Episode 4
That day, and even the days after…
Duke Raymond ended up eating all three meals and even desserts with me—because I insisted on it.
I ate so well—snacks included—that I even gained a little weight.
Good thing Aileen’s body was naturally thin, or I might have become chubby. Seriously, why is the food here so good?
I once said watching my favorite eat was enough to fill me up, but now that I had the chance to feed him, I had to eat just as much. With both of us looking healthy and glowing, no one would guess who the kidnapper was and who the prisoner.
Anyway, today was a big day—the soldiers had a large-scale combat training session.
The training ground was the front yard of the mansion. The original novel never said where the kidnapping took place, but I guessed it was a peaceful village in the Duke’s territory. It really did feel like the countryside, with lots of open space.
Training seemed to be part of the daily routine unless he was eating or plotting with his subordinates. But today was special—Duke Raymond himself would be joining.
“I’ll be back shortly,” he said after breakfast and headed down to the yard.
Since I begged to watch, he brought me to a small room on the third floor of the mansion. From the terrace outside, I had a perfect view of the training ground.
“Wow! So many people!”
I raised my hand to block the sun and looked down. Hundreds of soldiers stood in formation across the wide field.
Come to think of it, my wrists hadn’t been tied since the first day. I guess they assumed that a noblewoman like Aileen couldn’t escape or pose any threat while surrounded by guards.
Of course, I had zero plans to run away. This place was paradise with my favorite character! Why would I leave?
Clang, clang, clang!
The sound of swords clashing echoed through the air. I quickly looked down and saw soldiers pairing off and pointing swords at each other. It looked like one-on-one sparring matches.
“Oh my gosh!”
A gasp escaped my lips.
There he was—my one and only Raymond Ruslo. His black hair shined under the sun, and his blue eyes sparkled like jewels. He stood out from the crowd like a phoenix among chickens.
Instead of his usual red uniform, he wore an all-black training outfit that made him look sleek and powerful. He had some light armor on and a sword hanging at his waist.
When he pulled the sword out of its sheath, the blade gleamed in the sunlight. His outfit let him move freely, and his entire body radiated strength and energy.
Ah. He already looks dazzling—don’t add more to it!
I squinted at the overwhelming sight.
Then, the Duke began swinging his sword.
Swish! Swish!
The veins on his hands stood out, and his arm muscles bulged. His strong legs moved with precision as he kept alert for attacks.
“Ahhh…”
I couldn’t help but sigh.
It was such a waste to only look at this with my eyes. I should be recording this—yes, I need to record it!
But sadly, I was inside a novel world. No smartphone. No camcorder.
I grabbed my hair and groaned in frustration, stomping my feet like a child.
Ugh. If I could film this scene and upload it, the entire internet would explode. Earth would scream in excitement, and the sound would echo all the way to Mars.
Fans would go wild, and the comments would be full of fangirling nonsense.
KYAAAAA! Nosebleed explosion!!!
He’s out of this world.
So handsome AND good with a sword? Is there anything our Raymond can’t do?
The answer: he can’t not be amazing. Our perfect Duke ♡
Pride swelled in my chest. I felt warm all over just watching him. It was such a shame I couldn’t share this moment with others, but I convinced myself it was okay—as long as I got to see it.
His long sword sliced through the air. He controlled it like it was part of his body, striking whenever his opponent left an opening.
“Straighten your shoulders and hold your sword higher.”
“Ugh…”
“If you keep shrinking like that, your enemy will find a gap.”
“S-sorry, sir!”
One soldier was struggling to keep up and got scolded by the Duke. He then lowered his sword and called out to all the soldiers.
“This is nowhere near good enough. If you don’t do better, you’ll go without dinner.”
“Yes, sir!”
Wow… Look at our Duke’s charisma! So cool!
My mouth nearly watered just watching him.
The author once described his sword skills as some of the best in the empire. He had both great technique and physical strength, which made him incredibly hard to beat.
Still, as a Duke, he had to hide some of his skills. Otherwise, people would think he was a threat to the Emperor. So he lived like a tiger hiding in the grass, waiting for the right moment to strike.
