Duke, You're a Bit Stiff (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 13
It was just the moment Cassus was about to refuse.
Artia’s expression, as she stood facing him, seemed strange.
Her face looked as if she were staring at rotten fish dumped on a pile of trash.
She even shook her head, clearly exasperated.
At that instant, her earlier words echoed in his mind.
She’d said, “I only have two sons—what on earth are those boys even doing?”
“I’ll go.”
“What?”
“Please wait just a moment. I need to get ready.”
Cassus gave a brief reply and walked into the mansion.
“Did that kid just say he’s going?”
At Heidegger’s words, Artia twitched her nose, barely holding back a laugh.
“Yes, it seems so.”
Truth be told, Heidegger hadn’t expected it either.
He’d asked his son to come along, but assumed he’d refuse—
so Cassus agreeing took him by surprise.
Far off, Leo, who’d been lazily observing the scene with half-asleep eyes, rubbed his eyes and asked his attendant,
“What’s going on over there without me?”
Heidegger had originally intended to invite Leo as well, but couldn’t because Leo was asleep.
Now that he’d woken up and heard the report from his attendant, Leo frowned.
“What? Father’s at the mountain?”
Upon closer inspection, he noticed the Duchess and Artia were there too.
“That… that woman! Damn it!”
Just seeing Artia made Leo’s blood pressure spike.
He felt like he’d develop trauma just from seeing silver hair now.
“How dare that woman walk alongside Father?”
Cerberus was also standing beside Artia.
That very creature had growled fiercely at him just yesterday.
It looked like they were planning to climb the mountain together with that beast.
“Hah, really pulling out all the stops, aren’t they?”
“…….”
“Tell them I’m going too.”
Leo ran his fingers through his tousled dark brown hair and headed inside the mansion to change clothes.
The northern mountains were rugged.
Even the smaller nearby peaks were steep and treacherous.
Black rocks jutted out everywhere—anyone who slipped and hit their head would likely suffer serious injury.
Cassus, Leo, Heidegger, and Artia ascended the mountain range, accompanied by their guards and Heuk Gu.
Heuk Gu, thrilled by this rare outing, gleefully stamped his paws on the pure white snow.
Even the guards, amused by this unusual sight, stole glances at him from the corner of their eyes.
“Wow, this is so refreshing! I never imagined the air could be this crisp!”
Artia stretched her arms toward the breeze, her face beaming.
The cold wind blowing through the mountain pass swept through her hair.
She kept marveling nonstop at the breathtaking view of the eternal snowfields.
‘How rustic. Like she’s never seen snow before.’
Leo was deeply displeased to see Artia sticking so closely to Heidegger’s side.
How long had they even known each other that she was already chattering and laughing like that?
And to make it worse, his father Heidegger didn’t seem entirely displeased—Leo’s blood pressure rose even further.
Cassus felt the same way.
He climbed the mountain in complete silence, his face expressionless, seated atop his horse.
He’d never climbed this mountain with his father before—not even as a child—yet now they were all ascending together.
Hoofprints and footprints marked the pristine snow.
The higher they climbed, the more spectacular the scenery became.
Though it was morning and the sun was rising, the valley shimmered with iridescent hues, resembling the aurora of a night sky.
Sunlight danced across the glittering snowfield.
Despite the mountain’s harshness, it felt as if fairies might appear at any moment.
Nameless white birds soared freely across the vast sky.
As Artia walked beside Heidegger, she glanced at him sideways.
His sturdy frame, bathed in the reflected sunlight of the snowy peaks, radiated brilliance—
as if he were a god descended from the heavens.
Perfectly sculpted muscles, clothes that fit like they were tailored to kill.
Even if draped in a rice sack, he’d still look divine.
Just imagining that magnificent body being desecrated and defiled in enemy territory made Artia furious beyond words.
It took immense, relentless effort to build and maintain a physique like that.
Even if one died, such a body deserved to be respectfully buried—not desecrated!
‘I’ll protect you, no matter what. I’ll figure out your routine. And your diet too.’
As each of them climbed the mountain lost in their own thoughts, they passed under a shadowy, dim cliff.
Places like this required extra caution, as they weren’t easily visible from other areas.
After all, enemies could spring out from anywhere at any time.
‘There’s someone nearby.’
Thanks to his acute sensitivity to even the slightest movement, Heidegger quickly realized someone was close.
But Heuk Gu had already darted ahead, having caught a scent.
Following the smell, Heuk Gu squeezed between massive boulders.
Heidegger immediately followed.
Artia, flailing her arms energetically, ran to catch up with Heuk Gu and Heidegger.
‘Whoa, does he use warp-step? His walking speed is insane…’
Every single step Artia took, Heidegger surged ahead by five or six.
It was like a sparrow trying to keep up with a stork.
When Artia finally arrived slightly after Heidegger, she couldn’t help but marvel at his agility—
but only for a brief moment.
