Duke, Please Let Go of My Ankle! - Chapter 28

“Take me with you……”

Derek covered his face with his large hands and breathed heavily.

He had been hit hard by an unexpected provocation.

‘Hah….. Shouldn’t she do just one of the two?’

Barely reaching below his shoulders, Dodori’s charm was boundless.

Along with cuteness exceeding the lethal dose, there was hidden boldness as well.

Was she determined to slice up his heart?

Those pure light green eyes looking at him, soft pink hair fluttering like cherry blossom petals, a voice as fragile as a baby goat’s, and on top of that, her petite features.

There wasn’t a single ordinary thing about her.

‘Is this how I die pining away?’

Strange. Whenever he thought of Dodori, his heart started racing madly.

That sound was so noisy that he had already been losing sleep for two nights.

To him, Dodori was a stimulant stronger than thirty cups of coffee. Derek didn’t even realize he was tired until the skin under his eyes turned dark.

The power of love was this great.

After staying up all night like that, Monday dawn arrived.

Finally, the day his Dodori would return.

Even before the sun had risen, his heart was already fluttering and unsettled.

‘It’s only three o’clock yet.’

Derek, who had been checking the clock every minute, finally got up from bed.

It seemed he had already slept enough.

He pulled the bell rope and started his early grooming.

The daffodil-colored clothes he had tailored for today were far more elaborate and intricate than usual.

Now that he had to seriously seduce Dodori, he had prepared clothes incomparably more splendid than before.

However, perhaps due to the layers of frills, it was difficult to even put his arms and neck through.

“Y-Your Grace. If you force it too much, the fabric will tear……!”

“I see.”

Duke Frith, who had been trying to force it in, instantly became docile.

‘It’s good I prepared early.’

If he had woken up at 5 o’clock, wouldn’t he have just been in a rush?

He didn’t want to face Dodori in a shabby state from hurrying. He wanted to show her only his most handsome and perfect appearance.

By the time all preparations were complete, it was 3:30.

Derek paced around his bedroom in perfect attire before heading to his office.

On one side of the office, the plants he grew were lined up neatly.

But even after watering them as usual and wiping each leaf one by one, time didn’t pass.

‘It’s still only four o’clock. Why is that damn sun rising so late today?’

He glared fiercely out the window for no reason.

But it’s not like he could grab the sun by the collar and drag it out.

Derek clicked his tongue and wiped the already cleaned leaves again and again. He could almost hear the green leaves screaming.

‘Kyaaak! Just kill us instead!’

The leaves must have been wailing in burning pain as their epidermis was scraped off.

Anyway, thanks to his devotion, the plants were especially shiny today.

After pacing around the office for a long while, Derek finally came out to the corridor.

“Tsk.”

He frowned automatically upon seeing the neighboring room still under construction.

‘It’s already been three days, yet it’s still the same.’

It would probably take a few more days to decorate it perfectly.

Of course, it could be used right away if needed.

But Derek wanted to create the most perfect, bright, and pretty space.

After all, it was the space where ‘his’ Dodori would stay.

He planned to completely open up the wall with his office and install only minimal screens.

Like a couple’s bedroom.

‘Now we’ll be breathing the same air. Sharing breaths… becoming that kind of relationship.’

His ears were already getting hot.

Although he didn’t like the idea of being cramped in the bustling Finance Department until construction was finished, even that would be gladly endured if it was with Dodori.

‘Five o’clock. Dodori will be here soon.’

Only 3 hours and 30 minutes left. His heart started beating faster.

But just as 30 minutes had passed, his aide rushed in with an urgent expression.

“Your Grace! Have you seen this morning’s newspaper?”

“No time for that.”

“But the article!”

“Get out. I’m nervous enough as it is.”

“……”

“How annoying.”

Lucas fidgeted, clutching a bundle of newspapers.

‘Your Grace, this is no time for romance!’

However, Derek was too busy tapping his fingertips anxiously to pay any attention to the newspaper.

‘This time, I will surely win back Dodori’s heart.’

He was determined not to miss the last chance Dodori had given him.

Lucas, who had already formally protested to the newspaper, could only stamp his feet in frustration.

《Duke’s Castle Tailor’s Shocking Confession “Exiled Abroad by Duke Frith… A Time of Suffering”》

《Mystery: The Tailor’s Hot Tears》

《Missing Tailor, Tearful Press Conference “Thank You for Coming”》

《Endless Talk, Talk, Talk… Dead Body Found in Forest Near Duke’s Castle?》

‘He’ll surely get angry when he finds out later…..’

Recently, malicious articles targeting Duke Frith have been particularly frequent.

While Derek might be used to it and not care, the aide couldn’t be so nonchalant.

‘I guess I’ll have to resolve this on my own.’

It was no joke for the reputation of the lofty ducal family.

Let his lord focus on his love endeavors. Restoring his honor would be his job.

