BEW 4

"What? Did Madam say she wants to go meet the Duke?"

Oh my, oh my!

The maids who had been whispering in small groups blushed and squealed among themselves.

It was heart-wrenching to see those two, who were worse than strangers, but now Madam is personally going to meet him.

Each of them was busy imagining the sweet image of the two in their heads.

However, there was one person.

Someone who couldn’t smile.

"...It probably won’t be as romantic as you imagine..."

At Marie’s muttering, those who had been immersed in sweet imaginations widened their eyes.

“How could you say that? It will definitely be sweet.”

"Absolutely. Madam decided to open her heart to the Duke? She must have broken the lock on her heart."

"Yeah, yeah! Don’t spoil the mood..."

"She said she would bake cookies for him."

...

The atmosphere turned solemn at Marie’s words.

"...Could it be the healthy cookies Madam makes?"

"Yeah, those."

They definitely wouldn’t be sweet.

Far from sweet, they would probably be bitter, strange, and astringent.

"Shouldn't we stop her?"

"How can we stop her when she looks so pleased? I can't."

"…Let’s just cheer her on."

Let’s hope the Duke’s taste is as peculiar as Madam’s.

One thing is certain: the romantic reunion they imagined is not going to happen.

* * *

The day my husband was to return.

“A strong and powerful morning!”

I woke up energetically from early dawn.

Since today was a special day, there were a lot of things to pay attention to.

Above all, it was the day to take the first step in erasing my bad first impression and the mistakes I made over the past.

The first place I visited was my small, cute herb garden.

The new sprouts had grown more than a hand’s length already.

Some had tiny leaves no bigger than a fingernail, and they were so pretty and cute that I almost kissed them, only to end up with a mouthful of dirt.

Ugh, ptooey.

Just thinking about it makes my tongue feel gritty.

"Madam, here’s the watering can."

"Thank you."

Sienna was doing her job well as she had mentioned.

Thanks to her, the water in the jug never ran dry, and the shovels were always kept clean.

"It wasn't me who cleaned the shovels! It was Mr. Markovs!"

After receiving an indignant look from Mr. Markovs, Sienna’s tasks were done.

I watched their staring contest while watering the dry soil.

Anyone can win.

Whoever wins, I’m on their side.

Leaving the intense staring contest behind, I returned to my room.

After changing out of my dirt-stained clothes, I washed my hands and feet thoroughly, and headed to the kitchen with a solemn heart.

"So, you’re really going to do it."

Ena, with a more serious expression than usual, muttered through what seemed like gritted teeth.

What’s with her?

Is her tooth aching?

"What kind of hell, I mean, what kind of cookies are you making today?"

"Chocolate cookies with decan root and mugwort mixed in."

"Oh my gosh."

"Awesome, right?"

"...Yes. Truly, really. It’s...amazing."

Ena muttered, squeezing her eyes shut.

Why did she have to be so amazed again? 

Still, I couldn’t help but feel a little proud.

Not long after I started making the cookie dough, Barhan came to see me.

“Are these the cookies?”

“Yes. I put a lot of healthy ingredients in it.”

“Oh. Yes, they do seem healthy. Also, as per your orders, I have thoroughly checked the cleanliness of the place. Both the bedroom and the study are arranged so the Duke won’t be uncomfortable.”

“What about the meals?”

Ena interrupted with a serious reply.

“We have prepared the dishes the Duke likes, but made them less greasy.”

It seemed Ena was as passionate about food as I was about cookies and herbs.

“You both worked hard. As a special treat, I’ll give you each two cookies.”

“...”

“...”

Huh. Why no response?

I stopped what I was doing and turned my head.

“...Do you not want them?”

“No, we would love them. It’s just that we hope the Duke eats a lot of them.”

“I feel the same way, Madam.”

Well, that’s that.

It was touching to see how much they cared for the Duke.

I also resolved again and again to become a good friend to the Duke.

My goal is to be like an ex-wife who’s a friend, just like in Hollywood.

“Butler, Madam!”

Just as I was cutting the cookies with a pretty mold and putting them in the oven, Marie came rushing into the kitchen.

“The Duke is about to arrive!”

What? Already?

He arrived earlier than expected.

It would take at least an hour for the cookies to bake and cool down.

Oh well. It can’t be helped.

I untied my apron.

“Please take care of the oven, Ena.”

“Yes, leave it to me!”

Ena’s energetic response was reassuring, but I felt a bit regretful.

The cookies I made…

I wanted to make them myself and give them to him. It felt like my sincerity was reduced by 2%.

But what can I do?

Oh well.

