Chapter 171
‘No, I shouldn’t.’
She had only just become comfortable with her husband, as if they were true friends now. What if she did something wrong and he misunderstood?
‘I’m going to be his ex-aunt anyway. Wouldn’t it be too much to step in…?’
A memorable first meeting.
A good first impression.
And a sense of kinship with the boy who had lived alone without visits from a guardian.
That’s why she had wanted to be kind to him.
But now she was worried it might come off as unnecessary meddling.
In the end, it was probably best to follow her husband’s lead when it came to Ian.
‘Let’s see… the time…’
Checking the clock, she realized it was just about time for elevenses tea.
A light tea before lunch. She could chat with him briefly, then head to the dining room together.
“……”
…Tea.
Nina anxiously fidgeted with her fingertips and shook her head.
This was House Bayern.
Not the Imperial Palace, nor some other family.
There was no reason for anything to go wrong in her own home.
Nina instinctively forced away her creeping anxiety.
* * *
“…Is this it?”
“Yes. It arrived quite late, didn’t it.”
Ash opened the thick envelope Hozi handed him.
That.
It was the sworn statement of the second son that he had demanded from Viscount Courtney several months ago.
Along with it was the forged letter created by Nina herself, which could be used as evidence of interference in the trial.
When had it begun?
That he’d completely forgotten about the existence of this testimony.
Ash let out a soft, hollow chuckle.
It was evidence he had entirely erased from his mind around the time he began seeing his wife not as a suspect, but as a woman.
He’d waited so long for it to arrive, and now he realized he’d forgotten about it entirely.
Did that mean he had truly been enjoying his married life that much?
“It seems it took quite some time to persuade the second son.”
“I’m sure it did.”
The moment he wrote that statement, the man’s career as a legal professional was effectively over.
A second son who wouldn’t inherit the family, and didn’t even have a spare title. How hard must he have worked to make a name for himself?
After receiving a formal education, studying for years, and finally becoming a judge through rigorous exams… now he would have to give it all up?
If he had had a family safety net to fall back on, and hadn’t pursued his own ambitions, he would’ve simply become a vassal and supported his elder brother.
That was the typical path for second and third sons.
But the fact that he had chosen to become a legal professional likely meant there had been no place for him in his household.
So, they must have used pleas, threats, and lengthy persuasion to win him over.
‘…And this is the result.’
As Ash gazed down at the sworn statement now in his hand, the corners of his lips curved upward in a satisfied arc.
‘This is the forged letter that my wife…’
Thinking about how she had written this fake letter with a resolute expression just to marry him, he couldn’t help but laugh.
“…She’s really something.”
His wife felt like a completely different species from typical noble ladies.
From the very beginning, she hadn’t hesitated to dig up weaknesses and exploit them in order to marry the man she wanted.
She’d even used spies placed by her own family to wage an information war against him.
And that wasn’t all.
‘People said she had no shame. That she was vulgar…’
But looking at it from another perspective, the way she had mustered her courage and asked him to fulfill his marital duties was something remarkable.
For noblewomen who lived and died by appearances to throw away their pride like that, it was no small thing.
Especially someone like the only daughter of House Taylor.
In the end, she had accepted the divorce gracefully and even saved him from a grave accident.
At the cost of a scar.
Not long ago, he’d despised her as a deranged woman, but now that his feelings had changed, even her past actions seemed nothing but pitiful and endearing.
If only he had made the effort to truly understand what kind of person she was…
Things wouldn’t have gone so wrong, and he wouldn’t have hurt her so deeply.
“…In any case, I’ve received it. I should send a reply.”
“Shall we proceed with the original plan to crush House Courtney?”
When Hozi asked with a grin of anticipation, Ash shook his head.
“Just let them know I’ve received it. As for the second son of House Courtney, purchase a mansion for him near the courthouse.”
“…What?”
Hozi looked at Ash like he’d gone mad.
Just a few months ago, hadn’t he acted like he was ready to obliterate the entire family for holding a corrupt trial?
But now, he was gazing at that forged letter in his hand like it brought him joy…
Hozi let out a short laugh.
The strange hunch he’d had months ago had finally come true.
ReadingRainbow9266
Lmao oh yea, Ash has got it BAD. When you think that someone’s flaws are suddenly adorable, it’s all over for you. I’m a little worried though, considering their relationship is going this well, I hope Rebecca’s evil influence won’t break their streak. If she somehow manages to get another spy in the house, or hires someone to poison Nina again…. Not good. Stay strong 🙏
Malgivo
Well, it seems someone has finally realized how foolish and pathetic they were, and now they find Nina’s actions endearing. Yes, Nina was indeed wrong in her past life, even if she exploited everything for her husband’s love, I don’t see her as guilty. What I didn’t like was her exploitation of the Byrne family’s young child. I just hope Nina and Ash’s relationship becomes healthy and kind, and that that damned Rebecca disappears. Death to her! May the curse of Amon be upon her!