Tamed Monster - Chapter 101

Every part of her body ached as if she’d been beaten all over. It wasn’t from being struck, of course, but from how excessively rough their s*x had been. Her muscles were already sore.

Her legs, especially, were a problem after being spread and folded and pinned down for so long.

“…”

“What’s wrong?”

Sylvia tried to avoid the monster’s gaze, hoping he wouldn’t notice her condition. But in a situation like this, there was no way to hide it from him.

Even if she managed to hang on for a few more minutes, he’d find out the moment they had to get out of the carriage. He seemed to have already figured it out, repeating his question, and Sylvia reluctantly admitted the truth.

“My legs… they’re really sore.”

“Aha. So that’s why you can’t walk on your own, huh?”

He grinned, as if he’d been waiting to catch her in this predicament. Sylvia’s mood soured further.

His cheerful tone, as if he’d won some kind of prize, grated on her nerves. She forced herself to answer calmly.

“Call for a maid, please.”

“Hm… you really want me to? They’re all busy right now, you know.”

“…”

Most of the servants who lived in the estate had accompanied them on the monster hunt, so there were far fewer servants around. This wasn’t the time to drag them into her personal quarrels.

“Then… maybe a knight…” she muttered, but left the sentence unfinished. All the knights were dead.

“…”

“Want me to carry you? Should I just pick you up and bring you inside?”

The monster looked positively delighted at the idea, which made Sylvia genuinely irritated.

The two of them were mortal enemies. Before they were ever husband and wife, they stood on opposite sides as a human and a monster. She hadn’t figured out a way to get rid of him yet, so for now, she’d have to keep up the act.

But that wouldn’t last more than a month. And yet, why did he seem so eager?

“Oh, your clothes are here.”

While she was stuck making awkward small talk with the monster, her clothes arrived.

She wasn’t sure whether Rossa was home or out somewhere—after all, the woman who doted on her son hadn’t come rushing out to greet them, even after hearing he was safe.

She must have gone out. Sylvia quickly got dressed.

“Take it slow. Didn’t you just say your legs were sore?”

With the monster standing behind her, giving advice like a real husband, Sylvia dressed in fresh, comfortable clothes for the first time in ages. She struggled to get her limbs into the right holes, and when he reached out to help, she instinctively twisted away, refusing his offer.

“I’ll do it myself. I’ll walk by myself, too.”

It was a promise to herself. She never wanted to be close to the monster. If you looked at the facts, of course, she’d already been far too close with him. But that was only because she’d been tricked into thinking he was her real husband. She was determined to pretend it never happened.

He let out a deep sigh, like a parent giving up on a stubborn child, and told her to suit herself. Head held high, Sylvia opened the carriage door and took a step outside.

And immediately nearly collapsed onto the dirt.

If her husband hadn’t caught her around the waist from behind, she might have broken a limb. The maids waiting to greet them outside let out startled cries, and Sylvia, clutching her racing heart, found herself cradled in his arms for a moment.

“See? That’s what happens when you’re so stubborn.”

He clicked his tongue right in her ear, and Sylvia had no comeback for him. He kept her in his arms and easily jumped down from the carriage by himself. It was quite a drop, and with her short stature, there was no way Sylvia could have landed as lightly as he did.

Standing on the ground, he looked up at her still sitting in the carriage, arms wide open.

Sylvia hesitated, but realized the longer she stalled, the more embarrassing it would get. So she carefully leaned forward, placed her hands on his shoulders. Before she knew it, she was lifted straight up.

He picked her up like a child, hands under her arms, and set her on the ground in an instant.

One of the maids let out a small gasp, and Sylvia dropped her head in embarrassment. The next thing she knew, he’d swept her up in one arm.

He strode briskly across the front yard and into the main building, completely ignoring the crowd that had come out to welcome them. Even as Sylvia thumped his shoulder in protest, he didn’t slow down one bit.