CHAPTER 4: EACH TRUTH AND EACH HAPPINESS (XII)
Part 078
Although he held onto Damian’s hand hoping that this would not happen, Adrian burst out laughing when he saw Damian who was really fast asleep. Damian, who had been asking him various questions such as whether there was anything she could do to help prepare for the departure ceremony, what the knights liked, and that she would see him off tomorrow morning, suddenly became quiet, and when he carefully looked up, he saw that she was asleep with her head resting on the head of the bed. . Adrian picks up Damian, who was sleeping, and lays him down, and he buries his head in his pillow, twitching. Although it was a tiring time, Adrian was worried and distraught as similar situations continued yesterday and today. He thought that if she was going to fall asleep so easily, she would have to be more careful with her escort. He felt grumpy at the face that was sleeping so comfortably. What should he do if she shows a defenseless face without knowing the feelings he was holding back because he couldn’t show them?
He lightly pinched Damian’s cheek to avoid pain, and he frowned, then his face became calm again. He poked her cheek once again, feeling the soft, pleasant feel left at the tip of his finger. The elastic feel that goes in and then rises out again and again invites his hand. Adrian barely let go of his hand and lay down on his side, supporting his head with one of his arms and looking at Damian. While he was counting the shadows of eyelashes on her cheeks, Damien turned to face Adrian. Then she put her forehead on his chest and started pounding.
“Damian.”
He was surprised and called out her name, but Damian didn’t wake up. Adrian, who had become stiff as his hair tickled his bare chest and his exhaled breath vividly touched him, only after a long time had passed, he moved his creaking neck and looked down at Damian. Her head was cute and round as she sat beautifully in the palanquin. Sighing and laughing at the same time, he carefully lowered his head to his pillow and forced his eyes to close. He got used to the unfamiliar feeling of never being able to fall asleep, and as the sound of Damian’s even breathing calmed his racing heart, he too fell asleep before he knew it.
Regardless of what time he fell asleep, Adrian woke up around six o’clock. Not being able to sleep for long periods of time was a habit he had developed from his long stay in the barracks. When he opened his eyes to the warmth he felt in his arms, he saw Damien in his arms. Damian, who had fallen asleep with his nose buried in Adrian’s chest, was suddenly sleeping sweetly on his arm. He couldn’t move and just looked down and saw Damian was asleep with his arms wrapped around him and his mouth slightly open. Her gown, completely untied from her tossing and turning, was hanging behind her. Her round shoulders were visible under the dress that shined white in the sunlight, and her small ears and the nape of her neck were visible through her disheveled hair.
He barely suppressed the sigh that came out and swallowed his dry saliva. Damian’s bent knee touches her thigh. Adrian stared down at Damien’s face with his eyes wide open, not knowing where his hand would land if he even moved his fingertips. At that time, Damian, who had been tossing and turning, opened her eyes. She blinked and opened her eyes a few times, then realized that what she saw in front of her was Adrian’s bare skin. She suddenly stood up with a “hike” sound. As her caramel-colored hair fluttered, there was a dizzying floral scent.
Inside the blanket, Adrian clenched his fists. He looked around and when he saw her look down at him with a shocked face, he did his best to smile.
“Did you sleep well?”
Looking down at Adrian, who was smiling with a harmless face, Damian scratched her cheek.
“Yes, Adrian, did you sleep well too? I guess I fell asleep just like last night.”
“Yes, I was asleep too so I didn’t notice.”
Adrian lied with a smile on his face. As soon as she opened her eyes, she was surprised to see white skin, but when Adrian spoke to her casually, Damian also relaxed.
Damian wiggled her way out of bed and helped her stretch, pulling up the gown that hung down her arms. The sunlight coming through the window penetrated the gown and penetrated into the white dress, revealing the silhouette. Adrian was smiling so hard that he wanted to close his eyes, but Damian asked with a clear face.
“Didn’t you feel uncomfortable because of me?”
“Not at all. You slept very sweetly.”
Adrian sat up with only his upper body and answered in a sweet voice. Damian, who was just happy to hear that he slept well, smiled and greeted him as she headed towards the inner door.
“See you later. I will definitely see you off today.”
He wanted to tell her that she didn’t have to do that, to tell her to sleep a little more, and to open the door for her, but Adrian couldn’t get out of bed. It was best to nod his head with a smile on his face. He looked at the closing door and let out a long, drawn out sigh.
* * *
She opened the door, waving her hand, and returned to the room, where Jenny was standing in front of the bed. She turned around. When Damian, who was so shocked that her heart dropped to the ground, approached Jenny, who was watching her, Jenny looked her up and down meticulously and said with a stern look on her face.
“I didn’t raise you like this.”
“W-what? I don’t know what it is, but it’s all a misunderstanding, Jenny. I just fell asleep for a moment.”
“She fell asleep for a moment?”
“Yeah. Adrian couldn’t sleep, so I told him goodnight and then he fell asleep. Really, nothing happened.”
As she said, there was no problem at all. Thinking, Damian answered confidently. They fell asleep in the same bed while they weren’t married yet, but nothing happened. Adrian said he also slept soundly, and he himself fell asleep and woke up refreshed. Damian, who firmly believed that Adrian was not the kind of person who would change his mind without his knowledge, now made an excuse shamelessly.
“I’m not married, so of course nothing happened. We were just in the same place for a few hours. I know it’s a good situation to be misunderstood, but that’s not the case at all, right?”
