Chapter 29

“Madam!”

When I came to my senses, a familiar voice echoed in my ears. Anna and Elena were looking down at me with tears welling up in their eyes.

‘Did I die, or was it a dream?’

I woke up after seeing the scene of Elicia’s wedding countless times. Some Elicias looked dazed, some were surprised, and others blushed while looking at Ian’s face. I still don’t know if this was Elicia’s past or just a dream.

“Madam, are you okay?”

I wanted to answer Anna’s question, but I was in too much pain. My face kept wrinkling from the pain of feeling like my whole body was broken.

“The priests are treating you, so you’ll be better soon.”

“Ugh……”

Are these really priests? It hurt too much to be called treatment.

“Bring in the skilled ones.” I wanted to say, but I couldn’t continue because my body hurt too much.

“Yes, because skilled priests treated you, you were able to wake up in just 3 days.”

If they were skilled, shouldn’t they have healed me faster?

“Anyway, I’m glad you’re awake. I’ll go get the soup.”

With Anna’s words, I closed my eyes again. The darkness was tiresome, but it was inevitable.

When I opened my eyes again, it was dark, as if it were night, and the pain was less than when I first woke up. Elena said that I had woken up again in just 10 hours and that during the time I was asleep, priests had come and gone. She said that although minor injuries and a fractured knee still needed continuous treatment, I at least had the strength to hold a spoon to eat the soup, albeit tasteless.

“Ian?”

“He’s in the next room.”

Relieved, I sighed and forced the thin soup into my mouth. I thought I should go see Ian as soon as I finished eating this.

In my last memory, Ian had twisted his body to take the falling debris for me. Although the debris hit Ian’s back, there was no time to worry. A much larger piece of debris was falling towards us. Ian jumped down with me in his arms and was able to avoid the large piece of debris. The problem was that Ian’s back had hit the ground first. Since I was lying on top of him, I didn’t get seriously injured.

Even though Ian protected me, I was still greatly injured. I couldn’t imagine how much pain he must be in.

“I should go see him.”

When I tried to get up, Anna stopped me, saying that I still needed to rest. Because of that, I had to lie down quietly again.

“I have something to say to Ian.”

Actually, there wasn’t much to say. I was just curious about his condition.

“You can’t have a conversation anyway….. He still hasn’t woken up.”

What? It’s been 3 days already?

“I want to see Ian’s condition with my own eyes.”

“You can go see him when your condition improves.”

Anna was quite firm. She added that even late at night and early in the morning, maids often go to check on Ian’s condition, so I shouldn’t worry.

“Wow, when I was young, you acted like you would do anything I wanted…… Anna has changed.”

“Whoever it is, you are the most important to me. Anyway, you are a patient now, so you need to rest.”

“Oh, that’s touching.”

After giving a rough reaction, I tried to get up again, but Anna was faster to stop me. With no choice, I had to stay in the room.

“It’s amazing how you’ve grown up, Madam.”

“Suddenly?”

“In the past, when I stopped you from doing what you wanted, you would shout loudly, right?”

“……”

That wasn’t me. It was the real Elicia, who had a terrible personality, just like Ian.

“It’s strange that you didn’t do such things even after getting married.”

Of course. From that time on, it was me, who was much more dignified, living Elicia’s life.

“Of course, even after marriage, there were times when I wondered if you were doing the right thing by acting so nervously, but you grew up very well.”

“What did I do?”

Did the real Elicia occasionally possess my body and do things? I asked Anna, wondering.

“Actually, the marriage was conducted while the Evra family was watching the Bellocchio family, right? But you dragged Master Erlian around forcefully, followed him even when he said no, and sometimes raised your voice, which surprised me.”

“……”

All of that was indeed me. That’s why no one suspected me when I suddenly took over Elicia’s role.

Anna and I continued with small talk. It was mainly about the real Elicia’s childhood before I came. Even when I heard it again, her personality was not good.

“When you were ten, you made Angelo cry…… Oh!”

Anna, who was too immersed in the story of my childhood, unintentionally mentioned Angelo. However, she seemed to have no intention of doing so, as she covered her mouth with her hand and looked at me.

“It’s okay. How is Angelo now?”

“……They are looking for his body.”

“Okay.”

Since the top of the tower where Angelo fell collapsed, he must be in bad shape. If he was skilled in magic, he might have survived somehow.

“I heard that his body also flew far away when the tower exploded.”

If he didn’t die, I hope he now lives for himself, not for others. I only wished for his happiness.

“Ah, right.”

Anna handed me two letter envelopes that were on the side table. I didn’t need to ask to know who sent them. They were from my sister and Celine.

“This is a long time coming.”

“What is it?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Usually, Ian would check the letters first, so they would come to me with the envelopes already torn open. This time, I had to tear off the seals myself and take out the letters. It was only natural, but I didn’t know why it felt bitter. The absence of Ian when I woke up left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Both letters were filled with concern for me. They also informed me of the situation at the time, saying that we were quickly taken away by the palace side and received primary treatment before being brought to the dukedom. They said that when we were dealing with Angelo, the knights tried to help but could not enter the tower. They said it was as if an invisible wall was blocking anyone from entering.

‘Why didn’t they come?’

Angelo must have wanted no one else to interfere in this matter.

“The Emperor will soon send a gift of condolence.”

When I finished reading both letters, Anna carefully said.

“Well, that……”

The imperial side must also feel sorry. It was them who emphasized participating in the dance party. Moreover, they could not help when Angelo and we were confronting each other. Or rather, they could not help because of Angelo’s magic.

The gift was not particularly grateful. To be honest, the Bellocchio dukedom was rumored to be richer than the imperial palace, with enormous wealth. It wouldn’t improve my mood just because they sent an expensive gift.

“Anna, you can rest now. I’ll see you later.”

“I can’t leave you.”

“I want to be alone for a while. If I’m in pain or uncomfortable, I’ll call you.”

Anna repeatedly asked me to call her immediately if I felt even a little pain or discomfort and left.

After the door closed and about a minute passed.

“Should I go see Ian now?”

I slowly got up. I spent time talking about childhood memories to make Anna let her guard down. If Anna stayed by my side, I wouldn’t be able to go to Ian until my body was completely healed, so I had no choice but to act that way.

When my feet touched the floor and I slowly got up, a sharp pain shot through my right knee.

‘I remember now. It was fractured.’

Fortunately, because the priests kept treating me, I could walk slowly. If I hadn’t been treated, I wouldn’t have been able to walk yet…… It seemed that the priests were indeed skilled.

Because the pain kept making my knee feel weak, it took quite a long time to walk to the door. I sighed lightly as I grabbed the doorknob. I could feel sweat dripping down my temples.

“Do I really have to go all the way there?”

After all, he didn’t wake up, so even if I went, Ian wouldn’t wake up or get better immediately. So, shouldn’t I just lie down again?

“Instead of worrying, let’s go.”

But I wanted to see Ian more than that. And since I had already walked to the door with great effort, it would be a waste to go back to bed.

I opened the door by putting strength into the hand holding the doorknob. Then, I slowly walked towards the door of the next room where Ian was, like a snail.

I set my gaze on the bed in the farthest corner. A man with black hair contrasting with his white skin was lying there. I slowly approached Ian.

“He’s sleeping well.”

I muttered as I held his hand. It was a relief. The injuries on his hand had disappeared completely.

“When will you wake up?”

Since I woke up in 3 days, would Ian wake up in 6 days? Come to think of it, Ian was always healthy without any illness. So, he would probably wake up soon this time as well.

I compared the size of my palm with Ian’s palm, which I had placed on top of his.

“Why did only you grow taller when we ate the same thing?”

There was a difference of two sizes.

“I won’t rush you to wake up. You worked hard fighting the monsters.”

I stroked Ian’s hair. When the height difference was significant, it was hard to touch him while facing each other, so this was a good opportunity.

