I Became the Wife of the Hero Who Killed Me - Chapter 69

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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#Episode 69

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The sound of waves could be heard from a distant place.

As if rising from deep water, my sunken consciousness slowly surfaced.

“Are you regaining consciousness?”

Still intoxicated by hazy sensations, I slowly opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was the inn’s ceiling. The warmth of the fireplace filling the room felt pleasant, and the familiar face that entered my vision afterward brought me relief.

“Edwin.”

“….”

I felt like I had dreamed something, but I couldn’t remember the content at all.

Only the tears falling on pale cheeks remained like an afterimage in my mind.

‘I hope you’ll be happy.’

He had become friends with a commoner like me without hesitation, stayed by my side during difficult times, and after becoming an official, supported the Lombard I dreamed of as if it were his own dream.

I had resolved to live according to my station and thought I had kept it well until now.

I tried to reach out to Edwin’s eyes that looked like they were about to cry, but my limbs were too heavy. There were even bandages wrapped tightly around my wrists.

What could I have injured when I just sit at a desk all day—

“Madam, are you regaining consciousness?”

“…?!”

The moment I heard the word “madam,” a sense of reality came rushing back belatedly.

Had I gone crazy?

In my hazy state between dream and reality, I had unconsciously called the Duke by his name like before!

I was flustered and stammering, but the Duke, perhaps knowing my condition wasn’t very good, didn’t bother to point out my recent mistake and let it pass.

“I’m glad you’ve awakened. I was worried because your consciousness didn’t return for a long time.”

“Ah, yes, that’s right. I was just so tired that I…”

My face burned with embarrassment.

After rambling meaninglessly for a while, I finally gathered my wits and asked.

“I feel like I slept well. How long has it been? A day?”

“Four days.”

“What?!”

“You’ve been asleep for a full four days.”

The Duke’s face was clouded with worry as he said this.

If this wasn’t still a dream, if my eyes weren’t deceiving me, the Duke seemed to be worried about me.

‘This makes it impossible not to acknowledge it.’

There was a reason I wasn’t anxious even when being dragged to the petty thieves’ hideout.

I had faith that Gareth, being skilled, would protect me, but I also calculated that Ramon and Count Baron would contact the Duke immediately upon realizing my disappearance.

Of course, even so, considering the time it would take for news to be delivered, it would have taken at least ten days.

Bellamare had become an autonomous territory precisely because it was too isolated in the first place.

‘Though it turned out they weren’t ordinary petty thieves and the incident escalated…’

If the Duke hadn’t hurried to come, I would certainly have died.

As I was clicking my tongue bitterly, I suddenly screamed.

“Ah! Come to think of it, the Governor!”

“Yes?”

“That damn Governor… I mean, we should have thoroughly searched his office and administrative residence to secure evidence before Uncle-in-law noticed!”

“That’s already been taken care of.”

“Huh?”

To me, who was just blinking in confusion, the Duke explained one by one what had happened while I was unconscious.

He had sent Ramon and the army to the administrative residence before the Governor could notice.

They had secured evidence of all the tyrannical acts the Governor had committed, and planned to organize this at the castle keep and formally file charges with the Roxcron Judicial Council.

But the Duke hesitated for a moment after saying this much.

“However, one problem has arisen. Uncle has fled.”

“Fled? Then we need to catch him! If he could evade the elite army, there must be accomplices inside. We need to quickly identify them and…!”

“Unfortunately, he was discovered by the citizens during his escape.”

Ah.

From the Duke’s troubled expression, I could easily guess the hidden implications.

The citizens of Bellamare were already furious to the top of their heads.

In a situation where they would throw stones just for passing by, with even the Duke and Duchess getting involved making his downfall certain, I realized he couldn’t have died peacefully.

‘It’s regrettable that he couldn’t receive a proper trial.’

But if this helped ease the citizens’ resentment even a little, I thought it wasn’t such a bad ending.

If it had gone to litigation, it would have dragged on for years.

“….”

After organizing my thoughts, I looked up at the Duke.

His complexion was haggard.

