Married Couple’s Qualifications

“Rivianna lost her memory?”

“Yes. That’s what the doctor said. It seems that she has lost all of her-over a decade -memories.”

“Then what are the chances of finding her memories?”

“We’ll have to monitor his progress, but the doctor couldn’t say for sure if her memory will return.”

“Well, that’s good, isn’t it? I’m sure she has forgotten all about us.”

Hugging Bake from behind, Margaret kissed his earlobe.

In her current position, she couldn’t meet Bake’s gaze and she could look as unpleasant as she wanted.

Still, the voice whispering in his ear was sweeter than honey.

“Is it going good?”

Bake’s lips twitched and he emptied his glass.

The sensation of the strong drink going down his throat was tantalizing, but not as hot as his stomach, which was churning with jealousy.

“She doesn’t believe the story, no matter how I explain it. She thinks I’m fooling her with outrageous lies.”

“That could be the case if it was Rivianna a decade ago. Because that would never have happened to Rivianna at that time.”

‘There’s no way I’ll know.’

Margaret swallowed her next words and put more strength in the arms that held Bake.

Now was not the time to put  Bake in a bad mood.

“So your attempts to persuade her failed in the end?”

“Yes. To convince her, all I’ve heard is that the Clayton family had to bring in people and Duke Pierre.”

“Did you tell her that they are dead?”

“I told her but she didn’t believe me. There’s no one who can prove what I said was right because all the old employees were replaced.”

If this was the case, he shouldn’t have killed them all to keep their mouths shut. The servants he killed to prevent future problems were instead poisonous.

Bake grumbled in dissatisfaction.

“Then how about we call the people who are close to her?”

“The only ones who are close to Rivianna that she can remember now are the Pierre, if not the Claytons. Most of them disappeared with the dew of the penitentiary, or the majority of them escaped. The ones that are left…….”

No matter how much he tried to get out, it was Calix after all.

Bake emptied another glass of wine, remembering Calix’s face.

The room was filled with the sound of the glass being set down.

“Ah, come to think of it, it was a decade ago that people fussed over the lovers of the century.”

A smile spread across Margaret’s mouth as Bake gritted his teeth.

Things had gone wrong, but there was still a chance.

“What do you want to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you want to leave Rivianna as she is? Or are you going to help her find her memories?”

“…”

“Hmm, I get it. It’s confusing. It’s very difficult for her to remember Mariel again and to remain the same.”

Instead of replying, Bake leaned over to Margaret.

That alone was enough of a reply.

The man didn’t like to come forward in person.

And Margaret prided herself on understanding such a man better than anyone else.

“Well then, why don’t we just watch her for now?”

“Watch?”

“You don’t know if her memories will come back anyway. Then it’s better to make the first move.”

“What if Rivianna regains her memories?”

It was a sweet suggestion, but it was not without its own repercussions.

If Rivianna, who had just tried to take her own life, found out about it, she wouldn’t end up falling out of the window this time.

“But if we don’t make the first move, that man is going to act.”

“….”

“Don’t forget. He’s no longer a young master, and you’ve heard the rumors. How he fought and won.” (Young master= Duke Calix Pierre)

“…”

“It won’t be much different this time. He’ll use any means necessary to try and get his old lover back.”

The news about Calix was already well known in the capital.

It wasn’t without reason that even a “gutsy frontier alien race” would crawl before Duke Pierre.

The noble Duke’s bloodline was now more accustomed to wearing tales that smelled of blood than coats adorned with gold thread.

“But so far, there is no one who can convince Rivianna.”

“You have me. I’m an old friend of Rivianna’s.”

“You…..”

“She won’t even remember anyway, what does it matter?”

“You’re still like that.”

Bake’s face twisted and he pushed Margaret away.

If Rivianna, who recognized Margaret, regained even a little bit of her memory, Margaret would be in real trouble.

“So are you going to bring in Duke Pierre? Or shall we find the dead child and bring her to her? “

“Don’t be outrageous.”

“Then just pick me. I’m better than someone who knows poorly. Wouldn’t it be better if it’s you who have to bring up Mariel?”

“….”

“Don’t worry about it. I would never act in a way that would provoke her, you know that. What have I ever done for you?”

Margaret laughed and poured the liquor into the empty glass, and Bake drank it as if it was natural.

Margaret’s hand slowly passed Bake’s neck, which was gulping down the drink, and caressed his chest.

***

“Margaret!”

Rivianna, who found Margaret, ran over and hugged her.

Margaret didn’t panic and hugged Rivianna back.

Rivianna immediately burst into tears, even though she had been holding back quite a bit so far. 

“I heard the news. You must have been surprised.”

“Hic Hic….”

Without prompting, Margaret soothed her back until Rivianna stopped crying. With this kind of behavior, it certainly looked like Rivianna really had lost her memory, but Margaret still needed more confirmation. If Rivianna pretended to have lost her memory, wouldn’t she (Margaret) be in trouble if she (Margaret) had any unnecessary thoughts?

Rivianna had to stay in the right place, as she was now, and when she was used up, she had to disappear.

Margaret hated to admit it, but Bake loved Rivianna.