“It’s been a long time since I last touched it.”

Ian’s hair was still soft. When I was young, I felt good when it was soft and fluffy, but now it was not soft and fluffy, but felt hard.

Anyway, it was a relief. At least, the injuries on his face and hands had completely disappeared.

“Angelo might be dead. The top of the tower exploded at that time.”

I said as I held Ian’s hand again.

“They are looking for his body, but they haven’t found it yet. Honestly, I think he might have survived.”

“……”

“Even if he is alive, he won’t be able to come here for a while. The tower exploded, and Angelo’s body also flew away. So, he must be in no condition to move.”

“……”

“I mean, this place is also surrounded by a barrier, so no one can easily enter.”

I was muttering to myself when I suddenly felt embarrassed.

“What am I doing? Ian can’t even hear me.”

Because I had walked too much, my knee hurt even though I was sitting down.

“This damn fracture. When will I be able to walk back to the room?”

I glared at my right knee and then shifted my gaze to the door. The room where Ian and I were treated was smaller than our usual room, so the distance from the bed to the door was relatively short. However, it was still a long way to go back to the room.

‘Should I call Anna?’

I shook my head and changed my mind. If Anna found out that I had gone to see Ian despite saying I was going to sleep, she would scold me a lot.

Let’s just go. Somehow, it will be fine. I stood up. While using the bed head to support my body, I slowly stood up, but my knee still hurt.

“I’m going……”

The road is long. I looked at Ian and smiled bitterly before turning around. At that moment.

“….?”

My wrist was grabbed. The large hand that I had been holding one-sidedly had wrapped around my wrist.

“Ian?”

“….Don’t go.”

Ian’s voice was hoarse from being unconscious for a long time. Why did that voice make me want to cry? I thought I wouldn’t be able to hear it for a long time…… His voice, and his violet eyes looking at me. Did I not know that this was so precious?

I tried to hold back my tears when I was about to ring the bell on the side table.

“That can wait a bit……”

“Still, since you’ve woken up, shouldn’t we check your condition?”

“I know my body better than anyone else.”

Ian threw the bell far away, insisting that he was fine. It was a relief to see him a little healthier.

“When did you wake up?”

I asked anxiously, realizing that I had been talking to myself while hoping that Ian would wake up.

“When you said you were going to leave.”

“……”

You’re cruel. At this point, it’s like separation anxiety.

“Is your body okay?”

Worry was in Ian’s eyes as he checked my condition. He was more injured than me.

“I’m fine. Although my knee is dislocated, I’ll heal somehow.”

“Yeah, you’ll get better soon. By the way, this bed is wide.”

Ian smiled lewdly and patted the space next to him. Normally, I would have lain down immediately, but this time it was difficult, so I tried to ignore it.

“I can’t do that.”

“Why?”

“Because this isn’t our room.”

“Since the mansion is ours, this is also our room.”

Again, he patted himself as if to say, “Look at me.” Ian tickled my palm with his finger. I swallowed hard to not show that I was tense. Today, the sound of swallowing seemed unusually loud, and I was embarrassed.

We were both patients. If we moved our bodies too much in bed, our condition might worsen. No, it would definitely worsen.

Ian liked leaving traces on my body. After the dance party ended, he declared that he would leave traces all over my body. Unfortunately, due to an unexpected accident, neither of us woke up, so we couldn’t leave traces, and the traces left in places hidden by the dress must have faded a lot by now.

‘Leaving a trace or two might be okay……’

But Ian was the type to finish what he started, so it was better not to start at all.

“You’re still a patient. We woke up in 3 days. We shouldn’t overdo it.”

“Yeah, I know that well.”

“Then, don’t overdo it and lie down comfortably.”

I pulled the blanket up to Ian’s neck and said firmly.

“But you also have a hard time going back to your room, right? It’s better to lie down here.”

“Cough. That’s true.”

I was trash. I thought I was just saying that I would lie down because I was worried that I wouldn’t be able to go back to my room.

I lay down next to Ian and looked up at the ceiling. Just sitting and then lying down made the pain in my knee, which had been bothering me, disappear as if it had never existed.

At that moment, Ian tapped my shoulder with his index finger. When I turned my head, Ian was lying on his side, looking at me. He looked surprisingly fine, as if he had just woken up.

“You can just look at me like this……”

I felt like I had misunderstood Ian’s muttering, making me even more trash. But I decided to think positively. Ian wouldn’t know that I had misunderstood.

“Of course, it’s better when your body is healed. I don’t plan to touch you while you’re still a patient.”

“……”

Unfortunately, it seemed that Ian had noticed exactly what kind of misunderstanding I had.

“Ring the bell, ring the bell.”

It would be better if a maid came and relieved this awkward atmosphere. Just as I was about to get up to get the bell.

“What is it?”

Ian wrapped his arm around my waist, preventing me from moving.

“You said you wouldn’t touch me because you’re a patient.”

“This is fine, right?”

“……”

That was true. There was no pain in my waist.

“Still, we should call someone to check your condition. You haven’t eaten yet.”

“I want to be alone……”

“You can be alone with me after checking your condition and eating.”

“But we’re together after 3 days.”

“…… Anyway, we were both unconscious, so we didn’t know that 3 days had passed.”

I thought I had come up with a reasonable argument, but unfortunately, my persuasion didn’t work. Ian’s arm around my waist showed no sign of letting go.

“If you keep doing this, I’ll stay in another room until I recover.”

Swoosh– Something flew and the sound of the bell rang quietly. In an instant, the bell that had fallen to the floor flew into Ian’s hand.

“There’s no need to move.”

“……. Okay, that’s amazing.”

People who can’t use magic must be pitiful. I glared at Ian and vigorously shook the bell.

***

Ian’s recovery was amazingly great.

According to Anna, Ian was bleeding profusely from his head and his entire body was covered with wounds and burn marks. He had fractures in his spine and knee and was conscious until he received emergency treatment at the scene. If he had fainted like me, he would not have felt pain.

After that, although he fainted, Ian was recovering faster than me. Even though two weeks had passed since he woke up, my right knee still occasionally ached or hurt, but unlike me, Ian’s spine and knee had healed completely, allowing him to jump.

In fact, not even bluffing, when he woke up in 3 days, Ian was almost completely healed.

“Unfair!”

I suspected that the priest treating Ian might have more outstanding abilities. However, unfortunately, we were both being treated by the same person.

Yesterday, when I was receiving treatment, I couldn’t take it anymore and scolded the priest.

“Why is Ian healing faster even though he was more seriously injured? Is your concentration lacking when you treat me?”

“No, the healing speed may vary depending on the patient’s natural condition.”

The priest calmly explained the situation to me. He spoke so gently that I felt like I would become the bad person if I got angrier, so I didn’t argue further.

Although Ian usually paid great attention to my condition, he did not seem anxious this time. Instead, he happily picked me up in a princess carry and walked around the mansion. This morning, he carried me, half-asleep, to the dining room.

“This is also quite good.”

His muttering gave me chills. Although I was half-asleep, I couldn’t clearly hear what he said after that, but it was definitely not good for me.

Although the dress with abundant lace should have been heavier, he always carried me without showing any signs of difficulty. At first, the gazes of the servants made me want to die of shame, but now even I was used to it.

“You’re too happy.”

We were just sitting side by side in the garden, drinking tea…… Suddenly, Ian laughed as he kissed me.

“That’s right. We’re happy.”

I agreed with Ian’s words. Whenever I showed even a slight indifference towards him, he became extremely anxious. This had been the case since the dance party incident, when we woke up after 3 days. He probably misunderstood that I still had feelings for Angelo because I gave him my last consideration.

I told him several times that the person I love was him. Although Ian was visibly happy, he did not seem to fully believe it.

“That guy is dead.”

Ian put down the teacup and said firmly.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Did the imperial palace send a letter?”

