Marriage With A Suspiciously Demure Husband

As soon as he realized it, Kairos felt an inexplicable feeling.

Why had things changed?

Driven by curiosity, he impulsively leaned in for a kiss, seeking confirmation. The touch of their lips brought forth the familiar, sweet scent of Hazel, which hadn’t changed at all. As he exhaled slowly, releasing her, who averted her gaze, Kairos furrowed his brows even further.

No, she usually wasn’t like this. Normally, she wouldn’t glance away like this.

“Are you tired?”

He asked Hazel.

“Yes, a little?”

Kairos’ gaze lingered on her every action and expression, scrutinizing.

Why did she appear relieved when he asked if she was tired? There was no apparent reason for that. Hazel had always claimed she disliked excessive affection, but he knew she enjoyed it when he displayed physical affection, including kissing.

Unsure if her behavior was a result of lingering discomfort or if she had truly changed, he couldn’t easily come to a conclusion. If she were aware of his plans, she would have been frightened, but that didn’t seem to be the case.

“Should we sleep then?”

As he asked tenderly, Hazel nodded as if she had been waiting for it. Then, her eyes closed suddenly as if overwhelmed by drowsiness.

“Yes, Noah. Let’s sleep quickly. We need to wake up early in the morning.”

Before he could utter another word, she disappeared into the covers, clutching his waist and closing her eyes.

Kairos lowered his head, gently pressing his nose against hers, a delicate and cautious gesture. It was a signal he often used to indicate his desire for her, always mindful of her boundaries. However, she resisted the temptation and kept her eyes shut.

Examining every detail of her response, Kairos sensed her refusal and withdrew.

This was an unprecedented experience for him. Was this the reason for his discomfort? Still, why did it feel so disconcerting?

Logically, there was no reason to feel discomfort. No apparent reason, and yet… it left a bitter aftertaste. Why was she attending guild association meetings she had never shown interest in before? He began noticing various trivial things that had never bothered him before.

Why? Why was this happening?

He had always acted according to Hazel’s preferences, and there had been no issues. Could it be that she had developed feelings for someone else?

If not, then why had the way she looked at him changed so much?

It was difficult to understand. If he wasn’t the one who perfectly fit her ideal type, then who else could it be?

As suspicion crept into his mind, his mood plummeted, consumed by his thoughts. He needed to uncover the reasons why Hazel had changed.

* * *

A few days later, the day to leave the Ferrarium and head to the capital finally arrived.

Bekira had painted a total of ten portraits during that time.

She was indeed a genius. Her hands were quick, and she effortlessly produced realistic paintings that looked even better than mine.

Noah seemed subtly different and somewhat dissatisfied, although when I looked at it with my own eyes, the portraits were more beautiful than me. Despite painting so many to fill his heart, it seemed like there was some dissatisfaction.

…Was it because I refused to go with him when he insisted, using various excuses?

It felt like we were drifting apart the more we interacted. Still, I hoped that he wouldn’t change his mind during my absence.

I wanted him to observe me leisurely, just as he was doing now… until I completely left him.

I purposely spaced out the urgent tasks I entrusted to Nigella, fearing that Noah might suspect something about my relationship with Annie.

“Noah, I’ll be back.”

Noah kissed my forehead and my nose, followed by each eye, cheek, and chin as if casting a protective spell.

“Take care and contact me through that communication stone if necessary.”

He handed me a small portable communication stone, making it seem like I was embarking on a long journey.

“Don’t worry. I’ve lived in the capital my whole life.”

Today, his aide was also present, which made me a bit embarrassed. I deliberately avoided going to the portal area with him to minimize the chance of him encountering Annie, but Noah hadn’t considered that.

“Go quickly. Don’t let me interfere with your work. I’ll contact you as soon as I arrive.”

“Understood. Take care and come back safely, Hazel.”

I reluctantly bid Noah farewell as if pushing him away. As soon as he left, I entered the guild to wait for Annie, who appeared carrying a light bag after about ten minutes.

