Chapter 19 – The Slap, the Truth, and a Gold Mine
Tangent stood silently, her expression frozen somewhere between laughing and crying.
That silence was an answer in itself — yes.
Ugh. This hurts. Not my face this time, but my heart. Even Bella’s slap didn’t sting like this.
“So where’s Bella now?”
“She’s in the underground prison.”
“Ah. The ‘Room of Truth,’ then. I assume tomorrow she’ll be… slice-slice?”
“Ahem. Yes, my lady. She’ll be… slice-sliced tomorrow. She’s with the Duke at the moment.”
Even as she was dragged to the dungeon, Bella had been shouting Cartiman’s name. The moment he heard the details, he went straight there himself.
“I need to see this.”
“I’ll come with you!”
“No. Stay here. If I come back and the maids who locked you in the storage room are still walking around freely, you’ll be the one in trouble.”
I went to the dungeon alone. As I descended the stairs, I heard voices echoing from inside.
“Who did you sell the necklace to?”
“I—I don’t know! Please, my lord, you know how loyal I’ve always been!”
“Loyalty? If you were truly loyal, you wouldn’t have stolen in the first place.”
“We were close once… You said yourself I was better than Aileen! You said if you were to marry someone like me, you might have considered it!”
“That’s not the answer I asked for. Bella — before I cut your tongue out, tell me: who told you to replace the necklace?”
Bella sobbed pitifully. I made sure my heels clicked loudly as I stepped inside.
Cartiman turned, his gaze landing immediately on my bruised cheek.
“That’s her handiwork too, isn’t it?” he murmured.
He already knew the whole story. There was no need to hide anything. I nodded.
“Yes. Because of her—”
“Don’t put all the blame on Bella,” he interrupted.
“Oh? So there’s someone else to blame?”
“Yes. You.”
I took a step closer.
“You said it yourself — ‘Bella is trustworthy. She’d never harm you.’ Those were your words.”
“I remember.”
“Yet here I am — my face torn open, my mother-in-law’s precious gift nearly stolen, and I almost became the laughingstock of this entire household. Do you know who gave her the confidence to act this way?”
“…”
“You did.”
Because he’d treated her like a childhood friend, taken her out with him, and even once said he preferred her to me — Bella had become arrogant. The other maids had followed her lead, not mine.
“I got lucky this time,” I said coldly. “If there hadn’t been proof, I’d have spent the rest of the year being treated like dirt — a useless outsider. I would’ve broken.”
“It’s my fault,” Cartiman admitted quietly. “I trusted her loyalty too much. I thought her respect for me would extend to you as well. I was wrong.”
He unlocked the cell door with a click.
“What do you want?” he asked. “To cut off her legs? Her cheek, maybe? You were slapped — you want revenge? Go ahead. Do what you want.”
“…Can I really hit someone?”
“You can.”
That was all I needed to hear.
SLAP!
The sound was sharp and clean — but not from Bella.
It came from Cartiman’s cheek.
“You— you— you—!”
Surprisingly, Bella screamed first.
“You little—!”
“Oh, shut up!” I shouted back so loud the entire dungeon shook.
Even the other prisoners woke up and scrambled to attention.
Cartiman froze. Bella froze.
What, have they never seen someone yell like a professional event staffer before?
“If you two wanted to film your little love-and-jealousy drama, couldn’t you have done it when I wasn’t around? I wouldn’t have cared! You could’ve rolled around in his bed for all I care!”
“What? Are you done talking?”
“Not even close.” I glared. “Be honest — when you planned all this, didn’t it feel exciting? Like you were some tragic villainess in a story? You probably told yourself, ‘That useless woman’s only lucky because she married well.’ Well, congrats — your little justice fantasy backfired. I’m the one who got the happy ending.”
Bella’s face turned beet red.
She might not have understood all of it, but she definitely knew I was insulting her.
“You’re insane! What are you even talking about?!”
“You’re the crazy one. And watch your mouth — you sound filthy. Didn’t anyone teach you manners?”
“You’re the same age as me!”
“Oh, really? Sorry — you just act so immature I assumed you were younger.”
Despair flickered across her face.
I took the key from Cartiman’s hand and locked the cell door again with a loud clang.
