~Chapter 25~
Because of her father’s gambling, the heroine Shurael lost everything. Her family fell apart, and to survive she started working at the Duke’s central estate, the Lunatia Estate.
But only a few months later, she was reassigned to work at the Pontus Estate.
Shurael was terrified—after all, the “Monster Duke” was rumored to live there.
Yet, when she arrived, he wasn’t as terrifying as she had imagined. He just wore a mask to hide his scarred face. Other than that, he seemed like a normal person.
Then one day, something happened that changed everything.
While training in the yard, Apollyon’s mask slipped off. The strings had loosened without him noticing.
At that exact moment, Shurael happened to pass by.
Apollyon expected her to scream and run away after seeing his face.
But instead, she calmly picked up the mask from the ground and handed it back to him.
Her lack of fear touched him deeply.
And what he felt that day… was love.
***
“Ugh.”
Just thinking about it made me gag.
Reading it back when I didn’t know anything was fine. But now, imagining Apollyon blushing in front of Shurael made my face scrunch up.
No matter how romantic a love story is, if the “main character” is your husband, it’s nauseating.
First love, last love, eternal destiny… yeah, try watching your own man star in that.
I gulped down black tea to wash away the bitter taste in my chest.
My husband and another woman’s legendary romance? Gross.
Snap!
The quill in my hand broke under my grip. I tossed the snapped pen into the trash without hesitation.
“This is basically a trashy soap opera!”
Seriously, what was with him? When I act a little flirty, he freaks out like I’ll bite him. But in front of Shurael, he’s shy and romantic?
I remembered how he had sternly warned me not to touch his mask.
But with Shurael? He just lets it slide? Because she’s the heroine?
The thought alone made my blood pressure spike.
“What, so if she doesn’t scream after seeing your face, that’s true love? Really?”
I wanted to grab Apollyon by the collar and shake him.
But the truth was, Apollyon had misunderstood.
Shurael was scared when she saw his face. She just hid it well.
I could do that too! I pretended to be a noble lady for two whole months—what’s a little acting?
If he fell in love just because of “fearless contact,” then he should already be head over heels for me. I had literally leaned against his chest!
And didn’t he let me, his wife, sleep in his bed? Even brushed my hair in the morning sunlight? So what was that if not intimacy?
“…Haah.”
I exhaled deeply to calm myself down.
It was just the original story. Something that hadn’t even happened yet—and now probably never would.
After all, this was still a romance novel. Of course it needed the classic “fated encounter.”
And yes, in the book, when Shurael returned the mask, the scene had cherry blossoms floating in the spring wind.
With timing like that—beautiful woman, spring breeze, falling petals—of course he would fall in love.
It was all just atmosphere.
Thinking about it reminded me of my first meeting with Apollyon: a sharp forehead kiss and a chaotic wedding night that felt more like a battlefield.
Not exactly romantic.
“…I rushed too much.”
I shook the thoughts away. No use comparing.
Instead, I needed to focus on the real problem: breaking his curse. Or, more bluntly, opening his shirt and getting him into bed.
***
Before the story began, I didn’t know much about Apollyon. Only that his stepmother cursed him, his real parents died early, and that’s why he became so closed-off.
The only other useful info was about the world itself:
Magic was rare here.
House Quinton had broken away from the Imperial family.
House Teabridte and House Quinton were enemies.
In the novel, Sonod Quinton didn’t openly clash with Apollyon until much later. But now, things had already changed.
I married Apollyon instead of Sonod, so the plot had shifted completely.
And Sonod was already furious.
Considering his arrogant personality, it wasn’t surprising. He could pick a fight with Apollyon any day now.
In the original, Apollyon only managed to defeat him after his curse was lifted—and after falling in love with Shurael.
Without the curse dragging him down, he could ignore Sonod’s cruel words. And with Shurael’s support, he became stronger.
But right now?
Apollyon was still weak—emotionally fragile, shy, and withdrawn. If Sonod attacked now, Apollyon would crumble.
So there were only two options:
1. Break the curse quickly.
2. Or… send Sonod straight to the afterlife.
The second option would be great, but I had no proof or reason to kill him. As a noble heir, he’d just get away with a slap on the wrist anyway.
And I didn’t have the strength to fight him myself.
Which left me with only one choice…
“How do I break his curse?”
I groaned, rubbing my temples.
How? How on earth?
The more I thought about Apollyon’s body—his chest under that shirt, the strong build I’d only read about in the novel—the more my head throbbed.
Once you’ve tasted high-quality food, it’s hard to go back to scraps. That’s how I felt about him.
We’re married. I promised to lift his curse. So how can I accept a future without even a kiss?
My desire was overflowing like a dam about to burst.
And the most annoying thing? I found him… cute.
Yes, even when he was shy, stiff, and avoiding me—he was adorable. His flushed ears, his trembling lashes, his huge frame curled up like a ball… It made me want to tease him more.
“Have I… developed a new preference?”
In my past life, I only dated older men. I liked dependable guys. Younger ones never appealed to me.
But Apollyon…
“He’s too cute.”
I slammed my fist on the desk. As much as I hated to admit it, I had to face the truth.
“I like cute guys, don’t I?”
Cute yet sexy. Sexy yet shy.
When I looked back at the page I’d been writing notes on, it was full of messy scribbles. At the corner, in shaky handwriting, one word stood out:
“…Cute.”
Breaking the curse wasn’t just about physical intimacy.
It required both emotional love and physical love, combined.
The stronger the love grew, the weaker the curse became.
Which meant, first and foremost… Apollyon had to love me.
“Why does that sound so pitiful?”
Begging my own husband for love—like a street beggar asking for scraps.
Still, it was the truth. Emotional connection had to come first. Once love blossomed, the physical side would naturally follow.
