《Taking Care of My Husband in a Tragic Novel》


 Chapter 1

    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.

 Chapter 2

    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.¡±

 Chapter 3

    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¡­¡±

 Chapter 4

    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.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 5

    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.¡±

 Chapter 6

    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.

 Chapter 7

    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¡­¡±

 Chapter 8

    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.

 Chapter 9

    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.¡¯

 Chapter 10

    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?¡±

 Chapter 11

    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.

 Chapter 12

    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.

 Chapter 13

    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.¡±


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 14

    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.¡±


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 15

    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.¡¯


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 16

    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.

 Chapter 17

    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.

 Chapter 18

    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?¡±


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 19

    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.¡±


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 20

    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¡­¡±

 Chapter 21

    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?¡±


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 Chapter 22

    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¡­¡­¡±

 Chapter 23

    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.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 24

    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.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 25

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    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.


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 Chapter 26

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    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.¡±


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 Chapter 27

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 27


    Having said that, I raised my lips slightly and reac


    hed 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?¡±


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 Chapter 28

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    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¡­¡±


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 Chapter 29

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    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


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 Chapter 30

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    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


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 Chapter 31

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    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.¡±


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 Chapter 32

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    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


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 Chapter 33

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    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


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 Chapter 34

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    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


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 Chapter 35

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    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.


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 Chapter 36

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    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.


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 Chapter 37

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    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.


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 Chapter 38

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    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


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 Chapter 39

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    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.


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 Chapter 40

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    Chapter 40


    As soon as we returned to the duke¡¯s residence, we immediately prepared to go to Kren. I wanted to clean up the place as soon as possible to end this terrible connection with the Heines. So the next morning, we set off for Kren, and as soon as we arrived, I quickly started organizing everything.


    First of all, we asked the employees and knights who were working in Kren if they were willing to work in the mansion at the capital, leaving only those who had to clean up until the end, and sent the rest to the capital first.


    And I asked Logan, who had been the Einer family¡¯s doctor in Kren for 10 years, and Philia, his disciple, if they would like to go with us. But Philia said she wanted to stay in Kren while Logan would go. I felt sad and regretful that she had not gone with us, but I could not force her. Strictly speaking, the Duchy¡¯s doctor was Logan, and she was still his disciple.


    As Philia did not follow, it became difficult to link Bleon and Philia. I was still willing to send Bleon to Philia if they liked each other. However, I had no intention of forcing the two of them together.


    When I first woke up here, I was assuming that Bleon had no interest in Astell at all. So, believing in the power of the original story, I wanted to connect Bleon with Philia, the female lead. Because I firmly believed that was what was meant to be.


    But now he likes me. He loved me so much that it felt so obvious. So I didn¡¯t want to ignore his feelings. And although I didn¡¯t like Bleon as much as he liked me, I also had feelings for him. Now I don¡¯t want to deny it.


    Although I was still hesitant because of the age difference, I couldn¡¯t hide my trembling every time Bleon cared for me and loved me. I was too affected by him to say that it was only Astell¡¯s heart that was giving me those feelings.


    But affection was affection, and considering Bleon¡¯s future, I thought that it would be better to give up on him with a good heart. I thought that Bleon would be more suited to someone else than me, someone who could love him without hurting him.


    ¡®But if you keep saying you like me¡­¡¯


    I need to stop thinking nonsense. There was no need to be so sure and anxious about the future. If Bleon liked me, I could stay with him. However, if he or I later find someone else, we can just get a divorce when that time comes. It wasn¡¯t difficult at all. If any one of us changes our mind, we can break up. It could be me or Bleon, and if possible, I hoped he would change his mind first and leave me.


    ¡®I don¡¯t have a lot of expectations, but¡­¡¯


    Looking at the words Bleon has said and the actions he¡¯s done for me, I couldn¡¯t imagine that his love would go away. He was so blind and devoted to me.


    ¡®By the way, if I decided to accept Bleon, we should sleep together now, right?¡¯


    I previously had no intention of accepting him, so I always used excuses to avoid physical contact. But if we decided to live together now, it would not be right to avoid it. Although I was obligated to fulfill my role as Duchess, I also wondered if the pleasure I had felt in my dream was real.


    It was so vivid and real that after waking up from the dream, my secret place was wet, and whenever I saw Bleon, I was reminded of every action he had done in my dream, and there were times when I secretly avoided his eyes.


    ¡®Oh, I remembered it again.¡¯


    In particular, in the dream I had recently, every cell in my body was covered with pleasure, and it seemed like my mind would change even in the dream.


    But really, what kind of dream is that?


    If it¡¯s part of Astell¡¯s memory, the sunflowers shouldn¡¯t come out yet, and Bleon¡¯s face can¡¯t be that mature¡­ Sincerely speaking of an expression of my desire, I didn¡¯t see Bleon in that way until I had such wild dreams. I was able to honestly say to myself that it was only because of the dream that I was a little curious.


    So while I was thinking about my dream, Bleon came into the room. He had come back after finishing discussing things with the butler.


    ¡°Wife, I¡¯m here.¡±


    ¡°Are you done?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think we can leave now.¡±


    My life here is finally over. The period I lived in Kren was not very long, but anyway, this was the place where Astell and Bleon lived for 10 years.


    ¡°It is over here now. Is it okay?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care where I am, as long as I¡¯m with my wife.¡±


    It was a heartwarming answer. Bleon always reassured me in this way.


    ¡°I¡¯m broke now, is that okay? When I got married, I said this¡ªthat I have a lot of money, so I will protect the Duke.¡±


    Looking up at Bleon, I asked, pretending to be embarrassed for nothing. Then Bleon strode over to me and kissed my forehead.


    ¡°Now I will protect you. Don¡¯t worry about anything. And I know that the wife took back the Einer family estate.¡±


    This really surprised me too. The fact that the Duke and Duchess of Einer died leaving only Bleon behind and their wealth was taken away by his relatives. As soon as Astell married Bleon, she devised a way to regain the lost lands one by one, and after that, over the next two years, she regained as much, if not all, according to the laws and procedures. I knew this too, so I was able to let go of Kren without any regrets.


    ¡°So that belongs to you, Wife.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s ours.¡±


    When I said that it was ours, Bleon looked at me with warm eyes.


    ¡°Yes. It¡¯s ours. Ours¡­¡±


    As if he liked it, Bleon kept repeating the word ¡®ours¡¯ over and over again.


    ¡°Shall we go now?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Wife.¡±


    There were no regrets at all. Just as Bleon said, as long as we were together, it didn¡¯t matter where we were. So we brushed off everything and left Kren with a relieved heart and headed for the capital, Hares.


    A very busy month had passed since we arrived in Hares. Although I entrusted the work to the butler, there were things I had to do on my own, so I was very busy. And I entrusted McCain with Bleon¡¯s swordsmanship training, which started in earnest. I was worried that the two men didn¡¯t like each other, but there was no one like McCain to improve Bleon¡¯s skills.


    I didn¡¯t expect the same thing to happen as I had told the two men firmly, but I would often go to the training ground and watch Bleon train. The name may be watching, but it¡¯s a kind of surveillance. Fortunately, my words worked well for them, and McCain taught Bleon in a strong and firm manner as a teacher, and Bleon was also seriously engaged in training.


    And as the news that we had entered the capital spread through social circles, day by day invitations were flying in and piled up in the mansion. Even though we did not have the same authority as before, the Duchy of Einer has been one of the most prominent noble households since the founding of the empire. There were a lot of nobles who wanted to get to know the Duchy of Einer, and they wanted to invite me and Bleon to their party somehow.


    But there was one person I had to meet first. It was the right thing to do to repay the kindness to the person who helped me. So last time she invited me, this time it was my turn to invite her. And today was the day that Leila was supposed to come. I went to meet Leila in front of the mansion just in time for her to come. Soon, a carriage stopped in front of the mansion, and the door opened, revealing a familiar figure.


    ¡°Leila. Welcome.¡±


    ¡°Astell!¡±


    I approached her and clasped our hands together, greeting her with joy. Leila also smiled brightly as soon as she saw me and grabbed my hand. Now, the hot summer has passed and autumn is slowly coming to this place. Even in the daytime, a cool breeze enveloped us.


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 Chapter 41

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 41


    ¡°Come in. I prepared some good tea and refreshments for your visit.¡±


    ¡°Wow! I¡¯m looking forward to it!¡±


    Seeing Leila conveyed her lovely and boisterous energy, which made me feel happy and uplifted at the same time. I took her straight to the drawing room with a smile on my lips.


    ¡°What do you think?¡±


    ¡°It smells so good?¡±


    ¡°Really? What a relief. Last time, you served us a precious floral tea, so I wanted to serve a suitable tea for you, too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s such a sweet and pleasant scent. Thank you, Astell.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m rather grateful. Thanks to Leila, I had a great time with my family.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I was helpful. Are you staying in Hares now?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If nothing else happens, I will live here.¡±


    ¡°Wow, I¡¯m so happy! That means I can see you often now, right?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m very happy too.¡±


    We chatted together for a while, and ate the specially prepared floral tea and snacks.


    ¡°But I get a lot of invitations for the Duchy, so I don¡¯t know what to do. It¡¯s been difficult for me since I¡¯ve been without interaction with anyone for ten years.¡±


    Even though I¡¯ve only seen Leila twice, I felt very comfortable with her. Perhaps she gave me a lot of information about Astell¡¯s family and I made good use of it, so I felt she was very trustworthy. Maybe that¡¯s why I was telling her openly about the problem I was having, without realizing it.


    ¡°I heard that the Marquisate of Aris is having a garden party next week, how about going together, Astell?¡±


    ¡°Come to think of it, I think the invitation came from the Marquisate of Aris.¡±


    ¡°Then it¡¯s fine. Let¡¯s go together. I will introduce you to several nobles.¡±


    ¡°But I¡¯m sorry to get help from you like this again, Leila¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We are friends. Aren¡¯t we?¡±


    And again, Leila was giving me a good solution.


    ¡®She¡¯s too trustworthy.¡¯


    Leila was becoming more and more better that I thought I was going to have to give McCain a big bonus sooner or later for letting me meet this person.


    ¡°Yes, friends. Thank you. Leila. Again, if Leila needs any help, you can always tell me.¡±


    At my words, Leila gave a clear and pretty smile instead of an answer.


    ¡°Leila, you asked me something back then. If I ever went to the Holster Marquisate?¡±


    The day I first met Leila, I felt very sorry for not being able to properly answer the only question she asked me. So, after returning to the Duke¡¯s residence, I continued to trace and trace Astell¡¯s memory. After digging through my head for several days like that, I remembered that Astell had been invited to dinner when she was about fifteen.


    ¡°I was around fifteen, so I think I went there because I was invited to dinner with all of my family.¡±


    ¡°Really? So, do you remember seeing McCain back then?¡±


    ¡°Sir McCain? I probably saw him. The people of the Holsters also ate together. There are quite a lot of young girls and boys of the Marquisate, so I¡¯m not sure which one of them was Sir McCain.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ that¡¯s true.¡±


    ¡°By the way, I can¡¯t remember the details of the face, but strangely, there was a boy among them that I was particularly concerned about. He was a kid who couldn¡¯t even eat properly because he looked around with a confused expression¡­¡±


    Perhaps Astell¡¯s lack of blending among her own family seemed to be similar to the child¡¯s own, and she was drawn to the child. After she finished eating, Astell happened to exchange a few words with the child when she met the child again in the garden.


    ¡°I think that was the first and last time I went to Marquisate Holster. So I don¡¯t remember seeing Leila at all. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    If Leila had been at the dinner then, I would have seen her, but it made no sense at all that she was there that day, when she was not from the Holsters or from the Heines. I gave her an apologetic look and apologized for not having remembered her once again.


    ¡°No. Astell! I shouldn¡¯t have brought it up. Forget about that now. Alright?¡±


    Fortunately, there was no sad light on Leila¡¯s face. It gave me relief and I nodded my head slightly.


    After Leila returned, I headed to his office to see Bleon. As I entered, Bleon got up from his desk and strode over to me and held me in his arms.


    ¡°Wife¡­¡±


    Then he put his head down on the nape of my neck, as I was far smaller than him, burying his face, inhaling my body scent, and making himself aware that I was by his side. Now that it¡¯s almost everyday, I quietly accepted his gestures and waited.


    ¡°Did you have a good day at training today?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it was good. Is Princess Parkers gone now?¡±


    Bleon¡¯s voice somehow contained a sense of inadequacy.


    ¡°Yes. I just came here after seeing Leila off.¡±


    ¡°I missed you¡­¡±


    ¡°We ate lunch together¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s hard for me to not see my wife even for a second. I am still enduring it even now.¡±


    ¡°I know. I know how well my husband is doing.¡±


    I gave him a big pat on the back as if I was proud of him. We held each other for a while, then realized that I had something to say to him and tried to get out of his arms. But Bleon didn¡¯t let me go, so I couldn¡¯t help but open my mouth.


    ¡°Shall we go over to the sofa and sit down? I have something to say¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ I understand.¡±


    As soon as I pushed Bleon gently, he grabbed my hand. Then he led me to the sofa and sat me next to him.


    ¡°You have something to say?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As the Duke knows, invitations are pouring in from various nobles, right? So I thought about where I should go first, but I finally decided.¡±


    ¡°¡­Where is it?¡±


    In an instant, I could feel the tension and anxiety rising from Bleon¡¯s expression and voice. But it had been decided from the moment I made up my mind to come to the capital, so I tried to ignore it and continued talking.


    ¡°Next week, the Marquisate of Aris is having a garden party. I want to go there.¡±


    ¡°The Marquisate of Aris?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The Marquisate of Aris is a clean household and has been very loyal to the imperial family, so I think it will be helpful for us to build and maintain a good relationship with them from now on. I thought that it would make a good impression if they knew that they were chosen among the many invitations.¡±


    The details of the Marquisate of Aris were given to me by Leila earlier.


    ¡°Do you have to go¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have to go.¡±


    I answered with a firm expression on my face. Then Bleon locked me in his arms and took a deep breath.


    ¡°¡­Alright. If that¡¯s what the wife wants, I¡­¡±


    His face, who reluctantly replied with a look of his voice that had lost all energy, was vivid in my mind. It was clear that he didn¡¯t want to show me like that when he hugged me like this. I sneaked out of his arms as I pondered how to relieve him. Then I reached up and grabbed his little pretty face with both hands, fixing his gaze on me. I could see Bleon¡¯s face tinged with wonder at my sudden action.


    ¡°¡­Wife?¡±


    ¡°Shall we kiss?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I want to kiss you now, but we haven¡¯t been able to for a while.¡±


    In fact, it wasn¡¯t for a while, but a few days. Over the past few days, a lot of busy work has come in. Bleon came to sleep beside me, but I was too exhausted to wait for him. And in the morning, he¡¯d leave the bedroom before I even woke up. So when I woke up in the morning, only his body scent that surrounds me knows that he has been by my side all night.


    I smiled broadly at Bleon and waited for his reaction. But, as soon as I saw the lust in his pupils, without a second thought, he devoured my lips like crazy.


    ¡°¡­Mmhh!¡±


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 Chapter 42

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 42


    This kiss, which happened for the first time in a few days, was too sweet. His tongue immediately slipped into my lips and stirred. It was hard to control my body in the frantic kiss, and as I tried to push back, Bleon wrapped one hand around the back of my head as if he couldn¡¯t bear to let go. And the soft flesh began to encroach deeper and wider inside.


    I didn¡¯t want to be away from him either, so I hugged Bleon¡¯s neck tightly with both arms, and that wasn¡¯t enough, so I got closer and closer and eventually settled down on his firm thighs. However, as I moved to sit down comfortably, I accidentally fell into a position where I was embracing him with my legs spread apart. As Bleon continued to hold onto me as if he didn¡¯t want to let go, he grabbed my waist with his large hand and stopped me from moving.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    Breathing through the nose while kissing couldn¡¯t be done forever, so in the end, each other¡¯s lips fell apart to catch a breath. My hot breath and his hot, stiff breath mingled in the space between us that was about the width of a finger.


    However, for a moment, without getting off, Bleon rushed to me again, and the two tongues got entangled again and they started to share each other¡¯s saliva. Perhaps because it was the second kiss, it felt like Bleon was a little more relaxed, and this time, instead of rushing like before, he explored my mouth as if he was teasing me, making me aroused.


    ¡°Hnnnh¡­¡±


    Eventually, a muffled moan escaped through the gap in my mouth. I could feel his firm center between my legs as I was slowly drenched in pleasure. Originally, at this point, I would quickly separate myself from him, so Bleon always tried not to go against his rationality, and there were many cases where he tried to stop the movement of his lower body that wanted to go further.


    But now he could see clearly in his eyes that I was more restless, and Bleon slowly moved his waist and rubbed his genitals hidden in his clothes near the sensitive area under my skirt.


    But in spite of the fact that I was only trying to kiss Bleon as expected, I felt my body getting hotter and hotter with him. The idea of ??wanting him to touch, suck, and lick all over my body, even the secret places, began to dominate my mind. So, at Bleon¡¯s shallow movement, I started to move my back at the same time.


    ¡°Hng¡­¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    At the moment when a sobbing moan came out, it was the signal, Bleon¡¯s lips fell from mine and crept closer to my ear. And Bleon¡¯s murky, low voice was heard along with the sound of hot breathing in his ears, which had been heated by his sexual stimulation.


    ¡°Wife¡­¡±


    ¡°Hnmmh¡­!¡±


    From the first time I saw Bleon, somehow I liked the desperation when he called me his wife. It felt like I was the only one for him, and I felt like he was the only one. But at the same time, the earnestness that he desperately wanted me always filled my heart.


    And at this moment, his voice calling to me was overflowing with a deep, dark lust that he couldn¡¯t hide.


    ¡°Bleon¡­¡±


    ¡°Wife¡­¡±


    ¡°Bleon¡­¡±


    ¡°Astell¡­¡±


    Now, we only have each other. I called him and he called me, and I called him again and he called me again.


    ¡°Shall we go to the bedroom¡­?¡±


    At Bleon¡¯s words to move, I shook my head. I didn¡¯t want to get away from him at all. I was so aroused that I wanted to be one with him right now. Bleon sensed what I wanted, so he unclasped the buttons on the back of my dress one by one and lowered my dress slightly below my shoulder. Then he buried his face in the nape of my neck and pressed his lips to it.


    ¡°Ahht¡­¡±


    He stayed around my neck for quite some time. He bit, sucked, licked, and persistently teased one part. Then, after a while, his head moved slightly downward, and this time his lips moved to the collarbone, and he took a bite with his tongue for a while as if to check the shape of the protruding collarbone.


    I just moaned intermittently while Bleon did this, stroking his hair. And just as Bleon pulled the dress down again and my chest was about to be exposed, a knock was heard on the door, at which silence ensued around us.


    Knock, knock.


    ¡°Duke. This is Jace.¡±


    Maybe I was the only one who heard the butler¡¯s voice, but Bleon didn¡¯t stop and continued to use his lips and tongue on me. However, I was the first to wake up from the world where it was just the two of us.


    In an instant, my mind flashed and I lifted Bleon¡¯s face, which had been buried in my arms, straight up. When his and my eyes met, the corners of Bleon¡¯s eyes glowed red from the unsatisfied delay of his desires. Still, Bleon was trying to bury his face in my neck again, ignoring me. I quickly called for Bleon in a low voice.


    ¡°Bleon!¡±


    However, as soon as I called him, Bleon did not answer, so the butler called Bleon again.


    ¡°Duke. It¡¯s training time, and Sir McCain is waiting for you at the training grounds.¡±


    Oh right. Training.


    Even while busy, Bleon was learning swordsmanship from McCain twice a day. And right now, before dinner, this was the second training session of the day.


    ¡°The Duke has some business to deal with, so tell the Knights Commander to wait for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Yes. I understand, Madam.¡±


    There was no way the butler would come in rudely because there was no answer from inside, but he couldn¡¯t keep McCain waiting. Awakening my hazy mind, I answered in place of Bleon. And while Bleon was dazed, he hurriedly re-buttoned my slightly loose dress, and, having properly dressed again, I looked at Bleon. But he still looked like he was struggling to get out of the pleasure.


    ¡°Bleon¡­!¡±


    I first tried to come down from his thigh. But Bleon did not let go.


    ¡°Let me up. Huh? hurry!¡±


    ¡°Wife¡­?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s talk about it for a moment.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°Hurry.¡±


    I felt Bleon¡¯s hand loosen its grip as I spoke firmly, unlike how we had been coveting each other until recently. In the meantime, I came down from his thigh and took a seat next to him. But suddenly, my gaze fell between his legs and I recognized that his condition was very difficult.


    ¡®Well, it¡¯s the same for me.¡¯


    It was not visible from the outside, but the underwear inside the skirt became so wet that it had to be changed quickly.


    ¡°Sorry. I just provoked you¡­ I didn¡¯t even think about your training.¡±


    ¡°No. I¡­ Haa¡­¡±


    Bleon let out a long sigh, unable to finish speaking. At the end of that breath, there was an unresolved desire. But we¡¯re very used to this situation, as this hasn¡¯t happened once or twice. And I knew exactly what I had to do now.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go and tell Sir McCain first, so Bleon¡ª¡±


    ¡°No! Don¡¯t go¡­!¡±


    I thought it would be better for me to go and talk than for the butler to go and wait for him. His eyes were somehow so sad that I couldn¡¯t move any more and asked.


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    ¡°I am going right now, so my wife, stay here. Please.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    He and I both knew he couldn¡¯t move right away, so I lowered my head slightly and pointed to his center. However, the pants that were tight had changed a little more relaxedly.


    ¡°I will go, Wife.¡±


    Saying so, Bleon lightly kissed my forehead. Then he hurriedly walked out of the office.


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 Chapter 43

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 43


    After what happened in the office, another ordinary day passed. He was so busy that I didn¡¯t even notice that the work was all concentrated only on Bleon, and it wasn¡¯t until the day of the garden party that he had some free time.


    We were getting ready at sunset and we were on our way in a carriage to the Marquisate of Aris¡¯ residence. McCain took time off from being our escort knight this time. It was because I gave him a vacation because he was attending this garden party as the Lord of the Holster Marquisate.


    Today, Bleon wore a dark navy blue suit, and it matched him so well that Bleon¡¯s beauty stood out even more. And I wore an elegant and splendid dress in pale gold. I didn¡¯t mean to stand out, but it was the first social party I had with Bleon after coming to Hares, so I gave it a little more effort on purpose.


    ¡°I¡¯m happy though. I mean, your work is almost over. I almost would have gone alone.¡±


    ¡°I know. I will never let my wife go alone.¡±


    ¡°This is the first party the Duke goes to as an adult.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to go and meet a lot of people this time. Both of us.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    Bleon answered in a voice not very motivated. But as I did last time, I had no intention of yielding to him this much. So I tried to ignore his anxious expression and continued what I was saying.


    ¡°There will be Leila, and McCain Holster coming too, so it¡¯ll probably be alright.¡±


    Not going to a place full of strangers, but knowing that there is someone who we even know at least a little bit puts my mind at ease. But again, maybe it was just me, Bleon¡¯s brow furrowed.


    ¡°Can my husband wrinkle his face like this in front of people he is seeing for the first time today?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Bleon didn¡¯t answer as he didn¡¯t feel much better even though I had said something jokingly.


    ¡°Are you anxious?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why are you anxious?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Again, Bleon kept his mouth shut.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you trust me?¡±


    ¡°No, no¡­!¡±


    Bleon vehemently denied it and shook his head vigorously.


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, mywife, it¡¯s that I just¡­¡±


    Not ignorant of his anxiety, I turned to the side and held him in my arms. However, I was not large enough to hold Bleon¡¯s body if I wanted to hold him tight. So, holding him just close enough to barely touch both of Bleon¡¯s arms, I leaned his face on my shoulder and opened my lips to speak.


    ¡°I just came out of the world and I can¡¯t stay like this without doing anything. Bleon is the head of the Duchy of Einer. So, you have to do what you have to do as the head. I know better than anyone that you haven¡¯t slept well and been busy working. So let¡¯s do a little more. I will work hard by your side to help make up for the past. Understand?¡±


    I said, calming him down in a gentle tone.


    ¡°¡­I understand, Wife.¡±


    His voice still didn¡¯t sound like that at all, but I sighed in relief that he had answered me nonetheless. Then I picked the words he liked and continued speaking.


    ¡°Don¡¯t forget that we will always be together and Bleon is the first for me. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Wife¡­¡±


    His voice was slightly teary, as if he was moved and choked up by my words.


    ¡°Thank you. Wife¡­¡±


    Saying thank you, Bleon stretched out his long arms and took me in his arms. We shared each other¡¯s breath so closely until we reached the Marquisate of Aris.


    The party was bigger than expected. Apparently quite a few nobles were invited, so the gardens of the Marquisate of Aris were crowded with people. As soon as Bleon and I entered the garden, all eyes turned to us.


    I already expected that to happen, so I looked around, not paying much attention to the gazes. And not too far away, I found Leila with McCain. The two of them also walked this way looking at us, and our distance gradually narrowed.


    ¡°Astell!¡±


    ¡°Leila!¡±


    Leila and I looked at each other and greeted each other warmly.


    ¡°It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen you, Duke Einer.¡±


    Leila smiled and spoke to Bleon. I glanced lightly at Bleon. Fortunately, as if he felt my gaze, Bleon immediately opened his mouth.


    ¡°Long time no see, Princess Parkers.¡±


    ¡°I knew it when we first saw each other, but looking at it this way, you really have a unique beauty. Does the Duke know that you look the coolest in this garden today?¡±


    Leila praised Bleon, raising her thumb. When Bleon didn¡¯t respond to the compliment for him, I quickly responded instead.


    ¡°It¡¯s a bit embarrassing to talk about, but I am amazed every day by the Duke¡¯s beauty.¡±


    ¡°I think so. I envy Astell to see such a handsome husband like this every day? Actually, McCain is second to none in appearance, but because he stands side by side with the Duke¡­ It¡¯s a little¡­¡±


    Leila looked at McCain and tilted her head with a teasing look. At Leila¡¯s words, I also turned my gaze to McCain.


    ¡°It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen Sir in a suit, and it matches you really well.¡±


    I even praised him with half courtesy and half sincerity. Then McCain coughed in embarrassment.


    ¡°How can you be so flustered¡­!¡±


    Leila nudged McCain with her elbow.


    ¡°Leila!¡±


    ¡°You know Astell. McCain is very popular with the young ladies of the capital, no matter what he looks like. But today, I think everyone will be more interested in the Duke than McCain.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡±


    ¡°Yes. But when they find out that he has a beautiful wife like Astell, everyone will sigh deeply in regret.¡±


    ¡°Is¡­ that so?¡±


    I glanced at the three of them in turn with questionable faces. I don¡¯t think that they will be sighing in regret, but somehow I think they will take the opportunity to talk to Bleon at least once¡­


    In a noble society, it is normal for a married couple to have their own lovers, so everyone would be interested in the grown up Bleon, and they probably thought that they could easily win against me. Because ten years ago, the social circle centered on the Heines family treated Astell just like that.


    ¡®But I¡¯m not that young anymore.¡¯


    No one could ever treat Astell¡ªme¡ªlike that any more. I would never sit still, and I wouldn¡¯t let it go if I ever had to be treated like that again, so I kept a gentle smile while maintaining a confident look.


    However, while the two men were standing still and only Leila and I were talking, the Marquis and Marchioness of Aris, the organizers of this party, approached us.


    ¡°You really have come, Duke Einer and Duchess Einer.¡±


    Marquis Aris came closer with a very moved expression and welcomed us.


    ¡°Thank you for the invitation. Marquis Aris, Marchioness Aris.¡±


    I also answered them with a bright expression on my face.


    ¡°Thank you for the invitation.¡±


    And Bleon immediately thanked them with the same words as mine.


    ¡°We are more than grateful. You must have been invited by many nobles, but you responded first to our family¡¯s invitation.¡±


    ¡°Yes, so welcome back to the capital.¡±


    ¡°Thank you so much for being so welcoming.¡±


    ¡°I heard that Duke Einer has come of age this year. He is already so dignified, so he has no lack of being able to lead a household.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Marquis Aris.¡±


    Even if I didn¡¯t glance at my side, Bleon answered them by himself, and I looked at him with a happy expression. And I gave him a good look as a praise for his good job.


    ¡°Sir Holster is here, too. Why don¡¯t we walk away to give the ladies some time?¡±


    When Marquis Aris suggested that men and women talk separately, Bleon¡¯s expression suddenly became distorted.


    ¡°I¡¯m with my wife¡ª¡±


    ¡°I think that would be good.¡±


    When I saw that Bleon was going to refuse, I hurriedly intercepted his words and gave a positive reply. Then, Bleon¡¯s pupils shook anxiously.


    ¡°That¡¯s good. Then Duke Einer and Sir Holster can follow me. I will serve you a nice glass of wine.¡±


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 Chapter 44

    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤


    Chapter 44


    After saying that, Marquis Aris took the lead, and McCain glanced at me and immediately followed. But Bleon didn¡¯t move and just stared at me. He seemed to want me to stop him.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go to talk with the Duke, so please wait for a moment.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Take your time.¡±


    Looking at his expression, I thought he would never move like this, so I asked Leila and Marchioness Aris for their understanding. As soon as I reached out to him, Bleon grabbed my hand. I could feel his will to not want to let me go. I walked a little slower than the two of them were walking. As Bleon was following me, he stared at me from the side. Then, I opened my lips.


    ¡°Did you not forget our promise?¡±


    ¡°¡­I didn¡¯t.¡±


    Bleon¡¯s reply came late, and his expression hardened. Thinking about what to do, I finally came up with the best way to appease him.


    ¡°If you do well today, you will be rewarded.¡±


    ¡°¡­Reward?¡±


    Bleon¡¯s eyes widened at my words of a reward.


    ¡°Not yet. I¡¯ll give it to you when we get home.¡±


    But somehow, the corners of his eyes seemed a little red as he remembered each of the rewards I had given him so far. I quickly waved my hand to his face to distract him from his sneaky thoughts, just in case something might happen. Then, fortunately, his gaze became clear as if he had regained his senses.


    ¡°So, let¡¯s do well today. Understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright, my Wife¡­¡±


    ¡°Then go now? Marquis Aris and Sir Holster are waiting over there. Go quickly.¡±


    I pushed Bleon¡¯s back to where the two men were waiting. Bleon reluctantly returned, but he continued to look back at me. Every time he did, I waved my hand to tell him to go, and as soon as I saw Bleon disappearing after joining Marquis Aris and McCain, I immediately turned around and walked with a light foot toward Leila and Marchioness Aris.


    But it was then. It wasn¡¯t too far away, so I thought of the two people waiting and walked quickly, when suddenly I heard a familiar but reluctant voice next to me.


    ¡°Astell.¡±


    I already recognized who it was by the voice, so I forced myself to turn towards the place where I heard the voice calling me. Julia, Michael and Helena were standing side by side and looking at me.


    ¡°Sister Julia, Brother Michael. Helena.¡±


    ¡°You are here, too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not like I¡¯m not allowed to be here.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to talk too much, so I spoke harshly. But I quickly turned around, recognizing what kind of place this was now. I also wanted to get away with just a few words exchanged.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t even say goodbye properly. Thanks for inviting me to dinner.¡±


    ¡°What? Are you really thankful?¡±


    Julia said sarcastically.


    ¡°Yes, of course. It was nice to see my family after a long time.¡±


    I purposely raised the corners of my mouth and answered.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ I wasn¡¯t sure, but just like you said, Julia, this girl has really changed.¡±


    However, Michael, who was looking at me with an unpleasant gaze from the side, opened his mouth with a low voice.


    ¡°Listen to my words, woman. Next time we see you, be polite,¡± I replied.


    My expression quickly hardened my expression, and criticized him in an equally low voice.


    ¡°This idiot is still out of her mind. Hey, no matter how much you become a Duchess, you¡¯ll always be the Heines¡¯ ugly girl. Where are you looking with your eyes open?¡±


    Michael made fun of me, poking my forehead with his finger.


    ¡°Put your hands away.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t want to?¡±


    ¡°I told you to put your hands away.¡±


    ¡°Why are you rebelling? What do you believe in? Your husband? Your husband is not here now?¡±


    People around me were already paying attention. And just as they always did ten years ago, they were looking at me with an interested, fun-seeking gaze, like a monkey in a zoo. And the three of them had a smile on their faces as if they were enjoying it.


    ¡®Garbage humans.¡¯


    Keeping my composure and telling them to stop, Michael continued to tap my forehead and I couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. So I kicked Michael¡¯s shin as hard as I could with my left foot.


    ¡°AAAAACCK!¡±


    ¡°Brother Michael! Are you okay?!¡±


    ¡°Are you crazy?!¡±


    With his face contorted in pain, Michael grabbed his leg and fell backwards, and Julia yelled at me.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I warn you?¡±


    I said to him in a very calm voice. It was useless to express my feelings to these people.


    ¡°This, this b*tch!¡±


    Then Michael got up and came up to me with his eyes half-turned and looked more angry at my response, stretched out his hand, grabbed my collar, and lifted me up high.


    ¡°Didn¡¯t I tell you not to mess with me?¡±


    ¡°Ugh, let me go!¡±


    As my throat tightened, it was getting harder and harder to breathe. I shook my body roughly to get away from him. But it was impossible to overpower a man.


    ¡°I¡¯ll show you properly today. Follow me.¡±


    And he just dragged me and tried to go somewhere. Neither Julia nor Helena, as well as none of the nobles around, came forward, so it was a time of despair that I had to be dragged like that.


    Suddenly, someone wrapped their arm around my waist from behind, and as I was trapped in the person¡¯s arms, their foot hit Michael¡¯s stomach at the same time. Michael was thrown on the floor incomparable to before. As Michael fell, the chairs and tables that collided were scattered all over the place, and at the same time, a loud rumbling sound resounded in the garden.


    ¡°¡­Bleon?¡±


    As I managed to escape from Michael¡¯s grip and breathe in, a familiar and warm scent enveloped me, and I immediately recognized that it was Bleon.


    ¡°Are you okay, Wife?¡±


    ¡°Bleon!¡±


    I twisted my body in his arms and looked back. And when I saw his handsome face in my sight, I felt a deep sense of relief and at the same time exclaimed. So I hugged him tightly and snuggled into his arms. Bleon accepted me and patted my back warmly. But I couldn¡¯t calm myself down, so tears were about to come out, but I held it back. I didn¡¯t want to show my weakness in front of those people.


    ¡°Sh, sh*t¡­!¡±


    Suddenly I heard a swear word behind me and I turned my head slightly. Michael, who had been thrown out by Bleon, got up like a roly poly toy again, and he staggered towards us with constant swearing. But he couldn¡¯t come any closer, and he fell again into the scattered chairs and tables. Because Bleon kicked him again.


    ¡°Wife, stay here for a moment. I¡¯ll be back soon.¡±


    ¡°But¡­¡±


    As I tried to get away from him, some kind of anxiety crept in. So, hoping not to go, my voice got hoarse.


    ¡°Wait a minute. Okay?¡±


    Saying that to me, Bleon, who smiled with a smile that was prettier than anyone else, kissed me on the forehead and walked over to Michael, who was lying on the floor.


    Earlier, after separating with Astell¡ª Bleon, Marquis Aris and McCain were talking quietly in the parlor with just the three of them. The other two were talking and Bleon was just listening, but it was what Astell wanted anyway, so he was patient, hoping that this boring time would pass quickly.


    And his head was filled with only the words Astell had told him earlier. Reward. Excitingly imagining what kind of prize she would give, he heard the two of them in one ear and blew them out the other when he suddenly heard a sound outside looking for Marquis Aris.


    ¡°Marquis. There¡¯s trouble.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    ¡°There was a great commotion outside.¡±


    ¡°Commotion?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I think you should go and see it for yourself.¡±


    At the mention of a commotion, Marquis Aris got up, then Bleon and McCain followed and went outside. As they hurried to the place where the commotion occurred, he saw a familiar figure. Astell and her family.


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 Chapter 45

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    Chapter 45


    But she was grabbed by Michael and was about to be dragged somewhere. As soon as he saw that figure, Bleon¡¯s face became full of murderous energy in an instant. He ran at her full speed, kicked Michael in the stomach and held her safely in his arms. Luckily he wasn¡¯t late, so she wasn¡¯t in any worse condition, but she, who was always dignified and bright, was trembling so much as though she was in shock.


