27 - How to Survive as the Wife of a Monster Duke
How to Survive as the Monster Duke's Wife
Episode 27: "Was I Awkward?"
"No, not at all."
The maids on the 7th floor giggled softly.
Illyin smiled faintly along with them.
It wasn't normal for the Delos Knights Commander and the Duchess to meet alone. Unless the person who delivered the message was a 7th-floor maid or a Delos knight, acting was necessary.
This is a first.
But it seemed she had done better than expected.
The maids' hands, smoothing and arranging her hair, became lighter.
What could be so urgent that he contacted her so hastily during the day?
Illyin tilted her head.
After all, he visited the 7th floor every night as the Duke.
There was no need to create rumors that the Commander had met the Duchess.
"Illyin."
Although the library was on the 6th floor, the Delos maids quickly took over the corridor on the 6th floor before Aden came up.
In any case, the corridor right in front of the library was under Delos's jurisdiction.
There were plenty of excuses to drive out people from other families.
"Den?"
Aden in the guise of the Knights Commander was also familiar to Illyin.
Aden smiled, putting a finger to his lips.
"There are only Delos people in the corridor."
"Ah,"
Only then did Illyin approach him.
"Is there something urgent?"
Still, her voice was small.
Aden found her, who protected Delos's secrets, adorable.
The sound of a small heart pounding echoed.
He took Illyin's hand before speaking.
He had come urgently, but he didn't want to startle her more.
"There's something I want to ask Illyin."
After a moment's pause, he continued.
"It's about the Earl's family."
Illyin stopped breathing for a moment.
It was inevitable that many thoughts flashed through her mind.
Did something happen to the Earl's family?
Or did the Earl's family send some strange message here? But I didn't say I was coming to Biften...
The carriage she had ridden in didn't have the Biften crest either.
As they had done for the bride recruitment, Biften had prepared for the bride to return at any time if she didn't like the Winter Territory.
As proof of this, no crest was placed on the carriage to prevent rumors from spreading about the returning bride.
Then what on earth is it about?
"Shh."
Aden seemed to know what she was thinking.
He approached Illyin and hugged her.
Illyin buried her face in his broad chest.
Only then did the breath she had been holding in burst out shallowly.
Aden stroked the back of her head.
"Is it bad news?"
Illyin asked, not even guessing what it was about.
Aden stroked her back and said.
"It's not bad news. Would you like to hear it?"
If you're uncomfortable, we can talk about it later.
He whispered softly.
Illyin pressed her face against his body.
"Tell me now."
"Then..."
Aden briefly pulled Illyin away from his embrace.
Their faces were very close.
How should he bring it up so that this person wouldn't be surprised?
"I hear that Karrot grows in the Arlen territory."
He deliberately started the story slowly.
Milo would be withering away waiting for news from the Winter Territory by now, but Aden didn't care much.
He had never had an incompetent subordinate who couldn't even postpone his position until the news came.
"Karrot...?"
Illyin tilted her head.
She didn't know much about Karrot, but she knew it was a crop from the Sunlands.
"Arlen is near the capital, though...?"
"I guess it wasn't originally from there after all."
Aden slid the Blue Nose cloth on top of her head back.
The blue cloth, flowing down along her fine silver hair, rested on her Exposed neckline.
Now, Violet Eyes that could meet his gaze sparkled in the library's lighting.
"Milo will be looking into the details."
The mansion was warm thanks to Aden's Authority.
It was warmer than March, but it was still cold for Illyin, a Sunfolk, so she was wearing a cape over her dress.
They were clothes she would only wear in the middle of winter in the Sunlands.
Aden stroked Illyin's Exposed neckline, where she wore the cape.
Illyin giggled, tickled.
"As Illyin has seen,"
Aden continued in a quiet voice.
"Biften has no problem living without Karrot from Arlen."
His touch had the power to relieve tension.
Illyin slowly nodded at his words.
No crops could grow in a place where winter was all four seasons.
For that reason, rumors often circulated in the Sunlands that the Winter Territory was short of food.
The commonality among those who wagged their tongues was that they all didn't know the relationship between the Essid Merchant Group and Biften.
"But if Illyin wants, I will import food from the Arlen territory."
After all, the amount that came from the Earl Arlen's territory would hardly threaten Biften's finances—
Thinking that, Aden turned his gaze to his hand.
It was the hand that had been holding Illyin's hand.
Illyin was holding his hand so tightly that her hand had turned white.
He carefully brought Illyin's hand in front of him.
His touch was cautious as he stroked the back of her hand, which was white with strain.
"However, if Illyin is this uncomfortable, I don't intend to accept it."
Illyin unknowingly released the strength she had been holding in her hand.
Aden carefully massaged her hand.
His hand, which had been stroking each finger joint, moved up to the back of her hand and her palm.
It was a strong hand that could freely wield a large sword, but it was endlessly gentle when it touched Illyin.
"Ah,"
The hand that pressed down as if it hurt and didn't hurt was meticulous.
Illyin reacted slightly to the ticklish feeling that ran between her fingers.
Aden's hand, which covered her small hand, touched the soft flesh inside her wrist.
