I Married the Mad Duke Who Killed My Husband - Chapter 51

“It looks wonderful. But sitting in the same position for so long has made my body a bit stiff. Can I move around a little before you start coloring?”

“Yes, of course!”

I smiled as I approached him closely to hand over the painting. Cassion also subtly moved closer, as if to block the escape route.

“Did you dislike the capital that much? At seventeen, you were at the prime age to bloom your talent. It would have been better if you had stayed.”

“Ah… There were circumstances. Haha.”

What do you mean there were circumstances? You should have just answered like before that you didn’t like crowded places or that it didn’t suit you.

While recruitment is recruitment, if we want to put this person on trial, it seems we’ll need to educate him thoroughly.

“Surely you didn’t commit theft or anything? For example…”

“Theft! I may have been poor, but I never…!”

“Theft of the heart~. I’m just joking! You’re so handsome even now, if you were in the capital when you were young, you must have charmed quite a few women.”

“That, that’s… Haha! Hahaha! More importantly, please speak less formally now. Duchess. Hahaha!”

Very well. You can laugh after having a child with the Empress?

“Right, I might become your patron now, so feel free to speak casually to me.”

“It’s been over 20 years since then, so speak freely. We can cover up most things.”

“Rather, if we know about it first and handle it, you can come up to the capital with peace of mind and receive our patronage.”

Cassion and I suddenly changed our tone, treating him like a powerful backer who was both authoritative and trustworthy. As expected, Lorang’s demeanor shrank, seemingly realizing that we weren’t just an ordinary newlywed couple but high nobles from the capital.

“That… that…”

“As you can see, my beauty is no less than yours. I know what I need to know. At such a young age and with talent, there must have been quite a few who approached you physically, offering patronage. Giving you a paltry sum of money. When you’re young and hungry, you might fall for the money.”

“It’s not like that! I didn’t sell my body!”

“Ah… If not that, then what? You didn’t sell your body, so there was a relationship where you shared your heart?”

“…!”

As I narrowed my eyes and smiled, Lorang’s complexion began to turn pale, finally sensing the strange atmosphere.

Fearing that our well-drawn portrait might be torn, I took the painting back from his hands and handed it to Cassion.

In his expressionless face as he checked the painting once more, I could see a satisfaction that only I could recognize. Even though it’s just a sketch, it was well drawn.

“Oh my, we’re not saying anything. We understand those circumstances. Love at such a young age must have been like fire, and love that burns without knowing the ways of the world tends to burn other things too.”

It was amusing that I, barely nineteen, was saying such things to someone over forty, but looking at Lorang’s pupils that had started to shake, it seemed he wasn’t underestimating me.

“Tell me quietly, Lorang. The partner in that dangerous liaison you’re worried about might not even be in the capital anymore, or it might be a minor noble we can handle.”

“That… that… is not possible. That person is not a minor noble… Even if you are a ducal couple…”

“That person… Lorang.”

“Yes, yes?”

“Lorang.”

“…Yes!”

“Tsk tsk. Lorang?”

“…Ye…es…?”

I closed my eyes tightly, shook my head with a sigh, giving him a chance to realize on his own. But he didn’t realize even after I called his real name three times.

“As you said, my husband is a war hero of this empire and a duke, and I am his wife. If someone is higher than us… Lorang.”

“I, I! My name is Ron!”

“I’ve already called you Lorang several times.”

I approached Lorang, who had crawled backwards to the tree like a cornered deer, and stretched out both hands. With the large tree behind his back, me in front, and my hands blocking both sides, Lorang trembled.

The thrill of having this handsome man with teary eyes shaking within my arms.

“…Asil.”

…I’ll have to enjoy that later. Cassion grits his teeth and calls my name at my action of bringing my face almost nose to nose with him.

“Let me say it again, ‘that person’ who is higher than us… must be someone from the imperial family.”

“Huk!”

