Marriage With A Suspiciously Demure Husband - Chapter 101

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 101

Why am I here?
What in the world is happening?
While I stood bewildered, his hand came to rest against the back of my head.
Before I knew it, I was cradled in his arms, my head resting against his chest.
“It’s all right. Nothing happened.”
……
Listening to Kailas’s quiet, measured voice in the midst of my confusion, the wild pounding of my heart began to settle.
But that did nothing to resolve the confusion itself.
I was certain I’d left the Banquet Hall with Kailas and headed toward the Bedchamber.
As we left, he’d stroked my hair and called me beautiful as always, saying it was the finest and most splendid of all the ducal estates he’d seen.
I remembered him coaxing me, suggesting that perhaps I, rather than he, should be the one sitting as master of the house.
My stomach had turned sour listening to those words, and then… what came after?
Strangely, everything beyond that point was a blur.
I furrowed my brow, trying hard to recall.
“The preparations for the banquet must have exhausted you.”
He stroked me slowly, soothing, but something felt off.
“I suppose so……”
Had I overexerted myself despite all my efforts to avoid strain?
Even so, if I’d simply collapsed from fatigue, why on earth would I end up at the Imperial Palace?
“And you’ve been indulging my whims on top of it all. It’s no wonder you’re tired. How are you feeling now?”
His hand brushed lightly across my eyebrows and traced down to my cheek.
“I’m fine. My body feels a bit heavy, and I think I’m just not fully awake yet. But why did you bring me to the Imperial Palace? If I just collapsed from exhaustion, couldn’t I have rested in bed?”
Our eyes met, and for a long moment he said nothing.
Now that I thought about it, he did look terribly tired. Had work been demanding?
“…I happened to have business at the Palace. I couldn’t leave you behind. I was too worried.”
Even so, this was quite extreme.
“Surely you’re not worried I’ll fall for that charming young man?”
Kailas’s lips curved upward.
“…Apparently so. Once you’re better, Hazel, we’ll head straight back.”
Knock, knock.
My gaze turned toward the door.
“Please, come in.”
With Kailas’s words, the door opened, and a welcome face appeared.
“Your Grace, I wanted to check on the Duchess’s condition… Oh, Duchess. You’re awake.”
Lily moved toward me quickly.
I bowed my head in apology without bothering to hide my shame.
I was mortified—as if I’d committed some grave transgression.
“I’m so sorry, Your Highness. My husband has been rather anxious lately, and I had no idea he’d bring me along like this. It seems I’ve overextended myself. This really isn’t right of me.”
“What? Well……”
Lily glanced rapidly between me and Kailas.
“Oh, of course! That makes perfect sense. I heard there was a banquet. Don’t worry about it. I’m used to being overprotected myself. The Crown Prince does worry quite a bit, after all. Though I must say, I didn’t expect His Grace to be the same way. I… is that right?”
“Indeed it is.”
I blinked, listening to their exchange.
Had the two of them always been this close? Their back-and-forth seemed easy, and Lily appeared quite familiar with him.
While I knew their old animosity was long resolved, they seemed as though they’d been friends from the start.
I was grateful it had worked out, but it was still unfamiliar to see.
It felt strange to hear the title “Duchess” come from Lily’s lips.
“In any case, I apologize for the trouble. I’ll make sure we leave soon.”
“There’s no need to rush. You can stay longer if you’d like.”
“No, I couldn’t impose further. You’ve finished your business here, haven’t you?”
“Yes, almost.”
“Ah, then please wait just a moment. Since the Duchess mentioned feeling tired, I’ve prepared something good for recovering from fatigue. One moment.”
Lily hurried out again.
I watched Kailas intently.
“What is it?”
“It’s just… so much has changed. Seeing you two get along so well puts my mind at ease.”
Kailas let out a soft laugh.
“To be loved, you have to change.”
He spoke of trying his best, of being more careful not to trouble me, and I found I couldn’t bring myself to say anything harsh in return.
But I really needed to leave now. I was terrified the Crown Prince might show up any moment.
