Chapter 10

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 10

Chapter Title: Marital Relations

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"...Blood."

The moment she saw it, a feeling close to ecstasy washed over her.

All the human emotions she'd felt toward Kaiyan just moments ago—resentment, bitterness—faded away.

'I can die soon.'

The heartbreaking deaths of her parents, the insomnia that had tormented her for a decade, the agony of biting her lip to stifle coughs and clawing at her chest to hide her illness over the past few months.

Even being sold into a political marriage with House Temneth.

Even the contempt she'd endured in Rowen Castle.

All of it would end when she breathed her last. What came after was none of Clodel's concern.

The path for the dead led to oblivion, where life and existence were forgotten.

Her weakened heart pounded harder than usual.

Why did the trumpet call of death, sounding at the very bottom of her life, feel so sweet?

The final symptom of Herzol was coughing up blood.

Once it progressed to that point, beyond any hope of treatment, death followed within a month.

Clodel rose from the bed, brimming with energy unlike her usual feeble demeanor.

She quickly changed clothes and bundled up the bloodstained bedding, hiding it in the laundry basket managed by the maids she'd earmarked for the task.

Before Hanna could come down from the maids' quarters, she hurriedly disposed of the linens and reclined back on the bed.

Gazing at the sun rising more brilliantly than before, Clodel prayed to the heavens.

'Please take me away even a day sooner.'

She hoped the time of suffering would be as short as possible.

Antyone was thrilled beyond measure.

"I knew this day would come."

The servants throughout the castle and all of House Temneth's blood kin were on her side.

Before Clodel had entered the castle as a bride, whenever Antyone boasted, "I'll be Lady Kaiyan's bride!", they'd brushed it off half-heartedly.

It wasn't unheard of for House Temneth to take a wife from outside, as the previous duke had married into the royal family.

Kaiyan's mother, Duchess Elise, had been a princess of Oberon Kingdom.

The late king had no sons, only two daughters—eldest Sylvia and second Elise, born as twins.

The king adored his doll-like, strikingly similar daughters.

Their golden hair and blue eyes, mirroring his own, delighted him even more.

Princess Sylvia married the king of Luxen Duchy. But as she ascended to queenship herself, she could spend only one or two months a year with her grand duke husband.

Meanwhile, Princess Elise wed the Duke of Temneth and lived a life of luxury and happiness as the lady of the domain.

In truth, the scales had tipped decisively in House Temneth's favor during their resurgence, largely due to that royal marriage.

At any rate, within the domain, Antyone acted like a feral cat, reining in girls who admired Kaiyan. But the general consensus was that no one could predict whom the duke would marry.

That had been the case until now.

Some had gossiped that for Kaiyan, whose achievements already surpassed his father's, marrying a mere daughter of House Berang from the domain was beneath him—only to get slapped by Antyone.

But when the visible "Vermonte" appeared, everyone in House Temneth and Rowen Castle banded together to back Antyone.

To give that loathsome redhead from Vermonte a smackdown, what was so hard about egging her on with, "Antyone should have been the duchess"?

Antyone decided to savor the situation.

Vermonte wouldn't last long here anyway.

After Kaiyan told her never to show her face again and she stormed off in a huff, she'd planned to bide her time quietly. But the moment came sooner than expected.

She'd heard that ridiculous woman had stolen the button ornament from Kaiyan's ceremonial robes.

"How low can she stoop? Lady Kaiyan must already regret marrying her so hastily."

Learning she'd been utterly humiliated in front of maids and manservants convinced Antyone today was the day to execute her plan.

The guards who'd been strictly watching Kaiyan's bedroom door for a while had no qualms about it leading to Vermonte's expulsion from the castle, so they stepped aside without even taking gold.

Thus, Antyone slipped into Kaiyan's bedroom and waited so long she dozed off.

When she awoke, dawn was breaking faintly.

Antyone panicked.

Kaiyan hadn't come to the bedroom at all.

Having rolled around gleefully in the lord's massive bed and slept soundly, she tried to sneak out, disheveled and embarrassed.

But there, before the door, stood the feisty Vermonte fighter with glaring eyes.

'Ah, so the duke didn't go to that woman.'

If he had, this bantam hen wouldn't be lurking here, ready for a fight.

Antyone's mind raced.

