Ruthasha's face crumpled in disbelief at Serafina's completely unexpected reaction.
“What do you mean...?”
“Instead, I will do it exactly the way you did to me.”
The word ‘exactly’ made both Laura and Ruthasha's faces turn pale simultaneously.
“By the way, the Richter mansion doesn’t have an attic, so I’ll give you a room in the basement. Is that okay? It’s a prison, but it hasn’t been used in a while, so it should be livable.”
With a bright smile, Serafina confidently approached the two, Dante by her side.
“So choose. Will you go down to the basement of this house right now, or will you never come near me again?”
A radiant smile bloomed on Serafina's face.
“I am no longer the child who could do nothing but cry while being bullied by you. That’s a past I left behind when I abandoned the Adeline castle.”
Her green eyes sparkled brilliantly above her rounded smile.
“I am Serafina Richter.”
With a self-introduction that was more confident and solid than ever, the trembling in her fingertips had ceased at some point.
The definitive conclusion was Dante's responsibility.
“It would be best if you don’t show your face to me again. If you do, I’ll show you what a real monster is.”
* * *
Once Laura and Ruthasha left, the mansion felt quiet.
It was because the two had made such a ruckus during their stay.
*Sob. M-Madam...*
Thanks to Sienna, who had held back her tears until the two left and then burst into sobs, there was a brief commotion.
*Oh, our Sienna. You must have been in so much pain. I’ll buy you lots of delicious things, and get you your favorites, and even give you a bonus. Just stop crying.*
After soothing her, Sienna quickly stopped crying and returned to her quarters with a giggle.
However, among those returning together, someone seemed to whisper, “Ah. I think I’m right...” but maybe I misheard.
Anyway.
I lay down in bed with Dante for the first time in a while and started a conversation.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
“That’s what I should be asking. Did you return safely from the northern forest? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. I’m not hurt at all.”
“Me too. I’m safe as well. In fact, I’ve been seeking revenge all this time. I was fighting pretty well.”
“That’s impressive.”
“Right? Still.”
I smiled and closed my eyes.
Yeah. I was fighting well.
Yet, the deep-seated fear would suddenly bubble up, making me feel miserable.
Every time I thought I had overcome it, my weakness would rise up and suffocate me.
Eventually, I thought the worst moment had come when I reached my limit.
“Thank you for saving me.”
You came to rescue me.
You have no idea how great a comfort that was.
I cautiously placed my hand on top of Dante's.
His large hand twitched for a moment, but that was all. He quietly tightened his grip around my hand.
Without a word.
Just like that.
...Ah. I feel my heart beating in my hand.
I couldn’t open my eyes at all. At this moment, I didn’t have the courage to face him.
Even in the dark world beneath my eyelids, his face flickered.
Dante.
Dante Richter.
My husband.
The protagonist of this world.
...Yeah.
The male protagonist of this world.
That fact, which I couldn’t erase from my mind, built a massive wall in my heart.
In truth, I already knew everything.
The reason my heart sank every time I saw him.
The reason my nape would heat up, and I would smile for no reason.
Even the reason why the occasional touch of our fingertips felt excessively hot, making me shrink back.
I had long since realized it.
I love him.
I love Dante Richter. I desire this man.
Regardless of the original story, can’t I just stay by this man’s side?
Without divorcing, without leaving.
Can’t I live like this?
Can’t I mess up the garden in the warm Richter mansion and live happily with everyone?
Every time my silent desires screamed, Flora from the original story came to mind.
Dante beside her came to mind.
His future, enjoying guaranteed happiness with a love that felt destined.
What if my greed were to take away the happiness he should enjoy?
That thought terrified me.
Because I wanted this man to be happy.
So I hid it.
I concealed it, pretended not to know, turned away.
I believed that everything would be resolved that way.
Dante and Flora would spend happy days together. I would cultivate my own herb garden and run a small dessert shop.
I could face a future that, while not perfect, wouldn’t be bad.