The sound was final — like a guillotine blade dropping.
She’d get her punishment soon enough. That was enough for me.
Cartiman, still stunned, rubbed his cheek.
“…You hit me?”
“Yup. Slap. Right across the face.”
“Why?”
I sighed.
“Because, honestly, I’m not smart or strong or particularly good at anything.”
“I never thought you were weak.”
“I have no power, no silver tongue, and a bad attitude.”
“I never thought that either.”
“But I’m surviving — barely — on the blessings my ancestors left me. I’m trying so hard to keep the Dante Marquisate alive with what little they passed down.”
My chest tightened. Somewhere inside, Grandpa Fairy was bawling his eyes out.
Apparently, when a spoon-shaped fairy cries, the tears drip from the rounded edge. I learned that today. Not a fact I needed.
Cartiman’s cheek was as hard as iron. My palm stung, but I kept going.
“And that’s not enough. The only reason I can hold on at all is because of our contract marriage. I’m grateful for that. But you know what? Even a contract wife deserves a husband who acts like one.”
“I thought I was doing the bare minimum.”
“You thought wrong. You’re terrible at it. I’ve been trying to behave — staying polite, getting along with your parents, keeping quiet, even speaking formally to you! Do you know how unnatural that is for me?!”
He looked genuinely startled.
“I’ve done everything I could. Not for love, but because this is supposed to be a business arrangement. But you? You’re doing nothing. Because of you, people treat me like trash.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“I knew you were a ‘husband’ in name only, but I didn’t think you’d be such a professional at it.”
“…I apologize for neglecting you.”
I clicked my tongue. He looked so defeated — lips pressed tight, shoulders heavy.
Probably the first time in his life someone had scolded him this hard.
I sighed again.
At least he did apologize.
And honestly, the embarrassed look on his face was kind of… cute.
“Alright, Cartiman. Listen carefully.”
“I’m listening.”
“For the next year, whether I like it or not, I’m Aileen Asser. Got it? I don’t have any real feelings for you, but I was starting to — until you ruined it. Now we’re back to square one.”
“…Do you hate me that much?”
He swallowed hard, visibly nervous.
Was the great Duke Asser actually flustered?
I smirked.
“I didn’t say I hate you. I just said I was starting to like you — emphasis on was.”
“I want to fix that. Tell me how.”
So he did know diplomacy after all. Well, he was a nobleman.
I grabbed his hand and met his eyes.
“I don’t believe in verbal apologies.”
“So… you want something tangible.”
“Exactly.”
“Should I pay off all your debts?”
“…Would you?”
“No.”
I barked out a laugh.
“You were supposed to say yes first! Don’t you know how women work?”
“I didn’t mean I wouldn’t pay them,” he said quickly. “It’s just… complicated. The Marquisate’s debts are manageable but politically sensitive. Paying them off now could cause trouble for you too.”
“Because once the debt’s gone, everyone comes running like wolves?”
He nodded.
The debt, ironically, was the Dante family’s shield — the reason predators stayed away. Pay it off, and the other nobles would tear the Marquisate apart.
“I know,” I admitted. “I never really wanted you to pay them off anyway.”
He relaxed a little. “I see you’re calmer now.”
“Maybe. Thinking about the reward I’m getting cheers me up.”
“What kind of reward would satisfy you?”
“A gold mine.”
Ah. Just saying it made me happy. My lips curled on their own. I tried to stop them — don’t look too easy, girl — but it was hard.
Cartiman seemed to notice and spoke faster, sounding almost anxious.
“If that doesn’t appeal to you, how about I lend you one of the Asser trade guilds? You can learn management and keep the profits. I’ll even have it written in a contract that all income goes directly to the Dante family.”
“…Why are you being so generous all of a sudden?”
“Because, objectively, I was wrong.”
“No, I mean — you’re really going above and beyond here.”
He hesitated, then said quietly, “I told you before. The way you’ve changed… I like it.”
“Changed?”
“You’re strong. Unafraid of pain. When you slapped me…”
He paused.
“…you were magnificent.”
I blinked.
“…Wait. Are you into that? Do you… like being hit?”
“What?!” He looked horrified. “Of course not!”
“Just checking.”
Because, honestly, his face looked way too serious when he said it.
