SHBVH 08

 Chapter 08

Honey!
A doting father. A gentle father… yeah right. In an instant, his fleeting pretense vanished completely.

“Do you take me for a fool because I’ve stayed quiet?”

His deeply sunken voice pierced coldly into her ears. She met his black eyes, which had changed in an instant, as he slowly locked gaze with her.

“What exactly do you mean?”

She forced strength into her eyelids, trying hard to hide her confusion.

“You’re asking because you don’t know?”

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about.”

She truly had no idea, which only made her wonder why this man was acting like this. Heter, who had been staring at her as if to bore through her face, slowly straightened his tilted body.

“There’s a rumor going around among the nobles that your relationship with Cedric isn’t good.”

The man’s gaze sharpened like a blade, as if such a thing should never exist.

“Do you think I came this far just to lose everything because of the likes of you?”

A sneer slipped through his raised lips.

“If I polished up a useless, trash-like life like yours and sent it into a ducal family, then you should at least be worth that much.”

…Useless trash. In that moment, Ramein clenched her fists tightly.

‘The description of this man in the original story must all be lies.’

The man in front of her was not Ramein’s family. Even if they shared blood, she could never consider someone who called her trash as family. Even if she didn’t know Ramein’s past, she was certain of that one fact.

“You’d better behave yourself.”

Heter’s black eyes flashed.

“If I have to come here again, next time you’ll be offering your pitiful life to God.”

It was a blatant threat. Ramein slowly swallowed the hot breath lingering in her mouth.

‘What on earth is going on?’

She was angry at the man’s unexpected behavior, but more than anything, she was confused.

“Why do you look like you don’t understand?”

His growling voice was quite threatening. I need to know something to answer, she thought, swallowing the words that rose to her throat. She couldn’t exactly say that the daughter in front of him wasn’t actually his daughter. The only thing she could do was press her lips together tightly and meet his gaze.

“Well, you’ve always been like that since you were young. The kind of child who doesn’t understand when spoken to.”

Heter smirked viciously and raised his thin hand high into the air.

‘What—no way. Is he going to hit me?’

Ramein stared wide-eyed at the hand hovering in the air, then clenched her teeth.

‘You think I’ll just stand here and take it?!’

Even if she were to be hit, she believed she should at least know the reason. Someone who used violence without reason was the real trash. And since she didn’t know the reason now, there was no need to just endure it.

In that brief instant, she tightened her grip on the hem of her dress. Her ankle became exposed beneath the lifted fabric.

‘I’ll just kick him right there.’

No matter how thin he looked, there was only one way to subdue a man stronger than her. Even if she got divorced and kicked out as the infamous wicked woman who kicked her father where it hurt most, she didn’t care.

‘I’ve already died once. What difference would dying twice make?’

Rather than resenting the world that gave her sorrow again at the moment of death, she’d rather leave remembering the moment she landed a satisfying kick on this bastard in front of her.

Just as she gathered strength into her toes with that desperate resolve—

Knock, knock.

Along with the sound, the heavy door rattled.

Creak…

Even the faint scrape of metal against metal could be heard as a brief silence settled over the reception room.

Step. Step.

With heavy footsteps, the door swung open—and where the stiffened gazes of the two met—

“I pay my respects to the Duke Calypse.”

It was none other than Cedric standing there.

The blue eyes he had lowered briefly in courtesy lifted and landed on Heter’s hand, still frozen midair.

‘Let’s see what you do.’

As Ramein shifted her gaze from Cedric to Heter—

“You seem even thinner than before.”

A repulsive hand slowly brushed across Ramein’s cheek. The man who had completely hidden his earlier demeanor gave her chills. Her hand gripping the dress twitched.

She wanted to slap that hand away immediately, but—

“Count. Have you been well?”

Because of Cedric, who stepped forward, she couldn’t do anything.

“Thanks to you, Duke, I’ve been doing well. Have you been well too?”

The two men exchanged words in calm voices, as if no threats had ever been made. The man who had been smiling kindly suddenly put on a regretful expression.

“I’ve been well. However…”

Trailing off, Heter looked at Ramein.

“I’ve heard some troubling news.”

Cedric’s gaze, carrying a flawless public smile, briefly touched Ramein before dropping.

“What do you mean?”

