Living a Scheming Marriage with a Mad Villain - Chapter 45

“Are you not working these days?”

 

“Oh? Theron.”

 

I was deeply reading a book when Theron pulled a chair over and naturally sat down next to me. I looked at him without much thought but then was surprised.

 

“Is it okay to be so obvious like this?”

 

“Ah, it’s fine. Nobody else can see us anyway.”

 

I’m not sure how that’s possible, but I found it surprisingly believable. Theron is the guild leader of Anas.

 

Anas is known to know everything that happens in the capital… No, he even knows about the gold vein deep in someone else’s abandoned land.

 

So it makes sense he can pull off a magic trick like this.

 

“By the way, what exactly are you reading? Assilith geopolitics…? What kind of book is that?”

 

‘What kind of book?’

 

It’s a great book that explains the history of the Assilith Empire very well, connected with geographical features.

 

But knowing he wouldn’t be very interested, I focused back on the book. Then Theron placed a bankbook on the table.

 

“I made a big deal recently. Since I came to meet a sensitive guy, might as well.”

 

I wanted to check it later, but when he said “big deal,” I quietly closed the book.

 

Looking at the bankbook, there was one more zero than I expected. I had to open my eyes wide.

 

“Wow… That much all of a sudden?”

 

The amount had already felt large last time I checked, but this looks like it multiplied several times again.

 

It’s all my money, but even looking again, I couldn’t really believe it.

 

Still, seeing the bankbook made me a bit worried.

 

‘This is too big to just ignore.’

 

“Is your father…?”

 

“What are you asking? He’s almost foaming at the mouth, about to collapse.”

 

My father had always succeeded without a single failure in all his businesses. So I thought he must be very upset about this, and I was right.

 

“He hasn’t even properly cashed out yet. This is serious. If this continues, I think he’ll clutch his neck, collapse, and maybe die.”

 

His eyebrows were worried, but his voice was full of laughter.

 

‘In many ways, he seems to get along well with Reus, this guy too.’

 

Theron quietly cleared his throat and leaned back with his arms crossed.

 

His build is so big that even wearing only a white shirt, his strong body was obvious.

 

I looked at Theron absentmindedly, then my eyes went to the skin revealed below his rolled-up sleeves.

 

‘He has a lot of scars…’

 

Reus, whom I see every day, has clean skin with no scars, but Theron’s body was covered in scars so much that I wondered why I only noticed now.

 

‘If Theron works with Reus, it must mean Theron has something to repay the emperor too.’

 

Then Theron turned his head a little cheekily and stared at me.

 

“By the way, you know what? There’s a bug on your hair.”

 

The moment I heard that, my mind stopped.

 

‘There’s something on my head…?’

 

I wanted to say “please take it off,” but my mouth wouldn’t move. I just opened and closed my lips a few times and froze on the spot.

 

“The size… ugh… how did something like that get on your head? I’ve never seen one that big.”

 

Someone might want to faint with eyes open, but Theron just raised his eyebrows like he felt sorry and didn’t do anything.

 

“Please… please take it off…”

 

“Hmm. What should I do.”

 

Suddenly feeling a chill, Derwin stopped sorting papers and looked up.

 

‘They were still like that?’

 

The source of the chill was Reus, who stood like nailed by the window, not blinking once.

 

What’s wrong with him today? If you touch him the wrong way, it feels like blood will be spilled right away.

 

“Your Highness…?”

 

But Reus was so focused on something that he didn’t hear Derwin voice at all. It was completely different from his usual sharp awareness and quick reactions.

 

‘He didn’t hear the voice?’

 

Derwin was confused whether he was ignoring or really didn’t hear, so he put down the pen he was holding and watched Reus carefully.

 

What was Reus looking at?

 

It was Loelle and Theron talking. They were sitting facing each other and chatting for a long time.

 

Don’t they have anything else to talk about?

 

The friendly scene made Reus’s eyebrows slowly lower.

 

He was worried about Theron, who didn’t seem to want to leave, but what worried him more was Loelle’s reaction.

 

Loelle didn’t seem to be uncomfortable with Theron.

 

His back was to me so I couldn’t see his expression, but just from his posture I could tell, and that made me feel worse. At the same time, a bad feeling of anxiety grew deep inside me.

 

Then Loelle suddenly stiffened. He froze for a long time, then suddenly grabbed Theron’s sleeve with both hands!

