《Taking Care Of My Husband In A Tragic》 Chapter 1 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 1 It was a normal day. As usual, I left work exhausted from being harassed by my boss. I stood in front of the crosswalk, waited for the light to change, and immediately took a step forward as soon as the light turned green. But as I trudged with my head bowed down because I was so exhausted¡ªsuddenly, there was a beaming light flashing into my eyes, and a car¡¯s horn that blared straight into my ears. Without raising my head, my body was flung and fell to the ground in an instant. I could hear all sorts of sounds: someone screaming, murmuring, people approaching. But, I slowly closed my eyes as I got more and more unfocused. When I opened my eyes without realizing that I had died, I was on a bed. There was a man beside me. ¡®What the hell. Is this a dream?¡¯ It was a situation that could only be a dream, so I thought it was one. ¡°¡­Wife?¡± A man with a low-pitched, very hoarse voice was looking at me. The headache remained, perhaps as a result of the accident. I frowned involuntarily. It looked as if I wasn¡¯t dead yet. Yes, this was definitely a dream. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯ll do better¡­¡± Huh? What did you do wrong and what are you going to do better? The moment I thought of that, the man raised his bare upper body and hurriedly kissed me. It was then that I realized that I, like the man, wore nothing. Because the body in contact with the man felt raw. ¡®What¡ª what in the world?¡¯ Without a moment¡¯s notice, the man¡¯s moist and soft tongue slipped through my slightly gaping lips, prodding into every corner of my mouth. In particular, the moment his tongue scraped the roof of my mouth and continued to meet with my own tongue tenaciously, my whole body tickled, and at the same time, I felt wet down below. The man must have felt it too, and suddenly, something deep inside me wriggled. And it gradually grew in size and completely took over me, and from then on he started moving his body little by little. ¡°¡­Heuuk.¡± An unbearable moan flowed between my lips, and I instantly regained my senses. I wasn¡¯t naive enough that I didn¡¯t realize what was happening. I instinctively pushed the man away as hard as I could. Then I got out of the man¡¯s embrace, wrapped a blanket around my body, and jumped out of the bed. ¡°W-what is this!¡± Even if it was a dream, this wasn¡¯t something I could have dreamt about. I screamed at him. However, as much as I did, the man looked at me with a bewildered expression, almost like he was about to cry. ¡°Wife¡­ What did I do wrong? I¡¯ll fix it. Please forgive me.¡± ¡°What are you talking about!¡± What the hell is this dream? Why am I this man¡¯s wife? ¡®By the way¡­ Can you feel sensations in a dream?¡¯ What I just felt below was so vivid¡­ With such doubts, I couldn¡¯t look straight into the man¡¯s eyes, so I turned my head to the side in embarrassment. ¡°Please cover up!¡± Since I took the blanket, he should find something else to cover himself. How could he be so careless and just sit still like that? I shook my head frantically, as I couldn¡¯t forget the splendid bulge of the man that was standing upright. ¡®Don¡¯t think about it. Obscene devil. Get away from me. please!¡¯ ¡°¡­I covered it.¡± Not believing the man¡¯s words, I kept my eyes averted and looked at him while squinting. Fortunately, he pulled out a piece of clothing and covered his lower body, but that part was still bulging. However, because I shook my head too much, a severe headache began in an instant. It was so painful that I wrapped my head and sat down. And things that were not my memories began to flood into my head. ¡°It hurts! It hurts so much¡­!¡± ¡°Wife¡­!¡± The man came to my side at once and held me in his arms carefully, talking to me to soothe me. But there was no sound coming into my ears. ¡®What memory is this now?¡¯ The images that flashed through my mind weren¡¯t mine. But I was constantly being instilled with things I didn¡¯t know. It was so painful that it felt like my head was about to split into two. ¡°Aaaaack!¡± The last memory I had was the man holding me with a face that expressed so much pain that I couldn¡¯t comprehend. * * * I woke up already, but I kept pretending to sleep without opening my eyes. It was because I could hear the voice of the man who was beside me before I passed out. The man kept sighing as if something was making him nervous, and he was constantly talking to me, folding my limp hands between his own. ¡°Haa¡­ Please, I will do better.¡± ¡°I did everything wrong. Wife.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me alone. I cannot live without my wife.¡± For the second hour, he spoke mostly like this. When I heard those words, it almost felt like I was about to die soon. Again. Anyway, I lay there with my eyes closed as I still hadn¡¯t decided what to do when I woke up. Of course, now I knew why the man was doing this. It was because of the images that flashed before my eyes as I fainted¡ªin a dream that was more detailed¡ªexplained the current situation I was in. Among the people in the dream, he appeared in almost all of my memories. It all started with a scene where I was marrying a child¡­ And that child was this man when he was younger. At first, he was always smiling, but after a certain time, he withdrew and became more depressed. It was because the owner of this body threw all kinds of bad things at the child. Dirty. Ugly. No one likes you, if you don¡¯t listen, I¡¯ll throw you away. The intensity of the abusive language she directed at him was severe. However, the treatment after giving the child pain and sadness was always the same¡ª she hugged the child as he cried and begged for her forgiveness, and in return, she also cried and apologized. The dream that followed was a bit more recent, where the man had a physique that was similar to what he had now. From that time on, the moments when this man had been properly dressed were too few to be counted. He was either half-dressed or completely naked, moaning here and there on the bed. I understood what that meant. And when I woke up, I realized what I was doing with the man. ¡®Did I reincarnate?¡¯ At first glance, my appearance was entirely different from how I looked before I died. It just wasn¡¯t my body. Above all else, the man had blonde hair and blue eyes. It was rare to encounter such a man who looked like that, let alone talk to him. I¡¯m sure this wasn¡¯t the world I originally lived in. And there was a name that kept repeating in my dreams. It was my name and the man¡¯s name. ¡®Astelle Einer and Bleon Einer.¡¯ Bleon Einer¡­ ¡®I remember. I think I was the male lead in a serialized novel I read recently¡­¡¯ Yes, I think that¡¯s right. This was clearly the novel, [Can the male lead in a tragedy novel be saved by the female lead?] The title was too long and I was curious about the ending, so I went to read it. However, as the title of the novel suggested, the story was still vivid in my memory because of the experience of being so tragic. So, based on my memories, I could surmise that I became the ex-wife who abused her ex-husband, who would become the male lead. ¡®I¡¯m going to die soon.¡¯ After the male lead met the female lead and fell in love with her, he would eventually pursue revenge and come to kill me¡­ It wasn¡¯t like I had any regrets about living. But I already knew how the ex-wife was going to die. ¡®It was too much of an R-19 crisis.¡¯ Really, it was beyond my imagination. Just thinking about it gave me goosebumps. ¡®I don¡¯t want to suffer like that.¡¯ After all, it wasn¡¯t my fault and I wasn¡¯t responsible for making him like that, so I didn¡¯t want to be subjected to strange things disguised as such pleasures. But come to think about it, the male lead was not normal either. No, he couldn¡¯t be normal. He¡¯d been abused for such a long time¡­ When the male lead went to see his ex-wife, the readers, including myself, finally felt like the scene would be as refreshing as drinking cider, knowing he was going to exact revenge. Prior to that, there was considerable speculation as to whether that was the end of the story because he only announced the divorce and expelled her from the Duchy, but no revenge against the ex-wife came. So in the end, I thought he had found his ex-wife a perfect revenge, but now¡ªwhat? It wasn¡¯t cider, but a development completely beyond imagination. First of all, the male lead bound his ex-wife and then used various things to torment her in the same way he had suffered, or even worse. And the two of them mixed bodies day and night for days and days. At the end of the novel in which the female lead appeared and saved the male lead¡ªwho was now legally married to her at the time¡ªwhen the man was motionless, stunned by the fact that his ex-wife suddenly died in his arms. At that moment, he also wanted to die. ¡®It was really eye popping.¡¯ That¡¯s when I realized how crazy an R-19 tragedy novel was. So it was a novel that received a lot of criticism and became a hot issue for a while because of the ending. Starting with ¡®How can the man sleep with a woman other than the female lead,¡¯ ¡®That¡¯s not a real male lead,¡¯ ¡®I would rather ship the female lead with another man.¡¯ Even after the novel ended, there were many troubling critiques. And then there was one topic on which opinions were very divided. It was about ¡®Did the male lead really love his ex-wife?¡¯ Like most people I thought it was some sort of Stockholm Syndrome. He was brainwashed from a very young age, and the sexual relationship he had with his ex-wife might be the result of being forced into it. Anyway, love or whatever, the conclusion was that I was going to die. ¡®I don¡¯t want to die in such a dirty and unpleasant way.¡¯ So what should I do? As soon as I woke up, should I ask for a divorce? I think he will find me though¡­ He must have already lost his mind, but running away wouldn¡¯t bring any good results. Because in the original story, he eventually found his ex-wife, who was hiding from the public eye. Then there was only one way. Playing the role of a good wife and changing the male lead for the better, even a little bit. That was the only way I could live. And when I would do enough work to some extent, it would be best to hand him over to the female lead and get a divorce. ¡®If that happens, there will be bad memories, but there will also be good memories, so will you still come to kill me?¡¯ Of course I¡¯d have to try, but a well-founded confidence arose that I would be better than the vicious ex-wife anyway. Good. Let¡¯s try it. After making the decision, I slowly opened my eyes. And I met the tearful blue eyes that were staring right at me. ¡°¡­Wife?¡± As soon as I opened my eyes, the man cautiously called to me. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 2 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 2 ¡°Bleon?¡± I found out in my memory that Astell called him ¡®Duke¡¯ in public but only his name in private. So I called his name. ¡°¡­I¡¯m glad you woke up. I¡­ I¡­¡± Bleon put my hand to my cheek. I could feel how much he was trembling. ¡°How long has it been?¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s been a week.¡± A week? I didn¡¯t know it had been so long, so I looked at him with a surprised expression. ¡°For a week¡­ I really¡­ Haa¡­¡± He struggled with his words. I reached out with my free hand¡ªthe other one was enveloped in his¡ªand stroked his head gently. ¡°It¡¯s alright. I woke up.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. It¡¯s such a relief. Oh, I¡¯ll call the doctor right away.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, but thank you. I¡¯m not hurt anymore.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± As Bleon spoke, he was paying close attention to whether he had offended me. ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± Having said that, I pondered for a while. ¡®He¡¯s still trembling. Does he want to hold me?¡¯ For some reason, his eyes told me that he wanted something, so I thought about it a bit, then I opened my arms to him, my expression betraying that I didn¡¯t know what to do, but I wanted to be nice to him anyway. ¡°Come here.¡± Then, as if Bleon had been waiting, he fell into my embrace. I gently stroked his back, which was much bigger than mine. ¡°Good boy.¡± He gave me a big hug and rubbed his face against the nape of my neck. ¡®He¡¯s like a puppy.¡¯ I stroked his silky hair as well, waiting for his trembling to calm down. ¡°Are you feeling better?¡± ¡°¡­Not yet.¡± He stopped quivering already and he had visibly calmed down, but he was still in my arms. ¡°To the bed¡­ Can I go up?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t¡­ I? I want to give my wife a hug¡­¡± His voice had become subdued, perhaps because my answer sounded like I was denying him. ¡°Oh¡­? Alright, come up.¡± As soon as I gave my permission, Bleon came up to the bed and laid down next to me. And contrary to the situation earlier, this time, he was the one who held me in his arms. ¡°Haa¡­ I think I can breathe now¡­¡± He took a deep breath and let out a sigh of relief. ¡°You¡¯re all better now, right?¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get sick anymore, please¡­¡± As I was in his arms, question marks kept floating around in my head. ¡®Why are you so worried about the person who abused you?¡¯ I didn¡¯t quite understand. Was it the conditioning he received? Was it because he was consistently treated badly that it stopped him from rebelling? He was too obedient, hanging onto my words, submitting to me unconditionally. Anyway, I couldn¡¯t see him holding any antipathy towards Astell, so this made me think that things could be resolved easily in the future. ¡°Can I kiss you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°No?¡± Ah. Astell and Bleon had quite a difference in age. Bleon had just grown up and was 20 years old, and Astell was 13 years older than Bleon. Although Bleon looked older than his age, he also felt more like a younger brother than a man to me, probably because his age was similar to my original age, or because I knew how young he really was. So, the hug was also meant to support someone like a sibling. But kissing¡­! Of course, when I first saw him, I thought it was a dream and I didn¡¯t understand the situation at all, so I hugged him on a whim. But now that I regained my senses, I realized that I absolutely shouldn¡¯t have done that. ¡°I won¡¯t kiss you from now on.¡± So I said it loud and clear that I wouldn¡¯t kiss him anymore in the future. ¡°¡­What?¡± At my words, Bleon¡¯s gaze flitted to me, his eyes full of shock. ¡°Did I do something wrong?¡± His voice was full of sorrow, almost like he¡¯s already crying. ¡°No. You did nothing wrong.¡± ¡°¡­Then why? I¡¯ll do better.¡± ¡°No, no¡­!¡± It was my first time meeting such a person, so I didn¡¯t know how to deal with him. I began to appease him again, even as I was still puzzled. ¡°While I was sick, I realized something, and I think I¡¯ve been too much for you. So I decided to change. I will never give you that potion anymore. I¡¯ll tell the butler to get the antidote right away, so you should take it. Understand?¡± As if he still couldn¡¯t understand what I was saying, Bleon just looked at me with confusion. ¡°And now you can do whatever you want. I¡¯m not going to force you to do anything anymore. I swear.¡± He looked at me in disbelief and opened his mouth. ¡°I must have done something wrong. But I don¡¯t know, so please tell me¡­¡± ¡°Bleon¡­!¡± Wow, this was really hard. It gave me goosebumps for a moment as I realized that he really was thoroughly controlled by Astell to this extent. ¡°Don¡¯t say that anymore. You did nothing wrong.¡± ¡°¡­Are you trying to leave me?¡± ¡°No, I¡­¡± I didn¡¯t mean I¡¯d throw him away, but somehow it seemed like I was¡­ I was having a hard time answering. ¡°I¡¯m not throwing you away¡­¡­!¡± Anyway, I wasn¡¯t going to do that, so I explained right away, with conviction. ¡°So, let¡¯s live a normal life now.¡± I really wished to live an ordinary life and die an ordinary death. But Bleon was still looking at me like he couldn¡¯t understand the language I was using. Why did I think it was going to be easy? This might be quite difficult. I kept telling Bleon what I planned to do, but he couldn¡¯t seem to hear any of it. And he embraced me tightly, saying that he felt like I would abandon him or just disappear. Thanks to this, I had the sudden privilege to be locked up in the arms of a handsome young man who I never imagined I¡¯d be fated to be with. He smelled very good. Without realizing it, I leaned in closer to his body and sniffed. ¡°I felt like my wife will wake up today, and I wanted to look pretty, so I took a bath with my wife¡¯s favorite petals. Did I do well?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes. Good job.¡± ¡°But my wife smells so much better.¡± Then he also buried his face in my nape and breathed deeply. During the week I was lying down, the employees might have occasionally wiped my body with towels, but they wouldn¡¯t have been able to clean me properly, and he was sticking his nose in my body saying he liked it. ¡°¡­want¡­¡­¡± What do you want to do¡ª Then, suddenly, I felt something hard and big poking at my abdomen, rapidly making its presence known. I realized what it was and pulled back to get as far away from him as possible. But the moment I tried to turn away, a huge, thick length had been deeply engraved in my mind. I couldn¡¯t get it out of my head that that was still touching my body. ¡°Haa¡­ Wife¡­¡± While my body was getting hotter and hotter, I tried not to show any signs of it, but I could feel Bleon¡¯s anxiety as he sighed. ¡®I¡¯m in a bind.¡¯ Ah, now I know. After thinking about how to get out of this very difficult situation, I finally figured out why he was doing this. The reason why Bleon was so anxious about the kiss earlier was because of his impatience. During the week I slept, he probably didn¡¯t take the potion, but since he drank it almost every day before that, he might be having withdrawal symptoms. ¡°You can¡¯t. You need to take the antidote right now.¡± ¡°What?¡± Bleon, yet again, looked at me with a puzzled expression, seeming like he couldn¡¯t comprehend why I would say that all of a sudden. ¡°Take the antidote so you¡¯ll be fine.¡± With that said, I tried to wriggle out of his arms to get out of bed. But Bleon was holding me so tightly that I couldn¡¯t move at all. ¡°Would you mind letting me go?¡± As soon as I spoke expressionlessly to him, Bleon flinched and moved away from me as he sat up. ¡®You listen very well.¡¯ But despite that, it looked like he was on the verge of crying because it was against his will. I waved the bell hanging from the bed the moment I got away from him. Then shortly thereafter, a knock on the door was heard. ¡°It¡¯s Jace, Madam.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± Perhaps it was because I was influenced by the memories of this body¡¯s original owner, but it wasn¡¯t difficult to speak to the butler. ¡°Madam, you¡¯re awake.¡± As soon as the butler Jace entered the bedroom, he saw me awake and said with a bright smile. ¡°Bring me the antidote to the potion that Bleon has been drinking.¡± I told him to bring the antidote right away. ¡°Antidote?¡± The butler looked confused. Astell had never given Bleon any antidote since she used the potion. ¡°Yes. Right now.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 3 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 3 Jace, the Duchy¡¯s butler, was one of the people who knew almost everything about the affairs between Astell and Bleon. The first thing Astell did after getting married and coming to the Duchy was to kick out the people who were working there. And instead of them, she filled the estate with her own people. The butler was one of them. He was a middle-aged man whose hair had just started to turn gray, and he had worked for Astell since she was still the daughter of a Marquis. So he knew where the antidote was. ¡°Should I call the doctor?¡± the butler asked, worried about Astell. ¡°It¡¯s all right.¡± The headache was completely gone now, so he didn¡¯t have to call the doctor. ¡°Understood. I shall be back in a while.¡± The butler answered without changing his expression and went out immediately. After the butler left, I turned around and looked at Bleon, who met my gaze with a puzzled expression. ¡°Bleon.¡± I called out his name. And I blurted out what I was thinking. ¡°From now on, I¡¯m going to use my words as politely as possible to you. Up until now, I¡¯ve only done it at official events, but now I¡¯ll try to do it at any place. Of course, I¡¯m not used to it yet, so I¡¯ll make some mistakes, but I¡¯ll try my best.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve come of age this year. So, as the Duke of Einer, now you have to lead the Duchy. I want to respect you like that in the future.¡± Bleon had a gloomy expression on his face as if he wasn¡¯t very happy with it. ¡°I like it when my wife calls me Bleon¡­¡± ¡°In the first place, not just anyone can call the Duke¡¯s name recklessly. It¡¯s not just me, it¡¯s everyone else.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re special¡­ By the way¡­ You know¡­¡± Bleon hesitated, unable to speak. ¡°What is it? If you have something to say, say it.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s hard.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­Here¡­¡­¡± It was then that Bleon¡¯s condition came into view. His eyes were red and he was breathing heavily. ¡°Ah¡­¡± And in the place where my gaze stopped without realizing it, that place, where his blood was rushing to, revealed its presence under his pants. ¡°The butler will be here soon. Take the antidote and it will subside, so be patient.¡± I said to him soothingly. ¡°¡­Do you hate me now? Is it because I¡¯m ugly?¡± Why is the conversation going that way again? ¡°It¡¯s not because I hate you or because I can¡¯t stand you. It¡¯s the same thing when I said I won¡¯t kiss you anymore. I don¡¯t want to force you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not forced¡­¡± ¡°No. The reason you¡¯re like this now is because of the drug I gave you. It is not your will.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s really not that¡­¡± ¡®Wow¡­¡¯ He¡¯s been really brainwashed like crazy. I shook my head, tired of Bleon¡¯s attitude. Then he suddenly winced and cried, then he grabbed my hands and brought them to his face. ¡°¡­I-I was wrong¡­¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± I really don¡¯t know why he¡¯s asking me for forgiveness again, so I asked him. ¡°My wife looked at me and shook her head¡­ I¡¯ll listen to you¡­ Please forgive me¡­¡± Ah, I¡¯ll have to keep a straight face in the future. It¡¯s not that I¡¯m tired of Bleon, it¡¯s just that the current situation was frustrating. But of course, he misunderstood. ¡°It¡¯s not you, Bleon.¡± ¡°¡­Really?¡± ¡°Yes. And let¡¯s take the medicine. If you drink it, those thoughts will surely disappear.¡± To summarize, Bleon was addicted to mild drugs. Therefore, he would have easily responded to a weak stimulus even if he didn¡¯t want to. ¡°And when the butler brings the antidote, don¡¯t miss a day and drink it regularly. Drink it until the effect of the drug in your body completely disappears. Understand?¡± I gave him a strong warning. ¡°If it doesn¡¯t go away¡­?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°But what if this feeling doesn¡¯t go away¡­?¡± As Bleon said so, he had a confident face I had never seen before. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± I was at a loss for words. But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the case¡­ Since he was brainwashed and abused since he was young, and he was also sexually abused using mild drugs, it was natural for him to think that way. However¡­ Ah, no. It¡¯s not that. It¡¯s because of the drug. Obviously, Bleon wasn¡¯t in control of his thoughts. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve concluded. ¡°It will disappear. Do you believe me?¡± I then rushed to tell him to trust me. Bleon had an inquisitive gaze. Perhaps he was not convinced, but nonetheless nodded his head slightly. ¡°Yes¡­ I trust my wife.¡± ¡°Yes. My husband is good.¡± I stroked his hair that was as shiny as gold thread. ¡®How is it so soft?¡¯ His hair was so soft and silky that it felt so good that I kept stroking it without realizing it, and touched him. Then, remembering what his condition had just been, I hurriedly removed my hand from his head. ¡®This kind of stimulation should be avoided for the time being.¡¯ It seemed that it would be better to avoid even light physical contact until the effect of the drug disappeared. And just then, the butler arrived. ¡°Madam, I have returned,¡± said Jace. ¡°Come in.¡± In his hand were several small bottles filled with red liquid. ¡°Here is the antidote.¡± The butler came up to me and handed me the antidote. I got it and immediately took the lid off. ¡®No, what¡¯s this smell?¡¯ The smell coming out of the bottle was worse than I thought, it was going to make me nauseous. ¡®Will he be able to drink it well?¡¯ I certainly thought of Bleon as a little brother or a child, not a man, since I¡¯m worrying that Bleon might not be able to take his medicine. However, if it was the first time I had seen Bleon without knowing anything, I would not have thought of taking care of him this far. It had only been a few months since he crossed the threshold of adulthood, but he¡¯s grown up enough that he¡¯s incredibly tall, and his frame was thick and strong to match it. Astell had mentally abused Bleon, molding him to her liking, so Bleon had a well-built and muscular body comparable to any other swordsman. That¡¯s why when I first saw him before the memories flooded in, I was embarrassed and flustered because he felt like a fully grown man. But when Astell¡¯s memories completely took over, Bleon was starting to feel more like a younger brother to me than a man. ¡°Bring me some candy.¡± I ordered the butler to bring candy to feed Bleon. ¡°Yes. Understood.¡± The butler left and I turned to Bleon. ¡°Let¡¯s eat it later. It smells bad, so I think it would be better to eat the candy after drinking this.¡± ¡°How is it?¡± Curiously, Bleon sniffed the bottle in my hand. I expected him to frown and be startled by the smell just like me. However, Bleon¡¯s face was very calm with no change in expression. ¡°I think I can drink it¡­¡± ¡°Oh? Really?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll just drink it. Instead¡­¡± Bleon hesitated without speaking again. He looked at me for fear that it would bother me. ¡°Instead? You don¡¯t need to be conscious of my reactions anymore. You can say whatever you want.¡± I felt sorry for him again, so I encouraged him. Then, Bleon said in a hoarse voice, as if he had gained confidence because of my words. ¡°If I drink it well, please kiss me instead of giving me candy¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± Why do you keep asking me to kiss you when I already said I won¡¯t kiss you?! However, if I refuse here again, it seemed that Bleon would feel intimidated once more. Now that I have to raise him confidently and brightly, I thought about it and found a solution. ¡°Alright. Then, drink it.¡± As I handed the bottle, Bleon quickly drank the medicine. And he emptied it all at once and smiled very brightly and radiantly. It felt as if the sun was only following him and shining on him. ¡°I drank it all. Wife¡­!¡± And as his face was about to approach me to receive the promised prize, I held his face with both hands. Then, in an instant, I kissed him briefly on the forehead and stepped back right away. ¡°End of kiss!¡± I smiled softly. But then, Bleon immediately sulked, obviously showing that he didn¡¯t like it. ¡°¡­Not there¡­¡± ¡°Then you should have told me. You just asked for a kiss. You didn¡¯t say where.¡± It was so much fun teasing him, so I smiled happily. ¡°Then I¡¯ll say it again¡­ I want to cover my wife¡¯s soft lips with mine and put my tongue in your mouth and¡ªmmph¡­!¡± ¡°Bleon¡­!¡± When I asked him to say it clearly, he really went ahead and tried to explain everything he wanted to do and how he wanted to kiss me, so I quickly covered Bleon¡¯s mouth with both hands. ¡°I-It¡¯s already over¡­! And you don¡¯t have to say all that!¡± Isn¡¯t he embarrassed? I was already flushed just by his words, and I was stuttering. ¡°You w-won¡¯t continue, right?¡± Bleon nodded his head slightly at my words. I believed him and removed my hand from his lips. ¡°But I will tell you clearly from now on.¡± ¡°Right. Tell me clearly. But you don¡¯t have to go into too much detail.¡± Expressing himself clearly would be good for Bleon, since he had suffered emotional abuse and had low self-esteem. ¡°Alright. I will listen to my wife.¡± Bleon, who listens very well, answered with a very eloquent smile. ¡°By the way. Wife¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°The antidote¡¯s effect¡­ When does it happen? It¡¯s still hard¡­¡± ¡°Uh¡­ It will probably take a few hours¡­¡± ¡°A few hours¡­? Haa¡­¡± Bleon groaned and sighed. ¡°You have to be patient. We can¡¯t keep living like this. Bleon.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to live like this. If I stay beside my wife¡­¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 4 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 4 He was saying something he didn¡¯t really know. It¡¯s a good thing it¡¯s only been a while now, maybe even if Astelle had been possessed even a little later, it could have been even more difficult to fix. ¡®So¡­ In the original story, did the female protagonist give Bleon the antidote and cure him?¡¯ The female lead was a competent doctor. So when she accidentally cured Bleon, she immediately noticed that he was addicted to the drug. But at that time, he was already addicted for a long time, so no matter how much antidote she fed and treated, the effect of the drug did not go away easily, so she struggled quite a bit with that problem. ¡®So in the end, the two of them got along well, but¡­¡¯ ¡°There is nothing good about living like this. And if you keep taking the antidote, you can live a happier life than you do now, so listen to me. Understand?¡± ¡°Happier?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. You will be happier.¡± Probably to the extent that he can¡¯t even think of the things we¡¯re doing right now. No, he shouldn¡¯t be thinking about it at all. Of course, that included me. ¡°But you haven¡¯t slept at all while I collapsed, have you?¡± How I knew this was because under his eyes where pale skin should be was visibly shaded¡­ ¡°¡­Yes. I couldn¡¯t sleep for fear that something would be wrong with my wife¡­¡± ¡°Then let¡¯s get some sleep. This time I¡¯ll keep an eye on you.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t we just sleep together?¡± ¡°Would you like to sleep together?¡± ¡°Yes. If I sleep hugging my wife, I think I¡¯ll sleep better¡­¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± Well, I¡¯ll just sleep next to you, okay? ¡°But instead of sleeping while hugging, let¡¯s sleep holding hands.¡± ¡°¡­I want to hug you to sleep¡­¡± ¡°If you sleep with your arms around me, now that you have taken the medicine, it may not work.¡± I persuaded Bleon by making up nonsense. To be honest, Bleon could believe everything I said. ¡°¡­Then, I¡¯ll take the medicine, and when I¡¯m okay, let me hold you to sleep.¡± ¡°Alright. I will.¡± By then, Philia will be by his side, will he want to sleep with me? I answered easily even with such a thought, then went back to bed and laid down next to Bleon. Bleon immediately grabbed my hand. ¡°Sleep well.¡± ¡°Sleep well too, wife.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± ¡°I love you¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± My eyes widened as I was about to sleep at the sudden confession, and my heart pounded. ¡°I love you. Astell¡­¡± ¡°Huh, yes. Me too¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t even ask why he said he loved me here, so I just said yes. I closed my eyes calmly, but somehow my heart was shaking a little. ¡®Why was I so nervous when he¡¯s not even talking to me?¡¯ Let¡¯s calm down. I tried to forget his confession, thinking about other things in case my heartbeat could be heard. After that, I tried to sleep somehow, but I couldn¡¯t sleep easily because I slept all week and just woke up. So I kept tossing and turning. But unlike me, Bleon had been working hard and was quite tired, so I quickly heard the sound of his even breathing. I didn¡¯t want to keep my eyes wide open like this, so I applied a little force to retrieve my hand from Bleon¡¯s grasp and to get out of bed. But at that moment, Bleon grabbed my hand and opened his eyes. ¡°Wife¡­?¡± ¡®What. Weren¡¯t you sleeping?¡¯ I thought he was already asleep, but did he wake up so easily only with such a small movement? ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t sleep well because I¡¯m still anxious¡­¡± ¡°What is my husband still worried about?¡± I spoke playfully to ease his mind, but he answered in a worried voice. ¡°I think my wife will leave me alone and go somewhere¡­¡± However, a surprising answer came back and gave me goosebumps all over my body. Wow, what? Is that a hunch? ¡°Where am I going? I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡± I answered him, barely hiding my startled expression. I hadn¡¯t returned Bleon back to his original condition properly yet, so where would I go? Anyway, it wasn¡¯t a lie because I didn¡¯t plan on going anywhere yet. ¡°Right. Wife said that if I listen to you well, you will love me for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°Hmm. Bleon is still doing very good, so don¡¯t worry and go to sleep.¡± I stroked his hair with the hand that wasn¡¯t caught. ¡°Never go anywhere. Never¡­¡± He grabbed my hand a little tighter, trying to keep me from going anywhere. ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m not going.¡± After hearing my answer, Bleon soon fell asleep again. It was obvious that he¡¯s tired. ¡®What to do.¡¯ I feel like he¡¯ll wake up again if I move, but I can¡¯t sleep¡­ ¡®But wow, he¡¯s really handsome.¡¯ Looking at his face so close, it was as if the most perfect creature in the world was in front of me. The skin was as transparent as white jade, and there were no pimples or blemishes. I stroked my fingers as if drawing a line from his forehead to his nose. Then I could see Bleon smiling softly as he slept, as if he felt I was touching him. ¡®How is this angle even possible?¡¯ The sharp nose bridge was clean and perfect as if it had been sculpted. And¡­ ¡®Your lips are really red and pretty.¡¯ His lips, which contrasted perfectly with his pale skin, were as if someone had poured bright red pigment on them, and were also superb in shape. ¡®If the two of us are standing together, it will be quite a comparison, right?¡¯ There was a reason why I thought this way. Astell was not a beauty. In terms of beauty in this world, she was not a beautiful person, and that is how it was always expressed in the novels. Even in the memories of her that came into my head, since she was a child, there were many times when she was teased for her appearance. ¡®The ugly girl of Heines.¡¯ That was the nickname that followed Astell all her life like a tag. Astell, who was sick and tired of hearing this, had a complex about her appearance. She came of marriageable age at 20, but three years after that, she was still a noble lady who had yet to marry because of her appearance. But there was a child who told her she was pretty. ¡®You are so pretty.¡¯ ¡®Older sister is pretty too.¡¯ The child, who looked at Astell and told her she was pretty, was the young Bleon. So, when Bleon¡¯s parents died in an accident, and his relatives flocked to the young child to take his inheritance and left him with only one title, Astell reached out her hand to Bleon. ¡®I will be your wife. Don¡¯t worry, I have a lot of fortune to inherit. I will protect you from the world.¡¯ So that¡¯s how the two got together. At that time, Astell was twenty-three and Bleon was ten. * * * When I regained consciousness again, I realized I must have fallen asleep. But suddenly, the sound of something rubbing and moving reached my ear, and so my mind became clear. ¡®What is that sound?¡¯ I was wondering where the sound was coming from, so I was just about to open my eyes when I heard a mix of shallow moans and quiet sighs. ¡°Haah, heup.¡± For some reason, it occurred to me that I should not open my eyes now. I kept my eyes closed and focused on where the sound was coming from, and as soon as I realized what it meant, I was in shock. ¡®C, crazy¡­!¡¯ While my head was confused as to why he was doing this instead of sleeping and why I was awake now, I could hear the sound of flesh rubbing against each other. ¡°Haa¡­¡± This room, where only the silence of the deep night has fallen, was filled with the sound of a sleeping person¡¯s breathing¡ªas naturally as possible so that she wouldn¡¯t be found out that she had woken up to a certain moment¡ªand the sound of comforting one¡¯s body to relieve one¡¯s desires and exhaling murky breaths and groans. ¡®When the hell is it going to end?¡¯ Quite a long time had already passed. He should have done it before I woke up, but he still hadn¡¯t finished. It was when I thought it would be faster for me to fall asleep again. Suddenly, the sound of his movement accelerated, and the interval between all the small sounds in the room shortened. And¡­ ¡°Heuk, wife¡­!¡± I heard him calling me and exhaling violently, and for a moment, my mind was on the edge and my whole body stiffened. It seemed to me that it was over. But at the last sound that called me, I forgot to breathe and concentrated all my senses on him. Then I heard Bleon get up from the sofa. And from the sound of footsteps, he seemed to be going somewhere. ¡®Are you coming this way?¡¯ My mind went blank with extreme tension. What if he comes and knows that I¡¯m awake, and I¡¯ve been listening¡­! Fortunately, the sound of footsteps got farther and farther away from me. Then there was the sound of running water along with the sound of the door opening and closing. ¡®You went to the bathroom.¡¯ Phew, it was only when I realized he wasn¡¯t in the room that I opened my eyes and let out the breath I had been holding in. But still, my heart was pounding and the tension was not resolved. I didn¡¯t move my head just in case, but I glanced around with my eyes slightly drooping to the side. Fortunately, Bleon was nowhere to be seen. ¡®What to do¡­¡¯ First, after wiping my wet hands on the blanket, I took a long breath to find my composure, and then exhaled. And if I stayed like this, he could have really found out that I woke up and heard everything, so I thought hard about what to do. ¡®Please please¡­¡¯ I wish I could fall asleep before Bleon got out of the bathroom, but now my mind was crystal clear. Then, even if I couldn¡¯t sleep, I had to pretend that I was asleep. I closed my eyes again. And I tried to relax my body as naturally as possible. As I was pretending to sleep with all my heart, I heard the sound of the bathroom door opening, and Bleon¡¯s footsteps got closer and closer. After that, I could feel him lying on the bed as the bed wobbled slightly and the duvet rustled. He made sure to clean it up in the bathroom, so there was only a slight scent of his body. ¡®¡­!¡¯ But he gently grabbed my hand that was hidden under the blanket. I used my wits momentarily so that my twitching gestures did not show up involuntarily. If anyone was looking at us, they¡¯d probably face each other. It seemed that I could hear Bleon laughing at me, but I could have heard it wrong. But after that, one thing I knew for sure, he kissed the back of my hand. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 5 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 5 I didn¡¯t even know how I slept. I just begged and begged, please sleep, please. I didn¡¯t know how many sheep I had counted or how much time had passed. But I ended up sleeping. And when I woke up again, it was early in the morning, but as soon as I woke up, the now familiar face and eyes met mine. Bleon got up first and lay on his side, looking at me. And he still had his hand wrapped around mine. ¡°Are you awake?¡± ¡°Yes. I woke up quickly. Did you sleep well?¡± It was a normal conversation that I asked as soon as I woke up, but it was hard to make eye contact with him because the events of last night kept coming back to me. ¡°Yes. Did my wife sleep well?¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± But he was looking at me with a face that knew nothing. I looked at Bleon and thought it was obvious that he didn¡¯t know I woke up briefly during the night. Then there was no need for me to panic or be embarrassed. ¡®Yes. I didn¡¯t see anything yesterday.¡¯ With that thought in mind, I returned to my original calmness. And after trying to erase only that part from my head, I thought of what I was going to do with Bleon from today onward, step by step. ¡°First, let¡¯s take the antidote.¡± Right, first of all, solving the drug problem was the top priority. It¡¯s all about the antidote. I picked up a red bottle lying on a night table next to my bed, thinking that if he took the antidote, something like yesterday would never happen again. I handed it to Bleon. ¡°Didn¡¯t you feel much better after drinking this yesterday?¡± I asked him as if nothing had really happened. ¡°¡­Yes. I think so.¡± But as he answered, there was a look on his face. ¡°Why, do you think it doesn¡¯t work?¡± ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t know yet¡­¡± ¡°Is that so? I think it¡¯s because you¡¯ve only drank it once.You have to take the antidote regularly for it to be effective.¡± Although it happened yesterday, I was relieved inside that I had possessed Astell before Bleon turned twenty-one. Looking at Bleon so far, there were times when I was confused because it wasn¡¯t the reaction I expected. However, when I thought deeply about the point in time when I came here, I could understand why. It wasn¡¯t until a year after Bleon became an adult that Astell¡¯s severe sexual abuse began. From then on, she said, she increased the dose of the drug so that Bleon couldn¡¯t think of anything other than really sexual things. And she began to torment Bleon¡¯s body and mind with all sorts of things, so it was written in the novel. But luckily, I came here a few months before Bleon turned twenty-one. Of course, it would have been better if it was before I met Bleon¡­ ¡®If I could choose that, I wouldn¡¯t have to go through all this trouble now.¡¯ So, about half a year after Bleon turned 20, that was when Astell started teaching Bleon about adult pleasures. Astell used the drug to artificially expand the senses, both herself and Bleon, and then ate the antidote alone, leaving Bleon addicted to the drug. Still, looking at Bleon¡¯s condition, although something happened yesterday, it didn¡¯t seem like he was deeply addicted. Perhaps Bleon thought that if he continued taking the antidote, he would soon return to normal. I motioned for Bleon to drink the antidote. Bleon took the bottle from me and drank the antidote at once. ¡°Take it every morning, even if I don¡¯t give it to you. Understand?¡± ¡°Yes. I understand.¡± ¡°Yes. You¡¯re doing great.¡± I got out of bed after stroking his hair. ¡°For a week, you couldn¡¯t do anything just to take care of me. Isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°That¡­ Yes¡­ Forgive me. But I was afraid that something would happen to my wife, so I couldn¡¯t handle anything else.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll have to work hard from today.¡± I replied with a smile as an encouragement to him. Bleon¡¯s expression became strange as if he was unfamiliar with me. ¡°Okay, then, Lord Duke, go back to your room and wash up.¡± ¡°¡­Let¡¯s wash together. I will wash you.¡± ¡°No! Go quickly.¡± Perhaps my words were too firm, so Bleon looked at me once more with a sullen expression on his face and left the room. After confirming that he had left, I rang the bell and called the butler. ¡°Did you call me, madam?¡± ¡°Summon all the servants in the mansion.¡± ¡°Everyone?¡± ¡°Yes. I have something to say, so not one of them should be missing.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Then I went straight into the bathroom to wash up. The maids had already come and prepared it. ¡®I want to look in the mirror.¡¯ Before taking a bath, I went to the mirror in the bathroom. Whatever Astell looked like, it didn¡¯t really matter to me. But now that I was convinced enough that I¡¯d have to live as Astell, I wondered what she looked like. But¡­ She wasn¡¯t as bad as I thought. Although she wasn¡¯t quite as stunning as Bleon, it wasn¡¯t to the point that she¡¯d get teased or persecuted for her looks. In the mirror stood a person with wavy red hair and black eyes. I raised my hand and touched my face and stroked my hair. ¡®I think this is pretty good.¡¯ It¡¯s not like there were only beautiful women in the world, and it¡¯s not like they made a living out of their looks. ¡®This body has a lot of money.