If You Wish For A Married Couple’s Duties - Episode 101

The princess seemed rather familiar with hiding her feelings.

‘Leonhart was right.’

In Dooha’s opinion, someone like her was more suited for the emperor’s position.

A person with such a firm and solid will, without being marred by any flaws.

Dooha slowly opened her mouth.

“I have a question.”

“Speak your mind.”

“Why did Your Highness want to meet me separately?”

Julia pointed at her temples with her fingertips while her lips curved upwards.

“Didn’t I mention this before? I’ve heard a lot about you from the Duke of Esbaden. Every time he sent a letter, he boasted about his wife.”

“…Boasted?”

“Yes. Who knew that a man that was like a frost giant would become such an unstoppable good-for-nothing.”

Julia shook her head slightly, like she was speechless.

Dooha’s face turned red with embarrassment.

What on earth did he say to the princess, that she’d call him a good-for-nothing?

“In particular, I heard all about your performance at Tochern Castle. That it’s all thanks to his wife that he caught a group of people that’s distributing prohibited drugs in the duchy.”

Intelligent eyes that shone faintly like the sunset stared at Dooha.

‘She’s definitely beautiful enough to put the rumours of being an ugly woman to shame.’

She’s a duchess that’s born as a princess from the Kingdom of Bashal.

A woman that’s capable of archery on horseback and subjugating monsters.

‘Brimming with talent.’

Someone that’s willing to throw herself into life-or-death situations for the sake of her own people.

‘A strong-willed woman.’

To Julia, she was a talent that she coveted greatly.

On the other hand, Dooha averted her gaze and shook her head, at a loss as to what she should do when faced with blatant praise.

“I was just lucky. It’s not like I’d achieved it by myself.”

“You’re so humble that I would also want to brag about you everywhere if I had a spouse like you.”

Julia smiled, before sighing deeply.

“Really, the duke’s name was almost blackened because of the incident with my pathetic brother.”

As expected of the heir to the throne that had the duke’s support, she knew about everything.

Even the fact that the Devil’s Nap was brought into the duchy by Justin.

“I feel so abashed that I can’t raise my face before you both.”

“It’s not Your Highness’s fault, so please don’t blame yourself.”

Julia continued in a calm tone.

“Additionally, thanks to you both, I found evidence proving my brother’s crime. So I do owe the both of you a debt.”

“I haven’t done anything extraordinary, so what do you mean, debt? Please don’t say that.”

“No, it’s a debt. And I’m not the type to remain indebted to others.”

The princess tapped slowly on her armrest with her long fingers.

“Duchess, I have an excellent eye for people. That’s why I brought the Duke of Esbaden onto my side first.”

If someone else said it, it might’ve been seen as a remark out of excessive self-confidence, but it sounded like a conviction with grounds to Dooha when it was spoken by the princess.

“But I need another talented person, who’s smart and strong, and appears beautiful and weak on the surface, which others don’t know about.”

Julia smiled at Dooha, who was still speechless.

“For example, someone that would think of taking out prescription records through a method that the emperor wouldn’t spare a glance for.”

With a teacup in hand, Dooha stiffened in place.

It definitely seems like the saying that ‘the walls of the imperial castle have ears’ wasn’t wrong.

This could be seen from how the princess knew about the conversation that only Dooha and the duke know.

“There’s nothing to be surprised about. In the first place, I didn’t bring it up to blame the Madam.”

Julia crossed her straightened legs and said.

“That’s why I’m suggesting this. Do you have any thoughts of becoming my hands and feet, like your husband?”

Dooha knew well what it meant to be her hands and feet.

However, why was an imperial princess of an empire asking her, a mere noblewoman, to become her hands and feet?

When her husband, the Duke of Esbaden, has clearly sworn his allegiance to her at that.

“I didn’t expect for Your Highness to think that my loyalty alone was insufficient.”

Before Dooha had the time to answer, someone’s voice cut in.

The two women’s heads turned around reflexively.

“I greet Her Highness, Princess Julia.”

Their gazes reached the place where the Duke, Leonhart, stood.

For some reason, irritation could be seen between his profound brows.

“Welcome, Duke. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you in person.”

Julia smiled as she spoke, as though she knew that Leonhart would come here.

