20 - 24

< — The Ducal couple — > (8)

TN: Thank you for not complaining and letting me translate at my pace. It really helps XD. Part 2 should come tmrw or next. I'm a bit tied up for tmrw but we'll see. Also, since I don't really split in the middle, more like 'oh this seems like a good place to stop', my part 2's will generally be pretty short. Finally, there's a poll below, please do if you can.

The first tea party was pretty small. She had invited a total of eight people, mainly wives of the duke's vassals and elderly noble women. She followed Jerome's advice on whom to invite and the atmosphere of the party stayed amicable.

Lucia was a bit nervous at first but after she got to her seat, she realized there was no need to be nervous. The system here was a different one from the capital's social system where you had to be ready at any time to fight tooth and nail in such gatherings. In the north and as the Duchess of Taran, she was already in a superior position.

They were all saying pleasantries and being harmonious so there was no needless consciousness of her mood. If Lucia had used her authority and hurt any of these old lady's pride, no matter how much they laughed in front of her, the instant they were at her back, they would heap criticisms. Lucia kept her courtesy at a level where it was not too much but neither was it too little but this was Lucia's first time being the host for a tea party.

In her dream, Count Matin pestered her excessively to socialize but he never supported her properly. After all, once you open a tea party once, you have to keep opening one. Throwing a tea party once and then deciding to quit was not something one could do. There was also the fact that throwing tea parties regularly cost a pretty good amount of money. Count Matin was a miser who would grasp money tightly and wouldn't let go. On that subject, her body was pretty lenient on her considering what she ate and used.

Although Lucia's experience as a host was lacking, for many years, she had attended countless parties in her dream. Even though it was mainly from having listened to someone else's words and then hastily putting it into action, experience was experience.

All the noble women in attendance were experienced madams. The atmosphere of the party flowed well even if Lucia did not take the lead. Or rather, the elderly noble women were easier to handle than the young maidens. There was no need for the needless exchange of nerves, prominent amongst young female nobles and everyone here was in a relationship where they would be seeing each other's faces for a long time so there was no need to hide what they wanted to or not wanted to say.

As she listened to the conversations of the madams, there were times where she'd join in the chat or even laugh. The ones who were surprised were the noblewomen. The young Duchess was now 18 years of age but she was not nervous in the slightest. The women here had daughters or even granddaughters of the same age as the Duchess, but compared to the Duchess, their children could only be described as immature.

'Indeed, a princess.'

'She's full of elegance.'

'To think she'd be so steady.'

Lucia was merely one of the common princesses in the palace but she was of the royal household. In the northern social circles, it was a big occasion for one to go to the capital and visit the royal palace and for the nobles, the status of a princess, even if it was just one, was an existence they had to look up to.

Compared to those her age, she was unusually calm and they had all accepted her with dignity and elegance. The older they were, the more satisfied they were with the young Duchess' serene appearance. The young Duke of Taran was a very rash, coarse and hard to approach opponent so the relatively mild Duchess was very appealing to these noble madams.

"Soon, are you going to open up a grand ball? My granddaughter told me to definitely ask you."

"No, there is no plan for that yet. I prefer this, just accompanying the madams to talk about trivial matters. A ball is too noisy and complex." [Lucia]

"That is a very good point. If you open up a ball, the younger ones will be the ones coming over to play."

"I agree. Drinking until dawn and then staggering around doesn't look so good."

The noble madams swiftly supported that. Memories of themselves playing around in their youth seemed to have simultaneously disappeared from their minds.

"Please excuse my rudeness."

Jerome came into the terrace as their conversation was reaching its peak. A tea party was an event for women alone, even the people serving were to be women only so it was customary for men to not interfere.

"Is something the matter, steward?" [Lucia]

"I apologize for disrupting your Grace's enjoyment. His Grace sent a present to celebrate your Grace's first social event. May it be brought in?"

The expressions of the madams filled with excitement at once and they exchanged glances. With her face slightly red, Lucia gave her approval and maids filed in. They all held beautiful flowers in their bosom. It was a feast of beautiful red flowers; roses, tulips, chrysanthemums, geraniums…

It was indeed an assortment of red flowers. The maids began to put them in every corner of the terrace, they put some in vases, then they started to decorate all around the table. Very quickly, the interior of the terrace was filled with sweet floral scents. At the very least thousands of the flowers were fully bloomed.

"Oh my, oh my goodness."

"I never thought the Duke would be such a romantic person."

No matter how old they got, women loved flowers. The madams tossed away their etiquette and cheered happily. Now that they had grown older, the fluttering heart for love that they had in their younger days had waned but upon witnessing this unexpected romance, their passion was rekindled. Having received this unexpected gift, Lucia's heart also beat faster.

"You say His Grace sent this gift…did he have any words for me?"

The experienced steward did not panic at her question.

"He hoped that you'd take kindly to the theme for today's present."

Lucia's eyes widened slightly then she gave the steward a soft smile.

"You've done well, Steward. I would like to give his Grace my thanks personally."

Continuously, till the tea party ended, the noble women mentioned how envious they were of her. Surrounded by them and their words, Lucia's face reddened till it looked like one of the flower petals. Lucia gave each one of them a bundle of flowers to take with them as they made to leave.

Even then, there were still many flowers remaining. The noble madams returned to their homes, extremely satisfied with the beautiful present that was neither overbearing nor lacking.

"You've worked hard, your Grace. Looking at the bright expression on the faces of the noble madams, it seems that they all enjoyed the tea party."

"I also enjoyed myself and you too have worked hard, Jerome. But, I have something to ask."

In that instant, Jerome's shoulders stiffened. These days, her Grace rarely went on the offensive.

"…Yes, your Grace."

"The flower present. His Grace did not order it, right?"

"What?"

Jerome frantically exclaimed despite himself and asked her a question. As Jerome slowly turned pale from astonishment, Lucia couldn't help but chuckle.

"At first, I had thought it was a gift from him. I would have been deceived if you hadn't said anything after that. 'He hopes that you'd take kindly to today's theme'. That person is not the delicate type. How could you not know him better than I do?"

If Jerome had said that his Grace had no words for her, she would have thought that the gift was something Hugo had sent.

"Ah…that…Your Grace. W-well, it..it's…"

Lucia warmly comforted Jerome who was stuttering pitifully.

"It's okay. Thank you for the present. Jerome."

"Your Grace! It's not like that. His Grace really wanted to send a gift but he did not know what to send. That's why I sent flowers…"

"Really?"

"Yes. It's the truth. Please trust me, your Grace."

Lucia examined Jerome whose complexion was pale and stiff with doubtful eyes then gave a low hum. His expression looked so pitiful she decided to drop the topic here.

"I understand."

"Your Grace, it truly is."

"I said I understand. I will give my thanks to his Grace."

In a different way, Jerome was now difficult to deal with. If she were to give her thanks personally to the duke and something went wrong…but at this point, she couldn't say no. Even if he meant well, undeniably it was an act to deceive her.

"I shall be sitting here for a little while longer. The flowers smell very nice."

"Yes, your Grace. Shall I bring you some tea?"

"I've already drank a lot of tea. There's no need to."

Jerome withdrew and Lucia sat for a while in the quiet terrace, enjoying the scent of the flowers.

Translator's Corner.

* What do you guys like better? Butler or Steward? Let me know in this poll: .

Or you can comment. Either way is fine.

< — Ducal couple — > (8)

TN: So I tried using butler & steward. Doesn't seem like it was jarring to me so I might go with that. That said, most of y'all seemed to like stewards like I do. Great minds think alike (jk). (〜￣▽￣)〜

During the timeframe of the tea party, Hugo was having a meeting. Hugo held regular meetings with his vassals, knights and local lords. From their point of view, holding a meeting once a month was good enough to know the state of things but all of Hugo's other meetings were held at least once a week and then met frequently to hold meetings.

His style of meeting aimed to provide solutions to the issues that are raised during the meeting. So, when he enters a meeting, people were only able to come out after it was over and with faces full of exhaustion. There were many cases where the meeting had started in the morning and lasted till evening.

Today's meeting took a long time too and was only done sometime after the tea party had ended. Thankfully, the time for dinner had not yet passed. The current time was a bit too early to have dinner but it was also a time without any particular purpose so Hugo asked Jerome about Lucia's whereabouts.

"Her grace is on the terrace."

'Ah. The tea party.'

[Since it is her Grace's first event, what do you think of sending a congratulatory gift?]

'Damn,' He lamented a little. He'd wanted to send a present but then forgot about it.

Yesterday, his mind was focused on something else, and today, he'd been in a meeting since morning and hadn't had time to think of anything else. Well, at least today still wasn't over. Even if it was a little late, as long as it was given today, there probably won't be any problem.

"Is she still having a tea party at this time?"

