Chapter 97 – The Ice Duke’s Mindset (8)

A kiss with a woman devoid of emotions.

Surprisingly…not unpleasant.

Her cool touch, a welcome contrast to the oppressive heat, her soft lips surprisingly…responsive. Even after the kiss ended, her expression remained impassive, an icy mask, but her breathing had quickened, a subtle betrayal of her…physical reaction.

“Are you alright?” I asked, my own heart beating a little faster than usual.

“What…is the meaning of this…?”

While she lacked emotions, she wasn’t devoid of sensation. Her body had responded to my touch, her initial stiffness melting away as the kiss deepened. I’d been prepared for awkwardness, for revulsion, but…there’d been none of that.

The problem, however, was…

“Teacher…?”

Adela stood there, her eyes wide, her expression a mixture of confusion and…something else…

She’d navigated the maze with surprising speed, her earlier clumsiness replaced by a newfound…grace.

I braced myself for the inevitable confrontation, but Esther, ever the pragmatist, smoothly wiped her lips and rose to her feet.

“You’re slow, Adela.”

“Sister! What were you doing with Teacher?”

“You saw everything. Must I narrate the…obvious?”

Crack.

The air around Adela crackled, the grass at her feet withering, turning brown and brittle. Tiny ice spikes materialized in her hands, her gaze hardening, her usual playful demeanor replaced by a chilling intensity.

Esther’s spear slammed into the ground.

“Foolish child.”

Winter descended upon the lakeshore, the sun’s warmth instantly extinguished, its light now a pale, sterile imitation of its former glory.

The ice spikes in Adela’s hands, the small ice castle she’d constructed near the shore, shattered under the onslaught of Esther’s power, a wave of frigid energy that swept across the landscape, leaving a trail of frost and frozen vegetation in its wake.

Adela’s small form was flung backwards, landing in a heap on the frozen ground.

The Ice Duke. A force of nature.

Adela, still mastering the rudiments of her Unique Magic, was no match for Esther’s raw power.

“Pathetic! Do you believe such…infantile emotions…can fuel true power? Do you think you can command this winter storm with such…petty jealousy?”

“Ugh…”

“You have much to learn. That man, at least, managed to…challenge me.” She conveniently omitted the part where he’d soundly defeated her.

Esther’s words, though harsh, were carefully calculated, designed to ignite Adela’s competitive spirit, to fuel the fires of her jealousy.

It was all part of the plan, a carefully orchestrated performance.

“He’s…quite impressive, actually. Far more suitable as a…partner…than a…sniveling child like you.”

“That’s…not true!”

“Perhaps not now. But who knows? If you fail to master your Unique Magic…I might just…stay.”

Esther withdrew her spear, the icy aura receding, the frozen landscape slowly thawing under the returning warmth of the sun. She crushed the withered grass underfoot as she delivered the final blow, a sly glance in my direction.

“Thank you, Adela,” she said, her voice laced with a subtle…mockery…the tone of a woman stealing her younger sister’s lover. “For summoning me.”

***

That night, Adela arrived at the store, her eyes red and swollen, tears streaming down her face. She sobbed uncontrollably, her cries so pitiful that even the iron hounds wouldn’t have dared to turn her away.

“Teacher! Open the door! Please!”

Esther’s handiwork, no doubt.

I sighed and let her in.

“Hic! Teacher! He’s…mine! But…Sister…she…she…”

“There, there. Come here. Sit down.”

I gestured towards the large freezer I’d recently acquired.

She sniffled, pointing hesitantly at the appliance.

“Here?”

“Yes. Just…try it on for size.”

“Okay…”

She climbed inside, curling up like a cat settling into a box.

A perfect fit. Plenty of room for ice cream later.

I patted her head, offering a comforting smile. The goal was to stoke her jealousy, not to reduce her to a puddle of tears.

“Is this about Esther…taking an interest in me?”

“Yes! Sister…she always gets what she wants! And I’m…I’m not good at anything! And…and if this keeps up…you’ll…you’ll…”

“That’s not true. You have your own…unique…qualities.”

“Really?”

“Of course. Like…”

Like what, exactly?

Her magic was…underwhelming. Esther outclassed her in every conceivable way: social standing, combat experience, magical prowess.

Even her…physical attributes…were…

“Hic…sniff…”

Damn it. I had nothing.

I fumbled in my pocket, retrieving one of the rings I’d purchased at Luchopard.

“Here. A gift.”

“Teacher? But…”

She stared at the ring, her eyes widening, tears welling up again, this time…sparkling, like tiny ice crystals.

“Teacher!”

“Whoa! Easy! Don’t get your…fluids…on me!”

“I love you! I love you so much!”

“Your snot’s freezing! Get off!”

She clung to me, smearing her tears and snot across my shirt like some kind of…affectionate slime monster.

Finally, she pulled back, her expression serious.

“I’ll master my Unique Magic! And I’ll save you from Sister’s clutches!”

“I appreciate the sentiment.”