Compared to the past that felt like a filthy sewer, an ordinary life would be like heaven for me.
But.
Some desires, no matter how much I tried to suppress them, would eventually stick their heads out.
They grew bigger and bigger until they ultimately exploded.
Just like now.
...Yeah. This is my limit.
I am at my limit.
I can’t take it anymore.
I can’t keep pretending like a foolish, shy, and clueless female protagonist, muttering, “Why am I like this?”
I’m tired.
How long do I have to endure this?
How long do I have to live like this, turning away and pretending?
Until Flora appears?
Until the two of them fall in love and politely ask me for a divorce?
No, wait. Thinking about it, if I don’t divorce, won’t Flora never appear?
Only after I divorce and the position of the Duchess of Richter becomes vacant will the Emperor hurriedly find a new lady to connect Dante with.
...Then, what if I don’t leave?
Once my greed burst forth, it began to pour out endlessly.
This is why it’s dangerous for people to endure.
And I was already in a serious situation.
Flora, the future, the original story.
I don’t care about that anymore. I don’t want to know.
Dante’s guaranteed happiness?
I can just make him happier.
If, just if.
If Flora and Dante are truly bound by an unbreakable thread of fate...
Well, what will happen will happen eventually!
People who are truly fated to be together will bump shoulders while passing on the street, and instead of bumping fists, they’ll bump lips.
If Dante and Flora happen to meet on the street and bump shoulders, and it feels like their lips will soon collide, can’t I just slap one of them and cleanly get a divorce?
After that, I can gather a huge amount of alimony, a house, land, and even a shop to open a dessert store, and live lavishly for the rest of my life.
I can wipe my tears with money and cry out, “Wah, you bad ones. Eat well, live well,” and be sad.
Yeah. What’s life?
Let’s live as we want, and if it doesn’t work out, let’s live as it doesn’t work out.
...Ah. How comforting this is.
Somehow, everything started to feel easy and comfortable.
Until now, it felt like something heavy was resting on my chest.
It was uncomfortable to not be able to acknowledge my feelings, and even the fact that I had these feelings was uncomfortable.
It was just full of discomfort...
But once I acknowledged my feelings and faced them, I felt so at ease.
I slowly opened my eyes, which I had been forcing shut.
To avoid facing Dante, I lifted the eyelids that I had put up as a curtain to suppress my feelings for him.
And our eyes met.
As if he had anticipated that I would open my eyes, his blue eyes were clearly gazing at me.
Our hands were still clasped together, and our gazes were locked.
For a while, we just stared at each other.
Without doing anything, just like that.
My heart raced. It felt like it was dropping. It thumped. It trembled. It felt good.
I no longer needed to ask, “Why am I like this?”
I like him.
I like Dante Richter, my husband, the male protagonist of this world.
I have come to like him a lot.
* * *
“Investigating Count Adeline about me?”
Barhan asked in surprise at Dante’s unusual command.
“Yes. Find anything that can be used against him, any weaknesses, any unknown secrets. Bring it all.”
It seemed that everything he wanted to know was precarious.
He must be really angry at those rude intruders.
As if merely driving them away with a fierce warning wasn’t enough.
“Are you planning to ruin the Adeline family?”
At Barhan’s question, Dante lightly cleared his throat and replied.
“Not at the moment.”
But.
“I’m just preparing the sword’s hilt so that I can bring it down whenever Serafina wants.”
Behind his flat voice, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly before dropping again.
It was proof that he was genuinely angry.
Indeed, I was also furious at how the two treated the lady, so how could the Duke feel any less?
If it were up to me, I would want to take them out immediately, but for now, I suppose I’ll hold back since it’s the lady’s family.
Barhan clicked his tongue inwardly and wrote in his notebook, “Find out the weaknesses of the Adeline family,” and drew several stars next to it.
Using the Duke’s secret knights and informants, it wouldn’t be difficult to obtain weaknesses that could shake Adeline.
“By the way, Duke. Was there anything unusual in the northern forest?”