My Husband Never Dies - Chapter 71

Evelyn jolted awake from the nightmare and roughly wiped the cold sweat soaking her brow.

The bedroom lay shrouded in darkness. Too quiet. She drew in a long breath. The air was damp.

She recognized it immediately. This fog.

“…What now?”

No sooner had the words left her lips than an arm reached out of empty space. Cool fingers brushed carefully across her forehead, the bridge of her nose, her cheeks, and beneath her chin, as though checking every inch of her face.

“Looks like you had a nightmare.”

His voice was as calm as ever. A moment later, the mattress dipped beside her.

Evelyn didn’t bother turning her head. A gentle hand swept her sweat-damp hair back from her face. Perhaps she was simply too exhausted from the nightmares that had plagued her night after night.

In a weary voice, she asked, “Can’t you enter other people’s dreams too?”

“That’s right.”

“Then don’t waste your breath asking.”

“I can’t stay inside your dreams for long, Eve. I can only interfere right before you wake up, like I just did. It happened the last time, too.”

As he explained the one thing even he couldn’t do, the Duke sounded almost delighted.

“I can’t read your thoughts. I can’t see the course your life will take. You probably have no idea how exciting that is.”

“…You certainly took the long way around to admit you’re incapable.”

Evelyn answered coolly and sat up. Beyond the sheer curtains, there was nothing but darkness. It was still night.

Her gaze drifted to the baby’s cradle. Laura had been looking after the baby before she went to sleep… hadn’t she?

“Not going to kill her?”

Calix’s voice followed her as she climbed out of bed. Rather than answer, Evelyn quietly crossed the room to the cradle.

The baby’s plump cheeks were flushed with sleep, her eyes gently closed. She slept soundly, her tiny body rising and falling with each soft breath.

Watching that steady rhythm, Evelyn let out a quiet sigh of relief.

“I don’t kill children.”

“So you’re waiting until she’s grown? That won’t be easy.”

At some point, Calix had come to stand directly behind her. His hand settled lightly on her shoulder, stroking it with unsettling tenderness.

Arms as unyielding as the chains that had once bound her wrists and ankles slipped around her waist.

Lowering his head until his lips brushed her ear, the man whispered in a low voice.

“Because she’ll take after you.”

For a moment, Evelyn saw herself again — the girl from her dream, clawing desperately to survive. That child, who had crawled through the mud to stay alive, could never resemble a baby destined to grow up as the sole heir of a grand duchy.

“Don’t talk nonsense. What could a little thing who’s never known hunger possibly have in common with me…?”

She spoke flatly, struggling to pry the iron-hard arm from around her waist. It didn’t budge. Instead, Calix drew her back until she was pressed flush against the solid warmth of his chest, a quiet laugh escaping him.

“I’m not talking about the life she’ll live, Eve.”

The cool touch of his tongue slowly traced the curve of her ear.

Evelyn’s shoulders went rigid.

“I mean her nature. I made her in your image.”

“…You’re fxcking insane.”

The curse slipped out before she could stop it.

As always, Calix didn’t so much as blink. If anything, her defiance seemed to amuse him.

In one effortless motion, he tightened his hold around her waist and turned her to face him. Her feet left the floor for the briefest instant, and the next moment, her body was thrown onto the soft bed.

The peaceful sight of the sleeping baby slipped from Evelyn’s view in an instant. She reflexively tried to sit up, but he was faster. The man’s broad frame bore down on top of her before she could move.

Thick fog began to slither around them like living serpents.

“Let go. I’m not in the mood for this right now…”

“When have you ever been?”

Cool, slender fingers drifted slowly down the back of Evelyn’s sweat-damp neck. Every instinct she possessed screamed at her to run.