Rishi sat on the bed, continuing to read the history book she had been perusing earlier.
The ‘First Beastman Rebellion’ had ended in failure, but Benedertem did not give up. Barely escaping with his life, he hid in the shadows and quietly gathered those who would help him.
Benedertem said,
“Beastmen are humans, too. Turning into a beast is not a curse from God, but an innate talent. The Pope persecutes beastmen out of jealousy for a gift he did not receive.”
And Benedertem added,
“It is not only beastmen who received God’s gift; mages did as well. First the beastmen. If the beastmen go extinct, where will the Pope’s gaze turn next? Since the Pope lacks magical talent, the extinction of mages is also a destined future.”
Most mages scoffed at this, but those without faith in the church sympathized with Benedertem’s cause.
Benedertem, who incited talented individuals with such wicked lies, sparked the ‘Second Beastman Rebellion.’
It was a war of death, where the Amas Sea in the east was dyed the color of blood.
*Click.* At the sound of the door opening, Rishi closed the book and set it on the nightstand beside the bed.
“You can keep reading, Rishi.”
Kay said this as he began to take off his clothes in front of the wardrobe.
As his toned back muscles were revealed, Rishi quickly cast her gaze downward.
Changing into his gown, he walked over with long strides and sat beside Rishi.
He naturally caught the ends of Rishi’s hair and kissed them.
“You smell lovely.”
“Thanks to you.”
For some reason, Kay wore a look of distress.
He seemed to have something he wanted to say but was finding it difficult, opening and closing his mouth repeatedly.
“Is there something you want to tell me?”
“A troublesome situation has arisen.”
As if he had been waiting for that cue, Kay spoke.
“Tell me.”
“My parents are furious.”
A cold chill ran down her spine. Rishi kept her composure and replied.
“They have every right to be. We married without saying a word to them.”
“I never thought they’d be this angry, as they never interfered with me or seemed interested in my affairs. It looks like they’ll be arriving here in about two days.”
“I see.”
“I’ve never met a woman, nor have I introduced one to them, so I have no idea how they will react.”
Rishi stared intently at him.
Kay tilted his head to the side.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Have you really never met a woman?”
“I haven’t. Why would I lie about something like that?”
“But…”
Rishi reached out toward his cheek before she realized it. She gently stroked his smooth cheek and the bristly chin where his beard grew, saying,
“You’re so handsome.”
Kay’s eyes widened. He stared back at Rishi, then grabbed her wrist as if to snatch it.
“Do you think I’m handsome?”
“Has no one ever told you that?”
“No. Do I look handsome to your eyes as well?”
Rishi was dumbfounded.
Of course he looked handsome. He was absolutely perfect.
When she nodded, unable to find the words, he averted his gaze. Rishi thought that his earlobes turning red must be a trick of the light.
Kay turned his gaze back to meet hers and said,
“I want to kiss you. May I?”
His eyes and voice, which seemed heated, stimulated not just her hearing but her senses.
Feeling embarrassed, she rolled her eyes and replied,
“You’ve been doing it without asking until now…”
He swallowed her final words.
His lips explored Rishi, perhaps a bit roughly.
His weight pushed Rishi backward, and his scent intoxicated her.
On the bed, the blankets, him, and Rishi became tangled together.
Even in her disoriented state from the intense kissing, she couldn’t understand why Kay was suddenly so agitated.
*’Could it be… because I called him handsome? No, that can’t be it. He must have heard that often…’*
Her breath grew ragged as the kiss deepened. The fact that her heart was pounding as if it would burst didn’t bother her, as it was now synchronized with his. She couldn’t even tell if the vibration of their pressed-together chests was hers or his.
The sensation of their skin touching was dizzying. She dug her fingernails into his back, letting out a small, faint gasp.
Just as she felt his muscles tense up, he suddenly pulled away and hugged her tightly.
Though she found it hard to breathe with her face pressed into his chest, Rishi didn’t dislike the feeling of being held so fiercely. His embrace felt safe.
“I will do my best to stop them, but you might get hurt because of my parents, Rishi.”
He suddenly returned to the original topic.
Rishi found it fascinating that Kay could calmly continue the conversation even in this state.
She had no idea how hard Kay was struggling to maintain his reason.
“Kay. I am not a flower made of glass. A few words or a few slaps won’t hurt me.”
At Rishi’s whispered words, Kay’s arms tightened.
Kay buried his face in the top of her head.
“You shouldn’t say that, Rishi. I hate the thought of my wife becoming accustomed to such things.”
“But I am used to it.”
“New skin will grow, Rishi.”
His palm stroked her back gently.
“And on that soft, new skin, I won’t let even the smallest scar remain.”
Even if it were just words, it was nice to hear.
So, Rishi giggled with her face buried in his chest.
“Do you want me to become a lady who just whimpers and cries because I’ve become weak?”
For some reason, to Kay, Rishi’s laughter sounded like weeping.
Thinking that he wanted to give her all of his warmth, he answered.
“If that is what you wish. If that is what you want, Rishi.”
+++
Britney crumpled the invitation and threw it away, only to pick it up and read it again.
No matter how many times she looked, the name ‘Countess Nellanicus Jenal’ at the very top of the host list didn’t disappear.
The name ‘Jeresien Green’ below it didn’t even catch her eye.
Countess Nellanicus Jenal.
A goddess of the social world whom even the Empress wanted to befriend.
