A terrifying aura emanated from Damian. Ivan noticed that the situation was really serious.
“…I will correct it.”
“Why do something to correct it in the first place?”
“My thoughts were too short.”
“Hah.”
At first he was angry. But soon, complex emotions rushed one after another.
She doesn’t seem to trust him or like him very much, so why is Lilian so committed to this job?
The Head Butler, Mrs. Maureen, and everyone else in the house were fascinated by the new Grand Duchess.
Lilian was the perfect wife, doing everything except letting Damian be by her side.
Even if he wanted to go crazy and jump, he was proud when he looked at the payment documents that were neatly arranged so that he could see everything.
If she give him only the outside, he wished she could give it only to him.
Why can’t he just have one thing?
He can’t. If she didn’t give him the spot beside her, he won’t let her work.
“Your Highness? What…”
“What’s the matter?”
Now, this kind of question doesn’t hurt too much. Damn it.
“Wife doesn’t even know her body is breaking and still works tirelessly, but as her husband, I couldn’t stand seeing her like this, so I came here.”
“Pardon?”
Damian grinned. He snapped his fingers before Lily could feel an ominous feeling.
“Did you call, Your Highness?”
A group of people opened the door and appeared.
Damian glanced at the papers lying on Lilian’s desk. And then ordered.
“Move everything to my office.”
“Yes, understood.”
“Yes? Wait, Your Highness!”
“I wanted to be a husband who respects my wife and listen to her side, rather than an oppressive husband. But if my wife is so wonderful that you have nothing to say to me, well.”
Damian smiled softly.
…it was such a smile that showed signs of being pissed off somewhere.
“Then I have no choice but to take special measures?”
You win or I win.
During his days as a war demon, Damian was also famous for his strategies that went beyond common sense.
When dealing with people who locked the gates in a fortress built on a high mountain, there was a time when he did a crazy thing like build an artificial mound as high as a mountain next to it, build a bridge and enter the castle directly, and still win.
This time he was confident.
“Your Highness. To be honest, I understand this to some extent. However, I am the hostess of the Grand Duchy and the wife of His Highness.”
He was confident of winning…
“I have a responsibility to do my duty. As Your highness’ wife, please let me fulfill that responsibility.”
He was…., damn it.
Lilian’s earnest gaze, and-
‘As Your highness’ wife, please let me fulfill that responsibility.’ That plea shook his heart.
Damian hid his trembling hands behind his back trying to resist the urge to hug Lilian right away. Unknowingly, Lilian was desperate and afraid.
When she was Lilian of Turin, she didn’t have to prove the value of her existence to this extent. She was the most beloved and cherished sister of the family head, and she was treated with respect even when she didn’t do these things.
But it was different now. Lilian was no longer a child and she was a bride from another place as a pledge for an alliance.
‘I have to prove the value of my existence.’
She didn’t want to be a useless person like she used to be.
Damian taking Lily’s work so easily felt like telling Lily that he didn’t need her.
She had worked hard so far, but is it not very helpful to Damian?
Her heart ached. But she couldn’t let him take it away, no matter how little she’d done so far.
Please. Please don’t take it away, please.
In the end, Lily’s earnest eyes made Damian’s lips that’s like a fortress go out of control.
“…one hour at a time.”
“Yes?”
“If you accept the condition that you receive mana from me every morning and evening for at least an hour, I can let you take care of your work for about two hours a day.”
“Yes?”
Lilian was dazed by the completely unexpected condition. Damian kindly explained.
“In terms of my mana, isn’t it the best medicine to improve my wife’s condition?”
That’s true, but the way she took the medicine was the problem.
Damian smiled beautifully, ignoring Lilian’s shaking eyes.
“If you promise to take the medicine, I might allow you to go outside for about two hours.”
“But Your Highness…”
“What would you like to do?”
Lilian hesitated. But come to think of it, there were no bad terms for her.
Damian was now persuading her for her health. Lilian needed Damian’s mana, but Damian didn’t necessarily need her mana.
