In This Life, I Will Be Your Dog - Chapter 53

In the silent and still night air, a plaintive insect’s cry echoed endlessly from somewhere.

A female insect, caught by a male, cried out in both the agony and ecstasy of mating.

As if in response, lightly touching lips rubbed softly together. It was a kiss that felt natural and familiar now, without any desperation or resistance.

But the gaze they exchanged contained emotions moving at different paces.

The man endlessly knocked on the iron door that might open at any moment, while the woman behind that wall gripped the rattling handle tightly and covered her ears.

It was like a never-ending game of hide-and-seek.

One would chase, and the other would hide.

Then, when the pursuer stopped, the one in hiding would approach, urging them not to stop, only to run away again.

Whether it was a side effect of this repeated tug-of-war, neither knew where their feelings began or ended anymore. The line between genuine and feigned emotions grew increasingly blurred.

Not knowing what they truly felt, or where their emotions were headed, the two naive people indulged in an intense kiss, savoring a hollow sense of victory.

She simply loved his obsessed gaze, while he found her trembling, clear green eyes unbearably beautiful.

Yes, that was all, they both thought.

Yet, as their tongues intertwined, exchanging saliva, their gaze deepened, and their kiss grew more intense.

Their lips, which had been locked together for some time, slowly parted. A silver thread of saliva stretched between them, breaking after only a moment.

The man gently wiped her wet lips, smiling softly. He brought her tightly clenched hand to his lips, kissing it tenderly as he gazed at her.

“It seems best to postpone verifying your loyalty for a few days.”

Did that mean he wouldn’t spar?

“I don’t want to ruin this atmosphere.”

On any other day, she might have felt disappointed, but today, Bellona thought it was for the best. She wasn’t in the mood to exchange blows with him.

Tonight, she simply enjoyed the tranquility. His gentle voice and his deep gaze brought peace to her heart.

Somehow, in this darkness that concealed her weakness and ugly thoughts, she found solace in his golden eyes, filled solely with her.

Selfish though it might be, she wanted to lean on his sincerity, even if just for a while.

In response to the man who had tenderly soothed her weary heart, she answered honestly, “I like this atmosphere too. It seems I feel comfortable being with Your Highness now.”

At her abrupt confession, Caelus’s brow furrowed slightly. With just a few words, his heart began to pound, and he struggled to keep his growing excitement in check.

“Ha… You really…”

Unable to finish his words, Caelus made a pained expression.

Bellona, not understanding what had come over him, blinked innocently at him.

Seeing her innocent, almost naive expression, Caelus licked her hand lasciviously, growling softly.

“You’re such a wicked woman.”

“I know. Does that bother you?”

He let out a laugh, amused by her mischievous words, then kissed her hand once more, whispering softly, “Of course not. But since you’ve teased me, you must receive an appropriate punishment.”

Suddenly, he pulled her wrist, drawing her into his arms. Quietly nestled in his embrace, Bellona listened to the sound of his pounding heart and closed her eyes.

She could feel his large hand stroking her hair.

What kind of punishment was he planning, treating her so sweetly?

His chest heaved as he released a heated breath.

A sweet voice soon tickled her ear.

“Will you marry me?”

After his whisper, the pitiful cries of insects once again heated the garden in the tranquil night.

***

She had no sense of how much time had passed. Bellona had been so busy that she didn’t even have time to catch her breath.

Preparing the mansion and the wedding simultaneously had left her feeling as though she needed ten bodies.

Before she knew it, the day had arrived.

The day she would become a member of the imperial family—Caelus’s wife.

Her rarely tense face turned bright red. Unable to bear looking at herself, Bellona lowered her gaze.

She had never worn a dress, let alone a skirt, in her life. She had never had the money, and she had long given up on living as a woman.

Having had to earn money from a young age, she had never even dreamed of adorning or taking care of herself.

Wearing ragged clothes day and night, as long as she could feed her siblings, she didn’t care how she looked.

Maybe it was because she’d lived that way for so long. Now, she felt so out of place and awkward that she couldn’t even lift her head. Her reflection in the mirror looked like an overly decorated doll.

The white dress, with its partially exposed chest, felt strange—so did the delicate gloves instead of her usual gauntlets, making her entire body feel itchy.

“Ha…”

“Your Grace, is there something you don’t like? Please tell me, and I’ll make adjustments right away.”

