Revenge of Reborn Villainess

“Help..Help me…”

Sella believed that an assassin had entered. The sharp object pressed against her neck made her tremble with fear.

“Do you know who I am?”

A chilling voice, neither male nor female, came from behind.

Sella, with closed eyes, whispered shakily, “I… I haven’t seen anything. Please spare me.”

“If I spare you, you’ll rush to the Duke and confess everything that happened here.”

“No… I won’t say a word. Please, spare my life..”

Sella shook her head in fierce denial, fearing the sharp object might pierce her skin at any moment.

“Sella.”

She flinched at the sound of my name behind her.

To say she was surprised would be an understatement.

‘How does this person know my name?’ she thought.

“Your mother and sister live in Ashenbell. You sent half of your monthly wages there, but because of lack of money, you sometimes steal in the Duchess’ closet, am I right?”

Sella’s heart pounded wildly.

There are many jewelry and items stored in the closet that it was difficult even for the Duchess to keep track of. So stealing a small ring or bracelet wasn’t worth anything.

“Two of your coworkers, Anise and May, are also in on this right?, and yes, Dave is backing you up.” she smirks. 

At the mention of Dave’s name, Sella felt like she might faint.

Dave, a senior soldier, had an unusual relationship with Sella, giving and receiving strange glances. 

“If you become a nuisance to me, your sins will be exposed one by one, and both you and your friends will be thrown out” 

“…”

“In that case, the one easily losing their life will be you four.”

Sella trembled at the words of the intruder.

If it’s the four of them… her family in Ashenbell, Dave, and herself.

The only place she could be protected was inside Duke Klaus’s estate.

‘Maybe this intruder is… an insider?’ she thought again.

If not, there’s no way they would know about petty thefts among maids and soldiers.

Sella’s heart was pounding.

“I will never speak to anyone. Please trust me.”

With closed eyes, Sella bowed her head.

She didn’t know why such a person was in the Duchess’s room, but to preserve her life and prevent from killing her, she must be quiet and comply with her wishes.

“I’ll let you go however, bring warm soup and good food instead of that stale bread and leave it in front of the door.” she ordered. 

Finally, the sharp object against her throat was removed.

“Food..? Is that all you want?” she stammered. 

“Yes, bring the best for each meal.” and then loosened the grip on her neck and let her go. 

The spot that was pressed still stung, but Sella now felt like she might survive.

However, she demanded items were too ordinary, raising suspicions in her mind. 

‘Maybe this intruder is… a friend of the Duchess?’ 

That’s unlikely. The Duchess only had one friend, the maid, which is Yurie Anesis.

It seemed that their relationship had ended completely, considering the Duchess’s was trying to hurt her in front of the Duke.

‘Or perhaps she is blackmailing the Duchess by preying on her weaknesses’

Perhaps this speculation was more reasonable.

A skilled intruder like this, who knew internal affairs, might be exploiting the Duchess’s weaknesses.

If that’s the case, Sella must follow the intruder’s orders faithfully.

After all, there’s no one within the Duke’s estate who cares about the Duchess’s situation.

Holding the dry bread and water, Sella slowly left the room.

**

In Duke Klaus’s rose garden.

“Isn’t it disgraceful how much His Highness the Crown Prince is trying to extort money from you? damn it, there’s no sense of decency at all. Furthermore, Felope’s situation isn’t good either.” 

Gaben Felope, a friend of Kallian Klaus and ruler of Felope estate, complained with a furrowed brow.

Kallian did not reply, but only agreed with a stony expression and silence.

While Terres was facing a severe food shortage due to the famine, Klaus’s financial situation was also far from abundant.

Moreover, maintaining and training troops always required substantial funds.

“By the way…”

Gaben, who was looking at the rose garden, subtly asked Kallian.

“I heard your wife got injured. The situation is a bit…”

“Let’s talk about that another time.”

Kallian interrupted with a cold gaze.

Gaben, who was trying to understand the situation, flinched for a moment.

Kallian Klaus was naturally a heartless man, but he was even more so towards his wife.

“No matter how bad your marriage is, I don’t think it’s good to show such displeasure…”

Kalian’s brow furrowed and he stared off into the distance.

‘That wretched woman’

After a week of being bedridden with a high fever, she regained consciousness. However, ten days had passed since then but even after regaining consciousness, did not leave her room.

I wonder what happened, and I have no reason to be curious. 

‘If only she’d never come out of her room.’

Kallian thought with a furrowed brow.

“No, I’d rather she had died.” he mumbled.