42 – A Husband’s Corruption is a Wife’s Duty
Meanwhile, the mansion that Harte and Elphesia had left was approaching noon.
Echo stayed at the Duke’s mansion under the guise of temporary protection.
At first, she was thrilled at the thought of living with Glenn. But soon, she had to face a great trial.
“Hey, hey, what should we play?”
“Well, um…”
“What does Echo like? I like playing tag and strawberries!”
“Um…”
The true identity of the great trial was none other than Tina. As soon as Tina heard that Echo had made new friends, she immediately ran off. Where and how she ran off was that she snuck out while eating snacks in Cardy’s office.
Cardy’s face watching his granddaughter’s back in despair was subtle. But the innocent granddaughter didn’t bother to pay attention to it.
After going through the above process, the meeting between Tina and Echo was realized.
“But you’re really pretty. Your skin is so pale, like a porcelain vase.”
“Well, I can’t see the sunlight…”
“And your eyes are so pretty too, right?”
“I… I don’t know…”
Tina was burdensome to Echo.
It’s natural that Echo, who had been living in isolation, couldn’t adapt to Tina’s liveliness. Moreover, there was a time when Echo envied Tina greatly.
But now, Tina sticks to her like a puppy wagging its tail vigorously. It was a time when excessive attention would become poison.
“Glenn was okay…”
Looking back, she had a good conversation with Glenn from the moment they met.
From the fact that silence wasn’t awkward to the fact that he didn’t unnecessarily prolong the conversation, they were friends whose codes matched well. On the other hand, it seemed that she needed more time to get along with Tina, who poured out positivity.
“Hey, over there…”
“Huh? What’s up? What is it?”
“Well, where’s Glenn…?”
“Oh, Glenn? By now, he’s probably exercising with Grandpa, don’t you think?”
Exercise!
With closed eyes, Echo pulled her chin. Come to think of it, hearing that Glenn was the disciple of the Duke felt more real when said by someone else. Glenn was truly an amazing guy.
“Why? Do you want to go where Glenn is?”
“… Is that okay?”
“Yeah! Let’s go together.”
“Thanks…”
“It’s nothing, really.”
Echo was pleased to have a same-aged friend who didn’t show any difficulty or hesitation. While there were quite a few kids she befriended at parenting gatherings, Glenn was the only peer she could regularly meet. In this situation, Echo’s presence was like a breath of fresh air for Tina.
Tina took Echo’s hand, a daughter of a low-ranking official who seemed uneasy, observing Echo as she descended the stairs with a nervous heart.
Finally, they arrived at the practice field.
The martial arts field where Cardi, rejected by Tina, and Glenn, diligently practicing, clashed swords. Glenn had improved quite a bit over the past few months, but he was still no match for Cardi.
Echo, hearing Glenn’s groans as he rolled here and there, let out a worried breath.
“What do we do… He’s not in pain right now, is he…?”
“It’s okay, Glenn is sturdy.”
Tina and Echo sat on a bench at the edge of the practice field. Glenn, glancing at them as he struggled in training, shook off distracting thoughts.
As the metallic sound resonated again, signaling the beginning of the mock duel, Echo asked once again.
“How is it going now?”
“Grandpa is completely relaxed. Oh, he just had a splendid night.”
“With Glen?”
“Of course, Grandpa had the upper hand.”
“Oh my goodness!”
How harshly must they be training for him to take such one-sided beatings? Echo wanted to scream out of worry.
Echo’s feelings, hidden beneath a veneer of nonchalance, vented dissatisfaction with a palpable sense of regret.
“If only Echo could see… then he could witness Grandpa’s splendid form more vividly.”
“Well, um, that…”
Honestly, he didn’t want to see. While Glen’s impressive form was one thing, witnessing the blows with his own eyes would likely be heartbreaking.
At that moment, Tina clapped her hands innocently.
“Oh! That’s right. Should I ask Dad? Our dad is an amazing doctor, so he can surely fix Echo’s eyes.”
“A doctor?”
“Yeah!”
Tina still firmly believed in the lie that Harte, with his instinct to seek out bloody dragons, could also fix Echo’s eyes. Tina had unwavering trust without any doubts.
“Really… my eyes… could be visible?”
“They’ll definitely be visible. Our dad is incredibly, incredibly amazing, you know?”
“Yeah… because he’s the director.”
“Oh, really? Did Glen tell you?”
“That’s right. Glen mentioned that light emanates from the director’s mouth.”
