Chapter 543: Stress Is Truly Dangerous
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 543: Stress Is Truly Dangerous
A cool air settled inside the car.
Damn, damn, damn, damn, damn...!!!
In a rare display, Valentina cursed inwardly, a disgraceful sight as she tore at her hair.
But recalling the events of just ten minutes prior, it was clear that even a Buddha would have been unable to resist berating themselves.
“A h-hundreds-of-years-old married woman's pussy... P-please impregnate me...”
SLAM!!
Valentina slammed her fist on the dashboard.
“How... how on earth could I have spouted such utter nonsense...!!!”
Her regret and anger naturally turned toward Kang Hyun-woo, the cause of this whole mess.
But that lasted only a moment before she remembered that it was ultimately her own will that had accepted his absurd demand.
It was a disaster of her own making.
“Haaah...”
Valentina let out a heavy sigh and ran a hand down her face.
She couldn't even fathom how to calm the devastating feeling in her heart.
Above all, Kang Hyun-woo's voice, constantly echoing in her ears, left her mind in turmoil.
“What do you mean, you can't? If your future husband wants something, you should obediently say, 'Yes, I understand,' and accept it.”
“Am I wrong? We're having sex like this, and you're going to bear my child later, aren't you?”
“Was the Russian word for husband 'muzh'? How about trying to call me that once?”
“Zhena.”
“Zhena, that felt good, thanks to you.”
“...What am I supposed to do?”
Gazing out the window, Valentina wore a complicated expression.
Until now, she had never had any particular thoughts when hearing Kang Hyun-woo's voice.
But every word he had whispered in her ear in the greenhouse was deeply etched in her mind.
Besides, to be honest... she also found his deep, weighty baritone surprisingly pleasant to listen to.
Even though a considerable amount of time had passed since she'd fled the mansion, her heart would pound as if it were about to burst whenever she thought of Kang Hyun-woo.
...At this rate, it's as if I li—
Flinch—
In that moment, Valentina suppressed her emotions as if nothing had happened and lifted her head.
What shadowed her face was clear displeasure.
She threw the car door open.
As Valentina stepped out, a familiar man's face came into view.
“Tower Lord, are you alright? It seems you've been in quite a serious accident.”
“...Dmitri.”
Dmitri Chernov.
The Vice Tower Lord of the White Magic Tower, and the 11th Apostle of Belmoras.
“Why the hell are you here?”
Valentina's expression as she looked at him was as cold and hard as ever.
No, it was far more murderous than usual.
As if to prove this, the magic power in the surrounding area grew incomparably violent.
Dmitri, who had been wearing a friendly, good-natured smile, swallowed dryly.
Not only did the wild magic power make his skin sting, but snow had begun to fall from the once-clear sky.
...She's nothing short of a monster.
Nevertheless, Dmitri didn't bat an eye. He knew full well that he held the upper hand.
“Haha, what do you mean? Were we the kind of people who could only meet if we had business?”
“...”
“You're as cold as ever, I see.”
At Valentina's frigid reaction, Dmitri raised both hands.
A similar situation had occurred when she was alone with Kang Hyun-woo in the greenhouse, but the atmosphere then and now was completely different.
“...I was merely on my way to the mansion to check on Lady Anastasia's condition. So please, do not be so angry.”
“Hah, now of all times? You're certainly quick.”
Valentina's voice was filled with open ridicule.
For the past several years, they were the ones who only talked big about lifting Anastasia's curse.
Moreover, as Valentina had always detested demon worshipers, the emotional rift between them was bound to be deep.
Valentina glared at Dmitri, lost in thought for a moment. Whether to kill him here and now, or not.
As long as Kang Hyun-woo was here, she no longer needed Belmoras's help.
“...I don't need it, so get lost.”
But Valentina decided to let him go.
Killing a cockroach is simple, but finding all the cockroaches hiding in every corner of the house is an extremely tricky and difficult task.
So she decided to endure for just a little while, until the cockroach before her brought its companions.
“...It seems I have displeased you. I understand. It must mean that the trust we have shown you, Tower Lord, has amounted to only this much.”
“And you spouted that nonsense knowing that?”
“I know you are greatly disappointed in us. But I implore you to trust us just one last time.”
“Hah.”
But separate from that, she couldn't suppress the personal displeasure she felt from the smarmy man before her.
Despite her having clearly rejected his confession, Valentina disliked how Dmitri would annoyingly approach her time and again, acting friendly.
