CH 10

The only place a mad rabbit belongs is in a stew pot. She may seem harmless at this time, but sooner or later she’ll be tearing up a field.

Better to stew her up early and have a bowl of stew than to regret it later. Don’t let your men get in my face again, you hear me?

Well, that’s kind of what he meant.

Cain Blackwood is, of course, a typical northern duke leading man. That’s why he said the first sentence and went on his merry way. It’s a trait of theirs to throw out a meaningful word and expect others to get his meaning themselves.

‘How irritating to have a man like that in charge.’

Marienne pitied some of the nameless people who lived at Blackwood Castle. Those who live under Blackwood’s protection are said to both fear and worship their powerful master.

‘But among them, there must be some sane men like me. They hate Cain Blackwood but they need to make money. Every day must be terrible.’

Marienne shook her head. By comparison, working at the Ministry of Finance was a breeze. Vileon gave clear instructions from the start, and the other staff members were as loyal to him as he was to them.

If I had a question in the middle of a task, he doesn’t mind me knocking on his door. He’s a gentle man, and he wouldn’t choke you for offending him.

‘I’ve seen him in the flesh, and it only strengthens my conviction.’

Marienne had been looking down the archway for thirty minutes now, not that she was about to jump, she just liked this spot in the palace.

‘I’m going to bring him down and put Vileon next to Odette!’

It was the moment when the switch of replacing the male protagonist, which started from personal feelings, gained a moral justification. Of course, Marienne believed in Odette’s ability. Odette would deftly make sure that her beloved husband did not cross the line.

But what crime is it for those who have to serve the Empress’ companion in the absence of Odette?

A man who dries the blood of others to a crisp, but only smiles in the presence of the Empress, should not be the master of the inner palace. It has long been said that the Empress’ consort should be benevolent, wise and virtuous. Of course, they must also be able to rule well over their subordinates.

Looking forwards, backwards, and on horseback, there is no one more qualified than Vileon Byers.

‘Now, for the sake of the people in the palace who aren’t even mentioned in the original story, I need to get rid of…’

The problem is, how do you get rid of a bastard? While Marienne has been thinking about it for a few days, he has already entered the capital and met with Odette in secret, which means that Odette has recognised his handsomeness.

He is indeed handsome. If you’re going to have a child, you might as well make it attractive, and in that regard, Cain Blackwood passes highly.

Odette’s thoughts came to her mind. At this, Marienne’s heart broke. She was looking at a Northern bastard who couldn’t even think of having her peerless handsome man named Vileon by her side.

‘Vileon could make a fine child with you, Your Highness. Look at the thickness of those thighs. And how shapely and toned his waist is. With Vileon, you won’t even have to sign a paternity pledge. He’ll be a ready-made lady of the court, a homely spouse, and an excellent seed provider.’

And so it is that a man as unassuming as Vileon can be surprisingly brilliant in the night. This is not something Marienne has experienced first-hand. She adds that Odette seems to be the type who responds well to physical attraction.

“You’re Aide Didi from the Ministry of Finance?”

Under the graceful cream arched bridge someone spoke. Whoever she was, she wore a practical striped dress and an apron. A common outfit for palace maids. Marienne asked how she recognised her.

“Can you see my badge?”

“No, I don’t see it.”

“Then how did you know, I don’t know you.”

“The carriage driver yesterday is my uncle. I’m the maid of refreshments, and I’ve been serving a distinguished guest since yesterday. He… the Duke of Blackwood mentioned an aide.”

The enemy’s name was spoken without warning. Marienne leaned over the railing.

“That bas… guest mentioned me? I thought he wouldn’t remember.”

“It’s not a matter of remembering or not remembering. They’ve already figured out who Aide Didi is. Earlier, when he was shooting arrows with the Fourth Princess, he mentioned a rabbit skin with pink fur.”

He means he’s going to skin me. Marienne was stunned.

“Her Highness asked him what he was talking about, and that’s where Aide Didi’s name came from. I’d like to apologise to Aide Didi because of my uncle…”

The maid stopped talking and looked around, as if she was afraid she might not be heard.

“Anyway, be careful.”

“Heummh.”

“All the other servants are saying they’re jealous, but I know how scary he is. It’s better to just kill yourself as quickly as possible once you’ve been spotted.”

The maid clamped her mouth shut, suddenly realising she had said too much. Marienne thanked her for her advice. After the maid left, Marienne was lost in thought.

It was an unexpected development.

“Does that block of ice remember me?”

