“There is a saying in our country that fruit that looks good is not really worth it.”
“Look, Duke Lilia. Our Lord Carlisle is a young man with a healthy body and a greater desire for women than anyone else, I can guarantee that.”
“Has Your Majesty seen it in person?”
“That’s not it…”
The Emperor twisted his mouth as if he was uncomfortable, and then suddenly looked confused. It was just as Lord Lilias said. He had never even felt anything like it, let alone heard of Pervin’s affair with a woman. His first woman was the current Duchess, and there were even rumors that he had lost interest in her after being married off to her for several years. As the earless Emperor’s expression changed moment by moment, Duke Lilias bit his lip and delivered the final blow.
“I guess I’ll have to teach him a lesson. I will stay at their house this time, get to know the surroundings, and most importantly, give Lord Carlisle some advice.”
“What advice do you give to a grown adult?”
“About the secret and sacred thing that happens at night.”
Duke Lilias’ face as he spoke these words was somehow filled with firm determination. The Emperor said something absurd to the Duke.
“No, Lord Carlisle is not a child, so he would not know such things.”
“It’s not a bad thing to know, so don’t worry.”
When Duke Lilias showed the Emperor what he had prepared, the Emperor’s eyes widened.
“You’re giving something so precious just to Pervin. Shouldn’t we share this with everyone?”
* * *
The time for Duke Lilias to come to our house was approaching. He was a character I had never seen before, but was it because he was the only one in the original work who had a record of taking care of Irwen? I was already starting to feel some kind of familiarity with him. I was busy checking out the best guest room in the mansion and taking care of the last of his necessities. But then, Alfred approached me cautiously.
“Ma’am, I’m really sorry to disturb you while you were busy, however…”
“Then don’t disturb me, Alfred!”
Marieanne added, busily playing with her hands.
“How focused are you right now?”
But Alfred continued to speak steadfastly.
“The master is calling. He woke up earlier and was just taking a shower, and he told me to bring him to you because he has a favor to ask you.”
“Oh, was that something like that? Then go quickly, ma’am~”
When Marieanne suddenly and sweetly changed her stance, Alfred clicked his tongue as if he was dumbfounded. Before heading to the second floor hallway, I went to the kitchen with Alfred and got the honey water I had requested from the chef earlier. I shrugged my shoulders at Alfred’s incomprehensible expression.
“You drank a lot yesterday. How bad can your hangover be?”
He silently led me to Pervin’s room. I went in expecting him to be drunk, but he actually turned out to be something else. He looked at the window and then turned to me, with only a towel draped over his lower body. As he placed his bowl on the table, Pervin rolled his eyes.
“You’re not even that surprised anymore.”
In fact, my heart sank when I saw his half-naked appearance, but I tried to answer in a resolute voice.
“Seeing this a lot makes me immune to it. Drink this, you’ll have a bad hangover.”
“Honey water?”
“This is the best for sobering up.”
“Thank you.”
Pervin nodded his head and drank the honey water in one gulp. His complexion was too pure to be the same person who was so drunk yesterday that he tangled with me. I slowly took a step back. Although he pretended that nothing was wrong in front of him, he was actually agitated by his naked body. This was my second time seeing the sight of only the lower body being covered, but I couldn’t get used to that angry body every time I saw it. Maybe it’s because I saw it not at night but in broad daylight, with the sunlight shining brightly. No, to be precise, just seeing Pervin makes his heart pound. I tried to calm my mind and faced him calmly.
“You said it was urgent, why on earth did you call me?”
“You pick out some clothes. My only wife wants to look good to her family, but I have no talent in choosing clothes.”
I gladly accepted, went to the closet, looked through the clothes, and chose several. All I could hear was the sound of him shuffling through documents behind me. The room was filled with quiet tension. I put a few clothes on my arms and looked back. Pervin leaned against the window and seemed to be reading a document. As his wet hair continued to fall on his forehead, he raised a sinewy hand and stroked it. Again and again, water flowed down and fell down his long eyelashes. The visual is really crazy. The same goes for the slender body without any fat, the broad shoulders, and the angry, bulging muscles. Above all, that handsome face that seems to have a halo on it. My heart, which I had barely managed to calm down, is pounding again. I grabbed both of his hands and pressed his fingers, and even bit my lip for no reason. Still, I don’t know why I can’t calm down like this. My gaze, which was constantly directed at Pervin, wavered a lot, as if reflecting my shameful feelings. He gently closed his eyes, opened them again, focused his pale green eyes on one spot, and eventually raised his head. His voice was unusually kind.
