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Chapter 69
* * *
Ezra pouted as she roughly undid the rusty latch on the door.
Her sulky, almost protesting attitude made Siphnard chuckle.
Seeing him laugh only made her frown even harder, biting down on her lower lip.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you coming out?”
“Why do you always do whatever you want?”
“Hmm? I always do whatever I want, so I’m not exactly sure what you’re talking about.”
Ezra spun around and glared at the man looking down at her.
Seeing him casually shrug with that teasing grin only made her more irritated.
“I’ve told you over and over…”
“…don’t touch me.”
As if by habit, his large hand settled on her shoulder again.
Her cheeks flushed bright red as she weakly resisted.
Instead of letting go, Siphnard tightened his grip and suddenly wrapped both arms around her from behind.
He locked her small, startled body against his chest while rubbing his cheek against the top of her head.
“A-Are you crazy?”
“You smell nice.”
“…Because you smell like me.”
“Let go!”
“I don’t want to.”
Siphnard couldn’t hold back his laughter.
Didn’t she realize that the more she struggled, the more he wanted to tease her?
Watching her bright red ears, he smiled mischievously.
“Ah!”
Naturally…
He gently nibbled on her ear.
It wasn’t meant to hurt—just another playful prank.
Her horrified expression was simply too entertaining.
With a perfectly practiced lie, he said,
“Isn’t it a little cruel?”
“Your husband just wants to show you some affection.”
“That…”
There it was again.
That expression.
Confusion rippled through her green eyes.
His own smile softened slightly.
She seemed to instinctively understand that she had been married…
But she still wasn’t convinced that he was the husband.
Whether she believed him or not, it had always been a lie.
Still…
Every time she looked at him like that, he couldn’t resist wanting to provoke her.
Wrapping one arm around her shoulders, Siphnard pulled her along rather roughly.
“Come on.”
“If we keep standing in front of the door like this, everyone will start saying we’re a lovey-dovey couple.”
Startled, Ezra nodded vigorously and hurried forward.
Siphnard quietly matched her pace, studying every detail of her profile as they walked.
The slums were a maze of narrow alleyways.
Anyone could easily lose their way.
Someone like Ezra—who had lost her memories and possessed almost no sense of direction—would never find her way home without Siphnard.
Looking around, she unconsciously hugged her shoulders.
Even in broad daylight, the alleys were dim.
Drunks lay unconscious against the walls.
Children searched through their pockets.
Groups of gamblers laughed loudly in dark corners.
Women in thin clothing flirted with passing men.
Street gangs openly threatened pedestrians while carrying dull axes and worn swords.
Everyone in the slums somehow survived in their own way.
What felt strange was that…
Not a single one of them dared even glance at Siphnard.
Whenever he walked past, conversations died instantly.
People became awkward and stiff.
Like frightened mice.
“Is there something on my face?”
Apparently she’d been staring.
Without stopping, Siphnard glanced down at her and raised an eyebrow.
Wearing that familiar smug grin, his hand once again wandered toward her waist.
Ezra wrinkled her nose.
Of course.
“No matter how handsome I am, you shouldn’t stare at me like that.”
“It’s practically begging me to eat you.”
“…When did I ever stare?”
“Oh no.”
“Even your lies are adorable.”
His teasing tone was unmistakable.
Ezra forcefully pushed his hand away and hurried ahead.
She hadn’t gone far before Siphnard caught her arm and gently pulled her back.
“Not that way.”
Embarrassed, she looked away.
This time, however, he merely adjusted his pace to hers and said nothing more.
After weaving through countless alleys, they finally stopped before a small clinic.
Inside the worn wooden building, several patients waited for treatment while an elderly physician calmly offered advice to another patient.
“Why did we come here?”
“Losing your memory is still an illness.”
Though his words sounded blunt, they carried unmistakable concern.
Trying to hide her burning cheeks, Ezra lowered her head.
Siphnard bent slightly to examine her face before openly laughing.
Honestly…
He ruined every thoughtful gesture with his attitude.
“Hey.”
“See us first.”
The doctor narrowed his wrinkled eyes at Siphnard.
After studying him for a moment, he simply shook his head and gestured toward the people waiting in line.
Clearly…
He meant they should wait their turn.
“Siphnard.”
“Of course we have to line up.”
“Everyone’s been waiting.”
“That’s annoying.”
“I’ve never done that before.”
As Siphnard started walking toward the doctor anyway, Ezra instinctively grabbed his hand.
She froze.
She had never been the first to reach out before.
Siphnard also stopped walking.
Slowly, he turned around.
She stood there awkwardly, fidgeting while nervously noticing everyone’s eyes on them.
When Siphnard met her pleading gaze…
He found himself looking away.
“It’s not like it’s an emergency…”
“There could be someone here who’s in worse condition than I am…”
“And…”
“Fine.”
Just one word.
That was all.
Ezra smiled brightly.
No matter how many jokes he’d made…
No matter how often he’d teased her…
She had never smiled like that before.