“So, exactly when is the Duke arriving?”

Sighing, I asked, and Marie looked out the window as she answered.

“Probably in 10…”

“10 minutes?”

“No, 10. 9. 8…”

“What!”

Startled by the unexpected countdown, I screamed and started running.

“Oh, Madam! Madam! Don’t run! You’ll get hurt!”

“Madam!”

I heard Barhan and Marie calling after me, but I ignored them and ran.

My goal was to greet him with a grand welcoming at the front door!

“Wow, this place is absurdly huge!”

Usually, I liked how this mansion seemed cozy yet grand, but not today.

No.

Come to think of it, the problem wasn’t the size of the mansion.

“Huff, huff.”

The problem was my weak body.

After just a few seconds of running, my ribs felt like they were about to break.

Still, I couldn’t stop because it would be a waste of the effort I’d put in so far. Grabbing my aching ribs, I finally reached the main entrance.

"Ah, I feel like I’m dying."

I gasped for breath, leaning heavily against the door with my back.

But surprisingly, the door opened more easily than I expected.

No, it opened just as I leaned against it.

"Huh?"

With a foolish exclamation, I fell flat on my bottom.

The thud echoed pitifully.

I squeezed my eyes shut in surprise, and when I opened them, the blue sky filled my vision.

What is this?

“Oh my, Madam. Are you alright?”

“Should we call a doctor…?”

“Never mind that, quickly help Madam up.”

Murmurs surrounded me in a circle.

Finally, I understood the situation.

Wow. I must be lying spread-eagle among people.

Should I pretend to be unconscious, or should I get up as if nothing happened?

One thing was clear: neither option would be natural.

I was thinking it would be better to just turn into an herb and stay like this when a large shadow cast over me in the sunlight.

A big hand gently helped me sit up.

Soon, a low voice pierced my ears.

“Are you alright, Lady?”

In the dark shadow, blue eyes gleamed.

It was the male lead, who had left home and now returned.

I stood up, staring at his face as if bewitched.

My buttocks, which had been hit by gravity, were quite sore, but I didn’t care.

I couldn’t help it.

There was only one thought dominating my mind.

“...As expected, the male lead is super handsome, cough cough!”

As I praised his stunning appearance, a sudden cough erupted from my throat.

The exertion from my mad dash seemed to have been delayed by my embarrassment and now hit me all at once.

“Cough, cough, I feel like I’m dying, cough!”

I didn’t even care about my image anymore.

A good first impression, my foot.

This is nothing but proof of my foolishness.

I bent down and coughed until I was out of breath, and I could hear the murmurs around me again.

Even the male lead also looked at me with a puzzled expression, then reached out his hand to me.

“...Quickly, take her inside and let her lie down.”

Flinch.

He withdrew his hand and said so.

Before his words even settled, the servants rushed to support me.

“No, wait, I just wanted to, cough. Cough, cough, cough!”

My desperate plea was drowned in the cacophony of coughs.

No, just let me say hello!

Glancing back, I saw the male lead standing there, watching me.

Still backlit by the sun.

His expression was hidden in the dark, so I couldn’t see it.

* * *

This is bewildering.

So bewildering.

Dante Richter.

Lord of the North and monster hunter.

The young Duke, known as the Monster Duke, couldn’t hide his astonishment at the sight of his wife after a long time.

No, in fact, it hasn’t been that long.

He had been away for only about a month.

The last time he saw his wife before leaving home was vivid in his memory.

"I’ll be back. I’ll be away from home for a while."

"…Yes."

"…Rest well."

Live and breathe in this house without me.

Swallowing the words he couldn’t bear to say, he left the mansion with a few knights.

In truth, it was an early reconnaissance.

There was no need to leave, but he deliberately brought forward the schedule to stay away from home.

Because his wife, who shut herself in a dark, curtained room, seemed to be losing color like she was being eaten away by gray shadows.

He wished she could at least sleep well, sweating coldly and groaning in her restless slumber.

He knew how she looked at him.

He knew what emotions she held from the beginning.

On their wedding day.

Ironically, the first time he saw his bride was on the day of their marriage.

The bride he saw for the first time on their wedding day had a pale, frightened face.

Her green eyes trembled slightly above her ashen face.

When their eyes met, she hastily lowered her head.

As if even looking was too much.

In that instant.

The green eyes were filled with unmistakable fear. He couldn’t read any emotion other than fear.

...Ah. To her, I must have truly looked like a monster.

Maybe it was true.

Even while watching the trembling woman forcing her steps forward, he couldn’t stop his wildly beating heart.

So, what else could one call it if not a monster?