《The Heroine in The Novel Died》 Prologue ¡°Did you say you came to see my daughter?¡± ¡°Yes. Please forgive my rudeness of coming to the mansion without a message. One hour is an urgent matter for me.¡± When I told him I had come to see his daughter, Milter Archen, a small crack appeared on his face. He was described in the book as a good looking middle-aged man, making it difficult to believe he had a daughter who had reached adulthood. This was a common rule in the novel to avoid the Heroine¡¯s father¡¯s overt appearance. He was Count Archen, the biological father of the Heroine in the novel I read. I had no idea I would end up living in a world of the novel. He was also a character who had no presence and was not even mentioned in the book. When I told Count Archen I¡¯d come to meet Milter, his face noticeably darkened. Why did he react differently than I expected? I knew the Count had a tough personality and gave everyone the cold shoulder, but I also know he was a fool who couldn¡¯t stop laughing when it came to his daughter. The Count, who stood in front of me, had a sad expression on his face, as if the world had fallen apart around him. Because the Count was greeting me instead of Young Lady Archen, it seems that she was not at the mansion. Was this because of that? It was a plausible premise because Count Archen had a character who would soar or plummet into the sky with his daughter¡¯s every move. Anyway, when will the Young Lady return? Milter¡¯s absence made me nervous. I considered making an appointment and returning later, but as I consider how my life, which I thought would be a flowery path, could be twisted and ruined if I made a mistake, my hips become heavy. Whatever happens, we must put the wrong things back in their proper place today. I was under the impression that Milter would solve all of my problems. Until I heard the Count¡¯s trembling voice deliver the news. ¡°It seems that you did not receive the obituary.¡± ¡°Obituary? Whose¡­.¡± When I looked into the red and bloodshot eyes of the Count, the Heroine¡¯s father, I got a shiver down my spine and had a bad hunch. ¡°She is dead. My daughter is already dead.¡± What did I just hear? ¡°My dear daughter, Milter passed away earlier than her father.¡± The Count of Archen reliable shoulder collapsed helplessly. My mental state was shattered at the same time, like crumbs from a soft cookie. The Heroine in the novel is dead. And she had given me her power in exchange for a ruined ending. It was from the moment I met that man that I realized something was wrong with my life, which was busy but uninteresting. CH 1 It was a day ago. Until then, I had only known myself as Alioth Riel, Marquis of Alioth¡¯s eldest daughter. I went for a walk in the downtown area to pass the time after finishing my family business. After that, I sat down on a bench to rest for a while, and then I ran into a man who was there earlier. I tapped his shoulder lightly. ¡°Oh, I apologize.¡± Even at first glance, I already knew that man had a good-looking appearance. I even thought he was an escaped statue from a nearby art museum. Was it true that I fell in love at first sight? No. The man who collided with me rested his head on my shoulder as if about to pass out. Was this the start of a sweet relationship with that man? Sadly, it wasn¡¯t that either. The genre of this story with a man leaning against me and drooping like a piece of paper, was not a romance with fluttering petals. Because of how much of an emergency the situation was, I thought that he was dead. In my previous life, this would have happened due to medical complications. ¡°Excuse me? Are you okay? Please wake up!¡± Could you take him to the hospital with me, man in a hat over there? Just before I made the remark, I noticed he had a calm face and was breathing evenly; he didn¡¯t appear to be a patient. ¡°Are you sleeping now? If you sleep here, you will be sick.¡± I was frustrated, so I shook the body of the man who was sleeping like he was dead on the bench without fear in the middle of the day, and the weather was still too cold for a homeless person. He didn¡¯t appear to have been drunk because his smell was soft and pleasant. And, because he was dressed so nicely, he didn¡¯t even seem to be a beggar. But whoever he was, he must have been insane to droop and sleep on a bench in the downtown area. Was I going to leave him? Yes. Being involved with a crazy person wasn¡¯t a good idea. I was in a panic so I tried to get up and run away. ¡°Fanny, Hurry up, it¡¯s cold. Give me a blanket, five more minutes.¡± The man who was sleep talking yanked at my clothes with all his might, attempting to make himself a blanket. That¡¯s my dress, not a blanket! I tried to shake the man¡¯s hand off, but he had such a strong grip on me that I couldn¡¯t even get my collar out. You punk. Now that it turned out like this, I¡¯ll find a way to wake you up. ¡°Wake up right now!¡± I grabbed the man¡¯s neck and shook it ferociously. He slowly opened his eyes and woke up, shaken by the strength of my arms, which had been trained over a long period of time through working at the company. ¡°Did I just fall asleep?¡± ¡°Yes, you are dead to the world.[1] I would have assumed you were a homeless person if it weren¡¯t for the color and style of your attire. Now that you have woken up, then could you please let this go?¡± I pointed to the man¡¯s grip on the hem of my dress. But he kept staring at me, as if he didn¡¯t want to let go. ¡°Was it you who passed by me before I went to sleep?¡± ¡°Yes, why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s the first time.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± I couldn¡¯t understand what the man was saying, so I asked him again, squinting one eye. ¡°You are the first person to put me to sleep simply by touching me.¡± Wait a minute, I believe I¡¯ve heard this sentence before. The memories of the unfamiliar woman¡¯s life came flooding back as soon as I heard the man¡¯s words, along with a headache that felt like it was going to break my head. Those memories of the woman¡¯s entire life flashed through my mind as quickly as a flashlight just before she died, and it seeped into me. I remembered. I originally lived in Korea and worked as an ordinary cosmetic store employee. My previous life¡¯s last memory was of reading a novel after work, feeling tired, and falling asleep. And the words this man uttered were the lines spoken by the villain when he first met the heroine in the novel , which I was reading at the time. That was ridiculous. Was it possible that I got into a novel? That was exactly what commonly happened in fantasy novels. I tried slapping my cheek with my palm to see if this was a dream, but the reality in front of me was so vivid. Get a hold of yourself. Riel. You can check to see if this place is really in a novel. As far as I recall, the character of Alioth Riel was never mentioned in the novel at all. The reason I could make a definitive conclusion was because the novel was narrated by focusing solely on the male lead and heroine, as well as the villain¡¯s story, and even the extras were counted with my hands. What was the name of the villain in that novel? I remembered him as the strongest villain in the world. ¡°Duke Kissen Cassiar!¡± I recalled the villain¡¯s name and spit it out unconsciously. ¡°Do you know who I am? You just didn¡¯t recognize my face.¡± Of course, I don¡¯t remember! I only saw your name in the novel! [The Duke of Cassiar¡¯s black hair was reminiscent of the night sky, and his golden eyes, as fierce as a beast hunting for prey, were as beautiful as if they were filled with stars.] I took a closer look at Duke Cassiar as I remembered the sentence about his appearance. Black hair that looked like the night sky. The man in front of me had golden eyes that were terrifying but also beautiful, as if they were filled with stars, and he satisfied all of the descriptions but had superiority beyond them. This was undeniable, he was Duke Kissen. So, who exactly am I? Isn¡¯t it the heroine¡¯s role to put The Duke of Cassiar to sleep? I decided to actually review the novel¡¯s contents. It was strange to suddenly recall my previous life, as well as the contents of the novel I had been reading at the time. was an anticlimactic novel. And the villain in the novel was Duke Kissen Cassiar. The respected and famous Duke of Cassiar, who had produced Archmages from generations to generations, with a handsome appearance that was difficult to replicate even with a sculpture, had abundant wealth, the ability to rise to the position of Archmage, and had been referred to as a genius mage since childhood. There was only one fatal flaw in him, who was nothing in lacking, and it was that he was suffering from madness. His madness manifested itself in the form of overflowing mana. His power was transcendent, so if he lost control and ran wild, the entire mansion would be blown away. The Duke of Cassiar suffered from severe insomnia so relied on sleeping pills. His madness manifested when he was sleep deprived. However, when he became resistant to it and it did not work, it was the heroine, Archen Milter, who put the Duke of Cassiar, who was in a precarious state on the verge of a mana explosion, to sleep. Milter possessed the unique power to erase bad memories and put his mind at ease while in contact, making it possible for Duke Cassiar to sleep. If those two had been in love, the story might have ended happily, but Milter had a crush on the male lead, Hassen. For the Duke of Cassiar, there was no such thing as love. He desired Milter for himself. Milter, on the other hand, refused the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s demands and it resulted in her kidnapping. There was a reason why I remembered the title and content of this novel despite the fact that I have never read the novel. That was because the main characters¡¯ ending was ruined. The novel was quite popular at the time it was serialized. Unlike other novels in which the villain gets off track and falls in love, the Duke of Cassiar was devoted solely to the role of the villain. As the novel¡¯s development was fresh, the novel¡¯s ending piqued interest as well. The ending, on the other hand, was shocking enough to be absurd, as the pressure was as great as the work¡¯s popularity. The other Dukes run into a runaway as soon as Duke Cassiar kidnaps Milter, and Hassen, Milter, and himself all die. It was a once-in-a-lifetime flop. It got to the point where readers questioned the writer¡¯s mental stability. Even I, who respected the author¡¯s viewpoint, considered changing the ending if I could get into the story. Maybe it was because of that fleeting emotion that I wanted to enter the novel? Was it common for a character who did not appear in the novel to become a main character? ¡°I apologize for interrupting you in the midst of your seriousness, but I have something to say to you. Why don¡¯t you listen to me as well?¡± The Duke of Cassiar, who was waving his hand in front of my face, looked at me with despair in his eyes. He was so handsome that he could say something impolite to someone. In fact, I prefered his appearance. Then I gently slapped my face and shut my mouth. Wake up, Riel. This wasn¡¯t the right time to talk about your personal preferences. I would be ruined instead of Milter if I made a mistake. ¡°I apologize, but I¡¯m a little busy right now.¡± ¡°How about we talk on the way?¡± ¡°Which way are you going?¡± ¡°I¡¯m heading in the same direction as you.¡± Damn it. You appear to be adamant about not stepping down. The Duke of Cassiar, as the world¡¯s most powerful villain, was difficult to deal with. ¡°I apologize, but I haven¡¯t spoken to anyone casually since the beginning.¡± ¡°Then you¡¯re free to speak informally as well.¡± Hahaha. You have a better personality than I read in the novel. The duke¡¯s coldness burst forth with a big smile. There was no sign of the conversation coming to an end at this point. If I couldn¡¯t avoid him, I had no choice but to run into him. There was no need to be scared because there was no heroine in this part of the story! ¡°Because the Duke is so adamant about it, let¡¯s first hear the situation.¡± I said it without being intimidated in front of the Duke of Cassiar, and he smiled, looking at me as if it were a game. There was no need to be concerned! We¡¯d never see each other again if the Duke of Cassiar meets Milter, because I was of no importance in this story. ¡°If you know me, you must have heard of my madness. That is caused by not being able to sleep.¡± ¡°I had no idea the Duke was in such a pitiful situation.¡± I pretended to be unaware of Duke Cassiar¡¯s circumstances in order to avoid becoming involved as much as possible. He continued speaking, however, without showing any signs of embarrassment. ¡°However, as soon as you touched me, I felt free of something that had been shackling me, and I fell asleep. Nothing like this has ever happened to anyone I¡¯ve ever met.¡± This was what Duke Cassiar said to Milter in the novel. ¡°Oh, it looks like you need that power. But what am I to do? This is a power that I borrowed for a limited time, and it will soon lose its effectiveness. But if the Duke needs it, I¡¯ll introduce you to the person from whom I borrowed.¡± ¡°Borrowing power? How can I believe that? It¡¯s your natural power, but you might be lying because you don¡¯t want to be involved with me, who has a lot of bad rumors.¡± The Duke of Cassiar, as someone who believed in what he saw with his eyes, gave me a suspicious look. However, I should not be involved in the rumor in the newspaper about the Duke of Cassiar. Are you trying to read my thoughts? Are you aware of my thoughts? ¡°I only have one life. How dare I deceive the Duke? I¡¯d bet Marquis Alioth¡¯s honor that what I¡¯m saying is true.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve answered the question, so the rest is up to the Duke.¡± ¡°It isn¡¯t just my problem. I¡¯m not going to let you go if it¡¯s not true, because you¡¯re exactly what I need.¡± Regardless of how much the reader desired a fast-paced novel, wasn¡¯t this a bit much? It seemed like the development was faster than the original one, so was he about to kidnap me right away? ¡°How can I persuade you to believe me?¡± In light of the circumstances, I decided to take a step back. ¡°If you want me to believe what you said, I¡¯ll give you a chance to prove it by bringing that person here at the appointed time tomorrow, I will give you the terms if you don¡¯t keep the promise.¡± ¡°What if I reject the terms?¡± ¡°It might be worth it if you risk your life instead.¡± There was no need to be relieved that I played a minor role. That meant I didn¡¯t have to worried about dying at the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s hands right now! In any case, all I had to do was bring Milter in. Although I was bothered by the ruined ending, I wasn¡¯t sure if I could change it by explaining what had happened to Milter. I¡¯d like to live without being noticed as I was before. ¡°I¡¯ll trust you.¡± The Duke of Cassiar looked relieved as if he didn¡¯t have anything to lose, he added. ¡°I¡¯d also like to know who you borrowed the power from.¡± ¡°Count Archen¡¯s daughter, Milter Archen.¡± I said her name confidently. Duke Cassiar¡¯s expression darkened when he heard her name. ¡°Are you sure you can bring her?¡± I had no idea what that question meant at the time. If I could do it now, I¡¯d like to shut up and respond to his provocations with my fearless mouth. ¡°I¡¯ll bring her. I¡¯m putting my life on the line here.