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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 24
Chapter Title: Boiling Desire
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“It took longer than I expected.”
Late at night, Roje sighed upon arriving at the Count’s manor. Her movements as she looked around were extremely cautious. Roje followed the manor wall, moving towards a secluded spot. The massive wall was so high that even a full-grown man couldn't jump over it. Roje scanned the colossal wall up and down, then took a deep breath. Was she perhaps thinking of jumping over it? Roje, who had inhaled as if ready to sprint, pursed her lips into a circle.
“Wheee-wheee-wheee.”
In the silent darkness, a low whistle echoed three times. Roje leaned her ear against the manor wall, as if waiting for someone’s signal.
“No way, is no one here?”
Roje’s confident expression, which had been whistling, twisted into one of anxiety.
“Oh, what do I do? There’s no other way to get in.”
She grew anxious. She had thought that even if she was a little late, she would be able to enter without any trouble. Roje clacked her teeth together, her eyes darting nervously. She leaned her ear against the wall, and even tapped on it. But no matter how long she waited, there was no reply to her signal.
“I’m doomed…”
She had thought it was a truly perfect day, with the negotiation with Grand Duke Arteum ending successfully. To think there would be such a variable. If Jane, who was lying in her bed in her stead, didn’t return to the lodging until dawn, people would surely notice something was amiss. Roje hopped in place, intending to jump over the wall. Her jumping ability was pathetic. At this level, she couldn’t even reach the wall, let alone jump over it. Roje, her face contorted in a deep frown, sighed as she looked at the enormous wall before her.
“Haa, just one more time.”
She whistled again, as if clutching at a straw.
“Wheee.”
Once,
“Wheee.”
Twice, and,
“Madam!”
Just as she was about to whistle a third time, someone called Roje. Roje lifted her head towards the source of the voice. Looking up at the sky, she saw someone nimble jumping over the wall. He landed gracefully in front of Roje, bending his body without hesitation.
“Sereun!”
It was Sereun, Roje’s escort knight. She couldn’t hide her joy and greeted Sereun warmly.
“Where were you? I thought you weren’t here.”
“I’m sorry. I accidentally fell asleep.”
Sereun rubbed his sleepy eyes and spoke languidly to Roje.
“Sorry for what? I’m just glad you showed up like this.”
“You’re very late. Did you finish your business? I was so worried about you! You insisted on going out alone!”
Sereun pouted and grumbled at Roje. Roje let out a small laugh at his still yawning face.
“You were worried? To me, it looks like you were completely out cold.”
“Th-that’s… because you were much later than you promised! I was tired from searching the whole town, so I just dozed off for a bit.”
Sereun reacted indignantly to Roje’s teasing words. Roje saw Sereun’s pouting lips and apologized, saying she was just teasing, and cheered him up.
“Come here. You need to get inside now.”
Sereun grumbled but extended his hand to Roje. Though still young, Sereun easily picked Roje up in his arms. Roje wrapped her arms around Sereun’s neck.
“Hold on tight. We’re going over.”
Sereun, holding Roje, walked backward with large strides. He took a deep breath and then ran forward at an incredibly fast speed. Roje hugged Sereun’s neck even tighter. Sereun leaped incredibly lightly even while holding Roje. He held Roje with one hand and braced himself against the wall with the other, jumping over the wall.
“We’re here. Please go in quickly. Jane must be waiting.”
Sereun, who had landed safely, lowered Roje to the ground and whispered.
“Thank you, Sereun.”
“I absolutely cannot grant such a request next time.”
“Okay!”
Roje quickly responded to Sereun’s worried words and hurried into the mansion. It was a time when everyone was asleep. A few guards were watching the house, but no one paid attention to Roje, who was dressed in a maid’s uniform. Roje tiptoed into her bedroom like a kitten. As soon as she entered, she saw Jane lying in her bed. Jane, as Roje had requested, wore a pink wig and was covered by the white bedsheet.
“Jane.”
Roje softly called Jane in a whispering voice. But there was only heavy silence, no reply. Jane’s back, as she lay facing away, was slumped. Seeing her weak back, Roje’s first emotion was worry.
“Jane, I’m sorry. I’m too late, aren’t I?”
She hadn’t intended to be this late. The clock hands already pointed to 10 o’clock. As Roje approached Jane, she felt something strange. She saw the maid’s body, which she thought was asleep, trembling.
“Jane?”
Roje rushed straight to Jane. Then she quickly checked her face, where she was sobbing silently.
“What’s wrong, huh? Did something happen?”
“Madam…”
Roje felt Jane’s fingers trembling as she held onto her. Roje lit the lamp beside the bed and looked at Jane with concern.
“Jane, are you okay? Why are you crying! Don’t tell me… Eric didn’t do anything, did he?”
Roje asked, gripping Jane’s shoulders. Jane just shook her head, her eyes brimming with tears.
“No…”
“What do you mean, no? It looks like something definitely happened…!”
Jane felt a surge of emotion as she saw Roje looking at her with concern. Her poor madam. Our madam, who is beautiful not only in heart but also in face… Roje felt a lump in her throat involuntarily when she saw Jane shedding tears like chicken droppings. Jane’s sobbing was so unfamiliar. She knew too well that Jane’s tears were all because of her.
“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, Jane.”
Roje hugged Jane’s trembling shoulders. Transparent tears welled up in Roje’s eyes as she embraced Jane. Jane felt Roje’s tears soaking her shoulder.
