If You Wish For A Married Couple’s Duties - Chapter 78

Piii, Piiiiii—

Dooha woke up to the sound of a bird call, heralding the arrival of morning.

She stretched and turned her head, but she didn’t spot Leonhart, who should have been next to her.

The armour and sword that he had unfastened has also disappeared, so it seemed like he had left the cave.

“Ugh.”

Dooha, who rubbed her eyes and tried to get up, curled up with a groan.

Her entire body ached like she was pounded by someone all night long.

In addition, it was as if something was still between her legs, so she felt rather strange.

Dooha blushed when she recalled last night’s incident.

“My wife has a crafty side, too.”

Leonhart, who’d returned back to the cave just then, approached her with his back facing the sun.

“If you blush like that in the morning, doesn’t that mean you’re expecting it?”

What does he mean by expectations?

When Dooha looked at him with a frown, the Duke knelt down in front of her and smiled.

“For things similar to last night.”

“Things similar to last…”

Dooha repeated his words without thinking and suddenly let out a shriek.

“Don’t tease me!”

“I didn’t want to.”

Leonhart chuckled and combed back her badly tangled hair.

“There’s no way I’m going to quit when your reactions are so amusing.”

She became dumbfounded.

Dooha looked at him with a disbelieving gaze.

“…Have you always been like this?”

“I’m not entirely sure.”

A corner of Leonhart’s lip curled upwards.

“You’re the first person I’ve ever wanted to joke around with.”

“What…”

“Anyways, I think it’s about time that we set off.”

He dusted off his seat and got up, indicating outside with a jerk of his chin.

“If we don’t leave the forest today, we’ll have to camp again.”

“I also know that much.”

Dooha replied curtly and tried to stand up from her position.

“Turn around.”

“Why?”

“I’m about to get dressed.”

“I’ve already seen everything there is to see, so what are you saying…”

“If you want to set off quickly, turn around right this instant.”

Despite the discontentment within his gaze, Leonhart turned around obediently.

Dooha only began to wear the clothes she’d disrobed once she saw him turn around.

It wasn’t until she’d picked her bow and quiver when the duke was allowed to look back.

“…It really suits you.”

“What?”

“That outfit and the bow.”

Leonhart carefully examined Dooha’s approaching appearance.

“It really suits you.”

Dooha’s expression changed subtly at the unexpected compliment.

The clothes that she was wearing was a combat outfit that’s worn by men in Bashal.

Although she’d always worn this outfit whenever she competed with her brothers for the position of chieftain, she’d never heard that it looked good on her.

She’d only hear words like ‘do you think you’ll be like a man when you’re wearing a man’s clothes’, or ‘doesn’t she know how to dress up like a girl’.

“…Thank you.”

Dooha briefly thanked him and bowed her head.

She felt moved for no reason.

* * *

“…This.”

Dooha frowned like she couldn’t believe the sight before her.

The side path that led to the campsite was blocked by a large rock.

“Didn’t you say there’s only one path here?”

“I did.”

Dooha sank to the ground unconsciously.

It took them a whole five hours to get here, but their path was blocked.

She couldn’t believe it. No, she didn’t want to believe it.

“What should we do?”

Unlike her, who was frustrated, Leonhart stared at the huge rock in front of them quietly.

He pondered for a moment and suddenly drew his sword.

“What are you going to do?”

“Since the path is blocked, I’ll have to open it up.”

Leonhart swung his sword a few times and lifted up the tip of the sword.

“Stay back for a second.”

In an instant, the duke’s entire body was engulfed in an unusual momentum.

Dooha, who had already fought by his side, quickly stepped back.

Kwang—!

The sound of a huge explosion shook the whole mountain.

It was rather difficult for her to open her eyes because of the foggy dust that flew everywhere.

Dooha covered her face with her arms and then slowly lowered them.

Once again, despair seized her.

Even with a formidable blow, the huge rock that’s blocking the road didn’t budge at all.

No, to be exact, it only had slight scratches.

Meanwhile, Leonhart observed the wide cracks closely and burst out laughing.

Can he really laugh, given the current situation?

Dooha frowned at his baffling response.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Well, I didn’t expect this.”

“What does that mean?”

Instead of responding, Leonhart gestured at her, indicating for her to come closer.

What in the world was it?

Dooha dragged her heavy body and moved closer.

“What’s wrong…”

She followed the duke’s gaze, and soon her mouth fell wide open.

A bright red light was leaking from the cracks in the huge rock.

It gave off a dangerous air that she seemed to have seen somewhere.

“…Could this entire thing be a magic stone?”

“Yes.”

“Goodness.”

The material used to create magic tools, magic stone, was an extremely expensive type of ore.

In the Empire, there were only a few magic stone mines, and other than those possessed by the imperial family, only the Esbaden Duchy owned a small mine.

