DSMBL Chapter 03

Chapter 3

The butler let out a sigh as he met my serious gaze.

“…I will make sure my activities remain within the bounds of safety, so please don’t worry.”

“That’s a relief, then.”

“His Grace, the Duke, expressed that he hopes there won’t be another incident like yesterday. If something like that happened again , he has instructed me to send you to the villa.”

The butler’s face became tense as he conveyed the message.

If it were the original Charlotte, she would have thrown another fit at this point. How dare you speak to me like that? If anyone’s getting locked up, it’ll be you, not me. Are you oppressing me?

Ugh, just thinking about it gives me a headache.

Honestly, considering all the crazy things Charlotte has done, it’s a wonder why she hasn’t been committed to a mental hospital yet.

Oh dear, it must be because the male lead has the patience and understanding of an ocean.

But I had no intention of acting like that. My dream was to lie low and quietly leave this place someday.

“That won’t happen again.”

“…I sincerely hope you keep your word.”

After a few more words of caution, the butler left the room.

As he had mentioned, a maid soon entered.

“Hello, Duchess. My name is Luna. I will be serving you for the time being. I will do my best to ensure your comfort, so please call for me if you need anything. I will always be by your side.”

The butler had mentioned that all the maids who had served me before had left the Duke’s household. Apparently, they were all traumatized after being injured by me that they couldn’t handle it anymore. Honestly, I can’t blame them. I wouldn’t want to work in a place like this either.

“I look forward to working with you, Luna. Let’s get along well.”

I greeted her with a bright smile. Luna responded with an awkward smile of her own.

As I watched Luna clear the dishes, I flopped down on the bed.

I could understand why the male lead would assign someone to watch over Charlotte. It made sense—better to keep her confined to prevent another incident. After all, it was impossible to remove every sharp or dangerous object from the mansion because of her.

In truth, the male lead was a righteous and upright man without a single flaw.

Even when Charlotte pulled off all sorts of insane stunts, he never divorced her and stayed by her side. If she hadn’t killed Theo, maybe he would have never abandoned her.

“Ugh.”

Of all people, why did I have to reincarnate as Charlotte? The only thing I could do now was save Theo. Though my divine power was barely enough for him, but it had proven effective on him.

The real problem was that I was stuck here.

Luna stepped out, carrying the dishes, and locked the door behind her. It was fascinating how it locked from the outside.

How am I supposed to sneak out? Luna doesn’t stay by my side all the time, so I just need to find a moment when she’s not around.

For now, I’ll behave myself and keep a low profile for a while.

***

Every day, the butler reported Charlotte’s behavior to Cassius. For the past two weeks, Charlotte had stayed quietly in her room.

“She’s really doing nothing at all? Not even calling for me?”

“Yes, Your Grace. According to Luna… ahem, to put it bluntly, she said, ‘It seems like she is laying low for now.’”

Cassius narrowed his eyes. If Luna had described her that way, it meant Charlotte truly hadn’t tried to contact him, thrown tantrums about wanting to leave, or caused any commotion.

Why?

Whether she was doing something or nothing, it all felt unsettling. Cassius ran a hand through his hair with a sigh.

“Is she unwell?”

“She doesn’t appear to be, Your Grace. She eats her meals regularly.”

“Then how does she spend most of her time?”

“She either reads books or sleeps,” the butler reported.

That didn’t sound like Charlotte at all. She had always been a woman obsessed with luxury and her own adornment. Books didn’t suit someone like her.

However, giving too much attention might provoke the seemingly stable Charlotte. For now, it was better for Cassius to remain out of her sight.

Cassius sighed. “Report immediately if anything unusual happens.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

“…And Theo?”

Cassius’s voice softened, a hint of caution in his tone. In contrast, the butler’s expression grew somber.

“…My apologies, Your Grace.”

“There’s nothing for you to apologize for.”

Cassius let out a bitter smile. He couldn’t even remember the last time Theo had opened his eyes.

Though he firmly believed that one day Theo would wake up, but there was a gnawing fear deep down—a fear that this cold world would take Theo away, leaving Cassius utterly alone.

“…Are you still searching for someone with divine power?”

Theo’s life could only be saved by someone with divine power. His illness wasn’t an ordinary one—it was a disease that was caused by exposure to excessive magical energy at a very young age.

It was a disease known as Demonic Decay, which ate away his internal organs and drained his life force.

“We are still searching, but there has been no significant news yet.”

Despite extending their search even to mercenaries, finding someone with divine power seemed nearly impossible, as if such individuals no longer existed.

“…Increase the budget,” Cassius said firmly. “Yes, Your Grace. We will do our utmost.”

Cassius clenched his teeth. Heaven had never once answered his prayers, but he couldn’t abandon Theo.

Theo was someone he couldn’t afford to lose.

Never.

***

The past two weeks passed in pure rest.

Ah, this is the life I’ve always dreamed of. No work, no cooking—meals arriving like clockwork. No rent to worry about, no bills to drain my bank account every month.

Who would’ve thought I’d achieve my dream like this? A life of luxury without lifting a finger.

For two weeks, I laze around in bed, occasionally stepping out onto the balcony for fresh air, reading books, and taking it easy.

After all, I’ve always been a homebody at heart.

If only I had some fried chicken and beer to go with that.

But I couldn’t stay like this forever. I wondered how Theo was doing. I glanced at Luna, who was sewing beside me.

I couldn’t just steal the keys.

I looked toward the balcony. My room was on the second floor. Not exactly a threatening position. Luna would be leaving at 9 PM… just a little more waiting.

I ate three bowls of food today just for this. At 9 PM, Luna stood up from her seat.

“Good night, Duchess. I’ll be heading back now.” “Yeah, go ahead. You worked hard today too.”

Luna said her goodbyes and left the room.

The servants of the mansion typically finished their duties and went to sleep around 10 PM. I jumped up from the bed.

I scanned the room. There had to be something I could take without it being noticed. I lifted the couch. Beneath it, I saw layers of fabric folded in frills.

“Perfect.”

I didn’t have scissors, but I had strong teeth.

****

Tearing the fabric off the couch wasn’t easy.

Ugh.

Tearing the fabric from the couch wasn’t easy. My jaw was starting to feel sore, but after ripping it all out, I had enough to climb down from the balcony to the garden.

I never imagined I’d be doing something like this.

Ugh, it’s been so long since I’ve been outside. There was no one around. I looked around the estate, selecting an open window and slipping through it.

Theo’s room was on the second floor, I think.

Carefully, carefully.

“…But where was Theo’s room again…”

I remembered it was the fifth door to the left on the stairs. I opened the door cautiously. Yes! I felt tears of joy welling up. I quickly stepped inside and closed the door behind me.

Theo was sleeping alone, just like every other night.

He looked like a pale doll.

I gently brushed his hair aside.

“…Why is this child always sick?”

To think Charlotte had even considered letting a child like him die… Charlotte, you really are a mess.

“Sweet dreams, Theo.”

I whispered softly to him, hoping that at least in his dreams, this child who hadn’t opened his eyes in over a year could find some peace.