~Chapter 07~
The last time the Duke came to the temple, he had arrived in a fancy, intimidating black carriage. But this time, the carriage that pulled in was plain and simple—so much so that nobody at the temple even paid attention to it.
Even the other priests glanced outside and just kept walking, uninterested.
— ‘Wear something that won’t draw attention.’
That was the only reply she got after sending back a letter agreeing to go to the festival with the Duke. Not even a dress code—just that one line.
***
“Welcome, Floria,” Caspal said, stepping out of the carriage.
He was dressed like a commoner—plain black shirt and brown trousers, something you’d see every day on the street.
It was a huge contrast to the uniform worn by the Fonhas family’s knight, who opened the carriage door. But once Floria got in and sat down, she had a big realization.
‘This is why being handsome matters.’
Even with such simple clothes, his looks were so good that the plain outfit only made him shine more.
The black shirt matched his dark hair perfectly, and his pale skin stood out beautifully. For a second, she almost mistook him for a fashion model showing off the latest look from a luxury salon.
When she glanced at his eyes—wait a minute.
“Hm? Oh, I used a potion. My eyes were too beautiful. I didn’t want everyone falling for me,” Caspal said casually, pointing at his now-black eyes.
His original eyes were bright yellow, but now they matched his black hair.
‘…He’s already plenty handsome without changing anything.’
Not wanting to feed his ego, Floria just nodded without saying much. But when his eyes kept staring at her, she turned her head and looked out the window, trying to say without words that she didn’t want to talk anymore.
Of course, Caspal didn’t take the hint.
“You look good in yellow.”
“…Thank you.”
The words came out of her mouth instinctively, but she didn’t look at him.
Was he checking me out this whole time?
She hadn’t thought much about what to wear. She just picked a pale yellow dress—simple, with no flashy decorations. Appropriate enough for a public event.
Now she was feeling self-conscious. She gripped the folds of her dress a little tighter.
***
Capital of the Admorah Empire: Alldante.
Every spring, in the outer areas of the city, there was a huge “Spring Flower Festival” that started among the commoners but became so popular that nobles secretly came to enjoy it too.
The carriage carrying Floria and Caspal arrived at the entrance to the festival.
As expected of its scale, vendors selling flowers lined the streets from far outside the gates. The whole area was filled with energy—cheerful merchants, excited crowds, and flowers everywhere.
Dressed like a commoner, Caspal naturally took the role of Floria’s escort.
When one of the knights tried to follow, Caspal blocked his path.
“Hey, what’s the point of wearing this disguise if you’re going to follow us?”
“…Understood. I’ll wait by the carriage.”
Surprisingly, the knight didn’t argue like he usually did. He quietly turned back—though he rubbed his shoulder like it was still sore from the last time Caspal grabbed him.
“Got rid of that annoying guy,” Caspal muttered, then walked into the festival with a bright grin like an excited child.
He even started gossiping about the knight behind his back.
Then, as if he had done this a hundred times before, he led Floria through the bustling festival with smooth, confident steps.
As if that wasn’t enough…
“Auntie, how much is this fruit skewer?”
He casually bought street food.
He even spoke politely to the commoner seller—something nobles rarely did.
“10 shillings! Oh my, you two are so cute and good-looking! Are you a couple?”
“Of course. I confessed to her myself.”
“Oh goodness! So polite too! Here, take one more for free!”
“Thank you very much, ma’am.”
Even when the seller asked if they were a couple, he just smiled and rolled with it like it was nothing.
“Here, Floria,” he said, offering her one of the skewers.
Caspal smiled like a child at a village market and handed Floria a fruit skewer.
She took it from him, eyeing him suspiciously.
‘…Can a duke really act like this?’
He was still a noble, after all. How could he talk so casually with commoners?
Even more confusing—he was explaining which food tasted better and how to eat it like a pro.
“This one tastes better with the spicy sauce. But if you can’t handle it, use this sauce instead.”
When Floria hesitated and looked uncomfortable, Caspal reached for the spicy sauce and held the bottle high, ready to squirt.
“…I’ll have the spicy one too!!”
Startled, Floria quickly stopped his hand.
Somehow, she had gotten caught up in his pace and was now enjoying the festival naturally.
Trying not to lose to him, she bit into a spicy chicken skewer with pride.
As she chewed, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye.
“Normally, nobles try to hide their past after they rise in status…”
But Caspel was different. Even now, he was a duke. And yet, he acted so casually.
From their first meeting—and honestly, every time she saw him—he never seemed normal.
But now… he actually felt like a very ordinary person. Maybe even more down-to-earth than most nobles.
He was a strange one, that was for sure.
Floria realized she had been defeated by that relaxed expression he wore while eating the skewer.
‘Ah… I should’ve asked for the mild sauce.’
It was too late for regrets now.
From the moment Floria and Caspal entered the festival, someone had been following them.
Figures in large black robes whispered in alleyways and then began to scatter.
***
“Mmm…”
Floria slowly opened her eyes, feeling warmth around her body—but cold air at her feet.
“Ah!”
The first thing she saw when she woke up was Caspel’s face.
She panicked and tried to sit up, but her lower body wouldn’t move—as if something was holding her down tightly.
“You’re awake, Floria.”
Why was his face so close?
Just a little closer, and their noses would touch. Floria glanced down.
Somehow, she was lying in Caspel’s arms. Her lower body was almost touching the damp floor, but he was holding her up.
“…What is going on?”
Still confused, she asked.
Caspel lightly tapped something in front of him with his fingers. It looked like a silver rod—but it echoed like it was hollow.
“We’ve been kidnapped.”
“What?!”
Floria quickly looked around.
Only then did she see the iron bars in front of them. They weren’t silver rods—they were prison bars.
As she realized they were locked in a cell, she began to hear the cries and moans of others nearby.
She couldn’t even tell how big this place was. The screams seemed to echo from far, far away.
Caspel grabbed the bars and muttered with a distant look in his eyes:
“Ah, I never thought we’d end up locked up like this.”
“….”
His voice sounded like someone reading from a script—completely unfazed.
‘Does this man even understand the situation?’
It seemed like he tried to look sad but gave up halfway and just yawned.
“Should you really be this calm, Your Gr—”
“Shh.”
He suddenly placed a finger on her lips, silencing her. Floria froze, holding her breath.
Someone was coming down the stairs.
The sound of dozens of keys jingling came from the person leading the way. A group of people—at least ten—followed him into the prison.
Clink—
“Come out.”
They opened the neighboring cells and began dragging people out.
The prisoners had handcuffs and worn, tattered clothes. Their faces were pale, tired, and thin—but strangely, all of them were… beautiful. So much so that it was hard not to comment on it.
“These are the first ones to go. And…”
The man in charge glanced around until his eyes landed on Floria and Caspel. His expression turned wicked.
“Send them out last. These are today’s newest catches. Good job.”
“Thank you, sir!”
He licked his lips and opened their cell door.
Floria and Caspel were dragged away just like the others.
“Duke, what do we do now?”
Floria mouthed the words in panic, giving him a desperate look.
But Caspel didn’t respond.
He simply smiled—as if he was enjoying this whole thing—while being dragged away.
