"It is more urban than I expected for such a remote city; oh, I hope you won't be offended by the way I put it."
"I didn't expect you to be so demure after all this time. You can be more at ease with me, okay?"
"Hmmm, I wonder about that too, but it makes me feel more comfortable, thank you very much."
Mary answered in a serious manner. However, Sid started laughing again.
Eventually, Sid took her to a store where she could buy some winter clothes at a more affordable price and then to a bookstore. Mary, a former noblewoman herself, could read; despite constantly mocking Clarisse for being a bookworm, she too was one herself. However, unlike Clarisse, she was not interested in learning or academic materials and only read popular romance and historical novels.
Sid was surprised that Mary could read but opted not to say anything, instead silently watching her while she chose a book.
Today, she enjoyed shopping as much as she wanted. She had almost no place to spend her salary as a maid in the Farenheit family, and then came her considerably higher-than-market salary in the Margrave's mansion, which both kept accumulating until now. Although Sid offered to pay, she declined politely as he had no obligation to.
"So what does the town thrive on since it is in the middle of nowhere? Is there some sort of industry or something? The location is pretty inconvenient, being so far from the rest of the kingdom."
Mary asked a question that occurred to her, and Sid looked at her as though she was asking a surprising question.
"Well, basically, there's a lot of trade; it's the most thriving sector here; there's been plenty of exchanges between us and the neighboring countries, you know, with treaties and all."
"Oh, I suppose so. Hmm, I think agriculture isn't that active in this area, right? We passed through rocky areas a few times on the way here. Are there any minerals that can be extracted, perhaps?"
"When it comes to agriculture, it's undeniable that we need as much produce as we can get our hands on. Now that the relationship with neighboring countries has settled down a little, I think Jean will be able to work on improving it, although the weather is not suitable for agriculture, to begin with."
In remote areas, it seems that the four seasons are not so well defined, with a short spring, followed by a long summer and fall, and then a harsh winter; if anything, it is more like a three-season cycle.
Right now, it is between late fall and early winter, and in some parts of the area, temperatures are expected to drop severely, and snow will keep people in their houses for days at a time. Mary also learned from other servants in the mansion that people in remote areas worked hard to stockpile for the winter months in advance, to be able to make it until spring.
"There are some minerals, but… nothing too valuable, I suppose. Basically, it's a poor area."
As a result, when Jean was appointed as a margrave, the other nobles weren't exactly overjoyed. Thus, he was rewarded and honored by the king, and if they considered the wealth and position he had built up alone, it showed that it was a fruitful land, but the process of getting there was harsh and horrendous.
If it were someone other than Jean, they would have given up and thrown it away long ago.
'Besides, Jean didn't care so much whether he had wealth or not…well, I guess now it's a bit different since he wants to be able to use it for Clarisse.'
Chapter 31, part 2
'Besides, Jean didn't care so much whether he had wealth or not…well, I guess now it's a bit different since he wants to be able to use it for Clarisse.'
Mary nodded her head
To put it simply she was different from the other noble women in his life, He had no idea why he was so attracted to her.
When he first approached her in the mansion, he thought she was a beautiful woman indeed, but once she opened her mouth, the beauty of her face went away, and she made him feel so unique and joyous that he couldn't help but be charmed by her personality.
She is nothing like the kind of woman who has been around him in the past, who is usually quick to start flirting. Not to mention her unwavering loyalty to Clarisse, which is pleasant to watch.
'But I didn't know she could read… How does she know how to read?'
"Sid-sama, are you the eldest son of Viscount Hansen?"
Out of the blue, Mary asked him a personal question; he never thought she might be interested in him before, so that made him feel happy for some reason. He was so surprised that he didn't even realize that Mary had called him by his name, which he had longed for to happen.
"Hmm, no, I'm the third son of Viscount Hansen."
"You have older brothers, I see."
"Yes. My eldest brother will succeed my father, so I can live comfortably."
Mary didn't make any particular comment, but she nodded her head and smiled as if she had guessed from Sid's usual behavior that it was something like that.
"You know, Marius is my cousin, right? He's the second child, but he only has one other sister, so he's the heir to their family."
"Ah. Marius-sama?"
'Ah. She calls him by his name without hesitation…'
A spark of jealousy began to burn within him. His cousin has always been exceptionally popular with women because of his serious nature and kindness. However, he is just as uptight as Jean, so he rarely plays with women.
He thought, 'Perhaps being stoic and uptight isn't such a bad thing after what Jean told me the other day.'
He became depressed all of a sudden. After all, Mary might prefer a man like Marius. Perhaps it's natural for Mary to think so since she sees the happy face of Clarisse being loved by Jean.
Sid had never wanted to redo the past as much as he does now. He wanted to strangle the man who had been playing with women without thinking and beat the crap out of him to bring him back to his senses. Of course, Sid respected them, and he had never toyed with them; he was just having fun without thinking much about it. But if you ask him if he can remember the faces of these women—he can't, not a single one of them. It had been that way until the moment he saw Mary.
