Chapter 77
Chapter 77
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Wind and rain lashed in through the wide-open office window.
But the room's owner couldn't even think about closing it.
A few raindrops, which he would normally have detested, seemed to resemble the person he was thinking of.
"......"
Naturally, he couldn't concentrate on his work.
It was when he broke his third innocent quill.
"Master, it's Redius."
A voice came from outside.
Dielo glanced at the window.
It wasn't time for official business.
"Come in."
What could it be?
His mind, dulled by the sensation of water, questioned.
"Yes."
—Click.
The door opened, and Redius's dark gray hair was swept back by the wind.
"The window."
He hadn't expected it to be wide open like this.
Redius, of all people, couldn't have been unaware.
That wind and rain meant a humid day, which Dielo hated most.
But now, he was willingly enjoying the raindrops, the water.
"What's the matter?"
Dielo asked. His eyes were closed, and he looked like he was suppressing something.
Redius quietly gazed at the master.
Dielo, who had always suppressed his true nature to solidify his image as a frail master, often wore that expression.
But he had never had such a thrilled smile on his face.
That was probably because what he was suppressing was himself.
Redius glanced at the window and said,
"She's a good person."
"Yes."
He hadn't even said who he was talking about, but the answer came back quickly.
Redius almost laughed without realizing it.
"So much so that you can't take your eyes off her."
At those words, Dielo opened his eyes. His blue eyes met Redius's.
Blue was certainly not a passionate color.
But there was heat in the master's eyes. Heat that hadn't cooled down.
"It's been getting harder and harder to bear lately."
The corners of his lips lifted with difficulty. Redius stared at Dielo for a moment.
'Lately'?
So, he had been holding back before?
Redius briefly looked back on the past.
Rick saying that he saw love in the master's eyes, Pielle replaying those words after dismissing them as nonsense, and so on.
As time went on, his face began to show more and more absurdity.
"Haven't you been unable to hide it for a long time?"
Redius finally asked.
At those words, Dielo visibly paused.
"......"
Dielo's silent expression was a mixture of embarrassment and confusion.
Could it be.
"......You didn't know?"
It was that obvious?
At Redius's words, Dielo touched his forehead.
"From where, exactly......"
The fact that he was speaking to him with such certainty meant that his condition was exposed in many places, so Dielo looked bewildered.
"For now, it's just Rick, Pielle, and me. The maids on the fourth floor seem to have noticed as well."
Redius slyly glanced towards the door.
He, who quickly picked up on rumors in the family, already knew.
'I heard you brought the perfume with a very sweet gaze?'
He couldn't bring himself to say those words.
'I heard you looked at the maids with a look that said you would kill them if they didn't leave?'
He couldn't tell that story either.
While Redius couldn't bring himself to continue, Dielo barely managed to utter a word.
"......I restrained myself."
At those words, Redius finally touched his forehead.
"You restrained yourself."
So that's what he meant by restraining himself. To others, it looked like nothing but a straight line.
Redius looked at the master.
He was looking at his hands, calming his breath.
It was obvious what thirst he was quenching with the rainwater that occasionally splashed into the room.
The master was quietly burning.
"......It seems like you're reaching your limit."
In fact, it looked like he wasn't holding back at all, but Redius said it anyway.
Redius Argenta, he was confident that he knew the state of a man in love, perhaps because he was someone who had married after a passionate love affair.
Probably by now.
He probably can't see anything.
"Master."
Dielo's gaze turned to him. Redius quietly opened his mouth.
"If this is what you call restraining yourself, then there may be no point in restraining yourself."
It was truly loyal advice.
At those words, Dielo blinked stupidly, unlike his usual self, and then let out a hollow laugh.
Ha, a short breath escaped.
Dielo, who had rubbed his face roughly, lowered his hands.
"Is that so."
If Redius had come all the way here to say this, then it must be true.
I certainly restrained myself.
Dielo looked down at his hands again. The feeling of soft skin brushing against his fingertips was vivid.
He barely suppressed the desire to dig a little deeper, just a little deeper.
