Marriage with a Suspiciously Demure Husband — Chapter 3

WHY ARE YOU TREMBLING SO MUCH?

IT IS SUMMER NOW, SO IT SHOULD NOT BE COLD.

AHA, HAZEL.

COULD IT BE THAT YOU...

C-COULD I BE WHAT...?

NO WAY. DID HE REALIZE I SEARCHED HIS DRAWER?

COULD YOU BE...

COMING DOWN WITH A COLD?!

SUMMER COLDS ARE REALLY NASTY.

WHAT IF YOU HAVE A FEVER?

SHOULD WE CANCEL TODAY'S DATE?

I-IT IS NOT A COLD, NOAH.

WHAT IS THIS?

I, I WAS JUST...

I WAS JUST STARTLED BY THE SOUND OF THE KNOCK.

HAAH... IS THAT SO?

FROM NOW ON, I WILL KNOCK A LITTLE MORE GENTLY.

JUDGING BY HIS ATTITUDE... DID HE NOT NOTICE?

THEN, SINCE I ENDED UP STARTLING MY HAZEL,

I HAVE NO CHOICE BUT TO MAKE IT UP TO YOU ON TODAY'S DATE.

THIS REALLY IS IMPOSSIBLE.

NOAH, OF ALL PEOPLE...

IS REALLY THAT VICIOUS... KAILUS.

WHEN DID YOU PREPARE ALL THIS?

YOU'RE ALWAYS SO BUSY.

DO YOU LIKE IT?

OF... COURSE.

HAVE I EVER TOLD YOU THAT MY HUSBAND IS THE MOST WONDERFUL MAN IN THE WORLD?

LET US THINK CALMLY.

OF COURSE, CLEAR EVIDENCE DID COME OUT OF NOAH'S SECRET DRAWER, BUT...

IN THE NOVEL I POSSESSED,

IN <I'LL PREVENT THE DESTRUCTION AND GET A HAPPY ENDING>,

KAILUS HADID WAS DEFINITELY...

SOMEONE WHO KILLED ANYONE WHO DISPLEASED HIM, BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY,

a mistake. cursive re

KILLED THEM,

AND IF THAT WAS NOT ENOUGH, KILLED THEM AGAIN.

EVEN THE RESIDENTS OF THIS WORLD, EVERY LAST ONE,

WERE SO TERRIFIED OF HIM THAT THEY WOULD PANIC AT JUST THE "KA" IN KAILUS...

AH, COME TO THINK OF IT, AROUND HERE,

CA...

D-D-DEAR GOD, PLEASE PROTECT ME. I BEG YOU, I BEG YOU.

I-I-I HAVE A BELOVED WIFE AND ADORABLE CHILDREN AT HOME!!

...I WAS ONLY GOING TO SAY THERE IS NEWS THAT A NEW CARD GAME HALL IS BEING BUILT.

THAT KAILUS HADID

HAZEL, TRY THIS CREAM PUFF.

I WORKED HARD TO MAKE IT FOR YOU, HAZEL.

I am sure it will taste good.

THAT KAILUS WOULD ACT LIKE THIS

TOWARD THE PERSON WHO STOLE HIS SOURCE OF FUNDS?

WITHOUT KILLING OR TORTURING HER?

HOW DARE YOU TOUCH MY MONEY...

DO NOT THINK YOU WILL DIE PEACEFULLY, HAZEL LOVE.

PRETENDING TO BE A DEVOTED HUSBAND...

FOR A WHOLE YEAR?

EVEN THIS VERY MORNING,

HE CHOSE THE CLOTHES I WOULD WEAR,

DRIED MY HAIR HIMSELF, AND BRUSHED IT FOR ME...

WAS ALL OF THIS AN ACT?

TO SHOCK ME,

DRIVE ME TO DESPAIR,

AND THEN KILL ME?

HAZEL, WHY DO YOU LOOK LIKE THAT?

DOES IT NOT TASTE GOOD?

It was my masterpiece..

N-NO!

IT IS SO DELICIOUS...

I WAS SAVORING IT!

IS THAT SO? THEN EAT AS MUCH AS YOU LIKE, HAZEL.

THANK... YOU.

...DAMN IT, IT IS GOOD.

I FEEL LIKE I MIGHT CRY FOR NO REASON.

