Chapter 19
“Hmm?”
“I’ve overlooked the most important part.”
Huh, did that just work?
I blinked up at Tessarion, trying to read his thoughts and emotions. He straightened up and grabbed my wrist tightly.
“Marital relations. They’re important.”
He closed the safe distance between us by a step. Startled, I backed away. Tessarion tilted my chin up and locked my gaze onto his.
“Where should I start? Kissing? Foreplay? Do you even know where to touch?”
“E-Eh?”
“Well…”
What? What’s with the long sigh? What do you mean “well”?
I was dumbfounded. Sure, I had higher hygiene standards than most people in this world, but I prided myself on having lived more freely than this war demon.
“First, don’t look away from your partner. The eyes reveal the truth.”
Tessarion leaned in, his breath brushing against me. It felt weird. Seriously, he could just say it—why did it suddenly get so serious?
“D-Duke… H-How could I possibly look you in the eye…”
My voice cracked like a goat’s as I took another step back. My eyes darted everywhere. Damn it. Asking someone from a Confucian country to maintain eye contact with a superior? What about social order and military courtesy?
“Roy.”
He called my name gently as he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me close. Thump—my heart crashed in my chest. Every hair on my body stood on end like static shock.
“If your partner is flustered or tense like you are now, say something sweet. Be honest. Whisper it in their ear… or on the nape of their neck…”
His warm breath barely grazed my ear—touch—and pulled back.
“EEEK!”
I jolted reflexively, tripped on the edge of the bed, and fell backward. Right onto the soft, luxurious Giant Mountain Goat hide.
And just like that, Tessarion ended up hovering over me, our eyes locking.
“Focus. You asked me to teach you, and now you’re acting like I’m forcing you. It’s annoying.”
“Huh? N-No, I—”
“At least pretend to go along with it.”
“Y-Yes! Got it…”
I replied instinctively, but my mind was in total chaos. Is this okay? Is this really what I’m supposed to be doing?
Swallowing hard, I tried to calm my racing heartbeat. Through blurry eyes, I focused on his damp, dark gray hair and brows. I began humming the national anthem in my head. Damn this regression side effect. Wait—what was the anthem’s first line again? I’ve lived here for 50 years!
“Show your sincerity until your partner allows you to kiss them.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Cut off meaningless talk by calling their name. Draw their attention.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Roy.”
“Yes, yes.”
“Roy…”
As he softly brushed my forehead, his voice lowered—and then he nibbled my earlobe. Touch. The wet sound made goosebumps spread down my spine.
“YEEEK?!”
“…You’re not concentrating, are you?”
“I-I am concentrating!”
Tessarion frowned and pushed my wrist above my head.
“Are you just going to keep answering half-heartedly?”
What was I supposed to say?
I stared at him, wide-eyed and speechless. Tessarion clicked his tongue. Only then did I remember his earlier instruction to pretend to match his tone. But how was I supposed to do that?
While I searched my scrambled brain for the right words, he spoke first.
“When someone calls your name, you should call theirs too.”
“Ah… Duke—Your Grace?”
Like this?
I tilted my head, raising my voice slightly as I looked up at him. Tessarion sighed like I was hopeless and looked away.
“That’s my title, not my name. Who the hell calls someone by their title in bed…”
“Tessarion.”
I shut my eyes tightly and forced his name out. It was the first time I had spoken it aloud since possessing this body. No sane person would dare utter the name of the North’s ruler, the ruthless war demon, Duke Tessarion Claremont.
I felt his heavy gaze bearing down on me.
“…?”
Why wasn’t he saying anything? Was it too quiet? Or was it because I closed my eyes?
I let out a shaky breath and cracked my eyes open.
“Tessarion…”
“……!”
The moment our eyes met, he jumped up—and stormed out of the room.
It happened so fast.
SLAM!
He slammed the door so hard, the entire building trembled. I lay there on the bed, clutching my chest.
My heart thundered against my palm.
“What the…?”
What was that?
Outside the door, I heard Sir Winston and another knight asking Tessarion what had happened.
Only then did I realize—he was the one who left my sight first. He ran away.
Exactly what I wanted.
And yet… why did I feel so uneasy?
I slowly got up and hesitantly walked toward the bedroom door. I needed to make things clear—just in case he tried to backtrack later and kill Roy Dover’s little sister.
“Your Grace? Is something wrong?”
I called as I tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge. I knocked frantically and whimpered pathetically.
“Your Grace? Please don’t do this. Your Grace, open the door. Did I do something wrong? Sniff… I did everything you ordered. How could you just leave me like this? Please, don’t hurt my siblings… please…”
Even as I scrunched up my nose dramatically, I couldn’t stop my lips from curling into a smile.
“H-Huff, huff… what?”
Tessarion covered his mouth to stop his heavy breathing.
This was strange. No matter how hard he trained with a sword, he never got this winded. Not even when Roy showed him that sleazy book. But now, his heart pounded wildly, and his mind went blank.
“Your Grace, are you alright?”
Winston gently placed a hand on his shoulder. Tessarion, still stunned, turned slowly to face him.
“I need to cool my head.”
“Shall I accompany you?”
“No. I’m fine.”
He waved off Winston, but then—
Rattle.
A soft trembling came from behind the door.
“Your Grace, what’s wrong?”
Roy’s trembling voice slipped through the crack.
Tessarion clutched the doorknob tightly, unsure why—but he felt like he had to.
Winston and another knight looked at him, confused.
“Your Grace, please don’t do this. Open the door. Did I do something wrong? Sniffle… I did everything you said… How can you just leave me? Please, don’t kill my siblings…”
Roy’s sobs leaked through the door.
What the hell was going on?
The junior knight on guard looked at Winston for answers. But even Winston—who had served the Claremonts since the previous duke—was completely thrown off.
How long had it been since Tessarion returned victorious from the Northern Front?
Late one night, he carried a fledgling knight servant into his chambers—and ever since, Roy was constantly at his side.
With war looming and chaos all around, no one dared gossip. But the entire staff watched Tessarion and Roy Dover with eyes full of suspicion.
