Episode 21

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After taking off my clothes and folding them neatly to one side, I scooped water from the large wooden bath barrel and poured it into a basin.

The water was cold, but there was a pleasantly scented bar of soap, which made the wash surprisingly enjoyable.

“Master, no matter how I think about it, doesn’t that guy seem dangerous? He might actually be a fugitive criminal.”

Throughout my bath, Ninabel kept whispering, feeding my suspicions. I let it roll off me.

“What kind of criminal struts around that boldly? I doubt it.”

“But you saw it earlier, didn’t you? The way he looked like he’d kill someone if the mood struck him! Nini’s seen a lot of people like that before. I can tell. He’s dangerous! Be careful, Master!”

“Yes, yes.”

I answered absentmindedly and rinsed off the soap. The cold water washed away my body heat, leaving me shivering, but I felt refreshed.

When I stepped outside, Lycian was waiting, something in his hands. I stopped short and stared at the items.

Hair oil and a silver comb.

“What? When did you buy those? Aren’t they expensive?”

“They gave me a discount when I said we were newlyweds.”

“……”

I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t speak.

“Come over and sit down, Muriel.”

Lycian tapped the stool in front of him. Was he seriously planning to comb my hair himself? I hesitated.

“Shouldn’t you go wash up too? I can comb it myself—”

“I want to do it.”

“There’s no need—”

“I want to. Please? Master.”

With no one else around, the title slipped from his lips without fail.

His clear golden eyes shimmered as he gazed at me, silently pleading for me to come sit down.

“Unbelievable….”

I let out a soft laugh and, with no real choice, sat on the stool.

He took the towel draped over my shoulders and gently patted the damp ends of my hair dry.

A moment later, he uncorked the bottle of hair oil, and a subtle floral scent bloomed into the air.

‘Smells nice.’

I hadn’t expected much from something bought at the market, but it was surprisingly refined.

‘How much did this even cost?’

While I debated whether to ask, Lycian worked the oil evenly through my hair and picked up the comb.

The way he drew it carefully through my strands was unexpectedly gentle. Not once did it tug or hurt.

Maybe that was why. At some point, drowsiness began to wash over me.

As my head started to nod, a soft chuckle brushed past my ear. A large hand—white and smooth, yet broad-knuckled and strong—slid under my chin to steady it.

“Go sleep in the bed.”

I mumbled, half-asleep.

“I’m not sleeping yet…. I have something to tell you….”

“What is it?”

“…Earlier, in the street….”

Why I had avoided that man.

I couldn’t just let it slide without saying anything.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“No. I should…. We might run into him again.”

I pushed myself up from the stool, covering my mouth with one hand as I let out a wide yawn.

Moisture gathered at the corners of my eyes. I wiped it away with the back of my hand and turned to face Lycian.

Our eyes met. Silence stretched between us for a few seconds. After a brief hesitation, I spoke.

“Do you… know who I am?”

“……”

A thread of tension wound tight in my chest as I waited. Lycian shook his head.

“I’ve only made guesses.”

“What kind of guesses?”

“…That man. He’s the Duke of Winterberg, isn’t he?”

Thud.

My heart plummeted—then slammed back up, pounding hard against my ribs.

Lycian continued, studying my expression closely.

“I’ve seen him before. He wouldn’t remember me, though.”

“Then….”

My lips parted. My voice trembled as I asked,

“You know the rumors… about the Duchess of Winterberg?”

“……”

His silence was answer enough.

My breath caught—but only for a moment. It didn’t take long to steady myself.

“They’re not good rumors.”

“So I’ve heard.”

“They say she’s the worst kind of villainess. That she handpicks every vile thing she can do…. Do you believe what people say?”

Lycian regarded me quietly, his expression unreadable.

Serious. Detached. Then, slowly, a faint smile curved his lips.

“I only believe what I see and experience for myself.”

“……”

“How much truth do you think is mixed into the things people gossip about? Sometimes, rumors are entirely false. Believing them is inefficient.”

“…That’s very rational of you.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“It is. Obviously.”

