How To Win My Husband Over

Episode 18: Gift

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“I’m sorry, madam.
I was stupid.
I asked milady to have the competition, but when I realized that you seemed to have been attacked, I was so scared of Iz reaction that I ended up lying without realizing it…… I’m ashamed of myself for causing a fight between you two.”

Freya, who looked down with her purple eyes shining sadly, seemed genuinely sorry.

If I hadn’t known about their relationship, I might have been swept away.

You did it because you were afraid of Isaac, and if you’re really sorry, you would have told the truth even if it painted a bad picture of you.
Why are you sitting alone with me?

You are such a scary woman.

Depending on how I react here or not, we will begin to detect each other’s intentions.

Of course I meant to continue to look insignificant.
Especially for her.

“It’s okay, it can happen.
You didn’t know such an accident would happen.
I understand everything, so don’t worry.”

“If I didn’t make that offer in the first place, madam…….”

“It’s really okay.
This is a secret, but it was actually a little fun.
Well, this has never happened in Romagna.
I’m sorry that such wonderful knights have been looking for me until late at night, but I am well now.”

As I smiled brightly like an ignorant child, she looked into my eyes for a moment as if searching for something, and then she smiled feigning understanding.

It may be purely out of the atmosphere, but for a moment I could see that she thought I was being ridiculous.

“I know what it is.
But I’m glad madam is fine.
If there’s anything I can do for you in the future, feel free to tell me.”

Suddenly, I could see why I had not felt any hostility from her until now.

For her, I was not even worthy enough to receive her hostility.

Until just some time ago.

I don’t know what caused her to suddenly change her mind.

However, Freya was an old friend of Isaac and Ellenia and a person who cannot be compared to me in the North.

No matter what happened, everyone would trust her and not me.

It is ironic that the final boss, my husband, is the only person who is giving strands of hope in this gloomy situation….….

The problem was that I hadn’t seen a single hair of his for several days after that night.

To make matters worse, I didn’t even dare to step out of the mansion even after my injured ankle was healed.

The guards in the mansion looked at me with their eyes as if they were very anxious about this situation, and even Ellenia seemed to be very cross with me, so she maintained an extremely indifferent attitude.

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Phew. The eyes are so glaring that it is hard to even get out of bed.

Once I’ll look at his face and assess the situation I can decide whether I can coax him or not!

If he just sorts out his thoughts and throws away a little bit of emotion and sends me home, I’ll…….
I don’t even want to imagine the next day.

“A banquet will be held soon.”

Still, Ellenia was less cold-hearted than her brother.

She was kind enough to come to me and remind me of the event I had forgotten.

The birthday of my husband, who was born in the cold and ruthless winter, was approaching.
It was the end of summer.

“Is there anything I can you with…….”

“We’re just going to do what we’ve been doing every year, so it’s okay.
By the way, all the clothes you tried last time will arrive this afternoon.”

Ellenia answered in a sharp manner when I asked carefully while looking at her eyes.

Indeed, even if I step up in this situation, I think I’ll only get more hate, let alone help.
So I decided not to persuade her further.

Ellenia looked at me for a moment and as I lowered my head without saying a word she then stood up.

“I think I’ll be a little busy until the day before the banquet.
I told the maid to prepare anything you need immediately.
Then.”

So, for the time being, I was put under the mercy of the servants who were eager to drive me out.

Hnng! Ellen, why do you keep abandoning me?

Not long ago, she pretended to take care of me, but after the night of the incident in question and as soon as the favour fell away from me, they turned into ghosts and the appearance of the servants was very sharp.

When I pulled the rope by the bed for something I needed, it would take almost half a day before a displeased maid would appear.

At least the maid who got my hair ornament the other day— her name was Lucille or along that line—had come and helped me.
It would have been a nuisance washing my mouth without her.

Anyway, I didn’t know who would try doing anything toward me, so I couldn’t ask for anything.

In particular, the head maid, gave off the same feeling as Freya.

How do I relieve my twisted husband’s mood?

I was worried about how to prepare his birthday present.

It’s not that I haven’t experienced this similar situation, but I’m careful because I don’t know when and where he’ll jump.

After thinking about it for nearly half a day, I decided to just rely on my experience.

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Since it is difficult to go out of the house or ask anyone to help with anything, there was only one thing that I could prepare.

Thank god that my father’s mistress, Lady Julia, brought me the embroidery box and gave it to me as a wedding present.

“I didn’t know you enjoy embroidery.”

While I was quietly locked in the bedroom all day and didn’t even call anyone, the maid sneaked up to me and said those words, maybe she thought it was suspicious that I was being quiet.

I just smiled.

“I’m just trying to imitate.”

“Are you making it for the young master?”