“….Anyway, you don’t need to worry about him anymore.”

This must be a lie. When he received the news that Angelo, who had escaped before, was caught, he showed me the letter from the imperial palace and said so. However, this time, he did not show me the letter. He must be saying this because he wants me to completely forget about Angelo’s existence.

Of course, the probability of Angelo being alive is extremely low. What were the chances of surviving when his body floated up and fell far away?

It was just pitiful. Although he gave me a new life, he eventually lost his life because he could not let go of his greed and obsession.

The gentle and warm wind blew against my skin. It was unusually soft and warm, as if it was caressing my skin. I scratched because it felt itchy.

“So, you should forget about that guy and live.”

I looked at the owner of the voice as I looked down at the teacup, which was still half full. When our eyes met, Ian’s lips, which had been tightly shut, formed a line.

I suddenly realized. I felt sorry for Angelo for a moment, and Ian was anxious.

I quickly kissed Ian’s cheeks and asked.

“Isn’t it time to stop being anxious?”

Surprised by my sudden action, Ian looked at me with wide eyes and slowly approached me. I accepted his tongue, which invaded the gap between my lips, and wrapped my arms around Ian’s neck.

What was Ian’s expression before he kissed me? He still seemed anxious. The kiss, which I thought would last quite a while, ended with a smooch sound and Ian’s lips quickly left mine.

My guess was correct. Ian was acting. This time, his lips touched my neck. I felt a warm breath and a tingling sensation.

“Ugh……”

Ian persistently left marks by biting and licking my neck several times. Today, Ian’s teeth on my neck felt particularly sharp.

“This is great.”

I lightly ran around the room and exclaimed. My leg, which I thought would never heal, was finally healed after a month. My knee, which had stabbed whenever I stood up, did not feel any pain even when I jumped lightly. When I said I would walk by myself instead of being carried, Ian looked very disappointed.

“Ellie, don’t overdo it.”

I laid down on the bed again, looking at Ian’s worried face.

He worked in our room instead of the study for a while. Whenever I tried to move, he would abandon his work and carry me. He even blocked others from touching me.

‘Is it not troublesome for you, Ian?’

Feeling sorry for taking up Ian’s busy time, I asked, and he said it was okay and that he was happy to be with me. I almost laughed at his words, but I managed to control my expression and held back. Ian was already busy, and it would be provocative to laugh when he said he was happy because of me.

Moreover, Ian absolutely prevented me from doing my specialty, accounting. Although my legs were fine except for my knees. Because of this, there was a rumor that Dario, the financial manager, was getting thinner, but I hardly had the chance to see his face because I was always with Ian.

Although he said he liked being with me all the time, there was one contradictory action. He bathed or changed clothes in another room. Just like when we were young. When we were young, it was understandable that he was so cautious about even touching me. But……

‘But today was very different than usual. I don’t know what the hell is going on here.’

We had even bathed together many times after becoming adults.

When I asked the reason in confusion, Ian said, “Just because.” What is he planning? I wanted to follow him, but it was difficult because of my injured leg. Moreover, even though my condition was almost healed, I had become so used to relying on Ian’s help that I unconsciously waited obediently in the room.

‘What is the reason……’

I stared at Ian’s side profile, who was busy with documents, and pondered.

No matter how much I thought about it, only one reason came to mind. It might be overestimating myself, but could it be because he was restraining his desires?

Ian cared more about my health than I did. If a strange situation unfolded when my leg was not completely healed, it could put a strain on my leg, so he might be restraining himself. That’s why he bathed and changed clothes in another room, just like when he was young.

‘You’ve been holding back well.’

I sent a look of admiration just as Ian turned his head. He approached the front of the bed and leaned his upper body forward. Ian’s lips briefly landed on my lips.

“I’m going to take a bath.”

Ian, who usually finished work earlier than usual, headed to the bathroom. This time, he went to the bathroom in our room, not another room, as if my hypothesis was true.

‘You brat.’

As soon as my body healed, he changed so obviously. I smiled and tightly gripped the blanket.

‘This is awkward……’

It had been so long since I did such things that I couldn’t remember what mindset I should have while waiting for Ian. What should I do when Ian comes out of the bathroom? My head turned white and my heart started beating fast.

Finally, the door of the bathroom opened and Ian appeared. However, I couldn’t find any answer.

Ian must also feel awkward because it’s been a long time. Unlike usual, when Ian would come out wearing only a towel around his waist, this time he came out wearing a robe. It was a bit disappointing that his solid muscles were not properly visible, so I raised my gaze.

Ian smiled at me. I also raised the corners of my mouth awkwardly.

The sun was already setting in the evening, but Ian carefully closed the curtains. Ian had never closed the curtains before performing the act. Why is he doing this? I fidgeted with my fingers and observed him.

After the curtains, Ian even blew out the candles, and darkness fell upon our room.

“What, why?”

Ian liked looking at my face during intercourse. But why is he deliberately making it this dark? I couldn’t understand at all.

“Do you dislike it?”

Ian’s breath warmly covered my face.

“No, it’s not that I dislike it……”

This had never happened before, so it felt strange because of that.

Soon, Ian’s lips came to bite my lips, and I lifted up his soft robe and tightly embraced his back. He took a deep breath and turned his head while attaching his lips. His tongue, which had been licking my lower lip, gently parted my lips and entered. The sound of intertwined tongues was embarrassingly loud.

Because I couldn’t see in front of me, perhaps. Although I thought I would be embarrassed because it had been a long time, I became a bit more daring. I took off the robe that had been covering Ian’s body and stroked down his solid abs.

Before I knew it, we were both naked, holding each other tight. Our hearts, pressed tightly together, beat rapidly.

“Mmm…”

Ian’s lips touched my earlobe, the line of my neck, my collarbone. The thumb rubbing my nipple and the feeling of fingers stroking me below felt especially stimulating. I wasn’t sure if it was because it had been so long, or because the darkness made me focus more on the sensations.

“Ah!”

When he bit my nipple, my back arched. He tormented my nipple—biting it, flicking it with the tip of his tongue—then moved past the underside of my breast, down to my navel, and even lower.

“W-wait!”

I frantically tried to push Ian’s head away, but he was faster.

Ian, who had been lightly kissing the inside of my thighs, buried his face deep between my legs. I could vividly feel his tongue sweeping up over my clit. Until now, Ian had only rubbed me with his fingers and his length—his lips had never touched me there.

“Stop, ah!”

I tried to push Ian’s head away, but he wouldn’t budge. His wet tongue showed no signs of stopping its torment. I could feel myself getting wetter down there. Whether it was because of me or because of Ian’s tongue, I couldn’t tell.

The tip of Ian’s tongue slowly licked up around my entrance. My thighs, caught in his grip, trembled.

“Ah, don’t!”

His thick tongue, which had been circling around my entrance, pushed inside. Between his tongue licking my inner walls and his nose rubbing against my clit, my hips kept twisting. I could feel every movement of his soft tongue as it gently rubbed inside me. Was this even okay? It felt like my body was melting into mush.

“Haah…”

The tongue that had been tormenting me down there finally withdrew, and the tension eased. Ian placed a gentle kiss on my thigh, which was finally able to breathe comfortably.

“Hngh!”

I felt something else invade me. Since the hands that had been gripping my thighs were gone, it must have been his fingers.

Moans spilled from me like sobs as his fingers pumped in and out. With each movement, I could hear the wet squelching sounds. Even though I knew my thighs were free, I couldn’t resist—I just gripped Ian’s head and accepted the pleasure.

After sobbing for a while, everything tormenting me down there finally withdrew.

But I knew this wasn’t the end—it was just the beginning. The moment I slowly drew in a breath, Ian raised his upper body and slowly rubbed his length against me. He let out a low groan as he pushed his length inside me.

