The duchess might not have noticed, but the knights around her were well aware of how enraged the duke was.
The moment they stepped out of the drawing room, they had to endure the terrifying murderous intent emanating from him.
His passing gaze seemed to burn. His face, devoid of any hint of a smile, appeared on the verge of exploding—like that of a demon fresh from battle, drenched in blood.
If anyone so much as provoked him even slightly, heads would surely roll.
Not wanting to bear the brunt of the duke’s fury, the knights averted their gazes one by one.
“……”
Their judgment was correct.
Right now, Alex was barely holding back his rage at failing to protect his wife, coupled with the wariness he felt toward the unfamiliar man.
He had pushed himself to the limit to finish his work quickly and rush home, only to find his wife threatened by her so-called brother.
And the one protecting her was not him—but another man.
Someone he didn’t even know.
‘Damn it…’
Alex wasn’t furious because he suspected Elicity of doing something immoral.
He was angry simply because, both before and after his return, he had failed to be by his wife’s side when it truly mattered.
‘Why am I never there for Elicity when it counts?’
Something swelled up inside him.
To be honest, he wanted nothing more than to grab that pale-faced, young man named Serad by the collar and demand, “Who the hell are you to be next to my wife?”
But he couldn’t do that. Because Elicity would surely dislike it.
So instead, Alex chose avoidance.
—But I truly am tired. Will you let me go and rest?
A quick apology to keep his beloved wife from being upset, and an escape to preserve even a shred of his own dignity.
He had softened his tone and smiled, ensuring that Elicity could feel reassured.
Because he didn’t want to be hated.
No matter how he felt inside, he could never be honest in front of Elicity.
He had to hide it. Again and again. He had to keep hiding it, just to ensure her smile never faded.
But he was still human. His stomach churned in knots. His fists clenched so tightly that the veins on his hands bulged.
‘Do you have any idea how this feels, Elicity?’
No. You have no idea at all.
Because before I returned, you never loved me. You left me without hesitation.
He seethed, biting back his fury. By the time he realized it, he had already arrived at the bedroom.
The room that had always felt warm now seemed cold.
But even so, he couldn’t bring himself to leave.
He no longer wanted to spend another lonely night.
***
—My lady, you should just go to the master quickly today. He said he was waiting for you.
Although punishing Calix was urgent, Elicity agreed with Olivia’s words.
To be honest, she wanted to go to him.
She was too preoccupied with Alex, who had gone up to their bedroom alone.
Was he truly just tired when he spoke so coldly?
No. There must be another reason.
When she asked herself, the answer came swiftly and clearly.
Even though Alex had smiled gently at the end, his red eyes had been looking elsewhere—not at her.
‘And he didn’t even send me a single letter…’
Elicity felt increasingly anxious. After putting Bella to sleep, she practically ran toward the bedroom where Alex would be.
But as she climbed the stairs and reached the floor where their bedroom was, her pace slowed.
“……”
What if they couldn’t reconcile?
What if he was truly furious?
How should she make things right?
She had no idea where things had gone wrong. Biting her lip, Elicity walked toward the bedroom at an agonizingly slow pace.
And when she reached the door, she froze.
No light seeped through the gap beneath the door.
That meant he was already asleep. Without waiting for her.
“…That’s understandable. He said he was tired, after all.”
Muttering to herself, Elicity pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The moment she entered the bedroom, it felt as though she had been pushed inside.
And right in front of her was the bed—the one that had always been filled with warmth between the two of them.
Slightly embarrassing, yet not unpleasant.
Lately, the act that had once made her feel so overwhelmed with pleasure had taken place passionately in this very spot.
But tonight, it would not happen. Her husband was already lying on the left side of the bed with his eyes closed.
‘It’s okay, he said he was tired, didn’t he?’
Elicity comforted herself as she took step after step toward the bed.
Alex’s chest rose and fell evenly. Watching him, Elicity lifted the blanket and slipped inside.
The cooled blanket felt cold against her skin. Elicity shivered slightly.
And then, at that moment—
“—?!”
She had thought he was asleep, but he wasn’t. The large man on the left side of the bed turned over within the blanket.
The thick blanket fluttered, covering both of them. In the instant darkness, hot breath poured against her ear.
“You’re too late.”
The gaze in the dim silence was red and heavy. Elicity let out a few short breaths.
“…Weren’t you sleeping?”
“I’m a light sleeper.”
Gasp. Elicity was startled and quickly apologized.
“I’m sorry. Go back to sleep.”
But Alex did not respond. Instead, in an instant, his hot lips seized the sensitive skin above her ear.
“Ah, De… dear.”
Weren’t you angry?
