If You Wish For A Married Couple’s Duties - Episode 99

This is a disaster.

Dooha bit on her lip lightly.

‘There’s only one exit.’

She frowned as she looked at the greenhouse door that Justin’s herd was blocking.

The greenhouse had to be made entirely out of glass, making it impossible for her to sneak out unless she broke a window.

‘How the hell did he find out…’

Isn’t this timing a little too perfect to be called a coincidence?

It has been an hour since she mentioned that she wanted to visit the Emperor’s greenhouse.

That news has already reached Justin’s ears?

‘Did he plant someone in the Imperial Palace?’

Although there were many sets of ears in the imperial castle, it’s rather suspicious how news travelled so quickly.

‘Rather than that, thinking of a way to get out of here is much more pressing.’

Dooha gritted her teeth as she recalled the duke’s words.

No matter what happens, the fourth prince must not discover traces of her here.

However…

“Duchess of Esbaden, I know that you’re here!”

Justin shouted so loudly that the entire greenhouse heard his voice.

“It’s been a while since we’ve last met, so why don’t we greet each other face to face?”

‘If you were me, would you want to greet someone that has nothing better to do like you?’

Dooha, who was hiding in the bushes, rolled her eyes at this absurdity.

“You’d better show yourself while I’m asking nicely. I don’t know why you insisted on visiting the greenhouse…”

Dooha’s shoulders trembled faintly at the prince’s words, like she was shaken.

“Unlike where you live, as the prince, my words are the law in this place. If you don’t want to get in trouble, just show yourself obediently.”

Even if she was the Duchess of Esbaden, dealing with her without anyone knowing was a simple matter for him, a prince.

It’s because this was none other than the imperial castle.

Justin bared his teeth as he slowly glanced around the greenhouse that was still quiet.

“Even after giving you a chance, you don’t know how to accept it.”

The prince gave the knights standing behind him a gesture quietly.

As soon as their master gave his orders, they began searching the greenhouse like hounds.

The blood in Dooha’s face disappeared when the loud clanging of the sword at their waist and their armour resonated everywhere.

With this, it’s only a matter of time before she was caught.

Just as she was considering the option of breaking the glass and escaping immediately.

“It’s so unbearably loud.”

A sonorous voice echoed from within the greenhouse.

The overly relaxed manner of speech, which didn’t match her voice, gave others an odd feeling.

Meanwhile, the knights that were running about to locate Dooha stopped in their positions tensely.

Justin, who had been aggressive until a moment ago, also seemed to be flustered and frowned with gritted teeth.

‘Who is that?’

Dooha peered out from the bushes to look at the main character that could make the little rascal of a prince still with just a voice.

“I’ve warned you several times before, that you shouldn’t make a fuss and run around in the greenhouse, Justin.”

It was a woman that’s taller than most men.

Although her straight limbs were rather thin and bony, they seemed as strong and flexible as willow branches.

Despite her pale countenance, she didn’t give a fragile impression due to the rich red hair that framed both sides of her face.

Rather, she was wearing a golden robe, and gave off an elegant and noble atmosphere that was akin to a queen.

Justin lowered his gaze before the reddish-brown eyes that were staring at him.

“…I didn’t know that you were here, Sister.”

“I also didn’t expect that you’d  know you’d burst in here without a sound.”

Dooha’s eyes widened as she listened to their conversation.

‘If he’s calling her Sister, could she be Princess Julia?’

Julia von Bentrum, the Empire’s first princess, and the first in line to the throne

The great person that Justin, the fourth prince, would Sister was her.

* * *

“Alright, what brings you to the medicinal greenhouse, when you’re full of vigour and vitality, and doesn’t require an imperial physician?”

“…There’s someone I’m looking for, so I came here.”

“Looking for someone?”

The princess, Julia, put a hand on her temple and soon let out an exclamation.

“Oh, you said that you’re looking for the Duchess of Esbaden. Why are you looking for her?”

Instead of responding, Justin made a reluctant expression.

He especially hated Julia, his older sister from a different mother.

To be more precise, he was reluctant to deal with her.

It’s because Julia was an eccentric person.

Unlike their other siblings, her internal thoughts couldn’t be fathomed from an early age, and unlike his other female siblings, who scrambled to hide their talents, she wielded her natural talent in magic to her heart’s content.

‘What an unlucky woman.’

On top of that, Julia was rather hypocritical.