HIS KINDNESS SENT ME LEAPING ALL THE WAY UP TO HEAVEN,

THEN SUSPICION SLAMMED ME BACK DOWN INTO HELL,

AND THE SWEETNESS THAT MELTED ME ALL OVER AGAIN

MADE ME FEEL LIKE I WAS FLYING BACK UP TO HEAVEN.

DO YOU WANT SOME TOO, NOAH?

FOR ME,

THIS IS ENOUGH, HAZEL.

AH...

I MIGHT REALLY GO CRAZY AT THIS RATE.

WITH MY FEELINGS THIS JUMBLED,

I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO ACT AROUND NOAH.

...SO, I RECEIVED A REPORT FROM NICA TODAY,

AND APPARENTLY, OUR SALES HAVE INCREASED BY A FULL TEN TIMES COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.

IS THAT SO?

YES. AT THIS RATE, I DO NOT THINK EXPANSION WOULD BE IMPOSSIBLE.

SO I AM ALSO CONSIDERING HIRING ONE MORE EMPLOYEE...

I CANNOT THINK OF WHAT TO TALK ABOUT AT ALL, SO I KEEP TALKING ABOUT THE GUILD.

SO, I WAS THINKING OF INCREASING THE BENEFITS FOR OUR REGULAR CLIENTS A LITTLE.

THERE IS ONE MERCENARY IN PARTICULAR WHO ONLY USES OUR GUILD,

SO I THOUGHT I MIGHT TREAT HIM TO A MEAL.

I am heading home~

WHAT DO I DO? IT FEELS LIKE I AM SLOWLY TURNING MY BRAIN OFF AND SAYING WHATEVER COMES TO MIND...

HE IS SPECIAL BECAUSE HE WAS MY FIRST CUSTOMER, BUT EVEN THOUGH HE LOOKS A LITTLE INTIMIDATING, HIS PERSONALITY IS GOOD,

AND HE RESOLVES REQUESTS SO QUICKLY AND WELL THAT CLIENTS EVEN TEND TO FLOCK TO THAT MERCENARY...

TREAT HIM TO A MEAL?

JUST THE TWO OF YOU?

PROBABLY?

Since it is not like a staff dinner...

DARLING, I DO NOT THINK THAT IS A VERY GOOD METHOD.

MY DARLING IS WISE,

SO I THINK YOU CAN COME UP WITH A WISER METHOD.

UH, UM... TH-THAT IS TRUE, BUT

HE IS SUCH A HIGH-RANKING MERCENARY...

...NOAH ALWAYS CALLED ME "DARLING" WHENEVER SOMETHING DID NOT SIT RIGHT WITH HIM

OR HIS JEALOUSY GOT WORSE.

BUT THAT KAILUS, JEALOUS?

WAS IT ACTUALLY SOME KIND OF MURDEROUS INTENT?

MM, I GUESS IT IS A BIT MUCH, RIGHT?

I WILL JUST HAVE AN EMPLOYEE SLIGHTLY RAISE HIS SETTLEMENT RATE.

TH-THAT SOUNDS GOOD!

SEE? YOU CAN DO IT.

HA... HAHA...

I-IT IS THANKS TO YOU, NOAH...?

SOMEHOW, I FEEL LIKE MY LIFESPAN IS GETTING SHORTER AND SHORTER...

HM?

ICE

BO

WHAT IS GOING ON?

GOOD GRIEF, THEY SAY MONSTERS ARE INCREASING IN THE NORTHERN AND WESTERN REGIONS.

BOUNTY NOTICE Wanted: Winged Terror

INVESTIGATION NOTICE

AT THIS RATE, COULD MONSTERS START SHOWING UP IN THIS REGION TOO?

NO WAY. FERRARIUM IS IN THE SOUTH.

THE MONSTERS FROM THE NORTH AND WEST WOULD COLLAPSE FROM EXHAUSTION BEFORE THEY MADE IT ALL THE WAY HERE.

THE NORTH AND WEST...

MONSTERS BEGINNING TO INCREASE

IS A KIND OF WARNING SIGN BEFORE THE DEMON KING BREAKS HIS SEAL AND REGAINS HIS POWER.

IN OTHER WORDS, IT MEANS THE DAY OF DESTRUCTION WILL ARRIVE SOMEDAY.

