Duke, You're a Bit Stiff (Completed Main Story) - Chapter 8
“Why is my family being brought up all of a sudden? This skill is entirely my own original talent.”
It was at that moment.
Applause rang out, parting the crowd.
It was Heidegger.
Watching Heidegger approach Artia and Cassus, she silently marveled inwardly.
He was exactly as she had imagined the first time she saw him—no, even more impressive.
‘Wow! His pectorals are absolutely insane…?’
Artia had always been deeply interested in the human body, and her specialty was studying it thoroughly regardless of gender.
‘Perfectly balanced—neither side overdeveloped—and harmoniously sculpted into a body of breathtaking beauty!’
Seen up close, Heidegger resembled a statue carved by the gods themselves.
‘Just what on earth would someone have to do to achieve a physique like that?’
Artia’s mouth fell open in sheer excitement.
If divine creations truly existed, surely only Heidegger and Cassus could count as such.
‘This is insane. The more I look, the more incredible he becomes…’
His build—sturdy, massive—was the very embodiment of the epithet “Battlefield Ear.”
Though his thick neck and powerful arms were partially concealed by his attire, his sheer presence remained overwhelming.
When Artia got a closer look at his neck, she was startled once again.
She had to crane her neck upward due to his towering height, but—
‘Wow, even if he were forced into a situation where his neck absolutely had to be severed, it looks like it just wouldn’t happen.’
Heidegger’s neck appeared incredibly solid and resilient.
‘Though, now that I look carefully, it seems a bit knotted around the surrounding area…’
While Artia was intently observing him,
Heidegger silently gazed down at Cerberus.
“Grrr…”
Though his demeanor radiated intimidation, the young Cerberus, true to its nature as a high-tier magical beast, did not avert its eyes from Heidegger.
“Would it be alright if I touched him after removing his muzzle?”
“Oh, of course.”
Artia removed Cerberus’s muzzle.
As Heidegger reached to stroke the now-unrestrained beast’s head, Cerberus stiffened its tail, ready to fight.
But with just a slight reprimand from Artia—“No”—the creature instantly calmed down as if by magic.
Heidegger slowly laid his hand on Cerberus’s head.
Everyone watched the scene tensely,
wondering if he might get bitten at any moment.
Yet even as Heidegger’s large hand gently stroked the glossy black fur, Cerberus remained perfectly still.
Even when Heidegger’s hand moved near its mouth, Cerberus merely sniffed his scent.
After thoroughly taking in the scent, Cerberus stopped sniffing and sat quietly,
just like a perfectly trained pet dog.
“Hahaha!”
Heidegger burst into hearty laughter.
Given that he rarely ever laughed, this was clear acknowledgment of Artia’s extraordinary skill.
‘Even his laugh is so mystically captivating… Yet of all people, he’s fated to die meaninglessly on the battlefield. No matter how I think about it, it’s a terrible waste for someone like him to meet the tragic end written in the original story.’
While Artia watched Heidegger’s reaction, her dark eyes sparkling,
Cassus, standing a short distance away and observing her, narrowed his brows and scoffed.
“I don’t know how you tamed that magical beast, but impressive indeed.”
Even Cassus had no choice but to acknowledge Artia.
Taming Cerberus alone was already beyond common sense—let alone accomplishing it in such a short time.
Heidegger, still stroking Cerberus, asked Artia,
“How did you tame him?”
“My hand technique is just exceptionally good.”
“Hand technique?”
Artia nodded vigorously.
Heidegger tilted his head in confusion.
“I’m curious—what kind of hand technique is it?”
“Oh? You’re curious?”
“Yes, very curious indeed.”
“If you really insist, I can show you…”
Artia grinned mischievously as she looked at Heidegger, then deliberately paused, glancing around as if teasing him.
Countless people in the duke’s residence were murmuring and staring at her and Cerberus.
There was absolutely no way she could closely examine Heidegger’s body in such a noisy, distracting place.
“Not here, certainly—not with all this noise and commotion.”
“Then?”
“Somewhere quiet.”
“Quiet?”
“Yes, and even better if it’s just the two of us.”
Artia’s silver hair shimmered in the sunset glow and fluttered slightly in the breeze.
‘Quite impressive for someone so young.’
Heidegger thought, watching Artia—who, with an innocent-looking face, refused to give a straightforward answer.
He was desperately curious about that hand technique which tamed Cerberus so swiftly.
Throughout his life, countless assassins had tried to kill him.
There was the time a trusted knight, who had shared many life-or-death battles with him, suddenly betrayed him and tried to stab his throat. Another time, a frail-looking woman infiltrated his bedroom disguised as a servant, attempting to plunge a dagger into his heart.
