Chapter 2
Richard, who was also on the bed, stopped in surprise when he saw a set of light eyes, which were barely visible above the blanket.
There’s someone in my room. I was confident that there wouldn’t be anyone else here.
With frightened eyes as if it’s about to get dark.
At that moment, Richard’s forehead became crumpled as he looked at the unwelcomed being.
He muttered in a voice of irritation.
“…I can’t even see you.”
He approached the door again and turned the doorknob.
But the door was locked. The cold expression on Richard’s face became even stiffer.
It was the same even after a few more turns.
“Those crazy people.”
He used abusive language and punched the door.
Bang!
Elisha was startled. Only then did she know that it was not an ordinary man, but the devil who would be her husband.
And the fact that this is not her room, but his.
It was then.
‘Wind…..?’
A strong wind began to gather around the bed.
Elisha looked around the room, wondering if the windows were open. But they were firmly closed, albeit shaken by the wind.
‘This is the power of Rubelin.’
The wind that gathered around Richard is like the power that Ha-nes used in the novel.
From time to time, children with the power of the Ken family were born to be descendants of Rubelin who could use wind magic freely.
The title ‘Rubelin of the Storm’ was to work its strength.
Richard and Ha-nes, his sons, were among the descendants of his power.
‘Are you going to break the door?’
Elisha watched him in fear as she realized that Richard can use his strength to do anything.
“…I’m going to kill you.”
Unlike the words of Richard, which he muttered in a harsh voice, the wind was scattered back.
Elisha was surprised to see Richard walking back, so she covered her face again with only her two eyes wide open exposed.
Fortunately, however, Richard went to the sofa to lie down, not the bed.
From her position, only his legs that were sticking out were visible. It seemed that he had no intention of sleeping on the bed.
‘But he’s my husband, so I’d have to greet him, right?’
Elisha, who had been observing Richard’s movements for a while, went out of the bed and sat down beside him. She then greeted him carefully.
“Ah, how are you feeling, Duke?”
There was no answer. However, Elisha remained firm.
“I’m Elisha Loengrin, and today, I became Elisha Rubelin. I look forward to working with you.”
Calling myself ‘Rubelin’ meant ‘I’m your wife’ in a polite way.
But Richard was unresponsive. He didn’t even look at her once even though he was still awake.
Elisha’s eyes fluttered as she looked at Richard’s leg sticking out of the sofa.
Is he good or is he bad? She doesn’t know. But one thing was for sure.
‘There aren’t a lot of scumbags.’
Well, any 15-year-old would have a black dragon in his heart.
Elisha lied back on the bed, snorting at Richard’s leg.
And so, the first night passed.
***
The next day, Richard came to the Duke’s office.
Albert, who was about to light up his cigarette, greeted Richard with a look of indifference without any surprise.
“I was going to call you, but you came right on time.”
“Cancel it.”
“What?”
He pretended not to know the words that Richard said, even though he knew exactly what they meant.
Richard then answered back.
“Cancel this marriage.”
“A vow made before the goddess cannot be easily taken back.”
“I didn’t proceed with a vow.”
“So you want to run away?”
To this question, Richard replied in silence.
Albert inhaled the smoke of the cigarette with an expression of indifference and exhaled after some time, only to speak slowly.
“Didn’t you like the child’s face? I thought she was pretty beautiful even though she’s still young. She doesn’t look like it in your eyes, does she?”
Richard’s expression became visibly distorted upon hearing his words.
Albert, however, went on about his day regardless.
“Or can you not marry someone you don’t love like your father? If so, who will be the owner of Rubelin in the future?”
“…..”
“Well, I understand. Once you leave that blonde girl, she’ll be as good as a tooth.”
“…..”
“So just stay with her until you become an adult. Until you get a successor. Then you can have any woman you desire as your hostess-”
“That’s not the plan!”
Richard’s voice rose and strong winds gathered around the office.
The wind sent the papers on the table to fly aimlessly.
Albert’s aide, who was next to him, hurriedly tried to catch the documents, but there were too many of them.
Despite the situation, Albert faced Richard without batting an eye.
He looked so cold that it was hard to think that the blood-stained eyes of Richard are the eyes of his grandson.
“You are the only descendant of our family who is eligible to be the successor. You’re obligated to mate with your wife and succeed this family.”
“…..”
“Four seats. Those lumps you’re enjoying now, it’s all given to you so you can be the successor. You don’t deserve to be there if you give up on your duty as somebody’s heir.”
Richard’s lips twisted at Albert’s words, which seemed identical to threats.
His grandfather saw him not as a grandson, but as a stallion to inherit the family line.
Richard asked his grandfather with livid eyes.
“When did I ever want this seat?”
His voice was filled with deep rage and disgust towards his grandfather.
Not once did he wish to become the successor of Rubelin but rather hoped to get rid of the power he inherited if he could.
“I have no intention of doing anything with that mutt, so please don’t let her come into my room again.”
Richard turned away and roughly opened the office door. But his foot stopped as he was on his way out.
There stood Elisha, whom he did not know how long she had been there for.
“Did you hear that?”
Richard looked at Elisha, who stood in front of him.
I don’t know if she heard it, but the conversation Albert and I had was not very pleasant to hear.
Richard frowned as he looked at Elisha’s expression. It wasn’t his business anyway.
Elisha looked at Richard with a surprised look on her face, turned silently, and passed by him, entering the office.
“You called for me?”
“Richard, listen as well.”
Albert stopped Richard, who was about to leave.
Richard took a sigh and finally stood beside Elisha.
Albert opened his mouth, looking at Elisha with an indifferent stare.
“I heard you didn’t attend your first meal on the first day of your honeymoon.”
Instead of looking at him, Elisha avoided his gaze.
Before, the maid informed the two, Richard and his wife, the newlyweds, to greet the elders of the family and have breakfast together.
But when Elisha woke up to have breakfast, Richard had already disappeared, and Albert wasn’t present either. Due to that, she thought Albert didn’t know, but it seemed as though he was the one who instructed the maid to inform them.
Elisha swallowed a sigh as she thought that a sound of sleepiness would pour out instead.
But Albert understood Elisha and Richard, contrary to her expectations.
“Well, yes. You would’ve been awkward with each other this morning as you’ve barely seen each other’s faces.”
“…..”
“If you live in the same room for a while, you’ll get used to each other. That’s how you’ll get close.”
He said to Richard with a low voice.
“I’m sure we don’t have to use the same room.”
“It’s natural for couples to use one bed, so what’s the problem?”
Neither Albert nor Richard seemed to be willing to accept each other’s opinions.
Richard glared at Albert and turned away without a word. The door behind Elisha’s back closed with a violent thud.
Albert looked casually at the closed door and turned to Elisha.
“At last, I have something for you. Aaron, bring it in.”
When he called the aide next to him, he handed Elisha the book he prepared.
Elisha was so surprised as she didn’t know what book it was.
“From tomorrow, a teacher will come to teach you about the book. It will help if you know the content in advance, so be sure to serve the household with sincerity.”
“Yes, sir.”
Elisha left the office upon receiving Albert’s order to do so and looked at the book she had received right after.
[A Wife’s Virtues]
It was a title that seemed to contain a lot of old-fashioned content from patriarchal values.
Elisha sighed heavily and headed towards her room.
***
That night, Elisha was forcibly sent and pushed by the maids to Richard’s room. She looked around with nervousness, but Richard wasn’t anywhere to be found.
“Isn’t he…?”
Then, something made its way into Elisha’s view.