¡¯ Wasn¡¯t money the best wherever you go? Of course, this was a classist society with nobles and emperors, but my appearance did not have much of an impact on me before, living in a world where capitalism ruled the world. But anyway, this was not the world I had once lived in. And looking through her memory, it seems that Astell¡¯s family was the first to step forward and lash out at her with abusive language, which made her feel inferior and embarrassed. Also, Astell¡¯s family could have been more comparable because they were all beautiful women. [¡®Are you an ugly duckling or what?¡¯] No matter how hard she tried. The family that should have embraced her became a family that ridiculed her and pointed fingers at her. So Astell was teased and bullied a lot from her birth because of her appearance. It was too much contempt she had suffered just because a Marquis¡¯ Lady wasn¡¯t pretty. ¡®I¡¯m not going to leave it alone.¡¯ It¡¯s not revenge, but I vowed that I would never let it go if I met Astell¡¯s family and those who tormented her. After washing up, I went out alone, and as I told the butler earlier, all the people working in the mansion were gathered there. ¡®There¡¯s really not much.¡¯ And most of them were men, and all the women looked very old. Astell replaced the Duchy¡¯s servants twice in ten years. The first time was when they had just gotten married. She fired all the employees who were originally working at the Duchy¡¯s mansion. Her judgment was that those who failed to protect their master from outside had no need to exist here. She filled that void with the minority she trusted. Since then, she had been raising Bleon, feeding and washing, all these things Astell has done exclusively for him. Bleon was her husband, her family, and the one and only by her side. It was the same with Bleon. When he was distraught by the sudden death of his parents, none of his relatives, who rushed in like hyenas, cared for him. Their interest was solely the material property of the Duchy. So, when he lost everything and was left alone in the world and was unable to do anything, Astell reached out her hand. In the novel, Bleon was unable to let her go despite Astell¡¯s abuse, perhaps because she, his savior at the time, was still vivid in his memory. But Astell changed. It was around the second time the Duchy¡¯s employees were replaced. By the time Bleon was twelve, Astell took very good care of him. Although he was her husband, she only spoke beautiful words to him and did not abuse him. She cared for and supported him like a brother and lived together. But things happened at the prince¡¯s birthday banquet. Astell rarely attended banquets. When she went to such a place, her family always came first and insulted her, so the other nobles also treated Astell with contempt. Even though she was the youngest child of a Marquisate, she was always alone because no one would approach her. So, afterwards, she made the excuse that she was sick and did not go to places where nobles were gathered. Her family liked it better when she said she wouldn¡¯t go because they were embarrassed of her and always left her alone. However, this time the prince¡¯s birthday banquet had to be attended by all nobles. She had to go there because it was the birthday banquet of the first born prince, and the Emperor had no heirs for a long time. And as soon as that day went, her older sister approached Astell first. And she was not afraid to say words that were insulting to Astell. [¡®Oh my, it¡¯s been a while, Astell. You¡¯re worse off.¡¯] [¡®Astell, do you like playing house with small children?¡¯] After that, the nobles who were around began to gossip at Astell and Bleon. [¡®She can¡¯t marry a real man because she¡¯s ugly, so I guess she married a young kid who doesn¡¯t know anything.¡¯] [¡®Anyway, when the Duke grows up, his wife will be ugly and will be thrown away.¡¯] [¡®So that¡¯s it. She will be thrown away anyway.¡¯] [¡®That¡¯s right. The Duke has eyes too, but his wife is ugly, so where can he take her later?¡¯] After going there that day, Astell did not come out of the room for ten days. When Bleon begged her to open the door, she never opened it, and she stayed in the room without eating anything. Astell wept day and night for ten days. Her own plight was pitiful and cursed. She wondered why she was born like this and she didn¡¯t even want to live like this anymore. ¡®Bleon will eventually abandon me.¡¯ ¡®Who likes an ugly woman?¡¯ In the end, Astell lost consciousness due to dehydration and later woke up in bed. When Bleon could no longer hear her voice from inside the door, he became worried, so he opened the door and came in to save her. The first thing Astell did after she woke up and got up was to fire all the young maids in the Duchy¡¯s house. After he blocked Bleon from seeing other girls his age or younger, she started mentally abusing him from then on. You¡¯re ugly, dirty, useless, if you don¡¯t listen, I¡¯ll throw you away¡­ Astell¡¯s crooked heart, wounded and broken by the world, was directed to Bleon, and it began to eat away at both her spirit and Bleon¡¯s. ¡®First, let¡¯s put everything back in its place.¡¯ She once again made a firm resolution and told the employees gathered in the hall. ¡°From now on, I will never forgive anyone who treats Duke Bleon Einer badly. And in the future, all the work of the Duke will be done by the Duke himself, so keep in mind that if there is someone who is lying behind his back, it will not end with just a dismissal.¡± Up to now, almost all of the Duke¡¯s work had to go through Astell¡¯s hands. Bleon could not buy anything as he wanted. And since the servants were all hands and feet that Astell hired, they obeyed only her orders. So it was natural for them to ignore Bleon, the Scarecrow Duke. But now I couldn¡¯t let it go. I was planning to put Bleon back as the full-fledged Duke. After saying that, I called the butler to my room separately. ¡°Hire employees as much as they used to be.¡± ¡°The employees?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°In the past, as they used to be¡­ You mean¡­¡± The butler looked into my eyes and asked. ¡°Make sure you put it back to before I came in here. We need to recruit more people to attend the Duchy, people who will repair and tidy up the old house, and more knights for the family.¡± ¡°Oh, understood.¡± Although the butler answered, he looked very bewildered at my unconventional actions. ¡°All new arrivals will be interviewed by me, so prepare them.¡± ¡°Yes. Understood.¡± ¡°And if you serve the Duke properly, the people below will follow you well, so behave yourself. Do you understand what I mean?¡± ¡°Yes, Madam.¡± ¡°From today on, you will have to do what you can with the Duke, not me, as the master. From now on, you should report everything to the Duke instead of reporting to me. I believe in your ability and loyalty that you have shown me so far.¡± ¡°I will keep that in mind.¡± ¡°You can go.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 6 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 6 The butler left the room and closed the door. First of all, I felt relieved because the most urgent flames seemed to have been extinguished. The butler was someone who knew how Astell was treated in the Marquisate. And he was the only one who looked after Astell. Therefore, Astell¡¯s trust in Jace, the butler, was extraordinary, and the loyalty he showed to Astell was strong. That¡¯s why he tolerated everything she had done until now and cleaned up the mess. Since he¡¯s a talented person, I thought that Jace would take good care of Bleon. ¡®By the way, what is Bleon doing?¡¯ I¡¯d been very busy since morning, so I didn¡¯t have time to look for him. ¡°Madam, breakfast is ready.¡± It happened to be meal time. He should be in the dining room. ¡°Okay.¡± I left the room for breakfast. But Bleon was waiting for me at the door. ¡°Bleon? Oh no, Duke.¡± I corrected his name on my lips in a moment. ¡°Let¡¯s come down together. Wife.¡± Bleon took my hand and led me. ¡°You can go ahead.¡± Talking to him formally was not awkward as it was. Bleon didn¡¯t say much because I had already told him I would do it in the future. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even wash with you today and I was so far away from my wife, I was anxious¡­¡± What kind of separation anxiety is this? ¡°In the future, it will become natural to do everything separately.¡± ¡°What?¡± Suddenly, Bleon stopped walking and looked at me. ¡°¡­Did I really do something wrong?¡± ¡°No, that¡¯s not it.¡± I beckoned the employees around me to be dismissed. Then I carefully led Bleon to a corner and spoke in a low voice so that no one could hear me. ¡°Bleon. Our relationship so far has been a bit unusual.¡± Not just a bit. It was incredibly unusual. I paused again to approach him in a friendly way to convince him. ¡°Originally, most of the nobles served by their servants act accordingly like masters. But we didn¡¯t, didn¡¯t we?¡± Still, Bleon nodded his head slightly as if he had any memories from when he was ten years old. ¡°From now on, I will do that. So I told the butler to hire more employees. Someone to attend for you will come in soon, so until then, please be patient if you feel uncomfortable.¡± ¡°¡­Why? I like how it is now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡± He¡¯s been terribly brainwashed. But for now, we can try to put him back to normal. ¡°Then let¡¯s do this.¡± To him who keeps saying that now is better, I suggested another way. ¡°First of all, let¡¯s try to live in a different way than we do now. If you live like that for a year or so and you¡¯re still not used to it, then we¡¯ll do whatever Bleon wants. What do you think?¡± I was convinced that, of course, a human would choose to live freely. When he has tasted freedom, he will never give up on it. And I thought a year would be enough to get him back on his feet, so I set the deadline for one year. ¡°All right¡­ If my wife wants it¡­ I will do that.¡± ¡°Of course, my husband is so good.¡± I grabbed his hands and smiled broadly. After the conversation, we headed to the dining room. Originally, we had to sit face to face at a long table to eat, but he sat next to me because he was still anxious about being apart from me. Then he meticulously took care of what I ate. Instead of slicing the meat and breaking the bread myself, it was enough for me to just work hard with a spoon and fork. ¡°I will eat it myself. The Duke should eat too.¡± ¡°It¡¯s what I do. If my wife enjoys it, I am full with just that.¡± If I had heard this in other situations, I would have thought it was a sweet and romantic word, but somehow it was kind of like that between us. ¡°You don¡¯t have to take care of me like this anymore. So you don¡¯t have to do this.¡± I said sternly. ¡°¡­I understand¡­¡± Then Bleon answered in a small voice. I deliberately ignored him and continued eating. But Bleon hadn¡¯t eaten since he heard me. ¡®It really bothers me.¡¯ ¡°Then just for breakfast this morning. From now on, the Duke will sit across from me and eat. Okay?¡± His gloomy face brightened at my words. Then he broke the bread again and even fed me some food directly. ¡°All right, Wife. Then, ahh.¡± I opened my mouth, feeling embarrassed that I couldn¡¯t stop him again. After eating, we went back to my bedroom. I had something to say. ¡°Bleon. From today onwards, I will take my hands off the work. From now on, you will be in charge of the Duchy by yourself. Don¡¯t worry, the butler will take good care of you after reporting what you¡¯ve been doing. Understand?¡± ¡°¡­But¡­¡± ¡°Bleon is, after all, the head of the Einer Duchy. You can do it.¡± I grabbed his hands and encouraged him. ¡°If you have any troubles, you can ask me for help, but you still have to make all the decisions in the future. It is Bleon who has to lead this family.¡± I felt Bleon staring at me piercingly. I wondered if he was thinking something like, ¡®Why did my wife change after being sick, why is she like this all of a sudden?¡¯ ¡°Madam. The doctor is here.¡± Just then, a doctor I told the butler to call arrived. ¡°Let him in.¡± The door opened and a man who appeared to be in his mid-forties entered with the butler. He bowed his head and greeted us. ¡°Greetings to the Duke and Duchess of Einer.¡± ¡°Come here and examine the Duke¡¯s body.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± While the doctor examined him, I stood by Bleon¡¯s side and watched. ¡°Fortunately, there are no major problems. However, he has been under a lot of stress lately, so his energy has weakened a bit.¡± ¡°Stress?¡± Is it because I wasn¡¯t awake for a week? ¡°Yes. We will make medicine to manage the stress. And¡­¡± Suddenly the doctor stopped and looked at me. Confused, I soon realized why he was doing this. ¡°Speak freely.¡± ¡°The Duke appears to be addicted to drugs.¡± The doctor that Astell had so far didn¡¯t seem to be a quack. ¡°Yes. That¡¯s why I called you. He took the antidote, but I was hoping for a quicker recovery.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± The doctor was silent as if he already knew what kind of drug it was. ¡°Well, Madam. One of my students is specializing in detoxification. Can I bring her in?¡± ¡°To detoxify?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s a very talented child, so you don¡¯t have to worry.¡± Of course, I¡¯m not worried. Why did I even call this doctor to examine Bleon? In a way, it was to summon the female lead, Philia. ¡°Then bring her here tomorrow.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± Those who were in the room left, and only the two of us were left. ¡°I am healthy. Wife¡­¡± ¡°I know that Bleon is healthy. Just look. You¡¯re very strong.¡± ¡°Then why¡­¡± ¡°Because looking healthy on the outside doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯re healthy on the inside.¡± I raised my hand and placed it in the middle of his chest. ¡°Bleon is very sick here. I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s all because of me. So now I will take responsibility and take care of you. So, starting tomorrow, let¡¯s continue to receive treatment from the doctor.¡± The female lead, Philia, was one of the most talented doctors on the continent. Even if Bleon was so broken, she managed to heal him to the end and then save him. So I decided to get her help sooner this time. ¡®If she watches over the treatment for a year or so and takes care of him, wouldn¡¯t it be okay to let them meet sooner?¡¯ Then, a year later, the two will fall in love, and I could quietly get a divorce and leave. ¡°Wi, wife¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Bleon had something to say, but hesitated, as if he couldn¡¯t utter it easily. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°Wife is more sick too¡­ here¡­¡± Bleon placed his hand slightly in the middle of my chest like what I had done. ¡°Oh¡­¡± As expected, Bleon knew everything, saying that I was in a worse condition than he was. I needed to answer, but somehow the words didn¡¯t come out so easily. I looked at him for a while, cleared my throat, and opened my mouth. ¡°Hmm. I¡¯ll get treatment too. Let¡¯s get it together. So, from now on, let¡¯s not hurt anyone and let¡¯s live like that.¡± For a moment, the two of them remembered all the things they had been through so far, and they felt like they were about to burst into tears. So I turned around and went to the window. ¡°I will live happily ever after. Will Bleon do the same?¡± I said looking out the window. ¡°Yes. I will live together with my wife for a long time.¡± I didn¡¯t see the expression on Bleon¡¯s face as he said that, but since his voice was bright, I thought that maybe his expression was the same as mine. ¡°Hmm. Let¡¯s live for a long time. Both of us.¡± I didn¡¯t want to spew out promises that I couldn¡¯t keep, so I purposely omitted the word ¡®together¡¯ that Bleon said. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 7 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 7 The next day was a very busy day. I interviewed and hired all the employees who would start working in the Duke¡¯s estate, and Bleon had to do some work that he had never done before. But even in the midst of being so busy, there were things that I had to do every day that I shouldn¡¯t forget. ¡°Madam. The doctor is here.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± From the opened door entered the doctor I saw yesterday and a young woman with very pretty pink hair. ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ And I knew that she was Philia Ruavis, the female lead of the original story. ¡°Madam, this child is the disciple I spoke of yesterday. Philia, give your greetings to the Madam.¡± ¡°Greetings to the Duchess of Einer. My name is Philia Ruavis.¡± ¡°Philia¡­¡± I whispered her name again in my mouth. After hearing that, Philia lifted her head slightly and looked at me. She was surprised as soon as her sharp green eyes met mine, and she immediately lowered her head. ¡®Beautiful¡­!¡¯ Philia was so beautiful, especially her dazzling eyes. She would definitely suit Bleon well if anyone saw them side by side. Bleon wasn¡¯t someone who gave importance to outward appearances when he met people, but if she¡¯s that pretty anyway, he might fall in love at first sight. ¡®And she has good skills.¡¯ She was not lacking as a partner for Bleon. Now, he was living in Astell¡¯s shadow without doing anything, but after all, Bleon was also a handsome man who would surely be everyone¡¯s ideal type. His eyes were outstanding, he¡¯s handsome, he¡¯s young, he¡¯s got a good body and he¡¯s tall. Besides, looking back at Astell¡¯s memories, he was also very good at¡­ nightly duties. Even though he was given the title of Duke and now he maintains his family with Astell¡¯s dowry, his original mind was clever enough and he was a fast learner. So, the Duchy was very likely to prosper very soon. ¡®The two of you will get along very well.¡¯ Philia was also much younger than Astell. She was just right for him, as she was only three years older than Bleon. Although Philia was a commoner, there was nothing that money couldn¡¯t solve. Even in the original story, the two used the method that Philia became the adopted daughter of Bleon¡¯s distant relative¡¯s family for the sake of their marriage. This time, I was able to use it the same way. I stopped thinking for a moment and opened my mouth as I glanced at her. ¡°I heard you have a knack for detoxification.¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s just a little bit of what I¡¯ve learned.¡± ¡®Even humble¡­!¡¯ I admired her kindness internally. ¡°From now on, what you have seen and heard here, you must not speak to anyone. Can you keep that promise?¡± ¡°I will never tell anyone. I swear on my name.¡± ¡°Then you can go. I want to talk to this child for a while.¡± I didn¡¯t want her to go for an interview like the other employees. I tried to tell Philia a little more about Bleon¡¯s condition. ¡°Understood, then I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± Everyone went out to leave me and Philia sitting opposite each other on the couches. I brought up the subject right away. ¡°Your job from now on is to heal the Duke. The Duke has been addicted to drugs for a long time. So, it is your responsibility to return the Duke to his original state.¡± ¡°Before that, I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°My treatment method is a little different from others. It seems to be possible only if Madam agrees on that.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I knew it already through the novel, but I asked her with an expression that said I had no idea what she was talking about. According to the novel, there were a few incredibly rare people throughout the continents in this world. It was the people who performed healing magic through the magic in their body. Now, wizards no longer exist and almost all magic has disappeared, but only healing and some magic have been passed down. But it wasn¡¯t something anyone could do. Being born with magic in the body was only possible for very few chosen ones, and Philia was included in those chosen ones. And Philia was a healer who specialized in detoxification. ¡°I heal by using the magic inside me. Especially in the case of detoxification, I collect magic in my hands, caress the bare body to find and heal every poisonous place one by one.¡± When I first read this novel, I thought that the treatment method was really suited for an R-19 novel. ¡®No, that¡¯s why the two of them met.¡¯ ¡°It does not matter. If you can cure the Duke, any method is fine.¡± It really didn¡¯t matter. Because it was my plan to deepen their feelings during treatment. ¡°All right. By the way, can I see the Duke and his condition?¡± ¡°I¡¯m thinking of going to see the Duke soon. But before that, I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°To tell you the truth, the Duke has been severely mentally abused since childhood. So his mind is very unstable. I want you to treat that as well.¡± ¡°Psychological problems must be addressed first. Has he ever been separated from the abuser?¡± ¡°No. That person is me.¡± Philia looked at me with astonished eyes and then hurriedly lowered her head. ¡°I-I apologize, Madam.¡± ¡°But I have no intention of doing anything to the Duke anymore. So you can rest assured. But even if I change, the Duke¡¯s injured heart will not heal in an instant. So I want you, Philia, to help me.¡± ¡°I understand. I will do the best I can.¡± ¡°Thanks. I will trust you, so please.¡± ¡°It¡¯s unreasonable for you to implore like this, Madam. I just do what I have to do.¡± ¡®She speaks so beautifully.¡¯ The more I talked with Philia, the more my confidence in her grew. ¡°Let¡¯s get up and go to the Duke.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± We left my room and headed to the office where Bleon was working. But the employee who was guarding the door saw me and tried to open the door right away without telling him inside. ¡°Ma, madam¡­!¡± Before the employee could open the door, I hurriedly shut the door with my hand and stopped him. ¡°What are you doing?¡± As I spoke in a sweet, cold voice, the employee, who had a bewildered expression on his face, not knowing what he had done wrong, hurriedly fell to his knees. ¡°I-I was wrong¡­! Fo-forgive me, Madam¡­!¡± ¡°Did you forget that I told you to regard the Duke first in the future?¡± There was a loud noise from the outside, and the door opened from the inside and the butler came out. ¡°What is going on, Madam?¡± ¡°Jace. I told the employers firmly, but were you doing things in such a stupid way?¡± ¡°It-it¡¯s my fault. I apologise. The Madam always goes in without a word when she comes, oh, I thought it was like this today too, so I¡­!¡± The butler who understood the situation after hearing the employee¡¯s words, who now realized what he had done wrong, bowed his head to me. ¡°I apologise immensely, Madam. I should have properly educated the employees. It is my fault.¡± Obviously, I could have simply forgiven his mistake and moved on. But all that had been tolerated so naturally until now had to be resolutely corrected. ¡°Educate them properly. If something like this happens again in the future, it won¡¯t end at just this.¡± After I said that, I took Philia into the office. ¡°Let¡¯s go in.¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Upon entering, Bleon was standing near the door with a restless expression on his face. Looking at his expression, he looked nervous as if he was going to get hit as well. ¡°Duke.¡± However, I wasn¡¯t angry with Bleon, so I looked at him and approached him with a bright smile, despite the fact that I had just been angry. ¡°Wife¡­ Who made you so angry?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not a big deal. The servant didn¡¯t do his job properly, so I gave him a stern scolding.¡± As I approached with a smile, Bleon took my two hands with a look of relief. ¡°Wife¡­¡± Then perhaps to release any anger left in me, he smiled prettily, like a puppy that wags its tail. Looking at me and smiling softly, then Bleon averted his eyes slightly. Then, looking at Philia behind me, his pupils shook. I know that he had made eye contact with her without even turning my head to her. ¡®Uh? Don¡¯t tell me¡­?¡¯ This fast? I thought it was because Bleon fell in love with Philia at first sight. It seemed like anyone would fall in love the moment they saw Philia¡­ ¡®Bleon. Now that I see it, he was the type of person who was weak in appearance.¡¯ It went well in many ways. If the two of them get along well sooner than later, I¡¯ll be fine too. Thinking about it that way somehow made my heart tingle a little. But like the last time, I brushed it off, thinking that it was only because I was assimilated with the original Astell, so I quickly introduced Philia to Bleon. ¡°This is Philia, a student of the attending physician, and she will be in charge of treating the Duke from today.¡± ¡°Greetings, Duke Einer. My name is Philia Ruavis.¡± Although Philia greeted Bleon, Bleon remained silent. So Philia kept her head bowed. ¡°Duke?¡± I called Bleon to accept her greeting. ¡°Welcome¡­¡± Only then did Bleon accept Philia¡¯s greeting. And Philia raised her head. But Bleon didn¡¯t even look at Philia, and looked at me in embarrassment. ¡°Duke. Nobles do not speak politely to commoners. Of course, if the Duke wants to do that to Philia, I won¡¯t stop you, but you have to remember that you should usually talk down to them.¡± It was his first time dealing with a woman of around the same age as him since he was twelve, so he looked awkward and didn¡¯t know what to do. I decided not to worry about it anyway, as the two would get along better together in the future anyway. ¡°I see, Wife.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s sit over there.¡± I led them both to the sofa. ¡°Philia. Examine the Duke.¡± ¡°Understood, Madam.¡± Philia approached Bleon and reached out to examine him. But Bleon hastily avoided Philia¡¯s touch and came to me. ¡°Wife¡­¡± And he was just looking at me, clearly not knowing what to do. I recalled Astell¡¯s memory for a moment and quickly figured out why Bleon was doing this. ¡®Oh. I see.¡¯ Astell told Bleon not to make eye contact with anyone but her, and never let anyone touch his body. I used to say very badly that if that day happens, I would kill him, everyone else, and then kill myself. That¡¯s why Bleon was making such an anxious expression. ¡°It¡¯s okay. She¡¯s a doctor. She¡¯s just trying to examine Your Grace.¡± I talked to him gently. ¡°But¡­ Wife¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Duke. I¡¯m fine with it now, so you don¡¯t have to worry anymore.¡± Even though I repeatedly said that it¡¯s okay now, Bleon still had a hardened expression in addition to a gesture of denial. ¡°I think it would be better for me to go out for a while.¡± It seemed that this would not be a proper treatment. As I was watching, Bleon seemed to keep watching my reactions, so I decided it would be better not to be there, so I got up right away and was about to leave, but Bleon suddenly hugged me from behind. ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­ My wife, I¡¯ll listen to you¡­ So please¡­¡± Bleon¡¯s voice was somehow lower than usual. And even so, there was a desire to see if I really didn¡¯t want to go out. ¡°I see. I¡¯m not going, so get treatment. For both of us.¡± ¡°¡­Yes. Okay.¡± As I told Bleon that he would be taken good care of, I stayed and he sat next to me while getting examined by Philia. This time, when she touched his hand, he was still. But his head turned toward me and he was still looking at me with unease. The look on his face made me feel like he was constantly looking for something in me, so I tilted my head a little. ¡°It is done.¡± As soon as Philia took her hands off his body, Bleon wrapped his arms over my waist from behind, buried his face in the nape of my neck, and took a deep breath. I felt a warm breath behind my neck. I found Bleon to be a bit annoying, but on the other hand, it didn¡¯t feel too bad. So I just let him do what he wanted to do. Philia looked for a place to turn her eyes, embarrassed to see us, so she lowered her head slightly to avert her gaze, then she spoke. ¡°Fortunately, the addiction is not that deep. Since he¡¯s taking an antidote, the treatment won¡¯t take long.¡± ¡°Really? Then I¡¯m relieved. Can the treatment start tomorrow?¡± It would be nice to start doing it today, but seeing Bleon¡¯s condition, I felt like I had to explain to him in detail about the treatment method Philia was doing. ¡°It¡¯s possible.¡± ¡°Okay then, let¡¯s do it.¡± ¡°Yes. I will prepare and come back tomorrow.¡± After saying so and greeting us, Philia left the office. Philia went out or not, Bleon just hugged me from behind. I tapped his hand. ¡°Bleon. Let¡¯s talk face to face.¡± When I was alone again, I spoke in a friendlier way. From my experience so far, it was effective to approach the situation in a friendly manner to make him understand and persuade him properly. ¡°Yes, Wife¡­¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 8 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 8 Bleon slowly removed his hand from my body, showing a deep regret. I immediately turned to look at him and spoke. ¡°We¡¯re going to start the treatment tomorrow, but if Bleon continues to be like this, treatment will be difficult¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone other than my wife to touch my body¡­¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it better to treat you quickly and become healthy? Philia is a good doctor. If you trust her and follow her, you¡¯ll be healed in no time.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± I knew what Bleon was trying to say. That¡¯s why I said it on purpose in the first place. ¡°When I told you before that if you look at other women, I will kill you and kill myself too¡­ Do you remember that?¡± ¡°¡­Yes¡­ But you said that was for me¡­¡± ¡°No, Bleon. I was out of my mind back then. I really don¡¯t know why I was so obsessed with you. Bleon said that my heart hurts too, so I guess it really is. Now I¡¯m going to get treatment too. It will never happen in the future. Don¡¯t take what I said in the past to heart anymore.¡± I chose my words carefully, making sure that they didn¡¯t sound forceful and so that he would understand. ¡°And now I want Bleon to meet other people and interact with them. I¡¯m really sorry. I ruined an important period in your life because of my greed.¡± From now on, he had to live a proper life. He was still young enough to do that. So I hoped he would live like other nobles from now on. Bleon didn¡¯t say anything and looked at me. That¡¯s an expression I had already seen many times. He looked at me with a look on his face like he didn¡¯t know what I was talking about. ¡°I promised to protect you, but instead of protecting you, I ruined it even more. I only thought of my pain and used you to protect myself from that. If I could turn back time, if I could, I would like to turn it back. Before I met you¡­ I wish I could¡­ alright?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not alright.¡± Bleon said in a rare, firm voice. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. Do you regret it then, Wife? Did you regret marrying me?¡± ¡°No¡­! I have no regrets¡­! But I¡­ I regret making you like this.¡± I tried to convince Bleon, but it seemed to hurt him more. ¡°I was a little nervous, but I was right¡­ All of a sudden my wife changed and I believed I shouldn¡¯t have been nervous¡­ You¡¯re going to throw me away. Because you hate me, I¡¯m annoying, I¡¯m not good enough and you want to throw me away¡­¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not like that. Bleon¡­!¡± ¡°Then why are you doing this¡­? I said I like it this way¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re both sick. This is what we have to do to heal the sick. We¡¯re trying to move forward.¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m anxious¡­ I¡¯m scared that I¡¯ll go crazy with this anxiety¡­ I think that my wife will abandon me and one day go far away¡­¡± It was strange no matter how I thought about it. Bleon did not accept my change for the better, but was extremely anxious about it while resisting as much as he could. ¡°No. I will never do that.¡± Anyway, I had no intention of leaving Bleon in this state. I had to go and get him right, even if I had to go later so that I wouldn¡¯t die somehow. ¡°Bleon. Do you trust me? Believe what I say and do what I say. Don¡¯t be anxious. From now on, only better days will come.¡± ¡°Then please let me know¡­¡± ¡°Let you know?¡± ¡°Please let me hug you¡­ I want to hug you¡­ I want to know that I am loved by my wife¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± That¡¯s a bit difficult¡­ ¡®What should I do?¡¯ I was wondering what to do to overcome this situation. ¡°You liked it. I like it too. I want to spend the whole day without thinking about anything but my wife like before¡­ I really want to live like that for the rest of my life¡­¡± Bleon said that and came to me. Looking at his condition, it seemed that he was already ready, and as if he had accepted the silence as a sign of permission, I could not escape, burying his face between my shoulder and neck and licking it with his lips and tongue. ¡°Heuk¡­¡± At the slightest touch, my back heated up, and a quiet moan came out of my lips. And as a signal, Bleon hugged me and started to caress my body in earnest. Contrary to his usual hesitant appearance, his gestures were quite aggressive. Knowing that Astell¡¯s back was sensitive, Bleon gently stroked my back along the spine, and I closed my eyes tightly at the dizzying sensation. Then, after brushing his lips on my neck, which he had been doing for a while, Bleon looked up and leaned in to kiss me. Then I realized what he was doing and grabbed his face with both hands to prevent him from doing so. ¡°Stop.¡± It would have been a big mess. I managed to get my mind out of the gutter. Bleon looked at me with a puzzled expression at my sudden rejection, but I quickly analyzed in my head why he was doing this. Bleon wanted to live the same as before rather than change for the better. As before, he wanted to live in our own lone castle just for the two of us, looking only at each other and coveting each other. But I already knew through the novel. This was just because Astell had thoroughly conditioned Bleon¡ªit wasn¡¯t truly his own desires. Because he¡¯s addicted to drugs, his body would move and he would try to confirm love with that body. Already, Bleon had not been able to think properly. However, if I accepted him like that, he could have ruined my efforts and the future plans that I had in store for the change that I want. As I pondered what to do, I stopped him. ¡°Bleon. This isn¡¯t right. Stay away from me.¡± This was never good for me or him. So in the future, I had to tell him firmly that this method would never work on me anymore. Bleon flinched as I spoke firmly, and he peeled himself away from my body, with a look of immense pain as if he had felt utterly rejected. ¡°If I did something wrong, please tell me. I¡¯ll fix it¡­ So don¡¯t be mad¡­ Wife¡­¡± As my voice suddenly grew cold, Bleon showed his weakness again and bowed his head. It was too hard for me to do this, and my heart was getting soft. So I raised my hand and stroked his head gently. ¡°You did nothing wrong. I said it¡¯s all my fault. And now I¡¯m trying to fix that.¡± At my words, Bleon lifted his head slightly and looked at me. But he was so upset and sad that tears were dripping down to the extent that his pretty face was covered. ¡°No. Wife did nothing wrong¡­ I, I was wrong¡­¡± And even though he did nothing wrong, he was begging for forgiveness. ¡°What am I going to do with you¡­¡± I got up and hugged him. He and I were quite different in height, so I held him as he was sitting and his head was on my chest. As I grabbed Bleon, he put his hand behind my back and hugged me so desperately as if he could never separate from me. It hurt my heart to see Bleon crying out to express the anguish he was feeling in his heart. He was still like a child. After his parents¡¯ sudden death, he stopped growing. Although his body was an adult, it seemed that his mental growth had stopped at the age of ten. ¡®I¡¯ll set it all straight. I really want to see you happy.¡¯ After his parents passed away, the only person in the world a wounded child could depend on was Astell, who reached out to him. Bleon was blind to Astell. But that wasn¡¯t to say that Bleon¡¯s feelings for Astell were love. This lust was only due to a weakness, and there was no way that it could have come from Bleon¡¯s heart. And unlike Astell, I thought that this wasn¡¯t the kind of love between a man and a woman at all. Bleon was too young to feel that way. I felt great compassion and sympathy for him from one person to another. ¡°Now, when the treatment is really over, don¡¯t look at me and do what you want to do. I won¡¯t say anything hurtful to you anymore just because you did that. So, let¡¯s work hard on treatment starting tomorrow. Understand?¡± Bleon nodded his head slightly as he hugged me at my words. ¡°Thank you. And I¡¯m sorry.¡± I apologized to him again. On behalf of Astell¡¯s soul, which was no longer here. * * * The next day, Philia came back. I greeted her with Bleon in the bedroom. ¡°Greetings to the Duke and Duchess of Einer.¡± ¡°Welcome.¡± ¡°Then I will start the treatment. Duke, please take off your shirt and lie back on the bed.¡± ¡®I think I should go out¡­¡¯ When Philia asked him to take his clothes off, I was in a dilemma as to whether I should stay here or not. If I stayed, I would be in the way, and it seemed that the relationship between the two of them wouldn¡¯t progress through the treatment. I looked at Bleon for a while thinking about what to do, but he was also staring back at me with a clueless expression. I nodded my head slightly, telling Bleon to obey Philia. But even though I had already explained to Bleon yesterday how the treatment would proceed, he was still stiff and frozen. I smiled slightly and continued to look at him with a relaxed expression. Then, Bleon made an unwilling expression and took off his clothes one by one with a reluctant gesture. When I saw a glimpse of his bare skin, I turned my head in the opposite direction. ¡®I think it would be better to leave now.¡¯ I was looking for a time to leave the room, then quietly headed towards the door. And as I was about to turn the doorknob slightly, Bleon called me urgently. ¡°Wife¡­! Where are you going?¡± At the sound of him calling me, I turned around and stared at Bleon. He was staring at me with anxious eyes, with his shirt unbuttoned and his upper body slightly exposed. ¡°I suddenly remembered something urgent so I think I should go. Can you get treatment on my own?¡± ¡°Wife¡­!¡± ¡°Take care and see you later. Philia, please take good care of the Duke.¡± I smiled softly at Bleon and asked Philia for treatment and hurriedly went out of the door before the two could answer. ¡®Phew¡­¡¯ I almost had to watch it in real time. As soon as I stepped out, I breathed a sigh of relief that I had avoided those embarrassing moments. No matter how much of a treatment it was, it seemed that I would not be able to continue watching it anyway. Actually seeing the process of Philia¡¯s treatment for Bleon described in the novel would be completely different from reading it. ¡®Thank God.¡¯ By the way, I was relieved that I could leave it to Philia without having to worry about Bleon¡¯s treatment in the future. However, unlike my heart that thought it was safe, the moment I remembered the two of them together again, my heart pounded again, just like I had felt before. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with me?¡¯ It seemed that Astell¡¯s heart and mine were in sync with each other. ¡®It will be fine.¡¯ I took a deep breath for a while to get rid of the pain and exhaled. It was inevitable because I had recently possessed her and all my memories had flowed into me. Then the pain went away immediately. ¡®As expected, then.¡¯ When my heart felt better again, I stepped back and went down the stairs. It was to have a little tea time while Bleon was being treated. The tea here was so much better than I expected. I originally liked tea, so drinking tea from around the world was one of my hobbies. So, here too, savoring various teas was the most enjoyable part of my daily routine. In particular, the tea I enjoy these days has dried red petals floating in them. The thought of having a cup of tea made me feel better, so I hurried down the stairs to find the butler just coming up the stairs. ¡°Madam.¡± Jace came up to me as if he had something to do with me. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°I have something to tell you about the hiring of a knight, which was ordered by the Madam the other day.¡± ¡°Tell me.¡± ¡°Sir McCain Holster, who applied for the rank of Knight Commander, is waiting in the parlor.¡± ¡°Now?¡± ¡°Yes. Even though I told him to set an appointment first, he said that he would wait for you, so I had no choice but to take him to the parlor.¡± McCain Holster? McCain¡­ McCain¡­ I¡¯ve definitely heard of it¡­ The name was familiar, so I rummaged through Astell¡¯s memories, but he wasn¡¯t there. If so¡­ Looks like he¡¯s someone from the novel¡­ I struggled to remember the name McCain Holster in the novel. And in an instant, the name McCain flashed through my mind, and information about him came to mind. ¡®Ah¡­!¡¯ I remembered. But why did he come here? I was puzzled, but I couldn¡¯t just send him away without seeing him. So I decided to meet him first. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 9 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 9 ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll be right there.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I headed straight to the drawing room to meet McCain Holster, someone I didn¡¯t expect to come here. McCain Holster was, to summarize, a great man who would soon make a name for himself as the Empire¡¯s hero. ¡®But it was mentioned that he¡¯d be killed in the end. Perhaps?¡¯ Unfortunately, he lived a short life after protecting many on the battlefield. His heroic deeds on the battlefield were frequently talked about, and for a person who appeared briefly in the novel, he was given a lot of detail. And McCain Holster had a connection with Philia. In the original story, Philia met Bleon when he became twenty-four years of age, but before this, war broke out on the continent and this caused nobles and knights to be conscripted to the war. Philia and McCain met there for the first time because she also treated knights on the battlefield as a doctor and took care of the knights led by him. Bleon did not participate in the war because for houses with no heirs, like Bleon, the Empire made an exception. ¡®But that person applied to be a knight commander here?¡¯ McCain Holster was a free spirit. You couldn¡¯t catch where he was going, and he had the type of personality where he just did whatever he wanted to do. Despite this, his skills were exceptional, and thanks to his character, he led the war to victory with a strategy that others could not think of. He was the idol of all the knights who knew him. I don¡¯t know what he was thinking when he applied for the Duchy¡¯s chivalric order, but it was clear that it was not a suitable position for him anyway. ¡®I should see him first.¡¯ I wasn¡¯t adamant on hiring him, but at the same time, he wasn¡¯t a man to be recklessly sent away. I headed to the parlor to meet him. As soon as I entered the parlor, even though he was sitting, I made eye contact with a man of enormous physique. Bleon was quite large, but this man was a little bigger than Bleon. ¡®What do all the men eat here to make them so big?¡¯ The man looked at me and stood up. Then he swept up his dark hair with one hand and he greeted me with a smile. ¡°I am McCain Holster.¡± ¡°Astell Einer.¡± I was a little worried because he was bouncing here and there in the novel, but he seemed like a polite person because he was an aristocrat. ¡°Please sit.¡± I invited him to sit down and I took a seat across from him. ¡°Did you apply to be the commander of our family¡¯s knight order?¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right.¡± ¡°It sounds like an outrageous position for a son of Marquis Holster.¡± Even if the position of a Marquis was one level lower than that of a Duke, it was a poor place for a Marquisate¡¯s young lord to work. I tried to figure out why he applied for the position of commander of a Ducal family. ¡°Since it¡¯s been a while since our family has rallied our knights, of course we want a decent person to lead them. But Sir, you¡¯re overqualified.¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. It doesn¡¯t matter if you treat me badly.¡± Saying that, he grinned. Come to think of it, this man seemed to be laying it on heavy with the smiles. He constantly smiled as he talked to me. ¡°The pay is not that great.¡± I deliberately brought up the money issue. ¡°Do I look like someone who needs money? If you¡¯re in a bad financial situation, you don¡¯t have to pay me.¡± Marquisate Holster was a noble family with a fortune so great that there was an expensive jewel mine in their estate. ¡°So I don¡¯t understand even more. You said you don¡¯t need money, so why do you want to be the head of our family¡¯s knights?¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m intrigued.¡± ¡°Intrigued?¡± Interestingly, I burst out laughing at that moment. Did he mean that he wanted to be a commander of a knights¡¯ order of another noble¡¯s family just out of interest? Him, who was also a noble? ¡°I¡¯ve been interested in the Duchy of Einer, which has not had a proper knighthood for 10 years. And I am a person who likes to create something out of nothing.¡± The reason to be intrigued was ridiculous. The Duchy of Einer had a high reputation among the nobles before Bleon¡¯s parents died, so all the knights wanted to enter this place back then. However, when Bleon was left alone and everything was taken from him, the knights also broke their oath of allegiance and abandoned Bleon, fleeing from the knighthood. And when Astell got married and came in, the newly formed knighthood also performed well for the first two years, but after that, they were shut down from the outside, and everything got tangled up. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that you were such a free-spirited person that you¡¯d devote your time to such petty pursuits.¡± ¡°I¡¯m usually a little free.¡± ¡®That smiling face¡­!¡¯ I felt strangely uncomfortable when he kept smiling slyly, hiding his true feelings and only jokingly speaking. ¡°I do not wish to entrust the family¡¯s knights to you. I apologize, but please return.¡± So I decided not to hire him. Of course I knew he wasn¡¯t a bad person, and he¡¯s likely not doing it with bad intentions, but I still didn¡¯t think he was the right fit. ¡°Why? I¡¯d like to know why.¡± ¡°As the Mistress of the Einer family, I have the right to choose and not to choose anyone. I am not obligated to tell you the reason.¡± ¡°Madam. If I show my skills, will you choose me?¡± If it came to this, there was nothing for me to say. Because I know this man¡¯s skills well enough. He later became a knight who defeated numerous enemies on the battlefield and saved many allies, but he was also originally an excellent swordsman far more competent than others. ¡°No. You don¡¯t have to. Please go back.¡± I got up because I had nothing more to say. ¡°I can¡¯t go like this because I can¡¯t understand why you don¡¯t want me even when I can show you my skills, and you still say no to me even if I say I don¡¯t need to get paid.¡± ¡°Then I will ask you again. Why did you apply to be the commander of our knighthood? We are not recruiting knights for the sake of reverence or interest.¡± I was really desperate to create a proper knighthood for Bleon, but this man was saying he was interested in it. I found it a bit distasteful and disgusting. ¡°I am trying to create a knighthood of talented and outstanding knights who would work for the Duke.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯d like to say I¡¯m the right person.¡± ¡°I mean¡ª¡± ¡°If I become the commander, within a year, I will create a knighthood stronger than other noble families. I don¡¯t make promises I can¡¯t keep.¡± ¡®A year?¡¯ The phrase ¡®a year¡¯ instantly pricked my ears. A year is about the same deadline I had for when I would return Bleon back properly¡­ For some reason, I also seem to be able to leave the knights more comfortably if they do it right at the right time¡­ It would only hurt my mouth to talk about this man¡¯s skills. He seemed really sure he could do it. I turned around and sat down again. ¡°I do not intend to treat Sir specially just because are the son of Marquis Holster. I¡¯ll only treat you as the commander of our family¡¯s knights. Is that okay?¡± ¡°As I said before, if it¡¯s the Madam, it doesn¡¯t matter if you treat me more harshly than that.¡± Saying that, he smiled again. ¡®Obviously there is something¡­¡¯ Something about him was nagging at me, but I couldn¡¯t put a finger on it. I looked at him with a piercing gaze. But nonetheless, I couldn¡¯t find anything, and McCain was just watching me with a smile on his face. ¡®Well, there¡¯s nothing wrong with organizing the knights properly.¡¯ ¡°The Sir speaks of interest, but you must be serious when it comes to leading the knighthood in the future. If I see any half-hearted work, I will fire you immediately.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± In a different sense from Bleon, this man also answered very well. ¡°Then I will entrust the knights to the Young Lord, so please keep the promise you made to me.¡± ¡°Your wish is my command.¡± With his words, we left the parlor together. ¡°You will be guided by the butler to the training grounds. The recruitment of knights is not over yet, but if the Sir decides and tells us, we will fill in as many knights as needed.¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll do that.¡± ¡°And now that this has come to pass, I have one more request for you.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Suddenly, with McCain Holster as the leader of the Duchy¡¯s knights, I thought it would be okay to entrust Bleon to this man. Although he had learned swordsmanship so far, he had not been taught so professionally and formally. So, if he learned swordsmanship from McCain, who had excellent skills, it would probably help Bleon in the future, and nothing bad would happen to him. ¡°Could you spare time to teach the Duke swordsmanship?¡± ¡°The Duke?¡± ¡°Yes. In fact, I heard that you are very good at it.¡± ¡°Are you finally recognizing my skills?¡± ¡°I have recognized the Sir¡¯s skills from the beginning.¡± ¡°So, when I said I was going to show off my skills earlier, that¡¯s why you didn¡¯t say anything.¡± McCain made fun of me as if he had understood the case, and said in a sultry voice. I was biting my lips in embarrassment and coughing in vain when I suddenly heard Bleon calling me from behind. ¡°Wife¡­?¡± I turned to Bleon¡¯s voice. Then, just coming down from the second floor, Philia was standing with Bleon. ¡°Duke.¡± As I saw the two of them standing together, the thought that they looked good together flashed through my mind, but¡­ ¡®I think Astell really hates having Bleon with another woman.¡¯ ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 10 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 10 It was absurd because my body kept reacting contrary to my will, but I also felt a little sorry for Astell. But since I was her right now, I had to keep doing things against her heart for my own well being¡­ For the rest of this life. ¡®I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t want to live like you did in the novel.¡¯ With that in mind, I placed my hand over my heart and pressed it against my heart hoping that the pain would go away. Then, I looked at them again, smiling even as the corners of my lips refused to go up. Bleon quickly went to my side and hugged my shoulders a little tighter. I looked up at Bleon, recognizing his actions. But Bleon was looking at McCain Holster, not me, with a wary look. ¡°Are you finished with treatment?¡± As I spoke to him, Bleon glared at McCain, then he looked at me and said, ¡°Yes. It¡¯s finished, Wife.¡± Bleon¡¯s voice seemed to be subdued somehow, but I thought it was because of the treatment. I introduced Bleon and McCain to each other. ¡°Ah, this is Sir McCain Holster, and he will serve as the commander of our family¡¯s knights in the future. This is my husband, Duke Bleon Einer, head of the Einer household. You two can greet each other.¡± ¡°I am Bleon Einer.¡± ¡°McCain Holster.¡± The two shook hands with each other and gave their full names. ¡°And from now on, the Sir will teach the Duke swordsmanship. He is a very talented person, so he will definitely be a good teacher.¡± I thought I found a good swordsmanship teacher, so I smiled and said this to Bleon. ¡°I don¡¯t think I told you yet that I¡¯ve agreed to do it?¡± This man seemed to be teasing me again. ¡°Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be able to become the knight¡¯s commander, would you?¡± I also responded with a calm and brazen face. ¡°Is that how it works?¡± ¡°Yes. That¡¯s how it will be.¡± ¡°I see. Then I will gladly dedicate myself to this task.¡± ¡°What?¡± His words were so absurd that I burst into laughter without realizing it. ¡®He¡¯s really funny.¡¯ I exchanged short jokes with him and looked at Bleon, but Bleon¡¯s expression hardened. ¡°Duke?¡± I called him carefully. ¡®Did the treatment really go wrong?¡¯ Come to think of it, he didn¡¯t look very good from the moment I bumped into Bleon earlier. I looked at Philia behind him, then turned my head again and said to Bleon. ¡°I¡¯ll come and talk with Philia for a while, so you two can talk for a while.¡± But Bleon did not let go of my shoulder. ¡°Duke. I¡¯ll be right back. Please let go.¡± As I said that, his hand relaxed slightly. So I jumped right out of his arms, gestured at Philia, and walked ahead first. As Philia understood, I sensed her following me. We entered my room on the second floor. ¡°How was the treatment?¡± ¡°Today¡¯s treatment went well. Fortunately, there is not much poison in the body. Since I am treating the Duke with an antidote, I don¡¯t think my treatment will take very long.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s a relief.¡± I was a little worried, even though I said that it was a relief. ¡®The treatment shouldn¡¯t end so soon¡­¡¯In the original story when Philia treated Bleon, Astell was away from home the entire time for over a month. Yet she said that the treatment was not perfect and she continued to struggle with it¡­ He was now in a weak state because of his addiction, so she did think it would take longer. ¡®Well, they can meet again in a different way.¡¯ Even if it wasn¡¯t necessarily a way to purge the drug¡¯s effects from his system, I felt like I had to rethink how to bring Philia into the mansion. And anyway, if Bleon¡¯s treatment ended soon, it¡¯s good for his health, so it wasn¡¯t bad enough. ¡°By the way, did anything happen during the treatment? The Duke doesn¡¯t look very good.¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Philia was showing hesitation. ¡°Speak comfortably.¡± ¡°The Duke¡¯s expression has been stiff since the Madam went out.¡± ¡°Since I left?¡± ¡°Yes. He didn¡¯t even answer my questions, so I was a bit confused about how to proceed with the treatment.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Why? Was it because he didn¡¯t want to answer and was afraid to speak? ¡°Alright. I will tell the Duke not to let anything like this happen today, so please continue.¡± ¡°No. I will do my best to do the treatment.¡± I went down to the first floor again to see her off. But the two men were nowhere to be seen. ¡°Go back carefully.¡± ¡°Yes, Madam. Then I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± After sending Philia away, I looked for Bleon. But he was still nowhere to be seen. ¡®Where did you go?¡¯ Just then, an employee greeted me. ¡°Where is the Duke?¡± ¡°His Grace is at the training grounds at the moment.¡± ¡°The training grounds?¡± I headed straight to that place. And at the training grounds, an unexpected situation unfolded before my eyes. Bleon and McCain were fighting with swords. I rushed closer and closer to where they were. But as soon as what they were doing was clear to my eyes, with a startled expression on my face, I shouted at the two of them. ¡°What are you two doing now?!¡± They were fighting with real swords, not wooden swords for practice. As far as I knew, swordsmanship training was rarely done with real swords. But at the same time as I shouted, McCain¡¯s sword cut Bleon¡¯s arm slightly. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ¡°Bleon¡­!¡± I was startled that I forgot to not call Bleon¡¯s name casually in McCain¡¯s presence and ran to him. ¡°Bleon¡­! Oh my God¡­!¡± I took the handkerchief out of my pocket and placed it on his arm to stop the bleeding. And I yelled at McCain. ¡°What are you doing now?! If you are going to train, you should do it with wooden swords, not real swords! How could you do this?!¡± ¡°I¡­¡± McCain was speechless and looked at me with a puzzled expression. ¡°If you¡¯re going to do it this way, let¡¯s forget about what we agreed on before. How can I entrust the Duchy¡¯s knights to someone who would hurt the Duke like this?¡± I was really so angry and dumbfounded. To harm Bleon in this way, knowing their difference in skill¡­ ¡°Bleon. Let¡¯s go and get treatment. I shouldn¡¯t have sent Philia back¡­ Let¡¯s go.¡± ¡°I¡­¡± ¡°I will have to reconsider. We¡¯ll think about what the Lord really wants to do, and we¡¯ll talk about it later.¡± I notified McCain without even giving him any time to respond. Leaving McCain alone at the training grounds, we entered the mansion. I grabbed any employee around and said, ¡°Call the doctor right away.¡± ¡°Yes. I understand.¡± After giving the order, Bleon and I entered the bedroom on the second floor. Then I sat Bleon on the sofa, and I sat next to him. ¡°Does it hurt a lot?¡± ¡°No¡­ It¡¯s okay¡­ Wife¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re bleeding so much¡­¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t hurt at all because my wife is taking care of me.¡± Maybe I worried too much that Bleon was hurt, but his smile for me never faltered. ¡°Madam, The doctor is here.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± The door opened and Philia entered. Fortunately, she hadn¡¯t gone too far, and she seemed to have returned in no time. ¡°Madam, they said you were looking for me urgently so¡ª Ah¡­!¡± When Philia saw that the ripped part of Bleon¡¯s shirt had been stained with blood, she hurried over without continuing to speak. I quickly gave way to Philia and stepped behind her. ¡°The Duke was injured by a sword.¡± ¡°A sword? Please prepare warm water and some clean bandages first.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± I immediately called a maid over and told her to bring what Philia had asked for. Not long after, the maid brought bandages and a basin of water and handed them to Philia. With a doctor¡¯s urgency, Philia took out the equipment she always carried from her bag, and then she hurriedly treated Bleon¡¯s arm. I sighed in relief and looked at the two of them. However, Bleon¡¯s eyes seemed a little unstable at Philia¡¯s touch, but I couldn¡¯t find much of a difference. ¡®What was different about Bleon when it came to the detoxification earlier?¡¯ I had yet to see it myself, so I had no idea. ¡°The treatment is over.¡± Philia healed the sword¡¯s cut, wrapped the bandages neatly, and stood up. ¡°Fortunately, it¡¯s not a deep cut and it¡¯s not infected, so there doesn¡¯t seem to be any signs of a fever.¡± ¡°Thank God¡­ Thank you, Philia.¡± Still, I approached Bleon to see if there were any more injuries. ¡°Are there any other injuries anywhere else?¡± ¡°No¡­ There is none.¡± ¡°Why the hell did the two of you do that?¡± ¡°Because I want to see his skills¡­¡± ¡°Who? Sir McCain Holster?¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 11 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 11 Bleon nodded softly. ¡°Then you can do it with a wooden sword. Why did you even pick up such a blade like that¡­¡± I shook my head wildly. ¡°Then¡­ Madam. May I excuse myself now?¡± ¡°Oh, sorry. Philia, you worked so hard today. See you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes. Then I will be on my way.¡± After Philia said her goodbyes, she left the room. ¡°Are you in a lot of pain? Can you move your arm?¡± ¡°It hurts a little, but it¡¯s okay¡­¡± Bleon raised his arm slightly as if he was just trying to reassure me. ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself. How can you even¡­¡± But Bleon suddenly grabbed me, who was sitting next to him, and buried his face in my shoulder. ¡°I don¡¯t like talking to other people¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it when Wife calls another man¡¯s name¡­¡± Then, his voice faltered as though he was really in a bad mood. ¡°We were just talking¡­¡± ¡°Yes, I know.¡± Satisfied with my answer, Bleon rubbed his face against my shoulder. At his touch, I flinched slightly. ¡°By the way, how was your treatment today? Do you feel any better?¡± Recalling what Philia had said earlier, I asked him right away. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know? Don¡¯t you feel like your body has just been cleansed?¡± ¡°¡­Can I be honest?¡± ¡°Yes. Be honest.¡± ¡°¡­It¡¯s unpleasant.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It is very, very unpleasant for anyone other than Wife to touch my body¡­¡± ¡°Ah, is that so?¡± Why was it unpleasant? I paused my conversation with him for a moment and tried to recall the contents of the novel. Searching Astell¡¯s memory, I couldn¡¯t figure out how Bleon had received the treatment from Philia. So I had to recall the contents of the novel I had read, even if it was a little vague and inaccurate. So¡­ Oh, it¡¯s that. At first, it was said that Bleon vehemently refused treatment. ¡®It¡¯s mentioned that he had a hard time because of this.¡¯ However, Philia couldn¡¯t leave Bleon ill, so her sense of responsibility as a doctor led her to stick with him persistently, and she eventually cured Bleon. ¡®It will be fine soon.¡¯ He¡¯s not alright with it now, but he¡¯ll like it more and more later, right? I know that what Bleon described as an unpleasant thing was a matter of little concern. ¡°It¡¯s only because it¡¯s the first time. It will probably get better soon.¡± ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡°So, whenever you are treated by Philia, you should have a good expression on your face, then cooperate well and answer well, okay?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± He responded very well, but I didn¡¯t feel that his heart was in it, so I pulled away from his arms and looked straight into his eyes. I grabbed his pretty face with both hands and looked at him intently. ¡°But what¡¯s wrong with your answer?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Bleon just stared at me without answering. ¡°Why does my husband look so upset? You said your arm didn¡¯t hurt too much?¡± Bleon seemed to have something to say to me, but he was hesitant because he couldn¡¯t get it out easily. I spoke to him in a soft, calm voice, as if to appease a child. ¡°I¡¯m already going to take the antidote, so do I really have to get treatment from the doctor¡­?¡± He also said that he would rather not seek treatment. However, I couldn¡¯t compromise with him on this issue. Taking the treatment from Philia, receiving the treatment, and building up his feelings with her was the only way my plan could go smoothly. ¡°Why? Do you hate other people touching you? It¡¯s just treatment.¡± And I tried to talk him out of it anyway, because I believed he would soon be attracted to Philia and would be treated well by her. ¡°But I can¡¯t stand it. And Wife left me all alone¡­¡± There must be more he wanted to say, but Bleon stopped there. ¡°Did you feel bad that I left you behind?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because I was afraid you and Philia might feel uncomfortable. It meant nothing.¡± In order for the two of them to build good feelings, I thought I would be in the way, so I went out. But I couldn¡¯t tell Bleon about it, so I made a rough excuse. ¡°And¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± He seemed to have something more to say, but he couldn¡¯t say it easily. ¡°And¡­ Wife left me alone and went to another man¡­¡± ¡®Oh, that was unexpected.¡¯ Bleon¡¯s mood seemed even worse when I left him in the room, and he even saw me with McCain. ¡°So¡­ I¡¯ll take the antidote twice, no, three times the amount I have now. So, can¡¯t you just let me stop receiving treatment?¡± At this point, I suddenly started to wonder how the treatment was going. I think she said that she condensed magic on her fingertips and used it to touch all parts of his body¡­ ¡®He¡¯s addicted to drugs, so is it too provocative?¡¯ Did he feel guilty? Because he felt lust for someone other than me? ¡®Should I test it?¡¯ I don¡¯t really want to do that though¡­ Astell¡¯s feelings aside, I also didn¡¯t really want to see the moment Philia healed Bleon. The process was so detailed in the novel that I knew what was going to happen to them. However, since Bleon was refusing treatment like this, it seemed that I had to watch the treatment process at least once to convince him. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take that much medicine at once.¡± ¡°Please¡­¡± ¡°Bleon. Then let¡¯s do this. I¡¯ll be with you when she treats you tomorrow. Then we¡¯ll talk about this again.¡± ¡°Wife¡­¡± Bleon let out a deep sigh as his thoughts were shattered. ¡°You said we could get treatment right away and be happy.¡± I stroked his hair as usual. ¡°Alright¡­¡± As expected, he was cute when he was obedient. I smiled happily when I saw him with that attitude. * * * The next day, Philia came back to the Ducal estate, and I already told her in advance that I will also watch the treatment. ¡°Then let¡¯s get started.¡± As soon as Philia finished speaking, Bleon looked at me with a still displeased face. I nodded slightly at him, just like yesterday. Then Bleon unbuttoned his shirt one by one from his neck. He had to take off his clothes anyway, so today Bleon simply wore a simple shirt and pants. I looked at him this time, trying not to ogle even as his bare skin was exposed. Anyway, I had to watch everything that happened from now on, so I had to keep looking at Bleon¡¯s bare upper body. I fixed my gaze on Bleon. His shirt was unbuttoned one by one, revealing his bare skin. I lowered my gaze little by little, following his hand without realizing it. At first, the straight and distinct collarbone was revealed, then his chest. And as the buttons were almost opened, Bleon¡¯s clear abs were barely visible. Bleon moved his hand slowly, knowing that I was staring at his body. Finally, when the buttons were all undone and I couldn¡¯t even avert my eyes, I saw that the front of his pants had tightened. I hurriedly raised my gaze to look at him. His blue eyes were full of passion. ¡®All of a sudden?¡¯ Why? As I did not understand Bleon¡¯s condition, I quickly looked back at Philia, wondering if she would have noticed this strange situation. Fortunately, Philia wasn¡¯t looking at us as she was preparing the treatment. I looked at Bleon again. And when our eyes met, I shook my head, telling him to calm down. But Bleon took off his unbuttoned shirt with an unshakable expression. Then, his broad, angular shoulders, well-knit forearms wrapped in bandages from the sword cut yesterday, his thick chest, and perfectly split, flexed abs were revealed. It was a completely ripe man¡¯s body different from Bleon¡¯s pretty appearance. For a moment, I was just as engrossed in his beautiful body as I did with his face the last time. I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off of him because his body looked like a perfect work of art that had come alive right in front of my eyes. As I stared at him for a while, I heard Philia¡¯s coughing. I quickly came to my senses and looked away from Bleon. ¡°Well, Madam. May I start treatment?¡± ¡°Oh, well then. Get started.¡± I smiled awkwardly and replied. Bleon¡¯s gaze continued to follow me. ¡°Your Grace, could you please lie down on the bed?¡± Thanks to Philia, the heated atmosphere gradually faded. Bleon laid back on the bed, and I immediately looked at him, concerned about the condition between his legs. Fortunately, it sank as if nothing had happened. ¡®Phew¡­¡¯ No. It wasn¡¯t the time to be reassured. Breathing a sigh of relief inside, I watched the situation with tension again, anticipating what was to come. Bleon will respond to Philia¡¯s touch and then¡­ But come to think of it, Philia didn¡¯t talk about Bleon¡¯s condition yesterday at all. She said Bleon was just staring at her even as she asked him questions. He didn¡¯t answer and only had a firm expression on his face. It was a place that was easily visible, so if he had a reaction¡­ Philia should have noticed it. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 12 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 12 ¡®Or did Philia not speak out because she was embarrassed?¡¯ It was highly likely. Even though it was considered treatment, it would still be difficult to tell the wife how her husband reacted to the touch of another woman. Well, anyway, if I watch the process from now on, I¡¯d be able to tell. As Bleon lay on the bed, Philia closed her eyes and mumbled under her breath. And suddenly, a green, opaque material appeared at the tips of her fingers. It¡¯s hard to describe what kind of substance it was, and I can¡¯t really say what it was, but there was definitely something wrapped around her fingertips. ¡®It¡¯s magic.¡¯ This was a world where magic really existed. It was the first time I had ever seen such a thing, so I forgot the tense situation for a moment and looked at it very curiously. ¡°Then let¡¯s get started.¡± With her words, Philia touched Bleon¡¯s body and moved her hands. As they moved, they stayed a little longer in some places, which seemed to be part of the drug addiction. The treatment was definitely unique. It was something never seen anywhere. After following her movements for a while, I suddenly wondered what kind of face Bleon was making. So I raised my head and looked at Bleon. Then my eyes met Bleon, who was staring at me. Maybe it was because I left him yesterday, and this time, he was looking at me so much like he would never let me go. I felt a chill run down my back. To avoid Bleon¡¯s hot gaze, I watched Philia¡¯s healing again. However, her treatment process was more straightforward than expected. When I read it in the book, it certainly felt very erotic and rated 19, but seeing it in person, I didn¡¯t feel like that. ¡®Huh?¡¯ What¡¯s different? The people are the same, the situation is the same, only the extent of the disease was different¡­ Was it because of the degree of addiction? In the original, Bleon had been addicted to the drug for several years, so even the slightest touch caused a maddening reaction to his body. Even the slightest touch of her would revive the sensations of his whole body, but it was obvious that she could not stand still in Philia¡¯s treatment with such a touch. While I was thinking about what the difference was, the treatment ended in an instant. ¡°It¡¯s finished. Well done, Duke.¡± ¡°Great job. Philia.¡± I approached her, encouraging Philia. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and she was gasping for breath like she had run a marathon. ¡®It¡¯s a pretty tough treatment as a therapist.¡¯ Bleon got up from the bed as soon as the treatment was over and Philia¡¯s hand fell off, and without even thinking of putting his clothes on he came over to me and he hugged me from behind. And as he inhaled and exhaled, he sought for stability. I felt the curves of Bleon¡¯s body completely meld onto my back and I felt a little embarrassed, so I thought I¡¯d let Philia go quickly. ¡°Philia, you worked hard today. I¡¯ll see you tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes. Then I will go back.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Philia opened the door and left the room. ¡°Tired?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°There doesn¡¯t seem to be anything so bad about it.¡± I said what I observed. However, I could feel Bleon trembling. ¡°Does Wife really not care if other people touch my body?¡± Bleon¡¯s voice was full of sadness and disappointment. ¡°Uh, that¡¯s¡­ because it¡¯s just treatment?¡± I thought that his reaction would become even more intense to my answer that it was nothing, so I answered like that after some hesitation. But then, Bleon replied. ¡°I¡­ I hate it.¡± He let out a long sigh, and then suddenly uttered in a firm voice. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone other than you to touch my body¡­ haa¡­¡± But while he was speaking, Bleon sighed again and couldn¡¯t keep up with his words that looked so difficult. ¡°It¡¯s terrifying just to imagine¡­ I hate it so much.¡± Bleon¡¯s shudder was clearly felt behind my back. ¡°It¡¯s treatment.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t like it though. Only my wife can touch me.¡± Then he hugged me tighter. ¡°Okay. Okay, calm down now.¡± I gently patted the back of Bleon¡¯s hand, which was placed on top of my clavicle, to calm him down. But even then, he couldn¡¯t calm himself down so easily, I could feel the hot breath over my head. His reaction wasn¡¯t that bad. Of course, this was also not towards me, but towards Astell. And it was also only because of the conditioning he received and not Bleon¡¯s voluntary thoughts. And yet somehow, a smile came to my lips. So, I was waiting for him to calm down for a while with a rather generous heart, when I heard the butler¡¯s voice outside. ¡°Madam. This is Jace.¡± ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Sir McCain Holster has arrived. He said he had something to tell you, so I told him to wait in the parlor.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll go out soon.¡± It seemed that he had come back because of yesterday¡¯s incident. But as soon as he heard the name McCain Holster, Bleon hugged me tighter than before. He must have done that because I said I was going¡­ ¡°Bleon. I need to go, so let¡¯s put this aside.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t go¡­¡± Still, Bleon never forced me like this, but he begged me earnestly not to go as if he really didn¡¯t want me to leave. ¡°I have to finish yesterday¡¯s business.¡± Yesterday I had to put an end to the matter because McCain wounded Bleon and I had to wrap it up now. ¡°You can tell Jace to do it¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not polite.¡± If McCain Holster was just a commoner, it would be fine. But he was a noble. Of course, he wouldn¡¯t go around spreading rumors that I was dismissive of him, but it still wouldn¡¯t be right. ¡°I¡¯ll be back right away.¡± ¡°Wife¡­ Please¡­¡± ¡°Or would you like to go together?¡± Reluctantly, I finally proposed to Bleon to go with me. If he didn¡¯t want me to go alone, we could just go together. ¡°Then only I will go.¡± Instead, Bleon said that he would go alone. ¡°You¡¯re going to refuse him anyway. Right?¡± ¡°Uh, yes. right.¡± In fact, I was going to listen and decide, but to Bleon¡¯s confident tone, I suddenly answered yes. ¡°Then I will tell him that and come back to you.¡± Bleon released my arm that was holding, then walked towards the door. ¡°I¡¯ll be back soon, so don¡¯t go anywhere.¡± And he went out after begging me not to go anywhere else. Bleon said that he was returning soon, so I was resting in the room for a while, thinking about various things. ¡®Can Bleon talk to him properly?¡¯ First of all, I was worried about whether Bleon would be able to properly convey his rejection to McCain. McCain Holster died before the age of 30, so if I remember correctly, right now, he¡¯s twenty-six. Even though he was younger than me, he was still six years older than Bleon. Since I couldn¡¯t ignore the age difference, there was a high possibility that he would be able to stop Bleon in a conversation. And with Bleon, because of Astell¡¯s continued surveillance and confinement, it would be difficult to meet other people and have a conversation. It was especially difficult for him to deal with McCain, who was like a serpent. I was a little worried because it was obvious that he would joke around and laugh out loud whenever Bleon said something, and it was obvious to Bleon as well. And I was also worried about Bleon and about Philia¡¯s treatment, but suddenly I realized that Bleon, who was supposed to be arriving soon, was too late. Did their talk go on longer? When I spoke to him yesterday, McCain was a person who didn¡¯t give up easily even when I was so resolute. Perhaps it was the same for Bleon, so it seemed like they were talking to each other for a long time. ¡®No, wait.¡¯ The two of them didn¡¯t go to the training grounds again, did they? I didn¡¯t think so, but it was a possibility. I asked them to chat yesterday too, but I couldn¡¯t feel any relief because they were fighting with real swords rather than wooden swords. I hurried out of the room and looked for the two of them. Still, I thought I should go to the parlor first. But luckily, contrary to my expectations, the two of them sat facing each other in the parlor. As if he had forgotten to close the door, the sound of the two of them talking could be heard through the gap in the door. I stopped for a moment as I was about to go inside. The contents of the conversation between the two was nothing serious. ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you¡¯re so worried.¡± It was McCain¡¯s voice. Even today, I could tell through his voice that he was relaxed and full of laughter. ¡°I have nothing more to say, so go.¡± This time it was Bleon¡¯s voice. Contrary to my worries, he was speaking clearly and calmly. It even felt cold and hostile. But unlike McCain, there was no leeway in his voice. ¡°Do you know?¡± McCain asked out of nowhere. ¡®What do you know?¡¯ I listened more to their conversation. ¡°Tell the Duchess that the Duke deliberately jumped forward as I swung my sword.¡± What? They were talking about yesterday, but a truth different from what I had seen was being revealed. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 13 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 13 ¡°Your Grace was wielding your sword properly before the Duchess came, but you suddenly acted that way. That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t respond right then.¡± ¡°Whether she knows it or not, what does that have to do with the situation.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. But because of you, Duke, the Madam hates me.¡± I held my breath and waited for Bleon¡¯s answer. But again McCain¡¯s voice was heard. ¡°I¡¯m alright with turning away from the post of Knight Commander, but what should I do now that I am hated by the Duchess? If Your Grace can reveal the truth and clear up this misunderstanding, I will gladly give up on the post and go back.¡± ¡°¡­What are you saying?¡± Bleon¡¯s voice was very quiet. As I first heard Bleon¡¯s voice sound like this, I wondered if the Bleon I knew before this was truly him. ¡°She was livid. She thinks I did something bad to a young person.¡± Contrary to feeling Bleon¡¯s intense emotions, McCain still maintained a relaxed attitude. ¡°¡­What¡¯s with you? What the hell are you trying to do with my wife?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the point. I am just afraid that the Madam will brand me as a strange person.¡± ¡°Then why are you doing this to someone else¡¯s wife?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I am obligated to tell you that.¡± Silence arose again between the two. ¡°¡­Really?¡± However, the silence was broken, and as though he realized something, Bleon¡¯s tone suddenly changed. He laughed sardonically. ¡°Even so, you can¡¯t do anything.¡± ¡®What do you mean McCain can¡¯t?¡¯ I had no idea what the two of them were talking about. ¡°You will see.¡± McCain also suddenly stopped talking formally to Bleon. And his voice lost his tone of respect. ¡°This place, which has been closed for 10 years, has finally opened. I¡¯ve been waiting.¡± After those words, the two remained silent for a while. I stopped eavesdropping and went back to my room. ¡®What the hell are they talking about?¡¯ Why were these two talking about incomprehensible things like that? I told Bleon to tell McCain that we would not hire him as a commander, but he was saying strange things. ¡®Are those two acquaintances by the way?¡¯ And what was he waiting for? After hearing that brief conversation, I had no clue what they were talking about. But as I was lost in thought, Bleon returned. I looked at him with meaningful eyes. However, the man with the voice and attitude from before disappeared. Only the Bleon I knew remained. ¡°What¡¯s wrong¡­ Wife?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s nothing.¡± Bleon strode closer to me. ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± He paused for a moment and looked at me intently. ¡°¡­I decided to hire him.¡± ¡°What? Why? You said you didn¡¯t like him.¡± At the absurd conclusion, I put on a puzzled expression. ¡°I don¡¯t think his skills are bad, and I think he¡¯ll be useful in many ways.¡± ¡°Then what about learning swordsmanship? Are you going to do that too?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Did I dream about what happened then? Did I hear it wrong? I looked at him with a bewildered expression. Bleon¡¯s words contradicted the conversation I had just heard just now. ¡°¡­Wife.¡± Bleon came in front of me and he tried to hold me in his arms. I felt a strange sense of incongruity, and so I pushed his chest away with my palm and quickly got out of his reach. ¡°¡­Wife? Bleon looked at me with a shocked face, his body frozen. ¡°Why¡­?¡± ¡°Are you hiding something from me?¡± ¡°What?¡± I pretended not to know what I had heard and gave him a chance to confide in me. ¡°It¡¯s weird no matter how you think about it.¡± ¡°What is strange¡­?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand why you suddenly decided to give him that job when you told me you don¡¯t like him?¡± ¡°Because that man is good¡­¡± ¡°Is it just because of his skills?¡± Apparently, Bleon had no intention of telling me the truth. However, I did not intend let this situation pass without confirming it. ¡°I heard it earlier.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I heard you two talking.¡± Bleon¡¯s eyes tinged with embarrassment at my words. ¡°What were you two talking about?¡± ¡°¡­Did you hear that?¡± ¡°Hm.¡± ¡°Since which part?¡± ¡°Is that important? What matters now is that you are lying to me.¡± I don¡¯t know what Bleon was trying to hide, but he was lying to me. ¡°That¡¯s not it, Wife¡­!¡± ¡°Bleon, I believed in you¡­¡± ¡°Wife. That¡¯s not it¡­ Please listen to me.¡± I¡¯ve always thought that Bleon was as innocent as a child. Of course, it was not good for a 20-year-old young man to be so child-like, but Astell was the one who made him that way. I was trying to take responsibility because of that, so I¡¯d been doing various things for him. Of course, it was also a matter of my survival, but I genuinely felt sorry for him, so it made me want to care for Bleon even more. But this is what I get in return for thinking of him that way. While overhearing their conversation earlier, I believed that if it was the good and obedient Bleon, he would come and tell me soon. He didn¡¯t spend a lot of time with me, but he was very good at answering and doing what he¡¯s told, never offending me. It¡¯s worrying that he¡¯s trying to deceive me. ¡°Then what is it?¡± I treated him with a cold attitude. ¡°WIfe¡­¡± Bleon was crying. ¡°Don¡¯t drag around and explain it so I can understand.¡± ¡®Wow, I¡¯m really like Astell right now.¡¯ Whenever Bleon listened well to her, Astell would praise him and tell him he¡¯s sweet and adorable. But if she was offended or if she was in a bad mood, she would lash out at him. Of course, now that Astell wasn¡¯t here, I wouldn¡¯t verbally abuse him. But in any case, words that I usually never said were being spewed out. I was surprised by myself too, but my composure soon returned as I wore a firm expression on my face. ¡°Wi¡­ fe¡­?¡± Bleon, likewise, was surprised by my harsh words and actions after not seeing me like this for a long time. His pupils shook violently as he called me with a trembling voice. ¡°It¡¯s not something that can be solved by crying. So explain properly.¡± I didn¡¯t want to forgive Bleon if he didn¡¯t think I was serious. After giving him one chance, he already blew it away. Still, I was giving him one last chance to tell the truth, considering what he had done to me. But my attitude frightened him more than I expected. Bleon hurriedly knelt in front of me. Then he grabbed my leg and started crying and begging for forgiveness. ¡°Sorry¡­ Wife, huuh. please forgive me¡­¡± But even with Bleon¡¯s appearance, I was still not relieved, so I did not respond to his words. ¡°Please, I won¡¯t do it again in the future, so please don¡¯t throw me away¡­ huhuuk¡­¡± Bleon was almost weeping as if he was sure that I would now abandon him. I frowned slightly, pondering what to do, and then opened my lips to speak. ¡°Stop crying and explain.¡± ¡°Huuhuu, huft¡­¡± When I told him not to cry, he tried to stop, but Bleon continued sniffling. ¡®Why do you lie about things you can¡¯t even properly fix?¡¯ Bleon cried so forlornly, repeating that he made a mistake. My heart was being torn down. ¡°Bleon. Get up.¡± I told him to get up first. But still holding my leg, he seemed unwilling to get up. ¡°Now.¡± When I asked him to get up again, Bleon got up slowly. His face was full of tears. ¡°Come here.¡± I grabbed his hand and led him to the sofa, then sat him down. I sat down next to him. ¡°Stop crying.¡± I pulled out a handkerchief and wiped the tears from his face, telling him to stop. However, tears continued to flow down from his eyes. ¡°Are you going to keep crying?¡± A slightly softer tone than before came out of my lips. After that, Bleon seemed to have calmed down a bit as he sensed this. After waiting a little longer, Bleon¡¯s tears almost stopped, with only a few sobs now and again. I comforted him by stroking his hair. ¡°Then why did you lie? Don¡¯t you know that it¡¯s something I don¡¯t like?¡± ¡°¡­I know¡­¡­ Huukk¡­¡± ¡°Hush now.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 14 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 14 When he tried to cry again, I told him to stop immediately. ¡°Sorry¡­ Heup¡­¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± ¡°¡­Yes¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Now explain it properly. What did you and Sir McCain talk about and what was the reason?¡± ¡°¡­When I went to the parlor, Wife didn¡¯t come¡­ I did exactly what you told me to say¡­¡± ¡°Are you going to cancel his employment as the Knight Commander?¡± Bleon nodded his head slightly. ¡°Then he said he wanted to talk to Wife¡­ He insisted that he couldn¡¯t accept this¡­¡± ¡°So the Sir then threatened you when he noticed that you were intentionally cut by the sword?¡± Bleon raised his head and looked at me with startled eyes. ¡°¡­Did you hear that?¡± ¡°Huh.¡± ¡°Sorry¡­¡± Bleon answered in a tearful voice. ¡°Why? Why are you doing this to the point of hurting your body?¡± Judging from the flow of the conversation earlier, I assumed it was because of me, but I continued to question him for now. ¡°I thought you wouldn¡¯t want to hire him if I got hurt¡­¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t like Sir McCain, you can just say you don¡¯t like him. Why did you do such a foolish thing¡­!¡± Your mouth is working well, but why don¡¯t you say anything¡­ His actions were so stupid that it left me speechless. The head of the Duchy is Bleon, and if he said he didn¡¯t like it, I wouldn¡¯t have forced him. ¡°And¡­¡± ¡°And?¡± It was clear that he had something more to it. I focused on Bleon¡¯s words. ¡°And¡­ That man was looking at Wife strangely, so I was offended and I hated it. That¡¯s why I thought he wouldn¡¯t be able to set foot in this place if I did that¡­ I wanted to keep him away from Wife forever.¡± ¡°Looking at me?¡± What did this mean? Unexpected words came out of Bleon¡¯s lips. Bleon¡¯s words sounded like McCain Holster had me in his heart. ¡°Ah, no way.¡± I burst into laughter at Bleon¡¯s absurd thought. ¡°Look at this¡­ My wife is too defenseless. So I had no choice but to¡­¡± Bleon let out a long sigh with a displeased expression on his face. Huh? No way¡­ I tilted my head at his reaction. ¡°But that kind of man and Wife don¡¯t even care about me and laugh and talk¡­¡± Hmm¡­ It seems that Bleon had some concerns about this issue¡­ Astell was not very popular. No, not to an abysmal extent, but that much unpopular at least. It was because she didn¡¯t even get married, let alone date, until she turned twenty-three. She had only Bleon, and he had even been brainwashed by Astell since he was a child, and when he grew up, he thought that there was no one else but her for him. If Bleon had grown up normally, he would not have looked at Astell. ¡®Last time I saw him, he seemed a bit shaken by Philia¡­¡¯ I clearly saw Bleon¡¯s pupils shaking. Of course, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because he hadn¡¯t seen a woman of the same age as him in a long time. ¡°I think you misunderstood?¡± At my words, Bleon let out another deep sigh. ¡°Ha¡­ Really, Wife¡­ Because my wife is so pretty, other men keep staring at you. But you keep thinking it was nothing, so I had no choice but to do that¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± You think I¡¯m pretty? Within Bleon¡¯s extensive explanation, the thing that stuck with me the most was that I was pretty. But when I first saw Astell¡¯s look in the mirror, I was honestly not very dissatisfied, but even I didn¡¯t think she was pretty. ¡°Am I pretty?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe it, so I asked Bleon again. ¡°Yes. My wife is the prettiest in the world.¡± It wasn¡¯t a lie or mere empty words. Because when he said that, he was really making a face that had seen the most beautiful thing in the world. ¡®In this kid¡¯s eyes, Astell looks pretty.