The Wicked Wife's Dark History Keeps Coming Back To Haunt Her - Chapter 12
“W-We were just talking about something that happened a few days ago and how it spread everywhere. We didn’t mean anything by it…”
It seemed the maids were embarrassed to repeat what they had just said.
Their rolling eyes and feeble excuses made it clear.
Though Nina was angry at their behavior, she had no intention of charging them with defaming a noble.
To imprison the maids, she would have to recount what she heard in front of her husband and his subordinates.
Unless she wanted to die of shame.
No way she wanted a trial under such circumstances.
But she did need to address this.
“…Saying that one woman brings disgrace to all women, and that you’d go crazy in her place—is that something you can say without thinking?”
Melanie’s eyes widened as she glared at the maids.
Those words were indeed enough to warrant punishment for defaming a noble.
Melanie then turned away from the tearful maids, looking gravely at Nina.
“Madam, how do you wish to punish them?”
“I may be the one who brought shame to the Bayern household, but those words also tarnish the Duke’s reputation. Therefore, you will decide their punishment.”
Melanie looked slightly surprised by Nina’s response.
Nina, who usually couldn’t rest until she had personally punished a servant, was now leaving the punishment to someone else.
A duchess who had never been introspective, who had always responded angrily to insults, now calmly acknowledging her own faults was hard to believe if not seen firsthand.
“…I will report to you once the punishment has been decided, Madam.”
Nina nodded as Melanie, with a stern expression, grabbed the maids by their arms.
Leaving the punishment to the head maid was akin to declaring that she would not wield her authority as the lady of the house recklessly.
Melanie was one of her husband’s key aides.
While hoping that her change would reach her husband’s ears through Melanie, Nina walked away.
***
Yesterday morning, forcing herself to eat while feeling terrible from hearing the maids’ gossip was a mistake.
The indigestion that started yesterday still hadn’t subsided, making her feel nauseous.
She had lived for so long in the sturdy body of ‘Jang So-young’ that she had forgotten.
‘Nina’ was rather frail.
Maybe it was because she was born prematurely.
She had been sickly since childhood, causing her parents much worry, especially about her weak digestive system.
She had taken medicine regularly until she reached puberty, and it got somewhat better after she became an adult.
But today’s bout of indigestion showed she wasn’t entirely healthy.
This severe indigestion was proof.
“I should have torn their loose tongues out before they got kicked out…” Marsha muttered under her breath.
The problematic maids were fired yesterday and expelled from the mansion.
It was an expected outcome.
Since she had personally heard their harsh gossip, the head maid likely thought that firing them was the only way to handle it.
“Anyway, the head maid didn’t give them a recommendation letter, so they won’t be able to work as maids in a noble household again. In other words, their lives are ruined.”
Nina sighed as she watched Marsha smile brightly at the thought of the maids getting their comeuppance.
“Ah, never mind that. I feel like I’m going to die…”
“Should I get the medicine again?”
“No, I don’t think it will help.”
She had taken medicine in the morning, but she still felt nauseous and on the verge of vomiting.
‘…I want to prick my finger.’
If only she had a bloodletting needle.
As Nina pressed her palm to apply acupressure and pondered whether to prick her finger with a needle, there was a knock on the door.
“Madam, may I come in? I have something to ask.”
Marsha asked worriedly upon hearing the voice calling for Nina from outside.
“…Madam, what should I do?”
“Let them in. Let’s at least hear what they want.”
As Nina, who had been lying on her side, straightened up, Marsha allowed the maid inside.
“What is it?”
The maid, with a pale complexion, hesitated for a moment while looking at Nina leaning against the headboard, then spoke.
“Count Azelot has an appointment with you, Madam. I came to confirm this, but it seems you are not in a condition to receive guests. Should I send the Count away from the drawing room?”
“Ah…”
Count Azelot.
He was a distant relative of the Bayern family who had filed a lawsuit against her husband to seize the guardianship of his nephew.
