The Wicked Wife's Dark History Keeps Coming Back To Haunt Her - Chapter 17

The Bayern residence’s study—

Ash looked down at the broken glass bottle carefully placed in a small box with a cold gaze.

“…So my uncle really intended to cross the point of no return.”

He had expected his uncle to approach that woman eventually.

To ensure a decisive victory, the count, lacking in power and financial resources compared to himself, would have to rely on the Chief Justice.

‘But to think he planned to use an aphrodisiac…’

What Ash despised and loathed the most was poison.

Though it wasn’t publicly known, it was poison that had sickened and led to the death of his half-brother.

An aphrodisiac isn’t much different from poison in that it can also ruin a person’s life.

Count Azelot had crossed the line in a way Ash despised most, and he would eventually have to bear the full consequences of his actions.

What was surprising, however, was that she, whom he had expected to readily side with Count Azelot, had flatly rejected his proposal.

“No matter how low I have stooped, I have no intention of harming my husband with such a vile potion or falsely accusing him.”

It was an impressive stance.

For a moment, he almost thought she might be a woman of integrity and upright spirit.

But it’s contradictory for someone who had ‘no intention of making false accusations’ to have coerced a marriage through blackmail.

“Both of them are up to ridiculous antics.”

As Ash reacted cynically, Melanie hesitated, wondering whether she should add her thoughts.

Knowing her master disliked unnecessary remarks, she realized his evaluation of her might decline, but still…

“Pardon me, Your Grace but… In my perspective, it didn’t seem like a staged act.”

Melanie had clashed with Nina the most over the past two years in this mansion.

Therefore, she could tell the situation earlier wasn’t a performance.

The madam’s anger was genuine.

Her cold eyes and stern voice directed at Count Azelot.

If she were capable of such acting, she wouldn’t have allowed her reputation to fall into disgrace or made enemies everywhere.

So why had someone with such dignity and clear judgment shown such poor behavior until now?

She had briefly felt it when the madam entrusted her with punishing the maids, but it seemed something had changed in the madam.

“Indeed, as you said, there wouldn’t have been time to collude. If they had teamed up, they wouldn’t have had such a conversation in the house.”

“Then why…”

“Don’t you think it’s too blatant?”

“Pardon?”

Seeing Melanie subtly defending Nina as if bewitched, Ash continued.

“Count Azelot is a fool, that much is known, but doesn’t it strike you as suspicious how blatantly she acted as though she was on my side?”

“……”

“Well, it was an impressive display.”

But a woman who had been itching to devour him until now suddenly changing her attitude was unsettling and suspicious.

Failing to win him over with her body, she spoke of divorce, and when that didn’t work, she conspicuously opposed Count Azelot to earn his trust.

Even if she genuinely wanted a divorce, there was no guarantee she wouldn’t harbor a grudge.

‘…No, there’s certainly a chance she holds a grudge.’

Ash rubbed his lower lip with a perfectly manicured fingertip and asked,

“What is she doing now?”

“She’s been in her room since meeting Count Azelot this morning.”

“She hasn’t said anything else?”

“No, Your Grace.”

“Keep an eye on her for the time being.”

Whether all of this was just an act.

Or if she genuinely had a change of heart.

Time would reveal everything.

With her fiery temperament, she wouldn’t be able to hide her true feelings for long.

***

Two days later—

Nina, who had spent the entire time cooped up in her room waiting for her husband’s reaction, murmured with a thoughtful expression.

“Marsha, my husband does live in the same house as me, right…?”

“Of course.”

“Then why is there no reaction? Could it be that he didn’t hear about my meeting with Count Azelot?”

She had expected some kind of reaction from her husband after meeting Count Azelot in their home, but there had been no news at all.

‘I want to finalize the divorce talks as soon as possible…’

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