Duke, You're a Bit Stiff (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 15
“If you don’t want your blood vessels clogged early, you’d better take care of yourselves.”
“Pfft! Since when did you become a doctor?”
Kesha’s lecture was so funny that the maids’ dormitory echoed with roaring laughter.
Her three colleagues were clutching their stomachs, laughing hard.
After all, Kesha herself had always been the quickest to sneak snacks and devour them like they’d vanish in a blink—she loved snacking more than anyone.
No one believed her.
Not a word of what she was saying.
“Kesha, are you secretly studying for a medical license behind our backs?”
“No, you’ve already eaten your forty-fifth pack…”
The floor was completely covered with wrappers and crumbs, forming what looked like the Daedong River.
Kesha let out an exasperated chuckle.
“I thought I’d walked into Hansel and Gretel’s gingerbread house.”
“Well, it tastes good, doesn’t it? I’m spending my own money—what’s the problem?”
“Ugh, let’s not even get into this. Just drop it.”
Kesha resolved never to offer advice to her colleagues again, feeling she’d foolishly meddled where she wasn’t wanted.
Her coworkers kept stuffing cookies into their mouths without pause, giggling all the while.
Chocolate and cookie crumbs clung thickly to their teeth.
‘They’re sticking on in such a rainbow of colors. Might as well build a whole snack house inside their mouths.’
Kesha wiped her sweat with a towel and returned to completing her daily task list.
“Phew.”
Though she hadn’t exercised for a few days, her body somehow felt firmer.
Especially since her job required heavy arm use, her wrists used to hurt often—but ever since she followed Artia’s instructions, the pain vanished.
It was truly astonishing.
She’d only done exactly as told for just a few days.
Just who exactly had her lady been before?
“Kesha.”
“Don’t talk to me. I’m working out.”
“What’s so great about doing that anyway?”
“Don’t talk to me…”
“Huh? Does something come out if you do that? Cookies? Money?”
“Or… a handsome man?”
“I told you, I’m exercising…”
“Pfft! Is a fairy-tale prince going to pop out and kiss you or something?”
It was utterly impossible to focus on exercise in this atmosphere.
‘This won’t do. Not here.’
Finishing today’s workout here seemed hopeless.
Not even a god could manage it.
Kesha glared at her colleagues, lips tightly pursed.
If you can’t help, at least don’t get in the way.
“Pfft! What’s that face supposed to be?”
“…”
“You look just like an angry hamster denied its treats. Pffhahah! Squeak squeak!”
“Huff…”
“Are you mad, Mr. Squeaky? Weehee!?”
Kesha had a sudden sinking feeling—if she didn’t leave right now, everything would go to waste.
After stepping out of the dormitory, Kesha wiped her still-dripping sweat once more with a towel.
If she couldn’t use the dorm, where else could she exercise?
Nothing suitable came to mind.
At first, it hadn’t mattered—she’d worked out alongside her lady.
But the exercises on the list were growing increasingly intense.
Trying to do them alone in the dorm was no match for her colleagues’ constant interference.
She’d have to wait until they fell asleep—but the problem was, she never knew when that might happen.
‘Exercising is hard enough without this headache.’
Kesha went to Artia’s room and knocked.
She didn’t have official business, nor had her lady pulled the summoning cord.
Knock knock.
Hearing the “come in,” Kesha carefully opened the door.
Creeeak.
“My lady.”
Through the narrow opening, Artia was clearly visible.
Her hair was coiled into a neat bun, and she was breathing heavily.
‘She’s working out too?’
“5, 4, 3, 2, 1…”
Artia straightened her folded legs and shifted positions.
“What’s the matter?”
“My lady…”
Kesha’s voice was utterly deflated.
Sensing something was wrong, Artia immediately stopped her exercise.
She wiped her sweat with a towel.
“It’s just… I tried to do what you asked, but…”
“Mm.”
Kesha recounted everything that had happened in the dormitory in full detail.
“I know it’s my own lack of ability, but…”
“No, Kesha. Your surroundings are extremely important when it comes to exercise.”
“Huh?”
“People say environment accounts for ninety percent of success. That’s why people join groups or pay for trainers—to actively change their environment.”
“Oh…”
“The fact that you even attempted to exercise in that setting is impressive. And the fact that you came all the way here shows your determination.”
“…”
Hearing Artia’s words of encouragement, Kesha’s heart swelled warmly.
She’d secretly worried her lady might scold her—“Can’t you even handle this?” or “Is it really been only a few days and you’re already whining?”
“At first, of course it’s extra tough. Let me see…”
Artia blinked twice.
