I became the villains wife

by Usui Takumii

not mine, including possible links, go check woopread. Total: 152 cps.

4. 3 to 10

Du, Duke, why are you here…?"

She asked him while stroking her tangled hair. Suddenly, he got up and gently brushed off the dirt from his helmet, that had fallen to the ground, with his palms.

"Did you not hear anything from your brother?"

At that time, Eun-woo recalled who she was waiting for in the garden of the imperial palace.

I, myself, had received a letter from Marquis Diego Miller, the brother of Eleanor, the owner of this body, and prepared to enter the palace in a hurry in the morning breeze.

As far as she knew, Diego Miller was a reputed sharp blade of the empire. The place he was sent to before was Genova and this time, after receiving the command that he should join the army, was the battlefield where this man in front of him was the commander-in-chief.

Of course, the imperial family did have enough common sense to not sacrifice the Marquis, who had yet to inherit his title in addition to being an unmarried man, in the war. So it was not until it was the end of the war that he participated in the war silently. It was already after the war leaned towards Hellasium.

And today was the day that my brother returned home from military service.

Tashian asked her, frowning noticeably.

"Didn't your brother write anything in his letter?"

"What….?"

In the letter Anit had handed me, the content was full of complaints saying to meet him in the imperial palace, scrawled in handwriting that was hard to recognize.

Tashian shook his throbbing head with an aching expression.

"D*n it, Diego you bastard. Now I know. He must have ended up slurring his words in a way that only he could only recognize."

Eun-Woo felt guilty inside, because what he said was too accurate.

"What's wrong with my brother…?"

Eun-woo asked nervously.

Of course, she wasn't really worried about Marquis Diego Miller. To Eun-woo, the Marquis was a person whom she didn't even know the face of.

However, it was greatly on her mind that he was the only blood relative of Eleanor and the owner of a family with the right to make decisions who was going to be deeply involved in her marriage in the future.

Tashian, who held the helmet and gauntlet neatly placed next to her, quickly reassured her.

"It's not a big deal. Hellasium won the victory.. But your brother was caught up in a small dispute after the war. Because of that, the return time was delayed a little bit. But soon everything will be resolved and he will come back to Hellasium."

Eun-woo looked at Tashian's face with nervousness.

There was a lack of explanation of all the events so far. But even then he looked eager, hoping that her mouth would open a little more. The Duke's eyebrows slightly wriggled as he looked at her. In the end Tashian continued lukewarmly with a strange sense of defeat.

"…There was a small friction with Genova, the defeated country, in the process of deciding on the hostage. What the imperial family wanted was the prince of Genova, but he was already dead. It was confirmed that many of the remaining royal family members had fled to neighboring countries in the process of searching for hostages. The Crown Prince ordered your brother to take responsibility and find a successor who could succeed, with Genova's orthodox blood in their veins and bring them before his eyes."

Eun-woo nodded. There were many things she couldn't understand, but she was forced to pretend to know for she was now playing the role of Eleanor.

Tashian looked at her with a strange look.

"Then why did your Highness come here…?"

"Tashian."

"Yes…?"

"Call me Tashian."

Eun-woo blinked. Soon, her whole body heated up with shame.

Did she make any mistake? Did Eleanor call him by the friendly title of Tashian, not the Duke?

However, he soon answered her question in a casual tone, perhaps it was of little significance.

"As I explained earlier, your brother's return has been delayed."

"Did you come all the way here to tell me that news?"

To answer, he sat carefully on the bench where Eun-woo sat. And at that moment, in a very familiar manner, his hand gently passed over her shoulder and put away a handful of hairs that had obscured her view.

The touch was so natural that even Eun-woo did not realize how awkwards it was in actuality.

"Did you hear that he had decided to renovate the Marquis Castle?"

Eun-woo blinked like a toad. Due to the continuing unfamiliar situation, she was as nervous as a cat with a lot of its fur standing on its end.

In the garden, where Eun-woo who doesn't know what kind of relationship the two had, a Knight came as the flowers bloomed fully right after the war with the news of victory in front of the woman who would later become his wife. He must have been terrified that he might bring up the marriage proposal.

… But what did he mean by repair work?

"…. Looking at your expression, you really didn't say a word. I'll rip his letter and shake it in front of his eyes next time we meet! What the heck?! Does he not know the significance of that letter?"

Eun-woo bit her lips to suppress the sudden burst of laughter as she saw Tashian shouting in anger.

Indeed, as he said, Marquis Diego Miller's letter was full of all sorts of useless words.

At the same time, Eun-woo was inwardly surprised that they were much closer than expected.

That's why they must have conspired to rebel together. Thinking about it made her mouth dry again.

"…What do you mean by repair work?"

"I heard well that the heavy rain last time caused the huge tree in the garden to collapse over the annex of the marquis."

Of course she didn't know. However, Eun-woo nodded hard.

"So, while building a new annex, he decided to renovate the main building, where the former Marquis couple's bedroom was located, all the way from the front door to the library."

"What?"

Eun-woo opened her mouth wide.

What kind of unexpected occurrence is this? It was also the main building.

"No, then where am I…?"

"The Marquis."

Eun-woo doubted her ears.

"Yes?"

"Your brother asked me to do you a favor."

Tashian continued calmly without blinking. Only Eun-Woo reached a state where she found breathing difficult, feeling as if her eyes were turning white.

There was an unexpected good fortune but she never knew there would be obstacles.

What do you mean, Duke? It was like being stumped by a trusted axe. All she had to do was to avoid the tiger. But she didn't know she would enter the tiger's den herself. Moreover she was pushed by her brother's hand.

Meanwhile, Tashian glanced at the small woman in front of him sitting still as if she was mesmerized with both of her hands linked together. It felt like he wasn't just looking at her, rather he was looking through something beyond those eyes, but Eun-woo, who was deeply troubled, didn't even notice his stare.

At that moment, a low voice rang her ears.

"… I missed you a lot."

Eun-woo looked up at him at the moment, thinking if she had heard wrong.

Even in his sitting position, his face remained far above her. He looked calm enough to believe that he didn't know what he had just said.

"Your brother misses you a lot."

Eun-woo wiped her chest.

That's right. She was ashamed of herself for jumping into conclusion like a sick chicken, thinking that it meant that he missed her.

Tashian's expression referring to Diego Miller quickly rotted. He muttered with a gloomy face for some reason.

"…. My life-span has been reduced by 10 years because I put up with him crying out your name every night."

Eun-woo bit her lips to hold back her laughter once again.

Even if she had never seen it before, she could guess what kind of character Eleanor's older brother had, making his cold face remind her of a tired expression.

On the other hand, she couldn't deny that she was surprised at the thought that the Duke was a kinder person than what she thought.

Tashian in the novel she knew was a heinous, arrogant, and cold-hearted man.

He was a cold-hearted man who did all the cruel things in the world. She never imagined that he had such a grumpy face and knew how to complain.

Eun-woo didn't know whether to be happy or embarrassed, so he just rubbed her lips.

Tashian opened his mouth while looking at Eun-woo.

"…. Diego wants you to know that he's sorry. Such glory. He would probably be the only nobleman who could cry like that after receiving such a prestigious position. Even though there are unmanageable things, he'd still be happy for you but would know his limits".

"Oh, did my brother say that?"

"Yeah. He'll be back before the victory party, so he made a new request."

Eun-woo's heart jumped.

If it was a victory-celebrating banquet, it would be the first time for male protagonist Ikshid and female protagonist Selena to meet.

Based on that point, everything is overturned. Ikshid fell in love with Selena and stayed away from the politics, so that gave her an opportunity to pretend to be with the man in front of her.

"Then, until then, should I stay in the Duke's residence?"

"Please."

Tashian easily raised his body and took his gauntlet and helmet in his hand. His face, standing against the sun, had a deep shadow.

Nevertheless, it was clear who, with his eyes burning like black charcoal, were looking at.

Eun-woo felt her skin turning red up to her neck while receiving his gaze.

Tashian politely extended his hand like a Knight who would serve a Lady. He formally requested.

"Please stay at the duke's office until your brother comes back. Eleanor."

Eun-woo almost stared at him with her mouth open. She came back to her senses and coughed in vain.

"Oh, I…"

She could have insisted on staying in the latter area during the renovation, but she did not want to go against Diego Miller's intentions. In addition, the victory anniversary banquet was just around the corner. In the meantime, if he had proposed, it would have been enough to refuse.

However, Eun-woo could not readily come up with an answer despite his gentlemanly attitude and the clear gains and losses.

It wasn't just because he was the Duke of Tashian Verk. Surprisingly, the name Eleanor from his lips broke Eun-woo's heart. The name seemed to be a sharp red string and tightened her heart.

Eun-woo was shocked by the fact that she felt this way.

Now was not the time to feel guilty about pretending to be a different woman. But the one whom he really wants him to stay with was Eleanor Miller, not Eun-woo.

Nevertheless, does she deserve to hold the hand he's giving to her now?

Suddenly, the hot temperature of another body slightly touched her cheek and went away. Eun-woo was surprised like a caterpillar that had been stabbed by a branch and looked up at him.

His hand, which touched her cheek slightly, was wandering embarrassingly in the air.

Eun-woo couldn't understand his expression. The first cold and insensitive face she saw shook with a certain emotion that she couldn't even understand.

Why does he look like that?

A quiet voice almost whispered.

"Don't go, Eleanor. Stay."

Something cried out from inside of her.

It's a useless idea. What a child-like feeling.

However, Eun-woo had no choice but to put her hand on his hand. Even though she knew that she was walking into the beast's den, she held his hand and slowly raised herself.

Report mistakes and chat with us at: https/discord.gg/woopread

---

•

"Ah, Pedro. When will the duke come?"

The Crown Prince asked the Minister as if he had suddenly remembered.

A young servant with silver-gray cilantro hair bowed his head. It seemed difficult to avoid answering.

"That… That…"

Ikshid raised one eyebrow.

It was a pity that the servant was struggling, but he did not dare to withdraw the question.

As scheduled, Duke Verk had to lead the advance team and return from Genova.

The Duke was the top contributor to this war. He was the one who played on the front line throughout the war and eventually made Genova surrender with a white flag.

As soon as the postwar situation was stabilized, the Duke returned like a storm with the Knights.

It was an urgent move as if he was being chased by something. He defeated them in less than ten days.

It was not to report Genova's situation to the Empire in a hurry. As usual, the Duke, who had disappeared with his cool face from the office as if it was annoying, had finished his report and disappeared. The deputy commander of the Imperial Knights visited instead and submitted another brief report.

