Chapter 14

I tightly closed my eyes.

The man, upon seeing me, seemed flustered and hastily stammered,

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to follow you recklessly…”

He apologized over and over again, as if he were too surprised by his own behavior. I waved my hand dismissively.

“No, forget that. How did you manage to follow me, anyway?”

The man tilted his head and looked at me with his light green eyes. His eyebrows drooped.

Is he feeling guilty?

I added hastily.

“I’m not angry; I’m genuinely curious, so tell me.”

“…I heard you mention your destination beyond the carriage.”

“You just followed me, on foot?”

“Yes, probably… I’m not sure. I don’t really know.”

He didn’t seem to remember.

Perhaps he wasn’t yet in full control of his actions.

He was acting on instinct.

He forgot everything and had nothing to hold on to but the first person he saw when he opened his eyes.

I looked at the man with mixed feelings.

He shook his head in disbelief.

“I apologize for the intrusion.”

“It’s okay; don’t be too hard on yourself. Now go back and get some rest.”

“……I will.”

I waited for the man to turn around.

He didn’t turn away easily.

He hesitated, as if he didn’t want to move away from me, and then he pulled the wad of money I’d given him out of his arms.

“I’ll give this back to you.”

“No…….”

I sighed, unable to take it.

It was then. Suddenly, a shadow fell over my body.

“Have you been giving my money to beggars since yesterday?”

The voice was sarcastic, deep, and resonant, sending shivers down my spine.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

‘Oscar Crestwell’ how did he know I was here?

Seeing an unwelcome face, my stress levels have been rising since this morning.

But now, with divorce papers filed, there was no need to pretend anymore. I openly scowled at him.

“Why don’t you just pass by? ”

But contrary to my wishes, Oscar didn’t walk away. He flicked the wad of money in the man’s hand and smirked.

“Do you have enough money to waste like this? Once this money is gone, your life will be over. If you want to beg from your father and brother at Rowissum Manor, you should save some travel expenses, shouldn’t you?”

He crossed his arms and tilted his head, a deep smile curving his lips.

“I know it’s hard to give up the habit of extravagance, but you shouldn’t act like a noblewoman considering your situation, Isn’t that foolish?”

Oscar spoke as if I had already lost my aristocratic status.

It’s an annoying comment, but I’m sure it’s his intention to see me get annoyed.

I wouldn’t fall for it. I take a deep breath.

“You’re the one who’s foolish, aren’t you? Going after your soon-to-be-divorced wife. Is this the level of the Duke of Crestwell?”

I fought back, but Oscar now had a look on his face that said he expected me to take it this far. He whispered in a sarcastic tone.

“You’re being overly confident, Marlena.”

His voice was objectively pleasant, but it sent chills down my spine, like feeling a bug crawl under my clothes.

It’s said that if a person is good-looking and has a good voice, they can get away with some mischief, but not as much as Oscar Crestwell.

I kept my voice as emotionless as possible.

“So, you had separate business near the security station? If that’s the case, it’s better to deal with that matter instead of causing a scene here. I’m done here. Goodbye.”

I finished my words as if reciting them, then immediately turned away from him. But Oscar skillfully blocked my path.

He had no intention of letting me go.

“You’re still in the habit of doing stupid things with your husband’s money, don’t you think you should fix that?”

It seemed my borrowing money under the family’s name had raised some suspicions. Well, the pot is calling the kettle black.

“If you find that money so precious, why don’t you deduct it from the alimony? Move aside.”

“I need you to come with me.”

“I’m not coming with you. Why don’t you save that for Serwen?”

When words fail, you have to poke at the other person’s weakest point.

As if on cue, Oscar’s face crumples into a grimace. The raw expression on his face is a sign of defeat.

Oscar couldn’t even properly mask his flustered expression and came closer to me. As if he were about to do something harsh to me.

But could he?

I looked around me.

It was a sunny morning. Moreover, this was in front of the security station. Surely, Oscar wouldn’t cause trouble in such a place…

“Ugh……!”

But I was wrong.

My ex-husband, who is so obsessed with his image, had roughly twisted my wrist in public.

I wasn’t weak by any means, but I couldn’t match Oscar’s strength.

