I Healed my Husband, the Leader of the Underworld

Thank you, livb, for the Kofi 😘. 

 

“Cute.”

 

At the unexpected words, Andrew Harrison turned his head to look at Siegfried Roam.

 

The man had an extremely pleased expression on his face, which was rare. Knowing how hard it was to live up to his standards of perfection, Harrison thought that something unusual was happening for the second time today.

 

Then came a fierce metallic sound prompting him to turn his head towards Roam’s Young Beast.

 

His white-gloved hand holding the black folder was tense, with veins bulging out.

 

The atmosphere was tense.

 

Harrison’s golden eyes wavered uneasily as they peered into the sparkling green eyes of the wild beast.

 

He’s only ten years old.

 

He is only ten years old but his eyes were fiercer than mine, someone who had lived twice as long as him.

 

It was a nice day. The bright sunlight poured onto the training ground, reflecting off Lancel’s eyes, and at that moment, Harrison let out a gasp. The boy’s gaze was sharper than the blade of a sword that could cut a person down in an instant.

 

It hadn’t been a long time since Siegfried had seen his little face go white as he sat back in his seat and leisurely stared straight ahead.

 

Lancel had perfectly executed Siegfried’s orders. And Siegfried, who was looking at the boy, chuckled while biting down on his cigar.

 

But that only happened during  Lancel’s highlight moments. Later on, he seemed lost in thoughts most of the time.

 

What Is he thinking about?

 

As Harrison pondered this, Siegfried chuckled softly and said something very unexpected.

 

Surely he didn’t mean to say that he found that fierce battle for survival “cute.”

 

Then….

 

Clang!

 

The blade spun beautifully in the air, reflecting the sunlight.

 

As the sword landed neatly behind his prey, Lancel’s smile grew even more ruthless. The thought of blood on that face made even Harrison, who was immune to most things, shudder.

 

When his sharp blade touched his opponent’s chin, the man’s  Adam’s apple trembled. He stared in utter terror at the cold eyes of the boy who was much smaller than himself.

 

When he tightened his grip on the sword, Harrison clutched the black file tighter than before.

 

And just when his eyes were about to glaze over with madness…

 

“That’s enough.”

 

At that voice, Lancel dropped the sword without a moment’s hesitation.

 

Breathing heavily, he turned to face Siegfried, and when their gazes met, he placed a hand on his chest, bowing his head without asking any question.

 

Harrison quietly observed the boy. His shoulders were slightly slumped. And even as he was trying to catch his breath, he seemed to be thinking about what he had done wrong.

 

“Don’t kill,” Siegfried finally said.

 

“.…”

 

“From now on.”

 

“…Yes.”

 

“Good.”

 

Leaving those words behind, Siegfried Loam stood up. Harrison followed a moment later, turning his head to look at Lancel.

 

Lancel’s eyes, unable to hide his confusion, followed Siegfried’s back, but when his eyes met Harrison’s, he quickly lowered his head.

 

As they walked away, Harrison quickly realized whom Siegfried’s words were meant for and stifled a sigh.

 

A clever predator hiding its true nature inorder to deceive its prey.

 

This was an irrational and cruel obsession.

 

Nonetheless, Siegfried’s handsome profile reflected in the window wore a wonderful smile.

*****

 

This room is always the same.

 

The sun rises and sets, the time of day changes, but nothing in this room ever changes.

 

At one point, I felt like I had to change something to breathe easier, so in a final desperate act, I altered the items in the room little by little.

 

I repositioned the books on the bookshelf. I put a vase on the table. I secretly made a scratch on the edge of a drawer (I didn’t have the courage to leave a big scratch on the wall).

 

I put a book I wasn’t going to read on the tea table and left the window open. Then I laughed like crazy all by myself.

 

The breeze blowing on my face was refreshing. Sunlight streamed in, and the window creaked and rattled, casting a long shadow below.

 

I laughed as I looked at the room I had messed up.

 

But everything had returned to its original state while I was out of the room for a moment.

 

My hand trembled as I opened the drawer. My gaze lingered briefly on its edge; It was intact.

 

As if it was new.

 

Bang!

 

I slammed the drawer shut and collapsed on the bed.

 

Even the bed had a new sheet and pillows without a single wrinkle.

 

It was so unbearable to look at that I buried my head in my hands before tearing at my neatly arranged hair.

 

Roam’s servants were that thorough.

.

.

.

When I opened my eyes today, the room didn’t look much different than usual. I blinked drowsily, looking around.

 

My eyelids felt heavy. As I turned my head to lie down comfortably and lazily blinked, something caught my attention.

 

Something that shouldn’t be there.

 

At the edge of my vision was a black leather sketchbook on top of the drawer.

 

Something was different.

 

Something that disturbed the usual appearance of this room.

 

I wondered if that’s how the person who find the correct answer in a spot-the-difference puzzle feel.

 

I looked behind me. Nothing. I took a deep breath and scanned the surroundings. Nothing. I looked toward the tea table, expecting to see Siegfried leisurely drinking coffee and reading the daily newspaper, but there was no one.

