Duke, Please Let Go of My Ankle! - Chapter 32

That place was exceptionally spacious.

From Duke Frith’s collections to memorable events arranged in chronological order, it was reminiscent of a museum.

It was completely different from the tightly packed portraits of the previous dukes.

“I was born on July 9th, 1309 of the Imperial calendar, as a healthy baby weighing 4 kilograms.”

“……?”

“And this is my baby clothes. The first outfit I ever wore.”

“……!”

Audrey felt dizzy, wondering what she had just heard.

‘W, what. Why is he telling me these things?’

It was as if she had been suddenly thrown into a sea of information.

However, Duke Frith picked up the next item with a very serious face.

“This is the bowl I used when I was two years old. They say I was never a picky eater from birth.”

“…….”

“And from a young age, my growth was ‘extremely’ good. Thanks to that, I rarely got sick and never had any major illnesses. I have a naturally very healthy and strong body.”

Audrey didn’t know how to react.

What was she supposed to do with this information?

Somehow, his proud-looking face seemed to keep checking her reaction. Like a hunting dog waiting for praise.

This unexpected self-praise continued for quite some time after that.

At what age he mastered military tactics, how he felt when he first sensed his sword aura, and even the amount of his first emergency fund.

“Of course, I have no intention of making an emergency fund ever again. Wouldn’t it damage the trust between us?”

“…….”

“Really.”

“Ah, I see…….”

His voice, emphasizing this point several times, was tinged with deep appeal.

It was none of Audrey’s business whether Duke Frith made an emergency fund or a secret fund.

Only after hearing Audrey’s response did he look relieved.

Duke Frith’s history flowed quickly and soon entered his adolescence.

The small and cute items were nowhere to be seen, replaced by weapons so ominous it gave her goosebumps.

The dark stains on the armor evoked terrible imaginings.

‘Is it now?’

Derek’s hands trembled with tension.

He had already sufficiently conveyed basic personal information from family composition to birth dreams and birth details.

So now it was time to boldly appeal to his charms.

Derek abruptly drew out a long sword.

─Shing.

“Eek!”

“This is the sword my father gave me before my first battle. It’s made of Paichar iron.”

“……!”

The sharp metallic sound flew like a dagger. At the same time, her heart began to race madly.

Audrey froze like a statue, unable to move even a finger.

“It’s the most durable and heaviest iron in the world. Thanks to its weight, I could behead enemies stably.”

“……!”

“With this sword, I took down no less than 2,159 enemy soldiers in just my ‘first’ battle. They call it the ‘greatest victory in imperial history.'”

The gleam in his eyes as he stroked the smooth blade flickered with the madness of that day.

Audrey looked like she was about to faint.

Thanks to the unnecessarily detailed explanation, she felt as if she were standing in the middle of a battlefield.

She could almost smell the scent of blood.

“That day, this armor was completely drenched in the blood of enemies.”

“……!”

“And this large stain here is the blood of ‘Malidagor’, the historic general of Boeir. I’ve kept it to show my children someday.”

Derek, who had been reciting his exploits in detail, turned around triumphantly.

Surely Dodori must have been greatly attracted to his brave image.

However, contrary to his expectations, Dodori’s complexion was pale.

“I’m, I’m, I’m sorry, but, my sto, stomach.”

“…….”

“I, I have a weak, urgh! Sto, stomach…….”

“……!”

Derek belatedly realized his mistake.

He hadn’t known that Dodori had a weak stomach.

To think he had been reciting bloody war stories in front of such a Dodori!

But no matter how much he thought about it, he was a man with no special charms.

The only thing he could boast about was his strong image of beheading enemies.

He felt a terrible self-loathing, wondering how he had lived his life.

‘What a pathetic fool!’

Derek gazed at the remaining space.

There were at least 100 more stories he hadn’t even brought up yet.

All of them were about his war exploits.

However, Derek turned away, pretending not to see them.

Much later.

Audrey, having calmed her stomach, stood in front of the secret storage of the Duke’s mansion.

According to existing customs, it was a space accessible only to the Duke and Duchess.

‘Is, is it okay to just show such a place?’

However, Duke Frith didn’t mind and opened the door with a key.

‘For Dodori, I can even give the key to the storehouse.’

Since appealing his charms had failed, he wanted to show that at least his heart was sincere.

After all, wouldn’t everything become Dodori’s eventually?

