Chapter 13: BWCGD

Chapter 13

The scars were from the shackles that had rubbed against her ankles when she had been imprisoned in the underground dungeon of the count's estate.

When he even removed the slipper that was barely larger than his palm, she suddenly became embarrassed and hurriedly waved her hands.

“I-I'll do it myself!”

Even if they had shared countless intimate moments, the man before her was no longer the man from her past.

If this kind of contact continued, she felt it would become impossible to hide that she still loved him.

Touching her ears, which had turned as hot as if they had been branded with a hot iron, Evelyn mumbled awkwardly,

“I don't think it's proper to put my dirty feet on Your Grace's lap.”

She desperately tried to pull her ankle free.

“Don't worry about it. Seeing your bandage come undone bothers me more than dirtying my lap.”

His large hand did not loosen even a little. Instead, his grip tightened gently, making Evelyn feel as though her heart had been seized, and she bit her lip.

Seeing her reaction, Kallian narrowed his eyes.

“You seem to be sensitive to stimulation. I'll be gentle, so relax. The more you resist, the more it'll hurt.”

Adding those words in an emotionless voice, he slowly removed the bandage before wrapping it firmly again and tying the knot.

Just then—

Ugh.

Her eyes trembled slightly as his thick, long fingers moved with surprising delicacy.

...What's happening to me?

A strange warmth slowly rose from the tips of her toes.

It was a sensation she had never experienced in her entire life.

It felt as though a cool, refreshing energy traveled up her spine and filled her all the way to the top of her head.

Her breathing naturally deepened, and her mouth went dry, but she couldn't let him see how shaken she was.

“Ahem, ahem!”

She cleared her throat and took a deep breath, but her dry throat began to itch unbearably.

The cool sensation quickly turned into burning heat, and before she could stop it, a coughing fit burst out.

She hurriedly covered her mouth.

“Cough, cough.”

“My, you cough quite often.”

He poured the cooled tea into the prepared bowl before pouring her a fresh cup of warm tea.

It was probably nothing more than a habit born from good manners.

Yet even that small act of kindness reminded Evelyn of the past, making her feel as though she would burst into tears.

“Y-Yes, I'm... cough... fine. Cough!”

After he accepted her proposal, Evelyn had spent the entire day lying in bed until dinner.

Whether because the tension had disappeared or because of the curse, she had no strength left in her body.

The head maid had called for a famous physician after finding her groaning like a withered tree, but the physician only shook his head, saying it was a high fever of unknown cause.

Before dinner, she had even coughed up blood.

The memory of her blood-covered palm and the metallic smell filling her mouth made cold sweat run down her back.

The curse couldn't have spread throughout my body already... could it?

Naturally, the memory of her death in her previous life resurfaced.

The sensation of her body and soul being torn apart was something she could never forget.

No... It'll be fine.

Many things had changed in this life.

Once she met the Archmage, it would be resolved easily.

There was no reason to be anxious.

“It's settled down now. Please continue what you were saying.”

She finally calmed her coughing and raised her head.

Their eyes met immediately.

Kallian was looking at her with an unreadable expression.

“You don't look well.”

His large, cool hand covered half her face.

As he placed his hand on her forehead, he let out a faint sigh.

“You have a fever. It's too late today, so get ready to go out tomorrow. I know a physician well.”

“A physician already came earlier. I received medicine too.”

“The body of someone with mana flowing through it is fundamentally different from that of an ordinary person. If you leave yourself to an ordinary physician, you'll die without anyone even knowing the cause.”

When she looked genuinely surprised, Kallian spoke as though he found her pitiful.

“You don't even know the basics about your own body.”

Although his words were harsh, Evelyn was grateful even for that.

If he truly didn't care about her, there would be no reason for him to make such a troublesome suggestion.

As a small gesture of thanks, she smiled softly.

Casting her a detached glance, he continued,

“Now then, back to the main topic.”

Finally placing her foot back on the floor, he looked over the contract.

To summarize, it stated that because he could only have an heir through the Oracle, Evelyn had no obligation to bear children.

“And any child granted through the Oracle will, from the moment of birth, be recognized as the legitimate heir to the Grand Duke's title.”

It concerned the succession of his family.

It was only natural for him to explain it.

Even so... it still hurts.

That was exactly why she wanted the contract.

Kallian had changed.

If it wasn't put into writing, she feared he might change his mind at any time.

“Yes, I understand.”

She answered properly.

For some reason, Kallian's expression stiffened slightly.

“In other words, any child conceived in your womb would not be recognized as a legitimate descendant of Orpheus.”

“...Pardon?”

She had been silently nodding until then.

After a brief pause, her eyes widened in shock.

“How does that mean such a thing?”

“As I said before, not just anyone can conceive the child of a half-human, half-demon.”

