Duke, Please Let Go of My Ankle! - Chapter 22

Could it be that his Dodori had also seen this book? Because she too had difficulty writing love letters?

“Ah…”

Derek covered his mouth.

His Dodori was so lovable and cute that he couldn’t bear it.

How truly admirable her heart was.

Surely, she must have felt the same way as him. The desire to give something better to the other person.

‘We’ve already become one.’

His eyes slowly closed. He felt like he could die from happiness.

Except for the moment when they held swords to each other’s throats on the battlefield, this was an emotion he had never experienced before.

To think that such a fluffy feeling would come to him!

Surely, they would make good companions for each other.

Maybe two children, or none at all would be fine too.

There are still people who die giving birth, aren’t there?

If they wish earnestly, a stork will bring them a child, so Dodori doesn’t need to give birth herself.

“I feel like I’ve gotten one step closer now.”

Derek, who had been imagining happily, suddenly opened his eyes wide.

He finally had an idea of how to find her.

***

In a hurry, Derek rushed into the bookstore that had just opened.

“I’d like you to spare some time.”

“M-me?”

“Yes.”

Charlotte’s curved lips trembled.

Judging by her eyes wandering aimlessly, she clearly looked guilty about something.

“Gasp!”

Suddenly, something was thrust in front of her face. A familiar book and a pure gold frame.

‘…As expected.’

This wasn’t the first time such a thing had happened.

Charlotte instinctively prepared for the refund protocol.

“This. What do you think?”

“Customer, I’m sorry but our bookstore doesn’t allow refunds. Paper is very sensitive to the environment-“

“To my eyes, the content looks the same.”

“Pardon?”

Fierce eyes gestured between the book and the letter paper.

Charlotte, who had been blinking for a while, followed his gaze downward.

‘I thought he came to complain about inventory disposal.’

If that wasn’t the case, then it was a relief.

Charlotte quickly regained her friendly expression.

“Yes, that’s right, customer. Wow! You’ve written it very well, appropriately referencing the book! That’s really amazing!”

“…Is that so.”

“Your handwriting, um, your handwriting is very charming. It’s quite unique and distinctive, isn’t it?”

Praising a grown man like this. Even if it was part of customer service, it was truly absurd.

‘Did he come all the way here just to have his letter content checked? On a Saturday morning?’

It reminded her of the behavior of some of her friends.

However, the man showed no particular reaction to the praise, let alone doing a handstand or dancing.

Could it be that this wasn’t enough?

“This book, where else can I get it besides here?”

“Oh my? Only at our bookstore. We have a lifetime exclusive contract with the publisher, so it’s only sold at ‘Charlotte’s Library’. It’s that rare of a book! You could say it’s a once-in-a-lifetime masterpiece that can’t be found even if you try!”

“…I see.”

One corner of his mouth curved into an arc.

To think that the trail would end so easily. The clues about Dodori were scattered everywhere, to the point where it was more strange that he hadn’t noticed earlier.

Charlotte, oblivious to all this, shrugged her shoulders with a proud expression.

“So, who exactly has this book been sold to?”

“Um. Customer, I’m sorry but that’s personal information and I can’t disclose-“

“Do you want to become ‘Charlotte’s Grave’?”

“…!”

The state-of-the-art security system that ‘Charlotte’s Library’ boasted of didn’t even last a minute.

Terrified, Charlotte spilled everything from customer personal information to useless details about the book.

The books he had swept up were not bestsellers but troublesome ones that didn’t even sell, and despite being published for over 5 years, only 2 copies had been sold.

The rest were all rotting in the warehouse, which she even showed him directly.

“Then who bought this book besides me?”

“It, it was my friend…”

“Name.”

“A-Audrey, Audrey Kevelson!”

“…”

─ He paused.

For a moment, Derek was at a loss for words. It was a familiar name.

The Kevelson Count family, vassals of the Frith Duchy. And the daughter of that house.

“…”

It was the woman he had cut off with his own hands just yesterday. Along with unspeakable insults that couldn’t be taken back.

***

“Your Grace! I’ve found the owner of the seal! From the moment I saw it, the quality was just, exactly like a custom-made seal!”

“…”

“So I searched every workshop there is!”

“…I’ve already found it.”

“Pardon?”

Lucas stopped with a deflated expression. Somehow, all his excitement seemed to have dissipated.

‘As expected of Your Grace.’

Of course. Duke Frith was always a step ahead of others.

The sealed paper he had brought for confirmation suddenly felt embarrassing.

“I, I see. But why do you look so grim? Who on earth could it be?”

“Sigh…”

“Your Grace?”

“This is bad. I’ve made a huge mistake.”

“Pardon?”

“Not realizing she was right beside me… I drove her away with my own hands. It wasn’t intentional.”

“Beside? Drove away?”

The assistant, who had been tilting his head in confusion, suddenly shook as if struck by lightning.

“Could it be Miss Ke-Ke-Kevelson?”

“Sigh…”

“Good heavens! That fragile-looking person was the blackmailer? How could this be!”

