Translator: Nox

Chapter 30

Husband is Possessed by Protagonist 30

Was it because I got married, or were the nobles of this empire overly open-minded? After becoming a married woman, I often heard absurd things.

Their tone was elegant, but those noble ladies were notorious for arranging bedroom encounters among themselves.

Not only the noble ladies but also their husbands were the same.

"It seems you still haven't conceived a child. As a fellow man, I sincerely apologize on behalf of Duke Brent. Puh-huh."

"Hey, Garrison. Aren't you going too far? Alexis must be trying so hard too. Keu-heup."

I, too, found their words so ridiculous that a hollow laugh escaped me.

"It's so kind of Earl Garrison Osborne to worry about me. Of course, the Earl is doing his best every night to satisfy the Countess, right?"

So, when was the last time you did it with your wife?

As I gave him a faint smile with just that look in my eyes, Earl Garrison furrowed his brow as if realizing an unpleasant truth.

Thinking briefly of that time, I refocused on the situation at hand.

It seemed they kept bothering our couple because they hadn't been properly humiliated.

Now that I'm no longer a duchess, there's no need to hold back to protect my honor and that of my family, right?

I began to contemplate ruining the social circles, which were a hotbed of irrationality and injustice.

I should reveal a truly filthy fact that would be the beginning of it all.

"Marquis Marcel Howard?"

Marcel flinched at my designation.

"Is the Marchioness doing well?"

At the mention of the Marchioness, Marcel openly displayed his displeasure.

"Why are you looking for my wife?"

"It seems the Marquis is still devoted to his wife. You've forgiven her for that incident?"

"That incident?"

Marcel frowned. As expected, he seemed to know nothing.

If Marcel, who cherished his wife so much, knew something, he wouldn't have been hanging out with Earl Garrison Osborne all this time.

I deliberately avoided looking at Garrison and raised the corners of my lips.

"You didn't know? The Marchioness Howard was having an affair."

Marcel's complexion turned as hard as stone.

Eloy also flinched in surprise and looked up at me.

In social circles, there were many secrets that only the parties involved didn't know, while everyone else did.

Those secrets started with the preface, 'I'm only telling you this,' and circulated openly.

However, the reason why the parties involved didn't know was to avoid making enemies in the narrow social circles.

Telling a husband that his wife was secretly having an affair would only earn you the couple's resentment.

So, people liked rumors but were extremely careful about those rumors reaching the ears of the parties involved.

Otherwise, you were likely to get burned.

But now, I was exposing that precious secret.

Alex had suffered much worse pain because of those guys, so this level of spite didn't even count as revenge.

I stared at Marcel with pity.

"You really didn't know? I thought you knew, since it's such a famous story?"

Marcel, who had been frozen for a while, forced out a voice as if grinding his teeth.

"...Bullshit. My wife wouldn't do that. Are you even spouting such nonsense to defend your husband now?"

Alex reacted subtly to Marcel's fierce attitude. But I firmly grabbed his arm and put a smile in my eyes.

"I see. As I've heard, the Marquis's faith in his wife is unwavering."

"My wife only knows me. You're desperately trying to drive a wedge between us."

Even as he said that, a slight anxiety flashed across Marcel's eyes.

"I wonder if the Marchioness really only knows you? Ah, if you ask Earl Garrison Osborne, he'll know well."

I finished speaking with a faint smile on my face. One of Marcel's eyebrows arched sharply.

"Garrison?"

Only then did I turn my gaze to Garrison.

Marcel, Garrison, and Demian were all the same.

They should have left when I told them to get lost nicely.

Garrison had been swallowing dry saliva and looking anxious since earlier.

When I finally uttered his name, he wore an expression as if his heart had stopped.

Marcel glanced at Garrison once and then looked back at me.

"Why is Garrison's name suddenly coming up here? Does Garrison know something? No. You tell me, Garrison. Is what this woman is saying true?"

"……."

Garrison only pursed his lips like someone who had eaten honey and glared at me.

You thought you could secretly play around with your friend's wife and hide it forever?

I shrugged slightly.

"Or you could ask Marquis Demian Wells. It's something everyone knows except for Marcel."

"……."

Marcel's gaze now turned to Demian.

Demian also gritted his teeth and glared at me as he spoke.

"Marcel. Don't believe anything this woman says. It seems like she's holding a grudge because we looked down on her husband."

"Well, Marcel will find out gradually. Whether what I'm saying is true or false."

"This, this crazy woman, where did you hear such rumors-!"

Garrison shouted as if in a frenzy, but I didn't even blink an eye.

I put more strength in my eyes and pronounced threateningly without wavering in the slightest.

"So, if you don't want to suffer even worse, don't mess with my husband."

Please, just leave us alone.

You've tormented us long enough.

My clenched fist trembled as if the emotions that had been building up were surging.

I wished I could beat them to a pulp until they begged for forgiveness on their knees, but I was frustrated that I didn't have the strength to do so.

At that moment, Garrison rushed at me.

He clenched his fist as if he was going to hit me.

But something flew faster and heavier and struck Garrison's face.

Bbak!

A dull sound of bones colliding echoed, and Garrison's body soared into the air.

Garrison, who had fallen to the stone floor, rolled twice.

"……."

How many seconds had passed?

'What?'

What just happened?

Cough!

Garrison coughed and groaned painfully.

In the confusing situation, I blinked and looked at the person who had sent Garrison flying with one punch.

Alex was looking down at Garrison with cold eyes.

His front hair fluttered slightly in the light breeze.

Slowly, I covered my mouth with my hand in surprise.

Alex, hit someone?

\ \ \

Ting!*

Alex looked down at Garrison.

No, to be exact, he was looking at the Status Window that had appeared above Garrison.

What is it this time?

He had only hit Garrison because he dared to touch his woman, but a Status Window had appeared.

[Congratulations!]

[Luise's command has activated, and a Specialization Skill has been opened.]

[Specialization Skill: Don't Mess With My Husband]

[Lv.1]

[When enemies harbor malice and try to harm you, resistance increases tenfold.]

[Mana decreases during use.]

[Duration is proportional to mana and Affection level.]

Specialization Skill?

Skill name, Don't Mess With My Husband……?

Alex's eyes twitched in shock, wondering what this was.

In an instant, he remembered what he had read in the System's explanation about Affection level.

'Your wife's Affection level makes you stronger.'

'Specialization Skills are unlocked when Affection level increases or when you hear commands from Luise.'

'……Ah.'

Command?

Could it be that Luise said, 'Don't Mess With My Husband,' and the 'Don't Mess With My Husband' skill was activated?

He soon realized that this was a Specialization Skill based on Affection level.

But resistance increases tenfold.

'It's much more powerful than the resistance skill I originally had?'

Alex couldn't hide his inner surprise.

Even though the Specialization Skill was only level 1, its effect was strong.

However, it wasn't very useful yet because the Affection level was only 2.

[Duration: 30 seconds]

30 seconds.

With that duration, it was as good as nothing.

"Is this bastard crazy?"

"You son of a bitch, did you suddenly eat something wrong? Or is there nothing you're afraid of anymore?"

Demian and Marcel frowned and spoke in turn.

Alex took his eyes off Garrison and looked at Luise and Eloy once each.

They both seemed very surprised at first glance.

"Are you alright?"

"……Yes."

At his question, Luise lowered the hand that had been covering her mouth and nodded once, and Eloy nodded quickly three times.

"Please step back a little, as it may be dangerous."