BEW 5

 So he left the house.

To free his fragile wife from the monster.

Hoping that she would escape the fear and find some color in the gloomy shadows.

Yes, that was definitely the intention.

...Should this be considered a success?

Instead of finding color, it seems like she’s become a rainbow with mixed, jumbled colors.

Having received the report that Serafina was laid down in the bedroom, Dante was in another room changing clothes.

The image of Serafina collapsing as soon as she opened the door and coughing until her back bent kept repeating in his mind.

The withered woman who used to be holed up in her room was nowhere to be seen.

Dante stopped in the middle of taking off his outer garment, staring blankly.

"Duke? Why are you standing like that?"

Barhan, who had entered unnoticed, pointed out his behavior.

Startled, Dante continued undressing and scolded him for entering without a sound.

Barhan responded, looking wronged.

"I knocked dozens of times. My knuckles were about to bleed, but there was no response, so I thought you might have fainted and came in."

Knocked dozens of times?

He didn’t hear it even once.

But the redness and swelling on Barhan's knuckles proved it wasn’t a lie.

"…Next time, knock louder."

"Heavens. You really plan to ruin an old man's hands."

Barhan laughed heartily and took Dante's outer garment.

Barhan kept a light smile the entire time.

The slight smile on his lips remained firmly shut.

Dante glanced at him once, twice, three times.

As he continued to stare at his tightly closed lips, Barhan’s expression hardened.

"Please stop glancing at my lips. It feels uncomfortable."

"What an irreverent thing to say…!"

"Exactly. So let’s not make this uncomfortable for either of us. If you’re curious, just ask."

Dante paused, then sighed, rubbing his eyebrows with his index finger.

"How is my wife? Do you think we should call a doctor?"

Although it was a question, Barhan looked as if he had heard a satisfying answer.

But only for a moment.

The relaxed smile on his face disappeared in an instant.

"…Is she not well? Should we call a doctor immediately?"

"No, that’s not it. Madam is resting now, and her coughing has stopped."

"Then why do you look like that?"

"Well…."

Barhan hesitated.

Was it right to say this or not? But the Duke was Madam’s husband and the master of the house.

He had a right to know the rumors.

Barhan composed himself and spoke.

"There are rumors that Madam is not well."

Dante's face turned cold at the words.

Sick?

Thinking back, his wife was indeed very thin.

She looked so delicate that she might break if not handled carefully.

Even earlier, when a few maids supported her, didn’t her legs dangle in the air?

The image of her feet helplessly swaying in the air was vivid in his mind.

"Did the doctor examine her?"

"Yes. The doctor's opinion is that she is just a bit weak, but there's nothing serious. Regular meals and nutritional supplements should suffice. But…"

"But what? You seem uneasy."

This time, Dante hit the mark with his words.

Instead of explaining, Barhan nodded.

"It’s a bit concerning that Madam said something strange."

"What did she say?"

"When I asked why she suddenly started growing herbs in the garden, she said it was because she wanted to live her remaining life without regrets... No, forget it. That was inappropriate."

After saying this, Barhan bowed and left the room.

He only mentioned that the meal was ready and to come to the dining room at the appropriate time.

Left alone, Dante’s mind was in turmoil.

First of all, growing herbs in the garden?

Because Barhan mentioned it casually, he had to question his ears for a moment.

Madam didn’t suggest planting flowers or trees in the garden but growing herbs?

Barhan had left, so there was no one to answer his questions.

"Well. She could grow them."

Dante quickly accepted the idea instead of questioning it.

She was a woman from the capital, where trends changed rapidly. Maybe growing herbs in the garden was a trend there.

Don’t think with a narrow mind.

But then, the worry began to set in.

"To live her remaining life without regrets…."

In some ways, it sounded like the words of someone who had gained insight into life, yet in others, it carried an oddly ominous undertone.

Especially when he remembered her coughing so hard that her back bent and how thin and frail she was...

Dante decided he should go see Serafina as soon as he finished changing.

If possible, he would go secretly, without her noticing.