"The duke, even if he looks like that, the distinction between public and private affairs is a strict rule that must be followed. How can I hear that he visited the palace gardens without disarming, instead of stopping by my office as soon as he arrived?"

Ikshid's mouth even had a subtle smile, as if he was not grinding his servant now.

The soft mahogany brown hair, which slightly covered his forehead, naturally disturbed every time he turned his head.

Where the hell had he heard about that?

It looked that the saying that the Crown Prince had eyes on the walls of the imperial castle and ears on the ceiling seemed to be true.

In a cold sweat, Pedro lifted his head slightly and looked up at the Crown Prince's throne.

'Aigoo, those eyes…! Please, I hope you don't look at me like that.'

(TN: Aigoo, is a term similar to, Oh my/ Oh my gosh/god, usually used when someone is mad.)

Pedro died inside.

He was a Crown Prince who looked so soft on the surface, but his eyes were different.

Golden eyes, which seemed to have gained their color from melted pure gold, were looking down at him like those of birds of prey.

He hit his head to the ground as if he were a rabbit avoiding a hawk flying over a wide meadow.

"According to the rumors, the Duke delivered a long message on behalf of Marquis Miller to his sister, who left in search of Genova's exile nobleman in Austuralch, and left without any time to dissuade her."

"Sister…?"

Ikshid, who had closed his eyes at the sentence and held his forehead with one arm, suddenly opened his eyes wide.

"When did Marquis Miller start having a sister?"

At the rather absurd question of the Prince, Pedro froze for a while and came up with the most standard answer he could think of.

"Yes? Yes… Yes. That's probably when Marquis Miller entered the age of four, then the youngest daughter was born between the late marquis couple…"

"Ah, no, no. Who doesn't know about that? What I asked was…"

Ikshid hurriedly swallowed his words. That was because he realized that it wouldn't make any sense even if he spit it out.

No matter how much he was buried in official documents and approval, it was amazing that he forgot about the child.

He straightened his body that sat at an angle.

He gently pressed his temple with his white hand, which he had never held a knife before, holding a pen like his sixth finger.

I've been overworked lately.

Yes, the last time he left his office was three and a half days ago. His body even smelled and he was too embarrassed to say that it's connected to the veins of the Emperor Fedellamon. Is it time to equip something that would appear as an esteemed and high person, rather than a food for an animal?

He muttered with a groan.

"Yeah… Elli. Elli came to the Imperial Palace."

Miller and his siblings were like baby brothers to Ikshid, who grew up as an only child. Diego, not to mention him, who like like an infected rabbies foal, but Eleanor has a great special significance to him.

Ikshid cared for her like an Older brother. Even after the child had lost his parents, he remembered every little detail of her. Like her going to the Imperial Theater with her brother every month, just like before their parents death.

'Since when did you have a sister?'

A wrinkle formed between his forehead as he folded the official document he was holding in his hand like a habit, and suddenly hit the desk.

He couldn't even remember when he slept last, so he could say there was nothing unusual. But what was this uncomfortable feeling that was scratching at him?

He raised his head and asked fiercely.

"So, where is Elli now?"

"Yes? Yes, that's… she arrived at the Imperial Palace about two hours ago and stayed in the Rose Garden of the Crown Prince, but she is probably still there…"

"Then you can go down and check. Wait, no, no, there's no need for that. Get ready right away. I'll go down by myself."

Ikshid's expression, with which he swept away the documents on the desk with one arm and jumped off the high chair, looked disheartened.

"No, how long has it been? Isn't it the first time since Diego's last visit? How much has she grown?"

"Your Highness. Lady Miller is now 18 years old. No matter what you do, she's still not old enough…"

"Elli said that if she had come, she would tell me that she had come. She was flirting with the Duke in the rose garden while this brother was drowning in the swamp of paperwork? Shameful!"

"Your Highness. Remember that this humble servant clearly notified you of Lady Miller's visit…"

"Okay, okay. I'll take the lead!"

Pedro sighed deeply inside when he saw the Prince's eyes twinkling with anticipation and joy, who didn't even pretend to listen to him.

As a result, he confirmed that he was going to work overtime.

His shoulders drooped noticeably like those of an old man. At that time, a voice was heard halting the prince's steps and who was trying to confidently leave the office.

"Your Highness, Faval has arrived."

The Prince with a contrasting expression to Pedro, who cheered for victory inside, grumbled and shouted.

"Where's Faval from? Genova? Miremba? Maybe Austuralch?"

"That… he, he's from Austuralch."

"Da*n it!"

"Prince, please refrain from saying such things…"

"Marquis Miller. When I wanted to spend some meaningful time with his Younger Sister, he came running out like he has crab foam flowing from his mouth, and why did he have to do this while he was out of the country after receiving a proposal of marriage? I'm getting tired of his disloyalty."

(TL: Crab flam from one's mouth; to be angry about something.)

"Your Highness, it is considered as a factor that will greatly affect the outcome of the Great Genova War. He is urging us to check the contents of what he has sent, to satisfy Your Highness's expectations, and to urge the stability of the people's hearts…"

"Your Highness, Your Highness, Your Highness! Stop it. My ears are open too! Come on in!"

Ikshid sat on a huge desk that was one step away and laid out pieces of documents in a corner, while shouting.

"D*mn! Doesn't this country have a state vacation dedicated to the royal family? Pedro, mark as a suggestion for the next Congress meeting."

"I'll take your word, Your Highness…"

"This… I'm getting more and more crazy. Pedro!"

When Faval opened the sealed letter handed over with a foot step, Ikshid, who read it, groaned with his forehead.

"It blew up properly. Diego, you idiot! The pirates of the Warawi Strait carrying the flag of the Hellasium Imperial Knights!"

The prince roared like a beast trapped in a cage and began to walk around. Pedro took a step back around it.

"Pedro, free up some time for me in a few days. I'll have to visit the Duke's house after a while."

There seemed to be a problem with Miller's personal safety, who went to Austuralch as an envoy.

It would not interfere with his life on the back of the Hellasium imperial family, but it was clear that the straight road ahead had turned into a winding gravel road. It would have been a lot of trouble for the Prince.

Pedro bowed his head.

He decided to think later on how to make some space in the busiest schedule of the Prince's in this situation.

"Understood. Your Highness."

Ikshid stared at the side door of the office where Faval had stepped back from with thin eyes.

There was not much time left for King Fedellamon. Ikshid felt the fact more deeply than anyone else.

Sooner or later, a tide that would sweep the entire empire would come waves after waves. The day of the coronation, which I had been prepared all my life, was coming.

'Tashian, Diego, as long as you two stand on my side…'

A blade-like wind passed by the golden eyes of the Young Prince, who fiercely watched the darkness of the office.

•••

Eun-woo was sitting on a spacious sofa in a large room where she would stay in the future at the Duke's residence.

Following her, the maids of the Duke were busy wandering around, dressing up, and organizing the items they brought according to the instructions of the maid Anit.

"Oh my God, look at those decorations. Even the beams leading up to the chimney around the fireplace are carved!"

The little maids were excited like children on a picnic, exclaiming everywhere they looked. Eun-woo looked around the room they were praising with a sneaky squint of her eyes.

It was definitely a large and beautiful room. In the middle of the room, there was a bed with a brilliant canopy, and underneath it, footrests and several couches huddled around the fireplace.

Delicate and detailed sculptures were engraved on each furniture to match the Duke's house.

Eun-woo's eyes closely monitored the pieces.

Cyclamen, the symbol of the imperial family. Vine trunk… The king and queen wearing crowns… Baby angels with chubby legs running around in the fountain…

What stood out the most among the designs was the spruce pattern. The silver-rimmed pattern on the straight upward leaves was clearly engraved at the ends of all the decorations, as if marking the symbol of the pinnacle of solemnity and splendor.

The spruce tree was a symbol of the Duke. Looking at the decorations, she once again realized who the owner of this mansion was.

Eun-woo's stomach tightened with tension.

"I'm so glad you did this miss. His Majesty the Duke is so kind! If I had made a mistake, I would have almost slept in the grass on the way down to the local estate!"

"Is he the master who's going to put my Miss to sleep on the street? The Duke's residence is much closer than the provincial estate… he must have known everything and asked the Duke in advance. The two of them are very close friends, and now that the master has gone out, they are like comrades who fought together."

From the time the main building of the Duke's residence began to be visible as she got off the wagon, the maids were fascinated by the splendor and grandeur of the mansion and were busy praising it. It wasn't that Eun-Woo didn't understand the hearts of the maids.

The luxury of the lake-lined garden, the ivory fountain, the study and exhibition hall, and the craftsmanship were eye-catching enough.

As soon as she arrived, even the wet towel given by the butler of the duke was embroidered with golden thread, to wash her hands and feet using it.

She wondered if she could sleep in a place like this.

'They don't know this place is a tiger's den, so they're so excited…'

Eun-woo thought, depressed.

Once they started working for a family, the maids, who rarely changed jobs, seemed to be as excited as a surprise event to visit the new castle.

Anit caught some flirting young maids and gave them a sting of admonition by exchanging glances with male servants working in the duke's office with sharp eyes.

'Do they even know that if I marry the Duke, all of them will be gone?'

She looked around for paper and pens.

Eleanor's brother Diego Miller Marquis.

I had to write a letter urging someone to return.

Then Eun-woo glanced at Anit.

She seemed very busy coordinating her work with the servants of the Duke. She seemed busy trying to figure out the new accommodation and the housekeeping of the maids from the marquis, while walking around like a man with fire on his feet.

Eun-woo slowly woke up when she saw Anit being called to the office of the Duke. It would have been faster to go to get it yourself.

Overcoming the busy maids, Eun-woo pushed the heavy door. The door was easily opened without a squeak, perhaps because it was oiled well.

She walked back well, closed the door, and then turned toward the hallway. Then she became frightened. A man's big chest caught her eyes right in front of her.

"Ah…!"

The button on the thin linen shirt worn by the man grew larger in front of her eyes.

Eun-woo was surprised and stepped back and let out a small scream. She bumped her head against the long handle of the door.

She grabbed her head with a throbbing moan that leaked out.

"Are you okay?

Then she heard the voice of an impatient man.

Tashian opened his black eyes wide and approached her and touched her back hair. Eun-woo was so surprised that she was about to faint at the first smell of the man that came in an instant. She raised her arms and pushed him away.

Report mistakes and chat with us at: https/discord.gg/woopread

---

m okay! I am really okay!"

"Wait a minute. Look at me. I think you were hit really hard."

But the man didn't even budge. Rather, as if angry, he grabbed the back of her head and tried to turn her around in earnest.