The Duke family’s secret storage was full of family heirlooms, rare jewels, and ornaments.

Though called a storage, it was as splendid and grand as a drawing room.

Even Audrey, who was used to wealth, was surprised at the amount.

“This is the necklace the 4th Duke used when proposing to the Duchess. No larger emerald has been discovered since.”

“I see…….”

Duke Frith deliberately told Audrey the story behind each valuable item.

However, Audrey was barely listening.

‘Why is this happening? I was fine just a moment ago…….’

Her stomach, which had calmed down, started to churn again.

It had been like this since entering the storage.

Along with an unpleasant feeling of powerlessness, she felt her strength draining from her body.

As if someone was secretly stealing her energy.

“Ah, that is an heirloom of the first Duke. It’s called a magic tool, but unfortunately, it doesn’t work now.”

“……!”

Where she tried to steady herself, there was a golden frame.

It was split in the middle as if it could open on both sides, but above it was a faded magic stone embedded like a lock.

To dare touch the heirloom of the first Duke so carelessly!

Startled, Audrey removed her hand and stepped back.

However, at that moment, an overwhelming sense of powerlessness, incomparable to before, came over her.

“……Strange.”

Derek’s gaze stopped on the first Duke’s heirloom.

The magic stone, which had turned pitch black as if its life had long expired, suddenly began to emit light.

Then, at the moment when a light so bright it was blinding poured out.

“Ugh!”

“……!”

Audrey lost consciousness.

***

In the darkened bedroom.

In the middle of the bed with black curtains hanging, Audrey lay like a corpse.

There was one gaze anxiously watching her.

“……My, little kitten.”

It was Derek, nursing her with a face as if the world had ended.

He was pouring out remorseful words like a chant, with the unconscious Dodori before him like an offering.

“You must wake up. There are still so many things I haven’t said.”

“…….”

“There are so many things I want to do for you. So please…….”

But Dodori didn’t easily open her eyes.

From the mansion’s physician to famous doctors and priests, even astrologers were called, but there was no improvement.

─Knock knock.

“Your Grace, it’s Chief Magician Bark.”

“……I’ll come out.”

Derek had called the mansion’s chief magician as a last resort.

─Bang!

He then abruptly threw the first Duke’s heirloom onto the table. He seemed thoroughly angry.

“This is it. This rotten stone-like thing emitted light and attacked Dodori.”

“Pardon? But magic stones don’t attack people. Unless it’s an offensive magic tool.”

“Anyway, it glowed and she collapsed. There must be some connection.”

“I’ll take a look.”

The chief magician began to examine the first Duke’s magic stone using various tools.

“Basically, magic stones don’t have a lifespan. They enter dormancy when the infused magic is depleted, but they can be reactivated anytime if magic is infused again.”

“So?”

“This magic stone just activated from its dormant state. That’s why it emitted light.”

“Then…….”

“Yes. Magic was just infused into the stone. More precisely, it seems the stone forcibly took it.”

Derek unconsciously looked towards the bedroom door.

‘Magic? Infusion? Light?’

He doubted if he understood correctly.

So…… that damned stone dared to absorb Dodori’s magic, and Dodori collapsed after losing her magic?

“But Dodori isn’t a magician. Her brother is the magician.”

“Well, if there’s a magician in the family. It’s possible that Dodori is also a magic holder.”

“……!”

Derek’s face was deeply troubled.

‘Dodori, a magic holder…….’

This was a completely unexpected development.

Isn’t the Kriant Empire capturing all magic holders and throwing them into the notorious magic tower? Like Dodori’s brother.

Usually, they spend 10 to 15 years there.

Does this mean Dodori will also go to the magic tower?

‘No!’

Derek turned pale.

He couldn’t bear to be separated like this. He had to find a way somehow.

“Is it possible to infuse magic into another person-“

“Th-that’s dangerous talk! If something goes wrong, you could both lose your lives!”

“…….”

Damn it.

The method of pretending to be a magic holder and entering together wasn’t feasible either.

Then there’s only one option left.

To keep it a secret between just the two of them, without telling anyone.

“Wh-why are you looking at me like that?”

“…….”

Of course, that ‘two’ didn’t include Chief Magician Bark.

‘It seems he’ll have to disappear.’

Blood-red eyes fiercely gazed at the prey before him.

Easier than keeping a secret was eliminating the secret itself.