Invitation of the Crescent Moon - Chapter 41-50

41

Ashika’s expression was more anxious than ever. Even though she tried to appear calm, her heart was tightening with unease, and she felt like tears would burst out at any moment.  

Emotions she hadn’t known existed welled up from the bottom of her heart, shaking her mind. She couldn’t quite figure out what the emotion rising in her throat was.  

‘That dream.’  

She thought it was just a nightmare. A ridiculous dream that didn’t match reality in any way. However, the desperate look in the dying man’s eyes weighed heavily on her heart, more so than her own impending death in the dream.  

‘What if that dream really comes true?’  

Even sitting still, her body trembled, so she clasped her hands together. She tried to convince herself that it wasn’t her body trembling. That it was just the carriage shaking.  

“Are you cold?”

Nile, who was sitting across from her, asked, noticing her pale complexion. Ashika shook her head and barely managed to open her mouth.  

“Did you tell Iben I was coming?”  

“Yes. She said she would be at the shop all day. But, my lady…”  

Nile hesitated, watching Ashika’s reaction before adding cautiously.  

“It might be good to be careful of that woman.”  

“What do you mean?”  

“I can’t quite figure her out. I received help, but I feel uneasy. Don’t trust her too easily.” Ashika quietly studied Nile’s face. He hadn’t been around for long either. If it was a matter of suspicion, Nile was more suspicious. Yet, this person was advising her to be careful of someone else.  

“Nile, if that’s how you feel, I should be wary of you too.”  

“That’s not it! I’m just a straightforward person. I’m not the type to deceive or stab someone in the back.”  

Nile jumped up and denied it. It was obvious, but he couldn’t hide his displeasure at being suspected. Perhaps it was because his attitude of openly revealing his emotions was so honest. Nile was someone who easily gained the trust of others. Ashika realized that at some point, she had stopped being wary of Nile.  

Even when the carriage stopped in front of the art shop, Nile didn’t get up. His face, full of worry and contemplation, looked quite serious. Ashika dismissed Nile’s concerns with a single statement.  

“I need Iben right now.”  

She was the one who created the cure for a rare disease that was said to be incurable. Perhaps Iben might have a solution. Nothing was more important than that at the moment. When Ashika got up and got out of the carriage, Nile followed.  

“Don’t forget what I said.”  

Nile urged her once more, chasing after her. However, Ashika could no longer hear Nile’s voice. She felt like her mind was going numb, wondering what would happen if she couldn’t find an answer after meeting Iben. This time, the woman named Rine came out to greet them. The place she led them to wasn’t a secluded room like last time, but a sunny reception room.  

“Welcome, Lady. You’re here earlier than the appointment.”  

Iben sat leisurely on the sofa and greeted the two. Despite the humid weather, she wore a black dress that covered her up to the neck, long black gloves covering her forearms, and her roughly rolled-up hair had a strange mix of gold and red under the sunlight. Her features were as delicate as if drawn with a brush, a beautiful face. However, the faint blue veins visible under her pale skin felt somewhat grotesque. She was a woman who exuded a unique atmosphere, beautiful yet difficult to approach.  

“Lady?”

“Ah.”

Ashika snapped out of it at Iben’s voice.  

“What’s the rush that brought you here to find me so quickly?”  

“Well, you said you were an alchemist. I want to find a medicine… a cure.”  

Iben’s gaze lingered on Ashika for a moment before gesturing to Rine. Rine, who had been waiting nearby, filled the teacups in front of the two.  

“Alchemists aren’t healers. It’s similar in that we deal with drugs, but research and experimentation come before treatment. Well, sometimes we get lucky and discover a cure.”  

“So… that’s why I need your help.”  

“I wonder what you want so much that you’re this eager.”  

Reading Ashika’s urgent heart, Iben openly expressed her curiosity. Instead of answering, Ashika took out a blood-stained shirt from the bag she had brought.  

“Someone collapsed from poisoning. It’s been several weeks, and even the best doctors in the capital haven’t been able to find the cause.”  

Iben stared at the blood-stained shirt for a moment before shifting her gaze to Ashika.  

“I’m curious. Who is this person the Lady is trying so urgently to save?”  

“That’s…”

“You said you need my help. Then you should tell me honestly.”  

Iben’s attitude was consistently relaxed.  

“I’ll pay as much as you want. If you can find a way.”  

“These kinds of things require trust more than money. You know that, don’t you?”  

Iben’s tone was polite, but there was an undeniable pressure. Ashika gripped the shirt in her hand. Rumors about Drushia had already spread secretly throughout the capital. It wasn’t exactly a secret anyway.  

“Have you heard the story about Duke Talion collapsing recently?”  

“Is the owner of this shirt Duke Talion?”  

Her deep brown eyes widened. Only now did she seem interested, taking the blood-stained shirt with her pale hand. Ashika asked with hopeful anticipation.  

“Can you find a way with this?”  

“Before that, who is the lady who brought this?”  

At Iben’s question, Ashika closed her mouth. Noticing her hesitation, Iben put down the shirt.  

“I told you to be honest if you need my help, didn’t I?”  

If Iben didn’t want to, there was no reason for her to help Ashika. Alchemists were rare in the empire, and Ashika was the one in need. Hesitating lips opened again, and finally, she gave Iben the answer she wanted.  

“Ashika… Ashika Igraine.”  

Iben didn’t show any surprise. Her sparkling dark brown eyes almost seemed pleased.  

“Judging by the fact that you’re not surprised, you already knew. Did Nile tell you?”  

“My lady! I never did that!”  

Nile, who had been quietly standing beside her, jumped up. However, Iben paid no attention to Nile’s indignant reaction.  

“Don’t misunderstand. I have my own information network, so I checked beforehand. But I wanted to hear your name directly. Lady Igraine.” Ashika was worried that Iben’s attitude might change knowing her identity, but it was quite the opposite. It felt strangely softer. Even her tone, as if speaking to a subordinate, didn’t change. It was strange that it didn’t bother Ashika, as it somehow suited Iben.  

Nile, ignored by Iben, pushed his crumpled face forward.  

“So, is there a way or not?”  

“I need to check, but it’s difficult here.”  

“Where should we go? Can I come with you?”

“No…”

Ashika’s eyes sparkled for the first time since entering the reception room. Iben, who was about to refuse, got up from her seat as if she had changed her mind.  

“Let’s move. You can come along, but it’s dangerous, so don’t touch anything, and don’t do anything. Got it?”  

Ashika and Nile nodded in unison. Except for the front of the building where the shop was located, the interior had a complex, maze-like structure. The three passed through narrow corridors and doors several times, going deeper inside. They went up and down sloped paths instead of stairs, making it impossible to guess which floor their destination was on.  

“I’ve never gotten lost before, but I feel like I could get trapped here.”  

Nile grumbled, suggesting it was intentionally designed that way. Ashika was more curious about something else than the strange structure of the building.  

‘Why aren’t there any employees?’  

The only people they had encountered in this large building were Iben and Rine. Considering the expensive decorations, there should have been security, but there was none. After navigating through an unknown path, the three arrived at a large laboratory. Rine was already there, cleaning up scattered tools and tidying the floor. After hesitating for a moment upon entering, Iben took off the gloves she had been wearing all along. As she approached a table full of unidentified medicine bottles, she asked as if something had just occurred to her.  

“Talion and Igraine are known to be bitter enemies in the empire, aren’t they? But how did Lady Igraine end up getting involved?”  

Ashika quietly held onto her dress. She had been nervous about that question coming up.  

“If you’ve heard the rumors, you also know that we are inextricably linked. I received help before. So, I’m trying to repay the favor.”  

She had received help from Drushia several times during the process of breaking off her engagement with Coral. There had been many events in a short period that didn’t fit the relationship of being bitter enemies. Iben muttered as she cut the blood-stained shirt and put it into a small medicine bottle.  

“Fate is quite interesting. To see it end up like this.”  

“Pardon?”

“Things aren’t always what they seem…”  

Clang-!

Iben dropped the medicine bottle she was holding as if throwing it away.  

“Madam!”

The woman who had been expressionless like a ghost rushed to Iben. Ashika and Nile froze, unsure of what had just happened. Iben was trembling, glaring at the shattered floor.  

“Why is that…”

“Madam, step back. I’ll clean it up.”  

“No, no. Rine, stay away.”  

Iben hurriedly stopped Rine, who was about to use her bare hands to clean up the glass shards.  

“Iben, what’s wrong?”  

When Ashika tried to approach, Iben held up her hand to stop her.  

“You said this shirt belongs to Duke Talion, right?”  

Her eyes, asking for confirmation again, were fierce. Ashika nodded with a tense face at the menacing energy she had never felt before. 

A wild glint, almost like madness, flashed in Iben’s eyes. However, the fierce energy quickly subsided. In an instant, Iben had her usual relaxed face again.  

“Phew. I surprised my guests. I never thought I would see this again in my lifetime.”  

Ashika clasped her tightly clenched hands and waited for her to continue.  

 

42

“This isn’t just poison, it’s an alchemist’s concoction. Made for a special purpose.”  

“An alchemist’s concoction?”  

Ashika and Nile looked like they didn’t understand.  

“It’s also known as ‘Puppet Sorcery,’ and it turns people into the living dead. Awake but not awake, unable to control their own bodies, they can’t live without help.”  

Iben moved away, looking over his tools. Meanwhile, Rine brought a broom to sweep up the broken glass and clean the area.  

“Then, is it life-threatening?”  

“It won’t kill you right away, but what will eventually happen to someone who can’t even control their own body?”  

A concoction that doesn’t threaten life but makes it impossible to do anything alone. A chill ran down Ashika’s spine.  

‘Someone is targeting Talion.’  

It’s not just about taking his life. If it were, they wouldn’t have created such a complicated situation.  

‘Who on earth? Why would they do this?’  

The person who would benefit from being close to Drushia. The first person that came to mind was always his aide, Kalf, who was like a shadow.  

‘I heard that Duke Talion has worked with him the longest.’  

But she soon shook her head. If Drushia is unable to perform his duties, the aide will take control of the situation.  

However, that was only temporary authority.  

Because the former Duke, Neoren, is still alive, in the end, all authority returns to Neoren.  

Although there is a succession issue, it wasn’t a problem while Neoren was alive.  

The next person she thought of was Shafri.  

Shafri Maiheller, a close friend and fiancée from Talion Territory.  

‘No.  They’ll be married within a year or two at the latest, why would she do this?’  

If Drushia couldn’t get up in their unmarried state, Shafri would have to find another marriage partner.  

However, there was no better marriage prospect than the Talion Duchy within the empire.  

‘There’s nothing to gain from just harming one person. Why?’  

Ashika clenched her trembling hands.  

‘Think, try to think.’  

The nightmare that had persistently tormented her for the past two months. There were only two survivors in that dream.  

Ashika and Drushia, the sole survivors from both families. And now, someone was targeting Drushia.  

Something that seemed to be caught slipped away into the hazy mist.  

“What did you say is Duke Talion’s current condition?”  

“I heard that he was on the verge of death but recently regained consciousness. But it’s only temporary, and he’s mostly unconscious. Is that part of the treatment process?”  

A bitter smile appeared on Iben’s lips.  

“Don’t tell me. This concoction has no middle ground. If he was cured, he would have gotten up already. It looks like he’s barely clinging to life, but no one knows how long that will last.”  

“So, can you make an antidote?”  

“It’s possible.”  

“Ah…”

Ashika let out a sigh of relief without realizing it.

“I’ll pay you any amount of money.”  

“To hand over such a rare antidote for a few coins?”  

“Then, is there something else you want?”  

“Instead of making the medicine, I have two conditions.”  

Ashika waited with a nervous face for his next words. Iben’s requests were quite unexpected.  

“First, I’d like you to hand over some of the distribution rights of the trading company that Igraine manages.”  

“Oh, you’re running a trading company?”  