    ¡°Are you okay, Wife?¡±


    ¡°Bleon!¡±


    Astell had never called Bleon so desperately. So, in that moment, Bleon felt as if he had become so essential to her that he felt satisfied, yet he could hardly forgive the man who had made her this way. The moment he saw Astell, who had just been so helpless in front of his own eyes, his mind went blank and his hands and feet became cold. He couldn¡¯t stand to see someone so reckless with the person so dear to him.


    When he told Astell to wait, her face was filled with an anxious light as if she feared of getting away from his side. She was so lovely, and in his heart, he didn¡¯t want to be separated from her either, but he had to do something right now. So he told Astell to wait with a gentle smile, and he strode to Michael.


    And as soon as he turned around, Bleon¡¯s expression turned cold in an instant, and he struggled to hold back the rage that rose to the top of his head. Considering what happened in the past, when he thought of dinner at Heines a few days ago, he felt like he wanted to kill all the members of that family, but if he did, he was afraid that his wife would be afraid and resent him, so he was holding out on it. But now it¡¯s gotten to the point where he can¡¯t stand it, and now it¡¯s time for him to step out.


    Because the second time was more intense than the first, there was a high possibility that the organs in the stomach were not intact. Maybe that¡¯s why, until Bleon approached, Michael was lying on the floor. The chairs and tables were already left in a disarray and no one was nearby. Bleon bent down to make eye contact with him, then with an expression full of murderous energy approached his ear, uttered warning words.


    ¡°Listen to me. My wife is kind and tries to solve things with words. But I am not the same.¡±


    ¡°What bullsh*t! Ugh!¡±


    Michael screamed, and he let out a painful moan as if one of his organs had really ruptured. And Bleon knew exactly where it was, so he put his hand on Michael¡¯s belly and pressed it down.


    ¡°Ahh! Don¡¯t, don¡¯t press! Let go!¡±


    At Michael¡¯s loud voice telling him to let go, Bleon slightly released his hand. And he went on to say it again.


    ¡°It ends here today, but if you show up in front of the Wife again then you would better be prepared to risk not only your life, but the lives of your family as well. Do you understand me?¡±


    ¡°What nonsense are you talking about¡ª aaack!¡±


    Bleon¡¯s patience was slowly reaching its limit when the answer he wanted did not come out as easily as he had expected. His wife was waiting for him, and he didn¡¯t want to make a bigger fuss here, but if Michael came out like this, he couldn¡¯t help it either. Bleon pressed down on the area that Michael would most likely hurt.


    ¡°I, I get it! Ugh! I understand! Let go!¡±


    With a face contorted in pain, Michael finally surrendered.


    ¡°Tell your family clearly. If you want to know what happens when you torment my wife, then just try and keep doing what you¡¯ve been doing.¡±


    After finishing that, Bleon got up with his folded knees straight. Then he walked back to his lovely wife. As Michael looked at Bleon¡¯s back, with goosebumps all over his body, he realized that he had been engulfed in some kind of fear until now. And he realized. Really, if he shows up in front of that ugly wench, Astell again, the crazy duke will do whatever it takes.


    Those eyes didn¡¯t lie. He could tell by looking into Bleon¡¯s eyes. Those eyes were telling the truth. He wasn¡¯t normal himself, but that wasn¡¯t normal anymore, so he could feel that it was time to save himself. Michael grabbed his stomach in pain and tried to get up. But it was not easy to get up because he couldn¡¯t get enough energy. Then his two sisters came up to him.


    ¡°Are you okay, Brother?!¡±


    Helena approached him with a worried expression on her face and gave Michael a support.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡±


    ¡°You want to go like this now?¡±


    Julia looked at Michael with an absurd expression.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go! Ugh!¡±


    Every time he made a loud noise, he had to clutch his stomach, but he was still in pain because it was not tolerable.


    ¡°Are you going to leave that ugly wench as it is now?¡±


    ¡°Then what?¡±


    ¡°You said you¡¯d show her!¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you see that bastard¡¯s eyes?¡±


    ¡°Who? Duke Einer?¡±


    ¡°Yes. That bastard is probably not normal. Don¡¯t touch me and let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll go home and tell you the rest. Damn it! It hurts to death! Let¡¯s go!¡±


    At Michael¡¯s painful urging, Julia and Helena eventually returned to Heines. And since then, those of the Heines no longer appear before Astell.


    After Bleon went to Michael, it seemed like the two of them were talking to each other for a while. I could hear Michael¡¯s moans intermittently, but I couldn¡¯t hear what he was saying because he was so far away. As I was watching the situation with such an anxious look, McCain came up to me and spoke.


    ¡°Are you alright? Do you have any injuries?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ I¡¯m okay.¡±


    Still, having McCain by my side made me feel a little reassured. But McCain stared at my face and neck to see if there was any credibility in my words.


    ¡°Here¡­ it¡¯s red.¡±


    Then he said, pointing to the nape of my neck.


    ¡°Oh, it doesn¡¯t really hurt. It will be fine soon.¡±


    I smiled awkwardly, wrapped a hand around my neck, and there was a moment of silence between us before McCain spoke.


    ¡°Has it always been like this?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Is this how they were tormenting you?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Well, this guy was also older than Bleon, but he was seven years younger than me. So, he would have never seen how I was treated in high society.


    ¡°I don¡¯t really remember. Now that¡¯s a thing of the past¡­¡±


    It was bothersome to talk about what had happened to me, and really, it was Astell¡¯s memory, not mine, so I roughly mumbled it.


    ¡°I¡ª¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    When McCain was about to say something, Bleon finally got up and was quickly walking towards me right away. I was glad to run to him, but my feet weren¡¯t fast enough.


    ¡°Wife.¡±


    Fortunately, however, Bleon was in front of me in an instant, and he called me. But as I was with McCain, his voice was quite sharp and his expression was terribly hard.


    ¡°Duke!¡±


    I quickly called out to Bleon and managed to lift my feet that didn¡¯t fall off, and I approached him. And behind my back, I saw Michael, Julia and Helena leaving the garden. It seemed to have worked out well. With that in mind, when I approached Bleon, he immediately embraced me in his arms. I also longed for the stability I could feel in his arms now, so I wrapped my arms around his back and hugged him tightly.


    I hugged him for a long time without saying anything, but I could feel the prickling gazes around me. Then I suddenly realized that this was a garden full of people, and secretly loosened the strength of the arm that was holding him. But contrary to me, Bleon hugged me tighter.


    ¡°Now everyone is looking at us.¡±


    I spoke to him quietly, in a voice only the two of us could hear.


    ¡°I know¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s embarrassing, but please stop now. Hm?¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    Bleon let out a deep sigh filled with dissatisfaction. But again, he obeyed me well, so he moved when I told him to, and I barely managed to get out of Bleon¡¯s arms.


    As we separated from each other, Marquis Aris and his wife Leila approached us as if they were waiting for the time.


    ¡°Astell! Are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Duchess Einer. Are you alright?¡±


    Everyone was looking at me with sorrowful expressions along with worries.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay. Thank you for your concern.¡±


    ¡°What is really going on¡­ They¡¯re still doing that like idiots¡ª¡±


    ¡°Honey!¡±


    As the marquis went on rambling unnoticed, the marchioness wisely shut his mouth.


    ¡°Oh my, I didn¡¯t notice. Apologies.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°Wife, let¡¯s go back now.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes, please. It would be better if you just go back for today.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Astell. Your neck is bruised. I think it would be better to heal the wounds and go to rest.¡±


    At Bleon¡¯s request to return, the people around us encouraged us to go. Actually, I also wanted to go back and rest, so I pretended that it couldn¡¯t be helped and decided to leave.


    ¡°I am really sorry for making such a commotion today, Marquis, Marchioness.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not the Duchess¡¯s fault, is it?¡±


    ¡°But my family is like that too. I apologize on their behalf.¡±


    After I apologized to them, I left the garden with Bleon. But when McCain tried to follow me to escort the duke¡¯s estate, Bleon stopped him and said to McCain in a sharp voice.


    ¡°Sir. Do not cross the line.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not a line. I am just doing my job.¡±


    ¡°Sir is on vacation until today. The escorts are enough, so Sir can enjoy the party more.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Eventually, McCain couldn¡¯t speak any more and just stared intently in the direction I was in. However, that was also blocked by Bleon, so we returned to the duke¡¯s estate in a carriage, leaving McCain behind.


    It was a party where many things happened today, but it was very regrettable that I finally met those people and returned without getting anything. But now, I just wanted to rest without thinking. Dealing with Astell¡¯s family was quite emotionally challenging, and I had to calm down as I was exposed to a violent situation today.


    So, as soon as I got back, I got help from the maids, washed up, and went straight into bed. And I was really tired and exhausted, so I couldn¡¯t wait for Bleon. Without realizing it, I soon fell into a dream.


    ¡ª


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 Chapter 46

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    Chapter 46


    ¡®Huk, hnngh. Huaaangh.¡¯


    ¡®Wife¡­!¡¯


    It was a dream again. In this dream, I saw myself struggling with pleasure through the mirror. Perhaps it was deliberately placed there for this purpose, but the large and heavy full-length mirror was there in front of us, big enough that it was surely difficult for just three or four men to carry it. I rested my back on Bleon¡¯s chest as we sat on the edge of the bed, writhing violently on his thigh.


    ¡®Huuk, so good, so¡ªah! Oh God. Ahhk!¡¯


    As I moved, the well-sized and shaped breasts swayed up and down, and Bleon gently touched my stomach with one hand and lowered his other hand to gently caress the clitoris located just above his length. My inner walls continued to clench over his member, accompanied by a more distant pleasure as the most sensitive spot was touched.


    ¡®Ugh. Wife¡­¡¯


    ¡®Uhhh, hangg, ahhk¡­!¡¯


    The stimulation was too great, so Bleon grabbed my hips on both sides, which was moving in a trance, stopping me for a moment. Then, while gently turning his back, he licked the nape of my neck, encouraging a subtle sexual sensation.


    ¡®Hah¡­¡¯


    But this was not enough. I was evermore thirsty. I wanted him to thrust into me from below so that I wouldn¡¯t be able to think of anything else.


    ¡®Mmmh, not that¡­¡¯


    ¡®Haa, what else¡­?¡¯


    Even though I knew this was a dream, I was suddenly asking him for what I wanted. But Bleon asked me in a murky voice mixed with playfulness, even though he knew what it was.


    ¡®Haangg, put it inside¡­ Please?¡¯


    ¡®Like¡­ this?¡¯


    Bleon lifted my waist slightly and then powerfully pounded into me from below.


    ¡®Haah¡­!¡¯


    A feeling of light climax that seemed to melt me with just one movement enveloped my body. It was so good. I wanted him to keep moving like that, but Bleon just stayed still inside me.


    ¡®Huhk, hurry up¡­!¡¯


    Even though my body and mind were already impatient and urged him, Bleon was still not moving. Even if I tried to move, the force holding me was so strong that I couldn¡¯t move. My insides were constantly wanting the rough stimulation of his thick flesh, but when that didn¡¯t happen my way, I begged him with a pained moan.


    ¡®Bleon¡­ Hnnngh¡­ Hurry, hm?¡¯


    ¡®Tell me you love me¡­¡¯


    Looking at Bleon¡¯s reflection in the mirror, his eyes were already filled with arousal. Still, he was showing self-control and holding me tight, as if he really wanted to hear that I loved him.


    ¡®I love you¡­! Mmh, so please¡­!¡¯


    And then, the words that I love him spilled out of my lips without any hesitation. At the same time as those words came out, Bleon grabbed my thighs from both sides and spread them apart and began to push inside me, hard, and at a terrifying pace.


    ¡®Hnnnngh! Ahk! AH!¡¯


    ¡®Huuk, I love, you too. Astell!¡¯


    The weight of me sitting on him and Bleon¡¯s rough movements from bottom to top made his already large member go deeper in and out of me. The full-length mirror in front of my eyes was showing the appearance and disappearance of the thick and bulky column between my wide open legs. And every time he came in and hit a certain point inside, my back shivered and my face, which was at a loss for what to do with the tingling sensation, was also clearly visible.


    ¡®Huuhh, hahh, huhk!¡¯


    ¡®Good¡­?¡¯


    ¡®Nnngh. So, good, mmh, good¡­!¡¯


    Just as I couldn¡¯t get myself together on the verge of the climax, Bleon suddenly stopped moving and let my leg go. I tilted my head back and looked at him with a look of displeasure at the pleasure I had not been able to reach.


    ¡®Hahk, why¡­¡¯


    ¡®Want to get up and take a look in the mirror¡­?¡¯


    ¡®Yes?¡¯


    ¡®Hold me¡­¡¯


    As soon as I realized what he was trying to do, my whole body was filled with anticipation. So, in a hurry to grab the sides of the mirror, I tried to come down from his leg, being careful not to take him out from inside me. However, as soon as my feet touched the floor, the length that had been filling my insides inevitably came out while scratching my inner walls.


    ¡®Ha¡­¡¯


    Feeling the light pleasure of that momentary movement, I barely put my feet on the floor, leaned back, and grabbed the mirror. While watching his movements reflected in the mirror, excited by the pleasure to come, Bleon picked up a bottle that had fallen on the floor and drank what was in it at once. It was the first time I saw it in my dream, but Astell¡¯s memories made me know what it was. I opened my mouth, looking at him with a puzzled expression, wondering why he was suddenly taking it.


    ¡®Why are you drinking that¡­?¡¯


    ¡®I want to make you feel better¡­¡¯


    ¡®No, that¡­ Ahn¡­!¡¯


    As I was talking to him, Bleon pulled up behind me and grabbed my butt from behind and started rubbing my already sensitive clitoris with his hard girth. The drenched entrance made a squelching sound as Bleon moved. Then again, I forgot what I was going to say and let out a moan.


    ¡®Don¡¯t worry. Haa, now I take it because I want to¡­¡¯


    ¡®Huh¡­¡¯


    ¡®Good¡­?¡¯


    ¡®Uhk, ung. put it in¡­¡¯


    When I urged him to put it in, his tip began to slowly come in. It was good to put it in quickly, but it was also good to slowly rub the inside and come in little by little. I felt a dizzy feeling that was gradually accumulating pleasure in that movement. But now, with such a small move, I was not satisfied at all. So, without waiting for him all to come in, I quickly pushed back.


    ¡®Hnnnngh!¡¯


    ¡®Ugh¡­!¡¯


    The genitals filled the vagina at once, and as soon as the blunt tip touched the sensitive spot, my eyes became white and was captured in a brief climax. And as my legs trembled and was barely holding on to my strength in the hands holding the mirror, Bleon began thrust into me hard from behind.


    ¡®Haahng, uhh, ahh!¡¯


    Even with Bleon¡¯s rough movements, the mirror did not move. I let out a coquettish voice as I felt Bleon dominating me strongly. Then, suddenly, I looked up and my eyes met the woman in the mirror. The woman¡¯s face was flushed red with her pupils hazy from the pleasure that had already exceeded the limits.


    Then my gaze shifted to the man pushing me. He didn¡¯t look any different from me. I just kept my mouth open and let out an unbearable moan, while he struggled to hold back the moan that was about to come out by biting his lip.


    I knew it¡­ He looked a little older than he was now.


    It wasn¡¯t much, but there was definitely a difference of about two or three years. As I thought for a moment about why Bleon had matured, my eyes met his colorful blue eyes.


    ¡®Are you thinking of something else?¡¯


    ¡®No, hnggh, no¡­!¡¯


    Not pleased with the fact that I hadn¡¯t been fully focused despite the excuse that I wasn¡¯t, Bleon suddenly lifted my arms from the mirror and pulled me back. And this time, he began to pound me from behind with a ferocious force different from before, so as not to think about anything but feeling him.


    ¡®Huhk, heuk! Uhhng! Huwaangg!¡¯


    The moans didn¡¯t stop. His genitals continued and violently digging to the hilt without end, and eventually I woke up from the dream only after an uncountable climax.


    ¡®Crazy.¡¯


    When I came out of the dream and my mind became clear, the first thought that came to me was that I was crazy. The dream was getting deeper and longer. From the dream alone, my legs were already wet with excitement.


    ¡®He took the drug.¡¯


    In the dream, Bleon took the drug himself.


    ¡®Why?¡¯


    The question of why did not go away easily. Why did he take the drug by himself? Didn¡¯t Astell force feed it to him? Even in Astell¡¯s memory, Bleon apparently took the drug voluntarily, not involuntarily. But in the dream, Astell didn¡¯t tell him to take it, but he was casually taking the medicine.


    ¡®Why do I keep dreaming things like this?¡¯


    Up until the second time, I thought it might be. Dreams are just things that I did not think could happen out of the blue. However, it was too strange to think that a similar situation happened three times. I wanted to ask someone for help, but there was no one who could do that. To whom did I openly tell that I had such an absurd dream?


    ¡®Frustrating. So frustrating.¡¯


    I had a headache with thoughts about the dream, and my eyes that had been closed flashed open. And in front of me, Bleon looked at me with a warm expression.


    ¡°You¡¯re up?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yeah.¡±


    Over the past few weeks, Bleon has been so busy I¡¯ve always been in bed alone after he had already left the bed in the morning. At that time, I didn¡¯t feel so empty without him, but when I woke up again, Bleon was in front of me, so my heart was warmed and I felt like I was filled with something. I turned my head slightly and looked out the window. It was still night and the world was dark.


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 Chapter 47

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    Chapter 47


    ¡°You didn¡¯t go to sleep yet?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­.¡±


    ¡°Why didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen my dear wife properly in a while. So I didn¡¯t want to miss out on this happy moment¡­.¡±


    He had a very pretty face, talked so adorably and his body¡­.


    As all of the things I had seen in my dreams suddenly came to mind, I tried hard to drive out the lewd devil inside me.


    ¡°Wife, are you feeling sick¡­?¡±


    As I frowned, Bleon asked in a worried voice.


    ¡°No. I¡¯m okay. For a moment, I had a strange thought¡­.¡±


    ¡°A strange thought?¡±


    Oh, why did I just say that for no reason?


    ¡°No, don¡¯t worry about it. Bleon by any chance¡­ You¡¯ve never taken any drugs without my knowledge, right?¡±


    I thought he never would, but I kept worrying about what I saw in my dream, so I asked him.


    ¡°Yes. I haven¡¯t taken it since I started treatment. Because you told me not to drink it, Wife.¡±


    ¡°Okay. Never drink it. You must never drink it in the future. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­.¡±


    As a compliment for a job well done, I reached out and stroked his golden hair. Bleon then grabbed my hand that had been fiddling with his hair and brought it to his lips. Then, he lightly kissed the palm of my hand. My body shuddered slightly because of the lingering touch of his sudden action.


    ¡°Sleep more. It must have been hard today¡­.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Yes. You should sleep.¡±


    Bleon¡¯s arms went under my head and he took me in his arms. After a long time, I reached out and hugged him tightly. Bleon gently caressed my back. But as I was about to fall asleep with a feeling of drowsiness, I suddenly remembered the promise I made to Bleon at the party.


    ¡°Oh, right!¡±


    ¡°Wife?¡±


    ¡°I said I¡¯d give you a reward¡­!¡±


    I remembered it and imagined him being sad about the forgotten reward that I promised to him. With my head buried in Bleon¡¯s chest, I looked up at him.


    ¡°You can give me later. Today was difficult for my wife¡­.¡±


    And as if he was grateful enough that I remembered it, he kissed my forehead lightly.


    ¡®It¡¯s not that hard¡­.¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t difficult at all because I had already forgotten everything that happened at Marquis Aris¡¯ estate, and everything had already been smoothed over. And when I woke up from sleep, I was so tired that¡ªif it hadn¡¯t been for that dream¡ªI would have fully recovered.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine¡­.¡±


    So I said with a smile on my lips to mean that it was really okay. As Bleon said, the reward could be given later, but I was so proud of him and grateful for what he did today.


    Perhaps, without him, I would have been humiliated and harassed all by myself, just like Astell in the past. And perhaps, considering Michael¡¯s condition today, it was possible that I would have been treated worse. But now, I have someone who can save me and protect me from that horde of evil.


    Someone who was completely on my side. Someone who protects, cherishes, and loves me by my side.


    Up until now, I thought I had to protect him and take care of him. The age difference between us and the situation between him and me that I already knew of made him seem infinitely young and weak. However, the Bleon I saw in the Aris estate today shocked me enough to completely change that notion.


    He¡¯s someone I could lean on. He¡¯s someone who could protect me. The realization hit me so hard that I wanted to express my feelings to him through a reward before the day could pass.


    ¡°I can receive it next time. So, don¡¯t think about anything today and rest.¡±


    Bleon kept saying that even though I said it was okay, so the idea of ??giving him a reward right now dominated me. So just as he was about to hug me tight again, I gently pushed his chest and leaned him down on the bed. And without thinking about shame or whatever, I recklessly climbed onto his waist.


    ¡°Wife¡­?¡±


    With a voice full of surprise, Bleon called me.


    ¡°I¡¯m okay¡­.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Wife, I believe you¡¯re okay¡­ Haa¡­.¡±


    While speaking abruptly, Bleon let out a deep sigh. And I could clearly feel his core swelling beneath, near my buttocks.


    ¡°What if Bleon¡¯s not okay?¡±


    I said with a playful voice.


    ¡°¡­Yes. I¡¯m not okay¡­. So please¡­.¡±


    However, Bleon¡¯s voice was hushed and garbled, perhaps to the extent that he couldn¡¯t take my words as a joke.


    ¡°I said I¡¯ll give you a reward¡­. You don¡¯t want it?¡±


    Even when I said I would give it, he tried to reject it, unlike his body so I got more and more motivated. So I bowed my head deep enough to touch him and made eye contact with him.


    ¡°I want to reward my husband today because I am so proud and grateful.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Hm?¡±


    Bleon still didn¡¯t answer. But the eyes looking at me were burning hot enough to catch fire if there were any.


    ¡®Ah, I don¡¯t know.¡¯


    If he¡¯s careful, I can approach him. I glanced at Bleon, gently putting my lips to his forehead and then pulling back. He still looked at me with a blank expression on his face. So I kissed Bleon¡¯s nose lightly again and he was still looking at me motionless.


    ¡®Still not moving?¡¯


    I purposely moved my lips to kiss him on the cheek, smiling with the brightest smile I could possibly make. Then, suddenly, Bleon wrapped one arm around me, and my view completely changed, and now I was lying in bed and Bleon was looking down at me from above. My head was placed between his arms and my body was immobilized between his tight thighs, so I looked up at him dazedly.


    ¡°¡­Is the reward over?¡±


    Bleon¡¯s low voice was heard.


    ¡°Well¡­. It is up to my husband to do it.¡±


    Bleon¡¯s blue eyes instantly darkened when I answered with these cryptic words.


    ¡°Haa¡­. Are you trying to make fun of me again?¡±


    Bleon let out a sigh, crushed by desire.


    ¡°But¡­¡­ It¡¯s okay to be deceived by my dear wife for the rest of my life.¡±


    Then, without giving me time to answer, he began to swallow my lips hotly. My heart pounded as I watched Bleon pounce on me so hastily that I couldn¡¯t even breathe. So I put my arms around his neck and pulled Bleon closer to me. Frantically, we both coveted each other¡¯s lips, barely moving away slightly to catch our breath.


    ¡°Haa¡­.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­.¡±


    Bleon took in a hot breath and looked at me with eyes full of desire. I don¡¯t think I was any different from him either, so I was ashamed of that brief moment. But this time, it was me who approached his lips first. The second kiss was a little deeper than before. The first kiss was a rough, raw kiss that seemed to be overcome with a desire to devour each other, but the next kiss was a lingering, erotic kiss that stimulated and excited each other.


    After licking his lips, my tongue entered his mouth, and two tongues intertwined in a gap. And as Bleon swept the roof of my mouth and the soft flesh in my mouth with his tongue, I felt a strange feeling and, deep inside my body, it was gradually getting soaked.


    ¡°Huu¡­.¡±


    In response to that, Bleon¡¯s lips fell off as soon as a moan burst out without me realizing it. As I lowered my head down, calming my heated body and holding my breath, I suddenly felt the hardened lower body from the side of my thigh. I looked down at Bleon with my head bowed, and Bleon was looking down at me with a look of helplessness because he couldn¡¯t hide his desire.


    ¡°Haa¡­ Wife¡­.¡±


    ¡°How far do you want to receive the award?¡±


    ¡°How far¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­You know.¡±


    With that said, Bleon lowered his face to the nape of my neck. Then I felt his exhilarating sigh, and the sexual tension sent goosebumps all over my body.


    ¡°If I say I don¡¯t like it, you have to stop. Understand?¡±


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 48

    Chapter 48


    Even if Astell had spent countless nights with Bleon, it¡¯s my first with him here. That¡¯s why I told him to be sure in case anything happened.


    ¡°I will never hurt you, Wife¡­.¡±


    Almost as soon as my half permission was given, Bleon replied by lapping his tongue.


    ¡°Huuhk, ah, wa, wait a moment¡­!¡±


    As he was kissing and licking my neck, I quickly pulled up Bleon¡¯s face and spoke firmly to him one last time.


    ¡°Promise. Understand?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll do my best to make sure that Wife never says she doesn¡¯t like it¡­.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Mmhh¡­.¡±


    Before I could even comprehend what he meant by that, Bleon swallowed my lips again. And now that there was nothing to be hesitant about, he started stroking my body over my clothes. I had woken up in the middle of my sleep, so I was only wearing my undergarments underneath and a thin negligee. So I felt all of Bleon¡¯s touch explicitly.


    ¡°Hngh¡­.¡±


    As soon as Bleon¡¯s lips parted from mine, a moan burst out. Now his lips were resting on the nape of my neck, showing a movement different from the previous hesitation. A long sweep with his tongue, a slight biting, and a sucking with his lips, aroused my senses little by little, and then he moved to my collarbone, where he bit, licked, and sucked in the same vigor.


    ¡°Huhh, nngh¡­.¡±


    At Bleon¡¯s sleek caress, my two hands were just holding on to the blanket. However, without even having time to stop him, Bleon began to lower the negligee little by little, revealing before his eyes a moderately inflated chest and nipples that had already become erect from excitement.


    I hurriedly raised my hand to cover my chest at the fact that he knew I felt his caressess, but Bleon¡¯s face moved faster and began to suck gently on my left nipple. In the end, the two hands, who had nowhere to go, headed towards Bleon¡¯s hair as he was burying his face in my chest and rolling my nipple around in his mouth.


    ¡°Hahn¡­.¡±


    Bleon¡¯s lips, which had been obsessively tormenting my left chest for a while, moved to the right chest, I grabbed Bleon¡¯s head and let out a moan. Then, in the same way as before, my nipples hardened rapidly, and at the same time, his hand gently stroked my left chest, which had been tormented for a long time.


    With his fingers, he began to gently twist the nipple. The sensations in my body were getting higher and higher at the completely different stimulations from both chests. I shook my back at the pleasure wrapped around my whole body that I couldn¡¯t control.


    ¡°Ah, uhng¡­! Bleon¡­!¡±


    When I called Bleon¡¯s name, Bleon took off his mouth and looked up at me. However, only his mouth had let go¡ªhis hand continued to rub my other breast and did not stop.


    ¡°Hng, kiss, kiss me¡­ Hm?¡±


    I pulled his face up, asking for a kiss. Then Bleon¡¯s face was pulled upwards effortlessly, and he immediately kissed my lips tirelessly. Bleon¡¯s hands, now freed as we kissed, moved in earnest and took off the negligee to the waist. I felt his large hands on both of my breasts, and my body trembled slightly just by rubbing my sensitive breasts from the previous caresses.


    Even so, Bleon was constantly giving more stimulation by swiping the nipples of both sides with his thumb, perhaps thinking of pushing me to the limit.


    So, from my chest to my waist, sides, and stomach, his hands touched everywhere, and his lips followed the same path. After a while, I lay still, panting for breath with only my undergarments left on me, which had become damp as they got wet. I looked at Bleon, but unlike me, he was still fully dressed with a neat appearance. For some reason, I didn¡¯t like this, so I opened my lips to speak.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it too¡­.¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°I want to touch Bleon too.¡±


    I immediately pushed Bleon¡¯s chest slightly. Then, as if he understood what I was saying, Bleon moved and the two of us changed positions again. So, as before, with Bleon under me, I was looking down at him from above. The fact that he was lying under me gave me a strange confidence and I started to touch him the same way Bleon did to me.


    First, a kiss. As I kissed him and grabbed the hem to remove his tunic, I pulled it up to his chest, and Bleon took his clothes off and lay down again. Then, different from what I had seen while undergoing treatment a few months ago, a body that had become stronger through training and well-organized muscles was revealed in front of my eyes.


    ¡®Dashing¡­.¡¯


    An admiration came out for the man¡¯s fully mature body, different from his pretty face, and my hands moved to his body.


    ¡°Haa¡­.¡±


    A heated sigh escaped Bleon¡¯s lips as I gently stroked his chest. I gently rubbed his nipples, licking the nape of his neck and collarbone, as he did to me.


    ¡°Huuk¡­.¡±


    He gave off a stronger reaction.


    ¡®This is how it feels.¡¯


    Seeing him writhe with pleasure as he felt my touch, a strange feeling swirled within me along with a sense of dominance. A groan erupted from Bleon¡¯s mouth as I buried my face in Bleon¡¯s chest, shoved his nipples into my mouth, and sucked them with my tongue. Hearing a groan similar to mine from Bleon¡¯s mouth made me even more motivated.


    ¡°Oh, wife¡­!¡±


    But he couldn¡¯t stand it any longer, so Bleon¡¯s hand grabbed my waist and began to beg while rubbing against my lower body.


    ¡°N, No. Hngg¡­.¡±


    ¡°Please, Wife?????. Huk¡­.¡±


    ¡°Not, uhhng, over, huhk, yet.¡±


    ¡°Haa, wife¡­.¡±


    Bleon¡¯s movements stopped for a moment as he remembered the words that he would never force me if I said I didn¡¯t like it. But Bleon seemed to be holding on to the last shred of patience, and it was to the point that I could feel how strongly he was gripping my hips.


    Seeing Bleon like this, I felt proud and sad at the same time. And even now, when I told him not to do it, the way he endured it somehow made my heart pound.


    ¡°You want it¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. Wife, I want it¡­.¡±


    Whispering in a very small voice in Bleon¡¯s ear, his voice immersed in desire could be heard.


    ¡°Okay, Bleon, do what you want to do¡ªAH!¡±


    As soon as I gave my permission, Bleon went on top of me again and took off his clothes and caressed my whole body. Then he took off the last underwear I was wearing, and then he slipped his lips between my legs and started licking my petals.


    ¡°Ahhk, hanngh!¡±


    The soft, pliant flesh of his tongue alternately stimulated the clitoris and my opening, causing constant bursts of moans. When he directly touched the place where my senses were strong, I felt a different level of pleasure than when he sucked my breasts before, and my mind spun.


    ¡°Huhk, ah, uhhh, Bleon¡­!¡±


    I couldn¡¯t stand the intense feeling, so I had mixing thoughts of wishing him to stop and wishing him to do more. So I couldn¡¯t say anything, and I had no choice but to let out Bleon¡¯s name and moan.


    ¡°Nnnggh¡­!¡±


    Then, finally, my climax came, and my back bent and my insides twitched. I couldn¡¯t come to my senses with my legs still trembling with the pleasure that seemed to swallow me up. With my body so weak, my eyes were wide open and I was staring at the ceiling, but Bleon moved busily from above.


    Then, I felt something thick and large getting raring to go between my legs, rubbing over my entrance.


    ¡°Nngh¡­.¡±


    Just the feeling of it rubbing against my entrance brought a strange feeling again, and as though he couldn¡¯t stand it any longer, he entered me slowly starting from the tip, and his manhood slowly entered inside.


    As he moved through my sensitive inner walls, I got excited again, and I unknowingly tightened my lower body.


    ¡°Ugh, wife¡­. Loosen a little.¡±


    ¡°But¡­. Huhk.¡±


    He asked me to relax, but I couldn¡¯t do anything about the familiar yet unfamiliar stimulus. Then Bleon stopped trying to go in and kissed me and touched me all over my body. As my inner walls loosened slightly, his length began to come back inside without missing a beat. At some point, I felt as though I was being suffocated from the pressure.


    ¡°Nnh¡­.¡±


    ¡°Huu¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s all, in.¡±


    ¡°Huk, really¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll move¡­.¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ah! Haah, ahk, hahh, ahng!¡±


    At first, Bleon was obviously very careful and moved slowly. His manhood was too large, and my inner walls were too tight that it was too difficult to move freely.


    However, as the thick pillar went back and forth several times, the tension inside me slowly loosened, and as a result, his movements became increasingly more intense and rougher.


    Each time he thrusted inside me, a tingling sensation began to quickly recur.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 49

    Chapter 49


    ¡®It¡¯s completely different from those dreams.¡¯


    What I experienced in my dream was because of the drug. In fact, doing the real deal with him made me feel that it was twice¡ªeven several times more vivid than what I felt in the dream. But maybe that wasn¡¯t even enough.


    As Bleon spread my thighs wider, I felt his manhood so strongly that I thought he had come in deeper. What he had said earlier that he had put it all in was not true.


    ¡°Bleon¡­! Too, uhng, too deep! Hnn, nngh!¡±


    ¡°Ha, Wife, Wife¡­¡±


    My body writhed and an unbearable moan erupted as he continued to thrust into me intensively at just one spot. And noticing my reaction, Bleon only touched that place faster and harder, pushing into me. Feeling as if my whole body was floating, I raised my hands to hug him so that I wouldn¡¯t be away from him. I sobbed like crazy, and then I felt a sudden surge of pleasure¡ªanother enormous climax swept through my body.


    ¡°Ungh, hu-aaangh¡­!¡±


    ¡°Ugh¡­¡±


    My insides convulsed along with the deep climax, and Bleon let out a short, low moan. I breathed heavily along with the longer, more intense pleasure. I thought it was over, but suddenly Bleon lifted my hips slightly and my lower body floated off the bed.


    Then, our lower parts met together without any gap in between, and his hand reached over to my chest and fiddled with my nipples, and the other supported my back and started pounding with great force and speed.


    ¡°Ah, ahn, hnngh, ah!, Nngh, hangh!¡±


    Due to Bleon¡¯s intense movements and the c*m that had flowed out of me just before, the wet friction sounded even louder.


    I had yet to ride out the climax I had just now, but here, again, I was being swept away into a whirlwind of tremendous sensations. In the end, as I felt like I was reaching my limits, I lost consciousness, basking in pleasure.


    Bleon loved being inside Astell so much that he stayed there for a long time, and he continued to move his waist like crazy. Then, the woman¡¯s pupils blurred and, suddenly, she clenched hard over his manhood, tightening and she lost consciousness.


    He had no nasty hobby of holding someone who was unconscious. He liked to connect with her and feel her whole body flush as she felt the sensations, and he didn¡¯t want to push himself against an unresponsive person to satisfy his own desires. So, when Astell no longer responded, he slowly tried to get himself out of her. But even unconscious, he could feel her inner walls tightening and not letting go.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    It bothered him for a while, but he still didn¡¯t want to be so driven by lust that he¡¯d treat his lovely wife in an unsavory way. As he pulled out, the large manhood could still be seen standing upright as he had not climaxed yet. On the other hand, her entrance was also twitching, as if it was a pity that the thick girth it was holding was now gone.


    ¡®Cute.¡¯


    After a gentle kiss on her secret place, as cute as his wife, Bleon laid Astell¡¯s body upright and covered her with a blanket. Then he laid himself beside her. The moment he unconsciously tried to touch his penis, he came to his senses and managed to stop himself. He had slept with her for the first time in months, and he didn¡¯t want to waste his energy on nonsense like this. So, he immediately jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom. With every step he took, the muscles in his body twitched.


    After a while, Bleon came out of the bathroom and walked over to the bed. He gave a brief kiss on Astell¡¯s forehead, who was sleeping soundly, then rolled back the blanket and carried her to the bathroom. When he entered the bathroom, the bathtub was filled with hot water, and the bathroom was also filled with steam.


    Holding Astell in his arms, Bleon went straight into the bathtub and sat down on it carefully so as not to wake her. Because of the weight of two people, the water in the tub overflowed.


    ¡°Hnnh¡­¡±


    Even though he tried to move carefully, Astell whined as the hot water touched her skin. Bleon quickly placed Astell on his tight thighs and held her with one hand supporting her waist, the other hand stroking her red hair. Then he realized that she had fallen asleep again as he heard the sound of Astell¡¯s even breathing.


    ¡°Astell.¡±


    Bleon didn¡¯t normally call Astell¡¯s name. But now, he wanted to call her Astell rather than ¡®Wife¡¯. As she was asleep, she did not answer, and Bleon was immersed in memories of the past for a moment while watching her sleep.