A small laugh slipped from me. In moments like this, I caught glimpses of a side of Lycian I hadn’t known before.

The tight knot in my chest loosened. I felt braver.

With him, I was certain. He wouldn’t condemn me over baseless words.

I drew in a deep breath and confessed.

“The truth is, that villainess is me.”

I didn’t even wait for his reaction before adding quickly,

“But I’m not actually a villainess. I’ve never done any of the things the rumors claim….”

Muriel had endured day after day of condemnation for crimes she never committed, trapped in a despair where no one believed her.

If she had at least twisted herself and sought revenge, maybe it wouldn’t have felt so unfair.

But Muriel was too gentle for that. She could only silently endure the sharp malice thrust at her.

“I don’t know if you’ll believe me… but I swear to the heavens—”

“I believe you.”

The words cut in before I could finish. I lifted my lowered head.

The resolve in his eyes was unmistakable.

It wasn’t a lie. It wasn’t empty comfort. I could tell.

“No matter what anyone says, I believe you.”

“……”

If only Muriel herself had been the one to hear those words.

But her soul was nowhere now. The thought made something ache in my chest.

“…Thank you. For believing me.”

“There’s nothing to thank me for. It’s not some great feat.”

“It is to me.”

Our gazes lingered in the quiet air. With a much lighter heart, I continued.

“I’m the adopted daughter of the Duke of Tierney. Publicly, I was known as his biological daughter—but only a few people know the truth.”

“Raul Winterberg doesn’t know either?”

“He doesn’t. The Duke of Tierney hid the truth and married me off to Raul.”

It wasn’t just the truth he concealed. The Duke of Tierney fabricated stories, painting Muriel as the precious jewel he cherished above all else.

In reality, there hadn’t been a single day in her childhood when she hadn’t suffered his abuse.

“People at Winterberg Castle think I lived in luxury with the Tierney family. That I’m some spoiled, extravagant lady.”

Because of that misunderstanding, Muriel had been further ostracized at Winterberg.

They must have taken pleasure in mistreating the supposedly pampered daughter of Tierney.

“But in truth… I wasn’t raised dearly. And my adoptive father never cherished me.”

“……”

“He only adopted me because of something an astrologer said. That if he wanted his house to prosper further, he needed to take in an adopted daughter and make her shoulder all the family’s misfortune.”

At that, Lycian let out an incredulous scoff.

“To believe in such nonsense. The Duke of Tierney is pathetic.”

“He is.”

A faint smile brushed my lips as I continued.

“I was nothing more than a tool in the Tierney household. I wasn’t even treated like a person. His children would bully and beat me whenever they felt like it. The servants only gave me enough food so I wouldn’t starve to death.”

“……”

“And then… I finally escaped the Tierney family.”

“……”

“But the place I ran to wasn’t paradise either. Life really is twisted, isn’t it?”

With a self-deprecating smile, I sat at the edge of the bed.

Lycian remained silent for a long moment. Just as the quiet began to grow uncomfortable, he spoke.

“The reason you were living alone in the contaminated zone….”

“The Duke of Winterberg exiled me. I was framed for every possible thing while living in Winterberg Castle—and no one believed me.”

“……”

“I received the blessing of God right after I was exiled. Thanks to that, I survived without starving to death. I was even able to save you.”

I tried to sound casual, to keep the mood from growing too heavy—but Lycian’s face turned ice-cold.

Like in the lobby earlier, something dangerous seeped from him.

“They’re trash.”

The words fell quietly, like a lake without ripples. But beneath that stillness burned a blue-flamed fury.

“Willard Tierney. Raul Winterberg. They’re both irredeemable pieces of trash.”

I blinked, then answered a beat later.

“…They are.”

Hearing someone else condemn them felt strangely relieving.

Even though it wasn’t my story, but Muriel’s.

It felt like my own.

“It must have been hard. All this time.”

“Well…. It would be a lie to say it wasn’t.”

“Don’t you want revenge?”

His eyes gleamed.

It wasn’t hard to see that he wanted me to say yes.

I didn’t look away. After a long moment of thought, I opened my mouth.

“I….”