NMRJKM Chapter 97

 

‘My whole body hurts…’

Ariadeline lay on the bed, naked, unable to move.

‘No, this guy is a beast, not a human.’

She looked at Carlothian, who was sleeping next to her, his skin glowing with a healthy sheen. It was infuriating, really.

She pinched his nose. She could see his forehead furrow. Ariadeline giggled, but soon she was pulled into his arms.

“Wake up, Carlothian.”

“…Just a little more.”

“Do you know you’ve been sleeping a lot lately? Are you tired?”

“Then why aren’t you sleeping more?”

Carlothian asked without opening his eyes, still frowning. She rubbed his brow gently as he spoke.

“Just, I’ve gotten used to waking up early.”

Originally, Ariadeline wasn’t someone who slept in late, and in modern times, she was a busy singer.

There were many days when she didn’t sleep at all to keep up with her schedule, starting at dawn.

“……What time is it now?”

At Carlothian’s question, Ariadeline glanced at the clock hanging nearby. It was just barely six in the morning.

“It’s six o’clock.”

“Ugh…”

Carlothian slowly opened his eyes and got up from bed. She looked at him and got up as well.

As Carlothian rang the bell, the servants naturally began to prepare the bathwater for the two of them.

To be honest, taking a bath was just as exhausting.

Carlothian kept trying to push for one more round, and of course, Ariadeline often ended up giving in.

It was a temptation that was too hard to resist.

The servants, well aware that Ariadeline and Carlothian’s baths always took over an hour, prepared the meals in time.

Ariadeline always looked for breakfast as soon as she finished her bath with Carlothian.

“So, it’s too much. I’m telling you.”

Ariadeline said as she quickly finished her soup in the dining room and began cutting her steak. Her pronunciation was unclear as she chewed the tough meat.

Unlike Ariadeline, who was gnawing at her meat roughly, Carlothian answered while elegantly slicing his steak.

“If you say you don’t want to do it, I won’t.”

“But you keep pushing until I say I do.”

Ariadeline complained. Carlothian chuckled and stretched out his leg to tap Ariadeline’s ankle.

Ariadeline’s eyes widened in surprise, and she jumped back like a startled sparrow. Carlothian couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.

Ariadeline glared at him.

“Pervert.”

“I know.”

“The fact that you admit it is the most annoying thing.”

Ariadeline and Carlothian continued their light banter. Their conversation naturally flowed to a topic that had been on their minds lately.

“So, are we definitely prepared for what will happen on Princess Yermondi’s birthday?”

“Prepared? To be honest, I’m not sure it will go well. We have to protect people who don’t know anything.”

“It would have been hard if you were alone.”

“Are you trying to say that it’s okay because you’re with me?”

“Yeah.”

Carlothian leisurely sliced his steak and put a piece in his mouth. Ariadeline found him annoying, but since he was right, she just quietly began to slice her steak and continued eating.

“Anyway, you’re a good man.”

She said this while recalling her past partners from the modern world.

Compared to those guys, Carlothian is like a unicorn.

He’s tall, handsome, kind… and has great stamina. In any case, he’s the perfect man in every way.

However, Carlothian raised an eyebrow at her words, as if to say, “Why are you saying something so obvious?”

Ariadeline burst into laughter. It seemed he didn’t like the compliment. She spoke calmly.

“If something wasn’t going to happen at the Princess of Yermondi’s birthday party.”

She didn’t know what kind of reaction that would elicit.

“I would have told you to find a woman to marry.”

At those words, Carlothian’s hand abruptly stopped.

“What did you say?”

“Oh, of course, I would have vehemently opposed you marrying Princess Yermondi.”

She said, giving a sheepish smile.

“Of course, as your ex-wife, I have no right to tell you what to do.”

Ariadeline looked at Carlothian as she said this. However, his expression was unusual. Sensing the change in atmosphere, Ariadeline subtly paused her eating.

“Um…… Carlothian?”

She called out to him, but Carlothian didn’t respond. He had a very stiff expression on his face. Seeing that, Ariadeline also stiffened her own expression.

‘Did I say something wrong?’

Ariadeline gently moved her foot to tap his toes. He usually softened up quickly when she did that. But now, his expression showed no sign of softening.

