Derek quickly scanned through a year’s worth of reports.

Pelios, a distant barren land where not even a single blade of grass grew, was a territory directly bestowed by the Emperor.

It was a reward for leading the half-century war to victory.

Although it was a harsh region where maintenance costs exceeded income, Derek oversaw Pelios carefully, even dispatching representatives.

This was because it directly bordered the Old Continent across the sea.

“Any connection to previous incidents?”

“Quite high. The similarities include returning unharmed within three days, and that children are the targets.”

“……Three days.”

Duke Frith fell into thought.

Pelios was a barren rocky area with few residents.

The fact that disappearances were frequent enough to warrant the sheriff’s attention was certainly not something to be ignored.

Moreover, unlike typical missing person cases, it was suspicious that the missing children returned safely after a specific period.

‘Three days is quite a long time.’

Three days. With a transport portal, one could go anywhere, and even travel to the Old Continent by ship with a day to spare.

This meant that anyone could potentially be responsible.

Anyone who harbored resentment against him.

At this point, identifying suspects seemed meaningless.

“Let’s wait for the sheriff’s follow-up report for now.”

“Yes. I’ll relay any communication promptly.”

“You may go now.”

Having completed his task, Lucas departed with quick steps.

Left alone, Derek stared out the window with a very serious expression.

‘The timing is not good.’

Life as Duke Frith hadn’t always been smooth since inheriting the title.

There had been many worse incidents and accidents.

But this time in particular, he resented his own situation.

‘When I should be devoting all my attention to Dodori…’

What he had considered necessary burdens now felt as heavy as water-soaked baggage.

A life where assassins visiting at night was normal.

A life where threats appeared without warning.

If he continued living like this, he would have almost no time to spend with Dodori.

‘I wouldn’t even have time to see that adorable face.’

That wasn’t all.

What if all those dangers were directed at Dodori?

Could he remain composed then, as he had in the past?

‘…No. Absolutely not.’

This wasn’t the kind of life he wanted to share with Dodori.

Imagining those frightened green eyes, he felt his blood run cold.

‘My Dodori…!’

This wouldn’t do.

He had never been one for mercy or tolerance, but for Dodori’s sake, he needed to become even more ruthless.

To ensure no future troubles remained.

‘I just need to cut off the problem at its root.’

So let them try.

He would chase them to the ends of the earth and make a decisive end to it.

Anyone who dared to interfere with his time with Dodori, or even brush against a single strand of her hair, would spend their life wailing in a living hell.

Derek finished sticking the newspaper clipping to the wall, burning with determination.

***

The heavy travel bag drew a piercing gaze.

However, Audrey paid no attention and placed the bag on the desk.

Thud.

Startled by the unexpectedly loud noise, Audrey flinched.

“……”

Her earlier boldness had vanished somewhere, and her eyes, now nervously watching Duke Frith, appeared quite timid.

She felt shameless for imposing in someone else’s office.

However, Duke Frith merely stared at her intently, showing no signs of displeasure.

‘Phew…..’

Relieved, Audrey finally opened her bag.

Then she began to lay out the items she had carefully packed, one by one.

‘Mirror here, jeweled pen here…..’

These were things she had prepared, overcoming embarrassment with a sense of mission to make him fall out of love.

This entire plan had begun at the social club.

‘Oh my, that nobleman is known to be very meticulous about his appearance, isn’t he?’

‘That man is just a narcissist! He must look in the mirror thirty thousand times a day! He asks if he looks handsome after doing anything, and I wanted to slap that mouth of his.’

‘Pfft! Oh, I’m sorry.’

‘And that’s not all. He tries so hard not to do anything that might damage his beauty!’

‘What? Beauty?’

‘He’s the kind of man who took my parasol because he couldn’t let his skin get tanned. Ugh, so off-putting!’

‘……!’

She immediately got the feeling.

That, without going to considerable extremes, she could never drive someone away.

For this reason, Audrey’s concept today was ‘princess syndrome patient in terminal stage, full of self-love.’

Her determined eyes slowly scanned the neatly arranged desk.

‘After going this far… surely he can’t help but fall out of love?’

A table mirror that emitted brilliant light when illuminated.

A small hand mirror covered with ribbons.

A tiny notebook adorned with excessive frills.

A rabbit ornament placed for no reason.

‘Perfect.’

Audrey put on lace gloves with her pinky finger daintily raised.

Then she attached a bright red ribbon to her hair. It was as large as a human head.

“Y-yes. Audrey loves ribbons!”

“……!”

Duke Frith’s bewildered gaze could be felt from where she stood.

Audrey, too, was mortified and wished she could die of embarrassment.

However, she persevered with all her might, forcing strength into her trembling lips.

‘I-I must endure!’

She knew well that giving up now would accomplish nothing.