"No, Your Grace. It's been a while since it ended. Her Grace is just passing her time on the terrace. And…since you did not give any orders on a gift for her Grace, I used my judgement and sent flowers and decorated the terrace."

"Hmm? Okay, you did well."

As expected, his steward was very capable.

"You said she was on the terrace, right?"

Looking at the back of his master, Jerome couldn't bear to tell him that her Grace was currently suspicious of whether his Grace had truly sent the gift of flowers. This incident was undeniably Jerome's fault. It was the first time in his life as a butler to hide his mistake from his master.

Ignoring Jerome who was busy drowning in his sense of shame, Hugo took light steps towards the terrace. As the day drew to a close, the red glow of the sun was cast on the terrace and the moment Hugo reached the terrace, he stopped walking.

Lucia was sitting down with her eyes closed, supporting her chin with her hand on the table. It was as though terrace was enveloped in a blanket of silence, it was not a heavy silence but a serene and calm one.

'What is she thinking of?'

He didn't want to disrupt her contemplation but he was also curious as to what she was thinking about and was tempted to immediately bring her back to reality. Looking at her peaceful face, his heart couldn't help but grow calmer. She looked so comfortable and at ease that it took his breath away.

Hugo slowly closed his eyes then reopened it. Sometimes, when he looked at her, he felt strange. He felt as though there was something pressing down on his chest and his eyes couldn't quite make out what was in front of him, like something unknown was gnawing at him from the inside.

It was not a pleasant feeling but this feeling did not make him unpleased or uncomfortable. In his life which had always been clear and precise, she was a puzzle piece that he'd been unable to find a place for.

Suddenly, her eyes flew open. When she discovered his presence, she gave a smile as radiant as sunshine. Hugo momentarily furrowed his brow. He felt as though his heart was being pricked with a needle, and felt a twinge of pain. These days, he kept having abnormal symptoms in his body. So far, he'd never fallen ill and as for wounds, his body recovered remarkably fast so he never needed doctor and had lived without one.

'…Do I need to ask them to call in that old man?'

What was he thinking? Philip's face was one face he didn't wish to see even in his dreams. Lucia quickly got up and ran towards him. The very enjoyable tea party, the fragrant scent of the flowers and the sad but beautiful glow made by the slowly setting sun, all of it had slowly elevated her mood. She had been enjoying the quiet peace on the terrace and just when that happy feeling had reached its peak, he arrived.

Lucia expressed her currently bubbling emotions by running into his arms.

"Woah…"

As she had suddenly ran into him, he was stunned for a moment. He held her waist firmly with his arms as she rubbed her head on his chest and relaxed into his arms. He responded by embracing her soft bosom to his body then he lowered his head and kissed the top of her head. She was doing cute things she'd never done before. If this was what she had learned at the tea party today then he didn't mind opening one every day.

He smiled tenderly, lightly grabbed her chin and gave her a soft kiss.

"Was the tea party fun?"

"Yes, thank you for the present."

His gaze immediately took notice of the terrace which was covered in flowers. It would seem that the gift that Jerome had sent on his behalf had made her very happy, and with that, he was satisfied.

'Just why do women love flowers? They can't even eat it.' He couldn't understand it but in the first place, he could never understand the existences called women anyways. His sight moved towards the bright and blossoming red flowers that seemed eager to show off their beauty, and his gaze landed on the rose flowers.

His eyes slightly stiffened.

[Please send me a rose flower.]

Suddenly, the words she had said came to mind. He then felt an ominous foreboding.

'When did she say that?'

In his extraordinary memory which could remember everything from the day he could walk, an error seemed to have occurred. As his heart grew restless and desperate, his memory became more disordered. He struggled to remember the memory of something that had happened just a few months ago.

'Right. The contract…the condition she gave me the day we made a contract.'

[If you believe that I am unable to control my heart, please send me a rose flower].

'This… Damn it.'

< — Ducal couple — > (9)

TN: I changed most of the 'old man' in the other chapters to old geezer. Seems more insulting and appropriate. Many of you guys were actually on point last chapter in your deductions. I have a 10 page (4 and a half down, 5 and a half to go) research paper to write so see you guys next week (maybe) ʕ ಡ ﹏ ಡ ʔ

He felt like ice cold water had been poured on his head. No, it was a much clammier feeling, as though his body had been bound and the inside and outside of his body was filled in rancid filth.

'I feel dirty.'

Apart from those words, there was no other words to describe it. It was not just simple annoyance but the really annoying discomfort you feel when you pull your feet out after stepping in mud and there is mud all the way to your ankle.

No, it was a bit different from that. It was akin to thinking he had caught the enemy off-guard but ended up meeting them as they already knew beforehand and were waiting for hime. No, not like that either. He earnestly and anxiously tried to capture what exactly the feeling he was going through was but he couldn't deduce an answer.

Her clear eyes were starting to at him with a little suspicion. He needed more time to think.

"Are flowers that good?"

"Rather than being happy about the flowers, I'm happier that you sent me a gift."

Her expression was bright and purely full of joy. It seemed as though she had accepted the meaning of the present as simply a present but he didn't dare to openly ask. Then she would know that the present was not something he had sent and because she knew it as simply a present, she would be disappointed.

"I'm glad you liked it."

He hid his restless mind and on the surface, responded very calmly but inwardly he harbored a minor grudge with Jerome. Out of all the possible presents, why did it have to be rose flowers?

Although they were many other kind of flowers there, all Hugo could see were the rose flowers. Hugo lowered his body and easily took her up in his arms. Lucia let out a scream due to his sudden actions.

He sat on the table, placed her on his laps, wrapped his two arms around her firmly and propped his chin on her shoulder.

"Your Grace…?"

"Just wait a moment."

After she'd struggled a little and then gave up, he started to think. Feeling the temperature of the small body in arms gradually getting warmer, he calmly explored his memory.

'Yellow. Right. It was a yellow rose.'

At first, just seeing the red flowers he was flustered and surprised but after the moment of surprise passed, he began to think rationally. No matter how much he looked, there was no sight of anything yellow. There was no sight of the yellow rose that he'd sent to women to signify their parting. He instantly felt relieved.

Initially, he had no idea that those women would be receiving yellow roses. He had simply ordered Jerome to handle the matter adequately by himself but he never inquired about how it was handled. But then, one day, a woman who had received a yellow rose came to find him and threw a bunch of yellow roses at him. Even though they had only met up a few times, she was a woman he'd thought to have had quite the personality.

After that incident, Hugo got to know that there was a flower known as the yellow rose. To him, once it was colorful, they were all the same flowers, but the yellow rose was one flower he was aware of. He never asked Jerome why amongst all flowers he sent yellow roses but it seemed meaningful so he asked Jerome to keep doing what he was doing.

'Does she know it is supposed to be a yellow rose?'

No matter how much he thought about it and sorted through the conversation they had while signing the contract…

'Yellow'

There was nothing specified about the rose (1). But, looking at her reaction, she didn't seem to take the roses sent today in that sense. And the farewell gift was a bunch of roses. Since this huge pile of flowers wasn't it, he arrived at the conclusion that clearly, he had defined it differently (2).

Now that he'd solved one problem, he once again recalled him memories of the contract day. The conditions he'd put forth that day were the two documents. And then there were two additional conditions.

Freedom in his private life and to never fall in love with him.

'You crazy bastard'*

Why did he add such a useless condition? He originally would not use a condition in a contract if the situation was one where it could not be documented. What happened was the result of her sounding him out and then confronting him.

Freedom in his private life was not really a problem. There was no need for him to marry a normal wife and then fix his eyes on another woman. That would be too troublesome. Sometimes he could play around and then with the flip of a hand, suddenly change his mind but anyways he was a man who open about his contradictions.

[I will never fall in love with your Grace.]

The problem was with this. His thoughts flipped back and forth, he felt as though his heart had been hit with a strong force and his breath was caught in his throat. Moreover, her oath was covered by two shields (3). She had declared to him: 'I will never give you my heart and if by any chance I do, please send me a rose.'

And he had initially thought that it was a condition advantageous to himself and gladly agreed.

'You stupid fucker.'*

He'd disliked himself originally but it was closer to disgust, he'd never thought of himself as a fool. In fact, he was very confident about the ability of his body and his brain but that confidence was slowly cracking.

"Whew, it's hot."

She twisted her body in his arms. As the strength in his arms disappeared, she pushed away from him with both hands and released her upper body. As the cool air hit her skin, she let out a small breath. He dropped his gaze and was stared dazedly at Lucia who was flushed slightly red from the heat.

'This woman does not love me.'

[If that's so, then I'm thankful.]

In the past, that was how he thought towards women. A woman's love is annoying. They would give him their heart which he didn't want then buzz around asking him to reciprocate. The love they had for him was ultimately based on what he had. Those women loved his power and his wealth.

