The Villain Changed the Ending

066 It can’t be like this

***[Bernt, father]***

On the second day after departure, Bernd was caught up by an escort from the estate.

To be honest, I was a little relieved.

It’s because you took the wrong road and entered an unfamiliar place.

I couldn’t help it because it was the first time I was out of the city alone without anyone.

I thought I was going back because I was caught, but the escorts stayed at the inn for a few days and got a call, and then they headed back to their home.

Maybe Oscar had barely thought of meeting him.

While heading to Eldoni’s home, Bernd thought through various things.

After all, there is no other way than to repair the relationship with Annette.

‘Oscar seems to be kind to his mother, so if he gets along well with Annette, he’ll be a little better with me.’

We didn’t get along well in the past, but now we have to change.

Several times he organized in his head what to say to his son and Annette.

In the meantime, I suddenly remembered something from the past.

This is when Oscar was a child.

That day was probably Oscar’s birthday.

Perhaps he was trying to show the castle town, Benno came out with young Oscar under escort and ran into him.

Bianca and Dennis were with me, so I turned away without speaking to her, but Oscar silently shed tears.

I hadn’t even remembered it at all, but for some reason, it suddenly popped into my head.

‘Because I’m a kid who missed me that much.’

With a little bit of time, the relationship can be repaired in no time.

*

Upon arriving at Eldoni, the central city of the dukedom, the gatekeeper sent a message to the inside to ask him to wait.

I don’t know why, but I couldn’t get through right away.

“What are you doing! I am the duke’s father! How stern is a gatekeeper! Can’t I get out of here right away!”

When he got so angry, the gatekeeper bent over. But it still won’t let me in.

“Sorry, but Bernt-sama just had an order not to let him in.”

“What, what? What nonsense!”

Something must be wrong.

Although he said so, the gatekeeper was unmoved.

No matter how angry you are, it’s useless.

The escorts who came with them said nothing.

don’t help him

‘Useless things.’

Bernd got even more angry and ran away screaming.

People’s eyes gathered towards Bernd, and they became even more angry.

Does it make sense that he, who inherits the duchy’s legitimacy, cannot enter the city?

I was so angry that my head felt as hot as boiling.

While they were arguing, someone from the Duke’s family came out after receiving a call.

Of course, I thought Benno would come, but what came out was a mere butler.

A person who works under Benno.

‘This, such neglect.’

At one time, he was the heir to the ducal family.

Although he is now retired, he is the current duke’s father.

But only the butler Naburaeng came out?

Not Benno?

‘How dare you treat me like this. I’ve only come here with the decision to bow down to my son and wife.’

The bad feeling that I hadn’t been feeling before suddenly took a nosedive.

Bernd threw words of contempt at the butler.

“In the past, this kind of rudeness couldn’t have happened. To think that a family of the duke’s rank would do such nonsense. Aren’t you ashamed of being called Weiss? To lower the quality of the duchy like this, what the hell is Oscar doing? !”

“I’m sorry if I offended you. Please go in.”

The butler lowered his head with an expressionless face.

The behavior was polite, but there was no sign of apologetics.

Bernd shook the reins, unable to hide his displeasure.

As the horse passed through the castle gate and entered, the voices of children were heard from a distance.

“It was amazing. The ground just shook. It seemed like all the thunder had come and played.”

“I also saw flying mushrooms! Huge white mushrooms in the sky! There were a lot of them!”

“Lies! Don’t be funny.”

“I saw it! It’s real!”

“Daddy said it was the Duke’s job! It’s real!”

“How do mushrooms get to the sky! Are you kidding me that I wasn’t here? Don’t lie!”

Children’s voices are loud.

got offended

“How on earth does Oscar manage the people? To think that aristocrats pass by and lowly children are playing like that. Rather than being respected by the people, isn’t it considered funny!”

In addition, strange ghost stories seem to be spreading.

white mushrooms? You mean the duke?

“Aren’t you even making Young-min anxious? Unlike adults, children don’t lie. Seeing ghost stories going around like that among children, you can tell what Young-min is thinking right now.”

Bernd clicked his tongue harshly.

“This is what happens when a child becomes a duke. What the hell are the aides doing?”

If he had been a duke, there wouldn’t have been such a ghost story.

While he was complaining, the butler didn’t say anything.

I just listen silently.

Occasionally, there was someone who recognized the duke’s butler and bowed his head.

Maybe this butler often comes out of town.

That’s unpleasant too.

I heard that when my father was young, he often mingled with the local people.

During the war, I had heard many times that he had slept in a shabby building with Yeong-min, saying that he missed the butlers and soldiers.

Maybe Oscar imitates such a grandfather.

