AWWEWNR Chapter 35

“I trust you to keep your mouth shut, since you work for Ron.”

 

“…Of course, I’ll never tell anyone else about your request.”

 

“Okay, I’ll trust you.”

 

“…”

 

Hanaella lifted her teacup and took a sip of tea. 

 

Edward focused on her lips, wondering what would come out of her mouth.

 

“I need you to keep an eye on Count Thearine’s affairs for the time being.”

 

“…What…?”

 

He was dumbfounded. 

 

Edward, who had expected to be asked to side with the Crown Prince on the Emperor’s side or to side with the Second Prince on the Empress’s side, was dumbfounded by the sudden emergence of Count Thearine. 

 

But then he realized, ‘If they want me to keep an eye on Count Thearine, the paladin of the cathedral, they must be on the Emperor’s side?’

 

“May I ask why?”

 

“It’s personal.”

 

“That’s a poor answer. If you’re going to spy on someone, make sure the reason is clear so you can approach it with more certainty and precision.”

 

It made me wonder if Ariel, the vanguard of neutrality, the Great House-associated Thearine, had really decided to side with the Emperor.

 

“…They may be planning a kidnapping.”

 

“Kidnapping…?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“That doesn’t make sense. A mere paladin of the Cathedral would kidnap His Highness the Crown Prince…”

 

“Me.”

 

Edward’s thoughts were cut short by Hanaella’s next words.

 

“…What…?”

 

“Of course, I’m not sure, it’s just a hunch.”

 

“…”

 

“But I’m sure they’re up to something like that, I’m sure, even though it’s also just paranoia.”

 

“Wait… wait, I mean…”

 

Pressing his left hand to his forehead, Edward reached out with his right, cutting off Hanaella’s words.

 

“He’s trying to kidnap you? Count Thearine?”

 

“Yes.”

 

With a firm countenance, Hanaella nodded vigorously. 

 

Edward struggled to keep his composure, the situation so embarrassing.

 

‘So, you mean, they’re trying to kidnap you, not the Crown Prince, so you can keep an eye on Count Thearine’s every move… More than that, how the hell does this woman know Ron?’

 

“Lady Ariel.”

 

“It’s Hanaella.”

 

“…Yes, Hanaella. So, you’re asking me to keep an eye on Count Thearine’s every move, because he might kidnap you?”

 

“Yes. I’ll take Rosaryn Esri Thearine along for the ride, no matter how much it costs.”

 

“…And who did you hear Ron’s name from?”

 

Edward asks, looking quite serious. 

 

Hanaella couldn’t say it was from her former husband, but said she’d stumbled across it when she was looking for someone who could do the job.

 

“There are only a few people in the Empire who know Ron of Norwen’s office. You can’t just find out by accident.”

 

“…”

 

“I can’t accept the commission if you don’t tell me the truth, young lady.”

 

‘Tricky.’

 

“I’m being honest. I’ve been told that of all the places I could ask for something like this, Norwen’s is the most reliable and quickest to get things done…” 

 

“…”

 

“And I’ve been told that a man named Ron is the most certain to handle it. If you ask me who I heard it from, I don’t really remember, because I heard it in ‘Grem’s Tavern’.”

 

Edward’s eyebrows twitched at the mention of ‘Grem’s tavern’.

 

‘Forget it.’

 

Grateful to remember Tharrott saying that Norwen’s was a trick, and that the real one was ‘Grem’s Tavern’. 

 

Hanaella looked at Edward as if she meant it.

 

“…Very well. From today until when do you want to stop?”

 

“Until I ask you to stop.”

 

“And the fee is…”

 

Edward paused. 

 

This was Ariel, a family that had remained steadfastly neutral for centuries, and now the woman who would be the next head of the house was standing in front of him, asking him to take on a commission. 

 

Perhaps this is another opportunity, a thought flashed through his mind.

 

Still unsure whether to align himself with the Emperor or the Empress, Hayden’s darkness could prove to be a very expensive hand. 

 

Living only for the benefit and prosperity of the family name to pass on to this little lady, he couldn’t pass up this opportunity.

 

“I don’t care how much it is.”

 

Hanaella said to Edward, who remained silent.

 

“I may not even take it in money. Do you mind?”

 

“…What…?”

 

“I don’t know, Ron will decide.”

 

Hanaella glared at Edward.

 

“…Okay, well, I wouldn’t want a ridiculous price, because if it is, I’ll just spread the word that you’re a fraud.”

 

At her words, Edward raised a brow, indicating that he would pass the word on to Ron.

 

“And how will I get the report?”

