My Sweet Deceiver - Chapter 66

After taking a walk, the two of them were hungry and had dinner together.

 

When Tehez ate with him, she always ate more than usual.

 

Possibly because of the royal physician’s advice to eat meat, venison stewed in wine and chilli was served for dinner.

 

“Would you like more?”

 

“Won’t the Prince eat anymore?”

 

“I’m full.”

 

“Ah.”

 

Hearing that he was full, Tehez put down the fork and knife she was holding.

 

“Then shall we go in?”

 

“Why?”

 

He was preoccupied with tending the escargot to give her.

 

“You said you were full.”

 

“I’m full just watching my wife eat.”

 

He said playfully and placed the snail he had taken out with artistic skill on her plate.

 

Even though there was already a pile of food in front of her.

 

Duck dish, venison, and even grilled vegetables.

 

The amount of her placed in front of her seemed to be at least two servings.

 

Tehez stared at him blankly, thinking, ‘How am I supposed to eat all of this?’ before opening her mouth.

 

“…Prince, more than ever-”

 

“You need more?”

 

As he raised his head, repeating her words, Tehez told him.

 

“More, no, I think you have changed.”

 

“Have I?”

 

Dennis tilted his head in confusion.

 

It was a face as if he genuinely didn’t know.

 

“Yes… a little.”

 

She almost said that he seemed to treat her more comfortably than before, but she realized that it was not just the two of them in the dining space.

 

She raised her eyes and looked around.

 

There were many eyes, and there were two courtiers and escort knights waiting in the corner.

 

He seemed to have noticed when she closed her mouth like a clam.

 

“Is it hard to say?”

 

“Yes…”

 

“Then, shall we go in and talk?”

 

Tehez nodded in affirmation.

 

When she put down her fork and knife to mean that she had finished eating, he looked at her with a sad expression.

 

“Why don’t you eat up a little more?”

 

“It’s enough.”

 

He took Tehez’s hand and casually went to her bedroom.

 

When he opened the door, the room felt hot.

 

The fireplace that the courtier had built in advance was burning.

 

He sat down on the edge of the bed, took her by the hand, and made her sit on his lap.

 

Then he asked, burying his nose in the back of her hand, kissing it lightly.

 

“What were you trying to say earlier? Go on.”

 

With each breath he exhaled, Tehez seemed to have her heart exploding.

 

“Please, stop.”

 

“Yes?”

 

Finally, he kissed her on the neck, and pulled her hair to one side.

 

Because the weather was cold and she was wearing a high-necked dress, his kiss did not last long.

 

But Dennis did not give up, however, and began unbuttoning her dress from the back, one by one.

 

Tehez called him urgently.

 

“Prince.”

 

“Yes?”

 

He smiled at her as if he had no idea why she was calling and quickly unbuttoned her dress.

 

In an instant, her skin was exposed to the cold air, and she involuntarily shivered. It seemed that goosebumps had risen.

 

Dennis looked at her white back.

 

Surprised, she drew back reflexively, revealing her curved back.

 

Dennis ran his fingers down her back, engraving into his memory.

 

As if trying to remember deeply her trembling and deep breaths.

 

The room seemed to be getting hotter.

 

Everywhere his hand touched, a warm glow rose.

 

“Ah, Prince, please.”

 

She was already flushed to the tips of her ears.

 

“Please, what? Tell me what you want.”

 

He spoke to her with all his hands off her body.

 

He looked mischievous.

 

“Stop…”

 

“Really? Do you want to stop? If that’s what my wife wants.”

 

Dennis, who watched her expression, kept a smile on his lips and put her dress back on. Even so, her buttons were not fastened.

 

Dennis kept her back exposed and remained ignorant.

 

At the same time, he said, “It’s cold,” and hummed.

 

Then he supported the back of her head with his hands.

 

It was a silent pressure to say what she wanted.

 

Tehez was already heated by his touch. She desperately wanted Dennis to do something for her.

 

Dennis usually didn’t stop when she told him to.

 

So there was little she could ask for first.

 

Except, of course, when she had to comfort him.

 

Other than that, she didn’t know how to comfort him.

 

Seduction was her last resort.

 

If only she could have the courage like back then. But at that time, it seemed to be the only way to comfort him. Because of that, she gathered the courage in her and acted like that.

 

But not now.

 

Because her heart wanted him, and be with only him…

 

Tehez did not have the confidence to say such a thing.

 

She had a tearful face.

 

If she asked him to button up, he will.

 

And tonight will just pass by just like that…

 

As if nothing had happened.

 

But she knew.

 

She felt something in her thigh that she couldn’t ignore.

 

That something was steadily growing in size while they were talking.

 

She stared blankly at him.

 

Contrary to the circumstances of his lower body, his face was still perfectly calm.

 

“Do you have something to say?”

 

He was waiting for Tehez’s answer.

 

He wanted her too and was waiting for her to say it first.

