Duke, You're a Bit Stiff (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 6
Even wearing a large fur coat, his plump sides and sturdy lower body were clearly visible.
Just imagining what kind of body would be revealed once he took off his outerwear already made Artia’s heart feel ready to burst.
She didn’t care at all about Heidegger’s face.
Her only interest was his body—forged through rigorous training.
‘Good heavens! Is that even possible?’
Artia genuinely marveled at their physiques,
firmly believing that if Cassus and Heidegger had entered a bodybuilding contest, they’d surely have won “The World’s Most Beautiful Physique” award.
If such a body was purely built through exercise, there must be a secret method behind it.
‘Cassus never even let me touch his body. Maybe… if I ask Heidegger, he might teach me.’
Artia desperately wanted to learn that secret.
Just then—
“Enough. Why bother with such trivialities?”
Heidegger waved his hand dismissively and loosened his grip on the reins.
Even his deep voice sounded impressive.
Thinking of his fate—heading to the battlefield only to die soon—Artia bit her lip.
‘Heidegger… you’re far too precious to die.’
Heidegger’s deep blue eyes, scanning the surroundings, suddenly stopped—
on Artia.
His abyss-like, vividly blue gaze pierced straight through her, then quickly looked away.
Without a word, Heidegger dismounted and entered the mansion.
‘He probably finds me unwelcome… after all, I’m a daughter of House Harad.’
House Harad and House Wellington didn’t get along.
It wasn’t just that—they were practically sworn enemies.
This marriage was arranged solely because both sides needed certain conditions fulfilled.
It was a marriage predicated on reversing a decision already made by the Imperial Family.
In other words, there wasn’t an ounce of love to be found here, no matter how hard one looked.
It was a marriage meant to douse an urgent fire—
specifically, to quell the Imperial Family’s proposal to enslave all war prisoners.
Since both sides held sharply opposing views, they compromised by arranging marriages between members of each faction as a gesture of reconciliation.
The ducal household suspected Artia had been sent primarily to spy on them.
Even so, they still treated her with the respect befitting a duchess—but that was all.
After all, Cassus showed absolutely no interest in her, not even enough to care if she died.
His father, Heidegger, likely felt the same.
But Artia had made up her mind: she would seize any opportunity that arose.
‘I’ll uncover the secret behind that physique—no matter what!’
After Heidegger entered the mansion, his knights held up a tightly woven net and spoke.
“These are gifts Lord Heidegger collected along the way.”
“This one is Goldstem Herb, and this is Doran.”
Exclamations of admiration erupted from the ducal household’s staff.
From the snippets of conversation Artia overheard, these appeared to be extremely rare ingredients used in special dishes.
“His Grace didn’t wish to arrive empty-handed…”
“Oh my! Young Master Leo will surely love these.”
The servant who mentioned Leo immediately bit her lip, realizing her slip.
Cassus frowned and scanned the area.
“Where is Leo?”
“Well… um…”
“Hmm?”
“He’s still sleeping, my lord.”
At the word “still,” Cassus’s eyebrows twitched slightly.
Sensing the shift in atmosphere, the servants hurriedly added,
“He’s at that age where he needs plenty of rest, so he tends to sleep a lot…”
Cassus turned his indifferent gaze away at their explanation.
The knights, growing uneasy, quickly resumed their explanation.
“This one here is clearly gold ore, and this…”
Just then, a puppy with perky, pointed ears caught Artia’s attention.
The puppy bared its teeth, growling threateningly at the people surrounding it.
Though cute, its fierce snarling made it seem more like a wolf cub than a puppy.
Cassus stared expressionlessly into the net and said,
“So, it’s a Cerberus pup.”
Zen, one of the escort knights, peered into the net and added,
“Thankfully, the net’s made of special material—if not, it would’ve torn through and run off long ago.”
“I know. It’s a high-tier magical beast among magical beasts.”
‘Magical beast? A Cerberus pup? That adorable little thing?’
To Artia, it looked like nothing more than a black puppy, cluelessly captured—but a magical beast?
