Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 63

#63. What I Gained (1)

May 02, 2024

“Are you alright, Madam?”

Nod, nod.

Belladonna nodded, sinking deeper into the hot water filling the tub.

“I’m so sorry about yesterday. Ugh, that was the best wine I’ve ever had, and I guess I drank too much without realizing it. When I came to, I was passed out at the table all alone… You must have been so surprised?”

Belladonna shook her head again.

She couldn’t properly hear anything Cindy was saying.

Cindy, who had been watching her carefully for a moment, spoke again.

“Anyway, a-are you not sore? How could it be this bad…”

Feeling inexplicably embarrassed, she blushed and lifted the bubbles floating on the water, using them to scrub Belladonna’s round shoulders.

She knew that the master and mistress were quite affectionate, but this was the first time she had seen it this intense, and she was taken aback.

“…….”

Belladonna simply stared blankly at the fluffy bubbles.

This morning, when she lifted her heavy eyelids, she was alone in the wide bed.

Escalion must have left early in the morning, as the empty space beside her felt cold.

Even so…

Belladonna wiggled her hands in the water.

Whenever she spent the night with him, he always held her close until she woke up.

He would laugh, saying she seemed to lack the ability to regulate her body temperature, and warmly embrace her, who was much colder than him, but he didn’t do that today.

Realizing that yesterday’s conversation had also ended in failure, a wave of sadness washed over her.

There really isn’t much time left now…

“Ah, Cardinal Nicholas went out early this morning to tour Gribalta.”

Cindy, who had been carefully cleaning her body, suddenly spoke as if she had just remembered.

Then did Escalion go with him?

Introducing the territory was the lord’s main role, so there was no reason why it would be strange for him to go out with Nicholas.

“The Lord didn’t go with him. Instead, it seems like Lord Volf and some of the knights are touring together.”

Ah, I see.

Belladonna nodded vaguely.

Then he must be training in the training grounds or catching up on pending work in his office.

And those were all things that took precedence over Belladonna.

‘How bitter.’

Belladonna slowly blinked her eyes.

Even if she were to leave Gribalta as it is, Escalion would simply continue to protect this territory.

Maybe he’ll even take a new wife to replace me.

The mere thought of someone else standing by his side, not her, made her heart ache.

At first, she naturally thought of parting with him, and she kept trying to distance herself from him, but she felt empty at how things had turned out like this.

“I’m done here, but if the water is warm, would you like to stay in a little longer?”

Shake, shake.

“Then I’ll go get a towel, please wait a moment!”

Cindy, who had been sitting next to the tub, got up.

As she left the bathroom, Belladonna leaned her head back against the tub and stared at the ceiling.

Haa… She felt extremely stuffy.

“Huh? It looks like he’s already been here!”

Belladonna, who had dried her whole body with the towel Cindy had brought and came out of the bathroom, turned her head towards where she was pointing.

On the bedside table, there was a small ointment container.

Belladonna unconsciously raised her hand and touched her cheek.

The minor wounds on her cheek were almost healed now…

She had taken off all the bandages a few days ago, but did she still need to apply medicine?

“Let’s see…”

Cindy ran over and picked up the ointment container from the bedside table, narrowing her eyes as she read the instructions.

“It says to just apply an appropriate amount to cleanly washed skin.”

What is it for?

Belladonna craned her neck and looked at the instructions Cindy was looking at.

“Ah, this is an ointment that the Lord brought.”

Ointment? So my face is already healed…

“He came to me this morning and asked me to take care of you until he returned.”

“……?”

“H-He seems concerned about the red marks all over your body… This medicine is an ointment to apply to those areas.”

Cindy blurted out, blushing for no reason.

Red marks…? Belladonna also belatedly blushed as she lowered her head to look at her body.

T-These?

“T-The Lord went to see a doctor early this morning. H-He said these kinds of marks heal faster the sooner you take care of them!”

Cindy stuttered and hurriedly opened the ointment container, scooping up a generous amount of medicine with her finger.

“T-This, there’s so much area to cover… I don’t know where to start or how to apply it…”

Belladonna looked down at her blotchy body, feeling a strange mix of emotions.

So Escalion had been searching for ointment for me since this morning?

She thought she had been completely ignored, but seeing the ointment he had personally gone to get made her feel a little better.

“Tell me if it hurts?”

Cindy, who had been contemplating where to start, reached out her finger and said.

Belladonna nodded and held out her arm to her.

The cold sensation of the ointment covering her skin wasn’t unpleasant.

* * *

Sitting on the bed, Belladonna moved her ointment-covered arms and legs and raised her head.

Should I thank Escalion?

She had to talk to him if even the smallest excuse arose.

Seeing him buy the ointment himself… Maybe he doesn’t hate me that much?

Several times a day, expectations and disappointments towards him lifted and slammed her emotions.

