The Duchess and the Devil
The Duchess and the Devil - Chapter 3

Derrick was bedridden and the ducal mansions work was transferred to Judith. Rather than directly being involved with management, her older brother, Vinsen, was the one helping.

Derrick’s complexion grew haggard as the days went by, until he could no longer come to his senses and stay properly conscious.

Looking at his ashened pale complexion, Judith felt this was his punishment. Up to now, he had made so many women cry, and made Judith’s, his wife, position a laughing stock several times in front of others.

Wasn’t it said that for those people who bashed other people’s hearts, there will be double the payment to them? That was clearly the case with Derrick.

Looking at her husband who couldn’t get up from his bed, she remembered the young lady of a Viscount family, whom he had fallen deeply in love with and didn’t return to his senses before he had become like this.

Silvia Wirell.

The woman who made her curious enough to wonder how in the world she captured her husband this way.

T/N: She a thottie.

PR/N: if she breathes she a THOT

Sylvia Wirell did not send even a single letter ever since Derrick collapsed. And as she had predicted, even in the future, she wouldn’t be sending letters or the like.

No matter how much their marriage was said to be a business that connected families, it was still an important relationship as it was a pledge made in front of others.

In fact, it was said that in high society, a wife who was not loved by her husband was despised, but due to Derrick’s rumored cheating, Judith experienced humiliations to the point that her blood boiled. In addition to such social perception, for him to openly have extramarital affairs in the Tireur Empire, a place where adultery is legally a serious offense, was tantamount to throwing away one’s own honor.

That’s why Judith was angry with Derrick for not hiding his meetings with Sylvia Wirell, and at the same time concluded that Sylvia Wirell would not be able to send a letter to her husband.

‘I wonder, what is she thinking about right now?’

According to the reports, Derrick kept presenting extremely expensive jewelries and fancy dresses to Silvia everyday. He didn’t just express his love in portions, he did so without skipping a single day. Looking at this, Judith naturally thought it was amazing that there were still assets of the ducal family left. In the eyes of others, he was a sincerely devoted person to his loved one, to the point that he was willing to lay down his life for her.

‘He’s no different from a dupe.’

Silvia must’ve really liked and accepted them. To her, everything was beautiful and mysterious because she had just moved to the capital, and now she had a Duke, who was one of the best in the Empire, fall for her and was unable to get over her. How much better could it be?

Drenched in such happiness, the fact that he was a ‘married man’ must’ve blackened out her mind.

“It’s not even funny.”

Judith, who was blankly staring at her husband with his eyes closed as though he was already dead, burst into laughter.

She had no more expectations from him of the like. It had already been a long time since she held the slightest expectations toward Derrick. It had been shattered to pieces the day he deserted her their first night together. His continuous extramarital affairs caused her low expectations to grow into a fiery hatred that had spread like embers in her heart.

A few days ago in the mansion, the words of the priest who came by said that his condition was like a ‘curse.’ (No man, it’s the virus) The fundamental problem was not an external wound but an internal one, explaining that dark forces of an unknown identity were gnawing at his life. Unlike doctors who had only shook their heads so far, it was a detailed explanation.

As soon as she heard those words, she started calling priests instead of doctors who were constantly changing, but it was no use calling any person or offering any blessing. His condition only continued to deteriorate.

“By any chance, was the one who may have put a curse on you an old woman who loves you so much?”

In the quiet bedroom, Judith’s thin, beautiful voice reverberated rather softly. There was no response, but she, who asked the question, didn’t want one back.

Judith calmly made preparations for the funeral.

Sometime in the following week after that, Derrick Vaisil’s breath finally ceased. Finally, she was able to free herself from the pathetic and pitiful position that had made her a laughing stock due to her husband’s affairs. Being a widow was a much better choice than a woman with a husband who had reduced her into this spectacle.

Four days had passed since the funeral had finished without a problem.

The mansion, which had been restless due to Derrick’s death, began to gradually return to its original lively atmosphere, and even the weather, which had been dim throughout, cleared up with the sun shining.

“Do me a favour and take out the buried coffin. I’m thinking of moving it to the Kemel Forest.”

The funeral of the nobility was often carried out in the yard of the residence where mourners were invited, and later moved to the grave, so the servants began digging the land without hesitation.

The rainfall from last night caused the wet soil to crunch under their feet. Slowly the black coffin’s figure began to reveal itself. The sun was glaring down on them, but when she saw the coffin, she suddenly felt chills. Judith rubbed her arms as she watched the busy servants.

At last, the soil that was covering the coffin was removed altogether. Judith glanced at the coffin, which she had seen four days ago, and turned her eyes. It was at that moment when the servants stepped back, and the knights came forward to lift the coffin.

Rattle.

A strange noise occurred.

Everyone surrounding the coffin stopped moving. She looked around the yard, also having heard the sound of knocking, feeling uneasy.

Silence flowed through the crowd.

When no sound was heard afterwards, everyone thought it was anything but the sound in the coffin. The knights came to their senses one by one and raised the heavy coffin on the grass.

It was at that time.

Rattle! The coffin shook violently just before it was put on the ground. A knight was suddenly startled and dropped the coffin as though he was shaking it off.

Rattle, rattle!

The coffin began to move up and down to the point where they suspected there was an earthquake. The servants screamed and backed away, and the knights, who had stepped back, drew their swords. Judith looked over the shoulders of the escort knights at the coffin that was still shaking.

“What is this…?”

He, who was inside there, was definitely dead, and it was confirmed that his heart had stopped. What the hell? Why was this happening? Judith, whose throat was completely dry, gulped.

The coffin did not open because of its latch, and kept shaking as if it was asking to be released. The servants became frightened out of their wits from this bizarre scene, while the knights were nervous and their bodies stiffened.

“Sir Horton.”

Judith called out the knight blocking the way in front of her. The knight holding the sword he had drawn looked back at her.

“Will you please open the coffin?”

“My Lady, it is dangerous.”

“The one inside there is my husband’s body. Why is he suddenly rampaging? Is it even true that he died in the first place…It’s my responsibility to confirm it.”

Lord Hortin wet his dry lips. There was truth in her words. What was this thing here? He put his sword in its sheath and stealthily approached the moving coffin.

The fingertips of the knight trembled. He pretended not to be, but his nervous look was also clear. The coffin, which had been buried under the ground for four days after his death, suddenly began to run wild, which was frightening enough.

The latch on the hook that was placed outside came undone under the knight’s hand. As soon as he did, the coffin’s cover, which had been pounding and shaking, opened so strongly it almost broke loose. Sir Horton and the knights around him immediately stepped back and aimed their swords at it.

A cold silence fell. Everyone’s eyes in the yard were on the deep black coffin.

“Ah…..”

A faint sound came from inside the coffin.

Judith’s heart began to hammer as if it had gone crazy. It was because the voice tickling her ears was quite familiar to her.

Soon, ‘he,’ who was lying in the coffin, raised his upper body and showed his figure. Under the sun that was radiantly glaring down on them, his, Derrick Vaisil’s, hair swayed, shining.

“Shit, I’m hungry…”

Judith felt her heart hardening.

Her husband, who was dead, was revived after four days as if it was a miracle.

She clearly confirmed his death, clearly confirmed the moment his heart stopped, but why is this man alive? He was sitting in the coffin over there, with his own figure intact.

Judith’s mind was spinning round and round, locked in confusion. The thought circuit in charge of the rational part seemed to have easily melted and sank into confusion altogether. With this much, she couldn’t believe the situation happening right before her at all.

“…….Your Grace!”

“What in the world is this?! Clearly his death……!”

The very first ones seen to be responding were the Duke’s knights.

They threw their rather lengthy swords away as if abandoning them and ran toward the coffin. After them were the servants dashing into the mansion, panting and puffing, to enter inside. It was clear that they intended to pass on this unbelievable news to other servants.

In the midst of the uproar, Judith just stood still. She could do nothing as though she had received an impact on the back of her head by someone. Her mind hardened stiffly as a piece of metal.

“Your Grace. Are you alright?!”

Derrick Vaisil had been revived. (PR: oH SH*T)

Amid the situation, in which chaos flooded, without a doubt this one and only fact was clear. Her gaze, which had lost focus, slowly returned as she came to her senses, and she looked at her husband sitting still in the coffin.

Derrick Vaisil was looking around in a relaxed and leisurely manner, as if he was a priest who had come down in the midst of a chaotic world. The beautiful violet eyes unexpectedly felt calmer than needed, as if they had sunk into the deep sea with a splash.

Soon he opened his mouth after a long time.

“Where am I?”

He, who was sweeping his hair roughly, hesitated, and looked quietly into his palm as if he was seeing something unfamiliar.

“…What’s this again?”

Ha.

Judith, who was looking at him, burst out into fake laughter before she even realized it. How else could she express this wonderful situation?

At that moment, Derrick’s gaze, which was fixed onto his palm, came up and reached Judith, who stood a distance away from his coffin.

Only

For a short moment, they regarded each other, and soon after, Judith was surprised. Because Derrick, who had been staring at her, suddenly drew a deep and profound smile.

Derrick had never smiled once at her since they got married. Far from smiling, he was too busy turning his head from her, frowning as though he had caught sight of something he would rather not see. Such actions piled up one by one, and even though he didn’t express it with words, she could easily understand the fact that Derrick hated her.

When such a husband dies and comes back to life, he suddenly starts laughing at her when he sees her……

“Right now……”

It was more than enough to arouse her anxiety rather than relief.

Judith’s voice was shaking and she barely managed to get it out,

“Summon the family doctor right now!”

Her urgent voice loudly resonated in the vast garden.