Chapter 44: Chapter 44

Translator: Yonnee

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Chapter 44

His glare was terrifying. Even if I was an assassin sent to kill him, I’d still have lost my voice.

“Well, I, um…”

I wracked my head for any excuse at all.

“No, but um, how did you know I’m here?”

Could he see through walls?

How did he know there’s a person standing outside the door before opening it?

“How did you know I was outside?”

I couldn’t stand the curiosity I was feeling.

“…Who do you think I am?”

“My husband.”

At my answer, he raised an eyebrow.

“Your presence could be felt outside. Knights have keen senses. Of course I’d be trained to know if there’s an enemy nearby or not.”

“Oh my. Really?”

Forgetting the urgency of the situation, I was startled by what he said.

I just paced the hall outside, but he felt that?

“Amoide, you’re amazing!”

Then it makes sense that he was once involved with the novel’s heroine. If only he hadn’t been sick…

“Answer my question.”

“I’m not here to attack you, so don’t stare at me like that.”

“If you were in my shoes, wouldn’t you think it’s suspicious?”

“Well… um.”

I bit my lips and hesitated.

“Explain what’s going on.”

He looked at me pointedly again.

“Please… hide me.”

“What?”

“I had to go out without Mother knowing. But right now, someone’s in my room and I don’t want to get caught. That’s why…”

“Now you’re here?”

“…If you don’t like it…”

I clasped my hands together and fiddled with my fingers.

Then, unintentionally, the bandage that was still wrapped over my hand caught his eye.

I could see Amoide’s harsh expression softening a little when he saw it.

“Why did you leave at such an early hour?”

I couldn’t answer right away.

‘Should I tell you the truth or not?’

But under the current circumstances, considering that I was asking for help, I couldn’t help but be truthful.

“Someone sent a snake to my room.”

“A snake?”

He furrowed his brows as his eyes scoured me from head to toe.

The hand that was on my shoulder started to hurt because his grip had tightened.

“Um, hey…”

“Ah.”

He loosened his grip.

“Who’s responsible?”

“You believe me?”

I looked up at him, bewildered. I was a bit surprised. I thought he’d ask me if I’m talking nonsense or that he’d doubt me until I explained properly.

‘Do you really believe me?’

Whatever he was thinking, this was good. I’m glad he’s open to listening.

So I decided to be more honest.

“I don’t know yet. I’m not sure who it was, but I found out that the snake was being raised by someone.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean that it’s a snake that’s being raised by someone in the mansion.”

“Who would raise such a dangerous thing? Didn’t you see the snake the other day?”

“I know. But it might be that the person’s raising snakes secretly.”

Knock, knock.

Suddenly, somebody from outside knocked on the door.

“Your Grace, there’s something I must report.”

I looked up at him with frantic eyes.

He reached out and opened the door halfway.

“What is it?”

“Well… The Young Madam has disappeared… without saying a word.”

I looked at him earnestly, hands clasped together and mouthing the word ‘please’.

If he wouldn’t cover for me, then Camilla would definitely hound me. Jean could get roped into it too since I asked for help, and he might get fired.

“The maids have sent me to report to you, saying that Your Grace should know.”

Amoide, who was staring down at me, finally opened his lips.

“Selena is here with me.”

Then, he pulled on his shirt and the buttons popped open.

“Hey, w-w-what are you…”

“You asked me to hide you.”

Then, he opened a couple more buttons.

His face couldn’t get more indifferent.

‘Why am I the only one getting embarrassed here?!’

I’m being served eye candy on a platter.

His opened shirt fluttered in front of me.

‘Oh my god.’

At his loosened clothes, his collarbone was exposed… then his chest.

“Huh? W-What…”

What the hell was he talking about?

I was confused by the sight of his bare skin and exposed chest.

“Don’t you think we should put on a show like this?”

The breath he exhaled as he spoke brushed over my hair.

He reached out and held the black robe I was still wearing over my clothes. Frozen stiff, I could only watch with my lips shut as he did this.

