Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 81

#81. Reunion (1)

May 20, 2024

Belladonna gazed up at him, as if in a dream.

“Really… Really, Escalio?”

Even seeing him before her eyes, she couldn’t believe it.

The fact that he was here, at the Astagne Papal Palace, standing right in front of her, felt surreal.

She stood frozen, unable to do anything, feeling as though her breath had been stolen. Escalio tilted his head and spoke.

“I didn’t expect you to jump for joy, but should I at least be glad you’re not turning and running away?”

His tone was displeased, showing no sign of welcome.

Despite his negative reaction, Belladonna still couldn’t move an inch.

Escalio’s unique, rough, and dangerous aura, his languid gaze, and his scent seemed to envelop her completely.

“I didn’t come to catch you, so relax.”

At his low voice, Belladonna snapped out of her daze and slowly scanned his appearance.

With his dark skin and enormous build, he exuded a wild charm and looked completely out of place in the Papal Palace.

Seeing Escalio, whom she had missed so much, right before her eyes, she felt an overwhelming desire to jump into his broad arms.

Just as she was about to move her legs, Hazel’s voice came from behind Escalio.

“Commander, shouldn’t we see the Pope first? It’s only polite to pay our respects upon arrival.”

Only then did Belladonna notice Hazel and Graham standing behind Escalio.

Belatedly, Belladonna blinked in surprise.

Oh, there were other people!

“Lady, it’s been a while. You seem to have been very busy!” Graham said with a grin.

“I’ve never been to the Papal Palace before, so I got a little lost. I tried to ask people for directions, but instead of helping, a crowd just kept gathering…”

Come to think of it, that chaotic atmosphere from earlier…

A guest from Gribalta, and the Saintess’s husband at that, had arrived and was rampaging through the Papal Palace, searching for the Saintess and the Pope. It was no wonder the priests were startled and running around.

Wait a minute. What should I do now? Should I just run away with him? Ah, that wouldn’t work, would it?

With Escalio actually in front of her, she couldn’t calm down.

Instead of Belladonna, who was still flustered and unable to collect herself, Rosie whispered in her ear.

“The Pope is currently in his office.”

Ah….

Belladonna swallowed hard.

In her heart, she wanted to grab Escalio’s hand and return to Gribalta immediately, Pope or no Pope, but the expression she glimpsed on his face was too stiff.

He must be angry that she had made such a big deal about returning and then hadn’t come back for over two months…!

Belladonna sighed, frustrated by her inability to speak, even when he had come all the way here because she hadn’t returned.

Escalio, who had been staring at her, suddenly spoke.

“Do you hate it that much?”

What? Belladonna snapped her head up. What on earth did she hate….

“Hey, Commander! Let’s go say hello first,” Hazel said, grabbing Escalio’s broad shoulder and moving forward.

“Lady! I’m sorry, but please guide us to the Pope. We came so suddenly without any notice, so I feel like we should at least say something.”

Belladonna nodded blankly and turned around.

She walked towards the building where the Pope was, following the path that the priests around them slowly cleared.

As she walked, she finally felt like she was getting her thoughts in order.

Belladonna glanced back at the three burly men following her.

‘Why did Escalio suddenly come all the way to Astagne?’

Is he really angry that I didn’t return? Did he perhaps come to take me back?

If only that were the case….

Just then, Escalio, noticing her gaze, opened his mouth.

“I didn’t come to catch you. I came to return something.”

Return something?

She didn’t know what it was, but somehow, his words sounded like he wasn’t going to take her back to Gribalta, and she felt anxious.

At that moment, Graham, who was walking behind Escalio, spoke.

“Looks like the Lady has been busy too. We can just slowly wrap things up and escort her back!”

“That’s right! If we explain things well to the Pope…”

“Bella is not going back,” Escalio cut Hazel off.

At his words, not only Belladonna but also Hazel and Graham stopped in surprise.

“What? What are you talking about?”

“Then why did you come all this way? We thought you were coming to escort the Lady yourself!”

“I said I came to return something.”

“Who comes this far in person, with only two elite knights, just to return an object! In the Elinus Empire, where the postal system is so well-developed!”

Escalio frowned as if Hazel’s chatter was annoying.

He ran a hand through his hair irritably and nodded at the men who had stopped in place.

“Enough noise, let’s go.”

“…”

Hazel and Graham moved their feet with disgruntled expressions, but Belladonna still didn’t move.

So, I… I’m not going back to Gribalta?