As I tried to twist my wrist to free myself, I couldn’t help but speak with a tone of disdain.

“Let go of me now, or I’ll scream.”

But Oscar just chuckled. His burning eyes seemed like they were about to make a sound.

I couldn’t believe my eyes.

Good Lord, I never expected him to come out this aggressively.

Where has Oscar Crestwell, who was so obsessed with public opinion that he offered an enormous alimony rather than reveal the existence of his affair, gone?

Did I misinterpret Oscar’s character? No, I don’t think so.

I’ve been looking at the real Oscar ever since I possessed Marlena’s body, and I’ve studied him extensively in the novels before I was possessed.

Sure, Oscar does lash out at people of lesser status, but it’s more bullying or hysterical behavior.

The only time he’s ever been this “extremely aggressive” is in front of Serwen. It’s her privilege, not hers, to see this dangerous side of him.

I couldn’t immediately deal with the discrepancy between my interpretation and Oscar’s behavior.

He growled low and said.

“Scream? Go ahead. What do you think people will think? Who do you think they’ll believe, you or me?”

Oscar’s rapid voice was resolute.

“They’ll think you’ve done something wrong, and I’m here to pick you up. That’s the kind of trust I build up in society, stupid b*tch.”

He tugged on my wrist.

“Let’s go home, because I want to ask you something: How are you going to make up for the loss you caused me with fifty million Acrons?”

“Let go of me. I said, deduct it from my alimony!”

“That’s not an acceptable answer. You’ll have to stay at home until you convince me, Marlena.”

There was even a hint of enjoyment in Oscar’s voice, as he seemed to feel that he had me on the ropes.

I couldn’t help but think of the description in “Portrait of Green Water.”

Oscar, with his dangerous tastes.

But it wasn’t time to dwell on that. Suddenly, I remembered the safe deposit box.

No!

A cold sweat trickled down my spine.

If Oscar took me, he would make me suffer thoroughly.

He was determined to repay me with more stress than I had received.

Will he be satisfied with one day, two days……. or a month or more before he’s satisfied.

If it took too long, it would be a disaster. My temporary rental safe’s contents would be disposed of in six days.

My mind was racing, and I kept my mouth shut.

How am I going to get out of this?

I need to get my brain working as fast as I can, but it’s not easy with no time to spare. I’m going to get dragged down, and it’s too late.

That’s when a long, large hand reached out and pried Oscar’s hand away from my wrist.

His grip on me was so tight that it hurt, and his hand slipped away like greased dough.

How did he do it so easily……?

Oscar’s physical strength was undoubtedly superior to that of an average person.

I stared blankly at the tall, composed man.

He looked like a completely different person from the one who had apologized without heat a moment ago.

His expression was icy. It seemed as though he regarded Oscar as less than human.

“She said no. Why are you doing this?”

And one bold line addressed to the Duke

This was only possible because the boy was in such a state of amnesia that he didn’t even know his own name.

Although Oscar’s hand slipped away from mine, the bold man’s behavior caught me off guard, and I found myself unable to speak.

“Who are you?”

Oscar’s voice was tinged with annoyance at being interrupted.

It was a familiar voice. It wasn’t as sinister and slimy as it had been a moment ago.

Oscar tried to grab me by the wrist again, but he was unsuccessful.

This time, to prevent him from doing so, the man stepped between me and Oscar.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing? Get lost.”

“No.”

The beautiful voice was now dry and firm rather than melancholic.

The man was taller than I had estimated. He didn’t seem at all intimidated by Oscar’s imposing presence.

“Who do you think you are? Do you even know who I am? Bring your master here right away.”

Oscar, who had prided himself on being second to none in terms of physical specs, was clearly bruised by his inability to break through the blocking of the lanky, glazed young man.

He finally pulls out the universal key, the rank statement.

A normal person would have been instinctively terrified, but the man didn’t bat an eyelash.

Perhaps his subconscious remembered that he was a man of high status and would never have to grovel before Oscar.

But that was only at his subconscious level.

Right now, an objectively lowly man has dared to defy the Duke of Crestwell and stand in his way.

He actually needed a shield to protect him right now.