Why Is My Husband the Villainous Schemer! - Chapter 80

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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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Episode 80
It was none other than… overtime!
“Even so, we’re newlyweds—isn’t this too much?”
Of course, knowing how busy Carcel was, I didn’t want to complain.
But three days after the audience with the Emperor, I was barely seeing Carcel at breakfast and in the early hours of morning.
Unlike when we used to stay close together before, loneliness had begun creeping in.
At least if he came home by ten, we could talk for an hour before bed.
But how swamped he was—Carcel had only just come home past midnight lately.
Coming home at dawn and leaving at dawn, we might as well not be sharing a bed at all.
‘Still, Carcel works late into the night before coming home, so if I complain about missing him, it won’t seem mature at all.’
Not that I’m a child.
Then suddenly I caught myself.
Now that I thought about it, I’d never felt my heart hollow out from someone’s absence before.
‘I suppose I really have given Carcel a lot of my heart.’
Without him, I felt lonely.
Truth is, I’d only started feeling loneliness recently.
Before, I was too busy to feel it. Besides, I had plenty of friends.
But here, I was a foreigner.
Linea and Mother were always nearby, but it was different with Carcel.
Linea is a beloved person I have to care for and look after. Mother is someone I can rely on, but still someone I must show courtesy to.
Carcel, on the other hand… was a comfortable person to lean on.
“I miss you.”
Before bed, lying in bed and rolling around waiting for Carcel, those words escaped my lips without thinking.
I wished I could have a proper conversation with him today at least.
With that thought, I picked up his pillow and hugged it to my chest.
It was already past midnight.
My eyes kept growing heavy and closing, my body weary.
‘Still not home.’
No matter what, a schedule from six in the morning until one in the morning—isn’t that pushing too hard?
“No, stop whining. Just think of yourself as a grown woman with a boyfriend who works overtime at a demanding job.”
With that resolution, I squeezed my eyes shut.
Then the door opened quietly.
“Carcel?”
I sat up immediately.
Rubbing my sleepy eyes and looking toward the open door, Carcel met my gaze with a look of surprise.
“Asha, you haven’t slept yet?”
“I’ve been waiting. I hadn’t seen you in days.”
“I apologize. Things suddenly got busy, so I’ve been trying to handle everything as quickly as possible, but it’s only meant more overtime these past few days.”
For those few days he hadn’t slept properly and had been working the whole time, yet Carcel looked perfectly fine.
At least on the surface.
“Come to bed quickly.”
I patted the spot beside me.
To that, Carcel smiled softly and teased me.
“Didn’t you sleep more comfortably without me these past days?”
“What?”
“Since I’m so large, sharing a bed must have been inconvenient. Surely it wasn’t uncomfortable without me for those days?”
As Carcel came closer and sat on the bed with his teasing remark, I pressed my lips together.
“That’s not true.”
“Really? Whenever I watch you in the early morning, you’re sleeping right in the middle of the bed, so I wondered if it was more comfortable without me, and I thought about whether we should sleep in separate beds.”
“…That’s not it.”
It was honestly a small joke.
Just by seeing the playful smile at his lips, I could tell he was teasing.
But today, for some reason, my hurt feelings surged in an instant.
“…”
Without saying anything, I turned my head away, and Carcel seemed momentarily startled.
“Asha?”
He tilted his head toward me, but still upset, I turned my head further away.
“Was my joke upsetting?”
Suddenly a tear spilled out and I could only nod silently.
“Asha, I was really just joking. Besides, it’s me who’s glad to share a bed with you—how could that possibly be the case? Asha?”
“…Don’t talk to me.”
My voice wavered faintly.
“Oh.”
Only then did Carcel seem to fully grasp the situation, and he began apologizing earnestly.
“Asha, it’s all my fault. I never wanted to sleep in a separate bed—it’s just that you looked so comfortable yesterday that I was teasing when I said—”
“From now on, let’s use separate beds. If you want to sleep in different beds so badly!”
“There’s no way I’d want that.”
At my voice breaking with tears, Carcel carefully pulled my shoulder toward him and tried to soothe me.
“Won’t you just look at me once? I’ve barely seen your face these past days, and I’ve missed you so much.”
