The Villain Changed the Ending

052 Catherine, do you really like being my wife?

****[Oscar, the main character] ****

The sound of wheels ringing.

Even though it was spring, the daytime had become quite hot, and the curtains on the windows were half open.

Through the cracks in the curtains, you can see the street scene.

Although there was little damage, there were occasional twisted doors or collapsed parts of buildings.

Even if the grasshopper’s demon is not strong, it is a demon.

Their skin was tough, and they were stronger than humans.

It can slam its body into a building and break a door or wreck a poorly built barn.

I heard that there were a certain number of people who died because they ran rampant even though they were in the minority.

When I heard that story, I was pathetic.

I was confident, but unlike I thought, I couldn’t completely block it.

He was a confident fool.

The future will be the same.

Even the things I thought were perfect and checked twice and three times, I regret and regret after experiencing them, and that will be the case.

Also, the reality is not so easy.

“…”

Still, people are brave.

Everyone was back to normal, as if it had been attacked by a monster.

People shouted and hammered vigorously, and children ran around with dirty water on their faces.

Looking at the coat of arms of the carriage, I heard some people claiming that it belonged to the duchy.

It seems that there was someone he remembered when he came to the duke’s mansion the other day.

“Duke!”

“God bless you!”

“Thank you, Duke!”

Some people shouted, and some children ran after the wagon.

today as always.

After the stew was provided by the duchy, the children would follow the duke’s carriage when they saw it.

Adults know that nobles are scary, so they only look at them from a distance, but even if the world is different, children are children.

Follow me fearlessly

It had never been like that before.

Perhaps after sharing the stew, the duke completely believed that they were not harming them.

After a small laugh, I knocked on the window connected to the driver’s seat.

When the attendant sitting next to the coachman dropped the coins prepared for the children on the ground, waaa, the children’s shouts were heard.

I smiled again.

The children follow the wagon until they collapse out of breath.

Whether it was a test of courage or just for fun, there was a risk of getting run over by another wagon if I made a mistake, but I didn’t care.

After a few such experiences, I decided to throw a coin to make the kids drop.

Because of that, the children chased the wagon more tenaciously and the number increased.

The waaa noisy children’s voices grew louder in the back of the carriage.

The number of children seems to have increased.

I went closer to the window and looked at the back of the carriage.

The children were frantically picking up coins.

I laughed lightly again.

At that time, a carriage approached from the other side and passed by.

The carriage window is wide open, and the person inside is visible.

“!”

The person sitting by the window was Rene, the heroine of the novel.

The person inside was a man, but he looked older.

I don’t know the exact face because I couldn’t see it well.

But it would not have been Baron Mayer.

I remember his face, but no, no.

Suddenly, as Renee turned her head out of the window, their eyes met.

Her eyes widened.

Renee put her hand on the carriage window and stuck her head out a little.

I opened my mouth as if to say something, but the carriage was already passing by.

Since the wagon I rode in was also running, the distance between the two increased in an instant.

Through the window of the carriage moving away, Renee stuck her head out.

But the next moment, her body was pulled into the carriage as if someone had pulled it.

‘I don’t think there was a woman in that carriage.’

It is rare for an unmarried young woman to be alone with a man in a carriage.

I don’t know if it’s a really emergency situation or if it’s a fiancé.

‘I didn’t hear that she was engaged.’

Although he continues to pay attention to matters related to her, there have been no rumors that he has become intimate with the prince after the palace banquet.

‘Strange.’

Maybe it doesn’t go the same way as the story in the novel.

‘Maybe it’s because of me.’

If I recall, in the novel, the prince often interfered because Oscar bullied the heroine.

Since I don’t have any contact with Renée, there may be no progress between the two.

“…”

I’m sorry for Renee, but knowing the future, I have no intention of approaching her.

I intend to continue in this unrelated state.

But when she saw me, she seemed to want to say something.

I had no contact with her in this world, so what on earth was she trying to say?

Recalling her face as she passed by, I felt a sense of nervousness for some reason.

It felt somehow familiar.

It felt like I had seen it somewhere.

Is this what deja vu is like?

I don’t know what made me feel that way.

‘But for some reason.’

My mind became messy with the subtle sensations I couldn’t figure out.

It seemed that someone had stepped on it without even knowing it and turned it into muddy water.