Despite appearances, Lucas was a self-proclaimed king of media play. Though no one knew it, of course.

***

“Jena. If, just if I don’t return today……”

“Pardon? Are you planning to stay out overnight?”

“Without saying anything, open this box. Understood?”

“Umm? Yes.”

Audrey gazed at the secret box with sad eyes.

Inside were the will and list of assets she had written last night. It was a final consideration for those left behind.

The dress she had chosen with a resolute face was also pitch black.

‘Please cover the bloodstains well……’

She didn’t want her final appearance to be covered in blood. Wouldn’t that be too horrific?

Moreover, it would surely be a great shock to those left behind.

“Tell Father I went ahead.”

“Yes, my lady.”

“Thank you…… for everything.”

“Pardon?”

“……”

Audrey tightly hugged her maid one last time before turning away.

Although the day hadn’t yet dawned, she planned to depart early today.

If she encountered her father and brother, she might feel lingering attachments, and she wanted to face a quiet death in the predawn hours while everyone was still asleep.

‘Father, Brother…… I’m sorry.’

Audrey left early, as if fleeing.

Jena was the sole witness to that detached retreating figure.

─Clop clop clop. Screech.

“Eek!”

Audrey nearly fell flat as she was getting off the carriage.

It was because Duke Frith had personally come out to greet her outside the castle gates.

“Finally, you’ve come.”

“……!”

One corner of his mouth twitched finely as if having a spasm.

He seemed to be struggling greatly to suppress the urge to kill her right away.

Duke Frith stared down at Audrey for a long while without a word, then suddenly turned around and started walking away alone.

‘……Is he telling me to follow?’

Terrified, Audrey followed behind him like a baby duck.

She had to almost run to keep up with his wide strides that were quickly moving away.

Audrey was so focused on matching his pace that she didn’t notice what was happening above his neck.

Duke Frith’s ears were burning bright red like lava.

‘Huh? This is……’

Their footsteps stopped at a familiar place.

She had certainly thought they were going to the fourth floor.

But the place he had led her to was the Finance Department on the sixth floor.

‘Why did we come to the Finance Department?’

She couldn’t understand what was going on at all.

However, Duke Frith didn’t offer any explanation. He just sat in place, glaring at Audrey with murderous eyes.

It seemed he was trying to burn her to death with his gaze alone.

‘Urgh.’

Being on the receiving end of such a one-sided stare in a space with just the two of them made her legs weak.

Audrey trembled, trying hard to keep her gaze fixed on the floor.

‘……So much for a calm death.’

Now that death was staring her in the face, she felt a surging desire to cling to even his trouser legs.

However, contrary to expectations, Duke Frith didn’t take any particular action even until the sun rose and day broke.

After what felt like an eternity had passed.

A familiar face entered, breaking the suffocating silence.

“Huh? Audrey? Your Grace?”

“Claude Oppa!”

“What brings you here……”

Emotions welled up suddenly.

Audrey looked up at him with an exhausted face.

“……!”

Witnessing this scene, Derek unknowingly tensed his entire body.

He was quite displeased to see Dodori, who never spared him a glance, giving such a blind look to another man.

His murderous gaze shifted to Claude.

‘How dare he monopolize Dodori’s attention!’

Somehow, it felt like something of his had been taken away. Even though Dodori had never been his to begin with.

Indeed, his Dodori was truly a master of push and pull.

‘Hah. She never lets herself be caught easily.’

Her charm, which never allowed a moment of relaxation, was maddening.

And what about her overflowing cuteness and vivacity?

She attracted men like a black hole.

‘Dangerous. Very dangerous.’

Derek suddenly felt a sense of crisis.

Weren’t there quite a few young men in the Finance Department as well?

But could there really not be a single one among them who had fallen for Dodori?

‘……I should hurry up the construction.’

This was no time to be leisurely.

***

The people of the Finance Department wore gloomy faces from Monday morning.

It was because of Duke Frith, who had started his freeloading anew just when they thought it was over.

It was truly a hardship not being able to greet the welcome face of Audrey due to having to be mindful of the castle’s owner.

Meanwhile, Hans was secretly shocked at Duke Frith’s attire.

‘Wow…… So that’s what a courting male peacock really looks like.’

After wearing all black for the past few days as if in self-reflection, today he had reached the pinnacle of flamboyance again.

The harmony of light daffodil-colored fabric and frills is twice as excessive as usual.

Especially the multi-layered frills around the neck looked like the kind of collar that neutered animals might wear.

The dangling jewels were also particularly excessive.

If Duke Frith were hung from the ceiling like that, there would be no need for a separate disco ball.

However, the most unexpected was Audrey.

‘……I really don’t understand what’s going on.’

He couldn’t comprehend why that coward had set foot in the duke’s castle again.

With the contract period almost over anyway, if she had been fired, shouldn’t she have just endured it as is?

Her complexion, which had improved for a while, seemed to have worsened several times over, making him worry needlessly.