CH 29

Chapter 29

Feeling a burning sensation in his throat, he moistened his lips with his tongue several times. Even now, just suppressing the violently boiling urge required a great deal of self-control.

“…I think I’m going crazy.”

AD

Originally, he didn’t really have a self-disciplined personality. Damon was always sensitive to the pain that continually plagued him, and he exploded with even the slightest stimulation.

To be born with the blood of Raphael meant a curse.

“To get you, I’ll do anything. So, it is better to give up the thought of getting away from me.”

As he suppressed the boiling excitement and thirst, he gently kissed Elysia’s forehead.

Just kissing her on the forehead was so enchanting… The day he really kissed her lips, he might go crazy. If the monster in him got excited and went crazy, the innocent and feeble bride might run away. Such a thing should never happen.

“It’s never going to happen…”

Rumors that Grand Duke Raphael was plagued with madness were not entirely false. From a certain point of view, it was only natural that it was more serious than madness. The cause of the madness was hidden in the emblem of Grand Duchy Raphael.

…The secret of Grand Duchy Raphael. It was the dragon.

Dragons were the strongest living beings. They had excellent magic among all races and were known for being ferocious and violent. Among them, the strongest and most violent was the Black Dragon.

Grand Duchy Raphael was descended from the Black Dragon, although how they obtained the dragon’s power was unknown.

All he knew was that children born of dragon blood could not live long and maintained a violent temper. Everyone felt a burning pain every day, and they felt extremely thirsty. In addition, all of them quenched their thirst with blood. Otherwise, the body could not survive.

It was natural. Since a weak human body could not handle the dragon’s magic, they felt such pain and had side effects.

The dragon managed and handled magic through the heart of the dragon heart. Nonetheless, the people of the Grand Duchy’s family who were born with a human body did not have a dragon heart.

“I need you.”

Elysia was absolutely necessary for Damon.

The descendants of the Grand Duchy without the dragon heart went crazy.

To be precise, it was right that they died because they couldn’t handle the boiling power. The force that the human body could not withstand made the body sick. The fever was always boiling, and they would feel pain all over their body.

They were overflowing with headaches, thirst, hunger, and various pains. It was harsh enough for humans with lower physical abilities than dragons to endure, and in the end, there was only destruction.

Even though the Grand Duke was stronger than anyone else, his strength was always short. There was no end to draw upon his body’s abilities. So, the Grand Duke worked tirelessly to ensure that their power was not cut off.

If it was an ability that had an end, it was enough to create a new substitute before the end came.

They even put up a rule that if they didn’t get married within five years after ascending to the position of Head, they would be disqualified from being the Head. When a new child was born, the child would become a living power plant at the time of birth.

All the people in the Grand Duke’s family clung to the child like parasites and sucked up their life force. It was a strange structure. They didn’t want to give up what they had, so they kept creating new victims.

“…You don’t know anything.”

Damon sighed and gazed at Elysia, who was sleeping, with a warm expression on her relaxed face… without worrying about anything, without knowing anything. He just hoped that she would be safe forever in his arms.

…May she never knows his monster-like appearance and reality forever.

If she knew what he was thinking of choosing her, Elysia might run away from him.

Therefore, he decided to keep everything a secret forever. Damon had endured suffering all his life, he thought, he could do it better than anyone when it came to enduring.

However, that wasn’t the case.

The moment he met her, he couldn’t stand everything—the exhilarating sensation she gave. A cold, yet peaceful feeling that flows like a tide.

It was never something that could be denied. There was no option to refuse in the first place. It was a blind and natural instinct as if an animal that woke up from an egg thought of the first person it saw as its mother.

Damon didn’t believe it at first that he had this sensation. He had heard of something like that, but he thought it wasn’t for him. However, that night, like a midsummer night’s magic, the moment he met her, he realized…

He knew he would never be able to get away from her—like an animal with a leash on its own, wanting to fall at her feet.

“My soother.”

