Chapter 34
The Flower That Was Swallowed by the Beast
Chapter 34
âThatâs a relief. What did you dream about?â
Iris was embarrassed to say she had a dream about him.
She hesitated for a moment and then spoke.
âI had a dream about riding Windy.â
âThatâs disappointing.â
âHuh?â
âI wanted you to dream about me.â
Keivrand gently swept Irisâ cheek with the back of his hand. The area where the back of his hand touched heated up.
It was hard for her to believe this was real.
Count Keivrand Green complained in front of her when she told him she hadnât dreamed of him.
Was this truly real?
Maybe this is just a happy dream?
Maybe she was experiencing a fantasy she had wished for in death?
Suddenly afraid, she reached out to him. She put her palm on his cheek and checked his temperature.
Thinking it wasnât enough, she moved her hands to his arms, chest, waistâ¦
âIrie, stop.â
Keivrand grabbed her by the wrist.
âStop provoking me. Iâm barely holding it in now.â
âOhâ¦Iâm sorry.â
When she realized what she had done, her eyes narrowed as she blushed.
âThereâs nothing to be sorry about. Itâs not too bad that my wife is so active in groping my body in the morning. If I didnât have to put up with itâ¦â
Keivrand changed his position and climbed on top of Iris. He supported his upper body with his elbows and looked down at her.
His firm thighs rubbed against her thighs. Their thighs being this close made her dizzy, so she held her breath.
âI want to eat it with all my heart.â
Keivrandâs voice stimulated her secret part.
Iris was afraid of the weight of a man. But she wasnât afraid of his body weighing on her right now.
She wanted to know, rather than fear it. How much hotter his eyes could be than usual.
Suddenly, she remembered Keivrand kissing Britney in her past life.
What kind of eyes did Keivrand have then?
Could it have been this sensual heat?
âDonât be so scared, Irie. Iâm just kidding.â
As if he misunderstood Irisâ eyes, Keivrand smiled and came down and laid next to her.
Iris felt bad for Keivrand who had misunderstood her, so she sprang up her upper body.
Lying sluggishly, Keivrand looked up at her.
âSo did things go well with Winda while I was gone? To the point that youâre dreaming about him.â
âWell. If I give her an apple, sheâll eat my hand. I didnât know unicorns were carnivorous.â
Keivrand chuckled.
âUnicorns eat anything. Be careful not to be eaten, Irie. I wish to be the first to eat you.â
âI donât think being a wolfâs food is any better.â
âWeâll see about that.â
Keivrand slowly moved his body and put his head on her thigh.
Iris hesitated before putting her hand on his hair. She carefully scratched his black hair.
The tip of her fingers touched his scalp. She gently stroked his head, stimulating his scalp.
âDid you use the Sleep Stone on me?â
Instead of answering, Keivrand took a bracelet out from his chest pocket. It was a bracelet with a small blue pearl in the middle.
âThe head of the Quarton family made this pretty bracelet.â
âHe just gave it to you?â
âThere was a little friction, but we resolved it after talking.â
âDid they really resolve it after talking?â
Iris reached out to touch the Sleep Stone, but Keivrand quickly put it back in his pocket.
âYou canât just touch it, Irie. Itâs not that dangerous, but sometimes it can be dangerous for a person to touch it who is unhappy or wants to die. It wonât be such a big problem because Iâm next to you.â
âDo I look like I want to die?â
When Iris asked, Keivrand had a strange look on his face. He kept his mouth shut for a moment and then spoke.
âThere are times where it looks like youâre going to fall apart.â
Keivrandâs words surprised her.
She didnât think sheâd look so precarious living this new life.
She had planned to live her life so confidently that she appeared arrogant.
âThereâs still a long way to go.â
Holding her heart together, she fixed her eyes on Keivrand.
âI wonât fall apart, Kei.â
âOkay. But you still canât touch it.â
âAre you going to put it in the archive too?â
âNo. Itâs still a secret to the Divine Kingdom. Iâm going to use it well until my wife has a good dream.â
âIs it okay to just use it like that?â
âItâs okay. Iâm the guardian. Whoâs going to say anything?â
Keivrandâs image was different from the one she saw in her last life.
She thought he was more straightforward and inflexible, so she didnât know that he would deceive the Divine Kingdom for his wife.
âYou have to take good care of yourself, Kei. Donât lose it and donât let anyone pick it up.â
Keivrand smiled, revealing his teeth.
âWhy are you smiling like that?â
âNo, just. I thought it was pretty good to be nagged by my wife.â
âItâs not nagging, itâs worrying.â
âYes, yes. Okay, my wife.â
The grinning Keivrand was acting cheeky, so Iris pinched his cheeks a little.
Keivrand closed his eyes with a smile around his mouth.
âAt this rate Iâm going to fall asleep comfortably.â
Come to think of it, Keivrand looked tired.
âGet some sleep.â
âYes. Oh, I heard the Whittle family visited.â
âIâll take care of that, so go to sleep.â
âI like it when you talk like that.â
âGosh, come on.â
She pressed Keivrandâs lips with her palm.
Keivrand laughed quietly.
After a while, his mouth eased and his facial muscles relaxed.
Only after he fell asleep did Iris realize she was smiling.
She smiled and turned to Keivrandâs pocket where the Sleep Stone was.
âIs it okay? If I donât get rid of it?â
She had planned to prevent what would happen to Keivrandâs family.
But what if something goes wrong, or even if she stops it, what if theyâre still fated for such misfortunes? Wouldnât that make Edward fall asleep forever, making Keivrand more unhappy?
