I Healed my Husband, the Leader of the Underworld

Siegfried decided to go out as he was cleaning the bloody muzzle of his gun.

One hand smoothly grasped the body of the revolver, while the other hand smoothly wiped the tip with a tissue. The coagulated blood left a brownish stain on the white cloth, and Siegfried’s blue eyes reflected on the iron body of the shiny revolver.

“I think she is scared of me.”

And apparently expecting this conversation, Andrew Harrison, who was standing behind Siegfried, flinched.

The aide tightly clenched the leather folder in his hands, and asked, “Are you talking about the madam,  my lord?”

His gaze was fixed on Siegfried’s broad back, and when no answer came back, Harrison’s throat involuntarily tightened.

Still, Harrison was not quick to elaborate or add any frills to his words.

The expensive new carpet beneath his feet, which was concealing Alberto’s blood, was a constant pressure.

He remembered the ugly blood stains on the wooden floor. He held his breath as he pressed the spot with his black boots, checking if the floor would corrode or creak. However, as he was doing it, he felt like it wasn’t the wood that was being stepped on, but rather his own neck.

“Don’t most women like jewelry?” Siegfried asked in a casual and calm tone.

This made Harrison, who couldn’t see his face, feel even more scared.

And when the aide’s answer was delayed, the hand that had been wiping the revolver stopped.

Making Harrison quickly say, “I know Madam like it quite a bit.”

“Is that so?”

Taking Siegfried’s languid voice into consideration, Harrison interpreted his response as positive and shared what he had thoroughly investigated.

“The Raw heart.”

“…….”

“It’s a red diamond that’s caused quite a stir in high society when it was discovered. The exquisite jewel, expertly fashioned by the esteemed Max Macklister Company, boasts a remarkable weight of 4.58 carats, with a triangular cut. The gem’s devilish dark red hue resembles the freshly harvested heart of a beast, hence its name.”

“And?”

“The madam spent one-tenth of the Rochester’s estate on that diamond.”

The anecdote was supposed to serve as a vivid example of how crazy Milena Rochester was about jewelries.

“People commonly refers to it as the rarest diamond,” Harrison added.

“I guess she wasn’t one to settle for ordinary things.”

Harrison carefully studied Siegfried’s expression after the straightforward evaluation, and surprisingly, he was smiling, as if Milena was the cutest and most adorable of all.

It was the first time he had seen such a smile on Siegfried’s sculptural and smooth face. It was refreshing to know that he could smile like that.

So, Harrison spoke his next words even more cautiously, “It’s no longer in her possession.”

“Why?”

“She put it up for auction shortly after becoming Roam’s mistress.”

Upon hearing those words, Siegfried sneered.

“Huh, so the lady gets tired of beautiful things easily.”

“… Your Excellency,” Harrison said hesitantly. “May I dare to ask you a question?”

“Go ahead.” Siegfried allowed.

And since he seemed to be in a better mood than usual, the aide didn’t miss this chance.

“Do you….like her?”

He wasn’t merely inquiring about affection or anything of the sort. According to the plan, Diana Caser was supposed to become the new hostess, however, so many things had gone awry.

If there was a reason for this, as Siegfried’s chief aide, he needed to know.

“She’s a genius.” Siegfried simply answered.

His master seemed to be referring to her talent for healing magic.

Harrison fully acknowledged the fact.

Rochester blood was Rochester blood after all, but Milena’s talent was absolutely overwhelming.

Even more so since the shrewd man knew that she had only recently learned the art of healing, but she was clumsy yet so excellent at the same time.

Even he, the head of the Imperial Academy, couldn’t understand how that was possible.

Nevertheless, it was clear that Milena was quite skilled when it came to the art of healing magic.

“And?” Harrison insisted.

Siegfried’s nonchalant lips opened again, “She is pretty.”

To the point where she drives me crazy.

Compared to the raw choice of words, the intonation that flew out of his lips was nothing short of luxurious.

Soon, the clean pistol slipped into the inner pocket of his well-groomed jacket and was concealed from view.

“A young lady who doesn’t know anything….”

Siegfried’s lips curved mischievously as he fixed his cravat.

“How should I keep her in Roam?”

* * *

Even after getting on the carriage, I kept thinking about Jane for a long time.

She probably didn’t want to be left alone in the mansion. Additionally, considering that she had been picking out ribbons all morning and was so excited about going out, it made me feel distressed.

The serene afternoon sunlight streamed in through the window, casting a yellowish tint over the world.

The marketplace is over there, no?

By the time I came to my senses and looked out, we had already passed the marketplace I knew.

Where were we heading to? The further the carriage went, the narrower the streets became.

And more people were wearing hoods over their heads, concealing their identities.

I turned my head to look at the man lurking in the shadows of the carriage.

“Siegfried,” I called.

He was sitting with his arms crossed, leaning back against his chair in an upright position with his eyes closed.

What terrible things would happen if I were to wake him up?

Scared to call him out again, I turned my head towards the outside reluctantly, his unrealistically handsome face stuck in my head.

