Duke Ashillean’s Contractual Marriage - Chapter 22

Chapter 22

‘Come to think of it, Young Lady Odill was quiet.’

Rubiana looked towards where Lisana was standing. She disappeared. In the midst of the noisy frenzy, she must have quietly left her position. Rubiana applauded in her heart for her judgment. She was a wise woman, she felt sorry for comparing her with Count Graham.

If you’re going to commit treason, you should collude with someone you can trust. Why does it have to be Count Graham…?

‘Ah, the tyrant’s bloodline.’

Rubiana realized the value of the beauty beside her. Louismond was the only bloodline of the tyrant in the world – the only key for those who dream of rebuilding the old kingdom Aden. As Count Graham had said, Louismond was his most valuable possession.

‘But still, he is his grandson so isn’t treating him like his property too much?’

Rubiana looked down at Count Graham with cold eyes. Count Graham’s face flushed with a look of anger and resentment. Looking at him, he seemed like she could use him as a target. Rubiana had no reason to look at him as a human being when Count Graham didn’t see Louismond as a person himself.

Rubiana inadvertently reached out her hand behind her.

‘Ah, no.’

She sighed and lowered her hand regretfully when she grabbed nothing. She always carried a bow when she was in the North, so her habit was still there and felt a little in vain.

Instead, Rubiana let out a short whistle. As soon as the sound spread on the air, arrow rain poured from the broken veranda window. The arrows were scattered right in front of the servants’ feet who stood up. An arrow narrowly passed through Count Graham’s legs.

Hiic. Aaack. The servants rolled on the floor with various screams.

“Urgh!”

Count Graham screamed the loudest. He slumped down and fell on his butt. The arrow that almost turned him into a ghost was stuck in the floor between his legs and trembled.

Rubiana raised and stepped on the arrow. Snap! The arrow snapped into two. The Count flapped as if it was him Rubiana had stepped on.

“I will take your grandson with me, Count Graham. As I said, your grandson is now my husband, so know that and don’t say anything ridiculous.”

Rubiana announced with a bright smile.

‘Ah, was it too much of a bandit?’

The thought came to her late.

“If you have any complaints, you can file a complaint to Duke Feltharg.”

She didn’t forget to add another word.

“…!”

Count Graham’s face turned pale. At the same time, the crotch of his pants started to get wet.

Rubiana took off her feet before the damp water trickled down and touched her shoes. She then took Louismond standing like a barley sack and left the mansion. She didn’t hesitate to show her back to Count Graham and the servants. It didn’t matter if any of them rushed to them with a knife or sprayed poison. She was confident enough to avoid it. But no one dared to. Even if they tried, her subordinates wouldn’t leave her unattended.

Rubiana left the mansion hearing the hiccups on the back of her head. She opened the carriage door and beckoned for Louismond to enter. Gentleman first. Louismond hesitated and didn’t climb into the carriage.

“I, I, hic! Is it, hic, alright?”

You’ve been following me, and now you’re asking.

“What do you mean?”

“My maternal grandfather, kkeup, no, heup, if Count Graham sent a complaint to His Majesty… hic.”

Louismond continued hiccupping and dragging his words. He didn’t know why he was suddenly reminded of the Imperial New Laws he took at the House of Scholars. Though he failed because he didn’t remember anything when he took the exam.

‘Count Graham could accuse you. Your words earlier were right, but the Imperial Law recognizes the customary hereditary succession to property, and the right to protect a private property of the nobles. You might be punished for violating the property rights of other nobles. So please, leave me here now.’

… is something impossible for him to say. Hic. He couldn’t bring himself to say it to her. He was scared that Rubiana would leave him alone if he told her that, asking him, ‘Ah, is that so?’ He didn’t have the nerve to pretend not to know that and climb onto Rubiana’s carriage.

Without being able to do anything, Louismond looked at Rubiana.

“It’s okay.”

Rubiana told Louismond what he wanted to hear the most.

“Is it, hic, is it really okay?”

“I am alright.”

“But… hic.”

“I will take care of everything so you don’t have to worry about anything and just go up.”

Rubiana pointed to the carriage.

Louismond was about to ask her one more time, but hic, he just got onto the carriage because he thought that Rubiana would grow tired of him. She said it’s okay, so it will be okay. Hic.

Rubiana also got into the carriage after him and sat opposite of Louismond. The carriage slowly began to run with its back against Count Graham’s mansion. The carriage shook with the speed of the horses. Hic, hic. Louismond’s hiccups continued.

“Can I help?” Rubiana asked.

“What, hic, do you mean?”

“Stopping your hiccups.”

“Hic.”

Instead of answering, Louismond hiccuped and opened his eyes widely. The easiest way to stop his hiccup was to cover his nose while drinking water, but there was no water bottle inside the carriage. Then there’s only one way – to hug each other and kiss each other passionately. It was the best way Louismond knew.

(T/N: Rubiana and Louismond are really a couple – Rubiana thinking of Louismond’s body while Louismond is thinking of kissing Rubiana to stop his hiccups… not that I am complaining though hahahah)

‘Right now, the first kiss h, here?’

