When My Enemies Began to Regret

The silence was broken by the woman. “T-this must be a mistake in the material. There’s some exaggeration in the novel.”

“…”

“It can’t be like this. Even married couples don’t do such… lascivious things! Probably!”

Fanora felt an unfamiliar discomfort upon encountering uncharted territories. Putting down the book she was reading, she covered her mouth while Carl’s gaze inadvertently shifted towards the book.

“Lady Fanora, but what does this word here mean…?”

Fanora swallowed hard and glared at Carl. Fortunately, her anger did not last long.

“This is bad for your emotions. Let’s stop looking at this, Carl.”

She calmly closed the novel and set it aside. Then, with a bold tone, she brought out another book. Unlike the ornately decorated cover of the romantic novel, this book was covered in leather, exuding an air of luxury.

“I knew it would come to this, so I also got a proper book.”

The book she brought discussed sexual topics in a medical or academic context. However, shortly after, They realized that the explanations in this book were not much different from the descriptions in the novel.

“…”

“…”

If there was any difference, it was merely whether literary metaphors were present or not.

The atmosphere quickly turned awkward.

“Should we just go to sleep now?”

“Yeah, suddenly I feel tired.”

Fanora decided to forget everything that had happened that day. They turned down the lamp wick, extinguished the light, and went to bed. A window at the head of the bed let in the soft moonlight of Kollaeng.

Yet, she couldn’t fall asleep and kept tossing and turning. Lying down together had been a routine part of their daily life, but today, for some reason, it felt unnervingly significant. She couldn’t even bear to look towards Carl on her right, counting the stains on the dull wall instead, and after a while, she turned back around.

“

!”

But, as she lay facing Carl’s direction, their eyes met directly.

“…Why aren’t you sleeping?”

“I was watching Lady Fanora.”

Initially, she wanted to scold him for watching something as unworthy as herself, but as the darkness became more familiar, his expression became clearer. Slight pain, fatigue, and a flutter of anxiety.

“Can’t sleep because it’s hard?”

It was withdrawal symptoms. Only then did Fanora give up on keeping her distance and move closer to him.

Carl smiled and shook his head as she approached. “Just watching you like this makes it better.”

“Carl…”

“Really.”

Carl shifted to lie on his side, propping his head with one arm. Watching him quietly, Fanora closed her eyes and said, “If you really want to change, I can’t stop you, but it hurts to see you like this.”

After reopening her eyes, she propped herself up on the bed, cupped Carl’s cheek with her hand, and gently kissed his forehead. “…Don’t push yourself too hard. And let’s spar tomorrow morning.”

Behind her cold demeanor was a person warmer than anyone, not prone to lying, considerate, and gentle in action. While some might find a prickly and flawed woman unattractive, Carl was drawn to someone like Fanora.

“Someday, I still want to have a wedding. I’ll save up for it.”

“

?”

“I feel uneasy if I don’t legally bind someone as precious as Lady Fanora.”

You’re too good, and I fear competitors might appear anytime.

Carl’s expression was serious as he spoke. Contrary to his earnestness, Fanora let out a deflated laugh.

“It’s funny hearing you say what I was supposed to say.”

Others might scoff at such words, but she was sincere. Fanora always felt Carl was too good for her, wondering if she deserved such a kind person and worrying about how to deal with other women who might flirt with him.

“I’ve been thinking, Carl.”

“About what?”

“It might be hard on my own, but having a child with someone like you by my side doesn’t seem so bad.” She shared her thoughts from the day with him, lying by his side.

Carl brightened up and asked, “Are you sure?

, you don’t like children or something like that?”

Fanora glanced at him and spoke plainly, “Actually, it was a dream of mine. To marry a kind man, have three children resembling us, and live a peaceful life…”

“…”

“How happy would a home filled with the laughter of children be?”

It was a pure dream she had nurtured since childhood, not expecting to share it now. Lost in the past, Fanora was suddenly brought back to reality by the unfamiliar warmth touching her.

“Still, your hands are really cold.”

“Maybe it’s because I’ve been neglecting exercise, and my blood isn’t circulating well?”

“Maybe. Or it could just naturally be like this…”

No matter how tightly they shut the door, this old cabin couldn’t block the wind as perfectly as a noble’s mansion. The winter wind seeped through every nook, and Fanora’s hands remained icy. Worried about her cold hands, Carl took them in his warm ones and gently blew them on them.

Despite having lit the fireplace, the room didn’t seem to warm up at all. Fanora considered fetching a makeshift stove for a moment but then decided against it.

“Carl, don’t do that and come closer.”

“Like this?”

