Duke, Please Let Go of My Ankle! - Chapter 37
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A little while later.
Derek’s face looked quite displeased as he left the examination room.
“It must have been quite unfamiliar, you’ve been through a lot. You can take this with you.”
“……”
“Then, take care on your way.”
In his 25 years of life, this was the most uncomfortable and unpleasant experience he’d ever had.
It was like a nightmare he never wanted to experience again.
However, Derek endured that time solely with the thought of doing it for Dodori.
His retreating figure, holding the envelope with the temple’s official seal, somehow looked dejected.
“Your Grace. Is the examination over?”
“……”
“It’s truly amazing. To think one can verify purity and receive a certificate!”
Lucas greeted his lord with exaggerated excitement.
A Certificate of Purity! It felt like the blocked path to marriage was suddenly cleared again.
“Oh, but how exactly do they determine one’s purity?”
“……”
Derek’s face turned sour.
Lucas, who had been chattering without reading the mood, was still waiting for an answer with eyes full of curiosity.
“Are you that curious about it?”
“Yes! It’s rather unfamiliar-“
“Then you should try it yourself.”
“……No! I misspoke!”
Lucas belatedly caught on.
Judging by his lord’s face, it didn’t seem to have been a particularly pleasant process.
‘I’ll try it myself later.’
The assistant made a mental note of the document named ‘Certificate of Purity’, repeating it several times in his mind.
Thus, Derek’s ‘Certificate of Purity’, filled with all sorts of twists and turns, was displayed on Duke Frith’s desk as if it were an exhibit.
It was positioned where it could be best seen from Audrey’s seat.
***
“Why don’t you have some too?”
“……”
Derek lifted his teacup with an expressionless face. But inside, he was boiling.
‘Deceived again.’
The imperial family of the Kriant Empire must surely have the blood of liars flowing through their veins.
They said there were matters to discuss because of border disputes.
But what Princess Diana had prepared was a large-scale tea party.
“It’s so nice to see your face on the weekend like this.”
“We are truly honored, Your Highness.”
“How wonderful would it be if we could see you more often?”
“……”
The princess’s followers chirped pleasantries as if they had rehearsed beforehand.
However, Derek openly frowned.
He couldn’t understand why they had to call him too, when they could just chatter among themselves like sparrows.
‘What a terrible swarm of ants.’
The table was crowded with invited guests.
But the sight of everyone wearing similar dresses and smiling like dolls was truly bizarre.
Moreover, Derek was the only man among the attendees.
He felt extremely uncomfortable, like he was on display as a statue in the banquet hall.
“By the way, Your Highness, you look even more beautiful today.”
“I’ve never seen anyone who suits lavender so well. Though the black clothes you usually wear are beautiful too.”
“You flatter me too much.”
“Flatter? We’re just stating facts! It’s as if hundreds of flowers have bloomed, it’s enchanting just to look at you.”
“……”
They’re really having fun.
Why on earth are they so interested in other people’s attire?
“Your Highness, may I also have a dress made in the same color?”
“Why ask for permission? If you want it, just wear it.”
“Ah, as expected…… you are so gracious!”
They showered compliments as if they had a daily quota to meet.
It was truly amusing to see them carefully gauging the princess’s reaction even while giving a compliment.
But Derek stubbornly stared at his own teacup without adding a word.
Having gone all the way to the temple, he was tired and just wanted to go home and rest.
“By the way, Duke Frith. Your attire today is quite unique.”
“……Is that so.”
“It seems to be a fabric I’ve never seen before.”
“The tailor imported it from the southern kingdom.”
“Oh, the southern kingdom? That’s quite far. I really like how unusual it is.”
“Is that so.”
The princess smiled meaningfully.
Recently, Duke Frith’s attire had been becoming bolder.
The black clothes he used to favor had disappeared, replaced by challenging outfits in pastel tones, primary colors, and bold patterns.
‘I was quite tired of wearing only black clothes.’
The princess’s attire had become bolder in tandem.
Whatever change of heart Duke Frith had experienced, it was a good thing.
“A dress made of such fabric would be uniquely beautiful too.”
Today’s outfit had frills chaotically attached over a fabric that exuded a tropical feel.
Though she probably wouldn’t have an occasion to wear a dress made of such fabric, she just wanted to own one.
However, his tightly closed lips showed no signs of opening.
Princess Diana gave a subtle hint.
“It would be nice to wear at next month’s ball, don’t you think?”
“Send a trade merchant. There might still be some left.”
“……It seems the duke really treasures this fabric?”
“Yes. I’m thinking of making another outfit with it.”
“……”
The princess’s face hardened.
‘What a cruel man.’
He has fabric to make another outfit for himself.
It was so like him not to even promise, even in jest, to offer the fabric.
Following the host’s mood, the atmosphere of the tea party instantly became awkward.
