Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 95

Don’t Get Caught by Your Husband! Chapter 95. Night of Comfort (1) (95/130)

#95. Night of Comfort (1)

May 29, 2024

Escalion had been gone for a long time.

Belladonna looked out the dark window with a worried expression.

‘He seemed to rush out of the castle earlier… Hasn’t he returned yet?’

After blinking for a moment, Belladonna quietly got out of bed.

Slipping on her fluffy slippers, she went near the door but stopped, looking back.

“……”

Since the previous night, she had been afraid of being alone in the large room.

His bedroom, where the attack had occurred, was even more frightening, so she had returned to her own room, but this place was just as eerie and scary.

One of the assailants was dead, and the other was captured, so it should be safe…

Yet, she didn’t have the courage to open the door and walk down the hallway.

Hesitating, Belladonna swallowed hard and resolutely placed her hand on the doorknob.

She picked up a small lamp from the side table and slowly began to walk down the hallway.

“Are you alright, Madam?”

Just then, a voice came from downstairs.

Peeking her head over the staircase, she saw Hazel, who was on dawn patrol, looking up at her.

*Nod, nod! It’s me!*

Seeing a familiar face made her feel relieved.

“You’re still awake at this hour… Is something the matter? Shall I call a maid for you?”

Hazel asked, bounding up the stairs two or three steps at a time to stand before her.

Belladonna shook her head and looked up at him. *What about Escalion…?*

“The Commander will be back soon.”

*Where did he go?*

Hazel, noticing Belladonna’s questioning expression, looked embarrassed. He scratched his brow and blurted out.

“Ah, he must have left in such a hurry that he didn’t share it with you, Madam…”

“……”

“The accomplice captured this afternoon said something strange. It seems there’s one more person who infiltrated Gribalta Castle using a secret portal… He said that person went outside the castle.”

*Outside the castle?*

Then their goal isn’t just to kill Escalion? What could be outside the castle that’s so important?

“As soon as he heard that, the Commander looked for Scarlett Layton, as if he had a specific place in mind.”

“……!”

*Could it be…!*

Belladonna was startled and widened her eyes. Did something happen to Scarlett?

Hazel hesitated, as if unsure whether he should say this, then slowly opened his mouth.

“First of all, Scarlett Layton was not found at her home… But there were also no immediate signs of anything terrible happening to her.”

A fleeting thought of relief passed through her mind, but she couldn’t relax.

Then where did Scarlett go?

“Don’t worry too much. Scarlett tends to wander around without telling the Commander, so we are currently inquiring around her house, places she frequents, and acquaintances she is close to.”

Hazel’s words made her feel a belated dizziness.

Belladonna swayed and grabbed the railing.

In her mind, she pictured Scarlett’s face, chattering to her when she came to the castle.

*‘That vicious man….’*

So the Pope, while planning to assassinate Escalion, had also planned to reach out to his half-sister, Scarlett Layton, in case of any unforeseen circumstances.

*‘I forgot that he always prepares contingency plans when making plans….’*

Even when planning the divorce between Belladonna and Escalion, he had sent letters as if by mistake, anticipating that Belladonna would not act according to his wishes.

Belladonna felt pathetic for still being helpless against the Pope and let out a trembling breath.

If there are no immediate signs of harming Scarlett…

Is he planning to take her to Astanya? The thought that the Pope might use her as a hostage to threaten or manipulate Escalion crossed her mind.

“Madam, please go back to your room. The Commander will be back soon.”

Hazel said, supporting her. Belladonna nodded weakly. She leaned on him and went back the way she came.

* * *

In her sleep, she heard the sound of the door closing.

Belladonna, who had been dozing off curled up in bed, reflexively sat up.

In the darkness, Escalion was taking off his top, crossing his arms, and heading to the bathroom.

“Escalion……”

When Belladonna spoke in a very small voice, he immediately raised his head.

“You weren’t asleep?”

“Scarlett… Did you find her?”

“……”

There was no answer.

Belladonna felt her heart sink and bit her lower lip.

Escalion, who had been heading to the bathroom, changed direction and approached her.

As he came closer, the cold air he had picked up outside came with him.

“Don’t worry too much. She usually wanders around without telling me, so we might not know yet.”

“……”

“So, get some sleep. Were you perhaps unable to sleep because you were afraid of being alone?”

Belladonna shook her head.

Escalion’s voice seemed nonchalant, but she could feel a faint sense of unease.

He was worried about losing his sister.

“I’m sorry……”

“What for?”

