Villainous Husband

Chapter 53

Chapter 53

In a bed too cramped for two people to lie on, I waited until dawn while listening to the sound of the fire burning in the fireplace and the sound of Raniero's heart.

His regular heartbeat and the intermittent 'crackle' from the fire sometimes led me to a nap.

But, every time that happened, Seraphina, with an empty face, would stand there like a gatekeeper and stare blankly at me. She was holding something in her hand and was about to hold it out to me.

Not wanting to receive it, I woke up suddenly after.

Every time I opened my eyes, Raniero's body also flinched. He called my name as if to confirm, 'Angie?' though his voice was clear without any sign of drowsiness. Hearing him calling my name relieved my tension. In my dream, he was cruel and heartless, but the voice calling me now was different... therefore, this was reality.

I answered.

"Yes."

Then, Raniero said nothing more.

Still, we couldn't stay like that for long since he had to get out of the bedroom before the sunlight could see through the small window. It was because he had to approach the border of the demons from today so we got up before 6 a.m. and adjusted our clothes.

As I looked in the mirror and saw that my left cheek was swollen, I brushed my cheeks with my fingertips. It was a sign that Raniero had woken me when I stopped breathing while sleeping. My gaze then followed the fingertips sliding from my cheek to my chin.

Noticing something, I removed my hand from my cheek.

There was a scratch on his neck.

I glanced down at my nails in silence. The dark red trace was caught in an unpleasant way and looked up at him.

As I thought of Raniero, who was holding my hand so tightly that I couldn't move it, I clenched my fists and hid my fingernails before brushing his hair and washing his face with water from a basin brought by a priest. The sticky blood stains under my fingernails were also scrubbed away.

After breakfast, I went out to get some fresh air, and my eyes met the grandfather's archbishop.

Smiling awkwardly, I slowly greeted him.

When the grandfather archbishop's eyes turned to my cheek, he frowned as if he had misunderstood something.

"Did you feel better after last night?"

And asking such a question.

I smiled vaguely.

"Yes. Archbishop, did you have a good day?"

Even though Raniero treated the Archbishop of the Temple of Tunia casually, I couldn't bear to. Meanwhile, the Archbishop heard me and his lips trembled.

"I'm relieved by the help of the godson of Actilla."

"You can trust the subjugation."

I replied, brushing my hair to cover my swollen cheeks.

"Where are they going today?"

"Oh, it's northwest."

He looked me in the eye, then quickly softened.

"We'll arrive at the old sanctuary within today. It's very close to the border, but now it's the land of demons."

...Old sanctuary.

Suddenly, my stomach felt tight though I made an effort to smile.

"Are you going to take it back?"

"Yes. If we can turn it back into the land of Tunia again today, morale will rise."