Chapter 3
Early in the morning, Tesarion shouted loudly. The butler rushed in and turned pale. The knights came running and, seeing me and Tesarion, were so shocked they drew their swords.
“Duke!”
Tesarion growled angrily, full of cold energy.
“Who did you point that sword at?”
“S-Sorry, sir! We saw blood and thought it was an intruder!”
The knight commander quickly bowed and put his sword away. As he backed up, he picked up a brown feather from the floor.
“…?”
He followed the trail of feathers from the floor to the bed and then to me.
He saw that I was the “intruder” under Tesarion. Commander Winston blinked in confusion.
“Why are you…?”
Waaah! Commander Winstoooon!
Please stop this guy!
“Everyone out! Only let the doctor in.”
But no one dared talk back to the angry Tesarion.
The family doctor rushed in and was just as surprised.
“Tie their hands up tight. So they can’t do anything stupid again. Tighter! All the way!”
“….”
I looked down at my hands, now covered in too many bandages, and felt completely hopeless.
“U-Um, Doctor. How do I eat like this, or brush my teeth, or go to the bathroom?”
“Uh, well… hmm…”
The doctor couldn’t answer and looked nervously at Tesarion, clearly unsure if he should fix the bandages. But the Duke just crossed his arms and stared him down.
Tesarion sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
“I’ll do it.”
“Excuse me?”
“Huh?”
…Do what?
The doctor and I asked at the same time.
Fresh-baked bread, colorful fruit, soft carrots and potatoes, smooth bean soup, crispy fish, and juicy pork chop steak… It was way too much for just a servant.
Tesarion stirred the food with a spoon and sniffed it. He tried the fish and frowned.
“Steward.”
“Yes, sir.”
“This tastes off.”
The shocked steward took away the fish.
“Wash the fruit with vinegar water.”
“The water tastes strange.”
“Why isn’t this fully cooked?”
Slowly, all the food in front of me disappeared.
“Use silver plates for their food.”
In the end, thanks to Tesarion’s fussing, nothing was left for me.
I stared blankly at him as he calmly cut his steak. Then he offered me a half-eaten piece.
“Eat.”
“Uh… I’ll drink some wine first.”
If this were a pretty princess, maybe I’d accept it. But this guy? Gross.
I don’t normally drink in the morning, but I really wanted alcohol now.
I turned to pick up the wine with my bandaged hands, but he grabbed my glass and drank it all.
“D-Duke?”
Then he held the half-empty glass to my lips.
“It’s fine.”
“……”
“Drink it.”
“……”
Ugh, disgusting.
I glared at him, pouting. Tesarion calmly explained his behavior.
“It’s not poisoned. Don’t worry.”
“Haha, how kind of you, Duke. You didn’t need to drink it yourself just to reassure me… Thank you… really…”
I smiled tightly, clenching my teeth. Tesarion nodded and tilted the glass into my mouth. I had to throw my head back and drink it all in one go.
“Cough! Ack!”
I choked and ruined my clothes. Tesarion clicked his tongue and wiped my mouth.
“You’re not a kid. Why are you spilling it?”
This guy…
My eye twitched. He didn’t care. He kept cutting his steak and pushed a fork at me.
“Eat.”
“Why not eat carrots? Are you picky?”
“Chew well. Don’t choke.”
What’s the point of fancy food?
It all tasted awful.
I raised my hands in surrender.
“Duke, I’m really full. I can’t eat anymore.”
Tesarion looked at my flat stomach and got angry.
“Eat more. You need to get better faster.”
Then he pushed a well-done steak into my mouth.
“Ugh!”
It was torture.
And things got worse.
When he tried to wash my body and help me change clothes, I didn’t know what to do. I almost passed out when I had to ask to go to the bathroom.
“Haa…”
After just one day, my body and mind were exhausted.
So this is what people mean by ‘painful romance’. I felt so bad for our female lead who had to marry this crazy, rude Duke nine times.
Tears filled my eyes.
I wanted to go home. I missed it before, but now that feeling had turned into something much worse.
I missed my soft bed, refined sugar, seasonings made by real scientists, a clean toilet with a nice smell, turning lights on with one button, and watching YouTube anytime.
To go back, I had to make this crazy Duke change before the wedding.
“Love, huh…”
I’ve never even dated anyone. How am I supposed to turn this war-crazy guy into a romantic male lead?
It felt hopeless.
“Can I even do it…?”
I sighed again and again.
Just thinking of Princess Berieta gave me a headache and stomachache.
Tesarion was scary, but he always rewarded loyal and hardworking people.
Even though I became a low-ranking servant character, he gave me a super-fast promotion. Why would I mess that up by stealing his wife?
That’s why in the first round, I stayed busy on the battlefield. In the second round, I was too focused on developing the territory to care about the female lead.
Then, in the third round, I finally met her. And I immediately understood—
Why the Crown Prince Heliot rebelled, why Altair united the three towers, and why Roy Dover risked his life.
Her soft platinum hair blew in the wind, her bright and clear eyes filled her pure face, her nose was high, and her shiny lips looked like they’d burst with juice…
She was like an angel. Beautiful and kind.
“Good morning, Roy.”
She politely replied to even a simple greeting from a servant like me.
“I remembered you said you liked night snacks, so I brought some. I heard you’ve been working late. Eat these if you get hungry.”
She remembered even small talk. I was so shocked I couldn’t even speak.
Even though there were death flags everywhere, I couldn’t help falling for her. I started secretly admiring her from afar. That alone made me happy.
But my peaceful life ended when the villain Helios broke into the castle.
That jerk kidnapped Princess Berieta. I couldn’t just watch.
I stabbed him in the heart with a holy sword and died with him.
It was a proud, honorable ending.
But I returned to the beginning.
I met her again in the eighth round.
“Good morning, Roy.”
She smiled the same warm smile as always. I cried so hard.
She truly deserved to be loved.
She had to be happy.
Too bad she had to end up with that guy.
