Chapter 42
When I opened my eyes, I was surrounded by darkness.
“Ugh…”
My head throbbed painfully. As I clutched it, something sticky smeared onto my hands.
I hastily looked around, but I couldn’t see a thing. That’s when I finally realized what kind of situation I was in.
Someone had kidnapped me and locked me up in this place. The reason would be something absurdly simple.
‘The Duchess of Schultz?’
That man had asked about my identity at the end, as if confirming it. So probably…
‘Is it because I married the wrong man?’
It was laughable—not even worth a sneer.
Could it be that he was the one who had sent those letters to the Evanstein estate, pretending to be one of the young noble ladies who liked Johannes, or posing as Lady Pensler, just to confuse me before abducting me like this?
‘But why go that far?’
Did he have some kind of deep grudge against Johannes? Maybe he was planning to use me to threaten him.
A faint sigh escaped me.
Whatever the reason for holding me here, judging by the fact that he hadn’t harmed me further, it didn’t seem like he intended to go beyond this.
Just as I finished assessing the situation, there was a loud thudding from above. The wood creaked, and soon, a bright light filtered in.
I instinctively raised my hand to shield my eyes, and then a man, seeing that I had awoken, came down the stairs.
“Life’s easy for you, huh?”
Easy?
Just as I was thinking how miserable life was, he came out with that nonsense.
If life had been easy, my father would’ve returned home safely, and I wouldn’t have been harassed by Banux’s debt collectors.
And I certainly wouldn’t be lying here, bound in some freezing, dark place.
So what the hell was so easy?
I glared at him, and the man smirked.
“That’s what you get for marrying that kind of man.”
“……”
“The bastard who embezzled state funds. And yet, without any self-awareness, I’m the one paying the price for it.”
He ground his teeth and stomped his foot.
Even though the Schultz family’s reputation was recovering, the belief that they had embezzled royal funds still lingered.
Naturally, unless definitive proof of innocence surfaced, those suspicions would never truly go away.
This man, too, firmly believed the Schultz family had embezzled hundreds of billions of Verks.
“What did I ever do to you…?”
From the sound of it, he wasn’t the one who had sent me the letter. But he clearly held a grudge against Johannes.
“What did I ever do to deserve this?”
When I snapped back impulsively, a different emotion flickered across his twisted face—something beyond anger.
“You did nothing. That’s the problem.”
“…What?”
“You pretty girls who sit in high places without lifting a finger—you are the problem.”
I was speechless.
I’d heard of people like this. People who blamed their own failures on others’ success, convinced that bringing others down would lift them up.
“How could I be punished for just skimming a bit of military funds?”
I was stunned.
He had just confessed his crime, and yet he seemed completely unaware of his wrongdoing.
“Because that bastard Colonel Schultz reported me, I got demoted, my salary was cut, and now that disciplinary record will follow me forever, making it impossible for me to climb higher!”
The man was shouting now.
I was dumbfounded. What the hell did that have to do with me?
A moment ago, I had been scared. But maybe because of the blow to my head, now all I felt was rising irritation.
I parted my lips.
“You got the punishment you deserved. Why take it out on me?”
“You think marrying into nobility makes you a real aristocrat? I’ve seen plenty of girls like you. You’re disposable. You’re nothing!”
He refused to take responsibility, continuing to attack me instead.
“I’ve seen it all. How high-ranking nobles take beautiful women, ruin them, and throw them away.”
I had no idea why he was suddenly talking about my so-called usefulness. It was meaningless drivel.
“I know noble families hate divorce. You need royal approval—it’s such a hassle. But there is one way to remarry. Do you know what happens to women who are used up and discarded?”
When I didn’t react, he scowled and tried harder to scare me.
“Once Johannes Schultz gets tired of your pretty face, he’ll look for someone else. Someone with brains and a good family. But what happens if you’re still alive then?”
He narrowed his eyes, watching for my reaction like it was entertainment.
So what?
Johannes didn’t marry me for my looks. He needed me to manipulate public opinion, and I agreed to play along.
But just because of that didn’t mean I’d let this man say whatever he wanted.
I looked him straight in the eye.
“Even so, you have no right to talk to me like that.”
His face turned bright red.
Not the reaction he wanted, clearly. He probably expected me to cry.
He ground his teeth again.
“You have two futures. Die, or get killed.”
I wanted to punch him in the face.
Too cowardly to confront Johannes directly, so he takes it out on a weaker woman—just because I’m his wife?
I spoke with irritation.
“Do you think saying that changes anything? Why do you keep lashing out at me?”
“…What?”
“You just need someone to blame, right? You know you messed up, but you don’t want to admit it. So now you’re looking for someone to take your anger out on.”
“You lowly wench!”
He pulled a gun from his belt. With trembling hands, he pointed it at me, stepped closer, and pressed the barrel to my forehead.
The cold steel chilled my skin. Pain flared again at the back of my head. I clenched my eyes shut and then forced them open, barely lifting my weak hand.
When I gripped the barrel, he stepped back in surprise.
But I was beyond furious now. I had nothing to lose.
“Go ahead and shoot. What do you think will happen if you kill me?”
“…What?”
If I couldn’t escape, I had to exploit his misunderstanding to the fullest.
“As you said, I’m the beloved wife right now, thanks to this pretty face.”
“Are you threatening me?!”
His hand shot up, and a loud thud rang out as he struck me. My head snapped to the side.
For a moment, I couldn’t even lift it.
The soldier’s blow left a dull, numbing pain. The agony spread slowly and deeply.
A sharp sting radiated from my cheek, and my vision turned white. My ears rang so badly I couldn’t even hear him shouting.
When I finally came to, I shot him a glare and yelled, my voice trembling with rage.
“All this just because you didn’t get promoted?!”
Click. He pulled back the hammer of his revolver. His trigger finger trembled as if ready to fire.
“Just a promotion? Do you even know how important promotion is to a soldier? It’s a matter of honor—something that can’t be compared to a filthy commoner’s life!”
He was seriously about to shoot.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
Thud! Something slammed loudly against the basement ceiling. Dust rained down, making me cough.
Then came chaotic noise from upstairs.
“What the hell?!”
The man scowled and looked up the stairs. As the ruckus didn’t die down, he growled and stomped up.
“Hey, what the hell are y—”
He froze mid-sentence. Just as he was about to aim his gun—
Bang! A gunshot rang out. He tumbled down the stairs.
I looked up.
Light streamed through the open door above.
“Using a firearm off-duty is illegal.”
A tall, imposing figure appeared. It was Johannes Schultz.
“Kidnapping, attempted murder, and threats—committed while still in uniform.”
Noah Weber, crumpled at the foot of the stairs, clutched his bleeding shoulder and gasped.
Blood spread across the floor.
Johannes slowly descended the steps. The air turned sharp, like a well-honed blade.
He glanced briefly at me, then approached the man. A heavy shadow loomed over his broad back.
“Staff Sergeant Noah Weber. As of this moment, you are dismissed from the Dotillia Navy.”
“…What?”
“This incident will be tried by military tribunal along with your previous embezzlement of military funds.”
“What did I do wrong?! You embezzled billions of Verks and didn’t get punished, but I take a little and I’m treated like this?!”
Snort. A soft laugh escaped Johannes.
“You’ve got the wrong information.”
He leaned down, pressed the gun barrel against Weber’s cheek, and spoke in an icy voice:
“The one who embezzled wasn’t me—it was the former Duke Schultz.”
