Duke, Please Let Go of My Ankle! - Chapter 8

Surely there must have been boxes too heavy to lift alone, and many documents mixed up and hard to find.

With no one watching, she could have taken it easy. Claude was impressed by Audrey who had silently done her job.

“Audrey.”

Claude gently patted her lowered head, as if watering a sprout.

“Who told you to do such a good job, hm?”

“…!”

“And how did you fix the lamp?”

He noticed the small changes no one else saw and praised her generously as if she had done something remarkable.

It felt like a dream.

“This is a secret, but no one has ever succeeded in organizing the archives until now.”

“What?”

“It was such a mess that no one dared to try. And you did it.”

“…!”

“Well done. I’m proud of you.”

“It, it’s my job, of course, I had to do it!”

Caught off guard by the praise, Audrey unknowingly put on airs.

‘Ah!’

But as soon as she said it, she felt utterly embarrassed.

It wasn’t something someone who had caused accidents all day should say, was it?

Belatedly covering her mouth and cautiously observing his reaction, Claude smiled brightly as if to say there was no need for that.

‘Ah, dazzling.’

The cleanly upturned lips and the deep dimple at the end. And the gently curved eyes.

An unapproachable aura emanated from the man smiling with his whole face.

For some reason, she had the illusion that affection was welling up from those kind eyes.

It was clearly a face that said he found her adorably cute.

“…!”

At that moment, her heart dropped to her toes.

***

Just before falling asleep after a hectic day, Audrey fatefully read an article.

《Confession Day, When Love Comes True》

‘Love comes true?’

Her eyes, half-closed, suddenly widened as she flipped through the magazine.

Full spring. For those of you with unrequited love that pains your heart!

“Oh my. This is about me, isn’t it?”

Why not try conveying your feelings before it’s too late?

“…Is it really okay?”

Audrey had a rather serious conversation with the magazine.

The small text above the large title that read “99.99999% confession success rate!” made it even more appealing.

The social circles of the capital are swept up in the Confession Day fever.

Confession Day is famous as a day to confess love, as the numbers placed side by side resemble a heart shape.

It’s coming up on May 2nd.

However, after reading the article, she felt deflated.

“What, is this just another sales tactic?”

A fever in the capital’s social circles? This was the first time Audrey had heard of such a day.

Surely it must be a ploy to sell pheromone perfumes, rose bouquets, and various accessories listed below.

After all, how could there realistically be a day with a 99.99999% confession success rate?

Her indifferent fingertips pushed the magazine far away. Then she picked up the familiar Imperial Newspaper.

《Don Trusty’s Column Today》

: The Desire Hidden Behind the Symbol of Asceticism – Are People Who Prefer Black Clothes More Lustful?

“……”

But even with an interesting topic in front of her, her mind kept drifting back to the magazine.

After rolling her eyes for a while, Audrey finally surrendered.

“Hmm, just in case… Well, it can’t hurt to know, right?”

The magazine that had been tucked away in a corner floated back.

Audrey read through the article meticulously, as if she was going to memorize it whole.

1. Was Confession Day really effective?
2. Of course! You know how New Year’s Day gives you a fresh, exciting feeling? It’s similar to that. My partner said they were feeling oddly restless that day, and when I confessed, they thought their heart would stop. If I had waited just one more day, I might have been rejected. (Laughs)

That makes sense!

Despite her initial scoff, Audrey was instantly convinced.

However, as she continued reading interviews of people who had become couples, she felt a pang of envy.

“How nice……”

Her paper doll-like body fell back limply.

Just then, a cool spring breeze blew outside, scattering flower petals.

As she quietly watched the ticklish scene, it felt as if a single petal had landed on her heart, making it flutter.

Was it because of the gentle scenery?

Unconsciously, Audrey began to calculate her current assets.

It was also partly due to Claude’s gaze from earlier that kept stirring up her insides.

‘Let’s see… How much more until the golden mansion?’

In her mind, gold bars started stacking up like bricks in a secret vault.

It seemed like just one more gold bar would finish it off.

“…!”

In other words, it meant she only had about two days left until she could build a landmark in Claude’s heart.

Hadn’t she decided to propose to him someday when she built a splendid golden mansion?

“Oh my!”

Audrey sat up abruptly, clasping her face in her hands.

Even though she hadn’t confessed yet, her face was already hot and her heart was pounding as if it would burst.

