The Duke, Evan, was looking expressionlessly at his shoulder, which had been cut by a sharp lance, and frowned.
The grumpy boy as he called the emperor inflicted more wounds than he had promised. It might leave a scar.
He was never seriously wounded when he was on the warpath, but he got hurt in a match against the boyish emperor.
At the next imperial ball, the emperor would definitely make fun of his wound just to see him getting upset, he thought of that as he gritted his teeth.
However, for a moment, Evan, whose wound got roughly disinfected and bandaged, sat down in a simple chair.
Evan, let out a long sigh and rested his legs comfortably on the opposite chair, waiting for the servants to announce the second-round match.
But it was strange.
As time passed and the servants were nowhere to be seen he assumed that due to the capricious imperial weather, heavy snowfall must have occurred even on a sunny day like today.
Eventually, Evan, who was about to call the servants outside the tent because he was tired of waiting, shut his mouth at the sight of the person who had just walked into the tent.
ââŚâŚJuliana.â
âCome sit down, Iâll do a healing spell for you.â
For Evan, who was gifted with killing magic and not at all talented with healing magic or relaxation-related magic, her offer of healing magic was pleasant to hear.
However, the complexion of the person, who just said that she would cast the healing spell, wasnât good. Evan said, looking at his wife, who seemed agitated.
âItâs not that big of a wound.â
âDonât be silly. Donât you want me to be the first person to cast a healing spell? Of course, you would want to be.â
Evan blushed and grumbled at the sight of Juliana pressing one of her hands against his wounded shoulder.
Half naked, he wasnât ashamed at all, but only the sight of her made his skin slightly reddened.
It was a little unfair.
In other words, empress Ereinaâs hometown was located in the distant part of the country close to the northern border of the Empire. The magic required to move a living horse in good condition from that place was not something that could be done in four days.
Juliana Auburn from the past would never have done it. Even if two or three wizards would put their mana into that kind of spell, they still wouldnât be enough to pull it off.
However, things were different now.
The reason why it has changed-.
ââŚâŚitâs because my heart is shaken.â
Juliana admitted sullenly.
She didnât want to get more involved with this handsome man before the real heroine appeared and laid the foundation for her beloved romance novel with the male lead Evan Hilcheon.
It certainly was two months ago.
On the day she woke up with a sound mind and regained her previous lifeâs memories.
But gradually her mind became weaker. The more she did, the more she felt like she was on the edge of the cliff.
She had no intention of jumping down the cliff, but Evan Hilcheon was threatening her to fall from that cliff in the most threatening way.
With none other than his affection.
âStay still.â
Juliana grunted. And before he could refuse, she put her hands on the blood-stained bandage and recited the spell.
The healing magic was finished admirably, and the pale hands of the sorceress were trembling a little. The wound from which the blood has been oozing out until now has healed cleanly.
Then Evan touched the faintest-looking scar with his hand. Juliana pretended to wipe off the cold sweat before she sat on the simple chair opposite to him.
He couldnât sense the presence of any servants as if everyone around him had disappeared. Suddenly, Evan felt an unpleasant premonition.
Juliana was a woman who had been weak since she was born, and because of that, she put a lot of effort to keep herself in good health. It was not unusual for her to look a little droopy.
Evan said.
âDid you do anything to overwork your body?â
âI thought you were going to follow my every move, but it seems I was wrong.â
Juliana said triumphantly.
Even as she said so, her trembling white cheeks were pitiful. Nevertheless, with her bronze-colored eyes filled with proud emotions, Evan seemed to smile secretly.
Even if he did not follow her every move, she was a woman who wasnât good at hiding her actions.
She was also a woman who despised her husband and hung out with others without thinking about her reputation. Even in recent years, her back and forth attitude toward Evan has always been very frank.
So Evan could always tell without trying to know about Juliana.
Evan narrowed his eyes slightly and smiled. Then he tapped his fingers on the armrest.
