Chapter 27
Husband is Possessed by Protagonist 27
‘Hmm.’
It wasn't that he had done it for the Affection level, but he thought it would rise quite a bit.
However, that was completely his delusion.
In the end, it seemed he couldn't gain Luise's Affection level with things related to money.
It was a more difficult System than he thought.
‘Then what on earth……?’
At this point, he couldn't help but wonder.
Not long ago, he had cooked another dish for Luise.
It was a pasta like sujebi called gnocchi, made by mixing potato and flour dough, browning it, and then adding cream sauce.
Knowing that his cooking raised her Affection level, he put a little more effort into the taste than usual.
As expected, Luise ate it very deliciously and repeatedly expressed her admiration.
But for some reason, the Affection level didn't rise.
He didn't know if it was because he had already gained Affection level with cooking once, or if the situation wasn't surprising enough to raise it.
He reread the part about Luise in the list of characters.
[Married to her husband in a political marriage, but resentful because they have never had a marital relationship. She desperately wants a happy married life and children with her husband.]
It was all too clear what Luise wanted from her husband, Alexis.
As he lowered the System window, unable to bear to see more, Luise cut all the steak for him.
"Alex, eat a lot."
"Thank you."
He picked up his utensils.
Or perhaps, is Luise's attitude of being nice to him all an act?
Otherwise, how could such a kind wife have an Affection level of only 2?
"Wow, that looks delicious."
He was just about to pick up a piece of steak with his fork.
Eloy exclaimed and snatched his meat.
"……."
"As expected, the middle part of the steak is the softest and most delicious."
Munch, munch.
Eloy munched happily.
Alex stared blankly at his plate.
The very center of the steak was empty, as if a front tooth was missing.
"……."
The center of the plate, where the bottom was thickly exposed by the thickness of the missing meat, was desolate.
He wasn't particularly greedy about food.
If someone asked for his food, he would give it without question.
However, being robbed of the thickest and softest piece of meat right in front of his eyes made him feel a little embarrassed and empty.
It was then.
Luise put down her utensils with a clatter and glared at Eloy.
"Eloy. Aren't you going too far?"
"Huh?"
"How many times have I told you not to pick only the middle part?"
"Then what am I supposed to do? I ate all of mine."
"What do you mean you ate it all? What are all those edges left on your plate?"
"Don't you know I don't eat the crusts because they're not tasty?"
"You really……."
"……."
Eloy blinked as if wondering what the problem was, and flames flickered in Luise's eyes.
An atmosphere where no one could intervene in the two women's staring contest.
His mother seemed to be very familiar with the scene and just shook her head and ate her soup.
"I don't mind you taking mine. But are you continuing to do this because you think your brother is easy to bully?"
"Why does it matter to you, sister, if I eat my brother's food?"
"Why wouldn't it matter? He's my husband!"
Bang!
Eloy suddenly slammed the table with her fist and jumped up.
The dishes shook and made a loud noise.
"Eloy, can't you eat quietly?"
Only then did his mother step in, but Eloy didn't bat an eye.
"Husband, my ass. Do you think I don't know you two are fake spouses? You're not even in love with each other!"
"……."
"That's why you don't have kids yet!"
"I, I……."
Eloy picked up her plate and just stormed out of the dining room.
Luise glared at the place where Eloy had left, clenched her fist, and gritted her teeth.
Soon, she relaxed the strength in her eyes and picked up her napkin with her unique elegant attitude.
"It's an unfair but undeniable fact, so I can't refute it."
"……."
A calm look as if nothing had happened.
Soon, Luise picked up her knife and began to cut the steak.
She cut the exact center part into bite-sized pieces and filled the empty space in his toothless steak.
Looking at him, she said warmly with eyes that couldn't be more affectionate.
"Eat this, Alex. I'll be sure to protect your food from now on."
"……."
Twitch.
At that moment, Alex's heart twitched.
What is this feeling?
He looked down at his plate again.
The perfectly pieced-together steak flaunted its rich figure.
But her Affection level was still 2.
\ \ *
After dinner.
Alex, who had taken a refreshing bath, went to bed early.
He had been busy for the past few days filling the house with necessary daily necessities, clothes, and luxury goods.
Now he finally felt relieved that the move was over.
As he lay in bed, the soft pad seemed to gently support his body, making him feel comfortable.
The blanket had also been freshly laundered and dried near the fireplace a few days ago, so it was particularly cozy.
However, the aftermath of 'Affection level 2' was still lingering in his mind.
'Is it even possible to keep raising this?'
Boss monsters at least die if you keep attacking them, but he couldn't even guess the strategy for Affection level.
He didn't think he could raise it in the first place, but now that it had risen even by 2 points, he was bothered by it.
Feeling a slight headache, he raised his hand and placed it over his eyes.
Was it because the fluffy bed and blanket were too cozy?
Before he knew it, he fell asleep.
A long, deep sleep.
‘You useless child!’
A heavy and merciless voice surged into his hazy consciousness.
It was a familiar yet very unfamiliar voice, as if it were a very old memory.
……Useless child?
Alex, who had been asleep, became conscious at the sharp voice.
At the same time, unfamiliar emotions flooded in.
The pain of a whip sharply slashing his small back, the helplessness of wanting this time to end quickly, and the despair that he was truly a useless son.
Three years old?
Or maybe four?
Little Alexis quietly curled up and held back his tears.
At that moment, Alex realized what was happening.
‘It’s a dream.’
It wasn't his memory, so it seemed to be something that this world's Alexis had experienced.
Was it because he had taken over Alex's body that his memories were being synchronized?
‘Again! Say it again! How many more times do I have to hit you before you can speak properly!’
His father's roar thundered in his ears.
He was scared.
Little Alex trembled, unable to open his tightly closed lips.
Once a month, his father would visit him to check how much he had studied and whether there was any improvement in his stuttering, and then express his disappointment.
‘I wish you hadn’t been born!’
‘…….’
‘It is truly deplorable that I have to entrust our family to a deficient fellow like you!’
Thud.
His father threw down the whip.
Step, step.
He coldly moved away from him.
The person who was inflicting violence on him was leaving, but why was his heart more cold and painful than when he was being hit?
Alex curled up even smaller and wept silently.
The pain from the wounds was nothing.
His heart was collapsing, so the pain in his body couldn't matter.
He was an existence that was not welcomed anywhere.
As his father said, if he hadn't been born, his father wouldn't have been angry, and the duke family wouldn't have been ashamed.
He was sad that he had been born in such a pathetic state.
However, the wounds on his back had no chance to heal.
Thwack, thwack!
‘You’re worse than a commoner!’
‘Do you know how tarnished my honor is because I’m related to someone like you?’
A barrage of kicks rained down on his small back.
It was Axen's gang.
Axen, who was a distant relative, was the most active of the peers who bullied him.
‘Die! Just die!’
Little Alex just waited for this time to end quickly.
It had been a long time since he had gotten used to the pain in his body.
The hatred and contempt of many people towards him was more painful.
The servants silently washed him and applied medicine.
They were always worried about him, but because they were afraid of his father, no one could ask if he was okay.
Even if he went to see his mother then, it would only be heartbreaking.
‘Why can’t you have another son! You want me to leave that deficient fellow as my successor? You’re nothing but a vulgar opera singer, obsessed with singing!’
‘If you hadn’t given your shoddy seed to other women, I would have had another one long ago!’
‘Be quiet!’
Alex, startled by his parents' shouts, just went back to his room.
His heart broke at the thought that his parents' fighting was all because of him.
