“Is the bed too big for two people? Or is it too small?”
Is the bed bigger than it looks?
Judith, who had been lying down first, sat up and examined the bed again.
The bed was the same one Judith knew. It was wide enough for one person, but too narrow for someone as tall and broad-shouldered as Erne.
Since hearing Erne say 'I won't divorce you' earlier this afternoon, Judith had been thinking about getting a bigger bed, although she didn't show it on the outside.
If they don't get a divorce, they're going to continue living together, which means they're going to be sharing the same bed. In that case, they need a bigger bed.
"Big."
But Erne said the bed was big. Is it okay for us to sleep in the same bed?
“It could be smaller.”
“Then one person will fall out of bed. And I have a feeling it will be me.”
“How could that be, Miss Harrington?”
“Why wouldn’t that be the case? Erne would catch me before that happens.”
That declaration, that he would not get a divorce, also included the meaning that Erne had come to like her.
Judith may be an outsider when it comes to romance, but she could tell that much.
So she made a joke that she normally wouldn't have made. The answer Judith expected was, 'Of course.'
Or a solid answer like, 'Do you think I'd let you fall?'
However.
"No."
In fact, the answer that came out of Erne's mouth greatly changed Judith's expectations.
No, no! The woman you want to live with without getting a divorce is falling out of bed, and you're not going to catch her right now?
Why did you say something to me like that, not knowing the mood? Judith's lips parted.
“How could I fall out of bed with Miss Harrington wrapped around me?”
“Me, me?”
“Yes, you.”
As Erne was about to go to sleep, a question suddenly occurred to him.
Is it possible that Judith only desires his body?
Judith made no response to his confession that he would not divorce.
Not all silences are affirmative, but this silence was definitely affirmative. Erne felt relieved that Judith also had feelings for him.
But as he lay down on the bed, he began to wonder if the reason Judith didn't want to get divorced was because of the pleasure in bed. After the divorce, she wouldn't be able to sleep while hugging and touching his own body.
It was a bitter reality. But how can you spit out reality? If you can't spit it out, you have to use it.
“I don’t need a bed this wide since you sleep almost on top of me anyway.”
If Judith likes his body, then yes, let him give it to her. It would be even better if they could sleep right next to each other.
“No, but that’s a bit...”
Judith tilted her head skeptically. Erne eventually became upset at Judith's lukewarm response even though he offered to give her what she wanted.
So he ended up asking the question he had never wanted to ask because it was childish.
“You’re going to keep sleeping with me, you know.”
Tell me straight, right now!
“...I’m going to do well.”
Judith answered with a bewildered face to Erne, who was biting his lips with an expression that said he was about to explode with anger after preparing well.
“I heard that priest is very cruel by nature.”
After Tia's ban was lifted, the godmother was unable to recover for several days. However, perhaps due to the joy of her granddaughter's return to life, she gradually regained her strength.
“We’d better be on guard, we don’t know what he might do.”
As soon as she regained her strength, the godmother began to think about how to protect her family from the bastard.
If she had the strength, she would circle this mansion and cast a protective spell, but she is old and sick.
So, she decided to protect the most dangerous people first: Judith and Erne.
Tia, who was born with spiritual powers that never go away, was able to sense to some extent the evil sorcery aimed at her.
But Judith and Erne were defenseless in that regard.
“Defense? How?”
“I don’t know what kind of magic they might use, so I’m going to make a talisman first.”
“That stuffed animal thing from last time?”
The godmother nodded to Judith's question.
“But that’s only a stopgap measure. This time, we need something a little more of the same.”
Is the bed bigger than it looks?
Judith, who had been lying down first, sat up and examined the bed again.
The bed was the same one Judith knew. It was wide enough for one person, but too narrow for someone as tall and broad-shouldered as Erne.
Since hearing Erne say 'I won't divorce you' earlier this afternoon, Judith had been thinking about getting a bigger bed, although she didn't show it on the outside.
