Chapter 114: Three Times a Day
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 114: Three Times a Day
A moment later, after sending Enolius and the priest out of the room, Loik leaned his forehead against the doorframe.
His decision to go meet Annette at the shopping district today had been somewhat impulsive. Even after sending Tiern, an instinctive sense of unease had refused to fade from his heart. Ultimately, he had boarded a carriage and headed toward the lakeside late.
He had been waiting for the crowd to thin out before stepping out of the carriage when he spotted Tiern approaching with Raphael.
"Where is the Grand Duchess?"
"She is over there with Norton."
Loik looked in the direction Tiern pointed and felt his breath hitch. A suspicious man was standing right next to Annette.
He hurried past the bewildered Tiern, but the moment the man looked his way, a chilling aura washed over his entire body. Just as he urgently called out Annette’s name, the man placed a hand on her shoulder. A flash of white light erupted, momentarily blinding everyone nearby.
Loik rushed forward, but by the time the light faded, the man had vanished. He barely managed to catch Annette as she collapsed toward the ground.
She seemed to regain consciousness for a fleeting second, only to lose it again immediately. As soon as he brought her back to the castle, Loik summoned the priest and the mage. He had intended to give Annette plenty of time before introducing her to a priest, but given the circumstances, there was no time for hesitation.
The news he received was quite unexpected.
— "If she regains her original holy power, her body will likely become much healthier."
Ever since that night he had climbed over the terrace, Loik had kissed Annette almost every day. Having tasted that sweetness once, he found it impossible to stop. If Annette had shown even the slightest hint of distaste, he would have ceased immediately.
However, whenever the tender-hearted Annette said it "hurt," she would close her eyes so shyly and demurely that he found her unbearably lovely. Even so, he had been constantly reining himself in, telling himself he mustn't pounce on her like a beast for fear his greed might exhaust her.
To think that contact with me could make Annette healthier.
It felt as if he had received a lifetime’s worth of birthday presents all at once.
Yet, he couldn't be purely happy. The source of that chilling aura earlier was undoubtedly a dragon. The dragon he had spent seventeen years desperately searching for had finally revealed itself—not to him, but to Annette.
What was it plotting?
Was it simply curious about the woman by his side? Or perhaps it had sensed his mana within her and wanted to confirm its suspicions.
He clenched his fists tight, trying to suppress his fear.
I just have to protect Annette. In fact, this might be a good thing, since I’ve finally found the clue I’ve been searching for so long.
I can break the curse.
Loik set his jaw firmly, comforting himself with the thought.
*
When I woke up, I blinked slowly, feeling a solid warmth enveloping my body. The heat pressing gently against me made me feel as if my entire body was melting. A familiar, cool scent drifted to the tip of my nose.
I looked up to see a pair of dark eyes shimmering down at me.
"Are you awake?"
Even in the darkness, I could feel the intensity of his gaze.
"It’s still the middle of the night. You can sleep more."
I nodded at his soft voice, but something felt off.
"Why are you lying in my bed?"
Loik wasn't just lying on my bed. He was holding me completely in his arms, his firm arm wrapped around me. The weight of it made it impossible for me to budge.
"Because your constitution is so weak, Annette," Loik replied in a casual tone.
Okay, but what does that have to do with holding me like this?
As I looked at him as if he were talking nonsense, Loik said with a composed face, "The priest came by to examine you a moment ago..."
"The priest?"
Why was a priest suddenly involved?
"I'll explain the details to you slowly later." He carefully tucked a stray hair that was tickling my forehead behind my ear. "Anyway, the priest said... that for you to get healthy, it would be best for you to have as much physical contact with me as possible."
What kind of scammer logic is that? This isn't some dark, tragic novel or an adult-rated one.
As my lips parted in disbelief, Loik lightly brushed them with his finger.
"Haven't you been working hard all this time to ease my pain, Annette?" Loik leaned his face a little closer. "I felt guilty, as if I were always on the receiving end... You have no idea how happy it makes me to know that I can be of help to you as well."
His languid voice made my ears burn hot.
"Now I can do it to my heart's content without worry."
Wait, do what to your heart's content? And... I feel like you've already been doing plenty to your heart's content?
I inadvertently swallowed hard, the sound echoing loudly.
"To... to your heart's content...?"
"I think it would be best to kiss at least three times a day from now on."
"Three times a day?"
"Is it not a serious matter that you keep collapsing like this? You need to get healthy as soon as possible." Loik spoke with a gentle yet firm resolve. "If the frequency feels insufficient, we can gradually increase it."
"But in a year, we...!"
We're supposed to get divorced.
I started to speak but fell silent as a realization hit me. It wasn't a year anymore. Half a year had already flown by since we signed the contract. That meant our married life would be over in just six months.
A sudden sense of uncertainty washed over me.
Only half a year left.
Loik, who had been staring at my quiet face, tightened his hold on me slightly.
"There's no need to think about such things right now."
He pressed a light kiss near my eye. It was a tender, soothing gesture, as if he had sensed my sinking mood. Somehow, that action put my mind at ease.
"For now, the most important thing is for you to get healthy."
He whispered, cupping my cheek as if asking for permission.
"May I kiss you? Since we haven't done it once today."
The depth of his low voice made my heart flutter.
I can't say no when you ask in a voice like that.
When I gave a small nod, Loik tilted his head and pressed his lips against mine. It was a light, lingering kiss, as if he were trying to coax me. When I let out a small laugh because it tickled, Loik seemed relieved and gently stroked the back of my head.
"Don't worry about anything, Annette," his steady voice vibrated near my ear. "I'll take care of everything."
I didn't know exactly what he intended to "take care of," but his words were strangely reassuring. Feeling his breath as he slowly overlapped our lips again, I closed my eyes.
A soft warmth pushed past my damp lips. Soon, our breaths became ragged and intertwined, and a blissful pleasure swirled through my mind. Before long, all my worries faded into a blur.
*
When I opened my eyes again, it was early morning. The sound of birds chirping outside was loud and lively.
I turned to my side, but Loik was gone. Recalling the warmth of his embrace from the night before, I felt a bit empty and pulled the duvet close, hugging it tight.
Thanks to Loik's comforting, I had fallen asleep quickly, but now that my reason had returned, a corner of my heart was frantically anxious.
Is it because of the conversation with the Dragon?
Everything he said had been ominous, but his final words particularly weighed on me.
— "In the end, everything will go according to my will."
In this world, the Dragon was definitely a villain. If things went according to his will, didn't that mean something was going to go terribly wrong?
What on earth am I supposed to do?
Was it right to leave this place in six months as planned? I felt like I had finally adjusted to life in Blenheim. Could I really leave this familiar life behind and start over from scratch in a new place?
More importantly, what happens to Loik?
If I disappear, will he have to suffer through the pain of mana overload again? My heart was in turmoil at the thought of leaving a suffering Loik behind.
Come to think of it, Loik wasn't the only one on my mind. Marquis Frais was destined to fail after attempting a rebellion soon. Does that mean Raphael will be hanged? What about Ferdin? The Marchioness and Ladriel?
I had no idea how much of this I was supposed to take responsibility for. I felt as if my chest were tightly blocked.
As I was wallowing in my own thoughts and agonizing over them, I heard a knock. My handsome husband poked his head through the crack in the door. Seeing his perfectly sculpted face, my complicated thoughts immediately settled.
"Why are you just standing there instead of coming in?"
As I arched an eyebrow, Loik spoke a bit hesitantly.
"I thought... you might be hungry, so I brought some food."
I hadn't had the energy to go down to the dining hall anyway. Just then, a familiar, spicy aroma wafted through the open door.
"Is this... Spicy Tomato Stew?"
My voice trembled slightly.