“Hmm—.”
As the sunlight touched her eyes, Edith stretched, letting out a happy sound.
The room in the annex building provided by the Duke of Lexion was very comfortable, but it couldn’t compare to the feeling of falling asleep together on Walter’s bed.
『 Is it because of the magic that Walter infused into the child?』
As the magical energy flowed in, she felt good, like sipping on a fragrant drink and getting pleasantly intoxicated. She also felt good when Walter kissed her, preventing her from falling asleep and giving her just the right amount of stimulation.
Thanks to this, Edith, whose physical condition has improved over the past few days, brushed away her particularly attractive blonde hair with her hands. It seemed like she could spend another refreshing day, just like yesterday.
“I’m glad you slept soundly.”
On the other hand, Walter, who occupied the space next to her, had a series of days where he couldn’t sleep at all.
Under his eyes, dark shadows remained as traces of his struggle to prevent himself from becoming a beast. For some reason, he felt a subtle sense of defeat.
『 I never thought the day would come when I would bow my head to Edith in a bedroom.』
Walter was confident in his physical abilities. If I had been satisfied, would I have forgotten, for a moment, Edith’s grand plan of kicking me out of Fortrion Manor on the first night we spent together and fallen into a deep sleep?
He believed without a doubt that, as long as he desired, he could obtain Edith’s affection through pillow talk.
However, now that he will become a father, he can only bow his head, unable to withstand the weight of his desires.
During the week of infusing magic into the little one in her womb, Edith spoke with a dazed voice and dreamy eyes.
Walter didn’t even realize how faithfully his body was responding to that voice.
Whenever that happened, Walter jumped at Edith, revealing his intense and unyielding desire that burned so fiercely, even if he grabbed her hard.
“Walter…”
Instead of pushing him away, Edith gently caressed him and pulled him into her arms.
Every time he felt her soft skin and warmth, his mind grew hazy, and a chill ran down his spine. Just the slightest touch made his senses incredibly sensitive.
The thirst, unbearable to the point of being difficult to endure, continued to torment him. Unable to even swallow a sip of water, it felt like being sucked into madness. No torture could compare to this.
“Walter, did you sleep well?”
“…”
Edith, with her particularly milky face, appeared both adorable and slightly mischievous in a way that was endearing to Walter.
She was looking at him with a bright smile as if to say that his bed could not be more satisfactory.
For a total of a week until yesterday, he gave away all of his awakened magic energy, so the little one inside her belly should be looking satisfied by now.
Eventually, Walter, whose unsatisfied desires had reached its peak, gently buried Edith between the white blankets again. Then, he removed her sleepwear, which was almost like she was not wearing them.
On her glossy skin, there were already reddish marks from the traces he had coveted and tormented her over the past week.
Walter pressed his lips against them once again. When the tip of his sharp nose, lips, and disheveled hair touched her, Edith involuntarily flinched.
“Ah…”
His rough, hot breath spread over her skin, and his lips gradually pressed urgently against her flesh.
Edith didn’t mind Walter’s playful mischievousness. When he set his mind to it and gently nibbled her skin, memories of her younger self wanting to have Isaac all to herself surfaced, and she even found him adorable.
“Walter, a little more gently—.”
“No.”
He spoke in a husky voice and leisurely tasted the red marks with the tip of his tongue. As the intense contact continued, Edith couldn’t help but make moaning sounds, unable to restrain herself from biting her own lips.
The servants who had been lingering in the hallway near Walter’s bedroom for breakfast got very nervous and instinctively avoided the area.
『 Ahem, Ahem. No matter how much Young Master likes the lady, as soon as she enters a stable phase…』
According to the maids in charge, Walter went in and out of the annex building even though he was busy with training as the heir.
When he trains and spars with the knights of Lexion, the Little Duke is so fierce that it makes one’s body stiff, but as soon as he gets close to Edith, he becomes gentle like a well-tamed animal, so what happened just now was a planned course of events.
『 Having a good relationship is good for both Lexion and the baby, right?』
『 It would be nice to hear good news soon.』
The breakfast time for both of them gets later and later day by day.
──────────✿◦•
“M’lady, did you enjoy your meal?”
Vivian looked at Edith’s complexion when she returned to the annex after lunch. Since the child entered the scene, Edith had been eating much more and appeared significantly healthier than before.
The Lexion’s servants, with whom Vivian had become close friends, let her know that the reason Edith seemed happy was not just because of Lexion’s lavish meals, but Vivian had no intention of prying into the private lives of her master and mistress.
However, there was an important matter she needed to report to Edith.
“I went to the employment guild you mentioned before, M’lady. Thanks to the escort you arranged, there were no incidents on the way.”
