Chapter 101
Chapter 101
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: Treason
Duke Ethyl.
He was the duke in charge of the northeastern region of the Grand Duchy.
But he sold information about Luna to Taylor?
It was hard to wrap my head around it.
"Why would he betray us?"
Her eyes flashed at my question.
"Isn't it obvious? He wanted to kill me."
"Ah? By using Taylor?"
-Nod.
"Exactly. If I couldn't use mana, there's no way I could hold out against Taylor."
If he'd collaborated with Taylor thinking Taylor would kill Luna, it made sense...
"But Taylor didn't intend to kill you, right?"
Taylor only wanted to rape Luna; killing her was never the plan.
Of course, he had planned to kill everyone else.
"Yeah, pretty much. That's why, once he got me pregnant with his son, he spilled everything..."
Ah... Taylor.
You should never get involved with a woman like that.
Trust or no trust, from the start, if things went well with Luna, he planned to deal with Duke Ethyl.
Now that things couldn't go well with Luna and he even had a son...
He just sold out the traitor.
"So now, Duke Ethyl..."
"We charge him with treason. He might resist."
Duke Ethyl was currently staying in his own territory.
If we issued an arrest order, it would give him cause to commit treason.
"That's a shame. Innocent territory folk might die..."
"If he surrenders peacefully, I'll show as much mercy as possible. Maybe even just banish him to the north?"
"Surrender, huh..."
Duke Ethyl's chances of beating Luna were practically zero.
He'd rebel because it was the only way he could survive.
Cases where a lord and vassal went to war weren't uncommon here.
If Luna were tyrannical and oppressing the lords, they might band together to oust her, and if they won, peace negotiations could happen with her stepping down.
But that assumed Luna was the tyrant...
In a situation like this, where Luna had the lords' support, they'd lead the charge to punish Duke Ethyl.
It was treason without justification.
"But will he surrender?"
Surrendering meant his territory and assets would be confiscated, and his entire family banished.
I doubted he'd go quietly.
Worst case, banishment to the north was basically a death sentence in winter.
"If not... we kill them all."
"But we've finally got peace..."
A twinge of reluctance rose in me at the thought of humans killing each other.
But Luna's eyes were ice cold.
As if she couldn't let Duke Ethyl live.
"We can't tolerate traitors, right? If the Grand Duchy shakes even a little, he'll bare his fangs eventually. So we eliminate him now when we have the justification, grant you a title, and everyone wins, doesn't it?"
"But the territory folk..."
She cut me off bluntly.
"I know. I'll try not to target the civilians... but if they use them as shields, what choice do I have? Do you know what I learned as a child?"
A chill ran down my spine at Luna's eerie smile as I shook my head.
"Leave a traitor be, and he'll stab us in the back. If we're too soft and do nothing, we'll be aiding the traitor."
I knew what she meant.
That didn't mean it meshed perfectly with my modern values, though—that'd be a lie.
Luna turned away and spoke in a weary voice.
"Are you disappointed?"
"No... I just wondered if there's no other way."
"Yeah... This is what I'd have done even without you. If anything, meeting you makes me merciful in hindsight. If he surrenders, I'll strip his title, confiscate his assets, and banish him."
Ah... So originally she'd have killed him, but since he led her to me, she's showing a bit of leniency?
"Sorry... for showing you this side of me. I didn't want you to see it..."
I felt pity at her slightly trembling voice.
"Don't I seem like a monster?"
Her self-deprecating back looked so lonely that I hugged her from behind.
"No? What monster in the world is this beautiful?"
-Flinch.
Did she not expect this from me?
"Not... disappointed?"
"Why would I be? If anything, I'm sorry I couldn't protect you during your tough childhood."
I knew well how she'd lived in the original novel, the hardships she'd endured.
And the political scene here was no cakewalk.
Luna turned, looking at me with teary eyes.
"Really? You're really not disappointed?"
Tears welled in her beautiful red eyes.
I wiped them away.
"Really not. How could I be disappointed in someone this pretty?"
Luna buried herself in my arms and sobbed softly.
"Hng... Crying makes you ugly..."
"You're not ugly. Though you look even prettier smiling, so don't cry."
-Pat pat.
Was she anxious?
Come to think of it, she'd changed a bit from the original.
The Luna who'd bleed not a drop even if pricked with a needle had spared Taylor and not killed Jin.
