“Are there any missing items or valuables?”
"No. Nothing."
You didn't clean it?
However, when Kaian turned his gaze, the furniture took on a different shine than usual, as he had seen earlier, and the entire office felt brighter. It seems to sparkle a little bit.
'It was my mood.'
Feeling embarrassed, he quickly took a sip of tea. Suddenly, while looking at the daily schedule given by the butler, his eyes stopped on one place.
“What about budget management? What is this?"
“It’s the New Year, so the hostess should take charge of the housekeeping. You decided to get married in a hurry last year, so you saved something for your wife to use as a reserve fund.”
As the butler spoke, it came to mind.
'Be generous with your budget.'
‘For what? When I kick you out, I just need to give you a few pennies as alimony.'
Kaian snorted his face with a cold face.
'We can't afford a budget that would make Vermont look ridiculous, My Lord.'
'I didn't think of that. Add one more zero at the end. No, two would be nice.'
Before Claudel arrived at the estate, he was enraged by the words of a butler who knew him well, and set aside a grossly excessive amount of money for her housekeeping budget.
There was a budget, but Claudel had no reason to spend it.
She spent several months in bed in the six months between her marriage and spent a considerable amount of time in and out of the capital.
Originally, at the beginning of the new year, it was common to return the remaining budget from the beginning of the year to the family and set a new budget. The hostess brought the budget she had drawn up directly to the Lord's office, reported it, and received approval from the head of the household.
In the process, if money was wasted or it was thought that the budget was not used well as planned, the Lord would reduce the amount, but the circumstances in which a woman wanted to spend money were complex, so if she was found to have siphoned money to improve her personal appearance or to help's family, she would be considered incompetent.
“Did Claudel use anything?”
“As you know, no one goes out of the castle alone, so last year’s budget remains the same.”
"Right."
“Deciding a budget for the year is difficult.”
The butler filled Kaian’s empty teacup.
“A newly married wife does not have to make decisions on her own from the beginning. Since Madame Elise is already dead, there is no one in the castle to give advice. How difficult it must be.”
Kaian was dumbfounded when he saw Baron Colon trying to logically protect Claudel.
'My butler seems to like her quite a bit.'
As a young man, Baron Colon was his father's sword, something that remained in Kaian's memories as a child.
The previous Duke of Temnes had a slim physique, not as strong and tall as Kaian, but in his prime, Baron Colon was a man who had built up muscles and looked strong.
As he got older and lost his muscles due to losing his swordsmanship training, it was hard to associate him with the same person he was back then.
“If there is anything you don’t like, please be generous. It’s normal to have it fixed once or twice.”
However, he knew very well that there was an unbreakable sword planted within the butler. Such a person was constantly nagging the owner, fearing that his wife would get scolded and be discouraged in front of the owner.
“There’s no need to try so hard. I will do as you say.”
When he answered without question, the butler smoothed out the wrinkles on his forehead and walked away.
“I can’t believe Claudel is taking care of Rowen’s household.”
Although she was the mistress of the castle, she didn't have much time to realize it. At the estate festival, she proudly held hands and danced as his wife, but she was the housekeeper and she was the butler.
Kaian took out a bundle of payment vouchers that she had organized on one side of the desk. Last year, long before their marriage was even decided, he took another look at the budget for Rowen Castle that the butler had drawn up.
“This is close to the answer sheet.”
When Kaian went to war, the butler was a man capable of running the estate on his behalf, so there could be no fault with what the butler had planned.
“Do you feel discouraged when compared?”
It was wonderful to even imagine that she would now do something of her own as his wife.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
...When he said this, he was curious about the budget Claudel would bring.
But in the end, the end of his thoughts reached Claudel.
Just thinking about what happened last night felt like his heart was pounding.
“I heard she is eating well these days.”
The doctor said Claudel would vomit if she didn't eat. Morning sickness is not that easy.
Claudel regularly ate five meals a day these days. She ate three meals and had two more snacks.
“Has she gained some weight?”
Claudel was so thin that when she couldn't eat properly due to herzols, the doctor criticized her, saying, 'I didn't know that there was not a single ounce of fat on her body.'
There was a time when he thought it was rewarding to see such a woman eating well and her body, which had been so worn out that it felt like it was hitting her bones, gradually recovering.
Yesterday, seeing his wife's body as he hugged her for the first time in almost a month reminded him of thr peaches that were ready to be harvested. It tempted him with its sweet smell, like a large, ripe egg full of sweet juice beneath the light pink, thin fluff.
Her breasts became more perky, and her small buttocks, which he held in one hand, became soft and fleshy. The afterimage of her that remained in his memory was easily erased by the sensuality that accompanied her inflamed body.
