Toxic Marriage - Chapter 7.1

Chapter 7.1

The strong emotions in the man’s eyes disappeared like fluttering ashes.

“People have called me the devil when they saw this.”

Freya finally knew the truth. The cries of the fanatics were not empty words.

He may have surrounded this citadel with walls to prevent his abilities from being known to the outside world, but he couldn’t do anything about the truth disguised as rumors that traveled with the wind.

“… Were all the previous heads of the family born with the same abilities?”

If this were true, then the ones who were known to have died early wouldn’t actually have died. Where were they?

The explanation for the question was simple.

“You may have noticed that not a single portrait hangs here.”

“…”

“Why do you think that would be?”

Freya suddenly stopped breathing.

“Are you… the first one?”

Fenrir quietly raised the corners of his mouth. Understanding what he meant, Freya couldn’t help but open her mouth at the unbearable truth.

In other words, he was a monster who neither died nor aged, and there had only been one head of the Niflheim family so far. In order to deceive people, he only pretended that generations had changed by showing a record of marrying brides who didn’t exist.

She wondered if it was possible to hide that fact, but seeing how closed off this place was, it didn’t seem unfeasible at all.

‘Just how old is he?’

Freya mentally estimated his age. It was already 130 years ago that the first Margrave of Niflheim received the title… so she concluded that he was at least 130 years old.

If she hadn’t seen his wounds heal with her own eyes, she would have thought this too was a lie.

The man in front of her had incredibly smooth skin and a strong and youthful body. It was hard to believe he was the same age as her great-great-grandmother.

Fenrir passed Freya and sat down in a chair. His loose gown opened, revealing his chest even more.

“The one who made me like this was Berta Lindberg. It’s because of her.”

His voice was calm and low.

Nevertheless, a familiar name that could not be missed was firmly embedded in Freya’s mind.

“She’s the one who cursed me.”

Berta Lindberg was Freya’s great-great-grandmother, who had made a name for herself as a virtuous person.

But it was because of her that the Margrave of Niflheim became a monster? It was unbelievable.

Fenrir smirked as he looked at Freya’s confused face.

“Does it sound like a lie? Unfortunately, it’s an unmistakable truth. Because a hungry beggar offended her, that woman put a curse on me to never be able to leave this land of endless war.”

“…”

“I had to kill people over and over again in order to survive, and with the evilness I gained from their blood, I slaughtered the enemy again.”

“…”

“It’s been a long and tiring time.”

He ran his fingers over his temples as if he were tired.

Soon, his eyes moved smoothly through her flowing hair.

“But not long ago, an old sage from the Berta Lindberg’s order came to visit me. He said the only person who can break this curse is a blood relative who inherited the blood of Berta, the one who cast it.”

The old sage he was referring to was Tobias. He must have visited him before he died.

“… Why did Sage Tobias give you such advice?”

It was known that he respected her great-great-grandmother, the founder of the order. As such, it was incomprehensible that he incited the Margrave to take her as his bride when he knew his true identity.

“He must have been afraid of going to hell before he died.”

“…”

“The actions of those known as good people are not only collectively good. He must have come to me and told me the truth to ease the slightest sense of a guilty conscience.”

“…”

“Not even funny.”

Cold anger leaked out from the corners of his crooked lips.

Freya seemed to now understand a little of the reason for the unfathomable resentment and disgust she felt in Fenrir’s eyes.

The one who made him like this was her great-great-grandmother, her only bloodline.

Yet, her relatives lived without knowing anything, taking for granted the abundance and warmth that could not be enjoyed here.

But apart from that sense of pity, Freya did not want to fully accept the anger that suddenly came like a catastrophe that shook the ground.

She took a step back and glared at Fenrir.

“If I have a child, what will you do with it?”

Fenrir looked up at her with his chin resting on his hand, as if her caution wasn’t absurd.

“What should I do?”

Freya no longer looked frightened. She had no intention of being any more of an amusement to the man.