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“Uh…”
Tina sat contemplatively, unfolding the wings of imagination. After thoughtful consideration, her conclusion was…
“… Wealth, aaah! Wouldn’t that be the way to go?”
It was a conclusion treating Harte almost like an extraterrestrial being.
Even the logic based on the reasonable inference that Harte couldn’t resist breathing fire like a dragon made sense.
“As expected, amazing…”
Echo, influenced by Tina and Glen, nodded in agreement.
As the sky turned yellow, signaling the arrival of twilight.
Harte and Elficia returned home.
◇
Elficia indeed had a frightening aspect hidden. I revisited that fact after setting foot in Peter’s workshop.
She forcefully presented Echo’s parental rights abandonment agreement, but the Peters vehemently opposed. Upon hearing about the fragments of the topic that treated Echo like a stain on the family, their attitude changed drastically.
They claimed it was all a form of discipline, but in reality, didn’t they just hide it carefully because they cherished her?
It seemed difficult for them to give up on the miracle girl. Any household would gladly marry her off, given her sacred nature.
Moreover, excluding serious implications, Echo’s appearance, fitting for the daughter of the Peters, played a significant role.
Despite all their objections, Elficia eloquently countered with legal grounds, as if slapping the magistrate’s cheek.
When they suggested taking the matter to the legal representative linked to the family, Elficia’s response was sarcastic.
“Why don’t you try it right here, right now?”
She continued.
“I’ll hire a legal representative immediately if you do.”
I don’t know if Elphesia was hinting at the Magic of Contracts or suggesting a takeover of the Law Ministry. All I knew was that Elphesia was sincere, and that it became a decisive factor in the downfall of the Jajak couple.
I couldn’t grasp the extent of Luminal’s power just by hearing about it. Above all, it was fascinating that he wielded the authority of a duke enough to present it on the spot.
So, I was just like a weighted stick that had been thrown and returned.
“Daddy!”
With a thud, Tina popped out as if she had been waiting. I lifted Tina up and playfully rubbed my forehead against her plump cheek.
“hahahaha! It tickles!”
“I wonder if my little one had a good time today.”
“Yes, I made a new friend, so it was really fun.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Tina, who had landed on the ground by now, also approached Elphesia.
“…What?”
“Can’t you do it for Mommy too?”
“Why would I…”
“You can’t?”
Tina’s pitiful gaze emanated a compelling force that made Elphesia act. Immediately, Elphesia hugged Tina, their eyes meeting for a few seconds before letting go.
Tina, seemingly dissatisfied with Elphesia’s lukewarm response, announced an active attack.
“Mama, since you didn’t do it, I’ll do it this time.”
Then, Tina grabbed hold of Elphesia’s thigh and buried her face in her lower abdomen. The skinship of freely touching the thigh where her mother’s softness and firmness coexisted made me somewhat envious…
…
……
Slap!
I smacked my own cheek so hard that my teeth wobbled. The sensation of molars shaking inside my mouth and settling back down was vivid.
“W-What are you doing? Constantly, it’s the fourth time today!”
“… Sorry.”
“Are you okay, Dad?”
“Ugh, Tina. Dad… Dad is really… sorry…!!!”
Sorry for being a corrupt man, sorry for being a husband whose vows of purity had dulled.
As I sank into self-loathing again, Tina quietly approached.
“Um, Dad.”
“Yeah…?”
“Can Dad fix Echo’s eyes? Because Dad is a doctor.”
“Oh… that.”
Tina sent an unwavering trust with eyes that didn’t tremble at all. But I could only gently scratch the back of my head with a vague expression.
“Sorry to disappoint you, but… it’s impossible.”
“… What?”
Tina instantly made a crying face and tightly held onto my hand.
“You’re joking, right…? Dad can fix anything. I’ve already told Echo that everything will be fine.”
“Tina…”
If Echo’s ailment was a congenital disorder, it would be challenging. However, her impairment was a miraculous gift bestowed as a fragment of the sacred. In other words, it was the power of the bestower.
It was impossible to eradicate a gift given by the divine power with the same divine power.
If the method, akin to the dragon’s instinct that tormented Tina, were to transfer to me, there might be nothing I couldn’t do… However, that would be a sin, recklessly seizing the power given. To put it bluntly, it’s akin to abusing authority.
Therefore, I gently teased Tina.
“So, maybe I should ask someone else instead of me.”
“Huh, someone else…?”
