ETDO Chapter 15

This was like dealing with a succubus; he was starting to dread the arrival of night. Furthermore, he was incredibly embarrassed when he experienced a wet dream, something he hadn’t experienced since puberty.

He would often wake up in a cold sweat every night. Arthur’s dreams, filled with explicit and unrestrained obsession and lust, were robbing him of all his sleep. With the scenes Arthur showed him added to his own dreams, he could no longer distinguish which were his and which were his brother’s.

As the two brothers’ desires intertwined, the dreams grew more intense with each passing day, and every night he gritted his teeth, wrestling with his raging erection. He felt like he was withering away.

Thus, after waking up, he pushed his body to the limit, trying to exhaust himself to the point where no stray thoughts could enter his mind. On the battlefield, thick with smoke from musket fire, the commander-in-chief, of all people, left the command post to his adjutant and stood at the forefront of the Imperial army.

When they ran out of ammunition and hand-to-hand combat began, he charged into the enemy lines, stabbing and slashing with his bayonetted rifle until he no longer had the strength to lift his weapon. Ironically, thanks to the reckless performance of their commander-in-chief, the morale of his troops soared, and the war, which had been at a stalemate, finally found a breakthrough.

Since there was no escaping Lily, who visited him every night no matter what he did, there was only one solution. To end the war as quickly as possible and return with all his might; there was no other way. There was no point to waste energy on futile resistance.

That was the only way he could survive. Lack of sleep was already a problem, but his yearning for Lily was far more overwhelming. Now, even breathing, separated from her by such a distance that he couldn’t see her, was agonizing.

The Empire’s victory was a secondary issue, but it didn’t matter anyway. To end it quickly and return, he simply chose the most feasible option between victory and defeat.

Ethan swallowed the bittersweet wine, satisfied that his choice hadn’t been wrong. For now, he was content to sit in the same space as her, see her face, and breathe the same air. Of course, he wasn’t going to be satisfied with just that.

He smiled contentedly, watching Lily, who turned her head abruptly like a startled rabbit. He was confident he could wait for this lovely rabbit.

The thought that he might see her golden eyes brimming with tears again, just like when they first met, filled him with anticipation. Wasn’t it a sight he had longed for? This time, too, he would be the one to make her cry.

Just as he could see Arthur’s dreams, Arthur could also see his. Therefore, Arthur must already know what his twin desired. Good brothers always share everything, don’t they? The two of them had already reached an agreement on this.

He decided to wait patiently until he could have her. Time was on Arthur and Ethan’s side, and eventually, Lily would also agree to a life with them. Ethan gazed at her with a satisfied expression and took a sip of his wine.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

I was on my way down the stairs to meet Mrs. Wilson, holding the documents that had just arrived. I was incredibly busy, with preparations for the upcoming birthday party in full swing.

Thanks to the plush carpet muffling the clicking of my heels, the voices from below echoed clearly. The voices came from a recessed corner next to the staircase on the ground floor.

“So, what are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. Mother doesn’t know the circumstances and keeps pestering me to visit, even for just a day.”

“But you can’t go all the way there now. It’s a long way, and you have a mountain of work to do here.”

“I know. It’s really difficult to leave because of the birthday banquet preparations…”

Only then did I recognize the owner of the dejected voice. It was my maid, Mary. Another maid asked in a worried voice,

“Have you talked to the butler or Mrs. Wilson?”

“Of course. They said it would be difficult. It would be different if I had been injured or something, but it’s just a wedding.”

“Then what are you going to do? Especially with your mother being ill.”

“I think that’s why she’s asking me to come even more. It’s hard to prepare with Mother being sick… And my younger siblings say they feel better when I’m there…”

Her voice was filled with disappointment. I couldn’t wait any longer and called out

“What’s going on?”

The two girls were startled. They clearly hadn’t expected me to overhear their conversation, and their embarrassment was evident. They both bowed deeply.

“Madam!”

