We're Married, After All - Chapter 52
As soon as I returned to Ancona Castle, I called for a carriage. I needed to go home immediately.
The moment I stepped out of the carriage, I headed straight to the third floor, ignoring anyone who tried to stop me.
Bang! I swung the door to the study open roughly. The sound of the door opening was harsh, but neither I nor the man who had clearly been expecting me paid it any attention.
“Danel,” I called out, addressing my husband before he could say a word.
“Did you, by any chance, assign someone to follow me?”
I hadn’t asked the question expecting a meaningful answer. I had never trusted Danel enough for that.
I was simply curious. How had Baroness Rodio managed to show up so promptly, accompanied by knights?
The baroness had undoubtedly been waiting for me, as though someone had informed her of my destination and approximate arrival time.
The most likely suspect was Danel. If this man had assigned new watchers beyond the knights and maids, it would explain everything. Adding more people to monitor me was nothing new—it wasn’t only me who struggled with trust issues.
But my husband said nothing. Just as I had expected.
I approached Danel’s desk and swept the items on it aside.
The precarious balance collapsed in an instant. Crash! A dull sound echoed through the room as loose documents scattered across the floor like debris.
I asked again, “Or is this all just a coincidence, and I’m overreacting again?”
I knew even asking this question meant admitting I had deceived him. But I didn’t care. After all, it wasn’t me who needed to avoid explanations and resort to silence.
Finally, Danel lifted his gaze from the documents and looked at me. A strange glimmer flickered in his violet eyes.
That gaze seemed to ask why I had gone to Lamprey Castle today.
I didn’t avoid his eyes. I met the gaze of my husband, who always watched me yet never said a word. The man who had hidden Petios deep away and humiliated me.
“Is that really the first thing you wanted to say to me?”
“Was there something you expected me to say?”
I was genuinely curious. What had he wanted to hear from me? A confession of wrongdoing? An excuse? I had no intention of offering either. After all, I wasn’t the one who needed to explain today’s events. That was Danel Veloce’s responsibility—for deceiving everyone and hiding Petios.
I thought of Baron Rodio. He had likely reported to Danel as soon as I left. His loyalty was to Danel, not me.
Still, I was certain he hadn’t shared everything. How could he possibly confess that I had taken his wife hostage and stormed Petios’s room?
A dry laugh escaped me. It was absurd that I now knew Baron Rodio better and trusted him more than Danel.
The more I learned, the less I understood Danel. In front of me, he acted as though nothing were amiss, yet behind my back, he idolized and adored me. He gave me everything I wanted but simultaneously used every resource to deceive and manipulate me. In the end, the person who humiliated me the most was him.
The most ridiculous part? Despite knowing all his lies and betrayals, I still sought confirmation from Danel.
I thought we were both victims in this marriage… at least that much.
What did Danel want from me? Why had he hidden Petios and stayed locked away in this castle with me?
I reached across the desk and grabbed the collar of his shirt. Even with his wife gripping him like this, Danel wore the same unchanging expression.
His composure irritated me, and I asked the question I had repeated countless times before.
“What is it you really want?”
His beautiful, unnervingly perfect face twisted slightly.
In a low, breathy voice, Danel murmured, “Are you curious about what I’m thinking?”
Before I could react, a strong hand grabbed my arm and pulled me forward. I slid across the desk in an instant. Or rather, I was guided by the solid arm supporting my waist.
“What…?” A stunned noise escaped my lips just as Danel crushed his lips against mine.
His thick tongue forced its way into my mouth, suppressing my breath.
“Mmph!”
Our tongues tangled with no space left between them. Danel clamped down on mine, swallowing every drop of saliva. It was like holding a flame in my mouth.
Meanwhile, his arms encircled me completely. His hot hands gripped my waist and the back of my neck. I braced myself against the desk, desperate not to collapse entirely into his hold.
But it was futile. Soon, I found myself perched on Danel’s thigh.
I couldn’t move anymore. All I could do was endure as he dominated me, invading the sensitive inner walls of my mouth.
“Haah… haah…”
Danel tilted his head, deepening the kiss. His excitement radiated through his breath, and my body, conditioned by him, instinctively chased the pleasure without my consent. It seemed my mind was the only part of me that hadn’t yet learned how deeply I was tied to him.
His fiery tongue explored me as though it were thrusting inside. The heat spread to my lower abdomen, leaving me trembling. Though the only part being violated was my lips, I couldn’t help but feel an ache between my legs.
Just before I could lose myself completely, Danel pulled back.
“Haah… haah…”
The moment our lips parted, dizziness overcame me. I gasped for air, my body still limp from the pleasure.
Danel placed me back onto the desk. When he stood, his towering shadow loomed over me. I was suddenly aware of how overwhelmingly large he was compared to me.
“Since when have you been the type to wonder what I’m thinking, or what I want to do?”
The man, dressed in stark black like a priest, laid me on the empty desk. His expression remained neutral, but his violet eyes gleamed with something devilish.
I shivered at the dark, oppressive desire beneath his impassive face. But it was too late—Danel had already positioned himself between my legs.
His hand slid along the hem of my clothes, trailing up my thigh. His dry palm pressed firmly against my flesh. His burning gaze poured over my lower body.
“You’ve always been quick to accept things without question. So why is it that you doubt everything I do and try to uncover it? You’ve never done that with anyone else.”
The hand slipping under my skirt pushed it aside completely. His large hand carefully rubbed my lower abdomen, as if he knew exactly what lay within.
How long had his gaze lingered on the rounded swell of my belly? His violet eyes slowly lifted to meet mine.
The moment our eyes locked, Danel’s face hardened. Yet, instinctively, I realized he was filled with a fervor I had never seen before. The heat radiating from his eyes traveled down his fingertips, spreading to my legs.
“If you stay still, I’ll make you feel good. After all…”
He murmured softly.
“At least when I’m inside you, you like me, don’t you?”
