Chapter 2
‘To have to witness this awful scene twice.’
Rebecca clenched her fists, trembling. The red dress crumpled helplessly in her hands.
The wedding was, damn it, beautiful.
Alicia and Zeppelin's wedding was simple, but that only made it seem more romantic.
This place, the Ballaria Coast, was a popular resort.
Being part of Duke Johannes's territory, enjoying a vacation here required a rather complicated procedure.
However, the Devonshire Earl family had owned a mansion on the Ballaria Coast for generations.
Thanks to that, Zeppelin and Alicia were able to hold a secret and beautiful wedding without anyone's interference.
The only problem was that this was also Rebecca and Zeppelin's honeymoon destination.
As if mocking Rebecca, a spring breeze blew.
Zeppelin smiled faintly as Alicia's veil fluttered in the wind.
"I now declare these two husband and wife under the blessing of the Dephria Goddess."
Cheers did not erupt.
The few invited guests gave lukewarm applause with awkward expressions.
Their gazes were directed not at the newly born newlyweds, but at Rebecca, the Earl's first wife.
Rebecca, unperturbed by the pouring gazes, glared at Zeppelin. Zeppelin mouthed something small to Rebecca.
‘Smile.’
The moment Rebecca saw Zeppelin's coercive lips, she snapped to her senses.
She really had returned. To before she lost her child.
No, to before she even conceived. And to before she was completely ruined by her husband's hands.
Rebecca smiled as Zeppelin told her to.
If she had returned, wouldn't it be possible to change the outcome?
Rebecca willingly raised her hand and gave cold applause.
For the happiness of the two people she would soon destroy.
"Thank you for attending. I honestly didn't think you would come, Rebecca."
Alicia, who had changed into a pink reception dress, approached Rebecca with a shy smile.
Rebecca, who had been sitting alone, continuously gulping down wine, slowly looked at Alicia.
Everyone held their breath and listened to the conversation between the first wife and the second wife.
"Alicia..."
Rebecca recalled the day she first met Alicia.
That day was as bright as today.
How Alicia had entered the heavily guarded garden of the Count's Residence was still a mystery.
A parched girl was collapsed on the walking path Rebecca used every day.
Her appearance, on the verge of starvation, was miserable.
Rebecca brought the girl inside and nursed her with care.
Later, the girl, who had regained her senses, introduced herself as Alicia.
‘Rebecca! You are my benefactor!’
Rebecca could not forget the moment she first saw Alicia fully recovered.
Her cheeks, nicely filled out, were dyed a shy pink like spring petals.
Exotic lavender long hair curved softly. Deep purple eyes sparkled sadly, enough to make one want to embrace her.
Like a fairy born from the laughter of a goddess of primeval beauty, she was beautiful.
Moreover, she possessed the loveliness that Rebecca so desperately wanted but could not have.
Rebecca's mother warned that Alicia was dangerous. That the kindness she had carelessly shown could become poison and kill her.
But Rebecca had already lost her heart to Alicia.
Before becoming the Countess, Rebecca had many friends.
But starting with the wedding, those many people gradually began to cut off contact with her for no apparent reason.
When Rebecca came to her senses, not a single friend remained by her side.
Rebecca, left alone in the Count's Residence, was always lonely.
That was why she liked Alicia's voice, which called her name affectionately.
She liked Alicia's bright chatter, chattering like a sparrow.
Rebecca fell deeply for the lively Alicia.
She even took her in as her maid, as she had nowhere else to go.
Responding to that, Alicia was also extremely devoted to Rebecca.
Alicia gradually became an indispensable presence for Rebecca.
A year passed like that.
On Alicia's birthday, Rebecca personally prepared a birthday feast for Alicia.
And that day, everything changed.
‘Ugh... Rebecca, I can't eat this.’
It was morning sickness. It was Zeppelin's child, she said.
Rebecca felt like the world was collapsing.
Even so, Rebecca could not resent Alicia.
Rebecca thought that Zeppelin had seduced the innocent Alicia.
She mustered her courage and went to confront Zeppelin, but Zeppelin instead laughed at her and said.
‘My innocent wife. You wouldn't say you don't know what happens when beautiful men and women meet, would you? This is instinct and the law of nature. So, neither I nor Alicia are at fault. You are the one at fault. It's the price you pay for leaving a beautiful woman in front of me.’
He persistently blamed everything on Rebecca.
Rebecca, who had been played by Zeppelin's hands for a long time, was gradually persuaded by his words.
Even after more than ten years of marriage, Rebecca and Zeppelin had not had a child.
The Earl family naturally took in Alicia, who carried an heir, as Zeppelin's second wife.
A time of self-blame followed. She thought it was all her own fault.
Rebecca suffered from severe self-hatred.
She had lived like that. Thinking that everything was her fault for being inadequate. Until that incident happened.
Suddenly, Rebecca felt Zeppelin's gaze.
