Chapter 107
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108.
Still, he readily accepted and quietly returned to his room.
In truth, a kiss alone was more than enough to satisfy him.
He had entertained thoughts of progressing further, but those were merely vague fantasies born from hearsay.
He had never experienced the ecstasy of actually taking that step.
Only those who have tasted the finest delicacies in the world truly understand their value.
No matter how lavishly a feast was prepared, he was the type to stick with familiar fare, hesitant to rashly extend his fork toward unfamiliar dishes.
The most exhilarating experience in Julian's life thus far had been a kiss with Rebecca.
He was so utterly captivated that he found himself dwelling on that moment dozens of times a day.
Had he allowed himself to contemplate the next step, his mind would have shattered into grains of sand scattered across Balaria Beach.
Rebecca, by contrast, lay awake each night, her pillow dampened by sighs of frustration.
She was a woman who had tasted every aspect of intimacy.
Moreover, judging by what had transpired in the Reed Field, she sensed that she and Julian were remarkably well-matched.
Julian was far too tempting, and she feared that at any moment, she might lose herself and shatter their contract with her own hands.
He did not desire an heir, and she had no confidence in her ability to preserve his chastity.
There were methods of prevention, but even the slimmest possibility gave Rebecca pause.
And the thought of taking his innocence before departing left her feeling uneasy.
So she had reached a compromise of sorts, satisfying her desires with kisses alone.
She feared that if she continued to restrain herself without fully touching him, she would eventually lose all restraint.
"Sigh..."
"What is it? Are you reluctant to leave like this? Honestly, I wouldn't mind staying longer, but since you're so busy with your duties, I suppose there's no helping it."
Julian gazed out at the Balarian landscape from within the carriage, expressing his reluctance.
Rebecca turned to look at him and swallowed hard.
While she couldn't deny her own reluctance, Rebecca harbored a different concern.
'Once we arrive at the Duke's Castle, there's no way around it—we'll have to share a room.'
They were, in every legal and social sense, a perfect couple.
They had already crafted an elaborate tale of passionate love, so maintaining separate chambers would seem peculiar.
So her greatest worry now was whether she could truly restrain herself with Julian.
Unaware of Rebecca's inner turmoil, Julian busied himself offering her various snacks he had brought along.
"Rebecca, try this. They're dumplings from the Eastern lands—they're filled with high-quality meat and should be delicious. Dip them in this sauce like so..."
Rebecca stuffed the dumpling Julian offered her with practiced chopstick work into her mouth.
The juices burst forth, and a harmonious symphony of flavors unfolded across her palate.
White wisps of steam rose continuously from her mouth as the dumpling was still quite hot.
It was, in its own way, delightful.
Rebecca had recently begun to discover the pleasure of taste.
During her time at the Devonshire Earldom, she had always been forced to eat sparingly, leaving her with almost no memories of truly enjoying food.
Each day had been nothing but an endless cycle of hunger.
When she fled the Earldom, survival consumed her, and food was merely a means to fill her belly.
But as Julian taught her to savor each bite gradually, she found herself developing a genuine interest in food.
Sometimes she would even wake in the night with cravings for dishes she wished to taste.
Julian was a connoisseur of fine cuisine.
He had boasted that once Rebecca came to the Duke's Castle, he would treat her to every delicacy in the world.
Mealtimes had become something to anticipate.
Rebecca found it strange yet delightful that she now looked forward to eating—this change in herself was peculiar, but it felt good.
Her worries had evaporated along with the steam rising from the dumplings.
Julian gazed contentedly at Rebecca's lips moving as she ate with such enthusiasm.
He waited for her to finish, then picked up another dumpling with his chopsticks.
* * *
By the time Rebecca and Julian arrived at the Duke's Castle after taking a longer tour of the Duchy, night had already fallen deep and full.
Though it was late, every servant came forward without exception to greet the new Duchess.
It was an hour when they should have already finished their day's work and retired to bed.
Rebecca descended from the carriage with an apologetic heart.
She had expected to be met with sullen faces, but to her surprise, most of them were smiling brightly at her.
The Duke's Castle had been longing for a mistress for a long time.
For decades after Julian's Mother had passed, the position of lady of the house had remained vacant.
Moreover, the woman who had captured Julian's heart—they were intensely curious about her identity.
Everyone gazed at her with hopeful eyes, wishing that Rebecca would breathe warmth into the desolate Duke's Castle.
"It's a pleasure to meet you all. I'm Rebecca Obelia."
Rebecca met each servant's eyes one by one and offered a sincere greeting.
As the greetings concluded, Kanna, who had arrived at the Duke's Castle earlier, naturally stepped forward to take Rebecca's luggage.
"That's not your responsibility."
A servant quickly approached and took the luggage from Kanna's hands.
Kanna stared blankly at the bags that had suddenly vanished from her grasp.
Julian spoke with a smile.
"That's right. From now on, Kanna is Rebecca's secretary, not a maid. I've informed everyone, so if anyone treats you disrespectfully, report it to me immediately."