If she killed Taylor... well, that'd be...
Taylor's son still needed his mother.
Unless she was completely heartless, Luna wouldn't lose affection for her.
As I patted her back until the crying stopped, she pulled away slightly and bowed her head.
"What's wrong?"
Her posture, hiding her face, puzzled me.
"Crying makes me look ugly. I'm going now."
Luna's stuffy, nasally voice saying she was leaving.
I gently tugged her wrist.
"Wh... why?"
"Because you're too cute."
"Ugh... I'm not cute..."
Her voice trailed off small.
I led her to my chair and sat down.
"Sit here."
I patted my lap, and she shook her head vigorously, still bowed.
"N-no... I'm not a kid..."
"You seem like an adorable child right now. Sit."
I tugged lightly, and she sat on my lap, pretending to resist.
I held her slender body and thought.
Her strength was greater than most men's, yet she felt so light.
"Happy now?"
"Nope?"
I hugged her, savoring the sweet scent from her nape.
"Hng... Don't. The soundproofing here is..."
At her suggestive words, I teased in a playful voice.
"Hey, I didn't say we'd do it here. What are you even thinking?"
I flashed a mischievous smile at her wide-eyed gaze.
"Ugh... You're mean."
She grumbled, still hiding her face.
Though she cried sometimes when we did it.
I remembered once charging at her wildly to try beating her.
When I saw her tears and asked why, panicked...
-Because it feels too good... so give me more.
That day, she drained me all day while crying.
Anyway, even her crying face was pretty...
"Let go now."
Her voice, the tears gone.
"No. This feels too good."
Her warm, fragrant skin soothed my mood.
"I have work."
"Just five more minutes."
Was it because I was acting spoiled?
"Five minutes only?"
She hugged me back as she said it.
Was it because we cuddled to sleep every night?
Or because she drained me every night?
Holding her made drowsiness wash over me.
"Aiden?"
"Hm... Yeah?"
Luna asked with a worried look.
"You sleepy?"
"Yawn! I'm fine. Just needed a quick nap."
"Sorry... Was I too much last night?"
Her guilt-filled face was so lovable.
"Yeah? Doing it once a day is pretty tiring, you know."
A typical couple's sex lasted 30 minutes to an hour.
Ours? Two to three hours.
If I seemed close, she'd ghost my hips to edge me.
With the once-a-day limit, these tricks piled up.
"Hehe, sorry. I'll let you sleep well tonight."
"Really?"
Luna nodded, her face slightly flushed.
"Yeah, you're exhausted. I'll give you one day off."
"You're not planning to collect interest tomorrow, right?"
She looked out the window at my words, changing the subject.
"Oh? The sun's already setting? I gotta go."
"Hey? Your Grace?"
A smile crept on my face as she bolted before I could say more.
***
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
Several days later.
-Knock knock.
Someone rapped on my office door.
"Who is it?"
"Sir Aiden, it's me."
I opened the door at Sir Charles's voice.
"What brings you here?"
Charles looked serious.
He spoke cautiously.
"It's treason. Her Grace has called a meeting and ordered all high officials to assemble."
"Treason?"
Then it hit me—the conversation from days ago.
Duke Ethyl... He'd rebelled after all.
A fight with no chance of winning. Was honor that important?
"Duke Ethyl attempted to assassinate Her Grace, and when caught, he rebelled."
As expected.
"I see. I'll head to the meeting room."
As I made my way there,
everyone except me was already gathered.
"Sir Aiden, take a seat."
I sat at her words.
"As you all know, Duke Ethyl has rebelled. Ignoring my generous offer, no less..."
Luna paused, glancing at us.
"We cannot overlook this. I will personally lead the troops to execute Duke Ethyl and banish his house. Minister of Military Affairs."
"Yes!"
The minister snapped to attention, and Luna asked coldly.
"I understand we have 1,500 available soldiers. Correct?"
"Yes. With a mobilization order, we can secure up to 4,500."
"Are supplies sufficient?"
The minister, who'd answered briskly,
now looked troubled, glancing at me.
Probably because of the budget cuts I'd pushed before.
For fiscal health, we'd reduced stockpiles we weren't even using.
"Well..."
"Why no answer?"
"To maintain fiscal health previously, we cut the budget for supplies. We don't have many left."