    He met her at the age of ten, and he¡¯d been with her for ten years after that until he turned twenty. If he looked at it this way, it meant that Astell has been with him for more than half of his life.


    ¡°Astell¡­¡±


    He called her name again. She still didn¡¯t answer. Well, he didn¡¯t care, because he wasn¡¯t asking for an answer.


    ¡°My Astell. My wife.¡±


    Yes. She was his. She was the wife of Bleon Einer forever that no one could covet her or break them apart.


    This heart of his was a noble and strong heart that never changed from the moment he saw her for the first time, from the moment his parents passed away and she held out her hand to him. It¡¯s just that¡ªhe likes her. If only to make sure that he could live with her for the rest of his life, he could go ahead and sell his soul to the devil. This lovable, warm, affectionate Astell.


    Although her ill-nature gradually overtook her because of what happened at a banquet around the time he was twelve, her goodness had not been overshadowed¡ªit could never be overshadowed. From that day on, Astell had always pushed Bleon, but she always apologized in the end.


    Every time he saw her crying as she said sorry and that she was too weak, Bleon felt like his own heart was being ripped apart. She was such a beautiful, lovable person. He could not forgive those who made her change to such a person.


    So he vowed. For him to become stronger. For him to increase his power so that he could protect the wife, and so that he would never let the scoundrels who made her like this go unscathed. Bleon made this promise every day.


    Still, as if time was running out in everything, as young Bleon still followed Astell well, her heart slowly regained its composure. Then one day, around when he was fifteen, a big change came to Bleon¡¯s body.


    Bleon had his first wet dream, and he saw Astell there. It took a long time before he became conscious of her sweet scent, for this to evoke sexual urges in him. After all, the thirteen-year age gap between them was more than enough for her to see him as a child, and to treat him thusly as a child.


    But as soon as he became aware of his sexual feelings for her, Bleon pleasured himself every night while thinking of Astell. Though in his mind, he knew that he shouldn¡¯t do this, that he shouldn¡¯t have such a dirty lust for Astell, his body reacted steadily every time he saw her, and those unbearable days continued.


    As his love for her opened his eyes, Bleon¡¯s anxiety about her grew bigger and bigger. While Astell was already an adult, he was still a minor. Since the Empire strictly forbade non-adult sexual relations, it was obvious that Astell would not like to do that with him. Of course, it wasn¡¯t that he didn¡¯t trust Astell. He liked her just as she liked him.


    But unlike how he viewed Astell, her feelings for him seemed remain pure, without anything sexual at all. Even so, Astell cherished and liked him so much that she was obsessed with him. He was grateful for her obsession, yet he couldn¡¯t help but feel anxious.


    So he decided to use that thought to further bind each other more. He acted more shy and pitiful to make sure she never would never let go of him, and he equally clung to Astell blindly.


    It was enough to stimulate her sympathy, and the effect was stronger than he thought. And in the midst of such anxiety, five years passed by living in the closed-off castle that was just for the two of them. Then finally, Bleon had come of age and became an adult.


    ¡®What should I do?¡¯


    How can he make his dear wife feel lust for him? After becoming an adult, or even before that, this was all that was going through Bleon¡¯s mind. He couldn¡¯t even bear to think about how he waited for five years because he was so impatient and nervous every day.


    One day, an opportunity came. That day, Bleon purposefully came out of the bathroom without a single piece of cloth on him, just in time for Astell to enter the bedroom. And as expected, Astell came into the room calling Bleon¡¯s name, but she saw him standing stark naked. She hurriedly turned her head.


    But¡ªhe saw it clearly. Her ears and face were dyed bright red.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 50

    Chapter 50


    AD


    At some point, Astell stopped washing Bleon herself. He was around fifteen, so it must have been after he had the wet dream. So, it¡¯s been a while since Astell had seen Bleon¡¯s naked body, and his body was quite different from back then, even if he thought about it to himself. His wide shoulders, muscular forearms and chest that fit perfectly with his tall height were the results of daily training under Astell¡¯s educational philosophy from a young age. And the firm thighs and the thick and magnificent manhood nestled between them that could not be grasped fully with even both hands.


    ¡®Wife¡­¡¯


    Bleon called Astell in a very low voice that¡¯s full of anticipation. But Astell only flinched a little, and didn¡¯t answer.


    ¡®Can¡¯t you look at me¡­?¡¯


    ¡®What?¡¯


    Astell answered in a surprised voice when he asked her to watch him.


    ¡®You haven¡¯t seen my body since I was fifteen. I am now twenty years old. I want my wife to see that I¡¯ve grown up well¡­¡¯


    ¡®That, what¡ª¡¯


    Astell was about to turn around and argue with Bleon¡¯s absurd request, but then¡ª Bleon hugged Astell from behind, and his bare body was felt on her back and waist. Bleon¡¯s manhood had already swelled greatly just by being in front of her.


    ¡®Let go of me.¡¯


    But unfortunately, Astell commanded Bleon with a firm voice.


    ¡®Ha¡­ Please.¡¯


    ¡®Let me go so we can talk.¡¯


    When she said the same thing twice, Astell¡¯s voice now had a slight hint of anger. Bleon sensed this and hurriedly backed away. Astell turned and looked at him as he stepped back, but her gaze was fixed only on his face. It was evident that she was really trying not to look from his neck downwards.


    ¡®Are you okay? Now get dressed.¡¯


    Then, after a very short time, she turned her back on him, and Bleon bowed his head in despair. Astell didn¡¯t budge even when he showed this side of himself to her. In the end, he just stopped getting mad and being impatient at her.


    His mind was in a mess with such thoughts. Fortunately, Astell was not angry, as he could hear her voice having the same tone as usual.


    ¡®Bleon.¡¯


    ¡®Yes¡­¡¯


    ¡®Can you take medicine?¡¯


    ¡®Yes?¡¯


    At the mention of the medicine, Bleon hurriedly raised his head and looked at Astell. Astell¡¯s face was full of embarrassment and her expression was hesitant.


    ¡®If it¡¯s medicine¡­¡¯


    ¡®¡­It¡¯s weak.¡¯


    Saying so, she pulled out a small bottle of liquid from her inner pocket.


    ¡®This is¡­¡¯


    When Astell showed Bleon the medicine, he realized. Astell felt the same way about him. She had even prepared medicine for the night with him.


    ¡®I can drink it. I¡¯ll drink it now.¡¯


    Bleon quickly took the medicine from her hand and drank it in one gulp.


    ¡®Don¡¯t, now is¡­!¡¯


    Astell said no, but it was already too late. The medicine had already entered Bleon¡¯s body and was gradually causing a reaction.


    ¡®Haa, wife¡­¡¯


    The medicine¡¯s effect was circulating, and Bleon let out an aroused moan.


    ¡®Then why is now¡­¡¯


    With that said, she couldn¡¯t leave Bleon be so tormented after he had taken what she gave him. So she approached him slowly, she kissed him on the lips, and from that day on, the two coveted each other every day. Astell neither gave him the antidote, nor did Bleon deliberately seek it out.


    He knew this was one way to firmly shackle her heart toward him.


    And the more he was with Astell, the more Bleon¡¯s feelings for her grew.


    * * *


    While Bleon had been contemplating the past for quite some time, Astell squirmed in his arms, about to wake up. As usual, he called out to Astell in a warm and calm voice.


    ¡°Wife?¡±


    ¡°¡­Bleon?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re awake now?¡±


    Astell regained her senses, closing her eyes and opening them once more. And as she looked up at the unfamiliar ceiling, she recognized that this was the bathroom.


    ¡°This place¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s the bathroom. I¡¯m going to wash you.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Astell was startled by the words that he was going to wash her and tried to get her body up. But it was not enough to get out of Bleon¡¯s arms.


    ¡°Let me go¡­¡±


    Bleon¡¯s arm strength slightly relaxed at Astell¡¯s request to let her go. He didn¡¯t miss the moment and she tried to get up, but she eventually changed from sitting on the side to sitting facing away from Bleon.


    Still, she remained trapped in his arms. She felt Bleon¡¯s length standing upright behind her butt. A sigh escaped her mouth as Bleon stroked Astell¡¯s back.


    ¡°Huu¡­¡±


    ¡°Feels good¡­?¡±


    ¡°Huh? Ahk, no, hhng.¡±


    Before Astell could answer, Bleon¡¯s lips reached the nape of her neck, and soon with a sucking sound, he began to caress the bare skin as well as Astell¡¯s back.


    ¡°B-Bleon! Nnngh, again? Ah!¡±


    ¡°Haa, I¡¯m just washing you¡­¡±


    ¡°What makes this washing, uhh, hey?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t want to¡­?¡±


    Astell bit her mouth. And Bleon, who understood this as a positive reaction, lowered his lips, took one of Astell¡¯s breasts in his mouth, and sucked vigorously.


    ¡°Hahhk, uhh! Aahh, Bleon¡­!¡±


    As he rolled the nipple with his tongue, a dizzy sensation spread throughout her body, and she couldn¡¯t hide her moan and excitement. Astell unknowingly moved her waist, rubbing her clitoris against his penis.


    ¡°Ugh, Wife¡­!¡±


    ¡°Uhng, aahk, nnngh.¡±


    C*m was constantly flowing from her entrance to the extent that the stickiness was felt even in the water, and it served as a lubricant for Astell and Bleon¡¯s grinding genitals to gently move. In particular, Astell rubbed her clitoris intensively on his manhood, and at the moment when her pleasure, which had risen little by little, was about to explode, Bleon gently lifted her waist.


    ¡°Hnngh, why¡­¡±


    In her regret, she tried to force her waist down again, but Bleon held her so tightly that it was not easy.


    ¡°I¡¯ll make you feel better¡­¡±


    Astell¡¯s body trembled with anticipation when she heard that he would make her feel better. And as if to prove that it wasn¡¯t a lie, Bleon put the tip of his length over her opening and pierced the inside with one thrust.


    ¡°Haaahnngg!¡±


    With just the insertion, huge waves of pleasure swept over Astell and her insides convulsed frantically as she embraced him. As Astell burst into a coquettish voice while her inner walls contracted strongly, Bleon almost came inside her at the end of the intense stimulation.


    ¡°Ugh¡ª¡±


    Bleon lifted her waist up, who was barely coming to her senses, letting a moan lightly through her teeth. Then Astell hurriedly hugged Bleon, as she couldn¡¯t stand the sensation of being pushed beyond the limits.


    ¡°Huhk, wait, hu-ahh, wait a minute¡­¡±


    In an almost sobbing voice, Astell told Bleon to stop, but even as her words told him to stop moving, her lower body kept tightening over him. Contrary to what she intended, when the inner wall suddenly squeezed his length, it only made him want to move his waist like crazy with such a dizzying feeling.


    But considering the troubled look on Astell¡¯s face, Bleon gritted his teeth and raised his superhuman patience, then gently touched her waist, helping her release her loosen over his manhood.


    ¡°Ha, Wife, relax¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, wait, ahh, just stop. Huuht.¡±


    ¡°All right. So, ugh, relax a bit¡­¡±


    Fortunately, as Astell slowly started to loosen, Bleon¡¯s expression became more relaxed.


    ¡°Hold, hhnnn, hold on. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Haa, yes¡­¡±


    She told him to stay still, and yet he couldn¡¯t just stay still inside her. As if she had not yet felt the afterglow of her climax, her inner walls were constantly contracting over his pillar. That level of sensation was tolerable enough, so Bleon waited for Astell to calm down. And as time passed and her breathing became steady, Bleon opened his mouth with a pleasant voice.


    ¡°Are you okay now¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Then can I move?¡±


    Astell nodded her head slightly, and Bleon locked her in his arms as if he was about to explode everything he had been holding back, and began to mercilessly rock his hips.


    ¡°Hahng, ah, uhht, hnnngh!¡±


    At Bleon¡¯s violent movement, the water inside the tub splashed out without mercy. Each time he moved up and down as he continued to embrace her in his arms, Astell¡¯s nipples rubbed against Bleon¡¯s chest, standing upright. She couldn¡¯t take her mind from the simultaneous stimulation over her chest and between her legs.


    ¡°Hahng, uhhng, ahhk!¡±


    But it was at that moment. Suddenly, Bleon got up from the bathtub. Fear came over her as her body moved away from the floor and her legs fluttered in the air, even as he supported her hips. So she hugged Bleon¡¯s neck tighter so as not to fall.


    Bleon tried to calm her anxiety by kissing all over her face. Then he got out of the bathtub, let her back slightly leaning against the bathroom wall, and then spread her thighs wide and continued pounding into her roughly. Because of gravity pushing her down, he was inside her even deeper than before as she swallowed everything until the hilt of his manhood.


    ¡°Hahhn, uhng, Bleon¡­! AHNGH!¡±


    ¡°Wife¡­!¡±


    The sound of Bleon calling her and Astell¡¯s sweet moans echoed throughout the bathroom. In fact, to Bleon¡¯s ears, the moans coming out of her lips weren¡¯t enough, but as he heard the voice that was so drenched in pleasure and felt her warm and narrow inside, it was enough to feel as though he¡¯d been perfectly led to heaven.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 51

    Chapter 51


    In line with her sobbing, the speed at which Bleon thrusted his waist gradually increased. Astell sensed the pleasure that was creeping in little by little as his manhood continued to pound over a very sensitive spot within her.


    She didn¡¯t know what to do, and for a moment, her head went blank and her mind wandered and she tasted her climax. Finally, Bleon poured a lot of his fluids inside her.


    ¡°Ahhh! Aahh! Hu-aaanggh!¡±


    ¡°Agh¡­¡±


    After an unusually long climax, Astell dropped her head over Bleon¡¯s shoulder and gasped for air.


    ¡°Huhk, ha, huu¡­¡±


    She was barely trying to calm down, but there was still such a strange feeling inside. His length did not soften even after he had climaxed, and it was still firmly filling Astell down there.


    ¡®I can¡¯t do it anymore.¡¯


    She was now at her limit. She didn¡¯t know if, after this, she¡¯d have to lie in bed for days on end, and she was sure that she would really faint if he did anything more after this. However, Bleon was moving his waist little by little once again to see if she could still continue.


    ¡°Huhht, stop¡­¡±


    ¡°Wife¡­¡±


    Bleon called Astell in a pleading voice.


    ¡°No. Really, hah, I can¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Really¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Take it out¡­¡±


    When Astell said that she didn¡¯t want it, Bleon slowly slid out from her, and the sensation of the tip of his manhood scratching her inner wall alone sparked a new sensation within her.


    ¡°Hnngh¡­¡±


    Bleon looked at her with a sad look in his eyes, and Astell struggled to avert her own eyes. After Astell asked him to pull out, he carefully took her into the bathtub. It had cooled a little, but as the warm water wrapped around her body, Astell felt drowsy and leaned her head against the bathtub¡¯s side, closing her eyes.


    She thought that Bleon would soon follow inside. However, when she couldn¡¯t feel any of Bleon¡¯s movement over the water, she opened her eyes softly. Then, she was welcomed with Bleon¡¯s pleading eyes once more, and she saw that he was still fully erect.


    ¡®Ha¡­¡¯


    Seeing him in this state made Astell sigh, but she also felt that she couldn¡¯t just leave him like that. So, she looked at him and opened her mouth.


    ¡°Bleon. Come in.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Hurry.¡±


    Bleon entered the bathtub and sat down opposite her, perhaps understanding that Astell wanted them to bathe together. Astell watched his movements without taking her eyes off him, and then she reached out to him with both her hands.


    ¡°This is the last time. Okay?¡±


    Bleon¡¯s eyes widened with surprise and joy, and as soon as he understood exactly what Astell meant, he poured kisses upon her. And so, in that bathroom, moans of pleasure continued anew. The two did not come out of there for a long time.


    * * *


    ¡®This isn¡¯t it.¡¯


    This really wasn¡¯t it. If Bleon would have his way with her as much as he wanted, it was clear that my whole body would crumble and disappear. After sleeping with him that day, I couldn¡¯t get out of bed for two full days because of muscle aches all over my body¡ªnot just between my legs. But the most grating thing was the fact that Bleon was perfectly fine the next day, as if nothing had happened. No, his face was even glowing.


    ¡®Is it because of the age difference?¡¯


    It seemed that age couldn¡¯t lie. I was thirty-three and he was just twenty. The age difference between the two of us was evident in our physical strength. I couldn¡¯t keep up with his stamina, so I had no choice but to restrain him. Today as well, I managed to escape from Bleon¡¯s sudden attempt to pounce at me, using the excuse that I was going to work in the study.


    Of course, even if I told him not to do it, it wasn¡¯t like he was forcing me to do it. The problem was that I also loved sleeping with him. So much that I knew I¡¯d get caught up in it if I couldn¡¯t come back to my senses.


    And most of all, what compelled me to do it was the fact that I didn¡¯t want to see Bleon with a pitiful expression on his face, as though he was a puppy with droopy ears. I don¡¯t want to see him like that anymore.


    ¡®Still, you have to do it in moderation.¡¯


    For the sake of my health and the future, it was right to refrain from doing anything anyway, so I decided to talk to him about this issue today.


    ¡®And I need to be more sure about contraception in the future.¡¯


    Still, it was fortunate that Astell did not have to tell Bleon more about the contraceptive issue, perhaps because Astell had brought it up with him from the beginning. Astell terribly hated seeing anyone being a hindrance between Bleon and her, and a child was the same. So the morning after they would do it, Astell usually drank contraceptives every time to completely block the chances of her getting pregnant.


    It was important to address the matter of contraceptives right now. If the novel were still to proceed according to the plot, the war was bound to break out sometime next summer. When the war would happen, nobles who had no succession problems had to do their duty as honorable aristocrats by taking the lead in the war.


    However, in Bleon¡¯s case in the original story, there was no successor to the Duchy of Einer except for Bleon, so he was not called to the battlefront. So, above all else, I was going to make it so that the same thing would happen. I couldn¡¯t possibly send Bleon to war, even if someone would point fingers at me and call me selfish. Until the war was over, I had no intentions of having children.


    War is¡­


    Too many people would be sacrificed. Although the horrors of the long three year war were not portrayed in detail in the novel, one thing was clear nonetheless. In war, people die. It could be someone else, but it could also be someone dear to me.


    Of course, if I knew how to prevent the war with the information I knew about the future, then I would do it in a heartbeat. However, I didn¡¯t have that ability at all. The next best thing I could do was at least keep my loved ones close and prevent them from heading towards such danger. This was within the scope of what I could do.


    As I was thinking about this, quite a lot of time had passed. It was already time for bed now, so I exited the study and headed towards the bedroom. When I entered the room, Bleon was waiting for me as if he had completed his work quickly.


    ¡°Bleon.¡±


    ¡°Wife¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you doing?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve been waiting for my wife.¡±


    ¡°You should rest. Why are you standing there like that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡±


    Bleon came up to me and locked me in his arms.


    ¡°Shall we wash together¡­?¡±


    And whispered in my ear with a voice that was brimming with desire.


    ¡°Yes¡­ Okay.¡±


    As soon as I saw him overshadowing the promise I had made earlier in the study, my resolve collapsed.


    * * *


    Time passed by quickly. From the hot summer to the cool autumn, and to the frigid winter, the year passed in the blink of an eye. After the warm spring came and went, the hot summer was upon us once again.


    In the meantime, thanks to Bleon¡¯s relentless efforts, the Einer Duchy regained its place in the capital. For the most part of the year, I also went out into the social world as the duchess, and through Leila, I made friends with several noblewomen.


    Besides that, Bleon had a hidden talent that I didn¡¯t know about even in the novel. His swordsmanship skills flourished day by day to the extent that he now rivaled McCain. McCain was not lying when he said that if he taught him well, Bleon would become a good swordsman.


    But¡­


    Summer has come¡­¡­ It also meant that war was fast approaching.


    The Bertan Empire was the only country in the continent that had even the slightest chance against Cavilos Empire, a powerhouse. However, if even it was going to be an empire against another empire, Bertan still fell short of Cavilos, so it would not be an exaggeration to say that the peace of the continent was being maintained by the great power of Cavilos. However, Bertan, along with other small neighboring countries, was going to wage war against the Cavilos Empire. Like any other, Cavilos also received tribute from a small country every year.


    Unable to bear the tribute any longer, the other smaller nations agreed to destroy Cavilos and they sided with the Bertan Empire. However, it was not Cavilos who would be helpless by the allied forces. Cavilos immediately decided to conscript tens of thousands of knights, organize them into an army, and send them out.


    And tomorrow was the day the knights of Cavilos had decided to go to war. Although Bleon was not conscripted, more than half of the Duchy¡¯s knights, including McCain, were about to leave tomorrow, so I prepared a small banquet as the Duchy¡¯s mistress to pray for their safety and well-being.


    The party was already at its peak, and the banquet hall was buzzing with the voices and laughter of the knights. Whether they forgot for a moment that they were leaving for the battlefield tomorrow, or whether they were determined to go to a place where death might wait, the knights¡¯ expressions did not look very bad.


    ¡°Let¡¯s show the power of our Cavilos!¡±


    ¡°Yes, of course! And we have Commander McCain Holster!¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right. Commander! Shall we have a toast?¡±


    Watching the knights unite with McCain as their center, my conscience was pierced and I could no longer watch them.


    I told Bleon that I would go in first and got up from my seat. Bleon was about to get up after me, but I asked him to stay and fulfill his role as the Duke for today. At this, Bleon nodded as if he understood me well, and let me go up first. After leaving the banquet hall like that, I did not go up to the bedroom immediately, but headed to the garden to get some fresh air, a feeling of frustration swirling inside me.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 52

    Chapter 52


    Three years¡­


    After three years, Philia should return, and McCain¡­


    In the future that I know, McCain no longer existed. Then, now would be the last time I¡¯d see him.


    ¡®Should I tell him now?¡¯


    I kept thinking. Maybe Philia would come back. But what if it¡¯s too different from the original at this point? What if she wouldn¡¯t come back? On the other hand, what if McCain would die, just as it¡¯s said in the original story? My heart continued to be troubled by these thoughts. One word could prevent the deaths of people I knew, but I couldn¡¯t just tell them not to go for no reason. It made me frustrated at myself for not being able to do this either.


    ¡®Will Philia be back?¡¯


    Yes. Philia will be back. Philia, was the female lead of this novel. Even if she doesn¡¯t get along with Bleon, she will live her own life and find her another love wonderfully. Philia will definitely come back.


    ¡®Then the problem is McCain¡­¡¯


    Some time had passed while I was contemplating what to do. Bleon might return to the bedroom and look for me, so I hurriedly turned to return to the bedroom. But McCain was standing at the entrance to the garden, looking at me.


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    A cool, cool night breeze blew by quietly. We looked at each other for a while, not even thinking to close the gap, and didn¡¯t say anything. I was worried because I didn¡¯t know what to say when he suddenly appeared, and he¡­


    ¡°Are¡­ Are you leaving early tomorrow?¡±


    But after a while, what came out of my mouth was this question. Even when I thought about it, it was too ridiculous of a question to come out. I tried to avoid the inevitable embarrassment and awkwardness, but as though he had been waiting for the signal, I heard an answer from him.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m leaving.¡±


    I made eye contact with him again.


    ¡°Have a safe trip.¡±


    In the end, I had no choice but to tell him that.


    ¡°Is that all you have to say to me?¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    McCain let out a deep sigh. I wasn¡¯t clueless, so I knew and noticed what kind of gaze he was looking at me with a year ago. So I had to think carefully and say what I had to say, because I didn¡¯t know what he wanted to hear from me and what it might mean to him.


    ¡°Please take care of yourself. Then, I will get going.¡±


    But again, I didn¡¯t say what I wanted to say. As I was about to pass McCain to leave the garden with those words, his next words made me stop in my tracks.


    ¡°I will definitely come back alive.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I will definitely return to this place, here where you are, Madam.¡±


    In fact, he said what I wanted to say to him the most first. Even though I wanted to tell him that I hope he would come back alive, and that I would like him to live a long life rather than to die as a war hero, my mouth did not open.


    I didn¡¯t have feelings for him as someone of the opposite gender, but he had been with me for a year in the duke¡¯s house as someone who helped me in many ways. Even so, I did not want to give him vain hope by saying such a thing to him, so I held it in.


    But then again, if my words would give him the strength to come back alive, I wanted to say something, honestly. Fortunately, he spoke up first, so I thought I could talk more comfortably now.


    ¡°Yes. Please come back alive and continue to serve as the commander of the Einer Duchy¡¯s knights.¡±


    At my words, McCain put on a slightly disappointed expression. But this was the best I could say to him.


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    I passed by him and soon exited the garden. Then, I hurried back to the bedroom. I thought that Bleon might be there, and again, when I entered the bedroom, Bleon was standing by the window.


    ¡°Bleon?¡±


    When I called, he turned his gaze to the window and fixed it on me.


    ¡°You¡¯re here first.¡±


    ¡°Where have you been¡­?¡±


    ¡°The temperature¡¯s cool today, so I went around the garden for a bit.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    His voice was low. He must have been standing by the window since a while ago, so he must have seen McCain and I together.


    ¡°I crossed paths with Sir McCain Holster briefly in the garden, and told him to take care of himself.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want Bleon to misunderstand when he saw the two of us, so I told the truth.


    ¡°You just said that¡­?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Then what else can I say?¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­¡±


    Bleon let out a small sigh, and then I noticed that his stiff expression softened a little. Bleon has been constantly wary of McCain. Every time McCain looked at me strangely, Bleon was so conscious of him and doubled down on him that he warned him openly.


    Approaching Bleon, who must have been anxious the whole time he came out of the window and saw McCain, I hugged him.


    ¡°Did you see?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Are you nervous?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t trust me that much?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that I don¡¯t trust you, Wife, it¡¯s that I don¡¯t trust the knight commander. He still has, for you¡­ Haa¡­¡±


    Bleon let out another sigh, not sure if he could speak any more.


    ¡°But I don¡¯t see him as a man at all. Only you, Bleon¡­¡±


    I was embarrassed to say that I only look at him as a man compared to other people, so I trailed off.


    ¡°What am I¡­?¡±


    ¡°You know¡­¡±


    ¡°I want to hear from you, Wife.¡±


    His eyes were staring at me tenaciously, knowing what I was saying, and wanting to hear it. I was too embarrassed to even look at him, so I buried my face in his arms. Then Bleon whispered softly in my ear.


    ¡°Hurry up, Wife¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I like you¡­¡±


    I mumbled in a voice that was barely audible to him. At that moment, Bleon¡¯s body moved slightly, and he cradled my face and poured his kisses on me.


    ¡°Mmh¡­¡±


    As soon as his lips touched, his tongue invaded the inside, the delicate skin in my mouth, the sensitive roof of my mouth, and every gum and every tooth, and even the hidden part under my tongue, he rushed in like a man who was about to die if he didn¡¯t touch me. It was a kiss like a storm that held my breath and made my mind wander with just a kiss.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    Bleon continued to kiss my lips as I barely breathed in. Still, breathing easier than before and my excitement subsided, so I slowly opened my eyes and looked at Bleon. When my eyes met the eyes like the dark sea, he was smiling the happiest in the world. When I saw that, my heart, which had already been pounding, began to beat even faster.


    ¡°I love you, Astell.¡±


    And at his sincere confession, the quiet surroundings stopped altogether. I felt as if everything had disappeared, leaving him and me alone. Just the fact that he was by my side faded away the guilt I had felt while sending others to the battlefield.


    Yes. It doesn¡¯t matter. If only you were by my side, if I could be with you like this forever, I could do more. All I need is you, only you, you are the only one for me. Only you acknowledge me and make me alive. Without you, I have no reason to live. So¡­ don¡¯t let go of me. Even if I ever leave you, hold on to me. Please¡­


    I couldn¡¯t live without him anymore. I didn¡¯t want to live. The happiness of being with him in his arms was too great to let go. The countless thoughts I had for the sake of Bleon when I first came here were overshadowed, and now I can¡¯t hand him over to Philia or anyone else.


    I will make you happy. So don¡¯t leave me.


    The thoughts that popped into my head right now were so mixed up that I couldn¡¯t tell if they were really Astell¡¯s or mine. However, only one thing was clear.


    I love him. So now I realized I couldn¡¯t be without Bleon.


    ¡°I love you. I love you, Bleon.¡±


    But our happiness did not last long.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 53

    Chapter 53


    The continental war proceeded completely differently from the original. As I could recall, the war was over after about two years and six months, and in the beginning, the Cavilus Empire was at a disadvantage. However, it was said that the flow of victory was changed by the guerrilla-style tactics of the knights as commanded by McCain, and Cavilus eventually won the war.


    However, these days, a little over a year after the war started, the atmosphere became somehow unusual. I had never heard of monsters being used in this war, but there were rumors that the enemy¡¯s allied forces used taboo magic to summon monsters.


    So, hearing the news that the enemy was approaching right in front of the capital, the empire was in a state of turmoil. Cavilus had to prepare for an all-out war, as the empire was really in danger of really getting destroyed if it went on like this.


    Everyone who had not been conscripted now had to go to the battlefield to defend the country.


    And because of today¡¯s meeting, Bleon, who had just returned from going to the imperial palace, had a very dark expression on his face. I saw him and realized that my efforts to protect Bleon were all in vain.


    ¡°Duke¡­¡±


    Calling for Bleon to come into the mansion, I approached him.


    ¡°Wife¡­¡±


    ¡°Did the meeting go well?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    We were both very careful with every word we said to each other. It felt like something was about to erupt if I touched him.


    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry and go up. Was it hard?¡±


    After a meeting that started early in the morning, he returned late at night. His exhausted expression was evident on his face, but his eyes were more sad than that. We held hands and went up to the bedroom. And after I let all the maids go, I deliberately served him.


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you hungry? Shall I ask them to make something simple?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, Wife¡­¡±


    Saying it was okay, Bleon led me to the sofa. And after we sat down next to each other, he gently touched my hair.


    ¡°What did you do today?¡±


    ¡°Today¡­ I read a book in the library.¡±


    In fact, I couldn¡¯t do anything because of my worries, but I couldn¡¯t tell him. So, I was just saying that I read a book.


    ¡°Tomorrow¡­ What are you going to do?¡±


    ¡°Tomorrow, I want to go for a walk with Bleon¡­ That¡¯s fine, right?¡±


    ¡°Of course. Tomorrow, let¡¯s go out for a walk.¡±


    It¡¯s not tomorrow. Tomorrow I can be with him. I felt a deep sense of relief in my anxiety.


    ¡°Next week? Next week¡­ Can we go for a walk?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    So I asked again. I wanted to get confirmation from him that we would be together again next week, but Bleon didn¡¯t answer. His eyes fluttered violently when I made eye contact with him with an expression full of impatience.


    ¡°Bleon¡­?¡±


    ¡°Haa, wife¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡­ happened¡­¡­ ?¡±


    ¡°¡­At today¡¯s meeting, I was ordered to go. Not only me, but also nobles and knights in the Empire have been approved to go.¡±


    ¡°Go¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I had been anticipating and preparing my heart all day today, but when it really happened, my eyes went dark and my head went blank.


    ¡°We, we have no heirs. There is no successor, so why?¡±


    That was my last hope. That was the future as I knew it, and it was the truth, so I somehow managed to avoid getting pregnant.


    ¡°You know that if there is no future for the empire, there is no point¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    It was so true that I couldn¡¯t even say what I wanted to say. What good is this title if there is no country? If there is no country, can a nobleman with only a name be able to live properly? We could never do that. Rather, if we were nobles with high peerage in a country that¡¯s fallen to ruin, a more miserable and wretched life would have been waiting for us. I closed my eyes for a moment and cleared my mind.


    ¡®I have to pull yourself together.¡¯


    Not everyone who goes to war will die. Bleon will come back alive. He¡¯s never going to leave me alone like this. So calm down. I need to pull myself together and do what I can.


    ¡°So, when? When are you leaving?¡±


    I opened my eyes, captured my expression, and asked him.


    ¡°Three days later. That¡¯s what¡¯s been decided.¡±


    Three days later is too short. The time I had with him was too short. But I couldn¡¯t show weakness by whining to the person who was going. I clenched my hand, holding back the tears that were about to come out.


    ¡°So soon¡­You have a lot to prepare, so you have to hurry.¡±


    And with that as an excuse, I got up from the sofa. I wouldn¡¯t cry in front of Bleon, but I needed time to make up my mind on my own. So it was when I let go of his hand and turned around to take a step. Bleon hugged me from behind, and finally the tears I had endured in his warm arms burst out like a waterfall.


    ¡°Hiic¡­ Huhp¡­!¡±


    ¡°Wife¡­¡­.¡±


    Bleon¡¯s voice was low and hoarse.


    ¡°Bleon¡­!¡±


    I turned around and hugged Bleon¡¯s neck. Then I buried my face in his chest and cried profusely.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry. Hiic, I can¡¯t do this while holding on to someone who is going, I can¡¯t¡­ Hiic¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Wife. Cry as much as you want to cry¡­¡±


    ¡°I never thought I¡¯d ever be separated from you¡­ Huuk.¡±


    ¡°Me too. Haa, how could I leave my wife alone¡­?¡±


    He hadn¡¯t left yet, but tears flowed as if he had already gone. I shouldn¡¯t cry since I¡¯m more mature, I had to show a more determined and mature image, but I think I depended on him a lot more than I thought and put him in my heart. Now that he was going to disappear in front of me, I couldn¡¯t make a rational decision.


    ¡°Shall¡­ Shall we just run away?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    Bleon whispered secretly in my ear. But I guess I¡¯m crazy too. His call to run away sounded so tempting, not absurd.


    ¡°I can¡¯t survive a single day without you, Wife, but can you¡­?¡±


    I shook my head vigorously. I didn¡¯t want to live a day without him.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s run away now¡­? Shall we go to a place no one knows about us and live together, just the two of us?¡±


    I wanted to. I wanted to do that so much. I really wanted to do it if I could. But if we run away like that and save our life, will he be able to live properly? Will we be able to live sanely for the rest of our life when we hear that everyone we know is dead and face the fact that we were the only ones alive? I have already suffered from blame once. And I could see how hard it was and how devastating it was. But this would be even worse than that. So I could never do that.


    And Bleon¡­ I¡¯m not, but he was a nobleman from birth to the very bone. Nobles had their honor to protect. An honorable death was more valuable to them than a poor life. I didn¡¯t want to taint Bleon¡¯s name, Einer. He was a nobleman. I must protect the noble name of a noble person. I can¡¯t let him ruin it for me. Thinking about it that way, I came to my senses again.


    As I looked up at him with determination, I saw that his eyes were all red. So I opened my mouth again, holding on to my weakened heart.


    ¡°Will you die and leave me alone?¡±


    To strengthen my will, I deliberately spit out the expression if he would die.


    ¡°You can never die. So come back and I¡¯ll wait. I will wait until you return, Bleon, so make sure you come back alive.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    After giving a completely different answer to his request to run away, Bleon didn¡¯t say anything and looked at me with a despairing face.


    ¡°You are strong. So you won¡¯t leave me alone like this. I believe you.¡±


    Bleon got stronger. He became incredibly strong, comparable to McCain. That I could guarantee. Strong people don¡¯t die easily. He would never die.


    ¡°Wife.¡±


    ¡°Then tell me you¡¯ll be back. Please tell me that you will come back alive.¡±


    He won¡¯t lie to me. So, I was able to endure enough to live with his words that he would come back alive.


    ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤

 Chapter 54

    Chapter 54


    ¡°I understand¡­ I¡¯ll live¡­ I¡¯ll return. Either way, I will definitely come back to you, Wife.¡±


    Bleon finally told me what I wanted to hear. His voice broke and was full of despair, but he spoke to me in a tone more solemn than ever.


    ¡°Yes. Please come back to me.¡±


    With those words, we rushed towards each other.


    ¡°Mmh¡­!¡±


    We were crazy right now. Just thinking that we could never fall apart, Bleon and I coveted each other, as if swallowing each other¡¯s lips. His tongue and my tongue intertwined, and I only told him that I wanted to get closer to him.


    ¡°Ha-uh, haahk¡­¡±


    After the long kiss, Bleon¡¯s lips moved down the nape of my neck and down to my chest. The clothes had already been torn off so we were lying on the bed with nothing on. Bleon rubbed my breasts with both hands, then rubbed the entirety of them with his palms. In an instant, the nipples that were in contact with his palms grew pert.


    ¡°Hngg¡­¡±


    ¡°Like it¡­?¡±


    ¡°Mmngh, good, go, ah!¡±


    Bleon bit the left breast in his mouth and rolled the nipples with his tongue. I grabbed my right breast with my hand in a sense of arousal that slowly rose.