Eun-woo desperately pushed him away.

"I'm seriously fine! I was just too surprised earlier…!"

The man then withdrew with a dissatisfied expression. But his thick eyebrows were still contorted as if he still had doubts.

Eun-woo's head in front of the Duke turned white like that of a mouse in front of a cat. She hurriedly looked for something to say and worked her brain.

"What brought you here, Duke?"

"I heard that you and the other people from the Marquis's estate had arrived. I was told to have the supplies ready in advance, but I was wondering if you needed anything else."

Eun-woo looked up at the man who quickly returned to having a blunt look on his face.

Having taken off his heavy armor, he was dressed as light as an ordinary noble man. The button on the top of the shirt was naturally loosened. It wasn't the look of a perfect knight who could pierce a needle like before, but he still had a sharp impression. Still, it didn't change that he looked very nice. Eun-woo, who looked up at him with a face that was recalling something, suddenly noticed that he was holding something yellow in his hand.

Her gaze naturally shifted to his hand, and he hid the hand behind his back in a quick motion.

"That is…?"

Eun-woo looked at his face with a strange expression. Then he rolled his eyes.

To her surprise, his earlobes were stained red. As if in trouble, he swept up the flowing bangs with his other arm. He seemed very embarrassed as he looked through the strands to her eyes, at her who still didn't know him that well.

He hesitated like a boy who was caught not wanting to be seen and pulled out that one arm that he had hidden.

"Oh, my. Don't think of anything…"

There were yellow wildflowers where his hand was stretched out. It was a small bouquet of flowers the size of a fingernail mixed with white shamrock and had not even been dusted off.

Eun-woo looked up at him with her mouth opened.

Did he just pick up the flowers for her?

"They were blooming near the Hall… I remembered you liked it."

His earlobes had turned red and his eyes avoided her gaze as he turned his head diagonally.

Eun-woo lowered her gaze and looked at the thin flowers held in his evil hands. Unconsciously, she reached out her hands and accepted the flower he was holding so dearly.

The touch of the flower was cold and moist. Don't tell her he was outside the door with this flower. Apart from the surprise to her heart from earlier, it trembled like a bat.

"… I don't care if you throw it away."

He spat out bluntly. Eun-woo gave strength to the hand that was holding the flower without realizing it. But she couldn't find the right words to say, so only an awkward silence passed.

After being embarrassed for a while, he soon regained his composure and asked.

"Then why are you here alone? Do you need anything?"

"Ah… I'm going to get a paper and a pen.""

He asked with a frown on his forehead.

"You can ask a maid to do it for you. Did you have to come out yourself?"

"Everyone looked busy. It hasn't been long since I moved my luggage… it's a good opportunity too, to look around the mansion…"

She was frightened and hurried to answer.

She was not used to calling a maid, she could not answer with that even if she had to die. She also doesn't want the person in front of her to find out that she wasn't the original Eleanor. It seemed like he wouldn't stand it if she made a mistake and he noticed that something was wrong.

He suggested in an excited tone.

"If you have any questions about my house structure, I'll help."

"No! It's okay. I want to go back now and rest.

Eun-woo waved her hands. She wanted to avoid walking alone with him in the mansion. As if he was wondering, he raised one eyebrow and asked.

"You just said you wanted to look around the mansion."

"I just came out to ask for a paper and a pen. Just that. I wanted to take a look around the mansion later."

She wondered if it offended him, but he replied in a calm voice.

"Okay. You must be tired, so take a good rest. Leave getting the paper and pen to the butler."

"Thank you…"

Eun-woo nodded and looked at his face once. His expression without emotion was only silent. It was like a stone had been thrown into the sea and yet the current didn't rise even once.

Eun-woo glanced at his face and opened the door again. When the door was half open, he suddenly said,

"…. Just let me know whenever you need anything. You can ask through a maid or a butler, or you can tell me in person. Usually, I'll be in the office or in the Hall."

It was a low voice. Eun-woo answered the man's voice coming from behind her back without turning her head.

"Thank you for taking care of this inconvenience…"

She opened the door as it was and entered the room like a chased person. After locking the door behind her, she gasped like a person who had run 100 meters.

Her body couldn't stop shaking. She didn't seem to be herself.

"Oh, my. Miss! I was surprised that you suddenly disappeared. Where did you go?"

A maid folding the bedsheet in the corner approached her with a worried look.

Eun-woo smiled awkwardly and replied that it was nothing. Then another maid found the flowers in her hand and shouted.

"Oh, my. What's that flower for?""

Eun-woo was surprised and hid her hand behind her. Then, she realized that it could look weirder.

She took out her hidden hand again. The crushed flowers in her hands were broken and shaken.

"Oh, it's nothing. It's just…"

"They must have been so pretty… I didn't know that the Duke was such a romantic person. Do you want me to prepare a vase, Miss?"

A quick-witted maid smiled and asked. Then the maids next to her joined, making a fuss.

However, the livelier the maids chatted, the lower Eun-woo's heart sank.

It wasn't just because of her disappointment with herself for taking the favor of the villain Tashian Verk lightly.

The owner of this flower was that he had been picking for Eleanor, not anyone else. She was not the owner of the hand where the flower should be held.

It was a strange feeling. Guilt and envy became a dough and seemed to unite her mixed feelings.

She replied in a strangely gloomy voice.

"…No, I don't need a vase."

The laughter of the maids who were laughing subsided in an instant. They answered politely in unison, saying yes, and scattered in search of their own work.

Eun-woo clenched the crushed flower leaves in her hand and soon put them down as if throwing them away on the cabinet next to the bed.

•••

That afternoon, Johannes, the butler of the duke, visited her bedroom. A woman in her mid-40s, who had her grey hair tied up, introduced herself in a charismatic voice.

"I'm Johannes Vinkert, in charge of the housekeeping here. It's an honor to meet you."

The old butler, wearing silver-rimmed glasses at the tip of her nose, politely asked her if she would like to take a look around the mansion. Eun-woo dissuaded Anit, who was about to follow, and followed her alone.

"The Great Hall on the first floor is connected to the cafeteria. The canteen used by the servants is located at the back of the kitchen. Because there are many people living in the mansion, it is always crowded. In particular, many knights serving the duke family reside here. If the noise bothers you, we can always bring the meal to the lady's bedroom."

As she said the sentence, in the hall connected to the cafeteria, large knights in armored clothes were gathered here and there to drink or concentrate on card games.

Some of them threw their eyes at her, who was wearing a blue dress. With a curious gaze, Eun-woo bowed her head and followed Johannes around.

"The banquet hall is right next to the Great Hall. It's rarely been used in recent years."

As she reached the wide open space along Johannes, she saw a brilliant view with a high ceiling and a huge chandelier hanging. Her mouth fell open at the sight of the luxury and splendor.

It was incomprehensible for Eun-woo to clean up on this large space.

Does the Duke hate banquets?

As Johannes moved again, Eun-woo endured her desire to want to see a little more and followed her.

They then proceeded up the circular staircase winding in the middle hallway to the second floor.

Only then did the noise of the mansion disappear and a long corridor with a little quiet atmosphere came into view. On the wall of the corridor covered with red carpet, portraits were hung carefully and carved golden frames were lined up.

"It's a portrait of the predecessor's servants and spouses."

Eun-woo slowly stepped out into the view of the pictures arranged as nicely as any other art museum.

The characters in the painting used to exclude their spouses, and each had solemnly closed lips, dark hair like black, and deep black eyes.

It was an appearance that clearly showed the bloodline of one family even without exposing it explicitly.

Eun-woo quietly swept across the gold-colored wooden frame with her fingertips. In each frame, the pattern of the spruce tree was also carved with delicate touches. The smooth and hard touch of worn wood and metal had been wound around.

Eun-woo reached the end of the line, looking at the hung portraits one by one.

She was slowly getting curious.

How was the portrait of Tashian Verk painted? Will it contain his cool impression that is freezing to look at?

Eun-woo, who stopped right in front of the place where his portrait was supposed to be, was disappointed. Only empty frames were hung there.

"As far as I know, the Duke has inherited the title for a long time… but his portrait hasn't been completed yet?"

She couldn't hide her disappointment and asked, caressing only the innocent empty frame.

"The portrait was completed a long time ago. But I haven't hung it yet because the Duke hasn't allowed it."

"Why did he do that? He didn't like the portrait?"

Wondering, she asked. Johannes nodded as if it was no longer possible to answer. Eun-woo didn't want to make the atmosphere weird, so she didn't ask anymore.

She withdrew from the empty frame. And shortly thereafter, she found a huge portrait hanging in a much larger and more beautiful frame than other paintings.

At once, she stared at the painting, captivated by it.

It was a portrait of a man.

The black-eyed man, with his long black hair hanging down to his shoulders, looked surprisingly like someone she knew. A stern mouth, a bright face with dark shades, and an arrogant gaze as if looking down at a person from a distant height.

Looking at the man's portrait, she wrapped her arms around her shoulders wrapped in thin shawls in a sudden chill.

"He is the only brother of the Duke, Chief Reinhardt."

Johannes, the butler who had followed her, was heard. There was a subtle pride in her voice.

"It's the fourth time in history produced by the Hellasium Senior Citizens' Association in half a century and the first 'successor' since the United Country."

The unquenchable star of the transport continent, the Great Empire Hellasium.

The group with the highest authority over the political power of the fierce empire, which is incomparable to anywhere else, was neither the parliament nor the judiciary nor even the imperial family. They were a group of elders called the Presbyterian Church.

They were the leaders of the state, consisting of 13 wise men, who decided and were responsible for all the political, economic, and social affairs of the country.

The apex of the elders, the apex of power, and the highest position one could attain as a human being with a finite life. The 'heir' was the only person who was allowed to sit just one level below the throne of God.

"…I didn't know they looked this much alike."

Eun-woo murmured blankly while looking at Reinhardt's portrait.

She knew him of course.

His first and last appearance was ordering the execution of Tashian, a traitor and his younger brother, at the request of Ikshid Fedellamon, the male protagonist and emperor of the novel.

Report mistakes and chat with us at: https/discord.gg/woopread

---

Because they are brothers."

Johannes replied in a dry voice. Eun-woo smiled bitterly.

It was both right and wrong. Tashian Verk was greeted by Reinhardt as brothers. However, they were half-brothers. It was Reinhardt, the older brother's side, who succeeded the authentic blood of the craftsman. Tashian was the son of a poor prostitute who was got drunk by the previous Duke.

Hellasium was a country with some absolute deficit rights. The illegitimate child, who was not recognized by either parent, was not treated as a person.

