Marriage with a Suspiciously Demure Husband - Chapter 100.2
Chapter 100.2
As I slid my hands from his cheeks, Kairos lowered his head, resting his forehead against my shoulder.
“Please…”
He pressed closer as if asking to be comforted.
“I was wrong.”
“….”
“I was wrong about everything. Please, Hazel.”
I felt my breath catch in my throat.
“I don’t want just a year; I want you by my side forever.”
“….”
“How am I supposed to live without you? You know better than anyone that I can’t hurt you. And no one can protect you like I can. I’m offering you everything, so why, why do you keep… It burns me up when you look at other men. I don’t know what to do…”
Everything was so confusing that I couldn’t figure out what to say. Anything that came out of my mouth would sound like an answer to him.
After a long silence, I sighed.
Clearing up the misunderstanding was the priority.
“That young nobleman from earlier is Steward Dello’s nephew. His name is Emel. Have you never met him? He said he’s always admired you and that he applied to the Duke’s Knights this time and hopes to be accepted. He said he first saw you ten years ago. He wants to work hard so he can serve you, Kairos, up close. That’s what we were talking about. Not what you’re thinking. I couldn’t frown at him for that. He seemed earnest, so I was kind to him.”
“….”
“He also said the ballroom is beautiful. And he just turned twenty. He’s a baby. Younger men aren’t my type. What were you even thinking?”
“….”
Since he still didn’t move, I reached up and rubbed the back of his neck to soothe him. He let out a deep sigh, his hot breath against my skin.
“Do you understand now? Are you feeling better?”
I pushed him towards the door, telling him to get some fresh air, although his expression remained unchanged.
Fortunately, Kairos obediently agreed and said he’d be right back, then left.
“Phew…”
I had a feeling I knew what he wanted to hear, but I couldn’t give him the right answer right now. After a sigh, I opened the door and stepped out into the empty hallway.
He seemed to have gone for some air as I suggested, so I returned to the ballroom first. As soon as I entered, the noblewomen, as if waiting for me, subtly approached, commenting on how close we were.
It was truly suffocating. I knew this would happen.
I grabbed a glass of water from the nearest servant’s tray and drank.
“…Ugh.”
The moment I swallowed, a pungent, coppery smell hit me. I almost lost all composure and spat the water back into the glass. What was that? It was clearly transparent water, but it tasted strongly of blood as if I were drinking it.
Was the water spoiled?
Before the banquet, I personally checked the wine casks and made sure all the drinks, including the water, were brought in fresh and clean. There hadn’t been any problems until just now. The other guests were drinking wine and water without any signs of discomfort.
I asked Mrs. Tene to check if there was a problem, and with my stomach churning, I stepped outside to rinse my mouth. I couldn’t make a scene in the ballroom.
When I returned after rinsing my mouth, Kairos still hadn’t come back.
“Madam.”
“Ah, Mrs. Tene. Was everything alright?”
“Yes, I checked everything, but there were no problems. May I examine the glass you drank from?”
“Ah, wait a moment. I left it here. Ah, this is it.”
The glass, still half full of water, thankfully hadn’t been cleared from the table.
“I’ll examine this right away.”
“Please do. And don’t drink it, just in case.”
Kairos returned a little later than expected, much calmer now. His expression was serene as if he had returned to his usual self.
“Are you feeling better now?”
Kairos opened and closed his mouth without speaking. I took it as a yes.
“…Good.”
Then, nausea hit me again. I winced, and he bent down to look at me with concern.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell? Should I call a physician? Wait a moment.”
He was about to call for a physician immediately, so I quickly grabbed his hand. Calling a physician just because I felt a little nauseous?
“…No, I drank some water earlier, and suddenly it tasted metallic. I think my stomach is a bit upset.”
“Water?”
He looked around, saying, “I need to find the person who brought the water,” so I grabbed his hand again.
“Yes, but they said there’s nothing wrong with the other drinks, so Mrs. Tene went to check the glass I used. It’s not serious enough to call a physician.”
“Then you should rest for a bit. Everyone is busy drinking and chatting anyway.”
“I wanted to stay a little longer.”
“There will be other opportunities.”
“…I suppose so.”
The nausea rising again, I leaned on Kairos and headed out to the hallway. I thought I was starting to get a headache as well.
* * *
“…Hazel.”
“….”
“Hazel.”
Kairos was calling me. I forced my tightly shut eyes open, and bright light stung them.
“Hazel.”
“Ugh, the light is too bright…”
Kairos’s hand covered my eyes. After a while, I removed his hand and opened my eyes to find myself lying in a room I’d never seen before. It was excessively large and opulent.
Confused, I glanced around.
“Where are we? Did we have a room like this?”
…Wasn’t I just with him in the ballroom?
“We’re in the Imperial Palace.”
“Ah, the Imperial Palace… Wait, what?”
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