There was something Jean told Sid after he fell in love with Clarisse at first sight—he knew it when he saw it. He said, "Love is not something you just fall into slowly, but rather, when you realize it, you have already fallen."
Back then, he thought that Jean was a romanticist despite his face, but now he could actually understand what he meant about how, when you realize it, you've already fallen.
Mary looked curiously at Sid's sudden silence. Still, she did not make any comment, just remained silent and shifted her gaze to the scenery passing by outside the carriage.
"Mary, do you ever wish you could redo the past?"
Sid asked suddenly, and after pondering about it for a moment, she said.
"Going back to the past is not at all realistic, but if I could do it all over again, I think I would."
"Hmmm…like, how old would you be?"
Mary was silent for a moment, but quickly answered.
"If I could, I'd like to go back and do it all over again before I turned 12 or so."
When they arrived at the Margrave's mansion, Sid pulled a wrapper out of his pocket as he helped Mary out of the carriage.
"Here, please accept this."
"—what is it?"
Sid smiled.
"It's a sweet candy that's currently very popular in the town. You can't buy them by yourself, can you?"
As Mary stammered, he pressed the wrapper into her hand.
"Thank you for going out with me today. I'll come again tomorrow to see you.
Chapter 32, part 1
After returning to her room, Mary wondered what Sid's true intentions were as she held the wrapped sweets in her hands. He probably doesn't know that she used to be a noble, so was he just trying to get his hands on a rather unusual maid? She is aware that she is a bit peculiar and even called "fierce" among the servants of the Viscount Farenheit family, but she also knows that she doesn't look that bad.
There was a time when she even had a lover after becoming a maid, though she is sure that Clarisse doesn't know this. However, he was taken aback by Mary's too Clarisse-centered life, and the relationship soon came to an end.
Nevertheless, if the third son of a viscount took an interest in the maid and messed around with her …
'At best…a mistress? At worst…just a flirt? But would he do that kind of thing?'
In the first place, he is a popular guy, so even if he was not interested in her, there would be plenty of women who would want to be his girlfriend….
As she got to know Sid, she found it hard to believe that he could be such a carefree person, and Mary was unusually troubled by this thought. As she opened the packet of sweets, she found a beautiful blush-pink bite-sized baked confectionary with something similar to a cream filling inside.
'Cute…'
Despite her appearance, Mary was surprisingly fond of pretty things, and she enjoyed them very much. When she gently brought them close to her face, she could smell their appetizing aroma, and she smiled as she devoured one of the sweets.
…
The lake in early winter was even more magical than she had expected.
According to Jean, it was a few hours' trip by carriage from the residence to the lake, and based on its location close to the borders, she thought it might be cold, but surprisingly the temperature was not that low. However, since it was near the water, the wind was slightly chilly, and strong winds would deprive the body of warmth.
The lake was very large, and she wondered if this was similar to what the ocean was like, although she had never seen one before. When she mentioned this briefly to Jean, he told her it was true that the lake had waves and fish living in it, but that it was completely fresh water and that this was not the same for the ocean.
"The water is slightly cold, but it's quite pleasant to swim in, and because it's fresh water, you can wash your body and even drink if you want to."
After listening to Jean's typical comments, they took a leisurely stroll around the lake. In the center of the lake, there was a small detached island with trees, making her wonder if there were animals living there, too.
"Not to ask the obvious, but of course you can swim, right, Jean-sama?"
Clarisse asked, holding his arm as they walked along the shore.
"Yeah, I think I mentioned that to you before, but my father is from here, so I used to play in this lake when I was younger, and in the summer, we used to come here to swim all the time."
She observed his strong, athletic physique and realized that it was probably because he had been playing near nature since he was a child that he had grown into such a fit and well-built man. Although this can be partly due to his training as a knight, it is most likely that he had already developed an excellent physique from an early age.
"When you say we, you mean you, your father and Lotte-sama as well, right?"
She heard that Lotte was Jean's father's younger sister.
"Yes, that's right. She grew up here with us for a long time, and met the Marquis of Ainsworth in the royal city, where she had her debutante ball."
'So many wonderful stories…'
If Jean's words are true, their origins do not appear to be that influential nobility, so the fact that she fell in love with a marquis and married him must have happened only after overcoming various, probably unthinkable difficulties, and they are still happily married. Clarisse decided that the next time she saw Lotte, she needed to know everything.
"All right, let's head for the mansion before the sun goes down."
When Jean was rewarded by the king for his service as a margrave, he bought a villa near here as well as renovated his parents' residence. When Clarisse expressed her surprise at how he was able to do this, he explained that everything here was cheaper than in the royal capital. Nevertheless, she knew that most of his daily life is centered around his work; he is not extravagant in general; and he is not the kind of person who wastes his money.
