12. So How Did Things Go?
“Just sleep now. It’s still early morning.”
Bianca took a small breath at the soft sound falling on the top of her head.
She already slept enough.
The moment she felt his hand moving slowly along her back, Bianca became so nervous that she even forgot to breathe.
Oh my god.
She must have a heat stroke from wearing the water bags.
No, was she really?
Every time his hand moved along the hollow of my spine, a feeling of warmth I felt for the first time in my life shoots up my spine.
A kind voice, a gentle gesture.
‘Today is a particularly cold day.’
Bianca tried desperately not to moan, wondering why he was doing this.
However, she could not bear this feeling, which she felt for the first time in her life.
So she crouched down, but Bianca forgot something.
That if she bent her back while being held, she will snuggle into his chest.
“……!”
Startled by the feeling of her forehead touching his, she tried to move back, but Jillian grabbed Bianca’s neck first.
It felt good to have a large hand gently grasping the nape of my neck and gently rubbing the hollow area with its thumb, but it was also strange.
As I shivered with goosebumps that rose to the top of my head, he hugged me close, as if he thought it was because she was cold.
Because of that my cheek was pressed against his chest.
A healthy heartbeat and just the right warmth came over my cheeks that were touching him.
“Good night.”
It was at that moment that Bianca’s slightly opened lips closed.
I couldn’t refuse this.
“Good night, Jillian.”
Heat rose from the part that touched him and I felt like my whole body was burning.
I didn’t think I could sleep at all.
But I couldn’t push him away.
‘good night’
It was because the bedtime greeting I had heard for the first time was so sweet that it brought heat to my eyes.
Bianca pressed her forehead a little closer to Jillian’s chest.
Just until the heat around her eyes cools down.
A whisper, unknown who heard it, died down in my mouth.
***
The spine, which had been slightly stiff as if nervous, soon became soft and relaxed.
As soon as Jillian confirmed that Bianca was asleep, he reached out and took the water bag he had put away and put it under the blanket.
The heat radiating from the heavy water bag was quite hot.
However, it was not as warm as Bianca’s warmth against his chest.
Jillian, who was putting a small water bag behind the back of her neck, suddenly began to carefully stroke Bianca’s hair.
I didn’t notice because it was so hot, but now I can feel the moisture in her hair.
Jillian crumpled his outstretched hand at the wet feeling at his fingertips.
It’s amazing to have wet hair in the North.
Jillian sighed softly.
It was good to be considerate of Bianca, who was wary, but it seemed like he needed to order Hailey to serve her properly.
If things continue like this, Bianca might freeze someday.
“I won’t wait to confirm it.”
Just thinking about it made Jillian’s judgment go awry, and he had a rather fierce expression on his face.
But that was only for a moment.
The sight of Bianca, defenseless in his arms, felt as if she had accepted him, giving him a strange sense of satisfaction.
It has been a long time since his stiff mouth crumbled.
Jillian quietly looked at Bianca who was sleeping.
A softly closed eyes and relaxed mouth corners.
Was it because of the faint blush on her face?
Bianca, who was asleep, had a pretty expression as if she was slightly smiling.
So pretty.
Jillian stretched the corners of his mouth and smiled.
Bianca was so pretty that he wanted to keep her in his arms forever and let her sleep forever, that only if she gave him permission.
“Have nice dreams.”
After a while, Jillian left a kiss on Bianca’s forehead and stood up.
Maybe it was because she was disappointed with the warmth that was disappearing, but the way she was tossing and turning was so adorable that he didn’t want to let go of her, but Jillian suppressed his violent urge and got out of bed.
“Duke.”
A knight was calling to him in a dying voice from outside the door since earlier.
Tonight, he had the urge not to listen to the business that he came to him for.
“Duke! The monsters…”
Because he knew.
Jillian muttered in annoyance, so as not to wake Bianca, he lowered the bed curtains and quickly left the bedroom.
“Shh.”
“Shh.”
Jillian asked the knight, who followed him in confusion, while putting on his light uniform.
“Is it the Seventh Citadel?”
“No. It’s near the ice wall.”
“The ice wall? Is it a wave?”
“No. It is absolutely insufficient to be considered a wave, but at this time…”
It was at that moment that Jillian’s steps became faster, like running.
“It’s too early for monsters to crawl out beyond the ice wall.”
“So how are they coming now?”
***
The maids who got the night shift gathered together and whispered quietly.
It’s always the case that they chat while waiting for the early morning call, but today was a little different.
It wasn’t like when everyone was obligated to open their mouths to forget about sleep.
“Is something happening again?”
“I heard His Excellency the Duke never came out of her bedroom.”
“Oh my?”
The eyes of the whispering maids sparkled like stars.
Of course, it is because they were speaking about Jillian Baloch and Bianca Termina.
It would be stranger if they showed no interest.
Princess Bianca, the most beautiful woman in the empire, and the beautiful Duke of Baloch, who was rumored to be not human.
It was natural to be excited about the union of the two, as they seemed to be coming from a painting.
However, what was making the maids excited now was another reason.
‘Baloch, who has obtained Termina, will finally be freed from his long bondage.’
The marriage of Princess Termina and the young Duke of Baloch fulfilled a legend that had been passed down for a long time!
Moreover, wasn’t this marriage like the royal family offering up the princess in exchange for Silas Baloch’s life?
