“Get back to the estate now!”
Zeppelin roughly shoved Rebecca into the carriage.
Seeing him, who usually treated her body with such care, handle her so carelessly showed how furious he was.
Rebecca felt a surge of satisfaction at his contorted face.
She wished he’d writhe in agony just a bit more.
But this was only the beginning.
“Alright.”
“Alright? What do you mean, alright! Did you enjoy flirting in another man’s arms? Wait quietly at home. You’ll pay for today.”
Zeppelin slammed the carriage door shut.
Rebecca let out a long breath and sank into the plush seat.
Her cheeks still burned with lingering heat.
It was a thrill she’d never felt dancing with Zeppelin. She’d struggled to hide her emotions while dancing with Yulian.
Who knew a waltz could be so seductive?
“He was so tall and solid.”
Recalling Yulian’s broad chest, Rebecca’s eyelids fluttered. But she quickly slapped her cheeks lightly.
“Get a grip!”
She’d already lived one lifetime.
She wasn’t so weak-willed as to fall for a young man’s charms.
She couldn’t let herself be swayed by such things.
Rebecca clenched her fists tightly.
…
Snapping out of his daze, Yulian hurriedly chased after Rebecca.
But her carriage had already left.
“You don’t covet what belongs to others, kid.”
As Yulian stared after the departing carriage, Zeppelin approached, radiating venomous hostility.
His presence made the nearby servants, who were smoking in the shadows, step back nervously.
But Yulian merely looked at him calmly.
To him, Zeppelin’s threats were no more intimidating than an old cat’s hiss.
“She’s not an object, so how can she be yours?”
Zeppelin’s face twisted.
“You insolent little—!”
“What? Hoping I’d treat you like an elder? Looks like age is all you’ve got going for you. Shall I call you ‘Count Old Man’ then?”
At the word “old man,” sparks flew from Zeppelin’s eyes.
He glared at Yulian, who smirked leisurely, his fists trembling.
Hiss!
Suddenly, black cats gathered at Yulian’s feet, baring their teeth and hissing at Zeppelin.
“Now, now, behave, little ones. He’s a bad guy, sure, but making a scene here only hurts us.”
Yulian ran a hand through his dark hair.
His dangerous yellow eyes glinted beneath his black locks.
Despite the warm spring day, a chilling air, like a winter gust, spread around him.
He looked like a lion crouching for the hunt.
Zeppelin instinctively flinched.
Unable to admit his fear, he let out a ragged breath and spat out a single line.
“Don’t even think about approaching Rebecca again. She’s my wife, my possession.”
With that warning, Zeppelin hurriedly left.
Pausing mid-step, he sneezed several times.
Yulian clicked his tongue, finding him pathetic.
“We’ll see about that.”
He walked toward Croa, leaning against a carriage.
“Gah! D-Duke!”
Croa, lighting his third cigarette, spotted his master and quickly extinguished it.
“Croa, I told you to quit smoking. The doctor said it’ll ruin your lungs.”
“It’s not that easy. Anyway, what happened? Why’s Count Devonshire so pissed?”
Yulian noticed a single golden hair on his shoulder, carefully picking it off and staring at it.
“Croa.”
“Yes?”
“I think I’m getting married.”
“Oh, I see. Wait, what?!”
Croa gaped at Yulian, stunned, trying to figure out if this was some new joke.
“And she’s a married woman.”
Seeing Croa’s dumbfounded expression, Yulian burst into laughter.
Rebecca’s proposal was strange, even offensive.
But instead of being offended, Yulian wanted to trust her. It was baseless intuition.
Could this be the miracle he’d longed for?
“Rebecca…”
Yulian silently repeated her name in his mind.
…
Tap-tap-tap—
The sound of Rebecca rhythmically tapping the desk filled the room.
Since returning alone from the banquet, she hadn’t said a word.
Alice was dying with curiosity but held her tongue.
Having served Rebecca for years, she could sense even the slightest change in her.
“Alice.”
Lost in thought about what felt different, Alice only looked up after Rebecca called her three times.
“What’s on your mind?”
