If You Wish For A Married Couple’s Duties - Chapter 89

Dooha frowned at the loud voice that’s resonating in her head.

He pretended not to know her when she was greeting Margaret earlier.

‘Rather than that, you can read my thoughts?’

— Of course! The only thing this body can’t do is healing magic!

Serion’s hackles rose and he raised his jaw.

— What are you doing after I’ve helped you save your husband? You deserve to die for trying to tarnish my pure heart for Margaret!

Dooha’s eyes narrowed.

‘Would a pure-hearted person turn into a cat, perch on a woman’s lap and revel in her pets?’

— What do you mean, revel! I just wanted to stay beside Margaret! You impudent lass! I’m going to rip you apart!

Just as Serion was about to pounce on her while waving his claws.

Tak.

“Sseum, Muffin! You can’t do that to Dooha!”

With her finger, Margaret lightly hit the cat on its flat nose.

No, rather than hitting it, it was more accurate to say that she’d pressed on with a little more force.

However, Serion’s pupils kept widening like he’d received a considerable shock.

— Ma, Margaret, how could you…

Dooha looked at the cat’s eyes, which didn’t seem strange if it began shedding tears at any moment, and opened her mouth.

“I’m fine, Margaret. It has been a while since Muffin saw me, so I think he was surprised. Don’t scold him too much.”

“But he’d also pounced onto Mister Servant and scratched his face. How can he also do that to Dooha?”

Margaret looked at the cat with a worried gaze.

“I hope that Muffin would get along with others even when I’m not around. For that to happen, it’ll be better if he doesn’t do anything that’ll make others hate him.”

“Margaret can just keep looking after Muffin.”

“…Mmm.”

At Dooha’s words, Margaret gave a helpless smile.

“I wish that I could.”

For some reason, those words seem to contain a multitude of meanings.

Margaret forced a smile as she stood up from her seat.

“Wait here, I have something I want to give to Dooha. I’ll go and get it.”

She placed the cat on the floor and left the drawing room.

Like she wanted to avoid this position for a while.

— …Margaret, other than Margaret, I don’t need anyone else. 

A gloomy voice which was hard to discern the gender of, mumbled the previous duchess’ name.

Dooha stared at the top of the cat’s head, who was left alone on the floor.

What the hell is this cat, no, this wizard?

A wizard in the shape of a cat, who’s said to be the empire’s greatest wizard, but was unable to leave the castle, and only followed the previous duchess around because of his unrequited love.

It was really weird.

— What’s weird about that? Margaret is the only reason for my existence on this land.

Serion’s eyes narrowed like he was recalling the past.

He was the last dragon that was born on this land.

The legendary monster that was only mentioned in ancient texts now, the world’s most perfect race, the being that stood on the apex of all living beings, the creator of magic.

The modifiers that have followed his kind were already monopolised by him.

He didn’t have any reason to live at a time when all of his kin had died a hundred years ago.

Nevertheless, he only had one reason for breathing up till now.

— Margaret told me to live.

He still remembered his first meeting with Margaret.

It was the day he’d opened his eyes after being frustrated by the endless loneliness.

Although it was already more than 40 years ago, for him, it was as vivid as yesterday.

Forty years wasn’t a very long time for him, who was close to an immortal.

— That’s why to me, there’s only Margaret. That’s why I’m just staying by her side.

“Then, why as a cat of all things?”

— Don’t talk to me for now, you wretched lass. 

“But you’ll respond to everything.”

— You, honestly!

The cat, Serion, raised its small head and bared its teeth.

— I’m going easy on you because of Margaret. Don’t cross the line.

“No, I’m just asking purely out of curiosity.”

Dooha lifted the teacup on the table.

“If you can turn into a cat, you could turn into a person. I don’t understand why you have to use the appearance of a cat.”

If he wanted to remain by Margaret’s side, from various aspects, it would be more convenient to look like a person.

They can converse, and if anything happens, he can personally help her.

Oh, since he’s a wizard, he doesn’t have to help her in person.

“If you like Margaret that much, you’d turn into a human…….”

— I can’t do that. 

Just then, a gloomy voice rang out in Dooha’s head.

— Margaret doesn’t like my appearance as a human being.

“Why?”

— Because when she looks at that appearance, she’ll keep thinking about the past. 

Margaret’s past was filled with wounds.

Her husband died early, and one of her two sons was killed by the other.

On the day her eldest son died, Margaret visited Serion.

To request that he save her dead son, no matter the cost.

But Serion had to refuse her request.

It was against the law of the world to revive the dead.

Instead, he’d stopped her second son from not only killing his older brother, but also his brother’s child.

But Margaret’s spirit was unable to endure the tragedy that repeated itself, and ended up deteriorating.

