Ch.55Successor (1)

“Ah…! It’s already this late.”

As the sun sets, Ines mentions her need to leave work, both pleased and tired.

Today was exhausting with so many things happening. I need to hurry home and rest while being pampered by my husband.

‘Hehe, warm and cozy—’

[You smell.]

‘—ugh…!’

Ines, who had been indulging in happy fantasies, suddenly recalls Jeanne’s words like a flash of memories, and her mood instantly sours.

With a slight frown, Ines carefully sniffs herself to check if Jeanne’s words were true.

‘I-I should… wash up first.’

Though she detects no odor, Ines can’t help feeling anxious.

As someone who enjoys bathing as a hobby, Ines cannot simply ignore comments about her body odor.

If she truly smells and her husband notices, it would be absolutely disastrous.

“Um… husband, I think I’ll take a bath first…”

“Oh? Alright, go ahead.”

Claude is slightly puzzled by Ines’s attitude but quickly assumes she’s concerned about Jeanne’s comment about her smell, and accepts it without much thought.

With Claude’s permission, Ines bows her head slightly and quickly leaves the office.

“Brother, may I go too?”

Seeing this, Chloe hesitates before speaking up, also expressing her desire to bathe.

It seems Jeanne’s words bothered Chloe as well.

She couldn’t bring it up first due to the pressure of attending to me, but after seeing Ines get permission so easily, she seems to have made up her mind.

“Wait a moment, Chloe. Let me see…”

“…?”

Surprised by Claude’s unexpected response, Chloe tilts her head slightly in confusion.

Until now, my brother has immediately granted all my wishes except for my desire to become his lover. Of course, I’ve never intentionally taken advantage of this, but I can’t help finding this a bit strange.

“Ah, here it is.”

After rummaging through his sleeve for a while, Claude hands Chloe a small box.

The box is very white and covered with a slight fuzz on the outside.

“Here, take it.”

“What is this—oh?!”

Chloe, who received the somewhat oddly shaped box as a gift, looks puzzled at first, but is soon greatly surprised.

The box splits in half, and brilliant light pours out from within.

The interior, lined with mirrors, not only emphasizes its contents but makes them appear even more beautiful.

“This is… a ring…?”

A ring decorated with gold thread and diamonds on a silver base proudly displays its elegance.

Chloe’s trembling hand slowly reaches for the ring.

“You asked for it before, didn’t you? I’m sorry it took so long, but something like this doesn’t get made right away.”

“B-brother…”

Chloe had received a promise of a ring from her brother, but as time passed without receiving it, she had grown increasingly anxious.

Just as she was worrying that her brother might have forgotten and was about to bring it up again, this happened.

Chloe’s voice, initially joyful, gradually changes to a tearful one.

“Well… but it’s different from Ines’s ring. I don’t know if it matters now, but when I placed the order, you and I weren’t in that kind of relationship—”

*Hug*

“—!?”

Chloe interrupts Claude’s words as if she doesn’t want to hear any more.

By embracing him with all her might.

“It doesn’t matter. Of course, all rings from you are precious, but wouldn’t it be better to have my own ring rather than wearing one identical to Ines’s?”

“I… guess so?”

Such… impressive force. I can only respond affirmatively.

Back then, I had made a different style of ring because I felt it inappropriate to give my sister a wedding ring, but Chloe doesn’t seem to mind that fact at all.

Of course she doesn’t.

We’ve come too far. No matter how much others might deny it, the fact remains that we’ve been intimate dozens of times.

“Besides, your ring isn’t exactly the same as Ines’s either, right? Thank you so much… for making a ring just for me.”

*Kiss*

“…”

Chloe’s lips touch my cheek.

Though many things happened after being forcibly paired with Chloe, I had always treated her as my sister until then, so I still felt somewhat uncomfortable with “that” kind of physical contact.

But this kiss feels completely different.

It’s soft, warm, comforting… and I feel no desire whatsoever. I sense only pure goodwill and gratitude.

“Will you… put it on for me?”

“…Sure.”

With a blushing face, Chloe extends her hand to me, and I silently nod, placing the ring on the ring finger of her left hand.

Haha… I never thought I’d end up like this.