If they don't get a divorce, they're going to continue living together, which means they're going to be sharing the same bed. In that case, they need a bigger bed.
"Big."
But Erne said the bed was big. Is it okay for us to sleep in the same bed?
“It could be smaller.”
“Then one person will fall out of bed. And I have a feeling it will be me.”
“How could that be, Miss Harrington?”
“Why wouldn’t that be the case? Erne would catch me before that happens.”
That declaration, that he would not get a divorce, also included the meaning that Erne had come to like her.
Judith may be an outsider when it comes to romance, but she could tell that much.
So she made a joke that she normally wouldn't have made. The answer Judith expected was, 'Of course.'
Or a solid answer like, 'Do you think I'd let you fall?'
However.
"No."
In fact, the answer that came out of Erne's mouth greatly changed Judith's expectations.
No, no! The woman you want to live with without getting a divorce is falling out of bed, and you're not going to catch her right now?
Why did you say something to me like that, not knowing the mood? Judith's lips parted.
“How could I fall out of bed with Miss Harrington wrapped around me?”
“Me, me?”
“Yes, you.”
As Erne was about to go to sleep, a question suddenly occurred to him.
Is it possible that Judith only desires his body?
Judith made no response to his confession that he would not divorce.
Not all silences are affirmative, but this silence was definitely affirmative. Erne felt relieved that Judith also had feelings for him.
But as he lay down on the bed, he began to wonder if the reason Judith didn't want to get divorced was because of the pleasure in bed. After the divorce, she wouldn't be able to sleep while hugging and touching his own body.
It was a bitter reality. But how can you spit out reality? If you can't spit it out, you have to use it.
“I don’t need a bed this wide since you sleep almost on top of me anyway.”
If Judith likes his body, then yes, let him give it to her. It would be even better if they could sleep right next to each other.
“No, but that’s a bit...”
Judith tilted her head skeptically. Erne eventually became upset at Judith's lukewarm response even though he offered to give her what she wanted.
So he ended up asking the question he had never wanted to ask because it was childish.
“You’re going to keep sleeping with me, you know.”
Tell me straight, right now!
“...I’m going to do well.”
Judith answered with a bewildered face to Erne, who was biting his lips with an expression that said he was about to explode with anger after preparing well.
I will continue to sleep with you.
“Okay then.”
His pent-up emotions quickly melted away at Judith's answer.
He came into bed naturally as if he had never complained before.
Judith looked at Erne for a moment with a look in her eyes like, 'What's wrong with him today?' and then lay back down.
“...”
“...”
They've shared a bed so many nights that she can't even count all her fingers and toes, but today she felt strange.
Is it because they promised to continue to fall asleep and wake up together from now on?
Erne's firm hand touched her trembling fingertips. His large hand overlapped Judith's trembling palm, and his thick-jointed fingers interlocked with each other.
So firmly that it won't come loose no matter how bad her sleeping habits are.
“It’s hard to leave home.”
Shadin clicked his tongue. It was a world where even a big, tough man would get into trouble if he went around alone.
But if a woman, a poor woman from the Shartin tribe, were to wander the streets alone, it was obvious what would happen.
“She needs to go through some hardships.”
The poisonous mosquito that Tia released was one of Shadin's favorite poisonous insects. The number of successful assassination requests made by that mosquito alone exceeded ten.
Even if Tia were sold, the money would be less than what the mosquito had earned. But Tia had to release the poisonous mosquito without any control.
Originally, when trying to use a poisonous insect, it was necessary to offer an appropriate sacrifice and then go through a series of steps to control the will of the poisonous insect through sorcery.
But if you just let them loose like Tia, the poisonous insects will hover around and run wild according to their instincts. They will look for food on their own.
Shadin tried to catch the poisonous mosquito that was flying around looking for blood but failed, and in the end, he had no choice but to kill the poisonous mosquito.