After the war, Tashian's mother who had been abandoned in a land in Genova, her hometown, and gave birth to a son. Tashian, who grew up as a fatherless child for 13 years, became the successor to the duchy overnight after his brother Reinhardt was elected as a 'successor'.

The heir is the sole and complete status under the imperial sun. They are the cleanest person who has left the world and worldly possessions behind more than anyone else.

Therefore, neither title nor position of any family could be inherited.

The engineer desperately needed a new successor. And about a month before the succession ceremony, an orphan boy with the black hair and dark eyes of a craftsman was found in a rural village in another country crossing the sea from Hellasium.

Thus, Tashian received Verk's surname at the age of 13 and became a man of a duke. In short, he was a substitute for his half-brother Reinhardt.

This was why he was an attractive character to Eun-Woo despite being a villain. Born to be a heavenly citizen until the age of thirteen, he grew up roughly in the streets and was different from the aristocrats that were like plants in other greenhouses.

No matter how much elite education was received from the Duke's family, harsh tone or belligerent character was not a kind of nature that could be easily removed. Other ordinary nobles despised him to the bones or feared him and treated him like a wild animal.

Both his obsession with power and his desire for power came from a sense of inferiority from him being an illegitimate child.

"If you're done looking around, we'll take you to the study now."

Eun-woo blinked her eyes, immersed in thought. Johannes was waiting for her in an immutable posture with her back upright.

The study was located right next to the Duke's office located on the second floor. Before entering the study, she stayed at the door of the office with her eyes closed tightly. Johannes noticed her strange gaze and said.

"The Duke is handling the work that has been delayed. Do you have anything to say?"

Eun-woo was surprised and flustered.

"No! That's not it… Well, he must be very busy."

"He's probably one of the busiest people in this Empire for a while, except for the Crown Prince."

"Does he have a lot of work to do?"

"The Duke served as the commander-in-chief in the Battle of Great Genova. It has been almost three years since he returned to the Empire."

I can't believe it's been 3 years. I couldn't even imagine how many papers he was trapped in there with.

"Of course, we've finished all the things we can do. However… There are more tasks that require the authority of Duke than expected. Except for the urgent business that was handled by sending a messenger to the battlefield, all tasks were put on hold until he returned."

They then visited the study. After touring a vast amount of rooms with hundreds of thousands of books and documents such as artifacts, they decided to stop by a branch with indoor gardens, medical rooms, and armory.

"Then, the bedroom I'm using on the third floor was originally a guest room?"

She asked as she went down the stairs along Johannes. Then Johannes' expression suddenly hardened subtly.

Seeing an icy person embarrassed, Eun-woo looked back inside herself to see if she had made any mistakes. It was not long before Johannes broke the strange silence and replied.

"… The room Young Miss is using was the bedroom of the previous Duchess."

At that moment, Eun-woo coughed out like a person who was suffocating to death. It was only after a while did she continue to speak.

"What? The Duchess's bedroom? Oh no, why was I given such an important room… No, before that, how could you say that without saying a warning… ."

"… I'm sorry. I thought you already knew."

Eun-woo felt so absurd that she lost her words. She held onto the stair railing to support her reeling body.

It was a mistake to be naïve in thinking that a spacious and luxurious room and a guest room for a Duke are of a different class.

Johannes, who was quite embarrassed, explained, unable to raise her head.

"The rooms that were used as guest rooms were destroyed by a fire that broke out half a year ago. The only guests who have been tied to the Duke's residence are the low-ranking nobleman who used the Knight's quarters next to the theater or merchants who deal directly with the family… We couldn't have Young Miss stay in the lodgings used by the servants. You didn't say anything, so I thought the Duke had already explained it to you. It's my negligence. I'm sorry."

"Then the duke…?"

"Of course he knew. He was the one who ordered the bedroom of the late Grand Duchess to be given away in the first place."

Eun-woo grinded her teeth inside.

You sneaky guy!

No matter how fictional it is, there are certain things about timing, and there are rules of etiquette that must be obeyed.

In a mansion governed by an unmarried Duke, a noble maiden filled the bedroom of the late wife.

If this happened to reach the ears of other nobles, Eleanor's marriage path would not have been blocked but would have gone backwards.

Eun-woo asked Johannes with a red face.

"The- then,His Highness' bedroom is…?"

"… It's just across from the bedroom that Young Miss uses."

It was as expected. Her body was burning with shame, and now her face was steaming. Avoiding him and living on the top floor of the annex was impossible then. It was like waving her tail softly towards him from a distance even if she was to stay at the top floor.

Eun-woo immediately visited the office and suppressed the urge to argue in front of the Butler.

She was not a person who didn't know what it meant to have an unmarried maiden use the duchess' bedroom. She was determined to address this issue the next day she met him.

•••

Contrary to her concerns, however, it was extremely rare to encounter the Duke even when using the room just across from him. As Johannes said, that the Duke would be the second busiest person in the Empire after the Crown Prince for the time being, he really didn't have the time to spare even the slightest bit of time.

One day, he went out in a carriage from the dawn of the early morning, and the next day she heard that he had arrived only when it was time to pick up breakfast, and the other day, he stayed in the office on the second floor all day and did not even show his nose.

In the duke's residence, Eun-woo was completely living in fortune and became a slacking lady. A daily routine continued, eating, sleeping, leisurely strolling through the garden, feeding wild squirrels and birds that visited her room's veranda, and taking a nap in a sunny window seat.

For the first time in her life, it was a peaceful and calm day. It was like she was dreaming.

On the other hand, she was even afraid. If it's a tranquility that she has never tasted before, she wouldn't also look for it from the beginning. For fear that if these days would be broken at any time, she would not recover from her old self again and seemed to slowly tighten her neck.

'When will be Marquis Miller's return…?'

Ten days and five days had passed since she sent the letter, but there had been no news of a reply.

She wanted to check through the Duke to see if she was going through the right contact, but she was more careful to get involved with him while she was already avoiding him, but it wasn't that Eun-woo didn't encounter him at all in the Duke's mansion.

It was a kind of unsolved mystery for her. In the restaurant, in the study, in the front door of the main building. Sometimes while talking to the butler, walking through the garden. He was encountering her accidentally in a path that was unknown who on one knew about and had no idea where the hell it appeared from.

And every time that happened, the Duke would approach her immediately without any hesitation.

Every time Eun-woo catches him and sees him striding towards her with his long legs, it was like looking at someone who had been starving for days. She thought it was like a wandering wild dog that had just found food.

Sometimes her eyes found him first. When Eun-woo found his short black hair, a large body with one head protruding from the crowd, and the tip of a huge long sword that he always wore around his waist, she would immediately run away until her hair fell out.

However, no matter how much she hid among the maids, behind the cabinet, behind the bookshelf in the study, he found her as if she was a see-through person.

Then, suddenly, he reached right in front of the place where she was standing, with the dignity of a General.

When he came all the way to her like that, she didn't have anything to say or to do. He approached her with a hard expression that was like he was going to share a military secret, and the only thing he said was whether she was comfortable with staying in the duchy, and whether she needed anything more.

Sometimes, when she saw his face, she just wanted to disappear.

It was when she was walking around with her maid, Anit. It was a good day to be alone in the room on a sunny day.

Wearing a light chiffon dress made of a light material, she was taking a gentle walk with the support of flowers in full bloom with the embroidered mass that Anit had put in her hand.

From afar, a group of knights could be seen passing the bridge connected to the backyard.

She wasn't afraid of showing them proper examples of a Lady, but that didn't mean she wanted to encounter men wearing iron armor.

Eun-woo turned around with Anit to avoid them.

But something caught Eun-woo's eye. Sure enough, there was the Duke at the center of the men.

Unlike the other knights who wore light armor, the duke was wearing a dark blue uniform. It seems that he was going to enter the Palace.

He was splendidly dressed with golden armbands on a perfectly angled uniform, a red drapery draped over his shoulders, and silver tassels dangling from his side sleeves. The white sable hairs wrapped around one arm fluttered like cloth in the light wind.

At the first sight of his face, Eun-woo stopped walking and looked at him.

He was talking seriously with a brown-haired knight standing next to him. And as if in a fixed procedure, he turned his head toward her. It was a place dozens of steps away.

The impression of his forehead like a habit unfolded for a moment. When the knights who were discussing him stopped talking, and gave attention to Eun-woo, who was standing around, Tashian was already walking toward her.

He walked towards her at a slightly faster pace. With every step he took, the golden chords of the drapery flapping from his shoulders swung side to side.

Eun-woo's heart had long become numb looking at it.

Tashian reached right in front of her, drawing a straight line. Eun-woo looked up at the Duke with a fascinated face. Cast iron-like black eyes looked down at her intensely.

Eun-woo felt that Anit was confused next to her about whether to give way and leave. However, regardless of what she had to do, Tashian bowed his head deeply, prepared courtesy, and stepped down.

[Then, what a great day it is…]

It wasn't funny. She just looked at his face and walked away.

But those things were repeated over and over again. Later, as soon as the maids found him, they even told her, "The Duke is coming."

Through the process, Eun-woo found out some facts.

First, when he found Eleanor despite his very busy schedule, he beat everything to find her. As if iron was attracted by magnets, she came to her senses and he suddenly appeared in front of her. Sometimes it gave the impression that he couldn't stand it and went out looking for her.

Second, he used polite words for her at the place where someone else accompanied him. He treated her politely as if he was treating any noble lady.

At that time, Eun-woo was captivated by the feeling of being the daughter of the royal family. Each time he followed her to escort a few steps away, or asked for permission to kiss the back of her hand, she had to blush.

Third, he had certainly built a considerable relationship with Eleanor. Whenever he suddenly gave the impression that he was penetrating everything about Eleanor, Eun-woo felt something sharp scratched her heart. Then useless thoughts encroached on her head.

Did Eleanor also love him a lot? Did she smile at him?

The secret and kind eyes that he sent toward me, and the kind actions he sent towards me, were not all for Lim Eun-woo. She was just a clown deceiving everyone. She is a troublemaker who had appeared out of the blue between two lovely lovers.

As time went on, those innutritious thoughts grew more and more bulky in her mind.

At that time, Eun-woo was able to recall the ending of the novel and turn her mind elsewhere.

However, the more she did it, the stronger the wall of her heart built toward Tashian Verk. She just wanted to leave the Duke's Residence as soon as possible.

Report mistakes and chat with us at: https/discord.gg/woopread

---

It was not even dawn.

Eun-woo opened her eyes wearing white pajamas. The chilly dawn wind cooled the tip of her nose through the slightly opened window in the empty room.