“I’ll give you your own room—separate from the group dorm. Somewhere quiet where you can exercise comfortably alone. How about that?”
“M-My lady…”
Kesha’s eyes welled up, reddening at the rims.
“How big do you want it? Would this room’s size be enough?”
“…”
“Kesha, I’ll put in everything you need.”
Overwhelmed, Kesha finally burst into tears.
“Hey, hey—why are you crying? Did they tease you a lot?”
“No, it’s not that… Wahhh…”
“Was I too harsh on you at this early stage?”
“No, h-huh-ge (that’s) not it, My Laaady…”
“Since you’re already here, let me give you a quick check-up.”
“Huh?”
Artia smiled faintly at her.
“Your tight hamstrings have loosened up quite a bit.”
Observing Kesha’s body, Artia examined her carefully from every angle.
Lying flat on the floor as instructed, Kesha felt profoundly happy in that moment.
If only she’d known it would come to this, she’d have treated her lady far better from the very beginning.
She never imagined they’d grow this close.
“This spot accumulates a lot of toxins.”
“Aaah!”
When Artia pressed the hollows just beneath Kesha’s ears, Kesha shrieked.
“This one too.”
“Kyaaah!”
“And this too.”
“Uuugh!”
Kesha writhed in agony with each new spot Artia pressed.
“Kesha, your body is absolutely packed with toxins.”
“R-Really?”
“Even though I loosened you up briefly the other day, you’re still in terrible shape. You must get tired quickly and your vision probably blurs easily.”
“Hiiyaah!”
Artia firmly pressed and stimulated various points all over Kesha’s body.
“If we don’t take care of our bodies, they become toxin-filled masses—and then we fall ill easily. Since we’re already born, don’t you want to live healthily and long?”
“Yes… that’s right—aaah!”
“When toxins are released, your complexion clears up and makeup applies better too.”
“Urraah!”
“Taking care of your body influences every aspect of your life.”
“Hoororora!”
Kesha’s cries grew increasingly bizarre as she twisted in pain.
Even her screams seemed to evolve.
Meanwhile.
Cassus had been deep in thought the entire time descending the mountain range.
Artia of House Harad.
Just who exactly was she?
Thinking back, all he knew about her was that she was the daughter of House Harad.
It had been a forced marriage.
Still, legally, she was his wife.
Cassus realized he knew far too little about his own spouse.
All he knew was her name, age, and family.
Nothing else.
He’d never shown interest or asked about her before.
But today, unlike himself—who’d recklessly jumped into the lake to save someone without thinking—she remained calm and even provided precise instructions on what to do.
Things even he hadn’t known.
Most people would just panic, stomping their feet or standing helplessly by.
If not for Artia, he and Leo might already be sinking to the icy bottom of the lake.
Leo’s impulsive action had been that dangerous.
She’d revived Leo, whose breathing had already stopped.
In truth, he owed both his and his brother’s lives to her.
Given that House Harad was sworn enemies with House Wellington, it wouldn’t have been strange at all if she’d just let him die then and there.
So why had she chosen to save him?
It could’ve been her perfect chance to kill him.
Thinking harder, he realized Artia had multiple suspicious traits.
She never panicked, no matter how unexpected the situation.
She calmly devised solutions.
It was as if she already knew exactly what to do in every scenario.
‘How… does she know all this?’
For the first time, Cassus genuinely grew curious about her.
‘Should I visit her room once?’
He sank into deep contemplation.
But it felt awkward to go without any real purpose.
The last time he’d gone to her room was only because his father had entered the guest room alone with her.
Cassus paced restlessly in his own room for a long while.
What should he say first?
Maybe ask how she tamed Cerberus?
He was slightly curious about her secret for making a high-tier magical beast obedient overnight.
‘No, that sounds pathetic.’
Alternatively, perhaps casually ask, as if making small talk, what the south—where she’d lived—was like.
How different it was from the north.
‘Are you really going to ask that after a whole year?’
Cassus pinched the bridge of his nose.
He might excel at war and domain management, but he was utterly hopeless in this area.
No good approach came to mind, no matter how hard he thought.
He kept pondering longer.
What to say, how to say it.
Finally, he reached a conclusion.
‘Why am I even seriously worrying about something this trivial?’
He found himself ridiculous for agonizing over such a thing.
He draped his outer coat over his shoulders.
Without realizing it, he began walking quickly.
That was, until he ran into Heidegger in the hallway.
Two strikingly handsome men met face-to-face in the corridor.
