As Erna continued to lose herself in thought, Callion opened his mouth.
“What do you plan to do?”
Erna responded to those words with a question.
"That's what I meant. What do you plan to do from now on?"
The two of them called each other "you." In public, they had no choice but to call each other "Other Grand Duke." Like people who had sworn never to mention each other's names, they had no memory of ever calling each other by their first names. That somehow made them feel close.
Callion rose from his seat. The same old, ominous glint flashed in his eyes.
"Let me be clear: I have no intention of abandoning the throne and returning. And neither do you. Am I wrong?"
“That’s right. I have no intention of returning to Havand either.”
"But neither the wizards you raised nor the knights I raised are yet strong enough to face the armies of the two kingdoms. So, there's only one option left."
Having said that, Callion sighed and spat out his words.
“...Creating a successor.”
He shook his head as if it were the most horrible thing in the world. Then he quickly continued speaking.
"If you agree, I intend to complete this as quickly as possible. The letter states it should be completed within a year, but I understand it takes about two months for the pregnancy to be confirmed. Is that correct?"
"Huh? Ah, maybe so. I'm not sure, but they said that around that time, changes in the body began to appear, and that's when you could tell with certainty even with magic."
“So, if you exclude two months... you’re saying we need to find a successor within ten months.”
After saying that, Callion glared at Erna with both hands on the table.
"I don't want to drag this out. I intend to complete the new order I'm currently forming before winter arrives. I could postpone it, but judging by the married people around me, having children often doesn't go as planned."
Erna was a little surprised to hear Callion's words. She'd thought he was completely ignorant of such matters, but he seemed to possess at least a basic understanding.
"So?"
“As I said, I’d like to start quickly. If possible...”
Callion spoke nonchalantly, as if choosing a dinner menu.
“Starting tonight.”
"Ha..."
In the large bathtub in the bathroom, Erna sighed for the umpteenth time.
“What should I do...”
Then, she suddenly answered.
When Callion suggested they start tonight, she almost questioned whether he was crazy. But the moment she realized he was looking at her with a look that seemed to say, "Why? Why can't you?", Erna, overcome with emotion, feigned composure and responded with a nonchalant, "Okay." She had even told him the time and place herself, saying, "Then meet me in the middle room at 11 o'clock."
Erna sighed deeply again. Unlike her own distress, Callion seemed calm and collected, as if nothing had happened. A sense of defeat filled her. A sense of triumph, knowing she couldn't be the only one suffering over something so trivial to him, burned within her.
“Well, it’s probably nothing special for men.”
Erna spat out annoyedly, flicking her finger on the surface of the water.
Except for Hessengard, most kingdoms on the continent were allowed to have multiple wives. Therefore, it was common for the royal family of Havand to have at least two, and at most five, wives. This was also true of Aether, Callion's homeland.
Erna was reminded of the royal family she saw in Havand as a child. Creating heirs was a royal duty, and having many heirs was considered a virtue. That's why the male royals were always busy spreading their seed. They didn't have much to worry about, after all. They didn't have to struggle to bear and raise children.
It was clear that Callion, who had grown up seeing such things, would be at ease.
Erna thought back to the plans she had made this year. Just as Callon was concentrating all his energy on building his knightly order, Erna was also working hard to increase the number of wizards under her command.
As written in today's letter, the position of Grand Duke could be overthrown by each kingdom if they wished, so a more certain power to defend oneself was needed than the position of Grand Duke.
“I also tried to gather more people and educate them at the end of the year...”
That plan was about to go awry. Erna desperately tried to control her frustration as it surged back up.
“Yeah, it was something I had to do someday.”
It was something she never wanted to do for the rest of her life. But it was something she absolutely had to do.
Erna hadn't forgotten what she'd promised herself in exchange for the throne. If she'd gotten married and secured the throne, she had to have an heir to make it hers. Once she had an heir, they wouldn't dare arbitrarily order her to step down, as the two countries had done in the letter they sent today.
Whoa.