“Ah, it hurts…”

I’d thought Ian’s long foreplay would have prepared me, but I was wrong. The fullness was on an entirely different level from the tongue and fingers that had been tormenting me just moments ago. No matter how often Ian and I had sex, there were still many times when penetration was difficult.

It was already much bigger and thicker than most men’s, and having it push inside me after a while was pure agony. Just the insertion alone made tears stream down my face without me realizing it. I was about to embrace Ian as he leaned down and licked the tears streaming down my face.

“Why, why?”

Ian lightly bound both my arms with one hand and began moving his hips. Normally, Ian loved when I clung to him desperately. But today was completely different from usual. I had no idea what was going on.

Still, perhaps because I’d said it hurt, his hips moved slowly. I closed my eyes, feeling Ian’s cock scraping against my inner walls at a leisurely pace.

Just as I was starting to adjust to the pain, Ian’s cock slowly withdrew to the entrance before slamming back in all at once, burying itself to the hilt.

“Hng, ah, ngh, nngh, s-slow down, hng.”

After that, he picked up speed, moving without mercy. My body shook helplessly like paper as he pounded into me relentlessly.

My hands trapped in Ian’s grip, my thighs spread to their limit, my stomach swelling with each thrust—tension flooded every part of my body.

“Ian, hngh, slow down…”

Despite my pleas, he didn’t slow his pace. But he focused relentlessly on my weak spots, and the painful foreign sensation gradually transformed into pleasure.

Because of the darkness, I could only see his silhouette; I couldn’t make out Ian’s face. Only his lips and warm breath brushing my skin let me know he was there.

I wished I could just hold him so close there’d be no space left between us. But no matter how I twisted my wrists, Ian showed no intention of letting go of my hands.

“You’re, ngh, acting, kind of, hng, strange today.”

“Hah… Why?”

“You’re, hng, different, haah… than usual.”

The constant moans made it hard to even string words together.

“How am I different?”

Ian asked slowly, as if holding back his own groans. He definitely knew. He had to know how different he was being today. Yet he asked as if he had no clue, and it pissed me off. I bit my lower lip for a moment before pleading softly.

“Let go, ngh, of my hands.”

Finally, Ian’s grip on my wrists released. But when he sat up, I couldn’t get us into the position I wanted.

My hands were caught again. Instead of our upper bodies, now our hands were pressed together without a gap. Gripping my hands tightly, he started moving his hips again.

“That’s enough, hng, stop already…”

The relentless stimulation felt like it was melting my brain. I wanted to escape. But with my hands held tight, I couldn’t push him away—I had no choice but to take Ian in.

Soon my hands were freed. At the same time, my upper body was raised upright, and I ended up sitting on top of Ian.

I had momentarily forgotten how much more intense it could be in this position. Because of the position, Ian’s hard shaft pushed even deeper inside. I wrapped my arms around Ian’s neck, moaning like I was sobbing as I surrendered to the pleasure.

***

 

The sex we had after a long time was merciless. Because Ian kept rubbing his body against mine without a break, I thought all kinds of bodily fluids were being drained from me.

It was only after Ian had climaxed three times that I fell asleep as if I had fainted. The strange thing was that Ian kept tying my arms whenever he had the chance and never turned on the lights or opened the curtains. When I suggested turning on the lights, he kissed me and covered my mouth.

‘Definitely, this time was strange.’

However, there was no room to object to the continuing pleasure.

‘Or maybe he just developed a new taste.’

I lay there without moving my body and just blinked my eyes. I couldn’t even lift a finger because I had overdone it yesterday, and my waist would definitely hurt if I tried to get up.

‘Is Ian opening the curtains?’

The room was not too dark. The dawn was quietly seeping in, making the interior of the room clearly visible.

However, before I could appreciate the dawn, I noticed something different from usual. The arm that had been wrapped around my body all night was gone. The side where warmth should be felt was cold.

I slowly turned my head to look at the side. The side of the bed was empty. Instead, I saw Ian’s back looking out the window. I was smiling happily as I looked at Ian’s back muscles.

‘What is it?’

Was it because I was still half-asleep? I blinked my eyes several times and looked at Ian’s back again. The big and small wounds he had received from the monster had already disappeared completely. However, his once smooth skin was now disfigured.

‘Is it possible……?’

When Ian fell from the top of the tower after fighting Angelo, he had fallen with a piece of debris on his back. Was that piece of debris very hot? Otherwise, how could such burn marks have appeared?

Moreover, at that time, Ian had been exposed to the monster’s attacks, unintentionally exposing his back. If something hot and burning had touched his back while his clothes were torn and his back was exposed, it was a possible result.

I quickly sat up, startled. My waist ached from the excessive sex, but I didn’t care.

“Did you wake up?”

Ian quickly turned his body towards me and asked. It felt like he was forcing a smile, as if trying to hide something.

“Come here.”

At my command, Ian approached and his lips touched my forehead. He carefully laid me down and pulled the blanket up to my neck.

“Sleep more.”

“Let me see your back.”

Ian’s pupils shook.

“If you don’t show me, you’d better be prepared.”

Actually, I didn’t have any specific threats in mind, but it seemed that this vague statement was more threatening. Ian, who was in thought, sighed lightly and ran his hand through his hair.

Now, Ian’s strange behavior during sex last night made sense. He turned off the lights because he didn’t want to show me the burn marks on his back, and he tied my arms so I couldn’t touch him.

Moreover, the reason he had been bathing and changing clothes in another room all this time. There was a reason for all the things I had thought were strange.

After hesitating for a moment, Ian slowly turned his body and showed his back. I was not wrong. His skin was wrinkled in places.

“Why did you hide it?”

“I was afraid you would dislike it.”

“Why would I dislike it? It must have hurt.”

When I carefully touched the burned area, Ian’s shoulder twitched.

“It’s okay.”

Seeing Ian speak calmly, I felt even more upset.

‘When I was young, he even faked being sick to get my attention……’

But now, when he is actually in pain, he doesn’t show it. It was pitiful.

“Will these marks heal soon?”

“……”

Ian did not react to my question at all.

‘Come to think of it, have the priests checked Ian’s condition recently?’

Since my leg was almost healed, the number of priest visits had decreased to once a week, and they only checked my condition and left. I naturally thought that Ian had been completely healed.

“Will this scar not go away?”

“The priests say it’s too difficult.”

Originally, the burn marks were said to have spread even wider. This was the result of treatment, Ian added.

“Is it unpleasant to look at?”

“That’s not it……”

“Then, how about looking at my face instead?”

He turned his body towards me and brought his face close. Unlike me, who was upset, Ian seemed indifferent.

“Because of me, that wound……”

He got a scar that would last a lifetime to save me. I wanted to smile at Ian, but tears kept flowing uncontrollably.

“Crying on the bed because of me is something I like, but crying for this reason is not something I like.”

Before I could punch Ian’s chest, he hugged me. Ian’s hand, patting my back as if to help me fall asleep again, was quite affectionate. The more affectionate his hand was, the more I cried. I was angry at myself for having made such a self-sacrificing person upset all this time.

‘I will…… never let you be upset or hurt because of me again.’

I closed my eyes as I hugged Ian’s back.

***

This should be enough, right.

Erlian looked at Elicia, who was sleeping in his arms. His plan had worked. She was more upset about the mere burn marks than anyone else.

Although he hadn’t shown it, Erlian had been anxious all this time. He was worried that the woman who had said she loved him in bed might still be thinking about Angelo.

‘That guy is dead.’

He lied and said that Angelo was dead, hoping that Elicia would completely forget about him. Then, Elicia made a pitiful expression. Erlian, who did not show it, became even more anxious.

He could not be at ease until Angelo’s body was found. To this end, Erlian stopped the treatment of the burn marks on his back. He thought that he needed this to make her pay attention to him as well.

Elicia would keep remembering the situation at that time every time she saw his back.