In the original story, magical beasts were described as threats to humans. Thus, despite the danger, some still risked their lives hunting them.
“We cast the net, and unfortunately, it got tangled together with these—we couldn’t possibly separate just the pup.”
One of Heidegger’s knights explained.
“Magical beasts that remember human faces should be eradicated before they even sprout.”
Cassus gave a cold nod.
“Kill it.”
The moment he finished speaking, knights with drawn swords approached the creature in the net.
Sensing the danger, the Cerberus pup growled even more menacingly—a clear warning not to come closer.
Just as the knights raised their gleaming blades to strike the young magical beast—
“Wait, hold on!”
Artia stepped forward to stop them.
The knight holding the sword raised an eyebrow, baffled.
“Yes…?”
“It’s still so young—can’t we just release it somewhere else?”
Artia forced a smile onto her face, trying to soften the tense atmosphere.
To kill such an adorable creature while it’s still alive?
That’s just too cruel—way over the line.
Puffing her cheeks, Artia gazed at Cerberus.
“Look at its eyes. It seems like it just wants to run away.”
Cassus cut her off sharply.
“Nonsense.”
Having been a dog lover in her past life, Artia was suddenly flooded with memories of walking her dog and living together.
Without thinking, she grabbed Cassus’s arm—
and despite his outer layer of clothing, she could clearly feel his thick muscles beneath, gripping them tightly.
Startled by her sudden physical contact, Cassus tried to push her away—but oddly, her grip was stronger than expected.
“Your Grace… even so, killing such a young pup seems a bit…”
Artia lowered her doll-like eyes gently as she spoke to Cassus.
Perhaps he read the sincerity in her gaze—the earnest desire to save Cerberus.
Cassus let out a brief sigh and explained,
“By nature, Cerberus never forgets the face of anyone who harms it.”
“But…”
“If it ever returns here later, it’ll be a headache—better to kill it now.”
“Your Grace…”
“And would you let go of my arm while you speak?”
“Oh…”
Only now did Artia realize she was still holding Cassus’s arm, and she quickly released it.
At that moment, the Cerberus pup whimpered pitifully.
Hearing its cries, Artia’s heart ached strangely.
“Oh no! This is too cruel! I can’t—I just can’t watch this!”
Her outburst made the knights glance nervously between the duke and duchess.
“There is a way, isn’t there?”
Zen, unable to stay silent any longer, interjected.
“Zen, why are you getting involved?”
Cassus frowned.
“If we tame the Cerberus ourselves, the problem is solved.”
“That’s impossible. You know that as well as I do.”
“…”
“There’s never been a single recorded case in history of a Cerberus being tamed. Even if raised from infancy, its instincts make success impossible.”
Cassus shook his head, giving Zen a disdainful look.
Zen had only said it teasingly, well aware it was impossible.
With another nod from Cassus, the knights eagerly drew their swords and stepped toward the Cerberus pup.
“Wait a moment.”
Artia, unable to bear it any longer, spoke up.
She unfurled her elegant handkerchief—originally kept for emergencies like sudden fainting—and began walking toward the net.
“Little one…”
“Grrrrr!”
Despite baring its sharp teeth, the pup struggling helplessly in the net looked utterly adorable.
Up close, its strange appearance seemed like a mix between a country puppy and a black panther.
‘Are you kidding me? It’s pure doggo cuteness!’
To think they wanted to kill this little one.
Even if it was a dangerous predator to humans, it was still a living being.
Inside the net were also hard, stone-like ore pieces.
The Cerberus, thrashing around tangled with the ores, had torn its skin in several places, and blood was already seeping out.
Cassus and Zen watched with crossed arms, curious what Artia was about to do.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.”
The situation felt much like when she’d once brought home a lost stray dog.
Back then wasn’t all that different from now—
except that back then it was just a puppy, and now it was a magical beast.
Gently cooing reassurances, Artia reached out to stroke the Cerberus—
Snap!
The Cerberus pup bit down hard on her arm.
“Ugh!”
Its small fangs sank into Artia’s arm, and crimson blood quickly spread across her dress.
