Portrait of An Arrogant Master - Chapter 101
Rubens wasn’t completely unprepared for this topic to come up.
On the day he returned with a wound on his mouth from being bitten by Macy, Kronen couldn’t hide his surprise. He often played it cool with other matters and was quite capable, yet his reaction to her was unusually transparent.
“What do you think?”
Rubens found this behavior of his subordinate somewhat intriguing.
“Macy wouldn’t be able to handle that role,” Kronen said.
“That’s true.”
“…”
Kronen seemed momentarily at a loss for words at Rubens’s casual reply. He wasn’t dismissing the remark; he genuinely agreed with Kronen’s words.
Macy was not suitable to be a mistress. She showed a strong aversion to the concept of a ‘mistress,’ and during times with Isabella, she struggled to hide her jealousy and guilt toward her.
Rubens had known this all along and had been hesitant because of it. But whenever Macy’s innocent face became tainted with desire, Rubens felt an almost abnormal lust rising within him, disregarding his status, reputation, and decorum.
From experience, he knew that such desires were merely a hindrance. There were times he wondered if indulging in a single affair would alleviate this feeling.
After all, once he possessed something, the desire for it might diminish. Yet, seeing Macy lying beneath Benedict made him realize the depth of his long-ignored desires.
Moreover, how had Macy treated Rubens after her identity was exposed? The innocence in her eyes had given way to fury. She had rejected his touch and didn’t even want to say his name.
She had once eagerly hugged him.
The name she had sweetly called him, which she now seemed to want to abandon.
That bothered him. He had thought she was almost completely his, yet now it felt like sand slipping through his fingers in an instant.
The foundation of his desire was becoming clearer. It wasn’t just about wanting to sleep with Macy.
He wanted her to open herself to him willingly, to cling to him and cry out in passion. It was a natural expectation, like life blooming after rain on barren ground. Macy had been his possession since birth, with his name written upon her.
When he tried to turn away from this natural order, everything kept going awry. She was meant to be his, to be cared for and claimed. It wasn’t enough to play with her; he wanted to possess her heart and body entirely.
Before anyone else could covet her, he needed to make it clear to everyone that she was his.
He never wanted to feel the dirty sensation of seeing her beneath another man again.
“Then, should I bring her in as the Duchess?”
“That’s…”
Kronen’s expression showed his discomfort even though he held back his words. He seemed to feel pity for her but thankfully hadn’t forgotten his position.
Rubens had only mentioned it as a joke; he certainly had no intention of placing Macy in the role of Duchess. That would be akin to self-sabotage.
“How is Arzena Krygen doing?”
Eventually, Rubens, losing interest, shifted the topic. Arzena was Rubens’ mother and the one responsible for swapping Eren for Rubens. Currently, she had gone to recuperate at the Duke’s villa in the southern territory due to her worsening illness.
“She says she cannot attend the engagement ceremony as her health has declined recently.”
“It seems rather troubling for such a power-hungry woman to miss an event where all the notable figures gather. She must be seriously ill.”
Rubens’s comments on her critical condition were notably dry. He bore her no ill will, but neither did he hold any good feelings toward her. They had grasped each other’s hands out of necessity, and it turned out Rubens no longer needed Arzena that much.
“Yet, she clings to life stubbornly. Quite tenacious, isn’t she?”
In truth, it would be more accurate to say that she was a nuisance. Why bother with a frayed kite? Kronen neither agreed nor disagreed.
“She could simply pass her position to the new Duchess. What enjoyment can she still derive from life in her old age, tsk tsk.”
Rubens threw the documents he had been reading onto the table as if discarding them.
“Convey that I will be visiting with the new Duchess soon.”
Since his relationship with Macy deepened, Arzena’s existence felt increasingly bothersome. No matter how toothless the tiger, she still held his weaknesses.
Until he met Macy, he had never felt dissatisfaction with the role of Duke; now, many things seemed to irritate him.
“Send the tea leaves we acquired from Millen last time.”
“Are you referring to the poison?”
“Exactly.”
If she couldn’t let go of life with such pitiful attachment, then helping her out could be justified. He hoped she would hold on just long enough to step aside. This way, he could eliminate her without getting a single drop of blood on his hands.
“Nobles must always maintain their dignity.”
Even if it means taking a human life.
That was the first lesson Eren had learned from Arzena.
So, she would surely be pleased.