I buried myself deep in my chair, trying to calm my clouded mood.

Although it is a paper affair and the actual marriage is still far away, today is the day that Katrin and I are tied together as husband and wife.

I didn’t want to meet her in this mood.

Trying to lighten my mind, I gave myself over to the vibration of the wagon.

*

Upon arriving at the Marquis of Petri, I was shown into a luxurious reception room.

Marquis Petrie was waiting.

As always, today my beard looks great.

‘Is this person going to be my father-in-law?’

Somehow I felt strange.

After exchanging greetings with Marquis Petri, he signs the marriage contract and the one-page marriage certificate that has already been reviewed.

Waiting for the ink to dry, each of the attendants took care of the contract.

The marriage certificate was immediately sent to the palace.

Most of the big families sent civil servants to the royal palace to look after their affairs.

It was the same for dukes and marquesses.

The marriage certificate will be received by a ducal official waiting in the palace, paid the marriage license tax, and signed by the king.

After the wedding ceremony was over, Marquis Petrie suddenly took a deep breath.

I don’t know why, but I think I was nervous.

Marquis Petrie looked at me with a mixed feeling and lowered her head a little.

“Duke, there may be many shortcomings, but please take good care of our daughter. If nothing else, from childhood until now, that child has only been looking at the Duke. As much as he thinks of you, he will not lose to anyone. Please that Considering… please think of it as cute.”

It must be the heart of a father sending off his daughter in marriage.

It was not even requested by this side, but Marquis Petrie set Catherine’s dowry quite generously.

Everywhere in the contract, the Marquis put in various clauses for Catherine.

Although it was very different from the contract that her grandfather had written for her mother, traces of consideration for her daughter could be seen here and there.

‘Is it still so worrying?’

For some reason, I was heartbroken.

I laughed softly.

“Don’t worry about her, Marquis Petrie. I’ll try to make Miss Catherine happy. I won’t make her unhappy.”

“…Thank you, Duke Weiss.”

Marquis Petrie seems to be about to say something, but then shuts her mouth and bows her head again.

“Then, when should Catherine be sent to the duchy…”

Marquis Petrie spoke up to discuss the future schedule.

I met the Marquis’ gaze and opened my mouth.

“I want to take things slow.”

“… yes?”

Marquis Petri’s eyes widened slightly.

To avoid any misunderstanding, I hastened to add.

“Somehow the process has sped up, but she’s still young. She’s at an age where she wants to be with her parents more, and it would be painful to let the Marquis go now. You can take it easy until she’s about eighteen.”

“That…but…”

Marquis Petrie stuttered a little before continuing.

“You have to learn the etiquette of a duke’s family… wouldn’t there be time to relax like that?”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I’ve already gotten permission from my mother in the estate. It’s enough to learn after a while. It’s okay to proceed at the same pace as the other women.”

It’s not just for Catherine.

Until now, the duchy had no hostess, so no banquets or banquets were held in the royal capital.

It might have been a little different if my mother had been in the capital, but she always stayed in the dukedom as the acting lord.

don’t come to the kingdom

There’s nothing you can’t force yourself to do, but the hostess plays a very important role in such events.

If there is no hostess, someone needs to take the place.

Because of these circumstances, the duke’s family had been free to attend banquets and banquets in the royal capital until now, but once Catherine officially arrived, that would no longer be the case.

No matter how young Catherine is, she is a duchess, and even if a banquet is too much, she should prepare a dinner.

It is her responsibility to select guests and assign seats, determine the overall atmosphere, look at the latest fashion styles for banquets and banquets, and sort out family names and people who are difficult to invite together.

Even if her mother helped, she would have to decide on her own in the actual field, but it was impossible for her now.

In particular, the banquet is also a place to show the skill of the hostess.

Catherine will soon be put to the test of the society wives and judged.

When Catherine makes a mistake, she herself suffers, but the duke’s honor is also lost.

Considering such a risk, it would be better to stay at the duke’s house while staying at the marquess’ house until he was ready to some extent.

Since Katrin is still young, she can assume that appearance.

It would be foolish not to use the available methods.

When I explained carefully to avoid any misunderstanding, Marquis Petrie stood for a while like a mute who had eaten honey, then smiled awkwardly.

“Ha… ha ha… that’s right.”