“Did you choose?”
I cleared my throat and put my clothes on the bed. I scolded myself for looking at my chest, which was dripping with moisture. I brainwashed myself into thinking I just saw a statue in an art museum.
“I chose it, but I’m not sure if it’s to your taste. Then I’ll just leave.”
The voice that came out of my mouth sounded noticeably trembling. With one hand, I pressed down on my breasts, which seemed to be about to burst out. I need to leave this place quickly, otherwise he will find out my shameful appearance. I had no idea that such a sweet voice and sculptural body would make my heart flutter so much.
“Wait a minute, Irwen.”
He took a step in front of me with a languid yet soft voice.
“Can you take a look at what I’m wearing? It’s the same for Duke Lilia, but looking good for you is also a priority.”
If you look at me so earnestly, I can’t help but do you a favor. I nodded obediently and stepped aside. Dimples appeared on Pervin’s cheeks. I glanced at him as if fascinated. Every time he took a breath, his eyes were focused on the water droplets flowing down. The water droplets were an excuse, and I kept looking at his chest rising and falling every time he breathed. At that time, Pervin’s drowsy voice woke me up.
“I have to get dressed, but if you want to see it, you can do it.”
“No!”
A sound of amused laughter was heard. He turned around, clutching his pounding heart, and covered his face with both hands. There was a rustling sound as if clothes were being changed, and then it stopped. I had been covering my face with my hands until then, but I gently opened my hands.
“Are you all dressed?”
“Yes.”
“Really?”
“Now, touch it.”
He took my hand and made me touch a spot. I closed my eyes tightly and felt the touch of my fingers. It was thick pants fabric. Only then did I slowly open my eyes. But why is it that what my fingers are touching right now is a hot chest? A low snoring sound was heard in my ear. The way Per Vin held my hand tightly and curled his lips, he looked somewhat happy. It was clear that this guy was having fun teasing me. But rather than feeling unfair at what happened, the sound of his heart filled my ears and I couldn’t come to my senses. My heart was racing as if it was going to burst. All I can see is his chest clearly visible through his shirt with about three buttons undone. I could see the left side of his chest, where his heart is, bouncing up and down every time he exhaled. My hand, which he clasped, was resting on his left chest. His heart seemed to be beating as fast as mine. A face as red as mine came into view.
“I hope you get used to my body, Irwen.”
He lowered his head towards me and whispered lazily.
“Duke Lilias is your brother. I only want to show our good side to your brother. I guess that goes for you too, right?”
I nodded repeatedly with a red face. Pervin seemed satisfied and lowered my hand from his chest.
“Let’s try our best, like a normal couple.”
I held my warm hands together. It felt like warmth was coming from his body.
* * *
After getting ready, Pervin and I walked to the reception room on the first floor. Pervin suddenly asked a question while fiddling with her collar.
“Irwen, why are you walking so far away from me?”
I glanced at him. The nape of his neck was wide open, and I could see the nuchal cord moving. I swallowed nervously without realizing it. Pervin gave me a strange look.
“Is there a strange smell coming from me?”
“No, it’s not like that.”
“Then will you come closer next to me?”
It was only then that I realized the great distance between us. I am walking right up against the wall in the wide hallway. In fact, I haven’t been able to see him properly since before. My face turned red at the faint scent of his body that spread even when I walked next to him, and I didn’t know what to do as I imagined his body covered in luxurious clothes. He lowered his gaze to the ground and cupped his cheek with both hands. It’s like not being able to make proper eye contact next to your first love.
“Irwen?”
When Pervin looked at me strangely, I slightly moved away from the wall.
“This is enough, right?”
“Even when I walk with someone else, I won’t walk this far away.”
Pervin strode towards me as if he was frustrated. It looked like a beast was walking towards him, with one hand in his pocket and his neck twitching. So, without realizing it, I moved my feet quickly to avoid him. But I forgot about it for a while. She wore a flashy dress to make a good impression on her older brother, whom she was meeting for the first time. I stumbled, trying not to fall, but before I knew it, I could see that the floor was just around the corner.
