The Lady and the Stableman

Walter knew that Edith did not mind sharing her gasps with him.

However, after spending some time together, she was unable to think of anything else for days, so she couldn’t help but push him away.

Now that Edith was confessing her true feelings while avoiding eye contact, Walter couldn’t hide the corners of his mouth curling up in satisfaction.

“Are you praising me in advance to tell me to use more force?”

“What’s that supposed to mean…”

Edith couldn’t even imagine what would happen to her if Walter, who was already skilled enough, decided to use more force.

Unable to figure out where the comment that she was boring came from, Walter answered for her as she tilted her head in confusion.

“Adrian was worried that you might have forgotten how to make babies.”

But the heat of her body pressed against him, and her heartbeat almost as fast as his own suggested she hadn’t forgotten but was thinking about it.

Finally, unable to resist any longer, he lifted Edith and placed her on the table. With her enthusiastic consent, there was no need to wait any longer.

Only then did Edith realize what had been said to him and by whom.

“Adrian… hmm, he suddenly said he wanted a little sibling…”

“…”

“The question caught me off guard, and I thought you might have a different opinion than me, so instead of saying yes, I blurted something else out.”

Their Little One wants a little sibling. Walter, who was sucking up her tender flesh, slowed down his actions slightly. He wondered why his son brought up the topic of making babies out of the blue.

However, what bothered him almost as much as that fact was Edith’s response that she didn’t know his opinion.

“Then how come you don’t know my opinion, Edith?”

“You’ve had a hard enough time giving Adrian magic, and you never brought up having a second child.”

“…”

That was true. However, the reason Edith maintained a cautious attitude was that she went through unexpected hardships while pregnant with a child of Lexion blood.

Compared to that, the pain he had endured for Adrian was bearable.

Walter didn’t know that Edith was thinking the exact opposite of him.

“There’s no way I wouldn’t like it.”

Walter answered as he leaned in, bringing his face closer. The moment their lips met as she desired, her chest tightened.

“If our Little One wants it, I’ll have to work hard to make it happen.”

He grinned, carefully exploring her exposed skin.

If Edith were to have a second child, in that case, while for others, the child would be just one more member of the Agnas Imperial Family, but for him, it would be an existence that would make him think of Edith every time he looked at the child.

With every moment they spent together at Lowell Manor, he felt a certain certainty that the little lady with whom he used to ride horses and play together had become completely and irrevocably his.

Even just imagining it brought a sense of happiness, and he wanted to do his best.

Edith followed Walter’s lead. She responded to the kiss that took her breath away, grabbing his strong arms, and the next thing she knew, she was lying on the table.

However, before long, she found herself unable to resist asking, surprised by the gentle caress of silk and lace against her exposed skin.

“Walter, but what is all this?”

“I thought M’lady would like to spend some unruly time together with me.”

“…”

“I saw it in a report. Apparently, at the Academy’s graduation party, everyone wears this kind of thing under their dresses to appeal to the person they like.”

“But there are five boxes.”

“I wasn’t sure what color would suit you best. The best way to know is to try them all on.”

Of course, his intentions were wicked, but Walter remained unfazed and shamelessly explained.

He had spent the past few days thinking that his wife was feeling bored, so Edith had to tolerate this much.

“Moreover, your first love, who was at the top of your list of men you want to sleep with, is attending. I think you would want to look the most provocative.”

When he brought up the topic of her first love, Edith’s face heated up. It was one of Walter’s favorite expressions on her face since he had regained his memories.

“… How long are you going to tease me with that, Walter?”

I married him, and our child is already five years old!

Edith glared at him with a sense of injustice, but in Walter’s eyes, she just looked cute.

He calmly shrugged his eyebrows and ran his fingertips over the white lace at her waist.

Even if self-sufficiency wasn’t something he lacked, being able to freely see the naughty side of Edith was all that mattered to him.

“Should I choose the one that looks best when you’re soaked in sweat?”

His eyes became dangerous as he thought about what color would go best with her glowing skin.

Edith covered her slightly reddened eye area with her arm.

Walter pretended to be deep in thought, but she could feel his body against hers was filled with a different kind of heat.

Edith wondered how that sweet, refreshing boy turned into a cunning, conniving man who ordered five boxes of the most provocative undergarments.

Despite feeling somewhat unfair, wherever his gaze landed, her temperature rose. She wondered how he would tease her today.

“… My Isaac wasn’t like this. He was an innocent boy who could laugh at my clumsiness riding a horse.”