***

“Uhh…”

Tossing and turning her body in her sleep, Elysia then pulled the blanket. One of her sleeping habits was to sleep with the blanket over her neck, even though she was no longer cold and hungry.

The attic, where she lived, was not heated, so it was cold even in midsummer.

“…Cold.”

A temperature suitable for others to feel was too cold for her. She slept a lot in such a cold place, so she seemed to get cold more than others.

“Co…ld…”

Just as she was about to repeat the words that she was cold, she suddenly felt her whole body heat up. Only then was she able to fall into a deep sleep again. A satisfied smile bloomed on Elysia’s lips at the warmth she felt after a long time.

“Miss.”

The morning began again.

Her morning no longer began with the Countess’ screams. At the sound of the maids waking up, Elysia opened her eyes.

“Did you have a good sleep?”

“Yes.”

She was really able to fall asleep deeply after a long time.

In fact, no matter how much Estelle ever offered convenience, it was difficult to prepare for marriage.

Naturally, her whole body was overwhelmed with tension twenty-four hours a day, even while sleeping. Elysia hadn’t slept properly for a few weeks, though she was in good shape today, oddly enough, as if she slept more than two days.

The smile on her lips did not stop at the corner of her mouth at the refreshing feeling. As if someone had been…

…Had been there?

“Ah—!”

“Is there a problem?”

“No, no…”

Damon was there last night. She had never dreamed of him to come here. Besides, it was too vivid to be a dream.

“Smiling face…”

She would never forget the way he smiled. It was a smile that made her think that Damon was also capable of such a smile.

“Huh?”

“What really happened?”

At the maid’s reaction, who had become noticeably kinder to her due to Estelle’s effect, Elysia shook her hand and sent the maids out. All the wounds on her fingers were healed as though there was no wound.

Seeing that, her eyes widened as she saw that all ten fingers were intact.

Damon was the only one who could do this. After all, last night, he had come to her.

But, why…?

Why did he suddenly come to her and treated her fingers as well? Elysia was confused by the behavior she couldn’t explain.

“Strange…”

Damon was too kind to her for being forced to marry her. Because of that, she couldn’t help but feel strange at the excessive kindness he shouldn’t have done.

“The Marchioness is already waiting for you.”

“Yes.”

The life of nobles did not mean that you could sleep late and do whatever you wanted to your heart’s content. Except for the fact that she no longer worked, there was no difference from her previous life. Nobles also had busy schedules dedicated to nobles.

“Are you going to skip breakfast?”

“Just prepare soup and bread.”

“Shall I prepare for two?”

“Yes.”

If Estelle had come this early, it probably meant that she couldn’t be able to have her breakfast either. Although Estelle was originally a diligent person, it was the first time she arrived as soon as she woke up.

“I’ll help you put on the dress.”

Elysia did not turn down the maid who dared to help her.

Now, to some extent, she had gotten used to receiving someone’s attention. Nobles had no choice but to get used to someone’s service. From dresses to clothes, most of them were hard to wear alone.

At least, the dresses at home didn’t have corsets, so it was convenient. The party dresses were all covered in corsets. Fortunately, she was thinner than necessary, so Elysia didn’t have to bother wearing a corset. Nonetheless, that didn’t make a complicated dress simple.

“When did Estelle come?”

“She had arrived a little before you woke up.”

She came to see her even before she woke up… Again, something had happened. Damon, who had visited last night, was also full of suspicious things.

“How is brother these days?”

“He is still resting in his room.”

Edward, who seemed as though he was going to do anything in her last memory, was quieter than expected.

Thinking that, Elysia wondered if she was overreacting to the quiet reaction.

“…I see.”

Occasionally, she asked the maids about Edward’s news, but only to that extent. After all, these were the Countess’ maids. It was said that they weren’t entirely on her side. After all, who would betray the Countess and take her side?

“It’s enough, you can go now.”

“Yes.”

It was the maids who weren’t friendly from the beginning.

Even if their attitude changed because of Estelle and Damon, it was still thanks to their power. It wasn’t her own ability. That was why Elysia did not give the maids more affection than necessary.