WDGD 94

Chapter 94 

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Yulia placed her hand on the bed beside her. As if inviting him to come and lie down together.

Fernan silently gazed at the bed where she had placed her hand, then turned his attention back to her.

Yulia, as always, had those innocent, sparkling eyes.

After staring at her for a while, Fernan, for some reason, cleared his throat softly and obediently sat at the edge of the bed as she had suggested.

Only then did Yulia slowly lie down on the bed.

Soon, the two of them lay facing each other in the middle of the large bed, silently gazing at one another.

‘This feels strange…’

Yulia muttered quietly to herself, her lips twitching. Although she had always been close to him lately, it was the first time they had ever lain side by side like this.

As she lay on her side, her hands idly moving, Yulia unconsciously lowered her gaze.

Through the slightly parted collar of his shirt, the prominent bulge of his Adam’s apple and the defined muscles of his neck were visible.

His body. Seeing her husband’s body so closely for the first time, she felt a strange mix of surprise and curiosity.

His body, large and firm yet with a sleek, graceful line, was starkly different from her small and delicate frame.

After a long while, Yulia, lost in thought, snapped back to reality and slowly raised her gaze.

When her eyes met Fernan’s, she was caught off guard.

“Ah…”

She opened her lips in surprise, realizing her mistake.

She had not been thinking anything inappropriate, but she worried that he might misunderstand.

It was just that her eyes had naturally drifted in his direction.

As Yulia pondered whether to offer an explanation, Fernan suddenly extended his arm.

In an instant, the hand that had been around her waist pulled her closer.

“……!”

Startled, Yulia’s eyes widened, and in the close distance between them, Fernan whispered softly.

“It’s fine to look closely.”

Feeling his hand firmly around her waist, Yulia flinched. She must have stared too blatantly.

Embarrassed, Yulia muttered quietly.

“I… I wasn’t looking with any ill intentions…”

Fernan, noticing her flushed cheeks, smiled faintly. He then reached out and gently caressed her heated cheek.

“Enough, sleep. Forget about the dreams.”

His soft voice followed.

Finally, when Yulia glanced at him once more, she met his steady gaze.

The warmth of his embrace and the tenderness of his hand on her cheek made her flushed face stubbornly refuse to cool down.

Yulia, trying to appear nonchalant, muttered quietly.

“You should sleep too, Your Highness.”

Fernan, as if agreeing, slowly closed his eyelids.

In a daze, with his arm around her, Yulia also slowly closed her eyes.

The large arms that held her seemed to erase the cruel remnants of her dreams.

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Fernan silently gazed at the morning sun rising beyond the window.

Then, his gaze fell to Yulia, who was still nestled in his arms.

She was soundly asleep, her hand clutching his shirt collar tightly.

While he had spent the night sleepless, her face was serene in deep slumber.

Every time she moved in her sleep, her lips, closely pressed against his, brushed lightly against his neck.

Fernan’s hand twitched, but his expression remained calm, just as usual.

However, watching her silently through the night had not been an easy task for him.

In truth, it was always like this. Even when he looked at her with an innocent gaze, he often struggled to suppress the rising desire inside him.

The moment he couldn’t hold back was when Yulia had tried to run away from him.

To make sure she wouldn’t leave him, he had wanted her, even if it meant using force.

And now, there was a desire filling him that was different from before.

It was a selfish yearning, a wish that she would genuinely accept him.

“Mm…”

In that moment, Yulia, who had been murmuring softly, buried her face completely into his chest. Then, slowly, she lifted her long eyelashes.

Her blue eyes, which had been half-closed in drowsiness, now gazed at him.

Still half-asleep, Yulia smiled faintly.

“……Your Highness.”

Calling him in a sleepy voice, Yulia closed her eyes again.

Her lips, which had moved as if to say something, parted slightly but then froze. Perhaps unable to fight the drowsiness, she drifted back to sleep.

Fernan gently loosened his arm around her waist and brought his hand to her lips. His firm fingers gently brushed her lower lip.

In that moment, his touch carried a deep longing.

