The Flower That Was Swallowed by the Beast - Chapter 34

“That’s a relief. What did you dream about?”

Iris was embarrassed to say she had a dream about him.

She hesitated for a moment and then spoke.

“I had a dream about riding Windy.”

“That’s disappointing.”

“Huh?”

“I wanted you to dream about me.”

Keivrand gently swept Iris’ cheek with the back of his hand. The area where the back of his hand touched heated up.

It was hard for her to believe this was real.

Count Keivrand Green complained in front of her when she told him she hadn’t dreamed of him.

Was this truly real?

Maybe this is just a happy dream?

Maybe she was experiencing a fantasy she had wished for in death?

Suddenly afraid, she reached out to him. She put her palm on his cheek and checked his temperature.

Thinking it wasn’t enough, she moved her hands to his arms, chest, waist…

“Irie, stop.”

Keivrand grabbed her by the wrist.

“Stop provoking me. I’m barely holding it in now.”

“Oh…I’m sorry.”

When she realized what she had done, her eyes narrowed as she blushed.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. It’s not too bad that my wife is so active in groping my body in the morning. If I didn’t have to put up with it…”

Keivrand changed his position and climbed on top of Iris. He supported his upper body with his elbows and looked down at her.

His firm thighs rubbed against her thighs. Their thighs being this close made her dizzy, so she held her breath.

“I want to eat it with all my heart.”

Keivrand’s voice stimulated her secret part.

Iris was afraid of the weight of a man. But she wasn’t afraid of his body weighing on her right now.

She wanted to know, rather than fear it. How much hotter his eyes could be than usual.

Suddenly, she remembered Keivrand kissing Britney in her past life.

What kind of eyes did Keivrand have then?

Could it have been this sensual heat?

“Don’t be so scared, Irie. I’m just kidding.”

As if he misunderstood Iris’ eyes, Keivrand smiled and came down and laid next to her.

Iris felt bad for Keivrand who had misunderstood her, so she sprang up her upper body.

Lying sluggishly, Keivrand looked up at her.

“So did things go well with Winda while I was gone? To the point that you’re dreaming about him.”

“Well. If I give her an apple, she’ll eat my hand. I didn’t know unicorns were carnivorous.”

Keivrand chuckled.

“Unicorns eat anything. Be careful not to be eaten, Irie. I wish to be the first to eat you.”

“I don’t think being a wolf’s food is any better.”

“We’ll see about that.”

Keivrand slowly moved his body and put his head on her thigh.

Iris hesitated before putting her hand on his hair. She carefully scratched his black hair.

The tip of her fingers touched his scalp. She gently stroked his head, stimulating his scalp.

“Did you use the Sleep Stone on me?”

Instead of answering, Keivrand took a bracelet out from his chest pocket. It was a bracelet with a small blue pearl in the middle.

“The head of the Quarton family made this pretty bracelet.”

“He just gave it to you?”

“There was a little friction, but we resolved it after talking.”

‘Did they really resolve it after talking?’

Iris reached out to touch the Sleep Stone, but Keivrand quickly put it back in his pocket.

“You can’t just touch it, Irie. It’s not that dangerous, but sometimes it can be dangerous for a person to touch it who is unhappy or wants to die. It won’t be such a big problem because I’m next to you.”

“Do I look like I want to die?”

When Iris asked, Keivrand had a strange look on his face. He kept his mouth shut for a moment and then spoke.

“There are times where it looks like you’re going to fall apart.”

Keivrand’s words surprised her.

She didn’t think she’d look so precarious living this new life.

She had planned to live her life so confidently that she appeared arrogant.

‘There’s still a long way to go.’

Holding her heart together, she fixed her eyes on Keivrand.

“I won’t fall apart, Kei.”

“Okay. But you still can’t touch it.”

“Are you going to put it in the archive too?”

“No. It’s still a secret to the Divine Kingdom. I’m going to use it well until my wife has a good dream.”

“Is it okay to just use it like that?”

“It’s okay. I’m the guardian. Who’s going to say anything?”

Keivrand’s image was different from the one she saw in her last life.

She thought he was more straightforward and inflexible, so she didn’t know that he would deceive the Divine Kingdom for his wife.

“You have to take good care of yourself, Kei. Don’t lose it and don’t let anyone pick it up.”

Keivrand smiled, revealing his teeth.

“Why are you smiling like that?”

“No, just. I thought it was pretty good to be nagged by my wife.”

“It’s not nagging, it’s worrying.”

“Yes, yes. Okay, my wife.”

The grinning Keivrand was acting cheeky, so Iris pinched his cheeks a little.

Keivrand closed his eyes with a smile around his mouth.

“At this rate I’m going to fall asleep comfortably.”

Come to think of it, Keivrand looked tired.

“Get some sleep.”

“Yes. Oh, I heard the Whittle family visited.”

“I’ll take care of that, so go to sleep.”

“I like it when you talk like that.”

“Gosh, come on.”

She pressed Keivrand’s lips with her palm.

Keivrand laughed quietly.

After a while, his mouth eased and his facial muscles relaxed.

Only after he fell asleep did Iris realize she was smiling.

She smiled and turned to Keivrand’s pocket where the Sleep Stone was.

‘Is it okay? If I don’t get rid of it?’

She had planned to prevent what would happen to Keivrand’s family.

But what if something goes wrong, or even if she stops it, what if they’re still fated for such misfortunes? Wouldn’t that make Edward fall asleep forever, making Keivrand more unhappy?