Derek shot a glare full of killing intent at his assistant as if he had never sighed.

“Not fragile. She’s delicate. And I’ll say it again, she’s not a blackmailer.”

“Eh?”

“Dodori, Audrey… Yes, that’s how it was.”

Isn’t her imagination just adorable?

Derek changed his attitude in an instant.

One moment he called her a parasite, a sloth, and the laziest of all lazy people. Now he was belatedly trying to fabricate her as pure and cute.

‘It seems too late to go back now.’

Lucas looked at his lord with pitying eyes.

It was as if he could see a ship that had already sailed far away before his eyes.

Meanwhile, Derek wanted to beat his past self mercilessly.

Dodori had given such a lovely hint, and he hadn’t even noticed!

How disappointed and frustrated must she have been, watching him fail to find her even when she was right in front of him?

“Wow, she must have been really hurt.”

“…”

“If that was really a love letter, she got scolded and cut off by the person she liked. Phew, how miserable she must have felt!”

“…Shut up.”

“Eep!”

Derek began to pace anxiously around the desk.

‘What should I do?’

What should he do?

Not knowing anything, he had even said such harsh words, so how resentful must she feel towards him?

She might have lost all affection for such a cold-hearted person like him.

Perhaps she never wants to see his face again for the rest of her life.

‘…!’

For a moment, it felt as if the world was crumbling down.

Why is fate so cruel?

Is this how painful love is for everyone else too?

‘If I had known love would be like this, I wouldn’t have started it in the first place…’

Now he began to understand her actions one by one.

The reason why she, unskilled in work, volunteered for a temporary position at the Duke’s mansion. The way she avoided making eye contact with him.

Her round head always bowed towards the ground when she encountered him. And her body that seemed strangely stiff.

She had been constantly sending him signals.

Telling him that she liked him.

‘But I said such things… Yes, that’s why it must have been difficult for her to approach even when she saw the flower.’

Derek recalled each word he had said to her.

“What a mess. Do you have no thoughts at all?”

“It seems going home would be faster than doing this again.”

“I recruited temporary staff, not sluggards. If this is how it’s going to be, it’s worse than not having anyone at all.”

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

“You’re creating work for two people instead of one. What a novel way of job creation.”

“You’re nothing but a sluggard.”

‘The Duke’s mansion doesn’t suit you, my lady. Maybe the Academy’s Department of Laziness would be more appropriate.’

“…”

There wasn’t a single warm word or compliment anywhere.

‘It’s as if I had a rag in my mouth!’

Why was he so stingy only towards her? How could he have chosen only such harsh words in front of such a cute being?

Suddenly, he remembered Audrey’s appearance as she left the finance department for the last time.

“Thank you… for everything until now.”

“Everyone, take care.”

Her eyes somehow looked lonely.

And those eyes that seemed ready to burst into tears at any moment.

Ah, what on earth had he done to that adorable little kitten?

Derek clutched his head with a pained expression.

“This won’t do. I can’t let her go like this.”

“Pardon? What are you planning to do now…?”

“I will definitely get Dodori back. I’ll beg for forgiveness and ask her to stay by my side.”

He immediately pulled out all the books.

His fingertips trembled slightly as he hurriedly turned the pages.

‘Please…’

Derek scanned through the pages quickly with desperate eyes.

Hoping that the answer would be in there.

***

Sleep eluded him deep into the night. He didn’t deserve even a brief respite.

Derek paced aimlessly around his bedroom before finally heading to the finance department.

He sat in Audrey’s seat, trying to feel any traces left behind, and unfolded the paper he had scolded her for drawing just one line wrong.

“…Why didn’t I realize it then?”

The cute, round handwriting danced on the paper.

Although the shape was slightly different, anyone could see it was the handwriting from the love letter.

The only similarity was that it was ‘cute’.

The fact that he didn’t notice this cuteness was because he was foolish.

Yes, it was all his fault. Dodori had done nothing wrong.

“Sigh.”

After pacing around the finance department for a while, Derek headed to his office next.

He sat stiffly in front of his desk, reading and rereading the books he had already read.

“How to catch a woman who has left…”

Even just the printed words made a corner of his heart ache. Of course, his face remained as cold as if he was about to kill someone.

“Go to her house without warning. Wait all night, and sincerely beg for forgiveness…”

Derek stood up immediately with a face of enlightenment.

Outside was already engulfed in darkness.

But with the weather being cool, there was nothing he couldn’t do.

No, even if it rained, even if a blizzard hit, he had to go out.

If she would come back like this…

There was nothing Derek wouldn’t do.

“Yes. You just stay still. It’s my turn to approach now.”

He decided not to put his pride first.

For the sake of Dodori, who had come to him risking everything.

Even if her heart had already died, it didn’t matter.

He would do his best to make Dodori open her heart once again.

That was the proper courtesy for the excessive love she had given him.

Now it was Derek’s turn to muster up courage.

T/n: Gosh I love his POV’s so much. (*´∀｀*)