¡± Notes: [1] Dead to the world means sleeping so deeply that she can¡¯t wake him up. CH 2 The date for the first meeting between Milter and the Duke of Cassiar had been set. I couldn¡¯t leave the mansion even though it was almost an hour before I was supposed to meet the Duke of Cassiar, so I locked myself in my room, just tying my hair. Was Archen Milter dead? How was it possible that the novel¡¯s heroine had already died? My mind was filled with confusion because I couldn¡¯t believe Milter had already died. When I read her obituary, I remembered a conversation I had with Count Archen. ¡®I couldn¡¯t believe what had happened to Lady Milter. Did Lady Milter suffer from a chronic illness?¡¯ Milter was a healthy and strong character from birth in the novel. Despite Duke Cassiar¡¯s conciliation, she was a strong and determined woman who stood firm in her love. But I couldn¡¯t believe she died in such a vain way! She even got buff as the heroine. Even if the plot went awry, the heroine¡¯s death was inexcusable. I wanted to know more about Milter¡¯s death. Maybe she was still alive, just disguised as dead. What couldn¡¯t the heroine do? This was a story that could appear in a drama, but if there was even a slight possibility, I felt like I wanted to clutch at straws.[1] If she disappeared from this world, the Duke of Cassiar would kidnap me, who possessed the same power as Milter¡¯s. ¡®At first, she was a healthy child who could have a quarrel with the knights, but Milter began to suffer from strange sounds around the age of 13.¡¯ The Count of Archen had a gloomy expression on his face, as if reminiscing about that time. ¡®What do you mean by a strange sound?¡¯ ¡®This is the first time I¡¯ve ever told someone about this. The child is said to have lived several lives. However, she said that she couldn¡¯t change the tragic ending. She told a desperate story and said something disturbing, like she wished for her life, which was like a wheel, would end.¡¯ How many lives did Milter repeat? Did Milter know the ending of this novel? But the novel I read was not a regression. However, concluding that this was impossible was difficult. Milter¡¯s death was a plot twist that didn¡¯t appear in the novel, and she could have been living multiple lives that weren¡¯t mentioned in the novel. If I assumed Milter knew the novel¡¯s ending, she might have tried to avoid an ending where everyone was ruined. ¡®Isn¡¯t it hard to believe? I also did. She noticed that I didn¡¯t believe it so she stopped talking about it anymore. I thought it would end there, but Milter brought a mirror, which I had never seen before, and said she knew how to change her fate a few days before she died.¡¯ A way to change fate? What was that? Did the mirror become a magic tool? ¡®My daughter died suddenly the night she brought the mirror. She was a healthy child who hadn¡¯t even caught a cold.¡¯ Did Milter die unexpectedly? ¡®Are you saying the cause of death is unknown?¡¯ ¡®Her heart stopped for no apparent reason, so the result was a heart attack. There may be lingering feelings, but I can¡¯t help but believe that my daughter¡¯s death was caused by something else.¡¯ Frustrated, the Count of Archen struck his chest with his fist. How would you feel if your daughter, whom you loved so much, died unexpectedly? I felt sad as well. ¡®What happened to the mirror?¡¯ For the time being, the mirror seemed to be the most connected to Milter¡¯s death. ¡®Because my daughter died the day she brought that into the mansion, I thought that item was an ominous thing.¡¯ It wasn¡¯t that I didn¡¯t understand the Count of Archen¡¯s feelings, but I couldn¡¯t help but feel sorry for him. The mirror was the only clue to Milter¡¯s death. ¡®Could you describe the mirror to me? It could be something I¡¯m familiar with.¡¯ ¡®It was a mirror made of something I¡¯d never seen before. It¡¯s square and fits on a tabletop. Behind it, a girl with black hair and black eyes smiled, her legs flaunted in a short dress. It was a disturbing image.¡¯ Wait, was this? ¡®Isn¡¯t this an engraved shape?¡¯ I showed the Count of Archen the scribbled letters on the tissue. ¡®That¡¯s right. There must have been a letter like this engraved next to the disturbed image. But how did you know that?¡¯ My guess was right. The text I showed the Count of Archen was ¡®Lee Joo Hye.¡¯ It was my name in a previous life. ¡®The Young Lady of Archen once showed me the mirror. I remember it because it had an unusual shape.¡¯ ¡®I see.¡¯ I lied when I said I¡¯d seen Milter¡¯s mirror. Truthfully, I hadn¡¯t met Milter. But I knew what Count Archen meant when he explained the mirror. A square mirror with a picture attached to it that could be placed on a tabletop. It was clearly the mirror I had used in a previous life. It was a cheap mirror that I bought for 1,000 Won at an emporium when I was a student, and I put my picture on the back of it. Because I frequently lost my mirror, I engraved my name on it. But I was hesitant to admit that it was a photo from a previous life because I respected Count Archen¡¯s feelings. For me, it was a bittersweet feeling, as I wished I had a father like the Count of Archen. I had heartbreak in unexpected places, but what mattered now was not my past life. How did Milter get my mirror? What connection did this have to my entry into the novel? Perhaps there was something I was overlooking. What happened just before I came in here? Before entering the world, I lay in bed, closed my eyes, and calmly recalled myself. Strangely enough, after realizing my previous life, the memory of that day still came to mind. I was reading a novel after work and fell asleep. What else happened after that? I remembered hearing a faint voice in the darkness. Dream! I was lying on the bed like a corpse when I was startled awake by a memory that came to mind. That¡¯s right, after falling asleep while reading a novel, I had a dream! A strange woman¡¯s voice spoke to me in a dream. ¡®You¡¯re a strong-willed woman who will change fate. May this power bring you blessings on your journey forward.¡¯ The woman gave me something while putting her forehead together on mine in the darkness, where I couldn¡¯t even see her face, and then disappeared. ??That¡¯s the last memory I have of my previous life, and I¡¯ve been living as Alioth Riel since then. What if I received Milter¡¯s power then? Was that Milter? But why me? She referred to me as ¡®a person with a strong desire to change fate.¡¯ Then, what the woman called as the person with strong will to change the fate, was here. Was she referring to my wish to rip the novel¡¯s ending and fix it if I could? Was it really Milter¡¯s reason for bringing me into this world? Was she willing to give up her life for it? If I could go back in time, I¡¯d delete all related apps so I wouldn¡¯t be able to read novels in my previous life. No, I wouldn¡¯t even install it in the first place! I said that I would shut myself off from novels for the rest of my life! I went somewhere and cried because I couldn¡¯t speak, and then I realized that the time I promised to the Duke of Cassiar had passed. He knew I was from the Alioth family, so he¡¯d find me if I didn¡¯t show up for the meeting. ¡°What if you just go away, Milter? You won¡¯t even be able to see Hassen, whom you love, if you go this way! I¡¯m not going to let you go in this condition!¡± Feeling stuck, I cried out into the air. I was afraid that my head would explode if I didn¡¯t cry. I had no choice but to accept Milter¡¯s death now that everything had come together. I was too stunned, as if my world had come crashing down around me, and I kicked the bed down. I didn¡¯t want to sit around doing nothing and become entangled with Duke Cassiar instead of the heroine and him ruin me! There was still a chance. Let¡¯s get on any boat now and leave this empire, living as if I were dead, and then doing long-term business with the money I had amassed over the years. Since I also had funds I had saved up from my time working at the merchant organization, I think I would be able to survive for a while. I began packing my belongings into a large bag, as if I were a thief escaping at night. ¡°That¡¯s good enough! Let¡¯s go!¡± With a lot of extra money in the safe, I hurriedly opened the door and rushed out to the living room at a frantic pace. ¡°Oh my goodness, Riel. Did you just get out of bed?¡± I saw my mother smiling softly at the end of the hallway. ¡°Mother.¡± Even if I want to leave, I suppose I should say my goodbyes. With tears in my eyes, I ran to my mother and hugged her. ¡°Oh my, what¡¯s wrong with you? Did you have a nightmare?¡± I wish this were a nightmare. It was a dream that cameto an end when you woke up. I thought I¡¯d be able to live happily as the Marquis¡¯s daughter, Young Lady Alioth, but tears welled up as I realized I might never see my family again. I would have spent more time with my family instead of working if I had known this would happen. Because my family was always in the mansion, I thought I could meet and talk with them whenever I pleased. I hadn¡¯t even gone on a typical family trip since the company started, so I postponed and waited until the next time. ¡°Mother, thank you for raising me until now.¡± ¡°You are, really! What are you talking about out of the blue? What¡¯s with all the luggage you¡¯ve got on your hands? Are you going to leave the house right now?¡± How did you know? Of course, my behavior was akin to that of a fugitive who always wants to flee, but my mother seemed to have figured out why I was leaving the house. ¡°Did you already know that?¡± ¡°Of course. I had a rough idea of what was going on. A guest came while you were sleeping.¡± A guest came? Come to think of it, my mother was dressed up in a glamorous dress that was different from usual. When a special guest came, she took out her favorite ruby necklace and hung it, but now it was hanging around her neck. Looking at the ruby necklace around her neck, it appears that a formal guest had arrived. Was there anyone who was willing to come and see me? When I was younger, I learned to work at a company that organized a merchant¡¯s private army. And, as I grew older, I took over the management of the company, so I had no close acquaintances with whom I could personally visit the mansion. Butte took over the company¡¯s work, so it was most likely not because of work. Even if I used my brain, there was no one to guess. ¡°No one is coming, who¡­¡± My gaze was drawn to the sofa in the living room. And I went there. Then I noticed his face, sitting on the sofa with his back completely relaxed. I stifled a scream that was about to erupt. Why are you here? ¡°They are right; a beautiful woman is a sleepyhead.¡± The Duke of Cassiar was there, tilting his teacup and staring at me while sitting confidently in front of my father. Why are you staring at me like that? I was taken aback by the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s presence at first, but his stare at me had grown seriously vexing. ¡°When I see you as beautiful as you are, I notice that you sleep a lot.¡± The Duke of Cassiar gave me a warm smile. As if he were talking with his lover, he looked at me with a loving expression. Notes CH 3 What? What was with those creepy melodramatic eyes? Put that away. I smiled kindly and squeezed my eyes tightly shut with all my might. I spat out all the swear words I could think of while looking at the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s face. But my parents were present, so I couldn¡¯t say it. They had no idea what the world¡¯s most powerful villain would do in this mansion, but I didn¡¯t want my plans to be twisted, so I¡¯d just go with the flow. ¡°What brought the Duke all the way here?¡± While I had my teeth clenched and forcibly raised my lips to smile, my mother secretly slapped me on the back. Tears welled up as I felt the pain in my back bones. ¡°It hurts!¡± It was still a mystery how those slender hands acquired enough strength to slap me so hard that it made me grip my back and stomp my feet. ¡°You really! I just lightly rubbed your back, but you¡¯re exaggerating! You promised to marry the Duke, It¡¯s not strange that the person who will become your husband comes to greet you! How can you plan a wedding without telling me anything?¡± ¡°What? Who¡¯s promising what?¡± I scowled at things I couldn¡¯t fathom. I was the type of person who avoided speaking with the Duke of Cassiar. But I promised to marry him? I think I misheard it or my mom misunderstood something. They might have thought I was his lover because the Duke of Cassiar, who was unmarried, showed up at the mansion unexpectedly. ¡°Mom, there¡¯s a misunderstanding¡­¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing to hide, Riel. Because I¡¯ve told Marquis and Marchioness, so they need not be worried.¡± I was about to say that the Duke of Cassiar had come for a different reason, then he cut me off and approached me. What exactly did you mean when you said there was nothing to hide? The only thing we were trying to hide was you threatening me! My mother, who had no idea what I was thinking, smiled more gracefully than ever. ¡°You don¡¯t have to pack your things in advance. I¡¯ll send someone on the day you enter the Duchy.¡± The Duke of Cassiar swept his hand through the luggage I was carrying. He seemed so kind to strangers, but he looked vicious to me. How long did you think I¡¯d put up with this before giving up? I didn¡¯t know what the Duke meant when he mentioned marriage, but I couldn¡¯t take it any longer! Even though he was the world¡¯s most powerful villainous duke, he should not announce marriage with haste! Do it with someone else if you want to get married! It was when the Duke of Cassiar moved closer to my face and said something in hushed tones. ¡°Did you forget about it? Your life was on the line because of the oath you took.¡± I quickly remembered the promise I had made to him when the Duke whispered it. I agreed to grant one request if I didn¡¯t keep my promise. ¡®I¡¯m going to bring her. I¡¯m putting my life on the line here.¡¯ I was even willing to put my life on the line. ©¤©¤?????©¤©¤ When I came to my senses after being too stunned to speak, I was already sitting next to the Duke of Cassiar and facing my parents. ¡°Riel, I know you didn¡¯t want to burden them with marriage, but it¡¯s in your parents¡¯ hearts to care for their beloved daughter¡¯s marriage.¡± I didn¡¯t even want to get married. I was upset that I couldn¡¯t tell my parents my true feelings. This was the right decision, even if it was unfair. Even my innocent parents could be put in danger if I made a mistake with my words. ¡°Riel is a thoughtful person, like Marquis and Marchioness¡± ¡°Aww, Riel looks just like me when she does that.¡± By the way, Duke of Cassiar, you¡¯re quite good at roasting people, aren¡¯t you? I thought he wouldn¡¯t be sociable because he didn¡¯t have many people around him and had a cold and straightforward demeanor. My mother seemed to have taken a liking to the Duke of Cassiar. I thought that was her happiest expression in a long time. But now this bastard has kidnapped her daughter. My father, who had been clamoring but had remained silent, opened his mouth. ¡°I understand that the Duke wants to marry my daughter.¡± Unlike my mother, my father had a sorrowful expression on his face. ¡°But there¡¯s one thing I want to make sure of before I send my daughter away.¡± ¡°Please ask me anything you are comfortable with.¡± ¡°I understand that this is a sensitive issue for the Duke, but I can¡¯t ignore it because it involves my daughter. It¡¯s about the Duke¡¯s madness.¡± My father gathered the documents that appeared to have been proposed by the Duke of Cassiar. For a brief moment, the Duke¡¯s gaze fell on the papers, becoming cold in an instant. ¡°The Duke¡¯s marriage to my daughter is nothing but good fortune that has come to our family. If my daughter becomes a duchess, the business will expand and honor will naturally follow. Furthermore, Duke has stated that you will provide all possible help and assistance, so there is nothing else that can be done.