“You seem depressed.”

“I’ll make you happy.”

“For me to be happy, that b*tch needs to disappear.”

“I’ll prepare for it.”

“First, check her condition. If she’s really pregnant……”

As she took off her shoes and half-reclined, the man lifted her slender legs with practiced ease and began massaging them diligently. His large hands massaged her white legs, teasingly passing near her intimate areas.

“Sigh…. Soon, the position of mistress of the Grand Duke’s residence might become vacant. I wonder how my Rian will react.”

“My lady.”

“Let’s take it slow. I have much to think about.”

“Yes.”

“Come up here.”

Lovia kissed her knight who has black hair and amber eyes while thinking of Rian.

* * *

Left alone in the empty annex, Belita lay on the sofa, clutching her still-racing heart and groaning. Had her personality really split in two? Or had she gone mad from living with a madman?

She didn’t know why she had done it. Usually, she endured well, but her determination not to lose seemed to have gone too far. Or maybe she really had gone mad. Otherwise, she couldn’t have said such things in her right mind.

“I’m crazy! Telling her to spend passionate nights with her pot-bellied husband…! You, idiot! You shouldn’t have said that!”

Surely the baby hadn’t heard? Surely the baby didn’t think its mother was crazy like its father? Sigh…… This was all Rian’s fault. She must have been influenced by him…!

Fortunately, her tightly cramped belly seemed fine now. Gently rubbing her lower abdomen, Belita kept sighing.

“Wife?”

At the sound of Rian’s voice as he opened the door, Belita slowly rose. Seeing the root cause of all this trouble, her eyes automatically narrowed into triangles. But from the atmosphere, it didn’t seem to be the madman. This man certainly had impeccable timing when it came to hiding.

“Why are you here alone?”

“……”

Instead of answering, she just pouted and stomped her feet. Seeing her strange behavior, Rian turned his gaze to the table. Two teacups filled with untouched tea and cold desserts sat there. That alone told him today’s meeting hadn’t gone well.

“It seems your guest has left.”

“Sigh……”

“Did that woman commit some rudeness again?”

Yes, she did…. But I think I committed something worse…. Sob.

The meeting had been for the Grand Duchy’s sake. That was definitely the intention. She had just decided not to be intimidated, not to be foolishly victimized like before. But this was practically like two women fighting disgracefully over one man, just short of pulling each other’s hair….

“Wife…. I apologize.”

“……What?”

“It’s my fault for not being able to protect you.”

“……”

Belita’s nose tingled again at the sight of the man apologizing with slumped shoulders. She couldn’t tell whether her wildly fluctuating emotions were due to the baby or her own personality.

“Your Grace….”

“Tell me. What mistake did that woman make again?”

“What?”

“I won’t tolerate it anymore. I will protect my people even if it means going to war with them.”

She was dumbfounded by the man’s determination as he suddenly widened his eyes. She never expected to hear the word ‘war’ from the mouth of someone who had always tried to handle matters peacefully. Was this man’s personality really being consumed by Crazy Rian?

“Your Grace, what do you mean by war?”

“Their behavior has already crossed the line. They dare look down on the imperial family and manipulate the Empire. Above all, they have repeatedly been rude to you, the mistress of the Grand Ducal residence. Of course, I bear much of the blame for that….”

“But still, war is….”

“I’m not saying I’ll start a war right away. Rather, I’m saying I won’t stand for any more line-crossing.”

“Ah……”

“So tell me. Tell me without omission what rudeness Lady Ventum committed toward you today. I won’t let it slide this time.”

It was incredibly awkward that he showed such firm resolve on the very day she had been the one to strike. Yet she couldn’t tell him the truth either….

“Wife, I won’t let anyone trouble you anymore. So please speak freely.”

Seeing Rian’s determined look, she feared both his personalities might go and wreak havoc at that house if she didn’t speak. Above all, she needed to somehow resolve today’s incident. Wrong was wrong, after all. Since both personalities would be listening anyway, it might be better to speak candidly and devise a plan.

“Actually…. The rudeness was mine….”

“What?”

She fidgeted with her fingers, mentally choosing her words out of embarrassment. What should she tell him and what should she leave out? She probably didn’t need to mention the pot-bellied husband part, right?

“Lady Ventum was speaking so rudely…. Before I knew it, I just….”

“You committed rudeness?”

“……Yes.”

Her head kept drooping lower. That trusting look in his eyes would soon turn to disappointment.

“What did you say?”

“What?”

“What did you say that you keep trying to sink into the ground? Speak up properly. If you cowered again this time, I’ll spank your bottom.”

“What did you say?”

