CH 139

‘What if it wasn’t just a kiss?’

I felt dizzy and blood rushed through me in an instant.

I couldn’t find the words to answer and simply blushed.

The first song had ended.

I hurriedly tried to get away from Rixus’ arms.

Then Rixus caught Johann watching this scene and walking towards us.

Kwaa—

Rixus hugged my waist and whispered in my ear.

“Dance the next dance with me.”

“…But, it’s against Aktoum etiquette. Dancing with the same partner in a row. I lost my memory, but I know this much.”

I knew I could dance up to two times with the same partner in Spinel, but not in Aktoum.

Rixus asked, slowly meeting my eyes again.

“After all, you are not from Aktoum, so why should you follow the Aktoum etiquette?”

“……That.”

It was true, but somehow it seemed like he was spinning it to his advantage…?

Besides, those words, strangely… 

Curiously, I asked,

“What you just said, it feels like déjà vu. I think I heard it somewhere.”

Then, Rixus replied with his mischievous eyes curved.

“Wasn’t that what my wife said to me?”

“……When did I?”

He answered without hesitation.

“In bed on our first night.”

“!”

Hwaahak—

My face quickly turned red again at the unexpected answer. I felt like my neck and ears were burning hot.

Rixus looked at me like that without blinking an eye.

We kissed, and it wasn’t even just a kiss, what I ‘did’ on the first night with this guy.

The thought of his big and strong body tangled with my own hit me briefly.

I felt dizzy before my eyes.

“…Stop talking like that.”

“You asked.”

“I’m not going to ask you anything anymore!”

As the second song started playing, he gently led the dance and burst into laughter.

Then he bit his lips and said,

“I’m going to die because you’re cute, my Candy.”

I, whose face must have been absolutely red, stomped on his foot to get revenge.

Taking a low, sharp breath, Rixus responded.

“I thought you were stomping on the wall.”

‘…Usually, at times like this, don’t you say ‘it’s light’ or ‘it doesn’t hurt’?’

He was actually more mischievous than I thought.

‘But why do you call me ‘Candy’?’

It was the most childish name I had ever heard in my life.

I wanted to question it, but for fear that he would smirk again if I asked, I chose to bite my tongue.

The music flowing in the banquet hall was very romantic. To the point where it was sad that time was passing.

At the end of the second song, Rixus said to me.

“If you try the things we did together one by one, you will remember it.”

I looked into his eyes.

There seemed to be no lie in those eyes full of love.

I couldn’t believe that I loved him, but…

The words that he loved me seemed to be believable when I saw those sincere eyes.

Eyes that lingered, the touch of his hands, gestures of consideration.

All of them were confessions of love itself.

‘…Can I make up my mind based on this?’

While I was contemplating, the second song ended, and Ires came to Rixus. He said he required a moment of his time to discuss the ‘follow up’ of today’s banquet.

Only then did Rixus regretfully let his wife out of his arms.

Then, just before letting go of my hand, he warned me.

“Watch out for Archduke Marquis.”

“……Why?”

The cold bluish-purple eyes blatantly set on Johann, who stood in the distance.

“Isn’t that blatantly suspicious? Giving an amnesty to Deborah, whom you imprisoned.”

“……”

It was suspicious, I did think it was suspicious.

After Rixus left, I looked at Johann with a complicated expression.

‘Why did you give Deborah an amnesty?’

In the midst of doubts, Johann approached with a smile and politely offered champagne.

I smiled coldly.

“I thought you’d ask me to dance, but I’m surprised.”

“Since you danced two times in a row, first of all, you should take a break.”

“Aren’t you sad? Archduke.”

With no intention of dancing together, I asked him over a glass of champagne.

But an unexpected answer came.

“Your sore feet are more important than my petty regrets, Your Majesty.”

“…….”

Just as if he really wanted to serve, cherish and love me.

He grabbed a glass of red wine and stood next to me.

His eyes were on others and he looked everywhere, but his lips were close enough for his breath to touch my ear.

I tried to push him away, but he didn’t move.

It was like a spider’s web that wrapped around its prey.

Johann secretly licked his lips and spoke in a low tone with his characteristic vicious reverberation.

“There aren’t many opportunities for a man who loves in the dark.”

“….…”

“So it’s much more desperate.”

“…….”

His fingertips gently tickled the inside of my wrist. Without anyone knowing. It was so slow that my heart was pounding.

“So whenever I get a chance, I want to lick like a dog at every piece of attention you give me.”

“….…”

My heart tightened at that voice.

Our eyes met.

Johann’s eyes, which had cast off goodness, contained an absurd desire for immorality.

Just by receiving that intense gaze… I felt guilty, as if I had committed a great infidelity.

I kept my cool and met his gaze directly.

Like building a wall so that he couldn’t break through my cracks.

“I heard you gave Deborah an amnesty.”

“Yes, I did.”

His eyes curved gently.

There wasn’t even a sign of embarrassment at all.

Towards such a Johann, I  began to push hard.

“I’ve heard of my relationship with Deborah. They say I worked very hard to execute her. She was a woman of unscrupulous schemes.”

“….…”

“I even heard she looked for every opportunity to take me down?”

Of course, the ones who told me heard it second-hand, but how Deborah behaved was clearly pictured.

