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Chapter 18………………………………………
Cheryan let out a self-mocking smile as he looked at the assassins he had faced again after a little over a month.
It was ridiculous how he had let his guard down after growing used to a comfortable life. Sleep itself was a luxury he could not afford.
“We didn’t come only for you. By now, your wife is probably no longer of this world.”
The words suddenly thrown at him in the middle of the fight irritated Cheryan.
They had likely said it to break his focus, but it had the opposite effect.
Consumed by anger and worry, he instead fought with far greater precision and eliminated them faster than usual.
After that, his body moved before his mind could catch up.
He rushed to Melina’s bedroom, where assassins were already lying scattered across the floor.
He had no time to feel relief. The moment he saw her drenched in blood, his heart dropped violently.
Normally, he would have assumed it wasn’t her blood—but in that moment, he couldn’t think at all.
He felt like he would go mad if he didn’t confirm immediately whether she was okay.
But when she stepped back from him, avoiding his approach, he was momentarily taken aback. At the same time, an inexplicable sense of disappointment rose within him.
Yet seeing her force a smile through tears, saying she was fine and even worrying about him instead, something hot surged deep inside his chest.
Yes—that face. He had seen it before. At the auction. In his bedroom.
More than anything, that hand she had hidden since entering the room felt oddly unsettling.
She hid it behind her back like a child caught doing something wrong, and it irritated him for reasons he couldn’t explain.
When Melina, who had been staring at the hand that had wiped her face, hid even that hand, something hot rose up his throat.
Her wandering eyes that couldn’t meet his properly. Her face like she might burst into tears if touched even slightly. And above all, her tightly bitten lips.
Even though blood was dripping from her wounds, she didn’t seem to feel it at all.
It was so painful and heartbreaking that unnamed emotions swirled inside him.
So he stopped her from trying to escape.
Seeing her clutching the dagger like a lifeline made him unable to bear it.
Why are you so afraid when it’s not your fault?
It wasn’t an illusion. The guilt and fear he had seen in her were real.
His thoughts became complicated.
When he heard Ran was out, he couldn’t think of anything else.
He only wanted to keep her away from anyone else while she was unstable.
So he carried her to the bathroom.
“What… what are you—ugh.”
As she struggled, asking to be put down, she suddenly let out a groan, and his mind went blank.
“Mel? What is it?”
“I’m fine. It’s just a small cut.”
Melina lifted her head after steadying her breathing and spoke casually.
Cheryan’s expression turned grim.
“Hah… honestly, you…”
His anger toward the assassins flared up again at the fact that she had been injured—but even more than that, he was furious at her for saying she was fine.
Even when he had first entered her bedroom, she had shown no concern for her own injuries.
He couldn’t understand why she told him to be angry while she endured everything herself.
He suppressed his boiling anger with difficulty, unable to direct it at her.
“Stay still. Or you’ll really be scolded.”
Melina nodded quietly and let herself be taken to the bathroom, while Cheryan went to summon Noel.
Noel’s expression hardened as he took in the scene.
“Is Her Grace unharmed?”
“She’s injured.”
“Shall I call a physician?”
There was nothing to gain from letting this spread. Only the Emperor would be pleased.
“I’ll treat her myself. Bring what’s needed. And clothes to change into.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Also check for any other casualties.”
A short while later, Noel returned with a report.
“A few palace guards on patrol have been killed.”
Cheryan clenched his fist.
Since childhood, he had lived under constant assassination threats, and losing escort knights was not uncommon.
Back then, many of the knights assigned to him were undertrained due to the schemes of the Empress Dowager, which led to heavier losses.
In any case, the death of others had always been a deep wound for him, especially after losing his mother.
That accumulated grief had become difficult to endure.
So after gaining enough skill, he stopped keeping knights with him at night and minimized guards.
The reason he hadn’t assigned Melina her own escorts was because she had refused—saying it would interfere with her work in Temno.
He had assumed she would be fine since she was strong and always with the Black Wolf.
Now, he regretted that judgment.
“Give them proper funerals and compensation.”
Cheryan said with a heavy expression.
“And keep this matter quiet. Tell the Emperor that the Grand Duchess is down with a cold.”
“Understood. I’ll take care of the cleanup here.”
As Noel handled the aftermath as always, Cheryan returned to the bathroom with medicine and clothes.
Melina was already wiping her face and hands on her own. The basin was filled with bloodied water.
“I told you to wait. You never listen.”
His sharp tone came out before he could stop it.
“I just wanted to clean it quickly. I can do this much myself.”
The words “I just wanted to wash the blood away quickly” somehow pierced him painfully.
“Sit still. I’ll do it.”
Melina looked up, startled.
