Duke 133

CHAPTER 133

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Translator: Rae

‘Happy and peaceful, my a*s.’

Staring at the mountain of paperwork piled before her, Elysia hit her forehead down onto the desk with a dull thunk.

How could this cursed paperwork keep pouring in no matter how much she had done them?!

Despite mobilizing private soldiers and even Helios, the Duke of Russet’s rebellion had ended in a surprisingly hollow fashion.

Because Iker had sealed every gap with infuriating perfection.

As a result, most of those involved, including the mastermind, the Duke of Russet himself, had been arrested.

A few had escaped, but with the Investigation Bureau and Helios pursuing them together, it was only a matter of time before they get caught as well.

It was a flawless victory in every sense.

The problem came after.

The nobles aligned with the Duke of Russet, which consist of large houses and small alike, had all been swept up in the rebellion.

It was nearly half of the aristocratic faction, which turned out to be far larger than Elysia had anticipated.

If all were punished strictly by imperial law, most would be stripped of or demoted in title, and the noble faction would be weakened severely.

The Emperor did not want the carefully maintained balance between the imperial faction and the aristocratic faction to collapse entirely.

He understood well that politics advanced only when neither side tipped too far, when power checked power.

As a ruler, the Emperor loved the Empire and wanted it to move toward a better future.

Therefore, aside from a few noble houses, such as the House of Russet and House of Versailles as those who lead the rebellion, he entrusted the punishment of the remaining noble families to Elysia.

He judged that, as their head, she would be able to punish them in a most appropriate manner.

Of course, it had also been calculated that she would never forgive the houses that had colluded with the House of Russet.

As a result, from the day after the rebellion ended, Elysia and Lulien had been crushed under paperwork, working themselves to death. Except for bathroom breaks.

Har was no exception.

He hadn’t returned to the estate for days, busy with Joseph as they dismantled Beramus remnants and absorbed their power.

“Are we going to die of overwork at this rate? Because of these b*st*rds. Should I just punish them all by the book?”

After finishing another case, Elysia slumped in her chair and pouted.

Adjusting punishments based on each house’s relationship to the Duke of Russet and their degree of involvement took an absurd amount of effort.

A family’s survival hung on her decision—of course it would be.

Pressing her tired eyes with her fingers, Elysia turned at Lulien’s voice.

“At least you and I get to sleep. His Excellency the Duke and Nocturne can’t even sleep properly.”

“Indeed.”

Thinking of Iker, who had been appointed as the general manager of the case and hadn’t left the palace for days, Elysia heaved out a sigh.

“Even yesterday, His Majesty the Emperor summoned him while we were talking through the communication port. It was past eleven at night.”

“Nocturne said His Majesty the Emperor calls for His Excellency the Duke whenever there’s a spare moment, but, I think that’s too much.”

“Exactly. No matter how I look at it, he’s too mean. If you work him like that and his health deteriorates, will you take responsibility?”

When Alicia pouted, Lulien let out a quiet snort of laughter.

"What?”

Elysia’s eyes widened when Lulien suddenly laughed, who answered evenly.

“Because it really hits me that you and His Excellency the Duke are lovers now.”

“…”

“You’re openly worried about him—that’s what I mean. It looks good on you.”

Perhaps only now feeling embarrassed, Elysia’s violet eyes lost their focus and darted about.

Smiling silently at her friend, Lulien eventually decided to change the subject.

She considered teasing her a bit more, but it might interfere with the mountain of work.

“By the way, when was the execution again? A week from now?”

“Right. They said the sentence will be carried out in the central square a week from now.”

When Lulien asked, Elysia responded quickly as if she had been waiting for it. She was only too happy to escape the embarrassing topic.

“Life changes in an instant. Who would’ve thought Duke Russet would end up executed? Also, the Imperial Consort and the Second Prince are being confined, right?”

“Yes. They cooperated with him, but the mastermind was Duke Russet. The two of them will be confined to Epher Tower in the north.”

“Epher Tower. A perfect place for the two of them.”

"Right? Same thought.”

Elysia recalled the Epher Tower, located at the northern edge where blizzards raged frequently.

It was where imperials guilty of grave crimes were confined, and once they were abandoned there, they only left in death.

With nothing but white snow in sight, it was said many went mad before they died.

‘Spending a lifetime in a place like that… maybe death would be better.’

After she was lost in thought for a moment, she lifted her head at Lurien’s words.

“Either way, we’ll be able to see him in a week.”

"Huh?"

“His Excellency the Duke will come on the day Duke Russet is executed, won’t he? Surely His Majesty the Emperor won’t keep him trapped in the palace working until then. You’ll be more or less done by then, too.”

“Ah? Are you serious?”

As Elysia’s eyes suddenly began to sparkle, Lurien gestured at the piled paperwork.

“So, hurry up and get it done. You know you can’t leave until all that is finished, right?”

"Okay! Then let’s power through.”

Perhaps the thought of seeing Iker again suddenly gave her strength, because Elysia straightened her posture and picked up the papers once more.

Watching her friend refocus on work, a small smile touched Lulien’s lips as she lowered her gaze back to her own papers.

A week later, Elysia stood with Lulien in the central square where the execution was going to take place.

Not long after they arrived, Har joined them as well.

“I feel like I’m going to throw up after staring at documents all morning. Are you okay, Har?”

"Yes.”

Har nodded at Elysia's question. However, the exhaustion on his face was impossible to hide.

“You look awful. Just how far did those Veramus b*st*rds run?”

Lulien clicked her tongue as she asked. Har paused briefly, then answered flatly.

“To the southern border. We caught the remnants trying to flee into another country.”

