I Thought It Was a Common Transmigration - Chapter 49

‘And after all this time, you’ve never said a word. Not a word!’

The evidence of the brutal assault, clear even in the darkness, fanned the flames of anger in his chest.

I know I’m not a good husband to her.

But I thought I could at least be her protector, and apparently I couldn’t even be that to her.

Of course, I had never protected her, so it wasn’t hard to understand.

Barely able to control my bursting nerves, I made my way back to Edith’s room and found her asleep.

But the tears that soaked her lashes and cheeks were still glistening in the light.

“Edith……”

I called her name lowly, but she was fast asleep, as if the tension had been released.

“What the hell…… are you hiding?”

Despite all the hatred that the Ludwigs and I directed at Edith, she remained tight-lipped.

Killian let out a long, frustrated sigh, wondering if the day would ever come when he could see her truth.

But the touch that applied the medicine to her body was as careful and gentle as ever.

It took a lot of patience as Edith squirmed and moaned at the tickles, but Killian worked the medicine into her skin and held her until dawn broke.

Killian gave a self-deprecating laugh as he watched Edith dig in for warmth, not realizing it was him.

‘I guess I’m the stupid one, I’m the one being swayed like this.’

Even as he kissed Edith’s cheek, Killian thought to himself that he was crazy.

Only a crazy man would be so swayed by a woman he didn’t even know.

***

I woke up feeling refreshed.

I think it was because I had a very cozy dream last night, and I slept for a long time without waking up once.

In that cozy dream, someone gently touched my body.

I don’t know who it was, but I didn’t hate the gentle touch, as if touching something fragile. In fact, I loved it, to the point of tears.

I wanted to give myself over to those hands, to give myself over to that warmth.

‘It’s so strange to have a dream full of sensations.’

It was the first time I’d ever had a dream where I didn’t see something or have a story.

But it lifted my mood from last night’s blues, and I stretched for a good long time.

But my back, which should have been stiff, felt strange.

“Huh?”

It felt like acupuncture needles were sticking to my back like a sticky body lotion.

“Huh? What is this?”

I reached over my shoulder and touched it, and sure enough, there was something on my back.

I realized it was an ointment because it was on the ‘bruised area’.

‘Killian……!’

Killian was the only one who would do this.

Sophia and Killian were the only ones who knew I had bruises on my body, and Sophia wasn’t the kind of person to put medicine on me.

‘Then, that dream…… Killian……?’

Just imagining Killian applying ointment on my body made my toes tingle.

But I must have misunderstood.

Killian’s strict upbringing wouldn’t allow him to leave a woman injured to the point of bruising, no matter how much he hated her.

‘I shouldn’t have gone to sleep. No, if I hadn’t been asleep, he wouldn’t have applied the ointment.’

I kept wishing I hadn’t fallen asleep so I could have made another sweet scene with him.

But there’s no point in wishing for something that has already passed.

The fact that he had taken care of me was something to be thankful for.

‘By the way, he seems to have sensed something about Sophia, I wonder what will happen……’

Actually, I didn’t expect much.

To everyone else, Sophia was a maid sent to me in the name of Count Riegelhoff, with the sole mission of protecting me from the persecution of the Ludwigs.

But Killian’s actions far exceeded my expectations.

Today was not a day to help Renon with his work, so I was just sitting in my room reading, when suddenly Killian burst into my room with one of his knights and grabbed Sophia.

“Killian, what’s going on!”

I asked in surprise, but Killian’s gaze was fixed on Sophia.

“I’m going to throw this maid out, Edith.”

“What? Throw her out……?”

“Drag her out.”

Killian glared menacingly at Sophia and ordered the knight, even as I asked in disbelief.

Panicking, Sophia screamed as soon as the knight grabbed her.

“You can’t do this, I’m a maid sent by Count Riegelhoff to protect my lady!”

“Oh, really?”

Sophia, a mere maid, spoke venomously, “What in the world do you think you’re going to do to my lady, taking me away from her! Count Riegelhoff will never leave you alone!”

But Killian did not budge in the slightest.

