I Became the Foolish Wife of the Villain

Chapter 2

Even in the novel, Setren didn’t trust Evelyn at first.

He tested her multiple times, and only after confirming that she really was a fool did he let his guard down. But the novel made it clear—he later regretted that.

This test, too, would eventually pass.

Setren sat down next to me. I thought he’d leave right away, but he stayed.

The sofa, already narrow, felt even smaller with his large frame leaning back against it. His broad shoulders brushed against me, pressing me slightly to the side.

I rolled the candy in my mouth.

I could feel his warmth at my back, enveloping me completely. His breath, his scent...

Had I ever sat this close to such an insanely handsome man before?

No. I had no immunity to this kind of situation. It was like this man could make candy taste better just by existing.

Damn it.

I focused on breathing and tried to concentrate on the candy’s flavor.

It’s sweet.

Thanks to the candy, I managed to calm myself—barely. Without it, I might’ve already burst into flames from embarrassment.

I struggled to keep my eyes from drifting toward Setren’s hands.

His scarred hands stood out, with faded marks that hinted at old wounds. Long, slightly rough, and perfectly proportioned—annoyingly, even his hands were my type.

What the hell am I thinking?

As if he could hear my thoughts, Setren suddenly asked in a low voice, “What do you usually do to pass the time?”

“Um... I read books.”

I blurted out the first answer that came to mind. Evelyn probably read books, right?

At least I could read, so that was a safe answer.

Evelyn’s memories had been absorbed into mine, but honestly, the girl had been so clueless it was painful.

Even in the Duke’s household, she’d been tricked and used, completely unaware of what was happening to her. She hadn’t been mature enough to recognize her situation.

This was the girl I was supposed to be.

“Hey, that’s Evelyn’s! Why are you taking it?”

“I’m just keeping it safe so you don’t lose it! Precious things should always be entrusted to your closest friends.”

“Really? Then you’ll protect it for me?”

“Of course! We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Friends!”

That’s how easily Evelyn had been fooled—tricked into handing over her things to so-called friends. And now, not a single one of those ‘friends’ was anywhere to be seen.

Not that it mattered right now.

The only thing that mattered was the massive presence seated next to me.

“Books, huh?” Setren mused. “So you like reading. I think one of the gifts we prepared might be a book. Bring it in.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

I suddenly had a bad feeling. Was it normal to feel uneasy about receiving gifts?

The steward entered with a box.

One by one, he began taking out the contents and arranging them on the table.

The brightly colored items were clearly meant for children.

This wasn’t what I meant by books.

Although, to be fair, Evelyn probably would’ve loved these kinds of things. She adored anything cute and shiny—her room was proof of that.

The steward’s voice was cold as he introduced the items.

“This is a coloring book, this is a storybook, these are crayons, and this is a puzzle. Your Highness.”

The way he looked at me was full of hostility.

I could feel his every breath.

My body flinched instinctively, but I managed to suppress the reaction.

Blink. Just blink prettily.

Our eyes met.

I rolled the candy in my mouth, trying to drown out the tension.

Then, Setren reached out and covered my hand with his.

I froze.

He guided my hand to turn the page.

It was the hand I’d been staring at earlier.

I clenched my teeth around the candy to stop myself from crying out. My body tensed so much that I forgot to swallow.

His voice brushed against my ear.

“Do you think you’ll learn anything your father didn’t teach you? Poison’s bad, you know. You should understand things like that—things that can hurt people.”

His hand...

It was surprisingly pale, which made the veins stand out even more.

Elegant but still masculine.

I stared at his hand so hard that I forgot there was something in my mouth.

When I opened my mouth to answer, the candy slipped out—

—and rolled right onto the book.

Along with a splatter of spit.

And just like that, a drop of saliva landed right on the back of Setren’s hand.

No. No, no, no!

My hostage!

I stared at the candy in horror, unable to fix the situation.

“...My candy.”

I mumbled in disbelief.

What the hell was I doing in front of such a good-looking man?

“...I don’t think we need to test her any further, Your Highness. Please, go wash your hands.”

The steward’s voice dripped with certainty—and contempt.

I barely noticed. I just stared at the candy.

Setren pulled back his hand and wiped it off. The suffocating tension he’d surrounded me with finally eased.

“...Maybe you’re right.”

I didn’t care what they were saying anymore.

I just sat there, frozen, staring at the candy like some pathetic child.

The picture book next to it was now smudged, its pages soaking up the saliva.

God. I want to die.

The door clicked shut as Setren and the steward left the room.

The moment they were gone, I slammed my head down onto the desk.

The half-melted red candy was still in front of me.

I squeezed my eyes shut and muttered under my breath.

“...I want to die.”

I’d pretended to be a fool to survive, but at this rate, I was going to die of humiliation first.

Was that his plan all along? To kill me with shame?