Even if Serafina had changed, seeing him might still bring back her lost fear.

Perhaps she had only left her room because he wasn’t there.

Thinking this, he felt a bit bitter.

Dante had just sat down on the desk, shirtless, and was sighing deeply when it happened.

Bang.

"Duke, why are you here…!"

...

...

The door suddenly burst open, and a thin yet strong voice leaped in, only to stop abruptly at the sight of Dante’s bare torso.

Blue eyes and green eyes met.

Then, the green eyes slowly, very slowly, moved downward... downward... downward...

"W-wife?"

As they were dragged down, they snapped back up at Dante's call.

Her pale, clear face blankly stared at him.

Then, like a flower bud blooming, she gave a radiant smile.

"Oh my, I’m sorry. My eyes moved on its own instinctively."

* * *

I just realized something anew.

My husband’s face is insanely good-looking.

Good heavens.

Is that really a human face? Isn’t it a sculpture? I can’t help but be astonished.

Moreover, my husband’s body was perfect too.

His muscles were solid and well-defined, like the furrows in the fields I used to make.

Oh, my.

Why was I ever afraid of this man?

I couldn’t understand the me from just a few months ago.

Blinded by fear, it seemed my actual vision had temporarily regressed too.

As I marveled and repeatedly pictured that striking face in my mind, a voice came from behind.

"You can turn around now."

I turned around slowly.

The male protagonist stood there stiffly, dressed neatly in his indoor attire.

"I’m sorry about earlier. I should have knocked, but I was in a hurry and just opened the door."

"No, it’s fine."

His tone was gruff, but it sounded kind.

Was it because his face was kind?

Well, what did it matter?

Whether it was his face or his personality, it meant at least one of them was kind.

"More importantly, how are you feeling? Are you sure it’s okay for you to be up and about?"

"Of course. I just ran too hard earlier and got out of breath."

"Ran...?"

"Yes. When I heard you were back, I sprinted. I wanted to greet you."

I ended up failing, though.

I wanted to welcome him home, but I just made a fool of myself.

"You sprinted to greet me?"

"Yes. You’ve had a hard time. I wanted to say I was glad you came back safely."

Dante was silent.

He just stared at me with an unreadable expression.

I didn’t try to read his expression.

Instead, I quickly said  out what I needed to say while he was quiet.

First of all,

"I’m sorry for everything."

I started with an apology.

"Even though our marriage was arranged, it was the same for you. I think I was the only one who was overly anxious and didn’t try to adapt, just avoiding you all the time. Thinking about it, you must have been upset. Seeing me recoil like I’d seen a ghost every time we met, you must have felt terrible."

"No. I never thought that."

"...Really?"

"Really."

"Wow. Unbelievable. Your heart is like the Pacific Ocean. No, wait, it should be the Sahara Desert here. Your heart is like the Sahara Desert."

I was genuinely amazed.

If I were Dante, I would have felt really bad.

'What am I, dung or a bug? Why avoid me like that?' I would have thought.

Well.

Dante in the original story was like that too.

Instead of resenting his wife who couldn’t adjust, he gave her alimony and a house and divorced her.

He had his own emotional scars and traumas, yet he did that.

This warm-hearted northern man!

Thinking of the original Dante while looking at the present Dante made my heart ache.

I stepped forward and grabbed his hands tightly with both of mine.

"From now on, let’s get along well. Let’s eat together, do things together, and make lots of memories. Let’s be like good friends!"

Let’s get along like good friends and part ways beautifully.

Without any trauma, with healthy and happy hearts.

After that, the male lead gets a happy ending with the female lead. I got a happy ending with my herbs!

My eyes sparkled at the perfectly completed future plan, but Dante’s expression was strange.

It looked somewhat conflicted?

...What’s this? Does he not want to be friends with me?

He avoided me before, and now he’s mad because I want to be friends?

Did he find it ridiculous after thinking about it?

As I was pondering whether he was annoyed or found it absurd, I suddenly remembered what was in my pocket.

Oh, right. There was that.