Strategic Marriage with the Mad Villain - Chapter 61

“When I was young, gently stroking my hair would often lull me to sleep. Why don’t you try it with Roel?”

‘…Will it work?’

I’ll be lucky if she doesn’t swat my hand away.

I didn’t want to repeat the wound I received from Reus before. But no matter how much I pondered, no other good ideas came to mind.

Roel thought she should at least give it a try and sat up from her lying position.

“Um, Reus.”

At the sound of her voice calling him, Reus slowly turned his head, looking a bit haggard. His expression was no different from usual, but he seemed utterly exhausted.

Roel carefully asked in a voice full of concern.

“Have you not been sleeping well these days…?”

Reus slightly turned his body to lie down. Then he gently laid Roel back down with a soft touch.

“Am I bothering you?”

“No, no…! I was just asking because it seemed like you haven’t been sleeping well lately.”

“I apologize if I made you worry. I’m naturally a light sleeper, so just ignore it.”

The fact that he was always like this pierced Roel’s heart. She felt it was better to try anything, even if it was a stretch.

“You know, Reus. That… Your hair…”

“My hair?”

“Hair…”

When Roel hesitated excessively, as if saying she had a headache, wrinkles began to form on Reus’ forehead.

However, what followed were words he never expected.

“Should I… stroke your hair for you?”

It wasn’t that he was in pain, but that she was simply worried about him.

With that, some life returned to his half-relaxed expression.

And suddenly, an old memory, from who knows when, popped into Reus’ mind.

He had seen people like Roel a few times, who bestowed kindness without expecting anything in return. Whenever he observed such people from a distance, he would think there was nothing more futile than that.

Even if they did that, no one would feel genuinely grateful, and it was clear that such a small act of goodwill wouldn’t change those people’s lives.

So wouldn’t it be better to take care of your own life instead? He might have even inwardly sneered a little, thinking cynically.

But when he actually received heartfelt kindness… It was immensely pleasing.

He couldn’t tell if kindness was originally this sweet to the recipient, or if it felt that way because the woman’s voice was so sweet.

However, seeing her face slightly darken with worry for him, one thing was clear – if he fell for a woman, he fell hard.

But Roel was completely unaware of Reus’ feelings. His intent gaze felt like a reaction stemming from absurdity.

As expected, it was a ridiculously nonsensical suggestion.

Roel, with her cheeks flushed red, tried to somehow salvage the situation by babbling.

“O-of course you can refuse if it bothers you. I just thought it must be so agonizing if you can’t sleep… I wanted to try anything I could to help. I even considered burning sleep incense, but it probably wouldn’t work anyway, and I thought you might not like it… Ah, but that doesn’t mean I wanted to stroke your hair…”

Seeing her rose-colored skin flushed red down to her neck, Reus couldn’t hold back the feeling that tickled his heart even more today.

Soon, Roel became even more embarrassed by the low laughter that resounded, and she started rambling again.

“It’s a bit weird, right? I-I said something unnecessary. I’m sorry, I woke you up even more because of me. I didn’t mean to do this, just pretend you didn’t hear it…”

“Roel.”

Even in his briefly uttered voice, laughter was evident. Roel, whose embarrassment had reached its peak, covered her eyes with one hand without answering.

It seemed she was regretting speaking up.

He couldn’t exactly confess to her ear that he would like anything she gave him now. It was quite a predicament.

Reus grabbed Roel’s hand that was covering her eyes and lowered it. Her clear eyes, mixed with all sorts of emotions, trembled wildly.

“You do talk more when you’re flustered.”

“…”

At Reus’ words, Roel’s cheeks turned almost as red as a ruby.

These days, she would even timidly object to things, but she wasn’t doing that now? He waited a moment, wanting to hear her complaining tone, but the woman’s face only turned redder and redder, as if it would burst at any moment.

It was a pity, but Reus moved Roel’s hand to the top of his head.

Her slightly moist eyes blinked in confusion.

“Let me know if you change your mind.”

“No! I haven’t changed my mind…”

“It looks that way.”

At his playful voice, Roel’s eyes briefly sharpened.

“But…”

Although she was glad to have received permission, Roel had no idea what to do as she hadn’t expected this.

Facing each other while stroking his hair didn’t seem like a good idea.

“Wouldn’t it be more comfortable for you to turn around?”

“I’m comfortable like this.”

“Is that so…?”

Roel’s eyes clearly said, “I’m uncomfortable, you know.” As much as he wanted to tease her all night, Reus soon turned his body.

Roel intently stared at the movement of his fierce muscles slightly revealed under his robe.

