CH 4.1

“…Are you awake?”

It was in the dim light of the barracks. Celia was so taken aback that she stood up and felt her head spin. As she stumbled off the bed, Leonis quickly grabbed her arm.

Celia stared at Leonis, dazed, as he put her in bed. He had seen her at a ball once, but Leonis did not remember her appearance properly.

‘Was this her face?’

He had to recall it correctly since she was an opponent who should not be forgotten. He would immediately notice something amiss regarding the woman with the refreshing energy he met at the ball the moment they were arm-in-arm at the wedding. If it had not been for her, he would have immediately removed the veil and checked her face.

‘Why are you staring at me?’

Leonis heard that she did not like it, so she took poison in despair for being betrayed by her lover. But looking at the groom’s face, who she got married to by arrangement… Wasn’t it strange.

Leonis was looking at her as well, so he could count the long eyelashes of her slowly blinking eyelids.

“Where am I? You’re…”

Who are you?

It was only then that Leonis remembered that he had never introduced himself to her. She saw him at the wedding, but he was hidden by his veil so she could not have seen his face. Celia had already passed out by the time he removed the veil.

“I am Leonis Cardian….Celia.”

Celia’s blue eyes widened slightly as if surprised when he called her name.

“This is my barracks. We succeeded in driving the monsters out of Asylus, but we have to kill the Queen. However, the work is over, so we are tracking them down.”

“Then you’re saying this place isn’t in Asylus.”

The wedding was held in the capital. The ceremony was held in Duke Cardian’s mansion, within a half hour’s reach by carriage-horse trip from Marquis Montague.

Even though it’s night now, it has only been a few hours since they’ve come this far…

‘Did he use magic?’

“I apologize for spending the first night in the barracks.”

Leonis said with a face that does not feel sorry at all. Celia realized that he was still trying to treat her as a duchess. Celia Montague was a woman who could lift his curse. Even if he wasn’t certain yet, he was sure that she could at least soften the curse.

‘I even passed out at the ceremony. You’re not thinking about doing anything tonight, are you?’

In the original story, he didn’t even want to have a relationship with Lily. It was because the madness is softened just by touch. It wasn’t until he noticed Lily was trying to kill him that he had a relationship with her. Lily accepts the relationship as well to reassure Leonis.

‘It hasn’t even been a day since I came to this world.’

I’m already married yet I am thirsting for the male lead! I even got married instead of the original heroine!

‘No. In this case, is the female lead my replacement?’

Celia still felt like she was having a strange dream, sweet or not. She assumed she would wake up at the emergency room when she awoke from this dream.

“…What about your body?”

Leonis asked, accepting Celia’s silence. Celia looked at herself tiredly. She wasn’t wearing a dress, so it was either luck or misfortune.

Celia stared down at her clothes, puzzled, and Leonis said in a small voice:

“I had the maids change your clothes in the bride’s waiting room.”

He also changed clothes on the spot without leaving the waiting room, but he did not tell her that. He had a hunch that Celia would be angry.

‘Come to think of it….’

She needed something to eat and drink. No, first and foremost, I was thirsty.

“Water….”

When Celia raised her head and looked at Leonis, he glanced at her with a puzzled expression, as if to say, “Why is she staring at me?” Celia had a blank expression on her face.

‘Can I move while I’m sick?’

Leonis frowned and rose from his seat, because Celia’s face did not provide any sign of having that intention from her expression alone.

In the barracks, there was a table beside the bed, as well as a water cup and a kettle. Even when chasing monsters, nobles were said to be accompanied by an attendant, yet there was no bell rope here.

She could not call the servants who could communicate with all of the knights and soldiers.

Leonis walked over to the table, filled a glass with water, and handed it to Celia. She looked at him with a bright face and pulled his hand with the water cup rather than the water cup itself.

‘Hmm?’

Leonis flinched, surprised.