It's been 2 days since I started learning from father and mother. After a night of passion with theo, I would have breakfast with mother and father where they would teach me about runan while we ate. It was bad etiquette but mother said she was a leandros, which means she makes the rules she follows.
Runan being able to survive as an independent duchy was because of their mineral resources. In the ariand mountains, were caves filled with mana stones used for magic items.
It's the only place in the continent that has mana stones so most of their finances comes from there.
They should be dependent on the empire for food because of their long winters but 6 generations ago, the duke created an artifact that controls the temperature of the glass farm where all their crops are grown.
The lands of runan are very fertile It's just that the cold during 8 months of the year makes it almost impossible to farm, but the moment the glass farms were built and the artifact put in place that problem was solved.
The ministry of agriculture deals with all concerning food supply, including the meat consumed which comes from the monsters caught during hunts. The furs used in pants and fur coats also come from the monsters.
Although they were given a bad hand, they used it to the best of their abilities which is why the people living here love the duke and his family.
"Even with the threat from the monsters, the imperial family were too scared of empowering runan so they put a maximum number of 100 on the knights of runan, that wouldn't stop us though, as most of our knights are aura swordmasters. Just thinking of the imperial family always makes me so angry. "Father pats her on her back as she smiled at him.
I always wondered why mother sent me the marriage proposal but now i see why. Because I was hurt by a member of the imperial family she wanted to help me out just the way she wished someone would have helped her when she needed it. It makes me feel happy that she was kind to me even before I became the duchess.
"Was that why you sent me the marriage proposal mother?"
"Of course dear, when I heard how prince callus tarnished your image and then broke off your engagement it made me so mad" she grabbed my hand and squeezed lightly. It felt so warm, it makes me so happy I almost feel like crying.
"Your grace, you received letters from count dumont and saintess estella" why would the female lead send me a letter.
"Thank you steven, please burn the one from the count I'll take the other one"
"Here you are your grace"
"Wait Steven, does runan have any relation to the holy temple?"
"No your grace, runan does not believe in any diety, but we do not stop the people from having a religion, although I heard that there is a temple in count Maron's territory."
The official religion of the salum empire is the goddess of abundance ubertas. Although the holy temple doesn't involve it self in politics, it's still the most influential body aside the imperial family. The saintess is the most powerful person in the temple after the pope. She receives revelations from the goddess and has divine powers where the priest, bishop and pope all have holy powers. Divine power is so strong it can bring a person back from the brink of death.
I try not to remember the original novel because I know I'll just end up mixing it up with other generic novels I read in my other life. It's been so long I can barely even remember anything from the original.
'Dear duchess clarisa leandros, i hope you have been doing well in runan. I'm sorry to send you a letter, especially with all that happened between us, but for reasons i cannot go into, i have to stay by prince callus's side as his bride. I know you have every right to be angry and to resent me but please i need this marriage to go forward. I ask that you send prince callus just one reply to his letter, it doesn't need to be nice words and you are free to fill it with hate but please I'm running out of time. I promise to come to runan some day to give you a heartfelt apology and to explain why I did what I did but for now i need to save myself. Im not asking for your forgiveness as i believe i do not deserve it , im just asking you to honor my selfish request. I hope that ubertas light continues to guide you. yours truly saintess estella'
I crumpled the letter and throw it to the ground. The saintess has some darn nerve on her, she knows it's shameless yet she sent me the stupid letter. If only i could remember the details of the novel, i may be abke to understand her better. Well since she is asking so desperately, there is no point holding onto a silly grudge.
"Clarisa, are you okay?" Theo walked in looking worried, just looking at his face melts all my frustration instantly. Who cares about the original novel, I'm here making my own original novel with me as the main protagonist and my lovely male lead just walked in.
"My love, i thought you had so much to do today?" He smiled pulling me into a hug.
"My love?" He was trying to avoid my eyes as he fidgets shamelessly.
"Dont tell me you dumped all your work on the ministers to play hooky with me" he avoided my eyes again.
"Theo" I smacked his arm playfully, as he attacks me with kisses.
"My love" i squealed as he lifted me into the air dropping me gently on the bed.
"My dear..... I've worked everyday since I was 15. While I worked hard father would always ditch work to go spend time with mother." Knowing father i can definitely see him doing that.