“Yes, but it’s been a while, so I don’t know if it will work.
I’m worried about which one would be the most appropriate…….” [1]

“If you don’t mind giving me some humble advice, he’d like a willow pattern.”

“Willow…?”

“Yes, When lord was young, there was a willow tree he used to climb frequently, but now it’s been cut down for a long time, so he often feels sorry.”

The narrow, smiling brown eyes glistened meanly.

I got goosebumps for a moment, but I smiled nonchalantly.

“Wow, thanks for the good information.
I’ll keep that in mind.”

Of course, I had no intention of embroidering the willow tree.

What? He often feels sorry for what?

Aside from the fact that he is not a great man to indulge in such cheap sentiment, it is too much of a trick like this no matter how much she hates me.

I don’t know exactly what caused Duchess Omerta to have such a tragic death, but I do remember her suicide and the narrative that she died by hanging her neck from a willow in the backyard.

And she told me to embroider a willow tree.

It must be a sign to be beaten to death by a willow whip.

As expected, she must have turned off my fire on purpose on the first night.

It was just a feeling, but it’s becoming very obvious, you bitch! 

You seem to be looking forward to me being beaten up and kicked out, but I have no intention of doing so, you wretched human!

When I remembered the incident of the first night, I naturally thought of the monsters.

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Especially the Popo monster.
The strange monster who understood me and helped me…….

It seems silly, but there was a suspicion that other monsters might be the same.

The gargoyle[2] in the basement where Cesare once pushed me in, the one that appeared while the torch was extinguished the first night I came here, and the monster of love who dragged me into the water from the palace pond, I felt…….

But, obviously, Rudbeckia didn’t have any unusual abilities, such as communicating with monsters or having any kind of affinity.

No, I remember that there was no human being in this world itself who had such an unusual ability against monsters.

Nevertheless, Popo communicated clearly with me and made sure that it did not understand what anyone else was saying except me.

For now I had to wait and see.

I don’t want to tell anyone about it hastily because if I do something wrong, I might be branded as a witch.

I embroidered painstakingly all day long, immersed in various worries.

It’s been a while since I did this and my fingertips got tattered because I’ve been concentrating on it non-stop, but it’s okay.

By the time it was somewhat finished, I asked Lucille to get the letter paper.

I was a little scared that the personality wrecker might just tear it apart while I was writing the letter with all my heart, but I couldn’t do anything else.

* * *

There was a throbbing pain in my lower abdomen and my lower back as if it was going to break.

I heard bad things always overlap at once.

It was irregular, but why is it coming today?

It’s sad that even Mother Nature is not on my side.

I was pretty good at enduring pain, but this time it was especially bad.

I almost wanted to grab my stomach and roll down.

How long has it been since I managed to move in a cold sweat and pull the rope next to the bed?

“What’s wrong, ma’am?”

It would have been better if Lucille came, but why did the head maid come?

As she moaned and was about to open her mouth, she spoke first.

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“You don’t seem very well, but I’ll get you some painkillers for now.
Well, and…….”

Huh? I tilted my head back and looked at her.

The pain was so severe that my vision was blurred, but I could tell that the mean head maid was making an inappropriately hesitant look.

What, what are you pretending to hesitate about?

“Sorry, the lord told me to tell you to stay in your place today.
You don’t have to attend the banquet.”

What?

“You’d better follow along as you’re not feeling well.
If you have anything to tell lord, I’ll tell him for you.”

Naturally, I didn’t have the heart to leave the present I had worked hard preparing in her hands.

Besides, what did she just say?

She must be lying to me.

No matter how angry he is, there’s no way I’m just staying in my room on my husband’s birthday banquet.

I wanted to believe that it couldn’t be, but on the other hand, I was worried that it would be real.

It’s not impossible if it’s that arrogant person.

I think he’s not going to see me at all for a while, but if he’s really doing this to completely detach himself from me……….

Shortly after the maid left, Lucille came in and gave me painkillers.

I was unfamiliar with the eyes that looked at me as if I were pitiful.

I asked her to call Ellenia, but she was out and I could only hear an answer that she would not be back until the end of the banquet.

***

[1] In an embroidery box there is a fabric and a design provided with it, there are a bunch of different designs which helps the newbie ones to get a smooth start while embroidering.
So ruby was choosing which design to do among the bunch

This one is the modern and cheapest one  so the designs are in one fabric itself but the one ruby has one design on one fabric.

[2] Despite their frightening appearance, Gargoyles are guardians who are known to protect buildings from evil spirits, and do no harm to humans.
Due to this, churches, which were considered holy places, often had these creatures on the roof to ward off the devil and demons.

(Just because this monster doesn’t do anything to humans doesn’t mean what Cesare did was okay.
Having this monster in the same room with you could leave a traumatic experience, PTSD)