Chapter 40

“Bri, shall I make you feel good?”

Briseyes couldn’t fall asleep. Because of the heavy presence poking her buttocks.

Because of that strange sensation she felt when he moved, the warm breath on the back of her neck, and the same scent coming from him that she wore.

Perhaps the problem was that the Arpen had been slowly absorbed through the IV. Strangely, after seeing his body, it became difficult to be firm with him.

She had always known that Callisten’s appearance was brilliant. Even so, she had never found it this difficult to refuse him before.

“Hmm? Bri.”

She deliberately squeezed her eyes shut, pretending to be asleep and trying not to respond. However, when he placed his finger on her back, her body trembled involuntarily.

He was writing on her back.

「 ♡ 」

When he drew a heart on her shoulder blade, Briseyes blurted out without thinking.

“I heard hearts don’t actually look like that.”

“Yes, I know. They say it looks like buttocks from behind.”

When Callisten answered so casually, Briseyes sighed involuntarily.

“Are you saying my buttocks are heart-shaped?”

“I think I could find out if I touched them.”

“Go away.”

She deliberately pulled her body forward. He also removed his lower body, keeping his arms only around her waist.

She deliberately turned to look at him, turned out of indignation, but his face was reddened as if somewhat embarrassed, which softened her anger.

“How are you going to make me feel good?”

“May I?”

“Do what?”

“Anything.”

She stared at him blankly, unable to understand what he intended to do.

“You’re really beautiful even when you wake up from sleep, Bri.”

“Don’t change the subject.”

“That was an exclamation.”

He caressed her cheek while smiling like sunshine.

“I won’t do it if it makes you uncomfortable. But if you don’t tell me not to, I will.”

She couldn’t say anything when their eyes met. Then, when he reached behind her neck and pulled her closer, she involuntarily turned her head.

“Do you hate kisses?”

“Yes, I hate them. It feels strange doing this with you.”

“This would be my first kiss. Don’t you want to have my first, Bri?”

“It would be my first too. Do you think I don’t know you’re saying this because you want my first?”

She didn’t hate it. But while she was contemplating, he brought his face close enough to touch. When their noses touched, his warm breath reached her too.

“You should look ugly from this close.”

“Are you saying I’m ugly?”

“No. You’re too beautiful even this close. So beautiful that I forget to breathe when our eyes meet.”

He said this and rubbed his nose against her nostrils. Perhaps because their lips lightly brushed, she quickly pulled away.

“Please, sleep. Or disappear.”

“Yesterday you kept telling me to disappear too. You were cute then.”

“A sick person was cute?”

“I was sad that you were sick, but your behavior was cute.”

It must be the medicine. Otherwise, there was no way it would be this difficult to refuse.

“I hate when you do this. It feels like doing something we shouldn’t do as family.”

“What have I done to you? I just nursed you when you were sick, and you just monitored an uninvited guest who used your bathroom as he pleased.”

She had never felt this way before. He kept watching her as if her reaction was lovely.

She felt like a herbivore being hunted by a carnivore.

He was truly indifferently just holding her waist like that. She became more tense because he wasn’t moving, just holding her.

She couldn’t let go of the tension, feeling like prey that could be devoured at any moment.

“Why are you pressing my navel…?”

“Because it’s cute?”

He tickled her navel while embracing her waist. When he pressed her navel firmly, she sighed involuntarily.

“How’s the pain now? Should I let the doctor live?”

“…I don’t know.”

She didn’t want to answer. The more she conversed with him, the more she felt that tickling sensation again.

“S-stop…!”

She shouted because she couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Why?”

“Stop it.”

At her words, his eyes drooped like a dejected black panther.

“Alright.”

Then, realizing that she was trembling, he stopped tormenting her by pressing her navel.

Briseyes hugged a pillow and curled up.

He embraced her back and sighed softly.

“I did it because you’re cute, I’m sorry.”

Perhaps because of his apology, she felt the ticklish fear she had just experienced melt away a little.

“Just sleep quietly, please.”

She said this, hugged the pillow tightly, and squeezed her eyes shut.

“Yes, sweet dreams, Bri.”

“……”

“If you dream of me, it’ll be a good dream.”

“Be quiet.”

Yet with her eyes closed, the sensation of his touch remained vivid.

“If we meet in dreams, naughty things… mmph…”

She turned back and covered his lips with her hand to silence him.

“Don’t say a word.”

He nodded with a grin.

“Instead, look at me and lie down.”

She looked at him and lay down as if she had no choice.

“Your hand will hurt. Let’s put it here.”

He placed her hand with the IV on the sheet. Then he extended his arm under her neck.

He also brought the pillow from behind her back and placed it under her head.

“You have a strange scent.”

“Want to know what it is?”

“No.”

Briseyes had to deliberately ignore the tickling in her chest from a scent different from the body wash.

“It’s because I touched you.”

“I’m going to sleep.”

“Yes, sleep well.”

She closed her eyes again as he brightly smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear.

The truly fortunate thing was that he hadn’t detected her heart pounding with fear. His heartbeat was so loud that she almost felt as if she were resting her ear against his chest.

It took a very long time for the heat to subside.

She seemed to be in a dreamy state of sleep yet still awake.

In this state, she found herself unconsciously focusing on Callisten’s low voice near her ear.

“Now really divorce me, Bri.”

She felt strange because his voice was trembling somehow.

“Really. I’ll make you divorce me even if you say no now.”

He caressed her cheek, and soon she felt his breath on her cheek.

⁕⁕⁕

“I’ve come to pick you up, Bri.”

3 PM.

It was the middle of Academy classes. Still, perhaps because they were a married couple, Briseyes forced a smile as she looked at Demian who had come to pick her up.

Remembering that he had never visited except for the one day she was awake during her hospitalization.

She wondered what would have happened if she had died that day when her fever suddenly rose. If she had died then, would Demian have been sad?

“What’s this?”

Briseyes looked at the door that had opened arbitrarily.

“The Grand Duke is here too?”

“Your Highness, aren’t you supposed to be in class?”

“I am.”

“You’re here too.”

“That’s because we’re a married couple.”

Demian had skipped class to come for Briseyes’s discharge.

Briseyes looked at Callisten as if questioning how he had come.

“I said I was going to the hospital because I was sick.”

Briseyes laughed in disbelief at his words.

“You’re really something.”

“Well, I couldn’t just let you be discharged without me, could I?”

Callisten was naturally gathering her belongings, and Demian frowned as he noticed the strangely changed atmosphere between the two.

Since Ella had been doing other work because of him lately, he wondered if that was why no other servant had come. He wanted to send these two out and call in a servant or maid.

They were surely nearby.

The problem was that he had to pass by those two blocking the door.

“Your Highness should go back. I think it’s right for me, her husband, to be by Bri’s side.”

When Demian warned him like that, Callisten looked at him as if he were insignificant and said:

“Spouses become strangers after divorce. I will be Bri’s family forever. Yet you dare to tell me to come and go?”

Demian was momentarily speechless at Callisten’s intimidating voice. He was still afraid of him.

“By the way, I’m curious about something, Grand Duke.”

“…Speak.”

Demian answered while avoiding Callisten’s crimson eyes that were gleaming as he approached.

“Where were you while Bri was sick? Did you forget your legal wife while playing with your mistress?”