Chapter 179: Would that really be okay?

Click—

I quietly closed the bedroom door and stepped into the hallway.

I even stifled the sound of my footsteps, afraid that Mardian might wake.

She would want me to stay by her side, but my body couldn’t grant that wish.

What could I do, when even an hour was enough for that signal to rise from deep in my lower belly, unbearable?

With a short sigh, I was just about to head toward the bathroom—

“Um…”

A hesitant voice called from behind.

It was Mardian’s lovers.

Rushel, Shirley, and Erina. They stood clustered at the corner of the hallway, warily eyeing me.

“L-Little one… you made it back safely?”

Erina approached with a gentle smile, but I pushed her away firmly.

“…Little one?”

Not worth answering.

Up until now, I had simply believed Mardian was happy. So I didn’t feel anything particular about these people being around her.

But today was different. I had no intention of accepting them.

Alcoholism doesn’t happen overnight.

I can say for sure—even if I wanted to become addicted myself, it wouldn’t be that easy.

It takes drinking several bottles a day, every day, for the body to rot and the mind to be swallowed whole.

And up until Mardian reached that point, not one of them had tried to stop her.

In fact, most of them were the ones who kept offering her more.

Because when Mardian got drunk and felt good, the gold coins in their hands increased just as much.

Of course, that wasn’t entirely their fault.

Their relationship with Mardian had always been more like a transaction—money exchanged.

But still… if even one of them had truly cared for her… maybe Mardian wouldn’t have ended up like this.

I took a breath and declared firmly:

“From now on, I’ll be taking care of Lady Black Rose on my own. So stay away from her.”

“What…?!”

Erina’s eyes filled with anger, her voice echoing sharply down the hallway.

The other women followed suit, throwing hostile glares at me.

“I meant what I said. Don’t come near her, senpai.”

“Who gave you the right to decide that?”

Of course they’d be angry.

From their perspective, I was no different from a cruel boss cutting off their salary.

But that didn’t change anything.

Unless Mardian asked for them herself, I wasn’t going to let them take from her anymore.

“Ha, now that I think about it, you were quite the selfish bitch, weren’t you?”

As expected, it was Erina who most blatantly expressed her discontent.

“You’re just trying to monopolize the Black Rose all for yourself, aren’t you?”

“And if I am?”

“What?”

“Even if that’s true, Erina. What exactly do you think you can do about it?”

A faint smile tugged at my lips. It was a slightly sardonic expression tinged with cold amusement.

There was no way someone as hot-tempered as her would let that provocation slide.

Erina’s face flushed red in an instant, and she lunged at me.

“Y-You filthy wench! Know when to quit being greedy…!”

Her hand shot up high.

Just as I’d expected. Erina was always the type to act with her fists first.

She truly wasn’t one for thinking things through.

To do something like this when everyone knew how fond Mardian was of me—how reckless.

Erina’s palm came flying toward me.

I smiled, prepared to take the hit without flinching.

Smack—!

But the impact I was bracing for never came.

Instead, Erina’s body crumpled to the floor.

“Kyaaah!”

With a scream, her platinum blonde hair whipped through the air.

I instinctively turned my head—and blinked in stunned silence at the figure before me.

“Mardian…?”

I thought he was deeply asleep, but it seemed the commotion had woken him.

“L-Lord Black Rose…!”

Erina, clutching her now-swollen cheek, staggered as she looked at Mardian.

Without a word, he slowly approached her.

Then, he raised his foot—and without the slightest hesitation, began to stomp down on her body.

“Ack! Ugh!”

Mardian’s foot came down mercilessly.

Erina writhed violently on the floor under the brutal assault.

The look on Mardian’s face as he dealt out the violence was nothing like the one before.

There was not a shred of mercy in those icy eyes.

This—this was the Mardian more akin to the infamous villainess.

“You dare. Dare to lay a hand on Tina?”

With every word he spat out, another brutal kick followed.

“Guh…! Aaaagh…! S-Stop…!”

Erina screamed, shielding her face as she thrashed.

But Mardian was unmoved.

Head. Shoulder. Side. Face again. His blows only grew more ferocious.

The other women who had been watching from the sidelines began to pale. By now, none of them even dreamed of intervening.

And finally, when blood burst from Erina’s nose, Mardian’s assault came to a stop.

“Snff, snnff… sob…”

Erina lay collapsed on the ground, her body trembling weakly.