“The more I think about it, the more it seems like a waste.”
It'll take years to breed those mosquitoes again.
Shadin frowned as if he was displeased.
“But whether I like it or not, she is my bride, so I must come see her.”
How could I lose such a great audience? Without Tia, who would be trembling in horror at me?
When he looked into those eyes filled with fear, a sense of pride welled up in his stomach.
He kept her alive until now because he wanted to see her face, but she ran away so shamelessly.
He has to catch her again quickly. She is destined to live her entire life by his side as a wonderful audience member and as the bride who will give birth to his child.
“You couldn’t have run far.”
As soon as they finished moving, the Spiritualist Registration Act and the Shartin Tribe's ban on moving into the territory were enacted. Not only that, a wanted poster with Shardin's face on it was also circulated.
In this situation, where could Tia go without an ID card? She would probably be wandering around somewhere near where she used to live.
The problem is that Shadin is in a similar situation now. They too had no choice but to protect themselves.
Is this bill also the author's trick?
If he had seen that letter last time, he would have known who Shadin was.
But he didn't expect the Emperor, who was crazy about the Empress, to accept such a bill. This would destroy the Empress's already weak political foundation.
As an author, can he control the characters' minds as he wishes?
As Shadin was pressing his temples with a headache, his right-hand man, Dakan, came rushing to find him.
“What's going on?”
“People who go out to find food are not coming back.”
“I guess they haven’t gotten any food yet.”
“They promised to return before the appointed time even if they couldn’t get food. I sent someone to look for them again, but they didn’t come back either. So...”
Dakan handed Shadin a wooden box supported by an iron tray. He got up and opened the box, showing signs of annoyance.
Inside the box was a string with a note with someone's name written on each end.
“Who's name is?”
“These are the names of the people who were sent later.”
“Is it handwritten?”
“Of course.”
Shadin pulled a sharp dagger from his waistband. He pricked the tip of his index finger, drawing blood.
'The spells they use are really bad. Why do I have to pay a price every time I use a spell?'
So Shadin did not like to practice sorcery. He preferred to study the poison recipes passed down through generations and create new medicines.
“If you are alive, be silent. If you are dead, respond.”
Still, there were times when he had to use magic. Like now, when he had to check on the life or death of someone he couldn't reach.
If the owner of the name woven into the thread is alive, the blood that Shadin dropped on the thread will only remain as a small stain.
But if they are dead, the thread turns red with blood.
Just like right now.
“He’s dead.”
Shadin closed the lid of the wooden box nervously. Something bad crossed his mind.
“Dakan, clear the fog and send out a reconnaissance party. And tell the people to gather in one place.”
“Okay then.”
His pent-up emotions quickly melted away at Judith's answer.
He came into bed naturally as if he had never complained before.
Judith looked at Erne for a moment with a look in her eyes like, 'What's wrong with him today?' and then lay back down.
“...”
“...”
They've shared a bed so many nights that she can't even count all her fingers and toes, but today she felt strange.
Is it because they promised to continue to fall asleep and wake up together from now on?
Erne's firm hand touched her trembling fingertips. His large hand overlapped Judith's trembling palm, and his thick-jointed fingers interlocked with each other.
So firmly that it won't come loose no matter how bad her sleeping habits are.
***
“It’s hard to leave home.”
Shadin clicked his tongue. It was a world where even a big, tough man would get into trouble if he went around alone.
But if a woman, a poor woman from the Shartin tribe, were to wander the streets alone, it was obvious what would happen.
“She needs to go through some hardships.”
The poisonous mosquito that Tia released was one of Shadin's favorite poisonous insects. The number of successful assassination requests made by that mosquito alone exceeded ten.
Even if Tia were sold, the money would be less than what the mosquito had earned. But Tia had to release the poisonous mosquito without any control.
