Chapter 39: 38

38.

Ercella Bernhardt.

Her last name had changed.

When she first moved to the manor, Ercella felt nervous by Duke Bernhardt’s gaze. As a veteran soldier, his gaze was stern, but there was also subtle dissatisfaction lurking in his eyes.

He scanned Ercella from head to toe once and clicked his tongue. He then warned his son, “Just this once.”

“Yes, Father.”

Ercella was very confused by the Duke’s attitude. He’s the one who sent the proposal to my family, so why does he have such a displeased look?

It became even more difficult for Ercella to understand why the Duke suggested a marriage between the two families in the first place.

After the first couple of days, she realized that Bernhardt manor was definitely different from her childhood home where she used to live. Is it because the house resembles the owner’s personality?

Even the servants had stiff expressions all the time and kept a certain distance from her with a rigid attitude. They weren’t rude, but she couldn’t call them friendly either. In addition, Lianne and Beth, whom she brought with her when she got married, were busy learning their new duties and could not stay close to Ercella.

Ercella thought not to complain. She heard that the Duke was displeased because she brought two people with her.

Perhaps it was because there was no duchess, but the manor was more dreary than she’d expected. She asked the servants if the manor had been this way when the Duchess was still around, but they answered vaguely and disappeared. Their attitude suggested that the Duchess hadn’t been very friendly when she was alive.

Ercella stared blankly at the man in front of her. The man who felt her gaze tilted his head.

“Harsen.”

By now she had called his name many times and was familiar with it. He smoothly caressed one of her cheeks. Accepting his gentle gesture, Ercella asked, “The Duchess… What kind of person was your mother?”

He didn’t answer and just straightened her messy hair. Both were sitting on their bed, so to an onlooker, they looked like a harmonious couple.

“A pitiful woman,” he said without changing his expression.

Ercella tilted her head, but he said no more. Instead of asking further, Ercella wrapped her arms around his waist and he held her in his arms.

Ercella, who was almost lulled to sleep by his soft pats on her back, hurriedly got out of his arms. I almost troubled someone who has to leave for the palace soon.

“I’m sleepy,” Ercella yawned a little and smiled. It was morning, but still too early to leave for him to go to the palace. There seemed to be some work left to be done regarding pre- and post-war Lenart issues. Because of this, Ercella would go back to sleep after Harsen leaves for the palace.

“You have to go.” Ercella tilted her head as he stared at her, having no intention of getting up. Harsen slowly reached out and gently drew Ercella’s neck.

His lips overlapped hers as he swallowed her breath. Ercella, who couldn’t resist his devouring kisses, naturally fell on the bed. As if seduced by her fall, Harsen climbed onto the top of her. Ercella immediately blushed as she got trapped under his arms.

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“It’s… daytime.”

Without answering, his fingertips swept along her neckline, brushing past her collarbone. Unable to meet his gaze due to the surging embarrassment, Ercella said in a shaky voice, “You have to… go to the palace.”

“What a shame.”

“Still, you can’t.” Speaking a little sternly, Ercella pushed him away so he got up with a grin. She didn’t know why, but sometimes he behaved mischievously which often made Ercella embarrassed.

Ercella was still lying down, and Harsen was sitting on the bed. When Harsen was about to stand up, Ercella gently pulled his collar. Despite her weak pull, he sat down again and looked at Ercella with a puzzled look. She faced him and slightly moved her lips, “You have to come home early.”

Her soft voice was so beautiful that no one could resist it, but Ercella was worried that she would be rejected. As she was not fully accustomed to the estate, she always waited for Harsen’s return.

Harsen gently took off her hand which was holding his collar. Ercella’s eyes trembled a little. Harsen glanced at her blue eyes for a moment, pulled on her hand, and pressed his lips on her wrist. He whispered, “As you wish, my wife.”

Feeling ticklish, Ercella giggled.

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Ercella, who had fallen asleep again after Harsen left, lifted her eyelids. She had just closed her eyes for a moment, but she felt refreshed. Considering that she was newly married, the Duke allowed her to have breakfast separately.

Thanks to that, she could sleep in. But in fact, Ercella was scared to face the Duke, so she hoped for this routine to continue.

But as long as she becomes a member of the main family, it would be unreasonable to do that. She was grateful enough for this consideration.

Ercella looked slowly around the empty room. Harsen was still busy because the war had not officially ended, and since Ercella was newly married, it would be frowned upon if she ran off to see her parents and friends as soon as she got married.

In addition, the role of hostess naturally fell on Ercella because the Duchess had already passed away. Owing to these circumstances, Ercella had no choice but to spend her days busily.

She learned her duties step-by-step with the help of the head maid and some servants. Ercella’s activities were reported to the Duke, so she was always nervous about being scolded by him. Fortunately, the Duke never reprimanded her. As she tried to get her body up, Ercella fell back on her bed from the soreness. She sighed and heard the voice of the servant waiting outside.

“Young Madam, the First Princess Consort is here.”

“Let her in!”

Ercella exclaimed with rapture at the news she’d been waiting for all along. Soon the door opened and Eshahilde entered the room.

“My lovely sister.”

“Sister!”

She was still in bed, unable to fully get up, but Eshahilde sat on the bed with an understanding look, “How have you been?”

“I missed you, Sister.”

“Me too.”

The season in the room changed instantly from winter to spring. Ercella still couldn’t believe her sister was here. She was so grateful to Harsen for making all this possible.

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Again, what kind of magic did he use? The princess of the Kingdom personally visited the mansion. It should’ve been impossible. The visit of the princess from a particular political faction to a neutral family was dangerous.

