I guarantee, there’s no one as difficult for Serena to deal with as Magnus.

She groaned softly, clutching her aching waist and numb thighs.

‘The words “I like you” are too violent.’

And Serena was too weak to those words. To be honest, when Magnus started whispering those words in her ear with determination, she couldn’t do anything.

Yesterday too, it started like that and she had to endure hell until dawn broke.

The price for not refusing a single moment was quite substantial.

Hearing her groaning, Magnus carefully embraced her and comforted her.

Serena’s face crumpled at Magnus’s utterly detestable behavior.

Magnus, burying his face in her chest, slowly kissed her, gradually devouring up to her neckline.

Serena frowned.

“Get away from me.”

“I don’t want to.”

“……Then don’t do it.”

“Hmm……”

Magnus gently rubbed his cheek against her skin while holding her.

“I like you.”

“No, what’s not possible is not possible.”

“……I see.”

At his quite dejected voice, Serena frowned deeply.

Does this man have any conscience at all?

When she tightly closed her mouth in bewilderment, he burst into a low laugh and kept kissing her cheek.

Light bird kisses touched her cheek several times like a bird pecking, then left.

The man holding her with his eyes closed seemed quite pleased somehow.

“You know what? Serena.”

“I don’t know.”

Despite the curt reply, Magnus moved his lips while burying them in Serena’s shoulder.

“I never thought I could love someone.”

“……”

Wondering what this story was about again, Serena tensed up.

It was because just yesterday, no, early this morning, she had been caught up in his words that started with such trivial talk and ended up with her crying all night on the bed.

As she stared at him tensely without relaxing, Magnus laughed softly.

“But it turns out I can. I never thought I’d become so obsessed with something like this.”

Serena just quietly rolled her eyes at the softly whispered voice.

As she slowly nodded, he gently bit her shoulder with his teeth.

“I thought I was someone who shouldn’t become obsessed or want something.”

“……Why?”

“There are many reasons, but the biggest is my madness.”

Magnus said calmly.

He wasn’t confident he wouldn’t get excited if he developed an obsessive feeling for something.

He had never tried to desire anything in his life.

Even before he came of age, self-restraint was natural to him. If he didn’t hold back, others would get hurt.

His father, the previous duke, repeatedly admonished Magnus about this.

So he learned not to be greedy.

He learned how to suppress and control his anger even when he was angry, and how to make his heart colder and his mind more calm the more heated he became.

Of course, it wasn’t an easy thing.

So honestly, this current situation felt very much like a dream to him.

Having something that couldn’t be taken away by others, something he could proudly call his own without it being strange, filled one corner of his heart so completely.

“……I’m sorry, but no matter how pitiful a story you tell or how wistfully you look at me, I absolutely won’t do it.”

……Even if the other person doesn’t seem to believe in him at all.

Magnus shrugged as he looked at her glaring at him with distrustful eyes.

“I won’t do it. I do have a conscience.”

“…No, you don’t have a conscience.”

“I do.”

“You don’t, if you had one you couldn’t have done that yesterday.”

Magnus quietly closed his mouth in front of her growling as if wronged.

It was because it was Magnus who had pushed her more when she was crying yesterday.

He quietly closed his mouth and nodded in affirmation.

“Right, I don’t.”

He quickly admitted.

“Yes, you don’t.”

Serena also quickly agreed.

“Anyway… I wanted to say that I’m glad I met you and thank you for staying with me.”

“……What’s this, suddenly. It’s making me uncomfortable.”

Serena said awkwardly, scratching her cheek.

Magnus smiled and kissed her face again as she glanced at him.

“Shall we shower together today?”

“No, absolutely not.”

Serena immediately shook her head and rejected his subtle suggestion.

Magnus slowly licked his lower lip and nodded. She curled up and buried her face in the blanket.

“I’m going to sleep all day. I’m in pain and can’t move.”

“I don’t mind, but are you not going to eat?”

“Just bring me some jerky. I’ll chew it on my own.”

“…I’ll refuse that.”

Magnus said firmly. Regrettably, he had no intention of starving her.

Magnus thought she needed a healthy lifestyle in many ways, and she sincerely wanted to refuse such concerns.

To put it bluntly, it wasn’t very pleasant.

She just wanted to sleep in the blanket.

“Just leave me alone for today. If your conscience is still alive, that is.”

“Eat and then rest.”

“I hate it even if I die.”

She mumbled, hugging the blanket. She absolutely didn’t want to leave the warm bed today.

That was because she was sufficiently satisfied right now. Her waist and groin hurt, but anyway, she finally had an excuse to laze around.

“If you touch me today……”

Feeling Magnus reaching out, she quickly raised her head and growled.

Magnus paused.

“You’d better be prepared not to see me for about a year from now on.”

“……Isn’t a year too harsh, humanly speaking?”

“I don’t know, I won’t budge an inch from the Marquis’ house.”

At her threat, Magnus withdrew his outstretched hand. He groaned softly and clicked his tongue.

“When did you become so cowardly?”

“Cowardly? Say I’ve become wise.”

She said with a giggle at his complaint. Magnus sighed and pulled her into his arms.

“Alright, then I’ll rest for today too.”

“……No way.”

“I’ll specially experience this ‘lazing around’ that you do.”

Why say it with such a solemn expression as if it’s something grand to experience.

Serena looked up at him with a displeased face, then slowly blinked.

“Actually, I’m the one who feels like it’s a dream.”

“…Serena?”

“I never thought I’d marry someone and have a family.”

It seems like I didn’t have any particular plans for the future.

I just thought that living as given and dying one day as given was what life was about.

But it wasn’t.

Magnus showed her a new world.

He taught her how to be loved and loved her. He also taught her how to rest properly and that the world doesn’t collapse even if you don’t do anything.

“I never thought someone would love me.”

“That might be fortunate in a way.”

Serena’s face slightly crumpled at Magnus’s mood-breaking words. She silently looked at Magnus.

“Hey, aren’t I saying something touching right now?”

“Were you?”

“……Forget it, what am I even saying to you.”

She sighed. Magnus looked at Serena with a slightly distorted expression and then shrugged.

“I love you, Serena.”

She stared at Magnus as he whispered in her ear again.

Magnus tilted his head with a strange expression as he watched her not blushing as usual.

“What’s wrong?”

“……Too.”

“Hm?”

Serena hugged him tightly and brought her lips close to his ear.

“……Me too.”

Magnus paused as he heard her muttering voice.

“…I, I think… I love you too. Magnus.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she quickly turned her body, moved to the edge of the bed, hugged a pillow, and buried her face in the blanket.

Magnus blinked silently as he watched her close her eyes after throwing a bomb in an ant-like voice.

Soon, his face turned bright red.

“……Serena, you….”

He stretched out his long arm, grabbed her waist, and pulled her into his arms in one breath.

“Wh-what are you doing?”

He kissed her nape while hugging her from behind and opened his mouth.

“Yes, I love you too.”

“……I know.”

“Much more than you think.”

“……Okay.”

Magnus laughed softly at her small response with a reddened face.

Light poured in between the curtains. Thinking it was quite a peaceful day, Magnus slowly closed his eyes while holding her.

Serena, with her face buried in his chest, soon fell asleep too.

It was one of the peaceful daily moments that would continue forever.

< “I Want to Live an Easy Life” End of the Main Story >