Erna rose from the bathtub and approached the mirror. Wrapping herself in a large bath towel, she looked at herself in the mirror and muttered.
“Don’t be scared. It’s okay. You can do it...”
Erna whispered to herself in front of the mirror for a long time.
Dang!
The sound of the grandfather clock on the wall brought Erna up from the papers she was reading. The clock's hands had already reached eleven. It was the appointed time. She stood up, looking as if she were about to die, like an ox being led to the slaughterhouse, and took one last look in the mirror.
Unlike her usual pajamas, which consisted of pants, she wore a skirt today. It wasn't for any creepy reason, like "looking pretty." It was because, considering the positions people usually take for intercourse, she figured a skirt would be faster than pants.
Erna stood in front of the door leading to the Grand Duke's bedroom, thinking that Vanessa would have rubbed her forehead if she had heard that.
"Ha."
A sigh escaped her again; she didn't know how many times she let it out today.
Erna grabbed the doorknob with trembling hands. In the past ten years, she hadn't opened this door once. It was only natural. The bedroom beyond was a nightmare for her.
Even now, when she's not feeling well, Erna dreams about her first night.
The sight of the maids forcing her legs apart and poking her with cold sticks, claiming they were examining her body. The hallway where she had to walk naked, exposed to the gaze of others. The bedroom is prepared solely for mating. And the sight of herself and Callion thrown into it.
Her hands holding the handle trembled, and a cold sweat broke out.
'Should I not go?'
Erna thought for a moment.
What if I don't go to the master bedroom now? What if I sit down at the table again as if nothing happened today, review the remaining paperwork, drink some warm tea, study magic, and then go to bed? What if I spend the day exactly like I have for the past ten years?
What was certain was that Callion wouldn't immediately come to her room and demand why she hadn't kept her promise. After all, he hated her just as much as she hated him.
The memories of the first night created a deep river of hatred between them. The fact that they hadn't kept their promise wasn't something so serious that they would cross that river and come to the room.
'But...'
Avoiding it today wasn't a problem that could be resolved. It was a problem that would continue to plague her tomorrow and the day after. It was also a problem that needed to be addressed.
'There's no way to avoid it.'
So she had to do it. This terrible thing of creating a successor.
Erna mustered all her courage and opened the door.
Creak. The door, which hadn't opened for ten years, opened more gently than she'd expected. Erna squeezed her eyes shut and stepped into the master bedroom. Contrary to her expectations of a cold night, she was surprised to find the air as warm as her own room.
"Uh...?"
No way. It's a room that hasn't been used in 10 years. Why would a room like that...?
What Erna saw was a blazing fireplace, a table filled with bottles and glasses, and Callion sitting leaning against the sofa.
“You’re here.”
When he saw Erna, he rose from his seat and approached her. Erna swallowed hard at the sight of Callion standing right before her. Only one thought came to her mind.
Was Callion this... big?
It's not that she didn't know he was tall and large. But Erna was also tall. Standing with female wizards of similar age, Erna stood a head and a half taller than the others. Thanks to this, she could easily meet the eyes of the men, who were considered relatively tall.
Of course, Callion was much taller than her, but Erna had never stood next to him to compare him, so she'd always stood far away and thought, "He's big." But now, standing right in front of him, she could see it clearly.
Callion is big. And huge.
Erna, who was wondering if his arms were thicker than her legs, smelled the alcohol wafting through the hot air.
'...Alcohol?'
Only then did the bottle and glass of wine on the table catch her eye again.
'No way?'
As far as Erna knew, Callion rarely drank alcohol. She'd heard he'd shunned not only the wine served at meals, but also the beer offered by townspeople when traveling with the Knights. But the liquor on the table now, even by its appearance, was remarkably strong.
The moment she realized it, Erna's eyebrows furrowed.
'You hate this so much that you're even resorting to the power of alcohol, which you don't drink often.'
She heard that men can easily have relationships with people they don't like. But for Callion, she wasn't just someone he didn't like; she was someone he couldn't possibly relate to in his right mind.
