CH 19

Herace trembled. Her husband’s callousness and brutality made her shiver. She grumbled and stared at Ezekiel.

“If you’re only suspicious of me and Erzen because of that kind of thing…”

“Of course that’s not the whole reason. In fact, it’s none of my business what your son looks like.”

It was a baffling attitude. Confused, Herace bit her lips. She was speechless and again burst into tears due to her indescribable emotions. Something like that. Their son…

He truly thought that Erzen was not his own son.

Despite Herace’s mournful cries, Ezekiel’s face did not change. He continued, focusing on the wife below him.

“…My doubts are solely your fault, Herace.”

He swept his wife’s soft hair and stroked her cheeks as if she was the most precious thing. The breath coming out of Ezekiel’s mouth felt more like poison, like one made from a dragon’s blood. It was spiteful. He exposed his dagger-like smile and began to gnaw at Herace.

“Herace, my beautiful wife… How stunning you are.”

The man’s fingers ran across Herace’s collarbone. Herace struggled nervously at the touch that felt more like a sting. Ezekiel grinned at his rebellious wife’s tender body and forcibly pressed her down.

“Even if you are the blood of a sinner, your face and body are still attractive. Who would see you as a woman with a child?”

“Get off of me!”

“That’s why I kept thinking about it. You’ve become so vulgar and therefore so corrupt…”

“Let go of me!”

“…I was wondering how you spent the night with another guy, perhaps making eye contact with him and then kissing him.”

Herace took a deep breath, bewildered by Ezekiel’s touch.

Even so, she was sick. It was hard for her to move and after being treated like this with all kinds of insults, she trembled feeling like she was going to faint at any moment.

However, Ezekiel who was watching his wife’s expression remained calm. He raised the corners of his lips, stroking Herace’s pale face filled with fear.

“You would have smiled at him with this face. And then you would have swept his cheek with this hand… “

“…..”

“…He would have kissed you here.”

Just like he did her.

The man’s lips touched her lightly. Herace’s body stiffened in an instant and opened her eyes to examine her husband’s intentions. He looked too calm. As if he was in a different world from her.

“You, who are sweet and caring, might have cried. Whispering to him with that mouth and with tears in those eyes. Looking pitiful. And then, naturally…”

Ezekiel’s golden eyes slowly deepened as he remembered something without speaking. Then, in the end, it completely subsided. He stared at her with eyes that had lost their light, as if he were an uncouth beast. Her man’s hand pulled her tightly tied ribbon.

“……I’ve always thought. Was it really my seed that was born from you? Or the b*stard who spent the night with you-“

Slap!

The languid voice, which seemed to continue endlessly, stopped at the harsh sound. Herace had raised her hand and slapped his cheek without a moment of hesitation. It was an uncomfortable action, but she had to hit her husband somehow. She couldn’t stand it.

“W-Why would you say that!”

“…..”

“It’s you, Ezekiel, who brought in another woman! But what? Night… I spent the night?”

“…..”

“You madman! Ezekiel, you’ve gone crazy! You’re insane!”

That was the most Herace could muster to express her anger. She yelled at her husband and incessantly called him crazy. She was bitter and engulfed in anger more than usual.

However, as always, her weak physical strength was a problem. Herace had exhausted almost all of her energy with just one strike of Ezekiel’s cheek. Her body wobbled a couple of times and she eventually slumped.

“How could you say that! About me.. About Erzen.. You.. How… hic“

“…..”

“…Even if you hate me… Even if you love that girl now. I’ve always thought of you… Ezekiel how could you… I-I thought…”

The only thing that moved freely was her mouth. Herace calmly uttered to her husband, who only looked at her without saying a word.

She lost her reason for a moment when she was cursing him. Why was he acting so terribly? Why would he say such a vicious thing and push her and her child to the edge?

“If you’re going to insult me like this… If you’re trying to force me to step down by doing this, there’s no need to go through so much trouble.”

“If you want to give the woman you’re with the seat next to you, go ahead! Give the boy who looks like you the heir position! Give it to them! Do what you want!”

As she thought about it, there was only one reason. It was very likely that Ezekiel was doing this for the woman and her son. She was inferior to the woman he brought. Herace was a criminal therefore she couldn’t compare to her.

Ezekiel was supporting their son, and it made sense to later make the blood of the mistress from humble origins his successor. That was why he was trying to get rid of Herace and her son in advance, as they will become a hindrance. It was much better to have a stable successor instead of a precarious heir from the wife whose father had committed treason.

