Chapter 8
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 8
Chapter Title: Black Cat
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The next day.
Irene visited the Banus Marquis Family's mansion in the capital.
Thanks to her, the servants of the marquis family were truly bustling about.
As expected, nobles don't understand the feelings of their inferiors.
Well, Yujin himself was a noble, after all.
...
"..."
"...Hmm."
Yujin and Irene chose to talk in the family garden.
"It's a beautiful garden, Your Excellency."
The Banus Marquis Family's garden was filled entirely with red spider lilies.
A garden dyed red. It was said to be a historic garden maintained since the marquis family was born alongside the founding of the empire.
Now that he had become the head of the family, Yujin actually wanted to change that red garden...
But Yujin simply nodded silently.
Then the conversation cut off, and silence lingered between them.
But such silence couldn't persist in a conversation between nobles.
In the end, Yujin spoke first.
"Did you get home safely yesterday, Irene?"
"Yes. Though there was no one to escort me, I made it back quietly, Your Excellency."
"...I'm sorry."
She let slip a barbed remark with a smiling face.
Thanks to sending a woman who had just had her first experience home alone and forlornly, she had made it back very well.
To that, Yujin could only say he was sorry.
No, regardless of the circumstances that led to their night together, it was a fact that he had sent her back alone.
Moreover, it wasn't as if he had no memory of exploring her body— he even remembered every single breath she let out as he caressed her skin.
'...Hah.'
Life.
First, he had to take responsibility for what needed taking responsibility for.
"...Irene, what do you think about what we did last night?"
"It felt good."
"...?"
No, that's not—
"It was truly an ecstatic experience. I thought honing my magic was the most enjoyable thing lately, but after mingling bodies with you, Your Excellency, I realized that wasn't it."
What?
He figured he must be making a dumb face right now.
No, it felt good for me too.
It did feel good... but... that wasn't what he meant by asking for her thoughts on mingling bodies.
"Oh, and don't get the wrong idea—I haven't been with any other men, so you can rest assured? Though, you'd know that best, Your Excellency."
That's true.
Come to think of it, according to Lucia, they had been friends since childhood?
For some reason, the two gave off a similar vibe.
In other words, they were both quite bold and seductive.
...
'Let's move past that for now.'
Whew.
"And from now on, it'll only be you, Your Excellency."
...
Wait.
What did this duchess just say?
...No matter how he thought about it, it was that.
"Irene, does that mean... you want to have a deep relationship with me?"
"Oh my, weren't we already in a deep relationship? You're already calling me by name."
"No, that's—"
Irene made a hurt expression.
Though it didn't hide her playfulness at all.
Soon, she burst into elegant laughter.
"Pffft, I'm just teasing, Your Excellency. Of course, what I said about it only being you from now on is sincere."
...Honestly, it was a bit disconcerting.
Why was this lady acting like this? In her position, it would be normal to be flustered and try to cover up the incident, right?
She was the daughter of a duke, the daughter of a duke.
The second most noble lady in this empire.
For such a lady to lose her chastity after spending just one night with a man she met for the first time. Normally, one would try to hide and resolve it...
"I know that too. If word of last night gets out, I know how the nobles will look at me and my duke family."
Irene took a sip of the black tea on the table.
Then she looked at Yujin with very intelligent eyes.
"Marquis, Your Excellency."
"Yes, Irene."
"I'll let last night pass quietly for now. Neither you nor I would gain anything good by bringing it up."
She was right.
If this got out, the nobles would gossip behind their backs. Mostly about Irene. Even though she was from a great duke family, she was still a noble woman.
'Something like how she rolled around and dirtied her body.'
The fact that Yujin was born out of wedlock would only fuel their gossip.
"But I don't want to end my relationship with you like this. No, I can't."
"Is that so."
"Yes. Even if we cover it up, the fact that I'm no longer a virgin won't disappear, right? So now I'm like a time bomb that could go off anytime."
Irene curved her eyes like crescent moons and spoke in a very sticky voice.
"So, the only one who can 'take responsibility' for me from now on is you, Your Excellency. You understand, right?"
Her words ultimately meant she wanted to be with Yujin from now on. Maybe even as his spouse.
He understood. He could fully understand. He had vaguely known it might come to this.
But the problem was that.
What about the engagement from Lucia and the imperial family?
'...I can just accept that engagement first and take responsibility for Irene too.'