Originally, when trying to use a poisonous insect, it was necessary to offer an appropriate sacrifice and then go through a series of steps to control the will of the poisonous insect through sorcery.
But if you just let them loose like Tia, the poisonous insects will hover around and run wild according to their instincts. They will look for food on their own.
Shadin tried to catch the poisonous mosquito that was flying around looking for blood but failed, and in the end, he had no choice but to kill the poisonous mosquito.
“The more I think about it, the more it seems like a waste.”
It'll take years to breed those mosquitoes again.
Shadin frowned as if he was displeased.
“But whether I like it or not, she is my bride, so I must come see her.”
How could I lose such a great audience? Without Tia, who would be trembling in horror at me?
When he looked into those eyes filled with fear, a sense of pride welled up in his stomach.
He kept her alive until now because he wanted to see her face, but she ran away so shamelessly.
He has to catch her again quickly. She is destined to live her entire life by his side as a wonderful audience member and as the bride who will give birth to his child.
“You couldn’t have run far.”
As soon as they finished moving, the Spiritualist Registration Act and the Shartin Tribe's ban on moving into the territory were enacted. Not only that, a wanted poster with Shardin's face on it was also circulated.
In this situation, where could Tia go without an ID card? She would probably be wandering around somewhere near where she used to live.
The problem is that Shadin is in a similar situation now. They too had no choice but to protect themselves.
Is this bill also the author's trick?
If he had seen that letter last time, he would have known who Shadin was.
But he didn't expect the Emperor, who was crazy about the Empress, to accept such a bill. This would destroy the Empress's already weak political foundation.
As an author, can he control the characters' minds as he wishes?
As Shadin was pressing his temples with a headache, his right-hand man, Dakan, came rushing to find him.
“What's going on?”
“People who go out to find food are not coming back.”
“I guess they haven’t gotten any food yet.”
“They promised to return before the appointed time even if they couldn’t get food. I sent someone to look for them again, but they didn’t come back either. So...”
Dakan handed Shadin a wooden box supported by an iron tray. He got up and opened the box, showing signs of annoyance.
Inside the box was a string with a note with someone's name written on each end.
“Who's name is?”
“These are the names of the people who were sent later.”
“Is it handwritten?”
“Of course.”
Shadin pulled a sharp dagger from his waistband. He pricked the tip of his index finger, drawing blood.
'The spells they use are really bad. Why do I have to pay a price every time I use a spell?'
So Shadin did not like to practice sorcery. He preferred to study the poison recipes passed down through generations and create new medicines.
“If you are alive, be silent. If you are dead, respond.”
Still, there were times when he had to use magic. Like now, when he had to check on the life or death of someone he couldn't reach.
If the owner of the name woven into the thread is alive, the blood that Shadin dropped on the thread will only remain as a small stain.
But if they are dead, the thread turns red with blood.
Just like right now.
“He’s dead.”
Shadin closed the lid of the wooden box nervously. Something bad crossed his mind.
“Dakan, clear the fog and send out a reconnaissance party. And tell the people to gather in one place.”
***
“I heard that priest is very cruel by nature.”
After Tia's ban was lifted, the godmother was unable to recover for several days. However, perhaps due to the joy of her granddaughter's return to life, she gradually regained her strength.
“We’d better be on guard, we don’t know what he might do.”
As soon as she regained her strength, the godmother began to think about how to protect her family from the bastard.
If she had the strength, she would circle this mansion and cast a protective spell, but she is old and sick.
So, she decided to protect the most dangerous people first: Judith and Erne.
Tia, who was born with spiritual powers that never go away, was able to sense to some extent the evil sorcery aimed at her.
But Judith and Erne were defenseless in that regard.
“Defense? How?”
“I don’t know what kind of magic they might use, so I’m going to make a talisman first.”
“That stuffed animal thing from last time?”
The godmother nodded to Judith's question.
“But that’s only a stopgap measure. This time, we need something a little more of the same.”
.
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