The Fruit of Immorality - Chapter 7

Chapter 7: The Return (Part 2)

Beatrice clasped her hands tightly without realizing it. Something felt strange—her fingertips tingled.

“There must not be many beauties around where you’ve been, huh?”

“Well, my friends don’t seem to think so.”

“Really? Then why—”

“Perhaps my standards have risen.”

Even as Alessandro murmured those words, he never took his eyes off Beatrice. His gaze, which had been fixed on her clasped hands, slowly traveled upward.

Beatrice could feel his hot stare lingering on her lips, making her self-conscious. She instinctively bit her lips as if to hide it.

“I think it’s because I grew up seeing such a stunning beauty like Bea since I was young.”

His calm tone didn’t match the compliment he had just paid her, so it took Beatrice a moment to realize that he was complimenting her looks.

Beatrice was taken aback. She had never considered herself to be a great beauty. Even before her marriage, she had rarely heard compliments about her appearance. And after her marriage to Charles, the few compliments she had once received vanished entirely, especially when compared to him.

As a result, Beatrice didn’t know how to respond appropriately. She knew she should smile lightly in return, but her lips wouldn’t cooperate.

It was Charles who stepped in to break the awkwardness.

“…My wife is beautiful, indeed.” Charles draped an arm around Beatrice’s shoulders in a display of ownership.

Then, looking down at Alessandro with a scolding gaze, he added, “Still, Aless, if you’re too picky, you might end up alone forever. There are plenty of women out there, and many beautiful ones, too.”

Alessandro didn’t respond.

***

The uncomfortable atmosphere followed them into the dining room. The conversation between the three of them kept breaking off, and awkward silences filled the gaps.

Charles was the first to excuse himself, having finished his meal early. With a light smile, he left his wife and brother behind, telling them to take their time finishing.

Beatrice, who hadn’t had much of an appetite from the beginning, set her cutlery down as soon as Charles left. With no one around to notice, there was no point in pretending to eat food she didn’t want.

She neatly placed her hands on her lap and glanced across the table. While Beatrice had finished her meal, Alessandro was still eating, though he did so with quick yet elegant movements.

Noticing her surprise, Alessandro explained briefly, “It’s a habit I picked up during the war.”

At his words, Beatrice suddenly felt a distance between them. Of course, Alessandro was a soldier. He was a man whose bulging, veiny forearms, calloused hands, and solid frame suited him well.

Soon after, they left the dining room. Beatrice offered to guide Alessandro to his room, and they walked down the hallway, making awkward conversation.

“Aaahhng!”

Suddenly, Beatrice stopped in her tracks, startled by the sharp sound of a woman’s moan. Frozen in place, she couldn’t even breathe as she heard familiar voices through the high-pitched whimpers.

“Good girl.”

“Mmm! Y-Yes, my lord!”

…Charles, unable to resist, was having sex with a maid.

Through the slightly ajar door, the intertwined bodies of a man and woman were visible. The squelching sounds of their coupling continued without pause.

“Harder! Please, more! Ah! Yes, yes, my lord, ahhhh!”

“Hmm, you filthy little thing, so lustful.”

“D-Do you hate it, my lord?”

“No. I like it just fine.”

“Aaahhh! Mmmph!”

Beatrice’s face went pale as the blood drained from her. She stood frozen in place, unable to move. Her vision went white, and she felt as though she would faint any moment.

Then, Alessandro’s hand gently touched her trembling shoulder.

“Shh, it’s alright.”

His hand, which soothed her like one would calm a frightened child, felt comforting. Unable to resist, Beatrice naturally leaned into his embrace.

Glancing at the door that had been carelessly left open, Alessandro scooped Beatrice up into his arms.

“A-Aless!”

Surprised by the sudden movement, Beatrice clutched Alessandro’s shoulder tightly.

Holding her securely in his arms, Alessandro said, “I’ll take you to your room.”

“N-No, it’s okay. Put me down.”

Beatrice struggled, but Alessandro refused to let her go.

“We’ll be there soon, so just stay still.”

“Aless, I said I’m fine!”

“If I put you down, you’ll collapse, won’t you?”

“I-I won’t—”

“Stop being so stubborn.”

With long strides, Alessandro walked swiftly. Despite having been away for so long, he hadn’t forgotten the layout of the mansion. Without hesitation, he carried Beatrice straight to her bedroom.

“See? We got here quickly, didn’t we?”

Alessandro gently set Beatrice down on the bed and spoke softly. With her hands covering her face, Beatrice remained silent.

