It must be bewildering. Not only is she blatantly seducing him, but she is also asking him to sleep with her. And she is saying she needs his seed, too. Even Erna herself thinks this is absolutely insane, but Ruben must be even more dumbfounded.
Erna glanced at the clothes she was wearing.
A few hours ago, she went to the closet connected to her room. Although it is simply called a closet, it actually connects two large rooms.
Among them, Erna used only one place. Since she had a set of clothes she usually wore, she rarely had a reason to enter the room where the ceremonial clothes she rarely wore were kept.
However, before calling Ruben, Erna went into the room for the first time in a long while to look for her clothes.
Just as expected. There was a thin, flowing dress that his ladies-in-waiting had brought, saying, 'Surely you will wear it someday!' After changing into the dress, Erna deliberately lowered the shoulder straps and untied the chest straps.
She let out deep sighs as she looked in the mirror. To think that a woman who is the Grand Duke of Hessengard has to act like a laughter seller in front of an exiled Prince.
She was welling up with irritation, but she couldn't help it.
'You have to endure it.'
There were many things to uncover from Ruben. Whether he had truly defected from the Ether, and to what extent he was involved in the recent poisoning incident in Callion.
Ruben claimed that he had nothing to do with it and that Ether had made him the subject of suspicion after noticing that he had fled here. Of course, Erna didn't believe everything he said.
Erna, who had been looking at Ruben, straightened her bent body and stood up from her seat.
"Do you need time to think?"
“Huh? Ah, no...”
When Erna got up without waiting long, Ruben was flustered and tried to get up from his seat to follow her. However, Erna gestured for him to stay put and approached the display cabinet next to the desk. Inside, it was filled with famous liquors offered from all over Hessengard.
Erna picked out the strongest one among them. It was a drink she knew well. It was the drink she had consumed on the day she first slept with Callion, thinking that perhaps getting drunk would somehow make things work.
Erna took it out and poured it into a glass filled with ice. The sound of ice clinking against the glass and cracking could be heard. Erna poured the liquor into two glasses and handed one of them to Ruben.
Ruben accepted it and hesitated for a moment.
Having witnessed Callion's affairs, he, too, was somewhat on edge regarding what he ate and drank. However, he could not refuse to drink what Erna was personally handing him.
Ruben, as if having made up his mind, gulped down the drink in one go. The liquor was so strong that he felt as if his esophagus was instantly on fire, and his head felt hot.
Was it because of that? Erna, standing in front of him and handing him a drink, looked even more alluring.
She is a woman he genuinely desires. Not to mention her face and body, but even her abilities as a wizard. Ruben became curious about what such a woman would be like in bed.
They said that Callion, who was accused of being a homosexual, had not left the room since sleeping with her.
It was clear that he had acted like this even in front of them. That must be why they let it slide.
Erna looked at Ruben, who had finished his drink in one go, as if she liked him, and then handed him the glass she was holding as well.
“Callion Hessengard doesn’t really drink. It’s boring.”
If Callion had heard it, he would have shouted for all the alcohol in the Grand Duke's castle to be brought in right then and there. Who cares? He's not here. Since she's going to apologize anyway, she figured it would be best to do it all at once.
"I wonder how you are."
As Erna tapped her chin with her finger and looked at him, Ruben swallowed the glass he had received in one gulp as if entranced.
Once again, he felt a burning sensation in his esophagus, and his head started to spin.
'Should I undress Erna Hesengard right now?' The moment Ruben narrowed his eyes, Erna approached him and wrapped her arms around him. Ruben followed wherever Erna led him as if entranced. Erna's hand fumbled with his clothes.
Was she trying to go to the bedroom? Just then, the sound of a door opening was heard.
“Grand Duke?”
'That's strange. Why can I hear the adjutant's voice?'
Before anyone realized it, Erna let go of his arm and pushed Ruben's shoulder as if telling him to leave. He staggered and stood in the hallway.
“I hope you do not hesitate the next time I call. Well then, it’s time for you. Orpheus, guide him.”
Erna gave an order with her arms crossed, her face cold as the strange atmosphere from a moment ago vanished in an instant.
"All right."
Bang!
The door closed right in front of Ruben's face. Unable to properly hear Orpheus's voice guiding him, Ruben stared at the closed door. He realized. That Erna Hessengard had noticed his hesitation before drinking. And that he had failed the screening today.
The only saving grace was that he would be given one more chance. Stumbling along as he followed Orpheus, Ruben looked at the closed door several times.
