Droit du Seigneur: His Lordship's Right of the First Night - Chapter 25
Soft and Warm
After dismissing his aides for the evening, Richard continued working alone for some time. When he finally left his office, he headed to the training grounds, where he practiced swordsmanship until he felt lighter. After washing up in the shower there and changing into comfortable clothes, he returned.
By the time he set foot in the west wing, where he usually resided, it was already late at night.
“Your Highness.”
“Sir Tobias.”
As he was heading to his bedroom as usual, someone blocked his path. It was an elderly knight, a member of the Emperor’s personal guard.
“It’s been a while.”
“We’ve prepared a separate place for you to sleep upstairs.”
Sir Tobias, who was his aide Count Schren’s father, had also been his and Leonhart’s swordsmanship teacher. It was clear why Leonhart had put him in charge. Knowing Richard wouldn’t mistreat his old teacher, Leonhart had likely chosen him for this task.
Though it wasn’t hidden, Richard’s understanding of his brother’s intentions made his words come out sarcastic.
“You haven’t retired yet? I thought you’d be relaxing, watching your granddaughter play.”
Richard mentioned this, recalling news that Schren’s sister had given birth.
Richard was usually uninterested in personal matters or trivial stories, but he couldn’t forget it. After meeting his niece during a break, Schren had driven him mad by showing off hundreds of portraits of the baby, whom he couldn’t tell apart from any other baby.
“I plan to retire after Your Highness marries and has an heir.”
“Everyone is so desperate to meddle in my marriage.”
Richard furrowed his brows deeply.
“What if your grandson joins the knights before you retire? It would be a spectacle to see you both working together.”
“We would be exemplary role models for the other knights and a beacon for society.”
“…Everyone’s becoming like my brother.”
Richard shook his head and gestured for Sir Tobias to lead the way. The knight smiled.
The bedroom where he and Louise would stay for two months was in an isolated room on the top floor of the tower at the end of the west wing.
When he entered the bedroom, Richard couldn’t help but laugh. Contrary to his expectation of a room deliberately arranged with an e****c atmosphere, the room was simple. However, it was too simple, with barely enough space besides the bed in the center.
The only other furniture was a long makeshift table, and there were no chairs, meaning they would have to sit on the bed to use it. He laughed at the bed, which was too small for two people.
He had expected Leonhart not to leave things as they were….
It was clear that someone intended to ensure that once they returned to this room after dark, they would have to stay very close until morning.
“…My lord?”
Hearing a small voice, he turned his head. Behind the thin curtain draped over the bed, a small shadow rose and moved. Soon, Louise peeked out from the curtain, her face as fair as a peach.
“Good evening, my lord.”
“…….”
“Have you been well?”
Have I been well?
Seeing her, Richard felt conflicted. He was bewildered and displeased by her acceptance of the Emperor’s proposal, yet he couldn’t deny that he was not unhappy to see her again.
To be more honest, the moment he saw her sitting on the bed in her white nightgown, he felt a surge of joy.
“I’m sorry. I fell asleep while waiting for you.”
“You are quite something.”
Contrary to his inner feelings, his words came out sharp. Her nonchalant greeting, while he had suffered from severe aftereffects since her departure, irked him.
“Your husband must be quite something too. Sending his soon-to-be wife here, I didn’t know there was such a generous man living in my fief. He could pass for a saint.”
“…….”
“You should have refused. How could you accept my brother’s proposal so easily? I knew you were fearless when you jumped in front of that knife in the market, but are you not afraid of anything, or do you have some other motive?”
“You recognized me?”
“Of course. It’s not every day someone as reckless as you jumps in like that.”
She thought he hadn’t recognized her, but he had remembered. Considering he was used to seeing only perfectly mannered ladies from the capital, it wasn’t surprising that someone who had rolled in the dirt to save a horse would leave an impression.
“Anyway, you accepted the proposal too, didn’t you, my lord?”
“What?”
Richard raised an eyebrow at her unexpectedly bold retort.
“I think you must have had your reasons too. I will keep the secret we agreed upon.”
In truth, Louise had no other option. If she didn’t comply with the Emperor’s order to serve Richard in bed, her deception of the proxy wedding night would be exposed, leading to the execution of her and her family. Moreover, she couldn’t miss the opportunity to get medical help for Mildred.
So, she had to convince him and stay at the castle for those two months.
Receiving the Emperor’s order confirmed her suspicion. Even if Leonhart was his brother, revealing the issue with his reproductive abilities would have been a blow to his pride as a man. She believed Richard accepted the proposal to hide this fact.
