Chapter 44

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The deceased father of the duke was like a shackle. It made him struggle and couldn’t escape the grim animosity. The reason why he suddenly brought it up was probably because he had made up his mind or there was a change of emotion inside him.

She needed the duke to elicit a little more words here.

Nelia, who pretended to have no clue about this, asked.

“Perhaps, do you hate him…… because of that?”

The duke stared at Nelia for a moment and swept his hair backward. He recited quietly.

“Hate him, you say……”

She knew that the duke didn’t just have a mild feeling such as ‘hate’ toward the emperor. But she couldn’t ask whether he wanted to kill the emperor.

“It’s a much stronger feeling than hate, but if I were to put it in a simple manner. I hate him.”

She knew that the duke had simplified the violent words that came to his mind at once. Perhaps, he was conscious of her.

“But why do you assist the emperor whom you despise?”

Nelia nervously asked the crucial question in her mind.

The duke would have known this question would come from her as soon as he revealed the death of his father in the hands of His Majesty the King.

“Nelia.”

The duke whispered her name instead of answering her question.

“If I’m going to speak up about the truth, Nelia might see me differently after this.”

“Even so, I still want to hear it.”

They already went this far to the story, he should’ve expected her to let it slide so easily.

Even if it would be uncomfortable and edgy when she talked about it, but Nelia thought she had to release her concerns now.

“Please tell me.”

The duke heaved a short breath at Nelia’s determined attitude and spoke up.

“I tried to avenge His Majesty.”

“…….Avenge?”

“Yes, avenge.”

For a moment, that pair of silver eyes shone coldly like frost in the midst of winter.

“I remember the moment my father died. On the day when the rain was pouring, my father returned to the duchy drooping while still in his monster form.”

“…….”

“My father died in such a miserable way, and His Majesty the emperor only talked about the hideous snake he had seen.”

The duke’s voice was low when he recited his story.

“So, I wanted to get back at him for the death of my father, who died a horrible death.”

As soon as he confessed about revenge, the lurid aura of the duke appeared to the surface.

Even though she knew the story, the truth was heavy, so Nelia couldn’t say anything for a moment.

“What do you think, do I look different to you now?”

Nelia swallowed through her dry mouth and shook her head at his self-mocking question.

“If you’ve gone through it, of course you would desire for revenge…… and so would I.”

She was meant to comfort the duke, but it was also true.

Who wouldn’t be frustrated when they lost their loved one.

It’s just…….

“But I would never have carried through my thoughts. There’s nothing left for me even if I carry out my revenge.”

In the end, there would be no difference between taking action or not.

Even if he kills a hundred times in his mind, he would remain innocent if he doesn’t commit it in real life.

The duke hasn’t yet killed the emperor. So, everything would be fine if he stopped here.

Nelia clenched both of her little hands.

“Even Your Grace knows that revenge wouldn’t make everything resolved.”

“…….”

“Of course I’m not asking Your Grace to forgive them. It would definitely be something that remains painful for the rest of your life. Even so, I wish you would bury your painful past from now on.”

Nelia’s heart pounded rapidly as if she had run a hundred meters.

Nonetheless, she felt relieved as if she had done her homework that had been postponed this whole time. After all, it was something she had to say one day.

After keeping her gaze downward for a while, she finally raised them to stare at the duke.

There was a weak smile hanging on the duke’s face.

“…….It felt like I’d been whipped.”

Sense of bitterness lingered in his eyes.

“You might already know it. Even if you decide to avenge your father, this pressured feeling is not going to vanish.”

“…….”

“Even if I knew, the thing that caused me to have a hard time deciding to do so was…… because I’ve never had enough courage to keep going. Other than revenge, I don’t think I can find another reason to keep going on with my life.”

The duke exhaled a brief breath while staring at Nelia.

“But now I know.”

The duke reached out and gently caressed Nelia’s cheek.

“I don’t need a reason like revenge to live anymore. And……”

His palm was cool as usual when it brushed Nelia’s cheek, but there was a sense of warmth in his voice.

“If I stain my hands with blood, I won’t be able to reach out to Nelia like what I’m doing now.”

His usual affectionate voice came into her ears.

“Maybe from the moment I met Nelia, this determination was already shaken. Nelia was so sweet and warm, and when I knew I had found the light, I wanted to get out of the cave where I had been trapped in for a long time.”

“…….”

“There’s nothing you have to be worried about…….”

Nelia was at loss for what to do other than blinking her eyes.

She was so speechless that tears unknowingly escaped her eyes.

“Nelia……?”

Even Nelia herself couldn’t figure out why she was crying.

It might be because she just changed a person’s life. Or perhaps, it was because he’s Duke Hart.

Her mind was filled with happiness, overwhelming, pressure, there were multiple emotions.

“Don’t cry.”

The duke landed his lips on Nelia’s eyes. Ironically, tears kept pouring out even harder at the gentle consolation.

The duke peppered a light kiss across Nelia’s face.

Nelia couldn’t stop crying for a while hiccuping.

“Shh.”

The duke pressed against Nelia gently and kissed her on the lips. A soft touch landed on her. Dropped. Nelia, who was taken aback, stopped crying for a moment.

And his lips grazed hers again. This time, it was deep and thickened.

The duke’s beautiful face was seen through her blurred vision. The duke unbuttoned his shirt……

‘Huh…….?’

Why is he taking off his shirt……?

Upon grasping the situation, Nelia urgently tried to push the duke’s chest away, but instead her wrist was taken hold of by him.

The weeping brown eyes, where there were the remnants of tears, quickly replaced with a look of embarrassment.

“What, what are you going to do…….!”

His pitiful silver eyes stared at Nelia.

“You don’t want it…….?”

Nelia clasped her mouth shut for a moment because his appearance was so seductive.