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯ll take this side too, so wait.¡±


    ¡°Huu, ung, hurry!¡±


    At my whining, Bleon released my hand that had been fiddling with my right breast and caught it. Then, he moved his lips, which had been tormenting his left side, to the right, and greedily sucked the nipple that stood firm like a red fruit.


    ¡°Haangh, uhng¡­!¡±


    While I was drenched in pleasure only by caressing my breasts, Bleon¡¯s hand suddenly came between my legs, and as he swept the clitoris up and down, my waist twitched and bounced slightly.


    ¡°Ahhk, ahh¡­¡±


    ¡°You like it here too?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Good¡­¡±


    I liked all the places he touched, but when he rubbed the places where my sensitive senses were concentrated, I felt pleasure more easily. As I groaned when he touched me there, one of Bleon¡¯s fingers rubbed the entrance and slipped inside.


    Then, he lowered the hand that had been touching my chest, opened my legs more, and began to stir in earnest. Fluids from overexcitement helped his fingers move through the path with ease, and a lewd, wet sound filled the room. Now, inside the entrance, two fingers were tightly filling the inner wall.


    ¡°Ahhkk, ahng¡­!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so tight¡­¡±


    ¡°Hngh, Bleon¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s so full with just two fingers, it¡¯s amazing how you accept my thing, Wife.¡±


    Bleon was spitting out obscene words that I didn¡¯t even know if he completely intended to do it today. However, it wasn¡¯t unpleasant at all, it came as a different stimulus than usual, making me even more aroused.


    ¡°Here, do you like it here?¡±


    Then, all of a sudden, Bleon quickly rubbed inside at a certain spot, and not long after that, my climax came, and my screams permeated the room.


    ¡°Nngh, haangh, hhaahngg¡­!¡±


    Even after he already pulled out his fingers, I was gasping for breath, and the excitement didn¡¯t go away quickly. My back twitched spontaneously.


    ¡°Hu-ah, ngh.¡±


    Bleon looked down at me from above and kissed me on the forehead with eyes that seemed to say how much he loved how I looked. Near my thighs, I could feel his manhood growing erect.


    Taking a moment to catch my breath, I remembered that I had never touched him while having sex with him. When I approached him out of curiosity, Bleon always stopped me saying there was no need for it. So I had never touched or looked at his length properly.


    ¡°Now Bleon, lie down¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Hurry and lie down.¡±


    With a determined expression on my face, I spoke to him in a commanding tone. Then, with a bewildered expression, Bleon came down from on top of me and lay right down on the bed. The thick, dark-red length rose upwards. I was still a little embarrassed to look at him, so I slightly narrowed my eyes as I got on top of him. Then, starting with his chest, I licked him with my tongue, then I went lower.


    ¡°Huhk, ah¡­¡±


    It was nice to hear Bleon¡¯s moans. It was thrilling to see him react to whatever I touched. But as my face drew closer to his manhood, I felt his thighs tighten with tension.


    ¡®Really, how did this fit inside?¡¯


    And now that I took a good look at his pillar, I realized that it¡¯s way too big for me and I¡¯m starting to get a little worried. I immediately understood what Bleon was saying about how amazing it was that he fit inside me before. For some reason, every time he pushed in, I felt suffocated. It was obvious since such a big thing came in and filled me inside.


    ¡°Wife¡­!¡±


    I stood still for a moment with his thick girth in front of me, and Bleon called me in an urgent voice.


    ¡°Why?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do that¡­¡±


    ¡°No. I want to do it too.¡±


    He tried to lift me up, telling me not to do it because he knew what I was going to do. But as of today, I don¡¯t have any intention of giving up. So, pushing Bleon¡¯s hand, I put one hand on his length.


    When I swept up and down a pillar that was too thick to cover with one hand a few times, the manhood swelled up even more. I widened my eyes in surprise and looked up at Bleon.


    ¡°Ha¡­ Wife¡­¡±


    For a person who said not to do it, he was getting too into it. Seeing him narrow his eyes with excitement and fixing his gaze on my ministrations, I also felt a strange feeling pooling within me, and the place between my legs got even wetter. So, as he watched what I was doing, I was looking for a place where his body was more responsive and observed his expression. Then, Bleon¡¯s waist shook violently.


    ¡°Heuhk¡­¡±


    ¡°You like it¡­?¡±


    Every time Bleon touched my clitoris, the same reaction burst out when I touched the hole on the tip. I smiled meaningfully, one hand holding onto the pillar and the other intensely rubbing that spot.


    ¡°Hahk, Wife.¡­!¡±


    Bleon let out a groan of pleasure and continued to move, unable to keep his back. As I kept repeating my hand movements, thinking that he had gotten somehow bigger than before, Bleon suddenly sat up and grabbed my hand.


    ¡°Stop, huhk, stop¡­¡±


    ¡°Why¡­?¡±


    I was having a lot of fun getting him excited, so when Bleon stopped me, I gave him a sullen look and tried to get him out of my hand. However, Bleon was holding on to me harder than I thought, so I couldn¡¯t get out of it.


    ¡°Let go. I¡¯m not done yet.¡±


    ¡°This is enough¡­ That¡¯s why¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Don¡¯t you like doing this?¡±


    I muttered in a voice that only I could hear.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°I mean, I heard¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡­?¡±


    ¡°When you do it alone, Bleon¡­¡±


    Now that I have confessed to him, it felt like I was baring my heart to him. In fact, after hearing him masturbating, I kept putting up with it and holding back wanting to ask him why he did it and what he was thinking.


    ¡°Is it because of the drug? Is that so?¡±


    At that time, the Bleon I knew was pure and cute, so I was quite shocked that he acted like that. So I came to the conclusion that it was something he had to do inevitably because of the drug.


    However, when I started sleeping with Bleon, one thing I learned about him was that he had a very strong libido. I wondered how he endured the time when I really couldn¡¯t do it with him, and that time when he couldn¡¯t reach his own climaxes. Of course, I also liked sleeping with him, so I accepted him even if I lacked stamina, but to be honest, I was slightly suspicious of whether he was taking any libido-increasing drugs without my knowledge.


    As I looked at him with a curious expression on my face, a smile suddenly appeared on Bleon¡¯s lips. He laughs awkwardly and tilts his head in puzzlement, Bleon suddenly lifts me up and puts me face to face on his thigh. Then he whispered in my ear with a soft, seductive voice.


    ¡°Actually¡­ I wanted you to watch me, Wife.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not about the drugs. I¡¯ve said it before, but I become this way just by looking at you. So whenever I see you, I want you to look at me¡­¡±


    Saying so, Bleon lightly rubbed his length against my backside.


    ¡°Huk, you, you did it on purpose¡­?¡±


    ¡°Haa, yes¡­ Are you¡­ disappointed?¡±


    Disappointed? I was far from disappointed. Anyway, he did it because he wanted me, so it wasn¡¯t that bad. It was because I knew at the time that I was refusing to approach Bleon, and that he was frustrated. But even while we were talking, Bleon slightly lifted my waist and rubbed his genitals over my entrance that was drenched with my fluids.


    ¡°I¡¯m not disappointed¡­ ah, uhng, don¡¯t keep rubbing¡­¡±


    ¡°Then, huhk, I¡¯m dirty¡­?¡±


    ¡°Hnng, no, you¡¯re not, hahh, dirty.¡±


    ¡°Wife¡­¡±


    Bleon¡¯s face was filled with emotion as I denied any word that he spoke against himself. But in an instant, his eyes suddenly changed to a sinister look, and he clasped my earlobe, and opened his mouth in a low voice.


    ¡°You¡¯re not curious, wife¡­? About what I do on my own?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±

 Chapter 55

    Chapter 55


    In a trance, as though I was listening to the devil¡¯s tantalizing whisper, Bleon pushed me back gently, taking this silence as my permission. Then, through my wide open thighs, the whole of his thick length that had been lying beneath me was revealed. I stared intently at him, not looking away, and Bleon¡¯s large hand wrapped around his member.


    He began to stroke it skillfully, unlike the clumsy actions I had previously done. As before, when he rubbed the prec*m flowing from the tip and down, all over his manhood, the flesh collided with each other, and the sound of friction mixed with a squelching sound echoed. This sound was so identical to the sound I heard when I woke up that time, goosebumps rushed down my spine.


    ¡°Nngh, haa¡­¡±


    His eyes were filled with pleasure as I looked up at the sound of his moan above his head.


    ¡°The wife is looking at me, and I think I¡¯m going to come already¡­¡±


    Then, what if I touch it? Wouldn¡¯t he come faster if I touched it? As soon as I thought of that, my hand touched him by itself. And past his lewd hand, which was rapidly stroking the length, I carefully rubbed the blunt end where his most sensitive nerves were.


    ¡°Huk, Wife¡­¡±


    To be honest, I even thought about putting it in my mouth, but it didn¡¯t look like I¡¯d be able to fit that big girth in my mouth. So, I compromised and used my hand instead, continuing to stimulate him. Bleon¡¯s breathing suddenly became harsh.


    ¡°Huu, hah, nngh, Wife, A¡ª Astell, nnnngh¡­!¡±


    I had placed my hand on his length, closed my fingers over him and started stroking it like crazy. With an intense moan that seemed to come from the depths of his abdomen, sticky white fluid burst out of him. The fluid that was squirted out without even having a chance to stop it was all over my face, chest, and other parts of my body without mercy. I looked at him with amazement.


    ¡°Haa, I¡¯m sorry. Wife¡­ I didn¡¯t mean to do this¡­¡±


    Bleon took a deep breath and, with an ashamed face, hurriedly wiped the s*men off me with his hand.


    ¡°I-It¡¯s okay.¡±


    He seemed to be blaming himself quite harshly, and as I smiled awkwardly that I was fine, Bleon gently grabbed my face and gave me a kiss.


    ¡°I love you. I love you, Astell.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Me too.¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, ah, mmph¡­¡±


    With the passionate confession the light kiss along suddenly turned into a sticky and erotic kiss. As he pulled out my tongue and sucked it like he was going to devour it, Bleon started rubbing his hardened manhood again on my clitoris and entrance.


    ¡°Huht, uhhng.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re very wet, Wife.¡±


    ¡°Hnngg, ahhhk, ah¡­¡±


    ¡°Can I put it in¡­?¡±


    As Bleon said, as I watched him pleasure himself, my thighs were dripping with my wetness, so he was ready to come in.


    ¡°Uhngg, put it, mmngh, in¡­¡±


    When I asked to put it in, Bleon lightly lifted my waist, aligned the tip of his member with the opening, and slammed my hips down at once.


    ¡°AHNG¡­!¡±


    The thick flesh that came in while scratching the contracting inner walls touched the most sensitive part of the inside, and in an instant, my entire body shuddered. However, Bleon did not let me feel just this on my own, and immediately started moving my waist up and pounding his weight strongly.


    ¡°Ahheuk, ah, huk, Bleon, ahhng, ahhhk¡­!¡±


    As if my whole body had become an erogenous zone, I felt a chill in my back every time he went in and out with the distant pleasure, and my whole body was trembling. There was no way I could control my body, so I hugged his neck tightly and instinctively pulled his muscular body closer to me, pressing down on my chest.


    ¡°Hu-hanng, ahhk, ahng! AHHNGH¡­!¡±


    But then a finger touched my clitoris and rubbed it quickly. When two of the most sensitive parts, inside and outside, were stimulated at the same time, a huge amount of pleasure began to rush in like a wave.


    ¡°D-Don¡¯t, huhk, aahkk, ahng! Ahhhnng!¡±


    In an instant, my body stiffened and my vision became white. In the midst of a violent climax that could not be stopped, my thighs twitched, and the inner walls repeatedly contracted and relaxed like crazy.


    ¡°Huuuhk, huuuh, huk.¡±


    Tears welled up in my eyes at the intense sensation. Still, it was when I was breathing slowly with a feeling of relief that it was over with a feeling of languor. Suddenly, Bleon spread my thighs all the way out and thrust his length entirely to the hilt.


    ¡°AHH!¡±


    Then he grabbed my hips and pounded into me at the speed of a beast.


    ¡°Aaahh, that, huk! Huwang! Don¡¯t, aaahhng!¡±


    I wanted to tell him to stop, but Bleon was moving his waist at a breakneck speed, with such force and intensity that I couldn¡¯t even say a word. So, in the end, I gave up and surrendered myself to him, just sobbing in pleasure. And after quite some time, as if he had lost his mind, he thrusted inside, then burst out a roaring groan and ejaculated deep inside me.


    ¡°Haa, ugh.¡±


    ¡°Uhhhk, huht, heuuuhhk.¡±


    I was panting from the unimaginable pleasure that came over me again, and my body was laid back. His length was still erect. Bleon looked down at me from above and gently swept my hair from my face one lock at a time. But unlike his hand, his lower body moved again.


    ¡°¡­Nngh, again?¡±


    Contrary to my astonished expression, Bleon¡¯s eyes were filled with lust that was not yet satisfied.


    ¡°One more time, one more time.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Hngg.¡±


    ¡°Wife¡­¡±


    Even when he was still asking for permission, he didn¡¯t stop moving, and in the end we didn¡¯t leave the room until the day Bleon was set to leave.


    * * *


    The day Bleon left for the battlefield, he told me not to see him off, but I couldn¡¯t stay still. So I went out to the front of the mansion to watch him leave.


    ¡°Careful, go on.¡±


    I thought I would cry if anyone touched me even a little bit, but I held it in. I didn¡¯t want to show myself crying in front of the person leaving. Instead, I smiled broadly. I had a smile on my face, like someone who firmly believed that nothing would happen to us and that we would soon see each other again.


    ¡°Wife.¡±


    Bleon embraced me in his arms. The armor he was wearing felt very unfamiliar, so I wanted to take it off even now.


    ¡°I will be strong and do well. So, you must be careful and come back, Duke.¡±


    ¡°Yes, my wife.¡±


    Bleon¡¯s voice was low and hoarse. He wanted to cry with me, but he was holding on.


    ¡°I love you. I love you. I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you too. I love you. I love you, Wife.¡±


    We threw the words that we loved each other like we didn¡¯t want to lose the other.


    A loud horn rang in the distance. Now was the time to leave. Bleon gave me a long kiss on the forehead with sad eyes and then mounted the horse with one fluid motion. We didn¡¯t talk to each other anymore. With only our eyes, we promised each other that we would meet again soon.


    If there¡¯s a god out there, please, bring him back to me.


    Bleon left. I watched him leave, knowing that he would not be back for a very long time.


    * * *


    It has been three months since he left. The last two winters I spent with him were not so cold, but this winter was extremely cold because of the fact that Bleon wasn¡¯t with me. As the new year began, I turned thirty-six years old while Bleon was twenty-three.


    But a very big change happened to me. I wasn¡¯t expecting anything, but I went to see the doctor, just in case, I was given the news¡ªI was pregnant.


    Before Bleon left, I purposely stopped drinking birth control pills. It was the greatest obligation I could have left as Duchess Einer, and it was my heart for Bleon. It was for a terrifying and hopeless tiny possibility that I would never want to think about, but still have to think about. To be honest, I never thought I could become pregnant. Pregnancy was not so easy, and it was because it was so uncertain.


    But, strangely, only after a few days of stopping the pills, I became pregnant. My child¡ªthe child of both Bleon and I¡ªwas now growing in my womb. So, I thought that Bleon would be very happy when he came back, and I thought that I should live a good life, eating well and sleeping well.


    I felt a bit of pain later and, at first, I thought it was a temporary pain caused by pregnancy and didn¡¯t tell my doctor. But the pain got worse and worse, and in the end, the suffocating pain made me sit down and roll over. Now that the pain was unbearable, I finally called the doctor.


    ¡°Madam, the doctor is here.¡±


    ¡°Let him in.¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±

 Chapter 56

    Chapter 56


    The door opened and Logan, the doctor, entered. I sat up on the bed.


    ¡°Is there anything wrong, Madam?¡±


    ¡°Actually, I called you because my heart ached at some point.¡±


    ¡°Heart?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I thought it was something that would go away later, but it just got worse and worse.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll check it out in a moment.¡±


    I watched the doctor go through all parts of my body. However, his expression gradually changed.


    ¡°What is wrong?¡±


    ¡°That is¡­¡±


    What? Maybe something happened to the baby? I couldn¡¯t speak properly, and seeing the doctor hesitate, somehow it made me uneasy, so I urged him.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, tell me. Surely there is nothing wrong with the baby in my womb?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­¡±


    Phew, that was a relief. It was okay if the child was safe. I breathed a sigh of relief inside.


    ¡°Then what is the reason? Tell me.¡±


    ¡°¡­Your heart rate is very low.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°For adults, an average heart rate of 60-100 beats per minute. However, your current heart rate is less than 40 beats per minute. We¡¯ll have to keep an eye on it, but it looks like there¡¯s something wrong with the Madam¡¯s heart.¡±


    Hearing such an unexpected story, I just looked at the doctor like a fool.


    ¡°Madam¡­?¡±


    As soon as I heard the doctor¡¯s voice, I was instantly awakened.


    ¡°Oh yes. So, can it be treated?¡±


    ¡°That is¡­¡±


    He sighed again, which meant it was difficult to say.


    ¡°I heard from my old mentor that there is an incurable disease that makes the heart gradually harden. One of the distinguishing symptoms of the disease is that the heart rate gradually decreases over time, which intensifies the pain and eventually stops the heart altogether. Therefore¡­¡±


    The doctor could not say any more and closed his mouth. But I guessed by his silence what he was trying to say.


    ¡°Incurable disease¡­ you say?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. I was told there is no cure yet. However, if I have Philia, I think I can do something. But she¡¯s in the war zone right now, and she¡¯s an expert in detoxification¡­¡±


    ¡°Then what you¡¯re saying is¡­ There is no cure, and I am going to die soon.¡±


    ¡°Madam¡­¡±


    Why did the word ¡°die¡± feel so different? Was it because I died once? I don¡¯t know. Anyway, I didn¡¯t hate the fact that I was going to die, so my voice was pretty calm.


    ¡°How long do I have left? The child, can the child be born?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know exactly how long you will live. In the future, we have no choice but to refrain from actions that put a strain on the heart and carefully observe the changes in the heart. However, I am not sure if you will be able to safely give birth in your current state.¡±


    ¡°No! The child must be born.¡±


    ¡°But, Madam, if you do, your lifespan will be shortened even more.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. I will give birth to my child no matter what. So, in the future, be careful with your mouth. Do not talk about my illness to anyone. Understand?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    ¡°Then you can go. I want to be alone.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. Then, I¡¯ll be off.¡±


    The doctor left and I stared blankly into the air for a while.


    ¡®I¡¯m going to die?¡¯


    But the fear of dying slowly creeped in the room where I was left alone.


    ¡°How much longer?¡±


    How much longer can I live? Can I die looking at Bleon? Can the child, our child, be born? As these thoughts hung around each other, I was engulfed in fear that I would go away without being able to do anything.


    ¡®Why do I have to die?¡¯


    What did I do wrong and have to die? Twice on top of that? Why can¡¯t I live long? Why? Why?


    My chest was tight and I wanted to hit my heart with my fists. So, the moment my hand was about to go near my chest, I realized I couldn¡¯t do it and pounded the innocent sofa with my fist. Still, the anger did not go away.


    ¡°Bleon¡­¡±


    I called out Bleon¡¯s name. I missed him so much. I wanted to put him in my arms to calm this anxiety and fear. But he wasn¡¯t with me. No, it was uncertain whether I would be able to see him alive now.


    I told you to come back¡­ I told you to come back alive¡­


    ¡°I want to see you. Bleon¡­ Hiic.¡±


    Thinking of him brings tears to my eyes. Thinking that I would never see him, thinking that I would not be able to be by his side even if he returned.


    Please, I want to see you one more time before I die. I want to be enveloped in your arms. So come back. Come back soon, Bleon.


    * * *


    Winter had passed and the warm spring was now here. But my heart was still cold like winter. The baby has been in my womb for six months now. And my heart rate was now under 35 and I was dying little by little.


    ¡°The war is now¡­¡­.¡±


    Every day I was counting the time the war would end. Although it was different from the original story, I still believed that the end of the war would be the same. Fortunately, after Bleon and the remaining knights of the Empire participated in the war, the war changed completely. Cavilos was ringing triumph every day, and I heard that Bleon was doing quite well in it.


    ¡°So the war¡­¡±


    In the original story, Philia returned to her hometown only in the new year. So, there was about eight months left before the war was over. At eight months, the baby in the womb will be born first. By the time Bleon returned, the baby would have just turned a hundred days old.


    ¡°Baby, you must be born healthy. So you have to live long with your father instead of me. Understand?¡±


    Shortly after I found out I was terminally ill, I accepted my death. So if death could not be avoided, I was willing to die after doing as much as I could. And among them, having a healthy baby was the most important to me. So I took better care of my body than before.


    I did everything the doctor told me to do and never did anything that puts a strain on my heart. But nonetheless, my heart rate was dropping. Still, it didn¡¯t matter as long as I could have given birth properly. My only goal was to give birth to this child in good health and hand the child over to Bleon.


    ¡°Madam!¡±


    As I was thinking about how to give birth to a healthier child, suddenly, outside, the butler called me in an urgent voice.


    ¡°Madam. This is Jace!¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡±


    Jace has never lost his composure in any way. But now he was calling me with great urgency. I was puzzled by his unfamiliar attitude, and for some reason, anxiety came over me.


    ¡°Madam, I will go in.¡±


    Jace entered the room. The urgency in his voice was also evident on his face.


    ¡°What is the matter, is it urgent?¡±


    ¡°The war, they said that the war is finally over!¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°It is said that the Empire has won and the war has just been declared.¡±


    The victorious war was not disturbing news, but very happy news. At that time, it was extremely noisy outside. There was the sound of thunderous shouts, but it was so loud that it reached through the window of my room. The people of the Empire were enjoying the victory of the war together.


    ¡®It¡¯s really over.¡¯


    Unlike the original story, the war that was expected to end only next year ended sooner. I was so happy that I didn¡¯t take what it meant too seriously.


    ¡°What about the Duke? So the Duke will be back soon, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes. Of course. He will probably be right back.¡±


    He¡¯s coming back. Bleon, who I had only been seeing in my dreams, was going to return. He was finally coming back to me.


    So far there has been no news that something went wrong with him. So, believing that he would come back soon, I waited and waited anxiously every day. Even though I knew that he would return, the inherent anxiety did not disappear anyway. This heart had to look at Bleon with my two eyes, or else it was clear that it would disappear.


    On the day I had been waiting for him to come, McCain first returned to the Duke¡¯s house. I met McCain with a bloated belly. Looking more mature and exhausted than before he went to war, McCain stood dignifiedly in front of the mansion.


    ¡°Sir!¡±


    When I called him, McCain turned to me. And as he was approaching me, he saw my stomach and stopped for a moment.


    ¡°You came back safely¡­!¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes. I am¡­ back.¡±


    But his expression was strange. There was no exhilaration or joy in coming back. But I thought something must have happened to him and passed it on. I couldn¡¯t afford to pay any attention to that.


    ¡°Well, but¡­ When will the Duke come?¡±


    I kept looking behind McCain¡¯s back, wondering if there might be Bleon behind him.


    ¡°I would like¡­ to speak with you. Let¡¯s go somewhere quiet.¡±


    ¡°What? Yes. Alright. Let¡¯s go to my study.¡±

 Chapter 57

    Chapter 57


    I took McCain up to the second floor study. It was only after we sat down face to face on opposite sofas, where there was a table of snacks and tea between us, that McCain opened his mouth to speak.


    ¡°¡­You are expecting.¡±


    ¡°Ah yes. I found out after the Duke left the battlefield.¡±


    ¡°Is that so¡­¡±


    ¡°You have something to say to me?¡±


    ¡°Before I tell you, I want you to call a doctor¡­¡±


    ¡°A doctor?¡±


    McCain suddenly wanted to see the doctor.


    ¡°Where are you hurt? Then I¡¯ll call the doctor right away.¡±


    ¡°No, no. It¡¯s just that, since you¡¯re expecting, just in case¡­¡±


    As he said that, his face was full of concern for me.


    ¡°What are you saying, why do you have to go so far¡­? Don¡¯t worry if it¡¯s because of me. Or I will call the doctor now and he will come soon.¡±


    ¡°¡­Alright.¡±


    After telling the butler to hurry and call Logan, I stared back at McCain sitting across from me. He was sitting there looking more impatient than before.


    ¡°Sir.¡±


    When I called him ready to listen, McCain stared at me for a long moment, then opened his mouth quietly as if he was ready to speak to me, too.


    ¡°It¡¯s about the Duke.¡±


    ¡°The Duke?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Duke Bleon Einer¡­ has gone¡­ missing.¡±


    Missing? What are you talking about? What on earth was this guy sitting in front of me talking about?


    ¡°Now¡­ What did you just say?¡±


    I thought I heard it wrong, so I asked him again.


    ¡°During the last battle on the Hereta Plateau, Duke Bleon Einer and his healer Philia went missing.¡±


    In an instant, the whole world turned into an abyss. He moved his mouth to say something, but nothing was heard. The expression of the man in front of me changed moment by moment. At first, his expression was somber and subdued, then changed to a face full of anxiety and concern. But after a while, he was looking at my stomach with a surprised expression. Only then did I realize that my seat was very wet.


    ¡°¡ªMadam! Duchess, come to your senses! Madam!¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    I looked down slowly. The whole bottom of the dress was stained with blood. McCain came over and held me in his arms.


    ¡°N-No¡­¡±


    Suddenly, my breaths stopped slowly. It was so hard to breathe.


    ¡°Huk, huk. No, no. Haaa, baby, no¡­!¡±


    ¡°Madam, breathe. Breath! The doctor isn¡¯t there yet?!¡±


    ¡°Please, please save it. Huk, save, save the baby. Please¡­¡±


    ¡°Calm down! Madam! You will make it. You will live! So¡­! Butler!¡±


    McCain¡¯s loud shout echoed through the room as the door opened.


    ¡°I¡¯m here! I¡¯m here now¡ª Madam!¡±


    And when I heard the doctor¡¯s familiar voice, I lost consciousness.


    AD


    ¡®The Madam has to regain consciousness.¡¯


    ¡®What should we do about the child¡­?¡¯


    ¡®I need to get it out of the stomach immediately.¡¯


    ¡®Her heart rate is getting worse and worse. If she stays like this¡­¡¯


    Is it a dream?


    Is it the voice you hear in your dreams? The words that resonated in my head seemed to mumble like in the water.


    ¡®The Madam has opened her eyes!¡¯


    ¡®Madam! Can you hear me?¡¯


    ¡®Madam, wake up.¡¯


    ¡®Since she is conscious now, take care of the baby right now!¡¯


    ¡®Now we have to get the baby out.¡¯


    ¡®Madam, take this medicine.¡¯


    I saw people in front of me. None of them were the ones I desperately wanted to see. I was so overcome with despair and closed my eyes again. But someone put something in my mouth, and when I opened my eyes, it was like Logan was nearby yelling urgently at me to swallow it, but it was so disgusting that I couldn¡¯t get it down my throat, so I vomited what was in my mouth. Then the medicine entered my mouth again, my face lifted slightly, and the bitter medicine ran down my throat and went inside.


    ¡®It¡¯s done. Now gather some strength.¡¯


    ¡®Aaahhk! Uuggh, it hurts, it hurts!!¡¯


    After taking the medicine for a while, the unbearable pain began. It hurts! My stomach hurts so much. It felt like someone was squeezing my stomach and the bottom seemed to fall out. The smell of blood vibrated everywhere. Neither this smell nor this pain seemed like a dream. But before I was even aware of it, all the sounds and images of the world were cut off, and I passed out again.


    * * *


    Oh, this is really a dream. I knew for sure that it was a dream. Because now he is right in front of my eyes.


    ¡®Bleon?¡¯


    ¡®Wife.¡¯


    But when I called him, he was looking at me with an unreadable expression on his face.


    ¡®Do you have to go? Where are you going?¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ve got work to do, so I have to go out. It will probably take a while.¡¯


    Words were coming out of my mouth against my will. And at my words, Bleon cried with a pitiful expression and hugged me tightly.


    ¡®Can¡¯t I go with you too?¡¯


    ¡®No. You have to stay here, Bleon.¡¯


    ¡®Wife¡­¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll send you a letter. It¡¯s really important that I go.¡¯


    ¡®¡­I understand.¡¯


    I comforted him by patting his broad back.


    ¡®Don¡¯t take the medicine while I¡¯m away. Understand? The medicine has quite a few side effects. So, never touch it.¡¯


    ¡®I¡­ understand. But¡­¡¯


    Bleon mumbled something, but I couldn¡¯t hear the next words. But suddenly the dream shifted, and I was now sitting in the carriage, with Logan, the doctor, across from me.


    ¡®Is this the last?¡¯


    ¡®Yes¡­ That¡¯s right. Madam.¡¯


    ¡®In the end, I couldn¡¯t find anyone who knew how to cure it.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯


    Logan nodded and replied.


    ¡®What are you sorry for? It¡¯s an incurable disease.¡¯


    ¡®The doctor we¡¯re going to meet now says that there is no disease that can¡¯t be cured because he has great skills in this area. Don¡¯t lose hope, Madam.¡¯


    ¡®Yes. But I guess I¡¯ll have to hurry up and go back. It seems that Bleon is very sick.¡¯


    ¡®Treatment of Madam¡¯s disease is the top priority. If treatment is possible, it is better to stay here.¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t feel good. I guess I¡¯ll have to go back¡­¡¯


    ¡®Madam¡­¡¯


    After Logan¡¯s words, the scene changed again. This time¡­ it was the Duke¡¯s residence again. I hurriedly entered the mansion urgently, and the butler came to meet me.


    ¡®What about Bleon?¡¯


    There was urgency in my voice.


    ¡®Madam. You¡¯re back!¡¯


    ¡®Where is Bleon?¡¯


    ¡®That is¡­¡¯


    ¡®I asked you where he is!¡¯


    I was very angry at the butler¡¯s hesitant attitude because he couldn¡¯t answer properly.


    ¡®There are things I couldn¡¯t tell you in the letter.¡¯


    ¡®I will see and hear it from Bleon.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s about the Duke. And before you see the Duke, you must listen.¡¯


    ¡®¡­Follow me.¡¯


    I took the butler and took him to the parlor right in front of me.


    ¡®Now tell me.¡¯


    ¡®That is¡­ The Duke experienced severe side effects of the drug and almost died.¡¯


    ¡®What?¡¯


    ¡®I don¡¯t know why these symptoms occurred, but his fever was so high that he couldn¡¯t even breathe properly, so I called the female doctor, Logan¡¯s disciple.¡¯


    As he was talking about the female doctor, he looked me in the eye.


    ¡®¡­Keep going.¡¯


    ¡®The woman doctor gave him treatment, and she said that there was no way he could be cured by normal methods, and she said that it would probably be difficult to exceed ten days at most. So she immediately sent a letter.¡¯


    ¡®At that time I was quite far from Kren. I got the letter three days later.¡¯


    ¡®¡­Yes. And the Duke has already reached the limit before we even got a reply from the Madam¡­ There was no choice but to be treated by the female doctor.¡¯


    ¡®What kind of treatment?¡¯


    ¡®That is¡­ The fastest way to get rid of the medicine¡­ is copulation.¡¯


    ¡®Copulation?¡¯


    ¡®Yes. So the female doctor and the Duke until now¡­¡¯


    ¡®Stop. Stop talking.¡¯


    ¡®Madam, it¡¯s all my fault. I should have looked after the Duke properly¡­¡¯


    The butler was kneeling in front of me and begging. I stared into the air for a while without saying anything.


    ¡®¡­So Bleon and the female doctor are in the bedroom right now.¡¯


    ¡®Yes¡­ That¡¯s right.¡¯


    I immediately got up and left the parlor and headed to the bedroom. And as I was just arriving at the bedroom door, I ran into someone with pretty pink hair. It was Philia. Taking a closer look at her, I saw that her excitement had not yet waned, her face was flushed with red marks on the back of her neck, and her skin visible through her clothes. As I was staring at her, she hurriedly left the bedroom after she bowed her head in astonishment, as if Philia didn¡¯t expect to see me.


    I went straight into the bedroom. The damp air and salty smell flowing in the room fully told what the two of them were doing in this place. I approached the bed and looked at the naked, fast asleep man.


    ¡®Bleon.¡¯


    The sleeping man did not answer.


    ¡®I guess¡­ this is it for us.¡¯

 Chapter 58

    Chapter 58


    Having said that, I left the bedroom. And the background changed again. This time, I was talking to my doctor in the library.


    ¡®So please.¡¯


    ¡®But Madam¡­¡¯


    ¡®I can¡¯t live long. And it¡¯s already spilled water.¡¯


    I could see Logan taking a deep breath.


    ¡®What about that child named Philia? Did it seem like she has feelings for Bleon? Do you think she¡¯ll be able to take good care of Bleon until the end?¡¯


    ¡®Philia is a kind and responsible child. You don¡¯t have to worry about that.¡¯


    ¡®Okay then. Get me as much of the drug as possible. And there are some of Bleon¡¯s relatives who were not at all involved in the succession race at the time. Contact them. A person like that will probably help Bleon to the end.¡¯


    ¡®Do you really have to do this, Madam?¡¯


    ¡®Logan. Bleon and I have seen each other for too long. Everything Bleon does this time is because of me. He was worried because I didn¡¯t come even though I had asked him not to take the drug. I made Bleon blind to only one person. So that¡¯s what made me think like that. It¡¯s all my fault. And if I die doing nothing, Bleon will probably¡­ I¡¯m only making the worst assumptions now of what Bleon will be doing. He is still young. He¡¯s just twenty-four now. He can live properly again. To do this, he¡¯ll be able to completely forget me. He has to leave me and let go.¡¯


    ¡®Madam¡­¡¯


    ¡®So, help me. And even if I¡¯m not there, take good care of Bleon.¡¯


    ¡®¡­Yes.¡¯


    ¡®And don¡¯t forget. You need to spread my rumors properly. You have to make sure that Bleon can get sympathy and that anyone will point a finger at me and swear to their heart¡¯s content.¡¯


    ¡®Yes. I¡¯ll keep that in mind.¡¯


    ¡®Thank you.¡¯


    Then the background changed again and it was the bedroom again. Even in my dreams, Bleon was standing around the room waiting for me.


    ¡®Wife¡­!¡¯


    He came up to me and tried to hug me, but in the end, he couldn¡¯t. Because I pushed him hard.


    ¡®Wife¡­?¡¯


    Bleon looked at me with a slightly shocked face.


    ¡®Where do you think you¡¯re touching with those dirty hands?¡¯


    ¡®What¡­?¡¯


    ¡®You¡¯re dirty. Don¡¯t talk to me. Don¡¯t even look at me. Just being in the same room with you would make me sick to death.¡¯


    ¡®Why are you doing this, Wife¡­?¡¯


    ¡®Are you saying you don¡¯t know now?¡¯


    ¡®I-Is it because I¡¯m being too much? It¡¯s been so long since I¡¯ve seen the wife¡ª¡¯


    ¡®What are you talking about now? It¡¯s not enough that you held someone else. Are you saying that you mistook her for me?¡¯


    ¡®Yes? What is that¡­¡¯


    Bleon¡¯s confused look filled his eyes. And soon after realizing what had happened with Philia, his face was engulfed in shock. But I kept pushing him with a tone that didn¡¯t seem to care.


    ¡®Get out! Get out! Get out and die!¡¯


    ¡®Wife¡­ Huhp¡­¡¯


    ¡®Quit blubbering around. What are you crying about?¡¯


    ¡®Please forgive me, Wife. Huhuuk. I was wrong¡­ Wife¡­¡¯


    ¡®Do you think this is something that can be forgiven? Can you forgive me if I sleep with another man? Oh, then, shall I show you me having sex with another man in front of you?¡¯


    ¡®No, you can¡¯t! Wife¡­ My wife¡­¡¯


    ¡®You mean you can and I can¡¯t? What a shameless and dirty human being you are.¡¯


    ¡®Wife, I was wrong, please. Please forgive me only this once. It¡¯s because I was sick, because it hurts so much. You know. I only have you, Wife. You¡¯re everything to me. So please¡­¡¯


    ¡®I never meant to marry someone like you.¡¯


    ¡®¡­What?¡¯


    ¡®Why would I have in the first place¡­? How do you repay the favor after losing your parents? As expected, you don¡¯t know grace. I don¡¯t even want to look at you. If you don¡¯t go, I will.¡¯


    ¡®W-Wife¡­!¡¯


    So I left the bedroom and left after inflicting a lot of wounds on him through these words. This situation continued until that day. I somehow managed to get rid of all the affection he had with me, and Bleon cried and cried and asked for forgiveness as if he didn¡¯t like it.


