We were back to square one. A book containing the atrocities committed by humans on witches. After I had read it, Lukas seemed nervous as if I had changed my mind. I didn’t know what he was worried about, but the answer to that question was no.

Still, I wanted to annoy him.

Therefore, I hesitated to answer. He grabbed my hand as if he couldn’t stand it.

All right, all right.

“I just asked out of curiosity. I always think it’s good to understand the big picture of the experiments done on witches, even though we’re a couple.”

“…”

“Oh, that reminds me of an experiment. You know, the time you strangled me…”

“Stop.”

I was about to tell him the list of “atrocities” he did, but he covered my mouth with his hand. I could see he had a rather helpless look.

I grinned. Whenever I talked about our first night, I felt bad because he seemed unsure of what to do; however, it was fun to see his reaction.

Yes, it was like having a trump card. Seeing how he responded, it would definitely be a pity not to use it later.

“Anyway, we’ve come a long way. If you have any questions about witches, just ask me. As shown in the book, they just did experiments. You could say I’m willing to provide information in a way.”

His blue eyes slightly widened. “Do you trust me that much?”

“…”

“Isn’t there a chance I’ll use it against you?”

“…”

It was a possibility. But why did he ask?

“You won’t.” I could faintly hear him stop breathing for a moment.

“…For what reason?”

“It’s just a feeling.”

He seemed to want a different answer, but unfortunately for him, it really was a hunch.

“Surprisingly, you’re not good at doing other things.”

His expression seemed to distort by the audacious words I’d say next. Then there was a smile. “If I have any important matters in the future, I’ll have to ask my wife to make the decision for me.”

It was sarcastic, but at the same time, he seemed pleased.

…Oh, it’s actually kind of nice to see him smile. Of course, the smile I wasn’t talking about is the smile of a mischievous beauty I often saw. It really was a perfectly normal smile.

Why?

Was it because we hugged a few times? Or he casually kisses me sometimes? Or was it because he calls me “my dear” and whatnot out of habit? A few things came to mind, but I didn’t know what was the actual answer.

While I was deep in thought, he was playing with my hair. He twirled a strand around his finger before moving it aside to rest his chin on my shoulder. He was more comfortable than I thought. Then I felt my back be patted.

I think I’m going to fall asleep at this rate.

For some reason, I felt a little drowsy, so I forced my eyes wide open.

Then, looking at me, he spoke. “I have a question.”

“What is it?”

I urged him to say it quickly, but he still hesitated. What the hell was he going to ask?

“Is it true witches can only have girls?”

“…Yes?” I had started to doze until the question startled me.

I said he could ask me anything if he was curious, but I didn’t expect that question.

“…Where did you hear that?”

He seemed surprised at my response. “I heard what Marquis Phineas had said during the Carcalos celebration.”

Marquis Phineas. As soon as I heard that name, the image of the old man who came to my side and inquired about it came to mind. It definitely was something he asked. And my husband was there.

As expected, he was listening in on our conversation.

Since then, I hadn’t heard anything about the matter, so I thought he forgot about it. That wasn’t the case.

“Is it true?” he asked again.

But I couldn’t answer. What do I do? He was right; witches lived in a matrilineal society where they only had girls. It was also why the population was smaller than humans. In other words, it was the reason why witches lost the war 400 years ago. It was also a problem that would lead to the extinction of our race.

So why is this man so curious?

A small amount of doubt and anxiety came to me.

“…It is.” I nodded. Then I snuck a glance at his face.

What kind of reaction would he have? What happened next was important. Maybe it will be a turning point in our relationship. I was holding my breath.

“If it’s true, then it’s quite the big deal.”

Wait.

“What do you mean? What exactly…”

“I’m tired of all this fighting. I can’t even relax until they’ve completed retreated.”

Huh?

I titled my head when he started talking about the Kingdom of Byrne.

“Um… I don’t get it. What does the Kingdom of Byrne have to do with this?”

They were the enemy which bordered the duchy. Because of the conversation, it was hard to understand why he mentioned them.

“When my daughter inherits the ducal title, she’ll have to be dragged onto the battlefield.”

“…”

“Although it is the fate of those who possess the ducal title, I don’t want to see my daughter suffer.”

“…”

“So before I hand over the title, don’t you think I should remove everything that will get in her way?”

I couldn’t help but shake my head. I think he’s gone insane. I don’t know where to start. “Well, first of all… Don’t you have something else to ask me?”

“Do I?”

“You know, the most important question?”

The basics like “how do witches maintain their population” and “how do they have children when they can only have girls”.

“The most important question…” He seemed to contemplate it for a while. “It is strange.”

Yes, that’s right. A strange regret came over me. As expected, he was also like the other humans who were curious about the secrets of a witch.

Disappointed, I waited for the inevitable.

“We can have children, right?”

“What?”

“Is it possible for us to have a child?”

I didn’t expect this. For a moment, I was so embarrassed that I nodded at a whim. “I guess.”

“Then it’s settled.” A bright smile appeared on his face.

It was fine. No, it wasn’t.

“I’ll love my daughter. I think she’ll be cute if she follows me around.”

Hold on a second. He had to be joking or just spouting nonsense. Unfortunately, his serious expression made me think otherwise.

“That means…”

I didn’t know what to say.

“My lord!”

Suddenly, the door to the library swung open and someone rushed in.

“I’ve been looking for you!”

I was startled by the loud shout. Let’s just say a familiar butler appeared.

I wondered if my husband grimaced. Immediately, he asked in an annoyed voice, “What?”

“There is something that needs your attention!”

“I left a message saying I would return after taking a break.”

“I don’t think that’s what you meant with this note.” The butler with a smile handed him a piece of paper.

A short phrase was written on it.

[Don’t look for me.]

Anyone who saw it would’ve thought the duke was running away. Suddenly, the face of the butler, who must have been shocked when he saw the document, came to mind. Just looking at his disheveled appearance was telling.

I shot Lukas a look which said that something was amiss. My husband covered my eyes.

“So what’s going on exactly?”

“There’s an uproar. The residents of the village are currently in front of the castle.”

The moment I heard that, I sat straight up. Then, Lukas tried to cover my ears. Fortunately, I stopped him before he could.

“Is it because of me?” No doubt it had to do with the incident. I asked if the mob was there on a witch hunt.

“Will they dare to anger their lord?” My husband had a different opinion. “Are they saying their duke is obsessed with witches? Making a mistake is…”

“No, that’s not it.” The butler shook his head.

With a serious expression, Lukas said, “I will behead them myself.”

“Excuse me?”

What was he talking about now? Seriously, what were the people of Havel doing? They were so unpredictable.

“What’s with that look, my dear? Did you think nonsense came out of my mouth?”

…Yes. Every action he did was unpredictable, and the words he spat out were something else entirely. I thought he was concerned about the people, but it seemed his mind was preoccupied.

“Since the duke is here, isn’t everyone else worried? Since you closed the gate, it will interfere with the handling of grievances. That’s why they’re here.” The butler sighed.

Speaking of which, their duke’s notice was like a declaration. It was as if he said he “didn’t know any more now that he’s been provoked”. He was going to live his own life.

“They’re begging for you to come back.”

“Why should I go right now? Even if they are begging, let them. It’s been a while since I’ve had a vacation.”