Did that really surprise her so much? Did she think so little of him?
Even if this was a contract marriage, he had said he would fulfill his duties as her husband.
Realizing she had expected nothing from him made him strangely angry.
But he couldn’t leave her standing there injured, so he seated her on a makeshift bed and carefully examined her.
Aside from her side, there were no other injuries, but that one wound was deeper than expected.
When he lowered her shoulder strap to treat it, she flinched and grabbed his hand.
“What are you doing?”
“I need to remove your clothes to treat the wound. You’ll need to change anyway.”
“I-I’ll do it. I can treat it myself. So please go out.”
He understood her embarrassment, but he didn’t want to leave her alone like that.
He knew too well what it felt like.
More than anything, he was worried about leaving her alone.
“No. What kind of patient treats their own wound? Just stay still.”
“But…”
She still couldn’t let go of his hand.
“I’m your husband. You can be comfortable in front of me. I can accept you however you are.”
Melina looked at him quietly, then finally relaxed her grip.
He slowly treated her wound, disinfecting it carefully. Whenever she winced, his movements became gentler.
After bandaging her, he noticed the remaining blood and wiped it away with a warm damp towel.
“I can do that myself.”
She flinched every time the cloth touched her, avoiding his gaze.
He scolded himself for even finding her endearing in this situation—but he couldn’t stop.
As the blood disappeared, scars began to appear on her body.
He fell silent.
He hadn’t expected her life to be easy, but seeing evidence of a harsher life than he had imagined made his chest ache.
“It seems I haven’t earned your trust yet, but please try to believe in me. I won’t disappoint you.”
He spoke sincerely while meeting her eyes.
Her clear green gaze held his without wavering.
“…Thank you. For accepting even this side of me.”
Melina gently reached out and cupped his face.
“Can you look at me properly? I want to protect you too.”
She had always been like this since they first met—protecting him, getting angry for him, comforting him, even promising revenge for him.
She was the only one who had ever said such things to him.
And yet she herself was so wounded and struggling.
His chest tightened.
Instead of answering, he took her hand and pressed a deep kiss into her palm.
Seeing her faint smile eased something inside him.
After washing her hair for her, he quickly showered himself as well.
Meanwhile, Melina changed into undergarments and a robe.
When Cheryan lifted her again, she protested.
“I can walk. It’s just a few steps.”
“The wound might reopen. You’re too careless with your own body.”
She had no reply and fell silent.
He carried her back to the room, which had already been cleaned.
He placed her carefully on the bed and lay down beside her, facing her.
“…We’re sleeping together?”
“After something like this, how could I leave you alone?”
“I’m fine now. The wound’s treated. Even if assassins come again, I can handle them.”
There it was again—acting as if nothing had happened.
“No matter how skilled you are, you’re not invincible. You could get injured or even die in an instant.”
Right. He had forgotten that.
He had assumed she would always be fine because she was the leader of Temno.
How foolish that assumption had been—he realized it painfully today.
“So from now on, how about staying in the same room? I’ll handle the assassins.”
I don’t want to see you drown in guilt again.
“That’s unnecessary. You don’t need to go that far.”
“You really hate sleeping with me that much?”
Thinking she was pushing him away, he sounded a bit sulky.
Melina blinked awkwardly, then slowly lowered her head.
Then she moved hesitantly and nestled into his arms.
His hands froze in midair, unsure where to go.
“No.”
Her small voice from his chest made him laugh softly.
That answer pleased him greatly.
“Let’s sleep now.”
He held her gently as she settled into his arms. She leaned comfortably against him.
Soon, she fell asleep.
Watching her, he sank into thought.
He had been wrong.
He had thought a contract marriage only required fulfilling duties.
He had assumed she would be safe by his side because she was strong.
But he should never have treated her like that.
He looked down at her sleeping face.
Behind her proud, charismatic expression was a fragile, innocent face he had never truly seen before.
He quietly brushed her hair back.
“Mm…”
Suddenly, Melina let out a soft groan and frowned.
Tears formed at the corners of her closed eyes.
His heart dropped.
He checked her in panic, but nothing seemed physically wrong.
Maybe she was having a nightmare.
He gently patted her back until she calmed.
Wiping away her tears, he blamed himself.
How had he not realized how fragile she was?
He couldn’t even imagine how much she must have pushed herself to lead Temno.
The strong shoulders he had seen now seemed unbearably fragile.
She was not someone who should have been pulled into his dangerous life.
And yet—
He didn’t want to let her go.
She was the first person he had ever truly cherished.
How should he protect her?
That night, after long thought, he came to one conclusion.
I will become the Emperor.
To protect Melina—from the Emperor, from Temno, from the world itself.
He held her tighter, making a vow again and again.