Those who had been chattering like sparrows now became mute, only watching the two carefully.
“I see. Perhaps I should send a trade merchant too.”
“You should do that.”
“……”
In the end, the princess silently drank her tea with a hardened face.
Meanwhile, Derek glanced at her with cold eyes.
He found it despicable that an imperial princess would covet the possessions of a mere duke.
‘How greedy.’
If a duke started submissively offering his possessions to the princess, naturally the nobles below him would have no choice but to follow suit, almost forcibly.
He intended to set an example as a high-ranking noble.
However, hearing the princess’s words, a romantic plan suddenly came to mind.
‘Should I make a dress for Dodori with the remaining fabric?’
Dodori wearing clothes made of the same fabric as his…
─Crash!
“Oh my goodness!”
“Duke!”
“……”
Imagining such an adorable scene, he unknowingly crushed the teacup handle to powder.
The startled princess hurriedly ordered to call for the court physician.
But Derek still sat there with a blank face.
‘Why am I acting like this?’
He couldn’t suppress the violence that kept surging at all times.
Whenever he thought of his Dodori, something kept welling up inside him.
He wanted to embrace her tightly until he could hardly breathe, and kiss her repeatedly while squishing her soft-looking cheeks.
It was an impulse he had never experienced in his life.
Who would have thought that these lips, which he thought were only for eating, would dream of doing other things.
‘This is all because Dodori is so cute.’
In an instant, a warm heat rose to his earlobes. Dodori was so lovable that he simply couldn’t bear it.
Today too, he spent the whole day pining for Dodori all by himself.
“Fortunately, there’s no bleeding, so it’s not a situation to be overly concerned about.”
“Are you sure you looked properly? The teacup handle shattered into pieces. And you’re saying not a single shard pierced him?”
“……Yes.”
Derek nonchalantly dusted off his hand once.
But even after the court physician withdrew, the princess couldn’t easily shake off her worry.
Naturally, the party couldn’t proceed properly.
Then, one follower, aiming for a change in atmosphere, found a new sacrifice.
“Oh my, Lady Bevolitan! Why aren’t you eating this precious treat?”
“Ah, that is……”
She was a girl who still hadn’t lost her youthful appearance.
The princess’s gaze also turned in that direction.
“What’s the matter?”
“Well, I was just encouraging Lady Bevolitan to eat the cookies that Your Highness ‘specially’ prepared, as she hasn’t touched them at all.”
“No…!”
“……”
As the follower reported, the cookies on the personal plate hadn’t decreased at all.
Seeing this, the princess’s face hardened.
Already in a bad mood, she seemed quite displeased at having her goodwill ignored.
“Why, do you think I might have put poison in your cookies?”
“Th-that’s not it, Your Highness. Really.”
“Then I suppose the cookies I prepared don’t suit your taste. It’s my fault as the host for not paying attention to details. Isn’t that right?”
“……”
It was too harsh a situation for a girl who hadn’t even had her debutante ball yet.
Among the many people sitting here, not a single one would help her.
Even her distant relative who brought her here quickly turned away as soon as their eyes met.
“The thing is. I have a peanut allergy……”
“Oh my.”
“An allergy?”
“Goodness.”
With the honest confession, the crowd began to stir.
The sidelong glances were stinging.
In the Kriant Empire, food allergies were treated as a ‘dishonorable disease that only picky eaters get’.
“Is that true?”
“……Yes.”
As luck would have it, all the cookies prepared today were made with peanuts as the main ingredient.
It was because the hostess, the princess, liked them.
Princess Diana, as if she hadn’t just heard the explanation, personally handed over a cookie.
“Try eating just one. It’ll be fine.”
“Pardon? B-but.”
“If you stop eating altogether just because you get sick once, it’ll never get better. If you make a habit of eating it, your body will adapt.”
“……”
“How can you live your whole life without eating something this delicious? Come on, won’t you have some?”
“……”
How many people could refuse a cookie offered directly by the princess?
Before long, people around started to agree one by one.
“That’s right. You might even develop immunity after getting really sick once.”
“Isn’t an allergy something you can overcome with willpower?”
“Lady Bevolitan is being too sensitive. One cookie like this should be fine.”
“……”
In the end, unable to resist the urging gazes, she swallowed one cookie. Only then did the commotion on the table subside.
But the girl’s face was as pale as if she had drunk poison.
“How is it? Not as bad as you thought, right?”
“……U-yes.”
“See? Allergies are just mental illnesses created by fear. With enough willpower, you can definitely overcome it.”
“……”
“Lady Bevolitan, what are you doing not thanking Her Highness right away? You’ve overcome your allergy thanks to Her Highness.”
“Th-thank you for Your Highness’s grace… ugh!”
But at that moment, the girl who had been fine until just now collapsed onto the table.
Translator
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arwendolyn
Well, I felt bad for the princess up until the end of this chapter 😒