As he tapped it, the soft material of her clothes slipped down her arm, catching on the hollow of her arm.
He leaned towards Illyin and kissed her lightly on the forehead.
His forehead touched the spot where his lips had just been.
Aden whispered from a distance close enough for their breaths to touch.
"Furthermore, if Illyin never wants to hear about Arlen again, I will shut their mouths."
"Ah..."
The two became very close.
As Aden advanced, Illyin's body bumped slightly against the bookshelf next to her.
Surprised, Illyin straightened her body.
She was worried that the bookshelf might collapse.
But Aden paid no attention and kissed her.
"You are now a person of winter."
Contrary to his words, the surroundings were as hot as the Sunlands.
Illyin thought so.
The hand that had been caught by Aden was gently pressed against an empty space on the bookshelf.
She repeatedly tried not to lean on the bookshelf.
"If you don't want to care about the affairs of the Sunlands,"
Illyin's hand, which had been against Aden's chest, unknowingly gained strength.
Aden took that hand and kissed it gently.
The kiss that started at the tip of her thumb touched the soft flesh between her fingers, passing over the back of her hand.
By the time it reached the inside of her fourth finger, Illyin's body, which had been struggling to hold on, was leaning against the bookshelf.
The clunk echoed through the quiet library.
Surprised, Illyin straightened her body, which kept losing strength.
Aden, who smiled softly, supported her waist and hugged her.
He descended on her again and again, panting.
"Illyin can live only looking at Biften."
Biften is wide enough.
If you only want a small world, I can make you happy here as if there is no Sunlands.
Aden, who held her firmly, rubbed his forehead slightly against hers.
"That's not it."
Illyin barely managed to speak in the gaps between his breaths, which he occasionally let out.
Illyin reached out and gently placed her index finger on Aden's lips.
She was dizzy from having her breath stolen so many times.
"Ah..."
Aden also kissed her index finger.
The renewed, intense kiss seemed to have a different purpose than before.
As if asking to open this solid door, he constantly fiddled with the delicate finger that blocked his lips and Illyin's lips.
"Ah,"
She was scared of going back to the Earl Arlen's family.
Illyin thought as she welcomed Aden's breath, having finally been defeated by the persistent knocking.
She was scared of her father, Earl Arlen, and the gazes of those below him.
She would have preferred hostile gazes.
Then she could hate those people too.
But their gazes didn't antagonize her, but completely ignored her.
Because they knew that she had nowhere else to go, like looking at an object for venting anger that couldn't say anything even if they beat it.
But it's okay now.
Illyin reached out and stroked Aden's cheek.
"As long as I'm a person of this place, it's okay."
Her words were small and broken several times, so they came out slowly.
Aden listened to her words patiently.
It would be really scary if she were dropped into the Arlen family without a place to retreat, like in a dream.
But if it wasn't like that, it was okay.
Illyin thought.
Aden leaned towards her.
The bookshelf that received Illyin shook again.
Surprised, she flinched.
"We're the only ones in the library."
Aden patted her and reassured her.
Illyin's face flushed.
Cute.
Aden smiled as he looked at Illyin, who was gaping as if she had forgotten what to say.
He stroked Illyin's small lips.
"Don't be afraid."
Whatever you're afraid of.
Aden held Illyin's hand tightly.
"I heard that the Earl's family is looking for Illyin."
Illyin shrugged her shoulders.
Aden unbuttoned the locked cape.
As their body temperatures touched, Illyin's small, rapid heartbeat was transmitted to him as it was.
"I... didn't tell them I was coming here."
I only told my father that I was going north.
Illyin said in a small voice.
Aden nodded.
"Yes. So it seems they're only looking in the north."
He stroked Illyin's shoulders several times.
"Just decide on one thing, Illyin."
He said, comforting her until her shrugged shoulders softened.
"If you want me to accept the Earl Arlen's family, I will gladly accept them. Because he is your father. But if you don't want that, I,"
Blue eyes sparkled under long eyelashes.
"I'm going to show him winter."
So just decide on one thing.
What you want.
\*
Earl Arlen was very impatient.
Of course, it was good to find a trading partner quickly because of the food problem, but apart from that, he didn't have the leisure of a nobleman.
To put it nicely, he had the basics of business, and to put it badly, he was a typical novice merchant who revealed his shallow insides within a few moves.
Not to mention that he wasn't like a nobleman.
"Milo. If we don't answer today, they'll trade with another merchant group."
It felt like he was receiving calls from the Earl Arlen's family more often than meal times in a day.
Milo sighed briefly.
"It's not like we necessarily need Karrot in winter."
"That's what I'm saying."
The member, who was also from the Winter Territory, had a face that said he was seeing all sorts of things.
The Earl Arlen's family acted as if they had a pretty valuable hand that they would regret losing.
Of course, it was a valuable hand if you thought about the merchant group's profits.
Considering the cost of distributing from the Arlen territory to the north, it was quite a profitable business.
But it wasn't something to cling to while abandoning the merchant group's image or position.
The Arlen territory was too small for that.
How much Karrot could come out of that small territory?
"Milo!"
At that time, the door of the Merchant Leader's office shook violently as if it had been hit by the April wind.
