If You Wish For A Married Couple’s Duties

ted that she tried to kill her and apologised, she could have concealed the drug-related incident to a certain extent. 

“Madam!”

Just then, Layla rushed into the room with an urgent look on her face.

“What’s the matter, Layla?”

“Pauline, that Young Lady!”

“What about Pauline?”

“That woman just asked the Duke for a meeting! She’d just entered the Duke’s office!”

Dooha hadn’t expected this. 

At that time, she thought that she would never see Pauline, who was fleeing in terror, again.

It wasn’t enough that she evaded responsibility after doing something wrong, but to come here again?

Should she be described as bold, or stupid?

“Do you know why?”

“According to the other maids, it seems that it’s to nitpick about how the Madam interrogated her at the lake.” 

The expression on Layla’s face was pretty severe.

“Madam, what are you going to do? Shouldn’t we stop Young Lady Pauline?”

“She’s already in the middle of a meeting with the Duke, so what do you mean stop her?” 

“But……”

“Don’t worry.”

Dooha picked up the bottle on the table and fiddled it with her fingertips.

“No matter what designs the Young Lady has, it won’t work out as she wishes.”

“How can you guarantee that? What will you do if she tries to frame Madam!”

“Layla.”

Dooha threw a bottle of medicine upwards like it was a toy and grabbed it.

“Do you think the Duke is a great man that’ll just quietly listen to a woman that’s slandering his wife?” 

She and the duke, they certainly were far from a ‘loving married couple’.

However, the both of them recognised each other’s existence more than any other couple.

“I’ve decided to trust you.”

Trust was also formed between them. 

Dooha stretched and got up from her seat.

“The weather is nice.
Shall we go for a walk?”

“Madam–!”

Unlike her restless handmaiden, the Duchy’s mistress began moving her feet too calmly.

There wasn’t any signs of gloominess on her face.

* * *

“Right.
So this is the reason I have to take time out of my busy schedule to listen to your words.”

Leonhart stared at the two people standing before him silently. 

He was just looking at them, but a heavy and sharp momentum flowed out from his entire body, which was enough to cause an ordinary person’s knees to wobble.  

“Speak.”

“Isn’t the Duke also aware of it?”

A vassal of Esbaden’s, Count Blair, met the eyes of his Lord and opened his mouth.

He was an old gentleman that gave off a crafty and despicable impression, and was nothing but skin and bones. 

“About the incident that occurred during the outing that was hosted by the Duchess not long ago.”

The count’s words caused Leonhart’s brows to furrow slightly.

That day’s incident was something that he didn’t really want to recall. 

As it was the day that he’d almost become the duke that lost his new bride.

“And?”

“That day, the Duchess slandered my daughter in front of the vassal’s wives.”

Count Blair glanced at Pauline, who was standing behind him with a bowed head. 

She was dressed beautifully, but she had a pale countenance and kept biting her lower lip.

Just like someone that wanted to run away from this place if she was given a chance. 

Leonhart glanced at her expression, before tilting his head to the side.

With a face that’s more elegant than anyone else, he matched well with the improper posture.

“So?”

“I require an apology.”

Count Blair looked directly at Leonhart and tilted his chin upwards slightly. 

“From the Duchess, to my daughter personally.”

With that sentence, one of Leonhart’s handsome eyebrows rose like it had been pulled upwards.

“Are you saying that sincerely, Count Blair?”

“Do I appear to be someone that would crack jokes in the Duke’s presence?”

“I know.”

“What?”

The duke brushed back his bangs that were drooping slightly and rose from his seat.

“To think that those words weren’t a joke but spoken seriously.
I was wondering if you’re in your right mind.”

He slowly walked to the front of his desk and stood before Count Blair.

As the duke had been rolling in numerous battlefields ever since he was young, just standing up made his body seem overwhelming.

Count Blair tried to maintain a nonchalant look on his face as he looked up at Leonhart, who was much larger than himself.

“Is there a reason why I can’t get an apology?”

“In that case, why should the Duchess bow her head to the Young Lady of a Count?”

In the face of the Duke’s rebuttal, Count Blair was flustered but didn’t back down, and spoke sharply.  

“My daughter is much more pure and virtuous than any other aristocratic young lady.
However, she was insulted in front of everyone, so how am I to just let this go…”

“It’s best if you let it go, Count.”

Leonhart stood in a crooked posture with a hand on his waist.

“That day wasn’t just dangerous for the Count’s daughter only, but also for all the vassals’ wives.”

His deep blue eyes landed on both the face of Count Blair, and Young Lady Pauline, who was standing behind him. 

“Of course, including the Duchess.”

Leonhart lifted the cup that was placed on his desk.

As the weather was warm, he was purposely served cold herbal tea.

He took a sip of the vivid golden tea water that reminded him of his wife’s eyes and continued speaking.

“And as far as I’m aware, while there wasn’t any evidence that the boat Young Lady Pauline had presented that day had problems, there’s no evidence that there weren’t any problems.”

“What kind of sophistry is this? So even when evidence of a problem wasn’t discovered, my daughter deserves to be treated like that!”

“I meant that you shouldn’t be hasty, Count.”

“What?”

“Then if my wife is found to be guiltless, you’ll be in trouble.”

Leonhart added a short sentence.

“Quite a lot of trouble.”