episode_0033

The prodigy of Hildegarde.

That was the nickname I was called in my childhood.

I wasn’t particularly outstanding in any specific field.

Every task I undertook, I excelled in.

I had many things I wanted to do, and a wide range of choices.

But amidst all this, my father demanded that I study theology.

At first, I wasn’t thrilled about it, but soon I found it fascinating.

It was around that time that I began to dream of becoming a religious judge, idolizing the inquisitors.

In the year I turned 18.

I graduated at the top of my class in both theology and law.

The path ahead was vast.

I could have become a clergyman, or a government official.

I could have pursued a career in law and entered the legal profession.

It seemed like my life was laid out before me, solid and secure.

Until the tide turned abruptly.

News came that the mines I had invested heavily in were depleting one by one.

Almost simultaneously, my businesses began to fail one after another.

Debts piled up in no time, far exceeding Hildegarde’s ability to pay.

It was then that a lifeline was extended to me.

“Cornelia. It seems you must marry. Briemga offers to repay your debts on the condition that you marry······”

It was Briemga’s proposal.

Briemga, a noble family of recent converts, had recently been ennobled and naturalized in the empire.

They had built a foundation for themselves, but to survive the upcoming political battles, they needed the support of a loyal family.

“The other party is Lawrence Briemga.”

“Never heard of him? Why is he singling me out without any connection to him?”

“It seems like you’re famous, that’s all. Try to convince your father once. After all, what matters is the alliance between families, not who you marry······.”

Just as my career was taking off, there was no stopping it.

Marriage was out of the question.

Absolutely not.

I had plenty of older sisters and even two cousins over sixteen.

I didn’t need to marry.

At least, that’s what I believed.

“Cornelia. If it’s not you, the debts won’t be repaid······.”

“What?”

It was an unexpected bombshell.

It had to be me.

What on earth did that mean?

“Are you sure you convinced me properly? I can’t get married now. I just graduated and there are so many things I want to do. I could become the youngest judge. If I get married now, everything will be ruined.”

“I explained everything. I pleaded earnestly. Please choose someone else instead of Cornelia. But it was in vain. They insist that if it’s not you, the marriage proposal will be withdrawn. I’m sorry. Your father is truly sorry, Cornelia.”

I was stunned.

That day, I realized long ago.

Lawrence was a complete lunatic.

A pervert who revels in blocking and trampling on other people’s dreams.

“Hello. I’m Cornelia Hildegarde. This time······.”

“Oh. You’re here? Sit next to me.”

“······.”

And my expectations were not at all misplaced.

Lawrence Briemga was an uncouth barbarian.

Perhaps he knew that Hildegarde couldn’t accept the marriage.

From the very first meeting, he treated me like an object.

I looked at my father in disbelief, but all I got in return was silence.

It was then that I realized.

I had no allies here.

“Cornelia. I’m truly sorry. It’s because of my incompetence that you’re suffering······.”

“It’s fine. I don’t want to hear it.”

“He’s being too harsh. You can tell me anytime.”

“What difference does it make if I tell you?”

As time passed and I accumulated wealth once again, I suggested divorce. Even if we have to pay several times the amount we borrowed as alimony, make sure we can divorce. And who knows, maybe it’s not such a bad idea. He may seem rough on the outside, but he could be kind-hearted······.

“Ha. Shut up, please.”

Is that man kind?

The man who maliciously destroyed my dreams?

It was a ridiculous notion.

I could no longer trust my father’s words.

“Go wash up and come back. Be thorough.”

“I have something to say. Honey.”

“What is it.”

“I’ll only say it once, so listen carefully. I think it might be difficult for us to share a bed. Our relationship as a couple is still too much. So, please give me some time······.”

On our honeymoon.

I laid out my demands to my husband in a clear and concise manner.

I do not love you.

Even the touch of your skin is unpleasant, so not only intimacy but even sleeping in the same bed is awkward.

Of course, I phrased it in a way that wouldn’t hurt his feelings.

