I Became The Wife Of The Cursed Grand Duke Chapter 122

When Kalian and Evelyn finally uncovered the secrets of their past lives intertwined, Kalian had a fleeting thought. 

 

He knew there would come a time when he would have to sincerely apologize to her.

 

“I have a favor to ask, Evelyn,” he said.

 

But he never imagined it would be under these circumstances.

 

“Please, grant me my freedom,” he pleaded.

 

He certainly never dreamed he would be begging her, burying his face in her embrace like this.

 

“Hah, no,” Evelyn replied.

 

And he definitely didn’t expect that response. 

 

She clenched her teeth stubbornly, but Kalian wasn’t the type to back down so easily. 

 

His eyes, filled with a raw intensity, locked onto her trembling figure, as if she were on the verge of breaking.

 

Thud.

 

“Ah…!”

 

In one swift motion, he tore through the lace and firmly grasped Evelyn’s hands. This was it. 

 

This was what she wanted. As if reading her mind, he leaned in, his voice rough and low.

 

“I’ve wanted to torment you like this every day.”

 

His lips, teasing her to the edge, sent her already hazy mind into a whirlwind.

 

“Me too, ah, me too,” Evelyn admitted.

 

“When we get to the villa, I’ll hold you like this all day. We’ll share honey wine from morning till night.”

 

She hadn’t known they were heading to a villa, or that it was to celebrate their marriage, but Evelyn couldn’t focus on his words.

 

“Hah!”

 

“So be satisfied with this for now. Don’t wear yourself out too soon.”

 

“Ha, ha, ha…”

 

Their hands grew more intimate, and with it, their minds drifted in and out of clarity. 

 

Soon, a wave of overwhelming ecstasy engulfed them. 

 

Evelyn’s head fell softly onto Kalian’s shoulder. 

 

Naturally, he cradled the back of her head, pressing his lips firmly to her forehead and shoulder.

 

Inside the carriage, which had just weathered a storm, only the sound of their ragged breaths lingered for a while.

 

* * *

 

The dim moonlight filtered through the window. The darkness was thick, only allowing them to make out each other’s presence.

 

Thud.

 

Kalian pushed open the balcony door, the soft noise echoing. 

 

Everything felt heightened, as if their senses were on edge. The quiet night allowed them to focus solely on each other.

 

“Is this why we left so late?” Evelyn asked.

 

“You can only truly appreciate this villa’s beauty at night,” Kalian replied.

 

The space between them was minimal, and the atmosphere was ripe for their lips to meet and their bodies to entwine. 

 

Their breaths, their warmth, their touches—everything between them was hypersensitive and charged.

 

Kalian pulled one of Evelyn’s thighs firmly against his pelvis. 

 

Even on her tiptoes, she couldn’t match his height, but he skillfully adjusted, his gaze intense. 

 

Evelyn wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered,

 

“So, when did you prepare this place?”

 

This was Florian, a resort city in the southeastern part of the empire, near Luden. 

 

A place she had never been to before. It was surprising that Kalian had built a villa here. 

 

But what was even more surprising was the current situation—how they had ended up pressed so closely together in the dark, with the breeze gently brushing past them.

 

They had just arrived at the villa and were sharing honey wine in the dining room when…

 

“Kal?”

 

He softly pulled her wrist to his lips, then suddenly lifted her thigh, asking,

 

“Hmm, do you remember when I asked you what kind of house you wanted to live in?”

 

It was the night they first slept together. Evelyn answered without hesitation.

 

“Yes, you asked what kind of house I’d want if I were granted land. Though what I received was a mine, not land.”

 

The alcohol seemed to be hitting her late, as the room spun around her. Every word he spoke felt like a sweet breath washing over her.

 

“You said something back then. That it wasn’t about the house, but about who you were with and how you lived.”

 

‘Did I?’ Evelyn thought.

 

She looked at her husband’s handsome face, reminiscing about that day.

 

“I just want to live an ordinary life like everyone else. As long as I’m with someone good, the form doesn’t matter.”

 

“Hmm, so you’re saying you wouldn’t mind rolling around in a stable as long as there’s love?”

