Hiding My Identity From My Husband - Chapter 6

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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 6

“No, I’m telling you, I’m fine.”
The moment the carriage lurched forward, I spoke to Ru, who was already reaching for a Potion to pour over my arm.
“This much? A little spit and it’ll heal. Really, I’m okay.”
“Charel.”
Ru turned his head with a slight frown, and I could see clear irritation etched across his face.
Why was he still upset?
Had he gotten too caught up in the act?
“Your arm is swollen like that and you’re fine? If this is fine, what exactly counts as not fine? Do you have to be dead before it’s not okay?”
“…Why do you always have to be so sarcastic about it?”
I pursed my lips and looked down at my arm.
True enough, my arm from the wasp sting was swollen so badly I couldn’t close my hand around it.
Any ordinary person would have been rolling around in agony from a wound like that, but me?
This was barely worth calling pain.
I’d taken far worse injuries countless times before… so why bother complaining now?
“Stop talking and sit still.”
“Fine, fine. Drop the attitude. You only ever get snippy with me.”
“That’s because you’re—”
Ru’s voice rose, but then he exhaled sharply and shook his head.
“Never mind. I’m done arguing.”
After saying so, Ru uncorked the Potion and began pouring it over my arm.
“Ugh.”
The moment the Potion touched my skin, it began to fizz and bubble. It didn’t hurt, but the sensation was strange enough to make me grimace.
“Charel.”
By the time the foam had settled, Ru called my name again.
I looked up to find him wearing his usual impassive expression.
As if he’d never been annoyed with me at all.
“You do realize we left without properly finishing our conversation with the Count because of you, don’t you?”
“Technically, it wasn’t because of me. It was the wasp.”
I explained how the Wasp had appeared suddenly, and how I’d saved Evelyn from being stung.
Ru’s expression grew thoughtful.
“A Wasp, in the middle of the Capital, in a Mansion like that.”
He murmured, narrowing one eye. I shared his suspicion, so I added to what he’d said.
“Look into it and tell me what you find.”
Ru nodded, agreeing, then glanced back and forth between my arm and my face.
“…At least you won Evelyn’s favor out of it. I suppose that’s not the worst outcome.”
He muttered to himself before turning back to me with a question.
“Did you engineer the whole thing to win her favor?”
With my arm fully healed thanks to the Potion, I shook my head.
“You have this tendency to assume everyone in the world acts as deliberately as you do.”
“Pardon?”
I stared at Ru as he asked, as if he genuinely didn’t understand.
My planned “party disruption” was nothing more than deliberately antagonizing the young ladies.
That way they’d hate me, and they’d stop inviting me to High Society gatherings.
The Wasp appearing after that, and me saving them—that was never part of the plan.
‘And if you asked why I acted without a plan…’
I was the strongest among them.
I had the best self-defense capability.
So I saved them.
Because it had to be done.
But I didn’t like how Ru was framing my action as some sinister scheme.
“Saving someone is the natural thing to do. I didn’t act to earn the young ladies’ goodwill. Don’t reduce what I did to something calculated.”
Ru’s expression became unreadable.
“…Natural, you say.”
His voice was as lazy and soft as always, but his smile had stiffened, becoming oddly fixed.
“You see the world so simply, Charel. But the world is full of people who cannot do that natural thing. They are the vast majority.”
Lu continued with a scoff.
“People saving people—it sounds like an elegant phrase, but that’s all it is, in my view.”
“Is that so?”
“But when someone reaches out a hand to another, there’s always a reason behind it.”
My brow furrowed, but Lu pressed on without hesitation.
“They pretend to help while serving themselves, or perhaps easing their own guilt. That’s what I’ve observed.”
His face still wore that composed expression, but a faint tremor played at the corners of his mouth.
He fixed me with a direct gaze and asked.
“Charel, truly—did you have no ulterior motive?”
I let out a hollow laugh.
“I had a motive.”
“See—”
“To save those people.”
……
Lu’s face twisted into something obscure once more.
“Why? Annoyed that I didn’t give you the answer you wanted?”
“Not quite annoyed. Just a bit… hollow, I suppose.”
He exhaled a defeated breath and shook his head slowly.
“Moments like this remind me.”
His blue eyes grew cold and distant.
“That you and I are truly different people.”
He smiled bitterly, speaking almost in a murmur.
Then, as if to end the conversation there, he turned away and began sorting through the Potion bottles scattered across the carriage floor.
I don’t think I misspoke.
‘Saving people being natural—that’s not wrong, is it?’
Yet I found myself wondering why Lu was being so prickly about it.
He’d grown up far more comfortably than I had, an orphan with no one, and yet he carried this weight.
“In any case, I’ll handle the Count myself. Since I’m the one who saved Evelyn, it shouldn’t take long to get close to him.”
“That’s a good plan.”
Lu had already returned to his usual expression when he answered.
“There’s a party at the Baidon Marquis House next week. You’ll need to attend.”
He fixed me with an unwavering stare.
More precisely, he was looking at my injured arm, but either way.
“In front of people, just act as you did today.”
In one fluid motion, he leaned in and pulled my hand close.
His fingers traced the back of my hand before he interlaced them with mine, his smile soft and warm.
“I enjoyed the lovers’ act today, after all.”
Of course, this was theater too.
I nodded and gripped his hand firmly in return.
Already thinking about how I’d disrupt his plan at the Marquis House as well.

* * *

We parted ways in the foyer when we returned to the Mansion. Lu headed to his Study, and I to my room.
Mardi had offered to keep me company, but I declined.
I had a feeling Cataecl would be sending word around this time.
Once in my room, I threw open the windows and began unpacking my bag.
After retrieving the Poison, Knife, and Pistol I’d brought just in case, I hid them deep in the wardrobe.
That’s when it happened.
I felt a presence behind me.
Every instinct prickled, and I spun around on one knee in a single motion.
—–!
Before my eyes hovered a small bird, its wings beating rapidly.
But it was no ordinary bird.
A round Microphone was fixed to its neck, and a Camera embedded in one eye tracked my every move.
I drew a sharp breath and bowed my head low.
“It’s been a long time, Captain.”
The Microphone affixed to the Mechanical Bird’s neck crackled with laughter.
[Three years since we’ve spoken face to face, and you still insist on such formality?]
I smiled despite myself, bowing my head even lower.
“The Commander wouldn’t be alone, would he? I should mind my manners at least—there are others watching nearby.”
[Mm.]
Baylor, the Commander, let out a low hum. My suspicion was confirmed: there were indeed others in the room with him.
‘Probably his deputy commanders.’
Men I’d never been close to.
More precisely, they didn’t care for me.
[We can discuss other matters once you visit again.]
“Understood, Commander.”
[So then.]
Baylor spoke.
[What have you harvested?]
It was the question I’d anticipated, so I answered calmly.
“Fortunately, Lubantez has no information at present. So as you know, I’ve been cultivating connections with the nobility of the Empire—trying to unearth the whereabouts of the Sacred Relic.”
A faint commotion filtered through the mechanical device. I seized the opening to continue.
“So while I, too, have little to show yet, I’m confident I’ll bring you good news soon. If you’ll only wait a little longer—”
[Wait?]
Then a voice laced with mockery spilled through.
It wasn’t the Commander speaking.
[If we wait as you suggest, are you certain you’ll bring us information worth our while?]
“…Yes. I’m certain of it.”
[Nonsense.]
I couldn’t see his face, but I could picture him—smirking with that twisted smile.
I knew what was coming next.
[You showed such recklessness before, and an agent died because of it.]
He was laying my failure at my feet. My sin.
[Do you mean to spill blood again?]
My breath caught short.

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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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