Chapter 8 (Part 2)

Felipe, no matter how strong the sleeping pills he took, could not fall asleep. He had suffered from severe headaches since childhood, and the symptoms had recently worsened.  

“Is there no new medication?”  

“My apologies, but this is said to be the most potent one available on the market.”  

“Damn it!”  

Felipe Morciani threw the medicine onto the floor and began stripping off his clothes. His body burned as if it were on fire, making it impossible to breathe properly.  

He immediately submerged his overheated body into the large bath prepared in the middle of his bedroom.  

Occasionally, he would have seizures, and if his body temperature wasn’t lowered, he would often lose consciousness.  

“Everyone, leave.”  

At the Emperor’s command, the attendants bowed deeply and retreated.  

Once the enormous bedroom was empty, Felipe let out a long sigh. This room had originally belonged to the late Emperor, but Felipe had it renovated.  

“Father, are you at peace there?”  

Felipe’s gaze lifted to the ceiling.  

The only trace of his father left in the room was on the ceiling.  

The ceiling mural depicted the founding myth of the Caspian Empire, when Goddess Diana had first established it.  

A brave warrior riding a giant wolf was defeating monsters. The majestic and mystical atmosphere of the mural made it seem as though the wolf might come to life.  

‘Felipe, the Empire is under Diana’s blessing.’  

His father’s gentle voice echoed in his ears.  

‘Felipe, please support your brother and help Caspian become a thousand-year empire.’  

The late Emperor had been a truly pathetic man who even shared smiles with Felipe. A fool who hadn’t even realized whose hand had killed him at the moment of his death.  

A wave of nausea surged within Felipe, making him feel as though his insides were turning over.  

“…Urgh.”  

The water in the bath suddenly seemed to turn into a pool of blood.  

But instead of frowning, Felipe laughed.  

Felipe Morciani had stepped over the blood of his father and brother to ascend to his position. He felt no shame in this; rather, he was proud of it.  

“The weak are devoured.”  

His father and brother had held the Richard family in too high regard. Despite the family possessing enough power to threaten the throne.  

“They’re nothing more than hangnails.”  

They might seem insignificant at first glance, but if mishandled, they could cause wounds or even fester. It was best to uproot such things from the start.  

The only regret was that his father and brother couldn’t witness his rule.  

Though his attempt to eliminate the Night Wolf in one fell swoop had failed, Felipe was confident he could get rid of Duke Richard. If he had poisoned the previous Duke, there was no reason he couldn’t do the same to his son.  

“Of course. After all, look how far I’ve come.”  

As the heat that had been consuming him subsided, Felipe regained his composure.  

Standing up abruptly, his sleek, muscular body was illuminated by the moonlight.  

As he walked out of the bath, reddish water pooled at his feet with each step.  

A sly smile spread across Felipe’s face as he gazed at the moon.  

***

Though quite some time had passed since she lay down, Therese was still wide awake. Her mind was so preoccupied that she could only stare blankly into the darkness, unable to sleep.  

“Ah, I’m so tired…”  

Yet her expression didn’t seem particularly gloomy.  

‘What a relief.’  

After all, Roshan had returned safely.  

She hadn’t had the chance to ask how he had managed to survive both the monsters and the attacks from the Emperor’s knights, but there would be time for that later.  

“By now, he must have arrived home.”  

Roshan had taken charge of Count Pablo’s case, while she decided to catch up on the guild’s backlog of work. For the first time in a while, everything seemed to be falling into place.  

“I need to get some sleep.”  

Otherwise, she’d end up dozing off like a sick chicken tomorrow.  

Just as Therese firmly shut her eyes and began counting sheep in her head, a shadow flickered beneath the crack of her door.  

‘It can’t be Roshan again.’  

No one would visit her bedroom at such a late hour.  

Startled, Therese quickly grabbed the poker from the fireplace. Moving silently, she approached the door, but it suddenly swung open.  

A tall shadow loomed over her, completely enveloping her. The figure reached for the poker in her hand.  

“Were you planning to strike me with that, Madame?”  

The mysterious figure turned out to be Duke Richard.  

