I Don’t Want To Be The Hero’s Wife – Chapter 006

A room lit c7197d293e by candlelight instead 16ac8e6e1f of a bulb.acd55413320d9622

The man held a 22466fbd78 cigar between his lips, fdc40bc421 his gaze fixed on a30df7b99b the flickering candle flame. He had yet to 65cc8d6f11 change out of his fe9884d937 clothes, only his outer 327f22ce17 coat was removed. Between the 58ee144486 loosened tie 2f48f12876 and unbuttoned 70c9f541c1 shirt, a 586dc61d46 glimpse of 0ab04d6064 his chest b592040ac2 was visible.6253e93cd14194d4

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“Ah…”41384177d1a3dd6c

Rona had come bdf1efca99 looking for her 771c067bc8 husband’s bedroom and f9450488a9 ended up inadvertently 14fe4e6bc6 peeking through the 88fbfbff56 slightly ajar door. A wave of fbad810518 guilt washed over 2e31ee9710 her, and she 0fa7f753c2 lowered her gaze.084490d2f27304d8

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But then, through 94c7f0c176 the gap, his ac7d918dce blue eyes landed 05828d80ea on her.d4c995654265aae1

“…!”e1223a592f8cbe64

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Rona stiffened in shock, 8284796bf9 biting her lip.a49814a38de99b57

Without turning 9651b80ff7 his head, e70fb27fc5 the man 0ef65c9e9a shifted his d47a814ec8 eyes toward e041bb88e8 the silhouette 602e2e898b outside the 6b351d2c81 door. He set ef6dbecc6f the barely 8b8fb4edc9 smoked cigar 20e7f03641 down on c65d9ecd6e the ashtray ddd3d6d116 stand. The glowing 36e6d894a1 tip, still 7ef4fdac5f trailing a a5bbed1b96 wisp of 71f8b1d76d smoke, soon 477270414a went out.a884dcd1c83b53cd

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“Come in.”9a3434b7e491a502

As the e22020bcc4 smoke dispersed, aa54823357 the man’s 736ad4687c face became 9651e26583 more visible. The face that a39cebca80 always seemed tense b32718bc45 and guarded looked 4c73becae2 slightly relaxed tonight.5cd6555aba14c3fa

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Creak.b43fd44f7a26c244

As Rona 1bfd65a7b8 carefully pushed d53192f389 the door e4ea3fd535 open and 07eb4c8204 stepped inside, c275e6357f Anark reached 76d2fc685c for the c765f4de76 glass of 27fe7b15de liquor on 04cc6a53c0 the table, 528d95968f replacing the 0cb7b4217c cigar with fd5a292eea a drink.28d2e65bf4aa988c

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“What brings 7a3296396d you here? You came 8a1ff0a72a all the ef4d6ed40f way to e8a92edffe my room.”14c2ed7d5245e9a6

She hadn’t b1d9a98fe4 spoken a 5bef1443e1 word to 9ca9496a7c him at 6875d1f3f2 the banquet, 283e25c300 so her 4098a547c5 sudden visit b82424e881 must have 6c25dc9fa9 come as 3b5d21ae3c a surprise. But Rona couldn’t c5ab6ba78d answer immediately.7dfb80131802b10a

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She did come 120e242c51 with a purpose, 235499f411 but speaking it 6e8150efe2 aloud felt shameful, b074ae668f like it was 23c82917f5 caught in her b07b3751e2 throat. Rona hesitated, a00ce684da bowing her 713551dd5a head, then 04ab62a414 clenched her 9d9184b980 fists and e351084f53 raised her d58ab530f6 eyes, remembering 8938ff8644 the word eabd200d5b “divorce.”9b5486aabae66393

“Um, excuse me…”7482d3dad60281c5

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Anark looked up at a775eeae92 her voice.99afd13993dd7c87

And then…709542b535f0a18b

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“…”06f6682ef0f00687

“…”a9b719ae34971648

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Silence filled ae30862b29 the room.e3db4ee41aa3ffe1

