The Duke’s Daughter Trained a Wild Beast

06

Even Villains don’t like their wife inside their room

Ed spent a lot of time looking at the strange clause he found in the marriage contract before he eventually asked.

“What’s this?”

“Yes? Is there anything strange about it?”

“In the three years of marriage, all sexual contact, including kissing, is prohibited……? However, light contact to reveal marital union externally is an exception……?”

When an arranged marriage between nobles is concluded, it is common to go to bed on the day of the ceremony.

Because I have to make a successor while I’m still young. But to postpone this important process for three years……

‘Suspicious. This marriage is clearly a hoax. Does she have any other intention?’

The clause Lena had written down aroused strong suspicion in him.

On the other hand, Lena calmly explained it as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“Of course, it’s important to have a second-generation plan, but…… It’s not good to rush things too much.”

“Hmm……”

“I want to get to know you slowly. Not your body, but your mind.”

Lena looked carefully at his slightly wrinkled forehead.

“Would it be okay?”

“……Of course it’s fine. I don’t want to burden you with my selfishness.”

“Thank you for your understanding.”

He said it was okay, but doubts were still sprouting in the corner of Ed’s mind.

He realized that the world is full of people who smile kindly and stick knives in the backs of others.

Even in the place where he grew up, they mixed poison on his meal with a smile on their face.

He really has a lot of enemies.

“Poison……? Nanny……? Why are you doing this……”

“I’m sorry, Your Highness. But the Empress is hoping for Your Highness’ death, I had no choice but to do this.”

These were the words of the nanny, whom he trusted and followed like her mother, after feeding him a poisonous soup.

She just looked at the nine-year-old who was dying in agony. With a cold gaze, as if the friendly faces she showed him were all lies.

“Don’t blame me too much. The cause of all this unhappiness is the blood of evil demons that flows through your body.”

The blood of evil demons.

The nanny expressed his mother’s blood flowing through his body in that way.

Fortunately, thanks to the demon blood, the poison didn’t work and saved his life.

However, the Empress ended up not being punished.

She is good enough to earn the respect of the people, there is no way that she would instigate her poisoning.

So, no matter how trustworthy Lena is…… He had no intention of letting his guard down.

‘I have to be careful.’

Ed pointed out the contract, imitating the sweet, fake smile that the nanny wore when she gave him the poisonous soup.

“Overall, it’s a great contract. There is only one thing I want to fix. Here, the clause ‘The divorce will be decided by mutual consent’.”

“Yes.”

“Rather than an ‘agreement’ between each other, why not modify it so it would be possible even if either side unilaterally notify the other?”

“Ummm……”

This time, Lena fell into deep thought.

As Ed says, if we fix the contract, I can leave him whenever I wanted to.

Of course, the same goes for him, but he decided to be cautious and prepare for the worse.

He wanted to make sure he has a reason to shake me off.

After thinking about it for a long time, Lena expressed her consent.

“Yeah, I think that would be good too. Then I will edit this part and write a new one.”

She immediately wrote a new contract on the spot and handed it to him.

After carefully examining the changes, he nodded his head.

“Okay, I’ll sign first.”

Ed signed the contract with a beautiful smile hiding his dark side.

By signing it, they can finally be recognized as a couple.

***

After signing the marriage contract with Ed, I couldn’t sleep at night.

I was worried in many ways whether if I did it right.

‘Hannah might be able to give a useful advice.’

She is now my direct maid, but in the past she was the maid of Lilia, Lena’s mother.

Maybe that’s why she cherished me like her own daughter and always giving me advice.

Hannah, who came to prepare breakfast, brought up Ed’s story first.

“Today, the maids and the servants has been noisy since morning.”

“Hmm? Because of His Highness, Ed?”

“Yeah, they’re making a fuss about him being cool and handsome…… If I didn’t urge them to work, they would probably talk about it all day.”

I smiled at Hannah, who’s combing my hair in front of the mirror.

“I understand. I heard that in the southern regions, including the capital, he’s already the talk of unmarried girls.”

“It was definitely great. But even so, I’m still sad about this.”

Hannah put down her comb as if she had finished brushing my hair.

I looked in the mirror and saw my pink hair tied in a high ponytail.

Was it because of the blue velvet hairband she picked? My face is brighter than usual.

Then I saw Hannah, looking at me affectionately.

“Look, you’re so lovely. Maybe even in the capital, there is no one more lovable and beautiful than my lady.”

“Umm…… Am I?”

“Of course! I’m really sorry and regretful that such a young lady decided to get married so hastily in one day……”

I clasped her hand on my shoulder as if to comfort her.

“Thank you for always thinking of me and staying by my side, Hannah. If there’s anyone I can trust until the end, it’s probably you Hannah.”

“Miss……”

“But there is no need to be too sad. Even though he is my marriage partner, Ed is a kind and wonderful person, and……”

And by contract, I could ask him for a divorce at any time.

