Chapter 5

“It’s been three days since I turned into this form. In two more days, I’ll turn into another form.”

“Are you asking me to believe this……?”

“It’s true. Not a single lie…… All the staff in this mansion know about it.”

“……”

Either everyone in the mansion was in on the lie, or what this man said was true.

‘But how could such a thing be possible? Changing appearance?’

“I just can’t……”

“I understand you can’t believe it. Who would? But in two days, you’ll know. I’ll be in a different form then.”

He was right about that.

On the day two days passed, if she stayed up and watched him closely, she’d know if he was lying or telling the truth.

He wouldn’t tell a lie that would be exposed so quickly.

“If it’s true, is it an illness……?”

“I am under a curse.”

“What?”

“A curse passed down in my family.”

“If it’s a family curse……”

“My father had it, my grandfather had it, and my great-grandfather as well, so it’s a curse inherited by blood.”

“Is there a way to break it?”

“My father and grandfather were freed from the curse and lived ordinary lives before they passed away.”

“That’s a relief.”

Assuming she believed everything he said, it was fortunate there was a way to break the curse.

How could she live with a man whose face—no, whose whole appearance changed every five days?

“So, how is the curse broken?”

“When you feel the happiest, my curse will break, and I will live the rest of my life in the form I had at the moment the curse broke.”

Wait, hold on.

His appearance would be fixed forever at the moment I felt happiest?

What if I happened to feel happiest when he was extremely unattractive?

‘That can’t be. Surely, I’ll feel happiest when he’s at his most handsome.’

Cecia tried to calm her startled heart.

‘So I have to be careful about when I feel happiness.’

Many thoughts crowded Cecia’s mind.

‘So until the curse is broken, I’ll have to share a bed with a man who changes every five days.’

A husband who changes every five days.

Should she like this, or dislike it?

Of course, each form might have its own charm, but it felt like committing legal infidelity.

‘Still, the first form was nice…… Will he be that again? No, think positively. He could be even more handsome. Yes, I should think positively.’

“I’m sorry I’m such a man. I thought you’d never marry me if I told you the truth, so I hid it.”

“I—I’m alright with it……”

Yes. It was bewildering, but she could handle this level of disability.

It wasn’t as if she’d have to live with that frightening form forever—his face would keep changing. This much was fine.

Cecia was an optimistic person.

If she were pessimistic, she would have already despaired at such a tragic family history, but fortunately, Cecia was positive and hopeful by nature.

She was sure she could make it work.

***

“My bedroom is the room at the end of the hall.”

After revealing his secret, Adam seemed much lighter and showed Cecia around part of the mansion.

It could only be part, since the mansion was so large that it would take all day to see it all.

After showing her the bedroom, study, dining room, closet, and other places, Adam brought Cecia to the bedroom she would use.

All the luggage Cecia had brought from the capital was already neatly arranged in the bedroom.

The new dresses were in the wardrobe, the shoes were neatly placed, and beautiful flowers, not suited for winter, decorated the vases.

Firewood burned warmly in the fireplace, and the bed was very large and wide, with a canopy draped over it, making the atmosphere exceptionally romantic.

“I’ve filled the bath with warm water, so would you like to wash up?”

Adam had purposely sent all the maids away, so only the two of them were in the bedroom.

‘He’s not suggesting we bathe together, is he?’

Cecia glanced at Adam.

He had an enormous build.

Was there even a bathtub big enough for a body like that?

“I’ll wait here, so please wash up.”

Adam, despite his fierce appearance, was very polite and considerate.

In that regard, he was definitely the same man she’d seen at the wedding, but she still couldn’t adjust to his appearance.

“Then, I’ll go wash up.”

Cecia walked to the bathtub, which was partitioned off.

There wasn’t a separate bathroom, but a marble bathtub was placed in one corner of the bedroom, with stone laid on the floor to catch any spills.

A partition was set up between the tub and the bed so it couldn’t be seen from the bed.

On the shelf next to the tub were towels and a gown, and the water in the tub was filled with dried rose petals.

When Cecia undressed and dipped her feet into the tub, water splashed over the edge.

But since there were stones below, there was no risk of staining the carpet or floor.

Relieved, Cecia lay her tired body in the tub, exhausted from riding the carriage all day.

The marble tub was big enough for Cecia to stretch out both legs.

As she warmed her body in the water, she heard the door open and close.

‘Did he go out?’

If there was no sound of someone coming in, Adam must have gone out.

When Cecia finished her bath, dried her wet body with a towel, put on her gown, and stepped out from behind the partition, Adam was nowhere to be seen.

‘Where did he go?’

Cecia climbed onto the bed, pulled the blanket up to her thighs while still in her gown, and then the bedroom door opened and Adam entered, holding a bottle of liquor in one hand and two glasses in the other.

“I thought you might need a drink, so I brought some.”

His face was fierce and his voice rough, but his manner of speaking was that of the gentleman Adam Sinclair.

That reassured Cecia.

“I was thirsty anyway.”

“Just drink a little.”

Adam handed Cecia a glass and poured liquor into it, filling it halfway.

Clink—

After lightly touching glasses, they drank at the same time, and Cecia’s cheeks flushed.

Cecia was weak with alcohol.

Just one glass of wine made her blush; two made her feverish; she’d never tried three, but if she did, she’d surely get drunk.

“Would you like another glass?”

His tone was so polite.

He looked like the fiercest man in the world, but his manner was the most gentlemanly.

“Just one more.”

Thinking two glasses would be fine, Cecia accepted another glass of wine.

But this wine was really sweet.

“Aeon’s summer is very short but intense, so the grapes grown here have a higher sugar content than grapes from other regions. This wine is made from Aeon’s grapes. Only a tiny amount is produced, so it’s not available elsewhere; our family serves it to special guests or sometimes sends it as a gift to the Imperial Palace.”

“It’s a precious wine.”

She wasn’t sure if it was true, but aside from his changing appearance, he was a perfect husband and this a perfect marriage.

“If you’re not going to drink another glass, shall I put the glasses away?”

“Yes……”

Cecia, unable to hide her flushed cheeks, handed the glass to Adam.

“Now……”

Adam, having set the glass aside, climbed onto the bed.

When he got on, the bed shook violently.

Cecia thought it was a huge bed, but with this giant man, it instantly felt cramped.

As the bed rocked, Cecia’s body shook as well.

‘He really is huge……’

The man approaching her was enormous.

Not only was his face fierce, but his whole body was intimidating.

His palm was bigger than Cecia’s face.

“You can close your eyes.”

“Uh? Yes.”

At his words, Cecia quickly closed her eyes.

Her breathing grew fast, her heart pounding.

Then, she heard rustling sounds.

‘He’s undressing……’

Cecia didn’t need to undress; she was already n*ked except for the gown.

But Adam would have to take off several layers.

The sound of undressing continued for quite a while, then stopped.

Only rough breathing could be heard, “huff, huff.”

‘Should I open my eyes?’

Cecia peeked open her eyes.

At that moment, something hot touched her lips.

“Mm……!”

It was a kiss very different from the sweet one at the wedding—rough and forceful, making Cecia flustered.