---------------

Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: ‌‌‌‌valirscans.org

---------------

4. Late into ‌‌the night, Alice disappeared into the Kitchen with Hans. Rebecca caught Alice's gesture and quickly climbed to the Third Floor. Creak— The sound of the door opening seemed to ‌‌‌‌thunder through the ‌‌‌air with deafening loudness. Rebecca held her breath and managed to slip into the Study. "Hah...." It was a Study ‌‌‌she had never entered, even in her previous life. Rebecca paused at the doorway, surveying the entire Study. The Study achieved perfect bilateral symmetry. The books crammed densely on both sides were identical in number—one could tell without counting. A ‌‌‌Study befitting Zeppelin's obsessive nature. Rebecca rose onto her tiptoes and approached ‌‌‌‌the desk with utmost care. Even the slightest misalignment of the carpet would ‌‌be instantly noticed by Zeppelin. The desk drawer, which she had expected to be locked, opened effortlessly. As if it didn't matter who read its contents. The documents inside the ‌‌drawer were arranged ‌‌‌with meticulous precision. Rebecca carefully withdrew the documents, ensuring nothing became disheveled. As she scanned the alphabetically organized document names, Rebecca froze in place. Familiar names flooded into her mind in a dizzying rush. With trembling hands, Rebecca withdrew one of them. 【House of Obelia】 Rebecca Obelia. Her name before she became Rebecca Devonshire. As Rebecca flipped through documents related ‌‌to her family, she gasped in ‌‌shock, her trembling hand flying to her mouth. Her breathing grew increasingly ragged. ‌‌‌"Good heavens...." The documents were filled with detailed accounts of how Zeppelin had financially isolated the House of Obelia. ‌Looking at the dates, the plan had begun years before he proposed to Rebecca. Now, at ‌‌last, her long-standing suspicions were answered. The House of Obelia, though steeped in history, was not a particularly renowned family. Yet it possessed fertile lands and steady monthly income, so throughout its generations it had never faced financial hardship. And yet the House of Obelia had collapsed utterly in an instant—something impossible without deliberate intervention. Rebecca gripped the documents so fiercely they nearly tore. The documents detailed precisely how Zeppelin had driven her once-wealthy family to bankruptcy in mere years. "This bastard...." Zeppelin had been systematically dismantling everything ‌around Rebecca to lock her perfectly within her gilded cage. Rebecca urgently seized other documents bearing familiar names. The names of childhood friends appeared before her eyes. After reading the contents, Rebecca once again covered her mouth in shock. I, Diana Judrian, made a contract to never meet Rebecca Devon during my lifetime.... Zeppelin obtained leverage over his friends and secured their oath to distance themselves from Rebecca. Rebecca's hands trembled as she held the documents. Memories of those dark days spent drowning in self-loathing as she watched her friends depart came flooding back. 'Your friends won't contact you? See? I've told you countless ‌‌times that you have an irritating side that gets on people's nerves. You should resent your friends ‌‌for lacking patience, not me. But don't worry. You have me.' Zeppelin's harsh words from the past echoed in her ears. Rebecca staggered and gripped the corner of the desk. Tears streamed ceaselessly down her cheeks. She had already realized he was binding her in chains. That's why she had fled the Count's Mansion. But she had never imagined that innocent people around her would suffer because of it. ‌‌‌'My father-in-law asked for money again. He said my sister-in-law is having her ‌‌‌debutante ball. Your family doesn't have the funds to host a debutante? How much longer will you depend on me.... But Rebecca, I'm different from other husbands. My wife obeys me so well that I can afford to do this much.' "Ahhhhh!" Only now could she see it. The anguished hearts of her parents, unable to resist even as their son-in-law took a second wife. The documents scattered wildly across the floor. Rebecca stood there sobbing uncontrollably, heedless of the papers trampled beneath her feet. Her hatred for him swelled to the heavens. Then the door burst open. Rebecca lifted her tear-streaked ‌‌‌‌face. A man rushed in urgently through the open door. It was Zeppelin. Zeppelin, breathing heavily, furrowed his brow at the documents scattering wildly about. "What are you doing, my dear?" * * * "Zeppelin Devon! What have you done to me!" Rebecca hurled the documents at ‌‌Zeppelin's face. He deftly dodged the papers flying ‌‌‌toward him. "That's dangerous. What if my face got cut by the paper?" He picked up one of the documents that had fallen to the floor. "Ah, this. It's nothing serious." "Nothing serious? You destroyed my family and blackmailed my friends!" "Rebecca. You need to speak carefully. This was all for you. Those friends were never worthy of you in the ‌‌‌first place. And as for destroying your family, that's a bit unfair, don't you think?" "Don't come near me!" Despite ‌‌Rebecca's words, Zeppelin walked toward her without hesitation and embraced her trembling form. Rebecca resisted violently, but the more she struggled, the tighter his arms around her became. "How could I treat you like that when you're the one I cherish most? I was helping your father-in-law. You simply don't understand how money works. I only lent him investment funds." Rebecca was astounded and looked up at Zeppelin. His blue eyes glinted with cruel amusement. The Rebecca from her previous life, at this very moment, would have been easily deceived by his words. But after fleeing the Count's Mansion, Rebecca had endured every hardship imaginable. She could see through such obvious deception. He ‌‌had hired a fraudulent businessman ‌‌and had him approach the House of Obelia. The