Late at night, Alice disappeared into the kitchen with Hans.
At Alice’s signal, Rebecca hurried up to the third floor.
Creak—
The sound of the door opening felt as loud as thunder.
Holding her breath, Rebecca successfully slipped into the study.
“Haa…”
It was a room she had never entered, even in her past life.
Rebecca paused at the door, taking in the study’s expanse.
The room was perfectly symmetrical.
The bookshelves on both sides were so precisely filled that, without counting, she could tell the number of books was exactly equal.
It was a study befitting Zeppelin’s obsessive nature.
Tiptoeing carefully, Rebecca approached the desk.
She knew that even a slightly misaligned carpet would catch Zeppelin’s attention immediately.
To her surprise, the desk drawer, which she assumed would be locked, opened easily.
As if it didn’t matter who saw its contents.
The documents inside were impeccably organized.
Careful not to disturb their order, Rebecca pulled out a few to examine.
As she scanned the titles, sorted alphabetically, she froze.
Familiar names flooded her mind, disorienting her.
With trembling hands, she picked up one document.
<Obelia>
Rebecca Obelia.
Her name before she became Rebecca Devonshire.
Flipping through the papers related to her family, Rebecca gasped, covering her mouth with shaking hands.
Her breathing grew ragged.
“My God…”
The documents detailed how Zeppelin had financially isolated the Obelia family.
The dates showed the plan had begun years before he proposed to her.
A longstanding suspicion was finally resolved.
Though the Obelia family had a long history, it wasn’t particularly prominent.
Still, with fertile lands and steady monthly income, the family had never struggled financially across generations.
Yet, in an instant, the Obelia family had collapsed. It was unthinkable without deliberate interference.
Rebecca gripped the documents so tightly they nearly tore.
The papers outlined how Zeppelin had orchestrated her once-wealthy family’s bankruptcy in just a few years.
“That bastard…”
To trap Rebecca completely in his cage, Zeppelin had first dismantled her surroundings.
Frantically, Rebecca grabbed other documents with familiar names.
The names of childhood friends caught her eye.
Reading their contents, she covered her mouth again.
<I, Diana Judriang, under the condition that I never meet Rebecca Devonshire for the rest of my life…>
Zeppelin had exploited her friends’ weaknesses, forcing them to vow to distance themselves from her.
Rebecca’s hands shook as she held the papers.
She recalled the days of self-loathing, watching her friends leave her.
“Didn’t I tell you? Your friends stopped responding because you can be irritating at times. You can’t blame friends for lacking patience. But don’t worry. You have me.”
Zeppelin’s past verbal abuse echoed in her ears.
Reeling, Rebecca steadied herself against the desk’s edge.
Tears streamed down her cheeks without pause.
She had already known he was binding her. That’s why she fled the estate.
But she hadn’t imagined that innocent people around her had suffered because of it.
“Your father-in-law asked for money again. Something about your sister’s debutante. Does your family not even have funds for a debutante? How long will they rely on me? But Rebecca, I’m not like other husbands. Since my wife is so obedient, I can do at least that much.”
“Aagh!”
Now she saw it. The heart-wrenching pain of her parents, unable to resist as their son-in-law took a second wife.
Papers scattered everywhere.
Heedless of them being trampled underfoot, Rebecca stood there, sobbing.
Her hatred for him swelled to the heavens.
Then, the door burst open.
Rebecca lifted her tear-streaked face.
A man rushed in. It was Zeppelin.
Breathing heavily, Zeppelin frowned at the scattered papers.
“What’s all this, my dear?”
…
“Zeppelin Devonshire! What have you done to me!”
Rebecca hurled the papers at his face. Zeppelin deftly dodged them.
“That’s dangerous. What if the papers cut my face?”
He picked up one of the fallen sheets.
“Oh, this? It’s nothing.”
“Nothing? Ruining my family and blackmailing my friends is nothing?”
“Rebecca, watch your words. This was all for you. Those friends weren’t fit to associate with you. And ruining your family? That’s a bit unfair.”
“Don’t come near me!”
Despite her words, Zeppelin approached her casually and pulled her trembling form into an embrace.
Rebecca struggled fiercely, but the more she resisted, the tighter his arms constricted.
“Would I ever mistreat you, my most cherished? I was helping your father-in-law. You don’t understand how money works. All I did was lend him funds for investments.”
Rebecca looked up at him, incredulous. His blue eyes gleamed cruelly.
In her past life, at this time, she might have fallen for his lies.
But after escaping the estate, Rebecca had endured countless hardships. She could spot an obvious scam now.