It might be complicated, but if he steered in that direction, it wasn't impossible. That had been the imperial family's proposal from the start, after all.
Moreover, personally speaking, Yujin didn't dislike it.
He didn't know why these two women were showing him favor, but as a man, he had no desire to refuse the affection of beautiful women who offered it.
Didn't men dream of harems by nature?
In the end, he nodded.
"I understand."
Irene smiled faintly, as if she had expected that.
And then she dropped a bombshell.
"In that vein, would you be my partner for tomorrow's victory banquet?"
Irene was confident.
Confident that he wouldn't refuse her offer to be her partner.
Even if Yujin was confused and didn't know why she was showing him favor, she could gradually approach his heart and resolve it.
'Plus, I gave him my chastity and we mingled bodies, so he has no choice but to care for me.'
...It felt a bit underhanded, but nothing was as certain as this.
Didn't they say nothing was as scary as slept-with rice?
So when his mouth opened, she thought words of acceptance would come out.
"Sure, I'll be your partner—"
"Sorry, but I must decline the partner offer—"
"...?"
"...?"
Irene's face stiffened.
'...De, decline?'
Why?
She spoke in a slightly urgent voice. This was outside her expectations.
"...May I know the reason for declining? Is it too burdensome or—"
He shook his head, indicating it wasn't that.
"How could it be burdensome? That's not the reason."
"...Then?"
Why on earth did he decline?
She stared piercingly into Yujin's black eyes that seemed to suck her in.
"Unfortunately, I already have a partner."
What... did he say...?
"You have a partner?"
"Yes."
"...Who?"
Who.
Who on earth would be his partner?
As far as she knew, Yujin had no connections with women because of the war.
'Except for some female knights on the battlefield.'
Could one of those female knights be his partner...?
But her guess missed the mark.
And in a very miserable way.
"Her Highness the Princess."
"...!!!!
Boom—!
'...Princess means Lucia?'
Lucia was Irene's one and only friend. So Lucia knew who Irene liked, so why would she do this...
Wait.
Could it be...
'Hah.'
...So that's how it was.
"...That black cat bitch, stealing another woman's man..."
...They said a meek cat climbs the stove first?
That wench had struck first.
Irene smiled coldly.
'What did Irene just say?'
Black cat?
To the princess?
'...Did I hear wrong?'
He had heard they were friends, so surely friends wouldn't curse each other.
He soon concluded he must have misheard.
Meanwhile, Irene, having composed herself, spoke again with a perfect smile.
"That's a shame. Then, as a substitute, could you give me your day today?"
Today, huh.
Unfortunately, his schedule for today...
'...isn't there.'
"...I have plans."
"That's fortunate."
...
And so Yujin was dragged by Irene to a certain salon.
The interior of the salon smelled faintly of perfume.
Not overpoweringly, just the right amount.
"...Irene, why are we here?"
"Because of tomorrow's victory banquet."
Victory banquet?
Irene pointed to one side.
There were numerous luxurious dresses on display.
"I ordered a new dress for this banquet. Today, I'm here to pick it up."
"I see."
To be precise, it was a dress specially prepared to seduce Yujin.
'I was going to link arms as partners and press my chest close...!'
But that black cat of a friend had stolen her spot, so she ground her teeth inwardly.
Meanwhile, the salon madam approached.
"Madam, could you bring the one I ordered last time? And prepare a fitting room since I'll try it on."
"Yes, Duchess."
The madam handed the dress to Irene. Then she led him to the front of the fitting room.
The madam disappeared somewhere.
"Could you wait a moment, Your Excellency?"
"As long as needed."
Nod.
Irene entered the fitting room and changed into the dress herself. The sound of the fabric brushing her skin echoed in his ears.
...Gulp—
'...Hmm.'
Listening to the sounds made him involuntarily picture her naked body.
As he waited like that,
"...Your Excellency, could you come a bit closer?"
Yujin approached the fitting room.
Then,
Grab—
Stab—
Irene reached out and pulled Yujin inside the fitting room. Even using mana.
"...!?"
Irene pressed close to him, almost in his embrace, and looked up at him.
Squish—
Her breasts pressed against his chest, in a violently revealing angle where he could see everything.
Yujin felt the atmosphere heating up and swallowed.
"...The zipper on my back won't go up. Could you help?"
Of course, the tips of her ears were flushed red beneath her seductive expression. She was truly embarrassed.
...Fortunately, Yujin didn't notice.