Chapter 10
“It’s going to break!”
I flinched, terrified. Yet, there was no sound. Squinting suspiciously, I looked around.
Across from me, Lucy and Elizabeth’s eyes were wide with shock.
Had the world stopped?
The culprit—the bee—quickly flew out the window.
“Why… why is everyone like this?”
I looked up at everyone staring at me. Between their well-extended fingers, a teacup saucer was balanced. Some kind of miraculous skill. A sleeve of deep purple. This was…
“Gasp!”
Jerob Dyker stood behind me.
With lightning-fast reflexes, he had protected the national treasure. Truly, the empire’s number one swordsman!
More than that, except for the first meeting where he tried to cut my neck, he had come the closest to me.
His fingers were as beautiful as his reputation. As if a master had crafted the “Touch Toward the Sun,” God had shaped Jerob Dyker himself.
Even someone called a cold-blooded man could emanate warmth.
“What a stroke of luck.”
Because of the huge difference in our physiques, I fit perfectly in his embrace. His favorite fragrance surrounded me.
Fresh, crisp, yet sweet.
It perfectly matched his silver hair. Though it was a common mint scent, mixed with his unique body scent, it became something special. If I ever got the chance, I wanted to remember this scent and create a Jerob Dyker signature perfume.
I found myself unknowingly inhaling the duke’s scent.
“Snort!”
I had sniffed so eagerly that I accidentally made a pig-like snorting sound. The previously tingling atmosphere broke instantly. It was so loud that it couldn’t be ignored. The warmth behind me disappeared.
“Miss.”
“Y-yes…?”
Elizabeth, adjusting her glasses, called me sharply. My throat felt blocked, and it was hard to answer.
“Your nostrils are flaring, and your breathing is rough.”
“A-ahahaha… ha…”
She accurately pointed out my state. I had closed my eyes without realizing it and inhaled deeply. The rapture on my face was an extra. It was behavior that could have easily been reported.
Jerob probably didn’t notice my expression. Thank goodness.
“Duke, thank you for your help.”
I offered him a word of thanks to try to recover some dignity. Jerob simply stared at me.
“Accepted.”
“Yes.”
He didn’t respond to my words but handed the master’s work to Lucy.
“Let’s end today’s lesson here.”
“Yes, Duke.”
Jerob stopped the lesson and returned to his papers, acting as if nothing had happened. His nonchalant behavior made me even more embarrassed. I could feel my ears turning red.
“Miss, are you okay?”
“Yes.”
The lingering scent he left stayed close to me.
“Your complexion looks terrible.”
“Terrible? Really?”
Back in my room, Lucy gently touched my face, concern in her voice.
The bee agreed with Lucy, buzzing around. As long as Jerob wasn’t there, it was fine. Meanwhile, I was dying of embarrassment.
“You look so uncomfortable.”
“I’m fine.”
“It’s uncomfortable for me to watch, Miss.”
Lucy wasn’t worried about me; she was focused on her own eyes. She held my hand firmly, warmth flowing to my fingertips.
“I’ll apply some medicinal herbs. When you wake up, your body will feel sore.”
As she said, my muscles were already screaming. For someone like me, who never exercised, this felt like hard labor.
“Can’t you use a nicer scent? That last filthy smell wasn’t good.”
Lucy pondered my complaint.
“Good herbs are usually harsh in scent. Sweet ones are poison.”
Bitter for health, indeed. Then what about Jerob’s scent? Somehow, the sweet mint still lingered at my nose.
“But Miss, calling your body a sewer… we could balance it out, right?”
“I’ll try.”
All my schedule for the day was canceled by the Duke. I probably embarrassed him too much. Lucy skillfully removed various adornments tied to my body.
“Ah, Miss… I…”
“Speak.”
Lucy paused mid-sentence, unusual for someone normally so straightforward.
“I… am satisfied with my job. You’re a good person, too, Miss.”
“Uh?”
“Suddenly proud of your job?”
“Miss, don’t get caught. Don’t make it obvious sniffing the Duke’s scent. Keep hobbies secret. Secret.”
