The day of the tea party was drawing near. Jerome put together detailed information about the Countess of Jordan, who was the organizer of the tea party that Lucia was to attend, and gave Lucia this information.
The Countess of Jordan was thirty-eight years old. She raised 2 sons and 5 daughters with the Count and her eldest son recently held his social debut party on his 15th birthday. Out of the five daughters, it was an open secret that all except the third one were all illegitimate children. Because the Countess held a lot of interest in gardening, she liked to discuss about such topics and was skillful with music.
'…Is one originally supposed to know such things before going?'
In her dream, no one gave the Countess of Matin any information about the high society. Lucia had started off with knowing absolutely nothing and attended all kinds of parties as she was ordered to.
'Four of the five daughters are illegitimate children?'
Lucia had not known this. The Countess of Jordan as Lucia remembered from her dream was someone who had a fruitful family and vast connections. Lucia had naively thought that the relationship of the Jordan couple must be good since they had a lot of children.
***
Meanwhile, a great storm descended on the calm days of the Countess of Jordan. The tea party which was originally planned for ten people had drawn the attention of many.
There was a line of people mobilizing all sorts of connections and requesting to join. Some people had to be removed and some people had to stay. There was no way to keep it at just ten people. Unable to stand the troubled Countess, her family advised her to completely change the tea party to a garden party.
The Countess usually only held small tea parties. Once in a while, after a long interval, she made up her mind and held one a party on a grand scale once a year.
Eventually, the purpose of the tea party had to be changed and it was to be attended by about 50 previously unplanned people.
***
"The tea party. Are you going?"
After a round of sex, the inside of the bedroom was filled with a strange smell and the atmosphere was sticky. Hugo ran kisses from her back to her neck and brought up what he had been wanting to say all evening.
"Yes. It is tomorrow." (Lucia)
"I think it will be quite tiring." (Hugo)
Hugo was not happy when it came to any variables concerning his wife. He persistently rained kisses on her naked body which lay face down on the bed. He went down the line of her back, reaching to the curve of her behind.
"I didn't realize people would be so interested in me." (Lucia)
It was to the extent that it changed the scale of the tea party. Lucia was quite surprised by this matter. And she realized that the position of Duchess was a greater position than she thought. In order to not lose face for him, she decided that she would buckle up more and engage in social activities.
Hugo chuckled and bit her slightly jiggling, plump white buttocks. Lucia let out a short scream and made a fuss but Hugo looked at the bite mark left on her appetizing mound with satisfaction.
"It's not something to laugh off lightly. Why don't you cancel the occasion tomorrow and pick a different schedule to go?" (Hugo)
"That is not courteous. If I do that, terrible rumors will circulate about me." (Lucia)
Hugo heavily leaned on top of her and deeply whispered in her ear.
"Then they will learn the price of carelessly running their mouth."
Hugo truly meant his words but Lucia didn't pay it any attention. To her, the rumors of high society were not something anyone could handle. She had never seen or heard of anyone trying to track down the source of a rumor because it was unfavorable. It didn't occur to her that he might become the first person to make such an unbelievably foolish attempt.
"If I attend the tea party as arranged tomorrow, such rumors will not arise in the first place. I will not cancel." (Lucia)
"…How stubborn." (Hugo)
"Hng…"
Hugo pushed his penis inside her as he pressed down on her from above. Her insides, wet from the fluids of their previous round, smoothly wrapped around his thing and swallowed it. But it wasn't easy to enter her because she was lying down.
Hugo grabbed her hands, pulling them behind her and supported her waist.
"What time does it end?" (Hugo)
"It starts during the day…Ah…so it should end before nightfal-…Ah." (Lucia)
Each time he rammed into her, it sent tingles up her spine. His hard tip continuously prodded her sensitive part. Lucia squeezed the sheets. His weight moderately pressing down on her made her more excited.
"If halfway, you don't feel up to it, you can leave. You're in a position that can do that." (Hugo)
"Aah!"
"Uk."
Her insides suddenly tightened causing him to stop moving and swallow his breath. As she reached her climax, her inner walls convulsed and tightly clamped down on his member. Lucia's body shook tremblingly and slackened. When her tightness reduced to some extent, Hugo clicked his tongue.
"I haven't even put it in a few times. Already done?" (Hugo)
"Hnng…"
Hugo snickered as he watched her ears turn red.
