Chapter 34

“…”

“I don’t know exactly what’s going on either. But one thing is certain.”

“…?”

He hesitated again, as if grappling with something.

I waited patiently for him to speak again.

It seemed difficult for him to talk about it.

Was it because he didn’t fully understand it himself and thought I wouldn’t either? Or was he feeling guilty for not telling me sooner?

His lips parted, but then he hesitated again, as if in conflict.

I couldn’t begin to guess what he was hiding.

His hesitation stretched on.

I cautiously interrupted, still waiting for him to speak.

“Have you become stronger?”

“…What?”

His eyelashes fluttered. He seemed taken aback by my words.

I voiced the thoughts I’d been having all along.

“At first, I thought maybe you were deceiving us all. But then I realized there was no reason for that. You’ve endured years, almost a lifetime, of suffering under the tyrant and society.”

“…”

He didn’t respond, almost as if he was agreeing with me.

I sighed softly and continued.

“If you had been hiding such strength, you would have revealed it before we lost everything. You wouldn’t have tried to die.”

“…”

“Or were you pretending you couldn’t move all this time?”

“That’s not it.”

His eyes wavered slightly but his answer was firm.

It didn’t seem like a lie.

His resolute denial brought me some relief.

“…I see. So, I thought maybe you suddenly became strong.”

“…”

“Just like how your speech improved, has your body changed for some inexplicable reason?”

He just looked at me silently.

I met his gaze, filled with worry but also trust.

I was ready to hear whatever he had to say.

As long as he wasn’t trying to deceive me, or even if he had been but was now ready to tell the truth, I could accept it.

All I wanted was the truth.

With that earnest desire, I looked up at him.

He didn’t avoid my gaze.

At some point, his eyes seemed to make a decision, and he finally spoke.

“…Yes. I have become stronger, as you saw.”

“…”

I took a deep breath and clenched my hands tightly.

My heart started pounding.

Maybe it was what I had expected.

But hearing it directly from his mouth stirred up indescribable feelings.

Trying to calm my rapidly beating heart, I spoke.

“…How did that happen?”

Has he really become stronger?

Like the heroes in movies who suddenly become invincible?

Everything felt like a dream.

Finally, he averted his gaze and spoke.

“I’m still figuring it out myself. There are some unclear aspects.”

Unclear aspects…

I suddenly felt worried.

It was understandable. A person doesn’t change so drastically without reason.

I furrowed my brows in concern.

“Could it be that this power comes at the cost of your lifespan or has some side effects?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Really?”

“…Yes.”

I felt a bit more at ease.

He also seemed to let out a light sigh, still somewhat troubled.

“I knew it would shock you. I expected you to be worried.”

“…No. You’ve probably been more shocked and confused than I have.”

“…”

I looked up at him, my eyes wavering slightly.

Alec met my gaze in silence.

It wasn’t necessarily a bad thing that he had become stronger.

However, given his previously reserved and introverted nature, I wondered if he could handle such drastic changes.

Taking a deep breath, I spoke again.

“If you’re okay with it, then I’m okay too. But it seems you’ve changed so much, it’s hard not to worry. Can you handle this?”

He was always quite handsome and robust, appearing healthy, though he rarely exerted himself for reasons I never fully understood.

Yet, the man I saw today wielded strength and skill far beyond what I could ever imagine.

It must be challenging to adapt to such sudden power without any training.

Although Alec had naturally taken down those men…

He moved his lips slightly, looking somewhat awkward.

“I’m fine. I’ve gotten quite used to it over the past few weeks.”

“I see…”

To think he had already adapted in such a short time.

I should have realized when he helped with the sheep.

Holding his hand lightly, I forced a smile.

“Alright. Then I’ll feel reassured.”

Although it was sudden and hard to fully accept his newfound strength, it was comforting to know he wasn’t weaker and could now stand up to those who tormented him.

Taking another breath, I spoke again.

“If you ever find out exactly how this happened, will you tell me?”

He nodded slightly at my question.

“And if there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.”

“I will.”

His response made me relax my eyes a bit.

I was still worried, but it was a relief that he opened up to me instead of hiding the truth.

* * *

Click.

Louise’s dress rustled softly as she slipped through the door.

Alec watched the spot where she had passed.

Louise had left.

He couldn’t bring himself to tell her the truth: that the real Alec was dead, and that he wasn’t her husband.

Taking a deep breath, Alec rubbed his face.

‘I couldn’t tell her the truth.’

His mind was a whirl of confusion and turmoil.

He had expected Louise to question him, demanding to know who he was and if he was really her husband.

In that scenario, he thought it might be better to confess that his soul had changed, to explain what happened earlier that day.

But contrary to his fears, Louise didn’t doubt him.

She couldn’t seem to conceive that her husband might be a completely different person now.

He felt somewhat bewildered, unable to reveal the truth as he had planned.

Telling her that their Alec was truly gone would have been like declaring him dead.

‘This is troublesome.’

He touched his lips with his hand.

Maybe it was natural that Louise couldn’t suspect anything.

Who would ever think that a person’s soul had changed?

From an ordinary perspective, that was something that only happened in movies.

Why did he have to become Alec?

Because he looks almost identical to Alec?

Or to take revenge on the bullies and tyrant who tormented Alec instead?

But if that were the case, why would he need affection?

The one who needs Louise’s affection is the already deceased Alec.

Yet, it seemed like Louise truly loved Alec.

Although he didn’t know the full extent of their marital relationship, he could sense their feelings for each other.

Now, he felt deeply uncomfortable and out of place, as if he had intruded on a loving, ordinary marriage.

‘This d*mn system is driving me crazy.’

Put things back to the way they were.

Alec buried his face in one hand and sighed deeply.

Ding, ding.

The system’s notifications popped up as if to hurry him along.

[‘Cool-headed Beginner Husband’ status update.]

[Level 1, Affection 2, Experience 0]

[To level up, you need more affection and experience points.]

[Hurry and gain affection and experience to level up!]

‘This is ridiculous…’

To reach level 2, he needed 3 points of affection and 30 experience points.

But the barrier of gaining even one more point of affection seemed insurmountable, and in a place devoid of monsters, he had no idea how he would ever accumulate 30 experience points.

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up to the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories