CH 34

Chapter 34 - The Monster Duke Mistook Me for His Wife

Translated by Arnlian

Edited by Arnlian

‘Lexter Blant is at fault. Maybe, he knew you were His Grace’s weakness and then he tried to kidnap you.’

‘He is a man who is mean and has no mercy. He put His Grace in danger several times to take over His Grace’s place.’

‘The one who made His Grace lost memories, it is obvious it’s Lexter.’

Kanae’s face darkened together with her voice echoed in the ears.

Why didn’t I know, why did I forget?

Lexter Blant.

The leader of Count of Blant, a collateral family of the Duke of Sinaize.

Lexter was known as a relative of Dillian, but was actually Dillian’s half brother.

He is a half-blood, the one fact that he has the blood of Sinaize, made him grow his power and threatened Dillian’s position.

‘Right, he’s a typical villain who’s been bothering Dillian since his childhood.’

In fact, up to this point, it was just a common fight of power between families.

I remember that name because everything happened originally caused of that jerk.

Dillian falls into the abyss, the world destroyed, everything.

Dillian, who was irrevocably wounded by Lexter’s attack, was completely eaten by his curse and as he lost his mind, the world was destroyed.

‘If we can stop the attack, if we can only protect Dillian, the empire wouldn’t be destroyed and everyone would be at peace.’

Then Aina won’t have to die either. And Dillian could avoid the disastrous end.

‘No, it’s not enough to just stop the attack. Before that, we need to cut the root.’

Normally, even if I already knew the facts, I might use it moderately. Because I want to live quietly, as always.

However, Lexter touched Nathan. My one and only family.

‘No matter when, no matter how long it takes, I’ll make him pay for this.’

When the fire of revenge was burning, Nathan touched my hand with its wings.

“Ria, where did you learn the divine amplification? I don’t remember teaching it.”

“Oh, I just did it instinctively, is that divine amplification?”

I pretend not to know. I don’t want to lie to Nathan, but I can’t say I saw it in the book.

As I blinked and tilted my head, Nathan sighed deeply and patted my head.

“That’s the wrong way, so forget it all. You were sick, and lost consciousness, all because of it.”

“Huh?”

No way. I just copied what Aina did.

“That’s not quite the wrong way, but if you do it, your body will break instead.”

“Why?”

“Usually, those who possess divine power are born with innate divine power. It can’t be increased or decreased. That becomes life force.

“Yup. I know.”

“But not you are.”

“Hhuh?”

“The source of your divine power is not yourself, but nature. Sun, water, fire, wind, soil… You use and take life force from that nature.”

You say nature, on a sudden bigger scale, I swallowed my saliva.

“You don’t think those infinite divine power comes from your body, right?”

I am…

“Among human beings who are superior like High Priest or Saintess, it’s impossible for them to pull it out infinitely.”

As Nathan’s words grew longer, my heart beat harder.

So doesn’t that mean that I’m special? Even more than High Priest or Saintess!

“Is this even possible?”

I thought I was just an extra, but actually I’m the world’s greatest? Don’t say such things.

“Yesterday you unleashed the divine power in your body, as others do. But the one you unleash is from the outside, not inside.”

Nathan poked me in the chest.

“You’re used to bringing it from outside, you don’t know how to control the strength and your limits. That’s why you use it until your bowl breaks*.”

*Exceed her capacity.

That’s why it is so exhausting.

The first time I feel a sense of exhaustion is because I used the divine power inside me. It was surprising.

“I’ll teach you step by step again starting from tomorrow, so don’t ever use that method again. Got it? You can really die.”

“Yeah. Got it.”

In the word of death, I, who became pale, nodded.

But that is not the end of Nathan’s lecture.

Tired of the endless lecture, just before I collapse.

“Miss Ria, it’s me.”

“Come on in!”

I welcomed Dillian with open arms.

“What’s going on?”

At the drastic hospitality, Dillian flinched for a moment, then in a sweet voice said to me.

“I’m going to sleep with Miss Ria.”

“What? Why suddenly,”

I swallowed the words, ‘you think like crazy’.

“What do you mean why? It’s because we are a married couple.”

For me to ignore it as nonsense, there is something that prevents me.  

‘You said it yourself. We are a couple. I’m your wife, you’re my husband. Right?’

Dillian, who proudly took out the couple’s card, smiled triumphantly.

Even if I say no here, he won’t listen.

“… We are a married couple who use separate rooms. You can go back now.”

“Then from today we can share the room again. And that room, Kanae is using it, so I can’t go back.”

As expected of Dillian. Planned, thorough, and sharp.

“I’m not ready yet, so I can’t.”

