There was a bit of commotion, but as always, Lennox read a fairy tale to Duren today.
By the time he finished, it was already late.
Just as Lennox was about to head to the next room—since they had agreed to use separate rooms—
"Let's share a room."
Estelle's bombshell statement froze Lennox in place.
"W-what?"
Lennox Winteren, who was always cold and rigid, stammered in rare embarrassment.
"Did you just say… share a room?"
"Yes."
The short but resolute reply from Estelle sent countless thoughts racing through Lennox's head.
Why?
Hadn't she said she was uncomfortable with sharing a bed? Did she change her mind already?
He couldn't make sense of Estelle's intention behind proposing to share a room.
"When was the last time I washed my hands?"
The thought that if they shared a bed, he might accidentally come into contact with Estelle started to bother him.
"No, not just my hands… I should probably wash my whole body again…"
"The Duke is right. If we use separate rooms, people will start suspecting our relationship."
Lennox's pointless worries evaporated instantly.
"Since it's not difficult to stay in one room, it's better to leave no room for suspicion at all."
If I play the role of an ordinary duchess for a year, even Helios will drop his doubts.
Estelle's judgment was extremely rational and cold—so much so that it made Lennox feel embarrassed.
"It will be uncomfortable, but I ask for your cooperation."
"… Very well."
What kind of foolish delusion had he been entertaining just now?
Feeling pathetic, Lennox covered his face with his hand and hurried into the bedroom as if fleeing.
And the moment he stepped inside, the heat that had flushed his face cooled instantly.
"What is this…?"
Boxes here, boxes there.
So many boxes were piled up that the spacious room felt cramped.
"Oh, those are the things I bought today."
Estelle answered awkwardly.
Because of Roman, the atmosphere in the ducal residence had grown unsettled, so Estelle quickly sent the visiting merchants away.
[Buy everything they brought.]
[Huh? You mean to purchase it all without even looking?]
[Yes.]
She had planned to say, "From here to here, just give me everything" anyway, so this way it actually saved time.
"I told them I'd sort it out myself."
After all, it was all from her secret funds. Estelle kept that part to herself.
"I see."
"I'll organize it quickly."
"Don't worry about me—take your time."
Saying that, Lennox started toward the sofa, then paused.
"If I sleep on the sofa again today, will you tell me to leave?"
Lennox asked slyly.
Rolling her eyes, Estelle shook her head.
"Do as you please."
She couldn't let it show that she had cared about him the night before.
Estelle gave the kind of answer befitting a contractual wife.
"If just because I lay down, the wide bed suddenly felt cramped, then there's nothing I can do. It didn't bother me, but apparently it bothered you."
Estelle deliberately provoked Lennox.
Thud—
In the end, Lennox lay down on the bed.
Once again, the two of them tried to sleep with their backs facing each other.
Aware of each other's presence just behind them, both had similar thoughts.
There's no way not to be conscious of it…
Estelle squeezed her eyes shut.
All she could hope for tonight was to fall asleep quickly.
That way she wouldn't have to hear the pounding of her own heart any longer.
Drip—
Late at night.
Lennox, who had only just fallen into a shallow sleep, woke at the sound of a soft knock.
Soon after, a servant's voice came from beyond the door.
"My lord, Roman has escaped."
It seemed Roman had come to his senses and fled.
They had left things deliberately lax to make escape possible.
Since Roman's identity had been exposed, he would run in fear straight to the mastermind who had orchestrated all of this.
That was why letting him escape and tracking him down was far more rational than cruelly torturing him.
"But…"
"Shh."
Had they already discovered the mastermind?
As the servant continued his report, Lennox cut him off.
"Lower your voice."
"…Pardon?"
"She's sleeping."
"...?"
"Estelle is sleeping."
"Shall I finish the report tomorrow morning, then?"
Interpreting it as meaning such information should not reach the madam's ears, the servant lowered his voice and asked cautiously.
Lennox lifted his upper body and looked down at Estelle.
Thankfully, she showed no signs of waking yet.
"Keep your voice at that level."
"Not long after his escape, Roman suddenly collapsed and died."
"Cause of death?"
"Sudden cardiac arrest."
"So they had already made their move."
It wasn't impossible to guess who was behind it.
Helios Kreuzen.
It was obvious he had cut off the tail.
