Duke, You're a Bit Stiff (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 3
“This… No way! Do it again!”
The match ended in the blink of an eye.
The result was Leo’s defeat.
To the young boy’s eyes, it must have been invisible—
how the knights, old enough to be his father, had intentionally held back during their wooden sword sparring.
“Ugh, it’s invalid! My hand slipped!”
“Hah…”
“The wind blew too hard! Let’s do it again!”
“Again?”
“Dirt got in my eyes, I couldn’t see anything!”
“…”
No matter how many times they tried, the outcome remained unchanged.
Leo refused to accept the result and blamed everything but himself.
And though he didn’t show it, his new body was weak—Kang Ji Ha’s, no, Artia’s body grew short of breath with even slight exertion.
But she knew how to achieve maximum effect with minimal movement.
Suppressing a little brat with just a wooden sword wasn’t particularly difficult.
“Oh, what’s this? It’s far more boring than I expected.”
Artia yawned and stretched, prompting Leo to start huffing in frustration.
He was so furious his face turned red then purple.
“Bring me a real sword!”
“…”
“What are you waiting for? I said bring me a real sword!”
Leo commanded the knights.
“Young master… As you well know, real swords may only be used during dummy practice.”
“Shut up! Are you defying me right now?”
“The Duke strictly forbade it. I’m sorry.
No matter how much he raged, nothing went his way.
Eventually, tears welled up in Leo’s ashen eyes and rolled down his flushed cheeks.
Artia scratched her head.
‘I didn’t mean to make him cry.’
Everyone present stood with their mouths agape.
They’d never once witnessed Leo—the wild troublemaker—cry.
Artia brushed off the faint dust from her dress and offered a faint smile.
“Hey now, a man shouldn’t shed tears just because he lost to someone wearing a dress.”
Leo, who had been sniffling, desperately tried not to make a sound, but couldn’t hold back his overwhelming sorrow.
He ended up crying even harder.
‘…I’m terrible at comforting crying kids. What should I do?’
★ ★ ★
At that very moment, on the northern border,
the snowstorm had momentarily ceased.
At the head of the endless column, Duke Cassus Wellington sat astride a white horse, clad in armor.
His jet-black hair and piercing blue eyes contrasted starkly against the pristine snow, rendering his striking beauty truly unparalleled.
One would expect his features to appear gaunt after long exposure to the outdoors,
but that rule didn’t apply to Cassus.
On the contrary, his lustrous pale skin shimmered brilliantly.
Gazing past the horizon where the blizzard had just subsided, Cassus spoke with an expressionless face.
“Did Zigler send this?”
A messenger pigeon had just landed in the hands of his guard, Zen.
Attached to the white pigeon’s leg was a note bearing the seal of the Wellington estate’s correspondence inspector.
“Yes.”
“So, an official imperial document has arrived.”
Cassus narrowed his brows in evident distaste.
Zen glanced at the note, checking Cassus’s reaction before reading.
“Last time, they wanted to raise taxes by nearly half—what is it this time?”
“Well…”
“Go ahead, it’s fine.”
“It’s an official notice stating a new law has passed—requiring each commoner household to supply one woman.”
“Hah. Madmen.”
Cassus let out a long sigh.
Whenever the Imperial Family enacted laws, they always slipped in clauses unfavorable to the people—
because the more the commoners suffered, the more comfortable the royals and nobles became.
“So it’s a unilateral announcement. They’ve already decided and expect our compliance?”
Zen loosened his grip on the reins and asked,
“Will you refuse again this time?”
“Yes.”
Zen, who had anticipated Cassus’s answer, bowed his head.
The Wellington estate, already at odds with the Imperial Family, was ostracized even among noble circles.
Associating with a family that defied the throne inevitably invited trouble.
No matter how powerful a ducal house might be, none could overpower the Imperial Family.
“If I cannot protect everyone in the Felln Empire, at the very least I will protect the people on my land.”
“Understood. Shall we head straight back to the estate, then?”
According to the original plan, they were to strike the enemy stronghold in the Ehas region.
But with the worsening blizzard ahead, they had no choice but to cancel.
Thus, contrary to plan, they would return to the estate.
“Let’s. I’ve got a mountain of matters to deal with anyway.”
★ ★ ★
“Y-Your Grace! You’re back!”
The moment Cassus arrived at the ducal estate, the white-haired steward with a monocle hastily bowed, visibly flustered.
