The Duchess and the Devil - Chapter 29.2

Chapter 29.2

TRANSLATOR: Matindi
PROOFREADER: Diana
QUALITY CHECKER: Akane

WARNING: Nudity

Judith didn’t have that well of an idea on how she would feel at that time. At first, she merely felt relieved when her husband died. She was able to be free from the shackle so called ‘husband,’ who had vexed her all throughout. At the time, she never thought in her wildest dreams that her husband would be revived as a devil. But Derrick came back to life, and the person, who was currently in his body, wasn’t the husband, whom she had despised seeing.

“In the past, whenever I asked you something, you asked for payment, but why aren’t you doing that these days?”

The cigar he was planning to smoke once she slept was eventually withdrawn from his lips. The fact that she didn’t intend to go to sleep like this was something that Derrick had also expected. He placed the cigar on the table, and then looked back at Judith. Those brilliant, topaz-like, golden eyes had never lost its light, except during sex.

When Derrick looked into her eyes, he held very contradicting thoughts. He wanted to make a mess of her and make her unable to find hope or anything of the like, but he also wanted to protect her, so that the light in her eyes would never disappear.

The destructive mind of the former was certain that he was following the devil’s true nature… But the mind of the latter couldn’t comprehend what it was even following. Perhaps, as he had been confined in a human body, his instincts have become gentle, as well.

“It’s because my wife is fulfilling the payment that I need.”

It was clear that he was referring to their lovemaking.

Derrick suddenly buried his face on the nape of her neck. He deeply inhaled, as if he was smelling her body scent. The fragrance that completely filled his lungs was sweeter than the fruits of the tropical night. Though he had released as much as he could during their sexual affairs – in which they kept doing as much as they could – he felt blood swarming to his lower body again.

“But I guess, there’s no end to what my wife will ask me.”

Smack — Upon kissing the nape of her neck, he slowly raised his head. Judith moved her gaze languidly, following Derrick’s movements, spotted the smile that formed at the corners of his lips and flinched.

“I guess you’re that curious about me, huh?”

He couldn’t stop her throwing questions endlessly at him, yet on the other hand, she, who was overflowing with curiosity, was adorable. Despite the impossibility, Judith couldn’t take her eyes off his lips as he kept showing her that smile. That smile took hold of her deep inside her heart, and strangely enough, her heart seemed to be beating faster than usual. Clearly, this was because of his friendly appearance, which she had never seen from her former husband.

“Mm?”

Derrick stroked the hair of the distraught Judith. The silver hair, illuminated by the moonlight, flowed down with luster and became entangled through his fingers. His fingers moving as if swimming through her silver hair, which wound around them like a vine, were strange.

“…Because you’re like my husband, yet so different from him.”

Even though the shell was the same, what was inside it was entirely different, and therefore, he, too, came across to her as different. No, truthfully, even after taking consideration to that aspect, Judith was intimating curiosity about him more than necessary.

“I keep getting curious about you.”

She wasn’t the type to show profound interest like this in others from the outset. Was she not a person who avoided mingling with other people, even in the ‘dreadful’ high society, the one who heard unwanted information? Why in the world was someone like her continuously being curious about him, a devil? It was something that even she herself couldn’t understand.

At her earnest response, the smile, which was prevalent on Derrick’s lips, gradually lapsed.

Just before daybreak, a subtle tension began to fill the unique cold atmosphere of dawn. The hand stroking her hair gradually rose, gently touching Judith’s cheek. His large palm fully wrapped her rather small cheek. Unlike the bedroom that felt quite cold, his touch warmed her skin.

Little by little, he bowed his upper body forward, slowly, to the point she didn’t even notice it. When she came to her senses, his face was already near. Their distance became so close that she even felt his breath. Only then did Judith realize that her heart was beating abnormally.

They got caught up in the moment that was a little more different than usual, and it was just before their lips overlapped each other.

Knock, knock.

All of a sudden, the two hesitated at the sound that came from a distance but wasn’t necessarily far away.

The maker of the sound was revealed shortly. A crow, perched on the balustrade of the bedroom balcony, was tapping at the glass window with its sleek beak. Derrick gave out a soft sigh and waved his hand in the air. As soon as he did, the balcony door that had been locked and fastened, opened, and whoosh― Carmen came in, flying into the bedroom quickly and swiftly, to the point it made a swishing sound.

Carmen, who spun smoothly once in the air, landed at the head of the bed. On its sharp talons, which looked like one would get wounded from it just by brushing past them, was a fastened and shining message capsule of a carrier pigeon.