But somehow the reaction is strange.

I bet he didn’t think he’d take a fourteen-year-old away from his parents and take him away in a matter of months.

Marquis Petrie cleared her throat a little, as if trying to hide her embarrassment.

“There is a rare flower in our garden these days. It’s blooming beautifully, so I’d like to show it to you. How about it?”

Aha, is it date time now?

I smiled.

“Would you like to ask for guidance?”

“It’s just boring to be with an old man like this.”

After saying that, Marquis Petrie winked at the waiting attendant.

It seems that he was waiting outside beforehand.

The door opened quickly and Catherine entered.

Wow, that sound almost came out without me knowing.

Today’s Catherine was like a pitiful flower fairy.

In a bright spring dress, her hair is wrapped in a jeweled net and hung loosely back.

When he came to visit me on a pony the other day, he was awkwardly dressed for his age, but now his clothes fit as if they were glued to his skin.

Above all, he was smiling like a flower.

Happiness seems to spread from her eyes, lips and laughter.

If the other person is happy like this, I’m happy too.

As if the emotions were contagious, a smile appeared on his lips by itself.

Catherine bowed gracefully and looked up.

A smile spread across her face as if she couldn’t stand it.

“Catherine.”

Come closer and gently hold her hand.

As we kissed the back of her hand, Katrin opened her mouth as if she couldn’t take it any longer.

“Husband!”

“…”

You really have a knack for breaking the atmosphere.

It seems that the mysterious existence that was a fairy just a moment ago has returned to being a human in an instant.

Katrin was laughing happily, as if she were moved by her own words.

Anyway, my husband…

It’s the first name I’ve heard of.

“Ka! Catherine! Why did the Duchess say such a strange thing?”

A suppressed voice burst out from Marquis Petrie, who was standing behind him.

In the Marquis’ voice, I could feel the agony of wanting to shout but not being able to.

I received a small jewelry box from the duke’s attendant and handed it to her.

Normally, gifts are handed over to attendants or maids, but since these are small things and jewelry, it doesn’t matter.

“May I open it, husband?”

Catherine’s eyes sparkled.

It seems that she intends to keep going with the word “husband.”

“Catherine! That word!”

Marquis Petrie shouted again, but Catherine doesn’t seem to have ears to listen to her father. I was pretending not to hear.

I smiled and nodded, and Katrin opened the lid of the box.

“oh my god!”

Katrin froze at just that one word.

Inside was a brooch made of many pearls woven together.

Pearls are very precious in this world.

Because there was no food, it was expensive, but also difficult to obtain.

For that reason, products made of pearls are used by ladies from high-ranking families who are of a certain age, and the design is also mature.

It was very rare for a young woman to use pearl ornaments.

The price is also reasonable, but because of the design, it is not suitable for young women.

However, this brooch has a design that is comparable even when young Catherine goes anywhere as a duchess.

It was among the items that Captain Max had brought from a country across the continent, and as soon as I saw it I thought it belonged to Catherine.

“thank you.”

Katrin said that and smiled brightly.

‘I think I know why men give women jewelry.’

If you smiled happily like this… After thinking that, I suddenly thought of my wife from my previous life.

Katrin’s face overlapped for a moment with her smiling broadly at the diamond ring that she had worn when they were getting married.

Katrin is very happy that she married me.

I get it.

But my previous wife had never looked at me with such a happy expression as when she saw the ring.

‘I was such a fool.’

After that, Catherine, who had calmed down, led them through the garden.

In the midst of the profuse flowers, Katrin spoke meaningless words to me several times, and each time she happily called me husband.

I felt like I was creating a conversation topic to use the word husband.

Catherine, do you really like being my wife?

I couldn’t help laughing the whole walk through the garden, as I’d probably say yes ten times if I asked.

*

The dinner that followed was held in a friendly atmosphere.

Catherine’s older brothers, who were in the capital, also attended, and heard about her life in the estate as a child.

“Catherine was a child who only knew the Duke of Weiss since she was young. She was a bit grumpy because she was sad about that, and she often cried.”

“That’s why Katrin seems to hate us.”

Contrary to what I thought, Katrin seems to have been properly loved by her family.

For some reason, Katrin was rolling her eyes back and forth in the fan, making an expression of nonsense.