I Won't Clear Up the Misunderstanding. I Don't Mind Being the Villainess. - Chapter 30

Holger requested some time to write a letter to Keven, so I stepped out to give him privacy.
It made perfect sense, of course. Having served as the steward for so many years, and then resigning so abruptly, he’d have countless things he’d want to communicate—both professional details and sentimental farewells.
“Right then, in the meantime, perhaps you’ll let me examine your injuries, Duchess. After all, that’s the real reason I was summoned,” Rain announced, giving me a cheeky wink. Since he was a relative and resembled Keven, the gesture made me feel rather conflicted.
“Then, if you wouldn’t mind, we’ll use my room,” I replied. I certainly wasn’t going to strip down to expose my back in front of Holger.
When I started to guide him towards the Duchess’s private chamber, as had been planned, Rain threw his shoulders back in an exaggerated, theatrical manner.
“Oh, my word. Me being alone in the bedroom with such a lovely wife—won’t old Keven be green with envy?”
“You needn’t worry,” I said, smiling brightly. “The Duke only ever had eyes for his late wife.”
Rain went utterly rigid at my words. Holger, meanwhile, was pretending to be deeply absorbed in his letter writing.
“Besides,” I continued, “the notion of anything untoward happening between you and me, Doctor Rain, is simply absurd.”
With that, I opened the door. Rain muttered something quietly to himself, his expression peculiar. I ignored him and stepped into the hallway. After a short walk, Rain caught up, medical bag in hand.
We walked to the Duchess’s chamber without exchanging another word. We passed a few maids on the way. I took note that some greeted me, while others pointedly ignored me. Crucially, both groups made sure to greet Rain properly. I was frankly astonished by the staff who bypassed me just to address him.
“Do you honestly not realize you’re putting Doctor Rain in an awkward position with this petty behavior?” I asked them.
Indeed, Rain, walking beside me, could only manage a wry smile. It was obvious. The Duke’s own staff were ignoring the Duchess, but paying their respects to a mere relative. Unless Rain was actively trying to ostracize or bully me, he was bound to be utterly perplexed.
They said nothing, simply staring daggers at me before hurrying off. Now, it wasn’t just my back, but my head that was beginning to ache. Letting out a sigh, I ushered Rain into the Duchess’s chamber and gave a slight bow.
“I apologies, Doctor. The staff training has been completely inadequate.”
“Oh, come now, it can’t be helped. You’ve only just arrived here, and frankly, I think you’re managing incredibly well. The way you handled the Holger situation, for instance—that was brilliant. I certainly wasn’t that composed when I was your age.”
Of course, my ‘inner age’ doesn’t exactly match my youthful appearance, I thought. That wasn’t exactly a conversation I could have.
“But at your wedding, you were so nervous and timid… You seem like a completely different person now,” Rain observed.
I looked up at his comment. I couldn’t read any emotion in his green eyes. The suggestion that I was a different person made my heart lurch for a second, even if he’d only meant it casually.
To be precise, I wasn’t an entirely different person. I still hold Erika Olsson’s seventeen years of memories. However, my personality had shifted dramatically. The original Erika, for better or worse, was a beacon of innocence who truly believed that if she lived purely and bore no grudges, happiness would follow.
But that belief was shattered by Keven’s actions on our wedding night. Erika had truly trusted that Keven, as her husband, would finally see the truth. She was certain that if they spoke privately, the misunderstanding that painted her as a villainess would be resolved.
But there was no discussion. He just hurled an outrageous, unilateral statement at her: that if she was notorious, he had the right to treat her harshly. The emotional trauma was severe enough to cause her to faint, protecting her mind from the shock.
In the original novel, Erika simply woke up fine later. She realized she hadn’t been mistreated and felt mortified that she’d ruined her own wedding night by taking Keven’s dreadful joke seriously. This time, though, it seemed my personality—the one from my previous life—had entirely swapped places with Erika’s.
(Perhaps Erika herself desperately wanted an escape, too,) I mused. I’d once read about a person who created an alternate personality to take over because they couldn’t face a painful reality. While our situation might not be identical, I concluded that it was probably something similar.
“You’re quite right. I probably do seem like a completely different person. But I simply realized I wouldn’t survive here if I stayed weak.”
“Wait…”
“On our wedding night, the Duke told me that if I was a villainess, he was entitled to treat me harshly. And today, I was forcefully slammed against a wall. I called you here because I need you to treat the bruises I received then.”
“That’s… Keven did that? You must be joking?” Rain’s expression tightened instantly. I felt a small stab of disappointment. But perhaps I shouldn’t have expected more.
After all, Rain was clearly quite fond of Keven.