Ashika’s eyes widened at the unexpected suggestion.  

“Of course. Look at the items in this shop. They are hard to find unless you go out and search for them yourself. And Igraine’s trading company has the most extensive distribution rights. There’s probably no place in the empire they can’t go?”  

It was a condition that could be big or small depending on the specifics. She thought he would make a more difficult request, but it felt easier than expected.  

“Alright. That much is possible with my authority. Let’s discuss the details later and draw up a contract. Then, what’s the second condition?”  

Iben opened his mouth with a strange smile.  

“Lady Igraine, how about granting me your name?”  

“What do you mean?”  

Ashika asked back with a puzzled look.  

“Ashika is a very pretty name. But there probably aren’t many people who call you by that name. Please allow me to use that name.”  

“Ah…”

Even if they are both nobles, there is a world of difference between Iben and Ashika’s positions. Allowing someone to use your name meant they were very close, and that alone would allow Iben to show off a considerable backing in social circles.  

Ashika understood and nodded.

“Alright. Then, when can I pick up the medicine?”  

“Please wait for a day. I’ll send someone to the Igraine Mansion as soon as it’s ready.”  

Iben smiled gently and answered readily.  

The smile looked quite warm, and Ashika became dazed.

Her blood had been drying up ever since she heard the news about Drushia.  

Days filled with unknown anxiety. She couldn’t eat properly or sleep, so she wandered around the Duke’s residence alone every night.  

Suddenly, all the strength drained from Ashika’s body.

“My lady!”

Nile grabbed Ashika’s swaying arm.  

“No, I’m okay. Let’s go back for now. She told us to wait.”  

They had barely overcome one obstacle, but there were still problems to be solved.

They had to find a way to get the antidote to Drushia.

****

At dawn, when the fog was thick, and even the sound of insects faded away, the area around the residence was silent.  

Only the patrolling knights occasionally walked through the damp fog.  

Clang.

Breaking the eerie silence, the clear sound of metal shattering rang out.

“Intruders!”  

At someone’s shout, the dark residence lit up all at once. Aegonite and the sleeping knights in their qusrters also rushed out with their swords.

“Which way!”  

“It’s the north annex.”  

“How many?”

“I can’t tell. They disappeared right after being spotted.”  

Aegonite’s face hardened at the knight’s report.

“Squad 3, come with me to check the source of the sound, Squad 1, head to the Duke’s bedroom. The rest of you, divide and search the entire residence as assigned.”  

“Yes, Captain.”

Aegonite quickly organized the situation and ran into the darkness. Meanwhile, a shadow slipped into the main building.

“There’s an intruder in the main building too!”  

The entire residence was turned upside down. Assassins in black attire who appeared from nowhere clashed with the knights heading to Drushia’s bedroom. At the same time, a battle was taking place in front of Drushia’s bedroom door.

“Damn it! Why aren’t the others coming!”  

The two guard knights were facing six opponents.

The two knights barely managed to block the attacks, but they were at a disadvantage. They were pushed back, one knight was struck by a sword and collapsed, and the other fell from the 3rd-floor balcony.  

“Aaaagh!”

“Protect the Duke’s bedroom!”  

Two knights from another floor rushed in, but they were too late. Due to the numerical difference, they were also driven to the end of the hallway.  

“You bastards! Who sent you!”  

Despite the knight’s desperate shouts, the opponents silently wielded their swords.  

The knight became desperate, seeing the attackers rushing towards Drushia’s bedroom door. He barely managed to block the sword, but he wasn’t sure how much longer he could hold out.  

He was so focused on blocking the enemy in front of him that he didn’t notice the sword coming from behind. In that moment, he felt the cold touch of death on the back of his neck.

Clang.

“Are you trying to die? Who are you pointing your blade at?”  

A sword suddenly appeared and deflected the attack from behind. The intruders, surprised by the sudden appearance of the uninvited guest, hesitated.

“What’s going on? The ones in uniform are knights, and who are these guys?”  

“Who are you!”

The Talion knights, who were holding on, were confused by the appearance of someone who was neither a knight nor an assassin. Nile fiercely swung his sword at an assassin who was off guard and retorted.

“Ah, I’m just a guest. But what should I do with these guys? Is it okay to kill them?”  

His demeanor was so relaxed that the knight was speechless.

“If you don’t answer, it’s going to be difficult for me too.”  

“Kuh-ugh.”

Nile struck the assassin’s shoulder with his sword and simultaneously kicked the opponent away. He blocked the sword coming from behind and kicked the head of the fallen one again.  

Nile’s sword moved so fast that it was hard to follow with the eye. While the assassins were in disarray, the knights also joined in and pushed forward. The situation quickly reversed.

Three collapsed, and the remaining three hurriedly left the scene.

“Don’t chase them. Protecting this place is the priority!”  

One of the knights shouted as he watched the assassins run towards the first floor. The knights, who had barely escaped the crisis, looked back at Nile without lowering their swords.

“Who are you? Who are you to be in this residence at this hour?”  

Despite receiving help, the knight didn’t let his guard down. Nile sheathed his sword and shrugged his shoulders.

“Me? I told you, I’m a guest.”  

“The only guests we know of are the ones from the Maiheller family. We haven’t been informed of anyone else.”  

“I helped you, but you’re being awfully picky.”  

“Please identify yourself.”

“Well, that’s a bit difficult.”

The moment Nile, who had been answering nonchalantly, reached for his sword hilt, the knights instinctively reacted.  

The knight’s sword and Nile’s sword hilt collided, and sparks flew. At the same time, he wrapped around the knight’s sword like a snake and thrust it into his vital point.

“Kuh…”

It was impossible to understand what had happened. Nile, who had been helping the knights just a moment ago, changed his attitude in an instant.  

Seeing his comrade fall, the remaining knight lunged forward. However, before he could even swing his sword, a flash of light burst before his eyes.

“You, what is this… Kuh!”  

The knight lost consciousness and collapsed.

“Hoo. Why is it so complicated?”  

Nile checked that the fallen were unconscious and walked further into the hallway.

“My lady, it’s taken care of. Come out.”

At Nile’s voice, Ashika appeared from inside the passage for servants. She was wearing a hooded cloak that covered her face and simple pants, and she was frozen stiff.  

Her gaze was fixed on the people lying on the floor. The sight of them sprawled out like corpses, whether dead or alive, made her heart clench. But she gritted her teeth and looked away.

“We chose the wrong day. Who would have thought there would be such daring bastards attacking the Talion residence? Thanks to that, I don’t know if things have become easier or more difficult. You know how much I’m suffering because of you, my lady?”  

Nile grumbled on and on.

“Just let me do it. There’s no need for you to be directly involved in this kind of thing.”  

Even though she said that, the truth was that she wanted to see Drushia’s face directly.

It was an absurd reason, but she was so desperate that she couldn’t think straight.

“Is this the Duke’s bedroom?”  

Ashika hesitated for a moment in front of the large brown door.

“We don’t have much time.”

At Nile’s urging, Ashika nodded and grabbed the doorknob.

 

43

The first thing I noticed as the door opened was the scent of medicinal herbs filling the room. Despite being a large room, the air was stuffy, as if the door had been closed for a long time.  

“Phew. It really feels like a patient’s room.”  

Nile murmured, looking around the room.  

A large bed was placed on the opposite side of the window, and in the very center, a person lay as if dead. Drushia’s face, pale to the point of being grayish, didn’t feel like that of a living person.  

In that moment, Ashika even forgot to breathe.  

Even though she had heard about the situation countless times, actually facing the unconscious Drushia in front of her, she felt as if the ground beneath her feet was sinking away.  

‘A patient.’  

That this man would show such a powerless figure. Wasn’t he the man who always relentlessly drove me and seemed as solid as if he would never collapse?  

“The Duke is handsome, but let’s postpone admiring his face for later, my lady.”  

Ashika suppressed her rising emotions and nodded. The medicine bottles she carefully took out from her bosom were three.  

“You said I have to administer them in the order they’re marked, right?”  

“Yes. The first medicine is for when he’s unconscious, the second medicine immediately after he wakes up, and the last medicine before a day passes. But will he be able to take the medicine in that state?”  

Ashika held the first medicine bottle and approached the bedside. Her hand, hesitating about what to do, pressed against Drushia’s lips to slightly part them.  

‘His body is so cold.’  

A chill ran down her spine at the cold temperature that touched her hand. Despite the shivers, she carefully placed the medicine bottle against his lips and tilted it.  

“My lady, if you just pour it in like that, the medicine might block his airway and he’ll suffocate.”  

At those words, Ashika stopped. Having never handled a patient before, she had no idea how to do it. The same went for Nile.  

“I’ll hold him, so please administer the medicine, my lady.”  

Nile sighed and approached the bedside. However, Ashika’s actions were faster. Without a moment’s hesitation, she poured the medicine into her own mouth.  

The taste was so bitter that it felt like her tongue was paralyzed, and Ashika’s face contorted.  

“Ah, my lady?”  

Ashika cradled Drushia’s head in one arm, lifted him up, and tilted his head. Feeling his cold lips touch hers, she created an opening with her tongue. The medicine she held in her mouth slowly flowed into Drushia’s mouth.  

“Ah, you’re really impossible.”  

Nile turned away with a flustered expression. Whether Nile was surprised or not, Ashika focused on what she had to do. It took a considerable amount of time just to make him swallow a single mouthful of medicine without spilling any.  

After finally administering all the medicine, Ashika released Drushia from her arms.  

Watching Ashika exhale a long breath, Nile frowned.  

“Did you even ask if it’s okay for someone else to take that medicine? What if something goes wrong?”  

“Then, will Nile do it instead of me?”  

“Ew!”  

“See? That’s what I thought.”  

Nile stepped back in disgust. Looking at Drushia, who was still lying as if dead, Ashika wiped the wet corners of her mouth with her fingertip.  

Just then.  

There was a loud crash from downstairs. Nile stopped abruptly and looked around.  

“Oh, really. Nothing’s going my way.”  

“What’s that noise?”  

“It would be troublesome if someone came into the room right now, right? Sorry about this.”  

Nile suddenly grabbed Ashika’s hand and pushed her shoulder down to make her sit on the floor.  

“Get down on the floor.”  

“Wait a minute. Are you telling me to go under the bed?”  

At the end of her gaze, there was a narrow space, barely a handbreadth high.  

“We can’t leave right now, and we can’t get caught. You’re slim, my lady, so you’ll fit. Hurry up and get in.”  

Nile pushed the bewildered Ashika all the way to the edge of the floor and shoved her under the bed. The room was so clean that there was almost no dust on the floor or under the bed.  

“What about Nile?”  

“I’ll take care of myself. Just don’t get caught, my lady.”  

Nile pushed Ashika in deep and then tidied up the sheets so she wouldn’t be visible. Just as Nile was about to get up, Ashika reached out and grabbed his arm.  

“Don’t get hurt.”  

Instead of telling him not to get caught, she tells him not to get hurt. Feeling the worry contained in those words, he smiled gently.  

“Don’t worry. There won’t be any problems as long as you don’t cause me any trouble, my lady.”  

His voice was filled with laughter. Nile answered like that and then hurriedly left the room. He disappeared somewhere in an instant, without even the sound of footsteps.  

The silence in the room didn’t last long. The moment the door opened, Ashika held her breath. She thought it might be a knight, but the bare white feet weren’t a man’s. The rustling sound of fabric could be heard in the quiet room.  

‘Who is it?’  

The person who approached barefoot stopped beside the bed.  

“Haa, Dru.”  

It was a woman’s voice. As far as Ashika knew, there was only one person who called Drushia by that nickname.  

‘Lady Maiheller.’  

Her heart was pounding violently. The man’s fiancée whom Ashika was trying to save. What had she done? It was a shameful sin that made her want to bite her tongue.  

‘If I just save this man and disappear quietly…’  

He has a fiancée, so he probably doesn’t want any trouble to escalate. If Ashika quietly covers it up and steps back, that should be the end of it.  

