The Male Leads Were Stolen By The Extra [EN]: Chapter 146

The garden, once barren and neglected, was finally complete.

“Wow! I can’t believe this is the same garden we saw at first! Isn’t that right, Miss?”

“I agree! It’s brimming with spring!”

Ella and Maxwell clapped their hands in delight.

Eun-yeong watched them with a pleased smile.

Ella and Maxwell seemed to have grown quite close while she was recovering. They were now comfortable enough to speak casually to each other.

Today marked a little over a week since they had come up to the North and started living in the Duke’s residence.

Originally, they had intended to go to the Demon King’s castle, but it hadn’t been restored since it was destroyed during the battle. Moreover, Tom and Jack had disappeared, leaving the Duke’s family without a head.

If the head of the family suddenly disappeared, those working in the Duke’s castle would become unemployed overnight.

Furthermore, the Duke’s castle served as a fortress protecting the North, tasked with guarding it from monsters.

The Duke originally had no blood relatives, and Tan, disguised as a bastard, was his only heir. Tan had already officially inherited the title of Duke and was the master of the Duke’s castle.

Above all, as long as he remained as the Duke in the Duke’s castle, monsters would not threaten the North, so they chose not to abandon their positions.

“Are you alright?”

Tan, who had personally transplanted the last tree, put down the shovel and turned to Eun-yeong.

“Very much so. I’m looking forward to the fruits that will ripen in the fall.”

Eun-yeong nodded with a smile.

The fully grown Lewin tree majestically adorned the garden. The tree, just sprouting new buds, would bear the fruit Tan had mentioned in the fall.

They could have easily decorated the garden by mobilizing the servants, but Tan insisted on doing it himself, sweating as he moved, saying it was a gift he wanted to give.

Of course, thanks to his strength, which was on a different level from ordinary people, the garden was able to take shape without taking too long.

In the middle of the garden, where the northern flower Mandria bloomed, a large Lewin tree, like an old willow, stood at the center.

In the spring, the Mandria flowers would bloom in various colors, and in the summer, the Lewin tree with all its leaves would provide cool shade.

In the fall, the Lewin tree would bear fruit, and in the winter, crystal-like icicles would form.

It was the scenery of the four seasons that the two would now face together.

“Isn’t the sunlight too harsh?”

Tan, who had approached unnoticed, spread his large hands over her forehead, creating shade.

Thanks to him, it became easier to open her eyes, and Eun-yeong reached out to Tan, who was facing the sunlight in front of her.

“You’ve worked hard.”

She gently brushed off the dirt on his left cheek, which seemed to have splattered while moving the trees.

Tan then languidly closed his eyes, like a beast enjoying a human’s touch, and accepted her touch.

Eun-yeong chuckled with pleasure at the expression she could never have imagined before. These were the most peaceful days.

“Master, the bathwater is ready.”

Tan’s eyes flashed open at the servant’s cautious words.

His large hand grabbed Eun-yeong’s hand and headed into the mansion without hesitation.

Eun-yeong couldn’t help but laugh again at his hurried pace, wondering what was making him so impatient.

* * *

“Hmm… I think my hair has turned a bit darker.”

Wiping the steamy mirror, Eun-yeong looked at her reflection from various angles.

She thought it had completely changed by now, but it felt like her hair had become even darker than yesterday. The purple hue was almost gone.

Of course, black hair without any purple was closest to her original appearance.

“Come here.”

Just then, Tan, pushing back his wet hair, said urgently to Eun-yeong, who was standing in front of the mirror.

Inside the bathroom, he was already in the wide bathtub, where hazy, warm steam was rising in clouds.

Of course, the space in front of him was empty. It was Eun-yeong’s spot.

“Don’t you think so? Doesn’t it look darker?”

Whether she knew his heart or was pretending not to, she nonchalantly asked, continuing to linger in front of the mirror.

“Quickly.”

“Yes? Answer me.”

Despite his urgent urging, Eun-yeong didn’t care and turned to Tan with a bright smile.

Seeing that, Tan raised an eyebrow.

He immediately realized that she was deliberately teasing and tormenting him. Without another word, he raised his hand from the water and beckoned.

“Wait a…! Kyaa!”

Eun-yeong shouted as she recognized it, but it was already too late.

Splash.

Eun-yeong’s body, helplessly dragged, gently sank into the bathtub with a soft splash. Exactly in front of Tan’s body, her designated spot.

And the culprit who caused all this wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tightly so she couldn’t escape.

“That’s what you get for dawdling.”

Tan smiled leisurely, as if finally satisfied, and rested his chin on her white, round shoulder.

Her scent, which had become even more intense with the faint smell of water, was permeating his senses.

Thump, thump, thump.

