#Daily Life 4

“I received this today.”

Diart, who had been lying lazily, looked up at the familiar glass bottle.

Where have I seen that before?

“What is it?”

“Lambert can’t pinpoint exactly where it comes from, but he said it’s good for men. He said it’s more effective than what I received last time.”

“Pffft!”

Only then did I remember the vial that Diart had shown me on our wedding night, and I spat out the wine I was drinking.

Diart’s face, who was gently caressing my cheeks, now stained red from the wine, was now indescribable. Diart took the wine glass from my hand and put it down, shaking the bottle and examining its contents.

“Is this really effective?”

I could tell he was trying to get down to my eye level to examine the contents. I quickly grabbed Diart’s hand, which was still wiping my cheeks. The water in the bathtub rippled fiercely as I shook my head.

“This is all nonsense. Don’t believe it.”

“If we used it on the first night, we would have been able to compare.”

“I told you, you didn’t need anything. But you wouldn’t listen to me anyway.”

“It’s been a while since we got married, but I still receive things like this from time to time, so I must be lacking.”

I heard I was unsatisfying last time too. Diart added, arching his eyebrows and looking hurt.

“No, it’s enough!”

In fact, it was overflowing to the point where it was a problem, and he knew it!

Unlike me, who was still too tired to lift a finger, the man in front of me was full of energy. Diart looked at me, who was shaking my head vigorously, and grinned mischievously. This was his typical expression when he was joking.

“I wonder if it would be effective for women too. I should have tried it then.”

“I can’t take that.”

“You’ll get used to anything eventually.”

The only thing that doesn’t change is your stamina.

Diart grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him. The sound of water splashing echoed through the bathroom. I stiffened as I felt his warm body temperature against my back. As if to loosen the tension, Diart lightly brushed his lips against my shoulder.

“Do you know how much damage it does to a man’s self-esteem when he’s misunderstood like this?”

His voice was full of resentment, but I knew very well that he was acting. The touch that secretly teased my belly button was impure, and the voice that reached my ear contained a clear intention.

“I wonder if your lack of stamina is because of the curse not being lifted.”

Diart kissed my palm and spoke in a worried tone.

“By now, it should have been lifted, but something seems off. I think I need to call the Sou clan.”

I quickly grabbed his wrist and made an excuse.

“I think I haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

“Why can’t you sleep?”

I need you to put me to sleep!

I wanted to argue that it wasn’t because of my lack of stamina, but because of his excessive energy, but I felt a lot of guilt towards Diart.

“…It’s because the weather has been cold lately.”

“You’re very sensitive to the cold.”

Diart nodded as he buried his face in my neck. I felt something pressing against my back as he pulled me closer, but I was relieved that the Sou clan’s matter seemed to be resolved for now.

In fact, I had been lying to Diart for quite some time.

‘That damn book. It said it would take six months to break the curse!’

Six months had passed, yet before even a month had passed since our marriage, the curse had already been completely neutralized. I was so surprised when I couldn’t feel his unique energy even when I first touched Diart’s hand.

Much like the cursed Beast Duke, who was said to have been confined to his bedroom after being cursed, we were glued to each other in the bedroom day and night, so it would have been strange if it had not been neutralized immediately. Diart had kept his promise to break the curse on our wedding day, and he did it exceptionally well.

When I found out that the curse had been lifted, I felt a sense of relief and disappointment at the same time. I was afraid that Diart might become neglectful towards me if he found out. So whenever he asked about the curse, I would shake my head.

“It’s cold here too.”

“Um, wait. That…”

…Sometimes, I feel like I’ve been lying for no reason.

“It seems like you’re really affected by the cold. Gordon told me to prepare some nourishing food for you.”

“…Okay. Thank you.”

I hope it’s not the tarvo or something that we had last time. It had a terrible taste. But with a guilty conscience, I obediently nodded my head. I didn’t even bother to let go of Diart’s hand as he pinched my thigh, feeling sorry for him, who was worrying without knowing anything.

“They said that if someone under the curse has contact with others, a strange energy is transmitted.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“What does it feel like?”

“Didn’t you ask me that before?”

“Did I?”

