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Chapter 17
There’s nothing. Nothing at all!
I’m sure I left it beside the pillow, but it vanished without a trace.
“What are you looking for?”
“Kahinel’s handkerchief. I left it by my pillow, but it’s gone. Have you seen it?”
“Ah… I washed that handkerchief. It was dirty.”
“What?”
“I should’ve asked you first before washing it, milady, but I didn’t think it through. I’m sorry.”
Anna bowed deeply.
Sensing the atmosphere getting awkward, I smiled.
“It’s okay. I probably left it lying around, so it must’ve been mistaken for laundry.”
It’s not like I told her beforehand not to wash it even if it got dirty.
From Anna’s point of view, she was just doing her job, so I couldn’t blame her.
“I did carry it around a lot, so it did get pretty grimy.”
“It should be dry by now. Shall I go get it?”
“Could you?”
Anna went out to fetch the handkerchief.
I plopped down onto the sofa and muttered,
“What do I do…”
The scent of Kahinel’s sweat that had soaked into the handkerchief was already faint to begin with.
Now that it had been washed, his scent must be completely gone.
That handkerchief was my portable painkiller.
But with Kahinel’s scent gone, it had lost its purpose entirely.
From now on, what am I supposed to cling to while enduring the curse?
While I was worrying gloomily, Anna came back.
I composed my expression and smiled again.
“Thanks for bringing it.”
Out of habit, I brought the handkerchief up to my nose.
I had a bad feeling—and sure enough, Kahinel’s body scent was completely gone, replaced by a soft, sun-dried freshness.
It was a nice smell, but not the one I wanted.
Anna caught her breath and fanned herself with her hand.
“Looks like you ran all the way back.”
“I wanted to bring it to you as quickly as possible, milady.”
“You’ll trip and fall like that. Next time, it’s okay to walk slowly—don’t run.”
“Yes, I will. Whew.”
Anna wiped the sweat off her sleeve.
I held out the handkerchief to her.
“Use this to wi—”
Wait. Hold on!
I suddenly snatched the handkerchief back, leaving Anna blinking with her hand suspended in midair.
“Anna, do you know where Kahinel is right now?”
“I heard he went to the training grounds earlier.”
So he’s at the training grounds again, huh.
Clenching the handkerchief that had lost Kahinel’s sweat scent, I said,
“Shall we go see something nice for once?”
I knew Kahinel wasn’t going to welcome me with open arms.
And even if he spoke indifferently with that sour expression, that was still his version of a welcome.
…At least, that’s what I chose to believe.
“Why are you here?”
“To support my husband.”
“Don’t play games.”
“H-Hey, what do you mean ‘playing games’?!”
Kahinel instantly saw through the fact that I was hiding my true motive, and I jumped, denying it.
Remember this. That man is a black-hearted male lead with every buff imaginable.
It wouldn’t be strange if he could read minds, so I had to be careful about everything.
I followed closely behind Kahinel.
Whenever he swung his sword, I stepped back five paces and waited blankly in one spot.
Suddenly, Kahinel lowered his sword and glanced at me.
I widened my eyes and smiled at him.
Of course, I wiped that smile off my face two seconds later.
Kahinel looked up at the sky and sighed.
“How long do you plan to stay?”
“Until you’re done exercising.”
If it meant I could get his sweat, I could wait all day.
He stared at me silently for a moment, then jerked his chin toward the bench.
“Sit over there and don’t get in the other knights’ way.”
Thankfully, I wasn’t kicked out.
“I will. I’ll stay quiet, so don’t worry about me and focus on your training.”
Sweat it out like you’re in a sauna!
I sat down on the bench next to Anna.
After a while, the Northern Wall knights gathered one by one at the training grounds for their drills.
Every time I see them, I get so happy my mouth might split into a grin.
Do they recruit Northern Wall knights based on their bodies?
Every single one of them had magnificent muscles, and thanks to that, even their faces looked handsome—a truly powerful optical illusion.
But among them all, the best was undoubtedly Kahinel.
There’s a saying from the senior sister in room 321 at Asak Hospital, the one who first introduced me to romance fantasy novels.
“If the male lead has black hair and red eyes, the game is already over.”
Just look at Kahinel.
Perfect black hair and red eyes!
Sharp yet bold facial lines, and features so striking they practically asserted themselves!
That tall 190-centimeter height and that perfectly proportioned, broad chest!
And it didn’t end there.