In his past seven lives, especially in the first, he had done it countless times so he doesn’t know if he should say this is his first kiss. Anyhow, this is his first time in this life. Louismond felt embarrassed even though he had memories of his past lives.

“I, I… hic.”

“Oh, I won’t force you if you don’t want it.”

“N, no, hic! I, it’s not that I don’t –”

… want it, is what he was going to say.

Rubiana didn’t wait for his words to finish and suddenly kicked the wall with her feet. Strongly – extremely strongly. The carriage shook with a bang!

“…!”

Louismond thought that the carriage was about to break.

‘What, what is this!’

He unconsciously moved near the carriage door, crouching as far away from Rubiana.

Rubiana didn’t say anything about it. She was rather calm as if she didn’t kick the carriage. Even the box seat outside was also quiet. The only one who was surprised was Louismond. Also,

“It stopped.”

“Yes? What…?”

“Hiccups.”

“Oh….”

The hiccups stopped.

“By any chance, did you try to stop my hiccups?”

“Yes. You said that you didn’t hate it. That usually stops once you’re surprised.”

“….”

I can’t believe I am this ignorant. Louismond was at a loss for words.

“I’m glad it stopped. In the past, one of my subordinates, who used to work well in the North, was eaten by a beast because of hiccups, so I don’t like hiccups very much after that.”

“Yes… I see.”

Louismond was more at a loss for words. Rubiana closed her eyes, folded her arms, as Louismond had now stopped hiccupping. It seemed like she had no intention to talk to him anymore, and Louismond also didn’t dare to strike a conversation first with her.

Louismond leaned his head against the door and looked back on what had just happened. The way Rubiana broke the window still lingers before his eyes.

‘You said you came to save me.’

While saying that I am her husband.

‘We’re not married yet, but husband?’

His face got hot for no reason. But the heat quickly subsided with the awkwardness inside the carriage.

Louismond glanced at Rubiana. She was still in the same position. You said ‘my husband’. That you came to save me. But you didn’t give me another glance when my hiccups stopped. Louismond felt that it was cold of her on one side, but it also made him restless.

‘You’re not going to say that you regretted saving me, right?’

Just thinking about it made his blood go cold. Louismond shook his head vigorously.

‘No, she wouldn’t have saved me in the beginning if that was the case. She wouldn’t even have taken me out of Count Graham’s mansion. She also wouldn’t help me stop my hiccups.’

Louismond clasped the cloak around his shoulder. While Louismond was busy strengthening his trust on Rubiana,

‘Oh, I’m doomed.’

Rubiana was slowly regretting it.

‘I wasn’t supposed to do this.’

It was already spilled water even if she was regretting it now.

‘What should I say to Lena?’

Having made such a commotion, the Emperor must have known everything before she can even come to the Imperial Place tomorrow and confess. Apart from showing off the Emperor’s favor in front of Count Graham, Rubiana became afraid of tomorrow’s sunrise.

‘Sister, what are you doing?’ She will surely say that as her younger sister was smiling brightly and taking her breath away.

‘I am dead.’

I wonder how long I will be nagged again this time. She met Louismond’s eyes as she was thinking about that.

“…”

“…”

I don’t really have anything in particular to say, but I couldn’t turn my head away.

The two looked at each other sharing similar thoughts. Rubiana opened her mouth first.

“I will take you to my mansion for now. I will look at the situation and give you a separate place to stay.”

“Thank you.”

Louismond bowed his head. She then looked at Rubiana with an expression of wanting to say something. Rubiana nodded at him, so Louismond spoke.

“Will it be alright for me to stay at the Duke’s mansion?”

His voice was calm.

Rubiana looked at him again, a little surprised. She smiled slightly when their eyes met and it felt quite different from a while ago. He was surely a mysterious man.

‘Are all men of the capital like this?’

Rubiana had a false prejudice about the man he may be.

‘No matter what the circumstances are, what kind of disgrace am I showing?’

He was trying his best to pretend he was calm, but his ears were burning red with embarrassment. Rubiana, so far, didn’t notice it.

“Do you want to go back?”

“No, not like that.” Louismond replied hurriedly.

“Then you don’t have to go back. Since Sir is already an adult, you can decide your own course of action. Count Graham can not drag you away as he pleases if you don’t want to.”

“But wouldn’t the Duke feel uncomfortable because of me?”

‘Count Graham, my grandfather, wouldn’t stand still – never.’

Louismond swallowed back his words again.

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking that Count Graham can come to my mansion and take you away Sir?” Rubiana asked him with a smile.

He could feel how much she was like Count Graham. He realized that Count Graham was nothing to Duke Ashillean. Louismond was finally at ease.

‘Why didn’t I think of this method before?’

He might not have reached until this eighth life if he had become Rubiana’s husband earlier. With this, he felt the burning desire to not lose Rubiana even more.

‘Let’s make sure that tonight, we will settle the marriage.’

Louismond looked at Rubiana with burning eyes.

‘What, why are you looking at me like that?’

Felt burdened by his eyes, Rubiana gently turned her head away.