“I don’t understand what Sister sees in you. It’s…baffling…”

Well, of course it was. It was all an act.

I didn’t believe for a second that Esther was genuinely interested in…me. Her earlier kiss had been more about dominance than desire, a way to reclaim her pride after her defeat.

She’d been surprisingly…inexperienced…and rather flustered by her own…physical reaction. The way her eyes had trembled, her lips parted, unable to form words…it had been…unexpectedly endearing.

“And when I surpass Sister…then…” She trailed off, summoning a small ice spike, her eyes gleaming with determination.

I could only nod, offering a reassuring smile.

***

Late that night, after confirming Adela’s clandestine departure from the villa, Esther rose from her bed.

She lit the gas lamp, its flickering light illuminating the room, and stood before the mirror, her reflection a study in contrasts. The thin silk nightgown, provided by the villa, clung to her body, revealing the curves beneath, a stark contrast to the austere uniform she usually wore. Her expression, however, remained impassive, lifeless, like a beautifully crafted doll.

Slender ankles, graceful curves, a narrow waist flaring into generous hips, a full bosom that occasionally proved…inconvenient…when wielding a spear.

She parted her lips, her tongue darting out, a pale flicker in the dim light. She lifted a hand, tracing the wet tip of her tongue with her fingertip, a strange, detached curiosity in her eyes. Her other hand pressed against the elegant curve of her spine.

Chuup.

Her fingers grew sticky.

Saliva pooled in her mouth, trickling down her chin, then sliding back into her throat as she tilted her head.

She explored the inside of her mouth with detached fascination, tracing the soft flesh of her cheeks, lightly scraping her teeth with her fingernail, tugging on her tongue as if reeling in a fish.

“Different.”

She was attempting to replicate Louis’s kiss, to understand the…mechanics…of his touch.

But her body remained unresponsive.

Devoid of emotion, she felt no yearning for his touch, no shame in mimicking his actions. She was simply…experimenting. A mage exploring uncharted territory, a scientist dissecting a specimen.

“Hmm. Inconclusive.”

She wiped her mouth and hands with a handkerchief, then meticulously cleaned the stray droplets of saliva that had dripped onto her cleavage.

He’d been…skilled.

While Adela’s progress was…satisfactory…Esther had…lost.

She’d relinquished control, allowing him to dictate the terms of their…encounter.

She needed a…different approach.

She couldn’t compete with his…experience. He’d clearly been…intimate…with at least two women, including her own sister. Esther, on the other hand, was…uninitiated.

“Hmm…”

She examined her reflection in the mirror, lifting the hem of her nightgown, the silk whispering against her skin. The garment, barely more than a thin veil, was…revealing. Provocative. And on her, with her usual cold, aloof demeanor, the effect was…intoxicating.

She was well aware of the effect she had on men, the way their gazes lingered, their desires…unsubtle.

But as an Archduke, a symbol of power and authority, she’d never indulged such…base desires. Femininity, while…useful…in certain situations, was ultimately a…weakness. A distraction.

But if it meant seeing Louis flustered, if it meant regaining the upper hand, if it meant avoiding a repeat of today’s…humiliation…

“Perhaps…a less…conservative attire is warranted.”

This wasn’t the battlefield. There were no prying eyes here.

She folded her formal attire, the clothes she’d brought from the Rochear estate, and began rummaging through the villa’s wardrobe.

***

“What’s taking her so long?”

I sighed, wiping the sweat from my brow, the midday sun beating down mercilessly.

Adela played by the lakeshore, floating small ice sculptures shaped like ducks. She claimed it was a challenging exercise in balance and mana control.

Progress, nonetheless.

“Hey, did your master have a rough night?” I asked Zikfreed, who stood beside me, his usual stoic silence amplifying the oppressive heat.

“Silence. The Countess will emerge when she deems it appropriate.”

Northerners. So…formal.

I hadn’t noticed the heat so acutely when Esther’s icy presence had been nearby, but now…it was stifling.

I walked towards the lake, intending to splash some water on my face.

As I bent down, cupping my hands, I heard Zikfreed gasp.

“L-Lady Esther?!”

“What is it?” I asked, still bent over.

“Sister…?” Adela’s voice was laced with… something akin to…horror.

“?”

And then Adela, along with her flock of ice ducks, toppled into the lake.

As I straightened up, wiping the water from my face, a cool shadow fell over me.

“Apologies for the delay. We can begin now.”

“Right. Next time, let’s try to…wait…what?”

I looked up, and…froze.

Esther stood before me, her arms crossed, her expression…unreadable.

“That…vacant expression…suits you. Get up. The wind is…unpleasant.”

“Uh…sure…”

“Unless…you’d prefer to remain there…admiring my…undergarments?”

She wasn’t wearing the familiar fur-lined uniform of the Rochear knights. Instead, she wore a thin, almost translucent sundress, the fabric clinging to her body, revealing her shoulders, the curve of her underarms, the gentle swell of her breasts, the smooth lines of her thighs.

My mouth went dry.

This…wasn’t part of the plan.