Hiding My Identity From My Husband - Chapter 19

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 19

Cecile Rosfeldt was in a foul mood.
Her father, Baron Rosfeldt, oversaw a munitions factory, but lately one of their major clients had unilaterally terminated their contract, leaving the operation in serious straits.
So he’d concocted a scheme to cultivate a friendship with Everlyn Floria, the stepdaughter of Count Floria—a man as good as a kingpin in defense procurement—and use that connection to secure new business.
When Cecile learned that Everlyn had a fondness for small, cute creatures, she was certain the girl would adore her.
After all, by her own estimation, she was small and adorable herself.
With her hair parted into two pigtails, a lace-trimmed headband, and a dress dripping with frills, Cecile had approached Everlyn with the brightest, most harmless smile she could muster.
Everlyn had welcomed her warmly.
Yes.
Until Charlene Courtney arrived.
“Come on! Don’t just stand there gawking like an idiot! Get over here—I’ll teach you!”
It was I who needed to capture Everlyn’s attention, yet here she was, fawning over some country girl.
“Do you understand? All you have to do is hit that disc when it flies through the air.”
“Yes. I understand.”
“But! Even if you miss, it’s fine. No one here would think poorly of you, so just relax!”
Though her tone was a bit gruff, anyone could see that Everlyn was looking after Charlene.
What could possibly be so endearing about her!
Of course, she was smaller and cuter than me!
Her pink hair was lovely, and her round eyes sparkled so brightly!
But……!
‘She’s a country bumpkin, for heaven’s sake!’
Besides, hadn’t Everlyn been chasing after Lou Vansen originally?
So why was she fussing over Charlene, who was Lou’s betrothed?
Cecile clenched both fists and trembled with indignation.
‘I can’t lose to her.’
What could I possibly be lacking?
And I absolutely must become close with Everlyn!
Burning with determination, Cecile strode toward Charlene and Everlyn.
“Everlyn!”
Then she gave Everlyn’s sleeve a gentle tug.
“Charlene won’t be able to do well anyway, no matter how much you teach her. Why don’t you play with us instead? Yes?”
At that, Everlyn withdrew the faint smile she’d been wearing while watching Charlene and furrowed her brow.
“Why do you think Charlene wouldn’t be able to do it?”
“Oh my, Everlyn.”
But whether she hadn’t read Everlyn’s expression or was simply too preoccupied to care, Cecile answered without regard.
“I mentioned it before, didn’t I? That they don’t enjoy such refined pastimes in Courtney Province. She’s probably never even held a shotgun before—how could she possibly enjoy this?”
Cecile cast a disdainful glance toward Charlene.
“What’s the point in explaining? She’ll only forget it all instantly. Refined pursuits like this can only be truly enjoyed by those who’ve been raised among them.”
Everlyn’s expression darkened.
It was true that Charlene came from a provincial backwater as a Young Lady.
But surely one shouldn’t dismiss someone based on that alone?
True, when she’d first met Charlene, Everlyn had looked down on her too—but now that she’d received kindness from the girl, she no longer wished to reduce her to something trivial.
And Charlene was cute, besides.
So Everlyn drew in a deep breath to say something to Cecile.
“Cecile. I really don’t think……!”
“Shall I give it a try?”
Just then, Charlene interjected.
Charlene slung the shotgun diagonally across her shoulder and nodded.
Seeing the confidence radiating from Charlene’s face, Cecile ground her teeth and bristled with irritation.
“What’s with that smug expression?”
She had the distinct feeling she was being looked down upon.
“Fine. Let’s see you try it then!”
Then Everlyn waved her hands in protest.
“Wait! I haven’t even taught you how to shoot yet…….”
Bang!
“……?”
Bang! Bang!
Sharp gunshots rang out in quick succession.
Everlyn and Cecile spun around in alarm.
There stood Charlene, braced in a perfect shooting stance, tracking clay discs.
“What—?”
Bang! Bang! Bang!
So this was what Perfect Accuracy looked like.
With each recoil that jarred Charlene’s body, another clay disc tumbled to the ground.
“I thought she was just a cute young lady with a sharp tongue, but she handles a shotgun well too…….”
Where does her charm end, exactly?
Everlyn watched Charlene with an admiring smile playing at her lips.
“That… ahem!”
Cecile, who had been marveling without reservation—forgetting entirely that she’d been the one to provoke Charlene—suddenly came to her senses.
She shook her head sharply, then leveled a withering glare at Charlene as she lowered the shotgun.
“I didn’t know you could handle firearms. How surprising.”
“Well, yes.”
“You must’ve spent your whole life in the countryside hunting, I suppose? Though naturally, you’d need excellent marksmanship to keep yourself alive out there.”
…….
Charlene lowered the barrel slowly and turned her head at a deliberate pace.
She’d deliberately put extra care into her shooting, thinking it would be satisfying to crush her opponent if she rose to the provocation. But this—this was crossing a line.
The nastier she got, the better for Charlene.
“I currently have a gun in my hands…….”
Charlene smiled sweetly as she spoke.
“Why do you keep provoking me?”
Shhhhh—
The atmosphere shifted in an instant.
The haughty defiance drained from Cecile’s face; she went pale and cried out in genuine shock.
“A-a-are you threatening me right now?”
“No. I’d call it stating a fact rather than a threat.”
“That’s the same thing! Put the gun down! Down!”
“If I put the gun down at a shooting range, what’s the point? I need to hold it.”
“I said put it down!”
Cecile stumbled backward in panic, and Charlene laughed at the sight of her.
She was only laughing because Cecile looked ridiculous, but that smile was enough to terrify her.
“It’s scary, so put it down!”
The instant Cecile’s shrieking reached its peak—
“Charlene?”
A familiar voice cut through the chaos.
Wait. Could it be?
“Lou?”
She turned to look, and indeed it was Lou.
Lou stood there in a casual short-sleeved shirt with a hunting vest draped over it.
He pulled the earmuffs from his ears as he approached Charlene.
“What are you doing here?”
The whole point was that she’d said she was going to Themis’s funeral. So why in the world was she at the Clay Shooting Range?
Charlene laughed awkwardly and scratched her cheek.
“Well, it just sort of… happened.”
“I can’t fathom how you ‘just sort of’ ended up at a shooting range with young ladies.”
He couldn’t curse outright with people around, so he was doing it with his eyes instead.
Charlene deliberately avoided Lou’s piercing gaze and turned away.
“Oh my! Welcome, Lou!”
Just then, Cecile bounded over to Lou with a beaming smile—as if she hadn’t been shrieking in terror just moments before.
“You look amazing today, as always! How do you manage to look so good even in such casual clothes?”
She smiled as though she were hatching some elaborate scheme.
“And looking at you both, you and Everlyn truly are a perfect match. A handsome man and a beautiful woman, as they say?”
Cecile clapped her hands together as she spoke.
“I do wish you two had become betrothed to each other!”
Shhhhh—
The atmosphere plummeted in an instant.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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