How would such a huge magic stone manage to roll itself into this spot?

“I don’t know whether I should laugh or cry.”

Leonhart tilted his head.

Magic stones had the property of absorbing or dissipating mana.

That’s why it only cracked a little despite suffering a blow that contained the Duke’s mana.

‘Well, it’ll probably break if I hit it a few more times.’

However, that didn’t mean that he could continue attacking it hastily.

This is because magic stones that have absorbed an excessive amount of mana, would occasionally cause explosions.

Leonhart’s eyes narrowed as he examined the magic stone’s condition.

Upon closer examination, this rock didn’t originate from this place.

‘That means that it came from somewhere else.’

In other words, it’s possible that the entire surrounding area could be a mine that produces magic stones.

Discovering this was akin to discovering a bonanza, but he just couldn’t feel happy.

“I’ll place a vote in crying.”

Dooha seemed to have read his mind, and sighed while leaning against the rock.

“You have to get out of here in order to bring this magic stone to the castle. Is there really no other way?”

“Opening up a path is an option, but that’s probably impossible.”

The forest in this region was large and barely touched by humans, so it wasn’t easy to grasp their geographical location.

Still, this was the only path suitable for humans to traverse upon.

‘I can’t believe this.’

Dooha sighed while looking up at the clear sky.

“What’s that necklace?”

“What?”

“I don’t think that’s Bashal’s thing, given that it gives off subtle mana.”

At Leonhart’s point, Dooha lowered her head.

Something was dangling from its position on her belt.

It was an emerald brooch that reminded her of someone else’s eyes.

‘This is…’

It was given to her by Daniel at Tochern Castle.

Dooha’s eyes widened greatly.

“Ah, ahh—!”

‘Oh, my God! How could you forget about this, you idiot!’

There wasn’t any reaction when she fought with the monster, so she assumed that it was broken and shoved it in her pocket.

She held up her necklace while exclaiming, as though she had discovered a treasure.

Unlike when she was facing the monster alone, she could feel a slight warmth from the necklace.

She could tell based on her intuition.

This was Daniel’s magic.

‘At that time, Daniel was unconscious due to mana exhaustion, and the necklace was cold. That means that right now…’

Dooha raised her head.

She looked at the duke, who was looking at her, unaware of what was happening.

“Leonhart.”

She grasped her husband’s right hand tightly and asked.

“It’s just this once, so don’t be angry.”

“…What does that mean?”

“I’m saying that since the situation progressed like this, it can’t be helped.”

Dooha held Leonhart’s hands tightly and shouted.

“Daniel!”

The moment she chanted the duke’s only cousin’s name.

A scarlet flame burst from the necklace and enveloped them both.

Leonhart, who’d come to understand the situation, couldn’t even argue.

The landscape that surrounded them changed in an instant.

An old but well-decorated bedroom was filled with warmth.

“Madam!”

And in front of them stood Daniel with reddened eyes, like he would burst into tears at any moment.

* * *

In an instant.

Dooha’s eyes widened in an unfamiliar embrace.

A ruby earring dangled before her eyes.

The scent of jasmine brushed against the tip of her nose, as Dooha’s face turned awkward.

“Erm, Daniel.”

“Madam, I’m so glad that you’re safe! I thought something happened to you, and I really, really…”

Tears poured down Daniel’s face as he dared to hug her in front of the duke.

“Daniel, erm, let go of me first…”

Just before Dooha tried to push him away.

Daniel was flung away helplessly like a paper doll at the duke’s rough movements.

“You must have finally become insane.”

Leonhart gritted his teeth and stood in front of Dooha.

Daniel stared at him, who was glaring back, momentarily and slowly opened his mouth.

“…I’m glad that you’re also safe, Duke.”

“Stop saying things that you don’t mean.”

The Duke frowned and he pulled Dooha behind him.

“But why are you alone? Where’s Baron?”

At his question, Daniel’s expression quickly darkened.

“Sir Baron was detained.”

“What, detained?”

A deep frown formed on Leonhart’s forehead at the absurd news that Daniel delivered.

This time, Dooha questioned him in the stead of the shocked Duke.

“What does that mean, Daniel?”

“It’s exactly as you’ve heard, Madam. Lord Baron is detained in Tochern Castle’s dungeon.”

“Who the hell came up with the idea of imprisoning Lord Baron?”

At her question, Daniel lowered his head like he was ashamed.

He sat down on the bed and spoke with a heavy voice after a long moment of hesitation.

“…Count Jive.”

“What nonsense is that? Baron has detained that d*mmed Count. But you’re saying that the Count locked Sir Baron up?”

“Duke.”

Daniel looked at the Duke, who raised his voice, and continued.

“Everyone that was present saw the Duke fall off the cliff. Who are they to obey when the head of the family dies right before their eyes?”

* * *