Mardian looked down at her with an icy gaze and spoke in a low voice.

“Get up.”

A voice as cold as ice.

“H-hic… sob…”

Erina whimpered, her body shaking as she remained facedown on the floor.

“…Hah.”

Mardian let out a short sigh. That cold breath made Erina lift her head in fear, her face pale.

She staggered as she tried to rise. The sight of her was utterly miserable.

“Apologize to Tina. Properly.”

“H-hic…”

Just moments ago, her eyes had been filled with hostility, but now, swept away by fear, not a trace of it remained.

Her face, smeared with tears and snot.

Seeing her in such a pitiful state, I couldn’t help but feel a flicker of sympathy.

“I-I’m sorry… It-it was my fault…”

With trembling hands, Erina propped herself up and knelt.

Bowing her head, she tearfully offered her apology.

Only then did Mardian withdraw the killing intent from her eyes.

Her icy gaze softened, and she slowly walked toward me.

“Tina…”

Mardian whispered quietly, pressing up close behind me.

Then she gently wrapped her arms around my neck.

“I punished her.”

She buried her face in my shoulder, her voice soft like a child seeking praise.

It was such a stark contrast.

The woman who had just trampled another mercilessly was now in my arms, meek as could be. The dissonance was so jarring that the other women instinctively recoiled in shock.

In contrast, I gently stroked Mardian’s soft hair and spoke quietly.

“…Good job. You did well, sweetheart.”

I wasn’t sure if praising someone for beating up another person was the right thing to do, but I decided to give Mardian what she wanted.

She seemed pleased with my touch, closing her eyes halfway and rubbing her head against me.

I glanced around for a moment.

No trace of defiance remained on the faces of the other women. Only fear, shock, and a strange sense of resignation lingered.

“I’ll cover Erina senpai’s medical bills. Please take her to the hospital.”

Rushel stepped forward from among the women and carefully supported Erina.

“Can we ask that she never shows her face here again?”

Unlike the others, Rushel’s expression didn’t reveal much emotion. She seemed calm.

As expected, Rushel was always easy to talk to.

“Please, senpai.”

“…Alright.”

Rushel gave a polite nod, then led the women toward the annex.

As silence settled in after the people left, Mardian pulled me into a tighter embrace.

“Where… were you trying to go?”

Was she upset that I had come out of the bedroom?

“I told you I’d prepare a meal once I got up.”

“A meal…?”

“Since we’re talking about it, is there anything in particular you’d like to eat?”

“…Alcohol will do.”

“Alcohol isn’t a meal, Lord Mardian.”

From the looks of it, it wasn’t the first time she had skipped meals.

I’d heard that severe alcoholism can lead to loss of appetite—it could very well be the case here.

First and foremost, it seemed most urgent to restore Mardian’s broken body to a healthy state.

‘Should I call Lady Lillian?’

With Lillian’s divine power, physical issues could certainly be healed.

She had the power to regenerate even severed limbs—surely, a body damaged by alcohol wouldn’t be a challenge.

I could entrust the physical healing to Lillian and take care of the mental and emotional side myself, but…

‘…Would that really be okay?’

Even if I were the one to order it, Mardian was the one who had tried to poison Lillian.

More than anything, what Mardian probably needed most right now was time alone with me.

It’s embarrassing to admit, but Mardian really does care deeply for me.

If I brought Lillian unnecessarily, it might actually have a negative effect on her.

Was there a way to help Mardian recover without Lillian’s assistance?

Of course, with steady treatment, she could get better—but there was no telling how long that might take.

From my standpoint, hoping Mardian could be happy even one day sooner, such an uncertain method wasn’t even an option.

‘Healing power…’

If only there was something that could substitute for divine power, it might be possible.

And then, a thought flashed across my mind.

The one and only method to restore Mardian’s body.

As soon as the idea surfaced,

A wave of shame burst through me, and my face flushed hot as if it would explode.

‘Am I… am I insane…?’

Even I couldn’t accept the thought I’d just had.

To have such an idea while wearing the face of a human—if the goddess heard this, she would condemn it as a monstrous delusion.

I shook my burning face vigorously, trying to think of another way.

But no matter how hard I searched, nothing came to mind that could restore Mardian without Lillian’s power.

​‘W-What should I do…?’It went completely against moral—no, ethical standards.

But if it was this method… I was almost certain it would heal Mardian’s body.