As always, her presence made his heart beat a little faster than usual.

“I can take a bath by myself. You don’t have to join me every time.”

Knowing well that she couldn’t escape now that she had been caught, Eun-yeong grumbled but leaned the back of her head against Tan’s shoulder.

“No. I told you, I always feel like I don’t have enough of you.”

“Seriously….”

In the end, Eun-yeong didn’t add another word to that.

She knew he had always hated being apart, but it had become even worse since she had collapsed and woken up again.

Now, he wanted to be with her 24 hours a day.

She had explained that such a thing would never happen again, but he understood yet couldn’t shake off his anxiety.

Knowing his heart, which had been waiting anxiously without any certainty, she ended up giving in again today.

“I hope my hair turns even darker.”

Tan lifted the ends of her hair, which were submerged in the water, and rubbed them with his fingertips.

Her hair, soaked in water and even darker, was incredibly soft.

“Why?”

“I wish there was at least one thing that you and I had in common.”

With those words, Tan hugged her even tighter and lowered his lips.

His wet lips repeatedly stuck to and peeled away from her exposed, round shoulder, making soft smacking sounds.

Eun-yeong, tickled by it, let her mouth fall open and chuckled, then paused for a moment in thought.

She couldn’t possibly not understand what he meant.

After all, he and she were fundamentally different. A human and a Demon King. Even the duration of their allotted lives was different. In some ways, they had nothing in common.

But what did that matter?

“Look at this.”

She briefly released herself from his arms and turned to face his eyes.

Then, she compared her hair to Tan’s wet hair and showed him.

“It’s already the same.”

The color of their hair, soaked in water, was indeed the same.

Honestly, this wasn’t important.

Because the feelings we had for each other were the same, nothing else mattered.

Still, how nice it was to have such visible similarities.

Eun-yeong loved her changed hair. Now, just by looking at herself, she could always think of him.

“Yes. You’re right.”

Tan couldn’t help but smile at her lovely gesture.

He lowered his gaze and kissed her forehead.

As Tan’s lips fell away, Eun-yeong leaned her face against his firm chest.

Leaning against the warm bathtub and warm embrace, her body naturally felt relaxed.

“My father would have liked you very much if he had seen you.”

“Yes? You had a father?”

Only for a moment. Eun-yeong, who had lifted her head, gasped and shut her mouth.

She had spoken without thinking, but after saying it, it was such a terrible thing to say.

She had assumed that he, who had been a Demon King since birth, would not have parents.

As she reproached herself for being rude, Tan was looking at her with an incredulous expression.

“Did you think I fell from the sky?”

“Ah, no. That’s not what I meant….”

“I know.”

Tan chuckled as he watched her flustered. He hadn’t intended to tease her, but seeing her embarrassed, his mischievous lips moved on their own.

He hugged Eun-yeong, who was still embarrassed, to comfort her.

“If that old man had seen you while he was alive, he might have taken you as his daughter-in-law in advance.”

“Re, really?”

Eun-yeong trailed off with an awkward expression.

What part of her would he have liked? She had no idea what the previous Demon King’s taste was.

“Yes. Well, the dead don’t speak, so it’s just my guess.”

“…….”

“Judging by the fact that he doesn’t even appear in my dreams, he must be busy rolling around in hell.”

What kind of otherworldly comment was that?

His own father was rolling around in hell…….

It wasn’t that she didn’t understand, but she couldn’t follow this conversation at all.

Eun-yeong, who was rolling her eyes to somehow escape this awkward conversation, touched his scar in front of her.

“This scar never disappears after all.”

The scar on his chest was very clear, as if it would never disappear.

The only fortunate thing was that his pain, which had come every midnight, had disappeared.

Was it because his soul had stabilized? Even though he had taken the power of Tan that was in her, she no longer felt weak or sick.

In a way, it was because of this scar that she and he had met.

She felt sorry for leaving the scar, but she was also grateful to be able to meet him like this…….

“Hmm. Does that mean we’re going to the bed? Or here?”

“……Pardon?”

Eun-yeong, who had been deeply immersed in various emotions, lifted her gaze at the words that shattered them all at once.

Then, his red eyes, which had changed at some point, were burning with a passion hotter than the scorching sun.

“If you’re going to keep touching me like that, let’s go to the bed. I’ll let you touch me as much as you want.”

Before she could say anything, Tan picked her up and got out of the bathtub.

“No, I was going to take a nap because I’m tired….”

“Sleep at night.”

“You don’t sleep!”

Tan, who didn’t sleep, didn’t leave her alone all night. Eun-yeong raised her voice at the unfairness, but it was no use.

Because his wet footsteps were already leaving the bathroom and heading to the bed.

Today, too, the day and night were long without fail.