Chapter 4
“Me too, Duke.”
Bianca swayed her waist playfully.
Her soft, tempting body caught Louis’s attention, and his instinct rose.
No woman could match his wife in looks.
But strangely, time with her wife always felt dull and empty.
Bianca was different.
She made him feel alive.
She had a thrilling, exciting charm his wife didn’t have.
“Haa…”
Bianca let out a breathy moan and kissed the back of Louis’s neck.
The kiss that followed was urgent and rough.
In the open garden, the fear of being seen by someone made them even more excited.
“…Stop. Elie might come.”
Bianca pretended to push him away, but her hands were weak.
Just as Louis was about to move closer again, a flash of bright dress appeared in the distance.
“Tch, she’s here already.”
Their short, dizzying affair ended there.
They quickly separated and sat back as if nothing had happened.
Soon, Elisabeth appeared with a smiling face.
“Did you wait long?”
“No— not really.”
When Bianca smiled, Elisabeth’s eyes widened.
“Oh, Bianca. Your face is red.”
“Ah… just a little warm.”
It was a cool day. But Elisabeth thought nothing of it.
The teacup in Louis’s hand, his slightly crooked cravat, the faded lipstick Bianca wore— she ignored it all.
Elisabeth was not someone unaware.
She was sensitive and observant.
But this time, she was completely blind.
She trusted the two of them so much.
That small, fragile trust had blinded her eyes.
Tears ran silently from her closed eyes.
‘I was the only one who didn’t know. I was the fool.’
Someone’s finger wiped away the tears.
Her heavy eyelids slowly lifted, and her vision returned, blurry but real.
“Where… am I?”
“You’re awake. We were worried; you’ve been unconscious for days.”
“Ah…”
It really wasn’t a dream.
The memory of wandering the place where she had “died” in the rain,
the traces of betrayal hidden in blood,
and the countless signs from her past she had wanted to ignore—everything was cruel reality.
Something hot boiled deep in her chest.
Light slowly returned to her empty eyes.
The trust she had held onto, until the very end,shattered completely.
The man sitting beside her quietly watched this change.
“You… will really help me?”
“Yes.”
“Who are you… and why are you helping me?”
The man was silent for a moment, then spoke.
“I’m just one of the many people you’ve helped.”
“…?”
Elisabeth didn’t understand.
“Have we… met before?”
The man faintly smiled.
When expressionless, he seemed cold and distant, but with a smile, he was unbelievably gentle.
“You probably won’t remember me, Elisabeth.”
His tone was firm, as if telling her not to ask more.
Elisabeth was curious, but she didn’t push.
It didn’t matter who he was.
There was only one thing on her mind: revenge.
Nothing else mattered.
“…I will get revenge.”
Her voice was low, filled with icy hatred and rage.
“Those who tried to kill me… I will make them feel the same pain. But…”
Elisabeth slowly raised her head and met his eyes.
“It will be dangerous. Will you still help me?”
Her eyes mixed fear and resolve.
But the man nodded without hesitation.
“Of course. Then tell me.”
Cold determination flashed in his eyes.
“Who made you like this?”
Elisabeth’s face instantly went pale.
Her breath shook, her lips trembled.
The man waited quietly and patiently.
Finally, she spoke:
“…My husband, and my friend.”
“…What?”
The man furrowed his brows, confused.
“…The trash I thought they were.”
Lightning seemed to flash in her eyes.
A heavy silence followed.
“What do you want?”
His voice was calm and low, but it carried suppressed anger and killing intent.
“Should I kill them? Or crush them?”
Their eyes met.
“Just say it. Whatever you want, I’ll do it.”
His eyes shone sharply.
***
At the same time, Lamore Manor.
Since the Duchess’s “death,” the mansion had been steeped in gloomy silence.
The servants lived tensely each day, and Lizzy and Angela were no exception.
“By the way…”
Lizzy lowered her voice.
“Why?”
She glanced around, then got closer to Angela.
“Why hasn’t that woman gone home?”
She meant Viscountess Noavel’s daughter, Bianca.
Angela glanced at her briefly, then looked away.
“How should I know? She must’ve been hanging around the master.”
Her tone was cold, and there was a bitter sarcasm at the end.
“Really? Is that rumor true?”
Lizzy gasped, covering her mouth.
But Angela just kept scrubbing quietly.
The servants were already whispering about the inappropriate relationship between Bianca and the Duke.
Seeing them kiss or hug, stories spread among the staff.
They kept it quiet, but everyone knew.
“This is ridiculous. How long has it been since the mistress died…”
Lizzy’s voice was full of disgust.
Angela muttered coldly:
“Jace and Anna, who went out with the mistress that day, quit suddenly. That woman is now living in the house like the lady. Something’s wrong.”
Lizzy nodded urgently.
“Right! But that woman… she was supposed to be a friend of the mistress. How can she do this?”
“How can she? She was never really a friend.”
“True… I always thought she was strange. Even when the mistress wasn’t here, she just came…”
“What is that sound?”
Gasp!
The two maids turned around, shocked.
Bianca was standing behind them.
Her beautiful face, heavily made up, twisted in anger.
“How dare a lowly maid… speak ill of her mistress?”
Although Bianca was the target, by mentioning her scandal, she also criticized the Duke.
Speaking ill of the master was unforgivable.
The pale maids bowed deeply.
“S-Sorry, we didn’t mean that—”
“Shut up.”
Bianca slapped Angela’s cheek harshly.
A rough smack echoed.
Angela staggered but managed to stay upright, bowing her head.
Her cheek quickly swelled red.
“What, hanging around? Say it again. What did I do?”
Bianca, still angry, slapped Angela again.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
The ring on her finger cut Angela’s cheek, drawing blood.
Angela collapsed on the floor, covered in blood.
Bianca breathed heavily and turned her head sharply.
Startled, Lizzy’s shoulders shook.
“You… think I’m strange?”
“N-No! No! Not at all!”
Lizzy shook her head violently, denying it.
“I told you, coming to the house without Elie… what did I do wrong, huh?”
“Th-That is….”
“Speak!”
“N-No, it’s not… aaah—!”
Bianca grabbed Lizzy’s hair.
“How dare a lowly brat say such things?”
She shook Lizzy violently.
Lizzy screamed.
“I’m sorry, miss! I’m sorry!”
But Bianca’s temper only worsened.
“Miss…?”
