Chapter 19

“Huh? Status quo? Does that mean continuing with the lie?”

“No. It means forgiving and continuing as you are.”

Hearing this, Marie realized that what Natalie said was merely listing probable outcomes. If things go well, status quo. If not, divorce and become enemies. Somewhere in between is just not divorcing.

Moreover, thinking of Kalik’s personality, it seemed unlikely he’d forgive her.

Though he acted as if he loved her to death now, his principle-driven nature might make him cut her off willingly, even if she’s his wife.

“…Will he forgive me?”

Natalie didn’t answer. Marie looked sullenly at the ground for the second time. She was acting as if she had already lost, imagining a future that hadn’t come.

That moved Natalie’s heart a bit. Though she wanted to ask what she’d do if she didn’t, she held back because her master’s mentality was wavering. Instead, she decided to give some hope.

“May I ask another question?”

“Yes.”

“Can you live like an ordinary couple with him?”

“Ordinary… but what do you mean by ordinary? Aren’t we living ordinarily now?”

“s*x. Can you do it?”

“Ugh.”

Marie, who was thinking of her parents, clenched her fists in surprise at Natalie’s ordinary. Just hearing it sent chills through her body! 

Isn’t that not ordinary but extremely special and different?

Still, she thought carefully. Having a child was a duty once married. Even if not, doing it a few times was necessary to show the marriage was complete. It wasn’t just any political marriage; the Emperor had arranged it.

They had already managed to kiss. Though imagining beyond that was difficult, she felt she could do it if asked.

“I’ll… uh… well… I’ll know when the time comes… if it happens, I’ll… have to…?”

A messy and hesitant answer even to herself.

“You don’t dislike his touch, do you?”

“Uh-huh.”

If it felt unbearable, she could do it with the lights off. Of course, this was if it was really physiologically hard to adapt. Since Marie didn’t dislike Kalik, she could agree as long as it wasn’t broad daylight.

But having gained weight recently, showing her plump body might be a bit embarrassing.

No, I must turn off the lights.

Muttering softly, Marie brought up the most important thing again.

“But I shouldn’t do that before telling the truth. That’s something I can do later.”

Natalie’s expression changed. She almost asked if she was acting leisurely because she knew how to do it. She was glad she changed her mind at the last moment.

Because the marriage was so rushed, Marie learned about s*x education just days before the ceremony. Everyone was busy preparing for the ceremony. So the person teaching her was the nanny who raised her. Having been married 40 years ago, she could only teach a woman’s position from 40 years ago, which couldn’t be proper.

What to do with this naive young lady.

“But what if it becomes that kind of atmosphere?”

“Um….”

Marie shyly covered her lips and answered.

“I can’t help it. Before the divorce, I have to do my duty as a wife.”

Then she added a needless comment.

“I wish doing that would bring back his memory. Confessing is too hard.”

It was like that then.

* * *

The marriage proposal with Odillia was finalized.

Are you really okay with it? You don’t need to sacrifice yourself.

Do you take Marie Odillia as your wife and promise to love her for life?

Don’t endure until you can’t anymore, just watch for about three years.

We had a very harmonious relationship. You loved me very much.

I just need to make her love me.

.

.

“…!”

Marie, who was tossing and turning, hit Kalik’s cheek with her hand. Kalik opened his eyes wide at the same time. He turned his head to look at the unfamiliar ceiling and then closed his eyes tightly due to the pain that felt like his head was going to burst.

It wasn’t because of her strength. A pain and heat, as if someone was squeezing the center of his head, surged.

It felt like being tightly bound with a thorny rope with a heavy weight attached.

His mind cleared.

Kalik half-sat up and looked down at Marie, who was sleeping soundly despite his struggle. Her expression still held the heat from the night. Her flushed cheeks erased her usual self, making her look like a completely different woman. 

Was her face without makeup, and in bed, such a modest and innocent woman?

“Um… Kal?”

“…Why? Ah, yes.”

Kalik answered out of habit, then quickly cleared his throat.

Luckily, Marie seemed not to notice since she was half-asleep.

“Aren’t you sleeping…?”

“I will, I mean, I should.”

“Go to sleep….”

Then Marie hugged Kalik and began patting his back, which she couldn’t fully wrap around. Cold sweat started running down Kalik’s back.

“Um… are you hot?”

“Ah, no. Ah, yes, it’s a bit hot….”

“Should I open the window a bit?”

“Yes, yes, if you could….”

But Kalik, who was nodding, suddenly realized there was a window on his side and hastily sat up. In his daze, he had forgotten that he was not in his main room at the main house but in the annex.