“Thank you, Vivian. It must have been chilly out there.”
Immediately after the swordsmanship tournament ended, Edith summoned Vivian and asked her for a favor.
⋙“Vivian, could you pretend to be looking for a job and go to that place and see if there’s anyone here who fits what I’m looking for? It would be easier to strike up a conversation and break down their defenses if you were to meet other job seekers.”⋘
⋙“What kind of person should I look for?”⋘
⋙“I’d like to talk to someone who worked for Count Gerturk or Baron Humphrey. If you find anyone who worked there, let me know. I’ll find a way to blend in with the people.”⋘
The building Edith pointed to was the employment guild that connected people in need of money with those in need of labor.
After the conversation with Countess Coben, Edith thought about who could provide information about any deals between Gerturk and Humphrey.
Edith had asked Vivian to inquire among those who had stopped working at the manors of these two families, and judging by Vivian’s expression, it seemed like there was some success.
“Fortunately, there was a young woman who used to work for Count Gerturk. When she quit, she mentioned not receiving a letter of recommendation.”
Sensing that Vivian had found something odd, Edith narrowed her eyes slightly.
『 Unless they had a major falling out, she should have at least received a recommendation.』
If this person had distanced herself from Gerturk and left the manor, there was a high probability that she would share information with Edith without hesitation.
“I should meet that person. Could you contact Cassius and arrange for an escort?”
“Yes, M’lady. But how did you know about the employment guild?”
Vivian had worked at a manor all her life, but in the Fortrion territory, people had to find job opportunities outside of the territory, so she didn’t even know such a guild existed.
Edith explained to her with a light smile.
“I made several plans for what to do in case I couldn’t get a scholarship if I went to the Academy.”
The employment guild was one of the various job-seeking methods Benjamin had told her about, and she just happened to recall that fact.
Edith said it as if it was no big deal, but Vivian disagreed.
“Do most people only seek out those guilds when they are trying to find a job? Using that guild in this way is definitely not common.”
“Is that so?”
Edith smiled shyly and started getting ready to go out with Vivian.
『 I hope she knows something about the two families’ dealings.』
It was clear to her that if she could uncover the deal between Gerturk and Humphrey, she could effectively counteract any threats against her. Edith’s eyes were shining sharply, unlike before.
──────────✿◦•
Meanwhile, in the middle of the employment guild’s office, a heated argument was taking place.
“Guildmaster, this is different from what you said. You promised to refund the intermediary fee if you couldn’t find me a job within three months, didn’t you?”
“Hey, Neal. I haven’t fully sobered up yet, so don’t yell. I feel dizzy.”
The man addressed as the guildmaster, using a hangover as an excuse, rubbed his head.
The woman in front of him is Neal, who is holding a baby that still can’t do anything other than babble. It wasn’t an exaggeration to say that she was currently the headache of the employment guild.
“It’s okay, even if it’s a tough job. I’ll work hard if you can find any maid work for me.”
“Well, you see, no offers are coming in. Gerturk has spread rumors throughout the capital that your skills and attitude are terrible and that you even have a tendency to steal. What am I supposed to do about that?”
As the guildmaster raised his voice, the baby in Neal’s arms burst into tears.
Neal’s eyes were red with resentment and humiliation, but instead of shedding tears, she comforted the baby in her arms.
“If job offers aren’t coming in because of those baseless rumors… Fine, refund the intermediary fee. I won’t bother you anymore.”
“Hmm…”
When the topic of refunds came up, the guildmaster just looked the other way. Of course, Neal’s words weren’t entirely wrong.
Even though her reputation had plummeted to the bottom, he was the one who assured her that he would arrange for her to work as a maid. He also boasted that if he could not find her a new job within three months, he would refund all fees.
However, parting with the money already received somehow felt like a loss for him.
“Thanks to the Countess spreading the rumors, it’s tough to find maid work in the capital, so how about finding another job? Maybe something like a tavern… The reason you can’t find a job in the first place is because you’re not desperate. If you’re in a hurry, you can do anything, right?”
“What are you talking about? Don’t change your words.”
Neal held the baby even tighter to calm her trembling body.
To raise her child with dignity, Neal spent all her money, including her deceased husband’s share, and paid the employment guild a commission. She never expected that, after taking the money, things would turn out this way.
“Oh, and even if I refund the fee, I would have to deduct the tax from the fee, you know?”
The guildmaster, with a somewhat attentive ear, hinted that if things didn’t work out, he might consider a refund.
At that moment, a calm yet rational voice spoke up.
“I was going to stay quiet, but you’re saying really unreasonable things.”
❀.°• ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ ─ •°.❀
