Bala: The Duke's Contract Wife

Make Love to Me

Rose noticed the man. His sitting posture was relaxed, even though his cold aura was still pouring out around him. Though it didn't feel as cold as before.

"I had a chat with Rositta."

"Are you guys planning something behind me?"

Ah, did he come to my room because he is suspicious of me?

"No." Rose twisted her brain to find a reasonable reason without having to talk about her magic abilities. "She is willing to work with us. But nevertheless, she is still the adopted daughter of a man we consider an enemy and she is only alone here."

Unexpectedly, Victor's gaze softened at Rose. His green eyes looked back at Rose just like he did in the library.

"Was that how you felt before?"

Huh?

"I mean, when you first came to this residence."

Rose didn't understand why Rositta's condition was associated with her– Ah... Come to think of it, their condition was similar. But why would Victor ask that?

"Sort of," Rose decided to answer honestly.

Victor's eyes softened again. And it made Rose feel weird. It was weirder than Victor staring at her with lust.

The man then picked up a bottle that Rose just realized was located on her coffee table. Not only that, two glasses were also visible on the table. Rose knew when she left her room this afternoon, the bottles and glasses were not there.

Victor opened the bottle cap, making a loud pop. The froth of the liquid came out of the bottle before finally, the man poured the contents into the two glasses. A clear, bubbly liquid filled the two glasses quickly.

"Come here, Rose," said Victor softly, "drink with me."

Instead of approaching, Rose stepped back. One hand was already grasping the doorknob. Victor was of course surprised at the girl's reaction.

"Duke, please don't drink in my room," Rose said. "Should I remind you that there is a clause in our contract that states you must not hurt me?"

Victor's breath hitched when he heard the sentence thrown out of Rose's mouth.

"It's just a drink, Rose," said Victor, "And I'll never hurt you."

"People become different under the influence of alcohol. They become more... loose and... start to not thinking straight." Rose's grip on the doorknob tightened.

For a moment Victor's gaze sharpened. "Don't tell me... Did Rendre hurt you a lot when he's drunk?"

Rose didn't answer. But the frown on her face indicated that Victor's guess was correct.

"Rose," called Victor. "I swear with my son's life that I will not hurt you."

Rose's eyes widened instantly.

"Vic!"

Victor stared at Rose with an innocent stare. Then he said, "All right, with Gale's life."

For a moment Rose just stared at Victor, making sure the man was serious. A second later, Rose couldn't help but burst into laughter. Victor laughed too. Rose's body instantly relaxed. The girl exhaled and started walking towards Victor.

She sat in front of Victor and raised her glass. They toasted and tasted their drinks. "Hmm. What is this?" asked Rose.

"Champagne. Have you ever had a drink before?"

Rose shook her head in response.

With that answer, Victor immediately took Rose's glass and drank half of it. Rose wanted to protest but she could only frown when the glass was returned to her.

"Drink with me every now and then. Once you get used to it you can drink more than that," Victor said. "Drink sip by sip. Don't drink it all right away. Beginners get drunk fast."

Rose swung her glass lightly, noticing the liquid inside the glass. "Is your alcohol tolerance high, Vic?"

"You could say that," Victor said. "On the battlefield, sometimes you need alcohol to relax. Or to make yourself feel numb."

The girl nodded understandingly.

"Rose," called Victor. "I spent my childhood in the basement of this building. Do you know that?"

Rose looked up at Victor's face. Although the lighting in the room was only from a few candles because the sun had set, Rose could see his jaw hardened as he remembered his past. The girl nodded. "I heard a little from Paul."

"I was born from a servant mother. My father raped my mother," Victor began to tell her, "When I was born, my father thought the best thing was to let my mother raise me in a dungeon. Because I have blond hair and green eyes, typical of the Maraina family, but my father didn't want his wife to know about me."

Rose didn't know how to respond to that. So she just took a sip from the clear liquid in her glass.

"My mother died of a disease when I was three years old. Another female prisoner ended up raising me."

Although still hesitant about the direction of the conversation, Rose decided to say, "I know what it's like... losing a mother." The girl cleared her throat and then asked. "Then how did you finally get to be the 'Duke'?

"The emperor found me in the dungeon. He... killed the entire Maraina family and appointed me as the new Duke. He needed someone who can be a puppet to lead Maraina."

"How old were you then?"

"Twelve."

Rose frowned. That was too young of an age for someone to hold authority as big as the title 'Duke'. Even if he was made a puppet by the Emperor, still... Especially with Victor's past growing up in a dungeon, which means no formal education, no formal introduction to other nobles. No wonder the man was very bad at navigating political and social situations.

"Then you started immersing yourself in the battlefield?"

"Two years after serving as Duke, I began to become the Emperor's most powerful weapon."

Weapon. Rose really understood how it feels. Realizing that Victor's wounds were similar to her wounds made Rose's chest feel claustrophobic. The sensation of that abstract feeling resurfaced. And Rose was irritated by that strange feeling that kept emerging.

She touched the edge of the glass with her lips and quickly drank the whole liquid.

"Hey!" exclaimed Victor.

Rose stretched out her hand to ask Victor for more drink. "You said alcohol can make you numb, didn't you?"

Victor stared at Rose straight. "Why? What's bothering you?"

"Nothing. I just want to feel it. Completely numb from everything."

Eventually, the man poured the liquid into Rose's glass, even though it was only a quarter of the glass. Rose frowned at that. But she drank what was given, nonetheless, until the glass had become empty again. Then she asked for another round.

"No. You've had enough."

"No?"

Victor shook his head.

"Come on, Vic," Rose said.

The man still shook his head.

Rose thought for a while. "What if I offer my body again?"

Victor coughed when he heard Rose's words. "Are you now going to offer your body to get anything?" he asked. "You haven't even paid for before."

Rose gave a heavy sigh. She slammed the glass on the table then folded both of her arms on her chest. Victor who was surprised because it was the first time to see Rose being very expressive, chuckled with amusement. The man liked seeing Rose with another expression than her serious face.

It's cute.

"There's something else you can do to feel numb, Rose," said Victor, "I can help you with that.

"What is that?"

Victor put his glass on the table. Then quickly his big body stood up. He placed his hands on both sides of Rose's chair, trapping the girl between his arms. His body leaned forward, so his face was only a few centimeters from Rose's face. She could smell the scent of tobacco thicker coming out from the man's lips.

"Make love to me."