Kaian followed the doctor's instructions closely.
‘Have a good chat with your wife. The only solution is dialogue.'
He tried to have the conversation he had been putting off with Claudel.
The words he wanted to say, the unrefined words of affection that flowed out, melted, and disappeared as they breathed together. Even so, they filled in the gaps in the conversation with gestures that made them feel urgent because they were both lacking.
“... It's driving me crazy."
He had rarely seen a body being held by him so clearly and in such a bright light.
The day they shared their first kiss.
The woman lying in her thinly wet, clinging underwear on the green grass soaked with water that had fallen from her body was not completely naked.
At one point he thought he could do the first night's duty if he turned off the lights and kept Vermont's red hair out of sight, but Claudel was very shy.
It was also obvious why he held out because she didn't want to shower together.
The bathroom was slippery and it would be dangerous to turn off the light, so he probably thought it was impossible to expose her if he couldn't turn off the light.
Kaian took a bite of the ripened one, then soaked it in water and diligently cleaned and rinsed it.
He said he would keep it a secret, but he didn't do anything that he couldn't tell the doctor about.
Still, he was very satisfied.
“This can’t be happening.”
If this were to be the case, he would have just lazed around in bed all morning holding Claudel.
His body was in the office, but his soul seemed to be staying in the bathroom last night, beyond time and space, even in Claudel's bedroom.
Kaian had a hectic day after that.
He was in a dazed state even when the butler rushed into his office with a flushed face and told him.
“My Lord. The mare gave birth smoothly.”
“That’s good news. I’ll give the stable keeper a gold coin as a reward.”
“Would you like to go see it yourself?”
"No. It's okay.”
The fact that the stallion who had worked so hard to finally see the calf was not very impressive.
“Oh, while handing out the award, make sure to give the doctor a gold coin as well.”
"Yes? Suddenly?”
Kaian nodded his head. He thought that the doctor in the castle was not of average skill.
“Ask him if he would like to sign a lifetime contract.”
"But... Is there a doctor on this continent who has treated Herzol? There may be side effects that haven’t been revealed to you yet, so you’ll have to make sure you work for a long time.”
However, it was not Herzol that impressed Kaian.
'Are doctors even aware of such things?'
This is because he gave appropriate advice to the couple between him and Claudel.
'It was my mood.'
Feeling embarrassed, he quickly took a sip of tea. Suddenly, while looking at the daily schedule given by the butler, his eyes stopped on one place.
“What about budget management? What is this?"
“It’s the New Year, so the hostess should take charge of the housekeeping. You decided to get married in a hurry last year, so you saved something for your wife to use as a reserve fund.”
As the butler spoke, it came to mind.
'Be generous with your budget.'
‘For what? When I kick you out, I just need to give you a few pennies as alimony.'
Kaian snorted his face with a cold face.
'We can't afford a budget that would make Vermont look ridiculous, My Lord.'
'I didn't think of that. Add one more zero at the end. No, two would be nice.'
Before Claudel arrived at the estate, he was enraged by the words of a butler who knew him well, and set aside a grossly excessive amount of money for her housekeeping budget.
There was a budget, but Claudel had no reason to spend it.
She spent several months in bed in the six months between her marriage and spent a considerable amount of time in and out of the capital.
Originally, at the beginning of the new year, it was common to return the remaining budget from the beginning of the year to the family and set a new budget. The hostess brought the budget she had drawn up directly to the Lord's office, reported it, and received approval from the head of the household.
In the process, if money was wasted or it was thought that the budget was not used well as planned, the Lord would reduce the amount, but the circumstances in which a woman wanted to spend money were complex, so if she was found to have siphoned money to improve her personal appearance or to help's family, she would be considered incompetent.
“Did Claudel use anything?”
“As you know, no one goes out of the castle alone, so last year’s budget remains the same.”
"Right."
“Deciding a budget for the year is difficult.”
The butler filled Kaian’s empty teacup.
“A newly married wife does not have to make decisions on her own from the beginning. Since Madame Elise is already dead, there is no one in the castle to give advice. How difficult it must be.”
Kaian was dumbfounded when he saw Baron Colon trying to logically protect Claudel.
'My butler seems to like her quite a bit.'
As a young man, Baron Colon was his father's sword, something that remained in Kaian's memories as a child.
The previous Duke of Temnes had a slim physique, not as strong and tall as Kaian, but in his prime, Baron Colon was a man who had built up muscles and looked strong.
As he got older and lost his muscles due to losing his swordsmanship training, it was hard to associate him with the same person he was back then.
“If there is anything you don’t like, please be generous. It’s normal to have it fixed once or twice.”
