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Chapter 65
A delicate waist trembled faintly.
At the same time, a pleasant pressure wrapped around him.
With eyes stripped of all reason, he raised the corners of his lips.
He couldn’t stop the laughter that kept spilling out—like a madman.
“Hh… ah…”
The sound of her whimpering pleas was sweet to his ears. Denok gripped the trembling hands reaching for him and moved exactly as his desire dictated.
Then, the hands he held clutched him tightly in return.
“Haha…”
Finally—he had her in his grasp.
She couldn’t go anywhere now.
Because tonight, he had made her his.
Denok gently brushed Edith’s hair, listening to the trembling sighs that rang by his ear. He drew her tightly into his arms.
My lovely wife.
Mine—mine alone.
The wild magic that had been thrashing inside him finally calmed, as if satisfied.
And once more, he poured everything he had into her, to leave himself branded within her completely.
At that moment—
“…!”
His breath caught in his throat, and his eyes flew open.
The ceiling came into view. As he lowered his gaze, the dim outline of a darkened room gradually came into focus.
This place…
He blinked a few times until his blurred vision cleared.
As he gasped for breath, reality slowly sharpened.
So then—
“…It was… a dream.”
That vivid, burning image—
Denok stared silently at the ceiling for a long time.
Then, he covered his eyes and exhaled a soundless sigh.
Shame and guilt crashed down on him together.
Until now, he had never done anything Edith didn’t want.
And yet…
He couldn’t bring himself to look at her.
If he did, he feared she would see the ugliness festering inside him.
Worse, he didn’t know what he might do if he saw her now.
Damn it.
He clenched his teeth, feeling the lingering heat deep in his lower abdomen.
Could he still deny it?
That he wanted her—
Not just as possession or lust, but something far closer to yearning.
He could feel it.
And somehow, the faint whisper from last night seemed to echo in his mind, mocking him.
The next morning, I woke up to an empty space beside me.
Did he go to the library again?
He hadn’t left there for days lately.
Denok really was more diligent than I’d thought.
Poor thing…
Maybe I should ask the kitchen to prepare some snacks for him later.
Thinking of that trivial matter, I slowly sat up.
Soon after, Melissa came in to help me get ready for the morning.
As she helped me dress, she lifted her eyes and asked cautiously,
“Um… My lady?”
“Yes?”
“Nothing… unusual happened yesterday, did it? You weren’t feeling unwell, perhaps?”
Unwell…?
I frowned slightly, thinking back, before letting out a short, absentminded, “Ah.”
For some reason, Melissa’s eyes immediately brightened.
Why was she looking at me like that? Almost as if she wanted something to have happened.
“The nightclothes are fine now, right? Today, please just prepare something simple—normal.”
Melissa’s shoulders drooped, and even her eyes fell.
Why does she look disappointed?
But before I could ask, a knock came at the door.
“Good morning, my lady.”
I smiled at the familiar face that entered.
“Chelsea!”
It was Chelsea—Emil’s wife and the new head maid of the ducal household.
Holding some documents, she bowed politely, her calm smile perfectly composed.
“I could have reported in the study, but I thought it best to inform you right away.”
“I appreciate that.”
I nodded, and she handed me the documents.
“The internal repairs of the mansion are mostly complete. The maids have been reassigned, and only the food supply manager has been replaced. All details are summarized in the report.”
Her explanation was concise and clear.
I skimmed through the papers—everything reflected her meticulous nature.
“Good. How’s the ballroom?”
The grand hall that hadn’t been used since Denok became Duke.
But it was about time to make use of it.
For his standing’s sake, a formal banquet would be necessary sooner or later, which was why I had ordered Vernon to prepare it in advance.
At my question, Chelsea nodded.
“That’s actually why I came. Everything was completed as of yesterday.”
“Really? That was fast.”
Cleaning that vast space couldn’t have been easy.
“However, some decorations are outdated or deteriorated—they’ll need replacing.”
“Well, it’s been over ten years since it was opened.”
“Yes. I thought your Grace’s own judgment would be best for that part, so I left it untouched.”
“In that case, let’s go see it now.”
Chelsea blinked in surprise.
“Right now, my lady? You haven’t even had breakfast…”
“I can eat afterward.”
Denok was already working since morning; it didn’t feel right for me to eat leisurely alone.
So I followed Chelsea down the corridor.
Morning sunlight streamed through the windows, illuminating the perfectly polished estate.
Every corner gleamed, and the newly arranged vases filled the air with soft fragrance—flowers I personally liked.
Melissa’s touch, no doubt.
I smiled faintly.
Then, we arrived at the ballroom.
The heavy double doors opened soundlessly.
“Wow…”
Light flooded in, dazzling my eyes.
Sunlight poured through the tall windows, filling the hall.
The polished marble floors reflected the glow, and the grand chandelier above scattered prismatic light through its crystal pendants.
Even the faded curtains and furnishings seemed to exude a noble grace under the morning rays.
“It’s… much more beautiful than I expected.”
I stepped slowly inside.
High ceilings, gold patterns carved on every pillar—
Though sealed for years, the room still radiated the dignity of House Luciano.
“We won’t need much—just minor touch-ups.”
Chelsea nodded beside me.
“The curtains should be purple overall, perhaps with golden embroidery…”
Purple—the color that reminded me of him.
I gestured toward a distant wall.
“As for the wall décor, mixing old and new will only draw attention to the difference. Let’s remove it all and replace it with fresh flowers instead.”
“Understood.”
Chelsea quickly took notes.
Sunlight streamed through the windows again, gliding over the marble floor.
And I couldn’t help but imagine—
The ballroom restored to splendor,
The glow of chandeliers at night, laughter and music filling the hall,
And at the center—
Denok in his black formal uniform, standing tall.
Beside him—me.
He takes my hand and leads me to the center of the floor.
The hem of my dress sweeps the floor as every gaze follows us.
He smiles faintly and kisses the back of my hand.
I look up at him, happiness blooming within me—
Wait. What am I thinking…?
I sucked in a sharp breath and shook away the vision.
Because the one standing beside him that night wouldn’t be me.
It would be the heroine of the original story.
He would fall in love with her—that was the natural course of things.
Less than a year left now…
I could feel it—how little time remained.
The time he’d call me wife,
The time I’d be able to stand beside him.
Leaving the ballroom, we ran into a familiar face in the corridor.
“Your Grace!”
It was Emil. His expression brightened as he approached—then shone even more when he spotted Chelsea behind me.
His reaction was so obvious it was almost like watching a puppy wag its tail.
“Chelsea!”
“…You’re working, Emil.”
Her polite but firm tone carried a subtle warning to compose himself.
Emil’s shoulders instantly slumped.
Those two really do get along well.
I chuckled softly and asked, “Where’s his Grace? Still in the library?”
“Yes,” Emil said, clearing his throat awkwardly. “He hasn’t come out yet.”
“And breakfast?”
“Ah, that too… not yet.”
I frowned slightly.
I thought he’d at least have something sent there.
Was he really that absorbed in his work?
That wouldn’t do.
“I’ll stop by the kitchen and bring him something simple.”
“Oh, I can—”
“Ahem!”
Cough! Cough!
Suddenly, both Chelsea and Melissa began coughing loudly.
Emil froze mid-motion, glancing around nervously before finishing weakly,
“I-I should have taken care of that, but things got so busy… Yes, please, if you could.”
I followed his uneasy gaze but saw only the innocent faces of Chelsea and Melissa.
Tilting my head in confusion, I let it go with a small laugh.
Well, either way, it’s better if I take it myself.