‘Hmm…’

Anyway, it’s pretty bad.

Belladonna smiled awkwardly and looked down at her blotchy thighs.

Recalling how he had buried his face all over her body last night made her feel hot.

Ah, I think I’m a little hot…? Did I take too long in the bath earlier?

Belladonna, who had been fiddling with the skin where Escalion’s ointment had been applied, aimlessly stroked the mark on her thigh.

At that moment, a faint light shone from where her finger touched.

‘Huh?’

Surprised, Belladonna stopped moving her hand. As soon as her hand stopped, the faint blue light quickly disappeared.

Did I see it wrong?

Belladonna, her eyes wide, sat blankly for a moment before regaining her senses and slowly rubbing the red mark on her thigh again.

Under her slowly moving finger, a faint light began to flicker as before.

‘W-What is this!’

Belladonna screamed in surprise and struggled with her legs.

As soon as she took her hand off the wound, the blue light disappeared without a trace again.

What is it! It’s scary!

Then, Belladonna, who had been looking at her legs, lowered her head and stared intently at her thigh.

‘Wait a minute, this…’

The red mark seemed to have faded more than before, or was it just my imagination?

Or…

Belladonna narrowed her eyes and turned her head to look down at her palm. Could it be…?

Suddenly, an idea came to her, and Belladonna quickly straightened her posture and placed her palm on her thigh.

‘Okay, let’s try again!’

Taking a deep breath and focusing her mind on her fingers, a blue light emanated downwards.

The more she focused all her mind on the wound, the more she felt the faint light gradually intensify.

Soon, Belladonna took her hand off her thigh.

“…….”

Ah, I see.

Belladonna slightly opened her mouth and looked down.

Her thigh, which had been covered in red marks, had already turned white.

After watching the scene blankly for a moment, she let her hands hang down and leaned back on the bed.

Everything became clear.

So I lost my voice but gained divine power.

* * *

That evening, Belladonna stood in front of the mirror, looking at her perfectly healed body.

‘It’s real.’

She had definitely gained the Saintess’s divine power.

She didn’t know if this was a temporary phenomenon or if she would have to live like this in the future, but what was certain was that she could perfectly fulfill the role of the Saintess [a woman recognized as holy or virtuous, often believed to have a special connection to the divine].

‘Should I be happy about this, or sad?’

Suddenly losing her voice was definitely a sad thing, but gaining divine power instead was a bit ambiguous.

Does this mean I really have to walk the path of the Saintess? Now that it’s come to this, am I destined to live serving others?

‘If that’s the case, I wish I could live like that in Gribalta…’

As she continued to think complicated thoughts, she heard someone knocking on the door.

Turning her head, she saw Cindy peeking her head through the crack in the door.

“Madam! The Lord has returned.”

Ah, thank you, Cindy!

Belladonna smiled brightly at Cindy and quickly turned around.

She wanted to run to Escalion and tell him that she was grateful for the ointment, but that she had already completely healed herself with her divine power.

If she showed him that she could use her divine power freely like this, wouldn’t he need her?

Just as the Pope kept the Saintess in Astanya and used her, wouldn’t Escalion think of someone like me as essential to Gribalta?

‘It’s Escalion!’

Belladonna, who came out into the hallway, found Escalion standing across from her, about to enter her room.

She hurried her steps and ran towards him.

She could see Escalion turning his head at the approaching presence.

Belladonna proudly went in front of him and slightly opened the gown she was wearing.

“What are you doing…”

Escalion grabbed the gown with a flustered expression.

Ah, is this a bit much here?

She was so excited to tell him that she had completely healed all the wounds that she belatedly realized that she had rushed in without thinking.

Belladonna turned her head with an embarrassed face and carefully showed him around her neck.

Look! There was a red mark here, but it’s completely gone!

Escalion, who had been standing still and watching what she was doing, frowned.

“…Did you use your healing power?”

Nod, nod!

I use it really well!

“What? What are you thinking right now…!”

At Belladonna’s answer, Escalion, his face hardened, grabbed her arms tightly.

He raised his voice towards Belladonna.

“I told you not to use divine power here!”

Huh? Ah, I think you did…?

But even though she had been using divine power all day today, she didn’t feel any strain.

Maybe she had a body that was stronger in divine power than she thought.

Belladonna raised the corners of her mouth and smiled.

Don’t be like that, just listen to me. I’m better than you think…

“Cough!”

At that moment, a cough burst out from inside her body.

Belladonna, who covered her mouth with her palm and let out a small cough, smiled again.

But something was wrong.

Escalion’s face, who had been looking down at her, was gradually turning white.

Huh…? Why… Belladonna looked up at him with a puzzled face.

“You…”

Belladonna lowered her head, following Escalion’s uneasy gaze.

Huh…?

On her awkwardly spread palm, bright red blood was clearly smeared.