My Husband was Switched - Chapter 9

“Crazy…”

What have I done!

I pulled the blanket over my head and squeezed my eyes shut. I couldn’t forget the kiss we shared before he left. It was just a deep kiss, but…

‘Why do I feel…’

I touched my lips and then kicked the blanket with my feet, mumbling quietly. Kissing the person who made such a fuss about wanting a divorce like that!

I needed to get a grip. I had to move and escape while he wasn’t here. The thought of his predator-like, piercing eyes sent chills down my spine.

“Your Highness, may I come in?”

Rien, who had been waiting outside the door, entered the room with my permission and helped me get dressed. As I let her hands work on me absentmindedly, I suddenly snapped back to reality.

“I need to see off the Grand Duke.”

I put on a thick coat and headed straight to the entrance of the mansion. He was already mounted on his horse, ready to leave. I stared at him intently, bidding him farewell in my heart.

“Wife, I’ll be back.”

Cedric, mounted on his horse, stood beside me. He leaned down and extended his hand. When I gently took it, he kissed the back of my hand deeply.

“I’ll be back soon.”

He was so calm, it was hard to believe he was going to war. It must have been such a familiar environment for him. The thought made my chest ache a little. I watched quietly as he and the knights left the mansion.

Then I collapsed weakly to the ground and sighed.

‘…Finally, I can relax a bit.’

Only then did I face reality. Seeing myself relieved that he had been drafted to the war made me feel guilty towards Cedric.

‘It’s kind of wrong to feel happy about someone going to war.’

My conscience pricked me, and I shook my head vigorously.

Even while eating, I tried to endure the unexpected emptiness that came over me. We had only eaten together a few times, so why did I feel so empty? I wondered if he had cast some strange spell on me, and all sorts of thoughts crossed my mind.

‘First, I need to find the tree.’

So, I cautiously went out to the garden to find the tree in the forest. Stretching, I avoided the maids’ eyes and headed towards the entrance of the garden.

“Tweet, tweet!” (Claire! There’s a new family member!)

“…New family member?”

I found myself walking slowly towards the place the birds were guiding me to. As I approached a dense area of the garden, I heard whimpering sounds.

“Huh? Where is that sound coming from?”

Carefully parting the grass, I found a bleeding wolf. The wound was deep at a glance. I looked around and hid in the forest, extending my hand.

“How did you get hurt like this?”

First, I had to treat the wolf. I used my ability to heal the wolf’s body. Sweat beaded on my forehead.

“Grrrr, awoo!” (It hurts, it hurts.)

“Just bear with it a little longer.”

I pressed the wolf down with my foot to keep it still and continued to heal it. It was a bit rough, but it was the best method.

After a few minutes, the wolf’s breathing stabilized. Only then did I remove my hand.

Better safe than sorry.

I leaned in slightly to listen. The wolf was no longer groaning.

“Ha, am I going to die first at this rate?”

Exhausted, I lay sprawled on the ground. I needed to rest a bit to regain my strength. Using my ability consumed a lot of energy.

“The sky is really clear here.”

Too clear, actually. As I looked at the cloudless sky, I thought of him. I shook my head vigorously and slapped my cheeks with both hands.

“Get a grip! How are you going to survive in this harsh world if you’re swayed by a handsome face?”

Because he treated me so well, I seemed to have lost my sense of caution. This might be my last chance, the perfect opportunity to divorce him.

“Hmmm, what should I do with this wolf?”

I frowned, looking at the wolf that was bigger than me. It was too big to move by myself.

❖ ❖ ❖

A week had passed. But the wolf showed no signs of leaving. What’s more troubling was that I was still in the Grand Duke’s mansion.

‘Why is the security so tight!’

This must be because Cedric gave them some instructions. Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such a lack of gaps. Before Cedric went to the battlefield, when he was in the mansion, it wasn’t like this. There were no guards following me on my walks or when I went to rest in the garden. What does this mean?

It means he sneakily gave orders and left. After shaking me up like this! If he was going to do that, he should at least let me escape.

He even left Dame Alita as my escort knight, under the pretext of protection. It was obvious she was meant to keep an eye on me, but she insisted she was just my escort knight.

More bothersome than Dame Alita watching me from a distance was this guy.

“Why aren’t you going back to the forest when you seem fully healed?”

“Woof.” (I’m still in pain.)