If my past self from a year ago could see me now, I’d get a punch—no, a knife thrown at me.

“Hee, heehee…”

Seeing the ring on the ring finger of her left hand, Chloe seems greatly satisfied, recalling the meaning of the ring I had told her about before.

But… that… um… it’s a terribly disrespectful comparison, but Chloe’s smile is more greedy than beautiful. Like someone who has obtained a certain ring.

I almost expect her to start jumping around shouting “My precious…!” It’s a bit chilling.

“Ahem…”

I’m so startled by Chloe’s dark expression, which I haven’t seen in a while, that I almost choke.

Whether it’s bright Chloe or dark Chloe, both are cute, but I’m still not used to the latter.

“Eek!? Ah, ahaha… Thank you, brother.”

After rejoicing for a while, Chloe suddenly realizes what she’s doing and her face instantly fills with shame.

She still looks cute to me, but it seems Chloe considers it quite an unseemly appearance.

“You were cute. Can you do it again?”

“Ugh…! D-don’t tease meee…”

I’m serious though.

There’s a strange charm to Chloe when she’s suffering from embarrassment. When I tease her, she protests with a melting voice, which automatically makes the corners of my mouth turn upward. All the stress from work just flies away.

…Maybe I should tease her a bit more.

“I’m not teasing. Look, your face is all red like an apple…”

“Uuu… I said don’t tease me!!”

At my repeated words, Chloe raises her voice slightly and hits my body repeatedly as if throwing a tantrum.

Chloe, who had always been submissive to me, began to express her emotions more after our first night together. It seems her mental burden has been greatly reduced.

Indeed, I prefer Chloe this way.

………

“Haaaaaah…”

Baths really are wonderful.

My body becomes languid, my eyes close naturally, and I feel slightly buoyant in the water—it’s truly amazing.

Even if I don’t need to remove any odor, a daily bath is essential.

…Odor?

‘Odor… huh.’

That bitch.

Not only did she send my husband’s people to their deaths, but she also insulted me like that.

As if looking at me with such disrespect wasn’t enough… saying I smell?

…Ha.

“Are you there?”

“Yes, Lady Ines.”

A servant outside the bathroom responds to Ines’s call.

“Where is that bitch now?”

“The witch is being treated as a traitor and is in the underground prison. However, by order of the Duke, she’s been provided with high-quality bedding.”

“Hmmmm…”

I can’t touch her carelessly then.

If my husband has provided that bitch with good bedding, it means she has some use. I can’t play with her.

Indeed, that bitch does have something. She knows information she shouldn’t know as if it’s obvious.

To someone like me who has observed countless people, she didn’t seem to be lying.

“Leave her be for now.”

“Yes, Lady Ines.”

Geniuses with magical abilities bordering on insight appear rarely, perhaps once every few centuries.

While it’s unlikely that bitch is such a genius, there’s a good chance she possesses some degraded version of such ability. It would make sense if she bewitched the people with that insight.

For now, I’ll leave her alone, and when her usefulness diminishes, I’ll deal with her then.

*Bubble bubble*

‘Ahhhhh…’

To clear her mind of distracting thoughts, Ines completely submerges herself in the bathwater.

With her entire body enveloped in hot water, she feels only refreshment and can’t think of anything else. It feels so good.

‘Haaaaaah… This is ni—’

*Jolt*

‘—!?’

But that peace vanishes in an instant.

Submerged, Ines suddenly feels a slight nausea along with heart palpitations, startling her and causing her to lose balance.

Surprised, Ines inhales, resulting in water entering her airway.

*Splash!*

“Cough—! Cough—!!”

“Lady Ines?!”

Barely managing to surface, Ines continuously coughs to expel the water from her airway. Hearing this, the servant waiting outside rushes in.

“I’ll call a doctor right away—”

“Cough…! No, I’m… fine…”

Ines stops the servant from calling a doctor.

Partly because she recalls her husband’s complaints about the poor skills of doctors, but there’s another decisive reason.

Though there’s still a slightly sour taste in her mouth, Ines pays no attention to it.

*Stroke*

“This, this is…”

Come to think of it… her monthly cycle hasn’t come for a month now.

Instinctively realizing something, Ines gently caresses her lower abdomen with her hand, then blushes with a smile.