Chapter 23
Ignoring his grandfather’s words, Richard just left the room. The words of his grandfather, who was on the verge of death, were not very sensible.
As soon as he left the room, he encountered Thompson and an unfamiliar man, who seemed to be about his age.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Young Master.”
When Richard arrived today, he easily remembered the face of the man standing next to Elisha.
“I am Milady’s aide, Argyll Richester.” Argyll bowed his head courteously.
Nevertheless, Richard’s cold expression became even colder. ‘Elisha always mentioned this bastard’s name in her letters.’
“I’ve heard a lot about you from my wife.” The word “wife” was strangely emphasized.
“Then I look forward to your utmost assistance.” Richard just walked away before Argyll could say anything else.
Puzzled, Argyll just looked blankly at Richard’s receding back. ‘Somehow, I feel like he was a bit hostile towards me…… Is it just my imagination?’
However, he had just met Richard for the first time today. That was his first greeting toward his future master. Thus, there would be no reason for Richard to feel hostile towards him. He tilted his head in confusion, then turned around to continue with his work.
(t/n: No Argyll, it’s not just a feeling. Richard is being jelly so you’re officially his third victim :P)
(e/n: It’s so unfortunate that Argyll’s gonna “accidentally” get sucked up into a freaky indoor tornado ¯_(ツ)_/¯ )
*****
Instead of Albert, who was bedridden, it was Elisha who organized a grand banquet to show her appreciation for the efforts of the Rubelin knights. As the night deepened, the excitable atmosphere of the banquet heightened, and the sounds of the celebratory music continued.
“Come on, don’t hesitate! If you’re not drinking until you’re drunk on a day like this, what do we call it?”
“A crime!”
The knight commander, who had been guarding the Rubelin duchy for the past seven years, smiled cheerfully like a proud father and filled the empty cups of the knights who returned from the battlefield.
The knights creatively unraveled their war stories for their colleagues whom they hadn’t met for a long time and boasted about their performance on the battlefield.
However, despite the cheerful atmosphere of the banquet, Elisha’s face was full of worries. She glanced sideways at Richard, who was sitting next to her.
Richard was currently drinking with Thompson and some of the other knights who had gone with him to the battlefield. Elisha sighed inwardly, recalling what Albert had said just before the banquet began.
[It’s tonight. Tonight, make sure that you succeed in bearing his child. If you seduce him when he’s excited and drunk, he’ll fall for you easily since it had been a long time since he slept with a woman. He won’t be able to refuse you…]
According to the maid, Albert even prepared an outfit of sexy negligee for her to wear tonight. He must have been very determined to make it happen.
‘Considering the age difference between the Hanes and Richard in the original story…… I think I would probably conceive Hanes around this time.’
(t/n: Since I read that some readers were confused about Hanes, I’ll just explain it. Hanes is the son of Richard and Elisha in the original story. Previously, I accidentally used Hades instead of Hanes, so please forgive me TT)
Of course, Elisha didn’t have the slightest intention to allow that to happen. However, the problem was how to avoid the current situation. How could she stand the embarrassment of wearing such a sexy set of negligee in front of him?
She was sure that no matter what she wore, Richard wouldn’t be shaken. He already said determinedly that he would ruin this family with his own hands. Naturally, he wouldn’t want a successor.
‘But still… it’s embarrassing!’ She still felt a little awkward and unfamiliar with Richard who just returned and now, she was about to face such an embarrassing situation. ‘I can’t let it happen. I need to avoid it somehow.’
At that time, the knight commander approached Elisha with an oak barrel of beer. “Well, would you like a drink too, Milady?”
“Yeah?”
“Oh, this glass is too small. Since Milady is the mistress of Rubelin, doesn’t Milady deserve this much?” He brought a very big glass used by the knights and put it in front of Elisha. It was bigger than her face.
He grinned and poured the beer into Elisha’s glass. “Milady went through a lot to protect the Rubelin duchy. This glass of beer represents my loyalty to you, Milady.”
Richard, who was watching from the side, showed a look of disapproval. However, the drunk knights were too excited to notice his displeasure.
“Milady, please say something before you drink.” The knight commander offered a chance for Elisha to make a toast.
Elisha, who hesitated for a while, slowly got up from her seat. The noisy crowd became silent as they turned their gazes toward her.
With all eyes on her, Elisha cleared her throat for a moment and opened her mouth. “Everyone…… You went through a lot and you all did well. I am truly glad that our knights managed to return here safely. You are heroes who have made the Rubelin name famous across the continent, regardless of your positions or ranks. Blessings be unto the heroes of Rubelin.”
