My Sweet Deceiver

Chapter 9

***

The newspaper reporters took pictures of Tehez serving meals.

“Look here, please smile.” At the same, continuous requests, Tehez smiled, holding a large pot, her hands slightly trembling.

Another reporter grabbed the children who had finished eating, interviewed them, and scribbled something in their notebooks.

In short, the dining hall was cluttered with children running, ladies and gentlemen who came to serve, and reporters all over the place. It was chaotic.

In addition, Tehez was wearing her newly fitted shoes, so it was very uncomfortable.

‘Don’t show.’

‘Should have worn comfortable shoes.’

No one would hear her.

Tehez clicked her tongue inwardly.

She did her best not to limp despite the aching pain. She was in a layered dress, and sweat kept dripping down her back.

“Princess! Give me that heavy pot.”

“It’s okay. I can carry this.”

“Oh, no, no. Please let me.”

“Thank you.”

Tehez looked at the lady, who dared to take the heavy pot away from her, even when she said it was fine. The lady had recently got married and became a Viscountess.

‘What are you up to?’

“Madam! What are you doing?! How can you hold something so heavy when you’re pregnant?”

Another middle-aged lady came to her, astonished, and took the pot away from her.

“That’s all right! I’m in a period of stability, so I don’t mind at this point.”

Viscountess Darius replied with an innocent smile.

‘You took the pot to come out like this.’

Tehez, who couldn’t even laugh at the Viscountess’ clumsy tricks, just quietly cleaned up the plates.

Both the middle-aged lady and the Viscountess were on Prince Fabrice’s side.

“Isn’t it about a year since you got married?”

“Yes. Thankfully, the baby arrived quickly. I hope that the successor to the Viscount will be born healthy.”

It was awkward to have a conversation for everyone to hear, present in front of her. Viscountess Darius looked vert anticipative, wondering how Tehez would respond.

Tehez, who had her back turned to the Viscountess, took a turn and stood before her.

“Congratulations on your pregnancy. Viscountess, I didn’t realize you were pregnant because we haven’t had any interactions. Forgive me for my indifference.”

Tehez replied bluntly.

“No, no. What do you mean by forgiveness? Please don’t say it! I couldn’t tell you because I only stayed in the bedroom because of my poor health after pregnancy.”

“Well, I’ll pray to Nate for you to have a healthy heir.”

“Thank you, Princess. I’ll also pray to Nate so that Princess will give birth to a healthy successor.”

The Viscountess politely bowed her head to Tehez.

‘I’ve not even conceived, and she’ll pray for a healthy successor?’

Tehez was dumbfounded, and laughter swelled inside her, but she didn’t show it.

“Thank you. I’ll take care of this one, and the Viscountess can help the ladies over there.”

“Thank you, Princess.”

The Viscountess made similar fusses over and over again, and disappeared from the hall.

Since then, Prince Fabrice’s supporters have committed a series of inconspicuous acts.

Tehez managed to get her act together.

She didn’t like them talking about things out of control.

Things like children.

She had to carry on her service skillfully while discarding the bothering thoughts from her mind.

There was nothing easy about it.

In fact, she was born the daughter of a high-ranking aristocrat, so she rarely did housework.

Tehez had to do her best not to sigh inwardly and show signs of hardships. The corners of her mouth trembled from the constant smiling, all day long.

In addition, her eyelids kept dropping as she couldn’t sleep last night, and to make matters worse, her swollen, bruised feet ached with every step she took.

She badly wanted to see someone sitting comfortably and chatting in the VIP room in the guesthouse.

“Thank you for coming today, Your Highness.”

“No, please call me again next time.”

“I wish you safety and peace on your way back.”

She got on the train with the help of the staff. As soon as the door to the cabin closed, Tehez, who was standing upright, collapsed.

She leaned against the back of her seat, staring at the ceiling. She was exhausted, both mentally and physically.

Denis glanced at her and slid his tie loosely, which was tied around the collar.

She will recover her stamina a little bit if they continue their journey as quietly as they had come. Then, in the afternoon, she would be able to see the work.

At that moment, the smell of her body resembling a cool and fresh forest hit him. He walked and slightly lifted Tehez’s skirt. He pulled out her small feet, hidden under the hem of the layered dress, and placed them on his thighs.

Tehez shouted in surprise.

“What are you doing?!”

“Can’t you see?”

He grabbed her struggling ankles, ripped the shoes off, and tossed them on the floor.

“Let go. It’s dirty.”

“You should’ve taken a good rest. Don’t you know enough? Your feet are swollen.”

Denis ran his fingertips down her scaly heel and clicked his tongue.

“Aaahh!”

A groan of pain came out of her mouth.

“I’m a princess. How could I have rested there tactfully? And that’s because the shoes weren’t tamed.”

“Have them off until we get there.”

Tehez had no memory of being ignored by others for her appearance while growing up. It was partly because of her bloodline and partly because of the appearance she inherited from her beautiful mother.

