Chapter 37

The notion of apologizing to Lariana was familiar yet unfamiliar to Marcella. Before she had married into the Delacroix family, she used to apologize every day. As an illegitimate child of Duke Kaidel, she had always been seen as a troublemaker of the family.

Those past days seemed like a distant memory now. In Martessen, she was one of the most esteemed women, excluding the royalty. And yet, here she was, being asked to apologize?

“Cain, I’m alright. I was disrespectful to your mother.”

Again, Lariana bowed in shame and humility.

Lariana, with her fragile appearance, seemed like she could break any moment. Her tear-stained face trembled as she gazed imploringly at Cain. It was an incredibly innocent and pitiful sight. As the daughter of a poor Count, she had used her face alone to capture both the prince and her son.

Perhaps, if she wasn’t her mother-in-law, or if Lariana wasn’t the lover of the prince, she might have been fooled by that beautiful face.

“How long do I have to be caught between my mother and my wife?”

His words meant not to defy him.

Cain’s foot began tapping, discomfort evident in his demeanor. The stifled atmosphere of the room was filled with the sound of his displeasing footsteps. The tense standoff between Cain and Marcella continued.

“Mother, should I continue waiting?”

Cain leisurely brushed his bangs aside. His arrogant gesture carried an air of elegance and grandeur. Her son, so impeccably groomed, had left her hands and was now tangled up with his wife.

Marcella’s grip on the fan tightened.

“It seems there’s no other way. With you and my wife at each other’s throats… a decision must be made.”

“A decision?”

“Return to Duke Kaidel’s estate.”

At her son’s words urging her to return to her family, Marcella nearly burst out in protest. She didn’t want to return to where her half-brother live, since he tried to control her as if she was still the family’s illegitimate child.

To her, the Delacroix family was more precious than Kaidel. To her, her house and lineage were Delacroix, not Kaidel. How could she leave the the castle she built? 

“L… Lariana. I lost my composure because of the hunting competition. I’m sorry.”

Marcella, who had been speaking dryly without emotions, approached Lariana and embraced her. Her mother-in-law’s hug was cold.

“Lariana. Remember that all the misfortunes you’ll face from now on are a result of your own actions.”

Marcella’s cold voice echoed in her ears. She laughed coldly, continuously patting her blonde hair.

Lariana couldn’t even imagine how much more chaotic her married life would become.

* * *

For a while, Marcella’s words kept echoing in Lariana’s head. She couldn’t fathom how much more cruel torment and suffering she would have to endure in the future.

Lariana gazed at her husband who sat quietly by the bedside as if meditating. His forehead was bandaged.

Perhaps the currently mad Cain could help her. After the hunting competition, he had become unusually benevolent. 

Sitting a bit away, Lariana pulled a chair closer to her husband’s side. After hesitating for a while, she cautiously spoke up.

“Cain, thank you for standing up for me…”

However, Cain, whose eyes had slowly opened, reacted in a way she didn’t expect. His eyes were filled with distinct anger.

“Why can’t you get along with Mother? Must I behave so indecently towards her just to resolve everything? Is there anything you’re capable of doing on your own?”

Lariana couldn’t hold back her tears in the face of Cain’s anger. Up until now, Cain had been indifferent, so his strong defense of Marcella was unexpected.

Cain didn’t consider himself as someone particularly attached to his stepmother or possessing deep familial love. Yet, he considered Marcella a part of his family and held a certain debt towards her.

So, he often turned a blind eye to Marcella’s actions that benefited the Kaidel family’s interests.

He had managed to get along with her as comrades rather than as a family. However, everything changed after Lariana appeared.

These changes strained Cain. Whenever Lariana clashed with Marcella, he felt guilt. The mad Cain was now revealing emotions that he had buried deep within.

He grasped his throbbing forehead, irritated.

“You do realize you’re nothing but a helpless fool who could only cry and cause accidents? Do you?”

“I… I’m sorry.”

“Oh, and one more thing. That worthless apology won’t help the situation at all.”

Mocking Lariana’s apology, Cain, who had laid down on the bed, gripped his knees with both hands. Slowly rising, he sat on the chair next to the bed and caught his wife’s delicate chin.