After rehabilitating him properly, I’ll let him meet another decent girl and then I’ll file the divorce.

I won’t pass the age of twenty-five by then.

Because I’m only twenty years old now, it wouldn’t be too late to get married again after the divorce or whatever.

‘Would you be surprised if I told you that I plan to get a divorce later?’

I chose to hide the truth from Hannah in consideration of her weak heart.

“And I’ve never been in a relationship before so I can try my best with His Highness. I’m not upset about this, rather, I’m actually excited.”

Only then did the bitterness in Hannah’s eyes disappear.

“Yes…… I’m sure you will be prettier and more affectionate than anyone else even after marriage. If you stay kind and humble as you are, you’ll be able to do it.”

This time she picked up a sapphire earring of the same color as the ribbon.

I nod my head to indicate to put in on my ear.

“May I ask how kind His Highness was?”

“Um, how kind…… To the extent that he pardoned me when I refuse to have physical contact during our 3 years of marriage?”

“Yes?!”

For me, “renewing him” was my ultimate goal, so our body is unnecessary.

I would like to avoid sexual contact.

It will also be a big deal if I had a child.

Hannah, who doesn’t know the details, looks very surprised, so I hurriedly fixed it.

“Because, if you do this and that too quickly, your love will grow cold quickly too, right? So I thought it would be better not to do anything for three years.”

“Is that so? How did His Highness react?”

“He said it’s okay if that’s what I want since he didn’t want to pressure me. He’s kind, right?”

“Well……”

After a long silence, as if contemplating, Hannah opened her mouth.

“Did His Highness really agree with you? I don’t think that was it.”

“Hmm? No, he didn’t dislike it at all.”

“But when they see you, a beautiful woman, most men tend to have devious thoughts.”

“Hey, I’m not a beauty like that. There may be men who are not attracted to me.”

“That is very rare.”

Hannah asserts that but she doesn’t even bother for a second, and then advises.

“So if His Highness Ed seemed laid-back on that matter, he’s probably faking it.”

“What?”

“Yes, he might have pretended to agree with you because you hurt his pride by abstaining him from sexual relations.”

Hannah’s opinion is right most of the time, but this time I couldn’t agree.

‘Considering the original content, I don’t think that was the case……’

In the original novel, Lena was passive towards Ed, but there were times she would stalk him.

And whenever she’s feeling lonely at night, she would stick to him.

Each time that happens, Ed would only take a breath as if it was bothering him.

[Sigh…… Lena, I said I’m busy today. If you want to be with me, then find Tara von Schubert right now and bring her to me. Then, I’ll be with you as much as you want.]

Lena didn’t even get angry, she just drooped her shoulders and left the room.

‘I’m really certain that Lena isn’t Ed’s taste. Ignoring Lena’s will and destroying the world……’

Hannah, unaware of this fact, was quite misinterpreting Ed’s intentions.

“Lady, the struggle has already begun. This is the so-called ‘push and pull’ between lovers.”

“I see……”

“This Hannah will always be cheering for you, so you should never lose, okay? Just think if you lose…… Wouldn’t that make your married life difficult?”

“I got it. I will engrave it in my heart.”

Far from being pushed around, I couldn’t say that I’m glad Ed doesn’t see me as a tool.

I pretended to agree with Hannah and left the bedroom.

There was a message from the duke to come to him for breakfast.

‘Why did the Duke called for me again?’

It was very rare to receive a call from him in the morning.

I was nervous, but for some reason, I didn’t see him there.

Instead, there’s Ludwig, who was cleaning out the empty teacup.

Ludwig, an old butler with a gentle expression, was kind to everyone, he’s a person I was able to talk comfortably.

“Ludwig? Where’s Father?”

“Your Excellency is in the West Greenhouse.”

“Hmm? Greenhouse? Are you talking about that greenhouse where we grow plants?”

“Yes, of course. In the West Greenhouse, where the Duke personally grow flowers.”

Even after hearing Ludwig’s answer again, I doubted my ears.

Duke and flowers. It’s the first time that such two words don’t go so well together.

‘That nasty person is a gardener…… Was there anything like that in the original?’

Come to think of it, I’ve never seen anything like that.

In the original story, Lena was just a supporting villain, and the Duke, who is Lena’s family, played a supporting role.

We’re an average-valued supporting characters.

And it wasn’t a kind novel enough to tell you about an extra’s hobby.

‘Like Nick’s hobby, which is sparring, I think the Duke would suite something like that.’

I can’t help but to laugh when I think about that Duke holding a watering can while taking care of the flowers.

But Ludwig added an even more surprising story.

“Perhaps this is the first time you’ll hear this, but…… In fact, Your Excellency has been germinating a seed in the West Greenhouse for a long time.”

“A seed?”

“Yes, it is a very precious seed, but unfortunately it’s still not sprouting even in the 20 years of the Duke’s hard work.”

“……?!”