She didn’t want to believe it, but Herace admitted it. She knew that the tip of his sword was pointed at her. So, before they were hurt any further, the abandoned had to step down on their own.

Although Ezekiel was kind to everyone, he was cold-hearted towards his enemies and showed no mercy. They would leave when he had shown them the slightest bit of mercy, or else they would one day be brutally slaughtered at the hands of this man, as his enemies had been.

“Anyway you’re now…… hic.”

“…… “

“……Erzen and I, we don’t need people like you, we don’t. So… “

Her sobbing, as she forced herself to lie, continued for a long time. Herace, unable to finish her words, burst into tears over and over again.

“S-So…… hic.”

It was very difficult for her to say those words.

To Herace, he was still her love. The savior who brought her out of that d*mn dungeon. The man who finally took care of her pitiful self and the father of her one and only son. To separate from him, her heart felt like she was going to die.

But now she had to end it. The insult against her was tolerable, but her husband, whose love had grown cold, threatened even their son.

Children grew up quickly and would one day understand such words. When that time comes, what will she say to the poor child?

Herace forced their love to end. She didn’t want to be hurt anymore.

She was also afraid of the sword pointed at her to be directed towards Erzen. She couldn’t stand it any longer, she can’t take much more.

Herace, who had been tightly holding back her tears, stopped breathing for a moment and looked up at Ezekiel. The man had furrowed brows, but compared to Herace, he was almost expressionless.

After barely calming her trembling lips, Herace spoke with difficulty but clearly.

“……We can stop now.”

**********

Restraint

Having said that, Herace lowered her eyes. She did not have the confidence to hear his response.

There was no answer from the other party for a while. Herace opened her eyes and looked up, even though she was very nervous when her husband, who seemed like a fool, didn’t even move a little. She took a deep breath and soon regretted her decision.

The moment his gold eyes met hers, her body stiffened on its own, like a rat facing a snake. There was no response, so she thought it was strange.

On the surface, Ezekiel’s indifferent expression was not different from before. Rather, at first glance, it seemed that the crumpled forehead had smoothed and the irritation had disappeared.

However, the expression that appeared on the indifferent face was a horrendous mask. An expression that seemed like it would kill several people at once flashed across the man’s face.

Even a knight who had been fighting his whole life on the battlefield would’ve felt terrified, retreat and run away. Herace trembled like a tree blown by the wind when a sharp aura that seemed to strike her neck turned towards her.

“Herace.”

After a considerable amount of time, Ezekiel finally called his wife’s name. Hearing the voice, Herace was convinced. He was barely holding back his anger. His tight jaw and and the shape of his muscles moving under his shirt were ferocious as if they were about to pop out.

She thought he would easily accept since he wasn’t happy. Not knowing what to do, Herace rolled her lips and asked. The man’s eyes touched her lips as white as her face.

“I want to stop now.”

With a hoarse voice, she felt that her soft shoulders were firmly held, and the body that was lying on top of her stood up in an instant. Soon after, the man grabbed her by the nape of her neck.

“I…… Ugh!”

Herace, who was pulled forward almost as if thrown away, screamed. The blanket crumpled under her knees as she was forced to kneel.

“Don’t tremble like an id*ot, say it properly. What do you want to stop doing?”

Ezekiel was like a giant holding Herace. He grabbed his wife’s chin and lifted it up. Herace groaned in pain as if her neck was about to be ripped out then opened her mouth with difficulty. Her sadness and anger had completely disappeared.

“I… I just need Erzen. So, I mean…”

“So you’re gonna leave here with your baby?”

Herace smiled affirmatively on his face as she looked at him. She was full of tears, but only her determined expression revealed a firm meaning.

“……It’s not even funny.”

Ezekiel said bitterly. He gripped his wife’s hair and twisted it at an angle. Pain was felt as the long neck was hung like a hunted roe deer.

Herace struggled as she tried to pull off the hand holding her face.

She couldn’t understand her husband at all. She would leave on her own and won’t bother him… Why was he doing this to her when she was leaving? The fear disappeared for a moment due to the resentment.

“You don’t like being with me anyway!”

Ezekiel’s eyes narrowed as Herace stared at him and shouted. He slightly loosened his grip and asked Herace.

“…….Why do you think so?”

“Why do you think I don’t want to be with you?”