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9.
"Go home at once!"
Zeppelin shoved me roughly into the carriage.
Seeing him, who usually treated my body with such tenderness, handle me so carelessly revealed just how furious he truly was.
At the sight of Zeppelin's contorted face, I felt a surge of satisfaction.
I wished he would writhe in agony just a ‌‌little longer.
But this was merely the beginning.
"I understand."
"Understand? What do you understand! Did you ‌‌enjoy nestling in another man's arms? Stay obedient at home. You'll pay the price for what you've done today."
Zeppelin slammed the carriage door shut with violent force.
I exhaled deeply and leaned back against the plush seat.
Heat still lingered, my cheeks flushed and burning.
It was a thrill I had never experienced while dancing with Zeppelin. Throughout the waltz with Julian, I had to exert every ounce of restraint to conceal my true feelings.
I found myself reconsidering just ‌‌‌‌how seductive a waltz could be.
"So broad and firm."
Recalling Julian's expansive chest, my eyelids fluttered involuntarily. But I quickly raised my hand and gave both cheeks a light tap.
"Get ahold of yourself!"
I had already lived one life.
I possessed enough self-control not to fall ‌‌prey to the charms of some green youth.
I could not allow myself to be swayed by such trivialities.
I clenched my fists tightly.
* * *
Julian, who had been standing dazed, suddenly snapped back ‌‌to awareness and rushed after me.
But the carriage carrying me had already departed.
"You shouldn't covet what belongs to another, boy."
As ‌‌‌‌Julian watched the departing carriage, Zeppelin approached him, radiating murderous intent born of hatred.
The servants smoking nearby flinched and retreated at his overwhelming presence.
But Julian merely regarded Zeppelin with calm indifference.
In his eyes, Zeppelin's threat was nothing more than an old cat's growl.
"She's not an object. ‌How can you claim to own her?"
Zeppelin's brow furrowed sharply.
"You insolent... brat!"
"What? Do you wish to be treated as an ‌‌‌elder? It seems age is all you have to boast about. Then allow me to address ‌‌‌‌you properly. ‌‌‌Uncle Earl."
At the word "uncle," sparks of fury ‌‌ignited in Zeppelin's eyes.
Zeppelin trembled with rage, glaring at Julian, ‌‌‌who spun leisurely with ease.
Hiss! ‌‌
Black cats suddenly swarmed forward, positioning themselves at Julian's feet and baring their fangs at Zeppelin with a threatening growl.
"Now, now. Behave, you lot. He's a bad man, certainly, ‌‌‌‌but we'll only lose if we cause a scene here."
Julian swept back his dark hair.
Dangerous golden eyes gleamed beneath the jet-black strands.
Though it was a warm spring day, a desolate chill descended around him as if winter's bitter north wind had arrived.
He resembled a male lion crouching in preparation for the hunt.
Zeppelin, witnessing Julian in such a state, instinctively flinched.
Unable to admit his own fear, he ‌‌exhaled roughly and managed to force out a single sentence.
"Don't you dare approach Rebecca again. She is my wife, my possession."
Zeppelin left a warning in his ‌‌words and hastily departed.
As he hurried away, he suddenly stopped and sneezed several times.
Julian clicked his tongue dismissively at the sight.
'We shall see.'
Then ‌‌he walked toward Croa, who was leaning against the ‌carriage.
"Oh! Y-Your Grace!"
Croa, who had just lit her third cigarette, noticed her approaching master and quickly extinguished it.
"Croa. I told you to quit smoking. The doctor said you'd ruin your lungs."
"It's not as easy as it sounds. But what ‌‌happened? Why is the Earl of Devonshire so angry?"
Julian discovered a single golden strand of hair clinging to his shoulder and carefully removed it, then stared at ‌it for a long moment.
"Croa."
"Yes?"
"I think I'm going to get married."
"Oh, I see. Wait—what?!"
Croa stared at Julian with a stunned expression, her mind racing to determine if this was yet another of his jokes.
"But the woman is already married."
Seeing Croa's dumbfounded expression, Julian laughed heartily.
Rebecca's proposal was an unusual one that could have been disagreeable.
Yet Julian felt no displeasure—instead, he wanted to trust her, however baseless that impulse might be.
Had the miracle he longed for finally arrived?
'Rebecca....'
I repeated her name over and over in ‌‌my mind.
* * *
Tap—tap—tap—
The sound of Rebecca tapping rhythmically on the desk echoed through the room.
Since returning alone from the Ballroom, Rebecca had not spoken a word.
Alice was dying of curiosity but refrained from speaking hastily.
She had served Rebecca for a long time.
If there was anything even slightly different ‌‌‌about her, Alice could detect it quickly.
"Alice." ‌‌
Alice, who had been pondering why something felt different, finally looked up after Rebecca called her name three times.
"What are you thinking so hard about?"
"Oh, my apologies! I was just considering which dress would suit you best for tomorrow...."
"I see. But you're not chattering away ‌‌‌‌as usual today. Aren't you curious why I returned from the Ballroom early?"
Alice seized the bait like a fish and immediately began asking questions.
"Why have you returned so early?"