Slowly… he untied the strap, and soon, the robe fell to the ground.

As his body got closer, it became harder for me to breathe.

‘What’s wrong with me?’

He just took off the robe over my shoulders, but somehow, it felt as though my bare skin had been exposed.

Meanwhile, Amoide was looking intently at me.

“W-Why, why, for what…”

As I stuttered, he reached out without hesitation and pulled on the pin holding my hair up.

My hair cascaded down, spilling down my back like a waterfall.

“That’s better.”

He looked at me, nodding as if he was satisfied.

“I don’t do things half-heartedly.”

What the hell was he talking about.

What did letting my hair down have anything to do with him opening up his shirt?

Still in a daze, I watched blankly as a smile curled up on Amoide’s lips.

“A-Amoide.”

He leaned over and used one arm to embrace me. No, to be exact, he leaned over and opened the door.

Trapped between him and the wall, I stared in silence as he moved.

Creak.

As I turned sideways, I saw the servant outside the door, embarrassed.

“My wife is right here.”

With one arm over my waist, he leaned forward with me and looked down at the servant.

The servant gulped in surprise at the suddenly heavy atmosphere.

His eyes scanned my dress, which was sticking out the door.

“We were having a good time together, but you knocked on my door so tactlessly.”

“I-I apologize, Your Grace. I was unaware that today is the designated room sharing day.”

The servant mumbled with his face bright red. My face was likely the same shade—perhaps even brighter if there was some light here to illuminate me.

“A couple isn’t together only on the designated days.”

Amoide’s tone was languid. I shivered at the sound of his voice.

‘What a joke.’

Even on the real room sharing days, he never so much as touched my fingertip. It’s great that he could tell lies like this.

Laughter threatened to bubble out of my lips, but I held it in.

“I… I apologize, sire. Head maid Greta said that Your Grace must know about it.”

“Greta?”

Amoide’s head tilted to the side.

“…Why did Greta say that?”

His tone was pointed.

“W-Well Milady disappeared in the middle of the night, so…”

“So she thought that my wife had an affair?”

“Oh, n-no, Your Grace. But she said that Your Grace might be worried.”

“Isn’t it only because she wants me to doubt my wife?”

His voice became even sharper.

“I didn’t know Greta worried so much for me.”

“Um…”

The servant couldn’t continue speaking.

“Tell Greta that the Duchess is safe here with me. She doesn’t need to be so concerned.”

“I-I understand.”

“Don’t disturb us again. Leave.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The servant scurried away with his head down.

Click.

After Amoide watched the servant leave, the door closed shut.

Again, the room was enveloped with darkness. Only the sound of our breathing and the warmth of our body temperature was vivid in the darkness.

Ba-dump, ba-dump.

My heart was beating out of my chest. My nerves were strung so tightly that it was harder to see in the dark.

“Can’t you move away.”

His dry voice brought me back to my senses.

Only then did I realize…

The fact that I was standing incredibly close to him.

“I wasn’t the one who hugged you first!”

Why are you acting like I’m clinging onto you when you’re the one who pulled me in?!

As I stepped away, I grumbled, “Why are you so…”

But then his eyes narrowed slightly and I heard him sniffing something.

“What is it now?”

I’m already trying to pull away like you asked, so what now.

He looked at me for a long time before asking me a question in a very confused tone.

“…Why does it smell fishy?”

“Pardon?”

At his words, I gawked at him.

“S… smelly?”

Sniff, sniff.

I lifted my hand and sniffed my forearm.

“What smell are you talking… about…”

I froze in place after I raised my arm.

‘It’s really me.’

As he said, it smells. Me…

“Why on earth do you smell like that?”

Like lightning flashing through my mind, I remembered the reason.

‘The carriage.’

The fish in Jean’s carriage came to mind.

I didn’t touch the fish directly, but the smell clung to my clothes while I rode the carriage.

“If you go out now, you’ll be loved by every cat that passes by you.”

His tone was thick with sarcasm.

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