The villa was located near the lake. It was a small and cozy place. The villa was small enough that Mr. and Mrs. Brown, his servants, were responsible for taking care of the place, as they only needed to come to the villa to clean and let the air flow through the house from time to time.
"I never thought I'd see the day when Jean-sama would bring such a beautiful young lady here."
Mr. and Mrs. Brown, who had known Jean since his childhood, were overjoyed when they heard that Jean was bringing his fiancée. Mrs. Brown was holding a handkerchief under her eyes to keep the tears at bay.
"She's still my fiancée, but we're getting married in the spring."
"That's wonderful."
"I'd love for you guys to be there. I'll send you a letter when the details are finalized."
All the people around Jean are nice people who care about him, Clarisse thought while smiling. This is no doubt a reflection of Jean's care for them.
The house itself is very simple and beautifully furnished in a country style, and every corner of the house was thoroughly cleaned. Mrs. Brown had prepared a delicious dinner that included many of the region's local dishes.
She was told that milk and cheese are the specialties of this area, and they were so delicious that even Clarisse, who is a rather light eater, ate a lot of them.
After spending a warm moment with Jean watching Clarisse as she ate, and after the Browns watched them attentively, they lit a fire in the living room on the first floor, told them they would be back in the morning, and went home.
"Clarisse, come here."
Jean sat down on the rug in front of the fireplace and called her over, sitting Clarisse on his lap and hugging her from behind. His large body covered Clarisse entirely, giving her the feeling that he was protecting her.
"Are you enjoying your trip so far?"
"I am enjoying it."
Clarisse relaxed her body and leaned against him slightly, but his sturdy body didn't even twitch. The scent of amber, her favorite scent, wafts from him. Surrounded by the warmth from the fireplace and his hot body, Clarisse's eyelids gradually close as she listens to the crackling of the fireplace. As always, she really sleeps well when she is by Jean's side.
The next time she noticed, Jean had picked her up and was carrying her into the bedroom.
"Did I wake you?"
"Oh…I must have fallen asleep."
"You've been in the carriage for a long time; you must be tired. You slept well."
He gently placed her down on the bed and sat beside the bed himself, gently brushing her chestnut locks away from her face. Suddenly, a thought came to Clarisse from deep within, and she murmured without thinking.
"Jean-sama, I like you."
Chapter 33
The hand that was caressing Clarisse's hair suddenly stops. Not only his hand, but Jean-sama as well, stopped moving completely.
'I wonder if something's wrong…?'
She watched in astonishment as his face, which had always been expressionless, gradually loosened and turned bright red. He murmured shyly as he pulled his hand from Clarisse's hair to cover the lower half of his face.
"Have you noticed, Clarisse? This is the first time you ever expressed to me that you… well… like me…"
'Oh so he's shy!'
But then Clarisse, realizing that she had unconsciously let her thoughts leak out, now turned bright red as well.
"I-…didn't I ever tell you that I adore you…?"
"Nope."
He was still covering the lower half of his face with his hand, still very red.
"I'm sorry about that… I, Jean-sama, adore you more than anyone else."
One moment Jean seemed to move, and the next, Clarisse was being embraced by Jean. His wild face was unusually tense, and his golden eyes were undoubtedly filled with a hint of lust, but his tone was as gentle as ever.
"Clarisse…I love you…"
'Do you realize that this is the first you've said it to me, Jean-sama'
Although she had no doubt that Jean loved her and that he cared for her more than anyone else, she had never heard him speak to her in clear, explicit words of love. He had shown her enough with his actions that she didn't really need him to say it, but…it was such a heavenly feeling to hear him say it for the first time…. She looked at her fiancé, who was precious to her more than anyone else, with her violet bright pupils while she enjoyed the moment they were having.
"Jean-sama, I…love you too."
"Clarisse…"
He stole Clarisse's lips as if he could no longer hold back.
When Jean confessed to Clarisse that he had yet to have intercourse with anyone, he told her -in his typical formal manner- that he was reading a guidebook on the art of the bedroom, her face turned red at the time and she simply said, "Oh, I see". She had actually read a similar book, which her mother had sent to her when it was decided that she would get married to Jean. At first, she was so surprised by the blatant descriptions that she closed the book almost immediately after reading the first few lines, but understanding that it was necessary, she read it with some reluctance. The book that Clarisse read was written for young ladies, so it was probably written in softer terms than the one that Jean was reading, but nevertheless, she read through it.
(tl: welp…)
The sight of her, whispering words of love to him, aroused him to a point he never thought was possible, he devoured her lips and stole her breath as if his life was depending on it, and by the time he was satisfied after attacking her lips, her legs went weak and her strength was drained. He then gently dropped kisses down her neck and ran his hands over the buttons of her dress. All of the dresses she brought with her had the buttons in the front, this was Mary's idea, for Clarisse to be able to put on and take off her dress by herself, but perhaps she had foreseen that this might happen as well.