‘Because of me, that wound……’

The plan was successful. Erlian felt as if he had already received a great reward as he watched Elicia cry in distress at his wound. The only regret was that Elicia’s knee had healed faster than expected.

“Why is Ian healing faster even though he was more seriously injured? Is your concentration lacking when you treat me?”

If she had not scolded the priest, Erlian would have continued to carry her. It would have been fine to carry Elicia for the rest of his life. No, it would have been better. Then, she would have stayed by his side forever without running away.

However, on the other hand, he also wanted to see Elicia running towards him.

Just imagining that made him happy. He smiled faintly and brushed her bangs. Elicia frowned slightly but soon took on a peaceful expression as she slept. His lips approached her lips like a stamp.

Erlian loved Elicia but did not trust her. Even when he showed obvious dislike, she had run away with Angelo as soon as she became an adult, leaving him behind. Moreover, she still had a feeling of sympathy for him.

Erlian now deeply understood why his ancestors had minimized contact with others.

He wished that Elicia would not be interested in others. He wanted her to pay attention only to him. And he wanted to know everything about Elicia. However, since Elicia was different from him, he could not completely trust her.

‘What was that password?’

After Elicia ran away with Angelo, Erlian searched her room thoroughly and examined her belongings.

At first, he did not understand. Why was he so angry that Elicia had run away? And why did she run away when she had been keeping his letters so carefully?

‘Is it that you want to receive more letters from me?’

He felt ridiculous even as he said it. There was no way she would run away just because she wanted to receive letters.

However, when Erlian found Elicia’s diary, he could not hold back his curiosity.

Is it because I’ve been playing for too long? I keep forgetting that I’m in a game.

Snap out of it. I’m not Elicia.

The diary was not written after the first page. It was funny that Elicia, who found everything except eating boring, had written it, but on the other hand, his heart sank with anxiety.

When Elicia was confused about whether she was in the game, she must have written it to remind herself not to forget her true self because she was too absorbed in the game. However, since Erlian did not know Korean, it looked like a code to him.

‘What does that mean?’

Was it a plan to run away? Or was it a feeling towards Angelo? Although there were many opportunities to ask Elicia, who had returned to the mansion, he did not ask.

After all, it was the past. The diary, whose contents he could not understand, and the past when she left him. The only thing he had to do was to tie Elicia to his side so that she could not run away from him.

Erlian’s arms around Elicia tightened.

***

“Thank you for coming a long way, Your Majesty.”

I lifted the hem of my skirt and gave a fake smile. I tried to smile as if I were happy, but Ian, who stood next to me, had a sullen expression, clearly showing that he was an unwanted guest. Even though I elbowed him hard, Ian’s expression did not soften. The broad-minded emperor smiled kindly, as if to say it was okay.

The emperor visited the dukedom after learning that our health had improved. Because of this, the mansion had been bustling with preparations to welcome the emperor for a week.

We thoroughly cleaned the vast mansion, reorganized the garden, and carefully selected only the finest ingredients to prepare the food. Not to mention, we had to choose the design of the tablecloths and the flowers that would be placed on them one by one.

….Honestly, it was annoying.

Moreover, just like when we were preparing for the dance party, I had to prevent Ian from leaving marks on my neck, shoulders, and other visible areas.

It would have been easier if we had gone to the imperial palace, but Ian still disliked going out. Since he wanted us to stay in the mansion, which had a strong barrier, I had no choice.

“I’m sorry. I should have come sooner, but it took time to deal with the situation.”

In the drawing room, as soon as we sat facing each other across the table, the emperor spoke. The emperor’s face was thin and shadowy, as if he had been busy for a while. It was understandable. An enormous amount of monsters had invaded during the dance party, and the tower had even collapsed.

The Leglorie family had to remove the barrier they had created and borrow the hands of other magicians to carefully create a stronger barrier. It would also take a long time to rebuild the collapsed tower.

“If it’s any consolation, I prepared a small gift.”

“Thank you.”

A small box was placed in Ian’s hand through the hands of an aide. I widened my eyes and stared at Ian’s hand next to me.

Although the size was small, the packaging was quite luxurious. The center of the pure white box was decorated with the imperial family’s emblem in gold foil.

‘Is this gold real?’

I recalled the gold foil moldings and pillars I had seen every time I participated in the dance party. Suddenly, I felt that the imperial side liked gold.

“Please open it.”

At the emperor’s urging, Ian slowly opened the box. His expressionless face seemed like he did not expect much from the gift.

Inside was a pair of brooches. Consciously symbolizing the Bellocchio family, a purple gem was embedded in them.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

I pretended to be moved. Actually, I was not very moved. There were already several brooches with purple gems embedded in them.

“This brooch can only be used once.”

It was a bit of a letdown to have a jewel decoration and be treated as disposable. Moreover, it was a rather insincere gift for someone who had suffered because they were forced to participate in the dance party at the emperor’s insistence.

“If an emergency situation occurs while you are out, pressing the gem of the brooch will allow you to teleport to the imperial palace.”

Since the dukedom is too strongly barriered, only those other than Ian cannot enter by teleportation, so it was made to come to the next safest imperial palace.

A teleportation item. It was indeed a very valuable item. Of course, Ian, who knew how to teleport, did not seem very happy.

“Anyway, I came to apologize. You suffered because of me.”

“It’s not Your Majesty’s fault.”

To be precise, it was not the emperor but Angelo. If he had not summoned the monsters, the dance party would not have ended in the worst way.

“In any case, I insisted that you participate in the dance party.”

“Your Majesty, I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“At that time, Your Majesty said that since Angelo was locked in the underground prison, you could comfortably participate in the dance party. Did Angelo escape on the day of the party?”

“That’s strange to me as well.”

He sighed lightly and answered.

“What?”

“Even when I checked with those who guarded the prison throughout the dance party, they said that he did not escape but stayed quietly. However, he bit his tongue and committed suicide immediately after the tower exploded.”

“I clearly met Angelo at the top of the tower.”

I pretended not to know anything and asked. I asked because I was curious if he had discovered the secret of Angelo, who was in prison, but in fact, I was anxious. If it was revealed that Angelo in prison came from another dimension, would they find out that I was not the real Elicia?

Of course, unless the real Angelo speaks, my secret will not be revealed, but I was still anxious.

“The one locked in the underground prison was indeed the Leglorie young master. There is no way the inspection conducted at the temple could be wrong.”

Just in case, they confirmed the corpse of Angelo, who bit his tongue and died in prison, and it was him. Thinking that Angelo might have a twin brother, they investigated but confirmed that the Leglorie marquis had only one son, the young master.

“Then how……”

“We still haven’t figured it out. Who was the Leglorie young master we locked in the underground prison, and is the one who was at the top of the tower dead or alive?”

I made a puzzled expression and secretly sighed in relief. It seemed that no one would ever know the identity of Angelo in the underground prison. And my secret as well.

The emperor apologized again, saying he was sorry. It seemed that the corpse of Angelo, who had confronted us at the top of the tower, had not yet been found. As expected, Ian’s hope and lie that Angelo was dead seemed to be correct.

I turned my head and glanced at Ian. His straight eyebrows, tightly closed lips in a straight line. I could not read any emotions from his expression. However, I could tell that he was not happy with the current situation because his fist, placed on his thigh, was clenched.

I reached out and covered Ian’s fist with my hand. Of course, since the size of our hands was different, it was not so much covering as just placing it on top. Then, Ian unfolded his fist and intertwined his fingers with mine.

“Until we find out the whereabouts of the Leglorie young master or his corpse, it would be better to refrain from going out.”

“There’s no helping it.”

I thought that this situation would be very pleasing to Ian, who had always disliked going out. However, when I glanced at him again, he did not seem very happy. He maintained a sullen expression, as if hiding his irritation.

“I think I’ve taken up too much of your time.”

He stood up, even though there was still half of the food left on the plate.

“I appreciate you preparing like this for me. I want to stay longer, but I still have things to deal with.”

