Chapter 39
Chapter 39
“Six hours, then.”
Chantal removed her hands from Chloe’s back and jotted something down in her notebook without pause. Chloe quietly covered her burning face with her hands.
‘Why am I the only one embarrassed here?’
After the examination, Chantal explained with care:
“You likely strained your muscles due to intense physical activity without any prior exercise. There doesn’t seem to be any other issue. I’ll prepare an herbal compress, place it on your back and apply warm heat.”
As Chloe nodded, Chantal sharply added:
“And make sure to exercise regularly, even on normal days.”
Chloe felt a pang of guilt in her chest. At the same time, she thought, ‘If I exercised at that intensity every time like last night, I’d die from exhaustion.’
After Chantal left, the entire household buzzed with talk of Chloe’s so-called ‘injury.’
“I heard she couldn’t even walk on her own.”
“One of the maids said her neck was covered in red marks.”
“Someone heard noises coming from the hallway until 4 a.m.”
“That wasn’t the first time they went more than once, was it?”
With so many eyes constantly watching, and not much else for entertainment, the private life of the Duke and Duchess was practically public domain. Of course, if the couple ever found out, there would be hell to pay. But that danger did nothing to stop the staff from enjoying their only form of gossip.
And to them, this was a definite signal. After nearly 14 months of marriage, the s*x life of the Duke and Duchess of Battenberg had undergone a drastic shift. What used to be a once-a-month, practically contractual act now resembled something out of a passionate newlywed fantasy. It was baffling.
Though no one said it aloud, everyone had arrived at the same conclusion: Something big had changed in the relationship between the Duke and Duchess of Battenberg.
***
Meanwhile, Chloe was overjoyed by the completion of her new tea room and invited a few close people from the mansion for a small opening celebration.
The invitees were Alphonse, Ellie, and the three knights—five people in total.
“Wow! This is amazing! I’m honored to be invited by you, my lady!”
“My lady’s tea room… it’s wonderful! I can’t believe I’m here!”
The knights were loud and overly excited, and Ellie was teary-eyed with emotion. Watching this scene, Alphonse quietly said,
“Congratulations on the completion.”
Unlike the genuinely happy knights and Ellie, he was slightly displeased. He had thought the first tea time in the new room would be shared with Chloe alone. He didn’t expect her to never let anyone else in, but still, for such a commemorative occasion…
As Chloe cheerfully welcomed the others, Alphonse said,
“I’m glad the tea room I made for you was completed safely. Do you like it?”
Chloe looked at her husband. For some reason, she felt he emphasized ‘I made for you’, but maybe she was imagining it. He wasn’t that petty. She replied honestly,
“Yes, I really do. Thank you so much.”
Truly, the tea room Alphonse had designed and ordered to be remodeled was wonderful.
It had three main sections: one for storing tea leaves, one for tea ware, and one for making and drinking tea.
The tea leaf storage room had a high ceiling, reaching up to the second floor, with all four walls lined with shelves where she could organize her tea collections. The sight of neatly arranged tea containers made the space resemble a two-story library.
The tea preparation and drinking area wasn’t very large, but it had plenty of sofas, chairs, tables, and shelves, along with a brazier for boiling water, creating a cozy and warm atmosphere. The furniture was covered in soft plum-colored satin and looked extremely plush and comfortable.
Finally, connected through a small door, the tea ware storage area held the many pieces Alphonse had previously purchased for her.
Chloe seated her guests around a table and went to prepare the tea.
She pulled out her custom-blended tea leaves for milk tea—a mix of bold, slightly bitter Assam from one estate and a sweeter, malt-scented Assam from another, finely chopped for optimal steeping. It was her go-to blend whenever she craved milk tea.
‘Today, I’ll make a special milk tea.’
Chloe began thoughtfully considering a new recipe for milk tea.
.
.
Ellie carried the tray with the teapot and some simple biscuits for her.
“Sorry to keep you waiting.”
“Wow! Is this finally the lady’s tea?”
“I’ve been looking forward to it!”
Chloe personally poured the milk tea into everyone’s cups. The knights trio seemed surprised when the cups filled not with the clear amber hue they expected, but a cloudy liquid.
“This is milk tea. A drink made by adding milk to black tea.”
“M-Milk in black tea…? That’s… quite unusual…”
Jacob looked very uneasy. But soon he shook his head decisively. His deep trust in the lady made him steel his resolve.
“…But! Since it’s from you, Lady Chloe, it must be delicious! I trust you more than anyone in the world. I’ll drink it gratefully!”
Bracing himself, he took a determined sip of the milk tea.
“Urgh!”
“What’s wrong, Jacob?”
Balt asked, concerned. Jacob replied,
“I burned my tongue!”
While they fussed, Alphonse quietly drank his milk tea and commented,
“It’s very smooth. A unique beverage.”
Chloe knew he was not one to give out compliments easily. In fact, during their first tea time together, he hadn’t said a single word. So this—this was real progress.
“It’s so delicious!” Ellie chimed in happily. “Ah, so sweet and fragrant…”
“I’m glad it suits your taste. I added honey to this milk tea,” Chloe explained gently.
“Honey, you say?”
“Yes. The rich, smooth milk tea pairs beautifully with honey’s sweetness and distinctive aroma.”
Indeed, the milk tea Chloe made today had a special scent where the fragrance of black tea and the flavor of honey blended perfectly.
“Seriously! This is unbelievably smooth, sweet, and fragrant—absolutely delightful! I’m moved that such a flavor even exists!”
Though he’d claimed to have burned his tongue earlier, Jacob had recovered and now exclaimed dramatically. Balt kept drinking and repeating how good it was, and even the usually stoic Kain drank with a deeply serious face.
Chloe smiled brightly.
“I’m glad you all liked it. I really love milk tea and wanted to share it with you.”
“The response is good, and it’s original. My lady, have you considered selling this as well?” Alphonse suddenly suggested.
Chloe widened her eyes in surprise.
“Huh, a-are you serious?”
“What? You’re going to sell this? I’ll buy it!”
“Me too!”
“Ah, me too… I’ll save up!”
The three knights eagerly agreed. Even Ellie hesitantly raised her hand. (Unfortunately, a maid’s salary didn’t really allow for buying tea on a whim.)
Chloe thought for a moment. Now that she considered it, Earl Grey milk jam was essentially just Earl Grey milk tea reduced with sugar. And since the milk jam had received such a great response, maybe milk tea wouldn’t be a bad idea either.
Smiling faintly, she replied,
“I’ll think about it.”
She passed by the knights and the maid and sat down beside her husband. Alphonse looked at her calmly, and Chloe gave him a shy smile.
“I’m really glad. Since your grace doesn’t like sweet things, I was worried you wouldn’t like the milk tea.”
Alphonse had very few food preferences, but the one thing he couldn’t stand was sweetness. Not only in meals or snacks but even in tea, he always avoided sweet or flavored kinds.
He gazed at her for a moment, then said,
“I’m not ‘your grace.’”
“Pardon?”
“You promised to call me Alphonse, didn’t you?”
With the arm that wasn’t holding his teacup, Alphonse wrapped it around Chloe’s waist.
“Two nights ago.”
Realizing what he meant a beat late, Chloe’s face turned bright red. Oh my goodness, this man! There were others around, and he was saying such things!
Chloe pursed her lips with a tomato-red face. She had thought he was cold and serious, but unexpectedly, he had a sly side.
Watching the two of them, the knight trio were trying hard to suppress their laughter.
‘Wow, they’re on fire. Didn’t expect the lord and lady to be so close.’
Jacob thought, though he didn’t dare say it out loud.