    And finally, that day had come. After I had made all the preparations, Logan was with Bleon in the bedroom just in time for Philia and Bleon¡¯s relatives to arrive. Bleon got down on his knees and begged for forgiveness.


    ¡®Wife¡­ Please forgive me just once. I was out of my mind at the time. You didn¡¯t come, so I knew she would come soon if I was sick. So please forgive me. Wife¡­¡¯


    ¡®Then prove it.¡¯


    ¡®Yes?¡¯


    ¡®Can you do whatever I ask you to do?¡¯


    ¡®Yes, yes. I can do anything. Please let me do anything. I¡¯ll do it all!¡¯


    Bleon¡¯s eyes lit up like someone who had finally tasted hope at my words.


    ¡®Then come here first.¡¯


    I led him to bed. And I took off all his clothes so that he wasn¡¯t wearing a single thread left.


    ¡®Lie down.¡¯


    When I told him to lie down on the bed, Bleon seemed to look forward to what was to come, there was a momentary lust evident in his eyes. But contrary to his wishes, I started tying his limbs to the ends of the bed to stop him from moving.


    ¡®Wife¡­?¡¯


    Bleon called me in an anxious voice.


    ¡®Don¡¯t move. From now on you are my slave okay?¡¯


    ¡®¡­Yes. I know.¡¯


    Hearing the docile reply, I hurriedly tied him to the bed, but suddenly I saw between his thighs. Even in this situation, the penis stood erect no matter what kind of stimulation it felt.


    ¡®So it¡¯s standing now?¡¯


    ¡®Yes¡­ I¡¯m sorry¡­¡¯


    ¡®Hah, I¡¯m stunned. You¡¯re really lustful, aren¡¯t you?¡¯


    ¡®Because of you, Wife. Only for you¡ª¡¯


    ¡®Only for me? It stood up for that other woman.¡±


    ¡®That¡­¡¯


    Bleon said no more and bit his mouth shut.


    ¡®You made this stand up and put it inside another woman!¡¯


    I started rubbing Bleon¡¯s penis violently with one hand.


    ¡®Huk. Wife, nngh.¡¯


    Bleon groaned as if he was excited about my actions. I was counting the time as I continued to caress his genitals. And now it¡¯s time for people to come in a little bit. To create the most dramatic moment, I gradually elevate the emotions and situations to the extreme.


    ¡®You can¡¯t do it with me anymore now, right? You were with such a pretty girl, wouldn¡¯t it be better than doing it with someone ugly like me?¡¯


    ¡®No. No, Wife¡­! It¡¯s not like that¡ª¡¯


    It was then. The sound of several people going up the stairs was heard in a low voice. I hurriedly picked up the drug that was near the bed and sat down on top of Bleon.


    ¡®Eat this! You have to eat this, so open your mouth.¡¯


    Then I poured a large amount of the drug into Bleon¡¯s mouth. I could see Bleon groaning and struggling, but I didn¡¯t care and kept pouring it out of his mouth on purpose, seemingly putting it in his mouth without a care. It was my wish that Bleon would hardly take any drugs. And just when I heard the door open, I immediately began to strangle Bleon.


    ¡®Die. Die! Did you think I would forgive you?¡¯


    ¡®Wi, cough, Wife, please forgive me, huuk.¡¯


    ¡®Die. Someone like you must die!¡¯


    ¡®What, what are you doing now!¡¯


    A middle-aged man¡¯s voice was heard from behind. After I realized that the man was Bleon¡¯s distant relative, I pressed Bleon on the neck.


    ¡®Get that woman out of here!¡¯


    At the man¡¯s command, the knights approached me and quickly dragged me down from the top of Bleon.


    ¡®Let me go! Let go!¡¯


    I acted more and more. I continued acting to make me look like a crazy person in their eyes and a vicious wife.


    ¡®Let me go! Who do you all think you are? Who in the world are you to come here like that!¡¯


    ¡®Throw her out.¡¯


    ¡®Yes.¡¯


    ¡®Aaaccckk! Let go!¡¯


    The relative in the corner ordered me to be expelled without a blink of an eye. As they dragged me out, I exchanged glances with Logan and nodded my head slightly to signify that it was good work.


    The disposition against me proceeded quickly. I was demoted from noble to commoner, divorced, and expelled from the Duke¡¯s household, backed by my doctor¡¯s statement who said that he watched me abusing Bleon since childhood. Now I had nowhere to go. From the beginning, my family couldn¡¯t be my shelter, so that wasn¡¯t my place to go back to. So instead, I started living alone in a secluded house in the mountains, out of sight, and the dream moved there again in an instant.


    ¡®Haa, ugh¡­¡¯


    The pain continued as if my heart was being squeezed tightly. Now it really felt like it was time to die. I was thinking that I should just die sooner rather than get sick like this, when I heard someone knock on the door from outside.


    ¡®Madam. It¡¯s me.¡¯


    It was a familiar voice. But I couldn¡¯t open the door at all because of the severe pain. So, I was rolling around on the floor, but when I didn¡¯t come out, the owner of the voice opened the door and came in.


    ¡®Madam¡­!¡¯


    It was Logan. Logan grabbed me who was in cold sweat and grabbed my chest and quickly approached. Then he gave me support and sat me on the sofa. After a while, the pain subsided and I took a deep breath.


    ¡®Haa, thank you¡­¡¯


    ¡®Are you alright?¡¯


    ¡®Yes. I¡¯m fine.¡¯


    He continued to take care of me so I could live here. He was also keeping an eye on my heart problems and was regularly visiting this place to give me food.

 Chapter 59

    Chapter 59


    ¡®Logan, how long can I live?¡¯


    ¡®Madam¡­¡¯


    ¡®I feel like my heart is barely beating now. It was hard to even take one step at a time.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m sorry. Madam¡­¡¯


    ¡®Haa, Bleon¡­ How about Bleon? How is he?¡¯


    ¡®¡­The Duke is doing well. Philia is taking good care of the Duke¡­¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯m glad. I¡¯m so glad.¡¯


    I thought it was really a relief. But even though I thought it was a relief, my heart pounded quickly as I thought of him who was smiling happily, forgetting things like me in his head.


    ¡®Ah, the pain is coming again. You can just go. I need to sleep.¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll guide you to your bed.¡¯


    ¡®Thank you. Next ti¡­ No. Head back safely.¡¯


    For some reason, I felt like today would be the last time I was going to see Logan. So I tried to tell him not to come, but it seemed like I was saying something unnecessary, so I closed my mouth. I leaned on Logan and barely walked to the bed.


    I lay down and fell into a deep sleep. The dream shifted again. No¡ªI remembered. I recall now. These weren¡¯t mere dreams. They were memories that were slumbering within my subconscious.


    I woke up to the sound of someone knocking on the door. That should be Logan. I got up from the bed and took one heavy step at a time, forcing my droopy body to stand up as if it was being pulled from below.


    ¡®Logan, today is¡ª¡¯


    And when I opened the door, it was Bleon, not Logan, who was standing in front of me.


    ¡®Bleon?¡¯


    I called him, but he didn¡¯t answer. He was just staring at me with a murderous expression that seemed to want to kill someone.


    ¡®¡­So you were here.¡¯


    ¡®What are you doing here?¡¯


    He was looking at me with such a bloody, cold, cruel expression. But nevertheless, seeing him before I died made me feel better.


    Even so, I spoke bluntly to him, with a mask of displeasure and callousness, never showing my true feelings.


    ¡®I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything more left to be said between us.¡¯


    ¡®I still have something to say.¡¯


    With that said, Bleon grabbed my wrist and dragged me into the house. Then he looked around, headed to the bed, laid me down on it, and climbed onto me. I looked up at him with very startled eyes that my back got buried on the bed. I had never seen him act so violently.


    ¡®W-What are you doing¡ª mmph!¡¯


    As I spoke, my lips were devoured by him. He began to suck my lips and tongue impatiently like a hungry beast. Unknowingly, I fell into the kiss with him after a long time, and then I came to my senses for a moment. And when I bit his tongue hard, the taste of blood came and Bleon pulled back slightly.


    ¡®Ugh.¡¯


    ¡®Dirty.??????


    I didn¡¯t miss the time and spit at him as if something really dirty had touched me.


    ¡®Why are you coming here with that disgustingly dirty body? I said I have no hobbies of playing with things that other people touch.¡¯


    ¡®¡­Why are you doing this only to me?¡¯


    ¡®What?¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ve seen it all¡­ The doctor came out of here.¡¯


    As he said that, his eyes fluttered as if he had been severely wounded.


    ¡®Wife¡ªMy wife, and someone else, haa¡­¡¯


    ¡®I am no longer your wife. Not family or anything. So what does it matter to you what I do?¡¯


    It was clear that Bleon was mistaken, but I had no intention of fixing it. It wasn¡¯t bad to think I was seeing another man. Looking at his behavior now, I felt that it was a good opportunity to completely remove him from me, even though he still seems to have regrets.


    ¡®¡­It matters. It does matter.¡¯


    ¡®It doesn¡¯t matter¡ª Mmmph.¡¯


    But without even giving me a chance to speak, Bleon began to devour my lips once more. I shook my head haphazardly to get away from him, however, Bleon grabbed my chin with one hand, and with the other placed both my hands above my head to hold me immobile.


    Then, he brought his face closer to meet my eyes. I was dazed for a moment. Bleon¡¯s eyes were strange. It seemed like something was missing somewhere.


    ¡®Wife¡­ I don¡¯t want to hurt you¡­¡¯


    He kissed me all over my face.


    ¡®Let go! Don¡¯t do this. We¡¯re done!¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s not over. Not yet.¡¯


    ¡®Are you going to get revenge on me now? Are you here to take revenge on me for making you like that?¡¯


    ¡®No¡­¡¯


    ¡®Then, are you here to kill me? Yes, kill me. It¡¯d be better if you kill me!¡¯


    ¡®Don¡¯t say that¡­ Please, how can I¡­¡¯


    ¡®Then let me go! Let me go! Haaa, urk.¡¯


    I suddenly stopped breathing. It was the beginning of pain. But I couldn¡¯t tell him that I was sick here. I struggled more on purpose, breathing heavily as if I was out of breath because of the movement.


    ¡®Wife, stay still.¡¯


    ¡®Huuk, huuk, please, please, stop. I am nothing to you. Huk, you¡¯re nothing to me now. We shouldn¡¯t have met. Nngh, so please.¡¯


    ¡®¡­We shouldn¡¯t have met? Do you really mean that?¡¯


    ¡®I do. Go back. I don¡¯t want to see you anymore. Please¡ª just disappear from my life.¡¯


    Thankfully, the pain quickly subsided and my breathing went back to normal again. He didn¡¯t seem to notice, perhaps because the gasps had been overshadowed by my struggles.


    ¡®¡­There¡¯s nothing I can do. Don¡¯t blame me. Because this is what you brought up¡­¡¯


    Then, all of a sudden, Bleon untied the dress laces that were tied around my waist, tied my wrists with it and hung them on the bed. Then he began to pull something out of his arms, a bottle all too familiar.


    ¡®What, what are you doing now? Release me!¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll drink this first, so don¡¯t worry.¡¯


    Bleon picked up the bottle and he continued to swallow the pills. And as the bottles were emptied one by one, his face began to heat up more and more. After taking a few bottles, with his pupils dilated, Bleon poured the last bottle into my mouth and kissed me right away.


    ¡®No! I don¡¯t want it. I won¡¯t drink it, mmmph!¡¯


    A strange taste entered my mouth along with Bleon¡¯s tongue. I didn¡¯t want to swallow it, but as he kept pushing the pills into my mouth, I ended up swallowing the medicine down my throat.


    ¡®Ha¡­ wife.¡¯


    After confirming that I had swallowed the pills, Bleon took his mouth off and between my legs were ticklish as if the medicine started to take effect.


    ¡®Ah, ngh¡­ I don¡¯t want¡­¡¯


    ¡®You know what, Wife¡­? When we first did it, you used to take the medicine that you had. Haa, I was so happy back then. Wife, you¡­ Ha, because you wanted me¡­¡¯


    ¡®No, I don¡¯t want you¡­¡¯


    ¡®Lies.¡¯


    Suddenly, Bleon¡¯s hand went inside my dress and gently pushed my undergarments aside, rubbing my most delicate flesh.


    ¡®You were so wet like this¡­¡¯


    ¡®Mmph, this is because, nnngh, of the drugs.¡¯


    ¡®It¡¯s okay. It doesn¡¯t matter¡­¡¯


    The dress, the clothes inside, and the underwear were torn in an instant, revealing my breasts.


    ¡®What are you doing, huuhk, what are you doing¡­!¡¯


    Instead of answering my words, he buried his face in my chest and took a deep breath and exhaled repeatedly.


    ¡®Haa, so good¡­¡¯


    ¡®Go away, please, nngh, d-don¡¯t, hhngh¡­!¡¯


    When Bleon sucked on the nipples that were already hardened by the medicine, a moan burst out. From that point on, he began to covet me. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because I was drunk or because I have been in contact with him after a long time, but whenever his lips passed by, goosebumps rose all over my body, and at the same time, fluids gushed out from my secret place and soaked my thighs.


    ¡®You are mine. I can¡¯t give you to anyone else, haa, Wife¡­¡¯


    ¡®N-No¡ª hnnngh! I¡¯m not your wife¡ª aahng¡­¡¯


    ¡®I¡¯ll make you feel better than that bastard¡­. Because I know where you feel it the best¡­¡¯


    ¡®Do, don¡¯t, aaahh! Aaahk, hu-aang!¡¯


    ¡®Ugh.¡¯


    A large pillar came into the hole that had become so very soaked from only his caresses, and he filled the entire inner walls with a single stroke. When the tip of his genitals reached the deepest point, my toes curled up with just that, and my insides quivered as I felt a distant climax. And Bleon kept muttering the same words, pounding even deeper inside where there was no more room to go in.


    This house, which was so quiet when I was all alone, was filled with aroused groans from our pleasure for days on end.

 Chapter 60

    Chapter 60


    * * *


    ¡®Huuhk, gasp, st, stop, ahhk!¡¯


    I didn¡¯t even know how much time had passed. I could only tell that days had passed through the light and darkness intersecting through the window. I took the drug only the first time and didn¡¯t take it after that, so the medicinal effect disappeared immediately, but he held me and hugged me constantly without tire.


    And now, I was lying on my stomach like a dog, burying my face in the bed, receiving him from behind. But now it was the limit. I had a gut feeling that my heart was racing to the end. Bleon still didn¡¯t seem to notice the change in me, as it was just for pleasure that I was breathing heavily. But now, the gasps leaked out of my mouth more often than the thick moans.


    ¡®Huhk, Are you having a hard time, Wife?¡¯


    ¡®Ah, huk, huuk, aahh.¡¯


    Bleon¡¯s manhood escaped from the inside as I breathed heavily, unable to speak properly. I didn¡¯t even think about the end. His pillar, which had been pounding inside me before he took it out, was still filling my insides tight. And my prediction was right. He lifted me up and, had me face him, thrust the genitals down into my opening.


    ¡®Haahng! Hu-ohk, huuk, nngh.¡¯


    ¡®Wife¡­¡¯


    It was then. Bleon, who was moving my waist violently, was about to kiss my lips.


    ¡®Haack, no, no! Huuhk, air, air¡­¡¯


    Even now, I¡¯m panting like this, but if I kissed him, I knew I¡¯d die like this. I shook my head to and fro, desperately trying to avoid his lips. But as he thought it was a rejection for him, Bleon¡¯s eyes sank low for an instant, then grabbed my chin and poured kisses on me.


    ¡®Mmph.¡¯


    I was out of breath. I slapped him in the chest telling him to stop. But this time, he held my hands tightly and wouldn¡¯t let go.


    Ahh, I didn¡¯t want this. I didn¡¯t want this kind of death¡­ I just wanted to die quietly and secretly, but I didn¡¯t want to die right in front of him. No. If I die like this, he might forget me sooner. He might forget about a woman like this right away and be able to live his life properly this time around.


    Maybe this was my last chance to leave his mind completely. With this thought, I had to do something. So, after I cleared my head and made up my mind, I started to move my body, which had been passive the whole time.


    As he scratched the roof of my mouth with his tongue, which had been busy running away, I felt a slight loss of strength in Bleon¡¯s grip. I opened my eyes and pulled out my hands and pushed his chest back. I guess he understood what I was doing, Bleon¡¯s body was pushed easily and he laid his back on the bed.


    ¡®Fine. Huuk, let¡¯s do this until the end. It ends when someone dies right? Huuhk.¡¯


    ¡®Huhtt, Wife¡­ Right. We will die together.¡¯


    ¡®No. Haa, only you will die.¡¯


    I slowly climbed up, stroking his body from the side. I placed a hand on his left chest and felt his heart beating rapidly. I put my other hand on my heart. It was running so slowly and so weakly that I could barely feel any movement now. I became more certain of what to do with his heartbeat, which was quite different from mine.


    Yes. He has to live. His heart is beating so fast, he can¡¯t die. It¡¯s me who would die. I¡¯m the only one who needs to die


    It was then. I finally gathered all my strength, and the hand that had been resting on his chest moved upward again, and I strangled him like the last time. And, without taking a breath, I lashed out at him.


    ¡®Die. I couldn¡¯t kill you that day, so I ended up here. So die! Only when you die can I be free. I want to get away from you. So it¡¯s you, not me, who should die! It¡¯s you!¡¯


    ¡®Huff, W-Wife, uuhk.¡¯


    Please let me be forgotten in your memory. May I disappear without a trace. By any chance, if you still think of me, I hope it¡¯s just terrible memories. Please. Please.


    My heart was beating slowly. My body was exhausted and I couldn¡¯t breathe anymore. It¡¯s over. This is how my life ends.


    At this moment, selfishly, I was happy to see him as I died.


    ¡®¡­Wife¡­? Astell¡­?¡¯


    Even in the moment of fainting, I could hear Bleon calling me. It was so good that he called me wife. Those words that only he could call were so sweet and warm.


    ¡®Astell¡­? Astell¡­!¡¯


    Feeling something strange, Bleon hugged me and cried. I wanted to say something to him, but I couldn¡¯t do anything more.


    This is what it feels like to die. It¡¯s not so bad.


    I love you. You were the only light in my tragic and miserable life. So now you too, seek your light. Goodbye. Goodbye Bleon.


    My eyes closed And with that memory, the world finally ended, and I woke up from a long, long dream.


    * * *


    As soon as I opened my eyes, even in my dazed mind, I instinctively placed my hand on my stomach. The belly, which had been swollen all the time, was deflated.


    ¡°Duchess?¡±


    It was McCain¡¯s voice. I turned to hear his voice. He looked at me with a pale face.


    ¡°My stomach¡­ My stomach is weird.¡±


    ¡°Madam¡­¡±


    ¡°My stomach is not like this, I don¡¯t think there is anything.¡±


    ¡°Calm down for now. I will call the doctor.¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this¡­ This is too much.¡±


    In this way, my life was completely different from my previous life. No. It was worse. In the worst world, I found my memory and lost it all.


    ¡°I can¡¯t do this. Why is my life always like this? Aaaaaaahhhh!¡±


    Feeling the deep despair, the extreme frustration, the insane helplessness, and the wretchedness that my sane mind couldn¡¯t handle, I howled.


    ¡°Madam, calm down. Madam!¡±


    ¡°Uuhkk, no. I can¡¯t do this! Aackk! No! I hate it all! Aaaaccckk!¡±


    ¡°Madam! Madam!¡±


    When McCain and the butler caught me struggling, the doctor fed me something. Then, as the medicinal effect began to work, my body became drowsy and my mind became clouded.


    ¡°¡­Bleon.¡±


    I miss you so much I can¡¯t see you anymore. I will see you in my dreams.


    * * *


    But contrary to my wishes, I haven¡¯t been able to see him even in my dreams since then. So I lived without dying for about two months. Maybe my death date was set at that time, this useless body was more persistent than I thought. McCain stayed by my side and looked after me for two months.


    Even when I didn¡¯t want to eat, he forcibly put something in my mouth, and he constantly talked to me as I was trying to sleep, but I was bothered by everything. I wanted to die even one more day sooner.


    But even so, I was holding on to this tough life because of a hope, just in case. Bleon and Philia¡¯s bodies have not been found anywhere. Philia was a doctor. She was not just a healer, but a healer who used magic. If their bodies had not been found, the possibility that the two were still alive could not be ruled out. So, I was living every day without giving up on my expectations.


    * * *


    Over the past two months, the Empire has cleared the ruins of a long war and has encouraged and rewarded its people who have lost their families. Bertan, who gathered small neighboring countries to preemptively attack Cavilos, disappeared from the map as a result of losing the war. Now that there was no country that could stand against the Empire, the heyday of Cavilos, a truly thousand-year empire, was about to begin again. I didn¡¯t care at all what was going on outside the mansion. I just had to live with it day by day.


    ¡°Astell.¡±


    After waking up, I somehow had the motivation to move my body, so I sat on the sofa and stared out the window incessantly. McCain came over to me with breakfast. He was now calling me by my name, neither Duchess nor Madam, when we were alone. I was too lifeless to point out that it was wrong for him to call me by my name, so I left it as it was. I¡¯m going to die soon anyway. It didn¡¯t matter what he called me.


    ¡°Please eat. Today¡¯s breakfast is soup made with mushrooms, which you especially like, Astell.¡±


    ¡°¡­I have no appetite.¡±


    I always had no appetite, so just because it was a day like today didn¡¯t make me feel like I got my appetite back.


    ¡°Eat a little, still.¡±


    He put the bowl on the table. A strong mushroom scent wafted through my nostrils.


    ¡°Sir, what month and what day is today?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s June 15th.¡±


    ¡°June¡­¡±


    It¡¯s been 3 years since I came here. I had no idea how I, who was originally Astell, came to see a novel in the world I used to live before and how I came back to this place. It must be some crazy god¡¯s prank.


    Finding the memory did nothing for me. It was only now that I realized why Astell¡¯s habit was the same as mine, and why I kept dreaming of the future. It was as if my memories of living as Astell were buried in my subconscious and manifested as a dream piece by piece.


    What¡¯s the point of getting my memories back? Bleon wasn¡¯t here and I was going to die soon.


    ¡°Astell. Eat quickly.¡±


    I lifted the spoon without strength and scooped out the soup. If I didn¡¯t eat, I would have to pretend to eat while constantly being watched and nagged.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take care of myself, so go and work.¡±


    ¡°I will stay here until you are finished.¡±


    ¡°Sir¡­¡±


    I sighed without hiding my discomfort.


    ¡°No. Today, I¡¯ll stay with you until you¡¯re done.¡±

 Chapter 61

    Chapter 61


    As usual, he was stubborn. He must have noticed that I was throwing away food without eating it. I ate a little soup to avoid further arguing with him. As I was eating little by little, McCain was staring intently at me.


    ¡°Is there something on my face¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­Nothing.¡±


    I turned my head again and tried to eat the soup, but then I put the spoon on the table.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to eat anymore.¡±


    ¡°Have some more.¡±


    ¡°No. I think I will get some indigestion if I eat more.¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­ Alright then.¡±


    Maybe he couldn¡¯t force a person to get indigestion, so McCain sighed and cleaned out the soup and spoon I was eating.


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to do this. The employees can do this.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s what I would like to do.¡±


    ¡°So¡­ Why¡­¡±


    He had been waiting by my side for two full months. It was a waste of manpower for a Marquis¡¯ son and a knight, who was called the savior of the Empire, like him to only be nursing a sick person back to health.


    ¡°I¡¯m doing all I have to do, so don¡¯t tell me not to.¡±


    Again, I had nothing to say. I kept my mouth shut and spoke to him clearly.


    ¡°I believe the Duke will come back alive. I believe so.¡±


    ¡°Me too¡­ I hope so.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know why you are so nice to me, but you know I can¡¯t return the favor.¡±


    ¡°¡­I know. Just don¡¯t tell me not to do it¡ªI¡¯m doing it because I want to. And I have already received that favor you speak of.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    As I looked at him with a puzzled expression, not knowing what he meant to say that he received something back, a conversation I had with Layla flashed through my mind.


    ¡°Have we met before in the Holster Marquisate¡¯s Garden?¡±


    It was such an old memory that his face was so fuzzy that I didn¡¯t even think it was McCain, but now I am convinced it was the boy at the time.


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    It was right.


    ¡°The words you told me back then, Astell, made me who I am today. So I have nothing more to ask of you. I just want to protect you by your side as always.¡±


    At the time, I was estranged from my family and only said a few words as I identified with him. But I didn¡¯t know it would mean so much to him.


    ¡®No.¡¯


    I already knew that what someone said just passing by could be something powerful for someone to completely change their life.


    ¡°You are foolish.¡±


    I am foolish, he is foolish. We all are. We could just let it go, thinking that it was nothing, but we couldn¡¯t do it. So I couldn¡¯t say anything more to him.


    ¡°Please rest. I will be back later this afternoon.¡±


    As I stared at him with a sad expression, McCain told me to rest and hurriedly left the room. I watched him go out, and I went to a table near the window and sat down to digest. And I looked out the window for a moment.


    There¡¯s only one year left. Can you come back? Can I die looking at you?


    ¡°Bleon¡­¡±


    Come back if you are alive. Hurry.


    * * *


    And another few days passed. Today was an exceptionally dazzling, sunny day. A pretty bird I had never seen before went to the window, and it was a day as if a welcomed visitor would come, so I felt pretty good from the morning. I didn¡¯t expect anything though. If you have high expectations, you will only be disappointed. It was late afternoon and nothing happened until the sun went down.


    It was around the time when I thought that this day was just like any other normal day. But then suddenly, it was very noisy outside. Some seemed to be crying out and others seemed to be talking out loud. I paid close attention to what was going on, then closed my eyes again. Even though I said I wasn¡¯t expecting anything, I was very tired today because I put all my energy, wondering if I had something to do with it. So it was when I was just about to fall asleep in bed to go to bed early. The sound of someone opening the door was heard.


    ¡°Who¡ª!¡±


    The moment I slowly raised my upper body and looked at the door to see who opened the door without the owner¡¯s permission, I was convinced that I was already asleep and dreaming.


    ¡°Long time no see. You didn¡¯t come out¡­¡±


    It¡¯s been a long time since I¡¯ve had tears in my eyes. I even opened my eyes wide, fearing that they would disappear if I closed them. However, the face of the man in front of me was greatly distorted. It looked like the tears I had been holding back were about to burst.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry. I hate seeing you cry. Just smile.¡±


    ¡°¡­Can I smile like this?¡±


    The man pushed up the corners of my mouth and guided them into a smile.


    ¡°Yes. Smile like that.¡±


    Even the sight of him was dazzling. And in the end, tears flowed nonstop from my eyes. I reached out to him. I beckoned him to come here, to hold him even if this was a dream. Then the man ran to me at once. And without even having time to look at him properly, he devoured my lips haphazardly.


    Our union in the dream was very rough because it had been a long time. It was natural because we couldn¡¯t afford to break free of each other. I tried to embrace him even deeper, and even though he couldn¡¯t get in any more, he pushed himself all the way down to the root and mercilessly thrusted me inside. I didn¡¯t want the dream to end while he was coveting my body like this. But we¡¯ve missed each other too long for that.


    And with the crazy excitement and unbearable climax because of the man who pushed me to the brink, I finally lost consciousness.


    * * *


    ¡®I guess it¡¯s still a dream.¡¯


    A large, warm hand that I had once felt was gently stroking my hair. The body scent I was used to was also very familiar. He was still by my side, so I thought I was still dreaming.


    Then I will never open my eyes. If I don¡¯t open my eyes, I won¡¯t even wake up from my dreams. Never, never open my eyes.


    ¡°Wife¡­¡±


    I met a low but friendly voice calling me. I closed my eyes tightly, knowing that I might open my eyes without realizing it. To never wake up, hoping that this dream will never end.


    ¡°Wife, are you going to sleep some more¡­¡­?¡±


    Even at his question, I kept my mouth shut. Instead, I answered inside. Of course I should sleep. I think I¡¯m dreaming. I was holding on to the blanket with both hands and trying not to wake up from my dream in any way, but suddenly he grabbed one of my hands and dragged it up and kissed the palm of my hand.


    ¡°Nngh.¡±


    A groan came out a little as I felt a strange feeling at the lick on my palm. But it was too real to be a dream. I was bewildered because I couldn¡¯t figure out what it was, but this time, he started licking my earlobe and the inside of my ear with his tongue.


    ¡°Mmnh!¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to wake up with this¡­?¡±


    What? What is happening to me now? I had to open my eyes to know that, but I was so afraid. I was afraid that this brief happiness would be blown away in an instant¡ªI was afraid that he would never come back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this¡­¡±


    Without realizing it, I think I touched my lips with an anxious heart. With my eyes closed, I was pulling my lips with my hand, and a large hand grabbed my hand. And he put my hand on the soft flesh that felt similar to the place I had just touched.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to hurt you, my wife, so if you want to touch it, touch mine¡­¡±


    I swept it carefully. It was dry and rough, unlike in the past when it was moist and soft, which had coveted every nook and cranny of my body in my dream.


    ¡°I¡¯m¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t know where such a bizarre idea came from. I opened my mouth with my eyes closed, thinking that it would be okay if I just didn¡¯t open my eyes.


    ¡°¡­Tell me, Wife.¡±


    ¡°I¡­ When I open my eyes, I think you¡¯ll disappear¡­ When I open my eyes, I¡¯ll wake up from this dream.¡±


    ¡°Dream¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes. This is a dream. It can¡¯t not be a dream.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­ Did you think it was a dream that I bit and suckled my wife all night?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­ It¡¯s a dream¡­¡±

 Chapter 62

    Chapter 62


    I heard the rumbling of his laughter.


    ¡°So, what is this?¡±


    Suddenly he tapped the nape of my neck with his tongue.


    ¡°Heuht, it¡¯s, it¡¯s a dream.¡±


    ¡°Then, what about this?¡±


    This time, he took the blanket that was covering me and grabbed my chest, turning my nipples back and forth in his mouth.


    ¡°Hnng, it¡¯s a dream¡­¡±


    ¡°So, is this also a dream?¡±


    I felt his lips move from my chest, past my navel, and further down. And my thighs were spread wide by his two hands, and I felt a hot breath at the apex between.


    ¡°Mmngh, ah, nnngh.¡±


    When the soft flesh of his tongue left traces while licking from the cl*toris and to the gap, I couldn¡¯t answer and only moans spilled through my lips.


    ¡°Do you think this is a dream too?¡±


    ¡°Hnn, huk, haah¡­¡±


    In fact, I may have realized it before this. That all of this was not a dream.


    But I¡¯d become a huge coward after going through so many things. I didn¡¯t have the courage to face reality, whether it was good or bad. So, even though he really was here, I kept ignoring it until the end, insisting that it was a dream. His tender touch, his carefully soothing voice finally woke me up from my dream, and tears flowed as soon as I realized it.


    ¡°Wife¡­ Don¡¯t cry.¡±


    I finally opened my eyes and faced the man in front of me. Tears covered my eyes, so I couldn¡¯t see well, but the person I longed for and wanted to see so badly was right here. I immediately reached up and caressed his face.


    ¡°Hiic¡­ Bleon¡­ It¡¯s you, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ It¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really you, Bleon¡­? Hic, hiic.¡±


    ¡°Yes. My wife¡¯s only husband.¡±


    ¡°Bleon¡­!¡±


    I hugged him tightly and rushed into his arms. The tears didn¡¯t stop. Even though I prayed and prayed that he would come back and that he would be alive, I was so engrossed in despair that I could never imagine that I would ever see him like this again.


    ¡°Why are you here just now¡­ How long do you think I¡¯ve waited¡­ How much do you think I¡¯ve missed you¡­¡±


    ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m sorry. I am so sorry that I¡¯m late¡­¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s sorry¡­ Thank you for coming back, but I¡¯m sorry¡­¡±


    The tears that flowed like a waterfall slowly stopped, and now his face came into my eyes clearly. It¡¯s been about 8 months, but he was very emaciated because he had suffered a lot.


    ¡°Was it very difficult¡­?¡±


    I gently stroked his face and looked at him sadly.


    ¡°No. It wasn¡¯t hard at all to think of coming back to you, my wife.¡±


    Saying so, he smiled as if to not make me worry.


    ¡°I thought you¡­ I thought you were dead¡­Hiic, so¡­¡±


    When I recalled the past, I felt the tears coming out again. Then Bleon gently stroked my back and comforted me.


    ¡°I thought I was going to die too. I got hurt a lot during the confrontation with the enemies in the Hereta plateau. So I was pushed by the enemy and ran to the mountain, and eventually fell off the cliff, and Philia¡ª¡±


    Suddenly he stopped talking. When I looked at him curiously, Bleon hurriedly made an excuse.


    ¡°I mean the doctor¡¯s disciple¡ª¡±


    ¡°I know. Philia¡­ Philia saved you.¡±


    I thought so too. She thought Philia had saved Bleon. From the moment I heard the news of the two missing, she was the source of my glimmer of hope that Bleon would return. I smiled broadly with a very happy face.


    ¡°Philia is great.¡±


    As I praised her, Bleon¡¯s expression looked better. Then he stared at my face closely.


    ¡°¡­Why?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ no¡­¡±


    ¡°But did you fall off the cliff with Philia too?¡±


    ¡°No. Philia¡­ She found me. And I was unconscious for over a month¡­¡±


    Oh, I see. Bleon was considering my feelings. It was clear that he was doing this because he was afraid that mentioning another woman¡¯s name would offend me.


    ¡°I have to thank Philia. If it wasn¡¯t for Philia¡­ If you had been with her for two months, you would have gotten to know Philia a lot.¡±


    ¡°¡­She only helped.¡±


    However, as Bleon hardened his expression, he seemed to deny he had become close with Philia.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go to Philia together soon. I¡¯ll have to see if Philia gets back safely.¡±


    ¡°¡­Yes.¡±


    I didn¡¯t want to see Bleon fidgeting and constantly reading me. So I decided to go see her tomorrow and show her that I¡¯m okay with Philia as well. Bleon¡¯s answer was still shaky.


    ¡°Actually, I have something to say¡­¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡±


    While talking to him, I kept thinking about it. As to whether or not I should tell Bleon that I had been pregnant. Perhaps, if I let it go without saying a word to him while properly closing the mouths of the mansion¡¯s employees, we might have been able to move on from this without him knowing. I never went out after I got pregnant, and no one but the people of the duchy knew that I was pregnant.


    Above all, Bleon saw and touched my body yesterday, but didn¡¯t say anything. Perhaps during pregnancy, I hardly gained any weight, so my stomach didn¡¯t bulge out much, and even after the miscarriage, I hardly ate, so the fact that I was having a child didn¡¯t seem to show much by looking at my naked body.


    But nevertheless, I decided to tell him. He had a right to know because he was the father of a child that no longer exists.


    ¡°I had a child¡­ I couldn¡¯t keep it¡­ H-Hiic.¡±


    ¡°A child¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Hiic. When I heard the news that you were missing, I was not feeling well, so I¡­¡±


    Tears flowed down again as I thought of our dead baby.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry. I¡¯m so sorry I couldn¡¯t protect our child¡­ hicc.¡±


    Tears were pouring out of my sorry heart, but for a moment, it felt like I was being choked from all the guilt of not protecting our child properly as a mother, and I couldn¡¯t breathe.


    ¡°Gasp, hiic, I¡¯m s-sorry, huk!¡±


    ¡°Wife! Breathe! Wife¡­!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m, I¡¯m f-fine, huk, huuk.¡±


    ¡°Call the doctor! Hurry! Wife, it¡¯s okay. It¡¯s okay, so take a deep breath¡­!¡±


    I continued to catch my breath, and Bleon was yelling at the employees outside. And finally, Logan, who was waiting downstairs, entered the room.


    ¡°Madam¡­! Take a deep breath¡ª In and out now.¡±


    Logan approached me while I was panting in Bleon¡¯s arms. But in the meantime, Bleon¡¯s hand, which was holding my body, was tense to the extent that I could feel the strength of his grip getting stronger.


    ¡°Huuk, haa¡­¡±


    After taking a deep breath following Logan¡¯s instructions, I returned to my normal breathing.


