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The heat transmitted from the fingertips he held with Iris was surprisingly warm. Rahan realized for the first time that his heart could beat this violently.
However, there were things weighing on his mind.
‘Rahan?’
Iris on the grass, calling him by his name.
People often compare a beautiful or lovely woman to a princess. This is true even if the emotion isn't sexual. Even the daughter of a commoner is often called a princess within her own home.
Rahan, who had only seen women like Grand Duke Yvette Lacheize and Riet, had never empathized with such an expression. But Rahan realized the reason upon seeing Iris a moment ago.
She was the most precious and lovely woman in the world. Someone who wouldn't have enough even if she enjoyed only the finest things.
And that was actually the case. Being the primary heir of the Achen Ducal House meant she enjoyed a status comparable to that of a princess.
So, for heaven's sake.
What was he doing right now?
Thinking of Iris half-naked on the dirt—which was only 'grassy' in name but filthy in reality—Rahan's mind turned cold.
There were words he had said the day he first met Iris. That he didn't want to steal a first night from a woman he'd just met like a highwayman.
But then, what about himself, stripping a woman who deserved to be treated with the utmost care in the open air?
Of course, that situation wasn't created solely by Rahan's will. Iris had wanted him as well.
The world was full of thugs who forced themselves on women and lied that 'the partner wanted it too,' but this was a different case. Moreover, the world believed the two had already spent their first night.
‘The married life won't be long. The claim that he kidnapped her to marry her is just a pretext. A short while will suffice.’
Grand Duke Yvette Lacheize had said that regarding this marriage she had arranged.
A short married life. But thinking about it, there are plenty of people who live as a couple without any problems even for a short period.
While political marriages usually assume a lifetime, there are many cases that assume a short period because people's circumstances are complex.
Therefore, in the current situation, there was nothing to be concerned about.
Then why was Rahan hesitating?
‘Iris! How dare you speak so insolently! Have you forgotten your manners just because you married the child of a demon!’
Priest Vera's words, which had been ringing in his ears since last night.
It wasn't simply a matter of embracing a daughter of a noble house, a woman who deserved good treatment, in a wretched place.
Something far more fundamental was choking Rahan's insides.
“Iris.”
“Yes?”
They were suddenly in front of the small cabin.
As a goat bleated as if welcoming them, Rahan called her.
Iris stopped abruptly and turned to look at him. Her hair, disheveled and drenched under the sunlight, and her flushed cheeks. She looked a mess, but she was as lovely as an early summer fairy.
Thus, Rahan could not bring himself to ask.
If you find out that I am, in fact, a very bad bastard, will you regret it?
It was pure coincidence that he saw a pink axolotl lazily yawning and climbing up the wall over Iris's shoulder. But it was enough to completely cool Rahan's head.
Rahan put strength into his eyes, then shook his head.
“Nothing. Go inside and change your clothes first.”
“We could go in together….”
“I’ll light the fire.”
Having declared this, Rahan walked toward the backyard. Iris did not follow. Instead, a small sigh was heard, followed by the sound of a door opening and closing.
“Damn it.”
Rahan sat on the chopping block in the backyard and ruffled his wet hair. He wasn't unaware of what emotion was tormenting him now. But facing it was a different matter.
Thus, Rahan decided to rationalize it as being swayed by lust.
It wasn't difficult. The feelings he harbored for a small lady he had known for less than a month couldn't possibly be something decent.
‘I don't know nothing. Auntie Laura told me everything.’
The lovely cheeks as she approached while saying that. The soft and plump body pressing against his chest. The flushed skin, the soft fingertips. The breath and warm flesh that intertwined with the tip of his tongue.
“…Am I crazy?”
The back of his neck grew hot involuntarily. Rahan covered his face with his bare hands.
An incomplete marriage that would eventually have to split. He hadn't thought much of it when he first came to Wind Rock Monastery, but he felt strange seeing himself so swayed by a woman in just a few days.
Rahan ruffled his hair again, stood up, and walked clumsily. Hot springs my ass. It seemed he needed to go to the stream and pour cold water over himself.
It was then.
<Shall I give it to youuu?>
Rahan flinched and looked down at his shoulder. There, the axolotl had somehow crawled from the cabin onto Rahan's shoulder. The pink axolotl narrowed its pitch-black eyes.