She didn’t even have time to ask. As his tongue brushed along her skin, red marks bloomed where it passed. Elicity could feel her breath gradually heating up.
“Are you alright tonight?”
His voice, seeking permission, was low and rough. His violet eyes were slowly filling with desire. Elicity, who had shyly lowered her gaze, lifted it.
“Why do you even ask something like that?”
Her affirmative response was quietly buried in her ragged breath.
“…Why?”
Why? Elicity was puzzled by the sudden question.
The answer was simple.
Because this time with him wasn’t unpleasant. Rather, there was a time when she had feared she might lose her restraint from enjoying it too much.
But if she were to say such a thing, how would her husband see her? Elicity had always lived as a proper duchess.
It was only a fleeting moment, but so many thoughts passed through her mind that she could not say a word.
Then, another question came from her husband.
“Is it because of that damn custom from Madonia again?”
“Huh? What do you mean…?”
That damn custom? She had no idea what he was talking about. But something about him seemed a little off.
His gaze was different from before. As if he were about to shatter the silence, it was terrifying.
And soon, his half-open lips suddenly devoured hers.
“—?!”
Alex bit down on her lower lip as if he were trying to tear it. His tongue forcefully invaded her mouth, recklessly stirring between her teeth and soft flesh.
At the same time, his hand, without even removing her clothes, mercilessly stimulated her body.
The fabric of her slip was thin and soft, but his rough touch was too harsh, causing her more pain than pleasure. It was to the point that she shook her head from the discomfort.
But Alex only paused for a moment before continuing his actions.
This time, his hand slipped inside her clothes, rubbing sensitive areas quickly. Though it brought pleasure, it was an act entirely devoid of consideration for her.
Neither before nor after the regression had he ever overpowered her like this.
Suddenly, she found her husband frightening.
‘This is…’
I don’t like this.
Elicity placed her hands against his chest and tried to push him away.
However, Alex grabbed her wrists instead, as if restraining her.
Her white, delicate arms were easily caught, and Elicity’s eyes widened in shock.
Despite being grabbed so roughly, she didn’t feel pain in her wrists. But it wasn’t enough to break free from his grasp.
Elicity twisted her body a few times underneath him.
From her frantic movements, the blanket covering them slipped down, knocking over a candle on the bedside table.
But Alex didn’t care and continued his storm-like, merciless kisses.
He was really trying to hurt her—he even bit her lips. She could taste blood.
‘What the hell is this?’
What’s happening? Her mind went blank.
She didn’t know how much time had passed.
Finally, when she barely managed to pull away from his lips, Elicity hesitantly retreated toward the head of the bed.
“Alex… why are you like this today?”
In the darkness, only his eyes could be seen—darkened completely, his red pupils.
“You’re… you’re too rough.”
Once again, her husband did not respond.
Feeling even more afraid, Elicity instinctively blurted out,
“This… I don’t like this. I’m scared.”
“…”
“Dear?”
A heavy silence washed over the bedroom like a wave.
Elicity felt her throat going dry.
Before long, the bed shifted. Alex was getting off the bed.
It was as if everything that had just happened had been a dream—he placed his feet on the floor and put on the robe he had discarded.
For a moment, Elicity felt dazed, unsure if this situation was even real.
“Dear?”
“…I’m sorry.”
At his sudden apology, Elicity wore a dumbfounded expression. She quickly grabbed the robe that had fallen to the floor and put it on.
She hurriedly set the candle upright and relit it with oil.
For some reason, she had the ominous feeling that he was about to leave this bedroom.
She was even more frightened than before.
“Dear, wait a moment.”
You’re not going to leave, are you?
She was just about to say that when Alex spoke first.
“I was too rough. I must have felt like a beast to you. I have no excuse. Sleep alone tonight. I’ll go to my own room.”
He pressed his fingers firmly against his furrowed brow before turning his back to her.
His broad shoulders and back radiated a firm determination—not to look back tonight.
Elicity’s heart dropped.
She climbed off the bed and clung closely to his back.
“Dear, I didn’t mean that I hated you, it’s just that you were a little…”
“I know. But I can’t forgive myself, so I don’t think I can stay here.”
“Alex.”
Elicity called his name.
Hearing the weakness in her voice, Alex turned around.
He gently pressed his lips against her forehead.
His lips were chillingly cold.
“Please understand, my lady.”
“…”
She had no idea what he was thinking.
Elicity sat down on the bed and watched her husband walk away, his back receding into the distance.
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Tillda
I’m tired of that absolute lack of communication. They both came back from timeline where they were over 40, maybe 50. This is not how grown up adults behave. At some point in live you learn that chill, where you speak-out your mind without overthinking. I get the feeling that author is in their early 20ties, so the portrayed is unrealistic.