Chapter 34 - The Monster Duke Mistook Me for His Wife
Translated by Arnlian
Edited by Arnlian
âLexter Blant is at fault. Maybe, he knew you were His Graceâs weakness and then he tried to kidnap you.â
âHe is a man who is mean and has no mercy. He put His Grace in danger several times to take over His Graceâs place.â
âThe one who made His Grace lost memories, it is obvious itâs Lexter.â
Kanaeâs face darkened together with her voice echoed in the ears.
Why didnât 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 Dillianâs half brother.
He is a half-blood, the one fact that he has the blood of Sinaize, made him grow his power and threatened Dillianâs position.
âRight, heâs a typical villain whoâs been bothering Dillian since his childhood.â
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 Lexterâs attack, was completely eaten by his curse and as he lost his mind, the world was destroyed.
âIf we can stop the attack, if we can only protect Dillian, the empire wouldnât be destroyed and everyone would be at peace.â
Then Aina wonât have to die either. And Dillian could avoid the disastrous end.
âNo, itâs not enough to just stop the attack. Before that, we need to cut the root.â
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.
âNo matter when, no matter how long it takes, Iâll make him pay for this.â
When the fire of revenge was burning, Nathan touched my hand with its wings.
âRia, where did you learn the divine amplification? I donât remember teaching it.â
âOh, I just did it instinctively, is that divine amplification?â
I pretend not to know. I donât want to lie to Nathan, but I canât say I saw it in the book.
As I blinked and tilted my head, Nathan sighed deeply and patted my head.
âThatâs the wrong way, so forget it all. You were sick, and lost consciousness, all because of it.â
âHuh?â
No way. I just copied what Aina did.
âThatâs not quite the wrong way, but if you do it, your body will break instead.â
âWhy?â
âUsually, those who possess divine power are born with innate divine power. It canât be increased or decreased. That becomes life force.
âYup. I know.â
âBut not you are.â
âHhuh?â
âThe source of your divine power is not yourself, but nature. Sun, water, fire, wind, soil⌠You use and take life force from that nature.â
You say nature, on a sudden bigger scale, I swallowed my saliva.
âYou donât think those infinite divine power comes from your body, right?â
I amâŚ
âAmong human beings who are superior like High Priest or Saintess, itâs impossible for them to pull it out infinitely.â
As Nathanâs words grew longer, my heart beat harder.
So doesnât that mean that Iâm special? Even more than High Priest or Saintess!
âIs this even possible?â
I thought I was just an extra, but actually Iâm the worldâs greatest? Donât say such things.
âYesterday you unleashed the divine power in your body, as others do. But the one you unleash is from the outside, not inside.â
Nathan poked me in the chest.
âYouâre used to bringing it from outside, you donât know how to control the strength and your limits. Thatâs why you use it until your bowl breaks*.â
*Exceed her capacity.
Thatâs 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.
âIâll teach you step by step again starting from tomorrow, so donât ever use that method again. Got it? You can really die.â
âYeah. Got it.â
In the word of death, I, who became pale, nodded.
But that is not the end of Nathanâs lecture.
Tired of the endless lecture, just before I collapse.
âMiss Ria, itâs me.â
âCome on in!â
I welcomed Dillian with open arms.
âWhatâs going on?â
At the drastic hospitality, Dillian flinched for a moment, then in a sweet voice said to me.
âIâm going to sleep with Miss Ria.â
âWhat? Why suddenly,â
I swallowed the words, âyou think like crazyâ.
âWhat do you mean why? Itâs because we are a married couple.â
For me to ignore it as nonsense, there is something that prevents me.
âYou said it yourself. We are a couple. Iâm your wife, youâre my husband. Right?â
Dillian, who proudly took out the coupleâs card, smiled triumphantly.
Even if I say no here, he wonât listen.
â⌠We are a married couple who use separate rooms. You can go back now.â
âThen from today we can share the room again. And that room, Kanae is using it, so I canât go back.â
As expected of Dillian. Planned, thorough, and sharp.
âIâm not ready yet, so I canât.â
âThen I will wait until you can.â
Thatâs a relief. He is going to step down this time. My heart calmed and relieved just for a moment.
