Chapter 4 – Part 6

“Do you really mean to kill them all?”

“Daring to lay a hand on you… they deserve a torment worse than hell.”

A sharp, cold glint appeared in his dark eyes. Olivia narrowed her eyes.

“Is this guilt? Are you doing this because you feel guilty?”

“Guilt?”

Marsden let out a laugh that almost sounded like a sob. He looked momentarily deranged, and Olivia was taken aback. How could he be so shaken by this?

“Buddy, if I were truly the one who tried to kill you and felt guilty about it… I would have confessed immediately and begged the royal family to kill me in every way possible. Or even if I had gone mad and decided to live on, I would never have shown myself in front of you again.”

Crack. The fabric of the glove on Marsden’s hand made a rough sound as he gripped her waist tightly. How strong was his grip to make such a noise?

“Please… tell me who did this. I’ll erase him from the world without leaving a trace of his flesh.”

Olivia swallowed quietly. Anyone could see that this man was madly in love with her, making her heart act strangely.

Olivia didn’t want to trust people easily. It was only natural after hearing so many times that she was naive or gullible. Even though she hadn’t been betrayed by that person.

So sometimes, she tried to judge purely by observing that person’s reactions. She wanted to believe that what she saw was the real person, no matter what others said.

“Harry Palmer.”

“Palmer?”

Marsden’s breath mixed with the wind, trembling precariously. It sounded like a predator about to hunt.

“He dared to touch you…”

Marsden slowly released Olivia from his embrace. His hand, which had been on her neck, fell away.

“He laid a hand on you.”

The calmness of his breathing made Olivia more anxious. She raised her hands as if to stop Marsden.

“Please don’t think of cutting off his hands. I’ll handle it.”

“Handle it? How? By locking him up in prison with all his limbs intact?”

The wind brushed Marsden’s disheveled hair. Glenn stood beside Olivia.

“Punishment isn’t necessarily about physical maiming. I want the guilty to face justice, not instill terror.”

“Is there really a need to go through all that trouble, Buddy? What if those bastards touch you again?”

As Marsden took a step forward, Glenn moved slightly in front of Olivia, as if to protect her. Marsden ignored Glenn and only looked at Olivia.

“I told you, Buddy. If anyone dares to humiliate or harm you… “

It was strange. Marsden’s smiling face looked more unfamiliar than ever.

“Cut off their heads and hang them in the square.”

“That’s enough, Your Grace.”

Sensing something about to explode, Glenn intervened to stop Marsden.

“The Charbert family has its own ways. Our master is here to rest, so don’t interfere any further.”

“The Charbert way… fine. But can you be sure that way is truly safe?”

“That’s a challenge we must overcome.”

Marsden’s eyes grew cold, clearly displeased with Glenn standing close to Olivia.

“Overcome?… Do you not remember how I almost lost Buddy watching you try to overcome that challenge?”

“What on earth are you talking about…”

“Wait.”

Olivia raised her hand to stop the conversation.

“Are you talking about the incident connected to question number 3?”

Hearing the word ‘3’, Marsden’s eyes flickered slightly.

“The questionnaire I gave you, question 3.”

3. I heard you personally executed members of my family. What was the reason for that?

“Is that related to what you just said?”

It seemed to be the right answer. Marsden’s imposing demeanor weakened, as if she’d hit the mark.

“They were traitors who gained your trust and then betrayed you. They didn’t deserve any mercy.”

“But did you have to kill them right in front of me?”

Olivia’s face contorted in distress. Marsden remained silent.

“You could have explained and resolved it. Did you really have to handle it so extremely?”

“There you go again, saying ‘resolved’.”

Marsden broke the brief silence, a twisted smile curling his lips.

“They tried to kill you using foul magic while I was watching over you. Should I have just ‘resolved’ that?”

Olivia inwardly wanted to suspect Marsden more. She wanted to believe he might be the culprit—the one who tried to kill her.

It seemed easier to see that immense heart as smaller and more manageable if she could harbor doubts about him. It was hard to accept the vastness of his feelings at face value.