 

Breathing out a sigh of relief, I lay down on the bed and reached out to grab the sketchbook, slowly flipping through the pages.

 

Although he said it was merely a hobby, Siegfried was quite good at drawing.

 

It seemed he mainly drew sculptures, torsos, and other conventional subjects deemed reverent by the art world. These were drawings meant to be shown to others. They were neat and friendly, but they lacked warmth.

 

I thought of the boy he had been, quietly sitting and gazing at a sculpture, spending his time that way.

 

I kept turning the pages and eventually stopped at a drawing of his father.

 

It was something that stood out amidst the endless monotony, and was by far the most unusual drawing.

 

“……”

 

The handsome middle-aged man was smiling.

 

At his son.

 

The wrinkles around his eyes and the curved shape of his lips were charming.

 

My fingertips slowly brushed across the face. Up to this point, my thoughts were no different from yesterday.

 

My gaze lingered on the emotion in his slightly curved eyes. It was just a charcoal drawing, but the rough strokes conveyed the man’s sadness and… regret.

 

Still, the man in the painting was clearly smiling.

 

At his son.

 

Somehow, I felt this drawing captured his last smile.

 

It was just a hunch though.

 

He had a neat face and a neat smile, yet it seemed like he could disappear at any moment.

 

Did Siegfried feel it too?

 

They remarkably looked alike. So much so that there was no way to deny the fact that they were father and son. This was another side of him that he had tried to ignore.

 

When I decided not to think about the man anymore, I heard the sound of footsteps getting closer. My breath quickened as a man’s voice kept getting closer and closer, so I quickly put the sketchbook back on the drawer, burying myself in the bed. Then I closed my eyes and pretended to sleep.

 

Soon, the door opened, and my heart began to beat irregularly.

 

After finishing his conversation with his assistant, my husband walked over to sit on the bed.

 

But why did I pull the blanket over my head?

 

As I thought that, a rush of cold air blew over, cooling my warmed body. And when I heard his low chuckle, I had to try hard not to flinch.

 

Suddenly, light that poured in, illuminating the darkness that had spread before my closed eyes. Then the blanket lifted slightly, making me wonder what was happening before I felt a presence right behind me.

 

My breathing became more difficult at the familiar scent. Being in the same room as Siegfried Roam always left me with this sense of tension. However, the fact that he wasn’t doing anything was making me even more anxious.

 

The time I had to hold my breath felt like an eternity.

 

In the unique stillness of a slow afternoon, where it felt as if everything in the world was holding its breath, the sound of regular breathing soon blended in.

 

At first, I tried moving my arm a bit; There was no reaction. I curled my body slightly; Still no reaction. I slowly opened my eyes; But It was still quiet. Then I rolled my eyes, carefully sensing for any sign.

 

Is he watching me?

 

A shiver ran down my spine at that thought, and I quickly sat up, only for my body to complete freeze.

 

Trying to catch my breath, my trembling gaze fell to my side, and for a while, I couldn’t move.

 

The sight was too beautiful.

 

Unable to take my eyes off him as he slept with closed eyes, I silently watched Siegfried.

 

The man before me was more captivating than the numerous paintings I had seen earlier. I wondered if this was how that goddess who discovered a handsome man taking a nap felt.

 

I reached out and gently stroked the bridge of his gorgeous nose. Slowly, with some trepidation, my fingertips moved downward and finally brushed against the tip of his nose.

 

However, I quickly withdrew my hand and shrunk back. My gaze sweeping across the man.

 

Seeing that he didn’t wake up after watching him for a while, I got a little closer and gently stroked his face.

 

He looked mesmerizing.

 

To the point where I almost forgot that I was afraid of him just moments ago.

 

How can anyone be so handsome? Even in his sleep, he was a picture of beauty.

 

My trembling hand slowly brushed down his jaw.

 

So this is what a man’s Adam’s apple looks like; I thought, as my hand slid down his neck.

 

“Did you have fun exploring?” His gorgeous lips suddenly moved.

 

Startled, I instinctively pulled my hand back. Siegfried chuckled softly and sat up. His eyes seemed slightly drowsy, as if he truly woke up from a nap. Then, he tidied his hair neatly before making eye contact with me.

 

“I gave up the bed as requested, but I didn’t exactly receive a fervent welcome in return.”

 

“……”

 

“Can I hold you in my arms now?”

 

I didn’t answer.

 

“Come here, Milena.”

 

I avoided his gaze.

 

His embrace still frightened me. As I stared blankly at the white sheets, his low, husky voice reached my ears.

 

“Human beings are animals too.”

 

Shocked, I lifted my head to look at him. Then with the most charming smile he could muster, Siegfried said teasingly,

 

“”Heck, even dogs are trained with treats.”

 

He moved closer to me.

 

“So, If I do something good, I should be rewarded, shouldn’t I?”

 

And just like that, he handed me the leash I was afraid to take.