“Oh, sorry! I was thinking about which dress you should wear tomorrow…”
“I see. But you’re not chattering as usual. Aren’t you curious why I returned early from the banquet?”
Alice took the bait like a fish snapping at a lure.
“Why did you come back so early?”
Rebecca laughed softly at Alice’s trembling eyes, but it was an eerie laugh.
It wasn’t her usual gentle smile.
She picked up a wine glass.
Uncertain when she might conceive, she usually drank sparingly.
But tonight, she felt she couldn’t stay sane without drowning herself in drink.
“Madam, you should stop drinking…”
“Tonight, Duke Johannes asked me to dance.”
“Good heavens! What did you do?”
“I danced. His Majesty himself ordered it.”
Alice clapped a hand over her mouth.
Zeppelin wouldn’t let this slide. She could foresee the consequences.
Her voice trembled.
“H-How was it? Were you excited? I hear the duke’s quite dashing. I wish I’d seen it. So, how did you feel when…”
Rebecca stopped bringing the wine to her lips, overwhelmed by Alice’s barrage of questions.
Instead of answering, she stared at Alice. For a moment, it seemed tears welled in her eyes.
“Madam…?”
Zeppelin’s furious shouts echoed from outside.
“Rebecca! Rebecca! Rebecca!”
“He’s finally here. Time to prepare.”
Rebecca knelt by the door.
Was it a false alarm?
She seemed back to normal, even smiling reassuringly at Alice.
Though uneasy, Alice knelt beside her.
The door burst open, and Zeppelin stormed in, reeking of alcohol.
Two maids followed, carrying a box.
Rebecca frowned at the sight of it.
Zeppelin looked down at her, kneeling submissively.
“So you know you did wrong.”
“Yes, I was wrong.”
“But that doesn’t erase what happened! Do you know how humiliated I was?”
As Zeppelin extended his hand, a maid placed white gloves on it and handed him a whip.
“No! Zeppelin, please!”
Rebecca stood, reaching to stop him, but the two maids restrained her.
“You! Failed! Your! Mistress! You! Must! Pay!”
His whip lashed mercilessly at Alice’s back, the sound filling the silent estate.
Zeppelin never laid a hand on Rebecca.
Instead, he tormented those she cared for, shredding her spirit.
The fear ingrained in her body shook her, but she refused to close her eyes.
She vowed to fuel herself with this moment, to revisit it whenever her resolve wavered.
“I’m sorry, Zeppelin! I won’t look at another man again. It was my mistake. Please, stop!”
Sobbing, Rebecca clung to his feet. She knew how to stop this demonic act.
Having lived twenty years as his wife in her past life, she knew him better than anyone.
As expected, Zeppelin paused.
He looked down at her, weeping on the floor.
His murderous expression softened, and he whispered gently, as if nothing had happened.
“You should’ve done that sooner. Then my shirt wouldn’t be stained with blood. Beauty is a sin, isn’t it? If vermin like that approach you again, reject them outright. Understood, my lovely wife?”
Rebecca nodded obediently, bowing in gratitude, trembling as if terrified.
Zeppelin gazed at her, handed the whip to a maid, and spoke loudly for all to hear.
“Rebecca’s been sullied tonight, so I’ll go to Alicia’s room. Treat the maid and bathe Rebecca.”
He left without looking back.
The maids hurried out to prepare a bath and fetch a doctor.
The door slammed shut.
Rebecca dropped her pitiful expression, wiping tears from her cheeks with a blank face.
She approached Alice, collapsed on the floor.
“Alice, does it hurt much?”
“No, Madam. As long as you’re safe, I’m fine.”
“Alice…”
Rebecca held her close, gently stroking her face.
A faint smile spread across Alice’s lips.
As long as she survived the beatings, it was fine. Alice felt she’d earned her keep today.
But Rebecca’s face hardened as she watched that smile.
“Why did you smile?”
“What?”
Rebecca looked down at Alice coldly, her hand moving to Alice’s throat.
Her grip tightened, and Alice’s breathing grew labored.
Alice stared in terror at Rebecca’s hand strangling her.
“I asked why you smiled when the count raised his whip.”
