Chapter 50

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 50

Chapter Title: The Husband's Duty

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Erna spread out a fresh sheet of stationery where she had cleared away the ink-stained letter. The golden wolf emblem of the grand ducal family, engraved at the top, glittered brilliantly in the sunlight. Her constant mistakes were probably due to the pressure that single line brought.

Erna adjusted her quill, steadied her breath, and began writing the letter again.

To Pavel.

The neat handwriting, pressed firmly into the crisp white paper, began filling it line by line.

Mrs. Fitz had told her it was proper etiquette for a noble lady to send thank-you notes to the royals who had attended the wedding. Thanks to that, Erna had spent the past few days writing letters until her wrist throbbed. They were all unfamiliar names, but with Mrs. Fitz's help, she had managed to finish without a single error.

Only after fulfilling her duties as Grand Duchess did Erna finally have time to write to her family. Her grandmother, the Baden family, and Pavel. She had no intention of sending even a single line to the Hardy family, no matter how sternly Mrs. Fitz scolded her.

"Your Highness!"

Just as she finished folding the letter to seal it, Lisa called out.

Lisa hurried to the desk and quickly dripped molten wax onto the envelope. Her eyes sparkled with anticipation, rivaling the brilliant chandelier lights in the drawing room.

Erna smiled faintly and pressed the seal from the corner of the desk firmly into the red wax Lisa had melted. Lisa inspected the clearly imprinted royal crest from every angle, then clapped her hands delightedly.

"It's splendid. You look every bit the Grand Duchess."

Erna chuckled awkwardly at the applause for merely stamping a seal, then tidied the desk. She wiped every corner meticulously, leaving not a single speck, and arranged the quill and inkwell neatly.

Mine, yet it doesn't feel like mine.

Everything given to her felt daunting because of that, and precious for the same reason. Wanting to keep it all flawless and ever-shining made her naturally cautious in everything.

"Um, Your Highness. Isn't this the gentleman we met back then?"

Lisa's eyes narrowed as she gathered the letters to send. Pavel Roer. It was definitely him. The handsome painter from the Royal Academy whom she would have matched with her lady by any means if only he had a noble title.

"Yes. That's right. Pavel."

"Ah... I see."

Lisa deflated at Erna's casual response.

Of course. Their relationship was close, but not overly so.

It was just a letter written as if to family, so she didn't want to meddle and disturb Erna's feelings. It was merely a thank-you note, after all.

"Oh, right! The items arrived!"

Remembering the main reason she had rushed here, Lisa grabbed Erna's hand with a beaming smile.

"Items?"

"Yes! Things for the honeymoon! You won't believe how lovely they are. Come see!"

Unable to resist Lisa's urging, Erna rose from her desk.

Mrs. Fitz was handling all the honeymoon preparations, so Erna hadn't even known about these new orders. With so much already piled up, she wondered curiously what more could be needed.

"Look! Aren't they gorgeous?"

Lisa led Erna to the bedroom and dramatically gestured to the pile of gifts on the carpet. New hats, shoes, dresses, even trunks to hold them. Beautiful items awaited her in bewildering abundance.

"No matter which country we visit, our Grand Duchess will be the most beautiful. I'll make sure of it. You can look forward to it—I've been learning so diligently from Mrs. Fitz lately!"

Lisa chattered excitedly, draping various items over the dazed Erna.

Thanks to becoming the Grand Duchess's attendant maid, Lisa was joining the honeymoon. The day she first heard the news, she had been too thrilled to sleep.

It seemed unreliable to entrust such an important role to a novice maid, but fortunately, Mrs. Fitz hadn't objected. Instead, she urged Lisa to learn and practice her best so as not to disgrace Her Highness, and Lisa gladly accepted. She was working so hard she dreamed every night of dressing Her Highness.

"They suit you perfectly. Mrs. Fitz has such impeccable taste."

Every item Mrs. Fitz had painstakingly selected fit Erna beautifully. Lisa especially liked how they exuded elegance, unlike the garish excess the Viscountess Hardy had imposed.

"Aren't you pleased, Your Highness?"

Lisa tilted her head, studying Erna's blank expression. Perhaps there wasn't enough lace or frills for her taste? Just as worry crept in, Erna shook her head slightly.

"No, it's not that..."

Erna eyed the dazzling pile before her with slightly fearful eyes. Thinking it all came from Biern made her heart heavy.

The Baden estate. And the Hardy debts.

All she had given him were mountains of debt, yet she kept receiving far more than she deserved.

"Well, of course. You must be troubled. Of all places, the first destination is Lars."

Misinterpreting the prolonged silence, Lisa sighed deeply.

"His Highness the Grand Duke should think of you more. Does he really have to go to the crown princess's country for the honeymoon?"

"I'm fine, Lisa."