âWill you forgive me if I do that?â
âWhat, what.â
âThe reason why I didnât do that was because you were always honest about your actions even if you didnât know that. And what I hate the most are people who hide-, you were the only one who wouldnât do that in front of me.â
Evan said that as he watched Juliana, sitting opposite to him, leaning her back against the chair and blinking her eyes.
Even if he didnât know what was going on in her head, he thought he would figure it out in this way.
The moment Juliana took a long exhale, he whispered affectionately.
âI know youâve been paying a lot of attention to me lately.â
âWhat, me?â
She snored at the same time as she spoke.
However, she couldnât hide her nervously twitching feet and wiggling the tip of her nose like a rabbit who would run away at once.
Evan grabbed her cheeks with both hands and held back the urge to kiss her.
Not yet.
He felt rather lethargic and cursed with gullibility. It was difficult to put up with what he wanted to do. It was always the case with Juliana Auburn.
Whether or not she knew this, Juliana quickly began to make excuses.
âWell, I donât know what youâre thinking, but this was just a simple human thing to do. So donât expect too much.â
âI want a lot from you?â
âYou canât believe it, but yes. Youâre doing that.â
Unable to laugh at his wifeâs face, which seemed to be astonished, âHow can I not know!â Evan rubbed half of his face with his hand.
Leaning relaxedly against his chairâs armrest, he said.
âThat Iâm begging you for love?â
âWell, you donât have to put it that way. I guess itâs a misfortune, but itâs true that Iâve been bothered by your actions lately. Yes, of course.â
Juliana, who talked about everything when she was embarrassed, was different from her public appearance, which depicted her as such a haughty woman.
She was a little clumsy, and with her cheeks dyed red she looked like a country girl. The difference touched Evanâs heart.
Evan wished that he would be the only one who could see her true expression, just as Juliana Auburn was the only one to whom he showed his true face.
And up to this moment, as far as he knew, Juliana Auburn showed her husband the side of her that was rather clumsy than beautiful and good-looking.
So they were in a strange relationship.
The relationship that Evan Hilcheon couldnât let go of. Maybe, even his wife.
On the other side, Juliana dropped her head at his gaze, staring at her without responding to the words she uttered as an excuse.
âPlease. The male lead. Say something.â
Since Juliana recalled her memories of her previous life, she has always lived without losing the standard of âLee Sian.â
The idea was partly right.
However, âmemoriesâ of Juliana Auburn, which reminded her of harassing him, sometimes prevented her from making wise choices.
This was the world in the novel, and since she only barely knew the future of Juliana Auburn, it was right to leave before the flow of the story related to the âfemale protagonistâ began.
So one way or another she had to use whatever she had at hand and ignore what she couldnât use, but it never worked out well.
âWhy is it like that? WhyâŚ..â
Juliana raised her pale face. Still, Evan was staring at her with piercing eyes.
It has been two months.
Realizing her previous life changed her into a completely different person.
Evanâs persevering affection, which shook her completely different personality, made Juliana difficult and on the other hand pleasant.
Juliana admitted.
She hoped he wouldnât get hurt.
She couldnât stand it if someone like him who endured a hard life for her would get hurt.
âMy heart ached when you were hurt.â
Juliana clenched her fists at the touch of his hands. And then he continued with a smile.
âSo donât get hurt for me. If youâve learned that itâs love, donât go ahead.â
She was too scared to promise the rest of her life to the other person. Her fault was that she was born a coward especially by combining her previous and present life.
A complex thought swept away paleness from Julianaâs cheeks.
âIâll help you not get hurt this time-. So you donât have to give me a blue rose. Even if you donât prove yourself that way, Evan, I know youâre a good person.â
She gently stood up and touched Evanâs forehead.
âJulianaâŚâŚ!â
Before Evan noticed what Julianaâs actions meant, her magic was faster.
In the blink of an eye, her magic put Evan to sleep. She hugged him first before he fell.
Juliana closed her eyes tightly as she rubbed her face against his chest for the first time.