Anark froze 7296665ce9 for a 78d20a1665 moment, drink 5ccb1a6533 in hand, e6fde1e7f4 then slowly 4159e37065 narrowed his f40a17bd6e eyes.fa5987fbfaa9a75d

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Rona was 493fa933aa wearing a 2a962dcb7d negligee that 5fad83a82b revealed the 9f4769787e curves of a1fff5b565 her body.4119db5259995298

The pale c6914c5e40 skin she 82ac33c67c always kept 3a9f3b4c54 hidden was ebca3425d4 now faintly 88e6a20d58 exposed through 31ec8d5e0c the sheer b51802b9d1 fabric. The deep neckline 95a81ef96e failed to properly 5686893190 cover her full 22c7bd9f5b chest, letting a 7fe04733d6 hint of soft e12e5d9747 pink areola peek 9af8bd43b1 through. The short 64b6b5ef4b hem barely b5d08599a1 covered her 7f7343fd56 hips, sparking 466f6654e5 the imagination 498ccad015 with what d37d64794f lay just 4a971ca879 out of 09404a5f66 view.d353616bd0f1ff25

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His wife, 66f8eeed36 almost undressed, 36b190f923 had appeared f7544d3497 in his 426fc9c492 bedroom late 0b7acc1535 at night.c0701ae96e8e69d3

It was 3d7123a08a an unmistakable dbf33ca7dc act of 98e31658dd seduction.e19528bd89f077dc

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“…Ha.”e3df10d33d20163a

Whether it was c45955210d a sigh or cc3df356e9 a breath of 841a0521ab awe, the sound ede0ce303a made the back 68f0967858 of Rona’s neck 9f52eb3953 flush red as a9d280e11f she lowered her 56cd87335a gaze.587c142617a2cf67

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‘Does he hate 2941d9ccbb it…?’f05c2994a58a714b

The negligee Rona 43f01ca14e found in the 8cd7d475c6 bedroom, left behind 0ec44237b4 by Madam Andersen… 96c49850f0 was something no bc4de5489c noblewoman, not even 945843344c a commoner, would fd32f52a90 wear. It was vulgar 4fbfbeb272 by any standard.e91605f827fe537b

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Andersen had thrown it 1763a3131c at her, mocking her 85be93fb25 for never having shared 44bb20ecb1 a bed with her cb1c85fc32 husband, and dared her ea1678e496 to dress like a 8798f45b16 barmaid and try coaxing 67dc9e2a30 the Count into delaying 41a87846a1 the divorce.1e7066b7cc8f3a63

At first, 6b1de1d6de Rona had 8664524ac5 been so e9b873f7e2 humiliated she 372f81e1fa couldn’t hold 2c71174621 back tears. But eventually, a darker ae3e5384bb thought crept in: maybe f416edf012 this was the best 3a9ce2c745 she could do.9f7ab93f6823161c

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Unlike herself, who hadn’t 26c7c3ec0a changed since childhood, Anark 18fd08ae32 had completely shed his 7c00d19d48 filthy, tragic past.cc38040f96f4cbe4

He had achieved great 98828b4c29 military success during his 440bca9e34 years in the army, f95e3e3d92 and his accomplishments were 7e2acc2a1d celebrated across the empire, 2556696e05 published in every paper.48f8bbeb92c14395

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Anark had become so b79bc940fd distinguished that any woman 54de8bcada of noble birth would 49380f370c gladly sit beside him fa584a13d9 if he desired it.d121fd80c8a09301

No, in fact, e41fb19055 there were likely 2bde33fa12 countless noble ladies cf447beb52 eagerly awaiting the 37617b33e0 moment he divorced.37f0f97fd5cbfa3a

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He was the 6b256bc3b1 kind of man 16a55cae4a who could even 82efb5f8c0 make remarriage look 35032625bf like a dream.49c8a3d8a3360596

How could someone as 7e6c5bd1c6 worthless as me ever d0e24f3357 hope to hold on 9fcb950de1 to a man like d24c282f00 that?647e479862b0a6ae