However, there was one drawback. She was a little shorter than the average. So, the problem was that when standing next to him, who was tall, she looked like a young lady who had just debuted in the social world, not his wife.

She wanted to be recognized as his wife in front of others…

She had worn the black shoes to show him a little bit. The thrown shoes somehow looked like her own self…

Denis took out the glasses he had left on his coat and placed them over his nose, and soon started looking at the documents.

Tehez wanted to let Denis know.

He said she should have been sitting comfortably on the sofa in the VIP room while she was working with her shoes on and lifting heavy pots.

“…I can’t take my shoes outside without thinking, even though I’m a Princess.”

She picked up the ruffled shoes and tucked her feet in. Her swollen feet couldn’t even fit into the shoes. She forced her feet into them and straightened her back.

Denis looked at the papers and lifted his head to look into Tehez’s face.

Tehez looked out of his window and pretended nothing was wrong.

Denis sighed at her and said to her.

“When are you going to take those shoes off?”

“I’m going to take it off before I go to bed.”

Denis took off the glasses he had just placed over his nose and put them in his pocket.

He rubbed his forehead with his hand as if tired.

‘Stubborn.’

It was like hearing his own voice.

Denis called her in a low voice.

“Really? Tehez.”

Sitting in the opposite seat, he strode toward her.

“If that’s what my wife wants.”

Denise was fiddling with the side hair that had come out of her curls that had been curled since morning.

“It’s enough. Isn’t this your husband’s job?”

Tehez looked at him resentfully, but failed to strike his hand.

“No, Prince! If we do it here-”

“It’s all right. People won’t know.”

Dennis smiled seductively.

He knelt down near Tehez’s feet and took off the shoes again. He began stroking Tehez’s ankles, calves and thighs under the dress.

Teherz bit her lips tightly so as not to make any sound out of her mouth.

It was a gentle touch, unlike the stubborn behaviour.

Tehez was ashamed when he touched her swollen feet from standing all day in the new shoes.

“It’s dirty, Prince. Stop…”

“It can’t be dirty.”

He was still teasing Tehez in a playful tone, but he carefully loosened her tight muscles.

“Are you very tired?”

“A little…”

Tehez felt a fever rising at the tip of her ears.

It was because he was acting too friendly.

Tehez consciously turned her head to look out of the window. After leaving the station, the train was passing through a quiet countryside. Fortunately, there were no people in sight.

It was only the two of them.

His hands were hot with the heat, and Tehez’s body, which had been very tense, gradually relaxed. Her eyelids were getting heavier.

“Please, Denis, stop…”

Tehez stopped him with a feeling of helplessness as she had already been half captured by him. Because she didn’t want to be a princess who nodded on the train.

“Sshh, Tehez… Now is the time to sleep.”

His smiling eyes were mischievous.

***

In a deep, warm spring, I buried my face.

Cover it with a sweet and moist spring, I couldn’t rest.

To the spring beneath the lush valley.

Even today, I’m going to drink with a spring that doesn’t go away-

“Are you going to stop singing?”

Tehez cried as she lay on the bed.

“Oh, Madam. I can’t miss an opportunity like this.”

Denis chuckled as he sat loosely on the chair next to the bed.

On the train yesterday, she eventually lost consciousness and fell asleep. She went to the poverty centre with a body that didn’t sleep properly, so her soft body couldn’t stand it.

When they arrived in the capital, Denis carried her as he didn’t want her to wake up from her sleep. When they got off the train, there was a commotion. He told the courtiers that Tehez seemed to have collapsed from overwork.

The maids came in and described how she came back last night and how wonderful the Prince was.

Tehez returned to her bedroom like a princess rescued by her knight!

At that point, she was unbearably ashamed.

She was embarrassed.

‘What should I do with my face and the prestige of the Princess? Why is that person so mischievous?!’

There was something else that was more shameful. It was the fact that she came back to the palace in such a drowsy state and pushed herself onto him.

He shook her up when she fell asleep.

Only the long night was clear in the mist.

It’s not like she ate something wrong. How did she fall for it?

Tehez did not understand herself well last night. She seemed to be possessed by Denis.

Because of that, Tehez’s fatigue was further accumulated.

After the commotion, the royal physician came in and examined her, who had collapsed from overwork.

She was simply asleep, so there was no problem.

For that reason, Tehez was lying in bed pretending to be sick even though it was usually time for her work. In fact, her embarrassment was partly because she did not have the confidence to leave the bedroom.

“How long do I have to lay down, Prince?”

Tehez asked sternly.

“I don’t know. Until you get better, yes?”

Reading the documents, Denis replied indifferently.

“My wife has collapsed from overwork, so I think she should rest for another couple of days.”

Tehez looked unhappy.

“So don’t worry about anything and rest. The visit is over.”

Standing up from his chair, he stroked Tehez’s forehead gently.

Under the bright morning sun, Denis’ eyes looked fresh.

“Your husband will go out and work hard to earn money.”

Dennis made Tehez’s quilt once and went out of the room.

The room where one escaped became silent in an instant.