On Rational Marital Life - Chapter 38

“What do you take me for, to pull something like this in my own house?”

Blake’s roar froze the room. His voice was like the bellow of a wild beast—low and menacing, carrying a dangerous growl beneath his words.

His sharp gaze swept toward Lewinda.

“Ah, so Greymers has no intention of maintaining the truce. First, they openly disrespected my wife in the salon, and now they bring violence into my home? Is this what Greymers truly wants? The Edgestone family has joined hands to insult me, the Strover envoy?”

The moment Blake invoked nations rather than individuals, Lewinda’s mind snapped into focus.

She had been burning with rage over the insult to her and her mother, her vision going red with fury—but Blake’s words made her realize how this could escalate into a political crisis.

She had heard the rumors.

Not long ago, a former lady-in-waiting of Layla’s had insulted her at a salon gathering. In response, Blake had sent an official letter of protest to the royal family.

Although the letter had not named the woman or specified the incident, the rumors couldn’t be stopped.

The offending family had disappeared from social circles, and the daughter responsible had been sent away to the countryside.

It had been a clear demonstration of Blake’s power—any noble family that dared to cross him could be erased from high society.

Because of that, Lewinda had accepted Layla’s invitation today—to confirm with her own eyes whether the Strover barbarian had truly fallen for her sister.

But there was no time for such leisurely thoughts now.

Lewinda desperately grabbed onto Blake.

“No! No, Edgestone has nothing to do with this!”

“Oh? But wasn’t it the Lady of Edgestone who introduced this man here? And yet you claim he’s unrelated?”

Blake’s gaze landed on her, making Lewinda tremble.

Despite being a man, his eyes were those of a beast, wild and dangerous, as if he might tear her apart at any moment.

“I would never let harm come to my daughter! I’m her mother!”

Lewinda’s dry lips trembled as she spoke, grasping at any words that might save her. Survival was all that mattered now.

“He was just a distant relative who came looking for money. I barely knew him. But he was educated, and since Layla was looking for a tutor, I simply introduced him. If I had known he was this reckless—”

“Hah! How ridiculous. You recommended a man you ‘barely knew’ to be my son’s tutor? Just how little respect do you have for me?”

“It wasn’t like that! Layla urgently needed a tutor, so I introduced him in a rush. There was no other intention!”

Lewinda turned to Layla, her sharp gaze pressing on her.

‘Say something!’

She wordlessly pleaded with Layla to defend Edgestone, to prevent their family from falling into ruin.

Under Lewinda’s piercing stare, Layla finally spoke to pacify Blake.

To be honest, she hadn’t expected Blake to get involved. She hadn’t even anticipated taking the blow for Jerry.

Her original plan had been simple: show Lewinda the evidence of Jefferson’s abuse—Jerry’s bruised calves—so that Lewinda could handle the situation herself.

“Blake, I’m fine. It was my mistake for not properly vetting him.”

Her back throbbed with pain, but she forced a smile as if it were nothing.

Blake’s gaze lingered on her for a long moment.

“I will take care of him myself,” she continued. “He has shamed my family. This is a matter of my household. It has nothing to do with Greymers or Strover.”

“Blake.”

Lewinda pleaded desperately, and Layla gently urged him as well.

Blake looked between them both before letting out a loud, deliberate sigh.

“If there is another incident where my house, my wife, or I are insulted like this again— I will not stand idly by.”

“There will be no such incident. Never again. Thank you for your mercy.”

“Thank you, Blake.”

With the situation settled, Blake raised his voice and called for Whaler.

A man who had shouted commands even in the middle of battle, his voice boomed through the entire mansion.

“Whaler! Throw this filth out of my house immediately! He is never to set foot here again! And as for Edgestone—no one from that family is to enter until I say otherwise!”

“Understood.”

“Ugh…”

Whaler, who had been waiting nearby, grabbed Jefferson’s arms along with Carson, hauling him up as he groaned, still unable to regain his senses. Carson gave Jefferson’s head a hard punch, and the groaning stopped altogether.

His limp body dragged across the floor, his legs scraping against the ground.

Watching this, Lewinda turned pale and staggered.

Even as she swayed on her feet, Blake didn’t spare her a glance. Instead, he placed his hand on Layla’s shoulder, gently pulling her closer to inspect her back.

His fingertips brushed over the area where she had been struck.

“Let me see. Are you hurt?”

“I’m fine. Jerry must be shaken—please stay with him. I’ll escort my mother out.”

Layla gently pushed him away and instead supported Lewinda by the arm.

Unhappy, Blake roughly patted Jerry’s back, offering a half-hearted show of comfort.

“Hmph. I’ll be waiting, so don’t take too long.”

“Yes.”

With Layla’s help, Lewinda made her way to the entrance, her steps unsteady. As she walked, she kept stealing glances at Blake.

He and Jerry stood side by side, watching Layla closely.

When Lewinda’s eyes met Blake’s, she quickly lowered her head, feigning composure with a polite nod.

But cold sweat ran down her spine.

Even as they left the room, Blake’s gaze followed Layla, unwavering.

The Burman family’s carriage was waiting at the entrance, the very one that had brought Lewinda earlier.

The mercenaries, rough and unbothered, tossed Jefferson inside like a sack of cargo. He let out a faint groan as he landed in a heap.

The mercenaries bowed politely to Layla before retreating.

Despite the chaos, Lewinda carefully observed everything—the demeanor of the servants, the attitude of the mercenaries, and, most importantly, how Blake treated Layla.

