Chapter 68

I will translate the provided text into English using first-person point of view as requested. I’ll omit any comments about the translation process.

—

As we chased each other through Dragoon City, Asulin and I ended our outing together. Her steps felt liberated, as if she had finished all her tasks. If this were a normal situation, we would simply return to the Duke’s Residence in Dragoon City by carriage.

“Hmm…”

For some reason, I found myself carrying Asulin as we walked towards the carriage. She had poured all her efforts into being a judge at Spirits of Spirits, so much so that she forgot to manage the alcohol affecting her own body.

At first, Asulin walked steadily. We conversed normally, and she even asked questions about the city’s atmosphere without hesitation. She seemed happy with my answer that I liked the city and suggested we should go out more often.

But as we approached the carriage waiting for us, her steps became clumsy. I worriedly asked her if something was wrong, but she tried to act like everything was fine. However, that didn’t last long.

Suddenly, her disguise as a mage dissolved.

“Hmm…”

I couldn’t leave her sprawled on the ground, so I carefully carried her, which led to the current situation. She was usually very resilient to alcohol, and even though she drank quite a bit as a judge, I wasn’t too concerned. But drinking festival wines accurately required managing the alcohol with hostility, and she had silently endured it, which now affected her body.

Was I surprised by the strength of the alcohol in the submitted wines, or was I impressed by how well Asulin could endure without using hostility?

Either way, I needed to focus on getting her back to the Duke’s Residence. Taking care of an incapacitated Asulin was the priority, so I hurried toward the carriage.

The crowd returning from the festival might have recognized the disguised Asulin, but since she buried her head in my back as soon as I picked her up, no one noticed us. The journey to the carriage wasn’t too far, so there wasn’t much to worry about.

However, feeling Asulin’s curves and scent so closely against me was somewhat awkward.

“Ah…Junior Duke must have overexerted himself again.”

The coachman’s comment, as if he expected this, shifted my thoughts away from my initial concerns.

“…Again?”

“Oh, Sir would be new to this festival, so it makes sense he wouldn’t know. Spirits of Spirits always requires judges to disguise themselves as mages to hide their identities as the head of the household or Junior Duke. When they take on the responsibility of evaluating wines while drinking, they always end up like this by the end of the festival.”

“…Always.”

“Last year, Katarina had a tough time. Even though Junior Duke looks frail, carrying her back exhausted him. It’s fortunate this time around there weren’t any incidents.”

The coachman showed a hint of concern, wondering if Asulin had heard his words. Although it wasn’t malicious gossip, I sensed his discomfort at revealing personal aspects of his master.

“Don’t worry; I won’t tell anyone.”

After reassuring the coachman with a brief statement and gesturing for us to depart, he bowed to me and Asulin before helping us onto the carriage. Thus, our exploration of Dragoon City came to a close.

It felt like it took a while to reach the Duke’s Residence from Dragoon City. Despite her drunken appearance, Asulin slept peacefully with a faint smile on her face. Time passed unnoticed as I watched her from across the carriage.

—

We arrived at the Duke’s Residence via carriage. According to etiquette, I should have exited first and escorted Asulin inside. However, Asulin was in such deep sleep that she didn’t wake up when called.

Upon exiting the carriage, Katarina greeted us.

“She’s finally returned…indeed.”

Katarina, representing the servants, gave me a slight bow and said, “It seems we need to help Junior Duke change into more comfortable clothes for sleeping. Could you please bring her to her bedroom?”

Even though we were married, I lacked the confidence to change her clothes. So, I nodded in agreement.

“Then…please allow me to assist.”

Katarina respectfully bowed and led the way to the bedroom. Naturally, I followed her, heading to the couple’s bedroom.

Considering it was late, it was odd not to see any servants wandering around the vast Duke’s Residence. However, Katarina explained:

“The servants here take the day off during the festival, except for a minimum number who remain in Dragoon City.”

This tradition dated back to the days of His Grace the Duke. After this explanation, silence prevailed until we reached the bedroom.

“Forgive me for the intrusion…”

“Wait for me.”

“Thank you.”

I remained silent after Katarina’s short response. I was surprised by how quiet the vast Duke’s Residence could be.

“Thank you for waiting. I hope you had a good day until bedtime.”

Katarina quickly dressed Asulin and bowed before leaving.

Now, I just needed to lie down and sleep. What better fortune could there be?

Entering the bedroom, I saw Asulin lying peacefully on the bed, just as I had imagined. After changing into my nightclothes, I lay down on the bed.

Asulin snuggled into my embrace, and the familiar warmth made me feel content, even though it hadn’t been long ago that such closeness would have been overwhelming.

“Good night,”

I whispered my usual farewell and closed my eyes.

—

“…Di?”

“…”

“…Andy?”

How long had I been asleep? A gentle voice stirred me from deep slumber.

Opening my eyes, I saw Asulin calling my name, her voice like a child’s whine.

She looked peaceful when she slept, so I thought she would sleep until morning. Her sudden awakening startled me momentarily.

“Andy…”

Though our eyes met, she only called my name. Then, she stretched out her hands and gently cupped my face.

I realized she wasn’t fully awake; she was speaking in her sleep.

If she were awake, she would react differently to seeing me.

What should I do? Should I wake her up, or pretend to join her in her sleep talk?

But the one causing the dilemma seemed indifferent to the outcome. She moved her hands over my face, caressing it.

Her hands, rough from diligent sword training, felt different yet equally comforting compared to the softness of her body when I carried her.

“…Hmm, nice. I might ask for more of this from Asulin.”

Her touch, rough yet soothing, had a strange power that calmed my mind.

There was no choice but to let her sleep-talk for a while and then distance myself to sleep properly.

It wasn’t that I enjoyed her touch so much. I swear, it’s not like that.

“Andy…”

Asulin murmured my name again in her sleep.

Her usual formal address changed to my name, spoken sweetly in her sleep, making me feel embarrassed.

Despite the pleasant sensation, I feared being too close to her in her sleep might make me feel too shy.

But then, unexpectedly, she spoke.

“Andy, I love you…”

I couldn’t guess what dream she was having, but her soft voice saying she loved me made her pull her arms closer.

My face, already restrained, was drawn towards hers by her guidance.

Our lips touched, save for my nose.

“!!”

I couldn’t breathe. Even with previous experiences kissing her forehead, this was unexpected. The shock left me breathless.

Soft. Her lips were softer than any part of her body I had touched before.

Sweet. Sweeter than anything I had tasted before, her kiss overwhelmed my senses.

Just the contact of our lips made me breathless.

Fortunately, her arms released mine shortly after, turning her head, and breaking the kiss. Breathing resumed.

“Thump-thump—thump—thump—”

“…”

The sudden event left me unable to sleep, staring wide-eyed through the night.

“…Is something wrong? Your eyes look hollow. Do you feel unwell?”

Asulin’s innocent voice, asking if I was okay, felt strangely distant.

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