Chapter 136
<He was born into a peasant family in the Karinaire territory. Recognized early on for his extraordinary divine power, he became an apprentice priest at fifteen and later served in the temple of Deneb.>
Priests were universally respected, regardless of their status. According to Charles’ report, the man was indeed exceptional, but…
Inside the carriage heading to the temple, Izar grumbled in frustration.
“Why do I feel so irritated?”
Karinaire was established only around eighteen years ago, and it was not far from where traces of the rebel forces had been discovered. More than anything, just thinking of that priest’s face stirred an astonishingly sharp disgust in him.
‘It feels just like when I’m facing a monster.’
The fact that Freesia had spent time alone with such a man, conversing warmly, was revolting. If he ever saw the two of them together…
“…The academy and now the temple.”
Izar let out a dry laugh, his brow furrowed.
Albireo Deneb. The priest with those red eyes.
The thought of his own wife drawing the attention of other men made his anger rise so suddenly that heat flushed his neck.
He had thought that the fury burning inside him would completely disappear after their wedding night, once she became fully his.
‘But that’s not the case at all.’
His jealousy was still throbbing, and the thought of the woman he left behind at the mansion made his entire body tense.
Was this what it felt like to be anxious?
‘At best, she’s just surrounded by maids.’
Maybe if he could just keep better track of Freesia’s every move, it would bring him some peace of mind. After confirming that she was entirely in his grasp, he felt the urge to immediately inspect her body again, checking for any spots where he hadn’t yet left his mark.
From head to toe, everything.
However, before they even reached the temple gates, the carriage came to a slow halt. The knight accompanying Izar today rushed back with an urgent report about the situation on the road.
“My lord. It seems the path up to the temple has been completely blocked.”
“What’s going on?”
“They say there was a fire last night. As a result, they’re not accepting any visitors today. It appears a priest may have died in the fire.”
“Is that so?”
Izar stepped down from the carriage and raised his eyebrows, gazing at the temple building that stood on the low hill.
At this time of day, the temple should have gleamed white in the sunlight, but instead, gray smoke was still rising from it.
If you listened closely, you could faintly hear voices shouting as they worked to clean up the scene.
And it seemed the fire had started in the separate storage building where sacred documents were kept.
“What should we do, my lord? Should we turn back…?”
“…First, find out if the priest responsible for the Arcturus family is still alive.”
Earlier, they had reported that ‘a priest died in the fire’.
From the moment he heard that, a strange foreboding, as though a cold hand was gripping his shoulder, took hold of him.
And as was often the case, such inexplicable premonitions rarely proved to be wrong.
* * *
By late afternoon, when a cool breeze began to blow, Freesia’s mood had sunk deep underground. Her body was still aching, and it was hard to even sit up. On top of that, the feeling of abandonment had grown, making everything feel worse.
“So cruel.”
Freesia wrapped herself tightly in a thin blanket and whispered under her breath. Where on earth was Izar, that not even the servants seemed to know?
‘I’ve been in pain all day, worrying until my head felt like it would explode.’
After he slept with her, it now felt as if she’d become just a woman who sold her body, and the unfairness of it stung deeply.
In the end, she had even brewed wild carrot seed tea for contraception.
‘But after one or two sips, I couldn’t drink any more.’
Each time she drank, the guilt and regret clogged her throat like sticky paste. She wondered if this was what it felt like to strangle someone.
Everything had gone against her expectations, and it was all a disaster. She didn’t even want to think about what she should do next.
But just then, the sound of carriage wheels rolling over the gravel path reached her ears. The husband who had disappeared after their consummation night had finally returned.
‘I thought he might just disappear for several days.’
Still sulking, Freesia remained lying under the blanket, wrapping it tightly around her body.
“Hmph.”
A proper noblewoman was supposed to greet her husband when he returned home.
But her rebellious spirit refused. After all, she had a good excuse: walking was difficult because of the soreness between her legs.
…However, as the commotion outside the door grew louder, she quietly rose from her bed.
‘Izar must be coming this way.’
It wasn’t that she wanted to see him—she was only getting up because it was proper to greet him as the Duke and her husband.
Just before Izar entered the room, Freesia pulled the blanket up to her cheeks.
“Freesia?”
“…”
“What’s wrong?”
Even as Izar approached, Freesia kept her head lowered. She didn’t want to look at him out of resentment and anger.
Even though he was standing right next to her.
“How do you feel?”
“…”
“Why aren’t you saying anything? Should I call for the physician right now…?”
“Welcome back.”
Only then did Freesia speak. The hint of confusion in his voice had broken her silence.
She glanced up at him with a seemingly indifferent gaze, but before she could fully see his face, she noticed his hand first.
He was holding a small box, just the size of his palm.
“…What’s this?”
“Take it.”
Izar replied curtly, placing the box in Freesia’s hand, which was still filled with confusion.
“I don’t want to hear anyone say I’m not doing even the bare minimum as a husband.”
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