Chapter 226: Before the Monster Awakes

Olivia snapped her eyes away from Matthias, lowering her gaze to glare at Leon. "Damn you," she hissed under her breath, her voice dropping into a venomous whisper. "Damn you, you scheming, treacherous fox."

​Leon let out a sharp, thoroughly amused laugh. "You can stop with the curses, sister-in-law. It won’t do anything to cover up what you just admitted so beautifully."

​Olivia swallowed hard, her throat tightening as a rare flush of heat hit her cheeks. She abruptly turned her face away, refusing to grant him the satisfaction of looking at her defeated pride.

​Amused by her reaction, Leon turned his head toward the balcony doors, his eyes dancing with mischief. "Hey, you frozen statue," he called out, his voice laced with mockery. "Get over here. She already knows you’re standing right there."

​Matthias finally stepped through the threshold, desperately trying to summon his usual mask of cold, unyielding indifference. It was an entirely futile effort. The faint, telltale crimson blush burning beneath his collar and rising up his scarred cheeks betrayed his every defense, stripping away the fearsome aura of the Duke.

​Leon strolled over to him without a shred of fear, casually looping his arm around his brother’s broad, tense neck. "Look at you," Leon purred, leaning in closer. "Your face has literally turned into a tomato."

​"Leon, shut up!"

​The command burst through the room in perfect unison, spoken by both Matthias and Olivia with identical, sharp fury.

​"Oh, and you are even speaking in sync now," Leon chuckled, stepping back and clapping his hands in mock delight. "How remarkably romantic."

​Matthias threw his brother a deadly, venomous look, his jaw clenching tightly. "Will you please get out, Leon?"

​"Why should I leave? The entertainment is just getting started."

​"Leon," Matthias warned, his voice dropping into a low, gravelly register that promised violence.

​"But what if you faint from the shock, brother? Your current condition doesn’t look promising at all. I should probably stay to catch you."

​A dangerous, tight smile stretched across Matthias’s lips as his fists clenched until his knuckles turned white. "You absolute bastard. If you don’t walk out that door this very second, I am going to crack your skull open against the desk."

​"Alright, alright, I am leaving, you lovebirds," Leon laughed, finally backing away toward the exit and raising his hands in a gesture of mock surrender. He paused at the threshold, throwing one last wicked glance over his shoulder. "But try to cut down on the swearing, will you? Isn’t that kind of negative energy bad for the baby?"

​"Yes, yes, get lost! I don’t want to see your irritating face anymore!"

Leon departed with agonizing, calculated slowness, drawing out every step as if deliberately playing on the frayed wires of their nerves. When he finally crossed the threshold, the heavy door closed with a faint, lingering creak that felt like a gavel striking a sentence.

​Suddenly, the office plunged into a suffocating quiet, broken only by the uneven cadence of their own breathing.

​Matthias pushed himself forward, his massive frame moving with a rare hesitation until he leaned heavily against the edge of the polished mahogany desk. Across from him, Olivia remained seated, her fingers smoothing down the dark violet silk of her gown with meticulous, unnecessary care—a desperate defense mechanism to keep her eyes from meeting his burning gaze.

​Matthias tapped his fingers against the wood, the erratic rhythm betraying his inner turmoil. He rubbed the back of his neck, clearing his throat awkwardly before the words finally scraped past his lips.

​"So... you..."

​The question died in his throat as he finally looked up, only to find her sharp eyes already locked onto him, watching his every micro-expression.

​"What?" Matthias muttered, shifting uncomfortably. "Is there something on my face?"

​"No," Olivia replied, a cold, mocking tilt touching the corner of her lips. "I simply didn’t realize the great, fearsome Duke could turn so vividly crimson from a single, simple word."

​"What?" Matthias snapped, his hand instinctively flying to his cheek, only to feel the intense heat radiating beneath his skin. Damn it, am I really that transparent? He waved his hand in front of his face, desperately trying to fan away the burning warmth. "It’s... it is just the weather. The room is stiflingly hot."

​Olivia let out a soft, dry scoff, leaning back into her velvet chair. "Matthias, it is freezing outside. Furthermore, we have shared far more than a mere word, and I have never seen you blush like this."

​Matthias froze, his eyes widening slightly as the air in his lungs grew heavy. "What exactly are you implying?"

​"I mean exactly what you think I mean," Olivia shot back, her voice dropping into a dangerous, unapologetic purr. She didn’t blink, her pride rising to meet his shock as she gestured subtly toward her own form. "I do not believe the child I am currently carrying came to be from a few innocent glances. So... I hardly think a single confession changes much, my dear ."

​"So... you truly..."

​"Love you?" Olivia interrupted, her voice clear and unwavering. "Yes, I do."

​The moment the words left her lips, Matthias felt the last remaining ground beneath his feet completely give way. His knees buckled under the sheer, overwhelming weight of her admission. Sliding backward, he collapsed onto the floor, his back resting against the base of the heavy mahogany desk. He covered his eyes with one massive hand, but it did nothing to hide the breathtakingly beautiful, genuine smile that slowly broke across his face.

​Olivia looked down at him from her chair, her expression a mix of amusement and disbelief. "Well," she remarked dryly, "it seems Leon was right after all. He did say you might faint. Should I call him back in?"

​Matthias let out a low, rumbling laugh that vibrated through his entire chest, his shoulders shaking with unadulterated joy.

​ Great, Olivia thought, her brow furrowing slightly. Has he completely lost his mind? "Hey," she called out, leaning forward. "Are you alright?"

