If I Disobey the Duke

Confession (6)

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Lily flopped her arms on her bed.
She deceived her husband, the duke, so had to be ready to be kicked out.

If he held her father accountable, it would damage the entire Isles family.

Rather…

Lily turned her head and stared blankly at her balcony.
“Maybe it’s best to just jump and die… Damn!”

At the sudden pounding noise, Lily got up.

It sounded like her bathroom appliances were falling apart.
The maids seemed to have made a mistake.

Even if the water pipe was installed, it was quite difficult to prepare for a bath.

…Buttercup was struggling again.

Lily got up from her bed, feeling sorry for her maid.

She opened her door and pushed her head into her bathroom.
“Buttercup, what’s going on? Are you having trouble with the bathwater… Ah.”

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Lily felt her heart stop pounding.
It wasn’t a maid who had messed up the bathroom, it was Vlad.

Her half-naked husband was standing in a bathroom filled with hot steam, dark hair semi-plastered to his head.

For some reason, a huge porcelain bathtub was lying on the floor, and the floor was soaked with warm water.

Vlad awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck like someone caught doing something strange.
“…You woke up, Lily.”

Drops of water glistened on his tanned skin.
The sheer definition of his muscles and the rough scars scattered along his body were enough evidence for the life he had had up until now.
And yet his waist still looked slender in comparison, the bones of his hips in stark relief…

Vlad swept his wet, messy hair backwards in a single stroke, annoyed.

Even through the mist she could feel the full brunt of his handsome features.

“Are you very surprised? It was quite noisy.”

“No, I was already up…”

“I’m glad.”

“…”

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It was really fortunate that the view was slightly obscured by water vapor.

Lily wiggled her toes, hiding her arms behind her.
Her uncomfortable tension added weight to the awkward silence.
She felt like she had to say something, but she was so quiet that her words did not come out easily.

Lily licked her lips, lowering her head slightly.
“Your work… You didn’t go.”

As if he had been waiting, his answer followed.
“I’m going to take a break for a while unless it’s very urgent.”

It was not surprising.
In reality, as the lord of the territory, it was normal for them to take breaks.

The aristocrats often performed state duties instead of the imperial family.
The management of the estate was usually entrusted to trustworthy vassals and servants.

But Vlad, even in this area, was quite far from that sense.

He wanted to know everything that was going on in the estate.
All of the cases had to go through his approval.

But the day after she confessed that he had deceived him…

“Why all of a sudden…?”

“…I think it’s something I should do.” He leaned over and pulled the porcelain bathtub upright with one hand.

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The veins and tendons on his arm as he tilted the bathtub bulged so much that she could clearly see it from afar.

“I’m glad it didn’t break.
 It’s dangerous if the pieces bounce everywhere.” He turned the water tap, trying to fill it with water.

After a while, the hot water started coming out.

Both of them stared at the tap pouring out water.

Lily, who had stared blankly at the rising water level, glanced at him.
“Then… wash up…I will be out.”

His low voice caught her as she was about to close the door.
“Lily, I…”

Lily stopped moving, hand on the doorknob.

He stared intently into the rising waters as if there were other creatures in the bathtub.
“I have no intention of getting married to anyone else.
Forever.” Vlad continued to stare at the person reflected in the water.

He felt disgusted with himself, but he pushed on.
“You are the only woman in my life.
No matter what, I promise.”

The hot water started to fill the bathroom with mist again.

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“Even if one day you are terribly afraid of me and crying to let you go, I will never let go.
If you die and try to leave me…”

Hot water began to drip onto the floor.
His bare feet were wet with water.

He slowly raised his gaze to meet the green eyes beyond the vapor.

Unlike Lily, his vision was clear.

Even if it was dark at night, even if mist covered him, and even if there was a blizzard.
He had great eyesight.

Her complexion, which was hot and red from the moisture in the bathroom, looked much better than it did yesterday.

She had looked terrified yesterday.

He exhaled a deep breath, ending the long silence.

When he turned the tap, the water stopped.

“I will make you happy enough to forget about such thoughts.
So other than that… Do nothing.”

For a while, the quiet bathroom was filled with only the sound of dripping water.