Erna smiled as she removed the hat Lisa had placed on her.

Going to Princess Gladys's country for their honeymoon felt uneasy, but there must be good reasons. This journey wasn't just a sweet trip for newlyweds.

"Don't worry. I'll make you the prettiest in the world, far beyond Princess Gladys. No comparison!"

Lisa renewed her resolve and seized Erna's hand. Just then, Mrs. Fitz entered, nearly stopping Lisa's heart.

She shot a brief sharp glance at the imprudent maid, then composed herself and faced Erna.

"A guest has arrived, Your Highness."

"A guest? Ah, yes."

Erna belatedly recalled the schedule Mrs. Fitz had mentioned that morning. A royal tutor was visiting, though she hadn't heard what she would learn.

Erna straightened her attire and met Mrs. Fitz with a gentle smile.

"Yes. I'll go now."

The meeting, which ran longer than scheduled, left the study in deep silence.

The bank directors, exhausted from the near-combative debate, silently sipped their cold tea. Biern, looking somewhat weary himself, lit a cigar.

The fatigue from his relentless schedule had grown quite heavy. Days spent shuttling between the palace and council—it reminded him of his crown prince days.

I'll deposit my personal savings in your bank.

It was a bothersome affair he never would have agreed to without his father's bold condition.

His Majesty is truly cunning.

A light chuckle escaped at his awe for his father, who had dangled an irresistible bait.

It was a substantial sum, but the symbolism of managing the king's deposits outweighed it—especially now, with banks fiercely competing amid the booming capital markets. Though it felt like his father would extract more than just the bait.

"Then, proceed with the merger as agreed today."

Biern stubbed out his half-smoked cigar and ended the meeting curtly.

Choosing Lars as their first destination was politically motivated, but it also served a key purpose for the bank: acquiring a shaky commercial bank there.

The directors, who had waited anxiously fearing a longer meeting, rose with relieved faces.

As they hurriedly left the study, Biern slouched half-reclined in his chair and closed his eyes. At this point, he almost wanted to depart soon. At least on the ship, he could relax.

I wonder if the Grand Duchess has finished her preparations.

His wife's face suddenly came to mind. Then, lively greetings drifted from beyond the study door. "Your Highness." The directors' tones shifted as they addressed her—she must have run into Erna.

Biern rubbed his stiff neck and turned toward the noise. Moments later, Erna entered the study, hurrying with quick steps that seemed quite urgent.

"Could you spare a moment to talk with me?"

Erna stood by his chair and asked. Her tone was more agitated than usual.

Biern nodded and sat up straight. Erna hesitated briefly before demurely taking the seat across the reception table.

"Tell me what's on your mind, Erna."

Biern spoke slowly, glancing at her intricately braided and coiled hair. The hellhound maid's skills were improving noticeably day by day.

"I heard you ordered her to teach me those things."

After repeated deep breaths, her blunt words emerged.

"Ah. That."

Biern nodded nonchalantly and picked up a glass from the table. Erna turned her head slightly, rubbing her flushed cheeks several times before facing him again. It seemed she hadn't learned well.

"Is it because I'm so clumsy and ignorant that you haven't come?"

"Haven't come?"

"You haven't come to my bedroom. Not once since that night."

Erna twisted the hem of her dress and asked in a trembling voice. Her childlike behavior added to his fatigue, erasing even his conscious smile.

"Once you understand that, shouldn't you fulfill your role in your proper place, not here?"

Biern murmured lowly, like a sigh.

The biggest reason he hadn't visited her bedroom since their wedding night was sheer busyness. For days, his schedule kept him from even returning home. Of course, it wasn't entirely unrelated to what Erna said.

Her body had brought great pleasure, but he didn't want the hassle of dealing with an ignorant woman again. He could visit once she was prepared to properly fulfill her wifely duties. Besides, Erna wouldn't be waiting. Her tear-swollen eyes, the bloodstains, her trembling little body—remembering that night confirmed it.

"I know I'm... lacking in that regard."

Erna, staring at her pale clenched hands, finally spoke after a long pause.

"I realize now that I came to this marriage ignorant of things I should have learned. I'm truly sorry for that."

Erna held her breath, recalling the dizzying lesson just moments ago.

Mrs. Peg, who had taught royal women bedroom matters, was dignified and kind. Erna understood her patient explanations of why such knowledge was necessary. But as the embarrassing details began, her mind went blank. Unable to endure, she had stopped the lesson and come straight to Biern.

"I'll learn. If it's part of my role, I won't shirk the responsibility. But..."

Erna paused, catching her breath.

"But I don't want anyone else. If it must be done, teach me yourself, Biern."

"...What?"

Biern echoed in disbelief, feeling as if drunk without drinking. His mind reeled from the absurdity, but Erna continued earnestly, word for word.

"You teach me. You're my husband."