Rebecca put down her wine glass and smiled.
She still had to be the perfect Devonshire Countess.
"Now that we're family, it's only natural."
Rebecca hugged Alicia.
The guests exclaimed at the heartwarming sight.
They praised Zeppelin for gaining two beautiful wives.
Zeppelin smiled contentedly.
Soon after, the bride and groom's dance followed.
Watching the two of them spinning around, Rebecca felt nauseous.
She wanted to get out of this disgusting place quickly.
"Please excuse me for a moment."
Rebecca made the excuse that she wasn't feeling well and hurriedly called for a carriage.
In her previous life, she had stubbornly stayed in her seat until the end of the reception.
But she didn't have the patience to endure that humiliation twice.
She couldn't help it, even though she knew Zeppelin would shower her with nagging if he found out she had returned first.
The noble ladies saw Rebecca off with pitiful faces.
"Rebecca, if you have any difficulties, please contact me anytime."
Everyone didn't say it, but it seemed that they all found this wedding disgusting.
But their husbands were all Zeppelin's men. Rebecca knew very well that they could not easily lend her their strength.
"Thank you."
Rebecca imprinted the faces of the gathered ladies in her memory one by one. And after giving a brief greeting, she got on the carriage.
The carriage started rolling quickly. Wanting to be alone, she had Alice come in another carriage.
"Aaaagh!"
Rebecca buried her face in a cushion and screamed. She screamed with resentment until no voice came out.
Even so, her stuffy heart did not ease.
She realized that her lipstick was smeared haphazardly, but she didn't feel like fixing her makeup.
She had returned to the past.
But she still couldn't believe it. She couldn't tell what was a dream and what was reality, and her head was dizzy.
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
Rebecca placed her hand on her slender stomach. The memory of carrying her child for ten months vividly came to mind.
She had only raised him for a few years, but she already missed her child.
His soft cheeks and that sweet scent of his skin. His small hands and feet, wiggling.
At the same time, Alicia holding her precious child came to mind.
Rebecca bit her lip hard.
‘It's better this way.’
Now the child did not exist. The fact that there was no possibility of him growing up as Zeppelin's child comforted her somewhat.
Rebecca looked out the window. The carriage was shaking more severely today.
She didn't know why she had returned to the past.
But one thing was certain.
Rebecca clenched her fist and glared with her blue eyes, which were still wet.
"Now it's your turn to be ruined. Zeppelin Devonshire."
Duke Julian Johannes, who had just returned to his territory from the battlefield, was leisurely enjoying a night stroll.
The Ballaria Coast was one of his favorite walking paths.
It was a long-awaited moment of tranquility. A faint smile hung on Julian's lips.
Then, a carriage rushed towards him as he was walking along the path leading to the coast.
The carriage, having discovered him, gradually slowed down.
Feeling good, Julian quietly made way for the carriage.
The coachman lifted his hat in thanks.
Julian glanced at the window of the carriage, which passed by him so closely it almost touched him.
A somewhat familiar woman was sitting there.
The woman's eyes, with her makeup smeared all over, were fixed forward as if glued. And they were burning as fiercely as her red dress.
With quite a strong impression, Julian suddenly became curious and looked at the carriage's insignia. It was the Devonshire Earl family's insignia.
Julian's eyes widened and he followed the carriage's rear end with his eyes.
"Rebecca?"
"Ah, that must be the famous Countess."
His butler, Croa, who had barely caught up with Julian's fast pace, said, catching his breath.
"Famous?"
"Ah! You wouldn't know, Duke, as you were out on the battlefield. The Devonshire Earl has taken a second wife. The social circles were buzzing for a while."
"He took a concubine? Isn't the Countess still young?"
"That's true. She's not even thirty yet. But who knows what goes on between a couple. Anyway, I heard there's a wedding on the Ballaria Coast today."
"What?"
"That she's not even thirty?"
"No. You're saying they held a wedding to take a concubine on the Ballaria Coast, that is, in my territory?"
"Yes... The Devonshire's mansion is there..."
"Croa."
Croa swallowed hard at his cold voice. Julian's black eyes gradually turned golden.
"I clearly told you to take good care of the territory when I left. And yet you allowed such disgusting behavior. In the place I cherish the most?"
"No, how can I stop them from having a wedding at their own villa. Especially that Devonshire Earl..."
Instead of answering, Julian glared at Croa.
As his golden eyes shone coldly, cold sweat streamed down Croa's back.
His master's eyes turning yellow was a very dangerous sign.
"I, I will correct it."
"Of course you will. Whether you sweep it away or destroy it, make sure they never set foot in that mansion again. No, it would be better to prevent them from ever entering this coast again. The deadline is tomorrow."
Croa felt like screaming.
Why did the carriage have to pass by now of all times? What an unlucky day.
Meow.
As Julian was unable to contain his anger, a black cat walked out of the darkness, shining its bright yellow eyes.
