TMGDW 06

Chapter 06

On the stall were sparkling pendants, rings, and bracelets that gleamed like glass beads. Though they didn’t look expensive, the craftsman’s care was evident.

The stall owner, who had been nodding off, spotted Jerome and beamed.

“Oh, this! Isn’t it Sir Jerome!”

Jerome acknowledged him with a slight tilt of his chin. It was a common occurrence for him—people would greet him warmly whenever he stepped outside the castle.

The stall owner’s gaze shifted to Selena beside Jerome.

“Is the young lady next to you perhaps someone you’re courting, Sir Jerome?”

“No, she isn’t.”

It was Selena who answered immediately.

As the embarrassed owner scratched the back of his head, Selena added in a clear voice.

“I’m the wife of Archduke Elixion.”

In that instant, the stall owner stopped all movement and asked back in a startled tone.

“The Archduke’s wife…… you say? The Archduchess……?”

Selena gave a small nod.

Jerome silently watched her profile. Her flowing golden hair was especially dazzling.

But even more dazzling than that was the warm heart with which she thought of Calix.

He had been observing her up close for three months now.

It wasn’t a very long time, nor a short one, but for Jerome, who had dealt with countless people, it was enough to judge what kind of person she was.

*’She’s pure. How can a person be this pure?’*

Everyone he had seen so far had only thought about using Calix. There were almost no one who genuinely cared for him.

Even the knights under his command were too busy being afraid of him.

But Selena didn’t seem afraid of him—rather, she looked like a girl flustered by her first love.

Wondering if she might be someone who could harm Calix, he had even looked into her background, but it only increased his sympathy.

What he learned through his investigation was that she had been born as the Viscount’s illegitimate daughter and had lived with her mother in the annex attic.

And that her father, the Viscount, had sold her off, blinded by money.

*’Even animals take care of their own young. That man is worse than a beast.’*

Jerome, who had been born and raised without lack in a prestigious Marquis household, couldn’t even begin to fathom Selena’s feelings.

Yet Selena never showed any sign of hardship.

The Selena he had seen was someone who smiled often, a person like bright sunlight that could melt even frozen eyes.

If he hadn’t investigated her secretly, he would never have known she had such a painful past.

That was why he had been kind to her. It was a feeling born of sympathy and compassion.

And so, whenever she occasionally smiled brightly, a satisfied smile would naturally form at the corner of Jerome’s mouth.

It was then that a low voice was heard.

“Jerome.”

It was a familiar voice.

As Selena and Jerome simultaneously turned their heads toward the sound, they saw Calix’s coldly chilled face.

At Calix’s appearance, the people on the street stepped back. Fearing they might get caught in the crossfire, even the stall owner who had been right in front of them silently disappeared.

Calix fixed his gaze on Jerome and spoke.

“……What exactly are you doing with my wife right now?”

*Wife.*

At that word, Selena smiled brightly as if bathed in sunlight.

But unlike his smiling wife, Calix’s expression was utterly indifferent.

“For a Vice-Commander to be so smitten. There’s an upcoming campaign, yet here you are flirting with my wife.”

“A campaign, you say?”

It was Selena who asked back. Her face, which had been smiling just moments ago, had turned pitifully pale.

“I mean that in a few days, I, this man, and my entire knight order will all be on the battlefield. Why? Do you want to come along? Coming to a place swarming with men would only be a hindrance.”

“I…….”

“No. Before that, do you even have any awareness that you’re my wife?”

Calix tossed out the words.

Though Jerome signaled him to be more considerate, Calix ignored his gaze and added coldly.

“Well, it’s a forced marriage, so of course you wouldn’t.”

“Commander.”

Unable to stand it, Jerome called out to Calix.

Seeing Jerome flare up while the person in question remained silent, Calix scoffed.

“Have you already won Jerome over? Quite an impressive ability. Even the knights in the order have been losing their minds over you—did you know that? They weren’t originally such fools.”

“…….”

“Why no answer.”

