Ch.102I Have a Girlfriend #5

After sending Holy Hound to the garden first, I headed straight toward Ellen, who would be waiting in front of the room. If she thought I had completely fallen for the temptation and started causing trouble, there would be no solution. At minimum, the mansion would be destroyed, and Holy Hound would disappear without a trace like minced meat.

“Ellen.”

“Your Grace? Why have you come alone? The Duke…”

“He’s still at the banquet hall. Trapped by noblewomen discussing beauty treatments and unable to move.”

I briefly answered Ellen’s question as she tilted her head curiously, then immediately got to the point. I felt that dragging it out too long would increase the chances of making her suspicious.

“Anyway, something urgent has come up. The Count Hound’s daughter has called for me, so I need to go to the central garden.”

“The Count’s daughter?”

A woman is calling for me. And in the dark central garden, no less.

Ellen seemed to understand what this might imply and began to show signs of anxiety. Her entire body trembled, including her eyes, and her tightly pressed lips quivered as well.

“S-surely… you wouldn’t…?”

“Of course not.”

Despite the lack of context in her question, I understood what she was trying to say. She probably thought I might be interested in Holy Hound and was going to abandon them.

Fortunately, Ellen wasn’t the type to immediately display killing intent like Helena, but it was clear she would change her attitude once her anxiety reached its peak. Just seeing her anxious state was enough to know how serious the situation was, requiring immediate action.

To treat such obsessive anxiety, medication would be needed, but unfortunately, no such medicine exists. It might provide temporary stability, but the effects would be fleeting.

“Ahnng…! Ji-on… nim…”

And the most effective way to calm this obsession is intense physical contact like this. If it led to intercourse, that would be even more perfect. That was the result I obtained from experimenting with Helena.

However, since time was short now, I simply firmly grasped her curved breast—which made her clothes nearly scream in protest—and brought my lips close to Ellen’s ear. We were conveniently hidden in darkness, and most people were busy enjoying themselves at the banquet hall. Meaning, there were no prying eyes.

“Do you think I would abandon you all and choose another woman? If you’ve imagined such a thing, erase it from your mind right now. It’s a useless delusion.”

“Yes! I’ll erase it! I’ll erase it…!”

Ellen exhaled heated breaths and spoke with a voice mixed with coquettishness. Her anxiety had long since disappeared, and she seemed to be anticipating what might happen next. The way she subtly leaned into me and twisted her body made me think so.

I squeezed her breast more firmly and whispered in the deepest voice I could manage. Even I thought it was quite despicable, but… there was no choice.

“Holy Hound wants to know information about our territory. I don’t know if she’s acting on the Count’s orders or instructions from someone higher up or of equal rank.”

“Aah…! So that’s it…”

“So I plan to pretend to fall for her seduction while trying to uncover her intentions. I’m not sure if it will work, but I want to try. But as I said earlier, I have absolutely no interest in Holy Hound. Because…”

Because you and Helena taste much better.

With those final words, I removed my hand from her breast and placed it on Ellen’s cheek as she sighed with disappointment.

Though it was necessary, I felt I had gone too far. It felt like I was treating Ellen and Helena like objects.

At this point, it’s beyond just saying “I had no choice.” I thought that way, but seeing the actual recipient enjoying it so much made things even more complicated. I couldn’t decide whether to sigh with relief or frustration.

Her gaze was as hazy as if she were on drugs, her cheeks flushed red. And the way she carefully reached out her hand as if deeply regretful. If someone were to see Ellen right now, they could probably guess what had happened. Her expression was too easy to read.

“Right. Since you’re a good girl, Ellen, when Helena arrives, relay my message exactly as I told you. And please make sure she doesn’t interfere.”

“Yes, Ji-on nim…”

Ellen answered with a voice full of coquetry. This was all good, but I felt reluctant to leave just like this. So to ease that reluctance a little, I gave her a light kiss. It was probably what people commonly call a bird kiss.

“Well then, I’ll be back.”

After giving my final farewell, I headed toward the central garden where Holy Hound would be waiting. I had briefly glimpsed it during the day, but it truly seemed like a well-planned park.

It looked like a good place to rest under the shade of trees planted in quiet corners, and it also seemed pleasant to take a stroll while viewing the well-maintained garden in the open space. It was the kind of place that seemed to say, “This is the standard for nobility.”

“I apologize for keeping you waiting, my lady.”

I bowed slightly, appearing somewhat excited with anticipation. I added the nonsense that I was late because I had been fixing my appearance. To create the illusion that I had deliberately taken my time because I wanted to look good for her.

“Your Grace bowing to me! You have every right to do so, please raise your head!”

Holy, who had been waiting at the edge of the garden, took my hand with a very flustered expression. When I raised my head at the sound of her voice, I noticed a faint look of superiority on her face. Though subtle, her pride seemed to have grown from making a Grand Duke bow to her.

“Yes. Thank you.”

I showed an appropriately exaggerated demeanor, even sighing as if truly relieved. People who live with me might have noticed immediately, but Holy Hound was meeting me for the first time. Though she might have heard rumors about me, there was a high chance she couldn’t grasp my true impression.

“Hoho. You’re much more interesting than the rumors suggested. Now, this way…”

Holy Hound headed toward a corner of the garden without letting go of my hand. She even squeezed it tightly to ensure she wouldn’t lose her grip. Though it wasn’t much force from a woman who wasn’t trained like Helena, her intentions seemed quite obvious.

Though everyone here probably knows her, I also applied pressure to her hand, indicating that I would fall for her seduction. I had subtly revealed my intention.

“You even have wooden chairs placed in a spot like this?”