Peering through a narrow gap in the rocks, she saw a man and a woman—and her eyes widened in shock.
Heidegger’s expression, as he looked on, was equally grim.
Unlike the open spaces elsewhere, this spot was dark and shaded—structured so that anyone entering would remain hidden.
As they drew closer, voices grew louder.
When they moved even nearer, they saw the couple pressed tightly together through the rock crevice, playfully embracing.
Who knew how long they’d already been there—but they’d built two snowmen and pushed them together, among countless other affectionate antics.
[Our love lasts forever.] [My heart only knows you—one and only.]These shamelessly romantic words were boldly carved into the snow.
“Kakakaka!”
Utterly absorbed in their private world, they didn’t even notice the approaching group.
“Aaahn, honey! What if someone sees us like this?”
“Who’s going to come here? Even your wife couldn’t find us.”
“But I’m your wife right now~ Aing! No, no, no, no!”
“Ahhahahaha! You little brat. I’ll really have to teach you a lesson today!”
The two, practically fused together, whispered sweet nothings, nuzzled cheeks, hugged tightly, and made a noisy fuss.
Artia barely managed to suppress the urge to gag.
She stroked Heuk Gu’s soft fur, using its texture to calm her nausea.
‘It’s an affair. Absolutely disgusting.’
Why on earth would they do this on a sacred mountain instead of just booking a room at an inn?
Apparently, adulterous couples hiking mountains existed everywhere in the world.
Mountains were among the most common places for affairs—
but she never imagined it would happen right here in the Northern Mountains.
‘Truly, humanity never ceases to amaze.’
Artia shook her head.
Standing a bit ahead of Artia, Heidegger, who had been silently observing, cleared his throat to demand their identities.
“Hem. Over there.”
Realizing they’d been spotted, the couple jumped in alarm.
They quickly pulled apart and nervously adjusted their hair and clothes.
Indeed, the power of love was remarkable—
they hadn’t even registered the cold in this freezing weather.
The man was dressed as if he’d come straight from a swimming pool, and the woman wore something almost like an off-shoulder top.
“We need to confirm whether you’re residents of the ducal territory.”
At Heidegger’s words, the man tried to flee out of shame—but the area was already surrounded by knights.
The woman covered her face with her palms.
The man’s face turned beet red as he nervously chewed his lips.
Heidegger narrowed his eyes as he stared at them.
“If you don’t speak up, we’ll have no choice but to treat you as intruders.”
“Th-that’s…”
“State your name and residence.”
“I… uh…”
Stammering, the man realized there was no escape—and made one last desperate attempt.
“W-who even are you to demand my identity…?”
“I am Heidegger, former Duke of the Wellington family.”
“Huh—!”
“This area belongs to the Wellington estate. Unauthorized access is prohibited.”
“But…”
“How did you get in?”
Even if years had passed and the terrain shifted somewhat, this remained ducal property.
All entrances except the main path leading to the mansion had “No Trespassing” signs and were firmly sealed off.
If these two weren’t spies but ordinary civilians, it meant they’d undertaken an incredibly bold—and reckless—adventure.
“Ah, well… you see…”
Glancing around at the surrounding knights, the man instinctively realized Heidegger held very high authority.
He understood he had no choice but to reveal his identity.
He approached Heidegger and bowed his head deeply.
“I’ll… I’ll tell you the truth, so please—please don’t tell my family! I beg you!”
How shameless could one be—to remain so brazen even at the very end?
Yet Heidegger didn’t even blink at the man’s plea.
This area was, by rule, strictly off-limits to anyone not affiliated with the ducal estate.
By violating that rule and trespassing here, they’d forfeited leniency.
Heidegger resolved to handle them strictly according to protocol.
Cassus, who had arrived slightly later and dismounted from his horse, frowned.
From the words etched into the snow to the scattered food crumbs—every trace of their illicit romance remained clearly visible on private land.
“This isn’t a place just anyone can wander into.”
“…….”
“I’ve clearly been too lax in managing these mountains.”
“Please… just this once… forgive us! We’ll never do it again, okay?”
Terrified the village would find out, the man turned pale.
In truth, this wasn’t his first affair.
If the village learned he’d cheated again, he knew exactly how he’d be treated.
The woman, too, was married.
While her husband was away in another region, this had merely been a fleeting, playful fling—
but they never expected the location itself would become the problem.
“Well, this works out perfectly. Now I have a clear chance to demonstrate exactly what happens when laws are broken.”
Cassus was generally lenient toward commoners.
He’d always lived for the sake of his people—
which was precisely why he was always so busy.
But he had zero intention of forgiving those who flagrantly violated laws and trespassed onto private property.
After completing their identification, he ordered his subordinates to take the couple away.
“Thoroughly inspect the entrance area.”
“Yes, Your Highness!”
“The rest of you, head down to the village and handle this according to established procedure, then report back.”
