# 37
“Marital duties? You mean...”
“…”
“Ah… I see. As you wish, ma’am.”
Aachen took a step back with a lost face after accepting Helen's request.
He smiled a beautiful smile, looking into Helen's eyes, and said:
“It is not difficult to wait until the national wedding.”
Then he touched his lips as if he was remorseful.
‘What excuse will I make after the national wedding? I can't keep evading this forever.'
Helen looked away from his actions.
Aachen worried about Helen, who looked worried.
“Ma’am, you look tired. Should I call a doctor?”
“Not so, Your Highness.”
Helen began to answer, but a knock at the door interrupted Aachen's movements.
“…What’s wrong?”
Aachen asked in a low voice as he opened the door, and the maids entered.
“Lily and Daisy?”
Isn't this a glass bowl used for washing? Lily was carrying a large glass bowl, while Daisy was carrying scented oil and towels.
The sound of water gurgling from the glass bowl came with the movement of the night.
"…What is this?" Aachen asked.
“There is an ancient tradition practiced at Hestor Castle,” Daisy answered with a slight bow.
"tradition?"
“Before the first night, the groom washes the bride’s feet,” Daisy explained.
“…Ah, yes, I remember something like that,” Aachen said, as if he remembered something. He smiled slightly and walked towards Helen.
'Will he wash my feet?' The Grand Duke himself?'
A different kind of tension gripped Helen. Her toes clenched involuntarily.
“Postponing the duties of spouses is a private matter, but traditions must be observed to prevent any gossip.”
Aachen whispered softly in Helen's ear, and only her heard his voice.
Helen felt the warmth of the moment, as if it was tickling her, and it was impressive how simply he referred to them as a couple.
“…sure”
Aachen gently lifted Helan and carried her to the bed, where he placed her.
Lily and Daisy moved quietly towards the bed, and Lily placed the glass bowl at Helen's feet. The smell of lilac wafted from the water.
Aachen knelt down and looked at Helan without looking away from her.
'Why is he staring at me like that?'
His charming gaze made Helen feel as if her body was freezing.
“Madam, please put your feet in the water,” Aachen requested.
Helen carefully placed her feet in the glass bowl. As the ripples spread, the water droplets touched the edges of the bowl.
‘I feel relaxed’.
The coldness in her feet dissipated as they became warmer.
“I'll start by washing them,” Aachen said.
Although Helen felt embarrassed at the thought of him washing her feet, she tried to ignore the feeling.
‘It's just a simple habit… This is the only interaction I will have with the Grand Duke in this way.'
Aachen started with Helen's left foot, and paused for a moment.
'Why did you stop?'
“Nothing. Your feet are much smaller than I imagined.”
He commented with a slight smile. Aachen gently massaged her foot, his fingers revealing the structure of her bones.
Helen felt her body warm from his delicate touch. After he washed her right foot with the same care, Daisy handed him a towel.
“Here's the towel, Your Highness,” said Daisy.
Aachen wrapped Helen's feet in a towel and dried them gently.
Helen felt that this event, which was distinguished by its fragrant fragrance, would remain engraved in her memory for a long time.
She wasn't sure if it was because of the scent of the flowers or because of that intimate touch she had in Aachen for the first time.
“Good night,” Lily said.
“We'll be leaving now,” Daisy added.
After the maids left, they returned to their isolation.
Aachen stared at Helen intently, his eyes moving slowly.
He called to Helen as he approached her and climbed onto the bed:
“Your Highness?”
The loose robe revealed his chest, and she was stunned by his wild gaze.
'He said he would wait until the national wedding!'
Helen thought, unable to stop Aachen, so she moved further away from him.
As he approached, Helen leaned back until her back was pressed against the headboard.
'What should I do?'
She closed her eyes tightly, feeling the warmth of his lips.
Aachen kissed her hand gently, leaving marks. He looked at Helen, laughing softly as if she was amusing him.
'With all my efforts, you still haven't fallen in love with me.'
“Your Highness...”
“I'll keep my promise. You've had a stressful day... Rest well.”