Even though she was determined, her heart still ached.  

“You’re such an iron wall. But I was still grateful for this.”  

‘What does she mean?’  

Come to think of it… the mansion is in chaos, how did she even get here?  

She had no idea what Shafri was doing while she was in hiding.  

Shafri didn’t stay long. Just like when she first came, she left the room with cautious steps and closed the door silently.  

After Shafri left, Ashika came out from under the bed. Anxious, she checked on Drushia, but there was nothing unusual.  

“What did she do?”  

Why did Lady Maiheller come so quietly at this hour?  

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn’t shake off the strange feeling.  

Could it be that she came all this way because she was worried about her fiancé? But if that were the reason, she wouldn’t have left in such a hurry.  

“And what’s with that ‘grateful’?”  

Was there something between Talion and Maiheller that she didn’t know about? Ashika looked down at Drushia and imagined countless possibilities.  

“Ah, his face color…”  

Drushia’s face, which had been as gray as a corpse, was regaining its color. Ashika reached out and carefully stroked his face.  

“He’s getting warm. Thank goodness.”  

The medicine is working.  

She had believed it would work when she administered it, but she was also worried about what if the medicine didn’t work, what if he never woke up.  

“Rushia.”  

Her slender fingers brushed back the disheveled short blond hair. The texture of the hair caught in her hand felt softer than silk.  

“Wake up. It scares me to see you like this.”  

Afraid that the dream might become reality. Her quiet, whispering voice was filled with sorrow.  

Ashika herself didn’t know why she felt this way. She just thought that she wanted this man to open his eyes quickly, that she wished him to be alive and well like before, even if he hated her.  

The time she quietly spent gazing at his face didn’t last long. Hurried footsteps were approaching from outside.  

“Why is the third floor empty! Are you out of your mind? What happened to the Duke!”  

“The front entrance was blocked.”  

“How come there isn’t a single servant or maid in sight!”  

The rough, shouting voice was definitely someone she knew.  

“Aegonite.”  

Should she hide under the bed again? While she was hesitating with that thought, Drushia groaned.  

“Rushia?”  

Drushia was waking up. The second medicine was supposed to be given when he woke up. If she hid now, she didn’t know when she would get another chance. Ashika looked back and forth between the closed door and Drushia.  

There was no time to hesitate. Ashika took the second bottle from her bosom and poured the medicine into her mouth. She couldn’t escape like this anyway. Even if she hid, she would be discovered before long.  

‘Even if I get caught, I have to give him the medicine.’  

Ashika grabbed Drushia’s face with both hands and kissed him.  

“Hmph…Ugh.”  

Half-conscious, Drushia swallowed the medicine that entered his mouth. The tongue that penetrated along with the medicine felt warm and familiar, and he briefly wanted to hold on to it. However, the soft and warm lips quickly parted.  

The door burst open, and knights rushed into the room.  

“Who are you!”  

As she raised her head, Ashika came face to face with Aegonite, who had entered first.  

“Lady Igraine?”  

Aegonite and the knights were bewildered to find Ashika.  

“Why is Lady Igraine here… what are you doing right now!”  

Outside the door, assassins and Talion’s knights were sprawled on the ground. Yet, the person in the room was the weaponless Lady Igraine of the Igraine family. The seemingly defenseless woman was beside Drushia.  

Aegonite’s expression turned cold.  

“Step away from the Duke.”  

“Why? Do you think I would do something?”  

“If you don’t comply with my order, I cannot guarantee what I will do.”  

Despite Aegonite’s threatening attitude, Ashika didn’t move an inch.  

Is the medicine working properly?  

While glaring at Aegonite, Ashika’s thoughts were entirely focused on Drushia.  

“Are you going to beat me down or something?”  

“If necessary. No matter what Lady Igraine’s status is, it’s not more important than the Duke’s safety. So please step aside.”  

When Ashika showed no sign of moving, Aegonite took a step forward.  

‘There’s still the third medicine left.’  

When else would she get a chance? Even while she was worrying, Aegonite was getting closer and closer to Ashika.  

No matter how big the knights were, Ashika had never been afraid. Because they were knights, she knew they couldn’t recklessly harm a powerless lady.  

But the situation was different now. He was approaching Ashika, ready to swing his sword at any moment, exuding a murderous aura.  

‘How do I administer the last medicine?’  

Her mind was filled with only that thought, and she anxiously bit her lip. But she couldn’t fight against the commander of Talion’s knights.  

Just as she was about to step back,  

A large hand slowly reached out and grabbed Ashika’s wrist.

“Duke!”

Aegonite was the first to notice the change. It was none other than Drushia’s hand that had grabbed Ashika’s wrist.

 

44

“Rushia?”  

“That hand….”  

Aegonite tried to shout but closed his mouth. He wanted to tell her to let go immediately, but it wasn’t Ashika holding him, but Drushia holding her.  

“Haa… Damn it….”  

Drushia swore under his breath and stirred. He was angry because his body wouldn’t move as he wanted.  

“Duke, are you coming to your senses? Are you alright?”  

“…Shut up. Lower… your voice.”  

Aegonite’s booming voice made his head throb.  

“You’re regaining consciousness! Thank goodness, thank goodness!”  

Until now, even when he regained consciousness, he couldn’t speak properly. In reality, he would only blink a few times before losing consciousness again.  

“I said… shut up.”  

“I’ll call the doctor right away. Go get the head physician….”  

“Wait!”  

Ashika shouted involuntarily. She was desperate, thinking about how complicated things could get if the head physician intervened now.  

‘I have to explain, I have to persuade him somehow.’  

She couldn’t risk Drushia’s life. As Ashika tried to approach Aegonite, the hand holding her wrist tightened.  

“…Explain….”  

Drushia, who had been unconscious all this time, was drawn by the familiar voice and regained his senses as if possessed.  

At first, he thought it was a dream.  

However, the faint scent of wildflowers that flowed in with each breath was not a delusion. The first emotion he felt when he realized the voice belonged to Ashika was relief.  

[Wake up. I’m scared because you’re like this.]  

To not lose the owner of that voice, Drushia gripped her hand even more tightly.  

Ashika couldn’t shake off his hand and said to Aegonite, “I brought the cure. So don’t call the head physician.”  

“That’s absurd!”  

Aegonite shouted. But Ashika calmly continued, unfazed.  

“Isn’t it proof that it’s not absurd since the Duke has woken up?”  

The evidence was right before their eyes. Drushia, who hadn’t been able to even speak despite the efforts of the best physicians in the capital and the family’s head physician, was now talking.  

Drushia, still holding Ashika, raised his other hand and gestured.  

“Aegonite, help me… get up.”  

“Yes, I understand.”  

Aegonite stepped aside from Ashika and approached Drushia. He carefully helped him up and placed cushions behind him so he could see the room.  

“Haa…, my body is a mess.”  

“You’ve been lying down for over fifteen days. We need to call a doctor to check your condition.”  

“I told you that’s not going to happen.”  

At Ashika’s rebuttal, Aegonite glared at her. His eyes were wary and his face was full of things to say. He was holding back only because Drushia was in front of him.  

While the two were glaring at each other, hurried footsteps approached from outside the room.  

“Commander, we’ve caught a strange guy…. Huh! Your Grace!”  

Dorian, who had burst into the room, was astonished to find Drushia sitting up in bed.  

“My goodness, how…. Are you alright!”  

“Why is everyone… so loud.”  

The irritated grumbling was just like his usual self. Aegonite stopped Dorian, who looked like he was about to rush to the bed.  

“A strange guy?”  

“He doesn’t seem to be an assassin, but we don’t know his identity. He’s been making a fuss demanding to see the Duke. What should we do?”  

Come to think of it, it had been noisy downstairs for a while.  

‘Nile!’  

Ashika’s shoulders flinched in surprise. Drushia immediately noticed that small change.  

“Bring him… in.”  

“Yes, Your Grace.”  

As Dorian went outside, Ashika grew anxious. She had intended to come in quietly and leave quietly, but now she had attracted the attention of everyone in the Duke’s residence.  

“Let go of my hand….”  

“You haven’t explained yet.”  

When Ashika tried to pull away, Drushia gripped her hand even tighter. He seemed to have regained more strength, making it difficult to free herself.  

“Let’s talk after you let go. There are so many knights here; where would I run away to?”  

“You ran away quite well that day.”  

“Th-that’s…”  

The deep blue eyes looking at Ashika were vivid yet strangely wavering.  

He had regained consciousness, but his mind was still foggy, as if in a mist.  

However, one thing was clear. It was Ashika who had awakened him from the darkness.  

The instinct to not let her go took precedence the moment he found her. The fact that other knights were watching was also unimportant.  

Right now, he just couldn’t let go of this hand.  

Even though he was pale and sweating, Drushia’s voice was calm as ever.  

‘Like a child.’  

Ashika sighed, looking troubled. His grip on her wrist was getting sweaty, but he showed no sign of letting go, leaving her no choice but to give up.  

Aegonite couldn’t understand the situation. He looked back and forth between the two, his brow furrowing.  

‘Something’s strange.’  

There was a subtle tension between them. It wasn’t hostility, nor was it favor; there was something else. Amidst the subtle silence, a commotion broke out outside the door.  

“It’s him! What did he do after knocking me out!”  

“I saved you from being killed by a sword. What’s the big deal about a few punches?”  

“Is that what you call a few?”  

“Everyone, quiet down! This is the Duke’s bedroom. We’ll sort out the rights and wrongs later.”  

All the way from the first floor and through the third-floor hallway, Nile was dragged along, causing a ruckus among the knights.  

The moment he entered the room, Nile exclaimed in dismay.  

“Oh dear. You’ve been caught, my lady?”  

Both sides were so shameless. Ashika turned her gaze away in embarrassment.  

“It’s you again.”  

Drushia’s gaze turned from Ashika to Nile.  

‘Why is she with that guy instead of her closest knight?’  

Despite his pale face, Drushia’s gaze towards Nile was piercingly sharp.  

Of course, Nile didn’t seem to mind.  

“My lady, let me tell you in advance, I wasn’t captured. I didn’t run away because I was worried about you.”  

Even in this situation, Nile seemed to have his pride hurt by being dragged all the way here.  

‘You should have just run away by yourself.’  

Ashika looked at Nile with that expression.  

As if understanding what she couldn’t say, Nile added an explanation.  

“Since I was the one who brought you here, it’s also my responsibility to take you out safely, my lady.”  

‘Oh, really.’  

He didn’t look like it, but he was quite a stubborn man.  

“Anyway, my lady went through quite a lot because of Duke Talion…”  

Nile’s casual gaze stopped at Drushia’s lips.  

“You’re quite lucky.”  

“Nile!”  

Even as Ashika panicked, Nile continued nonchalantly.  

“I’m just saying you should know how much effort she put into saving you.”  

He was caught sneaking into the Duke’s residence, but he was more than a match for anyone with his stubbornness.  

Drushia waved his hand, looking tired.  

“We’ll talk about the story later. Take him out.”  

“Oh, right. If you’re going to lock me up again, give me a decent room. I won’t stand for being thrown into a filthy prison or anything.”  

Aegonite clenched his fist and took a rough breath at the incredibly shameless request. Drushia looked at him as if wondering what kind of guy this was.  

“Give him a guest room and keep him under guard until the investigation is over.”  

He felt like this guy would just keep getting under his skin if he kept looking at him.  

As Nile was taken out of the room by the knights, Drushia asked Aegonite.  

“Give me the situation report.”  

“Since Your Grace collapsed, no one has been able to find the cause. Your condition was severe…. Fortunately, your condition improved thanks to the Marquis’s family physician who came with Lady Maiheller, but you haven’t regained consciousness for over fifteen days.”  

“Shafri? Is Shafri here?”  

“Yes. She has been staying here with the Marquis’s family physician, watching over the Duke’s treatment.”  