“I don’t want to.”

“What?”

“Can’t you understand the situation yet? You’re making demands as if you have the upper hand in this transaction?”

I was rejected.

This was completely unexpected.

I didn’t say it would be forever, just that I needed time.

Yet Lawrence ignored even that small request.

As he approached, unbuttoning his shirt, I couldn’t help but feel terrified.

“No! I don’t want this!”

“Ah······.”

In the process of resisting, I accidentally left a mark on Lawrence’s cheek.

For a moment, his face froze coldly.

It was as if he was facing a monster, sending shivers down my spine.

With a serious expression, Lawrence stood up and no longer tried to attack me.

Instead, he grabbed my hair and raised his hand.

Slap!

“Ah! Honey! Please, stop, ah! Please, no······.”

“Stop? Do you still have the energy to speak?”

“Ah! Ouch, it hurts! It hurts! Ah!”

At that moment, I truly thought I was going to die.

It was the first time I had been hit so mercilessly by someone, so it was inevitable.

My stomach was bruised, and a couple of ribs felt like they might be broken.

The next morning, I realized that Lawrence was even more cunning than I had imagined.

When he put on his clothes, there was not a single mark or bruise visible.

Even his cruel behavior seemed to be carried out under rational calculation, which was too chilling.

From that day on, my body was marked with helplessness.

I could no longer muster the courage to defy Lawrence.

I couldn’t bring myself to say anything that would make him uncomfortable.

Whenever our eyes met, my stomach churned and my eyes involuntarily dropped.

The already bruised ribs made it difficult to breathe.

“You can’t go out without my permission. You can’t even meet other people without my permission.”

“······.”

I felt like a bird trapped in a cage.

I had no freedom.

The books sent from my family home for studying were all torn apart.

I didn’t dare to say a word.

I didn’t want to be hit again.

“What’s this? It looks like a letter insulting your heavenly husband to my eyes.”

“Ah······.”

Clearly, Lawrence had the letter sent to my family home in his hands.

It was a letter informing them of my situation.

It seemed like all the letters I sent were being censored.

My belief that at least some freedom was guaranteed was completely mistaken.

“This is real. Ha······. I showed you mercy, not knowing you were sharpening a knife behind my back.”

“I’m sorry, honey. I won’t do it again. Please, I beg you, no more······!”

That day, I realized.

The beating I received on the first day was truly nothing.

I learned what happens when a cruel monster loses his reason.

This time, I was beaten to the point of near death.

Lawrence hit me without discrimination, whether it was my cheek or my arm.

He continued to beat me, even as I vomited and briefly lost consciousness.

By the time I had no strength left to even scream.

Lawrence, with blood dripping from his hands, left me.

For about two weeks after that, it seemed like I was forbidden to go outside.

My face was swollen and torn, so I couldn’t show it to anyone.

I thought about seeking help from outside countless times.

But would there be anyone in this world who could help me?

I doubt it. My father might blame Lawrence for worrying about me, but he won’t save me.

Hildegarde, who promised to support me, is still struggling financially, so divorce is out of the question.

Even if I report it to the police, it would be meaningless.

The police won’t intervene in marital disputes.

It’s common for a wife to be beaten by her husband.

I received some sympathy, but no one could save me from this hell.

“Smile, Cornelia. Stop acting like you’re about to die all the time. You look like a husband beating his wife.”

“Yes…”

I had to smile at any party or social gathering.

I had to pretend to love Lawrence by his side.

Of course, asking for help from anyone there was unimaginable.

Because Lawrence was always watching me.

If I were to be discovered, I would probably be beaten to death.

I would probably be strangled by the monster who had completely lost his mind until I couldn’t breathe anymore.

I was so scared that I couldn’t do anything.

“The mayor of Cologne passed away suddenly, so I will be taking over as the interim mayor. We will move to Cologne.”

“Yes…”

The situation changed when Lawrence became the interim mayor of the capital.

The workload was overwhelming.

Tasks beyond Lawrence’s abilities were passed on to me.