She couldn’t believe she was the host of Iris’s wedding.
*’Why? Why is she hosting a wedding for someone like that?’*
There was no telling what Countess Nellanicus Jenal was thinking.
She was a woman who shone with her own reputation without needing to curry favor with the House of Green. Yet, why would she go out of her way to support the wedding of Iris, who was surrounded by such bad rumors?
After throwing the invitation away again, Britney huffed and headed to the room of Duchess Denise Whitlow. Denise was in the middle of looking at a catalog of design sketches after calling in a famous designer.
At a gesture from Denise, the designer quietly exited.
“Mother. I have to go see Iris.”
“What?”
“You got Iris’s invitation, right? We’re going to the wedding anyway, so I’m going to go a bit early.”
Britney wanted to see with her own eyes what was happening at the Count of Green’s estate and how Iris was being treated.
If Cavebrand was being deceived by Iris and treating her well, she had to help him come to his senses.
It would be too late after the wedding.
“Why go there early? It’s not like it’s a pleasant affair.”
“It’s not pleasant, which is why I have to go early to check. I also want to find out how she managed to wrap the Count of Green around her finger.”
“Brin. Don’t go poking around for no reason. Thanks to the gold mine the Count of Green gave us, we’ve been living well lately. What if he cancels the wedding and asks for the gold mine back?”
“You think he’d do something that pathetic? If anything, if he finds out later how flighty and stupid Iris is, he might blame us.”
“Hmm.”
Britney grabbed Denise’s arm, who looked displeased, and shook it.
“So, Mother. Let’s go soon. We’re Iris’s family, so no one will say anything if we go a few days early, right? And we can take this chance to look around the Count of Green’s mansion.”
+++
The Count and Countess Green arrived at the Count of Green’s estate.
Heraina Green, who had once been the mistress of this mansion, scanned the surroundings with sharp eyes.
There was almost nothing that had changed since Heraina lived here.
The next place Heraina’s gaze turned was toward those who had come to greet them.
It was Rishi and Kay who appeared.
Naturally, the first thing to catch the eye was the hulking figure of Kay.
Kay wore an expression of awkward hesitation, which Heraina did not appreciate. To be sporting such a look in front of his parents? He must have done something wrong—something very wrong indeed.
Heraina then turned her gaze to Rishi.
Rishi stood with her hands folded neatly in front of her, looking at the old Count and his wife with a posture that was both elegant and respectful. Her expressionless face resembled a doll—no, a statue carved with great care by the gods.
Her silver hair, which appeared to have a faint pink hue, was half-tied, cascading down over her shoulders. Beneath well-defined brows sat large eyes with lavender irises. A straight, sharp nose complemented her full, red lips. Her graceful neck flowed smoothly from her small face to her softly sloping shoulders.
Even dressed in a simple gown, she radiated a glow.
‘So, they call her the flower of the House of Witlow…’
It was a title well-deserved. There was not a single flaw to be found in her appearance. She looked like a woman who had grown up receiving precious treatment, never having to perform a day of menial labor.
It crossed Heraina’s mind that perhaps it was true—that the Duke of Witlow had been so protective of his youngest daughter that he had never let her out into the world.
After exchanging greetings, they moved to the main building.
In front of the drawing room, Heraina looked up at Kay and said, “We wish to speak with Lady Witlow separately. You go and tend to your own business.”
“I cannot do that, Mother.”
Kay refused firmly, reaching out to take Rishi’s hand.
Heraina studied Rishi’s face, curious how she felt about being held like that, but she could read nothing from the woman’s doll-like features.
“Cavebrandt Green. You married without even telling your parents; are you saying you cannot even grant this small concession?”
“Marrying without telling you was my fault. But this is a different matter. You are calling my wife ‘Lady Witlow’; how could I possibly send my wife in alone?”
Heraina’s blood began to boil. Her heart grew heavy with the nagging suspicion that perhaps the premonition—that Kay might have forced Rishi to come here by offering gold mines—was true. Unlike Kay, who seemed completely enamored, she could not read Rishi’s feelings at all.
“Cavebrandt Green.”
“My dear.”
Wyvern stepped in to block Heraina’s angry tone. Wyvern, who had been quietly observing Rishi, placed a light hand on Heraina’s arm and said, “Kay’s words have merit. It would be best for them to go in together.”
“But…”
Seeing Heraina about to protest, Wyvern offered a faint smile.
Heraina realized that Rishi had won Wyvern over. It could not simply be because of her pretty face. Heraina trusted that her husband was not a man who judged others solely by their looks.
‘What part of her did he like?’
Heraina did not dislike Rishi. She simply hated this situation, fearing that Kay might have forced Rishi into this marriage.
Wyvern entered the drawing room first, and Heraina followed behind him. The old Count and his wife, and the current Count and his wife, sat facing each other on the parlor sofas.
“Lady Witlow.”
Heraina decided to get straight to the point.
Rishi, who had been quietly gazing at her, finally opened her mouth to speak for the first time.
“Countess Green. Please, call me Iris. Or you may call me Rishi.”
Her tone was polite but firm.
Heraina was now certain that Rishi was no mere flower raised in a greenhouse.
Rishi added with a faint smile, “And please, treat me with ease.”
Her smile was so bright and gentle that Heraina couldn’t help but wish she had a daughter like her.
Jeresien Green was, after all, far too boisterous.