“You gave such a woman an amnesty, Archduke.”

‘And now, you’re telling me to trust you…? You need to have a conscience.’

However, his answer was quite unexpected.

Johann looked at her as if confused for a moment, then whispered.

“Your Majesty, that’s what you asked me to do before you lost your memory.”

“!”

‘…What in the crazy is that?’

“You went to see Madam Deborah in person, and you said she was very regretful and remorseful… and wanted to give her a second chance. You said it yourself.”

“….…”

“My generous majesty.”

I twisted my lips and spat out coldly.

“Don’t talk nonsense, Archduke! There’s no way I can hold it in my hand…”

“Have you not already put it in your hand and wrote an amnesty?”

“!”

Johann gently pushed back.

There was no doubt it was about the story of ‘Yuria’.

I had already heard about my dealings with Yuria.

“Your Majesty preferred to edify people rather than punish them.”

I gazed suspiciously at Johann, who spoke plausible words.

“Oh, she’s just in time.”

“I beg your pardon?”

At that time, the people in the banquet hall looked at the door while murmuring.

There, there was Deborah.

“Oh my gosh…! She has thick skin, she doesn’t know her place!”

“Doesn’t that woman have to thank Her Majesty for losing her memory? She’s forgotten all of her ugliness.”

“…The amnesty was true!”

In the midst of the murmurings, Deborah stood in plain clothes.

It was the first time people had ever seen her in such clothing. She always dressed like a duchess, even after her position went down.

In this banquet, there were many nobles who used to be at her feet, and even her ex-husband was somehow invited.

Nevertheless, she came in such a miserable state.

Like a person who threw away all her pride.

Johann looked at her with curious eyes and sipped his wine.

Unbeknownst to anyone, his lips twitched slightly.

Finally, Deborah spoke.

“I am here to apologize to the nobles and the Queen.”

“!”

Everyone had shocked eyes.

Deborah, who was unaware of what ‘repentance’ was until the very end, simply raging and complaining even when she was dragged out at the end.

Did she suddenly say ‘apology’?

“I have committed an indelible sin against you, dear nobles of Aktoum, and Your Majesty the Queen!”

“….…”

“I struggled and regretted, and I regretted again. …I have been blinded by my success and have lived a subhuman life by doing evil.”

“…….”

“But I realized my sin… and with a lowly attitude, I want to ask for forgiveness for my sins one by one and pay the price for my sins.”

Deborah leaned down as if in a really low position.

Inwardly, she was gritting her teeth.

‘It’s like a dog, damn it!’

If Johann hadn’t threatened, she would never have done a show like this.

It was not easy for her to bow down. Her, who had lived only with her pride.

Her fists trembled.

I was watching Deborah silently.

Johann whispered to me as he took a sip of red wine.

“What do you think, doesn’t it look like she’s repented a lot?”

“….…”

I looked at Johann quietly.

‘He doesn’t know.’

‘That I know the original.’

‘And also the fact that I’m trying to get back and get through this life safely.’

I had already guessed that I had written an amnesty for the ghost army of margrave.

Besides, ‘Yuria’ wasn’t a bad character in the original.

But Deborah was different.

She was a woman who, if left alone, would use all her wiles to kill Rixus, and furthermore interfere with his wife herself.

…And yet, I bought an amnesty for Deborah?

Then, Deborah made a groundbreaking declaration.

“As an apology and remorse, I will first give away all of my wealth to the Aktoum Noble Society.”

“!”

After saying those words, Deborah wanted to slap herself on the lips and roll across the banquet hall.

It was almost astonishing.

Had it not been for the intimidation of that crazy devil, she wouldn’t have given a single ferring.

“How am I supposed to live without my fortune! You’re telling me to starve to death?!”

“…Well, will I let the Madam starve to death?”

At the time when she misunderstood that the devilish archduke was thinking of her…

Johann had said,

“A rich dog is a boon. But let’s learn obedience first.”

Deborah’s teeth clenched with humiliation and insult.

Meanwhile, Johann was conscious of Berylia’s puzzled eyes.

In addition, the atmosphere in which she doubted to the utmost.

“Why?”

Johann asked, looking at her thoroughly with his usual black eyes.

“Can’t you believe me?”

“Honestly, yes.”

An exhilarating energy rose up in his spine.

It was a lot of fun to be suspected.

The more she reacted and the frostier she spoke, the more he wanted to break her, to lock her up and make her cry.

He wanted to make those cold eyes clouded by the heat, filled with tears, saying ‘I believe unconditionally’.

Johann had so much fun in this position, in which she was confused about her own doubts.

While giving Deborah an amnesty, he secretly anticipated Berylia’s reaction.

However… 

‘There’s definitely something suspicious about Johann.’

Berylia was much more suspicious than he had expected.

She was observing more critically than he thought.

Berylia and Johann exchanged glances with different thoughts.

Johann curled the corners of his lips and kissed the back of her hand softly.

“I have no choice but to work hard until you believe me, my Queen.”

Their hearts burned quietly in each other’s body temperature.

Ame: There aren’t many opportunities for a rotten man to love in the light either, Johann.

Dea: You know those people that light up your day when they show up? yeah, Johann is the opposite of that, i can’t wait for his downfall