Duke, Please Let Go of My Ankle! - Chapter 25

The image of the hideous red liquid dripping down kept flashing before her eyes.

This wasn’t something that could be done with ordinary resentment.

Moreover, the perpetrator’s meticulousness was chilling.

If a blood-stained blade had arrived instead, she wouldn’t have been surprised. Look at the preparedness of using unsuspecting flowers to avoid even the servants’ suspicion.

All of this was clearly a carefully planned threat.

‘But there’s no one who would do this?’

However, no matter how much she thought about it, the Kevelson Count’s family hadn’t made any enemies. They hadn’t even been at odds with any particular family.

Yet, for whatever unfathomable reason, the ominous threats continued for several days.

“Kyaah!”

Every morning, an identical basket was delivered in front of the entrance.

If there was one difference, it was that the size of the flower basket grew unmanageably larger with each passing day.

The anxiety grew as large as the flower baskets.

‘He was staring intently at the mansion, but half of his body was hidden by the wall-‘

‘I-it looked like he was counting the floors.’

‘He, he was a man with a very strange aura, not like a normal person.’

After a few days, eyewitness accounts began to emerge.

Count Kevelson’s worries deepened day by day.

“I think it’s best to move your bedroom. Until the situation is resolved, you absolutely must not wander around alone okay?”

“It’s okay, I have magical tools.”

Though she answered bravely, Audrey was just as scared.

‘This can’t go on like this.’

That night.

A small silhouette kept peering around the mansion.

It was Audrey, dragging a sack larger than herself.

“Is it too much? No. It needs to be this much.”

Following her struggling steps, specially made magical tools were planted one by one.

They were traps that would automatically attack intruders, excluding servants and acquaintances.

Audrey dug up the ground around the mansion all night, holding a completely useless trowel.

Her hands and clothes were covered in dirt, but she didn’t mind.

After patting down the last bit of earth where a magical tool was buried, she stood up and looked around the mansion with a satisfied face.

“Everyone can sleep soundly now!”

Audrey desperately hoped that no one would be harmed.

***

Wednesday morning.

As expected, sugar flowers were placed in front of the Kevelson Count’s mansion.

However, unlike usual, there was also a large box alongside. It was impossible to know when it had been left.

“This one is addressed to the young miss?”

“Shouldn’t we just throw it away? It seems ominous……”

“That’s right. Who knows what’s inside! I’ll tell James to throw it away quickly.”

“Hmm. Wait a moment.”

Audrey examined the box with sleepy eyes.

Something was odd.

The flowers had no recipient name, but only the box was addressed?

The wooden box, as tall as a person, aroused curiosity.

“It might not be from the same person.”

“What? But placing it right next to the flowers seems a bit suspicious.”

“Could everyone step back for a moment?”

“What are you going to do……”

Audrey took out something like a magnifying glass and examined the box closely.

It was a magical tool that detected danger.

She held it up to every corner, but no particular anomaly was found.

“It doesn’t seem dangerous. Rose, could you open this for me?”

The maid opened the box with an uneasy face.

However, the moment she tried to remove the covering cloth, something sprang up as if it had been waiting.

“Ta-da! Surprise!”

“Oh my goodness!”

“……Brother?”

Audrey’s eyes widened.

Light pink mixed with golden hair, familiar blue eyes, an uncontrollably large body.

“Audrey, my sister!”

“……”

It was Arnold, who should have been at the magic tower.

He grinned like a mischievous child with his arms outstretched.

“Your cheeks have gotten thinner since I last saw you. Did something happen?”

“……Mmph.”

“Why am I here without notice, you ask? Ah. I got a special leave. For two whole weeks!”

Arnold was busy squishing and distorting his surprised sister’s cheeks.

“Huff.”

“I was in the box to surprise you! I only waited for five hours.”

“……”

“As expected, my sister is the best!”

Audrey was dumbfounded.

‘He’s staying for two weeks?’

While she was happy to see her brother whom she only saw for a few days a year, she already felt tired.

Arnold was excessively prone to loneliness.

He couldn’t bear to be alone for even a second.

Moreover, he was so sensitive to cold that he would seek out human warmth even in midsummer.

‘How on earth does he manage at the magic tower?’

In simple terms, he had a personality that made it difficult to function as a normal person.

It was worrying to the point that she wondered if he might die an old bachelor.

“Phew! Oh right. By the way, are there any nice women at the magic tower?”

“Huh? Why so suddenly?”

“Brother, you’re already twenty-seven. You should start dating before it’s too late!”

It absolutely wasn’t because she wanted to pass her brother off to another woman.

However, Arnold made a face as if he had recalled something terrible.

“But everyone at the magic tower is weird.”

“……”

Audrey’s eyes narrowed.