“Yeah. His Holiness, the Pope, is a person greater than my father.”
“Oh, I saw him at the ball. Was he really an amazing person?”
“Of course.”
If the vanguard of the gods were to take advantage of the power given, it would be a problem. But if the giver itself withdrew the power, there would be no issue at all.
Instead, Tina’s friend, who had become close for a while, would disappear into the temple.
“… Is that true…?”
At that moment, a trembling voice reached us from the Duke’s mansion entrance. It was Echo, the girl who had welcomed us at the entrance and held hands with Glenn.
“Really… Can you fix my eyes?”
“Yeah. But you’ll have to live in the temple for a while.”
“I-It’s okay. I can do that anytime. So, so, I really want to fix my eyes…!”
“Yeah, if you want to fix them, you have to. She’s our little friend’s secret friend, you know.”
In response to the casual remark, Glenn immediately protested.
“Secret friend…! Echo is just a friend… not a secret friend.”
“Hey, we agreed to call a friend we meet secretly a secret friend.”
“Ugh…”
Seemed like he was struggling to find a counterargument. Glenn shot me a resentful look, like a bee with its honey taken away.
“Today, since it’s getting late… shall we go to the temple tomorrow?”
“Yes…! Sounds good!”
Upon the hopeful news, smiles blossomed on Glenn and Tina’s faces. Especially Glenn, tightly holding Echo’s hands, expressed joy with a rare smile.
“Things worked out well, Echo!”
“… Yeah! Thanks, Glenn. It’s all thanks to you for finding me.”
“Don’t exaggerate…”
Glenn, trying to save face. Looking at their charming and harmonious interactions, my stomach felt full.
Now, there’s only one task left.
That is… to control my own feelings.
◇
[Let’s use separate rooms for a while, Elficia.]
That was Harte’s proposal just before entering the bedroom. Elficia felt annoyed inside but nodded with a composed face.
At that time, Harte’s expression, as if releasing all worries, was strangely irritating. But lying on the bed now, feeling the emptiness on the adjacent side, things were different.
‘A good sign.’
Harte began to perceive me not just as a contracted wife but as a woman. It felt like a tiny hole punctured in a massive dam.
It’s like water slowly seeping, soon to burst out like a torrent. That’s the essence of emotions. The moment you become aware, an uncontrollable surge is the very nature of love and desire.
‘… I know it well.’
How terrifying a moment of awareness can be.
How much it can make you lose yourself.
Elficia vividly remembered it all.
When I look back at some point, my solid beliefs and values crumble like a sandcastle swept away by waves.
It feels strange, as if I’m losing myself. It’s an unfamiliar but not unpleasant experience.
That’s how love for Elysia blossomed.
“By the way, my husband’s tastes are quite peculiar…”
Why are thighs so attractive?
Maybe it would be good to come up with an excuse and coax him into using a knee pillow soon.
“It might be a good idea to pretend to toss and turn and get close.”
If Harte’s hand were to mash my thighs, it would be quite an amusing sight. Just imagining Harte’s face, ripe like an apple, made Elysia burst into laughter.
“A wicked person… and a fool.”
I bury my face in the pillow. It’s both delightful and embarrassing to think of various strategies. But if I were ever to be attacked by Harte, I’d probably end up floundering without being able to speak properly.
I was contradictory, hoping for that day to come but also being afraid of it.
“Well, if I call him a fool, I’m no better.”
When I think carefully like this, a calculated future comes to mind. But when it actually approaches reality, my heart explodes and I lose my sanity.
That’s how it has been today as well.
Originally, I planned to sit on Harte’s lap like a child and hold his chin, reproaching him with a cold gaze. But I felt embarrassed and shut up at the mere mention of infidelity…
How pathetic!
“Well… I should firmly grasp the parts I want to conquer.”
Elysia pulled the bell rope to summon a maid. Then she pulled the blanket up to her nose, hiding her remembered expression.
Following that, she gave an order.
“Commission the production of everyday clothes in the wardrobe room by tomorrow evening. About thirty sets should be sufficient.”
“Lady, when you say custom-made, what kind of attire do you have in mind…?”
“I leave the design to the capabilities of the atelier, but there’s one thing I want you to keep in mind.”
“I will listen attentively.”
Elysia conveyed truly peculiar conditions to the maid who remained faithful to her role.
“… A side slit at the hem of the skirt is essential.”
She, who couldn’t continue her words, cast away her embarrassment and concluded the order.
“… Now convey that.”