Yet they all failed, every single time.
Therefore, Heidegger trusted no one from the outset, and he had grown so sensitive that he could detect even the slightest tremor, gesture, or change in tone from others.
He was said to have eyes even at the back of his head.
And now, of all people—it had to be Artia, daughter of the Harad family, his sworn enemies.
It was only natural that he couldn’t trust her.
His sole reason for arranging her marriage to his son Cassus was to protect the duchy’s people.
And yet now, the daughter of his rival house wanted to be alone with him, offering to satisfy his curiosity?
Her intention was all too obvious.
Just like always.
However, the technique that turned a high-tier magical beast like Cerberus into a docile dog within half a day was something he simply could not ignore.
It was truly an unprecedented, unheard-of feat.
“You want us to be alone?”
“Yes.”
“Do as you please.”
“Thank you!”
Artia beamed with a clear, bright smile.
Yet Heidegger fully intended to see through whatever she was hiding behind that seemingly harmless smile.
‘Quite skilled at pretense. But what exactly lies hidden behind that smile, I wonder.’
“Then I’ll just take Heuk Gu home for a bit first.”
“Heuk Gu?”
“Oh, that’s this one’s name.”
Artia answered while stroking Cerberus.
As if understanding his name, Heuk Gu wagged his tail.
“Heuk Gu, let’s go home for a bit. I’ll come back to play with you soon, okay?”
Artia tickled beneath Heuk Gu’s chin with her finger.
In response, the beast let out a strange, rumbling sound and wagged its tail even more vigorously.
‘That doesn’t seem like an ordinary gesture.’
Heidegger observed Artia’s actions thoughtfully.
Then, everyone watched with mouths agape as Heuk Gu wagged his tail and walked back into his iron-barred enclosure.
*** *** ***
Inside a guest room in the duke’s residence, Artia and Heidegger entered.
The room clearly reflected Cassus’s tastes.
The clean interior design combined oatmeal, white, and black tones, with marble flooring.
“Father, this couch looks good. Please sit comfortably.”
Artia pointed to the largest, plushest-looking brown sofa in the room.
Though the term “Father” felt unfamiliar, Heidegger showed no sign of discomfort and sat down on the brown sofa.
“Wait just a moment, Father. Please stay here! I’ll be right back.”
“Take your time.”
“No, I’ll be back very soon.”
Though Heidegger didn’t know what Artia was preparing, it seemed she needed special tools to demonstrate the secret of taming magical beasts.
He was extremely curious about what kind of technique he was about to witness.
What was the Harad family’s secret method that tamed Cerberus in just half a day?
Even if Artia—daughter of House Harad—had some sinister motive for luring him here, he was determined to uncover that secret at all costs.
*** *** ***
Shortly afterward,
Artia reentered, holding a tray stacked with various unidentifiable items.
Heidegger raised an eyebrow and asked,
“Couldn’t you have just asked a servant to do this?”
“These ingredients can’t be handled by anyone else. I made them myself.”
Artia set the tray on the table and picked up one of the mysterious objects.
“Father, could you please take off your outer garments for a moment?”
“Very well.”
“It would be best if you wore as little as possible. You may remove anything that feels cumbersome.”
‘Why on earth does she need me to undress just to demonstrate a hand technique?’
The very scenario Heidegger had been wary of was gradually unfolding.
Assassins had tried countless methods over the years—
poisoning his food, shooting poisoned arrows at night, or posing as trusted aides to strike at close range.
Clothing was humanity’s primary shield for the body.
Asking him to remove it and stand defenseless was likely the best assassination method available to a small, physically weak woman.
Yet Heidegger gave nothing away and calmly removed his outer layers.
One layer, then another—he peeled off the multiple garments he’d worn for the battlefield.
When only a short top remained,
“Gah!”
In that instant,
Artia nearly had a heart attack.
Her vision seemed overwhelmed by dazzling light.
No—it was as if an intensely brilliant aura flooded her eyes, making them impossible to keep open.
“Is this sufficient?”
“……”
“Removing even this would be inappropriate.”
“Y-yes… yes…”
Somewhere, it seemed to her, a solemn hymn echoed in her ears.
Artia sat frozen, mouth agape.
From the smallest lines to the boldest contours of his upper body—her pupils burned with determination to take in every single detail.
“……”
Seeing Artia stare without even blinking, Heidegger asked in a puzzled tone,
“What on earth are you doing?”
“Father… do you happen to take any supplements?”
An excited Artia asked again.
“What does your diet look like?”
“Diet?”
Artia swallowed hard.
“How do you exercise? I’m very curious about your routine—could you tell me in detail?”