"Wow, tough guys. So, have you caught them?”

“Yeah. Last night.”

“What? Then you came straight here from the southern border? Without getting a wink of sleep?”

Elysia exclaimed out of shock. Har avoided her gaze and remained silent.

“Even with gates, that’s a huge distance…”

She was about to scold him when the crowd suddenly erupted in jeers, drawing her attention.

The sinners were being led out.

The Duke of Russet, the Marquis of Versailles, the Count of Blanc, and the Viscount of Joulston.

All four were the nobles scheduled to be executed today.

As they knelt at the scaffold, the imperial guard’s booming voice rang across the square.

“His Majesty the Emperor enters!”

Amid the cheers, Elysia looked toward the procession, and froze.

She could only see Rashian behind the Emperor. Iker was nowhere in sight.

"Where is he…?”

She had assumed she would see him. Confusion surged through her as she searched the crowd.

And then her body stiffened.

Familiar arms wrapped around her, and a soft, woody scent tickled the tip of her nose.

“Iker?”

As she raised her head in surprise, his beautiful golden eyes in met hers as they glowed warmly from beneath the hood. They burned with an intensity that seemed to swallow her whole.

"Elly.”

The deep, low voice at her ear sent a shiver down her spine. Elysia briefly closed her eyes, feeling dizzy, probably because it was quite a while since the last time she felt it.

Then she turned and buried herself in his arms. He held her just as tightly.

"I missed you. I really missed you.”

At Elysia's whisper, Iker's large hand gently stroked her back.

“I did too. Only now, holding you like this, can I finally breathe.”

Neither of them hesitated. Their lips met softly and silently after looking at each other’s eyes for a moment.

It was nothing more than a gentle sharing of warmth, yet Elysia felt as though her entire body were melting, perhaps because of their desperation for each other’s touch.

Even after their lips parted, neither loosened their hold. 

It was as if they were trying to make up for all the days of longing at once.

After some time, Elysia spoke first.

"What happened? Shouldn't you be at His Majesty the Emperor’s side?”

“His Majesty wanted it.”

“And?”

"I didn’t, just seeing your face would not be enough for me.”

“Don’t tell me you left without permission?”

Har and Lurien, who had been pretending not to listen, both looked over in shock.

With three pairs of eyes on him, Iker’s lips curved with quiet mischief.

“Not without permission. I negotiated with His Majesty fora bit.”

“Negotiated? About what…?!”

“The execution’s starting. I’ll tell you afterward.”

Elysia turned to see the execution of the sentence, although she was still curious about his negotiation with the Emperor.

The imperial guard read out their charges.

The Duke of Russet, the Marquis of Versailles, and the Count of Blanc were convicted of high-ranking treason.

But the Viscount of Joulston’s crime was different.

Murder of a high-ranking noble. It was because he had caused the carriage accident that k*lled marriage couple of the House of Camellia.

Elysia glared fiercely at the Viscount of Joulston, who hung his head.

The Viscount of Joulston and former Viscount of Joulston, who were caught by the Investigation Bureau and didn’t open their mouths even after entering the investigation room, were said to have confessed the truth after Iker entered the investigation room.

Having heard the story from Har, she had asked Iker how he made them confess, but Iker only flashed her a smile and said nothing.

He said it was better for her not to know about that.

‘What did he do? Threats? Torture?’

Elysia glanced up at Iker, who was still hugging her.

Her sculpted jawline beneath the robe, the masculine curve of his lips—it was almost unfairly alluring.

Turning back to the scaffold, she looked at the four nobles who had risen to the guillotine.

Aside from the Duke of Russet, who remained stiff-necked to the end, the others have turned pale with terror.

As the execution was carried out, Elysia slowly closed and opened her eyes again.

Perhaps because it truly felt like everything was finally over, Elysia stood there dazed for a moment, overwhelmed by a rush of relief, emptiness, and emotions she couldn’t quite name, until Iker’s voice pulled her back to herself.

"Shall we go now?”

"What? Where…?”

“You were the one who said it, weren’t you? Once everything was over, you’d indulge me. However much I wanted.”

"Oh…!”

A memory surfaced in Elysia’s mind. It wasn’t very long ago.

[I don’t want you to be in danger. However, once everything is resolved safely, you have to indulge its sulking. I have endured a great deal until now, so one night may not be enough to soothe it.”]

What had she said in response to his words?

[“Of course. Once it’s all over, let him sulk as much as he likes. I’m confident I can indulge it all.”]

[“That truly sounds worth looking forward to.”]

Recalling even Iker’s reply, Elysia found herself smiling without realizing it.

"Of course. I'll take it all. Every bit you’ve endured until now.”

As she answered with a radiant smile, Iker curved his deep, refined eyes just as he had back then and whispered in her ear.

“That truly sounds worth looking forward to.”

Smiling at each other, the two exchanged brief glances with Lulien and Har, then slipped through the crowd hand in hand.

It was the beginning of a new scandal that is destined to shake the empire.

—Duke, Is This Your First Time? - The End

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Chapter 1-35 is up. This series now has all chapters (1-133) included.

[t/n: Hello. This is the fourth series I have finished translating. I sincerely apologize for the long delay, as it takes 6 years for me to finally publishing this until the end. I have no regret in picking up this novel again, at all. This was one of my works in the early days when I started translating, so there must be many mistakes. Nonetheless, thank you for seeing this story until the end and the immense support this series got through all these years. This is one of my favorite and cherished series, partly because it’s being loved and expected by many, and because this was one of Dora-san’s works that I have taken over. It’s an honor and personal achievement for me to bring this story until the end. See you in my other works, thank you and have a nice day!]

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