Just as the rumors suggested, Blake was affectionate toward Layla.

Lewinda had heard the gossip—that the barbarian’s mansion was filled with indecent noises every night, that he spent passionate nights with his wife, Layla.

At first, she had assumed that he had simply brought other women into the estate, and that was why the rumors had spread.

But after watching him, it didn’t seem that way at all.

With an odd expression, Lewinda muttered to Layla:

“That barbarian—no, your husband—seems to treat you well.”

“…Yes. He is kind.”

Layla hesitated for a moment before responding.

Just before boarding the carriage, Lewinda swallowed her pride and offered an apology.

“I’m sorry, Layla. I didn’t know he was like that. I regret introducing someone like him to you.”

“It’s fine. He’s been fired. And Jerry wasn’t seriously hurt.”

“You suddenly invited me here, and then this happened… what a mess.”

With a sigh, Lewinda furrowed her brows.

Something felt off.

Everything had aligned too perfectly, as if it had all been orchestrated.

“No… Could it be?”

She turned to look at Layla, who stood demurely with her hands clasped, ready to send her mother off politely.

Her appearance was slightly disheveled from the commotion, but otherwise, she looked just as obedient and submissive as she had before marriage.

“Layla… You didn’t… You didn’t plan this, did you?”

“What?”

“Did you stage this? Did you deliberately invite me here just to show me this?”

Layla blinked in surprise.

“Mother, I simply invited you because you introduced him. I thought you would want to see him in person since you were concerned. How could I have known he would badmouth you, let alone that I would be struck?”

“Right… That’s true. That makes sense.”

Lewinda muttered to herself.

Layla wasn’t the type to put on an elaborate act.

Lewinda glanced briefly at Jefferson, who lay groaning on the floor of the carriage.

Then, suddenly desperate, she grabbed Layla’s hands.

“Please… Speak to your husband. Make him understand that this has nothing to do with Edgestone or Greymers. This is only Jefferson’s crime. If the royal family finds out about this, Edgestone could be exiled from the capital. You already know they’re watching you closely. If this happens, what will happen to our Lilia?”

Layla’s expression remained unreadable.

After a long silence, she spoke softly.

“…I’m more worried about Mr. Jefferson.”

Lewinda froze.

“What? Why would you care about him?”

“What if he spreads nasty rumors about the Burman family after this? My husband promised not to escalate things further, but if gossip starts circulating, even I won’t be able to stop him.”

At those words, Lewinda’s gaze shifted back to Jefferson inside the carriage.

Layla’s concerns were not unfounded.

Lewinda knew the nature of arrogant men all too well. A simple beating wouldn’t make Jefferson realize his mistakes. On the contrary, he would likely loudly proclaim his innocence and spread his version of the story even further.

Her fingers tightened around the carriage handle, turning white from the pressure. Her teeth ground together.

“He even sent a protest letter to the royal family before. What if something like that happens again?”

“Don’t worry about him. I’ll make sure he keeps his mouth shut. You just make sure to calm your husband down.”

“Yes, Mother. I’m counting on you.”

Leaving Layla’s quiet plea behind, Lewinda boarded the carriage and departed.

As soon as they passed through the estate’s gates, Lewinda’s pointed heel struck Jefferson’s side.

The man, who had been groaning on the floor, snapped awake, clutching his aching jaw.

“Ugh… my jaw… Agh! My teeth…!”

He spat onto the carriage floor, and along with blood, three of his teeth rolled out.

The sight ignited his fury.

“That filthy, brute bastard! How dare he—”

Smack!

Lewinda’s hand struck Jefferson’s cheek.

Jefferson stared in shock. He was older than Lewinda, a relative, yet she had just slapped him without hesitation.

“…Lewinda! What are you—”

Smack!

She hit him again.

“Shut up.”

The woman, who had always carried herself with aristocratic poise, now let her pure hatred show.

Jefferson looked up at her in disbelief.

The sunlight streaming through the carriage window illuminated her sharply curled lips.

“Do you even realize what you’ve done? You strut around like you’re important just because you went to university, but do you have even a shred of common sense? That ‘barbarian’ is Strover’s official envoy. You didn’t just anger one man—you insulted an entire nation!”

Her red lips moved with biting precision, spitting venom at him.

“What will you do if this leads to another war? Even if it doesn’t escalate to that, what if Greymers’ royal family receives a formal protest? Do you have any idea what will happen then? This won’t just end with you rotting in prison—your entire family will be finished! The Moores will be wiped out, you fool! If you’re old enough to grow gray hairs, you should have learned how to think by now!”

Smack!

Jefferson didn’t even attempt to defend himself.

“You begged for money like a wretched parasite, and yet you dared to insult my mother.”

Smack!

Her rage was so overwhelming that chills crawled up Jefferson’s spine.

“I worked my way up to become a countess, and you think you can ruin my future? You dare jeopardize my daughter Lilia’s future?”

His face throbbed with pain, but all he could do was tremble under the force of her fury.

“Go ahead. Open your mouth anywhere—talk about the barbarian, talk about my family. I dare you. If you do, I won’t just let it slide. No, I won’t even have to lift a finger—that barbarian will turn you into minced meat before I even get the chance.”

Lewinda rapped on the coachman’s window.

“Stop the carriage.”

The moment the door swung open, Jefferson was kicked out, tumbling to the dirt road.

Lewinda looked down at him coldly, her expression devoid of emotion.

“Never appear before me again. I have no desire to become a murderer.”

And with one final, icy glance, she ordered the carriage to move on, leaving Jefferson behind in the dust.