However, he knew very well that there was an unbreakable sword planted within the butler. Such a person was constantly nagging the owner, fearing that his wife would get scolded and be discouraged in front of the owner.
“There’s no need to try so hard. I will do as you say.”
When he answered without question, the butler smoothed out the wrinkles on his forehead and walked away.
“I can’t believe Claudel is taking care of Rowen’s household.”
Although she was the mistress of the castle, she didn't have much time to realize it. At the estate festival, she proudly held hands and danced as his wife, but she was the housekeeper and she was the butler.
Kaian took out a bundle of payment vouchers that she had organized on one side of the desk. Last year, long before their marriage was even decided, he took another look at the budget for Rowen Castle that the butler had drawn up.
“This is close to the answer sheet.”
When Kaian went to war, the butler was a man capable of running the estate on his behalf, so there could be no fault with what the butler had planned.
“Do you feel discouraged when compared?”
It was wonderful to even imagine that she would now do something of her own as his wife.
“I’m looking forward to it.”
...When he said this, he was curious about the budget Claudel would bring.
But in the end, the end of his thoughts reached Claudel.
Just thinking about what happened last night felt like his heart was pounding.
“I heard she is eating well these days.”
The doctor said Claudel would vomit if she didn't eat. Morning sickness is not that easy.
Claudel regularly ate five meals a day these days. She ate three meals and had two more snacks.
“Has she gained some weight?”
Claudel was so thin that when she couldn't eat properly due to herzols, the doctor criticized her, saying, 'I didn't know that there was not a single ounce of fat on her body.'
There was a time when he thought it was rewarding to see such a woman eating well and her body, which had been so worn out that it felt like it was hitting her bones, gradually recovering.
Yesterday, seeing his wife's body as he hugged her for the first time in almost a month reminded him of thr peaches that were ready to be harvested. It tempted him with its sweet smell, like a large, ripe egg full of sweet juice beneath the light pink, thin fluff.
Her breasts became more perky, and her small buttocks, which he held in one hand, became soft and fleshy. The afterimage of her that remained in his memory was easily erased by the sensuality that accompanied her inflamed body.
Kaian followed the doctor's instructions closely.
‘Have a good chat with your wife. The only solution is dialogue.'
He tried to have the conversation he had been putting off with Claudel.
The words he wanted to say, the unrefined words of affection that flowed out, melted, and disappeared as they breathed together. Even so, they filled in the gaps in the conversation with gestures that made them feel urgent because they were both lacking.
“... It's driving me crazy."
He had rarely seen a body being held by him so clearly and in such a bright light.
The day they shared their first kiss.
The woman lying in her thinly wet, clinging underwear on the green grass soaked with water that had fallen from her body was not completely naked.
At one point he thought he could do the first night's duty if he turned off the lights and kept Vermont's red hair out of sight, but Claudel was very shy.
It was also obvious why he held out because she didn't want to shower together.
The bathroom was slippery and it would be dangerous to turn off the light, so he probably thought it was impossible to expose her if he couldn't turn off the light.
Kaian took a bite of the ripened one, then soaked it in water and diligently cleaned and rinsed it.
He said he would keep it a secret, but he didn't do anything that he couldn't tell the doctor about.
Still, he was very satisfied.
“This can’t be happening.”
If this were to be the case, he would have just lazed around in bed all morning holding Claudel.
His body was in the office, but his soul seemed to be staying in the bathroom last night, beyond time and space, even in Claudel's bedroom.
Kaian had a hectic day after that.
He was in a dazed state even when the butler rushed into his office with a flushed face and told him.
“My Lord. The mare gave birth smoothly.”
“That’s good news. I’ll give the stable keeper a gold coin as a reward.”
“Would you like to go see it yourself?”
"No. It's okay.”
The fact that the stallion who had worked so hard to finally see the calf was not very impressive.
“Oh, while handing out the award, make sure to give the doctor a gold coin as well.”
"Yes? Suddenly?”
Kaian nodded his head. He thought that the doctor in the castle was not of average skill.
“Ask him if he would like to sign a lifetime contract.”
"But... Is there a doctor on this continent who has treated Herzol? There may be side effects that haven’t been revealed to you yet, so you’ll have to make sure you work for a long time.”
However, it was not Herzol that impressed Kaian.
'Are doctors even aware of such things?'
This is because he gave appropriate advice to the couple between him and Claudel.
Let's have a conversation.
Although he gradually got used to being with Claudel and it became more natural and not uncomfortable, there was still a sense of distance in some areas.
Isn't it possible to know that the other person is uncomfortable or not saying anything?
But because of that uncertainty, at times his relationship with her felt like he was moving around in circles at some distance from each other, and that he was on the outside of her.
