Chapter 16

“Yes, Master.” The servants answered obediently and immediately left the room.

Flustered, Yelena stole a peek at Duke Mayhard, realizing that the dining room was empty if not for the two of them.

Of course, she had also planned to request the servants to leave… When the timing was just right.

After all, it felt weird to be talking about… Their relationship with others around.

‘Wait, could it be?’

Duke Mayhard started the conversation just as Yelena’s began to ponder, causing her eyes to grow wide.

“Yesterday… Were you really under the influence of alcohol?”

There. Duke Mayhard had started that topic.

Everything that required discussion was already on the table.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

What else could Duke Maynard have possibly been referring to when he asked Yelena whether she was sincere or not?

He could only be questioning her actions from last night’s incident, when she tried to forcefully remove his clothes; emboldened by her intoxicated state.

Yelena blinked, then took a deep breath. She clenched her fists tightly.

She felt as if she was about to burst in embarrassment, despite coming fully prepared to deal with this topic.

“Yes.”

“Although I was drunk, everything I did was of my own free will. Of course, um… I should apologize for my rashness.”

“No need.”

Phew. Yelena took a swig of water.

“While we’re at it, I think I’ve waited long enough. It has been roughly three weeks since our wedding, but we haven’t consummated our marriage.”

When had she mustered the courage to talk in such a way?

Yelena assumed it must have come from her shameful behavior from the previous night.

‘Since I went all out last night, what could I possibly be too afraid to talk about now?’

…Or something like that.

“How much longer do I have to wait? It’s not really something worth bragging about, but I’m not a patient person.”

She got more aggressive towards the end.

And immediately regretted it, getting nervous after having given her two cents.

How would he respond?

Duke Mayhard seemed to think over Yelena’s somewhat provocative words for a bit before replying.

“Is your family in need of an heir?”

“Pardon?”

“I am aware that you have two other siblings in the Sorte household.”

He hesitated slightly, as if unsure of what expression to use.

“Could there be an issue with your siblings?”

“No. That’s not it.”

Though Yelena was taken aback by his response, she still replied.

So his question was, ‘Do both of Yelena’s siblings have fertility issues?’

That meant Yelena was the only one who could give birth and continue their family’s bloodline.

Nope.

Neither of her siblings had any such problems at all.

Yelena was confused as to why Duke had gotten such ideas about her siblings, while Duke Mayhard seemed to be more flustered by Yelena’s immediate denial.

“If that’s not it, then why…?”

Duke Mayhard looked quite baffled, but his expression soon changed after arriving at a different conclusion.

“Could you have misunderstood the conditions of this marriage-“

“I know that there weren’t any conditions that required us to produce heirs in this marriage.”

Yelena snapped at him in defensive indignation.

She, too, knew that their marriage was not a normal one.

It served as an undeniable collateral for the deal made between Yelena’s uncle and Duke Mayhard.

She knew that the marriage would not mean anything more than that.

‘But he didn’t have to re-emphasize that by using the word “condition.”‘

Yelena froze as the thought crossed her mind.

Why did she feel disappointed?

‘This is weird. It’s not like I didn’t know about it. Since I came instead of Mielle…’

The time to regret it had passed.

While Yelena remained lost in thought, Duke Mayhard, who had gotten even more confused, seized his chance.

“Then… why?”

“…?”

“Why do you want to spend a night with me?”

Yelena, herself, had temporarily forgotten as a result of being so flustered.

What did that question imply?

“We’re a married couple. Does it require any other special reason?”

Of course, Yelena did have a special reason why she needed to spend a night with Duke Mayhard.

She needed to give birth to a warrior who could save the world from a demon invasion 20 years from now.