Until the emperor was seen off, Ian kept holding my hand. Looking at our clasped hands, the emperor laughed heartily for the first time, saying that our relationship was still good.

“I’m tired.”

After the emperor’s carriage left the garden, the tension eased and fatigue set in. Ian also seemed to think the same way, as he quietly headed towards the room.

Even after the emperor left, Ian’s silence was worrying. It was so uncomfortable to talk that I walked while peeking at him. And when I stepped into the room and opened the door—

“Ugh!”

Ian grabbed my cheeks and quickly pressed his lips against mine. Due to the height difference, I had to tilt my neck painfully. I stood on my tiptoes and wrapped my arms around Ian’s waist.

The stimulation of sucking and gently biting my lower lip made it difficult to breathe. When I slightly parted my lips, the sound of the door slamming shut simultaneously with the sound of “thud” and Ian’s tongue invaded. Ian’s tongue rubbed against my teeth, and I clung to him, receiving the breath he gave me.

“Haa……”

Today, I didn’t know why he was kissing so roughly.

When I opened my mouth to breathe, his tongue plunged deeper, brushing my gums, the soft palate, back of the throat. His tongue coated everything in my mouth with his saliva.

The sound of water and sticky breathing tormented my ears. I tightly closed my eyes and accepted Ian’s tongue.

“Haa……”

Ian’s lips, which seemed to never part, finally left with a smooching sound. As the lips parted, a transparent saliva stretched out like a thread and then broke.

However, the kiss was not over. He had only expanded his territory. While I was gasping for breath, Ian sucked in my earlobe and kissed along my jawline.

“Us.”

Ian’s hot breath tickled my neck.

“Shall we have a child?”

“What?”

Have a child? My melted mind returned with the thick taste of the kiss.

“Are you joking?”

“I wouldn’t joke about such a thing.”

I pushed Ian’s shoulder and looked at his face. He looked serious. What had the previous Ian said to me about succession?

“When I’m confident you’ll give me more attention than the child. Or where you’ll try to leave me.”

He declared that he would have a successor only when he was completely confident; anxious to the point of madness. But now, he suddenly proposed a successor……?

The current Ian looked very anxious. Since he lacked confidence and was anxious, he seemed to want to tie me with a child. This time, I held Ian’s cheeks and calmly spoke.

“Are you doing this because of Angelo?”

He quickly averted his gaze, so it seemed to be the case.

“Are you worried because Angelo’s corpse hasn’t been found?”

“….Then?”

“You don’t have to worry. I will never leave.”

“But you tried to leave with Angelo at the top of the tower.”

Ian’s voice became sulky. It seemed that he was still misunderstanding.

“That was to protect you.”

“But you tried to leave me.”

“….If I hadn’t left, you would have left the world first.”

My words did not seem to convince Ian, and he sighed lightly.

“And if I left with Angelo, you would have followed me, right?”

“….That’s right.”

“You were exhausted from fighting the monsters all the time. He said that if I didn’t leave, Angelo would continue to send monsters. So, I had no choice.”

“If such a situation arises again, I will not die and will continue to fight, so you must not leave.”

“I hope such a thing never happens again. Until Angelo is caught, I plan to stay in the mansion as much as possible.”

Only then did Ian’s expression soften. His lips descended again.

I felt the touch of his hand undressing me and tensed up. Tonight seemed to be particularly long.

***

I felt the warm sunlight on my face and opened my eyes. I did not get up but just blinked at the ceiling and then closed my eyes again.

‘I should pretend to be asleep.’

I did not have the confidence to have another intense intercourse with Ian. I realized that Ian had been considerate of my condition all this time.

There was no room for other thoughts. He had repeatedly attached his body to mine, chasing only pleasure, like a beast. He would fall asleep for a while, wake up, and then continue to attach his body again. I was already exhausted from the continuous pleasure, and I had to repeatedly assure him that I would not leave.

Ian had great stamina. He must have been in a deep sleep because he had worked hard until last night, as my body was also clean and fluffy.

‘Is this why early education is important?’

Thinking about it, Ian had been naturally building up his stamina by consistently training in swordsmanship since he was young. On the other hand, I had been rolling around indoors, so my stamina was at the bottom. That’s why only I was suffering, right?

I was getting bored just lying there with my eyes closed, but I could not fall asleep again. Moreover, even while sleeping, my body had been working hard, so the urge to urinate was coming.

‘I need to go to the bathroom……’

I opened my eyes and glanced at Ian beside me.

Usually, Ian would notice that I had woken up and attach himself even more. Since there was no reaction now, he was probably still asleep.

I carefully and slowly removed the arm wrapped around my waist. Even so, Ian did not open his eyes.

‘He is a person too.’

Perhaps he had fallen into a deep sleep because he had worked hard until last night. I smiled slightly as I looked at Ian, who was peacefully sleeping.

When I tried to get up, I almost let out a groan. This was Ian’s fault. I glanced at him and slowly got up and headed to the bathroom. Until a few weeks ago, I had difficulty walking due to knee pain, but now I had difficulty walking because my waist was tingling from the previous night’s aftereffects.

I waddled and confirmed the urgent need, then looked in the mirror.

‘The emperor left and then again like this……’

Neck, arms, chest, waist, thighs, calves. There was no part that was not red and swollen. I realized again that the more anxious he was, the more marks he left.

In case Ian woke up, I carefully and quietly opened the door. Our familiar room came into view. However……

‘Where did it go?’

The bed where Ian had been lying just a moment ago was empty. My heart felt like it was dropping.

Recently, he had been like a person with separation anxiety, disliking being apart from me. For such a person to disappear while I was away for a moment. He might be wandering around the mansion uselessly looking for me, or a serious matter might have arisen, causing him to leave the room in a hurry.

However, the strange thing was that if he had left the room, I should have heard some noise. Or he might have come to check if I was in the bathroom first. However, I did not hear any sound at all.

Just as I was about to leave the room to find Ian—

“Where are you going?”

A low voice was heard from inside the room.

“What, were you there?”

Ian had not left the room. He was crouching next to the bathroom door, looking up at me.

Because he was crouching despite being much larger than me, he looked very pitiful and pathetic. He also looked like a lost puppy.

“Were you not about to leave just now?”

“Yes, I was going to look for you because you were not on the bed.”

Ian’s sullen face brightened.

“Because I wasn’t visible, you were going to look for me?”

“Yes.”

“Then…… with that body?”

I belatedly realized that I was naked.

“How urgent was I that I didn’t even have the mind to put on clothes?”

“Exactly. It feels good.”

Ian stood up. The situation changed from looking up at him to looking down at him. He smiled softly, as if he was in a good mood, and hugged me by wrapping his arms around my shoulders and waist.

‘This is dangerous.’

The Ian who had been sullen just a moment ago was gone, and the energetic Ian had come. Despite working hard until dawn, he did not seem tired at all. I closed my eyes for a moment and then opened them, feeling something hard against my stomach.

The only thing I could do now was to change the subject. I pushed Ian’s chest and quickly asked.

“But why were you sitting there?”

“Just because you were not next to me.”

It seemed that he could not bear it and followed me, truly because of separation anxiety.

“I was going to quietly leave for a moment because you were sleeping.”

“I woke up when you removed my hand.”

Ian’s hearing was too sharp.

“It was just going to the bathroom for a moment.”

“Just. I don’t want to be apart.”

I was very weak to Ian. Especially to his handsome face smiling at me. He seemed to be worried that I might be annoyed, but he looked cute as he smiled shyly.

“I won’t throw you away and run away, so don’t worry.”

“Yes.”

“And I’m tired now. Don’t touch me anymore.”

“Yes. Just being with you is enough.”

He answered while lightly embracing me. Thanks to this, I could lie down on the bed comfortably without having to walk. He seemed to have understood my words properly, as he just hugged me tightly from the side without any further physical contact. Thanks to this, I could have a peaceful morning without difficulty.