He’s a man who never forgets anything, so what kind of trick is he playing? I tried hard to recall the feeling of the energy that has now become hazy in my memory.

“Well, usually it had a strong refreshing feel. No, it was powerful. Cool and invigorating.”

“And?”

“The more intense the contact, the stronger the energy that flows in. It’s like every hair on my body stands up, and my senses become so sensitive that I can’t help but feel itchy all over. It’s hard to explain…”

Diart stood up and gently turned my chin to kiss me. His warm flesh intruded into my mouth, sliding in slowly as if exploring. Yielding to his kind and tantalizing movements that retreated when it seemed to reach the desired place, I eventually turned my body and hung onto his neck. I could feel Diart’s lips happily stretching out as I accepted him willingly.

For a while, the wet friction that filled the bathroom stopped, and Diart turned me around and hugged me again.

“Is it still like that?”

“What do you mean?”

I was still lost in thought, and Diart asked with his lips on my forehead.

“Is that indescribable feeling still the same?”

Diart’s touch was always stimulating, and it made my heart race to the point where I had to think hard to recall what the energy transmitted through contact due to the curse felt like. As I nodded my head, his lips on my forehead added more weight. I could feel his satisfaction.

“Is it only with me?”

“What?”

“Only when you have contact with me?”

“Yes.”

I quickly answered Diart, who nibbled painfully on the nape of my neck as if to show his jealousy. Actually, at first, I thought the reason why I had a particularly strong reaction to contact with Diart was because of the curse that descended on Wheaton. But upon further thought, the answer was written in the book.

[The only way to break the curse is through ‘love’. Contact with the opposite sex gradually neutralizes the curse and eventually allows complete freedom.]

So, the reason I had a stronger reaction to contact with Diart as time went on was because I loved him. And likewise, it was because he loved me.

Thinking that way, now that the curse was completely lifted, it felt like our love had become perfect. Hmm, suddenly it feels gratifying.

“It will be a shame when the curse is lifted.”

“What?”

I ask, puzzled, and he twists his fingers in my purple hair.

“Because you won’t be able to experience that good feeling.”

“Ah, I thought I would feel the same way, but I didn’t. Even when the curse was lifted, it felt good. So good that I couldn’t come to my senses. Now that I think about it, I don’t think that good feeling was just because of the curse.”

“Really?”

I felt Diart smiling behind me. I quickly added, realizing that I had been talking carelessly.

“I mean, of course it’s natural to feel good when you touch someone you love. You feel the same way, don’t you?”

“Yes.”

Unlike me, who was making excuses in a hurry for fear of being caught in a lie, Diart admitted cleanly and whispered softly into my ear.

“But wouldn’t it be better to enjoy what we can before the curse is completely lifted? It would be a shame.”

“Why?”

Before I could fully understand what he meant, Diart lifted me up and out of the bathtub. The sound of water pouring onto the floor echoed loudly, and the cool air touched my warm skin.

“What are you doing now…”

“Let’s enjoy it while we can.”

“No, wait…”

“I’ll warm you up.”

I blinked as I was dragged into the bedroom, unable to resist Diart’s embrace. I knew that he kept making efforts to achieve this, but in the end, I couldn’t help but feel annoyed by Diart’s satisfied expression and playful smile.

‘Why do I keep feeling like I’m being deceived?’

* * *

Diart looked down at the exhausted Roeni and stretched his lips. He knew that Roeni’s curse had just been lifted. But he pretended not to know because he found Roeni’s innocence so cute.

It was hard to hold back his laughter when he saw her trying to cover up her mistakes several times. If they were facing each other, he would caught on to her cute little lie.

“You will continue to be under the curse for the rest of your life.”

And I will be deceived for the rest of my life.

Diart was delighted that he could satisfy his desires under the pretext of the curse. Knowing that Roeni also enjoyed their intimate moments, he felt no guilt whatsoever. After all, it was this charming woman who lied first.

Gently brushing aside Roeni’s hair that stuck to her forehead, Diart pressed his lips against it.

“It’s a shame that your stamina is weak.”

Thinking that he should order a tonic from the Sau tribe right away, Diart hugged Roeni and closed his eyes with a satisfied smile.