âWould thirty minutes be enough?â
It canât beâŚ
âI have spent countless days with Miss Ria, but tonight will officially be our first night.â
âDillian! Donât be funny!â
Nathan, who could not hear more, flared up.
âIf itâs the first night we spent together in one room, it has happened in a long time.â
Itâs also the first night of horrorâŚ
As I remembered the past when I was trembling for fear of dying after breaking Dillianâs head, I laughed.
âThere was a time like thatâŚâ
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.
âOkay, letâs sleep together.â
âRia!â
Nathanâs face turned pale. On the contrary, Dillianâs face brightened.
âIâm on the bed, Sir Dillian is on the floor.â
It was in a flash that their expression changed.
Dillian with a sullen face called me.
âMiss RiaâŚâ
âItâs no use even if you called me so mournfully.â
âSure, sure. Itâs no use.â
Nathan responded.
I laid a blanket on the floor ignoring Dillianâs 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 otherâs breath in the dark.
âMiss Ria, are you bothered?â
Looking vacantly at the ceiling, I turned my head.
âFor what?â
âFor everything. Nathan who was kidnapped, and for them who actually was after you, then you also collapsed, everything is because of me. Iâm sorry.â
I rolled over to face Dillian.
He must have been looking at me all the time, the red eyes and my eyes met.
âSir Dillian doesnât need to apologize because itâs not you who is in the wrong.â
âIf I were Miss Ria, I would be angry and resentful.â
Does he want me to be angry? But Iâm not that angry.
âYou are also the victim, so why should I be angry?â
It is not Dillian that Iâm going to be angry with, itâs the guy who is not enough just to be swallowed that is made of all this.
âLexter that jerk, just watch if you show up in front of me. Iâll destroy you.â
Unlike me who gritted my teeth, Dillian still didnât understand what I was saying.
âIs that possible?â
âI am rather grateful to Sir Dillian.â
âGrateful?â
I reached under the bed and tapped Dillianâs back hand.
Dillianâs hand flinched. I smiled slowly, gazing at Dillianâs moonlit face.
âIf it werenât for Sir Dillian, I would be crying because I couldnât stand up again. Thank you for always saying itâs gonna be okay.â
It wasnât lip service, it was sincere.
No matter what anyone said, Dillian was able to find Nathan.
So you donât have to worry about it, with that meaning I patted the back of his hand.
âI mean it.â
With a gentle smile at him, I withdrew my hand.
But it wasnât long before he caught it again.
âIâm grateful to you, too.â
âSir Dillian, why?â
âBecause itâs me, the first one you are trying to find, not anyone else.â
Is that something to be grateful for?
Staring at Dillian, who looked genuinely happy, I opened my mouth without realizing it.
â⌠All I could think of was you.â
Dillianâs eyes grew bigger. At the tiny trembling eyes, I scratch my cheek.
âI thought he would like it. Is it not?â
The tremble was brief. Immediately, a unique languid and relaxed smile settled on his face.
âMiss Ria, do you remember that you will give me a prize if I could help you find Nathan?â
â⌠I do.â
âI did help, right?â
â⌠You did.â
Dillian smiled mischievously as he gently swept the back of my hand.
âWhat should I get as a prize?â
âAnything I can give you.â
Except for the weird ones. When I added, he nodded as if saying of course.
âWould the kiss of victory be good?â
âThatâs the weird one.â
âThen the kiss with love.â
It was a kiss one way or the other. I smiled and shook my head.
âYou will regret it later if you do it with me.â
âThat will not.â
No, Iâm sure it will. When your memories came back and realized you kissed the woman who broke your head. Donât you feel cheated? I thought it would make me angry.
Itâs good if he is just angry, it will be troubling if he tries to kill me.
âWhy donât you get it from Nathan instead of me?â
âMiss Ria, I almost got angry.â
âI hate it too! This dude!â
âWhat the? Nathan, you didnât sleep?â
I thought you were asleep because you were quiet, but you heard all of the conversations?
My face burned with shame.
âYou fox-like brat! What did you do to our Ria when I was gone?â
âWhat do you mean, because of my father-in-law, I became closer with Miss Ria.â
Dillian said thank you and stroked Nathanâs head.
âWhy donât you play cupid instead of the guardian deity?â
âWhat, what the!â
Nathan, who is furious, pecked Dillian on the head.