Why the Northern Duke Wanders the Snowfields - Chapter 52

“Aunt.”

Someone called out to Agnes as she left the main building of the ducal castle.

“….”

When Agnes continued walking without acknowledging him, Sion hurriedly stepped in front of her, flustered.

“I’m sorry, Aunt.”

Only when he dropped to his knees and bowed his head did Agnes stop walking.

“What exactly are you apologizing for, Sioniel Valian?”

“I….”

When Sion couldn’t bring himself to speak, Agnes rebuked him in a low voice.

“I gave you that herb so you could protect the duke if unavoidable circumstances arose.”

Only then did Tarion, standing beside her, look somewhat startled.

“Were you the one who gave him the Darut, Lady Agnes?”

“And yet you used it on Kaeloc.”

It was outrageous. The moment the word Darut left Tarion’s mouth while he was examining the sleeping Kaeloc, Agnes realized Sion was the culprit.

“Lady Agnes. There are many eyes watching.”

Tarion restrained Agnes as she began to grow agitated. It was morning, so many servants were passing through the area.

“Please give me a chance to explain.”

Sion raised his head. His black eyes looked straight at Agnes without the slightest trace of regret.

Anger surged within Agnes, but she muttered in a low voice, willing to hear him out.

“Lead us somewhere private.”

***

“…And so, the ancient Blanc Empire was divided into six pieces by a single woman….”

Aubrianna’s voice gradually faded as she raised her head and looked across from her. Kaeloc was nodding off with his chin propped on one hand.

‘I knew this would happen the moment he asked me to read him a history book.’

Letting out a quiet sigh, Aubrianna carefully closed the book, cupped her cheeks in both hands, and gazed at him.

His hair fluttered gently across his forehead in the clear, refreshing spring breeze. Bathed in the brilliant spring sunlight, Kaeloc’s body seemed to glow with a halo.

Her fingers itched to brush his hair back.

The lashes over his closed eyes were long and deep black. Beneath them were a high, elegant nose and alluring lips that begged to be kissed.

His features were as beautiful as a sculpture.

When she first saw Kaeloc in the darkness on the day she arrived at the ducal castle, he reminded her of Kazar, the evil god who fell in love with the goddess and repented for the countless atrocities he committed.

The sensation she felt when she met those vivid blue eyes beneath his black brows, blazing like the fires of hell.

Aubrianna slowly closed her eyes. Even now, merely remembering it sent a tingling thrill down her spine.

‘I felt like Selenea, seducing the repentant evil god.’

When Kazar, the evil god who fell in love with the goddess, repented and his lustrous black hair turned a sacred silver, the wicked Selenea, who loved him, drove a holy sword into her own heart and reincarnated as a human, bringing about the destruction of the Blanc Empire beloved by the goddess.

‘You destroyed the one I loved, so I hope you feel the same pain! I hope you suffer in that agony for all eternity!’

As she recalled the anguished cry of Selenea, the most wicked woman in history, who lost her love and dragged everyone into ruin, she heard sweet breathing beside her ear.

“Kaeloc.”

His name slipped from her lips like a moan breathed on a sigh, and something moist began licking her earlobe.

“I like it when you call me that.”

When did he wake up?

The man was already sitting pressed close beside her, his fingers slowly stroking the fine, golden strands resting against the nape of her white neck.

As if following a natural order, hot lips touched the spot his fingers had gently traced.

“Mmm.”

“It seems having a maid to watch the baby is quite a good thing.”

Finding it ridiculous that she’d sent Theo to the nursery maid under the pretext of studying only for things to end this way, Aubrianna turned around.

“It’ll be time to nurse him soon.”

Theo had started eating solid food and ate everything without being picky, but Aubrianna still didn’t want to miss that time. The bond she felt with Theo whenever she nursed him was very special.

“Let’s finish studying and then go see Theo.”

Aubrianna opened the book again with renewed determination, but a large hand snapped it shut.

“Boring.”

“What do you mean, boring? If you’re this ignorant of history, people will discover your memory loss in no time.”

Yesterday, Agnes told them she would hold a small tea party.

“We need to make your memory loss seem like a brief incident. If it continues for too long, people will begin to question your competence as head of the family, and if that happens, even your position as duke could be in danger.”

The world wasn’t filled with good people alone. There were certainly people who constantly watched for an opportunity to turn someone else’s weakness to their own advantage.

Agnes urged him to quickly learn basic common knowledge and etiquette.

Aubrianna’s hand reached for the large book bound in red leather.

