Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Bleon blamed himself in shock, and he had the presumption that I only thought of him that much.

‘I must have said something for no reason.’

I didn’t know he would react so strongly, so I felt a bit of regret.

“I know how much you think of me. So you have endured me like this until now.”

How many people would continue tolerating someone who was constantly angry and annoyed if their self-esteem and mood were slighted even a little bit? No matter how young he was, Bleon accepted Astell for eight whole years. It was an impossible task for anyone, and anyone could see that it would not have been possible without affection for the other person.

“It wasn’t hard at all. Because if I listened carefully to my wife, there would be no such thing. And after I became an adult, you treated me even better…”

Bleon let out a heavy sigh.

“Actually, I’m having a harder time right now…”

“What?”

“Wife… no… sorry.”

Bleon closed his mouth as he tried to speak with a sullen look on his face. I understood what he meant and I covered my mouth in embarrassment. Then, as I was biting my lip, not knowing what to say, Bleon gently grabbed my wrist.

“Don’t do it. Every time you put a hand over your lips, Wife, I worry about you.”

“Huh?”

“It’s Wife’s habit. But if I don’t stop you like this, sometimes you bite until it bleeds, so if you get hurt because of the wound, I’ll be even more upset.”

What? This isn’t Astell’s habit, but mine, right?

“I’d rather you touch my lips, not yours.”

Then Bleon put my hand to his lips. I was startled for a moment and retracted my hand.

“I-It’s okay.”

I stuttered in embarrassment, but more than that, my mind was confused by his words. Why did Bleon know about my habit? No, why did he say that this was Astell’s habit?

“I used to do this a lot…?”

As if my question was strange, doubts filled the corners of Bleon’s eyes.

“Oh, I mean… I mean, did Bleon know about my habit?”

I hurriedly corrected the question to avoid his doubts.

“Of course I do. I’m only looking at Wife anytime, anywhere. Besides this, when you smile, only one eye wrinkles, and when you feel bad, you only raise one eyebrow.”

Suddenly, an unexplained tension came over me, and my hands and feet became cold. I hid my hand slightly behind my back so Bleon wouldn’t notice, and I clutched it into a fist tightly. I unknowingly bit my lip, but I stopped that again.

This was also one of my habits when I was nervous. At least biting my lips or fiddling with my lips was something that not only me, but many others do. However, it was quite rare to wrinkle one eye or raise one eyebrow, so it was a habit that people say was unusual whenever people saw me before.

But why… How could that be Astell’s habit? If it was something Bleon knew, this meant that it was something Astell had been doing before I possessed her body.

After that, I went to bed saying that I was tired because my mind was a mess and I couldn’t talk to him anymore. And then the thoughts bothered me, and at some point, I fell asleep and woke up in the middle of the night.

‘No matter how much I think about it, I don’t know what this is supposed to mean.’

I just read a novel, and when I died, my soul somehow transmigrated here, and I became a different person. There was no connection or reason for it.

‘Is it a coincidence?’

Although it was a very unlikely supposition, that didn’t mean it wasn’t possible. Above all, that was the only answer I had for now. It felt weird, but I had no choice but to think this way because there was no information or anything that could appease it.

‘It must be a coincidence.’

After giving such a quick answer, I fell asleep again.

Today was Philia’s last treatment day. And right now, she had just finished her treatment and was taking her hands off Bleon’s body. Bleon was about to come to me again, so I raised my hand and stopped him from coming. Then, Bleon’s expression suddenly turned gloomy.

“I have something to discuss with Philia. So we’ll be out for a while.”

Having said that, I led Philia out of the bedroom and into the study right next to it.

“Great job. Philia.”

“No. I was only doing what was needed.”

“Is treatment over now?”

“Yes. The drug has been completely removed.”

“Alright… Do you remember what I said last time? It’s about the abuse.”

When I spoke to Philia about Bleon’s mental health, I didn’t mean to ask her to decide and fully take care of him. I just meant that she should continue treating Bleon without his knowledge, and I thought that if Philia and Bleon were together for a longer period of time, things would get better on their own.

“Yes. I remember. But for the psychological treatment, the Duke needs to open up to me a little bit, but there is no sign of that. However, until now, I have watched the two of you, and seeing how the Duke treats Madam, I have to wonder if this treatment is still necessary.”

