[Chapter 224] Have a Child

"A club?"

Abelus, who had been passively letting Megara dress him, asked back, disapprovingly.

Young male nobles of the empire spend their time together in gentlemen's clubs during the day. The more prestigious the club, the stricter its membership, making it a place of longing for those who wanted to make connections with noble backgrounds.

However, for Abelus, who lived in the 'Imperial Palace', a place where the most noble people in the country gathered, this was not a relevant story.

Megara, who had known Abelus would react this way, quickly said sweetly,

"Your Highness said you wanted to discover more young talent. You said you didn't want to trust anyone in the palace."

"That's right. Everyone thinks my sister is the crown prince, not me."

Not long ago, there had been a commotion when the old Minister of Finance, Duke Odroi, submitted a memorial about the crown princess issue. Well, he said he had no daughters, so he was just speaking from his loyalty to the empire…

'Quickly make Valentin Elandria the crown princess'. It was obvious who had whispered that in the old man's ear. Duke Odroi had always praised Princess Keamil. Everyone knew that Keamil disliked Megara, and Valentin felt the same way about Keamil.

It was one offense for a subject to dare to meddle in his lord's marriage, two offenses for colluding with a royal other than the crown prince, and three offenses because Megara had cried and wailed that day, making it difficult to soothe her.

Abelus publicly rebuked Duke Odroi, fueled by his resentment over the combined three offenses. He had deliberately exaggerated his anger to make an example of him.

After becoming close to Megara, she cautiously pointed out that she thought the relationship between Keamil and Abelus was not normal.

As an elder sibling, she was an elder sibling, but why did she act as if Abelus, as the 'official' crown prince, was beneath her?

It was true, but wasn't it a 'protest' against the Emperor and Empress who had chosen Abelus as crown prince, for her to constantly order him around, control his every action, and ultimately try to choose the crown princess candidate according to her own wishes?

It was a story about the power dynamics of the royal family, so Megara's attitude was truly subtle. But there wasn't a single wrong word in what she said to Abelus.

Yes, honestly, I thought so too. Is my sister's current attitude that of someone who sees me as her future emperor, someone she will eventually serve, not as her puppet?

Yet, it was deplorable that people like Duke Odroi were taking Keamil's side and failing to recognize the true crown prince.

While the criticism of the Duke was a necessary example for Abelus, it seemed to have been unfavorable in the eyes of the rigid nobles.

'Well, should the crown prince be mindful of the Duke?'

Nobles were truly thoughtless. That's why Abelus felt a definite need for a new wind.

Nobles who only looked at him. Those who were untouched by his sister's hand.

After all, the future monarch had to gather his own people, who would become the core of his power in the future. Until now, Abelus had thought that he had a stable foundation because he had Nellusion, but wasn't the Elandria family now half-ruined?

So Abelus was already willing to find his own people. Megara knew that well.

"I hear that there are many lower nobles who are eager to show their abilities to Your Highness but haven't had the chance. Some of them are quite good, but they just spend their time at clubs every day."

"Lower? Maggie, lower."

"I know, Your Highness. Lower nobles are difficult for Your Highness to use. But wouldn't it be a warning?"

Abelus hesitated.

"A warning?"

"How arrogant the grand nobles have been to Your Highness. All power comes from His Majesty, the Emperor, but they act as if they were born superior! So, it's good for Your Highness to personally show them."

Megara smiled seductively.

"Only Your Highness decides who is important and unimportant in the court, so they should be careful with their actions first."

Her tone, her voice, her smile captivated Abelus like a spell.

Abelus was moved. Megara was right. Absolutely right! Who is the master of this country, if not the imperial family? If there are those who dare to interfere with the royal family's affairs, no matter how much they have contributed to the empire, they are simply out of line!

It would definitely be helpful for his reign to put a well-behaved lower noble in a high position as a warning to the grand nobles.

"Alright, Maggie. You're right. Then find me some clubs worth visiting."

"Yes, Your Highness. I will."

Megara, smiling like an angel, finished dressing Abelus. And she waved at his back for a long time as he left her small room to attend to his duties.

As soon as Abelus was out of sight, Megara's eyes turned cold. She approached the mahogany desk adorned with gold and opened a drawer with a key. A letter emerged from it.

"I did as you asked."

The sender's name was simply written as N. But Megara knew exactly who it referred to.

Nellusion Elandria. The current Duke of Elandria.

The one who had requested that Abelus be sent to the club she ran.

Megara opened the letter and reread it, something she had done several times already. The content hadn't changed.

Send the crown prince to the club Finito, where gambling takes place every night. I'll take care of the rest. You wait and when the crown prince loses a decent amount of money, you willingly lend him some.

Megara had joined forces with Nellusion, but she didn't trust him. Their interests would clash eventually.

So, first, she investigated what kind of place Finito was. Judging by the level of nobles who gathered there, it was mid-to-low level, and the owner was someone completely different from Nellusion. The gambling that took place there, according to its reputation, wasn't anything to worry about. It was just a place where regulars showed up almost every day to play cards for fun and earn enough for drinks.

That's why Megara felt a chill. She knew, vaguely, that people with dark intentions ran these kinds of 'traps'.

A seemingly ordinary place, not even worth being wary of, but in reality, a place created to trick those who innocently came looking for it.