Afraid of being punished if I didn’t do well, I ended up showing unnecessary competence.

Lawrence implemented reforms by dismantling and fixing various systems based on my ideas.

With all of them succeeding, Lawrence was elected as the mayor of Cologne in the next election.

I saw hope.

What Briemga gained through our marriage was a solid foundation.

But now he had an even stronger foundation.

The entire city of Cologne supported him.

Now, no one could insult Lawrence for being a heretic.

So there was no need for us to continue our marriage.

Lawrence must have been dissatisfied with me, who didn’t form a marital relationship with him.

So I thought it wouldn’t be difficult…

“Divorce? Leave such a stain on my life? Don’t ever bring up such nonsense again.”

I was rejected outright.

Lawrence had no intention of letting me go.

Then what would happen to me?

What would happen to a useless and annoying wife?

The answer came soon.

“Drink. It’s warm water.”

“Honey…?”

“Drink it.”

The day I caught a cold.

Lawrence suddenly handed me warm water.

It was colorless, tasteless, and nothing out of the ordinary.

The next day, and the day after that.

Even after I recovered from the cold, Lawrence brought me warm water every day.

Did Lawrence finally come to his senses?

Did he finally decide to treat me well?

“Um. I’m feeling really thirsty right now, so can I wait a bit…?”

“Drink it in front of me right now!”

Of course, I couldn’t do that.

If I didn’t drink the water in front of Lawrence, he would explode in anger.

And I started to feel more and more uneasy.

I couldn’t gain weight even after eating, couldn’t sleep well, always had a headache and dizziness.

Like a mild cold, my fever fluctuated, my cough became frequent.

But there was no sign of recovery, and the symptoms gradually worsened, with a strange energy circulating.

‘That water. It’s not just water.’

I am not a stupid woman who has learned nothing.

No, even such a woman would have been able to deduce it quickly.

There is something in the water Lawrence gave me.

And that water is slowly killing me.

It’s probably a diluted poison.

‘Crazy bastard…’

He must have been thinking about how to deal with a useless and unnecessary wife like me.

Lawrence had no intention of letting me, who knew his secret, live.

Divorce may leave a stain on the mayor of Cologne’s life, but separation is different.

If he were to show signs of missing his dead wife after the separation, he might even receive sympathy.

With that calculation, Lawrence decided to slowly kill me by drying me out.

But knowing the cause didn’t give me any options.

Lawrence still mercilessly hit me if I didn’t drink the water.

I watched without spilling and drinking it all.

Afterwards, he even forced me to vomit the water I drank by inducing vomiting.

There was no way out.

Even though I knew I was going to die, there was nothing I could do.

In the past, I might have criticized Lawrence’s actions in the middle of a party, saying, “If you die, I die.”

But that harsh attitude had long since disappeared from me.

I had been beaten by Lawrence countless times and my spirit had been broken.

The fear of being hit by him was much greater than the fear of death.

Without the will to resist or the courage to rebel.

I had accepted death halfway.

Drinking the poison myself, I slowly died.

Yet, I couldn’t let go of the hope that someone would come to save me.

The hope that someone would notice the darkness behind my bright smile and come to save me.

“Drink. You’ve been coughing a lot.”

“Yes, dear…”

It was just like any other day.

Today, only one mercenary came to have dinner at home.

There wasn’t much difference.

Lawrence confidently pushed the cup in front of the mercenary.

I took the cup and brought it to my lips.

My hands were trembling, but there was no choice.

I had to drink it.

“Oops!”

“Oops, sorry.”

Crash.

The table shook violently and the glass cup fell to the floor and shattered.

Startled, I looked across the table, where the mercenary was slowly lowering his foot that had kicked the table.

“It was an accident.”

It was clearly intentional.

He deliberately kicked the table, causing me to spill the cup.

‘No way.’

Ignoring Lawrence’s wrinkled expression.

The mercenary, with surprised rabbit eyes, stared right through me.

My heart was pounding.