CHAPTER 1
Why?
Why?
Why?
Why?!
Her hands clutching the papers and her tightly clenched jaw trembled uncontrollably.
“No…….”
I couldn’t believe the name I was seeing right before my eyes.
It couldn’t be.
I had to be seeing it wrong……
Why was my beloved husband’s name Kailus Hadid?
Not Noah!
Just last night, I had eaten the dinner and cake Noah had personally made for me, and this morning, I had woken up to his kiss.
And that wasn’t all.
Whenever the weather turned cold, he would worry incessantly that I might catch a cold.
On hot days, Noah would follow me around and even personally fan me.
Whenever I woke from one of my frequent nightmares, he would notice before I even said anything, get up, hug me, pat my back, and put me back to sleep.
And that man… was someone who had come to kill me?
Had all of that been an act?
Unable to hold myself back, I tore the documents to shreds.
I knew that wouldn’t change the truth, but at the very least, I had to get them out of my sight.
The pieces of paper I had torn apart over and over with trembling hands fluttered to the floor like the wings of birds.
This couldn’t be happening.
My husband—
My man—
Was none other than Kailus Hadid, the very man I had swindled!
Kailus Hadid was the richest man in the entire empire, a villain among villains and the mastermind behind all masterminds.
I had never actually met him face-to-face, but I had heard that his nature was so cruel and vicious that no one would even dream of betraying him.
At first, I hadn’t intended to swindle such a dangerous man.
I had only swindled one of his subordinates who had been running an errand for him!
I had only needed money after throwing my resignation letter at my job to escape the fate of dying from overwork!
It just so happened that the valuable information I had came with ties to Kailus Hadid, and since he was ridiculously wealthy, I had thought I could just borrow a little……
I had even planned to pay some of it back once I became the richest person in the world!
I just hadn’t expected him to issue a wanted order for me.
I hadn’t let anyone see my face, I had used an alias, and I left the capital as soon as I had gathered enough money.
I remained perfectly fine even after all the wanted posters had disappeared and people had forgotten about me.
I thought I had gotten away with it safely, but was I actually dancing merrily in the palm of the villain’s hand the entire time?!
“My lady, Master has returned.”
Hic!
I was so startled that a hiccup escaped me.
Noah was back.
“Uh, uh! I’ll be out soon!
Tell Noah I’ll be there in just a moment.”
“Yes, my lady.”
As I watched the maid disappear, I hurriedly gathered the scattered scraps of paper and threw them away.
“Oh, what am I going to do?”
I’m dead now.
How did he deceive me so completely?
Just how cruelly was he planning to kill me to go this far?
I should have taken a proper look at his face and run away back then.
“Hazel.”
I was nervously chewing on my fingernail when his honey-sweet voice came from behind me.
Oh my God, is he crazy?
He’s already here!
I spun around at the sound of him calling my name and greeted him.
I desperately hung a bright smile on my face.
“No, Noah, you’re here?”
Noah smiled and opened his arms.
It was a breathtaking smile.
“I heard my wife was here.
I’m sorry I came home so late today.”
As always, I walked over to Noah and nestled myself into his arms.
Otherwise, he would undoubtedly ask if he had done something to upset me and refuse to let me go for at least three hours.
The moment I was in his arms, I caught Noah’s scent, the one I loved most.
It was a comforting fragrance that was fresh yet subtle, almost as though it carried a faint floral scent.
The fear and anxiety that had been weighing on me began to melt away as if they had been washed clean.
See?
This was my husband!
The only one in the entire world.
Something had definitely gone wrong.
There was no way this could be true.
“No, it’s okay.
Was today difficult for you?”
“It was difficult because I missed you.”
With those words, he showered me with countless little kisses without pause.
I eventually burst into laughter because it tickled.
Noah kept kissing me until there wasn’t a single spot on my face left untouched, then smiled as though completely satisfied.
Ah, this is nice.
There was no way such a lovable man could possibly be Kailus Hadid……
“Hazel.”
“Hmm?”
“Are you cold?
Why are you trembling so much?”
“Me?”
“Yes, you’re trembling like this.
It’s summer, so have you caught a cold?”
With a serious expression, Noah lowered himself toward me.
Soon, his forehead touched mine.
“Noah?”
“You seemed to be lost in thought.
You don’t seem to have a fever, though.”
After saying that, Noah gave me a gentle smile.
It was definitely the smile I knew.
The very smile I loved so much!
It was the same smile as always, but every time I tried to reassure myself, goosebumps broke out all over my body.
Noah bent down even further to examine me, bringing his eyes level with mine.
But why did those eyes I had always loved for looking like jewels seem unusually crimson today……?
The temperature changed in an instant, as though someone had poured ice water over me, and my mouth snapped shut.
“Ah…….”
“Hmm?
Were you really thinking about something else instead of me?”
For some reason, Noah’s voice had dropped slightly.
I really needed to get this overly clingy man away from me first.
I barely managed to push him away and spoke.
“T-thinking about something else?
What are you talking about?
I was just happy because I missed you and then you suddenly appeared right in front of me.”
At that, the arms holding me tightened considerably.
He continued placing lingering kisses against my temple.
“If I’d known Hazel was waiting for me, I would have come home earlier.”
“Y-you’re here now, so it’s okay.
I bet the bathwater has already been prepared, so go wash up!”
“Understood.
Ah, Hazel, there’s somewhere I’d like to go with you this weekend.”
I flinched and instinctively took a step backward.
I clasped both hands in front of me as though defending myself.
“Wh-where?
Where are we going……?”
“It’s somewhere I absolutely want to show you, Hazel.
Just the two of us are going.”
J-just the two of us?
Then where exactly was this place?
He wasn’t planning to find somewhere to bury me alive, was he?
Noah’s sweet voice kept sounding more and more dangerous to me.
My vision went dark.
Even his radiant smile looked exactly like the smile of the Grim Reaper.
“This weekend……, right?
Okay.
Wow, I’m s-so excited!
All right, so hurry up and go wash.”
“Yes.
I’ll be right back, Hazel.”
Noah gave me several more quick kisses before disappearing.
The moment I closed the door and leaned against it, all the blood drained from my body.
That affectionate, loving man was really that terrifying man?
Really……?
If he really was Kailus Hadid… what was I supposed to do?
What if all of this was a lie……?
“…….”
I should probably run, shouldn’t I?
Ah, my sweet life……!