“What do you plan to do?”
Erna responded to those words with a question.
"That's what I meant. What do you plan to do from now on?"
The two of them called each other "you." In public, they had no choice but to call each other "Other Grand Duke." Like people who had sworn never to mention each other's names, they had no memory of ever calling each other by their first names. That somehow made them feel close.
Callion rose from his seat. The same old, ominous glint flashed in his eyes.
"Let me be clear: I have no intention of abandoning the throne and returning. And neither do you. Am I wrong?"
“That’s right. I have no intention of returning to Havand either.”
"But neither the wizards you raised nor the knights I raised are yet strong enough to face the armies of the two kingdoms. So, there's only one option left."
Having said that, Callion sighed and spat out his words.
“...Creating a successor.”
He shook his head as if it were the most horrible thing in the world. Then he quickly continued speaking.
"If you agree, I intend to complete this as quickly as possible. The letter states it should be completed within a year, but I understand it takes about two months for the pregnancy to be confirmed. Is that correct?"
"Huh? Ah, maybe so. I'm not sure, but they said that around that time, changes in the body began to appear, and that's when you could tell with certainty even with magic."
“So, if you exclude two months... you’re saying we need to find a successor within ten months.”
After saying that, Callion glared at Erna with both hands on the table.
"I don't want to drag this out. I intend to complete the new order I'm currently forming before winter arrives. I could postpone it, but judging by the married people around me, having children often doesn't go as planned."
Erna was a little surprised to hear Callion's words. She'd thought he was completely ignorant of such matters, but he seemed to possess at least a basic understanding.
"So?"
“As I said, I’d like to start quickly. If possible...”
Callion spoke nonchalantly, as if choosing a dinner menu.
“Starting tonight.”
***
"Ha..."
In the large bathtub in the bathroom, Erna sighed for the umpteenth time.
“What should I do...”
Then, she suddenly answered.
When Callion suggested they start tonight, she almost questioned whether he was crazy. But the moment she realized he was looking at her with a look that seemed to say, "Why? Why can't you?", Erna, overcome with emotion, feigned composure and responded with a nonchalant, "Okay." She had even told him the time and place herself, saying, "Then meet me in the middle room at 11 o'clock."
Erna sighed deeply again. Unlike her own distress, Callion seemed calm and collected, as if nothing had happened. A sense of defeat filled her. A sense of triumph, knowing she couldn't be the only one suffering over something so trivial to him, burned within her.
“Well, it’s probably nothing special for men.”
Erna spat out annoyedly, flicking her finger on the surface of the water.
Except for Hessengard, most kingdoms on the continent were allowed to have multiple wives. Therefore, it was common for the royal family of Havand to have at least two, and at most five, wives. This was also true of Aether, Callion's homeland.
Erna was reminded of the royal family she saw in Havand as a child. Creating heirs was a royal duty, and having many heirs was considered a virtue. That's why the male royals were always busy spreading their seed. They didn't have much to worry about, after all. They didn't have to struggle to bear and raise children.
It was clear that Callion, who had grown up seeing such things, would be at ease.
Erna thought back to the plans she had made this year. Just as Callon was concentrating all his energy on building his knightly order, Erna was also working hard to increase the number of wizards under her command.
As written in today's letter, the position of Grand Duke could be overthrown by each kingdom if they wished, so a more certain power to defend oneself was needed than the position of Grand Duke.
“I also tried to gather more people and educate them at the end of the year...”
That plan was about to go awry. Erna desperately tried to control her frustration as it surged back up.
“Yeah, it was something I had to do someday.”
It was something she never wanted to do for the rest of her life. But it was something she absolutely had to do.
Erna hadn't forgotten what she'd promised herself in exchange for the throne. If she'd gotten married and secured the throne, she had to have an heir to make it hers. Once she had an heir, they wouldn't dare arbitrarily order her to step down, as the two countries had done in the letter they sent today.
Whoa.
