BJ Villainess

* * *

It was truly laughable. For the past few days, Euges had been having the most perfect days he could ever wish for. He had been carrying out state affairs only to avoid ‘accumulating karma’ due to an empire he didn’t care about, though he did the bare minimum. Only when he felt like his head would explode did he swallow his pride and take care of state matters.

He wished he could just die. But he couldn’t die because he was ‘contracted’ that way.

Damn gods. Their judgment of people was truly pathetic, imposing such duties on the Rodrigo bloodline. How could they entrust the empire’s fate to this insane imperial family that drove not only the direct bloodline but also the married-in wife to madness?

Euges always wondered why the Rodrigo bloodline was chosen by the gods. Wasn’t the Squire bloodline, which was said to be chosen by the demon, a better choice?

, but come to think of it, their family had been obsessed with magic for generations, and it was said that leading the family was a miracle. However, this generation seemed fine… or maybe not?

Anyway, Euges, who was going through a prolonged rebellious phase due to his hatred of his bloodline duties, found the current moment in the dungeon the most perfect time of his life. Until yesterday, when he saw Theresa playing hide-and-seek.

Since yesterday, Euges had been rubbing his perpetually furrowed brow. He wasn’t feeling good. He didn’t know why, but he just did.

At that moment, there was a knock. Assuming it was Theresa, who hadn’t shown her face since yesterday, bringing wine and cigars, he gave permission. “Come in.”

“Excuse me, Milord.” But it was a maid who entered.

“Where is the Pri… Duchess?”

Euges almost habitually called her the princess but quickly corrected to the duchess.

As the maid placed the wine and cigars on the table, she answered. “Madam has gone out with Lady Cecilia.”

Gone out? Could she leave the mansion as she pleased?

“She went out without permission?”

At Euges’ irritated muttering, the maid, with a subtle change in her expression, suddenly spoke in a tearful voice.

“…Madam is really doing her best.”

What nonsense is she talking about?

Narrowing his brow at the incomprehensible words, the maid bowed her head, saying, “I apologize for speaking out of turn,” and left the room.

Euges closed his eyes for a moment, rubbing his furrowed brow. Then he suddenly laughed. “

, is this it?”

He had thought Theresa, who had been quiet until now, wasn’t doing anything, but it turned out she was up to something. The maid’s nonsensical rambling was the result. Thinking of the phrase, being tricked knowingly,’ Euges left the bedroom.

“Greetings, Master.”

Servants bowed their heads every time they saw him, but their gazes were not kind. He then saw Winda, a familiar face, and asked. “Where did my wife go?”

“She went out at the invitation of Lady Abigail Mintzberg, a friend of Lady Cecilia. She will be back soon.”

“Abigail Mintzberg?”

Puzzled by the unfamiliar name, Winda explained.

“She is the daughter of Duke Mintzberg. The Mintzberg family has considerable influence in social circles. Also, young master Henry Mintzberg is Lady Cecilia’s fiancé.”

“

.”

It was a story he had no interest in. Wasn’t it just a story about people and places decorated to Cecilia’s liking based on her delusions?

“How amusing.”

How hard must Theresa have played along with such a disgusting game to turn all the servants to her side? The strange confidence she showed when making a bet now made sense; she already knew what to do. If she had the servants on her side, there was no need to even look at five-year-old Cecilia.

Was she planning to drive him out of the house? Or was she thinking of replacing her husband?

Euges, speculating and re-speculating how Theresa would act, went out to the garden. As he stood leaning against a pillar in the shade, he saw a carriage enter through the front gate.

Soon, the servants poured out of the mansion to greet Theresa and Cecilia. They greeted Theresa and Cecilia, who were getting out of the carriage while glancing at Euges.

“Welcome back, Madam.”

“Did you have fun, Milady?”

“Yes!”

Cecilia, holding a large lollipop in one hand, smiled brightly and then, surprised to see Euges, parted her lips. The child’s trembling eyes met the cigar Euges was smoking. Soon, her fair, bun-like face crumpled, and tears welled up.

“

…”

As Cecilia suddenly began to cry, the atmosphere turned cold. Theresa, as if waiting for this, picked up Cecilia and patted her back.

“It’s alright, it’s alright. Mommy is okay, Cecil.”

“

!”

