A Warm Night and the Weight of Duty
I wrapped my arms around Grace noona’s trembling shoulders and pulled her close, letting her lean against me. She buried her face in my chest, one hand resting over my heart. Her legs, still weak from our fierce lovemaking, tangled naturally with mine. We lay there like any married couple after a night together, bodies pressed close in the afterglow.
“Really… haa. You really are exactly as I heard, Leo.”
“Heard? What did you hear?”
I stroked her fragrant hair, savoring the silky softness between my fingers even after a full night together. She flushed for a moment before looking up at me.
“Your sex drive.”
“My sex drive, huh.”
But this was our first time. I’d held back from masturbating as much as possible. Wasting seed was considered a noble’s disgrace, after all.
“I could tell from your wet dreams.”
“Ah, that.”
Hmm. Of course I had wet dreams after holding it in this long. The maids changed the sheets, so it wasn’t a big deal, but still…
“Does that give you a good idea? It’s a little embarrassing, but isn’t it a perfectly normal thing?”
“Well… I heard commoners experience it often, but it’s rare among nobles. Maybe even knights don’t have it much?”
I’d suspected as much. So that’s how little sexual desire people have in this world. Even knights? Just what kind of people are they? Is it because of magic power? I’d heard commoners were normal, though.
Her hand slowly traced across my chest. I was confident in my body. I’d trained since I was young, and my magic-enhanced physique was always in peak condition. The only things I had to watch out for were mental fatigue and shock.
“Leo… you did it quite… often, didn’t you?”
Despite how disheveled she’d looked last night, her face was now flushed with pure, innocent charm. I ran my hand gently over her body in return.
“But you knew about that too, noona?”
“Of course. I’m part of the Franz family now. I hear things.”
That was a little embarrassing. I playfully pinched her side.
“Eep…! You really are such a rascal.”
“Haha.”
I pulled her into my arms, kissed her, then rose from the bed. It was about time to go.
“Noona.”
She propped herself up on the bed, wrapping the blanket around her body, and looked at me. She was like a sculpture of beauty.
“I keep the promises I make.”
“……Leo.”
Our eyes met one last time. I rang the small bell beside the door.
-Tingling!
The door opened, and maids and servants filed in. They moved quickly and quietly, gathering various items. Then they set up a folding screen between us. Our eyes met one final time over the barrier.
“Then, Lord Leoric.”
As I stood staring at the screen, Lena appeared beside me.
“I will prepare you.”
“Yeah.”
I nodded, and the familiar maids stepped forward to begin their work. Feeling their hands cleaning my naked body, I slowly closed my eyes.
The sounds beyond the screen eventually faded. Leoric Franz had left. Sensing his departure, Grace slowly closed her eyes.
“Lady Grace.”
“Saren.”
My sister, Saren. The daughter of the wet nurse who had been with me since birth. A servant who could have become a knight and taken a new name if she’d wished. Grace opened her eyes and looked at her.
Warm brown eyes filled with concern. Just seeing her sisterly gaze eased her heart.
“I’m fine, Saren.”
“But……”
“Really.”
Grace smiled at her. It really hadn’t been bad. In fact…
“Aah. It’s warm.”
Just breathing in the scent he’d left on the sheets made her feel like she was still in his arms. When she’d first seen him as a child, he’d been adorable. She had been wary at first, but she quickly realized how kind he was. Saying he wasn’t like other nobles might have been rude, but that kind, considerate boy had grown into such a man.
The warmth had already faded, and it was probably just her imagination, but Grace gently stroked her lower belly and curled up. She could still feel the strange fullness inside. His seed was still deep within her.
“He was kind, Saren.”
“Was he?”
“Yes. It was truly a happy night.”
Aidan. Her husband by political marriage. He hadn’t been a bad husband. Grace and Aidan had loved each other, but she had never conceived. Saren knew how deeply that had wounded her.
After a short while, the door creaked open. At the sound, Saren’s brows furrowed.
“Please give us a little more time……”
“It’s alright, Saren. This is only natural.”
She had wanted a little more time to rest, but when Grace gently stopped her, Saren sighed and stepped back from the bed. The one who appeared from behind the screen was Lena.
“Lady Grace.”
“Lady Lena.”
Lena’s perpetually stern expression had frightened Grace a little when she first arrived at the mansion as a young bride, but now it felt comforting. She had come to understand that this was simply Lena’s way of living.
“I apologize, but…”
“Yes. I understand.”
At Lena’s words, the surrounding maids and servants turned away. Saren nodded, then pulled back the blanket. Lena carefully examined Grace’s exposed body before nodding.
“Confirmed.”
“Yes.”
As soon as Lena spoke, Saren quickly covered Grace, who had drawn her legs together.
