Chapter 81

When I heard the word “darling” and flinched, I opened my eyes to see Heros’ clear brown eyes right in front of me.

When I frowned, he raised one corner of his lips.

“I called you lady so many times and you never woke up, but this worked.”

I playfully pushed Heros’ face away with my hand.
It seemed I had fallen into a deep sleep.

Heros politely extended his hand toward the dining table.

“Dinner is ready.”

I rubbed my eyes and stood up from the armchair.
A feast was laid out, and the rich aroma tickled my nose.

I sat down on the chair that Heros pulled out for me and looked at the food he had prepared.
The plates were simple, but the food looked as beautiful as the meals we had in the mansion.

“Sit and eat with me.”

“Yes, my lady.”

The only difference from before was that we now often ate together, because it would look strange for a married couple to eat separately.

I cut the chicken leg steak with a knife and placed a piece on his plate.

“When did I fall asleep?”

“Well, you must have been very tired.”

I scooped up some potato and lentil soup. It was savory and sweet, and I liked it a lot.

“This is delicious. When did you learn to cook?”

Even when we were traveling in the carriage, I had noticed how amazing Heros’ cooking skills were.

“I actually went through many hardships when I was young. I’m glad you like it, my lady.”

‘He’s handsome, capable, and can cook… he’s the perfect groom.’

I wondered if I was blocking his path to marriage for no reason, but I kept happily eating the food he made.

“From next time, let’s take turns. It’s not right for you to do all the cooking and housework alone.”

He used to work as a butler, but here, he was doing the jobs of a cook and even a maid. I couldn’t help but feel a little guilty.

“No, my lady’s beautiful hands…”

Heros looked at me with wavering eyes while holding a fork.

“Only use them to touch me or hit me.”

“You sound like a pervert. And when did I ever hit you?!”

When I glared at him, Heros chuckled, clearly enjoying himself.
Seeing his face, I also started laughing.

My head had been full of worries earlier, but eating good food with someone I felt comfortable with made me happy again.

‘I like this kind of daily life.’

Just as I was thinking that, Heros suddenly spoke.

“But, my lady…”

“Hmm?”

“I was thinking about the soul bond.”

His eyes didn’t have full confidence, but his brown pupils held a spark of possibility.

“Maybe we can break it using the Divine Beast.”

At his words, Biyo, who was licking the baguette on the table, tilted his head.

“You mean the bond with Prince Etias?”

“Yes. The Divine Beast can travel between worlds and create invisible spaces. It is a great being.”

I reached out and petted Biyo. Mysterious black letters appeared on Biyo’s back.

“If you give me time, I will definitely find a way to free you, my lady.”

I could feel his firm resolve, full of genuine concern for me.

“In that case, you wouldn’t have to worry about him anymore…”

“No, I told you it’s fine. Don’t bring this up again.”

I rejected his offer again.

The bond must have been made by the author who brought me into this novel world.
If it were removed, I would no longer die if Etias died.
I also wouldn’t have to be so anxious about the hearts dropping.

‘But… I don’t want to break it.’

I remembered the letter I had seen when I first possessed this body.
Although I had been shocked, I hadn’t been furious because I had already decided to make the main character I loved happy with my own hands.

‘I just want Etias to live a happy and healthy life.’

My heart started pounding again.

Heros’ soup and cooking were delicious, and the place was peaceful, and the tunnel to Montella was almost open…

But my heart was still facing the capital, where my favorite person was.

“My lady…”

Heros looked at me with complicated eyes.

A few days later, Heros came to me with a happy expression.

“We can leave this place earlier than expected. The repairs are complete.”

Wearing a wig to hide my identity, I opened the window and looked at the green scenery outside.
In the distance, I could see the Montella mountains.

Was I really going there now?
Once I crossed those mountains…

“……”

I hesitated for a long time, remembering a decision I had made before falling asleep yesterday.

“Hey, Heros.”

I was about to speak with a heavy heart when there was a loud knock on the door.

I frowned sharply and looked at Heros.
He opened the door at my signal, and a huge man with a mohawk hairstyle appeared.

Honestly, he looked really stupid.

He started speaking without even greeting us.

“If you move into the village, you should greet the noble. My master is very displeased because there has been no word for two days.”

It seemed to be the impostor group Alex had mentioned earlier, the ones pretending to be from Ellemore.

I walked slowly to the door and stood in front of Heros.
The intruder’s eyes flickered as he looked me up and down. He even licked his lips.

Heros was about to say something, but I stopped him with a hand gesture and replied.

“Well, this is the first time I’ve heard that a noble lives here.”

“What?”

“Can you tell me who you are and who your master is first?”

He frowned at my fearless gaze but answered.

“My master is Lady Katrin Ellemore, a loyal supporter of the late Emperor. And I am her right-hand man, the butler… Eros.”

“Heros.”

“Huh, uh, right, Heros.”

I corrected him, and he quickly fixed his words with wide eyes.

“Don’t even think about reporting this. Our men guard all the exits of the village. If the guards come, we’ll kill you all.”

This was exactly what Alex had told us.

I glanced at Heros, whose eyes said let’s just send him away, but I shook my head.
I gave the man a faint smile.

Heros’ brown eyes flickered in surprise for a moment, but as expected, the quick-witted man sighed softly.

“Oh, I didn’t know Lady Katrin Ellemore was here in this rural village. I’d really like to greet her personally, even if it’s rude.”

The man’s eyebrow twitched.

“Lady Ellemore is very busy. She has no time to meet with worthless commoners like you. Prepare what we demand for our next visit…”

“But I have jewels that would make a perfect gift for her.”

I interrupted him and stroked the ring Etias had given me.
It was obviously expensive, and the man’s hand twitched.

“I even have wedding treasures. Actually… Lady Katrin Ellemore is my favorite.”

“Favorite?”

“The one I admire and adore the most. When I heard of her heroics at the hunting festival, I completely fell for her.”

I pulled out a few precious jewels from my pocket to show him.

“I’ll deliver those for you.”

The man tried to snatch them right away, but I quickly hid them behind my back and said to him:

“Because I admire her, I want to give them to her personally.”

“…”

“There are more jewels inside my coat pocket. These are just a small part.”

The man scowled, clearly annoyed, but answered.

“Fine. Both of you follow me right now. Bring what you will offer to Lady Ellemore.”

The man gestured outside.

I smiled brightly and pushed my black wig behind my ear.

Heros looked at me with complicated eyes, but there was no other choice now.

‘Everything depends on how you think. Since I decided, I’ll do it.’