Chapter 90 - North Korean rabbit

Episode 90

Arpad's mood, which had been excellent just moments before, was now dashed to the ground by a single woman's remark.

"Because I feel sorry for the person who will become your lover later."

Lover?

What on earth was she talking about?

It wasn't that the words themselves were unpleasant.

The problem was the person who uttered them.

'Is that something a wife should say?'

Of course, among couples bound by political marriages, it wasn't unusual to have a separate mistress. His own parents were actually the rare exception.

But Arpad didn't have another woman right now, yet Hilia often spoke as if it were an established fact.

'As if she's certain it will happen.'

Remembering this made his mood even worse.

Hilia sometimes acted as if she had seen the future.

Ever since the moment she came to him and proposed the marriage of abduction.

Just as she had predicted the dragon's eclipse days ago and laid out all her plans.

Then… did that mean she had also predicted that he would have another woman?

"Why would I have a lover?"

"...Because we don't know what the future holds?"

Hilia's answer made him feel even worse.

So that was it.

Arpad replied curtly.

"I have no intention of keeping a separate lover."

At that, Hilia's purple eyes, which had been brimming with composure all along, widened.

"...Why?"

"That's a strange question."

"No, but we don't know how things will turn out later, do we?"

"Right. We don't know the future."

Hilia acted as if she knew, but he did not.

However, precisely because of that, there was something he could declare with certainty.

"I know myself well. I have no intention of keeping a lover separate from my wife."

"……."

Hilia stared at him blankly, her mouth agape as if at a loss for words.

To her, Arpad drove the point home.

"So you should give up too."

"Huh? Give up what?"

"Keeping a separate lover."

"No, when did I ever say I was going to keep a separate lover……!"

Hilia, who was about to flare up in anger, soon realized one fact.

"Wait. You still haven't given up on that misunderstanding?"

"What misunderstanding?"

"Sir Beltain!"

When the word 'lover' and Beltain's name were connected from her lips, Arpad's mood began to dig into the ground.

He felt so bad it made his stomach churn.

No, to be precise, his mood was so foul he wanted to drag that man, who was probably standing guard outside the door right now, and kill him on the spot.

Of course, because of Hilia, he couldn't act on it.

Whether she knew this or not, Hilia launched into an excuse.

"I've told you so many times. Sir Beltain is merely a loyal knight. You know that too, and you're just saying this to tease me, aren't you?"

"……."

It was true.

The first time, he had misunderstood, but that misunderstanding hadn't been seriously sustained.

It was closer to teasing Hilia.

But this moment was different.

Arpad truly, sincerely, and fiercely felt his insides boil and his nerves grow sharp just hearing Beltain's name.

Hilia continued, as if placating a child.

"Sir Beltain and I really have nothing. Of course, I'm grateful for his loyalty, but that's all. If Sir Beltain had been a retainer of another family, he probably would have shown the same loyalty, right?"

"……."

Arpad kept his mouth shut.

It wasn't in agreement with Hilia's words.

Rather, it was the opposite.

'If I hadn't seen that bastard's expression earlier, I might have thought so too.'

The very embodiment of chivalry, a stubborn, inflexible blockhead.

That what he showed Hilia was merely a knight's loyalty.

But he had already seen it.

"...I am Hilia's husband."

Sir Beltain, clearly shaken by the words 'Hilia's husband'.

He had clearly seen it, however faint—a flicker of resentment and jealousy passing through.

'Because I'm a man too, I could recognize it.'

And yet, the name of Sir Beltain, with whom he had that silent battle, was being brought up again here.

In the bedroom where they were alone.

Arpad didn't like that either.

* * *

"……."

"……."

Hilia and Arpad stared at each other, both stubborn.

An awkward, grating silence filled the room.

With a sigh, I was the one who took the offensive first.

"I don't know why you keep bringing up Sir Beltain… but it's really not like that."

"...I know."

"If you know, then why do you do it?"

I asked, bewildered.

Then Arpad retorted.

"Then why do you speak on the premise that I will naturally be unfaithful?"

"……."

"Do you trust me in other matters? Am I that unreliable?"

I didn't know what to say here.

Because I know your future?

To say that would require explaining too much.

And before that, I'm a little afraid.

Of seriously telling someone else that I have regressed.

I had already told someone once, and it ended in spectacular failure.

