Without even a chance to cry out, Latifa closed her eyes tightly at the sight of the massive fangs approaching her.

[Dash]Clang!

Suddenly, a powerful force gripped the back of Latifa’s head and yanked her quickly backward.

“Haa, haa…!”

Stunned by the rapid turn of events, Latifa couldn’t utter a word and could only pant heavily.

‘What just happened?’

[Dash]Growl.

The lion acted as if nothing had happened, lazily grooming its large front paw with its long, pink tongue.

And right in front of her, embedded horizontally in the bars, was a sharp sword.

Latifa found herself dangling from someone’s arm.

“Are you insane? Sticking your head into a lion’s cage without fear? You must be eager to die! Even if you stuff it with hundreds of offerings, don’t be stupid and think that creature is a housecat!”

Hades, his voice tinged with rage, growled at Latifa more frighteningly than the lion had.

[That male has always been behind you these past few days. Hahaha. Didn’t you notice?]

Being mocked by a lion was a first for her.

[That male values my female. I was once like that too.]

Of course, blushing at a lion’s words was also a first.

“There’s no way that’s true!”

Latifa strongly denied it with her flushed face, prompting the lion to speak sternly again.

[Tsk. Though I may only be a former king, my eyesight is still good, insignificant human. Those are clearly the eyes of a male who wants to claim a female.]

At the lion’s words, Latifa was so shocked that she couldn’t argue back.

“Hey?! Get a hold of yourself. Are you out of your mind? Dammit.”

Hades, who seemed to interpret Latifa’s silence as fear, lifted her up in his arms and turned away from the lion’s cage.

“Are you okay? Didn’t get bitten or anything? You don’t seem to be bleeding… Damn, I need to call the physician again! Anyone there?!”

Looking up from her position snuggled tightly against his chest, she saw his considerably flustered face. His dark eyes were quivering as they examined Latifa.

‘Are those the eyes of a male trying to claim a female…?’

[Dash]Thump, thump.

Contrary to his usual pounding heartbeat, his heart was now beating at a faster tempo.

Hades hastily extended his large hand and began to feel various spots on her cheeks and forehead.

“You’re the dumbest woman ever! Where’s the physician? Anyone there?!”

Latifa shook her head at his words.

‘Impossible. If he had any affection for me, he wouldn’t have called me stupid.’

Pushing against his chest, Latifa finally spoke.

“I’m fine.”

“Dammit! Gods of the desert!”

Suddenly, she felt as if the ground beneath her had sunk, no, it actually had. Hades had sat down on the ground, still holding her.

“Dammit, dammit! I thought you were dead! I thought you dropped dead!”

His emotionally charged tone was tinged with an inexplicable mix of sorrow, anger, resentment, and a hint of madness. Latifa had no idea how to respond.

“I… I’m not dead. I’m fine. Wait, gah! General Hades…!”

On top of that, he forcefully pulled Latifa into his chest, making it difficult for her to breathe.

“How dare you die without my permission! You’ve agreed to be my wife, so even your life is mine! Every strand of your hair to the tips of your toes is mine!”

“Uh, gah! Yyes! II, can’t, breathe!”

She was on the brink of suffocation due to his nearly crazed embrace.

“How dare you act like you have no right to be happy!”

…
He seemed oblivious to the fact that Latifa was gasping for air, pounding his chest in desperation as he continued to roar incomprehensibly.

‘I can’t believe he’s not listening to me at all!’

Left with no other option, she mustered all her remaining strength to reach out a hand towards him. Gently, she touched his frenzied cheek.

“Hmph…!”

The moment her warm skin made contact with his hand, he abruptly ceased his yelling.

[Frau. My happiness. No one can take my happiness away.]

‘Ah, I can hear his voice again. Why? Why do I keep hearing his voice?’

Questions surfaced briefly.

His inner voice, sounding slightly different from the angerfilled tone just moments ago, seemed mournful. Latifa softly held his cheek.

Contrary to her expectation that it would be quite hard, his face was a little sticky due to the desert heat but still soft like any other person.

Following that gentle touch, Latifa tried to calm him down slowly.

“Look, I’m not dead. Your happiness, Frau, is still alive… Please relax and let go of me before I really die!”

Upon hearing this, the arm that had been tightly coiled around her began to loosen. Latifa took the opportunity to take deep breaths as she rested her face against his chest.

“Phew! I thought I was going to die from asphyxiation, not get eaten by a lion!”

Worried that she might lose her breath again, Latifa continued to gently touch his cheek as she finally lifted her head.

‘Huh, something seems different?’

His unfathomable dark eyes, once burning as if they could consume everything, had calmed down for the moment.

“Latifa, I…”