He began to undo the buttons as if he was unwrapping a gift, and soon enough, her chest came into view, revealing that she wasn't wearing any corset, which made Jean's eyes widened for a second.
"You aren't wearing a corset…!"
Clarisse's face, which was flushed due to the heated kiss, turned even deeper red at that point. This was also one of the things Mary had recommended. The actual corset is a lot more difficult to put on and take off, so instead of a corset, she has prepared a thick undergarment so that her body lines will not show through the dress.
When she asked Jean if he thought she was being vulgar, he looked rather pleased and pulled her arms out of the dress, followed by her underwear. Now, her upper body was completely exposed, and the dress barely covered her lower body.
'My chest…. he can see everything…'
As she tried to cover her breasts with her arms, Jean, who had been staring at her body in a daze, gently grabbed her hands.
"Don't hide.. Every part of you is so beautiful, so please don't hide yourself from me…"
With that, he placed another light kiss on her. As he enjoyed their kiss, he slowly ran his hands over her breasts, gently tracing their shape.
"Mmm…"
She let out a squeal as he kissed her, and Jean looked down at her with a lustful look on his face, as if to say he wanted to skip the kissing part and just devour her entirely.
"Clarisse…if you don't like what I do, feel free to beat me until I come to my senses."
Clarisse, whose body was tightly pressed against his, knew that his crotch was already growing larger as he uttered this line with a serious face. Even in this state, he was a man who would be kind to her and care about her before doing anything.
"I love you, Jean-sama."
She pulled his face to hers, and this time she initiated kissing him affectionately.
When he finally raised his head, satisfied after caressing Clarisse's body, she was already out of breath. He helped her out of her dress as he whispered words of love to her. With a passion so difficult to imagine from his usual self, he began savoring her body with his tongue. Clarisse soon began to moan in pleasure as a result of his gentle yet persistent caresses. There was nothing about Clarisse's body that he did not know; he was satisfied beyond words, and then he turned to take off his own clothes. Clarisse gasped at the sight of his muscular body.
She had known all along that he was big, even when he was fully clothed, but his broad chest, toned abs, and large muscular body were manly in a way that she, as a woman, had never seen before. He had stripped off his underwear as well, and she could see the proud, towering form between his legs. It was the most lewdly-shaped thing she had ever seen in her life.
He looked at her in silence, as if he were asking for her permission to continue.
She wasn't stupid enough to misinterpret what he meant, so she nodded coyly and he smiled.
"I'll try to make it as painless as possible."
Then he moved gently to spread her legs apart; her thighs were already covered in love bites from earlier, and it looked like a field of blooming red flowers on a spring morning. He started to rub his cock against her entrance, which he had already caressed, and felt as she became more wet under his fingers. Still, she was tight, and he wanted to make her first experience as painless as it could be, so he endured his lustful desires and continued to rub and caress her entrance with his finger so she would loosen a bit more.
"Ah…"
When Clarisse let out a muffled moan, Jean looked happy to know that she felt it to the point she couldn't suppress her pleasure.
"I will do it slowly…"
True to his word, he slowly buried his cock inside her. The pressure of him entering her was too much for Clarisse, who was holding her breath as he pushed his cock inside her tight vagina. Jean stared at Clarisse's face as she slowly moved her hips forward.
"Is it painful?"
His voice was hazy with lust, like nothing she had ever heard from him. It would probably be painful for him to stop here, but his tender consideration filled her heart with love.
"No, it's fine… Keep going.. Ahh."
She gently wrapped her hands around his neck and hugged him tightly.
"I'm sorry, it's too big. I might not be able to fit all of it in tonight…"
"It's all right, Jean-sama, put it in.."
Encouraged by her words and actions, his massive cock slowly entered the virgin's vagina, rubbing against her tight walls. Jean groaned as he was indeed forced to stop; she was just so tight.
"Clarisse… Can I enter all the way in…? It might hurt a lot."
"Yes, yes, Jean-sama, please give it to me…"
As she replied with enthusiasm, Jean shoved himself deeply into her, as if his previous slow movements had been a lie, and broke through her hymen at once.
"Ah…!"
Chapter 34
Even though it was something they both wanted to do, as expected, at the moment of penetration, a sharp pain hit Clarisse, causing her to let out a loud moan. Jean continued to enter her little by little while keeping an eye on her expression, and when he reached the innermost part of her, he kept his hands placed on her thigh as sweat dripped from his forehead.
"-..I'm in…"
Jean muttered in a husky voice and looked at Clarisse's face.
"Does it hurt?"
Clarisse felt that she could breathe a little easier when she sensed his care and affection for her; he would ask for her consent several times before he started doing anything. Then his large hand began to rub her body slowly, and the pain seemed to ease a little. The movements of his hands were not obscene; rather, they were gentle movements tinted with compassion, making it all the more pleasurable.