“It’s no joke. You’ll see for yourself when you examine me,” I stated flatly, and without another word, I began to unfasten my dress right there in front of Rain. Holger requested some time to write a letter to Keven, so I stepped out to give him privacy.
It made perfect sense, of course. Having served as the steward for so many years, and then resigning so abruptly, he’d have countless things he’d want to communicate—both professional details and sentimental farewells.
“Right then, in the meantime, perhaps you’ll let me examine your injuries, Duchess. After all, that’s the real reason I was summoned,” Rain announced, giving me a cheeky wink. Since he was a relative and resembled Keven, the gesture made me feel rather conflicted.
“Then, if you wouldn’t mind, we’ll use my room,” I replied. I certainly wasn’t going to strip down to expose my back in front of Holger.
When I started to guide him towards the Duchess’s private chamber, as had been planned, Rain threw his shoulders back in an exaggerated, theatrical manner.
“Oh, my word. Me being alone in the bedroom with such a lovely wife—won’t old Keven be green with envy?”
“You needn’t worry,” I said, smiling brightly. “The Duke only ever had eyes for his late wife.”
Rain went utterly rigid at my words. Holger, meanwhile, was pretending to be deeply absorbed in his letter writing.
“Besides,” I continued, “the notion of anything untoward happening between you and me, Doctor Rain, is simply absurd.”
With that, I opened the door. Rain muttered something quietly to himself, his expression peculiar. I ignored him and stepped into the hallway. After a short walk, Rain caught up, medical bag in hand.
We walked to the Duchess’s chamber without exchanging another word. We passed a few maids on the way. I took note that some greeted me, while others pointedly ignored me. Crucially, both groups made sure to greet Rain properly. I was frankly astonished by the staff who bypassed me just to address him.
“Do you honestly not realize you’re putting Doctor Rain in an awkward position with this petty behavior?” I asked them.
Indeed, Rain, walking beside me, could only manage a wry smile. It was obvious. The Duke’s own staff were ignoring the Duchess, but paying their respects to a mere relative. Unless Rain was actively trying to ostracize or bully me, he was bound to be utterly perplexed.
They said nothing, simply staring daggers at me before hurrying off. Now, it wasn’t just my back, but my head that was beginning to ache. Letting out a sigh, I ushered Rain into the Duchess’s chamber and gave a slight bow.
“I apologies, Doctor. The staff training has been completely inadequate.”
“Oh, come now, it can’t be helped. You’ve only just arrived here, and frankly, I think you’re managing incredibly well. The way you handled the Holger situation, for instance—that was brilliant. I certainly wasn’t that composed when I was your age.”
Of course, my ‘inner age’ doesn’t exactly match my youthful appearance, I thought. That wasn’t exactly a conversation I could have.
“But at your wedding, you were so nervous and timid… You seem like a completely different person now,” Rain observed.
I looked up at his comment. I couldn’t read any emotion in his green eyes. The suggestion that I was a different person made my heart lurch for a second, even if he’d only meant it casually.
To be precise, I wasn’t an entirely different person. I still hold Erika Olsson’s seventeen years of memories. However, my personality had shifted dramatically. The original Erika, for better or worse, was a beacon of innocence who truly believed that if she lived purely and bore no grudges, happiness would follow.
But that belief was shattered by Keven’s actions on our wedding night. Erika had truly trusted that Keven, as her husband, would finally see the truth. She was certain that if they spoke privately, the misunderstanding that painted her as a villainess would be resolved.
But there was no discussion. He just hurled an outrageous, unilateral statement at her: that if she was notorious, he had the right to treat her harshly. The emotional trauma was severe enough to cause her to faint, protecting her mind from the shock.
In the original novel, Erika simply woke up fine later. She realized she hadn’t been mistreated and felt mortified that she’d ruined her own wedding night by taking Keven’s dreadful joke seriously. This time, though, it seemed my personality—the one from my previous life—had entirely swapped places with Erika’s.
(Perhaps Erika herself desperately wanted an escape, too,) I mused. I’d once read about a person who created an alternate personality to take over because they couldn’t face a painful reality. While our situation might not be identical, I concluded that it was probably something similar.
“You’re quite right. I probably do seem like a completely different person. But I simply realized I wouldn’t survive here if I stayed weak.”
“Wait…”
“On our wedding night, the Duke told me that if I was a villainess, he was entitled to treat me harshly. And today, I was forcefully slammed against a wall. I called you here because I need you to treat the bruises I received then.”
“That’s… Keven did that? You must be joking?” Rain’s expression tightened instantly. I felt a small stab of disappointment. But perhaps I shouldn’t have expected more.
After all, Rain was clearly quite fond of Keven.
“It’s no joke. You’ll see for yourself when you examine me,” I stated flatly, and without another word, I began to unfasten my dress right there in front of Rain.