She looked around because she needed a seat, but there was only an empty glass of water left in the middle of the night. She thought about pulling the rope at the bedside to call a maid, but it was still impossible for her.

She put on a red shawl, pushed a soft blanket with goose fur, and got up carefully and gently headed downstairs.

The mansion in the dark light clearly echoed the sound of her white clothes scratching and sweeping on the floor.

Eunwoo held her breath and went down to the kitchen on the first floor like a stray cat. After simply quenching her throat in a bucket of water filled with restaurant servants, she pointed at the stair railing to return to the bedroom, and a sparkling light reflected from somewhere hit her eye. It was the light coming through the opened kitchen window.

Imagining what light would illuminate the darkness in the middle of the night. Eunwoo headed to the back door behind the kitchen.

When she opened the door, the chilly wind blew her clothes. After closing the red shawl more tightly around herself, she looked around and pulled out her neck as if she was coming out of a burrow.

Someone was swinging a sword on the wet grass. The moonlight reflected here and there on the sharp blade of the long sword was cutting through the air and broke in all directions.

The grass under his feet was crushed and stepped on by the man's violent gestures. Sweat drops flowed and fell down from the man's forehead. There were soaked and crushed leaves where he stepped.

The man threw the sword with a sound. Perhaps he was out of breath, or the bare back of a man bending his back with both hands on his knee caught her figure.

His ivory hands which threw off his shirt and revealed his bare upper body, shone hazy at night. Sweats on the wide back flowed down along the grain of the big muscles.

Eun-woo watched it as if she had forgotten how to breathe.

Soon after, he straightened his back and stretched. Trying to bend down again to catch the sword he missed, he suddenly turned his head toward her.

Their eyes met in an instant.

Eun-woo's breath hitched as she watched Tashian's black pupils open wide for the first time.

It was as if roots had come out of their feet and her body had been lodged in the ground. Eun-woo couldn't move like a prey who was bitten to the nape of the neck, and only watched as Tashian blinked and closed his eyes.

His eyes narrowed as if they couldn't believe the sight in front of him. He seemed like he was looking at nothing.

Moments later, his eyes glanced at the back door and slowly scanned her slender wrists and platinum hair that ran down her shoulders, a piercing red shawl over them and the white hem of her robe near the ground.

Contrary to her thoughts that he would approach her right away, he didn't budge like a frozen statue. He just stared blankly at her like a person walking in a dream.

Only then did Eun-woo turn around and entered the door with a pale face. After locking the door with trembling hands,her back slipped against the wall and collapsed on the floor.

She felt like a large drum was sitting on her chest. Her whole body seemed to be pounding and trembling at the sound of a beating heart. It was not yet sunrise.

What in the world was he doing in the backyard of the castle, leaving a fine Lady like me shocked? Indeed, this Duke was not good for the body. I have to leave this Mansion as soon as possible.

She was thinking like that, but then she heard the sound of iron being dragged on the floor. Soon, someone knocked on the wooden door with a dull sound.

"… Eleanor?"

It was Tashian's voice. Eunwoo closed her eyes tightly.

Of course. There was no way he would let me go like this.

Once again, she heard a quick knock on the heavy wooden door. The heavy vibration seemed to shake her body together.

"Are you there?"

It was an anxious voice. She took a deep breath as if she were catching her breath.

She exhaled at once. Then, she stood up with a determined look and unlocked the door that was once closed.

As she opened the door a little, his hand slipped through the gap. A gentle but strong force opened the door. Without a second thought, he pushed through the wide open door.

He stood close to the door, ready to catch her as she tried to escape.

His wet upper body was visible from less than a span away. He wore a white shirt, but his bare chest moved up and down a little with every breath he took.

(TN: w(ｏ)w hehe~ I'm not complaining but… Aackk-!)

He put one arm against the wall of the narrow passage she was leaning against, as if trying to block her escape route altogether. In an instant, she was trapped under his big arms.

Her heart was pounding like it was going to explode.

His body smelled like sour sweat, the scent of grass leaves, and the cool night breeze of dawn. Her eyes quivered with her long eyelashes. A harsh breath escaped from his lips as he saw her.

"What were you doing here at night?"

He suddenly started asking her with anger. Eun-woo's eyes widened in embarrassment.

Was that something to hear from a man wielding a knife in the backyard where there is no one in the middle of the night?

She managed to answer with her lips clapped.

"What were you doing, then?"

"I usually train by myself at this time every day. It's closer than the gym, and I don't want to have the sleeping servants light the annex."

"I'm also thirsty… I didn't want to wake the maids."

There was a terrible silence.

Eun-woo was trapped under his arm and wiggled to glance up at his face.

He looked strangely desolate. He looked worried about whether to say something or not.

Soon after, he brought it up as if he were chewing on the words one after another.

"… Down here is the dormitory of the knights. No big guy in my land dares to do disgraceful things to my guests, but I can't believe they're bloody bastards who stand up for hard training. Don't go around alone. Especially at night. That is advice."

He threatened her like a child as if he was scolding her. Eun-woo looked up at his face as if she was embarrassed.

The word 'I can't trust you even more' filled her throat, but she didn't spit them out.

Instead, she felt an unknown resentment that had been suppressed for a long time boiling from the inside, along with a feeling of emotion that she didn't even know at the moment while seeing his face so close.

Eun-woo did not look at his face, turned her head to the side, and spoke nervously.

"… Then I'll give you a piece of advice as well. The next time you bring guests into your home, it would be better if you invited them after you made sure the guest rooms weren't burned down by fire."

It was something that should have been discussed a long time ago, but it was a topic that could not be brought up unexpectedly as he tried to avoid the eyes of the servants of the mansion. Using this as an excuse, Eun-woo rebuked him, not able to stand being reprimanded by him.

"You know how ashamed I am to see the faces of the maids?"

"What do you mean?"

He frowned and tilted his head closer to her face due to her rambling criticism. The breath from his lips touched her skin. Her heart was tightening with tension, but Eun-woo stubbornly refused to move her lips avoiding his gaze.

"I'm talking about my room. Why didn't you tell me that it was the bedroom of the previous Duchess? If someone who knows the arrangement is like this, I'll be in trouble as well too. There are several people who keep a keen eye on the Duke's Residence…"

"Wait, what are you talking about?"

He shouted urgently. Tashian bent his back completely and put his arms on the walls on both sides of her head.

He had a wrinkle on his forehead that she was saying something he didn't understand.

"Are you protesting that I let you stay next to my bedroom? That is why I've been staying in the Office so far. I haven't even been on the third floor since you arrived here, including eating, sleeping, and washing."

"What?"

Eun-woo opened her big eyes like a rabbit and asked.

He lowered one hand from the wall and wrapped it around his forehead.

"You didn't know until now, did you? So you thought I'd be able to sleep in my bedroom intact even though I knew you were sleeping quietly in the next room? No matter how bad I am, I have that much manners. Eyes and ears are walking everywhere. Would I have done any harm to your honor with my own hands?"

Eun-woo blinked like a goldfish. Watching that, Tashian sighed deeply.

"Whew… On the first day you came to my house, I called all the servants and instructed them to assign you the entire floor."

"I- I didn't know."

Eunwoo whispered sulkily. It felt like her neck was ripening red with shame.

She couldn't raise her head straight and could only avoid his gaze and murmured as if blaming him.

"It would have been better if you told me earlier."

A violent look popped up in his face. He hesitated to say something, and eventually he couldn't hold back that he had grown up violently, spitting out a rough breath.

"Then now you explain it, too. Why won't you call my name?"

"What… did you say?"

Eun-woo suddenly looked up at him with wide eyes like a person who was slapped. He put his nose close to her face and spit it out bluntly.

"I mean my name. I definitely asked you to call me by my name. But you always say, 'Hey, you there, Duke, and Lord'."

"When did I say 'Hey, and you there' to you? I'm sure…"

"I said Duke, or Lord. I've never heard you calling my name. Tell me. Is it that hard to pronounce my name? Or is it that you don't even want to say it?"

His voice became tense. At first glance, his face distorted as if he was holding back the pain. It was her first time seeing him so resentful.

Eun-woo was dumbfounded and grabbed the shawl's seam. Her face turned pale as if her blood had escaped from her veins. Looking down at her, he smiled and murmured as if laughing.

"True. What would you want from a woman who ran away avoiding me as her skirt fluttered and her mouth barely managed to say hello…"

"That's…"

Eun-woo was surprised and opened her mouth to refute. But he cut her off coldly.

"Don't think about denying it. On the day we met again, I didn't even want you to welcome me with open arms. But I didn't expect that you would hide among the maids because you were afraid of meeting me."

He burst into laughter bitterly. He bowed his upper body just before his head was buried on her shoulder.

The light breath he exhaled touched Eun-woo's neck. She could hear him swallowing a low swear word.

"… I wanted at least a feeling of favor from you. As soon as you encounter me, you'd tremble with fear as if you've met an animal in the mountains!"

At the end of the word, he turned vigorously as if he had not overcome his passion. A black shadow fell on his back, as he took a few steps back from her.

Shocked at his actions, Eun-woo looked at his back and frowned.

It felt like I was lost in a vortex of intense emotions I had never experienced before.

Weren't Eleanor and Tashian lovers?

Even if they had not yet developed into a loving relationship, they would have at least had a good feeling for the other person.

But now he was speaking as if he hadn't even seen her in a very long time, let alone experience affection from her.

She gently approached him and touched him on the back.

She felt his body flinching like a stone under his shirt.

"Duke…"

He didn't even move. My heart was pounding, wondering if I had done something wrong.

Eun-woo plucked up the courage and called his name.

"Tashian."

He slowly turned toward her. As if he couldn't believe it, his eyes were wide open. A wounded beast-like gaze was drawn down at her.

She chose a word in her head and asked a question carefully.

"How long has it been since we met?"

Perhaps it was an unexpected question, but his eyes got a little bigger.

Looking at those eyes, Eun-woo wondered how deep sea water shines on his eyes even in such pitch-like darkness. Maybe it was an illusion that only she could see.

He answered without hesitation.

"It has been 3 years. We met again after 3 long years."

Report mistakes and chat with us at: https/discord.gg/woopread

---

Chapter 8

It was a voice that seemed to come out from the inside of his throat.

Eun-woo sucked in a breath.

Then it meant that they had never seen each other since he went to the battlefield.

Eun-woo watched as the bluish moonlight flickered around his outline. His face was filled with anticipation she couldn't understand.

"You, no way…"

But soon after reading his clueless face, she swallowed a deep sigh.

Eun-woo looked up anxiously at the man who quickly changed his face with an expressionless face as if he had worn a mask. Yet his expression did not look veiled at all.

