Author’s Note:
It’s a third-person point of view.
The duke entered the official building surrounded by the palace guards at the usual time.
After lending Orgueil to take care of Riviere, his position was filled by another two adjutants. There, he listened to the plans for that day from them, and if there were documents requiring urgent approval, he would also receive them.
Yesterday, he finished working early since there was a delegation banquet, and he didn’t return to work after slipping out in the middle of the banquet. Thus, there was a considerable stack of documents even if they were not all urgent papers. Even though he usually had a perpetual tedious expression, he calmly received the documents this morning. Then, he efficiently progressed with his work.
–It seemed that he was in a particularly good temper.
He also conversed eye-to-eye with his two adjutants.
Their superiors were always lively and rarely became sentimental, yet they couldn’t say that he was always calm. There were naturally good and bad ‘bugs’ here and there, and at any rate, they were too sharp that even trivial mistakes could turn stern. The duke could only talk plainly without any tension with Colonel Karnak and the two other dukes.
The two adjutants were thinking of looking for methods to lift his Escellency’s temper for next time’s measure, and surprisingly, the chance to do so visited quite fast.
“…I’m going to tell you two, but…”
The duke’s hand that held the pen stopped, then he reached out to them.
“From now on, don’t insert any plan from the evening. Refuse the dinner invitation. In case that a meal to increase friendship is necessary, try to make it into a tea party or lunch. In addition, if the amount of paperwork increases, there’s no need to hold back and quickly put them out.”
“Wha…”
“Understood.”
But, why?
The adjutants were both capable, but their face revealed their question unintentionally.
The duke placed the pen away, turning his amber pupils to them, showed a slight smile, and…
“I can’t let my beloved princess to feel lonely.”
So he said.
The two adjutants were surprised and unconsciously, they looked at each other.
“That, again…”
“Beloved princess, he said…”
In response to the two adjutants who were mumbling, the duke added another blow.
“It’s still too early, so we need to foster more intimacy. One or two nights alone won’t be enough.”
…Understood. So, last night, they were getting intimate.
…Dully noted. It means that for a while from now on, he wants to embrace her all night.
The two adjutants respectfully bowed.
The duke was a pretty sociable person, and it wasn’t like he had never talked about women with the two adjutants before. However, this was clearly the first time he brazenly spoke fondly of someone.
That person, huh? The one that was said to come from the remote region of la Tuura all the way here to ask for his Excellency’s assistance. They had never met her before, but according to the rumors, she was a beautiful person.
It would be good if her beauty wasn’t like that of a courtesan. By no means were they thinking that his Excellency could be tricked, but this was a whole different level of devotion.
When the adjutants were deep in their respective thought, the duke threw a glance at them whose heads were still bowing.
“…You want to ask which one is the true me: lacking integrity (T/N: or similar to playboy) or devoted? I don’t mind them at all, and you guys can rest assured since I won’t let the ducal house be destroyed.”
He boldly said as he saw through their thoughts.
“Besides, she doesn’t wish for anything. Other than the initial ‘assistance’. I’d be delighted if she wants to do it outside the bedroom, though.”
The duke said the last sentence with a sigh. The two adjutants couldn’t believe their ears and wanted to block them.
–Duke Leon Evangelista do Gladius is already renowned as the unparalleled wise ruler even among the successive generations of dukes.
–His Excellency is an impeccable young noble who has never chased a woman before.
It was unprecedented for him to speak fondly of someone and to outspokenly bring up an indecent topic. What should we do? The adjutants wondered.
Unable to give any response to the duke, also not having the courage to ignore his words to bring up another topic, the two adjutants earnestly wished for the atmosphere to change.
“Colonel Karnak has arrived.”
A palace guard’s voice could be heard from the other side of the door.
We’re saved! At the same time they were relieved, the door was quietly opened, revealing the figure of their direct superior, the head adjutant, Colonel Karnak. Lately, he had been accompanying Riviere, so the two adjutants felt a bit nostalgic seeing him.
To them, the flawless Colonel Orgueil do Karnak was someone who was the object of their aspiration and also tension, but today, they felt like they wanted to welcome his presence from the depth of their hearts.
When they were bowing and leaving their seats, Orgueil elegantly shook his head and prompted them to sit down before he also gave a knight’s salute to the duke before his eyes.
‘Why?’ In response to the duke’s eyes which silently asked that, Orgueil bluntly said in a hypocritical courtesy.
“—I didn’t think you’d be in the office on time.”
“I am a morning person, after all.”
The duke eluded as his complexion didn’t even change at all.
“I am aware of that. I thought you’d go more slowly this morning, so I visited this office in order to help with the official duties.”
“Thank you for your consideration. But as you can see, it was just your needless fear, but I’ll always welcome any help.”
“I won’t stay for too long.”
“Well, of course. At any rate, Riviere won’t wake up within the morning, so your lecture will be held in the afternoon, right?”
“It’s exactly as you said. However, your Excellency, wouldn’t the princess be sad if you weren’t there by her side to treat her kindly the morning after? Was there something that required you to be in the office right at the appointed time?”
