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Chapter 40
Chapter 40 - The Monster Duke Mistook Me for His Wife
Translated by Arnlian
Edited by VebtreX
Dillian paused for a moment, when the thought of him saving Ria appeared naturally.
‘Why should I?’
The heart of the dragon was found, but it was delayed for a month, because he lost his memory.
He has to go back as soon as possible, throw the flower to the crown prince and go back to his house.
‘I don’t have time for this. What does she have to do with my time?’
Dillian could not find a good reason to save the woman who broke his head.
“But why
”
Why am I so worried?
“What are you muttering about! Ria is in danger!”
He tried to deny, that the feelings he had for Ria were his, because he lost his memories before, but even that failed.
“
 Let’s go.”
Before anything, let’s do what my heart tells me to do.
I’ll decide what to do with Ria by looking at her face and hearing her voice first.
Then will he know.
What the feelings he has for Ria Delice are.
***
Meanwhile Ria, who was caught by the monsters, entered the enemy’s home base and swallowed only dry saliva from the look of the scene that appeared right in front of her eyes.
[‘swallowed her saliva at the scene’ doesn’t mean anything in this context]
“Woo! Woo! Woo!”
The monsters surrounding her in a circle moved in perfect order like primitive people, while making a continuous beast-like sound.
‘Am I not mistaken that this feels like a sacrificial ceremony?’
Looking at the monsters in disgust, I twisted my wrist.
The luck of the misfortune here was that the tool, that tied my hands and feet, was made from a tree.
‘If I manipulate divine power, I’ll be able to untie it.’
As Nathan taught her, she avoided enemy’s eyes and wriggled her hands, but suddenly.
Flap, flap, a flock of birds flew up.
Boom, boom! A heavy sound from somewhere sent a chill up her spine.
Ria gulped as the huge being slowly approached.
‘How is that a Spirit? No matter how I look at it, isn’t this the final boss?’
Nathan told her, that it was cursed and turned into a scary figure, but there was nothing in it that could be called a Spirit anymore.
Slurp, slurp. She got goosebump when the Spirit looked at her, as if she was its dish.
“My, My min
 Power, my min
”
Ah, I get it. It wants my power, doesn’t it? This divine power?
Divine power is life force, and this cursed Spirit wanted to try regaining its power by ingesting Ria.
‘But won’t the Spirit be eliminated, if it eats innocent people?’
Aren’t Spirits good-natured and mysterious beings?
As soon as the eyes of the Spirit, that were like boiling lava, approached with a clear intent of wanting to eat her, Ria cut off the tree binding her hands and feet.
She then quickly rolled on the floor and put her hand on the wooden monster’s body.
Anyway, the root is wood, so wouldn’t it be possible to manipulate it somehow?
Putting aside the wooden monster, the Spirit and Ria’s power unfolded.
‘Let’s see who’ll win.’
Ria unleashed her divine power. The Spirit, pushed by the force, roared.
‘It worked.’
Finally Ria, who took the initiative, fled using the monster itself as a shield.
Rolling from one place to another, she managed to hide behind a large rock and here took a rough breath.
‘Wow, I’m dying. Really.’
As she peeked out with her head, she saw some guys busy looking for her.
“Haa.”
Ria leaned with her back against the rock.
‘What a pain in the ass.’
If Dillian hadn’t swallowed the greenhouse, I wouldn’t have to come this far.
The sorrowful feeling came like riding a paper boat in a vast ocean.
‘Dillian, let’s see if you come, I won’t let you slide!’
Ria was mad, but in a corner of her mind there was a belief, that Dillian would come looking for her.
Ria believed in Nathan and Dillian, and then an idea how to overcome the current situation suddenly came up.
The cursed Spirit has a terrifying appearance, but that’s not its actual appearance.
‘There must be its body somewhere.’
When the body is found, then whether the curse gets broken or the Spirit itself is purified, once I touch it, the victory will be mine.
‘Can I find it?’
I don’t know, but I can’t just sit here and do nothing.
Ria stepped slowly and looked around.
As she was moving away from the enemy’s eyes, she felt something in a nearby place.
At the end of her sight, there was a big old tree behind the Spirit.
‘Maybe
?’
One day, when I could not remember, the legend that Claude told me came up.
A long, long time ago. A young girl planted a shoot on desolate land and gave it a name.
Teevee.
The small and insignificant seeds have grown and became the foundation of this forest.
Thus, this forest was called Teevee’s forest.
‘Everyone avoids it because it’s a black forest now.’
It was a famous story among herbalists, woodcutters, and hunters.
Teevee, the longest living figure here, protects this forest, and the reason why the forest is dying is because Teevee is dying.