“Routine? I don’t understand that at all.”
Artia took a deep breath to calm her wildly racing heart.
“Um, Father… this might sound a bit strange, but your physique is truly magnificent.”
“What?”
“It’s as if I can clearly see the sweat, blood, and tears you’ve shed, training relentlessly in secret to surpass human limits.”
Artia, deeply moved, even felt tears well up in her eyes.
No matter that Heidegger was a character from a novel—he was still a man born and raised in this land.
He must have been wounded countless times, suffered endlessly, yet still dedicated his life to winning wars and protecting his people.
All that effort was etched plainly into his body.
His solid torso bore honorable scars from countless battles.
Those marks of honor seemed to have built up especially around his shoulders and neck, leaving them notably knotted.
Meanwhile, Heidegger, who had been quietly observing Artia’s reaction, narrowed one eye slightly.
“Could you speak more clearly?”
“Oh—sorry, Father. Among all the bodies I’ve ever seen, yours is definitely the most impressive.”
Male lead Asks for a Divorce Every Day
It’s not often you come across a plot like this in the female-dominant genre — make sure to check it out!
This is a novel I’m planning to reread as well.
The male lead is strong, skilled in martial arts, and not the usual fragile type you often see in matriarchal novels.
Meanwhile, the female lead is a scientist—rational and logical. Even when she falls for the male lead, she doesn’t let her emotions cloud her decisions.
If you push through the first few chapters, you’ll gradually find the story really intriguing.
It has a mix of mystery, detective elements, and romance.
The author’s writing style is like crafting a puzzle—except they deliberately leave out a few pieces, making it hard to predict what happens next, yet keeping you hooked.
In the end, everything will come together and be explained.
One-sentence summary: Wife, stop playing with beakers and look at me!
In a laboratory accident, research scientist Zhu Wansheng accidentally travels to a matriarchal world. The original owner of the body is an eighteen-year-old only daughter of a wealthy rouge merchant, already married with a handsome young man.
Zhu Wansheng grins: Nice! She always said she was heaven’s favorite granddaughter. After a life of toil in her previous life, she can enjoy blessings in this one.
However, her joy lasts no more than three seconds as bad news arrives: the original owner’s family is about to go bankrupt, and her husband wants a divorce.
Even worse, she’s stuck with a research system full of restrictions.
Zhu Wansheng: ? Is this the destiny of a research dog?
——
Faced with this mess, Zhu Wansheng pours herself a bowl of wine to drown her sorrows. In her drunken haze, her husband arrives.
His figure is imposing, holding a long sword, with a dignified air that captivates Zhu Wansheng.
Gu Yingqing, however, looks at the alcohol-reeking Zhu Wansheng with undisguised disgust and coldly asks, “Divorce or not?” The intoxicated Zhu Wansheng mumbles vaguely, “I think… it’s not… it’s not… impossible!”
——
The next day, after sobering up, Zhu Wansheng is full of energy, rolling up her sleeves ready to make a big move. As for yesterday? She has no memory of it.
Zhu Wansheng is ambitious; a research dog fears nothing!
Upgrading rouge, extracting fragrances, producing perfumes, researching lipsticks… all shall bow to the power of modern technology!
The original owner’s dying rouge shop is revitalized. Her mother is pleased and with a wave of her hand, passes on the family business to her. As she takes control and her experimental results gain popularity, it’s the pinnacle of her life…
——
But there are always those who can’t stand to see her doing well. Jealousy, scheming, assassination attempts – they want nothing less than her life.
The person who has always kept his distance from her suddenly holds her tightly in his arms, eyes full of concern.
She is unharmed, but he falls into a pool of blood…
Zhu Wansheng feels guilty, “I can grant you one wish.”
Gu Yingqing tentatively circles his arms around her, carefully resting his head in the crook of her neck, pleading softly, “I regret it. Can we not divorce?”
Zhu Wansheng: ? When did I agree to a divorce?
[Small Theater]
The newly developed rouge is beautifully packaged, and Zhu Wansheng is eager to try it.
Gu Yingqing suddenly appears: “My lady, may I apply it for you?”
Cool fingertips lightly brush her lips. His Adam’s apple bobs as he leans in for a light bite.
Zhu Wansheng: ?
Gu Yingqing: It smells so good, I wanted to taste it…
On a warm spring day, Zhu Wansheng tries a new perfume: “Spring Night.” Gu Yingqing corners her against a wall.
Warm breath lingers on her neck.
“My lady, from now on, may I test the fragrances for you?”
[Humorous female scientist vs scheming live-in son-in-law male lead]
[Touch the gear icon in the bottom right corner of the screen to move to the next chapter if you want.]
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