"Jean.. kiss me…"
She whispered, and Jean happily obliged. The kisses she shared with Jean were dreamy, as their tongues entwined; although the pain was still lingering, it gradually eased as they continued kissing.
"I'm finally inside you, Clarisse…"
"Mmmm…"
He rose up, releasing her lips, and every slight change in posture elicited a sweet sound from her.
"If you are in pain, then I'll be content to call it a day."
She knew that Jean was concerned about her body and that he would really be willing to stop if she wanted him to, but her body was now filled with her love for Jean, so much so that she wasn't sure if she would be able to stand it if they were to stop right now. Clarisse wanted to indulge him; she wanted to become fully his, and she wanted this to happen tonight.
"It's okay… I'm fine.. just move slowly…Jean-sama…"
Hearing those words, his lust-filled golden eyes gazed at her violet ones, reflecting her love, and he began to move his hips slowly while she gasped for breath.
"Ah…hah…nn…!"
Clarisse's hip movements became a little bolder as her muffled moans became louder, trying to match his movements. His throbbing cock continued to thrust against her soft walls, and soon enough the pain was erased completely and replaced by the pleasure taking over her.
"Jean-sama … Ahh, mmm… I love you.."
"Clarisse, does it feel good? Am I doing it properly?"
She nodded her head enthusiastically.
Clarisse was now struggling to keep up with the waves of pleasure that Jean was making her feel.
When Jean thrust deep into her, it felt like her body was about to break in half; perhaps due to his large size, every time he would slam again into her, she would feel a deep, heavy sensation springing up from the depths of her body.
"Ah…there…hah…nn…ahh…"
"It feels…too good!"
Jean was now stirring up Clarisse's insides, and it started to make an embarrassing wet sound as he continued to pound into her.
"Clarisse… Can I put it all the way in?"
"Put it all the way in..Ahh.?"
"Yeah, all the way in.."
Clarisse honestly didn't know what was going to happen to her, but in her hot, boiling excitement, she reached out towards him.
"Yes….".
Jean pushed into the innermost depths of her body, holding her body tightly, and Clarisse's mind went blank from the sheer shock of it. Her toes felt as if they were numb, as if her entire body was covered in warm water… He reached down and gently rubbed her sensitive bud, and Clarisse's sensual body shivered and shuddered as she reached her first ever climax.
"Ahhh…!"
Her walls tightened around him as she came, and her body was trembling and shaking still. Jean kept holding her as they both breathed in their own pleasure. When Clarisse's trembling finally subsided, he began to gently suckle on her neck and nibble her earlobes tirelessly without pulling out.
"Ah…!"
Clarisse's body shuddered on its own this time, and her vagina tightened as she tried to suck his cock in. He slowly pulled out of her vagina before thrusting back inside her, now even stronger than before, and an overwhelming rush of pleasure erupted from deep within her as his cock hit the deepest part of her body. She reached her climax and moaned again, this time at the top of her lungs.
"Jean-sa…ah…ahhhhhhh!"
Jean's hands moved to the side of her head and intertwined with her own, and he continued riding on her orgasm. The sound of body slapping and their sweaty bodies colliding with each other's echoed through the air, and before long, Clarisse reached her third climax
of the night due to the crazy amount of pleasure she was receiving from him. After that, every time he thrust into her, she would be gasping and panting like crazy.
"Oh, God, I can't take it any longer… oh, God… deep inside… it feels so good… Jean," she says.
"Is it okay for me to cum inside… or is it better if I don't?"
"Ahhh .. please come inside me, give me all of it..Unn."
As Clarisse squealed softly, Jean finally pumped his entire load into her womb..
"I'm sorry."
As Clarisse lay on the bed after the events that took place, too limp to even raise her arms, she was surprised to see Jean, who had just pulled out of her insides, apologizing to her right from the get-go. He gazed at the pinkish liquid that was a mixture of her virgin blood and the cloudy white fluid he had released inside her as it flowed down her thigh. He was apologetic yet still somewhat pleased with himself. He then moved to gently stroke her body as if he were handling a treasure. His gentle gestures showed her how much he loved her, and that on its own made her tremendously happy.
"I was going to refrain from cumming inside you before our marriage, but it felt so good that I couldn't resist."
Clarisse blushed again at his blunt words. Although they had just performed more embarrassing activities than what he had just said, the power of his blunt words was even more astonishing.
"It's okay, I wanted you to do it too."
"I'll be careful until the wedding. I'm really looking forward to seeing you in your wedding dress."
'That's…!'
Was that his way of saying they'll continue to have sex even when they return home, but he will be more careful to not release inside her until they get married officially?
"Wait for a second while I go get the bath ready."
