Chapter 3 – Part 4

Sitting on the couch, Liese drummed her fingers and looked around the spacious room.
 
The room was furnished with a tall bookcase, a single desk, a low glass table, and facing chairs. It was like a combination of a duke’s study, his office, and part of his parlor, but it was a very private place.
 
Liese was in the common room that led directly to the duke’s bedroom.
 
Liese glanced uneasily toward the sound of water.
 
Beyond the pierced, arched doorway, she could see the foot of a huge bed. There must be a bathroom somewhere in the back, and Marcus must be leisurely washing in it.
 
‘What are you thinking, Lieselotte? ‘
 
She waited for the Duke from dawn to dusk, unsure of her course of action.
 
All she could be certain of was the fact that the man had abundantly what she needed the most. Also, the fact that he was not someone willing to help her without a price.
 
Did the Duke want something from me, too? There had to be, and if so, was I willing to give it to him?
 
The look on the handmaiden’s face as she personally escorted Liese here. It was a harsh gaze that seemed to ask if she had finally invaded His Grace’s bedroom. She had no unjust feelings, but she couldn’t say anything.
 
There was no way to justify herself with just a gaze, and this time she wasn’t just misunderstanding.
 
‘I’m the one who walked in here.’
 
Realizing this, she covered her face with both hands. In the dim evening light, with only the subtle wall lighting and the candlelight on the console, she felt miserable and wistful.
 
 Then, at some point,
 
“I don’t remember calling for you today.”
 
Her head snapped up at the voice from the bedroom. It was a low, bassy voice that echoed even lower in the silence.
 
“I was out.”
 
Marcus walked out of the bedroom, rubbing a towel through his wet hair. He wore nothing on his upper body, and the fact that he had his pants on didn’t give her much relief.
 
“Your Grace.”
 
Pushing her chair out of the way, Liese stood by the table. She tried not to let her gaze wander to the man’s upper body, his muscles rippling in the dim light.
 
“I apologize. I was aware that you were out.”
 
Marcus, half-n*ked and casually brushing his hair, tossed the towel on the dresser and walked lazily toward Liese.
 
“Your working hours have long passed.”
 
“…I’m aware of that.”
 
“Then I guess I can interpret your reason for being here however I want.”
 
The smirking face drew closer. Swallowing dryly, Liese watched Marcus approach. In the dimly lit space, his body seemed even larger and harder than usual.
 
“Tell me. Did you wait until this hour because you have something you want to trade with me?”
 
Marcus stepped closer and stood in front of her. Frightened by the sight of his half-n*ked body, Liese squeezed her eyes shut once, then opened them.
 
“Yes, Your Grace.”
 
“And by the looks of you, you’re not about to open your mouth.”
 
A droplet of water from Marcus’s damp blond hair landed on Liese’s chest, and his gaze fell with it, as if drawn by gravity.
 
The tiny stain spread across the curved fabric. Marcus’s shadowed eyes snapped back up. Liese hurried to speak.
 
“No. The reason I’ve been waiting on you is because….”
 
“Good.”
 
The smoothness of his voice cut her off. I had a bad feeling about this.
 
“Because I had something I wanted from you, too.”
 
“From me, Your Grace?”
 
“Yes. Since you seem to have something you want from me, why not make a deal?”
 
Standing before the large, shadowy man, Liese sucked in a shaky breath. She felt suffocated by the weight of his stony gaze.
 
“I haven’t told you my situation yet.”
 
“Even a passing dog will know what you need.”
 
“…….”
 
“So you should know my situation, too, to be fair.”
 
A chill ran down her spine. It was an odd feeling—the realization that what she’d stepped into with great determination was a carefully laid trap.

The place where Liese was located was the lounge connected directly to the duke’s bedroom.
 
Liese turned her uneasy eyes towards the sound of water.
 
Beyond the clearly visible arched door, a corner of a massive bed was revealed. There must be a bathroom somewhere in the back, and it was evident that Marcus was leisurely bathing inside.
 
‘What should I do? ‘
 
She had been waiting for the duke from sunrise to sunset but couldn’t grasp the thread of her actions.
 