“Your Grace, what brings you here at this hour…”  

Therese trailed off as the Duke calmly took the poker from her and placed it gently on the floor.  

“Does a husband need a reason to visit his wife?”  

The Duke, his hair still damp as if he had just bathed, strode toward Therese’s bed.  

“Your Grace, why are you…”  

“I’m tired. Let’s sleep.”  

“…”  

His actions were so natural that it felt like this was an everyday occurrence.  

As Therese stood frozen in place, saying nothing, the Duke winced slightly as he grasped his injured arm.  

Whatever else, his injury was real and couldn’t be ignored.  

“Have you taken your medicine?”  

“I’ve taken plenty of painkillers, but they don’t seem to be working.”  

“…Ah.”  

The Duke’s injury was so severe that ordinary painkillers wouldn’t be enough to ease his pain.  

Fortunately, Therese had a very effective painkiller on hand.  

As she quickly retrieved the medicine from the bedside table, the Duke spoke stiffly.  

“Did the physician visit you today as instructed?”  

As per the Duke’s orders, the physician had stopped by before dinner to check her pulse.  

“…Yes.”

“Why are there still so many pills left?”  

“They’re not all for me.”  

Therese, noticing the Duke’s displeased expression, shook her head.  

‘Who is worrying about whom right now?’  

“Here they are.”  

She handed him the painkillers, but the Duke ignored them.  

“They’ll help you sleep soundly tonight.”  

Despite her explanation, the Duke showed no intention of taking the bottle.  

“What exactly are you trying to do, Your Grace?”  

When she asked again, he finally lifted his head and extended his hand. However, his gaze wasn’t on the bottle but on Therese’s fingertips.  

“Come here and sit beside me.”  

Was he asking me to join him in my own bed?

Therese’s bed was smaller than the Duke’s, and with him lying there, it already looked cramped.  

‘I’d rather die than lie down there.’  

Therese was quick to give up.  

Abandoning the bed, she glanced at the sofa. It seemed adequate for spending the night.  

“If you insist on sleeping here, I’ll take the sofa.”  

As she grabbed her robe and prepared to lie on the sofa, the Duke groaned, bowing his head.  

“Ugh.”  

“Are… are you all right?”  

Throwing her robe aside, Therese rushed over to him and supported his body. In doing so, she found herself half on the bed.  

“I told you, you need to take the medicine…”  

Therese’s touch as she supported him felt natural. The Duke, following her lead, lay down, groaning all the while.  

It was clear that working in his current condition was too much for him.  

After all, it had only been two weeks since he was attacked by the monster.  

As she wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a towel, Therese sighed.  

‘How did things get so complicated?’  

In the past, monsters had never intruded so deeply into her life.  

‘Or perhaps not. The Duke left for the frontier right after our marriage because of the monsters.’  

Then and now, it seemed monsters had always had a significant impact on her life.  

“What are you thinking about?”  

“Ah, nothing.”  

The Duke, seemingly relieved of his pain, was now staring directly at her. Beneath the towel, his forehead felt warm against her fingertips.  

Thinking it might be better to apply a cold compress, Therese moved to withdraw her hand, but the Duke caught her wrist.  

“Thank you, Madame.” 

“I don’t understand what you mean.”  

“For saving me.”  

“Saving you? I just happened to pass by and ensured you received treatment.”  

Therese knew her words were a feeble excuse.  

Acknowledging that she had saved him from the monster would mean admitting she knew he was the Night Wolf. And she had no intention of sharing in the secret he was trying to keep hidden.  

“Even so, it doesn’t change how I feel.”  

“As I’ve said before, I’m not interested in your feelings, Your Grace.”  

“Then leave me be.”  

Despite his words, the Duke’s large hand slid down from her wrist to cover the back of her hand.  

“Let me cough up blood and collapse, and just ignore me.”  

His hot hand trembled slightly as it held hers. Whether it was contagious or not, her heart began to flutter as well.  

‘How could I possibly do that?’  

Even if she resented and blamed the Duke, she couldn’t just stand by and watch him die.  

In fact, she wasn’t even sure if she still hated him anymore.  

“…I’m only doing this for the family.”  

Confused, Therese uttered words she didn’t even believe herself.