Marriage With A Suspiciously Demure Husband - Chapter 73

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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 73

He refused with an iron wall, as if he already knew what would come out of my mouth.
Pointedly, he turned his body away from me.
How did he know?
I furrowed my brow sharply. I dropped the kind mask.
Just like Kailas Hardid!
“Why not?”
I followed behind him and asked sharply.
“It’s impossible, and that’s final.”
He switched his tone around like a face that changes at the press of a button.
Damn it. I thought the conversation would go somewhere when he used his old speech pattern.
“There’s no such thing!”
“If you want to get what you want, you have to give me what I want too.”
“…Then let me see for myself that Annie, Ginger, and Eggman are safe. You haven’t shown me until now.”
“I just told you. If you want to get what you want, you have to listen to my request.”
Since nothing was resolved, my heart grew anxious.
I bit at my lip restlessly.
At the same time, Kailas’s hand touched my lip.
His fingers forced their way between my bitten lip and rubbed so I couldn’t bite down, which infuriated me—so I bit his finger hard enough to hurt.
Kailas showed no disturbance whatsoever.
Then as he tried to pull his hand away and turn, without thinking I reached out and grabbed his sleeve.
…….
Kailas’s body stopped in place.
“Just… just let me confirm they’re safe.”
My voice grew thick without my meaning to.
The part I held was barely one finger-joint. A flick of force would send me flying.
That’s how desperate I was.
Kailas looked down at the tip of my finger for a long moment.
He’s going to shake me off. He wouldn’t break my finger, would he?
I was quietly about to let go when he was faster.
“…Just confirm they’re safe.”
At those words, my mouth opened before I could help it.
“Really?”
“And for four days, don’t bring up divorce.”
“But that—!”
“You can do that much.”
Then he slowly pried my hand away and left for his study.
Before I could say anything in response.
Absurd. Really absurd!

* * *

“Annie.”
The moment the door opened, I couldn’t wait—I slipped right in and looked for Annie first.
Fortunately, I saw Annie sitting quietly in the room.
“Hazel? How did you get here?”
“I came to check if you’re alright. Are you?”
Annie laughed and shrugged her shoulders.
“Does this look like heaven or hell to you, Hazel?”
“Just one more day. If I’d lasted just one more day, I could have gotten back safely.”
I was about to throw a party now that it was time to head back, but who knew that day would be when I was taken prisoner instead.
“That’s fate, I suppose. Don’t blame yourself. The treatment here is actually really good. I think it’s because I mentioned you’re my friend—they even provide every meal.”
Annie laughed deliberately or genuinely seemed fine.
“Ha… I really thought we’d made it.”
“I’m more worried about you, Hazel. You’re alright, aren’t you?”
“I’m fine.”
Annie glanced at the door, then whispered to me quickly, so softly only I could hear.
“Don’t mention the immigration talk yet. Let Hazel forget about it for now. Before things get any more dangerous.”
Then she withdrew.
It took less than two seconds. I gave her a barely perceptible nod in return.
“If I stay here much longer, I really might be in danger.”
Annie turned me around and pushed me toward the door.
“Is there anything you need?”
“Not really. If you’re worried, maybe have a maid bring me some books? It looks like I’ll be staying here for a while.”
From behind me, Annie added softly, “Let’s just observe the atmosphere for now.”
“Understood. Do you have a favorite genre? Mystery, that sort of thing?”
“Something spicy?”
“…I’ll see what I can find.”
After leaving the room, I checked on Eggman and Ginger as well.
Contrary to my worries, they looked fine, though the fact remained that they’d become prisoners because of me.
Following Annie’s advice, I decided to watch how things unfolded first.
It seemed like coaxing would work better than just getting angry regardless.
I needed to dig deeper into this situation.
Otherwise, I’d spend the rest of my life trapped in this mansion, a ghost haunting its halls.

