Chapter 7

Kaiden grabbed Humohr’s arm, his gaze fierce like that of a predator protecting its young. His grip tightened, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged.  

“Don’t touch her carelessly.”  

Kaiden spoke in a low voice, swatting Humohr’s hand away. Then, he picked off a small petal stuck in Hazel’s hair.  

“Ha, seriously. This is ridiculous.”  

Watching the scene unfold, Humohr let out a breath of disbelief before speaking to Hazel in a voice that had become overly smooth.  

“I’ll send you a letter, Hazel.”  

“Yes.”  

“Don’t waste paper. Don’t send it.”  

Hazel replied indifferently. Humohr ignored Kaiden’s words and said he would send a formal dinner invitation to her house next time. That could be postponed indefinitely, so it seemed like the situation had been resolved….  

“When did you get so close to Humohr?”  

Kaiden’s voice was cold and low, his furrowed brows suggesting he was a little angry.  

“We got to know each other while chatting during visits to the imperial palace.”  

“So, you’ve had meals together often too?”  

Kaiden stopped walking and looked at Hazel.  

“Yes. The restaurants Young Marquis Humohr takes me to are notoriously hard to book, so it would be a waste not to go. He mentioned going for cod steak next time, and I’m a bit torn because I heard that honey cod steak is a trendy dish these days.”  

Suddenly, Lily’s dismissive remarks flashed through Kaiden’s mind.  

‘Hazel seems to have a boyfriend.’

‘Hmm, then maybe they’re just getting to know each other?’  

It seemed that the man in question was indeed Humohr, and Kaiden found him displeasing on multiple levels.  

“Keep your distance from Humohr from now on.”  

“What? Why? Young Marquis Humohr has a reputation among the ladies for being a gentleman.”  

“…”  

That was precisely the problem.  

Kaiden swallowed the words he wanted to say. On the surface, Humohr’s family was a prestigious one that had contributed greatly to the imperial family for generations, so there was nothing to criticize.  

Though he sweet-talked women shamelessly, he wasn’t the type to date multiple people at once in a messy manner. However, Kaiden knew that Humohr’s charming looks and kind words had caused many young ladies to spend considerable money and suffer heartbreak.  

“Humohr is no good. I’ve known him longer, since our days at the knight academy, so trust me on this.”  

“Well, alright.”  

Hazel, hearing the same thing Evan often said, knew exactly how to handle the situation.  

She just needed to agree and quickly get out of this conversation.  

‘Arguing back would only tire me out.’  

Besides, she had lost interest in Humohr, who scored only 69 points, and had no intention of meeting him again. She was far more curious about Kaiden, who scored 98.9 points.  

“And from now on, have lunch with me only.”  

“Yes.”  

“If anyone else asks you to eat together, let me know immediately.”  

“Yes.”  

“Don’t go around complimenting men carelessly either.”  

“Yes.”  

“And let’s talk about last night.”  

“Yes.”  

Wait a minute—what did he just say?  

“Excuse me? Last night?”  

What was this? Did he remember? 

The matter she had dismissed as insignificant suddenly resurfaced, causing her mind and emotions to spiral out of control. Her breathing became erratic, and she even started hiccuping.  

“Hazel, are you alright?” 

Kaiden gently patted her back, and Hazel hunched her shoulders as her breathing gradually calmed. A wave of guilt washed over her.  

Without his permission, she had touched, tasted, and enjoyed the Duke while he was asleep. Even if she confessed and prayed for forgiveness for 100 days, adding fasting prayers, it wouldn’t be enough.  

“Duke, I’m really sorry.”  

Hazel drooped her eyebrows and scrunched up her face. The more she thought about it, the more she realized how wrong her actions had been. This morning, she had even felt relieved when she saw that the Duke didn’t remember.  

“Was it really you, Hazel?”  

“Yes…”  

Kaiden ran his large hand over his face.  

“Let’s head back to the mansion. We’ll talk properly there.”  

“W-wait, Duke! Can you give me just ten minutes here?”  

“Haa, Hazel. Is there something more important than this right now?”  

It was almost a reproachful sigh, but Hazel truly needed every second she could get. Large-scale banquets like this wouldn’t be held again until after the subjugation forces returned, and she couldn’t just sit idly by until then.  