“I was told that she disliked men who didn’t do their job. Besides, I also thought that that I wanted to always be by her side. But for her sake, I decided to leave the bedroom with an overwhelming sorrow.”
“That is such an excellent resolution.”
–Someone, please stop this kind of conversation, we’re begging you, please stop this.
Orgueil gave his words of encouragement all while being expressionless, and the duke had a thin smile on his face although his eyes weren’t smiling, while the two adjutants could only wait for the storm to pass through.
When they were just trembling due to the intense atmosphere, a helping hand suddenly arrived.
“…I’d like to speak with his Excellency alone. Could you please leave for a while?”
“Yes!!”
“Understood!!”
The two of them quickly stood and went towards the door as they tried hard not to run. It seemed that this unusual silence and unpleasant conversation about a delicate subject would continue given the chance. They’d better leave quickly.
“Do not interrupt us until I leave the room. Would that be fine with you, your Excellency?”
“Yeah.”
Just as they wished.
”Then, excuse us!” The two sang in chorus, leaving the room as if they were competing on who would be the first to leave.
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“—What’s the matter, Orgueil?”
Without even glancing at the two adjutants who were unable to endure fleeing (it was quite apparent that they were running away), the duke changed his expression and asked.
“To think that you’d clear people out of this room…”
“It’s about that person.”
Orgueil said with a calm voice.
“It would be fine for the lecture to be held in the afternoon, wouldn’t it?”
“Yeah. I bet she’s going to recover in the afternoon.”
“Shall we have this kind of arrangement tomorrow onwards, too?”
“Perhaps that arrangement would be better for now. Also…”
The duke stared at Orgueil’s eyes directly.
“You didn’t come here only to talk about it, did you?”
“It’s as you have guessed, Leon-sama.”
Orgueil gracefully slid his body, taking the seat that was diagonally in front of the duke.
“It’s about the way we should treat that person from now on…”
“—What do you think, Orgueil?”
“That person surely doesn’t wish to be treated like a decoration—just as the wife of Duke Evangelista, does she?”
“Right. I want to just protect her, but with her capability, she surely won’t wish for that.”
The duke smiled bitterly and said.
“What does she wish for?”
“She hasn’t given a word about it. Her thought process in economy and politics is quite good, but well, I think that it will be much easier for her to work in military.”
“What do you mean by it would be much easier for her?”
“She will be able to stand out at once. She has good swordsmanship, martial arts, and terrifying ability. We were also doing a lecture about military history, but her focus of attention or thought process was in the skills of the soldiers. We have talked about her life experiences in her original world little by little, and it seems like she has commanded soldiers before.”
“That’s why you want her to do military?”
He understood the story, but he didn’t want to risk her into any danger.
“—Do you remember the case of what we thought as a small-scale battle in a territory under the direct control of the Gladius house, the one that unexpectedly expanded into a war?”
The topic suddenly jumped.
Orgueil’s purple eyes were turned towards the duke as if he wanted to test him out, yet the duke wasn’t perturbed.
“—Yeah, I remember. But…!! …Could it be, you…”
The duke’s eyes sparkled.
“Besides, doing military? Even though it hasn’t been too long since she came to this world?”
“This is under the assumption that she doesn’t reject.”
“It is very unlikely that she’d reject it, right?!”
The duke raised his voice and hit his work desk before he glared at Orgueil.
Even when the shining golden pupils were eyeing him as if he was a prey, Orgueil remained calm and waited for the duke’s next words.
“Rivea doesn’t wish for anything. She doesn’t desire anything. Since she thinks that she has only been receiving the favor without being able to return it. Do you think she’d reject the idea under this condition?!”
Last night, when he embraced her for the first time, when he penetrated her body. Along with the profession of love that was akin to a child’s confession,
(’Thank you, Leon-sama’, so she said.)
Although it happened just last night, it was a very sweet memory that caused his heart to ache.
(I certainly thought that she was very lovely. However, I decided to embrace her after being pressured by this man in front of me and under various future considerations…)
In the end, he was captured even further by her, and even he had to admit in self-deprecation that it was quite foolish of him.
“—That person surely won’t reject it. However, Leon-sama…”
As the duke sealed his lips in silence, Orgueil said as if he was admonishing the duke.
“I kept things vague and relayed this matter to her to gain her opinion, and it seemed that she had thought of quite a fantastic strategy. Despite how fantastic it sounded, it wasn’t just an empty theory. There was a prospect of winning, and it was more than enough.”
“You—have already told her?”
“I only tried to tell her as an example of the military history. In addition, I also asked about how many troops might be needed, how to move them, and how to command them.”
That person will become a heroine. No, she will become the goddess of war.
The amethyst pupils that rarely burned in passion was now shining bewitchingly.
Translator’s Note:
Thanks for reading and don’t hesitate to comment to fuel my motivation~! (Apparently this chapter was posted but then deleted due to server error?)
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Take care of yourselves 🙂
