The Murderous Duke's Domestic Affairs - Chapter 22

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 22
“What are you reading so intently?”
Letti Torres set a teacup down before me. I glanced up at my tall adjutant. The memory of that dreadful tea he used to brew on the battlefield surfaced unbidden, and my brow furrowed without my consent. Letti chuckled and added that the Butler had prepared this tea instead.
Then I could drink it without worry. I lifted the cup and let the warm liquid flow across my tongue.
Learning to drink tea properly was Lauren’s influence. Before her, whenever I drank anything, it was usually alcohol or occasionally coffee. Once I began studying with Lauren, I started drinking tea. At first, the deep herbal aroma made me grimace. I couldn’t fathom how anyone could enjoy such a taste, but gradually, as I grew accustomed to it, I began to discern subtle differences in fragrance and flavor.
The tea Letti brewed on the battlefield and the tea Lauren drank were worlds apart in quality.
Of course, when one fights for their life, tea hardly seems important. But as a commanding officer, I couldn’t rely on alcohol like common soldiers did. Nor could I afford expensive imported coffee. So I sought an alternative—tea—and it was absolutely dreadful. So vile I never wanted to touch it again. Though admittedly, it was better than nothing, so I drank it without complaint.
I had assumed the poor quality stemmed from wartime scarcity. But when Letti’s post-war tea proved equally unpalatable, one truth became undeniable: regardless of quality, Letti’s tea-brewing skills were abysmal.
“Is there a problem with Garnet’s report?”
“No, there isn’t.”
Only after I finished my tea and stretched did Letti speak again. I pulled one corner of my mouth into a smile. My answer was accurate—Garnet’s report contained no errors. Garnet was competent, after all.
If there was a problem, it lay in the contents themselves.
I turned my attention back to the documents. They contained Lauren’s personal details and history of development, written in neat script. This was the result of my own investigation since Lauren came to propose marriage.
Her childhood was briefly described as: ‘liar,’ ‘violent,’ ‘jealous.’ When I first read those words, I had passed over them without much thought. Looking at Lauren now, I couldn’t imagine her being any of those things.
What was the truth? Delania Siaz had said she was a cousin who lived with Lauren briefly during childhood. The report confirmed this, so it was undoubtedly factual. Yet something seemed odd about calling her a ‘jealous, violent liar.’ The fear—the fear Lauren harbored toward Delania—that was genuine.
What would a ‘violent liar’ have to fear? I recalled my own childhood and let out a quiet laugh. Lauren’s reaction was no different from my younger self.
“What is Garnet doing now?”
“I believe he recently returned from the west and is resting. Shall I summon him?”
“Yes, please do.”
I leaned back against the chair. The Lauren described in these documents was not the real Lauren. The image of Delania, with her rouged cheeks and that artificially bright, gentle voice, surfaced in my mind, and I furrowed my brow.
I knew such people well. Those who isolated others while pretending to be kind and affectionate.
Though I knew little of Lauren’s childhood, one thing was certain: these testimonies about her past were fabricated by someone. And that someone was likely Delania Siaz.
I recalled Delania Siaz’s words. She had said Lauren dressed like a governess. I had instructed Lise to dress her in a manner befitting a duchess’s station because I disliked seeing her disrespected. Lauren was upright and beautiful; properly presented, she would become a noblewoman whom no one would dare address carelessly.
And my judgment proved correct.
On the evening of that dinner, the Dining Room Lauren had hastily prepared looked nothing like what Delania had described. Observing the elegant and refined atmosphere, I had smiled bitterly. The space she created seemed to resurrect fragments of the duchy’s former happiness. Though I had no interest in interior design, I could discern that she pursued warmth and comfort.
As I traced faint memories through the paintings she had hung and the plants she had arranged, the Dining Room door opened. I stiffened without realizing it. Lauren, who appeared beyond that threshold, was radiant. There stood a beautiful and elegant duchess—nothing like the ‘murderous duke’ I was reputed to be.
Delania Siaz, the dinner guest, barely registered in my awareness. With Lauren seated beside me, her lips curved in a subtle smile, how could I attend to anything else? I must apologize to Lauren, but I couldn’t even taste the food she had so carefully prepared. Her subdued-colored dress harmonized with her dark, lustrous hair, and the violet jewels, though similar in hue to her eyes, made them shine far more brilliantly.
Yes, she was undeniably beautiful—so captivating I couldn’t look away. Alone with that thought, I smiled softly. Such beauty could only shine because she was Lauren.
So Delania Siaz was wrong. Even in plain clothes, Lauren’s radiance doesn’t fade. Though she may have seemed diminished before Delania Siaz for a moment, her confidence, elegance, and brilliance remained wholly, entirely her own.
So it was necessary to understand properly. What had happened to her in childhood. And if Delania Siaz owed Lauren a debt, then she would pay it in full.
