Epilogue (Part 6)

When Reubellina opened her eyes, it was evening, with the sunset hanging in the sky. She reached out and felt the bed, but as expected, there was nothing.

Confirming that Tartenon was gone, Reubellina bit her lip. Sitting up, she found it difficult to move due to the lingering pain.

Pulling the bell cord, she was a$sisted by Sandy to wash and change clothes.

‘He said he’d leave late at night.’

Verito must have caused trouble by now. He might be searching Tartenon’s study or wandering around to extract information from Speraum.

‘Tartenon won’t let him get away.’

She had thought he was avoiding her deliberately, but that wasn’t the case. And that made her feel even better. It meant he couldn’t even plan because of his jealousy.

Having confirmed the extent of Tartenon’s feelings for her, Reubellina couldn’t stop smiling. Sandy, noticing her bright smile, chuckled, but Reubellina couldn’t pay attention to that now.

After getting ready, Reubellina left the bedroom. As she walked slowly through the corridor where she had met Verito earlier, he appeared.

“Your Grace.”

“Oh, are you leaving now?”

“Yes.”

“Take care.”

“…Your Grace.”

Seeing Verito hesitate as if he had something to say, Reubellina couldn’t avoid the situation.

“I will never forget the kindness you’ve shown me.”

“Oh, well.”

“If it weren’t for you, Your Grace, I would have died on the streets.”

‘I didn’t show kindness to you; it was all part of the plan.’

She wanted to tell him that she had spent time with him because Tartenon was watching, but she couldn’t open her mouth.

Reubellina quietly closed her mouth and looked down at him with a dissatisfied gaze. Verito, biting his lip, spoke up.

“Will you not come with me?”

“…What?”

“You are too precious to stay by the side of that Duke who does not treat you kindly! Come to me.”

‘What is this crazy guy saying?’

Bang!

Before Reubellina could respond, Verito was sent flying.

‘To think I’d see someone fly through the air.’

Reubellina was surprised but calmly turned her head.

“Keep talking.”

Tartenon’s presence was terrifying as he glared with fierce eyes. Reubellina shivered at the sharp aura. She had never felt Tartenon’s anger directed at her before, and now she felt it intensely for the first time.

“Tartenon.”

“Are you trying to stop me?”

“Of course not.”

She stroked Tartenon’s arm as he stood beside her. As the sharp aura slightly lessened, Reubellina placed her hand on his shoulder. Gripping his shoulder firmly as a warning, she whispered with a smile.

“I came out looking for you because you were gone.”

“Reubellina.”

“I haven’t felt good waking up without you by my side these past few days.”

“Oh, that…”

Reubellina drove the point home to the hesitant Tartenon.

“So, I’m annoyed too.”

Though she smiled proudly, there was significant anger hidden in her eyes. Determined to correct Tartenon’s behavior of avoiding her, Reubellina placed her hands on her hips.

Verito was dumbfounded by the two’s att*tude, completely ignoring him. Coughing up blood on the floor, he watched as Reubellina didn’t even glance his way, and Tartenon did the same. Confirming that he lay helpless on the ground, Tartenon then only looked at Reubellina.

‘This isn’t right!’

The plan should be successful. By appealing to the Grand Duchess’s sympathy and luring her, the idea was to either take her to the northern border or get her to invest in their tribe. It was a risky endeavor, but if they could secure the investment funds, the risk would be worth it.

Heather and Hemil approached Verito and grabbed his arms. Until then, Verito couldn’t regain his composure.

‘Did I get played by those two?’

No matter how he thought about it, the current situation could only be explained this way. He had been thoroughly toyed with by the Grand Duke and Duchess of Speraum.

‘No! The Grand Duke’s jealousy was real!’

As a man, he couldn’t have failed to recognize another man’s jealousy. Moreover, the Grand Duchess’s gaze had a softness when she looked at him.

However, nothing went as he intended. He seemed to have been used merely as a pawn in their marital quarrel.

Confidently, he had sent a carrier pigeon to his tribesmen, but everything turned to nothing.

“No matter how you look at it, our Grand Duchess is truly amazing.”

Heather shrugged as she twisted Verito’s arm behind his back. It hurt, but he couldn’t scream. Hemil was glaring at him with terrifying eyes.

Their anger was real. Verito understood that if he said the wrong thing, they wouldn’t let him off easily.

“Indeed.”

Hemil agreed with Heather.

“That’s why His Grace is so enamored with her.”

“He can’t help it.”

Ignoring Tartenon’s orders, the two dragged Verito away. Just like when he first arrived, Verito couldn’t resist.

Hearing the sound of something being dragged away, Tartenon tried to turn his head, but Reubellina held his face with her hand. With his chin held, Tartenon couldn’t turn his head. Heather and Hemil would take care of Verito. What was more important to him was Reubellina in front of him.

Her golden eyes shone coldly.

“Thinking about it, it’s really upsetting.”