‘Was his body always this big?’

She had thought he was large and sturdy even when his body was facing forward, but his wide back felt somehow even more massive.

‘It might be a bit difficult to stroke his hair while lying down…?’

Thinking that her arm would keep bumping into Reus’ shoulders if she lay next to him and touched his hair, Roel sat up again.

She also considered laying Reus’ head on her legs for a moment to comfortably stroke his hair, but…

‘No. Definitely not.’

Let’s just sit behind him and casually stroke his hair.

At that moment, Reus spoke in a voice unable to hide his amusement.

“If you keep your hand like that, it’s like I’m being baptized.”

These days, he often spoke mischievously, as if he couldn’t help but tease her.

It made her suspect that he only allowed this to tease her. But since she was the one who offered first, Roel slowly moved her hand.

Soft silver hair brushed past her slender, long fingers. As it hadn’t been long since he showered, his hair was strangely cool, and that chill seeping through her hand felt pleasantly nice.

However, his hair was so soft that it felt like his hair was tickling her hand rather than her stroking his hair.

Whenever that happened, a similar sensation fluttered in Roel’s heart.

“It seems Aunt Shanette said something unnecessary again.”

“…How did you know?”

“Because she used to put me to sleep like this when I was young.”

As expected, Shanette didn’t mention it for no reason, Roel thought, when Reus continued.

“Usually I would just pretend to be asleep, though.”

At those words, the delicate hand stroking his hair faltered. Then Reus placed his hand over Roel’s and moved it again.

* * *

The sudden warmth enveloping the back of her hand made something greatly stir in Roel’s heart for a moment. It was a sensation she had never experienced before in her life.

Roel, finding it too unfamiliar, wriggled her captured fingers.

‘What is this…?’

Then Reus personally straightened her restless fingers and naturally brushed the back of Roel’s hand lightly with his thumb. Only then did his large hand slip away.

It was just a small movement, but the emotion rippling in Roel’s heart surged even greater.

“But it wasn’t completely ineffective.”

“Is that so…?”

“I would fall asleep about once every ten times.”

Not nine out of ten, but barely once every ten times meant…

‘Didn’t you just fall asleep because you were tired, regardless of having your hair stroked?’

Roel felt somewhat deceived but continued to move her hand for now. Then, trying to create a comfortable atmosphere, she spoke softly in a small voice.

“Shanette seems like a really good person.”

“Yes. Even if I devoted my entire life, I probably couldn’t repay even half of what she has done for me.”

“Why do you think that? You can just treat her even better every time you meet her from now on.”

Well. Would there be anything left after revenge? Reus thought that, let alone repaying gratitude, he would be fortunate if he could avoid causing harm.

“Of course, the same goes for you.”

“…”

“When do you plan on giving me a chance to repay the favor?”

“Hmm…”

When he says he’ll repay the favor, she avoids it like that, but she’s good at telling others to do it.

‘So just ask me to eat the chocolate.’

Reus grumbled inwardly, but in fact, he liked even such trivial requests. It was proof that the woman who used to have difficulty even making eye contact with him now felt comfortable enough with him to joke around.

Still, her lack of serious consideration for compensation was frustrating in its own way. He was waiting, wanting to give her what she wanted as much as possible, but he probably wouldn’t get an answer.

However, he had no intention of letting her go without giving her anything.

‘Since she said she plans to settle in Beliata, I can buy her some land there.’

If he could, he wanted to just buy an island and give it to her. But it was obvious she wouldn’t like that very much.

Or maybe he should take this opportunity to transfer all the assets of the Rochester Duchy, which would soon disappear, to Roel.

Reminding himself that she was leaving soon made his heart ache. But the living must live, mustn’t they?

Reus quietly began to make various plans.

Meanwhile, Roel seemed to be nodding off, and soon she completely stopped moving her hand. Her feather-like touch flowed down the back of Reus’ neck.

‘She said she would put me to sleep.’

What if she falls asleep first? A hollow laugh escaped at the absurdity.

Reus turned his body very slowly to lie down so as not to disturb the bed.

As expected, Roel had fallen into a very deep sleep in that short time.

He fiddled with the ends of her platinum hair for no reason, but only heard her soft breathing.

As he quietly watched her, Reus quickly felt at peace.

He kept thinking that when he was with Roel, it felt like being in a different world.

When they were together, it seemed like no bad things would ever happen. He was sometimes engulfed in a feeling that the future ahead was only brilliant and would last a lifetime.

So he kept gazing at the sleeping woman and envisioning the future.