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Chapter 50
Whether it was from waking abruptly, fatigue, or pain, his deep blue eyes stared blankly at the desolate ceiling before slowly shifting to look at me.
I met Ashdwa’s gaze with a bright smile.
“Yeah, that’s right.”
He let out a languid sigh as he sat up and pressed his hand against my neck, where the deep mark would be engraved.
I accepted his touch without the slightest resistance.
As he caressed my neck, Ashdwa murmured,
“I’ve gotten myself a loyal dog. Hard to believe.”
“…Huh?”
“It’s hard to believe that you love me.”
“…”
“You acted like someone who would never fall in love…”
The sound of something falling lightly above my head filled my ears in a dreamy haze.
“And now you’re whispering love to me. Isn’t that amusing?”
I had a lot to say, but picking the right question from the swirl in my mind was difficult.
“What should I do for you?”
Pretending to be in love was far more difficult and complicated than I imagined, but once I said it, I realized it wasn’t that hard to pull off.
“You just need to give me love exactly when and how I want it.”
Because all I had to do was return the affection he once showed me.
“Give me your heart. Can you do that?”
A chunk of my chest felt like it had been ripped away.
With his demanding gaze on me, I could only nod while hiding my wounded expression.
“Do you love me, Inerra?”
He wouldn’t allow even a moment of silence.
Kneeling on the bed, I leaned toward him.
“I love you.”
This kind of wound wouldn’t shake me.
I told you.
I don’t get hurt.
Yeah, really.
I was fine.
If I could claim that I loved him, then everything I did had justification.
‘As long as I say it’s because I love him, it makes everything acceptable.’
He wouldn’t suspect me.
Whatever I did, he’d eventually convince himself it was for him.
‘Just like I once did.’
I gently wiped the sweat off Ashdwa’s forehead. His body hadn’t fully recovered, and he’d been sweating coldly for a while.
After withdrawing my gaze from his sleeping face, I stood up.
‘So this action right now…’
I stepped outside the cabin and took a deep breath in the fading snowstorm.
‘I can say this is for Ashdwa’s sake.’
Then, I conjured a large flame and detonated it.
Boom!
The trees ignited in an intense blaze.
So powerful that no snowstorm could extinguish it.
‘With a fire this big, someone’s bound to notice it from afar.’
“Haah.”
Staring at the roaring fire, I questioned myself—but quickly firmed my resolve.
“Someone nearby will see this and come running.”
As long as I could get out of here, the wildfire didn’t matter. If I really tried, I could put it out.
“Maybe the crown prince’s retainers will come thinking something happened, or Kishel will track my location and arrive… Either way, one of them should show up.”
Just then—
“What a beautiful flame.”
A delicate voice pierced my ears, and I spun around.
When I saw the woman before me, I couldn’t help but be stunned.
Behind her, the blizzard that had raged like a storm gradually subsided.
“Duchess Mertiel.”
The woman looking down at me stood proud and unshaken in this brutal natural disaster, wearing only a thin gown.
She stole my attention completely.
“I was a bit lost, but thanks to this, I found you easily.”
A soft, elegant voice escaped her lips.
It was Iris.
“Your Grace!”
“Actually, I had a feeling I’d find you.”
Like snow untouched by the world, she gently closed her eyes.
Eyes as white as freshly fallen snow disappeared behind her lids.
“We should put out this fire.”
She blew softly, and the fierce snowstorm from above swept over the burning trees, forming a mini whirlwind.
The harsh blizzard engulfed the flames in an instant.
But I didn’t have time to be surprised.
Iris glanced between me and the cabin, then began walking toward it.
“Thank you for your help,” I said as we entered.
She smiled lightly in response.
And the moment we stepped inside the hut, I had to become the love-struck Inerra once more.
“Ash, are you okay?”
Perhaps awakened by the explosion, Ashdwa slowly sat up.
He looked between Iris and me and gave a faint chuckle.
“What’s going on this time?”
I approached Ashdwa and took his hand.
Holding his hands tightly, I exhaled in relief.
“It’s okay now, Ashdwa. I brought Her Holiness.”
His eyes grew deeper.
He stared at me, then shifted his gaze to Iris standing behind me, while I held my breath alone.
Without a word, Iris stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Duke, come to me. It’s warm by my side. I’m sure I’m warmer than that cold man.”
In that moment, a warm energy engulfed me.
“Ah, this is really nice.”
The tangled organs in my body seemed to realign, settling my sore and aching body.
Wow. So this is why everyone tries to make eye contact with the Pope, even once.
With just a wave of her hand, she restored a body wrecked by seizures. Not relying on her would be even stranger.
I looked up at Iris with sparkling eyes—
Only for Ashdwa to snap me out of it.
“I never imagined Her Holiness would come all the way to the mountains…”
Sensing the tension, I quickly stepped between them.
“Um, Your Holiness. If it’s not too much trouble, could you treat Ashdwa as well?”
Iris paused as she withdrew her hand from me, and Ashdwa’s eyes narrowed sideways.
It was only for a moment, but I caught that flicker of distaste between them.
Pretending not to notice, I simply smiled.
“Ash, lucky you, right?”
I beamed so brightly he couldn’t say a word.
‘Iris is watching—he wouldn’t dare act out, right?’
Their reactions told me I was right.
Iris silently approached and treated Ashdwa briefly. When she was done, he looked down at his now fully recovered body and adjusted his clothes.
“This isn’t a place to stay for long. Shall we go? I’ll escort you ‘myself.’”
Ashdwa covered his mouth with a mysterious smile.
And in the middle of it all, I played dumb and followed them down the mountain.
“Inerra!”
Kishel, disheveled and breathless, ran up and hugged me tightly. The impact almost sent me tumbling backward.
“Ah! Kishel, you’re heavy!”
I was so glad I rubbed my face into his chest.
Finally… I could go home.
“Well, I suppose it’ll be okay.”
Just before leaving, Ashdwa muttered something meaningful and slipped his fingers under the collar I’d fastened all the way to my neck, tracing the mark he had left.
Naturally, once we returned home and Kishel heard everything, he exploded when he saw the contract seal on my neck.
Calming him down was my job.
A few days passed since I left Ashdwa and returned to the duke’s estate.
Amid the chaos, I finally reached a conclusion.
“I’m going to throw a party.”
The sudden declaration made Kishel spill his freshly brewed coffee.
“…What?”
“My birthday party. A grand, extravagant celebration.”
The cup in Kishel’s hand shook wildly.
“Having a birthday party is fine. We’ve been planning one anyway. But suddenly… a huge one? Why? I thought you said you’d keep a low profile because of the crown prince?”
After working nonstop for days, Kishel’s eyes were just as dark-rimmed as mine.
“To make it crystal clear. That Ashdwa is the lover of Duchess Inerra Mertiel.”
I would make a dazzling entrance with him at the grand party and stamp the label of ‘lover’ on him for all to see.
“Even if I’m under contract with Adriam and pour my love into him, it changes nothing.”
I snatched the half-spilled coffee cup from Kishel’s hand.
He shook his head.
“A lot changes. Just like the crown prince, Your Grace will have to act like you’d do anything for him.”
