“Ethan Schmidt.”
The Grand Duke’s subordinate grabbed the pierced hand, covered the screaming Duke Blanchett’s mouth, and pulled him out.
It was an act of violence that was impossible even for a member of the imperial family and a Grand Duke. However, Ethan didn’t stop him and just answered meekly.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
“From now on, you are Duke Blanchett.”
A look of bewilderment appeared on Etha’s face. That would mean…
“Aren’t you going to kill me?”
Damian was disgusted as he accepted the dagger from his subordinate.
“Don’t get me wrong. It’s just because I think my wife will notice if I do that.”
Killing or not killing was because of Lily.
His beloved wife was not someone who could rejoice that a family had been destroyed because of her.
‘If she had been that kind of person, there would have been more I could do for her.’
Lilian, whom he fell in love with, was upright and kind. It was a pity for Damian but a blessing to everyone else.
What could he do since he fell in love with such a faithful person. Unfortunately, he has no choice but to lose.
At that moment, realization flashed through Damian’s head.
‘Indeed. This is what married life is…’
Understand the standards of the other party and give way first. Damian was deeply impressed with his own realization.
‘Even a guy like me changes through marriage.’
His own change was awkward, but amazing. He felt somewhat proud when he thought that he changed for Lilian.
He lived as he pleased without fear of the world. But now his world revolves around Lily Islar.
He’s not being held back by force, but he’s tying a leash on himself according to Lilian’s rules and offering voluntary obedience at her feet…
Like it was a lie, he started to feel better. The waves of mana that had been wildly swaying in response to his emotions also slowly subsided.
It’s not calm but it’s back within Damian’s control.
He’s proud of himself who willingly endures for the sake of his loved one.
Lily recognizing this proud self.
Nothing would be better.
‘If I want to be praised for this, I have to confess what I did to Duke Blanchett, so I can’t do that.’
Anyway, thinking about this and that made him want to see his wife again.
‘There’s no reason to stay here anymore anyway.’
It’d be a big deal if, after a while, something happened that made him angry again, and he went out of control. It’s time to step down to become a husband she could be proud of to the end.
Ivan turned around like a knife and gave Ethan a disapproving look instead of trying to follow Damian.
“I think you know best what you’ve been indecisive about. You are given a second chance that no one else will get, so take care of yourself.”
“…thanks for the advice, Sir Ivan.”
The man who became Duke Blanchett happily bowed his head. Ivan disapprovingly clicked his tongue and turned around.
***
Damian, who considers himself a husband to be proud of, headed to his wife’s bedroom as soon as he returned home.
Even though the wife who was suppoed to give the reward was asleep, Damian decided to take care of the reward as well since he’s such a great husband.
Head Butler Aaron, who was worried about Damian leaving the mansion with a group of subordinates, was able to pat his chest in a couple of hours.
Damian is a close hearted man. Every time he saw him, he didn’t know what to do, so his heart raced.
But he’s different now. Damian became a man who hurriedly returned home as if every second of time spent outside was wasted.
He couldn’t be relieved until he saw the door to his wife’s bedroom as if it’s a waste of time to even wash himself.
‘Ahm, there’s no way he’d do something big that he can’t handle with a wife that he love so much. I can rest easy now.’
Damian grew up from a potential bomb that could cause big problems to a man who only had accidents that could be rectified.
‘Uh?’
Damian, who had been approaching Lily’s bedroom door with a sense of security, stopped abruptly.
‘The sound of breathing…’
His inhuman senses picked up Lilian’s breathing. Lilian, whom he naturally thought was asleep, was unexpectedly awake.
Gulp. Unknowingly, his saliva ran down his throat. He didn’t know why but it felt like the hair on his nape was standing up.
Damian opened the door and, as expected, Lilian greeted him awake.
“…where did you go in such a hurry, Your Highness?”
Her hair was down to one side, and a robe was over her nightgown. Lilian was putting down her pipe.
She looks tired with a neat smile in her eyes. If you look at her roughly, Lilian was as usual…
‘A battle stance…?’
Damian shrewdly noticed.
It was unusual to see her eyes not smiling and her posture being straight even in a tired state.
“Wife, didn’t you sleep…?”
“Yes.”
The short answer confirmed Damian’s guess.
‘She’s angry.’
The imaginary tail that had been rustling behind Damian fell back to the floor.
Damian’s wife, who was always nice and kind, was Lily, who only got angry once when he taught her how to ‘stab him’…
He couldn’t even guess why she’s angry today. He didn’t know the reason, so he couldn’t ask for forgiveness.
Damian grabbed his trembling heart and cautiously asked.
“Why aren’t you sleeping…”
“I think I fell asleep during my first dance with His Highness, but when I woke up, I was alone in the bedroom.”
She didn’t tell anyone, but Lilian was really surprised. She even thought for a moment that she had made some mistake and that Damian had left her.
