CH 67

“Yes…? What are you talking about?”

“No, no. It was a perfect time for a meal.”

In fact, no matter how satisfied she was with every meal, Elysia usually didn’t eat all three meals, so she was bothered to eat every time. Still, if she said she didn’t want to eat, she got the feeling she would be in trouble.

The kitchen was changed because of her, and she didn’t know what would happen if she didn’t eat.

“Would you please keep it simple? Just soup and salad, please.”

The Grand Duchy’s food was delicious and it was the truth, but it was a burden to eat as soon as she woke up. Although she slept late, Elysia woke up quite early. She was so accustomed to waking up early because that was what the Countess wanted.

“What time did the Grand Duke wake up?”

“The Grand Duke…?”

“Yes.”

There were times when she fell into a deep sleep, but Damon didn’t give a hint about that at all, so Elysia didn’t know when he woke up. After all, he was a talented person who could easily kill her without making a sound. It was nothing more than staying quiet when waking up.

“We don’t even know that… Perhaps, only the butler and the lieutenant will know.”

“Really?”

“Yes, all I know is that he wakes up at dawn.”

Elysia was surprised. Waking up at dawn… Did he not sleep? He killed every night and woke up early… that meant that his sleep time would be very short. It was an impossible schedule without steel stamina.

“He usually wakes up that early?”

“Yes.”

What did he do when he woke up that early…?

Damon usually killed on dark nights, and by the time the sun began to rise, he returned to the Grand Duke’s castle. It meant he left the room as soon as she fell asleep. She didn’t know the exact time, but Elysia was nervous and could not sleep until dawn last night.

“…Did he sleep?”

When she was awake, Damon was also awake. That was certain as she could feel the hot gaze pouring down from the side of her face even when she closed her eyes. Of the two of them, she was always the first to fall asleep.

If he went out while Elysia was sleeping, Damon would hardly sleep.

‘Can a person live like that?’

If it were her, she would have collapsed long ago. She wondered if his eyes would feel like it was glued on.

So perhaps, that was why he was hung up on doing that exciting slaughter. Damon’s daily life, as Elysia watched, was terribly dull. He was so busy that there was no time to rest. Surprisingly, she was surprised by his sincere attitude.

“Your Grace?”

“Oh, yes.”

She must have been standing still too much. With that call, Elysia moved her steps. It didn’t matter why he committed the murder. Whatever the case, the fact that he was now a maniac killer was important.

“…Your Grace?”

But then, of course, Damon was sitting in the dining room where there should be no one. Elysia was bewildered seeing him sitting there.

Why was the person who was said to be in the training ground here…?

“You’re here?”

Elysia swallowed her breath at his dark hair, which had just been washed and wet. She didn’t understand why that man was sitting here. It was like he had stopped to kill someone.

At the same time, the shock of facing Damon wet with water without any mental preparation was overwhelming. No matter how many times she vowed and prepared, she always collapsed in front of him.

“Why… Didn’t they say that you were in the training ground?”

Elysia felt her eyes dizzy when she saw him appearing in an unbearable appearance. Damon in the morning was so toxic. It was as if her hazy mind had suddenly awakened.

“I came back to eat with the wife.”

“Ah…”

He wasn’t helping her at all. If he really wanted her to dine in comfort, Damon shouldn’t have been there, especially since he said he came to eat with her…

“You must have been very surprised.”

Elysia wasn’t the only one surprised.

Neither Chloe nor Rachel knew he was going to show up, too. They even looked a bit bewildered. Seeing their attitude, she realized that it was the first time Damon had had breakfast. She also remembered Sebastian saying that Damon didn’t take meals very seriously.

“Come on, sit down.”

“Oh, you don’t have to…”

Elysia waved her hand several times at his kindness as he even got up and pulled out her chair. She couldn’t figure out why he was so fussy about being so kind.

“You’re eating just that?”

Making it even more burdensome, Damon stared intently at her without eating her at all. If that was the case, she didn’t know why he asked to eat together. She wondered why he didn’t leave if he wouldn’t eat and just watch.