He said in a resigned voice.

"…. Let's stop going deep into it now. Your fingertips are turning blue."

He whispered coldly. However, his hand approached, and with a more delicate touch than usual, his large cloak was wrapped around her body. He said then as he rubbed his collar and gave it to her,

"You're weak. Even when you were young, you used to faint easily. So please don't go around too much. Don't lift heavy things, and make sure to use a parasol when you go outside. I told your maid beforehand, but she even pretended that she didn't hear it at first. Well, you've always hated being burdensome."

The reason Anit insisted on using a parasol was because of this person.

Eun-woo's chest trembled lightly. She bumped her hand against his as she tried to grab the hem of the coat he had opened. It was a big, and feverish hand.

As soon as she raised her head slightly, she made eye contact with him. For a moment, long, hard fingers were entangled with her hand. Their gazes were also intertwined.

Before she knew it, his head leaned down and the distance between her and his nose were narrowed. The sound of him breathing in and out cloud be heard faintly.

She felt she was out of breath like a person who had fallen into the water and was rescued. She felt dizzy as if she was spinning around the same spot.

Eun-woo closed her shaky eyelids.

As it was, his face came down further.

"Ta, Tashian…"

Eun-woo held his forearms carefully. At that moment, she felt his breath getting rough. He replied with a voice he had rested.

"What is it?"

Eun-woo confessed with a tearful face.

"I… can't walk."

••

Each time Tashian climbed the stairs at a slow pace, her slender legs clasped across his forearms and soared upwards.

Eun-woo was hugging him as calmly as possible with both hands around his neck. The hem of her two layers of clothes was crunching and was swept away by a rough carpet.

The moonlit mansion in the middle of the night was as quiet as deep water. At the same time, it was filled with all kinds of sounds.

The sound of water falling from somewhere, the ticking of an alarm clock, and the sound of the night from the backyard. It was so quiet that ironically, all the sounds flowed straight into their ears without any hindrance.

Of course, the most recognizable sound that Eun-woo could hear was the pulse of Tashian from his neck, while her arms wrapped around it.

A slightly fast and stable sound thumped her entire body against his chest.

With her head buried on his shoulder, Eun-woo wondered if she could hear his heart.

It's sure one will hear it if they were closer to his chest, so there was no way she couldn't hear it.

"… See? What did I say?"

He muttered as if he were scolding.

What did he say? He said, please don't go around, because I am sick.

Just before she slipped on the floor, he quickly grabbed her body. And he ignored her dissuading him and hugged her. How can't it be this embarrassing? If that situation had gone on for a little longer, then the strength from her legs would have been released.

I've realized once again how sickly Eleanor was, as a woman.

She murmured as she felt her body swaying in his arms.

"… I'm sorry. I suddenly got dizzy."

"I know. I think it was mild Anemia. Your face is pale."

"My face has always been pale…"

"That's true."

He moved quietly as if he were flowing water. It was a slowness that seemed to end the world. As if making a baby a baby who woke up in the middle of the night silent, his movements did not allow even a small shake to befall the woman in his arms. She felt like she was in a cradle.

In the midst of that, Eun-woo's eyes were softly closed. She couldn't help it even though she knew it wasn't polite. Eun-woo thought that she had to open her mouth in order to chase away her incoming sleep.

"Ta… Tashian."

"What's going on?"

"Do you have a chronic disease?"

"…"

They became surrounded in a tremendous silence. It was an embarrassing question even when she thought about it herself, so it was understandable.

However, Eun-woo decided to dig a little more with an iron plate expression on her face.

"Lord, no, Tashian. Think about it carefully. Do you perhaps have a family history that cannot be told to anyone, or a genetic disease over generations. Or… Hair loss that is caused by a cataclysmic inheritance. Or things like, only twins were born one after another among the former Duchess."

"…"

"As expected, there won't be any, right?"

He seemed to be wondering whether to answer this ridiculous question. It wasn't long before he muttered with a sigh.

"… I don't have any."

(TN: I wonder how it was so embarrassing for Tashian. ｡‿｡)

Then yes. There was no way that a man who could breathe while walking up the stairs with her in his arms could have a disease.

Eun-woo faintly sighed.

"Tashian, let me ask you one more thing. Are you a war hero?"

"…"

It was silent again. Eun-woo did not give in and kept asking questions.

"Is it possible that you are not a war hero? So it turns out that you intercepted someone's ball, or that the evil behavior was common among your allies because the punishment was too harsh. If you set up a ball, but your usual behavior is not good, the public sentiment toward you would be vicious …."

"…."

"That would be too much, right?"

She glanced at him slowly and blurted the end of her words. He completely ignored her and walked further.

Eun-woo opened her mouth again while rubbing her lips.

"Hey, Tashian! Probably, really just by any chance… ! If the Duke's state of affairs would be on an unusually verge of bankruptcy… There would be a lot of land that would be going to be confiscated by the imperial family… A mountain of debts to be paid for with luxury and debauchery… ."

"… What do you want to do now? Are you being sarcastic?"

Eventually, he stopped walking and looked down at her. One of his thick eyebrows rose up with a light displeasure.

Eun-woo waved her hands hard while hugging his neck.

"No! No! It was never a question to be sarcastic or make you feel bad."

(TN: Once again, why does it feel like Eun-woo seemed VERY comfortable with Tashian? (‿) I am jealous….. ಥ‿ಥ)

"Then what are you doing now? Are you investigating?"

Eun-woo swallowed her saliva.

If I marry you, we will be beheaded together, so I could never say that I would do something to block my husband-to-be's candidacy in advance.

There were not many reasons to refuse the marriage that came into the hands of an aristocrat of Hellasium. It was when the gap between those who wanted to marry was too wide. When the behavior and rumors of a spouse were bad, or when the family was torn apart, or there was a family history and genetic disease that could be a stain on succession.

Eun-woo carefully thought about it.

Is Tashian Verk's status low?

He is the only Duke of the Empire.

What was his rumor and behavior?

He was a war hero revered by his people who brought victory to Hellasium twice.

Family money?

Didn't she check it with her own eyes?A person like him, that was such a rich man, she wondered how he could do this.

As expected, she had one last hope left. It was to find a terrible genetic disease in his family history.

Eun-woo glanced up to his head, at his chest and looked at him. Then, she made a teary face.

That was too much. This guy looks so healthy.

"Tashian, think really carefully. Is there really nothing? If you have a severe athlete's foot or dermatitis…"

"… Are you checking me for that right now?"

He spoke in a raspy voice. He stared down at her with a look of uncertainty as if undecided he should laugh or get angry.

"No… Just…"

If I marry you, I'll die.

"Before my Brother comes, shouldn't I just do a light research on the person whom he trusted?"

He took the step he had stopped again. Eun-woo wrapped his arm around his neck again. Half of the stairs to the third floor were still left. He opened his mouth with a sigh.

"…. I don't know what a war hero is, but I've never caused problems, lived without debt, and as for having chronic diseases or genetic diseases… I'm not sure. I don't remember suffering so far, so I don't have to visit a clinic."

It was a remark that turned her plan upside down.

Tashian, who spit out such words without a blink of an eye, looked down at her with an expression of what she was going to do now. He smiled bitterly and asked.

"Why? It wasn't the answer you expected?"

"… Why would I be disappointed when you say you're healthy?"

"Your face looks like you're going to die."

"Tashian!"

Eunwoo cried out earnestly. He started to chuckle. Then Eunwoo's entire body shook. She thought his playful, boyish laugh was so good to hear.

"Then it's my turn to ask a question."

He hugged her and turned around at the point where the direction in the middle of the stairs changed. Eun-woo was very nervous at the sudden disappearance of laughter.

However, the expected question was not heard. He was silently taking steps with an unexplainable expression on his mind.

With the stomping sound, they reached the hallway on the third floor. Only a few steps were left before her room. In front of him, he stood tall. Then, suddenly, he asked.

"Do you like men of high bloodline?"

Eun-woo opened her mouth. She didn't feel any emotion from him with the way he spoke. However, Eun-woo noticed that he was talking about his bloodline.

She straightened up enough to bounce out of his arms. But his body didn't even move weakly.

"What?"

"I asked if you prioritize a person's bloodline."

She's not choosing a stallion right now, but a lineage. But his face was quite serious. If someone who didn't know him looked at him right now, they would think he was nervous.

Eun-woo hesitated.

If I answer that it is important for me, I am going to disappoint the villain Tashian.

It was a specification to pretend to be with him and not anyone else. The moment she replied that it was not important, he might propose to her. She shouldn't give him hope in any way.

Eun-woo answered after much consideration.

"Well… ? If you think it's important to check one's bloodline, you can say yes, but even if you don't, it's not wrong, it's a subtle matter…? It can be seen that a good bloodline supports a person's character, but it is also a wrong mindset to judge everything about a person based on bloodline…?"

"… What the hell are you talking about?"

Tashian let out a smirk. Eun-woo made an excuse as if she couldn't hear him.

"In short, I don't know either?"

He eventually burst into laughter. When he laughed, her body shook again.

Eun-woo found herself who thought it was really good to see him smile. Her face blushed.

Oh, I'm sure he's out of his mind.

He opened his mouth as he moved again.

"You're the same as then. You were like that when we first met. I wondered if there was another girl like this."

He muttered quietly in a voice that seemed to be looking at a distant landscape. Her uncontrollably pounding heartbeat cooled in an instant.

"… At first, I couldn't just watch, so I started interfering, but when I came to my senses, my whole heart was focused on you."

Upon hearing that, Eun-woo's whole body stiffened.

The opponent he was talking about was Eleanor, not her. Eun-woo bowed her head deep in his arms because she didn't want to lift her face for him.

Where did my chest, which had been pounding like crazy before, go? And now I can only feel pain as if I was stabbed on my chest with dozens of needles.

She had never imagined that it would be so painful to have memories with other women flowing out of his mouth.

Then suddenly, her body sank.

"Oops!"

He put her on the floor while holding her up. Hard arms were still holding her shoulders. Eun-woo grabbed Tashian's iron core-like forearm inadvertently and tilted to stabilize her suddenly disorganized center.

"You're almost there."

Before I knew it, I was in front of my door.

Eun-woo closed her mouth and looked up at him. He had an indescribable look on his face.

"You don't want me to take you to bed, do you?"

There was only one case in which the Duke was in the Duchess' bedroom.

Eun-woo hurriedly shook off her hand, lowering the hand that held her arm.

Report mistakes and chat with us at: https/discord.gg/woopread

Chapter 9

"It's okay! I can walk alone now. It's really okay."