¡± Without hesitation, my father handed the documents back to the Duke of Cassiar. ¡°Riel¡¯s safety takes precedence over the interests of the entire family. I cannot accept this marriage if it is dangerous for Riel to marry the Duke.¡± My heart fluttered as I saw my father¡¯s determination. These people were my parents who raised me with love, even if this world was in a novel. I swore. No matter what happens, I would make sure they didn¡¯t get hurt because of me. ¡°I fully understand Marquis¡¯s feelings. It¡¯s understandable that you are worried because my madness can hurt your daughter. If the Marquis knows about my madness, you must also know that it comes from insomnia.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ve recently learned that you don¡¯t even take strong sleeping pills.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help it. I have no choice but to reveal it.¡± With a darker expression, the Duke of Cassiar wrapped his arm around my wrist. Are you attempting to take me away by force because conciliation has failed? This could endanger my parents! As soon as I tried to stand up, thinking I had to stop it no matter what, the Duke of Cassiar grabbed my hand and placed it on his cheek. After a brief silence, the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s body fell back. ¡°Duke! What¡¯s wrong with you? Please wake up!¡± My father jumped out of his seat, startled, and took a close look at the Duke who had collapsed. I think I had seen this scene before. Did you fall asleep again? When I saw him lying down, it seemed that my assumptions were correct. ¡°Father, please take a step back for a moment. I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll be able to figure it out.¡± I stood with my back to my parents, covering the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s upper body. Again, he was dead to the world. ¡°How can you sleep here? Duke, you have to wake up.¡± I¡¯d have to show you a spicy taste to wake you up if you weren¡¯t going to. I tried to wake the Duke of Cassiar up with a soft voice. How peaceful it was that sounded like a lullaby. With one hand, I pretended to try to wake him up softly while blocking my parents¡¯ view so they didn¡¯t notice, and with the other, I slapped his cheek mercilessly. When the Duke of Cassiar was slapped by my hand, he awoke with his eyes wide open. ¡°Ah, I think I fell asleep right away because I was up all night last night. I¡¯m embarrassed.¡± The Duke¡¯s cheeks were burning red on both sides as he sat in formality again. He didn¡¯t seem to notice the pain in his cheek, perhaps because he had just woken up. I wished he would have awoken a few minutes later. Two more slaps. It made me feel guilty, but it also made me feel relieved from my frustration. ¡°I don¡¯t take strong sleeping pills, because Riel can put me to sleep with just the touch of her hand. With this, I realized once more that Riel is my fated love, whom I will never miss. Although I have flaws, can you trust me this once?¡± I couldn¡¯t believe the Duke of Cassiar was acting when he looked at my father with a gleam in his eyes. Why were you so good at talking? His eyes and acting like¡­ He was such a rascal, right? ¡°Oh my, is it like a fateful love in a novel?¡± My mother was moved by the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s words, and was in a melancholy mood. It was true that this was in the novel. A novel in which everyone was ruined. This was a difficult situation. Even my father was about to fall for it at this rate. ¡°Would you like to go out for a little while to wake up, Duke? There¡¯s something else I¡¯d like to talk about.¡± I interrupted the flow of conversation and stood up before my father could give him an answer. ¡°Excuse me for a moment.¡± The Duke of Cassiar expressed regret for not being able to get a response from my father, but he nevertheless followed me. ©¤©¤?????©¤©¤ ¡°Marrying me without discussing it? What the hell are you doing right now?¡± I took a look around and let out the rage that had been building up inside of me. ¡°Hasn¡¯t this been decided? You will grant me one request if you do not keep your promise.¡± ¡°There was no mention of marriage! Who decides and informs on important events such as marriage on their own?¡± ¡°Then, are you willing to put your life on the line?¡± The Duke of Cassiar¡¯s gaze became icy. If I said I¡¯d pay with my life, he looked like he¡¯d cut my throat right away. This f*cking mouth! Why would I risk my life? Whatever he did, it was like I was on an express train to the afterlife. ¡°All I have to do is let the Duke fall asleep. We don¡¯t know each other, and you don¡¯t have to murder someone, but do we really need to get married?¡± I was not very good at this, and I¡¯d always been straightforward about my feelings for the Duke of Cassiar. He still needed my power, but did he really want to kill me? ¡°This isn¡¯t the first time you¡¯ve known that I was so anxious to kill you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve figured it out now. So let¡¯s pretend we¡¯re not married. I¡¯ll make sure to explain everything to my parents.¡± I pretended to be unconcerned about what he did to me, claiming that I didn¡¯t want to marry him even if I died soon. ¡°Do whatever you want. Acting nice is irritating to me as well, and when rumors circulate that an unmarried noble young lady enters the bedroom of an unmarried man, she must be the one who loses the most.¡± It was infuriating, but it was exactly what Duke Cassiar had predicted. It was obvious that if rumors spread that an unmarried noblewoman, a young lady, would visit the Duke¡¯s residence, it would harm not only me but also the marquis¡¯ reputation later. It was possible that the rumors about me would have an impact on the company. Furthermore, the Duke¡¯s condition for the Marquis was a one-of-a-kind support that had never been seen before in the marriages of other nobles. It was a loveless marriage that nobles who valued their family¡¯s honor would have welcomed. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be better to gain more than to lose? If not, is there any particular reason why you can¡¯t get married?¡± The Duke of Cassiar posed a serious question to me. True, his words tempted me for a while, but my thoughts remained unchanged. What was the point of having good conditions? Once you were out of control, I was done! There was no need to go to the underworld for money or fame! Marriage to the Duke should be avoided in any case. ¡°There is a reason for this. I¡¯m a misogamist. I don¡¯t plan on marrying until I¡¯m dead.¡± ¡°Since when?¡± It starts today, you punk. ¡°Since I was born.¡± I was adamant about my refusal to marry the Duke of Cassiar. When I told him I was a misogamist, I thought he was taken aback. He, on the other hand, smiled even wider. ¡°That¡¯s all right. It would weigh on my heart if you had been thinking about getting married because I was blocking your way. There¡¯s no need to be concerned about being a misogamist. So, are there any more issues?¡± The Duke of Cassiar shook his hand, as if the weight of his heart had been lifted. That wasn¡¯t the reaction I was hoping for. I was irritated by his laidback response, but it didn¡¯t satisfy my desire for a normal, happy future. ¡°There is!¡± ¡°What else?¡± I yelled at the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s poker face, who remained motionless. ¡°You are not my cup of tea! Duke.¡± CH 4 Did I say too much? Because I was hasty, the words I said were abrasive. If this was enough, this world would not be ruined, and I would not be forced to marry him. Duke of Cassiar¡¯s brows were slightly distorted, as expected. But, even if he frowned, I realized that his face was to my taste. It would have been better to elevate this person above others if the ending wasn¡¯t destruction, but that would be a shame. ¡°So, what¡¯s your preference?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Which part of me do you not like?¡± With his poker face on, the Duke of Cassiar bent his body towards me. His flawless and beautiful face became clearer as the distance between us narrowed. This was a face that surpasses all of my preferences. In other words, he was just right! However, it was no different from digging my own grave to convey my feelings. I had to pretend that I didn¡¯t like him. ¡°First, those fierce leopard-like eyes! I prefer a gentle impression, like an obedient puppy.¡± In fact, it was the Duke¡¯s sharp eyes that I admired the most. I pretended not to be interested in the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s eyes. ¡°And what¡¯s next?¡± ¡°Rather than black hair, I prefer mystical silver hair like mine. Dark hair makes it look darker, doesn¡¯t it?¡± I brushed my thick long silver hair boastfully. Actually, my hair in my previous life was black. I adore the quiet and desolate atmosphere! The best hair in the world is black hair! ¡°Certainly.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°It¡¯s beautiful. Your silver hair.¡± Even though he spoke casually, the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s gaze was fixed on me. Is that something you¡¯re saying to entice me to fall for your sweet talk? I was tempted to try to stop him. Pull yourself together, Riel. I shouldn¡¯t be fooled by the Duke¡¯s handsome face, let¡¯s just imagine he was a stone. The Duke of Cassiar was a talking stone. A beautiful stone that has been properly faced. Duke Cassiar fiddled with his comma-shaped bangs that were half turned upside down and made an expressionless face after hearing this story about my taste, which I actually spoke with a forked tongue. [1] ¡°Oh, I almost forgot to mention something important. I prefer the slicked back hair to the bangs down.¡± ¡°Slicked back hair?¡± Duke Cassiar didn¡¯t seem to understand what I was saying. Of course. How could Duke know the words ¡®slicked back hair¡¯? ¡°My heart would pound if the bangs were pulled up instead of pulled down bangs.¡± I kindly explained about the slicked back hair. In fact, I prefer lowered bangs. I was glad the Duke was putting his hair back. If that was my cup of tea, my nose would be bleeding. Anyway, no matter how badly Duke Cassiar needs me, he wouldn¡¯t be offended if I said I didn¡¯t want to marry him because he wasn¡¯t my type. My perfect victory was predicted. You¡¯re on your own now, and you have to end this marriage, Duke. Duke Cassiar, as expected, ruthlessly ruffled his hair with one hand, most likely out of discomfort. You¡¯re not mad, are you? Did I say it too straightforwardly? I should have said it in a more vague way. What if I get something bad as a result of this? I crept like stray cats trying to escape whenever they saw a sign of danger. ¡°Like this?¡± I looked up at Duke Cassiar, surprised by his voice, as I was trying to move as quietly as possible. ¡°This is to match your taste.¡± Who are you? Are you an angel? An angel with his bangs lowered stood in front of me, no, the Duke of Cassiar was staring at me strangely. That¡¯s my taste, Duke. Is it possible for you to kidnap me now? No. What am I thinking right now? For a brief moment, he had such a good shot at my heart that I considered risking my life to marry him. This was a risky situation. At the end of the day, I was on the verge of falling in love with the world¡¯s most handsome duke. A question came to mind as I secretly sighed in relief. The Duke could already kidnap me, according to the original story. The Duke of Cassiar¡¯s actions were strangely suspicious; he tried to match my preference as closely as possible, which was unsuitable for the role of villain. I needed to be straightforward in this situation. ¡°Why are you disclosing such personal information to me? You treat me politely in front of my parents, and if you were the Duke, you could have taken me somewhere more convenient.¡± I believed it was a scathing remark. The villain¡¯s decision to match my taste from head to toe must have been part of his plan. He had a self-centered personality, and he even went to the trouble of pretending to be a nice person in front of my parents. I almost missed the important part because I was preoccupied with the Duke¡¯s appearance. You cunning thug. ¡°You are right. If I make up my mind, it won¡¯t be difficult to bring you to my mansion. I don¡¯t want to be coercive, though.¡± Duke, did you not drop your conscience somewhere? I think you were coercive enough from the first meeting? Duke Cassiar seemed sincere when he said that, and he hadn¡¯t even started coercive measures yet. Weren¡¯t you going to lock me up in the Duke¡¯s mansion if you had made up your mind? ¡°Then why don¡¯t you just give up on me and go home?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible.¡± It was a serious suggestion, but Duke Cassiar shot it down with a single blow. He was so adamant! You almost cut me! You¡¯re going to take me somewhere in the end. Isn¡¯t this a form of coercion? ¡°To tell you the truth, I¡¯m mad because I can¡¯t stand it anymore. Duke speaks as if you are speaking for me, but do you realize that you are making others sacrifice for you? Isn¡¯t it worth it to sacrifice my youth for the Duke¡¯s sleep?¡± Even the meekest person would eventually lose their temper. I wanted to say what I wanted to say confidently if I was going to be kidnapped by Duke Cassiar anyway. With this, I was not sure if I¡¯d be able to return to this mansion alive. I was so resentful of the past at this point. I didn¡¯t have much time to spend with my family because I was so preoccupied with work. Simply because I didn¡¯t have time for them. Why do people have to go through it before they realize something is wrong? I¡¯m a complete moron. It¡¯s fine. It¡¯s not yet over. I tried to console myself by imagining a way to live like the heroine of another possessed novel I¡¯d read. However, tears welled up as a result of the upheaval. Why was I crying after saying it with relish? It was pointless to yell at the Duke if I was being like this. ¡°Do you remember the people who were there on the day I first met you?¡± ¡°How am I going to remember all of those people? It was a holiday, and the street was packed.¡± ¡°Everyone there would have died if I hadn¡¯t met you that day. Simply because of me.¡± As he spoke those words, the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s eyes looked forlorn, like a tree with only branches left in the winter. His eyes were out of focus and seemed to have a heavy feeling of guilt that could not be easily erased, as if reminiscing about something. When I examined his face, it didn¡¯t seem he was lying. ¡°It¡¯s been a week since I¡¯ve been unable to sleep. I was exhausted and taking sleeping pills didn¡¯t have any effect, so I tried to drink excessively, but the more I drank, the more insane I became. I almost lost my rationality.¡± Duke Cassiar shifted his gaze to me. ¡°Then you showed up, as if it were a planned meeting.¡± Duke Cassiar was on the verge of a mana explosion the day I met him? This was a story that wasn¡¯t even told in the original. I just found out for the first time. It dawned on me that the stories in the novel might not be representative of the entire world. Despite the fact that I was a character who didn¡¯t not appear in the novel, there was a possibility. Milter wasn¡¯t even interested in Duke Cassiar, now that I think about it. Maybe that was why the story about the Duke was based solely on surface rumors and sporadic encounters. I might even be able to cure Duke Cassar if I get to know him well enough. While I was organizing my thoughts, the Duke of Cassiar, who had been silent for a moment, spoke in a low voice. ¡°I don¡¯t want any more innocent people to be sacrificed as a result of my actions. But that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯m wasting your time. I am well aware that my proposal requires you to make a sacrifice.