If he so much as raised an eyebrow, suggesting I’d made things difficult for Lily, the fragile warmth between us would crack, and a headache would come knocking.
“But how am I supposed to face anyone now? I must have come here unconscious. This is insane, truly. I can’t survive this.”
It seemed all too likely that he’d carried me here while I was out cold.
Just imagining it made the world go black even though my eyes were open.
I buried my face in my hands from sheer mortification.
Lily, who’d asked me to wait a moment, returned shortly with something in a cup.
It was a pale pink liquid, and I thought I remembered seeing something similar during my days with the Knight Order.
The liquid itself made me uneasy, perhaps because of that metallic scent I last remembered, but since she’d prepared it for me, I couldn’t refuse.
Besides, Kailas was right there in front of me, and Lily would never give me anything harmful, so I drank without hesitation.
She asked me to drink slowly, and as Kailas and Lily stared at me intently, I found myself watching their faces with each sip I swallowed.
Terrified that if I collapsed a second time I might end up before the Emperor himself, I asked Kailas to hurry me back to the Duke’s Territory.
As I gulped it down and looked at Kailas, I noticed a wound on his neck I hadn’t seen before.
The moment I finished the cup, I set it down and asked him about it.
“Are you hurt?”
“What? No.”
I reached out and pulled his collar open.
Along with the wound, a reddish tint was visible, making it all the more apparent.
It was clearly a scrape from something sharp.
“You’re injured here. You said everything was fine yesterday. Did this happen while dealing with monsters? Why didn’t I see it yesterday?”
This man could get hurt?
My eyes narrowed reflexively.
“…….”
“What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?”
“…….”
Kailas’s response was strange, so I turned to look at Lily as if asking her.
But Lily also didn’t answer right away—she just pursed her lips and drew out the silence.
What was wrong with everyone?
Could he have gotten hurt at the Imperial Palace? Though it looked like at least a day had passed since then.
In that case, obviously…….
“I told you not to overexert yourself.”
“Right, I know. What about it?”
“…The banquet ended four days ago.”
“What? Four days?”
Four days had already passed?
I’d been asleep here for four days?
“There’s nothing to be shocked about. It’s just exhaustion.”
“But no matter how tired you are, how could it be four days…….”
“There was nothing wrong with your body. It’s just accumulated fatigue, so you must have been holding it in all this time.”
It was clearly shocking by anyone’s measure, yet he remained perfectly calm.
“The Duke is right. Your fatigue had built up to the very top of your head, he said.”
“I… I don’t remember pushing myself that hard.”
It was odd, but since Lily didn’t seem surprised either, I felt my own nerves settle.
“Don’t worry about it, Duchess. It happens to anyone.”
“…Yes, thank you. I guess I really was exhausted. I should go now. It’s alright if I leave, isn’t it?”
“Of course. I wish you’d stay a bit longer, though.”
“I’ll visit again when I’m in better shape. Right now I’m too embarrassed—I need to leave.”
“I understand. Oh, just in case, I prepared some clothes for you to change into. I picked out a really beautiful dress myself.”
Lily hurried out again, regretfully mentioning she’d chosen such a lovely dress for me.
In any case, I returned to the Duke’s Territory in a hurry after that.
Between the dress from Lily and thirty potions she gave me for fatigue recovery, my face was burning hot the whole way.
I begged Kailas not to ever take me to the Imperial Palace again, not even if I slept for a year, and only after hearing his promise did my anxiety finally ease.
Still, the trip to the Imperial Palace had its uses—I was able to hear news from other regions.
Thanks to Kailas taking charge of the Northern Region, the Imperial Palace could focus more on other areas. Ferrarium is relatively safe, but monsters appear occasionally, and apparently the Guild has seen an increase in monster-hunting requests.
What worries me most is the fact that the Capital is no longer a safe zone.
The Northern Region goes without saying.
I also heard that Castalte has launched a large-scale Purification effort because the Contaminated Land is wider than expected.
The problem is that the contamination is spreading faster than the Purification can contain it.
Lily had said not to worry, that her Holy Power was growing and she was purifying diligently, but this was a time when a sure defense against evil was essential.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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