    ¡°Fortunately, it¡¯s not yet¡ª¡±


    When the doctor tried to open his mouth, I desperately gave him a furtive glance, telling him not to say anything to Bleon.


    ¡°She caught a cold a while ago, but it seems she hasn¡¯t gotten better yet. I will make medicine for her, so please eat it.¡±


    And he spoke tactfully, as he had read my eyes properly.


    ¡°Yes. So, you can go.¡±


    ¡°Yes. All right. Then, please rest.¡±


    I looked at Bleon as Logan left the room. He was still giving strength to the hand that was holding me. Bleon was staring intently in the direction Logan had left.


    ¡°Bleon¡­?¡±


    When I called, his gaze turned to me again.


    ¡°Were you surprised¡­? It¡¯s because I caught a bad cold.¡±


    ¡°Haa, please don¡¯t get sick¡­ Wife.¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    When he told a sick person not to get sick, I just gave a short answer.


    ¡°And losing our child is all my fault. So don¡¯t blame yourself. If I hadn¡¯t been hurt¡­¡±


    ¡°No. Why is it your fault? It¡¯s all my fault¡­!¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s my fault. How hard it must have been for you without me, my wife. I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    On the contrary, Bleon apologized to me and kissed me on the forehead.


    ¡°I still need you. So don¡¯t be too sad and don¡¯t feel sorry for me¡­¡±


    ¡°Bleon¡­ Thank you. And I¡¯m sorry¡­ Sniff.¡±


    On the contrary, as Bleon continued to comfort me, I was deeply moved and hugged him comfortably. Now in Bleon¡¯s arms, I felt a great sense of stability. It felt like all the anxiety I ever had vanished. It seemed that anything could be overcome in his embrace. He was and still is my only light.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 63

    Chapter 63


    A few days later, we decided to go see Philia. She was supposed to go to Kren, but Philia was somehow there with the doctor, Logan.


    Bleon and I went to visit Philia right after breakfast. When I opened the door to the treatment room, Logan and Philia were there. However, Bleon suddenly gripped my hand tighter as he held it.


    ¡°Madam¡­!¡±


    As I was about to glance up at Bleon with a puzzled look, Philia called me with a welcome look.


    ¡°Philia!¡±


    I was so happy to see her and smiled broadly, then looked at her sadly.


    ¡°Your face looks very bad. I heard you had a very hard time¡­¡±


    Philia was in the warzone much longer than Bleon. Even so, her beauty still stood out.


    ¡°No, Madam. The duke had it harder than me.¡±


    Philia looked at Bleon who was next to me. But as Bleon looked into her eyes again, he responded very briefly to Philia¡¯s words.


    ¡°Not really.¡±


    ¡°Wow, the Duke is pretending not to have a hard time in front of his wife.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talk nonsense.¡±


    Bleon was openly scolding Philia who was very excited. I glanced at him slightly and gave him a look so he wouldn¡¯t do that.


    ¡°Why are you so mean? Philia is the Duke¡¯s lifesaver.¡±


    ¡°Wife, it¡¯s not that¡­!¡±


    ¡°Philia. Please understand that the Duke is a man who speaks harshly, but is not at heart.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Madam. I know.¡±


    Fortunately, Philia didn¡¯t look too upset.


    ¡°Madam, do you know? After being unconscious for over a month, the Duke woke up and looked for you first.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. And because he had to go back to Madam quickly, he tried to move when the fractured bones in one of his legs had still not settled back together, so it was a real struggle.¡±


    ¡°Stop it.¡±


    Bleon frowned as he told Philia to shut her mouth. But Philia didn¡¯t give in, and she continued her story.


    ¡°Do you know how much I clenched my teeth and said I¡¯ll tell Madam when I really came back?¡±


    ¡°You always talk too much.¡±


    I looked at the two in turn. Considering the two¡¯s first meeting, it was very strange that they are doing this now. Seeing them chatting like this, they seemed to be very close because they had been together for two months. Was this the power of the original story? Is the original story, which I could not afford to change, finally show its power?


    I was happy, whatever it was. I was grateful that he returned alive, but I didn¡¯t want anything more. And in the end, I will die and he will remain, so if he had Philia by his side, I could close my eyes more comfortably.


    ¡°Madam, Here is the medicine I was talking about yesterday.¡±


    I looked at the two of them and thought for a moment, then Logan came up to me and handed me the medicine. However, the strength of Bleon¡¯s grip got stronger again, and it even hurt a little.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to have a check-up before taking the medicine.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s enough. From today on, the Einer Duchy¡¯s family doctor is Philia. So Philia, you will take care of my wife.¡±


    At Bleon¡¯s bomb of a declaration, all three of us looked at Bleon with puzzled faces.


    ¡°Duke. What are you talking about all of a sudden? Logan¡¯s been working so hard to bring me back to health. Suddenly, why Philia?¡±


    I don¡¯t know why he¡¯s doing this, but I had to stop Philia from examining me. My illness was known only to my doctor, Logan, and nobody should ever know about it.


    ¡°Wife. Please¡­¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t do this recklessly. Logan, let¡¯s get started.¡±


    ¡°Wife¡­! Don¡¯t touch her.¡±


    As the doctor tried to touch me, Bleon blocked the way. His voice was hard to listen to. I don¡¯t know why Bleon was doing this, but the atmosphere he exuded also became unusual.


    ¡°Duke, let¡¯s go back now.¡±


    It felt like something was going to happen if I stayed like this. I hurriedly dragged him out of the treatment room. And immediately I took him back to the mansion, and as soon as I entered the bedroom I shouted at him almost immediately.


    ¡°What are you doing now?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Why are you doing that to Logan? Why are you changing doctors all of a sudden?¡±


    ¡°You know that his disciple, Philia, is a better doctor now.¡±


    ¡°Even so. Logan has been the Duchy¡¯s doctor for over a decade. You have to respect him.¡±


    I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s because he has become close friends with Philia and wants to take care of her, but I couldn¡¯t understand his reckless behavior in this way.


    ¡°I understand your desire to take care of Philia. I also want to reward her. I definitely think so. But this is not right.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not because of Philia¡­¡±


    ¡°If not because of Philia, then what? Bleon, it¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t hide it from me. You don¡¯t even need to consider me. If you like Philia, you can go ahead. I really don¡¯t mind¡ª¡±


    ¡°Are you serious¡­?¡±


    Suddenly my words were cut off, and Bleon¡¯s voice lowered even further.


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Are you really serious when you¡¯re saying that, Wife? Does that mean you don¡¯t mind if I give Philia my heart?¡±


    As he said that, he looked at me with a wounded look in his eyes.


    ¡°Haa, Bleon.¡±


    I wanted to be by his side a little longer, but it must have been my big greed. I wanted to be with him just a little bit longer, not right before I died, but this life seemed to be over soon.


    I made up my mind. Then, holding the dress tightly, I opened my mouth, deliberately hiding my emotions deeply.


    ¡°What do you think of Philia?¡±


    ¡°What do you mean¡­?¡±


    ¡°Unlike the first time, it seems that the two of you are very close now, do you have any feelings for her?¡±


    ¡°What are you saying now¡­!¡±


    His pupils trembled slightly with an exasperated voice. It seemed like I hit the nail on the head.


    ¡°Calm down. I¡¯m not trying to push you away. I¡¯m honestly so tired right now. So I¡¯m going on a trip.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t a lie. I was really exhausted physically and mentally from all that had happened to me, and it was right to go on a very long journey of no return.


    ¡°A¡­ trip?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I believe it will be quite long, so I would like to end my relationship with you.¡±


    To end the relationship meant to want a divorce. I was telling him that I wanted a second divorce. Although the first ended in failure, this time it had to succeed. I don¡¯t know how he feels now at my words, but he just stared at me. I continued to speak.


    ¡°And yesterday I haven¡¯t told you properly, they said I couldn¡¯t have any more children. Does it make sense to say that as the Duchess, I can¡¯t produce successors?¡±


    About a week after my miscarriage, the doctor told me this¡ªthat my womb has become barren. But it didn¡¯t really matter that much to me. It didn¡¯t matter if I became infertile and died in the end. But as someone in the position of the Duchess, this matter was too important.


    ¡°It does not matter.¡±


    ¡°It does matter, Bleon. You are the head of the Einer family. As the head of the family, you have a responsibility to pass on to the next generation. But you can¡¯t do that if you stay with me. So I¡¯m going to let you go. It is not a place that I can stay by my greed alone.¡±


    In order to convince Bleon, I talked lengthily about the responsibilities and duties of a nobleman.


    ¡°You said you loved me. You said you waited¡­! But are you giving up on me just for that reason?¡±


    His eyes, who had been silently listening to me, turned red in an instant, and he expressed his anger at me.


    ¡°It¡¯s not just that.¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s such a trivial reason to give as an excuse that my wife wants to leave me.¡±


    ¡°Bleon¡­¡±


    ¡°Really¡­ Is that all?¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Is that the only reason you want a divorce?¡±


    Bleon looked at me as if he knew something, and my eyes intertwined with him. I felt my heart pounding in an instant.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to throw me away again. Wife¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Before and now¡­ I¡¯m the only one who wants you¡­ And you¡¯re just going to leave my side without saying anything to me again.¡±


    What are you talking about? He was saying something to me, but I couldn¡¯t understand what he was saying.


    ¡°What are you talking about now?¡±


    ¡°How did I get back¡­ How did I bring you back¡­¡±


    His muttering could be heard clearly in my ear, but it was still something I couldn¡¯t understand.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 64

    Chapter 64


    ¡°Are you trying to send me to Philia again? And then you¡¯re going to hide where no one can find you? Do you think I can¡¯t find you?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°No. I will never let you go this time. I wasn¡¯t myself back then, but my mind is very clear right now. I will never let you go in this lifetime.¡±


    I couldn¡¯t say anything. The words he uttered were so great that I couldn¡¯t even bring myself to respond.


    ¡°So¡­ In this life, live by my side until the end. Don¡¯t leave me alone, don¡¯t go anywhere, don¡¯t act deliberately just to send me away, don¡¯t think of sending me to someone else for my sake. Let¡¯s live together as we are now, Wife. That¡¯s what I want, too¡­¡±


    ¡°You¡­ know¡­ everything¡­?¡±


    Now I¡¯m more shocked that he knew about all the things I¡¯d done for his sake in the past, rather than the fact that he also regained his memories like me.


    How did he know? Who¡­ Oh, Logan¡­ The only person who knew all I had done was Logan, the doctor. So that Bleon knew meant that Logan had told him.


    So, what did he mean by having brought me back? Did he die and summon my soul from another place? Was that really possible?


    ¡°My wife did so in my arms¡­ Ha, after you died¡­ I tried to die too. I tried to die over and over again.¡±


    ¡°Why¡­! Why did you¡­!¡±


    When I died, I knew that he was going to die right after me because I saw the original story. But the novel ended there, so I don¡¯t know what happened to him after that. But when I heard from his mouth that he was about to die after me again, my emotions intensified for a moment.


    ¡°You should have forgotten me and lived a good life. Why, why did you do that!¡±


    ¡°Because a life without you means nothing to me. After you died, my world stopped forever. But Philia kept me alive¡­ I asked her to let me die¡­ I didn¡¯t even get the death I wanted.¡±


    Ah¡­


    I don¡¯t know how it was this time, but according to the original story, Philia had feelings for Bleon. So she helped him, took care of him and healed him.


    ¡°Then¡­ you should have lived. How would I feel¡­ you¡­¡±


    ¡°One day, when I couldn¡¯t die, I received a letter.¡±


    ¡°A letter¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes. The sender was Logan, the doctor.¡±


    So that¡¯s how he found out. I said to Logan to keep the secret until the end¡­ That¡¯s how it happened in the end.


    ¡°I found out when I read the letter. It was then that I found out why you did it, why you had to do it, and it wasn¡¯t because you hated me, that you threw me away. Why didn¡¯t you tell me? If you got sick, you need treatment, so why did you leave me?¡±


    ¡°Because there is no cure!¡±


    When he asked me why I left him, I cried out in frustration.


    ¡°Because it is an incurable disease! Because I have no choice but to die! If you knew how I¡¯d feel, you should have lived a better life! Why did you do that! Why! Why! Hiic¡­¡±


    Hearing about how foolish he was made me sob and cry out. I was so angry and so upset that he ruined his life for not being able to forget a single person like me.


    ¡°Wife¡­¡±


    As Bleon reached out and hugged me, I slapped his hand.


    ¡°Don¡¯t come close. Don¡¯t touch me. No. Hiic.¡±


    ¡°Wife¡­ Haa, please¡­¡±


    I moved away from him and wiped away my tears. Because I had to ask the most important thing.


    ¡°But what do you mean you brought me here? So you¡¯re saying you¡¯re the reason I¡¯m here?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s right¡­¡±


    ¡°Ho, how¡­¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­ I¡¯ve been looking for it like a madman for a few years after that. I had to bring you back, so I could do anything if I could see you again. So I searched the continent and frantically searched for a way to do it. And in the end¡­ I found it.¡±


    ¡°What¡­ How?¡±


    ¡°They say that mages no longer exist in the continent, but that¡¯s a lie. After their genocide, the mages who barely survived hid out of sight. I found one of them who¡¯s said to be the strongest out of them. And I asked that mage to turn back time.¡±


    I heard it with my own ears, but it was something that had no sense of reality at all. In a way, it wasn¡¯t such an absurd story. Philia wielded healing magic, and the existence of magic proves that there were many more different types of magic in the past.


    ¡°He just, he just wouldn¡¯t have done it¡­! You must have paid a price.¡±


    ¡°Yes. But I¡¯ll never let you find out¡­¡±


    ¡°What¡­¡­ ! Tell me.¡±


    Bleon shook his head with a stiff face. It was evident that he would never say anything.


    ¡°Bleon¡­!¡±


    ¡°Regardless of what price I paid, we met again. That¡¯s the only thing that matters to me.¡±


    What? What did he give to the mage? There was nothing that came to my mind at all. I had to know what he had lost. So despite his stubborn attitude, I continued to push him.


    ¡°Please tell me¡­! Don¡¯t I have a right to know?¡±


    ¡°No¡­ Just don¡¯t ask me that.¡±


    ¡°No. If you don¡¯t tell me, I¡¯ll figure it out anyway. Even if I search the continent like you, I will find out.¡±


    ¡°Wife¡­!¡±


    I widened my eyes and looked at him strongly.


    ¡°If you don¡¯t tell me, I will leave right now.¡±


    When I said that, Bleon¡¯s face became sharply distorted. Still, his eyes were full of pain and sorrow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want you to be sad, Wife.¡±


    ¡°It is up to me to be sad and to endure it.¡±


    I fixed my gaze on him with a determined expression.


    ¡°¡­I gave my soul.¡±


    ¡°Soul¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes. At the price of my soul, I brought you back from another world and turned back time.¡±


    ¡°Wa, wait¡­! Different¡­ world?¡±


    My eyes widened at the word ¡°another world¡± that came out of Bleon¡¯s mouth.


    ¡°The mage said that after your death, your body was buried here, but your soul had gone elsewhere, so I had to bring it back. So I gave my soul, turned back time, and brought you back, Wife. However, it was not possible under the desired conditions. So¡­ At that time, I was thirty-seven, so I said that he could just turn it back for as much as what¡¯s left of my life.¡±


    ¡°Then¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes. I have about 30 years left in my lifespan. And I will probably disappear without a trace after that.¡±


    In an instant, my heart sank. Disappear? Who? Bleon?


    ¡°If you disappear¡­ What happens? What happens when the soul dies?¡±


    I asked him, barely holding back the tears that were about to burst out.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know either. Because I didn¡¯t even ask about it. I was desperate and selling my soul didn¡¯t matter to me if I could really see you again. I was ready to do more than that.¡±


    Unlike his usual, Bleon maintained his calmness. Seeing that made my heart ache even more.


    ¡°So why¡­ No, since when did you know? Did you know from the beginning?¡±


    ¡°No. After falling off a cliff, I had a very long dream until I woke up. It seemed like a dream, but I woke up and realized that it was a memory from a long time ago.¡±


    It was the same as me. The point in time when I regained my memory coincided with his. Perhaps it was because our souls were intertwined.


    ¡°Why¡­! Why did you even do that¡­! What can I say to you that you¡­! Why! Why! Hiic¡­¡±


    In the end, my emotions collapsed and my legs loosened from the reckless and terrifying thing that he had done. I almost fell down because I couldn¡¯t stand properly, so Bleon quickly approached me and supported me.


    ¡°Wife!¡±


    I slammed my fist into his chest and cried out to him.


    ¡°Why did you do that! Why? Forget the dead! Forget it!Hiic, hiic!¡±


    Then, suddenly, the heart pain began as I started heaving.


    ¡°Wife¡­!¡±


    ¡°My, my breath¡­! Huk, B-Bleon! I, ca, can¡¯t, breathe¡­¡±


    ¡°Is anyone out there?! Call the doctor! Wife! Take a deep breath! Wife!¡±


    Bleon grabbed me and laid me gently on the bed. My heart was still tight and I couldn¡¯t breathe properly.


    ¡°Hic, hiic. No, not yet, hiic.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t say anything more! Wife¡­! Where is the doctor?¡±


    I had goosebumps all over my body at the unfamiliar symptoms. These symptoms were very similar to when I died in front of Bleon that time.


    There was still time¡­ I thought I could still live¡­ Am I going to die in front of him like this again? No, I shouldn¡¯t. I can¡¯t give him another irrevocable wound yet again.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 65

    Chapter 65


    As I gasped for air, the past and present timeline flashed before my eyes. In retrospect, it wasn¡¯t all that terrible. Every moment I had with Bleon was a blessing beyond measure. In particular, this life was very happy because of him. Although my life wasn¡¯t long enough to allow us to fully enjoy that happiness, nevertheless, because of him¡­


    ¡°Wife! Don¡¯t close your eyes! Open your eyes and breathe! You can¡¯t die! You must never die! Please¡­! I¡¯ll do anything. I¡¯ll do anything you want, so don¡¯t die¡­ just please¡­ Please¡­!¡±


    ¡°The doctor is here! Madam!¡±


    ¡°Madam!¡±


    ¡°Madam!¡±


    Behind Bleon¡¯s bellows, the butler, the doctor, and Philia¡¯s voices were heard one after another.


    ¡°Madam! Don¡¯t close your eyes! Breathe! Yes. Breathe like that! Philia!¡±


    ¡°Everyone, turn around and don¡¯t look. I will start the treatment now.¡±


    Philia unbuttoned my dress and pulled the clothes down. And I saw the magic that I also saw the other day, and she brought her hand over to the area where my heart was. After a while, breathing became easier.


    ¡°Huk¡­ Huuk¡­ Haa¡­¡±


    And with the relief that I was barely able to breathe, I lost consciousness.


    * * *


    When I woke up the next day, the first thing I saw was Bleon¡¯s face. He was kneeling on the floor and looking at me quietly, with his hands wrapped around one of mine. It¡¯s only been one day, but his face had become greatly emaciated. It¡¯s clear just how worried he was that I didn¡¯t wake up all night.


    ¡°Bleon¡­¡±


    My voice was hoarse as I rasped out the words. But even though I called him, Bleon didn¡¯t budge and just stared into my eyes. Now looking at him, his eyes were so full of anxiety and fear.


    ¡°Bleon.¡±


    When I called his name again, he flinched slightly. Then, suddenly, tears started dripping down.


    ¡°Hiic¡­ Sniff¡­¡±


    ¡°Why are you crying¡­¡±


    It always broke my heart to see him cry. Whenever I saw tears falling from his pretty blue eyes that held such depth to them, all I wished for was to see him smile without any worries. I just wanted him to be happy. I laid aside his upright body, raised my other hand Bleon wasn¡¯t holding, and gently stroked his hair.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡­ I told you that I like your smile.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I¡¯m sorry¡­ Wife¡­¡±


    ¡°What are you sorry for?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ For everything¡­¡±


    I sat up slightly and gently held his head in my arms. Then, with an urgent gesture, Bleon hugged my waist tightly.


    What should I do with you¡­ You can¡¯t go on without me, so what should I do?


    While holding him for a long time and touching his hair, Bleon¡¯s crying slowly stopped. So I tried to get away from him, but Bleon wouldn¡¯t let him go.


    ¡°¡­Do you hate me? Do you not like me¡­?¡±


    ¡°¡­Why?¡±


    ¡°Do you hate me for calling you back and interfering with your life¡­?¡±


    Bleon held me tighter. Perhaps he found it difficult to look into my eyes while talking. We ended up hugging each other and continuing the conversation.


    ¡°Do you want me to hate you? Do you want me to not like you?¡±


    In an instant, the arm that was holding my waist tensed more.


    ¡°¡­No.¡±


    ¡°Then why are you saying that?¡±


    ¡°¡­Then, you won¡¯t leave me?¡±


    I shut my mouth for a moment. It was a difficult question that couldn¡¯t be answered right away, so I stayed silent. However, as he didn¡¯t get an answer right away, he was worried, so Bleon dug further into my embrace.


    ¡°Please don¡¯t leave me¡­ I¡¯ll listen to you, Wife. I will do anything you ask me to do. I will never do what you tell me not to. So please let me stay with me. Please, please¡­ hiic, hiic¡­¡±


    Bleon was begging me desperately, crying again when he had just stopped.


    ¡°I am very sick right now. I can¡¯t live long¡­ You know that.¡±


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter. Wherever it is, I want to be with only you¡­¡±


    ¡°Bleon, you already witnessed my death once. It ended up ruining your life¡ªit can¡¯t happen again. It might be better for us to separate now. At least you don¡¯t have to watch me die anymore.¡±


    I finally admitted it. Everything I did for him eventually pushed him to the brink. The fact that the actions when I tried to make him forget me by being mean and hurting him ruined him even more, contrary to my intentions.


    I overlooked the magnitude of his feelings. As with any love, I thought that over time, Bleon¡¯s heart would wear out, too. But he loved me a lot more than I thought. It was only now that I knew that it was so powerful that no one could erase it from my mind.


    And that¡¯s how I thought, too.


    ¡°I know how much you love me. Now I know. I also cherish and love you. That¡¯s why I made so many wrong choices.¡±


    I made a bad decision with the cowardly excuse that it was an inevitable choice because I loved him.


    ¡°But I died. I don¡¯t want to die in front of you like last time again.¡±


    Now, when he remembers me, I hope he remembers the happy smiles of the days when I wasn¡¯t sick rather than the way I died and was in pain. Rather than lying on the bed and gasping for breath, I wish he could remember how we held hands and walked in the garden on a sunny day.


    ¡°Then I¡­ How can I? How can I live without you, Wife¡­ hiic.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t run away and we¡¯re talking properly this time. I want you to live well without me. My life has only come this far, but not you. You still have a lot of time left.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want it¡­ I will be by your side until the end. I¡¯ll find a way to save you. I will definitely find a way, so just stay by my side.¡±


    ¡°Even if you find a way, what else are you going to give up this time?¡±


    ¡°Anything. I can give anything.¡±


    His voice was hoarse. Without being able to convince him, the conversation went nowhere and a deep sigh came out.


    ¡°I remember where the mage is. If we just find that mage, you¡¯ll be fine. So don¡¯t ever think of leaving me. Okay?¡±


    But it was strange. For some reason, I wanted to trust and follow Bleon¡¯s words. I even thought that a mage with the skills to turn back time and summon me might really be able to cure my illness.


    ¡®If he asks for a price, wouldn¡¯t it be okay if I give my soul in the same way?¡¯


    In fact, I wanted to be by Bleon¡¯s side to the point where I could think of such an absurd idea. I really wanted to enjoy ordinary and small happiness with him just once.


    ¡°¡­How far away from here?¡±


    At my question, Bleon, who had been buried in my arms the whole time, raised his head and looked at me in surprise.


    ¡°Wife¡­?¡±


    He couldn¡¯t believe what I was saying, and his voice calling me even trembled.


    ¡°You said you know where the mage is. I think it might be worth seeing.¡±


    ¡°Are you serious¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°¡­Wife!¡±


    Bleon suddenly stood up and hugged me tightly.


    ¡°Thank you¡­ Thank you very much¡­ Wife, I really¡­ Haa¡­¡±


    Seeing Bleon constantly thanking me in an emotionally touched voice, I felt the frustration and fear that had been holding me back since some day.


    ¡®Yes. Let¡¯s try it. If that doesn¡¯t work, then I¡¯ll think about it again.¡¯


    Because there¡¯s Bleon. Because I have Bleon, even if the outcome is not good, if the two of us were together, we will be able to overcome any kind of sadness this time. So I decided to follow him.


    * * *


    The next day we got ready to leave and immediately set out on a long road in search of the mage. Because mages tend to live completely cut off from the rest of the world, it was very difficult to find them. But since Bleon already knew where the mage we needed to see was, we arrived at the mage¡¯s place about a week later.


    ¡°Here we are. It was very difficult for you, Wife¡­¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯m okay. What about you, Bleon?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m okay.¡±


    We worried about each other¡¯s condition and thought about how to get in at the door. But suddenly the door opened as the mage noticed that we were coming. As I entered the door carefully, there was a very tall woman surrounded by a black cloak.


    ¡°Why did you come to see me? Ah! It¡¯s that person from that time.¡±


    The woman at first asked our purpose of coming to her, and then looked at Bleon.


    ¡°Then this person¡­! I see.¡±


    Then she pointed at me and said so, she seemed to notice who I was. She really was a mage.


    ¡°You seem to have accomplished your purpose, but why did you come to me again?¡±


    ¡°Because I want something different this time.¡±


    Bleon replied.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ You are ill. A disease that hardens the heart is an incurable disease.¡±


    The mage hit the nail on the head.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible to cure.¡±

 Chapter 66

    Chapter 66


    Before we even asked, the mage already knew what we were here for. However, contrary to our wishes, she resolutely shook her head and said that it was impossible.


    ¡°What do you mean you can¡¯t?!¡±


    With our hopes dashed, Bleon asked back in a ferocious tone. I clasped his hand tightly and sent him a gaze to calm him down.


    ¡°Yes. I am not a healer. So there is no cure.¡±


    ¡°Then is there no other way?¡±


    Bleon implored the wizard with a desperate voice.


    ¡°Hmm¡­ There is one way¡­¡±


    ¡°What, what way?¡±


    ¡°But¡­ Again, the components are the same.¡±


    At this, Bleon¡¯s pupils shook violently.


    ¡°Then, another¡ª any other thing. I¡¯ll give you whatever of mine that I still have, so¡­¡±


    ¡°There is no other choice.¡±


    ¡°Bleon¡­¡±


    Perplexed by his reaction, I called his name immediately. I wanted to know why he was asking for another way when already she said there was one. However, the moment I heard that it¡¯s because of the component, I suddenly recalled what exactly he had sacrificed in return.


    ¡®A soul.¡¯


    ¡°For what do you need a human soul?¡±


    I asked her directly.


    ¡°So you know about it, too. That¡¯s why you came to see me, right? All I can give you is this potion.¡±


    The mage took out a bottle from her pocket and showed it to us.


    ¡°Wife¡­!¡±


    Bleon called me urgently. He could tell what I was thinking right now. He had no soul left to give, so the only way to do this was for me to sacrifice my soul this time.


    It was clear that Bleon didn¡¯t want that.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. We can be together.¡±


    ¡°But¡­!¡±


    I nodded slightly, indicating that I really was okay with this.


    ¡°How can that potion save me?¡±


    ¡°This potion is not exactly for treatment. What it does is to bring people back to life.¡±


    ¡°Back to life?¡±


    ¡°Yes. As long as this potion is taken after dying, the dead will come back to life.¡±


    This really was a completely different world from the world I once knew. Still, I didn¡¯t think she was lying. It was because I had already seen the power of this mage through Bleon.


    ¡°Are you willing to sacrifice your soul?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    I answered right away without any hesitation.


    ¡°Wife¡­! No¡­ Why must you also¡­¡±


    Bleon tried to stop me, his voice laced with fear. But before even coming here, I already made up my mind. This was an easy choice.


    I looked at him with determined eyes to show my intention, and then smiled to reassure him.


    ¡°Alright. Then, take my hand and I will start the ritual right away.¡±


    I grabbed the mage¡¯s outstretched hand.


    Soon, she began to chant an unknown spell. She uttered incomprehensible words for a long time, and then my body became hot and then suddenly cold. And her hand fell from me and the ritual ended.


    ¡°Here. Keep this in mind¡ªthis potion must be taken within two hours after you take your last breath. After that, as long as nothing unusual happens, you will wake up within a week. Even so, the success of this also depends on the person¡¯s will. Without any will, you will sleep forever.¡±


    Will¡­ What was she talking about? I already have the will¡­ I left the mage¡¯s house with Bleon, not taking the wizard¡¯s words too seriously.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean for it to be like this¡­ Wife¡­ I¡­¡±


    There was a lot of guilt in Bleon¡¯s expression.


    ¡°I know¡­ Just as you want to be with me, I also want to be with you. We just want to be together, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Wife¡­¡±


    Bleon locked me in his embrace. It¡¯s so warm.


    As long as I could live in his embrace forever, then I know that I could have done so much more to stay like this, just as he did for me.


    * * *


    Time passed quickly. I was still sick, and in the days that went by, my breaths grew shorter and shorter.


    Even though we already have the potion that the mage gave to us, Bleon grew emaciated as he saw me like this.


    Today, as we talked about various things, he felt uncomfortable for a moment as I touched his manhood between his thighs.


    ¡°Huhk¡­¡±


    Bleon let out a shallow moan.


    ¡°Are you okay¡­?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay¡­¡±


    It didn¡¯t look alright. I could feel his manhood already standing and trying to break through his pajama pants.


    Come to think of it, the last time we slept together was when Bleon first came home, and we hadn¡¯t done it since. I knew how he felt when he didn¡¯t hold me, so I was thinking the same way.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s okay.¡±


    ¡°It will be fine in a little while¡­¡±


    Bleon frowned slightly and looked like he was trying to hold back. But he couldn¡¯t stand it anymore, so he sighed and called me.


    ¡°Haa, Wife¡­¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°I can¡¯t stand it¡­ I will go to the bathroom for a moment.¡±


    Bleon hurriedly got up from bed and put his feet on the floor, but I grabbed his arm.


    ¡°Do it here¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    ¡°Just do it here¡­¡±


    ¡°No. I¡¯ll be in the bathroom-¡±


    ¡°I want to see you.¡±


    Bleon¡¯s eyes, which got bewildered at my words, suddenly filled with sexual desire in an instant.


    ¡°¡­Are you sure?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°Haa, okay.¡±


    With that answer, Bleon climbed back to bed. He leaned back on the head of the bed and lowered his pants slightly. Then, the big, long member that was hidden inside came out, protruding.


    I sat slightly away from him and looked intently at the upright dark-red pillar. However, in response to what I was looking at, the veins on the pillars throbbed more and more.


    I looked up at Bleon with amazement.


    ¡°I told you before¡­ Haa, it will stand even if all I do is look at you, Wife¡­¡±


    Saying that, Bleon began to stroke himself in earnest with one hand. After rubbing back and forth a few times, liquid shone on the tip, and he immediately applied the liquid to the shaft, moving his hands quickly.


    ¡°Huuht, haa, huuhk, Wife¡­¡±


    The way he pleasured himself was bizarre every time I saw him, and it was enough to excite me. I approached him little by little. And took him in my hand.


    ¡°¡­.Wife?¡±


    Ignoring him even as he was surprised, I tried to lean down and bring his member to my lips. However, Bleon hurriedly pulled himself back and lifted my upper body.


    Looking at him with a puzzled look, I asked.


    ¡°Why¡­?¡±


    ¡°No¡­!¡±


    ¡°I want to do it.¡±


    ¡°Never.¡±


    ¡°But why¡­?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re already having a hard time breathing right now¡­ You can¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°If I get tired, then I can just stop.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t overdo it. Later¡ª Later, okay? For now, it¡¯s enough for you to watch me.¡±


    His incredibly stubborn demeanor pushed me back again. But as Bleon tried to raise his pants again, I quickly grabbed his hand.


    ¡°Are you going to stop?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I¡¯m done.¡±


    ¡°No you aren¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. I¡¯m okay.¡±


    He was being much too overprotective. Even though I said I was fine, he treated me like I was about to break.


    ¡°Bleon. I am not glass. I won¡¯t break that easily.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to do it even if I want you to?¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°I really want to be with you right now, Bleon. Can¡¯t you hold me?¡±


    ¡°¡­Next time¡ª¡±


    ¡°There is no next time. Bleon. Today will end today. This day will never come back.¡±


    All I wanted to do was to love him with all my heart, at every moment given to me¡ªto do my best as we cherished each other. And I want to live. I don¡¯t want to live in fear, shaking because of an anxious heart like this.

 Chapter 67

    Chapter 67


    ¡°Don¡¯t be anxious. Don¡¯t be afraid. I¡¯m here. I¡¯m by your side. So let¡¯s live in the present. No matter what the future is or what the past is, let¡¯s stop thinking about it and live in the present. Okay?¡±


    ¡°But I¡­ I¡¯m afraid something will go wrong with you, Wife¡­¡±


    ¡°It will be okay. Trust me. Am I that untrustworthy?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not that you¡¯re untrustworthy, it¡¯s that I¡¯m afraid I¡¯ll lose you because of a moment¡¯s greed.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not greed. It¡¯s a given. It¡¯s only natural that you want me. And I want you, too.¡±


    I grabbed his hand and led it beneath my dress. The wet secret place has been wanting him since before. My body twitched when touched by his fingertips. And we kissed each other¡¯s lips.


    ¡°If you can¡¯t breathe, tell me. Okay?¡±


    ¡°Uhng, yes. Mmngh¡­¡±


    Bleon¡¯s movements were very careful compared to how he usually was before, but I decided not to push him any further. Knowing that his worries could not go away in an instant, maybe that would have been impossible in the first place, so I was content just to be able to reach this point.


    ¡°Ahhk, hnng, aahh¡­¡±


    Bleon buried his face between my legs and rubbed my cl*toris with his tongue.


    ¡°Haa, Wife, are you okay?¡±


    ¡°Yes, it¡¯s so good, nngh¡­ Ah!¡±


    The tongue, which had stayed over the small nub for a while, went down and licked the entrance. Then, the soft, moist flesh that just wandered around soon went inside and began to stir. Even if it was completely different from the fingers that could go in deeper, he quickly stimulated my inner walls, and the pleasure surged little by little.


    ¡°Hnng, put it in now¡­ Please? Hurry¡­¡±


    Still, the thing that made me feel the most when he put in his manhood. I begged Bleon to put it in quickly.


    ¡°A little bit more.¡±


    ¡°No. Mmmh, put it in now.¡±


    As I continued to whine, Bleon reluctantly positioned himself over me. The blunt tip of his member was touching my opening, and I felt my face heat up in anticipation.


    ¡°Ahhhn, huhk¡­ AH!¡±


    Without a moment¡¯s hesitation, he pierced the palace between my legs. And Bleon slowly moved. He moved slowly however, but this much was still too tantalizing. I purposely rolled my hips to the rhythm of his movements. Then, Bleon grabbed my waist and stopped me from moving.


    ¡°Ugh, Wife. Don¡¯t do that.¡±


    ¡°Hnng, ang, aahh, faster, faster, hhnn, do it faster¡­!¡±


    As I asked him to move faster, his hips started to speed up little by little, and Bleon couldn¡¯t stand it any longer. Slap! He pushed himself all the way inside.


    The thick pillar struck against the inner walls as it went in and out, over and again. My spine tingled and my arousal soared. And as he constantly touched the part of the walls where I felt it the most, the most extreme pleasure I ever felt began to rush through me.


    ¡°Hu-aanngg! Hnngh, ahng, ah! Ahkk, ahhng!¡±


    A mind blowing climax came in waves through my body and I moaned with excitement. I was twitching inside, continuing to clamp over his penis as though my entrance wanted to devour him completely, but his member still felt immensely hard.


    I looked up at Bleon to see he was watching me, too.


    ¡°Hnngh, I¡¯ll do it, hhnn, from on top.¡±


    Without parting from him, I laid him back on the bed. Then, I settled on top of him and slowly moved my waist.


    ¡°Huhk, stop, don¡¯t do it.¡±


    I didn¡¯t listen to him, but I grabbed his two hands and led them to my breasts. Noticing what I wanted him to do, Bleon soon rubbed my chest.


    ¡°Ahhht, huhng, ahhk¡­¡±


    Although his deeply embedded pillar basically stimulated my entire inside, my movements alone were not enough. I pouted at him as I moved my waist up and down. Fortunately, after reading my eyes, Bleon began to move as well.