“What’s happened?”
Cassus instantly sensed trouble and turned to the steward.
When the steward hesitated to speak, Cassus’s brow twitched slightly.
Just then, a loud voice rang out.
“This is unbearable! It’s unfair like this! One more round!”
It was Leo, the Wellington estate’s little ruffian.
Approaching, Cassus saw Leo’s face flushed red as he huffed indignantly.
“Where’d that woman go? Where is she?!”
“Young master, please calm down—”
The servants tried to restrain Leo’s shouting, but it was futile.
“She definitely cheated! There’s no way she could’ve beaten me otherwise!”
“Y-Your Grace! You’re back!”
At Cassus’s arrival, the estate staff stiffened and quickly bowed.
Simultaneously, Leo’s tantrum came to an abrupt halt.
“T-Tongue… I mean, Brother…?”
Leo stammered in flustered confusion.
Cassus was the only person Leo feared within the estate.
No matter how wild a horse might be, it wouldn’t buck in front of its master.
“What’s all this commotion?”
“Well…”
Leo felt intensely uncomfortable under Cassus’s cold, downward gaze.
Though they shared blood, his elder brother never showed any warmth.
Moreover, Cassus was always so busy they’d hardly spent any time together.
If there existed a relationship worse than strangers, it would be that of Cassus and Leo.
“Ah, it’s nothing…”
“Nothing?”
“Haa…”
At the low voice directed at him, Leo’s ashen eyes darted around helplessly.
Then, muttering to himself, he stormed off elsewhere.
The estate staff merely exchanged glances, saying nothing.
“I’m tired. Let’s go inside.”
Cassus never had time to spare on trivial matters.
Heading to his study to tackle the mountain of paperwork, he found a warm fire already blazing in the hearth.
“Your Grace, you’ve just returned from a long journey—won’t you rest?”
Worried he might collapse from exhaustion, the servants asked with concern.
“I must finish what needs doing.”
“Then I’ll prepare a warm bath for you.”
Once Cassus gave permission, the servants bustled about.
On the table sat piles of documents pre-screened by correspondence inspector Zigler, along with newsletters from various regions.
Cassus sat down first to review the imperial letters.
“Hmm…”
He unconsciously clenched his teeth.
An old injury throbbed painfully, as if being crushed.
His torso stiffened involuntarily upon sitting, muscles tensed.
Though the chair was crafted from the finest materials, it couldn’t ease Cassus’s pain.
Physicians had warned him not to overexert himself.
But Cassus ignored them.
War, training, inspections—
his lifestyle entailed constant physical strain, yet he refused regular check-ups even after major injuries.
Cassus had many enemies.
More importantly, many watched him closely—revealing weakness was dangerous.
Even the smallest sign could be seized upon by his foes.
Enduring pain—
that was what Cassus excelled at most.
The crimson glow from the hearth flickered across the documents on his desk.
Outside, night had already fallen.
Though his body felt weary after coming in from the cold, he couldn’t rest—
there was too much to handle.
With an expressionless face, Cassus picked up his pen.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, Artia, wandering through the estate, found herself in a terribly awkward situation.
Of all times, the master walked into his study just as she was touring it.
Hearing someone enter, Artia instinctively hid behind the dark bookshelf—
without even realizing what she was doing.
She could’ve just greeted him normally,
but having missed the right timing, she was now stuck.
She didn’t even know why she’d hidden.
She’d assumed he’d leave soon—but apparently not.
Cassus, who’d entered the study, sat rooted to his chair.
‘Ah… What should I do now? Should I come out? Or stay? Will he accuse me of sneaking in to spy?’
Thankfully, the area where she hid remained shadowed, concealing her from view.
Artia stole a quick glance at Cassus.
Jet-black hair, skin as pure as northern snow, and an almost unreal physique—
anyone else would’ve gaped in awe at his beauty.
But Artia, staring at Cassus’s back as he sat at his desk, had other thoughts entirely.
‘What’s that? It’s really bothering me.’
To Artia’s eyes, Cassus’s shoulders were visibly asymmetrical.
‘His posture is really bad—his right side is tilting more. And also…’
Without realizing it, she began mentally assessing his physical condition.
‘If he keeps this up, it’ll affect his internal organs—doesn’t it hurt?’
As she observed intently—
Cassus abruptly stopped the scratching of his pen.