She wasn’t even interested in the throne when she was young, but now she said that she wanted to be the emperor, and expanded her power, which was maddening for Justin.

He’d thought that he could easily ascend the throne after taking care of all those male siblings, but he was delayed now.

‘Weren’t the imperial physicians called to the first princess’s palace a while ago? What was she doing here?’

Justin gritted his teeth internally.

The first princess was often ill, to the point where the imperial physicians were rumoured to go for work in the first princess’s palace and not at the imperial clinic.

He’d thought that he’d gotten a great opportunity today, because the head physician was called to the first princess’s palace.

He didn’t find the supposedly present Duchess of Esbaden, but the first princess that should have been lying in her palace instead.

It was unimaginable.

“Justin, when your sister is asking you a question, you should respond immediately.”

“…Must I tell Sister the reason?”

“As the days go by, the only thing that’s restored is your mouth. I’ve taught you not to talk back to me for years, but you keep forgetting each time. Will you only come back to your senses when one of your arms is broken again?”

Her words caused Justin’s face to flush.

It’s because he recalled something that he wanted to forget.

One day, when he broke the wings of the canary that his sister cherished intentionally, Julia used magic to completely break her younger brother’s arm without any hesitation.

After that day, Justin would shiver at the sight of a bird.

Justin shouted with a red face when his past disgrace was revealed in front of his knights.

“Till when will you continue thinking of me as a child? Such a small threat…….”

“Even after teaching you, it always seems like you’re incapable of listening, so could it be that a fly entered your ear and your brain was completely devoured by maggots?”

After nonchalantly mentioning things that sounded terrible, Julia made an annoyed expression.

“Yes, I didn’t ask because I was curious about your reason.”

“Hah? What do you want to do with me…”

“However, from now on, I’m going to get rid of everything that interferes with my rest.”

She was still speaking in a languid tone, but a threat was hidden within her words.

It was a threat that she’d use her skills if they didn’t leave immediately.

“I’ll return immediately after finding the person I’m looking for.”

“I’m the only person in this greenhouse, so who the hell are you looking for?”

“That can’t be true. I heard that she’s already here.”

Julia tilted her head while staring at him.

“So you’re saying that I’m lying, Justin?”

“It’s not that…”

“How can that not be the case? Whether I’m telling the truth or I’m lying, haven’t you always wanted to make me into a liar?”

“Are you trying to get into an argument with me now?”

“I think you’re the one that wants to argue with me.”

“Why must you hinder me like this, when I’ve said that I’ll leave once I’ve found the person I’ve been looking for?”

“What do you mean, hinder you? I came here first, and I was resting here first. Am I really the one that’s interrupting you?”

Justin clenched his fist at her attitude, which showed that she’d never back down.

As Julia watched that occur, she suddenly began walking towards him slowly.

Justin gave his sister, who was about to brush against his nose, a wary look.

He didn’t understand why she was suddenly approaching him when she hated physical contact with others.

“Oh, my foolish and shameful brother.”

Julia whispered in a small voice that only he could hear.

“Even if the noble lady that you’re looking for is here, do you think I’ll obediently hand her over to you? To the guy who beat two of his wives to death just because he’s dissatisfied?”

“…What?”

“Unlike you, I’m someone that values the imperial family’s honour. I won’t let you cause such a controversy again, and when you do cause a controversy, I won’t help to cover it up.”

Justin’s pupils shook at her merciless words.

The fact that he killed his wives was only known by his father, the emperor, so how did his older sister know about this?

“How did you…”

“Is how I found out that important? What’s important is that I have a handle on your disgrace, and no matter how much support you have from the central aristocracy, I still have the right to treat you as I please.”

With a slight smile, Julia took a few steps back.

She pushed her flowing hair back gracefully with her long and thin fingers.

“Now then, I’ll forget the disrespect that you’ve committed towards me today if you go back right now. I’ll also keep the fact that you came here with fully armed knights a secret. What will you do?”

Justin, who was standing in place like he was rooted to the spot, did not respond.

However, his balled fist was further tightened.

“…I’ll go.”

In the end, an order to retreat left his mouth.

In the end, the first princess, Julia, was the one that emerged victorious again this time.

“As your sister, I’m relieved that you’ve become a little smarter. Goodbye, Brother.”

Julia gave a friendly wave to her brother’s retreating back, as he left the greenhouse huffing.

And when the prince’s entire party disappeared, she opened her mouth again.

“You can come out now, Duchess of Esbaden.”

* * *