"I'm okay."
Karina quickly patted her cheek and said. Jeremiah didn't respond to Karina's words that it was okay. He went to the table, checked the empty wine bottle, and asked in a low voice.
"Did you drink all this... by yourself...?"
It was a slightly absurd tone. Karina frowned.
'What are you talking about, just because I drank some of that?'
She began to feel discontented, thinking, "What's the harm in drinking wine that was prepared for you to drink any way?"
However, she couldn't ask questions because the servants would be watching.
'By the way. Why are you still standing?'
Karina was wondering as she saw Jeremiah standing still without doing anything. Then she realized that this was all a show. Jeremiah probably wouldn't like this situation either.
'Because we probably don't even want to touch each other's fingertips.
Karina, who had thought that far, hesitated for a moment and then took off the shawl she was wearing. She was thinking of taking it easy. However, contrary to Karina's thoughts, her judgment did not seem to be so good.
"...!"
Jeremiah opened his eyes wide in surprise at the sight of Karina taking off her shawl and turning his head away. He even seemed to be biting his lower lip as if he was holding something back. It seemed like he really didn't like the situation.
"..."
But what he doesn't like is what she doesn't like. The way he openly ignores people in front of them. Karina also felt bad. She didn't want to be in that embarrassing state wearing only a thin slip. Being in bed with him like this was more painful than she had imagined.
'Do you think I'm the only one who hates you right now?'
Karina's eyes hardened coldly. At that moment, Jeremiah cleared his throat and opened his mouth.
"Karina, I have something to say."
'In this situation now?'
Karina was a little taken aback. But she waited patiently for Jeremiah to say something. The next words that came out of Jeremiah's mouth after a moment of silence were shocking.
"You don't have to pretend to merge with me."
"Yes...?"
"It means there is no need to force yourself to act."
"...?"
Karina tilted her head, not immediately understanding what he was saying. But she soon came to her senses.
What are you talking about now? Are you saying you can't do it now? Are you saying you're going to run away by yourself?
Karina opened her eyes wide and cried. She hated the other person more than she hated herself.
'I'm enduring this too!'
Karina clenched her fists. She was getting angry at Jeremiah's 'act of not being able to tolerate even the slightest thing he didn't like.
'Don't make me laugh! Do you think I'd let that happen?'
Karina frowned and glared at Jeremiah with fierce eyes. Jeremiah, who was still turning his head away without looking at Karina properly, continued speaking.
"I want to talk to you."
Karina narrowed her eyes and replied curtly.
"No. I have no intention of speaking to His Highness the Grand Duke."
When did Jeremiah ever listen to me properly?
He always turned his back on her and ignored her pleas and complaints, even though she tried to tell him her true feelings. There was no way he could stop doing the same to him.
"His Highness the Grand Duke has never listened to me properly, so why should I?"
Karina cut off Jeremiah's proposal with a single stroke.
"I don't intend to get into trouble, so let's just hurry up and finish this."
Karina treated this merger as a problem that needed to be resolved quickly. Then, Jeremiah, with an unreadable expression on his face, turned his head again and approached Karina.
"Listen to me first."
"I told you I didn't want to hear it."
"You're not really thinking of merging, are you?"
"...!"
Karina became even more angry at Jeremiah's words. Are you saying that for the servants outside to hear? Are you trying to make the merger undoable? Karina Immediately retorted loudly.
"No, this is what I want!"
An enraged Karina grabbed Jeremiah's wrist and pulled him towards her with all her might, throwing him onto the bed.
"So, please don't waste time?"
And then she climbed on top of his body, Jeremiah's eyes shook slightly in surprise at Karina's sudden action.
"Karina, wait..."
His expression was clearly flustered. Karina didn't care and grabbed his shirt and ripped it off. A few buttons fell down the bed. His firm, muscular chest was revealed through the gap in his open shirt. Underneath his skin, there was firm muscle without any flab. Karina carelessly stroked Jeremiah's upper body as if she were touching the wall of a building. Her hands were dry, but the palace attendants could only see his silhouette.
'No matter how you touch it, it's the same.'
What would those watching from outside know?
"Wait a minute...calm down."
At that moment, Jeremiah seemed to be getting up, leaning on his elbows and slightly raising his upper body. The shirt that was hanging precariously on his body fell down, revealing his broad shoulders and strong arms. A manly thick neckline, straight collarbone, wide chest, and well-toned abs that gave off a wild vibe. It was a body that seemed to have been carefully created by God. However, to Karina, even that was no different from a stone statue.
'It's so hard it feels like a real rock.'
Instead of differences, she found commonalities. Karina mechanically swept Jeremiah's body regardless of whether he moved or not. Jeremiah grabbed Karina's hand which was touching him.
"Karina... You seem very drunk right now. I don't think we can talk today, so let's talk again tomorrow when you're sober..."