“Then I will wait until you can.”

That’s a relief. He is going to step down this time. My heart calmed and relieved just for a moment.

“Would thirty minutes be enough?”

It can’t be…

“I have spent countless days with Miss Ria, but tonight will officially be our first night.”

“Dillian! Don’t be funny!”

Nathan, who could not hear more, flared up.

‘If it’s the first night we spent together in one room, it has happened in a long time.’

It’s also the first night of horror…

As I remembered the past when I was trembling for fear of dying after breaking Dillian’s head, I laughed.

‘There was a time like that…’

It has changed a lot. My eyes tremble just to take a hint of Dillian, but now I have reached to the level where I can even respond to his nonsense.

“Okay, let’s sleep together.”

“Ria!”

Nathan’s face turned pale. On the contrary, Dillian’s face brightened.

“I’m on the bed, Sir Dillian is on the floor.”

It was in a flash that their expression changed.

Dillian with a sullen face called me.

“Miss Ria…”

“It’s no use even if you called me so mournfully.”

“Sure, sure. It’s no use.”

Nathan responded.

I laid a blanket on the floor ignoring Dillian’s call.

And Dillian quickly covered himself with a blanket.

With my determined attitude, Dillian gave up and I could hear rustling from below.

And after a while, all we could hear was each other’s breath in the dark.

“Miss Ria, are you bothered?”

Looking vacantly at the ceiling, I turned my head.

“For what?”

“For everything. Nathan who was kidnapped, and for them who actually was after you, then you also collapsed, everything is because of me. I’m sorry.”

I rolled over to face Dillian.

He must have been looking at me all the time, the red eyes and my eyes met.

“Sir Dillian doesn’t need to apologize because it’s not you who is in the wrong.”

“If I were Miss Ria, I would be angry and resentful.”

Does he want me to be angry? But I’m not that angry.

“You are also the victim, so why should I be angry?”

It is not Dillian that I’m going to be angry with, it’s the guy who is not enough just to be swallowed that is made of all this.

‘Lexter that jerk, just watch if you show up in front of me. I’ll destroy you.’

Unlike me who gritted my teeth, Dillian still didn’t understand what I was saying.

“Is that possible?”

“I am rather grateful to Sir Dillian.”

“Grateful?”

I reached under the bed and tapped Dillian’s back hand.

Dillian’s hand flinched. I smiled slowly, gazing at Dillian’s moonlit face.

“If it weren’t for Sir Dillian, I would be crying because I couldn’t stand up again. Thank you for always saying it’s gonna be okay.”

It wasn’t lip service, it was sincere.

No matter what anyone said, Dillian was able to find Nathan.

So you don’t have to worry about it, with that meaning I patted the back of his hand.

“I mean it.”

With a gentle smile at him, I withdrew my hand.

But it wasn’t long before he caught it again.

“I’m grateful to you, too.”

“Sir Dillian, why?”

“Because it’s me, the first one you are trying to find, not anyone else.”

Is that something to be grateful for?

Staring at Dillian, who looked genuinely happy, I opened my mouth without realizing it.

“… All I could think of was you.”

Dillian’s eyes grew bigger. At the tiny trembling eyes, I scratch my cheek.

‘I thought he would like it. Is it not?’

The tremble was brief. Immediately, a unique languid and relaxed smile settled on his face.

“Miss Ria, do you remember that you will give me a prize if I could help you find Nathan?”

“… I do.”

“I did help, right?”

“… You did.”

Dillian smiled mischievously as he gently swept the back of my hand.

“What should I get as a prize?”

“Anything I can give you.”

Except for the weird ones. When I added, he nodded as if saying of course.

“Would the kiss of victory be good?”

“That’s the weird one.”

“Then the kiss with love.”

It was a kiss one way or the other. I smiled and shook my head.

“You will regret it later if you do it with me.”

“That will not.”

No, I’m sure it will. When your memories came back and realized you kissed the woman who broke your head. Don’t you feel cheated? I thought it would make me angry.

It’s good if he is just angry, it will be troubling if he tries to kill me.

“Why don’t you get it from Nathan instead of me?”

“Miss Ria, I almost got angry.”

“I hate it too! This dude!”

“What the? Nathan, you didn’t sleep?”

I thought you were asleep because you were quiet, but you heard all of the conversations?

My face burned with shame.

“You fox-like brat! What did you do to our Ria when I was gone?”

“What do you mean, because of my father-in-law, I became closer with Miss Ria.”

Dillian said thank you and stroked Nathan’s head.

“Why don’t you play cupid instead of the guardian deity?”

“What, what the!”

Nathan, who is furious, pecked Dillian on the head.