The Villain's Sickly Wife Dislikes Being Overprotected - Chapter 2.12

Although she was the maid serving the mistress, it was rare for her to receive direct orders from the Duke.

She hurriedly made her way to the Duke’s office, carrying a sense of tension.

Is it about the mistress? Or is he finally going to punish me for blocking his way last time?

During the short time it took to reach the office, various possibilities kept arising in her mind.

She quickly arrived at the office at a brisk pace.

Knock knock.

“Come in.”

The Duke’s characteristically cold voice was heard from beyond the door.

Lia carefully pushed the door open and entered. Inside, the Duke was waiting with an expressionless face.

She moved her steps as quietly as possible and stood in front of the Duke’s desk.

“Master. For what reason did you call me?”

A moment of silence passed, making her question seem awkward. Lia kept her head bowed respectfully while sneaking glances at the Duke’s expression.

Finally, the Duke spoke.

“I thought you might be the person who knows my wife best.”

As she expected, it’s about the mistress. Is it good news or bad news?

Lia listened to the next words with a slightly trembling heart.

“Were there any other times when my wife was sick that I didn’t see? Tell me everything, even if it seems trivial.”

Although she didn’t know why the master was suddenly showing interest in the mistress, Lia was just glad about this situation.

Did he suddenly decide to care for the mistress? Has he finally changed?

In any case, she had a lot to say.

This is my chance.

She decided to tell him everything, not just about when the mistress caught a cold, but also about the times when she was ill for days after being disrespected by other nobles.

***

The dance practice ended up fizzling out, and I ended up attending the banquet in an unpracticed state.

Lia, who had been planning to make me the star of the banquet for days, woke me up at dawn.

Lia spent even more time dressing me up than she did for the previous dance practice.

“Today’s makeup concept is ‘the last flower petal about to fall’. We’re going to emphasize your unique fragility, Madam.”

“Okay, sure. Do whatever you think is best.”

Ah, of course, I didn’t forget to take medicine to reduce coughing and hemoptysis before leaving, in preparation for the banquet.

After hours of preparation, I went down to the mansion’s entrance.

Kyron, who had finished preparing earlier, was waiting.

“Did you wait long?”

As I spoke, he turned to look at me.

“No, not really.”

I, who had been walking cheerfully, hesitated for a moment.

Perhaps because he was dressed up more than usual, he looked particularly handsome today. He was quite good-looking to begin with, but today it was enough to make me stop in my tracks.

I heard many young ladies used to chase after Kyron before our marriage, and with that face, it’s understandable.

His long eyes were as sharp as those of a beast of prey, and his red pupils, contrasting with his black hair and dark eyebrows, had a strange charm that drew one in.

Even the black clothes that I used to dislike, always wondering why he only wore such dark colors, seemed very stylish today. Like a black panther with red eyes, you might say.

“Ekette.”

As I stood there blankly, admiring his appearance, he called out. I quickly came to my senses.

“Ah, yes, let’s go.”

“Did you take your medicine?”

“Of course.”

***

We arrived at the banquet hall by carriage.

Before the official start of the banquet, attendees had to wait in a waiting room for their entrance. Moreover, the waiting rooms were separate for men and women.

In other words, it meant I had to be separated from my husband until the entrance.

I didn’t feel the slightest need to be with my husband, so it didn’t matter, but what bothered me was something else.

The entrance order was from lower to higher status, so the Duke and Duchess were almost last in line.

It’s ridiculous that we have to wait until the end when it would be more reasonable to enter in the order of arrival.

Cursing the outdated custom, I parted ways with Kyron and entered the waiting room.

“Oh my, it’s the Duchess.”

As if I were some celebrity, all eyes focused on me as soon as I entered the waiting room.

“What brings her here?”

“Indeed. I thought she wouldn’t come.”

“Could it be that she’s attending with His Grace the Duke?”

Born from an insignificant family yet rising to the position of Duchess, the pinnacle of the class society, and rarely participating in events. On top of that, there were rumors about not being loved by her husband.

Truly, I was the fodder for the social circles.

Ekette was subject to rumors ranging from “She clung to the Duke to get married, but now she’s being treated coldly” to “It’s only temporary, and when the Duke becomes interested in marriage, he’ll bring in a real Duchess and she’ll be kicked out.”

That was pretty much the sum of Ekette’s married life for the past year.

Gossip, disregard, and insults.

“His Grace the Duke rarely attends banquets, doesn’t he?”

“Then did she come without a partner?”

“My goodness, without a partner?”

“Well, she can’t ask another man to be her partner when her husband is right there, and it’s not like she can ask His Grace to come…”

“…His Grace doesn’t care about his wife anyway.”

Their backbiting, or rather, front-biting, didn’t stop even as I walked to an empty table and sat down.

Was it such a widely known fact that Kyron was indifferent to me?

How did Ekette endure life in the capital alone in this atmosphere? Well, that’s probably why she stayed in the Duke’s mansion every day. To avoid encountering other nobles.

Still, perhaps because I was prepared for it, the impact wasn’t too great.

And Kyron had handed me something in the carriage.

Perhaps he considered it a blemish on him if the Duchess was insulted.

“If someone disrespects you when I’m not around, record it with this.”

“What is this?”

“It’s a magical device with a stenography function. It transcribes and stores exactly what it hears.”

What he gave me was a notebook slightly smaller than a palm, which unfolded like an accordion.

“What are you going to do with these recordings?”

“I’ll personally punish those who spoke carelessly.”

I stared at him for a moment.