They all loved the Duke Hugo not the Hugh who didn't have anything to his name. And to him, of course Lucia was the same.

The person she wanted was himself as the Duke. But gradually that conviction of his was growing blurry. She hadn't shown any interest in his power and wealth.

But he couldn't know yet. They hadn't been married for that long. Some people can hide their original motives for tens of years. That is what his rationality kept telling him but why does his sensibility keep telling him that something is different about her?

'Do I hope for her to cling to me…? Like other women? Why?'

It was a mystery that he was completely unable to solve.

'And if she ends up clinging to me… what am I to do?'

If that occurred then it would be a breach of the contract. But… if the contract conditions could not be kept then what about it?

His pupils momentarily twinkled. Their contract had a very fatal loophole. First, undocumented contracts cannot assert legal effects. Secondly, the contract did not mention any specific details about destroying or renouncing the contract when the conditions were not met. He didn't see anything about divorce.

He had initially said that intending to block the annoying divorce process but thinking about it now, it was a clever foresight.

'A rose? What about it? What if I don't send roses forever? And so what if send some again?'

As he had stared at her for a while, her gaze grew increasingly questioning. His red pupil sank deeply into her amber eyes. She was his wife. She was his woman and no one would dare argue with him about that. From the moment she signed that marriage certificate, she was entirely bound to him.

'This woman is mine.'

The conclusion he'd arrived at made him very satisfied. Love or whatever it was ultimately didn't matter. She would never be able to escape from his hands. Possessiveness and obsession with her had begun to sprout from within his heart.

"Did the meeting not go well?"

She couldn't place her finger on it but something about him was different from usual. Because he was such a remarkable person, she couldn't imagine there being a problem that he was troubled with but the north was a vast land and he was the lord over many people, on the contrary, if no problems occurred then that would be strange.

Truthfully, Lucia was a bit sulky towards him.** Rather than letting his servant handle the gift, it was better to not have given it at all. However based on what Jerome had strongly asserted, Hugo had thought about the gift itself and her heart was slightly inclined to believing that.

And, at the tea party today, the noblewomen were concerned about the young and seemingly innocent Duchess and gave her some words of advice.

[Men are simple beings. There is no need to think about it complexly. Even if he just gifts you one flower, as though there are no gifts more precious in the world, jump into his arms, embrace him and thank him. If there is any passion, that passion will overflow.]

[You have to keep pretending that you love the gifts so that they will keep coming in. And from time to time say phrases like 'my husband has done a great job, wasn't it hard?' you will find that he will be extremely soothed.] (4).

She'd now learnt how to keep a hold on her husband while they lived together but what could she do with that.

As they smiled and chatted, the noblewomen gave similar advices while Lucia sat there quietly and diligently piled the advices in her head.

Until she had run into his arms and embraced him, there had been no intention to follow the advice of the noblewomen. In that moment, she was just purely happy to see him. However just then the advice came to mind and the situation was simply perfect. And so Lucia put aside the complicated circumstances surrounding the flower gift and actively expressed her gratitude.

"The meeting had no issues. You said you liked the present, right?"

As his gaze on her was very intense, Lucia hesitantly tried to come down from his knees but his arms closed around her waist.

"Yes…"

"If you like it then you should return the favor."

'Really, this man is completely shameless'. He definitely knew that the gift was not something he sent yet he didn't seem to be conscience—stricken. She considered spilling the beans but then Jerome would be scolded, she didn't want to start up trouble for nothing so she let it pass.

"What would you like?" [Lucia]

"Is anything possible if I want it?"

"If it is something within my capacity to do, then yes."

As he leaned in and whispered something into her ear, Lucia's face grew redder and hotter.

"No way!"

"It'll be over soon."

His lips drew near to her lips and their lips touched.

"It's almost time for dinner."

"I'll finish before then"

She continued to resist the little kisses he showered on her.

"I don't believe you."

"You say that so easily. Since when did my credibility become so little?"

"Why don't you try placing your hands on your chest and thinking about it?"

Every time they were in bed, he would say 'Just one more time', or 'this is the last time.' And because she didn't believe he would trick her, she would once again be deceived. He didn't care about any of her complaints.

He gave a small heave and lifted her from under her thighs and above her skirt. The position of her legs were changed to spread around his thighs as she was firmly perched on him. Her position sat them face to face, her legs were as though they were wrapped around his waist and her nape was dyed red as she looked at him.

If not for clothes being in the way, there was practically no difference from their position when they had intercourse. She could already feel his excited male part which meant that he was really planning on doing it there.

"What do we do if someone comes?"

"My steward is not someone without tact. I bet if we don't come out of here after while, he'll handle it himself."

'That's even more embarrassing!'

Lucia bit her lips and didn't know what to do. One of his hands had already slipped under her skirt and was groping around inside. His other hand was nestled on her back, pulling her in as he bit her earlobe lightly and licked it.

"At first, I wanted to do it in the garden but then when I thought about it, with the weather being as it is, there will be a lot of insects. If you faint while we're doing it, that would be difficult. Wait no. That wouldn't matter. Even when there are no bugs, you occasionally—"

"…If you add one more word, I will bite off your lips."

He giggled and replied playfully, "Yes, Your Grace."

He kissed around her eyes as she glared at him bashfully. He swallowed her red lips and breathed in her sweet fragrance. He started moving to make good use of the time she had given to him, however he didn't keep his promise about when he would finish.

Dinner time had already passed when they were done so they ate a very late dinner.

***

As Jerome brought some afternoon tea to his office, placed it on the desk and turned to leave, Hugo spoke.

"From now on…"

Jerome stopped walking, turned around and walked back to the desk to listen to his master's words.

"I don't care about other flowers but no more roses. Do as you see fit but I do not want to see any more of that particular flower."

Jerome did not fully understand what his master wanted but he replied that he would take care of it. He wondered if yesterday, her Grace had been offended or hurt by the present that he had sent. But looking at the mood between the both of them today, it didn't seem like that. As he was thinking about roses, a memory suddenly rose to the forefront of his mind.

"Your Grace, the other day, her Grace had asked me if I had sent a yellow rose."

His hand that was signing instantly stopped moving, causing the ink from the pen to drop and spread under the paper. He frowned slightly and pushed the document away.

"So?"

"Her Grace asked me if she was right about Lady Lawrence being the last person to receive a rose…and I answered positively."

On the night of the victory party, she had witnessed first-hand the sight of him breaking it off with Sophia Lawrence. He'd forgotten. Rather than saying he'd forgotten, saying that he didn't feel the need to worry about it was better. He could somewhat get a glimpse of why she saw him as an unscrupulous and shameless villain.

"And…"

"Is there something else?"

Hugo's voice grew a little sharper. Perhaps because of the mood, Jerome didn't study his master's face or he would have seen his master's visible discomfort.

"Her Grace asked why the last person to receive a rose was not the Countess of Falcon and I answered that your Grace hadn't ordered so."

He had a cool expression on the outside but the hand holding his pen gripped it tighter.

'If you answer that way, what am I supposed to do?!'

His swallowed back the words he wanted to scream. It was moments like this where his always capable butler was instantly reduced to a tactless fool.

"Send it. The rose."

"Is your Grace talking about the Countess of Falcon?"

"Send it today. Right now."

"Yes, your Grace. Oh, and another thing—"

"Why are they so many?" Hugo mumbled gloomily.

He'd only stopped Jerome from leaving and said one thing but it seemed like Jerome had taken that opportunity to pour out one thing after the other.

"This is something that her Grace's primary doctor said. She wants you to restrain yourself in going to her Grace's bed…"

"What? Why does the doctor care about that?"

"She said it was because of her Grace's health and that once in five days, her Grace needs to rest."

The health of the wife; it was the emergence of a tough task that he couldn't resist at all. His wife was small and weak. Truthfully, Lucia was not that fragile but in his head, it was fixed as a huge deal if she were to fall ill. And for more than one month without pause, he'd had his way with her.

Though if he could really do it for more than one round then at least it wouldn't be unfair.

Once every five days.

He became depressed.

Translator's Corner.

He means there was nothing said specifically about a yellow rose. She just said send me a rose.

If this sentence feels off to you, sorry. I can't really get what he's trying to say. But from what I'm hearing, basically he's saying that if she doesn't think this pile of roses is the, you know 'go away rose', he interpreted what she said differently.

The condition are the shields.

So I feel like I need to explain this. Basically it's like if her husband is back from work, to comfort him, ask him if he's tired and say he's done a great job.

* He is totally cursing himself out if you couldn't tell.

**Google translate (GT) of the day:

So as you know, I use google translate for the audio and this sentence's translation had me rolling in laughter for a while. For those curious, put this is google translate:

사실 루시아는 그에게 조금 샐쭉해 있었다.

