"...Your name?"
After a brief silence, Lennox finally spoke.
"Estelle. Estelle Bellonsa."
"Bellonsa?"
His brows furrowed.
Was it because of the rumors—that she was a femme fatale who devoured her husbands?
Estelle hurriedly explained.
"If the gossip makes you uncomfortable, there's no need to worry. My former husbands all suffered from chronic illnesses."
"..."
"Even if they'd married another woman instead of me, the outcome would have been the same."
"Former husbands? Ah."
Lennox responded indifferently.
So it wasn't my reputation as a husband-killer that bothered him?
Her confusion lasted only a moment before he fired off another question.
"I have a few things to ask. How did you find me?"
"I happened to hear the news."
"And why did you decide to become my wife?"
"For money."
"..."
"You offered a large sum if I could endure for one year, didn't you? I need that money."
Of course, it was a lie.
"Interesting. You already have more wealth than most people could dream of, yet you're saying you need money more than your own life."
Lennox let out a quiet laugh, seeing through her lie instantly.
Considering the vast inheritance she'd received from her previous husbands, his reaction was closer to ridicule.
"Do you even know what the Winterren territory is like? I have no need for someone who'll run away or die within days."
"..."
"I'm planning to choose someone truly desperate. But Lady Bellonsa, you don't seem desperate at all."
Lennox made no effort to hide his disapproval.
Estelle could tell instinctively that no matter what answer she gave, he would reject her.
I thought he'd accept immediately since he's in such a hurry to find a wife for a year...
To Lennox, it didn't matter whether the woman was Estelle or someone else.
But for Estelle, it had to be him.
Aside from the ducal house, what family wouldn't be swayed by whatever price the Bellonsas offered?
And even if there was one, what man would treat her without ulterior motives?
As far as Estelle knew, only Lennox could.
"To be honest, marriage talks are currently underway between Count Blim and me."
"Count Blim..."
"He's just like my former husbands."
A man with age and wealth.
A man who could die on his wedding night and no one would find it strange.
"If I have to marry anyway, I figured it would be better to marry a man who lives close to death rather than a man who's already one step away from the grave."
The moment she finished speaking, Lennox strode toward her.
Gulp.
Estelle swallowed nervously.
"That little rat..."
A curse slipped through his clenched teeth.
"So you've been eavesdropping."
Lennox brushed past her.
Startled, Estelle turned around.
There, sprawled on the ground, was a man.
Daniel Nultia—the man who had picked up her veil.
"D-Duke Winterren."
Meeting Lennox's murderous gaze, Daniel turned deathly pale.
"I was just passing by. I didn't realize you were here..."
"How much did you hear?"
Lennox cut him off sharply.
"H-hear? I swear on my life I didn't overhear anything!"
"Your life must mean very little to you."
He had chosen the wrong person to cross.
Still kneeling, Daniel hurriedly grabbed Lennox's arm.
"I-I'm telling the truth! I didn't hear anyth—"
Thud!
In the next instant, Daniel was sent sprawling across the ground.
The moment Daniel touched him, Lennox shoved him away, looking down at him with naked disgust and contempt.
"Urgh..."
Daniel's head struck the ground hard, and his body went limp.
He had lost consciousness.
Shing.
Lennox drew his sword.
Bathed in moonlight, the blade gleamed ominously.
The instant Daniel touched him, it was as if Lennox had lost all reason.
As though killing him was the only thought left in his mind.
Estelle stepped in front of him.
"What are you doing?"
"You can't kill him."
"Why not?"
He spoke slowly, biting off each syllable.
His expression made it obvious he wanted nothing more than to eliminate the nuisance before him.
"If you're worried he overheard our conversation, silence him another way."
"And why should I listen to you?"
The sword's tip turned toward her.
She felt the cold steel press against her throat.
"Because you need to buy the Nultia lands."
"...You're speaking nonsense with a blade at your neck."
"I simply thought you'd find mandrakes irresistible."