¡± Duke Cassiar¡¯s large hand grabbed my cheek as he strode over to me on his long legs. As if to console me, his hand caressed my tears. Was Duke Cassiar the kind of man who could comfort me? Even now, Duke Cassiar did not resemble the villain I remembered from the novel. Milter¡¯s lover might have become Duke Cassiar if he had ever comforted her with this face. Who wasn¡¯t going to fall for it? Tears welled up in my eyes as I stared at him, who shone like a cartoon character. ¡°So I¡¯d like to make amends in some way. It doesn¡¯t matter if it¡¯s about money, fame, or preference. Will you give me your power so that I can do whatever you want?¡± I was well aware that the Duke of Cassiar was a vicious villain who haunted the main characters in the novel. But, at least for now, I felt like he was genuinely treating me. ¡°What I want is to avoid getting involved with the Duke as much as possible.¡± ¡°Do you want me to go to the Marquis¡¯s mansion every day?¡± Duke Cassiar¡¯s brow was distorted by my straightforward remarks. The villain was once again right in this case. The romantic atmosphere of roses in full bloom had vanished as a result of this. I had no intention of setting up a romance between Duke Cassiar and myself. This was a survival game in which my life is on the line, so I must survive first. Now I had to make a decision. Leaving Duke Cassiar alone in a yard without Milter was certainly risky. And besides, it was a big deal if I turned down the Duke¡¯s offer for nothing and let the Marquis go back and forth to the palace and run into a runaway. ¡°As you said, the marriage will be over if the Duke can sleep without me, right?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m not sure if there is such a method.¡± The Duke of Cassiar¡¯s concerns did not catch my ears. If I thought about it, it was a situation where it was preferable to run into it rather than avoid it. Why did I always imagine myself being terrified and avoiding it? ¡°All right, I accept it. As the Duke said, there should be something to gain as much as what I sacrifice.¡± For the time being, simply marrying the Duke of Cassar gives me a lot of benefits, such as elevating my status to that of a marquise and expanding the company¡¯s market. I¡¯d lose my first marriage, but I¡¯d never die as unjustly as Milter did if I married the Duke of Cassiar. Of course, innocent people would not have to be harmed, ¡°Instead.¡± As I clasped Duke Cassiar¡¯s hand on my cheek, I smiled. If Duke Cassar can find a way to sleep alone, that is. ¡°There are conditions.¡± I would be set free with wealth and honor. ©¤©¤?????©¤©¤ The following day, I went to the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s. I arrived at Duke Cassiar¡¯s mansion in the early afternoon. ¡°Do I really have to do this?¡± The Duke of Cassiar, who appeared anxious, sat in a chair surrounded by a small gold decoration and stood in front of me, suspiciously looking at me. ¡°Duke, you must trust me completely. You made a promise to me. You will comply with all of my suggestions.¡± At a glance, I could tell. The Duke of Cassiar expressed regret for promising to fulfill my ¡®condition¡¯ within a day. ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t this a little early? We haven¡¯t even set a date for the wedding yet¡­¡­¡± I put my hand on Duke Cassiar¡¯s chin and covered his mouth just as he was about to say something else. ¡°What¡¯s so important about formality? The sooner the results, the better.¡± I raised my lips and smiled at the Duke after subduing him with my gaze. ¡°So now it¡¯s handed over to me. The entire Duke.¡± CH 5 ¡°The Duke wasn¡¯t dreaming.¡± (Kyle) As I proudly entered the Duchess of Cassiar¡¯s mansion as a prospective duchess, I was greeted by a young man named Kyle. Kyle had a look on his face as if he had seen a ghost when he saw me. ¡°When he said his wife would come, I thought he was just lonely and hallucinating because he didn¡¯t even have a cup of tea with the young lady at official events.¡± Kyle was thrilled and wiped his tears with a white handkerchief from his suit pocket. How did the Duke get so far away from people that his closest butler reacted in this way? Was it more realistic to accept the hallucinations as they were rather than saying the Duke had a hostess? ¡°This is a rather tardy greeting. Madam, my name is Kyle, and I¡¯m the man in charge of this mansion and assisting the Duke in his duties. I¡¯m not up to the task, but I¡¯ll do my best to assist you in the future.¡± Kyle extended a formal greeting to me. The Duke had a worker who appeared sincere, unlike Duke Cassiar. ¡°Don¡¯t get too worked up about it. I¡¯m just a temporary Duchess.¡± ¡°Madam is temporary Duchess. What does this imply?¡± Kyle didn¡¯t seem to know exactly what had happened between me and the Duke of Cassiar yet. I didn¡¯t think it was necessary for me to go out and tell the entire story. ¡°There is a reason. Kyle, let¡¯s listen carefully to the details from the Duke. Could you please take some of my belongings?¡± I returned my gaze to my previous attendant, who stood behind me. ¡°Lili.¡± ¡°Yes, miss!¡± At my call, Lili handed over the items she was holding in her hands. ¡°What¡¯s all this?¡± Kyle¡¯s eyes widened as he saw the massive amount of luggage I had brought with me. ¡°These are the things I¡¯ve brought specially for the Duke. I¡¯ll only ask you to cook with these today.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do as you say, but the Duke refuses to eat anything unless it¡¯s meat.¡± Kyle looked embarrassed as he looked at the green grass in the basket. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that. I have everything in my mind.¡± Kyle, who was nervous, heard me confidently say. He then docilely left to do what I had to do after I reassured him that he had nothing to be concerned about. ©¤©¤?????©¤©¤ And now, at Duke Cassiar¡¯s luncheon, the green vegetables I prepared in a variety of ways. Yes, it was all vegetables. ¡°I¡¯m not hungry for some reason.¡± When the Duke saw today¡¯s special meal, he tried to leave with a nonchalant shrug. Then I pressed my hand against his shoulder and sat him down again. ¡°Duke will not be able to get up until you finish eating all of the food here.¡± ¡°Do I really have to do this?¡± Duke Cassiar, who appeared uncomfortable, gave me a suspicious look. ¡°Duke, you must trust me completely. You made a promise to me. You will comply with all of my suggestions.¡± At a glance, I could tell. The Duke of Cassiar expressed regret with his facial expression for promising to fulfill my ¡®condition¡¯ within a day. ¡°I mean, isn¡¯t this a little early? We haven¡¯t even set a date for the wedding yet¡­¡­¡± I put my hand on Duke Cassiar¡¯s chin and and the other covered his mouth just as he was about to say something else. ¡®Instead, there are conditions.¡¯ Instead of accepting the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s offer, I offered one condition the day before. ¡®From now on, I¡¯ll try everything I can to get the Duke to ¡®sleep¡¯. But this is something I won¡¯t be able to do on my own.¡¯ ¡®How can I help you?¡¯ ¡®Please accept whatever I ask for if it is for the Duke¡¯s ¡®sleep.¡¯ After all, you should put forth that much effort, right? I feel like I¡¯m being dragged away for the Duke when I get married to you.¡¯ Duke Cassiar, who appeared to be threatened by my bright smile and even my face brighter than ever, reluctantly accepted my conditions. The Duke, as promised, had no choice but to follow my orders. ¡°If possible, I¡¯d like to see the results before we get married.¡± The sooner a solution could be found, the better, because I decided to get a fair price just to find a way to cure the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s insomnia. I smiled at the Duke from an oblique angle after subduing him with my eyes. ¡°Now, leave it to me. All of the Duke.¡± The Duke¡¯s life would begin and end with sleep as long as I was here. I brought a hand-made dish and even made him hold a fork, desperate for my fortitude. ¡°Today¡¯s special dish, which the Duke despises, is made with a vegetable called romaine lettuce. I had heard that eating this a lot causes you to fall asleep, so I brought it with me.¡± Romaine was a vegetable similar to lettuce and it had the effect of inducing sleep like medicine. When I was a student, the afternoon class was wiped out by a nap when lettuce was served at lunch. It was now a faded memory, and it became a past life from which I couldn¡¯t return. Although lettuce could not be obtained for this purpose, the customer was given romaine as a substitute. The important thing was to let the ¡®sleep¡¯ come to the Duke, so it wasn¡¯t a big deal. ¡°I see.¡± Duke Cassiar took a step back and noticed Kyle standing there watching the meal. The Duke seemed to be questioning as to why Kyle didn¡¯t stop me until I did this. ¡°Duke, would you like me to prepare the meal again now?¡± Kyle broke out in a cold sweat as he was startled by the Duke¡¯s stare. Whatever I did, I was not going to put Kyle in a bad situation because of me. ¡°It¡¯s alright. Kyle, you made this delicious dish. I can¡¯t believe you want to throw away the food you worked so hard to prepare. The Duke is not such a heartless person.¡± I praised and encouraged Kyle prior to Duke Cassiar¡¯s approval. So that he did not become a heartless person. ¡°It must have been hard, but take a rest. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be here.¡± In case he did, I took Kyle to a location where he wouldn¡¯t be seen by Duke Cassiar. Kyle left after watching the Duke¡¯s eyes until the end. ¡°More than that, Duke, don¡¯t you think you¡¯re going to eat anything? It¡¯s a vegetable-based dish that I¡¯ve been bringing for the Duke since early in the morning.¡± I fixed my gaze on Duke Cassiar. His actions were not gentle, despite his gentle words. Maybe my eyes were deceiving me, but the Duke took the dish and stuffed it into his mouth with a glum expression. ¡°How do you feel about eating a dish made with love?¡± ¡°I feel like a rabbit.¡± I gave the Duke a bright smile as he chewed his vegetables and expressed his dissatisfaction. ¡°That¡¯s great. Rabbits enjoy vegetables, so eat them while in a good mood.¡± The Duke had a half-crazed expression on his face when he looked at me. I worked in a service position in my previous life, even if it didn¡¯t appear that way. I met a wide variety of people while selling cosmetics. Dealing with the truth was the best course of action. It was so hard to deal with the truth. ¡°Look over there. The Duke really brought the madam.¡± ¡°She is even beautiful. How did the Duke bring such an angel?¡± ¡°The Duke has never brought a woman to the mansion. Isn¡¯t it possible it¡¯s a ghost?¡± They seemed to be hiding behind the wall and watching me. Were these the people who worked here? It was nice to be told that I was an angel, but I got the impression Kyle and the others regarded me as an unrealistic being. By the way, the fact that I was the first woman Duke Cassiar brought to the mansion was a little incomprehensible to them. In the original, Duke Cassiar was quite popular with young ladies. They had a lot of unrequited love for him, even though they knew he had madness. It was strange if someone was not interested in his looks. Even when someone brought up Duke Cassiar in the original novel, they continued to talk nonstop. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. We can see her with our own eyes.¡± ¡°Does the depressed Duke finally have a wife?¡± ¡°Is this true? Could you give me a pinch on the cheek? Ouch! It hurts! How did you get such a hard pinch on my cheek?¡± ¡°Whatever the case, it was clear that this wasn¡¯t a dream.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°Nice!¡± After their short, deep scream and a dull thud passed by, cheers that seemed to hold their breath were heard. Then the sound of footsteps coming from here dispersed them. You seemed to have finished the food. ¡°Have you already finished your food?¡± Even if he died, he pretended not to touch the vegetables, but Duke Cassar emptied the bowl while I was distracted. ¡°Promise is a promise.¡± Duke Cassiar cleared his throat as he gazed at the empty bowl with satisfaction. ¡°Do you think it works?¡± ¡°What do you think?¡± Duke Cassiar gave me a direct stare. Jesus Christ. He looked at me with those sun-gold eyes, as clear as the morning dew, but even clearer. Romaine was completely useless. What else could it be if not lettuce? Duke Cassiar seemed to be suffering from severe insomnia, as he showed no signs of being sleepy. But it was too early to panic, because I still had one card left. ¡°Do not worry. It¡¯s not over yet.¡± I turned to face the direction where the employees were whispering. ¡°Would you like to come in when it¡¯s ready?¡± ¡°Yes. This is chamomile tea that has been freshly brewed.¡± An elderly servant with a friendly face brought tea into the room. She came out and placed the teacup in front of Duke Cassiar with a smile on her face as if something pleasant had occurred. ¡°I should¡¯ve greeted you earlier. It¡¯s great to meet you. Madam, my name is Tiffany, the Lord Chamberlain of this mansion.¡± Tiffany introduced herself to me after she finished her tasks. Tiffany was a name I was sure I had heard before. But when was it? ¡°Tiffany. That¡¯s the name of what the Duke said when he was asleep!¡± I thought her name was familiar, but it was the name he mumbled in his sleep the day I met Duke Cassiar. ¡°Oh, my goodness! You¡¯ve already heard how the Duke talks while he sleeps. Thank you. Thank you very much. Madam.¡± Tiffany, who appeared to be moved, clenched her hands despite the fact that I said nothing special. Her moist eyes lit up as she screamed. ¡°Our Duke was not an eunuch!¡± A loud clinking sound was heard as someone¡¯s teacup fell. CH 6 ¡°Fanny, what are you talking about?¡± Black flames erupted around Duke Cassiar in response to Fanny¡¯s shocking remarks. ¡°Oh, my goodness, you¡¯re right! I was so content to contemplate within so I paused and came out.¡± Fanny did not falter much, despite the fact that a normal person would be afraid and shivering. Kyle¡¯s face turned pale blue merely by looking the Duke in the eyes, but Fanny smiled sweetly and moved on. I didn¡¯t remember seeing Fanny for more than a second, but I had a feeling she wasn¡¯t normal. Doesn¡¯t this feel more like I¡¯m seeing an experienced boss at a new job? ¡°But I¡¯m not alone in thinking this way. Isn¡¯t this rumor constantly circulating because a handsome person avoids women? I was really concerned because I had been bringing the Duke in since he was a newborn baby.¡± Fanny looked back at me, smiled, then exhaled a sigh of relaxation one after the other. Fanny appeared to have raised the Duke of Cassiar since he was a kid. I thought it was strange how the Duke was treated. ¡°Fanny, please stop being so obnoxious. Out of necessity, my marriage to Lady Alioth is simply a transitory union.¡± ¡°Yes, that¡¯s right. Marriages between noble families are common. Everyone begins by getting together at work. When you come to your senses after spending time together like this, then it is widely agreed that Lady is a sweetie.¡± Fanny did not feel scared in the face of the enraged Duke of Cassiar, and she resumed her talk calmly. I didn¡¯t want to go down the path of becoming Duke Cassiar¡¯s lover, but listening to Fanny¡¯s remarks was nice and interesting, so I started listening to her without realizing it. ¡°What the hell is that?¡± The Duke¡¯s question was more of an admonition to keep quiet. Fanny, on the other hand, seemed unconcerned. ¡°It¡¯s romance. The Duke isn¡¯t very good at it.