The highlight was those dazzling muscles.
Whose husband is he, anyway? Damn, he’s handsome.
But he’s not my man.
And I didn’t want him to be.
Sure, I like handsome men with great bodies—but I’d rather not if that man is Kahinel.
Right now, I’m sticking close to him because I need to survive, but it’s always best not to get entangled with a black-hearted character in the first place.
“Looks like training’s over.”
“Yeah. They could’ve gone a bit longer.”
I was smacking my lips in regret when—
“Oh… oh?”
Taylor handed Kahinel a handkerchief, telling him to wipe his sweat.
“Stop right there!”
I don’t think I’ve ever run that fast in my life.
Panting heavily, I thrust the handkerchief I’d brought toward Kahinel.
Politely, with both hands, even.
“Use this to wipe your sweat, huff, huff.”
Kahinel alternated his gaze between me—gagging slightly as I struggled to breathe—and the handkerchief, then sharply turned his head away.
“No.”
“This is your handkerchief. Don’t you remember?”
“I gave it to you, so it’s no longer mine.”
Oh. I hadn’t thought of that logic?
Leaving me behind as I panted, Kahinel moved to take the handkerchief Taylor had offered instead.
No!
I intercepted it midair.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Kahinel’s eyes narrowed, his voice turning cold, but I didn’t flinch and stated my will.
“Wipe with the handkerchief I brought.”
“Why are you so obsessed with my sweat?”
Why, you ask?
Because I need to smell your sweat to breathe and stay alive.
…If I said that, would they call me crazy?
I already had a history of being misunderstood like that once, so I gave a different answer.
“Well, it’s just…”
“Just?”
“Because I like it…?”
“My sweat?”
I deliberately clamped my mouth shut, feeling awkward about the answer, but Kahinel seemed to take it as confirmation.
The look he gave me was incredibly complicated.
“Please wipe your sweat.”
Before it cools down, I really wish you’d soak it well.
Kahinel’s eyes were full of confusion.
After an awkward silence, he finally took the handkerchief I was holding.
Overcome with emotion, I covered my mouth with my hand.
“Thank you. For getting your sweat on this handkerchief.”
“……”
“It’s fine if it’s drenched—wipe a lot.”
“…Madam.”
His low voice brushed past me.
Kahinel stepped closer and whispered so quietly no one else could hear.
“I have no desire to interfere with your preferences, nor do I intend to criticize them.”
He let out a small sigh.
“But please restrain yourself in front of others.”
“Restrain… what?”
“That strange preference of yours.”
“What?”
Even when I asked again, Kahinel didn’t explain.
He simply wiped the sweat beading on his face and silently handed the handkerchief back to me.
“Thank you.”
I smiled brightly, because I truly was grateful.
And I’ll keep it a secret that Kahinel’s complexion turned pale at that moment.
“Mmm. This is so good.”
Once I got divorced, I wouldn’t be able to eat Hush’s cooking anymore, so I needed to eat as much as I could while I was still here.
I was diligently eating when—
“I heard you appointed Sir Bellio as your escort knight.”
Right. I’d completely forgotten to mention that.
“He wasn’t a permanent escort—just for that one day. The knight order is under your authority, so I’m sorry for appointing Sir Bellio on my own.”
“Do you need an escort knight?”
“No.”
An escort knight constantly following me around was an absolute no.
The curse was rude and unpredictable, and having people around me felt like a burden.
That was also why I didn’t spend the entire day even with Anna, my only confidant and ally.
“You don’t need to worry. I don’t need an escort knight. Instead, there’s something I’d like to ask.”
I haven’t even said anything yet, husband.
Why are you already frowning? That’s hurtful.
I set down my fork and knife and straightened my posture.
“It’s not a strange request. I was wondering if you could recommend Sir Bellio as an elite knight of Hyrant.”
“Why?”
“He’s a capable knight. Do I need another reason?”
“It seems you took a liking to Sir Bellio.”
“N-No? It’s not like that at all.”
I hastily denied it, worried Kahinel might suspect something between Bellio and me.
My husband looked like he was thinking, Why is this woman suddenly overreacting again?
“Very well. You also have the authority to recommend, so I won’t stop you.”
Thankfully, the conversation about Bellio ended without a major incident.
I was about to resume my meal.
“I have to go to the capital to attend the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet.”
But at Kahinel’s announcement that followed, there was no way I could continue eating.
