Regarding the Duke with Gynophobia and the Eccentric Lady Scholar Chapter 27

"Al~right. Time's up. Hey, put your pens down." Elsa clapped at the same time that the bell rang to inform the students that their exam was over. It was currently the beginning of summer, all students except for those graduating had already finished their exams. The commemoration party for the graduates had also finished so after this exam was over, Elsa was scheduled back at the royal capital.…… Back to Duke Inglacia's household.

Elsa had married Luca and was now the d.u.c.h.ess Inglacia, but she didn't have any intentions of quitting her job. She had gotten Luca's approval but even so, he was quite liberal. He would allow her to do things that normal husbands wouldn't allow their wives to do and she was relieved that he was so tolerable but also felt bad.

"Professor!" Rosalia called out to Elsa in her usual slow tone. Elsa heard the replies of the students and turned to look at Rosalia and Ilaria who came after her.

"Why did you tell us the answer?"

"No. that's not it," Ilaria smiled as Rosalia asked.

"You're returning to the royal capital, aren't you?"

"Well yes."

"That's right. Your husband is waiting for you after all." Normally, the wife would be the one waiting for the husband but in Duke Inglacia's household, it was the husband who waited for the wife.

Elsa travelled around doing whatever she wanted and Luca said nothing. When Elsa came home he would just happily say, "Welcome home." He was like a dog.

"…… When you want to show appreciation to your husband, how do you do it?" Elsa returned safely from university and went straight to her parent's house. Alesia and Teresa, who were also married, also came to visit, though her other two sisters had married into families outside of the kingdom so they couldn't return that quickly.

"……. Elsa. You can't get swept away by your husband." Alesia advised her with a serious look on her face but no matter how you looked it, Duke Marquisio didn't seem to be ruled by his wife. He didn't seem like a henpecked husband either.

"Alesia's too extreme. Elsa, why do you ask? Teresa was invested in listening to her explanation unlike Alesia. Elsa thought for a while then said, "No…… I just think that Luca is too tolerable."

"Well, I can't deny that……" Alesia, who had rebuked before, had no choice but to agree with that. Teresa also smiled and said, that's right.

"Husbands usually don't let their wives work at universities. Let alone let them separately from home during the school term."

"There are cases where the husband is transferred away because of work but this is the opposite of that, isn't it?" Teresa and Alesia both said. They understood why Elsa was feeling a little guilty.

"So then, this 『Appreciation』thing, isn't it fine just to say 『Thank you』?" Teresa tilted her head slightly. Even though they were from the same bloodline, it looked cute when Teresa did it.

"I've already tried saying that."

"And his reaction was?"

"Absent-minded then shy."

"…… Why does the Duke have higher girl power?" Alesia said and tilted her teacup. Elsa agreed, "That's right." Alesia drank the tea and said, "But it's surprising."

"Even though Duke Inglacia gives off a cool vibe."

"Only on the outside," Elsa ended with a single phrase. Perhaps, the young ladies who yearned for Luca were disillusioned by his face.

"Anyways, I'm sure he only shows that face in front of you," Teresa said while laughing. Elsa blinked and agreed, "…… Indeed." That was certainly why people around him didn't realise that he was a piece of junk.

"Elsa, you're more chivalrous, aren't you?"

"You're as cool as you look, are you also like this when you're with the Duke?" Teresa asked as if answering Alesia's question. Elsa nodded, "Yeah." Alesia immediately pointed out, "See! That kind of reply!"

"Elsa has always been sociable. So how about this?"

Teresa acted as if she was ignoring Alesia and beckoned Elsa to her. Elsa lent towards Teresa while being concerned about Alesia while Teresa lend towards Elsa and whispered, "Hey ――――."

"Ah, welcome home," Elsa said to Luca when he returned to Duke Inglacia's household. During the school holidays, all Elsa had to do was research and correct student reports but Luca still had to go to work.

"I'm home, Elsa. There's a Philosopher's Conference at the end of the social season, here's the invitation."

"Okay. Thank you." She took the invitation from Luca and read the content. She nodded after she finished reading and put it into a box.

Elsa remembered what Teresa had told her when she looked at Luca while changing.『Why don't you pamper him?』Teresa had said. It wasn't amusing in the slightest but Elsa thought that she probably hadn't pampered him before.

But, how do you pamper someone? Elsa staggered towards Luca and grabbed the back of his clothes.

"What's wrong?" Luca asked curiously. Elsa stared at his handsome face and said, "How do you pamper someone?"

"What?" It was unexpected so Luca turned around and looked stupefied.

"I was wondering if it was okay to hug you but I probably can't because it's you, Luca." Elsa strongly thought about Luca's gynophobia. He did make many pa.s.ses at her and they got married in the end, so she also wondered if it would be alright.

"I already said this before but I'm fine with it if Elsa does it."

"…… Okay then." Elsa hugged Luca from behind and placed her chin on Luca's shoulders. She actually wanted to try this properly.

"How unusual for you, Elsa."

"Yeah. Well, a little." One of the reasons why she did this was because Teresa suggested it but Elsa herself also wanted to try hugging him.

"But, it's nice to be pampered by you." Luca caressed Elsa's head. Her stomach growled as if it was unable to read the mood when she turned her head.

"……" Silence reigned. Finally, Luca couldn't help but laugh and said, "What a wonderful punchline."

"Don't." By the way, both thought that they were more civil than the other.

Currently, only Duke Inglacia and his wife lived at the Inglacia household in the royal capital. Luca's parents also stayed here during spring but they were retired and returned to their territory.

Therefore, only the newlyweds lived at this mansion (and the servants), but the interactions between the two hadn't changed so rather than being a newly wedded couple, they were more like a middle-aged couple.

"…… What's this?"

"Well, I wanted to try pampering Elsa too." Luca scooped a spoon of Dolce Tiramisu cake and brought it to Elsa's mouth. It was the something that she sometimes saw young couples do, the one where you go, "Aaah ~." She certainly said "Pamper" but why was this happening?

"I wanted to try it," Luca said with his usual serious look. He pretended that the servants, who were flabbergasted, weren't there and brought the spoon to Elsa's mouth. Obviously, the tiramisu itself was delicious.

"Delicious, but it's more efficient for me to eat this myself."

"Really?" Really? Not. Even though she had known for Luca for almost twenty years now, she still didn't understand him.

"Come to think of it, the Prime Minister told me that I have to bring you to the ball tomorrow."

"I would go even if he hadn't said that but I'll ask this. Why?"

"He wants you to be an interpreter."

"…… Please ask the actual interpreters." Elsa had learnt many languages but she wasn't an interpreter. Sometimes, however, she would be requested as an interpreter. She thought it was better to ask an interpreter to do something like that but Luca said, "It's the same thing."

"The Prime Minister likes you, Elsa," Luca said wryly and Elsa sighted. She wasn't happy at all.

"…… I'm fine with just being loved by Luca." Luca smiled at those words. Thus, the servants became noisy at the lovey middle age couple.

Translator: Blushy
Editor: Katsono