That’s when a hand suddenly touched my cheek before his blue eyes pierced through me. I tried to move away, but he wordlessly tilted his head and pressed his lips on my cheeks. So, I panicked and struggled to push his shoulders away, but stopped when something hard met my fingertips.

And as I instantly remembered the piece of metal that killed Alberto, a sense of guilt heavily weighting on my chest.

Seizing this opportunity, Siegfried’s tongue thrust in, leaving a foreign and tantalizing sensation in his mouth.

My legs cluttered together at the unexpected stimulus, then he wrapped his arms around my trembling waist, deepening our kiss.

Meanwhile, my hands were still on his chest; my body was getting so close to his, I felt like I was being consumed by him, yet all I could think about was me exploring his sturdy body the other day.

Still, the intermingling of our tongues, dragged me back to the present, making me feel delirious.

His well-defined nose bumped against mine a few times. In the darkness, all I could hear was his breathing, and as his hands slowly moved up to stroke my face, my body trembled as it remembered his touch.

And as I gasped for air, he completely took me in his arms.

“Yes, Milena,” he said softly.

There seemed to be an unspeakable power in his voice as he called my name in a relaxed manner. The kind that makes people want to submit to him.

I gradually parted my closed lips, and he eyes stared at the gap intently.

“Don’t open it,” He whispered, pressing his fingers on my lips. “Not again….”

I’ll want to put it in.

His black hair rubbed against my neck.

My hands brushed up and down his broad back.

While the tightly pulled fabric of his clothes  could easily be felt under my fingertips.

“I was thinking about Jane.” I told him.

At least he didn’t seem to be in a bad mood.

“She spent the whole afternoon picking out clothes….”

“Jane?” his questioned, his voice echoing next to my ear.

“Yes,” I replied to him. “She probably wanted to come with us.”

“It seems that you like my poor little sister a lot, my wife.”

Siegfried raised his head with a charming smile.

“Who would hate Jane? She is so lively, and cheerful.”

“So,” he started as he closed in, locking eyes with me.

 I must say that seeing his face up close was simply a delight.

Can someone who looked like that really exist?

Even though he was living and breathing right in front of my eyes, he always felt unreal to me.

“You thought she would naturally be part of our outing?” Siegfried added.

“I care about Jane,” I said, stepping back, determined not to be taken off guard again.

“That’s very kind of you.”

His hand reached out and gently stroked my head as his stern expression softened.

And when I tried to turn away….

“Wasn’t it difficult?”

… Unexpected words caught me by surprise.

I couldn’t look him in the eye any longer, so I stared out the window.

My lips, trembling from the long-delayed relief from the past two years, barely fell apart, pouring out a mechanical voice.

“Those who are sick come first.”

As well as the one who is more important; I added in my head.

But my tightly closed lips kept those words from escaping.

“Don’t overdo it.”

He patted my cheek with his fingers, like an owner touching the cheek of a cute hamster.

“If there is something you desire, just let me know,” he said. “Just like back then.”

‘Do you not have enough jewelry?’

Oh!

 That jogged my memory.

A memory I was trying to forget.

At that time, I was holding my breath, scared I might die at any moment, while obsessing over the development of the story.

As I was gathering my thoughts, the carriage suddenly stopped.

Two years had passed since I started living here, but there were still things I wasn’t used to.

One was my husband’s unrealistically handsome appearance.

 And the other was his unrestrained and sadistic face he revealed to me from time to time.

“What are you doing, Milena.”

Standing in the middle of a dark street, in front of a very glamorous building, the man extended his hand, wanting me to step out of the wagon.

 I lowered my head to look at the man huddled on the floor, bearing what seemed to be my husband’s footprints neatly engraved on his back.

“Come down, my dear.”

My husband insisted as his eyes slightly curved.

“Don’t you like the steppingstone, my wife?”

His affectionate eyes turn cold when he glanced at the man crouched on the stone floor.

For a moment, the crouching servant turned his head, and our eyes met in mid-air. He bit his bottom lip and shook his head at me with an imploring expression.

With a face begging for his life. “No, I don’t.”

Also biting on my lower lip, I reached out to my husband and put my foot on the man’s back. After using the servant as stairs to descend from my seat, my husband looked Pleased.

“Is that so?”

I’m scared of Roam.

“I was thinking about something else,” I responded, and he looks satisfied.

But he has no idea what I was actually thinking.

… I was terrified.

“Doesn’t your feet hurt?” He asks affectionately. “The floor is quite hard.”

Rubbing the uneven stone floor, where the forehead of an unknown man had touched earlier, with my clean shoes, I said “It’s okay.”

“Your heel,” he stated, looking down at my feet. “They were scraped.”

My heels were indeed scarred due to the shoes I insisted on wearing, not wanting to appear foolish in high society. It was all caused by me.

Then, Siegfried came closer, kissed me on the cheek, and whispered:

“I wish I was the only one who could hurt you.”

“…….”

“Because I like the marks you leave on my back when I do it.”