Chapter 83

***

Amarion averted her gaze.

“…I still can’t believe you’ve never laid with another woman.”

“Oh my God, that breaks my heart. I’m just trying as hard as I can.”

“I’d have to be a more attractive lady than I am now for you to try that hard.”

“You’re attractive!”

Amarion couldn’t respond.

She sighed deeply. She remembered the stories the women of Amari would tell.

As soon as you get married, you lose all of your taste. You can easily boast of your ordinary wife as if she were the most beautiful woman on the continent.

Amarion shook her head in shame. Victor was looking down at her lovingly. He cupped her cheek in his hand.

“You’re cute.”

“Victor- ah!”

He suddenly scooped her up in his arms. She tightly hung on to him. Victor carefully walked over to the bed and placed her down onto it. She opened her eyes wide and looked up at him. He crawled over her and looked down at her quietly. Smiling softly, he whispered.

“We have some time before dinner. What do you think?”

The touch on her cheek was undeniably alluring.

‘This man is really… I can’t…’

But in the end, she was defeated by him once again.

“…Lock the door.”

Victor smiled broadly.

＊ ＊ ＊

They didn’t end up attending the ball that night.

It was not the last ball, so it was not mandatory for the host and hostess to attend, and she was sure everyone would understand.

But Amarion was heavily embarrassed.

Spending time with her husband and sleeping in…

She glanced out the window at the rising morning sun. It was autumn, so the sun was shining dazzlingly.

Victor was sleeping peacefully beside her.

His dark hair was scattered on the pillow like silk.

She buried her face in her lap and sighed.

He was so beautiful. To the point where he changed her reality in an instant.

The cold of Amari, and the many worries she had before coming to Morte. It felt like the wounds that seemed to be imprinted on her soul were completely forgotten.

She wished that every day could be like today. As she was thinking, she heard a voice outside.

“Your highnesses, it is time for you to wake up.”

It was a servant with a fearful voice.

She had to host a gathering early in the morning today, but it looked like she hadn’t woken up yet, so the servants had to come.

Victor muttered with his eyes closed.

“How would you feel if you didn’t leave the room because you were sick?”

“Mary would come in with a bunch of herbs.”

“I suppose so…”

He opened his eyes with a sigh. Seeing his dishevelled hair and dissatisfied golden eyes, she burst into laughter.

He was like a puppy waking up from a nap.

She playfully kissed his cheek.

“Be patient, Victor. Anyway, today is the end of the official schedule.”

He heaved a deep, exaggerated sigh and raised himself.

The banquet was 3 nights and 4 days, and the third day was dawning.

＊ ＊ ＊

Today’s gathering was a concert. Of course, it was an atmosphere where people could freely drink tea and talk. Thanks to the performance, the conversation material never ceased, so it was a popular type of party in the Empire.

The atmosphere was lighter than yesterday. The Empire was still at war, so there were many people who didn’t know each other well. Over the course of two days, the number of acquaintances increased and the atmosphere became better.

Amarion fell in love with the sound of instruments while watching the women talking quietly.

The band that Diederick had invited was really good. It was a very beautiful melody to listen to, but it was more amazing to watch the musicians handle such difficult instruments so freely.

‘If I practice hard…’

‘No, I don’t think it’s possible. Will I ever be able to perform a piece that’s not painful to the listener?’

Lost in thought, she missed the conversation at the table.

“…Your highness?”

“Yes?”

Amarion quickly turned her head.

Julianna made an apologetic expression.

“Did I interrupt your listening to music?”

“No! Well, what did you ask?”

“I asked what kind of men you like.”

Catalina smiled mischievously.

Amarion understood the question slowly, and her face flushed red, even though this was a topic that came up quite often between unmarried girls.

“I am already married.”

“But of course you still have an ideal type? Tell me, Amarion. It won’t reach the Grand Duke.”

Catalina persuaded Amarion with playfulness. Julianna and Mary, who were seated across from them, looked full of interest.