“What?”

“Yes. In the past, it was said that Madam abused the Duke, but in reality, any signs of abuse could hardly be seen in the Duke.”

“Signs?”

“Yes. So, as a doctor, I think that if Madam continues treating him kindly as you do now and if you continue having the amicable relationship you have now, you will achieve much better results than any medical treatment.”

“Yes… I see. I get it. You can go back and rest.”

“Well, by the way…”

Philia, who was always just doing her own thing and just going back home, spoke to me.

“Huh?”

Philia couldn’t open her mouth easily, and a troubled expression appeared on her face.

“Speak comfortably.”

“No, it’s not. I’ll tell you later when I’m more certain.”

I don’t know what she was trying to say, but Philia took a step back in a cautious manner. It didn’t seem like she was being sarcastic or anything, so I nodded.

“Alright. Okay. Then see you next time. You’ve worked hard ‘til now.”

“Yes. Then, I will leave first.”

So I sent Philia off and went back to Bleon’s bedroom.

“Duke?”

I called Bleon, who was pacing around the bedroom uneasily.

“Wife…!”

Then the look of nervousness that had filled his face disappeared, and Bleon approached me with a relieved expression. I let out a deep sigh inwardly at the sight of him, like a child who was anxious when he was separated from his mother.

‘What makes you so anxious?’

You said you wouldn’t get a divorce, and you said you’d stay by my side…

It was evident that he was still not mentally stable.

“Wife! Is the treatment really over as of today?”

“Yes. It’s over.”

“I’m so glad it’s finally over!”

Bleon’s face was bright and full of joy.

“How is your body?”

“It’s okay now.”

“That’s a relief.”

In this way, since the treatment for his body was over…

Now, what’s left to treat was his mind, right? I thought carefully about how to do that part.

Then a very good idea came to mind. Astell and Bleon lived in the ducal residence practically on their own for ten years. And now, to break down these walls, I decided to open the door wide and let employees in.

‘Wow, why did I just think of that now?’

It meant that we need to get out from the inside rather than open the door and wait for someone to come in from the outside. And this was a good way to open up Bleon’s closed mind, but it was also a great way for me, a stranger to this world. The fear of an unfamiliar world that struck me the most while I was still weighing my divorce with Bleon. It was a great opportunity to overcome it.

“Duke. Shall we visit the mansion in Hares for a while?”

I immediately gathered my thoughts and told Bleon.

Cavilus Empire. This was the name of the place where I live now. Among the few countries on the continent, Cavilus was a powerful empire that occupied a huge territory with no end in sight. Hares was a huge city located in the northwest region, a little far from the center of the empire. It had continued to be the capital of Cavilus for over a thousand years after its founding.

After Astell and Bleon married, they left the ducal residence in Hares and began living in a small town called Kren, which Astell brought as a dowry. That was where we still lived now, and to get from Kren to Hares, it would take a full day by a horse-drawn carriage.

“…Hares?”

Again, Bleon was not very happy with my suggestion.

“Yes. The mansion in the capital has been left unattended for a decade, so I think it would be better to go back and redecorate.”

I was thinking of moving the main residence to Hares. People were often told to go to the capital, so I thought it would be better to go to the capital in order for the Duchy of Ainer family to grow in the future. However, Bleon might feel some resistance to the idea right now, so I decided to tell him we’ll only go for a few days this time to ease him into it.

“Suddenly, Hares… Why…?”

“It’s been a long time since I’ve wanted to visit the capital, and we’ve decided to stop living so closed off like this.”

I mentioned what I told him a few days ago.

“Let’s just go there for a short while and come back. If you don’t want to go… Shall I go alone?”

“No! I can’t let my wife go alone. I’ll go with you too…”

As expected when I said I’m going alone, Bleon also said that he would go with me.

“Okay. Let’s go together.”

So we decided to go to Hares tomorrow, and the mansion became bustling with activity until the morning of the next day.

“Madam. This is Jace.”

“Come in.”

Jace entered the room.

“Madam, everything is ready. Do I really not have to go?”

“We will come back after a few days this time, so while we’re both away, you should stay here.”

“I understand. The knights who shall escort you were already prepared by Sir McCain Holster, and the minimal staff includes the Sir.”

“Sir McCain Holster, too?”

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