"If you're going to betray us, do it. Because when you're worthless, I'll kill you and hold the Ludwigs responsible."
I understood Sophia's point, even as tears welled in my eyes from the suffocating pain in my throat.
She'd be able to make it look like I'd been murdered by someone in the Ludwig family, and use my death as a weapon to stab the Ludwigs.
No one would ever imagine that Count Riegelhoff, who was famously fond of his daughter, would have killed her.
'This is why he pretended to love me.'
They are truly terrible people, so terrible that Count Sinclair seems more human.
Just as my mind was going blank, Sophia released her grip on my neck.
I choked frantically and wrapped my arms around my stiff neck.
"So, if you don't want to die, just be a pretty little doll like you've always been."
Sophia's voice was eerie.
But I didn't feel the slightest bit like giving in to her.
Edith, who has been abused since she was a child, may be afraid of Sophia, but I know she can't be the one to kill her.
In this world, the only person set to kill Edith is Killian Ludwig.
Not some shitty extra whose death is never explained.
"You're going to regret this, Sophia," I said, my voice hoarse.
I thought she was going to slap me again, but she just looked down at me with a ridiculous look.
***
Killian fiddled with the embroidery of a light gray bird biting a laurel leaf, lost in thought.
The day after he returned from his inspection of the Ryzen estate, it was the day before Countess Ermenia's annual bazaar.
In fact, his only impression of the event was, "I'm tired, and I have to go there tomorrow."
Until he heard the news from his mother.
"And Edith embroidered a bird on her handkerchief, do you know what color it is?"
"Why would I know that, does it matter?"
"Hohoho. It's the color of your eyes."
"......yes?"
"She embroidered it while thinking of you. Isn't that cute?"
The answer was so unexpected.
His mother laughed, saying that Edith had even told her not to tell him, but Killian wondered what Edith had meant by that.
'Maybe she was just trying to impress my mother.'
When Killian arrived at the bazaar the next day, he realized that Edith, Lizé, and Cliff had all gone to walk around in the bazaar, so he followed them.
But because he was late, he saw that Edith and Lizé had already returned from their walk.
Just as he was about to feign ignorance, a group of women blocked their path.
'Countess Bryn? I hear she's gone down to the estate to recuperate, but she's back.'
The Countess of Bryn had a reputation for being outspoken, but her position as Countess of Bryn and her caring nature meant that she had many followers.
However, she immediately picked a fight with Lizé, saying that she was an illegitimate child or a pet.
'Is she crazy?'
He was just about to storm off when Edith stepped in front of the trembling Lizé.
"I can't seem to fit in with society these days. A bunch of village hicks wandering around the bazaar."
Even Killian was surprised by her bold provocation, but the other party started to ridicule Edith.
The woman said something like Edith was not much better than Lizé, and the next words from the other woman pierced Killian's heart.
"I hear she's ignored by even her husband?"
She wasn't wrong, and it didn't occur to him that he should have taken care of Edith.
But he couldn't figure out why he felt guilty.
"I've heard rumors that the Duke of Ludwig has an unwanted daughter-in-law, but I didn't expect it to be this bad."
"I heard that Count Riegelhoff forced the marriage."
"I feel sorry for Sir Killian."
The words the women left behind clung to Killian's legs.
Their words were like knives disguised as words. They weren't even lies, which made them even sharper.
'It's all because Count Riegelhoff is greedy.'
Killian blamed Count Riegelhoff. Even as he turned to look at Edith's expression, he felt a twinge of trepidation.
But unlike Killian who was frozen, Edith casually took Lizé's hand and walked away.
There was no anger, no shame, no sense of humiliation on her face.
Perhaps Edith was not someone who could be hurt by mean words.
'Is she that strong......?'
But suddenly, he remembered her telling him that she was hurt by his words.
Watching Edith walk back to the Ludwigs' tent, Killian turned to follow, then turned away again.
At the bazaar, Killian spotted three handkerchiefs that were clearly embroidered by Edith.
