MSDH CH 07

Chapter – 07

“From now on you don’t need to do things like that anymore, Representative. That’s what we’re paying you a salary for! You can just sit in your seat and the guild will keep growing smoothly anyway.”

“It’s nice to do it once in a while. When I first founded the guild, I did everything alone.”

“Well, now you should rest! You need to stay our representative for a long, long time.”

Nizella kept massaging my arm as she walked beside me.

I was supposed to leave this place soon.

I just responded with a faint smile.

That evening.

As usual, I left work with Noah, who came to pick me up.

“Hazel, good work today.”

“You too, Noah.”

The carriage started moving, and I leaned on Noah as I always did to rest.

“Hazel, do you know what I heard today?”

“…Yes?”

“A guild representative appeared in the village and defeated a magical beast.”

“……”

So it reached his ears after all.

I slowly lifted my head from where I was leaning and subtly shifted my body away from Noah, which had been pressed against him.

“Who do you think it was?”

Ah, here we go again.

“W-well… maybe a n-new guild was formed? Ah! There’s dust here…!”

I desperately tried to avoid the topic by wiping nonexistent dust off the seat, but I failed miserably. Noah grabbed both of my cheeks and forced me to face him.

“Hazel.”

“…uh, well…”

“Hazel Love.”

Ugh. He even used my full name. If I didn’t handle this properly, I’d get at least an hour of lecturing.

“Noah, listen, you really need to hear me out. I originally planned to leave it to someone else.”

“And?”

“But… the magical beast was closer than expected. It was moving fast… I thought it would be a real disaster if I didn’t act.”

“……”

“But when I got there, it was weak! It went down in one hit! Honestly, there was absolutely—absolutely nothing for you to worry about. Look, I didn’t even get a scratch. It was over in less than five minutes!”

I widened my eyes as innocently as possible.

Noah let out a sigh.

“You promised not to put yourself in dangerous situations, didn’t you, my wife?”

“…Mm…”

I knew it.

Back when I didn’t yet know Noah was the same person as Kailus, I had panicked seeing him return with blood on his sleeve and made him promise.

Back then I thought he’d just been caught in a monster attack or some fight.

I had no idea what a terrifying person he really was!

Still, a promise was a promise, and I had clearly broken it. I had to repent properly.

“I won’t ever, ever do anything dangerous again. So please let this one time slide, okay? Please? My beloved husband, darling, Noah, I’m sorry—ah!”

Noah, who rarely relaxed his frown, suddenly pulled my cheeks again.

“I can’t just carry you around every time you feel anxious.”

“I reeeally won’t do it again.”

“If something like this happens again—”

“Never! Never!”

“It’s a promise, Hazel.”

“Yes, really.”

Even after that, he didn’t seem fully satisfied and even lightly bit my cheek.

Still, I managed to avoid what would’ve been over an hour of scolding.

After that, Noah went out again and didn’t return until late at night.

When he was busy, he often went out like this and returned late at night or even early morning.

Normally I wouldn’t have thought much of it, but now that I knew his true identity, I couldn’t help worrying if he was doing something dangerous.

Not because I cared about him—but because I wondered what terrifying things he might be doing!

“Sigh.”

In the end, I stayed up working in my office until dawn, then went back to my room to sleep.

Noah still hadn’t returned.

Good. At least that’s fine.

I buried my tired body into the bed and closed my eyes.

At dawn.

Kailus entered the mansion with a face mixed with exhaustion and irritation, loosening his tie roughly.

The moment he stepped inside, the servants held their breath as if they were dead.

Completely different from how they behaved when Hazel was around—smiling, laughing, and attentively caring for everything.

Afraid of catching his eye and earning his anger, they only bowed and disappeared.

“Your Grace.”

A man emerged like a shadow from behind and knelt on one knee.

“What.”

“Everything you requested has been prepared. You will depart tomorrow as planned?”

“Yes. As long as Hazel doesn’t notice anything. There must not be a single mistake until then.”

“Yes, don’t worry. You’ve prepared for a long time.”

“Still, I can’t let my guard down until the end.”

His subordinate said with relief.

“You’ve truly worked hard, Your Grace.”

Kailus’s red eyes slowly scanned the man. The man swallowed nervously.

“Go.”

“Yes.”

The shadow-like man disappeared into the darkness again.

Step, step.

Kailus walked down the hallway and headed straight for Hazel’s bedroom.

He opened the door.

Inside, Hazel was peacefully asleep under a softly glowing night lamp.

She looked like she had been waiting for him.

Kailus placed his gloves on the table and approached her.

He looked down at her sleeping face, so calm and unguarded, with an emotionless expression.

“……”

A neck that looked like it could break at any moment. Small hands clutching the blanket. A faint, steady rise and fall of breathing.

Nothing about her looked strong. Not a single part.

As he watched Hazel sleeping so peacefully without a trace of suspicion, Kailus slowly reached out his hand—as if he might grip her fragile neck at any moment.

“Gasp!”

Oh my—my neck!

I jolted awake in shock.

In my dream, Noah had been strangling me.

His big hand wrapped around my neck—it felt like he was really going to snap it.

Why would I dream something so horrible?!