As I closed my eyes, someone grabbed my waist and pulled me into their arms. When I stumbled, he wrapped his strong legs around me. Both his well-ironed clothes and my dress, which had been beautifully designed by Madame Bertin, were all wrinkled. The moment I felt his strong hand on my back. Pervin put me in my place.
“It was dangerous.”
He held out his hand with a face full of worry. It was so large and elegant that my hand could be locked in one hand.
“Thank you.”
I calmly shook off his hand and took the hand he held out. He was about to curtsy, but then he took one look at me and gently took my hand. His touch was really soft, as if he didn’t want to hurt me.
* * *
When I went downstairs, the workers were busy going back and forth between the kitchen and serving refreshments.
“Duke Lilias has arrived, my lord.”
“Already?”
Pervin seemed to notice my disheveled clothes, and then took me into the drawing room. There was a handsome man sitting in the same wall as me. He saw me and came running with a bright smile. Pervin held out his hand to greet him, but he passed him by quickly and snatched my hand.
“Irwen, my dear sister!”
Before Pervin could say anything next to me, he hugged me and kissed me on the cheek without making a fuss. I didn’t know that his half-brother, Duke Lilias, would be so happy to see me, so I rolled my eyes again and again in embarrassment. Leon Lilias had no resemblance to Irwen at all, except that he was a walleye. His dark brown hair and white skin made him look handsome and trustworthy. Duke Lilia looked around my body and asked in a friendly voice.
“Are you in any pain, Irwen? I was really worried because the news that had been coming in sporadically for the past few weeks had stopped.”
The last few weeks are the time after I woke up possessing Irwen’s body. I smiled and reassured him.
“I am very healthy, Duke Lilias.”
“Speaking of duke, it is forbidden to use formal titles between siblings, Irwen. As usual, please call me like this, Brother. Come on, brother~.”
Uduk. I heard a strange sound and turned around to see Pervin making eye contact with me and nodding his head as if to tell me not to pay attention to him. There was a crunching sound from where Pervin was holding his back. I muttered that title to Duke Lilias.
“…Brother.”
“Yes! Your sweet voice is the same, and your warm gaze hasn’t changed either.”
After accepting the words of Duke Lilia, who was constantly observing me and focusing only on me, I looked behind me again. Per Vin’s face looked lonely as she was left alone behind her. Because he was so nervous, he couldn’t concentrate on the conversation. The Duke’s non-stop words were interrupted for a moment.
“Brother, you should say hello to my husband, not just me.”
“Have you been safe so far, Lord Lilias?”
Only then did Duke Lilias greet Pervin’s polite greeting. It was an unappealing expression.
“Well, I’ve been doing okay. By the way, when I heard His Majesty’s words, he said he was not feeling well, so he couldn’t even come to greet me. How are you feeling?”
“it’s okay.”
He muttered as he looked up and down Pervin’s body.
“Is it really lacking in substance…?”
“…?”
As Pervin’s eyebrows rose, Duke Lilias hastily changed the subject.
“Oh, this is not the time for us to stand and talk like this. Could you please make room for me? It’s been a while since I last met Irwen, so I wanted to clear up her worries alone.”
“Go ahead.”
I thought he was going to leave obediently, but Pervin suddenly came up to me, pressed his cheek to me, and whispered.
“You said you would act like a normal couple.”
After a moment of hesitation, I moved closer to his face. He was turning his face to the side as if he wanted to kiss his cheek, so the moment I brought my face closer to him, this thought occurred to me. Who kisses the cheeks of a married couple? Do it on your lips. No, is that what I want to do? Without even having time to control my true feelings, I covered his face with both hands. The moment dark green eyes look at me as if surprised. side! I kissed Pervin briefly on the lips and then fell. His eyes fluttered wide as if he was embarrassed, and a red blush filled his white face. Before Duke Lilias could intervene next to him, he quickly turned around.
“See you later then, Irwen. I will be in the study, so you know.”
He bowed to Duke Lilia and quickly left the room. His ears, visible from behind, were very red. The act of being faithful to the emotions of the moment brought shame to both him and me. My face was burning and burning, so I was fanning myself with my hand. Duke Lilia’s voice came from next to me.