She couldn’t bear this situation.

Her husband had left his younger brother alone to have sex with another woman. Not just any woman, but a maid who worked in their household. And, despite having his wife and brother present in the mansion, Charles had carelessly left the door open during his affair.

But the worst part of it all was that Alessandro had witnessed everything.

In the past, when Alessandro was too young to understand such things, Beatrice could have hidden it from him. But now, it was different. He knew exactly what was going on. He must have realized everything.

He must have understood that her husband was unfaithful, that he had no intention of hiding his infidelity from her, and that Beatrice herself was utterly insignificant to her husband.

Alessandro, who had always been serious and upright, wouldn’t mock her like others might. Beatrice knew this better than anyone.

Even if everyone else pointed fingers and ridiculed her, she knew that Alessandro would never do the same.

But that didn’t lessen her sense of shame. In fact, it made the feeling worse.

Alessandro, whom she had cared for like a younger brother, like a son—he was the last person she wanted to witness her humiliation.

She had always wanted him to see her as part of a happy, loving couple, not like this. She didn’t want him to know just how much her husband disregarded and disrespected her.

And yet, less than a day after his return, Alessandro had already seen everything.

“Aless, I’m sorry, but can you leave? I’m just… too tired.”

“…Rest well.”

“Thank you.”

Forcing a smile, Beatrice waved weakly. As soon as Alessandro left and closed the door, she broke into tears.

“Ahhh!”

Beatrice sobbed silently, clutching her damp pillow, until her head throbbed from the strain.

Once she had cried herself out, she wiped her tear-streaked face with her sleeve, rubbing her eyes until they were red and swollen. Then, she began biting her nails nervously.

With her bloodshot eyes staring blankly ahead, Beatrice murmured, “I need a child… I need a child…”

A child.

In the eight years of their marriage, a child had never come.

Her family had expressed concern, wondering if something was wrong with her, and society scorned her as barren.

But she could never admit the truth—that her husband never released his seed inside her. That he had refused to give her any chance to conceive.

For years, she had asked, begged, and pleaded with Charles, but not once had he slipped up, even accidentally.

Just once, during their early marriage, he had given her a reason for his refusal.

“I don’t want to have a child yet. I don’t think I’m ready.”

That had been early in their marriage, and yet, years later, Charles still hadn’t changed his stance. Even as concerns about the lack of a Clasis heir grew, he remained unmoved.

Beatrice lived in constant fear. Especially when Charles slept with other women, like he had just now.

What if one of them got pregnant? What if another woman showed up with an illegitimate child?

Even though Charles claimed not to want children, what if seeing his own child changed his mind? After all, they say blood ties are strong.

And as a nobleman, Charles needed an heir. It was his most important duty as a noble. Even if he didn’t want it, his family or loyal vassals would insist on raising an illegitimate child as his successor. Would he be able to refuse them?

‘If an illegitimate child appears, I’ll be cast out.’

A woman who couldn’t bear a child after eight years of marriage, a barren woman, useless. That’s what Beatrice was.

She had long given up on winning her husband’s love. In the early years, she had waited for him, longed for him, but now she knew it was hopeless.

She had once been consumed by jealousy, driving away the women he slept with, and she had even begged him tearfully to love her. But it had all been in vain.

What had once been love, and then turned into bitterness, had slowly withered away. All that remained was her desperate attachment to her position.

The Duchess of Clasis.

It was the only thing she had left, the only thing that mattered. She couldn’t afford to lose it.

A wife cast aside by her husband without a child had no place to go but a convent. Could she survive in such a harsh, cold place?

“…No. I won’t go there. I can’t.”

Hot tears rolled down her cheeks. The drops pooled on her chin and fell to the floor.

Beatrice clenched her fists, ignoring the tears that continued to fall.

“I need to have a child…”

But how?

Night fell, and Beatrice sat alone in her room, lost in thought. She no longer waited for her husband to return.

***

Beatrice had resolved to have a child, but two weeks passed without her coming up with a solid plan.

In the meantime, Charles had left for another estate. He had told her he wouldn’t return for at least a week. Beatrice suspected he would take longer than promised.

Charles, who had greatly expanded his business, spent far more time outside than at home. Since the early days of their marriage, Beatrice had grown used to holding down the estate by herself.

But now, the days Charles spent away left Beatrice increasingly anxious. It wasn’t just business that kept Charles busy—Beatrice knew through rumors about the other women he met and the nights he spent with them.