Duke of the Beast and the Vicarious Bride - Chapter 101

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※ This work contains depictions of coercive relationships, explicit language, and other graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

Deciding to postpone introducing Caligo to Marie, Fiona focused on eating. Her stomach, having skipped breakfast, felt as if it were sticking to her spine.

Her body, exhausted from s*x that bordered on hard labor, was so weary she had no strength even to lift her spoon—but with food before her, the situation changed.

“Eat, Caligo. It will be delicious.”

As with everything else, this was also the first time she had shared a meal with Caligo.

This evening’s menu consisted of warm beef stew, bread, roasted potatoes and vegetables.

She had requested whatever could be prepared quickly, so she thought this was splendid enough, yet she suddenly found herself wondering what foods Caligo liked and disliked.

Thinking that this curiosity too was a manifestation of affection made her feel somewhat shy, but it was not unpleasant.

“Jayden couldn’t possibly have taken good care of your meals. Have you been alright all this while?”

Caligo, who had been looking down for a moment at the piece of meat Fiona extended toward him on her fork, returned an unexpected answer.

“I do not need to eat.”

“What? What do you mean?”

At Fiona’s questioning, he pondered how to answer, then replied briefly.

“Just as I said.”

She thought pressing further would only yield similar answers, so she desisted, but she could not quite understand.

Could there be a person who could live without eating…?

The sense of dissonance she had been feeling continuously now gained certainty. As she had thought, Caligo was no ordinary human. Of course, this did not change her conviction that he should not be treated as a beast or a slave.

“But this is good.”

While Fiona sat troubled and motionless, Caligo seized her hand and brought it to his own mouth.

What was consumed was the fork’s end, yet due to his gaze fixed upon her, her cheeks flushed for no reason.

‘…Now that I can see his face, there are difficulties.’

To think he had already learned to trouble people with such looks.

Fiona bit her lip, stirring only the innocent food on her plate.

* * *

After finishing the meal, Fiona led Caligo toward Jayden’s office.

Her body, abused all day, cried out in various places, but matters remained to be resolved.

“I wish you would now clearly decide how to treat Caligo. I made it clear this morning that he cannot continue as he has been.”

Though she made her demand with feigned confidence, inwardly she was gauging Jayden’s reaction. Given his nature, she expected him to be storming with rage about the morning’s incident, but strangely, he had maintained silence until now.

Surely he’s not the type to stay quiet.

As she had guessed, Jayden was barely suppressing the anger that welled up at Fiona’s impudent demand.

His impertinent little sister—who had early that morning inexplicably invaded the military camp, caused that commotion, and then vanished with the beast—now seemed to have decided to completely cross the line with her insolent behavior.

“Yes, Fiona. This older brother of yours has become a joke to you now, it seems. You raised havoc once, so a second time is no difficulty, is that it? You’ve grown quite fond of it.”

Rubbing his throbbing temples, he glared fiercely at Fiona and the beast standing at her side.

Setting aside his sister, who was as venomous as she had been that morning, the beast—whom he had thought had regained some intelligence—now seemed even more foolish than before, clinging to Fiona’s side like a decorative tassel. A combination that did nothing but obstruct his energy.

“Or perhaps, having stolen a key military asset without warning and spent the entire day tangled up with it, you’ve now decided you want to keep it by your side forever? Seeing how you’ve completely lost your senses, that beast must have quite extraordinary talents. Ah, but was it not ‘His Highness the Grand Duke’ I should call him, rather than beast?”

At Jayden’s mockery, Fiona’s face reddened for a moment. She had hoped no one would know what she had done in her room with Caligo all day, but that was merely a wish. However, she soon layered thick steel over her face and replied as if composed.