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Chapter 28
“Living in a place like a warehouse, constantly going out to do labor, and having such poor meals every time… it’s all… foolish.”
At the duke’s following harsh words, my half-closed eyes couldn’t help but snap wide open.
“…Excuse me?”
What are you saying right now?
A warehouse? My forest cabin, which could rival any paradise?
Labor? I just cleaned out of boredom!
Poor meals? Weren’t those just healthy meals?!
“….”
Could he really mean that?
Or was this just one of his usual insults?
Before I could even react to the sudden blow, the duke drove his point home.
“Do you not even realize that you’re being persecuted? How naive can you be?”
A trace of mischief lingered in his voice.
But I couldn’t even respond.
“….”
All of that… persecution?
‘So I’ve been… persecuted all this time?!’
That was an unexpected revelation.
It had felt like nothing but happy days.
Of course, that is, as long as I didn’t get entangled with the duke himself!
“Are you serious?”
I couldn’t hide my unease as I asked.
But the only person who could answer this question, the duke, remained silent.
After that, only the sound of labored breathing filled the small cabin.
I lifted my head slightly to glance at him.
The duke’s face, bathed in gentle moonlight,
was calm—peaceful, even—as he slept, a sight I had never seen before.
‘He’s… really asleep?’
After dropping such a bomb?
No, he himself was the bomb, and now he had thrown himself at me!
“You’re sleeping?”
“……”
“Really?”
“……”
“Hey, you bastard…”
“……”
“You… thought just being the duke meant you could—”
I was in the middle of venting all my frustrations while he slept.
“Hmm.”
The duke turned over and, lying on his side, lightly draped one hand over the back of my head.
Because of that, my body, which had slid down onto his, was now pinned immobile again.
‘What… is he really sleeping?’
It looked like a clear message: stop chattering and just sleep.
You heard me complaining, didn’t you?
You’re not pretending, right?
‘Then what am I supposed to do…?’
My restless mind only became more tangled.
Tonight, it seemed, sleep was impossible.
“Kuheeeeh…”
The next day.
At the sound of someone snoring, Genos slowly opened his sleepy eyes.
At first, he thought he wasn’t fully awake yet.
It was strangely warm, small, and soft, and being held like that felt surprisingly pleasant.
But…
‘I… fell asleep?’
As rationality returned, gradually freeing him from the sleep haze, he realized how strange this was.
Genos didn’t even remember falling asleep.
Moreover, he had no habit of sleeping while holding something.
“!”
As he opened his eyes wide, he saw—
“Hmnyaa…”
Rene Blanche, asleep with her mouth slightly open, nestled in his arms.
Her head rested on his arm instead of a pillow, lost in a sweet dream.
Even a faint smile played on her lips.
As Genos processed the scene, his face paled.
A quick glance around revealed they were in Rene’s separate cottage.
The cozy interior mirrored her personality—bright and cheerful.
Yet it was clearly inadequate for a noblewoman’s standards.
Rene seemed quite fond of it, but to Genos, it was just one of her eccentricities.
Rene Blanche was unlike any noblewoman he had ever met—indeed, unlike anyone at all.
The duke’s confused mind raced.
‘Has my madness worsened? Why am I here, in this… state? I have no memory. Yet…’
Genos closed and reopened his eyes.
His body felt as light as if it could float away.
His mind was sharp, clear, and exceptionally refreshed.
‘Yes. Just like back then.’
A memory of a teal-haired man flashed in Genos’s mind—
the man who claimed he was a dragon, as Rene had mentioned.
After encountering that mysterious man, Genos had slept soundly for several days.
Even as his madness worsened, that sensation remained vivid.
It was like discovering water in an oasis after wandering the desert—no one would forget that.
Perhaps now, he felt even more refreshed than then.
“….”
It was a very strange feeling.
A sudden thought narrowed Genos’s eyes.
Setting aside his encounter with the supposed dragon…
‘Could someone’s warmth have been the key to curing my madness?’
Genos did not easily trust others.
He was accustomed to being wary of everyone.
The bedroom, of all places, was where he was most vulnerable.
If he could barely sleep alone, how could he with someone beside him?
Thus, this was his first time sleeping next to someone.
Not that it was anything dramatic—literally, he had just fallen asleep next to her.
The small woman who might hold the clue to unravel his confusion remained asleep in his arms.
‘What is this?’
A forbidden magic, a dragon from legends, a monster that disappeared without a trace despite reports of it attacking villagers, a red-eyed illegitimate child that brought misfortune to his family—
“….”
Genos did not know how any of this was connected.
But…
‘This woman might be able to cure my madness.’
Perhaps the answer he had longed for was closer than he realized.
A small smile unconsciously formed on Genos’s lips.
It was hard to be certain, but even the slightest clue was enough.
He had endured so much suffering alone for so long.
‘And not just Rene Blanche—sleeping next to anyone else might be fine too.’
But Genos quickly dismissed that thought.
‘I’m already married—sleeping next to someone else would be wrong.’
Though in noble society, this was hardly a concern.
Affairs were common as long as no illegitimate children were born.
Still, Genos, being somewhat principled, viewed allowing someone into his bedroom as a risk.
‘Even just her is enough. I don’t want unnecessary trouble.’
The repercussions of letting someone else into his bedroom were obvious.
Even in the Duke’s fortress, spies surely existed.
And nobles paid close attention to the Celeste Duke family—his words, actions, and even subtle expressions were considered politically significant.
That was the fate of the Celeste family, founding dukes of the realm.
Given all this, he could not recklessly invite someone else in.
And above all… Genos did not want to spend the night with anyone other than Rene.
A meaningless marriage, a hollow partnership, yet now that they had slept together…
Genos had to take responsibility.
Rene, if she heard this, might snort with amusement.
But Genos, somewhat rigid, believed he had to.
“Ugh…”
Rene, oblivious to all this, shifted in her sleep.
“!”
Startled, Genos instinctively leaned back.
Finally freed, Rene rolled out of his arms as if she had been waiting for it.
She moved quickly, like a little bird fluttering away.
“….”
‘Is she really sleeping?’
Genos felt strangely uneasy.
‘Being here makes me feel… odd.’
The newfound freedom applied to her too.
Genos cautiously rose and quietly left the cabin.
He finally noticed his bare feet and disheveled dress shirt.
He sighed, pressing a hand to his forehead.
‘Did I wander here again last night?’
Meanwhile, how long had he overslept?
The sun was already high in the sky.
At that moment, Genos met the gaze of someone waiting at the gate.