"I said it's not necessary!"
Karina struggled to free her grip, but it was no use. There was no way Karina could defeat Jeremiah, the knight, with her strength.
'I can't let this mess up my marriage!'
My divorce!
Suddenly, a sense of injustice and anger welled up in her. Karina was furious at Jeremiah, who would not yield or cooperate at all if his ideas were different from hers. She was so angry that tears welled up in her eyes. Now, her head was starting to hurt. The hand that Jeremiah was holding, Karina's, began to tremble with various emotions.
"Because of you... how much... how hard it was for me...! You want me to go through that again?!"
The feelings that had been buried deep in Karina's heart poured out one after another.
"I really... hate you so much. I don't even want to see your face... and I don't even want to touch your fingertips!"
But Karina didn't really understand what she was saying. She just mumbled and mumbled as she went.
"You made me like this... and now, you're acting all alone and pretending like nothing's wrong... Stop it. It's disgusting, so throw it away!"
Her vision was blurred by the tears welling up in her eyes. Jeremiah carefully hugged Karina, who was gritting her teeth and holding back her tears.
"Karina, Don't cry."
Jeremiah held Karina in his arms and patted her soothingly.
"I'm sorry."
"...!?"
An unexpected apology flowed out of Jeremiah's mouth. Karina had never heard an apology from him before she returned, even before she died. She had never thought she would hear it so easily.
"Ha."
A gasp escaped Karina's lips.
"What are you sorry about? Do you know why I'm doing this? Even though you don't know anything."
It was a voice as cold as ice. After returning, Karina hated him as she recalled her past memories. The current Jeremiah was still the same inside Karina. She wanted him to suffer as much as the wounds and pain she had received in the past.
'You too, be hated. And suffer terribly.'
How painful it is to be ignored and rejected for no reason, how miserable and pathetic it makes a person. Karina wished Jeremiah was half as hurt and unhappy as she felt. But at this moment, ironically, Karina felt so wronged that Jeremiah didn't know anything about her terrible past. So even his apology didn't reach her at all. Instead, it sounded like empty words thrown out roughly.
"Don't say sorry."
Karina said, shaking off Jeremiah's hand.
"I don't need an apology that's just empty words."
Jeremiah stood up and met Karina's eyes as she stepped back.
"This is not just an apology in name only. But if that's how you felt, I'll be more careful in the future."
Karina shook her head.
"There is no 'future' between you and me."
And she declared it with conviction.
"There is only one thing between us: divorce! Divorce!"
Karina, who was shouting like that, suddenly felt a feeling of nausea welling up inside her.
"Huh...!"
Her head was ringing and her ears were ringing like tinnitus. She felt like her stomach was turning inside out. Karina frowned and covered her mouth to try to hold it in. However, physiological phenomena are not something that can be endured just by trying to hold them in.
"Karina, what's wrong? Are you sick somewhere?"
Jeremiah asked urgently with a worried voice, but Karina was in no position to answer.
"Whoa!"
That was the last time Karina's memory was cut off.
***
Jeremiah looked calm on the outside, but he was quite shocked on the inside. When he threatened the servants who came out of the palace to turn away with their eyes and ears blocked, he was the same as usual. No, even when he entered the room decorated as the master bedroom, he didn't feel anything special. He just wanted to have a serious conversation with Karina as soon as possible. He was skeptical about the situation where he would go this far to stay with Karina, who kept avoiding him and running away, but Jeremiah was a man who would do anything if necessary.
Jeremiah pulled back the soft silk curtains and went into bed. Inside, Karina, wearing a shawl, was sitting on the bed waiting for him. It was the first night of their real wedding. Seeing the sight of a wife waiting for her husband, he suddenly felt tense and his throat became dry. Jeremiah swallowed dry saliva and quickly drew the curtains carefully so that not a single bit of the cold air from outside could enter. Then he turned around and smelled the wine lingering in the air.
'Have you been drinking?'
As he approached Karina, he could see her condition in more detail. Her eyes were different from the usual ones which were always filled with wariness and hostility. Her face was slightly red and her eyes seemed to be slightly relaxed and gentle. However, she stubbornly stared at him as if she was sane. Jeremiah held back a snicker and opened his mouth.
"Karina?"
There was no response even when he called her name.
"Are you okay? Your face is really red."
Only then did her eyes open wide.
"I'm okay."
Karina looked quite drunk, despite her answer that she was fine. Even though she covered her face with her hands, the blush that rose on her cheeks could not be hidden. Her round, delicate eyes looked lovely on her flushed face. Jeremiah went to the table and checked the wine bottle.
And he was surprised to see that it was completely empty.
"Did you drink all this... by yourself...?"
A wine with such a high alcohol content?
It was so strong that even someone with a weak tolerance for alcohol would get drunk in one sip.
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