At this sudden promotion, Kanna's eyes widened in astonishment.
Before entering the Duke's Castle's foyer, Rebecca paused and carefully surveyed her surroundings.
The person she was looking for was nowhere to be seen.
A flicker of disappointment crossed her face.
"Are you looking for someone?"
Julian asked her gently.
The Duke smiled softly and drew Rebecca's shawl snugly around her, and everyone's jaws dropped.
The man who had once been called the Empire's reckless fool had returned as a completely different person in mere days.
Rebecca had done nothing, yet her reputation, which had already been favorable, began to soar to the heavens.
It was said that this incomparably beautiful Duchess had transformed Julian into a gentleman.
Everyone wanted to gather together and hold a festival in celebration.
Among them, Belma, the head maid, was so delighted she shed tears of joy.
While everyone rejoiced, only Croa regarded Rebecca with a look of disapproval.
For some reason, Rebecca seemed to win people's affection far too easily.
It didn't seem to be merely because of her beautiful face.
I've heard there are ancient sorceries of that nature. Even if it's not that, there's clearly some scheme at play.
By this point, I should trust Rebecca completely, yet Croa's unease persisted.
It felt as though she would gravely harm Julian someday.
There was no basis for this feeling, and I didn't understand myself for thinking it.
But I had a duty to protect Julian.
I'd heard that intuition is the sum total of information carved deep into one's bones since ancestral times.
Even the smallest intuition could not be ignored.
Yet when Croa caught sight of Julian's radiant smile, she cast aside her rising suspicions.
At this very moment, Julian was drowning in happiness. That fact alone mattered.
Croa smiled bitterly and followed behind Julian and Rebecca.
* * *
"Quite the elaborate display."
Julian grumbled as he entered the Bridal Chamber, once his parents' bedroom.
He'd explicitly asked for a simple arrangement, yet the excited servants had no sense of restraint.
As a result, a cloying atmosphere permeated every corner of the Bridal Chamber.
Red curtains flickered with candlelight, and a gramophone played sultry music.
Despite himself, he felt a mounting tension.
Julian's throat tightened.
Rebecca had insisted throughout the honeymoon that she had no intention of producing an heir, but one could never be certain.
What if she changed her mind...?
As lewd fantasies unfolded in Julian's mind, the door burst open.
Rebecca, clad only in a negligee, strode purposefully inside.
Julian instinctively recoiled and cried out.
"I, I haven't done anything!"
"Done what?"
Rebecca seemed unfazed, treating the situation as utterly unremarkable.
She collapsed onto the Vanity and vigorously toweled her still-damp hair.
Water dripped from her long locks, soaking into her negligee.
The wet fabric clung to her back, revealing her waistline and bare skin in full detail.
Whether it was carelessness, indifference, or deliberate intent, he couldn't fathom.
Julian wrapped his head in his hands, desperately averting his gaze.
Spending the entire night in this state felt like it would drive him mad.
Unaware of Julian's torment behind her, Rebecca finally spoke after finishing her hair.
"Now that I think about it, today's the day, isn't it? The Montblanc Club's operation."
"You remembered. I heard it begins around three in the morning."
"But are you really sure we don't need to go?"
It's more efficient to move with minimal personnel. We'd only be a burden if we went."
"I suppose you're right. How many people is the Duke's Residence sending?"
"Fifteen. Not a large number, but absolutely reliable men."
"That's actually quite a lot, but I hope it all works out well."
Rebecca stretched languidly after finishing her preparations.
Then she rose from the vanity and approached the bed without hesitation.
As Rebecca picked up her share of the blankets spread neatly across the bed, she frowned and spoke.
"Your buttocks."
"What, what...?"
Buttocks? Did she really just say that so bluntly?
Truly, a woman of experience had tastes to match.
Julian's throat tightened as he swallowed hard.
'My buttocks today are....'
As Julian inspected the state of his own backside, his face drained of all color.
Having neglected exercise during the honeymoon, his muscles had atrophied, leaving him looking rather pathetic.
With a desire to weep, he stammered out his words.
His pride had suffered a tremendous blow, yet he could not possibly spend the wedding night in this condition.
"Ah, well, my buttocks are a bit.... Not today, perhaps another day."
"What are you talking about? Just move your buttocks out of the way."
Rebecca waved the blankets in her hands with an exasperated expression.
"Ah...."
Julian offered an awkward laugh as he surrendered the blankets he had been sitting on.
Rebecca rolled up the blankets and tossed them onto the sofa, then embraced a large pillow.
"Since you seem to be struggling with restraint, I'll sleep on the sofa."
"Struggling with restraint? Wait, surely not...?"
The blood drained from Julian's face.
He furrowed his brow in displeasure.
The Runaway Countess Returns
E-book Publication
January 12, 2022
Author
Ginbamhaneul
Publisher
Desert Fox
Published by
Woongjin Thinkbig Co., Ltd.
Submission Received
naver.me/54VzzLSn
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blog.naver.com/wj_fennecfox
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@wjt_fennecfox
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Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
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