Don’T Get Caught By Your Husband! [EN]: Chapter 96

#96. A Night of Comfort (2)

“Are you hiding something else from me?”

His question, spoken from the darkness, made Belladonna open her tightly shut eyes.

They were supposed to leave for Astanya early the next morning, so they had forced themselves into bed, but neither of them could easily fall asleep.

Belladonna stared silently at his profile as he looked at the ceiling.

When she didn’t answer, Escalión turned his head.

“I asked if you were hiding something else.”

“No, I’m not.”

“I wish I could believe that.”

He spat out the words as if grumbling.

But there really isn’t anything else… Belladonna fidgeted with her fingers, touching the blanket.

“I really don’t. I’m sorry I couldn’t tell you in advance.”

“Then that’s a relief.”

Escalión finished speaking and moved his large upper body.

He turned to face Belladonna, reaching out to touch her pajamas.

“It must have hurt a lot.”

Instead of answering, Belladonna stared into his golden eyes.

Normally, he would have thought of tomorrow and gone to sleep without a word.

Even if he couldn’t sleep, he was even less likely to wake his sleeping wife to force a conversation.

Yet, seeing him holding her and talking like this, she could tell he was very anxious.

Belladonna moved her arm, gently brushing back Escalión’s hair as she spoke.

“It doesn’t hurt now.”

Escalión frowned at her answer.

After blinking silently for a moment, he moved his thick hand and began to undo the buttons of her pajamas one by one.

Soon, skin that shone white in the darkness was revealed.

“It unsettles me.”

“What does?”

“The scars on your skin.”

Escalión grimaced as if the scars on Belladonna’s body were his own, looking tormented.

Soon, he spoke again.

“At first, I pretended not to notice. I just couldn’t believe you had these scars… I just couldn’t believe it.”

“Escalión has even worse scars.”

Belladonna pointed to the deep scars that seemed to have naturally settled as if they had always been part of his body.

There was a large one running from his neck to his collarbone, another on his chest below it, and countless other cuts and marks everywhere else.

Escalión let out a hollow laugh, like a sigh.

“Are you and I the same?”

“Is there any difference?”

“You are too…”

Escalión carefully reached out and touched Belladonna’s scar.

The tip of his calloused finger touched her body.

His touch was as soft as a feather and as hard as a weapon.

As if committing a great sin just by touching her, Escalión moved his finger over her body, frowning and swallowing hard.

“You’re too small and white. I feel like you’ll break if I hold you too tightly. How could you possibly have…”

Escalión finally looked away.

He muttered in a very small voice.

“I can’t even imagine how much it must have hurt.”

“Did it hurt a lot for Escalión?”

Watching him, Belladonna reached out her hand.

She carefully extended her finger, as he had done, and slowly stroked his scar.

Escalión, who had been looking down, raised his golden eyes again.

“How much would it have hurt to get such a deep, large scar like this?”

“I don’t even remember when I got hurt.”

Belladonna rose from her lying position. She carefully moved and placed her lips on his scar.

Escalión grabbed her with a trembling hand.

“Bella…”

“Please don’t be so anxious.”

At her words, Escalión sighed.

Belladonna moved again and placed her lips on another of his scars.

Escalión grabbed her arm tightly.

“So terribly sacred.”

He said with a painful-looking smile.

“Unfortunately, I’ve lost my divine power, so I can’t heal you.”

“I don’t want you to use your divine power. You’re using your life force.”

Escalión replied immediately.

Belladonna said in an indifferent voice.

“If things were normal, I could have erased even these scars cleanly. My healing power was quite amazing.”

“I don’t need it.”

He carefully pulled Belladonna’s arm, which was touching him, towards him.

“But this doesn’t feel bad.”

After speaking, he buried his lips in the long scar on Belladonna’s arm.

Belladonna shrugged her shoulders at the hot breath and the lips touching her skin.

Escalión, who had showered the red scar with light kisses, raised his head.

He soon moved his face to the bluish bruise on Belladonna’s upper chest.

His lips touched it once more.

It was ticklish, but as he said, it didn’t feel bad.

“……”

Soon, Escalión, who had kissed each of the scars on Belladonna’s body once, took his lips away.

In the darkness, his calmly lowered golden eyes turned to her.

He didn’t say anything, but she felt like she knew what he was saying.

Belladonna reached out her arms and hugged his neck.

Escalión grabbed her as if collapsing.

“Bella…”

“I hope you won’t be too anxious. And don’t be afraid.”

