Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 52

#52. The Pope’s True Intentions and Betrayal

‘……The Pope’s true intentions.’

Belladonna inhaled sharply, then barely managed to exhale.

‘He deliberately sent the letter meant for me to Escalión as if by mistake, and even enclosed the letter I had written just before.’

The Pope’s sinister laughter seemed to echo in her ears.

Her mind was dizzy, and her hands trembled.

Belladonna clasped her hands together tightly, trying to steady herself.

‘Did they realize my intention to deceive him and maintain our marriage? Or was even this… part of the Pope’s plan? To deliberately reveal this plan, not to me, but to Escalión, to push for a divorce…?’

She strained her voice, forcing the words out.

“Just a moment. I, I can explain.”

“Is there anything to explain?”

At his cold reply, she flinched and squeezed her eyes shut.

She realized she had been too naive.

What kind of person was the Pope, that she could carelessly spend the wedding night with him and entertain happy fantasies of staying by his side?

‘He wasn’t someone who would give up so easily…’

A heavy, dark sense of despair engulfed her.

It felt as if the ground beneath her feet had collapsed, and she might lose her balance and fall at any moment.

First, stay calm. Wh, where should I start explaining?

Belladonna twitched her fingers, which were clasped tightly together.

She had to say something to Escalión soon. She had to explain everything about this situation.

But perhaps because she was facing such a sudden crisis, her mind wasn’t working properly.

So, um…….

“Seeing you keep your mouth shut, it seems you don’t have anything to say. It’s quite easy, isn’t it? When it’s disadvantageous, you just shut your mouth?”

His tone was sharp. She could feel how betrayed he felt by the letter, without him even needing to say it.

Escalión stared at her for a moment, then stood up from his seat.

With a rough gesture, he snatched the coat hanging on the makeshift rack next to the desk.

Then, he draped it over his shoulders and walked out quickly, passing right by her.

“J, just a moment…”

Even at her voice, he didn’t slow down.

Belladonna flinched and shrank back at the chilling aura, and then she heard the sound of the office door slamming shut behind her.

“……”

Silence descended on the office where he had disappeared.

Belladonna stood there blankly, feeling the gust of wind caused by Escalión as he quickly passed her.

She was completely disoriented, not understanding what had just happened.

* * *

That night, Belladonna sat huddled alone on the wide bed, biting her lower lip with a restless expression.

She felt as if an unexpected storm had swept through and destroyed everything.

She buried her face between her raised knees, letting out a groan.

“Ugh…….”

I was so stupid…….

It had been too long since I had seen the Pope in person, and I had forgotten what kind of person he was.

“You idiot…….”

Belladonna sighed deeply, blaming herself.

The situation was terrible.

Escalión had learned that she had planned the marriage for three months, and that she had conceived everything herself.

The voices of the Griblatans [people of Gribalt] echoed in her mind.

The Pope clearly knew what kind of temperament Escalión had.

‘So, primarily, he was trying to use Scarlett as a weakness to force a divorce, and if that method failed, he would accuse me of orchestrating everything and have Escalión initiate the divorce.’

“That dirty, cunning old Pope…….”

Belladonna muttered to herself.

She raised her head slightly and looked at the clock, which was already pointing to midnight, and at the bedroom door, which remained firmly closed.

He hadn’t been in touch since he left.

“Is he not planning to come to the room tonight…….”

She asked worriedly, blinking her eyes and pondering for a moment before getting out of bed.

Putting aside the conversation to clear up misunderstandings, she was immediately worried about where he was and what he was doing.

Surely he hadn’t gone outside with his coat and not returned…….

Belladonna stepped onto the floor, picked up the small lamp on the bedside table, and moved to open the bedroom door.

Would he have returned to the office? Or would he be in his room? If so, it would be better to go and talk to him now…….

Squeak.

The old door opened with a sharp sound.

Belladonna stepped out into the hallway and cautiously looked around.

Should I go to his room first? Just as she was about to head towards Escalión’s room, she sensed someone’s presence across the hallway.

Ah, a surprise. Who is it? Is it Escalión?

She calmed her startled heart, narrowed her eyes, and raised the lamp towards the sound.

W, who is it?

“Who is it?”

At that moment, the other person seemed to sense Belladonna’s presence as well, and a voice came from the far end of the hallway.

Belladonna, startled by the voice of a woman she didn’t recognize, quickly brought the lamp closer to her face to reveal who she was.

It’s me!

The woman, having recognized Belladonna’s face, started walking towards her.

“Ah, it’s the Lady……! What are you doing up at this hour? Is there something you need?”

The maid, who had come closer, spoke.

