Chapter 12

Alice got out of bed and attempted to walk, only to feel pain rising from her groin.  

‘Ugh…’  

Something felt quite unpleasant and uncomfortable. It seemed best not to wander around today.  

The bed sheets were in disarray after the night, and the maids cleared them away with sly, knowing expressions. Alice’s cheeks flushed red.  

What puzzled her was that there was no trace of maiden’s blood on the sheets. This left Alice feeling somewhat bewildered.  

‘Why isn’t there any maiden’s blood? It was my first time.’  

Typically, if a bride did not bleed on her wedding night, it was assumed she had lost her purity before marriage. Alice’s heart sank.  

‘What if Daniel misunderstands and thinks I wasn’t an inexperienced woman?’  

A week after their wedding, Daniel began leaving for work at dawn, claiming he was swamped with tasks, and started returning home late at night. Meanwhile, Alice accepted her mother’s invitation and visited the Duke of Mistry’s household.  

“Alice!”  

The Duchess greeted her youngest daughter with a bright smile and a warm embrace.  

“Mother, how have you been?”  

“I’ve been well, of course.”  

The Duchess then led Alice to the garden where they often enjoyed tea together.  

“I had them prepare your favorite strawberry cake.”  

“Really?”  

“I thought you’d want some.”  

Alice smiled bashfully at her mother’s kind words.  

In the well-maintained garden of the Duke’s household, a table was set up for the family’s tea time. Alice and the Duchess took their seats there. As the Duchess’s maid poured tea, its fragrant aroma wafted through the air.  

In the gentle and serene atmosphere, the Duchess asked Alice,  

“So, is the Young Earl doing well?”  

“Yes, he said he had a lot of work today and left for work at dawn.”  

“Is he treating you well?”  

“Of course.”  

When Alice beamed, the Duchess looked at her youngest daughter with satisfaction and smiled warmly.  

“Good, now all that’s left is for you to have a child.”  

At those words, Alice flinched. Seeing her startled expression, the Duchess asked nonchalantly,  

“What’s the matter?”  

“Oh, nothing.”  

Alice’s heart sank.  

‘That’s right, I need to have a child.’  

A married woman was expected to bear heirs for her husband’s family. In noble society, having three sons was considered ideal. A wife who bore three sons, including the heir, received great respect within the family.  

The Duchess, who had given birth to Alice, had two sons and three daughters. Alice was the youngest, born after an attempt to have three sons. When giving birth to Alice, the Duchess had a difficult labor and nearly died. The Duke, fearing he might lose his wife, declared that since they already had two sons, there was no need for more children and drew the line at further pregnancies.  

“Since the late Countess isn’t around, there’s probably no one in your in-laws pressuring you directly to have children, but that doesn’t mean you can take it lightly. Producing and raising heirs is the top priority for every family.”  

“Yes…”  

Alice recalled how Daniel had told her that after his mother, the late Countess, passed away shortly after giving birth to him, his father, Earl Lawrence, had received numerous proposals to take a second wife.  

“If you fail to bear children for a long time, you could face divorce, so make an effort to have a child as soon as possible.”  

“Yes…”  

“That’s why I prepared this…”  

The Duchess gestured to her maids, and one of them approached with a small booklet.  

“Take it. Read it at home.”  

“What kind of book is this?”  

Alice took the booklet from the maid and opened it, only to shut it immediately in shock. It was filled with erotic illustrations, similar to the ones her nanny and the Duchess had shown her when they tried to teach her about the wedding night.  

“M-Mother…”  

“What’s the matter?”  

“H-How could you give me such a book…”  

“You’re so clueless about relationships between men and women that I’m worried about you. Other girls naturally figure these things out as they grow curious, but you seem to have no interest at all. You’re too innocent.”  

The Duchess clicked her tongue. Alice, her cheeks flushed red, hung her head in embarrassment.  

Her mother, who had emphasized dignity and restraint as befitting a young lady since Alice was a child, had always taught her to avoid such books. Alice had simply followed those teachings.  

Now, however, her mother had completely changed her stance after Alice’s marriage, urging her to read such a book and scolding her for being ignorant at her age. Alice felt wronged.  

‘You should have taught me…’ 

“If a man isn’t satisfied with his wife, he’ll cheat. And if a man always has to take the lead, he’ll eventually grow tired of his wife. Why do you think married men take mistresses? Sometimes, you need to take the initiative by learning from this book and pleasing the Young Earl. That way, you can have a child quickly too.”  

Alice felt a surge of anger rising from within. However, she couldn’t bring herself to speak harshly to her beloved mother.  

Her hands trembled as she held the booklet. The illustrations she had glimpsed were incredibly obscene. They depicted men and women engaging in various s*xual positions, including one where a woman was performing oral s*x on a man.  

Alice felt humiliated, as though she were being treated like a courtesan. Before her marriage, her mother had always emphasized modesty and proper behavior, urging her to keep her distance from men. Now, after her marriage, her mother demanded that she become a temptress who could satisfy her husband. It felt unfair.  

The scolding continued for quite some time.  

“Still, be careful not to appear too eager. Men look down on wives who seem overly interested in such things and might suspect they’ve been with other men before marriage. Men betray women who’ve been with others before marriage, but they remain devoted to women who were inexperienced. Always maintain proper behavior in daily life. Never act carelessly and give the servants a reason to look down on you. You’re the only woman of higher rank in the Earl’s household, after all.”