Amarion finally answered with a blushing face.

“I… I think men stronger than me are better.”

For an instant, silence fell on the table. The three women exchanged glances that were difficult to understand.

Mary commented.

“His highness the Grand Duke and Madame are truly destined.”

‘Is that so? He is, indeed, stronger than me.’

She didn’t deny it. Victor was perfect in every way. His skills, looks, and even his passion for her.

She fervently stirred her tea in embarrassment, then quickly turned away.

“How about the three of you? What’s your ideal type?”

Julianna laughed quietly.

“I’ve been with one person for so long that I don’t have any opinions of my own.”

“But your fiancée and your ideal type are different! Don’t you have anything you dreamed of as a girl?”

“All those dreams remain with Leonard.”

Mary covered her mouth. Catalina smiled and crossed her arms.

Mary made a strange noise and turned away.

“It’s wrong to ask someone who has a lover… What about Lady Catalina?”

“I don’t plan on getting married for a while, so I don’t have an ideal type.”

“You’re worse than Miss Juliana! ‘If I had to get married, I’d do it with someone like this!’ Don’t you have anything like that?”

“Well, I don’t know…”

Catarina stoked the tip of her chin.

“If I had to say, I’d rather have a southern man who hates the South. I understand his fondness for home, but I don’t want to be stuck in an estate.”

“…”

“We need to be able to communicate, so I want him to be moderately smart, have a smooth face, and come from a family close to mine. I hate tight-lipped men who exclude and demean their wives.”

They were tough conditions.

But none of them pointed it out. Coincidentally, they knew one man who met these criteria.

Julianna slowly opened her mouth.

“…Let’s hear it, didn’t you say that you conducted a commercial area investigation with Sir Carlz recently?”

“Oh, yes. Your information network is quite useful. Our company is about to start trading with Morte, so we’ve gathered some information about popular products.”

“…”

“But why are you talking about him?”

Catarina frowned. The three of them closed their mouths as if they had made a silent promise.

Amarion quickly changed the topic.

“How about you, Mary? Do you have an ideal type you dreamed of?”

“Um…”

The girl agonized for a while, but soon confessed.

“I think I just like rich and handsome men.”

Everyone burst into laughter at her honest words.

“You are wise, Miss Mary.”

“Originally, it was my dream to marry a gentleman of high rank, but I don’t think I would be happy if I got married to a man like that.”

Catalina nodded.

“Of course. Status betrays people, but money never does.”

“Appearance is also important. It’s not easy being with a guy whose face you don’t like.”

Julianna declared. They burst into laughter together.

Mary’s eyes twinkled.

“Then, Julianna, do you like Sir Leonard’s appearance the most?”

“Hmm. To be honest, I prefer a face like Sir Jane…”

“Oh my, who is that?”

The three women chatted happily for a while. Amarion laughed the whole time, listening to their stories.

She now understood why noble women enjoyed social gatherings so much. Social gatherings like yesterday and today would be fun to hold all the time.

‘Would it be okay to hold banquets more often?’

While she was thinking, the band finished playing. She thanked them one by one and then had the attendants bring them food. The salon was cluttered for a moment while empty plates were being cleared.

At that moment, she heard someone exclaiming from afar.

“…May I touch it?”

“No! These are the possessions of the Grand Duke.”

“However, it is difficult to even lay eyes on such a good instrument…”

Two young girls were talking in front of the instruments that the band had left behind.

She was told that the instruments of the Grand Duke were very expensive. She was also told that playing a musical instrument was a basic skill of noble women, but girls who were not wealthy had no choice but to use a poor quality instrument.

Suddenly, their appearance overlapped with a young Amarion’s, who could only admire high quality swords from a distance. The one thing she had greed for was swords, but as a poor knight who did not have enough money to buy bread, she did not have the right to see it up close.

She thought it would be nice to swing it just once, so…

She got up slowly and walked over to them.

“Are you interested in musical instruments?”

***

New Kofi shop updated till chapter 90.