“If you need anything, please feel free to call me.”
“Okay.”
The room was colorful and beautiful. Passing through the two drawing rooms, a bedroom with exceptionally delicate ceiling paintings appeared.
As Agnes said, the scenery seen outside the window was remarkably beautiful.
“Duke Arpad.”
Agnes looked through the golden pillar and the bed decorated with gold threads.
Looking around, Laslo fixed his eyes on Agnes.
“Just ignore whatever Chavolti says. You can think of it as a dog barking.”
“…are you sure you’re on good terms?”
No matter how he looked at it, they didn’t seem like affectionate siblings.
“Sure. Chavolti has never tried to kill me. So, you don’t have to worry about him.”
Agnes smiled softly.
Laslo realized later that the ‘Good Relationship’ that the princess spoke of was the ‘Good Relationship’ that corresponds to the royal family.
He finally got a sense of how desolate the palace life was.
If they don’t kill each other, it can be expressed as a good relationship.
In an instant, he felt a surge of compassion for the young princess.
She’s so small and fragile.
How hard and difficult must have been her life in that cold and harsh palace, unable to receive love from family and marrying a man decided by her family.
Laslo, who had no idea that Agnes had been second in command of the palace after Sebastien overtaking Chavolti and Vivian, felt nothing but pity for her.
“Princess. Don’t worry about anything.”
He reassured Agnes with a steadfast expression.
His eyes were so determined as if he was going to war for her.
But when night came, Laslo changed his attitude like a clam.
“Why are you standing there?”
“How does it make sense that there are no more rooms available in this big mansion?”
Laslo hovered around with an anxious face.
“They said they weren’t ready to accommodate guests yet. Just endure it for one day, if it’s uncomfortable.”
Agnes, dressed in a thin chemise, lay down on the bed first.
Laslo still hesitated from a distance.
“Are you going to sleep standing up?”
“Is the princess really, okay?”
“What could possibly go wrong? The bed is wide anyway. Your sleeping habits aren’t too….”
Agnes bit her tongue.
“Not too what? Are they bad?”
“No, not really, but…”
He shook his head. Agnes tapped the space next to her as if there was no problem.
“Then hurry up and come. Turn off the lights and lie down.”
“…Princess. Do you know what it means to have a man and a woman in the same bed?”
Agnes snorted at the childish question as if he was dealing with a ten-year-old.
“I know. Of course. Do you want to spend our first night here?”
“Oh, no!”
He waved his hands in great embarrassment. It was funny for no reason, so she wanted to tease him more.
“Should I take off my clothes?”
As Agnes lifted chemise’s hem slightly, Laslo hurriedly shook his head.
“Don’t take it off! Please don’t take it off!”
It was amusing how his face turned red every time the hem lifted.
Agnes giggled and lowered her skirt.
“Okay. I won’t take off my clothes, so lie down next to me. How long do you intend to stand there?”
Only then did he reluctantly sit on the bed.
“Oh, lie down!”
Agnes, feeling impatient, firmly grabbed his arm.
Though Raslo awkwardly lay down on the bed due to Agnes’s insistence, it seemed like he would fall off if he moved even slightly to the edge.
“Are you really going to sleep there?”
“I feel very comfortable here. Princess,”
He said in a hard voice like a stone.
“Really?”
Agnes smiled and lay right next to Laslo.
Laslo freaked out.
“W-What?”
The temperature of the princess next to him felt stark.
“I’m very comfortable here, too.”
And there was an unbearable silence for some time.
Of course, it was Laslo who found it difficult to endure the uncomfortable silence.
Agnes blinked slowly and began to doze off as it was already past bedtime.
On the other hand, Laslo was even cautious with his breathing.
“Princess. Why don’t you move a little to the side now?”
“…”
“As the princess said, I’ll sleep here today. How about we keep some distance between us?”
He cleared his throat, trying to steady his voice and his heart.
“………”
“Princess? Are you sleeping?”
Then Agnes muttered something. Laslo slightly raised his head and looked at Agnes.
She turned her body toward Laslo.
“What did you say?”
“Laslo.”
It was almost a whisper, but it was undoubtedly his name.
“…”
He turned his head away, his face flushed with embarrassment.
After a long while, Laslo managed to speak.