Aachen said, then stopped kissing her and lay down next to her.
While Aachen appeared to be asleep, Helen struggled to fall asleep as well, waiting out the early hours.
‘It was dangerous. If he had done more than that, I wouldn't have been able to stop him… It's fortunate that the Grand Duke stopped…'
Helen was relieved by his steady breathing and tossed and turned in her bed a little before finally falling asleep.
As she finally fell asleep, Aachen slowly opened his eyes.
He was pretending to be asleep, waiting for you to relax. Aachen straightened her hair and extended his arm as a pillow. He remembered the moment he felt her inner thoughts.
The moment he touched her bare feet, he could hear her thoughts clearly.
‘In the Grand Duchy of Pountawin, I couldn’t hear her thoughts, but now I hear them very clearly. Why?’
He thought of asking to postpone their marital duties. Helen, who firmly believed that he would keep his promise, was so kind that he almost laughed.
Even her thoughts during the kiss were amusing.
Aachen feared that his insistence would alienate her from him.
There was still a lot he hadn't done yet, and he didn't want to be tied down to this forever.
Aachen suppressed his desires and let her go. Helen's little shoulders rose and fell with her breath.
The sight of her in her almost invisible silk nightgown excited her.
‘Why couldn’t I hear her thoughts before? Now, it's completely clear.'
A theory came to his mind.
‘I remember the emerald necklace you left behind. Is it possible that this jewel has a special power?'
The dark green necklace, reminiscent of her eyes, seemed more than just an ornament.
Aachen, who had kept the contract she had left, felt an urge to dig deeper into the matter.
He quietly got out of bed before dawn, reluctant to leave the sleeping Helen in peace.
“Good night, my princess.”
Before leaving, Aachen gently kissed Helen's forehead.
‘…The national wedding will be held soon.’
“…Your Highness?”
Helen called out as she woke up to find Aachen gone. It was past noon.
“Did he leave without waking me up?”
Helen left the marital bedroom and went to check on Shivalin in the next room. The little girl seemed to be in a deep sleep.
Even in the bright light of day, Shevelin showed no signs of waking up.
“Baby, it's time to wake up.”
“So sleepy...”
Worried that Sheveline was sleeping for so long without eating, Helen tried to gently wake her up.
"Are you very tired? Didn't you sleep early last night?"
“Hehe…”
Shevelin answered with a sleepy laugh, showing no intention of getting out of bed.
“You sleepy little thing. How about we have breakfast and then you go back to sleep?” Helen suggested.
“Mama, hold Cherie tight,” Sheveline asked, extending her hand toward Helen.
“Darling, you really are a little girl again.”
Helen said smiling as she held Shivalin.
“Sheree is a mama’s baby, right?”
Shevelin answered.
Helen gently caressed Sheveline's cheek.
'Lately, Shivalin has become very attached to me.'
She hated being called a child.
“That's right. Shevlyn is Mama's baby,” Helen reassured her.
In the bathroom, I washed Helen Shevlin, who yawned widely as her drowsiness returned.
"Yes."
Helen calmed the sleepy child as she combed Shevlin's hair.
A little later, Elisha came upstairs with her hand wrapped in a bandage.
Shevlin noticed Elisha's bandage and expressed concern for her.
[Elisha, are you injured?]
Helen, who was also worried, checked Elisha carefully.
“Elisha, did the treatment go well?”
"Yes, Lucy has wrapped the bandage tightly. It will heal in a few days, don't worry," Elisha reassured them.
[Cherry is upset because Elisha is injured.]
[Cherry will ease her pain with a kiss.]
Shivalin, who was staring at Elisha with an affectionate look, blew a gentle breath on Elisha's hand.
“...Thank you, Your Highness. By the way, what do we do about breakfast?”
Elisha asked Helen with a bright smile, thanking Shivalin.
"Tell the kitchen to prepare something simple and bring it to my room. I'm very tired and need to rest today."
Elisha nodded and took a letter out of her sleeve.
“A message has arrived to Her Highness, the Duchess.”
“Who sent it?”
“It just says ‘Winter’ in the recipient field.”