"I always wondered why he left his work behind but now that i have you i understand why. Every second I spend away from you makes me miss you so much." He trailed kisses on me as he spoke and I laughed.
"My love that tickles" I wonder what brought this up suddenly
"Remember you wanted to go on monster hunts with us? We will be leaving in 3 days, the thought of leaving you behind made my heart ache, I was so grateful that you wanted to go with us"
So that's what happened, he must have hated the idea of being apart for days.
"Mother said the end of the monster hunt signifies the beginning of the winter festivities. So that means the festival will be in less than 2 weeks. I've never been to a festival before, I'm quite excited" he kissed my palm, looking at me with those seductive eyes. It was barely 2pm and we had lunch together not too long ago yet here he is... this sexy man trying to seduce me.
"Then I'm glad I'll be your first. Spend the 3 days of the festival with me and i'll show you pleasure like you have never seen before" he took off his shirt and I think what he meant was not the festival but what he was about to do to me right now.
I wrap my arms around him.
"I'm be happy to give you my first time my love"
He helped me clean up as the maids changed the sheets.
"I'll ask the kitchen staff to bring dinner to the room your grace, if you will excuse us"
We laid down on bed and he pulled me close again. My whole body was still on fire as his hands played with my hair, I spun around to face him.
"My love you don't have to worry, I know being beside you is the safest place in the continent " he smiled pulling me into a hug.
"I'll make sure to protect you with my life dear. You have nothing to worry about our knights are very skilled" I'm glad he didn't reject the idea of me going with him, he trusts me so much it makes me so happy.
"I see why you were in a bad mood when I walked in. So what do you plan to do with the letter she sent" he cut up some meat and fed it to me.
"I'll do nothing, I owe nothing to either prince callus or the saintess, so I'm under no obligations to help improve their lives " he is so attentive, he has even notice that i hate pees so he tends to take them off the mashed potatoes before feeding it to me.
I'm sure Theo would have made a perfect yandere male lead, who obsesses over his wife and frets at her every command.
Knock knock
"Clarisa,we heard you were not feeling well" father and mother walked in looking worried.
"Was it so bad you had to have dinner in bed" I could barely lift my head as I was ashamed, I can't believe the maids told them I was sick. I turned to theo and he had a stupid grin on his face, why was he feeling proud over the silliest things.
"It's a good thing Theo is helping you out, my son may be hopeless but he has some redeeming qualities"
"Mother I'm fine really, I was just a little tired" Theo wipe that smirk off your face, what are you doing? Don't lick your lips like that.
Father looked genuinely worried but mother looked amused.
She looked at me and smiled, she knows.... she knows why I'm lying in bed..... i'm so embarrassed... how can theo just sit there making stupid gestures while his parents are here.
"Come Oliver, let's leave these lovebirds alone. I'm expecting some good news soon"
Fathers face lit up as he just realized it too.
"Dont worry mother, I'm actively working towards it" he gave her a thumbs up, I smacked his arm as he shamelessly acted like he did nothing wrong.
His parents laughed out.
"Theo!! I can't believe you said that, i'm so embarrassed"
"Dont worry dear, you have nothing to be embarrassed about" he had a stupid grin on his face looking proud .... how did I used to communicate with this man? Have we ever had a normal conversation before? How can we both be on such different plane of thought?
***********
In a plain room in the temple, Estella kneels before the statue of the goddess ubertas.
"Your holiness" a priestess walked in interrupting her prayers
"Priestess sally may ubertas guild you, what brings you here?"
"I brought you a letter from the north, its from the duchess, I pondered on if I should bring it to you... because of her past relationship with the prince" estella smiled sweetly collecting the letter from the you g priestess who was trying to choose her words carefully.
"Thank you, i'll take that from you"
"Thank you..... thank you so much...." she suddenly started crying after reading the letter. The priestess was flustered wondering what evil the duchess must have written for the saintess to cry so much.
"The duchess..... she is a much better person than I would have imagined. I hope it can meet with her some day to express my apology and sincere gratitude"
"If your holiness believes she is a good person... then..... she might be" the priestess said in the most untrustworthy voice.
"Prepare a carriage for me please, I need to go the the palace"
"Yes your holiness."