Deep Boredom - Epilogue 2

“I heard the taste of a young wife is quite delightful.”

Chedev still couldn’t forget the disgust of that day. Even though the dim light from the chandelier was like the summer sun, his heart was as cold as a winter snowfield. He had to clench his fists several times to conceal it.

‘How should I kill him?’

Just as Kaim had suspected, Chedev was thinking exactly that.

From the moment he’d walked up and greeted them in his drunken stupor, he hadn’t liked them.

He looked down at the drunkard, spreading his cloak. Even though he could feel the confusion of the aides standing behind him or the crowd gathered beside him, unfortunately, it didn’t seem to register with this presumptuous young man. It was an act of drunken courage and ignorance.

He mulled over the fact that it was a public occasion and swallowed his frustration. Lately, there have been many clashes with the opposition, and he didn’t want to make a fuss over something insignificant. However, as there seemed to be no sign of improvement in the sudden descent into the abyss, Chedev left the reception hall earlier than usual.

The footsteps back to the mansion felt unusually heavy. It was incredibly frustrating to have to let that despicable wretch, who had humiliated Rasha in front of others, go unpunished. Even if it was inevitable given the circumstances, the unpleasant feeling of not being able to protect his lover was unbearable.

The servants seemed to sense that his mood was more subdued than usual and quickly withdrew after finishing their tasks.

Chedev opened the bedroom door and stepped inside. Whenever he returned from a reception, Rasha was usually asleep due to the lateness of the hour. However, thanks to leaving quite early today, she was awake.

“You’re back.”

It was strange. The heavy feeling that had been sinking deeper and deeper finally lifted with her tender voice. He chuckled, knowing that even he himself could see the severity of the situation. Rasha, unaware of the meaning of his laughter, tilted her head.

“Yeah, I’m back.”

Leaving a gentle kiss on her lips, he sat down under the sofa and rested his forehead on Rasha’s lap.

“Are you tired?”

“A little.”

Rasha gently stroked his neck, as if to comfort his inexplicable distress. Her tender touch made his heart beat pleasantly. Rasha’s warmth enveloping him, the traces that reached him, her mere presence was a source of solace for him.

The slightly improved mood plummeted as soon as the humiliation he had heard at the reception hall came to mind. He made an effort to erase that memory and lifted his head.

“My throat feels tight.”

“If you loosen your cravat…”

Rasha, who had been speaking calmly, opened her eyes wide.

“You want me to?”

“Yes.”

As he smirked, Rasha also burst into laughter. She willingly reached out her hand.

As he pulled the neatly tied cravat, Chedev’s upper body leaned toward her. In that position, their bodies pressed against each other, and he kissed her lips. Silver saliva dribbled from between their lips, proving that the kiss had been sticky, if not violent. Chedev stroked her cheek and whispered.

“You’re precious to me, Rasha.”

That’s right, those who utter such nonsense should be silenced.

I must ensure that there are no more insolent people talking about you.

Yes, that was the right thing to do.

Chedev, who made a ruthless decision that Rasha was unaware of, suddenly raised his head due to the force applied to the cravat. Rasha was pulling the cravat in her hand. Somehow feeling uneasy, he stayed still, and she continued to pull the cravat.

Steadily, steadily, steadily…….

* * *

Chedev woke up with a recurring sensation of tightness in his throat.

Through his blurry vision, he discovered a small figure perched on top of him. The golden eyes, as clear as his own, stood out. As their gazes met, the figure, his daughter, smiled playfully.

“Father!”

It felt like just yesterday when Artienne, who had been a newborn, was now seven years old, riding on top of him. The sensation of tightness in his throat was due to Artie’s hand pressing near his collarbone. Chedev adjusted himself to ensure the child didn’t fall, sitting up with his upper body. Just awakened from sleep, he was still slightly groggy. It took a moment before he realized that his encounter with Rasha in the past was just a dream.

Artienne giggled, touching the hair of his father, which had turned gray overnight. From a young age, she had been fond of playing with it, so now it no longer bothered Chedev. In this world, only Rasha and Artienne had permission to touch the Duke’s hair without the his consent.

Chedev closed his drowsy eyes deeply and then opened them. The subtle movements of the child inside his embrace took away the remnants of drowsiness.

“We were supposed to go on a picnic today.”

“Yeah, we were…”

Chedev chuckled, running his hand through his hair. He had just woken up, still feeling a bit disoriented, but he remembered that promise astonishingly well. It was only natural, he had made that promise a week ago, and Artienne was waiting for him until late hours with tired, sleepy eyes.

He sat up on the bed and looked around. Rasha was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’s your mother?”

“Shh.”

“Hmm?”

“Mother sneaked me in.”

“Why?”

“Mother said not to wake you up because you were tired.”

The face of his wife, who had worried about him coming in past midnight, came to mind. Today was the day they had promised to go on a picnic with Artienne to the outskirts, but she had repeatedly said it was okay to rest if he was tired.

Chedev kissed Artienne’s soft cheek with a peck and headed to the reception room. The sound of his daughter’s giggles, tickling his insides, filled him with overwhelming happiness. Just as they opened the door, they came face to face with Rasha.

“Artie! I was wondering where you went.”

Rasha seemed to have a rough idea of the situation just by looking at the child in her husband’s arms. Seeing her mother’s stern expression, Artienne shyly hid in her father’s embrace. Chedev found Artienne’s behavior adorable and hugged her tightly, then he also kissed Rasha’s cheek as she approached.

“What time is it? Are we ready?”

“The butler is taking care of it right now… Are you not tired?”

“No, I’m fine. We made a promise with Artie, so we should go.”

Artienne’s expression, as she secretly watched Rasha while nestled in her father’s arms, suddenly brightened.

“Thank you, Father!”

Excited to prepare, Artienne quickly left the bedroom. But before that, she didn’t forget to leave a kiss on her father’s cheek as a sign of gratitude.

In the bedroom, with only the two of them left, Chedev pulled Rasha closer, wrapping his arms around her waist. Perhaps it was because of their experience of separation that he sometimes wanted to stay close to her like this when he woke up. And so, Rasha familiarly embraced him, gently brushing away his disheveled hair. She didn’t forget to say, “Good morning,” with a warm smile.

“Rasha.”

“Yes.”

Through a dream, I remember a phrase from the past that I once said to her. I told her that she was precious. But I failed to treat her as such when I momentarily lost myself in the swamp of apathy. Because of that, the pain I experienced feels like an inevitable consequence, and I didn’t want to bring up those words again.

Instead…

“I love you.”

Rasha’s eyes widened at the sudden confession. Soon, she responded with the same whispered words, smiling as if it were a fresh revelation.

Through the crack of an open window, a spring breeze, as gentle as his heart and her response, softly blew.

⟨Deep Boredom, End.⟩