‘But…it’s safer with Kei bringing it back than what happened in my past life.’

The guardian had the power to suppress the power of sacred relics.

As long as Keivrand has it, no one will be able to touch it and fall asleep forever.

‘Right, there’s no way I can break it anyway.’

She thought of hitting it with a hammer or throwing it from a high place, but she didn’t think that would break a sacred relic.

The last option was to throw it into a deep lake since Keivrand didn’t seem to have any intention of giving her the Sleep Stone.

‘I can’t steal my husband’s things.’

She decided to leave the Sleep Stone with Keivrand until a deviation happened.

* * *

After an hour of sleep, Keivrand woke up and went to the study room because he had unfinished work.

On the other hand, Iris washed herself with warm water, changed into a modest dress, and headed to the dining hall.

Nathan and Wallace were already here when Iris entered.

The two sprang up.

“Sister-in-law, the boss is coming a little late because he has a lot of work to do. He said for you to eat first.”

Nathan reported.

Nathan and Wallace sat down as Iris sat in a chair. The cook came and recited the dishes he had prepared today. Iris chose soup and grilled fish, while Nathan and Wallace chose meat, meat, and more meat. Even though Wallace was big, it was amazing that Nathan, who is slender and small, could eat so much.

“Sister-in-law, are you close to Windy? He said he likes his name.”

At Wallace’s words, Iris’ fork stopped and she widened her eyes.

“You can talk to Windy?”

Wallace made an expression as if he had been caught red handed.

“What? Ah…no…uh. It’s…uh…it’s a feeling.”

Wallace’s attitude was suspicious. Nathan held back his laughter as if he knew something.

“Really? I don’t think he likes it. I called him Windy yesterday and he kicked his heels.”

“I don’t think that’s the reason. Maybe he wants your attention.”

“You know a lot about Windy, Wallace.”

“No, not at all. I don’t know anything at all. What do I know?”

Wallace said, waving his hands.

‘He must be trying not to betray Kei. Seeing that he’s so bad at lying.’

Iris couldn’t figure out why Wallace wanted to hide so badly.

At Iris’ gaze, the restless Wallace cut a bread in half and stuck it out.

“Would you like some?”

“Hey, why are you giving her what you ate?”

When Nathan slapped Wallace on the wrist and the bread fell, the door of the dining hall opened wide and Celestine walked in.

“Irie! Big sister!”

Celestine walked toward Iris with her arms open. Though startled by the loud noise, Iris rose calmly to greet her. Celestine hugged Iris tightly as if she didn’t want to let go.

“Have you been well while I was gone?”

“Yes, thanks. It seems like Cel had a good time too.”

“It’s fun to spend money like crazy. I was determined to destroy this family’s wealth, and it made me happy.”

A party to the extent that this family’s wealth will be destroyed.

‘She must be joking.’

“Oh, let me introduce you. Countess Melanie Jennel. She was my colleague at the Academy.”

Celestine said, pointing to the door.

Only then did the elegant woman standing by the door slowly approached and stood in front of Iris.

“Greetings, Countess Green. I’ve heard a lot from Cel. And many rumors before then.”

Melanie Jennel.

When Iris got the wedding invitation from Celestine and checked it, she was surprised to see this name.

Countess Melanie Jennel, the goddess of high society.

Her power to control high society in her past life was greater than Britney who had become Empress. No matter how luxurious the parties Britney threw were, without Melanie’s presence, it would lose its glamour.

Britney tried to get close to Melanie, but somehow Melanie stayed away from her and didn’t attend any of her parties.

In her previous life, Iris was invited to Melanie’s party only once and attended it. She couldn’t talk to Melanie at the party, but they made eye contact several times. It was like Melanie was observing her.

They weren’t acquainted, so she didn’t know even until the end why Melanie had invited her, or why she gave such an observant look at that time. Since then, there had been no further invitation to Melanie’s parties or encounters with Melanie.

But what happened in the past life is only what happened in the past life. Relationships in this life will be different, she thought.

“I’ve heard the reputation of Countess Jennel. I’m glad to have met you like this. Call me Irie comfortably.”

“Then, please comfortably call me Mel.”

Iris and Melanie exchanged looks as if they were sizing each other up.

Celestine, hooking her arm around Iris’, spoke.

“What do you think? My big sister, she’s prettier than the rumors, right?”

Certainly prettier than the rumors, Melanie thought.

In addition, Iris had an atmosphere that was hard to express into words.

The deep eyes that seem to have seen too much. The fragile body that could never be shaken. And the friendly but determined aspect.

‘The flower of Duke Whittle. And Britney’s sister.’

Melanie hated Britney.

She didn’t like how she cursed others while pretending to be innocent and nice.

So she didn’t have much hope for Iris either. She thought she was a precious fox.

Ever since Celestine bragged about her sister-in-law, she had been very cautious.

She thought as such, but now she can see it in person.

Iris is different from Britney. What’s in Iris’ eyes, it wasn’t as light as Britney. In a way, she looked like a fighter who had come back alive from death.

‘Why do I have this feeling?’

Iris was someone who wouldn’t have left the mansion and grew up like a greenhouse plant under the protection of a Duke.

At that time, the door of the dining hall suddenly opened. All eyes turned to the door.

The woman who just opened the door froze as if she didn’t know there would be so many people in the dining hall.

Iris smiled softly at the woman.

“Britney.”

== Translator’s Note ==

1. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etc…in the comment section .