CH 9

Maybe it was because we were on the bed. Even though I knew it was just a practice, the atmosphere somehow felt strange.

“Krua Alors.”

Diello suddenly called my name.

“Why did you use my full name? It feels weirdly distant.”

I wasn’t an Alors any longer anyway, but an Argenta. After that, I tried to erase the strange atmosphere due to his strange action.

“Call me Krua, Diello.”

I thought he could do it well before, so I didn’t know why he was so awkward now. Meanwhile, Diello was silent for a while before uttering quietly.

“…Krua.”

It might be because of the dim light and a little alcohol or even the sweet smell of the wine that created this heated atmosphere. His words really sounded charming, as if it was something a groom might say on their wedding night.

“Good, you pass.”

I took my hand off his lips after saying that. Nevertheless, the strange feeling still seemed to remain at my fingertips. At this rate, I thought my cheeks would turn red, so I glanced at the ceiling and lay down.

“As promised, I won’t try to seduce you. Instead, we should spend the night together so that it doesn’t look weird, just like today.”

Let’s keep practicing like this.

I held his hand tightly.

“We should,” answered Diello in a soft voice, his body getting closer to mine.

I didn’t know whether he was still looking at me or not, but I could feel his breath on my neck, and it felt ticklish. In addition, the atmosphere felt somehow more provocative than before. After a while, as I looked at him again, I suddenly realized an important fact.

“Ah.”

No matter what we promised the first night would be, there was something else that needed to be done, just in case.

I turned completely to Diello.

“I have a favor to ask of you.”

As a practice, I whispered to him my little plan as he tilted his head.

“….!”

When Diello heard my plan, he looked at me with his eyes wide open.

“Are you sure you don’t mind, Krua?”

I nodded gladly at that. Still, he seemed a little conflicted, but I had to pull this ‘plan’ off, so I whispered a little more eagerly.

“I heard there’s a saying in Argenta, Diello.”

“Do it or don’t.”

When Diello spoke and opened his eyes a little wide at my words, I nodded in response.

“So, make sure you do it.”

Hearing my words, Diello seemed to have come to a conclusion.

After a short breath, he finally nodded before gently shoving my shoulder and climbing onto me. Locked between his arms, my vision was instantly covered.

* * *

After the first night, it wasn’t hard to act as if we were on a sweet honeymoon. It was because Diello Argenta was a friendly person in the first place, so acting was not difficult because I only had to be a little more active with him.

“It’s nice to be secluded like this.”

When I leaned back while saying so, Diello hugged me while blushing.

He was like a shy new groom. Regardless, it seemed that he had made up his mind since the first night.

Chu.

He kissed me gently on my forehead. Gradually though, it seemed that he became proficient in acting.

The more that happened, the more the people of Argenta began to expect. If we spend three nights together and the Diello’s lilies disappear, then they would also be strong with the abilities that had been inherited.

In addition, the relationship between Diello and me became closer faster than I thought. Besides, unlike the rumors about me being malevolent, I didn’t behave badly so no one took that rumor seriously.

Anyway, we seemed like sweet a newlywed.

Today was the third day. Thankfully, it was also the last day of Alors maids’ stay.

It meant that from today onwards, the maids of Alors, who spied on me, would be completely gone from this mansion. Of course, since I didn’t know what they would think, I shouldn’t forget to act in front of Argenta’s people as well.

Still, it would be a little easier to breathe than before when the people of Alors were openly watching.

“This is Loraile tea. It will help you relieve fatigue.”

While I was looking at a very tidy garden, Diello was in the office for a while because of Argenta’s business.

“Your Excellency will be down soon, so please wait a little bit.”

I smiled when I remembered his face when he left me with such an embarrassed and apologetic expression.

“Thank you. Can you bring this drink to Diello, too? He must be tired from work.”

“Yes, Madam.”

Vielle now called me Madam. When the wedding was held, I immediately became the Duchess of Argenta.

When Vielle was about to order another maid…

“Huaa…! Mom…!”

The sound of a crying child was heard from afar.

“…Huh?”

I moved my gaze toward the sound. A small child could be seen trudging through the well-arranged flower beds.

“Sniffle…!”

Then, perhaps the child saw me through their tears, they ran towards me with their weeping faces but Vielle quickly stopped.

“She’s not someone you can approach casually. You…”

Looking at her reaction, it seemed that it was not a child living in this mansion.

Well, of course. Why would there be a child in a place where there should only be servants to take care of me and Diello?

