Inspection - 1
I let out a soft groan. The familiar plush comfort of the bed should have coaxed my eyes open, but the warm, silky sensation pressed against my chest made me reach out instead. Someone with a gentle, living heat was nestled in my arms. When I finally opened my eyes and looked down, an angel lay there.
“Mmm… Leo. Is it morning already?”
“Yes, it seems so.”
Grace’s brows furrowed at the sunlight slipping past the curtains. I brushed my fingers across them, smoothing the frown away. She buried her face deeper into my chest, squinting and shaking her head before pressing herself even closer. I slid my hand to the small of her back and pulled her tight, savoring the perfect warmth of her body.
Full, perfectly balanced breasts. A narrow waist that begged to be gripped. Hips that flared out again in flawless proportion. I ran my palms over every elegant line, caressing her slowly.
“We should get up…”
She said the words, yet kept her face buried against my chest. Clearly she had no intention of moving. Not that I minded. There was no urgent problem with staying like this.
I gripped her waist and rolled her on top of me. Even then she kept her eyes closed, clinging to my chest. I cupped her backside, feeling the way her heavy breasts pressed down on me. The slick evidence of last night’s passion between her legs rubbed against my thigh while her calves tangled with mine.
“Saren… water…”
“Saren isn’t here.”
“She isn’t? Why…?”
Probably because I’d made her climax so many times last night. She must have been exhausted. It was still early, but the others would be up by now, and yet Grace remained curled against me, whining sleepily. This was new. The last time we’d been together, we’d gotten up right away for another round before parting. Seeing her so relaxed around me… perhaps it meant she had finally let down her guard completely.
“She went out with your brother,” I said.
“Why? Leaving me behind like this…”
Grace rubbed her cheek against my chest like a spoiled cat.
“I know. But don’t worry. You still have me.”
“Mmm… Leo? That’s right. I have you.”
Her arms slid around my neck. She smiled and slowly opened her eyes. Those blue jewels caught the light, sparkling as they gazed at me.
“Is it really all right to spend the morning so lazily?”
“It’s fine. I finished the important work in advance. The vassals will handle the rest.”
Her golden hair had a brighter tone than the Franz family’s, almost radiant. I brushed it back from her face.
“Besides, don’t I get a proper greeting?”
“Oh, Leo.”
Grace laughed softly and kissed me. Our lips met gently, lingered, then parted.
“Oh my.”
Her eyes widened in surprise. She shifted, half-rising, then gave me a mischievous smile that held far too much knowing amusement.
“Are you hiding something under there?”
This seductive married woman was teasing me even though she already knew the answer. I chuckled and nudged her thighs with my hardened length.
“I’m not hiding anything in particular. Why don’t you guess what it is?”
“Honestly, Leo, you’re so wicked.”
She smiled with her eyes, then slowly pulled the blanket over her head. Only her face remained visible as she looked up at me from beneath the covers, grinning.
“Then I suppose I’ll have to investigate what you’re concealing.”
“You’ll have to search very thoroughly.”
With those words, Grace disappeared completely under the blanket and slid downward.
“Here is your tea.”
“Mm. Thank you.”
I accepted the cup Chloe offered. Neria usually handled my tea, but she had other duties. During work hours, I sometimes drank what Chloe prepared instead.
…Hm?
“This isn’t the usual blend.”
“It’s excellent for relieving fatigue.”
The bitter scent hit me immediately. When I frowned, I caught Chloe watching me with those sharp eyes. It reminded me of the black garlic extract my mother used to force on me as a child. This couldn’t be as bad… could it?
“Ugh.”
It was bitter. Extremely bitter. I stuck my tongue out.
“S-something sweet…”
“Here you are.”
In the end I had to eat the cookies Chloe had prepared. Even then the aftertaste lingered. I popped another cookie into my mouth to dull the roughness on my tongue and returned to the documents, only to feel her gaze again. When I looked up, Chloe was staring at me with a gentle, steady look.
“What?”
“You seem quite vigorous this morning.”
“Well… yes.”
From morning until nearly lunch, I had taken Grace until we were both exhausted. Actually, I still wasn’t tired. I could have continued, but Grace had insisted it would be rude not to give me time to prepare for the day and left first. Still, we would be able to meet often from now on. Perhaps even two or three nights a week together would be possible.
The first night had been part of my sex education under Lena’s supervision, but now there was no need for that. I wasn’t exactly avoiding my brother’s gaze, but his presence had made meetings difficult. With both Father and my brother gone, I could see her whenever I had time.