When Heidegger and Cassus halted, the vast hallway of the ducal manor suddenly felt narrow.
“Your Highness…”
“Hm!”
“Is something the matter?”
Heidegger always made that expression and cleared his throat awkwardly whenever something was up.
He must have a reason.
After a brief glance at Cassus, Heidegger spoke.
“Would it be alright if I stayed here a bit longer?”
“…”
Cassus tried to read his father’s intention.
Heidegger never acted without purpose.
His decision to stay meant something significant was happening.
Truthfully, Heidegger’s presence made things easier for Cassus—
it drastically reduced the things he needed to worry about.
“Do as you please.”
“Thank you.”
Both men seemed inwardly impatient—Heidegger in his own way, Cassus in his.
“Why are you in such a hurry?”
“Huh?”
Cassus stared blankly at Heidegger, unable to answer.
He couldn’t bring himself to say he was heading to the duchess’s room.
Seeing Cassus flustered, Heidegger cleared his throat again.
“Never mind. I shouldn’t have asked. Go on your way.”
The situation was awkward for both.
They’d always been somewhat distant, but now it felt even more so.
Their brief exchange ended abruptly.
Cassus passed by the portraits hanging along the corridor—
paintings of himself, Heidegger, and generations of ancestors before them.
Their straight noses,
sharp eyes, and chiseled jawlines—
each one undeniably extremely handsome.
The Wellington male beauty gene had risen sharply since Heidegger’s generation.
And it had been passed down directly to Cassus and Leo.
So striking were they that even centuries later, people would clamor to buy these portraits.
Cassus passed the paintings, climbed the stairs, and walked down another corridor.
Soon, he arrived before Artia’s room.
Though it was his own manor, it was so vast—and he’d rarely ever visited wherever Artia stayed.
Neatly arranged vases stood pristine along the hallway.
Cassus looked around.
For a duchess’s quarters, it seemed rather modest.
The location wasn’t particularly desirable either.
The last time he’d visited, he hadn’t properly observed these details.
Only now, a year later, did these small things finally catch his eye.
Clearing his throat, Cassus stood before Artia’s door and knocked.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Now that he’d arrived, he felt nervous—
something he hadn’t expected at all.
After a moment, a maid opened the door instead.
Strangely, the maid was drenched in sweat—
from her hair down to her entire face.
She looked like a drowned mouse, as if she’d just walked through a downpour.
She also seemed to be holding her breath deliberately.
Her breathing appeared highly unnatural.
“Y-Your Highness… Haa…”
“Where is the duchess?”
When Cassus asked, the maid opened the door a little wider.
Through the gap, something moved swiftly inside.
“Wu-hu… She’s exercising…”
“What?”
“W-wu-hun-tooong…”
Frustrated, Cassus pushed the half-open door wide open.
Male lead is a Divorced Husband
She said to him: “Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change it!”
Liu Changning transmigrated into a female cannon fodder character in a female-dominant novel.
After reading the first half of the novel’s plot, the first thing she did upon transmigration was to divorce the Pan Jinlian-style male protagonist she had just married.
She indulged herself, pretending to be ugly and poor.
But as time passed, the way that man looked at her became more and more unusual…
Liu Changning was dumbfounded: Tell me, what makes you like me? I’ll change!
――
This lifetime, Pei Yuanshao was rejected by the same woman twice!
The first time, she drove him away. Forced by the situation, he endured the waves of anger in his heart, yielding and humbling himself.
That person lay slanted on a rocking chair, her sallow face emotionless: “If you don’t want a divorce, go cook!”
Pei Yuanshao’s face was dark and gloomy: “You!”
The second time, after the crisis in Jinling City was resolved, the new emperor sent someone to pick him up. He turned around, stammering: “I… I have to go. If you keep me…”
That person lay on the kang bed, her back to him, as if she had long anticipated this day, crisp and clear: “Goodbye!”
Pei Yuanshao was so angry his fingers trembled: “You… you!”
The mission of family and country made him restrain himself, averting his eyes and turning to leave this broken household.
Two years later, they met again. Seeing her ethereal face, his body shook like a sieve.
“She was originally a ‘she’!”
At the Qionglin Banquet, the top scholar of the imperial examination, a talented person with exceptional speech and conduct, all the unmarried young gentlemen from aristocratic families looked at her with shy and timid eyes.
The peerless imperial official Pei Yuanshao felt the anger in his heart erupt. He pointed at the woman surrounded by the crowd at the Qionglin Banquet, his thin lips slightly curled: “Little sister, I wants that person to be the wife-master of my Mingde Prince Manor.”
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