The wolf introduced himself as ‘Zeno.’ It was a name that didn’t suit his size, but when I called him, it sounded like a dog’s name, and it sounded cute and fitting after calling him that for a while.

“Zeno, why aren’t you leaving? You’re making things difficult for me.”

You need to go so I can make plans too. I can’t escape on a wolf… Or can I? Maybe I could. I seem to be thinking of all sorts of strange things in my desperation.

“Seriously. Once you’re fully healed, you have to go back to the forest.”

“Woof, woof.” (Are you trying to kick me out when I’m still in pain?)

“You seem fully healed to me.”

I squinted my eyes and stared at Zeno. He curled up and closed his eyes nonchalantly.

“Your Highness, the Grand Duchess. I’m very scared.”

“Don’t worry, Your Highness. As long as I’m here, the wolf won’t be able to harm you.”

Unlike Rien, Alita seemed unafraid of the wolf and remained calm.

“Isn’t it too dangerous to keep a wolf in your room?”

Even the butler, who had been silent, cautiously opposed. Rien wasn’t enough, now the butler was also trying to dissuade me.

I shrugged and blinked at the butler.

I hadn’t thought of that. This wasn’t my house, it was the Grand Duke’s. If I did something he disliked, wouldn’t he think he couldn’t live with me?

Having finished my thoughts, I cautiously asked the butler,

“Hmm, would the Grand Duke be angry if he found out?”

“…He might.”

Good, then I should definitely do it. My eyes sparkled even more.

“Make sure to report this to the Grand Duke without fail.”

“…Pardon?”

“Make sure, absolutely. Tell him I plan to keep this wolf as a pet.”

The butler’s face turned to one of shock.

“Grrrr.” (You’ll regret it if you kick me out.)

At Zeno’s words, I leaned in closer, my eyes sparkling. He was definitely hiding some important information.

“What is it? What are you hiding?”

“Woof.” (I don’t know what you’re talking about.)

“If you don’t tell me right now, I’ll have to kick you out.”

“Grrrr, woof!” (Don’t you think that’s too unfair?)

“Zeno, that’s how life is. So, hurry up and tell me. What are you hiding?”

“…Whimper.” (In the forest…)

I squinted my eyes and moved closer to Zeno, listening intently.

“Woof, woof!” (There’s a tree. A tree with holy power, and I know where it is.)

“What!?”

I jumped up in surprise.

❖ ❖ ❖

“I don’t understand. Why can’t I get her out of my mind?”

Cedric leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes. The situation was progressing rapidly, and the tide of war was already turning in his favor. Unlike the victory in war, he couldn’t win the battle with his wife.

He looked in the mirror, examining his face from different angles. His sharp eyes and black hair like the night sky. His cold blue eyes were striking.

‘It seemed like she was troubled just by looking at my face.’

Everyone avoided him, not even giving him a glance. He had never thought about marriage because he had to manage the affairs of the North. Therefore he had no expectations for married life.

But after marrying Claire, he found himself smiling more often. Because he was married, he tried his best and paid attention to her so she wouldn’t feel lonely.

His eyes gleamed menacingly as he stared at the letter. The letter from the butler contained unexpected information, adding to his anxiety.

‘A wolf pup…’

The air around Cedric turned icy. He crumpled the letter and threw it into the trash, leaning back.

“Ha.”

A deep sigh escaped him, and Claire’s face kept coming to mind. The brief kiss they shared before he left lingered vividly in his memory.

“Your Grace? Is something wrong?”

Kaven looked at him with concern.

“I need to finish this immediately. A week is too long. Three days, yes, that should be enough.”

Cedric was bothered by the thought of a stranger in his home. He felt an urgent need to return. His instincts told him so. His instincts had never been wrong, which made him even more anxious.

‘It’s too quiet, which is strange.’

She used to talk about divorce constantly. Claire might think now is the perfect time to act since he’s not around.

If he delayed, would she run away? The thought of her trembling in his arms made him feel thirsty.

He had never let go of anything that came into his possession. Claire would be no different.

“Kaven.”

“Yes, Your Grace?”

“I’m returning to the mansion tomorrow.”

“…What? I must have misheard.”

“I won’t change my mind.”

Kaven’s face turned pale at Cedric’s words. It meant they would work through the night to finish everything and return.

“There’s no such thing as impossible.”

“…Understood.”