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Should I beg him f8617e850f not to divorce me, 03e1621b6c invoking my parents’ dying 0569f4acc4 wish? Or should I plead 14d9e7d3f4 with him not to c86ac4bb3d cast me aside for 95722fc0ee the sake of our 158872d8f9 bond?fe1ffa70b55cb86a

She’d played out countless e05addb22e scenarios in her head, 28f2aa8d13 but none gave her 1dffaf24c3 an answer.a64088fe4612fa10

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That was when Rona 1475b4c4d6 saw the negligee Madam 51a1c6866d Andersen had practically thrown 8695c357f0 at her and thought ce26a66e43 of a wife’s duty.c9da3ed7a07f21a6

Until now, there 071440626e had been no cc6e4e2a3f progress in the a7da83d089 marital relationship between c96fb6c199 Anark and Rona.b5bd2bca49c94d09

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It made sense, 2468eb7ca9 Rona had not 3bad60d55c yet been of 00c9843564 age, and Anark 41402dba4e had been too c10a96f86e busy to spend 554bf661cb time at home.d2e076d2fe826c39

But things were c8465a3170 different now. Rona was an adult, ca2b423218 and Anark had been eb33227e9b rewarded with a count’s 518fa27a57 title for his accomplishments. He was 3f3c2feb0f no longer 1532e13938 as swamped f72f7a0176 with work 562caee35c as before.46a8eb610a7db2d1

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If, from now c31b2b4494 on, they began 46edc3a152 fulfilling their roles 88342d327c as husband and 8e2e3d2c4e wife… then maybe…40c1b5060a91aca7

Maybe Anark 09827a3900 would stop 518ee2dc17 thinking about b521daea1e divorce. And if a 1ff214bc8b child were to 2f40d31196 come between them…58c4a2dc5d432621

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That thought alone c3d989afce made Rona, as 471b528e6c if possessed, take 4c6de18c39 off her heavy 0e0eddd3d9 dress and change 7d8b0fbf4c into the negligee. Not even c3a2b48532 considering the 609c230a9c idea that a872c47811 Anark might 4cd21e5245 already be 0ceebeba17 asleep, she 737b41f98c rushed straight 926ddd3f59 to his c851681d98 room without 81b3922a3b so much 6820b77a01 as a 45383277f6 nightgown.f0327a53ae60d08f

It was e3351838aa a blessing 0bb8d55e35 that, whenever b8ec23993c Anark stayed ffae0df3bb in the 89716e528a mansion, no fe4e8368a4 servants were 48838ea4b6 allowed on cd4537bd51 the second f5c00115e1 floor.8652a93470113c50

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Standing in ed7f6a50e6 front of ab5e8aed8a Anark, Rona 554292019e felt a c07bd9aa19 mix of 0b2de8bcd7 overwhelming fear a9d19554b4 and desperation.487daedd4da3d8eb

And…3822788b5a97f539

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A strange 61e8e94829 fluttering in 8a536dded9 her chest. A kind 070467e03b of anticipation.418fe109cd9b565f

When she first set b1f9772604 out to his room, 9da380b3b7 her only thought was f537cfc9be to stop the divorce. But standing before Anark c7acad1653 now, she began to 4baee3a27b wonder how he would 992333797f look at her.e7c757c121589012

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‘I’ve never worn anything fadf9eccf4 like this before…’c43de889f20bc9b8

Rona curled fe1539045c her toes 378ea25b16 and glanced 0862e17449 shyly at 41dbf30ef7 Anark.c0cfdacd9ce38c55

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He had always seen bc8b277e39 her as a child. Her first love.66cfa924380c6a69

Now that she was fad4b3aa6e fully grown, she hoped… b53be98f01 no, yearned for him 8f48fecce3 to see her as 8a964ab07a a woman. At parties, there 04f53473d9 were sometimes men f736518c44 who looked at 1e5494c3bf her with desire.9240d4fd4d52b24b

