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Chapter 37

“Hoho, you’re just like a kitten, you know?”

If I were a cat, I’d tear your face apart with my claws!

‘Should I knock him down?’

The Marquis seized my trembling shoulders and pinned me to the bed.

‘Thankfully, I have the mermaid in my hand...’

After hiding the thin bottle in the pocket of my wide pants, I quickly rolled away from the Marquis as he attempted to kiss me.

“I heard that Notte’s dancers are prideful. On top of that, you’re being sulky, too?”

“This is not what I prepared for, Marquis.”

“What I want to see right now is not your dance.”

To buy time, I tried to talk to the Marquis, but he cut me off at once and used his hands to fumble around like a disgusting toad.

‘Chalk, where’s my chalk?!’

I searched my pocket to find my alchemy chalk, but there was nothing I could find other than the bottle. Perhaps because I kept rolling around to get away from the marquis.

‘Damn it.’

Then I saw a white chalk rolling into a corner that I couldn’t reach and frowned.

“Get out of my way.”

“Well, this kind of cat-and-mouse game isn’t that bad....I strangely feel heavy right now. We don’t have time, baby.”

Despite my firm refusal, the Marquis climbed on me, panting heavily.

“I bought that medicine at a very high price.”

‘Shit. How can you resist the paralyzing scent! You’re not a rhinoceros!’

It was produced for humans, so it wouldn’t work against big animals like elephants. But the Marquis is still a human despite his monster-like appearance and personality.

‘No matter how robust the Marquis is, it doesn’t make sense for him to be this resistant.’

I was petrified by the current situation, so I bit my lip. I intended to draw alchemy with my blood.

“Huh? Baby, why are you biting your pretty lips to bleed?”

He patted my lips as if he found it regrettable.

‘Why am I your baby?’

I turned my head to avoid the marquis’ lips and tried to wriggle out of his grasp. Perhaps he noticed that I was trying to get away, he quickly pinned my stomach against his thighs.

“Argh!”

“Hmm, shall we see your pretty face? I can’t see your pretty face if you cover it up, can I?”

The Marquis held my wrist down and advanced closer to me.

“You can just cover it up again, though. Hehehe, your scent is awesome. It’s a smell that makes me swallow my saliva.”

The Marquis drooled like someone sitting in front of a lavish feast.

‘On top of using his own stimulant, he’s also charmed by my scent. So he must have lost his mind by now.’

I was frustrated because the charming scent that I sprayed on myself had driven him even more crazy.

“Argh!”

At the same time, I quickly completed my alchemy with my free hands and sent him flying across the room.

“Arrgh!”

The Marquis fell to the floor, squealing like a pig.

‘What the? I haven’t even recited the spell yet.’

I hurriedly raised my upper body to see the man who trampled on the Marquis. Even in the dark bedroom, his silver hair shone particularly bright.

“Your Hi-!”

He quickly put his index fingers on his mouth as if to warn me not to call his name.

‘I almost called His Highness.’

Fortunately, the Marquis was completely wasted by my paralyzing scent, so he only flailed his arms and legs after getting stepped on by Joseph.

I was very lucky to overcome this crisis.

But how can Joseph already move?

‘I’m sure the scent will wear out in three hours, so how is he awake already?’

My eyelids trembled as I began to doubt my own skill. I couldn’t believe the drugs that I made are this weak.

Will I be able to heal Carlo’s legs with such terrible skills?

While I was engrossed in shame, Joseph approached me.

“Wife.”

He looked so emotionless as he called me to the point I wondered if he was the Joseph I know.

‘Are you angry?’

But I could clearly feel that he was angry with me. His slightly raised eyebrows displayed his intense anger.

“Didn’t I clearly say that this could be dangerous?”

Joseph was not the type to explode even if he was angry. Rather, he would cool down like an iceberg and surprise his opponent.

“I’m sorry.”

I was so scared, so I took a deep breath and fixed my messy hair before approaching him.

“I thought it’d be easy. Because Marquis Derriano is quite easy to deal with.”

I kicked Marquis’ head that got in my way and grabbed Joseph’s arm.

“I didn’t want you to drag you into this matter.”

His arm was so tight that I couldn’t fully hold it with my hand. I just realized that his muscular body might be the reason my drugs didn’t work on him.

‘The dosage must be insufficient.’

Fortunately, there was no problem with my production method.

Feeling relieved, I suddenly realized that Joseph didn’t answer me and raised my chin.

“Joseph?”

He looked so disoriented, and soon turned his gaze away from me.

“What’s wrong?”

I frowned when I noticed Joseph’s reddening ears.

“..Please get out of the way.”

His voice rang lower than usual. It seemed that my apology wasn’t enough to relieve his anger.

“I’m sorry.”

“....”

“I know you were angry because I acted alone, but I couldn’t hand over the young mermaid to a man like Marquis Derriano.”

If I turned a blind eye to it, the little mermaid sold at auction would forever be exploited by the old geezer in the Holy Council who dreamed of eternal life.

‘It’s true that we don’t know the future, but that doesn’t mean we should turn a blind eye to our surroundings.’

My father was a human who would casually trample other lives just to keep his youth a little longer. The Holy Council was mostly filled with terrible humans like my father.

“Still, I’m sorry for acting recklessly.”

“..It’s alright.”

But Joseph’s face was still as stiff as ever.

‘You don’t seem to be alright at all.’

I originally wanted to get along with Joseph before I left Katan, so I walked toward him with awkward steps.

“Please, don’t come closer.”

“Don’t be like this. I said I’m sorry...”

“Wife, please stay away from me.”

Gasp!

As if he was holding his breath, he tried to shake me off and stepped back.

“Please.”

I had been hanging on Joseph’s arm to relieve his anger, but I shivered as soon as he said that. I could feel the heat swirling around as he pleaded with me.

‘Is there a side effect?’

But I specially made it for the innocent dancers, so it’s only a mild tranquilizer!

“Joseph, are you feeling unwell?”

Surprised, I approached Joseph who kept avoiding me.

“No.”

“Look at you now. It could be a side effect of the sleeping scent.”

“I’m really okay.”

As I neared Joseph to check for any symptoms, I frowned when his sword poked my hips as if to keep the distance between him and me.

‘This is bothering me.’

I tried to push his scabbard away with my hand, but Joseph freaked out and grabbed my arm.

“Rita!”

He was so cold before, but he suddenly looked so flustered.

“Huh?”

It was the first time he called my name, so I was quite surprised. I glanced at Joseph’s forehead that was dripping with cold sweat even as his lips looked so dry.

‘Come to think of it...’

Did he bring his sword along?

I definitely told him to leave it because it could attract unnecessary attention.

He said it was necessary to bring a weapon, so I saw with my own two eyes that he only brought a dagger and hid it in his sleeve.

‘Then what was that just now...’

It was definitely something heavy and thick covered in a cloth. But then I remembered that Joseph’s long sword wasn’t something that could easily be carried.

Upon realization, my jaw dropped and I raised my gaze. His face was ghostly pale.

No way.

“...!”

After a brief silence, I hurriedly stepped back.

‘I-Is it because of the charming scent that I made?’

However, the perfume I made only has the effect of enhancing the user’s natural charm. It wasn’t a scent to stimulate sexual desire!

‘I’m sure I made it wrong.’

I clenched my fists as I alternately glanced at the Marquis, who still lay unconscious on the floor, and at my husband who covered his face in embarrassment.

‘So it wasn’t a sword, after all....?’

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