Drushia’s face contorted.  

His attitude openly expressed his displeasure. Aegonite swallowed his rising questions and continued his report.  

“And around dawn today, there was an intrusion on the north side of the garden. While I went to investigate, I ordered a search of the entire residence, and when I returned, the main building’s entrance was blocked. In the meantime, there was a battle near Your Grace’s room.”  

Aegonite paused for a moment before continuing.  

“That guy from earlier came out and helped. Immediately after, two knights were knocked unconscious by that guy’s attack.”  

“Any other damage?”  

“Six knights who fought the intruders were either injured or knocked unconscious, and none of the main estate’s servants came out, so there were no civilian casualties. I suspect they were drugged in advance.”  

Aegonite glanced subtly at Ashika.  

“We believe Lady Igraine stayed here while we were unable to enter. But Your Grace, what should we do with Lady Igraine?”  

Drushia was still holding Ashika’s wrist. It was so sweaty it felt damp.  

“The first thing we need to do is interrogate her. Don’t you agree, Lady Igraine?”  

“If you want to talk to me, let’s do it alone. Send everyone else out.”  

It was impossible to have a conversation with Aegonite butting in and getting angry at every word. That loyal knight made Ashika very uncomfortable.  

Drushia slowly exhaled and organized the situation.  

“There’s a collaborator inside. Maintain the lockdown of the residence and find all the spies.”  

Anyone capable of pulling off something this big would have already fled, but he needed to take this opportunity to clear out any outside eyes and ears.  

“Aegonite, take the knights and leave. Don’t let anyone approach my room, and keep it a secret that Lady Igraine and her companion are in the residence.”  

“Yes, I understand.”  

Aegonite obediently followed the instructions and left the room with the other knights.  

With a thud, the door closed, and Ashika’s body went limp.  

She felt like she had just fought a war.  

“Please let go now.”  

At her exhausted voice, Drushia quietly gazed at Ashika.  

As if he could see into her mind that way.  

His vivid eyes were full of life, unlike before.  

While it was reassuring, Ashika was also on edge.  

“Are you scared after bravely running into my bedroom?”

 

45

“We’re not exactly on such close terms. If you want to have a proper conversation, show some manners.”

“Not close? We’ve been entangled naked and done everything possible—I’d say we’re beyond close.”

“Rushia!”

Ashika bit her lip tightly. She’d been so lost in thought that the name she’d been calling him in private slipped out.

“…Rushia, is it.”

Drushia slowly savored his own name. It was an endearing nickname that felt good on the tongue, almost sweet. Without realizing it, the corner of his mouth curved upward.

“I like it. So should I call you Ashika now?”

“No, Your Grace, that’s not what I—”

“Why do you keep confusing me, going back and forth like this?”

“It was a mistake. This is just…”

She had no words. How could she explain creating and using a pet name for him after treating him like a mortal enemy?

“I don’t mind you calling me Rushia.”

Ashika’s face flushed red.

‘This is strange. Why is he acting like this?’

Since waking from his comatose state, something about him had changed. His gruff voice remained the same, but the thorns that had been embedded in it were completely gone. Was it just her imagination that he even seemed affectionate?

A Drushia who clung to her desperately—this was an attitude and a gaze she had never experienced before. Except in that strange fantasy.

“Your Grace, perhaps you haven’t fully recovered yet.”

As Ashika struggled to break free from his hand, Drushia’s brow furrowed.

“I’ll explain everything. Please let me go.”

Her plea of “please” weakened his resolve. The strength gradually left the hand gripping her wrist. The touch that slowly withdrew while grazing her delicate skin somehow seemed regretful.

The moment her hand was free, Ashika quickly stepped back. Seeing her create distance as if escaping, Drushia’s handsome forehead creased.

“You’re running away like I’m going to eat you alive.”

“I just want to talk seriously.”

“Why? Is that impossible when we’re close? Do I make you nervous?”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Ashika’s flustered face turned red, then pale, then flushed again repeatedly.

The sight of the woman losing her composure was unlike anything Drushia had seen before. It was as if she had thrown off her cold, mask-like exterior and revealed her bare face.

‘That must be her true nature.’

This pleased him, causing unnecessary words to keep spilling out.

Ashika, trying not to get caught up again, rubbed her sweaty wrist.

“So why did you rush into my bedroom?”

“I’ll skip the process and just tell you the conclusion. I confirmed that what you were poisoned with wasn’t an ordinary poison but an alchemist’s potion.”

“An alchemist’s potion?”

Drushia’s eyes widened at the unexpected answer. It sounded quite unfamiliar since alchemists were rare within the Empire.

“It’s called ‘Puppet Sorcery.’ I heard it’s a potion that doesn’t kill you but renders you unable to do anything of your own will.”

Drushia’s face hardened instantly.

“I confirmed it with an alchemist I know, and got the medicine from there. There are three potions in total.”

Ashika took out three vials from inside her clothing.

“You’ve already taken two, and one remains. You need to drink it within a day after waking up, and only after taking all three will your body fully recover its functions.”

“That medicine.”

A memory that had passed like a dream just before his consciousness returned came to mind.

“Did you feed it to me directly?”

Ashika’s face flushed again. Her tightly pressed lips while blushing answered his question.

It was something unimaginable until just a short while ago. The soft sensation that had penetrated his mouth was more vivid than the bitter taste of the medicine. Drushia felt strange, finding it not unpleasant despite his confusion.

“Anyway, the urgent matter is that you need to take the third medicine.”

Ashika held out the last vial. However, Drushia only stared at her silently.

“Even if you don’t trust me, you must take this final dose.”

Her voice was calm, but anxiety was evident within it. As Drushia’s mind grew clearer, strong doubts arose.

“Why?”

“What do you mean, why?”

“Why are you going this far for me?”

A sharper gaze than before turned toward Ashika. Once doubt took hold, all the questions from before followed.

The two had been hostile toward each other. Although Ashika had conceded many points at the negotiation table, that was purely official business. Otherwise, they had thoroughly ignored each other.

Ashika’s attitude had completely changed after the Imperial Palace banquet. Drushia too had been swept up in it, committing acts he could never have imagined before.

“My question is this: regardless of whether I was poisoned or not, why would Lady Igraine go out of her way to help?”

Drushia subtly lowered his still damp hand, removing it from his sight. With the warmth that had been touching him moments ago now gone, he finally felt fully clear-headed.

“That’s…”

The change in atmosphere was so obvious that Ashika hesitated. Somehow it hurt to see the man who had been holding onto her and refusing to let go just moments ago turn cold.

“Think of it as repaying the favor since you helped me break off my engagement.”

“Ah,” Drushia let out a small exclamation.

There had been so many incidents between them. It was a memory he had pushed far away, but it made for a rather plausible excuse.

“That’s right.”

Ashika held out the vial again.

“Now get back on your feet. I don’t want to see you like this.”

Beyond her calmly delivered words, he seemed to hear another voice saying the same thing.

[Wake up. I’m scared seeing you like this.]

Perhaps that hadn’t been an auditory hallucination after all. Drushia accepted the vial with an enigmatic smile.

As the corners of his mouth curved upward, his distinct features gained more vitality. However, some inexplicable threat was felt in that smile that could captivate a woman’s heart.

‘What is he thinking?’

An uneasy feeling crept up in Ashika’s chest. Wasn’t that the smile he used to wear just before squeezing her dry at the negotiation table?

Drushia obediently accepted the medicine and opened the lid. Making eye contact with Ashika, he drank it in one gulp. After confirming he had swallowed the medicine completely, Ashika let out a long breath.

‘Now it’s done.’

She had saved him. He could return to his place completely whole. She felt like she might burst into tears at the relief that Drushia was alive.

Ashika fought back tears as she stepped backward. Having completed her task, it was time for her to exit.

“Duke Talion, I hope you recover soon.”

Drushia did not answer Ashika’s farewell. He simply pulled the bell cord next to the bed without breaking eye contact.

“You called, Your Grace?”

Shortly after, Aegonite appeared instead of a servant. He must have been waiting outside the door all along.

“Escort Lady Igraine to the adjacent room and bring Mia. Have Mia attend to her exclusively.”

“What?”

“Your Grace, what are you…?”

Both Ashika and Aegonite were taken aback.

“Did you think I would simply let an intruder into my estate leave without any verification?”

“I told you. I came to help you. You took all the medicine I gave you.”

“That’s separate from the current situation. Multiple intruders entered my estate, and coincidentally, you appeared on the same day. Are you telling me not to be suspicious under these circumstances?”

It was a reasonable suspicion, but something didn’t add up.

‘If you’re so distrustful, why did you take the medicine I gave you?!’

She wanted to shout that, but no opening could be seen in Drushia’s stern face.

‘How can someone’s attitude flip like turning over a palm?’

She had let her guard down thinking he was a patient. In her desperation to save him, she had forgotten what kind of person he was.

Aegonite made no attempt to hide his discomfort.

“Do you really mean to escort her to the adjacent room?”

The adjacent room was the Duchess’s room. It had long been empty with no one using it, but it wasn’t a place for just anyone.

“Don’t make me repeat myself.”

At his cold voice, Aegonite bowed his head with a stiff face.

“How about calling a maid instead? Mia doesn’t know how to attend to a Lady.”

“No, it must be Mia. She needs to both attend and monitor.”

“Ha.”

Ashika let out a laugh in disbelief.

‘This is insane. Are you really going to imprison me?’

For the first time, she regretted entering Talion’s estate without warning. Of course, she could only have these regrets because Drushia had woken up.

“Let’s set up an appointment and talk later instead. If you need to investigate, I’ll cooperate. Somewhere other than Talion’s estate.”

“No changes to the decision.”

“Your fiancée…Lady Maiheller is here, but you’re going to confine me in the room next to yours? Does that make any sense?”

“Ah, my fiancée. So that’s the problem?”

Drushia smiled coldly. His complexion was improving, but conversely, his expression seemed to be growing more twisted.

“So I should first…”

However, their conversation was interrupted by a sharp voice from outside the door.

“I heard Dru is awake! I said I would see him!”

“It’s the Duke’s orders. No one is allowed to enter the room.”

“I’m Dru’s fiancée. Move aside right now!”

Ashika’s expression instantly hardened. She truly did not want to face Shafri. She couldn’t fathom what expression to wear when meeting this man’s fiancée.

Drushia looked toward the door where the commotion had erupted, then gestured to Aegonite.

“Take Lady Igraine to the adjacent room.”

At his firm command, Aegonite reluctantly stood before Ashika. Fearing she might be heard from outside, Ashika couldn’t even object.

Better to hide in the Duchess’s room than be discovered. There was another door inside the bedroom that connected to the Duchess’s room. As soon as Ashika entered the adjacent room and Drushia gave his permission, the bedroom door opened.

 

46

“Dru, my goodness!”

Shafri rushed to Drushia’s side. Right behind her followed Noah, the physician of the Marquis Maiheller family.

“Are you alright? You must be disoriented? I heard there was chaos at dawn – are you hurt anywhere?”

Her rapid-fire questions were filled with concern for him. However, Drushia’s gaze toward Shafri was cold.

“I’m fine. I heard the Maiheller’s physician has been working hard?”

“I was so worried when I heard the duke’s physician couldn’t treat you.”

“There was no need for you to stay. It must have been uncomfortable here without even a maid to attend to you.”

“How could I just sit still when my fiancé collapsed? I was too worried to return alone.”

“Let’s use the correct term. Ex-fiancé, I mean.”

“Dru! After all my anguish, you bring this up now?”

Her sharp voice flared up. Even Aegonite turned to Drushia in surprise.

‘Breaking the engagement? When did you two break it off?’

Only Kalfman, his closest confidant, had been informed of this fact that no one else knew. That’s why both Talion’s knights and the mansion staff still treated Shafri with the utmost respect as his fiancée.

Despite Shafri’s objection, Drushia’s voice remained unprecedentedly cold.