“It’s less so because you’re here. So…”

Escalión muttered.

“…so, please don’t run away again.”

Belladonna nodded. She hugged him even tighter with both arms.

She wanted to take away all the anxiety that was weighing him down, even if only in this way.

Belladonna stroked the back of Escalión’s soft head and opened her mouth.

“I won’t run away. Never.”

Escalión replied with a bitter smile.

“Yeah. Because I’m the kind of person who can only believe my wife’s words.”

Until dawn, they did not let go of each other, their bodies pressed tightly together.

* * *

The next day at dawn, as the dim light shone on Gribalta, Belladonna, with Cindy’s help, put on several layers of thin clothing and left the castle with Escalión.

As soon as they left the castle gate and reached an open space, the first thing that caught their eye was a small portal emitting a blue light.

Did they create a portal to Astanya in advance?

“Commander, Madam! Have you arrived?”

While she was distracted by the portal, Hazel’s voice came from the opposite side.

Turning her head, she saw several horses tied to the trees behind them, and Graham, Hazel, and other knights standing in front of them.

Escalión waved casually at the knights who greeted him and walked straight towards the wizard wearing thick glasses.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“This is the limit of my magic power. Have a safe trip.”

The wizard said, stepping back from the portal he had created.

He gasped for breath and bowed towards the ground.

“Haa… It’s definitely not easy to create a portal in Gribalta. Even though it’s a place authorized by the Empire and a path where a little magic flows.”

“You said it would take until noon to complete it, but you made it much faster than you were exaggerating.”

“It would have been impossible if you hadn’t given me extra money.”

The wizard quickly replied to Escalión, who was speaking with a sullen face.

Meanwhile, Belladonna stared blankly at the very small and cute portal in front of her.

At this size, it’s not even easy for a carriage to pass through….

“Commander, let’s depart right away!”

Graham said, leading the horses closer.

Hazel, who was following behind him, approached Belladonna and asked with a worried face.

“But really… are you sure you’re okay without a carriage?”

Belladonna quickly shook her head.

For now, they had to be satisfied with this size of portal.

In this urgent situation, she couldn’t insist on a carriage that couldn’t even pass through the portal just to make herself comfortable.

“But…”

Belladonna passed by Hazel, who was still anxious, and stood next to Escalión.

He naturally grabbed her waist, carefully seated her on the large black horse, and then jumped up behind her.

“Let’s go.”

“Okay!”

“Understood!”

Escalión, who had Belladonna trapped between his thick arms, moved the reins up and down with force.

At the same time, the horse carrying them shot forward at a rapid pace.

Ugh, it’s fast! Belladonna couldn’t withstand the sudden speed and leaned against Escalión.

Soon, a feeling of dizziness and nausea washed over her.

Belladonna instinctively raised her hand and touched the square key she had put in her pocket.

She had brought it just in case, and she felt like she couldn’t lose it.

She closed her eyes tightly and took a calm, deep breath.

Half a day later, after passing through several portals and finally exiting the Astanya portal, they immediately changed direction.

Escalión naturally turned the horse and galloped towards the entrance of the Papal Palace.

But as soon as they arrived at the entrance, several knights guarding the entrance blocked them with long spears.

When Escalión stopped the horse, the largest of them opened his mouth.

“No one is allowed to enter the Papal Palace.”

“Do you not know who this is? It’s the Saintess of Astanya!”

Hazel, who was standing behind, jumped forward and shouted.

At his words, the knights all turned their gaze to Belladonna, but there was no change in their expressions.

“I repeat, by order of the Pope, no one is to be allowed into the Papal Palace from this time forward.”

What is this…? Belladonna frowned and looked down at them.

It seemed that they were not the only ones who could not enter the Papal Palace; she could see the worshippers who had visited the place turning back.

All of them seemed dissatisfied with the sudden closure.

“What’s the reason?”

Escalión asked in a low voice.

At his force, the knight swallowed hard and replied.

“I, the reason… I cannot tell you.”

“You can’t tell me, or you don’t know? Then tell the Pope. Tell him that I and my wife have come from Gribalta to see the Pope.”

“Cu, currently… he is in the middle of an important prayer, so it is not easy to tell him.”

“Haa…”

Escalión immediately let out a hollow laugh.

“What is this, provoking people like this?”

He looked like he was about to explode, so Belladonna hurriedly raised her hand and grabbed his arm.

Escalión took a deep breath as if trying to hold back his anger.