That evening at dinner, Chedran choked three times, spat out water twice, and coughed awkwardly five times.
The conversation between a strangely stammering Chedran and an unrestrained Naella left the waiting maids flustered. They turned away or fiddled with their clothes, pretending not to notice.
Naella’s discussion topics weren’t many, but they were direct.
First, whether the standard for wanting the bedroom was when both desired it or for an heir.
Second, if it was mutual desire, what to do when one party didn’t want it.
Third, if for an heir, how many times per month they would share a bed.
Fourth, whether there was anything to observe in the bedroom.
Fifth, how many children they wanted.
Unable to answer even once first, Chedran barely managed to convey a few responses.
“The bedroom…… if we both want it, wouldn’t it happen……”
“If one party doesn’t want it, we should naturally be considerate……”
“I don’t really know when we need to share a bed to have a child……”
“Are there things to observe in the bedroom too? I’m not sure about that either……”
“Children, well…… even just one seems fine……”
When Naella frowned sharply at all the vague answers, Chedran shouted first in alarm.
“Give me some time.”
At the urgent tone, Naella’s eyebrow rose like Chedran’s habit.
“Isn’t, isn’t this too fast?”
“Is it fast?”
“There’s still a mountain of things to do. The bedroom and heir matters seem sufficient to discuss after everything’s finished.”
“But…… Priya said it would be very hard for men.”
“Not at all. I’m not struggling at all. Please believe me.”
Naella fell into brief contemplation. She wasn’t a man so didn’t know exactly why it was difficult, but shouldn’t Chedran’s opinion as the party involved be correct? Then this matter could be postponed.
If they wanted an heir and wished to share a bed, they’d need to call a physician or midwife to acquire knowledge about the cycle and professional information.
Come to think of it, going to war while carrying a child would be impossible. As Chedran said, it seemed right to postpone until everything was finished.
After long deliberation, when Naella nodded, color returned to Chedran’s face.
“Thank you.”
“What’s there to thank me for?”
Once the couple’s long discussion ended, the meal resumed.
Somehow, Chedran was the one who expressed gratitude at the end. Didn’t it become like Naella understanding with a generous heart?
But relieved by just this much, Chedran finally began tasting the meat. He felt reassured she wouldn’t bring up this topic for a while.
However, Chedran only realized much later that this was a hasty judgment. He failed to foresee what would happen a week later.
Naella, who had no advisor about married life, asked Countess Julie for her opinion. In the process, she mentioned Chedran liked her and they’d decided not to share a bed for now.
Countess Julie just smiled warmly and was delighted as though it were her own affair, saying how fresh and sweet it was rather than giving advice.
And from the next day, rumors about the grand ducal couple spread through high society. By the time the fast-traveling words circled around to Chedran’s ears, they’d changed strangely.
The Grand Duke loved the Grand Duchess so much he protected her without even touching her.
Unlike other men, he’d sworn to protect her until the day the Grand Duchess permitted it.
Unable to satisfy her with all kinds of gifts, he even gave her the grand ducal territory’s knight order.
The rumors grew larger as they passed through various mouths, eventually swelling to the size that he wouldn’t hesitate even to wage war for the Grand Duchess.
The rumors spread so quickly and swiftly one could believe someone had poured oil on a burning house.
Only learning of it through reports, Chedran finally went to the brink of fainting and back at the rumors striking the entire Empire.
It was a moment when he resented his healthy body.
A party was held at Count Agasan’s estate, one of the territories Naella had been watching carefully.
He’d been a noble from another kingdom but gained recognition for his abilities and defected to the Empire. Despite being a defector noble, his influence was quite substantial due to his business acumen.
The problem was he was neutral.
Thanks to that, both imperial faction figures and aristocratic faction people attended Count Agasan’s party without distinction. With that many enemies and allies, she couldn’t attend with a light heart like at Count Doine’s party.
“Sometimes it’s curious.”
Chedran extended his hand for an escort at the residence entrance.
“When I first saw you, I thought you’d just be a cold person.”
Naella lifted her dress slightly and placed her hand on Chedran’s.
“I can’t tell where such a passionate personality comes from.”
Without realizing it, Naella smiled slightly.
“You seem to have forgotten. My blood inherited the blood of knights guarding the Empire’s western border. They don’t retreat and move only forward without looking back to protect their homeland. We are the sword and shield protecting our homeland.”
“Still cool.”
“You seem to think I’m cool.”
“A slip of the tongue.”
“If you’d been born and raised in Nohesca, you’d have lived like me.”
“I spent half my life here.”
“No wonder you’re only half cool.”
Today Naella wore a pale pink dress with her hair in a half-updo, adding waves to let it flow naturally.
