~Chapter 35~
The Duke met my eyes and lowered his hand with a sheepish smile.
“Apologies, my eyes felt a bit dry.”
“Oh no, I should be the one apologizing… Did your eyes get strained from reading in the dark because of me?”
I couldn’t help but avert my gaze, guilt weighing heavily on me.
Sigh…
If there were a hole nearby, I’d crawl right in.
Thankfully, the Duke gently shook his head.
“No need to worry. It’s a chronic issue.”
“A chronic issue?”
“Yes. I do a lot of paperwork, so my eyes often get tired.”
“Oh…”
I blinked slowly.
At first, I hadn’t noticed in the dark—but now that I looked closely, I could see it.
His eyes were laced with broken blood vessels.
Just then, the princess’s complaining voice echoed in my mind:
“He’s always been like that. Says he’ll do all the hard work and tells me to just take it easy.”
That sullen expression…
“I’m grateful that he cares about me, but… he really doesn’t have to do it all.”
The drooping shoulders, and—
“I feel like he always pushes himself too hard because of me.”
Those blue eyes, filled with worry for her one and only brother.
‘Now I see why the princess worries about him so much.’
What kind of sister could feel at ease watching her brother push himself like this?
Before I realized it, I spoke up.
“In that case… how about trying a warm compress?”
“A warm compress?”
“Yes. If you rest your eyes under a warm, damp towel, it helps relieve fatigue.”
I gave a light smile.
“The princess often gets eye strain when working on documents too, and every time I use a warm compress on her, she says it feels great.”
At that, the Duke glanced at me playfully.
“A warm compress, huh? Eva really is putting Lady Ansi to good use.”
“Huh?”
“You don’t have to indulge her every whim. It’s okay to say no.”
“Ahaha…”
I could only offer a sheepish laugh.
“Anyway, thank you for the advice. I’ll give it a try.”
He nodded with a calm expression, then suddenly turned serious.
“Also, please make sure Eva apologizes properly for this incident.”
“Pardon?”
“Evangeline is the only lady of the House of Claudius.”
His voice lost all humor, becoming firm and deliberate.
“Until now, she hasn’t been involved in household affairs. But now she’s stepping forward as the future mistress of this estate. She needs to carry that responsibility.”
“…Your Grace.”
“Anyone who leads an organization must bear duties and rights accordingly. Those aren’t things to casually pass off when it’s inconvenient.”
The Duke rarely looked this stern.
“Even if it’s just managing a single townhouse.”
So that’s how it is…
Facing that steady, commanding gaze, I suddenly understood.
The reason he’d become one of the most respected leaders in the long history of House Claudius—was because he held himself to such high standards.
And perhaps the reason he never asked the princess to do anything—
‘—was because he wanted her to be free from such burdens.’
But then—
“What’s going on here?!”
A sharp voice rang out, followed by—
Click!
The library lights turned on brightly.
And striding in with confident steps was none other than…
“Why are you two sitting together in the dark?!”
The princess!
Standing between us like a wall, she glared at the Duke with wide, accusing eyes.
“Brother, you didn’t do anything inappropriate to Lady Ansi, right?”
Of course, the Duke just scoffed.
“Do you think I’m you?”
“Ugh…!”
Wow… He totally sank her with one sentence.
The Duke’s verbal sparring skills are truly top-tier.
Anyway…
“Um, Your Highness, really—nothing happened…”
I tried to clear up the misunderstanding brewing between them, but—
“You’re too naïve. All men are wolves!”
Wow. She’s just as sharp-tongued as her brother. Definitely siblings.
I quickly tried to shift the topic.
“So, did you get the rose seedlings?”
“Of course! Do you know who I am?”
The princess puffed up proudly.
“I’m the Lady of House Claudius. There’s nothing in this world I can’t have!”
Well… You did storm out at lunchtime just to buy them, so…
I sighed internally.
At that moment, the Duke, who had been watching her with a rather unimpressed expression, finally spoke.
“You left the retainers’ meeting prep to your friend just to go buy rose seedlings. Well done.”
“Ugh.”
The princess flinched and slowly glanced my way.
“Lady Ansi… are you mad?”
Wait, me?
I quickly forced a big smile.
“Not at all. I’m fine.”
“Evangeline, think carefully.”
But the Duke pressed on coldly.
“It’s irresponsible to dump your duties on a friend.”
She visibly shrank under his words.
“How do you expect to serve as the future mistress of House Claudius like this?”
“I… I…”
The princess turned toward me, her expression like a kitten caught in the rain.
“I’m sorry… I won’t do it again.”
“Really, it’s fine!”
I scrambled to soothe her while sneaking a glance at the Duke.
…Something was off.
Why does he look so smug?
Wait a minute.
That expression on his face…
I mean, of course, he meant well. Of course he was scolding her out of genuine care.
But there was just a hint of satisfaction, like he’d just won an argument.
…Must be my imagination, right?
That night…
The Duke asked a maid for a certain item.
It was—
“Here is the warm towel you requested, sir.”
The maid bowed and set down a silver tray before leaving.
On it were a few warm towels, still steaming.
The Duke looked at them in silence.
“Then how about trying a warm compress?”
“Just lay a warm towel over your eyes—it really helps rest them.”
Laritte’s gentle voice echoed in his mind.
“I must be acting unusually.”
After all, dry eyes weren’t anything new.
He lived with fatigue every day—he was used to it.
And yet…
“How strange.”
He fiddled with the towel and gave a soft chuckle.
“If it’s Lady Ansi’s advice, I want to try it.”
The Duke picked up a towel, now slightly cooled.
He laid it over his eyes—and the world went dark.
It was… oddly soothing.
Like the fatigue was melting away.
Only then did the Duke realize—
He had been utterly exhausted.
“This feels good.”
And in that comforting darkness,
for the first time in a very long while—
Duke Dietrich truly rested.