​Matthias slowly lowered his hand from his face and looked up at her. When Olivia met his gaze, her breath caught in her throat. It was a look she had never seen from him before—a gaze stripped of all his usual darkness, malice, and fear, carrying instead all the pure, raw happiness in the world. Beneath the moonlight filtering through the balcony, his smile was nothing short of captivating.

​"Say it again," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

​"What?"

​"Tell me you love me," he pleaded, his dark eyes locking onto hers with an intense, hungry desperation. "Tell me that I am the only man for you."

​At his words, an involuntary shiver raced down Olivia’s spine, scattering her thoughts. The sheer intensity of his devotion was intoxicating. Flustered, she abruptly tore her eyes away from his, staring blankly at the wall. Damn it, she cursed internally. What on earth is wrong with him now?

​Matthias let out another soft laugh, his sharp eyes catching the subtle change in her demeanor. "You were just mocking me," he noted teasingly, "yet you are the one starting to blush now."

​Olivia could feel it too—the sudden, betraying rush of heat burning against her cheekbones. "No," she countered sharply, keeping her head high. "This is simply fatigue from the pregnancy. Nothing more."

​Matthias didn’t argue. Instead, he pushed himself up from the floor and closed the distance between them. Moving with a gentleness that contrasted sharply with his massive, imposing frame, he sank to his knees right at her feet. He reached up, gently capturing both of her hands, and pressed her palms flat against his warm, scarred cheeks.

​He looked up at her from below, his gaze fiercely tender, baring his entire soul to her without a single shred of defense left.

​"Tell me, Olivia," he begged softly, his breath brushing against her fingers. "Tell me you love me. Because I am madly, deeply in love with you, my darling."

​A soft, rare smile finally broke through Olivia’s defenses. She leaned forward, closing the small distance between them, and pressed a light, lingering kiss against his lips.

​"I love you, my dear husband," she murmured against his skin, her voice losing its sharp edge. "Are you satisfied now that you have finally heard it?"

​Matthias let out a ragged breath, his heart swelling so painfully with emotion that it frightened him. "My God... I wouldn’t regret it even if I died this very moment."

​He pulled her into his arms, burying his face in the crook of her neck, holding her as if she were his only anchor in a crumbling world. "Despite everything... despite all the suffering... you are truly the best thing that has ever happened to my life."

​"Really?" she asked softly, her fingers gently tangling in his dark hair.

​Matthias pulled back slightly, looking up at her with absolute, unwavering sincerity. "I am entirely serious."

​Olivia gazed down at him, her expression turning earnest. She cup his face, her tone shifting from affection to a quiet, pressing gravity. "Then tell me. As long as you love me and cherish me, tell me what is happening with you. Since when do those who love each other hide such secrets? Matthias, please... I am truly worried."

​The radiant warmth in Matthias’s eyes vanished instantly, replaced by a suffocating, heavy gloom. He lowered his gaze, his voice dropping into a strained whisper. "Olivia..."

​"You’re going to lie to me, aren’t you?"

​Frustrated by his immediate withdrawal, Olivia stood up abruptly, pulling her hands away from him. She looked down at him with a mixture of anger and hurt. "Is this all I mean to you, Matthias? Stop playing the tragic, self-sacrificing hero. I chose you with all my madness, and I have never been some fragile, sheltered girl who breaks at the sight of hardship. So tell me, please."

​Matthias remained on his knees, his shoulders slumping under an invisible weight. "If I stay with you, I will only end up destroying you, Olivia. I will hurt you."

​"Hurt me?" Olivia let out a dry, incredulous laugh. "Matthias, you have never so much as harmed a single hair on my head..."

​The words suddenly died in her throat.

A cold, paralyzing realization struck her, and her hand moved instinctively, defensively, toward her own throat. The skin beneath her fingers suddenly felt burning hot as the ghost of a terrifying memory flashed before her eyes—the memory of his large, powerful hands wrapping tightly around her neck, cutting off her air, driven by an unholy, uncontrollable madness. Her breath hitched, and for a split second, she looked at him not just as her husband, but as the predator he feared he was.

​Matthias watched the movement of her hand. He saw the subtle, defensive flinch in her shoulders, and it broke something deep inside his soul. The very eyes that, mere seconds ago, held all the happiness in the universe, were now drowning in an utter despair and absolute misery that was painful to behold. He had wanted to believe the curse could be ignored, but her instinctive fear was the ultimate proof. He was a danger to her.

​"We are destined to never be together, my darling," Matthias whispered, his voice cracking with a sorrow so profound it bled into the quiet room. He slowly withdrew his hands from her, as if his very touch was poisonous. "I think... you finally understand why. Your body remembers the monster, even if your heart wants to forgive him."

​"Wait," Olivia stammered, her voice shaking as she took a half-step back, her mind racing to fight the sudden, terrifying distance growing between them. "I don’t... I don’t understand. Matthias, that was... it wasn’t you. Don’t do this."

​"I have already stayed by your side for far too long, feeding on illusions," Matthias said quietly. He pushed himself up from his knees, his massive frame suddenly looking defeated, hollowed out by grief. He refused to look at her face, terrified that one more glance at her wide, trembling eyes would break his resolve and make him stay.

​He dragged his heavy steps toward the balcony, his silhouette slowly blending into the cold shadows of the night. "I will leave now. Forgive me... and please, take care of yourself, Olivia."

​Before she could find her voice to command him to stay, he vanished into the biting darkness, leaving her alone in the suffocating silence of the office."