Were the people at the magic tower really weird?

Wouldn’t they rather think Arnold was the weird one?

“And I want to live with my sister forever.”

“……!”

No, what a terrible thing to say!

But then again, it was entirely possible coming from Arnold.

There was a high possibility that he would secretly hide in Audrey’s wedding carriage when she got married, and then occupy the front yard of someone else’s newlywed home, saying he’d be fine sleeping in a doghouse.

“……”

As precious as her brother was, that was out of the question.

“Oh! By the way, guess what this brother brought? Hmm? I brought a gift for my Drey!”

Arnold forgot what he was saying just moments ago and pulled out a box with all sorts of fuss.

It was the kind of showmanship that a 10-year-old child would gleefully enjoy.

“Curious? Raise your hand if you’re curious!”

Audrey quietly sighed.

‘I’m not a child anymore……’

It seemed her brother couldn’t keep up with his sister’s growth rate.

Is it appropriate to act like a clown in front of a 20-year-old sister?

His hand movements, shaking the gift box back and forth, were dazzling.

That appearance was no different from when Arnold used to play with a young Audrey right before he entered the magic tower.

***

Derek was loitering around the Kevelson Count’s mansion again today.

Afraid that Dodori might dislike it, he couldn’t appear directly in front, and his eyes were pitiful as he waited endlessly hidden behind the wall.

But then. A large cart carrying a huge box stopped in front of the Count’s house.

‘What’s that?’

An instinctive warning bell rang in Derek’s head.

The box, so large that it required several porters to move, looked about 5 times the size of the flower basket he had prepared.

“……”

The flower basket that grew larger day by day suddenly felt shabby.

‘This won’t do. I’ll have to prepare something bigger from tomorrow.’

Derek felt an unnecessary sense of competition. He couldn’t lose to others in terms of sincerity and feelings towards Dodori.

Then suddenly, he became curious about what was in that box.

If it was something ordered by the Kevelson Count’s family, it should naturally be delivered inside the mansion.

Leaving it in front of the door means it’s a gift?

‘Strange. Such a large gift for a house with only Count Kevelson and Dodori?’

Suddenly, he had an ominous feeling.

There’s no romantic who would send a person-sized gift to the Count who’s almost fifty.

Then, what remains is…….

‘My Dodori!’

At that moment, sparks flew in his eyes.

How dare! How dare some bastard flirt with his Dodori?

The lowliness of taking advantage of the ‘brief moment’ when the two were apart was appalling.

“……Do you want to die?”

A murderous aura slowly rose behind Derek’s back.

He wanted to chop the box into pieces before Dodori could discover it.

To think that flies would gather in just a few days!

The life of protecting cute and adorable Dodori was truly rewarding but tiring.

‘What if Dodori falls for it?’

Ominous imaginations kept running through his head.

The sinful man was burning up and going crazy.

However, for now, he endured with clenched fists. Thinking that this too was a punishment given to him by God.

A few hours later, the sun rose and the day broke.

Today too, lovely Dodori came out opening the door. As usual, she looked surprised.

‘I’m glad she seems to like it.’

Derek smiled contentedly and then became serious.

Because Dodori’s attention shifted to the box beside it.

‘It’s bound to be a cheap item competing only in size.’

But the cruel Dodori, not knowing his feelings, lingered around the cheap box for a long time.

Then she finally had a servant open the box.

Without even glancing at his flowers.

“Ta-da! Surprise!”

“……!”

─Crack.

Derek unconsciously gripped his sword hilt.

‘……I should have cut it up earlier. I should have mercilessly chopped it into pieces!’

Suddenly, a strange man popped out of the box.

The way he hugged his Dodori tightly and pressed his body against her was as cunning as a smiling fox cub.

‘Have you ever seen such a sly bastard!’

Derek regretted.

Why couldn’t he think of such a creative idea? He should have at least tried to squeeze himself into a flower basket!

But Dodori, not knowing Derek’s feelings, let the fox cub-like man into the mansion.

‘How dare he……!’

Derek glared at someone else’s front door for a long time with bloodshot eyes.

He was ready to rush in at the slightest sign of suspicion.

“Your Grace. It’s time to return.”

“……”

The aide, exhausted from the heat, tactlessly urged Duke Frith.

Thinking of the mountain of documents piled up on the office desk, there was no time to be doing this.

But today, his lord was particularly immovable.

“Your Grace?”

“Cancel all of today’s schedule.”

“Pardon?”

“……”

“Ack, Your Grace! Please come with me!”

Ignoring his aide’s words, Derek took up position right in front of the Kevelson Count’s mansion.

He looked like he was on a 5-minute standby.

Derek, who had been standing there gripping his sword hilt for a long time, even went as far as to follow the two when they went out.