“I, I think the Pope did that because of me……”

At her words, Escalion let out a low sigh.

“It can’t be your fault. If you think about it, it’s my fault for provoking the Pope.”

“But……”

“Bella, go to sleep. I’m a little tired today, so I need to wash up quickly.”

Escalion cut her off and immediately turned around. He walked into the bathroom.

Soon, the sound of water dripping from the faucet could be faintly heard.

“……”

Belladonna had no choice but to lean back against the pillow.

A few minutes later, the sound of water stopped, and Escalion appeared, roughly covering his body with a towel.

She thought he would come straight to the bed, but he pulled out a chair from the table and sat down heavily.

After staring into space for a moment, he sighed, burying his head as if in pain.

Belladonna, watching him, got up from her seat and approached him.

“Escalion.”

She quietly repeated his name and placed her hand on Escalion’s stiff shoulder.

She simply stood by his side, silently stroking his shoulder.

After a while, a low voice came from him, his head still bowed.

“……I’m going to Astanya [a foreign country] as soon as it dawns tomorrow.”

“Okay. Shall we go together?”

At Belladonna’s question, Escalion couldn’t answer easily.

He didn’t want to take her to Astanya, but he hated leaving her alone here even more.

He couldn’t figure out which decision was best for her safety.

“……”

“I want to go.”

“You want to go?”

“Yes. I want to help find Scarlett, and I want to find out things for myself there.”

Instead of answering, Escalion let out a deep sigh.

He raised one hand and pulled Belladonna closer by the waist, leaning his face against her.

Belladonna gently stroked the back of his head, which was resting on her lower abdomen.

“……I want to kill the Pope.”

“……”

“I feel like punching that greasy face right now.”

Escalion said, emphasizing each word as he tightened his jaw.

Belladonna stroked the back of his head and calmly opened her mouth.

“If it’s true that the Pope kidnapped Scarlett, he won’t kill her right away.”

“……”

“He’s cunning. He’ll probably use Scarlett as a hostage to threaten you. He’ll use Scarlett to the fullest extent possible.”

“I’ll never let him have his way.”

Escalion spat out. Belladonna looked down at him with a troubled face.

“Don’t worry too much. We’ll be able to bring Scarlett back safely.”

“……Bella, I’m glad you’re here.”

He mumbled, still burying his face in Belladonna’s body.

“When you say that, I really feel like we can… So I feel calmer. Until just now, I was really… scared.”

Instead of answering, Belladonna tightened her grip on the hand that was embracing his face.

She was glad that she could be a comfort to him, even if only slightly.

At that moment, he moved his hand on her waist, slipped it inside her top, and carefully touched the wound on her back.

“Who did this?”

“……”

“Are you not going to tell me until the end?”

“If I tell you, your desire to kill the Pope will only get stronger, right?”

“Did that bastard do it?”

Escalion took his face away from her body.

His golden eyes, looking up at Belladonna, were soon filled with deep anger.

“Tell me. Did that bastard lay a hand on you?”

Belladonna turned her gaze away without a word.

Escalion, confirming the answer with that, gritted his teeth, and angry muscles bulged on his jaw.

He clenched his fist, with thick veins protruding.

“One more reason to kill him.”

But soon, his face, trembling with anger, changed to a desperate expression.

“How could you…… Bella, why didn’t you tell me until now?”

“……”

“Didn’t you say you didn’t want to hide anything from me anymore? If you tell me this now, I…….”

Escalion sighed in frustration, pressing his eyes with both hands.

She could feel that he was genuinely upset.

Belladonna hesitated and opened her mouth.

“I was worried that you… would react like this.”

“React like what?”

He frowned and asked.

Belladonna stared at him quietly and then slowly said.

“If you harm or kill the Pope… you become a traitor. You could be exiled from the Empire or sentenced to death for killing a clergyman directly appointed by the Emperor.”

“So?”

“So? Of course, I didn’t want that……!”

“So, for that reason, you made me a fool who just came back, even with the person who hurt my wife like this in front of me?”

“That’s not it……!”

Escalion moved away from her. He pressed his eyes with both hands as if he was tired.

“This is the worst.”

He spat out in a miserable voice.

“Do the people of the Elinus Empire know that he is such a person? Do they know that he is a criminal who commits violence against his adopted daughter without any guilt, instigates the murder of those who displease him, and kidnaps people?”

“……”

“I feel sorry for the people who believe he is God’s representative.”

Escalion removed the hand covering his face.

In the darkness, he slowly raised his golden eyes.

In his eyes, there was deep fatigue and anger.