“I don’t want to.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize you’d be this upset.”
At that, I whipped my head around.
Seeing my indignant expression, he looked even more anxious.
“Did I make you cry? I’ve committed a terrible sin. Just by making tears fall from your eyes, Asha… what do I do?”
Carcel looked as helpless as someone standing on a hot griddle.
I could see his eyes darting in all directions, trembling.
I let out everything I’d been holding back in an indignant rush.
“Even so, we’re newlyweds. I was hurt by you coming home so late, but I didn’t say anything because you’re busy.”
“Was that so?”
Carcel nodded eagerly.
“And I waited even though I was tired, so after days of finally seeing your face properly, what was that supposed to mean?”
“It wasn’t! Absolutely not!”
“That I slept better? That we should use separate beds?”
“Absolutely not! Never! That’s not what I meant at all. Asha, please.”
Carcel wiped away my tears with his thumb, visibly distressed.
And finally I let out what I’d been holding back.
“I’ve been missing you so much lately that I haven’t been seeing you often enough.”
“I’ve been dying to see you, Asha.”
He whispered to me desperately.
I spoke bluntly to Carcel.
“Never say something like that again.”
“I swear I will never let such words leave my lips again.”
“And… I was so lonely without you.”
At those words, Carcel’s lips trembled as if he’d received a tremendous shock.
“Asha… why do you say such adorable things?”
“It’s not adorable, it’s just how I felt. …Will you come home late again tomorrow?”
Even though I asked lightly, Carcel shook his head urgently.
“Tomorrow I’ll take a day off. Would it cause any great disaster if I skipped work for one day?”
“I’m not asking you to neglect work for me. Just… please don’t come home so late.”
Carcel nodded earnestly.
“I’m sorry for not noticing your feelings sooner, Asha.”
“That’s enough then.”
My heart eased somewhat, and I smiled softly.
Carcel’s face, which I was seeing after so long, looked particularly handsome today.
So I…
Smack.
Lightly pressed my lips against his.
“…!”
Just that alone made Carcel’s eyes widen.
I cupped his surprised cheeks and kissed him once more.
And just as we were about to part—
“Asha, you kiss me first and then just pull away—isn’t that torture?”
Carcel let out a slight laugh and kissed me again.
His lips against mine, the breathing mingling between his softly parted lips, the tangible sensation of skin meeting skin.
Mixed with his scent, all of this felt unreal.
It was my first kiss in my entire life.
His persistent lips parted from mine only after a long while.
Just from that brief moment, my palms were already damp with sweat.
My eyes flushed warm and tingled, heat rising until my head spun in confusion.
Carcel left several light kisses on my lips and cheeks.
Looking at me tenderly, he asked in a low voice laced with laughter.
“How did you come up with such a cute thing to do?”
“Just… suddenly wanted to.”
“I’d love it if you kept impulsively kissing me like this from now on.”
He let out a soft laugh.
His low, husky voice had fallen into something sensual.
My cheeks were as flushed as his.
I grew shy and spoke a bit curtly.
“Then come home early from now on.”
“Understood.”
“Except when there’s urgent work.”
At my hastily added qualifier, Carcel laughed again.
Then he pulled me close and held me tight.
“I don’t want to go anywhere without you, Asha.”
“You’re something else.”
Liking how Carcel said those things, I nestled obediently into his embrace.
His cool body temperature transmitting to me, the sound of his heartbeat racing—
A wave of relief began washing over me.
* * *
And the next day.
“From today on, overtime is legally prohibited at the Marquis’s estate.”
“Pardon?”
Hearing this, Matt and four other aides exchanged bewildered looks.
Their superior had never been one to dislike overtime.
“Asha doesn’t like it. I’ve concluded overtime is not something humans should do.”
“Just yesterday when I asked if I could leave work early because I missed my wife, didn’t you say the work was no joke?”
Kelsey, the only married aide among them, voiced subtle discontent.
“Will you make an exception just for me?”
“Absolutely not!”
Satisfied with Kelsey’s spirited reply, Carcel posed yet another difficult question to his aides.
“My wife is quite adorable. Don’t you think?”

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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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