Her face turned red as if red dye had been poured over it. The Duke, who looked down at her with such a face, holding back his laughter, said, "Okay, of course. Take a good rest."

"You too."

His hand hesitated and gently brushed the hair off her cheek then tucked it behind her ear. Eun-woo couldn't even move. She was like a person struck by lightning, and barely reached out and pulled the doorknob.

Before entering the room, she turned around once again and looked at him. He stood upright like a huge wall behind Eun-woo's back.

Eun-woo felt pain surging from her heart as if something was clogged. A crazy idea of wanting to hold onto him came to her mind. She didn't want to let him go just like this. She wanted to talk to him a little bit more.

However, her body firmly closed the door like a loyal servant who had already faithfully fulfilled their orders. The heavy door was closed with a bang.

Eun-woo leaned against the closed door, breathed heavily trying to catch her breath, and closed her eyes.

After a brief silence, she heard his footsteps trudging away.

•••

The victory celebration banquet was approaching moment by moment.

The banquet was the first scene where the male and female protagonists in the novel would meet. At that place, Ikshid and Selena will fall in love with each other at first sight and thus their fiery love would begin. It was also the starting point for all incidents to ignite, including the coronation ceremony, and the climax of the novel.

Eun-Woo was also fully prepared for the banquet.

"What do you think about this dress, lady?"

"Doesn't crimson look too old-fashioned? I heard that the apricot color is popular in the Capital these days.."

"Oh my, it's been a while since that trend has passed. Lady, as expected, this is the veil to be worn at the imperial palace banquet."

Each maid was busy putting one dress or another over her body as she stood in front of the mirror, claiming to be her coordinator.

Eun-woo stood in the midst of the maids who were surrounding her and where one was raising her arm like a mannequin. They listened to her order busily, and helped her try on all the dresses.

Just when she thought that the pearls and jewels woven in a row on her neck and arms were heavy, she heard a knock on her door.

"Lady, this is Johannes. I brought a message from the Duke."

A maid put the feathered hat in her hand on the chair and sprinted to open the door. Johannes, wearing a military uniform as usual, with her hair combed like a sword, entered her bedroom with an expressionless face.

Other maids bowed their heads all at once and stepped down from Eun-woo's side. Johannes politely showed courtesy to her at the same time.

"Welcome, Johannes. What's up?"

"His Lordship has invited Miss to for an afternoon refreshment."

Eun-woo saw the faces of the maids supporting her open wide at once. She felt the illusion that their hearts were buzzing and flowing into her head.

These days, their greatest interest was the duke and the daughter of the marquis they served.

No matter how wide the Duke's residence is, this place was also a place where people lived, and rumors and speculations were rampant, and people talked about them like they were meaningless words.

Of course, the hottest issue among them was their owner, the Duke, and an unmarried young noble maiden who he suddenly brought in as a guest.

The news that the Duke, who returned from the battlefield after three years, returned with his friend's biological sister soon spread throughout the territory of the Duke. Even the rumor that the sister was a very beautiful woman and at the right age for marriage, and that the Duke gave the previous Duchess' bedroom to the lady and that she was staying in the office was enough to stimulate the servants' imagination.

Rumors surrounding them were circulating in many mouths, and there was a widespread saying that the Duke would propose to her in the near future.

Of course, all rumors had their roots. People never made up words that didn't exist, even though they might inflate them by attaching arms and legs (adding on more) to the facts.

All of this was due to the Duke.

It hadn't even been a month since the Duke returned to the Capital, yet he seemed to have sorted out all the urgent things, appearing to have no intention of hiding his feelings for her like a determined person. As if trying to prove that even the rain won't stop him from displaying his love to her despite his busy schedule, and furthermore, his work also lessened due to that.

He would walk in the garden with her when he had time 'by accident', had tea with her after meeting 'since just in time for tea', and stopped by during the 'sometimes' free time to ask her about her day.

It was at that moment that the facial expressions of the maid, who had been expressing vigilance and doubt each time, had gradually changed to confidence and joy. Now they were worried as if it was their job, stamping their feet if the Duke didn't come even for a day.

Of course, it was natural that all of this was not welcomed by Eun-woo.

'At times like this, you have to stay alert, Eun-Woo! It's in an instant that rumors became true!'

She was busy constantly shouting this to herself and hitting herself on an iron wall at the Duke's enthusiastic interest.

In addition to running away from his tailing even if he saw only a single strand of her hair, he would react sensitively to the point of, he would trigger a game if he heard her calling his name.

However, the more he did it, the more her behavior was dismissed as the sensitiveness of a Young Lady who was about to get married, and he only bought unnecessary comfort and encouragement from the maids.

"Lord Verk is very meticulous! Last time, he paid attention to your favorite dessert and sent it to you as a gift the next day, right? It would have been impossible to get it without a reservation because it's the most famous bakery in the Capital."

"Where are all the desserts? Last time, he sent you a box of jewelry for this banquet. I'm still very impressed with the Lady's refusal…. It would have been better to be polite and to accept such a gift… The Duke must have been very sorry."

"Lady, what about your hair? Should I put it up and tie it? Last time, when the lady rolled up her hair, the Duke couldn't take his eyes off of her white neck!"

The names of the three maids who constantly bellied all day like sparrows were Jenette, Yuri, and Hanah, respectively. They were Eleanor's dedicated maids, who stuck by her side like triplets and took care of all kinds of things.

"Everyone be quiet! Lady, you have to hurry up and get ready so that you won't be late for your afternoon refreshments.'

The maid Anit closed the maid's mouth with a loud voice.

"Lady Eleanor, do you want a pink dress that you liked last time"?

Eleanor refused at once.

"No."

"Yes? What kind of clothes do you prefer …?"

"I'll go like this."

Anit opened her eyes wide in embarrassment.

The clothes she was wearing now were light dresses that infants usually wore indoors and blue robes.

Of course, they weren't clothes that would make one be subject to embarrassment when going out, but still, there was something about the formality of aristocrats. She had received a refreshment invitation from the owner of the mansion, and so it was right to follow the proper manners.

Jenette, a brown-haired maid, asked, looking at her.

"So. Lady, how about your hair?"

"I'm going to keep my hair like this."

Her maids exchanged gazes with round eyes.

My lady finally seems to have gone crazy.

She seemed to have rolled up her golden hair to practice putting up her hair for the banquet in advance. She had rolled up her hair to the top of her head with all her might so that none of the strands would come out.

It was not enough to enjoy refreshments with someone. Furthermore, if the other party is a noble man who deserves a marriage to a lady.

Anit tried to grab the skirt of the lady she served, intending to stop her.

"Lady, don't do that. Why don't you untie your hair?"

"Should I?"

Anit nodded and was pleased. But at the words of her to-be-married Young Lady, she almost threw her head upside down to the ground.

"Stretch it out and make it messy. Like I just woke up."

"Oh, lady!"

"Is there anything else than this robe? Old, perforated, and all the threads having escaped as if a mouse had eaten them. Hurry up! Yuri, bring the color charcoal black! Bring the charcoal black. Jenette! The leaves, too!"

When she gave them instructions with a passion they had never seen, the four maids soon ran around to the east side of the residence and finished her request with a feeling of biting their tongue.

Eventually, when the promised time approached, her readied appearance was enough to shock the maid and even Johannes.

Anit sweated inside when she saw the cold butler's eyebrows wriggling in shock. It was the moment when the honor of the marquise she had protected with all her heart plummeted to the ground.

Lady Mueller's outfit was like she had stirred around the whole field. Like she was a village maiden who slept deeply under the shade of any tree.

Blonde hair, which shines like wheat, were all tangled up with tree leaves and grass leaves, and the adorning turquoise shawls were torn off and twigs like toothpicks were stuck here and there. Her pale face was painted like a powder coat of charcoal black, making one believe that she had no idea where she had been buried.

"What is this… Lady Miller, what happened to you?"

"No. Nothing happened. I'm all ready. Let's go, Johannes."

Eun-woo winked at Johannes as if to take the lead. Johannes had the experience of losing her words for the first time since working as a servant of the duke.

'I'm sorry, Johannes! This is all to save me and my family members.'

Eun-woo begged for forgiveness from the deacon of the Duke, who had faith in her.

The butler soon regained his reasoning and politely recommended to her.

"Lady Mueller… Is it okay for you to go like this? Not only Sir Verk will be there but also guests from outside are invited to this refreshment."

"Guests from outside?"

"I'm sure Miss knows this well… I think that outfit is a bit…."

The maids opened their mouths as they watched the rare scene of Johannes, the butler, being vague at the end of her speech. However, the attitude of the lady served by the maids was very strong.

"No, I'll just go like this."

Eventually, Johannes led the Marquis's sister to a small terrace in a garden far from the main building.

The terrace, which looked like a small cage fixed with white beams, was located in the middle of a perfectly managed garden, as was the case anywhere in the Duke's mansion. An artificially created small stream was flowing among the flowers.

Eun-woo couldn't help but admire the white hydrangeas and pink dahlias in full bloom wherever she looked.

"There was a place like this."

"It's a flower garden that his Lordship uses to welcome guests who have been discriminated against. It's a place that's hard to find alone."

Between the terraces, two sturdy people were seen sitting.

Eun-woo blushed when she recognized his pitch-black hair that she had discovered countless times. It was Tashian.

She slipped her hand upwards and smoothed her unprepared hair.

"The Young Miss is here."

Johannes announced her arrival.

The white table in the center of the terrace was the first to catch her eyes. And she made eye contact with the Duke sitting with his eyes wide open sitting on the chair facing her.

As he jumped up after seeing her, Eun-woo missed drawing an example of Johannes next to him expressing to the royal family a guest sitting across from the Duke.

"What the hell is this? How did you become like this again?"

In just a few steps, Tashian strode up to her and raised his hands to her face as if he was wrapping her black cheeks. It was a touch that could not reach her body, but her expression was full of anxiety.

It seemed that he was so absent-minded that he did not even recognize that he had spoken informally to her in front of other people.

Eun-woo was blushing incredibly.

When did I ever roll in front of you and with that 'again'…?

"Where did you roll you say… ! I've never rolled around (like this) before!"

"Then what the hell is this? It's like you were fighting with someone!"

He was ready to end the man who made her like this at any moment and hang his head on the wall.

The purpose was to disappoint him with a shabby appearance, but she thought it was useless in the end even after she had buried a lot of worries about doing this.

Editor: Sasha

Report mistakes and chat with us at: https/discord.gg/woopread

Chapter 10

At that time, a guest who was waiting silently for the two as they quarrelled slowly turned toward them. It was a man, sitting with his back facing Eun-woo across from Tashian.