It was a pity that she had to convince him in this situation.
Lilian told Damian that she didn’t want to be a nuisance. But here it seemed that if she refused more then she would be bothering him.
“…I understand, Your Highness. I beg of you.”
Driven to a dead end, Lilian only had one choice.
“Hmm.”
Damian’s eyes narrowed.
He said “come” and stretched out his arms.
“?”
Damian kindly explained to Lily, who was puzzled.
“Didn’t you just promise? I’m sure you’ll take your medicine.”
It was a bit embarrassing and strange sounding that the medicine was referring to him.
“If you made a promise, you must fulfill it. Isn’t my wife a diligent and responsible adult?”
“That…”
The friendly way of talking to her like a child was itchy and unfamiliar. However, Damian, who was smiling brightly, showed no signs of backing down.
‘Rather, it’s like he’s teasing me a little…’
If Damian had heard it, he would have asked if she knew it now.
Lilian let out a sigh of relief. She has nothing. And if Damian finds it fun to tease her, it would be safe to say that it also reflected the value of her existence as Lilian.
Lilian stood up from her seat with determination. But she didn’t need to walk more than she thought.
‘It’s a bit embarrassing to go and cuddle myself…’
It was embarrassing because she had never done it before, even as a child. Looking at the hesitant Lilian, Damian tilted his head.
“You don’t like it? Then what…”
“Oh, oh no. That’s not it. I don’t hate it…!”
She answered hastily, but the hesitation was still there. Damian seemed to be waiting with a relaxed expression, but in reality, he was holding onto his patience, which was about to break every now and then.
Lily put one hand on her forehead as if she was going crazy. Soon she closed her eyes and walked over to Damian.
Damian waited patiently like a military dog who heard ‘wait’. Saliva seemed to collect in his mouth and seemed to dry up, but he didn’t pull Lilian first.
Is this finally the long awaited award?
Sighing softly, Lilian was lightly embraced by him.
It was the first time, the first time.
Perhaps too embarrassed, Lily buried her head in Damian’s chest. Even so, she couldn’t just be hugged, so she hesitantly put both arms under his and gently wrapped the broad shoulders around her.
Perhaps that was Lilian’s best.
It was a hug that didn’t even feel like a hug.
It was even more intense than hugging a child.
But that alone made Damian stiff for a moment.
‘It’s not a dream.’
Even though he was calming, soothing, slightly pressuring, and urging, he had no idea that Lily would really hug him as she was told.
With a creak, he looked down. Lilian did not disappear like a mirage and was still held in his arms.
…looking closely, he saw that Lilian’s ears and the nape of her neck was red with her head down.
‘It’s real.’
Ironically, at that moment, Damian was convinced that this was real and not a dream.
Lilian in his dream was always smiling and sweet and kind to him. If this had been a dream, she would have hugged him a little closer as she smiled, not shy.
But more than Lilian in the dream who’s sweet and kind and gently agrees to what he wants without even having to say it…
The real stiff, somewhat oblivious Lilian, shy of her childish hug was much better.
It was shockingly so good that he felt like crying.
Until now, all skinships were led by Damian. Of course, that alone was good enough to excite him.
His excess accumulated mana have been tormenting him since in his mother’s stomach.
His brain, which had lived in pain all his life, spewed out dopamine and serotonin only when it came in contact with Lilian, as if it had endured it for this moment.
He didn’t feel a greater level of comfort and pleasure just because he was hugged by Lilian first.
But psychologically, it was incomparable, so overwhelming and so satisfying.
He wanted to cut out this moment, hide it in his memory, and bring it back whenever he wanted.
Suddenly he had this thought.
Even though it was half-forced, Lilian came to him on her own, this alone made him so happy.
If Lily likes this contact, even if not as much as Damian…
If Lily let herself be hugged by him because she wanted to, and that she felt at least a hundredth of what Damian felt when kissing her.
Just imagining it gave him goosebumps.
Leave a Reply