Chapter 8

“Maybe it’s because she’s not feeling well, but I haven’t been able to sleep much lately. Thanks to her, I’m wide awake.”

Ah… He was tired because of that woman. The man, who let out a long sigh as he spoke, looked comfortable, unlike her. Herace somehow managed to answer, pressing her heavy heart down, “…It’s a pity.”

At Herace’s words, Ezekiel widened his eyes. His brow wrinkled and eyes slightly narrowed. He opened his mouth as he looked at Herace in the mirror. It was a dark room, so his figure looked more manly than usual, and his red lips stood out.

“What?”

“……”

“What are you sad about? Is it a pity for your husband who can’t rest comfortably, or a pity for your husband’s mistress who is struggling with pregnancy?”

His large hand wrapped around Herace’s waist. Herace took a deep breath as her husband’s hand touched her round belly for the first time.

At first glance, his behavior seemed friendly, but Herace was strangely terrified. It seemed that he would harm her and the child at any moment. Herace, unable to make eye contact with him, lowered her eyes and said monotonously.

“She screamed a lot, so please stay by her side often. When pregnant and in pain, the husband should…”

But she couldn’t finish her words. She couldn’t even spit out the word ‘husband’. He was her husband. Not the mistress’.

As Herace spoke those words, Ezekiel fiddled with her lips. His long fingers gently touched the insides of her moist lips and her teeth.

“Why did you stop talking?”

“…..”

“You’re amazing.”

“…..”

“A wife who asks her husband to stay with his mistress often is also rare in the frivolous Eastern countryside. I did a great job of taking you in as my wife. Don’t you think so?”

His tone was dry, and full of sarcasm. Herace peeked at her husband through the mirror, still unable to make eye contact. He was still playing with Herace’s lips with his hands.

“One side is so talkative that I feel concerned, and the other side doesn’t talk much.”

“…..”

“Do you have nothing to say to me?”

The strange sensation was shameful, but after letting him do what he was doing for a while, she took the man’s hand and lowered it slowly, as if she had made up her mind to do something. She opened her mouth with courage and faced him through the mirror.

“…There is.”

“…..”

“I have something to tell you..”

Ezekiel looked at Herace silently. Herace swallowed and slowly spoke.

“The child… I mean, o-our child. He’ll be born soon. Did you know that?”

The child. It was a topic that she had not dared to talk about for several months. From the day he announced that he would adopt the child of the mistress and make him his successor, Herace did not dare speak of the subject again. She was afraid to hear the same answer from him, and she was at a loss for him who was not interested in their child.

“…Do I look stupid? I know your child in your womb is over 8 months old.”

She purposely used the word “our”, but what came back was a word that only referred to her. As her bleak reality was desperately felt, Herace’s expression became miserable as if it were about to collapse. She took the man’s hand with both her hands and called his name as she pleaded with him.

“Ezekiel.”

“……”

“Are you really going to give her child the rights to succession?”

The child of the mistress is also his child, so there was no excuse for Herace to say anything to Ezekiel. She might have been different if it had been an ordinary marriage, but as he said, her condition was nothing more than a bounty given by the emperor. She is where she is now because of the love they once had, but with a single word from him, she might be thrown away and crumble like a leaf in the cold winter.

It was a brutal reality, but over the past few months, Herace had been pondering her situation and tried to think as rationally as possible.

“Can’t you reconsider? As you say, I’m… I’m not good enough, but I’m your legitimate wife.”

The conclusion, of course, was stark. There was nothing she could do other than to beg Ezekiel for her child. She had to lay down at his feet like a slave to secure the child’s future. She didn’t know when he loved her, but now that she’s his wife, she was no better than a mistress.

“If you don’t accept this child as your successor, our child will suffer because of me. You know. I…..”

“What about you?”

“…It is as you say. As a sinner’s daughter with an ambiguous identity, I’m not helping my child’s future. So you, the child’s father, have to help this child.”

Herace’s pale cheeks touched Ezekiel’s hand. She rubbed her own cheek with his hand, pleading for his affection. Please…

“Ezekiel, please protect our child. Please.”

“…….”

“If you give my child an honorable future, I won’t ask for anything more. I’ll do whatever you tell me to do. If you want me to be quiet, I can do that. If you tell me not to leave the room, that’s fine too. I swear I won’t be noticed by you or her. But the child is innocent. If this childtis criticized because of me, I won’t be able to bear it.”

A few drops of tears wet Ezekiel’s hands. The mother’s sobbing for her child was desperate. But the stone-hearted man pulled his hand away as if to shake off Herace. He then spoke in a heavy voice with his face contorted.