¡± Pfft! I took advantage of my carelessness and spit out the tea that I was holding in at Fanny¡¯s straightforwardness. Isn¡¯t this the n-th year of regression, Fanny, do you know what I mean? How could your speaking skills transcend dimensions? When Duke Cassiar observed me drooling alone and covering my mouth with a handkerchief, his eyes became crimson. I buried my laughter and stifled my breath since my only life was valuable. ¡°Fanny.¡± ¡°Oh my, what am I thinking? I forgot to hang the laundry. Therefore, I hope you two have a good time.¡± Tiffany, likewise, pulled away from Duke Cassiar¡¯s voice calling out to her, as if she felt threatened. For a brief while, the place where Fanny had left was deafeningly silent. Was it possible that Fanny treated the Duke more kindly than I thought? Despite having a cold expression on his face, the Duke did not harm her. Maybe Duke Cassiar wasn¡¯t as cold and ruthless as I thought he was. Fanny would not have been able to treat the Duke so comfortably otherwise. Is that to say I could tease the Duke a little here? My mouth was itching to let go of the good bait that Fanny had thrown. I covered my mouth with my palm and smiled at Duke Cassiar, being mischievous. ¡°I had no clue the Duke was in such a precarious position.¡± ¡°That is an entirely false rumor.¡± Duke Cassiar¡¯s face was rather unpleasant, despite his calm demeanor, as it was a matter of great pride for a man. It was a rare occurrence for me, who had been half-forced by the Duke of Cassiar, to see such a pleasant situation. ¡°There is no reason to believe otherwise.¡± At the end of the statement, I laughed mischievously. When was I going to make fun of the Duke of Cassiar again, if not now? I forgot about my fear and softly scratched Duke Cassiar¡¯s insides, having learned a lot about him. Duke Cassiar, who was watching that day, had furrowed one of his brows. You¡¯re irritated, you¡¯re irritated. Duke Cassiar soon regained his composure, raising one corner of his mouth and smiling, satisfied with the slight break in his poker face. ¡°I can confirm the truth for you if you want to know.¡± ¡°What do you mean, confirmation?¡± ¡°It¡¯s about being my people. There¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t show because you¡¯re married, even if it¡¯s just a formality. You appear to be quite interested.¡± With one hand on his chin, Duke Cassiar emerged and made eye contact. His golden eyes, like honey, twinkled gently. I began to tease Duke Cassiar, but I seemed to have fallen into his trap. ¡°Would you like to have a look for yourself?¡± The long fingers of Duke Cassiar stroked down my cheek. I, who was hardened to his assertive behavior, noticed his lips twitching as I couldn¡¯t contain my laughter. It was so much fun that I was dying. I tightened my teeth after a good teasing session. Did you expect me to be thrashed that badly? I grabbed the Duke of Cassair¡¯s hand, which swept my cheeks, squinted my eyes, and chuckled, knowing what was about to happen. ¡°Now that you¡¯ve mentioned it, shall we check it out?¡± As he watched my bold act sweeping down his collar, Duke Cassiar¡¯s eyes shook for a moment. It was humiliating that he expected me to flush and take a step back. I saw something strange with the winner¡¯s smile on my face. Shouldn¡¯t the Duke have passed out by this point and had to sleep soundly? The Duke of Cassiar fell asleep just by rubbing his shoulder against my shoulder during our first meeting. He fell asleep the moment I touched his cheek the other day. The Duke of Cassiar, on the other hand, did not fall asleep today, despite numerous small and large contacts. Even now, he looked energetic. I leapt from my seat and put both hands over Duke Cassiar¡¯s face. Duke Cassiar¡¯s eyes widened even more than they had previously. ¡°I had no idea you were so rushed.¡± His tone was a little stiff when he spoke to me. ¡°Right now, that¡¯s not what matters. Duke, you don¡¯t fall asleep even if you touch my hand.¡± For a brief moment, my voice grew louder in the hope that my abilities were only temporary. The Duke of Cassiar, who had been lost in thought for a few moments, spoke up. ¡°Perhaps your power works better the more tired I am. When I fell asleep with your hands touching my cheek the night before, I stayed up all night.¡± ¡°However, you couldn¡¯t sleep last night, did you?¡± Because I was not at the Duke¡¯s residence yesterday, the Duke of Cassiar was unable to sleep. When my hand touched him, he should have fallen asleep immediately. ¡°I had a good night¡¯s sleep the night before. I took sleeping medication to help me sleep.¡± Duke Cassiar reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a small glass bottle. A clear liquid was contained in the bottle. The Duke had most likely taken sleeping medication. ¡°You said sleeping medication didn¡¯t work the other day.¡± ¡°Yesterday was successful. It was most likely due to your touch that the sleeping pills which did not work before, had an effect. Your hand touched me again yesterday, even if it was only for a brief moment.¡± What a shame. The spark of hope was quickly snuffed out. Did that mean that if sleeping medicine came into contact with me, they¡¯d start working again? Wasn¡¯t that a viable option? I rolled my head a little because I couldn¡¯t put out the small ember of hope. Even if I made contact with the Duke every day and rehabilitated him to the point where he could take the sleeping pills again, it would only be a temporary situation, as tolerance would naturally return over time. ¡°Perhaps I have truly lost my power!¡± I made a strong case for the possibility of what-if. I was more serious than the rest of you, but Duke Cassar was unfazed. ¡°You¡¯ll have to try it again when I¡¯m tired.¡± ¡°When do you get tired?¡± ¡°The usual. When it¡¯s time to go to bed, just like everyone else.¡± ¡°Great. So let¡¯s take a look tonight.¡± For some reason, Duke Cassiar didn¡¯t appear to be greedy. ¡°You¡¯re not afraid, but you¡¯re not too shy either, aren¡¯t you supposed to be that vigilant in the first place?¡± Did you mean when I provoked the Duke a while back? ¡°What exactly are you afraid of? If you touched my hand, the Duke would fall asleep.¡± I poked Duke Cassiar¡¯s arm playfully. ¡°What if the power doesn¡¯t work as you said?¡± I never imagined a situation where my power would be ineffective for Duke Cassiar. In the first place, the only thing the Duke needs from me is ¡®to make him sleep¡¯. ¡°Duke, do you have bad intentions for me?¡± I wrapped my arms around Duke Cassiar and I was on my guard against the Duke of Cassiar. He looked at me with eyes that didn¡¯t even deserve an answer. No, you don¡¯t have to be so serious. ¡°Aside from that, what are you asking for?¡± Embarrassed, I grunted. ¡°Externally, you are the hostess of the Duke of Cassiar, even if this relationship is by contract. Not being watchful of anyone other than myself can be dangerous.¡± Is it dangerous? Why? ¡°There are many times when I can¡¯t see them.¡± Was it true that the Duke of Cassiar ever had an enemy? Duke Cassiar was a villain in the original work who gets in the way of Milter and Hassen¡¯s relationship. There was no mention of the darkness¡¯s sworn enemies. Perhaps it was just to scare me into being more cautious in my duties as Duchess. ¡°Anyway, you and I don¡¯t have any issues, do we? It will continue to happen in the future if my power is effective.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t stop you from seeing it with your own eyes. I¡¯d rather sleep for another night.¡± Duke Cassiar had been convinced of my strength, but he had lost faith in me. Indeed, the fact that he has resumed his use of sleeping pills was proof that my power was working. Still, because there was an ¡®if,¡¯ I decided to leave hope as a consolation. ¡°Can you fall asleep without me for a while with sleep medication, if the Duke is guessing?¡± ¡°Perhaps, if this is the case.¡± ¡°Give me three days before the wedding. Before entering the Duke¡¯s residence, I¡¯d like to spend some time with my family. Because of my work, I haven¡¯t been able to think of taking care of my family, so I guess they will be worried all the time if it isn¡¯t now.¡± Will you say no if you only want to sleep comfortably for one day? Perhaps three days was too much. ¡°Let¡¯s do that. After that, you should choose the day you will enter the Duke¡¯s residence.¡± ¡°The tea has gone cold. Drink it while it¡¯s still warm to get the most benefit. Drink it right away.¡± In a good mood, I picked up a teacup, thinking that I could go on a trip with my family, even if it was only for a short time. The Duke of Cassiar, who was watching me, hummed it out and drank silently. Where should we go on our vacation? I wish there was a sea nearby. It was a time when I was having difficulty remembering all of the places I wanted to visit. Gasp! Duke Cassiar inhaled deeply, and the teacup he was holding shattered on the floor. His hands were covered in a dark red bloodstain. CH 7 ¡°Duke, the blood¡­¡­Are you alright?¡± Duke Cassiar vomited blood with a dry cough after drinking the tea from the tea leaves I brewed. Then someone unexpectedly blocked me as I was about to go all out to support the Duke. ¡°Please step back.¡± He was a man with skin and hair as white as the snow on a snowy mountain. His eyes were gentle, but his gaze on me was as bitter as a thorn in his eyes. He appeared to be a knight, given that he was armed with a sword, but I had never seen his face in the duke¡¯s residence. Don¡¯t tell me you think that I harmed the Duke? I mean, I¡¯ve been looking for tea that will help him sleep. All of this was unfair to me, but I couldn¡¯t say anything as if my mouth was frozen. I took a step back, startled by the blood stain on Duke Cassiar¡¯s hand, and the white-haired man examined his condition calmly. ¡°Kyle, the doctor¡­.¡± While still supporting the Duke, who was constantly vomiting blood and had a pale complexion, he called the man named Kyle. ¡°Duke! Have you taken any sleeping medication recently? Please move the Duke to the bedroom so that I can call the doctor right away.¡± Kyle¡¯s face became solemn when he saw Duke Cassiar¡¯s condition. Kyle quickly moved forward, thinking he was going to call the doctor. Kyle¡¯s shoulder was grabbed and pulled up by the white-haired man who was watching him. ¡°Sir, what¡¯s the matter with you?¡± ¡°Fanny.¡± ¡°Could you tell me why you¡¯re looking for Fanny? Even if it¡¯s something you need to do on your own¡­¡­.¡± I was taken aback when Duke Cassiar suddenly vomited blood, and it was only then that I noticed the broken pieces of tea scattered in front of me. Did he tell me to take a step back not because he doubted me, but because he was afraid I¡¯d be hurt by shards of broken glass? I carefully avoided the shards of glass as I looked at the spot where the white-haired man had stood. I averted my gaze for a brief moment, and then the man and Duke Cassiar disappeared. ¡°Oh no, lady, are there any injuries?¡± Kyle approached me, standing in the gap between the sharp teacup pieces, and inquired concernedly. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m fine. Instead of that, how about the Duke?¡± ¡°He¡¯s often like that. He takes strong sleeping medication to go to sleep.¡± ¡°You say he¡¯s vomiting blood due to sleeping medication?¡± Did you say you slept using sleeping medication yesterday, Duke Cassiar? What kind of sleeping medication did you take to induce vomiting? ¡°Yes, wait a minute. First of all, I¡¯ll call the doctor. Please don¡¯t be surprised. Lady.¡± Don¡¯t be surprised? Kyle¡¯s hand erupted in red flames, and his head sprouted wolf ears while I stood guard. ¡°You have ears on your head, Kyle!¡± ¡°After sending the messenger bird, I will explain everything about myself in detail. Please send a doctor to the Duke¡¯s house, Firebird.¡± The fire flower transformed into a bird and flew out the window when Kyle blew the sparks in his hand. ¡°Did you used to be a wizard like Duke Cassiar?¡± ¡°I know how to use magic, but I¡¯m not a wizard. I¡¯m half wolf, as you can see.¡± Kyle¡¯s plump red tail fluttered in the same way his ears did. Kyle was a wolf? I¡¯d heard that beasts existed in the Empire, though they were rare. But it was the first time I¡¯d seen them in this state. I¡¯d heard that beasts usually live in groups, but that humans treated them like animals. As a result, they were mistreated and treated as a toy. I didn¡¯t understand why people regard their lives as valuable assets. ¡°Are you disappointed in me?¡± Kyle, who appeared to be depressed, gave me a sidelong glance. Perhaps he was afraid that I would treat him the same way that other beasts were treated. ¡°Unfortunately, it makes no difference to me whether Kyle is a wolf or not. You still appear to me to be a talented person who is trusted by the demanding Duke of Cassiar.¡± Kyle needed to feel secure, so I wanted to reassure him. At the same time, I wanted to back him up. To be able to appreciate his life a little more. ¡°You accept me just the way I am. Madam is a nice person as well. I, Kyle, swear to you that I will put my life on the line for you until the day I die.¡± Kyle looked at me with tears in his eyes as I was just being honest with what I thought. ¡°You don¡¯t have to risk your life for me. Because your life is precious. It¡¯ll be enough if you just work hard at what you¡¯re doing now.¡± ¡°Did your mother come down from heaven as an angel?¡± ¡°Unfortunately, I am a regular person. Instead, could you tell me why the Duke vomited blood?¡± Kyle confidently nodded when I inquired about the Duke of Cassiar. ¡°Duke¡¯s condition worsened after he took too much of a poisonous sleeping medication. Unlike ordinary sleeping medication, the sleeping medication he takes is highly toxic. I heard it puts a strain on his heart if he takes it frequently, and if it gets worse, he could die.¡± ¡°How can the Duke sleep when he¡¯s in so much pain?¡± Even the average person can go a whole day without sleeping. You can use my help now that I¡¯m here. I didn¡¯t understand why the Duke of Cassiar was attempting to force himself to sleep until he hurt himself. ¡°Perhaps because the Duke does not want the Duke¡¯s people to be endangered as a result of his actions.¡± Was the Duke afraid that he¡¯d lose control? But I thought he¡¯d be able to make it through a day or two. Even when Duke Cassiar went insane at the end of the original story, he endured it for three days. I mean, he didn¡¯t have to force himself to sleep. ¡°The Duke is living under the pressure of losing loved ones again for the same reason.¡± Is ¡®again¡¯ a reference to the Duke having already lost a loved one in an explosion? Even in the novel, Duke Cassar¡¯s insomnia was described as causing an explosion, but there was no detailed description of the past when it first appeared. I wondered if the Duke was under the influence of sleeping medication while risking his life because he had lost someone. ¡°It¡¯s a well-known story, and I¡¯m sure Madam already knows it.¡± Kyle¡¯s face darkened as he was about to continue speaking. *** ¡®Looking at his physical condition, the Duke seems to have been taking sleeping medication several times a day, putting a strain on his heart even if he only eats once a week. The poison has reached the organs of the heart. He would not be alive today if the Duke¡¯s powerful mana hadn¡¯t protected his heart.¡¯ The doctor, who was using magic to examine Duke Cassiar¡¯s condition, made a tragic diagnosis. He was lucky to be alive. How much suffering had this man endured on his own? The doctor had left the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s bedroom, which I was guarding. The Duke¡¯s brow occasionally narrowed in pain, possibly due to the poison that had spread through his heart. As Kyle had told me, I suddenly remembered Duke Cassiar¡¯s past. ¡®Due to the overflow of mana at the time, the Duke had to lose all of his parents, whom he loved.