If he had been just a little more proactive, he would have gained a lot tonight...
Ruben was restless. He vowed that if the next opportunity came, he would not hesitate. Unbeknownst to himself, he was becoming impatient.
Rumors spread that Erna had called Ruben into her room late at night. However, it was added that since Ruben's stay was extremely brief, it seemed like just a simple visit.
However, the fact that Ruben’s face was strangely red when he came out of the room and that his clothes were disheveled, unlike when he entered, aroused people’s unsettling imaginations.
There was no way the story going around wouldn't reach Callion's ears.
“...is said.”
Cedric squeezed his eyes shut as he recounted what the servants of the Grand Duke's castle main building had witnessed.
After a big fight with Erna, Callion, who had come to the Knights, remained on edge. He couldn't count how many broken wooden sticks Cedric had cleared away.
Even though his body had not fully recovered, Callion moved his body like a madman in the training grounds. Every time he threw a punch, the wooden pillars shook violently with the sound of the wind being cut. Eventually, even the sturdy wooden pillars that Cedric had newly brought at a high price were completely shattered by Callion's hands.
The knights nearby heard a rough sound escaping softly from Callion's mouth.
Upon hearing Cedric's report, Callion struggled to swallow the curse words that were about to burst out.
He knew Erna would react like this. After all, she had told him everything in advance. But knowing it didn't stop his stomach from churning. Besides...
'It’s one thing that you called him at night, but what about the clothes?'
He ordered Cedric to find out everything that was happening inside the main house, and true to his nature as a loyal and capable subordinate, he really did find out everything thoroughly.
Even what Erna was wearing as she saw Ruben off.
The fact that she was wearing quite revealing clothes that she didn't usually wear made Callion feel like she could shoot fire from his eyes.
One day, he had pulled the waist of the pajamas Erna was wearing tight. As the soft fabric was tugged by his touch, it starkly revealed the curves of Erna's body, until even her nipples, which had stood erect from his continuous touching, were clearly visible.
As Erna looked at him with a look that seemed to say, 'What are you doing?', Callion continued to pull at her clothes and spoke.
"You're this pretty, so you could show a little more."
“What are you talking about?”
“Try wearing some other clothes that fit a bit more. Shall I buy them for you?”
At those words, Erna looked at him with an expression that seemed to say, 'This kid must be crazy,' and fiercely struck down Callion's hand.
"If it's a dress like that, there must already be one."
"But why aren't you wearing it?"
“Why wear that when it’s uncomfortable? Tight-fitting clothes are suffocating. If you like them so much, you wear them.”
"You wear stockings, don't you?"
“Is that the same as this? And when did you see that?”
“When else? Last time when I was undressing you... Ack!”
Erna, who was lying in bed, kicked him mercilessly in the waist. He could also hear Erna muttering, 'Are you a pervert?'
Callion swallowed a sigh as he rubbed his throbbing side.
'I wanted to see you.'
But it couldn't be helped. What could be done when she refused? He couldn't force her to wear it. He would be strangled before that could happen.
He swallowed his disappointment, thinking that it didn't matter since Erna looked prettiest when naked anyway.
But you wear something like that when meeting Ruben? If that's the case, you should have at least shown it to me once!
Callion ran his hands over his face. In any case, listening to Cedric's report, it seemed that Erna was acting just as he had instructed her to do beforehand. If so, he, too, had to carry out the task assigned to him.
Callion returned to his desk. A letter and a bouquet of flowers, addressed to Adelaide, were sitting there. He wanted to shove them into the fireplace, but he couldn't.
"Cedric."
"Yes!"
Cedric waited for Callion to speak, trembling with fear at the thought of how roughly he would treat the knights again today.
"This."
"A letter from Princess Adelaide?"
"Yes. You write a reply."
Thinking that anything was fine as long as he wasn't rolling around in the training ground, Cedric asked back with a bright face.
“Understood. What should I write?”
"I have something I want to discuss privately the day after tomorrow, so come to the Order with fewer ladies-in-waiting."
"This is problematic, Ms. Vanessa."
The guards stood at a loss in front of the gate leading to the Grand Duke's castle. Standing before them was Vanessa, who looked even more weary these days.
They cast a look of pity upon Vanessa. She was Vanessa Schultz, famous for her devotion to the Grand Duke and the Council. Though her hair had turned white, her upright posture, unbent despite her age, her spirited eyes, and her powerful voice made people bow their heads before her.
However, Vanessa of today was different from usual.
