I smiled quite leisurely.
Penelope, who had been crying and looking sideways to try to figure out her friend's true feelings, let out a sigh of relief when she saw my smile.
"I can't tell you how happy I am that you said that. I thought you would understand eventually. You're a good person."
"..."
She took both of my hands in hers.
"Then we're still friends, right?"
"Yes."
"Oh, what a relief! You are my most precious friend. You know that?"
Penelope smiled, her eyes red from crying, wide this time.
It was childish laughter with no clear distinction between good and evil.
"I lost sleep for several days, worried that you would get angry. You have no idea how tired I was during the carriage ride here."
Penelope leaned back against the back of the chair, perhaps feeling relieved and tired.
She was still holding my hand.
The two people holding hands looked very affectionate as if nothing had happened between them.
"I'm sorry, but I'll stay with you for a few days. I'm sorry. But it's only for a few days. He promised to provide me with a nice place to stay."
Penelope boasted cheerfully.
As if she had no idea that those words would hurt me.
I had just told Isaac that I would be staying with Penelope, but I didn't want the conversation to drag on, so I kept my mouth shut.
For me to carry out my planned revenge, Penelope and Isaac had to be in my shadow.
"You'd better go to bed early, Penelope. Isaac told me to put a purification spell on you to help you rest better."
Penelope smiled shyly.
"He's so sweet, isn't he?"
I led Penelope to the bed without answering.
Then I placed my hand on Penelope's belly as she lay down.
A white light came out from there.
It was a small light as faint as the breath of a winter day, that you wouldn't notice unless you looked closely.
I cleansed Penelope of the bad energy that was on her body.
To be exact, it wasn't Penelope who was purified, but the baby in her womb.
'Baby, grow up strong and be born healthy.'
I had no intention of harming the baby.
This baby will be born safely.
By then, Penelope would have figured out that she was using the baby to fulfill her own desires.
That this baby would never accomplish anything he set out to do.
Penelope's hopes for a rosy future will be mercilessly crushed.
I looked down at Penelope, who lay comfortably with her eyes closed.
'But you won't be lonely, Penelope. When you go to hell, Isaac, whom you loved, will be with you.'
***
Back in my room. I stood behind the closed door, my hands on my chest.
Now it was really time to start again.
The moment I saw Isaac and Penelope getting off the carriage together, my heart raced at the thought that I could start everything anew from here.
If I could live my messed up life over again I wouldn't miss out on the things I had to do in this life.
There was more to do than just revenge.
'Julian.'
I let out a sigh full of longing, calling out the name in my heart, which I dared not say out loud.
I closed my eyes and his wailing voice came back to me vividly.
"I waited for you, Bridget. I stopped and waited for you the moment you left."
"Julian..."
I thought that the image of him that appeared before me as I was about to die was an illusion.
I thought I was seeing an illusion because my longing was so deep.
Still, it was good.
I'm so happy to see him again, someone I thought I'd never see again.
"If you were unhappy, you should have come to me. You should have come to me."
"You hate me."
"No matter what you do, I will never hate you."
"Don't cry, Julian."
It was only when his hot tears touched my cheeks that I knew he was real.
It was only then that I caught sight of him.
I wanted to ask.
Weren't you happy, sitting on a high, lofty throne that was so far away I couldn't even dare reach it, forgetting about me?
Have you not enjoyed unprecedented glory, commanding the world at your feet?
But why do you look so messy?
He was known as the bloodthirsty tyrant and the iron-blooded King, and he was notorious throughout the kingdom. Contrary to rumors, he looked terribly worn out.
It was heartbreaking to see him being so unhappy, urging me to come find him if I was unhappy...
I regretted it.
I shouldn't have abandoned you.
How can life be so full of regrets every moment?
When I closed my eyes, the memory of the last day I saw him came back vividly.
A single teardrop, filled with suppressed emotions, fell from beneath my long eyelashes.
'This time I'll come to you.'
***
It's been three days since Penelope arrived at Viscount Winston's mansion.
The employees of the mansion were not at all used to this situation.
"Penelope, are you feeling unwell? Is there anything else you need?"
"I feel so good right now."
"Ah, spending time together like this feels like I've gone back to my childhood."
They can't believe a wife and the mistress can be this affectionate.
It seemed like Bridget really intended to stay with Penelope.
Whenever the employees had a break, they would gather in front of the kitchen stove and talk about this awkward and shocking situation.
"I really don't know what's going on with this family."
Everyone was confused.
"What on earth is our Ma'am thinking? Is she really not bothered by anything?"
"Because she is a noble lady. It is a virtue of a noble lady not to be jealous of her husband's lover. To have to show off your manners in this situation is a pitiful life if you think about it."
"How broken must the inside be. How pitiful."
The maids expressed their admiration for Bridget's unexpected reaction, each offering grand interpretations.
The past life and this life were the same, but just because Bridget's attitude changed, everything seemed to be beautiful.
Only Bridget, who knew the difference between her past life and her current one, noticed how shallow public opinion worked.
Bridget thought it was worth using, even if it wasn't very appealing.
Meanwhile, Penelope and Isaac were reviled just as much as Bridget was glorified and pitied.
"I find that concubine truly amazing. No matter how warmly she is received, how can she shamelessly think of sticking her butt in this mansion?"
"No matter what, the biggest problem here is the master. Not only did he leave the bride right after the wedding, but he brought a woman with him? Even though this is not considered a blemish among nobles, isn't that right, his wife's friend?"
"That's right. Even if the madam gave permission, shouldn't he take her out himself or something?"
Among the mutterings, someone let out a deep sigh.
"It seems like things have gotten harder for us."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
The three people at the center of this incident seemed to be going about their daily lives as if nothing had happened, but the employees were having a hard time keeping an eye on them.
Isaac, who was paid to be rude to a concubine who had sneaked into the house where his wife was, was right behind Penelope.
However, he was hesitant on moral grounds to stand in line for his beloved concubine, and he felt sorry for Bridget.
But the one who created this strange situation was none other than Bridget, and she was on good terms with Penelope as a friend.
"Oh my, I can't believe I'm seeing a wife and a concubine living together in this place that isn't even a palace."
"Even in the palace, the Queen and her government do not live together. They each have their own palace."
"Our master would not be jealous of even a King."
***
The employees were muttering behind her back, but Penelope had these been the best days of her life.
'It was good that I came here.'
In fact, Penelope had wanted to come to this mansion ever since she had decided to return home from Russel.
This was a familiar place to Penelope too.
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