novel
| ← Ch.096 | Ch.098 → |
"Why on earth are you doing this? You say that in front of people right after I give up? Why did you make me give up if you were going to do this? Did you disagree with me just to make me angry?"
"Rubica."
Edgar poured a cup of warm water and offered it to her.
"Just calm down."
"I can't calm down! Do you, do you like it when I get mad? Do you want to see me mad? We're not getting mana quartz? What are you talking about? You told me, it's the family's tradition that must be kept and your relatives will be mad if we don't do it."
Edgar glanced at the door that was slightly open. Was it Ann? Or Carl? They were trying to eavesdrop. Rubica's yelling was going out through that crack and echo in the hallway. Edgar decided to use that.
"So what? I don't care about my relative's opinion. I'm the duke. And as the duke, I have the duty to do what I believe is right. Even if it's a tradition, I must get rid of it if it's wrong."
The sound was big enough to resonate in the room, but it had no anger in it. However, Rubica was just too mad to notice it.
"Why do you always have to have your way?"
"Even you cannot stop me this time."
"Ed... uh!!"
Then, he made a big fuss by hugging her tightly, and her yells were blocked by his chest. He then quickly closed the door with a bam.
Everyone who had been listening outside, the attendant, Carl, Ann, and the other servants, all blushed.
Out there, it sounded like the duke was kissing his wife who was trying to stop her from talking. Moreover, he hadn't forgotten to fiercely glare at them before closing the door. The door was thick and completely soundproof for the couple's privacy. What was happening in there? What kind of conversation were they having? Ann wished she could put her ear on that thick door to listen.
"Oh no. If she fails to convince him..."
"The night is long, Ann. No man is immune to his lover's beauty."
"But he isn't the one who's about to be seduced. She is."
"What?"
"Didn't you just hear what I heard? He is about to use his beauty to make her surrender!"
Carl quickly looked around, and the servants hastily looked down. It was not allowed to talk about their master and mistress' night affair.
The door of the bedroom had been made with a special material by a great craftsman, so it normally didn't let any noise come out. Although the duke always left the room to go to his office at dawn because of his busy work, he came to his wife's room every night.
And when he left the room, although Rubica was lying on the bed, her eyes were wide open. So, what were they doing every night instead of sleeping? They asked that among themselves but, actually, they all thought they knew the answer. If Rubica had known that famous misunderstanding, she would have beaten her chest in anger.
"I can't assure you she will not be taken down by his temptation."
"Ann."
"And if he wickedly cries with his beautiful eyes..."
"Ann, do not insult our master anymore."
Carl firmly spoke to her with a red face. The other servants' faces were all red as well, but with a very different thought.
They served Edgar. They helped him get changed and take baths, so they knew every part of his body.
'Mrs. Taylor, if she surrenders, it wouldn't be because of tears. '
'Well, he is wicked. Ha, gods have given him everything. His title, his face, and even his huge... '
The attendant shook his head to dismiss what came after that and Carl realized what they were thinking. Even though the two were married and it was only natural, it was indecent. However, Ann, the housekeeper, didn't know that.
Even though maids were no more than extended hands of their master, Edgar really hated it when they touched him. He was different from some noblemen who picked pretty maids to serve them. That was why there wasn't even a single scandal known to the maids. They rather thought he was a nymph who had come down from the sky. Half of it was true, but Carl feared standing there longer would start the spread of some shocking rumors. Of course, as the two were married, people would only say they were madly in love.
"We should go now. There's nothing more we can do about this."
"But we must wait for him to come out and..."
Ann just couldn't give up, so Carl had to drag her by her arm.
"We should give them time to sleep anyway."
Ann looked at the bedroom's door worriedly. Then she prayed Rubica would not surrender to Edgar's tears. He had only shown his beautiful but cold aspect, so if he cried and pleaded, no woman was going to be able to resist that. Ann was truly worried.
Rubica was so kind, and she was not going to be able to stand against Edgar if he was determined to seduce her. What happened till now was enough to prove it.
The duke had made her pregnant, and then he got what he wanted and did a humble - actually, it was only humble in Ann's mind - wedding.
'I never knew he would turn out to be so spoiled. '
When had it all started? Maybe she had been too kind to him during his childhood. She had been worried about him being too cold to women, but she had thought it was better than becoming a womanizer. However, she hadn't known he would grow up to be a man who literally controlled the woman he loved.
If only she could turn back time, she wanted to go back to the past and teach little Edgar it was wrong to treat a woman like that just because he had a pretty face, especially when it was the woman he loved.
Now his pretty face was enough to satisfy Rubica, but it wasn't like they could depend on her patience forever.
However, those thoughts were quite unfair. The person who had surrendered to tears and was about to change everything was Edgar, not Rubica. It was just that those tears had been truthful, not false, and Rubica had cried while she gave up on her ideal, not to seduce Edgar.
"Rubica."
Rubica tried to fight back hard in Edgar's arms, but she soon gave up and stopped fighting. There was nothing more unfair than the gap in strength between men and women. Edgar sadly called her name, but she was still mad and didn't say anything. She could feel his breath on her head.
However, she hadn't done any crazy thing such as hugging him back to calm him down. She was really, really mad.
"... now can we talk?"
Rubica didn't answer again. However, Edgar immediately knew she had calmed down and was ready to talk. He suddenly undid the lock of his hands. It felt so hollow when the warmth that had filled his chest was gone, but when he met the auburn eyes fiercely glaring at him, he felt so choked that he couldn't even feel that hollowness anymore.
"Rubica."
She swatted his hand. It was a clear refusal, but Edgar chose to smile sadly than to be mad. She was going to understand him, once she heard what he was doing.
"Why did you do that? Why?"
"I did it to follow your will."
"Follow my will? But I did accept what you said. I told you to get mana quartz. I now know it is for the kingdom and its people, not just for your honor and reputation. So, I made that decision. I wanted to not get mana quartz, but you disagreed with me, so I listened to you and gave up what I believed in to make that decision, and you changed your mind so easily? How can I ever trust you enough to discuss anything with you again?"
Edgar felt a sweet pain when being blamed. Then, she had discussed things with him before because she trusted him at least a little.
"I couldn't explain it to you earlier, and I apologize for that. But I wanted you to be genuinely mad."
Rubica looked confused. Her anger seemed to be gone and it made Edgar happy.
"You are not capable of pretending to be mad."
He was right as Rubica was an open book. She couldn't even fake a laugh, much less pretend to be mad. She could laugh falsely only when she wanted to show that she was really mad.
"You needed me to be mad? Edgar, what are you talking about?"
"So that people would think you are genuinely against not getting mana quartz."
The more they talked, the more confused it got for Rubica. Edgar had expected that, so he smiled charmingly and led her to a chair. She sat down like a good child.
'... she's weak to this smile. '
Edgar wasn't capable of properly reading her thoughts and reaction yet. But thankfully, he had learned what actions would make her weak. She couldn't help smiling in front of pretty flowers, lovely girls, pretty dresses and jewels.
And, when he smiled charmingly like that in front of her, she sat down as he wanted and took the drink he gave her half dazedly.
Even when the drink he was offering her was something she didn't like, she just gulped it down when he smiled.
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