“What, are you already asleep?”
There was no answer, even after I knocked. Disappointed, I wondered if he had already drifted off.
With a hollow feeling, I slumped my shoulders and turned to leave. Just then, at perfect timing, the door opened.
When I quickly turned back with a brightened face, I saw the duke standing there, droplets of water dripping from his still-damp hair.
“…Oh…”
And through the folds of his robe, my eyes caught sight of his well-defined chest muscles.
It was such an embarrassing sight that I had no idea where to rest my gaze.
Ah. I might get a nosebleed.
“What is it?”
“Uh, well… you just bathed?”
“As you can see. I exercised a bit after dinner.”
Why had I even asked? Anyone could tell he had just come out of the bath.
Awkward, I cleared my throat and raised the bottle of wine slightly.
“Your Grace, do you like wine?”
“…”
“Would you like a drink with me?”
Did his expression stiffen just now, or was it my imagination?
I thought to myself, If he refuses, I’ll just stretch out and go to sleep.
But the duke stepped aside without protest.
“Come in.”
He moved from the doorway to let me enter.
– ‘Wow, it’s so spacious and clean.’
– ‘This room smells like the duke!’
The sylphids flew about, chattering as they explored his chambers.
“Ask Garnet to bring some wine glasses and a little fruit.”
“I like grapes.”
I still made sure to mention my preference.
The duke gave me a slightly baffled look before silently pulling the servant’s bell.
“Before the butler comes, Your Grace should dry your hair.”
I handed him a towel draped over a chair.
The duke only stared at it, making no move to take it.
“Oh, come on. Here, sit.”
Frustrated by his refusal to budge, I caught his wrist and made him sit on the bed. Then I gently wrapped the towel around his head.
Hopefully he wouldn’t be angry that I touched him so freely. Nervously, I did my best to pat away the dampness with care.
To my relief, he stayed still.
“If you don’t dry your hair, you’ll catch a cold.”
“And so will you.”
“…Pardon?”
“There’s still moisture at the ends of your hair.”
When he lightly caught a strand between his fingers, my face flamed red.
Only then did I realize how close we were. In order to dry his hair, I was practically embracing his neck.
His handsome face was right in front of mine, far too close for me to be prepared. My chest fluttered uncontrollably.
It really felt like I had found my future husband.
When I froze stiffly, the duke rose and gently sat me down on the bed instead.
“Your Grace…?”
“You’ll catch a cold.”
As I had done, he took the towel from me and wrapped it around my head.
In an instant, our positions were reversed. His broad chest loomed right at my eye level.
Wait, this… isn’t this a bit dangerous?
I was trapped in the duke’s arms, unable to move either way, when a knock came at the door. Slowly, it opened.
“My lord, you summoned—”
“Steward!”
“…”
Garnet froze at the sight before him. His expression screamed misunderstanding.
“M-my apologies for entering without waiting! I had no intention of intruding on the two of you—!”
“No, no! Steward, it’s not like that!”
I leapt up, breaking free from the duke’s arms, and tried desperately to explain.
But Garnet simply grinned, not even bothering to hide his chuckle. Leaving us with a cheerful, Enjoy your time together, he left the room.
The door slammed shut with a hollow thud. My brain completely short-circuited.
Watching me sit frozen like stone, the duke spoke calmly.
“Seems we won’t be having your favorite grapes after all.”
“…I don’t think that’s what’s important right now!”
“Are you sure it isn’t?”
“…Come to think of it, it does sound important.”
Honestly, if even the duke’s long-time butler misunderstood, wasn’t that a stroke of luck? Having an ally in my marriage plans wouldn’t hurt.
Quickly deciding, I went along with the duke’s talk of grapes.
At my easy shift, he rose as if to fetch them himself.
“Wait, Your Grace!”
I grabbed his arm with a grin.
“My little ones will bring them.”
“…”
“Go fetch two wine glasses and some fruit from the kitchen. Don’t forget grapes. And you—if even one grape disappears on the way, I’ll know it was you.”
– ‘Lize always makes us work.’
– ‘At least pay us in grapes.’
The sylphids grumbled but still fluttered off toward the kitchen. Smiling warmly, I thought,
Well, considering how much I spend on your snacks, you’d better run some errands.
“They’re good children.”
“Spirits, then.”
“Yes. Wind spirits.”
“I can’t see them.”
“But you can feel their presence, can’t you?”
The duke nodded. I had ways to make others see them, but I didn’t feel the need. He didn’t press either, instead taking a seat and uncorking the wine.
I quickly sat opposite him.
“Are you a strong drinker?”
“I can manage.”
“This wine is sweet, but it’s stronger than it looks. Don’t drink too much.”
At my stern warning, he gave me a lazy smile and simply stared.
He sometimes looked at me that way. Every time he did, my mouth went dry and nerves tingled.
– ‘Rize!’
