ETDO Chapter 36

Pretending to hand my champagne glass to a nearby servant, I stealthily glanced towards Ethan and Lady Wellington. For some reason, both of their expressions were serious.

Acting as if I hadn’t seen anything, I picked up a new glass and slowly walked toward Arthur.

“Lily, aren’t you drinking a bit too much today? I’m a little worried…”

“I’m fine. I can still handle it, Arthur.”

I sat down beside him and gently slipped my arm around his. As Arthur smiled and kissed my forehead, the Crown Princess watched us with a curious expression.

“The Duke of Beaufort’s affection for his wife is truly remarkable. It seems you don’t mind having to make such a large donation.”

“That’s nothing, Your Highness,”

Arthur replied, his sparkling eyes fixed on me.

“As long as my wife enjoyed herself, that’s all that matters. Money comes and goes. It’s not like that small amount would burden the Beaufort family.”

Amidst the “Oh my, oh my” exclamations from the ladies-in-waiting, Ethan returned with the sound of heavy footsteps. He plopped down beside Arthur and picked up his abandoned wine glass.

He drained the nearly half-full glass of wine in one gulp as if it were water. He slammed the glass down on the table and looked at Arthur.

“Let’s go back. I’m tired.”

Arthur nodded. We quickly said our goodbyes and headed to the carriage. Ethan held my arm tightly as I stumbled slightly, having drunk more than I realized.

Ethan remained silent the entire time. I wondered what they had talked about that made him so somber. Just a short while ago, he had been smiling brightly, celebrating our win. I was dying of curiosity but I held it back.

As we arrived at the Duke’s residence and I stepped out of the carriage, Arthur quickly grabbed my arm. He gazed intently at my face, his expression laced with concern.

“Lily, you really drank too much today. Let’s get you to bed.”

“…Huh?”

It happened in a flash. Still dazed by the alcohol, I blinked blankly, trying to process his words, and before I knew it, Arthur was leading me by the hand. 

What was happening? 

Perhaps due to the alcohol, my mind wasn’t working properly.

I quickly turned my head to look back. Ethan was standing there, silently watching us with the same expression he had in the carriage.

“I, I didn’t even say goodbye to Ethan…!”

“It’s alright, Lily. Ethan isn’t a child. Your condition is more important right now.”

My head was spinning as I entered my bedroom, following Arthur’s lead. As I stopped abruptly, I felt as if the room was spinning. While I stood there dazed, Arthur came over and embraced me.

“You were so amazing today. Do you know that?”

With my face buried in his shoulder, I blinked my wide eyes. I gently pushed his firm chest with my hand and looked up at his face.

“Really?”

“I knew you would do well. I’m so proud of you.”

Perhaps it was the alcohol, but his eyes felt exaggeratedly wide. I blinked. In any case, it was definitely a good thing that he was proud of me.

“But it was all thanks to Ethan. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without his help.”

“Of course, that’s true, but…”

Was it the alcohol playing tricks on my eyes? 

I thought I saw Arthur’s brow furrow slightly, but he instantly smiled brightly and continued.

“If you hadn’t been so good yourself, Lily, we wouldn’t have achieved such a result. So, it’s your skill. Something to be proud of. Especially since you competed right after learning it there.”

That was true. 

As I nodded in my hazy state, Arthur cupped my face in his hands and kissed me, chuckling.

I wrapped my arms around his neck, lost in the kiss. When I came to my senses, I was already lying in bed. Lying down made me feel even dizzier, so I pressed my hand against my forehead.

“Ugh…! The ceiling is spinning.”

Arthur chuckled softly.

“Then just lie still, Lily. I’ll take care of the rest.”

Without waiting for a reply, he began to undress me. I was rolled around on the bed like a sack of potatoes before finally being freed from the bothersome pile of clothes. As I regained some clarity in my dazed state, I suddenly realized Arthur was between my legs.

“Hmm…? Arthur?”

“I told you, Lily. Just lie down and relax. I’ll take care of the rest.”

“Gasp!”