 

‘Well, a stable might be a bit much,’ she thought, shrugging at the time. Kalian spoke calmly.

 

“I’ll give you that.”

 

“Give me what?” Evelyn asked, puzzled.

 

At her response, Kalian, with a faint smile, carefully set her down in a prepared spot.

 

“An ordinary life, like everyone else. That’s what I wanted to give you, which is why I chose this place after much thought.”

 

“Huh? So…”

 

Kalian held her waist firmly and turned her around to sit. Suddenly, her feet dangled over the balcony railing, but she wasn’t afraid at all. 

 

Her gaze was stolen by the stars sparkling above, as if they were about to pour down from the pitch-black sky.

 

“Wow…”

Her lips parted in awe. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and whispered,

 

“It’s a wedding gift, Evelyn.”

 

“A gift…?”

 

“They say this is the place with the best view in the empire. We’ll need a space of our own, free from interruptions.”

 

A very private and intimate space. 

 

Evelyn remembered how, in their past life, he had transformed the balcony with the best view in the castle to celebrate her birthday. 

 

Her heart raced, even though she knew he couldn’t possibly remember the past now…

 

A brief silence hung between them. After a moment, he spoke softly, a gentle smile on his lips.

 

“In our past life, I gave you the best view in the castle… This time, I wanted to give you the most beautiful place in the empire.”

 

“…What?”

 

Her heart sank. Evelyn, who had been gazing at the sky, quickly turned her head. Kalian steadied her tilting body and sat her back down.

 

‘Did he remember our past life? Or had he known everything from the beginning? How did he know I had regressed?’

 

Countless questions swirled in her mind, but Evelyn couldn’t voice a single one. 

 

She simply stared at him, her eyes wide and red with confusion. Kalian didn’t rush her, patiently waiting for her to speak.

 

After a moment of silence, Evelyn murmured,

 

“How did you…?”

 

Finally, Kalian nodded slowly, a smile playing on his lips.

 

“It must be confusing. You don’t have to try to understand it.”

 

‘Did he see visions in the dungeon too?’ Evelyn forced a smile and awkwardly replied,

 

“…It’s not so much confusion, but I’m curious how you knew I traveled back in time.”

 

He sighed softly and rested his chin on the top of her head, then tightened his arms around her.

 

“I only found out recently. Aether returned the memories it had taken from me.”

 

“Aether? You mean, it also turned back time for us…?”

 

At his silent affirmation, Evelyn shook her head, her mind in turmoil.

 

“I really… didn’t expect this.”

 

It was understandable. He felt the same way. He didn’t want to burden her with more confusion. 

 

Kalian decided to keep it a secret that she was the wife he had loved so dearly in their past life.

 

Instead, to lighten the mood, he asked playfully,

 

“Did you ever expect that we’d meet again at the Count’s estate and end up in such a special relationship?”

 

Evelyn looked up at him instead of answering. Kalian gazed down at her, their foreheads touching.

 

“Life is unpredictable. Things happen that you could never dream of…”

 

His soft hair brushed against her face as he held her slender waist firmly.

 

“So, no matter what unexpected things happen in the future, I hope you’ll trust me.”

 

“…I will.”

 

“Can you promise me that?”

 

“Yes, I won’t be anxious.” Evelyn whispered soothingly. 

 

Kalian clenched his jaw. 

 

If he didn’t, he feared he wouldn’t be able to hide the ache in his heart as he looked at her.

 

‘I love you. You’re so precious it hurts, and I’m terrified of losing you again.’

 

But knowing that his true feelings might burden her, he swallowed them down. 

 

Instead of pouring out his heart, he kept his usual calm demeanor.

 

“Thank you.” He whispered, pressing his lips to her delicate wrist. 

 

Evelyn smiled softly as she gazed at him.

 

Though she didn’t know what the future held, she had always trusted him from the start. 

 

So, maintaining this unwavering trust wouldn’t be difficult. 

 

Evelyn playfully wrinkled her nose, lightening the mood.

 

“I know a way to make the wine taste even better.”