I Had No Complaints About This Marriage - Chapter 44

The question of why are you here? was cut off once more by a hand gripping her chin. She wanted to say something, but for some reason, she hesitated.

Herman, holding her face, slowly exhaled as his eyes traced the dried red liquid at the corner of her mouth.

Only then did Esina recall the thug’s words and feel a headache coming on.

“You protecting some sick b***h, you damn freak?!”

Being misunderstood like this was troublesome. She was about to hurriedly explain that she wasn’t actually sick—when Herman pressed a thumb to her lips and sighed, looking down at her.

“Are you hurt?”

“Huh?”

“I asked if you’re hurt. Or if you’re actually… sick somewhere—”

“No! Absolutely not!”

“Then this is—”

“I—I faked the blood! So they wouldn’t dare touch me!”

As she flailed her limbs in frantic explanation, Herman’s calm eyes scanned her again. His gaze was odd—somehow both praising and scolding. For some reason, it made her insides itch.

“…Good.”

“…….”

“As long as you’re not hurt, that’s enough.”

Unconsciously, the back of her neck burned. Those words—did that mean…

‘Could it be…?’

Was he worried? That she might have actually been hurt or sick?

The thought made Esina’s heart race foolishly again. She’d met plenty of trash who wanted to hit her, but this was the first time she’d met trash who hit others for her.

Just as Esina was struggling to control her runaway heart, Herman’s lips parted slowly after a few hesitations.

“Why go this far to come here?”

“…….”

“I made sure you could do anything you wanted inside the house. Why did you leave?”

Feeling cornered, Esina averted her eyes. Herman gripped her chin firmly, forcing her to face him again, then backed her against the wall and whispered.

“This place is dangerous. You must’ve known that the moment you stepped in.”

“Well…”

“You knew, which is why you wore this kind of outfit from the start.”

Being criticized even for her outfit left Esina at a complete loss for words. No wonder he’s good at business—his observational skills are on another level. The moment that thought crossed her mind, an itch spread through her chest, making her chew on her lips.

Noticing this, Herman pressed the plump curve of her lower lip with the tip of his fingernail, as if urging her to speak. Then, smiling with devilish sweetness, he asked in a composed voice.

“Getting caught up in something like this—in a place this dangerous.”

“Well, I…!”

“Or is it your taste to not just hear filthy words but have filthy things done to you?”

“Excuse me?!”

“In a place like this?”

Herman’s eyes swept over the desolate, unsanitary surroundings. The absurdity of his words made Esina’s eyes widen instantly.

Even for him, this is too much!

Being labeled a pervert like this unsettled even Esina—it even felt a little unfair.

“Absolutely not!”

“Really? You do have a rough taste for hearing nasty words. It’s plausible.”

Yet despite her vehement denial, Herman only slid a finger between her lips as he spoke. Esina knew this look well. It was the same one he always gave before throwing her down without preamble.

Herman—a man who’d never set foot in a damp, filthy place like this, let alone wanted to.

And yet here he was, after rescuing her from thugs, pinning her down and spreading her legs—

…Why is my heart going crazy?

The way his lowered eyes held nothing but her made the space between her legs tingle. Was this the so-called swinging bridge effect or something?

Her body, familiar with this stimulation, began to stir. Unconsciously, her shoulders twitched. It felt like she’d just discovered a new preference without meaning to.

Now that I think about it…

This was a first.

Not just someone beating others up for her—

But someone rushing to her when she was in trouble. Someone taking her side without questioning the context.

Someone asking if she was hurt, checking on her—

Compared to her past, it felt extraordinarily special. Her heart pounded again.

‘Right. So the problem is Herman Telloien being absurdly kind for a piece of trash. Not my fault.’

…Well, his only flaw was always being a womanizer anyway.