Chapter 30

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 30

Chapter Title: What Should I Say to Father in the Sunlands?

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How to Survive as the Wife of the Monster Duke

30

What should I say to my father in the Sunlands when I meet that man?

Ilrin was now the Duchess of Biplten.

As the lady of the house, every single one of her actions was directly tied to House Biplten's prestige.

Could I really hold my head high in front of him? Would I be unable to meet his eyes, just like in the dream?

"Madam?"

"Is something bothering you?"

As Ilrin's expression darkened, Nesi and Mito carefully observed her.

Ilrin shook her head.

"If it's all right, could I take a look at the clothes His Grace will wear?"

They had prepared such thick garments for her, so she doubted Aden's would be much different.

The two maids exchanged glances before bowing willingly to Ilrin.

"We'll escort you."

Ilrin only realized why the maids had exchanged those looks after following them.

They had brought her to the seventh floor, right in front of Aden's room.

"Ilrin?"

Aden looked a little surprised.

Before Ilrin could even grasp the situation, the door shut, and the maids withdrew.

For some reason, she caught a glimpse of mischievous expressions on their faces just before the door closed.

In an instant, only the two of them remained.

In the end, Ilrin had no choice but to face him with her own surprised expression.

"I heard Den went to patrol around the estate..."

That was why Ilrin had been wandering the estate alone.

Aden laughed.

"The knights are being led by Ijis."

It seemed they had merely spread the rumor that Knight Commander Den of Crimson Delroz was patrolling the estate vicinity.

The woes of playing two roles.

Understanding, Ilrin let out a small laugh.

"So those clothes are what you'll wear out tomorrow?"

"Yes."

Ilrin examined Aden's clothes.

They were certainly much lighter than the ones she had just seen.

As clothes for the winter duke who barely felt the cold, they clearly weren't focused on warmth.

"Um... I heard the Duke of the Winter Lands doesn't feel the cold much. Is that true?"

"That's right, but..."

Aden pondered for a moment before speaking.

"It might not hold up in the sunlight."

He spread his hand.

A soft blue light spread out.

The room's temperature rose in an instant.

The warmth escalated to outright heat, but as soon as he withdrew his hand, the air turned chilly again just as quickly.

His power could manipulate the climate in the Winter Lands at will.

"I heard you can't use your power once you leave the Winter Lands."

Her uncertain phrasing—I heard—was because he had never ventured out himself.

Ilrin took another look at his clothes.

They still looked warm enough for Winter Lands attire.

But they might feel a bit chilly in the evening...

Ilrin spotted a somewhat thicker garment among those nearby.

"Hold on a moment."

Her delicate hand grasped Aden's outer coat.

As her hand brushed near his collarbone, Aden stiffened without realizing it.

Pop. The sound of the top button coming undone echoed unusually loudly in the room.

Ilrin's hand slowly moved downward, unfastening the buttons one by one.

"......"

Aden, watching her, drew in a short breath.

Her small hands were carefully undoing his buttons, helping him remove the garment.

Damn.

It seemed he was the only one entertaining impure thoughts.

Ilrin was simply assisting him innocently, with a pure expression.

That made it all the more maddening.

Aden closed his eyes and deliberately shifted his gaze a little farther away.

There happened to be a full-length mirror nearby.

In his line of sight appeared Ilrin's neatly composed back view.

"......"

Was it because of her focus? That brief moment felt unbearably long.

Ilrin's mouth was slightly agape as she undid the final button.

"Rather than this one—"

As she raised her eyes, their gazes met.

Ilrin tilted her head slightly and smiled.

She reached out and fully slipped off the garment he was wearing.

He could feel her hand directly through the thin shirt.

The slight tremor, even the faint heartbeat, seemed to transmit straight through.

"Ilrin."

I won't be able to hold back.

In the end, Aden grasped Ilrin's hand.

Her pressed hand rested against his chest.

The room, which doubled as a study, had unusually bright lighting.

Almost as if it made the contours beneath the white shirt visible.

Ilrin glanced down at her hand on the white shirt, then startled and pulled it away.

Or tried to.

Aden seized her wrist.

With a twirl, her body spun, and before she knew it, Ilrin faced the mirror.

Aden had his eyes closed.

Her hands were raised upward, gripped in his as if shouting 'freeze!'

"...Den?"

His body heat transferred directly through their clasped hands.

Ilrin's soft voice echoed in the quiet room.

Aden exhaled deeply.

"Do you know... that even your scent is provocative?"

Ilrin blinked.

Before she could comprehend his words, Aden lowered his head toward her.

His kisses poured down from the crown of her head.

Thick and intense, like honey dripping slowly, his lips trailed down and lightly nipped her earlobe.

"...Do you want to see me suffer?"

With such an innocent face.

Aden opened his eyes slightly to look at her.

He breathed out a hot puff deeply.

Beneath his long black lashes, illuminated by the bright light, his deep blue eyes gleamed dangerously.

"Of course not."

Her instinctive reply slipped out, but as he boldly claimed territory down to her chest, Ilrin let out an involuntary squeak.

Aden laughed.

