IBWMD 107

~Chapter 107~

“Elaine?”

“…If you’re going to do it, do it properly. Don’t stop halfway.”

Thank goodness, my voice didn’t shake.

Stay calm. Stay calm.

‘Yeah. My feet hurt because of him. Of course he should massage them.’

I tried hard not to show how flustered I was, looking at the Duke’s hands holding my foot.

With his hands, my foot looked so small.

‘This is really embarrassing.’

But honestly, I was the only one who looked embarrassed.

As soon as I gave permission, the Duke started massaging my foot over my silk stockings, naturally, as if it was the most normal thing.

His strong fingers pressed into the arch of my foot.

He even massaged between my toes and rotated my ankle with practiced hands.

Yeah, it felt good. It really did.

“…That’s enough.”

“Why? You said to do it properly.”

Because the more you touch, the weirder I feel!

Every time his hand brushed my foot, chills ran up my neck.

It was relaxing but mixed with a strange feeling.

I knew he didn’t mean anything by it, but…

My brain looked for something to grumble about.

“…Even my family never gave me a foot massage. Why are you, Your Grace, doing this?”

“Is it a problem?”

“Next, will you bring a basin and wash my feet, too? It’s a bit much for a grown woman to have someone do that…”

The Duke’s mask twitched.

Yeah, maybe he changed his mind after my nagging. He’ll stop now, right?

“Someone else?”

The Duke’s grip tightened on my ankle.

I felt like I’d been caught in a trap.

“If you want me to wash your feet, I’ll do it. But what do you mean someone else?”

“That’s the problem? Yes, you’re someone else! We haven’t even had our wedding yet!”

“Then we’ll do it tomorrow.”

“No, that’s not what I meant…”

I tried to pull my foot away.

But his fingers slid up my ankle and gently gripped my calf.

The same spot where Karl once bit me.

I gasped without meaning to.

The Duke ran his hand up and down my leg, like he was counting the threads in my stockings.

“You said you were hurt.”

“….”

“You were the one who said I should take responsibility.”

“I never said that…”

“You might really swell up at this rate.”

“…You should worry about your own body. Running around hunting monsters while you’re still sick.”

“Are you worried about me?”

‘Are you worried about me?’

His words overlapped with something someone else once said to me.

And suddenly, a lot of feelings boiled up inside.

‘Why is it…’

Why does someone else always come to mind when I talk to him?

Why do I keep comparing, feeling disappointed, or excited?

Then, after feeling down, I get excited again.

…And then I feel ashamed of myself for it.

I sighed inside, scolding myself.

‘Pull yourself together, Elaine.’

This isn’t the time to be stuck on my failed first love.

The Duke’s estate might really be in danger.

“Anyway, listen. I heard something important earlier…”

I started telling the Duke what the Captain had told me, partly to escape the feeling of his big hands massaging my foot.

“So, that’s what I wanted to tell you.”

“I see.”

The Duke listened calmly, not looking surprised at all.

“You’re not very surprised.”

“The temple’s actions don’t shock me much.”

“….”

“I always expected something like this would happen.”

The image of the previous Duke’s death flashed in my mind.

Instead of replying, I looked at his hand gently touching my foot.

“But you still don’t have solid proof, right?”

“That’s true. All I found at the Companion Tower was… Oh, right.”

“What is it?”

Talking about the Companion Tower reminded me.

The one who helped me find the Holy Knight’s badge there—Eyeball.

“If part of a dragon remains, do you think you could communicate with it?”

Eyeball is a dragon, after all.

Maybe if it meets the Duke, who has dragon blood, it’ll finally act normal.

‘Honestly, it should be with the Duke, not me.’

Karl gave it to me, so I kept it all this time…

But now that Karl is gone, holding onto Eyeball just feels like I’m clinging to the past.

…Like how I keep seeing Karl in the Duke.

‘If Eyeball talks with the Duke, maybe things will work out.’

The Duke was silent for a while.

Then he replied, sounding a little worn out.

“These days, I can’t control the dragon’s power very well.”

“….”

“It’s been quiet since I got hurt.”

“….”

“And recently…”

He trailed off and started massaging my foot again.

I grew serious.

‘If he really can’t control the dragon’s power, he must be badly hurt.’

He was already hurt before, but this might be worse than I thought.

“Shouldn’t you have rested more instead of coming to the banquet? You’re sick.”

“My health isn’t closely tied to the dragon’s magic…”

“No way. At a time like this, if your magic isn’t working, it’s dangerous!”

“….”

“You should be lying down and recovering, not dancing around!”

He was never the type to dance with people anyway.

He’d rather sit in his reserved seat, watching everyone.

“If you’re worried about me, my heart…”

“How about you rest now?”

“….”

“I’ll go and get more information. There was something the Captain found in the Temple’s archives.”

The Duke’s mood turned cold.

“When you danced with that man?”

“You make it sound weird. The Captain isn’t just a man.”

“To me, he’s definitely a man.”

“I don’t think the Captain even sees me as a woman.”

“We’ll see about that.”

I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.

To me, the Captain was more like a teacher or a second father.

It’d be impossible to see him as a romantic partner, and besides…

“You danced with Reina, didn’t you? Why bring this up with me?”

I really didn’t want to say this, but it just came out.

My ears felt hot with embarrassment.

The Duke looked at me lazily through his mask.

“Are you jealous?”

“What are you talking about?”

“For the record, I am jealous.”

“….”

“I don’t like seeing you with other men.”

I was at a loss for words.

‘…You didn’t say anything when I said I liked Karl, did you?’

But now you’re jealous about someone else? Is that your type?

Feeling annoyed, I answered bluntly.

“Yeah, yeah. Do you like me that much?”

“I do.”

“….”

It was like I’d been attacked.

I didn’t expect that answer at all!

‘…What is this?’

“I like you so much that even seeing you with someone else makes me jealous and angry.”

“I like you, Elaine.”

It took about five seconds for me to realize what had happened.

Did the Duke just confess to me?

I mean, I sort of felt it from his actions, but…

‘Didn’t you say you hated me because the Emperor sent me here?!’

You told me to go home!

Now you act all sweet and charming as soon as I come back. Subtly flirting, and now…

“L-lik…”

“I said I like you, Elaine.”

“I like you.”

“You don’t have to say it three times.”

“I don’t think it’s strange for a husband to like his future wife.”

His calm words made my ears burn.

‘My head’s going to explode.’

It felt similar to when Karl proposed to me.

…I really did get proposed to before. Doesn’t the Duke care?

“…I told you I liked another man.”

“And I said I didn’t care.”

“Don’t you have any pride?”

“No.”

He was as good at shutting people up as Karl was.

I started muttering.

“I even hid my holy power from you.”

“You did.”

“I told you—Captain Ista was my boss. I was a Holy Knight.”

“I see.”

“I’m basically from the Temple.”

“I’ll remember that.”

Why didn’t he look surprised?

Almost like he knew already.

“You have a bad relationship with the Temple. Shouldn’t I be uncomfortable too?”

“Would someone who’s uncomfortable with the Temple warn me about it?”

“….”

“You’re not a bad person.”

It was true, but hearing it from the Duke made me feel rebellious.

‘When the Captain said something similar, I felt secretly touched.’

But this man barely knows me.

He doesn’t know me like Karl did…

It made me want to show off how bad I could really be.

‘Calm down, Elaine. This is the Duke you’re talking to.’

Just as I was trying to control my emotions—

“You’re a good person, Elaine.”

…It was like swallowing a balloon. I couldn’t say anything.