“Similar. Jacob said it was a waste to give me to Zain. So he suggested giving Zain another woman. I was too young at the time… … . he wanted to touch me once I grew up.”
Elisha even felt a little fear pricking her from Lucerne’s chilly stare.
“Besides, Zain lost face by being stabbed by me.”
“Is that why the marriage came to naught?”
“Yes, Zain said he would give up on me. His excitement must have cooled since I came out stronger than he expected.”
And that night, Jacob sent Zain courtesans to replace her.
Elisha thought back on her fleeting vindictive relationship with Zain. In her previous life, he held a grudge against her for it. The scars and burns on her face and her ugliness made him lose face even more.
Afterwards, Zain felt ashamed of having proposed to her and was cruel to her. One day he even threw her into muddy water in front of many people. That day she was half-naked, trembling in fear, and fled to her lodgings.
Every time she was involved with the Cartier family, it was an ominous, ill-fated relationship. Looking back on her first timeline, in the future she was treated so brutally by them as if it had been already predetermined.
Even her biological father, whom she couldn’t even remember his appearance, Count Lor, had an ominous fate with the neighboring Cartier family. He injured Jacob’s body on the day his estate collapsed.
“But Jacob has a lot of women. He just threw me in the laundry room and forgot about me. After that, time passed and I met you. That’s all.”
“I understand a little bit now,”
Lucerne said quietly.
“Your hatred of the House of Cartier.”
She nodded her head.
“I want you to be the head of the household. Because that would be the most painful revenge on Jacob and make him most miserable. I want to see him go mad with anger.”
Lucerne seemed to be suppressing his emotions. Instead, he stated softly,
“Anyways, I get it. I’ll take care of this.”
Instantly, she felt relieved. He didn’t throw her out. Something blocked and choked her throat. Elisha savored the sensation but tried not to let her emotions out.
“Thank you for understanding.”
“… … .”
“I didn’t mean to deceive you. I honestly didn’t know there was still evidence of that marriage. It’s probably the proof Carola has. I was tipped off by Mimosa.”
“… … .”
“If you think I am sullied, I apologize. All marriages between nobles are recorded in the High Temple. I mailed a request to Rosaria and received the document of my marriage annulment.”
“Did you think I would be relieved by this and say you were untarnished?”
“… … .”
Lucerne clicked his tongue.
“The letters you sent—you think I wouldn’t know?”
Elisha couldn’t understand his words at first. After a moment, she understood what he meant.
“You mean… … .”
Elisha’s lips quivered. Lucerne knew it all from the beginning. She was aware he was monitoring even her private life. She wrote a letter to Rosaria, so of course… … .
“Then why are you angry?”
Elisha asked in dismay.
“I told you. It is unacceptable for you to hide something from me.”
“… … .”
“Do you hide what could have been your weakness like this?”
She realized why Lucerne was angry. It wasn’t that she had a flaw. He was angry at the fact that she had a past he didn’t know about.
“You knew the rumors would spread.”
“… … No one can stop rumors.”
Lucerne smiled.
“There is nothing impossible in the world, Elisha.”
She silently lowered her head. It has always been difficult for her to speak her mind.
“I’m sorry. I struggled because it was difficult to talk about. In case, you… … lest you suspect that I really was the wife of another man.”
“I’m doing something called jealousy these days,”
Lucerne admitted languidly.
“Still, my reason hasn’t completely disappeared.”
“… … .”
“You are mine. Elisha. So I have a duty to protect you.”
“… … .”
“Do you understand what I mean?”
Elisha meekly nodded her head.
“I’ll tell you everything next time.”
