Time of the Blind Beast - Chapter 32

“Apparently, the eldest son of the Valdemaira family has some peculiar tendencies.”

“What kind of tendencies?”

“Well… they say he uses lemons.”

“What are you talking about? Lemons? Where?”

“Where else? Inside a woman’s body. To avoid any troublesome situations from unwanted pregnancies, they say he inserted them there.”

“But it must be effective. Otherwise, the Valdemaira family would be overflowing with illegitimate children by now. Despite rumors of their promiscuity, you never hear about illegitimate children, do you?”

Last night, Ezekiel had released himself inside her. In the throes of pleasure, she hadn’t paid attention until he withdrew, and she noticed the milky fluid seeping down her inner thighs.

It’s just one night. It should be fine.

Rose tried to calm her racing thoughts. Pregnancy doesn’t happen that easily… or at least, she hoped. Besides, it was too late to undo what had already happened. All she could do now was try to prevent further complications.

Moreover, it was commonly said that daughters often inherited their mother’s constitution. Rose’s mother had struggled with infertility even after marriage and had conceived her only after a long time. Rose was an only child because her mother had difficulty carrying pregnancies to term and had suffered several miscarriages. Compared to families with five or six siblings, Rose’s circumstances were rather unique.

Slipping quietly out of the kitchen, Rose hid in the bathroom, holding a lemon peeled down to its thin rind. Taking a deep breath, she prepared herself. Inserting it deep inside her was said to prevent pregnancy.

Considering that even Akenaus, known for his promiscuity, had avoided fathering illegitimate children using this method, she didn’t doubt its effectiveness. However, having only just experienced intimacy for the first time, summoning the courage to insert the lemon herself was no small task.

Rose bit her lip hard and pried open the dry entrance to her body.

“…Ugh.”

The already swollen opening burned with a sharp pain as it was forced apart. She couldn’t help but wonder how Ezekiel had managed to fit something as large as his length into her. While it had been painful at the time, there was at least a bittersweet pleasure mingled with the discomfort. Now, it was nothing but stinging pain that brought tears to her eyes.

Even so, not knowing when he might desire her again, she needed to prepare herself for contraception every night in secret. The thought of having to insert and remove the lemon on her own each time filled her with dread.

Still, it was better than pregnancy.

Knowing how much Ezekiel despised “that woman,” she couldn’t afford to leave any room for variables.

“Ah, it hurts so much…”

Suppressing the groan that threatened to escape, Rose squeezed her eyes shut.

***

“Serva, how much disposable wealth does this estate have?”

Taking advantage of Rose’s absence, Ezekiel summoned Madam Serva. His abrupt question didn’t faze her, and she answered calmly.

“Even though this is a remote estate, it’s still under the Valdemaira name. While it’s not as lavish as the main mansion, there’s enough to live comfortably and manage the household well. Most of the annual budget for estate upkeep remains intact, and if needed, the antique artworks and jewelry stored on this floor could fetch a significant price if sold.”

“Good. Then, Serva, I want you to discreetly acquire another house. One that no one will know about.”

“House?”

“It doesn’t need to be large. Rose isn’t one for extravagance.”

Given her delicate and modest nature, Ezekiel knew Rose would prefer a manageable home rather than a sprawling three-story mansion where she couldn’t oversee everything easily.

“A single-story home, suitable for raising one or two children, would be ideal.”

As he thought of Rose’s slender frame, he added further considerations. Her slight, delicate body wasn’t exactly suited for pregnancy or childbirth. While she had shown surprising resilience and strength while caring for him, it was more the result of sheer determination than physical robustness.

Even during their physical intimacy, he had restrained himself, taking care not to harm her. If he twisted his body even slightly to alleviate his discomfort, Rose couldn’t bear it, fluttering like a fragile doll. Unlike his large, sturdy frame, Rose was so delicate and soft that she seemed as if she might break if struck or pressed too hard.

Therefore, one or two children would suffice. In truth, Ezekiel had little desire for offspring, even considering a life with just Rose.

However, he was a Valdemaira. If Akenaus’s relentless womanizing ever became his downfall, there might be an opportunity to restore the family. Surely, among his mistresses, there would be women dissatisfied with living in the shadows.

