Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Elisha, who was staring blankly at the man in front of her, unconsciously said the name that had become somewhat unfamiliar after seven years. “…Richard?”

However, as soon as Elisha realized that she uttered his name like a question, she bit her lips. ‘What a stupid question. Of course, it’s him. He’s the only one who has the ability to fly anywhere in this continent.’

Instead of answering, Richard just gazed at Elisha. He was always taller than her in the past. But now, their height difference was even more obvious.

Elisha avoided his gaze because his mysteriously glistening red eyes somehow exuded a dangerous aura. Even when she did that, she still could feel that his deep gaze was still fixed on her face.

“…Seems like you arrived sooner than expected.”

“Because I missed you.”

Elisha was embarrassed by his abrupt reply. ‘You mean that you missed the duchy, right? There’s no way that you miss me.’ She just interpreted his words in that way and led him into their room. “You’re tired, aren’t you? Let’s go into the room.”

Richard obediently followed Elisha to the room. The room changed a lot after seven years. Nevertheless, it seemed unchanged in Richard’s eyes. Seven years ago and now, she was still there. His only person.

‘Awkward! It’s suffocatingly awkward!’ Elisha felt so awkward in Richard’s presence that she hesitated to turn her body toward him. ‘Seven years ago, Richard was someone who didn’t talk much, and he is still the same now, but why does it feel so different?’

Richard took off his jacket. When he took off two layers of the outer clothing, his upper body was revealed.

Even when he was wearing outerwear, she could see the outline of his fine muscles at first glance. Now that he took off his outerwear, the outline could be seen even clearer since it was only covered by a thin layer of innerwear.

Wide chest and shoulders, slim waist, and muscles that show off their presence even if he just slightly folded his arms. It was such a masculine body.

Elisha, who was looking at his body in awe, made eye contact with Richard and became stunned. She was conscience-stricken since she was caught red-handed while admiring his attractive muscular body. “Sh-should I ask the servants to prepare the bath?”

“I already washed up.” Richard’s voice interrupted Elisha, who tried to call the servants in a hurry.

“Oh, really?”

“Do you want to touch it yourself?” Richard strode up while unbuttoning his shirt.

Elisha, who had her eyes all over Richard’s body, jumped in surprise when the distance between them suddenly shortened. “N-no! W-why would I touch it myself?”

Unexpectedly, Richard only lowered his head toward Elisha. “My hair hasn’t dried yet.”

‘Ah……you mean that I should touch your hair.’ Elisha felt like putting her nose in the dishwater. (t/n: it’s a proverb that simply means that she was embarrassed to death)

‘Please…please don’t let him notice my hidden desire…’ Elisha decided to change the subject. “Well, let’s go to bed. You must be very tired from the long journey.”

After making a sad expression for a while, Richard immediately laid down on the bed as Elisha had suggested. However, Elisha did not lie on the bed and just took a blanket and a pillow instead.

Richard looked inquiringly at her, “…what are you doing?”

“You might feel uncomfortable sleeping together with me so…I’ll just sleep on the sofa.”

Richard frowned at Elisha’s reply and said as if It wasn’t a big deal, “Why? We slept together before though.”

His question left Elisha speechless. ‘It’s kind of weird for an adult man and woman to sleep together in the same bed. Well, it won’t be weird since we’re married, but……’

When she saw Richard, who was lying on the bed with two of the upper buttons of his shirt unfastened, saying those words without any hint of hidden intention, Elisha felt like she was the only one who thought too much about it. ‘It’s possible for him to cross the line though…’

At that moment, Richard suddenly reminded her about her previous words when she asked Richard to sleep with her in the past, “You said you won’t eat me.”

Elisha, who hesitated for a while, eventually laid on the bed while keeping a safe distance like before. Feeling awkward, she stared at the ceiling for a while and then directed her gaze toward Richard. Richard already closed his eyes. It seemed he fell asleep quickly out of exhaustion.

‘You’re still the same as when you were a kid.’ As Elisha began to reminisce about her memories with Richard, she gradually got used to his adult appearance, and her unfamiliar and awkward feelings dissipated little by little.

Only then, did Elisha realize her feelings of happiness that he was finally back. She belatedly gave him the greeting that she had always saved in her mind for his return. “Welcome back, Richard. You did well.”

“….”

“Good night.” Elisha’s eyes slowly closed while looking at Richard.

Soon after, when Richard heard the sound of her even breathing, he opened his eyes. Then he turned to his side and looked at her sleeping face with his hand under his chin.