Lorang hurriedly covered his mouth with both hands, but a short scream had already escaped. Tears welled up again in his blue eyes as he covered his mouth with both hands.

“You should have just stolen some paint or bread, Lorang. To steal the Empress’s heart, how bold of you.”

“…Hic. Hic! …No, no… Hic!”

He eventually started hiccupping. He’s really something.

“You’re right. Even we can’t protect you from dallying with the Empress, not just some noble. Moreover, if you didn’t just share hearts…”

I smiled and raised a finger to his shirt collar, pulling down his clothes. A very fine neckline and collarbone for a man is slightly revealed.

“Didn’t you share bodies as well?”

“…!!”

The tears that had been desperately held back in Lorang’s eyes now fall freely. At the same time, Cassion, who had stepped closer, pushes away my unrelenting finger and gently moves me aside. Why are you glaring at me? Wasn’t I doing a pretty good job of intimidating him?

“Judging by your expression, it seems you know that your partner was the Empress, and that the child born from that union is now the First Prince.”

“Pl-please stop! I didn’t know!”

Startled by Cassion’s straightforward accusation, Lorang hurriedly looked around and pleaded. Strange. We seem to be doing similar things, but why does what I do feel like teasing while what Cassion does feels like intimidation?

“What didn’t you know?”

“I didn’t know she was the Empress! I, I just thought she was a lady who was patronizing me. I only found out later that she was pregnant… I…”

“So you knew she was a married woman.”

“…!!”

Driven into a corner, Lorang clutches at the grass on the ground. Good thing I took back the painting earlier.

“Doesn’t everyone do that! If it’s a noble lady, they usually have a lover or two under the pretext of patronage… I thought that much was okay. I absolutely didn’t know she was the Empress! I’m shocked that they put that child on the throne!”

“It seems you should be the one watching your mouth.”

As I chimed in from the side, Lorang starts hiccupping again. He’s busy hiccupping, crying while clutching at the grass, and begging that he didn’t know.

He seems to be in a state of panic already.

“Don’t cry so much. It pains my heart to see those pretty eyes filled with tears all day.”

I took out a handkerchief and gently dabbed at his tears. Lorang’s face turns even paler.

“Actually, you don’t need to watch your mouth.”

Lightly stroking the front part of his short blonde hair that I had wanted to touch for a while, I smiled wickedly. I can feel the sun starting to set behind the hill at my back.

“You’ll have to speak in front of more people, so it’s better to be confident.”

“What do you mean…!”

“Aren’t you just a victim who fell for a trap? Hm? You were young, and you didn’t know the other person’s identity.”

“Th-that’s right. I didn’t know anything. Even now, I’m living in this remote area…”

“Tsk tsk. Don’t say that. Didn’t I say you were a victim? It pains my heart to see you hiding away your whole life for a mistake made in your youth.”

Lorang seemed to sense something odd in my behavior, alternating between comforting and threatening. Confusion is visible in his blue eyes, which reflect my image tinted by the sunset.

I wonder if I look like a dog or a wolf in his eyes right now?

“Speak confidently. Come up to the capital. As we said, we’ll become your patrons, so try to reclaim your life now.”

“What?!”

“Poor Lorang. We’ll make sure you don’t suffer any harm. Just reveal the truth.”

Cassion once again pushes away my wrist and lifts up Lorang, who is now trembling all over, with one hand. Lorang yelps and staggers at the grip strength, completely different from when Cassion grabbed my wrist.

“It would be better to talk about the details at our lodgings. After all, this is not the place where you need to open your mouth.”

Lorang reflexively struggles as if trying to escape, but he flutters like a paper doll with just one pull from Cassion’s hand.

I chuckled and stretched.

“What shall we have for dinner? Since our talk will be long, let’s have some sweet desserts too. Lorang, have you ever tried macarons?”

Ah. No, wait. Even if it was over 20 years ago, they probably had macarons.

“The Empress must have fed you at least one in bed. Try eating them again while recalling that sweetness.”