It was the so-called Master of the North, a man with a cold heart. Since his heart was cold, I assumed his brain was frozen as well. He must be strong, powerful. As is his habit, he didn’t remember his opponent for some reason.

So I figured he’d quickly forget yesterday’s shenanigans with Marienne Didi, too. Only the assassins dispatched by him so far will become a company.

Same goes for the threat of rabbit stew to Vileon. The only one making a fuss is Marienne herself. It was natural for the person who made the threat to forget it as soon as they turned around.

“But they said they investigated my identity.”

Marienne blinked her large eyes.

“Wait, this… could be an unexpected breakthrough.”

It felt like a familiar development. The man thinks of the woman as someone interesting, while the woman is disgusted and hates the man. But they keep getting involved with each other, and eventually, they start to care about each other’s existence.

It’s a common romance development. Except she’s an outsider who has possessed an extra!

“Yeah. I’ve seen countless stories where the original heroine falls in love with the possessed protagonist… Plus, he remembers me, and he’s determined to get rid of me.”

Originally, it was said that love and hate are two sides of the same coin. If you love someone too much, you may find yourself hating them, and if you hate someone too much, you may find yourself feeling intimately connected to them.

Marienne has already made a clear impression on Cain Blackwood. He is determined to teach that arrogant rabbit a lesson. She plans to use his determination to her advantage.

In other words, to summarize: What if she intervened before the main characters get seriously involved with each other?

“Ew.”

Marienne gagged involuntarily. The thought of it was horrifying. This was a job that required a surprisingly strong stomach.

“You need to concentrate… hhng!”

Marienne’s mind flashed back to all the things Cain had done to Odette. Hitting the wall, grabbing her by the wrist and pulling her into a hug, deliberately sticking his tongue in her mouth and kissing her in front of everyone.

“Yuck.”

There was more. Ah, yes.

Calling her ‘my woman’ in a territorial manner, putting her in a dress of his own choosing, telling her it looks better than he thought and insisting that she dress like this from now on, making an impression because other noble men are interested in Odette after she’s dressed up to her fiancé’s specifications, looking away in jealousy, and then kissing her violently in the corridor when she looks away.

“This bastard should be sent to the cells.”

Marienne shuddered.

“What’s creepy is that he did it because he likes Odette. Haa… A bastard don’t even know how to save his lover. Will the male lead be stripped of his position?”

Marienne took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She couldn’t afford to lose her cool already. Drawing Cain’s attention to her. She decided to focus on that for now. Hopefully the good fortune that often befell the possessed would befall Marienne Didi.

“But if it works, and he likes me, will he do to me what he did to Odette?”

Marienne is no Odette. The moment he’d push his tongue in, she would slam her front teeth shut and crack it in two. Still, she would persevere for now. She’d wait for Odette and Cain’s contract to be broken, and she’d support Vileon fully.

Suddenly, the thought of Vileon made her sigh wistfully.

A sweet man. So sweet. He’d never kissed before, but he was sure his first kiss would be as tender and sweet as his personality.

“It’ll be a world away from the kisses I’ll ever get.”

Putting your tongue in and shaking it like a caterpillar1. Fortunately, Cain maintained a cleanliness bordering on mysophobia. At least he would clean before doing it. Marienne frowned as she thought about a task that hadn’t even started yet.

“Shall we go with good old-fashioned shock therapy?”

A person who’s been trying to break you from the first moment you met is suddenly courting you. How would the Northern Duke react?

“I knew you were crazy, but I didn’t think it was this bad,” is good. Astonishment, shock, bewilderment, disbelief. All positive reactions in the long run. I’ll just have to be indifferent.

Marienne clenched her fists tightly. She was going to give Cain Blackwood the spiciness he’d never imagined.

She hoped he’d fall for it the way he hadn’t before. She hope Odette would get fed up with the idea of some woman flirting with her contractor and gets rid of him sooner rather than later.

“And then, when you feel your life is threatened, you hide behind Lord Byers’ back.”

Sweet Vileon. Trust me.

I will sacrifice this one body to bring you happiness.

Your wishes are my wishes, and when your love is fulfilled, I will be able to return to my home with pride.

“I wish I could make it to the wedding…”

They would be the most beautiful couple in the world. Marienne tried to picture Vileon’s smile in his white robes, and a grasshopper stung in the pit of her stomach.

She would have given anything for that moment. Thank you for your help, Aide Didi. A warm glance that would linger on her for a moment in the middle of the ceremony and then pass.

That was enough for Marienne Didi.

this is an expression of disgust