"At this rate, I will be using my hands later on, my wife."
When he moved his waist again, Lucia let out a scream.
"Wa-wait. Just a moment…Ah…to rest…ang…"
He thrust in strongly.
"You want to be the only one to have fun?"
"Hk. Ah…you bother me…ung…everyday."
"You have to say it the right way. I'm making you feel good."
Hugo grabbed her hips, lifted her butt up and drove his length all the way in. The feeling of him hitting her deepest part was so electrifying that tears welled up in her eyes. His movements grew more and more intense. Every time he thrust into her, body fluids flowed down her thighs. And every time he entered into her, squelching sounds could be heard.
The sensation from her orgasm still lingered and as he pounded her without mercy, her sensitive inner walls stirred and clung tightly to his penis. Coquettish cries burst from her mouth.
"Ah! Haa! Ang!"
"Huu…Vivian."
When he huskily called out her name, Lucia felt her body shudder with pleasure. Her insides squeezed, stimulating him and his movements became faster.
"Auu! Haa! Slow…slowlyyy!!"
Hugo took hard breaths as he conquered her thoroughly. His back muscles were stretched taut with force. Her spring did not dry and her vagina did not stop spasming. The feeling of penetrating her narrow walls and grazing against her insides filled him with thrill. It was not as much pleasure as when he came but the feeling of her flesh caressing his penis was good.
But above all that, the moment he thrust into her, he confirmed his possession of her and flew into ecstasy. Constantly and countlessly confirming, and confirming again, was not enough.
***
Fabian came into the ducal residence with a gloomy face and dark shadows under his eyes. He appeared like a ghost causing Jerome to flinch. Without greeting his brother whom he hadn't seen in a long time, Fabian muttered low-spiritedly.
"His Grace?"
"He's… not around."
"I heard he was going to the palace this afternoon."
"He did not go to the palace. The Madam is going to a tea party today so he went to see her off. Just wait and he'll be back."
"What? A tea party?"
Fabian's eyes gleamed and a sharp look came into his eyes.
"This subordinate is made to run around like this while you escort your wife to a tea party? I'm tired of seeing the back of my sleeping wife! I want to see the adorable faces of my kids properly!"
Fabian's usual work did not shrink at all but with the work of gathering rumors and even investigating some greasy-faced bastard whether it was Dave or David, he ended up having to pull all-nighters, day in day out. Because Jerome and Fabian lived separately and their work differed from each other, they did not know the other's livelihood very well. So, Jerome did not know about Fabian's long night shifts.
"I guess the work is a lot. You get more bonus though." (Jerome)
As far as Jerome knew, Fabian was not someone that would endure if he was not paid his due.
Fabian got even gloomier. That was the problem. His income had sharply increased in proportion to his working hours but his wife liked that better. She hummed in excitement at the increased income for the children's educational expenses.
"Since when did he become so mindful of rumors making everything so complicated?" (Fabian)
"Why? Did a bad rumor spread lately?"
Jerome's face became serious. Was it a rumor about the madam?
"Rumors of His Grace are always bad! Is there a problem between the two these days? I mean, did any strife arise because of some rumor?"
"There has been no such thing."
Jerome was first of all, relieved that it was not a rumor concerning his Madam. Then he thought of the couple that were his masters. The relationship between the two was very good. It seemed even better than when they were in Roam. After dinner in the evening, no one drew close to the bedroom on the second floor, not even for a second.
'If one compares the time from before master got married and the time spent here, it is like heaven and earth.'
With just the addition of the Madam, the cold mansion now seemed like a house where someone really lived. The servants gossiped among themselves that it was their first time seeing a couple this affectionate after they have been married for over a year. Hearing that, Jerome felt happy as though he had been praised.
"Then, why in the world is he doing this? I am losing my respect for His Grace these days." (Fabian)
Although Jerome knew that Fabian was making an excessive joke because he was in front of his brother, Jerome was a voluntary slave and devotee of the ducal couple of Taran. Brother or not did not matter.
"I have to advice you not to question your loyalty." (Jerome)
"…you heartless brat. But this tea party. Isn't it just for noblewomen alone?" (Fabian)
"Like I said, he went to see her off."
"When did it become customary to escort a noblewoman to a tea party venue?"
