Chapter 68
The meeting was sluggish.
Fontal, the Military Commander, was busy evading responsibility.
Not only the Military Commander, but the other knights repeatedly blamed each other, saying that it was not their responsibility.
They were confused as to who was the keeper of the Ezul Plains.
“So what do I need?”
No one could really answer the King’s question.
There was a discussion for several hours, but no conclusion was reached. Prince Jour spoke up.
“What Ezul needs is money, troops and resources. I think it also needs a Commander to lead the fight.”
The King pretended to think, but nothing came to mind.
It was then that Fontal had an epiphany.
“Actually, isn’t the most qualified person the Duke of Sentoren?”
“Duke of Sentoren?”
After defeating the barbarians and pirates of the South, the Duke of Sentoren served as the Commander of the Royal Guard and traveled to several fronts.
Among the places he visited was the Ezul Plains.
“The Duke of Sentoren won the battle on the Ezul Plains five years ago. His late father, too, successfully defended the Ezul Plains 20 years ago and achieved a successful peace treaty.”
“Yes.”
The king struck his knee.
Come to think of it, Lionel was the most qualified commander the Royal Family had.
The only problem was that the Duke of Sentoren was in charge of security on the southern border.
Pirates and barbarians frequently invaded.
Since the previous Duke died, the Duke of Sentoren could not leave the South.
However, the Royal Family did not think about the void in security in the South.
“If the Duke of Sentoren goes North, what will happen to the South?”
“It’s up to his subordinates to figure that out.”
“How can we send the Duke of Sentoren to the Ezul Plains?”
Both the Prince and the King were troubled about how to do it.
“Didn’t he abandon Marianne and choose Madame Katana, Mariane’s maid?”
The King thought of Madame Katana, who was now a Duchess.
He couldn’t remember her face in detail, but he could remember that the Duchess was the exact opposite of Marianne.
A beautiful woman with a cool atmosphere. It felt like she was the perfect partner for the Duke of Sentoren.
“Use the Duchess of Sentoren.”
“How?”
The Duke of Sentoren was not a scoundrel.
If they took the Duchess of Sentoren as a hostage and threatened the Duke, there would be immediate backlash from the other nobles.
“Charge the Duke and Duchess of Sentoren for any reason, be it treason or whatever.”
“What do we do after we catch them?”
The King recalled Princess Marianne and the Duke of Sentoren, who both demanded that their engagement be annulled.
He didn’t forget that the Duke threatened him with his daughter’s scandal.
“That despicable guy cares for his wife. If we take that girl hostage, he won’t be able to do much. It would even be better if that girl is pregnant.”
The Prince and Fontal were afraid of the King’s eerie smile but they were unable to speak out.
A servant who overheard this news ran to Princess Marianne’s handmaiden and told her.
The handmaiden then reported to Princess Marianne.
Marianne burst into laughter when she heard.
“Oh my God, that’s great! That’s great!”
Marianne laughed.
The King’s hobby was intimidation. As long as the King had decided, Lionel would have no choice but to go north.
Lionel was tough, so he would not die easily on the battlefield.
All Marianne wanted was him gone.
“Without the Duke, I might get to keep that d*mned Duchess, Riv, here.”
Marianne could not forgive Riv, who had insulted her.
She had to catch that b*tch and bring her back.
“I’ll have to thoroughly educate Riv once she’s back. Come to think of it, there has never been more docile livestock than that b*tch.”
Despite her handmaiden’s dissuasion, Marianne did not listen.
***
The Earl of Murden (André), Lionel, and some of their escorts got together and drank happily all night.
They had no intention of returning, even though it had been 2 hours after Sophia and the children went to bed.
Riv also retired to her and Lionel’s room early.
When the bell tower of the church in the distant village rang midnight, Riv woke up to someone’s presence.
“…?”
Riv looked up at the tall man standing over her. The smell of alcohol on him was thick.
Lionel looked unusually tall today.
On a night when the bright moonlight permeated through the windows, his amber eyes were both eerie and pleasant.
“I know you’re not sleeping, Riv.”
Riv got up. Lionel smelled too strongly of alcohol.
“Lionel, please wash up.”
“Wash me.”
Lionel’s eyes cleared, then dimmed again.
Riv noticed that Lionel’s gaze lingered on her thin nightgown.
She covered herself with a blanket.
Lionel growled.
“Riv, I am very familiar with what your body looks like. I sleep with you every night and have s*x with you nonstop. Isn’t it strange that you’re covering yourself now?”