However, after having a subtle conversation with her yesterday, he felt like he knew a little bit about the reason. They didn't have much time to talk about anything other than the weather, health, or mood.
In the carriage on the way to the capital, Claudel slept or chatted with him.
After returning to the territory, he had very little free time.
He thought he was doing his duty by pretending not to know and turning a blind eye to the woman who was proud of herself by hiding the fact that she was pregnant.
‘I’m holding on. You know?'
‘What are you holding on to? What do you know?'
Didn't she realize that he was getting more frustrated with her as much as he was with her?
“It seems like the doctor wants to work at the castle for a long time. Sometimes he jumps when I tell him I’m going to get another doctor.”
“Well, if you set up a clinic outside the castle, wouldn’t it be difficult just to find medicinal ingredients? It will be much easier for him to work inside the castle.”
The butler recommended a lifetime contract and added that he didn't think there was a need to raise the salary.
The jack-of-all-trades had unknowingly added couples counseling to his practice.
Knock knock.
At that time, a knock was heard in the office, and Kaian became upset even though his butler was by his side. It was time for Claudel to come.
"Hmm. Come in."
The door opens carefully and she comes in...
Although he gradually got used to being with Claudel and it became more natural and not uncomfortable, there was still a sense of distance in some areas.
Isn't it possible to know that the other person is uncomfortable or not saying anything?
But because of that uncertainty, at times his relationship with her felt like he was moving around in circles at some distance from each other, and that he was on the outside of her.
However, after having a subtle conversation with her yesterday, he felt like he knew a little bit about the reason. They didn't have much time to talk about anything other than the weather, health, or mood.
In the carriage on the way to the capital, Claudel slept or chatted with him.
After returning to the territory, he had very little free time.
He thought he was doing his duty by pretending not to know and turning a blind eye to the woman who was proud of herself by hiding the fact that she was pregnant.
‘I’m holding on. You know?'
‘What are you holding on to? What do you know?'
Didn't she realize that he was getting more frustrated with her as much as he was with her?
“It seems like the doctor wants to work at the castle for a long time. Sometimes he jumps when I tell him I’m going to get another doctor.”
“Well, if you set up a clinic outside the castle, wouldn’t it be difficult just to find medicinal ingredients? It will be much easier for him to work inside the castle.”
The butler recommended a lifetime contract and added that he didn't think there was a need to raise the salary.
The jack-of-all-trades had unknowingly added couples counseling to his practice.
Knock knock.
At that time, a knock was heard in the office, and Kaian became upset even though his butler was by his side. It was time for Claudel to come.
"Hmm. Come in."
The door opens carefully and she comes in...
Kaian, who thought this was true, raised his eyebrows with a cold look on his face without realizing it.
“Hey. My Lord.”
This was the second time Hannah had come to his office.
At first, she came to ask him to scold Antjone for stealing his wife's early night gift.
The faithful servant hesitantly placed the errand on his desk.
“I brought you the budget table on behalf of your wife.”
I paced around the room.
"Phew. I don’t know if I got it right.”
Making a budget was difficult. Still, before my marriage, the Duchess of Vermont had shown me what I could do, so I asked the governess if there was any tradition at Rowen Castle, and taking into account its large size, I figured out how I could fill the compartment.
But I couldn't bring myself to see Kaian's face today.
'Why can I only think of one thing?'
I was so consumed by my desire to hold Kaian that I didn't care that the bathroom was so bright.
Because I could see Kaian's body better.
But what I did was unbecoming of a Duchess.
“Phew.”
As I sighed, the door suddenly opened without knocking. As I looked at him in surprise, Kaian suddenly came into the bedroom.
"Kai...”
Before I could even call his name, he quickly captured my lips.
“Hey. My Lord.”
This was the second time Hannah had come to his office.
At first, she came to ask him to scold Antjone for stealing his wife's early night gift.
The faithful servant hesitantly placed the errand on his desk.
“I brought you the budget table on behalf of your wife.”
***
I paced around the room.
"Phew. I don’t know if I got it right.”
Making a budget was difficult. Still, before my marriage, the Duchess of Vermont had shown me what I could do, so I asked the governess if there was any tradition at Rowen Castle, and taking into account its large size, I figured out how I could fill the compartment.
But I couldn't bring myself to see Kaian's face today.
'Why can I only think of one thing?'
I was so consumed by my desire to hold Kaian that I didn't care that the bathroom was so bright.
Because I could see Kaian's body better.
But what I did was unbecoming of a Duchess.
“Phew.”
As I sighed, the door suddenly opened without knocking. As I looked at him in surprise, Kaian suddenly came into the bedroom.
"Kai...”
Before I could even call his name, he quickly captured my lips.
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