“You’re so selfish.”

At Ezekiel’s response, Herace made a strange face. He looked down at Herace and wrinkled his brows deeper as if he was tired.

“So, what about Charlotte’s child? You don’t care if he doesn’t have honor?”

Herace looked blank at Ezekiel’s words. That woman’s child… she had never thought about it. No, she didn’t do it on purpose.

She had a good intention even if it was selfish. But wasn’t it normal? For Herace, the child in her womb was, of course, more important than the child born to her husband’s mistress. But when she saw her husband’s contorted face, she felt shame for an unknown reason.

Her husband, Ezekiel, was an illegitimate child. Because of this, he suffered a lot. When she played in this castle with Charles as a child, he would stand and watch her and Charles from afar. The Duchess, who was nothing but an angel to her, was so vicious to Ezekiel that Herace felt pity for him who was only three years older than her but still knew nothing at such a young age.

‘…..It must be painful.’

He must have made such a face because he had experienced it. A child born from the womb of a woman he loved, to be born an illegitimate child like himself. It must have been agonizing.

“I think your child doesn’t have to be an heir. It may be a problem for you, but as long as you, the mother, is the Duchess, the child will grow up in the legitimate lineage of Serpence. On the other hand, Charlotte is denounced because of you taking her place. So, isn’t it right for you and the child in your womb to give up the seat of the successor?”

[T/N: Anybody got some BP meds out there?]

There was no room to contradict him. Herace wanted to refute Ezekiel’s words, but she only shuddered at the rising sense of shame and couldn’t oppose.

Ezekiel’s every word hurt her. Especially when he told her that she was taking the Duchess position. Herace felt something sinking within her heart. It was clear what he meant.

I’ve already given you more than enough, so don’t ask for anything more.

Herace lowered her head. Tears were streaming down her face. Will he show mercy to the child if she gives up her seat next to him? That thought occurred to her, but she could not say that she would easily relinquish the title of Duchess. She didn’t even have any guarantees that Ezekiel would give her child rights to succession just because she was going to let go of her position, and he was not inclined to do so.

For the sake of the child, she had to speak out, but her mouth wouldn’t open. She still loved Ezekiel. That’s why Herace couldn’t even tell Ezekiel that she would give up the position next to him.

In the end, Herace, who could not do anything, continued to shed tears. Her rich dark hair scattered along the slender neckline. A dripping stream of water soaked her chest and swollen stomach.

Ezekiel stood still as he watched his weeping wife. From day one, his wife had always shed tears in front of him in the most pitiful and pathetic way. So he couldn’t stand not touching her. She cried like that.

Ezekiel grabbed her small face and lifted it up. It was easier for him to deal with his powerless wife than to steal candy from a child. The corners of her red eyes, irritated by crying, irritated him. He gently stroked his wife’s cheek as if he was comforting a child.

Herace didn’t react much. Even though her head was lifted up and her neck hurt, she kept her eyelids down and avoided his gaze as much as possible. Ezekiel was unhappy with that, and couldn’t stand it. He rubbed the corners of his wife’s creased eyes, barely holding back his ferocious temper, and gave a sullen smile.

“… It’s too early to give up.”

“Herace, it’s true that you’re at rock bottom, but…”

“…..”

“My wife still has a knack for motivating men.”

There was no noble Duke of Serpence in this place. His eyes, drenched in desire, thoroughly dug into Herace as if he was going to eat her at any moment.

“If it’s really for the child, do something yourself. Move and change my mind. Then you never know, I might come back to you and give you what you want.”

She knew what he was talking about just by looking at his eyes. Herace shook her head trembling. She hated it. She didn’t like that kind of relationship. Seducing him with her body was terrible.

“Why? Can’t you even do that?”

The man’s grip became stronger as Herace shook her head. He pressed her cheeks and her mouth naturally opened.

As soon as her white teeth were exposed, Ezekiel rushed in. Herace shook her head vigorously from side to side, but as if caught in a trap, she couldn’t get out of it.

“I don’t want it! No… Ugh!”

Ezekiel forced Herace and pulled her towards him. He bent her back, pressed down on her lips and inserted his tongue. At the wild, violent kiss, Herace clenched her teeth and let out a small scream.

Blood splattered from the man’s lips. It was Herace who bit him, but it was her who was surprised at the red blood. Herace took a look at her husband as if she was wary of him, breathing heavily. He, who wiped the blood with the back of his hand, stared at Herace with a murderous expression.