“You probably couldn’t say much. That personality of yours won’t change. You can’t beat that woman. That’s why I told you not to meet her.”

She glared sideways at the man who suddenly appeared and spouted rude words. This all happened because of you! A vulgar tone suddenly burst from Belita’s mouth as fire flashed in her eyes. This was the tone that occasionally emerged only when facing Crazy Rian.

“I didn’t cower! I even spoke informally to her!”

“That’s all?”

“I warned her to stop messing around because I wouldn’t tolerate it anymore!”

“No way.”

The corner of Rian’s mouth twitched, then gradually curved into a wide smile. He seemed to be mocking her with a ‘Yeah, right, as if you could.’ Belita’s eyes widened even more.

“I told her I’ve dealt with a madman so I’m not scared of someone like her at all, that I’m even scarier!”

“……Hmph, really?”

The man’s eyes suddenly narrowed. Had saying ‘someone like her’ been too harsh? Or had she appeared too frightening?

Belita’s expression turned gloomy again as she reconsidered what she had said. But Rian, who knew well how to train her, provoked her once more.

“You call that rudeness? Compared to what that woman has done, that’s just cute.”

“This man! How much of a fool do you really take me for?”

“Well, a little…?”

Offended by the man’s sneering mockery, Belita finally revealed the words she had kept hidden deep inside.

“I even mocked her by telling her to give her pot-bellied husband passionate nights so he wouldn’t be lonely! Do you still think I just let that woman walk all over me!?”

“……Ha, why did you say that?”

“Because that woman said she would make your nights hot, or something! Keep you from being lonely, or whatever!”

“She’s crazy. Oh, my mistake.”

Belita’s eyes widened at Rian’s sudden crude reaction. After cursing, he awkwardly stroked her lower abdomen with an embarrassed expression. He seemed flustered that the baby might have heard. Soon, the man chuckled and leaned in with a sly question.

“So, you were protecting me? Because of those hot nights? This madman?”

“N-no… that’s not it….”

As Rian’s face drew closer, Belita gradually backed away.

“What do you mean, no? Were you jealous because another woman wanted to have me?”

“I said no!”

“Hmm, call her out.”

“What?”

“I like women who are rough but honest. So tell Crazy Belita to come out.”

“Rian!”

She felt like she’d been had. Seeing the man’s expression, so delighted he didn’t know what to do with himself, she felt thoroughly tricked. Anyway, this was no joking matter, so she pushed away the approaching man and asked for a solution.

“Stop joking around, what should we do?”

“About what?”

“If Lady Ventum completely turns her back on us because of this….”

“She already turned her back long ago. So stop worrying needlessly and worry about yourself instead, won’t you?”

“What?”

“Font said it’s okay to love your body now.”

“Huh…?”

“So, looking at this sofa, doesn’t it remind you of anything?”

……No. Even if it did, no. Seeing the man’s eyes, it absolutely had to be no.

“I’m… tired. I’ll go to my room…. Eek!”

“Rest in my arms. You can sleep holding my c*ck as always.”

“Rian…!”

Belita, suddenly pinned beneath him, struggled to get up.

“Shouldn’t you reward my patience now? I’ve been offering only my c*ck every night and holding back.”

“Ah, the baby is still—!”

“Mmm, it’s fine. I’ve learned positions where I won’t hit the baby’s head, so don’t worry and just spread your legs. I’ll take care of everything.”

What did he learn?

Despite the absurdity, Belita decided to stall for time in the face of the man’s lewd gaze.

“Let’s at least go to the r-room…!”

“Look at my c*ck and tell me. Do you think I can make it to the room in this state?”

His pants were embarrassingly bulging. She felt a chill as he pulled her hand to rub his lower body while grinning.

“Would you like to suck it first? Or should I suck you first?”

“……”

“Ah, should we suck each other at the same time, for old times’ sake?”

There seemed to be no patience left in the man’s eyes as he began unbuttoning his shirt one by one.

It wasn’t her first time seeing his n*ked body, but she didn’t know why her heart was racing so much today. She saw his face every day, but today he looked different. She knew he was handsome, but why did she suddenly feel so proud that her husband was such a fine man? She felt secretly pleased that this fine man hadn’t even glanced at that woman.

“What is it?”

“Yes…?”

“Why are you smiling at me with those eyes?”

“……I, I wasn’t smiling.”

Her face flushed with embarrassment. It felt like he had read her mind.

“Do you like it?”

“What?”

“Do you like that my c*ck is big?”

“……”

What nonsense was this now?

“You just smiled looking at my face, my body, my c*ck.”

“No, I didn’t!”