The sylphids came back groaning, balancing a basket of fruit and two glasses.
“No one saw you, right?”
– ‘We were super careful!’
“Well done. Here’s your reward.”
Though the spirits themselves were invisible, floating glasses and a fruit basket might cause ghost rumors. That would be troublesome.
So I plucked a few grapes and pressed them into their tiny hands before shooing them back to the spirit world. They complained it was stingy, but I waved them off cheerfully.
“Shall we toast?”
With the chatterers gone, I relaxed and raised my glass. I was touched that the duke had already filled it for me while I was distracted.
The first sip was delightful, and my mood quickly lifted.
As my voice grew brighter, the duke silently matched my energy. Our glasses clinked.
“Ahh, delicious.”
Good thing I’d brought it. When Molga tried to confiscate it, I’d pretended to give it up, then sneaked it back.
“Isn’t it good?”
“Sweeter than I expected.”
“I don’t like bitter drinks.”
When his brow creased slightly, I laughed out loud.
“At the marquis estate, if I drank at night, Molga would nag me endlessly until I slept. But here, there’s no Molga, so I can drink freely without watching her face.”
“So you’re a heavy drinker.”
“At the marquisate, I lived with a bottle in hand. Ah—Molga is the head lady-in-waiting.”
“She must care for you deeply.”
Warmth rose to my cheeks. Perhaps the alcohol was hitting me, because I started talking about things I usually kept quiet.
“I really like the North.”
“…”
“People think I’m just a foolish girl, but… being worried over and protected doesn’t feel so bad.”
Heat flushed my skin. I shrugged off my shawl, and I thought I saw the duke’s brow twitch. Or maybe I imagined it.
“Your Grace, I’m not bothering you, am I? You must be tired.”
“Not particularly.”
“I heard you’re not joining the subjugation tomorrow.”
“Feels like you’re monitoring my every move.”
“Oh, that’s just your imagination.”
I waved my hand dismissively, but he chuckled low.
His smile was mesmerizing, and silence fell between us.
Tension grew in the quiet. Drinking with such a handsome man, how could I not feel nervous?
Maybe that’s why I’d been drinking faster than usual.
I was a grown woman. He was a grown man. After years as a marchioness, how could I not sense the air between us? My body tingled.
So I blurted out, “Want to spend the day with me tomorrow?”
“…”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“If you promise not to break doors, fall into lakes, or set the kitchen on fire, I might consider it.”
Did spending time with me sound like a disaster waiting to happen?
I pouted, and he filled my empty glass.
“Why did you come to the North?”
“Well… because you’re handsome.”
If he scolded me for such a shallow reason, I had no defense. Truth was, there were countless places I could’ve traveled. But I’d come here for one reason: the duke’s face.
My goal was to make this beautiful man my husband.
Not that I could let him see that dark little thought so openly.
“Why did you write in your letter that you’d run away from home?”
Ah. So we were bringing that up again. Just thinking about it made my cheeks burn.
I pulled a mortified face as he looked at me, waiting.
“It was just the first thing that came to mind… Please don’t bring it up. It’s really embarrassing.”
“Not as embarrassing as it was for me to receive such a letter.”
“The ducal estate was just ahead. What if you turned me away at the gate? I had to prepare you somehow.”
“You thought saying you ran away from home would make me let you stay?”
I pouted at his persistent questioning.
“What if I hadn’t allowed it?”
“…I didn’t think that far.”
Even if he hadn’t, I would’ve forced my way somehow. Maybe staged a protest, like I had with Theo.
At my childish reply, he closed his eyes, thoughtful.
Wow, his lashes are so long. I want to touch them just once.
I barely restrained myself as he opened his eyes again.
“So why did you really come to my chambers tonight, asking to drink?”
“…What?”
The unexpected question almost made me spit out my grapes.
“Did you come prepared?”
“Prepared? F-for what?”
Why was my voice trembling?
“I thought you were trying to seduce me.”
“S-seduce you?!”
“Am I wrong, Lady Metheisa?”
The way he crossed his legs and swirled his glass with that sly smile—it was unfair. No, his entire face was unfair.
“I—I just don’t like drinking alone… I mean, drinking alone is… um…”
“…”
“…Should I leave now?”
I babbled nonsense. I had no defenses for this. Heat surged up from my toes.
He wasn’t saying it outright, but I knew what kind of signal he was sending. Any adult would.
Embarrassed and flustered, I jumped to my feet.
I would leave. Right now. That was my resolve.
But as I moved, the duke also rose and stepped closer, slowly, deliberately.
“Where are you going?”
“T-to my room, of course…”
The way he advanced so intently, I had no choice but to back away. My heel caught on something.
I glanced back—his bed. My escape route was cut off.
Turning back with a stricken face, I saw his satisfied smile.
“Perhaps you entered of your own will.”
“…”
“But leaving may not be so simple.”