Her fingers brushed his cheek. The soft touch on his cheek made his lower body heat up. Having spent a passionate time not long ago, Reubellina’s touch was particularly stimulating. Tartenon’s throat bobbed. He swallowed dryly, and his fists clenched from the tension.

Her fingers, which had brushed his cheek, slowly moved down his neck and slipped inside his shirt.

“It’s really unpleasant, you know?”

“Reubellina.”

“Why do you keep disappearing from my side?”

“That’s…!”

“Shh.”

Reubellina’s fingers pressed against Tartenon’s lips. Heat rose from where her hand touched, but Tartenon couldn’t show it.

“It seems you’ve picked up a bad habit, don’t you think?”

He couldn’t take his eyes off her folded, curved smile. Tartenon, caught off guard by Reubellina’s reprimand, nodded.

“It looks like I need to retrain you.”

“If that’s what you want, then as much as you like.”

“But going to the bedroom doesn’t seem like a punishment.”

“Reubellina.”

“Stop saying my name.”

Reubellina unb*ttoned Tartenon’s shirt one by one, running her fingers over his exposed skin.

“How about this? I can touch you, but you can’t touch me.”

“…That’s!”

Reubellina pressed close to Tartenon. The cold night wind caressed his bare skin, but Tartenon couldn’t feel the chill. His body was too heated to be cooled by such a breeze.

“Follow me.”

With a haughty tone, Reubellina turned, and Tartenon’s legs moved on their own. Following her into the bedroom, the door closed firmly, and the heat rose all night.

***

After Heather and Hemil restrained Verito, Tartenon took the knights to the border. Previously, they hadn’t eradicated the barbarians to keep the capital aware of the northern region’s importance.

But now, the situation had changed. The barbarians who had angered Tartenon couldn’t survive and were no longer a threat to the border. As always, the dead tell no tales.

Verito’s name was etched in history as an unparalleled traitor among the barbarians. If it weren’t for him, his tribe wouldn’t have faced annihilation.

When Tartenon returned to Speraum Castle, Reubellina greeted him with a bright smile. There were no problems in their relationship; in fact, it had grown stronger. Sandy couldn’t hide a pleased smile as she watched Reubellina run into Tartenon’s arms as soon as he dismounted.

“Ugh!”

“Reubellina!”

It was then. Reubellina’s complexion suddenly turned pale, and she hastily covered her mouth.

As Reubellina, who had been rubbing her face against his chest, gagged, a startled Tartenon called for a physician.

Having just returned from the subjugation, he anxiously waited in the reception room without a moment’s rest. As he paced back and forth, Reubellina, unable to bear it, sent him to wash up.

Tartenon, gazing at her with worried eyes, immediately ran to the bathroom at Reubellina’s comment about his smell.

Sandy asked worriedly beside her.

“Are you alright, Your Grace?”

“I’m fine. Just feeling a bit nauseous…”

Sandy poured a cup of tea for Reubellina, who asked for some tea. It was a sweet floral tea with honey, a favorite of Reubellina’s.

As the tea’s aroma filled the reception room, Reubellina’s furrowed brow relaxed a bit. But the moment she took a sip, she gagged again and couldn’t even set the cup down properly.

The reception room door opened, and Tartenon, looking like he had washed hastily, rushed to Reubellina. Gregory, who had followed Reubellina from the capital, entered and examined her urgently. Seeing his serious expression, Tartenon couldn’t speak.

Carefully examining Reubellina, Gregory looked at her with a serious gaze.

“Your Grace, congratulations.”

“What?”

“You’re pregnant.”

“…What?”

Reubellina, who had been staring at Gregory in disbelief, found herself embraced by Tartenon.

“Reubellina!”

Tartenon’s lips rained kisses on her face, but she still couldn’t believe it.

“Congratulations.”

As Gregory repeated his words, Sandy, Heather, and Hemil all offered their congratulations.

“Congratulations, Your Grace!”

“Congratulations, Your Grace!”

The servants, eager to spread the joyful news, ran outside, and the news of Reubellina’s pregnancy quickly spread throughout the territory. Now, with the future heir of the North in her womb, her stature would skyrocket.

But what mattered to Reubellina was not that.

“My child.”

Tartenon’s and her child.

Reubellina, stroking her still-flat belly, whispered to Tartenon, who was hugging her with joy.

“Our child.”

“Reubellina.”

In his overwhelming emotion, a small teardrop sparkled in Tartenon’s eyes. Reubellina, noticing the tears streaming down his face, gently wiped them away with her fingers. The cool moisture on her hand made her lips quiver.

“Tartenon.”

When she called his name seriously, Tartenon turned his moist eyes towards her.

“We will make this child the happiest child in the world.”

“I will, I will do that too.”

“And you will become the happiest father in the world.”

“And you will be the happiest mother in the world.”

“Then we will all be happy people.”

“Yes.”

Their voices, filled with joy, whispered as if making a vow. Outside the reception room, where Tartenon’s laughter and Reubellina’s joy were unceasing, everyone in the North blessed them.

– The End