¡¯ Duke Cassiar¡¯s parents claimed that he was loved from a young age. They stayed by the Duke¡¯s side until he fell asleep, read a storybook, and sang a lullaby, even when he had insomnia. Duke Cassiar¡¯s first mana explosion occurred as his young body weakened and he became insomniac, and his parents tried everything they could to suppress his power, but they died. In despair, the Duke of Cassiar attempted suicide, but the remaining duke¡¯s employees barely managed to stop him and told him that he was the current Duke after a long period of comfort. The transformation of a dead Duke into a living person was said to take a long time. I understood the Duke¡¯s feelings better than anyone else after hearing about his predicament. For the Duke, his people are more valuable than himself. To the extent that it was acceptable for him to suffer to the point of death in order to ensure their safety. Was this why he was so obsessed with Milter in the first place? In my previous life, I was once like the Duke of Cassiar. ¡®Joo Hye, I have never regretted having you born into this world every time.¡¯ My mother became ill after giving birth to me. Since I was a high school student, I¡¯d thrown everything I¡¯d got at saving my mother, who was worried about me even when I was sick, making me heartbroken. After becoming an adult, I worked more and earned money at all hours of the day and night, but my mother¡¯s illness worsened over time, and the hospital bills piled up. It was physically and mentally exhausting, but as long as there was a chance of saving my mother, I could do more. My mother was unable to overcome her illness and died as a result. To me, who had dedicated my life to curing my mother¡¯s illness, her death rendered my life meaningless. It was a novel that consoled me after I stayed in my room for days and nights without eating or washing and only cried. While reading, I was able to forget reality for a while. This world in which I was possessed was one of those novels. Perhaps Milter wasn¡¯t the only reason I got into this novel. ¡°It can¡¯t possibly be¡­¡­¡± The nightmare might have tormented Duke Cassiar. It overlapped with me, who couldn¡¯t accept my mother¡¯s death and spent the night crying. I placed my hand on Duke Cassiar¡¯s forehead. I knew the Duke had been in a lot of pain for a long time, so I wanted him to sleep peacefully for the time being. The Duke, who appeared to have his condition quickly stabilized, breathed evenly as soon as my hand touched it. ¡°I can¡¯t help it; seeing that you¡¯re still fast asleep by my touch, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve lost my power.¡± I have to be caught by him until the Duke recovers from his sleep. Is it possible that it¡¯s because I¡¯ve been looking for Romaine since the early hours of the morning? I fell asleep after checking to see if the Duke was awake. Is it possible that I¡¯ll fall asleep for a while? Just a little bit because it¡¯s still early. I closed my eyes and rested my aching head on the Duke¡¯s bed. *** Chirp Chirp Chirp. In my ears, a clear chirping of birds could be heard. The warm sunlight streaming in through the window glistened brilliantly. Oh, I had a great night¡¯s sleep! I stretched and my body felt lighter, probably because I slept well. But how did I get home yesterday? I remember putting the sick Duke to sleep, but I couldn¡¯t remember when I got home. Come to think of it, didn¡¯t I fall asleep next to Duke Cassiar? But I couldn¡¯t remember waking up. The place where I was lying down right now¡­ I opened my eyes and took a careful look around before removing the blanket and ruffling my disheveled silver hair mercilessly. This is Duke Cassiar¡¯s bedroom, dammit! CH 8 Did I share a bed with Duke Cassiar? I took a deep breath and slowly lifted the blanket. Fortunately, I was the only one in bed. ¡°Huh, I almost got caught by Duke Cassiar.¡± ¡°Are you thinking of running away from me as soon as you get up?¡± I was about to breathe a sigh of relief that no accident had occurred, but Duke Cassiar leaned against the door and watched me at some point. Since when have you been watching me? I¡¯ll be embarrassed and want to escape the Duke¡¯s house as soon as he said he has been watching over there since I woke up. ¡°At the very least, show me that you¡¯re moving.¡± ¡°I was thinking the same thing, but you seemed to be quite busy.¡± The Duke of Casiar¡¯s mouth rose softly in a circle. Did you see everything from the beginning? I laughed awkwardly as I looked back at myself a moment ago, when I had messed up my hair and turned the bed over like a crazy person. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about running away. You also confirmed it with your own eyes last night. That the power you have still works.¡± ¡°Did I really mean to run away? Is that it all you¡¯ve got to say to me? I¡¯ve been taking care of you all night.¡± I used my trump card when the situation became unfavorable. ¡°You¡¯re too drowsy to claim you¡¯ve been awake all night. You¡¯d have no idea if I put you to bed.¡± Was it the Duke who tucked me in? Shame grew a little. Are you sure you were dying yesterday? How can you be so energetic overnight? The Duke appeared to be so healthy that it was difficult to believe he was sick enough to vomit blood yesterday. ¡°Did you pretend to be sick yesterday, Duke?¡± ¡°Pretend?¡± ¡°The person who vomited blood last night, looking as if he was about to turn his back on the world, is now perfectly fine to the point where his skin glows.¡± Duke Cassiar nodded in agreement when I gave him a suspicious look. ¡°Normally, I¡¯d have been bedridden for a week.¡± Was that so? ¡°I think it¡¯s also thanks to you that my body has recovered quickly. Perhaps you have more powers than I know. Congratulations on the Duke¡¯s recognition of your talent.¡± With a solemn expression on his face, Duke Cassiar clapped. It was a far too formal occasion. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be congratulated like this, do you?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t I have to return now? There must be a lot of worries in Marquis¡¯s residence because I had an unplanned night out.¡± I¡¯d forgotten about it. I spent my first night in the Duke¡¯s house yesterday. My mother would have smashed my back ten times given the strict curfew and strict family environment. My spine became cold when I remembered the taste of my mother¡¯s hand, which was literally the spicy taste itself. Should I just live in the Duke¡¯s house? I, who was seriously considering it, decided to return to the Marquis at a later time. ¡°I can¡¯t go back without these kinds of results. There¡¯s one thing I haven¡¯t finished yet.¡± ¡°Is that so? I wish you could tone down your enthusiasm just a bit.¡± Perhaps the lingering aftertaste of the romaine-only meal was left behind, but the Duke of Cassiar appeared to be discontented with my enthusiasm. ¡°I¡¯ll get Fanny to get some clothes ready for you, so wash up and get out.¡± ¡°Wait.¡± I grabbed the Duke of Casiar and stopped him when he turned around. He stopped walking and looked back at me. ¡°Why did you listen to my request? I mean, I said I wanted to spend time with my family.¡± Duke Cassiar had a poker face on when he looked at me. I wondered if he was doing something for no reason, but I was curious about his intentions, which I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°While I am away, you must take sleeping medication. Then you would have vomited blood or collapsed like yesterday.¡± ¡°They are precious to you. The Marquis¡¯ family members. If you accept my proposal, you can think of it as a courtesy to you sacrificing for me.¡± The Duke of Cassiar seemed to be considering his own options, despite speaking dryly and with a plausible reason. I¡¯d prefer him to be a little more ruthless. If that had been the case, I would have been free to do what I wanted while only thinking about myself! To be cruel, I¡¯d learned far too much about the Duke. ¡°I¡¯m not going on a vacation with my family. Every day, I¡¯ll be going in and out of the Duke¡¯s house.¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing to be concerned about if it¡¯s due to yesterday¡¯s work. As you can see, thanks to you, my condition has improved.¡± I placed my index finger on Duke Cassiar¡¯s lips as he tried to persuade me. ¡°Shh! Be quite! I¡¯ve already decided not to go. I¡¯ll find a way for the Duke to fall asleep as soon as possible and escape from the Duke!¡± The Duke of Cassiar muttered with his mouth pressed open as he watched me burn my will. Please, just go away. *** I felt refreshed. I went downstairs to eat after taking a bath and felt rejuvenated. The clothes that Fanny prepared for me surprisingly fit my body perfectly. To be honest, I didn¡¯t expect a high-quality dress because she was preparing it in a hurry, but it was a luxurious dress just by looking at it, so I was cautious about what I did. ¡°Have you come down, Madam? Oh, my, your new dress is perfect for you. You are beautiful.¡± Fanny looked at me and clasped her hands together in awe. I gave her a shy smile, embarrassed by the compliment I had received after such a long time. ¡°The hand didn¡¯t appear to be old, so it was new clothes?¡± ¡°Of course. That is the dress that the Duke has prepared for you in advance.¡± Duke Cassiar prepared a dress for me? ¡°Madam¡¯s closet contains dozens of dresses in addition to this one.¡± ¡°Do I have a room already?¡± ¡°Yes, of course! The Duke instructed me to get ready to meet the madam as soon as possible.¡± I had no idea. I would not have taken the Duke¡¯s bed and slept there if I had known I had a room. Then I wouldn¡¯t have to show the Duke my embarrassment like I did this morning. ¡°The Duke is stiff as an old tree, so he appears unconcerned, but the people he considers valuable aren¡¯t delicate, so he looks after them.¡± What was precious to the Duke was not me, but the power I had. If I were a truly precious person to him, I might have been a little touched. ¡°Madam, are there any uncomfortable places because of last night¡¯s work?¡± Fanny approached me as I sat at the table, whispering, and asked. ¡°If you ever feel any pain or aching somewhere, please tell me. I¡¯ll take care of everything.¡± If it was last night, was she talking about taking care of Duke Cassiar? ¡°It¡¯s all right. I didn¡¯t stay awake all night, and when I fell asleep, the Duke moved me to the bed, where I slept soundly.¡± ¡°Ah, I see. Until the Duke, exhausted from his illness, fell asleep. The Duke has now acted like a man.¡± When I only told her that Duke Cassiar had brought me to bed while I was sleeping, Fanny¡¯s face lit up. Why is there a story about a Duke pretending to be a gentleman here? Looking back on my conversation with her, I quickly realized that she had misrepresented the situation. I thought Fanny had a big misunderstanding. ¡°Fanny, that¡¯s not what I¡¯m talking about.¡± ¡°Is the meal ready?¡± The Duke of Cassiar came in when I was about to clear up Fanny¡¯s huge misunderstanding. ¡°All that¡¯s left is for me to put the soup on the plate. Please be patient. Lady.¡± Fanny, who was delighted, gave the Duke of Cassiar a happy smile before disappearing into the kitchen to get some soup. Fanny appears to have gone too far when I was trying to solve the misunderstanding. I shifted my gaze to the table, observing her back, which exudes happiness just by looking at her gentle steps. First, let¡¯s eat and think. My mind felt as if it had been stopped by hunger. ¡°That¡¯s a whole lot of stuff. The Duke finished his breakfast. Isn¡¯t it all because of Madam?¡± Instead of looking at the tableware, Kyle, who was following Duke Cassiar, looked at the Duke sitting across from me. ¡°Why is the Duke having breakfast?¡± Isn¡¯t it obvious that if you want to live, you should eat breakfast? Kyle finished organizing the dishes after I asked him as if I didn¡¯t understand. ¡°Because he has an upset stomach, the Duke doesn¡¯t eat breakfast. But, since Madam is here, isn¡¯t he eating breakfast to get a better look at Madam¡¯s face?¡± ¡°Oh, did you really? The Duke?¡± ¡°Someone just fed me a lot of romaine, and I quickly became hungry.¡± Duke Cassiar¡¯s piercing gaze fell on me. Come to think of it, did I only feed the Duke vegetables yesterday? The words he said as a light joke stabbed my conscience. ¡°Even the Duke is shy.¡± ¡°Kyle, you must be very free, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No. You two have a nice breakfast. I need to get down to business.¡± It was no surprise Kyle was excited. When he heard Duke Cassiar bark, he disappeared as if running away. I turned to look at Duke Cassar, who was eating quietly. To be honest, I thought he was a little skinny. I was not going to feed him romaine anymore because it didn¡¯t work. I suddenly remembered that the Duke liked meat while I was slicing meat. ¡°Here you go, Duke.¡± I used a fork to pick up the meat and bring it to Duke Cassiar¡¯s mouth. The Duke was staring at the meat that had come to his mouth. ¡°I heard you like meat. I¡¯m sorry I forced you to eat only bland vegetables the other day. Please accept my apologies and eat it.¡± ¡°Never mind. I am not a kid. I¡¯ll handle it on my own.¡± I knew the Duke would reject it, so I naturally grabbed my arm by the other arm with a fork. ¡°Are you going to let my hand continue like this? My arm is starting to hurt.¡± It was the moment the Duke of Cassiar, who had failed to win in my eyes, opened his mouth. ¡°Damn, I didn¡¯t see anything. Finish what you were doing!¡± Fanny, who had just brought the soup, bolted blindfolded, clutching the plate she was holding. ¡°Oh, no,¡± Fanny and I¡¯s misunderstanding only grew worse. *** ¡°So, what are your plans for me today?¡± Having finished eating, Duke Cassiar looked worn out even before he started. In a nutshell, he felt desperate. Well, the sooner the Duke surrendered, the better. ¡°Today we¡¯re going to meditate.¡± ¡°Meditation? It¡¯s the first I¡¯ve heard of it, so it can¡¯t be harmful to my health, right?¡± The Duke asked me a serious question. Romaine and Chamomile seemed to have knocked the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s faith in me off the cliff. ¡°Is it really necessary for me to inflict pain on the Duke?¡± ¡°It¡¯s impossible to say.¡± ¡°You have to concentrate. Duke?¡± I steadfastly went my way, ignoring Duke Cassiar¡¯s reasonable reservations. ¡°Meditation is a mental exercise that helps to calm the mind and body. First, focus your mind.¡± With terrifyingly focused eyes, the Duke of Cassiar stared intently at me in front of my eyes as I spoke. ¡°Duke, don¡¯t focus on me; close your eyes and concentrate on yourself.¡± ¡°It¡¯s difficult.¡± I closed my eyes and continued meditating after confirming that the Duke had closed his eyes. ¡°Now slowly let go of your tense body¡¯s strength. Let go of all your worries and relax.¡± Perhaps the Duke of Cassir¡¯s meditation was going well, but he was quiet. Was meditation effective? I opened my eyes slightly, curious about the Duke¡¯s condition. Finally, in a brighter field of view, the Duke of Cassiar sat in front of me, gently looking at me. CH 9 I was surprised. Why did he look at people like that after I told him to meditate? ¡°Did you close your eyes, Duke?¡± ¡°I was about to close my eyes.¡± Did he get caught fooling around? For the cunning Duke Cassiar, it was possible. The Duke¡¯s cheeks flushed red, possibly because he was embarrassed to be fooling around. Nope. He wasn¡¯t the type of person who would be embarrassed if he was caught fooling around. Did this imply that his face had turned red for another reason? I didn¡¯t think it was hot outside; it was quite cold. Then perhaps¡­¡­ I put my hand on Duke Cassiar¡¯s forehead. The Duke¡¯s eyes glared at me for a moment. ¡°Are you still sick? Your face turned red. The fever doesn¡¯t seem to be severe, but what if there is such a thing, should I call the doctor?