In the blink of an eye,
he spun around and pressed his sword against Artia’s throat.
“Who goes there?”
A silhouette emerged from the darkness—
a slender woman with shimmering long silver hair gazed back at him.
Her jet-black eyes, like black pearls, seemed oddly familiar.
“You’re…”
“Your reflexes are top-notch, Your Grace.”
The silver-haired woman gave an awkward smile as the blade touched her neck.
She was the woman sent by House Harad—
a pro-imperial noble family from southern Felln Empire, enemies of the Wellington ducal house.
She’d been wed to Cassus under the pretense of marriage to spy on him.
In the year since their wedding, they’d crossed paths only about five times.
This was the first time they’d been this close since the ceremony itself.
Cassus’s lips twisted.
“Right. I thought something felt off from the start.”
His low, icy voice held not a trace of affection—
utterly unbelievable as the tone a husband should use toward his wife.
Meanwhile, Artia was captivated by his thick eyebrows and straight, sharp nose.
Even the faint woody scent emanating from him tickled her nose.
‘Wow… He’s unreal up close.’
Having seen countless celebrities in her past life, she was no stranger to good looks.
But Cassus’s beauty surpassed them all—so much so they now seemed like squids in comparison.
As her silence lengthened, Cassus furrowed his brows.
Only then did Artia snap out of her daze, realizing she’d been staring right at him.
‘Looks like he thinks I’m some kind of spy… What should I do?’
She slowly blinked her large doll-like eyes.
“No… It’s not what you’re thinking.”
“Then why are you in here? You have no business in this room.”
“What power do I have? I’m just…”
An outcast even from my own family.
She spoke without thinking.
“I was bored and wandering the estate, ended up here—then sensed someone coming, so I hid.”
Cassus’s eyes sharpened, filled with hostility in their blue depths.
“Is that supposed to be an excuse?”
Despite their significant height difference, Artia stared straight into his face.
“Wait a moment. Hold still.”
“What?”
“Hmm… Your complexion is bright, so blood circulation seems fine. And… your pores are a bit small.”
“What are you doing?”
“By the way, doesn’t it hurt to sit like that, Your Grace?”
Cassus was inwardly startled.
Few besides his innermost circle knew this secret.
“I don’t feel any pain.”
“Really? It must hurt terribly.”
“Hmmph…”
“With that level of misalignment, sitting should cause sharp, tingling pain every time.”
Cassus was bewildered.
Was this woman always this forward?
Her current demeanor was completely unlike her first impression—
back then, she couldn’t even meet his eyes or speak a word.
Had everything she’d shown before been a lie?
“I said I don’t feel pain.”
“But you do…”
Artia tilted her head, replying with a tone full of doubt.
“For a man so young to already be like this—goodness.”
Every word she spoke carried strange weight.
“Just how deeply have you investigated me?”
Frowning, Cassus looked down at Artia, who barely reached his shoulders.
A fragile life that could vanish with a single swing of his blade—
yet she spoke such bizarre nonsense.
Was she not even afraid of him?
“You may cast me aside if you wish. But—”
“But?”
“I just can’t stand disorder and chaos. It makes me want to fix it—just like your body, Your Grace.”
Though slightly misaligned, Cassus’s physique was honed with exceptional muscle.
Seeing the thick musculature beneath his shirt, Artia couldn’t help but marvel.
Having trained her whole life, she’d never seen such a powerfully built frame.
And perhaps because he was a male supporting character in the original story, he looked as if sculpted from marble.
‘Ah, those lats! I really want to see how he trained them.’
Curiosity flared within Artia—what else might be hidden beneath his clothes?
Male lead says he’s pregnant — and it’s female lead’s child
Something seems a bit off about this world.
Wang Zhao thought as she watched a pregnant man walking towards her…
Intro
Female lead finds herself in a world where the men who possess the ability to bear children.
As she navigates this unfamiliar reality, she is caught off guard by the sudden appearance of her boyfriend, who reveals that he is pregnant.
Is this truly her boyfriend?
Why can’t she recall any details about their time together?
She begins to doubt whether the child her boyfriend is carrying is even hers.
Is there a hidden reason behind her amnesia, or could it be a side effect of her sudden arrival in this strange new world?
Just when it seems the protagonist’s life couldn’t become any more entangled, her ex-boyfriend makes an unexpected appearance, raising questions about the protagonist’s past.
__________
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