Chapter 10

“Heila, what on earth do you think you’re doing?”

Unlike usual, he skipped even a greeting and went straight to the point.

His face was no longer gentle, and his voice was filled with anger.

Helia straightened her lowered head, trying to steady herself.

Kersian was tall—very tall—and his hands were large as well.

Struck by his long, refined-looking fingers, the pain was enough to make her vision go white for a moment.

His long, looming shadow blocked out the light.

The face beneath it was rigid, his cold eyes gleaming sharply—intimidating to the extreme.

In her past life, she had endured far worse, yet this was the first time he had ever struck her.

Thinking back, the reason Kersian had never laid a hand on her before was not out of kindness—but because she had always been obedient to him.

She was shocked by what he had just done, but she was not disappointed.

If anything, the fear in her gaze toward him deepened.

“What is the meaning of this, attacking me out of nowhere?”

Helia asked through clenched teeth.

She could taste blood in her mouth.

Her heart pounded wildly in her chest.

“The Bettia family has long maintained a close relationship with our house. Count Bettia is a close friend of my father and like an uncle to me. I already explained everything, yet you couldn’t restrain yourself and raised your hand against them. It seems neither I nor my family hold any place in your eyes.”

Without even asking her a single question, Kersian had already decided she was guilty and was now interrogating her.

Thinking about how she had once been unable to let go of him despite such blatant favoritism made her feel both pathetic and pitiful.

“So? What is it that you want me to do?”

“If word of today spreads, it will not be good for you or for our house. So go to the count’s estate and apologize to them.”

“Are you serious?”

“I am. You caused this, so you must take responsibility.”

Heila let out a hollow laugh and lowered her head.

Seeing that, Kersian assumed she was holding back tears.

But Heila was not crying—she only felt wronged, and empty.

What on earth had her past self seen in him to believe he loved her?

She had been no different from a blind person with open eyes.

To Kersian, Count Bettia was nothing more than a trusted vassal.

And yet, he tried to force her to bow her head with such lies—surely because of Uriel.

“Kersian, I came to this unfamiliar land for you alone. My surname now is Chaos, and of course I am thinking of our house.”

Heila raised her head.

Her eyes were not red, and her gaze was steady and calm.

Under that gaze, Kersian flinched slightly.

“I understand that Count Bettia is close to you, but you believed their words without even asking me a single question. Seeing how you interrogate me, strike me, and even demand an apology—it seems you do not consider me family.”

“Stop acting spoiled. You are the mistress of this house. I cannot understand your attitude—causing a disturbance over something trivial without considering the consequences, and then acting as if it’s none of your concern.”

“In your eyes, do I seem like someone who would torment them without reason?”

Kersian fell silent.

As far as he knew, Heila was weak and foolish—incapable of such actions.

If he had not heard it from the butler and confirmed it with other servants, he might have thought it a misunderstanding.

But it could not have been just one person mistaken—many had seen it.

“You may have acted in the heat of the moment. But to try to gloss over what you’ve already done with lies that will soon be exposed—that is truly disappointing. Heila, please don’t make me any more disappointed.”

“I understand what you want.”

Heila continued in a calm voice.

“It seems you do not consider me family, nor do you have even a shred of trust in me. I suppose the position of duchess is too much for me. So if you wish, I will leave.”

“What did you just say?”

Kersian asked, his eyes widening.

His face was filled not with anger, but shock.

Unlike him, Heila remained utterly composed.

“I said, if you want, I will step down as mistress of the house and leave.”

These were the very words Kersian had once used to threaten her in her previous life.

But after returning, one of the countless regrets and questions that lingered in her mind was that she had returned to a point after marrying him.

If only she had gone back to before meeting him—at the very least, before marrying him…

But even now, it was not too late.

“Even if you’re angry, I cannot understand how you could speak so carelessly. Were the vows we made truly that meaningless to you?”

Kersian said sharply.

He looked deeply shaken by her words.

Heila, however, remained silent.

Her face was so calm, so out of place for the situation, that it only unsettled the one looking at her.

“Heila, say something.”

“You have no intention of listening to me, so what would be the point of speaking?”

“Fine. You claim I’ve misunderstood, so I’d like to hear what you have to say.”

She already knew he would not let her go so easily.

He had invested much in proposing and even sacrificed to marry her, yet he had gained nothing from her so far.

But seeing him change his attitude so easily now only made her feel disgusted.

“I never laid a finger on the Count’s daughter. The one who struck her was Count Bettia himself. I’d very much like to know who fed you such nonsense.”

“And why would Count Bettia strike his own daughter?”

“The young lady of the count’s house showed me extreme disrespect. Her father merely disciplined his ill-mannered daughter, so I’m curious how the story became so distorted.”

“Let me ask you one thing. Why did you summon Count Bettia and his daughter? Was it not to question what happened on the wedding day?”

“That’s right.”

Heila admitted it without hesitation.

“I thought it was settled since I explained it clearly and you said you understood. Yet you went behind my back and did this? I’m beginning to doubt whether you’re truly the person I knew.”

Even in the past, Kersian had always shifted every fault onto her like this.

As it repeated, at first she felt wronged, and later she began to believe it herself.

And now, the resentment and anger she had suppressed for so long felt ready to explode.

Heila did not avoid his gaze. She met it directly, unflinching.

“On the wedding day, the Count’s daughter openly insulted me. I thought it might be a misunderstanding, as you said, so I went to confirm it—but it wasn’t.”

At those words, Kersian frowned and tried to speak.

Before he could, Heila continued.

“If this spreads, people will think the Count’s daughter is disregarding the imperial family. If she deceives the imperial family and faces no consequences, then you too will become the subject of people’s gossip.”

At that, Kersian fell completely silent.

Watching him unable to say a word, Heila scoffed inwardly.

“If word reaches my father, it will only bring greater trouble, so I intended to impose an appropriate punishment beforehand. But since Count Bettia apologized and disciplined her, I did not administer further punishment. I only told her to act with proper manners from now on. Was I wrong?”

“It seems the servants misunderstood and relayed it incorrectly. I’m sorry.”

With an apologetic expression, Kersian pulled Heila into an embrace.

Held in his arms, her entire body stiffened.

It felt as if insects were crawling over her skin—sending chills down her spine.

Clenching her fists tightly, Heila struggled not to tremble.

“Unlike the Count’s daughter, you wouldn’t have intended to insult me on purpose. You’re not that kind of person, and you have no reason to be.”

She steadied herself and forced a smile.

“You failed to properly control those beneath you and made me a laughingstock, but I have no intention of holding you responsible.”

“…”

“However, I believe the guards who allowed such an incident to happen at the ceremony should be given appropriate punishment.”

“As you wish.”

“Thank you. And the servants who reported today’s incident—they attempted to drive a wedge between husband and wife with lies, so I think it would be best to dismiss them without recommendation. That should be fine, correct?”

The knights might be considered valuable, but to Kersian, servants were easily replaceable.

Aside from the butler, a handful would likely be expelled.

They were servants of the ducal house who had remained loyal not to her, but to Uriel.

“Of course. But from now on, don’t ever say things like you’ll leave again.”

Kersian pulled Heila into his arms, gently stroking her hair.

With her head resting against his chest, Heila quietly nodded.

Her compliant attitude softened his gaze.

Though he could not see it, Heila’s face had turned cold, and her lowered eyes gleamed sharply.

The Kersian of her past life had been both an actor and a masterful deceiver.

But now that she knew it was all a lie, she only wished to bring this farce to an end as quickly as possible.