Chapter 4: A Beast

"Are you okay? Are you hurt? Don't depend on that potion X all the time Ryan, it has its own impact on your body. You have to be able to control it without this potion." Yasmin tried to remind him.

"Do not worry. I need the potion for the time being. In the end I will find an exact solution because Crimea is famous for its nature and I am sure that my knowledge about medicines will help me find the right solution."

"In that case, good. Indeed, Crimea is famous for its natural products which are full of benefits. For the matter of potion X, I'll arrange to send it to you."

After he finished talking with Yasmin, Ryan immediately took a small bottle from his bag. Without hesitation, he finished it in one gulp.

After drinking it, his face started to twitch, his hands immediately gripped his chest tightly as if he had a heart disease. Sweats started to soak all over his body and his breath was panting. Every now and then he would moan in silence trying not to make a sound that was too loud to avoid being noticed by people around the house.

Five minutes later, Ryan slowly started to calm down again and his body was completely drenched in sweat. If people saw him now, they would probably think that Ryan had been possessed by some kind of demon.

"Damn it! Not taking it for 10 days had a devastating effect on my body. If I don't find a solution soon, maybe I won't last long."

Ryan went to the bathroom after he calmed down to clean himself and put on new clothes to prepare for lunch.

….

By this time, Irina had arrived at a large residence. It was heavily guarded so it was clear that the place belonged to an important figure.

Irina was ushered into a dark cellar. After that she just stood silently in front of someone and gave her marriage certificate.

"I have fulfilled your arrangements for obtaining a marriage certificate with that man. Now's your time to fulfill your promise."

After saying this, the mysterious figure turned around and said through his mask, "Good job, now follow my subordinates and you will receive your 300 billion worth of money."

Even though his figure was creepy, the voice that could be heard was a girl's voice and the voice that came out from behind the mask was rather gloomy so that people would get goosebumps when they heard it.

"After I receive my money, I will leave and I hope we won't meet again." Throughout her life, Irina was rarely afraid of people but today she was frigthened by this masked figure. Her instincts told her that this person was dangerous and that she wanted to leave immediately.

"Alright, follow my subordinates and he will show you where your money is."

After Irina Hagrim left, the masked female figure immediately entered a room behind her.

The woman took off her mask right after she entered the room, revealing her tiny face. Judging from her appearance, she looked like she was around 20 years old. Her eyes narrowed slightly when she looked at a dark corner of the room.

"Go and tell Lord Eclipse that the first phase can begin."

…

"Wow, the food you made is delicious! Thank you Susan, I'm very satisfied." Ryan said while holding his enlarged stomach like a wrestler.

"Thank God, you like the food. Young lady often eats out and when she eats here she rarely comments on my cooking. So hearing people say that my cooking is delicious makes my heart happy. If you want to eat something, just tell me to make it later."

"Is it true? Then can you make me a crab-themed meal tomorrow? I haven't eaten crab in a long time."

When they spoke casually, Irina had returned and walked over to them.

"Welcome, miss. Have you eaten yet? I have prepared your dinner and if Miss wants to eat now, I will prepare the plates and utensils."

Susan was quite surprised by the arrival of her young lady. Usually, the leader of this Avalerion company would come around 8 or 9 in the evening, so she hadn't prepared cutlery for her young lady.

"Wife, come and sit next to me." Ryan said as he stood up and pulled a chair for his beloved 'wife'.

Irina was exhausted and wanted to rest when a vein suddenly popped in her head as she heard these words. She was engulfed by a fire of anger that rose from her heart.

"You ... Don't cross the line! Remember our real position."

Irina then thought to herself, 'Even though I married you, I did it for money and ambition. Yes, after three months I will be free from this torment and still be a respectable woman in the public's eyes.'

After all, Irina was a woman. She assumed that when she decided to get married, she would always love that person and fight for her love to last until she got old. She even thought that if Ryan behaved well during these 3 months, she might not mind continuing this marriage.

A loveless marriage was not a problem for Irina Hagrim. Whoever got to marry her in the end would be the same. According to her, love at first sight was the most important nonsense that would bring profit. So if Ryan could bring benefits to her, then why not?

However, this might not be achieved. Seeing Ryan's current behavior for now, his existence annoyed her. How could she possibly keep up with such a man?

"Position? You mean our husband-wife relationship? What's wrong with me calling you wife? Do I need to hold our marriage certificate every time I call you?"

Ryan laughed silently. He really understood Irina's character who had high self-esteem, so he loved to tease her. Seeing his wife's irritated reaction towards him was an amusement in itself.

"Insolent ..." Irina really couldn't stop thinking about this man.

"Susan, don't bother preparing. I do not want to eat!" She snarled.

Irina then went straight to her room on the second floor. Her steady footsteps grew louder when her heels jerked violently.

But after taking a few steps, Irina started to feel dizzy and weak. She felt her body was tottering and her gaze grew blurry. The handbag she was carrying fell as her body lost its balance.

When her body almost hit the floor, she was caught in someone's warm embrace. When she turned around, it was the person she hated the most who was holding her body.

Irina wanted to fight back but she didn't have the strength and her eyes were really heavy.

"What's wrong with my wife? If you want me to hug you, you don't need to do it this way. You could just ask me and I could just hug you, right?"

Ryan said all these things with a smile hanging on his lips. He could feel that Irina's skin was very soft. He held his wife's body by hugging her waist and felt the woman's slim and slender build.

What made Ryan smile even more was the scent emitted by his beloved wife. After years of traveling, Ryan had experienced and understood many things. This scent didn't originate from perfume but Irina's natural body scent.

Taking a deep breath, Ryan's hug grew tighter. Irina was about to fight him but she was helpless. The man was almost losing control and accidentally tripped his body over Irina.

"Ngggh!"

Even though her body was weak, her nerves were still working. When Ryan pulled his face from where it was drowning earlier, the woman couldn't help but grunt in anger.

All of this happened in an instant and, whether on purpose or not, the two of them had their faces drawn closer as if they were about to kiss. The two people began gasping for breath.

With a dwindling consciousness, Irina still didn't understand why this man could still take advantage of her despite her condition.