chapter 02

I got up from the bed where I had been wrapped tightly in blankets.

Since things had turned out this way, I figured I might as well go see the male lead’s face—the one the novel praised so endlessly.

I’d be looking at that face for the next five years anyway, so I was curious.

Before heading out to meet him, I checked myself in the mirror one last time.

I couldn’t exactly go see the male lead looking like a mess.

Objectively speaking, the reflection staring back at me was quite lovely.

If there was one thing I was satisfied with, despite possessing the villainess, it was this appearance.

Fluffy pink hair like cotton candy.

Large, round eyes the color of pale water.

The appearance of a girl who had just turned fifteen was as adorable as a baby rabbit.

No stains, nothing messy—this should be good enough to meet him without embarrassment.

Having made up my mind, I turned to Bella and asked,

“Where’s the male lead—no, my husband?”

“E-excuse me? Madam… why are you asking about the Duke?”

“Well, he’s my husband. Shouldn’t I at least see his face?”

Seeing Bella’s worried expression, I added,

“Don’t worry. I’m not planning to divorce him before he grows up, at least.”

“Ah! Yes! I’ll guide you there!”

Some might feel hurt that she seemed to care more about him than me, but I was actually satisfied with Bella’s attitude.

Of course the young master she had been serving would matter more than someone like me, whom she’d just met today.

Still, that level of loyalty in such a poor household…

Well, working in this ruined family probably required that much dedication.

…Come to think of it, were the servants even being paid here?

It wasn’t unpaid labor, right?

Thinking about the bosses from my past life who used to withhold wages made the back of my neck ache again.

Despite my confident start, we quickly arrived at the male lead’s room.

It wasn’t far from mine.

In fact, it was just two doors down.

“Pretty close, huh?”

From the outside, the castle had looked enormous—I thought we’d have to walk much farther.

“Oh, we chose a nearby room on purpose. It makes management easier.”

Hmm. Makes sense.

With the current number of servants, there’s no way they could manage such a huge castle.

Focus on what matters.

A good strategy.

I knocked on the door.

No response.

I knocked again.

Still nothing.

Feeling something was off, I turned to Bella.

“Uh… I’m not sure. He should definitely be in his room at this hour… I’ll go check!”

After Bella left, I waited a moment before opening the door.

I had planned to wait outside, but honestly, the hallway was colder than the room.

Inside, I saw a lump of blankets on the bed, curled up like a cocoon.

What? He was in here?

Then why didn’t he answer?

“Um…”

I called out carefully, but there was no response.

I stepped closer.

In the original story, the male lead would release killing intent the moment someone approached him—but now, even though he must have sensed me, he remained completely still.

I poked the blanket lump with my finger.

Still no reaction.

Wait… is this even him?

What if it’s a corpse he killed?

The temperature in the room seemed to drop five degrees in an instant.

To shake off the horrifying thought, I squeezed my eyes shut and pulled the blanket away.

And then I froze in shock.

It was the male lead—but his body was burning hot.

“Bella! Bella!”

“His wages were never delayed even once… so how could he just run away without a word?”

Bella sobbed.

The maid in charge of the male lead had run away.

Not even handing over her duties—she had fled in the middle of the night.

“I thought she was taking good care of him… but with the Duke’s funeral these past few days, I couldn’t pay attention…”

I ran my finger across the headboard.

A layer of dust had clearly built up.

It hadn’t been cleaned in quite a while.

“How long has it been since the previous Duke passed away?”

“About a week.”

“Then she must’ve used that opportunity to escape.”

At my words, Bella burst into even louder tears.

“I should’ve taken better care of him… It was my responsibility…”

“Stop crying. Go check if there’s any firewood.”

I said as I wiped the male lead’s face with a cold, damp cloth.

Thankfully, snow was everywhere outside, so at least water was free.

As soon as Bella left the room, I let out a deep sigh.

What a complete mess.

When the cold cloth touched his skin, the male lead stirred faintly in his feverish haze.

I brushed aside the black hair covering his eyes, and his expression eased slightly.

Even while groaning in pain, he was ridiculously handsome.

No wonder the novel had lavished so much praise on his looks.

If he weren’t this sick, I might have clapped the moment I saw him.

