Duke, Please Let Go of My Ankle! - Chapter 18

“……”

For a moment, she was at a loss for words.

What were the chances that the stationery she used and the one used by the threatener would be exactly the same?

Somehow, a chill ran down her spine.

“From what I hear, there’s supposed to be a large-scale bacterial warfare coming?”

“Bacteria……”

…Worse than bacteria…

“Huh!”

“What? What’s wrong?”

“…!”

Again.

An inexplicable sense of déjà vu came over her.

Lately, whenever she encountered certain words, strange scenes kept popping into her mind.

As if fragments of lost memories were returning.

However, Audrey swears she has no recollection of such experiences.

Except for the days when she passed out drunk.

‘N-No way.’

Her increasingly rapid heartbeat pounded like a drum in her ears.

At the same time, Audrey’s imagination was racing towards the worst-case scenario.

“That time. At the ducal estate banquet……”

“What about it?”

“I got lost then, remember?”

“You did.”

“W-Where was I? The wall decorations were incredibly ornate.”

Hans turned to look at her with a face that seemed to ask why she was asking such a thing.

“Fourth floor. And it wasn’t wall decorations, it was precisely doors.”

“…!”

The fourth floor? The number itself is ominous. Is it foreshadowing death? And it was doors, not walls?

“You should be grateful you made it back alive that day. You crazy girl… Sitting there crying so carefreely in that place?”

“W-Where exactly was it?”

“You’re asking because you don’t know?”

Hans’s face turned quite serious as if giving a stern warning to a child.

“It’s Duke Frith’s private floor.”

“…!”

“You probably won’t have any reason to go there anyway, but don’t go there even by mistake. That floor has his bedroom, office, and library, all gathered there.”

Even the torture chamber.

Hans kindly added a warning not to meddle unnecessarily and end up in a terrible state.

However, Audrey’s fingertips were already cold.

‘Someone please tell me it’s not true!’

No wonder… the corridor wall decorations seemed excessively ornate.

To think that it wasn’t a wall, but doors leading to Duke Frith’s private space!

Then, did Audrey dare to sit in the corridor where Duke Frith might wander and wail so loudly?

‘…!’

Belatedly, she felt a chill. If he had twisted her neck right then for being noisy, she would have had no excuse!

Hans, oblivious to all this, lightly laughed as if teasing her terrified face.

“Why are you so scared? Just don’t go there. Let’s go home.”

“……”

But Audrey had no room to smile back.

‘I, I think the letter fluttered in the air at that time……’

She had an ominous feeling that that letter might be this letter.

It’s too coincidental for it to be mere chance, isn’t it?

If Audrey’s letter had wandered the 4th-floor corridor and slipped through a door crack, all the pieces would fit together.

The reason why the letter couldn’t be found no matter how much she searched, the reason why the ducal estate couldn’t find the sender of the threat letter.

‘No, it can’t be……’

Audrey desperately hoped that all of this was just her own wild speculation.

***

“Kyaaak!”

“Hey, what’s wrong with you?”

“Are you okay?”

“……”

Audrey trembled with a pale face.

She had been suffering from unbearable nervous exhaustion for days now.

The pallid complexion, fearful eyes constantly scanning the surroundings, overreacting to the slightest call, even her hands trembling finely.

She looked weak by anyone’s standards.

“This won’t do. Go somewhere and get some rest. If anyone asks, I’ll say you’re organizing the archives. Okay?”

“……”

Claude also advised her to rest with a worried face.

But frequent breaks and sufficient sleep weren’t the ultimate solution.

‘Did I just hear footsteps? I-Is that person coming? They’re going to kill me!’

When alone, her anxiety peaked,

‘S-Slurp!’

Even when she forced herself to sleep, she had nightmares.

In last night’s dream, Audrey was born as a brave tuna. She swam freely in the vast ocean and experienced passionate love.

But on a stormy day with thunder and lightning.

She was caught by Duke Frith, who had become a fisherman, and her life was immediately forfeit.

‘Please spare me!’

The sharp sensation of steel cutting into her thick belly, the ruthless hand movements scraping out her insides……

His eyes were as cold as the well-sharpened blade.

He finished the preparation in an instant, with the thunder as background music. Indeed, it was the skill befitting the youngest Sword Master.

‘Kyaaak!’

The neatly prepared Audrey was carelessly thrown.

She seemed to shed a final tear as she piled up in a wooden box……

‘Aack! Huff, huff……’

After waking up like that, she couldn’t fall asleep again, trembling in fear.

‘Was it a premonitory dream?’

The cold sensation of flesh being cut felt like she had experienced an indirect murder.

