CH 12.1

The sensation of a shapely leg on top of his woke up Duke Kyar.

He caught sight of Isabella’s sleeping face when he opened his eyes, and indeed, one of her legs had settled over his thigh.

“You have a bad sleeping habit.”

But he found it lovely, anyway.

For some reason, he didn’t hate this feeling even though he knew it was all because of the strange medicine she gave him.

Duke Kyar caressed her silvery hair gently, and he realized it was as thin and soft as a thread.

Even in the dark barracks, her appearance was as bright and clear as it was, and she lit up his dull world.

His gaze sought her light so naturally.

Not catching a glimpse of her was too painful and unbearable that he couldn’t stand it.

When Duke Kyar was away from her, those five days were the most challenging thing he had ever experienced in his life.

Yet, another pain inside of him had come.

Touching her hair like this wasn’t enough to satisfy him.

The urge to kiss her red lips that exhaled such sweet breath made his nerve tingle.

“There is no need for torture.”

If she were his enemy, he felt like she would surrender to him at once.

The intense desire to eat and lick her from head to toe disturbed his mind.

She had never felt this heated desire for any woman ever since he was born.

He thought that his desires were non-existent at first.

Yes, it was all because of the strange medicine.

These passionate desires would vanish into thin air if he took an antidote and didn’t want to do something he would regret.

He needed to exercise tremendous patience over here, but fortunately, his logical reasoning remained.

At least for now.

She tossed and turned on their bed as he continued to touch her hair.

His heartbeat pounded quickly when she instinctively burrowed into his arm as if she was looking for something cozy to warm her body.

As her soft exhalations touched the back of his neck, his breathing became rough on its own.

These five days where he couldn’t see her were a bit tolerable compared to the duration of his few minutes alone with her.

This short time was too unbearable.

He couldn’t stand her breath tickling at the back of his neck any longer, so he immediately jumped up from bed.

Perhaps she fell into a profound sleep that, despite the tossing and the turning, she hadn’t woken yet.

Isabella’s sleeping face looked so comfortable while he was busy fighting a tough battle with his growing desire for her.

“There are many ways to drive people crazy.”

Isabella’s lips were parted slightly, and it caught his attention.

Without meaning to, he lowered his head towards her face.

He closed the distance until their lips almost touched.

He clenched his fist so hard that his fingernails dug into his flesh.

It was a struggle to raise his head and remove his lips from her mouth.

He almost did something he would regret later on.

He got out of bed and hurried out of the barracks.

It was too dangerous.

The memory of Isabella’s red lips was a temptation that burned in his mind.

Duke Kyar sighed.

**

“Lady.”

Her eyes opened when she heard the woman’s voice in her ear.

Then, she saw Louina’s face.

She was one of the knights who were in charge of guarding her.

Isabella looked surprised when she found the knight beside her.

Fortunately,  Duke Kyar was nowhere to be found.

It’s a relief that nobody caught them sleeping together, but where in the world did the man go?

“You must eat first after waking up.”

Louina served her with a tray full of food.

“Where is Archduke Kyar?”

At her question, Louina pointed outside the barracks.

“He had been strengthening the ice barrier since dawn.”

He said he couldn’t sleep well for a few days, but now he was up and about, working since dawn.

Really.

Duke Kyar was as healthy as a great fitness owner.

“Eat slowly.”

“Thank you for your concern.”

She glanced outside the barracks, and the bright light had streamed right in.

It seemed that the sun had risen for quite a while.

She must have overslept since she couldn’t sleep a wink last night.

Isabella finished her meal quickly and washed herself up while Louina prepared her for their departure.

Next, she exited the barracks and saw Archduke Kyar standing behind a vast ice barrier.

Her breath caught at the beautiful sight.

The ice fortification had gotten stronger with every energy he released.

Captivated, Isabella stared at him in awe.

Seeing it with her own eyes felt terrific.

She couldn’t believe that a human was capable of this power.

At that moment, she realized that Duke Kyar was the main character in the novel because it didn’t make sense that an ordinary human could possess so much power.

Knights lined on each side of him.

They could easily tear the occasional beasts that managed to pass through the gaps in his ice barrier apart from the swords they wielded.