Chapter 45: Chapter 45

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

Chapter 45

But she was grabbed by Michael and was about to be dragged somewhere. As soon as he saw that figure, Bleon’s face became full of murderous energy in an instant. He ran at her full speed, kicked Michael in the stomach and held her safely in his arms. Luckily he wasn’t late, so she wasn’t in any worse condition, but she, who was always dignified and bright, was trembling so much as though she was in shock.

“Are you okay, Wife?”

“Bleon!”

Astell had never called Bleon so desperately. So, in that moment, Bleon felt as if he had become so essential to her that he felt satisfied, yet he could hardly forgive the man who had made her this way. The moment he saw Astell, who had just been so helpless in front of his own eyes, his mind went blank and his hands and feet became cold. He couldn’t stand to see someone so reckless with the person so dear to him.

When he told Astell to wait, her face was filled with an anxious light as if she feared of getting away from his side. She was so lovely, and in his heart, he didn’t want to be separated from her either, but he had to do something right now. So he told Astell to wait with a gentle smile, and he strode to Michael.

And as soon as he turned around, Bleon’s expression turned cold in an instant, and he struggled to hold back the rage that rose to the top of his head. Considering what happened in the past, when he thought of dinner at Heines a few days ago, he felt like he wanted to kill all the members of that family, but if he did, he was afraid that his wife would be afraid and resent him, so he was holding out on it. But now it’s gotten to the point where he can’t stand it, and now it’s time for him to step out.

Because the second time was more intense than the first, there was a high possibility that the organs in the stomach were not intact. Maybe that’s why, until Bleon approached, Michael was lying on the floor. The chairs and tables were already left in a disarray and no one was nearby. Bleon bent down to make eye contact with him, then with an expression full of murderous energy approached his ear, uttered warning words.

“Listen to me. My wife is kind and tries to solve things with words. But I am not the same.”

“What bullsh*t! Ugh!”

Michael screamed, and he let out a painful moan as if one of his organs had really ruptured. And Bleon knew exactly where it was, so he put his hand on Michael’s belly and pressed it down.

“Ahh! Don’t, don’t press! Let go!”

At Michael’s loud voice telling him to let go, Bleon slightly released his hand. And he went on to say it again.

“It ends here today, but if you show up in front of the Wife again then you would better be prepared to risk not only your life, but the lives of your family as well. Do you understand me?”

“What nonsense are you talking about— aaack!”

Bleon’s patience was slowly reaching its limit when the answer he wanted did not come out as easily as he had expected. His wife was waiting for him, and he didn’t want to make a bigger fuss here, but if Michael came out like this, he couldn’t help it either. Bleon pressed down on the area that Michael would most likely hurt.

“I, I get it! Ugh! I understand! Let go!”

With a face contorted in pain, Michael finally surrendered.

“Tell your family clearly. If you want to know what happens when you torment my wife, then just try and keep doing what you’ve been doing.”

After finishing that, Bleon got up with his folded knees straight. Then he walked back to his lovely wife. As Michael looked at Bleon’s back, with goosebumps all over his body, he realized that he had been engulfed in some kind of fear until now. And he realized. Really, if he shows up in front of that ugly wench, Astell again, the crazy duke will do whatever it takes.

Those eyes didn’t lie. He could tell by looking into Bleon’s eyes. Those eyes were telling the truth. He wasn’t normal himself, but that wasn’t normal anymore, so he could feel that it was time to save himself. Michael grabbed his stomach in pain and tried to get up. But it was not easy to get up because he couldn’t get enough energy. Then his two sisters came up to him.

“Are you okay, Brother?!”

Helena approached him with a worried expression on her face and gave Michael a support.

“Let’s go.”

“What?”

“Let’s go.”

“You want to go like this now?”

Julia looked at Michael with an absurd expression.

“Let’s go! Ugh!”

Every time he made a loud noise, he had to clutch his stomach, but he was still in pain because it was not tolerable.

“Are you going to leave that ugly wench as it is now?”

“Then what?”

“You said you’d show her!”

“Didn’t you see that bastard’s eyes?”

“Who? Duke Einer?”

“Yes. That bastard is probably not normal. Don’t touch me and let’s go. I’ll go home and tell you the rest. Damn it! It hurts to death! Let’s go!”

At Michael’s painful urging, Julia and Helena eventually returned to Heines. And since then, those of the Heines no longer appear before Astell.