ARE YOU ASKING IF I SHOULD DO SOMETHING TO STOP THE DEMON KING, THEN?

I AM A CHARACTER WHO WAS ORIGINALLY DESTINED TO DIE FROM OVERWORK EARLY IN THE ORIGINAL STORY ANYWAY.

THE PROTAGONISTS WILL DEFEAT THE DEMON KING JUST FINE WITHOUT ME,

GET THEIR HAPPY ENDING, AND LIVE HAPPILY EVER AFTER.

AH... I MISS HAZEL.

DO NOT BE TOO SAD. I AM SURE SHE IS DOING WELL IN HEAVEN.

<FEMALE LEAD>

<MALE LEAD>

SHUT UP, YOU CAUSES OF MY DEATH BY OVERWORK...

SO RIGHT NOW, INSTEAD OF WORRYING USELESSLY ABOUT OTHER PEOPLE,

I NEED TO TAKE CARE OF MYSELF.

BECAUSE RIGHT BESIDE ME IS THE VILLAIN WHO TERRIBLY TORMENTED THE PROTAGONISTS, OR SOMEONE WHO MIGHT BE HIM!

Hmm...

THIS GUY...

HE IS NOT LOOKING AT THOSE WANTED POSTERS OVER THERE AND THINKING OF ME, IS HE?

DAMN IT, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO BEAT A VILLAIN WHO GAVE EVEN THE OVERPOWERED PROTAGONISTS TROUBLE THE ENTIRE TIME?

LIKE A PROPER VILLAIN, KAILUS HAS VERY STRONG RESISTANCE TO POISON, ILLUSION ARTS, AND BLACK MAGIC,

SO MY MAGIC, WHICH CAN TRAP MOST SWORD MASTERS IN AN ILLUSION, IS SET UP NOT TO WORK ON HIM...

WAIT?

THIS IS IT!!

IF NOAH REALLY IS AN ORDINARY PERSON,

THEN EVEN IF I CAST ILLUSION MAGIC ON HIM VERY SLIGHTLY, HE WILL SEE AN ILLUSION.

What? I cannot see anything.

What a pretty illusion~

IF HE IS KAILUS, HE WILL NOT SEE ANYTHING!

RIGHT. DOCUMENTS LIKE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN SECRETLY HIDDEN IN NOAH'S DRAWER

BY SOME AWFUL PERSON TRYING TO TEAR US APART.

WISHFUL THINKING AT FULL POWER!

ABOVE ALL, NOAH AND KAILUS LOOK COMPLETELY DIFFERENT.

KAILUS HADID WAS DESCRIBED AS HAVING DULL, NONDESCRIPT BLACK HAIR,

BUT MY HUSBAND NOAH HAS BRILLIANT BLACK HAIR LIKE THE NIGHT SKY!

KAILUS HAS BLOODRED EYES,

BUT MY HUSBAND NOAH HAS ELEGANT RED EYES LIKE THE FINEST RUBIES!

HOW COULD THEY BE THE SAME...? HM? HOW COULD THEY POSSIBLY BE THE SAME?

THEY MUST BE DIFFERENT PEOPLE!

SO JUST ONCE.

TO BE CERTAIN...

I WILL USE ILLUSION MAGIC...

ON NOAH JUST ONCE.

I REALLY NEVER WANTED TO USE IT ON NOAH, OF ALL PEOPLE...

ILLUSION MAGIC IS AN ABILITY THAT INFILTRATES THE OTHER PERSON'S MIND,

SO NO MATTER HOW PLEASANT THE THING IT SHOWS THEM MAY BE, IT STILL DAMAGES THEIR MIND.

IF THE CASTER HAS NO INTENT TO ATTACK,

THE IMPACT IS SO TINY THAT EVEN A CHILD WOULD NOT FEEL IT,

BUT I DID NOT WANT TO INFLICT EVEN THAT ON NOAH.

SO AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE...

AS WEAKLY AND CAREFULLY AS POSSIBLE.

FOR THE FIRST AND LAST TIME.

I HAVE TO CONTROL IT

SO THAT NOT EVEN THE TINIEST WOUND IS LEFT ON THE PERSON I LOVE.

WELCOME BACK, HAZEL.

PLEASE.

PLEASE.

PLEASE LET NOAH SEE MY ILLUSION...!