Its teeth were so sharp that her sleeve tore slightly, revealing a glimpse of skin underneath.
Her arm was unusually pale, making the red blood stand out even more vividly.
“M-Mistress!”
Kesha, the maid watching nearby, cried out in shock.
She wasn’t the only one startled—Cassus, Zen, and everyone else present were equally taken aback.
“Kesha, I’m fine.”
As if she’d expected to be bitten, Artia reached her hand into the net.
Then, she fully inserted her arm and gently stroked the Cerberus’s injured leg.
“It hurt its leg.”
Still letting the pup bite her, Artia wrapped her handkerchief around the wounded leg.
“Grrrr… whimper!”
The Cerberus, which had been growling fiercely in pain, now seemed confused and unsure what to do.
It was still young—but a predator was a predator.
“Kesha, do you have another handkerchief?”
“H-here’s one.”
Kesha, still frozen in place, offered her own handkerchief, which Artia quickly took and tied around the Cerberus’s eyes.
“Blocking its vision is the priority.”
For a young creature frightened by an unfamiliar environment, this was the best Artia could offer.
Indeed, with its vision obscured, the pup’s anxious behavior visibly calmed.
Cassus watched Artia with a furrowed brow.
Why go to such lengths for a mere insect?
“You’re wasting your time.”
He spoke directly to Artia.
“Hah…”
“If you’re done with your pointless efforts, I’ll finish what I couldn’t do earlier.”
Cassus signaled the knight holding the sword.
His message was clear: Artia’s attempt to save the young magical beast had failed completely.
“I’m sorry.”
Artia gave a bitter smile, whispering so only Cerberus could hear, and reluctantly stepped back.
Cassus nodded.
“Dispose of it.”
At Cassus’s command, the gleaming blades cast ominous shadows over the net.
Just then—
“Hold on.”
A deep voice rang out from behind them.
Artia and Cassus turned around simultaneously.
Former Duke Heidegger stood by the doorway, staring at Artia’s arm.
Drop.
Drop.
Crimson droplets fell from her pale arm, staining the floor.
A clear, deep tooth mark was imprinted on her slender arm.
“Your courage is commendable.”
Heidegger said, looking at the bite on Artia’s arm.
“…”
“To offer your hand fearlessly to a predator like that.”
Heidegger gazed at Artia with an expressionless face.
His blue eyes seemed to pierce straight into her soul.
Most people instinctively avoided his gaze—but Artia met it with clear interest.
Heidegger slowly opened his mouth.
“What do you intend to do with that creature?”
“M-me?”
Artia blinked, hiding her bleeding arm behind her back.
“To be honest… I’d like to keep it. I think I can tame it properly.”
Everyone present gasped at Artia’s answer.
After all, Cerberus was not a creature meant to be tamed by human hands.
Heidegger raised an eyebrow.
“You intend to tame that ferocious beast?”
When yandere male lead believes she loves him — but she never did
“How dare you!”
“How dare you make me love you, only to cast me aside as nothing more than a friend?!?
“I will never accept that.”
“I will never let you return to him.”
“Even if I have to burn myself to ashes.”
“Even if I must shatter my purity, my dignity, my very soul.”
“I will never let you escape me!”
This was the first novel that introduced me to the matriarchal genre. I’ve read it three times already!
At first, the male lead despised the female lead. Later, he misunderstood that she liked him, so he condescendingly and reluctantly reciprocated her feelings.
Then, he suddenly discovered that she was kind to everyone in the same way, and there was already someone she cherished in her heart, and that person was not him.
The male lead couldn’t believe it, he became angry and crazy. He was determined to capture her body and heart by any means necessary.
Synopsis:
Want to see how a green tea bitch male lead falls in love with the female lead?
Want to see how he flirtatiously pursues the female lead?
Want to see how he gets slapped in the face repeatedly?
The male lead is a green tea bitch, a poisonous lotus, jealous, ruthless, unscrupulous, with a venomous heart, and he’s also a delusional maniac.
The female lead is righteous, positive energy-filled, kind, a holy mother.
Let’s see how two people with extreme personalities come together~
_____
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