Erna rose from the bathtub and approached the mirror. Wrapping herself in a large bath towel, she looked at herself in the mirror and muttered.
“Don’t be scared. It’s okay. You can do it...”
Erna whispered to herself in front of the mirror for a long time.
***
Dang!
The sound of the grandfather clock on the wall brought Erna up from the papers she was reading. The clock's hands had already reached eleven. It was the appointed time. She stood up, looking as if she were about to die, like an ox being led to the slaughterhouse, and took one last look in the mirror.
Unlike her usual pajamas, which consisted of pants, she wore a skirt today. It wasn't for any creepy reason, like "looking pretty." It was because, considering the positions people usually take for intercourse, she figured a skirt would be faster than pants.
Erna stood in front of the door leading to the Grand Duke's bedroom, thinking that Vanessa would have rubbed her forehead if she had heard that.
"Ha."
A sigh escaped her again; she didn't know how many times she let it out today.
Erna grabbed the doorknob with trembling hands. In the past ten years, she hadn't opened this door once. It was only natural. The bedroom beyond was a nightmare for her.
Even now, when she's not feeling well, Erna dreams about her first night.
The sight of the maids forcing her legs apart and poking her with cold sticks, claiming they were examining her body. The hallway where she had to walk naked, exposed to the gaze of others. The bedroom is prepared solely for mating. And the sight of herself and Callion thrown into it.
Her hands holding the handle trembled, and a cold sweat broke out.
'Should I not go?'
Erna thought for a moment.
What if I don't go to the master bedroom now? What if I sit down at the table again as if nothing happened today, review the remaining paperwork, drink some warm tea, study magic, and then go to bed? What if I spend the day exactly like I have for the past ten years?
What was certain was that Callion wouldn't immediately come to her room and demand why she hadn't kept her promise. After all, he hated her just as much as she hated him.
The memories of the first night created a deep river of hatred between them. The fact that they hadn't kept their promise wasn't something so serious that they would cross that river and come to the room.
'But...'
Avoiding it today wasn't a problem that could be resolved. It was a problem that would continue to plague her tomorrow and the day after. It was also a problem that needed to be addressed.
'There's no way to avoid it.'
So she had to do it. This terrible thing of creating a successor.
Erna mustered all her courage and opened the door.
Creak. The door, which hadn't opened for ten years, opened more gently than she'd expected. Erna squeezed her eyes shut and stepped into the master bedroom. Contrary to her expectations of a cold night, she was surprised to find the air as warm as her own room.
"Uh...?"
No way. It's a room that hasn't been used in 10 years. Why would a room like that...?
What Erna saw was a blazing fireplace, a table filled with bottles and glasses, and Callion sitting leaning against the sofa.
“You’re here.”
When he saw Erna, he rose from his seat and approached her. Erna swallowed hard at the sight of Callion standing right before her. Only one thought came to her mind.
Was Callion this... big?
It's not that she didn't know he was tall and large. But Erna was also tall. Standing with female wizards of similar age, Erna stood a head and a half taller than the others. Thanks to this, she could easily meet the eyes of the men, who were considered relatively tall.
Of course, Callion was much taller than her, but Erna had never stood next to him to compare him, so she'd always stood far away and thought, "He's big." But now, standing right in front of him, she could see it clearly.
Callion is big. And huge.
Erna, who was wondering if his arms were thicker than her legs, smelled the alcohol wafting through the hot air.
'...Alcohol?'
Only then did the bottle and glass of wine on the table catch her eye again.
'No way?'
As far as Erna knew, Callion rarely drank alcohol. She'd heard he'd shunned not only the wine served at meals, but also the beer offered by townspeople when traveling with the Knights. But the liquor on the table now, even by its appearance, was remarkably strong.
The moment she realized it, Erna's eyebrows furrowed.
'You hate this so much that you're even resorting to the power of alcohol, which you don't drink often.'
She heard that men can easily have relationships with people they don't like. But for Callion, she wasn't just someone he didn't like; she was someone he couldn't possibly relate to in his right mind.
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