Chapter 8 

“Indeed, I don’t understand it either. How is Alec, who has always lived in wealth, supposed to find us a house now?”

My mother-in-law clicked her tongue and shook her head in disbelief, just like my sister-in-law.

Given that Alec had never earned money through his labor, it was understandable that my mother-in-law was worried. As a duke, he had always collected rent from tenants on his land.

I didn’t have high expectations for Alec either.

However, I knew he wasn’t someone who would speak nonsense.

‘Maybe he’s looking for a job at an office or an accounting firm?’

Alec was exceptionally good with ledgers.

When we first got married, the Brent dukedom was one of the largest estates in the empire, with thousands of tenants.

After inheriting the title, Alec reviewed all the ledgers from his predecessor’s time and uncovered corruption and malpractice.

It was a small, internal scandal in our family, but I was thrilled to see his genius.

If he managed to get a job in an office that required his skills, he might be able to advance a few years of salary to secure a house.

Even if he couldn’t afford to buy a house, we could rent a place.

However, I quickly dismissed the idea of him getting a job.

‘Anyone who sympathizes with or hires that idiot duke will lose their life.’

The emperor’s decree forbade anyone from helping our family.

I couldn’t endanger others’ lives for our survival.

I took a sip of tea, but it tasted bland due to my unsettled mind.

Suddenly, I noticed a shadow entering the inn’s garden.

A tall figure with an extraordinary build, like a god descending from the heavens.

A face with finely chiseled features, like a masterpiece by a legendary artist, and a beautiful neckline.

There was only one person I knew with such a silhouette.

I lifted my head quickly.

Alec was entering, as if it were a lie.

“Alec!”

I sprang to my feet, and my mother-in-law did the same.

“Alec! Where have you been without a word?”

“My Dear! Do you know how long we’ve been waiting?”

I quickly scanned my husband.

Was this really my husband?

How long has it been?

I worried whether he was injured or if he had been dirtied by eggs thrown by children.

But he looked immaculate, not like someone who had spent nights away.

His black hair, naturally tousled, seemed to shine, absorbing all the surrounding light.

Despite our fuss, his demeanor was surprisingly calm, almost cold.

“Did you wait long? Please pack your things. We need to leave.”

“What?”

“I found us a place to stay.”

“What? Really, brother?”

“Is it true, Alec?”

“But how, Alec? How did you…”

We couldn’t hide our astonishment.

Even my sister-in-law, who rarely addressed Alec first, was amazed.

Alec calmly observed our reactions as if it were unexpected.

He opened his mouth to speak, then said,

“It seems you’re all quite surprised. Don’t worry, I didn’t take someone else’s house.”

“…What?”

No, that wasn’t what I meant.

I was once again at a loss for words.

His demeanor was so soft and graceful.

That serious yet dignified posture.

Standing tall with his shoulders and back straight, his speech was clear and precise, as if he were a different person.

I felt like I had been hit on the head with a hammer.

‘Has he really changed this much in such a short time?’

My sister-in-law, feeling the same, jumped up.

“Eek! I have goosebumps! Brother, say something again!”

But he either didn’t hear her or pretended not to, checking his pocket watch as he spoke.

“We must leave soon if we are to arrive before sunset.”

“….”

His smooth and flowing speech left us all stunned.

My sister-in-law’s and mother-in-law’s jaws dropped simultaneously.

“Wow, amazing.”

“Oh, Alec…?”

My sister-in-law was almost drooling, and my mother-in-law clutched her chest as if her heart was racing.

Alec, noticing their unusual reactions, also stared at them.

“….”

I, too, stared at Alec, wide-eyed and unable to blink.

I couldn’t believe it.

He had struggled with his speech all his life.

It had taken him three years to pronounce my name, “Louise,” without stuttering.

And all of a sudden, his stuttering was gone?

“How could this happen all of a sudden? Your way of speaking…”

“Pardon?”

I took a step closer to him, pressing a hand against my thumping chest.

“How could you suddenly speak so fluently, like a different person?”

“Ah, that…”

He lowered his gaze, rubbing his chin, pondering how to respond.

He seemed to struggle with the question, his brows knitting slightly. It felt like the world had turned upside down. His speech was now so effortlessly smooth.

Everyone waited for him to speak, but he only moved his lips without uttering a sound for a while. Finally, his eyes wavered, and he sighed as if resigning himself.

“…To be honest, I’m not quite sure how this happened either.”

“Pardon?”

He didn’t know?

How could he not know?

It wasn’t a gradual improvement but a sudden change. What could be the reason if he himself didn’t know?

I didn’t want to consider it, but could it be that the tyrant’s shock therapy actually worked?

Sometimes people exhibit new symptoms after severe shocks.

I thought about recent events that might have shocked him profoundly. The loss of his title and wealth due to the tyrant, and recently, his drinking of rat poison—there had been countless shocking events.

…Rat poison.

I recalled the bottle of poison he had consumed entirely. Despite ingesting a lethal dose, he had survived. Initially, I was just relieved that he lived, but now it seemed unbelievable.

I had dismissed it as a lucky anomaly due to his unique constitution. Could the poison have had a beneficial effect?

It was just a baseless conjecture.

Muttering, lost in thought, I asked,

“You really don’t know why you’ve changed?”

“…Yes.”

He nodded reluctantly, his attitude cautious.

I finally voiced the possibility I had considered alone.

“Could it be because of the rat poison you drank?”

“…Pardon?”

“Sometimes poison can act as a medicine. You don’t have a fatal reaction to poison, so it might have had a positive effect on you.”

It was like a cow stepping backward and catching a mouse, but it was the only plausible explanation for Alec’s current state.

His lips parted slightly, and my mother-in-law sighed in agreement.

“Oh my goodness.”

“Rat poison…?” my sister-in-law muttered, bewildered. I continued,

“If it’s not that, how else could you suddenly speak so well? Have you ever accidentally ingested poison before?”

Right?

To my knowledge, he had never come into contact with such toxins.

Finally, he nodded stiffly, seemingly reluctant.

“It seems that way…”

“…!”

So it was his first time ingesting poison!

If not for the poison, there was no way to understand his current state. He had tried countless medications and rare remedies to treat his symptoms without success.

Rat poison, with its high toxicity, had never been considered a treatment.

My mother-in-law exclaimed in a trembling voice,

“Oh, I see. The rat poison killed the vermin-like germs on Alec’s tongue.”

“…”

Tears welled up in my eyes. I clenched my fists tightly and forced myself to stay composed.

His symptoms had truly disappeared. It seemed unbelievable, but his current state was undeniable.

I couldn’t fully understand his mindset when he drank the poison, and it was difficult to feel purely happy about this outcome.

However, one thing was clear.

“Alec.”

I called his name softly, stepping closer until I was within arm’s reach.

“I’m so relieved. You’ve suffered so much.”

I reached out to gently embrace him, but he flinched and pulled back slightly.

“…”

Was he startled because we were outside, surrounded by people?

Although I felt a bit awkward about his reaction, I was still moved, and I bit my lip.

“It seems the world hasn’t abandoned us yet.”

“…”

Instead of hugging him, I grabbed his arm.

“No one will look down on you anymore. They won’t mistake you for a fool because of your speech.”

He had suffered so much because of it. I was relieved that his chances of being misunderstood and hurt had significantly decreased.

“So let’s live on and start anew.”