* * *

Even while protesting, I had to make sure three meals were provided.
If I fell asleep in the study at night, I’d wake up in the bedroom in the morning—this maddening cycle continued without end.
I’d even threatened him, insisted I would sleep separately.
When I declared I’d rather die than share a bed, Kailas said he was keeping a promise made before the wedding.
Specifically—specifically—insisting it was a duty a husband had to uphold.
Conveniently forgetting his promise not to bother me when I was working in the study, it seemed.
Not that I was actually working, but still!
I wanted to bite off my own tongue for what I’d said in those early married days—that we should always sleep together, even if we fought.
Why did he have to remember every last word so perfectly?
When I insisted that promise was made to Noah, not to him, he wouldn’t listen.
And I couldn’t exactly refuse to sleep.
So I watched and waited for my chance.
At least I’d managed to deliver the books Annie had asked for, but since the visit, I had no idea where the three of them were.
He’d moved them somewhere else—somewhere only Kailas knew about—before I could sneak them out. How infuriating.
After agreeing not to mention divorce for four days, the moment the fifth day arrived, I started up again.
Whenever that word left my lips, he emanated a dangerous air, and the entire house would freeze.
It had probably happened over a hundred times by now.
Because of that, things weren’t progressing the way I wanted, and I had to endure a few more days of this impasse…
And so a week passed.
How was I supposed to break through this deadlock?
Even the servants had stopped trembling nervously, as if they’d grown used to the fighting.
Then the weekend arrived.
When I woke that morning, something subtly sweet hung in the air, and my intuition tingled.
Today felt like something might actually happen.
This was it.
I couldn’t afford to miss this moment.
Waiting for just the right opening, I pulled my lips upward and summoned the most innocent smile I could manage.
My cheeks trembled as they stiffened, but flashing my brightest smile, I went to find him and called out.
My instinct seemed to be firing correctly—his expression didn’t look too terrible.
“Um, Noah, about what you mentioned last time—”
The moment his mouth opened, I realized my instinct was completely wrong.
“I wish my beautiful wife’s pretty lips would say anything but the word ‘divorce.’ I don’t intend to keep you confined only to bed.”
He cut me off by resting his chin on his hand, his tone brooking no argument.
He even laughed, as if the whole thing were ridiculous.
I closed my mouth quietly before the look in his dark eyes—eyes that seemed to radiate lethal intent.
It was the kind of gaze that could kill without a sound.
…I was staging a protest, true, but that didn’t mean he didn’t frighten me—my body instinctively shrank back.
He rose from his seat.
I stumbled backward without thinking.
“Hazel, never mind that. Why don’t we eat those Cream Shoes you made earlier? You love them, after all.”
He’d thrown off his mask ages ago, yet now he wore Noah’s mask again, speaking with nauseating gentleness.
I glared at the man before me—the fake Kailas.
He wasn’t even really training me.
If I refused to eat, he’d threaten to slit my throat, just like always—I was sure of it.
Fine. I’d eat first, then try again.
“…Yes, I’ll just have one bite.”
“That’s right. Good girl.”
It infuriated me.
I trembled with rage, my fists clenched so tight my nails bit into my palms.
Even this simple act wouldn’t work on him.
No, I’d have to try again tomorrow.

That night.
I chose the bedroom instead of the office.
The doorknob was useless against him anyway, and I was tired of the struggle each morning, so I lay down at the very edge of the mattress and closed my eyes.
How long had passed?
I woke from a light sleep at the sensation of someone moving me.
As he settled me closer to the center of the bed and drew the blanket over me, our eyes met.
The moment I realized what was happening, I spun around, turned my back to him, and squeezed my eyes shut.
My body lurched as I scrambled back toward the edge.
“The Hone Guild.”
At the low rumble of his voice, my body flinched involuntarily.
“…….”
“I’ve managed it flawlessly every single day. The staff are all still there, so whenever you want to visit and check on things, you can. If you want to work, that’s fine too.”
“…That’s not my guild anymore. You said it yourself—I’m paying you back with my labor.”
I spoke without opening my eyes.
“Don’t say things you don’t mean. I’m not dishonorable enough to take away what my wife built by staking everything.”
My heart wavered for a moment, but I quickly steadied myself, reminding myself not to be deceived.
When I said nothing in return for a long time, the mattress behind me pressed down with his weight.
Even without eyes in the back of my head, I could feel him watching me.
That burning gaze, piercing into my back, never faltered—it continued on until I finally fell asleep.

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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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