So the Duchess Disappeared

44. The Contract to Bear a Child

It was a chilling statement.

In this place, he didn’t expect him to bring up the contract.

If he claimed the contract wasn’t over, Psyche had nothing to say from her perspective.

Whether she realized her confident demeanor had wavered, Clint added more words.

“Perhaps I should remind the lady, it’s about the contract for bearing my child.”

“…”

Psyche deliberately turned her head away from him.

The situation was not favorable.

They were a married couple, and the contract had become a convenient pretext to bind them.

In fact, Clint’s gentlemanly treatment of her was just his way.

If he intended to do something using the contract as an excuse, Psyche had no way to resist.

However, she didn’t plan to be taken advantage of here, so she tightened her grip and tried to push him away.

He furrowed his brow momentarily due to the bruises on his hand, but soon returned to his usual self.

“Don’t move; you’ll only bruise your wrists for no reason.”

Unlike the sinister Psyche, his voice was remarkably calm.

Despite struggling for a while to escape from his embrace, she was unsuccessful.

He just stared down at the Psyche lying beneath him.

In his dry expression, Psyche felt even more humiliated.

“Ugh…”

A sigh escaped involuntarily.

Her face turned red from the effort to break free. Hot breath kept coming out of her mouth.

In contrast, Clint, who showed no change in expression, continued to gaze at her for a long time.

“Let go.”

“…”

After silently observing her for a while, Clint gently began to stroke her wrist with his thumb.

It felt strange.

“W-What are you doing…!”

While silently stroking her wrist, he lifted her left hand to his mouth.

“…!”

He deeply kissed the inside of her hand.

The very raw warmth of his breath touched her. It was an incredibly unfamiliar sensation.

It felt like the inside of her hand was burning fiercely.

With a marking gesture, Clint continued to lift the corners of his mouth slightly and met Psyche’s gaze.

For no apparent reason, her face turned red, as if it might burst. It felt like her ears were burning.

While maintaining eye contact, Clint started lightly brushing his lips over her knuckles, between her fingers.

It was as if he was leaving a mark on what belonged to him.

Psyche found the seemingly insignificant act extremely embarrassing and didn’t know where to direct her gaze.

“Ugh…”

Slowly rising after moistening her lips with her hand, he calmly looked at her and spoke.

“See you tomorrow morning, madam. I suppose the next time will be in our bedroom.”

“W-What is that…!”

Smiling like a crescent moon, he finished speaking and left the room without looking back.

Without turning back, he left as if he had seen a ghost. Psyche, who had been sitting on the bed for a while, inadvertently slapped her cheeks.

“Really, it feels like I’m going crazy.”

It wasn’t the Clint she knew. While it was true that he didn’t cross any lines without her consent, today’s actions were somewhat impulsive…

Above all…

“Why did he kiss my hand so strangely…”

Psyche unintentionally thought of Clint. The piercing gaze that seemed to penetrate still felt hot on her face. Moreover, the hand he kissed still seemed to retain its warmth.

“…”

Considering it as a baseless thought, she shook her head vigorously.

She couldn’t sleep for a long time.

❖ ❖ ❖

Psyche tossed and turned, almost staying awake all night. She couldn’t go to see Shaleed in the morning. She had too many thoughts, and she was afraid she might say something strange.

Still, she couldn’t neglect her duties. Since it was a visit from the duke, she decided to have breakfast early to greet him.

Right in front, she happened to meet him.

“Madam!”

Alejandro greeted her more warmly than anyone else. However, Psyche just nodded in response and didn’t bother pretending to recognize him.

Clint’s face, who stepped aside to let her enter alone, looked remarkably neat compared to her restless appearance.

‘Well… he was always like that. Even after spending a rough night…’

Suddenly recalling the past and feeling her cheeks burn, Psyche avoided Clint’s gaze.

She thought it was absurd to bring up such memories.

Attributing the strange handshake to yesterday’s incident, Psyche went inside alone.

“Good morning.”

Clint greeted with a clean face, refreshing and businesslike as if nothing happened yesterday. Ironically, Psyche was more taken aback by her composed attitude than anything.

Pretending to be nonchalant, Psyche gave him a formal greeting.

“Wasn’t it cold at night?”

Although Alister Castle’s night was not colder than the wilderness, it felt colder considering the size of the castle and the few residents.

