I Left my Cheating Husband and Married a Beast

Chapter 27

Beloni knew the Marchioness’s personality better than anyone. Even if she got an answer now, the woman would change her stance later.

But by pressuring and threatening her like this, at least she would stay quiet for a while.

“You need to answer, Marchioness,” Beloni demanded.

Marina, standing beside her, urged the Marchioness as well.

The woman’s face turned pale, and she trembled violently.

“H-how dare a mere knight attempt to kill a noble…!”

“If you raise your voice one more time, I’ll charge you with attempting to harm a royal,” Beloni warned firmly.

The Marchioness still didn’t seem to grasp reality.

“I may not be married yet, but His Highness is about to receive permission for our union from His Majesty,” Beloni continued.

Of course, she didn’t know when exactly that would happen, but saying this would be enough to silence the Marchioness.

And her prediction was correct.

As soon as the words “harming a royal” left Beloni’s lips, the Marchioness’s eyes rolled back, and she fainted.

“Mother!!”

Ariel screamed from a distance, unable to approach due to Nosel’s drawn sword.

“Tsk.”

Beloni clicked her tongue. It was unfortunate that she didn’t get an answer, but the threat should keep things quiet for now.

As she passed by them, Beloni approached Ariel.

Ariel, now fifteen, resembled her mother with her delicate features, but her outfit and makeup gave off an air of cheapness.

“Ariel.”

“H-how could you do that to Mother? She treated you so well…”

“I’ll give you one last warning. The House of Marchioness Jerem is going to collapse soon.”

“Why are you saying such awful things…?”

The Marquis had no interest in his own family, while the Marchioness was obsessed with luxury.

The steward and head maid had been embezzling money, and unlike in her past life, Beloni had no intention of helping them this time.

Ariel had always been cruel, tormenting Beloni for fun. However, Beloni felt no need for revenge.

The Jerem family wasn’t even a true noble house, just an elevated commoner family. It was doomed to fall apart.

Ariel, still young and unaware of reality, would suffer greatly once their downfall began.

“I’ll show you mercy this one time. If you’re desperate, come find me.”

Ariel’s eyes trembled—hope flickered in them.

“Then… will you let me stay at the Grand Duke’s estate…?”

“I’ll introduce you to a job.”

“Huh?”

Beloni had no intention of letting Ariel live comfortably off her or Shanur’s wealth.

If Ariel realized her mistakes and came to her sincerely, Beloni might arrange for her to work as a low-level employee at Andria’s salon.

“You’re mocking me, aren’t you? How can a noble work? I’d rather die!”

“Then go ahead and die.”

Without hesitation, Beloni walked past her.

She had offered kindness, but if Ariel chose death instead, Beloni had nothing more to say. Besides, Ariel wasn’t brave enough to go through with it.

The situation had escalated more than expected, and Beloni was eager to return to the Grand Duke’s estate. She quickly descended the stairs, intending to leave the mansion.

But just as she reached the bottom, she came face-to-face with the Marquis, who was stumbling into the house, supported by a servant.

It was obvious he was drunk.

“…Beloni?”

The Marquis muttered her name, which was rare for him.

“My lord, Lady Beloni is here,” the servant announced.

The Marquis’s hazy eyes suddenly focused.

His expression hardened as he quickly approached Beloni. Seeing this, Nosel stepped in front of her protectively. But it was unnecessary—the Marquis stumbled and fell before he could get close.

“You! You must not marry the Grand Duke!”

“…What?”

That was unexpected.

The Marquis, looking anxious and desperate, scrambled to his feet and shouted,

“You absolutely can’t! If he finds out about that incident, the Grand Duke will kill you!”

Beloni was confused.

Not only was it unusual for the Marquis to speak to her, but his words made no sense.

“Stay in this mansion. If you wait, the Grand Duke will forget about you. Stay inside! If he finds out, he’ll kill you!”

He tried to grab Beloni, but Nosel blocked him.

Then, the Marquis noticed the emblem of the Grand Duke’s house on Nosel’s sword. His face turned deathly pale, and he stepped back.

He was terrified of the Grand Duke’s family.

Just seeing the emblem was enough to make him recoil.

Beloni found it strange. The Jerem family and the Grand Duke’s family had no connection whatsoever.

“No! Come back inside! Now!”

His desperate, almost crazed expression made Beloni instinctively take a step back.

And at that moment—

“What, you want her to die? Then you die instead!”

Ariel, who had secretly followed Beloni, suddenly lunged at her with her nails bared.

Nosel was preoccupied with stopping the Marquis and couldn’t react in time.

Ariel shoved Marina aside and slashed her sharp nails toward Beloni’s face.

“You ungrateful—Ahhh!”

Beloni blinked.

Instead of getting scratched, she found herself in someone’s arms.

Ariel had been thrown backward, rolling down the stairs.

Beloni looked up.

The face that filled her vision was familiar.

“Your Highness?”

It was Shanur.

Without letting her go, he cupped Beloni’s face in his hands, turning it from side to side.

His large, strong hands moved her face as he inspected it, making her lips pout as she followed his movements.

“Are you hurt? Why aren’t you speaking? Did she scratch your throat?”

Shanur bent closer, checking her neck.

Although he had caught her in time, he worried she might have been injured before that.

Beloni, stunned by his thorough examination, finally came to her senses.

“I’m fine. Not a single scratch.”

Hearing her firm reply, Shanur finally relaxed.

Still holding her face, he looked into her eyes.

“Are you sure?”

Beloni nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes.”

Only then did Shanur let go.

She rubbed her cheeks where his hands had been. It had been a long time since anyone had worried about her like this, and it felt strangely unfamiliar.

“Your Highness.”

Nosel approached Shanur and bowed.

Meanwhile, Beloni looked up at Ariel, who collapsed on the stairs.

She was clutching her ribs, completely still.

Marina, who had been pushed aside earlier, checked on Ariel before returning.

“Unfortunately, she’s still breathing.”

“She must have broken at least three ribs, so she won’t be getting out of bed anytime soon.”

Shanur had heard the cracking sound when Ariel fell.

After a pause, he added,

“Maybe even one or two more.”

Beloni now realized Ariel had fainted from sheer pain.

“How did you get here? Weren’t you supposed to be out today?”

“I was on my way back when I remembered you were coming to the Marchioness’s estate. I decided to stop by.”

Beloni smiled at the memory of the first time he had come to pick her up at Andria’s salon.

“You weren’t late this time.”

“I had a bad feeling, so I hurried.”

Shanur’s gaze turned cold as he looked at Ariel and the Marquis.

“I didn’t expect this, though. Are you finished here?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

As she answered, Beloni followed Shanur’s gaze and saw the Marquis.

The man, who had been desperately trying to stop her earlier, had gone completely still.

His face showed fear—but also guilt.

‘Guilt?’

That was unexpected.

Beloni recalled his strange behavior.

He was afraid of Shanur. He felt guilty. And he had said Shanur would kill her if he found out about “that incident.”

That meant the Marquis knew something. Something that made him feel guilty.

‘What could it be?’

Beloni had once managed the household, handling ledgers and secrets. But there had never been anything connected to the Grand Duke’s family.

Could the Marquis’s drunken ramblings be dismissed? No.

Something was off.

“…ni.”

‘If it’s something worth feeling guilty about…’

Beloni suddenly remembered Shanur’s cursed face beneath his mask.

“Beloni!”

His voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

She looked at him—at the mask hiding his face.

Beloni inhaled sharply.

There was only one possible answer.

A curse.