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She always avoided them e3b2b77fcf in the past, but… ea08ae0d9e if it were Anark, bfc7b6ad35 maybe it would be 5d2030e5ac okay. No, she wanted f1d58951f8 him to look b6266741a3 at her that 90f54264e6 way. Not as a 89d2708f69 burden, but like d4a0aea582 any other woman, 9bbd67ae42 normally, simply.183aa2f8e3b92376

But Rona’s hopeful 71e1853e28 thoughts began to 9e0cff123b wither the longer def22785fd the silence stretched.a4cd97f0afe52e21

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‘Why isn’t 3972bcaeea he saying 61c9d6ed39 anything…?’5e953dcba41a7213

It had been d274d1e41f long enough for e42b70048f him to at b939256bf2 least say something, 0a6eba0499 but the man’s 71f6e8bf84 lips remained sealed. As if sensing 2703bbcb48 something, Rona’s hands 3705fb3b6d grew cold.7e70d875be6e741b

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Her husband, ce48ed7d3e despite seeing d27ae31e6c his nearly baf47c8f04 bare wife 8e5f9c08c6 standing before c59e8acf36 him, showed d9c503c025 no reaction. He simply b4d214c8c5 stared, without 4f5fa63e91 moving.3f2129923b782ef1

As if 037d3201f6 watching to 9eb1f278d5 see how 27fa03e879 far she’d 99956d6c29 go.cd2d20ad61933790

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Ah.18fc997ab5cfce98

Their eyes met, 7c09a53555 and Rona let 88b83feb4b out a silent bc4e1cc0c6 gasp. Her face burned. Only now df1cf2bc2b did she 7fd40edd92 truly understand f5e3804c9b what shame 2743d292ee was.008c736562b2f511

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‘I… I b767c4d4e3 actually came f843cf51eb to him 378557a0e7 with my e325bd3d4c body, just ddcf4041cd like Madam e19693b5c7 Andersen said…’4d627c5fe5f00270

Her breath caught. The pure affection she’d bac65fef41 held for Anark since 028aa3bc2e childhood felt like it d9cf79ffb2 had been corroded.5421f8224dfe531f

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She had ca249cc75e convinced herself 483e000d04 this was 5509a767a7 all she eddd1bfd1f could do… fe4fba4912 justified and ae19bab725 rationalized it, 17f564e9d8 but that dcda888612 self-pity and 163e63d138 self-loathing now 6013190d03 felt like 3bbe407883 they were c55fb24930 eating away 4357ceb3b7 at her 12df7d54dc love for 58cbfe59ef him.6e566c9e0e544286

Her thoughts were 889cf07bbd as thin and 7d8d6fc205 weak as the 9303b62372 fabric she wore, fd7dcb888c and her cheeks e677ef5df7 burned with humiliation. How pathetic.c3c8157bfe60ee66

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Emotion welled b57a661b4c up in c18a99afc1 her chest, f08f8c5002 and tears 447f5d9ce5 threatened to 6f7aad9b18 fall. Rona wanted to run b25a9cb7ec away in shame, but 2af6812b77 Anark’s gaze felt like 16ef07ddd1 it pinned her in 26db7ea658 place.98c132c6b112a7f3

His unwavering fe71f7398a stare seemed e11ee91de6 to scold f3992d3bcc her, and c78647c0eb yet, strangely, 4ef3766ee2 everywhere his 83201c60b0 eyes touched 526125ba93 felt as fa9c3ca2fa though it c429b130ab caught fire.7fa004b5135ffe6c

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‘Why is my 1fbff609f1 body… like this…?’5a0a93e76f961cba

It was a sensation f4c4e32542 Rona had never experienced. Perhaps it was 974ebd522f the composed way 996ee597cf he seemed to b85f85c1b0 take in her 2a2505436f young body, the d1af0419ac way he admired 5c41736f7c it like art, b99d18e180 that left her 82f5065eed so dazed.adf2b6130297d59d

