Chapter 72. The Perverted Count's Friend is Also a Pervert?
The Perverted Count's Friend is Also a Pervert?
A peaceful afternoon. A distinguished guest arrived at the Eckhart County estate.
It was Count Gerard Blanc and his wife—a distant relative of Royal Knight Commander Rimeyer and a military officer guarding the eastern border.
"It's been a while, Count Gerard."
"Oh! If it isn't the flower of House Eckhart, Head Maid Maria!"
Gerard brightened upon seeing Maria and approached with a cheerful smile, politely offering his hand for a handshake.
Though he was an 'Alpha Male' as handsome as Lucian, their dispositions were entirely different. If Lucian was a cold, solitary wolf, Gerard was a lion—radiant and vibrant as the sun. A true gentleman who treated everyone with kindness, even using honorifics with maids.
"Has that bastard Lucian been working you too hard? If it ever gets tough, you're always welcome at House Blanc. I'll treat you with the utmost respect. Hahaha!"
"You flatter me, Count."
Maria smiled outwardly but felt strangely conflicted inside.
Lucian often showed tenderness and warmth when making love, but in daily life, he was always cold and commanding.
In contrast, Count Gerard greeted her with a bright smile, treating her with respect.
By appearance alone, Gerard was closer to her ideal type.
Of course, she loved only Lucian, but Gerard's warm demeanor made her entertain the whimsical thought, If only I could mix the two of them together...
"Ah, we have guests."
Just then, Rachel entered the drawing room.
Her steps were slower than usual. Lucian had been relentless day and night, leaving her body sore, and she had dozed off briefly while resting in bed. The faint imprint of her pillow still lingered on her cheek.
Rachel's brow furrowed slightly as she surveyed the scene.
Head Maid Maria was conversing with their guest, Gerard, with such familiarity—almost as if she were the lady of the house.
I'm the mistress here... yet the head maid is entertaining our guests?
Smoothing her dress, Rachel approached gracefully.
"Good afternoon, Gerard. And Lady Blanc, it's been far too long."
"Oho, Miss Rachel... no, I should say Lady Eckhart now!"
Gerard greeted her with admiration.
"You're still as dazzling as ever—I can hardly look at you directly! Hahaha! That thief Lucian is the one I envy most."
"My, what a jest—when you have such a beautiful wife by your side. Lady Blanc is renowned as one of the eastern region's great beauties, second only to Knight Commander Rimeyer."
When Rachel praised Gerard's wife, Lady Blanc covered her mouth with a fan and giggled.
"Haha, then I suppose we're both winners—you with the southern region's greatest beauty, and me with the east's. Ah, but let's exclude the 'Ice Witch' Rimeyer—she's holed up in the royal palace. That woman has no romance in her bones. Hahaha!"
Boisterous laughter filled the drawing room.
"Still, that bastard must have been in a real hurry. Holding a wedding without so much as an invitation—how inconsiderate."
Gerard feigned hurt, and Rachel flusteredly began to explain.
"Ah, that was my—"
"I realized something during the civil war."
Just then, Lucian slipped an arm around Rachel's waist and cut in.
"I felt this sudden fear that Rachel might run away. So I made sure to stamp my claim on her before she could."
"Haha! Well, you've got to seize the opportunity when it comes. What else matters? As long as you're happy."
Gerard clapped Lucian on the shoulder.
"And aren't you busy guarding the eastern border? We barely see each other once a year—I didn't want to drag you here urgently, so I waited until now. Let's have a drink and catch up."
"Perfect! I brought some of the east's finest liquor—you won't believe how good it is."
"The ladies can entertain themselves."
Lucian and Gerard took their bottles out to the terrace, while Rachel escorted Lady Blanc to the parlor.
Only Maria remained in the empty drawing room.
Standing alone, she glanced between the closed parlor door and the terrace.
The sound of boisterous laughter. The happy chatter of married couples.
Now there really is... a proper Countess of House Eckhart.
While the position of mistress had been vacant, she had managed the household and warmed Lucian's bed. Though just a maid, in her heart, she had cared for him like a wife.
But now, she had undeniably become an outsider. Welcoming guests, mingling with the Count's friends—all of it was Rachel's role now.