He suppressed it to the point of trampling on it. He couldn't do this.
Otherwise, he would not only let out hot breaths, but also reveal his desire for her too deeply.
To the priestess who was embarrassed even by her flushed cheeks reflected in the mirror, with her eyes closed.
Fortunately or unfortunately, the priestess didn't seem to notice.
Or was she deliberately looking away?
He recalled her in the mirror, her in the ship's cabin.
'......Ah.'
Krua, who was exhaling sweet breaths, Krua Argenta.
She was at a loss, looking at the mirror.
While melting at his touch, she tried hard to maintain her composure.
'......Dielo.'
Krua, who was surprised by the kiss but accepted him, was gripping his shoulders tightly.
As if nervous, as if she would push him away at any moment.
But even after handing over the sword, she did not push him away.
But that was it.
She did not allow him to delve any deeper, intoxicated by the sweetness.
She captivated him completely and said with her eyes.
Don't fall in love.
It seemed that his fingertips burned even more at those eyes.
There was only one thing that stood between her and him.
Pero's existence. The contract they had made in the first place.
'When the real Pero appears.'
This contractual marriage will be broken, and Dielo Argenta will gain power through the Pero Awakening.
And wipe out the Alloze Dukedom.
He had certainly promised that, but it was too difficult to keep that one promise.
No, he didn't want to.
Pero, what was so great about that damn Pero?
He was frustrated by his situation, trapped in the nonsense of fate and unable to properly express his feelings.
'It wasn't necessarily a contract that Pero had to be Benia.'
Dielo thought of the fortunate fact.
No, it wasn't entirely fortunate.
He hadn't yet told Krua about Benia.
What would happen if you found out about this?
Would you still try to leave?
......I wish you would chase after me as a debtor.
You only give endlessly to this ungrateful person. You make me have no choice but to love you.
Without Krua, Argenta would have been in trouble in both the sea and the swamp incidents.
Argenta does not forget favors.
'Dielo, you should rest too. You had a hard time, in the water.'
'You said you don't like being surrounded by water or fire.'
'Bad memories...... might have come back, so get a good night's sleep today. Just focus on sleeping.'
'Nightmares eat away at people more than you think.'
She, who was so worried about him, had been suffering from Nightmare just a while ago.
"What the hell......"
What kind of dream did you have?
What was your nightmare? I wish I could get rid of it.
It would be nice if I could repay even a part of this great favor.
You probably don't even know what you've done for me.
"I'm going crazy."
He closed his eyes.
There was only one time he had failed to repay a favor.
During the fire accident at the age of six.
The girl who was trapped with him. The child constantly shook him, who had buried his face between his arms and knees.
'I can't control fire.'
Even though he was an Argenta, the girl was not disappointed when he said he couldn't control fire.
Instead, she held his hand tightly.
'But let's try it once.'
'We're going to die anyway if we stay like this. We have to try something before we die.'
'It's better than dying without doing anything.'
Those words gave him the courage to move his fire dominance.
When he finally mustered the courage to get up.
—Fwoosh!
When he truly dominated the flames that were trying to devour him.
The child was nowhere to be found.
After that, he searched for the child who had been trapped with him, but he was told that only Benia had been accidentally trapped there.
But Benia didn't even bother to talk to him, let alone look at him.
Knowing that he, as a child, was someone who couldn't even look at the flames in the fireplace properly, let alone control fire.
Besides, the child's voice, which remained vividly in his head, was far from Benia's.
That's why it wasn't Benia.
Who the hell was it?
"......"
There was only one person he had failed to repay a favor to, but now it looked like there would be two.
"I've incurred so much debt."
He closed his eyes.
If he had to incur debt and repay favors, there were many ways to repay them.
But why do I.
Why do I want to have her instead?
Why do I want to hold her in my hands instead of giving?
This was absurd.
Even knowing that, he wanted to beg.
Give her to me.
Allow me to have you completely.
"Are you thinking about the mistress?"
Redius asked at that moment.
"The fake Pero, the mistress?"
His voice was calm but sounded cold.