There was no such custom. Jerome cleared his throat instead of giving a reply. When Fabian pointed out something he couldn't bring himself to say, Jerome felt awkward for no reason.
Fabian lamented.
"Hoh-hoh. His Grace has completely changed."
There were already signs from the time when Fabian had received the order to investigate into the character of the madam's acquaintance's fiancé. It was also apparent that all the increases in workload recently was related to the Madam.
The Duke was a selfish person. Because Fabian roughly knew most of the work that the Duke handled and so, he often came in contact with the Duke's selfish aspect. The Duke did not consider the interests of the family. He only considered that it would be good for him if the power and wealth of the family increased.
The two points seemed similar but were subtly different. If a problem arose that could not be solved at all in the family, the Duke would never sacrifice himself and would abandon the family without any hesitation. That person whose egoism was like a crystal was now changing with another person at the center.
Fabian was just being cautious of the changes in his master. After all, the trigger was a woman. The variable called a woman was too uncertain. He hadn't seen many cases where a man that was completely charmed by a woman ended up with a good outcome. Even more so if it was a man who had a lot of influential or financial power.
Fabian could not share his worry with Jerome. It was obvious that he(Jerome) would go wild if he was told. Fabian then grumbled in a deliberately joking tone.
"At this rate, he will be chasing the madam around." (Fabian)
'That could really happen,' Jerome thought but quickly realized that it was disrespectful to his master and quickly chased the thought away. And from the standpoint of a loyal and devoted butler, he rebuked Fabian's impetuous remark.
While Fabian was being tormented at the mansion, the carriage carrying the ducal couple arrived at the Count of Jordan's residence. As soon as it passed the open iron gates, the carriage stopped in front of the mansion.
Carriages of the attendees were arriving in succession to be in time for the party and there were many carriages that had already arrived. The noblewomen getting off their carriages all stopped at the appearance of the Duke of Taran's carriage and focused their gazes on it.
Their eyes were full of curiosity. The door of the carriage opened and person that came out was not the anticipated Duchess. A tall man came down first. The woman began to whisper as they watched the black-haired man reach out into the carriage.
"That is the Duke of Taran, is it not?"
"It really is. Why is the Duke of Taran here?"
From inside the carriage, a hand wearing a white lace glove took the outstretched hand of the Duke of Taran and the appearance was slowly revealed. A lady wearing an ivory dress and a shawl embroidered with lace on her shoulder, came down from the carriage.
The obvious difference in physique between the man holding her hand and the woman coming out of the carriage made her slender frame stand out.
The woman gave a gracious smile and said something to the Duke and, unbelievably, the Duke of Taran gave a gentle smile in return. His attitude of holding the woman's hand and kissing the back of her hand was filled with affection. They said something to each other and he kissed the cheek of the woman. Again, they talked about something. It was the look of a lover that was reluctant to separate. Rather than the woman, the reluctance was dripping from the man.
Eventually, the Duke of Taran entered the carriage and a servant closed the door. The woman turned and made her way into the mansion. The carriage stayed until the woman's figure could no longer be seen, then it departed from the Count's residence. The noblewomen's feet were rooted to the ground and they watched the entire scene from beginning to end with their mouths open.
Lucia glanced at the noblewomen who were standing there absentmindedly and went inside the mansion, brushing it off her mind. If they had approached Lucia and talked to her, she would have responded but since they were standing there like they were frozen, it seemed like they were waiting for someone to come.
"Are my eyes deceiving me? Don't tell me…he escorted the Duchess all the way here?"
It wasn't someone else but the Duke of Taran? The following sentence was omitted but they all understood.
"…It seemed like that to me too."
Someone replied to the question. It was the first time that they were seeing a husband escorting their wife to a tea party venue. There was no law saying it couldn't be done but it wasn't something that anyone did. Moreover, it was something done by the Duke of Taran. A short sigh could be heard from here and there, for reasons unknown.
One of the noblewomen promptly quickened her steps and went into the mansion quickly. Then someone else followed, and soon everyone was rushing to go inside. The shocking emergence of Duchess of Taran was more important than gossiping.
The noblewomen bundled inside and only the woman standing at the back of the group was left.
Looking in the direction of the carriage's departure, Sofia's eyes shook greatly. She could not believe the sight she had just witnessed.