With his sculpted features, he appeared almost lifeless when his expression was neutral. That was how it felt at that moment.

Ariadeline cautiously began to speak.

“Did I say something wrong?”

Carlothian responded to her question as if he didn’t understand.

“Are you asking because you really, really don’t know?”

“Why, what’s wrong?”

Ariadeline’s shoulders slumped. Carlothian knew very well that when he had such a stiff expression, Ariadeline would be frightened.

He tried to relax his face somehow, but it wasn’t working. And it was no wonder.

‘A marriage partner, huh?’

Carlothian’s mind was filled with questions. Until now, he had thought that he and Ariadeline were perfectly in sync. But now, Ariadeline had said as if it were otherwise.

At his words, Ariadeline hesitated before speaking.

“Well… obviously, you’re a duke, and you need to consider your heirs…”

“That’s not what I’m talking about!”

Carlothian slammed his hand on the table without realizing it. Ariadeline’s eyes widened in surprise.

She couldn’t understand at all why he was angry. So, feeling she couldn’t back down, she raised her small voice.

“Why are you so angry? Honestly, I don’t know what you’re thinking!”

“You don’t know what I’m thinking?”

“Yes! What do you think of me? I’m a sinner, and you’re a duke. I know it’s because of you that a sinner like me can live like this. So I…”

Ariadeline’s voice became small and trembled as she continued.

“I thought that if you ever wanted to get married, I would quietly go down to a provincial temple and live there.”

“…”

Carlothian was left speechless by her words. He had thought she understood his feelings well enough. After all, she loved him.

He had assumed she would naturally know the feelings he had given her.

It was hard for Carlothian to tell whether he had been arrogant or if Ariadeline was being stubborn. But one thing was certain: he needed to resolve this situation.

Carlothian roughly got up from his seat and strode around the table toward Ariadeline. She sat still in her chair, shrinking back as he approached.

Creak—

Carlothian pushed the chair Ariadeline was sitting in to make her face him. He could see her blue eyes widen in surprise.

“I want you as my duchess.”

“Y-yes?”

Ariadeline looked up at him with a face that showed she had never even thought about it. Carlothian felt a bit of irritation.

“Don’t you understand at all why I held you?”

“W-well…”

Ariadeline seemed to finally realize that the situation was turning strange, and she answered in a whisper, glancing at Carlothian.

“I thought… you just wanted my body.”

At those words, Carlothian felt a momentary dizziness. It had been a long time since he had experienced such a headache since his madness.

“No.”

Carlothian said, biting off each word. Ariadeline’s eyes widened even more at that.

“I intended to remarry you.”

Ariadeline looked at him as if she couldn’t understand.

“Why?”

Her face was innocent, filled with pure confusion. And with that expression, she spoke words that pierced sharply into Carlothian’s heart.

“You… “

What was in her eyes was clear.

“You… don’t love me.”

Doubt. Upon hearing her words, Carlothian felt a brief illusion as if he were experiencing tinnitus. What was she saying right now? Were all those nights he thought they understood each other merely his own fantasy?

Ariadeline stood up from her seat and pushed Carlothian slightly away. Then she said,

“You need to get your head straight.”

“I’m perfectly sane.”

“No. You’re acting a bit strange right now.”

Ariadeline thought. The notion that Carlothian loved her was strange. It didn’t fit in this world.

“If you want to put me back in the position of duchess just because I’ve made you feel comfortable, I’d suggest you think about it a little more.”

“…”

Carlothian simply listened quietly with a cold gaze as Ariadeline spoke. When he remained silent, Ariadeline briefly lowered her gaze to the floor, then bit her lip and muttered,

“That position doesn’t suit someone like me. You’ve experienced it yourself.”

With those words, Ariadeline left the dining room. Carlothian was left alone, feeling empty. The sound of Ariadeline hurriedly passing through the hallway echoed.

Carlothian couldn’t distinguish whether he should chase after Ariadeline or just let her go.

Everything felt like an illusion. Carlothian stood there for a moment, looking down at his hands.

It seemed that Ariadeline, who had always been in his embrace, was nothing but a fantasy.