The Wicked Wife's Dark History Keeps Coming Back To Haunt Her - Chapter 70
“Haa…”
Ash sighed and ran a hand over his chin.
Despite constantly punishing his wife, he had still doubted her intentions.
He found his own actions pathetic, but the discomfort he now felt was only because his animosity toward his wife had begun to fade. If that weren’t the case, he wouldn’t have felt any remorse, even after all this time.
‘But the fact that I’m starting to feel guilt…’
It meant that he no longer had any desire to torment her.
Thanks to his wife, he had found the courage to meet Ian, and realized that pushing him away under the guise of protecting him had only made him lonelier.
Now, with the lingering remnants of his anger gone, he no longer intended to leave her in pain.
They had already come to a mutual agreement regarding the divorce, so there was no longer any need for such things.
Ash closed the documents and left his office.
‘…The footman, was it?’
During the day, someone had been dragged to the dungeon, and since his wife had visited the men’s quarters with Jeffrey, there was no way this hadn’t been seen.
Servants were already gathering in small groups, their faces curious as they whispered among themselves.
“…What could they have been taken for this time?”
“If the Duke finds out, there’ll be trouble…”
“I heard it was for theft?”
“Theft? No, they just grabbed the wrong person. This sort of thing isn’t new…”
The servants, guessing wildly, were already spreading rumors.
His wife must have seen and heard this sort of scene all the time—people whispering and criticizing her no matter what she did.
Ash stopped in his tracks, his expression freezing as he spoke coldly.
“Weren’t you taught to keep your mouths shut?”
The servants flinched in shock, their shoulders trembling as they turned to face him.
“M-Milord.”
Ash stared each one of them down, committing their faces to memory as he issued a warning.
“From now on, watch what you say.”
“Y-Yes, Milord, we shall.”
As the servants bowed nervously, Ash turned and walked away. His warning, after having let so many rumors about his wife go unchecked, would soon spread throughout the household.
Knock, knock, knock.
“…I’m coming in.”
Ash knocked on the door to Nina’s bedroom and then entered.
“Oh, you’re here?”
Nina, who had been sitting in the reception area of her bedroom, reading something with a serious expression, looked up.
“I heard. The footman was in contact with outsiders.”
“Did you read the evidence?”
“…Yes.”
He had seen it with his own eyes—things too vulgar to be spoken aloud. Yet, his wife’s blue eyes remained calm and composed, like a quiet stream.
“As you can see, there’s no need to worry. None of the household’s secrets or important matters were leaked.”
The footman, unlike higher-ranked servants like the butler or head maid, had limited access to important information. Places like Ash’s study were locked multiple times, and patrols were frequent.
Thus, he had never been overly concerned that family secrets would be leaked. If anyone had tried, they would have been caught.
The reason the rat had been able to operate undetected for so long was because his target had been Nina’s personal affairs, not the secrets of the Bayern family.
But why was the person who should have been the most shocked and angry so calm?
Ash opened his mouth, hesitated, and then asked, almost without realizing it.
“…Are you alright?”
At his cautious question, Nina let out a small laugh and shrugged.
“What does it matter if I’m not? It’s all my own doing.”
Though she feigned a lighthearted attitude, it was clear she wasn’t completely fine.
Perhaps her composed reaction was because she had long suspected something like this had been happening.
“I’ll handle the interrogation. It’s best if someone with experience deals with it.”
“If you’re willing to help, I’d appreciate it. I was wondering what the best course of action would be.”
A formal trial would be a luxury for someone like that. The insults were severe enough to warrant a death sentence, but the trial process that would lead to such a sentence would be, in comparison, far too easy.
“…Then, please get some rest.”
Click.
Ash closed the door to her bedroom, allowing her some peace. His chest felt heavy, as though weighed down by a stone.
…She truly regretted this marriage, just as he had always wanted her to.
Yet, despite achieving what he had once desired, his heart felt burdened.
And the reason was clear—he no longer hated her.
