100 (IN) Chapter 22 - Vivian's Complicated Feelings

*Hm hm hmm~♪* "Hehehe, Duke got us quite a number of contacts this time... He's always been the reliable type" Vivian had an uncharacteristically wide smile as she happily hummed.

"Another letter from Lord Duke, milady?" Benjamin asked as he immediately knew who that letter came from.

"Huh, isn't it obvious?... Milady only smiles like that if it's a letter from Lord Duke after all" Anna, the female bank employer who followed Benjamin to work for the Pendragons as Vivian's new handmaid commented with a wide grin on her face.

"Hehehe, how can I not smile when he's brought such quality customers to serve (Goods to exploit)! Hehehe" Vivian answered, still continuing to read the letter sent by Duke just before they were ambushed.

Due to the numerous large-scale projects that was currently going on in Maine, Vivian had little time to rest or do any of her hobbies as of late. And so, one of the few fun things she could do right now was read Duke's overtly exaggerated and colorful stories written in his unnecessarily long letters.

[Duke's quite the colorful writer, isn't he...] Vivian thought to herself, smiling, as she kept reading the 7-page long letter.

Duke seemed to like writing about every other interesting thing or idea he found whilst marching through Brune. And Vivian too enjoyed reading them. A mutually enjoyable act for the both of them.

Of course, Vivian too sent letters in return, but the letters she sent were more business related. Vivian didn't really feel that anything interesting was happening around her, and she was also quite embarrassed to reveal it to Duke by writing about how she woke up, took a bath, and wrote paperwork that day for the 5th time, every single time she wrote a reply letter.

And so Vivian decided it was better to write an economic report of Brune instead... Maine was currently experiencing an astonishing and exiting boom in its industries and economy at large. And maybe, just maybe, if there was something notable or interesting that actually happened to her, or an idea she thought was interesting popped up, she'd also sprinkle in some of the more personal stuff in the letters here and there.

But between her letter and Duke's, Vivian felt hers lacking.

[Heck, Duke could even make horse riding sound funny...] Vivian thought to herself as she continued to read the letter.

In the letter, Duke wrote about how he kept having to change the horse he had just started riding due to it getting increasingly fatigued for some unknown reason to him, and how Bran kept patting the horse, whispering "It's ok..." to horse's sad deflated ears.

{It must be the excess muscles I've been gaining!} In the letter Duke shamelessly blamed his fictional set of new muscles...

Vivian didn't know if Duke truthfully did not know of the cause behind the horse's fatigue, or if he was just pretending to make her laugh, but which ever of the two it was, she loved it all the same. The way Duke wrote made it seem like 7 page long read was but a short and enjoyable moment that suddenly passed by without her ever noticing.

Of course it wasn't only the interesting stories that sparked Vivian's interest with this particular letter that Duke had sent.

It was also due to the fact that Duke had been introducing a lot of desperate Counts and poor Barons to the Merchant's Guild. Listing them by name in his letter.

Although the name: Commoners Merchant's Guild was quite appealing to the commoner masses, it still made it harder for Vivian's non-aristocratic partners to do business within the sphere of the richer and more influential Noble Merchants.

And so, Vivian wanted to use these small Nobles who were desperate for money as conduits or stepping stones for the non-aristocratic merchants.

And if they were loyal or competent enough, Vivian could also use their Noble Houses as her and Duke's political support.

The courts of Brune were after all much like a majority-vote democracy right now due to the current Emperor's weak influence. Though the only ones viable to vote were the nobility... And the strength and power behind said votes were skewed heavily towards those with higher ranks.

The more Nobles backing them, the stronger Vivian's and Brune's political influence became.

[And besides... desperate people, Noble or not, are always the easiest to use. Hehehe] Vivian had a sinister grin hidden behind her calm seemingly lady-like smile.

"Hoo~, you really do love your husband, don't you" Madam Nuir, a mysteriously rich and influential backer of the Pendragon smiled, sitting in front of Vivian's desk as she continued to read a pamphlet in her hands.

"Huh, please don't joke like that... You already know of about our situation, don't you?" Vivian stiffly answered back at Nuir's slight teasing.

"I know I know, don't be so stiff little Vivi~" Nuir reached out over the desk as she turned towards Vivian and pinched her softly on the cheeks with adoration.

As Nuir was a very close friend of Duke's mother, Vivian told her the real relationship between her and Duke... And Nuir, in kind, exposed her true intentions in helping her out.

Vivian remembered Nuir's words that day when they had first met in the bustling ports of Lyons:

[

"You know, I really do like you Vivian...

You remind me a lot of Duke's Mom... Smart, beautiful, and respectful to everyone she meets, I like that... You have her nobility in you.

But remember this, if you're only using Duke for money, his title, or maybe even for his body... Though most likely not.

Then I will never forgive you... and I'll make sure to make your life a living hell if you ever have any evil intentions against him...