Ercella had asked him what he was thinking, but Harsen said he wasn’t thinking much. She found his answer to be odd. He doesn’t seem like someone who would do this without a plan.

When she asked Eshahilde what happened, Eshahilde smiled vaguely, saying that she didn’t know. Eshahilde added that Her Majesty, the Queen, simply approved the visit.

Regardless, it was a good thing for her so Ercella’s face brightened. Eshahilde, who smiled softly with Ercella, stiffened awkwardly for an instant. When Ercella followed her sister’s gaze, she hurriedly covered herself with a blanket.

“… It’s embarrassing.” As Ercella smiled shyly and looked sideways, Eshahilde asked in a sweet voice, “Is he nice to you?”

“Sister, did you know he’s like Caron? He’s just as mean.” Ercella had thought about Eshahilde’s words and said that. He’s nice to me. Certainly, he had a different temperament from other men, but Harsen was sweeter than she’d thought he’d be.

He did his best not to let her be uncomfortable, and every touch of his was gentle. His hand caressing her cheek when she pushed him away out of fear. She was soothed by it, so Ercella gave herself to him without a minute of resistance.

He hadn’t changed since their first night, so Ercella could only be relieved. At least he’d never abuse me. It’s definitely a decent marriage for one that was politically arranged.

There have been couples who get along well despite being politically arranged, and fortunately, she belonged to that group.

“He’s nice. He wouldn’t mistreat me.”

Yet, she grumbled as she remembered last night. The loving green eyes caught her in the act. A smile as elegant as Princess Hermia’s spread on Eshahilde’s lips, “You have to be happy.”

It was a strange smile. It looked a bit sad. Is Sister unhappy? Ercella wanted to ask but couldn’t because Eshahilde had embraced her as if silently pleading Ercella not to ask any further.

Ercella did just that. Eshahilde, who had been holding Ercella for a while, loosened her arms. After that, she told Ercella some stories from the palace. It was mainly about maids. The room was filled with laughter at the funny behavior of the maids.

After laughing for a while, Eshahilde returned to the palace saying she had to return. It was a shame, but Ercella could not keep her. Her sister was part of the Royal family now.

Ercella’s days went by simply. During the day, she acted on behalf of the Duchess and whenever she had time, she studied the official language that she had not yet mastered. The servants gave her strange looks, but she didn’t care.

Ercella learned some facts about the Duke while in the manor. One of them was that, unlike his charismatic appearance, he was frequently in the manor because he was ailing.

It turned out that the Duke was suffering from complications due to a big injury inflicted from his last battle. Hence why she didn’t find it appropriate to go to tea parties and banquets. It was a pity, but there would be unsavory rumors if the daughter-in-law was partying around while the father-in-law was sick.

She doesn’t want to do anything that would tarnish her honor or Harsen’s. She’d meet her friends later on without hesitation.

Ercella’s duties also included listening to reports from the Duke’s doctor and buying the appropriate medicinal herbs. Of course, the Duke’s vassals thoroughly inspected the purchases.

If they didn’t know any better, someone would think that she was trying to poison her father-in-law. Ercella was slightly offended but didn’t say anything. It was a reasonable doubt for a woman from a family with different political ideologies who had just entered the duchy.

There have been occasional instances of women doing such a thing in hopes that their husbands would inherit the title sooner. Of course, the opposite was true too.

As time passed and night came, Harsen returned home after finishing his work. It was the happiest time for Ercella.

The day ended as she chattered about what happened during the day while being caressed by him. It wasn’t that she didn’t hate it, but she was starting to feel bored by the monotonous routine she never had before.

“Madam, you’re with a child.”

She had Harsen’s child.

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Ercella stroked her stomach. A life is growing in here. How fascinating. She called a doctor just in case because she felt nauseous and her cycle stopped.

At first, the physician wasn’t sure because the pulse was weak, but after a few weeks, he confirmed that it’s most likely a fetus.

The Duke smiled for the first time when he heard the doctor’s report. But it was only slightly before fading away immediately. Anyway, her father-in-law seemed pleased, so Ercella was proud.

She told Harsen herself, and he was quite flustered. Ercella laughed out loud when he couldn’t control his expressions. Watching her laugh heartily, he also smiled.

After announcing her pregnancy, Ercella felt that her father-in-law, the Duke, had become a little generous to her. She always had an attendant by her side, and he even allowed her to invite her friends and relatives to the mansion.

Ercella was inwardly pleased to be recognized a little. Her friends who visited her because of the Duke’s consideration touched her stomach, finding it amazing, and told her stories of banquets and vacations they went to. It’s been forever since it was this boisterous around her. So naturally, she couldn’t stop laughing.

She sent a messenger to her family, and the next day, the Marquess and Caron visited Ercella. They looked at her proudly, saying that she was all grown up.

The Marquis was unable to visit because he was sick and sent a separate letter to Ercella. It was a short letter that said, “I miss you and I pray that you give birth to a healthy successor” while also advising her to take care of herself. Getting married into a family and conceiving a successor is a big deal in itself, so it’s natural for families to react like this.

“Be careful!”

She almost tripped on the stairs. The servant grabbed her arm in surprise. Thanks to her, Ercella was able to keep from falling. The maid who supported Ercella spoke to her with a sigh, “Young Madam, you must know that your body is not just yours anymore. Please keep in mind the baby in your stomach.”

Her voice was filled with worry, perhaps she was quite concerned.

Ercella smiled apologetically, “Yes, I understand.”

While replying, Ercella felt slightly bizarre inside.

‘Be careful, Young Lady! What if you get a scar on your precious body?’

She used to be the priority…

But she shrugged off the thought.

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