In order to keep the two (Rivianna and Calix) perfectly separate, Bake had to make Rivianna give up first.

If that didn’t work, he could always put blood on his hands again.

Once was hard for anything. The next one was not difficult.

“Are you calmed down now?”

“I’m sorry to let you see me like this, but I’m so scared…”

Margaret listened to Rivianna’s gradually decreasing cry while raising her lips.

“It’s so strange. I just opened my eyes, and everything is changing. And even me. It was so scary.”

“Rivianna.”

“But I can’t trust them even if I know they’ve changed. How can I when it doesn’t make sense in the first place.”

Looking at Rivianna, who trembled over trivial things, it really felt like a decade ago.

Back to the days when she was a naive young lady, growing up like a flower in a greenhouse with the reassuring support of Clayton as her foundation.

Back then, Rivianna had a spontaneous upbringing and laughed a lot, but she was scared and acted like a beauty who shrank from even the gentlest touch.

It went without saying how many men were charmed every time Rivianna slumped her shoulders with her watery eyes, and how many women imitated her.

Rivianna was truly perfect in those days.

It was insolent.

“I know these words are a burden, but I can’t help it. You are the only person I can trust, Margaret.” (Riv)

“You don’t have to be sorry. I’m your friend, aren’t I?”

“Margaret….”

But there was no such amazing Rivianna now.

Even though she looked like the Rivianna of that era, the situation was different from then.

There was no way she (Margaret) could not take on a woman who had no memories.

She could use her as she saw fit and then take her down gradually, like killing a frog while boiling water.

Margaret looked at Rivianna’s slender neck, visible through her hair, and smiled.

She imagined what words she could whisper to Rivianna to bring her down perfectly.

“And best of all, we were in the same boat, you know.” (Margaret)

“The same boat?” (Riv)

“A man named Bake Clayton was your husband, but he was also your enemy.” (Margaret)

“Enemy?” (Riv)

Rivianna raised her head.

The tears that had been pooling in the corners of her eyes trickled down her cheeks.

Margaret wiped away the tears and looked into Rivianna’s eyes.

She had already decided what words she was going to whisper to Rivianna, so all she had to do was pretend to be a friend and be there for her.

“He married you so that he could have Clayton. From then until now, he has oppressed you and pushed you around for his own gain.” (Margaret)

“My father can’t just leave me here, and my brother and Calix…” (Riv)

“I don’t know exactly how Bake overpowered your family either. It just seems to have been a complicated relationship between huge forces that we will never know about.” (Margaret)

“…”

“And as a result, your family was imprisoned in an unknown place, and you were forced to marry him.” (Margaret)

She couldn’t keep quiet even though she couldn’t remember anything.

As before, it would have been difficult for Riviana to fall for Bake’s favor. In order to keep all the work she had done from going down the drain, Rivianna couldn’t let Bake get the better of her.

“Then, what about Calix? Is he safe?” (Riv)

“He is safe. But we can’t expect any more of his former self from him.” (Margaret)

“What do you mean?” (Riv)

“Clayton is not the only one who has fallen apart. Duke Pierre and all his family are dead too, except for only one person, Calix, who was driven out to the frontier. Then there’s …….” (Margaret)

Margaret deliberately stopped talking.

Rivianna couldn’t love Bake, but she shouldn’t have loved Calix either.

It would have been really unbearable if Rivianna became the Duchess of Pierre and showed off in front of her eyes.

“…You’re the one who brought down the Pierre family.” (Margaret)

“What?” (Riv)

“You couldn’t help it either. You had to choose because Bake held the lives of your family in his hands.” (Margaret)

“…”

Margaret looked down at the poor Rivianna and gently shielded her face, like she was on Rivianna’s side again. It was a great opportunity.

She was one of those people who prided herself on knowing a lot about Rivianna in this era. The good Marchioness of Clayton was not someone who would turn her back on her sins. 

“…Are you sure? Did I really do that?” (Riv)

“I told you. You had no choice.” (Margaret)

“That doesn’t make my sins go away, does it? And the pain that he suffered, too.…” (Riv)

Margaret’s eyes lit up as she watched Rivianna cupping her face in her hands, unable to bear the guilt.

Now, no matter how much Calix courted her, Rivianna could never accept him. Because Rivianna’s conscience was the perfect shackle to hold her feet.

“So I’ve been with you.”

“With me?”

“Since that day, you’ve been secretly helping Duke Pierre. Of course, I was by your side.” (Margaret) 

“…”

“You were doing the best you could. That’s why the accident happened the way it did.” (Margaret)

“But I don’t remember anything.” (Riv)

“It’s okay if you don’t remember, because I do. If there’s anything you don’t understand, I’ll slowly tell you one by one.”

Apparently, God was on her (Margaret) side this time.

Margaret stifled an overflowing laugh and held out her hand to Rivianna.

Rivianna hesitated for a moment, but grabbed Margaret’s hand and held it to her chest.

Rivianna burst into tears again, sobbing like a child in Margaret’s arms. 

Margaret had always been the one to beg, but now her position had completely changed.

That fact was very satisfying.

And that was why Rivianna didn’t notice what the dry hands that gripped her back looked like.