Tamed Monster - Chapter 61

Sylvia’s whole body jolted as if struck by lightning. From the crown of her head to the tips of her toes, she trembled uncontrollably, then suddenly stopped.

She caught a faint trace of guilt—or perhaps embarrassment—on her husband’s usually calm face. He seemed to know that what he’d said was utter nonsense.

“Why would I…?”

Before discussing why her husband, who had gone missing there, was returning to the swamp of his own accord, Sylvia needed to understand why it was “just the two of them”.

She herself had no reason to step foot in that swamp.

“More than anything, I’m worried about you.”

Nonsense piled onto nonsense. If he was worried, he shouldn’t have dragged her into the swamp in the first place.

The fact that he was returning there was already absurd. Surely he was following the Crown Prince’s orders, but even so, didn’t he have the right to refuse such a ridiculous suggestion?

“If I left you here alone, I’m certain someone would harm you.”

Like Rossa, for example. Kuinan had spent days wondering why he felt so uneasy about leaving Sylvia behind in the castle while he ventured off alone.

After much thought, he found the root of his discomfort: that stalker-like woman would seize any opportunity to pick a fight and harm Sylvia while he was away.

“I don’t understand that either, but even if that’s true… isn’t it safer here than in the swamp?”

“Why? If you go with me to the swamp, I’ll protect you perfectly.”

Having been defeated and tortured by monsters in that swamp, returning half-dead, he spoke with surprising confidence.

Sylvia gazed quietly at her husband, thinking he might reflect seriously on her words under such a look. Yet after a long stare, his expression remained unchanged.

“So, what happened in the swamp last time?”

Since he barely remembered, she had to remind him. Even if the horrific memories of torture returned, she had to speak her mind. His arrogance as if he’d never lost to the swamp monsters was both ridiculous and unsettling. Where had his conscience gone?

“Hmm… Ah, I suppose you have reason to worry.”

Kuinan recalled the lies he’d spun and nodded in agreement, then launched into more incomprehensible nonsense.

“This time I’m confident. I’ll hunt only the minimum number of monsters, strike the leader, then quickly leave the swamp. It’s an easy mission from the Crown Prince.”

He placed his hands dramatically on his hips, more exaggerated than usual. Sylvia wondered what he had been up to outside since last night. She suspected he might be drunk.

“Are you drunk? You keep talking nonsense.”

“Huh? No…”

“You said you’d just step outside for a moment. Why did you only just come back? I thought you were inspecting the estate, but your outfit’s too light for that.”

Sylvia glanced over Lancart’s clothes from head to toe. Kuinan swallowed nervously. Perhaps because he’d infused his blood into her, he felt an intangible aura from her, as if she was one of his own kind.

If a female monster nagged, would it feel like this? Honestly, it scared him a bit.

“I did check the estate, and took a walk too.”

“You must be tired… but why do that?”

The woman’s personality seemed to have changed, for the worse. The timid woman who once tiptoed around everyone was gone; now she met his gaze directly and answered sharply.

His own deception annoyed Kuinan, and he almost admitted he’d just met his close friend Hector.

“Sometimes I just want to do that.”

Kuinan tried to keep his distance. Her aura prickled his skin. Humans can’t sense demonic energy. Even this woman, only halfway transformed, probably couldn’t feel his demonic energy. But her own demonic energy radiated strongly, causing Kuinan to sweat profusely alone.

“I won’t do that again.”

Giving in, he whispered meekly. Having somewhat calmed, she firmly stated.

“I have no intention of going to the swamp.”

She didn’t want to die. She felt certain she would be killed there.

Honestly, her husband’s survival chances there weren’t great either. If she estimated a 10% chance of him surviving, she felt her odds of immediate death were near 100%.