After that, her pillowcase remained damp every night.

One day she became a tuna caught by a fisherman, another day a sloth caught by a lion.

The situations varied, but the ending was the same without a single exception.

In any case, Audrey was destined to die at the hands of Duke Frith.

***

Derek, who was supposed to rotate through departments, had settled in the finance department.

The reason was that there were no particular problems in other departments, so he would keep a close eye on the finance department, which was a core department.

However, it was clear that his real intention was to drain the life out of Audrey.

“This is the first time I’ve seen such an inefficient method.”

“At that speed, will you even be able to go home today?”

“One person creating work for two. Quite a novel way of job creation.”

One might think she was entrusted with some incredibly important task, but that wasn’t the case.

Thanks to her considerate colleagues, she was only in charge of menial tasks that anyone with eyes and hands could do.

“……Is there a separate way to draw lines efficiently?”

The other party seemed displeased even with Audrey’s mere breathing.

But she couldn’t utter a single complaint.

She was too scared to do so, and she didn’t want to cause any trouble until her temporary contract was completely over.

What if she accidentally drew attention to herself and they discovered that she was the one who sent the letter?

‘No! Pull yourself together. Focus……’

However, even the heavens seemed to pity Audrey and gave her a tiny breathing space.

“Your Grace, His Majesty’s imperial edict for your immediate entry to the palace has arrived. It’s urgent.”

“……”

The aide who came running suddenly disappeared with Duke Frith.

Thanks to this, a thread-like peace descended upon Audrey and the finance department.

“Audrey, are you okay?”

“Hey, why are you so scared over something like this? Straighten your shoulders.”

Claude and Hans stuck to her like magnets as soon as the door closed. Their unnecessary fuss and show of support made Audrey feel even more pitiful.

She resented the tears that leaked out against her will.

“Sniff, I thought I was going to die of fear.”

“Hey, hey, you…!”

“Don’t cry. Okay?”

“Miss Audrey, are you alright?”

“Y-Yes… Sniff.”

“Cheer up. Who’s good at everything from the start?”

“That’s right. Everyone has their own strengths. There’s no need to feel so discouraged.”

“His Grace was a bit harsh.”

Others also flocked around like doctor fish.

Wasn’t Audrey the youngest of the young, having just turned 20? Even if she was still clumsy at work, being spirited and bold was enough.

Work skills would naturally improve with time anyway.

Seeing Audrey, whose cheeks were still as soft as a baby’s, crying so pitifully, made a corner of their hearts ache.

“Sweets are the best for lifting your mood. Try some of this.”

“Have you tried these cookies?”

“My daughter says this is the most popular among young people.”

“Sniff, th-thank you……”

Before she knew it, Audrey’s desk was piled with all sorts of snacks. All voluntarily contributed from personal stashes.

They gathered around Audrey in a circle, putting their work aside.

“This tool is the best for drawing lines.”

“Ahem. With this magic pillow, you can take a quick nap without being noticed.”

“Want me to teach you how to make tables quickly?”

Her stomach felt full just from their words of comfort, tossed out one by one.

“Thank you all…… I’ll work harder.”

“We’ll work hard, so don’t feel too burdened.”

“I was worse three years ago. I was so afraid they might behead me for incompetence!”

A relationship she might never have known otherwise.

‘So this is what it means to endure because of people.’

If it weren’t for Duke Frith, Audrey felt she could dedicate her life to the finance department.

As long as she was with these good people, she would gladly do so.

***

Astonished gazes followed the footsteps crossing the imperial palace corridor.

“Oh my. The rumors must be true!”

“Goodness……”

“Elena, come here quickly! Don’t go that way!”

People parted like the Red Sea wherever Duke Frith’s steps led.

They didn’t forget to tightly close their collars, lest the wind from their clothes disturb Duke Frith’s mood.

The gazes pouring onto his lavender uniform were complex and subtle.

From perfect pretty boys to middle-aged men overflowing with virtue. They must have seen about 100 similar outfits coming and going in the palace.

But…… what on earth was happening with that outfit?

If you separated the clothes and the person, both were perfect, but when combined, it was unclear what the problem was.

“D-D-Duke Frith, Your Grace, has arrived!”

“Let him in.”

However, the solitary and noble duke seemed unaware of others’ gazes.

He simply went to have an audience with the Emperor with his usual neat gait.

“I greet the Sun of Kriant.”

“Ah, let’s dispense with such formal greetings. It’s not like I’ve only known the duke for a year or two.”

“If you insist.”

Even kneeling with a lowered posture and bowing his head, even in his ridiculous attire, the duke didn’t look subservient at all.