I Became the Villain’s Wife

His black hair which hang on his forehead was the first thing she saw.
The next thing was his black eyes.
Her mouth dropped its jaw the moment she got to look at his exquisite features.
He have white skin, like a moonlight.

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A face that looked exactly the same as someone but at the same time, they were completely different.
His glass-eyes underneath his swaying black hair.

The man had a cold smile with his stoned face.

A face that was similar to Chief Reinhardt she had seen in the Duke’s Mansion back then, was standing right in front of her.

“Ah…”

She let out a scream yet a sigh like breath.
She couldn’t say anything, as she was still so stunned at what she was seeing.

“… You seemed very surprised.”

Chief Reinhardt talked to her with his unwavering smile around his mouth.
However, Eun-woo found herself unable to answer.

Why is he…? Why is he here in front of her now?

As far as she knows, the heir, the supreme consulate of Hellasium, and its members of the Senate, lived in a place like a sanctuary called the ‘Black Cathedral’ and did not recklessly appear in front of civilians.

However, isn’t the man in front of her was dressed in a very natural way like any other noble man would look like?

“My bad.
Miss’s white mask has become completely dirty.”

Chief Reinhardt picked up Eun-woo’s mask, which fell to the ground, and sighed quietly.
The soft touch while picking up her mask and shaking the dust off, could not be considered to be threatening at all.

However, Eun-woo somehow felt an eerie fear dominating her body.

 

She looked up at the Chief’s face, who was handing over her dusty white mask, as if she had become a rat under a horseshoe.

He smiled brightly at her.

“Seeing you from head to toe, you’re like a snow white, even your mask fits well to your skin.
There’s no other Blanche.”

Referring to the card game, he raised his hand as if he was contrasting her face with her white mask.
Soon, he murmured to himself as if he had lost interest.

“The same was true when I was searching for you.
It was like… Yes, it was like playing Blanche.
What should I say at times like this?… It’s been so long that I can’t remember well.“

As if he was struggling, he pressed his forehead with his index finger and middle finger.
Eun-woo watched Chief Reinhardt with her cold sweat on her back.

No matter how hard she tried to look at him differently, she couldn’t stop herself from thinking that he looked like a hunter, preparing himself to slaughter her.

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“Ah.”

It was not long before he spoke as if he had figured out what he was recalling.

Eun-woo thought that his red iris seemed to shine briefly on his black eyes, through his trembling eyelashes.
A creepy voice sounded.

“Benepis.”

The moment he put the word in his mouth, she got chills all over her body.

Saying Benepis is declaring that your enemy had a white card in the game Blanche card.

She trembled, grabbed the railing behind her back which prevented her from escaping, and leaned back as far as she could to get away from him.

However, Chief Reinhardt, who was about to strangle her, stood surprisingly very still.
He no longer approached her, reached out, or even spoke to her.
Instead, shortly after, he only opened his mouth affectionately with a gentle voice.

 

“Welcome back.
Eleanor Miller.

And the moment he folded his eyes and smiled, incredibly, Eun-woo couldn’t deny the idea that the Duke’s face, Tashian’s face, was surprisingly overlapping from his face.

Chief Reinhardt added, bowing to her.

“I’ve been waiting for you to come.“

“Ah…”

She didn’t say anything to him as if she was a mute person, and merely looked up then smiled to him, turning around.

“…I’ll see you often in the future.
‘Blanche’ lady.”

He slowly returned to the place where he first appeared on this veranda.

And she couldn’t help but walk away without saying much.

Even after he disappeared, Eun-woo stood still as if she had been unable to stay alert like she had seen a ghost.
Her whole body was shaking similarly to a tree shaking, as if she had been naked in the Sub-Zero temperature.

***

Eun-woo, who hurriedly returned to the ballroom, looked around and found the group she had spent time with.
However, the seat where they sat and chatted was already occupied by another group of people wearing masks.

At that time, someone grabbed her hand anxiously.
Eun-woo shook off the hand who grabbed her, without realizing it.

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“Aaah!!”

“Eleanor, it’s me.”

Selena was in front of her with her mouth stiffened.
Her red mask remained unchanged.
And as soon as Eun-woo realized it, she found herself relieved as if she was ready to lower her guards.

‘I see that you haven’t met Ikshid yet.’

It was clear evidence that my efforts so far have not gone to nothing.
She sighed and held Selena’s hand tightly.

“Selena, it was you.”

“Where have you been? I’ve been looking for you for a very long time.”

Selena asked her with her conscious face.
Even her concerned voice was still calm and polite.
With Selena’s expression, Eun-woo felt her stiffened body relaxed, instantly.

“Oh… I went to get some fresh air.”

Eun-woo responded at her words to not make her worried.

“… Ah, alone without the intention of seeing anyone secretly! On the terrace!”

“I see.”

Selena nodded silently.
Her expression stayed calm without a hint of doubt.

Eun-woo couldn’t have been more fortunate that she had a personality to believe the other person’s words straight away.

Next to Selena, she looked around, concerned about her surroundings.