< — Ducal couple — > (10)

TN: This is much later than I planned but oh well. I got finals coming up so translation will be done whenever I'm taking a study break. School is almost over though so that's a plus!

Cushioned on the finely detailed muscles of a man's body, there lay a woman's body. Leaning her head on his shoulders and placing her cheek on his upper chest, Lucia enjoyed the feeling of his hands gently caressing her naked back. His chest was under her palm and she felt fascinated by the firmness of his skin so she put a bit of strength in her hands and poked his skin.

"Starting tomorrow, I will be away from Roam for a few days."

"Where are you going to?"

"Fiefdom inspection. I plan to look around once or twice a month from now on."

Although he had fallen for the sweet dream called the newlywed life, he had not forgotten what he needed to do.

"Does a Lord need to do that?"

"Of course. I need to maintain order."

Those people are type to look for another place to go to if they do not see their master so before that happens, he has to tighten their leash. Although it was fun to observe and pick out the fools who look for another place and warn or deal them, he refrained from making such a coarse expression in front of her.

'Inspection of the fief…this is something he's originally been doing.'

Her husband in her dreams, Count Martin, had never once visited his fiefdom and as expected, Lucia had never been there either. However from time to time, she would see people coming from the fief with tax reports and have the report flung on their face and screamed at.

"Will it take long?"

"About three or four days. If it's a long visit, it can take a few more days."

'He won't be here for a few days.' Lucia felt somewhat strange.

Even though she'd come to Roam right after they had gotten married and had stayed alone for nearly a month, at some point, it had become natural for her to be near him.

She wondered if she were to say, 'Please come back soon', if he would get annoyed.

"Your next tea party is in two days, right?"

Lucia's second tea party was to be held two days later. It was almost half a month since her last tea party. Because of the success of the first tea party, Lucia was looking forward to the second one, however when she thought about how he wouldn't be around, her enthusiasm suddenly diminished.

"Yes."

"I have something to give you. It should arrive tomorrow or the day after."

"What is it?"

"A gift. I feel that the last tea party present was a bit lacking."

He was speaking in a calm voice but Lucia's heart began to throb. His unexpected and sudden gift made her heart flutter.

"Can I ask what the gift is?"

"A necklace."

As his voice was so bland, Lucia's heart that was throbbing in expectation cooled down slightly. It was simply a formal gift but here she was having high expectations alone.

Lucia was yet to grasp his simple personality that had never given a gift on his own before or teased someone about a gift.

"Do you perhaps hate jewelry?"

"Is there anyone who does not like jewelry?"

"Then that's good. Do you have any special plans for when I'm away?"

"The tea party in two days but other than that…"

"So there's nothing in particular? Don't think of doing anything abrupt or unexpected while I'm gone. Just stay obediently."

"What unexpected action?"

"I'm only saying you should be as you always have. And particularly, don't go outside."

Lucia wondered why he would suddenly mention going out. Ever since she arrived at Roam, she stayed without ever leaving the mansion. Even if she had stayed out of tolerance, everything she needed was prepared for her therefore there was no need for her to go out and perhaps her personality was boring for she preferred a quiet and unchanging life to a dynamic one.

The entire time, she'd never told him that she wanted to go out so she couldn't figure out why he would suddenly say something like that.

"Why?"

"Do you want to go out?"

'Do not step outside my territory while I am gone.' That was what he really wanted to say.

"No but you never know what could happen. You have to tell me the exact reason so I can make a decision."

"Since I am not here in my position, my Duchess has to take care of it, right?"

He was pleased with himself for coming up with a pretty reasonable answer. It was not necessary for her to stay in Roam to take care of duties in place of him but Lucia couldn't find any gaps in his words and just thought it made sense.

"Ah yes."

Because he hadn't said anything for a while, Lucia glanced at him and found him staring at her.

"Is there anything else you want to tell me?"

He chuckled and lowered his head, capturing her lower lips, he bit it gently then sucked on it. His wife who listened well to his words with an innocent expression and clear eyes, could not be so pretty. He was already worried about not seeing her for a few days.

Philip watched as the Duke of Taran and his knights left Roam early in the morning. His residence was a corner in the inner part of the outer wall of Roam. The residence of the primary doctor of the Duke was originally a strong one but as the owner changed eight years ago, Philip's residence was pushed to the outer wall. Apart from the residence changing, the Duke did not treat him 'specially' or persecute him.

It would be correct to say that the Duke held absolutely no interest. And when Philip changed his residence, the several medical records of the house that were passed down from generation to generation were allowed to move with him.

Philip never forgot that his life was hanging on Hugo's narrow compassion. Exactly speaking, it was more payment than it was compassion. The payment on a life debt. Philip admired the cold-blooded duke who did not bleed nor possess tears. The people who knew the secret of the Taran family had vanished without a trace and the only one left who knew the secret was Philip but Philip had never condemned the Duke's cruelty.

The reason Philip's family clung desperately to the Taran Duke because of the Taran bloodline crystal. A long time ago, magic was the order of the world. At that time, the Mado Empire ruled the world and the Mado Empire was located at the center of their own very country, Xenon. (1)

There existed a number of ordinary humans and a few nobles who ruled over them. The nobles of the Mado Empire referred to ordinary humans and another race with superior abilities. This race had black eyes and black hair. Other than that, they didn't look much different from humans but they had abilities much superior and overwhelming to an ordinary human. The Taran family is the last trace of the Mado Empire.

Translator's Corner:

(1) Refer to Chapter 1 if you have forgotten everything about Xenon.

*haven't edited yet. Sry if there are mistakes.

< — Ducal couple — > (10)

TN: I put links to make chapter navigation easier and school is officially over!!!! (Until summer classes start lmao). And I changed "Mado Empire" to "Madoh Empire". It kept bugging me as I was translating.

The nobles maintained their bloodlines by marrying amongst themselves. The Madoh Empire was dominated by magic and only nobility could possess magical powers. Since nobles were born from nobles, they had magical powers from the moment they were born. These few nobles suppressed and exploited the numerous humans. It was as though the nobles were all born the same as they all, without exception, were cruel and merciless. Even if thousands of humans were to charge at one noble, they would be unable to beat the noble. The ruling class was consolidated while the despair of the humans deepened. It seemed like this order would never be broken.

But one day, a meteor from space crashed on the surface. It created a huge earthquake but nobody was hurt because it crashed in a place that was deserted. A few researchers took interest in it but that interest cooled down soon enough. They ended up taking it as a memorable but worthless event. But from that day onwards, the order of the world began to crumble. The atmosphere that was full of magical power dispersed and as the magic that flowed in the blood of the nobles began to disappear, their strength plunged lower than that of criminals. They could not compete against the physical strength of ordinary humans and the humans that had suffered numerous exploitations rose up and banded together.

At first, the humans were afraid but once they realized what they could do with their own strength, they turned into a terrifying insanity and the hunting began. Nobles with black hair and black eyes were all pursued, tracked down and caught. It was to the extent that not even their shape was left as they were crushed or murdered. All traces of the Madoh Empire was burned and destroyed. Books and items that had cost hundreds of thousands were now of no use and were reduced to rubbish. No matter where one turned their head, one could see smoke rising in the distance and the blowing ashes.

The Taran family were nobles but more precisely half-nobles. As they were ostracized amongst nobles because they were labeled as heresies, they lived quietly without the usual nobility ties. This was because in the Taran ancestry, a human's blood was mixed in. Those of the Taran bloodline were weak in magic and were regarded as the shame of the nobles. However, the day of the unusual event, the blood of the human that lay dormant in the Taran blood awoke and mixed with their blood or rather, it changed their body and brain, making them powerful. Their black hair and black eyes were changed to black hair and red eyes. In a world being rampaged with the madness of the humans, the Taran brother and sister survived. They hid themselves quietly and waited for their existence to be completely forgotten so that they could rebuild their family and preserve their bloodline.

They did not have to wait too long. The destruction of the Madoh Empire only kick-started the world of humans. Humans who had now defeated their common enemy, started to destroy, fight amongst themselves and tear themselves apart. The losers (the nobles) disappeared quickly from their memory. Decades later, the Madoh Empire had simply become an old story and hundred years later, it had become a myth. After a long time, the atmosphere changed again. The magic power in the atmosphere was not restored to the way it was before the meteor fell but it was enough for parts of items from the Madoh Empire that were broken to resume function.

Humans were joyous at the discovery of these Madoh treasures and began to enthusiastically excavate them and with that, treasure hunter became the most popular job. Those of the Taran family that were in hiding, carefully and cautiously, came out of hiding. They brought out their family treasures that they had hidden and began rebuilding their family. It was not long before they began a charismatic and remarkable family with a lot of influence.