    ¡°Hahng, huht, ah, so good, hahng!¡±


    As I moaned, Bleon quickly raised my upper body and hugged me tightly, then thrusted into me with terrifying speed. I tried to stop him, but the unstoppable moans continued to burst out from me, and I felt the pleasure of reaching my climax again, and my vision turned white. And he let out a deep moan and poured his fluids into me.


    With two climaxes in a row, my body became drowsy and I fell asleep. I fell asleep just leaning on his shoulder.


    * * *


    A year passed quickly. We had a happier time than anyone else in the world. Thinking that we couldn¡¯t be happier like this, we cared for and loved each other.


    And now I was lying in bed, ready to die. I could barely breathe anymore and I had a gut feeling that my life was about to end.


    ¡°Gasp gasp, Bleon¡­¡±


    I let out a rough breath and called out Bleon¡¯s name.


    ¡°Listen. Haa, just in case, I don¡¯t wake up, huuhk, promise me. You will live your life properly¡­¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­ I will wait for you, Wife. You¡¯ll be back. You¡¯ll come back to me right away. So don¡¯t say anything like that.¡±


    However, for lovers who somehow believed that we would meet again, our expressions were not as bright. It was because of the fear that this magic might fail.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come, haa, but you never know. Huuk, so, promise me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Bleon didn¡¯t answer. But I knew. That he will surely keep his promise. Now he was different, and I knew he wouldn¡¯t lead a self-destructive life like he used to. So I could comfortably close my eyes.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    By the end of those words, I was getting more and more choked and it was getting harder to breathe properly. My consciousness gradually faded away. At the same time, the sound of Bleon crying and calling me was getting fainter. No matter how many times I died, I was not used to death.


    And there, I met my third demise.


    * * *


    ¡®Where am I?¡¯


    It was an unknown space that I had never been to since I died. The whole place was pitch black. As I instinctively looked around to find where I needed to go, I saw a light in the distance. Following the light, I ran quickly.


    When viewed from a distance, it was clearly a single light, but as I came closer, the light was split into two. And there was a way along the light.


    ¡®What?¡¯


    It was surprising. I thought I would wake up right away without anything when I died, but something like a dream was blocking me. However, something was amiss. I didn¡¯t think it should be taken lightly. So I stood still and pondered. What should I do and how do I go in the direction I want to go?


    It was then. Two images flashed through my mind quickly. One was my life before coming here and the other was my life with Bleon. And only then did I realize what the mage meant. She kept talking about my will, so I didn¡¯t think much of it, but I now knew what she was saying.


    My will.


    It meant that I had two options and chose the life I wanted more according to my will. I first thought of my family. Mom, Dad, and my younger sibling¡­ It was as if I had not yet died there to have given me the autonomy to choose. I wanted to see my family. As Astell, as much as I wasn¡¯t loved by my family, I was loved to the fullest there.


    ¡®If I die, they will be very sad.¡¯


    They really would. As I thought of them, it was natural that I should go back to where I originally lived.


    However¡­ He¡¯s waiting for me. I told him to live on, but if I don¡¯t come back, I knew clearly that he would spend countless days crying. And I really hated to see him cry.


    ¡®Sorry. But I just can¡¯t let go of this love.¡¯


    In the end, I had only one choice, not two. I didn¡¯t need to choose in the first place.


    After making a decision in my mind, I walked towards the one that felt the strongest of the two lights.


    No, I ran. I wanted to return, if only just a little faster.


    And as the light grew bigger and bigger, when I reached the end, I couldn¡¯t open my eyes in the strong light, so I kept my eyes shut. Then, the illumination faded little by little, so I opened my eyes that were quietly closed.


    The blurry vision became clear, and there, I saw the face I¡¯ve been longing to see all this time.


    It was him, my light.

 Chapter 68

    Chapter 68


    Side Story Arc 1 ¨C Happily ever after.


    It was an ordinary day, not much different from any other day. The beginning of all of this was when I had the thought to bring Bleon¡¯s snacks, even though this task was originally done by either the butler or the employees.


    ¡°Hngh, Bleon¡­¡±


    ¡°Astell¡­¡±


    And now I was lying on the desk in the office, receiving Bleon with my whole body. I was just trying to chat until he finished the tea and cookies I brought, but even I had no idea how we ended up doing this here.


    However, according to the place, both of us were still almost fully clothed. He only unbuckled his pants, and I also had only the skirt of my dress slightly raised above my waist. Of course, this was when they didn¡¯t look at our lower body, but if someone saw us, what we¡¯re doing now was unimaginable despite our neat appearance.


    However, that did not mean that Bleon¡¯s movements were static or slow. On the contrary, perhaps even more excited by this situation, his large, thick member furiously pounded into me.


    ¡°Huht, ah, ahng!¡±


    The feeling that my brain was about to melt whenever the hard flesh scratched the narrow walls without stopping. As a result, unbearable moans erupted from my mouth over and over again.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    A sigh of satisfaction came from Bleon as well.


    ¡°Ah, hu-ahh, Bleon¡­! St, stop¡­!¡±


    Because he was working in his office, it was not a situation where we could lax and take our time as we normally would in bed. If I left him like this, he would do it without knowing the end, so I had to come to my senses anyway.


    ¡°Really, should we stop?¡±


    ¡°¡­Yeah? Ah, aht, hnnnngh!¡±


    But I wanted to say that we should stop, but in the end, I was unable to speak any more because of the moans that came out. As if punishing me for saying such a thing, his manhood, which had already been rammed to the very end, penetrated deeper and faster.


    ¡°Aahht, huhk, huhng!¡±


    ¡°Astell¡­¡±


    ¡°Y, you¡¯re too deep¡­! Ah, huhk!¡±


    Hitting the deepest part of me, the part where I felt it the most, at a great speed, the countless sentences I had prepared to convince him disappeared without a trace in an instant.


    And my mind became completely blank, to the point where I couldn¡¯t think of anything, and I just gave in to the pleasure he gave me, letting out only sweet cries.


    ¡°Aahh, aahhk, ahng!¡±


    ¡°Astell, Astell¡­¡±


    ¡°S, so good¡­! Nngh, more, hngh!¡±


    In the end, I reached out and hugged his neck, telling him that it was good and asked for more.


    ¡°¡­Is it good? Wife?¡±


    ¡°Huuk, yeees, so good, nnngh.¡±


    Forgetting that we need to stop, and struggling with a heightened sense of urgency, at that moment, blue eyes engulfed in passion met my eyes. I saw a different side of the neat Bleon who was frowning slightly and biting his lip.


    Feeling that his face somehow made me more anxious and impatient, I hurriedly lifted my head and put my lips to his.


    ¡°Ble, mmph!¡±


    However, unlike me, who was about to do only a short kiss, the kiss quickly changed to lingering, lewd one with Bleon. The soft tongue stirred all over the inside of my mouth, but his movement underneath showed no signs of slowing down or stopping.


    No, on the contrary, Bleon¡¯s movements only got faster and faster. Feeling that I could not lose, I pushed my tongue out of my mouth and invaded his mouth. And just like Bleon did to me, I also reached the roof of his mouth and his gums thoroughly.


    ¡°Ha, haa¡­¡±


    ¡°Huu, huaa¡­¡±


    After a pretty long kiss, Bleon¡¯s lips fell off me. I looked at him, my eyes reddened with excitement, and took a deep breath that had been blocked by the kiss.


    But it was then.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    As I was barely recovering my breath, the thing that had been pushing me tight inside, stimulating the entire inner wall, suddenly slipped out.


    And for a moment, my body lifted slightly and at the same time my vision was turned upside down. Bleon¡¯s face, which I had just seen before, disappeared, and a window covered with a curtain caught my eye.


    Although it was covered by a curtain, it was still clear outside. I lowered my head and looked down. There was a mess on the desk to the point where I could clearly see what was being done here. The piles of papers that Bleon was looking at before I came were already scattered on the desk and the floor.


    As I watched him, I called for Bleon, feeling the anxiety caused by not being able to see him and the anticipation for what would happen.


    ¡°¡­Bleon?¡±


    ¡°Wife¡­¡±


    A murky, subdued voice could be heard clearly in my ears.


    ¡°Mngh, ah¡­!¡±


    I could feel Bleon¡¯s moist, soft lips on the back of my neck. His hand stroked my chest over my dress and his hard, thick penis was rubbing my entrance wet with our cum with slow movements.


    ¡°Ahng, heuk¡­¡±


    Trapped under the large body, being hugged from behind and being stimulated in several places at the same time by him, cause goosebumps all over my body.


    ¡°Hu-uht, ah, huaahng!¡±


    ¡°Astell¡­¡±


    But these were only a few of the sensations I knew. I was already aware of the extreme feelings he could give me, leading me to a space of invisible senses.


    ¡°Huuht¡­ Put it in, please¡­?¡±


    So I let Bleon know what I wanted without turning it around. For the most part, Bleon immediately granted what I wanted without delay.


    But even though I waited for him to fill me entirely, Bleon¡¯s gesture was contrary to my wishes. He didn¡¯t come in, just rubbed himself back and forth on my sensitive nub and entrance outside.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    A warm breath filled with the desire for me passed through my ear.


    ¡°A little¡­¡±


    ¡°What? Nngh?????¡­¡±


    ¡°A little more¡­ I don¡¯t want to end it quickly today.¡±


    ¡°What, is that¡­¡±


    It¡¯s not going to be over anytime soon¡­!


    But, as if those words were not satisfactory, I tried to look back at him with a bewildered look, and his large member was soon buried deep within me all at once until the very hilt.


    ¡°Huaaahnngg!¡±


    And with that one movement, my head turned white and I was engulfed in a climax.


    ¡°Ah, huhng, ah-ahng!¡±


    ¡°Ha, Astell¡­¡±


    Only sobs came out of my mouth as he came in, crushing my inside with great speed and force.


    ¡°Uh-huht, aahk, go, good¡­.!¡±


    ¡°Ha, is it, good¡­?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yeees¡­! So good, nngh!¡±


    As I said so, Bleon¡¯s movements grew stronger. I could feel the tight hands holding my waist, and impaled me completely.


    ¡°Huk, aahh, ha-uhhnng!¡±


    Really, it was amazingly good.


    The pleasure he¡¯s giving me now is so good that I think I¡¯m going crazy, so the conscious thoughts that someone might be hearing me outside had all flown away. I moaned and surrendered myself to this excruciating pleasure.


    ¡°Wa, wait, there, aahh!¡±


    I could feel the blunt tip reaching the most sensitive point nestled deep inside. Noticing my reaction, there was no time to stop him, and Bleon intensely hit that part.


    ¡°Ah-huk, do, don¡¯t, ahng, heuk, hu-aahng!¡±


    And not long after, my climax came again. This time, it was a long climax that was different from the previous one.


    It felt like the whole world was blurring. The inside repeatedly contracted and relaxed without help, and my legs were constantly shaking and I felt like I was going to collapse. Fortunately, Bleon was holding my waist tightly, so my body did not collapse.


    ¡°Huh-ah, huuhk¡­¡±


    In my experience, it took quite a long time for me to regain my senses and return to normal due to such an overwhelming amount of pleasure.

 Chapter 69

    Chapter 69


    Barely leaning over the desk in front of me, and with Bleon¡¯s solid body standing tall behind me, I tried desperately to calm down from this feeling, but the pillar that was still inside started to move again.


    ¡°Ah, Bleon, huhk.¡±


    As the still solid and thick manhood stimulated the inner wall with small movements, my efforts to calm my heightened senses went in vain.


    Urgently, I grabbed hold of his thick arm that was wrapped around my waist.


    ¡°Bleon. please¡­!¡±


    ¡°Ha, please what¡­?¡±


    Another sensation was added to the unresolved pleasure as he slowly moved and took over me.


    ¡°Ahng, wa, wait, ah-huhk.¡±


    I wanted to tell him to wait for a moment, but I was caught up with moans and the words kept cut off. And maybe he misunderstood my words, I could feel his hand touching my cl*toris.


    ¡°Do, don¡¯t, hu-ung, ahng!¡±


    In the end, the word ¡®don¡¯t¡¯ just lingered in my mouth as I couldn¡¯t utter it properly, and I had no choice but to accept Bleon¡¯s movements helplessly.


    ¡°Ang, huh-ang, huk, ah-huht!¡±


    Bleon moved his body and gently rubbed his fingertips against the sensitive nub, drenched entirely in my c*m. As I was stimulated at the same time in sensitive places inside and outside, the feeling of suffocation continued even more.


    ¡°Huang, ah-huuhk, Bleon¡­! Hahng!¡±


    ¡°As, tell. Astell¡­¡±


    Contrary to the sweet voice calling me, the movement of his lower body was so ferocious. The duality of Bleon made my body more excited.


    And after a while, the sensations all over my body woke up again, and I moaned as if the world was about to disappear.


    ¡°Haaahhngg¡­!¡±


    ¡°Ugh!¡±


    Bleon¡¯s low moan was heard as my walls fluctuated uncontrollably due to the climax. I exhaled for as long as I could, feeling the tremor glass that showed no sign of stopping, to catch up with my melted thoughts just like before.


    ¡°Huuu¡­ Ha-ugh¡­¡±


    ¡°Wife¡­¡±


    However, anxiety crept up at Bleon¡¯s voice calling me. His voice sounded unsatisfied to anyone who heard it.


    ¡®Wait, don¡¯t tell me¡­¡¯


    Come to think of it, his flesh inside was still stiff, as if it had not climaxed.


    ¡®This isn¡¯t it.¡¯


    Time had already passed and if he did more here as he wished, the day could have ended.


    ¡°Ah-huht, ah! B, Bleon!¡±


    As he tried to move again, I called him urgently, thinking that I could never yield this time.


    ¡°Huk, sto, stop it!¡±


    And this time, with a will to never fall for pleasure, I shouted to him with a resolute voice.


    ¡°¡­Wife?¡±


    As it worked, Bleon¡¯s voice filled with surprise was heard behind me, and his movements stopped.


    ¡°It¡¯s hard for me¡­ Let¡¯s stop, okay?¡±


    ¡°Wife, is it hard for you?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Do you really want me to stop?¡±


    ¡°Yes¡­ So¡­ Hnngh.¡±


    After checking with me repeatedly, when I answered with a tired voice that it was tiring, his pillar immediately slid out of me without any sign of hesitation. My body trembled slightly at the vivid feeling scratching the wall.


    Bleon turned my body, which had been lying on my stomach on the desk, to stand up. Then, with very quick movements, he wiped the bottom with a handkerchief, then put on my underwear and lowered the skirt that had gone up. Except for the flushed face and the eyes moistened by excitement, my appearance quickly became so neat that it showed no sign of what we were doing here just now.


    Meanwhile, Bleon still had his manhood out. It was still standing upright, reaching near his navel without losing any energy.


    ¡°Haa.¡±


    Bleon¡¯s sigh passed lightly in my ear. I lifted my head and looked up at him. Bleon lowered his head, biting his lip slightly, with eyes still full of desire.


    ¡®Oh really¡­!¡¯


    My resolute appearance vanished somewhere, and my heart gradually weakened. Seeing him sulk as if he had lost the world, I wanted to do something for him.


    ¡®It can¡¯t be helped.¡¯


    I thought it would be better to finish it well somehow than to feel uncomfortable all the time, so I put my hands up to cover my cheeks and lifted my face slightly. Then, after making eye contact, I smiled broadly and threw his favorite bait.


    ¡°Let¡¯s finish our work and continue this in the bedroom later. Alright?¡±


    ¡°¡­Later?¡±


    ¡°Yes. Then you can do whatever you want.¡±


    ¡°¡­Really?¡±


    Bleon¡¯s expression, which had darkened a while ago, quickly turned red as I said he could do whatever he wanted.


    ¡°Yes. So just here for now. Understand?¡±


    ¡°I understand. Thank you, Wife¡­¡±


    I closed my eyes nicely and his smile was so pretty I kissed his lips lightly.


    ¡°Nngh.¡±


    However, with a brief kiss, his genitals poked at me firmly as he let out a single groan.


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    It seemed that I had stimulated Bleon unintentionally, and while I was in a moment of embarrassment and pondering on how to calm it down, Bleon¡¯s face touched my shoulder.


    ¡°Ha¡­¡±


    My body began to tense up again as I felt his breath on the back of my neck.


    ¡°Ble¡­ on?¡±


    As I called to him in a cautious voice, I suddenly heard the sound of wet friction along with the sound of his breathing.


    ¡°Please, please wait¡­¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    ¡°Please wait. Wait like this¡­¡±


    Only then did I realize that he was pleasuring himself with his hands. He didn¡¯t want to touch me any further, he just buried his face in my shoulder and tried to calm himself down.


    For a moment, a thought filled my mind that he was too pitiful, and I tried to reach down to help him. But just as my finger was about to touch the tip of his manhood, Bleon stopped me.


    ¡°Haa, don¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    I was trying to help him satisfy his arousal as quickly as possible, so I asked him with a puzzled face, wondering if he had misunderstood my actions.


    ¡°¡­I don¡¯t think I can stand it.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°If you touch me, Wife, I don¡¯t think I can stand it.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Having understood what he was saying at once, I nodded my head slightly and decided to remain still just as Bleon said.


    And in an instant, the surroundings became quiet.


    The office was now filled with only the low moans and wet friction emanating from Bleon, and the sound of my very shallow breaths as I struggled to hold my breath as I watched him.


    ¡°Huk, Wife¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    ¡°Ah, kugh!¡±


    After doing this for quite some time, a short moan filled with passion was heard from Bleon¡¯s mouth, and his body shook and sank once. In an instant, a familiar smell filled my lungs.


    With the thought that it was finally over, I took a deep breath that I had been holding in tension, and Bleon¡¯s head fell from my shoulder.


    Then, unlike my impatient and tense mind, with a gesture that was not urgent at all, he took out his handkerchief, cleaned himself up, and then took a step back from me. I scanned him slowly from head to toe. At first, his neat and dignified appearance before we even touched each other caught my eye.


    Reaching out to him and trying to ruffle his hair, I immediately put my hand away with an apologetic expression and opened my mouth with a light smile at him instead.


    ¡°Then I¡¯ll be leaving now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Wife.¡±


    Bleon replied with a nod of his head. I left him behind and walked towards the door.


    ¡°Wife.¡±


    But just as I was approaching the door, Bleon called me.


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    In the brief moment I turned around and looked at him, Bleon strode over to me and stood tall in front of me.


    ¡°Why¡ª mmph!¡±


    Before I could ask why, my lips were devoured by Bleon again. As his tongue roamed my mouth relentlessly, I was afraid he might get aroused again, so it was hard to focus on his kiss.


    I quickly grabbed Bleon¡¯s arm and signaled for him to stop, but my worries were cut short by him. He didn¡¯t like it when I didn¡¯t give him my full attention, so Bleon held my face with both hands, then shoved his tongue deeper into my mouth.

 Chapter 70

    Chapter 70


    Just as much as I felt breathless by his kiss, the thrusting of his flesh into my entrance made the strength in my legs gradually give out. As though he was my lifeline, I clutched onto his arm so as not to fall to the floor.


    Mmph, mmh.


    After overwhelming me with this tumultuous kiss as I was defenseless, Bleon licked my lips with his tongue. I opened my eyes that had been closed throughout the kiss and let the moment happen as it was. However, this was only for a short time. As soon as I saw his eyes being filled with eagerness and regret that he did not want to separate from me, my eyes naturally lost their determination.


    ¡®Really¡­¡¯


    I did not hate his steadfast affection for me, even though I often shook my head inwardly at his actions.


    No, it¡¯s not that I didn¡¯t like it. I just like it so much.


    Soon, Bleon¡¯s lips parted from mine, and his voice rang softly in my ear.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting. Understand?¡±


    No matter what you say today, I will never let you go.


    Hearing directly his strong desire for me, my heart began to beat wildly. Along with the tension, my whole body¡¯s sensations grew taut all at once, and as I trembled finely, a pleasant feeling of fullness enveloped me entirely. I opened my mouth to answer, but I quickly shut my mouth for fear he would notice that I¡¯ve become hot and bothered. Then I nodded slowly.


    Bleon, who looked at me like that, smiled satisfiedly, and I went back to my study from his office.


    After I left Bleon¡¯s office and finished my duties as the duchess, it was soon dark outside. I did not have dinner with Bleon. It was because something suddenly happened far away and he had to go out.


    Before leaving, he said that he might not be able to come back today. When I saw the regretful look in his eyes, I gently patted his shoulder as he embraced me. I sent him off and told him to be careful while he was out. I did not take my eyes off him until I could no longer see the carriage Bleon was riding.


    And when he disappeared from view, I realized that he was not in the space where I was, and the tension that had not subsided before disappeared like snow melted all at once.


    ¡®Today, I must sleep alone.¡¯


    After getting ready to fall asleep, I lay on my bed and looked up at the ceiling, and I remembered the time when I woke up again in Bleon¡¯s arms.


    Half a year had already passed since I died and came back to life. I ran after the light, and the light clearly guided me on the way back.


    At the threshold of death, I thought that Bleon would be able to live without me now, but when the breath of life came back to me, his appearance was truly disastrous. I realized that I had been thinking wrong for a long time when I saw him crying with eyes full of despair and was completely devoid of color from not being able to let go of me, who had not opened my eyes for nearly a week.


    He¡­


    He couldn¡¯t go on without me.


    I had to be by his side.


    Of course, I was the same with him.


    We had to be together until the end of this life, or even after it was over.


    It was a very, very long, terribly long life before I knew it.


    After that, Bleon did not want to separate from me for even a moment, and as soon as the permission was given, along with the doctor saying that my health was restored, as if to make up for the past, he coveted me and coveted me whenever he had time.


    But there was something a little strange.


    Originally, I was not very good physically and my health had deteriorated extremely, so it was natural that I had to be overwhelmed by his vitality. But strangely, my body was so healthy and fine that I couldn¡¯t even be counted as a sick person. My heartbeat was that of a normal person¡¯s once more, and my face was lively and my body was light and refreshed.


    It felt like I had been born again.


    And I wasn¡¯t the only one who felt this change. Bleon, the person who held my body every day, noticed that my body was completely different from before, and Philia and Logan, who examined my body, were so surprised that they could only look at me with disbelief.


    I slowly moved my hand and placed it on my stomach.


    ¡®Maybe¡­¡¯


    It wasn¡¯t entirely impossible. A miracle has already happened once, and it may not be over yet.


    ¡®If I can really do it, then we¡¯ll have a successor to the Einer family¡­¡¯


    Our child¡­


    Then I could really do anything.


    If only I could meet again with our child who I never met, if only I could hold my child in my arms, if only I could see Bleon and our child together, if only I could¡­


    ¡®No. Having expectations that are too high would only lead to an even greater disappointment.¡¯


    I tried to calm down the feeling that had been filling me with excitement and anticipation.


    For the past half year, I have been sleeping with Bleon from time to time, but I haven¡¯t felt any changes. Of course, there was a possibility that I didn¡¯t notice, but there¡¯s no way Logan and Philia, who regularly check my body, didn¡¯t see anything unusual either.


    Above all, there was no sign of the period that was cut off after losing our first child.


    ¡®Is that impossible?¡¯


    Haa.


    I let out a long sigh.


    I shouldn¡¯t be a detriment to House Einer¡¯s lineage. Not providing an heir after Bleoun was absolutely unacceptable as the duchess of House Einer. If I couldn¡¯t have children, I¡¯d have to get someone else as his wife, but if I told Bleon about this, it wouldn¡¯t even work.


    ¡®I don¡¯t want it either¡­¡¯


    The thought of Bleon marrying someone other than me as his wife and doing the intimate things I had done with him until now, only caused me to have sudden selfish feelings of wanting to monopolize him.


    No, let¡¯s not grieve over things that haven¡¯t happened yet. It was a night without Bleon, and this happened very rarely now. After making up my mind, I bit my lip and managed to wipe the tears from my eyes.


    However, a month later, despite the worries of that night, my body became capable of having a child, and two months later, the best gift we had longed for finally came to us.


    Pitter, patter.


    I woke up to the sound of rain drumming upon the window. I looked out to see the sky and noticed that it was still midnight. The sound of Bleon¡¯s even breathing came from behind.


    ¡®I must have slept first again.¡¯


    Ever since I had a life other than myself in my stomach, I fell asleep whenever I had time, regardless of my will. I used to wait late into the night for him to come back to my bedroom from work, but now it¡¯s almost impossible to see him coming back because of the rush of sleepiness.


    I could feel Bleon¡¯s hard chest from behind. Unlike the early days, I was very full, so it was more comfortable to sleep on my side than to sleep on my back. I was sleeping with one hand wrapped around my swollen belly, with my body locked in Bleon¡¯s big arms.


    I placed my hand on the back of his hand, being careful not to wake Bleon. Then, to find a comfortable position, I grabbed his hand and pulled it up a little higher than where his hand was originally.


    A smile was drawn on my lips as I felt a comfortable and peaceful sense of security.


    On peaceful days, in the quiet night air, and concentrating on the regular sound of the refreshing rain inside his strong arms, my eyes slowly closed and I was about to fall asleep.


    ¡°Ah¡­!¡±


    He noticed that I was about to fall asleep, and suddenly, as if disturbing me, his moist lips touched the nape of my neck. As I felt the warm breath, I let out a small moan without realizing it.


    ¡°Wife¡­¡±


    ¡°Bleon? You woke up?¡±


    I didn¡¯t intend to wake him up when I heard his voice, but I felt a little sorry that I seemed to have moved for no reason.


    ¡°Sorry, it¡¯s still too early for the day to dawn. So go back to sleep.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Knowing him, who is immersed in work every day, I patted the back of his hand, hoping he could get a good night¡¯s sleep. When I couldn¡¯t hear his answer from behind, I thought that Bleon had fallen asleep right away. So I went back to sleep with peace of mind, but I felt something hard that I didn¡¯t recognize before, was increasing in volume on the side of my thigh.


    ¡°I can¡¯t sleep.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Ah, nngh! B-Bleon!¡±


    As Bleon licked the nape of my neck with his tongue, I called out to him in an urgent voice.


    ¡°Haa, I know.¡±


    Exhaling a breath full of desire, Bleon continued.


    ¡°I can stand it. Just, just a little¡­ A little.¡±


    He said he could bear it, but his lips still didn¡¯t come off my neck, and his hard pillar, felt beneath me, strongly revealed its presence.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 71

    Chapter 71


    I clenched the hand that was holding me tightly in nervousness. As I got pregnant and carried our child for half a year now, Bleon and I never had all this time.


    Even though my body has become healthier than before, the painful memories of the past still lingered in my mind. Bleon knew it as well as I did, without having to explain how sad it was to lose a child and how much pain I had to go through as a result.


    So, we have avoided contact with each other more than necessary without even talking about it. Of course, the doctor said that it doesn¡¯t matter as long as he didn¡¯t get too intense because my condition was already stable. However, despite the fact that someone¡ªeven if he was an expert¡ªassured me, the anxiety could not disappear like snow that melted at once.


    However, this did not mean that my desire was completely gone. Aside from my desire to protect the child in my womb, my longing for him has always been the biggest part of my life. I know how crazy the pleasure he gives me, and how great the satisfaction that I feel when he filled my insides, so it was hard for me to put up with it each day.


    And in the end, right now, the reason I had been holding on to the whole time together with the bursting feelings that I had been holding down until now, was cut off.


    As soon as I turned my heavy body that was lying on the side to face his lustful face, I hurriedly grabbed his neck and kissed his lips.


    ¡°Wife¡ª Mmh!¡±


    At first, Bleon was very surprised by my actions, he stiffened and showed no movement. But as soon as I actively licked his lips with my tongue and touched the insides of his mouth, he was determined. So he grabbed my cheek and started pouring kisses.


    His lips, which had been touching me now at night rather than the day in a long time, were extremely moist and ecstatic. Perhaps because of the atmosphere, his saliva seemed to have a sweet taste. I wanted to be closer to Bleon, but it was not easy because of my protruding belly.


    Then a large shadow fell over me. Bleon climbed over my body, supported with his arms. I moved my head in the direction he was moving, trying not to ever lose his lips. Of course, he also grabbed my chin slightly and kept our lips pressed against each other. After a while, our lips parted slightly and the saliva stretched out.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    We picked out breaths that had been hampered by the kiss within a short distance of each other.


    ¡°Ble¡ª hnn!¡±


    As I was about to call his name as my panting breath stopped, Bleon¡¯s head was buried in the nape of my neck. Previously, he licked the nape of my neck, but this time he was lying on his side, so he licked the side with his tongue and sucked it.


    ¡°Ah, nngh!¡±


    I grabbed the bed sheets and let out a shallow moan. In our contact after a long time, I felt my secret place getting so wet with just a light caress.


    ¡°Hu-uhng¡­¡±


    ¡°Haa, wife.¡±


    Bleon¡¯s hand touched my chest as he licked my neck with his tongue. From the moment he started touching me, my nipples were already protruding out of the chemise¡¯s thin fabric out of excitement. When I lowered my head slightly, I saw that my breasts, which had become much larger than before the pregnancy, had been crammed into his large hands. Bleon, conscious of my gaze, began to rub the nipples that rose above the clothes with a slow hand.


    ¡°Heuk, ah, uh-ng!¡±


    As the pleasure that started from the tip of my chest gradually spread throughout my body, the part between my legs tickled, making my hips move up and down without realizing it.


    ¡°Hu-uhk, Ble, Bleon¡­¡±


    When I called for Bleon to do something for me, his lips passed through my collarbone and touched my nipples, which he had been rubbing with his fingers until now. Then, gently touching the bottom of my chest all over, he sucked the top of my clothes vigorously.


    ¡°Ahhhn, ah-ung!¡±


    As the pleasure surged, I tilted my head back and sobbed, grabbing Bleon¡¯s hair that was buried in my chest.


    My brain was already melting just by getting my chest stimulated, so when he entered me¡­


    I want him inside me. I wish he could do it as hard as he can inside me with his thick manhood, so he can coolly explode this unresolved sensation. That was all the thought in my head now.


    ¡°Bleon, nngh, hurry, please?¡±


    But despite my urging, he was just concentrating on sucking my breasts.


    ¡°Hng, ah, Bleon¡­¡±


    When Bleon wouldn¡¯t budge, as my patience had reached their limit, I impulsively grabbed his face. As I clasped his cheeks, Bleon¡¯s lips, which had been licking my nipples tenaciously, barely fell off.


    As the tip that had been in his warm mouth all this time was exposed to the cold air in the room, I could feel it getting harder. As I looked into the blue eyes that had sunk with the added heat, I spoke out the words I had just said to him again.


    ¡°I want to do it now.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Bleon looked at me with a piercing gaze as I said that. He seemed to be thinking deeply about something while looking at me. But somehow I had a feeling that it wasn¡¯t going the way I wanted, so I quickly wrapped my arms around his neck. Then I put my lips to his ear and whispered softly.


    ¡°Let¡¯s do it now, okay?¡±


    The thought of wanting to be held by him had already taken over my mind, so the things I had been careful about so far, afraid that we might get in contact with each other, were gradually fading somewhere in my head.


    ¡®As long as we¡¯re careful, it¡¯ll be fine.¡¯


    Because I am healthier than anyone now. But even so, my worries were not completely erased, so I thought that there would be no problem if he did not push it too deeply into me.


    ¡°Just be slow, and careful, ah¡­!¡±


    But maybe he didn¡¯t understand what I was saying, but Bleon just buried his head in my chest, which he had just sucked before.


    ¡°Huht, Bleon. Not that¡­¡±


    I felt the dizziness getting stronger with the added temperature difference, and as I grabbed his hair and let out a shallow moan, I didn¡¯t let go of what I wanted and told him again. However, despite my words, this time, he moved his lips to the opposite breast, showing that the obsession Bleon had with my chest renders him immovable.


    Actually, this wasn¡¯t too bad. Thanks to him knowing where and how to touch me and how much I like it, I had already tasted a certain level of pleasure even in my chest. So, even if we stop here, we could end it by saying that there is nothing we can do in the current situation.


    However¡­


    As I said before, I already knew enough that there was something more intense and huge than that level of pleasure, and I felt too sad to give up on it.


    ¡°Ah, ah-huht, Ble¡ª¡±


    So I was about to call him back, but all of a sudden, Bleon moved slowly, took his spot behind me and came over to me. His broad chest pressed against my back, and near my buttocks, his already hardened pillar could be felt.


    ¡°Bleon¡­?¡±


    ¡°Haa, wife.¡±


    As the voice deep with desire whispered low into my ear, I was excited with anticipation and my body trembled slightly.


    ¡°Hnnngh, huht.¡±


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    The thick pillar came between my tight thighs and moved slowly back and forth, brushing against the entrance that was already wet from kisses and caresses.


    ¡°Hu-uht, ah¡­¡±


    At the same time, a large hand wrapped around me from behind, rubbing my chest, and twisting the nipples with his fingers. A thin moan escaped my mouth as the blunt tip continued to touch the sensitive part underneath me.


    ¡°Bleon, ah, Bleon¡­¡±


    But it was strange. I was waiting for him to come inside, spitting out Bleon¡¯s name and moaning frantically, but no matter how much time passed, there was no sign of him going in. He just kept rubbing his manhood outside and didn¡¯t do anything more.


    ¡°Uh-ng, Bleon¡­ Come on, huh?¡±


    I wiggled my backside slightly and whined at him as his hand, which had been stroking my chest, moved over my bloated belly. He patted my stomach and opened his mouth.


    ¡°That¡¯s it for today.¡±


    ¡°¡­Huh? What?¡±


    For a moment, I didn¡¯t believe what I was hearing, so I couldn¡¯t get it straight into my head, so I asked him back.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 72

    Chapter 72


    I tried to turn my head, wondering what kind of expression Bleon had, but I couldn¡¯t easily move because he was resting his face on my nape.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to put you in danger, Wife¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh? No, that¡¯s, nngh.¡±


    Still, the pleasure continued uninterrupted while talking with him as he moved his waist steadily.


    ¡°It will be fine. Ah, take it slow, wa, wait, hu-uhng.¡±


    ¡°Next time, next time. Haa, even if you tell me to stop then, I will do it to the end, okay?¡±


    As he said that, Bleon¡¯s voice was so unusually low, that I could immediately feel that he, like me, had come to reach his limit. However, Bleon was enduring it with superhuman patience in case something bad might happen to me. Thinking of him, I could understand the meaning behind his actions, so I couldn¡¯t push him further here.


    ¡°Okay¡­ Then, ah, Bleon, hu-hngh, ahhkk!¡±


    As soon as I replied in affirmation, Bleon¡¯s lower body moved faster. He didn¡¯t insert it inside, but he began to press my swollen nub roughly with the tip of his manhood at an incredibly high speed, as if he was pounding my inner walls.


    ¡°Ah-huht, ah, ahng!¡±


    The lewd sound of our wet genitals rubbing against each other was heard more and more clearly in my ears as his movements increased. As he rubbed the outside as fiercely as it was to stimulate the inside, my waist wobbled wildly, and I was gripped by the intense sensation of my body floating, and I quickly grabbed Bleon¡¯s wrist so as not to fall off. And after a while, a dizzying and distant pleasure from head to toe engulfed my whole body.


    ¡°Ahhhhhngh!¡±


    ¡°Ugh.¡±


    At that moment, we both reached our climax at the same time. My opening contracted frantically, spilling liquid, and s*men burst out from his tip, which passed between my thighs and protruded to the front.


    ¡°Haa¡­¡±


    ¡°Uuhh, ah¡­!¡±


    But it was then.


    Still unable to get out of the climax, I was intoxicated with the gentle pleasure that spread throughout my body, but I felt a slight tug in my stomach. So, drenched in pleasure, I unknowingly placed both my hands over my stomach.


    ¡°Wife? Are you okay¡­?¡±


    As I let out a shallow moan, I heard Bleon¡¯s worried voice from behind. Bleon quickly grabbed my waist and wrapped his arms around me.


    ¡°Heuk, ah, hu-huht¡­¡±


    Bleon¡¯s movements stopped, but the lingering ripples of the climax were still ongoing. Fortunately though, the tension in my stomach that I felt earlier was hardly felt anymore. However, my body¡¯s sensitivity was at its best, and as he gently touched his stomach, the drowsy feeling persisted.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°Ha¡­¡±


    Bleon let out a sigh of relief.


    ¡°My stomach tugged a little just now. It¡¯s fine now.¡±


    I tapped the back of his hand to reassure him.


    ¡°As expected, I should have been patient¡­¡±


    ¡°No!¡±


    I cut off his words abruptly at his remorseful voice.


