IDMLG 38

Chapter 38

“Don’t wait up for me. Just go to bed first. I might be late.”

Michael, my older brother, said this in his usual calm voice before sending the carriage—with me in it—back home.

I should’ve been relieved, but instead, I felt oddly uneasy, as if I were abandoning him in a tiger’s den.

I knew Rixion Luhanes had some sense in him after meeting him in person, so he wouldn’t act like a lunatic and harm my brother.

Still, it was impossible not to worry when your family member went to confront a man who, in the original novel, was basically portrayed as a deranged maniac.

When I got home alone, I washed up, changed into comfortable clothes, and lay on my bed—but I couldn’t fall asleep.
In the pitch-dark room, I stared at the ceiling, ears perked, waiting for the sound of Michael returning.

It was only when dawn was about to break that I finally began to drift off—when the faint rumble of carriage wheels echoed from outside.

Sleep vanished in an instant. I shot up, threw on a coat over my nightgown, and dashed downstairs.

“You’re still awake?”

Michael clicked his tongue when he saw me rushing down the stairs toward the entrance.

Without thinking, I scanned him from head to toe.

He seemed fine—since he’d come back safely, nothing too serious must have happened. But I still stepped closer, inspecting him for even the smallest scratch.

Aside from his usually slicked-back hair being a little tousled, he looked perfectly normal. I finally relaxed and approached him.

That’s when I caught a faint smell of alcohol from him—and my eyes widened.

“You drank?”

“Yeah. A little.”

A little? I wasn’t buying that.

Even when meeting foreign business partners or attending banquets with other branch heads, Michael never touched alcohol unless absolutely necessary.

So smelling booze on him was shocking enough.

“Don’t tell me you drank with the duke?”

I followed after him as he headed up the stairs, clutching his coat. Michael stopped halfway up.

“Yeah.”

“Why?”

My brother had gone to tell Rixion Luhanes to stop approaching me out of curiosity—and somehow ended up drinking with him?

I stared at Michael, completely baffled, unable to guess what could’ve happened.

Without another word, he continued upstairs and walked into the study instead of his bedroom.

I trailed behind him anxiously.

Michael threw his coat onto the sofa and ran a hand through his hair, as though thinking something over.

The pause made me uneasy.

“I talked with Duke Luhanes,” he finally said, tapping his fingers on his desk. “And… it seems there’s been a bit of a misunderstanding.”

I blinked, furrowing my brows.

What?

Michael cleared his throat awkwardly.

“So, um, like you said—it’s not really like that.”

“What the hell does that mean?”

I snapped, my confusion turning into irritation.

He coughed again, clearly uncomfortable.

“It’s… not really my place to say. But maybe it’d be better if you talked to the duke yourself.”

Michael couldn’t even meet my eyes.

What was going on? What did that fox of a man say to my brother to make him act like this?

Did he seriously manage to turn him over in one night?

“Talk? About what? I told you I hate that man!”

I shouted, trembling with frustration.

“Alright, alright. No one’s forcing you. If you hate him, don’t meet him.”

Michael soothed me in that annoyingly calm tone of his, like he’d expected my outburst.

“But I just mean—it doesn’t seem like the duke was toying with you or anything.”

Unbelievable.

I stared at him, jaw dropping.

What did that sly bastard say to brainwash my brother like this?

“Traitor! We’re done! I’m disowning you!”

“What did you just call me?”

Shaking with fury, I shouted something only a grade-schooler would say before storming out of his study.

Even after I stomped back to my room, my anger wouldn’t subside.

How could I have stayed up waiting for such a backstabber?

I was an idiot to trust him.

Thinking about it now, he was the one who pushed me into that blind date in the first place! What on earth was I thinking?

After fuming all night, I finally fell asleep—then woke up late in the afternoon.

Michael was already gone, off managing the trading company.

‘Well, it is his busiest season,’ I thought, scratching my messy bedhead as I dragged myself out of bed.

I threw a coat over my pajamas and stepped into the hallway. Melissa started nagging the moment she saw me, horrified at my disheveled state.

I sprinted off to escape her scolding, leaving her shrieking behind me.

Bounding down the stairs, I glanced around for the old butler—he always kept a copy of the latest gossip paper ready for me.

I was already grinning at the thought of what ridiculous rumors the tabloids had come up with today when—

“Albert!”

I called out cheerfully, running toward the entrance.

And then—

“Lady Christener.”

It wasn’t the butler’s voice that greeted me.

It was his.

Rixion Luhanes.

Standing right there in the entrance hall.

For a moment, I honestly thought I was dreaming.

I blinked hard and rubbed my eyes, staring at him.

“Good morning, Lady Christener.”

Bathed in the golden morning light, Rixion smiled—the picture of refined grace.

A radiant, perfect smile bloomed across his face.

Not a dream.

The living, breathing embodiment of a cathedral mural—Rixion Luhanes, the “angelic” duke himself—was standing in my foyer.

‘Wh-Wh-What… why is he here, first thing in the morning?!’

I froze, eyes wide in horror, realizing the state I was in.

I had just rolled out of bed. My hair was a tangled mess. I hadn’t even wiped the sleep from my eyes. There might even be dried drool at the corner of my mouth.

Rixion’s gaze lingered on me—and then he lifted his hand to his lips, clearly holding back a laugh.

‘He is laughing at me, isn’t he?’

My pride shattered into a million pieces. Every instinct screamed at me to turn and flee.

But—no.

This man enjoyed making fun of others. If I panicked, he’d love it.

No, I’d face him head-on.

Straightening my back, I decided to do the opposite—show him everything. He probably had a mild case of OCD anyway, so maybe my messy appearance would drive him off.

Chin held high, I strode right up to him, wiping the corner of my mouth with my sleeve just in case.

“And what brings you here today, Duke Luhanes?”

I stepped in front of him, ignoring the butler who was trying to usher him into the parlor.

The poor old man looked like he wanted to cry—probably horrified that I was greeting a noble guest in my current state. But he couldn’t exactly scold me in front of the duke.

I must’ve looked even worse than I thought.

“My lady, perhaps you should freshen up while I escort His Grace to the drawing room—”

“This is fine.”

I cut the butler off firmly.

Leaving a guest standing in the foyer might be impolite, but I wasn’t going to give Rixion the satisfaction of seeing me flustered.

The butler stepped back, pale-faced, and I glared at Rixion with all the intensity I could muster.

He didn’t flinch. His expression remained calm, that faint, serene smile still on his lips.