Instead of sitting in his place, Clint approached Psyche.

“Thanks to you, it wasn’t cold at all.”

He came close and greeted her with a kiss on one hand.

The one who made the most fuss about it was none other than Helen.

“Oh my, is this the greeting of the dukes?”

Clint chuckled at her words and returned to his seat.

“Is that so…?”

“Haha, the greetings of the dukes are always new.”

Ignoring Clint’s denial, Psyche glared at him.

Finding her gaze amusing, Clint laughed again and took his seat.

A neat breakfast appeared on the table in no time.

Instead of eating soup, Helen looked at Psyche with sparkling eyes.

She had been excited about everything related to the duke since yesterday. Stories about the glamorous lives of nobles in the wilderness were fascinating to women of her age.

“Oh, really, the wilderness is another world. What else is there? I couldn’t hear much about the wilderness yesterday, so I was so curious!”

But Clint couldn’t answer her question.

As a moment of silence passed, Alejandro stepped in.

“There’s nothing special about the wilderness. Well, people live the same everywhere.”

“Really? But still, isn’t there anything trendy among the young ladies or noble ladies these days?”

Asking about what girls of her age were interested in, Helen made Alejandro scratch his head awkwardly.

“Trend… um.”

Alejandro also had to think for a moment as it was an area he had no interest in.

Then, he suddenly recalled a story he had heard while collecting recent information.

“These days, things like astrology and black magic are trending among the noble ladies in the wilderness, but I don’t believe in them much.”

“Oh, an unexpected trend! What are those used for?”

Helen still had a curious look.

“Well, predicting relationships with a loved one or predicting ways to have a child.”

Saying so without much thought, Alejandro glanced at Clint and hastily added.

“But strictly speaking, black magic is strictly prohibited in the wilderness.”

“But can’t you still do it?”

He answered.

“As long as it doesn’t actually harm anyone, you can’t regulate it just for fun. If you make something more inaccessible, people’s enthusiasm for it only increases. So, we just let that level be for fun.”

“Oh, I see…”

After nodding quietly, Helen soon turned her gaze toward Clint.

“Then, Your Grace, have you ever had the lady’s fortune told through astrology?”

*Cough, cough.*

It was Psyche who was surprised by Helen’s outrageous remark.

Her wish, which she had been waiting for during the quiet mealtime, didn’t come true after all.

With each word thrown by Helen, even Alejandro found himself speechless.

Above all, he realized that meddling between Clint and Psyche could only lead to trouble, so he decided to quietly keep his mouth shut.

“Madam, madam. You seem to enjoy interesting stories.”

Clint, who was drinking, chuckled and opened his mouth with a sly smile.

Helen, who didn’t notice the subtle atmosphere, once again spoke up.

“I heard you’re alone now! From what I know, many nobles in the wilderness get married quickly…”

“Helen!”

In the end, it was Psyche who couldn’t stand Helen’s unheard-of question.

“What an impolite question during mealtime. I apologize. Please continue.”

Psyche apologized politely, and Helen pouted her lips.

“No, I was curious about my lady too.”

“What?”

At Clint’s words introducing a new topic, Helen enthusiastically rushed in again.

“I haven’t mentioned it yet, but I’m currently looking for my lady.”

“Oh, really?”

Surprised by Helen’s questioning face, Psyche felt somewhat disappointed.

Since each of Helen’s remarks was unbearable, even Alejandro found himself at a loss for words.

Especially, knowing that he might not be able to discern the bones if he meddled between Clint and Psyche, he quietly decided to close his mouth.

“Madam, are you here? I didn’t mention that I’m looking for my wife right now.”

“Oh, is that so? Have you found her?”

Psyche felt like grabbing Helen’s head when she heard that.

But Clint, with a sly smile, took another sip of water and licked his lips with his tongue.

From Psyche’s perspective, his actions seemed unnaturally slow.

“Yes. I found her.”

“Oh, really?”

Disappointed but still curious, Helen’s face showed a hint of dissatisfaction.

“Well then, where is the duchess?”

At that question, Claude and Alejandro, standing next to him, sighed together.

Still finding it amusing, Clint slowly turned his gaze towards Psyche.

“Isn’t she right here? Right in front of me.”

“…!”