    ¡°¡­I mean, it¡¯s been a long time. So don¡¯t say that.¡±


    ¡°Wife¡­¡±


    Bleon¡¯s hold on me grew a little stronger. So I leaned into his arms without saying a word for a while and found stability.


    ¡°By the way¡­¡±


    After the trembling of my body calmed down to some extent, I felt his manhood behind me. Apparently, despite having just climaxed, he was still poking behind me without losing that firmness.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mind it.¡±


    How can I not mind it when it¡¯s so clearly showing its presence?


    But, perhaps because of the satisfaction that spreads throughout my body, I was already slowly falling asleep. But I couldn¡¯t leave him like this, so I struggled to hold back my sleep and mumbled.


    ¡°¡­Can I help you?¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t have to.¡±


    I thought it would be impossible to do anything more together, so I had come up with a solution, but Bleon flatly rejected it.


    ¡°Um, wait, then¡ª¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s really alright, so you don¡¯t have to worry about it, Wife.¡±


    I was about to overcome my sleep, thinking of another solution, but Bleon quickly cut off my words and answered.


    ¡°But¡ª¡±


    ¡°It will subside in a little while. You¡¯ll be tired, so go to sleep.¡±


    Bleon patted my head tenderly, noticing that I had been closing my eyes longer than I had already opened them.


    ¡°Uhhn, but¡­¡±


    ¡°¡­Sleep well, Wife.¡±


    In the end, as I felt his soft lips kissing my neck and cheeks in turn, I fell asleep in an instant. And when I woke up the next morning, my legs were washed clean and I was changed into a new nightgown, as if what happened last night was just a dream.


    ¡°Adrian, look over here.¡±


    A little baby with golden hair like Bleon and dark eyes similar to Astell, but a little lighter in color, was lying on the crib, showing a flawless smile to the person who was smiling at him.


    ¡°Oh my, Madam! The baby just smiled!¡±


    ¡°Right? He smiled, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, yes! So cute.¡±


    The nanny clasped her hands with an ecstatic face as if she had seen a baby angel that came down from heaven. Astell, who was looking at Adrian, also looked at her own adorable son with eyes full of emotion.


    Three months ago, with a loud cry, the next head of Duchy Einer, Astell and Bleon¡¯s precious child was born. Astell gave birth to a healthy child under the care of the family doctor, and was now fully healthy as she also recovered quickly after her birth.


    Astell said she could never forget the feeling she had when she met their child for the first time. As soon as she gave birth to the child, holding him in her arms, she was flooded with tens of thousands of indescribable emotions. It was a feeling that only parents of a child could know.


    But on the other hand, she could not fully enjoy the joy and happiness just looking at the child. It was because she was reminded of the child who had left before. She couldn¡¯t stop her sadness from filling up as she thought of their first baby, who she had lost in her womb.


    ¡®Did you come back to us? Baby?¡¯


    She wanted to believe so. She may not be able to wash away the guilt for the child that she could not keep for the rest of her life, but she wants to think that the child has found her again. And this time she vowed to protect her child to the end, and she held back her cry that was about to come out.


    Bleon, who was watching her with a worried face, patted her on the back as if he had noticed the change in Astell¡¯s emotions. Astell raised her head and looked at Bleon, and said in a trembling voice.


    ¡°¡­This is our child.¡±


    ¡°Our child.¡±


    Bleon followed Astell¡¯s words.


    ¡°Yes. So lovely.¡±


    ¡°He is. He¡¯s so lovely because he resembles you, Wife.¡±


    Bleon stared at Astell and the baby alternately with affectionate eyes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s give this child all the love we can give. Without regrets.¡±


    ¡°Yes. Yes. Wife.¡±


    Bleon and Astell smiled brilliantly at each other, vowing that, until the end of their lives, they would give their child the love that they couldn¡¯t receive from their own parents.


    A few days later, it was a deep night. Before Astell went to sleep she sat on the sofa and she was breastfeeding Adrian. Then came a knock on the door outside. There was only one person in the Duchy Einer who could disturb this quiet and peaceful time.


    ¡°Wife. It¡¯s me.¡±


    It was her husband, Bleon.


    ¡°Come on in, Duke.¡±


    With the nanny by her side, Astell spoke politely and answered him. Soon the door opened and Bleon entered the couple¡¯s bedroom.


    Seeing him slowly walk near the sofa where Astell and Adrian were, Astell carefully pulled Adrian away from her. Fortunately, Adrian wasn¡¯t whining, as he was fed enough milk before Bleon arrived.


    ¡°Nanny.¡±


    Astell handed Adrian over to the nanny. The nanny took Adrian into her arms and patted him on the back. As she watched it, Astell quickly organized her clothes by pulling up the chemise, which had fallen down to her chest.


    ¡°Adrian, my baby. Have a nice dream today.¡±


    ¡ª

 Chapter 73

    Chapter 73


    Now that Bleon has arrived, Astell said goodbye to Adrian, gently stroking the child¡¯s hair as she transferred him to the nanny¡¯s arms, who would bring him out of the room. She also did not forget to smile brightly at her child. Bleon, who suddenly came to Astell¡¯s side, also leaned down to greet Adrian on the same eye level.


    ¡°Good night, Adrian. See you tomorrow.¡±


    Adrian smiled at Bleon as if the baby was now recognizing that Bleon was his father.


    ¡°Wife, did you see? Adrian looked at me and smiled.¡±


    At that sight, Bleon looked back at Astell with a voice full of emotion.


    ¡°I think Adrian recognizes you, Duke.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s smart because he resembles my dear wife.¡±


    ¡°If he¡¯s smart, then doesn¡¯t he take after you more? And besides, with his fair features and gentle personality, it¡¯s clear that he resembles you the most.¡±


    Astell looked between the two men, Bleon and Adrian, with a satisfied look.


    ¡°Is that so? I wish he looked more like you, Wife¡­¡±


    However, contrary to feeling satisfied, Bleon trailed off slightly. His expression seemed to be somewhat gloomy. Astell remembered one more reason suddenly as she looked at him, puzzled.


    Just as Astell wanted Adrian to be like him, while he wanted Adrian to be more like Astell.


    Astell, pondered what she was going to say to him, and smiled then said,


    ¡°He looks like me, too.¡±


    Saying that, Astell quickly scanned Adrian¡¯s face.


    So, where is his resemblance to her¡­


    Adrian resembled Bleon, who will never be left out in terms of beauty no matter where he was in the world, as though he was created to be evermore brilliant. And Astell was so happy to have given birth to Adrian that the pain of the childbirth momentarily faded when she saw the child¡¯s face for the first time.


    It wasn¡¯t easy for her to find a feature of Adrian¡¯s that resembled her, but Astella confirmed to Bleon what he had already known about before.


    ¡°Our eyes are similar. Adrian¡¯s eyes are the same color as mine. Right?¡±


    Astell looked to Bleon with a light smile, and she pointed first towards her eyes, and then at the baby¡¯s eyes. After a while, Bleon looked into Astell and Adrian¡¯s eyes in turn, and his expression brightened at once.


    ¡°Right. These pretty, shining and lovely eyes that make my heart happy are very similar.¡±


    Bleon looked ecstatic, not taking his eyes off Astell. However, his longing for her was also clearly revealed without a single thing hidden.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yes. If those eyes were always on me, it would make me want to never take my eyes off of that gaze for even a moment.¡±


    ¡°I always only look at you, Duke.¡±


    Astell revealed her heart to him as she did not avert Bleon¡¯s eyes.


    I¡¯m the only one for you. You¡¯re my everything. That¡¯s why, don¡¯t worry. It doesn¡¯t matter if you become greedier than you are now.


    On the other hand, when the two suddenly fell into their own world, they forgot who was in this place right now. The nanny glanced at the two, seemingly at loss. And before the two of them fell even deeper, she coughed a little, hoping that the Master and the Madam would let her leave as soon as possible.


    ¡°Excuse me, M-Madam.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­¡±


    Fortunately, the nanny¡¯s voice reached Astell, who then immediately came to her senses.


    ¡°Nanny. Go put Adrian to sleep and take a rest.¡±


    ¡°T-Thank you. Madam. Then, I¡¯ll take my leave.¡±


    Astell nodded bashfully. Then, nanny bowed and soon left the room with Adrian in her arms. After he made sure that the door was closed, Bleon went to Astell¡¯s side. The nanny softened the tension between the two of them.


    ¡°You came early today. Have you finished your work?¡±


    When they were alone in the room, Astell spoke more comfortably with Bleon. Astell didn¡¯t think he¡¯d come with his work unfinished. As Duke Einer, he has a strong sense of responsibility and the ability to lead the family. It was just to refresh the surroundings for a while and change the topic.


    ¡°¡­Yes. It¡¯s done.¡±


    But despite her efforts, he was looking at her with his eyes wide open, just like with the nanny. As he answered, he swept the hair down the side of her face and tucked it behind her ear. Feeling his hand, Astell smiled mischievously.


    ¡°Is it hard because you have a lot of work?¡±


    ¡°No. It¡¯s not hard at all. It¡¯s what I have to do.¡±


    Bleon answered, stroking Astell¡¯s cheek softly.


    ¡°You have a harder time than me. For Adrian every time¡­¡±


    He frowned and lowered his gaze slightly, then lifted his head again and looked at Astell. Astell shook her head knowing what he meant.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not hard for me either. Just like you, Bleon, it¡¯s what I¡¯m supposed to do.¡±


    ¡°However¡­¡±


    ¡°Fortunately, I¡¯m taking good measures in a timely manner, so I¡¯m not in a lot of pain. ¡­Huh?¡±


    But it was then. Suddenly, she felt a damp feeling near her chest, and Astell looked down. She caught the sight of the chemise¡¯s chests getting wet. She must have thought it¡¯d be fine with Adrian sucking her breasts on both sides.


    Seeing Astell¡¯s visibly bewildered look, Bleon followed her gaze and bowed his head and found her clothes drenched wide around where the nipples were.


    ¡°Ah, Bleon, I¡¯ll go out for a while. You can rest. If you are tired, you can sleep first.¡±


    Fortunately, she didn¡¯t feel any pain, so it seemed like she had to squeeze out the leaks completely. But she felt a little embarrassed that her breast milk was leaking in front of Bleon, so Astell tried to get up to go to Adrian¡¯s room. But as she was about to lift herself off the couch, Bleon wrapped one hand around her waist, preventing her from moving away.


    ¡°Bleon?¡±


    Puzzled, Astell called Bleon.


    ¡°I will help you.¡±


    ¡°¡­What?¡±


    Her mind could not process the unexpected words for a moment, so her reaction was one beat late. And Astell, who understood what he meant, asked, looking at Bleon with eyes wide open in surprise.


    ¡°W-What?¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t I¡­ help you?¡±


    Bleon glanced at Astell¡¯s eyes, seemingly losing his original determination.


    ¡°H-Huh? No, that¡¯s¡­¡±


    It seemed right to say no¡ªthat he didn¡¯t have to. But seeing Bleon¡¯s expression, the words didn¡¯t come out easily. He looked as if he¡¯d feel hurt and abandoned if she refused.


    And she was very weak to him looking like that.


    However, after she gave birth to Adrian, they only kissed lightly, and there never was any lingering touches or anything else shared between them. Of course, the current situation can be regarded as completely different from what she thought it would be. Still, she hesitated a little, regardless of what her head understood.


    ¡°¡­I guess I offended my dear wife¡¯s heart by saying something useless. I¡¯ll call the nanny and stay in the office for a while.¡±


    As Astell was torn as to what to do, Bleon quickly backed down and rose from the couch sluggishly. Seeing him about to take a step along with that drooping figure, Astell hurriedly grabbed Bleon¡¯s wrist without realizing it.


    ¡°¡­Help me.¡±


    Astell murmured in a low voice. Bleon looked back at her, and Astell¡¯s earlobes were slightly reddened.


    ¡°But it may not taste very good¡­¡±


    Astell just added to her embarrassment by saying things that she didn¡¯t have to. For a moment there was silence between them. Bleon didn¡¯t respond to her words, and quietly stared at Astell¡¯s figure. The number they have slept together was too many to count, yet Astell was still ashamed to have even said something like this to him.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 74

    Chapter 74


    She was so lovely that Bleon couldn¡¯t control his feelings. Instead of going back to the seat next to her where he was originally sitting, he knelt down on the floor in front of Astell.


    ¡°Bleon?¡±


    Blinking at his unexpected action, Astell looked at Bleon. Bleon¡¯s physique was so large that even though he was sitting on the floor now, our eye levels still matched. Bleon slowly lowered Astell¡¯s chemise down her shoulder. Since the neckline could be stretched, the clothes came off easily.


    Her two breasts, much larger than before she had given birth, appeared before his eyes.


    Astell reflexively shuddered as her breasts were exposed. As a result, her nipples naturally stood up.


    ¡°Cold?¡±


    Seeing Astell¡¯s reaction, Bleon asked with a worried face.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not like that¡­¡±


    The summer was slowly passing, and the changing seasons soon started welcoming autumn. Still, the bedroom they were in didn¡¯t feel cold even if they took their clothes off.


    ¡°¡­Are you okay?¡±


    Bleon looked at Astell and asked for her permission once more. Astell nodded her head softly.


    ¡°¡­Yes. Ah!¡±


    As soon as she gave her permission, Bleon¡¯s large hand gently wrapped Astell¡¯s left breast.


    ¡°It hurts?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that¡­ Hhn.¡±


    Just by touching it, the nerves all over her body became sensitive. Astell bit her lip to keep herself from moaning, bearing in mind that it wasn¡¯t an act with a sensual meaning.


    But that determination was soon shattered.


    ¡°Ah, ah-hngh!¡±


    When Astell said it doesn¡¯t hurt, Bleon immediately placed his lips upon one breast. Just by holding the nipple in his mouth, a high-pitched moan erupted from Astell.


    ¡°Hnng, Bleon¡­¡±


    Astell tilted her head back and placed her hand on Bleon¡¯s head that was buried in her chest. His fine hair flowed down like gold between her fingers. Bleon paused for a moment, noticing that she wasn¡¯t pushing him away, and then sucked the nipple in his mouth. Then, a strange-tasting liquid filled his mouth.


    However, it was also from the body of the woman he loved, so the subtle taste was delicious. So, like a suckling baby, he began to suck with his tongue in earnest.


    ¡°Ah-huk, huht, ah!¡±


    As Bleon¡¯s actions continued, Astell¡¯s moans grew louder. The determination she had made earlier was already scattered in the distance without a trace. The more Bleon sucked her breast, the more her lower half became wetter. It was the sexual pleasure that she reminded herself over and over that she should not feel.


    ¡°Nnngh, Bleon!¡±


    Astell grabbed Bleon¡¯s hair tightly and he stopped what he was sucking, and raised his head to look at Astell.


    ¡°Are you okay, Wife? Is this how I should do it?¡±


    Her breast was still in his mouth as he spoke, and his soft tongue nudged the pert nipple. That unconscious action evoked a dizzying sensation within her body.


    ¡°Nngh, uhng.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s coming out anymore.¡±


    ¡°Then, then the other side¡­¡±


    ¡°Okay.¡±


    Bleon¡¯s head moved from left to right. The tip of her left breast, which had been in his mouth for a while, was wet when released. Astell exhaled for a moment, trying to relax her tense body. But it was quickly sucked in by Bleon as he immediately took in her right nipple.


    ¡°Mmh, ah!¡±


    Surely no one taught him how to do this, but he was very good at it. It didn¡¯t seem like something a first timer would do. He gently massaged her breasts, sucking the milk carefully so she wouldn¡¯t feel pain, and he never used his teeth.


    And so, this caused Astell to feel overwhelmed by the pleasures she shouldn¡¯t have felt. After a while, Bleon¡¯s face, which had been preoccupied with sucking her right breast just like the left one, pulled away.


    ¡°Hu-uht¡­¡±


    Astell buried her face in the sofa, letting out heavy breaths in between moans. Bleon looked intently at the tip of her chest. He opened his mouth after confirming that there was no milk on the tip.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think it will come out anymore.¡±


    ¡°Hmm? Uh, thank you¡­¡±


    Astell¡¯s voice trembled slightly as if the heat had not yet subsided. As Astell smiled softly at him, Bleon looked up at her slightly, clenching and unclenching his fists repeatedly.


    He shouldn¡¯t be lusting after his wife¡¯s appearance, so he had to keep reminding himself that at this moment he was just trying to help her relieve her pain. But from the time he put her breasts in his mouth, or even long before that, the front of his pants had already swelled up.


    Having barely regained his composure, he pulled up her chemise, which had come down beneath her chest, and put it back to its original position. And after a brief kiss on her forehead, he hugged Astell and tried to get up to go to the bed. However, Astell stopped him by holding onto his wrist.


    ¡°Bleon¡­¡±


    Astell called him in her nervous voice. And at the same time, she grabbed his hand and pulled it to her chest.


    ¡°Touch me more. Please?¡±


    As she whispered words that he could never refuse, his rationality, which he barely held onto, was cut off.


    ¡°Mmph!¡±


    Placing one hand on the back of the sofa to support himself, Bleon quickly swallowed her lips. Astell¡¯s hand pressed against his chest gently. The tongues intertwined and their breaths burst out. Bleon caressed her body, and his tongue explored every nook and cranny of her mouth.


    While one hand was stroking her chest, the other stroked the nape of her neck as it climbed up, and then came back down to her chest. A gentle touch rubbed her nipples, and then it went down along the waistline to her behind, and their lips only fell apart when he reached near the thighs.


    As Astell exhaled a panting breath, his lips moved as his hands did. In the end, he kneeled on the floor in the same position he had sucked her breasts in, lifted the hem of her clothes, grabbed Astell¡¯s waist and buried his head in her secret place.


    ¡°Ah, hnn!¡±


    Astell looked down at Bleon that was licking underneath, stimulating her cl*toris with his tongue, groaning and clenching her waist-high skirt. Then, when he put his finger in her entrance and rubbed the spot where she felt it best, her moans intensified. Astell couldn¡¯t come to terms with the pleasure she felt inside and out.


    ¡°Nnngh, Bleon, ah!¡±


    After the brief climax swallowed her, Bleon raised his body. Within her vision blurred by the pleasure, she could see the wet area around Bleon¡¯s lips. Bleon took off Astell¡¯s clothes at once with strength as he couldn¡¯t control himself, and he quickly took off the clothes he was wearing as well.


    And this time he licked her skin, not over the clothes, creating red blossoms all over her body, which he hoped would never be erased. Then, he pressed his genitals upon her entrance.


    ¡°Mmngh, ah, hnngh.¡±


    Contrary to his impatient desire to be inside her as soon as possible, he slowly spread the liquid coming out of her to his manhood, his actions slow.


    ¡°Hhnn, why¡­¡±


    Despite Astell¡¯s whining as to why he¡¯s still doing this, Bleon moved at the same pace. This was their first time making love again after she gave birth to Adrian, that¡¯s why he wanted to do it only after she was ready.


    Bleon, who had been concentrating on enhancing her excitement for so long, spread Astell¡¯s thighs apart, then slowly inserted himself, starting with the tip, scraping her inner walls.


    ¡°Ah, hhnnngh!¡±


    Astell, who had already brimmed with excitement due to Bleon¡¯s prolonged caresses, was swept into her climax just by him entering her. Her thighs, held by Bleon, trembled uncontrollably, her insides contracted, and her toes curled up.


    But he was just getting started. Bleon felt her insides sucking him hard as he began to move roughly, holding Astell¡¯s legs that were about to close in.


    ¡°Ah-huht, aahngg, ha-ugh!¡±


    It felt like she was going crazy because of the pleasure that had been accumulated from before. Astell hugged Bleon¡¯s neck to not fall under the endless unknown. That very night in this bedroom, their union continued on and on as Bleon refused to let her go.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 75

    Chapter 75


    Side Story Arc 2 ¨C Can the tragic novel¡¯s male lead be saved by the female lead?


    Bleon looked at Astell as she was lying on the bed, her eyes full of helplessness and sorrow. Astell was on the verge of death, and she was barely holding onto her life, breathing heavily just to be with him for even a minute longer.


    ¡°Gasp, gasp, Bleon¡­¡±


    Astell called him in a very low voice that would not be audible unless he paid attention. Instead of answering, he brushed her hair over and over as he looked into her eyes. And he pressed the sight of her to his heart.


    ¡°Listen. Haa, just in case, even if I can¡¯t wake up, huuhk, promise me. You will live your life properly¡­¡±


    Her request to him was something he would never grant her.


    How¡­


    How could he continue living in a world she was no longer in?


    It was enough once. No, he couldn¡¯t live a day in a world without her.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to¡­ I¡¯ll wait for you, Wife. You¡¯ll be back. You¡¯ll come back to me soon. So don¡¯t say that.¡±


    So he refused the request full of earnestness at once.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come, haa, but you never know. Huff, so promise me.¡±


    ¡°¡­¡­.¡±


    Bleon did not answer her any more. Of course, if he could reassure her as she was at the threshold of death, he could have told her a hundred lies. But he was a terribly selfish man when it came to Astell. He could do anything to have her, to keep her by his side.


    So, if he can give her a reason to come back to him, if he can add to it her anxiety that he wouldn¡¯t be able to live properly, so she could come back to him, he would close his eyes tightly and turn a blind eye to her earnest wish.


    However, she took his silence as affirmation, and so Astell¡¯s expression grew to be more comfortable. Seeing this, Bleon bit his lip to hold back the tears that were about to burst out.


    ¡®Don¡¯t go. Don¡¯t go.¡¯


    He wanted to hold her and beg her.


    ¡®You¡¯re leaving me alone, don¡¯t do this again¡­ Please¡­¡¯


    There were so many things he wanted to say to her, but he swallowed them all inside him. He will trust her. She will be different this time. This time Astell will never leave him alone¡­ He just had to believe it.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you, too.¡±


    Astell¡¯s complexion grew pale as she said he loved him. It was hard to keep her eyes open, her eyelids drooped helplessly.


    ¡°Wife¡­?¡±


    Even as he called her, Astell did not move.


    And the strength in the hand holding his hand completely disappeared. So Astell met her second death right before his eyes.


    ¡°¡­Wife? Astell? Hicc¡­!¡±


    Bleon¡¯s tears-stricken scream echoed throughout the entire room.


    He knows that this is by no means the end this time, and he knew it in his mind, but he had a hard time accepting it in his heart. Thoughts of every kind kept running through his mind and he felt like he was going crazy.


    ¡®No.¡¯


    She will come back. She will surely come back to him and she will show him his favorite bright smile again.


    So he trusted her, and Bleon did not leave Astell¡¯s side even for a moment. Despite the dissuasion of the servants and the butler of the mansion, he did not eat or sleep. No one was allowed to enter her room, He waited by Astell¡¯s side the whole time for her to come back. All of it would have been meaningless if she didn¡¯t wake up anyway, so his time stopped too and he would never move again until she returned.


    But even after a day passed, two days passed, and a week passed, Astell showed no sign of waking up.


    ¡°Astell¡­¡±


    Bleon sat next to Astell who was lying on the bed and held her in his arms. Her body was strangely still warm, not like a dead person. This was the only hope he had left.


    It¡¯s not over yet, perhaps she¡¯s been in a long sleep and threading a long way to get back to him. He tried so hard to persuade himself.


    ¡°I can¡¯t live without you, Wife¡­ I¡­¡±


    I don¡¯t want to spend that lonely and dark time again. I don¡¯t want to live a lonesome life without you.


    I have nothing more to offer so that I can bring you back¡­


    Oh, then, this time, I¡¯ll have to follow you right away.


    There was a glimmer of hope in his last life, so he held on to that tough life, but now there was no need for that. Dying would take but a moment. He no longer had to spend horrible time struggling to get Astell back.


    He did not have to.


    After Astell died in Bleon¡¯s arms in their previous life, he could not live sanely. It was a given. The person he loved, who was his everything, who he would give everything he had, died horribly in his arms. After that, only Astell¡¯s last moments were replayed in his head.


    ¡¤


    ¡¤


    ¡¤


    He couldn¡¯t even remember how he got back to the mansion. However, the moment he cried to not separate from Astell, who had become a cold corpse, and the moment he tried to point a sword straight to his chest so he could follow Astell, he only regained consciousness briefly.


    By the time he came back to his senses, it had already been a long time since Astell had been buried in the cold ground. Unable to let him die of seizures whenever he opened his eyes, Philia continued to force Bleon to take sedatives, and after months of terrible and difficult days, Bleon¡¯s seizures stopped. He was alive, but Bleon did not react to anything, and he spent the day in a lethargic state with only his eyes open by the energy of medicine.


    He had been abandoned by his wife. He was thrown away because he was useless and dirty. So she left him alone.


    If I had been nicer to her, or if I had listened to her, if I had not coveted her, or if we hadn¡¯t met in the first place¡­


    Astell wouldn¡¯t have died. Maybe it was because he was so greedy that things turned out like this.


    No. That¡¯s not allowed. Either way, they should be connected. They had to be. So, he erased the brief thought of living without having known Astell.


    Bleon spent all day in bed thinking about it.


    Thoughts of regret create despair, and slowly start consuming him, but he has neither the will nor the will to shake it off.


    ¡®I must die¡­¡¯


    He wanted to die, but he couldn¡¯t. He had neither the strength nor the will to lift a single finger. The only thought that passed through his mind was that he should follow Astell, but he did not do anything at all.


    But it was a letter that came to him one day that lifted him up.


    ¡°Duke. I have something for you¡­¡­.¡±


    Philia said as she approached Bleon, who was lying on the bed. Despite the fact that a letter had arrived, Bleon didn¡¯t respond at all and just stared blankly.


    ¡°It¡¯s a letter. I¡¯ll leave it here.¡±


    There was nothing else but the name ¡®Bleon Einer¡¯ written on the envelope. But Philia knew who the letter was from. Holding back the tears, she carefully placed the letter on the bedside table.


    ¡°And¡­ My teacher passed away not long ago.¡±


    At the mention of her teacher, Bleon¡¯s eyes became cold for an instant. It was almost the first reaction from him who had seemed insensitive to anything since that day. But it was only for a short time, and the focus of his eyes was again blurred and the color was lost.


    ¡°The reason I am telling you this is because this letter is from my teacher to Your Grace. So please read it.¡±


    There was the sound of footsteps getting farther away from him, and the sound of a ¡®thump¡¯ as the door closed. Again, he was the only one left in the room.


    Bleon did not budge for hours, even though he was told it was a letter for him. He doesn¡¯t know what the doctor Logan had to say to him, but he wasn¡¯t interested. Philia¡¯s request to read it was of no interest to him as well.


    Towards dinner time, when Philia returned to the room to give Bleon a meal replacement for his unwillingness to eat, she found the letter still there.


    As soon as she saw it, a strong emotion rushed into Philia for an instant. It was the words left by her teacher, Logan, in his will, and she was obliged to keep it. So she even begged him to read it, but Bleon ignored her words.


    ¡°I beg of you¡­!¡±


    Unlike her, who expressed her raw emotions, Bleon was staring at the ceiling with still indifferent eyes.


    ¡°Haa, I see. If Your Grace does not want to read it yourself, I will read it to you.¡±


    So Philia decided to read the letter directly to Bleon. That man, who was lying in bed waiting to die, probably would never read this letter himself. But her teacher said to her earnestly until he ran out of breath. He asked her to deliver her letter. Therefore, this was the only way to keep her teacher¡¯s will.


    ¡ª

 Chapter 76

    Chapter 76


    Philia tore the seal on the envelope, took out the letter from inside, unfolded it, and slowly read it aloud from the top.


    ¡°Dear Duke Einer. The reason I wrote a letter to Your Grace is because you do not know how the Madam¡ª Ah!¡±


    However, not even ten seconds since she started reading the letter, the letter she was holding in her hand was snatched away. By a man who was just lying there.


    ¡°¡­Duke?¡±


    Her face widened in amazement at seeing him move on his own for the first time since he returned to the mansion. She called for Bleon, but as he concentrated on reading the letter, she received no response from him.


    When Philia said that she would read the letter, he just wanted to be alone again after the time had passed and he had no thoughts. However, unexpectedly, when the mention of ¡®madam¡¯ came out of Philia¡¯s mouth, his body was suddenly filled with energy, as if the lethargy he had been feeling until now was never there. His body moved in an instant, and he snatched the letter from Philia¡¯s hand. He read it immediately.


    [ Dear Duke Einer,


    The reason I am writing a letter to Your Grace is because you do not know how the Madam had fared and what the true story is. The Madam made me swear never to tell you, but whenever I see how Your Grace has become a broken man, so contrary to the Madam¡¯s wishes, I cannot help but be wrought with the urge to reveal the truth on the day I die, just like this. ]


    The letter truly detailed everything he didn¡¯t know. Everything about Astell¡¯s illness and everything about the actions she took to distance herself from him. They were all written down.


    And at the end, there was a request written there.


    [ Then, Your Grace, please do not waste your precious time any longer. Please heed the Madam¡¯s words. Those who have passed on will not return, and likewise, the living must continue to live in this world. The Madam wanted only one thing from Your Grace. And like the Madam¡¯s wishes, I am writing this letter with the hope that Your Grace will have a better life in the future. I hope that my sincerity may reach you. ]


    After reading the letter, Bleon stared quietly into the air for a moment. And, completely different from what Logan intended, the thought that came to his mind was this.


    As expected, you didn¡¯t abandon me, Wife.


    Forgetting the request at the end of the letter, the only thought at the forefront of Bleon¡¯s mind was the fact that Astell loved him even until the end.


    She left because she loved him. She did all that for him. No one else but him.


    He didn¡¯t fully understand why it had to end the way it did, but that didn¡¯t matter because the only thing that mattered was the fact that she did not change her mind about him, and the fact that she did this because she loved him.


    Then he shouldn¡¯t be doing nothing like this. He had to find a way to repay her immense love.


    ¡°Duke?¡±


    With the call, Bleon lowered his gaze and looked at Philia. And then he quickly passed her and walked out of the room, treating her like air.


    ¡°Duke!¡±


    Philia followed after Bleon with an uneasy heart because he started acting strangely after reading the letter. But even as Philia called him, Bleon ignored her and headed to the study. Then, he locked the door to prevent anyone from disturbing him.


    Ignoring all those who worried about him outside the door, he spending several days and nights in the study alone¡ªuntil he found something. After that, he immediately left the ducal residence.


    And after that day, Philia never saw Bleon again in her life, and Bleon never returned to a place where Astell did not exist.


    In the study back then, Bleon found a record about a spell to turn back time, and so he went looking for a mage. With a will to find the mage¡ªno matter how long it took¡ªhe wandered around the continent and eventually found one after a long time. At that time, he was already thirty-seven. He had been searching for someone who might not exist for over ten years.


    After meeting the mage, Bleon asked her to turn back time in exchange for his soul, and the mage, who was coveting a human soul to obtain powerful magical power, gladly granted his request.


    However, since he only had as much time as the rest of his current lifespan, 17 years was the maximum. In addition, the mage warned him that he would not be able to remember anything that had happened so far. His memories would be erased in order to avoid a time paradox between the past and the future as much as possible.


    Bleon didn¡¯t care at all about the mage¡¯s warnings. As long as he could see Astell again, he didn¡¯t care if he could spend only a year or even just a single day more with her.


    He agreed, and after a long preparation, the spell was executed. Bleon soon went back 17 years in time.


    And in front of him, at age 20, the love of his life¡ªthe woman he desperately wanted to see¡ªwas in front of him.


    Before turning back time, the mage was given a glance into the two¡¯s lives through Bleon¡¯s soul, and so after being moved by those memories, the mage made a very small ¡®mistake¡¯, making it so that the two of them later found their memories of the past, together.


    While reminiscing about the past, Bleon smiled faintly.


    Yes. My only wish was to see you again, Wife. And my dream came true.


    So, after waiting a little longer, if you still don¡¯t open your eyes, let¡¯s just stay together like this¡­


    Bleon embraced Astell a little tighter, promising that he would not be greedy any more after enduring as much as he could endure with no regrets.


    But it was then.


    Astell¡¯s body in his arms moved slightly.


    No way¡­


    Forgetting to breathe as he stared at Astell¡¯s face, he was instantly filled with tension. And he hurriedly prayed again, erasing each and every thought he was having just now.


    If they were given more time to live together, he would gladly live a better today than yesterday and a happier tomorrow than today. With her.


    The person who had just refused to be greedy got greedy again as soon as he saw a spark of hope.


    And indeed, his wish came true. Astell miraculously opened her eyes. All that he could see with his eyes right now was the sight of her waking up, blinking her eyes open


    As soon as Astell opened her eyes, she whispered softly as Bleon¡¯s gently smiling face, too, was all that she could see.


    ¡°Bleon. I¡¯m back.¡±


    Perhaps it was because she woke up from a long slumber, but her voice was lower than usual, and it resounded in his ears. When Astell¡¯s black pupils met his eyes. Emotions flooded him entirely, and soon, tears flowed from Bleon¡¯s eyes unknowingly. As a result, her face in his vision became obscured by tears.


    ¡°Don¡¯t cry¡­¡±


    He wanted to answer, but his voice was blocked by crying and he couldn¡¯t speak properly. But as he was always obedient to her, Bleon nodded and tried to hold back the tears. However, the tears did not stop, as if the tear glands were broken due to waiting too much.


    ¡°You missed me, right¡­?¡±


    Astell reached out and wiped the tears from Bleon¡¯s face. Bleon nodded his head more vigorously as she grabbed the hand that touched him. How much he had waited for her, how much he had missed her, that could not be described in words or anything in this world.


    ¡°I really missed you. Really¡­¡±


    ¡°I missed you a lot, too.¡±


    When she said that she missed him as well, the sobs he had managed to hold back turned into cries that almost sounded like wailing. As if he was going to cry as much as the time he had been grieving, there was no sign of the tears stopping.


    Astell looked at Bleon in such a way that she suddenly wondered, so she asked him.


    ¡°How long has it been? One hour? Two hours? If not¡­ a day?¡±


    It was really quick for her. She didn¡¯t open her eyes right away after closing them, but the dream didn¡¯t last long. That¡¯s why she thought that only that much time passed. Maybe a day has passed?


    However, considering how Bleon was acting right now, it didn¡¯t seem like only an hour or two had passed. So, out of curiosity, she asked Bleon.


    ¡°¡­A week.¡±


    ¡°What?¡±


    And the answer was completely unexpected. Astell was so startled that a week had passed that she almost shot out of bed. Her shock was so great that her body bounced back, but Bleon was holding her, so she luckily escaped an accident.


    ¡°A week?¡±


    A week. So, that means that Bleon waited a week for her.


    Astell felt shock and astonishment, and the pain and sorrow that he had been waiting for a long time, made tears welled up in her eyes, too.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Hiic, I didn¡¯t expect it to be that long. Sorry, I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    And she apologized to him over and over again with so much regret.


    ¡°No. You¡¯re back to me, so it¡¯s fine.¡±


    ¡°But¡­ I should have come sooner, but I got lost for a while.¡±


    Astell, in a weeping voice, slowly explained to Bleon what she had seen in her dreams.


    ¡°Lost?¡±


    ¡°Yes. I didn¡¯t know what to do so I just kept walking without any direction. But then all of a sudden, I saw light in the distance, so I ran towards it. That light brought me back here.¡±


    And that light is you.


    Astell did not anymore say these additional words. He was looking at her with a tearful and tender gaze. He already knew what she meant without her having to tell him.


    For the same was true for Bleon too, just as he was the light to Bleon, Astell was the light to him.


    They were each other¡¯s only light and salvation.


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    ¡°I love you.¡±


    That afternoon, as the warm sunlight permeated the air, they finally faced each other after a long time.


    Taking Care of My Husband in a Tragic Novel, End.


    ¡ª


    effe¡¯s notes:


    *grabbing tissues and wiping tears* we have finally reached the end of ¡®Taking Care of My Husband in a Tragic Novel¡¯~ the end was so touching, i caaan¡¯t


    thank you for loving and believing in Astell & Bleon¡¯s story till the end, i know there are bad reviews of this book but whyy when the story is so good.


    see you again in another book!


    ¡ª


    yonnee¡¯s notes:


    y¡¯all i can¡¯t believe it¡¯s over i¡¯m going to miss these two! i loved reading astell¡¯s perspective because she has such a strong will despite everything that happened, and bleon continued to be such a sweetheart all throughout the entire journey, and learning about what he went through in the previous timeline was just heart-wrenching


    thank you for being on this journey with us until the end! now that we know both astell and bleon¡¯s sides of the story, we¡¯d love to hear your thoughts! comments over here on the site are very much appreciated, and even more so any rating or review you may leave on the novel¡¯s ~!


    ¡ª