The Duke of this life didn’t usually show his emotions well, but his gaunt face suggested he had stayed by my side for a long time while I was unconscious.

Even I couldn’t pretend not to notice this time.

Receiving my gaze, the Duke stood up from his seat.

“Your complexion doesn’t look good. Your personal physician is here, so it would be best to receive an examination.”

“Your Grace.”

I hurriedly grabbed his sleeve.

If Gilbert, or anyone else for that matter, were here, I felt too embarrassed to say what I needed to say.

The Duke looked down at his grabbed sleeve for a moment, then sat back down in the chair.

“Please speak.”

“Um, well, that is…”

Get it together.

My parents didn’t raise me to be a shameless person.

Monastery Head Filio also taught that humans aren’t meant to live alone in arrogance, but are beings who live together.

Be brave. I can do this!

“Thank you.”

“….”

“I mean, um, for rescuing me. If Your Grace hadn’t hurried to come, I wouldn’t be a person of this world right now.”

I didn’t even have the luxury of revealing that I was the Duchess of Lombard.

In fact, even if I told the truth looking like a beggar, the soldiers probably wouldn’t have believed me, and lowly soldiers wouldn’t have recognized the Duchess of Lombard’s seal anyway.

“I misunderstood Your Grace. I thought you would hate me terribly because of what happened with the previous generation. Your Grace is truly a humane and good person.”

“No, that’s not true.”

“Pardon?”

The muscles in the Duke’s jaw stood out prominently.

Avoiding my gaze, he murmured quietly.

“I’m the one who failed to protect you, Madam. While you, precious as you are, became so battered, I did nothing.”

“How is that Your Grace’s fault? It was all my decision.”

“But if I had paid just a little more attention…”

My gaze kept going to the Duke’s jaw. I worried his teeth would be damaged if he continued like that.

The insomnia, the personality that rarely showed emotions, and other minor things—

Since these were habits the original Edwin never had, I was newly struck by how the Duke of this life was a completely different person from him.

My heart felt much lighter.

“What does it matter? I’m perfectly fine now.”

I sprang up from the bed to show him I was okay.

Or rather, I tried to spring up.

Until a terrible pain shot through my ankle and I collapsed.

“Kyaak…!”

“My lady?!”

Edwin, who had sprung up, caught me in his arms as I was about to fall ungracefully.

Whether it was because of the terrible pain in my ankle, or because I had almost fallen pathetically and split my chin or something.

Or perhaps it was for an entirely different reason.

My heart was pounding frantically.

“My lady, are you alright?”

“I, I don’t know. My ankle suddenly hurt so much….”

“Your ankle is broken.”

“What?!”

“Fortunately, it’s not a major fracture, just a thin hairline crack, but he said it would be best to rest for at least two months.”

I stared blankly with my mouth agape.

So in conclusion, because of that Governor bastard, my most precious ankle in the world was ruined?

Suddenly I thought that bastard had died too easily.

As I was pondering how to avenge my ankle and whether I could find his corpse, Duke Lombard suddenly lifted me up.

“Hold onto my neck.”

“I, I can walk!”

“No, you cannot.”

He carefully seated me against the bed headboard, then gathered cushions to support my upper body comfortably.

He also neatly covered me with the disheveled blanket up to my waist.

“You might have sustained shock when you almost fell just now. I’ll call the Personal Physician.”

“Your Grace.”

“Yes, my lady.”

I brought up something I had been thinking about for a while.

They say women need momentum. If not now, I felt I wouldn’t have the courage again.

“I’ve been thinking about this for quite some time, but the title ‘my lady’ feels too awkward. Could you just call me by my name comfortably?”

“But….”

“I fully understand Your Grace’s heart in respecting me as your wife. But I can’t stand it.”

And looking back, in urgent situations he had subtly called my name.

Since it was so urgent, he probably didn’t consciously call me that.

Anyway, judging from this, he clearly called me by name in his heart too. I judged it wasn’t a greatly impolite request.

As expected, Duke Lombard, who had been contemplating for a moment, carefully opened his mouth.

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