You are at the End of the Downfall

Before the regression, despite the indifferent Peon’s attempts to ignore it, there were many trivial disputes involving Kaela. These incidents accumulated and eventually exploded, but how many things must have happened in places he wasn’t looking?

He added more red marks to Kaela’s fair skin, which was already tinged red, on her nape and shoulders exposed to the sunlight.

“Your, Your Highness?”

“Yes.”

“It’s morning, it’s morning…!”

Kaela, her face beet red, clutched his clothes tightly. She only held on, unable to push him away.

“Yes. The morning light makes my beautiful Highness even more clearly visible.”

“Ah, in the morning, we shouldn’t, we shouldn’t…”

“Do married couples have to set specific times to love each other? I’ve never heard of such a rule.”

Kaela closed her eyes tightly and hunched her shoulders. It was adorable how she, who had been dazed from just waking up, suddenly turned red from her neck to her cheeks and ears, not knowing what to do.

“My modest Highness must be shy in the morning light, but…”

Whenever Peon acted like this, Kaela felt like she hadn’t returned to the past but had fallen into a completely different world.

This couldn’t be Peon. The cold and indifferent Grand Duke of Lusenford couldn’t possibly be holding her waist and kissing the nape of her neck in broad daylight.

His arm around her waist was loosely draped but heavy enough to easily trap her in his embrace. His lips were ticklish and hot, making Kaela shake her head and hunch her shoulders.

“Even daytime can become intimate.”

Finally, Kaela covered her face with both hands and lowered her head. Peon, holding her, laughed out loud.

His laugh was refreshing, and Kaela thought it sounded nice even as her face burned. So when he suddenly stopped laughing, she peeked curiously through her fingers.

Why did he suddenly stop laughing?

Peon had a dazed expression, as if realizing something.

“…Thanks to you, I’m laughing… for the first time in a very long time.”

The way his muscles moved when laughing aloud felt unfamiliar, as it had been so long. For years, all he had done was put on formal smiles. He stared at her blankly before laughing again.

“It’s all thanks to you.”

“But I haven’t done anything…”

She really hadn’t done anything.

Even though she had thought she wouldn’t cling to Lusenford and Peon anymore, she couldn’t turn away cleanly as if cut by a knife. She thought she was lingering, being sentimental, dragging things out here for quite a while, just like before she died.

“You don’t need to do anything. It’s enough.”

Although he was doing things he hadn’t done before, it was even stranger for Peon to act this way towards a woman who had stubbornly run away, refusing to marry him.

He caressed her shoulder exposed through her nightgown, then gently pulled up her collar.

“If you’re embarrassed, wear something that covers this area today. Please don’t get angry that I’ve had many made.”

“What do you mean?”

Kaela tilted her head, not understanding what he meant. So Peon took her hand and rubbed the soft skin on the inside of her wrist.

“Like this on your skin.”

If he sucked strongly and deeply, as he had done all night.

“It leaves marks like this. Your skin is delicate, so they show up more vividly. I’ll keep that in mind from now on.”

A few seconds later, when Kaela understood the situation and hastily pulled up her collar, Peon laughed joyfully again.

“I’ll, I’ll cover everything!”

“Yes. Covering your neck is good for warmth.”

How cheeky! Kaela puffed and covered her neck with her hands. As she was doing this with both hands, Peon cut up the egg dish and fed it to her.

I can eat by myself! But I don’t want to put my hands down! Kaela glared at the omelette but eventually parted her lips slightly to eat it. When else would she get to eat food fed by Peon?

“…I have no intention of interfering with your attire, but I just wanted to remind you not to forget the rings I gave you.”

“Rings?”

“Yes. You must wear both of them at all times. The second diamond is still being cut, so please wait for it.”

“But…”

I knew this would happen. Peon looked down at the hesitating Kaela.

“But, Your Highness. If Lady Ravalley sees the diamond, it will become a gossip throughout Craine.”

Diamonds are the most precious of luxury items.

If the greedy Emperor learns through Beatrice that the Grand Duchess of Lusenford is wearing a diamond ring of unusual size, he will once again harass Peon, whom he has always manipulated.

“That’s exactly why I want you to wear them.”

“But won’t His Majesty ask where they came from?”

“As a man, can’t I give my wife a jewel as a gift? He won’t say anything.”

“If you give me another one, it might become a problem.”

“Three should be fine, Your Highness.”

A heavy bracelet, a heavy necklace, something like that should be fine. After all, what the Grand Duke of Lusenford does for his wife is related to the face of the Emperor who arranged this marriage.

But after that, even the Emperor will start to suspect. He’ll wonder where Lusenford got the money to give his wife such large diamonds.

“His Majesty will be pleased. And after that, I’ll make sure you have nothing to worry about.”

“We must give something to His Majesty too, Your Highness. Whatever it is, it must be better than mine.”

That’s the only way to survive.

Kaela, who was earnestly speaking while holding onto Peon, suddenly thought.

Survive? Who? Didn’t I decide to die? Who needs to survive? Me, Kaela de Chasser?

…Or this man?

“Yes.”

Peon hesitated for a moment before nodding.

“I’ll do that.”

Although such a thing wouldn’t happen, it was better to be a husband who listened to his wife rather than giving an irresponsible “it’s okay” without being able to explain the reason. So he gave the desired answer, but the blue eyes looking at him were trembling violently.