’Shit.’
Kyle couldn’t help but feel like a man who had already degraded himself in this relationship—using his wife’s emotions for his own selfish gain.
Even though he would try to reciprocate Aleriana’s feelings as deeply as she did, guilt still gnawed at him.
She was undeniably beautiful, and perhaps, after last night, he had fallen for her in a way.
But he knew the truth.
What he felt wasn’t the deep, all-consuming love he might have imagined—it was simply the lingering influence of physical intimacy.
A connection born from the body, not the heart.
And yet, for her, every moment spent with him—not just last night but since the first moment they met—seemed to hold such profound value, as if for her, their time together had already surpassed what others might take years to build.
"I arranged the documents early, as you wanted to marry Olea afterward."
Aleriana sat beside him, her gaze flickering toward the papers now in his hands. She stole a glance at his face—expressionless, blankly staring at the contract.
Her fingers clenched for a brief second before she averted her eyes.
She had kept her promise.
From the very first time they met, he had made it clear—his interest was in Olea.
He had even confessed outright that he wanted to marry her by stating how he would bring her to meet his father for the talks of marriage.
And last night after he fell asleep, that very confession gnawed at Aleriana, an irritation she couldn’t suppress.
Normally, she prioritized logic, suppressing emotions in favor of profit, but this... this was different.
She had given herself to him and had felt something; yet, he had never once considered her in the way he did Olea.
He did, in a way, acknowledge her beauty instinctively when he first saw her, but it was just him being him—falling for just any beauty.
It was frustrating.
Still, the words he whispered to her before he fell asleep last night due to exhaustion.... they had felt warm, even if they had been nothing more than a byproduct of lust.
It was enough.
It had to be enough—enough to keep her from feeling replusion to tword love.
She accepted it but was unaware that all night, as she kept looking at him, she thought of their future together and ways to make everything good, while unknowingly awakening jealousy and every negative emotion linked with love.
It is evident from the fact that the very first decision she made last night was to kill Olea.
If Olea were dead, there would be no one left to share her husband.
That was why, in a moment of blind impulse, she had sent the dead body of an assassin—the one from the Ghost Sect—with a message severing all ties with them.
It was reckless, foolish even.
The Ghost Sect had been a valuable backup plan, and yet, in her frustration and jealousy, she had willingly made them her enemy.
But after regaining her composure this morning, she forced herself to think logically.
If Kyle could so easily fall for a woman she sent to escort him, then this would not be the last time.
If he fell in love with beauty, then Olea wasn’t at fault—it was his own doing.
Killing every woman who came near him was impossible.
That was when she realized—the true problem wasn’t the women.
It was Kyle.
He had become her weakness.
She would have to deal with random women in the future, filtering them based on their intent and sincerity.
And if she had to start somewhere, then the first to be removed would be Olea.
Unlike the others, Olea’s goal was clear—revenge.
She was obsessed with avenging her parents, and her presence near Kyle would only put his life in danger, as her sole goal was to kill everyone from the Arcutus family.
So, in the end, even if it was out of annoyance, Aleriana had reached the same conclusion.
Olea had to be kept away.
’Hah. I’m already getting distracted, aren’t I?’
Aleriana lowered her gaze, exhaling sharply. It hadn’t even been a full day since their marriage, and yet she had already made an impulsive, irrational decision.
Not only had she severed ties with her first backup plan, but she had also declared them as enemies—all because of something as petty as jealousy.
And now, instead of focusing on her true goal—to grow stronger, to ascend—she was wasting time thinking about how to deal with other women whom her husband might fancy in the future.
This was why she had hated love.
Yet, now, she found herself trapped in it.
Still, it was warm near him.
Too warm.
And maybe, just maybe, she was willing to endure a little bit of burden... if it meant holding onto this warmth.
’...I seem to have fallen for real, Mother.’
A small, almost imperceptible smile curled at her lips.
Last night had been painful—nothing like the pleasure that those maids had spoken of regarding sex.
And yet, watching him enjoy it, she endured the pain, which was one-sided. Even now, she could clearly feel too much pain in her nether region, yet when he finally confessed and fell asleep—it was worthwhile pain.
Afterwards, she brought him to bed and lay beside him, tracing the soft rise and fall of his chest. His composed and gentle breathing made her smile in a way she never had before.
It was a strange, unfamiliar sensation.
But if this was love—this feeling of happiness, warmth, and joy just from seeing him sleep—then maybe she could accept it even at the cost of a few losses and some suffering.
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’.....’ Kyle stared at the contract in his hands, his fingers pressing against the edge of the paper.
’Should I tear it?’
A battle raged inside him.
A part of him wanted to rip the damn thing apart, to live a peaceful life with Aleriana—to have children, to settle down, to commit himself to a single wife.
But every time he entertained that thought, a vision flashed before his eyes.
Blood.
His family slaughtered.
His wife, struggling to hold her ground, her blade barely fending off the unknown enemies lurking in the upper realms.
If he allowed his morals to hold him back, he would become powerless in the future.
No, he couldn’t afford to hesitate.
Yet it all felt like excuses that his mind was building for him.
It was betrayal.
There was no denying it.
He was no better than a shameless man, already thinking about marrying another woman just after his first marriage.
It was easy to fantasize about harems in web novels—thinking of enjoying several beauties, having sex, and fully enjoying oneself while rising in power.
However, in truth, fantasy is effortless, but reality demands a price.
And now, living it, he felt only discomfort.
Signing this document would hurt Aleriana.
He knew that.
And yet, he needed to do it. For his future. For his survival. For her survival.
As if without a moment of hesitation, he took the pen and directly signed the document, which would soon be sent to the government archive and publicly announced.
Yet, after signing, he kept looking towards the document that Aleriana took before standing, clearly unable to meet her gaze.
He heard her low and hushed voice as she turned to leave: "I will personally deliver it to the archive."
’Damn it’