Yet something as simple as agreeing to wait made her beam.
Even more ridiculous…
He found himself staring at that silly smile like a complete fool.
Siphnard quietly sat beside her.
An awkward silence settled between them.
Ezra broke it first.
“Honestly…”
“…you really surprised me.”
“Siphnard, who always does whatever he wants, actually agreed so easily.”
“I’m kind of proud of you.”
He couldn’t answer.
She kept chatting beside him…
But none of her words reached his ears.
What the hell am I doing?
I’m supposed to be controlling her…
So why does it feel like she’s controlling me instead?
Lately, that strange feeling had been appearing more and more often.
It irritated him.
Made him restless.
Ezra finally noticed the dark look in his eyes.
She stopped talking.
What had made him so angry?
She had never seen such a serious expression before…
Except when he deliberately teased her.
He must have been annoyed about waiting.
How petty.
She pouted before quietly scooting a little farther away.
Soon…
Their turn arrived.
“You two.”
“Are you coming or not?”
“You were the ones demanding to be seen quickly.”
“Y-Yes!”
“We’re coming.”
Ezra hurried over and sat on the creaking wooden chair.
At some point, Siphnard had already moved behind her, casting a long shadow over her.
“You don’t appear to have any visible injuries.”
“So what’s bothering you?”
“She fell into the water recently.”
“When she woke up…”
“…she’d lost her memory.”
His arrogant tone made the old physician purse his lips.
Then he met Siphnard’s icy stare.
Clearing his throat, he examined Ezra.
He checked her eyes.
Asked her to open her mouth.
Finally, he took her wrist and checked her pulse.
“Hmm…”
The old man nodded slowly before looking directly into her eyes.
“Is he your husband?”
“Huh?”
“I’m asking if the man standing behind you is your husband.”
“Well…”
“…yes?”
“No…”
“…I mean…”
“…that’s what he says.”
Siphnard’s eyes immediately turned cold.
Even after hearing the lie repeated countless times…
She still didn’t trust him.
And now…
The old man’s suspicious expression only fueled his irritation.
“‘That’s what he says,’ huh?”
“You don’t even remember your own husband.”
“Well…”
“This is troublesome.”
“Damn it!”
“I am her husband!”
“Forget that.”
“Why are you taking so long?”
Ezra stared at Siphnard in surprise.
She had never heard such a harsh voice from him before.
His face was frighteningly cold.
Deliberately avoiding her gaze, he glared at the old physician.
The physician finally spoke.
“Congratulations.”
“She’s pregnant.”
“…What?”
“It looks like about two months.”
“Have you been unusually tired?”
“Felt anything strange?”
“In any case, this is the most dangerous stage.”
“Take care of yourself.”
“And no matter how passionate you become…”
“…avoid overly rough nights together.”
The physician continued offering advice.
Ezra didn’t understand a single word.
She couldn’t.
She refused to believe it.
Her trembling hands slowly covered her lower abdomen.
For reasons she couldn’t explain…
An instinctive fear surged through her.
Even the silence behind her…
The silence from Siphnard…
Felt terrifying.
She shivered.
“Come back next month.”
“At the very least, you should have a checkup once every month.”
The moment the physician finished speaking, Siphnard seized Ezra’s wrist and pulled her out of the clinic.
She stumbled after him in a daze.
The physician and his young assistant watched in silent shock.
Neither dared stop him.
“Didn’t want the child…”
“Or perhaps…”
The old physician stroked his graying beard.
Decades of experience whispered a troubling suspicion.
Perhaps…
That man isn’t really her husband.
* * *
Meanwhile…
The moment they left the clinic, Siphnard dragged Ezra through the streets with a dark expression.
She hurried behind him, her small footsteps echoing through the alley.
Everyone who crossed his path shrank back in fear at the sight of his face.
Ezra, however, noticed none of it.
“Siphnard…”
“Wait.”
Sweat beaded on her forehead as she looked at the hand crushing her wrist.
Even now…
Her greatest worry was whether the baby inside her might be harmed.
Amid the chaos in her mind…
Her instinct to protect the child remained crystal clear.
“I-I can’t keep up…”
“Please slow down…”
“…”
“Siphnard!”
“My wrist hurts!”
He didn’t answer.
His silence only convinced her further that…
He didn’t want this child.
The thought made her chest tighten.
“Why are you so angry?”
“…Do you hate the fact that I’m pregnant?”
“Be quiet, Ezra.”
“I’m not in a good mood.”
“Why?”
“If you’re really my husband…”
“…then this baby is your—”
She couldn’t finish.
Siphnard suddenly turned around.
The terrifying look on his face froze her in place.
Only after she whimpered in pain did he realize how tightly he was gripping her wrist.
His fingers loosened.
Ezra quickly pulled free, rubbing the bright red marks left on her skin.
After a long silence…
Siphnard quietly said,
“…I didn’t realize how hard I was holding you.”