I was wide awake instantly.

My precious neck!

Feeling drained as if I were endlessly falling, I trembled—and then felt an arm tightly wrapped around my waist.

Even without looking, I knew it was Noah.

He must have come back early in the morning.

“….”

As I tried to get up, his arm only tightened.

“Hazel.”

As expected.

A low, slightly hoarse voice, still heavy with sleep, reached my ears.

“Ah, Noah, you’re awake?”

As I shifted to sit up, he pulled me closer instead, holding me face-to-face in his arms.

“…Why are you awake? Another nightmare?”

He hugged me tighter.

I rested my forehead against his chest and nodded.

“You came back late?”

When I looked up, his face was still half-asleep.

“I’m sorry. I’ll try to come back earlier.”

Even drowsy, he instinctively pressed a kiss to my forehead.

“Okay.”

“Go back to sleep. It’s still early. You didn’t forget we’re going out in the morning, right?”

Oh my god.

A far more terrifying fact than my dream just came back to me.

Weekend plans.

When I wished for weekends to come, they never did—but now it came rushing in like this?!

His hand gently patting my back was so comforting I almost got fooled again.

Panicking, I squeezed out my voice.

“T-that… Noah.”

“Yes, my wife?”

“C-can we skip it next time?”

“Next time?”

“Y-yeah… I’m just really tired today… I think I need another day of rest…”

“……”

Unlike usual, Noah didn’t immediately agree.

A troubled expression flickered across his face.

Just as I thought—this was it. Judgment day.

The day I’d be exposed.

The day he’d find out everything right before our one-year anniversary weekend.

He would probably be thrilled—no need to pretend anymore, and he could get his revenge.

Perfect day for getting rid of me, huh…

“H-hack! Cough!”

I forced out a fake cough.

Noah reacted instantly.

“If you’re that tired, you shouldn’t push yourself. Then let’s rest today and go tomorrow?”

Tomorrow?

My eyes blinked blankly.

Ahh! Why are weekends two days long?!

I wanted to scream.

I should’ve asked for just one day!

He hugged me again like I was a child, but my thoughts only grew more tangled.

If I overthink even a little, he’ll get suspicious for sure.

Fine. I’ll exhaust myself all day somehow. Maybe even twist my ankle or something.

“Y-yeah… let’s rest today and go tomorrow.”

“Good. Now sleep.”

Ughhh.

I closed my eyes tightly, almost crying.

Despite thinking I wouldn’t sleep at all, I slept deeply.

When I woke up, Noah was gone.

I blinked again, and a delicious smell drifted in.

Noah approached.

“Hazel, you should get up. Are you that tired?”

“Ugh… I’m tiiiired…”

I twisted like a fish on a hot pan, pretending to wake up.

“You shouldn’t stay on an empty stomach for too long. Let’s eat something light. I’ll stay with you all day.”

Noah gently rubbed my back and waist.

His familiar touch made me sleepy again.

And somehow, I felt unfairly emotional.

He’s going to get rid of me anyway—why is he still feeding me three meals a day?

Is this some kind of superstition? Like I’ll be harder to bury if I gain weight?

I slowly opened my eyes while hugging my pillow.

“What is that? It smells nutty.”

A familiar scent. Nostalgic.

I looked up.

In a shallow bowl was a white, steaming dish.

What is that?

I sat up, curiosity winning, and Noah brightened.

He helped me sit down and placed a spoon in my hand.

I took a bite.

Warm, rich, nutty flavor spread in my mouth.

This was—

Chestnut porridge.

The same taste as the porridge I used to buy back in my old world.

Here, about 90% of my meals were cooked by Noah himself.

So he usually made things I liked.

But when I was sick, I refused to eat, which often led to arguments between us.

Eventually, we compromised with porridge.

I had once described the recipes I remembered so he could recreate something similar.

And whenever I said I wasn’t feeling well, he made different kinds of porridge like this.

It didn’t taste like this at first.

But now—it was exactly the same.

He must have practiced again.

Chestnut porridge takes effort.

He must have worked hard.

You can recreate similar food here if you try, but capturing a taste from a K—company-level memory is not easy.

How did he even manage it?

He never even tasted it himself!

At this point, isn’t the male lead not Jed Terry Elkiam… but Noah Edisi?

Ah right, Noah is Kailus.

Even when he practiced egg porridge before, he kept trying until it matched my taste.

Is this really not love?

…No way.

But then again, he was also the same man who tried to “get rid of me” today.

If I said I was sick, this could’ve been my last meal.

I absolutely cannot be fooled.

What a ruthless man.

The spoon slowed in my hand.

As always, admiration turned into disappointment in an instant.

Though the gap between them was getting smaller.

My shoulders slumped.

“Is it not good? I can make something else.”

“No? It’s really good.”

“You look upset.”

He noticed that too well.

“Just… it suits my taste too much. It’s so good it’s a problem.”

I looked up at him with a sulky expression.

“You idiot… fool…”

“Hm?”

“Sea cucumber… sea anemone, seriously.”

I couldn’t say worse insults because I was scared.

“Why are you in such a bad mood?”

Noah laughed softly as I sulked in response.