For now, Akenaus wasn’t the center of Valdemaira, so the women played along with his recklessness. But how long could that last?

Women weren’t fools. Once Akenaus inherited the family, those women would likely go to great lengths to secure a place in the prestigious Valdemaira lineage. Some of the seeds he had sown carelessly might eventually take root as life, sprouting into sources of discord.

Who knows? Perhaps his children would inherit his greed and destroy each other in fratricidal conflict, leading to their ruin.

Thus, for the sake of future plans, having at least one child was necessary. In a world where many children didn’t survive infancy or adolescence, Ezekiel himself had siblings who had died young from illness or accidents, their names and faces forgotten.

However, with Ezekiel’s robust constitution and Rose’s wisdom and cautious nature, their child would likely grow strong if they inherited the best of both parents. If Dr. Brehman’s treatment improved his eyesight, he intended to overturn the current situation with his own hands rather than wait for the next generation. Even so, he needed to consider all possibilities for now.

A small family of three or four, with Serva serving as head maid and head chamberlain, a nanny for the child, and one maid and one manservant for household tasks, would suffice for a comfortable, albeit modest, life.

“This mansion is dangerous because Akenaus knows its location. For now, he’s preoccupied cleaning up the mess he made and will likely lie low for a while, but he won’t leave this place alone for long. Two or three years at most. We’ll need to secretly secure another house and gradually move out.”

“In that case, we should convert the furniture and artworks into gold or jewelry in advance.”

Indeed, while Derosa might remain safe from Akenaus’s attention for the next few years, it was not a suitable place to spend a lifetime. Madam Serva nodded calmly in agreement.

“Jewelry would be better, preferably crafted for women. Rose might end up wearing it someday.”

“She doesn’t seem particularly interested in adornments, but women’s jewelry is easier to liquidate than men’s in emergencies. Of course, it’s best if we never need to sell them.”

“If you’re worried about living expenses, I have some assets Akenaus doesn’t know about. I’ll also receive an annual pension from the imperial family for my military accomplishments.”

When Ezekiel first learned about the pension, he had thought it was a trivial sum compared to Valdemaira’s vast wealth and considered refusing it. However, with Rose and a potential child in mind, his perspective changed. Establishing assets under Rose’s name would ensure her safety and comfort. However, Akenaus must never hear of it. Ezekiel planned to collect the pension through Montcalm.

“The new house should be located in the west or south… the west would be better. From Rose’s neutral accent, she’s likely from the capital or its vicinity. Since she attended school in the cold north for several years, she might struggle to adapt to the heat of the south. The east and north are too close to Davice and frequently swept into wars, so those are out. The west, being far from Davice, with its ports and abundant resources, would be ideal. Montcalm and Feder are from the west, so if needed, Rose could easily seek their help.”

“Yes, I’ll handle it that way.”

“Don’t let Rose know anything for now.”

“Of course.”

For now, this much instruction was sufficient. Having Serva by his side, someone with whom communication flowed easily without the need for constant commands, was a comfort. To Ezekiel, Serva, who had raised him, was far more familiar and dear than the biological parents from the main mansion.

This was a common flaw of long-standing noble families. With so much wealth and honor to pass on to their children, parents often evaluated their offspring based on merit or viewed them through a lens of calculation rather than unconditional love. Raising, educating, and preparing heirs to carry on the family’s legacy were tasks left entirely to nannies and tutors, leaving little opportunity for direct interaction, resulting in distant relationships.

Ezekiel’s mother considered giving birth to Akenaus and Ezekiel the fulfillment of her marital duties. She was the epitome of a high-society woman, one who had likely never held anything heavier than a teacup or a fountain pen in her life. And when competition for succession arose, even siblings as close as two brothers could become worse than enemies.

In contrast, Rose had attended school despite her family’s modest circumstances, supported both financially and emotionally by her parents. It must have been a difficult decision for them, but they wholeheartedly backed their daughter. Perhaps her kindness and selfless nature were traits shaped by witnessing her parents’ sacrifices for her.

If Rose were to have children, the family they would form would likely feel entirely different from the one he had grown up with. It would be something new, something refreshing.

Though it was still a distant future, he already found himself looking forward to that vision.