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. I just focused on it, and it¡¯s getting a little hot.¡± As if he was stuffy, Duke Cassiar untied the navy ribbon that had been around his neck. Then he undid the buttons on his shirt underneath. Through the gaping collar, a deep neckline was revealed. He looked so hot. Having been distracted for a while by the Duke¡¯s neckline, I cleared my mind and got up from my seat. ¡°I¡¯m going to open the window.¡± The wind blew in through the open window, rustling my hair. My hair that fluttered against my face whenever the wind blew bothered me. In this case, it was better to tie my hair up. Is there anything I can tie my hair up with? Looking around, I saw the navy ribbon worn by the Duke of Cassiar. That¡¯s it! ¡°Duke, can I borrow the ribbon for a moment?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Duke handed me the navy blue ribbon he was holding in his large hand. ¡°Wait.¡± I ruffled my long hair, raised it high and held it in one hand. My hair was neatly arranged, with fluffy wavy ends. My hair was then neatly fixed by winding the ribbon that the Duke of Cassiar had given me. Now I¡¯m feeling much better. After resolving the bothersome thing, I sat down facing Duke Cassiar relentlessly. The Duke was staring at me intently, as if he had noticed something strange. Was it impolite of me to use the Duke¡¯s ribbon to tie my hair? ¡°My hair is long, and the wind blows it away, disrupting my meditation. Please excuse me, but I¡¯m going to borrow the Duke¡¯s ribbon.¡± ¡°You¡¯re always beyond my expectations.¡± Do I have to change the subject? However, Duke Cassiar¡¯s mood didn¡¯t seem to be in a bad mood. ¡°Sometimes we have to go beyond the Duke¡¯s expectations! I¡¯m confident the Duke will fall asleep without the use of sleeping medication or my own power.¡± If that happened, the Duke would not be overflowed, and the story¡¯s ending would not be ruined, which was in a perfect happy ending. I clenched my fists and showed the Duke Cassiar of my burning will. ¡°So, Duke, please step up your game a notch. Again, don¡¯t get the hang of it as quickly as you did before. I¡¯ll keep my eyes open and keep an eye on you.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± As I said, he seemed to close his eyes reluctantly, but a pleasant smile appeared on his lips. Duke Cassiar, you were a man with a warm smile. After all, of course, I was afraid. I was on the verge of getting excited. I was admiring Duke Cassar¡¯s distinct features as he closed his eyes, and then he opened them. ¡°Can you tell me how long I have to sit with my eyes closed?¡± The Duke of Cassiar¡¯s irritated brows soar into the sky, as if it was a waste of time. Even the sleep I was attempting to achieve would vanish in this manner. I got a hunch. I thought this method was probably ineffective. *** How difficult is it to persuade the Duke to meditate even once? Because the heat was so intense that my body was drenched in sweat, I washed it again and went out. I looked around as I dried my wet hair with a towel. Is this really my room? Duke Cassiar told me to use it comfortably since it was now my room, but I couldn¡¯t get used to the gorgeous and more luxurious interior than the marquis¡¯s. Why was the closet so big? It looked twice as big as my closet in the marquis¡¯s mansion. As I wandered around, I opened the door to the large closet. As Fanny had mentioned, the closet was brimming with new dresses from high-end designers. There seemed to be more than a dozen of them at first glance. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how I¡¯m supposed to put this on.¡± I had changed into a new dress and stood in front of the mirror, despite what they said. Expensive is, as expected, a good thing. It was different right away. I felt better after putting on the new clothes. As Fanny pointed out, Duke Cassiar had a delicate side and paid attention to such details. When I was in the middle of appreciating the dress, I heard something hitting the room¡¯s window. What was that sound? For a moment, I remembered what Duke Cassar had said. Because the Duke could not see all of his enemies, I might be in danger. My spine became numb. I carefully looked around the window where I heard the sound and saw someone with their back against the window, swallowing my dry saliva. Are you a spy? How did you find out about my room? I moved closer to the window as I became more frightened. As a spy who had come to harm me, the back of the window looked vaguely familiar. Where did you get these pure white locks of hair? I took a bold step over to the window and flung it open. The man leaning against the window then fell inside. The man¡¯s entire face was exposed. This man was not a spy, but Duke Cassiar¡¯s¡­¡­ The man named Suu, who fell out of the window, was the man who supported the Duke when he vomited blood. But why were you leaning against my room¡¯s window? Did someone say the enemy had attacked him? ¡°Please excuse me. Are you still breathing?¡± Fortunately, there appeared to be no injuries on the outside. I pressed my finger gently against white haired man¡¯s cheeks, thinking to wake him up. His even breath touched my skin. ¡°Are you sleeping?¡± This gave me a reasonable suspicion that the people here had a disease that caused them to fall asleep whenever they saw me. While pondering what to do, my gaze was drawn to the man¡¯s pure white hair. The fluffy appearance reminded me of a white dog¡¯s fur I once saw on the street. It appeared to be soft. It was pleasant to the touch. It was when I came to the thought of wanting to touch his hair, similar to seeing a paw in a cat¡¯s hand or a puppy¡¯s chubby butt. My hand was already brushing Suu¡¯s hair. It was soft. It was just like cotton candy. Suu was awoken from his sleep by the gentle touch. His gaze was drawn to me as I stroked his hair. I felt embarrassed. I thought he would shake my hand off or get up right away, but Suu just stayed still and looked at me. Like a puppy wagging its tail while lying comfortably in its owner¡¯s hand. In the end, it was on my side to withdraw my hand first. ¡°I was sleeping with my back to the window. I fell inside your room because you opened the window.¡± He stood up and nodded as if he realized what was going on. Suu¡¯s gaze remained fixed on my hand, which was stroking his hair. ¡°Then why were you sleeping in such a place?¡± ¡°I was asked to escort Madam by the Duke.¡± ¡°Duke Cassiar?¡± It was the first time I had heard from Suu. When did you decide to put me under escort? Isn¡¯t it true that the horses are tied to the guards so that they don¡¯t run away? ¡°May I come in?¡± Speak of the devil, he came. Duke Cassiar knocked just in time. The Duke walked in as soon as the door was opened. ¡°Did you give me an escort, Duke?¡± ¡°It seems both of you have already met.¡± Duke Cassiar¡¯s gaze shifted to Suu, then back to me. ¡°As I stated previously, being a duchess can put you in perilous situations. As a result, I¡¯m going to let Suu escort you from now on.¡± With half-asleep eyes, I returned to Suu¡¯s gaze. He didn¡¯t appear to be strong enough to escort anyone, no matter how I looked at him. I felt compelled to accompany Suu just by looking at his doll-like and skinny body. Furthermore, it was unsettling to believe that someone was always by my side. ¡°Duke, I do not need an escort. It makes me uncomfortable to think that someone is following me around all day.¡± ¡°No need to worry about that. Suu will escort you from a comfortable distance, so it will be no different than living alone unless there is an accident.¡± Come to think of it, he suddenly appeared out of nowhere when Duke Cassiar vomited blood. ¡°Doesn¡¯t Suu serve as the Duke¡¯s escort? Who will protect the Duke¡¯s safety if you give me the Duke¡¯s escort?¡± ¡°Are you worried about my safety?¡± Duke Cassar seemed unworried about it, as if I didn¡¯t have to. I forgot such a thing for a moment. That Duke Cassiar was the world¡¯s greatest villain. He would not be harmed if he acted erratically and injured himself. It was pointless to be concerned about it even when thinking about it. However, I was not weak enough to be protected, even if I was an extra among the extras not even mentioned in the original. ¡°I have the power to defend myself, just as the Duke does.¡± ¡°Hoo. Is that so?¡± He seemed to respond sincerely in his own way, but the Duke of Cassiar did not seem to believe me at all. This made me regain my competitive edge. It was unavoidable if things turned out this way. I had no choice but to show my hidden skills. ¡°Suu, could I borrow your sword for a moment?¡± Suu nodded his head at my question and gave me his own sword. What? Why is this so heavy? I thought it was light because Suu took it out with one hand without changing his expression, but it was so heavy that I could barely lift it with both hands. ¡°Are you going to quit now?¡± I was a little embarrassed by the weight of the sword, but it didn¡¯t stop me from showing my skills. ¡°Please get an apple ready, Duke. You have to see it for yourself.¡± I used to be interested in swordsmanship when I was younger, so I picked up a sword and practiced until I could compete with ordinary people, even though I wasn¡¯t very good at it. ¡°Bring an apple for me, Fanny.¡± Fanny brought the apples on Duke Cassiar¡¯s orders. ¡°Now, what are you going to do with this?¡± The Duke made me hold the apple. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be surprised.¡± I threw an apple into the air. And I swung the sword quickly. Then the apple in the air was cut in half. ¡°How is it?¡± ¡°Amazing. Lady!¡± Fanny, who was watching, cheered and clapped. The Duke of Cassiar seemed a little surprised. Did you see that? I¡¯m a sword-wielding woman! Suu then picked up the shattered apple. Are you going to challenge me? Please give it a shot. Because the spot was not large enough, cutting the apple in half was difficult. I could cut apples after a lot of practice, but how could I do it with such a weak body? With a half-worried expression on my face, I handed the sword to Suu. Suu¡¯s face was disheveled as he threw up the shredded apple. Something flashed before my eyes, and when I came to my senses, the shredded apple had been cut into equal-sized pieces. With a serious expression on my face, I returned Duke Cassiar¡¯s stare. ¡°You¡¯re a capable knight who knows how to handle apples. Passed.¡± CH 10 I heard the sound of Duke Cassiar holding back his laughter as he watched me admit my sharp defeat after checking Suu¡¯s swordsmanship skills with my own eyes. He put his hand over his mouth as a courtesy, but I could hear all of his laughter through it. My face turned red just thinking about it. I covered my face with one hand. But it was difficult to cover even the red ears. Where the heck does Suu¡¯s strength come from in this skinny body? That was why it was said that people did not judge others solely on their appearance. It felt as if the meaning of those words had been properly engraved into my bones this time. ¡°What a relief. I can¡¯t believe Suu likes you.¡± ¡°Stop laughing at me. It¡¯s embarrassing enough even if the Duke doesn¡¯t laugh.¡± I glanced back at Suu¡¯s side and read his countenance. This was obviously my fault. I felt compelled to apologize. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. Suu. It was because I¡¯m too quick to judge you only based on your appearance. I¡¯ll reflect on myself.¡± My feelings could not be fully expressed, despite the fact that I apologized. Suu must have been very upset, right? I mustered up my courage to raise my eyes to Suu. ¡°It¡¯s all right. It¡¯s my fault for showing you my defenseless appearance.¡± Suu seemed to think that showing himself asleep undermined my trust in him. It might be better to think that. ¡°No. But please accept my apologies. I¡¯ll be more careful in the future. Please take good care of me as my escort. Suu.¡± At my words, Suu put down his sword and lowered his body to kiss the back of my hand. Kissing the back of the hand is a formal act for knights to swear allegiance to their master. Even though I knew it, experiencing it firsthand was strange. Was it because Suu was so handsome? If that was the case, it was understandable. ¡°Suu, that¡¯s enough for the formality.¡± I felt like a princess, but Duke Cassiar snubbed me. ¡°I¡¯ll be following Madam from now on.¡± Suu stood up and looked at my hand for a few moments before exiting through the same window through which he had entered. ¡°We¡¯re on the second floor. Are you okay?¡± I was surprised and hurriedly looked out the window. But Suu was no longer in sight. ¡°He is alright. Suu is not an ordinary knight.¡± It seemed that Duke Cassiar was already familiar with the scene. Who is he if he isn¡¯t an ordinary knight? I had a lot of questions in my head, but instead of asking Duke Cassiar, I decided to ask Suu directly. Suu was my escort, and from now on there would be more to see. ¡°Are you going back to the Marquis now?¡± Duke Cassiar asked as he closed the window. ¡°Yes, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever be able to return, even as a duchess, if I don¡¯t go back right now.¡± The face of my mother that had been forgotten for a moment came to mind. I¡¯d had a strict curfew since I was a child, so even if I went to a party, I couldn¡¯t stay late and had to leave. If I came back home late, I had to taste my mother¡¯s hand. ¡°It¡¯s funny. It¡¯s frustrating for me as well that you can¡¯t come to the Duke¡¯s house, so I¡¯ll get the carriage ready right away.¡± What exactly do you mean by ¡°funny¡±? The Duke of Cassiar seemed to think what I said was a joke. It wouldn¡¯t be fun unless you¡¯d experienced your mother¡¯s spiciness at least once. I remembered something I¡¯d forgotten while thinking about how to make my mother¡¯s hands taste better. ¡°Oh, I almost forgot. I had something to give you back.¡± I returned to him a ribbon of the Duke of Cassiar that I had used to tie my hair. I was good at tying my hair with a ribbon! I was able to confidently tie ribbons prettier than anyone else after taking over gift wrapping at the cosmetics store. I knotted the ribbon around the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s shirt with finesse. As expected, it¡¯s perfect! The ribbons were tied in the correct proportions and did not fray. ¡°What do you think? Do you like it?¡± I was pleased with my skills and looked to the Duke of Cassiar for praise. ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± However, I received a mixed response from him. Hey, this time I¡¯ll let you go. ¡°Have you ever seen a more beautiful ribbon than this? It¡¯s not bad because you¡¯ve set a high bar.¡± I was a fool if I thought Duke Cassiar would say anything good about me. The Duke¡¯s low voice whispered in my ear as I turned around. ¡°It¡¯s the same thing as being good if you¡¯re not bad.¡± ¡°Did you just say something, Duke?¡± I immediately turned to the Duke of Cassiar, my ears pricked up. ¡°It¡¯s not bad.¡± ¡°No, but what you said after that.¡± I persisted, but he shrugged his shoulders and walked right past me. You could just say it was good if it was good. Was it because the Duke is not good at expressing himself? Come think about it, this was the first time the Duke had told me he liked what I did. Wasn¡¯t that not bad? I laughed silently, imitating the Duke¡¯s words. This time, being generous, I chose to understand the Duke of Cassiar. *** As soon as I arrived at the Marquis¡¯s mansion, I had to scream. ¡°Aww, it hurts!¡± On my back, I could feel my mother¡¯s spiciness. ¡°You haven¡¯t even gotten married yet. Are you planning on staying out all night?¡± My mother was furious when I went out for the first time. ¡°It was not like what mother was thinking. I just slept. Only sleep.