 

“Well, it’ll probably be via letter, and if it’s important, someone from the agency, or I will come and see you in person.”

 

“Oh, I see.”

 

“Can I get up now?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Edward rose to his feet, and Hanaella followed, saying to him.

 

“Take care, Duke of Delioffe.”

 

“It is Edward.”

 

“Duke Edward.”

 

“I will be at your service, my Lady Hanaella.”

 

They exchanged pleasantries, and as Edward left the reception room, Hanaella ran a hand through her hair and let out a long sigh. 

 

The request was fulfilled, and now all that remained was to fulfill the continuation covenant with Shia. 

 

In order to fulfill the pact, she would need to be more knowledgeable about the act.

 

‘First, I’ll have to get some of that lubricant the ladies were talking about at the tea party,’ 

 

I thought to myself, ‘I remember some of them talking about the act, but I don’t remember any of the details.’

 

Leaving the reception room to call for Belle, Hanaella told the butler to call for a married servant, for she was not yet married and could not be asked to fetch the lubricant used by wives. 

 

Then she went to the library, took out a book on contract of subsistence, and opened it.

 

A short time later, Melissa, who had recently married the coachman, came to the library, and Hanaella held out her pouch of gold coins to Melissa and told her to buy the lubricant. 

 

As Melissa stared in amazement at her now grown-up master, Hanaella motioned for her to go. 

 

Melissa hesitated, then bowed her head and walked out.

 

💫

 

Melissa poured some lubricant on her hand and touched it. She smelled it, and it had a faint, sweet scent.

 

‘I’m sure it will go in better if I put this on.’

 

She thought about putting it on Shia’s finger, but then remembered his sour face. 

 

Wondering if she would be able to fit it in as well as she wanted, she realized she might as well do it herself. 

 

Lifting her skirt and slipping her already lubricated fingers into her underwear, Hanaella leaned back in her chair and spread her legs. 

 

She brought her glistening finger to the entrance of the cave, but when her nail poked the entrance, she gasped and withdrew it.

 

‘No, it’s not safe to be seen. Let’s have Lord Shia put it in himself.’

 

Clumsy as I was, I realized that since he would be able to see it with his own eyes, it would be no more dangerous than if I did it myself. 

 

But, whether it was the touch of my lubricated fingers or the thought of it, I felt a dampness down there. I also felt something tingling and erotic. 

 

In the cavern where Lloyd’s shaft had already been, it knew it belonged to a man, and it gushed its own juices.

 

I could feel my face growing warmer as I replayed the act with Lloyd in my head. 

 

Wiping her hands quickly on a handkerchief, Hanaella shook her head vigorously and closed the bottle of lubricant, sliding it back into the drawer.

 

💫

 

In Ethan’s office, Hanaella tells Ethan that tomorrow evening, he and Shia would sign a life covenant. 

 

When Ethan asks if that’s okay since they’re not even married yet, she tells him that if he’s worried about it being her first time, it’s okay since she already has a relationship with Lloyd, which makes Ethan’s face redden.

 

“That son of a bastard!”

 

Ethan slammed his fist on the desk in anger. Hanaella shook her head and said, ‘Now that’s an imperial offense. If he found out she’d used forbidden healing magic for Lloyd, he’d be even angrier than he was now, so she decided to define it as something lovers did.’

 

Ethan began to rant and rave about Lloyd, saying things like he shouldn’t be fooled by his pale face, that he was a raccoon bastard with quick hands, that relationships with women would be complicated, and other unkind things.

 

“It’s a good thing I drove the nail in the coffin that the Crown Princess is out of the question, and that my precious daughter would be lost to a fast raccoon!”

 

‘Raccoon… where the hell did that raccoon come from?’

 

“That raccoon was the reason I didn’t take you to the palace in the first place, but I overlooked your coming-of-age ceremony, and I never expected you to meet him there.”

 

‘So, why is the Crown Prince the raccoon?’

 

Ethan, who had been shouting in exasperation to himself, glared at Hanaella to see if his anger had abated. 

 

There was a long silence before he spoke.

 

“I have no objection to you falling in love. But you can’t be the Crown Princess, and you know it.”

 

“…”

 

“Knights must not fall into the hands of royalty.”

 

Ethan’s words reminded Hanaella of the past, when Lionel had become Emperor.

 

If Lloyd was to become Emperor, Ariel would have to remain neutral. But now the Empress was playing dirty and trying to make her son Emperor. 

 

She’s done it before, and she’s doing it again, and she wants Lloyd’s life. Knowing this, should she remain steadfastly neutral?