“That’s why we need to settle this quickly. I postponed the annulment papers and it almost put you in an awkward position. What if I had died? You would have been stuck with gossip, unable to move on.”

“How can you say such things? What about the item Her Majesty the Empress Dowager promised!”

“Yes, that’s the issue, Shafri. The bait you threw to put a leash on me. I don’t care about that. I was planning to at least consult my grandfather, but now my mind has changed.”

The family’s sacred object that the Empress Dowager had promised as a wedding gift. It had been taken by the imperial family before he was born, and they had lived well without it. Even his grandfather Neoren had never mentioned needing to retrieve it.

Still, thinking he should ask about it at least once, he had postponed writing the annulment papers. But then Shafri had used her status as fiancée and their past connection to stay at the duke’s residence.

In fourteen years, including their engagement period, he had never allowed her to stay at the Talion mansion. Shafri knew this, but claimed it was to help him. Still, he couldn’t shake off the uncomfortable feeling.

Drushia had decided that he wouldn’t stake his life on retrieving the family’s sacred object. It wasn’t worth it.

Ignoring the now-pale Shafri, Drushia shifted his gaze to Noah, who had followed her in.

“You’re the Maiheller family physician?”

“Yes. My name is Noah.”

With unusually pale skin and features suggesting he wasn’t from the Empire, Drushia scrutinized Noah from head to toe with a sharp gaze.

“I have quite a deep connection with the Marquis family, yet why have I never seen you before?”

“You’ve hardly visited the Marquis residence, Your Grace. And I rarely leave the Marquis’ house.”

Despite Drushia’s pointed question, the other man answered calmly.

“I heard you worked very hard to save my life. Could you explain how that was possible?”

“If needed, I can prepare documentation of the treatment process and pass it to the duke’s physician.”

“I would appreciate that.”

“You regained consciousness suddenly, so there might be side effects. May I examine you?”

Unconcealed curiosity showed through his respectful tone. Drushia didn’t miss the momentary gleam that flashed in Noah’s eyes.

“No. What you’ve done so far is enough. I’ll leave the rest to my physician.”

“Then, if you could at least allow me to do a blood test….”

“It seems you don’t properly understand the meaning of refusal.”

When Noah didn’t back down, Drushia openly displayed his displeasure. Noah quickly bowed his head.

“I apologize. I overstepped.”

“Instruct the knights to escort these two people to the Maiheller main residence, and tell Kalf to deliver the prepared annulment papers today. Don’t forget to emphasize that they must be handed directly to Marquis Maiheller himself.”

“Dru!”

“Shafri, go back for now. As you can see, the situation here isn’t good.”

“At least postpone the annulment papers. It’s just paperwork. Please give me a little more time.”

Shafri’s voice was desperate. She was genuinely pleading, almost begging.

‘It was supposed to be a casual engagement.’

A thought suddenly crossed his mind. Perhaps this engagement hadn’t been Shafri’s will from the start. If so, this engagement needed to be terminated even more quickly.

“Shafri, if you don’t withdraw now, I won’t maintain my courtesy any longer.”

Shafri’s face became desperate. The moment she tried to use the Empress Dowager’s power to gain control over him, their trust had plummeted, and Shafri had been pushed outside Drushia’s protection.

“Aegonite. See these two out.”

His voice was cold to the point of being frigid. Drushia would never open his door to Shafri again.

Aegonite, who stood in front to escort them, was respectful but intimidating. Shafri reluctantly turned away and left the bedroom with Noah.

“Sigh.”

Drushia exhaled a long breath. He had awakened just a few hours ago after being unconscious for a long time. His head was spinning from everything that had happened in the meantime.

He got up and carefully stretched his feet to the floor.

‘I have more strength compared to before.’

The medicine was definitely working. Right after waking up, even sitting had been difficult, but now he could clearly feel sensation returning to his body.

Drushia slowly walked to the door connecting to the adjacent room. In the brief moment he grabbed the doorknob, many thoughts crossed his mind.

And what remained at the end was the image of one woman. A woman he never imagined would be in his space.

“Gasp.”

Click, the door opened, and Ashika, who had been pressed against the door, stepped back in surprise. Drushia suppressed a laugh that threatened to escape. Her startled look reminded him of a fawn with its ears perked up.

“Do you understand the situation now? No matter how crazy I might be about women, I wouldn’t fool around with another woman while having a fiancée. The breakup was decided long ago.”

The word “breakup” seemed particularly emphasized.

“I no longer have a fiancée.”

Since it wasn’t a real engagement to begin with, Drushia had been alone all along, from the beginning until now.

Ashika couldn’t close her gaping mouth. With just a door between them, she had heard Shafri’s shouting and Drushia’s harshly determined voice.

‘This man is truly cold-hearted.’

She had already known he showed no mercy, but thought it applied only to Igraine.

“Why do you look like I’m being too harsh?”

There was much to say, but Ashika forced herself to swallow her words. Who was she to comment on this man’s engagement? However, Drushia seemed quite curious.

“If you have something to say, say it. Don’t hold back like that.”

“I heard she was an old friend… Aren’t you being too heartless?”

“Is someone who uses imperial power to force an unwanted marriage a friend? Do you think so?”

“Ah….”

She recalled the brief mention of the Empress Dowager she had heard earlier. Only those involved truly know what happens between a man and woman. She thought Drushia must have his reasons for being so cold.

“I wasn’t going to mention this because you might find it strange.”

“But?”

“Lady Maiheller came here right before Your Grace woke up.”

“What do you mean?”

“I was hiding so I didn’t see, but she checked on Your Grace and then left immediately.”

Drushia’s brow furrowed sharply.

“She came here alone and then left while the mansion was in chaos because of an intruder?”

He had already been unable to shake off an uneasy feeling. The small detail Ashika shared made the situation even more suspicious.

But first, he needed to organize the current situation. Drushia quickly scanned Ashika, who was tensed as if ready to dash out of the room.

“I’ll send someone to attend to you right away. Rest in your room.”

“Just let me go. I promise I won’t run away.”

“You should know from experience. Have I ever reversed a decision based on a few words?”

His face, now regaining its color, looked like his usual self. The same shameless and arrogant attitude as always. Had she ever once won against this man who never backed down?

‘I brought this on myself. I dug my own grave. Sigh….’

As Ashika’s face slightly crumpled, Drushia closed the door in front of her. Just as the door was closing, she saw the corner of his mouth curl up into a smirk, which infuriated her.

“This…, this shameless man.”

She couldn’t shout out loud but released her suppressed anger. However, the closed door didn’t open again.

‘How can I escape when I don’t even have Nile?’

Somehow it didn’t seem possible, which made her sigh.

Perhaps because the tension had eased? All strength drained from her body. Without even the energy to stand, she collapsed onto the edge of the nearby bed.

And a little while later, seeing the girl who came to the room, Ashika blinked quietly.

“You….”

It was a familiar face. The maid who had guided Ashika to the tent at Baroness Isna’s salon.

 

47

‘So you were Talion’s person.’

To think he would openly send someone from his family to her.

“Do you remember me?”

“Of course. The Duke wanted to meet the Lady, so I helped him.”

“You were Mia, right? I don’t recognize your face. Did you come from the estate?”

“Yes. I served under the previous Duke, and was recently called to the capital. I’m scheduled to be knighted by the Duke at next year’s coming-of-age ceremony.”

Mia spoke energetically, her cheeks turning slightly pink. The bright-speaking girl showed no signs of hostility.

‘She’s completely the opposite of Aegonite.’

Ashika had thought that all of Talion’s knights and vassals hated her, but perhaps that wasn’t the case.

‘It’s not like I can ask why she doesn’t hate me.’

“I’ll help you wash up and change clothes. There are no lady’s dresses in this mansion since there’s no Lady here. A servant has gone to get some, so by the time you finish washing, new clothes should be ready.”

This meant that no women had been frequenting Talion’s mansion all this time. Realizing this small fact made Ashika’s uncomfortable feelings gradually ease.

“I’ll bring your meal to your room later, and I’ve prepared warm water in the bathroom.”

‘Let me rest first and think later.’

Ashika also had a strong desire to rest now. As the tension eased, she felt like she might faint right here and now. As she unconsciously headed toward the bathroom, Mia followed her in.

“I can wash myself.”

“I heard that ladies don’t bathe alone. I may be inexperienced, but I’ll be better than being by yourself.”

“No, really, it’s fine. Could you leave me alone?”

Lately, she had become increasingly uncomfortable with others serving her. She was especially reluctant to have a stranger’s hands touch her.

“Then I’ll wait outside the door. Call me if you need anything.”

Mia backed away with a bright smile.

‘Too much smiling is also burdensome.’

Igraine and Talion. She would be grateful if they simply didn’t show hostility, but excessive kindness was uncomfortable in its own way.

The Duchess’s bedroom was said to be large, and the attached bathroom was substantial as well. The large bathtub, in a subtle brass color, could fit three or four people, and was filled with appropriately warm water for the season.

‘I never imagined a day like this would come.’

Would she ever have imagined leisurely bathing in Talion’s mansion?

‘No, this isn’t the time to relax.’

She needed to prepare herself mentally. Dealing with Drushia was never easy. While washing, Ashika steeled her softened heart.

She worried about being invited to dinner, but fortunately, they left her alone until evening. As a result, Ashika had to stay confined to the bedroom all day.

Meanwhile, Drushia received overdue reports and instructed his people to track Shafri and Noah’s activities while they stayed at the mansion. He also remembered to contact his grandfather to inform him of his recovery.

On the first day he woke up after a little over half a month, Drushia handled business without rest. Thus, it was late evening when Drushia faced Ashika again.

****

How awkward it was to receive Drushia in the Duchess’s bedroom rather than her own. Before Ashika could hide her embarrassment, Drushia placed paper, pen, and an inkwell on the table.

“What is this?”

“A letter you need to write.”

“What kind of letter?”

Ashika narrowed her eyes at the incomprehensible request.

“You need to notify them that you cannot return to the mansion for the time being.”

Ashika was momentarily speechless at the outrageous demand. The demander’s confident attitude made it even more frustrating.

“How can you be so unreasonable?”

“Unreasonable? I told you from the beginning. I can’t let you go until the facts are confirmed.”

“If I don’t return, my grandfather won’t sit still. Do you really want to see our knights clash?”

“That’s only if they know where you are. I’m guessing no one on Igraine’s side knows that Lady Igraine is here, right?”

His words hit the mark. Since Drushia’s words weren’t wrong, Ashika bit her lip.

“So send a letter to avoid worrying those waiting for you.”

“I just visited the villa recently. If I’m absent again, my grandfather will find it strange.”

“I don’t think so. Duke Igraine is hardly ever at the mansion.”

“I can’t postpone my work indefinitely. Do you know how many trading companies I manage?”

“Julmanan, was it? A capable aide should fill in during their master’s absence. Look at me. I was away for over two weeks, and there were no problems. If they can’t handle that much, they should step down.”

Ashika’s eyes grew fierce at his blunt criticism. Even as she tried to find more words to retort, Drushia countered each of her objections without giving her a chance.

His well-groomed short hair, handsome face that had regained its color, and relaxed posture as he leaned against the sofa backrest with his legs stretched out—it was all as irritating as ever.

“Are you really doing this?”

“As I’ve said repeatedly, I won’t change my mind.”

There was even a hint of enjoyment in his casually spoken words.

Despite knowing it was arbitrary, she couldn’t win against him because she was too soft-hearted. Yet she didn’t want to fight to the death against a man who had just regained consciousness.

‘Yes, it’s necessary to stay by his side to see if there are any other problems. If something happens, I’ll need to find Iben right away.’

In the end, her thoughts concluded with concern for him.

When Ashika reluctantly picked up the pen, Drushia slid the inkwell toward her. Her dark eyes shot up to glare at him. A smile flickered in his deep blue eyes, and the corner of his mouth rose slightly.

