I reincarnated as the Duke from the North.

SFW.

Part of the chapter at another site.

A touch on my chest woke me up. Deep red hung from the canopy above, except for deep blue.

"Morning." Vanessa's voice sang to me and a kiss to the cheek awakened me fully. My wife lay on my right, supple breasts in full display, playing with my hair.

What a life.

"Morning, dear. Are you okay?"

She fiddled with the ends of my black hair. "I am well, thanks to you being so careful."

"I tried my best. How long have you been awake?"

She smiled. "Not too long. Watching sleeping beauty helped me pass the time."

"Please." I brought her round chin to me for a kiss. "Don't say anymore or I might continue from last night."

Vanessa giggled. "Is that a challenge and a request?"

A heavy knock on the duchess room door interrupted us. We looked at each other in a our momentary shock as if we were caught by our parents and continued our lovemaking. More knocks came and an unfamiliar voice spoke from the corridor.

"Vanessa! Are you there?! I heard about yesterday!!" The male voice knocked again.

Vanessa drew her lips away. "George…?Why is he…?"

George, the old childhood that I am totally not jealous of in any way, shape, or form? That fella?

"Sorry, Tarion-"

"Go. He has to be worried."

A peck to my forehead and she leaves the covers. I watched my wife's voluptuous breasts bounce as she stood up from the bed. She bent down to get a green dress from the floor and the view tested my restraint.

I'm a gentleman. I calm myself with breathing and mobile meditation.

Plonk

Nice.

The door creaked open and the stablehand smiled wide, seeing my wife.

He grabbed her arm with force. "Vanessa!! You're okay!! Oh, thank the lands above! I didn't see you come to the stables as usual to feed your horse treats…"

Wearing regularly worn peasant attire, he wore a dumb cap I would see on only fools and horses. I couldn't tell any features of his face other than that he could be light-skinned Friedman like me. I inspected his stats. Bang average for a strong worker.

"George…As you can see, I am doing well. Well, much better than others, like my driver. Couldn't find a body but his clothes were among the debris."

"Umm, that's unfortunate. I will send a prayer to him. But you are safe. That's what matters for now." He still held on to my wife's arms.

"Thanks to the mysterious mage who saved me and my people. And of course, my dear husband." I saw her cheeky smile which made me fall for her.

The stablehand twitched. His smile stayed on his lips as his eyebrows contorted. "That's great~… But he should have been there the whole time. He left you alone when you were most vulnerable. When are you going to the divorce the fool!?"

She told him?

His grimy, skinny hands held my arms too tight.

"George!" Vanessa shouted down at him and he cowered. "How do you..." Vanessa yanked her arms away. "Don't speak of it again."

"Sorry. I was just so worried about you so many times I wanted to come here to check if you were okay." His mouth gushed bullshit as if on a time limit. "Bring me with you next time you go on the road so I can protect you whenever he isn't there-"

"She's fine." I finally spoke and I saw despair in George's weasly eyes.

"Ta-Your Grace!" he bowed with no heart in it.

I scooted off the bed, not minding how bare I was. "You seem to remember formalities with me." I strolled to the door, observing despair and anger building in the childhood friend. "But completely forget it when around the duchess."

"I apologise, Your Grace's! I was so beside myself with worry that I- sorry for my rudeness!" He bowed again.

I stepped behind my wife. "I understand. You are friends. Friends tell secrets, and friends worry about each other. But friend or not, NOONE holds my wife like that." Glaring down with murder at the fool, I still can't see his face properly.

Vanessa patted my chest to calm me down. "Tarion, it's okay. He is just as concerned as I would be for him or Jen."

Too easy to forgive, as always.

"Then he should be happy to know I will be escorting you everywhere until further notice." Vanessa turned around and smiled lovingly at me. In the corner of my eye, I caught George staring at me with utter disdain.

"I won't be a fool any longer."

George bit his lips.

"Your issue is solved. Back to your station before I decide whether or not to hire new employees."

A half-hearted salute, bow, and "YES, YOUR GRACE." and the stable worker scampered down the corridor.

"Bye, George! Oh…Tarion, you didn't need to speak to him like that."

I shrugged. He bugs me too much. Why?

"But did you mean it!?" Vanessa asked with unbridled joy.

"You did tell me you would bring an army along, so I am volunteering."

"Getting arrogant nowadays, hehe."

"I wanted to look good in front of my wife."

I grabbed her soft behind, feeling my control waning with every whiff of her aroma, I wanted to take her dress off right there and then.

"Vanessa, It will be hard to pull me away from you. Bring me with you."

"Umm." She closed her eyes in thought. "Okay. Only if you are good."

"In what way?" I kicked the door close and scooped Vanessa up.

"Tarion! again?! I can walk, you know, hahahaha!"

My wife weighed as light as a feather as I twirled her around. Her gold curls bounced all the way to the soft red silk sheets and we continued what we left off.

I lay on my bed, feeling pain, and torment my adrenaline contained healing with my broken leg in a special cast, poked with needles made by some foreigner my brother brought in. I relaxed while my uncle talked my head off. More stories of the barbarians and their strange ways.

"-good drinkers they were. But they liked to brawl a bit too much. Dealt with a handful of hangovers and concussions."

A bit too much for this battle-loving madman?

A maid knocked and announced. "His and Her Grace are here to meet with you, milord!"

"Ah, the hero has arrived." My uncle squeaked off the bedside chair to pat me on the cast.

"AAAH!! What the fuck, uncle!"

"Heh, still awake. You swear, too! I will come back later."

"Fucking old man!"

He walked away with a grin, knowing I was waiting for another visit to hear his stories again. My uncle and brother welcomed each other with a hug at the door, laughing loudly. Probably at my lame state. A door closed and my Duke and Duchess stood worried on the side of my bed.

I crossed my strained arms. "Why'd you run away? I thought I was the coward of the family."

"Hahaha," His long, black cloak waved as he laughed. "I apologise. Vanessa told me about something interesting. Curiosity blinded me." My brother leaned and looked at my injuries. "It hurts, huh?"

"What a dumb question," I grumbled.

Vanessa giggled with her mouth covered. Dress in a red flowing dress Showing off her bosom, the Duchess was different. She radiated with an afterglow, a lingering happiness…Ew.

"What are you here for except to gawk at a suffering man?"

Tarion chuckled. "Calm down, grouchy." The Duchess held my right hand and said,

"We are here to say thank you to the bravest man I have ever seen. Thanks to you, I was able to return home to my husband's side." Vanessa's thoughtful eyes looked deep into my soul and I couldn't help blushing from her praise.

"And you are being promoted." His Grace said as he threw a key between my legs on the bed. "Once Master Zhi has you up and walking, find Charles. Show him the key and let him show you the way."

I picked up the key and rolled it around my hand.

Umbra…

"Ye-Yes, Your Grace!"

"I was wrong."

My head snapped to Tarion, smiling with love and pride.

"Wha…"

"I was wrong about you."

"Oh…"

Tears rushed out like a broken dam. My emotions, unrestrained, I cried in my hands. Water dripped on my covers through my fingers. At my most vulnerable, I feel something covering me, giving my soul warmth. I opened my wet eyes and saw my brother and his wife's arms around me.

"Thank you… for giving me… a chance." I sobbed, my sniffling hampering my words.

Tarion rubbed my back. "You're my brother. I will give you more."