“Understood!”
“You two will be punished with particular severity.”
If Artia hadn’t suggested climbing the mountain, the couple likely wouldn’t have been discovered.
Moreover, this incident exposed the estate’s lax mountain management.
Fortunately, the only access to this location passed through the ducal territory—but it was true they hadn’t prioritized overseeing the mountain range.
Heidegger and Cassus watched silently as the sobbing couple was dragged down toward the village.
“We can’t afford to be complacent just because the mountain is rugged. The presence of illegal intruders means we must manage this range far more strictly.”
“That’s right.”
Heidegger finally understood.
Now he realized why Artia had insisted on coming here.
She’d claimed it was for her morning exercise and Cerberus’s walk—but what if that wasn’t the real reason?
When one focuses only on major aspects like domain administration, military oversight, and judicial governance, smaller details inevitably become neglected.
Likely, her true aim had been to assess the relatively lax state of the mountain range.
Revealing such a vulnerability in the ducal territory to someone from House Harad was dangerous.
Heidegger decided not to climb any further.
“Let’s descend from here.”
Meanwhile, Leo was in a foul mood just from seeing his father and Artia together.
He especially hated how Artia kept chattering away.
He wished her mouth would magically sew itself shut right then and there.
He was annoyed by how she’d embarrassed him in front of the knights.
And he resented that his father—whom he’d lived with since birth—had agreed to Artia’s suggestion after knowing her for mere days.
‘I hate everything about this.’
Leo wandered out of their sight, exploring the area.
He’d visited this mountain only once or twice as a child.
Having been confined to the mansion most of his life, this new environment intrigued him.
“Don’t follow me. I’m going down over there.”
It was a steep mountain.
Having been thoroughly humiliated in front of the knights earlier, Leo was determined to regain his dignity by showing them a fearless, courageous side.
At the base of the steep trail lay a massive lake.
Bathed in sunlight, it shimmered with a stunning sapphire glow.
It looked incredibly deep, though no one knew its true depth.
Even just descending required tremendous courage.
‘I’ll just go down there and come right back up.’
Leo thought to himself.
“Young Master, it’s dangerous down there!”
“Shut up. Don’t follow me.”
Though the knights wanted to stop him, Leo was beyond their control.
It was a perilous spot: one misstep on the steep slope would send him plummeting straight into the lake.
Leo shoved both hands into his pockets and smirked leisurely, as if to prove he wasn’t afraid at all.
“You’ll die if you follow me?”
As he descended, mist rising from the water blurred his vision.
When he reached the bottom and peered into the lake, he shouted loudly,
“Ah, whatever—there’s nothing special down here.”
If he pulled his hands out of his pockets to climb back up, the knights would look down on him.
So Leo chose to climb using only his legs, keeping his hands firmly in his pockets.
His long legs made ascending relatively easy—
as long as no protruding rocks tripped him.
At that exact moment, Leo lost his balance—and by the time he tried to pull his hands from his pockets, it was already too late.
Plop!
He plunged straight into the deep lake below.
Male lead is a clingy little husband
One-line summary: The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
Introduction:
One day, Lu Yuner’s soul transmigrates into a female-dominant world. She enters the Imperial Academy and takes up the position of a doctoral instructor, teaching classes and grading schoolwork.
One day, she encounters the young prince Su Qingwan secretly skipping class from the male academy.
As a result, Su Qingwan is punished.
From then on, Su Qingwan sees Lu Yuner as a “thorn in his side”.
But before long, this “thorn” becomes the person he cherishes most, and he goes to great lengths to win Lu Yuner’s affection.
Mini scene 1:
One day, the sun is high in the sky but Su Qingwan still hasn’t gotten up for class.
Servant Xiaoyuan: “Young prince, it’s time for class. You’ll be late otherwise.”
Su Qingwan says arrogantly: “I’m not going. I am the esteemed prince, my status is so noble, why should I suffer this hardship? Besides, isn’t learning all this just to please women? Hmph, they’re not worthy!”
Mini scene 2:
After Su Qingwan falls for someone, he completely changes. He no longer skips class and diligently learns how to be a good husband and father. But he discovers that Sister Yuner is always surrounded by admirers.
Drunk and overcome with jealousy one day, he clings to Lu Yuner, crying beautifully like a pear blossom in the rain.
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan likes Sister Yuner.”
Lu Yuner: “Young prince, you’re drunk.”
Su Qingwan: “Qingwan isn’t drunk. Qingwan likes Sister Yuner, likes you so much, likes you to bits…” Before he can finish, Lu Yuner’s eyes flash with emotion and she leans in closer.
[Reading Guide]
1. The female lead is gentle, gracious, humble and polite but not weak. The male lead is initially an arrogant, noble, love-deprived brat, later a cute, clingy, scheming little jealous one.
2. 1v1, a bit torturous in the beginning but definitely sweet later on.
_____
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