TWOTCL༘ ೀ⋆｡

XVl

⭑. ݁ ˖₊˚✩.𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭ ⭑.𖥔 ݁ ˖₊˚✩.𖥔 ݁ ˖๋ ࣭

Even a new move would be nice if it could pique his interest. The nightmare, always the same tedious and trite theme yet never failing to displease Hadeon, had been tainting his mornings for decades. As a result, it had become a long-standing custom among the staff to avoid disturbing the irritable Lord who had just woken up at the duke’s mansion.

However, last night was unusually quiet. No, he had slept without even dreaming.

Ha…

Hadeon sighed inwardly, feeling an absurd sense of disbelief. Unless he had passed out from exhaustion after a slaughter so intense that the stench of blood lingered, he had thought a day like this would never come in his life. When was the last time he woke up feeling refreshed, not with a severe headache and a horrible mood?

At that moment, Hadeon became aware of a small heartbeat near his chest, like that of a tiny mouse.

….A mouse?

But there couldn’t possibly be a mouse in the mansion, let alone in the duke’s bedroom where he was wide awake.

Hadeon soon realized he was sensing a small, warm body squirming in his arms. All the memories of the previous night returned to him in an instant.

Is it just a coincidence?

He tried to suppress the inevitable doubt, but there had never been a coincidence in his dreams. They always visited him, clouding his mind, on days when his hands weren’t stained with blood.

Or is it because of this woman…?

At that moment, Hadeon noticed that the woman had also awakened. Her previously slow heartbeat began to thump loudly like that of a startled bird, asserting its presence.

However, Hadeon had no intention of letting her go from his arms. He suddenly had the desire, which he would have scoffed at just days ago, to stay like this a little longer.

Hadeon simply lay still. Even so, the woman made several futile attempts to struggle, only to exhaust herself and give up.

I knew it.

Although his eyes were still closed, Hadeon ‘watched’ all of her actions with his more sensitive perception, allowing a faint smile at her adorable efforts.

Feeling a bit sorry for her, he considered loosening the arm that held her down. As soon as he did, she wriggled away like a fish escaping a net. At that point, Hadeon began to feel a strange sense of discomfort, different from his nightmares.

Why is she so eager to get away from me?

Despite having his eyes closed, he could sense the peculiar gaze the woman directed at him. He would have immediately grabbed her head and warned her never to think of leaving his territory if she had moved even slightly beyond his reach.

Just as expected, the woman glanced at him briefly before trying to slip out of bed like a mouse. Hadeon moved at that moment.

“Ah…!”

A

s her cascade of golden hair fell onto his chest, Hadeon let out a low groan.

“…Where do you think you’re going, Elysia?”

The woman’s eyes, like those of a prey, widened in fear. For a moment, Hadeon wanted to bite her slightly parted red lips and her snow-white shoulder. The intense urge was quelled by an unexpected inner voice.