Philip was one of the few human descendants that had been with the family since they began to rebuild. Philip's family existed to fulfill their mission which was to preserve the Taran bloodline. In the time of the Madoh Empire, no children would be born between a noble and a human. It was an irrelevant issue to the nobles but many researchers were curious as to why this was so. After doing several researches, they found the method for conception.

From the standpoint of the nobles, the researchers had done something useless but in the first place, majority of the research they did was useless. Thanks to that knowledge, the distant ancestor of the Taran family was born but even after that, they continued to be interested in this method. They continued their research in secret and built up their knowledge. It was a bit different from common nobles for a half-noble and a human to combine and have a child.

After continuous research and trial and error, they finally found a way of keeping only the Taran bloodline. During the time of the Madoh Empire, this method was never used. Yes, the Taran family were half-nobles but a noble was a noble. Although the ancestry of the Taran family was mixed, apart from that instance, they did not do anything like that again. They married full nobles to try deepen their noble blood and get back into the main circle of nobility. When all the nobles in the world were destroyed, the Taran family was only able to continue its bloodline by marrying humans. The knowledge that was already in the family began to show its usefulness. However, all combinations with humans always resulted in females and they needed males to continue the family.

The solution they found was closely related kin. The head of Taran took his half-sister as his wife and only one son was conceived between them. The son needed a wife to continue the family line. And it was the father's job to make a bride for the son.

It was necessary to prepare for the birth of the child (the bride) by combining with an ordinary human woman that did not possess the Taran bloodline. For this, they needed a young female that had not yet started menstruating. When the female's menstruation began, they would be made to take mugwort herb for more than half a year to stop it. In that state, the body is cleansed for around a year. The male of the Taran family who would be the father of the child in the future would then take the virginity of the prepared woman. The woman would then be fed with medicine that weakened the effect of mugwort and their body would be returned to how it originally was.

The time for menstruation to restart varied from person to person; short would be one year and long would be three years. The period until menstruation began was the time for pregnancy. He would sleep with the woman and have a child. If menstruation started and the woman was not yet pregnant, she was considered a failure. Philip's family was involved with this from beginning to end. As time passed, this knowledge was passed down as the vision of Philip's family and the head of Taran family was told the specific contents separately. The two families were in a mutual and inseparable relationship.

Philip had watched over the twin brothers from the moment there were born. When the Duke tried to kill one of the twins, he had dissuaded him to leave them in case of future uncertainties. The Duke showed cruel interest in them. Interest in how it would turn out if one grew up with the best background and the other grew up and survived in the worst of conditions. Although the Duke did not stop his child from being sold as a slave to the mercenaries, he always watched from afar. Hugh did not know but when he was young, there were a few times Philip saved his life.

The gentle Hugo that did not inherit the brutal temperament unique to the Taran lineage and the spiteful Hugh that killed people without batting an eye. Philip loved them both but between the two of them, his attachment to Hugh was stronger. To pass down and continue the Taran family line, human blood was mixed in so naturally, the Taran bloodline grew murky. The people of Taran were becoming more and more human-like. In the middle of this, Hugh was born; the perfect sculpture of the Taran bloodline (1). An outstanding body, a nimble brain, incredible mental strength, cold-blooded and ruthless. He was the perfect image of the master of Taran that they had wished for.

The former Duke was the same in that he liked the abandoned son more and he connived to switch them again. However, he was opposed to killing off Hugo. He had some affection for Hugo but mainly it was unprecedented for twins to be born in the Taran family. He did not want to throw him (Hugo) away that easily. However, it was impossible to predict the future. He did not know that some way or the other, Hugo would meet Hugh and learn how to read into the actions of people. He did not know that because they did not know about the existence of the other, the two brothers would meet for the first time in ten years and end up regarding each other as existences more precious than life itself rather than as enemies. Compared to his predecessors who were cruel but coolheaded, the dead Duke of Taran was full of greed. He was different from the other masters of Taran.

The Duke did not forget his mission to make a remarkable child and continue the family line but he did not want to lose the absolute power he enjoyed while he was alive. Greed always led one to downfall. At the time, it was Hugo's Taran but as Hugh survived and persisted alone, Philip could see hatred and disillusionment in his eyes. Philip could sense that he would soon disassemble the family and break it into pieces. If Damian did not exist, Hugh would definitely have done that. It saddened Philip to see him one day, walk to the end of the world without having given his heart to someone. Philip would never admit it nor would he be believed but he loved Hugo. For the Philip that had no family, the twin brother were like his grandchildren.

[I'm warning you now but don't you dare try approaching my wife]

And that is why he could not forget the way Hugo looked in that instant. It was momentary but he could feel vigilance and protection from him. It was neither empty threats nor intimidation but the feeling of a mother trying to protect her child. It was the first time Philip had seen him fixated on someone other than the dead Hugo.

'What kind of person is it?'

It was just pure curiosity. He wasn't thinking of doing anything nor could he do anything. He just wanted to know how the Duchess looked and what her character was like. He wondered if it would be possible to leave once the Duke left the premises but as soon as he approached the door to the castle, a man appeared out of nowhere and blocked him.

"I will be troubled if you were to go in, Sir Philip."

Philip let out a low sigh. He did not know someone was watching him.

"Are you monitoring me?"

"As long as you do not enter the castle, your actions will remain unrestricted."

"Just why? What is the reason?"

"I do not know any reasons. I just follow my orders. If there are any protests, I have been given permission to get physical."

"… I understand."

Philip went back quietly. He sat facing the castle walls and licked his lips then he looked to the sky and mumbled bitterly.

'Do I have to leave again…?'

He never stayed in one place for too long because his heart was never attached to it. It was his wish to meet Damian once in his life, but he had tried before and failed. The Duke would never give Philip the opportunity. Perhaps the Duke wouldn't even tell Damian the secret of the family and would keep it all to himself.

'Is it an obsession?'

He had to agree that the desire of his family and their hanging onto the bloodline of Taran was an obsession. Philip's father, grandfather, and the ones before his grandfather were the same way. It was not that easy to change the idea which he had been infatuated with since childhood till he was an old man. He probably would still be unable to let go of this attachment even when he was on his death bed and closed his eyes for the last time.

Translator's Corner:

It reads perfect crystal but I think sculpture is more representative of what the author is talking about. I also edited the previous chapter a bit because I got confused when crystal came outta nowhere. Context, baby.

< — Ducal couple — > (11)

TN: Part 2 should be coming in today or tmrw~

Jerome placed a large box wrapped in luxurious velvet on the table. Lucia slowly opened the box with an expectant mind.

"Huk!"

The maid next to her, peeking from the corner of her eye let out a gasped and exclaimed in surprise. It was not just the maid, Lucia was just as surprised. Inside the box was a dazzling, gorgeous looking white diamond necklace with countless diamonds hanging from it. Lucia did not really know the price of jewelry but this could not be simple jewelry, it was a treasure.

Were diamonds common gems? Normal necklaces would have a diamond present in the middle of it, resting on the breastbone, connected to a thin gold string. The diamond would just be an accessory to the rest of the necklace. For this necklace, the main character of the necklace was a huge diamond that made her suspicious if it was really a diamond or just a piece of glass.

She had never seen something like this before. She could guess that even if one of the noble ladies had something like this, they would be too afraid and wouldn't dare to have it on their necks when they are going out.

She hesitated, wondering in her heart if she should dare touch it then carefully approached and took the necklace in both of her hands. She almost missed its heavy weight the moment it touched her hands.

"Wear it and see, your Grace."

A maid brought a full-length mirror as Lucia grew more delighted. She fastened the necklace and stood in front of the mirror. The weight of the necklace made her feel as though someone was pushing down on her neck with two hands. Her entire neckline was densely covered with sparkling diamonds.

"It looks really good on you, your Grace."

Jerome was pleased and lavished her with compliments.

"Just what… is this?"

The necklace she was expecting was a cute or common female ornament not a rare item that seemed to have come from the royal treasury.

"Did he really buy this? As a present for me?"

"His Grace regrets that it took more time than he thought for the gift to arrive. He wanted to give you before he departed for the inspection."

"This…this is pretty excessive."

Jerome was bewildered by Lucia's reluctant response.

"It is not excessive, your Grace."

"If the recipient feels burdened, then it is an excessive gift. Jerome, if… I were to tell his Grace that I feel burdened, would he be upset?"

"Yes."

Jerome replied firmly. He had watched as his master chose this gift with quite the happy expression. It was the first time that his master had personally chosen a gift for a woman. In the past, he would only ask Jerome to pay for whatever item the woman wanted.

Jerome did not know if he would make a mistake while talking about his master's past relationships so he didn't say anything. He was specially watching his mouth as he had been pretty careless in the past because of Lucia's inquiries.