‘Ah, so annoying.’

She decided to just get it over with. With that thought, Ashika quickly worked the pen.

Black lines flowed quickly and elegantly across the paper. Drushia watched with curiosity as forms took shape at her fingertips, with an expression that seemed to say, “So that’s how she writes.”

Drushia didn’t take his eyes off her until the elegant sentences filled the paper and the signature was completed. His gaze was so intense that Ashika couldn’t bear it and spoke up.

“Would you stop staring at me like I’m some rare animal?”

“I’m glad the clothes fit you well.”

Ashika’s brow furrowed sharply.

The clothes Mia brought were only indoor clothes and a bedroom robe. The thin material of the indoor clothes, appropriate for the season, revealed the curves of her body even with underwear on.

‘Oh, now that I think about it, my attire…’

She hastily pulled her robe tightly closed as she put down the pen. It was an embarrassing outfit to face a man outside her family, and she hadn’t even realized it.

“Why the sudden modesty? I’ve already seen what’s under those clothes.”

“Duke Talion.”

Though she lowered her voice, she couldn’t hide her embarrassment. His deep blue gaze fixed on her flushed cheeks.

“I preferred the other way. After creating a nickname for me, why don’t you use it?”

“I’m tired. I want to rest now.”

“We’re not done talking yet.”

Drushia checked the letter Ashika had written and brought up his last matter of business.

“It seems this hasn’t been made public. There’s another patient.”

“Patient? Who?”

Ashika opened her eyes wide in surprise. She had only heard rumors that Drushia had collapsed, not that there was another victim.

“One of my knights. I was poisoned through my wound, and Kinvil was apparently poisoned through skin contact. He handled the rope with bare hands.”

It was a powerful substance that could be absorbed through the skin by mere contact and friction.

“He regained consciousness quite a while ago but can’t get out of bed. Is treatment possible?”

“It should be possible. Probably. If you let me go…”

A sudden realization struck her. Ashika’s eyes moved to the letter in Drushia’s hand.

“Give me that letter back.”

She stood up abruptly from her chair and reached out her hand. But Drushia was faster, folding the letter and tucking it into his breast pocket.

“Oh no, whose decision is that?”

“What kind of deal is this?!”

Ashika’s voice grew sharp.

If he had brought this up first, Ashika would have provided the medicine on the condition that she could leave the mansion. But this cunning man had made all preparations so she couldn’t back out before bringing up the matter.

“So you won’t help? An innocent knight can’t move his body and doesn’t know when he might die. Are you going to turn your back on him?”

“You…!”

She was angry but couldn’t express her anger. Ashika twisted her face in frustration and stomped her foot.

‘No matter how angry she gets, she won’t be able to ignore this.’

Even while thinking that it was despicable to exploit her nature this way, he had no reason not to use it.

“Help me, Lady Igraine.”

Drushia asked for help in a solemn voice. Though shameless and annoying, his desire to save his knight was sincere. Ashika silently glared at him before letting out a heavy sigh.

“Let Nile go instead. Only he can do it.”

“That guy? Can’t I send one of my own messengers?”

“I’m not the one in need, Duke Talion.”

There was still much to ask about Nile. Drushia pondered for a moment before speaking.

“What’s his identity? He doesn’t seem to be a knight. Why do you go around with someone like him instead of proper knights?”

“He’s a nobleman with a verified background who joined the House of Igraine.”

“Nobleman? From which family?”

“Are you interrogating me as a criminal now?!”

Ashika’s voice rose involuntarily. Now she truly looked angry. Her expression grew cold, and her lips tightened firmly. As always, she was putting up an icy wall and trying to disappear behind it.

Drushia realized his mistake. She had come along as he wished, and he unconsciously pushed her too hard. He momentarily forgot that this woman was more frightening when she didn’t show her emotions than when she did.

“A criminal? Not at all. Some intruders escaped alive. I was trying to protect you in case they recognized Lady Igraine or Nile and caused harm. Do as you wish regarding Nile.”

Ashika didn’t answer and turned her back. It was a clear rejection, indicating she didn’t want to talk anymore.

As she walked to the opposite side, Drushia’s gaze persistently followed her. It was a gaze so intense it felt hot.

A moment of silence. Drushia, not taking his eyes off Ashika, tapped the sofa armrest with his finger.

The silence that settled in the quiet room gradually became pressuring and tense. There was a strange tension that seemed to densely narrow the distance between them.

With a tap, Drushia’s hand struck the armrest. The unidentifiable tension scattered without a trace in an instant.

“Rest.”

It was a rough, low voice. Drushia left only this brief word and withdrew from her room. Even though they were separated by just a thin door.

When Drushia disappeared into the next room, the strength drained from Ashika’s body.

It felt like walking a tightrope. Like fiercely watching each other to see who would gain control first. Until, in the end, one side completely consumed the other.

 

48

When Drushia woke up the next day, two of the three intruders who had been imprisoned underground were found as corpses. This happened before the internal infiltrator could even be identified.

“They were poisoned.”

Aegonite reported, unable to raise his head.

“How?”

“Poison was discovered in the meal provided in the evening.”

“Ha.”

As if they had been waiting, they cut off the loose ends without giving time to assess the situation. The one still alive had survived only because he was unconscious from his injuries.

“And three servants are missing. A laundry maid and one laborer have disappeared. The maid who delivered the meals is also missing, but was found dead near the rear entrance of the mansion.”

“Any other notable damages?”

“None so far, but considering they sneaked in as far as the bedroom, it’s highly likely they were targeting Your Grace.”

Aegonite’s expression showed doubt even as he spoke.

Drushia leaned his tired body against the office chair. He massaged his throbbing temples while contemplating the report.

‘This is too weak for an attempt on my life.’

Even with Drushia unconscious, this was the Duke Talion’s residence. The number of attackers was absurdly small. Rather than an assassination attempt, it seemed more reasonable that they deliberately caused a commotion to find something, or to accomplish something specific.

‘What could it be?’

Something they wanted to obtain while he was unconscious. Something they could acquire quickly without causing a major conflict. From any angle, it was difficult to reach a conclusion.

“Assign a physician to the remaining one. He must be kept alive.”

Given how cleanly the others were eliminated, it seemed unlikely the captured man would be of much use. Nevertheless, he was currently the only remaining clue.

“For the time being, maintain the mansion with minimal staff and contact my grandfather to send people from the territory.”

He decided to replace most of the servants working at the duke’s residence, except for the knights and those who had served the Talion family for a long time. Among them, servants with clear family connections who were deemed harmless would be excluded from main house duties to resolve the situation.

“Kalf, have you received a reply?”

“Yes. Here is the reply with Marquis Maiheller’s seal.”

This was the first task Drushia had instructed Kalf to handle as soon as he woke up: notifying the Maiheller family of the broken engagement.

Drushia quickly checked the contents after taking the document.

“No other mentions?”

“It seems they were already expecting it. The Marquis left conventional greetings, inquiring about Your Grace’s well-being and wishing for your recovery.”

For something they had dragged out by involving even the Empress Dowager, they gave up rather quickly. Perhaps they stepped back to avoid worsening relations between both families over something irreversible.

“And on my way back, I gave orders to look into the Maiheller family’s physician.”

“What about information on Igraine’s background?”

“That’s still pending.”

With so many priority tasks, he had forgotten about Igraine. Drushia’s gaze lowered at the unsatisfactory answer.

“Handle that urgently as well.”

“At present, it’s difficult to find any connection between Lady Igraine and the assassins.”

Though reluctant to admit it, it was a fact that Ashika had saved Drushia’s life.

“Is that fellow Nile still refusing to talk?”

At that question, it was Aegonite whose complexion changed. The problem wasn’t that he wouldn’t talk, but quite the opposite—it was giving them a headache.

“Well, Your Grace.”

“What? Can’t handle him?”

“I apologize for saying this, but that man is truly extraordinary. He’s just…”

Just thinking about it seemed to make Aegonite’s face flush red with anger.

After they had placed him in a guest room in the annex, he had complained: the sheets smelled and needed changing, he wanted a bath prepared, he couldn’t bathe alone and needed someone to attend to him, why was the hospitality so poor, and so on. He heard the servants were disgusted by how demanding he was.

When Aegonite went to discipline him, Nile irritated him so much by saying he could easily defeat someone like Aegonite in three moves that Aegonite almost drew his sword in rage.

“It’s your fault for getting involved. Or would you prefer Kalf to handle it?”

At Drushia’s suggestion, both Aegonite and Kalf kept silent and subtly averted their gazes. Kalf had already met Nile. However, Nile had ended the situation with one sentence:

[Ah, Duke Talion’s tin puppet. I only converse with actual people.]

And then he had refused to speak further.

“Ha, ha.”

He was truly an irritating man. Wherever he came from, he was far beyond common sense.

“One thing is certain about that man—his swordsmanship skills are extraordinary.”

“I heard he stepped in to help when our knights were being overwhelmed? And that not a single drop of blood stained his sword.”

“Yes. They say he saved them when they were about to lose their lives.”

In a life-or-death battle with real swords, sparing lives is more difficult than taking them.

‘A nobleman who handles a sword better than knights…’

Yet he doubted that the man was not a knight.

“Tomorrow, release him. Have someone swift and nimble follow him.”

“Are we also releasing Lady Igraine?”

“No.”

A brief but firm answer. It clearly expressed his intention that no further questions should be asked. Aegonite looked like he was dying of curiosity but held himself back.

Ashika’s existence was treated as strictly confidential while access to the entire third floor was blocked to servants. The only people who knew Ashika was here were the knights who had entered the room when Drushia woke up, Mia, and Kalf.

The servants were momentarily confused by the urgent order to obtain women’s dresses and items. They knew someone was on the third floor but were forbidden from approaching, which only fueled their curiosity.

****

Nile, who had left with the letter, returned to the duke’s residence after two days. He insisted he wouldn’t leave without Ashika and settled back in the annex.

Aegonite desperately tried to drive him out, but following Drushia’s orders to treat him as a guest, he had no choice but to assign servants to the annex.

While Drushia was organizing the situation inside and outside the Talion residence, Ashika remained confined in the duchess’s bedroom. When Kinvil, who had been poisoned along with Drushia, regained consciousness, there seemed to be no more justification to keep Ashika detained.

After the first day of confining Ashika, Drushia tried to speak with her again but was rejected. She wouldn’t even allow him to enter the room, and when he forced his way in, she refused to eat next.

She made it clear she wouldn’t tolerate his arbitrary behavior and avoided even making eye contact. Faced with her cold attitude, Drushia had to quietly withdraw without saying a word.

‘I haven’t even brought up the important matters yet.’

He hadn’t been able to ask about what happened that day because of the urgent matters at hand.

Why she had seduced him, why she had so passionately accepted him and then fled. What ulterior motives she might have.

‘I should have been gentler.’

No matter how much he regretted it, Ashika’s coldly detached attitude showed no signs of thawing. It felt like she was deliberately putting up a wall.

‘Yes, this is normal. It was strange before.’

Despite knowing this, a deep sense of regret rose from the depths of his heart.

Her appearance, unable to hide her soft inner feelings, fretting and worrying about him. Her overflowing sincerity was so evident that whatever ulterior motives she might have had in approaching him didn’t matter.

Even the way she suppressed her anger without raising her voice wasn’t unpleasant. No, it was the opposite. Ashika was lovable. A woman who wore an aristocratic mask, but underneath was unpretentious with a vulnerable and delicate nature.

Glaring at the firmly closed door, Drushia couldn’t fall asleep easily. Despite the physician’s advice that he needed rest, he hadn’t slept properly for three days.

The cause was none other than the woman beyond that door. Perhaps she was staging a silent protest, asking to be released, but she was deliberately ignoring him.

‘Damn it, why is this so difficult?’

All it would take is one word saying she could go home now. But he didn’t want to say those words. No, he didn’t want to let her go.

