Duke Ashillean’s Contractual Marriage Chapter 32

Chapter 32 

 

“How was he the last time you saw him?” 

 

“We, well… h-he, h-he… heok.” 

 

She seemed to have trouble breathing. Rubiana clicked her tongue. 

 

“I was changing the bedding of the bed when he sat down at the table next to the bed and waited for me. Nothing was out of ordinary, and he asked if he could take a look around the mansion to see if there are places he shouldn’t go.” 

 

So he was told that he shouldn’t go beyond the west staircase where Rubiana’s study doubled as her office was located, and that he would be shown around after she finished making the bed. However, the good-natured Louismond said that the maid was already busy and that he couldn’t bother her anymore, so he left the room to explore the mansion on his own. 

 

The maid had never seen such a beautiful and elegant man before and was mesmerized. She remained in a daze for a long time after Louismond left the room. 

 

‘That’s possible.’ 

 

Rubiana nodded her head. His beauty wasn’t ordinary; people with weak immunity to such beauty would be entranced by him. Maybe she got so used to Callena, Cadric and Rudante that she wasn’t distracted by his beauty even for a moment. 

 

Whatever, the maid came back to her senses, albeit belatedly, and reported to the Head Maid, who hastily set out to find Louismond. And until now, he hasn’t been found yet. That was it. 

 

“He didn’t leave the mansion.” 

 

“Are you sure?” 

 

“I am.” 

 

“Well, how far have you looked into the mansion?”

 

Rubiana asked, climbing the stairs again. If the Head Maid was sure that he didn’t run away nor been kidnapped, then he should be hiding somewhere inside the mansion. 

 

‘Why? Why do such meaningless things?’ 

 

“We searched everywhere except the west stairs.” 

 

“… What?” 

 

A few more stairs and they would be on the second floor. Rubiana stopped again, and so did the Head Maid who was following her. 

 

“Duke?” 

 

“Why didn’t you look beyond the western stairs?” 

 

Rubiana was dumbfounded and looked back at the Head Maid. 

 

“Because that child already told him not to go there.” 

 

“That’s why you didn’t look there?”

 

“That child clearly told him about that.” 

 

“So you didn’t look for him there?” 

 

“He said with a smile that he understood and that he wouldn’t go there even if it was a mistake.” 

 

She looked down on the Head Maid standing one case below her. The Head Maid nodded her head, her voice cracking as she answered yes. 

 

“We did, didn’t we already tell him?” 

 

“You mean, he would have never gone there?” 

 

“A man with such grace and dignity would never go back to something he said wouldn’t do, right?” 

 

“…” 

 

That graceful and dignified person you talked about jumped into my bed with his naked body last night. 

 

“If he was twice as elegant and dignified, my bed would have been broken.” 

 

“Yes? What did you say just now?” 

 

“Don’t pretend you didn’t hear me.” 

 

The maid is one thing, but now even the Head Miad seemed to be captivated by his beauty. 

 

“Let’s go to my study.” 

 

Rubiana turned her body towards the western stairs without even taking off her cloak. 

 

“What? But Duke, we’re supposed to look for Louismond.” 

 

“That’s why I’m going to find him.” 

 

“But why in the study…?” 

 

The Head Maid trying to stop Rubiana stopped dead in her tracks. She seemed to have come back to her senses. 

 

‘I should tease her from time to time.’ 

 

She finally had something to pick on the Head Maid. Satisfied with that, Rubiana strode down the western corridor with long strides. Even though she sensed the Head Maid quickly following after her, she didn’t slow down at all. 

 

There were countless important documents inside her study. Not only about the North, but also about the running of the Empire that the Emperor forced her to work on. If Louismond snuck in there and read them or stole some of them, she’d be in trouble. She might have been chained down to this mansion until her death, not just for three years. 

 

“…”

 

She was briefly tempted when her mind wandered to that point. 

 

‘That would be a problem. He would have to follow me if I went North. I can’t leave him alone inside the mansion.’ 

 

That wasn’t the problem, but the problem of trying to keep a man by her side for the rest of his life who loved another woman. But Rubiana couldn’t see which of her thoughts were wrong. 

 

Arriving in front of the study, Rubiana opened the door widely without even waiting for the Head Maid. And then, peering inside, she giggled. 

 

“Heok, heok, D… Duke?” 

 

The Head Maid who had just arrived, was gasping for breath and stood on her tiptoes to peer over Rubiana’s shoulder. 

 

Inside the study, the person who quietly disappeared from and turned the mansion up and down was there. Tucked behind the large couch, shielded from the sunlight pouring in from the window, he was sprawled on his stomach with only a thin blanket on the floor, sleeping soundly. Around him were all kinds of books, some were open, some were not. 

 

“He’s… really here.” 

 

A sigh mixed with relief and failure. 

 

“Yes, he’s here – my husband material.” 

 

Rubiana’s voice had softened considerably as she regained something she briefly thought she had lost. 

 

∘₊✧──────✧₊∘

 

Rubiana who had been stomping and corridors without hesitation, muffled her footsteps as she entered her study. The Head Maid also tiptoed on her heels. Louismond was breathing softly and evenly, not knowing who was approaching him. 

 

“What book is this?” Rubiana lifted the book at her feet and checked its cover, then tilted her head. “He’s reading something like this?”