He wiped off her sticky body with a damp cloth and then cleaned himself up roughly, put on a gown, and rushed to the kitchen to boil some water. Clarisse covered her feverish body with the sheets and dozed off to sleep, this time from exhaustion as she thought about the sensational yet incredibly happy event that had happened to her.
She was awakened by the feeling of him gently lifting her in his arms. Carrying her lightly in his arms, he headed for the bathroom, where the bathtub was filled with steaming hot water.
"Did I wake you up? You must feel uncomfortable not getting yourself cleaned off before sleeping."
"Yes."
She rubbed herself against his neck in a dreamlike state, and the scent of Jean, whom she loved so much, now filled her heart.
"I'm a lucky man. Not only am I able to make love to you, Clarisse, but I'm also able to fulfill my dream of taking a bath together."
'What…? A dream? Bath together?'
Clarisse was very confused by his sudden words, but his will was incredibly firm. Needless to say, once freed from his grip, Jean indulged himself in savoring her body, and while he showed great care for Clarisse's body, he was relentless and continued to tease her even in the bath.
Chapter 35
The next morning, Clarisse slowly opened her eyes and found herself unable to move—Jean's muscular arms were wrapped tightly around her waist from behind.
Despite her initial reservations, she had taken a bath with Jean last night—as he had wished—and he had washed her body thoroughly. He must have cleaned up the bathtub after that, but she was so exhausted that she fell asleep instantly, not even noticing the noise.
She thought back vaguely about last night, the first time they had been physically connected. It had been an amazing experience.
'It was just…amazing…Jean-sama was so gentle,' -she thought to herself
Even now, she could still feel the tingling sensation between her legs. It felt as if he was still inside her. Her body felt heavier than usual, so she might not be able to move much today. Yet Clarisse was happy anyway. It was a strange feeling, as if she had become closer to Jean than ever before. Clarisse slowly closed her eyelids once more and drifted off into the depths of sleep.
"Good morning, Mary!"
Sid arrived while Mary was having breakfast, and Mary couldn't help but smile.
'Wah! He really showed up!'
Furthermore, as one would expect from a man who knows the Margrave's mansion so well, he is quite the tactician, coming in just as the servants were clearing out.
"What are you planning to do today?"
"That's.. I haven't thought of anything…."
Sid, who was dressed in flashy clothes today as well, tilted his head to the side. While the Margrave wore simple and casual clothes—probably for comfort— and Marius mostly wore clothes that were more on the plain side, Sid, however, always seemed to wear flashy outfits. Especially after visiting the town yesterday, she had come to know that Sid's wardrobe was actually quite trendy.
'I knew how he was.., but that's all…'
"How about we go to the park near the mansion? It's slightly cold, but I think you'll be fine if you wear the coat you got yesterday."
"A park?"
"Yeah, there's a tearoom in the park, too. I'll treat you to a cup of tea."
"Treat… me?"
She pouted at him and received a smug nod in return.
" Lord Hansen , you are the third son of a viscount, you know. You don't need to treat me—a servant—to tea, remember? Besides, I am sure that the tearoom is full of aristocrats, so I would stand out if I went."
After she firmly declined his invitation, His face contorted in an unusual display of displeasure
"I don't think it's a good idea to say that about yourself. There's no such thing as a lowly profession, is there? I'm the one who wants to have tea with you. Why should we care about what anyone else thinks? And if you keep a calm and dignified manner, no one will know."
'… I always knew I'm somewhat strange, but this man… he's quite…weird…. How should I put it?'
He's a free spirit….
"Hehehe…"
She couldn't help but smile, and Sid's eyes darted over to her.
'He really is a strange one….'
Mary was well aware of her own tendency to find such "freedom" amusing.
Sid had been feeling restless from the moment he woke up that morning. The entire way to the margrave's mansion, he had been arguing with himself worrying over what to say and where to invite Ma.
Yet, as soon as he saw her lovely face, his worries vanished, and he found himself simply asking her what she would like to do today.
That was the first time in his life he has ever done something like that, and it made him flustered and anxious as he awaited her response.
Then, feeling that she was going to carelessly decline his invitation because he had no plans yet, so he invited her to a park where there was a tearoom, hoping to find some way to spend some time together. However, as he had half-expected, she was hesitant because of her station, and he ended up trying to reassure her too forcefully.
He looked back at Mary's puzzled expression and thought, 'Oh, no… I fucked up again.'
"Hehehe."
Sid couldn't believe his eyes when he saw her smiling so happily.
"You've changed, Sid-sama."
Perhaps because they were in a mansion, she had addressed him as "Lord Hansen" earlier, but when she called him by his name, he instantly felt as if his heart would burst with joy.
Mary added happily, "Oh, I mean it as a compliment when I say that you've changed. I have too. Ah, Now it sounds like I'm tooting my own horn. Hahaha!"
Her words' sounded music to Sid's ears.
Mary laughed a bit and told Sid that, although she could not join him in the tearoom, she would be happy to accompany him to the park.