At this point, it looked like she was going to have an upset stomach, even though it was food that wouldn’t get her indigestion anyway.

“It’s morning…”

“I think you need to gain some weight.”

“Yes?”

“You’re too thin. You look like you’re going to break if the wind hits you.”

Elysia had eaten nutritious food for about a month, but she was still a bit skinny. However, now she was not that skinny. These days, she gained a lot of weight, and because of the hard work she had done, she was subtly healthy.

“…It’s not like that.”

“No, I think so.”

How many healthy people were there in Damon’s eyes? She guaranteed that there would be none. Whoever stood in front of him would be nothing but smaller than him. In his eyes, no matter how strong the other person was, they were like an ant that he could kill at once.

“I want to make you eat more, but then you will be sick.”

The only thing she had trouble with was her digestive system.

If she ate a little too much, her stomach twisted and rolled around. She was given orders from the doctor to force herself to change her diet because of her broken digestive system. So, even if she didn’t like it, she was forced to eat regularly.

“This is enough for me.”

“Is it not delicious?”

“No, it’s delicious.”

The food was still delicious. Nonetheless, no matter how delicious the food was, if Damon was there, the taste was halved. There was no taste that could overcome fear. It was only in the beginning that she was so surprised by the chef’s skill that she forgot about it momentarily.

“Then, why don’t you eat like before?”

It was a passing word, but Elysia knew he wasn’t just saying it as a passing word. Now, she had to show him that she would eat deliciously…

“It’s because it’s morning. Not long after waking up…”

“If the wife says so.”

Who could enjoy a delicious meal in a dining atmosphere that felt like walking on a thin ice sheet? Even if she was a foodie, she was sure they would say the same thing in front of Damon.

“I thought there was something wrong with the cooking.”

“No! It’s still delicious…!”

She found out that not only was she at risk, but also the chef’s life. Elysia pushed her food aggressively. How could he make people feel uncomfortable in an instant?

“You will have an upset stomach. Don’t eat in such a hurry.”

“No, no… I want to eat.”

Who was the one who caused her upset stomach… Damon. Blaming her for the upset stomach was absurd. It was he who created the atmosphere where she felt like she had to eat. In fact, considering how much she usually ate, she would have put down the fork earlier though Elysia couldn’t put it down.

“Clear it all.”

“Yes”

“No, I…”

As Damon ordered for the food to be cleared, the food on the table quickly disappeared. There were not many in the first place, so it was quick. She was worried that the chef might lose their job because of her.

“It’s okay.”

What was okay…?

Elysia’s heart was heavy with a sense of guilt. She learned something new. Julia and Sebastian couldn’t come near her with Damon’s presence. There was an expression on her face that she had a lot of things to say, but she endured it.

“Now… Don’t you have to go?”

She only looked at Damon’s behavior as he seated in his place, even when the food had been removed. There was no reason to sit any longer, so why wouldn’t he leave…

Not only her but everyone was watching him. Damon was never a good boss.

“I don’t want to go.”

“….”

How should she respond to his irresponsible remarks?

Elysia has always had a hard time conversing with him. She was often dragged around by Damon’s unpredictable way of speaking.

“But, I still have to go.”

Damon’s mood, which looked like he wouldn’t go easily, made Elysia annoyed. What was the good thing about showing such an intimate side of him? This would make other people mistake their good relationship.

In reality, that was not the case at all. If people misunderstood in this way, obviously, people would want a child between Elysia and Damon.

“I will go.”

As he approached her and stroked her face, Elysia stiffened.

She couldn’t touch Damon no matter how hard she tried, but this situation was completely unexpected. The hairs all over her body rose up in the careful touch as if he was touching something precious.

If he changed his mind, she knew that this hand would come over her neck and not her face. Like a candle in front of a swaying wind, it was not strange when it went out at any time.

Obviously, Damon wasn’t unaware that she was nervous. However, the weak’s fear was not important to the strong.

“See you in the evening.”