If they parted like this, would their relationship return to how it was before? Back to constantly being wary and hostile toward each other. Though it was natural, why was it so hard to accept?

Sitting on the bed and staring at Ashika’s door, Drushia found himself standing in front of it before he knew it. It was already late at night, and the sounds of movement beyond the door had ceased long ago.

‘She must be asleep.’

A temptation quietly rose along with brief hesitation. He had no ulterior motives. He just wanted to check her face once and leave, he thought as he grabbed the doorknob.

The well-maintained door opened smoothly without a sound. A fragrance that wasn’t there before flowed from the darkened room. It was Ashika’s scent.

With heightened senses, he felt her fragrance and buried memories resurfaced. Thump, thump. His heart beat rapidly.

As the distance to the bed narrowed, the sleeping woman’s face became clearly visible. Even with just the moonlight streaming through the window, Ashika’s presence was distinct.

‘No. This isn’t right.’

Just as Drushia was about to return to his room, he heard a low moan.

“Ugh….”

Though he thought she was sleeping soundly, her restless movements looked uncomfortable.

‘Is she having a nightmare?’

“Ngh….”

Ashika’s breathing sounded strange. She was gasping as if being strangled and breaking out in a cold sweat. He could see her eyeballs moving violently under her closed eyelids.

“Lady Igraine?”

Ashika’s thrashing grew more intense. Alarmed, Drushia grabbed her shoulders and shook her.

“Wake up, Ashika.”

“Gasp!”

Ashika’s eyes flew open and her mouth gaped wide.

“Aaaaah!”

Gasping for breath, a terror-filled scream erupted from Ashika’s mouth.

“What’s wrong! Calm down, I said calm down!”

It was a violent struggle that was hard to believe came from a delicate woman. Afraid she might hurt herself, Drushia grabbed her arms and pressed her down with his body.

Forcibly restrained, Ashika stopped screaming and began to sob. Her limbs trembled as if in convulsions, and tears poured out suddenly.

“Hic…, r…shia….”

“Shh… it’s alright. Don’t be afraid.”

“…rushia… rush….”

His heart broke at the voice calling him. Why did he feel such poignancy? Unable to just leave her, Drushia whispered in a gentle voice.

“I’m here. Ashika. So don’t cry.”

Only then did Ashika seem to become aware of Drushia’s presence, as she relaxed the tension in her body. When she stopped struggling, Drushia released her hands.

Her blurry dark eyes confirmed Drushia’s face but still wavered anxiously. Ashika reached out and caressed his face. Her fingertips trembled uncontrollably as they traced his features.

“Rushia?”

Drushia allowed her anxious, searching touch. The eyes that had been filled with terror now showed relief and gladness.

 

49

“What’s wrong, did you have a nightmare?”

“Sob… Rushia, you… you….”

Drushia felt a strange sensation as he gently patted Ashika’s head.

“What about me? Did I die or something?”

Ashika, who had been sniffling, burst into tears. She sobbed, her shoulders shaking as if sad and afraid.

“Hic… Rushia.”

Her plaintive voice mercilessly shook his heart.

What kind of dream could she have had that felt so real? Like someone who had just experienced death, her black eyes trembled violently, and her sobbing was as desperate as if her heart was being carved out with a knife.

“It’s okay. It’s just a dream. Only a nightmare.”

Drushia whispered reassuringly and comforted her again.

“Rushia…, Rushia….”

Like a traveler searching for an oasis in the desert, like someone calling out to God in the face of death, Ashika desperately called his name. She touched his face and felt his body as if trying to confirm his living existence.

“Ah… Rushia….”

“Ashika…, hmmp.”

In the moment when Drushia was taken aback, a force too strong to resist pulled his head and pressed their lips together. Her cheeks were damp, and her tear-soaked lips tasted salty.

Ashika desperately sought his kiss. After a brief hesitation, Drushia did not refuse and responded to her demand.

Their tongues intertwined, swallowing each other’s saliva as they pressed their lips together. Hot blood coursed through them as the desire they had suppressed for days suddenly burst forth.

The explicit curves of her body felt through the thin night clothes. His large hands boldly slipped inside her clothes.

“Ahh….”

Her trembling female body stoked the fire of his desire. Drushia lifted and removed her thin nightwear. Her black eyes, half-open and hazy, still looking at him, were moist.

“Ha…. when you look at me like that….”

Those eyes drove him crazy. Drushia licked her still wet eyelids with his tongue and whispered her name.

“Ashika…. haa. At this rate…. I….”

His mind turned blank. His rationality had already flown away, and he refused to think anymore. He only felt the powerful temptation that he must embrace this woman who was desperately clinging to him, that he must not reject her touch.

Drushia devoured her lips in one breath and slowly pushed his body against hers.

****

Hot breath hit something and bounced back. She tried to move her limbs because it felt suffocating, but she couldn’t move her body as if she were trapped somewhere.

When she opened her eyes thinking something was strange, the first thing that caught her eye was smooth white skin. What was pressing against her lips was someone’s bare skin.

Lifting her head slightly, she could see a firmly muscled chest and straight collarbones, then the strong neck of a man, and a stubbly jaw. It was a sharp, handsome jaw. His plump red lips glistened temptingly.

‘Who….’

As Ashika suddenly came to her senses and tried to pull away, the force binding her tightened even more. In addition, an unknown bulk deep in her lower body revealed its presence and wriggled. Even though she was still, an erotic sensation spread, causing her to moan involuntarily.

She couldn’t lower her head, but she could at least tell that something that wasn’t hers was in her lower body. When she tensed up in surprise, her lower part also tightened.

“Ugh.”

“Grrk… if you squeeze like that first thing in the morning….”

The deep voice fully awakened her. Yet she couldn’t ignore the numb, tingling sensation spreading through her.

“What, who….”

As the body that had been lying sideways straightened its position, the large man climbed on top of Ashika. When he raised his upper body, his muscular build cast a shadow that felt imposing.

Ashika froze with her mouth open, at a loss for words.

They say when you receive too big a shock, even your instinct to react disappears. She was shocked to realize that the man pressing down on her with his entire body was Drushia, and she was shocked again by the fact that he was completely naked.

Ashika’s gaze naturally fell below his face.

Angular shoulders, well-defined chest muscles, a lower abdomen divided into muscle segments without an ounce of fat, slender hipbones, and dense golden hair between them.

Even further down was the source of the strange sensation that wriggled deep inside her body. It was too shocking to comprehend reality and her mind was too clear to ignore it.

Blue eyes, made even more transparent by the sunlight, looked down at Ashika.

“Why do you look so surprised? After clinging to me like that last night, why do you have such a shocked expression?”

Drushia was upset because he couldn’t understand Ashika’s attitude.

“Just to be clear, this isn’t a dream. We made love all night long. To the point where the sheets are all wet. Don’t you feel it down there, wet and slippery?”

“S-stop…!”

Good heavens. The sensation down below feels vividly wet, just as Drushia pointed out. Ashika couldn’t find words and opened and closed her mouth.

Seeing her reaction, the corner of Drushia’s mouth turned up in a smirk.

“How does it feel?”

When he slightly twisted his waist, his vividly alive member twitched inside Ashika’s body. A sensual feeling filled her lower body.

“Uhng….”

Ashika covered her mouth as a moan escaped.

A moan, of all things!

She needed to say something, but what could she possibly say in this situation? Facing her eyes filled with astonishment, Drushia spoke sternly.

“Last time you started it and then ran away. If you thought I was that easy, you’re sorely mistaken. Don’t think you can fly into my arms and then escape as you please. This time, you won’t get away like that.”

Without taking his eyes off Ashika, Drushia slowly moved his hips. His smirk grew more pronounced.

“Hnng…w-wait, Duke. This is some kind of misunderstanding….”

“Why are you so shy? Our first night together has long passed. Last time, when you devoured me like mad and then ran away.”

“It’s a misunderstanding. A misunderstanding. I… can explain… Ahhhh!”

Somehow the conversation continued despite neither of them being in a state fit for dialogue.

“It’s not… true. That was a mistake… Kyaaa!”

“A mistake? A mistake? You’re calling that a mistake now?”

Her desperate attempt to escape was thwarted. Drushia pressed down on her with his entire body and refused to let go.

“We still have a lot to talk about. This….”

He looked down at Ashika with an intense gaze.

“I mean body talk.”

On the beautiful man’s face, a desire so persistent it seemed cruel flickered. Ashika’s face became bewildered as she couldn’t believe what was happening.

His large hand gently brushed against her cheek. As if even her dumbfounded expression was unbearably delightful. Drushia smiled affectionately and slowly thrust his hips upward.

Instead of words of rejection, moans escaped from Ashika’s startled lips. The sensation that had consumed her all night began to surge again. An intense and addictive sensation that blew away all questions and thoughts.

****

The room was filled with the heavy fragrance of night flowers. Despite feeling like he might suffocate from the pungent scent, Drushia’s attitude remained consistently relaxed.

Ashika’s lips moved in a half-dazed state, and Drushia’s gaze was completely focused on her. He seemed both tense and expectant. Finally, the voice he had been waiting for flowed out.

“…I’m hungry.”

“Ah.”

Drushia opened his mouth with a perplexed expression. Suddenly, he noticed the darkened sky outside the window. The sun had already disappeared beyond the horizon.

‘It’s already this late?’

He belatedly realized that they had spent the entire day rolling around in bed without eating a single meal. Yet his unstilled instinct continued to stir as if it had a will of its own.

The woman who responded to him with a twitch was completely exhausted. It was time to curb his endless desire. Looking at Ashika’s reddened eyes, Drushia quietly lowered his gaze.

“Ahem, um. Wait.”

While his stamina could handle not just one day but three or four days, Ashika had long since lost her strength.

Drushia suppressed his instinct that didn’t want to let go and released Ashika. He roughly put on some clothes and returned to his room to call for Mia and a servant.

From beyond the door, Ashika heard Drushia instructing them to prepare a meal and bath water.

‘Come to think of it, he brought me drinks several times.’

It was Drushia who had brought her things to drink in between tormenting her. Water and sweet beverages. When she felt like she might faint, she would drink something sweet to regain consciousness, only for him to pounce on her again.

She had worried about whether Drushia would suffer aftereffects from the poisoning, but further concern was unnecessary. His recovery was so quick that she, rather than the once-sick Drushia, was about to collapse.

Ashika groaned, clutching her head.

‘I thought it was a dream.’

An absurd accident caused by a mix-up between a dream that felt real and reality that seemed dreamlike. But now there was no way out. The stage where she could call it a mistake had long passed.

‘Once might be a mistake, but this is…’

Ashika clawed at her hair with both fingers. She buried her face between her knees and let out a silent scream.

‘Ah, what do I do? How do I explain this?’

Click, the door opened, and she felt a burning gaze.

Ashika slowly raised her head and quietly lowered her hands that had been pulling at her hair. Blue eyes were staring at her with a look that suggested he had seen something strange.

“Give me… some clothes.”

Her voice was composed as always, but inside she was screaming.

‘How could you not leave even a single piece of underwear in the room? Stripping me naked so I can’t escape and all day long…..my clothes, my underwear, you pervert!’

“What you were wearing is ruined, so I had it cleared away. New ones are being prepared, so wait a bit. Besides, don’t we have a lot to talk about?”

Drushia’s gaze swept over Ashika from head to toe. His lips bore an inexplicably satisfied smile.

Ashika glanced at his face and then rolled her eyes around, scanning her surroundings.

All she had was one thin blanket. With the most elegant movements she could manage, she pulled the blanket and wrapped it around her neck, arms, and torso. Like a silkworm cocoon, she covered all skin except her face and slid her feet out from under the bed.

Drushia carefully observed her every movement. There was a strange light in his lingering gaze and the corner of his mouth twitched upward. Only Drushia was enjoying this situation.

Ashika deliberately ignored him and placed her feet on the floor. The moment she stood up, everything spun before her eyes.