All she could be certain of was the fact that the man had abundantly what she needed the most. Also, the fact that he was not someone willing to help her without a price.
 
Did the duke have something he desired from me? He must have. If so, can I willingly give it to him?
 
How did the steward’s expression change when he personally guided Liese to this place? It was a harsh gaze that seemed to ask if she had finally invaded His Grace’s bedroom. She had no unjust feelings, but she couldn’t say anything.
 
There was no way to justify herself with just a gaze, and this time, it wasn’t a misunderstanding on the steward’s part.
 
‘I’m the one who walked in here.’
 
Realizing this, she covered her face with both hands. In the dim evening light, with only the subtle wall lighting and the candlelight on the console, Liese waited for the man endlessly. It was a miserable and melancholy feeling.
 
Then, at some point,
 
“I don’t recall calling you today.”
 
She raised her head at the voice coming from the bedroom. In the silent space, it was a deep, low-pitched sound with even more resonance.
 
“I was out.”
 
Marcus walked out of the bedroom, drying his wet hair with a towel. He had nothing on his upper body. The fact that he at least put on pants did not give her much relief.
 
“Your Grace.”
 
Liese pushed the chair back and stood by the table. She tried not to look at the muscular upper body of the man, which seemed even larger and firmer in the space lit only by a faint wall light.
 
“I apologize. I was aware that you were out.”
 
Marcus, who was casually drying his hair, tossed a towel towards the dressing table. Then he leisurely approached Liese.
 
“Your working hours have long passed.”
 
“Yes, I am aware of that.”
 
“So, can I interpret the reason for being here as I please?”
 
His face, with a hint of a smile, approached closer and closer. Liese, trying not to pay attention to the shapely upper body of the man that was partially exposed, felt her heart flutter.
 
“I apologize for the intrusion. I was waiting because you were out.”
 
“Is that so? Well, it works out for me.”
 
The smoothly delivered words cut through her explanation. It didn’t bode well.
 
“I also had something I wanted from you.”
 
“From me, Your Grace?”
 
“Yes. Since you seem to have something you want from me, why not make a deal?”
 
A chill ran down her spine under the ominous shadow. It was a strange feeling to realize that the trap she had fallen into was meticulously laid out without any loopholes.
 
Marcus twisted his head slightly and looked down at her. Staring at her for a long time with eyes that seemed to assess the value of an object, he suddenly reached out towards the back of her head.
 
Liese’s shoulders jerked up, and the hair that had been pinned back came loose. Her light-brown hair flowed down like a thin curtain. Liese blinked wide-eyed at the unintelligible action.
 
Her long and loose hair down her back smelled of fresh grass, a scent that mingled with her body odor and enveloped them both. His eyes were black as they met Liese’s in the dark. His pupils were dilated, revealing nothing but instinct.
 
He lowered his hand again. The hand that had reached down earlier now moved towards Liese’s back. Bewildered by the unpredictable actions, Liese held onto his wrist when he suddenly touched the back of her neck.
 
The ribbons of the apron around her back were getting looser and looser.
 
“…Your Grace!”
 
Horrified, Liese snatched her hand back and grabbed his wrist. Her light-green eyes, reflecting her turbulent mind, fluttered wildly.
 
“Why, why are you doing this?”
 
“It’s bothersome.”
 
Marcus blurted it out nonchalantly. Liese whimpered in desperate defiance. Right now, the only thing he was trying to remove was the apron, but she didn’t know what would be next.
 
“Please don’t do this. Please listen to what I have to say first.”
 
“Get your hands off me.”
 
“Please, please, please let go of me.”
 
“Didn’t you come here prepared for this? A desperate woman shouldn’t be uptight.”
 
In the glare, he really did look like a madman. Liese didn’t let go of his wrist.
 
“Please, don’t do this!”
 
“Don’t make me tell you twice; get your hands off me.”
 
As the confrontation lengthened, Marcus gave the knotted hand a firm squeeze. The force alone rocked Liese back and forth like a doll.
 
“Your Grace, please…!”