"Actually, I've returned from the future."

That person…….

I suppressed a bitterly painful memory.

I still can't tell.

But this wasn't a situation to just let pass without saying anything.

It seemed that showing at least a part of my true feelings would prevent misunderstandings between us.

So I spoke honestly. Leaving out only the information about the regression.

"Actually, I'm preparing."

"...Preparing for what?"

"Preparing not to expect. If I don't expect, I won't get hurt."

As I said it, I was a little surprised. Knowing that Arpad would soon love another woman, it seems I had unconsciously prepared for that situation.

'…What is this?'

If I don't like Arpad, shouldn't it not matter whether he likes another woman or not?

Why am I thinking this…...

Just then, Arpad asked in a somewhat subdued voice, cutting off my train of thought.

"...Are you saying you don't expect anything from me?"

To be more precise, it would be that not expecting is better for me.

Answering truthfully gave me pause.

Even though I had just thought I wanted to show my true feelings.

It was too complicated.

As I agonized over how to answer, Arpad nodded as if understanding.

"Well, I suppose it's hard to fully trust a mad crown prince. I understand."

Arpad, saying this, wore an even more hurt expression than yesterday.

Seeing that, I simply couldn't let it pass.

"That's not it."

"...What's not?"

"It's not that I don't trust you."

"But just now……."

"It's because I've experienced betrayal too many times, I find it hard to trust people. And I have a habit of assuming the worst in advance."

This is a real habit I developed through the regressions.

"If I truly didn't trust you at all from the start, I wouldn't have requested the marriage of abduction either."

"……."

An expression I had never seen before appeared on Arpad's face.

For some reason, this situation felt unbearably embarrassing and difficult to endure.

Was it because, even though I hadn't revealed the fact of my regression, this was the first time I had exposed even a part of my raw inner self to another person?

That was probably it.

I felt more shameful than if I were naked.

So I immediately turned my head away, dove into the bed, buried my face deep in the covers, and shouted.

"Let's sleep separately tonight!"

It was too mortifying.

Arpad's laughter rang clearly through the room.

And soon, rustling sounds approached from beside me.

"Go to your own bedroom……!"

Just as I flared up in anger and raised my head from under the covers.

Arpad's face was already right before my eyes.

"No."

*Thump!* My face flushed red without me realizing it.

Arpad replied in a serious voice devoid of laughter.

"I can't sleep well in any other bed."

I fidgeted, trying to retreat and get off the bed.

"Then I'll go to another room……!"

But I was caught by Arpad.

"We are officially a newlywed lovebird couple. Letting it be known that we use separate rooms isn't a very good choice."

It was true, which made it all the more annoying.

So I stubbornly shouted.

"I'm going to sleep without looking at your face!"

* * *

His wife did as she said.

She turned her back flatly and fell asleep, and Arpad carefully pulled her into an embrace from behind.

He realized anew that since sharing a bed with her, Arpad had begun to sleep quite deeply.

True to his dragon lineage, he didn't require much sleep.

An hour or two a day was sufficient, and when tense, he could easily stay awake for several nights.

But when he was with her, sleep came strangely well.

He fell into a deep sleep. Uncharacteristically.

So… like this moment.

Arpad didn't often dream.

Perhaps because he had little opportunity to dream, given his lack of sleep.

Or maybe because he had so few regrets or things to dwell on.

Thus, Arpad was not accustomed to dreams.

Especially if they were nightmares.

"No! Nooo!"

A woman was screaming. A voice he knew well.

Through blurred vision, he saw a familiar face.

Dirty, roughly cut pink hair. Scars and bruises left on her pale, delicate skin here and there.

And above all, the expression of terror-stricken weeping.

"P-please, save me… please……."

It was Hilia.

The one who knocked down the screaming woman and mounted her like a beast was clearly himself.

The pale pink hair scattered on the black stone floor was vividly imprinted on his mind.

But 'now' he had no rational mind capable of proper judgment.

He merely followed instinct, like a beast.

He began to lick the blood flowing from Hilia's wounds.

"―!!!"

When he opened his eyes, Arpad realized. That he had dreamed.

A nightmare, experienced for the first time in his life.

It was strangely vivid. And utterly vile.

Arpad slowly turned his head.

Hilia, who couldn't possibly know what dream her husband had just had, was sleeping soundly in his arms.

Romance, Fantasy,