Chapter 113
Is this a situation where I need to run away? Shouldn’t I get dressed first?
I fumbled, struggling to get out of the sheet. My whole body ached, making it difficult. When my strained gaze met Jerob’s face, the sudden sharpness in his expression vanished instantly. Instead, he gave me a faint smile. It was as refreshing as the clear sky after a rainy day.
“We already had breakfast. What’s all this about?”
Jerob spoke toward the door and then came closer to me. After speaking loudly enough for anyone outside to hear, he personally unwrapped the sheet that had been tightly wrapped around me.
“Hurrah!”
My hands were free. What a liberating sensation! I stretched my arms high above my head.
Jerob’s eyes scanned my exposed body. Following his gaze, I noticed the reddish marks left across my skin. There were so many. Among the dense marks were also bite marks.
He really… had devoured me.
Embarrassment washed over me, and I carefully pulled the sheet back up to cover myself.
“Hurrah again.”
“Hu… hurrah?”
Cautiously, I raised my arms slightly. He then helped me put on his shirt. Because of the size difference, the sleeves hung far beyond my hands. His movements as he buttoned the shirt were slow and deliberate.
Is now really the time to be so leisurely?
From outside the door, I could hear whispers, too faint to make out what was being said.
“S-sorry… we forgot to bring some food.”
The innkeeper stammered. It was a suspiciously weak excuse. His voice was full of obvious unease. Jerob frowned.
“Ah… hurry and open the door.”
Hearing him stumble over his words, I knew something was definitely up.
Jerob made sure my body was fully covered and then drew his sword. The blade glimmered in the morning sunlight, dazzlingly bright.
Esther… it’s been a while. The memory of your touch at my neck is still vivid, but your edge is as fierce as ever.
His lean upper body complemented the sleek sword perfectly.
“You won’t close your eyes this time, right?”
“No.”
I could watch him wield his sword in real time. Jerob noticed the sparkle of anticipation in my eyes and lightly pressed his lips to mine.
“Keep the sheet on. I’m opening the door.”
Bang—
He whispered sweetly into my ear before forcefully swinging the door open.
Standing there were the innkeeper holding a tray of food and two armored men.
He had opened the door with such force that the door itself rattled and tilted awkwardly.
“What’s going on?”
As the men craned their necks to peek inside, Jerob blocked the doorway with his body. His solid frame shielded me from view.
The half-naked Jerob faced off against the two armored men. Numerically, he was outnumbered, yet he didn’t look like he would lose at all.
He was Jerob Dycus.
A treasure of the Empire, already skilled with sword energy at a young age. He held the title of Supreme Swordsman.
An invisible aura flared around him. Even someone like me, far removed from swordsmanship, could feel it. Any trained swordsman would have immediately noticed.
“Last night! There was an incident, so we were dispatched!”
The voice trembled with tension.
“There was nothing here.”
Jerob glanced briefly at me, then returned his gaze forward.
My… his back is handsome too. There was nothing here. I nodded in agreement.
What happened was a secret only the two of us knew.
“Th-the villagers were injured!”
He stuttered, clearly flustered. His voice shook like a frightened goat. It seemed they were already terrified of Jerob.
Even so, they were probably the village’s makeshift guards.
Through the narrow gap that Jerob blocked, I could see him trembling. He looked like he might cry.
“So? We haven’t stepped outside the room.”
“Because… because their description matched…”
Last night, we hadn’t gone anywhere. I didn’t even notice when the sun rose as we were busy looking at each other’s faces. We were witnesses to each other.
To think someone could resemble that radiant beauty… if it’s a lie, fine, but if they exist, I’d like to meet them once.
“So?”
Jerob’s voice had no emotion.
“Sh-show your identification.”
“We’re people of the Defverre family. There’s no reason for this treatment.”
His voice was cold and emotionless, rebuking them. His displeasure became increasingly apparent.
I could tell the others didn’t know how to respond. The Defverre family may not have high rank, but they had enough influence to speak directly to the Emperor.
Additionally, they must have seen many high-ranking people before, so they sensed something unusual here.