‘Ha, I’ve been neglecting horseback riding lately!’

Drushia, who had been keeping his distance, instantly approached and supported her body.

“Whoop. I heard you were healthy, but your stamina is really….”

Drushia, who had been about to tease her, closed his mouth when he saw Ashika’s bloodless face. It was so pale that she looked like she might faint at any moment. Realizing he was the one who had made her this way, he lost the desire to tease.

“Hmm, I think it might be better to eat first and then bathe?”

“No. I want to wash. Washing comes first.”

“Should I call Mia?”

“No!”

She didn’t want anyone to discover this embarrassing situation. Especially not the child who was to become a knight of Talion.

“If you find Mia clumsy and uncomfortable, I can call another maid.”

Ashika glared at Drushia, who was grinning from ear to ear.

‘Do you not understand how serious this situation is?’

This was the Talion estate, crawling with knights who were hostile to her. If someone noticed their relationship and spread rumors, it would become a scandal that could turn the capital upside down.

‘Hah, why am I even bothering to talk.’

She didn’t even have the energy left to engage in a battle of nerves. Ashika chose to escape from his persistent gaze. As she hurriedly moved, there was a small sound like something dropping.

“Hmm?”

Drushia bent down to the floor where she had stepped and picked something up.

“A necklace?”

“Ah!”

Feeling the emptiness at her neck, Ashika hurriedly extended her hand.

“That’s mine. Give it here.”

Drushia ignored the hand held out to him and examined the necklace. He had been curious about it all along.

“This necklace is unusual.”

Even to Drushia who didn’t know much, the design seemed too crude for a high noble to use.

“Like last time, it seems you never take it off your body?”

“That’s none of your business. Give it back.”

Ashika was flustered. She hadn’t thought that since he had seen her naked, he would naturally have seen the necklace too.

Drushia avoided Ashika’s hand, holding the necklace up high, and tilted his head in puzzlement.

“I was curious then too, but seeing how easily the gems crack, they’re not real, are they? Why do you wear something like this?”

“What are you saying? The gems are cracked?”

“You didn’t know? They were cracked last time too.”

As Drushia said, the two small bluish-purple gems were filled with fine spiderweb-like cracks.

‘Why two? Only one was cracked before?’

Though she had never taken it off her body, she hadn’t particularly looked at the necklace. It would be accurate to say she hadn’t had the mental capacity to do so.

“You say they were cracked last time too? Both of them?”

Last time would have been right after she experienced that strange hallucination.

‘Ah!’

A sudden realization. It felt like lightning striking her head.

 

50

‘What if it’s not just a dream?’

Three hallucinations and three broken jewels.

She clearly remembered seeing the first jewel she discovered in the imperial palace, though she never managed to find it again. That distinctly large and vivid bluish-purple one. And after experiencing the second and third hallucinations, she confirmed that the pendant’s jewels had broken. Could this merely be coincidence?

At first, she thought she was going insane. She even suspected she might be unknowingly addicted to some drug. That’s why she thoroughly searched through her family’s genealogy.

‘Perhaps it’s an entirely different kind of problem.’

What if the jewel possessed some power? What if what she experienced wasn’t a dream or hallucination?

[Someone might have something they want to tell you.]

Iben’s voice rang in her ears like tinnitus.

“Lady Igraine?”

Her face, pale white, had completely frozen and wasn’t responding. Drushia lowered her hand holding the necklace and called to her again.

“Ashika?”

Her mind was following her instincts faster than ever before. Her heart sank coldly with the realization that she could no longer ignore this.

She barely composed her expression and reached out to Drushia. Half lost in thought, half frozen stiff.

“The necklace, give it back to me.”

Drushia couldn’t insist further and handed the necklace to Ashika. With a clinking sound, the necklace poured onto her white hand. Ashika quickly withdrew her hand and hid the necklace inside the rolled-up blanket.

As he watched Ashika turning away silently, a thought flashed through Drushia’s mind.

‘That jewel, I’ve seen it somewhere before.’

But the faint memory was pushed aside, captivated by the retreating figure of the woman who had wrapped herself completely in the sheet.

****

For Drushia, Ashika was a difficult woman. Yet she always remained nailed to a corner of his heart, constantly concerning him.

As far as he knew, Ashika had never caused any scandal. She’d only had one fiancé in the past two years, and even that was a relationship in name only. She’d had no men in her life—hadn’t he confirmed that himself?

He understood why Ashika’s life had to be that way. After all, she had to fully accept responsibility for her family at the mere age of eight.

Drushia and Ashika’s lives weren’t so different. The past fourteen years living without breathing room as the only direct descendants and heirs of their respective ducal families.

A relationship where they growled at each other yet ultimately couldn’t hate one another—rather, they had no choice but to keep each other in their hearts like a sore finger.

The tension that had been precariously maintained finally broke. It wasn’t unpleasant; rather, it brought an expectation close to euphoria.

Hadn’t she, a woman with no experience in love or men, willingly fallen into his arms? That’s why he was extremely curious about how Ashika would react after daybreak.

‘I thought she’d be shy or flustered.’

She showed none of the reactions he had predicted. With a casual face, she merely stated her requirements: “I’m hungry,” “Give me clothes.”

‘I was wrong about her. I didn’t know she was this brazen.’

With that thought, he looked at Ashika’s face across the table.

“Why are you staring at me like that? Aren’t you hungry? Or did you eat while I was unconscious, Duke?”

“Of course not. Do I look so shameless that I would eat alone in that situation?”

“No. That couldn’t be.”

Her resolute answer made Drushia feel embarrassed instead.

‘Didn’t she dislike me?’

Her attitude—friendly yet not intimidated—gave him a strange feeling.

Drushia was also very hungry. Yet watching Ashika eating heartily made him feel full even without eating.

A small piece of meat entered her red lips, which chewed slowly before taking a sip of wine. The red wine moistened her lips, and then she put a well-roasted vegetable stalk in her mouth and chewed again.

‘She eats so prettily.’

Clang, gurgle.

The sound of the pewter pitcher hitting the wine glass startled Drushia back to his senses. With no servants attending, he had nearly spilled the wine.

For some time now, Drushia had put down his fork and was just downing wine. Belatedly realizing he was half dazed, he cleared his throat.

After the meal, Ashika neatly finished the sweet pudding prepared for dessert.

‘Ah, now I feel alive.’

Ashika rolled her eyes, checking if her mind was functioning properly. Being too clear-headed, the actions she had mistaken were now clearly organized.

‘I’m definitely in my right mind now.’

Now it was time to clean up the situation.

‘He’s going to drill holes in my face with his stare.’

She wanted to get rid of that burning gaze fixed on her as soon as possible. Making a grave decision, she took a drink of water to moisten her burning throat.

“You might even be pregnant, Lady Igraine.”

“Pfft, cough!”

Ashika covered her mouth with a napkin and coughed violently.

She was about to say it was just a mistake and that they should quietly go their separate ways. But Drushia had thrown down the gauntlet right to her face.

“How can you… say such a thing, cough, so directly?”

“Isn’t it a natural assumption when something happens between a man and a woman?”

Drushia hadn’t been careful about that issue. He hadn’t even thought he should be.

Rather, he had felt an indescribable pleasure at the thought of filling her with his own. An emotion he hadn’t known drove him, and even now, he didn’t regret it.

“Haa… Look, Duke. Of course, we crossed a line, but a child doesn’t just happen from that one time.”

Ashika had already quickly calculated the matter.

“One time? After all my hard work, it’s troubling if you count it as just once.”

“Of course it wasn’t just once. Counting the times, it was all day… No, it’s not important how many times you and I did it!”

Ashika raised her voice, clutching the napkin she was holding.

Unlike Ashika whose face was burning red, the corners of Drushia’s mouth were raised high. Seeing his broadly smiling face, she suddenly came to her senses. Ashika took a deep breath and quickly composed her expression.

‘This man is playing with me.’

The way he kept catching her off guard made her think he wouldn’t be easy to handle.

‘Don’t get drawn in. I shouldn’t get drawn in by that man.’

Drushia found Ashika’s increasingly diverse expressions interesting. He enjoyed just watching her eat, and he enjoyed conversing with her like this.

‘Was it not because I disliked tormenting that woman, but rather the opposite?’

It was quite a belated realization. He had never imagined feeling this way about Ashika, yet here he was, already enchanted.

“Duke, let me quickly and simply get to the point.”

When the word “Duke” came from Ashika’s mouth, Drushia’s brows furrowed.

“Let’s settle our debts as having struck each other once.”

“What?”

“That’s right. I admit that I started it. But today’s incident was clearly initiated by you. So we’ve fairly committed… one offense each.”

Ashika elegantly extended her hand, pointing at him and then at herself.

The meaning was, ‘I pounced first, but next, you pounced.’

Drushia’s expression hardened coldly.

“You seduced me not once but twice. And now you think you can resolve it with just a few words?”

“It was never my intention from the beginning. What happened that night was a mistake I made while drunk.”

“On just half a bottle of wine? Surely you’re not going to lie and say you didn’t recognize who I was?”

“Yes, that’s right. There was also the shock I received during the day, and I wasn’t in my right mind that night.”

“Ha! Really? You didn’t know who I was?”

Drushia leaned over the table, glaring at Ashika.

A drunken mistake of one night. So it wouldn’t have mattered if it wasn’t him? At that thought, an unpleasantly strong emotion surged that made him shudder.

“You’re saying you didn’t know who the man was who undressed you, kissed you, and spread your legs? Who thrust himself into you while you cried out in pleasure? You didn’t know who I was? Really?”

“S-stop it!”

Ashika’s face turned bright red. The explicit description made memories of rolling around in bed come flooding back, making it impossible for her to meet his gaze.

“You clearly knew who I was.”

He couldn’t forget her sweet voice whispering “Rushia” throughout. The voice that kept calling his name endlessly, even while gasping for breath, immersed in pleasure.

“It’s troublesome if you seduce me boldly and then try to run away as if nothing happened. If you were looking for a one-night playmate, you chose the wrong person. I have no intention of being unilaterally manipulated by Igraine.”

Ashika bit her lip tightly, composing herself.

“I don’t understand why you’re angry. I’m trying to resolve this as quickly as possible to avoid complications.”

It was something that happened between healthy adult men and women. The tension between them had instantly transformed into desire for each other. Thinking about it that way, the current situation was not incomprehensible.

So what was important now was not to question the reasons but to escape this awkward situation as quickly as possible.

“Who asked you to resolve it?”

“What?”

If the truth were to be known, it would create a major scandal publicly. So she thought Drushia would also want to handle it quietly. But he had no intention of cooperating.

“So, what do you think about maintaining this relationship for the time being?”

“You’re insane!”

Ashika blurted out before covering her mouth. She was surprised by her own casual attitude.

Drushia’s eyes widened. His face showed disbelief at a response that deviated so far from his expectations.

“That’s quite an extreme way of putting it.”

Drushia, who had been sitting comfortably, shifted his body and leaned forward. He looked extremely offended.

“Let’s be honest. I’m only twenty-six. At this age, I hold the title of Duke. I’m unmarried, handsome, wealthy, and you already know about my bedroom skills. Is it really insane to date such a man?”

“You’ve got quite the shameless mouth. Usually, people find it difficult to list their own virtues like that, if only out of embarrassment.”

“It’s also not easy to call a man like me insane when he asks to date him.”

Of course, Drushia was certainly in a position to speak that way. He was indeed someone who should overflow with confidence.

“Instead of making an immediate decision, why don’t we see how things go? It’s rare to find bedroom partners who match so well. Or have you found someone else new already?”

His mouth was smiling, but his eyes turned cold in an instant. Ashika covered her reddening face with the back of her hand, feeling astounded.

“What are you saying? There’s no such thing. There wasn’t before, and it’s the same now.”

“Oh ho, so from before until now, it’s only been me?”

Drushia stretched his lips into a satisfied expression.