Though her status as Lucian's retainer maid remained unchanged, the air in the estate had shifted unmistakably.
As the woman who had held him first and longest, the change stabbed deep into her heart.
"Hic..."
Maria fled to her room.
A short while later.
Ella came to the head maid's quarters for work approvals.
Just as she raised her hand to knock, she heard muffled sobs from inside.
"Sniff... Sob... You cruel man..."
Peering through the crack in the door, she saw Head Maid Maria—usually so dependable, like an older sister—lying facedown on her bed, shoulders shaking as she cried.
The head maid...?
Ella hesitated, her hand freezing mid-knock.
It's because of the Count. The other maids feel like crying too.
But Maria's sorrow ran deeper. This wasn't just frustration—it was the profound grief of someone who had lost their reason for being.
The sorrow of the woman who had stood by him the longest.
Unable to comprehend such pain, Ella quietly closed the door and stepped away.
[Later that night, on the terrace]
Lucian and Gerard were laughing raucously as they downed glass after glass of strong whiskey. Unlike Lucian, Gerard was lively and talkative—time flew by just listening to him.
"So, a new maid joined recently—a rare redhead with snow-white skin from the east. Had a few freckles, but she was cute enough, so I called her to my room at night."
Gerard snickered as he drained his glass.
"The moment I hiked up her skirt and yanked her panties down—whew—the stench hit me. Her pussy was so overused, her labia were darkened and flopping around like a turkey's wattle."
"So? Did you send her away?"
"Pfft, no way I'd let a girl who came to my room leave untouched. But damn, her mouth skills were insane. The way she tightened her throat—I came twice that night just from her mouth. Now she's my dedicated blowjob maid."
This was no idle maids' gossip—this was high-tier noble Alpha Male talk.
Lucian smirked wryly. He rationalized his own womanizing as a curse of excess mana, but Gerard was simply a born hedonist who reveled in pleasure.
In fact, Lucian's first exposure to the female form had been through the nude paintings and erotic prints Gerard had brought over as a boy. The impact still lingered vividly in his mind.
With that handsome, roguish face, just how many women had Gerard made cry over the years?
"Oh, lately, my wife and I have been into a new kind of play."
Gerard lowered his voice conspiratorially.
"We have sex while deliberately letting the maids watch. Leaving the door slightly ajar, drawing back the curtains—that sort of thing."
"Exhibitionism?"
"Something like that. Some maids run away in shock, but there are always a few who stay, holding their breath and peeking. Then I call over the cutest one and... well, fuck her right in front of my wife."
Lucian raised an eyebrow. In front of his wife?
"Doesn't she get jealous?"
"Nah, it actually turns her on like crazy. While I'm pounding the maid, my wife fingers herself beside us. By the end, her pussy's practically flooding. Then I take her right after."
Well... Lucian wasn't entirely unfamiliar with that kind of play. He'd once watched his guard captain and Nancy rolling in bed while fondling Maria beside him.
But Gerard's next words left even Lucian stunned.
"Though we wanted something even wilder... Last time, when my cousin visited, I had one of my favorite maids seduce him."
"...What?"
"They hit it off and started going at it. So I brought my wife over and fucked her right beside them."
Gerard's eyes gleamed.
"Watching the maid I'd fucked get railed by another man while I stuffed my wife's tight hole—
that
drove me insane. The mix of conquest and betrayal... it's intoxicating."
"Damn..."
Lucian was speechless. Enjoying the sight of his own woman with another man?
"So I got hooked on that. Once, I even asked my cousin, 'Wanna try my wife?'"
"You're insane. Are you even sane?"
"Haha, well, the bastard freaked out and refused, so it didn't happen. My wife threw a fit too. Shame, really."
"Jesus..."
Lucian shook his head in disbelief.
He'd considered himself plenty debauched. He'd once watched his guard captain and Nancy fooling around while fondling Maria beside them.
But... offering his wife to another man?
No. Not even with a retainer maid—let alone my wife.
To Lucian, Rachel—and the position of his lawful wife—was sacred. Gerard's coolness was on a level Lucian couldn't even comprehend.