As she, who had been leading the way, stood her ground, no one could move.

In turn, Escalio, looking down at the back of her head, also hardened his face.

Hazel and Graham, behind the couple, exchanged glances and hesitated before speaking in small voices.

“H-How about the couple having a moment of reunion before going to see the Pope?”

“That’s right! It’s been quite a while since the Lord and Lady have seen each other, so, s-should we give you two some time to have a written conversation?”

“Let’s do that! Yes! Then we’ll take a little walk around here for a while! Wow, the Astagne Papal Palace is really beautiful!”

“Yes, it’s really beautiful!”

As Hazel and Graham awkwardly disappeared, Belladonna raised her gaze.

Escalio, meeting her eyes, opened his mouth uncomfortably.

“They’re doing useless things.”

But Belladonna didn’t think they were doing useless things.

She reached out, grabbed his thick arm tightly, turned around, and started walking.

Belladonna really wanted to talk to him.

Regardless of why he had come all the way here, Belladonna really wanted to go back to Gribalta with him.

“Where are you going?” Escalio asked, being pulled along by her.

It wasn’t a question he expected an answer to, since she couldn’t speak anyway.

Belladonna silently led him into the building and up to where her room was located.

She judged that she couldn’t have a quiet conversation because there were still many priests glancing at them outside the Papal Palace.

“This is…”

My room!

Without hesitation, Belladonna stepped into the room, pushed Escalio inside, and slammed the door shut behind her.

Escalio, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room, had a strange expression on his face.

“You’ve gotten more assertive while I wasn’t looking?”

Belladonna stood there quietly, looking at him, then rushed towards him.

Escalio reflexively caught Belladonna, who suddenly jumped into his arms.

“What is this…”

Feeling his warm body temperature, strong scent, firm muscles, and smooth skin, it finally hit her. Belladonna kept burrowing into his arms, which she had missed so much.

Escalio really came here….

“Wait a minute. I appreciate the welcome, but let go of this first…” Escalio said in a troubled voice, trying to pull away.

Belladonna didn’t want to let go of him and tensed her whole body.

But for Escalio, removing Belladonna from his body was as easy as removing a leaf stuck to his body.

He finally pulled Belladonna away from him, made eye contact, and asked.

“…How have you been? I mean, since the birthday celebration.”

Belladonna raised her finger and wrote on his palm.

‘I. M. I. S. S. E. D. Y. O. U.’

Escalio frowned as he read the letters.

He almost blurted out that he felt the same way, and perhaps even more so than her, but he barely managed to regain his senses.

Because he couldn’t know her true feelings from the letters.

And in case his feelings might burden her, who wanted to stay in Astagne.

Escalio deliberately spoke in a blunt voice.

“You seemed peaceful enough, though?”

‘I. P. R. E. T. E. N. D. E. D. T. O. B. E.’

“You’re a good actress,” Escalio grumbled in response.

Belladonna quietly stared at him, who seemed unchanged, then slowly reached out and placed her hand on his cheek.

Escalio flinched noticeably and looked down at her.

Belladonna bit her lower lip, thinking that his low-set golden eyes were quite stimulating.

The atmosphere surrounding them quickly changed.

“…”

Eventually, Escalio, who had been maintaining eye contact with her, covered his eyes with a deep sigh.

“You know. Right now, I’m a little…”

“…”

“No, I guess I’m the crazy one for even thinking that. I should just get out of here and meet the Pope first…”

Escalio couldn’t finish his sentence.

Because Belladonna was carefully removing his hand, which was forcibly covering his eyes.

In the golden eyes revealed beneath his large palm, there was a heat that was different from before.

His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he made eye contact with her.

“Bella.”

Belladonna took a step closer to him, who was staring at her as if glaring.

At the same time, Escalio moved his upper body, cupped her cheeks, and bent down.

Her body was pushed back in an instant, and rough breaths intertwined.

Belladonna closed her eyes tightly and entrusted her body to him.

She felt her mind fading with the constant influx of hot breaths.

Soon, the room was filled with sensual sounds.

Belladonna stretched out her hands and ran them down Escalio’s large back.

His body, full of fine muscles, heaved greatly up and down.

“Haa…”

Escalio, who had briefly parted his lips, frowned and let out a low breath.

His eyes, which had turned red, formed a bizarre contrast with his dark skin.

Escalio, looking down at Belladonna with a half-dazed gaze, roughly grabbed the back of her thigh with a rough touch.