‘I didn’t know that story was true.’
As she moved and hid by the trees, the pulling force became stronger.
Ria, barely avoiding the monster and Teevee’s eyes, stood in front of a large old tree, her shoulders shook from the thick ominous energy that made her hair stand up.
Here, here is the source of the curse.
‘If I touch it and it goes wrong
 No, I can do it.’
As Nathan said. My power is special.
Then can I do this too? No, it has to be done.
Ria slowly reached for the tree.
And the moment her fingertips touched it-
“Kwaaaaa!”
Teevee, who felt Ria, roared.
The wind from its mouth reeled Ria’s body. The sound was about to rip up her ears.
“Ugh!”
She can’t stand it. Her grip on the tree is lost. Her feet slowly dropped.
Her body was floating, then-
A large upper body suddenly supported her on the back. A firm arm hugged Ria’s waist.
Ria’s face distorted as if she was about to cry from the familiar arms and familiar scents.
“I can’t keep my eyes off of you even for a moment.”
The voice that came whispering to her ear was low, and somewhat angry.
***
Dillian quickly backed away, hugging Ria.
It was burdensome even for Dillian to fight a distraught Spirit.
Furthermore, there was someone in his arms he needed to protect now.
Dillian kept the distance from the enemy as big as possible.
“You said, that you’d be back soon. Were you playing with this thing?”
At the reproachful remark, Ria’s face distorted.
“Do you see this as a play?”
The choked-up Ria replied informally without her knowing. Dillian bent his waist at the unusual voice.
It was a habit he got in his body without him realizing.
“Are you hurt somewhere?”
Ria bit her lips tightly in the voice of concern for her.
When she met Dillian again, she wanted to beat him up, but then she saw his face and tears welled up instead.
“Why are you here just now! I thought they were gonna eat me, really, I’m scared to death.”
Dillian’s face became blurry behind the veil of her tears.
Perhaps being shocked by her sudden reaction, he was unexpectedly at a loss.
‘Where is the time when you are all sly and comfortable to me, why do you act like a stranger now!’
Ria opened her arms and hugged Dillian.
Pretending not to care, pretending to be fine. Pretending to be brave, but in reality being actually scared.
It was natural that I had never dealt with such crazy things in my life.
Boom! Dillian was backing out, startled by the sound of his heart.
Then, as he went away, Ria came to him at once. As if he couldn’t get away from it.
“Why are you avoiding me again
”
Dillian hurriedly covered his mouth after hearing the whining voice.
Otherwise, he felt like Ria would find him like a madman for laughing out of his will.
“Hm, sorry. I am sorry.”
Dillian, who was speaking informally, quickly began to put on a good manner.
Ria, who always looked for Nathan, found himself first.
Dillian felt a sense of satisfaction and superiority, that was tightening his chest.
“That ugly looking face
”
Tsk, tsk, Nathan’s tongue clapping was not heard at all.
Dillian hugged Ria carefully.
Then, as if he got hit by a bat, his heart throbbed and thumped.
“Were you scared?”
“Why do you ask something so obvious? They really tried to eat me.”
Ria was sniffling and grumbling.
I can’t believe my scared mind calms down so fast. I haven’t realized the difference of when Dillian is next to me or not before.
‘What will happen, if Dillian goes back later?’
I know where he’ll go, but I don’t know where it is*.
*She probably knows that Dillian will go back to the Dukedom of Sinaize but she doesn’t know the way there.
Suddenly, I began to worry.
“It is me who’s in the wrong. I can’t believe I left Miss Ria alone.”
“It’s enough, if you know.”
It must have been a temporary symptom for him to look blank. Dillian had returned to his usual slick and friendly appearance.
“Ria, Dillian. A touching reunion is good, but you have to choose when and where.”
Ria, awakened by Nathan’s complaint, looked at the approaching Teevee and backed away.
But the next moment, Ria narrowed her eyes seeing Teevee’s image over Dillian’s shoulder.
It was different from before. Teevee, who was acting like it was going to hit her before, approached carefully.
Ria, who had narrowed her eyes to its desperate appearance, opened her eyes wide.
Tears dropped from the eyes filled with poison.
“Ri, a
”
The name that came out of the mouth must be hers.
“Hu, urts
 It hurts.”
Teevee reached out to Ria, shedding tears like a little child.
Seeing its pitiful gesture, Ria walked out on her own under Dillian’s protection.
“Miss Ria, come here. It’s dangerous.”
Dillian, surprised by Ria’s unexpected behavior, reached out to her, but Ria shook him off and reached out to Teevee instead.
‘It’s fine. Nathan’s also just watching.’
That means her choice was not wrong.
The moment their fingertips met, light burst out.