I Slept with the Villain Holding My Hand Chapter 94

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Serinia looked at Reukis with a fiery gaze, as if she had no intention of retracting her questions. 

 

Like an eagle seizing an opportunity, she bombarded him with questions, when they met, how they met, and what she liked about Merria. 

 

Merria, who had been the first to kiss him in her sleep, didn’t want to reveal that Reukis had sought her out. She actively intervened in the conversation, skillfully cutting off Reukis’s answers. 

 

This conversation, which only excited Serinia, came to an end with Miles’s arrival.

 

“Miles!” 

 

Merria called out to him with a voice full of joy. 

 

At the sound of her bright voice, Reukis’s eyes subtly shifted. 

 

Miles, who had arrived unnoticed, was smiling and greeting the Duke and Duchess.

 

“I think we should end the conversation here. My fiancé is quite jealous, though he’s not good at showing it,” Merria said, shrugging her shoulders as if in agreement. 

 

If Reukis, with his innocent expression, were to direct his possessive gaze toward Merria, ensuring her eyes and ears were focused on him, Miles would pull Serinia close with a sullen expression, unable to reprimand her. 

 

This was why Serinia, despite her playful nature, never caused Miles any real trouble over matters of the heart.

 

As the three stood idly in front of the carriage, Miles, having finished his greetings, came trotting over with light steps. 

 

“Serinia!” 

 

Behind him, the lush forest seemed to blend with his figure, and as he ran, his brown hair fluttering in the wind, he appeared to overlap with the image of a deer. 

 

Merria wasn’t the only one who thought this, as Serinia let out a small laugh.

 

“Well, we’ll go ahead then,” Merria said, pulling Reukis along. 

 

Serinia gladly let them go. 

 

As Merria tried to head left, Reukis’s gaze lingered elsewhere. At the end of his gaze were the Duke and Duchess of Rackester.

 

“Shouldn’t we greet them before we go?” Reukis asked. 

 

“It might be better to do it later,” Merria replied with an awkward smile. 

 

He nodded slightly and continued, “I’ll be leaving for a hunt soon. It’s better to greet them now.”

 

“Hmm, yeah, sure,” Merria said, avoiding his gaze. 

 

She couldn’t bring herself to face Reukis and smile. Reukis walked with her toward where Themis and Raven were standing.

 

“Duke, Duchess. It’s been a while,” Reukis greeted. 

 

“Oh, Your Highness. I hope you’ve been well,” Raven replied with a subtle smile. 

 

However, Themis stared at him with eyes full of hostility.

 

‘I knew this would happen,’ 

 

Merria thought, narrowing her eyes as she looked at her father. 

 

It seemed Themis hadn’t even confided in Raven about the Grand Duke’s affairs. 

 

This was evident as Raven still seemed unaware of the situation. This was so typical of Themis that Merria’s tension eased slightly. She knew Themis’s excessive caution stemmed from his concern for her.

 

Unlike Merria, who had calmed down, Raven, unaware of the situation, subtly glanced at Themis, signaling him to show proper respect to the Grand Duke. 

 

“…You’ve arrived,” 

 

Themis finally nodded, averting his gaze. This gave Reukis a moment of clarity.

 

At first, he thought it was just a formality. 

 

According to Milo, fathers with daughters were particularly sensitive to outsiders. 

 

Though Reukis was unmarried and inexperienced, he could understand that sentiment. He imagined a future where he had a daughter who resembled Merria, and the thought of her bringing home some unknown man made his fists clench. 

 

So, he accepted Themis’s hostility with an open heart.

 

However, after witnessing the scene earlier, he realized his thoughts needed some adjustment. 

 

‘The Duke hates me.’ 

 

Themis wasn’t just glaring at any outsider, he was clearly directing his hostility toward Reukis. 

 

This was evident as he exchanged pleasantries with the cheerful brown-haired man without any issue. Themis disliked Reukis.

 

That alone wouldn’t have affected Reukis. The problem was that in this context, ‘Themis’ could be replaced with ‘Merria’s father.’ 

 

Of course, Reukis wasn’t the type to be swayed by family opposition. He had a solid reason for his confidence.

 

It was during his first meal with Merria at Rackester Manor. 

 

When the Duchess, wary of strangers, expressed her concerns, Merria had said, “Don’t worry too much. Even if my family opposes us, I have no intention of leaving you.” 

 

That memory filled his heart with warmth. If Merria felt that way, he was willing to give up his title as Grand Duke and marry her in another country. 

 

For Reukis, nothing was more important than spending the rest of his life with her.

 

Though the Emperor would never allow the continent’s only dark mage to go into exile, Reukis had even planned an escape route. 

 

But that was a last resort. He wanted Merria to be a bride celebrated by all, even if he himself didn’t care. 

 

He wished for every step she took toward him to be filled with flowers and laughter. That’s why Themis’s hostility felt even more bitter.