"You do not have to feel burdened, your Grace. From his Grace's standpoint, it is not an excessive gift at all."

'My master is wealthy.' was what Jerome was trying to say that but Lucia took the meaning of his words a bit differently.

That buying this gift was of the same significance to Hugo as buying a hair comb.

Lucia sat in the living room alone as she starred at the box which contained the necklace and fell into deep thought, trying to analyze just what underlying meaning lay behind the gift.

'It could just be a present to celebrate my first tea party. Since he's rich, it may not be any different from giving a small ring as gift.'

That was her first theory but Lucia didn't know that no matter how rich he was, that present was not something he would gift with a light heart. He was only able to acquire it by asking around and even paying a premium on it as the necklace was already won by a royal in another country in a jewelry auction.

Money was money but his efforts were clear. He wanted to give her a special gift. But because he gave the gift in such a simple manner, a small misunderstanding was created.

'Or…is it for a reward? Since he likes to sleep with me…'

That was her second theory. However the idea of giving her body and being paid like a prostitute made her feel terrible all over.

'Then, is it something like a habit? He has a lot of lovers so it could just be a routine to give gifts to women.'

That was her third theory. This theory was the same as the last in that in made her feel terrible. Nevertheless, the first theory was the easiest to swallow. She dug through her head but she couldn't think of any more theories.

She internally excluded the theory that it could be a present carrying a special meaning. Lucia sighed heavily. The gift, so precious that it was a bit difficult to bear, was like a stone thrown into her tranquil and asleep heart, causing a ripple.

Her marriage life with him was very different from her expectations. She had expected it to be dreary but it was full of joy and happiness. He never said unkind or sugar-coated words but still, he was affectionate. He was not snappy nor did he ever say anything that would hurt her feelings and he was not as scary or as ridiculously violent as the rumors had made him out to be.

'I already promised. I said I would not fall in love with him.'

But her heart kept wavering. Even though she tried to control her heart, telling it, 'you can't,' every time he laughed mischievously, every time his arms were wrapped tightly around her waist and every time his lips heatedly met hers, her heart shook like a reed. She blamed him inwardly as she stared at the necklace box.

'Why are you doing this? Making someone feel weird for no reason.'

The sound in her chest was deafening, but still, she had been enduring well till now. She was scared that she would one day, without even realizing it herself, cling to his trousers like a leech and then one day, receive a bunch of yellow roses. Simply imagining it was awful.

He was a courteous and refined nobleman therefore he was just treating her with manners befitting to Lucia's status as his wife. It would be troublesome if she were to misunderstand his kindness. He didn't seem to dislike her and she knew for sure he liked her body but that was just interest due to physical desire.

'Come to your senses.'

She took a deep breath.

'The way you have been till now is just right. Do not waver. Your heart should be made of stone. I can stay with him the way I have been till now.'

It was still okay. Until now, it was still ok.

< — Ducal couple — > (11)

TN: I would like to say I tried my best this chapter…. sigh. （*´▽｀*）

Lucia was wrapping up her second tea party after having an enjoyable time. She had invited only unmarried young noble women for this tea party. A red-haired lady sat in her seat till the end, then walked up to Lucia.

"I am Kate Milton, I greeted you earlier. My grand aunt has told me a lot about you. Ah, The Countess of Corzan is my grandaunt."

"Ah, I remember now. That day, Madam Michelle boasted of her niece and told me her niece would make a good companion."

"Are you talking about my grandaunt? That is bit hard to believe. Whenever she sees me, she raises her eyebrows and gives me a fierce look."

"I'm sure that's just her showing her affection, Lady Milton. She also emphasized that if Lady Milton does not like me, it would be impossible for us to be friends."

"In any case, that's just how my grandaunt is. Now, although I am not sure if I want to have a troublemaker like you as a friend but if by any chance, someone is saying that we should be friends, then I oblige and prostrate myself." [Kate]

The two women's eyes met and they both burst into laughter. Kate's open-minded words really matched her personality as she gave hearty laughter and extended her right hand.

"Please, call me Kate."

It was Lucia's first time seeing a noble lady offering a handshake as a greeting. Seeing Lucia's look of surprise, Kate was startled and withdrew her hand.

"This…apologies. I was disrespectful. It is a habit I have been unable to fix even after my grand aunt's scolding."

Lucia chuckled and stretched out her hand. She liked this cheerful and straight forward lady from the get-go. Kate smiled and held Lucia's hand.

"Call me by name, too." [Lucia]

'Vivian.' She was hesitant to say that name.

As Hugo kept calling her by that name this entire time, she had grown familiar with it and the sense of rejection she had in the past was pretty much gone but she was still uncomfortable with the name. A friend calling her by that name somehow made her feel like she was concealing the real her from the get-go.

"Lucia. Call me Lucia. It is a name from my childhood."

The two of them quickly became friends shortly after they had met. Kate liked the feminine Duchess and Lucia liked the energetic and cheerful Kate. They both found parts that were missing from themselves in the other.

Afterwards, Kate would often visit the Roam mansion, to chat, have some tea and then leave. Kate was two years older than Lucia and Lucia was complete charmed with the first friend she'd made. It took less than ten days for the two of them to become close friends.

"Could it be that his Grace does not like you going out?" [Kate]

"Ha-ha. It's not like that. He's not that type of person." [Lucia]

If Hugo were here, he would have immediately replied that he didn't like it. Hugo didn't control her movement; going out or not; because there was no reason to. There was no need to tell someone who always stayed within the mansion to not leave the castle walls.

"Don't you get frustrated just staying in Roam?"

"It's okay. I open a tea party sometimes and just like now, you come to see me pretty often."

"Ah, don't be like that, do you want to learn horseback riding? When I take a swift horse ride, I feel all my frustrations dissipating."

Kate wanted to let the extremely reserved Lucia learn the pleasures of outdoor activity. The world was vast and there were many ways to enjoy oneself.

"Horseback riding? Isn't that dangerous?"

"Not at all. You'll know when you see but they are no animals as mild as them. Of course, it can be a bit fast paced in the beginning but as you continually ride, you will grow more familiar. Ah, it is also a good exercise for the body shape. These days, it is the latest trend among women."

"Is that so…?" Lucia mulled over it for a moment then replied. "I'll have to receive permission from his Grace."

"Ahh…okay."

***

As she stroked his face, her hand trembled, falling, so she tried to hold onto his shoulders but her hands slipped on his sweat and fell to the bed. It wasn't only her hands as her whole body trembled and quivered in ecstasy.

The man groaned and thrust into her. At the peak of his pleasure, he twitched violently inside her, wrenching himself out and released.

"Ung….Hk!" (gasps)

Her moist eyes filled up like that of an overflowing fountain and her tears poured down her face. She could not focus with the waves of euphoric pleasure passing through her body. She felt as though she were floating in the air and then suddenly sank down, falling to somewhere unknown, like she was falling endlessly to her death.

He grunted fiercely, grabbing her buttocks with both of his hands, and entering into her soaked insides. He went a bit slowly, his sensitive part brushing slightly against her moist flesh as if to feel it out. He moved slowly, moved a bit faster, then moved slowly again, enticing her as he riled her up.

Her insides squeezed and clenched on him, as if it was furiously resisting his invasion. Her exterior was honest as it spasmed, letting him know that her body was approaching its climax. He pierced deeply into her highly sensitive insides with his member.

"Uuck…Hu…please…"

Lucia implored him as she whimpered. He was moving much harder and rougher than before. All her energy had been squeezed out and she couldn't summon any power. Her entire body was more sensitive so his hands simply sweeping across her skin caused her to ache in excitement.

"Huuu….. what do you want me to do?" (Hugo)

He shifted a little more weight down and thrusted in heavily. His rock-hard penis was not even slightly softer and the movement of his member deep inside of her was also tireless.

As the sexual organs of both of them met, the excitement from the movement and the pleasure that accompanied it were delivered to both parties without delay. But, although Hugo could handle it, Lucia could not.

"Hk! Ahh! No! Stop!"

Hugo looked at the woman who was squirming underneath his body. Her pupils were wide looking somewhat fearful and her eyelashes were wet. He lowered his head and licked the tears that had just fallen out of her eyes.

He captured her slightly open red lips and as he sucked on it, he wove his tongue into the open mouth. It was a short kiss and his tongue lightly caressed the inside of her mouth. Then he started kissing her again.

He suckled, licked, caressed and bit her lips. It was a passionate kiss that did not hide his tender but explicit desire.

"Should I stop?"

Even though he was saying that, he once again pushed inside of her. He was quickly wrapped in her innermost flesh and his breathing grew irregular.

"Hng…yes…"

"Alright."

