Even Though I Know I Shouldn’t Act Like This in Front of the Duke

A few years ago, it was the day of a playful party disguised as a masquerade ball with neighborhood friends.

The sky was turning reddish-orange in the late afternoon.

‘This feels new. I’ve been wearing stuffy dresses all this time when I could have worn something this comfortable.’

Ellin giggled while fidgeting with her awkward suspender pants and baker boy cap.

‘Everyone would be completely fooled seeing me like this.’

Dressed like boys her age, she wanted to imitate their usual behaviors.

Kicking roadside stones, poking tall grass with long sticks.

Flap flap flap!

When a large crow suddenly flew up from the forest, she flinched.

‘What, you scared me!’

Though it was a familiar forest path, walking alone as the day was ending felt somewhat eerie.

Her leisurely steps gradually quickened.

Bang! Ba-ang!

Suddenly, gunshots rang out, and the entire forest seemed to shake.

“Aaah!”

Crouching down with her ears covered, she witnessed someone running through the bushes.

‘That person!’

One of the two fleeing was a face she knew well.

She couldn’t understand why they were frantically escaping with guns in hand, faces pale with fear.

‘What’s going on? Did they go hunting?’

With her heart still pounding from the gunshots, she faintly heard agonized groans from somewhere.

‘……Is someone else here?’

While her mind screamed to leave the forest quickly, her feet moved toward the direction of the groaning.

Gently pushing aside the tall, dense grass, she found a large black horse standing in front.

Ellin’s eyes immediately filled with shock.

A person lay collapsed a short distance from the horse.

The shoulder area soaked with blood suggested that the earlier gunshot had been aimed at him.

‘What should I do!’

Her mind went blank. She had never seen such a scene in her life.

Her legs trembled too much to even step back.

‘……Is he dead?’

She swallowed hard and slowly approached the person.

“Hey. A-are you okay?”

Gathering courage to turn him over, she found the man was someone she had never seen in this town before.

With his dark eyebrows contorted, his face was pale but surprisingly young and handsome.

Judging by his clothes, unlike the insignificant young men of this town, he didn’t seem like an ordinary person.

Seeing the hunting rifle fallen beside him, it appeared he had gone hunting and met with misfortune.

‘What on earth happened!’

With no one around to ask for help, she slowly shook him.

“H-hey. Please wake up.”

When she shook him, his long amber eyelashes rose with difficulty, gradually revealing brilliant golden eyes.

“You, you……”

Unable to finish his sentence, the man lost consciousness again. His shoulder was soaked with blood.

While she was trying to wake him by shaking him, her clothes had already been stained red with his blood.

Looking at the dark red blood pooled on the ground made her dizzy.

“Ellin.”

In that moment when the world seemed to stop, an incongruous voice woke her.

The gloomy forest had somehow transformed into a bustling street.

It felt like instantly moving from one world to another dimension.

“Ellin! What are you thinking about? You could get hit by a carriage and not even notice.”

“……Royce?”

The person standing in front of her, slightly lifting his hat, was Royce.

Lost in memories of the past, Ellin hadn’t noticed someone blocking her path.

He wasn’t a particularly welcome person, especially on such a crowded street.

“Did something bad happen? You look pale.”

“Hello, Royce. I’m fine. I have somewhere urgent to go now. See you later.”

Ellin gave a brief nod and tried to pass him, but Royce persistently followed and asked,

“Where are you going? If it’s so urgent, I’ll escort you.”

“No need. It’s just right ahead.”

Ellin declined politely and continued walking.

“Ellin. Why do you keep avoiding me? What’s the big deal about escorting you?”

Ellin grew increasingly irritated by Royce’s burdensome attention.

He was always like this whenever they met. Never letting her go easily.

“It’s fine, Royce. I can go perfectly well by myself. I feel uncomfortable that you never let me go right away whenever we meet.”

Ellin honestly expressed the feelings she had been harboring.

“Ellin. How can you say that to me…… We……”

“Royce! I know. That we’re friends.”

Ellin raised her voice to block any strange words from coming out of his mouth.

“Please just leave me alone. Even for friends, this is going too far. You’re married now.”

Ellin calmed her excitement and lowered her voice again.

“I’m sorry.”

But Royce looked at her with pitiful eyes, already deeply hurt.

It was he who chose Janice, yet his eyes made it seem like Ellin had abandoned him, which irritated her.

He was doing it again now. That dejected look.

“Ellin. I know you have bad feelings toward me because I left you and married Janice.”

Ellin touched her forehead, feeling like she might go crazy.

“How did you seduce the duke anyway?”

Ellin was dumbfounded seeing him suddenly mention the duke.

Seduce? What was he talking about?

“Royce! You seem to have forgotten, but YOU chose Janice! Have you already forgotten what you told me? That you were sorry and asked me to wish you happiness? Why are you suddenly mentioning the duke? Whether I meet the duke or a coachman is none of your business anymore!”

Ellin firmly rebuked him and coldly walked past him.

Royce grabbed her arm and said in a vile voice,

“Does the duke know what kind of relationship we had? That you could have married me?”

Ellin’s eyes turned to shock when she looked back at Royce.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dominic, returning from meeting architect Benjamin Rosso at the club, encountered an unexpected scene.

“Wait. Slow down.”

