C117
"I think Asrahan is upset," Lariette looked away and thought, as she watched him. As evidence of that, Asrahan turned his head to the other side as soon as she looked at him. He pretended to care for the twins and said,
"Don't throw the carrots, eat them," but it was clear that he was deliberately avoiding her gaze.
"Originally, I would have laughed as soon as our eyes met. It's after taking care of the children."
Lariette chewed on her steak and looked at the back of Asrahan's head.
He now had his eyes fixed on the children; he was originally a friendly father.
Knowing the pain of lacking affection from his own parents, he worried and loved Evan and Edwin with extra care.
But his favorite was still Lariette. He always put her first and then attended to the children.
"You are the most precious to me. It will always be that way."
Asrahan used to whisper, "Perhaps Lariette will forget it?" In other words, his avoidance of Lariette's gaze meant that he was sulking properly.
"Asrahan, are you sick?"
"No, I'm healthy."
When Lariette asked for a final confirmation, Asrahan responded curtly, still not taking his eyes off the children. In that appearance, Lariette was convinced.
"You are a hundred percent upset."
Five years of marriage. Now Lariette could quickly infer Asrahan's state. She knew it just by hearing his stiffer voice. She didn't know it before marriage, but he was more prone to sulking than she thought.
Once, he was in a bad mood because she didn't give him a New Year's card and only gave it to her friends, so he stayed silent for half a day, thinking he had become like an old man, so he worked on skincare for about a month. Once, Lariette said,
"Hallstein is the most sensible man I've seen."
Then Asrahan ran out of the house.
"Well, going out to do it was to buy my gift."
Lariette drank champagne, reminiscing about her husband's first escape. That day, she found Asrahan in less than two hours, thanks to all kinds of personal connections. It was also at the boutique she used to go to, Asrahan spent money frantically, saying he wanted to be the most sensible person, but in the end, he was caught by Lariette and patted on the back. As such, he was unexpectedly shy.
"What's the point this time?"
Lariette reflected on their recent history as she brought vegetables to her mouth. There was no difference; Asrahan has never said or done anything to be disappointing. Because he doesn't even have time for that in the first place.
These days, Lariette was going through the busiest time of her life. As soon as Erzebut ascended to the throne, she appointed Lariette as her exclusive mage, who did everything possible to solidify her position against the emperor. Especially since she was in charge of a major project a few months ago, she had been extremely busy. The project involved greening the deserts around Ashtar, to lift the ancient curse on the desert and plant trees. Lariette's part was the purification of the curse, which could be said to be its core, but the curse was so ancient and powerful that it was not easy to purify. That forced Lariette to dedicate most of her time to her work, except when taking care of the children.
"Oh, this is it."
Lariette raised her head, only then realizing why Asrahan was upset. She couldn't spend time with him because she was busy, so he deserved to be disappointed. Coincidentally, there wasn't much to do that night, as she had finished her work non-stop until dawn yesterday. Originally, it was a fortunate case because new jobs used to come up again in the morning. Lariette downed her champagne in one gulp and lightly touched Asrahan's arm with her fingers.
"Asrahan."
Her charming voice and action made Asrahan shudder and tremble, unable to even respond. Even after five years of marriage, he was nervous about their physical relationship. He slowly turned toward Lariette. When their eyes met, he squinted his eyes and smiled.
"Shall we sleep together tonight?"
Asrahan's face flushed instantly. He shook his lips for a moment and then silently nodded; he couldn't wait to get to the room so he could eat faster. Evan tried to swarm in, saying he would sleep with them, but Edwin quickly covered his mouth with magic and he couldn't make a sound. While Evan looked at Edwin with an unfair look, Edwin clicked his tongue and whispered lowly into his brother's ear.
"You said you wanted a sister. Then stay still, idiot."
Evan, who was called a genius in swordsmanship but wasn't very bright, didn't understand his brother's words, too mature for a five-year-old, and just tilted his head.
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Asrahan returned to his room after washing up; he was so nervous that he even knocked on his own door.
"Cook, come in."
The silly look made Lariette laugh. Asrahan also entered the room with a bewildering smile; the silent scenery in the room was unfamiliar. It felt as if he was in a different room because there were no children coming to sleep with their mother whenever they had the chance. Asrahan, who loved this tranquility, vowed to forbid his children from entering the room in the future. The fact that he was alone with Lariette in a room disappeared like melting snow, he approached carefully and lay down beside her. It wasn't the first or second time they had slept together, but he didn't know why his heart was pounding so much. Asrahan closed his eyes tightly to calm himself. Then a seductive voice tickled his ears.
"Asrahan, are you going to sleep?"
Far from calming down, it was fortunate that his heart didn't jump out of his chest. Asrahan opened his eyes with flushed cheeks, feeling the weight on his thigh, and before he knew it, Lariette was already on top of him. She smiled with her eyes and slowly tilted her head, then playfully kissed Asrahan's lips.
"Still?"
Lariette's fingers grazed the muscles of his chest. When the gentle woman touched his hard body, he heated up as if he were about to explode underneath. No, actually, as soon as she entered the room and saw his face, he was already burning, he couldn't bear it any longer. Thinking that way, Asrahan immediately pulled Lariette's hair, their lips soon overlapped, and a kiss ensued.
He sucked on her lips as if he were thirsty and ran his hand over her smooth skin. Their rough breaths mingled.
"Ugh, I'm afraid... I'm so, uh, busy..."
Lariette apologized because she thought it was the right moment, however, she couldn't finish her speech due to her moans.