"Then you must want to test me."

Before Ilrin could ask what he meant.

Aden buried himself deeply into her.

Tickling breaths escaped as he whispered.

"I don't think I can hold out."

Punish me for this.

Aden kissed her in a way utterly at odds with his innocent words.

It was a deep, fervent kiss that melted the strength from Ilrin's body.

Preparations for the journey to the Sunlands wrapped up quickly.

The people of Crimson Delroz fretted over everything from how harsh the Sunlands' winter would be to whether its food would suit His Grace, all while diligently completing their tasks.

"It'll be cold outside the estate."

Before departure, Aden tucked Ilrin's clothes securely once more.

Ilrin peered out the window.

The blizzard raged so fiercely against the clear glass that she wondered if it had ever been purely white without the frost.

"April..."

Ilrin murmured softly.

Aden, who couldn't possibly have missed it, nodded.

"Yes, April."

Come to think of it, Ijis had said even Winter Lands folk rarely ventured out during this season.

Worried anew, Ilrin glanced outside again.

"Preparations for departure are complete."

At that moment, Ijis entered the estate and bowed politely to the two.

"Are you that worried?"

Aden quietly asked Ilrin.

Ilrin glanced out the window.

No, she started to shake her head on instinct, but Aden cupped both her cheeks with his hands.

His warm palms melted her, which had been freezing without her realizing.

"...Are you worried?"

Asking again right now must be because he knew she dreaded facing her father.

Ilrin smiled at him gratefully.

"I am."

"What are you worried about?"

Aden's voice was always steady and assured.

Ilrin looked up at his face.

Once you've seen my face, you can't leave the Winter Lands, he'd said.

His words sounded like a vow never to let go, no matter what she did.

It was a promise that repeatedly brought Ilrin peace.

I may waver, but Aden does not.

Ilrin resolved to grow stronger bit by bit.

So right now, she had no worries.

"It seems too cold."

She said it half-jokingly.

Ilrin smiled.

But Aden seemed to take it seriously.

His gaze turned to the window.

To his winter-born eyes, it was the usual April blizzard.

Nothing severe today.

But it might be different for someone from the Sunlands.

He reached out and lifted the shawl from around Ilrin's neck.

Before the chill could touch her skin, Aden spread his other hand.

The blue light of his power sparkled.

The temperature around the estate visibly rose.

Not only that—the fierce wind whipping the snow lost its force and faded.

"How about now?"

"It's fine now."

Truly fine.

Ilrin gripped his hand tightly.

The warmth felt reassuring.

The Crimson Delroz carriage bound for the Sunlands sped along at a brisk pace.

The blizzard impeding its path was powerless before the house head's might.

He couldn't turn the entire Winter Lands into Sunlands, but the current lord of the Winter Lands wielded the strongest power of any duke in history.

Enough to lower April's temperatures enough to alarm the Yester Tribe while clearing the way ahead for a single carriage.

"Your Grace, are you all right?"

Adjutant Ijis worried that he might be overusing his power.

There was no such thing as power without cost.

He didn't know the exact mechanism of the power, but records showed that dukes who used it excessively weakened unusually quickly.

"I'm fine."

Ijis checked Aden's complexion.

Only seeing his usual self did he withdraw.

Inside the carriage were just the four of them: Etra included.

Ijis muted his presence like Etra, as if he weren't there.

In the quiet carriage, the only one occasionally flinching was Ilrin.

Her eyes were closed beneath the cloth of Azure Noz.

Aden checked her hands and feet again when he saw she had fallen into a deeper sleep than expected.

Thankfully, thanks to his power, the carriage interior didn't feel cold to her either.

Just in case, Aden touched her forehead before taking her hand again.

At that moment, Ilrin gripped his hand tightly.

"Ilrin?"

Startled, Aden turned to her face.

The Winter Lands were perpetually shrouded in white snowdrifts, raging blizzards, and skies that never cleared of dark clouds, giving everything a hazy hue overall.

Utterly unlike the Sunlands, where varying shades blended with the seasons to offer vibrant freshness year-round.

So Ilrin knew the instant she opened her eyes.

"...?"

This was definitely the Sunlands.

Winter, but with no snow cover revealing bare earth roads and tree trunks—that was proof enough.

And in the dream, she was astride a horse.

"Ilrin, hold on tight."

The voice came from Aden.

Dream-Ilrin, fearing she'd fall from the bucking horse, checked her foot in the stirrup again.

And there was the incongruously dangling Mobil.

It was a precognitive dream.

Ilrin, watching, suddenly felt a chill at her throat.

She quickly scanned the surroundings.

The group was being pursued.

In the distance, barely visible, lay the wreckage of their carriage.

The one they'd been riding until she fell asleep.

The pursuers were all clad in black masks.

Ilrin saw Ijis behind them batting away arrows with his sword.

"Your Grace, at this rate, shaking them off will be difficult."

"Can we hold out until we reach the Winter Lands?"

Winter Lands... meaning Biplten.

Ilrin, observing the dream, quickly checked ahead of the group.

No sign of Biplten yet.

The situation was dire.