Her soul went back to the period of time she was happiest, and remained there.

But every time she met Serion, she’d return to her senses, and when that happened, she’d be sad, like the world was collapsing.

Serion didn’t want her to be sad, as it doesn’t matter if she doesn’t remember him.

— My appearance reminds Margaret of the time she was in agony. That’s why it’s better to remain as a cat. Unlike humans, they are small, warm, soft, and cute.

On top of that, he was able to hog her touch to his heart’s content, which he dared not wish for when he was in the form of a human being.

Serion could be satisfied with that.

“But isn’t that too painful for you?”

For the person, who has become no different from his reason for living, to not even remember him.

Wasn’t thinking about it miserable?

But Serion snorted like it was his first time being asked such a stupid question.

— It doesn’t matter.

There were inexpressible feelings because of true love.

However, his inexpressible feelings didn’t rot away, but deepened instead.

That’s what Serion felt.

— It’s fine, as long as Margaret doesn’t suffer. 

“……”

Dooha fell silent.

In fact, it was hard for her to accept the story that she’d heard through Serion’s mouth.

First of all, it was hard to digest the fact that a great monster that existed in mythology was his true identity.

She didn’t understand why such a great being was in the ducal family.

She seemed to have heard from Margaret that he was bound to the castle, but she couldn’t remember it clearly.

Rather, the most incomprehensible thing to her was erasing even his own existence for the sake of the person he loved.

Dooha thought of the duke inadvertently.

Imagining Leonhart being hurt or in pain made her heart hurt.

However, she wouldn’t be able to accept it if the way he could be unburdened was to erase his memories of her.

She’d choose to be in pain and unhappy together instead.

— Hmph, how can a wretched human lass like you understand me?

Serion ridiculed her like he’d also looked into Dooha’s head this time.

— Don’t you dare to recklessly try and understand me. Because it feels upsetting.

The door opened as Dooha smiled bitterly at his arrogant attitude.

“I’m back.”

Margaret returned to the drawing room with a small velvet box in her hand.

She held the box out to Dooha.

“Daniel wanted me to deliver this to you.”

“…Daniel?”

Come to think of it, it’s been a while since she’d seen Daniel.

She’d never seen him ever since they returned from Tochern Castle.

She recalled the last time she saw Daniel.

‘His expression wasn’t that good.’

As soon as Daniel returned to Esbaden, he returned to his own residence without saying a word to her.

‘Does he still think that it’s his fault that I fell off the cliff?’

There was such a possibility.

She’d told him several times in Tochern Castle that it wasn’t his fault, but he had a gloomy countenance.

‘But why this?’

Dooha slowly opened the box.

In the small box was the brooch that she’d returned to Daniel.

The emerald brooch that contained a beautiful shade of green was much more beautifully crafted than before.

It seems to have been repaired, seeing that the scratches caused by her careless handling had also disappeared.

“But it seems like Daniel doesn’t have any friends.”

Margaret sat down in her chair and continued anxiously.

“It’s not like he’s sick like Margaret is, but I heard that he didn’t go anywhere during the carnival and just remained in the library.”

The library.

Dooha recalled Daniel sitting alone by the window.

It would be a lie if she said that she was unbothered by it.

“You know, Dooha. There’ll be a fireworks display at the castle wall tonight! Let’s go watch it together!”

The fireworks display, which will adorn the last night of the carnival, was a specialty of Esbaden’s.

The specially-made fireworks that were fired from the walls would adorn the night sky beautifully every year.

“Leon and Daniel, all together! Hm?”

“…What?”

“The two of them don’t get along well, do they? That’s why they can take this opportunity to reconcile!”

Dooha couldn’t bear to speak after hearing about Margaret’s bold plan.

It would be much easier to go back to Tochern and catch monsters.

Compared to that, she couldn’t imagine Leonhart and Daniel standing side by side and watching the fireworks display.

Can the two that were always at each other’s throats when they made eye contact stand together in one space?

‘But.’

Dooha alternated glances between Serion, who was pretending to be an ordinary cat again, and Margaret.

If Margaret’s illness was caused by their blood feud, was it possible for her to revert back to her original state if the opposite happened?

She recalled what Margaret had said once, when her mind was slightly awake.

“I also like Daniel, so I hope that the three of you will get along with each other. Though I know I’m being greedy.”

“If someone doesn’t intervene, those two will hate each other like that for the rest of their lives.”

“That’s why, Dooha, please do your best. So that they can return to how they used to be…”

There was only one thing that Margaret wanted.

It was the grandchildren that she’d raised personally getting along with each other as well as they did in their childhood.

“Alright, I’ll ask the two of them to join us.”

Dooha smiled at Margaret, who had sparkling eyes.

No matter what results she ends up with, it seemed worth a try.

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