“No, it’s not that I dislike it; I just feel a bit stifled…”

“Oh my, did I lace the dress too tightly? Let me adjust it.”

The madam fussed, loosening the tightly bound laces a bit. Bellona, about to protest, kept her mouth shut. Either way, she would be uncomfortable.

“How is it now? Still uncomfortable?”

“It’s fine now.”

The madam breathed a sigh of relief, then placed the tiara on Bellona’s elegantly styled hair.

“Oh my… You look absolutely stunning. I think you are the most beautiful bride I’ve ever seen.”

Bellona, growing even more uncomfortable under the barrage of compliments, abruptly stood up, causing the madam’s brow to furrow slightly.

When their eyes met, the madam quickly adjusted her expression, stepping back awkwardly. It seemed Bellona’s unladylike behavior had bothered her.

But what could she do? She had never learned anything about being a lady.

Unconcerned, Bellona walked toward the window. With every step, the beautiful layers of her veil draped over her short dress shifted, almost revealing her long legs.

She might not have had the graceful, elegant demeanor of a noble lady, but her disciplined movements and natural dignity were captivating enough.

Ignoring the madam’s awestruck expression, as though admiring her own masterpiece, Bellona gazed out the window.

All she wanted was to tear off everything she was wearing as soon as possible. She wanted this meaningless wedding to be over.

If it weren’t for this veil, at least she would be more comfortable moving around. The jewels attached to the veil jingled every time she walked, which only added to her discomfort.

She sighed repeatedly at the thought of having to stay like this all day.

“Are you ready?”

The madam, who had been staring blankly at Bellona’s back, jumped at the sudden male voice.

“Y-yes, Your Grace the Grand Duke.”

“Go downstairs; you’ll receive your payment there.”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

The madam quickly gathered her things and left.

In the meantime, the two of them stood in silence, taking in each other’s unfamiliar appearances.

Finally, Caelus broke the silence, a sigh of exasperation escaping his lips.

“Ha… This will be torture. Having seen you like this, it will feel like I’m being tortured every night.”

“When is the ceremony?”

Seeing her expression, which showed that she wanted to get everything over with as soon as possible, Caelus pouted.

“Aren’t you going to compliment me? I put in quite some effort.”

“Oh, was that a compliment meant for me?”

Feigning ignorance, Bellona smirked, and Caelus lifted his chin, as if to say, ‘Well, now that you know, go on.’

There wasn’t a single flaw in his appearance, clad in black attire.

Even the golden epaulets that could have seemed excessive, and the pure white cravat that might not have suited him, looked as though they had been made just for him.

As a true imperial family, everything he wore exuded elegance. His striking features were handsome enough to make any woman’s heart flutter.

Her opinion of him hadn’t changed from the past to now.

The only difference was that this splendid man was now hers. Those beautiful golden eyes would be directed only at her.

That knowledge made her long-frozen heart beat once more.

When had she developed such a possessive streak?

Emotions she hadn’t even known she had surfaced whenever she looked at him, dangerous and overwhelming.

“You… look handsome enough to torture me every night.”

Her audacious answer startled his golden eyes before they turned amused.

‘In the past, you stabbed me to death. Now, it seems you intend to make my heart explode.’

Unable to voice those words, he instead wrapped an arm around her slender waist.

Even though the meanings of their “torture” were different, if it was the kind of torture Bellona had in mind, he wouldn’t mind facing it every night.

“So, will you torture me tonight?”

“If you’ll grant me a request.”

“What is it?”

“Spar with me.”

“What?”

Her words shattered the atmosphere like glass.

A bride asking to spar on her wedding night—Caelus couldn’t help but let out a laugh.

“There’s something I want.”

“Are you saying you want to duel for it?”

“I simply wish to claim what I want, in an honest way.”

Even though her request was outrageous, it was just like Bellona Riknis, and he had no words to refute her.

If she had just asked, he would have granted almost anything. Whatever she wanted, he would have given it to her.

But what could she possibly want, that she would challenge her groom to a duel on their wedding night?

He wasn’t too keen on it, but he was curious.

If she was going so far as to request a spar, it had to be something difficult to ask outright.

After some thought, he agreed.

Though not without a bit of mischief.

“Alright. But you have to come in that dress. I wonder just how sensual a bride in a gown wielding a sword will be.”

A sly smile spread across his perfectly curved lips.