marquis invested in the fraudster and loses a fortune. Then Zeppelin appears like a savior and lends the marquis money without any conditions. The marquis invests again in the fake business Zeppelin had arranged, trying to recover his losses. And so the debt continued to grow. It was a sum of debt that even most noble families could not bear. ‌‌Rebecca's clenched fists ‌‌‌‌trembled violently. I could not say that Father bore no responsibility for this. But ‌the ultimate cause lay with Zeppelin. Since he had deliberately set out to deceive, ‌‌‌it was only natural that Father, who trusted people ‌easily, fell victim to his schemes without resistance. Now that Rebecca understood the full extent of what had transpired, she lifted her eyes with the fury of ‌‌‌one about to strike Zeppelin across the face. Her reason had already been buried beneath a seething torrent of rage. Rebecca opened her mouth, ready to unleash a torrent of curses. But at Zeppelin's next words, she froze in place, unable to utter a sound. "I understand you're rebelling like this because I took a second wife, but it would be wise to behave yourself. Otherwise, Alice—I'll ‌kill her." Zeppelin wielded his three-inch tongue with cruel precision, sharper than any honed blade. At the mention of Alice being in danger, Rebecca's shoulders sagged helplessly. Alice was her only ally. I could not allow her to die again because of me. "Now, you should answer. My dear wife." "I understand..." "Good. I'll overlook what happened today with magnanimity, just this once." Zeppelin pressed a light kiss to Rebecca's forehead. "Count, Lady Alicia has arrived." A servant's voice rang out from beyond the door. Zeppelin took Rebecca's hand and led her outside. Rebecca followed him, her steps unsteady. "Count, why ‌‌‌were you in such a hurry? Oh, Lady Rebecca?" Alicia, who had just entered the mansion, widened her eyes upon seeing Rebecca standing beside Zeppelin on ‌‌‌‌the Third Floor landing. A carriage laden with luggage was just arriving at the front of the mansion. ‌‌‌Watching this ‌‌‌scene unfold, Rebecca ‌‌‌‌felt a question arise within her. ‌'Why has she returned?' ‌‌‌Surely Zeppelin and Alicia had gone on a week-long honeymoon. In her previous life, Alicia had brought seven gifts and scraped at her heart, so ‌‌‌Rebecca remembered this fact clearly. But the future had changed. 'Why? Is it because I left the wedding early?' As Rebecca's gaze swept across the Lobby, ‌‌‌it caught upon ‌‌‌Alice, who was being held by a servant. Alice smiled brightly, as if to reassure Rebecca. At that smile, ‌Rebecca forced strength into her trembling legs. I had to protect Alice. I could not bear to lose that gentle smile again. Rebecca placed her hand on Zeppelin's shoulder and stretched her lips into a smile so forced it caused her facial muscles to convulse. "I apologize for the commotion. I was foolish. I did not understand your deeper intentions." "People make mistakes—it's only natural. Don't worry about Alice. I'll merely give her a light disciplining and send her back. After all, she must be punished for failing to serve ‌‌her master ‌‌properly, mustn't she?" Zeppelin smiled ‌‌‌‌wickedly and gestured toward the servants. Alice offered no resistance and obediently followed the servant. Watching her receding figure, Rebecca was overwhelmed by ‌‌‌unbearable sorrow. * * * For several days following that night, Rebecca fell gravely ill. Fever burned through her relentlessly, yet no one could discern its cause. When she finally regained consciousness and opened her eyes, the first person she saw was Alicia, tending to her ‌‌‌‌‌bedside. "You're awake!" Alicia hurried to summon the physician. Once the doctor ‌‌‌assured them she would recover, Alicia released a breath of relief. "Thank goodness! I was so worried when I thought something terrible might happen to you, Rebecca." In her prime, Alicia was dazzlingly beautiful. Rebecca gazed at her with admiring eyes for a moment before her mind sharpened with clarity. Alicia had always been this way. She concealed the desires churning within her behind a gentle smile. Alicia moved with ruthless calculation, always in service of her own gain. In my previous life, she had aided my escape only because she coveted the position of first wife. I had ‌‌‌dimly sensed Alicia's selfish nature even then. Yet I could not bring myself to hate her. Whenever she approached with false warmth, I found myself disarmed, my heart laid bare. I knew Alicia was a doll fashioned from thorns, and still I embraced her willingly. Better to ache and bleed than to remain alone. How many times did I fall prey to her schemes? I didn't even recognize them as schemes then. I lost precious servants' lives more than once. I surrendered my husband's chamber. My jewels and gowns need not be mentioned. And each time, I tormented myself with guilt. Zeppelin wielded my weakened self as he pleased. When I considered it plainly, Alicia and Zeppelin were the perfect partners—they possessed every condition necessary to torment me. What had I been thinking in my previous life, revealing my whereabouts to Alicia? Regret crept insidiously over me. As the old habit of self-recrimination threatened to resurface, I clenched ‌my eyes shut. 'No. I won't blame myself.' I steadied my resolve. My first vow upon returning was never to torment myself with guilt again. All the wrongs belonged to Zeppelin. I chose to believe this. Alicia stared at my silence, then lowered her head, her voice trembling. "You hate me, don't you, Rebecca?" The Runaway Countess Returns E-book Publication January 12, 2022 Author Long Night Sky Author. Desert Fox Publisher. ‌‌‌‌ Woongjin ThinkBig Co., ‌Ltd. Submissions. ‌‌ naver.me/54VzzLSn Blog. blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox Twitter. @wjt_fennecfox

---------------

Brought to ‌‌‌‌you by ‌‌‌Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org

---------------