CHGD 11🎉

Chapter 11

That place was a garden near the main castle where the Count’s office was located.

If the area around my annex was filled with flowers, this area was a garden dominated by large trees and various rocks of different sizes.

As I walked slowly, looking for a place to sit, I noticed a person lying under a large tree.

‘A person? Who is it?’

And upon seeing the person’s face, my eyes widened.

It was none other than the Count.

‘Is he asleep?’

The Count was leaning against the base of the tree with his eyes closed. From the regular rise and fall of his chest, he seemed to be in a deep sleep.

Just by appearance, it looked like a prince sleeping in the forest, and for a moment I stared, entranced.

Coming to my senses, I quickly turned my head toward Roaz. He was equally surprised, his mouth hanging open.

“Good heavens, he’s opening a passage here?”

“Passage? What do you mean?”

“Connecting his mind to the cosmos to rest.”

“So he’s sleeping?”

“Don’t compare it to humans. He leaves his body here and projects his mind into the cosmos.”

“……Isn’t that similar to saying the body sleeps while the soul dreams?”

Is that so?

Roaz tilted his head as if convinced by my words.

“Ah, anyway. This is the first time I’ve seen Haster like this. No matter how safe this castle is, that state is too defenseless.”

It seemed the Count was in a state similar to deep sleep. Roaz clicked his tongue, saying he probably wouldn’t even feel pain if stabbed right now.

“……Are you going to attack now?”

“No. Even if I killed him with a surprise attack like this, he’d just revive—so why bother?”

‘So he does intend to kill him.’

Both Roaz, who affirmed he’d kill him if he got the chance, and Haster, who would naturally revive, were beings beyond my common sense.

I tuned out Roaz’s chilling words and slowly approached the Count.

“What are you doing?”

“You said he wouldn’t wake up. I just want to check on him.”

“I’m not going. I don’t want to get close and see his cosmos.”

I still didn’t understand what that meant, but I had no intention of forcing him.

Arriving beside the Count, I carefully examined his face.

His striking crimson eyes were closed, but his tightly shut lips were still beautiful.

If not for the slight frown, it could have passed for a scene from a fairy tale.

“He looks tired.”

“……Of course he is. Haster hasn’t rested for a whole week.”

“Really?”

Recently, the only time I could see the Count was during dinner. Apologizing for being busy, he was invisible from morning to night.

“He has his own issues, and there are too many enemies around here. It’d be easier if he just started a war…… but it seems he’s struggling to maintain human form somehow.”

It would have been easy to resolve if he revealed his true form, but insisting on being human only increased his workload.

I knelt beside his head and spoke.

“Why is he so obsessed with maintaining human form?”

“What? You don’t know?”

“……?”

Roaz frowned as if I couldn’t possibly not know.

“Obviously because of you. The Count is hiding his identity from you.”

I knew that. Whatever his goal, at least in front of me, he was a good husband.

“But isn’t it excessive? He could just secretly transform and handle things. He doesn’t need to overwork himself like this……”

“No, that’s why I said it’s because of you.”

Roaz grumbled, annoyed at having to explain with his own mouth.

“When Haster handles Count duties, he always insists on being human. Because he’s ‘Deliana’s husband.'”

“……I don’t quite understand.”

I didn’t see what being my husband had to do with maintaining human form.

At that, Roaz pounded his own chest—a surprisingly human gesture.

“Because! You’re human! A human’s partner should be human! Don’t you understand the difference? Right now, that guy prioritizes you over his own identity—!”

At that moment, Roaz suddenly vanished like mist mid-sentence.

It was the same method he used to hide whenever the Count appeared.

Just as I was about to call out to ask where he’d gone, I noticed that the steady breathing beside me had stopped.

“……!”

Turning my head, the Count was staring at me quietly.

His eyes, still hazy as if not fully awake, trembled slightly.

“Uh…… Count?”

“This time.”

“Yes?”

“It’s a bit, strong.”

“What do you mean by that— Ah!”

The Count grabbed my wrist as I tried to get up. He pulled my arm, embraced me, and lay back down on the ground.

Suddenly lying in the Count’s arms, I blinked blankly.

Fortunately, I wasn’t facing the Count, but leaning back against his chest.

“Hoo.”

“Um, Count. Your arm……”

“Warm.”

‘Of course it’s warm. I’m human.’

On the other hand, the Count’s hands were cold. I wondered if monsters also suffered from poor circulation.

He whispered from behind, tickling my ear. When I tried to pull my head away, the Count spoke again.

“Nice scent.”

“……You’re talking in your sleep, right?”

“The scent of blood.”

“It’s sleep-talking.”

It had to be sleep-talking.

The first thing that came to mind upon hearing his heartbeat beneath his skin was “the scent of blood is nice”—I decided to pretend I hadn’t heard it.

‘It’s not some romance comic.’

What a situation—tossing and turning in sleep and ending up in each other’s arms. It was embarrassing even to say out loud. I was too old for such childish physical affection.

It wasn’t that I disliked it, but it was so sweet and childish that it gave me a strange feeling, making me clench my fists and shudder.

‘First, let’s get out.’

Determined to escape somehow, I placed my hand on the Count’s arm wrapped around my stomach.

He was holding on so tightly it was suffocating.

‘Roaz!’

Afraid the Count might wake, I couldn’t call out, so I searched for Roaz with my eyes.

But he seemed unwilling to show himself, and I couldn’t find Roaz anywhere in the garden.

With no one to help, I had to get out on my own.

“Ugh……!”

I tried pushing his arm, and struggled to slip my body up and down, but the Count’s body wouldn’t budge.

Just as I was considering pinching his arm to wake him, I realized a chill was emanating from behind me.

The Count’s body, already cool, was beginning to feel as cold as ice.

Wondering what was happening, I turned my head to look behind me. I couldn’t see his face from this position, but I could see his shoulders and arms.

“Uh, excuse me?”

There were no arms.

To be precise, in the place where his arms should have been, there was black fog.

The black fog took form and enveloped me. There was no trace of his neat uniform, solid arms, or long fingers.

Looking closely, I could see things hidden within the fog, scattered here and there.

Eyes, fingers, teeth and spines, muscles and blood…… Madness seeped through, making my brain feel shaken just from looking.

If what was inside those arms poured out toward me, I couldn’t even imagine what would happen.

My body froze in fear and confusion.

“Hoo.”

Just then, the Count opened his mouth once more.

“Deliana.”

His voice was still the Count’s.

“Don’t run away.”

Hearing that, I made up my mind.

I almost cursed out loud without meaning to.

‘This isn’t sleep-talking! You’re fully conscious!’

Of course, I wasn’t brave enough to say that out loud.

Because black fingers made of eyeballs and teeth touched my chin.

I could no longer make a sound. The moment they touched my skin, my entire body froze as if I’d been anesthetized.

‘This is dangerous.’

I’d joked about romance comics, but as fear seeped in, I finally realized how dangerous this situation was.

I reminded myself that the being behind me wasn’t an ordinary human, but an unidentified monster.

I couldn’t even scream for help. The black fingers wrapped around my chin and neck began to contaminate my mind.

‘Oh, God.’

For the first time in my life, I called out to a god. It felt like the only way to maintain my sanity.

The uncontrollable madness grew larger and larger.