Rebecca caught sight of Alice's trembling eyes and let out a sharp, brittle laugh. It was an unsettling sound.
It bore no resemblance to Rebecca's usual gentle smile.
Rebecca reached for her wine glass.
Since she could not know when she might conceive, she was supposed to drink only the barest minimum.
But today, sobriety felt utterly unbearable, so she forced herself to drink heavily.
"My lady, perhaps you should refrain from drinking any further...."
"The Duke of Johannes asked me to dance today."
"Good heavens! And what did you do?" ‌‌‌‌
"I danced. His Imperial Majesty commanded it himself."
Alice clamped her ‌‌‌hand over her mouth. ‌‌
Zeppelin ‌‌would not let this pass. The future was already written.
Alice's voice quavered.
"How, how did it feel? Were you thrilled? I've heard the ‌‌‌Duke is quite the magnificent gentleman. I do wish I could have witnessed it. So tell me, Rebecca, what were you feeling at that moment...."
Faced with Alice's relentless barrage of questions, Rebecca no longer brought the wine glass to her lips.
Instead of answering, Rebecca stared directly at Alice. For a moment, it ‌‌‌seemed tears glistened in Rebecca's eyes.
"My lady...?"
From outside came Zeppelin's furious roar.
"Rebecca! Rebecca! Rebecca!"
"He's finally arrived. I must prepare myself."
Rebecca knelt before the door.
Had it all been mere ‌‌‌‌‌anxiety? ‌
Rebecca had returned to her former self. She even offered Alice a reassuring smile. ‌‌‌‌
Though Alice remained unsettled, she followed Rebecca's lead and knelt as well.
The door burst open and Zeppelin strode in, reeking of alcohol.
Behind him, ‌two maids entered carrying a box.
Upon spotting the box, Rebecca's eyes narrowed.
Zeppelin looked down at Rebecca, who knelt obediently before him.
"So you understand your transgression."
"Yes. I ‌‌was ‌‌wrong."
"But that doesn't erase what happened! Do you have any idea how humiliated I was!"
As Zeppelin extended his hand, a maid fitted white gloves onto it and pressed a whip into his grip.
"No! Zeppelin! Please!"
Rebecca rose to her feet and reached out to stop him, but two maids immediately restrained her.
"If you ‌fail to serve your master properly, you must bear the consequences!" ‌‌
His whip fell mercilessly upon Alice's back. The crack ‌‌of the lash echoed through the silent mansion.
Zeppelin never laid a hand upon Rebecca herself.
Instead, he tormented those ‌‌‌‌she cherished, shredding her mind to pieces.
The ancient ‌‌‌terror ‌‌‌etched into her body shook Rebecca to her core. Yet she refused to close her eyes.
She would transform this moment into sustenance. Whenever her resolve wavered, she ‌‌would revisit it again and again—this was Rebecca's vow.
"I was wrong! Zeppelin! I swear I'll never look at another man again. ‌‌‌It was my mistake. ‌‌Please, just stop. I'm begging you!" ‌‌
Rebecca clung to his feet, her voice trembling with tears. She knew ‌exactly how to make this ‌‌‌demon stop.
In my previous life, I spent twenty years ‌‌‌‌‌as his wife. I knew Zeppelin better than anyone.
So now, he was the one in the palm of my ‌‌hand.
Just as Rebecca ‌‌‌‌‌anticipated, Zeppelin's hand froze.
He gazed down at Rebecca, prostrate and sobbing.
The murderous expression vanished from his face, replaced by a gentle voice that whispered as if nothing had happened.
"You should have done that from the start. Then my shirt wouldn't be soiled with blood. Beauty is a sin, isn't it? From now on, if any ‌‌‌‌vermin like that clings to you, reject them outright. Understood? My precious wife."
Rebecca nodded ‌‌‌‌obediently. She prostrated herself on the floor, expressing her gratitude. She even remembered to tremble her shoulders as if terrified.
Zeppelin stared at her for a long moment, then handed the whip to a maid. Speaking loudly for all to hear, he declared:
"Since Rebecca is soiled today, I'll have to visit Alicia's chambers. Treat that ‌‌‌‌maid's wounds and bathe Rebecca."
And he left without looking back.
The maids hurried out to prepare bathwater and fetch the physician.
The door slammed shut violently.
Rebecca dropped the pitiful expression from her eyes and wiped away the tears on her cheeks with an indifferent face.
Then she approached the collapsed Alice.
"Alice, did it hurt terribly?"
"No, my lady. As long as you're safe, I don't mind."
"Alice..."
Rebecca cradled Alice in her arms and gently stroked her face.
A faint smile bloomed at the corners of Alice's mouth.
No matter ‌‌how many blows she took, as long as she lived, it was fine. Alice felt pleased that she had earned her keep today.
Watching that smile on Alice's face, Rebecca's expression gradually hardened.
"Why ‌‌‌‌did you smile?"
"Pardon?"
Rebecca looked down at Alice coldly. Her hand moved toward Alice's throat.
Rebecca's grip tightened gradually. Alice's breathing grew ‌increasingly ragged. ‌
Alice stared down at Rebecca's hands around her neck, her eyes wide with terror.
"I asked why you smiled when the Earl raised the whip."
The runaway Countess had returned.
E-book publication.

January 12, 2022
Author.

Long night sky
Publisher.

Desert Fox
Publisher.

Woongjin ThinkBig Co., Ltd.
Submissions accepted.

naver.me/54VzzLSn
Blog.

blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox
Twitter.

@wjt_fennecfox

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