The dress was so close to white that one couldn’t tell it was pink unless in bright light. With one shoulder fixed and a knot tied at the waist, the dress flowed naturally, making her look like a goddess in some masterpiece painting.
The accessories were also just one platinum bracelet and a long dangling necklace, looking very reverent.
Instead, she hung various platinum strings on the hair ornament fixing the half-updo. The platinum strings sparkled whenever she moved.
“Count Pezmongre is coming today too, right?”
The largest vassal family and the person the culprits had named as the instigator during the Grand Duchess kidnapping incident.
“His wife’s health deteriorated so he hasn’t attended parties for a while, but today he’s attending alone. We need to watch carefully. Since Count Pezmongre is attending alone, he must have a purpose.”
“His wife hasn’t recovered yet but the head attends alone…… It’s definitely strange. Still, as Nohesca’s largest vassal family…… what kind of person is he?”
“Cautious. Not someone who moves carelessly. It’s strange that such a person moves as though he has a purpose. He could have come to see me separately.”
Even to Naella’s ears, it was strange. Why would such a cautious person move without considering others’ gazes?
Or conversely, he might be moving openly because of others’ gazes.
“What do you think his purpose is?”
“Since I’m only half cool, I don’t know well, so you figure it out.”
“Is the half-cool Grand Duke trying to do only half the work? If you leave me alone like last time, I really won’t let it go this time.”
“The rumors have made it difficult to be apart anyway.”
Naella nodded with a satisfied face and boarded the carriage first. Following to board together, Chedran paused briefly to look at Naella.
“I heard something from your maids.”
“My maids aren’t people who carelessly tell others things, so that’s strange.”
“More precisely, I heard from Marden.”
“Marden seems to be hovering around my maids lately, so he picked something up.”
“You decided to treat me affectionately from now on?”
“You’re someone who likes me, so naturally I should treat you affectionately.”
“Then why can’t I see it?”
Only after Chedran’s point did she feel slightly caught. Since that day’s conversation, she’d forgotten about treating him affectionately.
“……”
“Speak.”
“I definitely praised you when we met in front of the training grounds……”
“Is that your affection? Then why doesn’t that affection last more than a few days?”
“Mm…… today…… today you look very cool, Lord Chedran.”
Chedran wore a navy dress uniform with a white cloak, fixing the cloak with silver shoulder plates. With pomade slicking back his hair and just a few strands hanging naturally, his handsome face stood out more than a soldier’s toughness.
About to say something more, Chedran closed his mouth again and boarded the carriage.
“Not bad.”
Once the door closed, the carriage headed to Count Agasan’s estate under the Red Laurel Knight Order’s escort.
At Count Agasan’s estate, carriages lined up from the residence gate to the annex where the party was held.
The imperial family or powerful families would have separate spaces to gather carriages for guests, but it was difficult for ordinary noble families. Since those with lower titles couldn’t own larger residences than their superiors, it was a natural result.
So usually they only prepared space for their own family’s carriage. Then when guests arrived, they’d calculate from title to power and station carriages of distinguished guests closer to the residence.
Count Agasan’s banquet hall had an unusually open structure with the entire first floor hall exposed. Though not that cold, it was still winter, so heating equipment was installed throughout.
Opening the entire first floor hall in midwinter and preparing abundant heating was subtly showing off wealth. It proved they had enough money not to worry about heating costs.
The problem was the grand ducal family’s carriage, which had entered right up to the annex through power and interests, was visible at a glance from the hall. Just the Red Laurel Knight Order members in full knight uniforms and cloaks would draw attention, yet they were the carriage that entered deepest.
Thanks to that, before the attendant could call out names, everyone at the banquet noticed the grand ducal couple had arrived.
Everyone moved so quickly that before anyone came out from inside, they all set down their glasses and began observing courtesy.
Chedran exited the carriage first and escorted Naella. Naella placed her hand lightly on the large hand extended first and descended from the carriage.
Raising her head at the clearly felt gazes, Naella was surprised the carriage had stopped very close to the first floor hall. Everyone was already watching her and Chedran.
“Oh my……”
Naella smiled gently. The guests focused even more at her smile.
“Pleased to meet you. I am Naella Nohesca.”
Grand Duke Chedran’s greeting would usually come first, but Naella decided not to care. Chedran was already rumored to be devoted to his wife, and greeting properly according to etiquette would be sufficient after meeting the host.
She wanted to firmly imprint her first impression. In high society rather than the battlefield, she was the protagonist.
So they should ingratiate themselves to her rather than Chedran, and since he was smitten with her, she intended to establish right here that the real power lay with her.
