How the Villainous Consort Avoids His Death Ending

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There was an unexpected sort of fun in teasing the Grand Consort.

His body seemed so slender that it looked as if it would snap if touched with a fingertip. He was fairly tall and had a lean figure with a certain amount of firm muscle, yet his frame itself was delicate.

With a body like that, Tristan could not understand how Ruellin imagined he could overpower anyone. Even if the Grand Consort used all his strength to push him over, Tristan doubted he would move more than the length of a finger joint.

Of course, he had fallen back onto the bed last night because of Ruellin’s gesture. But that was only because he had been excessively flustered. Tristan cleared his throat as he briefly recalled it.

“Uncle, Uncle!”

At the sound of a child’s voice running toward him, Tristan hurriedly stopped his train of thought. It was far too inappropriate to recall last night’s events in front of a child.

No, it was inappropriate on its own. To do such a thing not once but twice with the son of the Viscount of Elsworth. It was something that should never happen again.

‘Why, though?’

But was that truly so? Ruellin was no longer Ruellin del Elsworth. He was now the Grand Consort of Hezekia. There was no particular reason it would be inappropriate for the Grand Duke and the Grand Consort to share a bed.

“Uncle! Are you listening to me?”

“Hm.”

Noticing that Tristan had drifted into other thoughts, Constantine flapped his arms and squawked. Tristan nodded with a solemn expression.

“I am listening.”

“What did I say?”

“……”

“Liar! Waaah!”

It took quite some effort to soothe the sniffling Constantine. After giving him a piggyback ride until he calmed down, Tristan finally asked what was wrong. The child sniffed and answered.

“Is the Grand Consort really sick?”

“He has a bit of a fever. He needs plenty of rest.”

“Is he sick because of me? Because he fell into the sea instead of me.”

“No. You do not need to worry about that.”

Maybe the beginning had been like that, but Tristan was the one who had accelerated the situation. Because he had failed to restrain his own desire, the child was blaming himself. Tristan’s expression darkened for a moment.

Constantine, who had been studying his uncle’s face, also grew serious in turn.

“I want to go and blow on him to make him feel better, but they all said I cannot. They kept stopping me all day yesterday.”

All day yesterday. Tristan had not known what was happening outside the admiral’s cabin from early morning, through the night, until dawn returned. He felt apologetic and embarrassed toward the sailors who must have struggled to stop the child from barging inside.

“Were you with him, Uncle? Did you blow on him to make him better? Uncle is good at everything, so you will help the Grand Consort get well soon, right?”

“……”

Each new line struck him with guilt. When he remembered Ruellin this morning, who had flared up and snapped back at him the moment he teased him with only a few words, the image of the Grand Consort’s clear, indignant face rose unbidden. Just as Ruellin had said, Tristan should have restrained himself. Ruellin’s burning fever had only finally broken a moment ago.

But if the same situation happened again, Tristan was not sure he could stop himself.

“Your Grace, we are entering Imperial waters.”

“Understood. This area has many fleets passing through, so maintain strict caution.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

The first mate saluted and then bowed politely to Constantine. The child lifted his chin, acting dignified, and accepted the greeting with an air of importance. The first mate made a sound like he was suppressing laughter and quickly stepped away.

Tristan gazed down at the child.

Constantine was recovering at a pace that made his long illness seem unbelievable. His cheeks, once hollowed out, were now plump with flesh thanks to his good appetite.

Most of all, the pallor and gloom that had clung to him were gone. Ever since the voyage began, he had been far more innocent and lively than before.

Had Ruellin not discovered his Mushak poisoning, this might have been a side of the child they lost forever.

‘I owe him greatly.’

There were still many retainers who doubted Ruellin. Tristan himself had not fully cast aside every suspicion either.

Even so, whenever a different side of Ruellin appeared before him, he felt strangely unsettled. There were moments when it was hard to believe he was the same person as the Grand Consort he had married not long ago.

When he thought about Ruellin this morning, who bristled and narrowed his eyes into sharp little triangles just from being teased a few times, Tristan could not help but let out a faint, incredulous laugh.