If I Disobey the Duke

His Ability (6)

She knew very well what her husband felt and what life was like, how his daily routine was dictated. It was a thing of the past, but it was a memory that would never go away.

A crooked gaze was fixed on him.

As this kind of thing kept happening over and over again, her distrust was gradually building up without her realizing it.

“You don’t want children, you… having the ability. If you told me earlier…” She suddenly stopped talking.

What if I had known earlier? What would have changed? To be honest, can I guarantee that it wouldn’t have been any harder than it was then?

While she was immersed in her thoughts, his hoarse voice continued, “Because I never expected that you would want a child. As I said before, it was clearly my mistake.”

Every word he spat out was muffled. When asked why he hadn’t said it, she could easily intuit that he answered honestly, but it wasn’t a good answer in any way.

Seeing her darkening eyes, Vlad wanted to shut his mouth. However, if this answer wasn’t enough…

“Until then, I had no doubts. Of course, it seemed like common sense that no woman would want a child with a monster. If it did happen, there would be no idea what the baby would turn out to be.” Gradually avoiding her eyes, Vlad splashed water on his face. “Also, I didn’t think to bring up a topic related to my body to you. Even now…” He averted his gaze again. “It is uncomfortable. This conversation.”

His wish was that she didn’t know his own ancestry. That was the only one.

If he had known that she didn’t believe the rumors about him…

Anyway, it was Vlad himself who caused such a misunderstanding. Now he knew that his wife thought differently.

“That’s why I’ve made it hard for you. Without this…”

Since the distance between them was infinitely close, she could feel his breath that stopped momentarily. There was a brief gap between the words, and then his heart raced terribly.

“I’m sorry, Lily.”

He was the one who pushed her even harder, who had been crushed on her all her life. If possible, he wanted to cut that period of her life into pieces. Or go back in time.

Vlad looked at her again. She was as lovely as a peach soaked in the water, making his heart ache all the more.

What the hell did I do to this woman?

The first time she fell before his eyes came to mind. Dresses and veils like mourning clothes, a face that looked dangerous as if it would evaporate without a trace like summer dew.

All because of the pain she suffered.

She properly turned her body and sat down. The water in the bathtub overflowed a little. After a lot of fussing, she was was able to be face-to-face with her husband.

“Now I understand. Thanks for telling me.”

It was very late though. Still, hearing the reason was quite refreshing.

His handsome eyes were rather dimmed. With no rebuke, he seemed more anxious. “…What should I do to free your mind?”

Seeing him grimace, many thoughts arose. “Actually, thinking about it, even if I had known from the beginning, I don’t think it would have changed much. I don’t mean bad. Just…” Lily remembered what kind of person she was back then.

At that time, she risked her life to conceive his seed. Had she known this, she wouldn’t have been desperate. She had begged so pitifully that she could have just one child, please.

In the first place, this marriage itself would not have been possible had she known that he did not want a succession. His father was not an investor in uncertainty. So if it was not Vlad, by now, she must have been the wife of a seventy-year-old low-ranking aristocrat.

Goosebumps ran down her skin. She didn’t even want to imagine having a different husband.

“Okay, that’s it.” Lily reached out and touched his lips.

He was a man who regarded this face as ugly because he was afraid of being discriminated against. Even if he got half of the continent, even if he was the lord of the duchy. Even as the strongest knight on earth, he despised his life.

Lily stared at him for a moment. Seeing his anxious eyes made her heart ache.

“But it was really hard for me back then.” She took a deep breath in her. It was as if she had decided something. It was an exhalation of determination.

He gulped. The man who went to great lengths to remain expressionless was willing to show that bit of vulnerability to her.

“So, there is something you must do now.”

A beam of light poured from Lily’s eyes and tickled Vlad’s cheek.