¡± I cried as I rubbed my tingly back. My mother gave me a worried look. ¡°I¡¯m not going to interfere with your freedom. But if you call me in advance, we won¡¯t have to worry. What would we be worried about if Duke Cassiar hadn¡¯t contacted us?¡± It was a story I had never heard before. ¡°Yes. He sent a messenger to tell us not to be worried because you had fallen asleep.¡± I must have been out of your mind because you were sick. When did you contact the Marquis? I suddenly remembered what Fanny said. The Duke of Cassiar was a person who was infinitely sensitive to the people who mattered to him. Wait, then why am I being scolded? I didn¡¯t have anything to worry about. ¡°Then why did I get hit? You¡¯ve been contacted.¡± ¡°Would you have called if the Duke hadn¡¯t called? It is obvious.¡± It was unfair, but it was true when I heard it, so there was nothing else to say. You are so cheap. Every mother in the world must be able to read minds. Otherwise, I wouldn¡¯t be able to speak as if I was thinking about how I¡¯d act. Lili dashed into the mansion as I was pouting my mouth at the resentment. ¡°Lady, you have a gift from the Duke of Cassiar.¡± ¡°A gift?¡± Duke Cassiar didn¡¯t tell me anything. What exactly is this gift? ¡°Oh my, what is all this?¡± When my mother and I went outside, we found a pile of golden carriages, jewelry, and furniture sent by the Duke of Cassiar. The Duke flaunted his wealth. At the very least, if you were sending a gift, shouldn¡¯t it fit inside the mansion? Even if all of these items could be stuffed into the mansion, people would have to live there. ¡°I¡¯ve been asked by Duke Cassiar Kissen to deliver this letter to the Marquis and Marchioness.¡± Following me, my father took the letter and opened it. ¡°Rather than me, you should read this.¡± My father handed the Duke¡¯s letter to my mother while laughing out loud. ¡°What is written on it?¡± I crept up behind my mother and peeped inside the letter. [Dear Marquis and Marchioness. I apologize for causing you concern by not being able to return your precious daughter on time, even before the ceremony. I realize that these gifts will not bring comfort to the hearts of the marquis and marchioness, but there is no other way to express my feelings, so I sent them all at once. However, I would like to ask you one thing. Don¡¯t be too harsh with Riel. I¡¯ll gladly be scolded in place of Riel the next time I visit the Marquis. Please accept my heartfelt sincere apologies.] ¡°Riel, you¡¯ve found a great husband.¡± My mother seemed to be deeply touched by Duke Cassiar¡¯s letter. To be honest, I had no idea the Duke would look after me so well, but it wasn¡¯t just a pleasant feeling. The Duke of Cassiar was not my real husband. Everything, including the letters, was eventually a ruse to reassure parents. That was something I already knew everything about, and it was great that the Duke moved it around so I didn¡¯t have to worry about my parents. Why do I feel so lonely? ¡°By the way, Riel.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°How the hell did you tell the Duke about this, and now you¡¯re telling him about me so I don¡¯t scold you?¡± Something wasn¡¯t right. My mother¡¯s piercing gaze on me. I was about to squeeze the hem of my dress in my hands and run because I felt threatened. ¡°That¡¯s¡­¡­ I¡¯ll go in first because I¡¯m a little tired. Good night! Mother!¡± ¡°Riel!¡± The chase between me and my mother had been causing havoc at the Marquis¡¯ mansion for quite some time. *** The Duke of Cassiar was deafeningly quiet after Riel had left. Kissen stopped loosening the ribbon to change his clothes when he returned to his room after working late as usual. Kissen looked through the mirror and looked at the ribbon Riel had tied. ¡°This is very delicate.¡± ¡®Her hand was warm when she tied my ribbon.¡¯ Kissen remembered Riel¡¯s hand rubbing against his neck. It was the first time in a long time that he felt warmth. Kissen, who smiled a little as he remembered Riel, who was always making a racket just by being there, reached out with a bottle of sleeping medication. He didn¡¯t pick up the bottle this time, though. What Riel said flooded his mind for a brief moment. ¡®No sleeping medication until I come. If I return to the marquis¡¯ mansion and survive, I will return to the Duke¡¯s mansion the next day. Until then, try to fall asleep naturally.¡¯ Riel also left a message advising him to drink chamomile tea if he couldn¡¯t sleep. ¡®What am I doing reliving all of this?¡¯ Kissen reached out to his ribbon, having defined the reason Riel came to mind in his own way. Kissen, who had changed into a robe, eventually held the ribbon that Riel had tied in his hand. ¡®Why the hell did I have to suffer so much because I was so concerned about this?¡¯ He asked himself , just as Riel had tied it up at the start. Kissen sighed as he looked back at himself, who had struggled to remove the ribbon from his neck without messing up its shape. ¡®There must be something right with her.¡¯ Kissen closed his eyes slowly as he recalled the Duke¡¯s tumultuous day of work after a long time. ¡®I heard chamomile tea helps you sleep. I¡¯ll ask Fanny if you can¡¯t get to sleep.¡¯ Kissen pretended to be fooled and decided to practice sleeping alone, as Riel had instructed. However, it was not possible. Kissen closed his eyes at his last thought. In his hand, he held the ribbon tied by Riel. CH 11 The wedding date with the Duke of Cassiar had been set. Because of the letter from the Duke of Cassiar on the first night of my stay, the schedule was set earlier than planned. Since they read the letter that day, they¡¯d both become more favorable toward the Duke. The contents of that letter must have been sweet. I was on the verge of getting a cavity in my tooth. As I¡¯d previously stated, the Duke of Cassiar was as sly as a fox. Otherwise, he wouldn¡¯t be able to write a sweet letter to a woman without any feelings, which would give me cavities just by reading it. [However, there is something I¡¯d like to ask you. Don¡¯t be too harsh with Riel. I¡¯ll go to the Marquis next time and take charge of Riel¡¯s problems.] I imagined Duke Cassiar saying those words. It really didn¡¯t fit. The friendly version Duke of Cassiar. I felt my hair standing up all over my body as I touched my arms with both hands. ¡°Lady, it¡¯s time for you to get ready to go out.¡± Lili, who entered the room, was a little more excited than usual. ¡°Ready to go out?¡± I didn¡¯t have a schedule that came to mind, so I asked Lili back. Do I have to go anywhere if I don¡¯t have to go to the Duke¡¯s house for the time being? Duke Cassiar told me that I didn¡¯t need to visit the Duke before I got married because I¡¯d have to enter the Duke¡¯s House afterward anyway. Maybe it was just annoying to deal with me. For the past few days, I had taken all the things that were good for sleep to the Duke¡¯s house. Though it appears to have unintentionally made the Duke of Cassiar upset. One day, I tried to light a scented candle in the Duke¡¯s room because I heard that aroma scented candles were good for a good night¡¯s sleep. ¡®Fire!¡¯ ¡®I need water right now!¡¯ There was no problem lighting the incense candle, but the Duke¡¯s mansion nearly caught fire because I accidentally hit it. ¡®Looks like you want to put me to sleep forever.¡¯ If the Duke of Cassiar had not extinguished the fire with magic, everything might have turned to ashes as he said. For a long time, I¡¯d been shot by the Duke of Cassiar¡¯s stinging eyes. I almost had a big accident, so I decided to take him to a relaxing foot bath next time. There was no problem until Duke Cassar¡¯s feet were soaked in warm water. ¡®Duke, it is said that a foot massage is more effective. Well, take a look. This is how I rub it between your toes like this.¡¯ I rolled up my dress and gave a foot massage demonstration. ¡®What are you doing now?¡¯ Even Duke Cassiar, who was so cold-hearted that I¡¯d believe that he wouldn¡¯t bleed if I cut him, avoided eye contact and blushed when he slightly saw my ankle. It was rather me who was embarrassed by his reaction. ¡®No, I¡¯m just trying to teach you how to massage, so who cares? I¡¯ll explain it quickly, so look here.¡¯ ¡®If you¡¯re trying to seduce me, no thank you.¡¯ It was the first time I¡¯d ever heard of someone who would get seduced with just showing an ankle. However, Duke Cassiar was stubborn. This was not the Joseon Dynasty. With a little of the ankle showing. ¡®Great. If you think so, Duke, I¡¯ll massage your feet. ¡® ¡®Wait.¡¯ I tried to massage Duke Cassiar¡¯s feet by my hand with bestowed tolerance, but his body flinched just when my hand brushed against his feet. His reaction was interesting to see, so I touched it a few more times. ¡®I¡¯ll finish the foot bath by myself, so get out.¡¯ In the end, the Duke of Cassiar drove me out. I think I¡¯ve tried almost every method for getting him to sleep, but how come none of them work? ¡°Today is the day you go see your wedding gown, Lady. The Duke said he made a reservation for Madame Tou, who is called a dressmaker.¡± ¡°Duke Cassiar?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯m envious of you. Lady, isn¡¯t it true that every girl¡¯s dream is to wear Madame Tou¡¯s gown on her wedding day?¡± It was just as Lily said. I once dreamed of wearing Madame Tou¡¯s dress and swearing an oath to the man I loved. Somehow I ended up getting married. And that marriage was just for show. ¡°Right! You are free to try on Madame Tou¡¯s dress as many times as you want.¡± ¡°Great!¡± I was dispirited for a while, but I rose from my seat and began getting ready to go out. As a result, I dressed up from head to toe and went out, attracting the attention of the Marquis and Marchioness. ¡°Oh, Riel, are you going to some sort of banquet hall?¡± My mother was genuinely curious and asking questions when she looked at me. Did I put too much jewelry? I hesitated for a moment, but soon I changed my mind. Why don¡¯t you try standing out? When you have the opportunity, you should dress up a lot. Because youth doesn¡¯t last forever. I decided to enjoy this moment without any regrets and walked to where the carriage was parked. It was a very windy today. I thought the wind was howling, and my wide-brimmed hat flew away. ¡°No! My hat!¡± I extended my hand to catch the flying hat, but it had already flown away, and landed on top of a large tree in front of the mansion. That was one of the few limited-edition artisan items I owned! I mean, it was a pity that I didn¡¯t use it more than a few times. ¡°Lady, what should we do? I don¡¯t think the tree is too high for me to climb up and get it.¡± Lili, who knows how much I love that hat, stamped her feet and looked up at the tree. No wonder I didn¡¯t feel good in the morning, so I became dispirited. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. Let¡¯s just go.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s a hat that you like.¡± Lili felt more pity than me, and glanced at the hat. ¡°It can¡¯t be helped if you¡¯re upset. It¡¯s already gone.¡± ¡°Oh? Lady, look over there!¡± Lili reached out her hand somewhere just as she was about to throw away her lingering feelings and take a step away. Lili gestured to the tree where the hat was hung on the tree. ¡°Is that¡­?¡± Someone was hurriedly leaping from the tree. It was Suu who climbed to the top of a tree with agile movements and his white hair fluttered reminiscent of clouds, snatched my hat, and came to me. Because he had been out of sight for a while, I completely forgot about his existence. Although the Duke of Cassiar said he would be escorting out of sight. I saw him appear somewhere and bring the hat as soon as the hat flew away, so I had no idea he was watching me all along. I had no idea a person¡¯s movement could be so quiet. I was glad I got my hat back thanks to him. Suu had given me my beautiful hat, which I loved. ¡°Thank you, Suu. This is the hat I really love. I¡¯d be sad if I lost it.¡± Suu¡¯s gaze, which had been fixed on me with a bright smile, had now moved to my hand. Is it just my feeling that he keeps looking at my hands, as he did the last time? ¡°Suu, your wounds.¡± Suu¡¯s cheek had been cut, possibly scratched by a branch. His cheek was cut deep enough for me to see the flesh and which was painful to see, but he didn¡¯t seem to mind it. ¡°Lili, bring the medicine box.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t have to worry about this.¡± When I asked Lili to bring medicine, Suu carelessly wiped the blood with the back of his hand. ¡°Lili, hurry up¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Lili, who had been watching me, dashed into the mansion and returned with a medicine box. While Suu sat in the shade of a tree, I applied medicine to his cheeks. ¡°Take care of yourself a little more. Suu. You can be hurt but you can¡¯t be sick.¡± Suu remained silent as I applied the medicine. He was like a gentle puppy. He was a Duke Cassiar¡¯s escort, but it was a completely different atmosphere from what an escort looked like. It would have been easier to deal with the Duke if he only had half of Suu¡¯s personality. ¡°Finished! You¡¯ll get better soon because I¡¯ve applied a medicine that works well.¡± It didn¡¯t feel like it was a bit greasy, but wouldn¡¯t it be better to apply it quickly rather than dry it? After organizing the medicine box and handing it over to Lili, I turned to Suu and saw a leaf on his head. Did this just fall on him? I swept Sue¡¯s hair to take the leaves off. Oh, wait. No wonder you look happy when I brush your hair. Suu¡¯s face was normally expressionless, but when my hand touched his head, his expression changed slightly. He looked like a puppy wagging his tail at his owner. I mistakenly thought I saw a tail that wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Lady, we have to leave now. You¡¯re going to be late for your appointment.¡± Lili, who had returned the medicine box, urged me. Oh man, I was just going to get a wedding dress today. It had almost slipped my mind. I didn¡¯t feel like going to match the wedding dress because it was a contractual marriage. ¡°All right, let¡¯s go.¡± Suu escorted me onto the carriage, and I pondered as I looked out the window. The Duke of Cassiar would not come because this was only a fitting for a wedding dress. *** My predictions were not too far off. ¡°Duke Cassiar appears to be running late.¡± I arrived at Madame Tou¡¯s salon a little later than expected, but Duke Cassiar was nowhere to be found. After all, it was a fake wedding, and I didn¡¯t need the Duke to match the dress. ¡°He must be extremely busy at work. It was not the time to be concerned about the Duke. Madame Tou¡¯s wedding dresses filled the room!¡± Madame Tou¡¯s Atelier had more beautiful dresses than I had expected. ¡°I think I should put this on first.¡± I hummed as I chose a dress. Madame Tou skillfully assisted me in changing my dress. I quickly became a bride in a pure white dress thanks to her. ¡°You are even more beautiful than I had expected! Face is, as expected, the fashion¡¯s final piece.¡± A pure white gown with exposed shoulders and a slim waist that spread downwards. Silver wavy hair that reached to my chest I looked like a beautiful bride with nowhere to go, but my bright purple eyes were wet as if they were about to burst into tears. There was a lot to gain, and I figured it would be fine because the marriage would be over if the Duke was able to fall asleep. Getting a letter that was full of lies. Even selecting a wedding dress without the assistance of others was possible. This marriage was devoid of love. But I was not okay. A feeling of loneliness that I had never felt before washed over me like a wave. I was crying and wiping away my tears when it happened. ¡°Riel, can I go inside for a moment?¡± Through the dressing room curtains, a man¡¯s voice could be heard.