4 - My Husband is My Favorite, But I Think I'm Going to Get Divorced
Episode 4
Richard, who had lived as a slave his entire life with a secret about his birth, was a character so devoid of emotion that he was severely twisted.
He met Melissa and received care from someone for the first time.
Perhaps it was because that experience, even if it was just pity, was so precious.
Before Evgenia's marriage, Richard escaped from the annex and later took over the Underworld, revealing his obsession with Melissa along with his revenge.
'That process was quite devastating. He didn't hesitate to kidnap and imprison her.'
I firmly preferred kind men, so I didn't feel any attraction to Richard, but he had quite a strong fan base.
He was a bad guy who should be avoided at all costs in reality, but in fiction, his unfortunate past and obsessive side seemed quite appealing.
'Well, what's important is Melissa's heart...'
Even Melissa, who had sympathized with Richard, cried and begged to be sent back to the Ducal House when she was imprisoned.
This was despite the fact that the situation of House Basilian was very bad at the time due to Evgenia.
When I saw that scene, I felt strangely uneasy.
I expected that she wouldn't be involved in anything bad since she was the female lead anyway, and I was very anxious even though I knew that the Crown Prince would eventually come to rescue her.
Was it because of that memory? The fact that Melissa had already shown kindness to Richard made my mouth feel a little bitter.
If I had possessed this body just a little earlier, I wouldn't have brought Richard from the black market, and even if I had saved him, I wouldn't have let him meet Melissa.
I sighed briefly and hurried down to the basement, thinking that I couldn't delay any longer.
Unlike Melissa, who had sneaked in, I, as the owner of the annex, didn't need to be careful.
As I confidently made my way into the prison with the sound of my heels, I felt the musty smell and cool temperature unique to the basement.
My body was already cold, but the chilling atmosphere made my whole body stiffen without me realizing it. And at the moment when my steps naturally stopped.
"……!"
My eyes met Richard's doll-like eyes.
\ \ *
I take it back.
The reason why Richard had a strong fan base was not simply because his past aroused sympathy and obsessive men were popular.
'He's totally idol material.'
From the slender frame to the fair skin that shone even though he hadn't been able to wash properly, the cotton candy-like pink hair. And even the pretty features like a baby deer!
I didn't feel much when I read it in writing, but seeing is believing.
After actually seeing Richard, I couldn't help but admire his captivating appearance that would steal anyone's gaze.
'Of course, my heart only beats for Euclid.'
In fact, there were hardly any descriptions of Euclid's appearance, but what was important to me was not just his appearance.
'Ah... I'm already excited at the thought of seeing my favorite in person.I barely calmed down the heart of a fan that had started beating without any sense, and slowly checked on Richard.
Richard, who was leaning against the wall in a listless posture, perhaps because Melissa had just visited, had his eyes open.
His face was blank, but his eyes widened as if he was slightly surprised.
Clang.
At that moment, Richard got up and approached the bars with a grating noise in my ear.
I inadvertently looked for the source of the noise and found the shackles on Richard's feet.
Shackles connected to the wall. And in front of the bars were items that seemed to have been left by Melissa.
After checking the bread and medicine for wounds that seemed to have been secretly brought from the kitchen, I looked up again.
Unlike the view I had been looking down on a little while ago, Richard's face was now visible from the front because he had gotten up.
At that moment, I frowned.
Unlike when I met him from afar, Richard's red eyes, which I saw up close, still looked pretty... but strangely, a sense of repulsion washed over me.
No, it wasn't just a sense of repulsion.
I felt so disgusted that I couldn't believe I had bought Richard as a slave because he had the same eye color as the Crown Prince, the man I liked.
Even though I thought Richard wasn't my type, I also felt sorry for his past and didn't particularly dislike him.
'But as if I'm facing a mortal enemy...' Ah!
I belatedly stopped when I saw Richard's two eyes staring at me.
I remembered the reason why I had secretly come all the way here tonight, even defying the Duke's orders.