Apparently, I was already branded a pervert in her eyes. Her serious expression almost made me curse.
“It’s not a hobby!”
“Turn around.”
While saying that, she worked on my muscles, spreading the herbal mixture over my body.
“Ahhh, that’s nice!”
The cooling sensation made me groan unconsciously. As Lucy massaged me, I drifted into a hazy sleep.
I felt like I had forgotten something.
Ah, whatever.
That night, even the bee quietly slept beside me.
I was incredible—truly skilled at annoying others.
Victim #1, Jose Fernando.
“Y-you’re wearing a skirt.”
“Yes. I actually like skirts.”
The muscular Jose Fernando shyly admitted. He wore a skirt over his pants, fluttering comically.
“I see… it suits you.”
“Thank you.”
Every step made him step on the hem, stumbling slightly. Every time I glanced at him, he avoided eye contact desperately.
“It’s like I did something wrong!”
Victim #2, the Duchess, Aileen Dyker, now attended every lesson intentionally. When I asked if she wasn’t tired, she gave a perfect excuse:
“I want to see how fast our daughter’s dancing improves.”
She always sat in front of Jose, covering his lower half—protective maternal instinct shining through.
“I can’t dance with you.”
Cerui openly refused to take lessons with me. In front of Aileen, she pretended to be obedient.
She completely ruined my image.
“Then what should I do? I can’t be your partner. Should I ask the young master…?”
Jerob Dyker?
I hoped my already ruined life wouldn’t get any worse.
“No! It’s fine! I can manage alone!”
“After this schedule, you still have history class. Is it okay to push yourself like this?”
Ah, I have history class next.
Why does everyone else know my schedule better than I do?
Buzzing—
The bee on the right, Lucy reading on the left, and
“Uh… when the first great king established his territory, a passing high priest happened to be there…”
History class was a human sedative. The elderly man, dressed like a ragged sage, droned on, his monotonous voice flowing.
“Blessing… used in a… favorable season… all is blessed. The central river… beautiful… and…”
His voice faded more and more.
“Miss, Miss.”
“…Huh? Y-yes. I’m listening.”
Lucy shook me awake. When did I fall asleep?
“When the first king established the empire, what did he receive?”
My inattentiveness irritated him. He asked sharply.
“Blessing.”
“Ahem. Then, what became of him?”
“The first emperor kept him close to learn the sacred art, but since he had no heirs, the lineage ended.”
I answered fluently. He quickly turned the page, though it didn’t seem like we’d reached that point.
“What’s the name of the central river?”
“Jungcheon.”
The history teacher squinted, scanning the room.
“Did I perhaps cheat?”
“The first emperor’s second son was Myers I. The eldest succession continued to the current Myers III.”
“Continue.”
His expression changed. Peeking at the back pages, his eyes shone.
“Blonde hair and blue eyes. Eye color aligns with the Dyker lineage, indicating the sacred art passed down there as well.”
“Uh… Miss? Are you feeling unwell?”
Lucy quickly checked my forehead.
“Indeed. You’ve read this book, haven’t you?”
The old teacher smiled brighter than any smile I’d ever seen.
“It’s a shame you’re not part of the Dyker family…”
He closed the book regretfully.
“I recommend deeper study.”
I had read this history book first—the bonus appendix to The Villainess Torments the Emperor Today.
Though a side story to a bleak romance, it was packed with history rather than the erotic scenes I expected.
Even if it wasn’t what I wanted, I devoured it, afraid to miss a single word. Surprisingly, it was quite interesting.
“I wondered why the Duke came to see a retired elder. Very insightful.”
The first compliment I heard in this mansion was that I was “insightful.”
“Ah… guilty conscience kicking in.”
“Not at all.”
A rare compliment. I accepted it with a smile. The teacher looked behind me, not at the one complimented.
Buzzing—
The bee had fled far away.
“Could it be…?”
A familiar scent wafted then.
“Insightful, huh. Seems you forgot everything else.”
Why was the Duke there?