Ever since Grand Duke Erna ordered a ban on entry, she came every single day without fail and asked the guards if the Grand Duke had withdrawn the order again today.
Each time, the guards would feel sorry and inform the main house of Vanessa's visit. However, all they received in return was a cold order to go back.
“Are you still the same today?”
“Yes... they still say entry is prohibited....”
“Right... Thanks for giving it to me. Take care.”
"Goodbye."
Vanessa turned around as she received the guards' greetings. A look of pity settled upon her slumped shoulders. The guards felt a sense of inexplicable guilt at the thought that she, who always seemed so dignified, looked unusually old today.
Vanessa, walking with her secretary, turned the corner and spoke.
"It looks like you've really steeled yourself this time."
Vanessa said that and straightened her back. Perhaps because her shoulders, which she had deliberately kept hunched, were in pain, she punched her neck and shoulders with her fists.
The helpless old woman man vanished in an instant, leaving only a troubled council chairman in his place. The secretary shook his head as he watched Vanessa change so quickly.
“That is understandable. I was also surprised to hear that the Chairman headed to the Knights with Ruben Ether.”
Vanessa clicked her tongue at the secretary's accusing tone.
“I told you, that guy is a fox. He sensed something was up and came straight to me. Thanks to him, I ended up having no choice but to prove that man’s innocence. It might be different if it were someone else, but if I prove it, no one else dares to suspect him.”
“That may be true, but... even so, Grand Duke Erna’s treatment this time is a bit too harsh. Considering how diligently the Chairman has served her all this time.”
Everyone knew that Erna looked up to Vanessa like a mother. So, it was expected that this confinement would be lifted early as well. However, even after several days had passed, far from being lifted, Vanessa was still unable to enter the Grand Duke's castle.
“I know. Honestly, I thought things would be resolved after this much. Come to think of it, ever since she returned from the Forest of Irgis, she seems to be keeping her distance for some reason. It’s as if she saw something there.”
The secretary got goosebumps at the sight of Vanessa smiling. To think she would say that when she knew everything.
“I didn’t think I could hide it forever, but... She saw it in the end.”
“What can be done? They have now come to know what a ‘Grand Duke of Hessengard’ ought to know. Once they know everything, they will understand.”
“Yeah, that’s right. But...”
Vanessa sighed and said.
“I’m not sure if they will understand the fact that we ‘chose’ the Grand Dukes.”
Erna glanced at the clothes she was wearing.
A few hours ago, she went to the closet connected to her room. Although it is simply called a closet, it actually connects two large rooms.
Among them, Erna used only one place. Since she had a set of clothes she usually wore, she rarely had a reason to enter the room where the ceremonial clothes she rarely wore were kept.
However, before calling Ruben, Erna went into the room for the first time in a long while to look for her clothes.
Just as expected. There was a thin, flowing dress that his ladies-in-waiting had brought, saying, 'Surely you will wear it someday!' After changing into the dress, Erna deliberately lowered the shoulder straps and untied the chest straps.
She let out deep sighs as she looked in the mirror. To think that a woman who is the Grand Duke of Hessengard has to act like a laughter seller in front of an exiled Prince.
She was welling up with irritation, but she couldn't help it.
'You have to endure it.'
There were many things to uncover from Ruben. Whether he had truly defected from the Ether, and to what extent he was involved in the recent poisoning incident in Callion.
Ruben claimed that he had nothing to do with it and that Ether had made him the subject of suspicion after noticing that he had fled here. Of course, Erna didn't believe everything he said.
Erna, who had been looking at Ruben, straightened her bent body and stood up from her seat.
"Do you need time to think?"
“Huh? Ah, no...”
When Erna got up without waiting long, Ruben was flustered and tried to get up from his seat to follow her. However, Erna gestured for him to stay put and approached the display cabinet next to the desk. Inside, it was filled with famous liquors offered from all over Hessengard.
Erna picked out the strongest one among them. It was a drink she knew well. It was the drink she had consumed on the day she first slept with Callion, thinking that perhaps getting drunk would somehow make things work.
Erna took it out and poured it into a glass filled with ice. The sound of ice clinking against the glass and cracking could be heard. Erna poured the liquor into two glasses and handed one of them to Ruben.
Ruben accepted it and hesitated for a moment.
Having witnessed Callion's affairs, he, too, was somewhat on edge regarding what he ate and drank. However, he could not refuse to drink what Erna was personally handing him.
Ruben, as if having made up his mind, gulped down the drink in one go. The liquor was so strong that he felt as if his esophagus was instantly on fire, and his head felt hot.