Instantly, her teary eyes grew slightly round. The corners of his eyes curved and he laughed lazily.

"Just a little bit more."

Of course, she should have expected it. She was once again deceived. She felt so wronged that she began to sob.

'This is dangerous.'

Even though he mumbled that, his facial expression was full of hunger and greed, like that of a hungry beast in front of its prey. As the rims of her eyes grew redder, she began to wriggle around and his lower body immediately reacted.

She felt his provoked member grow more aroused as blood rushed towards it and it became stiffer. When he reached deep inside of her, she frowned and tightly closed her eyes. He laughed contentedly as he observed her reaction that was extremely cute to the extent he wanted to eat up her lips.

He thrust into her, hitting a spot that he knew she liked, causing her body to shudder and she let out a coquettish moan. The words to put an end to it were at the tip of his tongue but her moan was too much stimulation.

"Just one more time."

She panted as she looked at him suspiciously with her wet eyes.

'I won't be deceived this time.' Was what her eyes were saying. Although it was fun when he led the sex and ate her up when she grumbled and said no, this was really the last time. Her flavor when she tenderly enticed and actively reacted to him was also special.

"You really promised."

Her eyes appeared very docile. It happened every time but then she would think maybe this time. She had repeated the same mistake more than she could count. She gave him a small nod and the corners of his mouth went up.

'Ah, really. So cute.' [Hugo]

"Lie on your stomach and lift your butt to me." [Hugo]

Her body flinched as his warm member that was wrapped inside of her was swiftly pulled out. She hesitated for a moment looking at his enthusiasm that seemed like it would never end, then obediently turned around and lay on her stomach.

Her white and plump buttocks was distorted in his grasp. He appreciated her appetizing curves that started from her back to her waist, leading to her butt then swiftly thrust into her from behind. Her body instantly trembled intensely.

"Hnnng…"

"Hk! Haa…really. I'm going crazy."

He couldn't get enough of her taste no matter how many time he experienced it. Far from getting tired of it, every time he embraced her, it always felt fresh. This woman with such a heavenly taste was his. Nobody was allowed to touch her.

If he could, he would engrave a sign on every part of her body to show that she was his. Lately, whenever he looked at her, in the depth of his eyes, there was a dangerous and possessive aura.

It was a quiet and secret darkness that he would never reveal to her.

Translator's Corner:

* So, on a scale of one to ten, how did I do in translating the sex scene? XD

I drove to the airport and was gonna wrap this up once I came back buut… I had to start looking up terms for penis and synonyms for genitals and so on and so forth. I love this story hahahahah!

*cough*

Anyways, I hope I made it come across really well. If it was awkward, tell me too. (~‾⌣‾)~

< — Ducal couple — > (12)

TN: The comments from last chapter made roll over in laughter. Geez guys. Also, for some reason, this week, I kept getting distracted every time I sat down to translate XD. But someone decided to blow up my WordPress feed with likes (I ❤ U btw) so here u go. Just so much to catch up on cuz schl is over. And just in case, Hugh is pronounced "Hue" not "Hog".

He gently and softly kissed every corner of her face while his hand slowly moved up and down, from her back to her waist.

While he was languidly engrossed in afterplay, a thought came to her mind and she abruptly burst into laughter.

"Hugh, you know, Lady Milton who came this afternoon said something funny."

"Lady Milton… ah, you mean the daughter of the Baron of Milton."

The Baron of Milton was a vassal to the duke, a rigid and upright man. It was recognized that he educated his children to emulate his righteous character so he had allowed the daughter of Milton and his wife to interact more frequently. He wanted her life in the north to be enjoyable.

"Yes, she asked if you possibly wouldn't let me go outside."

His hand which was caressing her back paused for a moment. Lucia chuckled and continued speaking, not noticing.

"I told her that wasn't how it was, so she asked me to go horse riding with her."

Faraway.

"Horse riding?"

"Lady Milton says it's fun and is a sport. May I learn?"

"…It sounds dangerous."

"It isn't that dangerous. She said a lot of women do it."

"Do you really want to learn?"

He did not like it. He had seen in the past how the appearance of women going riding and then panting afterwards would capture the eyes of men. It was also quite the sight to see a woman in riding clothes these days.

There was nothing more indecent than the way it clung tightly and revealed the body.

In the past, he was no different from other men, in that he thought that it was nice to look at plus he was never one to care for a woman or distinguish who he spent on but that was already a thing of the past.

He never clung to trivial things of the past.

"I can't?"

Lucia placed her cheek on his chest and pitifully blinked her eyes. In that moment, he barely managed to stop himself from immediately saying that she could do whatever she wanted.

He did not want her to go horse riding. He could not bear to see foolish men leering at her but this was her first request to him since they had gotten married. He didn't want to see her disappointed look if he refused.

'A riding place that only women are allowed in… I don't think there's anything like that in Roam… I'll use this opportunity and make one then.'

There was no such place, not only in Roam but in the entire Xenon. This was the moment when the only women-only equestrian (horse-riding) practice field was formed.

The place, which would serve as an important venue for social activities of women in northern high society in the distant future, began with a man's unwillingness for his wife to be seen.

"Okay. Only if you promised to learn within the castle until you can safely ride to some extent."

He would make the practice field while she was learning to ride. It would take about a week or so.

If that wasn't enough time, he would ask her riding teacher to hold her back a few more days. He also had get a horse riding teacher. A female horse riding teacher.

"Yes. So you are giving permission, right?"

"Be careful so you don't get hurt."

"I'll be careful! Thank you!"

She threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Her concern that he would not allow her was merely just that. He was a reasonable person.

Holding her in his arms, he recalled a while ago when he had gifted her an expensive necklace. For the first time ever, he painstakingly chose a gift for a woman.

He did not know what she liked exactly, but he knew from experience that women loved jewelry so his choice was jewelry. But he didn't want give her just anything.

His Duchess of Taran definitely had to have something special. He collected information sheets shared among the jewelers to find something special.

But when he found something he wanted, it already had an owner. Once something entered his sight, he was never one to change his mind.

He did not care about how much it was so he sent a negotiator to unconditionally conclude the deal. It took far longer than he had expected for the gift to get to his hands.

His original plan was to gift it and then leave for the inspection but eventually he did not get to see her expression when she received it.

However, he had high expectations of his return. He expected that she would be thrilled with the gift and knew that she would give him a grand welcome on his return.

She had thanked him but her somewhat perfunctory "thank you" did not meet his expectations. She had thanked him, given him a soft smile and greeted him respectfully and he could sense it was not heartfelt but there was nothing to nitpick at.

He felt a bit hurt and embarrassed at the same time.

'Just why? Wasn't it a natural reaction for women's eyes to shine like jewels when they receive jewelry?'

He had put so much care into choosing the gift but she didn't like it making him wonder just how great it would have to be to satisfy her. But then, Jerome's words were spectacular.

[She said it was burdensome.]

It was his first time hearing such words after giving a present. Did he have to meet a certain burden level? He was given something new to worry about.

However, her response from simply being allowed to go riding was more passionate that when she had received the diamond necklace.

This was the heartfelt gratitude and thankfulness he had expected. The diamond necklace he had spent a fortune on did not measure up to approval for horse riding.

'So, money was a no.'

It was a little disheartening as he had once had an idea similar to that. Perhaps that idea would have cost more than what it took to acquire the necklace and build a horse-riding practice field. In his account, the expense was not an expense.

Although he'd solved the problem of horse riding, his honest heart always wanted her to be within his sight.

He was slightly annoyed at the daughter of Baron Milton who put useless ideas in his wife's head but thanks to her, he knew a bit more about what Lucia liked so it was not entirely bad.

***

Around the time that the equestrian practice field was completed, Lucia was babbling on by the bedside.

"Hugh, I heard that if you head a bit to the east of Roam, there is a pretty large lake."

"Hmmm it is quite big. Do you want to go see it?"

He had been thinking of making time one day to go out with her and come back.

"I was told there is a boat ride around this time. There are a lot of nobles that have a small boat, do you have one?"

"…I don't."

He had never done something like a boat ride. He didn't have any memories of pertaining in such entertainment.

He had probably heard about it but because he wasn't interested, he would forget about it.

He didn't understand how it could be pleasurable to sit in a boat and float on water so he took it as something that men and women, who had nothing to do with their time, would do.

'I'll buy a boat.'

He had already forgotten his past self.

He never clung to trivial things of the past.

"Then…since Lady Milton invited me to it, can I go?"

Again, it was the daughter of Baron Milton. He had a bad feeling about all future association with the lady of Milton at the center.

"It is dangerous, isn't it?"

"I was told there hasn't been any accidents in the boat ride. Lady Milton confidently said that the boat owned by the Milton family is very strong."

"When is the date of the boat ride?"

"It's in four days."