“This is a sign from heaven!”

Once she became aware of it, her body felt oddly heated.

She wanted to run to him right now and confess her feelings while being showered by flower petals.

However, one thing that worried her was the lack of certainty about Claude’s feelings.

She knew he didn’t dislike her.

But that didn’t guarantee that he held her in his heart either.

The only consolation, if any, was that Audrey was the only woman he allowed by his side.

“……”

Audrey, who had hesitated for a moment, raised her head again.

Yes, not all emotions can start on the same level. Isn’t it her job to balance out the tilted emotions?

It’s okay if he doesn’t accept right away.

Audrey’s confession would be a great first step in developing their relationship.

Above all, she didn’t want to keep pining for him while just watching from afar.

She also lacked the ability to hide her growing feelings.

‘Before this feeling turns ugly and rotten, let’s convey it while it’s still beautiful and vivid.’

It had been quite a while since Audrey became an adult. No one would point fingers if they were to be together.

Moreover, she ranked third among the young wealthy of the empire under the alias ‘Claudia Obell’.

Love for him? It’s pointless to even mention it.

Wouldn’t this be enough to qualify as a good spouse?

At the very least, wouldn’t it make him consider her?

‘Oppa, I’ll make sure you don’t have to lift a finger!’

The confession method unanimously recommended by ten couples was a love letter.

The affection that dripped from the words apparently gave them great emotion and resonance.

‘A letter. A letter, you say?’

As she waved her hand in the air, a calendar floated over from afar.

But her face suddenly turned pale as she checked the date.

“Two days from now?”

There wasn’t much time left until Confession Day.

Today was already Wednesday, and tomorrow would be Thursday at work, so could she write and deliver the letter by Friday?

Audrey despaired, holding her head in her hands.

Loving someone and expressing it in writing were clearly different matters.

Above all, the biggest problem was… that she had no talent for writing.

A love letter couldn’t be conjured up with magic, could it?

“What should I do?”

Well, let’s try to create something resembling a love letter, even if it means staying up all night.

Audrey believed that if she put her heart into it, it would somehow work out.

But that was a big misconception.

***

The next morning.

What woke up Audrey, with dark circles under her eyes, was the commotion of the maids.

“Oh my!”

“Miss! Wake up and see!”

“Mmm… I want to sleep a bit more……”

“Claude sent a gift!”

“…What?”

Audrey shot up and looked around with bloodshot eyes.

“Where? Where?”

“Here, open it yourself.”

Several boxes of various sizes were stacked on the table.

Audrey, with a face still groggy from sleep, rushed over and started unwrapping. It was an instinctive movement.

‘What a coincidence! No, is it fate?’

The protagonist of the love letter she had written all night, the man who appeared in her dreams, had sent a surprise gift in the morning.

As if by fate.

Her heart sank, wondering if he had somehow sensed her feelings even before she confessed.

“This is……”

“Oh my, dresses! How many are there?”

“Oh my, my.”

The maids exchanged meaningful glances after seeing the contents. They seemed more excited than Audrey herself.

The orange box contained dresses of various designs.

They were rather plain and simple compared to her usual attire, but perfect for work.

Claude, noticing that Audrey had no suitable clothes for her lack of social experience, had personally chosen and sent these dresses.

When she realized this, a delayed exclamation burst out.

“……Kyaaaaaaaaah!”

Audrey ran around the room, hugging the dress tightly.

‘Oh, what should I do! What should I do!’

While the box contained dresses, the real gift Audrey received was his thoughtfulness.

To remember her momentary gloom over her attire yesterday morning and send dresses the very next day…

‘Oppa thought about me too! He spared his precious time to think about me!’

It didn’t matter if it was just for a moment.

It was heart-throbbing to know that she had occupied even just one minute of his time in his busy schedule.

But the joy was short-lived. Soon, she started to feel anxious.

It was because of the mere few lines of a love letter she had to give him.

Oppa, it’s Audrey.

Let’s form a covalent bond. I’ll give you my love, so please give me yours too.

Our bond, mediated by love, will be stronger than any other relationship.

I love you.

She had tried to make it as ticklish as possible, but all she knew were concepts related to magic.

It somehow seemed like an explanatory text…

Depending on the perspective, it could also feel extremely intimate and sensual.

Wasn’t it overflowing with an intensity unsuitable for new lovers?

‘Th-this won’t do!’