“Did you sleep well?”

Lucian’s voice tickled my ear, and I struggled to wake up. Despite likely having slept for a similar duration, his voice sounded remarkably lively, especially with that fresh morning smile.

As he rested his chin on his palm, he watched me.

Turning slightly, I noticed him blocking a sliver of sunlight, peeking through the curtains with his hand. How long had he been doing this…

“It would have been fine to leave it.”

Feeling sorry, I took his hand and lowered it. Naturally, his hand swept down my neck, slipping between the pillow and my head.

Kiss.

His lips touched my forehead, then my cheek. Nipping at my cheek with just his lips, he whispered in a low voice.

“Is your back okay?”

I narrowed my eyes on him.

If he would ask this, he shouldn’t have been so vigorous the night before. Just the thought of last night made my face hot. We were thoroughly enjoying our newlywed life, even if we hadn’t gone on an actual honeymoon yet. We were more than satisfied with our current life.

“With you as my wife, could I just stay still?”

Lucian spoke nonchalantly while massaging my back. Yet, hearing that unfamiliar term still made me embarrassed, forcing me to bury my face into the pillow. My ears would probably be burning red, and he would nibble on them if I didn’t hide it.

“Stop it, so early in the morning!”

The mere act brought last night’s memories flooding back, making my entire body warm. But not wanting to start the day drained, I boldly pushed Lucian’s face away.

“No?”

His immediate question made my hands that were forcefully pushing his face weaken. As he spoke with drooping eyes like dejected, my fighting spirit was quickly disarmed.

I snuggled into his broad chest.

“How could I not?”

“Then…”

His hand creeping up my back made me twitch, but I firmly stopped him.

“We have a lot to do today. The estate isn’t fully settled yet.”

“….”

Lucian didn’t reply to that. Instead, he made no effort to hide his discontent. Gone were his days of expressionless face, but to sulk like a child now…

“Ha, adorable.”

It was so cute that I thought I might go mad. Forgetting my attempts to ward off his touches were forgotten, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him.

I kept my mouth shut, afraid of my morning breath, so I merely rubbed our lips together before hastily getting up. Before he could catch me, I darted into the bathroom. I heard a ‘Who’s really the cute one here?’ from behind, but I ignored it and shut the door.

“Ha, it’s harmful to my heart.”

Although I cherished our time together, seeing his face and hearing his voice all day wasn’t exactly heart-healthy.

“I need to eat some healthy food.”

If my stamina dropped every night and my heart also took a hit, that wouldn’t do. I sat on the chair in the bathroom with a sigh when a knock came.

“Madam, may I come in?”

“…Come in, Amber.”

Being called ‘Madam’ by Amber was just as awkward as being called ‘wife’ by Lucian, given it had only been a week since my marriage with him.

* * *

“Is the survey complete?”

“All the population numbers and citizens’ names have been recorded here.”

“…Seems like there’s more than I thought?”

“That’s because the capital hasn’t been able to perform its role properly, so people are still arriving.”

Lucian flipped through a thick stack of documents. He also stole glances at Rachel, who had taken up one side of his study.

Just like he requested, she was exactly where he could easily see her. Though he seemed slightly displeased that he could see her only when turning his gaze. Nevertheless, he didn’t voice any complaints since she was keeping her promise.

Rachel, now the Duchess, had her own work to do. Including reviewing the current internal management and historical records. The head butler who had managed the place, guided her.

“So, the cellar hasn’t been used for a while?”

“…Since strange rumors started among the staff, we’ve stopped using it.”

“Rumors?”

As Rachel looked on curiously, the head butler quickly responded.

“Perhaps a year ago? After hearing about a maid who screamed and ran out from the basement during a cleaning, rumors of a haunting began to spread.”

“Did she see a ghost or something?”

“…I apologize.”

The head butler didn’t elaborate further, but Rachel got the gist. After all, it was known that the previous duke rarely visited this place. There was little need, given that the vassals reported annually to the capital.

“Why wasn’t this reported?”

At Rachel’s question, the head butler seemed at a loss for words and bowed deeply in apology.

“I apologize, Madam.”

“…Hmm.”

After thinking for a moment, Rachel tidied up the documents and ledgers she had been examining all morning and decided to investigate personally.

“Shall we see for ourselves?”

“Madam?”

As she stood, Lucian rose as well.