¡¯ As a child when the two first met, Bleon said that Astell was pretty. This became something significant to her. Astell had only been told all her life that she was ugly, but the moment she heard that she heard this for the first time, her heart was swayed. It was understandable that she grew to like Bleon because of this. Bleon¡¯s expression had been sincere when he said it. Also, when someone who would never be dazzled by an appearance said something like that, the corner of my mouth was slightly raised unknowingly, and it made me feel better. ¡°So I want Wife to talk to me and laugh only with me for the rest of your life.¡± To be honest, at first, whenever Bleon said something like this, I shook my head, thinking about how thoroughly Astell had tamed him. I knew what he was saying was not from his sincerity, but as a defense mechanism to avoid being abused by her. But as I continued to stay and watch him, everything he said seemed to be true. I felt that the expression Bleon reserved for Astell did not come from a place of abuse, but from sincerity. And hearing the same words over and over with an infinitely serious expression, it couldn¡¯t be helped that my heart fluttered. ¡°Then you should have told me. You were just hiding it for no reason? Then what? Sir McCain caught you.¡± ¡°I thought I could fix it¡­¡± I thought it was cute to think that he seemed to want to solve it anyway. I had a gentle smile on my lips, enough to forget that I was angry now. ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me again in the future. Don¡¯t hide it. Understand?¡± But I didn¡¯t forget to warn him once again because it was his fault for lying to me this time. ¡°Yes. Sorry. I will never do that again¡­ Thank you, Wife¡­!¡± As I answered, Bleon took me in his arms. This time I leaned into him readily and hugged him tightly. Of course, his body was so big that my two fingertips barely touched as I wrapped my arms around him. And then I gently stroked his back, this Bleon who was very good at answering. ¡°Then, Wife should not look at other men. Okay?¡± I nodded my head slightly in his arms. ¡®By the way, we should find another Knight Commander again, right?¡¯ Although Bleon hated it so much, it was no wonder that he hired McCain Holster as the Knights Commander. It didn¡¯t have to be him, so there was no need to upset Bleon further. ¡°Bleon. When Sir McCain comes tomorrow, let¡¯s cancel his contract.¡± ¡°Yes. Good. Thank you¡­ Wife¡­¡± ¡°No. Actually, I didn¡¯t like him either.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Bleon pulled away to see if my words were true, and he looked at my face imploringly. ¡°Hmm. He¡¯s too sassy. You should know what is inside. I prefer a transparent person like Bleon than someone who is hiding something like that.¡± ¡°Wife¡­!¡± Bleon was moved by my words and hugged me again with joyous eyes. Then he kissed my forehead lightly and whispered a hot breath in my ear. ¡°Ha¡­ Can I kiss you?¡± ¡°What?¡± Kissing all of a sudden? Where did this kid really come from, he wasn¡¯t transparent in terms of skinship, but rather, he was unpredictable. ¡°Not yet¡­!¡± ¡°¡­Huh?¡± ¡°The treatment is not over yet. Skinship will be allowed after the treatment is over.¡± I always put it off until after treatment whenever Bleon made these kinds of requests. ¡®After treatment is over, it¡¯ll be over anyway.¡¯ Knowing that two people fall in love through treatment, I deferred all of Bleon¡¯s requests until the end of treatment because this was the easiest and most convenient way to persuade him. So I answered that way again this time. ¡°Can¡¯t we just do it once¡­? I¡¯ll just kiss you¡­¡± So, were you planning to do something¡­ other than kissing? ¡°No. The treatment is not taking effect yet.¡± I flatly refused. ¡°Wife¡­ Please¡­ I think I¡¯m going to die because it¡¯s been so long¡­¡± But as of today, Bleon begged me again like he didn¡¯t want to back down. ¡°If you kiss me today and the treatment doesn¡¯t work, would you be okay with taking a longer time for the treatment that you don¡¯t want to receive?¡± I took advantage of Bleon¡¯s unwillingness to seek treatment from Philia to persuade him. Then again, at some point, Bleon would willingly want to be treated. At that time, I would feel a little sad, but I was willing to let him go with his well-being in mind. ¡°¡­Okay.¡± ¡®It seems that he really doesn¡¯t want to receive it yet.¡¯ Anyway, luckily, as soon as I talked about treatment, Bleon gave up right then. ¡°Yes, yes. Let¡¯s think about it after receiving the treatment. Understand?¡± I replied hurriedly, saying let¡¯s think about it without giving him a definite answer. ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°So good, my husband.¡± And I always ended the conversation by praising him with words that I always say to him. * * * The next day McCain Holster arrived. He had come to work in the Duke family as a Knight Commander from today onwards. When the butler said that he had arrived, I quickly headed to his private room near the training grounds. Knock, knock. ¡°Yes.¡± His voice came from within. ¡°It¡¯s Astell Einer.¡± Before I could say I was me, the door opened from within and McCain appeared. ¡°Madam?¡± ¡°Please address me properly as Duchess Einer.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 15 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 15 For some reason, I felt uncomfortable when this man called me Madam, so I told him not to call me that. ¡°Madam is the Duchess, and the Duchess is Madam.¡± But he replied like this and smiled at me again. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with this man?¡¯ It¡¯s been a short while since I¡¯ve known him, but McCain Holster was smiling all the time, to the point that it¡¯s hard to imagine him not smiling. ¡°What is the importance of a title?¡± ¡°It¡¯s important.¡± ¡°All right. If the Madam desires so, I will call you Duchess Einer.¡± I nodded slightly, entered the room, and went straight to the point. ¡°I heard that you signed the contract to be employed as the Knight Commander yesterday.¡± ¡°Yes. I signed it in a hurry in case you would say anything else later.¡± I flinched slightly at his words. ¡°Apologies, but I want to terminate the contract.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to.¡± As if he had expected the reason why I came here, he firmly refused without even changing his expression. ¡°You, Sir, are someone who can demonstrate your abilities in a better place than this place. I don¡¯t understand why you keep insisting on staying here.¡± ¡°I want to show off my skills here. If I do my job well as a Knight Commander, wouldn¡¯t it be good to the Duke and the entire household? I don¡¯t understand why you continue to reject me.¡± He was a man who really wouldn¡¯t let me have the last word. Literally everything he said was rebuttal to what I was saying. ¡°I heard the two of you talking yesterday. I¡¯m sorry I overheard you.¡± ¡°¡­You heard?¡± In response, he was agitated. ¡°Yes. You threatened the duke.¡± I deliberately emphasized the word threatened. ¡°It was not a threat. It doesn¡¯t even make sense. I was just making an offer.¡± ¡°How strange. To my ears, or for that matter, to anyone who could have heard it¡ªit sounded like a threat.¡± ¡°It was never a threat.¡± ¡°All right. In any case, the Duke is not reluctant to let the Sir lead the Knights. So I have decided to respect his opinion.¡± ¡°I really want to be the leader of the Duchy¡¯s knights.¡± ¡°No, why¡­¡± I paused for a moment and pondered whether to bring this up or not. It may have been just a joke, but I felt embarrassed to say it out loud. However, I opened my mouth again, judging that it would be better to take out all the cards and use them. ¡°It¡¯s a little embarrassing to say with my own lips, but I heard you say that yesterday, so I¡¯ll say it as it is.¡± I first laid the ground and emphasized that it was never something I wanted to do. ¡°I heard you said you would choose to give up the Commander position rather than be hated by me. If you give up the position now, I will not have any feelings for you.¡± ¡°¡­None at all?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Then I can¡¯t. I would rather you hate me.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± Yesterday, the person who proudly said he didn¡¯t want to be hated changed his mind. ¡°Why are you doing this and that?¡± ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t have any feelings for me. I hate that even more.¡± This man kept saying strange things. Was he really interested in me, just as Bleon said? No, why? No matter how much I thought about it, Astell and McCain never met before. They didn¡¯t interact in the novel, and after I wracked my head to scour Astell¡¯s memories, I couldn¡¯t recall him at all. ¡°Have we met before?¡± Even yesterday, he clearly mentioned a period of ten years. Ten years was exactly the time Astell married Bleon and lived in the Duke¡¯s house. ¡°No, no. Don¡¯t answer.¡± But I immediately opened my mouth and stopped what he was about to say. After all, whether he knew me in the past or not, it doesn¡¯t matter to me now. ¡°I am Duchess Einer.¡± Instead, I made sure he knew who I was. ¡°I know.¡± McCain sighed briefly. ¡°I know it so well, you don¡¯t have to keep telling me.¡± ¡°You know it so I won¡¯t talk about this anymore.¡± And after that, silence stretched between us. We both stared at each other without saying anything. Then, as if he had made up his mind to do something, with a grim expression rather than a polite expression, McCain spoke. ¡°Still, I want to become the Knight Commander. From now on, I will do my job without mixing any personal emotions, so please leave it to me.¡± ¡°¡­Sir.¡± I think I already explained enough to make him understand, but his stubbornness was clearly no joke. ¡°I will definitely teach the Duke¡¯s swordsmanship. Yesterday, during our match, I observed that the Duke already has the basics down pat. In addition, if I teach a little more, he will become fairly competent, and no doubt a great swordsman.¡± Having said this, it was difficult to refuse any longer. ¡°And under the Imperial law, once a contract is signed, it is difficult to break. Don¡¯t you know?¡± What he said was correct. The significance of a contract in this place was powerful. Once a contract was signed, it¡¯s almost impossible to overturn, so any contract should be negotiated with caution. ¡°The Duke asked me to sign the contract yesterday, and I did it right away.¡± Saying this, McCain smiled with a victorious expression on his face. ¡°It¡¯s because the Duke doesn¡¯t know much about contracts yet.¡± Had he known, it was clear that he would never have written it. ¡®At the end of the day, that¡¯s what catches my ankle.¡¯ ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to leave?¡± ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t want to.¡± He refused without hesitation. ¡°¡­All right. Anyway, you¡¯re working for the Duchy, so I¡¯m asking you to be clear about this.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be on my way.¡± With those words, I left his room and went back into the mansion. ¡°Duke.¡± And I went straight to the office where Bleon was. ¡°Wife¡­¡± Bleon greeted me with a smile. ¡°Did things go well?¡± ¡°That is¡­¡± Seeing that I couldn¡¯t speak easily, Bleon¡¯s face darkened. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s because of the contract¡­¡± ¡°Yes. Because he can¡¯t just be let go¡­¡± ¡°I was stupid. I shouldn¡¯t have used it like that¡­ Now that Wife has mentioned it, I lost my temper¡­¡± ¡°No. Don¡¯t blame yourself for something that¡¯s already been done.¡± I comforted Bleon as I watched his expression painted with self-blame. ¡°As you said, Duke, he is very talented, so it¡¯ll be okay if he¡¯s rather helpful to the Duchy.¡± ¡°However¡­¡± ¡°And don¡¯t worry too much, I¡¯ll try to avoid meeting Sir McCain as much as possible.¡± Knowing what Bleon was worried about, I made it clear to him. ¡°He promised to do the same, so it¡¯ll be fine. okay?¡± Bleon nodded his head reluctantly. And he had a look on his face that knew he couldn¡¯t do anything about it anyway, because it was his fault. ¡°You should get ready to receive treatment. Philia will be here soon.¡± ¡°Haa¡­¡± Hearing the word treatment, Bleon let out a long sigh. ¡°Yes¡­ I understand.¡± Bleon¡¯s voice was weak. But I would never yield on this matter, so I pretended not to notice this and took him to the bedroom. * * * For the past week, I¡¯ve been inside the same room Bleon and Philia whenever the treatment was being administered. Every time before Philia came, I asked Bleon if I could go out, but Bleon was adamant about me staying with them, just as I was adamant about him receiving the treatment. So I was forced to watch Bleon and Philia throughout the treatment. The treatment process was the same throughout the week with no errors. Philia summoned her magic with her fingertips and scanned Bleon¡¯s body as he lay on the bed, his torso exposed. Then, Bleon received the treatment without any emotion on his face, or by hiding his rather unpleasant expression as much as possible. I was also preoccupied with trying to find out if something had changed between them, observing their behavior and alternately scrutinizing the faces of those two people. However, to this day, I couldn¡¯t feel anything between the two of them. ¡®Do you still need more time?¡¯ It seemed like I had to wait a little longer for something to happen between the two of them. There was still plenty of time left, so there¡¯s no need for me to watch so impatiently. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t be there.¡¯ That was the most lamentable thing. Because of Bleon¡¯s stubbornness, we continue to be together, but it will only happen when there are only the two of them. ¡®I¡¯ll have to convince Bleon again.¡¯ ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 16 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 16 As I was thinking about this and that, Philia removed her hand from Bleon¡¯s body, signaling that the treatment was over. ¡°Philia. you did well today.¡± As soon as he felt Philia remove her hand from his body, Bleon immediately came to my side, even as he was still undressed. He hugged me from behind again, breathing in and out deeply. ¡®It¡¯s almost like a ritual.¡¯ A ritual after his treatment. Bleon did not leave my side like that and continued to do the same thing. At first, I was taken aback by his actions, but now I just accepted it as something that happened naturally. I wasn¡¯t particularly inconvenienced, and it kind of felt good that Bleon was looking for me, so I didn¡¯t scold him in any way. ¡°Madam. I have something to tell you.¡± As soon as it was over, as always, Philia went straight to clean up the area, but this time she wanted to talk to me. Philia approached me, expressionless, as if she was immune to seeing Bleon holding me now. ¡°What¡¯s the matter?¡± ¡°The treatment is almost over.¡± ¡°What?¡± How could the treatment end so soon? Not expecting these words to come out of Philia¡¯s mouth, I was startled. When I flinched in surprise, I could feel that Bleon, who was holding me, also flinched. ¡°Now with just a few treatments, the detoxification will be complete.¡± ¡°I see¡­?¡± It shouldn¡¯t be like this¡­ It was good that the treatment was over and Bleon had become healthy. But even in the novel, I remember that it was almost impossible for him to be completely treated, even when it went on for several months. But she did it in a week? Of course, I expected that the period would be shorter this time. I didn¡¯t think the treatment would take that long as his addiction is so much lighter now. Even if that was the case, a week was still too short. ¡°So, is there almost none of the drug left in the Duke¡¯s body now?¡± ¡°Yes. You can see that. From now on, the treatment will only be to remove residual substances, and the Duke probably does not feel the effects of the drug even now.¡± ¡°Alright. I understand¡­¡± Bleon, who was holding me from behind, hugged me tighter. Somehow it felt like the gesture he liked very much. ¡°Then how many more times will he need to get treatment?¡± ¡°It will be only once or twice.¡± ¡°Alright. I get it. You worked hard today, so please go back and rest.¡± ¡°Yes. Then I will get going.¡± As soon as Philia left, Bleon opened his mouth with a very happy voice. ¡°The treatment will be over soon. Wife.¡± ¡°I mean¡­ It was over sooner than I thought.¡± Unknowingly, the voice that slipped through my lips was a bit dismal. ¡°But it¡­ seems like¡­ my wife is not very happy¡­?¡± And as if he had noticed that, Bleon¡¯s voice became sullen. ¡°No¡­! It¡¯s good. My husband is finally getting better, so why wouldn¡¯t I be happy?¡± I hastily made excuses. ¡°Really? I thought so.¡± Then, Bleon¡¯s voice became bright again. ¡°Then can we do it now?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I can control myself because I¡¯ve been holding it for so long¡­ I¡¯ve just been trying to restrain myself by thinking of you, Wife¡­ ¡± What¡­ ¡®Ah¡­¡¯ As soon as I understood what Bleon meant, I felt like someone had hit my head with a hammer. Originally I expected the treatment period to be at least three months. In the original story, Bleon¡¯s condition did not improve much even though Philia stayed with him for 24 hours a day during Astell¡¯s absence from the ducal residence, providing him intensive care. At that time, Bleon¡¯s condition was so serious that my brows were constantly furrowed as I read that part in the novel. ¡®Since he had that drug for over 4 years¡­¡¯ In the original story, Astell gave Bleon medicine and tamed him sexually for a grand total of four years immediately after he reached adulthood. ¡®So it wouldn¡¯t have been so easy to cure.¡¯ But now, Bleon has only drank it for about half a year¡ªto say the least, anyway. The amount of medicine increased to twice as much as the years went by, so compared to that, his dependence was quite weak now. That¡¯s why it¡¯s only natural that the treatment would be over soon, but¡­ ¡®No, but only a week¡­¡¯ I didn¡¯t know that the treatment would be over in a week, so my mind really went down a very complicated spiral as I processed what Bleon just said to me. If I had known this would happen, I wouldn¡¯t have used the treatment as an excuse and put it off until way after the treatment was over whenever Bleon kept pushing me. ¡®I¡¯m in trouble.¡¯ Unaware of my feelings, Bleon continued to lean on me as if he was going to do something right now. ¡®Dangerous¡­¡¯ His secret part, which was completely pressed against me from behind, was growing in volume. ¡°The treatment hasn¡¯t been completely finished yet¡­!¡± First of all, I struggled to find what to say to him in order to avoid the current situation. ¡°Ha¡­ Okay¡­¡± I felt his hot breath on the back of my neck, giving me goosebumps for a moment. I quickly squirmed away to get out of his arms. But Bleon held me tighter and spoke in a hazy voice. ¡°Wife¡­ Don¡¯t move. If we can¡¯t do it now¡­ Wait¡­ just a little while.¡± When he told me not to move, I stiffened with tension. And to minimize movement, I held my breath and breathed out little by little. But for how long Bleon¡¯s ¡®a while¡¯ moment was, he showed no sign of calming down at all. ¡®How long do I have to be like this?¡¯ ¡°Not yet¡­?¡± I carefully opened my mouth and asked him. ¡°Not¡­ Not yet¡­¡± He, too, let out a long sigh, feeling frustrated that his body wasn¡¯t listening to his mind. ¡®How long is that still¡­?!¡¯ I was now at my limit. It was because my stiff body had been strained for too long and began to complain of pain little by little. Perhaps if I stayed like this for a little longer, I would definitely have muscle pain all over my body tomorrow. ¡°I¡¯m having a hard time¡­¡± In the end, I couldn¡¯t stand it any longer, so I said it to Bleon. ¡°Is it difficult, Wife?!¡± Then as soon as I said I was having a hard time as well, Bleon fell from me like a ghost. Then he came back in front of me and made eye contact with me. ¡°Sorry¡­ I was only thinking of myself¡­¡± ¡°No. But¡­¡± I shifted my eyes at first glance and was startled when I looked between his legs. So I hastily looked up with my gaze fixed upwards, thinking that I should never look at him. I didn¡¯t know when Bleon was holding me from behind, but the corners of his eyes were dyed red. It seemed that he was having a hard time putting up with his own desires. ¡®What do we do.¡¯ But no matter how earnestly he looked and how much he pleaded with me, I couldn¡¯t give him what he wanted. ¡°Well, Bleon¡­¡± I called him carefully again. There was only one way to end the current situation. ¡°I have something to say to Jace, so I think I should go out. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡± And I left the bedroom in a hurry before Bleon caught me. ¡®Phew¡­¡¯ It was a lie to say that I had something to say to the butler. There was no need for me to go there if I had business, I could just call him. Bleon would have known that. It was only an excuse to leave the room, so he probably won¡¯t go after me either¡­ ¡®Maybe I should go around the garden for a moment to think?¡¯ I gave Bleon some alone time, and thought I should organize my thoughts too, so I headed to the garden. It was summer, so it was hot, but it wasn¡¯t so bad that I couldn¡¯t walk around. And as the sun had just set, the suffocating heat of the day gradually cooled. ¡®Will it be a month soon?¡¯ Two weeks have already passed since I woke up here. For the first week, I slept like a dead mouse, so in reality, only about ten days had passed. So many things happened in those ten days that it felt like several months had passed. ¡®Once the treatment is over, what should I do?¡¯ Bleon and Philia. Philia and Bleon. In order to get the two of them together as quickly as possible, starting treatment yielded the opposite results. Whenever Bleon showed me sexual intentions, I put everything off until after treatment. Of course I thought it would be like that. I thought that once the treatment is over, I will be nothing to him anymore. Because I had no doubt that the two main characters of the novel would fall in love through treatment. But it was completely stupid. I realized now that it was a huge mistake to think that it was going according to the original story, and even though I was touching the basics, things related to it would go the same as the original story. ¡®But I can¡¯t just do nothing and wait for the day I die.¡¯ But I had no choice but to do so. I couldn¡¯t help it even if someone pointed a finger at me saying it was just self-preservation. I know that I will surely die, but how many people will go down that road willingly? I just did my best to make a choice different from the fate that was given to me. However, while I was living here as Astell, I kept feeling one thing that was uniquely different from the contents of the novels I knew. It was Bleon¡¯s heart towards Astell. No matter how much I thought about it over and over again, Bleon¡¯s feelings for Astell were sincere. Even if I tried to deny it based on the contents of the novel, saying that it was not¡ªthat it was because he was tamed¡ªit was rather inconsistent to deny his expressions and feelings. This thought had me at a loss since the first time I met him, so now I¡¯m almost certain of it. ¡®But is it really possible to love someone who abused you?¡¯ How? Why? I tried to deny Bleon¡¯s feelings somehow, because my head was constantly saying that it shouldn¡¯t be possible. However, his emotions were so transparent and clear that I had no choice but to admit it. ¡®Then what do I remember wrong?¡¯ I went back to the beginning and thought about it. And I noticed one great fact. This novel was titled ¡´ Can the Male Lead in a Tragic Novel Be Saved by the Female Lead? ¡µ That¡¯s why all the stories revolved around what Philia had heard from someone but not what she had seen in person. So I knew and remembered the things in the novels entirely from her point of view. That¡¯s why Philia and the readers didn¡¯t even see firsthand how Astell abused Bleon. She only knew through Astell¡¯s confession and Philia¡¯s teacher¡¯s words. According to the confession and the words of those around her, Astell¡¯s abuse was more severe than they could have imagined. Even looking at the description in the novel made me frown, so I decided that it was impossible for Bleon to have any affection for Astell. However, I had Astell¡¯s memory now, so I had more accurate information. As I carefully considered Astell¡¯s memories from the past, it was right that she occasionally threw hurtful words at Bleon. I couldn¡¯t say there was no abuse at all. But the strange thing was that I had no memory of such severe abuse like the words in the novel. I think I can decide what to do in the future, although I now need to accurately grasp the contents of the novel that I only thought of when I needed it rarely. This matter was so important that I tried to recall the details of the novel as much as I could. The story began with Philia returning to her village after the long war. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 17 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 17 Returning to her hometown, Philia went to her teacher¡¯s treatment room and found out that her teacher was absent. However, when she heard that the Duke¡¯s house was looking for a doctor, she went to the Duke¡¯s residence instead of her teacher, and there Bleon and Philia met for the first time. When Philia first saw Bleon to treat him, Bleon was seriously addicted to the drug. So, due to the side effects of the drug, his manhood was constantly erect, and he was on the verge of death due to the extreme high fever caused by it. But even though his condition was so severe that he lost his rationality, when Philia tried to touch him to heal him, Bleon violently refused. The treatment was not easy. However, if left in such a state, there was a high probability that Bleon would really last less than a week. Philia kept trying to reach out to him in order to heal him with a sense of duty to save him as a doctor. Bleon, who struggled for days and days, refused with his whole body to prevent her from touching him, and eventually lost all his stamina and lost his consciousness. Only then did Philia approach the unconscious Bleon and hurriedly begin to treat him. But his condition was worse than expected. Despite the treatment using her healing magic, it was not easy to detoxify the drug that had accumulated in his body. To a certain extent, the blood in his body felt as if it was made up of the drug itself. So, despite the nonstop treatment, his erect manhood still didn¡¯t abate and his fever didn¡¯t go down. And as the days passed, Bleon, who had regained his stamina, opened his eyes and again defended himself so that no one could touch him. She continued to convince him that it was just a treatment, but Bleon never gave up, and this time he couldn¡¯t hold out for a while and lost consciousness. Philia started treatment again. But the treatment was also less effective. It was her opinion as a doctor that he would really die if he stayed like this a little longer. Another way was needed. The best way to get rid of the drug. In order to save Bleon, he had no choice but to do so. But now the Duchess of the household was absent due to an extended outing. Philia hurriedly asked the butler to contact her and make her come back, but after a day or two, she was still out of touch. In the butler¡¯s words, the Duchess would take a week to ten days at best because she was too far from the Duke¡¯s house. But in Philia¡¯s eyes, Bleon would not be able to hold out that long. So she had to make a decision. First, she sent all the employees out of the room. And after telling only the butler what she was going to do from now on and keeping no one else from coming near, Philia took off her underwear from her dress with trembling hands. Even after coming here, she continued to be afflicted. She was constantly overturning the decision in her head as to whether this was really right, if she really had to go this far. But she was a doctor. It was her duty to save a sick man. She took another deep breath and then walked over to Bleon, who lay incapacitated on the bed. The tension was still making her hands tremble, but she soon made up her mind and she carefully lowered Bleon¡¯s pants and underwear. As soon as she took those off, the thick, imposing length stood upright, which didn¡¯t match his appearance at all, revealed itself. As soon as she saw his manhood, she hesitated again. Because it was much bigger than she thought. Unlike the ones she¡¯s seen for treatment so far, the thing in front of her is so huge that she was terrified if she could put it inside her. But she soon made up her mind and climbed onto the bed. And she first wrapped her hand around his member. The pillar was hot as if on fire. There was no sound in the room except for the sound of their flesh slapping into each other. Philia continued to detoxify him by touching his genitals while drawing her magic with her other hand. As she had expected, the treatment did not progress even with this level of contact. She thinks she has no choice but to do it in the end, and raises her body slightly, but in a moment of shock, she screams. It was because Bleon opened his eyes and he was watching her. But it was strange. He, who rejected her by telling her not to touch him, was somehow quiet. Then, at that moment he called her, ¡®Wife¡¯. Philia realized that Bleon had mistaken her for the Duchess. And he went straight up to her and poured kisses on her. He said, ¡°Why did you come so late, that I thought you had abandoned me?¡± His body was trembling more than her, with tears brimming in his eyes. She was about to say that she wasn¡¯t the Duchess, but she knew for a moment that she would have to sleep with him anyway. It was better for him to mistake her for the Duchess. So she surrendered her body to him without a sound and they mingled day and night¡ªall week long. The butler occasionally sent food for them in the room, so she refuelled her stamina through this. Eventually, after a week, his erection subsided for a while, and Bleon fell into a deep sleep after that. He didn¡¯t wake up for a day, but fortunately his fever had gone down to the point where he wasn¡¯t in a critical state anymore. While she was with Bleon for a week, Philia¡¯s body was so full of heat that there was no place he didn¡¯t bite and suck. But her bottom kept getting wet as she remembered the things she had done with him over and over again. She remembered that she had mingled with him for treatment as a doctor, but struggled with the extreme pleasure. But she soon came to her senses. She then opened the door to meet Astell, who had just returned, after she properly dressed up, which she didn¡¯t do for an entire week. Astell had a very heartbroken expression on her face as the butler had informed her of the whole situation. Philia gauged the atmosphere around Astell, so Philia hurriedly greeted her and left. After that, she didn¡¯t do anything for a while. Her own teacher didn¡¯t say much to her except for asking about Bleon¡¯s status. It was a little hard for her body just as she remembered the things she had done with Bleon every night. At that time, she thought that the treatment was only a temporary measure, so she was a little worried that Bleon had to continue receiving treatment. Then one day, her teacher said something out of the ordinary to her. Since there is still treatment left, shouldn¡¯t she be responsible for Bleon as a doctor until the end? Philia said she would, of course, and her teacher told her everything that happened in the ducal estate, the long-hidden story. The moment she heard that Bleon had been constantly abused by the Duchess from an early age, Philia¡¯s anger rose to the edge of her head. How could she wear a human mask, Philia couldn¡¯t forgive her. And she wanted to help Bleon even more because he was feeble and he got that condition because he had been fed drugs by the Duchess over the years. She explained the whole affair by contacting the Duke¡¯s distant relatives so she could free Bleon from the clutches of the Duchess. Then the noblemen were contacted and quickly ran to join her cause. And that day, they witnessed the Duchess pouring the drug into the Duke¡¯s mouth, his limbs bound, his body beaten and strangled. Eventually, the Duchess was overpowered and imprisoned by the knights of Bleon¡¯s distant relatives, the people who were there to accompany her. Surprisingly, however, the Duchess willingly confessed her own sins. Moreover, she had told the details of what she had done to the Duke. But she never admitted that her actions were wrong and acted rather blatantly. After that, all the affairs of the Dukedom became known to the world, and according to Imperial law, the Duchess was stripped of her noble status, was divorced, and was ousted from the Dukedom. While all of this was happening, Bleon was in shock due to the Duchess¡¯s violence, and for a while he was confined to his room, dazed. Then, after several days of missing the Duchess, he looked for her, and only then found out that she had been divorced and driven out. After Bleon learned all these facts, the ducal residence became quite noisy. Because the duke was screaming and went wild to bring the Ex-Duchess home. But Philia tried to calm him down, and she didn¡¯t give up and kept knocking on the door to heal him. But Bleon did not readily accept her touch. Again, the same reaction came as a side effect of the drug, and Philia hurriedly treated him in the same way. And Bleon, who had lost his rationality just like before, again mistook her for the Duchess and frantically yearned for Philia¡¯s body. After he regained his consciousness, he regretted his actions and cried out. They repeated it for several months. Now Bleon had become tired of it all, and Philia was likewise exhausted. But Philia couldn¡¯t give up on Bleon. She was a doctor, but it was, in fact, because her feelings of pity and sympathy for him were slowly turning into love. Bleon felt her sincerity and heart, and from some day he became quiet. He also accepted Philia¡¯s treatment, and the two continued to join as one in the name of treatment. Bleon no longer mistook Philia for Astell, but at some point he began to engage in coercive s*x with her. The s*x was so rough that Philia¡¯s body couldn¡¯t hold out, and when it was over, Bleon apologized to her with a bewildered expression on his face. Then one day, Bleon left a letter saying that he would come back after fixing everything and disappeared. Philia waited for him. But after a few days, he didn¡¯t come. So she went looking for him herself, and found the house where the Ex-Duchess was staying. She hastily stopped him, and Bleon lost his consciousness while screaming in her arms. And then Philia, who noticed the surroundings, found Astell lying naked on the bed as a corpse. After examining her, she noticed what had happened in this place. Bleon came to Astell, and the two took the drug once more and intertwined their bodies. But the drug put too much strain on her heart, and Astell died. In the end, one of the two died, and the tragic relationship between the two came to an end. After that, Philia brought the fallen Bleon back to the ducal residence and took care of his exhausted body and mind, and the novel ended there. ¡®It¡¯s tragic. It¡¯s too tragic.¡¯ When I barely remembered all the contents of the novel, I felt a rush of energy. I took a long, long sigh, then exhaled, clearing my mind. And based on the contents of the novel, I started to review Bleon¡¯s mind once again. ¡®So¡­¡¯ It¡¯s true that Bleon relied heavily on Astell. It¡¯s also true that Bleon accepted Astell¡¯s anger, and irritation well and tried not to offend her nerves. But the last time I asked Belon, he defended it saying that Astell did it because he was wrong. ¡®How can you do that?¡¯ At first, I thought that he had been really abused and that he was responding reflexively. But, Bleon was answering that way sincerely. How could he think like that? Questions remained about this issue. It was a problem that could only be solved by knowing Bleon¡¯s heart, so I could not give an honest answer. Anyway, just saying that his feelings for Astell were sincere¡­ If so, when did Bleon¡¯s heart change? It was definitely not now. So, was it because of Astell¡¯s sexual abuse while the drug intake was increased? It¡¯s a possible hypothesis, but it didn¡¯t seem all that plausible because even when Astell left for a while, Bleon continued to look for her. Then there was only one answer. The decisive event was the divorce. There was not a single lie in the content of the novel, as Philia had seen that day with her own eyes. And she must have inflicted an indelible wound on Bleon, because what happened around that time was so bad that his feelings for Astell had been broken. ¡®What, then, did I get nervous for nothing?¡¯ Until now, I thought that Bleon was broken because of the accumulation of abuse until now, but in the end, when I realized that the incident was the most important key, I burst into laughter. In conclusion, it seems that Bleon¡¯s feelings for Astell were love-turned-hate. He loved her at first. He is currently still in love. But in the end, on that day, his heart changed from love to hatred, and only hatred remained, and he killed Astell. ¡®Then now anyway, Bleon likes Astell¡­¡¯ Still, I didn¡¯t like it. There was a problem with this one. Because Bleon liked Astell I possessed her body. And since Astell was no longer there and I had taken her body, his beloved Astell was gone. To be honest, the person who liked another was my current husband. So it was true that I felt uncomfortable to be with him like this. However, regarding Bleon¡¯s condition, the time was coming when I had to deal with him properly. ¡®But really it is¡­¡¯ Of course, Bleon was cute. He listened well and was kind, pretty, and handsome. But that was it. I tried not to see him as a man. The rest of my conscience and reason were fiercely resisting to see him that way. Whenever I saw him, my heart fluttered and fell, and the unpleasant feeling I felt when I was with Philia was an emotion from Astell¡¯s memory. I am not Astell. I can¡¯t see Bleon as a man. However, Bleon is increasingly demanding of me things that I cannot do. Then there was only one thing I had to do. Divorce. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 18 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 18 Divorce. I had to divorce him. Well, given his feelings now, I don¡¯t think he would accept the decision easily, but I had to give it a try. There was one hope though¡ªBleon listens very well to me. He obeyed my words well, so if I gave a plausible reason and said it in a good way, Bleon might be swayed. ¡®And what will I do if he doesn¡¯t understand?¡¯ I don¡¯t want to live with him, what should I do? Where there is a beginning, there is also an ending. If you are married, you can get a divorce. And now that he has almost lost all his addiction and has returned to normal, Bleon will be able to become a full-fledged Duke if the butler takes good care of him. Without me, he¡¯ll be fine from now on. He¡¯ll just have a good life. He¡¯s still young, but he¡¯ll get a better wife and live a much better life than he does now. ¡®Ah,¡¯ My heart was aching again. ¡®Astell. I¡¯m really sorry, but I think this is it for me.¡¯ Just like the last time, I stroked the painful part of my heart and turned out and made a fence from Bleon. But from a little distance, Bleon was watching me silently. ¡°Bleon?¡± When I called him, Bleon came up to me at once. ¡°Wife¡­¡± ¡°Why did you come? When did you come out?¡± ¡°Yes. My wife left and I went out right away. I missed you, Wife¡­¡± ¡°Really?¡± No, how long have we been separated¡­? He was like a puppy waiting for his master to come home, and I laughed for a moment. Bleon followed me and smiled very sweetly. But when I saw him smiling at me, his back to the setting sun, my heart pounded faintly. ¡®Astell liked Bleon a lot, too.¡¯ Her sincerity continued to be felt through the condition of my heart. Then you should have done a good job. Why did you¡­ It would be useless to think like this until now, but I felt so sad for the two of them. ¡®Yes, there is no Astell anymore.¡¯ Because I entered her body. So where did the real Astell¡¯s soul go? ¡®Did you go to my body?¡¯ That could have been the case. There was a possibility that her soul had changed. Or did it disappear? I hoped it was the former. It¡¯s so sad to disappear from this world. So I prayed¡ªplease. Please, if she¡¯s gone somewhere, let her be in my body. There she¡¯ll be loved by my family. Because my mom and dad loved me so much. Because I¡¯ve always been told I was the best daughter they could have. Since they had only one child, my parents poured all their love and affection to me. But if Astell had not gone into my body, I would have died, and the thought of my parents grieving made me very sad. So for everyone¡¯s sake, it would be better if Astell had become me, just as I became Astell. Instead of me, I wanted her to live happily where I had lived. I hoped that she would be happy with her unrequited love there. Of course, I am a terribly selfish person, so I desperately wanted to go back to where I was, if there was only the smallest possibility. ¡®Let¡¯s not think in vain.¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to lose my willpower just because I felt depressed. I had already cried so much when I came here, I shed so many tears every time I remembered my family without Bleon¡¯s knowledge. Now, I¡¯ve accepted my new reality. ¡°Wife¡­?¡± Bleon called me and roused me from my thoughts. He looked at me with a worried expression on his face. ¡°Ah, just thinking for a moment.¡± I smiled slightly at him as if nothing had happened. ¡°Everything¡¯s okay¡­ right?¡± ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m okay.¡± Despite my straightforward answer, Bleon was nervous, so I grabbed his hand. ¡°Shall we go in?¡± Saying so, I grabbed his hand and tried to walk to the mansion. But Bleon didn¡¯t budge, so I turned and looked at him. ¡°Can¡¯t you go for a little more walk with me?¡± ¡°Walk?¡± ¡°Yes. Can¡¯t we just go round and round?¡± ¡°Sure. Alright.¡± So we headed towards the garden. It was summer, but it was slowly getting cooler, and his warm, large hand was wrapped around my hand. It felt pleasant. We walked around the garden holding hands like that. But I had something to say to Bleon, so when should I? I was still thinking about what to say. So he talked about this and that, but I couldn¡¯t concentrate. Then, as if Bleon noticed it, he suddenly stopped his steps and looked at me. ¡°Maybe there is¡­ something?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Are you tired? Shall we go in?¡± ¡°Hmm. It¡¯s a little tiring. Shall we go in now?¡± ¡°Yes. Alright. Do you want me to carry you, Wife?¡± I spoke with a look of being quite tired from thinking about various things, and then Bleon suddenly said that he would carry me. ¡°What? ¡°My wife is tired, so I¡¯ll carry you.¡± Then, Bleon put his wide back in front of me and sat down so that he could lift me up on his back. ¡°No. it¡¯s okay.¡± I refused, saying I¡¯m fine, and I approached Bleon to make him stand back up. ¡°Come on. I¡¯ve always wanted to carry my wife once I grew up. Wife carried me a lot when I was young.¡± At that time, I remembered Astell walking around the garden carrying the ten-year-old Bleon. At that time, Bleon was definitely smaller than his peers. So Astell seemed to often carry Bleon. ¡°Hurry up. Wife¡­ It¡¯s hard for me to stay like this¡­¡± As I stood frozen, Bleon urged me more. Obviously, seeing a tall person sitting with his body crouched down, he looked unstable because he was afraid he might fall forward. I had no choice but to wrap my arms around his neck and lean on his back. Then, Bleon easily picked me up and carried me. But he was so tall that I went too high, and in a moment of dizziness, I hugged his neck tightly. ¡°Too high¡­!¡± ¡°Shall we go lower a bit then?¡± Saying so, Bleon bent his knees slightly. ¡°No. Let¡¯s just go.¡± Even at my words, Bleon started walking with his knees bent. ¡°It¡¯s fine now. It¡¯s because it is too high for a while. And if you keep walking like that, it¡¯ll get harder for you.¡± When I told him to straighten his knees again, Bleon straightened his knees. ¡°Wife is very light, so it is not difficult at all. You can stay like this all day.¡± ¡°What¡­?¡± At Bleon¡¯s cute bluff, a peal of laughter came out of my lips, and I embraced him tighter. Bleon carried me into our bedroom on the second floor. And Bleon carefully put me down on the floor. ¡°Thank you. Thank you for making me feel comfortable.¡± After I said thank you, Bleon stared at me. Then he suddenly turned his face to me. ¡°I want to¡­ kiss¡­¡± Just before our lips touched, he asked me for permission. But I pulled back right away. At my rejection, Bleon¡¯s expression suddenly crumpled. I went to the sofa, sat down, and called Bleon. ¡°Can you come over here and sit down?¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 19 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 19 Bleon approached the sofa with a slightly subdued expression as if he had noticed my apprehension. As he was about to sit next to me, I stopped him and made him sit across me on purpose. Then, with an expression of dissatisfaction from him, he frowned slightly and sat where I told him to. I glanced at Bleon. I turned my back on the good mood that was between us just now, thinking deeply once again whether it was right to talk about this now. However, if I don¡¯t finish this task now, it¡¯s clear that similar things will happen again in the future, so I made up my mind. ¡°From now on, I¡¯ll tell you first that it¡¯s not because I don¡¯t like you or because it¡¯s not your fault.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Perhaps because of the negative words, Bleon¡¯s pupils shook violently. I continued talking, pretending not to see his reaction. ¡°I want a divorce.¡± ¡°¡­Divorce?¡± ¡°Hmm. I¡¯m old and you¡¯re still young, so I think it¡¯s right for me to divorce you for the sake of your future.¡± ¡°¡­What are you saying?¡± Bleon looked at me with a bewildered expression as if he heard something he completely couldn¡¯t understand. ¡°I proposed to you because I felt sorry for you when you lost your parents at such a young age. Of course, it¡¯s true that I couldn¡¯t get married until I turned twenty-three, so I got angry when other people pointed fingers at me.¡± I began to explain why I should get a divorce so that he could understand it. ¡°I believed that if we, who were hurt by the world, could help each other, we would be able to live well. In the end, it was completely different from how I first felt.¡± Saying that, I smiled bitterly. However, Bleon¡¯s expression had been distorted more and more harshly from before. It was the first time I saw this kind of expression on him. But I didn¡¯t pay attention to this and continued pouring out my words. ¡°I am deeply sorry. I wish I was the only one who was broken, but I was so selfish and mean, I dragged Bleon into hell with me.¡± If Astell had regretted and repented of her transgressions against Bleon, wouldn¡¯t she have said this, too? I thought so and apologized to Bleon. ¡°I want you to know that this is the reason why I¡¯ve been trying to have you healed recently, although I know it won¡¯t fully compensate for the mistakes I¡¯ve caused you over the past ten years.¡± Even though it was only a week ago that he was trying to get treatment, I didn¡¯t think it would end so quickly. Still, I felt a little uneasy since I had done all the treatment for the weak drug. ¡°So I think it would be better for us to go our separate ways in the future. Now that you¡¯re an adult, Bleon, you can do everything on your own. Of course, this is the way it should be.¡± As I was talking to Bleon, everything seemed to fit into place. Freeing up the adult husband after the older woman stops the abuse, admitting her wrongdoings and asking for forgiveness. It was the perfect reason for a divorce. ¡°I¡¯m grateful that you followed me and liked me even though I hurt you. That¡¯s probably because Bleon was born with a heart that is truly kind in the first place. So I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find someone much better than me. You¡¯re still young and you¡¯re just getting started.¡± ¡®You are young. You¡¯re young so I can start over. So let me go.¡¯ I kept emphasizing his age. For anyone to see, the age difference was inconsequential for a couple. Bleon will understand what I¡¯m saying now if he¡¯s a little older and meets a lot of people and learns a lot. Of course, as I was older, I could start over with anything in the future. Unlike the world where I was thirty-three years old, I was a little older here, but as I was later than others, I had to stay healthy and live longer than others. Then, in order to make my words more persuasive, I uttered words that the real Astell would never have thought of. ¡°And I was originally thinking of letting you go once you¡¯ve become an adult. It¡¯s been half a year already, but I think it¡¯s right to end this before it¡¯s too late.¡± Looking at Bleon, I spit out all the words I had to say so far in a rather blunt manner. It even came out like a person who practiced it beforehand. ¡°So¡­¡± Bleon, who had been silently listening to my words, finally opened his mouth. But his voice was trembling like he was about to cry. ¡°The meaning of those words is that Wife¡­ wants to abandon me?¡± Abandon you? I didn¡¯t mean that¡­ I tilted my head to the side. This current situation didn¡¯t fit at all because I didn¡¯t mean to abandon him at all. ¡°It¡¯s not¡ª¡± ¡°I thought it was going to be like this¡­ I knew that Wife would eventually abandon me¡­¡± I tried to make excuses, but Bleon was already convinced that I was abandoning him. ¡°You said you wouldn¡¯t abandon me¡­ You said I didn¡¯t do anything wrong¡­ But why¡­¡± The corners of Bleon¡¯s eyes were red, and now he was about to shed tears. ¡°I was worried, but I was right¡­ I was so nervous, but I thought it wasn¡¯t because my wife wasn¡¯t like that¡­ I believed¡­¡± Up until now, I kept silent, just listening to what he had to say. ¡®If I had known this would happen, I should have taken a more decisive action.¡¯ But really, I didn¡¯t expect the treatment to end so soon, so I said and did things like that. ¡®It will probably be the same even if we go back.¡¯ Since I didn¡¯t know how long the treatment would take, I rationalized all my actions, saying that I probably would have done the same. ¡°But did I know that¡­?¡± Bleon¡¯s expression changed in an instant. His tears welled up but he looked like a man determined to do something, while a glimpse of madness was visible. ¡®Wait a minute¡­¡¯ Madness? Was something wrong? As soon as I sensed that something was going the wrong way, Bleon¡¯s words made my suspicions solidify. ¡°Are you going to abandon me? No. My wife can¡¯t abandon me. Because I will never let you go, even if I die.¡± And as he said that, his eyes as he looked at me were full of obsession. ¡°In life and death, my wife will be Bleon Einer¡¯s wife. Forever Bleon Einer¡¯s wife.¡± As he said that, he continued to cast a ferocious, persistent gaze at me. ¡°So I will never divorce you, my wife.¡± Bleon always used to cloud his words a bit when talking to me. So, the low-pitched voice usually sounded weak and light rather than strong and heavy, but now it wasn¡¯t at all. His voice seemed to be decisive as he spoke firmly, with a definite conclusion to the assertive tone. But it wasn¡¯t just his voice that changed. Bleon¡¯s expression was also different from before. ¡®This is probably¡­¡¯ It seems that I misjudged Bleon again and did the wrong thing. First of all, I tried to take advantage of the fact that Bleon listened to Astell and did not disobey her. Of course, I didn¡¯t speak sarcastically or forcefully like Astell before, but I tried to persuade him as best as he could so he could understand. Then, even if he couldn¡¯t accept the situation easily, I thought that he would have no choice but to accept Astell¡¯s words, because he would die horribly by Astell¡¯s command if she wishes so. But I had no idea he would come out so strong. ¡®Especially those eyes¡­¡¯ Now, those eyes keep piercing through my heart. It was the first time I had seen those eyes looking at me, so I was worried that he might have been corrupted. ¡®Come to think of it, he also became corrupted in the original story¡­¡¯ It was a very distant future, and it may not happen, but it was clear that such a seed was embedded in his heart, so it could burst by any chance. Perhaps¡­ ¡®It must be like the current situation.¡¯ No¡­ I don¡¯t think so¡­ Right? It shouldn¡¯t be¡­ I kept trying to deny it, but Bleon¡¯s attitude, eyes, words, and demeanor were telling me that he had changed. ¡®Am I going to get a divorce now, and I¡¯m going to have my death come sooner?¡¯ But now he likes me, so he won¡¯t kill me¡­? No. Dying wasn¡¯t the problem. I was more afraid of the process leading to death. That was the worst. And the moment I remembered that, I felt like the same thing would happen to me. Chills ran down my spine. ¡°Bleon¡­?¡± I called him carefully. When I called him, Bleon just looked at me with his eyes ablaze. ¡®I don¡¯t think he¡¯s completely crazy yet¡­¡¯ Upon closer inspection, fortunately, the eyes did not seem to have completely lost his soul. I waited quietly for Bleon, hoping he would find a reason, and then opened my mouth again, carefully choosing the words. ¡°So what I meant was¡ª¡± ¡°If you say you want a divorce, I won¡¯t listen to you at all, Wife.¡± He cut me off¡­ Bleon¡¯s demeanor was so unfamiliar. As I looked at him with a puzzled look, observing his unrecognizable expression, Bleon got up and approached me. There was something terrifying about him, and I unknowingly shook him off and escaped back to the corner of the sofa. ¡°Wife¡­ Are you scared of me¡­? What¡­ what do you think I will do with you, Wife?¡± Seeing me, Bleon¡¯s face was filled with a wounded expression. And somehow, he had returned to the Bleon I knew. ¡°No, not that¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s true that you avoided me just now, right¡­?¡± ¡°No. I only instinctively¡ª¡± Having said that, I shut my mouth. It was because Bleon¡¯s expression became even more distorted at the word instinctively. ¡°I will never hurt my wife¡­¡± ¡°I know, I know¡­¡± I actually didn¡¯t know. Something about the original story had already changed, so how could my mind be at ease when seemingly everything had changed? As I tried to comfort him as much as possible, Bleon suddenly fell to his knees on the floor. Then he came near my toes, stood on his knees, buried his face in my thighs, and hugged my legs. ¡®Ah, that¡¯s what you came here for.¡¯ This behavior was still the Bleon I knew. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t seem to have been corrupted yet. While I was relieved for a moment, Bleon started talking to me in a very tearful voice. ¡°I didn¡¯t say I hate you¡­ And you said you don¡¯t hate me¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t¡­¡± ¡°Then can¡¯t we just keep living like this¡­? I promise I¡¯ll do better¡­¡± ¡°Bleon¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯ll listen better, and I will never make it difficult for you, Wife. Why are you trying to abandon me? Please don¡¯t do that. I want to be with my wife. If I don¡¯t have my wife, I will die. I can¡¯t breathe properly a day without you, Wife. Please, please¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I will never tell you what to do in the future¡­ It¡¯s because I asked you to kiss me earlier, right? So my wife is mad? I won¡¯t do that anymore¡­ So please forgive me just once¡­¡± Seeing him begging for forgiveness even though he had done nothing wrong made my resolve to divorce him shatter¡­ My heart was shaking badly. ¡°It¡¯s because I¡¯m dirty¡­ When Wife sees me, you always think that I¡¯m a¡­ vulgar bastard¡­¡± Eventually, he was even swearing at himself. ¡°Look at this¡­ Even in the middle of this, it¡¯s standing again¡­ As long as I reach my wife¡­ I¡¯m really helpless¡­¡± ¡®What?¡¯ Then I noticed something hard on my shin. ¡°¡­Still, please don¡¯t throw me away even if I¡¯m such a piece of trash¡­ Please¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t open my mouth because I didn¡¯t know what to say in response to Bleon¡¯s begging and pleading. Why was this child so hung up on Astell like this? ¡°Bleon¡­ Get up.¡± I pondered for a long time what to do, and that¡¯s the only time I opened my lips. But Bleon was still motionless. ¡°Bleon.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 20 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 20 I called him again. Then, Bleon raised his head to look at me. I already knew when I felt my dress getting wet, but his face was full of tears. ¡°¡­Forgive me¡­¡­?¡± ¡°What can I do other than forgive you¡­¡± Bleon wasn¡¯t really at fault. All of this happened because of Astell, but he continued to blame himself, never Astell. I thought for a moment. I was going to get a divorce so he wouldn¡¯t die. Then will he not die? The process was terrifying. However, he still liked Astell, and the treatment to get rid of the drug in his system was now over. It seemed unlikely that he would die like that in the future. ¡®Is it okay then¡­¡¯ Perhaps it was just a trick of the light that his eyes seemed to have had within them a strange glint. Bleon had returned to the kind and obedient man he had always been. I weighed both options in my mind. To get divorced. To not get divorced. And the scales tilted towards the latter. In fact, the decisive reason was made by my simple and selfish heart. I was worried about the days I would live outside this estate. I don¡¯t know this place well yet, and I¡¯ve lived here for less than a month. I never went out of the mansion, and they wouldn¡¯t welcome me at the Marquisate, where Astell¡¯s family resided. Neither did I want to return there. This was the safest place for me right now. ¡°Then¡­ You won¡¯t leave me¡­?¡± He said this in a nervous voice, probably worried because I had been silent for a long time while I was thinking. ¡°If you promise that you¡¯ll do everything you just said, I will stay here. If you break even one, I will leave this house. Is that fine?¡± I asked him again to be sure. Then, as if he understood what I meant, Bleon¡¯s face brightened in an instant, even if his tears were still welling up, he answered with a smile. ¡°Yes. I will listen carefully to my wife¡­! Thank you, Wife¡­!¡± Bleon buried his face in my lap and rubbed his cheeks like a child. I stroked his hair, a habit now. But again, when I felt a big part of him on my leg, I hurriedly withdrew my hand. ¡°¡­Sorry. I don¡¯t want this either¡­ It didn¡¯t go away, so¡­¡± Bleon groaned slightly as his body didn¡¯t follow his will, tormented by it. ¡°Ha¡­¡± I heard the sound of a long, painful sigh, and I looked down at Bleon for a moment. The back of his hand, which was placed on the sofa, was gripping the sofa so tightly that the veins were prominent. When I saw it again, I felt very bad for him. But there really wasn¡¯t anything I could do about it. ¡°Let¡¯s be careful what we touch in the future¡­¡± I¡¯m just saying to be careful going forward. ¡°What¡­? Yes, yes¡­ I have to listen carefully to Wife¡­ I will.¡± To my words, Bleon answered in a gloomy voice. ¡°Should I go out for a while?¡± ¡°Oh, no¡­! Just a moment¡­ A moment¡­¡± Did you forget that you said it was a while before, and it still didn¡¯t go down after you said it? As I had a disbelieving expression on my face, Bleon hurriedly added, ¡°It¡¯s true¡­ So don¡¯t go, Wife, please¡­ Please don¡¯t leave me¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere, I¡¯m just going out for a while.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± It seemed that the words I said eventually enhanced Bleon¡¯s anxiety. Bleon refused to let me go with a desperate look. ¡°Can¡¯t I hope for this much¡­?¡± Bleon looked me in the eye and asked cautiously. I nodded my head and Bleon smiled slightly. After that, I understood his feelings a little bit and waited patiently this time. Unlike before, it was not because he was sick. And fortunately, as time passed, the veins on the back of Bleon¡¯s hands gradually faded as if he had calmed down. ¡°It¡¯s gone now¡­¡± ¡°You did well.¡± I raised my hand to stroke Bleon¡¯s head as a compliment to him and I paused. And withdrew my hand. ¡°Are you okay now?¡± Then he looked at me and smiled awkwardly. ¡°¡­I¡¯m sorry¡­¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s not something Bleon has to apologize for.¡± Even if Bleon didn¡¯t want to do that, it seemed a bit strange to apologize about it. His body just wasn¡¯t listening to him. ¡°But shall we use separate rooms now?¡± ¡°¡­What¡­¡­?!¡± Bleon looked up at me as though the world collapsed when I said this. Astell and Bleon have never slept apart since they got married. Astell wanted to monitor and intervene with Bleon¡¯s every move. The bed we slept in was very large, so I didn¡¯t feel any discomfort, so I continued to sleep and wake up the next day with Bleon. Well, except for that one day when he pleasured himself, it didn¡¯t really bother me that much. But now it seemed better to use separate bedrooms in order to establish a more secure relationship with him. So I brought it up, but his reaction was stronger than I expected. ¡°I don¡¯t want that¡­! Wife please¡­ You know I can¡¯t sleep when Wife isn¡¯t around¡­ Please, please¡­¡± Was it¡­? Bleon couldn¡¯t sleep without Astell. I never heard of it. ¡°I¡¯ll hold your hand and just sleep¡­ I will never, ever, ever come close to Wife. So please¡­¡± ¡°Okay. Then just like now.¡± He keeps begging like this, and I don¡¯t feel good about refusing it, and there¡¯s nothing particularly uncomfortable about it, so I decided to do nothing about this case. ¡°Thank you, Wife¡­ What luck have I been born with¡­ A guy like me¡­¡± ¡°Bleon¡­!¡± I cut off his words and called for Bleon in a slightly angry voice. ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Then he looked at me with a puzzled expression at my sudden shout. ¡°Why do you keep blaming yourself? Don¡¯t do that.¡± Even before, Bleon had called himself some kind of bastard, and now he was demeaning himself. ¡°But in the first place, I¡¯m not a good person¡­ My wife told me¡­¡± ¡°No. Bleon is a precious person from the beginning.¡± I looked him in the eye and said, to assure him that what I was saying was true. ¡°Bleon is the most precious person ever. You¡¯re so kind, you¡¯re so pretty, why must you think that way? So what am I supposed to be when I am the wife of such a person?¡± ¡°No!¡± Bleon strongly denied my words. ¡°The wife is not like that¡­! My wife¡­ My wife¡­ is radiant.¡± ¡°The same goes for Bleon. So, don¡¯t say those words again in the future. Understand?¡± Bleon looked at me intently. He seemed to understand the truth of my words now. ¡°I guess I really have all the luck in the world¡­ You are my wife¡­ I¡¯m so happy¡­¡± Saying so, he smiled brightly. ¡°Look at this. Your smile is as pretty as the sun.¡± And I looked at him and smiled broadly. * * * The divorce attempt ended as a failure, and I fell asleep and woke up at dawn. Next to me was Bleon, holding my hand as he slept peacefully. I couldn¡¯t go back to sleep anymore, so my eyes were kept open. There was something that bothered me about the conversation I had with him before, so I thought about it for a while. We sat next to each other on the sofa and talked about what to do next. Then I suddenly wondered what Bleon thought of the changed Astell, so I asked him. ¡°By the way¡­ When I woke up after a week when I fell ill, didn¡¯t I seem like a completely different person?¡± ¡°Well¡­ Not really. Because this wasn¡¯t the first time.¡± Ah, yes. Astell had suddenly changed even eight years ago. Back then, she changed for the worse. But this time, the change was for the better. ¡°I see.¡± ¡°Something just happened to the wife. That¡¯s what I¡¯ve been thinking about.¡± I was contemplating whether to talk about this or not, and then I opened my mouth. ¡°I had a dream.¡± And I changed the future I knew into the word dream and told him. ¡°What dream¡­?¡± ¡°I just dreamed that you were tired of me like this and left me. So, as soon as I woke up from the dream, the thought that I couldn¡¯t keep living like this, like my life flashing before my eyes?¡± I said with a joking laugh, as if taking it lightly. ¡°It was a ridiculous dream.¡± In contrast to my smiling face, Bleon¡¯s face was seriously hardened. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I left because I got tired of Wife? So because you think the dream was real, did Wife try to abandon me first?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡± In fact, he hit it right on the mark, but I vaguely denied it and trailed off. ¡°How can you¡­ I can never live without you, Wife. I will never ever leave my wife¡¯s side.¡± His determination was evident in the look in his eyes. ¡°It was just a dream, Bleon.¡± He took it more seriously than I expected, so I comforted him with an awkward smile. ¡°Even if it was a dream, I can¡¯t believe that I will do something like that. But in the end, it means that Wife thinks I¡¯m not enough, that this is only the extent of my feelings for Wife.¡± ¡°No¡­¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 21 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 21 Bleon blamed himself in shock, and he had the presumption that I only thought of him that much. ¡®I must have said something for no reason.¡¯ I didn¡¯t know he would react so strongly, so I felt a bit of regret. ¡°I know how much you think of me. So you have endured me like this until now.¡± How many people would continue tolerating someone who was constantly angry and annoyed if their self-esteem and mood were slighted even a little bit? No matter how young he was, Bleon accepted Astell for eight whole years. It was an impossible task for anyone, and anyone could see that it would not have been possible without affection for the other person. ¡°It wasn¡¯t hard at all. Because if I listened carefully to my wife, there would be no such thing. And after I became an adult, you treated me even better¡­¡± Bleon let out a heavy sigh. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m having a harder time right now¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Wife¡­ no¡­ sorry.¡± Bleon closed his mouth as he tried to speak with a sullen look on his face. I understood what he meant and I covered my mouth in embarrassment. Then, as I was biting my lip, not knowing what to say, Bleon gently grabbed my wrist. ¡°Don¡¯t do it. Every time you put a hand over your lips, Wife, I worry about you.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Wife¡¯s habit. But if I don¡¯t stop you like this, sometimes you bite until it bleeds, so if you get hurt because of the wound, I¡¯ll be even more upset.¡± What? This isn¡¯t Astell¡¯s habit, but mine, right? ¡°I¡¯d rather you touch my lips, not yours.¡± Then Bleon put my hand to his lips. I was startled for a moment and retracted my hand. ¡°I-It¡¯s okay.¡± I stuttered in embarrassment, but more than that, my mind was confused by his words. Why did Bleon know about my habit? No, why did he say that this was Astell¡¯s habit? ¡°I used to do this a lot¡­?¡± As if my question was strange, doubts filled the corners of Bleon¡¯s eyes. ¡°Oh, I mean¡­ I mean, did Bleon know about my habit?¡± I hurriedly corrected the question to avoid his doubts. ¡°Of course I do. I¡¯m only looking at Wife anytime, anywhere. Besides this, when you smile, only one eye wrinkles, and when you feel bad, you only raise one eyebrow.¡± Suddenly, an unexplained tension came over me, and my hands and feet became cold. I hid my hand slightly behind my back so Bleon wouldn¡¯t notice, and I clutched it into a fist tightly. I unknowingly bit my lip, but I stopped that again. This was also one of my habits when I was nervous. At least biting my lips or fiddling with my lips was something that not only me, but many others do. However, it was quite rare to wrinkle one eye or raise one eyebrow, so it was a habit that people say was unusual whenever people saw me before. But why¡­ How could that be Astell¡¯s habit? If it was something Bleon knew, this meant that it was something Astell had been doing before I possessed her body. After that, I went to bed saying that I was tired because my mind was a mess and I couldn¡¯t talk to him anymore. And then the thoughts bothered me, and at some point, I fell asleep and woke up in the middle of the night. ¡®No matter how much I think about it, I don¡¯t know what this is supposed to mean.¡¯ I just read a novel, and when I died, my soul somehow transmigrated here, and I became a different person. There was no connection or reason for it. ¡®Is it a coincidence?¡¯ Although it was a very unlikely supposition, that didn¡¯t mean it wasn¡¯t possible. Above all, that was the only answer I had for now. It felt weird, but I had no choice but to think this way because there was no information or anything that could appease it. ¡®It must be a coincidence.¡¯ After giving such a quick answer, I fell asleep again. * * * Today was Philia¡¯s last treatment day. And right now, she had just finished her treatment and was taking her hands off Bleon¡¯s body. Bleon was about to come to me again, so I raised my hand and stopped him from coming. Then, Bleon¡¯s expression suddenly turned gloomy. ¡°I have something to discuss with Philia. So we¡¯ll be out for a while.¡± Having said that, I led Philia out of the bedroom and into the study right next to it. ¡°Great job. Philia.¡± ¡°No. I was only doing what was needed.¡± ¡°Is treatment over now?¡± ¡°Yes. The drug has been completely removed.¡± ¡°Alright¡­ Do you remember what I said last time? It¡¯s about the abuse.¡± When I spoke to Philia about Bleon¡¯s mental health, I didn¡¯t mean to ask her to decide and fully take care of him. I just meant that she should continue treating Bleon without his knowledge, and I thought that if Philia and Bleon were together for a longer period of time, things would get better on their own. ¡°Yes. I remember. But for the psychological treatment, the Duke needs to open up to me a little bit, but there is no sign of that. However, until now, I have watched the two of you, and seeing how the Duke treats Madam, I have to wonder if this treatment is still necessary.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Yes. In the past, it was said that Madam abused the Duke, but in reality, any signs of abuse could hardly be seen in the Duke.¡± ¡°Signs?¡± ¡°Yes. So, as a doctor, I think that if Madam continues treating him kindly as you do now and if you continue having the amicable relationship you have now, you will achieve much better results than any medical treatment.¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I see. I get it. You can go back and rest.¡± ¡°Well, by the way¡­¡± Philia, who was always just doing her own thing and just going back home, spoke to me. ¡°Huh?¡± Philia couldn¡¯t open her mouth easily, and a troubled expression appeared on her face. ¡°Speak comfortably.¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s not. I¡¯ll tell you later when I¡¯m more certain.¡± I don¡¯t know what she was trying to say, but Philia took a step back in a cautious manner. It didn¡¯t seem like she was being sarcastic or anything, so I nodded. ¡°Alright. Okay. Then see you next time. You¡¯ve worked hard ¡®til now.¡± ¡°Yes. Then, I will leave first.¡± So I sent Philia off and went back to Bleon¡¯s bedroom. ¡°Duke?¡± I called Bleon, who was pacing around the bedroom uneasily. ¡°Wife¡­!¡± Then the look of nervousness that had filled his face disappeared, and Bleon approached me with a relieved expression. I let out a deep sigh inwardly at the sight of him, like a child who was anxious when he was separated from his mother. ¡®What makes you so anxious?¡¯ You said you wouldn¡¯t get a divorce, and you said you¡¯d stay by my side¡­ It was evident that he was still not mentally stable. ¡°Wife! Is the treatment really over as of today?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s over.¡± ¡°I¡¯m so glad it¡¯s finally over!¡± Bleon¡¯s face was bright and full of joy. ¡°How is your body?¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief.¡± In this way, since the treatment for his body was over¡­ Now, what¡¯s left to treat was his mind, right? I thought carefully about how to do that part. Then a very good idea came to mind. Astell and Bleon lived in the ducal residence practically on their own for ten years. And now, to break down these walls, I decided to open the door wide and let employees in. ¡®Wow, why did I just think of that now?¡¯ It meant that we need to get out from the inside rather than open the door and wait for someone to come in from the outside. And this was a good way to open up Bleon¡¯s closed mind, but it was also a great way for me, a stranger to this world. The fear of an unfamiliar world that struck me the most while I was still weighing my divorce with Bleon. It was a great opportunity to overcome it. ¡°Duke. Shall we visit the mansion in Hares for a while?¡± I immediately gathered my thoughts and told Bleon. Cavilus Empire. This was the name of the place where I live now. Among the few countries on the continent, Cavilus was a powerful empire that occupied a huge territory with no end in sight. Hares was a huge city located in the northwest region, a little far from the center of the empire. It had continued to be the capital of Cavilus for over a thousand years after its founding. After Astell and Bleon married, they left the ducal residence in Hares and began living in a small town called Kren, which Astell brought as a dowry. That was where we still lived now, and to get from Kren to Hares, it would take a full day by a horse-drawn carriage. ¡°¡­Hares?¡± Again, Bleon was not very happy with my suggestion. ¡°Yes. The mansion in the capital has been left unattended for a decade, so I think it would be better to go back and redecorate.¡± I was thinking of moving the main residence to Hares. People were often told to go to the capital, so I thought it would be better to go to the capital in order for the Duchy of Ainer family to grow in the future. However, Bleon might feel some resistance to the idea right now, so I decided to tell him we¡¯ll only go for a few days this time to ease him into it. ¡°Suddenly, Hares¡­ Why¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve wanted to visit the capital, and we¡¯ve decided to stop living so closed off like this.¡± I mentioned what I told him a few days ago. ¡°Let¡¯s just go there for a short while and come back. If you don¡¯t want to go¡­ Shall I go alone?¡± ¡°No! I can¡¯t let my wife go alone. I¡¯ll go with you too¡­¡± As expected when I said I¡¯m going alone, Bleon also said that he would go with me. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s go together.¡± So we decided to go to Hares tomorrow, and the mansion became bustling with activity until the morning of the next day. ¡°Madam. This is Jace.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± Jace entered the room. ¡°Madam, everything is ready. Do I really not have to go?¡± ¡°We will come back after a few days this time, so while we¡¯re both away, you should stay here.¡± ¡°I understand. The knights who shall escort you were already prepared by Sir McCain Holster, and the minimal staff includes the Sir.¡± ¡°Sir McCain Holster, too?¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 22 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 22 It¡¯s only natural for McCain to go, but I don¡¯t think Bleon would like it very much¡­ ¡°Yes. He said that he was more confident than anyone since he knew the capital well. He said he had to go.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ I got it.¡± Well, everything will be alright. I decided not to think about it any more. ¡°If anything happens, you should contact the mansion in Hares right away.¡± ¡°Understood.¡± So I asked Jace about what to do while we were away and went to the office where Bleon was. I decided not to think about it any more, but I felt like I should talk to Bleon. When I arrived, the servant who I scolded the other day was guarding the door. He looked at me and was startled, but this time he did the right thing without making the same mistake as before. And when he heard that I had come from inside, Bleon opened the door and greeted me. ¡°Wife¡­¡± Bleon always smiled like the happiest person in the world whenever he saw me. So when I saw him like that, I felt good at the same time. ¡°Come in quickly.¡± Bleon¡¯s hair was a bit frizzy, perhaps he was very busy with urgent matters before leaving later. I grabbed Bleon¡¯s outstretched hand and followed him inside. And as I sat down on the sofa, Bleon sat right next to me. ¡°What happened? Are you ready?¡± ¡°I¡¯m almost done now. I think we could leave in an hour.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes. However¡­¡± I paused for a while. Then, a look of anxiety crossed Bleon¡¯s face. ¡°About the escort problem¡­¡± ¡°The escort?¡± ¡°Yes. While we are in Hares, some of the Knights decided to follow¡­¡± I didn¡¯t feel sorry for that. But as I said this, his mood subsided and I felt a little sorry for him and my mouth did not open easily. ¡°Did Sir McCain Holster decide to go?¡± ¡°Huh? Yes¡­¡± But before I could speak, Bleon spoke up first. And he didn¡¯t look that bad either. ¡°Wife is really¡­ so nice¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t speak well because you¡¯re worried¡­ I¡¯m fine, Wife.¡± I looked blankly at Bleon¡¯s unexpected reaction as he said that and smiled slightly. ¡°I thought it was natural for the Sir to follow.¡± ¡°Oh, really?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s probably been a while since we¡¯ve both been to the capital city, and Sir McCain Holster grew up in the capital, so he¡¯ll be familiar with it.¡± ¡°Sir McCain grew up in Hares?¡± ¡®Ah, that¡¯s why Jace said that before too.¡¯ But how did Bleon know that? Did he do a background check? ¡°Yes. I looked into it. Oh, of course, I didn¡¯t do it out of an impure heart¡­ He¡¯s going to be the commander of the Duchy¡¯s knights, so I have to make sure he¡¯s a trustworthy person to hire¡­¡± Bleon made hasty excuses for fear that I might think of him as strange. ¡°I know. Good job.¡± I praised him. ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°Good job. You have to make sure you do that in the future. Alright?¡± When bringing people into his house, he could neither let anyone just go in. Above all else, it was a job of hiring a knight commander to protect the Ducal family, but it was probably natural to investigate behind the scenes. It was fortunate that Bleon seemed to already know such basic things. And I inwardly felt proud that he finally took his first step as the head of the family. Bleon, who had a bewildered expression on his face at my compliment, soon seemed to be in a very good mood and a smile filled his face. ¡°Yes. It feels so good to hear the compliments and to have my wife worry for me. Thank you, Wife¡­¡± Saying this, Bleon gently placed the hand he had been holding on to his cheek. Then, for a moment, he quickly removed his cheek again. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry¡­. This kind of touch, I said I wouldn¡¯t do it if the wife didn¡¯t like it¡­¡± He cried and said with a pitiful expression. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I don¡¯t dislike it.¡± I smiled and patted his cheek softly, indicating that this was all right. Then, Bleon¡¯s expression returned to the bright image he had just before, and he looked at me with a warm gaze. ¡°Wife said that if I listen carefully, you will absolutely never leave me, so I will listen to you well¡­¡± I somehow felt he was emphasizing the word ¡®absolutely¡¯. ¡°I won¡¯t do anything you don¡¯t like and I¡¯ll never do anything you don¡¯t want to do¡­ So just stay by my side like this¡­¡± This shouldn¡¯t have happened, but his words somehow tickled my heart again. Apart from Astell¡¯s heart, somehow, my heart felt drawn to him. It was not difficult to deal with him from a distance by telling him not to cross the line, perhaps because Bleon has been re-awakened of his blindness these days. When I tried to step back, he¡¯d come forward two¡ªno, ten steps more. That didn¡¯t mean I saw him completely as a man, but I didn¡¯t not like it, so it made me feel complicated. ¡®How can I hate you when you cling to me like this?¡¯ Still, I kept trying to stay vigilant. And even if it wasn¡¯t really Philia, if another woman appeared in front of him, I was willing to let him go. Not yet¡­ I could still keep my rationality. ¡°It¡¯s been a while since we¡¯ve been out, so come take a look around.¡± I quickly erased any worries that had not yet come from my mind and thought of things I would like to do in Hares. ¡®I should also clean up the mansion and take a closer look at what this world looks like.¡¯ I used to hate going to new places, but somehow it even made my heart flutter. ¡°Anywhere with my wife is good.¡± And Bleon heightened my excitement with these pretty words. * * * An hour later, we were all ready to leave. In front of the carriage stood several knights of the Duchy, including McCain, with their horses. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± McCain suggested getting into the carriage. I turned around and looked at Jace before getting into the carriage, then nodded slightly. It¡¯s to tell him that he should do well while I was away. Then I got into the carriage with Bleon, and as soon as we got on, the carriage started. ¡°Fortunately, it is not very hot. Right?¡± Although it was summer, it was quite cool inside the carriage because we departed early to avoid the sun when it was the highest. In the carriage, it was only me and Bleon. The servants and maids had been sent to the mansion in Hares earlier yesterday for cleaning. ¡°Even so, I will fan you, Wife.¡± And then Bleon started fanning me hard. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m not tired at all. And I am happy with everything I do for my wife.¡± There was a smile on his lips as if he really liked fanning me. His fanning wasn¡¯t enough to completely dissipate the heat, but it was still quite cool, so I stopped talking. ¡°Is it cool?¡± ¡°Yes. Thank you.¡± I grabbed his other hand in gratitude. Then, Bleon was surprised that I grabbed his hand first, but for a moment, he warmly wrapped my hand around me. And soon he started fanning more. I smiled broadly at him, it was so cute how he was so innocent. The carriage ran and ran and arrived at a village about five hours away from Kren. It was late at night, so we decided to stay here for the day and move on again tomorrow morning. As a couple, we decided to share the same room because it was difficult if each of us shared a different room. And I thought that there would be no discomfort because we slept in the same bed all the time. But that was a mistake. It was only after I went into the room and looked around that I realized that the bed wasn¡¯t that big. ¡°The bed¡­ Isn¡¯t it too small?¡± ¡°Oh, that¡¯s right¡­?¡± Of course, Bleon didn¡¯t sleep so far apart because he slept holding my hand every day, but still, we didn¡¯t sleep close to each other. However, if the two of us were to sleep together in such a narrow bed, it seemed that we could only sleep if our shoulders were close together. Confused about what to do, I glanced at Bleon. ¡°Wife, I will sleep on the floor.¡± ¡°What?¡± But, perhaps knowing how I felt, Bleon decided to sleep on the floor first. However, I thought that no matter how uncomfortable it was, putting Bleon to sleep on the floor was not acceptable. ¡°No. Let¡¯s just sleep together. After all, we sleep in the same bed every day.¡± ¡°Still, I think the wife will be uncomfortable¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. It¡¯s one night.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s okay with you, Wife, I will¡­¡± So we made a conclusion and prepared to wash up before going to bed. None of the employees came with me, so I had to wash myself here. However, unlike other nobles, in my case, I was not a noble person, so I was used to washing by myself, so it didn¡¯t really matter. Oh, but it was really hard on my body. No matter how much Bleon fanned it, riding a carriage for more than five hours in midsummer required a lot more stamina than I thought. I was exhausted and had no strength to wash myself, sitting in a chair and lying on the table. ¡°Wife, are you very tired?¡± ¡°I¡¯m tired, but with a little rest, I¡¯ll be fine.¡± I didn¡¯t have the strength to raise my head, so I kept lying on my face and answered. ¡°Can I wash you?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± I was startled for a moment and raised my head to look at him. ¡°It was because I thought the wife was very tired, I didn¡¯t mean it with a bad idea¡­ And we haven¡¯t done it recently, but we used to wash together¡­¡± As he said, Bleon was looking at me with a rather plain face, perhaps with a really pure intention. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I can do it myself.¡± I thought he would really wash me if I showed any signs of exhaustion here, so I gathered all my strength and got up. ¡°¡­I see¡­¡­¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 23 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 23 In both voice and expression, it was clear that he was feeling down. But there was nothing I could do about it this time. So I walked past him and headed to the bathroom. I was so tired and my eyes kept closing, but I had to wash away all the dust from every inch of my body as I came in with a carriage. So I forced my sleepy eyes to open, washed myself clean, and left the bathroom. ¡°I¡¯m done washing. The Duke should hurry up and wash, too.¡± As soon as I came out, of course I thought Bleon was there and naturally told him to wash up, but for some reason there was no one else in the room. ¡°Where did you go?¡± Did he go out for a while? I sat in my chair and waited for him, but I couldn¡¯t resist falling asleep. So I went straight to bed and lay in the corner. ¡®If I sleep like this, will Bleon be able to lie next to me?¡¯ I was lying close to the wall in the corner, but I couldn¡¯t sleep alone. So I tried to keep my eyes open as best as I could, but again, I couldn¡¯t beat the drowsiness and I immediately succumbed to a deep slumber. * * * Suddenly, my eyes were wide open. I woke up and felt that no one was beside me, so I turned around to find Bleon. He was there, but he wasn¡¯t lying down next to me. Instead, he was hunched over the bed while kneeling on the floor, asleep facing me. And even in that position, he was still gently holding my hand without letting go. I looked at his face for a moment. As I felt it last time, he had a very pretty sleeping face. ¡®How much time had passed?¡¯ Looking at his face, I suddenly looked out the window, and although it was dark, the moon was still shining brightly. I couldn¡¯t make him continue sleeping like this, so I gently shook Bleon¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Bleon.¡± Perhaps I just woke up and unconsciously called his name. He slowly opened his eyes at my call. ¡°Wife¡­?¡± ¡°Why did you sleep like this? It¡¯s uncomfortable.¡± Bleon blinked his eyes and seemed to grasp the situation for a moment. ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Sleep beside me¡­ Come up here now.¡± I pushed myself against the wall a little more so he could lie down next to me. ¡°No. I like sleeping like this.¡± ¡°How can that be comfortable? Don¡¯t argue and just lie down next to me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­ What to do if Wife is uncomfortable¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s not uncomfortable at all. Come now.¡± As he kept muttering, I grabbed Bleon¡¯s hand and pulled him closer. Then, reluctantly, he got up and laid his large body next to me. However, as expected, when the two of us lay down, there was no space in the bed. Bleon was a lot bigger than I thought, so his arms were sticking out. ¡®What to do?¡¯ Sleeping with his arms out of bed was uncomfortable, so he won¡¯t be able to sleep well. I¡¯m sure his shoulders will be stiff tomorrow, so I looked at him with worried eyes. ¡°I¡¯ll sleep on the floor. You can sleep comfortably.¡± As if reading my eyes, Bleon got up from the bed with a smile trying to reassure me. ¡°Wait.¡± I hurried to keep him from going down and grabbed his arm. ¡°Can¡¯t you just sleep on your side?¡± All I could say was that he lay on his side and slept. But I didn¡¯t want him to sleep on the floor, so that was the only way for the two of us to sleep together on the bed. ¡°It will be uncomfortable, Wife. I¡¯m fine, so don¡¯t worry about it and sleep comfortably.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°Then there is one way¡­¡± ¡°How?¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t think Wife would like it very much¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Even though I kept asking him, Bleon didn¡¯t speak his thoughts easily. Just what was he thinking that he was being so fussy? ¡°Tell me comfortably.¡± ¡°¡­I can sleep hugging you.¡± ¡°What? Ah¡­¡± I looked at him with a slightly puzzled expression at the unexpected words. ¡°Then I will sleep on the floor, Wife. Tomorrow you have to ride the carriage for a long time, so you have to stock up on your stamina now, otherwise you will be more tired than today.¡± And as if he understood my reaction as a refusal, Bleon smiled slightly and got off the bed. There was no resentment or remorse in his actions, and I just stared at him like that. ¡°¡­But can we sleep holding hands like before?¡± Bleon asked, carefully examining my reaction. For a moment, his actions made me feel as if a stone had landed in my heart. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with not hugging?¡¯ What was it that made this kid so withdrawn? What was it that made him so self-conscious of me? He was already done being treated for the drug, so I thought that he would be okay if it wasn¡¯t more than a deep touch or kiss. ¡°Come here.¡± I grabbed his hand and pulled him back onto the bed. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Come up and¡­ Sleep with me.