Chapter 81

“Oh, but maybe she would have been just as happy. She would have been thrilled that her masters finally succeeded.”

Though Louise spoke with a laugh, Alec found himself at a loss for words.

Her fair skin was marked with reddish bruises.

While he felt guilty, at the same time, a strange sensation filled his chest.

It was a feeling of fulfillment he had never experienced before.

To think that he was the man who had left her in such a state…

Alec let out a shallow breath, feeling this strange sensation, and clenched his jaw slightly.

He pulled his chair closer, narrowing the distance between them until their knees touched, and their legs overlapped.

He wrapped the warm towel around her thigh.

It was natural for Louise to feel unreserved with him. After all, he was her husband now.

Last night, she had welcomed him almost unclothed, and even now, she had no qualms about lifting her dress in front of him. This was something only a wife could do before her husband.

But to Alec, who still saw her as a stranger, her bold actions were incredibly stimulating.

To endure the unfamiliar feelings, Alec carefully and diligently massaged Louise’s leg.

He could feel her body gradually stiffening, and her breathing grew more rapid.

The sound of her breath clouded his mind, but Alec maintained his composure, continuing his movements.

Though his hands were on the towel, he swallowed nervously, and his own breathing became more pronounced in his ears.

The distance between them was too close.

“Alec.”

“Yes?”

Louise’s voice suddenly rang in his ears like thunder.

She took a deep breath before speaking.

“Thank you. Your massage is making me feel much better.”

“…”

Had she already felt the pain lessen?

He had barely used any healing magic, so subtle it was hardly noticeable.

“But after wandering around yesterday and today, I realized the castle is quite amazing.”

“…”

“I wonder how long it will take to explore the whole place.”

“…”

Alec swallowed hard, his throat visibly moving up and down.

It seemed impossible for her to explore every corner of this castle.

He continued massaging her thighs gently and said,

“You should rest for the next few days rather than explore.”

“Have you already seen the entire castle?”

“Yes.”

“That’s impressive. It must’ve been tiring.”

“…”

“Was the castle this splendid when you first arrived?”

“…”

Alec’s hands stopped once more.

Louise had begun to suspect the condition of Wiltsbrook Castle. It was strange not to.

“Or did you clean the castle in advance when you stayed here alone for a few days?”

“I did clean, but…”

Alec answered while continuing to massage her skin gently, as if smoothing it out.

“Who did it? You alone?”

“…”

“Or did you hire someone from the North?”

“…”

Should he just say yes?

It would be a harmless lie.

No one would believe he cleaned the entire castle by himself.

But if he lied about hiring someone, he’d have to keep lying about those people in the future. If she ever asked to meet them, it would cause unnecessary complications, and he didn’t want to deal with that.

“I noticed the furniture wasn’t worn at all, so I thought you might’ve bought new ones. Were these the original pieces?”

“…”

Louise’s questions were calm.

She wasn’t accusatory or suspicious, just genuinely curious.

Finally, Alec finished massaging her and gently lowered her dress back to her ankles.

It seemed like the time had come to tell her the truth.

He stood up and helped her put on her shoes, which made her look at him, puzzled.

“Why the shoes all of a sudden?”

Without a word, Alec fetched a fur cloak hanging in the room.

Louise rose from the bed in curiosity.

“Where are we going?”

“There’s somewhere I need to take you.”

As he said this, Alec draped the cloak over her shoulders and tied the leather straps tightly.

“Where is this place?”

“The place I went to earlier.”

“Huh?”

“It won’t take long. But since it’s not a place we can walk to, may I carry you for a bit?”

“…”

Louise stared at him in silence, her expression one of quiet wonder.

Alec met her gaze for a moment before simply lifting her into his arms.

Surprised by the sudden motion, Louise let out a small gasp and wrapped her arms around his waist.

“How are we getting there?”

He walked toward the window without answering.

Opening the window, the crisp northern air flooded the room.

“Alec? Why did you open the window?”