If he weren't the Vice Tower Lord, she would have kicked him out of the Magic Tower long ago.
“In four days, we will lift the curse on Lady Anastasia.”
“?!”
At Dmitri's completely unexpected proposal, ripples of shock spread through Valentina's eyes.
But she soon skillfully calmed her emotional turmoil.
“...And you expect me to believe that now?”
“Of course, it must be hard to believe. But we haven't been sitting idly by all this time. Please understand that we have worked day and night to appease the wrath of Lord Andras, who cursed your daughter, and to persuade him.”
Grind—
When Dmitri mentioned ‘that name,’ Valentina clenched her teeth so hard it seemed they might break.
Twenty-three years ago. She had never once forgotten that name since that day.
Andras, the Marquis of Discord.
Driven to the brink of annihilation at Valentina's hands, he had cursed her only daughter, Anastasia, and fled.
...That detestable demon bastard.
Even now, 23 years later, just thinking about that day seized her with the urge to tear that bastard limb from limb.
A heavy, viscous killing intent, impossible to describe with words, stained her mana circle.
Nevertheless, to save her daughter's life, Valentina had no choice but to set aside her personal grudge and make the decision to offer her soul to her enemy.
“Then, I will see you in four days.”
While Valentina barely suppressed her emotions and remained silent, Dmitri, having come to his own conclusion, smiled as usual and took out his staff.
Tang—
With a clear, ringing sound, his figure vanished in a streak of light.
*
“Hoo...”
I calmly exhaled and opened my eyes.
The first thing that came into view was the sun setting slowly beyond the mountain range and the sky stained red.
“Hmm, was I too focused?”
Getting up, I stretched lightly and headed out of the greenhouse.
Creeak—
Just as I was about to head to the mansion, I saw a familiar car stop in front of the main gate.
A moment later, someone got out of the car.
Snow-white hair, a face so cold it looked like it could cut your fingers, and a voluptuous body that exuded a maternal air.
It was the Tower Lord.
Come to think of it, she drove that car when she came to the mansion, didn't she?
Unlike what I'd expected—that she'd have a chauffeur—I remembered her being a surprisingly good driver.
The Tower Lord got out of the car as elegantly as a scene from a photoshoot, glanced around for a moment, and then flinched when her eyes met mine.
Really... the more I see her, the more her personality makes me want to tease her a little.
“Lady Valentina.”
I swallowed a laugh and walked toward the Tower Lord, waving.
As expected, she wore a sour expression.
“Are you just getting back?”
“...Yes.”
“You must have been busy. You worked hard.”
“...”
The Tower Lord pressed her lips together and gave a small nod. Her face was slightly flushed, and I could guess what she was thinking.
Snatch—
I snatched her hand.
“?! W-what do you think you're doing...!!”
“As you can see, I'm replenishing my yang energy.”
“...What?”
To the Tower Lord's dumbfounded reaction, I replied slyly.
“Actually, I can replenish my yang energy through simple physical contact. It's just a speck, of course... but you know the saying, 'every little bit helps,' right?”
I naturally intertwined our fingers and brought my face close to the Tower Lord's.
She still smelled good.
“I'll just hold on until we get to the mansion.”
“...Do as you please.”
The Tower Lord pretended to be unfazed and avoided my gaze.
But her face was a little redder than before.
With a satisfied smile, I entered the mansion hand-in-hand with the Tower Lord.
Like a married couple coming home from work together.
We didn't exchange a single word as we passed through the empty central hall, climbed the stairs, and crossed the corridor.
Honestly, I expected her to snap at me by now, asking how long I was going to hold on, but she was unusually quiet today.
Did something happen? Her expression seems strangely dark.
While I was sneaking glances at the Tower Lord's face, we arrived in front of her bedroom.
The Tower Lord, who should have been letting go of my hand and sending me away by now, was still silent.
The atmosphere was strange.
Our tightly clasped palms were slick with sweat.
Creeaak—
The Tower Lord opened the door, her head bowed low.
“...Come in.”
“Huh?”
Her earlobes were bright red.
“...Didn't you say it? That you used more power than usual and needed to replenish your yang energy.”
Her voice, always level and cold, was trembling slightly.
Moreover, her grip on my hand kept tightening.
At this point, even the most clueless person couldn't fail to notice.
“...So just hurry up and come in.”
That the Tower Lord was seducing me.