I didn’t want to miss a single moment. I wished I could install a camera in my eyes—I’d even sell my soul for it! But wait, if I did that, I wouldn’t be able to see Raymond anymore… never mind.
The training ended quickly. Even though I could’ve watched it all day, the soldiers were completely worn out after nearly two hours of fighting.
Meanwhile, the Duke had only broken a slight sweat. He truly was gifted—even his stamina was amazing.
He wiped his forehead with a towel handed to him by a soldier.
Ahhh… what a beautiful sight.
I collapsed into my chair, feeling weak in the knees. Watching so closely for so long had drained me too. It felt like that pleasant tiredness you get after a good workout.
Normally, I’d review a video, take screenshots, and enjoy it all over again. But since that wasn’t possible, I decided to replay it in my head like I used to do before.
About three minutes later…
Suddenly, I heard footsteps—and the glass doors to the terrace swung open.
I had been dazed from all the excitement and jumped up in surprise.
“Lady Aileen.”
“….”
I stared at him blankly like I was dreaming.
The Duke was still in his sweat-soaked training clothes. He was slightly out of breath, even though he had seemed perfectly composed during training.
Wait—did he run here from the training ground in just 3 minutes?
Is that even humanly possible?
Looking at his long legs, I figured—yeah, maybe it is. Long legs must make you faster.
As I was admiring his strong legs, I suddenly noticed his eyes burning with worry. His gaze was full of concern.
“Are you alright?”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
Was he asking if his training looked okay?
If so—yes, of course! You were amazing!
But the next thing he said surprised me.
“You looked like you were about to collapse…”
“Huh? …Oh.”
So that’s what it was. I guess when I sank into the chair, he thought I had fainted.
I waved my hands quickly to explain.
“No, no, Duke! I just suddenly got really tired and sat down, that’s all.”
“…I see. That’s a relief.”
He still looked a little unsure, but decided to trust me.
Once the misunderstanding was cleared up, I finally noticed how close he was.
Up close, his whole body was soaked in sweat.
That scent…
Someone once said sweat has pheromones that attract others.
And in that moment, I believed it.
A strange desire to pounce on him started to bubble up inside me.
Without realizing it, I leaned in and sniffed, flaring my nostrils.
Even his sweat smells good…
I was like a puppy searching for a tasty treat—sniff sniff—and then looked up at him.
Was the training that hard?
His face was flushed, probably from the heat and blood rushing after exercise.
“As long as you’re okay, go ahead and rest. Let’s eat after I clean up.”
“Yes!”
I nodded eagerly.
Another chance to admire my favorite up close. Yay!
When the Duke came back for the meal, he had showered and changed into his formal uniform. That wonderful sweaty scent was gone, which was a little disappointing… but now he smelled fresh and clean. The mix of his natural scent and the soap was just as nice—it tickled my nose and made my heart flutter.
He seemed hungry from the training and focused on eating.
I, of course, kept my eyes glued to him while I quietly ate a cherry tomato.
Then I started to wonder… what was he thinking?
Even though I had read the original novel dozens of times and thought I knew him well, I honestly couldn’t guess what was going through his mind right now.
The situation now was completely different from the story.
In the novel, Aileen acted cold and distant. She refused to eat and didn’t even leave her room. By the fourth day, the Duke gave up and sent her home.
But what about me?
Cold and distant? Not even close. I practically rolled out a red carpet for him. I wasn’t just breaking walls—I was scrubbing the ice like a curling athlete so he could slide right to me.
With everything going so differently, I couldn’t tell what the Duke might be thinking.
Still, I hoped the overall story wouldn’t change too much.
“Is the food not to your taste?” he asked after a while.
“Oh, no. It’s delicious.”
I ate even more to reassure him. He looked relieved to see me enjoying the food.
But then, as I bit into a cherry tomato, a huge realization hit me like lightning.
I had completely forgotten something very, very important… all because I’d been too focused on the Duke!
“Ah! That’s right!”
I was so shocked that I jumped up from my seat.