“Sometimes ‘execution’ is the right course of action. I just did what was necessary.”

His black eyes deepened.

Marsden once said that a particular stone from the Kettlelin Forest was needed for the curse magic. Perhaps he learned about it back then.

“So you didn’t tell me the truth and handled it on your own. And then you explained after the fact?”

“……”

“I can’t agree with that method, Mas.”

Marsden’s throat twitched at the sudden use of his nickname.

“I do things my way. Even if my past self was foolish, I respect who I was then.”

At Olivia’s quiet words, even Glenn turned to look at her.

“I never truly believed you were the culprit.”

“……Buddy.”

“I’ll keep a possibility in mind, but I’ve confirmed what I can. However, if you continue to hide things from me, I can’t keep you by my side anymore.”

This time, it wasn’t anger that fueled her words. No matter how precious the man Olivia once cherished, even if he still made her waver, they couldn’t be together if they couldn’t align.

Before Marsden could reply, Olivia turned away. She had seen enough, including the lake.

“Before I cut down those men, I got some information. I found out that a stone from that forest was used in the curse.”

Olivia stopped in her tracks at the sound of his voice.

“I didn’t manage to uncover the person who orchestrated it, perhaps because they didn’t want even their family to suffer.”

Even without turning around, she felt his gaze following her.

“You mentioned that Harry Palmer put a curse on me. I was certain that the tool for that curse was a stone.”

Stone. Olivia thought of the stone she had thrown into the lake earlier.

“Recently, I traced those who distributed and bought that stone and found a connection to Harry Palmer.”

“Really?”

“But it’s likely just a scapegoat. The underworld’s cartel is more intricate than you think.”

Crunch. The sound of Marsden stepping on the grass reached her.

“I’ll go to the prison tomorrow morning.”

“Why the prison?”

Olivia asked without turning around. The answer soon followed.

“If my suspicion is correct, we might find evidence among the imprisoned. You handle things your way, Buddy. I’ll handle things my way.”

***

Olivia spent the dawn wide awake. ‘D*mn that Troy Marsden.’

Just thinking about that man made her head so muddled that she almost wished he were the culprit. Then she could end it by dealing with him! It would be easier to detach.

But the more she saw and heard, the more his declarations of love seemed sincere, driving her crazy. Her heart pounded abnormally, and her head felt hot.

Even last night, Marsden sent various rare medicinal herbs to the Charbert household, items so rare that even the head chef praised their value.

What unsettled Olivia more was the brief message that came with the herbs.

[Sleep well, Buddy. Sorry about today.]

A short message without any excuses. Including the comma and period, it was a total of fourteen characters, and it kept her awake all night!

Olivia got out of bed with a haggard face. Melanie, who came to attend her with the maids, was startled.

“Oh my… Why do you look like that?”

“Thanks for not calling me a mess, Melanie.”

Olivia yawned, her face marked with dark circles. The maids, now accustomed to such sights, quickly opened the curtains and tidied the room.

“As you requested, I brought coffee first… Is this normal coffee, Marchioness?”

Melanie’s movement was awkward as she handed Olivia a large glass with ice floating in it.

“Welcome, my iced Americano.”

“Why ice… Never mind, just drink it quickly.”

Melanie looked resigned as she watched Olivia down the coffee. It would probably upset her stomach.

“Ah, that feels better. Finally, my stomach feels clear.”

“Take your time… though I think you might need to hurry a bit.”

Hm? Olivia paused, taking one sip of her coffee. Why is she hesitating? She had planned to go to the prison right after her coffee, tilting her head in curiosity. Surely, that madman Marsden hadn’t arrived already.

“Well… the Duke is waiting in the drawing room.”

‘Of course, the inevitable happens again!’

“He said if he needs permission to enter the mansion, he’ll camp out at the front gate from now on.”

“……”

“And he’s saying, ‘Olivia, come on, it’s time for riding.’”

So he expected her to go to prison. He also knew she would be riding a horse instead of taking a carriage.

‘This annoying bastard, always making people nervous and angry.’

Olivia gritted her teeth. She was determined to keep this man under her control.