For the past seven years, he had been missing her. As he grew up, he forgot most of his childhood memories, except the memories they shared together. She was still the same as he remembered. Watching her sleeping face, he thought that it was a good thing he came back alive for the first time.

“……Seems like you sleep quietly now.” Richard, who was watching his wife sleeping, mumbled regretfully.

*****

The next morning, Elisha was surprised when she looked at the other side of the bed as soon as she woke up. “…Richard?”

Richard, who slept beside her last night, was nowhere to be found. She continued to wonder about his whereabouts even when she went to wash up. ‘…The clothes he left on the sofa last night are also missing.’

Elisha pulled the rope and called Ann. “Ann, what about Richard?”

“Young Master Richard is already on his way to this mansion now. It is better for Milady to hurry up and prepare soon.”

Elisha was dazed by Ann’s answer. ‘Then what about the Richard that I met last night?’ It was too vivid to be a dream. With the unanswered questions in her mind, Elisha got ready to go greet Richard and the Rubelin knights.

“Milady, Young Master Richard and the Rubelin knights have returned.”

Just in time, Richard and the knights of the Dukedom arrived at the mansion. Elisha went straight down to the lobby to greet them along with the duke’s vassals and employees.

At that moment, the gate of the mansion opened and Rubelin’s troops entered with Richard leading them at the center.

He was the same Richard she saw last night. He was definitely the same person as yesterday but looking at him during the day, she felt a bit different. With the sunlight shining upon him, he gave off a different feeling than last night. His handsome face, which seemed a little scary in the dark, now looked stunning in the light.

“Congratulations on your safe return, Young Master Richard.”

The duke’s vassals and employees courteously bowed their heads to Richard in unison.

Richard walked past them and strode toward Elisha.

Elisha looked up at him without saying anything. ‘If it was a dream last night, I should say ‘Welcome back’, but if it wasn’t a dream…what should I say?’

As Elisha was lost in her confusion, Richard hugged her softly. His big, sturdy body enveloped her. Her heart pounded in surprise at his abrupt action. At that time, her body froze awkwardly. Although they were a married couple, it had been a long time since they met, so she couldn’t shake off the awkward feeling easily.

Richard’s voice rang in Elisha’s stiff ears. “Good morning, Elisha.” It was a quiet voice that was barely audible to others.

Only then, Elisha realized that what happened last night wasn’t a dream. Before Elisha could react, Richard pulled away from the hug.

Then Aaron approached him. “Please go inside, Young Master Richard. His Grace is waiting.”

“…okay.” Richard left the welcoming vassals and employees and went to Albert’s bedroom.

Albert’s bedroom was filled with the strong smell of medicinal herbs, but Richard, who had experienced the worst smells on the battlefield which was full of death, entered with a rather indifferent look.

Albert was lying on the bed with a pale face.

“I’m back.”

He turned his head slightly toward Richard to look at his grandson, as if even turning his head completely was too much for him. Everything about him had changed, but his eyes were still burning with determination.

“Why didn’t you sleep with those girls?” They’re all yours.” It was the first sentence he said after much difficulty. His voice, which was barely audible, faded further as he coughed dryly.

Richard was aware that the ‘girls’ his grandfather referred to were the women that were sent to him when he was on the battlefield.

Albert started sending those women as his illness got worse. It seemed that the succession matter was urgent enough that Albert, who usually hated the thought of dirty commoner’s blood, was the one who sent those random girls to Richard.

That was the reason why Richard, who chose to sleep with Elisha last night, returned to the Rubelin’s troop’s camp early in the morning, before making his official return with the knights. If Albert found out that he slept in Elisha’s room last night, it was most likely that Albert would pressure Elisha with false expectations.

“Or else…do you have a girl in mind?”

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“……You have not changed at all.” ‘To an awful extent.’ It was a conversation topic that hadn’t changed a bit even after seven years. Richard was no longer as angry or rebellious as before. He just looked at his lifelong enemy dying with indifferent eyes.

His grandfather would die soon anyway. Now the vassals would prioritize his orders, who returned as a war hero, instead the ones issued by his dying grandfather. So, no matter how hard his grandfather tried to control the situation, it wouldn’t succeed as long as Richard didn’t listen.

But Albert continued to talk like a man who could only think about succession. “But now that you are back, you must make Elisha bear the successor for this family. After that, you can do as you please……”

It was madness disguised as ambition. Richard, who was staring at his grandfather with cold eyes, turned around as if it wasn’t a conversation worth listening to anymore.

At that time, Albert’s voice was heard saying something more behind his back. “If she manages to bear your child…I’m sure that he’ll inherit an even more exceptional ability.”