Some of the people who finished exchanging masks were enjoying the ball even before it began, either they had taken off their masks to exchange masks.

But then, a golden mask flashing from afar stood out.
Eun-woo was able to confirm that Ikshid also remained unchanged.

However, Eun-woo’s eyes did not stop there, but searched deeply inside the Ball.
Her eyes were instinctively looking for a silver mask.

“Eleanor, are you looking for someone?”

Selena asked Eun-woo, who has been glancing around since earlier right after she returned.
Eun-woo was surprised, afraid that she had been caught doing something illegal.
She made an excuse by swinging the white mask she was holding tightly in her sweaty hand back and forth.

“Oh, no.
It’s nothing like that.”

“Lord Verk was searching for Miss earlier.”

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Eun-woo trembled at the word ‘the Duke’ which flowed out from Selena’s mouth.

“The duke…?”

Eun-woo felt her voice raise unconsciously, and cleared her throat as if she was uncomfortable by it.

“Why did the Duke search for me…?”

“He hasn’t seen Miss since earlier.
So, he asked me to give him a word if I found Miss.
He seemed to have something urgent to say to you, Miss.”

What does Tashian have to say to me?

Eun-woo felt her heart, which had only calmed down since meeting with the Chief Reinhardt, begin to beat uncontrollably again.

“Oh, my.
Lady Miller.
Did you see them performing over there?”

Selena opened her eyes wide and asked her in a rather excited tone.

Eun-woo blinked, and didn’t know what she was talking about.

“What kind of performance?”

She certainly heard that after a member of the Imperial Family attends the banquet, and begins earnestly, the performance of either clowns or for theaters will be stopped.

Eun-woo wondered and looked at Selena’s sight.
At that time, a lady who had been with Selena since earlier opened her mouth with a fuss.

“Oh my god! You have to watch it, too! I’ve never seen a theater like that in my life! It’s an animal called a giraffe, right? I never imagined such a long-necked animal would exist.“

Only then did Eun-woo realize that the inside of the hall had more repairs than before.
Even the musicians who were playing music amidst the buzzing crowd put their instruments away, pulled their necks out, and stared intently at a certain place.
The ladies also flocked in one place and tossed the fans they were shaking softly and screamed.

“Waaaahhh!”

The exclamation and admiration burst out.
Some nobles burst into applause.

Eun-woo also suddenly had the urge to watch the performance that began in the middle of the banquet.

“Let’s go over there too.”

Selena was the one who grabbed Eun-woo’s hand and led her.

The performance they mentioned was being held on another terrace located opposite the terrace where Eun-woo was standing with Chief Reinhardt.

Eun-woo was stuck in a crowd of nobles who flocked like clouds.
She tried to tiptoe with her feet, and jumped to see what was going on.

“Eleanor, this way!”

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Selena, meanwhile, took advantage of the gaps that were created due to the crowds pushing each other, leading to the place almost at the front of the entrance to the terrace where people were gathered.
Eun-woo’s eyes widened at the sight unfolding before her eyes.

‘This… was possible…?’

She doubted her own eyes.
The first thing that greeted her was the giraffe’s neck that reached the terrace on the second floor.
Eun-woo held Selena’s arm in disbelief while watching the scene.

She was familiar with the fact that a circus team was in the capital.
She also heard that they were often called to perform at large events and parties of aristocrats.
However, Eun-woo did not expect to be able to see it even at the imperial banquet.

“A circus troupe at the Imperial Palace banquet, I think this is probably an unauthorized performance… I don’t know if the Crown Prince knows this.
Also where did all the guards go….?”

Selena’s forehead was slightly wrinkled.

Contrary to their concerns, the performance was in full swing.
Suddenly, people rushed out of the terrace in unison.

“What’s going on?”

Selena looked around, confused as she held onto Eun-woo, who was reeling from the quickly swept crowd.
Once again, a loud shout broke out.

“An elephant!”

Someone screamed and pointed in one direction.

Eun-woo, along with Selena, pulled her head out and turned her eyes toward the direction that was pointed out.

Next to the wandering giraffe, an elephant wearing a colorful carpet stood out.
And on the terrace, a person was making a clever gesture as if controlling the elephant.

Only the man’s silhouette was dimly seen outside the darkness, but at first glance, she could feel that he was good at handling animals.

When the man shouted loudly, the elephant stepped up as if he had been waiting and ran toward the palace.
The grass was crushed and the earthy wind blew.
Several people screamed at the sound of the roaring elephant’s vote.

In response to another signal from the man, the elephant roared up on its hind feet.
It then landed on the road.
People cheered for it, and gave a standing ovation.

Eun-woo opened her mouth in fascination, because she was speechless at the beautiful sight.

At the end of the show, the man on the balcony naturally turned around and set up a gentlemanly example toward the crowd very politely.
People responded enthusiastically with applause.

However, it was not the case for Eun-woo.
After confirming the appearance of the man who appeared toward the crowd, she turned white as if she had seen a ghost.

Eun-woo stepped back over the scene in front of her eyes.

He was wearing a black mask!

‘Chief Reinhardt….?! But it can’t be….’