Leaning in closer, Fernan lowered his head, closing the distance between them as if to kiss her.

Just before their lips met, he paused and stared at her long eyelashes.

He knew very well that if he kissed her, he wouldn’t be able to stop there.

And with Yulia as she was now, he was sure she wouldn’t reject him.

She didn’t know anything. She had forgotten all the hatred and anger she was supposed to feel towards him.

That was why Fernan knew there was a line he could not cross.

Crossing it would be nothing more than his own greed.

With a deep breath, he slowly straightened his body and gently wiped his face with his hand.

“Did you two sleep together last night?”

The voices of the maids could be heard faintly from the corner at the end of the hallway.

“I told you, didn’t I? This morning, His Highness suddenly ordered us to bring His Highness’s clothes. I thought it might happen, but…”

Whispering quietly and looking around, one maid continued, excitedly.

“When we went to the bedroom, His Highness was lying in His Highness’s bed!”

The maids whispered among themselves, excitedly discussing the couple’s first night together.

Their voices, full of gossip, clearly reached Cedric, who was standing at the corner of the hallway.

Frozen, Cedric blinked in surprise.

He stood still, lost in thought, until the maids’ voices faded completely.

‘What exactly…’

Cedric clenched his jaw, replaying the words he had just overheard.

What on earth was the Duke doing to Yulia?

It had been a month since Yulia arrived here. During that time, peaceful days had passed as if nothing had happened in the estate.

The harmonious couple, the Duke acting as though he had forgotten everything he had done to Yulia, pretending to be the perfect husband…

Cedric’s fist tightened. This situation was nothing more than a staged play to deceive Yulia. From the Duke to the servants, they were all deceiving and manipulating her.

Taking a deep breath, Cedric slowly began to walk.

Walking down the corridor, he spotted the Duke speaking to his subordinate in the lobby beneath the balcony.

The calm fury in Cedric’s gaze deepened as he slowly descended the stairs.

The Duke, who had been giving orders to his subordinate, turned when he noticed Cedric approaching.

When he saw Cedric standing there with a determined expression, he briefly sent his subordinate away.

“What is it?”

The cold gaze directed at Cedric was different from when the Duke had looked at Yulia.

Not backing down, Cedric replied sternly.

“That’s what I want to ask you.”

With a clenched fist, Cedric continued.

“What are you doing to Yulia?”

The Duke’s eyes narrowed as he heard those words. Cedric, watching him, clenched his lips tightly.

“Don’t you know? Yulia will eventually regain her memories. So why…”

Cedric trailed off, lowering his head. The Duke, gazing calmly at him, coldly asked.

“What are you trying to say?”

Looking up, Cedric spoke with a voice laced with anger.

“Don’t force Yulia to stay by your side.”

“….”

“You can’t have forgotten everything you’ve done to her.”

Though Cedric’s words were sharp, the Duke’s eyes remained calm.

Soon, a calm voice, carrying an air of patience, came from the Duke.

“If I had intended to force Yulia to stay here, I would have killed you first.”

“…”

“Isn’t that right?”

Slowly releasing the tension in his clenched fist, Cedric met the Duke’s gaze.

The Duke was right. If he truly wanted to imprison Yulia here, he wouldn’t have continued her treatment through Kalrosa.

However, Cedric still couldn’t shake the feeling that the Duke was somehow manipulating Yulia.

He seemed to be keeping her close even after she regained her memories, ensuring she wouldn’t leave him.

Understanding that his feelings were clouding his judgment, Cedric muttered quietly to himself.

“Then at least, stop deceiving Yulia, who knows nothing.”

At that, the Duke, who had been standing motionless, muttered.

“…Deceiving.”

A soft chuckle followed.

“Yes, I suppose so.”

Pretending to be a good husband while deceiving Yulia—indeed, that was deceit.

But he knew all too well that such a relationship had an inevitable end.

“I know that once Yulia regains her memory, she will leave me.”

“…”

“So, until then… I just want her to be happy.”

 

Cedric gazed at the Duke’s face, which held an unreadable mix of emotions.