"No" Asrahan realized what she was going to say and replied.
Then, naturally, he put his hand under her clothes and scanned her waist. He truly didn't want to disappoint her because she was busy, after all, Lariette always whispered her love to him in the midst of her tight schedule and did everything she could as a wife. Asrahan wasn't disappointed to meet her like this; more than that, he was worried that Lariette might have a hard time, so he only focused on the children. The reason Asrahan was in a bad mood was another matter, but he didn't dare confess it because he knew it was childish.
"Uh huh!"
"Ahh, Lariette..."
A moan burst out as a large hand caressed beyond her waist. With that spicy voice, Asrahan also breathed lustfully, as soon as he tried to maintain his sanity, their faces contorted. It was because they felt a familiar signal.
"Mother! I want to sleep with you!"
"Evan, you idiot! Why don't you stop there?"
It was the sound of children jumping. Lariette quickly moved away from Asrahan and took off her clothes; it was natural because she couldn't show them to the children.
Asrahan muttered quietly, "Damn it," sweeping his face with the palm of his hand. It had only been a short time since he set the scene, but he couldn't believe it was ruined. It was the first time he felt resentful toward his son.
"Mother! I'm sleeping with you!"
"Mother, I'm sorry. I tried to stop him, but this idiot...!"
Evan burst in with the door wide open and clung to Lariette's side, his appearance was very stubborn.
"Evan."
"Yes, Mother!"
Lariette attempted to scold Evan for his rude behavior. But he still looked cute at her, so she thought she was making it worse. Above all, Asrahan's sullen expression was so pitiful. But as soon as she tried to speak, the bracelet wrapped around Lariette's wrist began to sparkle. Soon, a seductive voice came out of the round jewel.
―I apologize for the late hour, however, there are reports of a sudden mix of curse codes. I think you should come and check it out.
The faces of Asrahan and the children darkened together. Lariette looked remorseful, she assembled and pressed the gems to respond.
"Yes, I'll be on my way."
"Yes, I'll be waiting."
If the mixed curse code is not fixed quickly, everything that has been tested will turn to smoke. So it was an inevitable decision for Lariette, who was in charge.
"I'm sorry, Asrahan. I'll be back as soon as I can, go to bed first."
"... Alright. Take care."
Asrahan replied with a calm face. But inside, he was seething with narrow jealousy. Once again, Lariette was not to blame for being too busy. He respected his wife's work and knew it was the most important time, so he was a little sad about it, but not sad at all. However, the reason he was upset with Lariette was when she said she was leaving in response to the voice she had just heard from the magical communicator. It was precisely because the main character of that voice had Lariette in mind that he was so upset today. Lariette worked with him until dawn, unaware of anything.
"I'll be back in no time. I love you."
Lariette, unaware of the fact, whispered with a charming voice and kissed Asrahan's lips.
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Atwood Rickiel. He was the eldest son of Count Rickiel, who sided with Erzebut before, and was in charge of the desert greening project with Lariette. A man with fresh green hair and red eyes, like a typical Rickiel, who had a handsome face, although not as cunning.
Many aristocratic women also considered him as a potential husband because they didn't know any woman close to him. It was inevitable for Lariette and Atwood to meet often since they were co-chairing the project. And Lariette was such a charming person that it was only natural for Asrahan to secretly imagine Atwood with her.
From the beginning, he wasn't so cautious about Atwood and burned with jealousy. Although he was quite jealous, he wasn't a man of willpower who distrusted every man his wife encountered. So, he accepted and respected Lord Atwood Rickiel as Lariette's partner. It remained that way until he met him in person, just a week ago.
Having finished all the duke's work, Asrahan left the children with Hallstein and went to see Lariette. He even prepared a lunchbox for his wife, who must be struggling in the field, and quickly arrived there because the mages created a large portal connecting the desert and the capital. When he passed through, he felt a little nauseous, but it was bearable. And what Asrahan finally found when he arrived in the desert was Lariette, who was deciphering the curse code with a serious expression, and Atwood looking at her.
He discreetly moved away from Lariette at an appropriate distance. He knew she was married, so he didn't do anything about it. But for Asrahan, his feelings were all too clear. It was because the way Atwood looked at Lariette was exactly like the old Mikhail Dohabellion. The pitiful tenderness that his red eyes held disappeared quickly as soon as he saw Asrahan. He even politely bowed to him and said:
"I have heard a lot about you, sir."
So, Lariette didn't notice Atwood's feelings at all. Gerard, who was accompanying her, had no idea either. So perhaps only Asrahan realized, and it also meant that Atwood was restraining himself from revealing his heart. In such a situation, Asrahan couldn't assert, "That punk likes you." Perhaps Lariette would think he was whining like a child.
"He just has to endure it for a month."
At dawn, when Lariette left, Asrahan lay alone in bed and muttered to himself.
"In a month, she said she could get rid of the most important curse code, and after that, her workload will decrease significantly. It means there will be fewer chances to meet the nerd."
"Just for a month..."
Asrahan closed his eyes, repeatedly murmuring as if he had made up his mind. But it was only a few days later that he let out the jealousy and anger he had suppressed, despite his commitment.
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"Leave right now."
A loud voice, like the roar of a beast, echoed in the headquarters. Sitting next to the sleeping Lariette, Atwood slowly turned his head and looked at the man who appeared suddenly. The man, Asrahan, grabbed the black sheep and warned once again.
"Next time, I'll slit your throat."
Tags:
ITDHL (Novel)