Trapped in a Secret Room With the Magnificent Duke - Chapter 22 - Part ②

A month ago, Kadrion had been summoned to the imperial palace by the Emperor.

Although the journey should have taken at least two months, Kadrion managed to return to the Duke’s residence a month ahead of schedule by handling his affairs as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Determined to see Reyna as soon as possible, Kadrion had pushed himself through a grueling schedule, leaving his exhausted knights and entourage at an inn. He rode alone through the night, and by the time he arrived at the Gerard Ducal estate, it was the early hours of the morning.

The gate guards, startled to see Kadrion, called out in surprise.

“D-Duke…? No, at this hour, are you alone?”

Kadrion gave a slight nod and gestured for the guards to open the gate.

“The Duke has returned! Open the gate!”

Kadrion rode calmly into the estate. As one of the guards, who had been silently observing the unexpected arrival, began to speak, he was interrupted by Kadrion.

“Since it’s late, I think it’s best not to make a commotion.”

The guard’s steps, which had been heading toward the mansion to announce the return, came to an abrupt halt. Everyone knew how much Kadrion cherished his wife. The guards immediately understood that he wanted to avoid waking her from her sleep.

“Ah…! Understood.”

“Thank you for your efforts.”

Kadrion exchanged a few brief words of thanks with the guards before leading his horse into the mansion.

This wasn’t just a customary courtesy. He felt genuine gratitude toward those who had kept Reyna and Diego safe while he was away.

The guards watched with respect as the youngest duke of the Empire and a war hero disappeared into the estate. They maintained their vigilance and composure.

Though no one would dare think of sneaking into the Gerard Ducal residence.

* * *

Before heading up to the second floor where the couple’s bedroom was, Kadrion made his way to Diego’s room on the first floor.

Seeing Diego’s peacefully sleeping face brought a natural smile to Kadrion’s lips. He gently kissed Diego’s chubby, soft cheeks. The sensation of his lips against the warm, plump skin was incredibly addictive.

Kadrion’s lips brushed Diego’s cheeks, eyelids, and forehead several times.

“Mmm…”

Perhaps uncomfortable, Diego furrowed his brows slightly and murmured in his sleep. Watching this, Kadrion couldn’t help but let out a soft, pleased laugh.

Diego was his and Reyna’s child, so how could he not be adorable?

Although Kadrion had told Reyna that he had simply forgotten contraception for a day, it was all part of his plan.

He needed a strong reason to keep her by his side, to ensure that if she ever considered leaving due to past mistakes, he would have a powerful reason to keep her close.

Of course, this meant that in addition to Reyna, he now had one more person in the world who was incredibly precious to him.

After giving Diego’s cheek one last gentle kiss, Kadrion left the room and headed straight to the couple’s bedroom on the second floor.

It had been a whole month since he last saw Reyna. Filled with eager anticipation to see her even while asleep, Kadrion walked toward the bedroom at the far end of the second floor.

The room was very dark without the lights on, but as he had anticipated, he could hear the steady, rhythmic breathing of Reyna. Kadrion’s gaze was immediately drawn to the bed.

Although he couldn’t see her face due to her position, simply watching Reyna’s delicate shoulders rise and fall with each breath was a comfort to Kadrion.

“…”

This was the first time since their marriage that Kadrion had been apart from Reyna for so long, and his heart, which had been filled with separation anxiety, began to calm down.

But that wasn’t enough for him. He wanted to hold Reyna’s soft body, kiss her cheek, and breathe in her scent deeply.

As he carefully took steps forward in the darkness, a steady rain began to fall from the sky, which had been sluggishly gathering since entering the residence.

“It looks like it will rain all night.”

Kadrion checked to make sure the windows were tightly closed to prevent the rain from coming in and carefully drew the curtains.

Navigating in complete darkness and avoiding collisions on his way to the bed wasn’t easy, but Kadrion relied on the sensation of his outstretched fingers in the air to avoid disturbing Reyna’s deep sleep.

His hand brushed against Reyna’s soft, warm skin as he felt for the bed sheets. At that moment, the idea of surprising Reyna with an early morning wake-up vanished from his mind.

It had been a whole month. A month in which he had been denied the chance to see her, breathe in her scent, or touch her.

Eventually, Kadrion settled down on the bed behind Reyna, pulling her close. He buried his nose in the nape of her neck and took a deep breath.

As he inhaled the familiar scent, he felt a heavy weight between his legs.