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“This is ridiculous. Something is wrong.”

Leandro’s gaze wavered.

“That’s the temple seal? I can’t believe it. It must have been forged or…”

At that moment, Leandro paused and clenched his teeth. His gaze fell on the golden temple emblem. He couldn’t manipulate the golden divine power emanating from the temple’s official emblem.

“There’s no way that demon would truly marry the Lady. Lady. You shouldn’t be swayed by such trickery. It’s all fake…”

He froze when he saw me, absorbed in this thought. I was still in John’s arms, holding his hand tightly. Leandro’s blue eyes were filled with shock once again, as if it couldn’t be happening. His normally rigid face twisted.

“Why are you acting like that?”

He seemed deeply shocked that I hadn’t trusted him and followed him. Leandro called out to me with a trembling voice.

“Lady Estelle.”

But I found that a bit funny. You’ve never met me before, and you know nothing about me.

“You only saw me as a shadow of Yestella.”

Everyone was acting selfishly.

“But John.”

John put the marriage contract in my hand. As I fiddled with it, he asked.

“Madam, do you find the marriage contract fascinating?”

John seemed to have recovered from his shock a moment ago. He smiled sweetly and kissed my forehead.

“You can keep looking if you want. We’re a real, undeniable couple.”

“That’s right. Honestly, I didn’t know there was even a temple seal.”

Leandro had said something to me earlier. But I ignored him and said to John.

“It’ll be hard to get a divorce with the temple seal, right?”

“Divorce?”

John tilted his head.

“Are you trying to divorce me?”

His red eyes gleamed like a ferocious beast.

“Just in case, there’s no such thing as divorce between us.”

I swallowed hard at his firm voice. He was smiling warmly, but I felt a chill.

“It’s not because of him, is it?”

“No! Even nobles don’t usually receive the temple’s recognition. That’s why I was a little surprised.”

“It’s just that couples who care for each other like us are rare.”

John wrapped his arms around my hands, which held the marriage contract.

“But, ma’am, don’t say that again. What if I misunderstand and go crazy?”

“…”

You’re already crazy! Even as I internally rebuked John, I couldn’t help but feel my heart pounding.

“I changed the original.”

In the original, John had prepared several “incidents” to threaten me. For example, incidents like Anton and Patricia that would have harassed or made things difficult for me.

“But they’re almost gone.”

I only experienced one or two, and now there were none of those threats or harassment. Now I could do Duchess Blanchet’s work, and I was officially Duchess Blanchet, recognized by the temple.

“John’s revenge isn’t over, but…”

Still, I couldn’t deny the change. Whew! A loud noise startled me and I fell into John’s arms. Leandro brandished his blue sword and cried out my name.

“Estelle!”

“I wish you’d stop calling me by the name of another man’s wife, who has nothing to do with me.”

John growled softly.

“You’re an uninvited guest.”

Red magic quickly appeared around Leandro. Sharp red arrows appeared above the magic spell, striking Leandro.

“With this magic, I—!”

“Think as you wish.”

A massive magic circle appeared beneath Leandro’s feet. Shadows burst from the ground, shackling Leandro’s limbs. Leandro instantly shattered the binding shadows and unleashed a flurry of sword energy. Of course, his attacks were blocked by the magic spell, which acted like a shield. It was a fierce, close fight, one that was almost tiresome to watch.

“The fight between the male protagonist and the mastermind is different.”

An ordinary person like me, if I got caught in the wrong way, would instantly die.

“You dodge like a rat.”

John’s red eyes stared down at him with the sharpness of a beast.

“But even so, you’re just a rat.”

“Ugh!”

The black shadows that had bound Leandro’s limbs became chains, forcing him to kneel.

“Let’s stop wasting time here.”

He snapped his fingers together. Then, the magic spells clashed gracefully, forming other spells and growing larger.

“I’ll make sure you get it taken care of later.”

With those words, Leandro’s body began to blur. Leandro’s face contorted and he plunged his sword into the ground. But no matter how hard he pressed against the sword, nothing changed. Leandro’s body gradually became more and more hazy.

“Blanchet’s demon. You think you won, don’t you?”

Leandro laughed ferociously, blood trickling from his mouth.

“But the truth will always come out. No matter how cleverly you try to cover up a lie, a lie is still just a lie!”

Leandro’s bloodshot eyes glared at John with a pang of resentment.

“Even if she doesn’t choose me, you won’t be chosen either.”

John, still holding me as if he were a treasure, paused for a moment. And in that moment, Leandro vanished completely. Now, the two of them were left. The garden, clearly marked by the battle, was a shambles.

“…Duke. You exerted yourself as soon as you woke up. Are you alright?”

“Not at all. In fact, you’re in better shape.”

There were certainly no black marks left from the rampage.

“My lord!”

“My lord! Are you alright?”

The knights and soldiers of the Blanchet family surged in. Perhaps because of Leandro’s strength, they couldn’t approach. John pulled me close. He then swung the curtains around me, blocking my view. In an instant, the sunlight vanished completely, and darkness descended.

“Suddenly?”

I blinked. John smiled softly at me.

“Come to think of it, Madam, that guy suddenly barged in and I didn’t have time to ask. Have you ever felt any difficulty or pain while taking care of me?”

“It’s strange, but nothing the Duke was worried about happened.”

“Hmm.”