“Though I haven’t given you permission to call me by my name yet, it’s not strange for married couples to address each other by name. So, um, Princess, um…”
He suddenly coughed in vain like a man with phlegm in his throat.
Agnes, breathing evenly, had been deeply asleep for quite some time, but Laslo hadn’t noticed at all.
“Calling each other by name doesn’t seem like a bad idea.”
“……..”
“What do you think? Ag…., hmm.”
He couldn’t bring himself to say her name and stopped talking.
In Nirseg, it was highly unusual or even awkward for noble couples to address each other by their names. Typically, wives addressed their husbands formally, and husbands called their wives “madam.”
“Princess?”
Sensing something amiss with her unusually silent demeanor, Laslo belatedly rose to his feet and looked down at Agnes.
Agnes lay motionless, her hands resting on her abdomen, sound asleep.
“Ha.”
He sighed deeply, a sigh full of meaning.
Then, he carefully placed his hands under her neck and knees, moving her to the center of the bed so as not to disturb her sleep.
“Sleep well.”
He added after a very long time.
“Agnes.”
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
The streets were adorned with vibrant red flags, celebrating the coronation of the new king.
Agnes watched the people laughing excitedly over the carriage window. They looked unrealistically happy.
“What’s wrong?”
Laslo, who was sitting next to her, asked, looking at Agnes’ complexion. Agnes stared at the window, saying it was nothing.
Shortly thereafter, they passed through the first gate of the palace. When the carriage stopped, a servant opened the door.
Laslo held Agnes’ hand and escorted her to the entrance.
“The Duke and Duchess of Arpad have arrived!”
The eyes of the nobles gathered in the hall were focused on one place.
“Arpad?”
“Aha, the Duke on the western border where the youngest princess was married off.”
“I heard it’s impossible for a person to walk around during the day and at night because of the overflow of the beast every day.”
They gathered in one place and whispered while looking at the duchess.
“I heard they eat black bread like commoners due to their poverty?”
“Please, don’t even mention it. I heard that unless the duke hunts the animals himself, they can’t even have meat on their table.”
The ladies waved their fans, spreading unfounded rumors abundantly.
Their voices were loud enough to pierce through the ears, as if insisting on being heard.
Agnes’ face gradually distorted. On the contrary, Laslo was strangely calm.
“Aren’t you angry when you hear that?”
Agnes asked defiantly.
Laslo shrugged after downing his drink received from a servant.
“There’s no use getting angry. You can think of it as a dog barking.”
“But…”
Agnes glared fiercely at those around her. Some of those who met the princess’ eyes were startled and shut their mouths, while others didn’t even bat an eyelid.
“Your Excellency, Duke Arpad.”
A man with a slick smile suddenly appeared.
“Viscount Eres.”Laslo nodded coolly.
He chuckled slyly, addressing Laslo as if toying with prey.
“How long has it been since you came to the capital like this? It’s been so long that I almost forgot your face, Your Excellency.”
“I don’t have many reasons to come to the capital often.”
“Well, it must be difficult to make frequent journeys. Are the demonic beasts still so fierce? I heard last year was a bad harvest, and there was no grain. You must be very worried.”
“…It’s not as big a deal as you think.”
Laslo’s voice gradually lowered. Agnes could see right through his thinly veiled sarcasm, making her stomach churn.
“Why isn’t that a big deal? Perhaps if I were in the position of the Duke, I won’t be able to sleep properly every day because of anxiety. Don’t you think so?”
As if seeking approval, the Viscount asked the other nobles around, who were busy gossiping.
“That’s not all, didn’t your wife marry you without a dowry? The Duke is clearly in a needy situation. How can that be? Oh, my heart aches badly”
He dramatically placed his hand over his heart and twisted his body. Some of the nobles couldn’t hold back their laughter.
“Viscount, perhaps you should…”
Agnes, unable to contain herself any longer, stepped forward, but Laslo intervened.
Agnes gave him a dissatisfied look.
Laslo called the servant with a calm face and whispered.
“Are you sure about this?”
The servant looked at Laslo in surprise. Laslo nodded.
The group of nobles, including Viscount Eres, were too busy laughing amongst themselves to notice.
Such a cute first night together !❤️🔥😻