Chapter 60
“…”
Atria clenched her mouth shut.
It was a bit scary, but her mother’s teachings sounded all too tender.
“But, Mother.”
And Atria was a student who absorbed lessons well, asking more advanced questions.
“What if she’s already pregnant?”
“Ahaha!”
Her mother laughed merrily.
To think her daughter coveted the flawless position of Duchess Arcturus so thoroughly.
Then it was only right for a parent to thoroughly fulfill her daughter’s wishes.
She added with a content smile,
“Fret not, my daughter. It’s easy for any child in a womb to perish.”
For any number of reasons.
* * *
After returning to his domain, Izar had been buried in ducal duties for a while.
Though Charles Károli had managed the tasks in his absence, final approvals were still under Izar’s jurisdiction.
Charles internally grumbled as he watched Izar reviewing documents for several days.
‘All this trouble over one woman.’
The Duke personally dealing with monsters appearing in another’s domain?
Even if it was in exchange for using ‘the healing spring’, the cost-benefit ratio did not add up.
‘And to treat the Elder Madam so coldly upon his return.’
As soon as Izar returned, he perfectly separated the domains of the Elder Madam and the sheperdess.
Ensuring they would not cross paths as much as possible.
But that meant, parts of the domain the Elder Madam used to frequent were now restricted from her.
‘At the end of the day, the Elder Madam is still an esteemed elder of this house.’
Who would have thought, all because of one fake bride, everyone would be this inconvenienced…
However, when Izar asked a question, Charles snapped back to attention.
“Charles. Any more updates on the search for that bastard?”
“…I apologize, my lord.”
The ‘bastard’ mentioned just now was Izar’s half-brother, whose very name was still unknown.
That bastard who was born between his biological mother and the leader of the rebels.
Charles cautiously spoke upon seeing Izar’s darkening expression.
“Perhaps, he’s already dead?”
“That’s impossible.”
Izar flatly denied it.
When he was eighteen, he had found the hideout of the remaining rebels.
Knowing of his arrival, the walls were mockingly inscribed in red letters.
Greetings from your younger brother, born of a blessed union.
Seeing this, Izar realized that until he kills the one who wrote those words, the hatred scorching his heart will not cease.
And until then, there would be no room for casual waiting or a subtle curiosity towards anyone.
Eventually, Izar signaled Charles to leave, indicating the end of the discussion.
“You’ve worked hard in my absence, Charles. Bring the budget ledgers to me later.”
“Yes, understood.”
After Charles respectfully took his leave,
“…Ugh.”
Izar let out a low groan while pressing the corners of his eyes.
Truth be told, since returning to his dominion, Izar had been suffering from insomnia.
Ridiculously, it was because of the shepherdess.
Not because she was ‘there’, but because she was ‘absent’ from his bedroom.
Though he would never admit it.
‘Just fifteen days together, and this happens?’
During their time sharing a bedroom in Deneb, Izar would wake up once every dawn.
Because he had to pull the woman, curled up at the very edge of the bed, back to his side.
Only after ensuring she was properly asleep could Izar himself drift off.
Yet, that trivial action terrifyingly became a habit.
‘Driving me insane…’
Waking up in the middle of the night, instinctively looking at an empty spot.
Naturally, the shepherdess wasn’t there.
Despite repeatedly reminding himself before sleep, his body would automatically wake up to check.
‘It seems I can only sleep if that woman is beside me…’
Without anyone to place atop the pillow next to his, what was he supposed to do?
As a result, Izar had been either overly tense or felt a heavy fog in his mind since his return.
He knew what the solution was.
But it would be madness to call her to his bedroom, wouldn’t it?
‘And what would I even say?’
I can’t sleep, so let me watch you while you sleep in my bed.
You might help me sleep…
He couldn’t utter such words even if he was threatened.
‘Just endure it with your stamina.’
Surely, this wouldn’t continue forever.
It had to be so.
Meanwhile, Freesia, now sleeping alone as well, was managing to sleep better than Izar.
She was too busy planning the future to worry about sleep.
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