How to Survive as the Wife of the Monster Duke - Chapter 178

“I’m sorry,” Ilyn apologized. “It was just a dream, and I feel bad for making you worried.” She looked at the clock, noticing that it was past 4 a.m. Den must have been working until now, but I’m sure he was surprised to see me covered in cold sweat, she thought, feeling guilty for disturbing him.

“There’s no need to be scared,” Aden reassured her, gripping her hand tightly. He always wanted Ilyn to be happy and comfortable; he didn’t want her to be afraid, especially while having a foresight in the middle of a snowstorm. It was impossible to stop her dreams, so protecting her was the only thing he could do.

“Are you afraid that you’ll face it again?” Aden asked, his gaze fixed on Ilyn. Ilyn nodded shortly, her expression troubled.

“Then let’s do this,” Aden said, wrapping a red cloth around Ilyn’s wrist. It was Molly’s divine object, and it was his way of saying that he would be with her in both dreams and reality.

“I’ll have the same dream as you,” Aden said, his voice a whisper. And if that thing threatens you, or if I see it, I’ll kill it.

When Ilyn had been hurt before, Aden had never taken his eyes off of her, even though it had pained him deeply to see her in pain. He wouldn’t hesitate to bring even more pain to the violet-eyed being if it threatened Ilyn again. Delrose and he were not ones to forget. Aden kissed Ilyn briefly on the lips.

“So relax,” he said, kissing her eyes. “I’ll be with you.”

Ilyn fell asleep then, feeling safe and secure with Aden by her side.

***

Ilyn woke up to a dark room, her head resting on Aden’s chest. She couldn’t remember falling asleep, but the warmth of his body and the steady beating of his heart indicated that they had been lying together for some time.

“Are you awake?” Aden asked, adjusting the stand light to provide some illumination in the otherwise dark room.

“Did you not sleep?” she asked, noticing the sharpness in his eyes.

“I slept enough,” he replied, but Ilyn had her doubts. She reached out and touched his cheek, feeling the warmth emanating from his skin. He was too warm to have been outside.

“Did it look like I was lying?” he asked, a hint of amusement in his voice.

“No way,” Ilyn replied, lowering her hand. But Aden grabbed it, holding it tightly with his own. “Then what did this hand mean?” he asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Ilyn felt her cheeks flush at the question. She wanted to touch him, to feel his warmth and closeness, but she couldn’t bring herself to say it out loud. Instead, she just looked at him, her eyes saying everything her words couldn’t.

Aden smiled and kissed her hand, his lips soft and gentle on her skin. Ilyn felt a tickle of laughter bubble up inside of her, and before she knew it, Aden had pulled her closer, his arms wrapping around her in a warm embrace.

“It tickles,” Ilyn giggled as Aden continued to kiss the softer parts of her hand and wrist.

“I was attacked first, so I have to retaliate,” he teased, a hint of a smile on his lips.

Ilyn couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. All she had done was touch his cheek, and yet here he was, pretending to be the victim of some sort of attack.

But as much as she enjoyed these playful moments with Aden, Ilyn knew that dawn was fast approaching. She needed to steer the conversation in a different direction if she wanted him to get any sleep at all before the sun rose.

“About that dream,” she started, her voice careful and measured. Aden stopped his kisses for a moment, looking up at Ilyn with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

But as Ilyn began to speak, Aden’s lips started to wander again, exploring her hand and wrist with renewed intensity. It seemed as though he was trying to compensate for his hesitation by showering her with kisses. However, he couldn’t compete with Ilyn’s unwavering gaze.

“I’m listening,” Aden said, his lips finally coming to a stop as he looked up at Ilyn.

Ilyn smiled softly, memories of her dream coming back to her. It had been an impressive winter scene, one that she wasn’t entirely familiar with. “The weather seemed a little different in that dream,” she said. The scenery she had seen in her dream was one of slowly falling snow, without any wind to speak of. The snow seemed to be falling from the sky in slow motion, piling up on the ground.

“There was no wind,” Ilyn said, recalling the dream. She brushed Aden’s cheek gently as she spoke. “There was no wind, just snow falling slowly from the sky.”

Aden nodded, finally understanding. “Ah,” he said, a smile spreading across his face. His bride, from the warm region, didn’t know the winter of February.