Even without stating it, Jerob’s entire presence exuded the aura of someone from a noble family. The intimidation emanating from him couldn’t be concealed by mere words or gestures.
Of course, he didn’t seem particularly interested in hiding it either.
“We were… ordered to search the room.”
The reply grew increasingly timid. The sound of armor clanking accompanied a step forward. Brave, but the opponent faced Jerob.
“My wife is resting. If you step one foot in here, I swear on my honor to use my sword.”
He called me his wife.
Jerob lightly raised his sword and drew the blade across the floor. Not with force, yet a deep scratch appeared where the door met the floor. The would-be intruders stepped back with a clank.
“Who exactly reported a suspicious person, and how?”
“T-that…”
Despite repeated questions, they could not give a proper answer. Something smelled fishy.
Someone had deliberately tried to interfere with our journey. There were many possible candidates, as both of us had many enemies.
“Is it the law in this village to dispatch guards without verifying false reports?”
“N… no, excuse us!”
The men retreated obediently. They did not seem willing to provoke a bloodbath. They clearly valued their lives.
Jerob Dycus was the man who once considered killing everyone to silence a witch trial. Taking the lives of the people before him was nothing to him. I planned to stop him if things escalated, but judging by the current atmosphere, it didn’t seem likely to go to extremes.
“Did the innkeeper report this?”
“No! Absolutely not!”
Under Jerob’s scrutiny, the innkeeper repeatedly denied it, almost bowing to the floor. The indifferent person who had only asked for one room yesterday was gone. Force was a good way to make people comply.
“My wife needs sufficient rest.”
He called me his wife again.
After stating my condition, Jerob tossed a pouch onto the floor. It was full of coins. He resolved the situation not with his sword, but with money.
“Is it not enough?”
“N… no!”
They bowed in response.
Ah, money was the goal.
“No! It was a mistake! I’m sorry!”
“Ha… have a good evening!”
Though it was morning, they repeatedly bowed and politely withdrew, closing the door behind them. Jerob even checked to ensure the door was properly closed.
“This happens often in this world.”
Huh?
Jerob had just said “in this world” to me. It indicated that he recognized our position in this world. I thought the situation would end as a simple incident…
Perhaps not.
“Let’s go. They might come again.”
I wanted to ask if he acknowledged the other world. If he truly believed me.
I chose silence. Not speaking isn’t lying. Instead, I got up from the bed and, with trembling legs, clung to Jerob’s waist. He patted the back of my hand.
After the first day’s commotion, the journey went smoothly.
My legs trembled all week like a newborn fawn, and my back ached, but otherwise, everything was peaceful.
He doesn’t rest even for a single day.
He was truly a monstrous man. Instead of decreasing the frequency, he increased it whenever I began to adjust.
He intends to finish me off on the bed.
“The sea is coming soon.”
“I see.”
The salty, damp air filled my nose. Occasionally, seagulls appeared. The signs that we had reached the sea increased.
It also meant that our journey together had lasted nearly a week. We had grown close. Naturally, I leaned on his shoulder and linked arms. In response, he held the reins with one hand and ran the other through my hair. His touch was skilled.
We ate together, slept together, talked together.
Truly dreamlike, happy moments passed quickly. I wished every day could be like this.
Our days… or if that’s selfish, his days.
We packed light bags and waited to board the ship. The plan was to first disembark on the large island via a cruise ship, then move to a smaller boat.
“Identification.”
At his curt tone, I handed it over.
Emily Defverre and Johan Defverre.
We handed over the forged IDs side by side. The sailor checked them with practiced hands and guided us onto the ship. Surprisingly, not many people were on board. Given the unrest, everyone seemed cautious.
Bwooo—
The massive ship horn sounded as the ship departed. I stayed on deck to guard against possible seasickness. The ship cut through the deep blue sea.
“Dangerous.”
The sea wind whipped my hair into my mouth. Jerob grabbed my hair into a single tie and tied it with a pretty ribbon. A week spent together proved useful. Dressing, undressing, and tying clothes had made him an expert on women’s attire. Today’s outfit had also been carefully dressed by him. He treated me like he was caring for a child.
“How’s the sea?”