He had hired a con artist to approach Viscount Obelia. The viscount invested and lost a fortune.
Then Zeppelin swooped in like a savior, lending money without any apparent strings attached.
The viscount, desperate to recover, invested again in another of Zeppelin’s fabricated schemes.
Thus, the debt grew.
It was an amount no ordinary family could bear.
Rebecca’s clenched fists trembled.
She couldn’t say her father was blameless.
But the ultimate cause was Zeppelin.
With his calculated deception, it was inevitable that her trusting father would fall prey.
Now knowing the full story, Rebecca glared at him, ready to slap his face in a fit of boiling rage.
Her reason was buried under seething anger.
She opened her mouth to unleash a torrent of curses.
But Zeppelin’s next words stopped her cold, leaving her frozen in place.
“I understand you’re rebelling because I took a second wife, but you’d better behave. Or shall I kill Alice?”
Zeppelin wielded his sharp tongue like a well-honed blade.
At the threat to Alice, Rebecca’s shoulders slumped helplessly.
Alice was her only ally. She couldn’t let her die again because of her.
“Now, answer me, my lovely wife.”
“I understand…”
“Good. I’ll let this slide just this once, out of my generous heart.”
Zeppelin lightly kissed her forehead.
“Master, Lady Alicia has arrived,” a servant called from outside.
Zeppelin took Rebecca’s hand and led her out. She followed, stumbling.
“Darling, why did you rush off like that? Oh, Lady Rebecca?”
Alicia, just entering the estate, widened her eyes at the sight of Rebecca standing with Zeppelin on the third-floor landing.
A carriage loaded with luggage was just arriving at the estate’s entrance.
Watching the scene, a question struck Rebecca.
“Why are they back?”
In her memory, Zeppelin and Alicia had been on their honeymoon for a week.
She vividly recalled Alicia returning with seven gifts, each one grating on her nerves.
Yet the future had changed.
“Why? Because I left the wedding early?”
As Rebecca scanned the lobby, her eyes met Alice’s, who was being held by a servant.
Alice gave a bright smile, as if to reassure her.
At that smile, Rebecca steadied her trembling legs.
She had to protect Alice. She couldn’t lose that kind smile again.
Placing a hand on Zeppelin’s shoulder, Rebecca forced the corners of her mouth up, despite the spasms.
“I’m sorry for causing a scene. I was foolish, not understanding your deep intentions.”
“People make mistakes. Oh, don’t worry about Alice. I’ll have her lightly disciplined and sent back. But she must be punished for serving her mistress poorly, right?”
Zeppelin smirked and gestured to the servants.
Alice didn’t resist and followed the servant obediently.
Watching her retreating figure, Rebecca was overwhelmed with sorrow.
…
For the next few days, Rebecca was gravely ill.
Her fever raged, but no one could determine the cause.
When she finally regained consciousness and opened her eyes, the first thing she saw was Alicia nursing her.
“You’re awake!”
Alicia hurriedly called for the doctor.
When the doctor said she was fine, Alicia sighed in relief.
“Thank goodness! I was so worried something had happened to you.”
In her prime, Alicia was dazzlingly beautiful.
Rebecca gazed at her with a moment of admiration before snapping back to reality.
Alicia was always like this.
She hid her simmering ambitions behind a sweet smile.
Alicia acted purely for her own gain.
In her past life, Alicia had helped Rebecca escape because she coveted the position of the first wife.
Rebecca had vaguely sensed Alicia’s selfishness even then.
But she could never bring herself to hate her.
Whenever Alicia acted friendly, Rebecca’s defenses crumbled, and she opened her heart.
Knowing Alicia was a doll made of thorns, Rebecca still embraced her willingly.
It might sting and hurt, but at least she wasn’t lonely.
Thus, Rebecca fell for Alicia’s schemes time and again, unaware they were schemes at all.
She lost precious maids’ lives, her husband, her room, her jewels, and her dresses, without question.
And each time, she blamed herself.
Zeppelin toyed with the weakened Rebecca at his whim.
In hindsight, Alicia and Zeppelin were the perfect partners, equipped with every tool to torment her.
How could she have been foolish enough to tell Alicia her whereabouts in her past life?
Regret slowly crept over Rebecca.
As her old bad habits threatened to resurface, she shut her eyes tightly.
“No. I won’t blame myself.”
Rebecca steeled her resolve.
Her first vow upon returning was to stop blaming herself.
Everything wrong was Zeppelin’s fault. That’s how she decided to think.
Alicia stared at the silent Rebecca, then lowered her head with a trembling voice.
“You must hate me, don’t you, Lady Rebecca?”