The marriage of the two was enough to see that Baloch obtained Termina.
Baloch responded obediently no matter what Termina did, and Termina happily enjoyed Baloch’s unconditional devotion.
This abnormal relationship was not something that happened for a day or two, but a long history.
However, no matter how forceful Termina were, there was one thing they never did.
It’s having a Baloch as a Termina’s partner.
In fact, there was some Termina that wanted to go to Baloch.
Without having to go far, the previous princess hung herself on the former duke, Silas Baloch.
She basically restored to crying and clinging to the Emperor, saying that she didn’t mind her name being erased from the imperial family tree. She also gave up on all the mines under her name.
All conditions were intriguing, but the Emperor did not agree.
Rather, he sent the former princess to the farthest kingdom from the empire in marriage.
They said it was a peaceful marriage, but the other party was a small kingdom with little interaction with the empire.
It’s a far away place that takes over a month to go to by boat.
Although he did not openly oppose it, no Termina could be engaged with a Baloch.
People thought that was natural.
Termina had absolutely no reason to give up this abnormal relationship.
Baloch, who had greater power than anyone else, had shown consistent and devoted loyalty to Termina without asking for any compensation.
That wasn’t all.
Baloch’s mere presence in Termina posed a great threat to neighboring countries.
A loyal Duke who single-handedly blocks monsters that ordinary people can never kill.
How could there be an insane country that would dare declare war against a place where such a person exists?
Baloch was like a fire to Termina.
Baloch was too attractive to involve emotional ties with him.
The previous Emperors were well aware of that fact.
So, even if it meant sending a member of the royal family to a distant place to imprison her, the previous Emperor never wanted to risk having a possible connection with Baloch.
However, the Emperor of this era broke a taboo that was not a taboo.
He killed a Baloch, who willingly gave up his life at the command of Termina, and paid Termina with his life.
A taboo that had never been allowed since long history was broken.
It was a situation that anyone who knew the legend or a citizen of the empire could not help but be excited about.
“Don’t be like that, tell me more.”
The story, which seemed to be fading away, drew the other maids attention to the maid who helped run errands next to the doctor.
“You were there. Please tell me something. I’m dying of curiosity.”
The maid, who received everyone’s attention, scratched her cheek with a embarrassed expression.
She stayed in the bedroom only for a short time, and all she saw was the Duke holding the princess wrapped in a blanket as she was busy running errands.
Anyway, everything had already been said.
“I don’t know anything more. I already said everything earlier.”
The maid quietly shook her head.
“Oh, come on! Didn’t something happen since they got married? Just like the legend….”
“What’s going on? Can’t you be quiet!”
The maids who had been whispering were startled and trembled at the sudden yelling.
As a result, the colored thread one of them was holding for embroidery fell and rolled away.
The place where the rolling bundle of colored thread stopped was in front of the shiny shoes.
“Ahh, Celine?”
Elizabeth’s eyes widened as she picked up the colored thread.
“Why are you so fierce?”
She thought it was the head maid because her tone was so angry, but Celine was truly an unexpected person.
“Why are you here…”
“Is that a problem now? Why do you dare say things like legends and such?”
“Uh?”
“How dare you call someone who has been removed from the imperial family a Termina? Do you want to be charged with the crime of insulting the imperial family?”
The princess was a princess, what did it mean to say that she was removed from the royal family?
They weren’t sure what this suddenly meant, but the maids were so embarrassed that they were caught whispering about their masters, so they kept their mouths shut.
“Everyone, watch your mouth. You know you’ll be in big trouble if you mess up with the imperial family.”
“How is she not involved with the imperial family, she is a princess, right?”
“What?”
“Even if she was removed from the royal family tree, did that mean she was no longer the Emperor’s child?”
“Julie!”
It was the youngest maid who responded as if refuting Celine’s words.
Did she say she just turned seventeen?
She was a new employee who had been here for less than a month.
“You…!”
Celine, with her hand raised, had just taken a step towards Julie.
“What’s the fuss?”
The head maid came in as if she heard the commotion.
That was spelling trouble.
The new head maid seemed gentle at first glance, but she was reckless in her mistakes.
If she found out that the maids gathered to gossip for the night, instead of embroidering, and even dared to raise their voices when talking about their master…
It was a time when everyone was swallowing dry saliva out of nervousness.
Julie raised her hand.
“Head maid.”
“The fact that I was being grumpy because I was not satisfied with the embroidery made me raise my voice. I’m sorry for causing a commotion.”
Celine stepped forward as if to interrupt Julie.
“…Be careful.”
“Sorry.”
At that moment everyone breathed a sigh of relief, wondering if the early morning commotion would be buried more easily than expected.
Hailey tilted her head as she looked at Julie.
“Julie, now I see that your skirt is a bit short. I’ll give you a longer one, so you can change right away.”
“Yes, head maid.”
As soon as Hailey took Julie out and entered the maid’s room, her gentle expression turned cold.
“So, how did things go?”
Hailey’s eyes as she looked at young Julie sparkled like minerals.1Oh no..
***
TL:
This chapter took some time, but it was fun. It was super fluffy in the beginning though not so much at the end.
Oh by the way, I really want to thank everyone who gave a good rating to the novel on novel updates, thank you (◍•ᴗ•◍)❤.
