~Chapter 120~
Careful words finally came out.
“Elaine.”
“……”
“I never meant to deceive you all the way…”
“I know.”
“……”
“I know you meant to tell me at some point.”
I narrowed my eyes and added:
“Still, you should’ve told me earlier.”
“…You.”
“You?”
“I was afraid… you’d hate me.”
Hearing that fragile voice, the last piece of anger I still held just vanished.
“Why would I hate you?”
“Of course, you would…”
“Not just hate. You’d despise me, persecute me, maybe even hit me.”
There was silence for a moment.
Then his voice came, even heavier.
“You can do all of that.”
“Really?”
“…Just don’t leave me.”
His voice was weak, almost pitiful, as his hand guided mine to his face.
But all I felt was the cold mask.
Hmph. I didn’t like it.
Crack!
“Elaine?”
I grabbed the dragon-head mask and crushed it.
It broke far easier than I expected, cracks spreading right away.
“Ugly.”
His body flinched, but I was serious.
“Where did you even find such an ugly thing? Too much of a ‘theme.’ You’re a dragon duke so you wear a dragon mask? That’s too literal.”
I tore it off and tossed it aside.
“……”
I fell silent.
Golden eyes were staring desperately at me—
eyes full of fear that I would cast him away.
That face didn’t suit the proud man I knew.
“…You already upset me enough.”
“……”
“Wearing something that ugly only made you lose more points.”
“…I’m sorry.”
“Don’t wear ugly things again. Show your handsome face proudly and flaunt it everywhere.”
“…Alright.”
“And in front of me, bow low and show me respect.”
“…Understood.”
Was this really the same person I knew?
He used to be so brazen, so shameless… now he just nodded to everything.
His eyes, pale and trembling, looked at me.
“Elaine.”
“Yeah. Honestly, I was angry, and when I remember it, I might still want to hit you sometimes.”
“I told you, do whatever you want.”
“Right. But…”
But you know…
Right now, another thought filled me:
‘Thank goodness.’
That the two men I liked were the same person.
That I wasn’t the heroine of some trashy cheating drama.
That now, I could love freely without guilt.
‘…That my husband is you.’
Thinking that made sweetness fill my mouth.
Butterflies fluttered in my chest.
“…Elaine.”
Karl—no, the Duke—looked at me with desperate eyes.
I finally said what I hadn’t managed before.
“I don’t care.”
“……”
“Whether you’re the Duke, a monster hunter, a lazy bum, or even unemployed.”
I don’t care.
“Because all of that is still you, the one I like.”
Now everything was fine.
His eyes shook violently, then he covered my palm with kisses.
Over and over, trembling, tender.
The touch tingled against my skin.
“Elaine, I truly…”
“But I want to ask something.”
I cut him off, standing from the stool.
His eyes trembled even harder.
Instead of pulling my hand away, I sat down on the bed.
‘Is it the right time for this?’
But…
I couldn’t help it.
“…Can I kiss you?”
“……”
“Not a peck. A real kiss.”
At that, his eyes shook like in an earthquake.
Then, with trembling hands, he grabbed the back of my head.
Later
“Hmm, hmm.”
While straightening my messy clothes, I hummed softly without realizing it.
‘Well, Duke.’
‘……’
‘I may have shared a bed with the monster hunter first, but the first kiss was with you.’
‘……’
‘Satisfied now?’
‘……Not yet.’
Thinking of our exchange made me laugh again.
My lips still tingled, swollen.
I tapped them and went back to my room.
“Whoa, you scared me.”
And froze.
Jeremy was still there—
holding Beth’s hand tightly—
both staring longingly at the couple’s bedroom door.
“Miss, are you really alright?”
“…Grand Duchess, His Grace is…”
I looked at their worried faces.
“What are you two doing?”
“Oh my, what is this!”
Beth panicked and yanked her hand from Jeremy’s, as if startled by the parrot on her shoulder.
They must have grabbed hands unconsciously while worrying for their lord.
Jeremy clenched his empty fist nervously, then asked timidly:
“…Is His Grace still alive?”
“What?”
“He didn’t… die, right?”
Why did it sound like he thought I killed him?
I tilted my head at him.
“Don’t say ominous things. He just fainted.”
“But…”
“Would I kill my own husband?”
At that, Jeremy’s face brightened.
“…So, you’re not angry?”
“Of course I was angry.”
At that, his face went pale again. Like master, like aide.
I shrugged.
“I’ll let it go just this once.”
“Let… it go?”
Jeremy mumbled blankly.
Beth, still staring at my swollen lips, looked at me knowingly.
“Hmm.”
Her little hum made me more self-conscious.
Jeremy cleared his throat.
“Then His Grace is…?”
“Asleep. We can call the doctor again in the morning.”
A husband who falls asleep first on his wedding night.
Not impressive, but I chose to be generous.
“I think the backlash from that magic burst remains.”
I didn’t know exactly what he did, but he had used the eyeball.
It wiped out the monsters, restored the walls, and even erased parts of people’s memories.
‘It must have been dangerous.’
I sighed, remembering how he collapsed into my arms afterward.
He had clung to me until I scolded him into finally sleeping.
‘…Stay with me until I fall asleep.’
‘What are you, a child? Just sleep already.’
‘Why do you think I wore the mask? I’m still a child with old scars.’
‘…Aren’t you ashamed to say that to your parents?’
‘I hate sleeping alone. Hold me.’
Even then, he had acted spoiled.
His big frame, his clingy eyes…
‘The fact I found it cute is the real problem.’
I held him until he slept.
Jeremy sighed in relief.
“…The backlash must have exhausted him more.”
“Backlash?”
“Ah.”
He regretted saying it.
I stared at him.
Beth raised her fist, urging him to speak.
“Well… His Grace has been researching a way to block dragon’s magic, even temporarily.”
“What? Why?”
In this situation, why would he—
Jeremy’s gaze turned toward me.
That’s when I realized.
‘Because of me.’
My fists clenched.
‘Dragon’s magic kills the spouse. So he tried to block it, even just for a while.’
Even if it wasn’t certain, he forced himself to try.
That explained everything.
Why the eyeball seemed to glare at him.
Because he’s a dragon.
It hated his attempt to reject its power.
‘In the end, he had to use that power to destroy the monsters.’
Karl, the Duke—
he really had tried his best.
For me.
‘What an idiot.’
I wanted to kiss him again.
And slap him too.
And hug him, and scold him.
I rubbed my tingling hands together and said:
“Alright. I understand.”
“Yes.”
“For now, let him rest.”
After all, I thought I even tasted a little blood during that last kiss.
“…Yes.”
Jeremy answered, looking half relieved and half sad.
Beth absentmindedly patted his back, then snatched her hand away in surprise.
Heh. Soon enough, she’ll be calling him her man again.
“Oh, and one more thing.”
If my husband is working that hard for me—
I should do my best too.
“In that case, where’s Captain Ista?”
“The Knight Captain? Didn’t you already speak with him earlier?”
“There’s still more I need to discuss.”
That’s where I’ll start.
AWW