The Murderous Duke's Domestic Affairs - Chapter 8

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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 8
Life at the Duke’s Mansion unfolded peacefully. Butler Calvin, along with Anna and Lise who attended to her closely, ensured her daily life remained free of inconvenience, and working with Retti, the Duke’s adjutant, proved pleasant as our temperaments aligned well. She
could not pretend ignorance. I felt I needed to offer at least a word of gratitude to ease my heart. Lauren, who had done nothing but deliberate on what to say and how to approach this, finally rose from her seat in the dead of night. Draping a shawl over her nightgown, she left her room. Her steps toward Aster’s office felt inexplicably heavy.
Walking through the darkened corridor, Lauren stood before the office door. A faint glimmer danced across her lavender eyes as she stared at the imposing entrance. It was late—would Aster still be in his office? Lauren pressed her lips together firmly. I’ll simply knock. If there’s no answer, I can just return. After hesitating for some time, Lauren raised her hand and knocked softly on the door.
No response came from beyond. Lauren sighed quietly and turned to head back to her room when, a moment later, a low voice from inside the office bade her enter. She had assumed he’d already left. Startled by his reply, Lauren froze in place.
The door opened without her touching it. The room beyond was as dark as the corridor. Lauren’s eyes widened as she beheld the figure emerging from within. A man with hair as white as snow gazed down at her with eyes as crimson as blood. His gaze resembled that of a white rabbit, or perhaps the Garnet adorning her bracelet.
The man stepped back and nodded to her. His face possessed the ethereal beauty of a youth from mythology, yet his expressionless countenance—devoid of emotion—resembled a finely crafted doll. Staring so intently would be rude. Lauren averted her gaze toward the long settee. Aster, reclining against it, regarded her with furrowed brows.
“You may go, Garnet. I’m counting on you for this matter as well.”
So that was Garnet. The man offered Aster a respectful bow without a word and departed the room. His demeanor toward her had been entirely different.
“Sit.”
Aster issued the command tersely. He didn’t ask why she’d come. As Lauren settled onto the long settee, her gaze followed him. Aster retrieved a glass from a cabinet, then brought a bottle of liquor and glasses from the desk to the low table himself. Then, seating himself across from her, he regarded Lauren with a sidelong glance.
“Do you drink?”
“I can manage a little.”
At her response, Aster nodded and poured liquor into two glasses—one less than half full, the other more than half. Naturally, the glass with the smaller amount was placed before Lauren. Leaning back against the settee, he lifted his own glass slightly and brought it to his lips.
“Isn’t that quite a lot?”
I hadn’t meant to nag, yet the words tumbled out before I could stop them. It was likely habit. Lauren gently bit her lower lip. My father, too, had often taken a glass in his office. Each time, I had scolded him.
Beyond the rim of his glass, Aster’s green eyes fixed upon her. I’d said something unnecessary. Lauren hastily reached for her own glass, eager to escape his gaze. The moment the golden liquid touched her lips, a sharp, tingling sensation of alcohol burned across her tongue. It was far stronger than she’d anticipated. Caught off guard, Lauren coughed, and Aster laughed softly.
How could he drink something so potent in such quantities? Lauren’s eyes narrowed. As Aster’s throat rumbled with laughter, a faint smile played at his lips. His settled green eyes drifted toward the glass in his hand.
“I began drinking on the battlefield.”
Lauren fell silent. Soldiers who had participated in the war came to recuperate in the pleasant and beautiful Siaz Territory. As the lord’s daughter, Lauren had visited them, conversed with them, and observed their lives. She had learned of war’s horrors from their accounts. Even after the war’s end, the battles they endured were saturated with blood, screams, and agony. The pain of burning enemies or being burned by them remained indelible memories that tormented them still. For a very, very long time.
Aster had fought at the vanguard of the battlefield, crossing blades with enemies. No matter how formidable his mental fortitude as a soldier, such memories were not easily forgotten. Perhaps he drank to forget. I’ve said something foolish. Lauren pressed her lips together.
“I didn’t tell you to make that face.”
“…Yes.”
Unlike Aster, who seemed to wear a faint smile, Lauren’s rigid expression did not soften.
‘How foolish of me.’
Lauren grasped her glass with both hands and drained it. One of Aster’s eyebrows arched, but she didn’t notice.
“So, what brings you here?”
Aster, deeply reclined against the settee, posed the question. Lauren made a small sound of realization. Ah, that’s right—she did have something to tell him. Straightening her posture, Lauren took a deep breath.
“I visited the Aloria Dressmaking Studio today.”
“I heard. Did you like the garments?”
“Yes, they were truly beautiful.”
In truth, I hadn’t given the clothes much thought at all. I’d always believed that comfort was all that mattered in what one wore. But that wasn’t important now. Lauren looked directly at Aster. He tilted his head slightly, regarding her intently. It seemed he’d noticed she had more to say.
“And… thank you for your consideration.”
Lauren bowed deeply. I knew that words alone could not convey all that I felt. Still, I hoped this gratitude would reach him. Her grip tightened on the glass held in both hands.
The Aster she had come to know was neither the ruthless war machine nor the murderer that rumors painted him to be. He was a human being who drank to forget war’s trauma, who laughed, who possessed genuine emotion.
When he smiled with genuine warmth, his face was truly beautiful. A man who smiled like that could not casually take another’s life. Though perhaps that was merely her own conviction.
“I don’t know how to properly express my gratitude. If there is anything I can do in return, I will do it without hesitation.”
