Marriage with a Suspiciously Demure Husband - Chapter 104.1
Chapter 104.1
In the dead of night, the capital was shrouded in darkness. Every muscle screamed in protest as she ran. Her breath hitched in ragged gasps, hot against the frigid air, and dizziness threatened to pull her under.
The same bone-chilling terror hunted her again tonight. Faceless figures, power-hungry individuals… the encroaching darkness seemed to multiply with every glance back, slicking her back with cold sweat.
‘Please, don’t come. Don’t follow me.’
Hazel ran as if her life depended on it, because it might.
‘What do I do? I want to live.’
She focused only on what lay ahead. Suddenly, a large figure materialized in her path.
‘That person…!’
Without a second thought, her lips moved soundlessly as she lunged, grabbing the figure’s clothes.
“<i>Huh…!</i>”
Hazel’s body convulsed, eyes snapping open as if she’d just surfaced from the water. A warm hand cupped her cheek.
“Hazel.”
“…Noah?”
The blurry face swam into focus, and relief washed over Hazel. She reached out, burying herself in his embrace. A large hand stroked her hair and patted her back. Her throat was parched as if she’d run a marathon, and swallowing was a painful effort.
“Noah, Noah…”
“I’m here, Hazel.”
Clinging to his clothes like a lifeline, Hazel pressed her forehead against his chest, seeking solace. His soothing touch, his murmurs of comfort, slowly calmed her racing heart.
Awareness returned, belated and unwelcome.
“Oh…”
She released her grip.
‘What have I done?’
“Are you alright?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. It’s just… the dream…”
It was unusually vivid tonight.
Why was she so disoriented? The foolishness of her actions struck her with the force of a physical blow. Heat crept up her neck.
‘I’m not a child. What was that?’
It wasn’t as if nightmares were a new experience, and ever since she became an illusionist, the truly harrowing dreams had lessened. She sat there, drained, lost in thought when a glass of water appeared before her.
“Drink this. Slowly.”
Feeling utterly spent, she nodded meekly and accepted the water he offered. The cool liquid cleared her head.
“It’s not because of the expedition. The guild’s been talking about the same thing nonstop, and I think it’s getting to me.”
Hazel offered a hasty explanation, afraid her carefully constructed arguments would crumble. A low sigh escaped Kairos’s lips.
“…Why are you worried about what I think? I’m the one who should be worried. Protecting you is my job. I’ll be more careful. Are you feeling better now?”
“…Yes, I’m okay.”
Somewhat recovered, Hazel gazed at Kairos. She’d expected a lecture, so his unexpected gentleness surprised her.
‘It can’t be that he’s suddenly changed his mind because I’m dying… can it?’
Her suspicious gaze was met with a soft chuckle.
“It’s like I can hear your thoughts. I’ll get you some fresh pajamas and a damp cloth.”
He rose from the bed. Hazel started to protest, to tell him she was fine, but he’d been gently wiping the sweat from her forehead the entire time they talked, and her nightclothes were damp. She settled back against the pillows.
“Ha…”
After Kairos left, a tingling sensation ran through her limbs.
Hazel rubbed her arms. While the clarity was new, the dream itself was familiar. She still hadn’t seen the figure’s face, but she’d definitely dreamt something similar before… she remembered the certainty that the person she grabbed would save her, the silent whisper of ‘you’re safe’.
‘Who was that person? Someone I know?’
If so, surely their face wouldn’t be so stubbornly obscured, even in a hazy dream. She’d been pampered and protected since her collapse, so it couldn’t be exhaustion. It had been a truly strange night.
The next morning, Hazel awoke feeling refreshed.
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