 

The Head Maid looked at the covers of the other books lying around, noting that they were no different, and then spoke up for Louismond with her own thoughts. 

 

“He was raised inside the House of the Scholars and studied purely academic subjects, so this might have been something that he found interesting.” 

 

“Is that so?” Rubiana asked as she put down the copy of <The Lady Runs Away Again Today> in her hand. “Later, when you organize my husband’s library, make sure it’s filled with books like this. It seems to be his preference.” 

 

“It seems like your trip to the Imperial Palace went well.” 

 

The Head Maid’s face brightened. Her downcast face from earlier had suddenly disappeared. 

 

“Well, it’s alright.” 

 

I’m not so pleased. Rubiana was so embarrassed that she scratched the back of her neck. 

 

“Let’s prepare for the wedding right away….” 

 

“Uh-oh, please don’t get ahead of yourself.” 

 

The Head Maid quickly turned around wanting to grab her by the collar and lift her up. 

 

“But it would be too late to prepare now.” 

 

The Head Maid stomped her feet in the air. 

 

“When do you think we should prepare so we won’t be late?” 

 

“Anytime, as soon as possible!” 

 

“It’s not too late to prepare once Her Majesty’s decree arrives.” 

 

“But!” 

 

“Something will arrive before that. If anyone from the Imperial Palace comes to deliver something, bring it here.” As soon as she finished speaking, there was a horse neighing outside the window. “Here it goes, a piece of work.” 

 

Rubiana looked at the person at her feet and outside the window. She was afraid that the sound would disturb the beauty at her feet. Luckily, Louismond didn’t wake up. Rubiana thought that it was fortunate, but when she realized she was thinking that way, she laughed out loud. 

 

If I want to save this carefree beauty after three years, I’ll have to work hard to please the Emperor in the meantime. I have to work hard on my duties. 

 

Once again, the responsibilities of being the Head of the household weighed heavily on her shoulders. Fortunately, the weight seemed bearable. 

 

While the Head Maid was gone, Rubiana took off her cloak and draped it over the couch, unbuttoned the sleeves of her shirt, and rolled it up to his arms. She then left the soft sofa and comfortable mahogany table behind and plopped down on the floor. 

 

“This place was perfect as expected.” 

 

The room had a front-row seat to watch the sleeping Louismond in front. As she leaned back on the sofa and watched Louismond sleep, the Head Maid returned. 

 

In addition to the stack of papers from the Imperial Court, she had brought blankets, wine, some cheese, and a generous amount of tea. As if that weren’t enough, she even brought a brazier full of red charcoal. Of course, the brazier was carried by two servants who stumbled in. 

 

“It’s still daytime and hot.” 

 

“I didn’t bring it to you, Duke.” 

 

“Hmm….” 

 

Rubiana was about to order to leave them immediately but stopped. The Head Maid sighed when she saw Rubiana sitting on the floor and the still curled up and sleeping Louismond. 

 

“Is he going to stay here?” 

 

“He sleeps so soundly, and it would be a pity if he woke up when we moved him.” 

 

He was so tall that even if he put him on her back and carried her like a princess, his feet would drag on the floor. She also couldn’t ask the attendants to move him. 

 

The Head Maid sighed again when she saw the ‘Is there a problem?’ expression on Rubiana’s face. The attendants were watching, and she was worried that Rubiana might hurt them. 

 

“But is it necessary for you, Duke, to sit on the floor?” 

 

‘Please get up quickly,’ she gently said and turned around. Rubiana pretended not to hear her. Instead, she threw in a quip that was immediately able to lift the shadows from the Head Maid’s heart. 

 

“A married couple is of one body.” 

 

“…!” The Head Maid’s face suddenly brightened. “Just as expected, let’s hurry up and prepare for the wedding….” 

 

“I told you not to get ahead of yourself. Her Majesty’s edict….” 

 

“Yes, it should be the priority. I will make arrangements to prepare as soon as you receive Her Majesty’s decree.” 

 

The two people amicably stopped each other’s words. The Head Maid hurriedly put down everything she had brought and went to the window to draw the curtains, which let in a lot of bright light, and even put them together meticulously. 

 

“Leave that, I need to work.” 

 

Rubiana protested, waving the papers in her hand, but the Head Maid didn’t even pretend to listen to her. drawing the curtains didn’t make it dark enough to see the papers, so Rubiana merely frowned. 

 

“Please have a good time.” 

 

The Head Maid quickly left the study with the attendants. Before the door completely closed, she heard the voice of the Head Maid ordering the servants. 

 

“Not a single ant is to be allowed near here until the Duke herself opens the door and comes out.’

 

‘What kind of good time are you thinking with someone who’s sleeping?’ 

 

Rubiana glared at the closed door, then looked at Louismond, trying to cleanse her eyes and ears that had been polluted by the Head Maid. 

 

The wife went out to work and came back to see her husband sleeping soundly, unaware. Rubiana was very satisfied. He must have felt very safe here to sleep so defenselessly. She liked this appearance more when she recalled what Louismond looked like at the scene she had seen at Count Graham’s. 

 

‘I remember when Big Eyes let me ride on his back.’ 

 

Rubiana became gloomy when she remembered her own pet, her wyvern Big Eyes, whom she had left behind in the North. 

 

(T/N: I think it’s not that bad… to have a wyvern as a pet… right? [quivering in obvious fear])