'You must have done it, right?'
Men always want to embrace the opposite sex to satisfy their desires, and they say they're willing to do it even with someone they don't like. Besides, Callion had said he wanted to get this done quickly. So, he must have made it clear.
While Erna examined her body, Callion sighed deeply and shook the now completely empty bottle of wine.
“I think we need to talk for a moment.”
"So..."
“...I couldn’t do it.”
Erna sat on the bed, wrapped in a blanket, and listened to Callion's story about the night before.
“Why? How come?”
At Erna's voice, which said she truly didn't understand, Callion approached the bed where Erna was sitting, his expression irritated. Then, turning to Erna, he spoke.
“Then you try it.”
"What?"
"This is a problem between you and me. It'd be strange if I were the only one trying. So, how about you try it this time?"
“What does that mean?”
"They say men can hug even if they don't have feelings for them. But it seems to me that women can hug even if they don't have feelings for them. I don't need to tell you who does it. So don't tell me it's impossible just because you're a woman."
Erna was speechless at Callion's words. She tried to explain what he meant, but upon reflection, she realized there was nothing wrong with what he said.
“Why? Can’t you really do it?”
At those words, Erna asked. Seeing Callion's expression, as if he'd expected something like that, she felt a pang of anger. Bracing herself against a throbbing headache, she threw down the blanket she'd been wrapped in, climbed out of bed, and stood before Callion. Callion, as if inviting her to try, placed both arms on the mattress and looked at her.
Erna felt a sense of humiliation at his attitude. She felt as if she were a woman being paid to serve men. But if she said that, she knew Callion would say he felt the same way, so she swallowed her words and stood before him.
'What should I do?'
Erna thought back to the process of intercourse. First, the male genitals...
Her gaze, having considered this, lingered between Callion's legs. Just as she had asked him to do last night, this time she was in the position of having to undress him.
She reached out. She just had to grab it and lower it. That was all there was to it...
Her hand trembled as it reached for Callion's underwear. Just before it reached him, Erna hurriedly withdrew her hand.
Callion didn't laugh at her actions. Instead, he spoke with a serious expression.
“You hate me.”
Erna nodded without hesitation at Callion's words. Callion, as if he'd expected her to do so, continued speaking with a nonchalant expression.
“I hate you.”
“...”
“This is the problem.”
"What do you mean?"
When Erna asked again, Callion sighed deeply and said.
"We hate each other so much that we dread even touching each other. Do you think we can create a successor?"
“Then what do you want us to do?”
Erna bit her fingernails nervously. It was certainly as Callion had said. Skin-to-skin contact was inevitable. But since even contact was impossible, she honestly doubted she'd be able to conceive a child.
“For now...”
Callion spoke with a very somber expression, as if he were reluctant.
“I think we should be able to tolerate each other.”
Men always want to embrace the opposite sex to satisfy their desires, and they say they're willing to do it even with someone they don't like. Besides, Callion had said he wanted to get this done quickly. So, he must have made it clear.
While Erna examined her body, Callion sighed deeply and shook the now completely empty bottle of wine.
“I think we need to talk for a moment.”
***
"So..."
“...I couldn’t do it.”
Erna sat on the bed, wrapped in a blanket, and listened to Callion's story about the night before.
“Why? How come?”
At Erna's voice, which said she truly didn't understand, Callion approached the bed where Erna was sitting, his expression irritated. Then, turning to Erna, he spoke.
“Then you try it.”
"What?"
"This is a problem between you and me. It'd be strange if I were the only one trying. So, how about you try it this time?"
“What does that mean?”
"They say men can hug even if they don't have feelings for them. But it seems to me that women can hug even if they don't have feelings for them. I don't need to tell you who does it. So don't tell me it's impossible just because you're a woman."
Erna was speechless at Callion's words. She tried to explain what he meant, but upon reflection, she realized there was nothing wrong with what he said.
“Why? Can’t you really do it?”
At those words, Erna asked. Seeing Callion's expression, as if he'd expected something like that, she felt a pang of anger. Bracing herself against a throbbing headache, she threw down the blanket she'd been wrapped in, climbed out of bed, and stood before Callion. Callion, as if inviting her to try, placed both arms on the mattress and looked at her.
Erna felt a sense of humiliation at his attitude. She felt as if she were a woman being paid to serve men. But if she said that, she knew Callion would say he felt the same way, so she swallowed her words and stood before him.
'What should I do?'
Erna thought back to the process of intercourse. First, the male genitals...
Her gaze, having considered this, lingered between Callion's legs. Just as she had asked him to do last night, this time she was in the position of having to undress him.
She reached out. She just had to grab it and lower it. That was all there was to it...
Her hand trembled as it reached for Callion's underwear. Just before it reached him, Erna hurriedly withdrew her hand.
Callion didn't laugh at her actions. Instead, he spoke with a serious expression.
“You hate me.”
Erna nodded without hesitation at Callion's words. Callion, as if he'd expected her to do so, continued speaking with a nonchalant expression.
“I hate you.”
“...”
“This is the problem.”
"What do you mean?"
When Erna asked again, Callion sighed deeply and said.
"We hate each other so much that we dread even touching each other. Do you think we can create a successor?"
“Then what do you want us to do?”
