“Snu…”
Cecil, watching her baby’s small chest rise and fall cutely, desperately suppressed the laughter threatening to escape her lips.
This was Leira, the child who had been wailing moments ago, her cry shaking the heavens. If she woke again to the sound of laughter, she might faint from exhaustion.
Of course, this adorable child was simply too precious.
“She’s so cute. Look at these puffy cheeks; they’re about to explode! They’re about to explode. Hehehehe,”
Cecil whispered softly.
On the day Julius fell and had his accident, the Lord had given Cecil a gift—a precious sign of their love made perfect. Although her pregnancy had been challenging, just looking at Leira’s cherubic face seemed to wash away her fatigue.
The baby’s appetite was so big that as soon as she opened her eyes, she began searching for milk. Watching her babble and suckle so determinedly always made Cecil think, ‘She’s definitely Julius’s daughter.’
“This greedy little one! It was your father’s originally, but you took it all for yourself,” she teased.
When Cecil lightly pressed her fingers against Leira’s chubby cheeks, the baby squirmed and turned as though it tickled her.
Smiling tenderly, Cecil tucked the blanket around her child and quietly left the room.
“Ha… it’s a bit difficult,” she sighed, sitting down on the sofa in the small living room. Her slender legs peeked out from beneath her slightly raised skirt, and noticing this, she hastily tugged it back down.
Cecil’s arms were so thin now; the vibrant, healthy young woman she used to be seemed long gone. In her place was a frail figure sitting silently in the dim light.
“… What if Julius abandons me?” she murmured.
If she continued to weaken like this, if she became unattractive, would he leave her? Julius, her prince-like husband, could easily captivate any woman—even one with a husband.
“He’s late again tonight,” she whispered bitterly, her voice tinged with doubt. ‘Perhaps… perhaps he’s meeting someone else right now.’
If that was the case, she thought, then at least before everything crumbled, she wanted to give him a memory he could never forget.
“No, what am I thinking? I have Leira. I shouldn’t entertain such dark thoughts.”
Curling into herself, Cecil buried her face in her arms. Silent sobs echoed through the tiny house.
Julius did not return home until dawn.
***
“So, in the end, this was fake,” Julius remarked coldly.
“Please, spare me! I never imagined I’d run into the ‘Heretic Inquisitor!’ Mercy!”
A man with short blonde hair, dressed in colorful silk and adorned with jeweled rings, knelt before Julius Tapnel, bowing repeatedly in desperation.
“This elixir of immortality… it isn’t entirely false! I swear! It’s incredibly beneficial to the body!”
“… Priestess Emily confirmed this as poison,” Julius replied, his tone icy. “Would you accuse the church’s priestess of lying?”
Julius’s golden eyes, sharp as molten gold, bore into the merchant lord Jiok Renzel, who frantically racked his brain for a solution.
“Well… I-I might not have the elixir, but I can procure ‘anything’ else you desire!” Jiok stammered, grasping at straws.
“Hoo? Let’s hear it, then,” Julius said, a smirk tugging at his lips.
Relieved to have bought himself a sliver of time, Jiok rolled his eyes toward his empty left hand, then feigned confidence. “Our upper ranks have… women prepared. If you’d like, I can arrange—”
“I’m not talking about women. I’m asking about the elixir of immortality,” Julius interrupted, his voice hardening.
“Well, I-I’ll procure the elixir somehow! In the meantime, please rest. I’ll have everything arranged while you relax.”
“Fine,” Julius said, his lips curling into a deceptively kind smile. He patted Jiok’s head lightly before leaning back in his chair, humming as he waited.
Jiok’s nerves frayed as silence enveloped the area. No footsteps echoed in response to his orders.
“It seems my subordinates are incapable of following instructions. May I step out for a moment to check on them?” he asked nervously.
Julius gave him a silent nod, his expression unreadable.
Jiok shuffled out, the faint scent of something burning reaching his nose as he descended the stairs. Gloom hung thickly in the air, and the walls bore ominous scorch marks.
“No… no, this can’t be…” Jiok whispered, his voice trembling.
“Rather than entertaining with women, you chose to play with fire. Didn’t you enjoy such games in your youth?” came a dry voice from behind him.
Turning slowly, Jiok faced the golden gaze of the Heretic Inquisitor. Before he could speak, Julius tapped his forehead lightly and smirked.
“Crying men aren’t very pleasant. The same goes for women. There’s only one person in my heart, and I live only for my wife, Cecil.”
Julius turned and strode out of the merchant building, leaving Jiok behind. Moments later, golden flames consumed the building, reducing it and Jiok’s world to ashes.
As the alley grew quiet, Julius’s mind lingered on Cecil’s frail wrists.
“It’s okay, my love. I’ll save you. Don’t worry,” he whispered as he walked toward the majestic church in the distance.
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Check out my other projects: Rehabilitating the Villainess, Pushover Extra Trains the Villainesses, I Picked Up an Amnesiac Witch, Transmigrated as the Butler of a Defeated Heroine, My Summons Are Special