Was it because of that? Erna, standing in front of him and handing him a drink, looked even more alluring.
She is a woman he genuinely desires. Not to mention her face and body, but even her abilities as a wizard. Ruben became curious about what such a woman would be like in bed.
They said that Callion, who was accused of being a homosexual, had not left the room since sleeping with her.
It was clear that he had acted like this even in front of them. That must be why they let it slide.
Erna looked at Ruben, who had finished his drink in one go, as if she liked him, and then handed him the glass she was holding as well.
“Callion Hessengard doesn’t really drink. It’s boring.”
If Callion had heard it, he would have shouted for all the alcohol in the Grand Duke's castle to be brought in right then and there. Who cares? He's not here. Since she's going to apologize anyway, she figured it would be best to do it all at once.
"I wonder how you are."
As Erna tapped her chin with her finger and looked at him, Ruben swallowed the glass he had received in one gulp as if entranced.
Once again, he felt a burning sensation in his esophagus, and his head started to spin.
'Should I undress Erna Hesengard right now?' The moment Ruben narrowed his eyes, Erna approached him and wrapped her arms around him. Ruben followed wherever Erna led him as if entranced. Erna's hand fumbled with his clothes.
Was she trying to go to the bedroom? Just then, the sound of a door opening was heard.
“Grand Duke?”
'That's strange. Why can I hear the adjutant's voice?'
Before anyone realized it, Erna let go of his arm and pushed Ruben's shoulder as if telling him to leave. He staggered and stood in the hallway.
“I hope you do not hesitate the next time I call. Well then, it’s time for you. Orpheus, guide him.”
Erna gave an order with her arms crossed, her face cold as the strange atmosphere from a moment ago vanished in an instant.
"All right."
Bang!
The door closed right in front of Ruben's face. Unable to properly hear Orpheus's voice guiding him, Ruben stared at the closed door. He realized. That Erna Hessengard had noticed his hesitation before drinking. And that he had failed the screening today.
The only saving grace was that he would be given one more chance. Stumbling along as he followed Orpheus, Ruben looked at the closed door several times.
If he had been just a little more proactive, he would have gained a lot tonight...
Ruben was restless. He vowed that if the next opportunity came, he would not hesitate. Unbeknownst to himself, he was becoming impatient.
***
Rumors spread that Erna had called Ruben into her room late at night. However, it was added that since Ruben's stay was extremely brief, it seemed like just a simple visit.
However, the fact that Ruben’s face was strangely red when he came out of the room and that his clothes were disheveled, unlike when he entered, aroused people’s unsettling imaginations.
There was no way the story going around wouldn't reach Callion's ears.
“...is said.”
Cedric squeezed his eyes shut as he recounted what the servants of the Grand Duke's castle main building had witnessed.
After a big fight with Erna, Callion, who had come to the Knights, remained on edge. He couldn't count how many broken wooden sticks Cedric had cleared away.
Even though his body had not fully recovered, Callion moved his body like a madman in the training grounds. Every time he threw a punch, the wooden pillars shook violently with the sound of the wind being cut. Eventually, even the sturdy wooden pillars that Cedric had newly brought at a high price were completely shattered by Callion's hands.
The knights nearby heard a rough sound escaping softly from Callion's mouth.
Upon hearing Cedric's report, Callion struggled to swallow the curse words that were about to burst out.
He knew Erna would react like this. After all, she had told him everything in advance. But knowing it didn't stop his stomach from churning. Besides...
'It’s one thing that you called him at night, but what about the clothes?'
He ordered Cedric to find out everything that was happening inside the main house, and true to his nature as a loyal and capable subordinate, he really did find out everything thoroughly.
Even what Erna was wearing as she saw Ruben off.
The fact that she was wearing quite revealing clothes that she didn't usually wear made Callion feel like she could shoot fire from his eyes.
One day, he had pulled the waist of the pajamas Erna was wearing tight. As the soft fabric was tugged by his touch, it starkly revealed the curves of Erna's body, until even her nipples, which had stood erect from his continuous touching, were clearly visible.
As Erna looked at him with a look that seemed to say, 'What are you doing?', Callion continued to pull at her clothes and spoke.
"You're this pretty, so you could show a little more."
“What are you talking about?”
“Try wearing some other clothes that fit a bit more. Shall I buy them for you?”
At those words, Erna looked at him with an expression that seemed to say, 'This kid must be crazy,' and fiercely struck down Callion's hand.