She didn't want to risk unnecessary danger by sending Abelus to such a suspicious place. That's why Megara, who had initially ignored Nellusion's request, made a decision today.

She couldn't just sit around and wait for Abelus. That kind of fate had a predetermined end.

'I will prove my usefulness.'

Megara had always believed in her own nobility. In her special lineage, in the elegance she was born with due to her status.

But that nobility could disappear like a bubble overnight.

She needed something that would never disappear like a bubble. There was only one thing that could keep her important.

'Money.'

More precisely, the ability to make others believe she had money.

Fortunately, she had many helpers when it came to money.

'It's ironic how that woman is useful in my life.'

Megara grimaced at the instinctive disgust that arose whenever she thought of her commoner mother, and put Nellusion's letter back in the drawer. She picked up a pen to inform him that things had gone well.

The elegant handwriting, honed by years of education, flowed quickly. Megara was about to finish the letter with a brief 'Well done', but she looked at it for a while. After some deliberation, she added a few sentences.

'It wouldn't hurt to be trusted more.'

Abelus loved Megara. She was sure of that. But to do greater things in the court, she needed deeper trust.

If she had to stab someone who was already an enemy to achieve that, she would do it.

****

"Are you alright?"

After successfully completing their first dinner at the castle, the Grand Duke and Duchess went up to their bedroom.

Neris's face was flushed, and she was being helped by her husband. She had, of course, controlled her intake of alcohol because it was a public occasion, but she hadn't drunk in so long, and Maindelant wines were all strong, so she was more tipsy than she expected.

She sat on her bed and giggled. Ellen and Dora quickly prepared clothes for her to change into and bathwater.

"Oh, I'm fine!"

Her pronunciation was as precise as usual, but her voice was clearly excited. Cledwyn chuckled.

"Were you in a good mood today? I've never seen you like this."

"Good, of course. How good is it?"

Glug, glug. The maids carried countless buckets of water boiled in the kitchen and filled the porcelain bathtub. Ellen, meanwhile, poured clear water into a crystal glass.

Cledwyn, who had received the water, sat beside Neris and made her drink it. Neris obediently drank the water like a baby bird, but she raised her eyebrows as if she didn't understand why he was treating her this way.

"Good girl. I'll go wash up."

She was cute. Cledwyn handed the glass back to Ellen and stood up, until Neris hugged him tightly.

The hot temperature of a young animal, soft touch. Cledwyn froze. Ellen, sensing the situation, dismissed the others and left herself.

Alone in the room, Cledwyn stroked his wife's cheek like a sigh.

"Why? Don't go?"

"Don't go."

"I'll just change clothes, wash up, and come back."

"No. I'm going to hold you."

She was so cute. Cledwyn laughed like flowers blooming.

"Alright. Then shall we bathe together?"

Usually, Neris would be embarrassed by such a suggestion from her husband. Though she would easily give in if he insisted.

But today, she was compliant. Cledwyn showered her flushed red face, which was looking up at him intently, with pecks. His long, strong fingers moved deftly, undoing the fastenings of her dress.

Neris was the first to be ready to enter the bath. While Cledwyn undressed, she clung to him, stroking him here and there and kissing him fervently. Finally, he burst out laughing.

"You really shouldn't drink. It's good that you don't usually."

"Don't you like it?"

Her grey eyes, already feverish, shone sharply.

"It's too good, it's a problem."

Two rough breaths, belonging to neither, intertwined and slipped away. Neris sighed sweetly and rested her hand on Cledwyn's shoulder.

"In the past, I… drank a lot… ha… I drank a lot."

"You don't drink now."

"Black, I'm scared of… drinking and making mistakes… I'm scared…"

"Yes, you did well today. The Grand Duchess is a good drinker, so they'll be praising you from tonight onwards, saying you were born a Maindelant."

Now, let's go to the bath, Cledwyn gently coaxed his tipsy wife and stood up. Neris, who had glared cutely at him for stopping, hugged her husband's bare neck and submerged in the water. The unfinished business continued.

Warm, fragrant water surged.

"Ah…!"

The shallow breaths soon took on a desperate quality, like the moans of someone being strangled. The overflowing water for two people shimmered under the candlelight, soaking everything around them, but no one cared.

As the water cooled, Neris slumped over like a languid cat. Cledwyn said with a satisfied expression,

"I've been thinking, it might be good to give the West Palace to your mother."

It was common for grand nobles to have multiple bedrooms in their own castle. Apart from the bedrooms in the main palace, the former Grand Duchess's bedroom in the West Palace should now officially belong to Neris. To be precise, it was more fitting for the Grand Duchess's official bedroom.

But Neris didn't really want that room, so she nodded.

"Yes."

"We can sleep here, right?"

It seemed like the 'here' he was referring to didn't include his bedroom next door, but Neris nodded again.

"Yes."

Before she could regain her senses, her body was lying on the soft bed. Neris felt the heavy weight on top of her and whispered like she was sleep-talking.

"You know."

"Yes."

"Let's have a child."

"Yes."

I'll love them a lot.

I'll teach them a lot.

Including how to be happy without hurting others.

She couldn't remember if she had said it out loud, but Neris knew that she was very satisfied that night.