“I am rather healthy, aren’t I?”
“They say such vigor is rare in the Franz Count family’s bloodline. Someone as active as you…”
“Is it more common elsewhere?”
I had heard rumors of people with absurd stamina that sounded like they belonged in fantasy novels. It was only hearsay, though. While low libido was the norm for our line, it wasn’t completely absent. The usual defensive jokes about mandatory service still worked here too.
“I’m not entirely sure… From what my colleagues say, the Franz bloodline is unusually low in sexual desire.”
“That’s why the previous generation struggled.”
When I looked through the family records and history books, there had been more than a few occasions when the bloodline had nearly been severed. The fact that our ancestors managed to preserve it through those desperate wars was proof of how remarkable they were. Come to think of it, the idea that magical power was maintained through bloodline itself seemed slightly suspicious. Even if the Franz family had few direct descendants, the blood should have spread elsewhere. Of course, that was probably why adventurers existed in the first place. This world was…
“Ah, we received word from Charlotte.”
“Really?”
“No. Neria is currently comforting Charlotte, who is quite heartbroken.”
Charlotte had felt unwell recently and had taken a short rest. We had wondered if she might be pregnant, but it seemed not. In truth, whenever anyone who shared my bed showed even the slightest sign, we checked their condition immediately. Magical detection was possible, but in the early stages there was a risk of interference, so they performed the examination carefully. It seemed they wanted to eliminate even the slightest chance that a miscarriage might cause me to become impotent from the shock.
Beatrice, Ninya, and Sasha. The three of them continued their usual activities for now, but I had told them to reduce their workload if they intended to keep seeing me. I still remembered how delighted they had been at the possibility of bearing my child.
Even so… I had been with Grace several times, with Charlotte and Neria as well, and with Beatrice and her daughters. Yet none of them had conceived. I had never heard them mention contraception, and I was beginning to wonder if it would happen soon. Still, pregnancy was the sort of thing that often evaded those who desperately wanted it, only to arrive suddenly when least expected. It would happen eventually.
More importantly, as I had told Grace, although I had postponed the critical tasks, it was time to begin handling them again. With both Father and my brother away, the major responsibilities now fell to me. Most matters could be left to the vassals, of course.
“Let’s see.”
I skimmed through the documents the vassals had sent, then checked the upcoming schedule. Nothing particularly important stood out. A simple signature would probably suffice for most of them.
“Chloe?”
“Yes.”
Chloe, who had been waiting outside the door, stepped in.
“What about the remaining paperwork?”
“For the rest, Zeke and I can handle nearly everything without issue.”
“Is that so?”
Hm. In that case… I scanned the papers on my desk once more. No urgent matters. Then I might as well head out.
“Prepare the carriage. We’re going to the outer gate.”
“The outer gate, my lord?”
“Yes. Let’s make a patrol round.”
There might be some bold fool who needed reminding.
The Franz territory consists of two castles: the outer and the inner. Beyond the massive outer walls lie vast fields and other large-scale facilities. Near the walls are buildings for the workers, along with several rest areas for travelers who arrive after the gates have closed. The outer castle itself mainly contains quarters and training grounds for soldiers, guards, and the knights who command them. Siege weapons and various supplies are stored there as well. Deeper inside sits the prison for those who have committed crimes.
Once you pass through the outer castle, you enter what can truly be called the city. This is where countless citizens live—the land actually governed by the Franz family. At its center stands the inner castle, Franz Castle itself.
Honestly, patrolling the entire sprawling city was no small task. In the modern world a car would have made it simple, but here one had to travel by carriage. Flying through the sky with magic would finish the job quickly, but that was only possible for those with as much magic power as I possessed.
Clatter.
The carriage rattled as it headed toward the outer wall. The crest and banners painted on it announced that someone of Franz blood rode inside. And on this land, there was only one such person.
“It’s the second young master.”
“My goodness, he really has come outside.”
“The rumors say he’s incredibly handsome.”
“They say he never attends noble gatherings. I wonder what he’s like?”
Even inside the moving carriage, my enhanced hearing picked up the whispers clearly. If anything, it made me sound like some sort of hikikomori.
“Well, they’re not entirely wrong, are they?”
“That’s too harsh.”
I refuted Chloe’s comment. It wasn’t that I never went out—I simply didn’t go out often. I attended events when necessary: banquets hosted by the Borang family, gatherings in the royal capital of Brahms, and so on.