, with no money and the dishonor of losing a husband after just one night.
“But it’s not right! The Marquis passed away just two days ago!”
“That’s why we need to hurry and have a new marriage before others find out and start gossiping! Stop arguing and quickly change your clothes and deliver the letter! “Has the coachman who brought you already departed?”
I brought up non-existent affection and duty towards the Marquis, but it didn’t work at all.
Finding myself inevitably facing a second marriage, I briefly considered running away to start a new life. But it was clear that a beautiful woman with no money or connections would face unspeakable realities if she ended up on the streets.
“That coachman has left. I’ll change my clothes and come back, so please call a new coachman. You can do that much, can’t you?”
“……You’ve become insolent. Don’t show such an attitude to the Duke.”
My family was momentarily surprised by my uncharacteristically sharp tone, but blinded by money, they soon acquiesced. The reason they didn’t slap my cheek is probably because I need to go to the Duke’s residence right away.
“I didn’t expect to meet again so soon.”
Now it’s time to meet the assassin who killed my former husband, the Marquis, and a prospective Duke, Cassion Yeager.
I will propose a contract marriage to him.