While the carriage reduced speed, he watched the scene outside the window with puzzled eyes.

Ellin Nilson stood in the middle of the street with a young man, both wearing serious expressions.

The two gave off a strange atmosphere, like former lovers or a man desperately clinging to a woman.

If someone loose-lipped witnessed this, it would be the perfect scene to spread malicious rumors about the future duchess.

‘I must have expected too much.’

He disapproved of Ellin throwing herself to the hyenas like bait for all to see.

He had hoped that once they made the contract, she would at least manage herself properly.

He was about to close the carriage curtain with a cold face when he saw the man grab her arm.

Ellin Nilson’s face turned pale.

From what he could see, she wasn’t pale from overwhelming joy.

“Stop.”

The carriage quickly halted its wheels.

“What are you doing, Royce. Let go!”

Ellin was bewildered.

Who would have known that Royce, whom she once considered a good friend, harbored such irrational obsession?

You’re Janice’s husband. So please just get away from me now!

……Just when these words were about to leave her throat, someone grabbed her arm.

Royce noticed him before Ellin did.

Ellin turned around at Royce’s startled expression.

“Ellin.”

The person who called her name affectionately was Dominic Linderto.

“D……Duke?”

He gave Ellin a flawlessly perfect smile, but his eyes toward Royce were spine-chillingly cold.

“I’d appreciate it if you’d let go of that hand.”

Hearing the intimidating voice, Royce’s hand finally fell away from Ellin.

For good reason—if he had delayed even a little, the duke’s fist seemed ready to fly.

When Royce’s hand dropped, Dominic gently pulled Ellin toward himself.

“What business do you have with my fiancée? Hmm……”

When Dominic slightly narrowed his brow trying to remember something, Royce spoke first.

“I’m Royce Creighton, Your Grace.”

“Ah. Right. Sir Creighton.”

Dominic maintained a frosty attitude, showing no intention of offering a handshake to Royce.

Recognizing that his behavior had been rude, Royce stepped back from them.

“I apologize.”

“Your apology should be directed to the lady, not me.”

Royce apologized to her, forcing the words out.

“I’m sorry, Ellin. I was just worried about you.”

Seemingly irritated by those words, Dominic narrowed his brow and said,

“Even family members should maintain certain boundaries. Too much familiarity between in-laws can give gossipmongers something to talk about.”

“But since childhood, Ellin and I have been……”

Dominic turned to Ellin, showing no interest in listening to Royce’s excuses.

“You look pale. Let’s get in the carriage. I’ll take you home.”

Ellin quietly took his arm, complying with the duke’s words.

The two headed toward the carriage parked nearby.

Left alone, Royce’s face turned red, humiliated.

“Well then. I’ll be going first.”

After helping Ellin into the carriage, Dominic casually addressed Royce before boarding himself.

When the carriage began to move, Royce watched it depart with a hardened face for a long time.

“Damn it.”

A small curse escaped his lips.

* * *

Meanwhile, inside the carriage, Dominic looked at Ellin sitting across from him.

Her face was slightly flushed, perhaps from the earlier excitement.

“Where should I take you?”

“14 Campbell Street. I was on my way to visit a sick friend.”

Dominic signaled the coachman with his eyes at Ellin’s words.

“Yes, master.”

The coachman changed the direction of the reins.

“……Thank you.”

Ellin bowed her head slightly to thank him.

Of all times to meet the duke, it had to be during such an awkward moment.

She was grateful for his help, but the recent incident had made the situation even more uncomfortable.

“After we divorce in a year, I won’t care who you meet. Until then, it would be better to avoid becoming the subject of gossip.”

Dominic was now cold, unlike moments ago when he had affectionately shielded her in front of Royce.

“Please don’t misunderstand. There’s nothing between Royce and me. He’s just a childhood friend.”

Ellin blurted out an explanation to the duke, feeling wronged.

She was also angry at Royce for causing these unnecessary misunderstandings.

She couldn’t understand why he kept putting her in difficult situations even after marrying Janice.

If this happened again, she planned to clearly draw the line in front of Janice.

But of all people, the duke had to witness this unpleasant scene.

Ellin decided to speak honestly to the duke rather than keep it to herself.

“It’s awkward because he married my sister and became family, so I can’t completely avoid him. You probably already know, but we once talked about marriage. I don’t understand why he’s acting like this toward me now.”

Dominic had expected her to make excuses or get angry about the misunderstanding.

He found it unexpected that she would candidly share her situation.

“If we were complete strangers, I would never see him again. If I told my family about this, they would probably scold me or think I’m strange…… Honestly, I don’t know what to do.”

There was no trace of deception in Ellin’s expression as she spoke calmly.

Dominic, who had been listening quietly, let out a small sigh.

“I see. Then I’ll handle this matter from now on.”

“Pardon?”

She hadn’t shared this hoping he would solve it. She had merely expressed her current feelings.

Ellin looked at him with puzzled eyes, surprised by how readily he offered to resolve the situation.

Just when she was about to ask how he planned to handle it, the carriage stopped in front of Charlotte’s house.

“I’ll send the carriage back here for you. Visit your friend well, and return home safely.”

Ellin, who had been staring intently at the duke, soon nodded.

“Thank you.”

After getting out of the carriage, Ellin quietly watched the duke leave.

“Ah. That’s right!”