It shows that you are close to Youngmin. I’m a good lord

In Bernd’s eyes, his father’s behavior was nothing but a mockery of him.

You urge your son, Bernd, to act like an aristocrat, and you do something not aristocratic at all.

Hanging out with commoners and talking.

It was as if he was saying that you shouldn’t do this because you’re not good enough, but I’m good, so it’s okay to do anything.

‘I recalled unpleasant memories.’

Bernd turned his head away from the villagers and looked ahead.

After that, until he arrived at the duke’s residence, Bernd did not notice the appearance of commoners.

*

Upon arriving at the mansion, Bernd was ushered into a small reception room.

All the reception rooms of the duke’s family are splendid, and none are shabby.

However, there were places that were more splendid or relatively inferior.

And, depending on the status of the host, the place to be guided differs.

He was born and raised in a ducal family.

Bernd knew all too well what it meant to be ushered into this waiting room.

This is the reception room for guiding people who are classified as the lowest class.

Mostly people without a title come this way.

“How dare I, me…”

He was the heir of the Duke.

Although he was pushed aside by his son, he was originally the person to become a duke.

But how dare you treat me like an untitled brat?

The eyes widened and widened.

I opened my eyes so wide that there was a lot of contact between the pupils and the air.

My eyes are sore and sore.

Such treatment, such insults, dare!

At that thought, my hands trembled.

When he forgot why he had come here and anger took over his heart, the butler who had guided him opened his mouth.

“The godfather says he is meeting Bernt-sama. Please wait here for a moment.”

The butler bowed his head a little, then went to the entrance and stood quietly.

It seems to have become a stone statue.

goddamn.

The color of Bernd’s face changed enough that he knew it himself.

Daebuin is a word used for the hostess of the head of the house who has resigned.

“…”

Bernt is just Bernt, but he uses the title of godfather to his wife, Annette.

He was treated as an idiot by his father, but he was also a person who had lived in an aristocratic society since he was born.

If you put this in front of your eyes, you will know what I mean even if you don’t like it.

‘Damn it.’

Bernd finally realized why he had been brought here.

I thought it was just an insult, but it wasn’t.

It was simply a guide considering the current location.

The wife is treated as the mother of the current duke and the hostess responsible for the housekeeping of the castle, but Bernd is simply treated as someone who has been relegated to the countryside without a title.

‘Is that why the person who met me wasn’t Benno?’

It seemed that he was trying to treat Bernt not as the duke’s father, but as a mere guest.

‘I was mistaken.’

Although driven out, in that distant land he was treated respectfully.

Money and goods were good enough.

He was treated as the father of Dangju.

Knowing that, he made up his mind to run this way.

He thought that he would be taken back to the territory in the middle, but Bernd thought that coming here was an opportunity, but it was different.

The reason I brought Bernt here was to show you that this is where you are now.

Bernd’s head slowly grew cold.

‘Dangerous.’

The face of the son he saw when he kicked him out came to mind.

It was a cold-eyed look that did not match his young age.

The child is now sixteen years old.

How much colder eyes could have had.

“…”

Until I came here, I hadn’t thought about the fact that my son was already a grown man.

I never thought that I would have already cut off my attachment to my father.

He remembered only the image of him crying when he saw himself as a child.

That’s why he thought that if he showed affection, he would easily get along with her.

‘But maybe not. This… is really dangerous.’

The blood seems to run cold in an instant.

Bernd swallowed his saliva.

Her son treats him like this, but Annette still seems to want to meet her as soon as she arrives.

‘As expected, Annette is in love with me.’

If he doesn’t restore his relationship with Annette, it’s really over.

Before she can meet Oscar, she has to change Annette’s mind a bit.

Bernd took a deep breath and turned his gaze to the butler.

“Annette, what about her? Maybe something else.”

I opened my mouth to see if there was another man, but the door opened.

Annette entered the reception room with Benno.

The wife I had seen a long time ago appeared more than ten years ago, but still the same.

He and Bianca are getting older, but only she seems to have slipped away.

Unknowingly, the saliva went down.

“…”

A few strands of her hair, elegantly upturned, caught in her white ears and fell on her slender neck, and her lips were slightly reddish on her face, which was barely made up.

She was wearing a plain dress that only slightly exposed her neck.

The colors are subdued.

It was in contrast to Bianca, who likes to wear red and white dresses.

But it rather emphasizes elegance.

‘Was she such a beautiful woman?’

No, I knew.

From the beginning, she was making a name for herself as a flower of society.

The first time I saw it, I thought that the flower appeared as a person.

If it hadn’t been for Bianca, I would have fallen in love that day.

But because Bianca was there.

