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『It is a strange beast… hmm, It\'s often said that men who are deeply insecure can never really sleep, not because they have restless nights, but because their minds are always awake, tangled in the worry of what might happen.

『Loving someone intensely, especially when she\'s desired by others, can amplify this insecurity. It\'s almost paradoxical: the more you love her, the more you fear losing her. That fear isn\'t just about her slipping away; it\'s about the potential reflection of your inadequacies.

… Ahhh~

『When you\'re infatuated with someone who\'s the center of attention, every glance from another man can feel like a threat to your worth. This insecurity is a bitter irony… proof of your love, but also a mirror to your vulnerability. It\'s the side of love that turns you into an ugly, green beast.

『No matter how much you love someone, always keep a portion of your heart so that not all of it is broken when they\'re finally taken by someone better. In the end, when they leave you, all you\'ll have left to return to is that piece of your heart that didn\'t betray you.』

Vritra stood before Katherine, watching as the noblewoman lay on the ground, looking utterly defeated. She didn\'t even lift her face from the rough, grassy earth, just quietly crying out her pain and frustration.

~ Hic…sniff…hic…sob…!

The dark prince knelt beside her, gently lifting her from the ground.

Katherine panicked and tried to push away.

"Please! My husband shouldn\'t see us like this!"

No matter how hard she struggled, Vritra was both strong enough to hold her securely in a gentle, bridal carry and careful enough to make sure she didn\'t hurt herself.

He treated her like an egg.

A delicate and undeniably beautiful one.

"A man who would slap a beautiful woman like you doesn\'t deserve to be your husband. Don\'t you see that?"

Katherine couldn\'t bring herself to argue. She\'d just been slapped by her husband──a shameful first that she hadn\'t seen coming.

"I… I\'m surprised. Cedric isn\'t usually like this. He loves me, I know that. I think he just feels threatened whenever I\'m around other men. He\'s wanted to hit me before, but I…"

"But what?" Vritra asked softly.

"I didn\'t think he\'d actually do it this time. My husband isn\'t a violent man… I don\'t know what\'s wrong with him."

Overwhelmed by emotion, Katherine buried her face into Vritra\'s chest and cried harder.

Aaaaahhh…nnnnh…hic…sniff~!

Her sobs were quiet but filled with sorrow, and the way she clutched at the fabric of Vritra\'s clothes showed just how deeply she was hurting.

Katherine wasn\'t crying because her husband had hit her; she was crying because he actually would. He had always treated her with respect before, but now, that seemed to mean nothing.

Cedric had completely lost any care for her, and she had no idea how to fix things.

━ ━ ━ ━

Some minutes later…

Vritra and Katherine sat side by side, quietly watching the calm, clear pond before them. The silence between them lingered, not because Vritra didn\'t know what to say, but because he wanted to give Katherine time to clear her mind.

After a while, he decided it was time to speak.

"Katherine…"

He spoke softly and put a hand on her thigh.

Immediately, Katherine started trembling with fear.

To her, Vritra was nothing but trouble, and she felt like everything wrong in her marriage was somehow his fault.

"Please, God Vritra… can we not do this?"

She sounded dull and broken.

Vritra sighed softly, then gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

Katherine flinched, thinking he was trying to kiss her, and instinctively tried to push him away. In her mind, Vritra had always harassed her, mentally tormenting her and touching her in ways that disgusted her.

But this time, it was different.

Using his [Blood Magic], Vritra healed the small bruise on her cheek from Cedric\'s slap.

"Does it still hurt?"

"N-no… it doesn\'t."

Katherine lowered her head again and gripped her dress tightly while rubbing her feet together.

"Th-, Thank you, my lord."

[Ding! Katherine\'s affection for you has experienced a great increase of 50 points!]

Vritra smiled softly. "Ah, it\'s fine."

Silence melted into the atmosphere again.

"About your husband…"

"I don\'t want to talk about it. And don\'t worry about him hitting me, it was my fault."

"Really? How\'s that? Did we sleep together and I forgot? Or did he hit you for something else, like his insecurity over not deserving a woman as beautiful as you?"

"Please, don\'t talk about him like that."

"Are you sure?"

"Y-, Yes. Why would I want you, a man trying to steal me from my husband, to insult him? Women don\'t have many rights in this country, so at least we take pride in the man we marry and the family name we carry. It would be an insult if I gave myself to you. I have children who look up to me…"

"I agree that women don\'t have rights here, and for a good reason. But in your case, if given the chance, you might have been one of the few impressive women."

"What… does God Vritra mean by that?"

Katherine looked up at him, her pretty amber eyes sparkling like wet earth under a starry night sky.

[Ding! Katherine\'s feelings for you have grown again after hearing a compliment she\'s always wanted to hear. Her affection has increased by 20 points!]

Vritra gently placed a hand on her face and smiled.

"I had my servants look into you and your noble house a bit more. It turns out you would have had a bright future if Cedric hadn\'t come along. But I can still offer you that future if you leave him and marry me. I could even make you the marchioness of this city. You\'d have the life you wanted, and your kids would be safe too."

These offers were tempting.

They were exactly what Katherine had always wanted and why she had worked so hard to become highly educated.

But those ambitions were now gone.

"No…"

Katherine pushed Vritra\'s hand back and looked away.

"I respect you out of fear, God Vritra, not because you\'ve done anything to earn my respect. But please, don\'t ever say something like that again. You might as well kill me if you do. My husband doesn\'t deserve to be cheated on, no matter how heated he\'s been lately. He\'s the reason I\'m in the position I am today; otherwise, my family and I would be slaves.

He saved my family\'s name and gave me the honor of marrying a successful man like himself."

[Ding! Katherine has reinforced her love for her husband. The host has lost 20 points of affection from her!]

Small frustration appeared on Vritra\'s face.

『It seems I\'ve been too lenient…』

The dark prince rose from the wooden bench.

"Is that so?"

He put his hands behind his back and looked up at the blue sky with a calm, self-satisfied expression.

"It\'s been quite some time… I should get back to my wife. But remember, I promised I\'d tell you something about your husband, yes? Let\'s finish that up first."

Vritra put out a hand and summoned a large scroll.

He threw it to Katherine and then left, saying a few final words before departing.

"What\'s in there is the truth about your husband. It\'s up to you whether you want to believe it or not, but it should answer some of the nagging questions you\'ve had. Remember, this comes from someone who already knows your darkest secrets, so it\'s definitely no lie."

Before Katherine can even respond, Vritra was gone.

The scroll in her hands.

It didn\'t just have the power to ruin her marriage.

It was also the real beginning of Vritra\'s plans.