Chapter 350
“But if Baron Sommerden gets into trouble because of me…”
It was obvious what people would chew him out about behind his back, but in any case, he was Duke Bayern’s aide, wasn’t he?
Even if his family was low in the ladder of aristocratic hierarchy, the power Hozi personally possessed rivaled that of most count families.
Moreover, if it was that shady fellow, he would return more than what he received.
There was probably no worry in the world more useless than this.
He expressed his timid dissatisfaction in a low voice and swept his fingertips up Nina’s side.
“…It means there is no need for you to worry about that man.”
“Honey, i-it tickles…!”
He did not want to share even his wife’s smallest bit of attention with anyone else.
He was feeling an absurd thirst because of the disparity with the past, and yet he had to share his wife’s attention with someone like Hozi.
If she had the mind to worry about a man like that, he wished she would pay a little more attention to her husband instead.
Was this just absurd greed?
“You said you would let me rest today…!”
When Ash’s hand swept up her curved side and slipped under her arms, Nina squirmed.
“I will keep my promise.”
He pressed down on her rounded chest with his palm and slowly pressed his lower body down.
The hardened part buried itself between her plump behind.
“…Because I’m only going to rub.”
Ash lowered his upper body and whispered beside her ear.
From the moment she had let slip her worries about another man without knowing her husband’s burning feelings, it had been destined to become like this.
He overlaid his firm chest on her small back.
In a posture that covered her like a mother bird sheltering its young, he let out a low moan and moved his body.
“Huu…”
In his heart, he wanted to burrow into that warm and wet embrace, but he desperately endured while thinking of the next day.
With his lips pressed to Nina’s round forehead, he rubbed himself against her for a long time.
“Sweet dreams.”
And after pressing his lips to Nina’s forehead, who had fallen asleep after receiving his desire for quite some time, he quietly slipped away.
It was because he had seen torches flickering outside the window.
When he opened the side gate of the villa, a figure wearing a black hood appeared before it.
It was an imperial investigator.
“What is it?”
…He had told them to report after midnight if there was anything unusual about Marquis Crewe and Rebecca.
“Your Grace, Duchess Nord’s maid has moved.”
Ash’s lips rose crookedly.
He had expected that if he provoked Marquis Crewe, they would show movement, but to think results would appear in only a few hours.
“Where did she move?”
“That is…”
At the investigator’s following report, his gray eyes flashed fiercely.
He could tell that this time, too, they were moving with his wife as their target.
* * *
Unlike other countries, the Nesman Empire did not set a state religion and acknowledged freedom of religion by adopting a policy of polytheism.
The moment one religion was adopted as the state religion, power would become concentrated.
Most of the empire’s citizens would become believers of the religion adopted as the state religion.
Officially, it was said to be to prevent religious wars, but in truth, the intention was to prevent the power of the temple from surpassing that of the Imperial Family.
There had once been a time when the pope of the state religion held power that overwhelmed the Emperor, the Imperial Family had no choice but to keep religion in check.
In any case, for the reasons above, various temples had taken root in the capital, and among them, the place that had taken charge of Lara’s grandmother’s funeral was the temple of Hovud.
It was a temple that served the god who governed the afterlife, she had somehow thought it would be gloomy, but unexpectedly, it had a warm and gentle atmosphere.
“Duchess Bayern, thank you for visiting the temple of Hovud.”
Nina, who had entered the temple while holding Lara’s hand, nodded to the priest who had come out to greet her.
Today was the day the New Year Festival was being held, but because they could not delay the funeral any longer, she had visited the temple.
“…Let’s go say goodbye to your grandmother.”
Nina held Lara’s hand and entered the hall.
How many people would there be to mourn the death of a poor person?
In the hall, there were only the priests who had gathered to offer prayers and a few people.
Holding Lara’s hand, Nina walked toward the coffin placed at the very front of the hall.