¡± Bleon¡¯s eyes widened in surprise, and he looked at me. ¡°¡­Really?¡± And he asked me again as if he couldn¡¯t believe it. ¡°¡­Yes. You have to sleep.¡± I shrugged with an indifferent look on my face. However, Bleon remained still, clinging to the floor. ¡°You won¡¯t?¡± ¡°I will!¡± In a hasty denial, Bleon climbed onto the bed, but he still seemed suspicious about what had happened to him. ¡®Was I so cold hearted?¡¯ I felt sorry that I had sent so many denials that this boy had such a hesitant response. So first I lay flat on the bed. ¡°You¡¯re not going to sleep¡­?¡± ¡°I¡­ will.¡± I heard a voice that sounded like he was about to cry, so I tried to look up at him, but for a moment I narrowed my eyes. Bleon was holding me in his arms. He put one arm under my head to give me an arm pillow, and his other arm wrapped around me softly. As his body was closer, I felt a sense of security. ¡°Is it okay? Aren¡¯t you uncomfortable?¡± ¡°Yes. It¡¯s okay¡­ Is the Duke uncomfortable?¡± ¡°Not at all. I like it.¡± Then he gently stroked my hair affectionately. However¡­ ¡®Why is there something hard on my stomach?¡¯ I didn¡¯t want to mind it, but I had no choice but to feel the touch because it was so persistent. I pushed back as far as possible from it. And as if he sensed my actions, a deep sigh could be heard above my head. ¡°Ha¡­ I¡¯m sorry, Wife. I can¡¯t help it. I told you, it just stands just by touching you¡­¡± The words he said to me a few days ago came to mind. ¡°¡­Will it go down again¡­¡­?¡± Saying that, he hugged me tighter as if he didn¡¯t want to. ¡°¡­No. But¡­ I think it would be better if our hips separate a little¡­¡± ¡°¡­Alright.¡± Fortunately, Bleon pulled his waist back, and his member didn¡¯t touch my stomach anymore. If someone saw us from above, the way we hugged would look a little ridiculous, so I laughed out loud. ¡°Why are you laughing? Wife?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s kind of funny.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I just laughed because I thought it would be funny if anyone saw us hugging like this.¡± ¡°They would.¡± ¡°Right?¡± We laughed for a while over nothing. ¡°Oh, but where did you go earlier?¡± ¡°I bought some food for you, Wife, just in case you were hungry.¡± ¡°Alone, Duke?¡± I never thought he would do something like this on his own, so I asked him in surprise. ¡°Yes¡­ There¡¯s a shop right downstairs.¡± ¡°What did you buy?¡± ¡°Something to drink and some bread.¡± I lifted my head out of his arms for a moment and checked the table to confirm what he had bought. Although I could only see a little as I craned my neck, there were indeed a few loaves of bread and a bottle on the table. ¡°I don¡¯t have much of an appetite right now, so let¡¯s eat while riding the carriage tomorrow. Both of us.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ¡°Should we sleep now?¡± I had to get enough sleep and rest to get on the carriage again tomorrow. And I woke up suddenly in the middle of sleep, so I was slightly sleepy again. ¡°Can¡¯t we talk any more¡­?¡± ¡°Talk?¡± However, Bleon answered with a sad voice, as if he didn¡¯t want to sleep like this. ¡°Yes. I want to talk more with my wife.¡± Even though I was sleepy, I felt a little bit of regret just like Bleon for some reason. There was practically no distance between us and it was a little hot because it was summer, but there was no unpleasant feeling at all because a cool breeze came in. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 24 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 24 No, actually, this was alright. I had been sleeping soundly without even dreaming until recently, so my fatigue had lessened quite a bit. I thought it would be okay to stay up some more. ¡°It must be hard to sleep uncomfortably. Are you okay?¡± But it might not be good for Bleon. So I asked him if he was okay, and Bleon replied right away. ¡°Then what shall we talk about?¡± Saying so, I lifted my gaze to see his face. Bleon kept looking at me as I made eye contact with his blue eyes. And it was a moment. Suddenly, for no reason, my heart started beating wildly. ¡®Because I¡¯m stuck like this, he¡¯d be able to hear my heartbeat¡­¡¯ I wriggled around to move away a little. ¡°Are you uncomfortable?¡± ¡°Uh, it¡¯s just¡­ a little cramped.¡± Bleon moved back slightly when I said it¡¯s cramped. But his arms were still hugging me. Still, now that there was a sense of distance, even by a single span, I carefully exhaled a sigh of relief. ¡°Still cramped¡­?¡± Bleon¡¯s voice subsided a little, probably because he was confused that I sighed. ¡°No, I¡¯m fine now.¡± My heart was still beating so fast that it didn¡¯t seem to calm down, but I thought he wouldn¡¯t notice this, so I tried to focus on something else. ¡°So what are we going to talk about?¡± ¡°Do you remember the day we first met?¡± I was going to talk about what we were going to talk about, but Bleon asked me if I remember the day we first met. ¡°The day we first met?¡± But that was when he met Astell, not me, so I traced Astell¡¯s memory for a while. Astell had memories of meeting him when they first met several months before Bleon¡¯s parents died in an accident. Astell had attended a handful of banquets since she had come of age, and it was in one of those balls. On that day, too, at the initiative of her family, she was ridiculed and insulted by the nobles because of her appearance. However, there was the sound of someone approaching with light footsteps nearby. Astell had hurriedly wiped away her tears. And she didn¡¯t want to show herself crying, so she quickly turned around, bowed her head, and tried to get out of the place. Then, she saw a boy, standing still as he looked at her. And as she lowered her head, she was forced to look at the child¡¯s eyes. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± She felt embarrassment and shame when the child saw that she had cried, and at the same time, she was captivated by the appearance of the child in front of her eyes. He was so pretty that in this moment, his blue eyes captured her heart and she forgot that she had to avert her gaze. If there was such a thing as an angel, would they look like him? Astell thought so. That¡¯s how much the child¡¯s appearance felt out of this world. But, aside from that, the child was looking at with the same admiring gaze. ¡°You are so pretty.¡± And she unwittingly said to the child. ¡®If I had been as pretty as you, I wouldn¡¯t have to be treated like this¡­¡¯ If she would have been half as pretty as him, she would have married and had children by now and lived like other nobles. But as she felt that she could never be like that, Astell became so envious of the child¡¯s features, poignantly feeling her own humiliation. But the very next words that came out of the child¡¯s mouth were words that she had never heard and had never imagined. ¡°Sister is pretty, too.¡± ¡°What?¡± Astell that she had heard it wrong as it didn¡¯t make sense, so she asked back. ¡°Sister is much prettier than I am.¡± And as if the child really felt so, he told Astell one more time. ¡°So don¡¯t cry, Sister.¡± Saying that, the child smiled more than anyone else. Leaving behind the memory, I came back to the present. ¡°I remember. We met for the first time in a garden. There¡­¡± It was a wedding anniversary banquet of a certain nobleman, but I couldn¡¯t remember whose it was. ¡°It¡¯s not¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The first time we met wasn¡¯t there¡­¡± What do you mean? ¡°I guess that day was one of the ordinary days for Wife¡­ Because Wife has a beautiful heart¡­¡± ¡°What do you mean? Did we meet before that?¡± It was something that I had never read in the novel, nor could I find a trace of it within Astell¡¯s memory. ¡°Yes¡­¡± When I couldn¡¯t remember right away, Bleon answered with a sullen expression. ¡°When?¡± I couldn¡¯t resist my curiosity and asked him. ¡°¡­The masquerade¡­¡± Masquerade? A masquerade¡­ When? Still, I could easily recall some memories, but I couldn¡¯t remember a masquerade. I once again tried to bring out Astell¡¯s deep memories. ¡®Ah¡­!¡¯ And I remembered what happened when Astell was twenty. ¡®At that time, the little boy in the puppy mask was Bleon.¡¯ The masquerade that day was a banquet where you could go if you wore a mask due to a nobleman¡¯s whim. The masquerade was also a day when a lot of nobles attended for a different kind of entertainment because most of them had only heard of a masquerade yet did not intend to hold one. At the age of 20, Astell was not as depressed yet, no matter how bad she looked. However, when all the young girls of the same age as her were married, her family¡¯s contempt and ridicule became more and more pointed than she could have imagined as she had not been courted by anyone for three years. Anyway, Astell at the masquerade party was quite brave, thanks to the mask. And she expected that she would meet a decent person there, but no one came to her, seeing her face under the mask. ¡®Of course.¡¯ Astell hid her pitiful laugh under the mask as she walked out of the banquet hall. At that time, she still kept her head up. There are still plenty of opportunities ahead, so there¡¯s no need to fret. As she wandered around with that thought, she heard the voices of children from somewhere. ¡°Take it off! Take it off!¡± ¡°Stop it¡­!¡± Several children surrounded one child and were trying to remove his mask. ¡°Give it up! I will have it!¡± ¡°No¡­! This is mine¡­!¡± ¡°How can you be so ugly? The puppy mask is mine!!¡± The word ugly struck Astell¡¯s nerves. She quickly approached the children. ¡°What are you doing!¡± ¡°Ahh!¡± ¡°Run away!¡± Suddenly, an adult appeared and tried to scold them for their mischief, so the children ran away. Astell couldn¡¯t leave the crying child that was sitting down to chase after the children, so she approached the child. ¡°Are you okay?¡± The child¡¯s mask almost slipped off, but luckily it wasn¡¯t ruined. Astell wanted to take off the mask of the crying child and tried to wipe the tears away, but she just put the mask on him properly. ¡®Maybe you don¡¯t want to show your face.¡¯ Just like her. Astell continued to think of the ugly comments that the children had made, and she waited by the child¡¯s side until his tears stopped. And as the whimpering gradually subsided, the child raised his head and looked at her. ¡°Thank you¡­¡± ¡°Have you calmed down now?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± Astell leaned over and stroked the gold-thread-like hair until the child calmed down. ¡°Your friends are so mean. Right?¡± ¡°¡­Not my friends.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°A person who bullies others is not a friend¡­¡± ¡°Oh, yes. You shouldn¡¯t be friends with people who bully you .¡± So what if the bully is a family member? Suddenly, Astell had that thought. She couldn¡¯t leave them because they¡¯re her family. On the contrary, she was the one who tried to keep herself from being abandoned by them. But all that always came back to her was hurtful words and cold looks. But this child¡¯s circumstances were different from hers. The mask gave her courage to say things she would not have been able to say if this was a normal situation, and she said words that were possible because the person before her was a very young child. ¡°If they bother you again later, take it seriously.¡± ¡°What?¡± She felt the blue eyes turn in surprise at the unexpected words. ¡°You¡¯re not even friends, so who cares? Just make sure they never bother you again. Understand?¡± Astell actually told the child to do the actions that she really wanted to do, but she could never do. ¡°Otherwise, they¡¯re going to look down on you more and more. So you only have to be brave once.¡± ¡°¡­What do I do if I¡¯m afraid?¡± ¡°If you are afraid¡­? Like today, I will protect you. Trust me.¡± Astell smiled brightly as she said that. That was then. Near her, Astell heard her sister¡¯s voice calling her. With a sigh, Astell hurriedly patted the child¡¯s head once more to get back, then turned around. However, the child grabbed Astell¡¯s skirt. ¡°What¡­ is your name?¡± ¡°Astell, it¡¯s Astell Heines.¡± ¡°Astell¡­¡± The child said her name in a hushed, quiet voice. He kept repeating Astell¡¯s name as if he wanted to make sure he¡¯d never forget it. And that was the true first meeting that Bleon remembered all along. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 25 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 25 After recalling the memory, I looked at him in amazement and said, ¡°At that time, the child in the puppy mask was the Duke¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Perhaps it was because he knew I couldn¡¯t remember, so there wasn¡¯t much disappointment in Bleon¡¯s eyes. But he did look a little sad. ¡°After that, when I met the children who had been tormenting me again, I mustered up the courage and did what Wife said. Then they really didn¡¯t bother me after that.¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s fortunate.¡± ¡°After all, Wife is always right.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because the Duke acted courageously.¡± ¡°That courage was also given to me by you, Wife. If I had not met you that day, they would have continued bullying me.¡± ¡°But not just anyone can do such a brave thing. I actually told the Duke that, but I couldn¡¯t.¡± Bleon, who knew what I meant, looked at me without saying a word and kissed my forehead lightly. ¡°Now I will protect you. So you won¡¯t get hurt anymore.¡± Bleon¡¯s words brought a sense of dread. As I recalled all the moments when Astell had been indescribably lonely, the pain and suffering passed onto me. And finally, tears welled up in my eyes. Bleon ran a thumb across my eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡­¡± ¡°¡­I¡¯m not crying.¡± ¡°If Wife cries, I will die because it hurts so much here.¡± Then Bleon took my hand and put it over his heart. Somehow, his heart was beating as fast as mine was before. I felt that he was not so different from me, so as soon as I felt Bleon¡¯s heartbeat with my hand, the strange tingling feeling gradually stabilized. What was this feeling? Did these feelings for him belong to Astell¡­ or were they mine? I tried to deny that Astell¡¯s feelings were assimilated with mine, but I was starting to get more and more confused. But that didn¡¯t make me feel complicated. I just wanted to accept it, whatever it was. Whether they were my feelings or Astell¡¯s. ¡°¡­Can I kiss your eyes?¡± And Bleon approached me again, determined to cause a further ripple within my agitated heart. ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t?¡± A man who had heard many rejections from me until now was asking me carefully as always. Maybe on another day, if it weren¡¯t for today, I wouldn¡¯t have allowed him. But today was special. Because it was today, because it had to be today, I meekly nodded my head. ¡°¡­You can.¡± As the words of permission fell on his ears, Bleon¡¯s face came closer to mine. And his soft lips gently landed on my eyelids. My heart, which had been beating before, started to beat faster and faster, but at the same time, my mood became soft enough to put a smile on my lips. Bleon couldn¡¯t take his lips off my eyes for quite some time, and I kept my eyes closed until he was satisfied. And when the touch of his lips finally fell, some embarrassment came in and I hugged his neck tightly. This was purely from the shame of not wanting to show him my blushing face, I rationalized to myself. ¡°¡­Now go to sleep.¡± Bleon smirked at my actions, then gently stroked my red hair as if counting the number of times he caressed me carefully one by one. ¡°We have to go to bed now because we have a long way to go tomorrow.¡± I quickly urged Bleon to sleep. ¡°¡­I know. Good night, Wife.¡± Fortunately, he didn¡¯t say anything further. ¡°¡­Sleep well, my husband.¡± And we fell asleep like that, and that day was the first warm and cozy night here. * * * When I woke up the next day, Bleon was still holding me in his arms, watching me as he waited for me to wake up. ¡°Are you awake, Wife?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Did you sleep well? How is your body?¡± Bleon asked me about my condition, and it was only then that I felt somehow heavy and stiff. It was probably because I hadn¡¯t moved in hours. However, if I had to endure only one more day, we¡¯d arrive at our destination. That¡¯s why I tried to hide my expression as much as possible to avoid worrying about Bleon and pretended it was nothing. ¡°I¡¯m okay. It¡¯s not bad. What about the Duke?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine. But¡­ Are you really okay?¡± It must have been difficult from the beginning to deceive him, who was always watching me obsessively. ¡°Actually, I feel a bit unwell, but I can bear it.¡± So instead of deceiving him, I just told the truth. And it was also true that it was tolerable. ¡°Would you like to rest one more day?¡± ¡°No. I can bear it.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± It seemed that the words would never end, so I grabbed his cheeks with both hands, made eye contact, and said in a firm voice. ¡°If it¡¯s really difficult, I¡¯ll tell you then. Let¡¯s just hurry up and get ready.¡± As I spoke, Bleon nodded his head slightly, unable to remove his worried eyes. ¡°Alright¡­ But if it¡¯s really hard, you have to tell me right away.¡± ¡°Yes. Of course.¡± So, after a light meal, we all departed for Kren together, and the atmosphere in the carriage was sweeter than yesterday, perhaps because I felt that I had gotten closer to Bleon. He was meticulous, constantly checking to see if I was okay or if I was in any pain, and I didn¡¯t hate his attention either. We satiated our hunger by eating the bread and drink that Bleon bought yesterday. However, I was still not in a good physical condition, so my back and buttocks started to hurt because of having to sit in a running carriage all the time. The carriage seats were padded with animal fur and leather, but the road was uneven, so it seemed to be caused by the constant shocks to my behind. ¡°Ha¡­¡± The pain didn¡¯t go away, so I let out a sigh. And Bleon, who didn¡¯t take his eyes off me, noticed my discomfort again. ¡°Wife, are you having a hard time?¡± ¡°That¡­ It¡¯s a little hard to sit still.¡± ¡°Shall we go get some rest?¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s only a short trip away, but if it gets too dark after resting, the road at night will be dangerous.¡± We planned to arrive within today and had to go two more hours, so I had been more patient on this road. But once I was conscious of it, the pain got worse and worse, and it was hard to keep my face straight. ¡°Wife.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Bleon called me in a pretty serious voice. ¡°Wife, I can¡¯t see you having a hard time anymore. We¡¯ll pass by a village soon, so let¡¯s stay one day there and leave tomorrow. That, or¡­¡± Seeing him pause for a while, I thought he was going to say something serious again, so I was nervous for nothing. ¡°I¡¯ll hold you.¡± Again, unexpected words came out of his mouth. ¡°No, it¡¯s not necessary¡­ I can endure it.¡± ¡°Then we will rest one day in the next village. I will tell them that.¡± However, Bleon didn¡¯t take my patience into consideration at all in his options. ¡°Wait!¡± I stopped Bleon from talking to the knights outside. And quickly shook my head. Although it had been a few hours, I was in pain like this, and I couldn¡¯t tell how much longer I could stand it. However, taking an extra day off in the village would waste unnecessary time and money. But that wasted time was not only for me but for everyone who was moving with me now. Then it would be better to rely on the one closest to me. ¡°¡­Hold me.¡± After reaching that conclusion, I was embarrassed and ashamed, and in a small voice I reached out to him and asked him to hold me. Because he was tall and strong, Bleon hugged me very lightly. I reflexively hugged his neck slightly. ¡°I¡¯m not heavy¡­?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not heavy at all.¡± Bleon whispered in my ear in a soft voice. ¡°So, relax. If you tense up like this, you will have muscle pain later on.¡± ¡°But¡­!¡± Again, I felt a firm center around my hips and waist. ¡°This is unavoidable, so don¡¯t worry, Wife. I¡¯m sorry that I am like this even though my wife is sick¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± I had nothing to say, so I was silent for a moment. Suddenly, I felt the carriage¡¯s interior felt warmer. ¡°I think it¡¯s a little hot because we¡¯re together. I¡¯ll just sit down on the cushion and I¡¯ll just have to be patient.¡± I wriggled to get out of his embrace using the heat as an excuse. ¡°No. I¡¯ll fan you, so stay here.¡± However, Bleon showed his will not to let me go once I was in his arms and fanned me with his other arm that wasn¡¯t wrapped around my back. ¡°Is it better?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± There was no reason not to be cool when a strong man was fanning me. I nodded slightly and buried my head in his chest. As I was embracing Bleon instead, my back and hips did not hurt anymore. However, the uncomfortable body condition was still there, as if someone was pressing on my shoulder. That¡¯s why, as Bleon gently touched my back, my drowsiness rushed through. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t sleep¡­¡± But I was already nodding away without realizing it. ¡°Sleep. We will be there when you wake up.¡± And those were the last words I heard from Bleon before I went to sleep, and at some point, I fell into a deep slumber. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 26 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 26 ¡®Haa, hmngh!¡¯ ¡®Wife¡­!¡¯ ¡®B-Bleon!¡¯ Bleon was looking down at me, buried in the soft sheets, a fire in his eyes as our bodies were so close that not even a single piece of paper could slip through between us. ¡®Haaa, Wife¡­¡¯ ¡®Mmmh, mngh, ha, harder¡­!¡¯ And as if my request was a switch in him, Bleon¡¯s waist began to move violently, so much more differently than it did before. ¡®Hmmh, aanggh, harder! Hnnngg!¡¯ ¡®Wife¡­!¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t, don¡¯t let me think of, ahngh, anything, please! Mmmh!¡¯ As his member frantically thrusted into me, I couldn¡¯t think of anything other than what I was feeling right now. I just wanted to be like this, to be engulfed in pleasure in his arms. ¡®Hnngh, more! Mmhh¡­!¡¯ ¡®Huek, Wife, is it good¡­?¡¯ ¡®Mmngh, haanggh, good, so, good! Mmmmh!¡¯ Then Bleon grabbed my hips, lifted it up and slammed it to his lower body. And maybe he hadn¡¯t been going all the way in until now, so I could feel that he had come deeper into my inner walls. While his manhood filled me tightly, my insides welcomed his intrusion and repeatedly convulsed and sucked his pillar. ¡®Hagh, ahng! Aaangh!¡¯ ¡®Huk, Astell¡­!¡± My walls began to tremble like crazy as he pounded into me like crazy, and I felt an extreme pleasure that gradually consumed me. Even though he knew I had reached my climax, Bleon¡¯s movements didn¡¯t slow down at all. He continued to thrust inside with an unstoppable vigor. He continued to call my name in an exhilarating groan, and I moaned back with pleasure in tune with his movements. And as I felt desperate, as if I could never get away from him, I wrapped my arms around Bleon¡¯s neck. However, the moment my sight, which had been blurred by passion, became clear, a face that was strangely more mature than the Bleon I knew entered my vision. Then, I lost consciousness as I felt a terrible sensation in his arms that I couldn¡¯t bear. * * * ¡°Are you awake?¡± I felt a hand caressing my hair, and a low but affectionate voice filled my ears. I lay on my side with a puzzled expression and looked up at Bleon holding me. Then he touched a lock of hair that was on my forehead and tucked it behind my ear. ¡®What?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t tell if it was just a dream or reality. But in an instant, my heart sank again and started pounding without mercy. ¡°¡­Hmm.¡± ¡®I¡¯m awake.¡¯ As I answered, I woke up and opened my eyes in a hurry, seeing him wearing clothes. And only then did I feel the condition of my body under the blanket. Obviously, I was also wearing clothes, and no matter how much I looked around, there was no sign of a physical entanglement. ¡®Phew.¡¯ It was a dream. In a dream that seemed so real, the area between my legs was wet. I couldn¡¯t help it. ¡®It¡¯s such a dirty dream.¡¯Also with Bleon¡­ I had never thought of it like that with Bleon, so I felt a bit of guilt. However¡­ Seeing him in my dream was a bit strange. I glanced at Bleon suddenly. ¡®Right. He looked a little older than he does right now.¡¯ It¡¯s not by a lot, but in my dream, he looked a year or two older than he did now. ¡®What?¡¯ I¡¯ve never had such a dream before, and it was so strange. As I recalled the dream, a moment of embarrassment came over me, and it was difficult to make eye contact with Bleon. So I bowed my head, decided to think more about it when I was alone later, and opened my mouth. ¡°What time is it now?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still nighttime¡­¡± ¡°Oh, I see.¡± Wait a minute. Obviously, I was in the carriage before¡­ ¡°Have I been sleeping since we were in the carriage?¡± ¡°Yes. You fell asleep and it was too hard to wake you up, so I carried you into the room and laid you on the bed.¡± ¡°Then here¡­¡± It must be the Duchy¡¯s mansion in Hares. ¡°Wife sent the servants in advance, so the mansion was neatly organized.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s a relief.¡± My heart, which had been beating without end since I woke up, showed no sign of calming down. Therefore, I tried not to make eye contact with Bleon to the extent that it was unnatural for anyone to see. ¡°Are you still in pain? Fortunately, you don¡¯t have a fever¡­¡± After that, I slept soundly, so I wasn¡¯t in a bad condition. But as Bleon put a hand on my forehead, I overreacted to his touch. Without realizing it, I avoided his hand and moved my head back. It was because I remembered the heat that had touched all over my body in my dream. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ I¡¯m okay now.¡± ¡°¡­Why.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± But somehow, Bleon¡¯s voice seemed to have sunk, so I squinted a little and looked at him. And maybe it wasn¡¯t an illusion, his expression was dark and subdued. ¡°Is Bleon hurt, too?¡± I could have just let it slip, but somehow I couldn¡¯t bear to not be concerned about every single one of his reactions. Bleon stared at me for a moment. But when our eyes met like that, the dream came back vividly, and I averted my eyes in embarrassment. ¡°¡­You¡¯re avoiding me.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°Wife¡­ After waking up, you keep avoiding my eyes, refusing to touch me, and not seeing my face properly¡­¡± Bleon was sad, and I heard a tremble in his voice. ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°What else did I do wrong¡­?¡± ¡°No! It¡¯s not like that!¡± I hurriedly denied it because I was afraid he would apologize to me again. ¡°Then why¡­?¡± ¡°That¡­¡± I looked at him with a puzzled expression. How can I say that I did this and that with you in a dream, but just looking at you reminds me of that feeling and heat. Why did that dream feel so real? I had never done anything like that with him, but it felt like I really did it with him. And¡­ Why was Bleon¡¯s appearance more mature there than it was now? Anyway, if my dream was based on Astell¡¯s memories, then Bleon¡¯s appearance should have been similar to how he looked now. Because her memories ended when I took possession of her body. However, in the dream, Bleon¡¯s face was a little different from the way he is now. If so, was the dream created by my imagination? If not¡­ ¡°Wife¡­?¡± I snapped out of my thoughts at the sound of him calling me, barely focusing on Bleon¡¯s eyes. But I could feel that his gaze was full of anxiety, perhaps because of my attitude and reaction. ¡°So that¡¯s, uh¡­¡± It really wasn¡¯t like me. I always used to talk to Bleon without hesitation, but today, I couldn¡¯t immediately think of an excuse. ¡®What should I say?¡¯ What could I say to Bleon without him getting hurt? My behavior now must have been strange to anyone who¡¯d see me, so the person who was always watching me would have noticed it more alertly. And listening to Bleon, he thought I was rejecting him. Of course, it wasn¡¯t a day or two that I refused him when he came onto me, but anyway, I didn¡¯t want him to be hurt by these little things now. Therefore, a good excuse was needed to overcome this situation. I searched for something to say quietly, finally figured it out, and opened my mouth. ¡°Sorry. It was because I had a strange dream.¡± ¡°A strange dream?¡± ¡°Mm. It was a dream.¡± I replied with an apologetic smile. ¡°You said that you had a strange dream last time, so what¡¯s wrong with Wife¡¯s dreams lately¡­¡± Fortunately, Bleon¡¯s eyes suddenly changed to worry as if he was deceived by my words. ¡°So that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°Can I ask what your dream was?¡± ¡°Huh? No. Bleon would feel bad if he heard it.¡± I shuddered on purpose, as if I had a really terrible and horrific dream. ¡°I want to hear¡­ Did anyone hurt my wife?¡± Although it was a dream, I did not want to imagine it, so Bleon¡¯s expression was terribly distorted. ¡®Hurt me¡­ More than that¡­¡¯ It was so strange to me that I was constantly making connections with things I had dreamed of, so I hurriedly came to my senses. ¡°Yes. It was kind of like that. Let¡¯s stop talking about dreams now. I don¡¯t want to think about it anymore. And my husband should only see and hear good things.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 27 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 27 Having said that, I raised my lips slightly and reached out to stroke his soft hair. Bleon¡¯s face lit up with relief, probably because I had been avoiding him until now. Then Bleon suddenly took the hand I used to stroke his head, and he brought it to his lips. However, at the touch of Bleon¡¯s lips, I vividly recalled the same feeling I had in my dream, and my body flinched slightly. ¡®These lips¡­¡¯ Again. And the dream was replaying in my head without even stopping. ¡°Yes. I want to know everything about my wife, but you don¡¯t want me to pry, so I won¡¯t ask anymore. But the next time you have such a dream, tell me right away. Okay?¡± ¡°Okay. I will.¡± I nodded and smiled awkwardly. ¡°Ah, Wife. Are you hungry? You only ate some bread in the carriage earlier and didn¡¯t eat anything else.¡± I hadn¡¯t felt hungry until recently, but Bleon¡¯s words made me hungry all of a sudden. ¡°Now that you mention it, I¡¯m feeling a little famished.¡± Before I could finish saying this, Bleon got up from the bed and headed somewhere. I just stared blankly at his back as he did so. Bleon strode forward and paused for a moment in front of the table, and after a moment, he turned back while holding a tray of food in his hands. ¡°I didn¡¯t know when Wife would wake up, so I had it ready¡­ But it¡¯s all cold¡­¡± Bleon frowned slightly as if he was quite dissatisfied with that. ¡°Wait a little bit longer, as I will ask the employees to reheat the food again.¡± Then he smiled for me not to worry and tried to ring the bell near the bed. ¡°No. I¡¯ll just eat it.¡± ¡°How could I feed my wife cold food¡­¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. And since it¡¯s nighttime, I¡¯ll eat just a little and go back to sleep.¡± Looking out the window, the moon was the highest in the dark evening sky. That meant that the people who worked here were also sleeping. It wasn¡¯t like I didn¡¯t have anything to eat. In fact, there was a lot of food, and I didn¡¯t want to wake them just because the food was a little cold. ¡°Give it here.¡± I sat up on the bed and reached out to Bleon. He came closer to the bed with a slightly stiff expression on his face as if he was still reluctant to feed me cold food. ¡°Wife¡­¡± Bleon stood still in front of the bed holding the tray, perhaps to ask me to reconsider. ¡°It¡¯s really okay. I can eat something tastier for breakfast.¡± ¡°Ha¡­ Okay.¡± Bleon soon resigned, so he sat down on the edge of the bed and set the tray down. On the tray was a stew topped with meat, some bread, and fruit and wine. ¡°Wow! It looks delicious.¡± To moisten my throat, I first reached for a glass of wine and took a sip, savoring the taste. ¡°Mm, this wine is delicious. Have you eaten, Bleon?¡± ¡°¡­No.¡± Of course, I thought that Bleon would have already eaten so I asked him, but the answer was no. ¡°What? Why haven¡¯t you eaten?¡± ¡°Wife hasn¡¯t yet, so how can I eat alone¡­¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t eat because I was asleep. You could have eaten first.¡± He wanted to eat together with me, so he waited even though he was hungry. And it was only now that it caught my eye that there were two glasses and two dishes on the tray. ¡°You could have eaten while it was still warm. Why did you skip a meal?¡± ¡°I like any food with my wife.¡± ¡°Still¡­¡± ¡°Let¡¯s eat together now.¡± With that said, Bleon tore some bread, dipped it in the stew, and put it to my lips. ¡°Here now, Wife, ah¡ª¡± The first time I ate with Bleon, I told him that we shouldn¡¯t feed each other like this anymore because it made me uncomfortable. But even though he said that he understood, whenever he had a chance, he was eager to feed me while saying it was fine. I was reluctant to play like this, as though it was children¡¯s play, but now I was getting more and more enamored with this eating style. Today, he continued to offer me bread, and I reflexively opened my mouth to eat it, then I leaned my head back for a moment. I took the bread he had offered in my hand and, contrary to usual, put the bread to his mouth. ¡°I will feed you.¡± Actually, what I did was a bit of a joke. I did it knowing that Bleon would feel even the slightest bit of surprise, but his next move was unexpected. Rather, he was moved by my actions, his eyes lit up with emotion, and he shamelessly took the bread in my hand and took a bite of it without looking embarrassed at all. ¡°It¡¯s so delicious, Wife.¡± Then, as if it was really delicious, he chewed on the bread with a happy smile on his face. ¡°Is it that tasty?¡± ¡°Yes. Especially since Wife fed it to me, it tastes so much better.¡± I was curious about the taste as he was eating so deliciously, so I thought I should try it. I paused for a moment, then meekly opened my mouth and took the bread that Bleon had offered to me and ate it. ¡°It¡¯s delicious.¡± The bread was plain, but the flavor of the stew was full of meat flavor and was good and soft, so even though it wasn¡¯t warm anymore, it was tastier than I expected. ¡°Wife, I¡¯m done eating.¡± While I was chewing and savoring the taste, Bleon opened his mouth as he called me, waiting for him to be fed again. I didn¡¯t hate it, so I gave him another piece of the stew-dipped bread. So, after a meal that must have been quite unfamiliar to anyone who saw it, we sat side by side on the sofa to digest for a while. ¡°Where shall we go tomorrow?¡± The reason I came to Hares, as I told Bleon before, was a kind of excursion and exploration. After figuring out what the capital of the empire was like, and whether it was a place to explore and live, I decided to move here. There was still nothing to be done here, so we just had to move freely and go wherever we wanted to go. I had thought about several places in advance, but before that, if there was a place that Bleon wanted to go, it would be good to go, so I asked him. ¡°¡­I will only follow where my wife goes.¡± I was wondering just in case, so I asked, but this was the expected answer. ¡°Is there no place you want to go?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I kept repeating the same thing to him over and over, saying that if he thought about it, there must be a place. ¡°No¡­¡± ¡°But you¡¯re back here after a long time, so think about it.¡± ¡°¡­Alright, I will.¡± However, for some reason, Bleon¡¯s voice seemed to have no vigor. ¡°Are you anxious?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Judging from the last conversation, I knew what he was worried about. Bleon continued to show his dislike of coming to Hares, so it was evident that he was still not very interested in the place. I still don¡¯t fully understand Bleon, but I¡¯ve decided to stop pushing him my way. In the end, I didn¡¯t get what I was hoping for. I realized that I had an arrogant belief in the future that I knew, and so I expected that this person sitting in front of me would act according to my predictions. But in the end, it was futile. So now I have decided to accept the way he acted as I see, hear, and feel at the moment. Of course, Astell¡¯s memories¡ªthe contents of the novel I read¡ªstill occupied my head. Even so, it was not useless information at all, so I¡¯ll be able to retrieve them from time to time in the future and use them when needed. However, right now, this information was only secondary to me, not the most important anymore. After thinking this, I turned to the side and moved closer to Bleon, staring intently into his blue eyes. He told me that those long, long ten years, when only each other was everything, was not a terrible time but a happy and precious time for him. That¡¯s why I had to respect him and take a closer look at his heart when it came to his feelings of insecurity. ¡°Even if I¡¯ll always be by your side?¡± And this was the best way to convince him. Although there were times when I thought that I had to leave Bleon and file for a divorce, leaving him didn¡¯t mean much to me now, and there was no need for a divorce either. That¡¯s why I had to make it clear to him that I wouldn¡¯t leave him anymore, unless my heart was reluctant to be with him. So if he needed me, I would always be by his side. ¡°How about if wherever we are, wherever we go, whoever we are with, we¡¯ll always be together?¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Click here for more advanced chapters! Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 28 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 28 As if surprised by my words, his eyes widened for a moment, his lips parted slightly. ¡°What?¡± And even though he must have heard it correctly, he asked me again. ¡°We will continue to be together in the future. So don¡¯t worry now.¡± After saying that, I got up and held him into my arms. When I hugged him, Bleon was stunned because he couldn¡¯t understand the situation, so he kept his body upright and quietly received my embrace. Then, quickly, he grabbed my waist tightly and dug deeper into my arms. ¡°Wife¡­¡± Bleon¡¯s voice trembled slightly. ¡°My wife is really nice¡­¡± At his cute and lovely confession, a heartwarming laughter leaked out. While holding him with a smile on my lips, Bleon suddenly pulled away from and met my eyes. But his eyes were burning fiercely. ¡°So¡­ You mean you¡¯ll never leave me? Right?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t leave until you die, or even after you die, will you?¡± Bleon kept asking me to confirm as if he still couldn¡¯t believe it. But, how can I not leave even after I die? When I die, it¡¯s all over¡­ I tilted my head slightly as I wondered whether that would be so important, and I answered in an affirmative way because I was afraid that my sincerity that I just uttered would fade if I said otherwise. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ll stay. So, let¡¯s get rid of our anxiety now.¡± ¡°Haa¡­ I¡¯ll try.¡± Bleon sighed deeply in relief and pulled me back into his arms again. ¡°You remember what I told you after I was sick for a week?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°At that time, I was thinking of leaving you because of all my guilt. I felt so sorry towards you.¡± For a moment, I felt Bleon hugging me tighter. Perhaps it was because I mentioned leaving. I hurriedly continued with the next words. ¡°Of course, I still feel sorry towards you. It will probably not go away for the rest of my life, and I will never forget it.¡± ¡°¡­Don¡¯t do that.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want my wife to feel guilty or sorry for me.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Anyway, Astell did so many things. How can I erase those feelings? Although it wasn¡¯t what I did, now that I¡¯m Astell, it¡¯s meaningless to point and ask who did it. And as Astell, I should continue to apologize to him and ask for forgiveness. In order for our relationship to be stronger than it was now, I thought that it would be better to face the wounds and let it heal and grow new flesh over it¡ªrather than pretending to ignore the wounds and turning a blind eye. ¡°I don¡¯t like things like this that occupy a part of Wife¡¯s heart. I want Wife to have only love for me. So just love me. Please.¡± I can¡¯t believe he doesn¡¯t want Astell to even make room for pity and guilt towards him¡­ Will I ever be able to understand how Bleon feels for Astell? I suddenly thought that from the point of view of the person asking for forgiveness. When the person who was in the position to forgive was talking like this, the thought crossed my mind that Bleon was spitting out things that he didn¡¯t want to, just to make me comfortable. ¡®He doesn¡¯t like it, so should I stop?¡¯ Okay. Let¡¯s brush it off. Let go of the past and focus on the present now. Every time I see Bleon acting withdrawn or scrutinizing me, I¡¯ll feel like I¡¯ve made him that way again, but I thought I¡¯d better end it directly by apologizing, or to erase my apology to him. ¡°If you think so, I will try harder in the future.¡± ¡°Thank you, Wife¡­¡± ¡°No, I¡¯m more grateful. Why is my husband so kind?¡± It was a bit strange to describe Bleon¡¯s behavior with kind words, but anyway, there must be a good heart in him to ease another person¡¯s uncomfortable feelings. I barely pulled my arms out of Bleon and wrapped them around his broad back. And like a habit, I patted Bleon¡¯s large body. ¡°I am kind¡­?¡± ¡°Yes, you¡¯re kind.¡± ¡°¡­If I am kind, I should be rewarded¡­¡± ¡°Huh?¡± ¡°¡­That¡¯s what Wife said. If I do good, I¡¯ll be rewarded. And if I do bad, I will be punished¡­¡± ¡°Did¡­ I?¡± Maybe? Fortunately, I wasn¡¯t facing Bleon, so he didn¡¯t notice how flustered I was at that moment. I quickly skimmed my memories. Now that I have searched for these memories a few times, I was able to easily find what I needed. ¡®Bleon.¡¯ Astell looked down at him, calling out Bleon¡¯s name harshly. He was still a young child, not yet reaching Astell¡¯s shoulders. ¡®If you do good deeds, you will be rewarded, and if you do bad deeds, you will be punished. Do you understand?¡¯ With those words, Astell constantly listed things that Bleon should not do, and Bleon nodded, concentrating on only Astell. After returning to the present, I opened my mouth. ¡°That was when you were young.¡± I can¡¯t believe he was told that he needed to do good deeds to get rewarded when he was that young¡­ How can this kid really be so pure? He remembered the words I said when he was a child, but those words were spoken in order to abuse him under the guise of discipline. And yet, it was brought up in this way. ¡®Your body is already this big¡­¡¯ Although his clothes were blocking his way, I could clearly feel his chiseled back under the palm of my hand. ¡®More than that, what is hidden under these clothes¡­ ¡® Oh, I remembered it again. The dream was so intense and vivid that whenever I had a chance, the contents of the dream kept scattered in my head. ¡®Let¡¯s not think about it. Let¡¯s not think about it.¡¯ Please don¡¯t think about it. Why do I have to dream like that and keep bothering myself? I swear I¡¯ve never thought of it like that against Bleon. Of course, when I first met him I saw it, and it was the same when he had to strip for his treatment with Philia. The thought crossed my mind that I wanted to touch him, but it was the same feeling as wanting to touch Bleon because of his pretty face. I¡¯ve never thought of doing something like that in my dreams, nor have I ever dreamed of doing it with him. ¡®Get yourself together.¡¯ I closed my eyes tightly and opened them again, clearing my mind. ¡°Yes. When I was a kid¡­ So¡­¡± Bleon seemed to have more things to say, so I waited for him. And while I was thinking that Bleon was still a long way from becoming an adult, he whispered in my ear with words that betrayed my expectations. ¡°I have to get adult rewards now that I¡¯m an adult¡­? Wife¡­?¡± Adult¡­? As soon as I instantly understood what Bleon meant, my body immediately tensed up. Because of that, I let out a long exhale, realizing that I had stopped breathing for a moment. And for a moment, it was ridiculous, so I laughed a little. Pure? For a moment, I thought he was pure, someone who was thinking like him was pure. I wanted to hit my head. Well, as I reflect on the past days with him, Bleon has been constantly doing things that have a sexual meaning to me. It would have been better if this kid hadn¡¯t yet known about such a relationship between a man and a woman, but Bleon in my memory learned a lot from Astell and did better than he learned. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ With the decision to accept Bleon, this problem was no longer unavoidable. But Bleon obviously won¡¯t force me if I don¡¯t want to. I could be sure of that. He has been earnestly pleading for his body not to move according to his will and the desire to touch me, but nevertheless, he never touched me unless my permission was given. Perhaps today, if I say no, he will step down. But as he noticed what I was thinking, Bleon began to gently caress my back. ¡°Wife¡­¡± His voice seemed to have grown even deeper than before. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to give me a reward?¡± ¡°¡­What reward would you like to receive?¡± ¡°Anything my wife gives is good. I like everything¡­¡± Bleon took a long breath. Perhaps he seemed to be waiting for me to notice first and be willing to speak, even if he didn¡¯t say anything. When it caught my eye that he was more nervous than me, I suddenly felt a little mischievous. The corners of my lips tugged up slightly, and I opened my mouth. ¡°Do you really like everything I give you?¡± ¡°¡­Yes. But¡­¡± ¡°But?¡± ¡°No¡­ I like everything. Haa¡­¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Click here for more advanced chapters! Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 29 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 29 Bleon exhaled, probably frustrated because I kept changing the subject. Again, I¡¯m canceling the thought that he¡¯s not pure. Bleon looked so cute and innocent when he couldn¡¯t get something he wanted so easily. After thinking for a moment, I released the arm that was holding. Then I pushed Bleon back slightly on his shoulder to pull away from him. His handsome face filled my vision. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a reward now.¡± With something interesting going to happen soon, I could feel my voice inadvertently rising at the excitement I felt. I tried hard to stop the corners of my lips from going up. ¡°Are you ready to receive your reward?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Then close your eyes.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°If you close your eyes, I will give you your reward.¡± Bleon¡¯s face, which had a questionable expression for about a second when I told him to close his eyes, suddenly changed to a look full of anticipation. Then, he gently closed his eyes. After admiring his handsome face for a moment, I carefully covered Bleon¡¯s eyes with both hands. His face heated up slightly, and I could clearly feel the heat in my palms. Without delay, I went straight to Bleon¡¯s face. Kiss¡ª I heard the distinct sound of a kiss as I pulled away from Bleon¡¯s forehead, waiting for him to open his eyes. And again, as I expected, after receiving an award in its own way, Bleon, who opened his eyes, had a look of disappointment for a moment, but it then disappeared. I, on the other hand, was so happy with his reaction because it was exactly what I expected, so with a broad smile, I spoke. ¡°Do you like your reward?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Bleon didn¡¯t answer. ¡°You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°¡­No. I like it¡­¡­¡± I could see that Bleon hastily lowered his eyes, not wanting to show me his disappointed face. ¡®Cute.¡¯ Why is this kid¡¯s behavior so cute when he answers with a sulky face and voice? ¡°You liked it, but why are you looking like this¡­?¡± It was so much more fun than I thought. So, with the intention of teasing Bleon a little more, I pretended not to know anything, and spoke with a sad tone. ¡°What? No, no, I liked it, Wife¡­!¡± Then Bleon began to apologize urgently, thinking that his actions had offended me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I must have been out of my mind for a second. It¡¯s nice just being with my wife like this¡­¡± Bleon cried. Huh? This wasn¡¯t the reaction I wanted¡­ Bleon easily gave up his opinion on other things, but he was stubborn about this issue, such as asking me to kiss him, hug him, or sleep with him. So I thought he would definitely insist on what he wanted with a shriveled look, but I didn¡¯t expect him to humble himself in this way. ¡°It was a joke!¡± I hurriedly rectified the situation, fearing that more unnecessary words would come out of his lips. Bleon¡¯s eyes widened sharply at my words, and embarrassment filled his face. ¡°It was a joke, Bleon.¡± ¡°A¡­ joke?¡± ¡°Yes. Bleon is so cute that my mischievous side activated in an instant.¡± I involuntarily smirked at him, trying to change the mood that had sunk to serious and gloomy. ¡°My little joke¡­ Was it too much?¡± Saying that, I looked at Bleon¡¯s expression, and he was still looking like trying to figure out what the hell was going on. ¡°Haa¡­ What a relief. I was afraid that Wife would be disappointed with me and abandon me¡­¡± Then, after a while, his hardened expression softened slightly, and Bleon gave an expression of relief. But I couldn¡¯t keep the smile on my face anymore as I heard Bleon¡¯s words. ¡°Why are you thinking like that? I said I wouldn¡¯t leave.¡± Feeling sorry for making Bleon think bad again just to play a prank, I emphasized to him again. ¡°That¡­ I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m doing this¡­¡± ¡°Bleon¡­¡± ¡°Even though Wife said she wouldn¡¯t abandon me, this anxiety just can¡¯t go away¡­¡± The expression on Bleon¡¯s expression as he said that was so desperate that I couldn¡¯t keep looking at his face. So, comforting him, I hugged him tightly and hid my expression. ¡°Now don¡¯t think such bad thoughts. What should I do? How can I soothe your worries?¡± Accompanied by guilt for making him hurt again after playing a prank, I wanted to help him if there was really anything I could do. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Wife¡­¡± ¡°No. It¡¯s not your fault. So don¡¯t apologize to me. I¡¯m sorry. I shouldn¡¯t have played such a prank on you, but I¡¯m sorry.¡± A burst of intense emotions erupted, but I stroked Bleon¡¯s hair and waited for his heart to settle before mine. We hugged each other like that for about ten minutes as I tried to comfort Bleon. ¡°Are you okay now?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°What reward does Bleon want to receive?¡± And unlike before, this time I stared with a really serious expression. ¡°Tell me honestly. If it¡¯s something I can do, I will do it.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± However, Bleon was still hesitating about something, so he did not speak easily. ¡°Hm? Tell me.¡± I urged him carefully. ¡°¡­I want to¡­ kiss¡­¡­¡± ¡°Kiss?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ Not on the forehead¡­¡± Bleon added hastily, fearing that if he said kissing again, it would be taken as a forehead kiss. Phew¡­ I inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. It was a much lower tamer request than I had imagined before. Looking back, it seemed that somehow, I¡¯m the one having strange thoughts. ¡®It¡¯s just a kiss¡­¡¯ Up until now, I¡¯ve given him a hug without hesitation, and a few simple kisses other than the lips, but with the feelings I have for him now, I would happily kiss him. And maybe it¡¯s because I did something worse than this in a dream I just had, so I had a bit more courage. ¡°Okay¡­¡± I didn¡¯t mean to do this, but because of how we¡¯re sitting together, I whispered a positive answer in his ear, and as soon as Bleon heard the answer, he quickly put his lips to the nape of my neck. ¡°Mmh¡­¡± A moan erupted from me at the unexpected contact. ¡°¡­You said kiss¡­¡± As Bleon kept wandering to places other than my lips, I lifted my head. But his eyes were burning with passion. ¡®It is similar to the eyes I saw in the dream.¡¯ ¡°I will kiss you¡­¡± And his voice was also subdued, perhaps because of a desire he couldn¡¯t express. ¡°¡­Can I?¡± But even so, he asked me for consent, as if he would never do it if I said no. I nodded slightly, and in response to my affirmative answer that I didn¡¯t hate it, Bleon hurriedly covered my cheeks and folded his lips over mine. ¡ª ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 30 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 30 At first, Bleon gently wrapped my lips with his and sucked gently. Then, even though I wanted to breathe, I didn¡¯t open my mouth at all, and I heard a brief sigh. I didn¡¯t mean to hurt him on purpose, so I gently opened my lips, but then Bleon hurriedly inserted his tongue into my mouth and began to stir inside. ¡°Mmh¡­!¡± His kiss was tenacious. As if to compensate for all the things he couldn¡¯t do before, there was no place in my mouth that he did not reach. His tongue swept through my teeth one by one, then mercilessly scraped the roof of my mouth, and finally began to grab and intertwine with my tongue as it went in. Another dream came to mind. Even in my dreams, he had been pouring kisses in such a way that felt dizzying and tickling. ¡°Haa¡­¡± ¡°Ha¡­¡± After some time passed, Bleon¡¯s lips moved away, and saliva whose owner couldn¡¯t be identified stretched out like a long thread. And long gasps escaped each other¡¯s mouths. Bleon moved a hand over my hair, which had been messed up because we were so absorbed in the kiss, with a gentle touch, and we looked into each other¡¯s eyes for a moment without breaking eye contact. I just scoffed at myself, who thought it was going to be just a kiss. And I corrected my thoughts again¡ªthe kiss I had with him in reality was stronger and more intense than what I had seen in my dreams. Suddenly, I looked down slightly to avoid his heated gaze, but his lips were messed up with saliva. So I raised my hand to clean it up, but before I could touch Bleon¡¯s lips, he placed his lips over mine again. ¡°Mm, Ble, mhh!¡± The kiss was more tenacious than the first, perhaps he wasn¡¯t satisfied with how it ended. But without realizing perhaps that I felt the same, I fell madly into the kiss with Bleon, and I got closer to him. For a moment, I lost my reason and started to caress Bleon¡¯s body more freely. My rational side said no and no, but in the end I lost to my desire. I couldn¡¯t stand not touching his hard, strong muscles, unlike my body that I felt on my fingertips, and I had the urge to touch more, or even more. However, as I continued to stay close to him, I felt it in my stomach, and at the same time, I was awakened as if I was covered in cold water. Only then did I realize what I was doing, hurriedly backed away and tried to pull my body away from Bleon. But Bleon was still engrossed in the kiss, holding my face and not letting go of my lips. I tapped him on the shoulder and signaled him to stop. Then his lips, which seemed unlikely to move away, fell from mine. Bleon stared at me with an expression that was full of regret, his eyes much redder than before. I smiled and opened my mouth to deliberately disturb the atmosphere of desire that was flowing between the two of us. ¡°Did you get a good reward?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Are you feeling better now?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± There was no answer to the question of whether he was feeling better, so I looked at him with eyes wondering why there was no answer. ¡°I think¡­ it¡¯s not good enough¡­¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t I do more¡­?¡± Just kissing for a few dozen minutes now isn¡¯t enough¡­ Bleon stared at me with a languid but delighted expression, trying to reverse the mood I had barely changed. ¡°But¡­¡± I put on a perplexed look on my face and lowered my gaze slightly so he could recognize it. ¡°If we do more here, can you bear it¡­?¡± Bleon recognized where my gaze had stopped and answered with a look of disappointment. ¡°¡­I can endure it.¡± But the answer was pretty confident. ¡°Really?¡± I asked him in a suspicious tone. It wasn¡¯t unbelievable considering the things he had endured until now, but at that time we weren¡¯t in contact with each other like this so I tilted my head. ¡°Actually¡­ I can¡¯t stand it¡­¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± I thought so. If we do more here, it seems that I would really lose to pleasure and jump him without thinking about anything. ¡°That¡¯s it for today. Okay?¡± Still, I was glad he told me first this time so I could end it here. ¡°Ha¡­ Okay.¡± Bleon let out a deep sigh with an answer that was dripping with regret. ¡°Should I go out for a while?¡± I was concerned about his condition, and I also asked him because he thought it would be better to get some air to calm the heat. ¡°No. I¡¯m fine.¡± He¡¯s not fine¡­ ¡°This¡­ Because it¡¯s unavoidable¡­ I¡¯ll endure it anyway, so please don¡¯t go out, Wife¡­¡± Seeing him say it so sadly, I had no choice but to nod. ¡°Thank you, Wife¡­¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll do it again while I¡¯m sleeping, right? I was a little worried because he had already done it before. ¡®Still, back then, it could be because of his weakness. He wasn¡¯t thinking rationally. Just like me.¡¯ Of course, he didn¡¯t take the drug either. ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°No, nothing.¡± Asking why he did that back then was an embarrassing and difficult question. And I stopped talking because it didn¡¯t seem right to have a conversation like this with Bleon any longer. ¡°Then shall we sleep now? We have to get around busy starting tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes. Let¡¯s go to sleep.¡± We got up from the sofa and walked over to the bed, and I tried not to look down as much as possible. I lay down on the bed first, and Bleon went to the other side and climbed onto the bed. Then he put his arms under my head as I lay down, pulled my body into his arms, and put the blanket over my neck. Hmm¡­ It¡¯s difficult. Can¡¯t it stop touching me? If we keep sleeping like this, it¡¯s impossible not to be conscious of it¡­ If Bleon had stroked my body without my permission, I would have told him to move away from me, but he just stood still as he could bear it. ¡®It¡¯ll subside gradually in a little while.¡¯ I pretended not to know about this anymore and decided to go to sleep. ¡°Wife. It¡¯s still a long way from morning, so get some sleep.¡± ¡°Mm. I¡¯m also getting sleepy. Good night.¡± ¡°Good night, Wife¡­¡± Bleon gently stroked my body so that I could fall asleep, and I fell into sleep little by little, feeling warm and tired. * * * It was a dream similar to the one I had before. After the second dream, I came to realize that even if I was inside my dreams, I could recognize that it was a dream. Because this was something that cannot happen in real life. The only difference from the dreams I had before was that, back then everything happened on a bed, but this time I was being held from the window, my body close to him. And the scenery outside the window was a very familiar place that I knew. ¡®Hnng, haaagh, AH!¡¯ His member relentlessly went in and out of me repeatedly from behind. I held onto the window as I bowed down, struggling to receive him as he entered deeply without an end to his motions. Bleon suddenly raised my lower back up. Then, the two hands, which supported my body all this time to withstand his thrusting from behind, fell from the window and they wandered, losing their way. At that time, Bleon¡¯s large, slender hands gripped my breasts, one hand gently pinching a nipple using the thumb and index finger, arousing me even more. ¡®Ahng, mmngh, Bleon!¡¯ ¡®Hagh, Wife¡­!¡¯ As pleasure surged from between my chest and between my legs at the same time, my insides got wetter and wetter, and the sound of our parts rubbing together echoed into my ears clearly. ¡®Ahh, hnnngh! Not from the ba, back, hold me!¡¯ Suddenly, I wanted to see Bleon¡¯s face. So I whined and moaned for him to hold me. Perhaps he understood what I said, and so the thick pillar came out slowly scratching the inner walls, and finally, even at that moment, I felt a brief climax and exclaimed. ¡®Nnnggh!¡¯ Bleon turned my drooping body facing forward and hugged me in a flash. I wrapped my arms around his neck to keep myself from falling, and his manhood, starting from the tip, pushed back into me with a strong force. ¡®Ahng! Hmmngh¡­!¡¯ And holding my legs so that they wouldn¡¯t fall, Bleon began thrusting roughly into me, and I moaned along with his movements. ¡®Mmh, hngh, hagh, Bleon!¡¯ ¡®Ugh, Wife!¡¯ We called each other endlessly, and once the movement started, we didn¡¯t stop until I woke up from the dream. ¡ª ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 31 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 31 ¡®Why do I keep having dreams like this?¡¯ Even though I had already come to my senses, I did not open my eyes for a while and fell into deep thought. ¡®The second time I saw it, I knew for sure.¡¯ In the dream I had today, every time I let go of the hand that was holding mine and looked at his face, his appearance was a little different from how he looked now. What happened? No matter how much I think and think about it, it¡¯s impossible. And what was most certainly strange was that the flowers in the garden outside the window were full of sunflowers. ¡®Sunflowers are flowers that bloom in the autumn¡­¡¯ If I¡¯m remembering Astell¡¯s memories right, autumn didn¡¯t make any sense at all. No matter how much I thought about it I couldn¡¯t come to a plausible conclusion, so in the end, my head was pounding and I frowned without realizing it. But then, a large hand reached towards my forehead with a touch so tender as though I would break if he wasn¡¯t careful. Miraculously, the headache disappeared like a ghost. I slowly opened my eyes and met the owner of the hand that had touched me. He was looking at me kindly as if he was looking at something lovely. ¡°Are you up?¡± As expected, the one in my dream and the one in front of me were subtly different. Although there wasn¡¯t that much difference, I could tell anyway. ¡°Yes. Did you sleep well, Wife? You just frowned, did you have another bad dream?¡± ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t a dream. Did you sleep well, Bleon?¡± ¡°Yes, I slept well¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad. So, shall we get up and prepare?¡± Yesterday I fell asleep in Bleon¡¯s arms, and I woke up in the middle, but anyway, today was officially my first day at Hares. I got up to get ready and sat across the edge of the bed. But Bleon, who had been watching my actions until then, suddenly lay down and hugged my waist from behind. Then he started rubbing his head on my back. ¡°Wife¡­¡± ¡°Huh? Why?¡± Bleon stretched out and called me in a languid voice. Don¡¯t tell me¡­¡­. ¡°Wife¡­¡± He kept calling me and it was clear that he had something he wanted from me. And we got too close yesterday, so I couldn¡¯t feign innocence towards his behavior. I turned my head back slightly and looked down at him. ¡®Cute.¡¯ Contrary to the sexy voice I heard from behind, Bleon¡¯s eyes were shining like a puppy. I looked at his handsome face with a happy smile, then turned to Bleon. ¡°Do you have anything to say?¡± ¡°What I couldn¡¯t do yesterday¡­¡± ¡°What you couldn¡¯t do yesterday?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± He wanted to take care of the kiss that he couldn¡¯t finish yesterday, as soon as he woke up in the morning. ¡°So you waited for me to wake up?¡± Bleon¡¯s face flushed slightly from embarrassment when I spoke straightforwardly. ¡°Do you want to do it now?¡± Bleon nodded his head vigorously. ¡®A dream is just a dream.¡¯ Having concluded that, I looked at him silently and closed my eyes. It meant permission. The bed creaked a little, knowing that. It seemed that Bleon got up. And in an instant, his body scent rushed in, and Bleon, who held the back of my neck, gave me a breathtaking, suffocating kiss. ¡°Hmmh, mhh.¡± A shallow moan erupted with each breath given in between. I don¡¯t know who taught him, but Bleon was very good at kissing. ¡®Astell probably taught you right?¡¯ Or did you learn it yourself? Even in my dreams, he was good at everything. Even though it was a dream, my body remembered that distant pleasure when I woke up from the dream. Right now, with just a kiss like this, my body and legs were tingling, so I¡¯m trying to hold on to the urge to rub against him. If I actually did all the things I had in my dreams, I thought I might lose my mind with so much pleasure. I also tapped him on the shoulder before going further like yesterday. Fortunately, Bleon, who read my intentions, pulled back quickly. ¡°Ha, stop¡­¡± ¡°A little more¡­¡± ¡°Mmph, n, no. It¡¯s morning.¡± I pulled my face back to avoid him trying to kiss my lips again. ¡°¡­Yes, okay.¡± ¡®Ah, seriously!¡¯ Seeing him with a pitiful expression on his face made my heart weak again. ¡°Then only a little bit more. Okay?¡± Bleon, whose pitiful expression was erased, approached me with his eyes shining. We began to covet each other¡¯s lips again as if it was the first time. * * * Even though I had just woken up in the morning, the kiss became too long so today¡¯s schedule was delayed. We hurriedly washed up, skipped breakfast and got ready to go out in order to get back on track even a little. It was too late to have a meal now, but there must be many places selling delicious food in the downtown area, so we decided to fill our stomachs there. Before getting on the carriage parked in front of the mansion, I looked around widely. Hares¡¯ mansion was twice as large as Kren¡¯s mansion. It had a huge mansion and a large garden that showed how great the Duchy of Einer was in the past. ¡®If you want to live here, you will need quite a few employees.¡¯ First of all, I had to bring all the people from Kren, and it seemed like I would be very busy for a while if I wanted to recruit more people than that. Today, Sir McCain was with us, too. He knew the capital well, so he would certainly be helpful, so we decided to go with him. ¡°Where shall I take you first?¡± McCain came up to us and asked. His gaze somehow felt like he was looking down a bit, not meeting my eyes. ¡°First of all, I want to eat something. Do you have any places to recommend?¡± ¡°What kind of food would you like for your meal?¡± I looked at Bleon who was standing next to me in response to his question, but the atmosphere didn¡¯t seem so good. Knowing that it was because of this man standing in front of us, I decided to hurry up and end the conversation with McCain. ¡®That time when I felt relaxed when I heard that McCain said that he was going with us, it must have been a momentary feeling.¡¯ Perhaps what Bleon said at the time was doing his best not to offend my nerves in any way. ¡°I¡¯m alright with anything, so let¡¯s go to the most famous place in Hares.¡± If you come to an unfamiliar place, you should first taste what the food here is like. To that end, one of the ways not to fail was to visit the most famous and popular places. As the conversation was about to end, Bleon suddenly came forward and blocked my view. So I could only see Bleon¡¯s broad back, but couldn¡¯t see McCain anymore. ¡°Duke?¡± I called him carefully at his sudden action, and I heard a cold, sharp voice. ¡°I acknowledge that you¡¯re a noble as well, but do you think it is proper to look at the Duchess so recklessly, even if you are a person who is employed by the Dukedom?¡± I was going to say it¡¯s not a big deal, but then I suddenly realized where McCain was looking and bit my mouth. My face turned red at the thought of being caught. What we had done last night and this morning was obvious, and I hurriedly covered my lips with one hand. ¡°¡­I apologize. I made a mistake.¡± Saying so, McCain lowered his head slightly. ¡°Let¡¯s get in the carriage, Duke.¡± I signaled that we should get on the carriage quickly to clear the frozen atmosphere between the two of them. Fortunately, Bleon got into the carriage without saying a word. And so, the carriage departed with the loud whining of the horses. It was just the two of us in the carriage. Looking at Bleon¡¯s expression, it was the same image he always showed me. I couldn¡¯t even imagine that he had said that before. As I looked at him and our eyes met, Bleon looked at me and smiled. Seeing his smile reassured me, and then I looked out the window. It was midsummer, but the weather was sunny and the wind was refreshing. As I gazed at the scenery outside the window, I was momentarily startled by a hand hugging me from behind. ¡°You surprised me. Isn¡¯t it hot?¡± The air was still cool since the sun had not yet risen in the middle of the sky, but it was still summer. ¡°It¡¯s hot¡­?¡± Bleon was asking me in an obvious tone. ¡°Of course¡ª¡± But just as I was about to answer him, Bleon released one of his arms and started fanning me coolly. ¡°Is this okay?¡± ¡°If you just go away, you don¡¯t have to fan me for nothing.¡± No matter how much I look at Bleon¡¯s actions, it was not rational as it would only tire him out. ¡°I¡¯m not tired at all¡­¡± But since he said he wasn¡¯t tired, I didn¡¯t have much to say. In fact, even when he was holding me close, there was no feeling of stuffiness at all. I leaned back to be more comfortable. Bleon was firmly supporting me from behind, so I felt a sense of stability and even admired the scenery outside. So the carriage ran and ran into the downtown area. Outside the window, all kinds of noises could be heard like the downtown area of ??the capital, and it was noisy and crowded. I watched without taking my eyes off the ever-changing outdoor background for even a single moment. Then the carriage stopped. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 32 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 32 McCain opened the carriage door and made eye contact with me for a moment, then saw me in Bleon¡¯s arms and bowed his head in haste. I tried to get up to get away from Bleon with a shy expression on my face. But Bleon hugged me tighter. ¡°Duke?¡± When I called him, Bleon relaxed and we got off the carriage and stood in front of a building. ¡°Is this it?¡± I looked at McCain and asked. ¡°¡­Yes. One of the oldest pubs in the capital.¡± ¡°A pub?¡± ¡°This place is famous for selling some of the best wines in the capital. And the dishes that go best with that wine are also excellent.¡± ¡°Really?¡± As I listened to McCain¡¯s explanation, my anticipation suddenly surged. ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and go inside.¡± I took the lead with a light step in the thought of eating something delicious. But faster than I was, two men passed me in an instant and opened the door at the same time. ¡°Come in, Wife.¡± ¡°Come in.¡± The two men met gazes. Looking at the situation before and now, I thought that separating the two would be the best option, however, it was also very dangerous to be alone in a crowded place without an escort. And to be honest, I can really tell McCain was just doing his job, in my opinion. However, Bleon was being too conscious of him. I sighed inwardly then passed between them to go inside. Perhaps McCain was not lying because the bar was full of people even though it was still before lunch. ¡®Wow.¡¯ The smell of sweet and fragrant wine and delicious and savory food filled the hall. And many people gathered in three or five and laughed and chatted with their people. When I came to a place full of people, my heart was somehow overwhelmed. I wanted to feel the atmosphere more deeply, so I closed my eyes and took a deep breath and exhaled. ¡®How nice.¡¯ After standing still for quite some time, Bleon wrapped his arms around my shoulders and called me in a curious voice. ¡°Wife?¡± ¡°I think it¡¯s nice here.¡± I can see why this place is the most famous and popular place in Hares. ¡°Right?¡± McCain answered from behind and walked over to me. ¡°I like it very much. I want to order the best-selling drinks and food here.¡± We took a seat at an empty table. Bleon and I were seated at one table, and McCain and the other knight who accompanied us were seated at the table next to it. McCain might really have come here often because he finished ordering in an instant, and soon the table was filled with delicious looking food and alcohol. ¡°What is this?¡± The first thing that caught my eye was the food with the vegetables rolled inside the meat. I used a fork and knife to cut them into bite-size pieces. Then I put the meat on a fork and brought it to Bleon¡¯s mouth. ¡°Try it.¡± Bleon opened his mouth straight away and I put the meat in his mouth. And then I put the meat right in my mouth. ¡°Wow, that¡¯s delicious. right?¡± For a moment, I unconsciously looked at McCain to thank McCain for ordering this delicious meal, but I refrained myself right then. ¡°Yes. It¡¯s delicious.¡± The food eaten at every meal in the Duchy was excellent, but the food bought from outside had a stimulating taste, so my appetite kept growing and I wanted to keep eating it. Next, I took a glass of wine. And after taking a whiff, I tasted it right away. It was a wonderful flavor that didn¡¯t disappoint¡ªits sourness and sweetness went well together. ¡®I¡¯ll have to ask about another restaurant with delicious food next time.¡¯ The food was so delicious that my personal opinion of McCain was rising rapidly within me. After a delicious meal, we left the pub. It was a very satisfying moment because my stomach was full and I was in a good mood. We got on a carriage and went to the next destination, but when I realized that the distance was short, I decided that we should just walk there. McCain led us while Bleon and I followed. Bleon took my hand warmly. I looked up at him once, smiled slightly, then looked around again. ¡°Look at that, Duke.¡± As I walked, if I saw something strange, I called Bleon and made him see the same thing. Somehow, I wanted him to see what I had seen. But it was a time when I was busy watching with my eyes shining. ¡°Astell?¡± Someone nearby called me and I turned to where the voice was coming from. And in the place where I turned my head, as opposed to having bright, deep red hair, the atmosphere was cool and cold, and a beautiful woman was standing looking at me. I quickly searched through Astell¡¯s memory. Knowing Astell, it was clear that Astell knew her as well. The woman was coming closer. And by the time she got almost right in front of her, I barely remembered that she was the third child of the fallen Heines family. She was the older sister who bullied Astell the most. In the memories, the woman had a much younger appearance¡ªthis was the first reunion after eight years. After Astell married Bleon at the age of twenty-three, the sisters did not meet each other for two years. Astell would not have wanted to go to that strange alley house, and Heines never looked for her. Then, on that day, the very beginning of it all, she reunited with her family at an imperial banquet, where she was ridiculed and despised, after which Astell lived like that for another eight years in Kren. ¡°You¡¯re Astell right?¡± As the woman drew closer and closer, her expression slowly revealed. She was looking at me haughtily. Seeing this, I felt strangely anxious and nervous. I just wanted to get away from this place. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with me?¡¯ This person is Astell¡¯s family, but to me, it was the first time I had ever seen her. ¡®Is it Astell¡¯s feelings?¡¯ Astell¡¯s feelings seemed to be felt just with one look at the woman, just how complicated her heart felt as I looked at Bleon. Fear, avoidance, anxiety, nervousness, and all the bad emotions that a person can feel came rushing in like a flood and seemed to eat me in an instant. ¡®I can¡¯t believe it¡¯s this bad.¡¯ How terrible were Astell¡¯s feelings for her family. If I was the real Astell, I would have been doomed. I would probably sit down and cry before I even got out of this place, or not even be able to do that, so horrified and plagued by it. If she was family, how could this be? For her family, how could there be such feelings? How much bullying and cruelty had they done to Astell that she felt this way for those in her family? As the humiliation she had endured until now flashed before my eyes, I was filled with anger and shock, and I tried to hide the feeling of fear. In order for me to come to my senses, I clenched and opened my fist that was not holding Bleon. ¡®Let¡¯s not back down.¡¯ There was absolutely no need for me to be intimidated by this person. So don¡¯t be discouraged and keep your back straight. I curtsied towards her as I mentally chanted the same mantra repeatedly. ¡°Long time no see, Sister Julia.¡± Julia¡¯s pretty face contorted slightly as I greeted her with the brightest voice I could muster. It was clear that she didn¡¯t like Astell¡¯s dignified figure as the younger woman was always dazed in front of her. She looked me up and down with an annoyed expression and then immediately turned her gaze to the side. And I could see her big eyes growing bigger and bigger in amazement. ¡°This person must be Duke Einer¡­?¡± With Julia¡¯s expression full of interest, she called him. For some reason, her eyes seemed to slink over Bleon, and I felt horrible in an instant. However, I hid that feeling inside and introduced Bleon to Julia with a bright smile. ¡°That¡¯s right. This is my husband. Duke, she is my older sister.¡± ¡°I am Bleon Einer.¡± ¡°I am Julia Heines. It¡¯s been a long time since I last saw the Duke when you were still a child, but really¡­ You grew up well.¡± There was an admiration in her voice, a tone of disbelief. Wait, but Heines? Even before I married Bleon, she must have already married another nobleman, but her last name was still Heines¡­ I looked at Julia with a puzzled look for a moment. Then she immediately acknowledged the look in my eyes, so she explained. ¡°Ah, Astell, you didn¡¯t know. I got divorced a few years ago. So I came back to the household.¡± Saying that, she smiled in a way that made her beauty stand out to the fullest. ¡°I see. Then we¡¯re busy¡ª¡± Since I had nothing to talk to her about and had no reason to do, I led Bleon out of the place. ¡°Hey! You still don¡¯t have manners like thi¡ª! Oh God, I apologize, Your Grace.¡± ¡ª ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 33 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 33 An angry voice was heard, as if it was a great offense that I ignored her. But for a moment, her voice returned to normal again, and she smiled towards Bleon. She was in his presence, so she was conscious of Bleon so much that it was clear that she was holding in her temper. ¡°Astell. It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen you, so why are you leaving already?¡± With a pretentious tone, Julia held my arm tightly so that I could not leave. Without realizing it, I pulled my arm out of her hand, as if something bad was on it. At the gesture of my refusal, an angry light flashed over her face for a moment and then disappeared. ¡°This older sister of yours is so happy to have met you, yet you don¡¯t even want to talk anymore. Are you going to be so cruel, Astell?¡± Julia raised her lips and spoke to me, but her gaze was not on me. ¡°I have a place to go right now.¡± ¡°Is it urgent? Where?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think there is any reason for me to tell you.¡± I looked at her with an indifferent and determined expression. ¡°Hmm¡­ Astell. You¡¯ve changed quite a bit since we haven¡¯t seen each other.¡± As expected, family was a family. She immediately recognized Astell¡¯s change. Julia was looking at me with a relaxed expression on her face, with her eyes down as if my appearance wasn¡¯t the same. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time.¡± I used time as an excuse to explain the reason for my change. ¡°Yes. A lot of time has passed. So how about stopping by the house? I will formally invite you and the Duke to the mansion.¡± ¡°What?¡± I can¡¯t believe she was inviting us to the mansion. So you mean I have to use my two feet towards where Astell¡¯s family is? ¡°Mother and father miss you a lot too. Of course, the same goes for our brothers.¡± Lies. Julia¡¯s statement that they missed Astell would be a lie. But why? Why did she want to invite us to the mansion? I¡¯ve been feeling that Julia was looking at Bleon strangely since before. I was almost certain that her purpose was not me, but Bleon. Of course, to disgrace me in front of Bleon would also be part of her plan. I thought for a moment that I should go back and do some research on Julia, investigating the impressions on her displeased face and I pondered for a moment what to say. But suddenly, I felt Bleon¡¯s grip over my hand tighten a little. He replied dryly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we¡¯ve only been to the capital for a while, so we¡¯ll be returning soon.¡± It was a polite refusal to say that he would not accept the invitation. Looking up at Bleon, his expression also hardened. Bleon looked down at me as if he felt my gaze on him, and he smiled reassuringly as he patted my hand. Somehow, this gave me a lot of courage. And as I suddenly remembered my decision when I first came here, I slowly opened my mouth. ¡°Sure. Send an invitation. For some reason, I want to see my family after a long time.¡± At my answer, Bleon glanced over at me, half surprised and half worried. I looked up at him, smiled and nodded my head. It meant I was alright. ¡°Right. I understand. I¡¯ll go back today and send it right away.¡± Julia answered with a triumphant expression. ¡°It¡¯s gonna be fun. right?¡± At the same time, she had a sneer that did not suit her beautiful appearance at all. ¡°Yes, of course. Then, we¡¯ll be on our way.¡± ¡°Yes. Take care, Duke, and see you soon.¡± So we said goodbyes and parted ways, and even then, Julia¡¯s eyes were still fixed on Bleon. After this unexpected meeting with Julia, we decided to go back to the mansion after going where we had originally planned to go. All of a sudden, my body and mind were exhausted and my good mood was shot. And I had to go back and gather information while recalling the memories of Astell¡¯s family. Meeting Astell¡¯s family was something I didn¡¯t expect. I didn¡¯t think we¡¯d bump into Julia today. Of course, if we had ever met later, I would have clenched my teeth and said that I would get revenge instead of Astell, but I didn¡¯t know that we would actually meet, or that we would have to meet on such short notice. But I will meet Astell¡¯s family soon. I don¡¯t know when. It could be tomorrow. So I didn¡¯t have time to waste outside like this because I needed more information to deal with them. ¡°Wife¡­?¡± As soon as we got into the carriage, I was immersed in thoughts and fell into my own world for a while, and Bleon called me. I regained my composure and immediately looked at him. ¡°Are you okay, Wife¡­?¡± Bleon asked me carefully, with a face full of concern and worry. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m fine. Maybe we should stay here a little longer.¡± I replied with a smile to him as a sign of reassurance. ¡°But¡­¡± ¡°I¡¯m really okay. I know what the Duke is worried about, but I have you, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t forget that I¡¯m always by your side.¡± ¡°I will.¡± After that, Bleon no longer talked to me about meeting Julia, and we exchanged casual conversations as usual. * * * After the carriage arrived at the ducal residence, I quickly headed to the study. I told Bleon that I had some work to do on my own for a while, so he should go to sleep first. Bleon gave me a look of disapproval, but he didn¡¯t reply back or hold me back, so I walked into the study and sat down on a chair. Then I closed my eyes for a moment and tried to remember, pulling out things about Astell¡¯s family in my head. First, Marquis Daniel Heines. He was Astell¡¯s father. He was a typical man with a lust for material wealth and power. He would do anything for his own success and career, so it¡¯s likely that he didn¡¯t care about his family at all except for himself. He wouldn¡¯t know that Astell was being bullied by her siblings, or if he did, he didn¡¯t even care about such annoyances, so it¡¯s very likely that he didn¡¯t know. Then, Marchioness Kylene Hines. She was Astell¡¯s mother, and she was the pinnacle of superficiality. She had a gorgeous appearance and she had no doubts that her children would also inherit her looks. But when Astell was born, she refused to acknowledge how her daughter did not live up to her expectations, and she poured her dissatisfaction towards Astell¡¯s appearance¡ªas natural as breathing. Perhaps she didn¡¯t know that the Heines siblings isolated and bullied Astell, but I¡¯m pretty sure their mother¡¯s influence had a lot to do with it. And Lucas Hines, the eldest of the Heins family and one of Astell¡¯s older twin brothers. He was one of those humans who lacked emotions from an early age. He didn¡¯t allow anyone or even his parents to step into his boundaries, and he hated seeing things not going according to plan. He did not harass Astell because he was blunt, arrogant, callous, and spoke very little, but he blatantly ignored and hated her. Perhaps, for him, such feelings were not limited to Astell, but to everyone except himself. But the other twin, Michael Heines, was the complete opposite. Although Michael was prodigal and lighter than a feather, he had the disposition to do lowly things for the sake of achieving his own goals and purposes without hesitation. He was the person who, along with Julia, harassed Astell the most. And I met Julia Heines today. Like Kylene, it was not an exaggeration to say that what she considered to be the highest value in her entire life was her beauty. She was also so greedy that unless she was the center of the group, she wouldn¡¯t stand for it. And apart from that, she was a creature of jealousy. Finally, Helena Heines. She was the youngest of the Heines Marquisate, and since she was the youngest, you would think that she would have received the most love, but from the beginning, this family lacked affection and care so there was no such thing. Instead, Helena was so keen on survival that she was very quick on catching on about who she should best follow and who to isolate in the household. ¡®What a piece of work, this family.¡¯ How could every single one of them be such trash? As I recalled the details of Astell¡¯s family, the first thought that came to mind was that all of the family members were all less than human. A power-hungry father who is indifferent to his family, a mother who discriminates against her children by appearance, a ruthless first brother, a vile second brother, a greedy older sister, and an opportunistic younger sister¡­ Perhaps it was impossible from the beginning for Astell to grow up normally in this kind of household. ¡®Incredible. Really, a piece of work.¡¯ ¡ª ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 34 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 34 I shook my head and let out a long sigh at the thought of dealing with these people all at once. ¡®Can I do it?¡¯ Can I hit back? Will Astell be able to repay the humiliation she had suffered for a long time? If you look at other novels, weren¡¯t most of the villains¡¯ personalities like that? But even so, it seems that six people would not come out at once. And above all, not all of them were family. ¡®It feels like the difficulty has suddenly risen.¡¯ But how did I happen to meet Julia? Recalling the original novel, I couldn¡¯t remember any mention of Astell¡¯s family until her death. Was it because I came to the capital? That might be the case. Originally, Bleon and Astell did not come to the capital, so it was obvious that this happened because I asked to go to the capital. My self-confidence was about to disappear, and in the end, the thought that it was something I did on my own made me feel better. ¡®I¡¯m not the Astell I used to be.¡¯ Right. I am not Astell. They are not my family. I wasn¡¯t a person with a strong sense of justice, but I wasn¡¯t the kind of person to live like an idiot. It¡¯s spilt water anyway. I had to do what I could do¡ªand that was to show that I would no longer tolerate their insults and harassments towards Astell, or me, as I was Astell before. So I had to show a very good example for them to not touch me in the future. After making up my mind like that, I tried to organize my thoughts. Astell had no idea what happened in that long period of time after leaving the Heins Marquisate for ten years. She was unaware that Julia had divorced a few years ago because of it. If Astell didn¡¯t know, I also wouldn¡¯t know. If the butler was here, I would have grabbed him already to ask him. Unfortunately, the butler was left at the Kren mansion. ¡®What should I do?¡¯ Information was a powerful weapon to know how to fight. In order to deal with those people, the more information about them that I had, the better. ¡®Wait a minute, doesn¡¯t McCain know a little bit?¡¯ Then McCain suddenly came to mind. McCain mentioned last time that he lived in the capital for a long time. He would know more than Astell or Bleon, who were nobles who once resided in the capital yet cut off all contact with others and lived in seclusion. ¡®But¡­¡¯ The thought of meeting McCain would bother Bleon. But in the current situation, I had to pick up even the smallest things. So I thought about it for a while. Should I go and meet McCain without Bleon¡¯s knowledge or to talk to Bleon even if he would be a bit flustered¡­? ¡®It¡¯s better to tell him rather than talk secretly, right?