 

Reukis was well aware that his appearance and personality weren’t the charming type. 

 

Typically, the charming type would be someone like that brown-haired man or Milo. 

 

For him, it was enough if Merria found him attractive, but objectively speaking, he wasn’t. 

 

That’s why he didn’t try to lighten the mood, believing it was the best way to avoid making things worse. He had already shown proper respect, so that was enough for today.

 

“Well, I’ll take my leave now,” Reukis said with a decisive nod. 

 

Merria also waved to the Duke and Duchess, saying, “I’ll take a walk with Reukis and be back soon.” 

 

Raven and Themis watched the two walk away, each with a different gaze.

 

💫

 

Merria led Reukis away from the crowd toward the edge of the forest, as if her suggestion to take a walk wasn’t just an empty gesture. 

 

Reukis, who also preferred to avoid prying eyes, followed her without hesitation. When they reached a spot where no one else was around, Reukis suddenly scooped her up into his arms.

 

“I missed you,” he said. 

 

Recently, the training intensity of the Altairs Knights had increased significantly. 

 

With the hunting competition approaching, everyone had been sharpening their skills and preparing diligently. 

 

As the captain, Reukis had been busier than ever, with little time to rest. Naturally, his meetings with Merria had become less frequent, which was why such words slipped out. 

 

To soothe his unsatisfied heart, he buried his face in her neck with a playful gesture. 

 

Merria, who had missed him just as much, wrapped her arms around his back and hugged him tightly. The two of them held each other, savoring the joy of being reunited.

 

“I’ll come see you tonight,” Merria said, gently stroking his back.

 

“I’ll return early and wait for you,” he replied without hesitation, as he had no intention of overexerting himself from the very first day.

 

After their embrace, the two returned toward the direction of the barracks. 

 

“See you later,” Merria waved as they reached the spot where the Rackester flag was planted. 

 

Reukis hesitated for a moment, seemingly reluctant to part, but eventually turned and walked away.

 

The sun was gradually approaching its zenith. Kalix entered the barracks where the Frederick flag hung. 

 

“Your Highness,” he greeted.

 

Reukis was inspecting the bow and arrows he would use for the hunting competition. 

 

Kalix saluted sharply. “I’ve finished preparing the unit.”

 

“Kalix,” Reukis tilted his head slightly and spoke. 

 

“On days like today, when the captain is absent, you, as the vice-captain, must take command of the knights.”

 

“Ah.” 

 

Kalix, who had come to report as usual, let out a bewildered sound. 

 

Now that he thought about it, Reukis’s attire was slightly different from what he was used to seeing. The black uniform and black cloak were the same, but the emblem on his shoulder was not that of Altairs. 

 

Instead, it was the symbol of the Frederick Grand Duchy, two crossed swords and a wolf with golden, piercing eyes. 

 

Today, Reukis was not the captain of the Altairs Knights but the head of the Frederick Grand Duchy.

 

Kalix nodded, finally understanding the weight of his words. 

 

“I’ll correct that.”

 

“Good work,” Reukis acknowledged.

 

“Your Highness, are you here?” 

 

Another voice interrupted their conversation as it was coming to an end. 

 

When Reukis responded, a palace servant entered. 

 

“His Majesty will be arriving shortly. Please gather everyone once you’ve finished your preparations.”

 

“I’ll head there immediately,” Reukis replied briefly before stepping out of the barracks.

 

💫

 

Near the entrance of the forest, a crowd had already gathered. 

 

About half of them stood close to the forest, near the fence set up earlier by the imperial knights. 

 

Judging by the horses accompanying them, they were likely participants of the competition. 

 

Behind the onlookers, a sturdy podium had been prepared for the Emperor and Empress. 

 

The podium, towering high, seemed to assert its dominance, as if it were only natural for it to overlook everything below.

 

Reukis, waiting for a servant to bring his horse, turned his gaze toward the crowd outside the fence. 

 

Naturally, he was looking for Merria. 

 

Contrary to his expectation that she wouldn’t be mingling in the crowd, she was surrounded by young ladies in dresses. As he scanned the area with a puzzled look, the answer quickly became clear. 

 

‘It’s because of the young lady of the Marquis’s family.’

 

Merria was positioned precisely between Karina and Lilith. 

 

With these two, who were well-connected in social circles, flanking her on either side, it was no surprise that the young ladies had flocked to her. 

 

While Reukis was worrying about Merria’s mental fatigue, Altheon and Domnique arrived. Their presence signaled that the start of the hunting competition was imminent.

 

As the chattering young ladies dispersed, the two princes came into clear view. Their well-groomed noble steeds suited each of them perfectly. 

 

Altheon, with his indifferent expression, and Domnique, with his heightened enthusiasm, presented a stark contrast that piqued the interest of the nobles.

 

‘It must be exhausting for them to constantly become a spectacle every time they’re together as brothers.’