'She's got some real...... what can I say...... humble skills.'
Amidst the incredible embroideries, hers are so simple that it makes one wonder if they were done by a noble lady.
'The Ludwigs should not be brought into disgrace because the items they donated remained at the bazaar until the end.'
With that excuse in mind, he bought three of Edith's handkerchiefs on the spot and stuffed them into his inside pocket.
And when he returned to the tent, the still beautiful Lizé greeted him with a bright smile, and Edith......
"I miss– no, did you have a good trip?"
Was she about to say she missed me?
No, no way. There's no way she misses me, the man who always says nothing but cruel things in front of her.
Besides, her husband's "disrespect" for her was well-known to everyone.
But the mood at the bazaar was good.
The weather was nice, and it was nice to meet and greet old acquaintances.
Edith laughing with him, drinking iced tea, and eating snacks was also pleasant.
If she'd just behave, maybe I could get her to live with me.
Maybe it was because of this thought, he even said a few words to her without thinking.
"It's much better...... than the ones you wore before."
"It is, isn't it? Mrs. Ruayal's skills are quite good. You'd be surprised to know what this dress used to look like."
So he realized that the dress she was wearing was not a new one, but an altered one.
Directly across the table, someone was 'again' complimenting Lizé on her beauty and her new dress, but no one was complimenting Edith while Killian sat there.
'If you've been so bad at reputation management all these years......'
Right. The reason why people ignore Edith is because she does not care about her own reputation.
But when another group of ladies praised Lizé without even saying hello to Edith, Killian had to admit he was offended.
'I mean, she's my wife now...... isn't ignoring her the same as disrespecting me?'
Yes, that was it.
But just then, Edith got up to go and touch up her makeup.
'Are you offended by this?'
She was being ignored in such an embarrassing way that she couldn't take it anymore and left.
So Killian watched her go into the mansion and then stood up.
"Where are you going, Killian?"
He was about to leave the tent when Lizé grabbed him by the hem of his shirt.
Suddenly, the eyes of the other ladies turned to him.
"Oh my! Sir Killian is here, too! It's been a while."
"My goodness, you've grown up so handsomely, I'm sure Duchess Ludwig has no worries."
At any other time, he would have greeted them, for the sake of his reputation and his mother's honor.
But he didn't feel like it, especially since they hadn't even bothered to look at him and Edith, only Cliff and Lizé.
"Excuse me, but my hands are sticky and I need to wash them."
With that, he hurried toward the mansion.
As he entered the mansion and looked around for the women's restroom, he saw Edith's reddish-brown hair peeking out of the window.
She was with a blond man.
'No way. With all these eyes on her, is she having an affair with another man?'
Edith would never do something so embarrassing.
Even as he thought this, Killian hurried out of the mansion and crept toward the corner where they had disappeared.
He didn't even realize he was muffling his footsteps.
The man who had dragged Edith pulled her to him, whispered something to her, and released her roughly.
Then Killian realized who the man was.
'Shane Riegelhoff......?'
Shane glared at Edith with a seemingly gnashing of teeth, then turned and walked away.
Even as he walked away, Edith stood still, shivering.
'What did that bastard say?'
Edith pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes, and it was clear she'd been crying.
But then she took a deep breath and took out a mirror to examine her face.
The corners of her mouth quirked up in an odd way, and then she put the mirror in and turned away with a weary expression.
Killian quickly took a few steps away, then pretended to have just gotten there in time for her to come around the corner.
"I've been looking for you for a while. Where have you been?"
"Oh...... the mansion is beautiful, so I thought I'd see what it's like over here......"
"You have a lot of curiosity."
As soon as they met, Killian noticed that one of her cheeks was flushed.
'Did Shane Riegelhoff hit Edith?'
It was unbelievable.
The Riegelhoffs' love for Edith was a well-known story in social circles.
But when Killian thought of Shane's strangely fierce face and Edith's reddened cheek after meeting him, he could only think about the possible outcome.
Nevertheless, Edith continued the conversation in a casual tone of voice.