“Are you ready? Shall we go right away?”

I wondered where she got those trendy sunglasses. Anyone who saw us would think we were going on a vacation to the capital.

“I’m all set. You look fabulous today.”

“Feeling good is what matters. I’ll take you, Boss. Everyone, take care!”

Annie smiled casually at the employees and led me away. We immediately left the guild and boarded a carriage, heading towards the portal area.

“Does he suspect anything?”

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At her words, I nervously bit my nails and trembled.

“With our preparation, no one will suspect a thing. Besides, he was busy with the portraits for several days.”

“What portraits? Why suddenly portraits?”

I blushed for a moment while speaking. It was embarrassing to say it out loud, really.

“He said he wanted to have portraits drawn because we won’t see each other for a week…”

Annie’s expression suddenly changed, as if she had eaten something sour.

“K-K-Kairos Hadid… said that?”

“…Yes, he did.”

Was she surprised too? I certainly was.

“That’s unbelievable. No one would believe it even if they knew him.”

“It’s not surprising at all. It’s all acting regardless.”

I murmured, looking out the window.

“Is it true that that man doesn’t have any feelings for you at all? Well, I’ve thought about it carefully, and something seems off.”

“I have my doubts too, but it’s really not true. He doesn’t have any feelings for me. If he did, would he have deceived me until now?”

“Hmm… I see. Anyway, I’ve known of his notoriousness. He won’t ask anyone to follow us, right?”

“Noah’s secretary is supposed to follow us, so there’s no need to send anyone separately. Even if he does, I can handle it, so don’t worry.”

Even though I hadn’t paid much attention to my surroundings, now that I was observing closely, there didn’t seem to be any issues. After a while, the carriage arrived at the portal area. Annie, who disliked the uneasy feeling of portal transportation, covered her ears with both hands.

Rumble.

Suddenly, it felt like my body was stretched everywhere. Simultaneously, I noticed a familiar view outside the window. It was the scenery of the capital that I returned to after a year.

“We’ve arrived.”

“Ugh, I really hate this dizziness.”

Annie expressed her discomfort, touching her ears and showing various signs of displeasure. When I saw the central tower of the capital, I had the urge to run away. It might actually be possible to continuously cross the border without stopping.

Should I just… escape like this?

* * *

My imagination ended with just imagination.

D*mn it.

…Rationality suppressed my desire to escape completely.

After Annie made an evening appointment and went to work for a while, I unpacked at the hotel. In the meanwhile, I then headed to the Guild Association, which I had yet to visit since I first joined. Since I had the opportunity, I decided to take a break and see the trends in the industry.

“Welcome to the Guild Association. How may I assist you?”

Someone greeted me as I entered the association, and I presented my membership registration card with my guild emblem.

“Ah! You’re the owner of Soul Guild. Then you must be here for the meeting this time?”

The staff, who confirmed my identity, greeted me warmly. Since I was paying a fixed amount every month, they couldn’t help but be friendly.

“That’s right. But before that, I heard that there has been an increase in monster appearances lately. I want to know how many requests for monster subjugation have been received in other regions. Is it possible to check the records now? I think the past three months would be good.”

“Of course. However, you’ll have to wait a little. Would you like to come this way? You can wait in the lounge and have some tea while we process it for you.”

“Thank you.”

I followed the staff to the lounge. After preparing some light refreshments and tea, the staff told me to wait for about thirty minutes and then left.

On one side of the lounge wall, there was a quarterly ranking reflecting the achievements of the mercenary guild. In the Ferrarium region, we ranked first, but on the empire, the Soul Guild was stuck in fifth place.

We used to reach as high as third place during our prime. I couldn’t settle for anything less than first place, d*mn it.

It was my goal!

With regret, I kept glancing at the status board.

“Then, I’ll be waiting here in the meantime. Oh, it’s fine! I can wait until tomorrow. Please bring some tea!”

At that moment, someone entered the lounge, complaining to the staff.