***

“Hey, you know…”

“Do you hate it?”

“That’s not it.”

“Am I annoying?”

“I said no.”

It really felt like things were getting worse day by day. What should I do about this?

A month had passed since the emperor’s visit. There was still no word about Angelo, and we hadn’t gone out once. Yet Ian’s separation anxiety was unchanged. He followed me everywhere, worked from my room, and even sat beside me while I did the finances—much to Dario’s discomfort.

And that wasn’t all. Once my health improved, he practically forced me to resume sword training—and even rescheduled his own practice to match my hours. Whenever I felt a burning gaze on me during training, I’d look up to find Ian watching with a small smile.

That part was fine. What wasn’t fine was when he overheard my instructor Aaron talking to someone and completely lost his temper.

“Lady Ellie’s stamina doesn’t seem to be improving. Should we increase the training intensity?”

“My lady’s always shown strong resistance to training…”

“Still, we’ll have to push harder.”

And then Ian—brazenly, as if it weren’t my exhaustion at stake—said something like, “Well, you’ll be the one getting yelled at, not me.”

The next day, I shouted at him out of spite.

“Do your work in your office!”

He just shamelessly picked me up in his arms and carried me there. Which meant I couldn’t leave until he was done.

That’s how it always was—he followed me everywhere or dragged me along to wherever he needed to be. The servants watched us with fond smiles, and Anna said our closeness made her happy too. Too close, if you asked me.

We can’t stay glued together forever.

I had to find a way to fix Ian’s separation anxiety.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Isn’t that a bit much?”

I looked up at him as he gave me that pitiful look and ran my fingers through his dark hair.

“It can’t be helped.”

It really couldn’t. This was my first step in helping him overcome his anxiety—

Sleeping in separate rooms once a week.

He got anxious when he couldn’t see me, so I figured if we practiced being apart while asleep, he might gradually adjust to short separations during the day.

“We’re still in the same hallway. Go on, sleep.”

I shut and locked the door firmly. Trying to be considerate, I let Ian sleep in our usual room and went next door instead. I explained my reasoning—he didn’t seem convinced, but after I insisted it was good for him, he reluctantly agreed.

“Still, it’s fine.”

I laid on the bed, feeling oddly at peace as I heard the door next door close. I was even curious how Ian would look in the morning.

Except—

“Good morning.”

Is this a dream?

I opened my eyes to find his familiar face right beside me. I was clearly in the adjoining room—so why was Ian here?

“I locked the door!”

“The butler’s known me since I was born.”

I’d told the butler not to give Ian a master key, but apparently loyalty had its limits.

“You couldn’t handle one night apart?”

“Couldn’t sleep. Had no choice.”

He said it as he burrowed against me again, and I was too exasperated to argue.

“How did you manage at the Academy, then?”

“That was different.”

So much for that plan. I tried sneaking out again while he slept, but he’d always wake up and follow me. Eventually, I gave up.

Then came the second method.

“Wait.”

“What?”

As he leaned closer, I held up a hand and said firmly,

“Stay still.”

He blinked in confusion—but stayed put.

Not bad. Maybe patience could be trained. It worked for anxious dogs, so why not for people?

“How long do I have to wait?”

“…Huh?”

“If I wait patiently, don’t I get a big reward?”

I hadn’t planned for that. Unfortunately, Ian decided the “reward” himself.

That night, I was so exhausted that I couldn’t leave the bed the next day—still beside him.

So much for “wait.” On to the third method.

He’s not a dog… but maybe I can distract him.

I needed him to find interest in something besides me. Like those dog-training shows where you give them toys to keep them busy.

Ian only really cared about work and swordsmanship, so I made sure he had plenty of both. I slipped extra reports into his workload and adjusted his training schedule to be more intense—anything to keep him too busy to follow me.

When he wasn’t looking, I’d quietly slip out of the office and take a walk in the garden, or nap in an unused room. Anything to hide for a bit.

“This is way too much effort…”

It wasn’t easy, finding new hiding spots every day. But at least Ian seemed to understand. He stayed focused on his tasks and didn’t come looking for me during work or training.

“You doing okay, Ian?”

“I’m fine.”

A week later, I saw his tired smile—and realized I’d failed again.

He staggered slightly on his way to the office, and the doctor said it was overwork. Even though his workload wasn’t that heavy anymore. He’d been pushing himself late into the night, always looking tired.

When I asked why, he said he couldn’t focus without me around.

You’ve got to be kidding me.

Just recently, he’d even injured himself during training—his left arm had been cut badly. I’d panicked at the sight of the blood, but Ian stayed calm.

Please tell me he didn’t do it on purpose just for attention.

Considering his history, I couldn’t rule it out. Though this wound was far more serious than any of his old “stunts.”

With sword training canceled for recovery, he poured himself into paperwork—until that, too, made him sick.

I put my hands on his shoulders and asked quietly,

“Ian, are you tired?”

“No. Not that much.”

He said it while looking utterly drained.

“I only wanted you to get better. But now you’re worse.”

“I tried to endure it.”

He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his head against my chest. My hand automatically moved to his hair—it was soft.

“We used to do fine apart. Can’t we just go back to that?”

“But the way I feel about you now… it’s different.”

I sighed, tugging lightly on his hair. “We’re not even far apart—we’re still in the same mansion.”

“I know… but I still get anxious.”

His arms tightened around me.

“Ian…”

“I know you hate it. I hate it too sometimes.”

“At least for now, it’s fine. But what if something happens again—say, a monster invasion in the capital—and you’re sent away by the emperor? We’d be apart then, right?”

Even though I was learning swordsmanship, I wasn’t ready to fight monsters. I’d just want to wait for him safely at home—but looking at him now, I had a bad feeling he’d drag me along instead.

“You’re right. I should go alone then… But the last time I did, you ran away with Angelo.”

Great. He brought up that old wound again. True, I’d unintentionally left him scarred when I ran away.

“I swear I won’t this time. You believe me, right?”

“…Yeah.”

Why did that sound hesitant?

“What, should I make a blood oath?”

It wasn’t serious—I just wanted him to feel reassured.

“No. You’d get hurt.”

He refused immediately, without hesitation.

“Then give me a little time.”

Maybe he wanted to promise differently—not with blood, but with something else.

I said that I understood.

***

After that, Ian diligently did his own work.

He still could not concentrate properly, even bleeding from his nose because he was working while being apart from me, but he was still trying to keep the distance while working, just because I wanted it.

Since his condition was not good, I tried to follow him to the study, but he weakly said he was okay. And at the same time, he meaningfully added.

‘I need you to swear that you will never leave.’

However, after a week, he did not carry out the unusual oath. How grandiose was he going to make it?

Just as I was about to forget about the oath—

“Really, no matter what happens, you won’t leave my side, right?”

“Yes, I will. Let’s go eat.”

Since Ian often asked this question, I was used to it and just answered affirmatively.

“Then wear this and swear with me.”

When I opened the red velvet box, I saw a bracelet. As expected, the gem was the symbol of the Bellocchio family, purple. The purple gem sparkled in the light, as if tempting me to wear it quickly.

“A bracelet, huh.”

“A bracelet for the foot.”

I was wrong. Come to think of it, I had a similar design bracelet that Ian had given me before. It needed to have the magic stone changed periodically, and although Ian did not acknowledge it, it had a tracking spell on it.

Ian held out his hand, so I took out the bracelet and handed it back to him. He smiled softly and knelt on one knee. I looked down at his glossy black hair. A cold sensation tickled my ribs.

“You won’t leave, right? Can you swear that?”

“Yes, I won’t leave.”

Seeing Ian’s smiling face made me happy. It was also cute that he was asking me to wear the bracelet I had given him and swear that I would not leave.

“It suits you.”

Ian’s lips briefly touched my foot before leaving.