“A maid like you, who can’t do her duty, can’t be of any use to Edith.”

“How dare you! I’ve been looking after her since she was a child……!”

“Since she was a child, you say? You’ve been neglecting your duties since she was a child?”

His tone of voice turned cold drastically.

He sat down in the chair and turned to Sophia as if interrogating her in earnest.

“You. What do you think a maid’s duties are?”

“That- to make sure the master you serve is always comfortable and well, even before you are summoned.”

“You know that well.”

“Of course I do, for I have been thoroughly trained from a young age to be my lady’s maid.”

“Then it’s even stranger.”

Killian tilted his head slightly, studying Sophia.

“Do you mean to tell me that a maid who knows her duties so well, did not report the bruises on her master’s body, and did not treat them?”

For the first time, Sophia’s mouth shut tight.

“Besides, no matter how much I thought about it, you’re the only one…… who could have made those bruises.”

“Oh, no!”

Sophia protested, but her gaze remained fixed on mine, sending a threat for me not to open my mouth.

“You don’t have to glare at her like you’re going to eat her, Edith didn’t say a word. Good or bad.”

The room fell silent. So much so that I could hear Sophia’s throat clearing.

“I- I didn’t know about young lady’s minor injury, as she didn’t talk much about it, though it was my fault for not looking–”

“Minor injury? If that’s what you mean, do you want me to give you a minor beating before throwing you out?”

“Sorry……?”

“I’m amazed you’d try to deceive me this far. Well, you’re the maid Shane Riegelhoff sent in, so you’re no ordinary maid.”

But Sophia seemed surprised by something other than the fact that Killian had a vague idea of her identity.

“Yo- young master eh- do you mean that…… you have seen the young lady’s wounds?”

She was wide-eyed, looking back and forth between me and Killian.

Then Killian smirked. “Edith and I are married, what’s so surprising about a husband checking his wife’s body?”

Sophia couldn’t stop her mouth from falling open.

“I’d really like to see you sentenced to death for insulting the nobility, but considering how well you were treated by the Riegelhoffs to the point where they asked to have you repatriated alive, that’s even more suspicious.”

The morning wasn’t even over yet, and when the hell did he send word to the Riegelhoffs?

Killian’s behavior was really surprising today.

His gaze finally met mine. “I’m not going to take your opinion on throwing this maid out.”

I nodded, trying not to look too pleased.

“Anna, Leonard, I want you to keep what you see and hear in this room to yourself until you die. If it gets out, neither of you will be safe.”

Anna and the knight gave short answers to Killian’s command. 

Like Anna, the face of the knight named Leonard was starkly emotionally impassive.

Seeing the frightening resemblance between their expressions, I knew they would never speak of this.

Anna had finished packing Sophia’s luggage in the meantime. She’d been fidgeting since the knight grabbed Sophia, but she must have been packing her things from the moment Killian said he was going to throw her out.

She was acting like his master.

“Anna, take good care of Edith. I must send this precious maid on her way in the carriage sent by the Riegelhoffs.”

Oh, my God.

The Riegelhoffs even sent a carriage to pick up Sophia.

Why don’t they just go around the neighborhood saying she’s a suspicious maid?!

Killian gave me one last long, unreadable glance before dragging Sophia out of the room.

I was left in the quiet room, stunned by what had just happened.

Then Anna quietly approached me.

“I apologize for my negligence of your condition. If you’re going to punish me, I’ll take it gladly.”

“Huh? Oh, no, Anna didn’t do anything wrong……!”

In order not to let Anna see that I was injured, I purposely took Sophia’s care when changing my clothes.

It wasn’t like I asked her for a bath or massage, so it was impossible for her to notice the bruises on my body.

Nevertheless, Anna had a grievous expression on her face, as if she was the one to blame.

“Thank you for your forgiveness, then…… do you mind if I take a look at your body?”

A sigh came out. If I said no, Anna would be punished.

I nodded nervously and went to the bedside to undress.

As I pulled off my outer dress and carefully lowered my chemise, I felt Anna’s breath catch behind my back.

How bad is that?