Translator's corner:

Sparsely edited. Tell me if u see mistakes. i gotta go do smth rn.

< — Ducal couple — > (12)

TN: SO many ellipses. I sometimes forget to italicize my TN (≧ڡ≦*). Don't think it makes a difference tho but it's all about the aesthetics.

An unexpected notice flew in for the Baron of Milton from the Duke's manor. He read it and inclined his head. Nothing had happened recently so he wondered what this was about.

He suddenly remembered that his youngest daughter had said she was going to be boating a few days later and was taking a boat out of the warehouse.

"You called, Father."

"Yes. A notice came down from his Lordship's manor and I think you should see it."

Kate received the document from her father and read it.

"…regulation of customs? Just what does this mean?"

"Well, I also do not know exactly what the Lord is doing but in conclusion he will be controlling the boating on the lake. There won't be much difference from the past, just that I need to specify a date to only allow women to go to the lake and control access to the vicinity of lake. I personally don't have any problem with it. Any parent with a daughter would like it. When did you say you were going boating?"

"In three days."

The Baron of Milton knew that lately, his daughter was a conversation partner for the Duchess but he didn't know the exact details.

He did not know that they were close enough to call each other by their names, that Kate was very eager to get Lucia to go out and play, or that she would take Lucia for the boat ride.

As expected, Kate did not inform her family since it was obvious that they would be full of all kinds of worries.

"Oh, the control date is the same, in three days. Anyways, it won't be affecting you going to play but I'm just telling to so that you know. I ask just in case but you weren't planning on seeing any silly boys, right?"

"It's nothing like that."

Kate walked out of her Father's office and began muttering.

"…this…what…"

She was going to go boating with the Duchess in three days. Was this simply a coincidence? She didn't think so.

She'd thought something was strange ever since the women-only horse riding was made.

'No way… is Lucia being confined?'

But there was no sign of that on the Duchess' face. She didn't seem to be living under oppression.

The expression of the Duchess when she had laughed and smilingly said that the Duke had readily agreed to her going horse-riding was not faked or unnatural.

A smile gradually crept onto the face of Kate who was pondering over this.

'Somehow…this is a little exciting.'

***

It was a few days after the pleasant boat ride.

"Hugh, Lady Milton dropped by today."

'That woman again'. Hugo frowned slightly at the mention of this woman he had never seen.

His strange ominous foreboding was proven right. The daughter of the Baron of Milton had given him a significant headache. Now it wasn't just a feeling but a fact.

"She said there is a fox hunt."

Fox hunting. The playing of those girls in the name of hunting was blasphemy against hunting itself.

Some chap would catch a fox, tame it and then release it into the forest to hunt for rabbits and it was doubtful if the girls could even touch the dead rabbit.

"There is a regular gathering for fox hunting and I don't have a fox but I want to watch it. Lady Milton told me she has a fox she's raised and she could show me how to do it."

"What will you do if you meet dangerous wild animals in the forest?"

"There is a small community in the forest not too far from the lake, so there are no dangerous animals at all. The biggest carnivore there would be the fox."

He could get an idea of where she meant from what she was saying. There was a small forest that formed a community, as though someone had planted a handful of seedlings, separating it from other places.

If it was just that wide, he could surround it and control the area. He definitely had to see how the fox hunt operated and also it was safer for her to go amongst only women.

"I can't?"

Her pitiful look attack was getting stronger day by day.

"…You can go."

"…Hugh, about Lady Milton."

He was enjoying touching her soft skin but his forehead wrinkled in response.

'What is it this time?'

Every time that name came out of her mouth, he felt like he had neurosis.

"What?"

"Her birthday is in three days and she is throwing a party at her house. May I attend? It is a small gathering and she's only inviting close friends."

'She's going out too often these days.' It was all because of that tomboyish daughter of the Milton Baron.

Kate Milton was the only daughter amongst many sons in the Baron household. She was their daughter born after four sons and the Baron of Milton loved her whole-heartedly.

Kate was mixed in with four boys due to her father's leniency with her and became famous for her tomboyish ways. It was rumored that the Baron of Milton was now troubled due to his over-indulgence.

There was no reason for Hugo to be so interested in knowing about the daughter of his vassal but the problem was that she had become a friend of his wife.

Unlike the gentle Lucia, Kate was very active and she was eager to involve Lucia in her activities.

"Why do you have to go to celebrate her birthday?"

"It's more that I want to visit my friend's home rather than having to celebrate her birthday."

Since she wanted to go, she started her pitiful look attack. Hugo who unfortunately couldn't tear the Lady Milton off from Lucia, felt the back of his head ache.

Still, the birthday party was better compared to events in the past. Since it was a place for only women, he candidly approved.

"Alright, go."

"And… after the birthday party ends, there is a night party too…"

'Fucking Lady Milton. Of course, there's one'. Hugo hurled curses inwardly. Every time he saw the baron, it was at the tip of his tongue to tell the Baron to make sure his daughter stays away from his wife.

No matter how unhappy he was, as Kate hadn't caused any harm, he couldn't find any reason to do so.

Moreover, the Baron of Milton was a very loyal vassal. He did not want to deprive Lucia of the pleasure of meeting with her friend.

"Can I sleep there for a day?" (Lucia)

"You are a married woman. Are you saying you will be staying overnight?"

"…as expected, I can't do that, right? I will just attend the party and come back."

She said sulkily and readily gave up. She did not pester him about it anymore. Her bed side behavior went in a completely different direction from his predictions.

She had never once pressed him for a gift, advocated or slandered someone but it only made his head hurt more. He'd rather she asked for jewelry. Or go shopping. He had already stopped himself from saying these words he wanted to say several times.

"I will send you in a carriage so return in the morning."

He released a small sigh and gave his consent.

"I will do that! Do you really agree?!"

"Does leaving your husband alone make you that excited?"

More strength was put into his arms around her waist as they tightened around her and Lucia peeked at him, studying his eyes.

"It's only one day… you left for three to four days for your fiefdom inspection."

"That is different."

"…not really."

Hugo abruptly caught her pouting lips, biting them. He held the startled and moving chin of hers tightly and pushed his tongue deep into her small mouth. As he rampaged all over her lips and released them, her face flushed and her eyes grew misty.

He turned her body to one side, hugged her body, placed his lips on her neck and began licking her neck extensively while grabbing her bosom.

"Ah!"

"As the days go by, your retorts are increasing. Aren't you a virtuous wife that believes her husband's words are like the sky?"

"Ung…but…"

"But what?"

"I was told it's not attractive…if I behave too virtuously."

His forehead creased slightly. But still, he had noticed that the frequency of her sharp retorts had recently increased and had to wonder where she heard the nonsense advice that she now had in her head.

"Are you learning seduction techniques?"

"Tech- it's not a technique."

"And who is this teacher of yours?"

"…Lady Milton…"

'Ah…really that damn Lady Milton.'

"The teacher and the student is reversed, isn't it? The daughter of the Baron of Milton is still unmarried."

"Lady Milton is a charming lady so I wanted to learn…"

The red-haired Kate was a woman that exuded a charm completely opposite from Lucia. She had energetic features, a confident voice, a captivating presence while carrying a conversation and was never attracted by the courtship of men.

Lucia was envious of all of that. Kate had parents who gave her unsparingly and protective older brothers. She had everything that Lucia did not have.

"Who is learning from who? You are a Duchess. You are at the peak of the northern social status."

He lay Lucia on her side and embrace her from behind. He kneaded her chest while roughly inserting his center in between her legs and rubbing on her butt.

"It is good to meet up but I absolutely refuse for you to learn the tomboyish ways of the Milton Baron's daughter. So my wife, don't lose your virtuousness or I will give you a curfew." (1)

From behind, he slowly opened her up as his hard penis pushed against her and finally entered. Lucia's buttocks and his thighs were tightly pressed together. The two bodies became one.

Lucia was the most ecstatic when he began to push his full length inside of her. The feeling of him inside her gave her a sense of satisfaction.

"Unng…"

"You're doing well. Just continue doing what you've been doing."

"Okay…"

Hugo had no intention of tolerating even the slightest deviation for his wife. In his eyes, she was very gentle and sweet.

Whenever he laid his eyes on her, the peace and comfort that was there, was increasingly captivating to him.

He lifted his upper body and thrusted in repeatedly. It wasn't a position that penetrated her deeply but he knew that she secretly enjoyed this position and that was because it was less powerful and moderately stimulating.

He pulled out shortly and she let out a moan as she gasped for breath.

Summer was coming to an end.

Translator's Corner:

I love Kate so much. The way this chapter ended made me think we were entering a new chapter thingy but nope. Still Ducal couple ƪ(˘⌣˘)┐

(1). I guess u could say lady-likeness too here instead of virtuous.