Roman had been nothing more than a lackey trailing after Helios in his previous life.
The objective must be…
Estelle.
At the center of every variable—was her.
That afternoon.
While reading the documents on Roman in his office, Lennox rubbed the back of his neck with discomfort.
"You don't look well today, my lord."
"Ah."
Not only his neck but also his shoulders and back were stiff and sore.
Every movement sent pain stabbing through him as if pierced by a blade.
He had a crick in his neck.
So, by worrying about Estelle, I've ended up making myself ill.
It wasn't from hunting monsters, but from fretting over whether his wife's sleeping arrangements were uncomfortable.
If the Lennox from just a month ago had heard this, he would have scoffed in contempt.
"It's nothing."
Lennox dismissed it flatly.
It definitely seems like something, Pipin thought but swallowed the words, and continued the report instead.
"The temple has sent a reply. They said that since Roman, the priest, had already been excommunicated after a disgraceful incident, he had nothing to do with them anymore—but they still offered their condolences."
"..."
"They also said that, as he had once been a servant of God, they would collect his body and give him a proper burial. And… they seemed suspicious that you were the one who killed him, my lord."
"They really are experts when it comes to cutting off tails."
The temple and Roman.
Helios.
And Estelle.
Lennox pieced together the differences from his previous life like a puzzle.
"Roman was said to be close to Helios, wasn't he?"
"Yes. Helios the priest didn't have any particular backing, so it was an unexpected pairing."
Roman was like a bat—sidling up to anyone who benefited him, and ignoring them otherwise.
"He must be hiding his divine power."
"What?! You mean Priest Helios?"
"Yes."
At present, Helios was known as just an ordinary priest.
But those who know, know—he's the designated successor for the papacy.
That alone explained why he had been close to Roman.
"It's certain that Helios sent Roman into this house…"
"How can you be so sure?"
"Intuition."
"..."
"My wife is Estelle. He must have planted someone to do something to her—though I don't yet know what that something is."
"T-that… just sounds like you're being a doting fool."
"It's a logical deduction."
"Y-yes, yes. These days the kids call it… anxious attachment, or something like that, I suppose."
There was certainly no concrete evidence.
Even Pipin's doubtful look was giving Lennox a headache when—
"My lord, the madam and the young master have come to see you."
"Estelle? Let them in."
Estelle entered the office with Duren in tow.
"Are you very busy?"
"Not particularly."
Though piles of documents were stacked high on his desk, Lennox lied with composure.
Glancing briefly at the stack of papers, Estelle pretended not to notice and nudged Duren forward.
"Dudu made a drawing for mama! And for Dudu too!"
On the sheet Duren held up were a few black lines and a broad smear of pink.
It didn't resemble the shape of a person in the slightest.
"Well done."
Still, even Lennox wasn't tactless enough to state the truth as it was.
Shrug!
Duren's little shoulders lifted.
"Uncle! Uncle!"
He held his crayon up high.
"Uncle, you draw too!"
Perhaps thanks to the bedtime stories, Duren no longer showed Lennox unreserved hostility.
"Bring another chair."
A chair was placed next to Lennox.
"I can't see."
But for Duren, it was far too low.
Even craning his neck, he could barely see over the desk.
Blink, blink.
"Get one that's higher."
Once the chair was swapped, Duren was finally able to draw.
"Like this. Like this."
Duren did his best.
But since he was the sort of artist who drew purely by feeling, he couldn't keep the crayon from straying off the paper and onto the desk itself.
"Ah!"
"It doesn't matter—draw however you like."
Lennox handed Duren a much larger canvas: the entire office itself.
"Waaah!"
With the bigger canvas, Artist Duren became bolder in his strokes.
Of course, the disasters that followed were inevitable.
Crash—
"Duren!"
Look away for just a moment, and the stack of documents had spilled all over the floor.
Bang, thud—
Look away again, and a piece of furniture had toppled over.
"You need to be careful. What if you get hurt?"
After Lennox and Estelle worked together to keep an eye on him, at last, a masterpiece was born.
"Finished!"
Clutching his drawing, Duren toddled over to Lennox.
"Here."
"You're giving it to me?"
"Mhm!"
Duren nodded firmly, then tugged at Lennox—asking for his ear.
Whisper, whisper—
"…..!"
Lennox's eyes widened as he obediently lowered his head.
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