Fanora then wriggled into his embrace. Holding her close, his expression resembled a rooster warming its eggs from afar.

“As expected, this is much warmer.”

“…”

“…You don’t seem thrilled. What’s wrong? Is it uncomfortable?”

Their faces were hardly visible in such close proximity. Thus, Fanora loosened her embrace to look directly at Carl, only to be greeted by a sight.

“It should be normal for you by now.”

Carl was embarrassingly flustered, his pupils dilated, even after initiating the embrace that morning. Fanora frowned and averted her gaze.

“It makes me feel strange when you act like this.”

Though she complained, it wasn’t unpleasant. He was always kind, making her wonder if he treated everyone the same. Yet, situations like these assured her she was special.

“…”

Silently, Fanora hugged him again. Feeling his heartbeat through the modest wool clothing, she thought.

Love doesn’t have a fixed shape. Perhaps this ordinary everyday life where they cherish each other can also be love.

Fanora began to understand that not only does passionate love count but even someone slow and cold like her could share affection.

She felt content, basking in Carl’s warmth. But soon, a voice broke the calm.

“You’re not going to sleep right now, are you, Lady Fanora?”

“Probably?”

Fanora was in the early stages of overcoming her long-standing insomnia. Naturally, she couldn’t easily fall asleep yet. Without much thought, she nodded in response to his question. Then Carl, with a broad smile, made a move.

Laughing at Carl’s kisses, Fanora realized. So, in his way, he was doing a troublesome thing that could wake her up, seeking her permission in advance. It was a tender gesture, considering the gravity of the conversation, like being pecked by a small bird.

“

!”

However, Fanora should have been most cautious at that moment. The man she loved was trying to be affectionate, but in reality, the young man was nothing short of a living flame. And it was she who taught him this new knowledge.

“It tickles.”

Unexpectedly, their first night together was filled with frivolous actions. Somehow, the mood led them there. It was unplanned, perhaps a clumsy start, but such experiences are common for many couples.

* * *

It was a morning like any other. Lying in bed, the woman slowly became aware as the yellow sunlight poured over her eyelids. From beyond the window, the cacophonic chirps of winter migratory birds flowed.

“…”

Sitting up in bed, she noticed the empty space beside her and looked around. A familiar face emerged from the direction of the kitchen.

“Y-You’re awake?”

“…”

“That…

… breakfast is ready…

, and I did the laundry for Lady Fanora, but I couldn’t find where your new clothes are…” He seemed unable to keep his gaze fixed, flustered.

The woman with the cold demeanor watched him and then shifted her posture. She seemed to want to get out of bed, placing her feet on the floor and standing up.

“A-are you thirsty? Should I get you some water…?”

But then, a small accident occurred. Instead of stepping forward, she collapsed on the spot like a newborn fawn.

“

! Lady Fanora!”

Carl rushed over in shock as she fell. She, too, was taken aback, wide-eyed in surprise.

“…”

“Lady Fanora, are you okay?!”

Carl swiftly picked her up from the floor like picking seaweed and placed her back on the bed. Fanora wore a dazed expression as he laid her down properly, and only after everything was settled did they begin to talk.

“I have a lot to say, but I’ll ask just one thing for now.”

As she seemed about to ask something, Carl tensely nodded.

“Why did you bite my neck?”

What exactly happened last night to make her look so somber?

Fanora curiously raised her voice at the end of her question. Carl struggled to respond.

“It just… happened?”

“…”

Not quite satisfied with the answer, Fanora decided to leave it at that. It was pointless to dig further after everything had been wrecked.

“My whole body feels like it’s been beaten up.”

“I’m sorry…”

“What’s the difference between this and sparring…?” She murmured as if lamenting, her eyes unfocused.

Carl kept apologizing beside her, and seeing this, Fanora spoke decisively. “There’s no need to apologize. It’s not like it was forced.”

She seemed lost in thought for a moment after saying this. She closed her eyes tightly as if shaking away memories of the past that she had forgotten.

“Still…”

“If you feel that guilty, just bring me some water.”

“

, yes!”

Carl jumped up at her request and brought back some cold water.

Fanora sipped the water, soothing her parched throat, and then continued. “I realized something from yesterday. I used to train relentlessly, fueled by my desire for revenge, but lately, I admit I’ve become complacent.”

“Yes?”

“I guess it’s time to get back in shape.”

“You’re going to exercise?”

“If I keep this up against someone like you, I might die before even seeing our child’s face.”

Hearing this, Carl blushed, reminded of the previous night. Despite his embarrassment, he didn’t avert his gaze. He had more to say to her.

“Lady Fanora, I was really surprised yesterday.”

“Surprised about what?”

“That children are… made that way.”