Bianca, who was a few years older than him, cried pitifully and begged the day before she was going to meet her fiancee.

please don’t abandon yourself

Even if he didn’t mean to do that, Bianca, who couldn’t believe it and cried until his eyes were red, remained in his head, and Bernd felt guilty for the fact that his heart was moved when he saw Annette.

Besides, after that, Bianca seems to have been bullied by Annette in every case.

There was even an incident where I couldn’t even go outside for a while, shivering, saying that unknown men on the street were following me.

His heart, which had been shaken by Annette at first, grew farther and farther away from her strong heart and cold response towards himself.

Now I’m starting to think that those things might have been Bianca’s own play, but well, it’s no use trying to figure it out.

‘Anyway, repairing the relationship with Annette is the top priority right now.’

When she met her face, Annette always had a hardened or angry face.

But now it’s kind of soft.

The way he looked at him seemed comfortable.

OK, this should be fine.

It’s different from when we were just fighting.

It’s different from the old Bernt who was obsessed with his lover.

Because now Bernt has come to his senses.

Bernd took a step towards Annette.

“Annette, you look beautiful.”

I was going to say how it was, but the words came out without me knowing.

It seems that the truth came out as it is.

When she herself was startled and shut her mouth, Annette opened her eyes wide and suddenly smiled.

“This is the first time I’ve heard of it. You look at me and say I’m beautiful.”

Somehow the atmosphere is good.

Bernd moved closer to Annette.

“Let’s not stand and talk like this. Let’s sit down and talk. It’s been a while. How have you been?”

Saying that, Bernd glanced at Benno.

Benno stood quietly, half a step away from Annette.

It’s only when that guy sticks around like that that the atmosphere will be good and then he’ll disappear.

“Benno, I have something to say to my wife, so you should step back a bit.”

don’t tell me to get out

In the current situation, even if Bernd wanted it, it probably wouldn’t happen.

But Bernt is Annette’s husband.

There was no doubt that Benno would back down.

But Benno didn’t even move. He stands there with an expressionless face.

When Bernd’s eyebrows raised, Annette opened her mouth.

“Benno is the butler of the duchy, Bernd. You do not have the authority to give him orders.”

Annette let out a small sigh.

“And there’s nothing to sit down to talk about. What I’m going to say is very simple. I’m just… I came to see you first because I thought it would be best for me to tell you about this before Oscar says it. Even though we didn’t get along well, we’ve been together for a long time. Because they were bound under the name of husband and wife.”

“…”

The atmosphere is somehow strange.

Annette’s voice showed no anger, no jealousy, no longing.

There was an air of talking to a familiar person, just met in a social circle.

“Today I come to tell you that I have divorced you. We are no longer a couple, Bernt. Oscar decided a few days ago.”

“What, what?”

Bernd stepped in front of Warak Annette.

“That’s… what does that mean! Without me knowing… what nonsense. Who dares to divorce without my permission! Even a duke cannot arbitrarily force someone else to divorce. “The law isn’t like that! Do you think I would allow that?”

He shouted and tried to grab Annette’s arm, but his hand was blocked by Benno.

I tried to shake off Benno’s arm, but it didn’t budge.

It was as if I was being held to a log.

“this person!”

While trembling and glaring at Benno, Annette opened her mouth again.

“I don’t need your permission, Bernt. Didn’t you read our marriage contract properly? If you break any of the terms, I can divorce you on the same day, even if you don’t agree.”

“…”

“In addition, there is a special provision in the contract that the head of the duchy has the right to decide whether to continue the marriage, regardless of your intentions. It was a clause that my father put in because he was anxious about rumors about you, in case you rejected it like this.”

“What…? But you love me.”

Annette looked at Bernt in amazement.

“When are you talking about when? It was really early on, around the time I was married, that I loved you. After that, you did all the crazy things, and you never did anything that could make you fall in love. Can you think of it that way?”

“But you.”

I couldn’t even smell the man.

I thought I was still waiting for him.

While I was standing there blankly, Benno said in a cold voice.

“Bernt-sama, please don’t call the dame by name carelessly from now on. Unlike Bernd-sama, the dame is now the holder of the title.”

“what…?”

When you become the head of a duchy, you have several titles.

This is because this family had several territories besides the duchy.

Benno said in an icy voice that Oscar had transferred one of them to Annette.

As a father, he only sends Yeongji’s house and money to live on, but he gave Annette a title?

It can’t be like this.

If you were given a title, you should have given it to me.

As the anger slowly revived at that thought, a clear voice resounded in the reception room.

“Mother, is the story over?”

It was Oscar.

Oscar, who looked exactly like his mother, appeared, much older than his father.

When we parted, he was obviously a small and slender child, but when did the feeling of intimidation stop being a joke?

Unknowingly, Bernd hesitated and took a step back.