“Help me, sister!”

However, the child tried to run toward me, even after hearing her, so Vielle’s gaze quickly scanned the child. It was to make sure that they had no weapon or something dangerous. As Argenta’s ‘cleaner,’ she was probably looking to see if the child was an assassin or not.

Maybe there was no visible problem, so Vielle turned towards me.

“What should I do?”

It seemed that the child followed someone among the servants. As I gestured to the child, I thought I had to calm them down first.

“Come here. Why are you crying so much, huh?”

When Vielle put her hands away at my words, the child immediately ran to me and hugged me, and I gazed into the child’s eye.

Looking at their face, it seemed that they had been crying for a long time.

“Mom… I need my mom.”

“Mom?”

“I came here with her… hehe!”

I tilted my head at the child’s words.

“Are there any of the servants who brought a child?”

“Not from Argenta for sure,” replied Vielle immediately.

Meanwhile, the child’s eyes started to water again. The child, who clung to me while shouting “Mom…!” did not think of letting me go.

“Ugh!”

“I think the child’s doing this because of anxiety…”

I glanced back at Vielle, who was stroking the child’s head.

“I can’t help it.”

When I wrapped the child’s cheeks and soothed them gently, Vielle suggested.

“I’ll take this child to the street. Then, it would be easy to find the child’s mother.”

“It’s okay.”

“Madam, it’s dangerous.”

I said to Vielle, who paused in a clear voice.

“I believe in Alors and Argenta’s people.”

When I said I believed in Argenta, I was gazing straight into her eyes.

There was no way that Alors, who had to use me, would hurt me. And, of course, there was no one in Argenta who would hurt me as the Ferro of their head. In other words, the knights who were guarding every corner of the mansion would protect me.

“But just in case you’re worried, I won’t tell anyone else.”

I added to her while frowning.

“I believe in you.”

As I winked, Vielle opened her eyes wide.

“What can a child do anyway?”

“Sniffle…”

“Okay. Then, Madam…”

The moment Vielle nodded and called some maid to follow me…

“Huwaa!”

The child’s tears burst again. Hiding their face in my dress as if they didn’t like a stranger, they were shaking.

“Only to the main road, I’ll be back soon.”

Eventually, Vielle didn’t order the maids to follow me at my words. Only then did the child’s tears begin to subside again.

“Shall I go?”

I stroked the sniffling child’s head and walked. Although I didn’t know the way, I was certain I could find the main road.

In the meanwhile, the child stopped crying as we grew further away from Vielle and the maids. As I stopped patting the child’s head by then, the child suddenly began to pull my dress. Even though I’d been leading the way so far, the child suddenly led me away.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

I asked, as I didn’t understand, but the child kept grabbing my dress.

Seeing this, I was more convinced by the action that this kid was sent to me on purpose. There were a few facts I found suspicious.

1. The child kept sticking to me even though the security was tight.

2. There was a mud on the child’s shoes even though there was no mud around here.

3. Above all, there was a pattern of Alors seen through the collar that was slowly removed as we moved away from Vielle.

That alone was enough to doubt.

Of course, there was a chance this child could hurt me. Even if Vielle had looked at this child, it might not be a weapon that the child had. Nonetheless, there were many people here who could freely control the wind, water, and fire.

As far as I knew, there was no such thing as an ability that changes our body, so it meant that the child was really a child.

Because of that, I wasn’t worried about my safety.

Besides, Vielle, the ‘cleaner’ of Argenta, would be following me secretly. In case of emergency, her sword would help out.

The child who was leading me naturally led me to a sparse place before glancing back at me. However, the childlike appearance from earlier had disappeared out of nowhere.

“Ms. Krua Alors,” said the child with a cold voice.

Naturally, the voice gradually turned into the voice of an adult woman. It seemed that she was a spy who turned into a child.

The woman’s wrist, which she revealed, sparkled with the pattern of Alors. Furthermore, I could feel a strong Alors power from the pattern. It meant that the duke himself engraved the pattern and sent her. While I was checking it, the woman asked.

“Did you spend the night with the Duke of Argenta last night?”

‘…I never thought he’d send someone to check this out.’

I opened my mouth, slightly bewildered.

“…Of course.”

Since we actually slept there holding hands, I answered right away. They didn’t watch us spend the night together anyway, and we’re the only ones who know the truth about last night.

However, the woman asked again, reaching out her hand to me.

“In that case, give me evidence.”

Seeing that she asked me for the first night’s evidence, I opened my eyes wide.