“Then……”
“Yes. Lord Leoric observed all proper etiquette last night before coming to me. Afterward, as if worried about me, he checked one final time, then began with praise… and continued…”
Slowly, Grace began recounting the memories of the previous night. That intense, warm night. His touch. Beneath the blanket, she secretly caressed her lower belly again. It was still warm.
“Are you alright?”
“Brother.”
I was in my office, having changed clothes and sipping tea, when my older brother came to see me. Was I alright? That was something I should be asking him.
“……I’m—”
“I’m fine.”
Aidan hyung-nim smiled gently, looking genuinely okay. It wasn’t right to try to read his true feelings. If hyung said he was fine, then his younger brother should accept it as such. I nodded.
“I’m alright. It was a good first experience.”
“Good. I’ll be counting on you from now on.”
“……Yes.”
It meant we could meet often from now on. Neria quietly poured tea for Aidan hyung-nim, who sat across from me.
“This tea is the same as always. Far too sweet.”
“Isn’t that sweetness exactly what makes it good? Better than something bitter and astringent.”
Our eyes met. The golden eyes and the golden magic power within them were proof of the deep Franz bloodline. After a brief moment of eye contact, we both chuckled.
“Now you need to gather your own retainers.”
“Yes.”
The conversation began. The reason I had stayed quiet and simply received education until now was simple. I didn’t want unnecessary power struggles. Actual internal conflicts were rare, but things like what happened in Muller could occur. Even without that, it wasn’t uncommon for someone to declare independence using the territory’s forces, which could later become the justification for war. That was why I had kept my head down.
Honestly, if someone asked whether I had a good head for politics, I’d find it hard to answer. Me doing politics? Internal affairs? That was a lost cause. So I just wanted to live comfortably, and that’s exactly what I had done. Even with education and training, it was far more relaxed than modern life that started from elementary school all the way to military service.
Thanks to the unique laws of this fantasy world, even though it was a medieval-like era, mysterious advancements meant that aside from the lack of the internet, there weren’t many inconveniences. It wasn’t like no retainers had come looking for me, but after I spent a few years saying I wasn’t interested, the Franz territory had become peaceful. My life had become peaceful too.
But now it was time to start moving, apparently. Honestly, it was such a hassle.
“I can feel the reluctance.”
“Dealing with people is annoying. You have to look after them, give orders, hand out rewards…”
“Haha.”
Hyung-nim laughed at my words.
“That’s the duty of a noble.”
“Yeah, I know.”
I sighed, savoring the sweet taste of the tea.
“So, retainers?”
“Yes. People who will become your eyes, your ears, your hands, and your feet.”
“Hmm.”
In other words, I had to use my own head for the rest.
“I’ll assign Zeke and a few others to you.”
“Zeke?”
“……It should be Zeke, right?”
When I tilted my head in confusion, hyung-nim looked slightly flustered too. Zeke? ….. Ah, that blue-haired guy?
“Wasn’t it Czech?”
“Was it Czech? That……”
“The one with blue hair, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m pretty sure it was Czech.”
“Is that so?”
The brothers simultaneously tilted their heads in confusion. Wasn’t it Czech?
“……”
“Neria?”
“Y-yes?”
“Do you have something to say?”
“……No.”
I felt a slight hesitation from beside me and turned to see Neria fidgeting. Was I imagining it?
“……Czech. Yeah. That must be it. Czech should be fine, right? He’s young but has a good head on his shoulders. He won’t be a bad choice.”
“I see.”
“I’ll assign Czech and a few others. They’re all young and sharp.”
I already knew the situation in the territory. Czech was probably the oldest among them…
“For now, work with them. It shouldn’t be too difficult.”
“Understood.”
“And……”
He continued explaining the work I would need to do, things to be careful about, and how to make proper judgments. He was quite kind about it.
“And finally, you’ll need a guard knight as well.”
“A knight?”
“Yes. Your closest aide, the knight who will support you from now on.”
Aah. I understood what he meant. If I went to Muller, that knight would probably command the lower knights in my place. Czech would handle the civil officials, while the guard knight would manage the military ones. That kind of system would be established.
“You can’t personally step forward for every little thing.”
“True.”
There was that problem too. Getting involved personally in every matter that required force would be more than just annoying.
“I’ve looked at a few candidates, but it would be better if you chose yourself. Hans personally selected them all, so their skills are solid.”
“I suppose so.”
There would be a female knight, right? There had to be. I’d seen one occasionally. No, there definitely had to be one. This was a fantasy medieval world, after all. There was no way there wouldn’t be.
“……I don’t know what you’re expecting, but yes, there will be one.”
“Ah, yes.”
Hyung-nim’s gaze felt a little painful.