Chapter 31: The Man Who Catches Attention
“I heard you calling for Leon earlier. Was there something you needed?”
“Oh, it was nothing important.”
I tried to brush it off, thinking the conversation might drag on, but the Grand Duke’s gaze remained fixed on me. His eyes clearly demanded to hear the rest of the story.
‘Well, it makes sense for him to be curious about why I called his knight so late at night.’
In the end, I told him about the tomato stew recipe.
As his suspicion eased, his sharp gaze gradually softened.
“Spicy… tomato stew? Do you like it?”
“I could seriously eat it every day for a whole week!”
“Spicy tomato stew…”
The Grand Duke muttered quietly.
“But I feel a bit concerned.”
“Concerned about what?”
“It doesn’t seem to be selling very well.”
I took the chance to also mention my conversation with Madame Marie.
“It’s probably because Blenheim isn’t really a tourist destination,” the Grand Duke replied, assessing his own territory rather coldly.
“The climate is cold, but more importantly, there are no entertainment facilities for nobles. The Kingdom of Rondoris is famous for its resorts, so most northern nobles prefer to vacation there or in Arsen.”
“Then why hasn’t Blenheim built any of those facilities?”
It was just a curious question, but the Grand Duke awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.
“That’s… because I haven’t paid attention to it.”
“Oh…”
I usually consider myself quick-witted, but sometimes I completely lack awareness.
Here I was, asking a man who was busy fighting curses while protecting the North why his territory lacked entertainment spots.
“Well, Blenheim is quite vast, after all.”
Realizing the conversation was heading in the wrong direction, I quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway, Your Grace.”
Ahem.
Hearing my suddenly playful tone, he looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Don’t you notice anything different about me?”
“…!”
His dark pupils wavered violently.
“Dif…ferent? What do you mean?”
“Exactly what I said. Don’t you see anything different about me?”
His pitch-black eyes trembled furiously.
There’s no way he would have noticed. He probably didn’t even know what he was wearing right now.
Trying not to laugh, I bit my lips as I watched his awkward gaze scan me.
“Don’t you know?”
I stood up and spun around once.
The white dress, the only one that didn’t need altering, softly wrapped around me, creating elegant folds.
“Ta-da!”
“Ah…”
He let out a quiet sigh, as if he had finally realized what I was doing.
“Is it a new dress?”
“Yes. My husband gave it to me as a gift.”
I gently swayed the hem of my dress.
‘I bet he’s going to react strongly to me calling him my husband again.’
I smirked, expecting his usual flustered response, but instead, he simply stared at me in a daze. His throat moved as he swallowed.
“It suits you well.”
“Oh… thank you.”
I had planned to joke back, but his serious tone caught me off guard.
His gaze was both cool and soft.
That combination of words didn’t seem to fit together, yet looking into his dark eyes glimmering under the light, I couldn’t think of a better way to describe them.
‘Why do I feel so thirsty all of a sudden?’
Afraid I’d get lost in his eyes, I cleared my throat to shake off the strange feeling.
“By the way, why did you call the tailor today?”
“…Because spring is here.”
He absentmindedly touched the handle of his now-cold teacup.
“I thought you might need new clothes…”
“You don’t mean that my clothes aren’t good enough for Blenheim, do you?”
“Never…!”
At that moment, the handle of his teacup snapped off with a small crack.
“…”
“A-Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Holding just the broken handle, he lowered his head slightly, as if embarrassed, but still spoke firmly.
“That’s absolutely not the reason. I just thought you might need help since you don’t have a lady’s maid yet…”
I let out a small laugh at the sight of his large hands holding the tiny broken piece.
“I know. I was just joking.”
I understood. And because I did, I appreciated his thoughtfulness. That’s why I had gone out of my way to show him the dress.
“So, since I ordered a lot of clothes, you can’t complain when you get the bill later. This is a gift, right?”
He chuckled softly, like he was clearing his throat.
“Why are you laughing? I really bought a lot.”
When I shrugged, he smiled slightly and said,
“I won’t say a word. It’s a gift just for you, so please accept it without hesitation.”
His calm voice brushed past my ears, sending a strange ticklish feeling through my chest.
‘I think this is the first time I’ve seen him smile.’
His usually stern lips had curved into a graceful arc.
His dark eyes, reflecting the light, looked unexpectedly gentle. The fresh warmth in them made my heart race.
Feeling my face heat up, I fanned myself lightly.
