Chapter 4

Edmund had seen me with Patrick.

The look in his red eyes had been clear.

“So you really are just my uncle’s pawn!”

They were full of suspicion and betrayal.

Ah…

‘The tiny bit of goodwill I’d earned is gone now.’

But there was nothing I could do.
In front of Patrick—the Duke’s son—I couldn’t openly side with Edmund.
If I had, I might have been thrown out, or even killed, before I could help him at all.

‘For now I just need to get through Patrick. I’ll have time later to clear Edmund’s misunderstanding.’

Even as my heart sank, I heard Patrick chuckle beside me.
It was a smug laugh, full of satisfaction.

‘Yeah… that wasn’t my imagination.’

In the original story, Patrick had also courted Cassia just to crush Edmund.
He wanted to take everything away from the true heir.

As I recalled this, Patrick began ordering people around as if he were the master of this villa.

“You, bring us some tea.”

“Y-yes, young master.”

The servants, including Moretti, obeyed Patrick much more quickly and obediently than they ever obeyed Edmund—or me.

Soon, the drawing room table was laid with tea and snacks.

And the one who eagerly insisted on serving was—Moretti.

‘So transparent.’

Normally, she would never stoop to such chores.
Hadn’t she acted like she ran this whole villa just a moment ago?

Yet now she personally held the teapot, pouring tea into Patrick’s cup, and even added a line no one asked for:

“I brewed it myself. I hope it suits your taste.”

I swallowed a laugh and looked at the empty cup in front of me.

The bottom of the porcelain was pure white.

‘She didn’t pour mine?!’

Just as I was about to speak, Patrick all but snatched the teapot from her hands.

“Ah—!”

Without even glancing at Moretti, he poured tea into my empty cup.

Then, with clear irritation, he remarked:

“The servants here are poorly trained.”

I smiled gently and bowed my head.

“My apologies. I’ve only been married three days—I still lack much.”

“Oh, no. I wasn’t blaming you, Cassia!”

“I know. I only meant I feel my shortcomings keenly. Especially since a servant ignored my order for house arrest earlier—and here she is, standing before us.”

“…What?”

At my words, Patrick’s face hardened.
Moretti went pale.

Patrick looked straight at her and demanded:

“Is what Cassia says true?”

There was only one servant present.
So naturally, my words could only point to Moretti.

“Th-that… it’s just…”

“How dare a mere servant!”

Patrick’s anger was real.
Like his father, he was a diehard believer in social hierarchy.

Even though my family was lesser compared to the Dukedom, I was still nobility—and now part of House Cohen.
For a servant to openly defy my command was intolerable to him.

‘And besides, he clearly wants to win me over…’

This spoiled brat.

Which meant, of course, he’d take my side over hers.
And my guess was exactly right.

Before Patrick’s fury, Moretti was helpless.
Trembling, she tried to explain herself—

“I-I only acted to follow the Duke’s will…”

“Silence! You dare invoke Father’s authority before me?”

Naturally, it didn’t work.

“Apologize to Cassia at once.”

In the end, Moretti had to kneel before me.

“I—I am sorry, Madam. I’ve committed a grave offense.”

Her head and shoulders shook with humiliation.

I sipped the tea Patrick had poured for me and replied coolly:

“At least you realize it now. Your punishment will be extended to three days’ confinement—and one month’s pay deduction.”

“W-what…!”

“How merciful you are, Cassia.”

Patrick’s smooth words left Moretti with no fight left.
She slunk out of the room, utterly defeated.

This time, she would obey her punishment.

‘If she disobeys again, I’ll just let Patrick punish her further.’

Ahh, this was the taste of a fox using the tiger’s authority.

When Moretti had finally left, only Patrick and I remained.

The moment the door shut, he crossed his legs and said something absurd.

“When I saw you at the wedding three days ago, I was surprised. You’re far too good for a kid like Edmund.”

He immediately switched to informal speech.
His tone grew even more cloying.

I almost spat out my tea but forced it down with superhuman patience.
Setting my cup down, I smiled politely.

“Thank you… I guess?”

“I only spoke the truth.”

He scooted his chair closer, saying the words I had dreaded but expected.

“Cassia. How about becoming close with me?”

“…What?”

“Edmund is only a lord in name. Standing beside him, you’ll never be the true Lady Cohen. You know that, don’t you?”

I stayed silent.

He took that silence as agreement.

After all, this rumor was already widespread in the capital.
No one believed young Edmund could ever defeat the Duke and reclaim his title.

Not even Edmund himself.

‘But I’m the only one who knows he really can.’

Patrick lifted my hand and brushed another kiss across it, smiling slyly.

“I’ll give you plenty of time to think it over. But don’t keep me waiting too long.”

When he finally left, it felt as though his greasy words had coated the air like slime.

Seeing him off, I returned inside the villa feeling nauseous.

‘Ugh, I didn’t even touch the snacks—just the tea—and I still feel sick!’

I was about to re-enter when I suddenly remembered Edmund’s eyes.
Those unusually bright red eyes from earlier.

‘Right. He saw me with Patrick from the third-floor window.’

I looked up.
But now, that window showed no sign of him.

‘Food! Finally, food!’

It wasn’t until dinner that I got a proper meal.

Breakfast—I had skipped to rush to Edmund.
Lunch—I had skipped because Patrick’s greasy tea time had ruined my stomach.

At last, with the first bite of dinner, bliss filled my whole body.

‘So delicious! Even if this villa is Edmund’s prison, it’s still the Duke’s household!’

Even if I had been scammed into becoming a villainess, my stomach didn’t care.
Food was food.
Delicious food made me happy and gave me strength.

‘Koreans run on rice, after all!’

With warm food in my belly, my brain finally began to work again.

And then, I remembered something important.

‘Oh, right! Edmund’s meal must be…!’

I had barely eaten a few bites.
My belly still craved more.

But all I could see in my mind was Edmund’s gaze from earlier.
It hadn’t just been mistrust.

‘It was the kind of look you give when you’re deciding to kill someone!’

This was already the fourth day since my possession.
And only the first day since I had started acting differently.

By now, Edmund’s suspicion of me had reached its peak.
Any goodwill was below zero.

Biting back tears, I rose from my seat.

I pushed the meal cart myself into Edmund’s room.

The boy’s crimson eyes widened.

“What? Why are you here?”

I smiled brightly.

“Didn’t I tell you earlier? A wife visiting her husband’s room is only natural.”

Edmund’s small face scrunched up immediately.