After Bleon went to Michael, it seemed like the two of them were talking to each other for a while. I could hear Michael’s moans intermittently, but I couldn’t hear what he was saying because he was so far away. As I was watching the situation with such an anxious look, McCain came up to me and spoke.

“Are you alright? Do you have any injuries?”

“No… I’m okay.”

Still, having McCain by my side made me feel a little reassured. But McCain stared at my face and neck to see if there was any credibility in my words.

“Here… it’s red.”

Then he said, pointing to the nape of my neck.

“Oh, it doesn’t really hurt. It will be fine soon.”

I smiled awkwardly, wrapped a hand around my neck, and there was a moment of silence between us before McCain spoke.

“Has it always been like this?”

“Yes?”

“Is this how they were tormenting you?”

“Ah…”

Well, this guy was also older than Bleon, but he was seven years younger than me. So, he would have never seen how I was treated in high society.

“I don’t really remember. Now that’s a thing of the past…”

It was bothersome to talk about what had happened to me, and really, it was Astell’s memory, not mine, so I roughly mumbled it.

“I—”

“Huh?”

When McCain was about to say something, Bleon finally got up and was quickly walking towards me right away. I was glad to run to him, but my feet weren’t fast enough.

“Wife.”

Fortunately, however, Bleon was in front of me in an instant, and he called me. But as I was with McCain, his voice was quite sharp and his expression was terribly hard.

“Duke!”

I quickly called out to Bleon and managed to lift my feet that didn’t fall off, and I approached him. And behind my back, I saw Michael, Julia and Helena leaving the garden. It seemed to have worked out well. With that in mind, when I approached Bleon, he immediately embraced me in his arms. I also longed for the stability I could feel in his arms now, so I wrapped my arms around his back and hugged him tightly.

I hugged him for a long time without saying anything, but I could feel the prickling gazes around me. Then I suddenly realized that this was a garden full of people, and secretly loosened the strength of the arm that was holding him. But contrary to me, Bleon hugged me tighter.

“Now everyone is looking at us.”

I spoke to him quietly, in a voice only the two of us could hear.

“I know…”

“It’s embarrassing, but please stop now. Hm?”

“Haa…”

Bleon let out a deep sigh filled with dissatisfaction. But again, he obeyed me well, so he moved when I told him to, and I barely managed to get out of Bleon’s arms.

As we separated from each other, Marquis Aris and his wife Leila approached us as if they were waiting for the time.

“Astell! Are you okay?”

“Duchess Einer. Are you alright?”

Everyone was looking at me with sorrowful expressions along with worries.

“I’m okay. Thank you for your concern.”

“What is really going on… They’re still doing that like idiots—”

“Honey!”

As the marquis went on rambling unnoticed, the marchioness wisely shut his mouth.

“Oh my, I didn’t notice. Apologies.”

“No. It’s okay.”

“Wife, let’s go back now.”

“Yes. Yes, please. It would be better if you just go back for today.”

“Yes, Astell. Your neck is bruised. I think it would be better to heal the wounds and go to rest.”

At Bleon’s request to return, the people around us encouraged us to go. Actually, I also wanted to go back and rest, so I pretended that it couldn’t be helped and decided to leave.

“I am really sorry for making such a commotion today, Marquis, Marchioness.”

“No. It’s not the Duchess’s fault, is it?”

“But my family is like that too. I apologize on their behalf.”

After I apologized to them, I left the garden with Bleon. But when McCain tried to follow me to escort the duke’s estate, Bleon stopped him and said to McCain in a sharp voice.

“Sir. Do not cross the line.”

“It’s not a line. I am just doing my job.”

“Sir is on vacation until today. The escorts are enough, so Sir can enjoy the party more.”

“…….”

Eventually, McCain couldn’t speak any more and just stared intently in the direction I was in. However, that was also blocked by Bleon, so we returned to the duke’s estate in a carriage, leaving McCain behind.

It was a party where many things happened today, but it was very regrettable that I finally met those people and returned without getting anything. But now, I just wanted to rest without thinking. Dealing with Astell’s family was quite emotionally challenging, and I had to calm down as I was exposed to a violent situation today.

So, as soon as I got back, I got help from the maids, washed up, and went straight into bed. And I was really tired and exhausted, so I couldn’t wait for Bleon. Without realizing it, I soon fell into a dream.

—

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────