“Infinite glory to Rubelin!” The knights shouted and gulped down the alcohol in their large glasses in unison as if they had planned it beforehand.
Elisha, who was watching the scene happily, looked at the glass in front of her and took a deep breath.
Richard, who saw it and tried to stop Elisha, said. “Don’t force yourself to drink.”
However it was too late, Elisha grabbed the cup bigger than her face with both her hands and gulped it down.
Richard and Thompson, who were watching her from the side, were very surprised.
“Oh Milady, you drink much better than I thought.”
“This is nothing. I can handle this much. It’s just like drinking plain water.” Elisha gave a pretentious and overconfident smile to the astonished Thompson.
Richard looked at Elisha in admiration while Thompson and the knights laughed at the funny situation happening between the two.
“Milady has made the duchy so prosperous while we were away. Milady is so amazing!”
“I did go through a lot. And of course, the others did as well.” Elisha started talking to the knights as they filled their glasses with alcohol.
Richard tried to stop her, but she was rather obstinate. The knights were already drunk and they didn’t bother to read Richard’s countenance.
“Does Milady know that…… Young Master always flew everywhere and expected us to keep up with his speed…Doesn’t Milady think that he was being too hard on us?”
“Really? He was really hard on you guys………. I guess he just went around alone because he didn’t want you guys to get hurt. He tends to take care of others while pretending to be indifferent. You guys must have had a hard time.”
“Taking care of us? Isn’t that statement only applicable to you, Milady? I don’t think he did it because he cared about us……” Thompson, who got more drunk, sneakily badmouthed Richard.
Likewise, Elisha, who had become immersed in drinking, smiled and raised her glass.
And when both of them were about to drink again, Richard, who had been watching them, took away Elisha’s glass. “Elisha, stop drinking and let’s go to bed.”
“I want to drink more…….” Elisha pouted as she complained, but it didn’t work on Richard.
Richard held the staggering Elisha in his arms.
Looking at the couple, Thompson and the other knights smiled in delight and mischief.
“Yes, it’s understandable. If you had been apart from each other for seven years, separated so shortly after getting married, you’re still counted as newlyweds. Right, Young Master Richard?”
Instead of answering, Richard just shot them a frosty glare. He turned around and left the banquet hall with Elisha in his arms.
Elisha sighed and chattered. “It was so fun talking with themm…I wanna drink moreee…”
“….”
“It’s a sin if I don’t drink as much as I want on a day like thiisss…” Elisha, who was whining, suddenly crouched down where she was in the hallway. Then she looked up at Richard while pouting her lips. “I wanna play moree… eung?”
“…….”
“Richarrddd…”
Richard looked at Elisha with bewildered eyes for a moment and then burst into laughter. It was a bit awkward to see her acting like this for the first time but he couldn’t help it since she was so cute. He wanted to watch more of Elisha’s whining, but he didn’t want anyone else to see it. He hugged her, who was still crouching stubbornly.
“Hmph, I don’t think you can lift meee… I’m so heavy!” Elisha shouted loudly and resisted by flailing her legs.
Nevertheless, Richard lifted her small body easily. “Oh you’re right, you’re so heavy.” He held the struggling Elisha in his arms and effortlessly carried her to the bedroom.
At first, she resisted with all her might, but soon she became quiet because she was worn out.
“I wanna play moreee…….” Elisha kept whining along the way because she thought that it was a pity to leave the hall when she was having so much fun.
However, when she arrived at the room, she immediately laid comfortably on the bed, as if she hadn’t whined about it at all just now.
“Oh, I feel dizzy……….” Even though she was staying still on the bed, she still felt dizzy as if her head was spinning. Her eyelids also became so heavy that it was hard for her to keep her eyes open.
Richard sat next to Elisha and looked at her anxiously. “Why are you drinking so much when you are a light drinker?”
“Because if I got drunk……I won’t have to wear that kind of clothing…”
“That kind of clothing?”
“…I told you that I won’t eat you.” She mumbled.
Richard couldn’t understand Elisha’s drunken gibberish and was observing her. Then Elisha, who was slowly blinking, grabbed Richard’s hand resting in front of her on the bed. Richard was surprised by her sudden touch.
“I’ll just hold your hand as I go to sleep…” Elisha’s eyes, which were barely open at the end of her words, slowly closed.
Soon after, the sound of her even breathing was heard as her small lips opened slightly. She was still holding his big hand tightly.
While looking at Elisha, who had fallen asleep in such a defenseless state without releasing her grip, Richard played her messy hair with his other hand. “What should I do…”
Then he mumbled in a low voice as he kissed Elisha’s soft hair. “Now I can’t peacefully sleep and settle with just holding your hand…”