The jewels she had been forced to sell to save her life were not merely jewels. They were proof of her parents’ love, evidence that her parents had existed in this world. She’d had to sell such things.
And she had thought it acceptable. Her parents, who loved her, would surely have wished for her to survive by selling her jewels rather than be sold as a second wife to an elderly nobleman, bearing unwanted children until her death. Her parents, who had indulged her every whim—her reluctance to attend social gatherings, her desire to work—would have felt that way. So she’d thought it would be fine. But it wasn’t. Only after the jewels were returned did Lauren understand. They were not merely jewels, but accumulated memories layered upon one another.
Aster must have understood this, which is why he’d sought to return the jewels to her.
“…Anything at all?”
His voice against my ear sounded oddly clipped. I rolled my eyes to look at Aster, having averted my gaze moments before. His brow was deeply furrowed. Was he planning to demand something unreasonable? Though he didn’t seem like that sort of person.
He said nothing, merely sipping his drink. He appeared to be contemplating something profound.
‘Was it really something worth worrying over like that?’
Somehow, I found myself tilting my own glass as well. The liquid, carrying an indistinct fruity fragrance mingled with faint smoke, was potent enough to make my head spin, yet it seemed to help clarify my thoughts.
How much time had passed? At last, he spoke.
“Then, will you teach me how to work?”
“I beg your pardon?”
It was an unexpected request. Whether the alcohol had numbed my mind or I simply didn’t know how to respond, I could only blink. I had assumed he’d left all the tedious matters to me and Lise, so to ask me to teach him how to work was something I’d never even imagined.
“Do you dislike it?”
“No, not at all. I don’t mind…. Would that be acceptable for you?”
Aster, pulling one corner of his mouth into a crooked smile, nodded. His gaze remained fixed on his glass. I couldn’t read what he was thinking.
“I went to the Military Academy early and never had the chance to learn about managing the territory.”
Ah, I see. Perhaps his awkwardness wasn’t just my imagination. But why had he, the Duke’s only son, attended the Military Academy? Typically, it was the second or third sons who didn’t inherit the family name who went there.
My thoughts couldn’t continue further. My cheeks burned. My breath came hot. Finding it difficult even to sit upright, I leaned back deeply against the chair’s backrest like Aster.
The Duke’s furniture was certainly of finer quality than the Marquis’s. The soft cushion against my back supported me comfortably. The enveloping sensation felt strangely pleasant. So that’s why he favored this long chair. My head was spinning—I was clearly intoxicated. My eyelids grew heavy.
“Then, I look forward to your guidance.”
My words trailed off, though I didn’t notice. Without realizing it, I smiled at him. The corners of my eyes softened. Beyond my blurred vision, one of his eyebrows rose again. With such handsome features, why did he make such an expression? My vision blurred, then darkened entirely.
* * *
Aster let out a hollow laugh. Lauren, having emptied her glass at some point, lay sleeping against the long chair. Her face was utterly defenseless.
Her hair was black as a moonless night sky—a rarity among Capital nobility. Unlike her striking lavender eyes that shone with strong luminescence, Lauren possessed a gentle impression. Yet her capable administrative work and refined expression, inherited directly from the Previous Marquis Siaz, made her appear quite mature.
Lauren always wore a soft smile. But she was not one incapable of expressing emotion. From our first meeting, I’d seen her stern face countless times, and while teaching Lise, she’d seemed quite delighted. Yet I’d never seen her smile fully. In truth, she possessed the kind of beauty that could captivate anyone at first glance, so I was somewhat curious how she looked when she smiled.
Then, with a casual remark, she laughed. Relaxing the corners of her eyes and drawing back her red lips, she smiled very brightly indeed.
My face stiffened without my realizing it. Lauren must be smiling like that because she was drunk. I understood that much well enough. Yet her smiling face shone so brilliantly that I couldn’t tear my gaze away.
What could possibly make her so happy? My request for her to teach me was merely something I’d said on a whim. Whether it would work or not was uncertain—had she refused, I could have simply laughed it off. It was just something I’d said.
It was pleasant to see her sitting beside Lise as she learned. Each time, her smile deepened slightly, making me want to see her up close. Lise was a good student, but my grades at the Military Academy had been far superior. Whatever one learned, I would do better. At this sudden thought, I shook my head. What foolish thinking. I must surely be intoxicated.
The Military Academy hadn’t taught matters like managing a territory. So learning work from her was for the sake of running the territory. Even if I couldn’t visit the territory, I was still its lord. No matter how capable she was, I couldn’t leave everything to her and Lise.
Yes, it’s all for managing the territory well. After a dry wash of my face, I glanced at Lauren sleeping so defenseless. I hadn’t wanted to talk about the Military Academy. What if she were disappointed that I wasn’t the beloved only son of the Duke’s house?
At this foolish thought, I let out a hollow laugh. I didn’t wish to speak of her abilities or appearance, yet these scattered thoughts kept occurring—all because that person was excessively capable. And, Lauren was quite beautiful.
Despite being weak with alcohol, she drank strong liquor well. The glass in Lauren’s hand, her grip loosening, seemed about to fall at any moment. I approached her and took the glass from her hand, setting it upon the table. Then I looked down at her intently.
If she slept here and woke up, she’d be exhausted. Though she’d draped a shawl, she wore only thin nightclothes, so she might catch cold. This room had no blankets or quilts laid out. After some consideration, I lifted her into my arms. It seemed my own peace of mind depended on letting her sleep comfortably.

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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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