The remaining two days passed in the blink of an eye, and it was now finally the day that Clarisse and the margrave were scheduled to return from the lake.
During their absence, Sid had shown up to the margrave's mansion every day and had taken Mary out to all sorts of places.
That must have made the situation obvious to the other servants, but surprisingly—perhaps due to their excellent training at the margrave's hand or due to Sid's own tactical mind or some mixture of both—nobody harassed Mary. On the contrary, she actually felt that the others gazed on her more warmly now, which was somewhat embarrassing.
Although she was looking forward to seeing Clarisse and serving her again, she was also a little disappointed that this pleasant vacation would be coming to an end. And she was further somewhat embarrassed to admit that Sid was one reason for her disappointment.
It was late in the evening when Clarisse and Jean made it back to the manor.
'Myyyyyyyyyyy Ladyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!'
When Clarisse came back, she was completely radiant and sparkling. She had always been beautiful, but now she had the added glow of a well-loved woman, and it was clear to Mary what had happened between the two of them during this trip.
The margrave was also overflowing with energy and confidence, and his limited facial expressions made it all too obvious that he was even more captivated by Clarisse than ever before. Basically, it was not an exaggeration to say that his emotions were leaking out when it came to Clarisse.
'Thank God!'
Mary, who greeted Clarisse every morning and took care of her personal needs, naturally knew she and the margrave were not yet truly husband and wife. But the more she got to know the margrave, the more she thought he had something in mind. This also confirmed that he had waited for Clarisse to be more comfortable around him before progressing their relationship further. In any case, as long as their lovemaking was mutually consensual, it wasn't her place to tell Clarisse what she should and should not do. Also, the fact that Clarisse was glowing with joy was more or less what she would have expected from the margrave.
'But I really have to be careful about my morning greetings from now on…The glare he would give me should I accidentally intrude on them! I would simply die!…'
As someone who had known Clarisse since she was a child, it was deeply moving to see her finally climb the ladder of adulthood. Mary had been by her side through everything with the Viscount Farenheit family, and she felt she might very well weep should Clarisse and the margrave have a baby.
While Mary, for her part, was struck by the changes she saw in Clarisse on her return, it seemed that Clarisse was struck by something she saw in Mary as well.
As Mary helped her prepare for bed, she looked at Mary curiously and asked, "Mary, did something good happen to you?"
"Eh, what's this all of a sudden…? No, nothing in particular…" For a moment she was startled, but she decided to feign ignorance. Clarisse did not know that Sid had been coming to the margrave's mansion every day to take her out.
"Hmmmm… your expression is kind of bright…. I don't know… you always said you didn't need a vacation, but I guess you did need a few days off…."
"No, no, no, no, Miss, it's not like that! I always wish to be by your side…."
As she said that, she took the simple day dress that Clarisse had taken off herself—'Yeah… that's what happened…. I knew it….'—to see that there were red marks all over her back. She pretended not to see them as much as possible and quickly continued to help Clarisse get dressed from behind. With her back looking like this… Clarisse would surely be embarrassed if she looked at the front. No, no, she was afraid to look at the front because it would probably be… crazy.
Nevertheless, that was what you'd expect from such a large, healthy adult male… and, well, placing marks where people wouldn't see them if she wore a dress was just how the margrave was—he didn't want her to feel embarrassed by leaving them in obvious places. That's an extra point to the margrave!
Mary was deeply relieved that Clarisse had met the margrave and was finally getting what she deserved, and, after wishing her lady a good night, she went back to her own room.
Jean had been gentle from the start, yet his nightly acts were becoming sweeter and more intense by the day. Tonight too Clarisse found herself gasping for breath, struggling to keep up with him. Even so, his golden eyes always revealed his love and admiration for her, and that alone made her extremely happy.
Although Clarisse had fallen asleep immediately afterward that first time, after a few more times, she was able to stay awake. But still Jean insisted that it was his responsibility to help her wash up, which was always embarrassing to be honest. But, if it made him happy, she was happy, so she let him do as he pleased.
"I am sure it is not enough for you, Jean-sama," Clarisse muttered as she helped him change the messy sheets.
"What isn't?"
"You know how you have a lot of stamina, Jean-sama… and I'm a little… well… inexperienced… I can't do it so many times… and I can't promise I'll be able to soon… but in the future… I'll be more experienced so that you can be fully satisfied…."
"Clarisse." He stopped changing the sheets and walked over from the other side of the bed.
She felt her face turning red at what she had just uttered, and she couldn't help but look down.
He stopped a few feet from her. "I'm satisfied from the bottom of my heart, Clarisse."
"…Um."
"If we didn't feel comfortable with each other, these acts would be meaningless, wouldn't they? You don't have to force yourself to do it more times than you can. I'm fully satisfied with just seeing you enjoy yourself. What more could I possibly want?"