"If it's a dress like that, there must already be one."
"But why aren't you wearing it?"
“Why wear that when it’s uncomfortable? Tight-fitting clothes are suffocating. If you like them so much, you wear them.”
"You wear stockings, don't you?"
“Is that the same as this? And when did you see that?”
“When else? Last time when I was undressing you... Ack!”
Erna, who was lying in bed, kicked him mercilessly in the waist. He could also hear Erna muttering, 'Are you a pervert?'
Callion swallowed a sigh as he rubbed his throbbing side.
'I wanted to see you.'
But it couldn't be helped. What could be done when she refused? He couldn't force her to wear it. He would be strangled before that could happen.
He swallowed his disappointment, thinking that it didn't matter since Erna looked prettiest when naked anyway.
But you wear something like that when meeting Ruben? If that's the case, you should have at least shown it to me once!
Callion ran his hands over his face. In any case, listening to Cedric's report, it seemed that Erna was acting just as he had instructed her to do beforehand. If so, he, too, had to carry out the task assigned to him.
Callion returned to his desk. A letter and a bouquet of flowers, addressed to Adelaide, were sitting there. He wanted to shove them into the fireplace, but he couldn't.
"Cedric."
"Yes!"
Cedric waited for Callion to speak, trembling with fear at the thought of how roughly he would treat the knights again today.
"This."
"A letter from Princess Adelaide?"
"Yes. You write a reply."
Thinking that anything was fine as long as he wasn't rolling around in the training ground, Cedric asked back with a bright face.
“Understood. What should I write?”
"I have something I want to discuss privately the day after tomorrow, so come to the Order with fewer ladies-in-waiting."
***
"This is problematic, Ms. Vanessa."
The guards stood at a loss in front of the gate leading to the Grand Duke's castle. Standing before them was Vanessa, who looked even more weary these days.
They cast a look of pity upon Vanessa. She was Vanessa Schultz, famous for her devotion to the Grand Duke and the Council. Though her hair had turned white, her upright posture, unbent despite her age, her spirited eyes, and her powerful voice made people bow their heads before her.
However, Vanessa of today was different from usual.
Ever since Grand Duke Erna ordered a ban on entry, she came every single day without fail and asked the guards if the Grand Duke had withdrawn the order again today.
Each time, the guards would feel sorry and inform the main house of Vanessa's visit. However, all they received in return was a cold order to go back.
“Are you still the same today?”
“Yes... they still say entry is prohibited....”
“Right... Thanks for giving it to me. Take care.”
"Goodbye."
Vanessa turned around as she received the guards' greetings. A look of pity settled upon her slumped shoulders. The guards felt a sense of inexplicable guilt at the thought that she, who always seemed so dignified, looked unusually old today.
Vanessa, walking with her secretary, turned the corner and spoke.
"It looks like you've really steeled yourself this time."
Vanessa said that and straightened her back. Perhaps because her shoulders, which she had deliberately kept hunched, were in pain, she punched her neck and shoulders with her fists.
The helpless old woman man vanished in an instant, leaving only a troubled council chairman in his place. The secretary shook his head as he watched Vanessa change so quickly.
“That is understandable. I was also surprised to hear that the Chairman headed to the Knights with Ruben Ether.”
Vanessa clicked her tongue at the secretary's accusing tone.
“I told you, that guy is a fox. He sensed something was up and came straight to me. Thanks to him, I ended up having no choice but to prove that man’s innocence. It might be different if it were someone else, but if I prove it, no one else dares to suspect him.”
“That may be true, but... even so, Grand Duke Erna’s treatment this time is a bit too harsh. Considering how diligently the Chairman has served her all this time.”
Everyone knew that Erna looked up to Vanessa like a mother. So, it was expected that this confinement would be lifted early as well. However, even after several days had passed, far from being lifted, Vanessa was still unable to enter the Grand Duke's castle.
“I know. Honestly, I thought things would be resolved after this much. Come to think of it, ever since she returned from the Forest of Irgis, she seems to be keeping her distance for some reason. It’s as if she saw something there.”
The secretary got goosebumps at the sight of Vanessa smiling. To think she would say that when she knew everything.
“I didn’t think I could hide it forever, but... She saw it in the end.”
“What can be done? They have now come to know what a ‘Grand Duke of Hessengard’ ought to know. Once they know everything, they will understand.”
“Yeah, that’s right. But...”
Vanessa sighed and said.
“I’m not sure if they will understand the fact that we ‘chose’ the Grand Dukes.”
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