Her voice did snap Lyon from her dream state but he still had his eyes on her. He walked up and stopped right in front of her. Lia, too nervous to face him, shrunk a little, looking down avoiding his eyes.

His hands slowly made towards her, tensing everyone from the viscount family. They know that here they were helpless. The one who was going to bully their little miss was the highest authority of Dutchy Saluda. None words are above his, none can offend him when they stand in his Dutchy.

Lia closed her eyes out of fright, she can’t go against him after all. Until she felt both of her cheeks being pulled gently. The people seeing these scenes were stupefied as well. This was the first time that they saw their duke being gentle with any other girl except Princess Elaine, his fiancée. But it did loosen up the tension.

Lyon’s POV

“I apologize to disturb you when you are having fun. But I think you should continue that after we have welcomed our guest inside.” A strong voice called out to me.

“Aren’t you late?” I asked Marvic when I turned my head to stare at him.

“I am. I heard Greish destroyed the training field again so I had to go calm him down first.” He answered and exhaled at the end. Must have been hard for him these days. Yesterday, when we came from the church after confirming I was poisoned by Cassendearth, we told him that I was poisoned by my aunt. He didn’t take much time to convince it was her. Marvic never lies and as a wise old man, he knew my infatuation with her. He was pissed because he was her magic teacher after all. He has been angry ever since then and is blaming himself. I too exhaled thinking that.

“Umm, Your Grace, I think Lady Lia…..” Alissa butted in between and made me turn, as I was talking with Marvic, my hands were still pinching Lia’s cheek.

“Eh, Lia, are you….okay?” She was all red and I could see tears threatening to fall from her eyes any moment. Eesh, my bad. After all, I have the air of a frightening high authority. I let go of her cheek and coughed twice. Sorai Hiroto/me on earth liked pinching soft cheeks and my sister used to love it when she was young but she didn’t let me touch her cheeks when she became a rebellious teen and then I died. Fin--. Okay, that memory was depressing.

I recovered my composure and ordered a manservant to lead our guests aside Lia and her maids, towards the Guest Mansion. A different building at the side of the castle. After that, I entered the castle with everyone in tow. It was unneeded for me to receive her. A noble of lower rank should welcome a noble of higher rank personally if the latter pays them a visit to show respect but a higher doesn’t need to welcome a lower-ranked one personally. I just wanted to be polite to her. She will be my wife after all.

“Who knows the direction of the room prepared for Lady Lia? Lead us there.” I said to the manservants and maids behind me.

“Please let me!!” Alissa interrupted before they could answer. I nodded at her.

We moved with her on the lead.

“So this is the castle of the master of Saluda. So lavish!” Emma commented absently

“I agree. Little Miss, your estate might look a lot smaller and lackluster after I have seen this.” Olivia added.

Lia could just nod. She could see pretty well how her family can never compete with the Duke which makes her even nervous. This is the first time in her life that she has come across someone she couldn’t offend. Her house is strong. The one who can bring trouble to them can be counted on her fingers but here is one who can completely erase it with one order. But, she was a noblewoman after all. She also knows if she really ends up marrying the Duke, her family's position will strengthen even more and the numbered enemies will disappear.

Alissa in lead, Lyon was following patiently. Climbing the stairs, through a number of hallways till she stopped outside a room.

“Here it is.” She exclaimed loudly. I shrugged and moved on to open the door.

“Duke Lyon, I don’t think this is the ri…..” Ethen warning came too late and I opened the door wide.

The curtains were closed. The room was lit with candles only, the magic stones were turned off. The whole room gave a fragrance, which everyone noticed as the smell of the herb ‘Loserell’, smelling it will work as an aphrodisiac and will keep a couple excited while doing ‘it’. Fortunately, it only reached faintly to them to have any effects. The bed was also decorated with rose petals and a bowl filled with oil made from ‘Gilflower’ plant used for lubrication. Everyone grew dead silent. They knew what this room was prepared for.

“Wha…wha…Na…No..” Seeing this scene, Lia’s face turned deep red and spouting some incomprehensible words, her eyes spun around like a Pokemon fainting, and she fainted.

Unknown to everyone, before coming here, despite being 12, she was given a crash course on intercourse by her family’s head maid as directed by her mother and now a little understandable on these things, and now thinking the Duke all ready to go, her blood rushing to her hand, she couldn't help but pass out.

“MISS!!!!” Her two maid rushed and Emma caught her before she hit the ground. Olivia spread out her hands like trying to shield them from me.

“Your Grace, please forgive me presumptuousness but you both are still too young to do those sorts of things.” She was able to utter those things with the feeling of walking on a sharp-edged knife.” I rubbed my forehead trying to avoid an incoming headache.

“Oh my! I thought pulling her cheeks were already you being bold master but now I’m left speechless by this.” Marvic commented in his usual indifferent tone but inside he was giving a thumbs-up to Lyon.

“Ah, I remembered that I haven’t punished you for that time, Marvic.” I smiled evilly at him that he actually sweated a little.

“Your punishment is to go and answer all of my marriage proposals. Properly thank them and write how sorrowful I am to decline them. Not one reply should be less than 2000 words and you are going to do that for a whole year.” I ordered him decisively.

“No!! Master, you can’t be this cruel, they are in hundreds and two thousand words for a whole year means I will be writing an uncountable amount. Please reconsider.” He pleaded but I have made up my mind.

“That will make you learn to investigate before pointing a sword at someone. Go and right now.” On my strong tone, Marvic slowly slumped towards my office. Almost everyone had pity for him. After he disappeared down the way, I turned towards everyone present.

“Who prepared this room?” Looking at them, I inquired in a low voice. Everybody took a step back because they knew I was pissed. Alissa slowly raised her hand while Ethen slapped his face murmuring on the line ‘I knew something like this would happen’.

“And Why?” I asked her to continue.

“Erm….because I thought you will like some alone time with your wife.” And then everyone was surprised when Lyon and Alissa disappeared. When they heard some noises from inside the room, they saw the Duke fastening Alissa to the bed. Each limb towards each corner of the bed and tight enough to not let her flee while she was trying her best to resist. After fastening her, the Duke came out and bolted the door behind him.

“Nobody… I repeat nobody is allowed to free her before I am done with her.” Everybody nodded. I took a deep breath to calm myself down. I just tried to shrug it off by thinking that a little drama is needed everywhere.

“Ethen, Lead me to the room that head maid Mia prepared for Lia.” When he replied in affirmative, we left towards the ‘real’ prepared room.

So tiring haah*, I just have to preserve for a while, the day is coming to an end. I thought as I look at the red yellowish evening outside.

POV ends.

But this incident will be known to future generations. Duke Lyon portrayed as the invincible Duke whose name shook the entire continent even after centuries of his death, was also secretly known for his concupiscence. It could be seen in the world as he had numerous wives and concubines but also because of an incident. When he was only 13, he already prepared a room to consummate his marriage with Lia Purgarian, his second wife on her first pre-marital visit. This shows us that he was born with a strong Libido.

Somewhere

“I don’t think he died.” A feminine figure talked aloud.

“Certainly not, it would have caused a massive uproar by now if he did.” Said another female figure in a modified maid outfit. Not long till covering her feet but ending in a skirt.

“Ah, he would have died easily that way. Plan B will hurt him a little but we have to do it now.” Said the sitting feminine figure cheerfully. The other figure stayed silent.