‘I can’t believe he suddenly asked if I didn’t like it…….’

“If you don’t want to, I won’t touch you…… Nelia said to not do it if you don’t want to.”

Nelia couldn’t immediately bring herself to say she didn’t want to.

This was because the figure before her was already far too tempting to resist.

The duke’s unbuttoned shirt didn’t function properly as a cloth anymore. His firm torso was revealed.

He also smelled good, maybe it was because he just finished washing up.

Moreover, even when he said he wouldn’t touch her if she didn’t want to, he still peppered kisses all over her face.

Her heart felt as if being tickled at his contradictory behavior.

“Nelia……”

Nelia closed her eyes tightly at the sound of his voice calling her name.

“……I would like to.”

The duke lifted Nelia as soon as he was granted with her permission. Nelia circled her arms around the duke’s neck out of surprise.

Nelia whispered in the duke’s ear with a pouty expression.

“But just once……”

“Hmm… I can’t guarantee it.” “Hm…… I can’t guarantee you,”

The duke, who gently put Nelia down on the bed, threw away his shirt as if tearing it apart with a snicker.

“I’ll try.”

***

Trying?

Nelia, who was awoken at dawn, stared at the figure of the duke.

In Nelia’s eyes, the duke didn’t seem to be trying to grasp the vanishing reason.

However, it was too late to be resentful. The deed has already been done.

Nelia was caught in a sense of shame.

She wasn’t the type of person who believed in premarital intercourse, but she tried to distance herself from the duke in this sort of physical…… relationship, but she ended up falling for it again.

Out of conscience, she wouldn’t say the duke was to be responsible for this completely 100%. However, the duke still held a great responsibility in this.

Nelia tugged a few strands of the duke’s hair out of anger.

The duke frowned slightly and had a frown on his face shortly after.

The duke was grinning upon the sight before taking Nelia into his arms at once.

Nelia managed to ask while soothing her surprised heart.

“What, you weren’t asleep?”

The duke opened his eyes. Silver eyes gleamed serenely in the darkness under the moonlight.

“I’ve woken up.”

“Why……?”

“Nelia pulled my hair so hard.”

Oops…… Nelia mentally apologized, but the duke simply laughed it off.

“I’m just kidding. Actually, I had a strange dream yesterday, so I guess I was worried I might have it again today.”

She was relieved knowing the duke wasn’t woken up by her, but he couldn’t sleep well today because he was worried about the dream from yesterday.

Nelia asked with a tilt of head.

“What did you dream about yesterday?”

“Nelia was in my dream.”

“Was I…….?”

“Yes, Nelia is the main character of my dream.”

Nelia slowly blinked seeing the duke spoke with a soft smile on his face.

There was some bizarre feeling knowing she, an extra in the original story, was the main character in someone else’s dream.

‘But…….’

Now that she was thinking about it, the duke said he had a strange dream yesterday.

Could it be that she, the main character in the duke’s dream, appeared strange? After all, the main character could come out in a strange way as well…….

Nelia narrowed her eyes and asked.

“How did I appear there?”

“Um…….. that’s a secret.”

Nelia’s eyebrows were lifted slightly. She was about to ask if she appeared strange, but she closed her mouth.

Because there was something she wanted to ask him.

“Why did Your Grace suddenly turn from a snake to a man?”

“It’s because of Nelia.”

“I mean, I’m curious why I can turn you back to your human form.”

She knew the answer to that question wouldn’t come from the duke, but she was really curious right now.

She wondered if she possessed any special ability…….? However, she was just the supporting role that was close to an extra in the original story. If she possessed some kind of abilities, she wouldn’t have appeared as a supporting character.

The duke also remained silent as if he was thinking, but soon mumbled in a serene voice.

“I have no idea as well. I’m just glad Nelia stays beside me.”

The duke looked at Nelia with a smile, he took Nelia’s hand.

“More than that, Nelia, I have a good idea.”

“…….What is it?”

She wondered why the duke’s eyes gleamed while saying that, she felt uneasy somewhere. The automatic reflex was strange.

“Perhaps, we don’t have to lift the curse.”

“Pardon me…….?”

The sudden remark has Nelia relaxed her eyebrows.

“When I’m with Nelia, the curse doesn’t affect me. With that reason in mind, Nelia and I should be connected with each other with handcuffs for the rest of our lives…….”

“I’m going back to sleep.”

Nelia laid on the side, effectively cutting off the duke. She heard the duke’s laughter from behind.

He always makes fun of her at any rate.

By the time his laughter died down, Nelia talked to the duke in a hushed voice.

“Your Grace.”

“Yes, Nelia.”

“Please allow me to help you solve the curse.”

The duke turned Nelia around, she was laying toward the opposite side earlier. Then, they were face to face with each other.

“I guess I’ve talked too much and put a burden on Nelia’s mind.”

Before she knew it, the duke was having a serious look on his face.

“It’s not that.”

“What I asked from Nelia was to find out why I’m able to turn from a snake to human form, not lifting the curse.”

“I know. But the context was similar. If we find a way to solve the curse, we will know why you can return naturally to your human form.”

“Nelia…….”

The light in the duke’s eyes darkened.

“You don’t have to be sorry. Instead, when I find a way to break the curse, I’m going to ask for a lot of things.”

The duke stared quietly at Nelia in response to her brave voice.

“What will you ask from me?”

“I’m not sure. I haven’t thought about it yet, but wouldn’t you give me anything, even this mansion?”

The duke drew an enervated smile across his mouth.

“You’re going to that extent?”

“Your Grace, you can’t just say it so recklessly. What do you think I’m going to ask for?”

“If it were Nelia, I wouldn’t mind whatever it is.”

Nelia grinned.

“Sure. I won’t forget it.”