What exactly is okay? He was very curious why Cecilia would cry harder when Theresa comforted her, saying it was alright.

Theresa smiled with an almost exasperatingly sorrowful expression. “Mommy did something wrong, so Daddy is angry.”

“No, it’s not! It’s not Mommy’s fault!” Cecilia, who was crying loudly, glared at Euges. “Daddy is a fool! Cecil is upset because Daddy smokes that stick whenever he is upset with Mommy!”

Euges looked down at the cigar he was smoking.

. So, she had lied to Cecilia that he smoked cigars whenever he was upset with Theresa?

“

.”

Ridiculous.

“That’s a misunderstanding.” Euges dropped the cigar on the ground and approached them. “Smoking a cigar is like you eating a lollipop. There’s no other reason.”

“So, it’s not because Daddy is upset with Mommy?”

“That’s right.”

Cecilia stopped crying and smiled brightly. “Mo-Mommy! Daddy said he doesn’t upset you! Isn’t that a relief?”

A lie that could be solved with just one sentence. He had been secretly looking forward to seeing how Theresa would beat him, considering how she had turned all the servants to her side in just a few days. It was very disappointing. No, it was about to be disappointing.

“That can’t be, Cecil.” Theresa still wore a sorrowful smile. “Lollipops are sweet. But cigars are a scary poison that shortens your lifespan.”

“

…?”

“Daddy smokes cigars and drinks because he wants to leave Mommy early.”

Then, despite not shedding a tear, she turned her head and poked the corners of her eyes with her hand.

“Mommy wants to live happily with Cecil and Daddy for a long time…”

Cecilia, with a bewildered face, looked back and forth between Theresa and Euges and then asked Winda, who had come closer. “Winda, are cigars bad for your body…?”

“They’re not good.”

“And alcohol?”

“Same goes for alcohol.”

Tears filled Cecilia’s eyes again. “

! No! Daddy can’t die!”

“Don’t cry, our Cecil. So, how about this? Mommy will hide all the alcohol and cigars in my room. That way, it will be safe, right?”

Cecilia nodded and agreed. Then, the eyes of the servants turned red.

“We will obey, Milady.”

The servants went into the mansion to carry out the orders. In an instant, control over Euges’ drinking and smoking was completely handed over to Theresa.

Euges watched the entire situation unfold and then looked at Theresa, who was still patting Cecilia’s back. When their eyes met, Theresa asked with a regretful expression.

“Cecilia wanted it this way. Can you understand?”

It was clearly the look of a victor.

* * *

I handed over the exhausted, tearful Cecilia to a servant and headed to my private bedroom. Servants were taking cigars from the luxury goods storage and placing them in the safe inside the dressing room.

“Good job, everyone.”

“No, Madam. How nice it would have been if it had been like this from the start.” The servants looked at me with pity.

After pretending to be a pitiful wife, scorned by my husband, and running errands for alcohol and cigarettes every day, they had all become my allies.

Ding!

[The Constellation ‘I Hate Romance’ has sponsored 1,000,000 coins.]

[The look on Euges’s face when he was dumbfounded was so funny

ㅋㅋ

.]

“

, Madam, here is the key to the liquor storage.”

As soon as Cecilia’s command was given, the servants put a lock on the liquor storage. Their action was quick.

Before they left my room, they urged me, “If the Master threatens you to give it back, please let us know. We will throw everything away!”

At that moment, Euges entered the bedroom with a sarcastic tone. “Such great unity.”

“Oh my!” The servants quickly covered their mouths with their hands in surprise.

I gestured for them to leave and offered Euges a seat. “You’re here? Please sit here.”

The servants hurried out of the bedroom, and soon, it was just the two of us.

Euges smiled crookedly. “Impressive skills.”

“You flatter me.”

“So, are you planning to negotiate with me by leveraging alcohol and cigars whenever you want something?”

“Yes.”

“I heard you can shop outside the mansion. That’s enough for me to buy my own alcohol and cigars.

did you think of that too?”

“Yes. Unless Cecilia allows it, you won’t be able to get alcohol or cigars anywhere in the dungeon with your will alone.”

Ding!

[The Constellation ‘Cider Pass’ has sponsored 1,000,000 coins.]

[There’s a creator above the dungeon master~]