Chapter translated by Gon.
“Oh, I, I’m fine.”
“Are you sure you didn’t sprain your ankle?”
“Well…… I’m not sure.”
Etisha pursed her lips. Pushing Kaiyen away, she couldn’t bring herself to put her hands on his body. She couldn’t run her palm across his bare chest, or his bare forearm.
As Etisha hesitated, Kaiyen’s gaze fell on her.
His hazel eyes met Etisha’s blue ones.
“…….”
“…….”
There was a moment of silence as if something had passed between them.
Etisha looked at Kaiyen, and he looked at her. Their faces, close together in the dim light, were dreamy.
“I want to take a look, just in case.”
He said, “Show your ankle,” but Kaiyen didn’t let go of Etisha’s waist. Etisha didn’t urge him to.
Time stretched for a moment, and after a while, they slowly pulled apart.
“Then, why don’t you sit down on the bed?”
“Yes…….”
Etisha walked into Kaiyan’s bedroom. Judging by the slightly unsteady steps, it looked like she had sprained her ankle, just like he said.
Etisha sat down on the bed, and Kaiyen lowered himself to sit on one knee in front of her.
‘The Duke is kneeling before me…….’
Etisha thought this must be a dream again, so unreal that she wondered if she had already fallen asleep in her bedroom and was now really dreaming.
“Miss Etisha. Please lift your skirt.”
Etisha asked, startled.
“What……, my skirt?”
“That way I can see your ankles. I don’t want to do it myself. I thought it would be rude.”
He was right. The thought of Kaiyen reaching down and pulling up Etisha’s skirt seemed too embarrassing. It would be better for Etisha to walk.
Agreeing with him, Etisha carefully grasped the skirt and pulled it up. The long skirt slid up from her foot, revealing her white feet and ankles.
Only her ankles were visible, and Etisha felt more embarrassed than she had ever felt in her life.
“Uh, I think my left ankle is a little sore.”
“I see it’s your left, let me put my hand on it for a moment.”
Kaiyen placed Etisha’s foot in his palm and squeezed her ankle with his other hand.
“It’s not a bad sprain. It should heal in a day or two.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“The head doctor of the Wintel family has moved up north, so if you want magical healing, I have to call for a doctor. I’ll have them summoned right away.”
“Oh, no, not at this late hour……. I’m not really sick, and I don’t need to be healed by magic.”
“But.”
“I’m fine, I’ll get some sleep and if I’m still sick when I wake up tomorrow morning, I’ll get healed then.”
“…….”
“Duke, it’s really fine, leave it alone.”
Etisha lowered her skirt.
Kaiyen started to pull her hand out of the skirt but stopped.
Looking up at Etisha, he ran his fingertips down her ankle.
“It’ll be more swollen when you wake up, but you’re fine.”
Etisha winced at the tickling, unbearable sensation.
“Ouch…….”
“You might not be able to dance at the party tomorrow, is that okay too?”
Kaiyen’s fingertips trailed up Etisha’s ankle. He skimmed her slender calves, stopping when he reached her knees. He patted her knee and spoke softly.
“The strain on your ankle can spread to your knee, and your whole leg can go numb.”
Etesha’s body tingled just like he said. It wasn’t because of her ankle, but because of Kayen.
“It’s okay, I’ll get it treated tomorrow…….”
Etisha bowed her head. The pendant around her neck swung.
Kaiyen’s gaze locked on the glowing lion-shaped pendant as he looked up at Etisha.
“That’s…… a gift from His Majesty.”
Finally, a change of subject.
“Yes. I think it’s important, so I wear it on my body.”
“You mean when you go to sleep?”
“What? Yes.”
“…….”
Kaiyen stared at the pendant for a while. His gaze seemed to melt the pendant.
“I…… then, Duke. My ankle seems to be fine, so I’ll go back to my room now.”
Etisha pushed herself up from the bed. Kaiyen helped her up and led her to her room.
“I don’t care if it’s dawn, just call me if your ankle hurts.”
“Yes, I will, I will, don’t worry, good night, Duke.”
“Good night to you, too.”
The door connecting the two rooms closed, and the curtain was drawn.
* * *
The third day of the Festival.
The final party was the grand finale of the festivities and a great success. Everyone drank and danced, and the sounds of laughter and chatter echoed out of the palace well into the night.
She danced with him, too, and thankfully, her ankle was unharmed.
‘Thank goodness.’
The last thing she wanted to do in the capital was have fun.
‘I can leave with a smile on my face…….’
And with that, Etisha climbed into the carriage bound for the north.
Duke Kaiyen and his maid Marin were with her.
“Oh, hello.”
Another person there.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you, I’m Judith, but please feel free to call me Diterra.”