Marie, with her eyes closed, sat up and pushed the window. As a result, the blanket slipped down, revealing her chest.

In front of Kalik’s eyes, her voluptuous flesh moved back and forth….

“Wait… your chest…!”

“Just push a little more….”

Thinking about how he had tasted that soft and luscious flesh all night, the flavor seemed to linger on his tongue. Sweet and delightful.

She seemed satisfied with the breeze coming in, smiled gently, and lay back down. Then, she snuggled into Kalik’s embrace.

Kalik offered his stiffened upper body, withdrawing his tightly tensed lower body backward. He knew why he suddenly became aroused. Under the blanket, neither he nor she wore a single thread of clothing.

Because of this, he looked around the room. The usual way to regain composure was to divert attention from what was confusing.

His eyes, accustomed to the darkness, took in many details. The scarlet feather-patterned wallpaper was exclusive to the annex. This was indeed a room in the annex, as he had thought. Of course, he wasn’t so ignorant as to not know where he was.

The only thing missing from his memory was Marie Odillia.

Kalik gazed at Marie, who remained motionless in deep sleep. He made a desperate effort not to look below. He slightly covered his eyes with his hand to keep anything below her neck out of view.

Her long scarlet hair was spread beautifully across the bed. Though her bangs, fixed by dried sweat, were a mess, her round forehead, neat eyebrows, and gem-like nose tip were distinctly sculpted.

The breath escaping between her parted lips was hot and sweet. Though her eyes were closed now, when she looked at him with those blue eyes and pleaded for love, it felt like he could die without regret.

“Ha….”

My beautiful and lovely wife.

My beloved wife.

The obvious question that follows such thoughts is:

But why is this woman here?

Why am I beside this woman?

We weren’t like this, were we?

“What on earth….”

Unconsciously, he voiced his feelings. Though no one would answer, he couldn’t entirely not know. This meant everything was a conceivable and acceptable situation.

Anyway.

Because his memory had fully returned.

Kalik, who spent the night sleepless, confirmed Marie was deeply asleep before trying to leave the room.

However, he couldn’t ignore the warmth of the breath blowing against his chest, the arms clinging to his waist.

So he continuously gazed at Marie’s face, and when she seemed about to stir, he hugged her tightly and stroked her hair. Then Marie, as if slightly frowning, would relax her face and move her lips. Though the urge to kiss them was strong, he bit his lip until he tasted blood.

The compromise he worked hard to reach was to hold her tightly and pretend to sleep with her so she wouldn’t wake. He had no intention of sleeping anyway. And since Kalik Escael from the previous night had intended to do so, he planned to keep his promise to himself. It was absolutely not an excuse.

He had been like this all night. His arm didn’t go numb. It was as if he had trained for this day, handling Marie alone was easy. She was so light that he thought he could roll her over a few more times.

Though she worried about gaining weight, he couldn’t tell where. When touched, it didn’t feel that way… and when he covered her with the blanket and peeked, everything was just to his liking.

Her flowing chest was soft and tender, and her cute belly and well-fleshed thighs had elasticity with just a light touch.

Recalling his memory, she was the type to suffer because of her br*asts. He thought she wore loose dresses that didn’t fit, but it seemed she compromised elsewhere to fit her chest.

Even now, her chest obscured everything else. What kept catching his eye was the sight of the pink n*pples gently nestled within the ar*ola, softened by serenity.

He absentmindedly, really pretending to be absentminded, touched and awakened them. It was undoubtedly an impulsive act.

“Mm…”

Marie’s shoulders flinched. Then, she placed the hand resting on Kalik’s waist on her chest. Instinctively trying to cover it, but even if she spread her hand, her slender arm couldn’t fully cover its size.

Looking at the prominent n*pple over her arm, Kalik inwardly boasted to an unspecified audience.

The difference from friends who shouted that bigger was better was that it wasn’t because her chest was big but because it was Marie’s chest that it was good.

So this was the beginning of understanding. Why things that were nothing a month ago came to dominate him. What had she done to him in this short time to make it so?

Kalik Escael, faced with this situation for the first time in his life, tried to sort out what he should prioritize.

His involvement with Marie was the result. If he couldn’t find the origin, he felt he wouldn’t be able to acknowledge her when she woke up, nor pretend not to know her.

Why had he become involved with Marie? The only thing that came to mind was something that had strengthened their bond…

No matter how much he thought, there was only one thing.

The small, insignificant lie Marie had told.