We don't really care what sort of kinky contract-play you two have. You're free to do what ever you two want.

Divorce or have separate lovers if you really aren't dating, we will support you... As long as you leave him whole.

Though on a personal note, just don't lead Duke on if you really have no plans in staying with him, ok?

If you're serious about not wanting a romantic relationship with him, just tell him outright... No actually maybe slap him a few times here and there. He is quite the persistent simp after all... If you ask him to give you his kidney, he actually might... It might hurt him at first, but at least a lost first love still leaves him whole right?" Duke's overly protective Aunt Nuir showed her true intentions to Vivian. (Nuir's not Duke's real aunt by the way. Just his mom's close friend)

"Always remember that our loyalties lie with Duke, not with his little County, and specially not with you... Unless of course you are also an ally of Duke.

Although I know that Vivian's not really that sort person, please do forgive us for the stern warning, always remember Vivian, no one in Politics or Business is an ally.

Only family.

We have shown to you that Duke is our side's weakness, he is what we hold dear. Not money, specially not the County of Maine nor the title of Pendragon. You already know we no longer have a use for such meager things.

But we are honest in showing our vulnerabilities in the hopes that you too be honest with us" Nuir fully laid out her heart bare for Vivian to see.

"If that's what you are worried about, then don't. Although we do not consider ourselves truly married, I consider Duke to be a friend. A true friend, and I Vivian Alastor Pendragon do not betray my friends..." Vivian confidently stated. Her eyes filled with firm conviction, winning both Nuir and Jugurta's trust that day.

Jugurta, silently nodding in the background, unable to butt in between the two scary ladies in front of him as he smiled and simply nodded.

[Yes...] Jugurta's deep and profound reply that he thought of but kept to himself... Never to be heard to this day.

]

Though officially married, Duke and Vivian's relationship right now was nothing more than a contract between the two, and although Duke sincerely likes Vivian, the two had a more employer and employee like relationship, where in exchange for Vivian's freedom in finding love and pursuing her career, she would offer Duke her services in managing his crumbling estate. Of course, whatever Vivian earned, half of it was hers as stated by Duke...

Sadly, right now their annual income was just enough to cover their annual expenses in funding the projects undergoing in Maine...

And so poor Vivian was still quite far off from the comfortable retirement with butt-loads of money she had dreamed of and was currently slaving away in front of a desk with Nuir's butt getting in the way.

"And besides... Our relationship isn't i-intimate or anything like that! So don't misunderstand the situation... We are strictly employer and employee. Duke saved me from a life of forced marriage, and I will save his crumbling county!" Vivian suddenly insisted whilst writing, slightly bashful at the mention of being intimate with Duke or anyone for that matter. Making Nuir question Vivian's words more than she would have if Vivian didn't suddenly blurt that out all of a sudden.

[Eh? Why am I feeling irritated for some reason?! While thinking about that fatty at that!... It must be discomfort or disgust, yes yes... disgust! I mean I would never like Duke right??? Hahaha] Vivian kept asking herself, not knowing what she was feeling right now.

[Maybe its the exposure effect! Yeah of course, what an idiotic question... Wait no, doesn't mean that I l-love him? That can't be right! Maybe it's more like maternal love! Yeah that's right, I mean he's helpless without me, tsk tsk tsk... Oh Duke, what would you ever do with out me?! I'm basically your mom at this point!] Vivian vehemently denied the weird unexplainable sparks within her heart. The small blossoming feelings within her.

Although Vivian did indeed only feel a small teeny-tiny bit of romantic love for Duke, there was no denying her great platonic love for him. He was after all the first friend she had made in a long long time. The first person she gave her trust to. And also one who didn't break it like the fake friends she encountered as a child.

Seeing Vivian deep in thought, Nuir merely nodded in silence, smiling to herself as she thought [Huh, such blossoming youth, the denial of obvious love... hehehe, how cute...]

"Alright alright, just make sure you don't regret what your saying in the future, alright? It's better to be honest with oneself after all..." Nuir smiled a sly grin.

Both Benjamin and Anna on the other hand their heads tilted in confusion as no one but Duke, Vivian, Nuir, and Jugurta knew about the contract.

And Vivian's word's just now contradicted everything they had seen thus far about the couples interactions with each other.

To most of the villagers in Maine, Duke and Vivian seemed to be the top role model for a loving couple... Duke shouting out Vivian's name all the time while training, Vivian cooking her husband's meals everyday despite the wealth they've been accumulating lately, and to them Vivian even acted like a concerned wife (or more like mom) to Duke every time he does something stupid...

It was just too damn hard to believe that the two wouldn't be a real couple! Even a real Ducal couple would be a lot colder than the platonic relationship Duke and Vivian currently had.

And so, the two servants could only explain Vivian's words by rationalizing:

[[Milady must be a big Tsundere!]]

And so, the day ended with the two servants happily looking on at Vivian with their bubbly stares... Happy that the Ducal couple was going strong.