To escape her father’s nagging about grandchildren, she needed to at least show herself dating a decent man. Besides, she didn’t know if the magic mirror’s effect would last a week or a month.  

“This is really important to me.”  

“Hazel, what is it that’s so important?”  

“This might be my last chance to find the one and only husband of my life!”  

“Ha!”  

‘A husband? Is she seriously thinking about marriage?’  

Hearing the word come out of her mouth sent an unpleasant sensation rippling through Kaiden’s body, scratching at his nerves.  

It was different from when he saw the word “marriage” in Evan’s letter. He had assumed she wasn’t interested in marriage, given how she had rejected all the proposals she received. During the month they had spent together, he hadn’t noticed any signs of her considering marriage. He had thought it was just a polite phrase nobles used, but hearing it directly from her made him feel an inexplicable sense of urgency.  

Following his instincts, Kaiden scooped Hazel into his arms.  

“Duke, please, just a little longer!”  

Despite her pleading, Kaiden didn’t stop walking toward the carriage.  

“That one’s 7 points, and that one’s 16 points…”  

Even as she was being carried, Hazel turned her head to scrutinize the men around her. Watching her do so made Kaiden’s chest ache as though it had been pinched.  

Later, in the mansion, Kaiden questioned her in his room, but Hazel just stood there, fidgeting with her fingers.  

“Have you recently bought anything enchanted or imbued with magic?”  

At Kaiden’s question, Hazel clutched her small bag tightly, the one containing her hand mirror.  

‘He’s definitely sharper than Evan. Or maybe he just has better instincts?’  

Kaiden let out a low hum, and Hazel, hesitating, eventually spoke up.  

“Do you remember everything from last night?”  

“From the moment you played with my chest… to when you sucked and put it in your mouth—I remember everything.”  

“But you were asleep…”  

“How could something like that happen, Hazel? I can’t believe it. Was it really you? Or were you under some kind of spell?”  

Hazel bit her lip and remained silent. She had to stop this from reaching her brother at all costs.  

If Evan found out that she had done something so inappropriate to her closest friend, he might send her to a convent or even ban her from attending the social gatherings she secretly enjoyed.  

Losing her small freedoms after crossing two items off her bucket list would be far too cruel.  

To maintain this little bit of freedom, she had worked so hard to act like a noblewoman in front of Evan, pretending she knew nothing about men and had no interest in them. She couldn’t let it all go to waste.  

“I swear it wasn’t anything like that. So please, don’t tell my brother. Or the Princess, for that matter.”  

“Why is Lily suddenly being brought up?”  

Kaiden, mulling over her words, sat down on the chair beside the bed.  

“If the Princess finds out, you’ll be in trouble too, Duke.”  

“Trouble, indeed.”  

In many ways, it was troubling.  

First, he needed to determine whether Hazel had unknowingly been placed under a spell. Second, the events of that night had begun to affect his daily life.  

Ever since that night, just seeing Hazel made his lower body heat up. He had assumed it was a spell that affected both parties, but…  

Kaiden sighed deeply in concern, and Hazel, who had been hesitating, cautiously spoke.  

“I didn’t think of it at the time, but if a problem arises, I’ll go and tell them you’re not at fault.”  

“Good grief.”  

Did she really think I had some sort of relationship with the Princess?  

Kaiden and Lily were merely in a cooperative relationship for mutual benefit, and Hazel didn’t need to concern herself with it.  

“Hazel, the Princess and I are nothing to each other.”  

“What?”  

“The engagement was just to avoid troublesome matters. We’re nothing more than old friends. So let’s stop talking about the Princess.”  

“Oh… yes.”  

Hazel looked up at Kaiden’s face. Though he called Lily by her name, suggesting familiarity, his expression looked oddly dark, as if he were harboring unrequited feelings.  

She had seen him writing letters to the Princess and heard about his visits to her.  

‘So it’s a contract relationship, but the Duke likes the Princess.’  

Her heavy guilt suddenly vanished. So Kaiden, with his 98.9 points, didn’t have anyone by his side?  

“Then, you don’t have anyone you’re seeing?”  

“No. The Princess and I are just old friends.”  

“Really?”  

Hazel’s eyes sparkled brighter than ever. If he didn’t have anyone, then perhaps she could fulfill her wish just once.