The Villain's Sickly Wife Dislikes Being Overprotected - Chapter 3.2

***

The days were getting colder one after another. While the ducal residence maintained a warm temperature, the situation in the underground prison was different.

The floor of the underground prison was a cold stone floor that couldn’t possibly be heated, and the air in the prison was just as cold.

Lucy Stober’s body was shaking severely from the cold. The night she spent wide awake was long, and she was already weakened.

They had her seated on a chair out of consideration for her noble status, but the very fact that she had been dragged here was already sufficiently humiliating for her.

The severity of punishment for each crime was specified in imperial law.

However, there was no specification about the time before the punishment was determined through trial.

In other words, the Duke could do as he pleased within this prison.

The servant who had been brought in with her lost one arm right before her eyes.

The Duke said he would have killed him outright if he hadn’t given the antidote to his wife. He said he took into account that the servant had come to his senses, albeit belatedly, and sent the bloodied servant out of the prison.

Lucy, who had no choice but to watch the servant’s wailing and blood right before her eyes, was terrified.

She now realized the Duke’s true nature, which she had overlooked until now, having been captivated by his handsome appearance.

A madman.

The Duke she saw overnight was a madman.

A madman from whom no emotion could be read.

She easily read people’s eyes. But in the Duke’s eyes, she could find nothing.

Even when torturing the servant and interrogating her, there was no emotion in his eyes.

The Duke intimidated her in a dry tone, then left when morning came and news arrived that the Duchess had woken up.

How long had it been since the Duke left, saying he would have breakfast with his wife? The guards standing watch saluted someone in unison.

The Duke had returned.

The Duke’s heavy footsteps were leisurely. In contrast to Lucy’s anxiously trembling body.

He sat comfortably in a chair placed outside the iron bars. It was a position where he could directly face Lucy, who was locked up.

“Where did we leave off earlier?”

One of the guards quickly approached and spoke so that only the Duke could hear. The Duke nodded once, saying he understood.

“Let’s not waste time.”

It was a warning directed at her.

“There’s someone who wants me to leave quickly.”

Suddenly, as she looked at the Duke, Lucy realized something.

The Duke’s demeanor had changed significantly.

There was a clear difference from when he left the underground prison to have breakfast.

…She could read something in the Duke’s eyes.

The Duke, who had not shown any emotion all night, was now quite displeased. Enough for her to notice.

Lucy found herself staring at the Duke intently, her gaze probing for confirmation of his sour mood.

The man who had even paused the interrogation to have breakfast with his wife had now returned in a bad mood. The cause of his foul mood was probably ‘someone who wants the Duke to leave quickly’.

If that’s the case… that ‘someone’ must be the Duchess who had breakfast with him.

Does this mean the Duchess can easily sway the mood of the Duke, who remains unshaken by anything else…?

At that moment, she vaguely understood. That the current Duchess would never be removed from her position.

***

As Kyron had said, a doctor visited in the morning. It was the same doctor from the Imperial Hospital I had met before.

The doctor conducted a few simple tests. He said it was to check if my condition had worsened.

“I unintentionally took several types of medicine yesterday, will that be okay?”

“I’ve checked the ingredient list of those medicines His Grace provided. I mean the hallucinogenic drug in the champagne and the antidote. For now, it seems there are no components that could cause side effects when taken together.”

“Really?”

“Haha, you can trust me.”

The doctor smiled kindly. I felt reassured by that smile. When I saw him last time, he seemed tense, perhaps because Kyron was glaring at him from the side, but today he looked much more at ease.

“Of course, suddenly taking various medicines in one day can be taxing on your body. So please be careful not to let similar incidents happen in the future. The medicine that temporarily prevents coughing and hemoptysis is also strong, so it’s not good to take it often. That medicine forcibly restricts some of your body’s functions to prevent coughing and hemoptysis. If you take it frequently, it will harm your body.”

“I see.”

“Then today, I’ll perform a simple magic treatment to help restore your energy. It won’t hurt, so don’t worry.”

I received treatment for a few minutes, which was said to improve my physical strength by flowing magic through my body.

After the simple treatment was over and the doctor left, I started to imagine a rosy future.

I received the prize money yesterday, so my pockets were full, which made me feel more secure.

Once Kyron leaves the ducal residence, there won’t be anyone bothered by my illness, so I’ll be able to move around more freely, right?

Even in just the bustling areas of the capital, there were countless restaurants and shops I hadn’t visited yet.

I wanted to go into an expensive shop and enact the ‘I’ll take everything’ scene I’d only seen in dramas from my previous life.

To report the doctor’s examination results, I headed towards Kyron’s office. While walking down the corridor, I ran into Kyron’s assistant.

“Oh?”

“My lady.”

The assistant bowed politely.

It was I who stopped him as he was about to pass by after greeting me.

“Mr. Dinein.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“It seems my husband will be leaving again soon, could you perhaps tell me where he’s going this time?”

“I’m afraid I can’t disclose that information, my lady.”

Though I hadn’t expected him to tell me, the assistant refused outright, to the point of embarrassment.

“Ah…”

“His Grace has always instructed us not to reveal this information, so I ask for your understanding.”

As expected, they don’t tell me anything.

Well, that’s Kyron for you.

Actually, it didn’t matter where he was going. It would probably be the knight training grounds in the north, as usual.

I thought maybe the assistant might tell me something, but was it a pointless attempt?

Still, out of disappointment, I decided to ask one more question. I am his wife after all, it’s too much if I can’t even ask questions.

I was curious about how long my period of freedom would last.

“Then, when he leaves this time, how long will it take until he returns…”

“What are you doing?”

Kyron’s voice cut off my question.

He approached me and the assistant who were in conversation. Though he hadn’t gone out and come back, a chill emanated from him.

“If you have questions, ask me.”

Was he annoyed that I had spoken carelessly to his assistant?

I was flustered by his words telling me to ask him directly. A person who wouldn’t tell me even if I asked.

“It’s fine. It wasn’t an important question anyway.”