“Yes. When my father feels stuffy or has a headache, he sits here to rest. He also comes here to contemplate.”

I exchanged various remarks about what looked like a bench you might find in a modern park. A wooden bench placed under the shade of a tree. It did seem like a good place to rest or organize thoughts, as Holy Hound said, but I strongly felt there was more to it than just that.

It might be my prejudice, but the position was too perfect for hiding from people’s eyes. It was as if it was explicitly inviting someone to make a move.

“Um… I have many things I’d like to ask Your Grace, if it’s not too presumptuous, could we talk? Some questions might be too heavy to discuss at the banquet hall…”

“Yes, let’s do that. I wanted to talk with you too.”

Holy Hound sat down on the bench as if proving that her bottom was heavier than her questions. Because of that, I found myself sitting next to her on the bench, pulled by this woman’s weight. I could have resisted if I wanted to, but there was no need.

Resisting while holding hands because I didn’t want to sit next to her? Just imagining it seemed quite foolish.

“Your Grace…”

.

“I feel like I’m dying…”

Thirty minutes after Ji-on Altram left the banquet hall.

Having escaped the noblewomen’s offensive, Helena headed to her room, saying she needed to take a break. She also thought Ji-on might be in the room since he wasn’t at the banquet hall.

As she trudged toward her destination with slumped shoulders,

“You’ve arrived.”

Ellen, who was guarding the door of their assigned room, bowed her head to greet Helena. Ellen, who already had dark skin, was wearing black clothes, making her form difficult to discern. If she were to hide in a dark corner, eight out of ten people would surely pass by without noticing her.

“Yes. Is Ji-on inside?”

“The Grand Duke has gone out. He left a message saying he was going to the garden.”

“The garden…? Alone?”

When Helena tilted her head and asked, Ellen relayed Ji-on’s message as if she had been waiting for this moment. She explained everything from beginning to end without omission, calmly to avoid any misunderstanding.

However, she omitted the grace Ji-on had bestowed upon her during the explanation. She knew well that there was nothing to gain by mentioning it.

“I see? So that’s how it is…”

After hearing the full story, Helena fell into contemplation, stroking her chin. Despite having much to say and feeling her insides boiling, she remained remarkably calm. If Ji-on hadn’t understood the intention, it would have caused a major incident after she found his trace.

“Ellen. You go inside and wait in the room. I’ll find Ji-on and bring him back.”

Even if it was an act, it would be very difficult for him to break it off and leave on his own. Helena thought this as she immediately headed toward the garden. Even if it was an act, she disliked another woman fawning over him by his side.

Of course, there were exceptions like Ellen, but those were exceptions among exceptions. Knowing that satisfaction would decrease even if she had him all to herself on ruins, she wanted to protect him. Helena knew that the environment was also an important prop for a satisfying relationship.

He’s nearby.

Helena carefully moved toward the corner of the garden where she sensed Ji-on’s presence. To avoid interfering with what Ji-on was doing, she suppressed her presence and even her footsteps. Her skill was so excellent that if the Assassin’s Guild had seen this, they would have urged her to join.

—My, how modest you are. Your Grace is quite an extraordinary person.

—But… the situation is still unstable, isn’t it? If Helena abandons you, that’s the end.

—Oh my. Are you not confident?

As she listened carefully, she heard a very irritating conversation. The female clinging tightly to Ji-on in the distance was also irritating.

Helena bit her lip hard and approached the ongoing tryst. She had hidden her footsteps and presence, and the distance was still considerable. So it was natural that the female didn’t notice her.

Blood flowed from Helena’s bitten lip, and the scene she was spying on while hiding behind a tree was too irritating. Even if it was temporary, she disliked allowing someone to covet her position.

However, even in the midst of this, Helena restrained herself and eavesdropped on the conversation. During the conversation, Ji-on seemed to notice as he looked directly in the direction where Helena was hiding. So the gazes of the couple naturally met.

—Thank you for your concern.

Ji-on smiled with his eyes toward Holy, or more precisely, toward Helena who would be behind her. In response, Holy Hound momentarily forgot what she was supposed to do and thought she wanted to enjoy this time.

Fortunately, it was just a momentary thought, but because of it, Holy Hound’s psychology began to waver significantly. Ji-on pretended to lean on Holy Hound and continuously uttered the sweetest words he could muster. It was as if he had noticed her wavering.

—For someone like you to evaluate me so highly… it gives me confidence.

—Yes. Your Grace is certainly someone who can hold your head high wherever you go.

Holy thought this was the moment and boldly fell into Ji-on’s arms.

Not to harm Ji-on Altram, but to gain his favor by offering her daughter as tribute and to uncover his true intentions. That was what Brown Hound was aiming for, and Holy also knew and accepted this. She thought it was her duty to become entangled with other nobles at such social gatherings.

Additionally, the thought of enjoying him made Holy Hound bold. Although the goal was to reach intimacy, the progress was much faster than originally anticipated. It was evidence that she had genuinely fallen for Ji-on Altram without even realizing it.

—Your Grace. Please rest comfortably now. I will comfort you…

Melt him with a woman’s body, and in that gap, subtly extract information. Holy recalled what she had done many times before and raised her head to claim Ji-on’s lips. It was because her desire to enjoy beyond duty took precedence.

“How dare you…!”

Holy’s actions had already crossed the line. Helena had endured even when she subtly belittled her, and she had borne it despite finding it detestable.

However, she could not forgive using him as an excuse to covet Ji-on Altram. When such anger pushed through her reason and urged her to move.

“Huh…?”

In Helena’s hand was something thin, straight, and black, resembling a twig.