Erna bit her fingernails nervously. It was certainly as Callion had said. Skin-to-skin contact was inevitable. But since even contact was impossible, she honestly doubted she'd be able to conceive a child.
“For now...”
Callion spoke with a very somber expression, as if he were reluctant.
“I think we should be able to tolerate each other.”
***
Chapter 4. Once a Day
Knock, knock.
Orpheus, Erna's adjutant, knocked lightly on the door. She glanced at the large grandfather clock at the end of the hallway. The hour hand pointed precisely to twelve, indicating that most people in the Grand Duke's castle were now eating lunch. However, this was also Erna's time to wake up.
Erna always went to bed late and woke up late. But it wasn't laziness. Magic, by nature, becomes stronger and easier to control at night, when everyone is asleep, and the world is quiet. That's why Erna, a wizard, often studied and practiced her magic at night.
As Orpheus was about to open the door, thinking that she would have to open the curtains as soon as she entered, as usual, she heard a voice from inside.
“Orpheus? Come in.”
Orpheus opened the door quickly with a surprised look on her face.
“Your Highness!”
As she opened the door, she saw Erna sitting at her desk. Orpheus quickly approached her and looked her over.
"What's wrong? Why are you awake? Oh my goodness, and you're already dressed?"
At Orpheus's boisterous voice, Erna placed one hand on her forehead and waved the other hand.
“Could you speak quietly? I still have a headache...”
“Are you sick?”
“I have a hangover.”
“Hangover?”
Orpheus found this situation increasingly unbelievable. The mere fact that Erna was awake before she woke her was enough to warrant an incident, and she was even dressed. And now a hangover?
“You don’t drink alcohol, do you?”
Orpheus looked at Erna with suspicious eyes, wondering if the person sitting in front of her was really Erna.
“What’s with that insolent gaze?”
"I can't believe it. Are you really my Grand Duke? Did something happen?"
There was something. The problem is that it's something she can never be said.
As Erna clutched her still-throbbing head, Orpheus clicked her tongue, pulled back the curtains, and opened the window. As the cool air flowed in, Erna lay down on the desk with a look of relief.
“I should tell them to order something good for hangovers.”
Orpheus took a small notepad from a table in the corner, scribbled something with a pen, and then tossed it into the air. The notepad spun rapidly in midair, then flapped as if alive and flew out the window.
Orpheus was the first wizard that Erna accepted into her magic group.
Originally a laundry maid in the Grand Duke's castle, Orpheus followed Erna, who had changed her life, as if she were her own. While she was a skilled wizard, her ability to assist Erna with the Grand Duke's duties naturally led her to become Erna's adjutant.
“After failing so many times, I guess you can use it now?”
Erna looked at Orpheus, who was naturally using the magic she had taught her, with a proud gaze.
"Yes. It was a bit difficult to specify where I wanted to send it, but within the castle walls, there shouldn't be any major issues. I've already explained this to the other wizards, so please take a look after you finish eating."
“Yeah, okay.”
Erna thought of the wizards under her command. This all-female group consisted entirely of wizards whom Erna had discovered and trained. The wizards she held most dear had only made their first official appearance last year.
Upon returning from dealing with the monsters that had appeared in southern Hessengard, the Hessengard Council was genuinely delighted and looked forward to future endeavors. How proud and delighted they were that the men she had raised would become the main military force of the Hessengard.
For Erna, the Magical Order was proof of her struggles to survive over the years, and it was also her pride.
She absolutely cannot return to the Kingdom of Havand now, leaving all this behind. So she will grit her teeth and dedicate herself to creating a successor.
Erna, who had once again made up her mind about the successor, spoke to Orpheus, who was checking the schedule for the day.
“Orpheus, I have something to ask you.”
“What’s going on?”
“Um... what would you do if you had to become friends with someone you really disliked?”
Orpheus pondered the completely unexpected question for a moment. Then she answered.
"Why are you worrying about that? If it's someone you really dislike, why don't you just bury them instead of getting close to them?"
Orpheus gave a very scary answer with a refreshing face.
"No, I mean... when there's no choice but to ask. They're someone you have to let live due to unavoidable circumstances."
Orpheus thought she was just asking for fun, but realized that Erna's expression was more serious than she thought. After thinking for a moment, she snapped her fingers.
“Oh, is this the enemy’s persuasion?”
At Orpheus's answer, Erna rubbed her throbbing head again. She hated to mention the other person as Callion. Besides, honestly, Callion was already her enemy. They had both shared the throne, which only allowed one person to sit on it.
"Let's say it's similar. Anyway, what should we do in that case?"
“Um... wouldn’t it be important to get them used to it first?”
“Get used to it?”
"First, you need to lower your opponent's guard. To do that, it's important to stay in the same space for a long time and get them used to you. Once they're comfortable with you, you can either try to persuade them or attack them."
Erna frowned again at Orpheus's answer. She had to stay in the same space with Callion for so long. Whenever they saw each other, they would slowly avoid each other or sit at the ends of the table, snickering. Every time they were in the same space, they became aware of each other's presence, their nerves on edge. The thought of being in the same space for so long made her suffocate.
"More importantly, could you please take a look at today's schedule and the documents that arrived this morning? If you're hungover, should I cancel a few?"
"No."
Erna tried to shake her head, but realized that her head was shaking, so she just waved her hand.
“I can’t change my schedule as I please.”
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