 

Even though Theron knew Reus was watching, he didn’t pull away from Loelle.

 

Their bodies slowly moved closer.

 

At that moment, Reus’s body suddenly jumped forward but hit the window frame with a loud “thud!” If the floor had been just a little lower, he might have jumped right then.

 

Interrupted, Reus turned around and stormed out of the office.

 

Derwin, left alone again, looked confused and approached the window where Reus had been standing. Outside the window was…

 

‘His Highness?’

 

Theron wasn’t visible to others right now, so to Derwin, Loelle just looked a little awkward sitting there. But that didn’t matter.

 

“What exactly did His Highness do wrong…!”

 

Shouldn’t we just close the office window for His Highness? Or remove the garden completely!

 

Derwin stomped his feet, thinking rather extremely.

 

“So, so, did you take it off…? Did you really?”

 

“Tsk, this is… haah…”

 

“Theron, are you listening to me…? Yes…?”

 

“Uh, don’t look up. You’ll scare it.”

 

“Don’t just talk, hurry and take it off!”

 

“It’s so big that I can’t grab it with bare hands easily…”

 

No sooner had he said that, I felt my hair move.

 

There was no wind, and Theron hadn’t moved his hand.

 

Then how big is the bug crawling on my head that my hair is shaking?

 

I had no strength to say anything, just tightly held Theron’s sleeve with my eyes shut.

 

After what felt like forever, Theron finally gave me the answer I wanted.

 

“Ah, done.”

 

“D-done? You took it off? Are you sure? Really?”

 

“Yes. Really.”

 

I slowly opened my eyes. Then suddenly Theron’s hand appeared in front of me.

 

And on his index finger was…

 

“A bi…”

 

“Pretty big, huh? It was hard to catch. I was so careful it wouldn’t fly away before I could show you.”

 

“Oh no. Are you mad? Sorry.”

 

He only said sorry but looked like he was trying hard not to laugh at how funny this was.

 

No wonder he’s friends with a villain!

 

I got so angry that my hand moved without thinking.

 

“You scared me!”

 

Smack!

 

I hit his shoulder, but I was more surprised at my own action and opened my eyes wide. Theron looked at me for a moment and couldn’t hold back his laughter.

 

“Ah—sorry. But I didn’t lie. Just forgive me this once.”

 

He laughed while playfully fluttering his hand like a butterfly. I couldn’t stand how annoying that was.

 

I was annoyed at myself for falling for such a trick, and the pain on my iron-like shoulder from my hand made me even more irritated.

 

“I really was scared.”

 

At that moment, ridiculously, tears that had gathered in one eye fell down.

 

Theron, who couldn’t stop laughing, was embarrassed and immediately got up. Just as his hand came close to my face—

 

Suddenly, something white and big came into my sight. Then I slapped Theron’s hand roughly with a loud “thwack!” Before I could even check what it was, I was pulled into someone’s arms.

 

“Reus…?”

 

Where did this man suddenly come from?

 

‘Isn’t he supposed to be in the office?’

 

Trying hard to understand the quickly unfolding situation, I heard Theron’s voice sounding even more amused than before.

 

“You came faster than I thought. What was so urgent that you ran all the way here?”

 

Reus frowned but didn’t answer.

 

The two just stared at each other silently. It’s hard to explain exactly, but the mood was strange… tense.

 

Then the situation ended with Theron raising his hands and standing up.

 

“Ah—I’m leaving. You’re so obvious.”

 

Turning around, Theron looked at me.

 

“Ah. Sorry for making you cry today. See you next time, Loelle.”

 

He waved playfully and quickly disappeared from sight.

 

‘Weren’t those two close?’

 

Even if not close friends, they must have had a long relationship through the rebellion plan, so they would be close even if they disliked each other. But strangely, now it looked the opposite.

 

Like there was some unresolved bitterness between them.

 

Then Reus started walking.

 

‘Why, why is he still walking?’

 

He was still holding me!

 

He must feel my gaze, but Reus didn’t stop walking. Then suddenly, he stopped without warning.

 

“If someone saw, they’d think I made you cry.”

 

“Ah…”

 

I hurriedly wiped away tears left on my cheeks when I remembered my appearance. Then Reus started walking again. He showed no sign of stopping.

 

“You can put me down now, Your Highness…”

 

Reus stared at me for a moment, then said casually.

 

“Since I’m holding you, I’ll take you to your room.”

 

“What? Wh-why…”