Episode 62
“Have you ever experienced hunger?”
“…”
“Like when six of you cry out of hunger and share a hard piece of bread. Have you ever had that happen to you?”
Not.
There was no need for a response.
It wasn’t something you’d ask the great Lord Ifrit.
“Have you ever worked late at night for extra pay and had a pervert approach you and see you fully undressed?”
“Fully…?”
His voice cracked as if he was shocked.
“Just for an extra coin, oh, not gold, but silver… mostly copper, I struggled.”
My nostrils pricked up as I remembered those occasions.
“The food my siblings could eat was determined by how much I earned. In the worst-case scenarios, they had to starve.”
I continued to ramble.
“It was okay for me, but seeing my siblings struggle so hard not to exhibit their hunger… That was the most difficult aspect.”
Those were trying times.
I could withstand my hunger.
The siblings pretended not to notice their stomachs growling.
The twins followed suit.
They always tried to feed the children with whatever food they could find.
Aunt Elinda did take them in, but she couldn’t cover all of their needs.
She made warm soup for her children but did not share it with them.
They scraped the pot’s bottom to give the youngest half a bowl.
“The little money I saved in a bowl… debt collectors even took that.”
I was heartbroken just thinking about it.
“When I pleaded with them, saying that we needed to eat to repay our debts, some would show compassion and throw a few coins. Those I gave to Aunt Elinda.”
Why does this bother me so much?
…Probably because I had not consumed alcohol in a long time.
Drinking alone had heightened my emotions, prompting me to air my grievances.
When I noticed how quiet he was,
“…”
I looked up carefully, and his calm eyes met mine.
‘What on earth is he thinking?’
“I’m truly sorry.”
“…Please have a drink if you’re sorry.”
I eventually opened the last bottle of liquor.
I offered him the drink after pouring it into a glass.
I made a move toward the glass, catching his piercing gaze.
“What are you looking at? A penalty drink, a penalty drink. Didn’t you say you were sorry?”
I moved the glass closer to his face.
A small spray left a red mark on the edge of his chest.
Oh, no.
While I was distracted by the red liquid that had mysteriously sprayed across his chest, Amoide glanced blankly at the glass that had been presented to him.
He took it softly and drank it all in one gulp.
…You know, you can take things slowly.
What if he passes out?
With an unreasonably tense heart, I watched his one-shot.
Even wiping the liquid from the corner of his mouth with the back of his palm was done with infinite grace.
“What happens if I win?”
“Please tell me. I’ll give you whatever you want.”
“What would I want?”
I should go look.
I laughed.
“You think I don’t know?”
“Tell me.”
As he said this, he unbuttoned one of his shirt buttons.
“If you win, I’ll just leave you alone.”
“Will you leave me alone?”
I noticed one of his brows twitch.
“I will vanish as if I never existed in your life.”
“…”
“You don’t want to see me, do you? Me, who came in under the condition of having a son, me, who has been nagging!”
My heart pounded.
The power was too much for me, and I involuntarily grunted.
His voice boomed out as I rubbed the region where I had beat my chest.
“That’s a sound I’m glad to hear.”
I was overcome with emotion.
‘He has absolutely no manners.’
That is to be expected from him.
I might be less valuable to him than a pet dog he’s raised.
He didn’t enjoy drinking, indicating he couldn’t handle alcohol effectively.
That certainly indicates I’ll win.
It felt like I was thinking something illogical, but it didn’t matter.
“So, what’s the deal?”
I yelled and raised my glass.
“…Deal.”
On the corners of his lips, a naughty smirk played.
“Come on, drink some up.”
I eagerly began pouring the drink.
The booze spilled, soaking the hem of his pants.
I could only stand there and watch his clothes get saturated from the spilled drink.
Given that the alcohol on the floor had made my dress hem wet, Amoide, who had been splattered in the face…
His jeans were soaked at the thigh and hip area, revealing a dark tint.
“Oh no, what to do? I’m sorry.”
I lowered my wet dress hem and cleaned the alcohol from his garments.
“Stop doing it.”
He tried to stop me, but I refused.
“I’ll wipe it down for you.”
A lot of booze had accumulated between his legs.
The drink had seeped through the couch, and his wet jeans clung to his legs, exposing the curve of his thighs.
I vigorously cleaned it with my dress, concentrating on his firm thighs and the front of his slacks between his legs…
“Stop it, I said.”
His voice became more stern.
“Why? I should scrub it off, and you should change…”
His increasing rage drowned out my mumbling.
“I said, STOP!”
He yanked my hands away from him angrily.
That force pulled me back, and I hit with a chair’s backrest.
“Ouch.”
There was a brief moment of stillness.
Another surge of disbelief overwhelmed the ache from the impact on my back.
‘Was it that serious?’
I let out a tiny scream since he was grasping me so hard, but he didn’t release me quickly.
“…”
I raised my eyes to his. His crimson face and rapid breathing revealed his rage.
“I was just trying to wipe it off.”
My face turned bright red with humiliation.
“You didn’t need to.”
He spit bitterly out.
His face was as rigid as a block of wood.
No, this is… excessive.
I was only trying to help.
No matter how many mistakes I made, pushing me away with such contempt is simply too much.
An intense sensation of sorrow rushed within.
“What’s the matter with you?”
My voice was shaking.
The sadness erupted the minute he pushed me.
“Do you hate me that much?”
“…”
“To the point where even the slightest touch scares you?”
It was as if a cork blocking my heart had suddenly popped open.
“This… this… this…”
I stumbled.
“How can you have been so cold for two years? Huh? How?”
“…What?”
I noticed his brow furrowing.
“Did I say something wrong?”
“Just leave.”
I could hear a chair being dragged.
I suddenly couldn’t stop myself.
“It’s because of you! Your mother spoke some terrible things to me! You always give me that frigid glare, no matter how much you despise me. I was attempting to make you healthier!”
“How on earth could you?”
A dry retort was returned.
“It could look a little better. But…”
“How can you treat something if you don’t know what’s causing it?”
With a warped pronunciation, I said.
My tongue twisted, and my heart felt all jumbled up.
“You’re harmed not only physically but also emotionally. It’s bizarre.”
“What did you say?”
“Isn’t that right? It’s bizarre! When someone speaks, you should pay attention! Is this how you address someone concerned about you?”
“You’re saying you’re worried about me?”
“Of course!”
“Why?”
“Because you’re my husband!”
I cried aloud, raising my head high.
“…”
“You’re not on my side! Even though you are my husband! You’re no better than a stranger! But I’ll do it! Please help! And I, too…”
I will.
My following words were swallowed, and I snapped my mouth shut.
“And how about you?”
“Ah, well. Isn’t it better if you get healthy?”
“Get lost.”
Grimacing, he said.
Ping.
Then, something exploded inside my skull.
“Are you sterile? You impotent jerk!”
For a brief period, there was complete silence.
“What did you just say?”
As he got closer, I could smell the strong odor of alcohol coming from him.
His heat came towards me as well.
Oh, my goodness.
Even in my fog, I could tell something catastrophic had occurred.
Jerk. Impotent.
All the alcohol I’d consumed up to that point had abruptly lost its potency.
It was like getting slapped in the face with cold water.
“Huh?”
He moved in closer.
His downward gaze was scary.
In the darkness, his eyes shone like perfectly honed knife blades.
When he got close, I felt a terrifying sense of oppression.
‘At this pace, I might get hit.’
The threatening aura was so strong that I was afraid I’d be hit.
I instinctively lifted my arms to defend myself.
His massive frame blocked the moonlight from the window behind him.
Then complete darkness descended on us.