“Duke?”

As the aide called, Lucian spoke out.

“Ray?”

He simply called her name, but she gave a familiar response.

“I thought I’d check out the basement for a moment.”

“Then, I’ll come with you.”

Without asking why, Lucian immediately said he’d accompany her. Rachel paused to look at him, then glanced at the anxiously waiting aide.

In just that moment, as her eyes moved, Lucian expertly blocked her view from him.

“You’re becoming more like a child.”

Muttering under her breath, Rachel’s comment was ignored by him, who instructed the aide.

“Start scouting new areas on the map for a town. We’ll inspect those sites later.”

“Yes, understood.”

The aide, well aware of how much Lucian loved Rachel, sighed and opened the map. Rachel looked at Lucian’s actions with slightly narrowed eyes and thought to herself.

‘Am I that appealing? It’s embarrassing.’

Yet, she couldn’t hide her happiness. Catching a slight smile on her face, Lucian naturally took her hand.

“We could just leave the basement be.”

As they walked, Lucian uttered casually.

Since arriving in this world, Rachel realized she had lived without much thought. Truly, as if floating aimlessly through the air. She believed she would eventually return to her original world or leave the Duchy. So she had forgotten.

What was her true self like?

“Hmm… just because? I don’t like the idea of having unknown spaces in the place where we’re going to live.”

She had been driven to perfection because she spent her childhood striving for her adoptive parents’ affection. She thought having good grades would earn their love again.

Rachel couldn’t fully tell these reasons, so she simply gripped Lucian’s hand tightly after a cursory reply.

The two descended into the basement. The head butler hurried to fetch a makeshift lantern, but he was faster. He snapped his fingers, and the path quickly lit with small flames.

“Wow.”

“I can manage this much magic.”

He had honed his skills because he had been with Enzo for a long time. Unlike Lucian, Rachel could no longer use magic because she had used Enzo’s magic. She had some ability for illusion, albeit it was less practically useful.

“Doesn’t seem like there’s anything out of the ordinary.”

Lucian murmured as he looked at the basement that seemed no different from any other mansion’s. However, the head butler who had followed quetzal, then shared.

“I’ve also come down here to check after hearing rumors among the staff.”

The head butler hesitated but continued.

“When the sun sets, strange sounds can be heard. There were words saying they didn’t not want to leave or they wanted to kill the saint. There’s sobbing… so I’m not certain if what I heard was accurate.”

The head butler’s face grew increasingly pale as they ventured deeper. He was quite sure of what he had heard.

Rachel looked around the dim and damp surroundings, then turned to the head butler.

“I would appreciate it if you report all matters in the future. Don’t decide on your own what is trivial.”

“…Yes, I’m sorry, Madam.”

“There will be no forgiveness next time.”

“Yes.”

Surprised by her firm words, Lucian looked at Rachel with wide eyes. Without even glancing back at him, she continued.

“Let’s go in together..”

“Alright.”

“You may return.”

“Yes, understood.”

The head butler hesitated, seemingly concerned about leaving them alone, before reluctantly leaving.

“Although I don’t sense anything unusual, based on what the head butler said, could it be the ghost of an ancestor? What was this place used for, Luci?”

“I’ve never been here either, but typically, the basements of mansions like this served as prisons. Especially for those within the family who committed treason, they were confined here.”

“So, it shouldn’t be a problem from now on, right?”

“It seems so.”

After checking the last room, Rachel let out a deep breath. Each time she breathed in and out, the musty and cold air of the basement seemed to warm up as if by her presence alone.

Though he had seen it before, Lucian always found her divine power astonishing.

He knew that the air changed the moment she entered, not necessarily needing her divine power for purification. Seeing her in this reliable appearance, as opposed to the younger image he’d held of her, he couldn’t control the smile on his face.

“Shall we skip the rest of the day?”

He blurted out impulsively. He wished to go out with her alone, perhaps to the city of Leon. He felt that just walking and looking at the scenery together, not necessarily a special date, would be enough to make him happy.

Surprised, Rachel looked up at him with wide eyes. It was unlike the man who lived by a schedule to suggest playing hooky.

“Huh? I just want to walk with you, just the two of us.”

With a sweet smile, his suggestion made Rachel blush and mutter softly.

“Turns out, Oscar isn’t the only fox around here…”

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