Duke, Please Let Go of My Ankle! - Chapter 34

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Saturday evening.

Audrey, arriving at the meeting place with Arnold, was startled.

“Hey, baby. Looking for us?”

“Paradise is waiting just over there. Let’s have a fantastic time together.”

“……!”

“Wow! Look at that. Their backs seem to be rippling with life.”

It was because Robert’s ‘friends to die for’ were hot guys beyond imagination.

Sun-kissed tanned skin from ample sunlight, eyes overflowing with leisure and languor.

They were true to their origins from the southern kingdom, where the sun shines about 360 days a year.

‘Do they not have shirts in the southern kingdom?’

But she couldn’t adapt to the freedom of entering a high-class restaurant with bare upper bodies.

Flustered, Audrey’s eyes wandered in the air for a while.

Fortunately, other participants started arriving one by one shortly after.

“Hello!”

“Your sunshine-like smile makes my heart flutter.”

“Am I perhaps late-“

“Shh. There’s no rush to exchange names. Our night will be long.”

“…….”

Is there a need to be so languid about introducing themselves all at once later?

But the other women seemed to have fallen head over heels for the hot guys’ charm.

Except for Robert’s sister, who was only stealing glances at Audrey’s Brother.

‘By the way, why isn’t Mr. Robert here?’

Audrey stared at the one seat that was still empty.

She thought he would be here first, given how excited he was until yesterday.

Robert was still nowhere to be seen.

As the appointed time came, the Southern Kingdom hot guys decided not to wait any longer.

“Babies, shall we just have fun among ourselves?”

“It’s sure to be a wonderful time.”

They removed Robert’s seat opposite Audrey altogether and widened the space between their chairs.

The reason was not to embarrass their counterparts.

‘……This is fine.’

Thanks to this, Audrey had nowhere to look.

Just as the blind date was about to start, a familiar voice appeared.

“Move aside. That’s my seat.”

“……!”

Audrey turned to the side, startled.

There stood Duke Frith, who always looked grim, but today seemed even more ferocious.

His cold eyes glared intently at the tanned, bare upper bodies.

‘They’re no better than primitives.’

Derek thought he had made the right decision to come in person.

To think that his deer-like Dodori would have been alone among such lustful men! His heart couldn’t bear the chill.

On the other hand, Audrey fell into a cauldron of shock and horror.

‘W-why are you here?’

The air of failure was already wafting about.

Duke Frith at an almost-started blind date? Forget dating, it seemed like they should just do some ‘eating’ and quickly disperse.

“Hey, friend! Nice to meet you! But where’s Robert?”

“He’s earning his keep. He looked so busy, so I came instead.”

“Earning his keep?”

“Let’s eat before it gets late.”

“……!”

Duke Frith snatched the menu from the hot guy and smoothly pushed it to her across the table.

Audrey flinched unconsciously. It was due to instinctive fear.

“Choose what you want to eat.”

Meanwhile, Derek fretted over his precious Dodori going hungry.

While subtly rolling up his frilly sleeves, he didn’t forget to do so.

He couldn’t let those lustful guys steal Dodori’s gaze.

‘Are they the only ones with muscles?’

Derek’s aggressive forearm muscles bulged beneath the innocent frills.

In truth, he too wanted to throw off his shirt just like them, but he barely restrained himself.

‘I’m not a frivolous man like them.’

His bare skin was like Pandora’s box that only Dodori could open.

Unlike ‘certain people’, Duke Frith was a man who knew fidelity.

As the brief introductions were coming to an end, the meal was set on the table.

Derek added one more request to the waiter who was about to retreat.

“I think these playb-, gentlemen will need bibs.”

The hot guys protested that it wasn’t necessary, but he was adamant.

He delivered a sharp remark while glaring at their bare skin as if looking at insects.

“If you’ve come to the Kriant Empire, you should follow the Empire’s dining etiquette.”

“Now that you mention it, that’s true. Thanks, friend!”

“Sweetie, please bring two bibs.”

In the end, two grown men ended up with only bibs on their tanned bare bodies.

The sight was shocking in itself.

‘Ugh……!’

Somehow it seemed perverse, and on the other hand, it involuntarily conjured images of their infancy.

In many ways, it was a terribleness unbecoming of adult men.

But Derek smiled with satisfaction.

He felt more at ease now that all the muscles that might have enticed Dodori were covered.

All that remained was to block their lustful intentions towards Dodori.

“So, baby, what are your hobbies-“

“What an extremely vulgar question.”

“Your favorite color-“

“That’s as lewd as it gets.”

“……”

Derek sharpened his tongue before Audrey could even answer.