'It's a relief. Evgenia hasn't gouged out one of Richard's eyes yet.'
I was worried that I might have missed the timing for this as well.
That's right. The crazy Evgenia makes Richard one-eyed.
I didn't know exactly why, whether she wanted to have the same red eyes as the Crown Prince, or whether she couldn't stand the strange anger she was feeling now.
I could only guess that she couldn't contain her rage after hearing that Cayden had sent a marriage proposal to Melissa or that she was being forced to marry someone else.
Even though it was a society based on social status and Richard was a slave, to starve a person and even arbitrarily mutilate their body!
I couldn't help but frown at Evgenia's evil deeds. And perhaps because I thought that the villain who did such cruel things without a second thought was now none other than me.
I had come to the annex with the intention of cutting off my bad relationship with Richard for the sake of a rosy future, but now I felt sorry for Richard and even felt guilty.
I must now take responsibility for all of Evgenia's misdeeds.
Thanks to that, I will be able to see my favorite and have the good fortune of marriage.
I erased the lingering sense of injustice.
Perhaps because I had a purely apologetic heart, I didn't feel the same intense emotions as before when I looked at Richard's eyes.
I thought it was a relief, and I was about to carefully open my mouth.
"I heard you were sick."
An unexpected, delicate voice was heard in my ear first.
"I heard you collapsed... so I heard you wouldn't be able to come for a few days."
Richard, who was muttering in a tone that didn't convey any emotion, tilted his head slightly. As if to gauge whether I outside the bars was real.
I was a little embarrassed by Richard's reaction.
To be honest, I thought he would immediately show hostility when he saw me.
Since I was the woman who bought him as a slave and locked him up in this underground prison, it was obvious that he would feel even more hateful emotions than I felt.
But it wasn't.
Rather, if I felt that there was a hint of joy and concern in that expressionless face...
'Ha! There's no way.'
I scoffed, saying it couldn't be true.
But no matter how hard I tried to think it wasn't, I couldn't find any negative emotions such as hostility or fear in the gaze that was staring at me.
Besides, that wasn't the only thing that felt strange.
I lowered my gaze to the items that Melissa had brought, which I had discovered earlier.
Items that were spread out without any intention of hiding them, let alone putting them inside the bars. And even Richard's words from a little while ago.
It wasn't that I really thought I wouldn't come, but Richard didn't seem to have any intention of hiding the fact that someone other than me had set foot in the prison.
Why? He must know that I told them not to give him food without my permission.
Then, of course, he would know that I would be angry if I saw someone else taking care of his meals and medicine.
It could even affect Melissa, but I don't know why he's acting like this.
Puzzled, I started to carefully observe Richard again from head to toe.
He was a little dirty, but his appearance didn't look too bad.
I was relieved to see that he hadn't been beaten, but no sooner had I felt relieved.
"……!"
I gasped when I discovered the wound that stretched from the back of Richard's left hand to above his wrist.
Is it okay to just call this a 'wound'?
It looked like a burn mark, or like it had been brutally mangled with something hot...
I clenched my fist tightly as I looked at the back of his hand, which was sure to leave a big scar.
After seeing that wound, any further questions were meaningless.
I immediately opened the iron door with the keys I had brought.
Richard's expression slightly cracked as he watched what I was doing.
"What are you doing..."
"Come out."
At my command, Richard hesitated and slowly came out of the prison.
As soon as Richard stood in front of me, I held out the bunch of keys I had used to open the prison door a little while ago... Clang!
'Ah, I was going to hand it over nicely!'
Perhaps it was the aftermath of escaping from the room with the help of the rope a little while ago, but I didn't have the strength in my hand and ended up dropping the keys.
As I looked at the keys that had fallen to the floor with a loud noise and Richard, who was staring at my face with a puzzled look, I invisibly swallowed hard and said.
"Unlock them."
"……."
For some reason, an even colder silence seemed to have fallen than when I dropped the keys.
I blinked my eyes, not knowing why, and was shocked.
What is it? Did I just speak too much like a villain?