Selena, who had been quiet, lifted her head and met Calix’s gaze. In Calix’s single eye, the small woman was fully reflected.

“Weren’t you the one avoiding me?”

Selena asked, word by word, deliberately.

“I thought you didn’t consider me your wife. We sleep separately, and you never suggest a meal unless I ask first.”

Saying this, Selena smiled bitterly. As she lowered her eyelashes, shadows stretched long beneath her eyes.

Then Calix spoke.

“You wouldn’t want to be with a monster anyway.”

At Calix’s words, Selena’s sky-blue eyes widened in surprise.

“I’ve never disliked you!”

At her transparent gaze, as if seeing through his true feelings, Calix unconsciously grabbed her wrist.

*’She really is thin.’*

He recalled the first night he had carried her in his arms.

*’I thought she was thin back then as well…….’*

Quite some time had passed, yet she was still thin. Her slender wrist seemed as if it would shatter if squeezed too hard.

Calix let out a wry laugh and immediately released her wrist.

Jerome chided Calix.

“You treat your wife too harshly, Commander. How can you be like this?”

“You’re hardly in a position to say that to me. Don’t skip training and then talk.”

At that, Jerome lifted his chin and retorted.

“Even without me, you’re still in the knight order, Commander.”

“All talk. Without you, I’d have more work to do.”

“You’re truly terrible, Commander.”

“I know that well. So come and help me with the work.”

Selena was gently stroking her wrist where Calix had held her. Thanks to his control of strength, it didn’t hurt.

Calix, who had been quietly watching her, spoke.

“I apologize for earlier. Does it hurt much?”

Selena shook her head.

She truly wasn’t in pain, but to him, it must have seemed like she was pretending to be fine despite being hurt.

“Give me your hand.”

“……!”

As Selena gave a small nod and extended her wrist, Calix silently stroked it.

It was truly slender.

A frown formed between Calix’s brows at the thought that he should wrap a bandage around it once they returned to the castle.

“Commander, I’ll head back to the training ground first. There must be more than a few slackers by now.”

Jerome smiled contentedly and tactfully moved away from the two.

A brief silence fell between Calix and Selena, who were left alone.

Selena’s cheeks flushed as she watched Calix continuously stroking her wrist.

*Thump, thump.*

She lowered her head, afraid that her loudly pounding heart might be heard by her husband.

“Let’s head back to the castle too.”

“……Ah.”

A regretful sigh escaped Selena’s lips.

At her reaction, Calix tilted his head, and Selena spoke with a bright red face.

“Could we…… stay just a little longer? Just a little more? I want to be with you like this.”

Calix was momentarily speechless.

Was this woman not afraid of him at all?

His wife, who met his eyes at every opportunity, made him want to peer into her true feelings.

*’She’s turning her cheeks red as she speaks—she must feel the cold quite a bit.’*

“Are you very cold? Your face is bright red.”

“This isn’t because I’m cold…….”

“You really should head back, or you’ll catch a cold.”

At Calix’s words, a shadow immediately fell over Selena’s face.

Her gaze simply couldn’t seem to leave Calix.

It seemed miraculous to Calix that despite all the harsh words he had thrown at her, she could look at him with such sparkling eyes rather than contempt.

In the end, it was Calix who averted his gaze first today.

As he cast his eyes into the distance, he spoke.

“You saw it too—everyone avoids me. There’s nothing good for you in being with me. Rather, you and Jerome would make a better picture.”

“Calix.”

He couldn’t even remember when he had last been called by his name.

Monster. War Demon.

Those were the words that referred to him.

Calix stopped speaking and looked down at his audacious wife, who was clutching his collar.

“I am your wife. Not Jerome’s wife—*your* wife.”

Her voice was filled with conviction.

Calix unconsciously wrapped his hand around Selena’s. Her already large eyes grew as round as saucers.

“Yes. My wife.”

He had only repeated what he had heard, yet his wife broke into a radiant smile across her face.

“Yes. And you are my husband.”

The moment Selena said those words, Calix properly looked at her for the first time in several months.