As My Husband Said, I Brought in a Lover

“The woman who lived in that house? She died from catching a disease while helping people in the slums.”

But Anne was no longer in this world.

* * *

Those were days of wandering. Guilt and fear strangled him whenever he had a moment to himself. He was tormented by the countless wounds he had inflicted on his biological mother without knowing who she was and feared being cast aside by the family and living a life like hers because of his half-blood lineage. If his father brought in a new wife and had an heir with her…

“You must be the young master of the famous Cloette family.”

“It’s an honor to meet you, Your Majesty the Empress.”

The Cloette family, despite boasting excellent noble blood, had distanced themselves from the imperial family since Reiad’s grandparent retired from his position as a second-class official.

The new empress scrutinized Reiad closely. She soon had him stay close to Crown Prince Eligos.

Shortly thereafter, the count died in a carriage accident. The death of the father who had made him tremble with fear was indeed anticlimactic. Reiad, who unexpectedly inherited the title, had no talent for managing the estate, but Rutigor territory ran quite stably even without his involvement. At least until a great famine struck.

For unknown reasons, the land of Rutigor became barren, leading to consecutive years of famine. Oddly enough, the surrounding territories had abundant harvests in the same year, but Reiad had no time to concern himself with other territories.

“Is it true that even the maintenance costs for the title are barely manageable?”

“Yes.”

“This is driving me crazy.”

This prompted Reiad to start meeting heiresses from wealthy families, regardless of their lineage. His natural charm and skillful concealment of his true intentions meant no one doubted his sincerity. Many heiresses, already infatuated with him, flocked to his side.

Reiad was one of the most handsome nobles in the capital and possessed an excellent noble lineage. Moreover, his father, who had never remarried after his wife’s death, appeared to be a romantic figure. The past was often romanticized, and scandals quickly faded, making the situation advantageous for Reiad.

“I can’t live like nanny…”

He remembered his father’s words.

The seemingly glamorous life of a noble wasn’t entirely satisfying, but it was certainly better than being a commoner. He knew how lowly nobles regarded commoners. To them, commoners were merely tools, not people.

While Reiad was busy resolving financial issues, the crown prince became the emperor.

“I’ve heard the situation in the Cloette territory isn’t good these days. I have a proposal for you. As you know, there aren’t many trustworthy people in the capital. It’s full of those who would lie to use me. I’m curious about their true intentions…”

The emperor looked down at Reiad with arrogant eyes.

“If you become my ears, I’ll reward you generously enough to maintain your title. Then you won’t have to marry a wealthy noblewoman against your will.”

Reiad immediately realized this was the empress dowager’s scheme.

The emperor wasn’t perceptive or clever enough to see through Reiad’s true intentions, which even socialites couldn’t discern.

“…I accept your command.”

In any case, as long as he could achieve what he wanted, it didn’t matter. Especially since it was preferable to marry a high-ranking noblewoman and live like a stud horse. Thus, Reiad became the emperor’s dog.

* * *

Under the emperor’s protection, his life was more stable and prosperous than expected. Having lived in disgust all his life, he became quite adept at sweet-talking and physical intimacy with those he didn’t love.

“My parents are eagerly waiting for our engagement.”

Having reached marriageable age, Reiad was the best groom in terms of family and appearance. It was only natural for marriage discussions to arise with any potential partner. Around that time, the empress dowager invited Reiad to a tea party.

“It’s about time you got married.”

“Yes.”

“Wouldn’t it be better to find a suitable partner? Someone whose background wouldn’t cause any issues. I can help look for you, but I think you would find a better match.”

“I was thinking the same. I will start looking right away.”

“

, right, before the late emperor passed away, there were letters sent to the countryside. It’s a delicate matter that can’t be publicly disclosed, so it’s hard to entrust it to someone else… Could you look into it? If you leave the capital for a while, it might also help the young ladies involved in your marriage talks to clear their minds.”

“I will do that.”

“If you find any trace linking it to the imperial family, inform me immediately. The addresses aren’t precise, and there hasn’t been any word so far, so it might not be anything significant.”

“Understood.”

Reiad bid farewell to the women he had been seeing and headed to a small village near Perils, following the empress dowager’s orders. Ironically, despite all his efforts to maintain a noble’s life, just leaving the capital gave him a sense of relief. He thoroughly investigated as the empress dowager had ordered but found no trace of the late emperor’s letters. As a result, Reiad enjoyed a rare, light-hearted vacation.

It was a pleasant day with clear skies and a gentle breeze.

A woman in front of him dropped a bucket, spilling fish.

His act of kindness was purely because he was in a good mood that day.

Reiad extended a hand to the woman before him. “Are you alright?”

As she slowly raised her head, their eyes met—her clear purple eyes were filled with a lifelessness unique to those who had lived through long periods of loss. Reiad remembered seeing such eyes before.

“No, I’m not alright.”

Her purple eyes, staring at him in awe, quickly filled with tears.

“I’m not alright at all…”

While the woman pressed her trembling lips together and took a deep breath, Reiad instinctively knew he couldn’t withdraw his extended hand. Why did Anne’s face overlap with this woman’s, whom he had never met before?

She took his hand and stood up. “…Sorry for startling you. I’m fine.”

Her calloused hand felt as solid as Anne’s, who had patted him in his childhood. Instinctively, he handed her a handkerchief.

“My name is Luize di Servenia.”

That was how Reiad and Luize first met. Not only did he offer a handkerchief, but he also helped her pick up the bucket and fish. Even he didn’t understand why he acted that way.

“If you enjoyed the dinner, would you like to meet again?”

Yet, he couldn’t leave her alone in the shadows of loss.

Reiad easily won her heart after a few dates. The more he got to know Luize, the less she reminded him of Anne, yet he continued to see her. It wasn’t just because she fit the ideal wife he was searching for. For some reason, he kept thinking about her.

“My mother said only monsters live in the capital, but that was a complete lie. The capital must be a beautiful place full of light, right? The streets will be bustling and filled with sparkling things. Just like how kind and wonderful you are, Reiad.”

Whenever Luize said such things, Reiad wanted to live up to her expectations, at least at that moment. Then, he would momentarily forget his own goals and pretend to be the great person she expected. How many times had he laughed at himself for feeling ridiculous?

Looking at Luize, who believed the capital was the most beautiful place in the world, Reiad thought that with her by his side, the capital actually seemed quite wonderful too.

“Luize, will you marry me?”

That proposal slipped out on one of those days.

* * *

Luize looked the happiest in the world when she arrived in the capital. Seeing her happy lifted some of the guilt that weighed on his heart. At the same time, the cold mansion felt a bit warmer. And the two spent their first night together in the mansion.

“…”

Reiad noticed the scars on Luize’s back and couldn’t help but stiffen.

“…Sorry, it’s unsightly, isn’t it?”

“No. It’s not something you should apologize for.” He forced a smile.

Reiad wasn’t repulsed by the marks of her suffering, but afraid. The scars reminded him of his reality. His half-blood, the title that couldn’t be maintained without the emperor’s help, the life he must live after losing everything…

“It doesn’t matter.”

And Anne’s death.

Despite sharing a night for duty, he never once looked at her body.

* * *

How long had things been twisted? Or perhaps he was just born a broken doll from the beginning.

The emperor, as if to remind him of his duties, sent Reiad to Rutigor.

“Go personally and find the cause of the famine. It’s not fitting for a lord to just receive reports.”