CHAPTER 203: HEAT

The pale moonlight wrapped the garden in a soft, silvery glow as the two walked side by side.

A gentle silence lingered between them—not the kind that pressed on the heart, but one that felt warm and familiar.

Marilyn had spent time with him before—watching him from the shadows, speaking to him when he was alone—but this was the first time they walked together like this, after becoming mates.

Her heart beat a little faster at the thought, yet his quiet presence calmed the flutter within her chest.

"How do you feel? Do you still have trouble adjusting to your new self?" Hades finally asked, his voice breaking the stillness.

Marilyn had changed in more ways than one since their bond. Her magic flowed stronger, her awareness sharper. The world around her seemed clearer, as though her senses had been gently polished to brilliance.

She hadn’t fought since the transformation, but deep down she knew—she was stronger now. Much stronger.

"I feel good," she replied softly, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Just a little dizzy in the mornings... it passes."

Hades’ brows furrowed slightly, a faint trace of worry crossing his face. He hesitated before speaking, his voice careful and uncertain. "Are... you, perhaps..."

Marilyn’s eyes widened as the thought struck her, and she quickly waved her hands. "Oh—no, no. I’m not pregnant. I had a full body assessment done, and there was nothing like that in the report."

Hades gave a low hum, his expression unreadable—neither relief nor disappointment showing in his eyes. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to feel.

For all that he had faced in his life, he was still only nineteen—a boy who never imagined he would end up married to three women so suddenly.

So, yes—the thought of having a child stirred something strange inside him.

He did love children, and the idea of his wives giving him one someday filled him with warmth. But along with it came an uneasy question that lingered in his chest—would he be a good father?

"My Lord?" Marilyn’s soft voice broke through his thoughts, her tone lined with gentle concern as she noticed the distant look in his eyes.

Hades gave a small shake of his head, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Ah, it’s nothing." After a short pause, his tone softened. "Marilyn... you’re my wife now. So, could you try calling me by my name?"

The word wife slipped so effortlessly from his lips, yet it struck Marilyn’s heart like a quiet storm. She had always known she was his mate, but hearing it spoken aloud—by him—filled her with a rush of tender, tangled emotions.

Her cheeks warmed as she looked away. "I’ll... try," she murmured shyly.

Hades hummed in approval, then steered the conversation back to her health. "Have you spoken to the nurse? What might be causing the nausea?"

Marilyn nodded. "My body tends to gather mana while I sleep, up to a certain limit. But ever since my capacity increased, it’s been struggling to keep up. Sometimes the mana overflows, and other times I feel drained."

Hades listened carefully, his expression thoughtful before giving a slow nod.

That made sense—dragons’ bodies were built that way.

Hades recalled his first night in this realm—the chaos that followed when his body couldn’t handle the dense, potent air of the dragon lands. He had drawn in far more mana than he could control, and the result had been nothing short of disastrous.

Turning to her, the redhead spoke gently, "Give yourself some time. My mother once told me that being my first true mate would affect you deeply. Your body will keep changing, adapting... maybe even for months. So, for now, take it easy. Don’t push yourself too hard, alright?"

Marilyn nodded, her eyes soft with understanding. But then her sense of duty surfaced. "What about your guard’s position?" she asked quietly. Protecting him was her role—her pride.

Hades exhaled slowly before answering, "If you’re alright with it... I was thinking of assigning that position to Averis."

Marilyn’s heart gave a faint, uneasy twist, though she couldn’t immediately name the feeling. Tilting her head, she asked, "Why are you asking for my permission?"

Hades scratched the back of his neck, looking a little awkward. "Because of her feelings for me," he admitted honestly. "I spoke with Luna and Peri about it too, and they agreed to let her stay close."

And in that instant, Marilyn understood the heaviness that had crept into her chest. It was the sting of something she rarely felt—

insecurity.

Marilyn felt a twinge of shame for letting such emotions surface, yet she couldn’t deny them—not even to herself.

Her voice grew softer, almost hesitant. "Will she be following you everywhere... like me?"

