“Once again, I won’t go easy on you just because you’re a woman.”
“That’s what I like to hear, that you won’t go easy.”
Ever since the day Casus took responsibility for Atia’s wish to “become stronger,” he had been able to spend much time with her.
Additionally, due to her belief that exercising on an empty stomach was the most effective, Casus’s day started with Atia.
It became mandatory to work out with Atia before entering his office.
“Just one more… ugh… one more!”
Though she seemed about to give up, Atia continued to push her limits.
The gym was heated with their exertion.
Their clothes were soaked in sweat, and their heavy breathing filled the space.
Their intense training piqued the curiosity of the servants passing by outside the room.
“Oh my!”
“My heavens…”
“What’s that noise?”
The servants walked slowly and quietly down the corridor, discreetly listening to the noises coming from the gym.
“Heu…ya!”
A sound similar to a scream from the duchess could be heard, accompanied by the heavy breathing of Duke Wellington.
“Huoyaa…! Delicious! Delicious!”
The servants, who had been exchanging glances, passed by quietly while suppressing their laughter.
Casus was extremely proud of how well Atia was following along.
Even knights struggled with the regimen, but Atia endured it as if her life depended on it.
As if someone were chasing her with a knife.
Standing on the mat, Atia took a deep breath with the custommade barbell placed on her back.
“More.”
“Huh?”
“Add one more.”
“Here?”
“Yes, it’ll be more delicious that way.”
Atia would use the word ‘delicious’ when the exercise became tough.
With a gaze full of enormous intensity.
Casus liked that fierce gaze.
As a result, the time he spent working out with Atia in the morning became his most enjoyable part of the day.
Even when he was working in the office, he would think about what she might be doing at that moment.
Scribble.
Scribble.
Without realizing it, Casus began to sketch Atia lifting a barbell on paper.
Initially, he thought her cheerful exercising demeanor was mismatched.
But now, the sight of her sitting quietly felt more unfamiliar.
(This is a time marker.)
Every day without fail, Atia stood in front of the mirror to check her physical condition.
“Looks like I’ve gained some muscle.”
Could it be a placebo effect?
It only had been a few days since she began working out with Casus, yet she felt as if her muscles were preparing to grow.
‘Damn, am I actually improving?’
The workouts with Casus were indeed intense.
She felt fatigue creeping in, her legs wobbled, and she even nearly collapsed once.
‘What’s certain is, um, I’m getting better.’
Compared to when she trained with Kesha, her stamina had improved.
She was determined to break through this phase and regain her former physique.
“Aza! Aza!”
Atia took poses in front of the mirror and shouted with vigor.
(This is a time marker.)
The 12th festival would start tomorrow.
Atia looked at the sunset hanging on the mountain peak, eagerly waiting for tomorrow.
“Blackie, how have you been?”
Atia waved to Blackie, who was gnawing on cheese inside the cage.
“Woof!”
As soon as Blackie heard Atia’s voice, he set the cheese aside and responded.
Blackie had grown significantly since they last met.
He was mediumsized at first, but now he had grown as large as a lion.
Seeing the grown Blackie brought new emotions to Atia.
“Eat up, eat up.”
Blackie looked cute as he bit into the large, holey cheese.
“You like cheese, huh?”
“Woof!”
“You should try chicken breast too. Protein shakes are good.”
“Woof! Woof!”
Blackie wagged his tail like a propeller.
Clearly, the highly intelligent Blackie seemed determined to become part of the Duke’s estate.
At first, everyone was too scared to get close to him.
Even after a few days passed and Blackie hadn’t caused any accidents, people still kept their distance.
Because Cerberus is originally a fierce magical beast, after all.
But wherever one went, there were always people who loved animals.
Moreover, they say familiarity breeds affection.
Ever since servants occasionally witnessed the black dog getting along harmlessly with the Duchess, some of their hearts began to change.
Especially the gardener of the Duke’s residence had been famous for his love for animals since childhood.
Thus, he was also the first to open his heart to the black dog.
After observing that the dog didn’t show its teeth even when approached, he mustered the courage to pet it and found the black dog’s fur surprisingly soft.
From that moment, the gardener was smitten with the black dog.
And volunteered to care for the black dog along with his gardening duties.
From then on, the gardener spent joyful times taking walks with the black dog, giving it tasty treats, and occasionally playing with it.
Not just the gardener, a few other servants were already helplessly captivated by the cuteness of the black dog.
Yet, the majority of the servants still kept their distance, afraid of the black dog.
Male lead reborn without memories — but he still falls for her.
The person he finds displeasing in this life turns out to be his cherished wife-master in previous life…
Xie Zhi and Fang Xianxing who had known each other for less than three days through a blind date sat in the same car in front of the civil affairs bureau. They had a disagreement and failed to get married.
Xie Zhi immediately took out his phone, slid through his contacts, and randomly selected the next marriage candidate.
The woman snatched his phone and hung up. Looking at his phone wallpaper, she awkwardly changed the subject: “An ancient painting, eh? It looks pretty good, it’s just that the person in the painting looks a bit like me.”
When he heard this, he sarcastically mocked her for being so delusional, completely unaware that, the person in front of him was the reincarnation of Wen Ru, the famous prime minister of Yuan Shun whom he most admired…
The female CEO who doesn’t want to get married with a divorce agreement in hand × The male archaeological researcher who will only get married if he’s sure he can get divorced