Mandrakes.
The legendary herb said to cure any illness.
In the original story, Lennox spent astronomical sums trying to obtain one.
"And what makes you think I'd want that?"
"Because I heard someone in your family is sick."
It was well known that his only sister had been bedridden for years and no longer left the estate.
Ignoring the suspicion in his eyes, Estelle told him the truth.
"Baron Nultia would never sell anything to the man who killed his son."
Only Estelle knew that mandrakes grew in the barren Nultia lands—soil so poor that even ordinary crops couldn't survive.
"If you don't need mandrakes, kill him right now. He's nothing to me."
How do you persuade a man who already has wealth, power, and status?
The answer was simple.
"But if you do need mandrakes, it would be better for both of us to keep our heads attached."
You offer him what he wants.
"Where did you get this information?"
"From my former husband. Not even Baron Nultia knows yet."
"If it's true, that only makes it more suspicious. Buying the land yourself would be far more profitable. Why tell me?"
Selling mandrakes would bring unimaginable wealth.
Even if she never sold them, they were essential for Estelle, whose life was running out.
And yet she was willingly handing the information over to Lennox.
"Financially speaking, you're right. But if it means becoming your wife, I'm willing to give it up."
Mandrakes are notoriously difficult to handle. Used incorrectly, they become poison instead.
That was why Estelle had decided to borrow Lennox's power.
Naturally, she had no intention of asking for his permission.
Once I become his wife, getting my hands on mandrake medicine will be easy.
Her words were the complete opposite of her true intentions.
Lennox looked at her with an unreadable expression.
At that moment—
Rustle.
Sensing someone nearby, Estelle turned her head.
A young woman stood there, her face drained of color.
Estelle immediately realized who she was.
The woman who, in the original story, was supposed to marry Lennox.
She must have come here to propose marriage to him.
But after seeing only the sight of Lennox pointing his sword at Estelle, the woman turned and fled.
Perhaps that was for the best.
At least she wouldn't die young after being exposed to the demonic energy surrounding him.
Estelle spoke firmly.
"My existence will never become a burden to you."
"..."
"I'll never run away."
"Fine."
Lennox gave a slight nod.
"We'll marry."
The sword threatening her life lowered.
Her neck stung where the blade had nicked her skin, but relief washed over her.
"There won't be a wedding ceremony."
"..."
"We'll register the marriage tomorrow and leave for the territory immediately. Pack only what you need. And don't expect to return to the capital for the next year."
"I wouldn't mind leaving right now."
She was finally leaving the Bellonsa family behind.
She would never have to kill another husband again.
That fact alone filled her voice with joy.
"Don't misunderstand."
As if he couldn't bear to see her happy even for a moment, he poured cold water over her excitement.
"I don't need a woman who loves me. I need a woman who can endure."
Does he think I'm in love with him?
Just because she'd said she wanted to become his wife?
Estelle struggled to hide her bewilderment.
"If you're hoping for a kind husband who'll love you, give up now. I will never love you, and there will never be a child between us."
"..."
"Become my wife and spend the next year living as quietly as a dead mouse."
His voice was laced with unmistakable contempt.
After Estelle left, Lennox remained alone.
Only then did he notice the blood on his sword.
Pulling out a handkerchief, he wiped the blade with practiced ease and thought of its owner.
"Estelle. Estelle Bellonsa."
He murmured the unfamiliar name.
She was a strange woman.
If she'd stepped in front of him just to lecture him that murder was wrong and he shouldn't kill people, he might have shoved her aside.
But she didn't.
He had deliberately insulted her, telling her to live quietly for a year, yet she remained completely unfazed.
"I will. But you haven't forgotten your promise to propose to me, have you?"
"...I'll come tomorrow."
She had made the demand so casually that, for a brief moment, he had been the one caught off guard.
And above all—
"How did that woman find me?"
Originally, she should never have come looking for him.
At least, not in his previous life.
"Has the future changed?"
