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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 77
Chapter Title: The Worn-Out Male Lead Chose the Wrong Opponent
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"Hello!"
"See you again!"
After finishing their volunteer work, the orphanage children waved cheerfully to the departing visitors.
Even those who had initially grumbled, "Me, a noble, having to do this?" were now beaming with pride.
"What am I going to do... I got attached to the kids."
Someone was even shedding tears. They'd be back tomorrow, after all.
After bidding everyone farewell, I headed straight for the military hospital where Anita was admitted. Masera had gone ahead to the officer quarters to handle her admission paperwork.
That's when I spotted a shabby man blocking the path. It was Hans, his eyes blazing with fury.
"Where did you take my wife? Give me back my wife!"
The soldiers blocked him, but he resisted fiercely, causing a huge commotion.
I waved the soldiers aside and faced Hans directly.
He must have tracked me here for one of two reasons.
Either he truly wanted Anita back...
Or...
"Is this about money?"
I asked, pulling a disgusted face.
If it were the former, he'd have worried about her health first.
This man just needed someone to bring in cash for him.
Hans flashed a greedy grin at my question.
"Good, you get straight to the point. Give me the money, and I promise I won't show up in front of Anita again."
He reeked of booze as he sidled closer and whispered,
"Of course, I'll keep my mouth shut about the young lady's past too. You know, how she grew up as a lowly maid."
I crossed my arms, pondered for a moment, then slipped off the gold bracelet the Queensguard Count had sent before our marriage and handed it over.
Hans broke into a toothy grin as he snatched it.
"I'll live an honest life from now on, miss."
Liar. He'd bolt straight to the gambling den, and when the money ran out, he'd come crawling back.
But I smiled sweetly.
"Unearned luck brings matching misfortune or exacts a price. Especially with gambling."
"Sure, sure, as if."
Hans bit into the bracelet to test it, chuckled, and scurried off.
Having gotten his hands on easy money, Hans raced straight to the gambling den.
"Stupid girl. She'll have to be my cash cow in Anita's place for life."
She couldn't even face her own husband squarely, so if he lost it all, he could just threaten her again.
Ding—dong—
Before long, the jackpot hit. He hadn't even touched the bracelet for betting funds.
Amid the deafening bell tolls that rang in his ears, Hans clutched a fortune large enough to live off for life.
"Ahaha, no way!"
The man who always lost at the den wore an incredulous expression.
"They said she was a lucky woman. Is it because I have her stuff?"
But his joy was short-lived. Cynthia's warning suddenly echoed in his mind.
"Unearned luck brings matching misfortune or exacts a price. Especially with gambling."
Hans shot up from his seat.
"What nonsense am I thinking?"
He grabbed the money and bolted outside.
"Hey, gambler. Heard you hit it big? You'll lose it anyway—why not donate a bit?"
At that moment, burly, menacing thugs grabbed him.
Caught by the gambling den's enforcers, Hans yelled desperately.
"Let go! This is my legit winnings!"
"Legit winnings from gambling? What bullshit."
Thwack, thwack—the sounds of beating echoed in a dark alley corner.
Clang—
One thug picked up the bracelet that fell from Hans's pocket and froze.
It was because of the tiny family crest engraved inside.
"Damn, it's noble stuff. Stolen? Or are you a noble?"
No mere thug could identify the family from the crest alone. But they knew tangling with nobles spelled big trouble.
"I... I'm a noble from a baron's house."
Hans groaned from his huddled position.
The thug scratched his chin, frowning.
"Aw, we were just gonna rough you up and take the cash... but nah, can't now."
The men exchanged glances.
"Too late to back out. Might bite us later—better finish him."
"Yeah, look at him. Probably a disowned bastard even his family won't miss."
Soon, dark shadows loomed over the cowering Hans.
Suddenly, he recalled a long-forgotten promise.
"I'll make you a proper noble lady. We'll succeed, buy a mansion, get recognized as noble blood, live without envy."
Anita's smile from ages ago appeared too.
"That sounds nice, but I'm happy like this. I finally have a family."
"Family..."
Clinging to fading consciousness, Hans murmured blankly.
"Let's not make our child unhappy."
Only in death did he painfully realize he'd lost what mattered most.
This was the misfortune and price Cynthia had spoken of.
The military hospital where Anita was staying.
Fortunately, she had stabilized.
She gazed at Cynthia, who sat beside her peeling an apple.
'She must see me as a thorn, knowing my past as a maid.'
Having endured many betrayals, Anita couldn't shake her unease. Cynthia might turn like Hans at any moment.
Yet, the desire to trust won out.
Finally, Anita mustered her courage and asked.
"Why are you helping me?"
Cynthia finished carving the apple into a perfect rabbit shape and smiled.
"You're the only one who treated me as a comrade despite calling me an Esat mongrel, an unlucky white rat. And..."
Cynthia pulled out her parasol and continued.
"You're the first to notice I'm weak to sunlight. Without this, my face would've turned apple-red."
"...You carry it everywhere? It's not even that fancy."
Anita's cheeks flushed pink.
"It wasn't some grand kindness, but I'm embarrassed anyway."
"I think it's amazing. The courage to not follow the crowd and act differently."
Cynthia took Anita's hand with a serious look.
"If you want to keep staying in the officer quarters, I'll be there as your friend. I hope your child grows up strong and never lonely."
Suddenly, Anita recalled her memory with Hans.
"I'll run away with you. I can't let you die."
Could he be a good father? Answering no even to her lingering hopes, she resolved to sever all ties.
"I want to stay in the quarters. I'll do anything, so please... let me..."
Sorrow choked her words. After weathering harsh storms, she yearned for a safe haven to rest. For the child's sake too.
"Having two moms—isn't that cool?"
Cynthia joked with a warm smile.
The serious Anita burst out laughing.
"...Come to think of it, there's something important I need to tell you."
Ahem. Clearing her throat, she lowered her voice.
"That day fleeing the market, I saw Anna."
Cynthia's eyes widened.
"Anna from the sewing room?"
Besides the maids who warned her to run, another survivor?
"Not sure if she saw me... but I thought you should know, miss."
"Thank you for trusting me enough to tell."
Cynthia nodded reassuringly and fell into thought.
'What happened?'
Helen was panicking over Anna's disappearance.
'Did she flee in fear after handing over the fake note?'
Anna was a key witness to Cynthia and her father's weaknesses.
But ordering a search for the runaway maid could backfire into scrutiny. Everyone in the duke's mansion sided with the duchess.
She couldn't let on that she'd spared Anna, nor ask her father for help.
'...The duke wouldn't help anyway. He gloated so much about that previous incident.'
Pacing her room in distress, Helen thought of a famed underworld fixer group.
They were a notorious gun-smuggling outfit that only took commissions from weapon buyers.
But as duchess, contacting them risked problems.
'Still... I have to find her somehow.'
They moved purely for money, so enough cash would buy secrecy too.
Just then, a maid announced the duke's return.
Helen hurried downstairs, hoping to probe if he knew anything about Anna.
The duke entering the house smiled kindly at the welcoming servants.
"Your Grace, you look happy. Something good happen?"
"Shopping? New perfume?"
Behind the duke, servants followed carrying packages.
The duke nodded.
"Bought a gift for someone."
Helen stared silently from the staircase.
"The biggest problem isn't a light fling—it's when it turns real."
Was it because an elderly noblewoman's words resurfaced? An unpleasant chill spread from her fingertips.
"If you try to take my place."
