Chapter : 44
“The Contract to Bear a Child”
It was a chilling thing to say.
She hadn’t expected him to bring up the contract here.
If he claimed that the contract wasn’t over yet, Psyche had nothing she could say in response.
Noticing that her previously bold momentum had faltered, Clint added calmly,
“Perhaps you’ve forgotten, my lady, so I’ll remind you. The contract in which you agreed to bear my child.”
“……”
Psyche deliberately turned her head away from him.
The situation was bad.
After all, they were husband and wife, and that contract served as a convenient pretext binding the two of them together.
In truth, Clint’s gentlemanly treatment of her had simply been his own way of doing things.
If he chose to use the contract as an excuse to do something, Psyche would have no way to stop him.
But she had no intention of simply submitting here, so she clenched both hands and tried to push him away.
He frowned briefly at the wound on his hand, but soon returned to his usual expression.
“Please don’t move. You’ll only end up bruising your wrist.”
Unlike Psyche, who was struggling fiercely, his voice was utterly calm.
She strained for quite some time, trying to wriggle free from his arms, but it was futile.
He merely gazed down at Psyche beneath him.
That indifferent expression of his made her feel even more humiliated.
“Ugh……”
A sigh slipped out of her on its own.
Perhaps from exerting herself so much, her face had turned red, and hot breaths kept spilling from her lips.
By contrast, Clint, whose expression didn’t change at all, continued to look at her for a long while.
“…Let go.”
“……”
After remaining still for some time, Clint slowly began to stroke her wrist with his thumb.
It felt strange.
“W-what are you doing…!”
Without a word, he lifted her left hand and brought it to his lips.
“…!”
He pressed a deep kiss to the inside of Psyche’s palm.
His hot, raw breath brushed against her directly—an unfamiliar sensation that sent a rush of heat through her palm, as if it were burning.
As though engraving a mark, Clint kissed the inside of her hand, then lifted the corners of his eyes slightly in a smile and met her gaze.
Psyche’s face flushed as if it might burst; even her ears felt as though they were on fire.
Maintaining eye contact, Clint began to press light kisses along her fingers, over each joint and in between.
It was as if he were leaving a mark, claiming her as his own.
Though it was nothing in itself, Psyche found the act unbearably embarrassing and didn’t know where to look.
“Ah……”
After lingering over her hand with his lips, he slowly stood up.
She had expected him to do something more, but instead he simply looked at her calmly and spoke.
“I’ll see you tomorrow morning, my lady. I’ll assume that what comes next will take place in our bedroom.”
“W-what do you mean by that…!”
Smiling with crescent-shaped eyes, he left the room without another word.
He didn’t even look back as he went.
Like someone who had seen a ghost, Psyche sat on the bed for a long time before suddenly slapping both her cheeks.
“Honestly… he’s gone mad.”
That wasn’t the Clint she knew.
Of course, he was still the kind of man who wouldn’t cross the line without her consent—but today’s behavior had been somewhat impulsive…
And more than anything—
“What kind of person kisses someone’s hand like that… so strangely…?”
Despite herself, Psyche found Clint coming to mind.
It still felt as though the intense gaze with which he’d stared at her was lingering on her face, leaving it hot.
And the hand he’d kissed still seemed to hold a burning warmth, as though it had been scalded.
“……”
Deciding it was pointless to dwell on such thoughts, she shook her head hard.
She couldn’t fall asleep for a long time.
Psyche tossed and turned, nearly staying up the entire night. She couldn’t even go see Shield in the morning—her thoughts were too tangled, and she feared she might say something strange.
Still, she couldn’t neglect her duties. Since the duke was visiting, she headed early in the morning to the hall where breakfast would be served to receive him.
And of all people, she ran straight into him there.
“M-my lady!”
The one who greeted her most enthusiastically was Alessandro.
Psyche merely nodded in greeting and didn’t bother to engage further.
Clint courteously stepped aside, gesturing for her to enter the hall first. Unlike her, who had barely slept, his face looked remarkably neat and refreshed.
‘Well… I suppose he’s always been like that. Even after a rough night…’
The thought of the past made Psyche flush, and she quickly avoided Clint’s gaze.
She scolded herself for thinking such things, blaming it all on the strange way he’d kissed her hand the night before, and entered alone.