¡¯ I decided to talk to Bleon first, thinking that if I explained step by step why I wanted to meet McCain, Bleon would feel too bad. When I came to this conclusion, I realized that much more time had passed than I had expected. It was already dark outside the window and it was already past bedtime. ¡®Everyone must be sleeping.¡¯ Then I have to move tomorrow morning. With that in mind, I got up and stretched after sitting motionless for hours. I felt refreshed yet tired at the same time, and I immediately got out of the study and went into the bedroom. When I entered, Bleon, who I thought was sleeping soundly on the bed, was waiting for me when I didn¡¯t come, sitting quietly on the sofa without sleeping yet. ¡°Bleon?¡± I called for Bleon in a hoarse voice because I had not spoken for a long time. ¡°Wife.¡± Bleon has been staring at me since I opened the door and walked in. ¡°It¡¯s late. Why haven¡¯t you slept yet?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for you, Wife¡­¡± ¡°I told you to go to bed first.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t sleep¡­¡± ¡°Still, if you close your eyes and lie down, then you¡¯ll be able to sleep somehow¡­¡± I frowned slightly and sat across from Bleon. Then Bleon immediately came to my side, sat down, and hugged me. ¡°Haa¡­¡± Then, he performed the usual ritual of breathing in and breathing out deeply. ¡°I think I can live now¡­¡± ¡°I told you I was going to be in the study.¡± Seeing him not wanting to leave my side for even a moment, I let out a deep sigh. ¡®It¡¯s too much¡­¡¯ Despite knowing that I was in the next room, the level of anxiety he had was much worse than I expected. As I observed his condition, I was a little worried about whether I could say this now. ¡®Let¡¯s calm down and think about it for a moment.¡¯ After making the atmosphere softer, I felt like I had to say something, so I hugged him tightly on the back and rubbed my head in Bleon¡¯s arms. ¡°Did you miss me?¡± ¡°Yes¡­ I missed you.¡± ¡°If you want to see me, you should have just come to the study.¡± ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I should disturb you, Wife¡­¡± ¡°What disturbance, you can come whenever you want to see me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I lifted my head and smiled bashfully at Bleon, and he whispered in my ear with a soft voice. ¡°I want to kiss you¡­¡± ¡°Kiss?¡± ¡°Yes. Can I¡­?¡± ¡°You did it this morning.¡± ¡°¡­I want to¡­¡± I craned my neck and stared into Bleon¡¯s blue eyes, then lowered my gaze to his bright red lips. ¡°Bleon¡¯s lips aren¡¯t swollen.¡± Saying so, I put my hand to his lips and gently caressed them. ¡°I¡¯ll be gentle¡­¡± Bleon gently grabbed my hand that had stayed near his lips, looked into my eyes and kissed the palm of my hand. Instantly, I felt an electric current running through my entire body, and I trembled without realizing it. ¡°Wife¡­¡± He called me and when I came to my senses, I was already devouring his lips like crazy. * * * The next morning, whatever the urgency, an invitation had already arrived at the mansion, and it was written that we should come out to dinner two days later. They had invited Bleon, too. ¡®It¡¯s much sooner than I thought¡­¡¯ Yesterday¡¯s kiss was so distracting that I forgot to tell Bleon that I had something to ask McCain. So, while I was having breakfast now, I spoke to Bleon. ¡°Duke.¡± ¡°Yes, Wife¡­¡± ¡°I have something to talk about with Sir McCain, so I will meet him after dinner.¡± ¡°¡­The knight commander?¡± Again, I could feel Bleon¡¯s unsettled tone. ¡°Yes. It should be about an hour.¡± ¡°An hour¡­?¡± I meant it would only take an hour, but Bleon was asking if it would take as long as an hour. ¡°It might take a little less.¡± ¡°¡­Can¡¯t I go with you?¡± ¡°There is nothing wrong with that, but I think the two of you will be uncomfortable with each other. And I¡¯d be a little worried about it too, so I¡¯d rather just go and do it quickly.¡± ¡°¡­I see.¡± After answering yes, Bleon hardly ate any food. I was about to say one more word while looking at him like that, but I just bit my mouth. ¡°I will go then.¡± ¡°¡­Wife.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°¡­Nothing.¡± Oh, it¡¯s bothering me too much. I took a deep breath and walked over to Bleon. Then I reached out and hugged him tightly. ¡°Just wait for me. Read a book or take a walk in the garden. Okay?¡± I¡¯ll be back soon¡­ I whispered to him as I added those words, and Bleon nodded his head slightly. I took a step that somehow did not falter, and I arrived at McCain¡¯s room where he had been staying all the time in Hares. Knock, knock. ¡°Who is it?¡± I knocked on the door, and McCain¡¯s voice came from inside. ¡°It¡¯s Astell Einer.¡± Strangely, no answer came from inside. Just as I was about to speak again because I thought he might not have heard, the door suddenly opened and McCain appeared. ¡°Madam. Ah, Duchess.¡± Remembering I told him not to call me Madam, he changed the title. ¡°There is something I want to ask you Sir.¡± I immediately brought out the reason for coming to him. ¡°Come in.¡± He set his body aside. I glanced at McCain once and passed him into the room. ¡°Please sit here.¡± I walked over to the sofa he was pointing to and sat down. ¡°I told the maid to prepare tea and snacks, and she will be here soon.¡± It wouldn¡¯t be that long, but it was very disrespectful to come to have a conversation without a cup of tea. Moments later I noticed that the maid who came in with tea and snacks left the table with two cups of tea and a plate with some cookies on it. ¡°Do you have any questions for me?¡± He asked me with a pleasant smile. ¡°To be precise, I am not curious about you, Sir.¡± I hurriedly corrected his words. His face, which had a disappointed expression for a moment at my words, returned to a smirk again. ¡°Well¡­¡± ¡ª ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Join our discord to receive the latest updates as soon as possible! Chapter 35 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee Chapter 35 I was worried about how to say it out loud, so I dragged out the words without realizing it. ¡°Please speak comfortably.¡± ¡°I have been in Kren for ten years so I don¡¯t know much about the situation in the capital. I came here just in case you know about various things.¡± ¡°Various things, what exactly?¡± ¡°Perhaps¡­¡± Even if I didn¡¯t know, I thought it would be too strange to ask someone else about my family, so I hesitated about whether or not to say it. Still, I opened my mouth to see if I could get something. ¡°Do you know anything about the Heines Marquisate?¡± ¡°The Heines Marquisate?¡± ¡°Yes. What I mean to say is, I¡¯m asking about what happened from ten years ago to the present. They are my family, but as you know, we don¡¯t communicate very much.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­¡± He looked like he was thinking about something, so I waited for a moment for him to open his mouth. ¡°To be honest, I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°The Duchess may not know me very well, but I have hardly been in the capital for the last ten years.¡± ¡°But you knew the capital well¡­!¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. For ten years, I belonged to the monster subjugation squad on the outskirts. But recently, I left the subjugation squad and came back. And I know my way around because I return to the capital every time I go on vacation.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± By the way, I had no idea that he had been in the monster subjugation squad for ten years. ¡°I don¡¯t have an answer for the Duchess¡¯ questions because my vacations weren¡¯t long and I didn¡¯t socialize much.¡± I shouldn¡¯t have come here. After all, this man, like me, had no information. Still, I thought I could get something, but I seemed to have made Bleon¡¯s heart uncomfortable for nothing. I put on a somewhat disappointed expression, but it was not polite, so I hurriedly erased it. ¡°I see¡­ Then I will¡ª¡± I was just about to get up to leave after greeting him, but McCain stopped me and opened his mouth right away. ¡°But¡­ If you wish, I can introduce you to someone who has a lot of social circles.¡± ¡°Someone?¡± ¡°Yes. She has a very wide network, so maybe Your Grace will get the information you want.¡± ¡®What to do.¡¯ I pondered for a while. Time was running out, and I was somehow unwilling to meet a stranger I had never seen before and ask questions. But¡­ There was nothing more reckless than meeting Astell¡¯s family without any information now. Surely they would bite and chew me out as soon as they saw me, so I had to have at least one weapon up my arsenal against them. With that in mind, I had a clear idea of ??what to do. ¡°Who is it?¡± I first asked McCain to figure out who this sociable person was. ¡°Her name is Leila Parkers, the ducal princess of the Parkers Duchy.¡± ¡°Princess Parkers?¡± ¡°Yes. I heard that she goes to almost every place where nobles gather because she likes banquets and social gatherings.¡± ¡°But¡­ How do you know this person?¡± ¡°We¡¯re friends.¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡®I think it would be fine if it was McCain¡¯s friend¡­?¡¯ I didn¡¯t know McCain very well, but having watched him so far, I don¡¯t think this man would introduce me to someone dangerous and distrustful. ¡°Alright. If so, can we meet tomorrow? I don¡¯t have much time.¡± ¡°Yes. I will go and talk to her today.¡± ¡°Really? Thank you, Sir!¡± I thanked him with a bright smile when I could finally find someone I felt would be helpful. ¡°Please come to me at any time if you have any troubles. I¡¯ll solve it for you somehow.¡± ¡°No. I can¡¯t keep causing trouble.¡± ¡°What do you mean no. Never think like that.¡± His words seemed to be sincere, so I answered with an awkward smile and got up from my seat. And after saying goodbye, I immediately left the room and went back to the bedroom. Upon entering, Bleon was wandering around the room with a nervous and anxious expression on his face, unable to sit still. As expected, my suggestions for him to go for a walk or read a book were useless. ¡°Bleon, I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Wife¡­!¡± Bleon hurriedly came up to me and enveloped me in his arms. ¡°You¡¯re finally here?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°By the way¡­ I have to go somewhere tomorrow.¡± I could feel Bleon¡¯s body holding me harden rapidly. I quickly patted his back gently and opened my mouth. ¡°I think I need to go out because I have someone to meet for a while¡­¡± ¡°¡­Who?¡± ¡°Sir McCain has someone to introduce me to, so I need to go out.¡± ¡°Sir McCain Holster¡­¡­?¡± For some reason, Bleon¡¯s anxiety seemed to be transmitted through his body, so I started explaining to him step by step. ¡°Yes. In fact, we haven¡¯t socialized at all in the last decade, so I went to ask Sir McCain because I¡¯m curious about what had been going on in the capital over these past years. If the butler had followed us, it wouldn¡¯t have been necessary, but as you know, our butler is now in Kren. But when I went to ask, Sir McCain said that he had no idea because he had not been in the capital much. Instead, he said that he would introduce a friend of his who is well-known in the social world, so I am going to visit her tomorrow.¡± As I spoke, I continued to pat him on the back as if to soothe him. There is nothing to worry about, so I added the word ¡®her¡¯. ¡°Would you like to go with me? After all, Bleon needs to know these things from now on, so I think it¡¯s okay if we go together.¡± I thought it would be good to go with him, thinking about him, who would be so restless in the mansion while I was going out, so I suggested for him to come with me. Anyway, the words exchanged and the things I heard from McCain weren¡¯t really secrets, so if Bleon was curious, I was going to tell them right away. ¡°I can go with you¡­?¡± His voice seemed to be a little more cautious and brighter. ¡°Of course! Then let¡¯s go together tomorrow.¡± ¡°Yes. I want to. Thank you, Wife¡­¡± ¡°What are you thankful for?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just.¡± ¡°Thank you, too.¡± I fell into his arms and smiled broadly at Bleon. Then, as I smiled broadly at him, Bleon also smiled very prettily. * * * The next day, we set off on a carriage to meet Princess Leila Parkers, whom McCain introduced us to. McCain had told us we were leaving the day before, so we soon arrived at the Parkers Duchy¡¯s estate. The carriage stopped right in front of the great mansion, past the main gate and garden. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± McCain¡¯s voice was heard outside and we got off the carriage. As soon as I got off, a very lovely-looking beauty stood in front of me. I approached her and greeted her first. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you. I am Astell Einer.¡± I glanced at Bleon, silently urging him to say hello to her. ¡°Nice to meet you. I am Bleon Einer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure. I am Leila Parkers.¡± Leila Parkers was a name I had never heard of, neither in Astell¡¯s memory nor in the novel, so I didn¡¯t let down my guard. ¡°Please come in.¡± Following Leila, we entered the parlor, and as we sat down, sweet-smelling tea and delicious-looking snacks were placed in front of us. ¡°Since the two of you have come, I prepared a tea made with ekira flowers, which are hard to find. I hope it suits your taste.¡± ¡°Thank you. Princess Parkers.¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t call me so stiffly. It¡¯s fate that we met like this, and any friend of McCain¡¯s is a friend of mine. How about we call each other¡¯s names? Please call me Leila.¡± Saying that, Leila laughed softly. She was, as I heard, a very sociable person. ¡°Yes. I will, Leila.¡± ¡°Thank you, Astell.¡± It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve seen someone radiating bright light all over their body like this, so I also felt like I was moved to her brightness and my mood improved at the same time. ¡°Do you know how sad I was to hear that after being stuck in the outskirts of the country for ten years, you¡¯ve come back to the capital, but then you quickly went to Kren right after?¡± she said to McCain. Advanced Chapters! Chapter 36 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee Chapter 36 Leila said this with a pointed tone as she looked over at McCain. ¡°There¡¯s nothing to do here.¡± ¡°Nothing? There were so many places I wanted you to¡­!¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t really like it.¡± McCain glanced at me and answered. ¡°You too¡­ Ah! Sorry, Astell. I was very surprised to hear that McCain had become the commander of the Duchy of Einer¡¯s knights.¡± ¡°No. I still wonder why a talented person like the Sir chose our household.¡± I said with a look on my face that I didn¡¯t feel bad at all. ¡°I decide where I will be.¡± My eyes met McCain, who was staring at me firmly and straight. ¡°It doesn¡¯t have to be our household, though.¡± At that time, a rare cold and sharp voice came from Bleon, who had been sitting still by my side. ¡°No. It must be the Einer Duchy.¡± McCain¡¯s voice suddenly hardened. ¡®These men¡­!¡¯ That¡¯s why I couldn¡¯t leave these two together. I regret bringing Bleon here, and while thinking about how to deal with the situation, Leila just opened her mouth. ¡°The two of you have a good relationship. So, shall we talk, just us girls?¡± It was apparent that they didn¡¯t get along well, but Leila seemed to say that on purpose. ¡°When the weather is nice, I leave the men alone and go for a walk. I¡¯ll show you the garden, Astell. It¡¯s the pride of the Parkers Duchy.¡± ¡°Wife¡­!¡± And again, Bleon called me with an anxious voice. Not knowing what would happen again if I left them alone, I looked at Leila, Bleon, and McCain alternately with a puzzled expression. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t have come to me for no reason, so let¡¯s talk quietly, just the two of us.¡± Yes. I came here for this purpose. After pulling myself together, I nodded my head to Leila and replied. ¡°Yes, alright. Let¡¯s go.¡± With that said, I gave the two men a warning look with a firm gaze. It meant that I would not forgive if the same thing happened again. Leila stepped out of the parlor, leaving the two men behind. And I followed her to the garden. ¡°Wow, the garden is so pretty.¡± ¡°Right?¡± ¡°Yes. I have never seen such a variety of flowers.¡± ¡°These are flowers that have been painstakingly ordered from all over the continent.¡± ¡°Do you like flowers?¡± ¡°Yes. I like pretty things. Pretty people, and pretty flowers.¡± What? Did I hear it right? I was not sure what Leila meant by saying that, so I kept my mouth shut, and Leila spoke straight to me. ¡°That¡¯s why I like Astell.¡± ¡°Me?¡± I looked at Leila with eyes full of doubts at the unexpected words. ¡°Yes. I have liked people since I was young, and there are times when I know who they are as soon as I see them. I felt it at first sight. I know that Astell is a beautiful person, both inside and outside.¡± ¡°¡­Thank you for saying that. I like Leila a lot too.¡± ¡°Really? I¡¯m so happy.¡± Leila replied with a bright smile as if she really was glad. We walked around the garden having such a normal conversation. There were various flowers, but because they were planted in separate areas, I could smell a different scent every time I took a step. And since it was summer, the scent of flowers was transmitted even more intensely. ¡°Shall we sit over there?¡± After walking around the garden for a while, Leila pointed to a bench in the shade. ¡°Yes, that would be great.¡± We sat side by side on the bench. ¡°It¡¯s cool in the shade.¡± ¡°It¡¯s one of my favorite places.¡± ¡°I like it a lot too. Thank you so much for bringing me here.¡± ¡°If you like it, you can come here often.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I want to be good friends with Astell. If we want to become friends, we have to see each other often, don¡¯t we?¡± Friends¡­ It was a relationship I had never thought of here before, so I felt a little dazed, but somehow moved. ¡°Yes, I hope to be good friends with Leila, too. When there¡¯s time, I will come to visit often.¡± ¡°You must.¡± We smiled broadly at each other. ¡°By the way, I heard there¡¯s a reason you want to meet me.¡± Fortunately, Leila was the first to speak out. ¡°Actually, I¡¯m slowly settling here at the capital, but I want to know more about high society. There are a lot of things I don¡¯t know because I¡¯ve been in Kren for the last decade.¡± ¡°What specifically do you want to know?¡± ¡°¡­I want to know about the Heines Marquisate. As you may know, I am not that close with my family. Above all, we are worse than strangers because we haven¡¯t talked for ten years. So I was curious about the current situation of the Heines family, so I came to talk to you, Leila.¡± It was strange for anyone to ask others about their own family¡¯s affairs. However, the nobles of the capital knew very well how they treated me, so I made excuses by emphasizing that I was inferior to them. ¡°The Heines Marquisate¡­¡± At my words, she pondered for a moment. I quietly waited for Leila to open her lips. ¡°First of all, I also have eyes for seeing and ears for listening, so I know Astell¡¯s circumstances.¡± I was relieved to hear that Leila knew. ¡°But anyway, wouldn¡¯t it be better to ask directly than to hear from me?¡± If that had been possible, I wouldn¡¯t even have come to visit her. I hadn¡¯t known Leila for very long, but I believed in Leila and wanted to ask for her help. So I decided not to beat around the bush and just went straight for a fastball. ¡°Since you said you know my circumstances, then I¡¯ll tell you honestly. Tomorrow, I am going to meet my family after a long time. I was invited to dinner. But since it¡¯s been ten years since I¡¯ve seen them, I¡¯m really scared. What they said and did to me still haunts me. But now I want to get over it. I want to show a proud and dignified image in front of my family. That is why I desperately need information about the Heines Marquisate.¡± I spoke nonstop. I hope that my desperation and plight will reach her. Leila, who was looking at me quietly, opened her mouth after a moment. ¡°I¡¯ve heard some things, too, but I don¡¯t know the details. If you want to hear that, then yes, I can tell you.¡± ¡°Thank you. Leila.¡± She smiled broadly as I thanked her first. ¡°First of all, about Julia Lupeta¡ªthough she is now Julia Heines again. I heard she got a divorce a year ago, and I heard it was an affair. Actually, it¡¯s not special for us nobles to meet other people behind the spouse¡¯s back, right? However, the fact that she got a divorce for that reason is a bit absurd, and when she appears in social circles, she has a bad reputation because she was famous for going to this man and that man.¡± If it was Julia, she was arrogant about her own beauty, so I nodded. I already thought that the way she looked at Bleon was suspicious yesterday, and I¡¯m still in a bad mood because I knew what kind of gaze lingered on Bleon as she looked at him. ¡°And Michael Heines has a worse reputation. He was originally famous that he was obsessed with women and sexually promiscuous, but recently he is also involved in drugs to attract nobles.¡± ¡°Drugs?¡± ¡°Yes. In fact, drugs are not a concern among nobles, but I¡¯ve heard that they¡¯re very addictive and make people very violent, so it¡¯s terribly dangerous. Some of the recent crimes and deaths of nobles in the capital are said to be attributed to the drug. And¡­¡± I could see Leila, who was continuing her conversation in a cool way, that she was suddenly hesitant about what she was going to say. ¡°I want you to tell me everything.¡± ¡°But this is just a rumor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I stared at her with a soft expression, which meant to talk to me at ease. Advanced Chapters! Chapter 37 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee Chapter 37 ¡°I¡¯m not sure, but I¡¯ve heard rumors circulating behind the scenes that there¡¯s a criminal case that has something to do with Michael Heines.¡± ¡°With Michael¡­.! Brother?¡± I quickly corrected when I was going to call Michael Heines and belatedly called him brother. ¡°I don¡¯t know why such rumors are circulating, but anyway, that¡¯s why many noble women these days say they are very concerned about cracking down on their husbands. He was doing so many things. Of course, Astell also gave Bleon a drug, so she was not in a position to point a finger at Michael. But if the rumors are true, then Michael must have been doing something big. ¡°Why was he doing that?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the money.¡± ¡°Money? But the Heines family¡­!¡± ¡°A few years ago, the successor of the Heines Marquisate was decided to be Lucas Heines. Astell knows what happens too, that almost all of the family¡¯s fortune goes to the heir the moment the heir is decided.¡± Leila was right. When a successor was decided upon, more than ninety percent of the family¡¯s wealth would be monopolized, and all that¡¯s left would be shared by the other siblings. Still, the Heines Marquisate had a lot of riches, so when Astell got married, she also took with her one of the family¡¯s estates and a fairly large dowry. It was enough that she could just eat and play for the rest of her life. ¡®You have a lot of greed too.¡¯ In that case, Michael must have inherited more than Astell, but he seemed to be more greedy here. ¡°That¡¯s all I know. I hope my words will help you, Astell.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been a huge help. Thank you so much. Leila.¡± To be honest, I wasn¡¯t expecting to know this much in detail, so I was feeling very grateful to Leila. ¡°If there comes a day when Leila needs help, I want to help as much as I can.¡± ¡°I¡¯m just stating what I know.¡± ¡°No. It was really important to me.¡± We talked more about this and that. There were so many things I didn¡¯t know about the capital, so it was almost as if Leila provided information unilaterally. ¡°But Astell¡­¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Did you ever visit the Holster Marquisate when you were a child?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s the Holster Marquisate, then it¡¯s Sir McCain¡¯s family?¡± ¡°Yes, yes.¡± I tilted my head at Leila¡¯s words as she suddenly asked me if I had ever been to the Holster Marquisate. Then, quietly, I traced Astell¡¯s memory. ¡°Hmm, I can¡¯t remember.¡± It¡¯s not a lie, no matter how much I searched through Astell¡¯s memory, I couldn¡¯t remember going to the Holster family¡¯s residence. ¡°Oh really? I see.¡± ¡°Why?¡± ¡°That¡­ I think I had seen Astell once before, so I asked.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t have a very good memory¡­¡± I apologized to her with a humble smile on my face. ¡°No! Astell doesn¡¯t need to apologize. I just brought up something so suddenly when we were talking about something else.¡± Those words of Leila¡¯s were the end of that topic. And after we talked a little more, we went back to the drawing room. When we returned, Bleon and McCain were just staring at each other without saying a word. And as soon as he saw me, Bleon jumped up and came over to me. And as I felt him ??hugging me, I gently pushed his chest away. As I watched Bleon¡¯s pupils shake violently at my gesture of rejection, I felt uncomfortable for a moment. So I opened my mouth, looking at Leila, thinking that I had to get out of here quickly. ¡°We¡¯ll be returning. It was such a fun time. I¡¯ll invite you next time, Leila.¡± ¡°I will wait for your invitation. Be careful going back, Astell. Be careful, Duke Einer.¡± Leila saw us off to the front of the mansion and we got into the carriage to go back to the estate. As the carriage departed, Bleonwas watching me with an anxious and gloomy face, and so I opened my arms wide. I nodded slightly as I saw Bleon¡¯s bewildered expression, then Bleon hurriedly took me into his arms. And with deep breaths, I searched for my own stability. ¡°Were you upset earlier?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Bleon didn¡¯t answer my words. ¡°Yes?¡± I asked him again. ¡°¡­No.¡± He was sad but said no. He¡¯s being cute again, so a smirk leaked out. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t hug me like that in a place where there are other people. Embrace me only when there are just the two of us. Got it?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± ¡°Good job, my husband.¡± I reached up and stroked his hair. ¡°Were you two quiet in the parlor?¡± ¡°Yes¡­¡± ¡°Well done.¡± So we held each other until we reached the mansion. It was because Bleon did not want to release me from his arms, perhaps because of my previous rejection. And as soon as we arrived at the mansion, I said again that I would be in the study, so I headed there. It was to organize the information I heard from Leila today. But suddenly, a problem arose. ¡®Should I take Bleon?¡¯ Rather than going to that crazy lair with Bleon, I thought it would be better for me to go alone and deal with those insane humans. The more I pondered the stories I heard from Leila today, the more I didn¡¯t want to take Bleon with me. Let me ask him one more time. Of course, Bleon would unconditionally say that he would follow me, but it wasn¡¯t bad trying to convince him. I cleaned up my study and headed straight to my bedroom. And again, Bleon was pacing across the room without sitting down. ¡°I¡¯m here.¡± ¡°Wife¡­!¡± The same situation as yesterday unfolded, and Bleon hugged me tightly. After a while, I got out of his arms and grabbed his hand, leading Bleon to the sofa. ¡°Sit down. I have something to tell you.¡± ¡°What is it¡­?¡± We sat next to each other on the sofa, looked into each other¡¯s eyes and started talking. ¡°I think it¡¯s better if only I will go to the Heines estate tomorrow, what do you think?¡± ¡°You alone, Wife?!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Never. I will go with you.¡± I knew he would answer that, so as I caressed each of his clasped fingers one by one, I opened my lips. ¡°If you go, you won¡¯t see anything good. I don¡¯t want to show you that.¡± ¡°That¡¯s all the more reason I have to go. I will be by your side and protect you, Wife. I will protect you so that no one will mistreat you.¡± Bleon¡¯s voice was filled with resolution and determination. ¡°Wife did that for me before, didn¡¯t you? You told me not to be friends with people who bully me. It¡¯s the same with your family. They are no longer my wife¡¯s family if they bother you even though they are related to you by blood.¡± I stared at him in amazement. He spoke so much better than I expected. Advanced Chapters! Chapter 38 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee Chapter 38 The next morning was bright. It was a day to go to the Marquisate of Heines. Since we had been invited to dinner, we had plenty of time to spare. However, it was going to get dark again soon after doing this and that, so we started preparations in the morning. To meet my family today, I prepared a special pale pink dress. It suited my red hair very well, and the melancholy that I had with them ten years ago was still so stark and vivid that I couldn¡¯t ignore it at all even after I washed my eyes. While I was just finishing my hair and looking in the mirror, I came into the bedroom to see if Bleon was ready, and as soon as I saw Bleon, my mouth spontaneously exclaimed. ¡®Wow.¡¯ Wearing a black robe and even cravat, it was an unfamiliar sight as it was the first time I had seen him like that, but he seemed like a really grown-up man. Somehow my heart trembled slightly. ¡°You¡¯re handsome, Bleon.¡± ¡°My wife is also very beautiful¡­¡± His eyes, like mine, seemed to be admiring something marvelous, so I realized that his words were not empty words. In fact, even when Astell was dressed as she usually was, he would say that she was beautiful, so it was only natural that his eyes were shining now. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± Slowly, the sun disappeared and the moon appeared. We held hands and went down to the first floor. * * * After travelling for about half an hour, the carriage stopped and I opened the window and looked out to see the front gate in Astell¡¯s memory. And suddenly panic and fear came over. ¡®Calm down.¡¯ I took a deep breath, trying to calm my worries and anxiety. ¡°Are you uncomfortable, Wife?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m okay.¡± I smiled broadly, saying to him not to worry. Meanwhile, the carriage passed through the front gate and stopped in front of a large mansion. ¡°Even now, if you don¡¯t want to go, we can turn back, Wife.¡± Bleon looked at me with a worried gaze, seeing that I was visibly nervous. ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± I nodded slightly as Bleon remained motionless, still staring at me worriedly. Then the door of the carriage opened and he got off first and then supported me so I could get off. I put my feet on the ground and lifted my head stiffly. And I looked at the person in front of me. ¡®That person¡­¡¯ Searching through my memories, I recalled that he was the butler of the Heines Marquisate. Still, one of the household¡¯s daughters returned after a decade, and I was fed up with the attitude of the people who didn¡¯t even think of meeting me in person. I didn¡¯t even expect it. ¡°Welcome, Duke Bleon Einer and Miss Astell.¡± The butler greeted me. ¡°Long time no see.¡± ¡°Yes. Long time no see. The Marquis, the Marchioness, and the Young Masters and Young Ladies are waiting for you in the dining room. Come this way, I will guide you.¡± Bleon and I followed the butler into the mansion. As soon as I entered, I could feel the eyes of the employees looking at me with narrowed eyes. There was also an interesting look at what kind of humiliation I faced after coming back in ten years. As the family members openly disregarded Astell, the employees here also ignored Astell, subtly if not openly. ¡°Not much has changed in this place.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°It¡¯s still a place I don¡¯t like.¡± ¡°¡­Is that so?¡± The butler stuttered slightly, as if he was flustered by my words. ¡°We¡¯re here.¡± When I opened the door to the place the butler was gesturing towards, the first thing I saw was a large table. And at the head seat was Astell¡¯s father, the Marquis. To the right was Astell¡¯s mother, the Marchioness, then in the other seats were Astell¡¯s brothers and their wives, and then Julia and Helena. Instead of me, they looked at Bleon and didn¡¯t even think about getting up to welcome us. They just sat there and stared. The fear and humiliation that Astell felt when confronted with her family was creeping up again. So I was about to step back a little, but Bleon gently stroked my back. ¡®Yes, I have Bleon.¡¯ Astell isn¡¯t¡ª no, I¡¯m not alone anymore. Bleon gave me a lot of courage, just the same as the courage I gave him when he was young, and so I blinked my eyes slightly and looked at my family one by one without averting my gaze. As I stood at the entrance of the dining room for a while, the Marquis opened his mouth first. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time. Astell. Welcome, Einer. Duke.¡± What? ¡®Duke¡¯, as an afterthought1? I couldn¡¯t stand it any longer because of the disgusting behavior of him looking down at Bleon. ¡°Father. It¡¯s been a while. But, please be polite to my husband, the Duke of Einer. No matter how young he is, his peerage is high, so it is against etiquette.¡± At that, the Marquis¡¯ face became terribly distorted. ¡°What are you talking about now?¡± ¡°Did I say something wrong? Mother?¡± I turned to my mother and asked for her consent. ¡°Mm¡­!¡± ¡°Astell.¡± Calmly, unlike my father, my mother called my name. ¡°Like Julia mentioned, a lot has changed since we didn¡¯t see you.¡± ¡°Ten years is a lot of time.¡± I also did not lose my composure and responded to her. Due to my unexpected behavior, the dining hall quickly became chilly. And then Julia got up and came to us, and she spoke to Bleon with a gentle voice. ¡°Duke Einer, Welcome! I was waiting. Please sit here.¡± Then, Julia tried to grab Bleon¡¯s arm. Bleon hurriedly backed away from her so that Julia couldn¡¯t even approach. ¡°I will go.¡± At the fact that Julia was about to touch him, Bleon¡¯s expression hardened, and his voice was as cold as ice. ¡°My wife, Let¡¯s go.¡± Bleon¡¯s face, looking right at me, was full of warmth and led me to the other side of the seat where my family sat. As I followed Bleon, I turned around for a moment and smiled at Julia. As soon as the two of us were seated, the employees started serving food, and we ate soup and appetizers. I was eating like nothing was wrong, but the food couldn¡¯t pass properly due to the stinging gaze on the other side. I lifted my head, looked straight ahead, and opened my mouth. ¡°Helena, how are you? Are you not married yet?¡± I spoke to Helena, one of the siblings, who bothered me the least. Then I noticed Helena glanced around and raised her voice at me with a frown on her face. ¡°Why does it matter? Never mind that.¡± ¡°Yes, it doesn¡¯t matter. But what¡¯s the way you talk to your sister? You¡¯re like someone who didn¡¯t learn. I used to be your sister, but now I am Duchess of Einer. Be careful.¡± I warned Helena with a fierce look. ¡°What, what do you mean¡­! Sister¡­!¡± Helena turned to Julia for help. ¡°Oh, Astell. Don¡¯t be too hard on your sisters. Who knows? Will you come back to this place like me?¡± Bleon flinched and tried to open his mouth as Julia began to target me. I shook my head slightly, telling Bleon to stay still. ¡°Is that so? It¡¯s because I¡¯m not the type of person to go and meet all these guys like my sister. And¡­ The Duke wouldn¡¯t sell me to another. Is that right, Your Grace?¡± I took Bleon¡¯s hand and put it to my cheek, giving a slight smirk. His face hardened a little when I said that he was selling me to another, but his expression softened at the words that immediately reassured him. ¡°I will do better, Wife. So never let go of my hand. You know I can¡¯t live without my wife.¡± And Bleon always joined me in my acting, literally. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± In our unfamiliar conversation and confrontation with Julia, my father cleared his throat and was about to sit out words uncomfortably, however it was my mother who spoke. ¡°Astell, now I hate your personality as much as your ugly face. Why must you speak like that to your sister? Your words have gotten very nasty. And now, it¡¯s not just the two of you here. How did the kid become so vulgar¡­?¡± My mother, who was still, began to attack me. ¡°Am I that ugly?¡± Everyone was looking at me with a puzzled expression on their face, saying, ¡®are you kidding me?¡¯ ¡°I wouldn¡¯t believe that you¡¯re my daughter if I didn¡¯t give birth to you.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes. You were so ugly that I didn¡¯t even want to look at you for a long time.¡± ¡ª¡ª 1 This line was not how it went in the original text, it¡¯s only localized for English speakers to understand the connotation behind this line because it doesn¡¯t translate well in English. But if you would like to know, what the Marquis said here is just plain outright ¡®Duke¡¯ Einer without the respectful ¡®-nim¡¯ honorific. To illustrate, what he was supposed to say is ¡®Lord Duke Einer¡¯ (if translated literally) but he only addressed Bleon as ¡®Duke Einer¡¯. Advanced Chapters! Chapter 39 Translator and Editor: Effe and Yonnee Chapter 39 Can that really come from a human being called a mother? How can she openly say that she hated looking at her daughter just because she was ugly? I really couldn¡¯t help but click my tongue at her personality. ¡°Is it a sin to not be pretty? Am I a human being unworthy of value to Mother if I¡¯m not pretty?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The answer was also merciless. ¡°As expected, Mother hasn¡¯t changed at all.¡± ¡°Do I have any reason to change?¡± ¡°Well, there is no reason to change.¡± I looked through the people of this family, from my father to Helena. ¡°I was worried that my family might have changed a little, but I¡¯m glad you haven¡¯t changed at all.¡± ¡°Mother, there¡¯s nothing that little girl can¡¯t say.¡± But then Michael interrupted the conversation. ¡°Brother Michael. What do you mean little girl? I used to be young, but now you have to think about my age. And one final warning to my brother, I am the Duchess of Einer. Act accordingly.¡± At my words, Michael¡¯s face flushed red. Then he got up from his chair, pointed at me and yelled at me. ¡°How could you pretend to be a Duchess now when you¡¯re so ugly! No matter what you do, you¡¯ll always be the ugly lady of Heines. You don¡¯t even know your place.¡± ¡°Heines¡ª¡± As Bleon couldn¡¯t stand still at Michael¡¯s rant, I tried to step in, and I met Bleon¡¯s eyes again and shook my head. ¡®I¡¯ll take care of it.¡¯ Don¡¯t get involved in this dirty and ugly situation. I patted the back of his hand, helping him to calm his agitation. And I opened my eyes and looked at Michael. Now it was time to use the information I got from Leila. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel good to hear that kind of thing from the prodigal son of Heines, Brother Michael.¡± I smiled at him leisurely, provoking him even more. ¡°Ke-humm¡­! Stop it now.¡± It¡¯s just the beginning, but I never thought of stopping. So I ignored my father¡¯s words and began to say what I had to say. ¡°There are rumors that atrocities happening in the capital have something to do with Brother. How did you get so low? Be careful with your life. Otherwise, this little sister is very worried that it will get even worse.¡± But rather than a worried expression, I smirked instead, so Michael became even more mad. ¡°This, this ugly thing!¡± Suddenly, Michael spat out a vulgar swear word and came from the table in an instant, and he ran to me. But Bleon blocked his way and stopped Michael. ¡°If you lay a finger on my wife, I will never stand still.¡± Bleon¡¯s voice was as cold as ice and his momentum was bitter. Even though a young man was blocking his way, there was a difference in their status. So even when Michael was in front of me, he couldn¡¯t approach me any longer and was just angered. ¡°What are you doing now! Michael, go back to your seat!¡± At my father¡¯s scolding, Michael reluctantly sat back down. At that moment, the sound of Julia¡¯s giggling laughter filled the dining room. And as soon as the laughter disappeared, the atmosphere became colder. ¡°Fun. Oh, how fun. Mother, didn¡¯t Astell become so much fun? What she believes in and what she does, she has grown so much.¡± Julia stared at me with her characteristic arrogant expression. ¡°Then, when it disappears, her appearance will be very pleasing.¡± Saying that, her eyes were convinced that the corner I believed in was Bleon, and she was also full of determination to take it away. ¡°Well.¡± I replied with a shrug and looked at the family once more. And my eyes met with Lucas, who had not said a word until now. Again, as if he had no interest in this conversation, he was alone in the midst of the chaos, maintaining a noble expression of politeness. ¡®Rather that man is the best of them all.¡¯ With that in mind, I spoke to Lucas. ¡°Brother Lucas, I heard that you have been chosen as the next Marquis of the family. congratulations. I should have brought a present, but I forgot.¡± Of course, this was just a greeting to Lucas, but it also included trying to mess with the other siblings. In particular, Michael, who has the strongest regret and jealousy for the succession, was targeted. As expected, Michael¡¯s expression wrinkled and looked at me. ¡°Still, my brother is the most sane among them, so I think it was the right decision. Otherwise, the Heines household might be in jeopardy¡± As soon as I finished my words, now, except for Lucas, my father and mother, as well as Julia and Helena, started staring at me as if they were going to kill me with a startled expression on their faces. ¡°You, you are now¡­!¡± ¡°Astell!¡± ¡°What does that ugly thing mean by that!¡± Shall I end it at this level? They couldn¡¯t stand it anymore and burst into anger, each constantly swearing at me and cursing at me, so I knew it was time to leave. Astell¡¯s family was trashier than I expected. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll see them anymore anyway, but I didn¡¯t want to waste any more time with these people. I pushed the chair back and got up. When I got up, Bleon got up with me. ¡°I¡¯ll just go. The meal was really good.¡± It was a lie. I barely touched the food. ¡°Sit down. The meal is not over yet.¡± My father forced me to sit back. ¡°No. It¡¯s done.¡± ¡°I told you to sit down!¡± Father¡¯s voice grew louder. But I ignored my father¡¯s words and smiled at them one last time. ¡°I will never come again, so think of me as a child you never had. After all, you lived your life thinking that way anyway, so it¡¯s not difficult, right?¡± ¡°Astell!¡± ¡°And I¡¯ll give you back Kren that you gave as dowry for my wedding. With this, I will end all ties with the Heines family.¡± Everyone looked at me in amazement when I said I would return Kren. In fact, it was quite impulsive to return Kren. Originally, I had no intention of doing so, but since the family was not able to give back more than I expected, I don¡¯t want to be tied to anything now. And to do that, it was the cleanest way to spit out what was received. ¡°I cannot say thank you for raising me until now. I think I might be a much better person than I am now if I hadn¡¯t been born into a family like this.¡± ¡°How far are you planning to go?¡± My mother also couldn¡¯t stand it and yelled at me. ¡°And if you see me outside and treat me as rudely as you are now, I won¡¯t be able to stand it again. So don¡¯t forget everyone. I am Duchess Astell Einer.¡± As I reminded them again that they are the people of the Marquisate and I am now the Duchess, I raised my head proudly. ¡°Let¡¯s go. Duke.¡± Saying that, I took Bleon¡¯s hand and turned around to walk out. Whilst we kept hearing noises behind us all the way, I couldn¡¯t hear them anymore. And it was only when I left the dining room, left the mansion, and rode out the front door in the carriage, so many emotions that had been in Astell¡¯s deepest part, that had occupied a space for so long that they could not even come out on their own, burst out in an instant. ¡°Wife¡­?¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± Bleon was looking at me with eyes full of concern and sorrow. However, my face was covered with tears, making it difficult to see. Without realizing it, my feelings were assimilated with Astell¡¯s, and tears seemed to burst. ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I¡¯m proud of you, my wife.¡± He wiped away my tears with his gentle hand. ¡°¡­Are you proud of me?¡± ¡°Yes. You did a great job.¡± With that said, I embraced him, both arms around his neck. ¡°I¡¯m not crying because it¡¯s sad. I¡¯m crying because I¡¯m so happy. Hiic.¡± And in Bleon¡¯s arms, I cried so much that my heart was refreshed. Click here for more advanced chapters!