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It was a dark night. The hour when the servants were finishing their last tasks of the day. There was a shadow moving secretly.
"How can our lady Irene be beautiful even when sleeping."
"Her heart is as kind as her face. She said she would share accessories with us."
"She's the one who lets us breathe in this terrifying ducal house. We need to do better for her."
It was an area with a different space and floor from Diana's. Diana, who had come to Irene's bedroom, had infiltrated while concealing all traces of her presence.
Her infiltration skills were so outstanding that even knights with good intuition couldn't detect her. It was possible because she had undergone tedious training in a family that produced assassins.
An ominous energy was thick in Irene's bedroom, but nothing particularly unusual could be found.
There were just noticeably many servants who praised Irene, that's all.
It was a world where magic existed. Diana thought Irene was directly using some wordless power to control people, but she couldn't find any anomalies.
Surely the malice toward her also seemed like Irene's doing. There was a lot of ominous energy and circulating words, but there was no physical evidence. Should I observe a bit more?
She didn't know. The fact that magic was cast on the jewel box hidden under the bed, obscuring her eyes. She failed to discover the existence of the stone tablet right in front of her nose.
Diana, who had been watching the quietly sleeping Irene, left the bedroom without a sound.
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Rodrick, who had been to the northwest region with a small number of people, passed by the knights waiting at the entrance of the Schwartz estate with indifference.
The elite knights following Rodrick looked terrible, but they remained silent as it was a common occurrence.
"His Grace was looking for you."
"Why."
"Where are you? He ordered to locate your position."
Are you crazy? Rodrick's murderous eyes seemed to say that. Has he gone senile? He's doing things he hasn't done before.
The duke's agent had already secretly visited and reported not only his location but also the affairs of the border area. Diana was looking for him, so he had hurriedly come.
The duke even issued orders for show. In the eyes of others, it would seem as if the duke had moved at her single word.
He understood her intention to solidify her position, but it was unlike the duke. Has he really gone senile?
Regardless, Rodrick just went on his way. Enduring with paralysis grass was also reaching its limit now.
Normally, he would have had to slaughter magic beasts or at least mountain beasts to suppress his boiling blood, but one more option had emerged.
Diana. He just needed to hold her in his arms.
As he entered the castle gate leading a group of sturdy knights, the sound of a horn trumpet resonated.
They were all riding purebred warhorses, exuding a threatening atmosphere just like their lord.
"Welcome, Commander."
The first to greet them was the head butler. No matter how much he was called a discarded child and a lunatic beast, the head butler and the servants were lined up to welcome him.
Of course, the feelings of the servants, except for the head butler, were a different matter.
The horse that stopped in front of the head butler snorted and pranced. Tap tap. Rodrick patted the neck below the mane with his black-gloved hand, soothing it.
The black horse, gigantic compared to the other warhorses befitting the leader, quickly became docile at its master's touch. Rodrick dismounted from the saddle with a flourish.
Under the sunlight shattering and scattering the sporadically falling sleet, his figure sparkled like fish scales.
Intense features. His good looks were buried under a suffocating savagery that resided in his blue eyes.
A precarious instability, as if it could explode at any moment, met with beauty, creating a decadent atmosphere.
"Ah..."
For a moment, Diana was captivated by Rodrick's appearance. Perhaps even her heart.
Thump− Her heart was shocked as if someone had hit it hard. Diana couldn't speak for a moment. Clutching her trembling, beating heart, Diana ran.
"Rodrick!"
Refusing the thick fur offered by Felice, she ran toward him. She didn't care about the gazes of others.
She had to fully embrace the man who had said he would become hers.
She ran with all her might and hugged his neck.
"Rodrick!"
Rodrick, who hadn't expected to receive such an enthusiastic welcome, was surprised and slightly widened his eyes, then soon smiled and closed his eyes.
As the warm warmth filled his arms, his heart became calm. As his boiling blood gradually subsided, he hugged her tightly in return.
"..."
"Rodrick..."
Haa. Indeed, my remedy. The speed and amount at which mana filled his empty body was on a different level.
When she buried her face in his thick neck, his deep bodily scent emanated. The cool and refreshing scent gave a sense of stability.
Diana inhaled that scent to the fullest and absorbed the curse. Rain falls moistly on the parched land. No, it pours down enough to quench the thirst. It felt like a well that had been showing its bottom was gradually filling up.
"I missed you."
"..."
"Why did you come so late?"
"..."
"You strayed, right? You probably didn't even see the letters I sent?"
Rodrick, who had been embracing her, wanted to stop Diana's chattering mouth. No, he might want even more contact. He wanted to get rid of this tingling sensation that dominated his whole body.
Rodrick's thoughts were paralyzed by Diana, who was far more effective than the paralysis grass. The words naturally flowed out.
"Diana."
A languidly relaxed voice pleasantly closed in on her ears.
"Hm? What is it?"
She slightly separated and faced his face. Was there something he wanted to say?
"Can I kiss you?"
That single line. That alluring single line struck Diana's heart once again.
Search "seduce" at redcatty [.] com to read ahead up to chap 70.