Grand Duke Richard’s reply made my knees go weak. Not because I was shocked to be his first dance partner—no, that part I could take in stride. It was the way he looked at me in that moment, something in his eyes off-kilter enough to short-circuit my brain. My body tilted and—thud—my forehead landed squarely against his chest.
“Ah…!”
A cool, mint-like scent surged from his chest straight to the tip of my nose. It poured into my lungs, spread all the way to my scalp, and set my hair on end. The sensation was dizzying—unlike anything I’d ever felt.
My neck flushed hot.
It was as if my ears, shoulders, and even my spine had all been wrapped in his scent.
My heart thudded violently.
It wasn’t the first time I’d been this close to the Grand Duke, but tonight the contact rattled me in a way it never had before.
“Honestly, you keep collapsing—are your legs just too thin?”
It was Grand Duke Richard who caught me when I stumbled. His voice was as dry as ever. I raised my eyes just enough to peek at him. He was frowning deeply, as though lost in thought. Maybe it bothered him that he’d had to catch me twice in such a short time.
“Newborn fawns are sturdier than you.”
Benedict muttered his complaint, but it barely registered. Every spot where his hands gripped me burned.
“I… I’m fine now…”
I steadied myself and lifted my head—only to freeze. Because, Grand Duke Richard’s face looked… impossibly handsome. Of course, I’d always known that he was objectively attractive, but right now, it felt different.
“Hmm. I should have Madam Verona brew some bear bile from the black bears I caught.”
He furrowed his brows slightly and muttered to himself. To me, it was just a low hum, the words lost to the rush in my ears.
All I could focus on was how the Grand Duke’s face looked—radiant, sexy even…
“Oh, no!”
Slap-!
Before the thought could finish forming, I let out a yelp and slapped both my cheeks. How could I entertain such disrespectful thoughts about a client? Unthinkable.
The Grand Duke flinched slightly at my sudden outburst, then nodded gravely.
“Right. Bear bile can be intimidating. But it doesn’t taste all that bad. If you don’t want the bile, maybe you could try the paw—”
“I… I just need some air.”
I ducked my head and shoved him away with both hands before anything truly dangerous happened—like paying a penalty for breach of contract…
“No, it’s good for your health…”
I heard the Grand Duke mumble behind me, sounding oddly dejected, but I was already walking away. My heart still wouldn’t slow down. Only when I stepped out into the night air did the heat in my body begin to cool.
“Whew…”
I exhaled deeply and leaned against the white stone wall. The door behind me seemed to lead to the mansion’s back garden. Lanterns glowed here and there, but unlike the grand and crowded front of the estate, this place was dim and empty.
“It’s not my fault—it’s that man’s fault. For looking at me like that, all of a sudden…”
I thought of the Grand Duke’s red eyes gazing down at me.
Until now, I’d always thought of them as a murderous crimson, perfectly matching his Butcher nickname. But just now, they had looked… like a warm sunset—
“St-stop it!”
I grabbed my head as if to tear out the thoughts before they could get any worse.
“That minx should never have been brought here!”
I froze at the sharp voice cutting through the darkness. An agitated tone quickly followed.
“No matter what you say Mother, Vivian is my wife.”
Oh, no way—!
I slapped a hand over my mouth before a gasp could escape. The voices in the shadows belonged to none other than the Empress and Crown Prince Lawrence.
‘So that’s where they went!’
I clenched a fist at my unexpected stroke of luck. No matter how shaken I was, I couldn’t forget the real purpose of tonight’s ball: finding a lead on the true culprit who killed Vivian’s father, Baron Hayden.
Holding my breath, I listened in.
“Ha! Yes, a wife you married on a whim. Knowing what kind of man that wretch’s father is, and you still dared!”
“That has nothing to do with Vivian.”
“Marrying that man’s daughter, how do you think I feel?”
“What exactly are you so righteous about, Mother?”
“What did you just say?”
“Ha. I didn’t expect you to go this far, Mother. Surely you don’t mean—”
Lawrence’s tone suggested he knew of some secret between the Empress and Baron Hayden.
‘Could the real culprit be the Empress?’
I nearly gasped again. I waited, ears straining for the Empress’s next words. This was the payoff for braving the summer ball.
Rustle—.
At that exact moment, a noise stirred in the thick garden bushes. The Empress and Lawrence, hearing the noise as well, both fell silent, their tension palpable.
‘Of all times, seriously…!’
I bit my lip in frustration.
Both of their gazes had turned toward the sound.
Then—shiiing—the unmistakable sound of Lawrence drawing the sword from his hip.
A chill ran down my spine.
‘Are they about to silence a witness?’
This was no joke. For all I knew, the Empress and Lawrence were already murderers. And if they caught me eavesdropping, my head could be next. Trembling with fear, I shrank down, barely daring to breathe.
“Ahh, what if someone sees us?”
“I told you, no one comes out here!”
“Oh, you’re impossible.”
The voices from beyond the bushes dripped with flirtation and drunkenness. Just a drunken couple slipping away from the ball for a late-night tryst.
“Ha.”
Lawrence, too, seemed to recognize the intent of the intruders. He halted, tension draining into a low chuckle, then turned back toward the Empress.
“If you’re going to hide something, hide it properly. There’s no such thing as an eternal secret.”
The words were loaded with meaning.
I pressed myself flat against the wall, desperate not to be seen—
When suddenly, a large shadow fell over me.
“What are you doing here?”
“…!”
I jerked my head up at the low voice. It was Grand Duke Richard.
He frowned down at me, hidden in the dark along the stone wall.
“I’ve been looking everywhere for you.”
His voice carried the breathless edge of someone who had searched the entire mansion.
Panicked, I waved frantically for him to be quiet. He only tilted his head, clearly not understanding.
“What are you doing? Did you sneak off to drink behind my back?”
From the Empress and Lawrence’s direction, another sound came. My heart plummeted. I swore I could hear the faint scrape of a blade echoing in the night air again. The foreboding footsteps, steadily drawing closer, were undeniably Lawrence’s. I had no time to think.
“Now that the ball’s nearly over, we should head— Mmph!“
I grabbed the Grand Duke’s collar as gently as possible and yanked him toward me.
And just like that, his lips crashed into mine.
💟 Translator Notes 💟
Kyah! Kiss, kiss, fall in love! 💕💕
“곰 쓸개” (bear bile) is a traditional Korean medicine often associated with health tonics; it’s bitter, pungent, and believed to be energizing.
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Well, now I have to go and listen to the song and watch at least one episode, not that I’m complaining at all, Ouran is the best. Thank you for the translation, this story may turn out to be as lovely as that wonderful anime/manga.