“Good morning.”
Clint greeted her cheerfully, his face immaculate. His businesslike attitude—like nothing at all had happened yesterday—was what truly left Psyche at a loss.
Barely managing to act normal, she returned his greeting politely.
“Was it cold during the night?”
The nights at Alistair Castle weren’t as cold as those in the capital, but since few people lived in such a large castle, it felt colder.
Instead of taking his seat, Clint approached Psyche.
“Thanks to you, not at all.”
He came closer and greeted her by kissing the back of her hand.
The one who made the biggest fuss over this was none other than Helen.
“My goodness—was that a capital-style greeting?”
At that, Clint chuckled softly and returned to his seat.
“Hardly…”
“Haha, greetings from the capital are always so novel.”
Psyche shot Clint a glare, forcibly cutting off his denial.
Apparently amused, Clint smiled back at her and sat down.
Soon, a neatly prepared breakfast was laid out on the table.
Partway through her soup, Helen’s eyes lit up.
Since yesterday, she had been fervently interested in anything related to the duke.
Everything about the capital fascinated her—it was only natural for a woman her age to be curious about such things, like the glamorous lives of capital nobles.
“Wow, the capital really is another world. What else is there? I didn’t get to hear much about it yesterday, and I’m so curious!”
But Clint showed no intention of answering her.
When an awkward silence followed, Alessandro finally stepped in.
“There’s nothing all that special about the capital. People live much the same everywhere.”
“Really? But it’s the birthplace of all trends! Isn’t there anything fashionable among noble ladies or young aristocrats these days?”
Faced with a question that clearly reflected the interests of girls her age, Alessandro scratched the bridge of his nose, looking troubled.
“Trends, huh… well.”
It wasn’t a field he cared about at all, so he had to think for a moment.
Then he recalled something he’d heard recently while gathering information.
“Lately, astrology and even black magic have been popular among noblewomen in the capital—though I don’t put much stock in it.”
“Oh! That’s unexpected. What do they use it for?”
Helen still looked fascinated.
“Well, things like divining relationships with someone they like… or choosing an auspicious day to conceive a child, apparently.”
As he spoke without much thought, Alessandro glanced nervously at Clint and hurriedly added,
“But black magic is strictly forbidden in the capital.”
“But is that really allowed?”
Alessandro replied,
“As long as no one is actually harmed, they can’t regulate even fortune-telling done just for fun. And you know how people are—the more you forbid something, the more obsessed they become. So they leave it at that.”
“Oh, I see…”
Helen nodded quietly, then turned her gaze toward Clint.
“Then, Duke, have you ever had your wife’s fortune read through astrology?”
“Cough, cough.”
The one most startled by Helen’s outrageous question was Psyche.
She had been quietly waiting for breakfast to end, but her hopes were once again dashed.
Every question Helen asked was far beyond what anyone could handle—so much so that even Alessandro was left speechless.
More than anything, he knew that getting caught between Clint and Psyche could end very badly for him, so he chose to stay silent.
“My wife, you say. That’s an interesting way to put it.”
Clint, who had been drinking water, smiled thinly as he spoke.
Oblivious to the ominous atmosphere, Helen jumped in again.
“I heard you’re currently unmarried! As far as I know, nobles in the capital tend to marry early—”
“Helen!”
Unable to stand it any longer, Psyche cut her off.
“That’s an inappropriate question for the dining table. I apologize, Your Highness.”
At Psyche’s formal apology, Helen puffed out her lips.
“It’s all right. I was just getting curious about my wife as well.”
“Yes?”
Helen immediately latched onto Clint’s new topic.
“I suppose I never mentioned that I’m currently searching for a wife.”
“Oh, really? Then have you found her?”
At that moment, Psyche felt like standing up and smacking Helen on the head.
Clint simply smiled, took another sip of water, and slowly licked his lips.
To Psyche, his movements seemed unbearably slow.
“Yes. I have.”
“Oh! Really?”
Though a hint of disappointment crossed Helen’s face, she still looked genuinely curious.
“Then where is the Duchess?”
At that question, both Claude and Alessandro let out simultaneous groans.
Still smiling, Clint slowly turned his gaze toward Psyche.
“Isn’t she right here? Directly in front of me.”
“…!”
End Of Chapter : 44