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Anark’s eyes 110f168949 brushed over 8725dcdb51 her collarbone, b375ac0131 down to 0ac352770d the full 1e34a38a58 curves that 11dc6cc40b swelled beneath. His gaze traced the 3cab30d9a1 shape of her breasts bd7da3a532 beneath the sheer fabric, ae626bcd7b and she could feel e7dfa15172 the way her nipples 500461de75 slowly stiffened, sensitive even 97f11283a2 through the thin cloth.c3d3d02b51322695

Rona trembled like a 7176aab640 prisoner awaiting execution. Her breath grew shallow 94a0b8bfa4 at the strange response 14f5cdd881 in her body. A tightness coiled 5bc5702758 in her lower 6c60c495be belly, and she de834a6730 clutched the flimsy 79ad45a29d fabric tightly.fe4a155de915e8dd

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Unable to meet 5d1c5c5114 her husband’s eyes eeb8238749 any longer, she 3e15863aa0 shifted her gaze 84430ea3b4 to the whiskey e8bddfe09a in his hand. Its amber hue 7a13be8e07 resembled her own 8d119982cc eyes.3540e0d5d087f249

Suddenly, Anark tilted ee7cd9a5eb the glass he 1861865dc2 had been holding. His eyes, damp and 9a89c2f74b somber, locked intensely with 0dd57753a1 hers.effaa72b2188536c

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“Rona.”d8ed5c23d2a6d117

With that single word, 5375f4c088 his firm throat bobbed b521eb62eb as he swallowed the d5dab90fe9 liquor.3bd674e440e18c0d

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“Ah…”9a150a01c960c8c2

Their eyes met again, 323685c318 and Rona’s chest trembled. It felt as though c5a44584ad he had tasted her. Though he was the c4004ebb39 one drinking, it was c7d579c129 her throat that burned.bf67ab20f84e7f99

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Rona remained frozen until bd9e160a56 he finished his drink. He hadn’t ordered acd7ecd00a her to stay, 1b8058c1bf but it felt 8d6fac2984 like she had 01b071bd84 no choice.263cc5606bfd85f5

Clink.6f1291ab7474ff41

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Only when Anark e9ad50084d set down his 0d9c5865c5 glass could Rona 6d0f4331b5 finally move, as 9f03739ed1 if released from 91256f2830 a spell. She gasped for be9002dc80 air, and Anark 7b172a6897 asked in a 7c1ab6ace8 hungry, low voice,84a0ad556c8021e2

“What’s your business?”43bfcd642728840e

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“N-no, it’s nothing. I’ll go now!”5d49c3075dac416d

Rona fled the room 1416a1860c in a panic. She couldn’t say a 68e3e05e37 word to him. Not to ask him 912f23a7bd not to divorce her. Not to 30b14ef829 beg him 99f126e25c not to 41f3e1a2aa leave.0a5658c2615044e8

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And…b72a03eff6c5f004

Not even 81344c9770 to ask db3308e2db him to e83932ddc9 hold her.4109183e2c5d2df8

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How could 6802b6ddd9 she have cf44bd1785 possibly asked d75a9995a0 him that, 8c13f8fd23 when he f62ee3f24c looked at ce79d0de02 her with 59a8361e09 such indifference, db2fc7890f even though 23897dcab7 she’d come 93d7088de7 to him de5cfd0a80 dressed so efd815c66a provocatively?7fa8b1a0ea92a3b2

Back in 323803656e her own f75eca4196 room, Rona 779f0056e1 collapsed to daafade3eb the floor, ad219fe986 her legs e5985b4ec7 giving out 2d00eb8d57 beneath her. In the bac02710c6 end, her e1dc87d424 husband hadn’t 28bc295ec5 even touched 9b26a87352 a single 9be070246f hair on e2f47339e2 her head. To him, she was f5cdd8c670 still…c4efe098213e6c5e

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“Just a child.”5962d6fbe710e1c1

Rona curled 7344080b78 up and 103f8d84d3 sobbed. The space between her 49c63b210a legs was damp.f6c82bcb9a3fc26e

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The first 33d9152b43 taste of 10fb4c0039 pleasure she’d 0b98fb2c49 ever known 4aedb7a0bc had ended d75c2408b7 in despair.c14ef3c28c23e0a6