“Hmm, hmm, hmm.”

Audrey deliberately hummed a tune as she picked up the small hand mirror.

Her vision blurred involuntarily, unable to face herself pretending to be pretty in all sorts of ways.

“D-Duke.”

“……?”

“Isn’t Audrey sooo pretty?”

Finally, Audrey delivered her finishing blow.

It was the result of practicing all day yesterday.

“……!”

Derek, unexpectedly struck to the bone, felt his heart sink. He wondered if his true feelings had been exposed.

‘Was it obvious?’

How could his Dodori be so perceptive? She was as alert as a scurrying squirrel.

Duke Frith answered promptly with a dazed expression.

“……Always. Every day.”

Both his earlobes were flushed crimson, appearing ready to burst.

***

As time passed, Audrey grew increasingly anxious.

‘It doesn’t seem to be working at all…..’

Despite her best efforts, there was no change in Duke Frith’s attitude.

‘How can this be?’

All she had done today was flaunt her self-love.

Looking in the mirror every 10 seconds during work hours, humming tunes, and even filing her nails.

Yet far from falling out of love, Duke Frith:

“Greetings! It’s an honor to serve such a distinguished guest! I am Etuard, representative of the Princess Salon.”

“…Audrey is pleased to meet you, too.”

“Oh my! Even the princess from the neighboring country has such adorable nails? Let me make them even prettier for you!”

He had splurged on her as if he’d been waiting for the opportunity. His face showed indescribable satisfaction.

“……”

Audrey felt self-loathing, wondering if she really needed to go this far.

However, her ordeal did not end there.

Tap tap.

Suddenly, a familiar noise came from the window.

“…Messian?”

Coo! Cooooo!

It was the sound of Arnold’s carrier pigeon pecking at the window with its beak.

Startled, Audrey unconsciously jumped up and approached the window.

“How did it get all the way here…”

Just as she instinctively reached to open the window, her maple leaf-like hand paused.

‘Oh no.’

This wasn’t the Kevelson Count’s residence.

What if the innocent Messian was shot for being let in carelessly?

Tap tap! Tap!

But the impatient carrier pigeon kept urging her.

‘I should get permission, right?’

Just as she was about to check Duke Frith’s reaction, a familiar scent suddenly enveloped her.

“……!”

The smell of laundry well-dried in the sun.

“I’ll do it.”

It was Duke Frith.

Having approached silently, he somehow hesitated to get close to Audrey.

He seemed restless.

“…Just a moment.”

“Oh, I’ll move aside!”

“……”

Audrey, who had been blocking the window, stepped aside perceptively.

Only then did Derek breathe easily.

It had been such an ordeal restraining himself from grabbing that pink head bobbing under his chin and kissing it repeatedly.

‘…She didn’t need to move that far away.’

But seeing Dodori distance herself made him feel disappointed.

It would be nice if she maintained a proper distance to prevent him from having bad thoughts, yet stayed close enough for him to examine every detail of that adorable face at any time.

Her sudden withdrawal felt unkind.

How could she move 80cm away? It was truly too much.

‘No need to be tense. It’s just opening a window. Just open it naturally as usual.’

Derek opened the window with movements as creaky as an old machine.

Cooooo!

At the same time, a carrier pigeon flew in vigorously.

“Messian.”

“……!”

Duke Frith felt as if his breath had stopped again.

It was because of Dodori’s scent tickling his nose.

‘Damn it!’

What gave Dodori such audacity?

How could she suddenly intrude into his carbon dioxide zone without warning?

A red alert began sounding in Duke Frith’s head.

‘…This is dangerous.’

His large hand fumbled against the wall.

The desire to embrace Dodori right away and immerse himself in that sweet fragrance was boiling.

Memories entangled with the peach scent began to revive one by one.

The two of them holding hands for the first time in front of the Kevelson Count’s residence.

The two of them dancing for a long time at a distance where their breaths touched.

“……”

Somehow his mind became hazy as if feverish.

Just like those sleepless nights of the past.

‘This won’t, this won’t do.’

Duke Frith left the office with urgent steps.

“Your Grace? Where are you going?”

“…None of your business. Continue your work.”

And then he walked away, unusually dismissing even his aide.

“Huh?”

Left alone, Lucas tilted his head in confusion.

Even from a distance, his lord’s neck was noticeably red, resembling skin exposed to sunlight for a long time.

It looked as if he had been burned.

“He didn’t even go outside… how strange?”

Meanwhile, Derek was lying on his bed with a dazed expression, applying an ice pack.

The ice pack, just brought from the kitchen, was already half-melted and lukewarm.

It was because the heat wouldn’t easily subside.

“…It’s like a ball of fire.”

Somehow, this summer felt exceptionally hot to him.

Never before had he experienced such intense heat in his life.