He gently brushed through her chestnut-colored hair and added in a gentle tone, "What pleases me most is that I get to be your first and last man."
"I love you, Jean-sama." She couldn't hold back and hugged the large, firm body in front of her, and he squeezed her in return.
"I love you."
Clarisse raised her crimson-flushed face and her fiancé—with his silver hair and golden eyes and an impossibly tender expression—kissed her gently.
It was several days later that Marius came to the margrave's mansion, bringing along with him information he had gathered regarding Mary.
"You came back quite quickly," Jean said, raising an eyebrow, when he saw Marius in his office with the research report.
It was a little over a week ago that he and Clarisse had gone off to the lake. Assuming that Marius had left for the royal capital—a three day journey from here—it would be safe to assume that he had gotten a reply in the shortest possible time.
"Yeah, it wasn't particularly difficult to investigate; it seems it was a relatively well-known story around there."
Marius placed a stack of reports on Jean's desk, and Jean proceeded to skim through them carefully.
"I see… a simple-minded man with good intentions was deceived and lost his fortune…."
Mary's father, Baron Roosevelt, was a naturally good-natured man. He lost his fortune rapidly, because he believed false stories that he would make a lot of money if he invested in some business. The Roosevelt family, which had no power to begin with, was quickly and easily destroyed. However, the baron was well known for his good character, and the people around him extended helping hands as much as they were able. It was said that the Viscount of Farenheit took Mary in because he pitied the young girl who was not yet old enough to be on the street. Currently, the former baron was reported to be living quietly in the countryside with his wife. Mary had an older brother who followed his parents and now worked hard as the fallen family's breadwinner.
After a few minutes, Jean set down the papers. "Is it possible to have the title restored?"
"Well, I don't know. To begin with, It was more than 10 years ago…"
"It's not like he was a criminal punished for horrid sins; if anything, he was a victim of fraud, right? Could we ask the king to do it? It would make all the difference if they could at least have their title back, even if it's only a name." Jean folded his arms and—without any pretense—revealed the card he held in reserve. "That reminds me, the king has told me that, if I want another reward, I can always ask for it, so that's perfect."
Marius shrugged in response. "Are you doing this for Sid's sake?"
"Yeah."
No matter how free of a spirit Sid was or how capable he thought he was, it would be almost impossible for him to take Mary, a servant, as his lawful wife, even in this remote province so far from the royal capital. At the very most, he could take her as his mistress but not as an official wife. But if she were to become Mary, the daughter of Baron Roosevelt—a noblewoman—even in name alone, it would be a different story. It might be difficult in a royal city with many nobles, but no one would have any complaints if she lived here under Jean's rule.
And once married, Mary would already be the wife of the third son of Viscount Hansen, and there would be no problem even if she moved to the royal capital after that. Jean knew Sid's parents—the Viscount and Viscountess Hansen—quite well, and believed that, if they knew Mary as a baron's young daughter, they probably would not object to their son marrying her.
Perhaps Sid was thinking of having Mary adopted by some noble family and then marrying her. But the best method would be to have her own family's title restored.
"As his cousin, I'm grateful you're thinking this through. Well, I guess both of us have never really seen Sid like that before, so I can understand…."
"Once we find out what Mary thinks of Sid and determine that it's necessary, I'll make arrangements immediately. Either way, I'll have to write to inform the king of the wedding date."
"The wedding?" Hearing this for the first time, Marius asked back, and Jean nodded.
"Yes, Clarisse wants us to hold our wedding ceremony in the spring; once spring comes, we will become lawfully married."
Marius flashed a big smile on his handsome face. "Well, you both seem like a couple already, but… congratulations, Jean."
Jean—the stiff man that he was—only ever loosened up when he discussed Clarisse, and now too cracks appeared in his stony facade as he expressed his gratitude for Marius' blessing, "Thank you."
'I'm genuinely grateful that Clarisse-sama came to Jean…'
Marius's heart lightened up as if a flower had blossomed when he thought of the happiness that this lonely man, whom he admired so, had achieved.
Jean's face quickly lost the expression it was near to completing. "And, have you found out anything about that Cedric guy?"
Marius was now accustomed both to Jean's stony expressionlessness and his propensity to change subjects without warning. He was neither particularly surprised nor amused and pointed to the report he had just handed over. "Yes, Cedric Anderson, Viscount Anderson's legitimate son. It seems his parents were quite close to the Baron Roosevelt family."
"Ah, Clarisse did mention him being a viscount."
"The Viscount Anderson family themselves seem to be a very ordinary noble family. They were very active in helping the Baron Roosevelt family when it was being stripped down."
"I see."
"I have a brief report on Cedric's current activities, so take a look at it. If you read it and require any further information, please let me know, and I'll look into it…. —Oh, and this is what you asked for." Marius handed Jean a thick envelope containing a letter. "This is from Viscountess Farenheit to Lady Clarisse."