A beautiful young woman with bright blonde hair appeared in front of Etisha.
With her long, wavy hair flowing down her back, she effortlessly climbed into the Duke of Kaiyen’s carriage and sat across from Etisha.
That’s right, next to the Duke of Kaiyen.
* * *
“Judith……?
What a beautiful woman. Most of all, her bright, cheerful smile stood out. She seemed to be about the same age as Kaiyan.
“Who is she?
It was a question that didn’t need to be asked. Etisha had already guessed who she was.
‘She didn’t give her last name, only her first, which is something a noble would never do, which means she’s a commoner.
But no commoner would be able to climb into the Duke’s carriage. A maidservant like Marin might be able to, but she wouldn’t dare speak to Etisha first.
‘Then…….’
She must be the Duke of Kaiyan’s mistress.
Etisha drew her soft lips up to form a smile on her face.
“Yes, Diterra. It is a pleasure to meet you. I am Etisha Elle. Baroness Elle.”
Meeting the rumored mistress. It was a strange feeling, even though She’d told herself this day would come sooner or later.
‘That’s the lady the Duke of Kaiyen loves…….’
It was like waking up from a very good dream.
Etisha excused herself and studied Diterra’s face carefully. In fact, it was so natural for Etisha, a noble, to look at Diterra, a commoner, that it could hardly be called rude.
‘She is so bright. She looks radiant.’
Dite’s bright golden hair and golden eyes seemed to sparkle when she stood still. Sitting side by side with the jet-black-haired Duke, they were like light and dark.
‘She seems to have a good personality and……. she seems like a nice person, which is why she’s so beloved by the Duke of Kaiyan.’
Etisha blinked. For some reason, she felt a tightness in her stomach. She felt a weight on her chest, like a small stone.
“Miss Etisha, I apologize for not telling you in advance that She would be accompanying us.”
At that moment, Duke Kaiyan offered a short apology.
“It was because you do not know who Dite is, nor can I reveal her presence yet, and it would certainly have caused a stir within and without if it were known that she had come to the capital with me.”
“Ah……. No, Duke. I understand.”
Etisha shook her head calmly.
“Of course, you should have kept your secret about your mistress. Don’t feel bad, the Duke and I have known each other for a long time……. It’s not like we’ve been talking about all this stuff.’
The stone on Etisha’s chest grew a little heavier.
“I’ll make sure it doesn’t happen next time.”
“Yeah…….”
“Well, we better start heading out soon before it gets too late. I’m planning to take the warp tunnel that leads to the north from Loxen..”
The carriage started moving as soon as Kaiyen gave the signal.
Marin chuckled lightly as he pulled out a soft cushion and leaned Etisha’s back against it.
“Hoo-hoo.”
Diete was laughing, covering her mouth with one hand.
When Etisha stared at her in disbelief, Dite removed her hand and made a mouth to whisper.
“Kaiyen is a difficult person to deal with, isn’t he?”
“……?”
“I don’t even know what he’s thinking.”
Diete turned to Etisha, her golden eyes sparkling with a subtle mood.
“It’s okay, we all do.”
She looked like a fairy whispering a secret. Like she was telling her a special secret that no one else knew, and she was doing her a favor…….
“Kaiyen has been the same as he is now since he was very young, no one could have guessed him, so don’t be so heartbroken.”
“…….”
“Not just anyone can have Kaiyen.”
* * *
As the sun was setting, the carriage arrived in the city center. Loxen, located on the outskirts of the capital, was a city with a warp gate leading north.
A warp gate was a magical device that used magic to transport. In simple terms, it was like a magic spell that allowed teleportation.
Of course, activating a warp teleportation device required a large amount of magic power, which in turn required multiple magicians. Naturally, the cost was astronomical. Even nobles couldn’t afford it, and some commoners had a lifelong wish to ride a warp traveler.
“You’ve arrived, please step out of the carriage.”
“…….”
“Miss Etisha?”
Kaiyen, who had exited the carriage earlier, extended his hand toward Etisha. It was a natural escort, but for some reason, Etisha couldn’t easily take his hand.
‘The Duke’s hand…….’
It’s always a big, handsome hand.
It might sound strange to say that his hands were handsome, but Etisha thought that his hands were as scripturally beautiful as Kaiyan’s face.
“Miss Etisha. What’s wrong, are you dizzy from the long carriage ride?”
“No, I’ll get off now.”
Etisha slowly took Kaiyan’s hand, his hand was still warm.
“Watch your step.”
In an instant, Kaiyen’s grip tightened on Etisha’s hand. It was to steady herself as she stepped out of the carriage.
“Ouch.”
Etisha’s shoulder jerked. The simple touch of holding her hand felt too much for her.
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