Even the knights, who used to find Casus’s intense training burdensome, recently found their arrival at the training ground enjoyable.
‘The Duchess is like an onion.’
There were different layers to peel off.
Atia waved to the knights and disappeared with Casus.
[This is the time separator]Casus walked without a word.
Atia, small compared to the bulky Casus, had to walk quickly to keep up with him.
Inherited from Heidegger, her legs were so long that although she merely took long strides, it felt as fast as a run for others.
“Where are we going now?”
“The garden.”
Atia, in a jogging pose, squinted at him as she walked.
“You walk very fast.”
“I’m walking as slow as I can.”
“Really? I thought you were flying.”
Casus’s strides were anxious, as if being chased by something.
Or maybe he had something important to say.
‘Is this walking as slow as he can? Is he bragging about his long legs?’
Atia followed him with a flap of her hand, like a sparrow chasing a stork.
“Your Grace, please walk with me.”
How long had they walked?
Casus and Atia arrived at the destination.
The northern region was cold.
Snow fell often, and the temperature was low.
However, this greenhouse was full of flowers, and the temperature felt different from outside.
“Wow, there was a place like this?”
Atia looked around with wide eyes.
“First time?”
“Yes.”
“You seem to have no interest in anything other than the training ground.”
Casus’s gaze sharpened.
“Or perhaps, you don’t know what the Duke’s residence has yet?”
The Duke’s residence had several beautiful gardens, and was overflowing with gems and jewelry acquired from wars. There was even a gallery for the collected paintings.
Yet none of these attracted Atia’s interest.
‘She should have interest in dresses and jewelry, looking at her usual actions……’
Atia smirked.
“Maybe? The Duke’s residence is so large. I’ve been here for over a year, but there are still more places I haven’t seen than I have.”
“Really?”
Casus seemed to have a not unpleasant response to her answer.
It was a relief if she hadn’t seen everything yet.
Instead of setting foot in the training ground, it would be more fitting for the Duchess to enjoy elegant hobbies.
As soon as they entered the greenhouse, the scent of flowers filled the air.
The beautiful flowers of various colors blooming in the greenhouse were species that could not grow outside due to the temperature.
“……”
Atia, who had been looking at the flowers and trees, tilted her head.
‘Why did he bring me here?’
Although there were many plants around, it was a quiet place with no signs of people passing by.
As they walked further, an overwhelming scent of flowers wafted over them.
Fortunately, the scent was good, but it was a strong flower scent that could mask other smells.
“Haha, there are a lot of flowers here. And grass….”
Atia let out an awkward laugh as her eyes darted around.
“It’s a Tikeracian shrub. Imported from the south where you were. It’s coldresistant but prone to dying easily.”
Casus mentioned the name of the unasked shrub and kindly added an explanation.
“The environment here is quite different from the south. Do you miss your hometown?”
Casus asked Atia in an inquisitive manner.
Atia blinked her eyes slowly, as if she was indifferent.
“…Not really?”
“So, you don’t seem to miss it much.”
“Yes. This is home now, so what?”
At that phrase ‘this is home’, Casus’s heart wavered.
Because Atia sincerely spoke as if she was a member of the duke’s family.
“You must sometimes think about it, though.”
Casus had seen countless knights suffer from homesickness.
No matter how unhappy Atia might have been in the Harad family, she must have missed the food and atmosphere of her hometown.
Even if she didn’t show it outwardly, she might have secretly hoped for someone to ask about it.
“No, even if I could go back, I wouldn’t. I like it better now.”
Casus gazed at her silently, then shifted his gaze to a spot where vines hung in straight lines and spoke.
“Lars fruit. We can grow it all year round here, want to try some?”
“Yes…?”
Plunk.
Before Atia could answer, Casus plucked a ripe fruit.
“If it had ripened a little more, the fruit would have fallen to the ground and become inedible.”
A fistsized, ripe red fruit was in Casus’s hand.
Casus wiped the fruit on his clothes, blew on it gently, and handed it to Atia.
“Try it. It’s delicious.”
Atia blinked at the red fruit handed to her by Casus, and then took it in both hands.
“Th, thank you….”
Casus hadn’t entirely dismissed the suspicion that Atia might be a spy, but on the other hand, he felt sorry for her past.
Her frail body and her lack of grooming seemed to be due to her tragically unhappy past.
That’s why she might behave in ways that others find hard to understand.
That was Casus’s guess.
“This fruit is very nutritious, eating just one will give you energy.”
Casus spoke, looking at Atia’s emaciated body.
His tone was unusually soft.
Atia felt even stranger.
‘Why is he acting like that?’
His eyes, always sharp, seemed to have lost their edge for a moment.
Casus’s eyes were softer than usual now.
They seemed a bit relaxed.
‘Did he eat something bad?’
Atia pretended to bite into the Lars fruit he had given her.
‘This fruit isn’t poisoned, is it?’
Just as Atia was about to put the Lars fruit in her mouth, she hesitated and looked up at him.
“It’s too big, I can’t eat it.”
“Hmm?”
Atia held the fruit about the size of a small apple in her hand, unsure of what to do.
‘You eat it first if you’re not grossed out.’
Atia puckered her lips as if to emphasize her small mouth.
With an expression that suggested she didn’t want to eat the large fruit.
And then she handed the fruit to Casus.
“Duke, you eat half first, and then give it to me.”
Casus took the Lars fruit without saying anything and took a small bite.
Exactly half.
A single stream of red juice slowly trickled down his lips.
Slurp.
Casus licked the dripping juice with his tongue.
His dark eyebrows, wellshaped nose, and red lips were a perfect combination of beauty.
Atia just stared at him blankly.
Cold Male Lead Became My Clingy Husband (Female-Dominant)
Feng Bai Su transmigrated into a matriarchal novel, becoming the sister of the female protagonist and the Seventh Princess of the Feng Ling Kingdom.
After working herself to death in her previous life, finally reincarnating as a princess, she only wanted to be a lazy fish who could eat, sleep, and play.
Until she met the male protagonist from the book, Wei Jing Mo, and he took a liking to her!
Wei Jing Mo is the top young man in Feng Ling City, talented in both appearance and ability, from a prestigious family, with a cold and otherworldly appearance, a figure like the bright moon in the hearts of noble ladies. It was thought that only the most powerful and talented noble lady in Feng Ling City would be worthy of such a brilliant young man. Who knew that this young gentleman would secretly admire the infamous Seventh Princess?
Short scene 1:
Feng Bai Su looked at the young man crying like a pear blossom in the rain before her, and couldn’t help but doubt her life.
Wasn’t the male lead described as a cold and otherworldly figure in the book?
Then who was this poor little thing crying with swollen red eyes and tear-stained face?
Short scene 2:
Wei Jing Mo stared intently at Feng Bai Su who was about to go out, wanting to say, “Be careful on the road.”
Before he could speak, Feng Bai Su suddenly bent down and bit his cheek.
Her peach blossom eyes were full of disdain: “Tsk! You’re so clingy!”
Wei Jing Mo: “…”
A talented fox spirit female lead with a flirtatious appearance but actually abstinent VS A cold-looking but actually naive and clingy little jealous male lead