 

Tehez lowered her head. Then she said in a small voice.

 

“Prince… Please stay with me tonight.”

 

Before Tehez could finish her words, Dennis’ hands, which had been her back, grabbed her waist.

 

* * *

 

The Prince’s Secret Palace, which she was using, was a building built during the founding.

 

So it had an old-fashioned taste, but it was quite old.

 

One of the hallmarks of the old palace was the stylish fireplace, with an aesthetically pleasing fireplace sitting right in the middle of each room.

 

She was staring blankly at the rose bushes and flowers carved into the fireplace.

 

Without thinking about anything…

 

Tehez had erased neither malicious rumours surrounding him nor thoughts about the Marquis from her mind.

 

She stroked her cold arm.

 

The chill seeped into her. It was because the fire was slowly dying out.

 

At that time, Dennis, who had been away for a while, came into the room.

 

With him, he had brought golden plates covered and mugs.

 

Placing the gold plate on the table, he put the firewood in the fireplace and shook his hands.

 

As the firewood was added, the fire in the fireplace grew larger and larger. Tehez looked at the flickering flames in silence.

 

Dennis lifted her from the couch and locked her in his arms.

 

The loose blanket rolled down, revealing Tehez’s milky shoulders in the moonlight.

 

He tied her up to her toes with the blanket so that Tehez’s skin was not exposed, and sat upright.

 

Holding Tehez, who had turned into a cocoon, he looked at her affectionately.

 

“What were you seeing?”

 

“Rose bushes.”

 

She only looked at it because it was there, but he seemed to think that Tehez wanted to see the rose.

 

“I hope it will be spring soon. Isn’t that right?”

 

“Yes…”

 

She nodded.

 

“Shall we go to the rose garden next year when the roses bloom?”

 

“Yes, alright, Prince.”

 

“Otherwise, I think it would be nice to go to the riverside of Allir. Around that time, it will be fine for boating.”

 

“I like that too.”

 

No matter what she said, Dennis smiled mischievously as she affirmed.

 

“You mean my wife likes everything?”

 

Tehez smiled bashfully without answering.

 

She was truly happy to talk with him.

 

‘I want to be with you next year and the year after that…’

 

Hiding that feeling, she just nodded.

 

When she affirmed, Dennis smiled.

 

Then he touched Tehez’s blanket, which she had already carefully folded, and tied it tight.

 

“Cold?”

 

She shook her head.

 

Thanks to him wiping her whole body with a warm towel, she didn’t feel uncomfortable or cold.

 

Although she was incredibly tired.

 

Today, he didn’t push too hard, so she didn’t faint.

 

“Then let’s eat some of this.”

 

When he opened the lid placed on the gold plate, there were round things on the plate. He picked up the round thing and put it into her mouth.

 

After chewing, it turned out to be a candied chestnut.

 

The sweet chestnut crumbled in her mouth.

 

Candied chestnuts harvested in the fall were usually eaten as a snack at the end of the year. When she saw that he had brought the chestnuts, she realized that the year was already coming to an end.

 

Dennis put one chestnut into her mouth after each time she had eaten and swallowed.

 

As she ate the filth, he looked at her with a face admiring her.

 

“Is it tasty?”

 

“Yes. It’s really tasty.”

 

Then he brought the large mug that had been lying next to the plate to her mouth.

 

“It’s warm wine.”

 

She gulped down what he was giving her.

 

“Thanks.”

 

“Tehez. If you can’t sleep, I’ll put you to sleep. If you’re sick, I’ll take care of you. When you cry, I’ll comfort you. I will definitely do that. So don’t try to handle anything alone. Tell your husband, too,” he said, kissing her forehead.

 

“…”

 

Tehez felt her throat choke at his very kind words.

 

“So whatever it is, the two of us do it together. Will you do that, please?”

 

“…Yes. Okay.”

 

“Good.”

 

He kissed her on the forehead, on the cheek, and on the nape of her neck without mercy.

 

“It tickles me,” she said, pushing him away with a shy face.

 

“Shall we do it again?”

 

The dog’s tail seemed to wag mercilessly behind her back as he asked.

 

It was also the tail of a very large dog.

 

“No, stop it.”

 

“No?”

 

The moment she was about to say no more.

 

An urgent knock was heard from outside the door.

 

“Prince, are you there?”

 

It was Sylvan.

 

It was the visit of a person who never knocked on Tehez’s door at dawn.

 

Dennis put her down on the sofa and got up.

 

Tehez could hear the conversation in a low voice.

 

She couldn’t hear what it was about.

 

She looked at the closed door, and sensed something strong.

 

Dennis came in less than a minute after he left.

 

He was calm.

 

He looked as if he could not think of anything.

 

Was it good or bad news?

 

Tehez waited for his mouth to open.

 

He said in a slightly shaky tone.

 

“Julian just went to eternal paradise.”

 

It was Julien’s obituary.

 

(To be continued in the next episode)

***