Chapter 33

I first saw him when he was twenty years old.

Could it be that before we met, when he was a child, he moved well and was good at fighting?

But Eloise shook her head vigorously, her round eyes wide.

“No! Absolutely not! He couldn’t even walk fast, let alone run. He couldn’t swing a sword, and he wouldn’t go near a shooting range because of the gunshots!”

“…Really?”

So he was the same as a child.

I knew this already, but I wanted to confirm it one more time.

So this means that this is the first time Alec has used his body so aggressively.

Or could it be that he had been secretly training all this time?

Fooling everyone?

Just then, Eloise’s cautious voice began to be heard.

“Is this really his first fight? Could it be that he had been secretly going to a boxing club?”

“Well…”

“If not, how could he beat those bad guys so easily, like they were made of paper?”

“I find that strange too.”

Sighing, I crossed my arms and continued.

“If Alec had always fought like that, he wouldn’t have left those guys alone for so long.”

“That’s true…”

“And he wouldn’t have tried to die by poison.”

“That’s even truer…”

Eloise agreed with me. A confused silence fell inside the carriage again.

It seems best to ask Alec directly when we get home.

Talking to Eloise wouldn’t reveal the truth.

I lifted my head and looked out the window, trying to shake off the matter, and said,

“For now, it’s best not to tell Mother. She wouldn’t be happy to know Alec encountered those Holden textile union guys.”

“…Okay, I understand.”

“I’ll talk to Alec.”

“Okay.”

“…”

“But, Sister.”

“Yeah?”

I was looking out the window again, but then turned my gaze back to Eloise.

It was my first time riding in a carriage driven by Alec, and the ride was quite smooth.

I couldn’t understand how a man who had never ridden a horse could drive a carriage so well.

Eloise smiled slightly.

“Wasn’t it pretty satisfying earlier?”

“…What?”

“I really enjoyed watching those guys get beaten up.”

“…”

Eloise smiled broadly.

Her eyes sparkled like the clear air of early summer, and her lips curved up contentedly.

It was the first time I had seen Eloise smile since we were kicked out of the duchy.

I lowered my head slightly and covered my mouth with my hand.

The sight of those men, beaten to a pulp from head to toe, was a spectacle that couldn’t be seen anywhere else.

I couldn’t hold back the rising corners of my mouth and let out a barely audible chuckle.

“It really was.”

Especially when they looked at Alec with bewildered eyes after being thoroughly beaten.

‘…Is that really Alec?’

‘What happened?’

It had only been three years since we got married, but it felt like a decade-long burden had been lifted.

I never thought I’d feel this way in my life.

Once we started laughing, neither Eloise nor I could stop for a while.

“Hehehe.”

“Huhu…”

I turned my head toward the window and covered my mouth.

Even though I tried not to laugh, my cheeks keep twitching upwards.

* * *

By the time we arrived home, it was dusk.

The shock of seeing Alec’s combat skills for the first time quickly passed.

Thinking about the Holden Textile Union guys beaten to a pulp by Alec made the time fly.

As I got out of the carriage, I saw him approaching.

Seeing his face, I felt a surge of confusion again.

Just then, Eloise also got out of the carriage, and Alec alternated his gaze between us as he approached.

“Was the journey uncomfortable? I’m still not used to driving the carriage, so I hope it was alright.”

“…Oh, it was fine. You must have had a hard time coming and going. Thank you.”

“I’m fine too. Let’s go inside.”

“Yes.”

He glanced at me for a moment before turning away first.

What was that?

It seemed he was just as awkward as I was.

Maybe it was because of the unusual behavior he exhibited earlier?

I swallowed dryly and followed him inside.

As we entered the house, the piano music that my mother-in-law had been playing all day abruptly stopped.

After greeting her, I went upstairs to Alec’s room.

Click.

As I closed the door, he flinched a little and turned to look at me.

I examined him worriedly before speaking.

“Are you… alright?”

This was the question I wanted to ask the most, but I hadn’t had the chance until now.

Partly because he didn’t seem to have been hurt at all.

I stepped closer to him.

“You really beat those guys up earlier.”

Had he hit them so hard that he might have gotten arthritis?

I glanced at his knees and finger joints worriedly before looking up at him again.

“…”

His eyes wavered slightly.

After a moment, he nodded stiffly.

“I’m fine. I wasn’t hit anywhere.”

“It looked that way. That’s a relief.”

“…”

With my hands clasped neatly, I didn’t take my eyes off him. I deliberately looked straight at him.

Had he really been deceiving us all this time?

Or had he suddenly gained extraordinary physical abilities?

I recalled scenes from superhero movies I had seen in my previous life.

Characters who gained superhuman powers by accidentally ingesting experimental drugs or being bitten by insects.

Could Alec, who had ingested poison, be in a similar situation?

It was an outlandish thought, but my existence from another world didn’t make any sense either.

In the end, I had to ask him.

“But how did you suddenly become so good at fighting? You were so fast, I couldn’t even see you.”

“…”

“I never knew you were that strong.”

His lips parted slightly.

He had a look that said he knew this question was coming.

He seemed to understand that I found it strange.

He averted his gaze and lightly brushed his lips with his hand.

“I thought you might be curious about that incident.”

“…”

It was impossible not to ask.

My husband had suddenly displayed behavior and strength I had never seen before.

I began to speak again, my face filled with concern.

“You never fought back against those men before. In fact, you avoided any activity that required big movements…”

“…”

“But suddenly you fought so well, it was shocking. What happened?”

“…”

His lips moved, but he couldn’t speak easily.

He seemed to be struggling internally.

It really seemed like he was hiding something from me.

Finally, looking somewhat resigned but more at ease, he began to speak.

“Honestly, I’ve been very confused about what has been happening to me recently. I find it difficult to explain everything to you.”

“…I see.”

“A lot of things around me have changed. I’ve changed too.”

“I understand, Alec. Our lives have completely turned upside down.”

To the point where it couldn’t change any more.

Our circumstances, our status, everything had changed.

The vast estate and mansion that once seemed endless were no longer owned by our family, and the hundreds of servants who had worked for us had all dispersed.

The wealth and luxury that seemed like they would never disappear had all become the tyrant’s property.

He nodded slightly and continued.

“It’s been a series of unimaginable events. The biggest change was that I became different myself.”

“…”

So he was experiencing changes I couldn’t comprehend.

I couldn’t even begin to imagine what those changes were or how confused he must have felt.

“You must find this version of me strange. The truth is, I…”

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up to the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories