Looking for the Villainess’s Contract Husband
Chapter 13
Chapter 13
“I have returned from my mission, my lord.”
Gilbert bowed politely to the Marquis.
The Marquis, his hands still clasped behind his back, scanned the interior of the carriage with a cold gaze.
“The child?”
His voice was barely loud enough for the knights to hear, yet every man present flinched and pulled their shoulders tight at the sound of it.
Gilbert squeezed his eyes shut and lowered his head even further.
“……About that.”
“Speak.”
“The knight named Paul, whom I reported on previously, has betrayed us. I pursued him after he escaped with the young lady, but the trail ended at a cliff……”
“…….”
“It appears she is dead.”
Gilbert finished his sentence in a leaden tone.
At that, the Marquis shifted his gaze to study Gretel’s face.
Deep navy eyes, identical to his daughter’s, narrowed.
‘……It doesn’t seem to be her doing.’
The Marquis clicked his tongue.
He was displeased by Gretel’s appearance; she looked far too wretched to be the sole daughter of the Diarmuid family.
To the daughter he was seeing for the first time in ten years, the Marquis barked with an utterly frigid expression.
“Get out.”
“…….”
“Must I order the knights to smash the carriage with axes for you to step down?”
Gretel grit her teeth at his words.
The Marquis was not a man of empty threats; he meant exactly what he said.
Just as she had when she first boarded the carriage, Gretel chose to step down on her own feet rather than be dragged out.
She approached the Marquis one slow step at a time, as if shackles were dragging from her ankles.
The Marquis made no effort to hide his contempt.
“Foolish girl.”
“…….”
Gretel’s fists tightened, and her jaw clenched.
She wanted to strike the Marquis across the face right then and there, but there was no one on her side here.
Doing so would achieve nothing but adding another guard to watch over her.
Gretel bit the inside of her cheek until it bled, swallowing her rage.
Meanwhile, the Marquis gave a slight nod toward a woman standing at the very front of the servants lined up in the distance.
“Nicola.”
“Yes, Master.”
“Wash this child. How can I present her anywhere in this state? Ensure she is prepared without fail.”
“Understood.”
The maid named Nicola bowed respectfully.
At her gesture, several other maids approached Gretel hesitantly.
“Um, My Lady……”
“…….”
Gretel silently studied the faces of the maids approaching her.
But there wasn't a single familiar face among them.
‘As expected…… he replaced them all.’
She looked further to see if there were any servants she used to know who might help her escape, but it was the same story.
This was undoubtedly the result of the Marquis replacing the staff to prevent rumors from spreading after he had exiled Gretel to the North.
And likely, none of the servants who were kicked out back then were still alive.
That was the way of Marquis Diarmuid.
When Gretel remained motionless, the maids glanced at her with anxious eyes.
Eventually, Nicola stepped forward and drew closer to Gretel.
Keeping her eyes fixed on the ground, she spoke firmly.
“My Lady.”
“…….”
“If you act like this, we are the ones who will be punished.”
Gretel clenched her fists hard at those words.
Her nails dug into her palms, causing a sharp pain, but she didn't so much as blink.
Gretel began to walk slowly, her glaring gaze never leaving the Marquis.
The Marquis met that murderous stare with an expressionless face until his daughter disappeared into the mansion.
Once Gretel and the servants were completely out of sight, the Marquis turned his head to look at Gilbert.
Gilbert bowed his head deeply, not daring to meet the Marquis’s eyes.
Then, a cold voice fell upon the back of Gilbert’s head.
“The body?”
“……Pardon?”
For a moment, Gilbert looked up, despite knowing it was disrespectful.
His eyes met a gaze as cold as the deep sea, devoid of even a spark of warmth.
“Did you confirm the child’s body?”
“……No. At the time, there was no visible path down the cliff, so I returned first with the elder lady. Shall I go back to check?”
As Gilbert answered, he couldn't stop the goosebumps from rising on the back of his neck.
No matter how complicated the circumstances or how unwelcome she was, Laviella was the Marquis’s own granddaughter.
Yet, the very first thing he asked when they were alone was whether the body had been confirmed.
He had expected this to some extent, but hearing it with his own ears was even more chilling.
The Marquis locked eyes with Gilbert and spoke in a flat monotone.
“Take the knights and see with your own two eyes whether that child is truly dead.”
“…….”
“If the child were truly dead, that Gretel creature wouldn't still be breathing. She must have something she’s relying on. Find it.”
Gilbert was momentarily lost for words.
However, the Marquis continued, unbothered.
“If the child’s death is a fact, recover at least the corpse. She might throw a fit over the child's death, so I need to hold the remains in my hands to keep her obedient.”
“……I shall obey your command.”
As a father himself, Gilbert felt a momentary surge of nausea, but he ultimately bowed his head without a word to protect his own family.
Marquis Diarmuid clicked his tongue as he watched Gilbert withdraw with the knights.
Gilbert wasn't exactly the perfect talent to suit the Marquis’s tastes, but he was the best among those he could currently recruit, so he couldn't cast him aside.
The Marquis looked back at the mansion and clicked his tongue again. His navy eyes flashed dangerously.
‘You’ve been a nuisance in so many ways since the moment you were born.’
If not for Laviella, the Marquis could have been a power player in a prestigious Ducal house by now, with both honor and wealth in his grasp.
But everything had been warped the moment Laviella was born.
‘……It would be easier to control things if she were dead.’
The Marquis watched them leave, inwardly hoping that Gilbert would return with Laviella’s corpse rather than a living child.
Just then, a butler approached from behind and bowed.
“Master.”
“What is it?”
“A letter has arrived from the Esperanza Dukedom. The Duke requests to meet with you in private.”
At those words, the Marquis’s face, which had been expressionless all along, finally showed something resembling a real reaction.
He arched an eyebrow and asked back.
“……Jack Esperanza?”
* * *
For several days, I rested in my room and recovered my strength as instructed, though I occasionally felt anxious wondering if the Duke might try to silence me to keep his secrets.
Thanks to that, the sensation of a weight pressing down on my entire body fortunately disappeared.
Perhaps because I was in a place much warmer than the North, the cough that used to plague me constantly had lessened slightly.
‘Though it’s likely only temporary.’
Since my impending death wasn't something I needed to voice aloud, I quietly took the medicine prescribed by the doctor and ate my meals.
After about three days had passed, welcome news arrived.
“The knight named Paul has just regained consciousness. Would you like to go see him?”
“Yes\!”
I brightened at Odile’s words and stood up. For a split second, Odile looked as if she were about to smile before she quickly composed her face.
I wasn't someone who smiled broadly myself, but Odile was even more extreme.
Being with her made me feel like a person who expressed a vast range of emotions.
Of course, I didn't mind it; it just made me wonder if this was how Mom felt when she looked at me.
“I will help you change your clothes.”
I held out my arms in the posture I’d grown accustomed to over the past few days.
Odile took off the clothes I was wearing and helped me into a new outfit.
「Good grief. It’s like you’re wearing someone else’s stolen clothes.」
Those were the words the Duke had muttered with a frown the last time I saw him.
At the time, I had just smiled brightly as if I hadn't heard a thing, but my inner thoughts were different.
‘His mouth is really something.’
While I was glad Mom wouldn't have to suffer, his way of speaking made my blood boil every now and then.
Anyway, after hearing the Duke’s complaint, Odile had quietly summoned people from the dressing room to make clothes that fit my body perfectly.
I wondered if it was okay to receive such things when I was only staying for a short while, but then I figured it was a fair price for the work I had to do.
‘I’ll have to show Mom later.’
Throughout our time in the North, Mom had always lamented how she wanted to dress me in prettier clothes but couldn't.
Most of the clothes we usually wore were ready-made garments sent by the Marquis, which Mom had hand-sewn and altered.
But the clothes I was wearing now were everyday dresses made by a professional tailor.
As I fiddled with the white ribbon on my chest, Odile reached out and straightened it neatly.
“Shall we go?”
“Yes.”
Odile led the way, and I followed behind.
The hallway was silent, perhaps because the servants had been cleared out in advance.
And so, I followed Odile down to the first floor for the first time.
In the distance, I saw a door with a sign that read ‘Infirmary’.
But…….
“……Why is it so noisy?”