Its voice was not audible to the outside. It was a child's voice that only Rahan could hear. It sounded like a girl, or perhaps a boy. It was, of course, extremely innocent.
<If it's an incomplete marriageee. Can't you just make it completeee?>
Clunk, Rahan's movement stopped.
This was proof that the creature was far from innocent; it was something that had crawled up from the very bottom of hell. The axolotl spoke as if it had looked into Rahan's heart.
A complete marriage.
To the current Rahan, it was excessively tempting. Just like the day this axolotl had first clung to Rahan.
<Think about the reason why Eridrahan gave humans desireee. Youuu, even if you pretend otherwise, are indeed his creationnn.>
“Shut up.”
Rahan gritted his teeth and shouted. But the axolotl flicked its tongue and laughed.
<You want it, don't youuu?>
A red light flickered vividly within the pitch-black pupils.
<How about being honesttt?>
“I told you to shut up.”
The axolotl, which until recently could barely speak and only uttered a few scattered words, was now whispering fairly plausible sentences, albeit slowly.
Damn it, Riet!
Rahan resented his subordinate who had brought this cursed creature here without knowing anything.
Regardless, the axolotl continued to whisper.
<If it looks good to meee, it looks good to others toooo. If you keep holding back like thattt. You'll end up losing it to someone elseee. Look at meee, who lost my physical body to my minionsnn.>
He couldn't stand it anymore. Rahan roughly grabbed the axolotl on his shoulder and flung it to the ground. The axolotl made a hacking sound, but he didn't care.
A filthy monster that crawled out of the Underworld, how dare it.
The axolotl's eyes flashed once more as it watched Rahan's back disappear with rough strides.
<Silly. Knowing nothing at allll. You'll regret ittt.>
It felt as if the sound of laughter was echoing from somewhere.
* * *
Meanwhile, in the capital of the Foldenbach Empire.
Being an Emperor is an incredibly demanding profession, yet it is not a position where one can freely enjoy the authority of being above ten thousand people, as others might imagine.
Even while commanding seven Electors, one must constantly walk a tightrope between them and calculate which Elector will take their side.
Of course, the current Emperor was relatively better off. This was because one of the seven Electors was his own daughter. At the very least, one person was on his side.
However, he couldn't trust her completely; the fact that his daughter was fighting with his son for the throne was enough to drive him mad.
“Your Majesty. Please look into the affairs of House Achen.”
Elio Foldenbach.
The third son of the current Emperor was pleading before him.
Blonde hair and blue eyes. With his tall stature, masculine impression, and a temperament famous for its boldness, he looked, at a glance, as if he were born with the qualities of a ruler.
For the record, he looked nothing like Grand Duke Yvette Lacheize. Was it only the appearance? Prince Elio and Grand Duke Yvette had been on such bad terms since childhood that they were described as being like cats and dogs.
Yvette, the Emperor's second daughter, had inherited the title of Grand Duke Lacheize, changing from Yvette Foldenbach to Yvette Lacheize. When the Emperor asked for her thoughts at the time, she had replied, ‘I am glad that there is one less thing I have to share with that brat Elio.’
When Prince Elio was born, Grand Duke Lacheize was sixteen. To put it with some exaggeration, it wouldn't have been strange if Prince Elio were the Grand Duke's son.
Thus, people often spoke of Grand Duke Lacheize as being truly cold-hearted for avoiding Prince Elio during his childhood.
But looking back now, Yvette Lacheize's eyes were not wrong. More than the first prince who had died, it was Prince Elio who was a far greater obstacle to the Grand Duke seizing the throne.
The Emperor replied irritably.
“Why is the Prince pleading for the affairs of House Achen instead of Duke Herbert Achen speaking for himself? Especially since the family matter has already been settled.”
Indeed. It was only last night that Duke Herbert Achen had rushed to the imperial capital. And it was only a moment ago that he had burst in, putting Prince Elio forward.
The elderly Herbert bowed his head behind the Prince, murmuring apologetically.
“It is because the Achen Ducal House has committed a great wrong by troubling Your Majesty. I simply did not have the face to see Your Majesty.”
It was absurd.
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