"… You're still clumsy, Eleanor."

Eun-woo flinched at the golden eyes that first caught her eyes. It was a vivid yellowish color that would prickle your eyes into tears inexplicably.

The man with soft mahogany hair, almost as large as Tashian, was watching the two as if it was interesting, with one hand on his head. It was a posture where he sat with his legs crossed arrogantly, but he looked natural as if he was born to be in that posture.

"It's been a while. My lovely Youngest Sister."

As the man smiled, his dimples spread on his white and clean skin. It was a charming smile that seemed to tear apart his lips.

Eun-woo freaked out and stepped back as she faced the man.

Crown Prince Ikshid Fedellamon, the male protagonist of the novel, maintained a smiling face regardless of her response.

"This is your first time joining us for a refreshment since your brother's last joined the army, perhaps?"

"Your seat is this way."

Tashian, who cut off the Prince's hospitality with a single sentence, led her to the table. In the meantime, he also did not forget to remove the soot from her cheek.

The Prince, who was neatly ignored by the Duke, smiled bitterly and muttered.

"Duke, you're good at everything, but sometimes you treat people in front of you as strangers."

"I'm honored."

Tashian replied with a soft voice no matter that no one would doubt.

"No, that wasn't a compliment."

"Please kill me."

"Again, again… How can you say such harsh words with such an expression? D*n it! Alright. You shouldn't have said that to me."

Eun-woo, who lost half of her soul and almost collapsed on the chair she was led to by Tashian. The light of the two men did not even catch her eyes or register in her mind.

No, why is the male protagonist Ikshid sitting here?

His first appearance had to be in a banquet that was held to commemorate the army's victory. Eun-woo's eyes turned to Ikshid, sitting free-spirited right next to Tashian.

He was shaking slightly up and down with his long legs crossed. At that moment, he smiled again when their eyes met. It was a smile like he was a male protagonist.

Eun-woo opened her eyes wide to calm down her unstable heart.

This is the human being who had sliced my husband's neck.

Then, she blushed, saying to herself, 'Oh, my.'

What an absurd affirmation, husband.

She was so focused on the ending of the novel that she really thought she was Eleanor.

Eun-woo glanced at Tashian sitting next to the Crown Prince.

He had a small wrinkle between his eyebrows, whether there was a prince in front of him or not, he continued on shaking off the leaves and dust on her shawl.

Ikshid's interested eyes were on the Duke. With a burdensome gaze, Eun-woo was embarrassed and pushed Tashian away.

"Ta, Tashian… It's okay now."

"Hold on a second. How did you end up like this? Are you sure you're not hurt?"

He frowned violently and began to turn around her body.

Eun-woo had to drag her chair away from him to dissuade him.

Ikshid watched the scene while rubbing his lips.

'Huh…?'

He sighed candidly inside.

He had an unrivaled ability in hiding his expression. He was born with it, and the environment he grew up and learned in also fueled his instinctive habits.

It was like a kind of debt of those who sat down and guarded the center of the empire, in which all kinds of conspiracy tricks of talented people called the new country were bustling in one pot.

However, thanks to the sight in front of him, his mask, which was now covered like a second piece of flesh, was almost broken. It was because of the duke in front of him and the woman who raised her hands as if she was supporting him. Perhaps if he hadn't managed his facial expression, he would have opened his mouth to the point where he didn't know if he would have crossed a line (of rudeness).

The Duke was literally unable to take his eyes off of this ray of willow in front of him and a woman with a weak impression. It was an attitude that if he looked away even a little, she would suddenly disappear.

Ikshid was seriously plagued with a single thought.

'That duke… How come… Since when…. with that kid…?'

No matter how he thought about it, there was nothing that came into his mind. Of course, considering the close bond between Miller Hu and the Duke Verk, it was not very unusual, but the Duke should have made it obvious at least once so far.

'I was completely fooled. I shouldn't even mention the arrangement of marriage with the white daughter of Wales. By the way, that kid, too. It's very subtle…'

In other words, since when did Miller Hu's sister had started grabbing the duke that way?

Of course, this kid is pretty enough to flip his eyes over.…

No one can follow or understand him in this kind of situation, no matter how hard they try. Miller's younger sister was just a sickly woman, and a sister of his close friend who resembles him. Despite her beautiful appearance, she had a mere presence.

At first he clearly recalled that he had no memory of the Duke and Miller's sister being close to each other at any one time.

As for the sister, even the fragmentary memories that came to mind, albeit shallow, were blurred. He felt like he found a hole behind the back of his mind, a hole in his memory that he had not known for his entire life.

'It's strange… Oh, my. This rarely happens. Has aging already started?'

"Where did you get this shawl? Why are you wearing rags like this?"

"Don't pull on me. Everything is worn out and rips quickly."

They were completely in their own world, so he pretended that he hadn't heard what they said to each other. At this moment, he could see the two people struggle over the rag-like shawl worn by the lady, and felt his side going cold having been left alone at the side for a long time.

"Eleanor, I've known you for a long time, but I don't think I've had a chance to face you in person and have a deep conversation."

Eun-woo grabbed the old shawl that Tashian was trying to take away as if he was not satisfied with it and hurriedly bowed her head at the prince.

"I- I am grateful. Your Highness, the Crown Prince."

"Call me brother comfortably. If you're a sister of Miller, you're like my sister as well. Didn't the three of us hang out a lot when you were young?"

Was that so?

Ikshid, who was showing a pleasant smile, tilted his head, reflecting on what he said inside. He had an ambiguous feeling, but he didn't remember anything clearly.

While Ikshid was struggling, Eun-woo quickly answered with her eyes shining.

"Can I? Crown Prince brother?"

'Cro-Crown Prince Brother…!'

Ikshid couldn't hide his expression this time. He expected that he would be faced with words such as, 'I am grateful' and 'How dare I?'

As if embarrassed, the eyes of the Duke, who grew in surprise, were caught by the gaze of the golden eyes that had opened wide. Anyway, today was a day when a lot of rare things were happening for Ikshid.

Eun-woo pretended not to understand the actions of the two men and chatted cheerfully.

"Your Highness, you are a Brother and a Crown Prince; the next ruler of the Empire, so it is just correct for me to address you this right way."

"That's not wrong, is it?"

Ikshid looked at Tashian with a fierce look as he helped her with a serious look.

Eun-woo smiled and glanced at the prince.

He was looking at her and Tashian with his golden eyes that seemed to be the same from before, moreover he was a man who smiled all the time, yet it gave a strange impression.

Ikshid was a person who would have a great influence on her in the future. In short, the fundamental reason for her and Tashian's death was because of his late love story playing out.

'Even if this human doesn't make eye contact with Selena and leave politics behind, Tashian won't go out of his way to rebel, you know.'

Of course, even if Tashian became a traitor and did not betray Ikshid, Eun-woo would never marry him, but she did not know about what these people would do.

What's wrong with removing the factors that will be the most problematic in advance? There was nothing to lose by being close to the male protagonist of such a novel.

Eun-woo smiled like a sunflower in full bloom at Ikshid.

"By the way, what brings you here, Crown Prince Brother?"

Ikshid drank from the teacup in his hand to hide his expression that showed he had still not overcome embarrassment.

At this moment, this sister, who was smiling harmlessly, was more burdensome to deal with than the human state of affairs.

He lamented his lack of memory and thought,'What did I say, this kid had no presence? Where the hell did I leave my eyes earlier? As a Crown Prince, who used to go around a lot, I don't stand up to my name.'

But as he was a worn-out politician, doon, he regained his composure and chatted with his usual slyness.

"I had a gift for my sister, so I came here myself to deliver it."

A large box was brought to the table by an attendant standing behind him like a mannequin. As the box opened, a bright color that seemed to emit light from the inside caught her eyes.

Inside the box was a golden cloth.

"Take a look."

Ikshid smiled happily and advised. But his eyes were watching Tashian, not Eleanor.

Eun-woo hesitated and lifted the golden cloth slightly. Now that she saw it, the fabric was delicately sewn and completed. The colorful patterns were as vivid and beautiful as the prince's eyes drew attention to him everywhere.

Eun-woo's eyes, who confirmed that it was a dress, was filled with hesitation.

The golden cloth was the color worn by the imperial family. How can he give her such a precious dress?

Hellasium was not a country with very strict standards for women. Young women showed off their youthful beauty with colorful colors. However, some colors were exceptions. The most representative of those was the golden color representing the Fedellamon imperial family.

Eun-woo looked down at the box in the middle of the table with an ambiguous look.

The Crown Prince of the Empire, and no one else,had presented her a dress with an embroidered gold cloth and thread directly to a young unmarried lady. Even from her eyes, who are not familiar with the customs here, it was not an ordinary thing.

Eun-woo tried to grasp the hidden true intention of the prince's face that had a full smile on a handsome face. However, soon after, she surrendered with a white flag on her expression as if she was wearing a shield.

"It's too beautiful. I don't think it can be mine."

Eun-woo closed the box back and pushed it slightly toward the prince. Ikshid raised his eyebrows and asked.

"Oho. How dare you decline an object given by the Crown Prince of the Empire? I should have posted an excuse for that too?"

Eun-woo glanced at Tashian's face, holding out with a stern voice and reading the prince's countenance. He was holding a teacup with a dull look as before.

"Take it. The golden color represents the imperial family, so it is strictly restricted in public, but in private or light tea parties, it is used among infants and young children. I heard it."

"Isn't it like that Duke? My hands are going numb. Come on, Elli."

Ikshid smiled and held out the box again.

Eun-woo pondered for a moment. She might have given too much meaning to receiving a dress. Moreover, didn't Ikshid say he was a long-time friend of her brother, Miller Hu? Of course, that was before Diego rebelled against the imperial family along with Tashian and expelled him from the throne.

Eventually, she pretended not to resist and pointed at the box shyly.

"Of course… I'll take it. Thank you, Crown Prince Brother."

The prince grumbled, touching his eyes with his hands.

"You like everything about it… and with my Crown Prince Brother's title, how can you not take it?"

"Oh, my. Why? It's just good."

Gifts came and went, and the atmosphere became friendly. Only the Duke was bluntly inhaling the teacup with the expression of chewing pine needles.

Seeing that, Ikshid laughed inside. He thought with a snake-like smile.

'Such a day would come in my life. I didn't expect to see that Tashian would be drinking only tea water while biting his face in front of me.'

Editor: Sasha

Report mistakes and chat with us at: https/discord.gg/woopread

Name(required)

Email(required)

Website

Message

Submit