I might’ve even dropped to my knees and shouted hallelujah—it would’ve made sense with a face like that.

Maybe because he was still young, he didn’t look ruggedly handsome yet, but rather delicately beautiful.

Even though I’d raised my standards sky-high from seeing countless good-looking men on my phone in my past life, his looks were on another level entirely.

Now I understood why the author had gone to such lengths describing his appearance.

Simple words couldn’t do his face justice.

This was the utopia of faces.

So this is what it takes to be a male lead.

My feelings grew complicated.

The male lead I knew from the novel was strong and well-built—not a small, fragile child like this.

“Sniff… sob… Mom…”

He whimpered, rubbing his cheek against my hand.

Something in my chest tightened painfully.

Come to think of it, he was only ten years old—and had already lost both parents.

Even before that, things hadn’t been good.

Both of them had been too busy trying to save the family to care about their child.

There’s only so much retainers can do.

There was no leader to guide the household, and they weren’t even paid well.

The fact that they hadn’t all run away and were still working here meant they were truly loyal.

“This is such a disaster…”

Sighs kept escaping me.

Abuse isn’t just about hitting or hurting a child.

Neglect—failing to give proper care or attention—is abuse too.

The boy—no, the Duke now—was wearing clothes that were too old and too small.

Seeing him like this reminded me of my younger self, making it even more heartbreaking.

No… maybe his situation was worse than mine.

At least I only had to take care of myself.

He carried the enormous burden of leading this ducal house.

Because of how capable he had been in the original story, I had forgotten he was only ten.

I took his hand, which was weakly reaching into the air.

The burning heat of his skin made it real—he wasn’t just a “male lead” in a novel, but a living person.

Even in his sleep, he clutched my hand tightly, as if afraid I might disappear.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

I whispered, gently patting his chest.

Whether he heard me or not, his expression relaxed slightly.

“I’m not going anywhere, so get better soon.”

And then show me what color your eyes are.

A day passed.

His condition hadn’t improved.

We lit a fire with the firewood Bella barely managed to find, kept the room warm, and changed the cold cloth on his forehead repeatedly—but his fever wouldn’t go down.

“I think we need to call a doctor.”

At my words, Bella’s face darkened.

Calling a doctor cost money.

And this castle had none.

Neither did I.

Even though I knew from the original story that he would survive, seeing him suffer like this right in front of me made me uneasy.

I tightened my clothes and stood up.

“Who’s in charge of the household finances right now?”

“With the butler gone, Mr. Frug is… Madam, are you going to ask for money?”

“We can’t just leave him like this. We have to try something.”

“I’ll take you there.”

Bella followed me.

I hesitated for a moment.

Would bringing her along help—or just get in the way?

But I didn’t have a good reason to stop her.

I opened the door and glanced back at her.

“You can come, but if you want a doctor, stay quiet.”

The one managing the household, Frug, worked in the office.

The spacious office, once meant for dozens of staff, was now occupied by just one man.

Even though I—the lady of the house—had come, he remained seated arrogantly.

To him, I was just a common-born orphan girl married out of necessity.

“So… you need money to call a doctor…”

Frug stroked his mustache as if in thought.

“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.”

“Why not?!”

Bella shouted, stomping her foot.

“The young master—no, the Duke—is in critical condition! We need a doctor right away!”

Unlike Bella’s urgency, Frug remained completely relaxed.

“Oh, Bella. You know our situation. The castle is in the mountains, and it’s snowing outside. Calling a doctor under these conditions would cost about a commoner’s monthly living expenses. The family simply doesn’t have that kind of spare money.”

Bella, knowing the household’s poverty, fell silent.

“Th-then what do we do?! If his fever doesn’t go down… what if something happens…!”

She broke down crying again.

Frug spoke as if he truly felt sorry, offering her hollow comfort.

But to me, it looked like he was mocking her.

“Let us pray the young master pulls through. He is strong—surely he will endure.”

“Is there really not a single coin? Nothing left by the previous Duke?”

At my blunt tone, annoyance flickered across his face.

“If I had money, why would I hide it?”

My gaze fell on his well-groomed, glossy mustache—

something that didn’t suit a man working in a destitute ducal household.