While a light whistle, a chair a distance away slid over to Dooha’s side.

“Your seat has been readied, so do take a seat.”

“I didn’t know your health had recovered to the point where you could use up so much mana.”

Leonhart approached Dooha before she knew it and stood there with a frown.

It didn’t seem like he had any intention of taking a seat in the chair that the princess had granted him.

“Oh, my, are you offended?”

Julia blinked with an innocent-looking face.

“Were you that upset that I’d chatted jovially with the Duchess in your absence?”

“Your Highness.”

“Gosh, you people. Can’t you take a joke?”

When Leonhart’s face remained serious, the princess clicked her tongue.

“I was just curious as to what kind of woman the Duke’s wife was, since you kept bragging about her. Aren’t you well aware that I’m the kind of person that can’t suppress my curiosity?”

“I’m sure Your Highness knows that I’m not a tactless person.”

He continued while gripping the back of the chair that Dooha was sitting on.

“If my loyalty is insufficient, I will endeavour myself. As such, I’d deeply appreciate it if you could refrain from paying too much attention to my wife.”

His tone was polite, but what he said was rude.

It was no different from blatantly telling the princess to mind her own business.

But Julia didn’t seem to pay it any mind as she shrugged.

“Don’t say such saddening things. I didn’t mean that the Duke’s loyalty to me was lacking.”

Rather, the Duke of Esbaden’s loyalty to the princess was burdensome.

Not long ago, didn’t he dedicate an entire block of newly discovered mana stone to her as a birthday celebration in advance.

When a large rock was sent to the princess’s palace out of the blue, she was rather bewildered, but she’d never dreamed that the entire rock was a mana stone.

“However, I was just finding it a waste to let such an outstanding talent like the Duchess to go to waste in the position of a castle’s mistress.”

“That isn’t the only thing she’s responsible for while handling the border region, where monsters appear daily.”

“I thought there wouldn’t be a noblewoman that wouldn’t dislike the princess’s favour.”

Julia gave Dooha, who was sitting silently, a subtle glance.

It was a provocation that was prodding for her opinion, regardless of the Duke’s presence.

However, Leonhart wasn’t the kind of person that would stand by and watch indifferently.

“My wife isn’t naive enough to be unaware of the fact that favouritism comes at a price, Your Highness.”

There are still many aristocratic young ladies that worked for the only princess of the empire.

They all had outstanding beauty and knowledge, and thanks to the princess’s favour, most aristocratic men couldn’t treat them recklessly.

However, in order to receive such treatment, there were conditions that they must abide by.

The condition was that they had to live in the princess’s palace, and without the princess’s permission, they couldn’t return to their families.

Additionally, they were the first ones to be suspected and held responsible if anything happened to the princess, so it was an honorary position and one of a sacrificial lamb.

“Additionally, my wife was a princess of Bashal before she became a duchess. How can someone that’s like a state guest that came over for an alliance…”

“Alright, fine. I can see how much you love the Madam. That’s enough.”

Finally, Julia raised her hands like she’s lost.

“If anyone else hears this, they’ll think I’m preying on the Duchess.”

“I wouldn’t dare to, Your Highness.”

“Don’t say things that you don’t mean.”

She pushed her wavy hair backwards.

“If you didn’t dare to, you wouldn’t have answered me instead of the Duchess just now. It’s not like you didn’t know that when the Imperial family asks a question, only the mentioned person can speak.”

“…I beg your pardon.”

“Enough of that.”

Julia turned towards the Duchess.

“It seems like my proposal wouldn’t be accepted, since your husband is this protective of you.”

Still, there’s nothing to feel regret about from the princess’s point of view.

After all, the duke, who was known as the empire’s strongest knight, was on her side, and as long as the duke had sworn his loyalty, Dooha was no better than a chess piece of hers.

If she needed Dooha’s help, she could demand it.

Such was the position of an imperial princess.

“Then, let’s talk about something else. I’m sure you’re quite curious about this.”

Julia changed the subject naturally.

She reached inside the robe she was wearing and pulled out a thick bundle of papers.

“It’s a relief that the Duchess and I had the same thought.”

The thing that the princess tossed onto the table was the imperial physician’s prescription records.