“Irwen, are you on bad terms with your husband?”
“What?”
“Why are you so angry about an ordinary kiss? It looks like your face is red and you’re emotional.”
No, that’s not it. My heart is pounding and I can’t control it. I can’t help but feel attracted to him and I’m embarrassed that I kissed him first, so I don’t know what to do. I tried to swallow the answer that was about to come out. My embarrassed face became even redder.
* * *
Still, since I had lived in this house for a few weeks, I took Duke Lilias on a tour of the mansion. He was amazed by the beautiful gardens and seemed even more impressed by the mansion’s gorgeous interior. In particular, the couple’s bedroom was meticulous, looking at things like the materials used and the blankets.
“Still, I feel relieved that my sister seems to be living in a comfortable place.”
Duke Lilias walked gently with me and examined everything carefully. It was a warmth that felt more like his own father than an older brother. He said it was his first time seeing me since his wedding, and he scolded himself for not checking on me all this time. However, it turned out that his wife, Duchess Lilias, was on the brink of death due to repeated miscarriages and subsequent illnesses, and he was also in a state of panic. Fortunately, she became pregnant safely this time, and since she was just entering the stabilization period of her pregnancy, she couldn’t come with her. We talked about a variety of topics, but Duke Lilias especially showed great interest in my married life.
“Does he treat you kindly? Is he not friendly with you? Are you doing well in marriage?”
I had no choice but to answer his questions vaguely. I said my relationship with Pervin was hot, but I couldn’t bring myself to lie, and I couldn’t bring myself to say that my relationship was bad because Irwen had been mean to him… Duke Lilias nodded his head affectionately as if he understood, but he occasionally asked again.
“You mean Pervin is good to you?”
“Yes, of course.”
“Yes, I understand.”
It looked calm, but somehow it seemed like something was hidden. I’m hiding something, and he’s determined to find out.
* * *
After the tour of the mansion, it was time for dinner. With Duke Lilias at the center, I faced Pervin and started eating. Every time delicious food came out of the kitchen, Duke Lilia offered me a piece of food.
“Try some of this, Irwen. It’s very delicious.”
“Thank you, brother.”
“Of course your brother can do this much.”
But was this what it means to swear with your eyes? Duke Lilias glanced at Pervin with his eyes and seemed to say with his eyes:
-But what does your husband do?
Duke Lilias glanced at Pervin and continued to feed me food. Glancing at Pervin across from me, I noticed that he had barely touched his food. His face was pale, as if he was nervous. When I made eye contact, he nodded his head as if he was okay, but he didn’t look okay at all. At that time, Duke Lilias spoke to Pervin for the first time in a while.
“I looked around the mansion with Irwen earlier, and it was a very nice place. It was nice to see that the garden was truly beautiful and surrounded by flowers, and the couple’s bedroom was also very cozy.”
“Is that so.”
When Pervin met his pale green eyes, Lord Lilias asked him as if he did not understand.
“But there’s one thing I’m curious about. Can I ask you a question?”
“Please speak.”
Pervin put down the spoon he was holding.
“I don’t know if the Lord is taking our Irwen lightly. I don’t even know if the annexation date is properly observed.”
“What are you talking about?”
Both I and Pervin rolled our eyes in embarrassment. It was visible that the employees were all agitated among themselves. That’s why they were so soft-spoken that they did not tell Duke Lilia, a stranger, anything about their master and his wife’s private life. Before, it was definitely cold and like a glacier, but now it’s even better. But Duke Lilias was quick to notice. He nonchalantly sliced his steak and put it in his mouth.
“The bed in the couple’s bedroom. It was too new for the two of you to have slept together. If the two of you had spent the night faithfully, it wouldn’t have sparkled like that.”
Why was he so perceptive, and when did he even see something like that? The tension between the two men was so great that even the servants were nervous. The moment I was about to say something. Pervin opened his mouth as if it were obvious.
“Isn’t there a law that says you can only sleep in bed?”
—————————————————————
Translator Note:
Hello there! This is RJR. I hope you liked it <3
If you like my work please support me with Ko-fi or Patreon. Next post will be released on January, 13.
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