“Grant a title to my wife.”
“A title?”
“My wife is the daughter of a scribe. Since she holds a commoner’s title, she cannot be listed in the noble genealogy.”
Nirseg values maternal lineage.
Even if the father is a noble, if the mother is a commoner, the child’s lineage is considered incomplete. If there is a child between the Andrassy couple, the child cannot become a noble.
“Please give her the title Viscount.”
Then Andrassy bowed deeply. It was a posture of complete obedience.
“I belong to you now.”
Agnes smiled warmly.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
“Where are you going?”
Agnes was heading to Laslo’s office to inform him about the thing with Andrassy.
An unwelcome voice suddenly popped up from behind.
“To the Duke”
Without even turning her head towards Eugene, Agnes bluntly replied.
She thought Eugene would soon give up, but he persistently walked alongside Agnes.
“Why are you always so busy?”
“I’m the mistress of Sutmar. Do you know how many lives I am responsible for?”
“What about me?”
“What?”
“Why don’t you take responsibility for me?”
Agnes stopped walking and stood still. Eugene stood beside her.
“You neglect me too much. Take responsibility for me too.”
He demanded boldly, his eyes wide open.
“Aren’t you past the age where you can play alone?”
Agnes let out a deep sigh.
“Are you going to call me whenever you need me, use me as you please, but refuse to take responsibility afterwards?”
He made a pitiful expression, like a wounded animal.
“I think I paid for it every time.”
“Are you saying that you don’t care about the help you received because you paid the price? Humans are really heartless.”
He shook his head.
Although annoyed, it was undeniable that she had received his help several times.
“What do you want?”
She asked, pressing her temples.
“There are many things.”
Eugene brought his face close to Agnes’s.
“Where should I start?”
The distance between them gradually decreased. Eugene sweetly smiled like cream and lightly brushed Agnes’s hair.
“Are you not going to put your hands away?”
Agnes immediately brushed his hand away.
“You’re harsh.”
“The only ones allowed to touch me without permission are my mother and my husband.”
She said firmly.
“Your husband doesn’t even touch you anyway.”
Eugene said. Agnes was furious because it sounded like he was laughing at her.
“What are you talking about? My husband and I hug every day, and also, um… Yes! Just recently, we even kissed.”
“That’s not everything a couple can do.”
“…….”
Agnes closed her mouth and stared at Eugene. He smiled leisurely and touched Agnes’ cheek again.
“Let me show you.”
“……..”
“How intense and sweet the love between a man and a woman can be.”
His golden eyes came close to her. His warm breath tickled her lips.
“How dare you.”
At the same time, Agnes’s lips trembled slightly. Her eyes were burning.
“How dare you insult me?”
“It was a temptation.”
Eugene’s expression changed strangely.
“It seems like you’re trying to interfere between me and my husband, but that won’t happen.”
Agnes spoke more clearly than ever.
“It’s not …..”
“I will accept your challenge.”
She said, her eyes shining with determination.
“Challenge?”
Eugene wondered how the conversation turned into a challenge.
“What kind of challenge?”
“Wait. I’ll show you that Duke and I are a perfect couple.”
Agnes walked away confidently.Eugene watched her departing figure with a bewildered expression.
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
Agnes ran and arrived in front of his office.
Seeing her stern face, the butler opened the door without asking anything.
“Oh, Princess, welcome.”
Laslo warmly welcomed her. Agnes immediately approached him.
“Did you finish your conversation with Andrassy?”
“Let’s share a bed tonight.”
She said without turning back.
“Cough, cough.”
Laslo coughed harshly.
He was confused when he asked about Andrassy but she answered about sleeping together.
“Princess, it doesn’t seem appropriate to discuss this matter in this time and place.”
“Why does it matter when no one is listening? Besides, who would suspect anything wrong with a married couple talking about sleeping together?”
“But…”
His face turned so red that it seemed like it might burst at any moment.
“We’ve been putting it off for a while, but isn’t it strange for a married couple not to spend the night together?”
Until now, she didn’t think it was a significant issue. In the past, when pressure from the vassals regarding succession grew strong, he finally knocked on her door.
But now the situation is completely different.
“Princess, I don’t mean to offend you, but sharing a bed, um, well… it’s not something that can be rushed.”
He didn’t know what he didn’t know. How many times had they spent the night together?
The words lingered on the tip of her tongue.
“You can’t do it right now?”
Agnes glared at him with her eyes forming a triangle.
“That’s right.”
“Why? Do we need to make any preparations?”
“Well, that is, I mean…”
Laslo kept coughing while giving an answer. He was like someone who was asked by a child how a baby is born.
Finding it difficult to listen any longer, Agnes cut to the chase.
“It’s settled. Enough talk. Don’t hesitate and come to my bedroom tonight.”
Agnes drove the point home.
With no more excuses left for her, Laslo cleared his throat dryly.
“May I ask why you suddenly requested to spend the night together?”
“It’s….”
Unable to say that she was upset after her conversation with Eugene, she came up with a different excuse.
“Spending the night between a married couple is a duty written in the marriage contract. How long do you plan to neglect that duty?”
“Just because of duty?”
Somehow, a look of disappointment flickered across Laslo’s face.
“And also, um… As the Duchess, isn’t there a matter of my reputation to consider?”
She found a fairly plausible reason. Agnes stood tall and spoke firmly.
“Who in this castle would dare not recognize you as the Duchess of Arpad?”
“The Duke”
“Huh?”
“It seems like the Duke still doesn’t acknowledge me.”
Agnes pursed her lips.
“It’s been a year since we got married, but you always call me a princess and never spend a night with me.”
As she spoke, her pent-up frustrations began to surface one by one.
“That, well…”
Laslo couldn’t say anything else.
“Why? Did I say something wrong?”
Agnes crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows.
“…You didn’t say anything wrong.”
After a brief silence, he slowly nodded in agreement.
“Then?”
“I just wanted to take it slowly with the princess.”
His voice was low and calm, like a summer night sea.
Agnes couldn’t understand what he meant.
“What on earth are you talking about?”
Knock knock~
A light knock was heard. Neither of them reacted to the sound.
“Come in.”
Agnes said to the door.
A servant, after glancing at the Duke and Duchess, approached.
“It’s time for dinner as promised with Viscount Kairon. Milord.”
“Mm.”
His gaze didn’t leave Agnes.
“May I go now?”
Laslo asked for her permission. Agnes nodded.
“Then let’s meet tonight.”
“If that’s what you want. I’ll go to the princess’ bedroom.”
✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧
“The master is coming tonight?”
Ney, with an excited face, suddenly ran to the dressing room and brought back a dress full of excitement.
“I’ve prepared something for this day. Madam!”
She pulled out a dress made of a semi-transparent material.
“No. Get rid of it.”
Agnes waved her hand with a firm tone.
Disappointed, Ney retreated with the dress in hand.
“What about your makeup?”
“Just go, the Duke will come”
“You should call me in the morning.”
She asked to call her later in the morning, and left.
Not long after the sun had set, Laslo knocked on the door.
“You’re here.”
Agnes gestured for him to sit across from her.
“Well, I couldn’t finish talking earlier, but the matter with Andrassy worked out well.”
“Is that so?”
“I think it’s good to give them an empty land. His wife seems to be a commoner. I want to give her a suitable title.”
“That shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“Yeah. That’s all he wants.”
An awkward silence fell between the couple. Both Agnes and Laslo hesitated to speak for their own reasons.
As they pondered on what to say, Laslo cautiously broke the silence.
“What does the princess think of me?”