John looked at the red marks on my wrists with a bitter expression. And the wounds from his dream. His hand was already tightly gripped, and I couldn’t pull away. I smiled awkwardly.

“It doesn’t hurt that much.”

Besides, the wound on my palm, perhaps because it was from a dream, wasn’t painful. I can barely see it anymore.

“Madam, wouldn’t you like to come down to the Duchy of Blanchet with me?”

“The Duchy of Blanchet?”

“It’s about time we went on an inspection tour, and now we all need to meet the new Duchess.”

Visiting the land was a natural duty and right for the nobles who held the land, just as a mistress had to manage domestic affairs. And since I wasn’t the real wife in the original, there was no need to inspect the estate. This was a simple change to the original, but it was also problematic in another sense.

“It’ll be difficult to utilize the knowledge from the original.”

So, a deep worry welled up inside me.

“Will I be able to do well?”

Unlike the people at Duchess Blanchet’s mansion, the people of the duchy would reveal even more raw emotions. John wouldn’t be able to control each and every one of them.

“They’ll just hate me, a Libertan.”

Just then, John covered my nervous hands with his large ones. A warmth washed over me.

“What are you worried about? I’m here.”

He kissed my hand, which was still wrapped around him, as if to say, “What on earth could your wife be worried about?”

“If it’s too difficult, should we go next time? It doesn’t have to be now.”

“No. Let’s go now.”

But fear isn’t an excuse. The story will unfold even more differently from the original.

“I guess I was nervous because I haven’t met many people. I’m so weak that I haven’t been able to go outside of Libertan.”

John looked at me for a moment, then raised the corners of his mouth bitterly.

“Yes, if you go, you’ll be able to experience everything your wife hasn’t been able to.”

Even though I mentioned Libertan, there was no anger on John’s face. Instead, he looked sad.

“I will never waste your time.”

“…”

“Of course, you will continue to stay with me.”

Somehow, it seemed like John had prepared something.

“Why am I so scared?”

Somehow, the preparations he had made didn’t seem normal.

~·~·*· . ·*· . ·*· . ·*·~·~

Inside the dark temple. It was a deep, secret place, off-limits to anyone but the highest-ranking priests. A few candles barely illuminated the darkness. The old priest sighed and said.

“I heard that the Duke of Blanchet has requested a priest.”

“What could he possibly be planning?”

“I don’t know. They say it’s for healing purposes, but how can we possibly know his true intentions? I don’t know who to send there.”

The temple wasn’t on good terms with Duke Blanchet. He was a sinner who defied even the gods. The priests secretly wanted to punish this heinous criminal, but they had no way to deal with the powerful duke. That was his request. The priests couldn’t grasp the current situation.

“Don’t worry too much.”

A voice as clear as glass beads came from beyond the tent. A woman in modest attire slowly appeared, her blond hair as dazzling as the sun, her eyes as blue as a deep lake. Even at first glance, she looked incredibly beautiful.

“Lady Yestella!”

Yestella Libertan. The biological daughter of the Libertan Dukes, who were believed to be dead. Yestella smiled innocently and turned to the anxious priests.

“I will go.”

The high-ranking priests gathered there dissuaded Yestella with voices of extreme concern. They couldn’t send Yestella, of all people. She was a saint, hidden in the temple.

“…Saintess. That’s difficult.”

“That’s true. There’s no need for you, Saintess, to go to such a dangerous place.”

The saintess was a precious being, secretly kept in the temple. Especially after the Duke and Duchess of Libertan and their family were exterminated for treason, they had been extra careful to keep Yestella’s identity hidden.

After such tireless efforts, Estella was able to remain here safely as a saint. Even the fearsome Duke John Blanchet couldn’t bring the dead back to life, so he dragged the fake away.

“That’s why I must go.”

Estella answered in a pitiful voice, her long eyelashes fluttering.

“Because I’m the one who should be there.”

Estella was the biological daughter of the Duke and Duchess of Libertan. At the time, she was believed to be dead, and the fake took her place. But she lived on, more noble than anyone else. In any case, she was the true one, with noble Libertan blood flowing through her veins. Therefore, if anyone should have been the Duchess of Blanchet, it was she, the real one.

“Duke Blanchet is a sinner who defies even God, Your Grace.”

“We cannot send the saint, a precious treasure of the temple, to such a fearful place.”

Confronted by the priests’ concerns, Estella smiled gently. Her figure, clasped tightly together, was as delicate as a tragic heroine.

“Perhaps this is a test from God. I will become his true wife and try to change him.”

Duke John Blanchet. The reason he was so wicked was because the real Estella had not atone for her sins. Estella had heard rumors about the Duke’s wife at the temple.

“Unfortunately, she is not the real one, but a fake…”

It was clear that Duke Blanchet had yet to know love. Because, of course, only she, the true blood relative, could truly accept and release his heart. Therefore, Estella had to go. To truly atone. Though unintentionally, she was strongly convinced that Duke Blanchet might love her.

“Only my atonement as a saint can save him from his sins.”

It was time to reclaim his place as his wife.

~·~·*· . ·**##^^##**· . ·*·~·~

Hey there, It’s Green Rose 😉

Since I human I might have make some mistakes while translating so please if you find them let me know here in the comments or in the Discord group so I can correct them and be careful in the future so they do not repeat.

Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

~~~Next Chapter~~~

Next chapter will be released Tomorrow.

See you then!!