“Oh, is it warm in here? I think the greenhouse is a bit hot.”
The temperature was actually quite pleasant.
“Shall we take a walk?”
At my suggestion, he put down the broken handle and stood up.
He walked toward me and suddenly held out his arm.
“For an escort…”
“Oh, thank you.”
As I placed my hand on his arm, I suddenly flinched.
“…Ah!”
He paused as well.
“What’s wrong?”
“…”
“Are you playing a prank on me again?”
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously.
— “I was just surprised. Your arm is really firm.”
The first time he had escorted me, I had said that. He must have thought I was teasing him.
“That wasn’t a joke, you know? Look at this, your arm is like a rock.”
I pouted and poked his arm a few times.
“Then, you’re soft—”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
He quickly stopped himself, his face turning red.
But he still didn’t pull his arm away, so I carefully placed my hand back on it.
Something felt different today.
‘Does he feel… warmer?’
It was just a touch, yet my whole body felt unusually heated, my heart beating faster.
‘No matter how handsome he is, this is just from touching his arm?’
I blamed my reaction on Annette’s lack of experience with men.
I forced myself to calm down and suppress my expression.
We walked through the greenhouse for a while.
From the outside, it didn’t look so big, but inside, it was surprisingly deep.
It seemed to have been expanded multiple times, with sections added later. The large windows let in moonlight that mixed with the warm glow of the lamps, creating a play of colors among the green foliage.
“This place is really beautiful.”
“…Do you think so?”
He responded quietly.
At the very end of the greenhouse, a bed of unfamiliar white flowers spread out in full bloom. Tiny buds peeked from the center of each blossom, as if a second flower was blooming inside the first.
I couldn’t help but admire them.
“They’re so pretty. I’ve never seen flowers like these before.”
“They’re called Nepras.”
I stepped away from his arm and leaned in to get a closer look. As I did, his shadow stretched over me.
“…This is my mother’s favorite flower.”
“The late duchess’s?”
His deep voice resonated close to my ear.
“This greenhouse was hers. After she passed away, I kept it closed.”
He had kept it closed?
No wonder Whitley had hesitated earlier.
He must have asked his permission because of me.
‘So he opened it for me.’
“I’m sorry. I didn’t know…”
He spoke in his usual tone.
“There’s nothing for you to apologize for. I just haven’t maintained it much, so I was embarrassed to show it to you.”
“If I had known, I wouldn’t have asked to open it…”
He slowly shook his head.
“Don’t worry. It wasn’t closed for any special reason. It was just a hassle to maintain, and… there was no one to visit it.”
I didn’t know how to respond, so I quietly turned back to the flowers.
“Do you like Nepras?”
He asked while gazing at the white blossoms.
“Yes, very much.”
“If you’d like, I can have Whitley send some to your room.”
“No, that’s okay.”
I quickly waved my hands.
“They’re so pretty, it’d be a shame to cut them.”
I breathed in the rich scent of the soil beneath the flowers.
“I’m happy just seeing them like this.”
“Then…”
He hesitated before speaking.
“You can come anytime.”
“What?”
“I’ll leave the greenhouse open.”
I turned my head and met his gaze. He looked a little awkward as he scratched the back of his neck.
“The flowers will last until mid-summer, so you can visit whenever you want.”
“…Thank you.”
A brief silence followed.
Was he thinking about his mother?
His expression was calm, but his gaze carried a quiet loneliness.
He was such a strong presence, yet right now, he seemed almost fragile.
And look at that—his cravat was tied so messily after just a day of neglect.
‘He really needs looking after.’
I stepped closer.
“Duchess?”
He stiffened slightly.
“Your cravat is crooked.”
“Ah…”
After glancing down, he suddenly untied it and handed it to me.
“…?”
He held out the fabric with no resistance.
“Please fix it.”
‘Huh? Why is he being so obedient?’
I hesitated, but he avoided my gaze.
I took the cravat and gently wrapped it around his neck, neatly tying it.
“I kept it simple since it’s nighttime.”
“Thank you.”
He absentmindedly touched the knot, seemingly pleased.
Was that why he had been carrying a cravat around yesterday too?
I smirked and teased,
“It looks better when I tie it, right?”
“…Yes.”
He nodded without hesitation.
“Then should I tie it for you every morning?”
“Yes. …Wait, what?”
Realizing what he had just agreed to, he quickly shook his head.
“Why? You don’t like it?”
“It’s not that…”
The tips of his ears turned bright red.
He’s so cute☺️