For a moment, her mind went blank.

Without realizing it, she covered her lower abdomen protectively.

Then... any child conceived in my womb would be treated as the result of infidelity with another man?

The atmosphere, which had begun to relax, instantly turned cold once again.

Watching her hand resting on her stomach, he slowly leaned back in his chair.

“Do you think it's an unreasonable clause?”

“Yes. I'd like you to revise it.”

Looking up at Kallian with lowered eyes, Evelyn quietly protested.

Perhaps her answer had been unexpected.

After frowning slightly, he nodded as if accepting it.

“In that case, we'll add a clause regarding a spouse's affair.”

His voice remained calm, but there was clear discomfort in the way he picked up the cigar case.

“It won't be a problem if the Grand Duchess keeps a lover or two.”

His muttering was so cold that the hairs on her neck stood up.

It seemed he had misunderstood her reaction.

Not wanting to leave any misunderstanding between them, Evelyn answered calmly despite her obvious tension.

“The reason I called it an unreasonable clause isn't because of that. It's because it doesn't consider the possibility of exceptions at all.”

Nodding at her words, he placed the cigar between his lips at an angle.

“You don't have to worry about that.”

“You mean there can't be any exceptions?”

“Of course. There's never been a case of a woman who didn't receive the Oracle bearing a Guardian's child.”

Evelyn knew that story as well.

Long ago, the Orpheus family had produced someone born with the Guardian's mark.

Kylerus van Orpheus.

The first Guardian who loved his wife so deeply that he ignored the Oracle, which ordered him to awaken through a Saintess and produce an heir.

Because he even neglected his duty to purify the dungeons, countless people were slaughtered by monsters, and the continent was devastated.

In a subdued voice, Kallian continued,

“He ran away with his wife, and by taking his own life, he brought all the chaos to an end.”

That part of the story was new even to Evelyn.

“Why? If he escaped with his wife, shouldn't he at least have been happy?”

“Because he couldn't protect the person he loved until the very end.”

Ah...

Evelyn quietly closed her mouth and unconsciously straightened the body she had been leaning forward.

He, too, seemed to have nothing more to say as he turned his gaze toward the dark window.

Then, wearing an expression filled with emotions too complicated to describe, he lightly rubbed the cigar he had removed from his mouth.

He looked as though he was both sad and angry.

Feeling awkward in the heavy silence, Evelyn stared at his profile before carefully speaking.

“I didn't know there was such a story.”

Her gaze, which had been fixed on his sharp jawline, shifted to his well-shaped lips.

He had turned his head away from the window to face her.

Feeling strangely embarrassed, she raised her eyes.

His golden eyes, slightly unfocused, were quietly staring at her.

No matter how many times she saw them, they were deep and mesmerizing.

As they silently looked into each other's eyes, Kallian's expression hardened.

Then, in a meaningful tone, he said,

“You don't need to worry. No matter what happens, I won't repeat the tragedy of the past.”

* * *

The following morning.

The carriage of House Orpheus left Redfield Fourth Street and headed toward the center of the capital, Marden.

As the carriage gradually picked up speed and the vast scenery swept past outside the window, silence lingered between the two.

Staring out the window, Evelyn reflected on what had happened the previous day.

He seems to carry an enormous burden because of the Oracle.

In her previous life, he had also known about the Oracle.

But he hadn't been as obsessed with it as he was now.

Of course, since the Oracle had never descended before her death, she had no idea what happened afterward.

In any case, she had never seriously thought about having children in her previous life.

Her body had always been frail, and despite sharing his bed countless times, she had never become pregnant.

That didn't mean she wanted to have his child now.

Absolutely not.

Remembering her own miserable childhood, the thought of bringing an unwanted child into the world was something she wanted to avoid above all else.

Lost in thought, she realized the carriage had stopped at the entrance of a narrow alley.

“Is this our destination?”

As the coachman opened the door, Kallian stepped out first and extended his hand toward her.

“The carriage can't go any farther from here. We'll have to walk for a while, even if it's difficult.”

Evelyn quietly looked at the hand stretched toward her.

No matter how many times she saw it, her heart fluttered.

That large hand had once held so much warmth as it gently caressed her.

Just remembering it made her breathing deepen.

“I'm only doing what needs to be done. Even if you don't like it, bear with it for a little while.”

When she only stared at his hand without taking it, he misunderstood her hesitation and frowned impatiently.

Startled, Evelyn quickly took his hand.

The veins on the back of his hand stood out beneath the sleeve of his blue uniform.

“Thank you.”

At that moment, her heart pounded so violently it almost hurt.

She had thought he would let go immediately.

“The road is rough, so be careful not to fall. If you aren't confident you can walk properly, don't trail behind me. Stay beside me.”

Answering indifferently, he slid his fingers between hers, intertwining their hands.