“So I asked Mrs. Maureen and she said His Highness left without telling anyone where he was going.”
“That…”
“So I waited. I was so worried.”
“That’s…wife, you don’t have to worry about it…”
He was sincere. If Damian hurt someone, he hurt them. He’s not someone who’d have something happen to him.
Because of his body and resilience, which had been trained to the limit with mana, he cannot even die.
However, the smile disappeared from Lily’s face when she heard Damian’s words.
“I’m sorry, but worrying about His highness’ strength and worrying about my husband are two different things.”
“Yes, that’s right…”
Whether Damian was strong or not, if Lilian wants to worry, she can do it.
Seeing Damian nod blankly, Lily’s expression changed a little again. As if looking at someone who is sad about something.
“Your Highness must have been worried about me in this way as well.”
“Yes…?”
His head that worked so well and lips that could say anything they wanted.
But all of that seemed to be broken at this moment. What Lilian said…
‘I don’t quite understand.’
Yet, strangely, it seemed to seep into the depths of his heart.
Lilian reached out her hand to the dazed Damian. Damian approached Lilian involuntarily. Their hands intertwined.
“Have you been to the Blanchett duchy?”
“…you noticed.”
“I thought there’d be no other place for Your Highness to urgently go tonight.”
“That’s…”
Damian’s head returned instinctively. He first knelt down on Lily’s lap so that he could admire her pretty face. And he had a hard time defending himself.
When he killed Duke Blanchett, he gave the excuse of ‘to make Ethan the Duke’ and explained that it wasn’t Lilian’s fault. Today, he emphasized that only Duke Blanchett lost his life.
Lilian quietly stroked Damian while listening to the story.
And she asked quietly when the story was over.
“Then you weren’t hurt anywhere?”
He momentarily remembered the cut on his hand, but since it had already healed, Damian nodded.
“I’m all right.”
Lilian chuckled.
“I hope you didn’t get hurt.”
“…”
Lilian gestured him to stand up. Damian stood up in a daze.
‘I can’t get hurt. I’m someone who can’t do that.’
His wife was worried about him.
He might have to tell her that she didn’t have to waste her mental energy needlessly. But Damian didn’t say anything.
“I was sleepy while waiting for Your Highness.”
Lilian rubbed her eyes a couple of times. Damian was deeply remorseful.
He really committed a mortal sin for disturbing the sleep of a person who couldn’t get enough sleep.
“Sorry for keeping you waiting.”
“No. but next time, please give word and go. It’s okay if you wake me up…”
Lilian gave a small yawn and went in search of her bed. Then she turned to Damian.
“Aren’t you going to sleep?”
“Sleep.”
Damian, who had been paying attention to when it’d be okay to lie next to her, immediately answered and took the spot next to Lilian. He evenly covered her with the blanket and straightened her pillow.
“Your Highness.”
Lilian quickly faded under the blanket that Damian had arranged into her nest. Lovingly seeing her blinking her sleeping eyes, Damian couldn’t say anything this time and just nodded his head.
“From now on, I will work harder to live by Your Highness’ side for a long time.”
“That’s why I hope His Highness will take care of himself as well.”
Damian, not knowing what she meant by taking care of himself, just nodded because Lilian said so.
“I will do that.”
A small smile appeared on Lilian’s lips.
“Alright, let’s talk about the rest…let’s go to sleep now.”
Lilian tapped the spot next to her. Damian blushed and buried his face in the pillow Lily pointed to.
“Good night.”
“Yes, you too.”
After a while, Lilian fell asleep with the sound of her even breathing.
Damian couldn’t sleep and was constantly replaying his conversation with Lilian.
I was worried. I hope you wouldn’t get hurt. I will try to live a long life by Your Highness’ side.
Please take care of yourself.
Although he couldn’t fathom the exact meaning of the words, Damian was sure of one thing.
Lily opened her heart to him.
She was a person who looked soft like a pudding, but Lilian was not a person who had the habit of giving her thoughts.
Damian, who has a clever mind, always measured Lilian’s limits. So he knew right away.
That she had crossed a line he never thought she would cross.
‘I’m happy. But…’
He was suddenly curious about this.
“My wife.”
He asked knowing that she was in deep sleep and couldn’t hear anything he said.
“My wife still knows me as a human.”
What if Lilian found out he wasn’t human.
The scene of people screaming at him passed through his mind. When Lily’s face was added to those scenes he’d become numb to, he was breathless for a moment.
Damian swallowed the wave of emotions that shook him and burrowed into Lilian’s back.
He had a sudden thought.
Would it be quicker to leave him by dying? Or quicker to reject him knowing he’s a monster?
What if he got rejected by her?
“…please don’t leave.”
Don’t leave. She can’t leave him in any way.
Looking at Lilian’s sleeping back, Damian prayed for a long time.
Leave a Reply