Hades caught the faint trace of complaint beneath her words, and it made the corner of his lips twitch. For a fleeting moment, he considered teasing her, but decided against it. "No," he said gently. "She isn’t my shadow guard. She’ll only accompany me when I go out."

Marilyn released a small sigh of relief before nodding. "Alright... then you can have her."

Even as she said it, a part of her knew she’d later scold herself for sounding so petty.

Hades gave a light smile. "Thank you for understanding."

Before he could say anything else, Marilyn quickly added, "But once I recover, I’ll be your shadow guard again, okay?"

Hades chuckled softly, shaking his head with a wry smile. "We’ll talk about that later. It’s getting late—let’s head back."

Marilyn felt troubled at those words however, Hades couldn’t tell her what his mother had said about Marilyn’s position after her recovery.

’Marilyn is supposed to be the first Queen after your succession, son. That means, she can’t be working as a guard anymore.’ Those were her words.

Hades didn’t say anything to her at that time since he knew what Marilyn would want once she recovered.

For now, he had left that decision to be made after discussing things with everyone.

Soon, the duo started walking back into the castle and headed upstairs where Marilyn was staying.

"I will have the room next to mine prepared for you tomorrow. Is that okay?"

Marilyn meekly hummed, not averse to that idea but still quite nervous.

As they stopped at the door, Marilyn turned towards him, "Would you like to come inside?" She asked.

The pale moonlight streaming down the window on their left reflected her soft features. Her hair draped over her shoulder, and those dark violet eyes locked him in place.

After a brief pause, Hades asked, "Do you want me to?"

Marilyn lowered her head slightly, couldn’t meet his gaze, but her inner beast couldn’t resist nodding.

Hades reached out, which had her heart racing, but rather than touching her, he opened the door behind her and stepped forward.

Marilyn slowly backed away as Hades stepped inside the room.

The duo never stopped looking into each other’s eyes.

The room was cold but the heat between the two was palpable.

They needed each other’s warmth.

Hades gently wrapped his arms around the girl, and pulled her lithe form into his embrace.

Marilyn melted in his arms, his broad frame completely engulfing the girl as she pressed her face against his chest, taking in his strong scent.

She shuddered slightly as his hand moved down and up her back, caressing her.

"Were you worried?" He asked.

Marilyn hummed, "I sensed it...how shattered you were ..." she responded.

Peri was right there, witnessing all of it. That’s why she mustn’t have paid attention to the devastation Hades felt in that moment when he nearly lost Luna.

However, far away from the battlefield, Marilyn’s heart sank when she sensed her Lord breaking down.

Hades took a deep breath, her presence, her warmth, her soft body, it all provided him relief which he didn’t know he needed.

"Sorry for making you worried and leaving you like that." Hades looked down at her after he slightly parted away.

Hades tucked the few loose strands of her hair behind her ear and asked, "Were you sad?"

Marilyn looked up, her hands on his chest, as she murmured, "I...was...a little."

Hades brought his lips to her forehead and kissed her, "Sorry about that."

His lips then went a little down, trailing soft kisses on her cheeks, nose, and chin.

Looking into her eyes, he asked, "I have yet to kiss you with a sane mind. So, before that, can I have the permission to claim those lips of yours?"

Marilyn giggled, her voice echoing like a soft melody in his ears as she nodded, "I belong to you."

Hades smiled fondly before his lips found hers

There was no rush. Their lips met and separated a few times, gently touching each other, letting the other one feel the warmth before Hades finally went for a deeper kiss.

Her lips parted, giving him better access to lock his lips with hers

Hades grabbed her waist and pulled her up.

Marilyn, in a daze, wrapped her legs around his waist as he began to slowly walk towards the bed.

The room was soon filled with the sound of their passionate connection, their unsteady breathing, and Marilyn’s soft moans.

Resting her in the bed, Hades climbed on top of her

Caressing her face, he said, "You still haven’t recovered-"

"Hades," Marilyn called out, "I want you..."

The beast he has been trying to calm down until now, could no longer hold back.

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A/N:- I hope you enjoyed the Chapter and if you did leave a comment.