Although his grip wasn’t particularly strong, Lariana, in a surge of desperation, struggled against it and ended up kneeling on the floor.

“Because of you, the Delacroix family is falling apart. The same goes for me.”

Lariana fell to the floor, her ankle hurting from the fall. She continued to touch her injured ankle while biting her lip to suppress a cry. She didn’t want to be a helpless fool who only cried and caused accidents.

Lariana wiped her tears with the lace of her dress sleeve, causing her eyes to become swollen.

“What… what should I… do… can you believe…”

Lariana crawled and grabbed Cain’s knees. Her small hands moved from his knees up to his thighs. Seeing her sobbing as she looked up at him, Cain felt an unusual thrill.

His heartbeat raced uncontrollably. He felt like he was burning up. The sensitivity of his skin seemed to have heightened to a point where he struggled to regain his composure. 

“Please… please, what should I do…”

“Damn it… for heaven’s sake, Lariana.”

Unable to hold back anymore, Cain seated Lariana on his lap. Surprised, Lariana extended her arms around his neck to keep her balance.

For some reason, as he looked at Lariana’s slightly parted lips, Cain’s fingers found their way between her lips.

“I told you not to wet your lips.”

Taking advantage of the slight gap, Cain’s lips lightly brushed against hers. Everything about Lariana was soft–her skin, her touch, even inside her mouth.

Cain couldn’t regain his composure. Even though their contact had been brief, he felt as if he was melting, becoming one with Lariana.

When he finally regained his sanity, dawn was approaching. He found himself lying in bed while holding his wife, Lariana.

Cain had to admit it. He had truly lost himself. Without going mad, spending the night with a woman he wanted to kill was impossible.

He cautiously got up to make sure Lariana didn’t wake up. He walked over to the table where his weapons were. He looked at the arrowheads he had set up to sever the throats of his prey all at once.

He picked up an arrowhead and approached the bed carefully. Lariana’s back, turned towards him, was visible.

Cain licked his red lips a few times. Seated on the edge of the bed, he inserted the arrowhead into his own thigh. He had no other choice but to do this to stop the murderous intent.

* * *

When Lariana woke up, Cain was already gone. One night hadn’t changed everything.

Moreover, Cain’s performance in the hunting competition had worsened as time went by. His hand injury had repercussions, and his luck wasn’t good either, leading to frequent accidents.

He got injured every day–attacked by beasts, getting hurt while substituting for his subordinates. The story even circulated that the empire’s top knight was bearing the forest’s wrath since he was injured every day.

Being on top of the competition had lasted only for the first few days, and afterward, it had been mainly chasing after Duke Estelle’s results. On the last day of the competition, today, the result was already leaning towards Duke Estelle.

The gap between the first and second place was large, so Duke Estelle emerged from the Witch’s Forest around noon. The supporters of the Prince’s faction were in a festive mood, sensing Duke Estelle’s victory.

“Madam.”

Jena shook Lariana, who had been lost in thought inside the cabin.

“What’s the matter?”

“Something seems to be happening outside.”

Jena gestured towards outside. There was commotion outside. In a distance, screams could even be heard.

“I’ll go and see.”

“No, please don’t move. Damien said that moving unnecessarily wouldn’t help.”

Jena pointed at Lariana’s ankle with her fingertips. Resigned, Lariana stretched her legs on the bed and sat up.

“Duchess!”

Hayden rushed into the cabin urgently, not bothering to seek permission. Seeing that Hayden had returned from the Witch’s Forest, it seemed that the hunting competition was already over.

Startled by Hayden’s agitation, Lariana asked, “D-Duke, did he get injured again?”

However, Hayden didn’t answer. His expression was odd. He had a stiff expression, with cold sweat streaming down his face.

Jenox’s words surfaced in Lariana’s mind. No, it couldn’t be. She vehemently denied the anxiety that had rapidly taken over her mind, forcing a forced smile.

“It’s not an injury, right? Right? Not an injury, and… it might be an urgent news about His Excellency… If it’s not that, then… He won the hunting competition, right?”

Ah… A short sigh of regret mixed with Hayden’s words burst out. He lowered his head deeply.

“His Excellency has been isolated in the Witch’s Forest.”

Read ahead here.