“That’s true.”
Riv gave up on covering herself.
They were a couple, and they already knew each other’s bodies completely.
She couldn’t count the number of times they had shared bodies.
They slept together every night and woke up together every morning.
Lionel clearly said that he liked women with sensual and seductive bodies. Still, he loved embracing Riv’s body.
His eyes, scanning Riv’s figure, narrowed with desire. His lips twitched.
“Your nightgown, can you take it off?”
“Not covering myself with a blanket doesn’t mean I should take off what I’m wearing.”
Lionel sat down next to her and laughed.
“Lionel, you look very drunk, so go to sleep.”
“I’m not drunk.”
“Then please sleep quietly.”
“My bride.”
Lionel turned towards Riv. He was trying to pretend he was sleepy.
His eyelids fell.
“Are you going to sleep like this? You should wash up and change into pajamas.”
“I don’t have the strength to do that.”
“Liar. You’re always full of stamina.”
“Shh.”
Lionel laid down on the bed and gently pushed Riv to the side.
It was a large bed, but she was pushed to the edge.
Riv was strong for a woman, but she didn’t have the strength to lift or move Lionel, so she gave up quickly.
“I don’t accept drunkards.”
“You are my wife.”
Lionel laughed softly. Riv let out a sigh.
“We’re not going to do it here, are we?”
“André knows we are newlyweds.”
Her husband, Lionel, whom she could still smell alcohol on in this spacious bed, looked dignified.
Lionel rolled on the bed and opened his eyes looking towards her.
“I want you to attack me every night.”
“You are greedy.”
“I like naughty girls.”
Lionel narrowed his eyes and grinned mischievously.
His cold and fierce expression had completely disappeared, and he looked soft instead.
Riv felt like she was about to fall off the bed.
“Lionel, why are you pushing me?”
“I want to hold you. I’ll catch you before you fall.”
“The problem is that Lionel is pushing me away.”
Riv grunted. Lionel took up the center of the bed and did not give her much space.
He reached out and pulled Riv towards himself, and bound her in his arms.
“Lionel, you smell like alcohol.”
Riv struggled in his arms as she whined.
“You didn’t even take your shoes off, what is this? The bed will get dirty.”
“Annoying.”
He was such a mischievous man. He didn’t take off his jacket, let alone his shoes, and was holding her tightly with no signs of letting her go.
Riv barely escaped from his arms and struggled to take off his boots. After she was finished, she began to remove his clothes. However, Lionel didn’t move his body or raise his arms, so Riv’s strength was exhausted.
As Riv whined, Lionel laughed lowly as he looked up at her.
“You look kind of funny.”
Riv let out a sigh.
Lionel grabbed her hands and put them on his body.
“It’s weird because it feels like you’re attacking me.”
He could feel her pulse racing.
Lionel tried to push her hands further into his jacket, but Riv hurriedly pulled them out. Lionel yawned again.
“If you’re not going to take off your clothes, just sleep like this.”
Riv gave up on taking off his clothes, put his shoes on the floor, then pulled out the blanket from under him and covered him.
“Good night.”
“Is that all?”
“What? I don’t deal with drunks.”
Riv laid down with her back facing Lionel. His low grumbling soon died down.
Lionel pressed his heavy body against Riv who was sleeping. He wrapped her in his strong arms.
‘Now, when did I get used to her warmth?’
“Good night.”
The body of the man who laid behind Riv’s back was hot.
The sound of heavy breathing pierced her ears again and again.
“Ha.”
Instead of falling asleep, she was slowly becoming more awake.
“Riv.”
Lionel couldn’t sleep either. He turned her onto her back and hovered over her.
A shadow covered her entire body.
“Let me hold you.”
Lionel attacked her passionately.
It was a sweet night with her precious person.
Lionel’s body wrapped around Riv’s body like a vine and stripped her of all her clothes.
He called out Riv’s name incessantly.
Like she was the only hope left in this world.
“Riv.”
“Lionel.”
She was walking on thin ice and she didn’t know when it would break. Even if she had peeked into the future, she was helpless and unable to do anything right now.
“I love you.”
Riv muttered those words quietly and held Lionel in her arms.
Her body heated up just like his.
She went mad at the pleasure he gave her. She could feel herself melting.
During that long night, Riv found the meaning of life in Lionel’s arms.
“Lionel.”
“I want you.”
It was that single sentence that made her want to live.