My Villainous Husband

59

꒰⁠⑅༚⁠⑅༚꒱

While the knights of Actilus returned from their mission full of energy, the knights of Tunia looked rather dark and exhausted.

It was obvious that these two forces would be terribly matched.

Through the chattering stories of Actilus knights, I was able to understand how this subjugation went since this subjugation was quite 'Actilus-like,' perhaps because it carried out the tactics set by Raniero.

The offspring of the demonic beasts hatched from their eggs and recognized the first thing they smelled as the mother and recognized all creatures other than the mother as prey. Taking note of that temperament, Raniero imprinted knights on the hatchlings of the old sanctuary and threw the mothers as food. After that, he dragged the young beasts and headed north toward the base of the beasts.

In the meantime, when he met the base of the beasts, he sent the cubs out first. Once they had gotten a taste for the flesh of their own kind, they wouldn't hesitate to burrow into enemy territory.

Needless to say, the adult beasts, unaware that the cubs would attack them, were caught off guard.

Of course, after a certain point, the beasts also realized what the subjugation team's strategy was. With tears in their eyes, they began to kill the misprinted offspring.

But by then, it was already too late.

Waves were when monsters lay large numbers of eggs and hatch them.

The large number' of eggs was the key point.

Each time Raniero defeated the strongholds of the beasts, he allowed the eggs to hatch without destroying them. As a result, the number of beast cubs possessed by the subjugation party was staggering. Even the adult beasts were no match for the onslaught.

Until here, it had been an effective tactic. That was for certain.

The paladins of Tunia, who showed resistance at first, also later recognized the effectiveness of the tactic. However, the conflict between the two factions flared up after the demons were wiped out as they had to deal with the young beasts that had imprinted humans as their mothers.

It is said that the knights of Actilus made a game of killing the young beasts who blindly followed their 'mothers.'

Eden, the paladin, had been the 'mother' to most hatchlings.

Seeing the dying hatchlings writhing for help must have taken some mental damage on him.

When Eden was like that, the commander of the paladins of Tunia insisted that he be separated from the hatchlings and that they be slaughtered en masse, but the commander of the Actilus knights wouldn't listen.

It was because the 'fun' part was watching them struggle and scream for their mother.

The commander of the paladins of Tunia protested against Raniero, but he...

With a very bored expression, he only urged him to speak, leaving with the remark, 'Do it yourself.'

After hearing the whole story, I stuck out my tongue* with the expectation of the national character* of this country, while at the same time, I was a little worried about Eden.

[T/N: 42ct-wield[brandish] one's tongue' is an idiom which means 'to be unable to speak as one is very astonished or dumbfounded.' While - or national character' means 'values or characteristics that all citizens of a country have in common.']

Besides, I needed to see him to tell him about the book I found at the library and to give him the money I had brought.

However, Raniero, whom I had only met after ten days, stuck to me like a leech, and I couldn't get a chance at all. Given what had gone wrong during the Paladins' stay at the Imperial Palace, I wasn't sure I wanted to make such a bold move.

Still, I couldn't go back without meeting Eden.

He must have thought the same. After only ten days, Eden, who had grown emaciated, would look this way whenever we crossed paths.

There's nothing I can do.'

I sighed.

'Let's have Cisen do it.'

Now that I had made up my mind to run away, I had to tell Cisen at some point. In order to leave, I needed someone to take care of things outside that would be suspicious if I touched them. Nonetheless, it took a lot of courage to tell someone for the first time what I had been keeping to myself. For some reason, I felt nauseous.

As I slipped a note for Eden into the book I'd taken from the old sanctuary while Raniero was distracted, I also made a note with instructions for Cisen.

After that, I summoned her.

In front of Raniero, I handed her [ Flowers Bloom In The Abyss ]

As my loyal handmaiden bewilderedly accepted the book, I boldly placed a paper map on top of it. I uttered in an intentionally nonchalant tone while deliberately keeping my back on him, fearing that Raniero would read the uneasy look on my face.

"It seems like I brought the book from the old sanctuary without realizing it. It must be returned, so I'll leave it to you."

Cisen nodded, and her gaze fell to the note.

It was simply a note of who she was supposed to give the book to and what I was planning, but I said something else.

"Since the schedule has been pushed back, I'll have to let Actilus' handmaidens know that I'm returning. Take care of that before returning the book."

My tone was too stiff, and I wondered if my instructions were too suspicious.

Enduring the desire to glance at Raniero right away, I sent Cisen out. It wasn't until the door closed and the sound of footsteps across the hallway receded a little that I approached him. He was sitting on the bed, watching me give Cisen instructions.

Raniero extended his hand to me, and I took his hand.

As he pulled me into an embrace naturally, I blinked my eyes slowly. Right now, Raniero Actilus likes me, and so do I.

Yes, he liked me in his own way.

Still, I didn't like him enough to risk my life. In addition, since he liked me, the difficulty of escaping would be a little higher because he kept trying to keep me by his side. If I, who had become so soft, suddenly distanced myself from him, he would surely be suspicious...

So, let's try to be as unsuspecting as possible.

As I recalled the time when I had tricked him not long ago, I knew from experience at that time how to deceive him.

..... No, not by deceiving.'

The longer you lie, the more you'd be caught.

I must love him with all my heart until he sets out for the winter expedition so that there should never be a doubt that I would ever leave him, whom I love so dearly... as if it was only natural to be by his side. However, I couldn't be swayed, and when the time was right, I must abandon my regrets and leave.

I thought I could do it.

I had a lot of fears.