The Wicked Wife's Dark History Keeps Coming Back To Haunt Her - Chapter 136
The Marquisâs public image was that of a paragon of charity.
You couldnât speak with such certainty unless you knew something.
âI just heard something, thatâs allâŚâ
Instead of saying she knew from her previous lifeâs experience, Nina brushed it off vaguely.
âWell, perhaps you heard it from your grandfather.â
âHuh?â
âFor the past few years, itâs seemed that the imperial charity budget has been flowing toward Marquis Dunklin. If there was collusion, any high-ranking judge would have suspected it.â
Nina, who had been nodding, suddenly furrowed her brows.
Isnât the execution of the budget the responsibility of the Minister of Finance?
âIf my grandfather suspected that there was collusion with the Finance MinisterâŚâ
Wasnât it Marquis Crewe who sent my grandfather and parents to prison?
All Nina knew was that her grandfather and parents had been wronged. She knew nothing more.
It was Neville who ran himself ragged trying to save the family, while she had simply stayed at home, hoping everything would be resolved.
But if her grandfather had been suspicious of thisâŚ
âMarquis Crewe might have used my grandfatherâs fall as an opportunity to get rid of him.â
Sheâd always suspected that Crewe was behind it, so she wasnât surprised.
Everyone knew her grandfather and Marquis Crewe were like cats and dogs.
But as far as she knew, only Marquis Dunklin would fall two years from now. She didnât know the full story, but Marquis Crewe at least appeared to remain intact.
âIâll have to look into this separately later.â
She had thought that as long as she divorced Ash peacefully, her grandfather could avoid losing his position and her familyâs safety would be preservedâŚ
But if her guess was right, her grandfatherâs fall would have been inevitable even without Ash.
âBut how did you know about all that?â
âThere was a time I had to investigate. Marquis Crewe is Duke Nordâs in-law, after all.â
âI seeâŚâ
Ninaâs grandfather must have investigated because of Duke Nord.
âAnyway⌠shall we go inside?â
Nina naturally slipped her hand into the crook of Ashâs arm as they started walking.
She had expected fewer people at a young artistsâ exhibition, but perhaps because House Nord was among the invited guests, the place was bustling.
They showed their invitation at the ticket check and went inside, where familiar faces appeared.
She didnât remember their names, but they were people sheâd seen in passing at social parties.
They looked at her, walking alongside Ash, with peculiar expressions.
âWhat is it?â
It was a gaze different from the scorn she had so often received.
Their eyes subtly scanned her from head to toe, with a far thicker layer of contempt.
Wherever those gazes touched, she felt an unpleasant sensation as if insects were crawling on her skin.
Then, a low baritone voice softly whispered to her.
ââŚAs promised, Iâll do my part as a good husband properly.â
He placed his hand over hers, nestled in the crook of his arm.
The warmth that spread calmed her heart, which had been fluttering with unspoken anxiety.
âUm, itâs just, well⌠Would it be alright if we act like a very loving couple when weâre in public?â
That request from before.
She hadnât expected him to remember, since heâd glossed over it without answering, but he hadnât forgotten.
Sheâd said they should act like a loving couple, but when had he ever promised to play the good husband?
Well, itâs all the same in the end.
Hearing his reassuring words, her lips curved into a gentle smile.
âThank you for worrying about me, but I think Iâll be okay. Iâve gotten used to it, after taking so many beatings.â
Lately, her strangely warm and reliable husband had put her at ease.
âBut I really donât know why people are looking at me like that today. Did I do something wrongâŚ?â
She tilted her head, lost in thought, but nothing came to mind.
She hardly ever left the house unless necessary. What could she have done?
âWhatever you do, whatever people say, just donât keep quiet like you did on the balcony last time. If you have to, slap them like you used to.â
ââŚAnd if I get called a wicked wife?â
âThen Iâll show them what a wicked husband is. We agreed to act like a loving couple, didnât we?â
Joking back and forth with him, her tension melted away.
At that momentâ
âSuch honored guests! Itâs a pleasure to meet you, Your Graces, Duke and Duchess Bayern.â
Marquis Dunklin approached with a sly smile.
Erica
Thank you so much dear translator for the awesome amount of chapters! I gotta say, youâre definitely my top translator! Not only are your translations FLAWLESS, but you keep up with the schedule, and if something comes up and you canât, you always give me a surprise with a bunch of chapters at once! Are you also a big novel reader? I feel like only then could you truly understand the heartache of having to wait for your novels released chapters. Thank you so very much! Youâre the best xo