As soon as Jenny saw Damian walking through the door with his face full of poop, she thought nothing had happened. In fact, Jenny had already given up half of her feelings ever since Damien decided to sit down in the Duke’s room. Damian didn’t seem to realize it, but wasn’t marriage already a foregone conclusion? She occasionally entered the mansion before the wedding under the pretext of taking bridal classes, but she never occupied the hostess’s room. She had already received a marriage contract signed by the master, so she was not surprised to find Damian’s bed empty. Judging by her reaction, she seemed to know what ‘something like that’ was like, and as she looked at Damian, who told her with a bright face that nothing happened even though his passionate lover fell asleep in the same bed, Jenny was speechless. It became an indescribable feeling.
Jenny sighed and looked towards the Duke’s room with her sympathetic eyes.
“Miss, that is very bad.”
As Jenny spoke with her gloomy face, Damian, who was proud of her, flinched. Was it really like that? Wasn’t it a bit weird to come back to your room in the morning when you’re not even married? Jenny said she would believe her, but she thought it would be scandalous if the Duke’s other employees found out, and she nodded at Damien.
“Okay. I won’t do that anymore.”
“You were too harsh on the Duke.”
Damian, who had only thought that her reputation would be in question, tilted her head at Jenny’s words. If word gets out, does that mean Adrian would be treated like a shameless pervert? Adrian didn’t come to her bed, she just borrowed Adrian’s bed, but that’s such an unfair stigma.
“Yeah, not like that again.”
She realized that Damian wasn’t getting what she meant, but Jenny didn’t correct her. It seemed unlikely that Adrian would do anything without Damian’s consent, but he was quick to share a bed with Damian just two days after moving into the mansion. Jenny felt sorry for her, but her grumpy grumpiness also rose up, so Jenny just nodded her head at Damian’s decision.
* * *
It was 7:30 when Adrian finished getting ready for work and came down to the entrance of the Duke’s residence. After enjoying a leisurely breakfast with Damian, he finished getting ready at a breakneck pace. Damian tried to join the Duke, but she gave up because she couldn’t keep up with Adrian’s speed. He kissed Damian’s cheek as she waved at the door, and after Adrian left with a sad look on his face, Damian also entered the palace after about two hours of preparation. Running down the well-paved streets leading to the palace, Adrian felt like he was flying. It was a morning with some difficulties, but I was willing to endure that level of hardship if he could see Damian off. The sight of Damian, with her cheeks flushed and waving her hand, caught his eye, and Adrian entered the conference room with a rare, faint smile. And as soon as he saw Tyrellius sitting there with his blushing face, his mood plummeted. Tyrellius shouted as soon as Adrian arrived.
“Isn’t it the opinion of the Duke that there will be no inauguration ceremony?”
Homer, who was standing behind, shrugged his shoulders with an expression that gave up everything.
“The infantry begins its march today. There is no reason to hold a meaningless departure ceremony.”
“We are on our way to exterminate a group of weightlifters. I, the rightful heir to the throne, are leading the expedition of troops. What do you mean by saying that it is meaningless?”
“There is no time to waste on a departure ceremony that takes all day just to review the soldiers. And your Majesty is not at the vanguard.”
Tyrellius’ face grew redder at Adrian’s sharp answer.
“I am not the vanguard! Don’t you know that I am the commander-in-chief?”
“What kind of nonsense is it that someone who doesn’t even attend tactical meetings wants to command the army? I won’t stop you from going to war, but it would be better to give up your greed for command.”
“How cruel! Father gave me total command!”
There was a foul smell of alcohol coming from Tyrelius, who was shouting as he put his face close to me. How much do you have to drink to smell like that much alcohol at this hour? Adrian glared at Tyrellius with icy eyes without hiding his rising irritation. He was not the one he wanted to protect with his sword. Since he was the crown prince, he no longer wanted to watch him languish around asking about personal matters.
“I don’t want to lose the soldiers I raised because of your nonsense. If you want to put your status first, you better show your abilities, or you should just shut up and follow me.”
Tyrelius felt sobered by the harsh language he had never heard before. When a person is too embarrassed, he or she loses his or her words. His mouth opens wide and he gasps, but no words come out. Adrian looked at Tyrellius with disillusioned eyes and sat down as if he were someone he didn’t exist at all. Tyrellius trembled with uncontrollable rage, but he could not properly stand up to Adrian, who held the actual military commander-in-chief. Even if he pushed a sword, he knew that there was no difference in his skills. He was beating his chest at the thought that he couldn’t even pretend to be a duke before he was crowned, and turned to look at Homer, but Homer was sitting across from Adrian, reviewing documents. In the end, Tyrellius could not overcome his anger and ran out of the conference room, and Homer whistled as he looked at the tightly closed door.
“Is this the guts of a man who has it all?”
“I think it’s a necessary process.”
“It’s a necessary process. You’ve made up your mind as expected. I heard that Adol Joseph has started a collaboration with scholars at the Academy. It was said that the Duke had arranged the meeting. Lady Damien said she had such tremendous influence. Do you know what’s happening?”
“She deserves it. Didn’t you convince the princess to give her the gold plate?”
“Ha. She definitely deserves it.”
Adrian glanced at Homer, who burst out laughing and agreed, and added in a passing tone.
“Captain, don’t covet what you can’t have.”
Both the speaker and the listener knew that it was a clear warning.
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Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
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