Walter tensed up as he looked at Edith, who was covering her face and muttering over various fabrics.

“Seeing you continue to tempt me, it seems like trying something new was a good idea.”

“When did I…?!”

“You still don’t know, huh? You’re the one tempting me, Edith, by not resisting.”

Walter put his hands under Edith’s knees and pulled her down towards him. As she was dragged without resistance, her long, messy blonde hair fanned out.

Although he thought there would be a playful moment to check which of the ordered items suited her best, her accelerated heartbeat made his head pound.

He leaned his muscular torso forward, slowly approaching her sweet-scented skin.

When he grabbed her arm and entwined their fingers, the long eyelashes and flushed face that she had been trying to cover were revealed.

With his free hand, Walter casually flicked off her shoe and added.

“And it seems like you still don’t know, but I think you’ll enjoy riding a horse more clumsily now than back then.”

In a low, intimate voice, Walter whispered, holding their entwined hands even tighter. Yeah, I love this moment to death. You saw it, so you know. It was like she was trapped alone with him in a narrow, dark cave, and all she could feel was his voice and presence.

──────────✿◦•

Adrian’s schedule today was to spend time at the Duchy of Lexion, receiving lots of love from his great-grandfather and aunts.

Adrian, who was sitting on the lap of the famously stern Franz, picked up a cookie and ate it, then suddenly pouted his mouth.

“I wish I had a little sibling.”

“A little sibling?”

“Yes, a little sister would be nice.”

Franz burst into laughter as he brushed cookie crumbs off Adrian’s mouth. He found Adrian, who struggled to articulate his wishes, incredibly adorable.

It had been a couple of months before the Academy’s graduation party when he had shared a cup of tea with Theos, who had become one of his favorite vassals.

⋙“Both the Crown Prince and Crown Princess were overjoyed when I told them that we could solve the problem of Lexion’s magic outburst once and for all.”⋘

Theos, who was still young, was just happy that his research was helpful to the two of them.

But Franz realized something at that point.

『 Perhaps the wish to have another child is not just Adrian’s wish.』

After his daughter Leah’s passing, it was Edith and Adrian who brought life back to the once-darkened House Lexion.

What could be happier than if Edith, whom Leah cherished so much that she passed her necklace to her, gave birth to a daughter who looked exactly like her?

『 If they want a second child, they’ll need a new vacation island to accommodate them.』

Edith’s birthday present this year was a manor with a library near the capital, but it wasn’t quite enough, so a vacation island seemed like the perfect addition.

And since they couldn’t walk to the island, Franz thought it would be a good idea to look into a large cruise ship powered by magicites.

Franz could never be more pleased with the fact that House Lexion was a family that could afford to lavish such gifts.

Adrian, who was still learning to count, puffed out his cheeks without realizing how much Franz was thinking internally.

“What if Father forgot how to make babies and lied to me that he remembered? Can’t we use Gramps’ magic?”

“That can’t be possible… Ahem.”

Franz clearly remembered how Walter never left Edith’s side for even a moment.

But he didn’t want to give the child a hard answer, so he just vaguely explained it.

“If you play at the Lexion Manor until late, maybe a bird will bring you something. Having sweet dreams and sleeping deeply is also important.”

“…?”

Adrian couldn’t quite understand why a bird would suddenly appear, but he nodded for now.

“Can we have dinner and then go?”

“Of course. Oh, by the way, I think I read somewhere that kids who eat well without picking out carrots get a little sibling faster.”

“Really?”

Franz smiled and stroked Adrian’s head, filled with enthusiasm.

The Duke’s servants held back their laughter as they saw their master making up stories to fix Adrian’s picky eating habits.

And after some time, around the time Adrian’s reluctance to eat carrots began to slowly improve…

“Adrian Lexion Agnas.”

Walter, who received the news he had been waiting for from the doctors who examined Edith, immediately called his son.

Then he shared the news that his son wanted most.

“Do you still want a little sibling?”

“…!”

Adrian ran to Edith with his big eyes sparkling.

The corners of Edith’s mouth curved upward when she saw Walter and Adrian approaching with smiles while she sat on a chair with one hand on her belly.

A few days later, the newspapers were buzzing with excitement as they declared the Crown Prince and Crown Princess the stars of the most memorable graduation party in history.

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TN: Hi hi! A heartfelt thank you to everyone for sticking around till the end and joining in Edith and Walter’s story.

Translating this novel was a joy, and I appreciate the support from all of you.