Belladonna quietly looked up at her.

Red hair tied in pigtails, striking freckles, and eyes that curved into circles when she smiled.

She didn’t know her well, but she was someone whose face she had become familiar with while traveling around the castle.

“Ah, should I call Cindy for you?”

Belladonna quietly shook her head, as she didn’t need Cindy right now.

But…….

Belladonna held her breath and stared intently at the maid.

She hadn’t noticed when she was far away, but now that she was closer and her face was illuminated by the lamp, she felt something awkward and strange.

The maid was giving a somewhat distorted smile, anxiously looking around.

‘……What is it?’

Belladonna, feeling a strange unease, slowly took a step back.

She pointed to the bedroom behind her, giving a gentle smile. I, I’ll go back now……?

“Ah, you’re going back to your room? I understand.”

The maid nodded, giving a relieved smile.

I don’t know what it is, but let’s go back for now! Maybe it’s just because the castle is big and dark, but it feels a bit eerie!

Belladonna stealthily turned her body and headed towards the bedroom.

I guess the castle is so big that the servants take turns standing guard.

I guess that child is on duty today?

Just as she reached the bedroom door and reached for the handle, two hands suddenly popped out from the dark behind her.

Huh?

Before she could even recognize what it was, a black cloth with a damp liquid was pressed tightly over her mouth.

“……!”

W, what……!

She didn’t know what was on the cloth, so she tried not to breathe as much as possible, but another hand that covered her strangled her slender neck tightly.

Belladonna, who quickly became short of breath, inhaled without realizing it.

Ah, this isn’t good…….

Belladonna felt her consciousness fading rapidly as she collapsed into the hallway.

* * *

Ugh, headache…….

Belladonna frowned and forced open her eyelids, which felt heavy and wouldn’t open easily.

Even when she opened her eyes, all she could see was darkness.

It wasn’t actually dark, but it seemed like something was covering her eyes.

The stinging sensation of cheap cloth was felt on her eyes, mouth, and wrists, which were gathered and tied behind her.

She slowly exhaled and regained her senses a little more, but this time, a pungent odor that stung her nose echoed in her head.

The cold that penetrated her thin velvet pajamas was also considerable.

What is this smell? And where am I……?

The place she was leaning against was very cold and hard.

A stark and vivid sound of wind entered her ears.

‘Could it be……? That I’m not in the castle, but outside?’

Shh, shh…….

At that moment, there was a sound of someone sharpening something very sharp on a flat stone.

Belladonna held her breath and focused on the sound.

“We have to leave quickly.”

Following that, she heard the voice of a man, low and chilling, which she had never heard before.

Leave……? Belladonna frowned.

“Wait a minute, we need to think about what to do with the Lord’s wife.”

Soon after, the maid, who she thought she had encountered earlier, spoke.

Judging from the voices, it seemed that there were a total of three people here now: Belladonna, the maid, and an unidentified man.

At the maid’s words, the man quickly became annoyed.

“Ugh, damn it, why did you bring her along……!”

“I, I was too flustered! How was I supposed to know she would come out into the hallway like a ghost in the middle of the night without making a sound!”

They raised their voices and turned to look at Belladonna, panting.

The man, looking down at Belladonna, whose eyes and mouth were tightly bound, smirked and spat out.

“Why is her mouth covered? She can’t even talk.”

“I was too flustered about that too, why!”

“Whatever, you’re so stupid……. Forget it, let’s just leave her alone. How much time do we have?”

Belladonna lay still as a mouse, as if she hadn’t regained consciousness yet, and listened to their conversation.

“Originally, we had plenty of time, but it’s become tight because we brought the Lord’s wife. As soon as the sun rises, someone will notice that the Lord’s wife is gone. Anyone could be chasing us.”

“The Lord?”

“I saw the Lord riding out of the castle on the fastest and darkest horse right after sunset. You know that when he leaves the castle like that, he won’t be back for at least three days.”

“That’s true.”

Belladonna let out a small breath.

He rode out on a horse…….

It seemed that Escalión had left like that and gone completely outside the castle.

“Damn it, I was only planning to steal a few valuables, but how did it end up with a person……. And even the Lord’s wife!!”

The maid shouted, seemingly embarrassed, and the man replied without any emotion.

“We weren’t expecting it to go smoothly anyway. Being caught by the Imperial Knights [elite soldiers of the Empire] and dragged to court to be sentenced to death is the same as being caught by this Lord and dying. At least the latter has some hope of not being caught.”

Court? Death sentence……?

If he’s being chased by the Imperial Knights…….

Is that man already a notorious criminal in the Empire? Belladonna, terrified, took a small breath.