“No… nothing happened. It’s not what Madam is thinking.”
It seemed Roje was misunderstanding. That Jane had been harmed by Eric. While that wasn’t entirely wrong, in reality, Jane’s tears were entirely for Roje. Tears flowed because she pitied Roje, who hadn’t been treated well by Eric for three years. And tears flowed because it was tragic that Roje loved such a man so madly.
“Oh dear, my madam… What will become of my madam! *Hic*, *sob*.”
Jane couldn’t hold back her sobs and finally wailed. She patted Roje’s back, who was embracing her, and wept endlessly. That night, Roje and Jane hugged each other and shed tears for a long time. Transparent tears for each other. They subsided only after thirty minutes. *** At that moment. Doana and Eric were entangled on the bed, holding each other tightly.
“Count.”
Doana called out to Eric, who lay slumped, seemingly exhausted. She snuggled into Eric’s arms, acting coy.
“Are you sleeping?”
Her voice was seductive. But even with that voice, Eric remained motionless, his eyes closed. Doana didn’t give up and called Eric once more.
“Count?”
Eric’s annoyance flared at Doana’s actions, poking his cheek to wake him. He had just exerted himself and wanted to rest, so why was this woman bothering him?
“Why don’t you sleep? Is that still not enough for you?”
Eric’s irritated voice echoed. Doana’s face involuntarily contorted into a frown at Eric’s words.
‘What is he saying? So annoying.’
Everything had happened too fast. So fast she barely knew what had happened. Eric might be tired, but she was not, absolutely not, satisfied. In her original world, she wouldn’t have even looked at a man like this. Unlike in Korea, she had nothing in the novel. No money, no status. Nothing satisfied her. The only thing she could hope for was to raise her status by giving birth to Eric’s child.
‘…I’ll put up with it because he’s handsome.’
Doana suppressed her anger by looking at Eric’s face. If it weren’t for Eric’s sculpted looks, she would have already left this place. Any shortcomings could be filled by someone else, so it was fine. Doana burrowed deeper into Eric’s embrace.
“Count, by the way, what exactly happened at the banquet three days ago? I’ve been waiting for you to tell me.”
Doana asked, recalling Eric’s furious expression when he returned to the mansion. Something must have happened between him and Roje that day.
‘For three days, they haven’t spoken to each other, and they’ve eaten separately, haven’t they?’
If he hadn’t gone to Roje’s room tonight, the day would have ended perfectly… She subtly probed Roje, but she didn’t open up easily. At the mention of Roje, Eric, who had been about to fall asleep, slowly opened his eyes.
“I think I need to make a decision now.”
“A decision?”
Doana was quite annoyed that Eric reacted to ‘Roje.’ But she didn’t show it, clinging to his arm and looking at him with wide eyes. Would what Eric was saying benefit her, or harm her? Doana watched Eric’s lips silently, without blinking. She was incredibly nervous about what he would say. Given the circumstances, their relationship had soured, so it shouldn’t be a disadvantage for her, but one never knows. Therefore, Doana couldn’t easily let down her guard.
“Lately, you know. I’ve been thinking that Roje has changed a lot.”
Eric began, speaking softly, starting with the topic of Roje.
“She’s become very impertinent. It’s laughable how she tries to climb over me, not knowing her place.”
Doana, who had been clutching her chest in tension, inwardly cheered when she saw Eric complaining about Roje. Doana fanned the nascent flame to make it burn brighter.
“Roje said the same thing, actually.”
Doana began lightly, then looked at Eric. Eric looked quite curious about what story Doana would tell.
“She said her feelings for you aren’t what they used to be. She’s tired of following you around all the time, or something like that. She even said sometimes she can’t stand the sight of your face.”
Doana fabricated non-existent words, deliberately provoking Eric.
‘This woman, really.’
Eric was flabbergasted by Doana’s words. But deep down, he still thought the same thing: Roje was a woman who could never live without him. Even if she cried and clung to him, he might barely take her back, but she was talking behind his back to Doana? It seemed Roje was thoroughly mistaken. Mistaken in thinking that ‘divorce’ would never be in the lexicon of the venerable House of Wens.
‘That’s why she’s treating me like this, thinking I can’t bring up divorce.’
In fact, ‘divorce’ was tantamount to shame in conservative aristocratic society. The reason they created the useless concept of a ‘mistress’ was partly due to their inability to divorce to save face.
“I will divorce Roje within a month.”
Eric thought he had to firmly break Roje’s inflated arrogance. A fallen noble with no money. If she divorced him, she would just suck her thumb and beg like a pauper. He had no intention of giving her a single penny in alimony. The at-fault party was Roje, not him. She had refused her marital duties and even tarnished the family’s honor. Doana’s face flushed at Eric’s firm tone. Divorce… Finally, divorce…! If he divorced Roje, the Countess’s position would be vacant. Doana had no doubt that she would claim that position.
‘Finally, he’s saying what I want to hear.’
A radiant smile blossomed on Doana’s face at Eric’s words. How much she had groveled since her transmigration. Now that she would be the Countess, she wouldn’t need to at all. Everyone in this mansion would look up to her, and no one would dare treat her poorly. Doana’s face, immersed in a sweet dream, overflowed with a satisfied smile. She was caught up in a vain dream, unaware that her feet were sinking into a rotting swamp.