“Hold on tight, Louise.”

“Huh? What do you—ah!”

Her hair flew wildly as they moved.

Alec’s speed skill didn’t allow him to fly, but it did let him move across the air if there was something to step on.

Fortunately, the snow-covered peaks weren’t far. They could reach the mountain in no time by leaping over a few towers and ridges.

He held her even tighter, and she buried her face into his chest in surprise.

After a few quick steps that made the world blur past them like flashes of light, they landed softly on a high peak.

The snow around them rose gently like fine sand.

All around them, there was nothing but white.

Louise’s silvery hair floated in the air before softly settling down again.

Only then did Alec set Louise down on the ground.

“Hah.”

Louise let out a short breath and staggered. She grabbed his arm, blinking as if in disbelief. Then, her eyes widened.

“Where is this place?”

She stepped away from his embrace, looking around with a bewildered expression.

Crunch, crunch.

The sound of hurried footsteps on the snow seemed like the pounding of a heart sinking with anxiety.

Suddenly, Louise covered her mouth with her hand as if she had realized something.

“T-that’s our castle over there!”

“…”

Alec quietly approached Louise from behind.

The back of Wiltsbrook Castle was visible below the cliff.

“I-I was just there a moment ago… how…?”

It was clear to anyone that it wasn’t a distance they could have reached in such a short time.

Louise turned abruptly, giving him a look that demanded an explanation.

Her face was one of utter shock, but at the same time, there was a hint of unease in her eyes, as if she had already suspected something.

Alec met her gaze steadily without wavering and closed the distance between them a little more.

“It’s dangerous if you go any closer. Please come this way.”

Louise’s mouth dropped open at Alec’s calm response.

“Did you… do this?”

A whirlwind of emotions flashed across Louise’s face.

Even though she knew he had done it, it was as if she needed to confirm it once more.

“Was this your doing…?”

Alec briefly averted his gaze at her dazed question. Then, he looked back at her and spoke without hesitation.

“…It just turned out this way.”

“My goodness…”

Louise let out a deep breath.

She stared at him, as if she was about to say something, but then just closed her lips.

“Then, the castle…”

As she struggled to speak, Alec continued in an indifferent tone.

“It’s the result of something similar. It was quite messy before, but…”

“My God.”

“…”

Louise’s gaze was intense.

It seemed like she was both astonished and worried at the same time. Or perhaps she was just taking a moment to process the situation itself.

After a long pause, she finally spoke with difficulty.

“I thought… you’d become stronger. Much stronger than when you first told me.”

“…”

“The day we went horseback riding for the first time. When you took down the men chasing us…”

“…”

“I didn’t think you had just gotten physically stronger. But I never imagined it would be to this extent.”

“…”

Louise’s chest rose and fell heavily. It seemed she was too shocked to even breathe properly.

Of course, Alec had already guessed that Louise might have had an inkling on that day. She hadn’t said anything, so he had let it pass, but it must have been strange for her.

“This is just absurd. Flying from the castle to here in the blink of an eye, and that abandoned castle, looking like it’s brand new…”

“…”

After finishing her sentence, Louise stared at him for a moment and then approached him.

With slightly trembling fingers, she lifted his shirt.

A gust of cold air touched the spot on his side where the wound from Castine’s attack had been.

Startled, Louise inhaled sharply, and then checked the other side as well.

“H-how is this possible?”

“…”

“I thought I must have seen it wrong. It was dark last night, and everything was so chaotic.”

“…”

Ah, now that he thought about it.

Alec tilted his head slightly.

Last night, it hadn’t even occurred to him that she might notice the wound had disappeared.

Louise, having only caught a glimpse, seemed unsure at first, but now she must have decided to confirm it.

“Are you… a sorcerer or something?”

“Excuse me?”

“Did you suddenly gain that kind of power?”

“…”

At the word “sorcerer,” Alec wasn’t sure how to respond for a moment, but then he spoke again.

“Well, something like that, maybe.”

“My goodness…”

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