Cedric spoke softly, his smile deepening slightly as he looked straight at Heter.

“There are rumors that there’s a problem between you and Ramein…”

“Rumors?”

“It seems you haven’t heard yet.”

“No. This is the first I’ve heard of it.”

“Hoho. Aren’t you a bit too uninterested in your married life?”

Cedric gently lifted his eyelids and slowly spoke.

“It’s my own matter—why would I need to hear it from others? I know better than anyone about the relationship between my wife and me.”

“Well… that’s true, but…”

“But is that why the busy Duke rushed here in such a hurry?”

His smooth voice seemed to ask, Was that really necessary? His eyelids twitched slightly.

“Of course. If not me, then who would step forward in matters concerning my daughter?”

“Of course. However…”

Cedric trailed off and slightly raised his chin. His sharp jawline stood out as he spoke slowly.

“They say people who grow up lying in warm beds and eating warm meals without worries tend to be like that.”

This time, Ramein’s eyes twitched. He had just used the exact words she had said earlier.

“Cedric. What do you mean by that?”

Heter’s eyes sharpened slightly.

“It means that carefree nobles tend to take great interest in other people’s affairs.”

“……”

“And instead of stopping at mere interest, the things they say create countless rumors, which eventually get distorted like this.”

Heter’s darkened gaze returned to normal.

“So you’re saying what I heard is nothing but nonsense?”

“Were you hoping it would be something else?”

Ramein looked at Cedric deeply, her slightly raised eyes fixed on him. He still wore a relaxed smile—but was it her imagination, or was there hostility behind it?

‘Well, it doesn’t really matter.’

It wasn’t a bad thing that her husband was wary of a man who called her trash. In fact, she even felt like praising him for showing up at such perfect timing.

“Hahaha! Count Roger, you haven’t changed.”

Heter’s hearty laughter filled the reception room.

“I’ll take that as a compliment.”

“Of course it is.”

“Thank you.”

“Thanks to you, any worries that my daughter might be suffering have completely disappeared.”

Heter looked at Ramein as if he were a caring father.

‘You toothpick-looking bastard… seriously…’

Just as her anger flared at his ridiculous act—

“Then may I ask you for one favor, Duke?”

Cedric spoke gently.

“A favor? What kind of favor?”

Heter smiled generously and nodded.

“I would appreciate it if you could inform us in advance before visiting next time.”

“…What?”

“As you know, with my parents away from the estate, Ramein and I were spending some private time together.”

What is he trying to say? Ramein glanced at Cedric.

“An unexpected visit isn’t particularly welcome for me.”

Heter’s expression gradually stiffened as he looked at the man politely calling him a nuisance.

“Unless, of course, you rushed here because you find me displeasing over unverified rumors.”

Heter pressed his lips together as if at a loss for words.

‘This man really says everything he wants, doesn’t he?’

Ramein looked back and forth between the two men.

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I find you displeasing—I simply came as a concerned father who wanted to see his daughter.”

The man said something utterly ridiculous and smiled lovingly at Ramein.

“Then it seems I’ve been the one interrupting. I’ll take my leave.”

“I’d appreciate that. It’s been a while since I’ve had some private time with my daughter.”

Wait—what? Hey… just a second.

“My lady, I hope you enjoy some private time with your father.”

You’re leaving me alone with this man?

‘Don’t go. Don’t go!’

He might hit me! She shot a desperate look at her husband—but—

“I’ll take my leave now.”

Ignoring her gaze completely, Cedric turned away lightly. At that moment, Heter’s black eyes bore into her again.

Step. Step.

Her husband’s heavy footsteps echoed leisurely through the reception room.

‘We absolutely can’t be left alone like this!’

Watching his cold retreating back, Ramein hurriedly opened her mouth.

But—

‘Uh… wait. His name…?’

Flustered, her mind went blank, and she suddenly couldn’t remember his name. As she glanced aside, the so-called father’s lips curled unpleasantly upward.

Damn it…

She quickly fixed her desperate gaze on her husband’s back.

“Excuse me… Ce… Ce…”

She couldn’t exactly shout, Hey bastard, don’t go! So—

“Dear!!”

The moment she shouted the first thing that came to mind—

“…!”

Cedric, as if struck by thunder, flinched violently and stopped in his tracks.