It was because those lecherous guys dared to throw such low-level questions at Dodori.

‘Ha! What good would it do them to know Dodori’s hobbies? Favorite color? They’ve completely lost their minds.’

However, he didn’t spare his admiration and praise for the trivial questions Arnold asked.

“Then here’s my question! What’s the longest time you’ve ever gone without eating?”

“Brother, what kind of question is that for a blind date-“

“What an interesting and useful question. I was curious about that too.”

“Indeed! Indeed! We seem to be on the same wavelength!”

“……”

Naturally, only Arnold got excited and started pouring out strange questions.

As this situation repeated, Audrey naturally became suspicious.

‘Does he even know what a blind date is?’

Duke Frith couldn’t stand to see the atmosphere become convivial.

Whenever the mood started to feel like a proper blind date, he would completely shut down any strange currents.

It was quite frustrating for Audrey.

At this rate, her one and only Brother might die an old bachelor!

It was clear that Duke Frith had come to ruin this blind date.

It was evident in the questions he asked.

“So, when would be a good time for marriage?”

“……!”

“I’m curious about when you’d like to do it. Also, if you have any specific places in mind.”

Who on earth talks about marriage at a blind date?

At this rate, he might ask about plans for children and retirement too.

She couldn’t understand how this man was voted ‘Number 1 Single Man Likely to Break the Bed on His Wedding Night’.

But the way he sat quietly, even putting down his knife, seemed as if he was waiting for Audrey’s answer.

‘Why am I feeling nervous about this?’

In fact, in Derek’s mind, the wedding bells had already rung long ago.

The two had instantly become parents, and after their children grew up, they sat together watching the sunset.

‘It might be nice to move to a villa after passing on the title. If Dodori likes the sea, that is.’

He gazed only at Dodori while imagining these heart-fluttering scenarios.

But just as she was about to open her mouth.

“Audrey? Arnold?”

Suddenly, an uninvited guest intervened. It was a face Derek knew well too.

“Claude!”

“……Claude Oppa?”

Claude Emilton, his vassal and someone deeply connected to the Kevelson Count family.

Audrey’s attention naturally shifted towards him.

“Your Grace, I never expected to see you in a place like this-“

“Spare me the greetings.”

“……”

Somehow, he felt annoyed.

Derek subtly rolled up his sleeves further with a displeased face.

It was his intention to try and catch Dodori’s attention even like this.

However, surprisingly, it had no effect at all.

“But Oppa, what brings you here?”

“I have an appointment. By the way, this is where your blind date was? What a surprise to see Arnold here too.”

“I was practically dragged here by Drey. This cute little thing threatened me, saying she wouldn’t play with me if I didn’t come!”

“But those gentlemen… they seem to be feeling hot.”

“They say that’s how they appeal their charm in the southern kingdoms! Unique, isn’t it?”

“Ah. I see.”

Audrey’s face was full of unspoken expectations towards Claude.

‘Could it be that he appears at the blind date venue? Then it’s a hundred percent. The jealousy strategy has succeeded perfectly.’

Charlotte’s prediction had hit the mark again!

However, as if pouring cold water on her excited heart, a hand was placed on Claude’s shoulder.

“What? Do you know someone here?”

“……!”

What appeared over his shoulder was an attractive dark-haired beauty.

A new figure not in Audrey’s information network. A loud alarm started ringing in her head.

“Ah, let me introduce you. This is Emilia Danalo, my academy classmate.”

“……!”

“Oh my! Are you perhaps ‘that’ Audrey? And over there is Arnold? You really look alike!”

Audrey froze as if cold water had been poured over her head.

‘Academy classmate?’

She felt a chill in her heart, wondering if this might be the person Claude was said to have a crush on.

“Oh dear, look at me! I’m sorry. We’re meeting for the first time, right? I got carried away without realizing.”

“……”

“I’ve heard so much about you from Claude that it feels like I already know you, you know?”

The image of the two kept imprinting itself in her eyes.

Emilia, half-leaning on him with one arm draped over his shoulder. And Claude, who seemed comfortable with the situation.

“Hmm, I think I’d be A? Cheerful and lively sounds good.”

“I think it’s A again for me. A familiar and comfortable relationship.”

Emilia was exactly as Claude had described.

She smiled awkwardly at Audrey, who wasn’t responding. She seemed to have misunderstood something.

“Um, it looks like we might be interrupting.”

“……”

“We’ve been quite rude. We’ll be going now, so please enjoy your time!”

And with that, she quickly led Claude away.

But the blind date, which had started off on the wrong foot, was already heading towards dissolution.