As soon as he finished speaking, a hot, soft tongue slowly licked my core. The ceiling spun as I was enveloped in a familiar pleasure, slowly intensifying amidst the languidness induced by the alcohol. Too weak to move even a finger, I lay there with my legs spread, moaning.

The scenes from the game flashed through my mind. Ethan’s incredibly handsome face suddenly appeared. The image of him smiling brightly under the sun kept flickering before my eyes.

As Ethan’s and Arthur’s faces swirled together like a pinwheel against the spinning ceiling, I closed my eyes. A wave of intense pleasure gradually began to take over my consciousness.

─── ⋆⋅☼⋅⋆ ───

When I woke up the next morning, the twins had already left. James told me they had gone out early to inspect their new business ventures.

I nodded. The twins were currently immersed in the steamship and railroad businesses. They had grand plans to control all the money flow in the Empire using these new technologies.

Wondering when they would return after finishing their work, I began opening my mail. I was astonished to see countless invitations pouring out of the envelopes.

These people still haven’t given up, I see. I shuddered slightly at the relentless, persistent attention directed towards me. I was long sick of the endless, tedious tea parties and gossip.

As I sorted through the invitations to decline, I stopped at an envelope with the royal crest embossed in gold leaf. 

What was this? An invitation for Arthur or Ethan?

The card was an informal invitation from the Crown Princess. I followed the elegant, flowing script with my eyes as I read the card.

[Duchess of Beaufort, I invite you to a tea party for my first child, who will soon be born. I would be honored if you would grace this small gathering of close acquaintances with your presence.]

On the card was a cute teddy bear wearing a ribbon around its neck. I smiled softly, finding the illustration adorable. The tea party was in three days. I wrote a reply accepting the invitation and stood up.

After attending to various minor duties as the Duchess, it was already afternoon. Regretting the gradually fading sunlight, I hurried towards the gazebo by the lake.

With a book in hand, I sat on the rocking chair, gazing at the tranquil lake. The linen curtains fluttered gently in the breeze between the white walls. The last rays of the afternoon sun shattered on the water’s surface, sparkling like a million diamonds.

Captivated by the beautiful sight, I stared at the shimmering surface. Suddenly, the image of the twins splashing and laughing in the water flashed through my mind.

Was it when Arthur came for a picnic before leaving for his territory? It felt like ages ago, even though it had only been a few months.

As I imagined the cool water enveloping my body, the sultry weather overlapped with that memory, and the dress clinging to my skin suddenly felt unbearably stuffy.

Lost in thought, I finally closed the book. I wasn’t in the mood to read. Instead, the sight of the shimmering blue water made me want to jump in.

I glanced around. 

Well, why not? There was no one around anyway. 

This was a secluded part of the private estate, and Arthur, knowing how much I enjoyed it, had forbidden the servants from entering. It was a safe place.

I took off my thin summer dress and undergarments, which were clinging to my skin, and neatly placed them on the chair. Then I carefully descended the steps leading into the lake, built for easy access from the gazebo.

The hot stones, heated like charcoal, made the soles of my feet tingle. Standing naked at the edge of the lake, I dipped my toes in the water.

“Ooh! It’s colder than I thought…?”

But as I stepped further in, it was surprisingly bearable. I was usually sensitive to the cold in winter, but even for me, today was incredibly hot and humid. I slowly entered the lake, splashing water on myself.

“Ahh!”

A gasp involuntarily escaped my lips every time the water cascaded over my body. It took a little more courage to fully submerge myself, in the water but it proved to be the right decision.

Once my hair was completely soaked, I felt incredibly refreshed. Suddenly feeling playful, I started splashing around like a child.

The flurry of water droplets ceased abruptly at the sound of someone chuckling softly above me. Confused, I quickly turned around in the water.

“You’re not actually splashing around, are you?”

Ethan was standing at the bottom of the steps, watching me with a suppressed smile.

“Ethan!”

I was startled, not expecting him to be here.

I’m naked! 

My face flushed. 

But then I remembered that we had done far more intimate things together, and the embarrassment quickly faded.

Suddenly, my heart fluttered at the sight of him.