“Then shall we look through the register of nobles again? I heard there will be many nobles from the capital at the party.”

As though he had no interest in such things, Kaeloc pulled her closer by the nape.

Licking the white neck that naturally became exposed, he murmured, “Sweet.”

The strength drained from Aubrianna’s hands as she pushed against the man’s shoulders. It wasn’t easy for Aubrianna to win against Kaeloc when he pestered her like this.

“O-Or should we look at a geography book? Didn’t you say you were still confused about where the capital was?”

Trying hard to ignore the heat rising within her, she turned to reach for another book. At that moment, Kaeloc lifted her effortlessly with both hands and placed her on the table.

“Kaeloc!”

Aubrianna, on her knees with her ankles held firmly, turned her head in surprise.

This wasn’t an isolated cabin in the snowfields.

Although they were in a secluded corner of the garden, it was an open space where servants could appear without warning at any moment.

The man’s behavior, burying his face beneath her skirt in a place like this, left her embarrassed and ashamed.

“Spread your legs, Aubrianna.”

The shape of the man’s head bulged behind her buttocks.

‘Goodness!’

Her vulva, covered in transparent lace, was clearly visible even beneath her dark skirt.

“You’re already wet. When did you get this aroused?”

A thick finger rubbed the wet fabric between the lips of her vulva. The sight of her firm white buttocks trembling from that alone was quite a spectacle.

“You don’t intend to study, do you? Then I’m going to see Theo.”

She reached behind herself and tried to push away the man’s head beneath her skirt, but he didn’t budge, as immovable as a boulder.

Instead, when she felt something other than his hand against her underwear, Aubrianna flinched in shock.

The sound of licking made her heart pound, and her red eyes began darting around as warily as a rabbit’s.

It was far too bright, and the space was open on every side.

‘I should’ve studied in the library instead.’

Choosing to open their books in a corner of the garden because the sunlight was pleasant and the breeze was cool had been a mistake.

Aubrianna looked around, her eyes trembling with embarrassment.

The light green leaves were still far from growing dense, so it felt as though someone’s face might suddenly appear between the sparse branches.

“Kaeloc, I don’t like it here.”

For now, stopping this man from running wild was the most urgent thing.

Gently caressing her trembling body, Kaeloc murmured against her vulva, “Just a moment. Only a moment.”

He pushed aside the lace and lapped up her flowing juices, the obscene sounds spilling into the air.

***

“I acted rashly.”

“Sion.”

The moment they entered an empty room, Sion dropped to his knees again.

“But I never intended to harm His Grace.”

“You suddenly used such a large amount. He might never have woken up.”

Sion’s face stiffened at Tarion’s words.

“Tarion. Leave us alone for a moment.”

When Tarion went outside, Sion crawled toward her on his knees.

“But Aunt, I….”

Agnes clicked her tongue as she looked at Sion, who hung his head as though he didn’t know what to say himself.

“Didn’t I tell you that your blind devotion could cause something to go terribly wrong one day?”

Sion’s feelings toward Kaeloc appeared supremely loyal.

But Agnes saw something in them that went beyond mere loyalty, and it worried her.

“Loyalty is all well and good, but think about yourself a little more.”

“His Grace is my goal.”

“Think of another ultimate goal. What about the peace and security of the North?”

“For that, the North needs His Grace. Even if I must devote everything I have, I will serve him and make him a great duke who will go down in history and be revered for eternity.”

His ambitions were grand. Sion was eighteen at the time, a graduating student at the academy.

“Kaeloc spoke so highly of you that I thought you were merely a resourceful boy for your age.”

Agnes let out a sigh.

From the beginning, Sion chased Kaeloc’s shadow. Admiration became obsession, and emulation soon became imitation.

“Even now, Lord Kaeloc is all I desire, and I follow him.”

“I know that, Sioniel.”

She could imagine that he would even follow Kaeloc’s disposition.

But when Agnes asked him to serve Kaeloc well, she didn’t want him to become a carriage that charged blindly ahead, heedless of any means or methods, for the sake of its destination.

“You poor child. Kaeloc won’t forgive you for what you’ve done.”

What would become of this man once he lost his goal?

Sion raised his head at Agnes’s words, his face turning deathly pale.

The silver rings in his black eyes, which he concealed so well until now, emerged faintly and trembled with anxiety.

Agnes looked Sion straight in the eyes with a cold gaze and sharply rebuked him, “Do you still not understand? Kaeloc’s feelings are sincere. Can’t you tell from the fact that they had Theo? Kaeloc will never be able to let Aubrianna go.”