âButâ¦itâs safer with Kei bringing it back than what happened in my past life.â
The guardian had the power to suppress the power of sacred relics.
As long as Keivrand has it, no one will be able to touch it and fall asleep forever.
âRight, thereâs no way I can break it anyway.â
She thought of hitting it with a hammer or throwing it from a high place, but she didnât think that would break a sacred relic.
The last option was to throw it into a deep lake since Keivrand didnât seem to have any intention of giving her the Sleep Stone.
âI canât steal my husbandâs things.â
She decided to leave the Sleep Stone with Keivrand until a deviation happened.
* * *
After an hour of sleep, Keivrand woke up and went to the study room because he had unfinished work.
On the other hand, Iris washed herself with warm water, changed into a modest dress, and headed to the dining hall.
Nathan and Wallace were already here when Iris entered.
The two sprang up.
âSister-in-law, the boss is coming a little late because he has a lot of work to do. He said for you to eat first.â
Nathan reported.
Nathan and Wallace sat down as Iris sat in a chair. The cook came and recited the dishes he had prepared today. Iris chose soup and grilled fish, while Nathan and Wallace chose meat, meat, and more meat. Even though Wallace was big, it was amazing that Nathan, who is slender and small, could eat so much.
âSister-in-law, are you close to Windy? He said he likes his name.â
At Wallaceâs words, Irisâ fork stopped and she widened her eyes.
âYou can talk to Windy?â
Wallace made an expression as if he had been caught red handed.
âWhat? Ahâ¦noâ¦uh. Itâsâ¦uhâ¦itâs a feeling.â
Wallaceâs attitude was suspicious. Nathan held back his laughter as if he knew something.
âReally? I donât think he likes it. I called him Windy yesterday and he kicked his heels.â
âI donât think thatâs the reason. Maybe he wants your attention.â
âYou know a lot about Windy, Wallace.â
âNo, not at all. I donât know anything at all. What do I know?â
Wallace said, waving his hands.
âHe must be trying not to betray Kei. Seeing that heâs so bad at lying.â
Iris couldnât figure out why Wallace wanted to hide so badly.
At Irisâ gaze, the restless Wallace cut a bread in half and stuck it out.
âWould you like some?â
âHey, why are you giving her what you ate?â
When Nathan slapped Wallace on the wrist and the bread fell, the door of the dining hall opened wide and Celestine walked in.
âIrie! Big sister!â
Celestine walked toward Iris with her arms open. Though startled by the loud noise, Iris rose calmly to greet her. Celestine hugged Iris tightly as if she didnât want to let go.
âHave you been well while I was gone?â
âYes, thanks. It seems like Cel had a good time too.â
âItâs fun to spend money like crazy. I was determined to destroy this familyâs wealth, and it made me happy.â
A party to the extent that this familyâs wealth will be destroyed.
âShe must be joking.â
âOh, let me introduce you. Countess Melanie Jennel. She was my colleague at the Academy.â
Celestine said, pointing to the door.
Only then did the elegant woman standing by the door slowly approached and stood in front of Iris.
âGreetings, Countess Green. Iâve heard a lot from Cel. And many rumors before then.â
Melanie Jennel.
When Iris got the wedding invitation from Celestine and checked it, she was surprised to see this name.
Countess Melanie Jennel, the goddess of high society.
Her power to control high society in her past life was greater than Britney who had become Empress. No matter how luxurious the parties Britney threw were, without Melanieâs presence, it would lose its glamour.
Britney tried to get close to Melanie, but somehow Melanie stayed away from her and didnât attend any of her parties.
In her previous life, Iris was invited to Melanieâs party only once and attended it. She couldnât talk to Melanie at the party, but they made eye contact several times. It was like Melanie was observing her.
They werenât acquainted, so she didnât know even until the end why Melanie had invited her, or why she gave such an observant look at that time. Since then, there had been no further invitation to Melanieâs parties or encounters with Melanie.
But what happened in the past life is only what happened in the past life. Relationships in this life will be different, she thought.
âIâve heard the reputation of Countess Jennel. Iâm glad to have met you like this. Call me Irie comfortably.â
âThen, please comfortably call me Mel.â
Iris and Melanie exchanged looks as if they were sizing each other up.
Celestine, hooking her arm around Irisâ, spoke.
âWhat do you think? My big sister, sheâs prettier than the rumors, right?â
Certainly prettier than the rumors, Melanie thought.
In addition, Iris had an atmosphere that was hard to express into words.
The deep eyes that seem to have seen too much. The fragile body that could never be shaken. And the friendly but determined aspect.
âThe flower of Duke Whittle. And Britneyâs sister.â
Melanie hated Britney.
She didnât like how she cursed others while pretending to be innocent and nice.
So she didnât have much hope for Iris either. She thought she was a precious fox.
Ever since Celestine bragged about her sister-in-law, she had been very cautious.
She thought as such, but now she can see it in person.
Iris is different from Britney. Whatâs in Irisâ eyes, it wasnât as light as Britney. In a way, she looked like a fighter who had come back alive from death.
âWhy do I have this feeling?â
Iris was someone who wouldnât have left the mansion and grew up like a greenhouse plant under the protection of a Duke.
At that time, the door of the dining hall suddenly opened. All eyes turned to the door.
The woman who just opened the door froze as if she didnât know there would be so many people in the dining hall.
Iris smiled softly at the woman.
âBritney.â
== Translatorâs Note ==
1. Please report any typos, grammatical/spelling errors, sentences you find weird, and other etcâ¦in the comment section .