* * *
“Hello, Letti. It’s been a while. Did you have a good rest?”
“Yes, thanks to your concern, my lady. You look well today.”
I watched Lauren and Letti exchange greetings with crossed arms, my expression somewhat displeased. Though he said she looked well, Lauren’s complexion still lacked color.
Not as much as Delania Siaz’s rouged cheeks, but I wished she had a bit more color in her face. Perhaps she should have rested longer. Lauren had said that since her fever had broken, there was no need to delay work further, but I remained uneasy.
Now that I thought about it, when I held her before, I was startled by how light she was. Perhaps I should ensure she eats more. According to Lise, she enjoys sweets. I stroked my chin thoughtfully. But sweets aren’t a proper meal. I should speak to Calvin about preparing dishes she would enjoy rather than just confections.
I sighed and pressed my forehead. At some point, whenever I see Lauren, I find myself thinking strange thoughts. She isn’t a child. She’s an adult perfectly capable of caring for herself. In matters of work, she’s far more competent than Letti or myself. I know this well, yet I can’t understand why seeing her makes me want to make her rest, why I want to feed her something.
“Aster?”
Lauren called my name as if asking if something was wrong. I smiled at her despite my furrowed brow. She tilted her head curiously toward me. Her lavender eyes sparkled in the sunlight streaming through the window.
I decided to reconsider my thoughts. Perhaps a lack of color didn’t matter. Her eyes shone like gems. No—more than gems, they were like flowers that had gathered all the vitality of this world and bloomed.
He had been staring blankly at her when he suddenly startled, turning his gaze away. I couldn’t fathom what foolish thoughts were running through my mind.
Every time I recalled Lauren after that day, this was what happened. A delicate woman I’d only known as strong. Yet despite appearing so small, fragile, and fleeting, she possessed an unbreakable core of resolve. No, here I go again. This won’t let me accomplish what needs to be done. Lauren would despise someone like this.
“…Jasmine Aloria will visit this afternoon.”
“Ah, so it’s come to that already.”
Lauren’s brow furrowed. She had been ill for a full four days since that incident. Barely ten days remained until the Imperial Ball. Today was the day Jasmine Aloria from the Aloria Dressmaking Studio would visit to fit the gown Lauren would wear to the ball. She didn’t seem particularly fond of elaborate attire, but this time there was no helping it.
“And I’ll need to learn to dance with you as well.”
Looking up at him, Lauren shrugged her shoulders and smiled bashfully. For some reason, heat crept up to the tips of my ears, and I turned my head sharply away. Then my gaze met Letti’s, who was watching me. The amusement glinting in those blue eyes was unmistakable.
“Since that’s settled, have the musicians prepared.”
I issued the command in a low, growling voice. I’d inadvertently vented something like irritation on Letti. He acknowledged with a laugh. I didn’t even like that laugh. I strode toward the long chair and sat down with a heavy thud. Then I unfolded the newspaper on the table.
“The afternoon will be busy, so I should work diligently this morning. Letti, what became of that territorial sewage maintenance project we discussed last time?”
“Ah, regarding that—a report has come up from the territory. If you review it….”
I let Lauren and Letti’s conversation fade into background noise as my eyes skimmed across the printed text. Though truthfully, no words seemed to register properly. Hiding my face behind the newspaper, I stole glances at Lauren with only my eyes.
The way her hand moved across the documents with the pen was so fluid. Mesmerizing enough to captivate just by watching. My gaze kept drifting toward her, and I couldn’t tear it away. I squeezed my eyes shut.
I clicked my tongue and crumpled the newspaper, hurling it aside. Then I rose from my seat.
“Your Grace?”
Letti called out to me, but I didn’t answer. I stormed out of the Office and walked down the empty corridor. The sharp tap of my footsteps echoed in time with the pounding of my heart.
How pathetic.
I mocked myself. I wasn’t some lovesick child infatuated with first love. I couldn’t comprehend what I was doing anymore. Useless emotions were unnecessary. From the day I understood that truth until now, I’d lived by it. So why did Lauren keep haunting my thoughts?
I stopped and gazed out through the open window. The desolate garden now bloomed with summer flowers Lauren had planted. My wavering gaze settled on the delphiniums in full bloom. The jeweled flower that had adorned her neck at that dazzling banquet. Those same flowers bore a striking resemblance to the color of Lauren’s eyes.
Leaning against the windowsill, I bowed my head. I had to erase this. It served no purpose whatsoever. I mustn’t entertain such foolish thoughts. Lauren was merely a card to aid me. To manage my territory in my stead, to oversee domestic affairs in my stead.
A duchess.
I’d made a mistake. No one should ever occupy that seat beside me. Least of all Lauren. I clenched my teeth and lowered my head. Golden hair cascaded down, obscuring my face.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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