I slightly lifted my foot to look at the bracelet on my ankle. The bracelet was not too big or too small, and it did not squeeze my ankle. I liked that it added a point to my ankle. However, since only long dresses were worn in this world, it was a shame that I could not show it off outside.

Looking at the bracelet, I suddenly felt that Ian in the original work had changed a lot.

‘Now that I think about it, both Ethel and I ran away from Ian.’

Fortunately, my ankle was very healthy. It was just that an accessory had been added.

‘It must be because of the brainwashing from childhood.’

This was thanks to my efforts, knowing the future. Because of the advice I had given him since he was young, he had improved a little.

Well, Ian in the original work was a very strange person. No matter how much she tried to leave his side, it was too strange to cripple the ankle of the person he loved…….

While I was admiring the changed Ian—

“Do you not like it?”

Ian asked me cautiously, noticing my expression.

“No, I like it. But why a bracelet for the foot?”

“There’s already a bracelet.”

“It could be a necklace or earrings.”

“It would get in the way if I leave marks.”

“Wow…. You’re really thoughtful.”

Shouldn’t you just take off the necklace and earrings when you do that? I was puzzled for a moment.

“By the way, only I can take this bracelet off.”

“Huh?”

“I put a spell on it.”

“Yes. It’s really an amazing bracelet.”

Anyway, it was an accessory that was hard to show off to others because it was hidden by a long dress. I thought it was a waste of tremendous magical power.

“I feel a bit more at ease now.”

Looking at Ian, who was smiling comfortably, I also felt good. Even if the bracelet could not be taken off, so what? After all, it was not a shackle that would prevent me from moving my feet.

“Now we really can’t be separated.”

Ian’s lips curled up widely, really happy. This bracelet must be an item that embodies the oath not to leave each other. I suddenly thought that this bracelet might have too much meaning.

“If you say you won’t leave, there will be no such thing, but if you leave me—”

“If I leave?”

“That bracelet will bring you back to my side.”

“….That’s amazing.”

I understood why Ian asked for time to make a blood oath to me, who could even swear not to leave. It must have taken a long time to make this bracelet.

There was a tracking spell on the arm, and on the foot, there was a spell that would make me return to Ian’s side against my will.

But Ian looked so happy that I could not blame him. I just hoped that his separation anxiety would decrease with this.

“Since you won’t leave me, this bracelet won’t have to use its power.”

“But what if you leave me?”

“I prepared one for myself too.”

He slightly lifted his pants, and a red gem sparkled.

“….This is a couple’s bracelet, huh.”

“If I leave you, rub my bracelet five times with your hand. Then, against my will, I will return to you. Even if I don’t leave, you can use it anytime to call me.”

Ian, who confidently continued, boasted that he could use magic, so he did not need to rub the bracelet.

“Anyway, it’s really amazing. There’s no tracking device here, right?”

“I didn’t put a tracking function on my bracelet. You can’t use magic anyway.”

Ian did not mention the tracking ability of the bracelet I was wearing. However, I could guess that there was also a tracking function in this bracelet.

“If you use the bracelet to call me just because you want to see me while we’re in the same mansion, I won’t let you off easily.”

“….Okay.”

When I threatened him, Ian answered sulkily. It seemed that he really intended to summon me. I was glad that I threatened him in advance.

After that, was it really because of the bracelet? Ian’s separation anxiety decreased.

He worked very smoothly in the study even when he was apart from me, and he did not feel left out even when our sword training times did not overlap.

On a day without sword training. After diligently doing accounting in the morning, I took a walk in the garden and then lay down in my room.

“I must have been bitten by a bug.”

My right ankle itched. Someone might say it was not like a noble, but anyway, there was no one else in the room. I scratched my ankle. At that moment—

“You already missed me?”

Ian appeared in front of me. Looking at his eyes full of joy, I asked in bewilderment.

“Huh? Why did you suddenly come?”

“You called me, right?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“No, you called me.”

His purple eyes turned to my right ankle.

“I must have accidentally touched the bracelet while scratching. I’m sorry, go back to work.”

I retreated slowly while hastily explaining. That’s because Ian’s waistband was bulging as if it was about to burst. It was also the culprit that replaced the sword training with a walk in the garden today.

However, my explanation did not work very well.

Ian sat on the edge of the bed. I was already with my back against the wall. I felt like a herbivorous animal about to be caught by a predator.

“First, go back to work!”

In a hurry, I tried to kick him, but my foot was easily subdued by Ian’s hand.

Ian grabbed my ankle and pulled it towards him. My lower body was dragged, and in an instant, I was lying down, and Ian quickly got on top of me.

“We need to change the way to use the bracelet. This was a mistake.”

“That’s right. I also missed you. Call me often in the future.”

“No, it was an accident.”

“You can call me whenever you’re thirsty or bored, just like this now.”

Ian’s lips intertwined with mine at the same time, and a large, hard hand entered my skirt. I habitually put my arms around Ian’s neck and closed my eyes.

***

Erlian gazed at Elicia, who had fallen into an exhausted sleep after their four times of intimacy.

He knew well that her summoning him with the anklet was a mistake. Even as he watched her unable to hide her embarrassment, Erlian couldn’t contain his surging joy. After all, Elicia had sought him out.

Of course, he had made the method of summoning him as easy as possible in the hopes of this kind of situation. He knew the Elicia he knew would never call for him otherwise.

However, he had thought this episode would happen at least half a year later. He hadn’t expected her to call him in less than a month.

‘Though she mistakenly thinks she has to stroke it five times to summon me…’

In truth, stroking the gem on the anklet only three times was enough to summon Erlian. Elicia would never know that fact.

Erlian recalled her ankle, which easily fit into his hand. That fragile ankle that felt like it would shatter with just a little force. Just the thought of it made the blood rush back to his lower body.

What would her reaction have been if he had broken her ankle instead of putting the anklet on?

‘She wouldn’t have treated me this comfortably now.’

She would have resented him or been afraid of him. She would have avoided him and constantly plotted to run away with her tiny brain. In that case, the anxiety would have kept building, even if he kept Elicia by his side. What he disliked most was Elicia deeply disappointed in him.

Thinking back, putting on the anklet was the right thing to do. The anxiety he felt from not having her close had significantly decreased.

Yet, even so, it wasn’t enough. He wanted all the pity she directed toward Angelo for himself.

Fortunately, Elicia had occasionally pitied his desolate appearance for some time now. It seemed to be since the burn scar appeared on his back.

“I’m really okay.”

“Still, I keep worrying about it.”

She still felt sorry for him when she saw Erlian’s back. Erlian intentionally, as if by accident, would occasionally turn his back to show her his scar. Just because he liked the guilt and pity directed at him.

‘I should be satisfied with this much.’

In reality, he wanted to be greedier. He hated it when she talked to the servants, moved away from his side, or got along well by herself without him. He wanted to control everything until she couldn’t do anything alone without him.

However, since Elicia seemed to dislike it, he was trying his best to restrain and hide his impulses. After all, hadn’t she emphasized to him since childhood to ‘live kindly’ and ‘don’t be obsessed with others’?

Erlian had been acting the way she wanted him to since he was young. Perhaps he had already loved Elicia even back then. That thought suddenly occurred to him.

However, this was not the time to dwell on the past. The things they would do together in the future were more important.

“We will be together forever.”

Of course, her opinion was not necessary.

Even with the invisible shackles on her ankle, Erlian’s anxiety hadn’t completely vanished.

From now on, he would watch over her, constantly circling around her so she could never leave him. He would gain her pity and be with her, even if he had to stab himself with a sword. Unlike his foolish father, who had lost his mother.

This was Erlian’s way of loving.

[The End]

 

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Well… That was it, everyone! That was both long and short at the same time, wasn’t it? I hoped you enjoyed Ian and Elicia’s story as much as I did. It was definitely rather unexpected for me. See you in the next novel!