After unleashing a torrent of venomous insults, she felt utterly refreshed.

"People really do need to speak their minds to live well."

As she slipped out of the castle, the fully risen morning sun bathed her in its blessing.

Antyone held up the blue diamond on her finger to the light.

"Soon, it'll be mine."

From afar, Clodel looked gaunt and sickly, like someone in pain.

If only she'd burst from rage at the fighting cock's tales and dropped dead.

Then Lady Kaiyan could take her as wife all the sooner.

With fervent longing, Antyone returned home.

Time flew after the wedding feast concluded.

The three-day banquet at Rowen Castle was one thing, but Kaiyan's round trip to Valmond Castle—a full fortnight's journey away—for the wedding took nearly a month.

Rowen Domain was a rhombus-shaped territory in the southern part of Oberon Kingdom, from left to right. With Rowen Castle at its center, managing the east and west required immense effort.

Kaiyan had ridden horseback instead of a carriage, returning in three weeks, but it coincided with the busy summer fruit harvest.

In the midst of such relentless busyness, Kaiyan thought of Clodel now and then—and just as often pushed her from his mind.

The butler seemed to have something to say, but he didn't ask.

Kaiyan had no need to read others' moods or worry about them.

He'd never even tried such things.

Yet humiliating Clodel in front of his subordinates made cleanup a hassle.

"I thought it was better than me losing face."

But making a huge fuss over such a tiny, shabby button ornament felt even stranger now.

A few days later, he wondered if simply saying, "Fine, I gave it to her. Enough talk, begone," would have made his people—who'd leap into fire at his word—shut up with a meek "Ah, I see."

At any rate, Kaiyan was clumsy with women, even more so with his first wife, and utterly at a loss with a bride from an enemy house.

Born superior, he was accustomed to succeeding flawlessly at everything on the first try.

Recalling his parents' marriage yielded nothing specific.

As part of strict heir training, he'd studied and trained in martial arts from dawn till dusk, accompanying his father on domain inspections from a tender age.

Thus, he had no inkling of what his parents discussed alone or in the bedroom.

His mother might have offered advice like, "Talk to her like this" or "Treat her that way," had she lived.

The previous duke and duchess had died seven years ago, shortly after Kaiyan came of age. Invited to the castle for the queen's birthday, they fell ill and perished there.

Tragically, Queen Sylvia, who spent time with them, succumbed to the same illness days later.

The young duke's house and royal court—two novices—ascending to power amid royal secrets caused a stir for a time.

But as young king and duke, cousins, steadily governed kingdom and domain, the chatter died down.

"Does that bastard Valquiter know how hard it is to deal with a wife?"

Thanks to their mothers—sisters who'd passed young—Kaiyan had grown up with Oberon King Valquiter like friends, like brothers.

For him to order marriage to an enemy.

And without a word beforehand, just a royal decree on paper!

Furious, Kaiyan stormed to the capital, where the king smirked.

"Marry Vermonte? You're joking?"

"Perfect timing. Since you're here, head straight to Valmond for the wedding and return to your domain in one go. Duke."

Calling him "Duke" instead of "Kaiyan" signaled no favors for their personal bond.

"I shall humbly accept your will, Your Majesty."

Fuming at the line drawn, Kaiyan bowed curtly and rode to Valmond Castle.

Yet the cousin who'd thrust him into married life remained unwed.

"What does he know about marriage?"

Kaiyan figured if his cousin knew the torment it brought, he wouldn't have commanded it without a hint of warning.

He agonized constantly.

No clue how to mend the awkwardness with Clodel.

Meanwhile, his body—freed from abstinence—yearned to hold her, howling.

Nights, lying in bed, he'd impulsively go to her door, then retreat, wondering how to explain such a late visit.

He'd repeated this folly countless times.

"Did you know, Your Majesty? How hard marital relations are."

As Kaiyan muttered irritably into the air and turned back to piled domain work,

the butler entered the study and reported.

"My lord. What shall we do about this year's hunt?"

"Hunt?"

"Yes. It's the Crocodile Hunt, held every three years."

"Ah. Already?"

"I've drafted the guest list. Please review."

Curating the list was the lady of the castle's duty.

Kaiyan's eyes gleamed as he looked at it.

"Clodel should see this. Right away."