I looked at each of their faces, silently waiting for an answer. After some hesitation, Mary spoke in a timid voice.

“It’s just… we were talking about my younger sister’s wedding back in my hometown.”

“And?”

“I haven’t been home for years, and my younger sister is marrying my friend’s brother, so Mother is insisting that I visit…”

Then, perhaps anticipating that I might be displeased with her wanting to leave work during such a busy time, she quickly added,

“B-But I think I’ll have to tell her I can’t go because there’s so much to do here and I’m so busy… Things will go well even without me…”

“How old is your sister?”

Mary’s eyes widened at my sudden question.

“Uh… seventeen.”

“She’s still young.”

“Yes, but we have a large family, and we need to reduce the number of mouths to feed…”

Mary mumbled, her voice trailing off.

I nodded. Most peasants married around that age. Sometimes even earlier. It was common practice, as it reduced the burden on the family and provided extra hands for the husband’s family.

I had witnessed their lives when I was on the run from debt creditors at my father’s behest. Whether it was the commoners or me, there wasn’t much difference in the way we groaned under the weight of life.

What was the use of appearing noble when I could easily fall into such a humiliating and desperate circumstance?

“I suppose so. Go ahead and visit. The Duke’s mansion won’t fall apart without you.”

“What?! Really, Madam?!”

Lost in my thoughts for a moment, I nodded at Mary, whose face lit up instantly. She looked at me, her eyes sparkling with excitement, her hands clasped together as if she might jump up and run at any moment.

“And you said your mother is ill, too? Take this opportunity to see your mother and spend a few days with your siblings. I’ll talk to Mrs. Wilson.”

“Thank you, Madam! Thank you! May you be blessed!”

Mary bowed repeatedly, thanking me, and then excitedly ran towards the kitchen with the other maid. I smiled, watching them go, and then turned around. I hurried my steps to discuss the ordered flowers with Mrs. Wilson.

I sat down with her in the garden. I was grateful that with Mrs. Wilson’s experience and expertise, even difficult choices and decisions could be easily resolved.

Relieved, I raised the slightly cooled tea to my lips. Mrs. Wilson suddenly looked at me and began to speak in a cautious voice.

“Um, Madam, may I ask you something?”

“Yes, please do.”

I smiled and looked at her directly. Mrs. Wilson’s voice became slightly more suggestive.

“Have you been experiencing any indigestion or nausea lately?”

“What?”

My eyes widened. 

Had I? 

I quickly thought back, but since I hadn’t experienced any such symptoms, I tilted my head and answered,

“No, I haven’t. Why do you ask…?”

“Oh, I apologize. I haven’t seen any signs of your monthly cycle recently, so this old woman was just wondering…”

My face flushed crimson.

That’s right. I had forgotten, but the position of Duchess was, knowingly or unknowingly, subject to the scrutiny of countless eyes especially when it came to such an important matter as producing an heir.

In such cases, even a highly personal matter like menstruation naturally became a public concern. This was true not only for the Imperial family but for most noble families as well.

“If there’s anything I should know, please feel free to tell me, Madam.”

I hesitated for a moment but quickly made up my mind. This wasn’t just a matter of my own embarrassment; it was important for the entire Beaufort family. Therefore, I thought it wouldn’t be bad to seek the advice of Mrs. Wilson, who was an experienced nanny.

“Well… I’m not sure how important this is, but… when I was about ten, I had a high fever and was very ill. It was so severe that I was unconscious for about a week… and I don’t remember much from before or after that time. My periods started after that, but they’ve always been very irregular…”

I rambled on, saying whatever came to mind. It felt like I was at confession. Mrs. Wilson nodded silently.

“I see. Then shall I invite the former Duchess’s physician? He retired after working for the Duke’s family, but he’s a very skilled doctor specializing in women’s health. The former Duchess only consulted him.”

“Yes, please do.”

I nodded without hesitation. In any case, producing an heir was a crucial matter, so there was no room for disagreement.