The Wicked Wife's Dark History Keeps Coming Back To Haunt Her - Chapter 104
So they had been warming up the conversation with idle chatter before bringing up the real topic.
âMadam Rebecca, donât worry too much. Iâm sure Duchess Bayern has some senseâshe wouldnât act disgracefully in front of foreign guests.â
âBut as they say, water that leaks inside will also leak outside. I just worry that her behavior might spread as rumors even beyond our borders. Imagine how disappointed Her Majesty the Empress would be after placing her trust in that womanâŚâ
âIndeed. I still donât understand why Her Majesty chose to favor Duchess Bayern instead of you. Weâve seen firsthand how hard you workedâŚâ
You fools.
Did they truly not understand why the imperial family held these charity events every year?
Hadnât His Majesty the Emperor personally stated on the first night of the banquet how important it was to look after even the lowest of his subjects, that it was his sacred duty?
She had simply provided aid to those in need in a way befitting the granddaughter of the Chief Justice.
That was the only reason Her Majesty had favored herâbecause she had best understood and carried out the will of the imperial family.
Just as Nina was reflecting on this, Rebeccaâs insidious voice slithered into her ears.
ââŚBut isnât it strange? Can a rift as deep as theirs, lasting two years, really be mended so suddenly?â
At that, the other women started to chime in.
âIt is odd, seeing a couple who have slept in separate rooms suddenly acting so close. Didnât someone say she was kicked out of the bedroom before?â
âI even heard she fell down the stairs drunk that time. And recently, wasnât it the Duchess who ended up injured instead of the Duke from that one incident?â
âBut if she was seriously injured, it wouldnât make sense for her to travel all the way to the capital.â
âThatâs true, butâŚâ
Rebecca paused as if deep in thought.
ââŚUnlessâŚâ
A meaningful silence stretched between them before Rebecca finally spoke again, her voice laced with suggestion.
âCould it be that heâs trying to reassure her before taking in a concubine?â
âOh my, would he really go that far? Madam Nord, I think you might be overthinking things.â
Ah.
She had heard these exact words before.
In her past life, she had overheard this conversation in broad daylight at an event.
Now, in this life, she was hearing it here insteadâperhaps because she had worked too hard.
âItâs about time Duke Bayern secured an heir. If he doesnât want to pass the family title to his nephew, wouldnât it make sense for him to take a concubine? After all, with a wife like that woman, how can he risk producing an heir, only for the child to be just as deranged as she is?â
The specifics of the conversation were different from last time, but the core message remained the same.
Back then, upon hearing these words, she had lost control and torn at Rebeccaâs hair in a fit of rage.
But now, to her own surprise, she felt nothing.
Perhaps it was because she had already prepared herself for it.
I shouldnât cause a scene, right?
It hadnât even been long since the Empress had praised herâhow could she create a scandal so soon?
She couldnât afford to waste the goodwill she had worked so hard to earn.
No, she would handle this in a much more refined way.
Just as she was about to step forward, a firm hand grasped her shoulder and pulled her into a strong embrace.
The scent of deep musk enveloped her, the warmth of a solid body pressing against hers.
The moment she realized she was being held by a man, she instinctively struggled, trying to pull away.
But then, a low growl rumbled right next to her ear.
âAre you out of your mind?â
ââŚHuh?â
âWhy are you just standing there, listening to that?â
It was her husband.
ââŚI justâŚâ
âŚwanted to hear what else they had to say?
She had been so focused on Rebeccaâs conversation that she hadnât even noticed him approaching.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Her heart pounded wildly from the unexpected situation.
What the hell was happening right now?
Eyes wide, Nina froze, unable to react.
The more she tried to pull away, the tighter his strong arms locked around her.
As if that wasnât enough, his large hand pressed firmly against the back of her head, keeping her close.
After a brief struggle, she gradually stopped resisting.
There was no useâshe wouldnât be able to break free from his hold.
And besides, if he was embracing her like this, surely he had a reason.
He wouldnât be doing this for the sole reason of holding her, would he?
As soon as Nina relaxed in his arms, Ash let out a quiet sigh and turned his sharp gaze toward the women across the balcony.
The ladies, who had frozen at the sound of approaching footsteps, now flinched upon seeing him.
âYou seem to enjoy gossiping about others. Then allow me to give you something worth spreading.â
His deep voice was slow, deliberate.
Then, he slowly lowered his head.
